VETRII IAS STUDY CIRCLE TNPSC Current Affairs DECEMBER - 2020
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01 01 - 19 HISTORY
. Important Days . Defence National Security and Terrorism . World Organisations – Pacts and Summits . Eminent Persons . Sports and Games . Books & Authors . Awards & Honours . India & its Neighbours .Appointments – Who is who? 20
20 POLITICAL SCIENCE
.Govt – Welfare oriented Govt schemes, their utility
21 GEOGRAPHY 21 .Policy on Environment and Ecology
22 - 23 ECONOMICS .New Economic Policy & Govt. Sector 22 24 24 - 29 SCIENCE .Latest Inventions in Science & Technology . Mass Media & Communication
30 NATIONAL – DIARY OF 30 EVENTS
43 43 INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
46 TAMIL NADU AFFAIRS 46 Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Important Days History
1.1 Important Days
Date Day Theme / Remark In India, Vijay Diwas (also called Victory Day) is celebrated every year on December 16. The country is celebrating the 49th Vijay Diwas in 2020. Vijay Diwas is observed to commemorate the service, valour, Nation Observes 49th 16-12-2020 and sacrifices of the gallant men of Vijay Diwas the Indian Armed Forces’ victory over Pakistan in 1971 war. On 16 December 1971, the Indian Armed Forces won the 13-day long decisive war against the Pakistan Army and state for the liberation of Bangladesh from Pakistan.
International Migrants Theme 2020 : ‘Reimagining Human 18-12-2020 Day Mobility’.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 1 Important Days Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020
When: The Minorities Rights Day is observed in India every year on December 18 since 1992. Why: Protect the existence of the National or Ethnic, Cultural, Religious and Linguistic identity of minorities 18-12-2020 Minorities Rights Day within their respective territories and encourage conditions for the promotion of that identity. The Day was promulgated by United Nations on December 18, 1992 to strengthen the cause of the minorities.
The Goa Liberation Day is observed on December 19 in India. 2020 marks the 60th Goa Liberation Day. The Day is celebrated to commemorate the great valour of the Indian armed forces in freeing Goa from around 450 years of Portuguese rule. 19-12-2020 Goa Liberation Day Goa was liberated on December 19, 1961. The 36-hour military operation, conducted from December 18, 1961, was code-named ‘Operation Vijay’ meaning ‘Operation Victory,’ and involved attacks by the Indian Navy, Indian Air Force and Indian Army.
2 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Important Days
India observes the National Mathematics Day every year on 22 December since 2012 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan. 2020 marks the 133rd birth anniversary of Ramanujan. National Mathematics 22-12-2020 The day was announced on 26 Day February 2012 by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to mark the 125th anniversary of the birth of the Indian mathematical genius Srinivasa Ramanujan (22 Dec 1887- 26 Apr 1920). 2012 was also observed as National Mathematics Year.
National Farmer’s Day (Kisan Diwas) is observed every year on December 23 in India to remember the role of Indian farmers in the economy. The day was first celebrated in 2001. The day is observed to mark the birth anniversary of former Prime Minster India Observes National 23-12-2020 Chaudhary Charan Singh. Farmer’s Day He brought farmer-friendly policies and worked towards the welfare of the farmers. Chaudhary Charan Singh was the fifth Prime Minister of India and served the country as Prime Minister from 28 July 1979 to 14 January 1980.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 3 Important Days Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020
National Consumer Day: December 24 2020 Theme: “Sustainable Consumer”. It was on this day that the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 was enacted. The Act aims to provide consumers 24-12-2020 National Consumer Day with effective safeguards against different types of exploitation, such as defective goods, deficiency in services and unfair trade practices.
In India, Good Governance Day (Sushasan Divas) is observed annually on December 25 to commemorate the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee (25 December 1924 – 16 August 2018). 25-12-2020 Good Governance Day Good Governance Day was established in 2014 by the newly elected administration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to foster awareness among the Indian people of accountability in government.
4 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Defence, National Security and Terrorism 1.2 Defence, National Security Guard. It was commissioned by Surat Police Commissioner Ajay Tomar. and Terrorism This interceptor boat is built indigenously by L&T Jetty, Hazira. It is capable of a high speed of 45 knots having the capability to Indian Coast Guard’s OPV ‘Sujeet’ operate in shallow waters. commissioned in Goa; Indian Coast Guard’s (ICG) Offshore India’s First Maritime Theatre Patrol Vessel (OPV) ‘Sujeet’, which Command is second in the series of 5 OPVs was The first Maritime Theatre Command commissioned at the Goa Shipyard (MTC) of India is to be launched in 2021. Limited (GSL) in Vasco Town, Goa by Raj The MTC will look after the 7,516-km long Kumar, Secretary (Defence Production). coastline, the entire Indian Ocean Region The vessel has been designed and built and the 1,382 islands. This is important indigenously by GSL. to counter Chinese ever-expanding naval The 1st ship in series – ICGS Sachet foot-print in the Indian Ocean Region. was commissioned by Union Defence China has the largest Navy with 350 Minister Rajnath Singh in May, 2020. warships and submarines. The ship is 105 metres long and weights 2400 tonnes. About Maritime Theatre Command Equipped with features like Integrated The MTC will subsume the Western Bridge System, Integrated platform Naval Command (Mumbai), tri-service management system, power management Andaman and Nicobar Command system and high power external (Port Blair), Eastern Naval Command fire-fighting. (Vizag) and the southern Air Command The ship will be based at Goa and will be (Thiruvananthapuram). deployed extensively for EEZ (Exclusive Background Economic Zone) surveillance and other India currently has seventeen single- duties. service commands. It includes seven The 1st ship in series – ICGS Sachet Army commands, three Navy commands was commissioned by Union Defence and seven Indian Air Force commands. Minister Rajnath Singh in May, 2020. Only two existing tri service command came up after 1999 Kargil war. The Indigenously-built Coast Guard Andaman and Nicobar command was set interceptor boat C-454 commissioned up as a geographical command in October The interceptor boat C-454, built by 2001. The nuclear arsenal command came Larsen and Toubro at its Hazira plant, up in January 2003. will operate from Gujarat under the control of the Commander Coast Guard Region North-West of the Indian Coast
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 5 Defence, National Security and Terrorism Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020
Defence minister Rajnath Singh Mig-29 and Mig-29K. hands over 3 DRDO high-tech systems ASTRA weapon system has been to chiefs of 3 armed forces developed by Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL) and The Defence Minister Rajnath Singh production by Bharat Dynamics Limited recently handed over three indigenously (BDL) Hyderabad. developed high technology systems to chiefs of the three armed forces: the India Successfully Test-Fires Medium Indian Army, the Indian Navy and the Range Surface-To-Air Missile For Indian Air Force. Army The three systems namely, Border Surveillance System (BOSS), Indian India today successfully test-fired a Maritime Situational Awareness System medium range surface-to-air missile (IMSAS) and ASTRA Mk-I Missile, have (MRSAM) from Odisha coast. been developed by the Defence Research The missile was fired from a ground and Development Organisation (DRDO). mobile launcher at launch pad number-1 Border Surveillance System (BOSS) of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) near BOSS is an all-weather electronic Balasore in Odisha, and it hit the target surveillance system. It was handed over with accuracy, the sources confirmed to to Army Chief General M M Naravane. news agency Press Trust of India.
BOSS has already been deployed in An unmanned air vehicle (UAV), Ladakh against the Chinese troops for ‘Banshee’, was first flown into the air, day and night surveillance. which was hit by the medium range surface-to-air missile. Indian maritime situational awareness system (IMSAS) AFSCB Adjudged as the “Best It was handed to Navy Chief Admiral Company Promoting Sports (Public Karambir Singh. Sector) 2020” at FICCI India Sports The IMSAS is state-of-the-art high Awards 2020 performance intelligent software system In the official notification received from that provide Global Maritime Situational FICCI, Air Force Sports Control Board Picture, Marine planning tools and (AFSCB) has been annotated as the Analytical capabilities to Indian Navy. winner in the category of “Best Company Astra Mk-1 missile system Promoting Sports (Public Sector) 2020”. It was handed over to Air Chief Marshal AFSB has been conferred with this R K S Bhadauria. prestigious award on 08 Dec 20 by the This missile is the first indigenously eminent jury of FICCI India Sports developed beyond visual range (BVR) Awards 2020 that was chaired by Justice missile that can be launched from Mudgal. The award function took place Sukhoi-30, Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), virtually through video conferencing
6 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 World Organisations – Pacts and Summits
on 08 Dec 2020 and Air Commodore participated in the exercise on its return Ashutosh Chaturvedi, Chairman, AFSCB journey. received the prestigious award from the The exercise has been conducted at a President FICCI. time when China has been expanding its military assertiveness in the South China Myanmar Navy formally commissions Sea notwithstanding mounting global INS Sindhuvir submarine, handed concerns and criticism. over by Indian Navy The Myanmar Navy has officially inducted the submarine INS Sindhuvir, which was handed over by the Indian 1.3 World Organisations – Navy to the country in October 2020. INS Sindhuvir was commissioned on Pacts and Summits 25th December 2020, which marked the 73rd anniversary of the Myanmar Navy. Kerala women startup inks pact with INS Sindhuvir has been renamed as UMS Minye Theinkhathu by the Myanmar UN agency Navy. For the first time, a Kerala-based women This is the first submarine in the Myanmar startup, which helps in identifying Navy’s arsenal. energy-efficient drivers and adopting It is a diesel-electric Kilo-class submarine, viable action plans, has signed an which was in operation in the Indian agreement with United Nations Women’s Navy since 1988. Empowerment Principles.
