Daily Current Affairs December 20

Dear Champions, as you all know that a lot of competitive exams have been notified consequently. Candidates have to prepare themselves according to the level of competition and expectation of the Recruitment board. Regarding that one of the most important topic is Daily Current Affairs December 20. Current Affairs in the form of contemporary events of national & international play a crucial role in almost every competitive exams like Banking, Insurance, SSC, UPSC, TNPSC, Railway etc.

Current affairs are the most dynamic yet scoring among all sections and need to be prepared from the right source. Here, we cafunsta team, providing  Daily GK Updates, Current Affairs Questions, and Monthly  current affairs pdf.

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December 20 | Daily Current Affairs 2021

Important Days – Daily Current Affairs December 20

1. International Human Solidarity Day is observed on which date?
A) December 20
B) December 19
C) December 18
D) December 12
E) December 14
Answer: A) December 20

• On December 20 International Human Solidarity Day is observed to raise public awareness of the importance of solidarity, especially in the global arena.
• As per the United Nations, the day is marked to celebrate unity and diversity that is present across the globe.
• It also serves as a reminder for governments to respect their commitments to international agreements. International Human Solidarity Day also encourage new initiatives and plans for eradication of poverty and other global issues.

International Human Solidarity Day: History

• The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), recognised solidarity as “one of the fundamental and universal values” that determine relationships between peoples and countries around the globe in the current century, through its resolution 60/209 on 22 December 2005.
• To highlight these values, 20 December was proclaimed as International Human Solidarity Day by the UNGA.
• The UN General Assembly established World Solidarity Fund on 20 December 2002 with an aim to get rid of poverty and to promote human and social development in developing countries.
• In 2003, the Assembly set up World Solidarity Fund as a trust fund of the UN Development Programme.
• International Human Solidarity Day also reiterates the importance of international cooperation in achieving Sustainable Development Goals, such as eradication of poverty.
• The UN also uses the occasion to focus on promotion of human and social development in developing countries.

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Sports – Daily Current Affairs December 20

2. Who clinched a historic silver medal in the World Badminton Championships?
A) Lakshya Sen
B) Srikanth Kidambi
C) Anders Antonsen
D) Takuro Hoki
E) Loh Kean Yew
Answer: B) Srikanth Kidambi

• The 2021 BWF World Championships (officially known as the TotalEnergies BWF World Championships 2021 for sponsorship reasons) was a badminton tournament which took place from 12 to 19 December 2021 at Palacio de los Deportes Carolina Marín in Huelva, Spain.

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Banking and Finance – Daily Current Affairs December 20

3. Which insurance company Partners CSC e-Governance Services India to Expand Rural Reach?
A) Cholamandalam MS General Insurance
B) Bajaj Allianz General Insurance.
C) Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance
D) Liberty General Insurance
E) Pramerica Life Insurance
Answer: D) Liberty General Insurance

• Liberty General Insurance, one of the fastest growing General Insurance companies in India today entered into a partnership with CSC e-Governance Services India under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India.
• Through this agreement Liberty will further strengthen its presence in rural areas across India by selling its insurance products through the CSC network.
• Initially, the company will offer Motor Insurance products – Two-Wheeler, Private Car and Commercial Vehicle to the customers.
• In a formal ceremony held in New Delhi , Mr. Amit Jain, President, Personal Lines, Bancassurance & Affinity and Marketing, Liberty General Insurance and Mr. Sanjay Kumar Rakesh Chief Executive Officer, CSC e-Governance Services India Ltd signed and exchanged the agreement.
• About Liberty General Insurance Liberty General Insurance Ltd. (LGI) is a joint venture between Liberty Citystate holdings PTE Ltd—a group company of Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, a diversified global insurer with over 900 offices across the world, headquartered in the U.S. —Enam Securities, and Diamond Dealtrade. LGI commenced operations in 2013 with the aim of providing comprehensive retail, commercial and industrial insurance solutions.
• The company has an employee strength of 1100+ with presence across 100+ locations in 28 states.
• Its partner network consists of about 5100+ hospitals and more than 4300 auto service centres.
• The company offers health and personal accident insurance, car and two-wheeler insurance, employee compensation insurance, commercial insurance, fire and engineering insurance, marine insurance and other miscellaneous insurance products in India.
• About Common Service Centers (CSCs) Common Service Centers (CSCs) Scheme is one of key enablers of the Digital India program.
• CSCs are the access points for e-delivery of G2C, education, healthcare, agriculture and financial services to villages in India, thereby contributing to a digitally and financially inclusive society.
• CSCs are more than just service delivery points in rural India.
• They are positioned as change agents, promoting rural entrepreneurship and building rural capacities and livelihoods.
• It is a pan-India network catering to regional, geographic, linguistic and cultural diversity of the country, thus enabling the Government’s mandate of a socially, financially and digitally inclusive society.

