DAILY GK: 22 DEC 2020

 DAILY GK: 22 DEC 2020

1. PM NARENDRA MODI CONFERRED RATAN TATA

•      The Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) Foundation Day 2020 was commemorated.

•      To mark this occasion, the chamber organized a 5-day virtual event with theme “India’s resilience: Aatmanirbhar roadmap towards a US$5 trillion economy”.

•      During the occasion, PM Narendra Modi delivered the keynote address via video conferencing and also presented “ASSOCHAM Enterprise of the Century Award” to Ratan Tata, who received the award on behalf of the TATA Group.

 

2. NORTH EAST FESTIVAL (NEF) 2020

•      8th edition of the North East Festival (NEF) 2020 was held at Radisson Blu Hotel in Guwahati, Assam by adhering to all Covid related protocols and guidelines.

•      It was for the first time that Guwahati hosted this annual two-day event.

•      The festival was open for the public to attend virtually.

•      The focus of this year was on ‘Growth Agenda for North East Post COVID-19’.

 

3. WORLD BANK’S EODB

•      The World Bank (WB) has released the updated the Ease of Doing Business(EODB) 2018 & EODB 2020 reports after correcting the data irregularities submitted by 4 countries – China, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia & Azerbaijan.

•      According to the corrected list, China has slipped to 85th Rank in the 2018 report.

•      In August, 2020, WB decided to pause the publication of the EODB report due to a number of irregularities, and changes to data in previous reports.

•      UAE’s ranking of 16 in the EODB 2020 report remains unchanged, while Azerbaijan has improved to 28 from 34 in the EODB 2020 report.

•      India’s Ranked 63 in the 17th edition of WB report ‘Ease of Doing Business 2020-Comparing Business Regulation in 190 Economies’ report remains unchanged.

Rankings of Ease of Doing Business 2020 Report:

Rank                      Country                                 Score

1                              New Zealand                        86.8

2                              Singapore                              86.2

3                              Hong Kong, China              85.3

 

4. ADB APPROVES A $231 MILLION LOAN FOR KOPILI HYDROELECTRIC

•      The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a $231 million(Rs 1, 701 core) loan to construct the Lower Kopili Hydroelectric Power (LKHEP) plant in Central Assam, India.

•      This loan is the 3rd and largest tranche of the $300 million(about Rs 2,200 crore) Assam Power Sector Investment Program that was approved by ADB in 2014.

 

5. INDIA’S FIRST HYPERSONIC WIND TUNNEL TEST FACILITY

•      Union Minister Rajnath Singh visited Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex in Hyderabad, Telangana.

•      He was accompanied by Union Minister of State (MoS) Gangapuram Kishan Reddy, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and G Satheesh Reddy, DRDO Chairman.

•      In the missile complex, Rajnath Singh inaugurated India’s first advanced Hypersonic Wind Tunnel (HWT) test facility.

•      It is an enclosed free jet facility with pressure vacuum and having nozzle exit diameter of 1 meter which will simulate Mach No 5 to 12.

 

6. INCLUSION OF 4 INDIGENOUS GAMES TO BE PART OF KIYG

•      Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports has approved the inclusion of 4 Indigenous Games – Gatka, Kalaripayattu, Thang-Ta and Mallakhamba as part of 4th Edition Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) in 2021 set to take place at Panchkula, Haryana.

•      Kalaripayattu – A martial art having its origin in Kerala.

•      Mallakhamba – ‘Malla’ means wrestler & ‘Kamba’ means pole, athletes perform gymnastics on a wooden pole or a rope.

•      It is practiced majorly in Madhya Pradesh & Maharashtra.

•      Gatka – A traditional fighting style having its origin in Punjab and is practiced by Nihang Sikh Warriors as self-defense, sports.

•      Thang-Ta – A martial art which has its origin in Manipur.

 

7. INTERNATIONAL HUMAN SOLIDARITY DAY 2020 – DECEMBER 20

•      UN’s International Human Solidarity Day is annually observed across the globe on 20th December to celebrate the unity in diversity across the world.

•      The UN Women marks the International Human Solidarity day highlights the day with a focus on gender equality.

 

8. UP CM LAUNCHES 1ST OF ITS KIND CAMPAIGN, ‘VARASAT’

•      Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh launched a first of its kind campaign, ‘Varasat’(natural succession) drive to end property and related disputes in rural areas of the state.

•      UP govt to double the farmers’ income will launch ‘Kisan Kalyan Mission’.