Daily Current Affairs for app_20201213 - T.I.M.E. 4 Education

Daily Current Affairs
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppefor
                                Conte app_20201213
                                      resigns

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte stepped down following disputes within the governing alliance
over the post-pandemic economic recovery package. Conte handed in his resignation to President
Sergio Mattarella following a Cabinet meeting, bringing the 16-month-old government to an end.
His resignation plunges Italy into political uncertainty in the middle of a pandemic that has killed more
than 80,000 people and with the highest annual death toll since World War II.

Portugal’s president re-elected in pandemic-hit election

Portugal’s centre-right president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousawas has been re-elected by a comfortable
majority to a second five-year term after a campaign fought during one of the world’s worst outbreaks
of coronavirus. Rebelo de Sousa secured 60.70% of the ballot, easily clearing the 51% threshold
needed to avoid a run-off. Ana Gomes, from the governing Socialist Party, came in second with
12.97%, just one percentage point higher than the candidate from the far-right populist Chega party,
André Ventura.

Daily Current Affairs
                               for app_20201213
U.S. announces restoration of relations with Palestinians

U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration announced that it was restoring relations with the
Palestinians and renewing aid to Palestinian refugees, a reversal of the Donald Trump administration’s
cutoff and a key element of its new support for a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict agreed
to by Israelis and Palestinians. President Donald Trump’s administration provided unprecedented
support to Israel, recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv,
slashing financial assistance for the Palestinians and reversing course on the illegitimacy of Israeli
settlements on land claimed by the Palestinians.

UK becomes first European nation to surpass over one lakh Covid-19 deaths

In United Kingdom, more than one lakh people have died with COVID-19. The toll has risen by an
average of over 1,000 per day for the past seven days. A total of 100,162 deaths have been recorded
in the UK, the first European nation to pass the landmark. The UK is the fifth country to pass 100,000
deaths, coming after the US, Brazil, India and Mexico.

Daily Current Affairs
                             for
SpaceX Launches Falcon 9 Rocket Withapp_20201213
                                    Record 143 Satellites

Elon Musk's SpaceX has managed to break the world record of the most number of satellites carried
by a single rocket as Falcon 9 carried as many as 143 payloads into space. The launch was part
of SpaceX's SmallSat Rideshare Program mission. Falcon 9 which has taken part in numerous SpaceX
missions in the past flew from Florida to take the 143 satellites of different shapes and sizes to their
orbits.
Previously, the record was 104 satellites being deployed on a single mission, achieved by the Indian
Space Research Organisation (ISRO) way back in 2017.

President approves conferment of Jeevan Raksha Padak Series of Awards to 40 persons

The President Ram Nath Kovind has approved the conferment of Jeevan Raksha Padak Series of
Awards - 2020 on 40 persons. The awards include Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak to one person,
Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak to eight persons and Jeevan Raksha Padak to 31 persons. One award is
posthumous. Muhammed Muhsin of Kerala has been awarded with Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak
posthumously.
Jeevan Raksha Padak series of awards are given to a person for meritorious act of human nature in
saving the life of a person.

Daily Current Affairs
                               for app_20201213
Bharat Parv begins on virtual platform showcasing glory of nation

Bharat Parv 2021, a festival to celebrate the spirit of India has begun. The festival is being organised
on a virtual platform www.bharatparv2021.com this year from January 26th to till 31st of January. The
mega event envisages generating patriotic fervour and showcases the rich and varied cultural diversity
of the country. Ministry of Tourism organizes Bharat Parv every year since 2016 in front of the
ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of Republic Day Celebrations. Themed pavilions of multiple
States and Union Territories have showcased their tourism destinations, cuisine, handicraft and other
features.

Govt announces 455 Gallantry Awards and Defence Decorations; Galwan valley hero Col Santosh
Babu gets Maha Vir Chakra posthumously

President has approved awards of 455 Gallantry and other Defence decorations to Armed Forces
personnel and others. These include one Mahavir Chakra, 5 Kirti Chakras, 5 Vir Chakras, 7 Shaurya
Chakras, 4 Bar to Sena Medal (Gallantry), 130 Sena Medal (Gallantry), one Nao Sena Medal (Gallantry),
4 Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry), 30 Param Vishisht Seva Medal, 4 Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, 51 Ati
Vishisht Seva Medal, 11 Yudh Seva Medal, 3 Bar to Sena Medal (Devotion to Duty), 43 Sena Medal
(Devotion to Duty) including 2 COVID Warriors, 8 Nao Sena Medal (Devotion to Duty), 14 Vayu Sena
Medal (Devotion to Duty), 3 Bar to Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) including one COVID Warrior and 131
Vishisht Seva Medal including 12 COVID Warriors.
Colonel B Santosh Babu, the Commanding Officer of 16 Bihar Regiment, who lost his life during the
Galwan Valley clash last year, will be posthumously awarded with Maha Vir Chakra.