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4. Which small finance bank has been empanelled as a banking partner of the Government of Maharashtra to offer its services to the state government employees?
A) Ujjivan Small Finance Bank.
B) Janalakshmi Small Finance Bank.
C) Equitas Small Finance Bank.
D) A U Small Finance Bank.
E) Capital Small Finance Bank.
Answer: C) Equitas Small Finance Bank.

• Equitas Small Finance Bank said it has been empanelled as a banking partner of the Government of Maharashtra to offer its services to the state government employees.
• As per an agreement, Equitas Small Finance Bank is entitled to distribute salaries and allowances to the existing employees as well as make provision of pension to pensioners, thereby providing solutions to institutions and value-added services for individuals, the bank said in a release.
• Bandhan Bank, Karur Vysya Bank, South Indian Bank are the other three banks that are assigned the role of distributing salaries, allowances to government employees, it said.
• The agreement is for the liability base.
• The government has granted authority to Equitas Small Finance Bank to open salary and pension accounts for the existing and retired employees across 58 of its branches in Maharashtra, the lender said.

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5. Which insurance company has partnered with PhonePe to offer quick and easy, digital motor insurance products to all its customers?
A) Cholamandalam MS General Insurance
B) Bajaj Allianz General Insurance.
C) Edelweiss General Insurance
D) Liberty General Insurance
E) Pramerica Life Insurance
Answer: C) Edelweiss General Insurance

• Edelweiss General Insurance (EGI) has partnered with PhonePe to offer quick and easy, digital motor insurance products to all its customers.
• The partnership will help EGI reach out to PhonePe’s vast and growing network of customers and offer them simple, end to end digital solutions in the motor insurance segment.
• PhonePe customers can now purchase EGI’s motor insurance policy with Zero paperwork.
• They can also opt for add-on benefits like depreciation protect, engine protection, consumable expense protect, roadside assistance, key and lock protect, to suit their individual needs.

Karnataka Gramin Bank in pact with Care Health Insurance:

• The Bellari-headquartered Karnataka Gramin Bank (KGB), sponsored by Canara Bank, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Care Health Insurance Ltd to market health insurance products for customers of the bank across 22 districts of Karnataka.
• Quoting Shreenath Joshi, Chairman of KGB, a media statement said the products will go a long way in building a sense of security amongst the customers in the current Covid pandemic situation.

ICICI Lombard ties up with Clove Dental to offer OPD, dental insurance:

• ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company, one of India’s leading private general insurance companies, has collaborated with Clove Dental, India’s largest network of oral clinics to offer dental insurance.
• The offering will be covered under the OPD benefit and will be available on a cashless basis to customers.
• This partnership will provide oral health support to Clove Dental’s consumers that will encompass all necessary dental treatment expenses under the OPD benefit of ICICI Lombard, according to the ICICI Lombard press release.
• Oral cancer, tooth decay, and gum diseases are the major concerns when it comes to oral diseases.
• Adding to it, the pandemic has highlighted the need for overall health in general and oral health is no different.
• The virus has shown multiple oral manifestations, which can be prevented provided one takes care of their oral health.
• With the increasing awareness, Indians are seeking out insurance providers that cover and take care of their dental and oral health needs amidst the rise in prices of dental treatments owing to inflation, high cost of materials & equipment, innovations, expensive setup, and the lab work involved.
• Keeping the growing need in mind ICICI Lombard, along with Clove Dental, introduced this service as a benefit cover under the OPD product on a cashless basis, said the press release.

