VETRII IAS STUDY CIRCLE TNPSC Current Affairs DECEMBER - 2020
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1 HISTORY 01 . Important Days . Defence National Security and Terrorism . World Organisations – Pacts and Summits . Eminent Persons . Sports and Games . Books & Authors . Awards & Honours . Cultural Panaroma . India & its Neighbours . Appointments – Who is who?
2 POLITICAL SCIENCE 32 .India’s Foreign Policy .Latest Court Verdicts .Govt – Welfare oriented Govt schemes, their utility
3 GEOGRAPHY 33 .Policy on Environment and Ecology .Natural Disasters – Safeguard Measures
4 ECONOMICS 36 .New Economic Policy & Govt. Sector .Current Socio - Economic Problems 39 5 SCIENCE .Latest Inventions in Science & Technology . Latest Discoveries on Health Science . Mass Media & Communication
50 6 NATIONAL – DIARY OF EVENTS
71 7 INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
8 TAMIL NADU AFFAIRS 75
9 PRACTICE QUESTIONS 78 Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Important Days History
1.1 Important Days
Date Day Theme / Remark The theme for the World Aids Day 2020 1-12-2020 World AIDS Day is ‘Ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic: Resilience and Impact.’. In India, the National Pollution Control Day is observed every year on December 2 to commemorate the life of people lost in the unfortunate incident National Pollution Control of Bhopal Gas Tragedy that occurred 2-12-2020 Day in the year 1984 on the night of 2–3 December. The year 2020 marks the 36th anniversary of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy.
The Theme of 2020 Navy Day is 4-12-2020 Indian Navy Day “Indian Navy Combat Ready, Credible & Cohesive”.
4-12-2020 International Day of Banks
International Volunteer IVD 2020 Theme: “Together We Can 5-12-2020 Day Through Volunteering”. The 2020 theme – ‘Keep soil alive, 5-12-2020 World Soil Day Protect soil biodiversity’! The ICAO Council has selected the International Civil Aviation special collective 5 year theme for 7-12-2020 Day 2019-2023: “Advancing Innovation for Global Aviation Development”.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 1 Important Days Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020
In India, the Armed Forces Flag Day (also known as the Flag Day of India) is observed annually on December 7 since 1949 as an honour to the soldiers, sailors and airmen of India who fought on the borders to keep the country safe. The three branches of the Armed Forces of India , namely, the Indian Army, the 7-12-2020 Armed Forces Flag Day Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy are remembered on this day. The ‘Armed forces Flag Day Fund’ (AFFDF) has been constituted by the Government of India for the welfare and rehabilitation of the Ex-Servicemen (ESM) community.
International Anti- Theme 2020 – ‘RECOVER with 9-12-2020 Corruption Day INTEGRITY.’ Theme: “Recover Better – Stand Up For 10-12-2020 World Human Rights Day Human Rights”.
Every year the UNICEF Day is observed on December 11. The United Nations General Assembly created UNICEF on December 11, 1946, as the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund to improve the health, nutrition, education, and general welfare of children devastated 11-12-2020 UNICEF Day due to World War II. UNICEF’s name was subsequently changed from United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund to United Nations Children’s Fund though, it continued to be known by the popular acronym based on the previous title. International Mountain 12-12-2020 2020 Theme: Mountain biodiversity. Day
2 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Important Days
National Energy 14-12-2020 Conservation Day 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 Vijay 16-12-2020 and sacrifices of the gallant men of 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. Theme 2020 : ‘Reimagining Human 18-12-2020 International Migrants Day Mobility’. 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.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 3 Important Days Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020
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.
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. 22-12-2020 National Mathematics Day The day was announced on 26 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.
4 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Important Days
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. 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.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 5 Defence, National Security and Terrorism Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 1.2 Defence, National Security This is in line with a plan that was first envisaged during the India-China’s and Terrorism Doklam crisis in 2017 when a need for closer and direct coordination was felt in Indian Navy successfully test-fires the headquarters. The present Director- BrahMos Cruise Missile General of Military Operations Lt General Paramajit Singh is expected to assume the Indian Navy on December 1, 2020, new appointment. successfully test-fired the naval-version The creation of a third deputy chief post of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile in in the Army will help reduce the burden the Bay of Bengal. As per the officials, the on the vice chief of the Army, as he would test-fire was part of a series of trials that have key officers such as in-charges are being carried out by the three defence of military intelligence and military services of India. operations under him. Similar test-firing of BrahMos missile The centre also approved the creation of was conducted by the Indian Navy in the the Director General Information Warfare Arabian Sea in October 2020. The test-fire post in the Army headquarters. of BrahMos conducted on December 1 was successful as per the Naval official. Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with BrahMos Aerospace is an India-Russian Russian Federation Navy in Eastern collaboration. It produces a supersonic Indian Ocean Region cruise missile that can be launched The Indian Navy (IN) and the Russian successfully from aircraft, ships, Federation Navy (RuFN) are undertaking submarines, or land platforms. Passage Exercise (PASSEX) in the Eastern The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile Indian Ocean Region (IOR) from 4 to 5 is also the fastest operating system in December 2020. the world in its class. DRDO has recently The exercise will help in enhancing extended the missile system’s range from interoperability, improving the existing 298 km to 450 km. understanding and imbibing best Centre approves reorganisation of practices between both the friendly Army Headquarters, third deputy navies. chief post created It involves advanced surface and anti- submarine warfare exercises, weapon The centre has approved reorganisation firings, seamanship exercises and of Army headquarters. As a part of the helicopter operations. same, the government approved the IN is being represented by indigenously creation of a third deputy Chief’s post- constructed guided missile frigate New Deputy Chief of Strategy. Shivalik and anti-submarine corvette Kadmatt along with integral helicopters.
6 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Defence, National Security and Terrorism
RuFN includes guided missile cruiser The vessel has been designed and built Varyag, large anti-submarine ship indigenously by GSL. Admiral Panteleyev and medium ocean The 1st ship in series – ICGS Sachet was tanker Pechenga. commissioned by Union Defence Minister The PASSEXs are conducted regularly by Rajnath Singh in May, 2020. IN with units of friendly foreign navies. The ship is 105 metres long and weights 2400 tonnes. Launch of INS Himgiri Equipped with features like Integrated ‘Himgiri’, the first of the three Project 17A Bridge System, Integrated platform ships being built at M/s Garden Reach management system, power management Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited system and high power external (GRSE), Kolkata was launched Under fire-fighting. the Project 17A program, a total of seven The ship will be based at Goa and will be ships, four at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders deployed extensively for EEZ (Exclusive Limited (MDL) and three ships at GRSE Economic Zone) surveillance and other are being built with enhanced stealth duties. features, advanced indigenous weapon The 1st ship in series – ICGS Sachet was and sensor fit along with several other commissioned by Union Defence Minister improvements. Rajnath Singh in May, 2020. The launch of ‘Himgiri’ has showcased GRSE’s commitment towards the Indigenously-built Coast Guard building of three state-of-the-art warships interceptor boat C-454 commissioned of P17A for Indian Navy. Over the years, The interceptor boat C-454, built by GRSE has emerged as a leading shipyard Larsen and Toubro at its Hazira plant, having built over 100 ships. The yard has will operate from Gujarat under the scaled up its infrastructure and skill sets control of the Commander Coast Guard to meet new challenges in building of Region North-West of the Indian Coast P17A ships. P17A ships are the first gas Guard. It was commissioned by Surat turbine propulsion and largest combat Police Commissioner Ajay Tomar. platforms ever built at GRSE. This interceptor boat is built indigenously by L&T Jetty, Hazira. It is capable of a high Indian Coast Guard’s OPV ‘Sujeet’ speed of 45 knots having the capability to commissioned in Goa; operate in shallow waters. Indian Coast Guard’s (ICG) Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) ‘Sujeet’, which India’s First Maritime Theatre is second in the series of 5 OPVs was Command commissioned at the Goa Shipyard The first Maritime Theatre Command Limited (GSL) in Vasco Town, Goa by Raj (MTC) of India is to be launched in 2021. Kumar, Secretary (Defence Production). The MTC will look after the 7,516-km long
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 7 Defence, National Security and Terrorism Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 coastline, the entire Indian Ocean Region and Development Organisation (DRDO). and the 1,382 islands. This is important Border Surveillance System (BOSS) to counter Chinese ever-expanding naval BOSS is an all-weather electronic foot-print in the Indian Ocean Region. surveillance system. It was handed over China has the largest Navy with 350 to Army Chief General M M Naravane. warships and submarines. BOSS has already been deployed in About Maritime Theatre Command Ladakh against the Chinese troops for The MTC will subsume the Western day and night surveillance. Naval Command (Mumbai), tri-service Indian maritime situational awareness Andaman and Nicobar Command system (IMSAS) (Port Blair), Eastern Naval Command It was handed to Navy Chief Admiral (Vizag) and the southern Air Command Karambir Singh. (Thiruvananthapuram). The IMSAS is state-of-the-art high Background performance intelligent software system that provide Global Maritime Situational India currently has seventeen single- Picture, Marine planning tools and service commands. It includes seven Analytical capabilities to Indian Navy. Army commands, three Navy commands and seven Indian Air Force commands. Astra Mk-1 missile system Only two existing tri service command It was handed over to Air Chief Marshal came up after 1999 Kargil war. The R K S Bhadauria. Andaman and Nicobar command was set This missile is the first indigenously up as a geographical command in October developed beyond visual range (BVR) 2001. The nuclear arsenal command came missile that can be launched from up in January 2003. Sukhoi-30, Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Mig-29 and Mig-29K. Defence minister Rajnath Singh ASTRA weapon system has been hands over 3 DRDO high-tech systems developed by Defence Research & to chiefs of 3 armed forces 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 India Successfully Test-Fires Medium to chiefs of the three armed forces: the Range Surface-To-Air Missile For Indian Army, the Indian Navy and the Army Indian Air Force. The three systems namely, Border India today successfully test-fired a Surveillance System (BOSS), Indian medium range surface-to-air missile Maritime Situational Awareness System (MRSAM) from Odisha coast. (IMSAS) and ASTRA Mk-I Missile, have The missile was fired from a ground been developed by the Defence Research mobile launcher at launch pad number-1
8 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Defence, National Security and Terrorism
of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) near INS Sindhuvir has been renamed as UMS Balasore in Odisha, and it hit the target Minye Theinkhathu by the Myanmar with accuracy, the sources confirmed to Navy. news agency Press Trust of India. This is the first submarine in the Myanmar An unmanned air vehicle (UAV), Navy’s arsenal. ‘Banshee’, was first flown into the air, It is a diesel-electric Kilo-class submarine, which was hit by the medium range which was in operation in the Indian surface-to-air missile. Navy since 1988. The submarine has been refurbished for AFSCB Adjudged as the “Best the Myanmar Navy by state-run defense Company Promoting Sports (Public shipbuilder, Hindustan Shipyard Limited Sector) 2020” at FICCI India Sports (HSL) in Visakhapatnam. Awards 2020 Indian Naval Ship Conducts ‘Passage In the official notification received from FICCI, Air Force Sports Control Board Exercise’ with Vietnamese Navy in (AFSCB) has been annotated as the South China Sea winner in the category of “Best Company An Indian Navy warship undertook a Promoting Sports (Public Sector) 2020”. “passage exercise” with the Vietnamese AFSB has been conferred with this Navy in the South China Sea as part of prestigious award on 08 Dec 20 by the efforts to boost maritime cooperation eminent jury of FICCI India Sports between the two countries. Awards 2020 that was chaired by Justice Indian naval ship INS Kiltan was sent Mudgal. The award function took place to deliver relief material for flood- virtually through video conferencing affected people in central Vietnam and it 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 Navy to the country in October 2020. INS Sindhuvir was commissioned on 25th December 2020, which marked the 73rd anniversary of the Myanmar Navy.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 9 World Organisations – Pacts and Summits Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 1.3 World Organisations – WHO praises India for Fitness Ka Dose Aadha Ghanta Roz campaign Pacts and Summits The World Health Organisation (WHO) has praised Prime Minister Narendra Covid-19 pandemic could push over 1 Modi’’s ‘’Fitness Ka Dose Aadha Ghanta billion in extreme poverty by 2030 Roz’’ programme, which calls upon all Indians to devote at least half-an-hour on
An additional 207 million people could their fitness for a better living. be pushed into extreme poverty by 2030 due to the severe long-term impact of the Fit India Movement coronavirus pandemic, bringing the total Fit India Movement is a nation-wide number of the world’s extremely poor to movement in India to encourage people more than a billion, a new study from the to remain healthy and fit by including UN Development Programme (UNDP) physical activities and sports in their daily has found. lives. It was launched by Prime Minister The study is part of a long-standing of India Narendra Modi at Indira Gandhi partnership between the UNDP and the Stadium in New Delhi on 29 August 2019. Pardee Center for International Futures Kerala women startup inks pact with at the University of Denver. UN agency PwC India partners with UNICEF and For the first time, a Kerala-based women YuWaah to upskill 300 million youths startup, which helps in identifying in India over 10 years energy-efficient drivers and adopting Consulting firm PwC India has viable action plans, has signed an collaborated with the United Nations agreement with United Nations Women’s Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and YuWaah Empowerment Principles. (Generation Unlimited in India) to upskill Thiruvananthapuram-based Vydyuthi 300 million young Indians over the next Energy Services (VES) has signed the 10 years. pact.
This collaboration is part of PwC’s global Out of the 170 companies from India multi-sector partnership with UNICEF which had signed for United Nations and Generation Unlimited to upskill Women’s Empowerment Principles, 64 and provide about 1.8 billion youngsters are from the private sectors. with socio-economic opportunities from school to work by 2030. This partnership will focus on three facets to India’s digital empowerment for youngsters, which are education, skilling and entrepreneurship.
10 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Eminent Persons
second and third rank respectively in the 1.4 Eminent Persons Kotak Wealth Hurun wealthy women list 2020. AR Rahman roped in as ‘BAFTA Shaw is also the wealthiest self-made Breakthrough’ India ambassador woman on the list. Oscar and Grammy-winning Indian 19 women from this list also feature in the composer AR Rahman has been Hurun India Rich List 2020, and 6 women roped in as ambassador of the BAFTA have made it to the Hurun Global Rich Breakthrough initiative in India. List 2020. In 2020, BAFTA will identify and support up to five exceptional talents working in Gitanjali Rao 15 year old Indian- film, games or television in India. American Scientist & Inventor named The BAFTA Breakthrough initiative, First Ever Times :Kid of the Year” is part of the Academy’s year-long Gitanjali Rao, 15-year-old Indian- programme to support new talent, American Scientist and Inventor has been coming up in the film, games and named as the first ever “Kid of the Year” television industries in the UK, China, by TIME Magazine. She was selected India and the US and gives them access from a field of more than 5000 nominees to unique career development and for her work “to tackle issues ranging mentoring opportunities. from contaminated drinking water to It is a unique opportunity for promising opioid addiction and cyberbullying using artists to be supported by a world- technology”. renowned organisation, including connections with other talented creatives Kolkata’s Majerhat Bridge Named across the world and being mentored by “Jai Hind” to mark Subhas Chandra BAFTA-winners and nominees. Bose’s 125th Birth Anniversary
HCL Tech Chairperson Roshni Nadar West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata tops Kotak Wealth-Hurun wealthy Banerjee named the newly-built Majerhat bridge in Kolkata as “Jai Hind” bridge to women list 2020 commemorate the 125th birth anniversary Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Chairperson of Subhas Chandra Bose. of HCL Technologies topped the list of The 650-metre-long bridge, which has wealthiest women in India, according been built in the place of an old one that to the second edition of ‘Kotak Wealth collapsed in September 2018. Hurun–Leading Wealthy Women’ report. The bridge, on the arterial Diamond The report is compiled by Kotak Wealth Harbour Road, connects the central part Management, a division of Kotak of the city to the soutwestern suburbs of Mahindra Bank, and Hurun India. Behala and beyond. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw of Biocon and Leena Gandhi Tewari of USV are at the
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 11 Eminent Persons Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 “King of Spice” Dharampala Gulati features in the list, in 2019 ranked 41st in passed away 2020.
Dharampala Chunni Lal Gulati, the India’s leading Business women, kiran founder and CEO of MDH Masala India;s mazumdar-shaw, Chairman of Biocon famous spices company, dies at the age Limited also featured in the list at 68th of 97 due to cardiac arrest. The pioneer of position. the ready to use ground spices, also called The list also saw the biggest jump in as “King of Spice” was awarded India’s ranking to 3rd position by Kamala Harris, third highest civilian award “Padma Vice President Elect of USA, and Prime Bhushan” in 2019. Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina Wajed is ranked at 39. Ex-PM Gujral remembered on 101st Rank Personality Profession birth anniversary 41 Nirmala Finance Minister of The 101st birthday of country’s 12th Sitharaman India Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral was 68 Kiran Founder, Chair and celebrated at IK Gujral Punjab Technical Mazumdar Managing Director, University (IKGPTU) by holding an Shaw Biocon Ltd. e-interaction. 1 Angela Chancellor, Merkel Germany Father of Fibre Optics Narinder Singh 2 Christine President, European Kapany passes away Lagarde Central Bank Narinder Singh Kapany, also known as 3 Kamala Vice President-elect, the father of fibre optics, passed away. Harris United States
The India-born American physicist was 4 Ursula von President, European named as one of the seven “Unsung der Leyen Commission, Heroes” by Fortune in their ‘Businessmen European Union of the Century’ issue of November 1999. 5 Melinda Co-Chair, Bill & Kapany was the first to transmit images Gates Melinda Gates through fibre optics back in 1954 and laid Foundation the foundation for high-speed internet technology. PM Modi was the 7th most Tweeted about person in the world in 2020 Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman features in the 100 Most Powerful Twitter in its 2020 annual year-end Women by Forbes review, revealed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the 7th most tweeted- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman about person in the world this year. US made it to the 100 most powerful women President Donald Trump, US President- list announced in the 17th annual Forbers elect Joe Biden and George Floyd were power list. This is the second time she
12 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Eminent Persons
the top three names on Twitter’s 2020 list U A Khader, among finest Malayalam of most tweeted people. writers
Indian American Vice President-elect Celebrated Malayalam writer U A Kamala Harris was the only woman on Khader, who published more than 70 the list and stood at the 10th position novels, short stories and travelogues that globally. are considered among the finest works in The findings were a part of Twitter’s the language, died in Kozhikode. He was annual review report, recapping the 85. trends, moments, and memes that Khader was known for a progressive dominated Twitter through the year. and secular outlook to his life and his literature. Sonu Sood Tops UK’s ’50 Asian His most acclaimed work of fiction, Celebrities In The World’ list 2020 Thrikkottoor Peruma (Thrikkottoor Lore), Indian actor Sonu Sood has topped the won him the Kerala Sahitya Akademi first-of-its-kind ’50 Asian Celebrities in Award in 1984. The World’ 2020 list, published by UK US Pilot Chuck Yeager, first man to based Eastern Eye newspaper. fly faster than speed of sound, passes The 47-year-old talented Bollywood star has been honored for his inspiring away at 97 philanthropic work throughout the US Air Force officer and test pilot Chuck Covid-19 pandemic, especially helping Yeager, who in 1947 became the first pilot migrant workers reach their hometowns. in history to have exceeded the speed of Sonu Sood beat global stars, including sound in level flight, has passed away. from Hollywood, the music industry, He was 97. television, literature and social media, to (Level flight means flying at a constant be named the number one Asian celebrity altitude, not going up and down.) on the planet for 2020. As a test pilot, on October 14, 1947, Yeager became the first human to officially break Joe Biden, Kamala Harris named Time the sound barrier, when he flew the Person of the Year 2020 experimental Bell X-1 aircraft at Mach 1 (speed of sound) at an altitude of 45,000 US President Joe Biden and Vice ft (13,700 m). President Kamala Harris have been Throughout his life, he flew more than named as “Person of the Year” 2020 by 360 different types of aircraft and went on Time magazine. Biden and Harris got to break several other speed and altitude featured in Top 10 most-tweeted-about records in the following years. people globally, wherein, Biden fetched Yeager had been associated with World the second spot and Harris was on the War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War tenth position, the only woman on the and his three-war active-duty flying list. career spanned more than 30 years.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 13 Eminent Persons Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Aerospace Scientist Shri Roddam Centre to dedicate a Museum on Narasimha passes away at 87 Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose in th Eminent aerospace scientist and Kolkata on 125 birth anniversary Padma Vibhushan awardee Roddam The Government of India has proposed Narasimha has passed away due to brain to set up a museum dedicated to Netaji haemorrhage. He was 87. Subhash Chandra Bose, in Kolkata, as a Roddam Narasimha had served at the tribute on his 125th birth anniversary prestigious Indian Institute of Science celebrations on 23rd January 2021. (IISc), where he taught Aerospace The government has also decided to Engineering from 1962 to 1999. He also expand the current museum of Netaji at served as the director of the National Red Fort in New Delhi. Aerospace Laboratories from 1984 to Apart from this, Centre is also considering 1993. to reprint some of the books written by The central government bestowed the Subhash Chandra Bose, and even start second-highest civilian award of India, fellowships for students. Padma Vibhushan on him in 2013 for his contribution in the field of aerospace Veteran Journalist and first official engineering. RSS Spokesperson MG Vaidya passes Together with the Missile Man of India away at 97 and former president Dr A P J Abdul Senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Kalam, Prof Narasimha had authored a (RSS) ideologue MG Vaidya has passed book –“Developments In Fluid Mechanics away after a brief illness. He was 97. and Space Technology”. Vaidya was a veteran journalist, a Sanskrit scholar and the first official spokesperson Indian Navy’s Senior most of the RSS. Submariner, Vice Admiral Srikant The RSS is the ideological mentor of the passed away Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Indian Navy’s Senior Most Submariner Vaidya became a member of the RSS in and the current director general of project 1943. Seabird, Vice Admiral Srikant passed away after suffering from COVID-19 Arya Rajendran, 21, chosen infection. country’s youngest Mayor from Vice Admiral Srikant is the current Thiruvananthapuram Director general of Indian government’s Twenty-one-year-old Arya Rajendran of largest infrastructure project “Project the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Seabird”. is likely to create history as the country’s youngest mayor, having been elected as mayor of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.
