Latest Current Affairs For Wednesday 22nd December, 2021

International Arbitration and Mediation Centre inaugurated in Telangana

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice NV Ramana, and Chief Minister of Telangana K Chandrasekhar Rao has inaugurated India’s First International Arbitration and Mediation Centre (IAMC) at Phoenix VK Tower at Nanakramguda, Hyderabad, Telangana.

Those who empanel the centre include internationally acclaimed arbitrators and mediators from countries such as Singapore and the UK.

IAMC has been established to quickly resolve the issues that arise due to the Lack of sufficient judges. IAMC will settle commercial disputes and it will also look into the disputes of ordinary people.

Important For All Exam 2021:

Telangana Capital: Hyderabad;

Telangana Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan;

Telangana Chief minister: K. Chandrashekar Rao.

Former SC Judge Justice GT Nanavati Who Headed ‘2002 Godhra Riots’ passes away

Former Supreme Court judge, Justice Girish Thakorlal Nanavati who headed two inquiry commissions formed to probe into the 2002 Godhra Riots & 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots, passed away.

Justice Girish Thakorlal Nanavati was 86. He was elevated as the Judge of the Supreme Court of India with effect in March 1995 and he retired as an SC Judge in February 2000.

BWF World badminton championship : K Srikanth won silver

Shuttler Kidambi Srikanth became the first Indian man to win a silver medal at BWF World Championships. In the final, Kidambi was defeated by Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew by 21-15, 22-20.

This was the first time that a men’s player from Singapore won gold at BWF World Championships. The badminton tournament was held from December 12 to 19, 2021 in Huelva, Spain.

2021 BWF World Championships is officially known as “TotalEnergies BWF World Championships 2021” for sponsorship purpose. The badminton tournament was held from December 12 to 19, 2021 in Huelva, Spain. Huelva was awarded this event in November 2018, when the announcement was made for 18 major badminton event hosts from 2019 to 2025.

Important For All Exam 2021:

Badminton World Federation Founded: 5 July 1934;

Badminton World Federation Headquarters: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia;

Badminton World Federation President: Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen.

India won 16 medals in Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship 2021

India concluded the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships 2021 with 16 medals – 4 Gold, 7 Silver, and 5 Bronze, held at Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Bindyarani Devi was India’s only medallist at the World Weightlifting Championships 2021, that was also held parallelly at Tashkent.

India’s Medal Winners:

Gold medal

Jeremy Lalrinnunga (67kg) (Men). 

Achinta Sheuli (73kg) (Men). 

Ajay Singh (81kg) (Men). 

Purnima Pandey (+87kg) (Women). 

Silver medal

Guru Raja (61kg) (Men). 

Lovepreet Singh (109kg) (Men). 

Jhili Dalabehera (49kg) (Women). 

S Bindyarani Devi (55kg) (Women). 

Hazarika Popy (59kg) (Women). 

Harjinder Kaur (71kg) (Women). 

Punam Yadav (76kg) (Women). 

Bronze medal

Vikas Thakur (96kg) (Men). 

Gurdeep Singh (+109kg) (Men). 

Lalchhanhimi (71kg) (Women). 

R Arockiya Alish (76kg) (Women). 

Anuradha Pavunraj (87kg) (Women). 

Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade launches LogiXtics

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has launched the Unified Logistics Interface Platform’s (ULIP) hackathon – ‘LogiXtics’ to crowdsource more ideas that will benefit the logistics industry.

The Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP) Hackathon – LogiXtics is being organised by NITI Aayog and Atal Innovation Mission.

It is supported by National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC) and NICDC Logistics Data Bank Services Limited (NLDSL).

ULIP has been designed to enhance efficiency and reduce logistics costs in India by creating a transparent platform that can provide real-time information to all stakeholders.

The cost of logistics in India is about 14% which is higher than in other countries in the world. National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC) was mandated by NITI Aayog in January 2021 to develop ULIP.

SAIL honoured Golden Peacock Environment Management Award 2021

Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL), under the Ministry of Steel, has been awarded with the prestigious Golden Peacock Environment Management Award 2021 for successive three years.

The Award is given to organizations for significant achievements in Environment Management by Environment Foundation (WEF) since 1998.

The company’s environmental protections measures are focused on adopting various environmental measures including, upgrading of pollution control facilities, water conservation efforts with the aim to achieve Zero Liquid Discharge, efficient handling of different solid wastes (viz. process waste, hazardous waste, canteen/township waste), carbon sequestration through afforestation, eco-restoration of the mined-out area and etc.

