December 2021 Daily News Current Affairs

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Dec 31, 2021
1. Winter Session 2021 of Parliament held between Nov 29 - Dec 23, 2021 -
  1. Notable Info disseminated During Session -
    1. Government gave In-Principle approval of site at Jaitapur in Maharashtra for setting up six nuclear power reactors of 1650 MW each in technical cooperation with France, which would make it the largest nuclear power generating site with a total capacity of 9900 MW.
      1. At present, installed nuclear power capacity in country is 6780 MW, with share of 3.1 % in total electricity generation in India.
      2. Also, India will have nine nuclear reactors by 2024, with a new nuclear project (first in northern India), to come up 150 kms away from Delhi in Gorakhpur of Haryana.
    2. India registered the highest ever annual Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflow of 81.97 billion dollar in 2020-21. Top 5 countries from where FDI Equity Inflows were received during 2014 to 2021 - Singapore, Mauritius, USA, Netherlands and Japan. Computer Software and Hardware sector attracted largest share of FDI inflows, followed by Service, Trading and Telecommunications.
    3. Maharashtra topped list of states with maximum number of beneficiaries under Atmanirbhar Bharat Rojgar Yojana (ABRY), followed by Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. 649560 beneficiaries were recorded in Maharashtra, followed by Tamil Nadu (535615), Gujarat (444741) and Karnataka (307164).
  2. Summary -
    1. During the Session, 13 Bills (12 in Lok Sabha and 1 in Rajya Sabha) were introduced.
    2. 11 Bills were passed by both Houses, which includes one Appropriation Bill relating to Supplementary Demands for Grants for 2021- 22.
    3. Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill 2021 was referred to Joint Committee of both Houses of Parliament and 5 Bills referred to Standing Committees.
  3. Bills passed by Parliament (Passed by Both Houses Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha) -
    1. Election Laws (Amendment) Bill 2021 -
      1. It amends Representation of the People Act 1950 and Representation of the People Act 1951, to implement certain electoral reforms.
      2. 1950 Act provides for allocation of seats and delimitation of constituencies for elections, qualifications of voters, and preparation of electoral rolls.
      3. 1951 Act provides for conduct of elections, and offences and disputes related to elections.
      4. Linking electoral roll data with Aadhaar -
        1950 Act provides that a person may apply to electoral registration officer for inclusion of their name in the electoral roll of a constituency. Bill adds that electoral registration officer may require a person to furnish their Aadhaar number for establishing their identity.
      5. Qualifying date for enrolment in electoral roll -
        Under 1950 Act, qualifying date for enrolment in the electoral roll is January 1 of the year in which such roll is being prepared or revised. It implies that a person who turns 18 after January 1 can enrol in electoral roll only when roll is revised the next year. Bill amends this to provide four qualifying dates in a calendar year, which will be January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1.
      6. Requisitioning of premises for election purposes -
        1951 Act permits state government to requisition premises needed or likely to be needed for being used as polling stations, or for storing ballot boxes after a poll has been conducted.
        
        Bill expands purposes for which such premises can be requisitioned. These include using premises for counting, storage of voting machines and poll-related material, and accommodation of security forces and polling personnel.
      7. Gender-neutral provisions -
        1950 Act permits certain persons who are ordinarily resident in a constituency to register in electoral rolls. Wives of such persons are also deemed to be ordinarily residing in the same constituency if they reside with them. 1951 Act enables wife of a person holding a service qualification to vote either in person or by postal ballot. Bill replaces the term ‘wife’ with ‘spouse’ in both the Acts.
    2. Chartered Accountants, the Cost and Works Accountants and the Company Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2021 -
      1. Bill amends Chartered Accountants Act 1949, Cost and Works Accountants Act 1959, and Company Secretaries Act 1980. It changes disciplinary mechanism under three Acts and specifies timelines for disciplinary proceedings. It also provides more external representation on the Board of Discipline and Disciplinary Committee.
      2. Bill creates a Coordination Committee headed by the Secretary of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, with representation from three Institutes formed under the Acts. Secretary to each Council will be designated as chief executive with President as head of the Council. President will be responsible for ensuring implementation of decisions of the Council.
      3. Firms must now register with the Institutes. Councils must maintain a register of firms containing details including pendency of any actionable complaint or imposition of penalty.
      4. Bill increases certain fines under the three Acts. If a partner or owner of a firm is repeatedly found guilty of misconduct during last five years, disciplinary action can be taken against the firm.
    3. Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Bill 2021 -
      1. It seeks to replace Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Ordinance 2021.
      2. Bill amends Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act 1985, to correct a drafting error. Act regulates certain operations (such as manufacture, transport, and consumption) related to narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
      3. Punishment for financing illicit activities or harbouring persons engaged in them -
        Under Act, financing certain illicit activities (such as cultivating cannabis or manufacturing narcotic drugs) or harbouring persons engaged in them is an offence. Persons found guilty will be punished with rigorous imprisonment of at least 10 years (extendable up to 10) and a fine of at least one lakh rupees.
      4. Drafting error -
        In 2014, Act was amended and the clause number of the definition for such illicit activities was changed. However, section on penalty for financing these illicit activities was not amended and continued to refer to earlier clause number.
        
        Bill amends section on penalty to change reference to new clause number.
    4. National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (Amendment) Bill 2021 -
      1. It seeks to amend National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research Act 1998, which established National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Punjab and declared it as an Institution of National Importance.
      2. Key Features -
        New institutions of national importance - Bill declares six additional National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research as Institutions of National Importance. These institutes are located in Ahmedabad, Hajipur, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Guwahati, and Raebareli.
        
        Bill provides for a Council to coordinate activities among the institutes under the Bill to ensure development of pharmaceutical education and research and maintenance of standards.
        
        Act constituted a Board of Governors for control and management of the institute’s affairs. The Act specifies 23 members in the Board. Bill reduces number of members in the Board of Governors for each institute to 12, to be chaired by an eminent academician or professional.
    5. Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill 2019 -
      1. Bill defines surrogacy as a practice where a woman gives birth to a child for an intending couple with intention to hand over the child after birth to intending couple.
      2. Bill prohibits commercial surrogacy, but allows altruistic surrogacy. Altruistic surrogacy involves no monetary compensation to the surrogate mother other than the medical expenses and insurance coverage during pregnancy.
      3. Intending couple should have a ‘certificate of essentiality’ and a ‘certificate of eligibility’ issued by the appropriate authority.
        Certificate of essentiality will be issued upon fulfilment of given conditions related to proven infertility and other terms.
      4. To obtain a certificate of eligibility from appropriate authority, surrogate mother has to be - a close relative of the intending couple, a married woman having a child of her own, 25 to 35 years old, a surrogate only once in her lifetime and possess a certificate of medical and psychological fitness for surrogacy.
      5. Central and state governments shall appoint one or more appropriate authorities within 90 days of the Bill becoming an Act.
      6. To act as Surrogacy clinics, Clinics must apply for registration within a period of 60 days from the date of appointment of the appropriate authority.
      7. Central and the state governments shall constitute National Surrogacy Board (NSB) and State Surrogacy Boards (SSB), respectively.
      8. Offences under Bill include undertaking or advertising commercial surrogacy, exploiting surrogate mother, abandoning a surrogate child, selling or importing human embryo or gametes for surrogacy. Penalty is imprisonment up to 10 years and a fine up to 10 lakh rupees.
    6. Dam Safety Bill 2019 -
      1. It provides for surveillance, inspection, operation, and maintenance of specified dams across country.
      2. Bill applies to all specified dams in the country. These are dams with height over 15 metres, height between 10 metres to 15 metres and subject to certain additional design and structural conditions.
      3. National Committee on Dam Safety will be constituted and will be chaired by the Chairperson, Central Water Commission. All other members will be nominated by central government.
        
        Functions of Committee include formulating policies and regulations regarding dam safety standards and prevention of dam failures, and analysing causes of major dam failures and suggesting changes in dam safety practices.
      4. National Dam Safety Authority will be headed by an officer not below rank of an Additional Secretary. Functions include
        Implementing the policies formulated by the National Committee on Dam Safety.
        
        Resolving issues between State Dam Safety Organisations (SDSOs), or between a SDSO and any dam owner in that state
        
        Specifying regulations for inspection and investigation of dams
        
        Providing accreditation to agencies working on construction, design, and alteration of dams.
      5. State governments will establish State Dam Safety Organisations (SDSOs). All specified dams situated in a state will fall under the jurisdiction of that state’s SDSO. In certain cases National Dam Safety Authority will act as the SDSO. These include cases where a dam extends over multiple states or is owned by a central public sector undertaking. SDSOs will
        Keep perpetual surveillance, inspect, and monitor operation and maintenance of dams
        
        Keep a database of all dams and recommend safety measures to owners of dams.
      6. Bill provides for constitution of State Committees on Dam Safety by state governments. Functions of Committee include -
        Reviewing work of SDSO
        
        Ordering dam safety investigations
        
        Recommend dam safety measures and reviewing progress on such measures
        
        Assess potential impact on upstream and downstream states.
      7. Owners of specified dams are required to provide a dam safety unit in each dam.
      8. Bill provides for two types of offences -
        Obstructing a person in discharge of his functions under the Bill and
        
        Refusing to comply with directions issued under the Bill.
        
        Offenders will be punishable with imprisonment of up to one year, or a fine, or both.
    7. Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Bill 2020 -
      1. It seeks to provide for the regulation of Assisted Reproductive Technology services in the country.
      2. Bill defines ART to include all techniques that seek to obtain a pregnancy by handling sperm or oocyte (immature egg cell) outside human body and transferring embryo into reproductive system of a woman.
      3. National Registry will be established under the Bill and will act as a central database with details of all ART clinics and banks in country. Registration will be valid for five years and can be renewed for a further 5 years.
      4. ART bank can obtain semen from males between 21 and 55 years of age, and oocytes from females between 23 and 35 years of age. Oocyte donor should be a married woman with at least one alive child. Woman can donate oocyte only once in her life.
      5. Child born through ART will be deemed to be a biological child of commissioning couple. A donor will not have any parental rights over the child.
      6. Bill provides that National and State Boards for Surrogacy constituted under Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill 2019 will act as the National and State Board respectively for regulation of ART services.
      7. Offences will be punishable with imprisonment for a term between eight and 12 years, and a fine between 10 and 20 lakh rupees.
    8. Delhi Special Police Establishment (Amendment) Bill 2021 -
      1. It replaces Delhi Special Police Establishment (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021.
      2. Bill seeks to amend Delhi Special Police Establishment Act 1946.
      3. Act provides for constitution of Delhi Special Police Establishment for investigation of certain offences, as notified.
      4. Extension of the Director’s term - Act provides for appointment of Director of the Delhi Special Police Establishment (Central Bureau of Investigation). Under the Act, Director has a tenure of minimum 2 years. Bill permits extension of the tenure by up to one year at a time, till the completion of five years from initial date of appointment.
    9. High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill 2021 -
      1. Bill seeks to amend High Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Act 1954, and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Act 1958. These Acts regulate salaries and conditions of service of judges of High Courts and Supreme Court of India.
      2. Additional quantum of pension or family pension -
        Under Acts, all retired judges of Supreme Court and High Courts and their family members are entitled to pension or family pension. They are also entitled to an additional quantum of pension or family pension when they attain a certain age in accordance with a specified scale. Scale contains five age brackets (with minimum age of 80, 85, 90, 95, and 100 years), and additional quantum increases with age (from 20% to 100% of pension / family pension).
        
