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Daily Current Affairs: December 2020

LetMiBlog’s Current Affairs Section for the month of December 2020, provides latest and Best Daily Current Affairs of the month December 2020 for various competitive examinations like  UPSC, IAS/PCS, Banking, IBPS, SSC, Railway, UPPSC, RPSC, BPSC, MPPSC etc

 

Current Affairs: 31st December 2020

  • The cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently approved the export of the Akash missile system
  • On December 31, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid foundation stone of AIIMS Rajkot through a video conference.
  • On December 31, 2020, the Kerala Assembly passed a resolution demanding the scrapping of the three farm laws. The resolution demands to scrapping of the three laws.
  • On December 31, 2020, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal launched an upgraded e-ticketing website and mobile app to book online railway tickets. Under the new initiative, the train search and selection has been simplified.
  • On December 31, 2020, the former hockey player Michael Kondo died. He was a member of Indian Hockey team that won gold in 1975 World Cup.
  • The Pension Fund Regulator recently announced that the subscribers can use online mode to exit from National Pension System.
  • The Union Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan has been nominated as the board member of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI)
  • Niranjan Banodhak is the new CFO of the Yes Bank
  • The term ASHA stands for in ASHA-India is Affordable Sustainable Housing Accelerators.
  • Satish Vyas has been conferred with the prestigious Tansen Samman by the MP government.

Current Affairs: 30th December 2020

  • The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal corporation (PCMC) and United Nations Development Programme, India signed a Memorandum of Understanding to create the first Social Impact bond of India. A Social Impact Bond is also called pay-for-success bond or pay-for-success financing.
  • On December 30, 2020, the External Affairs Minister launched the Global Pravasi Portal and application to connect with Indian diaspora across the world.
  • The Indian Navy and Defence Research Development Organization conducted the maiden test trail SAHAYAK-NG. SAHAYAK-NG is the first indigenously designed and developed air dropped container from IL 38SD aircraft of Indian Navy. The main objective is to provide critical engineering stores to ships that are deployed more than 2,000 kilometres from the coast.
  • On December 30, 2020, the entire Nagaland was declared as disturbed area for six more months by the central government. The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act has been in force in Nagaland for several decades.
  • The UK Government has approved the emergency supply of AstraZeneca and Oxford University vaccines. The Serum Institute of India has tied up with AstraZeneca to supply the vaccines in UK.
  • ISRO is developing green propulsion for its ambitious human space flight mission Gaganyaan.

Current Affairs: 29th December 2020

  • On December 29, 2020, the PM Modi inaugurated 351-km of Bhaupur-Khurja section and an operation control centre of Eastern Dedicated Freight Corri
  • The Indian Meteorological Department has established a Meteorological Centre in the Union Territory of Ladakh. It is the highest meteorological centre in the country located at a height of 3,500 metres.
  • India and France are to conduct SKYROS exercise in Jodhpur in January 2021. They are different from the routine Garuda exercises conducted between the countries.
  • The Five Eyes network comprises of five nations namely Australia, Canada, Britain, US and New Zealand. Japan is now to join the Five Eyes network to become the sixth eye.
  • The INS Kiltan recently arrived at Sihanoukville Port, Cambodia under Mission Sagar III. The ship is to deliver fifteen tonnes of HADR (Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief) for flood affected Cambodia. The relief assistance is to be provided to the National Disaster Management Committee of Cambodia
  • The World Health Organization recently launched a COVID-19 mobile application. The application provides users with the latest updates on covid-19. The application is called the “WHO COVID-19 app”
  • Government has used Zero-Coupon bonds to recapitalise Punjab & Sind Bank by issuing the lender Rs 5500 crore worth of non-interest bearing bonds valued at par.
  • India has gifted INS Sindhuvir to Myanmar. The Submarine has finally been commissioned into Myanmar’s navy.
  • In Pursuit of Justice: An Autobiography is an autobiography of late Justice Rajindar Sachar.

Current Affairs: 28th December 2020

  • The Hundredth Kisan Rail of India was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 28, 2020. The train runs between Sangola in Maharashtra and Shalimar in West Bengal. The train carries vegetables such as capsicum, cauliflower, cabbage, chillies, drumsticks, onions. It also carries fruits such as oranges, grapes, bananas.
  • The Department of Revenue recently announced that the GST tax payers should compulsorily pay at least 1% of their tax in cash. This is to come into effect from January 1, 2021. The 1% Cash Payment norms is applicable to all the 45,000 taxpayers. This is being introduced to curb tax evasion by fake invoicing.
  • The scientists have discovered a new species called Portulaca laljii. It is a wild Sun Rose found in the Eastern Ghats. The Portulaca lajii was discovered in the Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh.
  • The first driverless train operations in India were initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 28, 2020. The train is operated on the Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line.
  • The Chief Minister Secretariat of Bihar, National Informatics Centre and the Disaster Management Department have been jointly chosen as winners in “Pandemic Category” in Digital India Awards, 2020
  • On December 28, 2020, PM Modi launched the National common Mobility Card. The National Common Mobility Card will allow passengers with RuPay debit card to be swiped for Metro level
  • On December 28, 2020, the Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan launched the first Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine of India called Pneumosil. The vaccine was developed by Serum Institute of India.
  • Cristiano Ronaldo recently won the “Player of the century” award at the Globe Soccer Awards. Bayern Munich won the Club of the Year award.
  • Actor Sonu Sood released his autobiography, “I am no Messaih”. It is co-written by Meena Iyer.
  • On December 28, 2020, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami inaugurated the 38th district of the state, Mayiladuthurai. The district has been carved out from the Nagapattinam district.
  • The 21-year old Arya Rajendran was sworn in as the Mayor of Thiruvananthapuram city corporation. She is from Communist Party of India-Marxist. She is now the youngest mayor in India.

Current Affairs: 27th December 2020

  • Former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh and US based academician Amit Ahuja have jointly won the 2020 Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize for the best non friction book on contemporary/modern.
  • PayU collaborated with Google Pay to launch tokenized payments for merchants.
  • The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has selected Vishakhapatnam Municipal Corporation as the best performing civic body. Vishakhapatnam was placed under the Annual Awards for Excellence that recognises outstanding contribution of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban in 2019
  • To improve the delivery of citizens-centric services, based upon the feedback of its citizens on government policies, the Punjab government launched a mobile application and web portal called PR-Insight.
  • BBX11 gene recently in news help in greening the plants.
  • 1000-year-old heritage art, the Monpa Handmade paper belongs to Arunachala Pradesh. This paper was driven to extinction and has been brought to life by Khadi and Village Industries Commission
  • USA is planning to have first nuclear reactor on the moon by the ned of 2026.
  • The Indo-Tibetan Border Police has launched the internet-based liquor distribution system for the retired personnel of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police
  • The Union Transport Ministry has extended the validity of motor vehicle documents such as Registration Certificate, Driving License till March 31, 2021 in the view of ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
  • On December 27, 2020, India and Vietnam concluded two-day passage exercise in South China Sea to boost maritime cooperation.
  • Mahendra Singh Dhoni was named the captain of ICC ODI and T20 International teams of the decade. Virat Kohli was voted as the skipper of the test team.
  • The first International Day of Epidemic Preparedness was celebrated by the United Nations on December 27, 2020. The day is being celebrated to facilitate exchange of information, transmission of scientific knowledge and exchange best practices regionally, locally, and internationally.

