Daily Current Affairs and GK | 9 December 2021

Topic: Important Days

1. International Anti-Corruption Day: 9 December

• International Anti-Corruption Day is celebrated every year on 9 December. It is being celebrated every year since 2005.
• International Anti-Corruption Day is commemorated to recognize the United Nations Convention against Corruption signed in 2003.
• The theme for the International Anti-Corruption Day 2021 is: “Your right, your role: Say no to Corruption.
• The General Assembly adopted 9 December as International Anti-Corruption Day to raise awareness about corruption.
• India's rank has placed on 86th position among 180 countries in the corruption perception index (CPI) in 2020.

Topic: Sports

2. Australia joins US in diplomatic boycott of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

• Australia joins the United States in diplomatic boycott of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
• Beijing has been accused by the US and other Western nations of imprisoning more than a million Muslim-majority Uyghurs in detention centers.
• The International Olympic Committee (IOC) says that human rights issues are not related to the games and urged countries to participate in the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
• China has opposed the US diplomatic boycott.
• The US will host the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, while the 2032 Games will take place in Brisbane, Australia.

Topic: Reports and Indices

3. India is among the most unequal countries in the world.

• According to the World Inequality Report 2022, India is among the most unequal countries in the world.
• The report has been authored by Lucas Chancel and co-ordinated by renowned economists Thomas Piketty, Emmanuel Saez, and Gabriel Zucman.
• According to the report, the top 10% and top 1% in India hold 57% and 22% of the total national income respectively. The bottom 50% share has gone down to 13%. The top 10% owns 65% of the total wealth.
• The average national income of the Indian population is Rs 2,04,200. As per the report, the share of public wealth across countries has been on a decline for decades.
• The report shows that the income inequality in India under the British colonial rule (1858-1947) was very high.
• In India, private wealth went up from 290% in 1980 to 560% in 2020. Top 1% has been benefited only from economic reforms.
• Private wealth has increased at faster rate in countries like India and China.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

4. Nilmani Phookan Jr and Damodar Mauzo received the Jnanpith Award.

• Assamese poet Nilmani Phookan Jr and Konkani novelist Damodar Mauzo received the Jnanpith award for their outstanding literary work.
• Assamese poet Nilmani Phookan Jr received the 56th Jnanpith Award while Konkani novelist Damodar Mauzo won the 57th Jnanpith Award.
• Damodar Mauzo is known for his novels, such as Karmelin, and Tsunami Simon. He has previously won the Sahitya Akademi Award.
• Damodar Mauzo becomes the second Konkani writer to win the Jnanpith Award after Ravindra Kelekar.
• Nilmani Phookan Jr is a Sahitya Akademi and Padma Shri awardee. Surya Henu Nami Ahe Ei Nodiyedi, Gulapi Jamur Lagna, and Kobita are some notable works of him.
• Nilmani Phookan is the third Assamese writer to win the Jnanpith Award.

Topic: Personality in News

5. President, PM and Home Minister express grief over death of General Bipin Rawat.

• President, PM and Home Minister expressed grief over death of General Bipin Rawat.
• General Bipin Rawat died in an air crash on 08 December 2021. He was India’s first Chief of Defence Staff.
• Along with General Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 other Armed force personnel also died in the crash of helicopter Mi-17V5.
• A total of 14 people were on board the helicopter, out of which 13 have died. Group captain Varun Singh is the only person alive in the accident. He is undergoing treatment.
• CDS Bipin Rawat was going to Defence Staff College in Wellington, Tamil Nadu to participate in a program. His helicopter suddenly crashed 10 km before landing site.
• General Bipin Rawat took over as the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) on January 1, 2020. He was from Gorkha regiment.

Topic: Indian Polity

6. Parliament passes Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Bill, 2021.

• Parliament has passed the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Bill, 2021.
• Rajya Sabha approved the bill on 08 December. Lok Sabha has already passed the bill.
• Rajya Sabha has also passed Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2020.
• Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Bill, 2021 provides for regulation and supervision of assisted reproductive technology (ART) clinics and ART banks.
• The bill also provides that every ART clinic and bank must be registered under National Registry of Banks and Clinics of India.
• The National Registry will be set up under the bill and will act as central database with details of all ART clinics and banks in country.
• A donor will not have any parental rights over the child. A child born through ART will be deemed to be a biological child of the commissioning couple.
• A child born through ART will be entitled to the rights and privileges available to a natural child of the commissioning couple.
• Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Bill, 2021 also has provision for punishment for violation of the rules in ART Bill.
• The punishment includes a fine between five and ten lakh rupees for the first contravention.For subsequent contraventions, the fine includes imprisonment for a term between eight and 12 years, and a fine between 10 and 20 lakh rupees.
• Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2020 aims at constituting National Surrogacy Board, State Surrogacy Boards and appointment of appropriate authorities for regulation of the practice and process of surrogacy.
• Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2020 provides for a fine up to 10 years and a fine up to 10 lakh rupees.
• The bill also incorporates recommendations of the Select Committee like allowing the widow and divorcee to opt for surrogacy, banning commercial surrogacy and extensive insurance cover up to 36 months.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Banking System