        Bill clarifies that a person will be entitled to additional pension or family pension from first day of the month in which they complete the minimum age under the concerned age bracket.
    10. Central Vigilance Commission (Amendment) Bill 2021 -
      1. It replaces Central Vigilance Commission (Amendment) Ordinance 2021.
      2. Bill seeks to amend Central Vigilance Commission Act 2003, which Act provides for constitution of a Central Vigilance Commission to conduct inquiries into offences alleged to have been committed under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988.
      3. Extension of term of Director of Enforcement -
        Under 2003 Act, Director of Enforcement is appointed by central government, with tenure of minimum two years.
        
        Bill adds that tenure of the Director may be extended by up to one year at a time, till the completion of five years from the initial appointment.
    11. Farm Laws Repeal Bill 2021 -
      1. Bill repeals three farm laws passed by Parliament in September 2020.
      2. These are the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act 2020, Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act 2020, and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020.
      3. These laws were enacted to -
        provide a framework for contract farming
        
        facilitate barrier-free trade of farmers’ produce outside the markets notified under the various state Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) laws
        
        regulate supply of certain food items (such as cereals, pulses, and onions) only under extraordinary circumstances such as war, famine, and extraordinary price rise.
      4. Earlier in January 2021, Supreme Court had stayed implementation of the three farm laws.
  4. Introduced Bills -
    1. Mediation Bill 2021 -
      1. Mediation is a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), where parties attempt to settle their dispute with assistance of an independent mediator.
      2. Bill seeks to promote mediation, and provide for enforcement of settlement agreements resulting from mediation.
      3. Key features -
        Bill will apply to mediation proceedings conducted in India where all parties reside in, are incorporated in, or have their business in India. In case of international mediation, if central / state government is a party, the Bill will only apply to commercial / notified disputes.
        
        Disputes not fit for mediation include those relating to claims against minors or persons of unsound mind, involving prosecution for criminal offences, affecting rights of third parties and relating to levy or collection of taxes.
        
        Mediation proceedings will be confidential. A party may withdraw from mediation after the first two mediation sessions. Mediation process must be completed within 180 days, extendedable by 180 another days.
        
        Govt will establish Mediation Council of India, which will consist of a chairperson, two full-time members, three ex-officio members, and one part-time member. Functions of Council include registration of mediators and recognising mediation service providers and mediation institutes.
        
        Agreements resulting from mediation will be final, binding, and enforceable in same manner as court judgment. may be challenged only on grounds of fraud, corruption, impersonation or relating to disputes not fit for mediation.
        
        Community mediation may be attempted to resolve disputes likely to affect peace and harmony amongst residents of a locality.
        
        Bill will override other laws on mediation (except certain laws such as Legal Services Authorities Act 1987, and Industrial Relations Code 2020). Bill also makes consequential amendments in certain laws (such as the Indian Contract Act 1872, and Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996).
    2. Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill 2021 -
      1. Bill amends Wild Life (Protection) Act 1972, regulates protection of wild animals, birds and plants.
      2. Bill seeks to increase species protected under the law, and implement the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
      3. Key Features -
        CITES -
        It is an international agreement between governments to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. Under CITES, plant / animal specimens are classified into three categories, based on threat to their extinction.
        
        CITES requires countries to regulate trade of all listed specimens through permits. It also seeks to regulate possession of live animal specimens.
        
        Bill seeks to implement these provisions of CITES.
        
        Rationalising schedules -
        Currently, Act has six schedules for specially protected plants (one), specially protected animals (four), and vermin species (one). Vermin are small animals that carry disease and destroy food. Bill reduces the total number of schedules to four, by reducing number of schedules for specially protected animals to 2, removes schedule for vermin species, and inserts a new schedule for specimens listed under CITES.
        
        Obligations under CITES -
        Bill enable government to designate a Management Authority, which grants export or import permits for trade of specimens, and Scientific Authority, which gives advice on aspects related to impact on the survival of the specimens being traded.
        
        As per CITES, Management Authority may use an identification mark for a specimen. Bill prohibits any person from modifying / removing identification mark of specimen.
        
        Invasive alien species -
        Bill empowers government to regulate import, trade, possession or proliferation of invasive alien species. Invasive alien species refers to plant or animal species which are not native to India and whose introduction may adversely impact wild life or its habitat.
        
        Control of sanctuaries -
        Act entrusts state government appointed Chief Wild Life Warden to control, manage and maintain all sanctuaries in a state.
        
        Bill specifies that actions of Chief Warden must be in accordance with management plans for sanctuary.
        
        These plans will be prepared as per guidelines of central government, and as approved by Chief Warden. For sanctuaries in special areas, management plan must be prepared after due consultation with concerned Gram Sabha.
        Special areas include a Scheduled Area or areas where Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006 is applicable.
        
        Conservation reserves -
        Under Act, state governments may declare areas adjacent to national parks and sanctuaries as a conservation reserve, for protecting flora and fauna, and their habitat. Bill empowers central government to also notify a conservation reserve.
        
        Surrender of captive animals -
        Bill provides for any person to voluntarily surrender any captive animals or animal products to Chief Wild Life Warden. No compensation will be paid to person for surrendering such items. Surrendered items become property of the state government.
    3. National Anti-Doping Bill 2021 -
      1. Bill prohibits athletes and related persons from engaging in doping in sport. Violation may result in disqualification of results and ineligibility to participate in any competition or event, and financial sanctions.
      2. Currently, anti-doping rules are implemented by National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), which was established as a society. Bill provides for constituting NADA as a statutory body headed by a Director General appointed by government.
      3. National Board for Anti-Doping in Sports will be established to make recommendations to government on anti-doping regulations and compliance with international commitments on anti-doping. Board will oversee activities of NADA and issue directions to it.
      4. Board will constitute a National Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel for determining consequences of anti-doping rule violations. Board will also constitute a National Anti-Doping Appeal Panel to hear appeals against decisions of Disciplinary Panel.
    4. Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill 2021 -
      1. Bill amends Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006, to increase minimum age of marriage of females to 21 years. Bill will also override any other law, custom, or practice. Note that minimum age of marriage of males is 21 years already.
      2. Under 2006 Act, a person married below minimum age may apply for annulment (declaring a marriage null and void) within two years of attaining majority (i.e. before 20 years of age). Bill increases this to five years (i.e. up to 23 years of age).
      3. Key Terms and Issues -
        Age of majority is threshold of adulthood as recognized or declared in law. It is moment when minors cease to be considered such and assume legal control over their persons, actions, and decisions, thus terminating control and legal responsibilities of their parents or guardian over them.
        
        Minimum age of marriage at 21 years, is higher than minimum age of majority (18 years). As per Supreme Court, marriage between adults is a fundamental right. Question is whether prohibiting marriage for persons between 18 and 21 years is a reasonable restriction on their right to marry.
    5. Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill 2021 -
      1. It amends Biological Diversity Act 2002, to simplify compliance requirements for domestic companies.
      2. Key Features -
        Access to biological resources and associated knowledge -
        Act requires prior approval or intimation to regulatory authority (National Biodiversity Authority / State Biodiversity Boards) based on origin of entity, for obtaining biological resources occurring in India or associated knowledge.
        
        Bill amends classification of entities, list of activities requiring intimation, and adds centrain exemptions.
        
        Approval for Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) -
        Act specifies that approval of NBA is required before applying for IPR involving biological resources obtained from India or sealing of patent.
        
        Bill provides that approval will be required before grant of IPR, instead of before application itself. Bill specifies distinct approval processes based on origin of entity.
        
        Bill also extends approval requirement to IPR on associated knowledge.
        
        Benefit sharing -
        Under the Act, NBA is required to determine terms of benefit sharing while granting approvals for various activities.
        
        Act makes benefit sharing provisions applicable to research, commercial utilisation, as well as bio-survey and bio-utilisation for certain entities. Bill removes its applicability from research, and bio-survey and bio-utilisation.
        
        Bill adds that SBB will determine benefit sharing while granting approvals to domestic entities as per regulations by NBA.
        
        Act provides that terms for benefit sharing should be in accordance with agreed terms between applicant, local bodies, and benefit claimers. Bill instead provides that terms should be in accordance with agreed terms between applicant and NBA represented Biodiversity Management Committee.
        
        Offences and Penalties -
        Under Act, offences include failing to take approval or providing prior intimation for various activities, are punishable with imprisonment of up to five years, or a fine, or both. Bill decriminalises the offences and makes offences punishable with a penalty upto 50 Lakh.
2. India won 2021 Under-19 Asia Cricket Cup (Hosted in UAE), Defeating Sri Lanka in Final.
3. India's Reliance New Energy Solar Ltd (subsidiary of Reliance Industries) acquired 100% stake in UK-Based Faradion Ltd, for £100 million.
  1. Faradion owns a patented sodium-ion battery technology, with wide-reaching intellectual property portfolio on several aspects of sodium-ion technology.
4. General Conferences (Dec 21-31, 2021) -
  1. Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin launched Meendum Manjappai scheme, to promote use of cloth bags by public and discourage use of plastic bags.
  2. 97th edition of World Sangeet Tansen festival held in Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh).
  3. Jharkhand Assembly passed Prevention of Mob Violence and Mob Lynching Bill 2021, which aims at prevention of mob violence in state. Jharkhand will become fourth state to bring in such a law, after West Bengal, Rajasthan and Manipur.
  4. Punjab Govt declared Lord Krishna Balram Jagannath Rath Yatra as an annual state festival.
  5. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) launched Unified Logistics Interface Platform’s (ULIP) Hackathon – ‘LogiXtics’, to crowdsource more ideas which will benefit logistics industry.
  6. Environment Ministry declared area of 454.65 square kilometres around boundary of Askot Wildlife Sanctuary in Pithoragarh district (Uttarakhand), as Eco-sensitive Zone (ESZ). Askot Wildlife Sanctuary was established to protect endangered flagship species Musk Deer and its habitat.
  7. Home Minister Amit Shah laid foundation stone of Umiya Mata Temple, in Sola (Ahmedabad), to be developed with cost 1500 crores.
  8. Odisha Govt signed agreement with United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) to launch Mission Shakti Living Lab, for financial empowerment of women.
  9. Uttar Pradesh Govt renamed Jhansi Railway Station as ‘Veerangana Laxmibai Railway Station'.
  10. United Kingdom hosted summit of Foreign and Development Ministers from G7 Nation, in Liverpool (UK), with participation from France, US, Italy, Canada, Germany, European Union, and Japan.
  11. National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) launched NMCG-TERI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) on Water Reuse, at TERI Headquarters in New Delhi.
5. Visits to India (Dec 2021) -
  1. French Defence Minister Florence Parly Visited India.
  2. Foreign Ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan Visited India, to attened 3rd India-Central Asia Dialogue.
  3. First MoU Between India and Vietnam, aimed at promoting scientific and technical cooperation in marine science and ecology, has been signed during Vietnam Delegation Visiting India, consisting of -
    1. Tran Hong Ha - Minister of Natural Resources and Environment.
    2. Nguyen Manh Hung - Minister of Information and Communications.
  4. Russian President Vladimir Putin visited India, to attend 21st India - Russia Annual summit.
    1. Record 28 MOUs were signed during the visit, including programme of cooperation in field of defence for 10 years (2021 to 2031).
    2. Alongside, 1st 2+2 dialogue between foreign and defence ministers of India and Russia held in New Delhi.
      1. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu attended on Russia's Behalf.
      2. As a boost to defence sector, contract for manufacturing 6 lakh AK-203 rifles under a joint venture in Amethi (UP), has been signed between India and Russia.
6. Visits from India (Dec 2021) -
  1. Air Force Chief VR Chaudhari Visited South Korea.
  2. President Ram Nath Kovind Visited Bangladesh.