14 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Eminent Persons
The state committee is likely to accept the Accountant before turning to the study of district committee’s recommendation and Indian dance forms. make a formal announcement. In Kerala, Kothari received numerous titles and 50% of local body seats are reserved for awards for his contribution to Indian women. Civic bodies are headed by dance forms including the Sangeet Natak women on alternative terms. Akademi Award (1995); the Gaurav Puraskar conferred by the Gujarat Sangeet Dance historian Sunil Kothari passes Natak Akademi (2000); the Padma Shri away bestowed by the Government of India Padma Shri dance historian and critic (2001); and the Life Time Achievement Sunil Kothari passed away Sunday Award of the Dance Critics Association, morning at a Delhi hospital after he New York, USA (2011). He was also an suffered a cardiac arrest a month after elected Fellow of Sangeet Natak Akademi testing positive for coronavirus. He was for his contribution to Indian dance as a 87. scholar. Born on December 20, 1933, in Mumbai, Kothari qualified as a Chartered
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 15 Sports and Games Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 1.5 Sports and Games Madagascar replaces Maldives to host 2023 Indian Ocean Island Games Japan to host 7-team FIFA Club World The 2023 Indian Ocean Island Games Cup in 2021 (IOIG), will take place in Madagascar, instead of Maldives. FIFA (Federation Internationale de The Indian Ocean Island Games Football Association) announced that Federation has changed the host nation Japan will host the existing Seven- due to concerns over the COVID-19 Team format of FIFA Club World Cup pandemic. in December, 2021. It will be the 18th 2023 Indian Ocean Island Games will be Edition of FIFA Club World Cup. the 11th edition of this multi-sport event The year 2021 will witness 2 FIFA Club for athletes representing the National World Cup Tournaments – The 2020 Olympic Committees of Indian Ocean Edition FIFA Club World Cup (17th island nations. Edition) will be held in Qatar from Maldives had received the hosting right February 1-11, 2021 and the 2021 Edition of the event in 2019. of FIFA Club World Cup will take place in Japan in December, 2021. IOC gives Olympic status to
Originally a redeveloped 24-Team Club Breakdancing; to debut at Paris in World Cup was scheduled to take place 2024 in China in 2021, it is now scheduled to take place at a later date. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has registered ‘Breakdancing’ as Jehan Daruvala Becomes first Indian the newest entry into Olympics and an to Win Formula 2 Race official Olympic sport, on December 7, 2020, with the aim to attract a new and Jehan Daruvala created history on 6th younger audience. December 2020, as he became the first Breakdancing will be known as ‘Breaking’ Indian to win a Formula 2 race at the 2020 in Olympics event. Sakhir Grand Prix.
This was the final race of the F2 season. Bajrang Punia, Elavenil Valarivan bag Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju Launches Sportsperson of the Year awards 2nd edition of Fit India Cyclothon Indian athletes, Bajrang Punia (Freestyle- Wrestling) and Elavenil Valarivan Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju launched (Shooting), bagged the top honours at the the second edition of Fit India Cyclothon virtually held FICCI India Sports Awards through virtual platform on 7th December 2020 on the back of the 10th Global Sports 2020. Summit. The mega cycling event will run for 25 The two athletes, who have had an days, beginning from 7th December till impressive 2019-20 season, won the 31st December 2020.
16 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Sports and Games
Sportsperson of the Year awards in their assembly of the Olympic Council of Asia respective categories. (OCA) in Muscat. Here is the list of Winner in different Saudi Arabia’s capital city Riyadh would Categories: host the 2034 edition of the Asian Games. Previously Doha organized the Asian Award Personality Games in 2006. Sportsperson of Elavenil Valarivan 2030 Asian Games will be the 21st edition the Year (Female) of the multi-sports event, held after every Sportsperson of four years. It is also known as Asiad. Bajrang Punia the Year (Male) Best State Sports Ministry Formally Recognises Promoting Sports Madhya Pradesh Yogasana as Competitive Sport Award The Sports Ministry formally recognised Best Company yogasana as a competitive sport, which Promoting Sports Anil Kumble will enable the ancient practice to avail (Private Sector) government funding. Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju and Minister Odisha to host 2023 FIH Men’s of AYUSH (Ayurveda Yoga and Hockey World Cup Naturopathy Unani Sidda Homoeopathy) The International Hockey Federation Shripad Yesso Naik formally promoted (FIH) had announced that the 2023 FIH yogasana as a competitive sport. Men’s Hockey World Cup will be hosted The move was made to encourage yoga, in Odisha, for a second consecutive time. spread awareness about its benefits and The tournament will be held at two to help improve peoples physical and venues, Bhubaneswar and Rourkela. The mental wellbeing. Men’s Hockey World Cup 2018 was also For competitions, 51 medals have been hosted by Odisha. proposed in four events and seven The 2023 tournament will be 15th edition categories in the sport. Events proposed of the Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup. include traditional yogasana, artistic It will be held at the Kalinga Stadium yogasana (single and pair), rhythmic in Bhubaneswar and at the Biju Patnaik yogasana (pair, free flow/group yogasan), Hockey Stadium in Rourkela. FIH Hockey individual all round-championship and World Cup is held after every four years. team championship.
Doha to host Asian Games 2030 Lucy Bronze and Robert Lewandowski Bags Best FIFA Players for 2020 The capital of Qatar, Doha has won the hosting rights for the 2030 Asian Games. The Best FIFA Football Awards 2020 Doha beat Riyadh during the election, was announced on 17th December 2020, held on 16 December at the general during a virtual event held at Zurich.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 17 Sports and Games Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020
The Poland national team captain and Sakshi Choudhary (57kg) and Satish FC Bayern München striker Robert Kumar (91kg). Lewandowski has been named “The Best Bronze: Sonia Lather (57kg), Pooja FIFA Men’s Player” for 2020. Rani (75kg) Gaurav Solanki (57kg) and Lewandowski has won the title for the Mohamed Hussamudin (57kg) claimed first time in his career. the bronze medal in their respective He is also the first men’s winner from a categories. club outside Spain since Ronaldo won Overall five women and eight men boxers the 2008 award as a Manchester United were registered for the Cologne Boxing player. World Cup 2020. Lucy Bronze, who plays as a right-back for the English club Manchester City and Indian men to finish 2020 in 4th the England national team, bagged “The position, women in 9th in FIH Best FIFA Women’s Player” for 2020. rankings The Indian men and women hockey Govt approves inclusion of four teams will finish 2020 in fourth and ninth indigenous sports in Khelo India positions, respectively, after a major Youth Games 2021 part of the year was disrupted by the The Sports Ministry has approved the COVID-19 pandemic. inclusion of four indigenous Games to be The International Hockey Federation a part of Khelo India Youth Games 2021, (FIH) confirmed that the Belgium men’s scheduled to take place in Haryana. team and the Netherlands’ women will The games include, Gatka, Kalaripayattu, finish the year at the top of the world Thang-Ta and Mallakhamba. rankings. In the men’s FIH world rankings, Indian Boxers Bag 9 Medals, Including reigning world and European champions 3 Gold at Cologne Boxing World Cup Belgium (2496.88 points) sit at the top Indian pugilists have bagged nine medals ahead of 2019 FIH Hockey Pro League including three gold, two silver and four winners Australia (2nd place – 2385.70), bronze at the Cologne Boxing World Cup Netherlands (3rd place 2257.96) and India 2020, held in Cologne, Germany between (4th place 2063.78). 17 to 19 December 2020. Among women, the Netherlands (2631.99 points) are at the top followed by List of Medal Winners Argentina (2174.61). Germany (2054.28) Gold: The three gold medals for India occupy the third position, climbing were bagged by Amit Panghal (52kg), one place following their FIH Hockey Manisha Moun (57kg) and Simranjit Kaur Pro League results against Belgium in (60kg) in their respective categories. September. Silver: Silver medals were claimed by
18 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Sports and Games Novak Djokovic clinches 2020 ATP Anshu Malik secures silver at Player of the Year 2020 Award for Individual World Cup to win India’s record equalling 6th time first medal at the event The Association of Tennis Professionals Indian wrestler Anshu Malik has become (ATP) 2020 Awards were announced on the first wrestler of the country to finish 21 December to felicitate the players and on the podium position at the Individual others for their performance during 2019- Wrestling World Cup in Belgrade, Serbia. 20 season. The 19-year-old won a silver medal in Novak Djokovic (Serbia) has been the women’s 57kg category to claim first awarded with the ATP Player of the Year international medal of the tournament for 2020 award, as he finished the year as No. the country. 1 in the ATP Singles Rankings. She lost to Moldova’s Anastasia Nichita This is the record sixth time for Djokovic 5-1 in the final. to win the title. This record was till now achieved only by Pete Sampras, who won FIFA postpones 2021 Under-17 and the title continuously from 1993-98. Under-20 World Cups till 2023 due to coronavirus pandemic ICC Men’s ODI and T20I Teams of the The World football governing body FIFA Decade, Kohli leads Test Team has cancelled Under-17 and Under-20 The International Cricket Council (ICC) football World Cups for the year 2021, announced the ICC Teams of the Decade due to a coronavirus pandemic. on 27 December 2020, based on the These World Cups will now be played in performances, consistency of players 2023. over the period of last 10 years. Indonesia will host the Under-20s World Former Indian captain and wicket-keeper Cup and Peru will host the Under-17s batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni has World Cup as scheduled earlier. been named as the captain of the ICC ODI Team of the Decade. He has also been named the skipper of the ICC T20I Team of the Decade.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 19 Books & Authors Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 1.6 Books & Authors Education Minister presents first copy of his inspirational book on Maharishi Arvind to President ‘PM Modi and his Government’s Union Education Minister Ramesh Special Relationship with Sikhs’ book Pokhriyal Nishank presented the first Housing and Urban Affairs Minister copy of his inspirational book “Pioneer Hardeep Singh Puri released a Book titled of Humanity: Maharishi Arvind” to “Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his President Ram Nath Kovind at the Government’s Special Relationship with Rashtrapati Bhavan. Sikhs”. The book was released on the The book is in Hindi with the title occasion of Gurupurab. ‘Manavta ke Praneta Maharishi Arvind’. Shri Arvind was a person fully devoted A book titled ‘Future of Regional to Indian culture, Indian values, Indian Cooperation in Asia and the Pacific’ nationalism and Indian philosophy. by ADB Through this book, I have wanted to convey his philosophy and thinking in The Asian Development Bank (ADB) very simple language to the younger has released a new book titled ‘Future generation of the country and the world. of Regional Cooperation in Asia and the Pacific’. India’s first woman author writes on
The book provides insight on how sales, ‘Romancing Targets’ by Nidhi stronger regional cooperation strategies, Vadhera launched worldwide including in health, trade, finance, and disaster risk, can help governments in The book titled ‘Romancing Targets’ by Asia and the Pacific accelerate economic author Nidhi Vadhera has been released growth and robust recovery from the recently. COVID-19 pandemic. In this book, Author Nidhi Vadhera shares with you a systematic approach to 40 Years with Abdul Kalam Untold understand the sales process which will Stories‘ by Dr. A. Sivathanu Pillai empower you to embrace sales targets and achieve results without getting burnt Vice President Venkaiah Naidu recently in the process. released a book on from former president Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. A book titled ‘Dharma’ authored by The book titled “40 Years with Abdul Amish Tripathi Kalam – Untold Stories” has been written by scientist Dr. A. Sivathanu Pillai, a The 2nd non-fiction book by author Amish former chief of BrahMos Aerospace. Tripathi is titled “Dharma: Decoding the Epics for a Meaningful Life”. The book offers practical, philosophical lessons drawn from ancient Hindu epics.
20 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Books & Authors
It is co-authored by his sister Bhavana The book, published by the Lok Sabha Roy. It is to be published by Westland. Secretariat, highlights the life and works His last non-fiction book ‘Immortals of the former Prime Minister and contains India’ was launched in 2017. his notable speeches delivered in the Parliament. The book also contains some Om Birla releases book on 19th rare photographs from his public and anniversary of Parliament attack professional life. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has released a book on the occasion of the 19th A new book titled ‘Covid-19: Sabhyata anniversary of the Parliament attack on ka Sankat aur Samadhan’ released 13 December. Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi’s new He released the book ‘The Shaurya book titled ‘Covid-19: Sabhyata ka Sankat Unbound’ (English Version) and Aur Samadhan’ (Covid-19: Crisis of ‘Samundar Samawe Boond Mein’ (Hindi Civilisation and Solutions) was launched Version) was released on the 2001 by former Chief Justice of India Dipak incident. Misra and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman As many as 14 people including the five Harivansh Narayan Singh. The Hindi terrorists died during the incident. book, published by Prabhat Prakashan.
VP Venkaiah Naidu virtually released New book on Gandhi to be unveiled the book ‘Oh Mizoram’ by RSS chief on January 1 VP Venkaiah Naidu virtually released the Mahatma Gandhi’s 1909 work “Hind book ‘Oh Mizoram’, written by Governor Swaraj” is grounded in ‘dharma’ which of Mizoram, Shri P S Sreedharan Pillai. is often but inadequately translated as Pillai is a lawyer, an orator, a prolific religion, says a new book on the father of writer, a philanthropist, and a thinker. the nation scheduled to be launched on He has written 125 books in Malayalam January 1 by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. & English. Oh, Mizoram is his first poetry Authors J K Bajaj and M D Srinivas say collection in English. their book “Making of a Hindu Patriot: Background of Gandhiji’s Hind Swaraj” PM Narendra Modi releases book on has evolved out of their earlier effort to Atal Bihari Vajpayee prepare an authentic edition of “Hind Prime Minister Narendra Modi Swaraj” based on Gandhi’s handwritten had released a book called ‘Atal manuscript of 1909 in Gujarati and his Bihari Vajpayee in Parliament: A English translation of the text published Commemorative Volume’, to mark the from Phoenix in 1910. 96th birth anniversary of the former prime minister.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 21 Awards & Honours Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020
Justice Rajindar Sachar He is the first Indian to win this award, Autobiography ‘In Pursuit of Justice’ which carries a prize money of $1 million released posthumously (Rs 7.4 crore). The autobiography of late Justice Rajindar The 32-year-old has won the annual Sachar, titled, “In Pursuit of Justice: Global Teacher Prize 2020 in recognition An Autobiography”, was launched of his efforts to promote girls’ education posthumously by Sachar’s family on the in his village and trigger a quick-response occasion of his birth anniversary on 29 (QR) coded textbook revolution in India. December 2020. Disale made efforts and added QR codes The book was launched through virtual to textbooks of primary classes to provide platform, in association with The Indian links to audio poems, video lectures, Society of International Law and The stories and assignments. Indian Law Institute. He also worked towards education for girls and teaching people about the ill- effects of teenage marriage and even 1.7 Awards & Honours helped to achieve 100% attendance of girls. Chennai Metro Rail gets World Safety Ranjitsinh has also created history by Organisation award announcing to share half the prize money with the nine finalists from across the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has world for the award, where each one been given the International Award 2020 will receive about $55,000 each. He also by the World Safety Organisation (WSO), becomes the first winner to share the US, for its efforts to maintain safety prize money with the finalists. standards and periodic conduct of safety The Global Teacher Prize is an annual programmes for the engineers and staff prize founded by the Varkey Foundation and ensuring safety of people, property in 2014 to recognise an exceptional teacher and the environment. who has made outstanding contribution CMRL won the award under the WSO to the profession. The award is given in Concerned Company/Corporation partnership with UNESCO. category. Anita Anand’s ‘The Patient Assassin’, Maharashtra’s Ranjitsinh Disale win PEN Hessell-Tiltman history prize becomes first Indian to win 2020 Global Teacher Prize British Indian Journalist and author Anita Anand’s book that tells the story Ranjitsinh Disale, a government teacher of a young man caught up in the 1919 from Zilla Parishad Primary School, in Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar Paritewadi village, Solapur district of has won a prestigious history literary Maharashtra, has won the 2020 Global prize in the UK. Teacher Prize.
22 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Awards & Honours
True Tale of Masacre, Revenge and the undertaken by 180 national investment Raj’ beat six other titles for the PEN promotion agencies across the world. Hessell-Tiltman Prize for History 2020, awarded annually for a non-fiction book Raj Kamal Jha wins Rabindranath of specifically historical content. Tagore Literary Prize 2020 Raj Kamal Jha, the writer and chief editor Indian Council of Agricultural of ‘The Indian Express’, has won the Research (ICAR) Wins 2020 King Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize 2020 Bhumibol World Soil Day Award of for his book, “The City and the Sea”. FAO This was the 3rd edition of the The Indian Council of Agricultural Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize, Research (ICAR), has won the prestigious which carries a cash prize of $5,000. International King Bhumibol World Soil The Rabindranath Tagore Literary Day Award for 2020, presented annually Prize was founded in 2018 by US-based by the Food and Agriculture Organization publisher Bundalo to recognise works (FAO) [Headquarter – Rome, Italy]. towards world peace, literature, art, The award was conferred to the ICAR education and human rights. on the occasion of World Soil Day, on The Rabindranath Tagore Literary December 5, through video conferencing. Prize for Social Achievement 2020 was ICAR has been conferred the award for conferred to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos its commitment to raising awareness bin Said Al Said, the late Sultan of Oman of the importance of healthy soils at the and The People of Oman, and renowned World Soil Day celebration in 2019, which Indian choreographer Sandip Soparrkar addressed soil erosion under the motto for his contribution to the betterment of “Stop soil erosion, save our future”. society through his initiative “Dance for a Cause”. UN declares ‘Invest India’ winner of investment promotion award 2020 Punjab scientist refuses award from The United Nations Conference on Union minister Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Punjab agriculturalist Dr Varinder Pal has declared ‘Invest India’ as winner Singh refused to accept an award from the of the 2020 United Nations Investment Centre as a gesture of support to farmers Promotion Award in a ceremony at its protesting against the government’s headquarters in Geneva. agricultural laws. The Award recognises and celebrates the Singh, the principal soil chemist at outstanding achievements of the world’s the Punjab Agricultural University in best-practice investment promotion Ludhiana, was recognised by the Fertiliser agencies. The evaluation was based Association of India for his work in the on UNCTAD’s assessment of work field of plant nutrition.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 23 Awards & Honours Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020
Carolina Araujo awarded 2020 It is the 11th edition of the annual award, Ramanujan Prize for Young instituted by the Schwab Foundation and Mathematicians Jubilant Bhartia Foundation in 2010. The award was presented by the Union The year 2020 Ramanujan Prize for Minister of Women & Child Development Young Mathematicians was awarded & Textiles, SmritiZubinIrani. to Dr Carolina Araujo, Mathematician from the Institute for Pure and Applied UNESCO launches Bangabandhu Mathematics (IMPA), Rio de Janeiro, award on the creative economy Brazil.
Her work area focuses on birational UNESCO has launched an international geometry, which aims to classify and award named after Bangabandhu Sheikh describe the structure of algebraic Mujibur Rahman following Bangladesh’s varieties. proposal.