Current Affairs: 26th December 2020

  • On December 26, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Ayushman Bharat Jan Arogya Yojana SEHAT in Jammu and Kashmir. The scheme will provide free-of-cost health insurance up to Rs 5 lakhs per family
  • On December 26, the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party convenor Hanuman Beniwal announced a split from the BJP-led NDA over the Farm laws. He is a Lok Sabha MP from Nagaur in Rajasthan.
  • On December 26, 2020, the Madhya Pradesh Cabinet approved the Religious Freedom Bill, 2020. Under the bill, forcing religious conversion on someone will attract imprisonment and minimum fine of Rs 25,000.
  • On December 26, 2020, the European Union and Britain published full text of their post Brexit trade agreement that aimed to govern their relationship after UK leaves the EU on December 31, 2020.
  • The term OPEC+ refers to the alliance of crude producers, who have been undertaking corrections in supply in the oil markets since 2017.

Current Affairs: 25th December 2020

  • The Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to release Rs 18,000 crores under Pradhan Mantri-Kisan Samman Nidhi. Around nine crore farmers are to be benefitted from the funds.
  • Every year Good Governance Day is celebrated on December 25 to commemorate the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The Good Governance Day was established in 2014
  • The first Lithium refinery of India is to be set up in Gujarat. One of the largest power trading and renewable energy company, Manikaran Power Limited is to invest Rs 1000 crores to set up the refinery.
  • PS Sreedharan Pillai the Governor of Mizoram is the author of the book “Oh Mizoram”. It is the 125th book written by Governor Pillai.
  • The Government of India is to implement Coal Import Monitoring System (CIMS). The system will require the importers to submit advance information online and obtain an automatic registration number to handle coal imports in the country.
  • Naegleria fowleri is a single celled amoeba. It is also called the brain-eating Amoeba. The amoeba is now rapidly spreading in the US. The news comes after a mysterious disease called Eluru was discovered in the districts of Andhra Pradesh
  • On December 25, 2020, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launched the E-Sampada portal and mobile application for booking holiday homes and event venues. Over one lakh government accommodation, 1,176 holiday homes, 45 office complexes have brought under this platform
  • On December 25, 2020, the first hot air balloon wildlife safari was launched in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. The Hot Air Balloon ride was launched by the Madhya Pradesh State Forest Minister Vijay Shah.
  • The Jharkhand Cabinet recently approved a loan waiver up to Rs 50,000 for 9.07 lakh farmers. The cabinet has earmarked Rs 2,000 crores for the purpose.
  • Recently Karnataka government has launched an e-governance portal Farmer Registration and Unified Beneficiary Information System(FRUITS). It has been introduced to create a repository of farmland information and farm loan details on a single platform.

Current Affairs: 24th December 2020

  • The Malayalam poet, women activist, Sugathakumari died of COVID-19 on December 24, 2020.
  • Every year, the National Consumer Rights Day is celebrated on December 24 in India. The World Consumer Rights Day is celebrated on March 15. Theme: The Sustainable Consumer
  • The Assam Cabinet recently approved the bill to make Bodo an official language of the state.
  • The Jal Shakti Abhiyan II: Catch the Rain Awareness Generation Campaign was recently launched in New Delhi. The Campaign focuses on water conservation and rainwater harvesting.
  • E5 Series Shinkansen is related to high speed train type operated in Japan.
  • DigiBoxx is a storage platform. It is a file sharing and cloud storage platform. DigiBoxx was announced by the NITI Aayog CEO Aitabh Kant. The announcement was made a few weeks after Google announced that it will not offer unlimited free photo uploads after June 1, 2021.
  • Shigellosis is a contagious intestinal infection caused by a genus of bacteria known as shigella. The bacteria are a pathogen that caused diarrhoea, stomach pain, fever, nausea and vomiting. Shigella outbreak has been found in Kozhikode district of Kerala.
  • India recently added the Tso Kar Wetland Complex as its forty-second Ramsar site. This is the second Ramsar site in the Union Territory of Ladakh.
  • On December 24, 2020, the Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment launched a mobile application “Swachhata Abhiyian”. The application was developed to geotag the data of insanitary latrines and manual scavengers.
  • On December 24, 2020, the Defence Secretary launched the DGNCC Digital Forum. It will provide platform for the NCC cadets all over the country to share their experiences
  • On December 24, 2020, the Union Minister Nitin Gadkari announced that FASTag is to be made mandatory for all vehicles in the country from January 1, 2021.
  • On December 24, 2020, the Reserve Bank of India cancelled the license of Subhadra Local Area Bank in Kolhapur. The bank had breached the minimum net worth requirement for two quarters in the financial year 2019-20.
  • On December 24, 2020, the Odisha CM announced the construction of the largest hockey stadium of India in Rourkela. The stadium is to host 2023 FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup.
  • The UNICEF has recently launched the COVID-19 Vaccine Market Dashboard as the designated COVAX procurement coordinator and procurement agent.
  • Ski-Jump is an upward curved ramp in the aviation sector. It allows the air craft to take off from a runway that is shorter than the needed take off roll of the aircraft.
  • As per the BFSI Movers and Shakers 2020 report by Wizikey, the top rank among the 100 Banking, Financial Services and Insurance(BFSI) companies in the country has been won by the HDFC Bank.

Current Affairs: 23rd December 2020

  • Every year, the Rashtriya Kisan Diwas is observed on December 23. The Rashtriya Kisan Diwas is also called the National Farmers Day. In India, it is celebrated in December 23 to honour the fifth Prime Minister of India, Choudhary Charan Singh. December 23 is the birthday of Choudhary Singh.
  • The Gujarat Government recently issued advisory on Fungal infection called “Mucormycosis”. It is a serious infection with a mortality rate of 50%. It compromises the immune system. Mucormycosis is a rare fungal infection with continuous headache and heaviness in the facial area. It is now widely reported in COVID-19 recovered patients
  • The Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii’s Big Island recently erupted after an Earthquake that struck the region. The epicentre of the earthquake was located beneath the Kilauea Volcano. About Kilauea Volcano. The Kilauea volcano was last active in 2018 due to an earthquake.
  • The Government of India recently inked 500 million USD loan pact with World Bank to develop Green National Highway Corridors in the country. These corridors are to be developed in Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
  • Exquisite Dhokra non-ferrous metal products from several tribes of India were added in its 7th edition of “From Our Home to your Home” campaign on Tribes India.
  • The President of United States conferred the Legion of Merit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Prime Minister has been awarded for his steadfast leadership and vision for India’s emergence as a global power. The award was received by the Ambassador of India to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu on behalf of the Prime Minister.
  • The Medium Range Surface to Air Missile, MRSAM was recently tested from a defence facility in Odisha. MRSAM is a one command control system that tracks missiles, radar and mobile launcher systems. It is capable to transport and launch eight canisterised missiles in two stacks. The weapon weighs 276 kilo grams and is 4.5 metres long.
  • The Government of India recently approved to merge all the Film Media unites operating under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
  • On December 23, 2020, the Union Cabinet approved 100% FDI in direct-to-home service. The license fee was reduced and extended from ten years to twenty years.
  • The Hindi News Channel “Republic Bharat”, an arm of the Republic TV was fined by the UK Communications regulator Office of Communications for broadcasting content that involved hate speech.

