Current Affairs Today 2nd December 2020-Download in PDF

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Current Affairs Today – 2nd December 2020

NEWS AT A GLANCE

  1. The World Computer Literacy Day is observed annually on 2nd December to create awareness and drive digital literacy in underserved communities worldwide.
  2. In India, the National Pollution Control Day is observed every year on December 2 to commemorate the life of people lost in the unfortunate incident of Bhopal Gas Tragedy that occurred in the year 1984 on the night of 2–3 December.
  3. The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery is observed annually on 2nd December since 1986 by the United Nations General Assembly.
  4. Guru Nanak Jayanti is a festival of the Sikh community.
  5. In its latest economic outlook report, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has marginally raised its GDP forecast for India to a contraction of 9.9% in 2020-21 (FY21) from its earlier projection of (-)10.2% in September 2020.
  6. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India have signed a USD 132.8 million loan agreement for Meghalaya Power Distribution Sector Improvement Project.
  7. A booklet titled ‘PM Modi and his Government’s special relationship with Sikhs’ was released, on the occasion of birth anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
  8. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the opening ceremony of the NH-19 Varanasi-Prayagrajpart of the six-lane expansion project in Varanasi.
  9. India is seeking its own development and production self-reliance
  10. The Centre has announced the third stimulus package of Rs 900 crore for the Mission COVID Suraksha- The Indian COVID-19 Vaccine Development Mission.
  11. The city’s first “child-friendly” police station was inaugurated at the cantonment police station in Pune, premises by Abhay Karandikar, director, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT).
  12. The Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar recently unveiled a new initiative called Sahakar Pragya.
  13. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat inaugurated the Suryadhar lake at Doiwala in Dehradun on 29 November 2020.
  14. The Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, Shri Arjun Munda, launched the first-ever virtual edition of Aadi Mahotsav – Madhya Pradesh on 01 December 2020.
  15. Footwear major Bata Shoe Organization has appointed Sandeep Kataria as the new global Chief Executive Officer (CEO) on 30 November 2020, with immediate effect.
  16. The Union Minister of State for Communication Sanjay Dhotre launched five-star village postal scheme to ensure the universal coverage of flagship postal schemes in Dehradun for rural areas of Uttarakhand.
  17. Madhya Pradesh did not see a significant increase in the number of HIV patients in the last two years.
  18. The World Malaria Report, 2020 was recently released by the World Health Organisation.
  19. The Government of India recently signed 133 million USD loan Agreement with the Asian Development Bank.
  20. The Government of India has appointed Varsha Joshi as the interim Chairperson of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB),
  21. The AI and Robotics Park (ARTPARK) established in Bangalore will promote the innovation of AI and robotics by implementing ambitious mission model R&D projects in the fields of healthcare, education, transportation, infrastructure, agriculture, retail and networking, thereby contributing to society Make an impact-Security focuses on issues unique to India.
  22. Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat, Abhay Bhardwaj died due to Covid19 in a Chennai hospital.

NEWS IN DETAILS

IMPORTANT DAYS AND THEMES

World Computer Literacy Day observed on 02 December

  • The World Computer Literacy Day is observed annually on 2nd December to create awareness and drive digital literacy in underserved communities worldwide.
  • The day was originally founded by the Indian computer company NIIT to mark its 20th anniversary in 2001.

National Pollution Control Day observed on 02 December

  • In India, the National Pollution Control Day is observed every year on December 2 to commemorate the life of people lost in the unfortunate incident of Bhopal Gas Tragedy that occurred in the year 1984 on the night of 2–3 December.
  • The year 2020 marks the 36th anniversary of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy.
  • Through this day, awareness is created about the rising pollution of air, water, and soil, as well as shifts the attention of people with regards to the pollution control acts.

International Day for the Abolition of Slavery observed on 02 December

  • The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery is observed annually on 2nd December since 1986 by the United Nations General Assembly.
  • Objective: Eradicating contemporary forms of slavery, such as trafficking in persons, sexual exploitation, the worst forms of child labour, forced marriage, and the forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict.

