Monthly Current Affairs December 2021

FINANCE AND BANKING

• RBI Monetary Policy remains unchanged
  • The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) headed by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das kept the repo rate unchanged at 4 per cent for the ninth consecutive time while maintaining an ‘accommodative stance’ as long as necessary.

• Gujarat became India’s Largest Manufacturing Hub says RBI
  • As per the data from RBI, Gujarat has left behind Maharashtra to become the country’s leading manufacturing hub.
  • Gujarat recorded its Gross Value Addition (GVA) in manufacturing grow by 15.9 per cent annually between FY12 to FY20 to stand at Rs 5.11 lakh crore.

• LIC gets RBI approval to increase stake up in IndusInd Bank
  • LIC has received approval from the Reserve Bank of India to increase its stake to 9.99 per cent in IndusInd Bank of the total issued and paid-up capital of the private sector lender.

ECONOMY

• Uttar Pradesh has the highest EVs in India
  • Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways, informed the Rajya Sabha on the state of Electric Vehicles (EV) in India.
  • As per the data, India has a total of 870,141 registered EVs, with Uttar Pradesh (UP) holding the top spot with 255,700 registered EVs. UP is followed by Delhi (125,347), Karnataka (72,544), Bihar (58,014) and Maharashtra (52,506) in successive positions.

• India registers highest-ever annual FDI inflow of 81.97 bn dollars in 2020-21
  • India has registered the highest ever annual Foreign Direct Investment inflow of $ 81.97 bn in 2020-21.
  • The top five countries from where FDI Equity Inflows were received during 2014-2021 are Singapore, Mauritius, USA, Netherland & Japan.

• PM Jan Dhan Yojna accounts surpass the 44-cr mark
  • The total number of beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), has crossed the 44-crore mark.
  • Uttar Pradesh tops the list with the highest number of accounts followed by Bihar.

NATIONAL

• India and Russia inked 28 agreements and MoUs
  • India and Russia signed 28 agreements and MoUs, during a high-level meeting and a summit meeting between visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
  • Nine of the agreements were government-to-government while the 19 others were commercial pacts in an array of sectors.

• Govt Appoints Committee to Revisit Criteria for EWS Quota
  • The Centre has formed a three-member committee to review the criteria for reservation for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) category.
  • Former Finance Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey will head the committee.

• India and EU agrees to set up Clean Energy and Climate Partnership
  • India and European Union (EU) have agreed to step up their Clean Energy and Climate Partnership.
  • India-EU Energy Panel meeting was co-chaired by India’s Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (West), Reenat Sandhu, and Deputy Director-General for Energy, European Commission Mechthild Wörsdörfer.

INTERNATIONAL

• Barbados: The world’s newest republic
  • Nearly 400 years after the country became a British colony, Barbados has become the world’s newest republic. The Caribbean island nation removed Queen Elizabeth II as the head of the state.
  • Dame Sandra Prunella Mason was selected to become the first president of Barbados.

• UAE becomes first country to transition to 4-and-half day work week
  • The United Arab Emirates announced to change its existing five-day workweek to a four-and-a-half day starting January 1.
  • It will become the world's first country to make the transition as part of its efforts to improve productivity and work-life balance.

• Malta becomes first European nation to approve cannabis for personal use
  • Malta became the first European country to allow limited cultivation and possession of cannabis for personal use.
  • The law, which was approved by 36 votes to 27, allows adults in Malta to possess up to seven grams (0.25 oz) of cannabis and grow up to four plants.

REPORTS AND INDEXES

• Worldwide Cost of Living Index 2021
  • Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) has come up with the Worldwide Cost of Living Index 2021.
  • According to the Index, Tel Aviv, Israel has become the most expensive city in the world to live in in 2021. Paris and Singapore are jointly at the second spot, followed by Zurich and Hong Kong.
  • Syria’s Damascus was ranked as the world’s cheapest city.

• India Ranked 4th in Asia Power Index
  • Lowy Institute has come up with Asia Power Index 2021.
  • As per the Index, India has ranked 4th most powerful country in the Asia-Pacific region for comprehensive power out of 26 countries, with an overall score of 37.7 out of 100.

• Global Unicorn Index 2021
  • Hurun Research Institute released Global Unicorn Index 2021. Unicorns are unlisted companies with a valuation of $1 billion or more.
  • Top Ranked Countries: The US and China, who occupy the first two ranks. The US have now total 487 companies in the list, while China have 301 start-ups having a valuation of over USD 1 billion.
  • India’s Rank: India has overtaken the UK to rank third with 54 unicorns. The UK currently has 39 unicorns.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

• Microsoft launches cybersecurity skilling programme to skill over 1 lakh learners in India
  • To address the skills gap and empower India’s workforce for a career in cybersecurity, Microsoft launched a cybersecurity skilling program that aims to skill over 1 lakh learners by 2022.
  • The program is designed to give learners hands-on experience in the fundamentals of security, compliance, and identity.

