Current Affairs Today 5th December 2020-Download in PDF

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Current Affairs Today – 5th December 2020

NEWS AT A GLANCE

  1. December 5 is celebrated as World Soil Day to bring people’s focus and attention on the importance of healthy soil as well as stress on the importance of sustainable management of soil resources. The theme of World Soil day 2020 is “Keep soil alive, protect soil biodiversity”.
  2. International Volunteer Day is observed on 5th December of every year
  3. Fitch Ratings has affirmed State Bank of India’s (SBI’s) long-term issuer default rating at BBB-minus with a negative outlook.
  4. The benchmark equity indices on the BSE and National Stock Exchange (NSE) scaled new highs during the morning trade following the outcome of the meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) where the central bank kept its repo and reverse repo rates unchanged.
  5. Mumbai Trans Harbour Link project likely to be completed by 2022
  6. Cyclone Burevi continued to hover over the Gulf of Mannar near the Ramanathan district coast
  7. External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar held a virtual conversation with Roberto Alvarez, Foreign Minister of Dominican Republic.
  8. Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) celebrated its 63rd Founding Day on 4th december.
  9. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for the new Parliament building on December 10, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced in New Delhi , minutes after he met the PM to formally invite him.
  10. The Narendra Modi government has taken several measures with an aim to transform the agriculture sector in the country and raise farmers’ income.
  11. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, the government is committed to strengthen science and technology education in the country.
  12. In the battle against the ongoing pandemic, ZECO Aircon Limited, a leading Indian manufacturer of air management systems, in collaboration with RGF Environmental Group, a US-based environmental design and manufacturing company, has successfully tested its REME along with PHI technology with CCMB-CSIR laboratory, as per ICMR directives
  13. Karnataka government is in process of bringing bills against “love jihad and cow slaughter
  14. Anil Vij had volunteered to participate in the Covaxin vaccine’s human phase trials, in which over 25,000 persons were administered trial doses.
  15. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said Dharma Swatantrya (Religious Freedom) Bill 2020 (the bill against love jihad) is the state’s Beti Bachao Abhiyan.
  16. Every year, India celebrates December 4 as Navy Day to commemorate Operation Trident – a key offensive during the 1971 India-Pakistan War, when the Indian Navy inflicted heavy damage on Pakistani vessels in Karachi harbour. The same day also marks the end of Navy Week, which, too, is celebrated annually.
  17. Jharkhand has become the latest state to go for Option-1 to meet the revenue shortfall arising out of the GST implementation.
  18. US President-elect Joe Biden has selected two former Obama administration officials for senior roles to help fight COVID-19, including the appointment of Jeff Zients as White House coronavirus coordinator.
  19. The World Health Organization hopes to have half a billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines available for distribution by the global COVAX initiative in the first quarter of 2021.
  20. The Minister of Science and Technology and Vice President of Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Dr Harsh Vardhan virtually inaugurated the 2nd TCGA 2020 conference in New Delhi.
  21. The Indian Navy (IN) is undertaking a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with Russian Federation Navy (RuFN) in the Eastern Indian Ocean Region (IOR) from 4 to 5 December 2020.
  22. The Union Environment Ministry has constituted a high-level inter-ministerial apex committee for Implementation of Paris Agreement (AIPA) under the chairmanship of Secretary, MoEFCC. to ensure that India is “on track” towards meeting its obligations under the Paris Agreement.
  23. The administrator of Lakshadweep Dineshwar Sharma passed away

NEWS IN DETAILS

IMPORTANT DAYS AND THEMES

December 5: World Soil Day

  • Every year December 5 is celebrated as World Soil Day to bring people’s focus and attention on the importance of healthy soil as well as stress on the importance of sustainable management of soil resources
  • The theme of World Soil day 2020, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) campaign, is “Keep soil alive, protect soil biodiversity”. By encouraging people around the world to engage in proactively improving soil health, the campaign aims to fight soil biodiversity loss.

December 5: International Volunteer Day

  • International Volunteer Day is observed on 5th December of every year
  • This day is a unique chance for volunteers and organizations to celebrate the efforts of volunteers and to share their values, and to promote their work among their communities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), United Nations agencies, government authorities and the private sector.

Banking & Finance

Fitch affirms SBI’s IDR at BBB-minus with negative outlook

Fitch Ratings has affirmed State Bank of India’s (SBI’s) long-term issuer default rating at BBB-minus with a negative outlook.

