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Current Affairs Today – 7th December 2021

NEWS AT A GLANCE

CURRENT AFFAIRS : DAYS

In Maharashtra Journalist Day Observed on January 6

• The Journalist Day is observed by the Maharashtra state government on 6th January every year.
• This day was celebrated in memory of late journalist Balshastri Jambhekar.

About Balshastri Jambhekar :

• Balshastri Jambhekar is also known as Father of Marathi journalism for his efforts in starting journalism in Marathi language with the first newspaper in the language named Darpan in the early days of British Rule in India.
• The first issue of Darpan was published on 6 January 1832.
• The newspaper was printed both in English and Marathi languages in two separate columns.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : NATIONAL NEWS

Toycathon 2021 launched to promote manufacturing of indigenous toys

• Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ and Union Minister for Textiles and Women & Child Development Smriti Zubin Irani jointly launched the Toycathon
• Aim : This Toycathon is aimed to conceptualize innovative toys based on the Indian value system which will inculcate the positive behaviour and good value among the children.
• The Toycathon will majorly focus on conceptualizing new and innovative toys using local material which are economical, affordable, safe and environment friendly.
• The grand finale of the event will be organized from 23rd to 25th of February.
• There will be two categories for the Toycathon, one is for online toys and another for physical toys.
• The ‘Toycathon’ will have three variants of tracks Junior Level, Senior Level and Startup Level and will allow participation of students and teachers from schools, colleges and universities, apart from start-ups and toy experts.

And then The Toycathon will be based on Nine themes :

1. Indian culture, history, knowledge of India and ethos
2. Learning, education and schooling
3. Social and human values
4. Occupations & specific fields
5. Environment;
6. Divyang
7. Fitness and sport
8. Out of the box, creative and logical thinking
9. Rediscovering/redesigning traditional Indian toys.

India sets up high-level group for South Asia energy security

• The government has set up a high-level group headed by former Union power secretary Ram Vinay Shahi and tasked it with helping build a South Asia-focused energy security architecture.
• The high-level group, named the South Asia Group for Energy (SAGE), has been set up under the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)-run think tank Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS).
• The objective is to achieve a balanced and optimal development of energy infrastructure through mutual understanding and cooperation. SAGE will have the role of promoting, initiating and facilitating effective policy dialogue and capacity building on bilateral, sub-regional and regional basis for energy and related issues, among South Asian countries.”

The other members of SAGE :

• Amar Sinha, former economic relations secretary in the MEA and India’s former ambassador to Afghanistan
• Preeti Saran, former secretary east in MEA
• Chandan Kumar Mondol, director commercial at NTPC Ltd, India’s largest power generation utility
• Rakesh Nath, former chairman of Central Electricity Authority, the apex power sector planning body
• Anil Sardana, managing director, Adani Power
• Deepak Amitabh, chairman and managing director, PTC India Ltd, the country’s largest electricity trader.

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal launches Freight Business Development Portal

• Railway Minister Piyush Goyal launched a Freight Business Development Portal as a one stop solution for all the needs of freight customers.
• The new portal will be a game changer in ensuring ease of doing business with Railways.
• The portal will ensure that best services are available to the clients.
• The portal has been designed to replace physical processes with online ones to minimize the need of human to human interaction.
• The portal can be accessed by logging on to Indian Railways web site https://indianrailways.gov.in/ or https://www.fois.indianrail.gov.in/RailSAHAY

CURRENT AFFAIRS : INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Argentine filmmaker Pablo Cesar to head 51st IFFI”s International Jury

• The 51st edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will be held in Goa from January 16 to January 24, 2021.
• The Information and Broadcasting Ministry stated that the Jury will comprise Pablo Cesar of Argentina as Chairman, Prasanna Vithanage of Sri Lanka, Abu Bakr Shawky of  Austria, Priyadarshan of India  and  Rubaiyat Hossain of  Bangladesh.
• IFFI takes place in Goa from November 20-28 every year, but has been postponed due to the Covid-19.
• A total of 224 films will be screened at the 51st IFFI under different sections.

About Pablo Cesar :

• Pablo Cesar is an Argentine filmmaker.
• He has contributed to the African cinema by making the critically acclaimed films, Equinox, the Garden of the Roses, Los dioses de agua and Aphrodite, the Garden of the Perfumes.

Boris Johnson cancels Republic Day visit as UK locks down

• British Prime Minister Boris Johnson cancelled his Republic Day visit to India later this month, citing the need to oversee the Covid-19 pandemic response at home. The development comes as Britain began its third Covid-19 lockdown.
• Mr Johnson’s government has announced a complete lockdown for England’s 56 million people, which could last until mid-February.
• Johnson would have been the sixth leader from the UK to be Chief Guest at the Republic Day celebrations. The last British leader to be Chief Guest was Prime Minister John Major in 1993.