Current Affairs: 22nd December 2020

  • The Senator of United States recently blocked a bill that would give refugee status to Hong Kong people. The bill is called the Hong Kong People’s Freedom and Choice Act. It is a US bill that seeks to give special refugee status, called ‘Temporary Protected Status’ to Hong Kong citizens in the USA. It would also allow them to reside and work in the country as a part of a federal program for individuals from war-ridden countries and for those seeking refuge from other difficult circumstances like natural disasters.
  • The US President Donald Trump recently signed the Stopgap Funding Bill. The bill provides the law makers two more days to sort out few issues in the ongoing negotiations about the 900 billion USD aid package. A stopgap funding bill is used by the US Government to ensure that it does not run out of funds for running federal programme after the deadline of an Appropriation Act.
  • An international team of scientists have collected the first possible radio signal from an exoplanet. The exoplanet is 51 light years away from the earth.
  • Pixxel is the start-up that has built ‘Anand’ a remote sensing satellite. ISRO would launch Anand as part of enabling private players in Space exploration.
  • Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP) is located in Iran.It is a underground uranium enrichment facility located 20 miles northeast of Qom city of Iran.
  • The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation(ONGC) recently has opened India’s 8th hydrocarbon producing basin in the well Ashokenagar-1 in 24 Paranga district of the Bengal Basin.
  • Indian Army and Bank of Baroda have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for ‘Baroda Military Salary Package‘. Services under ‘Baroda Military Salary Package‘ will be offered to serving and retired personnel of Indian Army through the Bank’s network of over 8,200 domestic branches and around 20,000 business correspondent touchpoints.
  • On December 22, 2020, PM Modi inaugurated the India International Science Festival. Theme: Science for Self-Reliant India and Global Welfare
  • On December 22, 2020, PM Modi released postal stamp to mark the centenary celebrations of Aligarh Muslim University.
  • On December 22, 2020, the Central Bank of India launched the contactless “RuPay Select” debit card in association with National Payments Corporation of India.
  • ICICI Bank has set up an online “Infinite India” platform to provide banking services to foreign companies.
  • Recently in the news, Union Home Minister Amit Shah asked to renew Rabindranath Tagore’s ideas to celebrate Visva Bharati’s institute 100 years.
  • The Reliance Industries Limited and British Petroleum recently announced the start of gas production from the R cluster. R Cluster is the deepest Off-shore gas field in Asia which is a part of the KG-D6 block of the Krishna Godavari Basin. The other 2 deep-water gas projects in the block are Satellite Cluster and the MJ gas field.
  • The Reserve Bank of India is to introduce “Positive Pay System” from January 1, 2021 for cheque transactions above Rs 50,000. Positive Pay System is a process of reconfirming key details of large-value cheques i.e cheques above Rs 50,000/-
  • On December 22, 2020, the Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju inaugurated eight Khelo India Centres of Excellence across India. The centres are located in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Telangana, Kerala, Nagaland, Odisha and Karnataka.

Current Affairs: 21st December 2020

  • On December 21, 2020, the National Water Mission operated by the Ministry Of Jal Shakti launched the “Catch the rain awareness generation campaign” under the Jal Shakti Abhiyan phase 2.
  • On December 21, 2020, the Environment Minister Prakash javadekar released the Status of Leopard in India 2018. According to the report India now has 12852 leopards. The Leopard population has increased by 60 % as compared to that of the previous estimate conducted in 2014.
  • On December 21, 2020, the Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Moti Lal Vohra passed away. He held the office of Governor of Uttar Pradesh between 1993 and 1996.
  • On December 21, 2020, India and Israel signed an agreement to co-operate in the fields of health and medicine. This includes sharing of expertise in building climate resilient infrastructure and support green Health Care.
  • On December 21, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi address to the 6th Indo Japan somewhat conference. He proposed setting up of a library that is dedicated to Traditional Buddhist literature and scriptures.
  • The Couscous, the Berber dish was recently added to the Intangible Cultural Heritage. It is a processed grain product made from little balls of Durum wheat flour. Berbers are ethnic groups living in West Africa and North Africa.
  • The Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh recently handed over three systems developed by DRDO to the chiefs of the Defence Forces. The IMSAS (Indian Maritime Situational Awareness System) was handed over to the Indian Naval Chief Admiral Karambir Singh. The Astra Mk-1 was handed over to the Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria. BOSS, Border Surveillance System was handed over to the Army Chief General MM Naravane.
  • The Government of India recently identified new routes for ferry services through inland waterways. This is being done to promote coastal shipping and boost tourism. The new routes include Hazira, Somnath temple, Okha and Jamnagar
  • On 21 Dec 2020, Vice Admiral Sandeep Naithani, AVSM, VSM, took charge as the Controller Warship Production and Acquisition.

Current Affairs: 20th December 2020

  • On December 20, 2020, the International Human Solidarity Day was observed by the United Nations
  • On December 20, 2020, the Public Sector Unit Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) opened India’s 8th hydrocarbon producing basin. It has been opened at Ashok nagar in West Bengal.
  • The Government of India has recently introduced the E20 fuel to promote green fuel such as ethanol. E20 fuel contains 20% ethanol and 80% gasoline.
  • The Hawker culture of Singapore has been recently recognised by the UNESCO.
  • Sreenivas Karanam Bangalore was selected as the First Pandit Deedayal Upadhyay Telecom skill excellence awards for his contribution in developing a cost effective customized technical solution under branch C mobile.
  • On December 20, 2020, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer won the top awards of ATP for the year 2020. Djokovic won the “Year-end No. 1” award. Nadal received the “Stefan Edberg sportsmanship” award. Tiafoe won the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award.
  • South India’s first rescue and rehabilitation centre for monkeys is being set up in Nirmal district of Telangana. The other rescue and rehabilitation centre in the country is in Himachal Pradesh.
  • The Sports Ministry has approved the inclusion of 4 indigenous Games namely 1) Gatka originated from Punjab used both as self-defence as well as sport, 2) Kalaripayattu is from Kerala 3) Thang-Ta is a Manipuri martial art 4) Mallakhamba is well known in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Current Affairs: 19th December 2020

  • Every year, the Goa Liberation day is celebrated on December 19 in India. The day is celebrated to mark the victory of Indian armed forces to free Goa from 450 years of the Portuguese rule.
  • The Nehru Zoological Park Hyderabad has become the first zoo in India to get ISO 9001:2015 certification from UK.
  • The World Bank recently approved 250 million USD to improve performance of existing dams in India and to improve their safety. The funds have been allocated to the DRIP-2, the second Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project.
  • President Arif Alvi of Pakistan recently passed the Anti-Rape Ordinance 2020. The ordinance was passed following the protests in the country after a mother was gang raped in front of her children when her car broke down near Lahore. The ordinance proposed to create a National Sex Offenders Register.
  • The recent infectious wave in the UK, prompting fresh lockdown measures, is associated with a mutant variant of the SARS CoV 2 called
  • The Reserve Bank of India recently announced the second cohort under Regulatory Sandbox. It was announced under the theme of “Cross Border Payments”.
  • On December 19, 2020, the External Affairs Minister S Jai Shankar released “Reporting India” book. The book was written by Asian News International (ANI) Chairman Prem Prakash.
  • Amit Panghal has won gold medal at the Cologne World Cup. Satish Kumar won silver.
  • On December 19, 2020, the Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Advanced Hypersonic Wind Tunnel test facility. The facility simulated Mach 5 to 12. Mach is the multiplication factor to the speed of sound. With this India has become the third country after United States and Russia to test the facility.