Important For All Exam 2021:

SAIL Founded: 19 January 1954;

SAIL Headquarters: New Delhi;

SAIL CEO: Soma Mondal.

India registers highest-ever annual FDI inflow of 81.97 bn dollars in 2020-21

India has registered the highest ever annual Foreign Direct Investment inflow of $ 81.97 bn in 2020-21. FDI inflows in the last seven financial years is over $ 440 bn, which is nearly 58 % of the total FDI inflow in the last 21 financial years.

The top five countries from where FDI Equity Inflows were received during 2014-2021 are Singapore, Mauritius, USA, Netherland & Japan.

GACL, GAIL team up to establish bioethanol plant in Gujarat

Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) and GAIL (India) Limited has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for setting up a bioethanol plant with a production capacity of 500-kilo litre per day (KLD) in Gujarat.

This MoU was signed on the lines of the roadmap launched by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi for 20% Ethanol Blending in Petrol by 2025 in order to reduce the import of crude oil.

The estimated project cost is Rs. 1,000 crores and it is expected to generate annual revenue of approximately Rs. 1500 crores. An estimated savings of USD 70 million per year in Foreign Exchange is also expected through this project.

Important For All Exam 2021:

GAIL (India) Limited Founded: August 1984;

GAIL (India) Limited Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi;

GAIL (India) Limited CMD: Manoj Jain.

Rishabh Pant named as Uttarakhand’s brand ambassador

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has announced that Indian wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant has been appointed as the brand ambassador of the state.

The 24-year Pant, who was rested for the New Zealand Tests, is currently in South Africa as the Indian Team is all set to face Proteas in the three-match Test series, starting December 26.

Rishabh Rajendra Pant is an Indian cricketer who plays as a middle-order wicket-keeper batsman for India, Delhi, and the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League. In December 2015, he was named in India’s squad for the 2016 Under-19 Cricket World Cup.

Important For All Exam 2021:

Uttarakhand Capitals: Dehradun (Winter), Gairsain (Summer);

Uttarakhand Governor:  Lt Gen Gurmit Singh;

Uttarakhand Chief minister: Pushkar Singh Dhami.

Nagaland creates 3 new districts Niuland, Tseminyu, Chumukedima

Nagaland government has announced the creation of three new districts, namely Tseminyu, Niuland and Chumoukedima. This comes less than a year after the 12th district of the state—Noklak—was inaugurated.

With the addition of the three new districts, Nagaland will now have 15 districts. While the Tseminyu sub-division in Kohima district has been upgraded to a district, Niuland and Chumukedima have been carved out of Dimapur district.

Though there were demands from at least 11 tribes for the creation of new districts, the Cabinet could consider only three of them as some districts are inhabited by only one tribe and those cannot be divided.

Important For All Exam 2021:

Chief Minister of Nagaland: Neiphiu Rio;

Governor of Nagaland: Jagdish Mukhi.

Haryana launches new Integrated Command and Control Center in Karnal

Haryana chief minister, Manohar Lal Khattar has opened the new Integrated Command and Control Center (ICCC) under the Karnal Smart City project.

The new Command and Control Center will enable the functioning of advanced systems such as adaptive traffic control, automatic number plate recognition, detection of red-light violation and speed violation.

With the inauguration of ICCC, a slew of smart traffic management systems in the city went alive. Over 500 CCTV cameras at various locations now enable the functioning of advanced systems such as adaptive traffic control, automatic number plate recognition, detection of red-light violation and speed violation.

Important For All Exam 2021:

Haryana Capital: Chandigarh;

Haryana Governor: Bandaru Dattatreya;

Haryana Chief Minister: Manohar Lal Khattar.

Karl Nehammer sworn in as Chancellor of Austria

Karl Nehammer was sworn in as new Austria’s chancellor by Alexander Van der Bellen, President of Austria in a ceremony in Hofburg Palace, Vienna, Austria. He is succeeding the career diplomat Alexander Schallenberg who took charge as chancellor in October 2021.

He is the 3rd person to hold the role of Austria’s Chancellor in the last two months. Nehammer, from the ruling conservative Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP), was formerly the country’s interior minister.

The Vienna-born Nehammer worked in the army for several years. He then started working as a communications adviser before becoming a politician in 2017. He was made interior minister in January 2020. While he was in office, Austria experienced its first Islamist terrorist attack, in which four people were killed last November.

Important For All Exam 2021:

Austria Capital: Vienna;

Austria Currency: Euro;

Austria President: Alexander Van der Bellen. 

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.