DAILY GK: 16 DEC 2020
‘VISION
2035: PUBLIC HEALTH SURVEILLANCE IN INDIA’
• NITI
(National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog publicized a white paper
titled “Vision 2035: Public Health Surveillance in India” which was released by
NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Dr Rajiv Kumar; Member (Health) Dr Vinod K Paul; CEO
Amitabh Kant.
• The
white paper was co-developed by NITI Aayog and University of Manitoba,
Winnipeg, Canada. Both organizations inked a Letter of Agreement (LoA) for the
same in 2020.
2. JOINT USE OF CHABAHAR PORT IN IRAN
• The
First Trilateral Working Group (TWG) meeting was held virtually between India,
Iran & Uzbekistan to discuss the joint use of Chabahar port in Iran to
increase regional connectivity within the 3 countries.
• Chabahar
Port is located in the Southeastern part of Iran on the Gulf of Oman and is
being developed by India.
3.
CLIMATE AMBITION SUMMIT 2020
• Virtual
Climate Ambition Summit 2020 was held to provide a platform for government and
non-governmental leaders to demonstrate their commitment to the Paris Agreement
and the multilateral process.
• It
was co-hosted by the United Kingdom (UK), the United Nations (UN) and France,
in partnership with Chile and Italy.
• This
summit also regarded as a “sprint to Glasgow” as the 26th session of the
Conference of the Parties (COP 26) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC) is scheduled to take place from 1–12 November 2021 in Glasgow,
Scotland.
4.
2020 CHAMPIONS OF THE EARTH AWARD
• United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) virtually announced 6 Individuals as
recipients of the 2020 Champions of the Earth Award, which is UN’s highest
environmental honour.
• The
award is given across 5 categories – Policy Leadership, Inspiration &
Action, Science & Innovation, Entrepreneurial vision & LifeTime
Achievement Award.
Awards:
|
Recipient |
Category |
Contribution |
|
Frank
Bainimarama,Prime Minister of Fiji |
Policy
Leadership |
for
global climate action work, and commitment to
climate-responsive national development |
|
Dr
Fabian Leendertz,(Germany) |
Science
& Innovation |
Discovery
in Zoonotics & work in One Health |
|
Mindy
Lubber (United States of India) |
Entrepreneurial
Vision |
for
commitment to convert capital markets green by mobilizing top investors and
companies |
|
Nemonte
Nenquimo (Ecuador) |
Inspiration
& Action |
Leadership
and unifying work with indigenous communities to halt drilling in Ecuador’s
Amazon rainforest |
|
Yacouba Sawadogo (Burkina
Faso) |
Inspiration
& Action |
For
teaching traditional nature-based solution to farmers for regeneration of
soil to turn barren land into arable land in Africa |
|
Professor Robert D.
Bullard (United States of America) |
Earth
Lifetime Achievement Award |
For
commitment and service to environmental justice |
5.
RE-APPOINTMENT OF UDAY KOTAK
• Reserve
Bank of India(RBI) approved the reappointment of Uday Kotak as Managing
Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Kotak Mahindra Bank(KMB) for a
period of 3 years effective from 1st January 2021.
• He
is currently serving as the president of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
for 2020-21.
Also Kotak Mahindra Bank becomes
the 1st bank in India to introduce a video-Know your customer (KYC) facility
for its customers opening savings accounts (SA).
6.
RUSSIA TEST LAUNCHES ‘ANGARA A5’
• Russia
Successfully test launched ‘Angara A5’ – Heavy Lift Space Rocket from Plesetsk
Cosmodrome in Northwest Russia.
• This
is the 2nd successful test flight of the vehicle after 1st successful test
flight in 2014.
• Angara
is a new series of space launchers being built by Russia after the collapse of
Soviet Union.
• Angara
A5 will replace Proton M Rocket to carry Russia’s heaviest payloads into orbit.
7.
AL HABTOOR TENNIS CHALLENGE
• Indian
tennis player Ankita Raina and Georgia’s Ekaterine Gorgodze clinched the ITF
(International Tennis Federation) Doubles title at the 23rd Al Habtoor Challenge 2020 held in Dubai
by defeating Aliona Bolsova Zadoinov (Spain) and Kaja Juvan (Slovakia).
• This
is Ankita Raina’s 3rd Doubles Title of the 2020 season.
• The
al Habtoor Challenge is a hard court event.
• Ankita
Ravinderkrishan Raina hails from Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
• She
is the current Indian No.1 in both women’s singles (WTA Ranking – 180) and
Doubles (WTA Ranking – 117).