The prize is awarded annually to a The UN agency’s executive board researcher from a developing country unanimously adopted the proposal on funded by the Department of Science and UNESCO-Bangladesh Bangabandhu Technology of the Government of India Sheikh Mujibur Rahman International in association with ICTP (International Prize for the “Creative Economy” in its Centre for Theoretical Physics), and the 210th session. This is the first time a UN International Mathematical Union (IMU) agency launched an award named after was given for her outstanding work in Bangabandhu. algebraic geometry. UNEP announces 2020 Champions of Dr. Araujo, who is Vice President of the the Earth Award Committee for Women in Mathematics at the International Mathematical The UN Environment Program (UNEP) Union, is the first non-Indian women is presenting the Champions of the Earth mathematician to receive this prize and Award since 2005, to inspire and motivate will be a role model for all women around more people to act for nature. the world. The award recognizes outstanding environmental leaders from the public Ashraf Patel Wins Social Entrepreneur and private sectors, and from civil society of the Year (SEOY) Award – India for their pioneering initiatives aimed at 2020 healing the planet amid natural and man- Ashraf Patel, the founder member and made threats and whose action have had Board member of Pravah and ComMutiny a positive impact on the environment.
– The Youth Collective (CYC) has been The Champions of the Earth Award declared as the winner of the Social is presented in 5 categories, including Entrepreneur of the Year (SEOY) Award Lifetime Achievement, Inspiration and – India 2020.
24 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Awards & Honours Action, Policy Leadership, Entrepreneur Meghdoot awards Vision, Science and Innovation. Department of Posts conducted Meghdoot The 2020 Champions of the Earth Award Award Function 2020 on December 15, has been bestowed upon 6 individuals. 2020 in the Conference Hall of MeitY, The list of winners is given below. Electronics Niketan, CGO Complex, New 1. Policy Leadership – Frank Delhi. Bainimarama, the Prime Minister of The Meghdoot award is given every Fiji year for excellence in postal service. The 2. Inspiration and Action – Yacouba meghdoot award 2019-20 was given. Sawadogo, a farmer from Burkina Faso Category Name & Designation of 3. Inspiration and Action – Nemonte official (Sh./Smt./Ms.) 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 – Award to director Parthiban for ‘otha Robert D. Bullard, an American seruppu ‘ on behalf of the Puducherry scholar. Government Paul Sein Twa of Myanmar wins 2020 Popular actor and director Parthiban’s Goldman Environmental Prize for ‘Ottha Seruppu’ has been selected as the Asia region best film for Puducherry state awards and will receive the Sankardas Swamy The 31st edition of the prestigious Award on December 15. Goldman Environmental Prize was announced , which honors one grassroot Golden Peacock Environment environmental activist from each of the Management Award 2020 world’s six geographic regions: Africa, Steel Authority of India Limited Asia, Europe, Islands and Island Nations, (SAIL) has been awarded with the North America, and South and Central prestigious Golden Peacock Environment America. Management Award for the year 2020 The Goldman Environmental Prize is given in the Steel Sector by the Institute of annually by the Goldman Environmental Directors. Foundation headquartered in San Shri Anil Kumar Chaudhary, Chairman, Francisco, California. SAIL lauded the efforts of SAIL collective The award is dubbed as the “Green Nobel and said, “SAIL has been the winner Prize. of this award for successive two years
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 25 Awards & Honours Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 and this bears testimony to the efforts Foundation Week was organised from 15 made by the Company for sustainable to 19 December 2020. and environmentally responsible steel The theme of the programme was making. ‘India’s resilience: Atmanirbhar roadmap towards $5 trillion economy.’ UNEP’s 2020 Young Champions of As a part of the celebration, PM Modi also the Earth Award presented the ‘ASSOCHAM Enterprise The United Nations Environment of the Century Award’ to Shri Ratan Programme recently named seven Tata, on behalf of the TATA Group, for dynamic Environmentalists as its Young his distinguished contributions to the Champions of the Earth. country. Nzambi Matee of Kenya. He is a material In the last 100 years, ASSOCHAM and engineer and is receiving the award the entire Tata group has worked very for producing low-cost construction hard to strengthen India’s economy and materials from recycled plastic waste and help the common Indian. sand. It must be noted that Mr. Tata will also Xiaoyuan Ren of China. He leads MyH20 be honored with the ‘Global Visionary of organization that tests and records Sustainable Business and Peace’ award by quality of groundwater in rural China. He the Indo-Israel Chambers of Commerce is awarded with the prize for developing on December 21. an application that will educate the communities in rural areas about the Amar Singh College Srinagar bags sources of clean water. 2020-UNESCO Asia-Pacific award Vidyut Mohan of India. He is the co- Amar Singh College Srinagar has bagged founder of Takachar. He has built affordable and portable biomass a prestigious award of merit in the 2020 upgrading equipment. It allows farmers United Nations Educational, Scientific to prevent open burning by converting and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) crop to fuels, activated carbon and Asia-Pacific awards for cultural heritage fertilizers. conservation. The Indian National Trust for Art and PM Modi Confers ‘ASSOCHAM Cultural Heritage (INTACH) chapter in Enterprise of the Century Award’ to the union territory has been administering Shri Ratan Tata the conservation work at the 80-year-old building. Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi
addressed the ‘ASSOCHAM Foundation Seven conservation projects have been Week 2020’ via video conferencing on 19th awarded by an international panel of jury December 2020. members, which reviewed 48 nominees from nine countries in the Asia-Pacific The week long Associated Chambers of Commerce of India (ASSOCHAM) region.
26 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Awards & Honours 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 Veeramani Raju selected for Personality of the Year. Prior to this he Harivarasanam award won the award in 2014. 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 Harivarasanam award for 2021. US President Donald Trump has Raju, who has sung thousands of presented America’s highest military devotional songs in Tamil, Malayalam decoration, ‘The Legion of Merit’, to and Telugu, has been selected for his Prime Minister Narendra Modi. contributions towards propagation of The prestigious Legion of Merit was secularism, equanimity and universal given to Prime Minister Narendra Modi brotherhood through music. for his leadership in elevating strategic The award, consisting of a cash prize partnership of the two countries. of Rs one lakh, citation and plaque, The award was accepted by India’s will be presented at a function on the Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Makaravilakkuday at Sabarimala. Sandhu on behalf of the prime minister Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay-NIF book from the US National Security Advisor prize announced Robert O’Brien at the White House on 21 December 2020. The winners of the Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay New India Foundation NTPC wins the prestigious CII-ITC Book Prize 2020 for the best non-fiction Sustainability Awards book on contemporary/ modern India Country’s largest power producer NTPC were announced. ltd has been conferred “Excellence” in The Prize was given jointly to Amit Ahuja the prestigious CII-ITC Sustainability for his Mobilizing the Marginalized: Awards 2020 in Corporate Social Ethnic Parties without Ethnic Movements Responsibility (CSR) Domain. (Oxford University Press) and to former Also, it has been honoured in the Corporate Union minister Jairam Ramesh for his A Excellence Category, Commendation for Chequered Brilliance: The Many Lives Significant Achievement. of VK Krishna Menon (Penguin Random This is the highest award conferred by House), a biography of politician and CII-ITC in CSR domain. NTPC is the only diplomat VK Krishna Menon.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 27 Awards & Honours Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020
The award carries a citation and a cash K. Veeramani honoured with Dr. prize of Rs 15 lakh, that will be shared by Narendra Dabholkar Memorial Award the two authors. The Dr Narendra Dabholkar Memorial Award for this year has been conferred ”Lukoskin” developer Hemant Kumar upon Dravidar Kazhagam president K. Pandey gets DRDO”s ”Scientist of the Veeramani. The award was instituted in Year” award the memory of the Maharashtra-based Senior scientist Hemant Kumar Pandey rationalist Dabholkar. has been honoured with DRDO’s ‘Scientist The U.S.-based Maharashtra Foundation of the Year Award’ for his contribution had instituted the award in his memory, a in developing several herbal medicines, release issued by the Dravidar Kazhagam. including the popular drug Lukoskin The award includes `1 lakh and a citation. meant for treatment of leucoderma. The prestigious award that comprises a Mr Veeramani has dedicated his whole certificate and cash prize of Rs 2 lakh. life to propagate rationalism and served A recipient of several prestigious awards for the cause of social justice in society. for his contribution in the field of herbal medicine, Pandey has been undertaking Eminent Engineer Award for the Year research at the Defence Research and 2020 Development Organisation”s (DRDO) lab Shri V.K. Yadav, Chairman & CEO, Defence Institute of Bio-Energy Research Railway Board, Ministry of Railways (DIBER) at Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand has been conferred with the prestigious for the past 25 years. “Eminent Engineer Award for the Year 2020’ by the Institution of Engineering Digital India Award 2020 and Technology (IET) for his outstanding
President Ram Nath Kovind virtually contribution towards modernization and conferred the Digital India Award 2020 to reforms over Indian Railways. digital warriors who helped in reducing Every year Institution of Engineering digital divide, and improvised services with technological advancement. and Technology, Delhi Local Network The NIC, under the Ministry of celebrates Engineers’ Day on the 15th Electronics and IT, has been conducting September to commemorate the birth the biennial Digital India Awards to anniversary of Bharat Ratna Sir M promote innovation in eGovernance and Visvesvaraya. On this occasion, besides digital transformation of government technical activities the Institution also service delivery mechanism. presents Eminent Engineer’s Award to The Digital India Awards (DIA) was distinguished Engineering personalities instituted under the aegis of the National for their outstanding services in the field Portal of India to serve the purpose of of Engineering and technology. bringing to the fore innovative digital solutions and thereby inspiring emulation by all government entities.
28 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 India and its Neighbours 1.8 Cultural Panorama 1.9 India and its Neighbours
Ninth edition of International Sand New DRDO lab-created for focused Art Festival & Konark Festival 2020 research along India’s border with begins in Odisha Pakistan, China The 9th edition of the International Sand The government has created a new DRDO Art Festival and the 31st edition of the lab for conducting focused research on Konark Festival, has kicked-off in Odisha. terrain and avalanches along India’s The five days event has been organised borders with China and Pakistan. The from 01 December 2020 till 05 December lab has been created by merging together 2020. two existing DRDO laboratories. International Sand Art Festival is being The new laboratory has been named held at the Chandrabhaga Beach of Defence Geo Informatics Research Konark in Puri district of Odisha. Establishment. The two labs merged About 70 artists from across the country by the government include the Manali- are taking part in the festival. based Snow and Avalanche Studies The world-renowned sand artist and Establishment and Delhi-based Defence Padmashree Awardee, Sudarsan Terrain Research Establishment. Pattnaik, has been appointed as Chief The merger is the first step in the large- Curator of the festival. scale reforms to be taken up in the DRDO by its Chief Dr G Satheesh Reddy in order Gwalior, Orchha in UNESCO world to make the organisation leaner and more heritage cities list result-oriented. The historical fort cities of Gwalior and Pak Kashmir Inks Pact with China for Orchha in Madhya Pradesh have been included in the list of UNESCO’s world 700 MW Power Project heritage cities under its urban landscape The Government in Pakistan-controlled city programme, according to the state Kashmir (PaK) has singed agreements government. with a Chinese company and a local The United Nations Educational, Scientific renewable energy firm for the construction and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), of 700 MW hydropower project at an an agency of the United Nations, aims estimated cost of USD 1.35 billion in the at promoting world peace and security region as part of the ambitions China- through international cooperation in Pakistan Economic Corridor. education, the sciences, and culture. China Gezhouba Group and its local Gwalior was established in 9th century partner Laraib Group Pakistan are and ruled by Gurjar Pratihar Rajvansh, the shareholders of the ‘Azad Pattan Tomar, Baghel Kachvaho and Scindias. Hydropower Project’, which is located on Jhelum river in Sadhanoti district of PaK.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 29 India and its Neighbours Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 35th edition of India-Indonesia 1.11 Appointments – Who is CORPATs The 35th edition of India-Indonesia who? Coordinated Patrol (IND-INDO CORPAT) between the Indian Navy and Kuldeep Handoo appointed as “Fit the Indonesian Navy is being conducted India” movement ambassador from 17 to 18 December 2020. Srinagar born Wushu coach and the The 35th IND – INDO CORPAT will first Dronacharya Awardee from the contribute towards the Indian Navy’s Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, efforts to consolidate inter-operability Kuldeep Handoo is appointed as the and forge strong bonds of friendship Ambassador of Fit India movement. across the Indo Pacific. He won 11 gold medals in National and 6 Indian Naval Ship (INS) Kulish, an in International stage, is the Wushu coach indigenously built missile corvette along of Team India. with P8I Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) Under his guidance Athletes have will undertake coordinated patrol with won two gold medals at the world Indonesian Naval Ship KRI Cut Nyak championship and one at the World Cup. Dien, a Kapitan Pattimura (Parchim He also serves as Inspector of police in I) class corvette and an MPA of the Jammu and Kashmir. Indonesian Navy. Indian-origin Anil Soni appointed as first CEO of WHO Foundation 1.10 Latest Terminology Indian-origin Anil Soni has been appointed as the first Chief Executive ‘Pandemic’ chosen as the top word of Officer (CEO) of the WHO Foundation. 2020 by Merriam-Webster dictionary He will take his position from 1 January ‘Pandemic’ has been chosen as the top 2021. He was head of Global Infectious word of 2020 by Merriam-Webster Diseases at Viatris. Viatris is a global dictionary. Pandemic is a combination healthcare company. of pan, for all, and demos, for people or He has served as Senior Advisor, HIV population with roots in Latin and Greek. at Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and CEO at Clinton Health Access Initiative. He has also worked in different roles for Global Fund to fight AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis and for Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
30 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Appointments – Who is who? WHO Foundation: Union health minister Harsh Vardhan It is independent grant-making nominated to board of vaccine organization with headquarters in alliance GAVI Geneva. Union minister for health and family It was started in May 2020. Professor welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan was Thomas Zeltner is its founder, He is also nominated by the Global Alliance for chairman of its Board. Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) as a board member. Biden names Bharat Ramamurti as Dr Harsh Vardhan will be representing National Economic Council member the South East Area Regional Office US President-elect Joe Biden named (SEARO)/Western Pacific Regional Indian American Bharat Ramamurti Office (WPRO) constituency on the GAVI as the deputy director of the National Board. The seat is currently held by Mr Economic Council, which is the White MyintHtwe of Myanmar. Dr Harsh House advisory agency to the President Vardhan will be representing India from on domestic and global economic 1st January 2021 until 31st December 2023. policymaking. GAVI is an international organisation that Joelle Gamble, who is in the Biden-Harris was created in the year 2000 to improve Transition’s domestic economic policy access to new and underused vaccines for team, and David Kamin, Professor of numerous vaccine-preventable diseases Law at New York University School of for children who live in the world’s Law, are the two other members of the poorest countries. Economic Council.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 31 Govt – Welfare oriented... Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 POLITICAL 2. SCIENCE 2.1 Govt – Welfare oriented UP govt to launch ‘Kisan Kalyan Mission’ to double the income of farmers Govt schemes, their Uttar Pradesh government will launch a special program to double the income utility of farmers. The program named as Kisan Five-star village postal scheme Kalyan Mission will cover all assembly constituencies of the state. launched in Uttarakhand Under the Kisan Kalyan mission various The Union Minister of State for programs will be organised across the Communication Sanjay Dhotre launched state. Exhibitions of agriculture and five star village postal scheme to ensure Associate sectors will be organised which the universal coverage of flagship postal will include the products of MSME sector schemes in Dehradun for rural areas of units and livelihood missions. Farmers will be given benefit under Uttarakhand. the various schemes of agriculture Union Cabinet approves Atmanirbhar department during these events. Bharat Rojgar Yojana PM Modi to launch ‘SEHAT’, Health The Union Cabinet on December 9, Insurance Scheme for J&K 2020 gave its nod to the Atmanirbhar Prime Minister Narendra Modi will Bharat Rojgar Yojana (ABRY) to boost launch ‘SEHAT’ – Health Insurance employment and incentivise creation of Scheme for the entire Union Territory of new employment opportunities during Jammu and Kashmir on 26th December. the COVID-19 recovery phase under This scheme will cover the remaining One Atmanirbhar Bharat Package 3.0. crore population which was not covered The Cabinet has given its nod to under Ayushman Bharat Scheme. Under Ayushman Bharat PM Jan Arogya Yojana expenditure worth Rs 1,584 crore for the (PMJAY), eligible beneficiaries were current fiscal year and Rs 22,810 crores covered under Health Cover of Rs 5 Lakh. for the scheme’s entire duration from Under PMJAY scheme, 30 lakh people are 2020 to 2023. being covered in J&K. With the launch of Under the Yojana, the subsidy will be ‘SEHAT’ Scheme by the Prime Minister provided for two years in respect of new on December 26, J&K will be among the employees engaged on or after October 1, first in the country to achieve Universal 2020 and up to June 30, 2021. Health Coverage.