The submarine has been refurbished for Thiruvananthapuram-based Vydyuthi the Myanmar Navy by state-run defense Energy Services (VES) has signed the shipbuilder, Hindustan Shipyard Limited pact. (HSL) in Visakhapatnam. Out of the 170 companies from India which had signed for United Nations Indian Naval Ship Conducts ‘Passage Women’s Empowerment Principles, 64 Exercise’ with Vietnamese Navy in are from the private sectors. South China Sea An Indian Navy warship undertook a “passage exercise” with the Vietnamese Navy in the South China Sea as part of efforts to boost maritime cooperation between the two countries. Indian naval ship INS Kiltan was sent to deliver relief material for flood- affected people in central Vietnam and it
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 7 Eminent Persons Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 1.4 Eminent Persons Centre to dedicate a Museum on Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose in Aerospace Scientist Shri Roddam Kolkata on 125th birth anniversary Narasimha passes away at 87 The Government of India has proposed to set up a museum dedicated to Netaji Eminent aerospace scientist and Subhash Chandra Bose, in Kolkata, as a Padma Vibhushan awardee Roddam tribute on his 125th birth anniversary Narasimha has passed away due to brain celebrations on 23rd January 2021. haemorrhage. He was 87. The government has also decided to Roddam Narasimha had served at the expand the current museum of Netaji at prestigious Indian Institute of Science Red Fort in New Delhi. (IISc), where he taught Aerospace Apart from this, Centre is also considering Engineering from 1962 to 1999. He also to reprint some of the books written by served as the director of the National Subhash Chandra Bose, and even start Aerospace Laboratories from 1984 to fellowships for students. 1993. The central government bestowed the Veteran Journalist and first official second-highest civilian award of India, RSS Spokesperson MG Vaidya passes Padma Vibhushan on him in 2013 for away at 97 his contribution in the field of aerospace engineering. Senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Together with the Missile Man of India (RSS) ideologue MG Vaidya has passed and former president Dr A P J Abdul away after a brief illness. He was 97. Kalam, Prof Narasimha had authored a Vaidya was a veteran journalist, a Sanskrit book –“Developments In Fluid Mechanics scholar and the first official spokesperson and Space Technology”. of the RSS. The RSS is the ideological mentor of the Indian Navy’s Senior most Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Submariner, Vice Admiral Srikant Vaidya became a member of the RSS in passed away 1943. Indian Navy’s Senior Most Submariner Arya Rajendran, 21, chosen and the current director general of project country’s youngest Mayor from Seabird, Vice Admiral Srikant passed Thiruvananthapuram away after suffering from COVID-19 infection. Twenty-one-year-old Arya Rajendran of Vice Admiral Srikant is the current the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Director general of Indian government’s is likely to create history as the country’s largest infrastructure project “Project youngest mayor, having been elected Seabird”. as mayor of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.
8 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Sports and Games The state committee is likely to accept the 1.5 Sports and Games district committee’s recommendation and make a formal announcement. In Kerala, Odisha to host 2023 FIH Men’s 50% of local body seats are reserved for Hockey World Cup women. Civic bodies are headed by
women on alternative terms. The International Hockey Federation (FIH) had announced that the 2023 FIH Dance historian Sunil Kothari passes Men’s Hockey World Cup will be hosted away in Odisha, for a second consecutive time. The tournament will be held at two Padma Shri dance historian and critic venues, Bhubaneswar and Rourkela. The Sunil Kothari passed away Sunday Men’s Hockey World Cup 2018 was also morning at a Delhi hospital after he hosted by Odisha. suffered a cardiac arrest a month after The 2023 tournament will be 15th edition testing positive for coronavirus. He was of the Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup. 87. It will be held at the Kalinga Stadium Born on December 20, 1933, in Mumbai, in Bhubaneswar and at the Biju Patnaik Kothari qualified as a Chartered Hockey Stadium in Rourkela. FIH Accountant before turning to the study of Hockey World Cup is held after every Indian dance forms. four years. Kothari received numerous titles and awards for his contribution to Indian Doha to host Asian Games 2030 dance forms including the Sangeet Natak The capital of Qatar, Doha has won the Akademi Award (1995); the Gaurav hosting rights for the 2030 Asian Games. Puraskar conferred by the Gujarat Sangeet Doha beat Riyadh during the election, Natak Akademi (2000); the Padma Shri held on 16 December at the general bestowed by the Government of India assembly of the Olympic Council of Asia (2001); and the Life Time Achievement (OCA) in Muscat. Award of the Dance Critics Association, Saudi Arabia’s capital city Riyadh would New York, USA (2011). He was also an host the 2034 edition of the Asian Games. elected Fellow of Sangeet Natak Akademi Previously Doha organized the Asian for his contribution to Indian dance as a Games in 2006. scholar. 2030 Asian Games will be the 21st edition of the multi-sports event, held after every four years. It is also known as Asiad.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 9 Sports and Games Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020
Sports Ministry Formally Recognises Lucy Bronze, who plays as a right-back Yogasana as Competitive Sport for the English club Manchester City and The Sports Ministry formally recognised the England national team, bagged “The yogasana as a competitive sport, which Best FIFA Women’s Player” for 2020. will enable the ancient practice to avail government funding. Govt approves inclusion of four Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju and Minister indigenous sports in Khelo India of AYUSH (Ayurveda Yoga and Youth Games 2021 Naturopathy Unani Sidda Homoeopathy) The Sports Ministry has approved the Shripad Yesso Naik formally promoted inclusion of four indigenous Games to be yogasana as a competitive sport. a part of Khelo India Youth Games 2021, The move was made to encourage yoga, scheduled to take place in Haryana. spread awareness about its benefits and The games include, Gatka, Kalaripayattu, to help improve peoples physical and Thang-Ta and Mallakhamba. mental wellbeing. For competitions, 51 medals have been Indian Boxers Bag 9 Medals, Including proposed in four events and seven 3 Gold at Cologne Boxing World Cup categories in the sport. Events proposed Indian pugilists have bagged nine medals include traditional yogasana, artistic including three gold, two silver and four yogasana (single and pair), rhythmic bronze at the Cologne Boxing World Cup yogasana (pair, free flow/group yogasan), 2020, held in Cologne, Germany between individual all round-championship and 17 to 19 December 2020. team championship. List of Medal Winners Gold: The three gold medals for India Lucy Bronze and Robert Lewandowski were bagged by Amit Panghal (52kg), Bags Best FIFA Players for 2020 Manisha Moun (57kg) and Simranjit Kaur The Best FIFA Football Awards 2020 (60kg) in their respective categories. was announced on 17th December 2020, Silver: Silver medals were claimed by during a virtual event held at Zurich. Sakshi Choudhary (57kg) and Satish The Poland national team captain and Kumar (91kg). FC Bayern München striker Robert Bronze: Sonia Lather (57kg), Pooja Lewandowski has been named “The Best Rani (75kg) Gaurav Solanki (57kg) and FIFA Men’s Player” for 2020. Mohamed Hussamudin (57kg) claimed Lewandowski has won the title for the the bronze medal in their respective first time in his career. categories.
He is also the first men’s winner from a Overall five women and eight men boxers club outside Spain since Ronaldo won were registered for the Cologne Boxing the 2008 award as a Manchester United World Cup 2020. player.
10 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Sports and Games
Indian men to finish 2020 in 4th Novak Djokovic (Serbia) has been position, women in 9th in FIH awarded with the ATP Player of the Year rankings 2020 award, as he finished the year as No. The Indian men and women hockey 1 in the ATP Singles Rankings. teams will finish 2020 in fourth and ninth This is the record sixth time for Djokovic positions, respectively, after a major to win the title. This record was till now part of the year was disrupted by the achieved only by Pete Sampras, who won COVID-19 pandemic. the title continuously from 1993-98. The International Hockey Federation ICC Men’s ODI and T20I Teams of the (FIH) confirmed that the Belgium men’s team and the Netherlands’ women will Decade, Kohli leads Test Team finish the year at the top of the world The International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings. announced the ICC Teams of the Decade In the men’s FIH world rankings, on 27 December 2020, based on the reigning world and European champions performances, consistency of players Belgium (2496.88 points) sit at the top over the period of last 10 years. ahead of 2019 FIH Hockey Pro League Former Indian captain and wicket-keeper winners Australia (2nd place – 2385.70), batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni has Netherlands (3rd place 2257.96) and India been named as the captain of the ICC ODI (4th place 2063.78). Team of the Decade. He has also been Among women, the Netherlands named the skipper of the ICC T20I Team (2631.99 points) are at the top followed by of the Decade. Argentina (2174.61). Germany (2054.28) occupy the third position, climbing Anshu Malik secures silver at one place following their FIH Hockey Individual World Cup to win India’s Pro League results against Belgium in first medal at the event September. Indian wrestler Anshu Malik has become the first wrestler of the country to finish Novak Djokovic clinches 2020 ATP on the podium position at the Individual Player of the Year 2020 Award for Wrestling World Cup in Belgrade, Serbia. record equalling 6th time The 19-year-old won a silver medal in The Association of Tennis Professionals the women’s 57kg category to claim first (ATP) 2020 Awards were announced on international medal of the tournament for 21 December to felicitate the players and the country. others for their performance during 2019- She lost to Moldova’s Anastasia Nichita 20 season. 5-1 in the final.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 11 Books & Authors Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 FIFA postpones 2021 Under-17 and 1.6 Books & Authors Under-20 World Cups till 2023 due to coronavirus pandemic A book titled ‘Dharma’ authored by
The World football governing body FIFA Amish Tripathi has cancelled Under-17 and Under-20 The 2nd non-fiction book by author Amish football World Cups for the year 2021, Tripathi is titled “Dharma: Decoding the due to a coronavirus pandemic. Epics for a Meaningful Life”. These World Cups will now be played in The book offers practical, philosophical 2023. lessons drawn from ancient Hindu epics. Indonesia will host the Under-20s World It is co-authored by his sister Bhavana Cup and Peru will host the Under-17s Roy. It is to be published by Westland. World Cup as scheduled earlier. His last non-fiction book ‘Immortals India’ was launched in 2017.
Om Birla releases book on 19th anniversary of Parliament attack Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has released a book on the occasion of the 19th anniversary of the Parliament attack on 13 December. He released the book ‘The Shaurya Unbound’ (English Version) and ‘Samundar Samawe Boond Mein’ (Hindi Version) was released on the 2001 incident. As many as 14 people including the five terrorists died during the incident.
VP Venkaiah Naidu virtually released the book ‘Oh Mizoram’ VP Venkaiah Naidu virtually released the book ‘Oh Mizoram’, written by Governor of Mizoram, Shri P S Sreedharan Pillai. Pillai is a lawyer, an orator, a prolific writer, a philanthropist, and a thinker. He has written 125 books in Malayalam & English. Oh, Mizoram is his first poetry collection in English.
12 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Books & Authors
PM Narendra Modi releases book on prepare an authentic edition of “Hind Atal Bihari Vajpayee Swaraj” based on Gandhi’s handwritten Prime Minister Narendra Modi manuscript of 1909 in Gujarati and his had released a book called ‘Atal English translation of the text published Bihari Vajpayee in Parliament: A from Phoenix in 1910. Commemorative Volume’, to mark the 96th birth anniversary of the former Justice Rajindar Sachar prime minister. Autobiography ‘In Pursuit of Justice’ The book, published by the Lok Sabha released posthumously Secretariat, highlights the life and works The autobiography of late Justice Rajindar of the former Prime Minister and contains Sachar, titled, “In Pursuit of Justice: his notable speeches delivered in the An Autobiography”, was launched Parliament. The book also contains some posthumously by Sachar’s family on the rare photographs from his public and occasion of his birth anniversary on 29 professional life. December 2020. The book was launched through virtual A new book titled ‘Covid-19: Sabhyata platform, in association with The Indian ka Sankat aur Samadhan’ released Society of International Law and The Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi’s new Indian Law Institute. book titled ‘Covid-19: Sabhyata ka Sankat Aur Samadhan’ (Covid-19: Crisis of Civilisation and Solutions) was launched by former Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh. The Hindi book, published by Prabhat Prakashan.
