14 December 2020
CURRENT
AFFAIRS
IMPORTANT DAYS
International Universal Health Coverage Day 2020 – December 12
- The United Nations
(UN)’s International Universal Health Coverage Day(UHCDAY) is annually observed across the globe on 12th December to raise awareness
about the need for a strong and resilient health system and universal health
coverage with multi stakeholder partners.
- The theme of International UHCDAY 2020 is Health
for All: Protect Everyone,
- At
the events for the observance of UHCDAY 2020, WHO has launched a new
Primary Health Care (PHC) Special
Programme and the new UHC Compendium of Health
Interventions.
- The 2020 UHDC
campaign will culminate in a 24 hour
virtual rally on 12th december 2020 with ProtectEveryone.
About World Health Organisation(WHO):
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland
International Day of Neutrality 2020 – December 12
- The United Nations
(UN)’s International Day of Neutrality
is annually observed across the globe on 12th December to promote neutrality among countries and to
highlight the importance of peace and develop mutually benefiting relationships
between countries.
- UNGA adopted the
resolution “Permanent Neutrality of
Turkmenistan” on 12th December 1995, it
is the only Country in the world, which got the Permanent
Neutrality from the United Nations.
About United Nations:
Headquarters– New York, United
States of America
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
India’s 1st LGBT+ Workplace Equality Index,’India Workplace Equality Index Top Employers 2020 Report’ launched by KSF, Pride Circle & Stonewall
- On December 10, 2020, India’s 1st LGBT +
(Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans +) Workplace Equality Index, “India Workplace Equality Index Top
Employers 2020 Report” based on the India Workplace Equality Index (IWEI)
Index was launched virtually by KSF (Keshav Suri Foundation), Pride Circle, Stonewall & FICCI (Federation
of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry)..
- In September 2018,
Supreme Court of India abolished Section
377, which decriminalized
homosexuality in India.
India Workplace Equality Index Top Employers 2020 Report:
- The Index is based on 9 Criterias – Policies & Benefits, Employee Lifecycle, Employee Network Group, Allies and Role Models, Senior Leadership, Monitoring, Procurement, Community Engagement and Additional work.
- Based on the IWEI Index, Employers are given a score and are celebrated as either Gold, Silver or Bronze IWEI Top Employers.
About Keshav Suri Foundation (KSF):
Location:NewDelhi
A.K. Singh CMD of NHPC, lays foundation stone of head regulator works for Indo- Nepal Link Cana
- On 8th
December, 2020 The Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of NHPC limited,A.K. Singh, has laid foundation
stone of head regulator works of Indo-Nepal Link Canal at Barrage of 94.2 MW
Tanakpur Power Station of NHPC at Uttarakhand.
- This project
is constructed under the “Mahakali
Treaty” signed between India and Nepal.
- The Indo-Nepal Link Canal is 1.2 Km long Canal.
- About Nepal:
Capital- Kathmandu
President- Bidya Devi Bhandari
Prime Minister- K. P. Sharma Oli
DCGI Gives Approval for HGCO19, India’s 1st Indigenous mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate to Initiate Human Clinical Trials
- On December 11,
2020 Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) gave approval for India’s 1st indigenous messenger Ribonucleic acid(mRNA) vaccine
candidate, HGCO19 to initiate Phase I/II human clinical trials.
- It was developed by
Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd in collaboration with HDT Biotech
Corporation, Seattle, USA.
About Gennova’s candidate vaccine:
- HGCO19 uses the most prominent mutant of spike protein (D614G) and also uses the mRNA platform, that gives advantage of a low dosing regimen when compared with the non-replicating mRNA or traditional vaccines
About Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd:
Chairman – Mr. Satish Ramanlal Mehta.
PM Narendra Modi Addresses International Bharathi Festival 2020; Seeni Viswanathan Wins Bharathi Award 2020
- On December 11, 2020 Prime Minister(PM) Narendra Modi addressed the International Bharathi Festival 2020 through video conferencing.
- The festival was organised by the Vanavil Cultural Centre to celebrate the 138th birth anniversary of Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathi, a Tamil writer, poet, journalist, Indian independence activist and social reformer.
About Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathi:
- Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathi(11 December 1882 – 11 September 1921) was a pioneer of modern Tamil poetry.He fought for the freedom of women, against child marriage, stood to reform Brahminism and religion. He was also in unity with Dalits and Muslims.
- He worked as a journalist with many newspapers, including The Hindu.