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Business and Economy – Daily Current Affairs December 20

6. Adani Enterprises bags Ganga expressway project, India’s largest, in UP. What is the length of this expressway?
A) 294-km
B) 394-km
C) 494-km
D) 594-km
E) 694-km
Answer: D) 594-km

• Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL), the flagship company of the Adani Group, India’s fastest-growing integrated infrastructure group, has received the Letter of Award (LoA) from Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) to implement three major stretches of the greenfield Ganga Expressway on a DBFOT (Toll) basis.
• The concession period shall be 30 years.
• The Ganga Expressway in Uttar Pradesh, which will connect Meerut with Prayagraj, will be India’s longest expressway to be implemented on DBFOT basis.
• Of its 594-km length, AEL will build 464 km from Budaun to Prayagraj, which comprises 80% of the expressway project.
• The LoA to AEL covers the development of access controlled six-lane (expandable to eight-lane) expressway in three groups: 151.700 km from Budaun to Hardoi, 155.7 km from Hardoi to Unnao and 156.947 km from Unnao to Prayagraj.
• With this LoA from UPEIDA, AEL’s road portfolio has grown to 13 projects with more than5,000 lane kms and an asset value exceeding Rs. 35,000 Cr. spread over nine states in India – Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Gujarat, West Bengal, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh.
• The portfolio has a mix of HAM (Hybrid Annuity Mode), TOT (Toll-Operate-Transfer) and BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) type assets.

Tata Power bags contract from SECI for solar project in Chhattisgarh:

• State-owned SECI has awarded a contract to the Tatas for setting up a 100MW solar project with battery energy storage system (BESS) at Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh.
• The project will demonstrate how, by using a large battery storage system like BESS, solar power can be used to provide clean energy during evening peak hours.
• The contract has been awarded to Tata Power Solar Systems Ltd, a statement by Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) said.
• The project will have a 40 MW/120 MWh BESS.
• It is one of the largest grid-connected BESS projects in the country.
• It is supported by the World Bank and SECI’s internal resources and domestic loans.
• This is expected to boost market confidence and catalyze further investments in the sector to enable India achieve its commitments towards a net-zero economy.
• The contract was signed by officials of Tata Power and SECI in the presence of Suman Sharma, Managing Director, SECI, as well as directors and senior officials of SECI and World Bank.
• SECI, under the MNRE, is engaged in promoting and development of various RE resources, especially solar and wind energy, RE-based storage systems, floating solar, trading of power, consultancy as well as emerging areas such as green hydrogen, green ammonia, Waste to Energy, RE-powered electric vehicles, etc.
• SECI is an implementing agency for many RE schemes of the Centre such as Viability Gap Funding schemes, tariff-based tenders for development of RE projects, solar parks etc.

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Acquisitions and Mergers – Daily Current Affairs December 20

7. Wipro to acquire cybersecurity provider Edgile for ____?
A) $270 million
B) $230 million
C) $250 million
D) $240 million
E) $220 million
Answer: B) $230 million

• Wipro said it will acquire Austin, Texas-headquartered Edgile for USD 230 million, a move that will strengthen the IT major’s play in the cybersecurity services space.
• Edgile’s experienced cybersecurity and risk management professionals will allow Wipro to further enhance its cybersecurity and risk consulting capabilities for the benefit of its customers, a regulatory filing said.
• In addition, the company’s ‘strategy-first’ approach and ‘Quick Start’ solutions will allow the combined entity to deliver enhanced value in strategic cybersecurity services, it added.
• The purchase consideration is USD 230 million, and the transaction is expected to be completed before March 31, 2022, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions, the filing said.
• Founded in 2001, Edgile is an information security consulting firm providing professional services, primarily focused on delivering cybersecurity and risk management consulting services to corporations.
• It is privately held and has an onsite workforce of 182 employees.
• Its revenue for the year ended December 31, 2020, stood at USD 44.1 million.
• Abry Partners, a minority private equity investor in Edgile, will fully exit its investment as a result of this transaction.

