11th and 12th Dec 2021 Current Affairs| Education Keeda

Important

International Mountain Day observed on 11 December

International Mountain Day is observed globally on December 11 every year. The day is celebrated to create awareness about the importance of mountains to life, to highlight the opportunities and constraints in mountain development, and to build alliances that will bring positive change to mountain peoples and environments around the world.

The theme of this year’s International Mountain Day (IMD) on 11 December will be sustainable mountain tourism. Sustainable tourism in mountains can contribute to creating additional and alternative livelihood options and promoting poverty alleviation, social inclusion, as well as landscape and biodiversity conservation.

The day was established by the UN General Assembly in 2003 to encourage the sustainable development of mountains. United Nations had declared 2002 as the UN International Year of Mountains.

Human Rights Day: 10 December 2021

Human Rights Day is celebrated on 10 December annually across the world. This Day came into existence on December 10, 1948, when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations.

This day is observed every year across the world, as it empowers us all. The day also acknowledges the advocates and defenders of human rights around the world.

The theme for Human Rights Day 2021 is “EQUALITY – Reducing inequalities, advancing human rights.” This year’s Human Rights Day theme relates to ‘Equality’ and Article 1 of the UDHR – “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”

National

Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami launched ‘Milk Price Incentive Scheme’

Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami has launched the ‘Milk Price Incentive Scheme‘ in Dehradun. The scheme is aimed to provide incentives benefiting around 53,000 people of Uttarakhand.

The state government is targeting to spend INR 444.62 crore to open 500 milk sales centers in Uttarakhand. It is a Direct Bank Transfer (DBT) scheme, the amount under the scheme would go directly into the accounts of the beneficiaries through their linked bank accounts.

In the Dehradun district, milk production and consumption are completely contradictory. On one hand, the government is making many attempts to enhance milk production, all government claims of promoting products are proving to be fictitious. Despite thousands of hours of labor, milk is not produced in accordance with demand.

Useful notes for all competitive exams:

Uttarakhand Capitals: Dehradun (Winter), Gairsain (Summer);
Uttarakhand Governor: Lt Gen Gurmit Singh;
Uttarakhand Chief minister: Pushkar Singh Dhami.

Haiderpur wetland in Uttar Pradesh recognized as Ramsar Site

The Haiderpur Wetland abutting the Madhya Ganga barrage, about 10 km from Bijnor in western Uttar Pradesh, has been recognized under the 1971 Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. Uttar Pradesh is now home to 9 Ramsar wetlands.

The wetland has also been identified under Namami Gange, a central flagship, as a model wetland along the Ganga. With this, there are now a total of 47 such designated areas in the country.

Bhasha Sangam mobile app launched with 22 languages

Union Minister of State for Education, Dr. Subhas Sarkar has informed that the government is all set to launch Bhasha Sangam mobile app. The mobile app is developed to give users familiarity with common expressions of daily conversation in scheduled Indian languages.

The app has 100+ sentences, designed on different themes that allow people to learn basic conversation in 22 Indian languages, test themselves and generate online certificates. The app aims to foster the spirit of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat by enabling people across India to learn the different languages of different states of India and come closer to their culture.

Ministry of Power kickstarts celebration of Energy Conservation Week

Ministry of Power is celebrating the Energy Conservation Week from 8th to 14th December 2021 under “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”. Celebration by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency will include three major activities i.e.

National Painting Competition for school children, National Energy Conservation Awards (NECA) for Industries and establishments, and National Energy Efficiency Innovation Awards (NEEIA) to recognize innovative energy efficiency technologies.

International

Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi sentenced to jail

Myanmar’s ousted civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi was sentenced to four years imprisonment after being found guilty on two charges, the first verdicts in a raft of criminal cases that the country’s military has brought against her since seizing power 10 months ago.

Ms Suu Kyi was convicted of charges of incitement and violating pandemic rules. The 76-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate is facing a total of 11 charges which can bring in a maximum imprisonment of 102 years.

Suu Kyi has been found guilty on two charges — of inciting the public against the military and breaching the Covid-19 protocols in the country.

The incitement charge stems from statements made on Facebook pages of Suu Kyi’s party after she was detained by the military, following a coup that prevented her from starting a second term in office.

Useful notes for all competitive exams:

Myanmar Capital: Naypyitaw;
Myanmar Currency: Kyat.

UP cabinet approves Atma Nirbhar Krishak development scheme

Uttar Pradesh Cabinet has approved the Atma Nirbhar Krishak development scheme for boosting the agriculture sector. Atma Nirbhar Krishak’s 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 viable projects for postharvest management infrastructure and community.

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.

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).

Useful notes for all competitive exams:

UP Capital: Lucknow;
UP Governor: Anandiben Patel;
UP Chief minister: Yogi Adityanath.

Defense

DRDO test-fired air version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile

India successfully test-fired the air version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from the integrated test range of Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha. The air version of the missile was test-fired from supersonic fighter aircraft Sukhoi 30 MK-I.

BrahMos is a joint venture between DRDO (India) and NPO Mashinostroyeniya (Russia) for the development, production, and marketing of the supersonic cruise missile which has been inducted into the Indian Armed Forces. The missile derives its name from the rivers of Brahmaputra in India and Moskva in Russia.

Useful notes for all competitive exams:

Chairman DRDO: Dr G Satheesh Reddy.
DRDO Headquarters: New Delhi.
DRDO Established: 1958.