Dec 30, 2021

Sahitya Akademi Awards 2021 announced for 20 languages. It contains prize money of 1 Lakh INR. Awardees -

Winners	Language	Genre
Anuradha Sarma Pujari	Assamese	Novel
Bratya Basu	Bengali	Play
Mwdai Gahai	Bodo	Poetry
Raj Rahi	Dogri	Short Stories
Namita Gokhale	English	Novel
Daya Prakash Sinha	Hindi	Play
D.S. Nagabhushana	Kannada	Biography
Wali Mohd. Aseer Kashtawari	Kashmiri	Criticism
Sanjiv Verenkar	Konkani	Poetry
George Onakkoor	Malayalam	Autobiography
Kiran Gaurav	Marathi	Short Stories
Chhabilal Upadhyaya	Nepali	Epic Poetry
Hrushikesh Mallick	Odia	Poetry
Khalid Hussain	Punjabi	Short Stories
Meethesh Nirmohi	Rajasthani	Poetry
Vindeshwariprasad Mishr 'Vinay'	Sanskrit	Poetry
Niranjan Hansda	Santali	Short Stories
Arjun Chawla	Sindhi	Poetry
Ambai	Tamil	Short Stories
Gorati Venkanna	Telugu	Poetry

PM Narendra Modi inaugurate & laid foundation stone of 23 projects worth over 17500 crores in Haldwani (Uttarakhand). Notably -
1. Laid foundation stone of Lakhwar Multipurpose Project (River Yamuna), to be built at cost 5750 crores. It will enable irrigation of about 34,000 hectare additional land, produce 300 MW hydro power and supply drinking water to six states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Japan launched Inmarsat-6 F1 communication satellite, onboard Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) H-IIA204 rocket.
1. It is developed by London-based Inmarsat, as part of its next-generation satellite broadband service.
Anupam Ray has been appointed as India’s next permanent representative to UN Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.