About UK :

• Capital : London
• Currency : Pound Sterling

CURRENT AFFAIRS : STATE NEWS

UP Govt Launches ‘Kisan Kalyan Mission’; Invokes Campaign To Double Farmers’ Income

• On January 6, 2021, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath’s government will launch an initiative named ‘Kisan Kalyan Mission’
• This is mainly for  double the income of farmers of the state.
• The 3-week long campaign for the welfare of farmers will be organised in every development block of all 75 districts.
• Under the mission to be launched by the Uttar Pradesh government, many departments of the state government such as Horticulture, Mandi Parishad, animal husbandry, sugarcane food and supply, fisheries, and Panchayati Raj will be working together.
• It will help the farmers in getting benefit from the various schemes of the centre such as PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, Kisan Credit Cards, and PM Fasal Bima Yojana.

About UP :

• Capital : Lucknow
• Governor : Anandiben Patel
• Chief Minister : Yogi Adityanath

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING

IDBI Bank launches video KYC facility for opening savings bank accounts

• IDBI Bank announced the launch of video KYC account opening (VAO) facility for savings bank accounts.
• Through the facility, a customer can open a savings account with the lender from the convenience of his/her home or office as there are no physical forms to be filled or visits to be made to the branch.

About Video KYC :

• Video KYC is a quick and easy way to open savings accounts from the comforts of your home. It ensures that the online journey for opening savings accounts remains safe, simple, and fast eliminating the need to visit the branch for KYC.
• IDBI Bank has already launched its mobile banking application “I-Quick”, which allows its customers to avail themselves a range of services such as funds transfer, bill payment, mobile/DTH recharge, and an account view across savings, current account, fixed/recurring deposits, loans and demat.
• I Quick Account is an Aadhaar and PAN based instant Savings Account for our customers who do not have any existing Savings Account with IDBI Bank.

About IDBI Bank :

• CEO : Rakesh Sharma
• Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Deputy Managing Director : Suresh Khatanhar

World Bank signs $105 million project to improve waterways in West Bengal

• The Government of India and the Government of West Bengal and the World Bank signed a $105 million project to improve the inland water transport infrastructure in Kolkata, West Bengal.
• The $105 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), has a maturity of 17 years, including a grace period of 7 years.
• The West Bengal Inland Water Transport, Logistics and Spatial Development Project will facilitate passenger and freight movement across the Hooghly river; undertake spatial planning to improve accessibility in the Kolkata Metropolitan Area; enhance the quality of life of its residents; and contribute to the growth of the state’s logistics sector.
• The project will cover the five most populous districts of southern West Bengal, including its urban agglomeration  the Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA) where around 30 million people or one-third of West Bengal’s population live.

About The Project :

• In the first phase, the project will enhance the capacity and improve the safety of the Inland Water Transport system; including rehabilitating existing jetties, buying new ferries with enhanced design, and installing electric gates in 40 locations.
• In the second phase, it will support long-term investments for passenger movements, including in terminals and jetties; improve the design of the inland water transport vessels; ensure night navigation on the most hazardous and trafficked routes and crossing points; and encourage the private sector to invest in Ro-Ro vessels that will allow easier movement of trucks across the Hooghly river.
• To better cope with increased precipitation and flooding, climate-smart engineering solutions will be applied, including modular floating designs for ferry access points at the passenger terminals.
• In addition, the project will facilitate disable-friendly amenities, ensure women’s safety and encourage women’s employment in the IWT Department as well as with the ferry operators.

About West Bengal :

• Capital : Kolkata
• Governor : Jagdeep Dhankhar
• Chief Minister : Mamata Banerjee

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SUMMITS & CONFERENCES

Udyog Manthan: Government  organises webinars to promote quality, productivity in Indian industry

• Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry in association with Quality Council of India (QCI), National Productivity Council (NPC), Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and Industry Chambers is organising Udyog Manthan – a marathon of focused sector-specific webinars for promoting Quality and Productivity in Indian Industry.
• The webinars will commence from January 4 and conclude on March 2, 2021. Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal will address the participants on January 6, 2021.
• Each webinar will be a two-hour long session, involving discussions by sectoral and industry experts and will be live-streamed on Youtube for all those interested in following the sessions.
• This activity aims to draw in the best practices and experiences of the selected champion sectors, in order to identify challenges related to achieving quality and productivity faced by the Indian Industry with a view to arriving at a suggested way forward, thereby promoting the vision of ‘Vocal for Local’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiatives.
• The webinar series comprising 45 sessions will cover various major sectors in manufacturing and services

About Ministry of Commerce and Industry :

• Headquarters : New Delhi
• Minister of State : C.R.Chaudhary
• Minister : Piyush Goyal

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS

GJC elects Ashish Pethe as chairman, Saiyam Mehra as vice chairman

• The All India Gem and Jewellery Domestic Council (GJC), the national apex body of the gems and jewellery industry, has announced the appointment of Ashish Pethe as chairman and Saiyam Mehra as vice chairman for a period of two years.
• The entire e-Voting election process was conducted by an authorised independent person (Chief Election Authority), and the voting platform was created by a digital agency, both appointed by GJC.
• The voting process was for 5 days starting from 23rd to 27th December, 2020. The results were declared on 29thDecember, 2020.
• GJC represents over 6,00,000 players comprising manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, distributors, laboratories, gemologists, designers, and allied services to the domestic gems and jewellery industry.

