Latest Current Affairs For Thursday 2nd December, 2021

National Award-winning Choreographer Shiva Shankar Master passes away

The renowned National Award-winning choreographer and actor, Shiva Shankar Master passed away in Hyderabad, Telangana.

He was born on 7 December 1948 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He was an Indian dance choreographer, worked in South Indian movies.

He received the National Award for ‘Best Choreographer’ for the movie ‘Magadheera’.

BSF celebrates 57th Raising Day on December 01, 2021

The Border Security Force (BSF) is celebrating its 57th Raising Day on 01 December 2021. BSF was formed on December 1, 1965 as a unified central agency after the Indo-Pak and India-China wars for ensuring the security of the borders of India and for matters connected therewith.

It is one of the five Central Armed Police Forces of the Union of India and stands as the world’s largest border guarding force. BSF has been termed as the First Line of Defence of Indian Territories.

Important For All Exam 2021:

BSF Director General: Pankaj Kumar Singh;

BSF Headquarters: New Delhi.

World AIDS Day 2021 Celebrates on 01st December

World AIDS Day is observed across the globe on 1st December every year since 1988.

The day provides an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness.

This year the theme of World AIDS Day is End inequalities. End AIDS and End Pandemics. With a special focus on reaching people left behind, WHO and its partners are highlighting the growing inequalities in access to essential HIV services. The day was first marked in 1988 and was also the first-ever international day for global health.

Venkaiah Naidu released a Book “‘Democracy, Politics and Governance’

Vice President of India, Venkaiah Naidu on the 72nd anniversary of the adoption of the ‘Constitution of India’ released a book titled “Democracy, Politics and Governance” in English and ‘Loktantr, Rajniti and Dharm’ in Hindi at an event in the Central Hall of Parliament, New Delhi. The book was authored by Dr A. Surya Prakash.

This book is a collection of articles about the social, political, and economic issues that impacted India’s politics and governance. Dr A. Surya Prakash is a Vice Chairman, Executive Council of Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, and also a veteran journalist.

Centre appoints Committee to revisit criteria for determining EWS

Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has formed a three-member committee to review the criteria for reservation for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) category in terms of the provisions of the explanation to Article 15 of the Constitution.

The committee has been asked to complete its work within three weeks. Former Finance Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey will head the committee.

The announcement to appoint a committee and revisit the EWS reservation criteria has come after the Supreme Court intervention. The SC is hearing petitions challenging the government notice issued in July which provides for a 10 per cent EWS quota in NEET admissions.

The members of the committee are former:

Ajay Bhushan Pandey – former finance secretary, GOI (Chairman). 

Prof. V K Malhotra – Member secretary of Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR). 

Shri Sanjay Sanyal – Principal economic advisor to GOI (Member Convenor). 

Lionel Messi Wins A Seventh Ballon d’Or

Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d’Or for a seventh time after being named as the best player in 2021 by France Football.

Messi scored 41 goals and registered 17 assists in 56 appearances in all competitions for club and country and led Argentina to a long-awaited Copa America win in the summer.

Ballon d’Or 2021 Winners:

Ballon d’Or (Men): Lionel Messi (PSG/Argentina). 

Club of the year: Chelsea Football Club. 

Yashin Trophy for best goalkeeper: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy). 

Ballon d’Or (Women): Alexia Putellas (Barcelona/Spain). 

Striker of the year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich/Poland). 

Kopa Trophy for best young male player: Pedri (Barcelona/Spain). 

White-label ATMs : India1 Payments installed 10,000 white-label ATMs

India1 Payments has crossed a milestone on deploying 10000 white-label ATMs, which was called as “India1ATMs”. India1 Payments is IPO-bound and is promoted by the Banktech Group of Australia.

It was formerly known as BTI Payments. India1 ATM has become the second-largest white label ATM brand on semi-urban and rural areas. With the deployment of 10000 ATMs, India1 Payments has become the largest player in this segment.

The Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) which are set up, owned and operated by non-bank entities are known as “White Label ATMs” (WLAs). Non-bank entities which are incorporated in India, under the Companies Act 1956, are allowed to run WLAs.

Important For All Exam 2021:

India1 Payments Limited Founded: 2006;

India1 Payments Limited Headquarters location: Bengaluru.

Lt Gen Manoj Kuma Mago appoints to head National Defence College

Lt Gen Manoj Kumar Mago has taken over as the Commandant of National Defence College (NDC), New Delhi.