Dec 29, 2021
1. Egypt has been named as new member of BRICS New Development Bank.
  1. Earlier in Sep 2021, BRICS NDB had added UAE, Uruguay, Bangladesh as new members.
  2. Founding Members are BRICS Nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa).
2. As per Index on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy released by Economic Advisory Council to Prime Minister -
  1. Large States - West Bengal, Tamil Nadu at top.
  2. Small States - Kerala, Himachal Pradesh at top.
  3. UTs - Lakshadweep, Delhi.
  4. NE States - Mizoram, Sikkim.
3. New Book by Sanju Verma (BJP National Spokesperson), The Modi Gambit: Decoding Modi 2.0, has been released.
Dec 28, 2021
1. PM Narendra Modi inaugurated Kanpur Metro Rail Project in Uttar Pradesh.
  1. Completed 9 Km long section is from IIT Kanpur to Moti Jheel. Total length of Kanpur Metro is 32 Km, with 2 corridors (13 km underground). It is being built at cost over 11000 crores. There will be 21 metro stations in the Corridor 1 and 8 stations in Corridor 2.
  2. He also inaugurated Bina-Panki Multiproduct Pipeline Project, which extends from Bina refinery in Madhya Pradesh to Panki in Kanpur, to help region access petroleum products from Bina refinery. It has been built at cost 1524 Crores.
Dec 27, 2021
1. NITI Aayog released 4th edition of State Health Index for 2019–20, titled The Healthy States, Progressive India. It assesses performance of states / UTs, based on 24 indicators. On overall ranking based on composite index score in 2019–20, top-ranking states are -
  1. Kerala and Tamil Nadu among ‘Larger States’
  2. Mizoram and Tripura among ‘Smaller States’
  3. DH&DD and Chandigarh among UTs.
2. PM Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid foundation stones of several hydropower projects in Mandi (Himachal Pradesh). It Includes -
  1. 40 MW Renukaji Dam project (Giri River), to be built at cost 7000 crores. It will also enable Delhi to receive around 500 million cubic metre water supply per year.
  2. 210 MW Luhri Stage 1 Hydro Power Project (Satluj River), to be built at cost over 1800 crores. It will lead to generation of over 750 million units of electricity per year.
  3. 66 MW Dhaulasidh Hydro Power Project (Beas River), to be built at cost 680 Crores. This will be the first hydropower project of Hamirpur district. It will lead to generation of over 300 million units of electricity per year.
  4. 111 MW Sawra-Kuddu Hydro Power Project (Pabber River), to be built at cost over 2080 crores. It will lead to generation of over 380 million units of electricity per year.
3. Dec 27 is observed as International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, observed by United Nations since 2020.
4. HarperCollins India named Anukrti Upadhyay as winner of Sushila Devi Award 2021 for Best Book of Fiction, for her novel Kintsugi.
5. Book by former Indian Army Chief Nirmal Chander Vij, named Kashmir: the quest for peace in a troubled land, has been released.
6. Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu released book The Turnover Wizard – Saviour Of Thousands, an autobiography of Arup Roy Choudhury (former NTPC CMD).
Dec 25, 2021
1. Dec 25 - Birth Anniversary of Former PM and Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee. It is observed as Good Governance Day in India, since 2014.
  1. On this occasion -
    1. Good Governance Index 2021 was launched by Home Minister Amit Shah. Gujarat topped composite rank score covering 10 sectors.
    2. Uttar Pradesh Govt launched Free Smartphone Yojana, to distribute over 1 Lakh smartphones and tablets to final year students of graduation and above.
  2. Dec 25 is also Birth anniversary of Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, noted educationist and independence activist.
2. World's largest and most powerful space telescope, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, has been launched.
  1. It was launched onboard ESA's Ariane 5 ECA (VA256) Rocket, from French Guiana.
  2. Weighing 6161 KG (approx half of Hubble space Telescope's 11110 KG), it is most powerful telescope ever launched into space.
  3. Its improved infrared resolution will allow it to view objects too distant for Hubble Space Telescope, to enable a broad range of investigations across astronomy and cosmology, such as observations of first stars and formation of first galaxies, detailed atmospheric characterization of potentially habitable exoplanets.
  4. JWST will operate in a halo orbit, circling around a point in space known as Sun-Earth L2 Lagrange point, approximately 1500000 km beyond Earth's orbit around Sun.
  5. Mission duration is expectedly 20 years.
  6. Background -
    1. It is named after James E. Webb, who was administrator of NASA from 1961 to 1968 (during Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs).
    2. Development began in 1996 for a launch initially planned for 2007 with a US$500 million budget. After several delays and cost overruns, its Construction was completed in 2016, with final cost staying around US$9.7 billion.
3. Tamil Nadu government launched CM Dashboard 360 monitoring system, to enable CM to track all welfare schemes, including status of implementation, along with updates on storage of water in dams and rainfall patterns.
4. Viral Sudhirbhai Desai, popularly known as green man of Gujarat, has been honoured with Global Environment and Climate Action Citizen Award 2021.
5. As per UK's Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) -
  1. Indian economy will become world’s third-largest by 2031, only after China and US. Notably, China will overtake US as largest economy in 2030.
  2. In 2022, India will regain its sixth position in World Economic League Table, getting past France.
Dec 24, 2021
1. Dec 24 is observed as National Consumer Day in India. Consumer Protection Act 1986 was enacted on 24th December, 1986.
2. Karnataka legislative assembly passed controversial anti-conversion bill named Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill 2021, which seeks to curb illegal religious conversions.
3. Belgium announced to shut down all its nuclear power plants by 2025. However, It has left open possibility of extending life of two reactors if it will not be able to otherwise ensure the energy supply.
4. Actress Alia Bhatt has been named PETA's 2021 Person of the Year for her work in support of an animal-friendly fashion industry.
5. Govt appointed Atul Kumar Goel as MD & CEO of Punjab National Bank (PNB).
6. China launched new satellite called Ziyuan-1 02E or Five Meter 02 Optical Satellite, with camera capable of taking photos of ground with a resolution of 5 meters.
Dec 23, 2021
1. India and German Development Bank KFW (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau) signed agreements for Euro 140 million reduced interest loan and Euro 2 million grant for Energy Reform Programme in Madhya Pradesh.
  1. Project comprises of 2 components - implementation of smart meters & Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) and separation of agriculture & non-agriculture feeders.
2. India's REC Limited signed agreement with German Development Bank KFW (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau), for availing ODA term loan of USD 169.5 million, for financing of innovative Solar PV Technology based generation Projects in India.
  1. This is 5th credit line signed between REC Limited and KfW for financing of Power Sector Projects and 3rd credit line for financing of Renewable Energy Projects.
3. Dec 23 is observed as National Farmers Day in India, to commemorate birth anniversary of 5th Prime Minister of India, Choudhary Charan Singh.
  1. He was a farmer’s leader and introduced many policies to improve lives of farmers. The day is observed since 2001.
  2. On this occasion, PM Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid foundations for multiple projects in Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) -
    1. Laid foundation stone of Banas Dairy Sankul at UP State Industrial Development Authority Food Park in Karkhiyaon (Varanasi). It will be built at 30 acres land, with cost 475 crores and will be able to Process upto 5 lakh litre of milk per day.
    2. Distributed 20 Lakh Gharauni rural residential rights record under Swamitva scheme of Panchayati Raj Ministry.
4. Government of India and European Investment Bank (EIB) signed a Finance Contract for first tranche loan of Euro 250 million for Agra Metro Rail Project (Uttar Pradesh).
5. INS Khukri, first of indigenously built Missile Corvettes, has been decommissioned after 32 years of service.
6. Govt formed Committee to be chaired by PM Narendra Modi, to commemorate 150th Birth Anniversary of Noted Philosopher Sri Aurobindo (Born 15 August, 1872).
7. Indian Air Force deployed first S-400 Triumf air defence missile system in Punjab, acquired from Russia, to counter aerials threat from Pakistan / China.
  1. India had signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) with Russia in October 2018, to procure S-400 defence system in a deal worth around 35000 crores. Under it, 5 squadrons would be provided to India for tacking air threats from up to 400 km.
8. Pradeep Kumar Rawat has been appointed as New Ambassador of India to China.
  1. He will succeed Vikram Misri, who has now been named India's new deputy National Security Adviser.
9. Actor Tusshar Kapoor's first book Bachelor Dad, has been released.
10. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik inaugurated state’s longest bridge ‘ T-Setu’, built over Mahanadi River in Cuttack.
  1. Bridge is in shape of English alphabet T, constructed at cost 111 crores and has length 4-km. It has cut distance between Badamba and Banki Baideshwar by 45 km.
11. IT Firm Wipro acquired Edgile, a transformational cyber security consulting provider, for $230 million.
12. Environmentalists Anil Prakash Joshi (Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri Awardee), Ridhima Pandey and Vidyut Mohan (winner of Earth shot Prize 2021) have been awarded Mother Teresa Memorial Award for Social Justice 2021, conferred by Harmony Foundation.
Dec 22, 2021
1. Dec 22 is observed as National Mathematics Day in India, to commemorate birth anniversary of Legendary Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan.
  1. He contributed greatly to mathematics and is also known for Hardy-Ramanujan number- ‘1729’, which is smallest number which can be represented as sum of two different cubes in two different ways.
2. Cabinet Approvals (Dec 22, 2021) -
  1. MOUs -
    1. MoU between Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and Polish Chamber of Statutory Auditors (PIBR).
    2. MoU Between Competition Commission of India and Competition Commission of Mauritius, for promotion and strengthening of co-operation in competition law and policy.
  2. CCEA -
    1. Approved Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for copra for 2022 season.
      1. MSP for Fair Average Quality (FAQ) of milling copra has been increased to 10590 per quintal (from 10335), and MSP for ball copra increased to 11000 per quintal (from 10600). This will ensure return of 51.85 % for milling copra and 57.73 % for ball copra over average cost of production.
3. Indian Universities among Times Higher Education Awards Asia 2021 winners -
  1. Leadership and Management Team of the Year - Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology
  2. Technological or Digital Innovation of the Year - O.P. Jindal Global University
Dec 21, 2021
1. PANEX-21, a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Exercise for BIMSTEC member nations, held at College of Military Engineering in Pune (Maharashtra).
  1. It was attended by delegates and subject matter experts from India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
2. Nagaland government announced creation of 3 new districts, namely Tseminyu, Niuland and Chumoukedima. Nagaland will now have 15 districts.
  1. Tseminyu sub-division in Kohima district has been upgraded to a district, and Niuland, Chumukedima have been carved out of Dimapur district.
3. Book India’s Ancient Legacy of Wellness, authored by Rekha Chaudhari has been released.
4. CJI NV Ramana and Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao inaugurated India’s First International Arbitration and Mediation Centre (IAMC) at Phoenix VK Tower at Nanakramguda, Hyderabad (Telangana).
Dec 20, 2021
1. Gabriel Boric has been elected Chile (South America)'s New President, becoming Chile's youngest President ever.
2. Dec 20 is observed as International Human Solidarity Day, proclaimed by UN in 2005.
3. General Conferences (Dec 11-20, 2021) -
  1. NITI Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) launched first of its kind Vernacular Innovation Program (VIP), to enable innovators and entrepreneurs in India to have access to innovation ecosystem in 22 scheduled languages. To build capacity, AIM be training a Vernacular Task Force in each of 22 scheduled languages.
  2. United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) rolled out their first AgriTech Challenge cohort for its Agri-tech program, that aims to help smallholder farmers across Asia and Africa to address their challenges in the aftermath of the pandemic.
    1. Earlier in 2021, NITI Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission, UNCDF, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Rabo Foundation had launched a South-South innovation platform to enable cross-border exchange of innovations, insights and investments.
  3. A New programme to support India-US S&T-based entrepreneurial initiatives that address development of next-generation clean and renewable energy, energy storage, and carbon sequestration, has been announced to tackle climate and clean energy issues. Named Technology-based Energy Solutions: Innovations for Net Zero, it has a call for Ignition Grants by US-India Science & Technology Endowment Fund (USISTEF), in partnership with Social Alpha, which promoties S&T entrepreneurship.
  4. Malta became first European country to allow limited cultivation and possession of cannabis for personal use.
  5. Delhi Police launched e-learning platform Unnati, under Delhi Police’s flagship scheme YUVA. Unnati will help educate youths and impart skill training to school dropouts from weaker sections of society.
  6. Geographical Indications Registry (GIR) under Commerce Ministry accepted petition to rename Bihar Makhana as Mithila Makhana and has also suggested further changes to brand logo to better reflect its origins.
  7. UAE announced to change its existing five-day workweek to a four-and-a-half day starting January 1, 2022, becoming first country to make this employee-friendly transition as part of its efforts to improve productivity and work-life balance.
  8. Dubai (UAE) became first administration in world to turn 100% paperless, with all external / internal transactions and procedures in Dubai Government now going 100% digital.
  9. India voted against a UNSC draft resolution that aimed to securitize climate action, Sponsored by Nigeria and Ireland. India spoke against drawing a separate link between climate change and security. The resolution aimed at enabling UN Security Council to take up routine discussions on climate change from perspective of its impact on peace and conflict worldwide.
  10. NTPC awarded a project of Standalone Fuel-Cell based Micro-grid with hydrogen production using electrolyser in NTPC Guest House at Simhadri (near Visakhapatnam). It is India’s first Green Hydrogen based Energy Storage Project, to be a precursor to large scale hydrogen energy storage projects and would be useful for studying and deploying multiple microgrids in various off grid and strategic locations of country.
Dec 19, 2021
1. Dec 19 is Goa Liberation Day, which was liberated on December 19 in 1961, after around 450 years of Portuguese rule, under operation Vijay.
  1. On this Occasion, Mormugao, Indian Navy's second indigenous stealth destroyer of P15B class, proceeded on Its maiden sea trial. It will be commissioned in mid 2022.
2. 11th Edition of Exercise EKUVERIN between India & Maldives Armies conducted at Kadhdhoo Island (Maldives).
3. Haryana Govt launched Khel Nursery Scheme 2022-23, to promote sports in state, by promoting sports nurseries that will be started in institutions across state.
4. Book The Monk Who Transformed Uttar Pradesh, authored by Shantanu Gupta, has been released.
5. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu released Telugu book Gandhi Topi Governor, by Padma Awardee Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad.
6. ICICI Prudential Life Insurance became first Indian insurance company to sign United Nations supported Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI), demonstrating its commitment towards Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) issues.
Dec 18, 2021
1. PM Narendra Modi laid foundation stone of Ganga Expressway in Shahjahanpur (Uttar Pradesh).
  1. 594 km long Ganga Expressway will connect Bijauli village near Kharkhauda on NH-334 in Meerut district with Judapur Dandu village near Soraon on NH-19 in Prayagraj district.
  2. It will pass through 12 districts (west to east) - Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Amroha, Sambhal, Budaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Raebareli, Pratapgarh and Prayagraj.
  3. It is expected to be completed by 2024, with cost over 36200 Crores.
2. As Part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (75 years celebration of Independence), Ministry of Rural Development launched overdraft facility of 5000, to verified women SHG members under DAY-NRLM (Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission).
3. December 18 is observed as International Migrants Day, marked by UN in December. 2021 theme of Harnessing the Potential of Human Mobility. It marks adoption of International Convention on Protection of Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, adopted by UN on 18 December, 1990.
  1. Dec 18 is also observed as Minorities Rights Day in India.
  2. Dec 18 is also observed as UN Arabic Language Day.
4. Jharkhand government launched a scheme aimed at nurturing young sporting talents in Maoist-hit districts, Named Sports Action toward Harnessing Aspiration of Youth (SAHAY).
5. Book Rewinding of First 25 years of Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, authored by S S Oberoi, has been released.
Dec 17, 2021
1. King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, conferred Bhutan's highest civilian award, the Order of the Druk Gyalpo, on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on occasion of Bhutan’s National Day (Dec 17).
2. Indian men's hockey team won bronze medal at Asian Champions Trophy 2021 in Bangladesh, beating Pakistan in Bronze Medal Match.
  1. Notably, South Korea won the title, defeating Japan in Final.
3. Noted American gymnast Simone Biles has been named Time Magazine's Athlete of the year 2021.
  1. She is known as most decorated gymnast of all time, With a combined total of 32 Olympic and World Championship medals.
4. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu released book Raj Kapoor: The Master At Work, authored by Rahul Rawail.
5. Sports Journalists’ Federation of India (SJFI) Awards 2021 -
  1. Former Cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has been honored with SJFI Medal 2021, as highest honour of SJFI.
  2. Other Awards -
    1. SJFI Sportsman of the year 2021 - Neeraj Chopra (Javelin)
    2. SJFI Sportswoman of the year 2021 - Mirabai Chanu (Weightlifting)
    3. SJFI Team of the Year 2021 - Indian Men’s Hockey team
6. British F1 Racer and seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton received knighthood at Windsor Castle (London), earning him honorary title of Sir, after being knighted by Prince of Wales for services to motorsports.
7. Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has set up an Advisory Committee for Leveraging Regulatory and Technology Solutions (ALeRTS), to enhance technological capabilities and explore suitable technology solutions for early detection of market anomalies. It is headed by Madhabi Puri Buch, former SEBI member.

Dec 16, 2021

TIME magazine named Tesla CEO Elon Musk as 2021 Person of the Year.
1. In 2020, US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were jointly named Time Person of the year.
Bank of Baroda launched wearable device solution named bob World Wave, for digital payments. It intends to efficiently deliver preventive health actions and easier payments.
1. Device will provide contactless payments of up to Rs 5000 in all NFC enabled PoS devices. Customers can do contactless payments above Rs. 5000 using a PIN.
IFSCA (International Financial Services Centres Authority) has set up committee for creating a Framework for transfer of stressed loans from domestic lenders to permitted financial institutions in IFSC. It will be chaired by G. Padmanabhan, Former RBI Executive Director.
India's NITI Aayog signed Statement of Intent with United Nations World Food Program (WFP), to focus on mainstreaming of millets and supporting India in taking lead globally in knowledge exchange.
1. Earlier, India had observed 2018 as year of millets, and spearheaded UNGA resolution for declaring 2023 as International Year of Millets, to encourage millet production.

2021 BWF World Badminton Championships (Huelva, Spain) -

Medal Table -

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	Japan	2	1	2	5
2	China	1	1	2	4
3	Singapore	1	0	0	1
3	Thailand	1	0	0	1
5	India	0	1	1	2
5	South Korea	0	1	1	2

Indian Medalists -
1. Silver - Srikanth Kidambi (Men's singles). He became first Indian male shuttler to win silver at BWF World Championships.
2. Bronze - Lakshya Sen (Men's singles)
Overall Winners -
1. Men’s Singles - Loh Kean Yew (Singapore)
2. Women’s Singles - Akane Yamaguchi (Japan)
3. Men’s Doubles - Takuro Hoki & Yugo Kobayashi (Japan)
4. Women’s Doubles - Chen Qingchen & Jia Yifan (China)

Asian Development Bank Approved $112 million loan to set up a skill university in Assam, to strengthen industry-aligned and flexible skills education and training system in state.
Asian Development Bank Approved $350 million policy-based loan to improve access to urban services in India, by accelerating policy actions and reforms to enhance service delivery and promote performance-based central fiscal transfers to urban local bodies (ULBs).
Asian Development Bank Approved $150 million loan to provide access to inclusive, resilient, and sustainable housing for the urban poor in Tamil Nadu.
Germany Development Bank KFW (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau) approved signed Euro 442.26 million loan for Surat Metro Rail project (Gujarat).
1. Cost of project is Euro 1.50 billion, out of which KfW is financing Euro 442.26 million.
2. It is being co-financed (Euro 250 million) by French Development Agency AFD (Agence Française de Développemet).
Dec 16 is observed as Vijay Diwas, commemorating Indian victory over Pakistan in war of 1971.
1. India fought against Pakistan helping Bangladesh obtain its freedom and won the war. It also resulted in largest Military Surrender after World War – II, when 93000 Pakistani Soldiers surrendered. On the same day, Bangladesh celebrates its independence.
2. 2021 marks 50th anniversary of Indo-Pak War of 1971, also called Swarnim Vijay Varsh.
3. On this occasion, Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh unveiled a special commemorative stamp marking golden jubilee of India’s victory during 1971 Indo-Pak War.
Kiril Petkov has been named as New Prime Minister of Bulgaria (Southeast Europe).
Karl Nehammer has been named new chancellor of Austria (Central Europe).
Former union minister Shashi Tharoor‘s new book Pride, Prejudice and Punditry, has been released.