About Ashish Pethe :

• Pethe has been closely associated with GJC and was the Zonal Chairman West, which he will continue even after this new position.
• He has spearheaded the National Jewellery Awards of GJC in 2020.
• He has been associated with the Gems and Jewellery industry for the past 25 years.

About Election Commission of India :

• Formed : 25 January, 1950
• Headquarters : New Delhi
• First Executive : Sukumar Sen
• Preceding Executive : Om Prakash Rawat

About All India Gem and Jewellery Domestic Council :

• Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Founded : 2005

Sanjay Kapoor elected All India Chess Federation president

• Sanjay Kapoor was elected president of the All India Chess Federation (AICF) while Bharat Singh Chauhan retained the secretary’s post .
• Kapoor, representing Uttar Pradesh Chess Association, defeated incumbent PR Venketrama Raja in a close contest. Kapoor received 33 votes as against 31 of Raja.
• Chauhan beat Ravindra Dongre 35-29.
• Naresh Sharma, belonging to the Chauhan faction, was elected as treasurer, beating Kishore Bandekar 34-30.
• Apart from the president, secretary and treasurer, six vice-presidents and six joint secretaries were also elected.

About All India Chess Federation :

• Headquarters : Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai.
• Founded : 1951
• President : P.R.V. Raja
• Secretary : Vijay Dashpandey

CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

Malayalam poet and lyricist Anil Panachooran passes away

• Malayalam poet and lyricist Anil Panachooran passed away. He was 51.

About  Anil Panachooran :

• Anil Panachooran was a lawyer by profession.
• He made his debut in the Malayalam film industry in 2005 with Makalkku, which was directed by Jayaraj.
• Besides writing lyrics for many hit songs, he also has a poetry collection in Malayalam literature.
• He has penned songs in films Bhramaram, Mulla, Cocktail, Madambi, Cycle and Velipadinte Pusthakam.
• He passed away while working on his first film as a director.

Achievements :

• He won the Filmfare award for best Lyricist 2008 and Asianet award for best Lyricist 2008 for Arabikatha, Kadha Parayumbol.

Mali ex-PM Modibo Keita Dies Aged 78

• Mali’s former prime minister Modibo Keita died at the age of 78.

 About Modibo Keita :

• Modibo Keita was one of six prime ministers to serve under President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who was ousted in a coup in August.
• He was head of government between 2015 to 2017. He was the third Prime Minister under President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, who was re-elected in 2018.
• From 2014 until his appointment as prime minister, Modibo Keita had been the president’s representative for peace talks between the government and Tuareg rebel groups waging an insurgency in the country’s conflict-ravaged north.
• Modibo Keïta had previously served as Transitional Prime Minister from March to June 2002 under Alpha Oumar Konare.
• Initially a school teacher, he held multiple positions in the administration and government of Mali, as Minister, Ambassador and Secretary General at the presidency.

About Mali :

• Capital : Bamako
• Currency : West African Communaute Financiere Africaine franc

