Daily Current Affairs and GK | 13 and 14 December 2020

Topic: Awards and Prizes

1. Dr. Carolina Araujo wins Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians 2020.

• Dr. Carolina Araujo from Brazil has won Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians 2020.
• She is the first non-Indian to receive this prize. She has won the prize for outstanding work in Algebraic Geometry. Her work is on birational geometry, a branch of Algebraic Geometry.
• She is a mathematician from the Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics (IMPA), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
• She is Vice President of the Committee for Women in Mathematics at International Mathematical Union. She is also second woman to win the prize.
• Prof Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DST) informed Dr. Carolina Araujo about Vigyan Jyoti, a DST’s initiative to tap 100 girl students in 550 districts during 2020-2025.
• Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians:
  • It was established in 2005 by ICTP, Niels Henrik Abel Memorial Fund and IMU.  It includes a USD 15,000 cash award.
  • It is given annually to young mathematicians doing outstanding research in a developing country. The age of a young mathematician should be less than 45 years of age.
  • Government of India’s Department of Science and Technology, in collaboration with ICTP (International Centre for Theoretical Physics) and the International Mathematical Union (IMU), provides funds for this prize. India is a member of IMU.

(Source: PIB)

Topic: Sports

2. Breakdancing becomes official Olympic sport.

• Breakdancing has become an official Olympic sport and will make its debut in 2024 Paris Olympics.
• Breakdancing will be known as Breaking at the Olympics.
• International Olympic Committee has confirmed the addition of Breakdancing to the medal events program at the 2024 Paris Games.
• Skateboarding, Sport Climbing and Surfing will make their debut at the Tokyo Games 2021.
• International Olympic Committee (IOC):
  • It is a not-for-profit independent sports organization that was founded in 1894.
  • It is responsible for organizing the Summer and Winter Olympic Games.
  • Its headquarters is located in Lausanne, Switzerland.
  • Current President: Thomas Bach

Topic: Awards and Prizes

3. German Chancellor Angela Merkel topped Forbes 2020 World’s 100 Most Powerful Women list.

• In the recently released Forbes 2020 World’s 100 Most Powerful Women list, German Chancellor Angela Merkel held the first position for the 10^th consecutive year.
• US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris has grabbed the third position on the list. She was recently named the Time’s 2020 Person of the Year jointly with Joe Biden.
• Kamala Harris is the first woman, first African American and first Asian American to be elected as the Vice President of US.
• Finance Minister of India, Nirmala Sitharaman, was ranked 41^st on the list. Last year, she was placed at the 34^th position.
• HCL Corporation CEO and Executive Director Roshni Nadar Malhotra grabbed the 55^th position while Biocon Founder Kiran Mazumdar Shaw was ranked 68^th on the list.

Topic: Banking/Finance

4. SEBI forms Corporation Finance Investigation Department (CFID).

• SEBI has formed the Corporation Finance Investigation Department (CFID) to deal with cases of fraud, diversion of funds, bank loans and resources by company promoters.
• As of now, investigations and corporation finance departments separately deal with the frauds by company promoters.
• CFID will also deal with the cases where landers, management and other regulators initiated forensic audit. It will also examine allegations made against auditors and material mis-statement in financial statements.
• CFID will investigate those complex transactions, which involved resources of the listed entity and were done to benefit promoter/promoter group.
• CFID will also check misuse of resources like company land, guest houses or vehicles by promoters.
• Enforcement department had earlier found diversion of more than Rs 12,000 crore by DHFL promoters. Cox and Kings Promoters laundered over Rs 7,000 crore.
• SEBI has 20 departments. Some of them are Corporation Finance Department (CFD), Enforcement Department – 1 (EFD1) & Enforcement Department – 2 (EFD2).
• Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI):
  • SEBI was set up in 1988. It was given statutory status in 1992. Its headquarters are located in Mumbai.
  • In addition to a chairman, SEBI currently has four whole-time members and three part-time members. Ajay Tyagi is its chairman.