  • The agency has also affirmed the bank’s viability rating at bb, support rating floor at BBB-minus and support rating at 2.
  • The negative outlook on SBI’s IDR mirrors the outlook on India’s sovereign rating of BBB-minus which was revised to negative from stable on June 18 due to the impact of the escalating coronavirus pandemic on India’s economy.
  • The operating environment for Indian banks remains challenging despite a moderate revival in economic activity due to gradual easing of the lockdown since May.
  • Fitch revised India’s fiscal year ending March 2021 real GDP to minus 10.5 per cent from minus 5 per cent in September but expects India’s real GDP to rebound to 11 per cent in FY22 but largely as a result of the low base.

Extra Shots:

Fitch

HQ: New York, United States

Sensex breaches 45,000 mark as RBI keeps repo rate unchanged

  • The benchmark equity indices on the BSE and National Stock Exchange (NSE) scaled new highs during the morning trade following the outcome of the meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) where the central bank kept its repo and reverse repo rates unchanged.
  • The S&P BSE Sensex breached the 45,000-mark for the first time ever to touch 45,023.79, while the broader Nifty 50 touched its fresh high at 13,248.25 during the intraday trade

Extra Shots

National Stock Exchange HQ: Mumbai

National

Mumbai Trans Harbour Link project likely to be completed by 2022

  • Mumbai Trans Harbour Link project likely to be completed by 2022
  • The project aims to facilitate decongestion of the island city by improving connectivity between island city and the navi mumbai and development of navi-mumbai region
  • Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has undertaken the implementation of the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link Project, Connecting Sewri on Mumbai side to Chirle on Navi Mumbai side.

Extra Shots:

  • Maharashtra CM: Uddhav Thackarey
  • Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari

Cyclone Burevi ‘practically stationary’ over Rameswaram for 30 hrs, likely to weaken in 12 hrs

Cyclone Burevi continued to hover over the Gulf of Mannar near the Ramanathan district coast

  • The depression is likely to remain in the same state over the region and weaken into a well-marked low pressure area in 12 hrs
  • Severe waterlogging in various parts of Tamil Nadu’s Rameshwaram and Pondicherry witnessed following heavy rainfall in the region

Extra Shots:

  • Tamil Nadu CM: Edappadi K Palanisamy
  • Governor: Banwarilal Purohit

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar holds virtual conversation with Foreign Minister of Dominican Republic

  • External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar held a virtual conversation with Roberto Alvarez, Foreign Minister of Dominican Republic.
  • They discussed expanding business, increasing capacity building and training and working on health and digital cooperation.

Directorate of Revenue Intelligence celebrates its 63rd Founding Day on 4th  December 2020

  • Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) celebrated its 63rd Founding Day on 4th december.
  • In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, this time the celebration will be done virtually in the presence of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman along with Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur.
  • As part of this year’s Founding Day celebrations, a panel discussion on Trade Based Money Laundering is also being organised through video conferencing.

PM Modi to lay foundation stone for new Parliament building on December 10

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for the new Parliament building on December 10, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced in New Delhi , minutes after he met the PM to formally invite him.
  • The 64,500 sq m new building will replace the 93 years old existing parliament house and will be constructed at an estimated cost of ₹971 crore, dubbing the proposed complex as a prime example of “Atmanirbhar Bharat” — a flagship initiative of the Modi government .
  • The Speaker and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led government is hopeful to inaugurate the building in 2022 when the India celebrates its 75th year of Independence.

New farm Acts aim to transform agriculture sector & raise farmers’ income

  • The Narendra Modi government has taken several measures with an aim to transform the agriculture sector in the country and raise farmers’ income.
  • The government has recently implemented new farm Acts in this direction which include Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020.

The key objective of Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion & Facilitation) Act of 2020 is to eliminate middlemen who pocketed most of the farmers’ productive incomes.

  • It also aims at ending the monopoly of buyers’ cartels that fleeced farmers’ income in the mandis.Through the path breaking historic reforms, the farmers in the country  have been for the first time, given the freedom to sell their produce wherever they could demand a better price.
  • The three crucial farmer-oriented and progressive legislations allow farmers to trade their produce online. Above all, the new legislations do not change the existing system of MSP and Mandis in any way, leaving the prerogative of choice solely on the farmers.
  • Setting up of APMCs are controlled by the State Governments and the new Central legislations only give the farmers free and viable options to market and sell their produce.
  • And all this comes with an added advantage of sufficient safeguard mechanism which can be accessed by the farmers right at the sub divisional level ensuring dispute resolution both accessible and cost effective.

Govt is Committed to strengthening science and technology education in the country

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, the government is committed to strengthen science and technology education in the country.
  • Delivering his Keynote address at IIT 2020 Global Summit organised by PanIIT USA, Mr Modi said, in recent times, a culture of hackathons is developing in India and in these, young minds are giving outstanding solutions to national and global problems.
  • The government has been working with various countries in South East Asia  and Europe in this area
  • The aim is to ensure that youngsters get an international platform to showcase their skills and learn from best practices globally.