New book on Gandhi to be unveiled by RSS chief on January 1 Mahatma Gandhi’s 1909 work “Hind Swaraj” is grounded in ‘dharma’ which is often but inadequately translated as religion, says a new book on the father of the nation scheduled to be launched on January 1 by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. Authors J K Bajaj and M D Srinivas say their book “Making of a Hindu Patriot: Background of Gandhiji’s Hind Swaraj” has evolved out of their earlier effort to
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 13 Awards & Honours Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 1.7 Awards & Honours Paul Sein Twa of Myanmar wins 2020 Goldman Environmental Prize for UNEP announces 2020 Champions of Asia region the Earth Award The 31st edition of the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize was The UN Environment Program (UNEP) announced , which honors one grassroot is presenting the Champions of the Earth environmental activist from each of the Award since 2005, to inspire and motivate world’s six geographic regions: Africa, more people to act for nature. Asia, Europe, Islands and Island Nations, The award recognizes outstanding North America, and South and Central environmental leaders from the public America. and private sectors, and from civil society The Goldman Environmental Prize is given for their pioneering initiatives aimed at annually by the Goldman Environmental healing the planet amid natural and man- Foundation headquartered in San made threats and whose action have had Francisco, California. a positive impact on the environment. The award is dubbed as the “Green Nobel The Champions of the Earth Award Prize. is presented in 5 categories, including Lifetime Achievement, Inspiration and Meghdoot awards Action, Policy Leadership, Entrepreneur Department of Posts conducted Meghdoot Vision, Science and Innovation. Award Function 2020 on December 15, The 2020 Champions of the Earth Award 2020 in the Conference Hall of MeitY, has been bestowed upon 6 individuals. Electronics Niketan, CGO Complex, New The list of winners is given below. Delhi. 1. Policy Leadership – Frank The Meghdoot award is given every Bainimarama, the Prime Minister of year for excellence in postal service. The Fiji meghdoot award 2019-20 was given. 2. Inspiration and Action – Yacouba Sawadogo, a farmer from Burkina Category Name & Designation of Faso official (Sh./Smt./Ms.) 3. Inspiration and Action – Nemonte Nenquimo, an Ecuadorian female I M D Srinivasan, PA, Chennai green campaigner City Division & Marketing 4. Science and Innovation – Fabian coordinator, Regional Office, Leendertz, a German scientist Chennai City Region, Tamil 5. Entrepreneur Vision – Mindy Lubber, Nadu Circle. an American social entrepreneur 6. Lifetime Achievement Award – Robert D. Bullard, an American scholar.
14 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Awards & Honours
Award to director Parthiban for ‘otha Xiaoyuan Ren of China. He leads MyH20 seruppu ‘ on behalf of the Puducherry organization that tests and records Government quality of groundwater in rural China. He Popular actor and director Parthiban’s is awarded with the prize for developing ‘Ottha Seruppu’ has been selected as the an application that will educate the best film for Puducherry state awards communities in rural areas about the and will receive the Sankardas Swamy sources of clean water. Award on December 15. Vidyut Mohan of India. He is the co- founder of Takachar. He has built Golden Peacock Environment affordable and portable biomass Management Award 2020 upgrading equipment. It allows farmers Steel Authority of India Limited to prevent open burning by converting (SAIL) has been awarded with the crop to fuels, activated carbon and prestigious Golden Peacock Environment fertilizers. Management Award for the year 2020 in the Steel Sector by the Institute of PM Modi Confers ‘ASSOCHAM Directors. Enterprise of the Century Award’ to Shri Anil Kumar Chaudhary, Chairman, Shri Ratan Tata SAIL lauded the efforts of SAIL collective Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi and said, “SAIL has been the winner addressed the ‘ASSOCHAM Foundation of this award for successive two years Week 2020’ via video conferencing on and this bears testimony to the efforts 19th December 2020. made by the Company for sustainable The week long Associated Chambers and environmentally responsible steel of Commerce of India (ASSOCHAM) making. Foundation Week was organised from 15 to 19 December 2020. UNEP’s 2020 Young Champions of The theme of the programme was the Earth Award ‘India’s resilience: Atmanirbhar roadmap The United Nations Environment towards $5 trillion economy.’ Programme recently named seven As a part of the celebration, PM Modi also dynamic Environmentalists as its Young presented the ‘ASSOCHAM Enterprise Champions of the Earth. of the Century Award’ to Shri Ratan Nzambi Matee of Kenya. He is a material Tata, on behalf of the TATA Group, for engineer and is receiving the award his distinguished contributions to the for producing low-cost construction country. materials from recycled plastic waste and In the last 100 years, ASSOCHAM and sand. the entire Tata group has worked very hard to strengthen India’s economy and help the common Indian.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 15 Awards & Honours Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020
It must be noted that Mr. Tata will also decoration, ‘The Legion of Merit’, to be honored with the ‘Global Visionary of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Sustainable Business and Peace’ award by The prestigious Legion of Merit was the Indo-Israel Chambers of Commerce given to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 21. for his leadership in elevating strategic partnership of the two countries. Amar Singh College Srinagar bags The award was accepted by India’s 2020-UNESCO Asia-Pacific award Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Amar Singh College Srinagar has bagged Sandhu on behalf of the prime minister a prestigious award of merit in the 2020 from the US National Security Advisor United Nations Educational, Scientific Robert O’Brien at the White House on 21 and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) December 2020. Asia-Pacific awards for cultural heritage conservation. NTPC wins the prestigious CII-ITC The Indian National Trust for Art and Sustainability Awards Cultural Heritage (INTACH) chapter in Country’s largest power producer NTPC the union territory has been administering ltd has been conferred “Excellence” in the conservation work at the 80-year-old the prestigious CII-ITC Sustainability building. Awards 2020 in Corporate Social Seven conservation projects have been Responsibility (CSR) Domain. awarded by an international panel of jury Also, it has been honoured in the Corporate members, which reviewed 48 nominees Excellence Category, Commendation for from nine countries in the Asia-Pacific Significant Achievement. region. This is the highest award conferred by CII-ITC in CSR domain. NTPC is the only Lewis Hamilton wins BBC Sports PSU to receive the award in the Corporate Personality of the Year 2020 award Excellence category. Formula 1 world champion Lewis NTPC wins the prestigious CII-ITC Hamilton has won the BBC Sports Sustainability Awards in Corporate Personality of the Year 2020. category second time in a row i.e. in the This is the second time that the 35-year- year 2019 and 2020. old Hamilton has been crowned Sports Personality of the Year. Prior to this he Veeramani Raju selected for won the award in 2014. Harivarasanam award Well known singerM R Veeramani Donald Trump Honours PM Modi With Raju has been selected for the Top US Honour ‘Legion Of Merit’ Kerala government’’s prestigious US President Donald Trump has Harivarasanam award for 2021. presented America’s highest military
16 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Awards & Honours
Raju, who has sung thousands of meant for treatment of leucoderma. devotional songs in Tamil, Malayalam The prestigious award that comprises a and Telugu, has been selected for his certificate and cash prize of Rs 2 lakh. contributions towards propagation of A recipient of several prestigious awards secularism, equanimity and universal for his contribution in the field of herbal brotherhood through music. medicine, Pandey has been undertaking The award, consisting of a cash prize research at the Defence Research and of Rs one lakh, citation and plaque, Development Organisation”s (DRDO) lab will be presented at a function on the Defence Institute of Bio-Energy Research Makaravilakkuday at Sabarimala. (DIBER) at Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand for the past 25 years. Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay-NIF book prize announced Digital India Award 2020 The winners of the Kamaladevi President Ram Nath Kovind virtually Chattopadhyay New India Foundation conferred the Digital India Award 2020 to Book Prize 2020 for the best non-fiction digital warriors who helped in reducing book on contemporary/ modern India digital divide, and improvised services were announced. with technological advancement. The Prize was given jointly to Amit Ahuja The NIC, under the Ministry of for his Mobilizing the Marginalized: Electronics and IT, has been conducting Ethnic Parties without Ethnic Movements the biennial Digital India Awards to (Oxford University Press) and to former promote innovation in eGovernance and Union minister Jairam Ramesh for his A digital transformation of government Chequered Brilliance: The Many Lives service delivery mechanism. of VK Krishna Menon (Penguin Random The Digital India Awards (DIA) was House), a biography of politician and instituted under the aegis of the National diplomat VK Krishna Menon. Portal of India to serve the purpose of The award carries a citation and a cash bringing to the fore innovative digital prize of Rs 15 lakh, that will be shared by solutions and thereby inspiring emulation the two authors. by all government entities.
”Lukoskin” developer Hemant Kumar K. Veeramani honoured with Dr. Pandey gets DRDO”s ”Scientist of the Narendra Dabholkar Memorial Award Year” award The Dr Narendra Dabholkar Memorial Senior scientist Hemant Kumar Pandey Award for this year has been conferred has been honoured with DRDO’s ‘Scientist upon Dravidar Kazhagam president K. of the Year Award’ for his contribution Veeramani. The award was instituted in in developing several herbal medicines, the memory of the Maharashtra-based including the popular drug Lukoskin rationalist Dabholkar.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 17 India and its Neighbours Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 The U.S.-based Maharashtra Foundation 1.8 India and its Neighbours had instituted the award in his memory, a release issued by the Dravidar Kazhagam. The award includes `1 lakh and a citation. 35th edition of India-Indonesia Mr Veeramani has dedicated his whole life to propagate rationalism and served CORPATs for the cause of social justice in society. The 35th edition of India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (IND-INDO Eminent Engineer Award for the Year CORPAT) between the Indian Navy and 2020 the Indonesian Navy is being conducted from 17 to 18 December 2020. Shri V.K. Yadav, Chairman & CEO,
Railway Board, Ministry of Railways The 35th IND – INDO CORPAT will has been conferred with the prestigious contribute towards the Indian Navy’s “Eminent Engineer Award for the Year efforts to consolidate inter-operability 2020’ by the Institution of Engineering and forge strong bonds of friendship and Technology (IET) for his outstanding across the Indo Pacific.
contribution towards modernization and Indian Naval Ship (INS) Kulish, an reforms over Indian Railways. indigenously built missile corvette along with P8I Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) Every year Institution of Engineering and Technology, Delhi Local Network will undertake coordinated patrol with celebrates Engineers’ Day on the 15th Indonesian Naval Ship KRI Cut Nyak September to commemorate the birth Dien, a Kapitan Pattimura (Parchim anniversary of Bharat Ratna Sir M I) class corvette and an MPA of the Visvesvaraya. On this occasion, besides Indonesian Navy. technical activities the Institution also presents Eminent Engineer’s Award to distinguished Engineering personalities for their outstanding services in the field of Engineering and technology.