CCI approves Tata Group’s acquisition of Air India:

• Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved Tata Group’s acquisition of Air India, Air India Express and Air India SATS Airport Services.
• The union government has earlier said it is making “all efforts” to complete the disinvestment process to hand over all operations of Air India to Tata Sons by the end of December.
• The government on October 8 had announced that Tatas have won the bid to acquire debt-laden national carrier Air India for ₹18,000 crore.
• The amount includes payment of ₹2,700 crore in cash and take over ₹15,300 crore of the carrier’s debt.
• Along with Air India, Tatas will acquire low-cost carrier Air India Express and Air India’s 50% stake in equal joint venture AISATS.
• Besides, non-core assets of Air India, including land and building, valued at ₹14,718 crore, are also being transferred to AIAHL. Further, liabilities of ₹15,834 crore towards dues to operational creditors, like those for fuel purchases, as of August 31 would be transferred to AIAHL.
• In 2019, the Centre had set up a special purpose vehicle — Air India Assets Holding Ltd (AIAHL) — for holding debt and non-core assets of the Air India group.

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Appointments – Daily Current Affairs December 20

8. Pradeep Kumar Rawat was appointed as India’s next Ambassador to which country?
A) USA
B) Nepal
C) Mauritius
D) Bhutan
E) China
Answer: E) China

• Senior diplomat Pradeep Kumar Rawat was appointed as India’s next Ambassador to China.
• An Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer of 1990 batch, Rawat is currently serving as Indian envoy to the Netherlands.
• Rawat will succeed Vikram Misri.
• Rawat’s appointment comes in the midst of the lingering eastern Ladakh border standoff.
• He had earlier served in Hong Kong and Beijing.
• Rawat served as Ambassador of India to Indonesia and Timor-Leste from September 2017-December 2020.
• He speaks fluent Mandarin.

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9. Rishabh Pant has been appointed the brand ambassador of which state with an aim to promote sports and create mental health awareness among the state’s youth?
A) Maharashtra
B) Kerala
C) Uttarakhand
D) Arunachal Pradesh
E) Tamil Nadu
Answer: C) Uttarakhand

• Swashbuckling India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been appointed the brand ambassador of Uttarakhand with an aim to promote sports and create mental health awareness among the state’s youth.
• Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami made the announcement about the same.

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10. Gabriel Boric is appointed as youngest President of which country?
A) USA
B) Nepal
C) Chile
D) Bhutan
E) China
Answer: C) Chile

• In Chile, Gabriel Boric, 35 years old former student leader and Leftist will become country’s youngest President after he won a presidential runoff election.
• According to the Electoral Service of Chile, out of 99.95% of ballots counted, Boric won with 55.87% of the vote, securing victory over his right-wing opponent, Jose Antonio Kast.
• A native of Punta Arenas, in Chile’s far south, Boric as a student led the Federation of Students at the University of Chile in Santiago.
• He rose to prominence leading protests in 2011 demanding improved and cheaper education. By 2014, still in his 20s, he had joined the National Congress as a lower-house legislator, representing Chile’s vast and sparsely populated southernmost region of Magallanes.
• Boric will be sworn in as President on March 11.

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11. Who is appointed BWF’s Athletes’ Commission member?
A) Lakshya Sen
B) Srikanth Kidambi
C) Anders Antonsen
D) PV Sindhu
E) Loh Kean Yew
Answer: D) PV Sindhu

• India’s two-time Olympic medallist shuttler PV Sindhu was appointed as a member of the Badminton World Federation’s (BWF) Athletes’ Commission.
• The 26-year-old former world champion was named alongside five others who will serve as members till 2025.
• “BWF is pleased to announce the six members of the BWF Athletes’ Commission 2021-2025: Iris Wang (USA), Robin Tabeling (NED), Greysia Polii (INA), Kim Soyeong (KOR), Pusarla V Sindhu (IND), Zheng Si Wei (CHN),” the BWF said in a statement.
• The Chair and Deputy Chair will be decided among the six members.
• The Chair of the BWF Athletes’ Commission, following a vetting process as required for all Council members, will become a member of Council until the next elections in 2025,” the BWF added.
• Sindhu, who won the silver medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016, created history by bagging the bronze medal in the Tokyo Games earlier this year.
• At the prestigious world championships, Sindhu has won two silvers, besides two bronze and the coveted gold in 2019.

