Daily Current Affairs 26 December 2021 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.
NATIONAL NEWS
UP govt launches ‘Free Smartphone Yojna’Â
Making a strong pitch for the upcoming elections in the state, the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh launched the ambitious ‘Free Smartphone Yojna’ on the occasion of the birth anniversary of senior BJP leader and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
- Under the scheme the state government will distribute smartphones and tablets to final year students of graduation and above. In the phase I of the scheme around one lakh smartphones and tablets will be given to final year students of B.Tech, B.A, B.Sc, MA, ITI, MBBS, MD, M.Tech, PhD and skill development courses during a function in Lucknow.
- Among those who will benefit from the scheme include a large number of female students from every district of the state.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
Finance Ministry says real GDP in second quarter of this financial year grown by 8.4%
India is among the few countries that have recorded growth in economy in four consecutive quarters amid Covid-19 reflecting the resilience of the Indian economy.
- In its monthly Economic Review for November, Finance ministry said the real GDP in the second quarter of this financial year has grown by 8.4 percent. The recovery was driven by a revival in services, full recovery in manufacturing and sustained growth in agriculture sectors.
- The Ministry said, the recovery suggests kick-starting of the investment cycle, supported by surging vaccination coverage and efficient economic management activating the macro and micro drivers of growth. India’s economic recovery is expected to gain further strength in the remaining quarters of the financial year.
SPORTS
‘Neeraj’ to Be Mascot for First Ever Kerala Olympic Games
A rabbit mascot named Neeraj, in honour of Neeraj Chopra, the first Indian athlete to win an Olympic gold medal, will be the symbol for the first ever ‘Kerala Olympic Games’, slated to be held in February 2022.
- State Education Minister V Sivankutty unveiled the mascot. The Kerala Olympic Association (KOA) is organising the ‘Kerala Olympics Games’ from February 15 to 24, 2022.
- The meet will be conducted on 24 disciplines which includes athletics, aquatics, archery, basketball, boxing, badminton, cycling, football, wrestling, hockey, judo, karate, kambadi (Kabadi), KHO- KHO, netball, rugby, rifles (shooting), wushu, tennis, table tennis, Taekwondo, volleyball & weight lifting,” the KOA said.
David Lloyd announces retirement from Commentary
David Lloyd, the former England batter and coach, has announced his retirement from Sky Sports after 22 years working as a commentator.
- Lloyd’s retirement comes a month after he issued an apology to Azeem Rafiq over an exchange in which he had questioned Rafiq’s personal life and made disparaging comments about the UK’s Asian cricketing community.
APPOINTMENTS
Indian Squash Ace Saurav Ghosal Replaces World Number One Ali Farag as Men’s President of PSA
India’s leading player and world number 15 Saurav Ghosal was named as the Professional Squash Association’s (PSA) men’s president, replacing world number one Ali Farag.
- As men’s president, Ghosal will sit on PSA’s Board of Directors. Ghosal will serve alongside Sarah-Jane Perry, who will begin another term as PSA women’s president. It will be a two-year term.
- Ghosal, the only Indian man to reach the top 10 of the PSA world rankings, replaces Farag, who has stepped down to spend more time with his family after four years in the role.
AWARDS
Danish Siddiqui to Get Mumbai Press Club’s ‘Journalist of the Year’ Award Posthumously
Photojournalist Danish Siddiqui, who died while being on an assignment in Afghanistan, will be posthumously awarded as the ‘Journalist of the Year’ for 2020 by the Mumbai Press Club, the journalists’ body announced.
- Siddiqui, who had a long stint of working in the financial capital before shifting base to New Delhi, was the chief photographer for the news agency Reuters.
- He is being awarded “for his spectrum of the investigative and impactful body of news photography ranging from the Rohingyas and anti-CAA protests to Covid-19 and the Afghanistan Civil War”, the club said.
OBITUARIES
Senior Congress leader P T Thomas passes away in Tamil Nadu
Kerala legislator and Senior Congress leader P .T .Thomas passed away, in Vellore, Tamil Nadu. He was 71 years old.
- Mr.Thomas represented the Thrikkakara constituency in the current legislative assembly. He was also one of three working presidents of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC).
- He was earlier elected to the Parliament from Idukki. It was his second term as legislator from Thrikkakara constituency in Ernakulam district.
IMPORTANT DAYS
AYUSH Ministry celebrates fifth Siddha Day
Fifth Siddha Day was celebrated by AYUSH Ministry. Siddha system of medicine is one of the oldest codified traditions of healthcare originated in the Indian sub-continent and still being practiced in the southern parts of the country.
- Addressing the gathering on the occasion of Siddha Day, AYUSH Minister Sarbananda Sonowal expressed confidence that this Day will pave way for the resurgence of the age-old tradition of Siddha in the mitigation of diseases and safeguarding the health of people.
- He also said that the Ministry of Ayush has implemented a scheme for distribution of Ayush prophylactic medicines all over the country, free of cost, through various nodal institutions. This has been done with a view to enhance the immunity of the public at large.
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