18 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Appointments – Who is who? 1.9 Appointments – Who is Union health minister Harsh Vardhan nominated to board of vaccine who? alliance GAVI Union minister for health and family welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan was Biden names Bharat Ramamurti as nominated by the Global Alliance for National Economic Council member Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) as a US President-elect Joe Biden named board member. Indian American Bharat Ramamurti Dr Harsh Vardhan will be representing as the deputy director of the National the South East Area Regional Office Economic Council, which is the White (SEARO)/Western Pacific Regional House advisory agency to the President Office (WPRO) constituency on the GAVI on domestic and global economic Board. The seat is currently held by Mr policymaking. MyintHtwe of Myanmar. Dr Harsh Joelle Gamble, who is in the Biden-Harris Vardhan will be representing India from Transition’s domestic economic policy 1st January 2021 until 31st December team, and David Kamin, Professor of 2023. Law at New York University School of GAVI is an international organisation that Law, are the two other members of the was created in the year 2000 to improve Economic Council. access to new and underused vaccines for numerous vaccine-preventable diseases for children who live in the world’s poorest countries.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 19 Govt – Welfare oriented... Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 POLITICAL 2. SCIENCE
2.1 Govt – Welfare oriented This scheme will cover the remaining One crore population which was not covered Govt schemes, their under Ayushman Bharat Scheme. Under Ayushman Bharat PM Jan Arogya Yojana utility (PMJAY), eligible beneficiaries were covered under Health Cover of Rs 5 Lakh. UP govt to launch ‘Kisan Kalyan Under PMJAY scheme, 30 lakh people are Mission’ to double the income of being covered in J&K. With the launch of farmers ‘SEHAT’ Scheme by the Prime Minister Uttar Pradesh government will launch on December 26, J&K will be among the a special program to double the income first in the country to achieve Universal of farmers. The program named as Kisan Health Coverage. Kalyan Mission will cover all assembly constituencies of the state. Under the Kisan Kalyan mission various programs will be organised across the state. Exhibitions of agriculture and Associate sectors will be organised which will include the products of MSME sector units and livelihood missions. Farmers will be given benefit under the various schemes of agriculture department during these events.
PM Modi to launch ‘SEHAT’, Health Insurance Scheme for J&K Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch ‘SEHAT’ – Health Insurance Scheme for the entire Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir on 26th December.
20 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Policy on Environment and Ecology 3. GEOGRAPHY 3.1 Policy on Environment and Ecology
New species of Pygmy Grasshopper estimate of 7910 conducted in 2014. named “Tettilobus trishula” after The States of Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Shiva’s Trishul and Maharashtra recorded the highest A new species of wide-nosed Pygmy leopard estimates at 3,421, 1,783, and Grasshopper documented by researchers 1,690 respectively. in Eravikulam National Park (Idukki, Ladakh’s Tso Kar wetland complex Kerala) in January, 2018 has been named “Tettilobus Trishula’ (common name 42nd Ramsar site Shiva’s pygmy trishula) as its protrusion One more wetland in India has been in pronotum resembles the three-pronged added to the list of recognised sites of spear ‘Trishul’ used by Lord Shiva. international importance under the It was discovered by a team of Researchers treaty of Ramsar Convention, taking the led by Dhaneesh Bhaskar, regional Vice- number of such wetlands in the country Chair for Asia, IUCN SSC (International to 42, the highest in South Asia. Union for Conservation of Nature – Ecology preservation Species Survival Commission). The other The Ramsar Convention, signed in 1971 members are P S Easa, Sara Stermsek, in the Iranian city of Ramsar, is one of the Damjan Franjevic and Josip Skejo. oldest accords for preserving wetlands. The discovery has been published in the Wetlands provide a range of important Journal Zootaxa. resources and ecosystem services such as food, water and fibre. Union Minister Prakash Javadekar The Lonar lake in Maharashtra and Sur releases ‘Status of Leopards in India Sarovar, also known as Keetham lake, in 2018’ report Agra were added to the list of Ramsar The Union environment minister Shri sites. The Tso Kar Basin is a high-altitude Prakash Javadekar released a report titled wetland complex, consisting of two the ‘Status of Leopard in India 2018’. principal waterbodies, Startsapuk Tso, As per the report, the population of a freshwater lake of about 438 hectares leopard in India has increased by 60 to the south, and Tso Kar itself, a hyper- percent in four years since 2014. saline lake of 1,800 hectares to the north, India now has 12,852 leopards as per situated in the Changthang region of 2018 estimate, compared to the previous Ladakh.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 21 New Economic Policy & Govt. Sector Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020
4. ECONOMICS 4.1 New Economic Policy & Govt. Sector
India and World Bank sign $400 earned a combined of $6.1 billion in 2020 million project to protect India’s poor with Kylie Jenner and Kanye West at the and vulnerable from the impact of top of the list. COVID-19 World Bank approves several projects The Government of India and the World to support development initiatives in Bank have signed a $400 million project to protect vulnerable groups in urban India and peri-urban areas across the country The World Bank has approved several impacted by COVID-19. projects for India, to support development Under this project World Bank will initiatives that will strengthen India’s support India in its efforts at providing social protection architecture. These social assistance to the poor and vulnerable include: households, severely impacted by the Chhattisgarh Inclusive Rural and COVID-19 pandemic. Accelerated Agriculture Growth Project This is the second such assistance in (CHIRAAG); the series of two ‘Accelerating India’s Nagaland: Enhancing Classroom COVID-19 Social Protection Response Teaching and Resources Project; and Programme’ Second Dam Improvement and Under the first operation, $750 million Rehabilitation Project (DRIP-2). was approved by World Bank in May CHIRAAG project 2020. Amount sanctioned: USD 100 million CHIRAAG aims at promoting nutrition- Kylie Jenner tops Forbes’ list of supportive agriculture for tribal world’s highest-paid celebrities 2020 households in Chhattisgarh
American media personality and reality It will develop sustainable production TV star Kylie Jenner has been crowned systems that allow tribal households in the highest-paid celebrity of 2020 by remote areas of Chhattisgarh to practice Forbes. The top-earning stars in the world round-the-year production of diversified
22 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 New Economic Policy & Govt. Sector
and nutritious food. The one-stop portal will offer banking It will be implemented in the southern solutions as well as value-added services tribal-majority region of the state where a such as incorporation of a business large population is undernourished and entity, corporate filings, licences and poor. registrations, HR services, compliances The project will benefit over 180,000 and taxation among others. households from about 1,000 villages in Through this initiative, ICICI bank eight districts of Chhattisgarh. aims to strengthen its position in the multinational corporations (MNC) DRIP-2 segment. Financial aid approved: USD 250 million DRIP-2 will improve the safety and India to become fifth largest Economy performance of existing dams across in 2025 various states of India, and strengthen dam safety by building dam safety India, which appears to have been pushed guidelines; bring in global experience; back to being the world’s sixth biggest and introduce newer technologies. economy in 2020, will again overtake the UK to become the fifth largest in Multiple bad banks needed to solve 2025 and race to the third spot by 2030, NPA problem: CII a think tank said on Saturday. India had overtaken the UK in 2019 to become the The Confederation of Indian Industry fifth largest economy in the world but has (CII) has urged the government to been relegated to 6th spot in 2020. consider setting up “multiple bad banks” India has been knocked off course to address the problem of mounting non- somewhat through the impact of the performing assets (NPAs) of state-owned pandemic. As a result, after overtaking lenders, which has worsened due to the UK in 2019, the UK overtakes India covid-led disruptions. again in this year’s forecasts and stays A ‘bad bank’ buys the bad loans of other ahead till 2024 before India takes over lenders and financial institutions to help again,” the Centre for Economics and clear their balance sheets. Business Research (CEBR) ICICI Bank launches online portal The CEBR forecasts that the Indian ‘Infinite India’ for foreign firms economy will expand by 9 per cent in 2021 and by 7 per cent in 2022. expanding in India The ICICI Bank has launched an online platform ‘Infinite India’ to support foreign companies to establish or expand business in India.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 23 Latest Inventions on Science & Technology Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 5. SCIENCE
5.1 Latest Inventions on Science & Technology
ISRO sets up dedicated control approaches and collisions. centre ‘NETRA’ for Space Situational The state-of-the-art facility, dedicated to Awareness SSA activities, will also help to coordinate The Indian Space Research Organization between Indian agencies, their foreign (ISRO) has set up a dedicated Space counterparts and international bodies. Situational Awareness (SSA) Control The main elements of NETRA would be a Centre, at its ISTRAC campus at Peenya, radar, an optical telescope facility, and a Bangalore. control centre. The ISRO SSA Control Centre ‘NETRA’ ISRO To Launch Communication was formally inaugurated by ISRO Chairman K Sivan on December 14. Satellite CMS-01 The Indian Space Research Organisation What is Space Situational Awareness will launch communication satellite (SSA)? CMS-01 on board the launch vehicle
SSA is the science of tracking objects PSLV-C50. A 25-hour countdown for the (man-made and natural) that are in orbit launch began. and also predicting what they would be The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle or at a given point in time. PSLV’s 52nd mission is scheduled for
Only the US, Russia and Europe have lift-off at from the second launch pad at similar facility in place to track space the spaceport of Sriharikota ‘subject to objects and share collision warnings. weather conditions. What is NETRA? CMS-01 is the 42nd communication
The “NEtwork for space object Tracking satellite of the space agency and it is and Analysis (NETRA)” will monitor, envisaged for providing services in track and protect India’s space assets. It Extended-C Band of the frequency will function as a hub of all SSA activities spectrum covering India, Andaman and within India. Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands. It has been set up as a ‘Directorate of Space Situational Awareness and Management (DSSAM)’ aiming to protect high valued space assets from space debris close
24 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Latest Inventions on Science & Technology