• For first time in history, NASA spacecraft touches Sun
  • For the first time in history, a spacecraft has touched the Sun. NASA's Parker Solar Probe has now flown through the Sun's upper atmosphere -- the corona -- and sampled particles and magnetic fields there.
  • The first-ever passage through the corona at 4.89 million miles lasted only a few hours. It is also one of many planned for the mission.

• World’s largest and most powerful space telescope - James Webb Space Telescope - launched
  • NASA launched world’s largest and most powerful space telescope, James Webb Space Telescope.
  • It is built to give the world a glimpse of the universe as it existed when the first galaxies formed.
  • Astronomical operation of the telescope, to be managed from the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, is expected to begin in the summer of 2022.

AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

• NABARD projects Rs 36,292 crore credit potential for FY22
  • National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has projected a credit potential of Rs 36,292 crore for the state of Assam for the financial year 2022-23.
  • NABARD launched the State Focus Paper today for the financial year 2022-23 which is the consolidation of exploitable district wise realistic potential, both in physical and financial terms in the state of Assam.

• CCEA clears implementation of PM Krishi Sinchayee Yojana for 2021-26
  • The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved implementation of the 'Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojna' for 2021-26.
  • It has a provision to fund 90 per cent of water component for Renukaji and Lahkwar dams which would eventually improve water supply to Delhi.

• Andhra Pradesh ties-up with UN-FAO & ICAR for sustainable agriculture
  • The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations has signed an agreement with the Andhra Pradesh Government.
  • FAO will train the farmers in good farm management practices and sustainable agricultural methods.

DEFENCE

• Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Maritime Exercise
  • Bangladesh Navy (BN) and the US military personnel kicked off the annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) maritime exercise.
  • The exercise will be carried out virtually and in the Bay of Bengal.

• Indian Navy launches its new large survey vessel 'Sandhayak'
  • The Indian Navy launched 'Sandhayak', the first of the four large survey vessels, in Kolkata.
  • The primary role of these survey ships would be to conduct full-scale coastal and deep-water hydrographic survey of ports and harbours, and determination of navigational channels and routes.

• 11th edition of Exercise EKUVERIN
  • The 11th edition of Exercise EKUVERIN between India and Maldives will be conducted at Kadhdhoo Island, Maldives.
  • The exercise will enhance synergy and inter-operability between Armed Forces of both the nations in terms of understanding transnational terrorism both on land and at sea, conducting Counter-Terrorism and Counter-Insurgency Operations and sharing best military practices and experiences.

EVENTS

• PM Modi inaugurates InFinity Forum thought leadership Forum on FinTech
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated InFinity Forum through video conferencing.
  • The event is being hosted by International Financial Services Centres Authority under the aegis of Government of India in collaboration with GIFT City and Bloomberg.

• 5th Indian Ocean Conference
  • External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will attend the 5th Indian Ocean Conference in Abu Dhabi.
  • The theme of the Indian Ocean Conference 2021 is "Indian Ocean: Ecology, Economy, Epidemic".

• 7th edition of India International Science festival
  • Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurated the 7th edition of India International Science Festival at Panaji, Goa.
  • The main aim of the Science Festival is to bring into use the innovations by the people and develop technology that is affordable to the masses.
  • The theme of 4-day science festival is ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ - "Celebrating Creativity, Science, Technology and Innovation for a prosperous India".

AWARDS AND REWARDS

• Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize 2021
  • The New India Foundation has announced the winner of the fourth edition of the Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize 2021.
  • The 2021 winner is Dinyar Patel for ‘Naoroji: Pioneer of Indian Nationalism’ (Harvard University Press), a biography of one of the most significant figures in modern Indian history.

• President’s Colour Award
  • The ‘President’s Colour Award’ ceremony was organised by Himachal Pradesh Police wherein state governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar was the chief guest, accompanied by chief minister Jai Ram Thakur as a special guest.
  • The governor honoured the Himachal Pradesh state police with the ‘President’s Colour Award’.

• Jnanpith Awards
  • Assamese poet Nilmani Phookan has won the highest literary honour, the Jnanpith Award. Nilamani Phookan has been chosen for the 56th Jnanpith Award.
  • Konkani short story writer and novelist Damodar Mauzo was chosen for the 57th Jnanpith Award for their contribution to Indian literature.

SPORTS

• Ballon d’Or 2021
  • Lionel Messi won the men's Ballon d'Or award for a record-extending seventh time.
  • Women's Ballon d'Or was won by Alexia Putellas.

• Indian Legend Anju Bobby George Crowned 'Woman Of The Year' By World Athletics
  • The World Athletics has awarded the 'Woman of the Year' accolade to former long jump star from India, Anju Bobby George.

• ICC Player of the Month – November
  • Australia opener David Warner and West Indies all-rounder Hayley Matthews were voted the ICC Players of the Month for November.