He hails from Ludhiana, was commanding the 10 Corps at Bathinda before being given the assignment at NDC that entails evolving a strategic culture among the country’s senior-most officials of the military, the civilian bureaucracy and the Indian Police Service.

Lt Gen Mago, who passed out of Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, was commissioned into the 7th Battalion of the Brigade of Guards in 1984. He later commanded 16 Guards.

Kerala Tourism launched STREET project for experiential tourism

Kerala Tourism launched the ‘STREET’ project to promote and take tourism deep into the interiors and rural hinterland of Kerala. The project would help visitors experience the diversity of offerings in these locales.

The STREET is an acronym for Sustainable, Tangible, Responsible, Experiential, Ethnic, Tourism hubs. 

The STREET project aims to present the unique identity of the state of Kerala before to travellers. It also offers a huge potential for growth in the tourism sector and would bring in significant changes.

The project will foster mutually beneficial organic relationships between tourism development and the ordinary lives of people in the state of Kerala.

The project, conceived by the Responsible Tourism Mission, is inspired by the ‘Tourism for Inclusive Growth’ slogan of The United Nations World Tourism Organization.

Important For All Exam 2021:

Kerala Capital: Thiruvananthapuram;

Kerala Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan;

Kerala Chief Minister: Pinarayi Vijayan.

Varanasi became 1st Indian city to start Ropeway Service

Varanasi, a city in Uttar Pradesh is all set to become the first Indian city to start ropeway service as a mode of public transport in order to ease the traffic congestion.

The proposed ropeway will be constructed between Cantt Railway Station (Varanasi Junction) to Church Square (Godauliya) covering an aerial distance of 3.45 km.

Its outlay is over Rs 400 crore which is divided between Central Government and State Government at 80:20. India will be the third country in the world after Bolivia and Mexico to use a ropeway for public transport.

Important For All Exam 2021:

UP Capital: Lucknow;

UP Governor: Anandiben Patel;

UP Chief minister: Yogi Adityanath.

Nagaland Police launches ‘Call Your Cop’ mobile app

Nagaland DGP T. John Longkumer officially launched the ‘Call your Cop’ mobile App at Police Headquarters in Kohima. The App was developed by Excellogics Tech Solutions Pvt Ltd.

The App will enable all citizens of the state especially those in distress to get in touch directly with the police as easily available with just one click away.

The features in the App include a directory, alerts, tourist tips, SOS, nearest police station and search. Citizens can download the app from the google store on any android phone. One can download the app from the google store. With this app, you can also receive notifications like news, updates, advisory, etc.

Important For All Exam 2021:

Chief Minister of Nagaland: Neiphiu Rio;

Governor of Nagaland: Jagdish Mukhi.

Barbados becomes the World’s newest republic

Barbados has become the World’s newest republic, around 400 years after it became a British colony. Barbados is said to have been made a ‘slave society by the British.

It first became an English colony in 1625. It gained its independence in 1966.  Barbados, the Caribbean Island nation, removed Queen Elizabeth II as the head of the state.

Dame Sandra Prunella Mason took over as the President of Barbados. He was selected to become the first president of Barbados in October 2021.

He was selected as President of Barbados, at a joint meeting of both the Houses of Parliament of Barbados. His name was announced by Speaker of the House of Assembly, Arthur Holder.

Important For All Exam 2021:

Barbados Capital: Bridgetown;

Barbados Currency: Barbados Dollar.

All India Radio launches youth programme AIRNxt

All India Radio has decided to begin a new programme called AIRNxt to offer youth a platform to air their voices as part of the ongoing Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations.

AIR stations will allow youngsters from local colleges, universities to take part in programming, allowing them to discuss and curate youth-centric shows.

This way, the youth can air their big dreams and define the future of India. It is the biggest single theme show on All India Radio involving thousands of youth and hundreds of Educational Institutions across the country. This talent hunt show #AIRNxt will be broadcast in all major Indian languages and dialects.

Important For All Exam 2021:

All India Radio Founded: 1936;

All India Radio Headquarters: Sansad Marg, New Delhi;

All India Radio Owner: Prasar Bharati.

1st Indian Young Water Professionals Programme launched

The First Edition of the Indian Young Water Professionals Programme was launched virtually.  The program was taken up under National Hydrology Project.

The India Young Water Professional Programme is unique and different from typical capacity building and training programs. It focuses on the engaged Training and Learning Model.

70% of this program is focused on project-based learning by means of Situation Understanding and Improvement Projects (SUIP).

It also focuses on gender equality and diversity, since sustainable water management can only benefit from the skills and views of all members of society.