Current Affairs: 18th December 2020

  • Every year, the International Migrants Day is celebrated on December 18 by the United Nations and several other international organizations. This year, the International Migrants Day is celebrated under the following Theme: Reimagining Human Mobility Background
  • Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has been awarded with the Golden Peacock Environment Management award for the year 2020 in the steel sector.
  • Prime Minister Modi was invited by his British counterpart, Boris Johnson to attend the UK-hosted G7 summit to be held in 2021. India is one of the three guest nations alongside South Korea and Australia.
  • The Gujarat Land Grabbing (Prohibition) Act, 2020 recently came into force in the state of Gujarat. The law seeks to protect small farmers and citizens against land- grabbing through establishment of committees and special courts in each district.
  • Bilimora-Waghai line, 107-year-old railway line in Gujarat is likely to be scrapped by the western railway.
  • The SolarWinds hack is a cyberattack that has been recently discovered in USA.
  • NASA and the Canadian Space Agency recently signed a historic agreement under which Canada is to be a part of the Lunar Gateway Space Station. Canada will contribute a new robotic arm called “Canadarm3”
  • The Government of India recently issued a hundred-page e-booklet called “Putting Farmers First”. The booklet highlights the success stories of farmers who have benefited from contract farming after the legislation of three farm laws.
  • The Sports Ministry has formally recognized Yogasana as a competitive sport. This will enable the ancient practice to avail Government funding. This was done to spread awareness about Yoga and its benefits and help improve physical and mental wellbeing of the people.
  • Jupitar and Saturn will be brought closest in the night sky by an astronomical event called the great conjunction. This is popularly known as Christmas Star and will occur after nearly 400 years.
  • The Greenfield airport that is being built in Jewar, Uttar Pradesh has been named The Noida International Airport. The logo of the airport carries the state bird of Uttar Pradesh, the Sarus Crane.
  • The chairman of Tata Group, Ratan Tata is to be honoured with Global Visionary of Sustainable Business and Peace award. The award is to be presented during the launch of Federation of Indo Israel Chamber of Commerce International chapter in Dubai.
  • On December 18, 2020, UNESCO observed the World Arabic language day. Arabic spoken by over 290 million people all over the world.
  • The 35th edition of India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (IND-INDO CORPAT) between the Indian Navy and the Indonesian Navy was held from 17 to 18 December 2020.
  • On December 18, the Minorities Rights Day is observed in India every year. It is observed by National Commission for Minorities.
  • Chang’e-5 lunar mission of china came back to earth with 2 kgs of the 1st fresh rock samples from the moon.

Current Affairs: 17th December 2020

  • Project Loon, a subsidiary of Google recently announced that its balloons have successfully stayed in the stratosphere for almost a year. The balloons are helium filled and cover a distance of 2.1 lakh kilo metres. Project Loon aims to provide internet connectivity to the remote parts of the world. Alphanet Inc. is the parent organization of project loon.
  • The Government of India recently announced that people can self-register for COVID-19 vaccine through the new mobile application called Co-WIN.
  • The first Automated Banknote Processing Centre(ABPC) will be established by the Reserve Bank of India in Jaipur for the receipt, storage and dispatch of currency notes.
  • Vidyut Mohan has been named as the UNEP Young Champion of the Earth for 2020 by the United Nation Environment Programme.
  • The Saksham Offshore Patrol Vessel has been recently launched by Goa shipyard limited for the Indian Coast Guard.
  • The Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act are two recent landmark legislations from the European Union. The draft legislation gives specific regulations to limit the powers of global internet companies like Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon in the European market.
  • The Brand India Mission will be launched by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry with the aim of promoting quality products manufacturing in India.
  • The state government of Andhra Pradesh has launched the free crop insurance Scheme under which government will credit around Rs 1252 crores in 9.48 lac farmers bank accounts as crop insurance.
  • ISRO PSLV-C50 successfully placed India’s 42nd communication satellite CMS-01, formerly known as GSAT-12R into orbit.
  • The court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) has banned Russia from using its flag and national anthem at the next 2 Olympics.
  • Raja Chari, Indian American US Air Force Colonel has been selected as the new Commander of the SpaceX Crew-3 Mission.
  • Seneca Guns is recently in news which is phenomenon of loud noises most similar to that of thunder or a cannon being shot.
  • The Best FIFA Football Awards 2020 was announced on 17th 2020, during virtual event held at Zurich. Lucy Bronze won The Best FIFA Women’s Player and Robert Lewandowski won The Best FIFA Men’s Player for 2020.
  • The Odisha government has launched PAReShram portal.

Current Affairs: 16th December 2020

  • On December 16, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lit the “Swarnim Vijay Marshaal” from the eternal Flame of the national war Memorial in New Delhi. This marks the beginning of 50th anniversary year celebrations of India’s victory over Pakistan in 1971 war.
  • On December 16 2020, India celebrated Vijay Diwas to commemorate its victory over Pakistan in 1971 war.
  • The Indian Space Research Organisation has set up a dedicated control Centre for space situational awareness activities. The centre has been named “NETRA” and has been located within the ISTRAC campus off Bengaluru.
  • The CEO of Prasar Bharati, Shashi Shekhar vempati has been elected as the Vice President of Asia Pacific broadcasting union.
  • On December 16, 2020, the cabinet committee on security approved the national security directive on telecommunication sector that mandate the telecom service providers to procure equipment from sources designated as “trusted”.
  • On December 16, 20-20, Government of India and the World bank signed a 400 million USD loan to protect India’s poor and vulnerable from the impact of covid-19.
  • India has ranked 131 in the recently released Human Development Index topped the index was released by the United Nations development programme. India scored 0.645 in the ranking.
  • Qatar is to host 2030 Asian Games. The 2034 event is to be hosted by Saudi Arabia.
  • The Government of India is to open a museum on Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on January 23, 2022. The museum is to be set up in Kolkata. The museum is to be inaugurated on the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji.
  • For the first time, a Himalayan Serow has been sighted in the Himalayan cold desert. The Himalayan Serow was earlier thought to be extinct in the Himalayas. It was spotted by locals and wildlife officials near Hurling village in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh

Current Affairs: 15th December 2020

  • The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Edapadi K Palaniswami recently inaugurated 2000 Amma Mini covid-19 clinic in Tamil Nadu. Each Amma clinic will have a doctor, an assistant, a nurse and it will help in basic investigation and public consultation.
  • UNESCO will launch a prize in the field of creative economy named after Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The award will be started in November 2021.
  • The ‘Special Assistance to States for Capital Expenditure(SASCE)’ has been announced by the Ministry of Finance under the AtmaNirbhar Bharat Package 2.0. Under the initiative, the central government will provide Rs 12000 crore interest free loan to states for a term of 50 years for Capital Expenditure.
  • The world’s largest hybrid renewal energy park will be established in the Kutch district of Gujarat.
  • The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson will be the Chief Guest of the 2021 Republic Day.
  • NITI Aayog has recently released a white paper titled Vision 2035: Public Health Surveillance in India. It is part of its work to strengthen health systems in India. The paper calls for integration of the three tiers of healthcare system in India  viz. primary, secondary and tertiary into Ayushman Bharat
  • On December 15, 2020, the Indian Coast Guard interceptor boat was commissioned at Hazira in Gujarat.
  • On December 15, 2020, the Indian Coast Guard ship Sujeet was commissioned in Goa.
  • The India post payments Bank along with the department of post have unveiled a new digital payment app called “DakPay”. The application aims to make payment for services for merchants digitally, scan QR code and character to financial need such as domestic money transfer.
  • Sandra Lindsay became the first person in the United States to receive the covid-19 vaccine.