Daily Current Affairs
                               for
946 police personnel selected for    app_20201213
                                  Medals on Republic Day

A total of 946 Police personnel have been awarded Medals on the occasion of the Republic Day, 2021.
The total awardees include 207 Gallantry and 739 Service Medal awardees. Among the Gallantry
Awards, two President’s Police Medals for Gallantry have been awarded posthumously both to ASI
Banua Oraon of Jharkhand and ASI Mohan Lal of CRPF. One hundred and thirty seven personnel are
being awarded for their gallant action in Jammu and Kashmir, 24 personnel for their gallant action in
Left Wing Extremism-affected areas and one personnel for their gallant action in North-East Region.

Among the personnel receiving Gallantry Awards, 68 are from CRPF, 52 are from J&K Police, 20 from
BSF, 17 from Delhi Police, 13 from Maharashtra, eight each are from Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh
while the remaining are from the other States, UTs and Central Armed Police Forces.

India set to grow 11.5% in 2021: IMF

The IMF in its latest World Economic Outlook Update projected an 11.5% growth rate for India in 2021,
making the country the only major economy to register double-digit growth this year amidst the
COVID-19 pandemic. This projection has also reflected a strong rebound in the economy, which is
estimated to have contracted by eight per cent in 2020 due to the pandemic. China is next with 8.1
per cent growth in 2021 followed by Spain (5.9 per cent) and France (5.5 per cent).
Revising its figures, the IMF said that in 2020, the Indian economy is estimated to have contracted by
eight per cent. China is the only major country which registered a positive growth rate of 2.3 per cent
in 2020. India’s economy, the IMF said, is projected to grow by 6.8 per cent in 2022 and that of China
by 5.6 per cent.

Daily Current Affairs
Overseas investment by Indian for    app_20201213
                              firms dipped to $1.45 bn in Dec.

Overseas investment by domestic firms fell by over 42% to $1.45 billion in December 2020, according
to Reserve Bank data. In the year earlier period, companies in India had invested $2.51 billion in their
foreign firms (joint ventures / wholly owned units). In November 2020, the total outward foreign
direct investment (OFDI) was of $1.06 billion, down by 27% from a month earlier.
Of the total FDI investment by the Indian companies during the month under review, $775.41 million
was in the form of equity infusion and $382.91 million was in the form of loan.

Among major investors, ONGC Videsh Ltd. invested a total of $131.85 million in joint ventures and
wholly owned subsidiaries in Myanmar, Russia, Vietnam, Colombia, British Virgin Islands among
others.

GAIL to unveil pipeline InvIT before split

State-owned gas utility GAIL (India) Ltd. plans to unveil an InvIT of its two gas pipelines between Dahej
and Bengaluru ahead of a proposed splitting of the pipeline business from the gas marketing function.
The firm plans to monetise Dahej-Uran-Panvel-Dabhol pipeline and Dabhol-Bengaluru pipeline by
setting up an Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvIT ). GAIL will retain majority stake in the pipelines
that run from Dahej in Gujarat to Dabhol in Maharashtra and from there to Bengaluru in Karnataka.

The InvIT may involve selling 10-20% stake initially.

Daily Current Affairs
                                forabroad
Cairn threatens Indian asset seizures app_20201213
                                          in tax case

A month after it won an international tribunal award of $1.2 billion in damages against India in the
retrospective taxation case, U.K.-based Cairn Energy Plc has threatened that it may be forced to begin
attaching Indian assets including bank accounts in different world capitals, unless the government
resolves the issue.

Cricket: Syed Mustaq Ali Trophy 2020-21 to be played in Ahmedabad from 26-31 January

Syed Mustaq Ali Trophy 2020-21 will be played from 26-31 January, at Sardar Patel Stadium,
Ahmedabad. As per schedule, four quarter finals will be played from 26-27 January, two semi finals on
January 29, with the final scheduled on January 31.

Daily Current Affairs
                              for
Former India football goalkeeper      app_20201213
                                 Prasanta passes away

Former India goalkeeper Prasanta Dora, who also played for the big three clubs of Kolkata football,
passed away. Prasanta made his national debut in 1999 against Thailand in the Olympic qualifiers. He
donned the national colours again in tournaments like SAFF Cup and SAF Games and earned a total of
five international caps. Prasanta also represented Bengal in the Santosh Trophy.