NASA selects Raja Chari as commander as the Jupiter and the Saturn appeared of SpaceX Crew-3 mission to merge and looked-like a single bright NASA and the European Space Agency star, in what is called a conjunction. (ESA) have selected Indian-American Raja The ‘Christmas Star’, or the ‘Star Chari to be the Commander of the SpaceX of Bethlehem’, is believed to be the Crew-3 mission to the International Space conjunction of the two gas giants and it Station. Presently Raja Chari is a colonel was first viewed in 1623. Astronomers in the US Air Force. have long debated the existence of such a He will be the commander of SpaceX star but it is theorized that in the year 7 BC, Crew-3 mission, while Nasa’s Tom Jupiter and Saturn had three conjunctions Marshburn will be pilot and ESA’s in the same constellation, which could Matthias Maurer will serve as a mission explain what the star actually was. specialist. This mission is expected to be Apart from being the first time in nearly launched next year. 400 years the planetary giants have been When Chari, Marshburn, and Maurer this close to one another, this is also the arrive at the orbiting laboratory, they will first time in 800 years that the alignment become expedition crew members for will occur at night. the duration of their six-month stay. The The rare spectacle coincided with winter crew will have a slight overlap with the solstice, the shortest day of the year. For Crew-2 astronauts, who are expected to those able to observe the alignment in launch in the spring of 2021. clear skies, the two frozen-gas spheres appeared closer and more vibrant - Russia successfully test-launches almost as a single point of light - than at Angara-5 space rocket any time in 800 years. Russia successfully test-launched its ISRO to open Regional Academic heavy lift Angara A5 space rocket for Centre for Space at IIT BHU the second time, from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in northwest Russia. The Indian Space Research Organisation First test-launched in 2014, it is being (ISRO) will establish a Regional developed to replace the Proton M as Academic Centre for Space at IIT (BHU) Russia’s heavy lift rocket, capable of to facilitate short and long term projects carrying payloads bigger than 20 tonnes at the institute. into orbit. A launch pad for the new ISRO and the Indian Institute of rocket is due to open in 2021. Technology (BHU) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and the move Jupiter and Saturn “Merge” In Rare can help propel the culture of research Celestial Event After Nearly 400 Years and development among students. Space enthusiasts had the opportunity to watch a rare celestial event evening-
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 25 Latest Inventions on Science & Technology Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020
Short-term projects for B-Tech and year. M-Tech students from the institute and associate institutes will also be included China Launches Remote Sensing in this sequence. “Long term R&D Satellite ‘Yoagan-33’ projects leading to the PhD programme China has successfully launched a new will also be offered. remote sensing satellite into space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in Sat designed by Thanjai student northwest China. awaits NASA launch The satellite, Yaogan-33, was launched S Riyasdeen from Karanthai in aboard a Long March-4C rocket and Thanjavur, who is pursuing second-year entered the planned orbit successfully. It Mechatronics at Sastra University, had was the 357th flight mission of the Long participated a global competition Cubes March carrier rocket series, the report in Space, organised by idoodle Eduinc for said. the students in the age group between 11 The mission also sent a micro and nano and 18 to design and propose experiments technology experiment satellite into to launch into space on a NASA sounding orbit. The two satellites will be used for rocket and zero-pressure scientific scientific experiments, land resources balloon. survey, crop yield estimation and disaster The satellites are fabricated with prevention and reduction. polyetherimide thermoplastic resins using the additive manufacturing Skyroot Aerospace becomes first technology of 3D printing. V1 is made of Indian company to successfully test polyetherimide Ultem 9085 and is infused fire solid-fueled rocket engine with 11 sensors that would record as Indian Space startup, Skyroot Aerospace many as 11 parameters and this satellite has successfully test fired a solid is expected to be launched in NASA propulsion rocket engine, named Kalam-5 Sounding Rocket under SR 7 mission With this, it has become the first private from Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, the company of India to successfully design, USA in June 2021. develop and test a full solid-fueled rocket While the V2 satellite that is made of stage. polyetherimide Ultemltem 1010 and This crucial propulsion technology will is infused with 11 sensors that would be used for their maiden rocket Vikram-1, record as many as 17 parameters. And which is under active manufacturing and this satellite is expected to be launched is targeted to be launched in December in NASA Zero pressure Research Balloon 2021 with the help of ISRO. under RB 6 mission during August 2021, Kalam is a series of five solid-fueled said Riyasdeen who has been involved in rocket engines with a thrust ranging from this research work since his school final 5kN to 1000kN (approx 100Tons).
26 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Latest Inventions on Science & Technology
The remaining four motors are in various to a power range of 40 kilowatt-electric stages of manufacturing and will be and higher to support a sustained lunar tested in 2021. presence and exploration of Mars”. The objective of NASA behind this was Harsh Vardhan launches India’s to establish a flight hardware system that first indigenously developed is ready for integrating with the lunar pneumococcal vaccine ‘Pneumosil’ lander by 2026 end. The nuclear reactor Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan is known as the fission power system that launched the country’s first pneumococcal will benefit future robotic and human conjugate vaccine ‘Pneumosil’ developed expedition missions to the moon as well by Serum Institute of India in collaboration as Mars. with partners like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. DRDO facility develops Quantum The Serum Institute of India Private Random Number Generator Limited (SIIPL) as the world’s largest The Defence Research and Development manufacturer of vaccines by number Organisation (DRDO) has achieved of doses and its contribution to India’s another milestone in quantum technology economy, Vardhan remarked that by successfully developing a Quantum its vaccines are used in 170 countries Random Number Generator (QRNG). and every third child in the world is The DRDO Young Scientist Laboratory immunised with the manufacturer’s for Quantum Technologies (DYSL-QT), shots. a DRDO facility based in Mumbai, has developed a QRNG which has the ability US plans to set up a Nuclear Reactor to detect random quantum events and on Moon convert those into a stream of binary USA’s plan to set up the first nuclear digits. reactor on the moon by the end of 2026. In The facility has developed a fiber-optic early 2021, the US Department of Energy branch path based QRNG. in collaboration with NASA intends to solicit industry design proposals. It also got an impetus with a recent White House directive. The outgoing President Donald Trump, issued the “National Strategy for Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion” on 16 December. Under it, he asked Nasa to “initiate fission surface power project for lunar surface demonstration by 2027 with scalability
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 27 Mass Media & Communication Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 1.9 Mass Media & Labour Laws will be available and industries, commercial organisations, Communication small entrepreneurs and public will be benefited through this Portal.
Karnataka unveils “FRUITS” portal India Post Payments Bank unveils for farmers new digital payment app ‘DakPay’ Karnataka government has unveiled The India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) the Farmer Registration and Unified along with Department of Posts (DoP) beneficiary Information System (FRUITS), launched a digital payment application an e-governance portal, to create a called ‘DakPay’ on 15 December 2020, repository of farmland information and in an effort to provide Digital Financial farm loan details on a single platform. inclusion at the last mile across India. All farmers will be registered and given The app ‘DakPay’ will facilitate the an identification number on the portal. customers of the DoP and IPPB in easy The FRUITS Portal is integrated into digital transactions and other banking the BHOOMI Package of the Karnataka and postal services. State for fetching and validating the land The app was launched by Union Minister details. for Communications, Electronics & One other important facility of this Portal Information Technology and Law & is online creation of charge by which Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad. visit of farmers to Sub-Registrar Office is avoided. Canara Bank has agreed to run Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launched FRUITS on a pilot basis. ‘Pareshram’ Portal Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik Punjab Govt launches mobile app and through a video conference, launched web portal ‘PR Insight’ ‘Pareshram’ Portal along with 22 online Punjab Chief Minister Captain, services of Labour and Employees State Amarinder Singh has launched Mobile Insurance Department. Application and web portal called ‘PR The Portal and the Online Services shall Insight’, to improve the delivery of be helpful in “Ease of Doing Business” citizen-centric services, based upon the and contribute significantly to the feedback of its citizens on government industrial development of the State. policies. The Portal will provide 52 types of services The basic objective of PR Insight is in the coming days. This technology to re-orient the existing schemes and is the foundation of 5-T initiative and programmes of the state government this will help in transformation, hoped to the people’s satisfaction after that information regarding different meticulously monitoring their feedback.
28 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Mass Media & Communication
‘Digital Ocean’ developed by INCOIS It has been developed by Hyderabad- The Union Minister of Earth Sciences, based Indian National Centre for Ocean Science & Technology, Dr.Harsh Information Services (INCOIS) an Vardhan virtually inaugurated the web- autonomous organization under M/o based application “Digital Ocean” on 29 Earth sciences. December 2020. Digital Ocean is a step towards Prime Digital Ocean is a first of its kind digital Minister’s vision of Digital India, platform for Ocean Data Management. It to transform India into a digitally can be accessed at www.do.incois.gov.in. empowered society and knowledge economy.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 29 National – Diary of Event Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 6. NATIONAL – DIARY OF EVENT
India Slips to 131 in Human Rankings: Development Report 2020 According to the “Human Development Rank Country Score Report 2020 – The next frontier: Human 131 India 0.645 Development and the Anthropocene” 1 Norway 0.957 released by the United Nations 2 Ireland 0.955 Development Programme (UNDP), India 3 Switzerland 0.955 (score of 0.645) was ranked 131 in the list of 189 countries based on Human 189 Niger 0.394 Development Index (HDI). Norway 188 Central African Republic 0.397 topped the list with a score of 0.957, the PM Modi inaugurates world’s largest, second place was grabbed by 2 countries 30,000 MW renewable energy park in – Ireland (0.955) and Switzerland (0.955). Kutch The report provides HDI ranks for the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi year 2019. laid the foundation stone of the 30,000 India slipped two spots to 131, it ranked megawatt (MW) capacity hybrid 129 in 2019 HDI. renewable energy park in Kutch district HDI is measured based on 3 criterias of Gujarat on 15 December 2020. which are – Life Expectancy, Education It will be the largest renewable energy and Per Capita Income, in the 2020 report park of its kind in the world. ‘Planetary pressures’ a new experimental It is expected to play a major role in Index has been introduced. fulfilling India’s vision of generating 450 ‘Planetary pressures’ – Takes into account GW (4,50,000 mw) of power by 2030. Countries carbon dioxide emissions and material footprints. Gujarat enforces land grabbing 2020 marks the 30th Anniversary of the prohibition act 2020 1st Human Development report. A stringent law to curb land-grabbing with a provision of up to 14 years in jail and timely resolution of such cases has come into force in Gujarat , Chief Minister Vijay Rupani announced.