Current Affairs: 14th December 2020

  • On December 14, 2020, Red Bull Driver Max Verstappen won the season ending Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
  • Recently, the UC FTC (Federal Trade Commission) filed an anti-trust lawsuit against Facebook under Sherman Anti-trust Act. The social media giant is under the scanner for its acquisition of Instagram and Whatsapp.
  • San Isidro Movement (MSI) is the ongoing protest against the authoritarian regime in Cuba. The San Isidro Movement started in 2018 in response to the state’s censorship of artistic works via the Decree 349.
  • On December 14, 2020, Niti Aayog released vision 2035-Public Health surveillance in India. It laid out India’s vision for public health surveillance through integration of three tired Public Health system into Ayushman Bharat.
  • The Mansa unit of Punjab state Police is developing Miyawaki forests. Also, the Bengaluru Hennagara Lake is to get a new life with Miyawaki Forests. Miyawaki forest is a method of afforestation developed in Japan. It involves the planting of saplings in a small area resulting in formation of dense forests in relatively short time periods.
  • The state government of Madhya Pradesh has started the ‘Matru Sahyogini Samiti’ program for monitoring of services delivered by Anganwadis and Daycare centres and will comprise 10 mothers at each Anganwadi. The Scheme aims to strengthen the response of the community to resolve issues of hunger and malnutrition in the State.
  • The State of Odisha will be the host of the 2023 FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup and the game will be hosted at Rourkela and Bhubaneshwar.
  • The Maharashtra Government recently launched the Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law (Maharashtra Amendment) Act, 2020 and the Special Court and Machinery for the implementation of the Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law, 2020
  • The National Energy Conservation day is observed on 14th December every year since 1991.
  • The Reserve Bank of India had constituted a five-member expert committee under KV Kamath. He was the former CEO of ICICI Bank. The apex bank recently notified that it is to cover twenty-six stressed sectors under the TLTRO (Targeted Long-Term Repo Operations) Scheme. These twenty-six stressed sectors were identified by the KV Kamath Committee.
  • On December 14, 2020, the United States imposed CAATSA sanctions against a turkey for its purchase of S400 missiles from Russia.

Current Affairs: 13th December 2020

  • On December 13, 2020, the Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla released a book on the occasion of the 19th anniversary of the attack on Indian Parliament. The title of English version of the book was “The Shaurya Unbound” and the hindi version was “Samundar Samave Boond Mein”.
  • The state government of Maharashtra has launched the MahaSharad (Maharashtra System of Health Rehabilitation and Assistance for Divyang) platform which is a digital platform for providing free tools required by diffently abled people.
  • The renowned Sanskrit scholar Vidyavachaspati Bannanje died in Udupi on December 13, 2020. He was conferred with Padmashree in 2009.
  • India and Bangladesh are to open the “Swadhinta Sarak”. Also, the countries are to open the Chilahati-Haldibari rail link.
  • Bombay Stock Exchange has launched the e-Agriculture Markets Limited spot market platform known as The platform uses stare of art technology for traders, farmers and other stakeholders. The platform will facilitate farmers of one state to reach out to markets in other states and sell their products through an acution.
  • Recently, the divers discovered an Enigma encryption machine used by Nazis in Baltic sea. The divers discovered the machine while searching the seabed with sonar devices for abandoned fishing nets that might harm the sea life.
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Current Affairs: 12th December 2020

  • Ashraf Patel has been named Social Entrepreneur of the Year. He is the co-founder of Pravah and ComMutiny Youth Collective.
  • On December 12, 2020, the Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) extended a $448-million line of credit (LOC) for various infrastructure projects in Uzbekistan. The LOC has been extended on behalf of the Indian government.
  • Indian Embassy in Beijing launched a movie series “cinemaSCOpe” for SCO member countries in which the embassy will be screening Indian movies dubbed in Russian till India’s chairmanship of the SCO ‘Council of Heads of State’ meeting in 2023.
  • International Day of Neutrality was observed on December 12, 2020.
  • The International Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day was celebrated on December 12, 2020 with the theme ‘Health for All: Protect Everyone.
  • The headquarter of the United Nations Intergovernmental partnership ‘Better Than Cash Alliance’ is located in New York in USA
  • NGO HelpAge India has been awarded the “2020 UN Population Award” in the Institutional category for contributing to the cause of serving elder people who are at a disadvantage and raising awareness.
  • Shooter Elavenil Valarivan (women’s) and wrestler Bajrang Punia (man’s) bagged the sportspersons of the year award at the FICCI India awards ceremony, held virtually on December 12, 2020. Former India cricket captain and coach, Anil Kumble received the ‘best company promoting sports’ award on behalf of his enterprise, Tenvic Sports.
  • On December 12, 2020, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare released the fifth National Family Health Survey. According to the survey, mortality rate of infants and those under 5 years has fallen in 18 states and union territories.
  • On December 12, 2020, the United Nations organised to the Climate Action Summit to mark the 50th anniversary of the adoption of Paris agreement.
  • The ninth edition of the Sustainable Mountain Development Summit (SMDS) commenced on December 12 in Dehradun. This year, the summit was held under the following Theme: Emerging Pathways for Building Resilient Post COVID-19 Mountain Economy, Adoption, Innovation and Acceleration.

Current Affairs: 11th December 2020

  • Every year International Mountain Day is celebrated on December 11 by United Nations and several other international organisations. This year, the International Mountain Day is being celebrated under the Theme: Mountain Biodiversity.
  • Every year, UNICEF Day is observed on December 11 by the United Nations.
  • The Asian Development Bank recently released the Asian Development Outlook. Under its outlook, the Asian Development Bank projected that Indian economy is to contract by – 8% in the fiscal year 2020-21
  • The Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel has been named as the most powerful woman 2020 in the world in a list compiled by Forbes.
  • On December 11, 20-20, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Uzbekistan counterpart signed 9 agreements on different projects such as renewable energy, cybersecurity, terrorism, etc.
  • The Asian Development Bank launched with the nine billion USD vaccine initiative called Asia-Pacific Vaccine Access facility.
  • Morocco has become the fourth Arab League Nation to normalise relations with Israel. The United States has agreed to Tu recognise the the claim of Morocco over the disputed Western Sahara region. Morocco is the fourth country to make the deal with Israel after UAE, Bahrain and Sudan.
  • The BERM wall separates Morocco and SADR in the region of western Sahara.
  • The US President elect Joe Biden and the Vice President-elect Kamala Harris named as the 2020 person of the year by the The Times magazine.
  • The HGC019 Vaccine was developed by the Pune based Gennova Biopharmaceuticals. It is the first indigenously produced mRNA vaccine of the country. The phase I and phase II clinical trials of the vaccine was recently approved by Drug Controller General of India. The vaccine uses the same platform as that used by COVID-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna.
  • The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute(SIPRI) is located in the capital of Sweden. SIPRI has recently ranked India as the second biggest Arms Importer in 2020.
  • The “Beresheet 2 Project” of Israel is associated with Unmanned Space Probe to Land on Moon in 2024. The meaning of Beresheet in Hebrew is Genesis.
  • The Novel “The City and The Sea” authored by India Journalist Raj Kamal Jha been awarded the Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize 2020.
  • DRDO has successfully tested the Quantum Key Distribution between two facilities.
  • NASA shared a video of sonification of crab nebula which depicts the Crab Nebula being morphed into sound and music on the basis of the varying colours. Data Sonification is associated with the use of Sound for the Visualization of Data and is the auditory version of Data Visualization.
  • CRPF recently launched the National Centre for Divyang Empowerment (NCDE) in the Rangareddy district of Telangana.
  • Reimaging India’s Health System is a cross sector initiative launched by the Lancet Citizens Commission on 11th December 2020 and aims at achieving universal health coverage(UHC) in India within a span of ten years.