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Awards – Daily Current Affairs December 20

12. Emma Raducanu was voted the BBC’s sports personality of the year to cap an incredible rise throughout 2021. She was related to which country?
A) USA
B) Nepal
C) Mauritius
D) Bhutan
E) China
Answer: A) USA

• U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu was voted the BBC’s sports personality of the year to cap an incredible rise throughout 2021.
• The 19-year-old Raducanu became the first-ever qualifier to win a Grand Slam singles title with her triumph in New York in September after not dropping a set in the tournament.
• She was the first British woman since Virginia Wade in 1977 to win a major tournament, enabling her to beat Olympic gold medalists — diver Tom Daley and swimmer Adam Peaty — to the BBC honor.
• Four-time Olympic gymnastics champion Simone Biles was given the BBC’s lifetime achievement award.
• Irish jockey Rachael Blackmore was voted world sports star of the year.
• She was the first female jockey to win the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in March and followed up a month later with victory at the Grand National — the first woman to triumph in the race.

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13. Which bank has won the number one position in overall digital transactions amongst large banks for FY20-21?
A) Kotak Mahindra Bank
B) Bank of Baroda
C) Indian Bank
D) ICICI Bank
E) HDFC Bank
Answer: B) Bank of Baroda

• Bank of Baroda (BOB) announced it has won the number one position in overall digital transactions amongst large banks for FY20-21.
• The bank showed the exceptional growth of digital payment transactions achievement and was felicitated by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), Govt. of India at the Digital Payments Utsav.
• To commemorate 75th anniversary of Independence of India, MeitY is celebrating “Digital Payments Utsav”.
• As a part of the celebration, Bank of Baroda has been conferred with 5 DigiDhan awards for FY 2019-20 & 2020-21 in various categories.
• The award was received by Akhil Handa, Chief Digital Officer, which was presented by Union Minister for Railways, Electronics, and IT, Ashwini Vaishnav and MoS for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrashekar.

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14. Which airport limited has been awarded the Certificate of Merit for excellent efforts in energy conservation by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) under the prestigious National Energy Conservation Awards 2021?
A) Mumbai International Airport Ltd
B) Chennai International Airport Ltd
C) Kolkata International Airport Ltd
D) Bangalore International Airport Ltd
E) GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd
Answer: E) GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd

• GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL) has been awarded the Certificate of Merit for excellent efforts in energy conservation by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) under the prestigious National Energy Conservation Awards 2021 (NECA 2021).
• At an event in New Delhi on December 14, Union Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy R K Singh presented the award to senior officials of GHIAL, a release here said.
• GHIAL was the only airport in the airport sector that received this distinct recognition.

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National Affairs – Daily Current Affairs December 20

15. Who flagged off the Parliamentarian sports competition?
A) Ram Nath Kovind
B) Jitendra Singh
C) Arjun Munda
D) Anurag Singh Thakur
E) Kiren Rijiju
Answer: E) Kiren Rijiju

• Union minister of law and Justice Kiren Rijiju flagged off the Parliamentarian sports competition.
• He said Indian players have brought the country recognition on international level.
• He urged the players to maintain discipline and play with team spirit.
• The Union minister administered oath to young players in a ceremony at the Mahamaya sports stadium.
• Rijiju, a chief guest at the event, also flagged off a 400-meter race, said District magistrate Rakesh Kumar Singh.
• Local MP General VK singh (retd), also present on the occasion, advised players to refrain from bad habits to achieve their goals in life.
• The event is being organised under the MP sports Competition initiative started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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16. Prasar Bharati, which organisation sign MoU for promoting Indian culture?
A) SSI
B) ICAI
C) NHAI
D) ICCR
E) NTPC
Answer: D) ICCR

• Prasar Bharati and Indian Council for Cultural Relations signed a Memorandum of Understanding for promoting Indian culture.
• The performances of the eminent artists associated with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) will be telecast on the national and International Channels of Doordarshan.
• The dance and music performances will be showcased on DD National, DD India, regional channels of Doordarshan and Prasar Bharati News Services (Digital Platform of Prasar Bharati) in the form of a weekly programme.
• The MoU aims to bring forth the best of Indian Culture to the National and International audiences and provide TV and Digital platforms to the performing artists.
• In collaboration with ICCR, Doordarshan will produce 52 half an hour episodes, based on cultural events/concerts/performances of music/dance organized by ICCR.
• The MoU was signed between Shri Mayank Kumar Agrawal, Director General, Doordarshan and Shri Dinesh K Patnaik, Director General, Indian Council for Cultural Relations in the presence of Shri Shashi Shekhar Vempati, Chief Executive Officer, Prasar Bharati, Shri D P S Negi, Member (Finance), Prasar Bharati and other senior officers from Prasar Bharati and Indian Council for Cultural Relations.
• This MoU will be in operation for the period of three years from December 2021 till December 2024.

