Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 11 December 2021

SSC CGL Current Affairs

Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 11 December 2021

::NATIONAL::

Modi to launch Saryu canal project, lakhs of farmers in east UP to benefit

The PMO said although work on the project began in 1978, it was delayed due to lack of continuity of budgetary support, interdepartmental coordination, and adequate monitoring and was not completed even after more than four decades.
The project was only settled after PM Modi’s government took active measures to complete it, said the release, highlighting that of the total ₹9,800-crore cost of the project, more than ₹4,600 crore was provisioned in the last four years.
The project involves the interlinking of five rivers—Ghaghara, Saryu, Rapti, Banganga, and Rohini—to ensure optimum usage of water resources of the region. The sub canals with a length of 6,600km have been linked to the 318km main canal.
The project will provide assured water for irrigation of over 14 lakh hectares of land and benefit about 29 lakh farmers of more than 6,200 villages, according to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
The farmers of eastern UP, who were arguably the worst sufferers of the inordinate delay in the canal project, are now expected to benefit from the upgraded irrigation potential and grow crops on a larger scale, maximizing the agri-potential of the region.
According to the Uttar Pradesh government, the canal project, in addition to providing a boost to the agriculture sector in eastern Uttar Pradesh, will also be an important milestone in the BJP government’s pledge to double the income of the farmers by 2022.
The canal system is also expected to protect the districts of eastern UP from recurrent floods.
When the Prime Minister inaugurates the Saryu Nahar National Project on Saturday at Balrampur in Uttar Pradesh, protesting farmers will be returning to their villages from the Delhi border as a result of the peasants' unions calling off their year-long agitation against the now-repealed farm laws.
It shows the farmers’ trust in the Bharatiya Janata Party government, a BJP leader told Hindustan Times, adding that functionaries have been mobilised to make the inauguration programme successful.

::INTERNATIONAL::

US imposes sweeping human rights sanctions on China, Myanmar and North Korea

The United States on Friday imposed extensive human rights-related sanctions on dozens of people and entities tied to China, Myanmar, North Korea and Bangladesh, and added Chinese artificial intelligence company SenseTime Group to an investment blacklist.
Canada and the United Kingdom joined the United States in imposing sanctions related to human rights abuse in Myanmar, while Washington also imposed the first new sanctions on North Korea under President Joe Biden's administration and targeted Myanmar military entities, among others, in action marking Human Rights Day.
The North Korean mission at the United Nations and the Chinese, Myanmar and Bangladesh embassies in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The US Treasury Department in a statement said it added Chinese artificial intelligence company SenseTime to a list of "Chinese military-industrial complex companies", accusing it of having developed facial recognition programs that can determine a target’s ethnicity, with a particular focus on identifying ethnic Uyghurs.
As a result it will fall under an investment ban for US investors.
UN experts and rights groups estimate more than a million people, mainly Uyghurs and members of other Muslim minorities, have been detained in recent years in a vast system of camps in China's far-west region of Xinjiang.
China denies abuses in Xinjiang, but the US government and many rights groups say Beijing is carrying out genocide there.
The Treasury said North Korea’s Central Public Prosecutors Office had been designated, along with the former minister of social security and recently assigned Minister of People’s Armed Forces Ri Yong Gil.
US President Joe Biden gathered over 100 world leaders at a virtual summit this week and made a plea to bolster democracies around the world, calling safeguarding rights and freedoms in the face of rising authoritarianism the "defining challenge" of the current era.

::ECONOMY::

‘ESG framework must for organisations to mitigate risks of climate change’

Climate change has grave consequences on people and the planet. A robust industrial infrastructure, which aims to fulfill the demand of a growing population, puts significant pressure on the environment and the resources available to us.
Hence, the role of industries in mitigating these climate risks is going to be critical and organisations must develop an ESG (environment, social and governance) framework, which is truly integrated into their business strategies and processes.
With ever-increasing concern about environment and society amongst consumers and investors alike, ESG is set to portray the shared values between a company and its stakeholders.
Many companies have been following innovative and sustainable pathways towards long-term business sustainability, forming an inherent connection between the people, planet, and profit.
Companies are moving beyond traditional silos and integrating ESG policies and initiatives into a corporate strategy to reinforce commitments that are important to customers and other potential stakeholders. Interacting with the Hindustan Times, NyrikaHolkar, the executive director of Godrej & Boyce offered insight into the need for integrating ESG targets with financial goals of a company to address the global challenges such as climate change.
At Godrej & Boyce, we have always been extremely focused on sustainable and inclusive growth through unique, scalable initiatives. We focus on four key strategic pillars — employability, innovating for good and green products, creating a greener India and creating shared value through community development. This shared value approach has helped us to not just do our bit towards a greener planet but also to create business value. Today, one-third of our revenues are derived from good and green products.

::SCIENCE AND TECH::

Elon Musk shares photo of Mars Starship, says will ‘soon make these real’

Space-X founder Elon Musk has shared a photo of Starship, the massive, next-generation rocket his company is developing to launch cargo and people on missions to the moon and Mars, after he announced they have begun building a launch pad in Florida.
"We will soon make these real," Musk tweeted on Saturday, a day after announcing SpaceX has started construction on an orbital launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
According to a CNBC report on Friday, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) confirmed SpaceX is “within the rights of their lease agreement to make launch infrastructure improvements within the boundaries of the pad”. The American space agency has said it is not providing funds for the Starship launch pad.
The orbital tests for the new spacecraft is a major part of Elon Musk and SpaceX’s plans for the future of space travel and the company's ultimate goal is to launch an unscrewed mission to Mars in 2024 and human spaceflight to the Red Planet in 2026.
According to reports, the Starship design is meant to be used for both suborbital flights on Earth and for deep-space missions. They also say Starship will be a next-generation fully reusable rocket capable of carrying up to 100 people to Mars.
The SpaceX prototype of its Starship SN11, which is being designed for an eventual trip to Mars, crashed during a test landing attempt in March.
In August, SpaceX said in filings with the Federal Communications Commission it intends to use its Starship rocket as the primary vehicle to deliver spacecraft into orbit.
Elon Musk has spoken about his dream of building cities on Mars and said settling humans on other planets could preserve civilisation if Earth were to experience a cataclysm. "History is going to bifurcate along two directions. One path is we stay on Earth forever, and then there will be some eventual extinction event," Musk said in 2016.

::SPORTS::

Magnus Carlsen stays king of chess after winning his fifth world title

Magnus Carlsen remained the planet’s best chess player when he beat challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi for the fourth time in their world championship contest in Dubai on Friday. Carlsen got his fifth world title in the classical format when Russian challenger Nepomniachtchi resigned after 49 moves. Carlsen, who won 7.5-3.5, will get 60% of the 2 million euro prize money.
“It’s hard to feel that great joy when the situation was so comfortable to begin with, but I’m happy with a very good performance overall,” said Carlsen soon after leaving the sound-proof playing arena.