Current Affairs: 10th December 2020

  • Lloyd Austin has been nominated by the American President – elect as the next Defence Secretary.
  • IIT Guwahati has developed technology to harvest water from Humid Air. It involves spraying a porous polymeric material like a sponge on a normal printer paper and using ‘Slippery Liquid Infused Porous Surface(SLIPS)’ to harvest water effectively from foggy air.
  • Nawaf al-Ahmad al Sabah has been reappointed as the Prime Minister of Kuwait.
  • The executive board of the International Olympics Committee(IOC) has approved competitive Break Dancing as an Olympic sport for the first time at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
  • Every year Human Rights Day is celebrated on December 10. It is also called the International Human Rights Day. Theme: Recover Better-Stand Up for Human Rights
  • The Prime Minister greeted the people of Israel and Jewish friends all over the world on Hannukkah festival.
  • On December 10, 2020, BSNL in partnership with the Skylo announced the world’s first satellite based Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT) network in India. With this solution, India will now have access to a ubiquitous fabric of connectivity for millions of yet unconnected machines, sensors and industrial IoT devices.
  • The Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi laid foundation stone of new Parliament building in New Delhi. The project is expected to be completed by 2022. The proposed theme of the interior of the new Lok Sabha is Peacock whereas theme of Rajya Sabha is Lotus Flower.
  • The Fitness Ka Dose Aadha Ghanta Roz campaign has been applauded by the World Health Organisation for its initiative on promoting physical activity.
  • The Indian contemporary dancer Astad Deboo died of cancer on December 10, 2020. In 1995 he received Sangeet Natak Academy Award and Padmashree in 2007.
  • The Reserve Bank of India recently announced that the RTGS facility will be available 24/7 from December 14, 2020.
  • On December 10, 2020, China launched two satellites to detect the gravitational waves. The satellites were launched under the GECAM Mission of China. GECAM is Gravitational High Energy Ekectromagnetic Counterpart All-Sky Monitor.
  • The 76 year old Nana Addo Dankwa was Re-elected as the president of Ghana. He received 51.2 percent of votes.
  • Shri Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the Koilwar Bridge over the Sone river in Bihar. The bridge was constructed at an expense of 256 crores of rupees.
  • India first Water Impact Summit began on December 10, 2020. This year the Summit is being held under the following Theme: Comprehensive analysis and Holistic management of rivers and water bodies with a focus on Arth Ganga.
  • On December 10, 2020, the Union Minister of state for tourism and culture Shri Prahlad Singh Patel inaugurated the Association of Buddhist Tour Operators (ABTO) International Convention in New Delhi.
  • A new species of Indian Muraingrasses known for their ecological and economic importance, such as fodder, have been spotted by scientists in Goa in the Western Ghats, one of the four global biodiversity hotspots of India. The species has adapted to survive harsh conditions, low nutrient availability, and blossoms every monsoon.
  • The Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians 2020 was awarded to Carolina Araujo, Mathematician from the Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics (IMPA), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
  • The 2023 Indian Ocean Island Games will be hosted by Madagascar replacing the earlier selected Island Nation of Maldives.

Current Affairs: 09th December 2020

  • The foreign ministers of China and Nepal recently certified the elevation of Mt Everest at 8,848.86 metres above sea leve The new height is 86 centimetres higher than the height of the Mountain recognised since 1954.
  • The “Go for Zero” policy of Australia helped the country to bring down its COVID-19 cases. Under the policy besides expanding the testing of covid-19, Australia also increased contact tracing and mandatory isolation. The government had introduced a QR code-based system to tackle the issue of travellers breaking quarantines. This system helped to track the related person.
  • Nokia has begun its production of next generation of 5G Equipment in India. It is the first in India to manufacture 5G NR in India. 5G NR is 5G New Radi It is a new radio access technology developed for the fifth-generation mobile network.
  • The Union Territory of Lakshadweep has been declared as Organic Agricultural Area by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer’s welfare. The UT is second after Sikkim to achieve the status of 100% organic region. It is first in the Union Territories of India to achieve the status.
  • The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently approved the setting up of Wi-Fi Networks all over India. The Public Wi-Fi Access Network Interface is called PM-WANI. The PM-WANI will promote the growth of Wi-Fi networks in the country.
  • The Indian Air Force has recently conducted tests of Swarm Drone to depict its prowess in Artificial Intelligence technology and improve its combat capabilities.
  • The district of Nainital in the state of Uttrakhand has deployed the Doli(palanquin) service to help in boosting institutional deliveries.
  • The Roshni Act of 2001 is associated with Land distribution in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir(now Union Territory). The Roshni Act formally known as the Jammu and Kashmir State Land.
  • The Book “Pioneer of Humanity: Maharishi Arvind” has been authored by the Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank
  • Yulimar Rojas, the Venezuelan triple jumper has been named as the Female World Athletes of the year 2020. The award for the male category has been conferred to Swedish Pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis.
  • The aggregate annual turnover set by the central government for availing the Quarterly Return Filing and Monthly payment of taxes (QRMP) scheme is Rs 5 Crore
  • The Hampi Stone Chariot recently in news for being barricaded for protection is located in Karnataka.
  • On December 9, 20-20, the Karnataka assembly passed anti cow slaughter bill. The bill seeks a total ban on slaughter of cows in the state
  • On December 9, 2020, the international anti-corruption day was observed. Theme: Recover with Integrity

Current Affairs: 08th December 2020

  • According to the urban quality of life index released by the IIT Bombay, Chennai is the most women friendly and Patna the least. It is also found that Jaipur has the highest crime rate against women, Chennai has the lowest.
  • In Bengaluru, India’s first homes for transgender children in need of care and protection will be established soon.
  • Anita Anand, British Indian journalist and author has been conferred with the PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize for History 2020. She is awarded for her book: The Patient Assassin: A True Tale of Massacre Revenge and the Raj
  • Majerhat Bridge newly built in Kolkata has been named as Jai Hind Bridge. It is done to commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of Subash Chandra Bose.
  • The Moolamylliang village located in east Jaintia hills district in the north-eastern state of Meghalaya and is known as Rat Hole Mining.
  • The Indian Railways is to use LiDAR technique to conduct ground survey for the Delhi Varanasi High Speed Rail corridor. LiDAR is Light Detection and Ranging technique.
  • The Uttar Pradesh government has recently launched a scheme to take the unique culture of the Tharu tribes all over the world. The intention of the scheme is to put these tribal villages on tourism map.
  • The Ramnagar Forest Division in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand built the first eco-bridges for smaller mammals and reptiles. The Eco-Bridges or Eco-Ducts are constructed to enhance the wildlife connectivity that are usually disrupted due to logging or highways. It includes concrete underpasses, canopy bridges or overpass tunnels, amphibian tunnels.
  • The cyber wing of Maharashtra police has recently acquired a software called the “Crawler” from the INTERPOL that will help to track down child pornography. A core unit of 12 officers has been formed to implement a mission involving the software.
  • The Praja Foundation recently released the Urban Governance Index. Odisha topped the list of states and Manipur and Nagaland were at the bottom. Urban governance index According to the Urban Governance Index Odisha was followed by Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh. Delhi rank 13th in the list
  • On December 8, 2020, the Indian Navy observed the 53rd submarine day to commemorate the maiden unfurling of the naval ensign on INS Kalvari.
  • On December 8, 2020, with 86th charter day of SAARC was observed. It was on this day in 1985 the SAARC charter was adopted.
  • The World Health Organisation recently appointed the indian-origin Global Health expert Anil Soni as its first chief executive officer.
  • The United Nations General Assembly recently decided to proclaim December 27 as the International Day of epidemic preparedness. The day will highlight the importance of preparedness prevention against epidemics such as covid-19.
  • Prime Minister address India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2020 today. The theme for IMC 2020 is “Inclusive Innovation – Smart, Secure, Sustainable”. It aims to align to the Prime Minister’s vision to promote ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’, ‘Digital Inclusivity’, and ‘Sustainable development, entrepreneurship & innovation’.
  • A new digital platform for COVID 19 Vaccination Delivery called ‘CO-WIN’ is being used.

