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

Daily Current Affairs
                              forcenters
Lack of access to water in health   app_20201213
                                         put 1.8 billion people at increasing risk of contracting
COVID-19:WHO

World Health Organization said, one in four health centers worldwide lacks access to water, putting
around 1.8 billion people at increasing risk of contracting COVID-19. This result was concluded from
a study based on 165 countries' data, which was jointly reported by WHO and the UNICEF. WHO
Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, working in a healthcare facility without water,
sanitation and hygiene is akin to sending nurses and doctors to work without personal protective
equipment. The situation is particularly bad in least developed countries, he added.

According to WHO figures, while health professionals make up less than three percent of the
population, they account for 14 percent of Covid-19 cases recorded around the world.

Covid-19 vaccination drive begins in the US; Nurse Sandra Lindsay is the first to get the vaccine

The first Covid-19 vaccination in the United States has taken place, as the country gears up for its
largest ever immunisation campaign. Sandra Lindsay, an intensive care nurse in New York is the first
in US to get COVID-19 vaccine after Food and Drug Administration authorization. The Pfizer-
BioNTech       vaccine    received      emergency-use        authorisation     from   the      FDA.
Shipments of frozen vials of vaccine made by Pfizer Inc and its German partner BioNTech began
arriving at hospitals around the country. Several other countries also have given their nod of
acceptance for the vaccine, including the UK, which started vaccinating last week.

Daily Current Affairs
                              for novel
Singapore approves Pfizer-BioNTech's app_20201213
                                        coronavirus vaccine

Singapore has approved Pfizer-BioNTech's novel coronavirus vaccine and expects delivery of the first
shots by the end of this month. While announcing this, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said, the
country will have enough vaccines for everyone by the third quarter of next year and will make it
free for citizens and long-term residents. While vaccination will be voluntary, the Prime Minister said
he and other government officials would be among the early recipients along with healthcare
workers, other front-line personnel, the elderly and the vulnerable.

British spy thriller author John le Carre dies aged 89

 John le Carre, the spy-turned-novelist best known for the Cold War thrillers Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
and The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, has died. He was 89. The author, whose real name was
David John Moore Cornwell, wrote 25 novels and one memoir in a career spanning 60 years, selling
some 60 million books worldwide.

Daily Current Affairs
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Norway Research Institute signs     app_20201213
                                an MoU with Clean Ganga Mission for development of sludge
management framework

Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research has signed an MoU with cGanga, a think-tank of
National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) for development of sludge management framework in
India. In the 5th India Water Impact Summit held virtually, Ola Stedje, Research Scientist at NIBIO
announced that his company has signed an MOU for development of sludge management
framework in India with cGanga.

NITI Aayog releases a white paper '' Vision 2035 - Public Health Surveillance in India''

NITI Aayog released a white paper Vision 2035 - Public Health Surveillance in India. The white paper
lays out India’s vision for public health surveillance through the integration of the three-tiered public
health system into Ayushman Bharat. It also spells out the need for expanded referral networks and
enhanced laboratory capacity. The building blocks for this vision are an interdependent federated
system of governance between the Centre and states. The vision of this white paper is to make
India’s public health surveillance system more responsive and predictive to enhance preparedness
for action at all levels. Citizen-friendly public health surveillance system will ensure individual privacy
and confidentiality, enabled with a client feedback mechanism.

Daily Current Affairs
                            for
1st TWG Meeting between India, Iran, app_20201213
                                     Uzbekistan on joint use of Chabahar Port held virtually

The first Trilateral Working Group Meeting between India, Iran and Uzbekistan on the joint use of
Chabahar Port was held virtually. External Affairs Ministry in a statement said that during the
meeting, the participants discussed joint use of Chabahar Port for trade and transit purposes and
enhanced regional connectivity. All sides also noted the significant role played by Chabahar port for
the region to deliver humanitarian assistance during the COVID pandemic. It said, all sides also
welcomed India’s proposal to hold "Chabahar Day” on the sidelines of the International Maritime
Summit scheduled to be hosted by India in January 2021.

Gujarat to get mega renewable energy park

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay foundation stone for what is billed as the world’s largest
hybrid renewable energy park in Gujarat’s Kutch district. The 30,000 MW hybrid renewable energy
park will be the world's largest with both windmills and solar panels being set up to generate power.

Daily Current Affairs
Aerospace scientist Narasimha for    app_20201213
                              passes away

Well-known aerospace scientist and Padma Vibhushan awardee Roddam Narasimha passed away.
He was 87. Professor Narasimha made a mark in the field of aerospace and as a fluid dynamicist. He
taught Aerospace Engineering at the IISc from 1962 to 1999. He also served as the director of the
National Aerospace Laboratories from 1984 to 1993. He was the chairperson of the Engineering
Mechanics unit at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) in
Bengaluru from 2000 to 2014.

Dr A P J Abdul Kalam and Prof Narasimha had together authored a book --"Developments In Fluid
Mechanics and Space Technology".