Dec 15, 2021
1. RBI brought non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) under the ambit of prompt corrective action (PCA) framework, to impose restrictions when certain parameters fall below stipulated levels.
  1. PCA framework for NBFCs will come into effect from October 1, 2022, based on the financial position of NBFCs on or after March 31, 2022.
  2. It will be applicable to -
    1. All Deposit Taking NBFCs (Excluding Government Companies)
    2. All Non-Deposit Taking NBFCs in Middle, Upper and Top Layers (Excluding NBFCs not accepting/not intending to accept public funds, Government Companies, Primary Dealers and Housing Finance Companies).
2. Intergovernmental Committee of UNESCO’s 2003 Convention on Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, inscribed Durga Puja in Kolkata on Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, during its 16th session being held at Paris (France).
  1. Committee commended Durga Puja for its initiatives to involve marginalized groups, and individuals as well as women in their participation in safeguarding the element.
  2. India now has 14 intangible cultural heritage elements on the prestigious UNESCO Representative List of ICH of Humanity.
  3. India is a signatory of 2003 UNESCO Convention which aims at Safeguarding Intangible of theIntangible Heritage along with traditions and living expression.
3. Cabinet Approvals (Dec 15, 2021) -
  1. CCEA -
    1. Approved implementation of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) for 2021-26, with outlay 93068 crores.
      1. CCEA has approved central support of 37454 crores to States and 20434 crores of debt servicing for loan availed by Government for irrigation development during PMKSY 2016-21.
      2. Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP), Har Khet ko Paani (HKKP) and Watershed Development components have been approved for continuation during 2021-26.
      3. AIBP aims at financial support to irrigation projects, while Har Khet Ko Pani (HKKP) aims at enhancement of physical access on farm and expansion of cultivable area under assured irrigation.
    2. General -
      1. Approved Introducing bill named Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill 2021, which seeks to raise women's legal marriage age from 18 to 21 years.
      2. Approved Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters between India and Poland, to enhance capability and effectiveness of both countries in investigation and prosecution of crimes.
      3. Approved comprehensive program for development of sustainable semiconductor and display ecosystem in India.
        It aims to provide attractive incentive support to companies engaged in Silicon Semiconductor Fabs, Display Fabs, Compound Semiconductors / Silicon Photonics / Sensors Fabs, Semiconductor Packaging (ATMP / OSAT), Semiconductor Design.
        
        Including 76000 Crores Outlay approved for development of semiconductors and display manufacturing ecosystem in India, Government has so far committed total support of 230000 crores to position India as global hub for electronics manufacturing with semiconductors as foundational building block.
      4. Approved incentive scheme to promote RuPayDebit cards and low-value (uptoRs. 2,000) BHIM-UPI transactions.
        Under this, acquiring banks will be incentivised by Government, by paying percentage of value of transactions (P2M) done through RuPay Debit cards and low-value BHIM-UPI modes of payments, at estimated outlay of 1300 crores for one year (w.e.f. April 01, 2021).
        
        This will facilitate acquiring Banks in building robust digital payment ecosystem and promoting RuPay Debit card and BHIM-UPI digital transactions.
4. China launched new group of Space Exploration Shijian-6 05 satellites, as Long March-4B rocket's 400th mission.
Dec 14, 2021
1. Dec 14 is observed as National Energy Conservation Day in India, observed by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) under Ministry of Power, since 1991. BEE also observed National Energy Conservation Week from 9-14 December.
2. As per Global Health Security (GHS) Index 2021, by Nuclear Threat Initiative and Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security at Bloomberg School of Public Health -
  1. India ranked 66 out of 195 countries.
  2. Top 5 - USA (1), Australia (2), Finland (3), Canada (4), Thailand (5)
3. Karnataka Government signed Letter of Understanding (LoU) with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as a part of State-level initiative ‘Code-Unnati’ to improve access to entrepreneurship and employment opportunities among youths, including women.
  1. It involves United Nations Volunteers (UNV) and is supported by SAP India Lab’s CSR Strategie, to will be implemented in 4 districts of Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Dakshina Kannada and Raichuru.
4. Himachal Pradesh govt announced setting up a Commission for upper castes, to be named as ‘Samanya Varg Aayog’, on the lines of Madhya Pradesh.
5. India has been re-elected to International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council for 2022-2023 biennium under category B states.
Dec 13, 2021
1. India International Science Festival (IISF) 2021 hosted in Panaji (Goa), with theme Celebrating Creativity in Science, Technology and Innovation for Prosperous India. It is organised jointly by MoES, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Biotechnology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, in collaboration with Vijnana Bharati.
2. India's Harnaaz Sandhu (From Chandigarh) won Miss Universe 2021 pageant, held in Eliat (Israel).
  1. Paraguay's Nadia Ferreira came 1st Runner-Up and South Africa's Lalela Mswane named 2nd Runner-Up.
  2. This is India's 3rd victory in Miss Universe pageant, after Lara Dutta in 2000 and Sushmita Sen in 1994.
3. PM Narendra Modi inaugurated Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham Project in Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), with cost around 340 Crores.
  1. It includes enhancing temple area from 3000 square feet to over 5 lakh square feet, enabling 50000 - 75000 devotees visit the temple and temple premises on a daily basis.
  2. Over 40 ancient temples have been rediscovered, restored and beautified.
  3. PM Also laid stone of MaaUmiya Dham Development Project involving Umiya Mata Dham temple and temple premises in Gujarat, via video conferencing.
4. Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment launched a National Helpline Against Atrocities, with toll free number 14566, to ensure proper implementation of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989.
5. As per International Institute for Management Development (IMD) World Competitive Centre's World Talent Ranking Report -
  1. Top 5 - Switzerland (1), Sweden (2), Luxembourg (3), Norway (4), Denmark (5)
  2. India has been ranked at 56th position.
6. Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved USD 350 million loan to improve urban services in India, to support policies formulated by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) to benefit urban poor, economically weaker sections, and low-income groups.
7. Catherine Russell (US) has been named as head of UN children’s agency UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund).
8. RBI made Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) mandatory for cross-border transactions for capital or current account transactions worth Rs 50 crore and above.
  1. LEI is a 20-digit number used to uniquely identify parties to financial transactions worldwide to improve the quality and accuracy of financial data systems.
9. Book by Mriduala Ramesh (founder of Sundaram Climate Institute), titled Watershed: How We Destroyed India’s Water And How We Can Save It, has been released.

Dec 12, 2021

Dec 12 is observed as UN Universal Health Coverage Day, designated by UN in 2017. 2021 theme is Leave No One’s Health Behind: Invest in Health Systems for All.
1. The day marks anniversary of UN’ unanimous endorsement of universal health coverage (UHC) and providing affordable, quality health care in 2012. On 12 December 2017, UN proclaimed 12 December as International Universal Health Coverage Day (UHC Day).
2. Dec 12 is also observed as UN International Day of Neutrality, proclaimed by UN in 2017.

Red Bull's Belgian-Dutch F1 racing driver Max Verstappen won Season Ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021 -

With this, Max Verstappen won Formula One Season 2021, his first Formula One World Championship Title.

F1 Season 2021 -

Grand Prix	Winner	Race date
Bahrain Grand Prix	Lewis Hamilton (UK)	28 March
Emilia Romagna Grand Prix	Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch)	18 April
Portuguese Grand Prix	Lewis Hamilton (UK)	2 May
Spanish Grand Prix	Lewis Hamilton (UK)	9 May
Monaco Grand Prix	Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch)	23 May
Azerbaijan Grand Prix	Sergio Pérez (Mexico)	6 June
French Grand Prix	Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch)	20 June
Styrian Grand Prix	Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch)	27 June
Austrian Grand Prix	Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch)	4 July
British Grand Prix	Lewis Hamilton (UK)	18 July
Hungarian Grand Prix	Esteban Ocon (France)	1 August
Belgian Grand Prix	Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch)	29 August
Dutch Grand Prix	Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch)	5 September
Italian Grand Prix	Daniel Ricciardo (Australian -Italian)	12 September
Russian Grand Prix	Lewis Hamilton (UK)	26 September
Turkish Grand Prix	Valtteri Bottas (Finland)	10 October
United States Grand Prix	Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch)	24 October
Mexico City Grand Prix	Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch)	31 October
São Paulo Grand Prix	Lewis Hamilton (UK)	7 November
Qatar Grand Prix	Lewis Hamilton (UK)	21 November
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix	Lewis Hamilton (UK)	5 December
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix	Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch)	12 December

