Daily Current Affairs 30 December 2020 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.
NATIONAL NEWS
Kerala’s Gender Park to host international meet in Feb 2021
Kerala government said the Gender Park in partnership with UN Women will organise the second edition of the International Conference on Gender Equality (ICGE-II) at Kozhikode in February 2021.
- The focal theme is ‘Gender in Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Social Business: The Mediating Role of Empowerment’, seeking to throw light on the critical linkages between entrepreneurship, economic growth, and poverty reduction
Madhya Pradesh cabinet approves Dharma Swatantrya (Religious Freedom) Bill 2020
Madhya Pradesh cabinet approved the Dharma Swatantrya (Religious Freedom) Bill 2020. The controversial ordinance outlaws marriages with an aim of religious conversions.
- Under the new Bill, forcing religious conversion on someone will attract 1-5 years of imprisonment and a minimum Rs 25,000 fine.
- This approval comes after Uttar Pradesh’s governor’s assent to the UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020, against forcible or fraudulent religious conversions last month.
1.83 Crore Sukanya Samriddhi accounts have been opened with a corpus of ₹ 58,222 Crore : Communications Ministry
A total of one crore 83 lakh Sukanya Samriddhi Accounts have been opened across the country in the name of girl-child with deposits amounting to over 58 thousand 222 crore rupees.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the Sukanya Samriddhi Account scheme, also known as girl child prosperity scheme in 2015 in Panipat, Haryana.
- Communication Ministry said, the scheme ensures a bright future for girl children. This scheme has facilitated them in proper education, marriage expenses and securing their future.
BANKING & FINANCE
ICICI Bank and Google Pay collaborate to bring digital registration of FASTag
ICICI Bank has announced a partnership with Google which will allow users to issue FASTag using Google Pay.
- Google Pay users will now be able to conveniently order, track, and recharge ICICI Bank FASTags.
- The announcement makes ICICI Bank the first bank to join hands with Google Pay for the issuance of FASTag. This will also add competition for Paytm, which currently issues FASTags from the app as well and is quite a popular choice for many customers.
AU Small Finance Bank partners ICICI Prudential Life for insurance solutions
AU Small Finance Bank (AU Bank) aims to deliver paperless life insurance solutions to its more than 18 lakh customers through digital platform with ICICI Prudential Life Insurance.
- Over 700 banking touch points of AU Bank across 13 states and 2 union territories will receive the entire suite of customer-centric protection and long-term savings products of ICICI Prudential Life for retirement and critical illness.
Cashaa, United Multistate Cooperative Society launch crypto bank ‘Unicas’
Fintech firm Cashaa and United Multistate Credit Cooperative Society launched a crypto bank that allows users to transact in cryptocurrency and fiat from one account.
- The partnership will enable Cashaa to access United’s regulatory licenses, its physical branches, and overall banking infrastructure.
- The bank named as Unicas is initially opening its services online and through 14 branches across NCR, Rajasthan, and Gujarat by January 2021, and plans to expand to 100 branches by the end of 2022.
Suryoday Small Finance Bank Gets SEBI Nod To Float IPO
Markets regulator Securities and Exchanges Board of India (SEBI) has granted the go-ahead to small lender Suryoday Small Finance Bank to float its Initial Public Offering (IPO).
- This IPO comprises fresh issuance of 1,15,95,000 equity shares and an offer for sale of up to 84,66,796 equity scrips by existing shareholders, according to the draft papers filed with the regulator.
- Those offering shares through the Offer for sale (OFS) route include International Financial Corporation (IFC), Gaja Capital, HDFC Holdings, IDFC First Bank, Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance Company, DWM (International) Mauritius Ltd and Americorp Ventures.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
Businesses with monthly turnover of over Rs 50 lakh to pay at least 1% GST liability in cash
Businesses with monthly turnover of over Rs 50 lakh wil have to mandatorily pay at least 1% of their Goods and Services Tax liability in cash, the Finance Ministry said as it moved to curb evasion by fake invoicing.
- The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs has introduced Rule 86B in Goods and Services Tax rules which restricts use of input tax credit for discharging GST liability to 99%.
- While calculating the turnover threshold, sales from GST exempt goods and zero rates supply would not be included.
- However, this restriction will not apply where the managing director or any partner have paid more than Rs 1 lakh as income tax or the registered person has received a refund amount of more than Rs 1 lakh in the preceding financial year on account of unutilised input tax credit.
APPOINTMENTS
Harsh Vardhan nominated to Board of Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has been nominated by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) as a member on the GAVI Board, said a release by the Ministry.
- Dr. Vardhan will be representing the South East Area Regional Office (SEARO)/ Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO) constituency on the GAVI Board.
- The seat is currently held by Myint Htwe of Myanmar. Dr. Vardhan will be representing India from January 1, 2021 till December 31, 2023.
AWARDS
Mother Teresa Memorial Awardees for Social Justice felicitated
Harmony Foundation hosted the Mother Teresa Memorial Awards for Social Justice. The Awards, in its 16th year, is the only award endorsed by Sister Prema, the Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity, the organization started by Mother Teresa.
- The theme for this year’s awards was, ‘Celebrating Compassion In Times Of Covid ’.