Daily CA on Jan 05^th

• In 2002, Born Free USA in coordination with the Avian Welfare Coalitionlaunched the first annual National Bird Day to promote avian awareness.
• The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has capped the amount of trans fatty acids (TFA) in oils and fats to 3% for 2021 and 2% by 2022 from the current permissible limit of 5%.
• Indian Railways’ South Western Railway zone will start operating train services from Bengaluru city station to the newly built KIA, Devanahalli Railway halt station.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate the Kochi – Mangaluru Natural Gas Pipeline to the nation through video conference.
• India launched the 40th Scientific Expedition to Antarctica. This Indian expedition marks four decades of the country’s scientific endeavour to the southern white continent.
• The 51st International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will open on 16th January, with the Indian premiere of the movie ‘Another Round’ by Thomas Vinterberg.
• Delhi Government Department of Art, Culture, and Language has set up a Tamil Academy to Promote the language and culture of the southern state of Tamil Nadu.
• North Zone Cultural Centre, Patiala (Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India) and Jammu & Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture & Languages, Jammu is jointly organizing National Folk Dance Festival from December 26-28.
• Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade is organizing Udyog Manthan – a marathon of focused sector-specific webinars for promoting Quality and Productivity in Indian Industry.
• Digital channels of Prasar Bharati have registered more than 100 percent growth in 2020, with Pakistan being the second highest digital audience for Doordarshan (DD) and All India Radio (AIR).
• The US Congress has passed the Malala Yousafzai Scholarship Act which will expand the number of scholarships available to Pakistani women to receive higher education under a merit and needs-based programme.
• India has sent over six tons of relief material to Fiji for its cyclone-affected people, reflecting its close ties with the island nation in the South Pacific.
• Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has inaugurated a migrant worker cell of Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) at Udhna based iLab in Surat.
• In Madhya Pradesh, ‘Launch Pad Scheme’ is being started for boys and girls coming out of child care institutions and having completed 18 years of age.
• On January 04, Justice S Muralidhar took oath as the 32nd Chief Justice of Orissa High Court.
• Justice Vineet Kothari took oath as a Judge in Gujarat High Court.
• On January 04, 2021, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha administered the oath of office to Justice Pankaj Mithal as the new chief justice of the common high court for the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh.
• Indian Army has inked a contract with M/s Goa Shipyard Limited for 12 Fast Patrol Boats for surveillance and patrolling of large water bodies, including those in high altitude areas. Delivery would commence from May 2021.
• On December 31, 2020, Kolkata-based, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), delivered the last ship of the MK IV Landing Craft Utility (LCU) class vessel ‘IN LCU L-58’ (Yard 2099) to the Indian Navy.
• State-run Bank of Baroda announced the launch of banking services on messaging platform
• Indian Air Force Chief, Air Marshal R K S Bhadauria formally launched the IAF e-Governance (e-Office) portal in Vayu Bhavan, New Delhi.
• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide a USD 100 million (around Rs 730 crore) loan to modernise and upgrade the power distribution system in Bengaluru city.
• Bajaj Auto has become the first two-wheeler company in the world to cross a market capitalization of Rs 1 lakh crore, making it the most valuable two-wheeler maker.
• The world’s richest person made the single-largest charitable contribution in 2020, according to The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s annual list of top donations, a $10 billion gift that is intended to help fight climate change.
• The government is in the process to launch seaplane services on several routes, including Delhi-Ayodhya, in collaboration with the airline operators, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
• A 19-year-old Indian student in Singapore is keeping his options open on a startup named “TEAMLABS” he has built with four applications in his teenage while schooling.
• In an effort to bring about reforms in the Information Technology (IT) sector in Jammu and Kashmir, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC) and JK IT Infrastructure Development Company for establishing IT towers in the cities of Jammu and Srinagar.
• Former Maharashtra cabinet minister and seven-time Congress MLA Vilas Patil Undalkar He was 82.
• India’s 1975 hockey World Cup-winning and 1972 Olympics bronze winning team member Michael Kondo He was 73.

Daily CA on Jan 06^th

• The Journalist Day is observed by the Maharashtra state government on 6th January every year.This day was celebrated in memory of late journalist Balshastri Jambhekar.
• Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ and Union Minister for Textiles and Women & Child Development Smriti Zubin Irani jointly launched the Toycathon
• The government has set up a high-level group headed by former Union power secretary Ram Vinay Shahi and tasked it with helping build a South Asia-focused energy security architecture.
• Railway Minister Piyush Goyal launched a Freight Business Development Portal as a one stop solution for all the needs of freight customers.
• The 51st edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will be held in Goa from January 16 to January 24, 2021.
• British Prime Minister Boris Johnson cancelled his Republic Day visit to India later this month, citing the need to oversee the Covid-19 pandemic response at home. The development comes as Britain began its third Covid-19 lockdown.
• On January 6, 2021, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath’s government will launch an initiative named ‘Kisan Kalyan Mission’
• This is mainly for  double the income of farmers of the state.
• IDBI Bank announced the launch of video KYC account opening (VAO) facility for savings bank accounts.
• The Government of India and the Government of West Bengal and the World Bank signed a $105 million project to improve the inland water transport infrastructure in Kolkata, West Bengal.
• Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry in association with Quality Council of India (QCI), National Productivity Council (NPC), Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and Industry Chambers is organising Udyog Manthan – a marathon of focused sector-specific webinars for promoting Quality and Productivity in Indian Industry.
• The All India Gem and Jewellery Domestic Council (GJC), the national apex body of the gems and jewellery industry, has announced the appointment of Ashish Pethe as chairman and Saiyam Mehra as vice chairman for a period of two years.
• Sanjay Kapoor was elected president of the All India Chess Federation (AICF) while Bharat Singh Chauhan retained the secretary’s post .
• Malayalam poet and lyricist Anil Panachooran passed away. He was 51.
• Mali’s former prime minister Modibo Keita died at the age of 78.

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