30 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 National – Diary of Event
The Gujarat Land Grabbing (Prohibition) The paint made of cow dung will be Act, 2020, to which state governor gave launched soon through the Khadi and assent on October 8, lays down stringent Village Industries Commission. punishment for land grabbers with an The union minister elaborated by saying aim to protect the interests of small that the paint will come in distemper and farmers and citizens. emulsion forms and will dry in just four hours. PM Modi & Sheikh Hasina jointly The eco-friendly paint will be washable, inaugurates Chilahati-Haldibari rail anti-bacterial, non-toxic and anti-fungal. link The paint is expected to lead to an The Government of India and additional income of Rs 55,000 a year for Bangladesh held a virtual summit on 17 livestock farmers. December 2020, to hold comprehensive discussions on the entire spectrum of the India ranked 111 on Human Freedom bilateral relationship, including further Index, 2020 strengthening cooperation in the post The Human Freedom Index 2020, a COVID-19 era. worldwide ranking of civil, economic The meeting was led by Prime Minister and personal freedom, placed India at Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh the 111th spot out of 162 countries. India counterpart Sheikh Hasina. ranked 94 on the index in 2019. During the summit, the two leaders jointly India is ahead of China and Bangladesh, inaugurated the Chilahati-Haldibari rail which ranked 129 and 139 on the 2020 link, which would connect the borders of index respectively. New Zealand, the two neighbouring countries. Switzerland and Hong Kong bagged the The rail route lies between Haldibari in first three spots. West Bengal and Chilahati in Bangladesh. India’s scored 6.30 out of 10 in personal It is re-opened after a gap of 55 years. freedom and 6.56 in economic freedom. The railway line has been defunct after The country’s overall human freedom rail links between India and then East score was 6.43. Pakistan snapped in 1965. The index was published by American think tank Cato Institute and Fraser Union MSME Minister unveils eco- Institute in Canada. It takes into account friendly ‘Vedic Paint’ 76 indicators of personal, civil, and The Union Minister of Micro, Small and economic freedoms to rank 162 countries Medium Enterprises Nitin Gadkari on from 2008 to 2018. The institutes noted December 17, 2020 unveiled an ‘Vedic that the world has seen a notable decline Paint’ to boost the rural economy and in personal freedom since 2008. generate additional income for farmers.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 31 National – Diary of Event Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020
World’s tallest rail bridge on Chenab India, France collaborate for skill in J&K likely to be completed by 2021 development in power sector Touted as the next man-made wonder, The first Centre for Excellence (CoE) for the world’s tallest rail bridge on the skill development in the power sector Chenab in Reasi district of Jammu and at the campus of National Institute of Kashmir Union Territory is expected to Solar Energy in India was inaugurated be completed by 2021. by the Ministry of Skill Development and The 1,315-metre-long bridge between Entrepreneurship, Ministry of National Bakkal and Kauri villages of Reasi is Education and Youth, Government of the coming up at a height of 359 metres. French Republic, and Schneider Electric. The arched structure will connect Baramulla to Jammu via Udhampur, Mega leather park with Rs 5,850 cr Katra and Qazigund with a travel time of investment to come up in Kanpur six and a half hours. Mega leather park to come up in Ramaipur village of Kanpur with an investment of Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad Rs 5,850 crores. Becomes first zoo in India to get ISO The park, part of the mega leather cluster certification from UK project will create 50,000 direct jobs & The Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad indirect employment for 1.5 lakh people. has received the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Recently, the project has received Management Standards Certificate from approval from the Union Commerce Accreditation Service for Certifying Ministry. The mega leather cluster project Bodies (ASCB) United Kingdom. will attract an investment of about Rs With this achievement, the Nehru 13,000 crores. Zoological Park, Hyderabad has also become the first zoo in the country to get Haritha Keralam: Govt offices in this certificate. Kerala to go ‘green’ The assessment of the zoo was conducted All government institutions and public in a phased manner by the HYM sector undertakings in Kerala Capital International Certifications Pvt Ltd, an will go ‘green’ as part of the State’s efforts agency accredited by the ASCB. to implement ‘Green Protocol’, under The certificate mentioned that it was being Haritha Keralam Mission which is an accorded to the zoo for, “Conservation ambitious programme envisaged by the of wildlife, particularly endangered state government to make the state clean, species of Deccan through better upkeep, protect its water sources and soil. planned breeding, collaborative research and capacity building”.
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The ‘green office’ would strictly follow The speakers from included the External the ban on plastic and disposable articles, Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar, and removal of unused furniture and e-waste Dr. K. VijayRaghavan, Principal Scientific and installation of waste treatment Advisor to the Government of India. facilities for the disposal of organic and inorganic waste and introduction of eco- Defence minister Rajnath Singh friendly utensils. Such offices would also inaugurates advanced Hypersonic have features such as organic vegetable Wind Tunnel test facility in Hyderabad gardens and facilities to conserve water The Union Minister of Defence Shri and electricity. Rajnath Singh inaugurated the advanced Hypersonic Wind Tunnel (HWT) test ‘Varasat’ campaign launched in Uttar facility of the DRDO in Hyderabad on 19 Pradesh to curb property & land- December 2020. related disputes in rural areas The state-of-the-art HWT Test facility The Uttar Pradesh government has has made India as the only third country launched a special campaign ‘Varasat’ in the world, after the US and Russia, (natural succession) to curb property & to have such a huge facility in size and land-related disputes in rural areas. capability. This is a first of its kind campaign in The indigenously developed HWT the state which aims to put an end the Test facility is pressure vacuum driven land-related issues in the rural areas and enclosed free jet facility having nozzle exit eradicate the exploitation of the villagers diameter of 1 metre. This will simulate over succession rights by land mafias, Mach No 5 to 12 (Mach represents the who generally target disputed properties. multiplication factor to the speed of The two-month-long special drive will sound)”. continue till 15th February 2020. Tirupati, Machilipatnam Municipal Dr. S. Jaishankar addresses 5th Corporations win awards Annual Global Technology Summit The government has committed to take The 5th edition of the annual Global energy efficiency movement to every Technology Summit (GTS) was organised doorstep in the State, Minister for Energy virtually from December 14 to 18, 2020, by Balineni Srinivasa Reddy announced that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the State government was promoting Government of India in collaboration energy efficiency in a mission mode with with Carnegie India (CI). an objective to benefit every family in the The theme of the 2020 GTS was “The State in the form of reducing electricity Geopolitics of Technology”. bills and other costs and promote industrial and economic development.
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PM Modi’s e-participation at AMU’s Union Government for the first time centenary celebrations likely to face lays down Rights to the Electricity some opposition Consumers The university is gearing up for December Union Ministry of Power has promulgated 22 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi rules laying down the rights of power will participate as chief guest in the consumers in the country. celebrations via video link. These rules shall empower the consumers This is the first time since 1964 that a of electricity and added that these prime minister of India is going to address Rules emanate from the conviction that AMU. Fifty-six years is a long time, and the power systems exist to serve the except for Jawaharlal Nehru and Lal consumers and the consumers have Bahadur Shastri, no other prime minister rights to get the reliable services and thought of visiting the university. quality electricity. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, the founder These rules are also an important step of Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental towards furthering the ease of doing (MAO) College, the institution which business across the country. became AMU in 1920, is alleged to have propounded the two-nation theory. 12th GRIHA Summit of TERI Concludes ONGC starts oil and gas production The 12th GRIHA (Green Rating for from West Bengal after 60 years Integrated Habitat Assessment) Summit endeavour was held virtually from December 15-16, West Bengal gets included in ONGC’s 2020. It was inaugurated by Vice President oil and gas map with its eighth field at of India Venkaiah Naidu virtually. Ashoknagar in West Bengal starting The theme of the Summit was commercial production. ONGC first “Rejuvenating Resilient Habitats”. extracted 20 kilolitres of crude oil from It is the annual flagship event organized the Ashoknagar oilfields early November by GRIHA Council in association with this year and had sent it to Indian Oil’s ‘key stakeholders in the construction Haldia refinery for processing. industry’ to discuss and deliberate ONGC so far has invested rS 3,361 crore on furtherance of Sustainable Habitat for exploration of hydrocarbon in the Development in India. Bengal basin to find oil and gas reserves. The Summit provides a platform to Another Rs 425 crore would be spent on deliberate on innovative technologies exploration in the Bengal basin spread and solutions to help in creating robust over 1.22 lakh km, two-third of which mechanisms for developing sustainable falls under the Bay of Bengal waters. and resilient solutions for the benefit of the entire community.
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GRIHA Council Gujarat Govt to set up Special It is an independent, not-for-profit Education Region at Dholera society jointly setup by The Energy The Gujarat government signed a pact and Resources Institute (TERI) and the with Cerestra Managers Pvt Ltd to set Ministry of New and Renewable Energy up the Gujarat-Special Education Region (MNRE), Government of India to promote (G-SER) at the Dholera Special Investment and administer green buildings in India. Region.
Green Rating for Integrated Habitat The G-SER will be developed as an Assessment (GRIHA) is the national education hub spread over 1,000 acres rating system of India for any completed that can be expanded up to 5,000 acres to building construction. develop university district, school district It has been is recognised as India’s and innovation district. own green building rating system in It added that this will include residential India’s Intended Nationally Determined and sports complexes for students. Contributions (INDC) submitted to the Investment in the G-SER project will United Nations Framework Convention accelerate the state’s economic growth on Climate Change (UNFCCC). and create employment opportunities.
UN Women and Kerala govt tie-up for MPEDA launches India’s first India’s 1st Gender Data Hub aquaframers call centre at Vijayawada
The UN Women and Kerala government In a first of its kind initiative, the Marine have collaborated to establish India’s first Products Export Development Authority Gender Data Hub. A Memorandum of (MPEDA), headquartered in Kochi, has Understanding (MoU) was signed in this launched a multilingual call centre for regard in the presence of Kerala Chief aquafarmers at Vijayawada in Andhra Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Pradesh, which will address their Three key areas of co-operation, as technical issues and impart knowledge specified in the MoU, will be setting up about efficient farming methods round the Gender Data Centre at The Gender the clock. Park, launching the second edition of The call centre primarily caters to aqua the International Conference on Gender farmers of Andhra Pradesh, the state that Equality, and increasing engagement contributes more than 60 per cent of the on the global normative frameworks on country’s marine products export basket. gender equality and empowerment of The call centre can also handle calls in women. English and Hindi.