32 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Policy on Environment and Ecology 3. GEOGRAPHY 3.1 Policy on Environment and Ecology
Cyclone Burevi Green Charcoal Hackathon A depression formed over southeast Shri R.K.Singh, the Union Minister of Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a State (I/C) for Power and New & RE, cyclonic storm in the next 36 hours, the was speaking with a vision to create a India Meteorological Department has conducive environment by reducing announced. When the cyclone forms, it carbon emissions and nurture technology would be called cyclone Burevi, a name solutions in India. NVVN (NTPC given by the Maldives. VidyutVyapar Nigam), a wholly-owned subsidiary company of NTPC Ltd, today Indonesian Volcano Erupts launched the Green Charcoal Hackathon. A volcano in Indonesia’s East Nusa th Tenggara province erupted, spewing Assam Proposed to set up its 6 ash and smoke as high as four kilometers National Park into the sky and forcing more than 2,700 The Assam government has proposed residents to seek refuge. to establish its 6th National park, the The eruption from the Mt. Ile Lewotolok “Raimona National Park’ in the Ripu volcano, about 2,600 kilometers east of Reserved Forest of the state which was Indonesia’s capital of Jakarta. severely damaged due to militancy. The proposal to upgrade an area of 422 Suryadhar Lake in Dehradun square kilometre notified Ripu Reserve Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Forest under Manas National Park and Singh Rawat inaugurated the Suryadhar Tiger Reserve into Raimona National lake at Doiwala in Dehradun on 29 Park has been submitted to Jagadish November 2020. Mukhi, the governor of Assam. The Suryadhar lake is located at the trijunction of Haridwar, Rishikesh and Bihar migratory bird festival Dehradun, and has been built at a cost of Bihar is planning its first ever migratory Rs 50.25 crore. bird festival this year. This is a three-day It is 550 metres long, 28 metres wide and festival to be organised in Bhagalpur 10 metres deep with a capacity of 77,000 District. cubic metres. It is to be jointly organised by Bhagalpur forest division, Bombay Natural History
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 33 Policy on Environment and Ecology Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020
Society and the local Mandar Nature Like CCPI 2020, the first three places in Club. The region houses a large number 2021 ranking also remains unoccupied, of migratory birds between November since none of the countries are on the and March every year. The festival is path compatible with the Paris climate intended to check cases of poaching in targets, to implement strategies to limit the region. global warming below 2 or even 1.5°C. Sweden (4th) United Kingdom (5th), Mt Everest declared 86 cm taller by Denmark (6th), Morocco (7th), Norway Nepal and China (8th), Chile (9th) were among the top 10 The world’s highest mountain peak rankers in the index. ‘Mount Everest’ has become taller by 0.86m, as per a survey conducted jointly New species of Pygmy Grasshopper by Nepal and China. named “Tettilobus trishula” after The Government of Nepal and China Shiva’s Trishul jointly conducted an exercise to measure A new species of wide-nosed Pygmy the world’s highest peak. Grasshopper documented by researchers The new height of Mt Everest, has in Eravikulam National Park (Idukki, been calculated at 8,848.86 metres, Kerala) in January, 2018 has been named which is 0.86m more than the previous “Tettilobus Trishula’ (common name measurement done by India in 1954. Shiva’s pygmy trishula) as its protrusion In 1955, the height of Mount Everest was in pronotum resembles the three-pronged measured at 8848 m (29,028 feet) by the spear ‘Trishul’ used by Lord Shiva. Survey of India. It was discovered by a team of Researchers In Tibetan language, Mount Everest is known as Mount Qomolangma while led by Dhaneesh Bhaskar, regional Vice- in Nepalese language it is famous as Chair for Asia, IUCN SSC (International Sagar-Matha. Union for Conservation of Nature – Species Survival Commission). The other Climate Change Performance Index members are P S Easa, Sara Stermsek, (CCPI) 2021 Damjan Franjevic and Josip Skejo. The discovery has been published in the India is ranked at 10th place in the Journal Zootaxa. ‘Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2021’, released on 7th December Union Minister Prakash Javadekar 2020. The overall score of India is 63.98. releases ‘Status of Leopards in India It is for the second time in a row that India 2018’ report emerged among the top 10 countries with higher climate performance from among The Union environment minister Shri 58 economies. Prakash Javadekar released a report titled India was at 9th spot last year in the the ‘Status of Leopard in India 2018’. index. As per the report, the population of
34 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Policy on Environment and Ecology
leopard in India has increased by 60 Ecology preservation percent in four years since 2014. The Ramsar Convention, signed in 1971 India now has 12,852 leopards as per in the Iranian city of Ramsar, is one of the 2018 estimate, compared to the previous oldest accords for preserving wetlands. estimate of 7910 conducted in 2014. Wetlands provide a range of important The States of Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, resources and ecosystem services such as and Maharashtra recorded the highest food, water and fibre. leopard estimates at 3,421, 1,783, and The Lonar lake in Maharashtra and Sur 1,690 respectively. Sarovar, also known as Keetham lake, in Agra were added to the list of Ramsar Ladakh’s Tso Kar wetland complex sites. The Tso Kar Basin is a high-altitude 42nd Ramsar site wetland complex, consisting of two One more wetland in India has been principal waterbodies, Startsapuk Tso, added to the list of recognised sites of a freshwater lake of about 438 hectares international importance under the to the south, and Tso Kar itself, a hyper- treaty of Ramsar Convention, taking the saline lake of 1,800 hectares to the north, number of such wetlands in the country situated in the Changthang region of to 42, the highest in South Asia. Ladakh.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 35 New Economic Policy & Govt. Sector Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020
4. ECONOMICS 4.1 New Economic Policy & Govt. Sector
Ethereum 2.0 The government of Chhattisgarh has Ethereum is a decentralised and open communicated its acceptance of option-1 source blockchain platform, which is a to meet the revenue shortfall arising out growing list of cryptographic blocks. of GST implementation. All states except Ether (ETH) is the cryptocurrency token Jharkhand and all the 3 union territories of the Ethereum platform. with legislative Assembly have decided It is the world’s second-largest crypto in favour of option-1, announced by a currency by market capitalization, only finance ministry. after bitcoin. It is also the world’s most actively used blockchain. Fitch Ratings lowers India’s GDP Ethereum was first proposed in 2013 by contraction at 9.4% for FY21; 11% a Russian- Canadian cryptocurrency for FY22 researcher and programmer VitalikButerin. The largest cryptocurrency ‘Bitcoin’ Fitch Ratings has revised the GDP growth works on the principle of Mining, rate for India in its Global Economic which in turn requires solving complex Outlook, and now expects the economy problems leading to large consumption to contract 9.4 percent in the current of electricity. financial year 2020-21, as compared to (-)10.5 percent forecast earlier. Chhattisgarh accepts Centre’s Fitch has also projected the FY22 GDP borrowing proposal for GST shortfall growth at 11 percent and 6.3 percent Chattisgarh has accepted the Centre’s growth in FY23. borrowing proposal and will get Rs 3,109 crore through the special window to meet Nomura Expects India to be fastest the goods and services (GST) revenue growing Asian economy in 2021 at shortfall. 9.9% With this, 27 states and 3 union territories The Japanese research and brokerage have accepted the Centre’s borrowing house Nomura has projected India to be plan, leaving only Jharkhand which is yet the fastest growing Asian economy in to decide. 2021. 36 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 New Economic Policy & Govt. Sector
Nomura has estimated the gross domestic Under this project World Bank will product (GDP) growth of India for the support India in its efforts at providing calendar year 2021 (CY21) at 9.9%. social assistance to the poor and For calendar year 2020 (CY20), Nomura vulnerable households, severely expects GDP growth at-7.1 percent. impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Apart from this, the Nomura expects This is the second such assistance in GDP at -8.2 percent in FY21, and 11.9 the series of two ‘Accelerating India’s percent in FY22. COVID-19 Social Protection Response Programme’ RBI to set up centre in Jaipur for Under the first operation, $750 million receipt, storage and dispatch of notes was approved by World Bank in May The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has 2020. decided to set up an Automated Banknote Processing Centre (ABPC) in Jaipur for Kylie Jenner tops Forbes’ list of receipt, storage and dispatch of currency world’s highest-paid celebrities 2020 notes. American media personality and reality The functions of the ABPC will also TV star Kylie Jenner has been crowned include processing of banknotes received the highest-paid celebrity of 2020 by from currency chests (CCs) and bank Forbes. The top-earning stars in the world branches, and destruction of soiled earned a combined of $6.1 billion in 2020 banknotes in an automated manner, with Kylie Jenner and Kanye West at the said the RBI’s Request for Proposal top of the list. (RFP) for engagement of consultant for comprehensive consultancy services for World Bank approves several projects establishment of ABPC at Jaipur. to support development initiatives in The volume of banknotes in circulation India has increased three-fold from March 2001 The World Bank has approved several to March 2019, and is expected to rise projects for India, to support development further in the years to come. initiatives that will strengthen India’s social protection architecture. These India and World Bank sign $400 include: million project to protect India’s poor Chhattisgarh Inclusive Rural and and vulnerable from the impact of Accelerated Agriculture Growth Project COVID-19 (CHIRAAG); The Government of India and the World Nagaland: Enhancing Classroom Bank have signed a $400 million project Teaching and Resources Project; and to protect vulnerable groups in urban Second Dam Improvement and and peri-urban areas across the country Rehabilitation Project (DRIP-2). impacted by COVID-19.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 37 New Economic Policy & Govt. Sector Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 CHIRAAG project ICICI Bank launches online portal Amount sanctioned: USD 100 million ‘Infinite India’ for foreign firms CHIRAAG aims at promoting nutrition- expanding in India supportive agriculture for tribal The ICICI Bank has launched an online households in Chhattisgarh platform ‘Infinite India’ to support It will develop sustainable production foreign companies to establish or expand systems that allow tribal households in business in India. remote areas of Chhattisgarh to practice The one-stop portal will offer banking round-the-year production of diversified solutions as well as value-added services and nutritious food. such as incorporation of a business It will be implemented in the southern entity, corporate filings, licences and tribal-majority region of the state where a registrations, HR services, compliances large population is undernourished and and taxation among others. Through this initiative, ICICI bank poor. aims to strengthen its position in the The project will benefit over 180,000 multinational corporations (MNC) households from about 1,000 villages in segment. eight districts of Chhattisgarh. DRIP-2 India to become fifth largest Economy Financial aid approved: USD 250 million in 2025
DRIP-2 will improve the safety and India, which appears to have been pushed performance of existing dams across back to being the world’s sixth biggest various states of India, and strengthen economy in 2020, will again overtake dam safety by building dam safety the UK to become the fifth largest in guidelines; bring in global experience; 2025 and race to the third spot by 2030, and introduce newer technologies. a think tank said on Saturday. India had overtaken the UK in 2019 to become the Multiple bad banks needed to solve fifth largest economy in the world but has NPA problem: CII been relegated to 6th spot in 2020. The Confederation of Indian Industry India has been knocked off course (CII) has urged the government to somewhat through the impact of the consider setting up “multiple bad banks” pandemic. As a result, after overtaking to address the problem of mounting non- the UK in 2019, the UK overtakes India performing assets (NPAs) of state-owned again in this year’s forecasts and stays lenders, which has worsened due to ahead till 2024 before India takes over covid-led disruptions. again,” the Centre for Economics and A ‘bad bank’ buys the bad loans of other Business Research (CEBR) lenders and financial institutions to help The CEBR forecasts that the Indian clear their balance sheets. economy will expand by 9 per cent in 2021 and by 7 per cent in 2022.
38 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Latest Inventions on Science & Technology 5. SCIENCE
5.1 Latest Inventions on Science & Technology Hayabusa2 Spacecraft of Japan Key points: The Hayabusa2 spacecraft of Japan is The 4-metre diameter tank is of 8-metres nearing the earth after a yearlong journey length to load around 5,755 Kg propellant from asteroid Ryugu. The asteroid is in the 89 Cubic Metre Volume. located at a distance of about 300 million The welds have been done to meet 100% kilometres from the Earth. The spacecraft quality requirements of radiography, dye is to reach the earth in Southern Australia penetrant check and leak-proof. on December 6, 2020 carrying precious samples from the asteroid . Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 in UK The entire operation is being held by The United Kingdom became the first JAXA, Japanese Aerospace exploration country on December 2, 2020, to approve agency. According to the agency the the widespread use of the Pfizer- capsule that is protected by a heat shield BioNTech vaccine against the pandemic. will turn into a fire ball at its 200 kilometre The Medicines and Healthcare Products from the earth surface. The parachute Regulatory Agency- MHRA, a British of the capsule will open at about 10 regulator, approved the vaccine against kilometres. the virus and informed that it offers up to 95% of protection against it. The Pfizer- HAL delivers Biggest Ever Cryogenic BioNTech vaccine is safe for the rollout Propellant Tank ‘C32-LH2’ to ISRO next week and immunisation can be Hindustan Aeronautics Limited started soon for people who are in the (HAL) delivered ‘C32-LH2’ Cryogenic high priority groups. Propellant Tank to the India Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in Chang’e-5 lands on lunar surface Bengaluru, Karnataka. It is Biggest ever China’s Chang’e 5 lander has returned cryogenic propellant tank fabricated by its first panorama from its landing site on HAL. the moon. C32-LH2 is made of aluminium alloy and The sample-return mission made a has been designed to improve the payload successful soft landing in the Oceanus capability of GSLV (Geosynchronous Procellarum (“Ocean of Storms”) region Satellite Launche Vehicle) MK-III (Dec. 1) and almost immediately began launching vehicle. its science and imaging tasks. Vetrii IAS Study Circle 39 Latest Inventions on Science & Technology Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020
Chang’e 5 is a historic 23-day quest to India join a select leage of nations having collect lunar samples and return them to such super grade fuel. Earth — the first such moon mission since The high octane premium grade petrol 1976, when the Soviet Union’s Luna 24 will be marketed under the brand XP-100 probe hauled about 6 ounces (170 grams) and it will be made available in 10 cities of lunar material home. across the country including the national capital in the first phase. The second Karnataka’s first 11.5 megawatt phase will see addition of 5 more cities power plant run on municipal waste including Chennaia and Kolkata. being set up at Bidadi The Octane ratings are measures of fuel In Karnataka, Chief Minister B S stability, which help increase engine Yediyurappa laid the foundation stone efficiency. for a 11.5 megawatt power plant based on municipal waste in Bidadi, a town in Britain becomes first country in world Bengaluru. to approve coronavirus vaccine It is first of its kind power plant in the In a historic move, Britain has become the state being set up by the Karnataka first country in the world to approve the Power Corporation Limited (KPCL) Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine. and will help in converting 600 tonnes The vaccine will be rolled out from next of municipal waste into 11.5 megawatt week onwards. Priority for vaccination energy. will be given to healthcare workers and This power plant will add 80.59 million care home residents. units of power to the existing power grid. The power plant project is being Sputnik V vaccine rushed out to wary constructed at a cost of Rs. 260 crore and Russians is likely to be operational by 2022. Russia began distributing its COVID-19 vaccine, with Moscow as the focal point Union Petroleum Minister launches for people to participate in the first mass India’s first indigenously developed vaccination against the virus. 100 Octane premium petrol The Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural will be distributed at 70 clinics around Gas and Steel Dharmendra Pradhan Moscow, but it has been made available launched India’s first indigenously first to doctors and other medical developed environment-friendly fuel, workers, teachers and social workers, as 100 Octane premium petrol through the government has deemed these groups video conferencing on December 1, 2020. to be at the highest risk of exposure to the He described the launch of the fuel as one disease. step towards facilitating ease of living for the citizens. The development has helped
40 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Latest Inventions on Science & Technology Modern mobile phone for summoned regulatory body under the Department court employees of Space (DoS) to enable private players Are the employees involved in the undertaking space activities in India. process of issuing summons to the courts Pixxel aims to put a constellation of 30 at the state level delivered to the correct earth observation micro-satellites into a address? Isn’t it Court officials announced sun-synchronous orbit by mid-2023. a new plan is being implemented to NASA Astronaut Harvests 20 Radishes provide them with state-of-the-art GPS- Aboard International Space Station enabled mobile phones. The Supreme Court has issued guidelines NASA astronaut grew red lettuce aboard for the procedure of issuing summons the International Space Station, another with the help of e-mail. As per the above astronaut has now harvested radish guidelines, modern mobile phones are in microgravity. As a part of a plant being provided to those involved in the experiment called Plant Habitat-02 (PH- summons process in the district courts. 02), astronaut Kate Rubins created history This will enable the court office to by harvesting 20 radish plants in the ISS monitor whether the summons has gone Advanced Plant Habitat. All the plants to the right person. have now been placed in cold storage to be returned to earth along with the space ‘Pixxel’ to launch remote-sensing mission in 2021. satellite on ISRO rocket in early 2021 The harvest marks the first time that The Bengaluru-based space-technology NASA has grown radishes on the orbiting start-up Pixxel, has signed a pact with laboratory. Stating reasons behind the Indian Space Research Organisation selecting radishes for the experiment, (ISRO) to launch its first remote-sensing the American space agency stressed that satellite on Isro’s workhorse Polar the vegetable is “well understood by Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket in scientists” and reach maturity in mere 27 early 2021. days. Earlier, the startup had planned to launch Pairing CRISPR with a smartphone this satellite towards the end of 2020 and camera helps for COVID-19 test finds on a Russian Soyuz rocket. results in 30 minutes The agreement was signed between Pixxel with NewSpace India Limited Researchers in California aim to develop (NSIL), a Government of India company a new CRISPR-based test for COVID -19 under the Department of Space. that can be read anytime, anywhere by This agreement with NSIL is first-of-a- turning a basic smartphone camera into kind private earth-observation mission a microscope capable of detecting the and one of the first since the setting up coronavirus’ genetic material. of IN-SPACe, the authorisation and
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 41 Latest Inventions on Science & Technology Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020
The team consists of scientists from the and a privately owned and operated University of California, San Francisco, chamber to move experiments as big as UC Berkeley, and the Gladstone Institutes refrigerators outside the orbiting lab. including a collaboration with Jennifer This is SpaceX’s 21st station supply Doudna, president of the Innovative run for Nasa since 2012. The flight was Genomics Institute, and winner of the delayed a day by rough weather in the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for co- booster-recovery area offshore. This was discovering CRISPR-Cas genome editing, the 68th successful booster landing by the technology that underpins the test. SpaceX. The new test uses a Cas13 protein tagged with a molecule that glows once it’s cut, China becomes second nation to plant as part of the genetic-snipping that occurs flag on the Moon when it matches up with a specific piece China has become the second country in of RNA. When more of the virus’ genome the world to unfurl its national flag on the is present, more cuts occur—creating moon surface. a brighter glow that can be picked up Earlier this feat was achieved only by the by a smartphone camera used with a USA when it planted its flag on the Moon darkened box. during the Apollo mission in 1969. China achieved the historic feat when SpaceX launches 2nd Dragon capsule ‘Chang’e 5‘ probe of China, which was to space station launched to collect soil and rock samples SpaceX launched a newer and bigger of the lunar surface, took off from the version of its Dragon supply ship to the moon to return to earth after planting the International Space Station (ISS). SpaceX national flag on 3rd December 2020. now, for the first time, has two capsules in orbit at the same time. LiDAR Technique SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket blasted off with The Indian Railways is to use LiDAR the latest Dragon from Nasa’s Kennedy technique to conduct ground survey Space Center. The first-stage booster - for the Delhi Varanasi High Speed Rail making its fourth flight - landed on an corridor. LiDAR is Light Detection and ocean platform several minutes after the Ranging technique. liftoff. It was first used in May this year The Indian Railways is to use the LiDAR for the first astronaut launch by Elon technique mounted on a helicopter. This Musk’s company. is being done after its success in the The shipment, weighing 2,900 kg, Mumbai Ahmedabad bullet train project includes billions of microbes and crushed for the first time. asteroid samples for a biomining study, The technique uses a combination of GPS a new medical device to provide rapid data, laser data, flight parameters to give blood test results for astronauts in space, an accurate survey.