GRSE Kolkata launches ‘Himgiri’, its 1st Ship of Project 17A

Himgiri, which is the first of the three Project 17A ships being built at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and
Engineers Limited (GRSE), Kolkata was launched. Under the Project 17A program, a total of seven
ships, four at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and three ships at GRSE are being built with
enhanced stealth features, advanced indigenous weapon and sensor fit along with several other
improvements. Over the years, GRSE has emerged as a leading shipyard having built over 100 ships.
P17A ships are the first gas turbine propulsion and largest combat platforms ever built at GRSE.

Daily Current Affairs
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Crisil narrows FY21 GDP shrinkage     app_20201213
                                  estimate to 7.7%

Rating agency Crisil has re-adjusted India’s fiscal 2021 real gross domestic product (GDP) forecast to
contraction of 7.7% compared with a contraction of 9% forecast in September. This was on account
of a faster-than-expected revival in activity in the second quarter, that continued into the festive
season. A consistent decline in overall COVID-19 case load also aided the revision.

For fiscal 2022, its expects GDP growth to shoot up to 10% supported by a very weak base and some
benefit as the global economy fares better and provides a lift to India’s exports.

NBFCs expect higher credit loss: EY study

Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) are expecting higher credit loss as well as an increase in
provision coverage rates, mainly due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study.
The study by leading consultancy EY is based on an analysis of the standalone financial statements of
42 NBFCs, including 14 Housing Finance Companies (HFCs), for the year ended March 31, 2020. The
companies have reported an "increase in Expected Credit Loss (ECL) allowance by 33 per cent and an
overall increase in provision coverage rate by 26 per cent as at 31 March 2020 compared to the year
ended 31 March 2019".

Further, COVID-19 impact accounted for 19 per cent of the ECL allowance as on March 31 this year.
There has been an overall increase in gross loans of NBFCs by 7.63 per cent and HFCs by 2.44 per
cent.

Daily Current Affairs
                               for app_20201213
Wholesale price-based inflation rises to 1.55% in November

The wholesale price-based inflation rose to 1.55 percent in November, mainly due to rise in
manufactured products prices. The WPI inflation was 1.48 per cent in October 2020 and 0.58 per
cent in November last year.According to the government data, food prices eased during the period.
Food inflation in November stood at 3.94 per cent, against 6.37 per cent in the previous month.
Inflation in non-food articles was at 8.43 per cent in November.

Centre releases Rs 42,000 cr to states to meet GST compensation shortfall

The Centre has so far borrowed Rs 42,000 crore since October and released the funds to states to
meet GST compensation shortfall, the Finance Ministry said. The latest instalment of Rs 6,000 crore
was released to the states on Monday, out of which Rs 5,516.60 crore has been released to 23 states
and Rs 483.40 crore has been released to 3 Union Territories (UT) with legislative assemblies (Delhi,
Jammu and Kashmir, and Puducherry).

The remaining 5 states — Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim — do not
have a gap in revenue on account of Goods and Services Tax (GST) implementation. The Centre had
set up a special borrowing window in October 2020 to meet the estimated shortfall of Rs 1.10 lakh
crore in revenue arising on account of implementation of GST. The borrowings are being done
through this window by the Government of India on behalf of the states and UTs.

Daily Current Affairs
                                for app_20201213
Burger King India makes remarkable market debut; shares jump nearly 131 pc

In a remarkable market debut, shares of Burger King India on Monday zoomed nearly 131 per cent
against its issue price of Rs 60. The stock opened at Rs 115.35, a huge premium of 92.25 per cent
against the issue price on the BSE. It later closed at Rs 138.40, a gain of 130.66 per cent. Burger King
India''s share sale was subscribed a massive 156.65 times earlier this month.

The company’s market valuation was at Rs 5,282.10 crore on the BSE at the close of trade. The
quick-service restaurant chain currently operates 268 stores in India and out of them, eight are
franchises, mainly located at airports, while the rest is owned by the company.

IPO fundraising more than doubles in 2020

Strong markets led to a 2.25-time jump in funds raised via initial public offerings in 2020 to Rs.
45,000 crore. A strong pipeline may help the figure exceed Rs. 50,000 crore next year. Companies
had raised Rs. 20,300 crore via IPOs in 2019. The total may exceed Rs. 50,000 crore if LIC’s IPO goes
through next year.

Daily Current Affairs
                            for app_20201213
New dates announced for rescheduled Women's World Cup

The rescheduled Women's 50-over World Cup in New Zealand will start on 4 March, 2022 with the
final to be held on 3 April, the International Cricket Council have confirmed. The World Cup was
originally scheduled for February-March next year but was postponed due to the COVID-19
pandemic.

New Zealand, Australia, England, South Africa and India have qualified for the tournament.

Messi bails out off-colour Barca

 Lionel Messi saved Barcelona from another embarrassing result by scoring the decisive goal in a 1-0
win over lowly Levante, while Real Sociedad returned top of La Liga on Sunday. Messi struck with 14
minutes remaining of a lacklustre display from Barca at the Camp Nou which will do little to ease fan
fears following their 3-0 hammering at the hands of Juventus midweek.