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Centre allows Andhra Pradesh, The 444km-long pipeline was launched in Madhya Pradesh to borrow Rs 4,898 2009 at an estimated cost of `2,915 crore crore extra post ULB reforms and was to be commissioned in 2014. The Centre has permitted two states - But opposition on safety and commercial Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh grounds wherein the land price was the to borrow additional financial resources main hurdle, both from political parties to the tune of Rs 4,898 crore following and the public had left the project hanging reforms in urban local bodies (ULBs). fire. This had led to the project cost nearly ` The two states have successfully doubling to over 5,750 crore. completed the set of reforms required in PM Modi to launch AB-PMJAY SEHAT the functioning of ULBs, as specified by the Department of Expenditure. scheme for Jammu and Kashmir The four citizen centric areas identified for Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reforms were -- implementation of One launch the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Nation One Ration Card system, ease of Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) doing business reform, urban local body/ SEHAT scheme for the residents of utility reforms and power sector reforms. Jammu and Kashmir. The scheme will benefit as many as 21 lakh eligible people Vigyanika-IISF 2020 on the basis of Socio-Economic and Caste CSIR-National Institute of Science Census (SECC) 2011. Communication and Information Resources (CSIR-NISCAIR), Ministry India to host Global Media and Film of Earth Sciences (MOES) and Vijnana Summit in 2021 Bharati (VIBHA) jointly organised The Union Information and Broadcasting the inaugural session of Vigyanika- Minister, Prakash Javadekar announced International Science Literature Festival that India will hold a Global Media and on the opening day of IISF 2020 on Film Summit in 2021. the virtual platform to mark the birth Javadekar said that the year 2022 will anniversary of Srinivasa Ramanujan. mark 75 years of independence and 75 years of Cannes Film Festival, and the PM Modi to virtually inaugurate occasion will be celebrated in a different Kochi-Mangaluru GAIL pipeline scale with a special pavilion at the Mr. Vijayan told reporters in International Film Festival. Thiruvananthapuram that it was a matter of happiness that the Prime Minister had India becomes sixth country to agreed to launch the natural gas pipeline manufacture high power electric project. Prime Minister consented locos indigenously to virtually inaugurate the Kochi- The Indian Railways has operationalised Mangaluru GAIL pipeline on January 5. its first 12,000 hp electric locomotive
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manufactured locally by French rolling The home-grown DigiBoxx was launched stock manufacturer Alstom. by NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant on 22 The locomotive made its maiden December. commercial run between Deen Dayal The initiative will give a boost to Prime Upadhyaya Station to Shivpur Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of India has become the 6th country in ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, as India now has the world to join the club of countries its own cloud storage platform. producing high horsepower locomotives This cloud storage and file sharing service indigenously with these powerful e-locos will be available for desktop, iOS, and being manufactured within the nation. Android users, including both regular users as well as businesses. India’s largest hockey stadium to be Digiboxx offers free 20GB cloud storage set up at Rourkela in Odisha space, and 100GB space per month at just A new world-class hockey stadium is Rs 30. being set up in Rourkela city of Odisha, as announced by the Odisha Chief Minister Gautam Gambhir’s ‘Jan Rasoi’ to Naveen Patnaik. serve lunch at Rs 1 in East Delhi The stadium will be constructed in the BJP MP Gautam Gambhir will launch Biju Patnaik University of Technology ‘Jan Rasoi’ canteens that will serve lunch campus, Rourkela. to the needy at Rs 1 in his parliamentary Once operational, the Rourkela city constituency of East Delhi. stadium would be the biggest hockey The cricketer-turned-politician will stadium in India. inaugurate the first such canteen in It will have a sitting capacity of 20,000 Gandhi Nagar, followed by another in people, spread over 15 acres of land. Ashok Nagar on the Republic Day. The stadium will be developed as a benchmark for other hockey stadiums PM Modi to flag off India’s first-ever around the world. driverless train service on 28 Dec It must be noted that Odisha will be Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag hosting FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup off country’s first-ever fully automated for a second consecutive time, in 2034, at driverless train service on the 37-km two venues, Bhubaneswar and Rourkela. long Magenta Line (Janakpuri West to Botanical Garden) of Delhi Metro, the NITI Aayog Launches Made-in-India Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. Cloud Storage Service ‘DigiBoxx’ Along with that, PM Modi will also NITI Aayog has launched indigenously launch fully operational National developed India’s first Digital Asset Common Mobility Card for travel on Management and Storage platform, Airport Express Line on the same day. called ‘DigiBoxx’.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 37 National – Diary of Event Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020
Nine stations identified for Chennai- Last year, Manikaran Power had Bengaluru- Mysuru high – speed collaborated with Australian firm corridor Neometals to tap the Mount Marion Mysore High-Speed Rail (CBM Bullet Lithium mine in Western Australia. Train) project is a 435 km proposed High ‘Swachhata Abhiyan’ app launched to Speed Rail line that will connect Chennai, Bangalore (Bengaluru) and Mysore help rehabilitate manual scavengers (Mysuru) through 9 stations in Tamil A mobile application named ”Swachhata Nadu and Karnataka at a project cost that Abhiyan” to identify and geotag is yet to be finalized. insanitary latrines and manual scavengers was launched by Union Minister for Himachal CM unveils 18-feet statue Social Justice and Empowerment of Vajpayee in Shimla Thaawarchand Gehlot.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram This app would help in rehabilitating all Thakur has unveiled an 18-feet tall statue manual scavengers and replace insanitary of late former Prime Minister Atal Bihari latrines with sanitary ones. Vajpayee on the occasion of his 96th birth In the absence of any authentic data anniversary at the historic Ridge in the base regarding the location of insanitary state capital. latrines, it has been decided to seek the The statue has been built at a cost of Rs help of NGOs, Social Organisations 1.08 crore. The Ridge Maidan also houses and general public for collection and statues of Mahatma Gandhi and former compilation of the data. prime minister Indira Gandhi. India’s first tiger reserve hot air balloon India’s first Lithium refinery to be set safari launched in Bandhavgarh Tiger up in Gujarat Reserve of Madhya Pradesh
India’s first Lithium refinery is soon India’s first ‘Hot Air Balloon Wildlife going to be set up in Gujarat. Manikaran Safari’ in a tiger reserve has been launched Power Limited, one of the country’s in the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in largest power trading and renewable Madhya Pradesh. energy company will invest around Rs It is the first of its type service in any 1,000 crore to set up this refinery. tiger reserve of India. The service is being The refinery will process Lithium ore to operated by Jaipur-based Sky Waltz. produce battery-grade material. Lithium Tourists can watch tigers, leopards, is a rare element and is usually not found Indian sloth bear and other wild animals in India. from a height, and this activity will be restricted to the buffer area.
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Housing & Urban Affairs Ministry The Conference presents a unique, launches ‘E-Sampada’ mobile app dynamic forum to promote dialogue and portal for management of all GoI among Tamils, Indian brothers and Estate services sisters with the International community, business leaders and professionals The Minister of State(I/C) for Housing & Urban Affairs Hardeep S Puri has worldwide to create close co-operation and launched a new web portal and mobile partnership for economic development. app, ‘e-Sampada’ on 25 December 2020. Eminent speakers around the globe will be sharing their valuable insights The website and mobile app has been introduced by the Directorate of Estates, on various topics including emerging under the MoHUA, to boost transparency business opportunities, investment, and accountability in providing various global business and legal scenario, world Estate Services, while ensuring ease of peace and conflict resolution, etc., living for the citizens. Andhra CM Jagan launches housing The ‘e-Sampada’ has been launched programme ‘Pedalandariki Illu’ by integrating four websites (gpra. nic.in, eawas.nic.in, estates.gov.in, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS holidayhomes.nic.in), and two Mobile Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the Apps (m-Awas & m-Ashoka5) of the flagship programme of Navaratnalu Directorate of Estates, to bring all the ‘Pedalandariki Illu,’ (housing for poor) services on the same platform throughout at Komaragiri layout of Pithapuram the country. Assembly constituency in East Godavari The new application will provide a district. single-window for all the services like The scheme is expected to provide low- allotment, retention, regularisation, no cost housing for an estimated 30.6 lakh dues certificate etc. people in Andhra Pradesh. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy 7TH WORLD TAMIL ECONOMIC hoped the housing project will help CONFERENCE AND VIRTUAL GLOBAL generate jobs in the construction sector ECONOMIC SUMMIT 2020 and will be a boost for the state economy. Virtual Global Economic Summit 2020 Prime Minister Narendra Modi flags & Seventh World Tamils Economic off 100th ‘Kisan Rail’ Conference scheduled to be held between 28th, 29th & 30th December via Zoom Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi online platform, organized by the World flagged off the 100th ‘Kisan Rail’ on Tamils Economic Foundation and Madras 28th December 2020, from Sangola in Development Society. Maharashtra to Shalimar in West Bengal via video-conferencing.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 39 National – Diary of Event Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020
The first Kisan Rail was introduced from Apart from this, Modiji also inaugurated Devlali in Maharashtra to Danapur in state-of-the-art Operation Control Centre Bihar on August 7, 2020, which was (OCC) of EDFC at Prayagraj. further extended up to Muzaffarpur. Kisan Rail is a mobile cold storage to move Ramesh Pokhriyal lays foundation perishable things like fruits, vegetables, stone of ‘TiHAN-IIT Hyderabad’ milk, fish, etc., with complete security. Union Minister of Education Ramesh Pokhriyal virtually laid the foundation Assam Government Tables Bill to stone of ‘TiHAN-IIT Hyderabad’, India’s Abolish State-Run Madrassas first Testbed for Autonomous Navigation The Assam government, on Monday, Systems (Terrestrial and Aerial). tabled a bill to abolish all state-run The Department of Science and madrassas and convert those into general Technology (DST), Government of schools with effect from April 1, 2021. India, has sanctioned Rs. 135 crores The bill proposes to abolish two to IIT Hyderabad under the National existing acts – The Assam Madrassa Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber- Education (Provincialisation) Act, 1995, Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) to set and The Assam Madrassa Education up a Technology Innovation Hub on (Provincialisation of Services of Autonomous Navigation and Data Employees and Re-Organisation of Acquisition Systems (UAVs, RoVs, etc.). Madrassa Educational Institutions) Act, 2018. Union Territory of Ladakh gets its own meteorological centre PM Modi inaugurates New Bhaupur- A meteorological centre was inaugurated New Khurja section of Eastern in the Union Territory of Ladakh which Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) would provide localised weather forecasts Prime Minister Narendra Modi thus strengthening weather-related early inaugurated the ‘New Bhaupur- New warning system for the region. Khurja section’ of Eastern Dedicated At 3,500 metres, this meteorological Freight Corridor (EDFC) via video centre is the highest such facility in India. conferencing on 29 December 2020 in Meteorological Centre at Leh to Uttar Pradesh. strengthen weather-related early warning The New Bhaupur – New Khurja section system in Ladakh. At 3,500 metres, of EDFC is 351 km long and has been Meteorological Centre, Leh, will be the built by TATA Projects Limited. highest meteorological centre in India. The section will also reduce the congestion level at the existing Kanpur- Delhi mainline and will enable Indian Railways to run faster trains.