Dec 11, 2021
1. Dec 11 is observed as UN International Mountain Day, being observed since 2003. 2021 Theme is Sustainable mountain tourism.
  1. Dec 11 is also formation day of United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), established on this day in 1946.
  2. Dec 11 is also birth anniversary of 13th Indian President Pranab Mukherjee.
2. PM Narendra Modi inaugurated Saryu Nahar National Project in Balrampur (Uttar Pradesh).
  1. Work on Saryu Nahar National Project had started in 1978. However, it kept getting delated due to lack of budgetary support and adequate monitoring.
  2. In 2016, project was brought under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, to complete it in a time bound manner.
  3. The Project has been built with total cost over 9800 crores, out of which over 4600 crore has provisioned in last four years. It also involves interlinking of five rivers - Ghaghara, Saryu, Rapti, Banganga and Rohini to ensure optimum usage of water resources of the region.
  4. The project will provide assured water for irrigation of over 14 lakh hectares of land and benefit about 29 lakh farmers of over 6200 villages. It will benefit nine districts of Eastern Uttar Pradesh.
3. United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) granted Observer Status to Indid-led International Solar Alliance (ISA).
  1. ISA is an alliance of 102 signatory countries (81 of whom are members), which lie either completely or partly between Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn.
  2. It aims to work for efficient consumption of solar energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
  3. ISA initiative was first proposed by Indian PM Narendra Modi in November 2015, at Wembley Stadium (UK).
  4. This Gurugram-Based alliance is a treaty-based inter-governmental organization, first such from India.
Dec 10, 2021
1. Dec 10 is observed as International Human Rights Day. 2021 theme is EQUALITY - Reducing inequalities, advancing human rights. On this day in 1948, Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was proclaimed by UN. Later in December 1993, UNGA announced to celebrate Human Rights Day annually.
  1. Also, Dec 10 is marked as Swahid Diwas in Assam, commemorating martyrs of Assam Movement, which was an uprising in Assam during 1979-1985, demanding Government to detect and deport outsiders from state.
2. USA's National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched a new mission called Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE), in collaboration with Italian Space Agency.
  1. It aims at unlocking secrets of black holes and other extreme cosmic objects.
  2. IXPE is smaller as compared to Chandra x-ray observatory- NASA’s flagship X-ray telescope.
  3. IXPE lacks in imaging power, but it can see an aspect of cosmic X-ray sources that have gone largely unexplored until now- Polarisation
3. Noted Indian Architect Balkrishna Doshi has been honored with Royal Gold Medal 2022, conferred by Queen of England. It is among world’s highest honours for Architecture.
4. General News / Conferences (Dec 1-10, 2021) -
  1. Kerala Tourism launched STREET project, in seven districts, to help visitors experience diversity of offerings in these locales.
  2. Weak tropical cyclone Jawad caused disruptions over Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal.
  3. National Commission for Women launched She is a Changemaker pan-India capacity building programme programme for women politicians.
  4. North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd. (NEDFi) introduced Atmanirbhar Hastshilpkar Scheme, to develop North Eastern artisans by providing financial assistance and other activities. The credit facility is collateral free and carries a subsidized interest rate of 6% annum.
  5. Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren launched portal and app, named ‘Hamar Apan Budget’, to enable general public to share their suggestions for 2022-23 budget.
  6. NITI Aayog, in partnership with Bharti Foundation (philanthropic arm of Bharti Enterprises) launched Convoke 2021-22, as a National research Symposium which aims at addressing challenges in imparting education and strengthening its quality.
  7. PM Narendra Modi inaugurated InFinity Forum 2021, International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA)’s maiden flagship financial technology and global thought leadership event.
  8. Nagaland Police launched mobile application named ‘Call Your Cop’, to enhance communication between police and citizens.
  9. All India Radio began a new programme called AIRNxt, to offer youth a platform to air their voices as part of ongoing Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations.
  10. 40th India International Trade Fair (IITF) 2021 held at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. In this edition, Bihar is Partner State, while Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand are Focus States.
  11. Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath inaugurated Earth Station of Doordarshan Kendra at Gorakhpur, as second earth station of Doordarshan in Uttar Pradesh.
5. As per Fortune India's list of most powerful women in India 2021 -
  1. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman ranked 1st, followed by Reliance Foundation Chairperson Nita Ambani and Soumya Swaminathan (Chief Scientist at World Health Organization) at 3rd.
6. As per Forbes’ list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women 2021 -
  1. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman ranked 37th Globally, Followed by Roshni Nadar Malhotra (52), Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (72), Falguni Nayar (88).
  2. Top 5 Globally -
    1. MacKenzie Scott (US)
    2. Kamala Harris (US)
    3. Christine Lagarde (France)
    4. Mary Barra (US)
    5. Melinda French Gates (US)
7. Haiderpur Wetland in Uttar Pradesh (near Bijnor), has been recognised under 1971 Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
  1. With this, Uttar Pradesh now has 9 Ramsar wetlands. Overall, it is 47th Ramsar Site in India.
8. Uttarakhand Govt launched Milk Price Incentive Scheme, to provide incentives benefiting around 53000 people, through Direct Bank Transfer.

Dec 09, 2021

Dec 09 is observed as International Anti-Corruption Day, marked by United Nations in 2003. 2021 Theme is Your right, your role: Say no to corruption. Ending corruption is important to achieve Sustainable Development Goals 16 and 17.
1. On this occasion, US State Department of State named 12 new Anti-corruption Champions, who demonstrated leadership, courage and impact in preventing, exposing, and combating corruption. Awatdees -
  1. Dorothy Bradley - Belize
  2. Nikolay Staykov - Bulgaria
  3. Alexandra Attalides - Cyprus
  4. Carlos Giovanni Ruano Pineda- Guatemala
  5. Gabriela Alejandra Castellanos - Honduras
  6. Jamiliya Maricheva - Kazakhstan
  7. Juris Juriss - Latvia
  8. Riad Kobeissi - Lebanon
  9. Martha Chizuma - Malawi
  10. Denise Namburete - Mozambique
  11. Torplus Yomnak - Thailand
  12. Carlos Paparoni - Venezuela
2. Also, Dec 09, 2021 marks completion of 75 years of first sitting of Indian Constituent Assembly, with DR. B. R. Ambedkar as Chairman of Drafting Committee.
Olaf Scholz has been elected as chancellor of Germany, to succeed Angela Merkel.
President Ram Nath Kovind awarded President’s Standard to 22nd Missile Vessel Squadron (also known as Killers Squadron), at Naval Dockyard Mumbai.
1. A special day cover and a commemorative stamp produced by the postal department were released to mark the occasion.
2. 22nd Missile Vessel Squadron is based at Mumbai and comprises missile vessels Prabal, Pralaya, Nashak, Nishank, Vipul, Vibhuti, Vinash and Vidyut. It traces its genesis to 1971 War when Osa I class missile boats participated in Operations Trident and Python that were decisive in enabling Indian Navy dominate operations in Arabian Sea.
Industrial Awards (Dec 2021) -
1. IIT-Kanpur's Ropesh Goyal won Young Geospatial Scientist award, for his unique contribution to developing the Indian Geoid Model and computation software.
  1. The award is given since 2011 by Rachapudi Kamakshi Memorial Trust, to promising scientists below 35 years of age. in memory of Rachapudi Kamakshi, a strategic analyst with a strong inclination towards geography and geospatial studies.
2. IIT Roorkee ranked at first position in Most Innovative Research Institutions category, in Industrial Innovation Awards by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
3. Wipro Founder Azim Premji is named as 2021 recipient of annual Dr Ida S. Scudder Humanitarian Oration, jointly established by Christian Medical College Vellore (CMC) and US based Vellore CMC Foundation.
4. Under Redink Awards for Excellence in Journalism 2021 by Mumbai Press Club -
  1. Photojournalist Danish Siddiqui, who died during an assignment in Afghanistan in July 2021, has been posthumously awarded as ‘Journalist of the Year’.
  2. RedInk 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award bestowed on Senior Journalist Prem Shankar Jha.
5. Aditya Birla Group chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla received Global Entrepreneur of the Year Award- Business Transformation from The Indus Entrepreneurs (US).
6. Indian Climate Action Entrepreneur from Karnataka, Divya Hegde won UN Women’s Award for Leadership Commitment, at 2021 Regional Asia-Pacific Women’s Empowerment Principles Awards.
2021 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Finals (Bali, Indonesia) -
1. Men's singles - Viktor Axelsen (Denmark)
2. Women's singles - An Se-young (South Korea). She defeated India's P V Sindhu in Final.
3. Men's doubles - Japan's Takuro Hoki AND Yugo Kobayashi
4. Women's doubles - South Korea's Kim So-yeong AND Kong Hee-yong
As per Lowy Institute Asia Power Index 2021, India ranked 4th most powerful country in Asia-Pacific region.
1. Top 5 - US, China, Japan, India, Russia
Kazhuveli wetlands in Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu has been declared as 16th Bird Sanctuary by State govt.
1. Kazhuveli wetlands is referred to as the 2nd largest Brackish Water Lake in South India, only after Pulicat lake.

2021 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships (Tashkent, Uzbekistan) -

Medal Table -

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	Canada	5	2	0	7
2	India	4	7	5	16
3	Nigeria	4	1	0	5
4	Malaysia	2	1	0	3
5	Sri Lanka	1	1	5	7

Gold Winners from India -
1. 67 kg - Jeremy Lalrinnunga
2. 73 kg - Achinta Sheuli
3. 81 kg - Ajay Singh
4. +87 kg - Purnima Pandey

Uttar Pradesh Govt approved Atma Nirbhar Krishak Integrated Development Scheme, aimed at boosting agriculture sector, to be implemented from FY 22 (2021-22).
1. Under this, 1475 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) will be formed in next three years in each development block of state, with expenditure of 1221 crores.

Dec 08, 2021
1. Dec 8 is observed as SAARC Charter Day, commemorating establishment of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) by Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka at First Summit meeting in Dhaka (Bangladessh). Afghanistan later joined as 8th SAARC member in 2007.
  1. Dec 8 is also observed by Indian Army as 260th Corps Day of the Army Service Corps. Indian Army Service Corps handles Army's logistic support function, set up on Dec 08, 1760.
  2. Dec 8 is also observed by Indian Navy as Submarine Day.
2. Eminent Assamese Poet Nilmani Phookan Jr. won 56th Jnanpith Award (for 2020) and Konkani novelist Damodar Mauzo won 57th Jnanpith Award (for 2021).
  1. Jnanpith Awards, India’s highest literary honour is bestowed on writers for their outstanding contribution to the Literature.
  2. Instituted in 1961, it is bestowed only on Indian writers writing in Indian languages, with no posthumous conferral.
  3. As of 2015, cash prize has been revised to 11 lakh, and out of 23 eligible languages, the award has been presented for works in sixteen languages.
3. RBI Monetary Policy Committee kept policy repo rates unchanged, in RBI Monetary Policy Committee meeting. Key Monetary Policy Rates -
  1. Repo Rate - 4.00%
  2. Reverse Repo Rate - 3.35%
  3. Marginal Standing Facility Rate - 4.25%
  4. Bank Rate : 4.25%
  5. CRR - 4.00%
  6. SLR : 18.00%
4. Misc. Science News (Dec 2021) -
  1. Indian-origin Person Anil Menon is among 10 new astronaut recruits selected by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for its future space missions.
  2. ISRO signed agreement with Chinese smart devices maker Oppo, to strengthen research and development of NavIC (Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System) messaging service. NavIC provides regional navigation services covering Indian mainland and an area up to 1500 km beyond Indian mainland.
  3. Japan introduced minibus lookalike world’s first dual-mode vehicle (DMV) in Kaiyo, which can run on both Roads (upto 100km/h), and Rail tracks (upto 60km/h).
5. Cabinet Approvals (Dec 8, 2021) -
  1. General -
    1. Approved continuation of Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G) beyond March 2021, till March 2024.
      1. Financial assistance is to be provided for construction of remaining 1.56 crore houses, under scheme within total target of 2.95 crore houses.
      2. Financial implication for construction of remaining houses is 217257 crores (Central Share 125106 crore and State Share 73475 crores), for achieving cumulative targets of 2.95 crore houses in rural areas under PMAY-G.
      3. So far, 1.65 crore PMAY-G houses have been constructed out of total target of 2.95 crore.
    2. Approved implementation of Ken-Betwa inter-linking of rivers project, with cost 44605 crores (with approved central support of 39317 crores).
      1. Project involves transfer of water from Ken to Betwa River through construction of Daudhan Dam and a linking canal, the Lower Orr Project, Kotha Barrage -and Bina Complex Multipurpose Project.
      2. Project will provide an annual irrigation of 10.62 lakh ha, drinking water supply to a population of about 62 lakhs and also generate 103 MW of hydropower and 27 MW solar power. The Project is proposed to be implemented in 8 years.
      3. It Project will be of immense benefit to the water starved Bundelkhand region, spread across states of MP and UP.
6. Russia won Davis Cup Tennis Finals 2021, defeating Croatia, in Madrid (Spain).
  1. Russian team is officially being called RTF (Russian Tennis Federation) in the competition, amid its ongoing doping suspension in international sport.
7. 11th edition of Joint Army Exercise EKUVERIN-21 between India and Maldives, held at Kadhdhoo Island (Maldives). Ekuverin means “Friends” in Dhivehi language.
8. Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) naned Sanjiv Mehta (CMD of Hindustan Unilever Limited). as its President.