As per ICMR directives, REME – PHI technology successfully tested: capable of combating SARS CoV-2 virus

  • In the battle against the ongoing pandemic, ZECO Aircon Limited, a leading Indian manufacturer of air management systems, in collaboration with RGF Environmental Group, a US-based environmental design and manufacturing company, has successfully tested its REME along with PHI technology with CCMB-CSIR laboratory, as per ICMR directives
  • The technology was found capable of neutralizing active SARS-CoV-2 virus by 97.48% at 15 minutes of activation of REME -PHI Cell on surfaces.
  • The test was performed in short intervals of 15 minutes each and the same viral reduction was observed by the laboratory for up to 60 minutes. The experiment was completed in duplicates and the values were averaged to calculate % viral reduction.

Extra Shots

ICMR HQ: New Delhi

State News

Karnataka govt to bring bills against ‘love jihad’, cow slaughter

  • Karnataka government is in process of bringing bills against “love jihad and cow slaughter.
  • Many states have already brought in the bills.
  • Karnataka are also in the process of bringing bills against ‘love jihad’ and to impose a ban on cow slaughter.
  • The issue of “love jihad” has been on the boil after the death of a 21-year-old college student\ who was shot point-blank outside her college allegedly by a stalker and his friend in Ballabgarh in October.

Extra Shots

Karnataka CM: B.SYediyurappa

Governor: Vajubhai Vala

Two weeks after getting first Covaxin trial shot in Haryana, Anil Vij tests positive for COVID-19

  • Anil Vij had volunteered to participate in the Covaxin vaccine’s human phase trials, in which over 25,000 persons were administered trial doses.
  • On November 20, Vij was the first in Haryana to participate in Covaxin’s trials. Besides Vij, over 400 persons from Haryana, including Rohtak PGIMS’ Vice Chancellor Dr. OP Kalra, too participated in the third phase human trials and took the vaccine shot.
  • A team of Rohtak Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences had administered the vaccine to Vij at Ambala Cantonment’s civil hospital
  • He was stated to be the first cabinet minister of any state government who has volunteered to take the trial dose of a potential vaccine against COVID-19.

Dharma Swatantrya Bill is MP’s beti bachao abhiyan: CM Chouhan

  • Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said Dharma Swatantrya (Religious Freedom) Bill 2020 (the bill against love jihad) is the state’s Beti Bachao Abhiyan.
  • It is easy to mislead young girls with malicious intent.Later, their life becomes hell.
  • Dharma Swatantrya (Religious Freedom) Bill 2020 is our beti bachao abhiyan.
  • The Bill will ensure that no religious conversion is carried out forcefully, or by tempting someone or through marriage.
  • Religious conversion after hiding one’s own religion will attract 3-10 years of imprisonment and a minimum Rs 50,000 fine. Mass religious conversion (2 or more people) will attract 5-10 years of imprisonment and a minimum fine of Rs 1 Lakh.

Extra Shots

Madhya Pradesh CM: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Governor: ANandiben Patel

Mumbai:’Swarnim Vijay Varsh’ celebrations inaugurated on Navy Day

  • Every year, India celebrates December 4 as Navy Day to commemorate Operation Trident – a key offensive during the 1971 India-Pakistan War, when the Indian Navy inflicted heavy damage on Pakistani vessels in Karachi harbour. The same day also marks the end of Navy Week, which, too, is celebrated annually.
  • The Navy plans to celebrate 2021 as ‘Swarnim Vijay Varsh’ as part of commemorating the 50th anniversary of the victory in the 1971 War.
  • On December 4, under Operation Trident, the Indian Navy sank three vessels near the Pakistani port city of Karachi. The stars of the mission were the then-recently acquired Soviet Osa missile boats, fitted with 4 SS-N-2 (P-15) Styx missiles.

Jharkhand joins ‘Option 1’ to bridge GST Compensation Shortfall; Now all 28 States and 3 Union Territories with legislature on board to go for Option-1

  • Jharkhand has become the latest state to go for Option-1 to meet the revenue shortfall arising out of the GST implementation.
  • Jharkhand will get 1,689 crore rupees through a special borrowing window to meet the GST implementation shortfall.
  • Permission to raise additional 1,765 crore rupees through borrowings has also been issued to Jharkhand.  With this, all the 28 States and three Union Territories with legislature have decided to go for Option-1
  • Under the terms of Option-1, states and Union territories will get the facility of a special window for borrowings to meet the shortfall arising out of GST implementation and are entitled to get unconditional permission to borrow the final instalment of 0.50 percent of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) out of the 2 percent additional borrowings permitted by the government under Aatmanirbhar Abhiyaan in May this year.