Guru Nanak Jayanti is Observed on 30 November

  • Guru Nanak Jayanti is a festival of the Sikh community.
  • It is held to commemorate the birth of Guru Nanak Dev.
  • He is believed to be born in Poornima (full moon) in Kartika (the 8th month of the Indian calendar), November 30, 2020.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

OECD Projects India’s FY21 GDP at -9.9%, & Forecasts Global GDP at -4.2% in 2020

  • In its latest economic outlook report, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has marginally raised its GDP forecast for India to a contraction of 9.9% in 2020-21 (FY21) from its earlier projection of (-)10.2% in September 2020.
  • OECD expects the GDP to rebound to 8% in 2021-22 (FY22) and 5% in 2022-23 (FY23).
  • In terms of global economy, OECD expects the world GDP to contract 4.2% in 2020. This estimate was (-)4.5 percent in September forecast.
  • OECD has also projected the world economy to grow by 4.2 percent in 2021 from earlier forecast of 5 percent.
  • For 2022, Global GDP is projected at 3.7%.

ADB & India sign $132.8 million loan agreement to strengthen power distribution sector in Meghalaya

  • The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India have signed a USD 132.8 million loan agreement for Meghalaya Power Distribution Sector Improvement Project.
  • The project aims to strengthen and modernize the distribution network and improve the quality of power supplied to households, industries, and businesses in the north-eastern state of Meghalaya.

NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS

Ministry of I&B release booklet on birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji

  • A booklet titled ‘PM Modi and his Government’s special relationship with Sikhs’ was released, on the occasion of birth anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
  • It has been produced by Bureau of Outreach Communication under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and is released in three languages Hindi, Punjabi and English.
  • The booklet was jointly inaugurated by the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shri Prakash Javadekar and Union Minister for Civil Aviation and Housing and Urban Affairs Shri Hardeep Singh Puri.

PM Inaugurates Six-Lane Widening Project of The Varanasi-Prayagraj Section Of NH-19

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the opening ceremony of the NH-19 Varanasi-Prayagrajpart of the six-lane expansion project in Varanasi.
  • The newly widened and six-lane NH-19 has a total length of 73 kilometres and a total investment of Rs 24.47 billion, which is expected to reduce the travel time between Prayagraj and Varanasi by one hour.
  • Dev Deepawali has become the “world-famous light and passion” festival in Varanasi, and is celebrated every Poornima in Kartik month.
  • PM Modi will also attend ‘Dev Deepawali’, undertake a site visit of Kashi Vishwanath Temple Corridor Project and also visit the Sarnath Archaeological Site.

India Become Pharmacy Of The World

  • India is seeking its own development and production self-reliance.
  • While there are at least five pharmaceutical companies in India engaged in vaccine development, the Pune Serological Institute has been selected as a mass producer of the
  • The government has activated a strong Covid-19 vaccine production and delivery ecosystem to meet demand.

Govt. announces Rs 900 crore package for COVID-19 Vaccine Development Mission

  • The Centre has announced the third stimulus package of Rs 900 crore for the Mission COVID Suraksha- The Indian COVID-19 Vaccine Development Mission.
  • This grant will be provided to the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) for Research and Development of Indian COVID-19 vaccines with end-to-end focus from preclinical development through clinical development and manufacturing and regulatory facilitation for deployment.
  • It would consolidate all available and funded resources towards an accelerated product development.
  • The Ministry of Science and Technology said that this will help accelerate development of approximately 5 to 6 vaccine candidates.

“Child-friendly” police station launched in Pune

  • The city’s first “child-friendly” police station was inaugurated at the cantonment police station in Pune, premises by Abhay Karandikar, director, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT).
  • This police station will work towards character building among children and will also work in changing the notion that police are not enemies but friends of people.
  • The child friendly police station houses books and and toys and will also work towards character building among children.

Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launches “Sahakar Pragya” initiative

  • The Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar recently unveiled a new initiative called Sahakar Pragya.
  • Sahakar Pragya is an initiative of National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), to help in capacity development of the cooperative sector in India, through the training programme.
  • Under this initiative, 45 new training modules have been developed for the farmers and would be imparted to primary cooperative societies in rural areas of the country by NCDC.

STATE CURRENT AFFAIRS

Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat Inaugurates Suryadhar Lake in Dehradun

  • Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat inaugurated the Suryadhar lake at Doiwala in Dehradun on 29 November 2020.
  • The Suryadhar lake is located at the trijunction of Haridwar, Rishikesh and Dehradun, and has been built at a cost of Rs 50.25 crore.
  • It is 550 metres long, 28 metres wide and 10 metres deep with a capacity of 77,000 cubic metres.