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17. Which state launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Vayu Swasthya Seva’ (Air Health Services) under which specialist doctors will be flown to remote areas of the state to treat people suffering from serious diseases?
A) Maharashtra
B) Kerala
C) Rajasthan
D) Arunachal Pradesh
E) Odisha
Answer: E) Odisha

• Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Vayu Swasthya Seva’ (Air Health Services) under which specialist doctors will be flown to remote areas of the state to treat people suffering from serious diseases.
• Patnaik flagged off a flight carrying specialist doctors to the tribal-dominated and Maoist-hit Malkangiri district.
• The doctors after reaching Malkangiri will treat the people suffering from certain serious diseases.
• Apart from Malkangiri, the ‘Mukhyamantri Vayu Swasthya Seva’ will also be available in the tribal-dominated districts of Nabarangpur, Nuapada and Kalahandi in the first phase.
• Other districts will be covered under the programme in a phased manner, Patnaik said.
• Odisha’s Health and Family Welfare Minister N K Das said specialist doctors required for the treatment of critical patients admitted to various district headquarters hospitals (DHHs), will go to the remote districts to treat patients.

Odisha’s longest bridge over Mahanadi inaugurated:

• Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the state’s longest bridge over Mahanadi river at Gopinathpur in Cuttack district.
• The 3.4-km-long bridge, connecting Singhanath Pitha and Baideswar in Cuttack district, will reduce the distance by 45 km, benefitting around five lakh people, officials said.
• The bridge, constructed in T-shape, is built at a cost of Rs 111 crore, they said.
• Patnaik had laid the foundation stone of the bridge on February 28, 2014.
• Ahead of Patnaik’s visit, the police detained hundreds of Congress and BJP workers, including former MLA Debasis Patnaik, as they were protesting with black flags at Banki.
• The opposition activists were demanding the dismissal of Minister of State for Home DS Mishra for his alleged link with the prime accused in the Kalahandi woman teacher’s kidnap and murder case.
• Patnaik had in July 2017 inaugurated the 2.88-km-long Netaji Subash Chandra Bose Setu over Kathajodi river at Trisulia, which till now held the title of the state’s longest bridge.
• The bridge connects Bhubaneswar and Cuttack via Barang.

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18. Who launches GIS-Based automatic water supply system for Cantonment Boards?
A) Ram Nath Kovind
B) Jitendra Singh
C) Arjun Munda
D) Rajnath Singh
E) Kiren Rijiju
Answer: D) Rajnath Singh

• The geographic information system (GIS)-based ‘Automatic Water Supply System’ for residents of Cantonment Boards was launched by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the occasion of Defence Estates Day 2021, informed the Ministry of Defence.
• As per the ministry, the module of the GIS-based water supply system for Cantonment Boards has been developed by the Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geoinformatics (BISAG) under the guidance of Defence Secretary and Director General of Defence Estates, Delhi.
• This GIS System is first of its kind in the country.
• It is based on “minimum government and supports the concept of “maximum governance” as there is no manual intervention for clearance/sanction of the water connection.
• In a conventional Water Supply System, citizens apply to the local bodies and the application is processed which takes time.
• The charges are required to be deposited offline and no time period is defined for grant of water connection.
• BISAG has successfully implemented the GIS module and its integration with the e-Chhawani portal is done by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL).
• Defence Estates Day was celebrated on December 16, 2021, by Director General, Defence Estates.