INTERNATIONAL
AFFAIRS
1st India-Uzbekistan virtual summit Held; Co-chaired by Narendra Modi & Shavkat Mirziyoyev; 9 Agreements Inked
- On
December 11, 2020 the first bilateral virtual summit between India and
Uzbekistan was co- chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi and President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoyev to
discuss the entire gamut of bilateral relationship, including strengthening
India-Uzbekistan cooperation in the post- COVID-19 world between both nations
About Uzbekistan:
Currency– Uzbekistani soʻm
About International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC):
- INSTC project was initiated by Russia, India and Iran in September 2000 in St. Petersburg. The agreement was signed on 16th May 2002.
- The International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is the ship, rail, and road route for moving freight between India, Russia, Iran, Europe and Central Asia
- The current members are India, Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Belarus, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Oman, Syria, Turkey, Ukraine, and Bulgaria (observer).2.17th International Inter-Ministerial Conference on South-South Cooperation in Population and Development held Virtually; Harsh Vardhan Participated
schaemic Heart Disease is the Top Cause of Death at the Global level from 2000-19: WHO’s 2019 Global Health Estimates
- According to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 2019 Global Health Estimates, Ischaemic Heart
Disease remained the Top Cause of death at the Global level over the period
2000-19, it is responsible for 16%
of World’s total deaths.
- The study has also
stated that Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) constitute 7 of the World’s Top 10 causes of death
Key Points:
- Lower Respiratory infections are the world’s deadliest communicable disease. Women are most affected by Alzheimer and other forms of dementia, 65% of deaths from Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia are women.
- Diabetes is the 9th Top Cause of Deaths over the period 2000-19 (an increase of 70% from 2000). It accounted for the largest deaths among male.
- Deaths due to HIV/AIDS (Human Immunodeficiency Viruses/Acquired ImmunoDeficiency Syndrome) have fallen by 51%, as a result it has moved to 19th Leading cause of death in 2019 from 8th in 2000.
- Kidney diseases have increased globally; as a result, it has emerged as the 10th Leading Cause of death..
About WHO
Director General – Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (Ethiopia
Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland
The 5th Round of Foreign Office Consultations held virtually between India & Cyprus
- On December 11,
2020, The 5th Round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOCs) was held virtually between India & Cyprus.
- Neeta Bhushan, Joint
Secretary (Central Europe) led the Indian side and Thessalia Salina Shambos, Political Director, Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, Government of Republic of Cyprus
led the Cypriot side.
About Cyprus:
President – Nicos Anastasiades
Capital – Nicosia
Currency – Euro
- In this regard, on December 8, 2020, the first webinar between India and Brazil was held on the theme “Indian Defence Industry Global Outreach for Collaborative Partnership: Webinar and Expo”.
About Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM):
President– Jayant D Patil
Headquarter– New Delhi
India, Qatar set up task force to identify projects for investment
- On December 11,
2020, India and Qatar have decided
to set up a task force on Energy, to identify specific projects in India’s energy sector for investments
by Qatar.
- It was informed by Union Minister Dharmendra Debendra Pradhan,
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
About
Qatar:
Currency– Qatari Riyal
Emir– Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani
Union Minister Harsh Vardhan virtually addresses World Bank Inter Ministerial Meeting on Vaccination of South Asia against COVID-19
- On December 10,
2020 Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare virtually
addressed the World Bank Inter
Ministerial Meeting on Vaccination of South Asia
against COVID-19.
About Ministry of
Health and Family Welfare:
Union Minister – Dr Harsh Vardhan
Minister of state:AshwiniKumarChoubey
About World Bank:
President- David R.
Malpass
Headquarters- Washington, D.C.,
United States
BANKING
AND FINANCE
DBS Bank India Partners with Haqdarshak to Help Indian MSME to Recover from COVID-19 Pandemic
- On December 11,
2020 DBS Bank India Ltd. (DBIL) partnered with Haqdarshak Empowerment Solutions
Private Limited to help Indian MSMEs(Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) to recover from COVID-19 pandemic.
- This aid will happen through the newly launched Haqdarshak MSME platform.
- The platform helps
India’s enterprises to access MSME-focused government welfare schemes, covering
registrations, documentation and applications for financing across India.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
Dr. Carolina Araujo of Brazil Becomes 1st Non-Indian to Win Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians 2020 from Developing Countries
- On 9th December
2020, Dr. Carolina Araujo, Brazilian Mathematician from the Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics
(IMPA), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was
named as the winner of Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians 2020 from
developing countries in a virtual ceremony.
- She is the 1st non-Indian women mathematician to receive this prize. The Prize carries a cash award of USD 15,000
About
The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP):
Director– Atish Dabholkar(50th director)
Headquarters: Trieste,Italy
InternationalMathematical union
President– Prof. Carlos Kenig
IMU Secretariat– Berlin, Germany
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