42 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Latest Inventions on Science & Technology
LiDAR blossoms every monsoon. Globally, 85 It is a remote sensing method that species are known from Ischaemum, of uses light in the form of pulsed laser to which 61 species are exclusively found in measure available distances in the earth. India. The light pulses in the system generate The team discovered a novel species three-dimensional information about named Ischaemumjanarthanamii from the shape of the earth and its surface plateaus of Western Ghats of Goa, and characteristics. A LiDAR instrument a research paper describing this species consists of a scanner, laser and a GPS was published recently in Annales receiver. Helicopters and aeroplanes are BotaniciFennici, a Finland based journal. the most commonly used platforms to acquire LiDAR data. Skylotech partners with BSNL to bring satellite-based IoT network IIT-Guwahati Researchers Develop Global machine connectivity solutions Technology To Harvest Water From company Skylotech India has partnered Air with BSNL to launch a satellite-based Researchers at Indian Institute of narrowband IoT network in India. Technology, Guwahati claimed to have This solution, developed by Skylo, will developed a new technology to harvest connect with BSNL’s satellite ground water from the air by using the concept of infrastructure and provide pan-India hydrophobicity. coverage, including Indian seas. Such water-harvesting techniques use This new ‘Made in India’ Solution, which the concept of hydrophobicity or water- is indigenously developed by Skylo, will repelling nature of some materials. connect with BSNLs satellite- ground The concept of hydrophobicity can be infrastructure and provide PAN-India understood by looking at the lotus leaf coverage, including Indian seas. The The research team from IIT-Guwahati has coverage will be so vast that it will not used the concept of chemically patterned SLIPS for the first time, to effectively leave any dark patch within the boundary harvest water from moist air. of India, from Kashmir & Ladakh to Kanyakumari, and from Gujarat to the Novel species of Muraingrasses North East, including the Indian seas. spotted in Western Ghats of Goa ISRO to launch communication
A new species of Indian Muraingrasses, satellite CMS-01 on Dec 1 known for their ecological and economic
importance, has been spotted by scientists The Indian Space Research Organisation in the Western Ghats of Goa, one of the (ISRO) will launch communication four global biodiversity hotspots of India. satellite CMS-01 aboard Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C50) on December The species has adapted to survive harsh conditions, low nutrient availability, and 17, 2020.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 43 Latest Inventions on Science & Technology Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020
This will be the 52nd mission of PSLV caccine candidate and the preliminary and it will be launched from the second results are likely by March. It assumes launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space significance as Covid-19 vaccines based Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. on this platform, such as those by Pfizer- The launch is tentatively scheduled to BioNtech and Moderna, are expected to take place at 3:41 pm on December 17, have better effsicacy but currently appear 2020 subject to weather conditions. out of bounds for India. The communication satellite aims to The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) provide services in the Extended-C Band of the frequency spectrum, which under the Central Drugs Standard includes the Indian mainland, Andaman Control Organisation (CDSCO) that & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep. The met recommended grant of conditional satellite will be the 42nd Communication approval for phases ½ human clinical Satellite of India. trial of the vaccine candidate. The recommendations of the panel were Indian-American among 18 later approved by the Drugs Controller astronauts selected for NASA’s General of India (DCGI). Artemis Moon programme Land to start a business: New facility Indian-American, Raja Jon Vurputoor Chari is among the 18 astronauts who to search the internet have been selected by NASA for its A separate internet facility has been set Artemis moon-landing programme. up at Chipkot Shop to easily find land for NASA announced the names of the 18 starting a business in Tamil Nadu. astronauts, half of whom are women, on The facility, which has been set up for the December 9, 2020. first time in India, was inaugurated by The 43-year-old is the only Indian- Chief Minister Edappadi K.Palanisamy. American in the list. He is a graduate of the US Air Force Academy, MIT, and US ISRO sets up dedicated control Naval Test Pilot School. He was selected centre ‘NETRA’ for Space Situational by NASA to join the 2017 Astronaut Awareness Candidate Class The astronauts on the Artemis Team The Indian Space Research Organization have been chosen from a diverse range of (ISRO) has set up a dedicated Space backgrounds, expertise and experience. Situational Awareness (SSA) Control While the oldest is 55 years old, the Centre, at its ISTRAC campus at Peenya, youngest is 32 years old. Bangalore. The ISRO SSA Control Centre ‘NETRA’ Local mRNA vaccine gets nod for was formally inaugurated by ISRO human trials Chairman K Sivan on December 14. The drug regulator has allowed human trials of the first local mRNA Covid
44 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Latest Inventions on Science & Technology
What is Space Situational Awareness CMS-01 is the 42nd communication (SSA)? satellite of the space agency and it is SSA is the science of tracking objects envisaged for providing services in (man-made and natural) that are in orbit Extended-C Band of the frequency and also predicting what they would be spectrum covering India, Andaman and at a given point in time. Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands. Only the US, Russia and Europe have similar facility in place to track space NASA selects Raja Chari as commander objects and share collision warnings. of SpaceX Crew-3 mission What is NETRA? NASA and the European Space Agency The “NEtwork for space object Tracking (ESA) have selected Indian-American Raja and Analysis (NETRA)” will monitor, Chari to be the Commander of the SpaceX track and protect India’s space assets. It Crew-3 mission to the International Space will function as a hub of all SSA activities Station. Presently Raja Chari is a colonel within India. in the US Air Force. It has been set up as a ‘Directorate of Space He will be the commander of SpaceX Situational Awareness and Management Crew-3 mission, while Nasa’s Tom (DSSAM)’ aiming to protect high valued Marshburn will be pilot and ESA’s space assets from space debris close Matthias Maurer will serve as a mission approaches and collisions. specialist. This mission is expected to be The state-of-the-art facility, dedicated to launched next year. SSA activities, will also help to coordinate When Chari, Marshburn, and Maurer between Indian agencies, their foreign arrive at the orbiting laboratory, they will counterparts and international bodies. become expedition crew members for The main elements of NETRA would be a the duration of their six-month stay. The radar, an optical telescope facility, and a crew will have a slight overlap with the control centre. Crew-2 astronauts, who are expected to launch in the spring of 2021. ISRO To Launch Communication Satellite CMS-01 Russia successfully test-launches Angara-5 space rocket The Indian Space Research Organisation will launch communication satellite Russia successfully test-launched its CMS-01 on board the launch vehicle heavy lift Angara A5 space rocket for the second time, from the Plesetsk PSLV-C50. A 25-hour countdown for the cosmodrome in northwest Russia. launch began. First test-launched in 2014, it is being The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle or developed to replace the Proton M as PSLV’s 52nd mission is scheduled for Russia’s heavy lift rocket, capable of lift-off at from the second launch pad at carrying payloads bigger than 20 tonnes the spaceport of Sriharikota ‘subject to into orbit. A launch pad for the new weather conditions. rocket is due to open in 2021.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 45 Latest Inventions on Science & Technology Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 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 Short-term projects for B-Tech and to watch a rare celestial event evening- M-Tech students from the institute and as the Jupiter and the Saturn appeared associate institutes will also be included to merge and looked-like a single bright in this sequence. “Long term R&D star, in what is called a conjunction. projects leading to the PhD programme The ‘Christmas Star’, or the ‘Star will also be offered. of Bethlehem’, is believed to be the Sat designed by Thanjai student conjunction of the two gas giants and it awaits NASA launch was first viewed in 1623. Astronomers have long debated the existence of such a S Riyasdeen from Karanthai in star but it is theorized that in the year 7 BC, Thanjavur, who is pursuing second-year Jupiter and Saturn had three conjunctions Mechatronics at Sastra University, had in the same constellation, which could participated a global competition Cubes explain what the star actually was. in Space, organised by idoodle Eduinc for Apart from being the first time in nearly the students in the age group between 11 400 years the planetary giants have been and 18 to design and propose experiments this close to one another, this is also the to launch into space on a NASA sounding first time in 800 years that the alignment rocket and zero-pressure scientific will occur at night. balloon. The rare spectacle coincided with winter The satellites are fabricated with solstice, the shortest day of the year. For polyetherimide thermoplastic resins those able to observe the alignment in using the additive manufacturing clear skies, the two frozen-gas spheres technology of 3D printing. V1 is made of appeared closer and more vibrant - polyetherimide Ultem 9085 and is infused almost as a single point of light - than at with 11 sensors that would record as any time in 800 years. many as 11 parameters and this satellite is expected to be launched in NASA ISRO to open Regional Academic Sounding Rocket under SR 7 mission Centre for Space at IIT BHU from Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, the The Indian Space Research Organisation USA in June 2021. (ISRO) will establish a Regional While the V2 satellite that is made of Academic Centre for Space at IIT (BHU) polyetherimide Ultemltem 1010 and to facilitate short and long term projects is infused with 11 sensors that would at the institute. record as many as 17 parameters. And ISRO and the Indian Institute of this satellite is expected to be launched Technology (BHU) signed a memorandum in NASA Zero pressure Research Balloon of understanding (MoU) and the move under RB 6 mission during August 2021,
46 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Latest Inventions on Science & Technology
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). year. The remaining four motors are in various stages of manufacturing and will be China Launches Remote Sensing tested in 2021. Satellite ‘Yoagan-33’ China has successfully launched a new Harsh Vardhan launches India’s remote sensing satellite into space from first indigenously developed the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in pneumococcal vaccine ‘Pneumosil’ northwest China. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan The satellite, Yaogan-33, was launched launched the country’s first pneumococcal aboard a Long March-4C rocket and conjugate vaccine ‘Pneumosil’ developed entered the planned orbit successfully. It by Serum Institute of India in collaboration was the 357th flight mission of the Long with partners like the Bill and Melinda March carrier rocket series, the report Gates Foundation. The Serum Institute of India Private said. Limited (SIIPL) as the world’s largest The mission also sent a micro and nano manufacturer of vaccines by number technology experiment satellite into of doses and its contribution to India’s orbit. The two satellites will be used for economy, Vardhan remarked that scientific experiments, land resources its vaccines are used in 170 countries survey, crop yield estimation and disaster and every third child in the world is prevention and reduction. immunised with the manufacturer’s shots. Skyroot Aerospace becomes first Indian company to successfully test US plans to set up a Nuclear Reactor fire solid-fueled rocket engine on Moon Indian Space startup, Skyroot Aerospace USA’s plan to set up the first nuclear has successfully test fired a solid reactor on the moon by the end of 2026. In propulsion rocket engine, named Kalam-5 early 2021, the US Department of Energy With this, it has become the first private in collaboration with NASA intends to company of India to successfully design, solicit industry design proposals. It also develop and test a full solid-fueled rocket got an impetus with a recent White House stage. directive. This crucial propulsion technology will The outgoing President Donald Trump, be used for their maiden rocket Vikram-1, issued the “National Strategy for Space which is under active manufacturing and Nuclear Power and Propulsion” on 16 is targeted to be launched in December December. 2021 with the help of ISRO. Under it, he asked Nasa to “initiate fission Kalam is a series of five solid-fueled surface power project for lunar surface
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 47 Mass Media & Communication Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 demonstration by 2027 with scalability 5.2 Mass Media & to a power range of 40 kilowatt-electric and higher to support a sustained lunar Communication presence and exploration of Mars”. The objective of NASA behind this was to establish a flight hardware system that India Post Payments Bank unveils is ready for integrating with the lunar new digital payment app ‘DakPay’ lander by 2026 end. The nuclear reactor The India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) is known as the fission power system that along with Department of Posts (DoP) will benefit future robotic and human launched a digital payment application expedition missions to the moon as well called ‘DakPay’ on 15 December 2020, as Mars. in an effort to provide Digital Financial inclusion at the last mile across India. DRDO facility develops Quantum The app ‘DakPay’ will facilitate the Random Number Generator customers of the DoP and IPPB in easy The Defence Research and Development digital transactions and other banking Organisation (DRDO) has achieved and postal services. another milestone in quantum technology The app was launched by Union Minister by successfully developing a Quantum for Communications, Electronics & Random Number Generator (QRNG). Information Technology and Law & The DRDO Young Scientist Laboratory Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad. for Quantum Technologies (DYSL-QT), a DRDO facility based in Mumbai, has Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launched developed a QRNG which has the ability ‘Pareshram’ Portal to detect random quantum events and Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik convert those into a stream of binary through a video conference, launched digits. ‘Pareshram’ Portal along with 22 online The facility has developed a fiber-optic services of Labour and Employees State branch path based QRNG. Insurance Department. The Portal and the Online Services shall be helpful in “Ease of Doing Business” and contribute significantly to the industrial development of the State. The Portal will provide 52 types of services in the coming days. This technology is the foundation of 5-T initiative and this will help in transformation, hoped that information regarding different Labour Laws will be available and
48 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Mass Media & Communication
industries, commercial organisations, ‘Digital Ocean’ developed by INCOIS small entrepreneurs and public will be The Union Minister of Earth Sciences, benefited through this Portal. Science & Technology, Dr.Harsh Vardhan virtually inaugurated the web- Karnataka unveils “FRUITS” portal based application “Digital Ocean” on 29 for farmers December 2020. Karnataka government has unveiled Digital Ocean is a first of its kind digital the Farmer Registration and Unified platform for Ocean Data Management. It beneficiary Information System (FRUITS), can be accessed at www.do.incois.gov.in. an e-governance portal, to create a It has been developed by Hyderabad- repository of farmland information and based Indian National Centre for Ocean farm loan details on a single platform. Information Services (INCOIS) an All farmers will be registered and given autonomous organization under M/o an identification number on the portal. Earth sciences. The FRUITS Portal is integrated into Digital Ocean is a step towards Prime the BHOOMI Package of the Karnataka Minister’s vision of Digital India, State for fetching and validating the land to transform India into a digitally details. empowered society and knowledge One other important facility of this Portal economy. is online creation of charge by which visit of farmers to Sub-Registrar Office is avoided. Canara Bank has agreed to run FRUITS on a pilot basis.
Punjab Govt launches mobile app and web portal ‘PR Insight’ Punjab Chief Minister Captain, Amarinder Singh has launched Mobile Application and web portal called ‘PR Insight’, to improve the delivery of citizen-centric services, based upon the feedback of its citizens on government policies. The basic objective of PR Insight is to re-orient the existing schemes and programmes of the state government to the people’s satisfaction after meticulously monitoring their feedback.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 49 National – Diary of Event Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 6. NATIONAL – DIARY OF EVENT
Piyush Goyal inaugurates newly from class 5 to class 8 to go to schools). electrified Dhigawara-Bandikui Other government schemes like section of North Western Railway ‘Rupashree (one-time financial grant The Union Minister of Railways Shri of Rs 25,000 for economically stressed Piyush Goyal inaugurated newly families at the time of their daughter’s electrified Dhigawara-Bandikui section marriage), ‘Jai Johar’ (for the betterment of North Western Railway (NWR) in the of ST people), ‘Taposili Bondhu’ (pension state of Rajasthan on 29 November 2020. scheme for SC people), ‘Akhyashree’ The Minister also flagged off first train on (a scheme that provides scholarships this newly electrified route. to students of minority communities in The Dhigawara-Bandikui section is on the state) and MGNREGS will also be Delhi-Ajmer route via Jaipur. included. The Railways has set the target to electrify the entire percentage of railway lines India to build multipurpose reservoir across the country in phased manner. in Arunachal against China’s hydropower project on Brahmaputra ‘Duare Sarkar’: Outreach Programme Amid concerns over China building of West Bengal begins a major hydropower project on the Benefits of at least 11 state government- Brahmaputra river in Tibet, India too run schemes will be made available to plans to construct a multipurpose eligible people at camps to be set up for reservoir in Arunachal Pradesh to offset ‘Duare Sarkar’ (government at doorsteps) its impact. programme starting. The flagship T S Mehra, Commissioner (Brahmaputra schemes include the globally acclaimed and Barak), in the Jal Shakti ministry said ‘Kanyashree’ (a cash transfer scheme the multi-purpose 10,000 MW hydropower aimed at retaining girls in schools and project is under consideration. “This preventing their early marriage), besides project will help offset the impact of the ‘Khadya Sathi’( for ensuring that almost hydropower project by China. 90 per cent of the population comes According to a study, published in the under food security), ‘Sikshashree’ (one journal Nature Communications, the time grant given to SC and ST students long-term baseline conditions of the river,
50 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 National – Diary of Event
which flows under a variety of names Centre constitutes AIPA committee through Tibet, India and Bangladesh. headed by Environment Secretary The Central Government has set up an Rajasthan CM inaugurates India’s Apex Committee for the Implementation first “Organ donor Memorial” of the Paris Agreement (AIPA) for On the occasion of 11th National Organ achieving its goals under the global deal. Donation Day celebration in Jaipur, The 17-member committee comprised of Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot inaugurated members from 13 key ministries of the virtually the first of its kind “Organ Union Government.
Donor Memorial” in the country. The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) Key points: secretary R P Gupta will be the head The organ donor memorial has been of this committee and the additional built near SMS Hospital by the Mohan secretary, MoEFCC, Ravi Shankar Prasad Foundation Jaipur Citizens Forum and will be the vice-chairperson. the Jaipur Municipal Corporation. The Environment ministry has enlisted as The memorial is inspired by the famous many as 16 functions for the APIA. Jantar Mantar of Jaipur and it was designed by Sameer Wheaton. World’s Oldest Nanostructures Found in 6th century BC Pottery rom Keeladi, First-ever Virtual Aadi Mahotsav with Tamil Nadu focus on Madhya Pradesh Scientists have discovered the oldest The Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, known human-made nano-materials in Shri Arjun Munda, launched the first- the ‘Unique black coatings” of ancient ever virtual edition of Aadi Mahotsav – pottery shards dated to 600 BC that were Madhya Pradesh on 01 December 2020. unearthed from an archeological site in Keeladi, Tamil Nadu. The research was The 10-day long festival, will begin from published in the Journal Scientific Reports December 1, 2020. and the findings have been documented It is being hosted on the Tribes India in a paper published in “Nature”. website – www.tribesindia.com. In accordance with the research these The main focus of the first virtual Aadi coatings are made of carbon manotubes Mahotsav is on the tribal craft and culture (CNTs) which have enabled the layer to of Madhya Pradesh. last more than2600 years. The next focus state of the programme It should be noted that this discovery would be Gujarat (from 11th December has succeeded the old known carbon 2020), followed by West Bengal from the manostructure that was found in the 21st December, 2020. Damascus blades from the 16th – 18th century. Notably the technique used in the Damacusblades was also made in India.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 51 National – Diary of Event Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Nongpok Sekmai in Manipur Adjudged Nagar, Jyotinagar, Shahunagar and as India’s Top Police Station for 2020 Kranti Nagar.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Aslam Government of India releases the list of Sheikh said that these caste-based best performing Police Stations across the colonies were established during the country every year, to incentivize more British rule to divide people and it has effective functioning of police stations been now decided to rename them after and bring healthy competition among people who undertook social service for them. the country. Top 5 Police Stations for 2020 Parkash Singh Badal State District Police Station Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and Manipur Thoubal Nongpok five-time former chief minister Parkash Sekmai Singh Badal returned the Padma Tamil Nadu Salem City AWPS- Vibhushan award in protest against Suramangalam the “betrayal of the farmers by the Arunachal Changlang Kharsang government of India and the shocking Pradesh indifference and contempt with which Chhattisgarh Surajpur Jhilmili it is treating the ongoing peaceful and (Bhaiya Thana) democratic agitation” of the farmers against the three farm Acts. Goa South Goa Sanguem Ministry of AYUSH to develop Nisarg The top 10 Police Stations were selected Gram campus at Pune as the 21st from among the 16,671 Police Stations in Century abode of Naturopathy the country through data analysis, direct
observation and public feedback. Invoking recollections of Mahatma Gandhi’s famous Nature Cure campaign Maharashtra Government approves of 1946 at the “Nisarg Upchar” Ashram proposal to rename all residential in Uruli Kanchan village near Pune, colonies with caste-based names the upcoming new campus of National Institute of Naturopathy (NIN), Pune Maharashtra cabinet on December 2, 2020 will be called “Nisarg Gram”. Located approved a proposal seeking to rename at a distance of 15 Km from NIN’s all residential colonies having names present premises at Bapu Bhavan, the based on caste. new Institution will be future-ready, With this, all residential colonies with with many novelties and innovations names such as Brahman-wada, Mahar- incorporated in the project per se and the wada, Dhor-vasti, Bouddh-wada, Mali- curriculum of the Naturopathy courses. galli and Mang-wada will be given new names such as Samata Nagar, Bhim
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Upgrading the Indian Languages delayed if the government focused on a Institute in Mysore as a University 4G auction next year. Central Government Globally, more than 1 billion people will The Central Institute of Indian Languages have access to 5G coverage by the end of (CIIL) was established in 1969 in Mysore 2020. The report projects that four out of to study Indian languages. every ten mobile subscriptions in 2026 The Hindi and English language will be 5G. development institutes of the Central 7th WASH Conclave Government were upgraded to Central Universities. Attempts are also being The 7th WASH (Water, Sanitation and made to transform CIIL into a Central Hygiene) Conclave was organised in University. It will be renamed as virtual mode from 2 to 4 December 2020 Bharathiya Pasha Vishwa Vidyalaya by organised by the UNICEF and the (BPV) after its conversion to Central National Institute of Rural Development University. It is planned to combine and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR). languages with classical status into The theme of the conclave was “Hygiene its departments. Although Telugu, Matters”. Malayalam, Kannada and Oriya have Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswa Bhusan the status of classical languages , they do Harichandan was the Chief Guest at the not have a separate research institute like event. Tamil. The event had participants from Andhra For Tamil, the Central Institute of Classical Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana to Tamil Studies is set up in Chennai. After discuss key issues with particular focus 13 years, the permanent director was on hygiene and create an opportunity hired just a few months ago. In this case, for strengthening collaborations and if Tamil is merged with other languages, partnerships among institutions the Central Institute of Classical Tamil including government dealing with Studies is also likely to merge with BPV. WASH and related programs across three states and districts India to surpass 350 mn 5G The Government of India has set the connections by 2026 target to provide access to and use of safe and adequate drinking water to all In India, 5G subscriptions will surpass 350 million, accounting for 27 per cent of households within premises by 2024. all mobile subscriptions in 2026, Swedish Renamed Kerala’s Rajiv Gandhi gear maker Ericsson said in a report titled Centre for Biotechnology after late “Ericsson Mobility Report.” RSS ideologue Golwalkar The projections come on the heels of another Fitch Ratings report that said The Modi government has decided to that 5G spectrum auction India could be rename the second campus of Rajiv
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Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) from 62 to 73 zones with over 10,000 sq in Kerala after late RSS ideologue M S km of the state now secured. Golwalkar. Tharu Tribals Government will set up an AYUSH The Uttar Pradesh government has Export Promotion Council recently launched a scheme to take the The Ministry of AYSUSH and the unique culture of the Tharu tribes all over Ministry of Commerce & Industry will the world. The intention of the scheme set up an Export Promotion Council for is to put these tribal villages on tourism increasing AYUSH export. map. This will create jobs and bring Both Ministry will work together for economic Independence to the tribal standardization, pricing and quality population in the region. of AYUSH products in order to boost The State Government of Uttar Pradesh AYUSH exports. is planning to connect the villages of the This decision was taken in a joint review Tharu tribals located in the International meeting of AYUSH trade and Industry. border of Nepal. It is a Homestay scheme under which the Uttar Pradesh Two new Zoos in Bihar and Uttar Forest Department will offer tourists an Pradesh granted recognition by experience of living in the natural habitat Central government of Tharu tribals. These huts are made of At the 37th General Body meeting of grass collected from the forest. Central Zoo Authority chaired by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and PM Modi inaugurates virtual India Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar Mobile Congress 2020 two new zoos the Rajgir Zoo Safari in Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Nalanda, Bihar and Shaheed Ashfaque inaugurated and addressed the virtual Ullah Khan Prani Udyaan in Gorakhpur, edition of the India Mobile Congress Uttar Pradesh were granted recognition. (IMC) 2020 on 8th December 2020 through video conference. Kanhargaon becomes 50th wildlife The theme for IMC 2020 is “Inclusive sanctuary of Maharashtra Innovation – Smart, Secure, Sustainable”. Kanhalgaon, spread over 270sqkm in The three day event will be held from 8th Chandrapur district, is the latest to be to 10th December 2020. declared a wildlife sanctuary. It will be the IMC 2020 has been organised by the 50th wildlife sanctuary of Maharashtra. Department of Telecommunications, With the addition of the state’s Government of India, and the Cellular 50th wildlife sanctuary and 10 new Operators Association of India (COAI). conservation reserves (CR), Maharashtra The objective of IMC 2020 is to align has expanded its protected area network
54 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 National – Diary of Event with the Prime Minister’s vision to and Mumbai, Bhopal and Lucknow promote ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, would have ceded their spots. ‘Digital Inclusivity’, and ‘Sustainable Only Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai development, entrepreneurship & surpass the average score for gender innovation’ and drive foreign and local index, while Indore, Jaipur and Patna are investments, encourage R&D in the way below average. telecom and emerging technology sectors. Wi-Fi PM-Wani Connectivity West Bengal cabinet approves The central government announced construction of ‘state’s first deep sea three major plans to boost the economy. port in Tajpur’ Two of them are connected to the digital West Bengal Chief Miniter Mamata economy. Among these is a public Wi-Fi Banerjee announced that the state cabinet network access scheme ‘PM Vani’. The objective is to extend Wi-Fi network to has approved the construction of a deep every village. sea port in Tajpur. Tajpur Deep Sea Port will be built at a Cabinet approves undersea fibre link cost of Rs 15,000 crore and will generate between Lakshadweep islands and employment for 25,000 people. It will be Kochi the state’s first deep seaport.