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19. ____ launches website for online recruitment of officers?
A) BSF
B) Indian Air Force
C) Indian Navy
D) Indian Army
E) Indian Coast Guard
Answer: E) Indian Coast Guard

• Director General of Indian Coast Guard ICG, Krishnaswamy Natarajan today launched website for online recruitment of the officers.
• ICG said, the digital recruitment process will cover around hundred cities spread throughout the country and would be conducted twice a year ensuring far wider reach, talent and also provide an unprecedented opportunity to the individuals aspiring to serve the Nation.
• ICG added, the paradigm shift from the existing process to computer-based examination for selection of officers will enhance transparency, minimise human intervention, facilitate automation and offer equal opportunity, level-playing field to aspiring candidates, resulting in the selection of aspiring candidates from a larger pool.

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20. Indian Navy conducted the maiden sea trials for Mormugao, the second indigenous stealth destroyer of the P15B class. It built by ____?
A) Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd
B) Cochin Shipyard Limited
C) Sea Blue Shipyard Ltd
D) Sembmarine Kakinada Limited
E) Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers
Answer: A) Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd

• Indian Navy conducted the maiden sea trials for Mormugao, the second indigenous stealth destroyer of the P15B class.
• Built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDSL), the ship has been named after the port town in Goa.
• The Mormugao was launched in September 2016 when the late Manohar Parrikar was the defence minister.
• The Indian Navy plans to commission the stealth destroyer in mid-2022 when it will be known as INS Mormugao. Mormugao will add significantly to the Indian Navy’s combat capabilities.
• The sea trials come less than a month after the recent commissioning of INS Visakhapatnam, the first of the P15B contract.
• The fourth P75 submarine INS Vela was also commissioned in November and starting sea trials of Mormugao is testimony to the cutting-edge capabilities of MDSL.

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21. Mahindra group has signed of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with which state government for setting up multiple vehicle-scrapping units in the state?
A) Maharashtra
B) Kerala
C) Rajasthan
D) Arunachal Pradesh
E) Odisha
Answer: A) Maharashtra

• Mahindra group said it has signed of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Maharashtra government for setting up multiple vehicle-scrapping units in the state.
• Mahindra MSTC Recycling Pvt Ltd, which operates recycling facilities under the Cero brand, already has a recycling facility at Pune and is looking to set up four additional facilities in Mumbai, Nagpur, Aurangabad and Nashik.
• The scrappage centres will be equipped with recycling end-of-life 2/3-wheelers, passenger and commercial vehicles in accordance with all legal and environmental norms, with a planned capacity of 40,000 vehicles annually, the group said in a statement.
• A joint venture between Mahindra Accelo (a Mahindra group company) and MSTC (a government of India enterprise under Ministry of Steel) — Mahindra MSTC Recycling Pvt Ltd currently has 11 recycling units in different parts of India.

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22. Who inaugurates Good Governance Week (20-25 December, 2021) to showcase and replicate the best governance practices at Grassroots level?
A) Ram Nath Kovind
B) Jitendra Singh
C) Arjun Munda
D) Rajnath Singh
E) Kiren Rijiju
Answer: B) Jitendra Singh

• Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurated the Good Governance Week campaign “Prashasan Gaon Ki Aur” aimed at showcasing and replicating the best governance practices to grassroots level.
• He said, The “Prashasan Gaon Ki Aur” campaign will create a national movement for good governance and motivate the stakeholders both in the government as well as outside the government.
• During the event, Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurated the Exhibition on Good Governance Practices – “Shaasan Ki Badalti Tasveer”.
• He also launched the Good Governance Week Portal and released the booklet on 2 year achievements of DARPG.
• A film on “Prashasan Gaon Ki Aur” was screened on this occasion.
• During the year 2020-21, 12 State portals have been integrated with CPGRAMS while 15 State/UTs are using CPGRAMS for Redressal of Public Grievances.
• As a pioneer of district level integration with CPGRAMS, the JK-IGRAMS integrates the grievances from the Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) at the top with the last mile district level offices in the UT of Jammu & Kashmir at the bottom.
• Now the Offices at District level have been linked and mapping up to Tehsil level and Block level has been done. 260 Departments / Offices and 1724 District level Offices have been linked in the grievance redressal system of the UT.
• One Nation One Portal is the goal and towards this end Integration of Centralized Public Grievances Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) with State Grievances portals.

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Over All Review

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