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Cabinet Approves Export of Currently 13 Vistadome coaches are indigenously-developed Akash being operated on select routes including Missile System the Nilgiri Mountain Railway line, The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, Kalka- Minister Narendra Modi has approved Shimla Railway, Kangra Valley Railway, the proposal to export indigenously- Matheran Hill Railway, between Dadar in developed Akash Missile System. Mumbai and Madgoan in Araku Valley The Cabinet has also approved to set up as well as in the Kashmir Valley. of a committee for faster approvals of exports.. Nitin Gadkari announces Multi-Model The export version of Akash will be Logistics Park in Assam’s Silchar different from System currently deployed Union Minister for Road Transport and with Indian Armed Forces. Highways, Nitin Gadkari has announced Akash is a short range Surface to Air that a multi-modal logistics park in Missile with a range of 25 Kms to protect Assam. vulnerable areas and vulnerable points It will be constructed in Silchar and the from air attacks. Balacherra-Harengajao section of the It was inducted in IAF in 2014 and in the Silchar-Saurashtra Highway will be Indian Army in 2015. completed in March 2022. Mr Gadkari made this announcement Indian Railways’ new Vistadome at a public meeting at Zero Point on the coach successfully completes 180 East-West Corridor at Madhurmukh at kmph speed trial Rangpur. Recently, the Indian Railways successfully completed the 180 km per hour speed Kerala’s Gender Park to host trial of its new design Vistadome tourist international meet in Feb 2021 coaches. Kerala government said the Gender The luxurious tourists coaches have been Park in partnership with UN Women manufactured by the Integral Coach will organise the second edition of the Factory in Chennai. International Conference on Gender These Vistadome coaches will make train Equality (ICGE-II) at Kozhikode in journeys memorable for the passengers, February 2021. as well as give a further boost to tourism The focal theme is ‘Gender in Sustainable The European-style coaches are made Entrepreneurship and Social Business: with see-through glass rooftops and wide The Mediating Role of Empowerment’, windows for the indulgent sightseeing seeking to throw light on the critical experience. linkages between entrepreneurship, economic growth, and poverty reduction.
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Cabinet approves Industrial Corridor nodes at Krishnapatnam and Northeast’s first ‘Ginger’ Plant to be Tumakuru revived North East’s first-ever specialised The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved to “Ginger” Processing Plant at district Ri- construct Industrial Corridor nodes Bhoui in Meghalaya is being revived in Krishnapatnam and Tumakuru at and is likely to become functional in the estimated cost of `7,725 cr. beginning of 2021. Dr. Jitendra Singh announced that the The committee, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved only Ginger Processing Plant of North three proposals from the Department of East India was established around the Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade year 2004. (DPIIT). These include the Krishnapatnam Industrial Area in Andhra Pradesh with an estimated cost of Rs. 2,139.44 crore for the project.
42 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 International Affairs 7. INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
UNESCO Recognition The COM-20 was inaugurated by Sheikh The Hawker Culture of street food in Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister Singapore, has been inducted by UNESCO of Foreign Affairs and International in its prestigious ‘Representative List Cooperation of the UAE. of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of The UAE assumed the position of the Humanity’. IORA Chair in November 2019 during The Hawker Culture is a popular the 19th COM, for the period 2019-2021. Singaporean style of street dining and The Indian delegation was led by Shri culinary practices in a multicultural V. Muraleedharan, MoS, Ministry of urban environment. External Affairs. Hawker centers are naturally-ventilated All 22 Member States and 10 Dialogue premises with stalls selling food from Partners participated in the virtual various cultures like Chinese, Malay, meeting to discuss ways in coordinating Indian, among others. efforts to achieve IORA’s vision for a The Hawkers of Singapore are known to peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indian master a variety of cuisines which they Ocean region as outlined in the Jakarta serve at the ‘community dining rooms’ Concord and IORA Action Plan. where people from across all walks During the 2020 COM, France was of life gather and share their unique inducted as the 23rd member state of experiences. IORA. Sri Lanka has assumed the charge of Vice 20th IORA Council of Ministers Chair of IORA for the period 2021-23. Meeting Held in UAE About Indian Ocean Rim Association The 20th edition of the IORA Council (IORA) of Ministers (COM) Meeting was on The IORA is an inter-governmental December 17 via video conferencing organisation which was established on under the Chairmanship of United Arab March 7, 1997. Headquarter : Ebene, Emirates (UAE). Mauritius The theme of the meeting was “Promoting IORA’s apex body is the Council of a Shared Destiny and Path to Prosperity Foreign Ministers (COM) which meets in the Indian Ocean”.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 43 International Affairs Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020
annually, with the aim of promoting This Virtual-BSM with Thailand is the regional cooperation, prosperity, and 13th in the series of such events organized growth in the Indian Ocean region. by APEDA with various countries. Earlier It comprise of 22 Member states and 10 such Virtual-BSM were organized with Dialogue partners. the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Indonesia, Switzerland, Belgium, Iran, Prime Minister Narendra Modi South Africa, Germany, the United States, addresses 6th Indo-Japan SAMVAD Canada and Australia. Conference Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed World’s oldest panda in captivity dies the sixth edition of the India-Japan in China SAMVAD conference held on December Xinxing, the world’s oldest giant panda 21, 2020, via virtual conferencing. in captivity, has died of multiple organ During the conference, PM proposed to failure at the age of 38 years and four create a library of traditional Buddhist months, a Chinese zoo announced. literature and scriptures in India. She died at a zoo in southwest China’s This library will collect digital copies of Chongqing Municipality. Buddhist literature from across different Xinxing, also called “granny panda”, parts of the world. The library will then began to show symptoms of drowsiness translate these works and make them and loss of appetite on October 21, available for all scholars and monks of according to a report by state-run Xinhua. Buddhism. The first India-Japan conference, India International Science Festival Samvad-I, was held in New Delhi in 2015, 2020 at Bodh Gaya. The largest-ever virtual science festival is set to begin on December 22, with 41 ‘Taste of India’ Campaign organized different events, and run till December in Bangkok 25. The India International Science In a bid to boost exports potential of India’s Festival will have events around the agricultural and processed food products themes regarding the general public exports, APEDA organized a Virtual and the society. With key stakeholders Buyer Seller Meet (BSM), in association being young scientists and researchers, with Indian Embassy in Thailand, on the IISF-2020 has several events like the 21st December 2020. The meet brought Young Scientists’ Conference that aim to together key stakeholders from the target the youth. respective Governments and trade on The event is being organised jointly by a common platform for strengthening the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences, the strategic cooperation between India and Union Ministry of Science and Technology Thailand in Agri Food Sector. and the Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA).
44 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 International Affairs
Rabindranath Tagore’s vision is Indian, French Rafales to carry out the essence of Atmanirbhar Bharat wargames in Jodhpur mission Indian and French Rafale fighter jets will NOBEL LAUREATE Rabindranath be carrying out wargames codenamed Tagore’s vision is the essence of ‘SKYROS’ in Jodhpur in the third week of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, or self-reliant January 2021. India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The French Air Force Rafale fighter Addressing a function to mark the jets will be coming to Jodhpur for the centenary celebrations of Visva- wargames, which will see them flying Bharati University through video with Indian Rafales and the Su-30MKI conferencing, the Prime Minister said, fighters. “Guided by Gurudev [Tagore], Visva- This will be the first major exercise of Bharati presented a strong image of the Indian Air Force involving the Rafale Indian nationalist sentiment during fighter jets, which were inducted into Independence. Gurudev wanted service in August 2020. This is a significant humanity to benefit from India’s spiritual development, as it comes amid India’s awakening. Atmanirbhar Bharat vision is ongoing border conflict with China. also a derivative of this sentiment.” The IAF had last carried out a major exercise with the French Air Force in July 2019 where the Indian Sukhois had flown with the French Rafales.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 45 Tamilnadu Affairs Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 8. TAMILNADU AFFAIRS
Free tablet computers in TN against the political parties that misuse The minister announced the government the name of gram sabhas to hold political had formulated a plan to replace 80,000 rallies. blackboards with smartboards in The gram sabha is an administrative set government schools. An announcement up constituted under the Constitution. on establishing 7,200 smart classrooms is The powers to convene a meeting are expected after January 15. vested with the panchayat president under section 3 (2-A) of the Tamil Nadu Award to be named after ryots’ leader Panchayats Act, 1994.
Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami On his failure, the inspector of panchayats announced that the award being given or the district collector can convene the to farmers for obtaining highest yield meeting. Some political parties hold of paddy through the System of Rice political rallies in the name of gram Intensification method during the sabhas to confuse people for political Republic Day celebrations every year gains. Not only is this contrary to the will be named after farmers’ leader late C provisions of the Panchayats Act but such Narayanasamy Naidu, who strove for the acts also slander the set up. rights of the farmers for many decades. Manufacture of electric and passenger Narayanasamy launched the Tamil Nadu Farmers Association in 1973 and toured train sets at ICF the State and organised conferences The world-renowned box factory (ICF) is for ensuring the rights of farmers. He located in Perambur, Chennai. The train passed away on December 21, 1984 after sets manufactured here are exported not addressing a public meeting for farmers only to Indian Railways but also abroad. at Kovilpatti. Made in over 600 designs in 50 variants, including sophisticated train box and Tamil Nadu govt warns legal action tour train box, to suit the needs and time against political parties holding gram of the passengers. sabhas The Chennai ICF. During the month of December, the MEMU train set a record The Tamil Nadu government directed the district collectors to initiate legal action for the successful test run of tourist
46 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Tamilnadu Affairs
carriages and assists in nesting. ‘Namma Chennai’: Selfie spot on Marina TN Chief Minister Palaniswami The selfie spot that is being built near Inaugurates Mayiladuthurai District the Marina beach will be open to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K public within a week, ahead of Pongal Palaniswami inaugurated the newly- celebrations in the city, according to formed Mayiladuthurai district through senior corporation officials. video conferencing from the Secretariat The words ‘Namma Chennai’ will stand in Chennai. The 38th district in the state on a three-foot pedestal, towering about has been carved out of Nagapattinam 10 feet in height. The typography has district. been made at a cost of Rs 22 lakh. The new district comprises four taluks – Mayiladuthurai, Sirkazhi, Tarangambadi, and Kuthalam. It has a total population of 9.01 lakh. R Lalitha, who served as the special officer for district formation has taken charge as the district collector. IPS officer Srinatha has been appointed as the superintendent of police.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 47