The concentration of iron and steel The Union Cabinet approved an undersea optical fibre cable link to connect 11 industries around Kharagpur will get a islands of Lakshadweep with Kochi boost by having a port at their doorstep in mainland India at an estimated cost for exports. of `1,072 crore, including operational expenses for five years. Mumbai offers highest quality of life, The Lakshadweep-Kochi project was Chennai treats its women best: Study announced by Prime Minister Narendra IIT-Bombay researchers have come up Modi on Independence Day this year. In with an urban quality of life index tailored August, Modi inaugurated India’s first to the reality of life in India. And, for the undersea cable line between Chennai and first time, they have factored in gender Port Blair, the capital of Andaman and parity. Chennai, it turns out, is the most Nicobar Islands. women-friendly and Patna the least. Lakshadweep becomes 100% organic Overall, Mumbai tops the list of 14, followed closely by Delhi, Kolkata and Lakshadweep has been declared the first Chennai. But so important is the gender Union Territory to become 100% organic. role index that quality of life rankings The region opted for farming that is 100% of six cities would have changed had it organic and is without the use of synthetic not been considered — Delhi, Jaipur and fertilizers and pesticides. In 2016, Sikkim Indore would have been ranked higher, was declared to be the first organic farming state in India. The certification Vetrii IAS Study Circle 55 National – Diary of Event Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020
to Lakshadweep for being 100% organic India drops to 9th spot in global spam was given on the basis of the evidence call tally, Gujarat gets max calls: submitted by the administration. Truecaller Indian mobile users saw a 34% decline in Union Minister Nitin Gadkari spam calls received in 2020, helping the Inaugurates 1.5 km Koilwar bridge country move lower to the ninth position over Sone river in Bihar in the tally of most spammed countries, The Union Minister for Road Transport according to a report by Truecaller. Brazil and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari continues to stay on top position. inaugurated the 1.5 km long Koilwar Within India, Gujarat received the most Bridge over Sone River in Bihar through spam calls in 2020.While India was at the Video Conferencing on 10 December fifth position in terms of number of spam 2020. calls received by users in 2019. The total cost of setting up this three- Other countries in the top 10 tally are lane bridge is estimated at Rs 266 crore. the US, Hungary, Polen (Poland), Spain, The bridge is major road for transport Indonesia, the UK, Ukraine and Chile. between Bihar and UP. This newly inaugurated bridge is a part Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the six-lane bridge being made in place addresses International Bharati of existing two-lane bridge, for both rail Festival 2020 Virtually and road traffic, which is 138 years old. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Once this six-lane bridge is fully addressed the International Bharathi operational, the traffic on NH-922 and Festival 2020 through video conferencing NH-30 will ease substantially. on 11th December 2020. The festival was organised by Vanavil The Second Cancer Genome Atlas Cultural Centre in Chennai to celebrate Conference held in Delhi the 138th birth anniversary of Mahakavi The Minister of Science and Technology Subramanya Bharathi, an eminent writer, has actually held the second TCGA- poet and journalist from Tamil Nadu. Cancer Genome Atlas 2020 conference Prime Minister Narendra Modi also in New Delhi. The conference brought conferred the 2020 Bharathi Award to the together scientists and clinicians from noted writer Seeni Viswanathan, who is all over the world to jointly establish the credited with compiling the voluminous Indian Cancer Genome Atlas (ICGA). works of Bharathi in chronological order.. Indian Cancer Genome Atlas (ICGA) The Bharathi Award is conferred every aims to create an indigenous, open- year since 1994, to eminent persons who source and comprehensive database to have done laudable service in any field of collect molecular profiles of all prevalent social relevance. cancers in the Indian population.
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PM Narendra Modi to address FICCI’s Kataria, Minister of State for Jal Shakti 93rd AGM on Dec 12 IWIS 2020 has been organised by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi will National Mission for Clean Ganga be delivering the inaugural address at (NMCG) and the Centre for Ganga River FICCI’s 93rd Annual General Meeting and Basin Management and Studies (cGanga) annual convention at 11 am on December to discuss water-related issues and steps 12, 2020. This year’s theme of the Annual taken to save the planet’s most precious Convention is “Inspired India”. resource.
The event will witness participation Objective of IWIS 2020 is Comprehensive from several ministers, bureaucrats, Analysis and Holistic Management of diplomats, international experts and Rivers and Water Bodies. other leading luminaries. It will witness AP CM virtually launches ‘Jagananna discussions between various stakeholders JeevaKranthi’ scheme on the implications of COVID-19 on the economy and the way forward. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy virtually launched CO2 emissions drop globally by 7 ‘JaganannaJeevaKranthi’ scheme, under percent in 2020: Report which 2.49 lakh units of sheep and goats The global carbon dioxide emissions will be distributed to women in a phased reportedly dropped by 7 percent in the manner at a cost of `1,869 crore. year 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, The scheme aims at improving the living as per a study published in the journal standards of women with less investment. Earth System Science Data on December Under the scheme, women belonging 10, 2020. to the Backward Classes, the Scheduled The study revealed that the Global Carbon Castes (SCs), and the Scheduled Tribes Project, which is a group of international (STs) in the age group of 45-60 years scientists who track emissions, had would get 2.49 lakh sheep and goat calculated that the world will have put units. Each unit consists of 15 sheep or 37 billion US tons of carbon dioxide in goats (with one ram or billy) in each unit. the air in 2020, which is down from 40.1 The State would facilitate and provide billion US tons of CO2 emitted in 2019. suggestions, in case the women want to buy the sheep and goats on their own. 5th India Water Impact Summit Begins 9th Sustainable Mountain Development Summit held in The 5th India Water Impact Summit Dehradun (IWIS) kicked off on 10th December 2020 virtually. The five day programme will The 9th edition of Sustainable Mountain conclude on 15 December 2020. Development Summit (SMDS) was The event was inaugurated by Ratan Lal organized in virtual mode, on the
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 57 National – Diary of Event Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 occasion of International Mountain Day, Bengal, Mizoram, Kerala, Lakshadweep, from December 11 to December 14, 2020. Dadra Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu. The four-day-long summit was organised by Indian Mountain Initiative (IMI) and Maharashtra govt all set to launch hosted by Sustainable Development ‘MahaSharad’ platform Forum Uttaranchal (SDFU), Dehradun. Maharashtra’s Department of Social The theme for 2020 SMDS was Justice is all set to launch an ambitious ‘Emerging Pathways for Building a scheme for distribution of assistive Resilient Post COVID-19 Mountain devices to lakhs of persons with Economy, Adaptation, Innovation and disabilities through MahaSharad Digital Acceleration’. Platform to coincide with NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s 80th birthday. It will be Health Minister releases 5th National available on Play Store by March 2021. Family Health Survey for 17 states, 5 Maharashtra System for Health UTs and Rehabilitation Assistance” or Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan MahaSharad platform has been created released the 5th National Family Health to provide various devices to persons Survey (NFHS) on December 12, 2020. The with disabilities free of cost through survey comprises detailed information the Commissionerate for persons with on population, health and nutrition for Disability. India and its states and union territories. The Health Ministry stated that it is a Malana Cream globally important data source and is Malana Cream is a type of hash, which comparable to Demographic Health comes from the Malana Valley in Kullu Surveys (DHS) Programme of 90 other district of Himachal Pradesh. The Charas countries on several key indicators. It can is the resin obtained from a species of the be used for cross country comparisons cannabis plant, which grows in the valley. and development indices. The Narcotics Control Bureau has recently The present National Family Health claimed that it has seized the smuggled Survey NFHS is being conducted on 6.1 ‘Malana Cream’. Charas was banned in lakh sample households. The first phase India in 1986 under the Narcotic Drugs of the survey comprises results of 17 and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. states and five union territories. The states and UTs include Assam, Bihar, NITI Aayog releases ‘Vision 2035: Manipur, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Tripura, Public Health Surveillance in India’ Andhra Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar NITI Aayog has released a white paper Islands, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, titled ‘Vision 2035: Public Health Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Karnataka, Surveillance in India’ on 14 December Goa, Maharashtra, Telangana, West 2020.
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The ‘Vision 2035: Public Health and Per Capita Income, in the 2020 report Surveillance in India’ is a continuation ‘Planetary pressures’ a new experimental of the work on Health Systems Index has been introduced. Strengthening. ‘Planetary pressures’ – Takes into account Public health surveillance (PHS) is an Countries carbon dioxide emissions and important function, requiring primary, material footprints. secondary, and tertiary levels of care. 2020 marks the 30th Anniversary of the The white paper lays out India’s vision 1st Human Development report. 2035 for public health surveillance Rankings: through the integration of the three-tiered public health system into Ayushman Rank Country Score Bharat. 131 India 0.645 Guwahati as gateway to Southeast 1 Norway 0.957 Asia 2 Ireland 0.955 Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda 3 Switzerland 0.955 Sonowal announced that his government 189 Niger 0.394 was working to transform Guwahati as a 188 Central African Republic 0.397 gateway to Southeast Asia PM Modi inaugurates world’s largest, 30,000 MW renewable energy park in India Slips to 131 in Human Kutch Development Report 2020 Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi According to the “Human Development laid the foundation stone of the 30,000 Report 2020 – The next frontier: Human megawatt (MW) capacity hybrid Development and the Anthropocene” renewable energy park in Kutch district released by the United Nations of Gujarat on 15 December 2020. Development Programme (UNDP), India It will be the largest renewable energy (score of 0.645) was ranked 131 in the park of its kind in the world. list of 189 countries based on Human It is expected to play a major role in Development Index (HDI). Norway fulfilling India’s vision of generating 450 topped the list with a score of 0.957, the GW (4,50,000 mw) of power by 2030. second place was grabbed by 2 countries – Ireland (0.955) and Switzerland (0.955). Gujarat enforces land grabbing The report provides HDI ranks for the prohibition act 2020 year 2019. A stringent law to curb land-grabbing India slipped two spots to 131, it ranked with a provision of up to 14 years in jail 129 in 2019 HDI. and timely resolution of such cases has HDI is measured based on 3 criterias come into force in Gujarat , Chief Minister which are – Life Expectancy, Education Vijay Rupani announced.
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The Gujarat Land Grabbing (Prohibition) launched soon through the Khadi and Act, 2020, to which state governor gave Village Industries Commission. assent on October 8, lays down stringent The union minister elaborated by saying punishment for land grabbers with an that the paint will come in distemper and aim to protect the interests of small emulsion forms and will dry in just four farmers and citizens. hours. The eco-friendly paint will be washable, PM Modi & Sheikh Hasina jointly anti-bacterial, non-toxic and anti-fungal. inaugurates Chilahati-Haldibari rail The paint is expected to lead to an link additional income of Rs 55,000 a year for The Government of India and livestock farmers. Bangladesh held a virtual summit on 17 December 2020, to hold comprehensive India ranked 111 on Human Freedom discussions on the entire spectrum of the Index, 2020 bilateral relationship, including further The Human Freedom Index 2020, a strengthening cooperation in the post worldwide ranking of civil, economic COVID-19 era. and personal freedom, placed India at The meeting was led by Prime Minister the 111th spot out of 162 countries. India Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh ranked 94 on the index in 2019. counterpart Sheikh Hasina. India is ahead of China and Bangladesh, During the summit, the two leaders jointly which ranked 129 and 139 on the 2020 inaugurated the Chilahati-Haldibari rail index respectively. New Zealand, link, which would connect the borders of Switzerland and Hong Kong bagged the the two neighbouring countries. first three spots. The rail route lies between Haldibari in India’s scored 6.30 out of 10 in personal West Bengal and Chilahati in Bangladesh. freedom and 6.56 in economic freedom. It is re-opened after a gap of 55 years. The country’s overall human freedom The railway line has been defunct after score was 6.43. rail links between India and then East The index was published by American Pakistan snapped in 1965. think tank Cato Institute and Fraser Institute in Canada. It takes into account Union MSME Minister unveils eco- 76 indicators of personal, civil, and friendly ‘Vedic Paint’ economic freedoms to rank 162 countries The Union Minister of Micro, Small and from 2008 to 2018. The institutes noted Medium Enterprises Nitin Gadkari on that the world has seen a notable decline December 17, 2020 unveiled an ‘Vedic in personal freedom since 2008. Paint’ to boost the rural economy and generate additional income for farmers. The paint made of cow dung will be
60 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 National – Diary of Event 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 The ‘green office’ would strictly follow and capacity building”. the ban on plastic and disposable articles, removal of unused furniture and e-waste and installation of waste treatment
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 61 National – Diary of Event Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 facilities for the disposal of organic and Defence minister Rajnath Singh inorganic waste and introduction of eco- inaugurates advanced Hypersonic friendly utensils. Such offices would also Wind Tunnel test facility in Hyderabad have features such as organic vegetable The Union Minister of Defence Shri gardens and facilities to conserve water Rajnath Singh inaugurated the advanced and electricity. Hypersonic Wind Tunnel (HWT) test facility of the DRDO in Hyderabad on 19 ‘Varasat’ campaign launched in Uttar December 2020. Pradesh to curb property & land- The state-of-the-art HWT Test facility related disputes in rural areas has made India as the only third country The Uttar Pradesh government has in the world, after the US and Russia, launched a special campaign ‘Varasat’ to have such a huge facility in size and (natural succession) to curb property & capability. land-related disputes in rural areas. The indigenously developed HWT This is a first of its kind campaign in Test facility is pressure vacuum driven the state which aims to put an end the enclosed free jet facility having nozzle exit land-related issues in the rural areas and diameter of 1 metre. This will simulate eradicate the exploitation of the villagers Mach No 5 to 12 (Mach represents the over succession rights by land mafias, multiplication factor to the speed of who generally target disputed properties. sound)”. The two-month-long special drive will continue till 15th February 2020. Tirupati, Machilipatnam Municipal Corporations win awards Dr. S. Jaishankar addresses 5th The government has committed to take Annual Global Technology Summit energy efficiency movement to every The 5th edition of the annual Global doorstep in the State, Minister for Energy Technology Summit (GTS) was organised Balineni Srinivasa Reddy announced that virtually from December 14 to 18, 2020, by the State government was promoting the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), energy efficiency in a mission mode with Government of India in collaboration an objective to benefit every family in the with Carnegie India (CI). State in the form of reducing electricity The theme of the 2020 GTS was “The bills and other costs and promote Geopolitics of Technology”. industrial and economic development. The speakers from included the External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar, and PM Modi’s e-participation at AMU’s Dr. K. VijayRaghavan, Principal Scientific centenary celebrations likely to face Advisor to the Government of India. some opposition The university is gearing up for December 22 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi
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will participate as chief guest in the These rules shall empower the consumers celebrations via video link. of electricity and added that these This is the first time since 1964 that a Rules emanate from the conviction that prime minister of India is going to address the power systems exist to serve the AMU. Fifty-six years is a long time, and consumers and the consumers have except for Jawaharlal Nehru and Lal rights to get the reliable services and Bahadur Shastri, no other prime minister quality electricity. thought of visiting the university. These rules are also an important step Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, the founder towards furthering the ease of doing of Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental business across the country. (MAO) College, the institution which became AMU in 1920, is alleged to have 12th GRIHA Summit of TERI propounded the two-nation theory. Concludes The 12th GRIHA (Green Rating for ONGC starts oil and gas production Integrated Habitat Assessment) Summit from West Bengal after 60 years was held virtually from December 15-16, endeavour 2020. It was inaugurated by Vice President West Bengal gets included in ONGC’s of India Venkaiah Naidu virtually. oil and gas map with its eighth field at The theme of the Summit was Ashoknagar in West Bengal starting “Rejuvenating Resilient Habitats”. commercial production. ONGC first It is the annual flagship event organized extracted 20 kilolitres of crude oil from by GRIHA Council in association with the Ashoknagar oilfields early November ‘key stakeholders in the construction this year and had sent it to Indian Oil’s industry’ to discuss and deliberate Haldia refinery for processing. on furtherance of Sustainable Habitat ONGC so far has invested rS 3,361 crore Development in India. for exploration of hydrocarbon in the The Summit provides a platform to Bengal basin to find oil and gas reserves. deliberate on innovative technologies Another Rs 425 crore would be spent on and solutions to help in creating robust exploration in the Bengal basin spread mechanisms for developing sustainable over 1.22 lakh km, two-third of which and resilient solutions for the benefit of falls under the Bay of Bengal waters. the entire community. GRIHA Council Union Government for the first time It is an independent, not-for-profit lays down Rights to the Electricity society jointly setup by The Energy Consumers and Resources Institute (TERI) and the Union Ministry of Power has promulgated Ministry of New and Renewable Energy rules laying down the rights of power (MNRE), Government of India to promote consumers in the country. and administer green buildings in India.
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Green Rating for Integrated Habitat develop university district, school district Assessment (GRIHA) is the national and innovation district. rating system of India for any completed It added that this will include residential building construction. and sports complexes for students. It has been is recognised as India’s Investment in the G-SER project will own green building rating system in accelerate the state’s economic growth India’s Intended Nationally Determined and create employment opportunities. Contributions (INDC) submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention MPEDA launches India’s first on Climate Change (UNFCCC). aquaframers call centre at Vijayawada In a first of its kind initiative, the Marine UN Women and Kerala govt tie-up for Products Export Development Authority India’s 1st Gender Data Hub (MPEDA), headquartered in Kochi, has The UN Women and Kerala government launched a multilingual call centre for have collaborated to establish India’s first aquafarmers at Vijayawada in Andhra Gender Data Hub. A Memorandum of Pradesh, which will address their technical issues and impart knowledge Understanding (MoU) was signed in this about efficient farming methods round regard in the presence of Kerala Chief the clock. Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The call centre primarily caters to aqua Three key areas of co-operation, as farmers of Andhra Pradesh, the state that specified in the MoU, will be setting up contributes more than 60 per cent of the the Gender Data Centre at The Gender country’s marine products export basket. Park, launching the second edition of The call centre can also handle calls in the International Conference on Gender English and Hindi. Equality, and increasing engagement on the global normative frameworks on Centre allows Andhra Pradesh, gender equality and empowerment of Madhya Pradesh to borrow Rs 4,898 women. crore extra post ULB reforms The Centre has permitted two states - Gujarat Govt to set up Special Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh Education Region at Dholera to borrow additional financial resources The Gujarat government signed a pact to the tune of Rs 4,898 crore following with Cerestra Managers Pvt Ltd to set reforms in urban local bodies (ULBs). up the Gujarat-Special Education Region The two states have successfully (G-SER) at the Dholera Special Investment completed the set of reforms required in Region. the functioning of ULBs, as specified by The G-SER will be developed as an the Department of Expenditure. education hub spread over 1,000 acres The four citizen centric areas identified for that can be expanded up to 5,000 acres to reforms were -- implementation of One
64 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 National – Diary of Event Nation One Ration Card system, ease of Jammu and Kashmir. The scheme will doing business reform, urban local body/ benefit as many as 21 lakh eligible people utility reforms and power sector reforms. on the basis of Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011. Vigyanika-IISF 2020 CSIR-National Institute of Science India to host Global Media and Film Communication and Information Summit in 2021 Resources (CSIR-NISCAIR), Ministry The Union Information and Broadcasting of Earth Sciences (MOES) and Vijnana Minister, Prakash Javadekar announced Bharati (VIBHA) jointly organised that India will hold a Global Media and the inaugural session of Vigyanika- Film Summit in 2021. International Science Literature Festival Javadekar said that the year 2022 will on the opening day of IISF 2020 on mark 75 years of independence and 75 the virtual platform to mark the birth years of Cannes Film Festival, and the anniversary of Srinivasa Ramanujan. occasion will be celebrated in a different scale with a special pavilion at the PM Modi to virtually inaugurate International Film Festival. Kochi-Mangaluru GAIL pipeline Mr. Vijayan told reporters in India becomes sixth country to Thiruvananthapuram that it was a matter manufacture high power electric of happiness that the Prime Minister had locos indigenously agreed to launch the natural gas pipeline The Indian Railways has operationalised project. Prime Minister consented its first 12,000 hp electric locomotive to virtually inaugurate the Kochi- manufactured locally by French rolling Mangaluru GAIL pipeline on January 5. stock manufacturer Alstom. The 444km-long pipeline was launched in
2009 at an estimated cost of `2,915 crore The locomotive made its maiden and was to be commissioned in 2014. commercial run between Deen Dayal But opposition on safety and commercial Upadhyaya Station to Shivpur grounds wherein the land price was the India has become the 6th country in main hurdle, both from political parties the world to join the club of countries and the public had left the project hanging producing high horsepower locomotives fire. This had led to the project cost nearly indigenously with these powerful e-locos doubling to over `5,750 crore. being manufactured within the nation.