Dec 07, 2021

Dec 7 is observed as Armed Forces Flag Day, being observed annually since 1949. This day marks responsibility of every citizen to take care of families and dependents of armed forces personnel.
Dec 7 is observed as International Civil Aviation Day, established in 1994 and officially recognised by UN in 1996. On this day in 1944, participants from 54 nations gathered in Chicago (US), had signed Convention on International Civil Aviation, known as ‘Chicago Convention’.
Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved $150 million loan to provide access to inclusive, resilient, and sustainable housing for the urban poor in Tamil Nadu.
Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved $125 million loan to improve access to safe and affordable drinking water supply and citywide inclusive sanitation services in Dehradun and Nainital cities in Uttarakhand.
PM Narendra Modi Inaugurated development projects worth over 9600 crores in Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh). It Includes -
1. Dedicate to the nation the Gorakhpur Fertilizer Plant, whose foundation stone was laid in July 2016, After Lying shut for over 30 years.
  1. It has been revived and built at a cost approx 8600 crores.
  2. Gorakhpur Plant will make available 12.7 LMT per annum indigenous neem coated Urea production, set up under aegis of Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Limited (HURL), Joint Venture of NTPC, Coal India, IOCL, Fertilizer Corporation of India & Hindustan Fertilizer Corporation.
  3. HURL is working towards reviving Gorakhpur, Sindri and Barauni Fertilizer Plants.
  4. This project has the world's highest Prilling Tower of 149.2 Meter. It also consists of India’s first air operated Rubber Dam and Blast Proof Control Room to enhance safety aspects.
2. PM also launched fully functional complex of AIIMS Gorakhpur and new building of ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC) Gorakhpur.

2021 Asian Youth Para Games (4th edition, hosted by Manama, Bahrain) -

Medal Table -

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	Iran	44	53	25	122
2	Thailand	33	25	17	75
3	Japan	30	11	14	55
4	South Korea	14	11	22	47
5	India	12	15	14	41
6	Indonesia	12	11	14	37
7	Uzbekistan	11	1	4	16

Neena Gupta, mathematician and professor at Indian Statistical Institute Kolkata, won 2021 DST-ICTP-IMU Ramanujan Prize for young mathematicians from developing countries, for her outstanding work in affine algebraic geometry and commutative algebra, in particular for her solution to Zariski cancellation problem for affine spaces.
1. The award, being conferred since 2005, is administered by Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) jointly with Department of Science and Technology (DST) and International Mathematical Union (IMU).
2. Prize is in memory of Srinivasa Ramanujan, a self-taught Indian mathematical genius who made spectacular contributions to elliptic functions, continued fractions, infinite series, and analytical theory of numbers.
New Appointments -
1. Alka Upadhyaya - Chairperson of National Highways Authority of India.
2. Sanjay Bandopadhyay - Chairman of Inland Waterways Authority of India.
3. Sundeep Kumar Nayak - Director General in National Productivity Council.
Book Public Service Ethics- A Quest for Naitik Bharat, authored by Prabhat Kumar has been released, by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu.
Book The Midway Battle: Modi’s Roller-coaster Second Term, authored by Gautam Chintamani, has been released by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu.
Book 1971: Charge of the Gorkhas and Other Stories, written by Rachna Bisht Rawat, has been released.
Badminton World Federation (BWF) Annual Awards 2021 -
1. Male Player of the Year - Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen
2. Female player of the year - China’s Taipei’s Tai Tzu Ying
3. Most improved player - Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin
Argentina won Men’s Hockey Junior World Cup 2021, at Kalinga Stadium (Odisha), defeating Germany in Final.
Indian-American mathematician Nikhil Srivastava (University of California), along with Adam Marcus and Daniel Spielman, has been awarded First Ciprian Foias Prize in Operator Theory, by American Mathematical Society (AMS).
As per RBI Data, Gujarat took over Maharashtra to become country’s leading manufacturing hub, with Gujarat's Gross Value Addition (GVA) in manufacturing growing by 15.9 per cent annually between FY12 to FY20 (5.11 lakh crores).

Dec 06, 2021
1. Dec 06 is Mahaparinirvan Diwas (Death anniversary) of Babasaheb Ambedkar, Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee. He was also 1st Minister of Law and Justice.
  1. Also, India and Bangladesh decided to observe December 6, the day on which India formally recognized Bangladesh, as Maitri Diwas.
2. Misc. Sports News (Dec 2021) -
  1. New Zealand’s Ajaz Patel became third cricketer (After England's Jim Laker (1956), and India’s Anil Kumble (1999)) to Take all 10 wickets in an innings. Ajaz Took All 10 wickets against India, in Mumbai.
  2. Manipur won Senior Women’s National Football Championship 2021, in a penalty shootout win over Railways in the final.
  3. Magnus Carlsen (Norway) won FIDE World Championship 2021 in Dubai, beating Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia.
  4. India's National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) regained World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accreditation, which was revoked in Aug 2019.
  5. Noted spinner Harbhajan Singh announced formal retirement from all forms of cricket.
  6. South African Cricketer Quinton de Kock announced retirement from Test cricket.
  7. Indian Para shooter Avani Lekhara won Best Female Debut honour at 2021 Paralympic Sport Awards. She became 1st Indian woman to win 2 Paralympic medals in a single edition of the Paralympic Games.
  8. Indian Badminton Player PV Sindhu has been appointed as a member of the Badminton World Federation’s (BWF) Athletes’ Commission, upto 2025.
  9. Bangladesh won SAFF U 19 Women’s Football Championship, defeating India in finals, in Dhaka (Bangladesh).
  10. Indian skier Aanchal Thakur won bronze at International Ski Federation (FIS) Alpine Skiing Competition in Montenegro.
  11. Himachal Pradesh won 2021–22 Vijay Hazare Cricket Trophy, Defeating Tamil Nadu in Final.
3. Nizamuddin Revival Project, India’s project on holistic urban revitalisation of historic Nizamuddin Basti community in New Delhi, won UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation 2021.
  1. The project involves the meticulous restoration of over 20 historic monuments clustered around the 14th-century mausoleum of the revered Sufi saint, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya.
  2. The Project won awards under 2 categories - Award of Excellence Special Recognition for Sustainable Development.

Dec 05, 2021

Dec 5 is observed as UN International Volunteer Day, to show gratitude towards people who help others without monetary benefits. 2021 theme is Volunteer now for our common future. It was proclaimed by United Nations in 1985.
1. Dec 5 is also observed as World Soil Day, proclaimed by Food and Agriculture Organization of UN in 2013.
2. Dec 5 is also observed as Honey Bee Day in Nagaland, observed since 2018.
Sandhayak, first of four Indian Navy Survey Vessels (Large) being built by Kolkata based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited, has been launched.
1. Contract for building four survey ships was signed between MoD and GRSE in Oct 2018, at cost 2435 Crotes, with over 80 % indigenous content by cost.

Mercedes' British F1 racing driver Lewis Hamilton won Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2021 -

F1 Season 2021 -

Grand Prix	Winner	Race date
Bahrain Grand Prix	Lewis Hamilton (UK)	28 March
Emilia Romagna Grand Prix	Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch)	18 April
Portuguese Grand Prix	Lewis Hamilton (UK)	2 May
Spanish Grand Prix	Lewis Hamilton (UK)	9 May
Monaco Grand Prix	Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch)	23 May
Azerbaijan Grand Prix	Sergio Pérez (Mexico)	6 June
French Grand Prix	Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch)	20 June
Styrian Grand Prix	Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch)	27 June
Austrian Grand Prix	Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch)	4 July
British Grand Prix	Lewis Hamilton (UK)	18 July
Hungarian Grand Prix	Esteban Ocon (France)	1 August
Belgian Grand Prix	Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch)	29 August
Dutch Grand Prix	Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch)	5 September
Italian Grand Prix	Daniel Ricciardo (Australian -Italian)	12 September
Russian Grand Prix	Lewis Hamilton (UK)	26 September
Turkish Grand Prix	Valtteri Bottas (Finland)	10 October
United States Grand Prix	Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch)	24 October
Mexico City Grand Prix	Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch)	31 October
São Paulo Grand Prix	Lewis Hamilton (UK)	7 November
Qatar Grand Prix	Lewis Hamilton (UK)	21 November
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix	Lewis Hamilton (UK)	5 December
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix		12 December