7. RBI Keeps Repo and Reverse repo rate unchanged.

• The Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has decided to keep the Repo and Reverse rate unchanged.
• RBI kept the repo rate steady at 4.00 percent and the Reverse repo rate at 3.35 percent.
• The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted to retain the accommodative stance of monetary policy.
• The RBI had brought down the rates by keeping in mind the challenges posed by the covid-19 pandemic. Last year, rates were cut by 75bps and 40 bps.
• The RBI kept its GDP growth forecast for the current financial year unchanged at 9.5 percent.
• Repo rate is the interest rate at which RBI buys securities to lend money to commercial banks. Reverse repo rate is the rate at which RBI sells securities to absorb extra money from the market.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: sports

8. Sanket Mahadev Sargar wins gold medal in Men’s 55 kg snatch category.

• Sanket Mahadev Sargar clinched the gold medal in Men’s 55 kg snatch category at the ongoing Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships 2021.
• He created the national record by lifting 113kg in the men's 55kg snatch category.
• Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships 2021 is being held in Tashkent along with World Weightlifting Championships 2021 from December 7 to 17.
• Sargar has also qualified for the upcoming 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
• The Indian Contingent is participating in the Weightlifting Championships as well as the Commonwealth Senior Championships.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

9. Education Ministry launched Bhasha Sangam mobile app.

• Education Ministry has launched a mobile app named Bhasha Sangam. It is a language learning initiative.
• This language learning initiative has been launched under the Ek Bharat -Shrestha Bharat Programme.
• It aims to teach 100 sentences in an Indian language other than one’s mother tongue to at least 75 lakh people.
• Bhasha Sangam mobile app will help people in learning another language other than thier mother tongue. It allows people to learn basic conversation in 22 Indian languages.
• The App has been developed by a startup named Multibhashi, selected by myGov through a competition. The mobile app has been developed for both android and iOS platforms.
• Initially, App has 100 sentences of everyday usages in 22 Indian languages and it will be available in both Roman script and in the script of the given language.

Topic: State News/ Uttar Pradesh

10. Uttar Pradesh government approves Atma Nirbhar Krishak development scheme.

• The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet has approved the Atma Nirbhar Krishak development scheme for boosting the agriculture sector.
• Atma Nirbhar Krishak development scheme will be implemented from the current financial year.
• Under this scheme, 1,475 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) will be formed in the next three years in each development block.
• The scheme will provide a long-term debt financing facility for investment in the viable projects for post-harvest management infrastructure and community.
• Under the scheme, Rs 1 lakh crore will be provided by banks and financial institutions as loans to Primary Agricultural Credit Societies, Marketing Cooperative Societies, Self Help Groups, farmers, and joint liability groups.
• Under this scheme, all loans will be provided with an interest subvention of 3 percent per annum up to a limit of Rs 2 crore. The scheme will be funded through the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund(AIF).

Topic: Personality in News

11. Eileen Ash, the world's oldest Test cricketer, has died at the age of 110.

• The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on December 4 that Eileen Ash, the world's oldest living Test cricketer, has died at the age of 110.
• Ash, a right-arm seam bowler, made her Test debut against Australia in 1937 and retired in 1949.
• Ash had played seven Tests for England, took 10 wickets at an average of 23.
• Before England Women's triumph in the 2017 World Cup final, Ash was picked to ring the bell at Lord's.
• During her England career, Ashe was also ranked in MI6, Britain's foreign intelligence service, during World War II.

Topic: National News

12. The Ken-Betwa River Interlinking Project has been approved by the Cabinet.

• The Ken-Betwa inter-linking of rivers project has been approved by the Union Cabinet, which is chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
• At 2020-21 price levels, the overall cost of the Ken-Betwa link project has been estimated at Rs.44,605 crore.
• The Union Cabinet has granted central support for the project in the amount of Rs.39,317 crore, which includes a grant of Rs.36,290 crore and a loan of Rs.3,027 crore.
• "The project will be implemented through a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) known as the Ken-Betwa Link Project Authority (KBLPA)."
• The project includes the construction of the Daudhan dam across river Betwa from Ken and the transfer of water through a canal connecting the two rivers, Lower Orr project, Kotha barrage- and Bina complex multipurpose project.
• The project will irrigate 10.62 lakh hectares annually, provide drinking water to a population of 62 lakhs, and generate 103 MW of hydropower and 27 MW of solar power.
• The project is expected to be completed in eight years using state-of-the-art technologies.
• On March 22, 2021, the Union Minister of Jal Shakti and the Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh had signed a historic agreement to implement the country's first significant centrally driven river interlinking project.

Topic: National News

13. Microsoft has launched a cybersecurity skills training programme in India to train over 1 lakh people.

• Microsoft has started a cybersecurity skilling program with the goal of training over 1 lakh learners by 2022 to address the skills gap and prepare India's workforce for a career in cybersecurity.
• The program is meant to give students hands-on experience with security, compliance, and identity fundamentals.
• These courses will be conducted by Microsoft in collaboration with its strategic partners Cloudthat, Koenig, RPS, and Synergetics Learning.
• This collaboration is part of Microsoft's global skilling program, which aims to help 25 million individuals learn new digital skills throughout the world.
• In India, almost 3 million individuals have been trained through this project.

Topic: Indian Economy

14. Fitch has slashed India's GDP forecast for FY22 to 8.4%.

• Fitch Ratings lowered India's economic growth forecast for the current fiscal year, which ends March 31, 2022, to 8.4%, but it upped the forecast for the following fiscal year to 10.3%.
• In October, Fitch forecasted 8.7% GDP growth in fiscal years 2021-22 (April 2021 to March 2022) and 10% growth in FY23.