For the first edition of the programme, about 20 participants have been selected, comprising of 10 men and 10 women, from central & state implementing agencies of the National Hydrology Project.

PM Narendra Modi to be awarded prestigious Lokmanya Tilak Award 2023

The Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust (Hind Swaraj Sangh) would confer the prestigious Lokmanya Tilak National Award 2023 to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Pune on August 1, 2023.

Reason: This award recognizes PM Modi's supreme leadership under which India has climbed the ladder of progress

It is presented annually on the occasion of Lokmanya Tilak's death anniversary.

Other awardees: Indira Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Sharad Pawar, Cyrus Poonawalla, and Manmohan Singh. 

J&K Bank wins award for Best Performance in CASA

Jammu & Kashmir Bank has been felicitated for the Best Performance in CASA-India (1st Runner up in Small Bank Category) at ICC Emerging Asia Banking Conclave & Awards 2022.

The event was participated by banks from India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka & Myanmar.

The function was organized by the Indian Chamber of Commerce in Goa.

Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) is a non-governmental trade association and advocacy group headquartered in Calcutta.

India poised to become world’s 2nd-largest economy by 2075: Goldman Sachs

According to the Investment Bank Goldman Sachs, India is poised to become the world’s second-largest economy by 2075.

As per the report, India would cross Japan, Germany, and the US With a population of 1.4 billion people.

India’s GDP is estimated to expand remarkably, reaching 52.5 trillion dollars surpassing the US GDP projection.

The labour force participation set to make India the second-largest economy in the world by 2075.

L&T and Spain's Navantia sign agreement for submarine project

L&T has signed a teaming agreement with Spanish-based Navantia for the submission of a techno-commercial bid for the Indian Navy’s prestigious P75 (India) submarine program.

P75 (India) Submarine Project is expected to be valued at €4.8 billion.

Navantia would carry out the design of P75(I) submarines based on its S80 class of submarines.

The first S80 class submarine was launched in 2021 and is undergoing sea trials prior to its delivery to Spanish Navy. 

India overtakes China as most attractive emerging market for investing

According to a study by Invesco Global Sovereign Asset Management, India has overtaken China to become the most attractive emerging market for investing in sovereign wealth funds this year.

Reason: This is due to its solid demographics, political stability, and proactive regulation. 

Positives for the nation also include the rapidly expanding demography, strong regulatory actions, and a welcoming climate for sovereign investors.

World Population Day 2023: 11 July

World Population Day is observed every year on July 11 in order to raise awareness about global population issues, including population control.

2023 theme: Unleashing the power of gender equality: Uplifting the voices of women and girls to unlock our world’s infinite possibilities. 

It was established by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 1989, after the day the world approximately reached a population of five billion, which was observed on 11 July 1987.

MoHUA conducts SBM-U 2.0 Planning & Implementation Review-cum-Workshop

The Housing Ministry organized a review-cum-workshop to evaluate and accelerate the planning and implementation of the SBM-Urban 2.0.

PM Modi launched the 2.0 versions of SBM-U and AMRUT on October 1, 2021.

SBM-U 2.0: Achieving 100% waste segregation in all households and premises and 100% door-to-door collection of segregated waste from each. 

AMRUT 2.0: To provide complete coverage of water supply to all households and sewerage and septage in 500 AMRUT cities. 

Gujarat CM launches pilot project of ‘Antyodaya Shramik Suraksha Yojana’

Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel launched the Antyodaya Shram Suraksha Accident Insurance Scheme from Kheda

All those registered under the e-Shram portal from Nadiad will benefit from the scheme.

It is being implemented through the Indian Postal Department, the IPPB, and the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Under this scheme, insurance with a premium of Rs. 289 and Rs. 499 per year will be a big support to workers in the event of death or partial disability.

OCA elects Sheikh Talal as the new President

Kuwait’s Sheikh Talal Fahad Al Ahmad Al Sabah has been elected as the new President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).

He replaced his older brother Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, who led the OCA for 30 years until 2021.

The OCA was founded in 1982 by his father Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, who led it until 1990.

The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) is a governing body of sports in Asia, currently with 45 member National Olympic Committees.

Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance wins Insurer Innovation Award 2023

Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance has won the Insurer Innovation Award 2023 for the APAC region at the 8th World Digital Insurance Awards, hosted by TDI - The Digital Insurer.

Recognition: Bajaj Allianz Life's ground-breaking WhatsApp Conversational Platform - empowering customers to digitally services their policies seamlessly. 

The award entries were shortlisted by industry experts and the winner was selected by the community through pre-voting and live event voting.