Among the awardees this year are:
1.Dr.Anthony Fauci (US)
2.Fr. Fabio Stevenazzi (Milan, Italy)
3.Dr.Pradeep Kumar (Chennai)
4.Cristian Fracassi and Alessandro Romaioli (Italy)
5.Sanjay Pandey, IPS (DG Home Guards, Maharashtra)
6.Vikas Khanna (Manhattan, US)
7.KK Shailaja (Minister of Health, Kerala)
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Union Minister of Earth Sciences Dr Harsh Vardhan inaugurates country’s highest Meteorological Centre at Leh
Union Minister of Earth Sciences, Dr Harsh Vardhan, virtually inaugurated India’s highest Meteorological Centre in Leh.
- After Itanagar Centre in Arunachal Pradesh, Leh Met centre at 3500 meters highest from mean sea level is the highest in the Himalayan region.
- With four Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) a Meteorological Department centre for Ladakh region started working. Despite Covid pandemic, within Nine months of time the new centre is established to cater the arid cold desert and geo politically all important Ladakh weather requirements.
INCOIS launches web based Digital Ocean app for information sharing
INCOIS, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), has launched a a web based application Digital Ocean to share information on marine data and forecast services. Harsh Vardhan, Union Health, Science & Technology, Earth Sciences Minister, inaugurated Digital Ocean, during a Virtual Meeting.
- Indian National Centre for Ocean Information provides ocean information and advisory services to various stakeholders including data based on oceanographic research, advisory services such as fishing zone advisories, ocean state forecast, high wave alerts, tsunami early warnings, storm surge and oil-spill.
- The Digital Ocean platform (www.do.incois.gov.in) includes a set of applications developed to organise and present heterogeneous oceanographic data by adopting rapid advancements in geospatial technology.
- The platform will serve as a one stop-solution for all the data related needs of a wide range of users including research institutions, operational agencies, strategic users, academic community, maritime industry, policy makers and the public.
Spacetech startup Skyroot Aerospace successfully test-fires solid propulsion rocket stage Kalam-5
Spacetech startup Skyroot Aerospace announced a successful test-firing of its solid propulsion rocket stage named Kalam-5.
- The Hyderabad-based startup claims to be the first private firm that successfully designed, developed and tested a full solid propulsion rocket stage.
- Kalam-5 is a demonstrator solid rocket propulsion stage with exactly the same propellant, materials, and interfaces as the three solid propulsion stages of the Vikram-1 launch vehicle. It gives a peak Sea Level thrust of 5.3kN and designed to take 66 atmospheres and 30,000 C of combustion pressure and temperature respectively.
OBITUARIES
Wrestler Jon Huber, popularly known as Luke Harper, passes away
Jon Huber, who was popularly known as Luke Harper in the WWE and as Brodie Lee in the All Elite Wrestling, passed away due to a non-COVID-19 related lung issue at the age of 41.
- Huber broke into the wrestling scene through promotions like Dragon Gate and Combat Zone Wrestling initially. He eventually went on to make a big splash in NXT and WWE.
- As a member of The Wyatt Family, Huber engaged in rivalries with the likes of Kane, Daniel Bryan, The Shield, John Cena, and The Usos in the WWE. Also, he won the Tag Team titles twice while also winning the Intercontinental Championship. After joining AEW, he won the AEW TNT Championship.
Former Indian footballer Mir Sajjad Ali passes away
Former India football international Mir Sajjad Ali passed away. He was 66.
- Sajjad Ali, a resident of Zeba Bagh in Asif Nagar, played for BDL in the local league. He rose to prominence with his fine game as a left-winger. He was selected to play for India in 1977. The left-winger later on played for East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting.
Music Maestro Shantanu Mohapatra passes away
Legendary Odia music director Shantanu Mohapatra died. He was 84.
- Apart from Odia, Mohapatra also worked in different languages. He composed the first modern Odia ballad “Konark Gatha” with lyrics by lyricist Gurukrushna Goswami and sung by Akshay Mohanty. He also wrote ‘Kalijae’ which was sung by Sikandar Alam.
- He has around 1,900-plus compositions to his credit, including 53 films (feature and tele), 10 Jatras and 60 dramas by AIR (Cuttack) and 10 dance dramas. He has also bagged the highest number of awards and accolades as a music composer in Odisha, totalling over 80.
1956 Olympics 4th-place finishing Football Team Member Nikhil Nandy, passes away
A member of 1956 Olympics fourth-place finishing Indian football squad, Nikhil Nandy died after a prolonged illness. He was 88.
- Nandy, who formed the core of India’s defence in the late 1950s. The domestic front, Nandy was part of the triumphant Bengal team that won the Santosh Trophy in 1955. He had also won the Calcutta Football League with Eastern Railways in 1958.
- After retirement, Nandy had a coaching stint with the national team, as he took charge of the Blue Tigers dugout, jointly with J Kittu.
BOOKS & AUTHORS
MP CM Chouhan releases Dr Stuti Sharma’s book “Element of Quantitative Genetics”
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan released a book titled “Element of Quantitative Genetics” by Prof. Dr. Stuti Sharma of Jawaharlal Nehru Agricultural University, Jabalpur at his official residence.
- Professor Dr. Stuti Sharma said that in this book a complex subject like Plant Breeding Genetics is presented in a simple manner. B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D. students and researchers of Agriculture faculty will get special help from this book. Candidates appearing in competitive examinations will also be able to benefit from the book. This is the first book of its kind on Quantitative Genetics.