Current Affairs: 07th December 2020

  • The Armed Forces Flag Day has been observed annually in India since 7th December 1949.
  • Argentina parliament has imposed ‘millionaire tax’ on about 12,000 of the country’s richest people to fund coronavirus countermeasures. Under this scheme, people with declared assets worth more than 200 million pesos will pay a progressive rate of up to 3.5% on wealth in Argentina and up to 5.25% on wealth outside the country.
  • The HL-2M Tokamak reactor is China’s largest and most advanced nuclear fusion experimental device. Located in southwestern Sichuan province, the reactor is often called an “artificial sun” because of the enormous heat and power it produces.
  • Akash is a medium-range mobile surface-to-air missile defence system. It was developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and produced by Bharat Electronics Limited. 10 of these missiles were recently test fired by the Indian Air Force as a part of the Combined Guided Weapons Firing 2020 exercise in the Suryalanka testfiring range Andhra Pradesh.
  • The TRACE Bribery Risk Matrix is an annual listing that measures the likelihood of bribe demands in 194 countries. It was first published in 2014 to meet the needs of the business communities demanding for a more reliable information regarding the risks of commercial bribery worldwide. In the 2020 listing, India is ranked 77th position, a spot better than last year, in terms of bribery risks. China and Pakistan have been ranked 126th and 153rd spots respectively. Denmark top the list.
  • On December 7, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Agra metro project through video conference. The project consists of two corridor connecting the major tourist attractions with railway stations and bus stand.
  • Orchha and Gwalior, the historic Fort cities located in Madhya Pradesh of India have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage cities This has been done under the Urban Landscape City programme of UNESCO.
  • The “Yeh Rishta Kya kahlata Hai” actress Divya Bhatnagar died at the age of 36 due to covid-19 .
  • On December 7, 2020, the ICICI Bank launched the “iMobile Pay” application.
  • The CII, NI-MSME and Mastercard have launched the Digital Saksham. It is a capacity building initiative and more than 3 lakh MSMEs are to be trained under the initiative.
  • On December 7, 2020, the International Civil Aviation day was celebrated under the theme “Advancing innovation for global aviation development”.
  • On December 7, 2020, the Indian-American doctor Vivek Murthy was named the Surgeon General to the US President Elect Joe Biden.

Current Affairs: 06th December 2020

  • On December 6, 2020, Hayabusa2 returned to the earth after collecting samples from the Ryugu asteroid
  • Bihar is planning its first ever migratory bird festival this year. This is a three-day festival to be organised in Bhagalpur District
  • Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to extend liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) to Regional Rural Banks (RRB) to make liquidity management more efficient.
  • The Ministry of Railways has recently banned the age-old tradition of allowing senior Railway Officers to appoint peons to work in the residences. They were designated as telephone attendant cum Dak Khalasi.
  • Segio Perez of Mexico won the formula One Sakhir Grand Pix in Bahrain. Esteban of France finished second and Lance Stroll of Canada finished third.
  • Kibiwott Kandie of Kenya won the men’s half marathon world record in Spain.
  • In the 3RF framework 3R stands for Reform, Recovery and Reconstruction.
  • The 6th India International Science Festival to be held in Virtual format from 22nd to 25th December, 2020. India invited the CLMV countries (Combodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam) to join the international Solar Alliance and the Resilient Supply Chain Initiative.
  • Mahaparinirvana Divas is celebrated to mark the death anniversary of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar on December 6. Every Year on this day, thousands of people visit Dr. Ambedkar’s Samadhi in Mumbai to pay respect to the father of the Indian Constitution. It is also called Chaitya Bhoomi.
  • 2020 SO is a Near Earth Object(NEO). It was doubted to be artificial object as its velocity is lower as compared to the earth.
  • As per recent study conducted by Zoological Survey of India, Malayan Giant Squirrel is under threat of extinction. It is one of the world largest squirrel species. It has a dark upper body, pale underparts and a long bushy tail. It is currently found in parts of Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Meghalaya.Malayan-squirrel
  • The Azad Pattan project is a hydropower project that will be built in Pakistan occupied Kashmir on the Jhelum River and will have the capacity to generate 700MW of hydroelectricity. It is jointly undertaken by China and Pakistan as a part of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
  • Bhasan Char, also known as Char Piya is a remote uninhabited island in Hatiya Upazila Bangladesh. Thousands of Rohingyas from Cox’s Bazar refugee camps are being moved to the newly developed facility on this island.
  • Adar Poonawalla, Chief Executive of Serum Institute of India, has been appointed as the Asian of the Year
  • Jehan Daruvala has created history by becoming the first Indian to win a Formula 2 race at the Sakhir Grand Pix.

Current Affairs: 05th December 2020

  • Every year, the World Soil Day is celebrated on December 5. The day is celebrated by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) operating under the United Nations and also by several other international organizations. Theme: Keep Soil Alive, Protect Soil Biodiversity.
  • All the 28 States and 3 Union Territories with legislature have decided to go for Option-1 to meet the revenue shortfall arising out of the GST implementation. Jharkhand has become the latest State to go for Option-1.
  • Srinagar born Wushu coach and the first Dronacharya Awardee from the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Kuldeep Handoo is appointed as the Ambassador of Fit India movement.
  • The Niti Aayog has recently released the rankings of aspirational districts for the month of October 2020. Mamit district of Mizoram topped the rankings followed by Banka of Bihar and Dhenkanal of Odisha.
  • Libra, Facebook-backed cryptocurrency has been rebranded as Diem. It has been done to gain regulatory approval by emphasising that the project has organisational independence. Diem is a stable coin that uses Permissioned Block chain. Diem is a latin word meaning “Day”
  • The United Nations observed the International Volunteer Day on December 5, 2020. Theme: “together we can through volunteering”.
  • The UK has recorded the world’s 1st foul air death or death legally certified to have been caused by air pollution. A 9-year old girl who lived near a busy road in London had passed away due to respiratory complications and an inquest is underway.
  • Birds deserting Keoladeo park of Rajasthan due to paucity of water.
  • India’s first science satellite ASTROSAT is all set to be launched next year, former chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation Dr. Madhavan Nair said here on Saturday.
  • The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is the largest wildlife refuge of the USA located in Alaskan region.

Current Affairs: 04th December 2020

  • Every year the Indian Navy Day is celebrated on December 4. This year the Indian Navy Day is celebrated on the following Theme: Indian Navy Combat Ready, Credible and Cohesive.
  • 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 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.
  • In recent times there have been 2 mysterious monoliths found in 2 different places. One was found recently in Utah, USA and then it disappeared without trace. After the disappearance of the monolith in Utah another monolith has been found in Romania.
  • The Defence Research and Development Organisation [DRDO] has created a new laboratory named Defence Geo Informatics Research Establishment by merging two exiting labs. The new lab will focus on research on terrain and avalanches along the border with China from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh. The two new labs merged by the government are the Manali-headquartered Snow and Avalanche Studies Establishment (SASE) and the Delhi-based Defence Terrain Research Establishment.
  • The Ministry of AYUSH will develop Nisarg Gram campus as the 21st Century abode of naturopathy at Pune.
  • Theremin is a musical instrument developed by Leon Theremin considered as the world’s first electronic instrument and it turned 100 years old in 2020.
  • The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs(CBIC) has made it compulsory to mention the 8 digit HSN (Harmonised System of Nomenclature) code in tax invoices for 49 chemical based products while issuing GST invoice.
  • Nongpok Sekmai Police Station in Thoubal district of Manipur was ranked as the best performing police station in the country.
  • On December 4 2020, the first International Day of Banks were celebrated. It was celebrated by the United Nations and 7 other international banks and multilateral Development Banks.