Dec 04, 2021
1. Dec 4 is observed as International Day of Banks, proclaimed by UN in 2019.
2. Dec 4 is observed as Indian Navy Day, being observed in commemoration of Operation Trident which celebrates bravery of Indian Navy that forced Pakistan to admit defeat during Indo-Pak war of 1971.
  1. Pakistani army attacked India on December 03, 1971. India launched 'Operation Trident' in retaliation as the result 1971 war began. India targeted Pakistani Navy headquarters in Karachi with a tremendous attack, resulting port of Karachi being completely destroyed.
  2. Indian Navy was established in 1612, when East India Company formed an army in form of the East India Company's Marine to protect its ships. It was renamed Bombay Marine in 1686. Later in 1892, it was renamed as Royal Indian Marin.
  3. Dec 04 is also Birth anniversary of Former (8th) President of India, R. Venkataraman.
  4. Dec 04 is also Birth anniversary of Former (12th) PM of India, Inder Kumar Gujral.
3. PM Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid foundation stone of various projects worth around Rs 18000 crores in Dehradun (Uttarakhand). Notably including -
  1. Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor (from Eastern Peripheral Expressway Junction to Dehradun), to be built at cost 8300 crores.
    1. It will significantly cut travel time between Delhi and Dehradun from present 6 to 2.5 hours.
    2. It will have seven major interchanges for connectivity to Haridwar, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Yamunagar, Baghpat, Meerut and Baraut.
    3. It will also have Asia's largest wildlife elevated corridor - of around 12 kilometres - for unrestricted wildlife movement. It will also have animal passes for avoiding animal-vehicle collisions, primarily in Ganeshpur-Dehradun section.
  2. Greenfield alignment project from Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor, connecting Saharanpur to Haridwar will be constructed at cost 2000 crores.
  3. He also inaugurated Dehradun - Paonta Sahib road project, 120 MW Vyasi Hydroelectric Project (over River Yamuna), Himalayan Culture Center at Dehradun and State of Art Perfumery and Aroma Laboratory (Centre for Aromatic Plants) in Dehradun.
4. As per 10th Annual World Cooperative Monitor (WCM) report by International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) and European Research Institute on Cooperative and Social Enterprises (Euricse) -
  1. Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO), has been ranked at top among 300 best cooperatives in world, based on ratio of turnover over gross domestic product (GDP) per capita.
5. Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved 500 Million USD Loan for India, for enhancing quality of school education and also mitigating impact of coronavirus pandemic on students' learning.
  1. Loan supports Integrated Scheme for School Education (Samagra Shiksha) and new Exemplar School Initiative of the Ministry of Education (MOE) to improve education quality by focusing on inclusive and equitable learning outcomes.
6. Pradip Shah (founder of IndAsia Fund Advisors), has been named chairman of National Asset Reconstruction Company (NARCL).
Dec 03, 2021
1. Haryana Government appointed Sanjeev Kaushal as new Chief Secretary of State.
2. Dec 3 is observed as International Day of Persons with Disabilities, being observed by UN since 1992.
  1. Dec 3 is also Birth anniversary of Dr. Rajendra Prasad, first President of India.
3. Indian-American Gita Gopinath has been named First Deputy Managing Director of International Monetary Fund (IMF), after serving as Chief Economist at IMF.
4. World Athletics Awards 2021 -
  1. World Athletes of the Year - Elaine Thompson-Herah (Norway) and Karsten Warholm (Jamaica)
  2. Female Rising Star - Athing Mu
  3. Male Rising Star - Erriyon Knighton
  4. Woman of the Year - Anju Bobby George (India)
5. As per Economist Intelligence Unit's Worldwide Cost of Living Index 202, Top 5 Costliest Cities -
  1. Tel Aviv (Israel)
  2. Paris ( France)
  3. Singapore
  4. Zurich (Switzerland)
  5. Hong Kong
6. India joined G20 Troika, to work closely with Indonesia and Italy, to ensure consistency and continuity of G20’s agenda.
  1. India will assume G20 Presidency in December 2022 from Indonesia and will convene G20 Leaders’ Summit for first time in 2023.
  2. Troika refers to top grouping within G20 that consists of current, previous, and incoming presidencies (Indonesia, Italy and India).
Dec 02, 2021
1. Misc. Defence News (Dec 2021) -
  1. DRDO and Indian Air Force flight-tested indigenously developed Helicopter launched Stand-off Anti-tank (SANT) Missile from Pokhran ranges. The weapon can neutralise targets in a range up to 10 kms.
  2. Air version of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile successfully test fired from supersonic fighter aircraft Sukhoi 30 MK-I, from Integrated Test Range (Odisha). The launch is a milestone in BrahMos development, clearing serial production of air-version BrahMos missiles within India.
  3. DRDO Successfully tested an Extended Range Pinaka Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher System, capable of destroying targets upto 45 km.
  4. US and Bangladesh Navies held 27th annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) maritime exercise, in Bay of Bengal.
  5. Himachal Pradesh Police received President’s Color Award, becoming India’s eighth state police to receive this honour.
  6. DRDO conducted flight test of Indigenously developed High-speed Expendable Aerial Target system Abhyas.
  7. DRDO successfully flight-tested indigenously developed conventional Surface-to-Surface missile Pralay, with operational range upto 500 KM.
  8. First set of indigenously developed next generation Armoured Engineer Reconnaissance Vehicle has been inducted into Corps of Engineers of Indian Army.
  9. DRDO successfully tested new generation nuclear capable ballistic missile Agni P (or Agni Prime), from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam island off the coast of Odisha. Agni P is a two-stage canisterised solid propellant ballistic missile with dual redundant navigation and guidance system, with range upto 2000 KM.
  10. DRDO successfully test-fired long-range Supersonic Missile Assisted Torpedo (SMART) off the Balasore coast in Odisha, developed for Indian Navy.
  11. Indian Army established Quantum Lab at Military College of Telecommunication Engineering in Mhow (MP), with support from National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), to spearhead research and training in this key developing field.
  12. Indian Army launched messaging application named ‘ASIGMA’ (Army Secure IndiGeneous Messaging Application), as an alternative to Army Wide Area Network (AWAN), which has been in service for 15 years.
  13. Russia launched its first in the series Project 22220 versatile nuclear-powered icebreaker known as ‘Sibir’.
2. Obituaries (December 2021) -
  1. General Bipin Rawat - Former Army Chief and Incumbent (and 1st) Chief of Defence Staff of India. He passed away in a helicopter crash.
  2. Nanda Prusty - Noted Padma Shri Awardee teacher from Odisha.
  3. K. Rosaiah - Former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.
  4. Vinod Dua - Noted Padma Shri awardee journalist.
  5. Shiva Shankar Master - Noted choreographer (National Awardee).
  6. Sirivennela Chembolu Seetharama Sastry - Noted Telugu lyricist and Padma Shri awardee.
  7. Eileen Ash - Former England Cricketer.
  8. Desmond Tutu - Noted South African anti-apartheid, human rights activist and Nobel Peace Laureate.
  9. R. Laxminarayanappa Jalappa -Former Union Minister (Textiles - 1988), from Karnataka.
  10. Richard Rogers - Pritzker Prize-Winning British-Italian Architect.
  11. KS Sethumadhavan - Noted Malayalam filmmaker.
  12. Ray Illingworth - Former England Cricketer
  13. E.O. Wilson - Former Harvard University (US) biologist and Pulitzer Prize winner, also called Darwin’s natural heir. His study of ants and human behaviour made him one of world’s most influential scientists and prompted his calls for action to protect millions of species on planet.
3. Misc. Appointments (Dec 2021) -
  1. Former Chief Election Commissioner of India Sunil Arora, joined Board of Advisers for International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA).
  2. Sambit Patra has been appointed as chairman of India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC).
  3. Adama Barrow has been re-appointed as President of Gambia, for his second term.
  4. Indian-American person Gautam Raghavan has been named as head of White House Office of Presidential Personnel, a key post in White House.
  5. Sanjay Kumar Singh has been named as Secretary in Ministry of Steel..
  6. Army Chief MM Naravane has been named as Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee, comprising three service chiefs. The post of Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee had fallen vacant after recent death of Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat.
  7. Uttarakhand Govt named Cricketer Rishabh Pant as brand ambassador of the state.
  8. RBL Bank named Rajeev Ahuja as interim MD & CEO, after Earlier MD & CEO Vishwavir Ahuja went on leave.
  9. Indian origin Person Narandran ‘Jody’ Kollapen has been appointed to South Africa’s highest judicial bench, the Constitutional Court.
  10. ITBP director general Sanjay Arora has been given additional charge as DG of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
4. Misc. MOUs (December 2021) -
  1. Permanent Mission of India to WTO in Geneva (PMI), Centre for Trade and Investment Law, New Delhi (CTIL), Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, and Centre for Trade and Economic Integration of The Graduate Institute, Geneva (CTEI) signed tripartite MoU to begin collaboration towards research and capacity-building in field of international trade law and policy.
  2. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) signed MoU with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India, to strengthen waste management sector in India under overall ambit of Swachh Bharat Mission- Urban 2.0.
  3. SBI signed MoU with Usha International (UIL), for empowering women entrepreneurs by providing financial assistance.
  4. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of United Nations signed agreement with Andhra Pradesh Government to train farmers in good farm management practices and sustainable agricultural methods.
5. Dec 2 is observed as International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, being observed since 1986.
  1. Dec 2 is also observed as National Pollution Control Day in India, to commemorate people who lost their lives in unfortunate incident of Bhopal Gas Tragedy that occurred on this day in 1984.
  2. Dec 2 is also observed as World Computer Literacy Day, launched by Indian IT Firm NIIT in 2001.
  3. Dec 2 is also observed as Asom Divas, in state of Assam, which commemorates arrival of founder and first King of Ahom kingdom in ancient Assam. On this occasion, Assam government honored Noted industrialist Ratan Tata with Asom Bhaibav award, the highest civilian state award, for his contribution to cancer care in state.
6. Arunachal Pradesh Government named actor Sanjay Dutt as brand ambassador and filmmaker Rahul Mittra as brand advisor, at occasion marking 50th year of the naming of state.
7. Biography Naoroji: Pioneer of Indian Nationalism, authored by Dinyar Patel, has been selected as winner of 4th Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF (New India Foundation) Book Prize 2021. The book details life events and legacy of Dada Bhai Naoroji.
8. Narotam Sekhsaria's autobiography, The Ambuja Story, has been released.
9. Vice-Chancellor (VC) of Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, V Praveen Rao has been named winner of 7th Dr M S Swaminathan Award, for period 2017-19.
Dec 01, 2021
1. Dec 1 - Statehood day of Nagaland, formed on Dec 1, 1963.
  1. Hornbill Festival, called the ‘Festivals of Festivals’, is a 10-day annual cultural fest of Nagaland that showcases diverse Naga ethnicity. It begins Dec 1 each year, on Nagaland's Statehood day.
  2. Dec 1 is also formation day of Border Security Force (BSF), border defence organisation of India. It is one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces of India, and was formed on 1 December 1965.
  3. Dec 1 is also obbserved as ‘Indigenous Faith Day’ in Arunachal Pradesh.
  4. Dec 1 is observed as World AIDS Day, to raise public awareness about Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), caused due to infection of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
2. Gross GST revenue collected in November 2021 stood at 131526 crores (CGST 23978 crores, SGST 31127 crores, IGST 66815 crores and Cess 9606 crores).
3. Misc. Corporate News (Dec 2021) -
  1. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) collaborated with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) to scale-up Alkaline Electrolyser technology for Green Hydrogen production. Presently, Electrolyser Plants are imported.
    1. This is first such initiative to help achieve India's renewable energy targets and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
    2. Refineries use Hydrogen for de-sulfurization to make petrol, diesel and other chemicals. Currently, Hydrogen is made at Refinery via. Steam Reforming of Natural gas, resulting in high CO2 emission.
    3. Therefore, Refiners are setting up large scale electrolysers to produce Green Hydrogen from water and decarbonize Hydrogen production.
  2. Federal Bank launched feature-rich savings product for women, called Mahila Mitra Plus, to provide curated set of features, designed to make financial planning and investments easy for women.
  3. SBI listed its USD 650-million green bonds on India International Exchange (India INX) and Luxembourg Stock Exchange (LuxSE), as a dual listing, in line with 2021’s topic of World Investor Week (WIW).
  4. IDFC FIRST Bank launched FIRST Private Infinite, as India’s first-ever standalone metal debit card, in partnership with Visa.
  5. RBI approved Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) to raise its stake in private lender Indusind Bank to 9.99 per cent, from 4.96% currently. Also, recently, RBI had approved LIC to raise its stake in Kotak Mahindra Bank to 9.99 %.
  6. Competition Commission of India approved acquisition of shareholding in Air India Limited (100 %), Air India Express Limited (100 %) and Air India SATS Airport Services Private Limited (50 %) by Talace Private Limited (subsidiary of Tata Sons).
  7. Adani Green Energy signed agreement with Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) to supply 4667 MW of green power, as world’s largest ever green power purchase agreement.
  8. IndusInd Bank launched green fixed deposits, whereby deposit proceeds will be used to finance projects and firms supporting UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
  9. SBI acquired up to 9.95 % stake in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT)-based India International Clearing Corporation (IFSC) Ltd, up to maximum investment of 34 crores.
4. Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) became first Indian city to start ropeway service as a mode of public transport, to ease traffic congestion. Proposed ropeway is to be constructed between Cantt Railway Station to Church Square, covering aerial distance of 3.45 km, with outlay 400 crores. With this, India will be third country after Bolivia and Mexico, to use ropeway for public transport.

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