Agreements

SBI signed MoU with Kendriya Sainik Board

State Bank of India (SBI) has signed an MoU with Kendriya Sainik Board to support and educate the children of war veterans, ex-servicemen, and war widows. India’s largest bank said it will provide a grant of ₹ 1,000 per month to 8,333 war veterans’.

The bank has contributed ₹ 10 crores to the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund. The Armed Forces Flag Day is celebrated on December 7.

According to the statement, the bank has contributed ₹10 crores to the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund. The Armed Forces Flag Day is celebrated on December 7.

Useful notes for all competitive exams:

State Bank of India Founded: 1 July 1955;
State Bank of India Headquarters: Mumbai;
State Bank of India Chairman: Dinesh Kumar Khara.

Science and Technology

Indian origin Anil Menon is SpaceX’s first flight surgeon

Nasa-turned-SpaceX flight surgeon, Anil Menon is among the 10 latest trainee astronauts who will join the 2021 class of the American space agency as it plans for the first human missions to the moon in more than 50 years.

He is born to Indian and Ukrainian parents and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Menon is a lieutenant colonel in the US air force.

He was SpaceX’s first flight surgeon, helping to launch the company’s first humans to space during NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission and building a medical organization to support the human system during future missions.

Microsoft launched cybersecurity skills training program in India

Microsoft has launched a cybersecurity killing 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.

Courses will be conducted by Microsoft in collaboration with its strategic partners Cloud that, Koenig, RPS, and Synergetics Learning.

This tie-up 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.

Useful notes for all competitive exams:

Microsoft CEO and Chairman: Satya Nadella;
Microsoft Headquarters: Redmond, Washington, United States.

Banking

Paytm Payments Bank receives scheduled bank status from RBI

Paytm Payments Bank has been given the scheduled bank status by the Reserve Bank of India. The bank has been included in the Second Schedule to the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 and the approval will help it to bring more financial services and products.

The bank supports 33.3 crore Paytm Wallets and enables consumers to make payments at over 87,000 online merchants and 2.11 crore in-store merchants.

The bank can explore new business opportunities, including participation in government and other large corporations issued requests for proposals, primary auctions, fixed-rate and variable rate repos, and reverse repos.

Besides, it can participate in Marginal Standing Facility and will be eligible to partner in government-run financial inclusion schemes.

The inclusion of Paytm Payments Bank in the Second Schedule to the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, will help us innovate further and bring more financial services and products to the underserved and unserved population in India.

Useful notes for all competitive exams:

Chairman of Paytm Payments Bank Ltd: Vijay Shekhar Sharma;
MD and CEO of Paytm Payments Bank Ltd: Satish Kumar Gupta;
Paytm Payments Bank Ltd Headquarters: Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

Sports

Sanket Mahadev Sargar won gold in Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships 2021

Sanket Mahadev Sargar won 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. Sargar has also qualified for the upcoming 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships 2021 is being held in Tashkent along with World Weightlifting Championships 2021 from December 7 to 17. The Indian Contingent is participating in the Weightlifting Championships as well as the Commonwealth Senior Championships.

Sports

Manipur wins Senior Women’s National Football Championship

Manipur successfully defended their Senior Women’s National Football Championship crown after a dramatic penalty shootout win over Railways in the final at the EMS Stadium in Kozhikode, Kerala.

After a dearth of goal-scoring chances in regulation and extra time, the match went to penalties with the scores at 0-0. Manipur goalkeeper Okram Roshini Devi produced three saves to give her side their 21st title at this level.

Ranks and Reports

Fortune India’s Most Powerful Women in India 2021 announced

Fortune India released the list of most powerful women in India in 2021 in which Union Minister, Ministry of Finance & Ministry of Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman ranked 1st.

She is followed by Reliance Foundation Chairperson and Goodwill Ambassador Nita Ambani in 2nd position, and Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist, World Health Organization (WHO) in 3rd.

Fortune India’s List of Top 5 Most Powerful Women in India:

Rank	Name	Position
1	Nirmala Sitharaman	Union Ministry, Ministry of Finance
2	Nita Ambani	Reliance Foundation Chairperson and Goodwill Ambassador
3	Soumya Swaminathan	Chief Scientist, World Health Organization (WHO)
4	Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw	Executive Chairperson, Biocon
5	Suchitra Ella	Co-founder and Joint MD, Bharat Biotech International Ltd

India Skills Report 2022: Maharashtra Retains Top Position

The 9th edition of India Skills Report (ISR) 2022, released by Wheebox, Maharashtra has retained the top position in the list of states with the highest poll of employable talent followed by Uttar Pradesh and Kerala.

The theme of ISR 2022 – ‘Rebuilding and Reengineering the Future of Work’. India Skills Report is a full-fledged report about the future of work, education, and skilling to match the talent demand and supply in a growing India.

Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu are the 3 states that have a higher job demand. Pune is the city with the most highly employable resources with 78% of the test takers scoring above 60 percent.

Top 5 States with Highest Employability:

Rank	State	Employability %
1	Maharashtra	66.1
2	Uttar Pradesh	65.2
3	Kerala	64.2
4	West Bengal	63.8
5	Karnataka	59.3

Obituary

Serum Institute of India ED Suresh Jadhav passes away

Serum Institute of India’s Executive Director Dr. Suresh Jadhav has passed away. He played an important role in the development of the Covishield vaccine. He was part of several national and international bodies and organizations.

Serum Institute of India is the world’s largest vaccine maker. It is the second company to apply for the approval of a vaccine candidate from the Drugs Controller General of India.