Union Minister Arjun Munda e-launches first-ever Virtual Aadi Mahotsav with focus on Madhya Pradesh

  • The Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, Shri Arjun Munda, launched the first-ever virtual edition of Aadi Mahotsav – Madhya Pradesh on 01 December 2020.
  • The 10-day long festival, will begin from December 1, 2020.
  • It is being hosted on the Tribes India website – www.tribesindia.com.
  • The main focus of the first virtual Aadi Mahotsav is on the tribal craft and culture of Madhya Pradesh.
  • The next focus state of the programme would be Gujarat (from 11th December 2020), followed by West Bengal from the 21st December, 2020.

Sandeep Kataria becomes first Indian to be appointed as global CEO of Bata

  • Footwear major Bata Shoe Organization has appointed Sandeep Kataria as the new global Chief Executive Officer (CEO) on 30 November 2020, with immediate effect.
  • Kataria is the first Indian to be appointed to the global role of Bata (Headquarter-Lausanne, Switzerland).
  • He takes over from Alexis Nasard, who has stepped down after almost five years in the role.
  • Before this, Kataria was the CEO of Bata India since 2017.
  • Under Kataria, Bata India managed to transform into the largest footwear retailer in India within a relatively short span.

Five-star village postal scheme launched in Uttarakhand

  • The Union Minister of State for Communication Sanjay Dhotre launched five-star village postal scheme to ensure the universal coverage of flagship postal schemes in Dehradun for rural areas of Uttarakhand.
  • He also distributed Sukanya Samridhi Yojana passbooks, checkbooks, ATM Cards and saving bank passbooks to the beneficiaries of senior citizens welfare fund schemes.

Madhya Pradesh Aims to completely eliminate AIDS by 2030

  • Madhya Pradesh did not see a significant increase in the number of HIV patients in the last two years.
  • As per Union health ministry report issued this September 20, the state reported 0.59 lakh patients in 2018 and the government aims to completely eliminate AIDS by 2030
  • The highest number 12 thousand 773 patients reported in Indore.
  • Bhopal is at number two with more than 7 thousand patients. Jabalpur has around 6 thousand patients while Gwalior has more than 3 thousand HIV patients.
  • The highest 68 percent HIV infected people belong to the age group of 25 to 49 years.

RANKS AND INDICES

World Malaria Report, 2020

  • The World Malaria Report, 2020 was recently released by the World Health Organisation.
  • As per the report, India recorded the largest reduction in malaria cases in South East Asia. The case count has reduced from 20 million in 2000 to around 5.6 million in 2019.
  • India is the largest contributor of Malaria cases in the south-east Asia region. Around 88% of Malaria cases in the region are from India.
  • India has reduced the Malaria cases by 21% between 2018 and 2019.

AGREEMENTS AND MOU SIGNED

ADB Loan for Meghalaya Power Distribution Sector

  • The Government of India recently signed 133 million USD loan Agreement with the Asian Development Bank.
  • Agreement was signed to strengthen the power distribution sector in the state of Meghalaya. Also, the loan is to be supplemented with a 2 million USD grant from the Asian Development Bank Japan fund for poverty reduction.
  • This fund was basically allocated to finance renewable energy projects and support income generation activities for disadvantaged groups and women.
  • It is to be used to finance renewable energy mini-grids to improve power quality.

APPOINTMENTS IN NEWS

Senior IAS officer Varsha Joshi Appointed as Interim Chairperson of NDDB

  • The Government of India has appointed Varsha Joshi as the interim Chairperson of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), (NDDB Headquarter: Anand, Gujarat).
  • Her appointment will be effective from December 1, 2020.
  • She replaces incumbent Dilip Rath, whose tenure as Chairman of NDDB ended on November 30, 2020.
  • Prior to this, Joshi, (an IAS officer of 1995 batch, AGMUT cadre), was the Joint Secretary (CDD), Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY CURRENT AFFAIRS

ARTPARK Will Promote Technology Innovations in AI

  • The AI and Robotics Park (ARTPARK) established in Bangalore will promote the innovation of AI and robotics by implementing ambitious mission model R&D projects in the fields of healthcare, education, transportation, infrastructure, agriculture, retail and networking, thereby contributing to society Make an impact-Security focuses on issues unique to India.
  • ARTPARK (AI and Robotics Technology Park) is a joint initiative of the Indian Institute of Science and AI Foundry, which established Section 8 Corporation (a non-profit organization) and received a seed fund from the Ministry of Science & Technology of India.
  • It is set up as the premier research translation park with a global collaborative ecosystem.
  • It is being incubated at the Robert Bosch Cyber Physics System Center at IISc.

OBITUARY

Rajya Sabha MP Abhay Bhardwaj passes away

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