Current Affairs: 03rd December 2020

  • The Reserve Bank of India recently asked the HDFC bank to temporarily stop all its launches under its Digital 2.0 programme. The RBI issued the order with regard to outrages against the bank. The order was issued with regard to incidents of outrages in mobile banking, internet banking and payment utilities of the bank in the past two years.
  • Every year, International Day of Persons with Disabilities is celebrated on December 3 by the United Nations and several other organisations spread all over the world. This year the day is celebrated with the following theme: “Building Back Better: Towards a disability-inclusive accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 World”
  • Singapore becomes the first country to allow the sale of cultured meat. The meat is created from animal cells without slaughtering chickens.
  • The Varanasi Annapurna idol is being brought back to India after a century from Canada. It was stolen from a Varanasi temple about a century ago. This 18th century sculpture is carved in the ‘Benares style’ and is a representation of the goddess of food. The goddess is represented as holding a bowl of kheer.
  • On December 3, 2020, Ranjit singh Disale won the Global teacher prize, 2020. He is a primary school teacher from Solapur of Maharashtra. The Global teacher prize is awarded by the Varkey Foundation.
  • The owner of MAHASHIAN DI HATTI(MDH) spices Mahashay Dharampal Gulati passed away at age of 97. He received Padma Bhushan in the year 2019.
  • The title TIME kid of the year was won by Gitanjali Rao for her work on using Technology to tackle issues related to contaminated drinking water.
  • APEDA and NABARD sign MoU to work together to synergize the activities in the interest of agriculture and allied sectors for bringing better value to the stakeholders
  • Union Minister for Minority Affairs Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi announced today that the next “HunarHaat” will be organised at Numaish Ground, Rampur(UP) from 18th to 27th December, 2020 and Shilp Gram, Lucknow(UP) from 23rd to 31st January 2021 with the theme of “Vocal for Local”. 
  • In the Hyuga City of Japan, the Avian influenza disease was recently discovered at a poultry farm.
  • Mount Semeru is an active volcano also called as conical volcano located in East Java, Indonesia
  • On December 3, 2020, the Government of India sanctioned the creation of post of Deputy Chief of Army staff (Strategy). General Paramjit Singh has been appointed as the first Deputy Chief of Army staff (Strategy).

Current Affairs: 02nd December 2020

  • Cyclonic Storm ‘Burevi’ over southwest Bay of Bengal (Cyclone Alert for South Tamilnadu and South Kerala coasts: Yellow Message). Cyclone Burevi was named by country Maldives.
  • Government constitutes High-level Ministerial Committee for implementation of Paris Agreement
  • The World Malaria Report (WMR) 2020 released by WHO, which gives the estimated cases for malaria across the world. India is the only high endemic country which has reported a decline of 17.6% in 2019 as compared to 2018.
  • The Indian Navy test-fired the anti-ship version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands territory. BrahMos Aerospace is a joint venture of India and Russia aimed at producing lethal weapon that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft and land.
  • Every year, India marks the National Pollution Control Day on December 2. The day is observed in the memory of the people who lost their lives in the Bhopal Gas Tragedy.
  • The Indian Oil Corporation recently launched the first 100 Octane petrol. This is the first time 100 Octane fuel is being launched in the country. The fuel was manufactured in the Indian Oil Corporation Mathura Refinery located in Uttar Pradesh.
  • Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) is a new type of radio telescope developed by Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). It creates high-resolution images by combining the signals of 36 smaller dish antennas. Recently, this telescope had helped map around 300 million galaxies in approximately 300 hours.
  • The Learning Management System (LMS) was launched by the Karnataka government in digital mode, will be implemented in government colleges within the state. This digital platform will have multilingual e-content in the form of PPTs, videos, quizzes, assignment and e-study materials developed as per the University syllabus.
  • China will build the first downstream dam on the lower reaches of the Brahmaputra river that is known as Yarlung Zangbo river in Tibet.
  • On December 2, 2020, the Chang’e-5 mission of China landed on lunar surface successfully to retrieve samples from the Moon.
  • Lahore has once again topped the list of world’s most polluted cities in the world as per the recently released US Air Quality Index.

Current Affairs: 01st December 2020

  • The Hornbill Festival, which is called the ‘Festivals of Festivals’, is a 10-day annual cultural fest of Nagaland that showcases the rich and diverse Naga ethnicity through folk dances, traditional music, local cuisine, handicraft, art workshops etc. In a first, the 21st edition of this festival is to go digital from December 1 to 5 amid the coronavirus concerns. The start of this festival (December 1) marks the Nagaland statehood day. Every year the Hornbill festival is celebrated between December 1 and December 10 in the northeast region and in the state of Nagaland. The festival is named after the Indian Hornbill Bird.
  • Thai Mangur is a catfish that was banned by the National Green Tribunal as it was harming the local ecosystem and the consumers’ health.
  • ‘Ramayan Cruise Tour’ on the Saryu river in Ayodhya will be launched soon. It will be the first-ever luxury Cruise service on the Saryu river (Ghagra/National Waterways-40) in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.
  • Shri Arjun Munda E-Inaugurates The First Ever Virtual Aadi Mahotsav – Madhya Pradesh.
  • Every year the World AIDS Day is celebrated on December 1. This year the World AIDS Day is celebrated under the following theme: Global Solidarity and Shared Responsibility
  • Located at the Gurugram Air Force Station, the nodal agency for maritime data fusion, the Navy’s Information Management and Analysis Centre(IMAC) will become a National Maritime Domain Awareness (NMDA) centre soon.
  • The new species of the smallest known Indian gekkonid discovered in the Easter Ghats is dwarf gecko Cnemaspis avasabinae.
  • Quarantine has been named as Word of the Year 2020 by the Cambridge Dictionary.
  • Orundoi scheme is to be launched by the Assam government in 29 districts across the state. Through this scheme, the government seeks to empower women by transferring a minimum amount of Rs.830 each month directly to the bank accounts of the nominated female head of the household. It will support the family to buy by 4 kg of pulses worth 200 rupees, medicines worth 400 rupees per month, sugar for 80 Rupees and fruits and vegetables for 150 Rupees.
  • ‘Duare Sarkar” outreach programme was launched by the Bengal Government. Under the programme, camps are to be organised at local body levels. In cities the camps are to be organised by corporations and at village level it is to be organised by Gram Panchayats. The Local Bodies will host camps between December 1, 2020 and January 30, 2021. Through these camps the State Government will take the Government Services to the doorstep of the Bengal people.
  • The “world’s loneliest elephant” Kaavan (36) embarked on a mammoth move from Islamabad zoo in Pakistan to retirement in a Cambodian sanctuary. Kaavan is the only Asian elephant in Pakistan.
  • Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-Great Britain) has won the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix at Bahrain International Circuit, Bahrain. The race was the fifteenth round of the 2020 Formula One World Championship. This is the 11th victory for Hamilton of the season, and 95th F1 win of his career.
  • On December 1, 2020, Abhay Bhardwaj, Bhartiya Janata Party Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat died of covid-19 at the age of 66.
  • The SBI RuPay JCB Platinum Contactless Debit Card was launched by NPCI (National payment Corporation of India), State Bank of India and Japan’s JCB International.
  • C32 LH2 is the largest-ever cryogenic propellant tank developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. It was delivered to ISRO recently. It is designed to increase the payload capability of ISRO’S Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mk III) from 4 tonnes to 6 tonnes.
  • The GOI has appointed Varsha Joshi as the interim Chairperson of National Dairy Development Board(NDDB) headquartered in Anand, Gujarat.
  • Child Friendly Police Station was established in Pune.

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