PM Modi to launch AB-PMJAY SEHAT India’s largest hockey stadium to be scheme for Jammu and Kashmir set up at Rourkela in Odisha Prime Minister Narendra Modi will A new world-class hockey stadium is launch the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan being set up in Rourkela city of Odisha, as Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) announced by the Odisha Chief Minister SEHAT scheme for the residents of Naveen Patnaik.
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The stadium will be constructed in the to the needy at Rs 1 in his parliamentary Biju Patnaik University of Technology constituency of East Delhi. campus, Rourkela. The cricketer-turned-politician will Once operational, the Rourkela city inaugurate the first such canteen in stadium would be the biggest hockey Gandhi Nagar, followed by another in stadium in India. Ashok Nagar on the Republic Day. It will have a sitting capacity of 20,000 people, spread over 15 acres of land. PM Modi to flag off India’s first-ever
The stadium will be developed as a driverless train service on 28 Dec benchmark for other hockey stadiums around the world. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag It must be noted that Odisha will be off country’s first-ever fully automated hosting FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup driverless train service on the 37-km for a second consecutive time, in 2034, at long Magenta Line (Janakpuri West to two venues, Bhubaneswar and Rourkela. Botanical Garden) of Delhi Metro, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. NITI Aayog Launches Made-in-India Along with that, PM Modi will also Cloud Storage Service ‘DigiBoxx’ launch fully operational National NITI Aayog has launched indigenously Common Mobility Card for travel on developed India’s first Digital Asset Airport Express Line on the same day. Management and Storage platform, called ‘DigiBoxx’. Nine stations identified for Chennai- The home-grown DigiBoxx was launched Bengaluru- Mysuru high – speed by NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant on 22 corridor December. Mysore High-Speed Rail (CBM Bullet The initiative will give a boost to Prime Train) project is a 435 km proposed High Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, as India now has Speed Rail line that will connect Chennai, its own cloud storage platform. Bangalore (Bengaluru) and Mysore This cloud storage and file sharing service (Mysuru) through 9 stations in Tamil will be available for desktop, iOS, and Nadu and Karnataka at a project cost that Android users, including both regular is yet to be finalized. users as well as businesses. Digiboxx offers free 20GB cloud storage Himachal CM unveils 18-feet statue space, and 100GB space per month at just of Vajpayee in Shimla Rs 30. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has unveiled an 18-feet tall statue Gautam Gambhir’s ‘Jan Rasoi’ to of late former Prime Minister Atal Bihari serve lunch at Rs 1 in East Delhi Vajpayee on the occasion of his 96th birth BJP MP Gautam Gambhir will launch anniversary at the historic Ridge in the ‘Jan Rasoi’ canteens that will serve lunch state capital.
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The statue has been built at a cost of Rs India’s first tiger reserve hot air balloon 1.08 crore. The Ridge Maidan also houses safari launched in Bandhavgarh Tiger statues of Mahatma Gandhi and former Reserve of Madhya Pradesh prime minister Indira Gandhi. India’s first ‘Hot Air Balloon Wildlife Safari’ in a tiger reserve has been launched India’s first Lithium refinery to be set in the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in up in Gujarat Madhya Pradesh. India’s first Lithium refinery is soon It is the first of its type service in any going to be set up in Gujarat. Manikaran tiger reserve of India. The service is being Power Limited, one of the country’s operated by Jaipur-based Sky Waltz. largest power trading and renewable Tourists can watch tigers, leopards, energy company will invest around Rs Indian sloth bear and other wild animals from a height, and this activity will be 1,000 crore to set up this refinery. restricted to the buffer area. The refinery will process Lithium ore to produce battery-grade material. Lithium Housing & Urban Affairs Ministry is a rare element and is usually not found launches ‘E-Sampada’ mobile app in India. and portal for management of all GoI Last year, Manikaran Power had Estate services collaborated with Australian firm Neometals to tap the Mount Marion The Minister of State(I/C) for Housing Lithium mine in Western Australia. & Urban Affairs Hardeep S Puri has launched a new web portal and mobile ‘Swachhata Abhiyan’ app launched to app, ‘e-Sampada’ on 25 December 2020. help rehabilitate manual scavengers The website and mobile app has been introduced by the Directorate of Estates, A mobile application named ”Swachhata under the MoHUA, to boost transparency Abhiyan” to identify and geotag and accountability in providing various insanitary latrines and manual scavengers Estate Services, while ensuring ease of was launched by Union Minister for living for the citizens. Social Justice and Empowerment The ‘e-Sampada’ has been launched Thaawarchand Gehlot. by integrating four websites (gpra. This app would help in rehabilitating all nic.in, eawas.nic.in, estates.gov.in, manual scavengers and replace insanitary holidayhomes.nic.in), and two Mobile latrines with sanitary ones. Apps (m-Awas & m-Ashoka5) of the Directorate of Estates, to bring all the In the absence of any authentic data services on the same platform throughout base regarding the location of insanitary the country. latrines, it has been decided to seek the The new application will provide a help of NGOs, Social Organisations single-window for all the services like and general public for collection and allotment, retention, regularisation, no compilation of the data. dues certificate etc.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 67 National – Diary of Event Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 7TH WORLD TAMIL ECONOMIC Prime Minister Narendra Modi flags CONFERENCE AND VIRTUAL GLOBAL off 100th ‘Kisan Rail’ ECONOMIC SUMMIT 2020 Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Virtual Global Economic Summit 2020 flagged off the 100th ‘Kisan Rail’ on & Seventh World Tamils Economic 28th December 2020, from Sangola in Conference scheduled to be held between Maharashtra to Shalimar in West Bengal 28th, 29th & 30th December via Zoom via video-conferencing. online platform, organized by the World The first Kisan Rail was introduced from Tamils Economic Foundation and Madras Devlali in Maharashtra to Danapur in Development Society. Bihar on August 7, 2020, which was The Conference presents a unique, further extended up to Muzaffarpur. dynamic forum to promote dialogue Kisan Rail is a mobile cold storage to move among Tamils, Indian brothers and perishable things like fruits, vegetables, sisters with the International community, milk, fish, etc., with complete security. business leaders and professionals worldwide to create close co-operation and Assam Government Tables Bill to partnership for economic development. Abolish State-Run Madrassas Eminent speakers around the globe The Assam government, on Monday, will be sharing their valuable insights on various topics including emerging tabled a bill to abolish all state-run business opportunities, investment, madrassas and convert those into general global business and legal scenario, world schools with effect from April 1, 2021. peace and conflict resolution, etc., The bill proposes to abolish two existing acts – The Assam Madrassa Andhra CM Jagan launches housing Education (Provincialisation) Act, 1995, programme ‘Pedalandariki Illu’ and The Assam Madrassa Education (Provincialisation of Services of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Employees and Re-Organisation of Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the Madrassa Educational Institutions) Act, flagship programme of Navaratnalu 2018. ‘Pedalandariki Illu,’ (housing for poor) at Komaragiri layout of Pithapuram PM Modi inaugurates New Bhaupur- Assembly constituency in East Godavari New Khurja section of Eastern district. Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) The scheme is expected to provide low- cost housing for an estimated 30.6 lakh Prime Minister Narendra Modi people in Andhra Pradesh. inaugurated the ‘New Bhaupur- New Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy Khurja section’ of Eastern Dedicated hoped the housing project will help Freight Corridor (EDFC) via video generate jobs in the construction sector conferencing on 29 December 2020 in and will be a boost for the state economy. Uttar Pradesh.
68 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 National – Diary of Event
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- Cabinet Approves Export of Delhi mainline and will enable Indian indigenously-developed Akash Railways to run faster trains. Missile System Apart from this, Modiji also inaugurated The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime state-of-the-art Operation Control Centre Minister Narendra Modi has approved (OCC) of EDFC at Prayagraj. the proposal to export indigenously- developed Akash Missile System. Ramesh Pokhriyal lays foundation The Cabinet has also approved to set up stone of ‘TiHAN-IIT Hyderabad’ of a committee for faster approvals of Union Minister of Education Ramesh exports.. Pokhriyal virtually laid the foundation The export version of Akash will be stone of ‘TiHAN-IIT Hyderabad’, India’s different from System currently deployed first Testbed for Autonomous Navigation with Indian Armed Forces. Systems (Terrestrial and Aerial). Akash is a short range Surface to Air The Department of Science and Missile with a range of 25 Kms to protect Technology (DST), Government of vulnerable areas and vulnerable points India, has sanctioned Rs. 135 crores from air attacks. to IIT Hyderabad under the National It was inducted in IAF in 2014 and in the Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber- Indian Army in 2015. Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) to set up a Technology Innovation Hub on Indian Railways’ new Vistadome Autonomous Navigation and Data coach successfully completes 180 Acquisition Systems (UAVs, RoVs, etc.). kmph speed trial Recently, the Indian Railways successfully Union Territory of Ladakh gets its completed the 180 km per hour speed own meteorological centre trial of its new design Vistadome tourist A meteorological centre was inaugurated coaches. in the Union Territory of Ladakh which The luxurious tourists coaches have been would provide localised weather forecasts manufactured by the Integral Coach thus strengthening weather-related early Factory in Chennai. warning system for the region. These Vistadome coaches will make train At 3,500 metres, this meteorological journeys memorable for the passengers, centre is the highest such facility in India. as well as give a further boost to tourism Meteorological Centre at Leh to The European-style coaches are made strengthen weather-related early warning with see-through glass rooftops and wide
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 69 National – Diary of Event Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 windows for the indulgent sightseeing Cabinet approves Industrial Corridor experience. nodes at Krishnapatnam and Currently 13 Vistadome coaches are Tumakuru being operated on select routes including The Cabinet Committee on Economic the Nilgiri Mountain Railway line, Affairs (CCEA) has approved to Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, Kalka- construct Industrial Corridor nodes Shimla Railway, Kangra Valley Railway, in Krishnapatnam and Tumakuru at Matheran Hill Railway, between Dadar in estimated cost of `7,725 cr. Mumbai and Madgoan in Araku Valley The committee, chaired by Prime as well as in the Kashmir Valley. Minister Narendra Modi, has approved three proposals from the Department of Nitin Gadkari announces Multi-Model Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade Logistics Park in Assam’s Silchar (DPIIT). These include the Krishnapatnam Union Minister for Road Transport and Industrial Area in Andhra Pradesh with Highways, Nitin Gadkari has announced an estimated cost of Rs. 2,139.44 crore for that a multi-modal logistics park in the project. Assam. It will be constructed in Silchar and the Northeast’s first ‘Ginger’ Plant to be Balacherra-Harengajao section of the revived Silchar-Saurashtra Highway will be North East’s first-ever specialised completed in March 2022. “Ginger” Processing Plant at district Ri- Mr Gadkari made this announcement Bhoui in Meghalaya is being revived at a public meeting at Zero Point on the East-West Corridor at Madhurmukh at and is likely to become functional in the Rangpur. beginning of 2021. Dr. Jitendra Singh announced that the Kerala’s Gender Park to host only Ginger Processing Plant of North international meet in Feb 2021 East India was established around the year 2004. Kerala government said the Gender Park in partnership with UN Women will organise the second edition of the International Conference on Gender Equality (ICGE-II) at Kozhikode in February 2021. The focal theme is ‘Gender in Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Social Business: The Mediating Role of Empowerment’, seeking to throw light on the critical linkages between entrepreneurship, economic growth, and poverty reduction.
70 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 International Affairs 7. INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
World’s loneliest elephant moved The United States Environmental from Pakistan to Cambodia Protection Agency regards air quality An elephant described as the “world’s satisfactory if the AQI is under 50. loneliest” has landed in Cambodia Lahore’s AQI fell in the range of 301 after a seven-hour flight from Pakistan, and higher, which has been classified as receiving a warm welcome from Cher, “hazardous”. who will accompany him to a sanctuary housing potential mates. Singapore: first country to approve The case of Kaavan an overweight, sale of lab created meet 36-year-old bull elephant prompted A maker of meat and egg substitutes, global uproar from animal rights groups, has been approved to sell its laboratory- who petitioned for him to be moved from created chicken in Singapore, which an Islamabad zoo accused of substandard becomes the first government to allow care and conditions. the sale of cultured meat.
US Air Quality Index: Lahore is India Ranks 8th and Afghanistan Tops world’s most polluted city Global Terrorism Index 2020 Pakistan’s cultural capital Lahore has In the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2020, once again topped the list of world’s most India has been ranked at 8th spot globally polluted cities. in the list of countries most affected by “Lahore ranks the most polluted city in terrorism in 2019. the world,” according to air pollution The GTI score of India is 7.353 out of 10. data released by the US Air Quality Index With a score of 9.592, Afghanistan has According to the index, Lahore reported topped the index as the worst terror a particulate matter (PM) rating of 423. impacted nation among the 163 countries. Pakistan’s financial capital Karachi It is followed by Iraq (8.682) and ranked at 7 on the AQI. New Delhi came Nigeria (8.314) at second and third place in second with a PM of 229, while Nepal’s respectively. capital Kathmandu ranked the third- Regionally, South Asia was the most worst city with a PM of 178. impacted region by terrorism in 2019, recording more deaths than any other region.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 71 International Affairs Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020
Also, globally the deaths caused due to was first shifted to Lucerne-Burgenstock, terrorism fell by 15 percent to 13,286 in Switzerland in October 2020. Now again 2019 over 2018. the venue has been shifted to Singapore. The Global Terrorism Index is published It would return to Davos, Switzerland, in annually by the Institute for Economics 2022. and Peace (IEP), headquartered in Sydney, Australia, to measure the impact UNESCO Recognition of terrorism on the countries. The Hawker Culture of street food in India invites UK’s Johnson as 2021 Singapore, has been inducted by UNESCO Republic Day chief guest in its prestigious ‘Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of United Kingdom Prime Minister, Boris Humanity’. Johnson is expected to be the chief guest The Hawker Culture is a popular at 2021 Republic day with Prime Minister Singaporean style of street dining and Narendra Modi formally inviting him. Johnson, on his part, has invited PM Modi culinary practices in a multicultural to the G-7 summit in the United Kingdom urban environment. next year. The last British prime minister Hawker centers are naturally-ventilated at the Republic Day parade was John premises with stalls selling food from Major in 1993. various cultures like Chinese, Malay, Indian, among others. World Economic Forum 2021 to The Hawkers of Singapore are known to be held in Singapore instead of master a variety of cuisines which they Switzerland serve at the ‘community dining rooms’ The World Economic Forum (WEF) has where people from across all walks decided to host its 2021 annual meeting in of life gather and share their unique Singapore, which earlier was scheduled experiences. to take place in Lucerne-Burgenstock, 20th IORA Council of Ministers Switzerland from 13-16 May 2021. Meeting Held in UAE The decision to shift the annual forum from Switzerland has been taken in view The 20th edition of the IORA Council of the Covid-19 situation in Europe. of Ministers (COM) Meeting was on This would be the second time since its December 17 via video conferencing inception in 1971 that the forum will be under the Chairmanship of United Arab held outside Switzerland. In 2002, the Emirates (UAE). forum was held in New York to show The theme of the meeting was “Promoting solidarity with the American people in a Shared Destiny and Path to Prosperity the aftermath of 9/11. in the Indian Ocean”. The meeting is generally held in Davos, The COM-20 was inaugurated by Sheikh Switzerland, but amid covid, the meeting Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister
72 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 International Affairs
of Foreign Affairs and International During the conference, PM proposed to Cooperation of the UAE. create a library of traditional Buddhist The UAE assumed the position of the literature and scriptures in India. IORA Chair in November 2019 during This library will collect digital copies of the 19th COM, for the period 2019-2021. Buddhist literature from across different The Indian delegation was led by Shri parts of the world. The library will then V. Muraleedharan, MoS, Ministry of translate these works and make them External Affairs. available for all scholars and monks of All 22 Member States and 10 Dialogue Buddhism. Partners participated in the virtual The first India-Japan conference, meeting to discuss ways in coordinating Samvad-I, was held in New Delhi in 2015, efforts to achieve IORA’s vision for a at Bodh Gaya. peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indian Ocean region as outlined in the Jakarta ‘Taste of India’ Campaign organized Concord and IORA Action Plan. in Bangkok During the 2020 COM, France was In a bid to boost exports potential of India’s inducted as the 23rd member state of IORA. agricultural and processed food products Sri Lanka has assumed the charge of Vice exports, APEDA organized a Virtual Chair of IORA for the period 2021-23. Buyer Seller Meet (BSM), in association with Indian Embassy in Thailand, on About Indian Ocean Rim Association 21st December 2020. The meet brought (IORA) together key stakeholders from the The IORA is an inter-governmental organisation which was established on respective Governments and trade on March 7, 1997. Headquarter : Ebene, a common platform for strengthening Mauritius strategic cooperation between India and IORA’s apex body is the Council of Thailand in Agri Food Sector. Foreign Ministers (COM) which meets This Virtual-BSM with Thailand is the annually, with the aim of promoting 13th in the series of such events organized regional cooperation, prosperity, and by APEDA with various countries. Earlier growth in the Indian Ocean region. such Virtual-BSM were organized with It comprise of 22 Member states and 10 the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Dialogue partners. Indonesia, Switzerland, Belgium, Iran, South Africa, Germany, the United States, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Canada and Australia. addresses 6th Indo-Japan SAMVAD Conference World’s oldest panda in captivity dies Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed in China the sixth edition of the India-Japan Xinxing, the world’s oldest giant panda SAMVAD conference held on December in captivity, has died of multiple organ 21, 2020, via virtual conferencing. failure at the age of 38 years and four
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 73 International Affairs Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020
months, a Chinese zoo announced. Addressing a function to mark the She died at a zoo in southwest China’s centenary celebrations of Visva- Chongqing Municipality. Bharati University through video Xinxing, also called “granny panda”, conferencing, the Prime Minister said, began to show symptoms of drowsiness “Guided by Gurudev [Tagore], Visva- and loss of appetite on October 21, Bharati presented a strong image of according to a report by state-run Xinhua. Indian nationalist sentiment during Independence. Gurudev wanted India International Science Festival humanity to benefit from India’s spiritual 2020 awakening. Atmanirbhar Bharat vision is The largest-ever virtual science festival also a derivative of this sentiment.” is set to begin on December 22, with 41 different events, and run till December Indian, French Rafales to carry out 25. The India International Science wargames in Jodhpur Festival will have events around the Indian and French Rafale fighter jets will themes regarding the general public be carrying out wargames codenamed and the society. With key stakeholders ‘SKYROS’ in Jodhpur in the third week of being young scientists and researchers, January 2021. the IISF-2020 has several events like the The French Air Force Rafale fighter Young Scientists’ Conference that aim to jets will be coming to Jodhpur for the target the youth. wargames, which will see them flying The event is being organised jointly by with Indian Rafales and the Su-30MKI the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences, the fighters. Union Ministry of Science and Technology This will be the first major exercise of and the Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA). the Indian Air Force involving the Rafale fighter jets, which were inducted into Rabindranath Tagore’s vision is service in August 2020. This is a significant the essence of Atmanirbhar Bharat development, as it comes amid India’s mission ongoing border conflict with China. NOBEL LAUREATE Rabindranath The IAF had last carried out a major Tagore’s vision is the essence of exercise with the French Air Force in July Aatmanirbhar Bharat, or self-reliant 2019 where the Indian Sukhois had flown India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. with the French Rafales.