Extra shots:

Jharkhand CM: Hemant SOren

Governor: Draupadi Murmu

International

Joe Biden picks Vivek Murthy as Surgeon General

  • US President-elect Joe Biden has selected two former Obama administration officials for senior roles to help fight COVID-19, including the appointment of Jeff Zients as White House coronavirus coordinator.
  • Biden adviser Vivek Murthy will return to his role as Surgeon General but with a broader portfolio as the pandemic rages through the country.
  • Current White House coronavirus task force member Anthony Fauci, the top US government infectious diseases expert, was scheduled to have his first substantive talks with the new administration.
  • Fauci told media he expected to have a comprehensive discussion with members of Biden’s team working to establish priorities and ensure a smooth transition on Inauguration Day

WHO hopes to have half a billion vaccine doses via COVAX scheme in first-quarter 2021

  • The World Health Organization hopes to have half a billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines available for distribution by the global COVAX initiative in the first quarter of 2021.
  • To date 189 countries have joined the COVAX programme, which is backed by the WHO and seeks to ensure equitable distribution of vaccines. The United States is not among them, having secured bilateral deals. The initial COVAX plan is to vaccinate 20% of populations at highest risk, including health workers and people aged over 65.
  • Soumya Swaminathan said that the goal is to get at least 2 billion doses by the end of 2021 which will be enough to vaccinate 20% of the populations of countries that are part of COVAX. This would be enough to bring to an end the acute phase of the pandemic by reducing mortality and the impact on health systems
  • WHO hopes that in the first quarter of 2021, about half a billion doses would be available to be distributed across the countries.
  • Towards the end of the first quarter of 2021, some countries can start expecting doses. It is likely that a few countries may start earlier.
  • COVAX is co-led by the GAVI vaccines alliance, the WHO and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).

Extra Shots

WHO HQ: Geneva, Switzerland

Summits & Conferences

Dr Harsh Vardhan virtually inaugurates 2nd cancer Genome Atlas conference 2020

  • The Minister of Science and Technology and Vice President of Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Dr Harsh Vardhan virtually inaugurated the 2nd TCGA 2020 conference in New Delhi.
  • TCGA is a landmark cancer genomics program that molecularly characterized over 20,000 primary cancer and matched normal samples spanning 33 cancer types.
  • This joint effort between the US- National Cancer Institute and the National Human Genome Research Institute began in 2006, bringing together researchers from diverse disciplines and multiple institutions.

Defence News

PASSEX conducted by Indian Navy and Russian Navy

  • The Indian Navy (IN) is undertaking a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with Russian Federation Navy (RuFN) in the Eastern Indian Ocean Region (IOR) from 4 to 5 December 2020.
  • The exercise involves participation of RuFN guided missile cruiser Varyag, large anti-submarine ship AdmiralPanteleyev and medium ocean tanker Pechenga.
  • IN is being represented by indigenously constructed guided missile frigate Shivalik and anti-submarine corvetteKadmattalongwith integral helicopters.
  • The exercise is aimed at enhancing interoperability, improving understanding and imbibing best practices between both the friendly navies, and would involve advanced surface and anti-submarine warfare exercises, weapon firings, seamanship exercises and helicopter operations.
  • This exercise is being conducted on the occasion of ‘Navy Day’ of the IN on 4th December, which emphasizes the strong bonds of friendship shared between the two friendly militaries.
  • This PASSEX would be another step towards strengthening Indo-Russian defence relations.
  • The two navies have built a robust relationship through regular exercises such as INDRA Navy conducted biennially, with the last edition held in the Northern Indian Ocean Region from 4 to 5 September 2020

Committees

A panel formed to oversee India’s paris climate goals

  • The Union Environment Ministry has constituted a high-level inter-ministerial apex committee for Implementation of Paris Agreement (AIPA) under the chairmanship of Secretary, MoEFCC. to ensure that India is “on track” towards meeting its obligations under the Paris Agreement.
  • The committee will also act as a national authority for the regulation of carbon markets in India.
  • Points to remember:
  • The purpose of AIPA is to “ensure a coordinated response to climate change issues to protect the country’s interests, and ensure that India fulfils its climate change obligations under the Paris Agreement as planned, including its nationally determined contributions ( NDC)”.
  • NDC is the embodiment of voluntary efforts made by some countries of the Paris Agreement to decrease greenhouse gas and mitigate the effects of human-made climate change.

The National Data Center will be implemented after 2020.

India submitted its National Data Center in 2015.
The three quantitative goals of the Indian National Data Center are:
i) By 2030, the emission intensity of GDP will be reduced by 33-35% compared to 2005.
ii) By 2030, electricity based on non-fossil fuels will account for 40%.
iii) Through the afforestation plan, carbon storage of 250-300 million tons of carbon dioxide will be established.

Obituary

Lakshadweep Administrator Dineshwar Sharma Passes away

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