Topic: Summits/Conferences/ Meetings

5. Iran, India, and Uzbekistan will hold the first trilateral meeting on use of Chabahar port.

• India, Iran and Uzbekistan will hold the first trilateral meeting on the issue of the use of Chabhar port.
• The meeting will be held at the deputy minister level between all the countries.
• In this meeting, various bilateral issues and conventions on International terrorism will be discussed.
• It will create new economic opportunities in the region. It will enhance cooperation between the countries.
• Chabahar Port
  • Chabahar Port is a seaport located in south-eastern Iran, on the Gulf of Oman. It consists of two separate ports Shahid Kalantri and Shahid Beheshti port.
  • It is strategic for India as it provides connectivity to Iran and Afghanistan bypassing Pakistan.
  • It is jointly developed by India, Iran and Afghanistan.
• Uzbekistan and Iran:

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Awards and Prizes

6. UNESCO will launch an International prize in name of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the field of “creative economy”.

• In the field of “Creative economy”, UNESCO has decided to launch an International prize in the name of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from 2021.
• It will be given once in two years for rewarding global economic initiatives of the youth.
• It will reward the exceptional works of cultural workers and organizations in the area of “Creative Economy”.
• The prize money for this award will be 50 thousand dollars.
• This year Bangladesh is celebrating the Birth Centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
• UNESCO has also declared 2021 as the ‘International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development’.
• At present, UNESCO is giving 23 international awards in the name of international celebrities and organisations.
• Sheikh Mujibur Rahman:
  • Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was the first President of Bangladesh and also served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
  • He is also known as the “Father of the Nation” in Bangladesh.
  • He had played an important role in the Independence of Bangladesh and he got the title of “Bangabandhu” from the people of Bangladesh.

(Source: Indian Express)

Topic: National News

7. Government exempted Handicraft and Geographical Indications toys from Quality Control Order.

• Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has notified that Handicraft and Geographical Indications toys are exempted from the Quality Control order. It will come into effect from 1 January 2021.
• Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade has created a framework for increasing the production and sale of indigenous toys in the country.
• The main objective of this initiative is to synergize all the stakeholders in the area of toy production and sale across the country and to maintain the quality standard of indigenous toys.
• It will also give a boost to the government’s initiative of “team up for toys” for making India a manufacturing hub for toys.
• India imports about 85% of its toys demands from China, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Germany and the United States.
• Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade:
  • It works under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
  • It is responsible for formulating and implementing industrial policy.
  • It also formulates and implements FDI policy.

Topic: International News

8. India launched movie series, “CinemaSCOpe,” for Shanghai Cooperation Organisation diplomats.

• CinemaSCOpe, a movie series for the SCO diplomats, has been launched by the Indian Embassy in Beijing.
• In this movie series, more than two dozen Indian films dubbed in Russian will be screened every month.
• This movie series will start from the film ‘Three Idiots’ and will continue till the SCO’ Council of Heads of State’ meeting in 2023. It is launched to bring closeness between the member’s countries through a ‘cultural connect’.
• Shanghai Cooperation Organisation will celebrate the “SCO Year of Culture” in 2021.
• Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO):
  • Its creation was announced in 2001 by leaders of six nations.
  • Currently, it has eight members as India and Pakistan joined it in June 2017.
  • The other six members are China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
  • It is headquartered in Beijing, China.

9. Israel and Bhutan establish their formal diplomatic relations.

• Israel and Bhutan have established their diplomatic ties in a formal ceremony in New Delhi.
• Both countries agreed to cooperate in the field of water management, agriculture, healthcare, etc.
• At present, Bhutan has full diplomatic ties with only 54 countries and European Union.
• Recently, Israel has also normalized its diplomatic ties with Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates.
• Israel and Bhutan:

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Important Days

10. Manipur celebrated 81^st Nupi Lan Day.

• The 81^st Nupi Lan day has been observed at the Nupi Lan Memorial complex in Imphal.
• It is celebrated in the remembrance of the brave mothers who sacrificed their lives in the fight against the British Empire. 
• The women of Manipur had fought the war against the British Empire in 1904 and 1939. These wars are known as Nupi Lal.
• The first war was due to the mass- exploitation of the people of Manipur and the second war was triggered because of a famine-like situation in Manipur due to the export of rice from the state.
• Rani Gaidinliu was one of the most important women freedom fighters of Manipur. Some other freedom fighters of Manipur are Major Paona Brajabasi, Haipou Jadonang, Chinglen Sana, Khumbong Major, Loitongba Jamadar, Keisa Jamadar, etc.