74 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Tamilnadu Affairs 8. TAMILNADU AFFAIRS
Sidbi, TN Govt sign MoU for MSME methodologies to collect caste-wise training programs quantifiable data, in an attempt to MSME financier Sidbi signs a nullify Pattali Makkal Katchi’s demand Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and protest for 20 per cent reservation with the Government of Tamil Nadu to for Vanniyars, who belong to the Most set up a Project Management Unit (PMU) Backward Class. that will design training and capacity Women judges up to 13 in Madras HC building programs. The programs will be designed in areas The Madras High Court retained its such as technology transfer, promotion of position as the High Court with the innovation, intellectual property rights, highest number of women judges. research & development, leveraging of The newly appointed judges sworn technology and technology solutions in by Chief Justice AP Sahi this for enhancing business capabilities morning are Justices Govindarajulu and collaborations between MSMEs & Chandrasekharan, AA Nakkiran, technology driven businesses, startups, Veerasamy Sivagnanam, Ganesan etc. Ilangovan, Ananthi Subramanian, Kannammal Shanmuga Sundaram, Sathi Fruit processing plant set up at Kumar Sukumara Kurup, Murali Shankar Karumanthurai farm near Salem Kuppuraju. Manjula Ramaraju Nalliah A fruit processing center has been set up and Thamilselvi T Valayapalayam. at the Government Horticulture and Hill Recommendation to the Central Tracts Department in Karumanthurai, Government to unite 7 castes in the Salem District. Through this, value added name of Devendra Kulavelallar products like jam, juice and pickles are produced and sold directly. Chief Minister Palanisamy announced that they are going to recommend to T.N. to constitute Commission for the Central Government to unite the 7 collecting caste-wise data castes and call them by the same name as Tamil Nadu government announced Devendra Kulavelalaar . setting up of a commission to examine The 7 castes including Pallar, Kudumban,
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 75 Tamilnadu Affairs Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Pannadi, Kaladi, Kadayar , Devendra and fever, and in the first phase, 630 mini- Kulathan continued to insist on calling clinics would operate across the State. him by the same name as Devendra Kulavelar . Health ministry’s telemedicine service eSanjeevani logs 1 million Ola to set up world’s largest scooter consultations factory in Tamil Nadu at Rs 2,400 cr The Union Health Ministry’s national The SoftBank-backed mobility platform telemedicine initiative eSanjeevani Ola has signed a Memorandum of completed a million consultations. Understanding (MoU) with the Tamil The top ten States with highest Nadu government, to set up its first consultations through eSanjeevani are factory in the state, at an investment of Rs Tamil Nadu (319507), Uttar Pradesh 2,400 crore. (2,68,889), Madhya Pradesh (70,838), Upon completion, the Ola factory in Gujarat (63,601), Kerala (62,797), Tamil Nadu will be the largest scooter Himachal Pradesh (49,224), Andhra manufacturing facility in the world. Pradesh (39,853), Karnataka (32,693), Initially, the factory will have an annual Uttarakhand (31,910) and Maharashtra manufacturing capacity of 2 million units. (12,635). The factory is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of an Free tablet computers in TN AtmaNirbhar Bharat, and will make India The minister announced the government a manufacturing hub for two-wheeler had formulated a plan to replace 80,000 electric vehicles. blackboards with smartboards in government schools. An announcement 50 mini-clinics in Chennai to begin on establishing 7,200 smart classrooms is operations from December 14 expected after January 15. Close to 50 mini-clinics in Chennai across the 15 zones of the Corporation. Award to be named after ryots’ leader Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami will inaugurate the scheme tomorrow announced that the award being given from the clinic in Sheik Mestri Street in to farmers for obtaining highest yield Royapuram. of paddy through the System of Rice A total of 47 clinics would begin Intensification method during the operations in Chennai from tomorrow Republic Day celebrations every year and subsequent, they will be expanded will be named after farmers’ leader late C based on the need. Narayanasamy Naidu, who strove for the CM announced that Tamil Nadu would rights of the farmers for many decades. be having 2000 mini-clinics for attending Narayanasamy launched the Tamil Nadu to minor ailments such as cold, cough Farmers Association in 1973 and toured
76 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Tamilnadu Affairs
the State and organised conferences The Chennai ICF. During the month of for ensuring the rights of farmers. He December, the MEMU train set a record passed away on December 21, 1984 after for the successful test run of tourist addressing a public meeting for farmers carriages and assists in nesting. at Kovilpatti. TN Chief Minister Palaniswami Tamil Nadu govt warns legal action Inaugurates Mayiladuthurai District against political parties holding gram Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K sabhas Palaniswami inaugurated the newly- The Tamil Nadu government directed the formed Mayiladuthurai district through district collectors to initiate legal action video conferencing from the Secretariat against the political parties that misuse in Chennai. The 38th district in the state the name of gram sabhas to hold political has been carved out of Nagapattinam rallies. district. The gram sabha is an administrative set The new district comprises four taluks – up constituted under the Constitution. Mayiladuthurai, Sirkazhi, Tarangambadi, The powers to convene a meeting are and Kuthalam. It has a total population of vested with the panchayat president 9.01 lakh. under section 3 (2-A) of the Tamil Nadu R Lalitha, who served as the special officer Panchayats Act, 1994. for district formation has taken charge as On his failure, the inspector of panchayats the district collector. IPS officer Srinatha or the district collector can convene the has been appointed as the superintendent meeting. Some political parties hold of police. political rallies in the name of gram sabhas to confuse people for political ‘Namma Chennai’: Selfie spot on gains. Not only is this contrary to the Marina provisions of the Panchayats Act but such The selfie spot that is being built near acts also slander the set up. the Marina beach will be open to the public within a week, ahead of Pongal Manufacture of electric and passenger celebrations in the city, according to train sets at ICF senior corporation officials. The world-renowned box factory (ICF) is The words ‘Namma Chennai’ will stand located in Perambur, Chennai. The train on a three-foot pedestal, towering about sets manufactured here are exported not 10 feet in height. The typography has only to Indian Railways but also abroad. been made at a cost of Rs 22 lakh. Made in over 600 designs in 50 variants, including sophisticated train box and tour train box, to suit the needs and time of the passengers.
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 77 Practice Questions Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 9. PRACTICE QUESTIONS
1. Micro irrigation fund is created with which of the following organization? (A) RBI (B) SEBI (C) FCI (D) NABARD
2. Orundoi Scheme is being implemented in the state of ______. (A) Gujarat (B) Assam (C) Kerala (D) Telangana
3. National Green Tribunal recently banned the “Thai Mangur” is a______. (A) Crocodile (B) Monkey (C) Fish (D) Birds
4. Which state has enacted emergency Law against online gambling? (A) Tamil Nadu (B) Karnataka (C) Andhra Pradesh (D) Kerala
5. Which Indian web series recently won International Emmy Awards 2020? (A) Breathe (B) Mission over mars (C) Special OPS (D) Delhi Crime
6. Indian Navy recently test fired the anti-ship version of the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile in ______. (A) Visakapatnam (B) Abdul Kalam Island (C) Andaman Island (D) Lakshadweep
7. National Pollution Control Day is being observed on ______. (A) December 1 (B) December 2 (C) December 3 (D) December 4
8. Mahindra Chaudhary Zoological Park is located in ______. (A) Haryana (B) Punjab (C) Uttar Pradesh (D) Madhya Pradesh
9. Which of the following state recently approved Ganga Express way project? (A) Uttarkhand (B) Bihar (C) Jharkhand (D) Uttar Pradesh
10. Ayodhya Airport is to be renamed in ______. (A) RamaRajya Airport (B) Sriram Airport (C) Maryada Purishottam Sri Ram Airport (D) Ram Sita Airport
11. Which state has launched an outreach programme called “Daura Sarkar’? (A) Odisha (B) West Bengal (C) Chattisgarh (D) Jharkhand
12. Bhasan char island recently seen news which is located in______. (A) Srilanka (B) Maldives (C) Bangladesh (D) Thialand
13. Central Government formed a committee to oversee the construction of the New Parliment House with How many members? (A) 5 (B) 6 (C) 7 (D) 19 78 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Practice Questions 14. “Hualong one” reactor is belongs to which country? (A) Russia (B) China (C) Israel (D) Germany
15. 4th India-Srilanka, Maldives Trilateral meeting is hosted by______. (A) India (B) Srilanka (C) Maldives (D) Nepal
16. Hayabusa-2 Spacecraft which belongs to ______. (A) Japan (B) South Korea (C) China (D) Russia
17. Brahmaputra River originates from ______. (A) Bhutan (B) Bangladesh (C) China (D) India
18. 731 max Airliner was recently seen in news which is produced by______. (A) Air Bus (B) Boeing (C) Quintal (D) Emirates
19. Suryadhar Lake is located in which state? (A) Rajasthan (B) Chandigarh (C) Uttarkhand (D) Uttar Pradesh
20. Bengaluru smart Energy Efficient Power distribution Project is executing with the financial help of ______. (A) New Development Bank (B) World Bank (C) Asian Development Bank (D) IMF
21. Which region of India is the most Polluted in the country asper recent survey? (A) Indo-Gangetic Plan (B) Western Coastal Plain (C) Eastern Coastal Plain (D) All over north states
22. Which country recently banned cotton imports from china? (A) India (B) USA (C) Japan (D) Russia
23. What is the India’s rank in Trace bribery risk matrix? (A) 66 (B) 68 (C) 12 (D) 77
24. Who is the Indian origin recently appointed as CEO for WHO Foundation? (A) Kamalesh (B) Anil Soni (C) Anil Kumbale (D) Ragav Pandit
25. What is the new repo rate after the recent RBI’s monetary policy committee meeting? (A) 4.2% (B) 4 % (C) 35% (D) 3%
26. Bodo land Territorial Region is an Autonomous region in______. (A) Nagalnd (B) Assam (C) Mizoram (D) Tripura
27. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is celebrated on ______in India. (A) December 9 (B) December 10 (C) January 9 (D) January 10
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 79 Practice Questions Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020
28. Which of the following 2nd Indian state as declared as 100% organic Agricultural Area? (A) Mizoram (B) Nagaland (C) Puducherry (D) Lakshadeep
29. What is the New height of Everest? (A) 8848.32mtr (B) 8848.42 mtr (C) 8848.68 mtr (D) 8848.86 mtr
30. The public wi-fi Access Network Interface is called ______. (A) PM-WAN (B) PM-LAN (C) PM-WANI (D) PM-WNI
31. Recently Central Government approved submarine OFC connectivity between Lakshadweep island and ______. (A) Goa (B) Mumbai (C) Kochi (D) Kozhikode
32. The pobitora wild life sanctuary is located in ______. (A) Odisha (B) Chattisgarh (C) Assam (D) Bihar
33. Renminbi is the currency of which country? (A) North Korea (B) South Korea (C) Mangolia (D) China
34. Child friendly “Balsnehi” Police station was recently inaugurated in ______. (A) Mumbai (B) Lucknow (C) Pune (D) Kochi
35. West Bengal approved the construction of states 1st Deep sea port at ______. (A) Udaipur (B) Shankarpur (C) Digha (D) Tajpur
36. What is the rank of Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman in Forbes 100 infhential women 2020? (A) 37 (B) 35 (C) 41 (D) 42
37. Which State launched 2nd Edition of “Eco Retreet Programme”? (A) Punjab (B) Assam (C) Odisha (D) Bihar
38. Where is the headquarters of United Nations Environment Programme located? (A) Nairobi (B) Helsinki (C) Ansterdom (D) Geneva
39. Which year Parampragat Krishi Vikas Yohana has been launched? (A) 2014 (B) 2015 (C) 2016 (D) 2018
40. Which country rolled out the first vaccine in the world for COVID-19? (A) USA (B) Newzeland (C) United Kingdom (D) Russia
41. Jim corbet National Park is located in ______. (A) Uttar Pradesh (B) Uttarkhand (C) Bihar (D) Assam
42. Where is the headquarters of United Nations Commission for Narcotic Drugs located? (A) Geneva (B) Newyork (C) Vienna (D) Rome
80 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Practice Questions 43. Which of the following country is going to host the 2021 World Economic Forum meeting? (A) Germany (B) Australia (C) Singapore (D) Malaysia
44. National Institute of Naturopathy is located in ______. (A) Chennai (B) Kolkata (C) Mumbai (D) Pune
45. Recently K.V. Kamath Committee seen in news which is constituted by ______. (A) RBI (B) SEBI (C) IRDAI (D) NITI Aayog
46. INS Viraat is the ______. (A) Submarine ship (B) Nuclier Submarineship (C) Coastal Guardship (D) Aircaraft Carrier
47. Government of India is going to open museum on Netaji Subash Chandra Bose at ______. (A) Kolkata (B) New Delhi (C) Lucknow (D) Ranchi
48. e-Sanjeevani Tele medicine service launched by the Ministry of ______. (A) Ayush (B) Health and Family Welfare (C) Home (D) Finance
49. “Dak Pay” Application recently launched by______. (A) Airtel (B) Vodafone (C) Indian Bank (D) India Post
50. CMS-01 Telecommunications satellite was launched recently by ______. (A) GSLV-C49 (B) GSLV-C50 (C) PSLV-C49 (D) PSLV-C50
51. Who topped Forbes 2020 highest paid celebrity list 2020? (A) Ronaldo (B) Jhonson (C) Kylie Jenner (D) lionel messi
52. Lumbini Festival is being celebrated in ______. (A) Kerala (B) Odisha (C) Chattishgarh (D) Andhra Pradesh
53. Khilahati – Haldibari Rail links connecting India with ______. (A) Bhutan (B) Pakistan (C) Nepal (D) Bangladesh
54. Where is the headquarters of ISRO located? (A) New Delhi (B) Sriharikota (C) Bengaluru (D) Hydrabad
55. Lower Kopali Hydro electric Power Project is in ______. (A) Gujarat (B) Maharashtra (C) Assam (D) Nagaland
56. Cabinet recently allows for which of the following missile to Export? (A) Agni 1 (B) Agni 2 (C) Akash (D) Pranash
57. Indian Railways “Vistadome” tourist ccoaches manufactured in ______. (A) Chennai (B) Bengalur (C) Pune (D) Lucknow
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 81 Practice Questions Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020
58. Shivarajpur Beach is located in ______. (A) Tamilnadu (B) Goa (C) Maharashtra (D) Gujarat
59. Bhasanchar island is located in ______. (A) Myanmar (B) Yemen (C) Srilanka (D) Bangladesh
60. MRSAM Missile was test fired recently it was Developed with which country? (A) Russia (B) Israel (C) United States (D) France
61. The Terms Pris. Kunds, Virdas are associated with______. (A) Folk Dances (B) Painting (C) Classical dances (D) Water Harvesting System
62. World’s largest steel producer is ______. (A) USA (B) France (C) Japan (D) China
63. Indian’s 1st Mega Leather Park is planned to be established in ______. (A) Chennai (B) Kanpur (C) Lucknow (D) Mumbai
64. Which State recently added the Bodo as the state official language? (A) Nagaland (B) Mizoram (C) West Bengal (D) Assam
65. Point claymore wildlife sanctuary is located in ______. (A) Punjab (B) Haryana (C) Bihar (D) Tamilnadu
66. Which city selected as Best performing civic body in Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Award? (A) Chennai (B) Amaravati (C) Visakapatnam (D) Mumbai
67. Which is the 1st launching vehicle of ISRO that will entirely carry the satellites of Private players? (A) PSLV C50 (B) PSLV C51 (C) PSLV C52 (D) PSLV C53
68. Which year India will become fifth largest economy around the world? (A) 2024 (B) 2025 (C) 2027 (D) 2030
69. Bihar’s 1st Glass Bridge being constructed in ______. (A) Gaya (B) Vaishali (C) Pavapuri (D) RajGir
70. India has signed an agreement with to procure 200 Ka – 2267 Helicopters? (A) Russia (B) USA (C) Israel (D) France
71. The Longest Cable stayed bridge Atal Setu is located over the ______river. (A) Narmatha (B) Kosi (C) Mandovi (D) Yamuna
72. India’s first Lithium Refinery is going to be setup in ______. (A) Uttar Pradesh (B) Bihar (C) Rajasthan (D) Gujarat
82 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Practice Questions 73. World’s tallest rail bridge is being constructed across ______river. (A) Ravi (B) Satlaj (C) Chenab (D) Jelum
74. Rythu Bandhu scheme was implemented in the state of ______. (A) Andhra Pradesh (B) Odisha (C) Telangana (D) Karnataka
75. India’s 42nd wetland complex “TSO Kar” is located in ______. (A) Jammu & Kashmir (B) Bihar (C) Himachal Pradesh (D) Ladakh
76. India’s first call centre for Aqua farmers launched in______. (A) Gandhi Nagar (B) Chennai (C) Vijayawada (D) Ludhiana
77. Who was honoured recently Global Visionary of sustainable Business and Peace? (A) Bill Gates (B) Mukesh Ambani (C) Narandra Modi (D) Ratan Tata
78. Shettihalli wildlife sanctuary is in the state of ______. (A) Tamil Nadu (B) Kerala (C) Karnataka (D) Andhra Pradesh
79. “Jan Kalyan Portal’ launched to consolidate ‘all information about the ______State Scheme. (A) Tamil Nadu (B) Odisha (C) Rajasthan (D) Gujarat
80. Who has been recently awarded ‘Legion of Merit’? (A) Shinshoabe (B) Talailama (C) Narendra Modi (D) Donald Trump
81. National Mathematics Day is being celebrated on ______. (A) December 21 (B) December 22 (C) December 23 (D) December 24
82. Who has been recently received DRDO lifetime Achievement Award? (A) A.K.Singh (B) Amit Sharma (C) V.Kamat (D) V.V.Kadam
83. Which global Institution is to provide USD 1000 million loan to support India? (A) Asian Development Bank (B) New Development Bank (C) World Bank (D) IMF
84. Who awarded as The Best FIFA men’s player for 2020? (A) Lional Messo (B) Luka Motric (C) Ronaldo (D) Robert lowan Douski
85. IND-INDO CORPAT is a Navy Exercise between India and ______. (A) Thailand (B) Myanmar (C) Nepal (D) Indonesia
86. What is the currency Name of Bangladesh? (A) Rubya (B) Rubla (C) Kyat (D) Taka
Vetrii IAS Study Circle 83 Practice Questions Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020
87. Where is the Headquarters of New Development Bank located? (A) Shanghai (B) Newyork (C) Geneva (D) Washington DC
88. Which first Indian women scored a goal in a European Football league? (A) Bala Devi (B) Aditi (C) Suguna (D) Dongmei
89. Who will be the chief guest of 72nd Republic Day of India? (A) Bolsonaro (B) Sheikh Hasina (C) Boris Johnson (D) Immanuel Macron
90. Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve is located in ______. (A) Odisha (B) Chattisgarh (C) Bihar (D) Assam
91. “Organ Donor Memorial” recently inaugurated in ______. (A) Tamilnadu (B) Maharashtra (C) Rajasthan (D) Gujarat
92. CLML Countries are belonging to which regional organization? (A) ASEAN (B) Common Wealth (C) G20 (D) G7
93. Who is the Current National Security Advisor of India? (A) Sivashankar (B) Ajith Doval (C) Narayanan (D) Vijaya Kumar
94. HL-2m Toka mak Reactor belongs to ______. (A) South Korea (B) Japan (C) China (D) Russia
95. Wild life protection Act enacted in the year______. (A) 1964 (B) 1972 (C) 1985 (D) 1986
96. International Anti Corruption Day has been observed annually on ______. (A) December 9 (B) December 10 (C) December 6 (D) December 7
97. What is the designated product for Lakshadweep under central Government “One District One Product” Programme? (A) Rubber (B) Banana (C) Coconut (D) Fish
98. Which State topped the Urban Governance Index-2020? (A) Tamilnadu (B) Kerala (C) Odisha (D) Chhattisgarh
99. Who was the most searched personality on Google this year, as per Google India? (A) Kangana Renaut (B) Joe Biden (C) Narendra Modi (D) Sushant Singh Rajput
100. Annapurna Scheme was been launched in the year of ______. (A) 1952 (B) 1984 (C) 2000 (D) 2002
84 Vetrii IAS Study Circle Vetrii's Current Affairs, December - 2020 Practice Questions
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 D B C A D C B B D C 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 B C A B B A C B C C 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 A B D B B B C D D C 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 C C D C D C C A C C 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 B C C D A D B B D D 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 C D D C D B A D D B 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 D D B D D C B B D A 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 C D C C D C D C C C 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 B D B D D D A A C D 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 C A B C B A C C B C
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