Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 21 DECEMBER 2019
::NATIONAL::
Central government aims to achieve 100 Hunaar Haats in 5 years
- Government has decided to organize hundred HunarHaat across the country
in the next five years. These Haat aim to provide market exposure and
employment opportunities to artisans, craftsmen and traditional culinary
experts.
- Ministry of Minority Affairs said, in the coming days, HunarHaat will be
organized in New Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Dehradun,
Patna, Indore and other places.
- The Ministry has also sanctioned 100 Hunar Hubs in different parts of
the country wherein training is being provided to master artisans, craftsmen
and traditional culinary experts.
- According to the Ministry, more than two lakh 65 thousand artisans and
craftsmen have been provided employment through HunarHaatin the last two
years.The first HunarHaat was organized in Jaipur in August-September this
year.
India claims to be top performer in Paris agreement
- Environment Minister PrakashJavadekar has said, India is a top performer
in Paris agreement and will achieve the carbon emission target soon.
- Addressing media in New Delhi this afternoon, Mr Javadekar said, the
emission intensity reduction target for India was 35 per cent and it has
already achieved 21 per cent of it.
- The Minister said, India's efforts to mitigate climate change and to
conserve environment was appreciated at the recently held 25th session of
the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate change.
- Mr Javadekar said, no such decision was taken at the summit which was
against the interests and stand of India.Hesaid, BASIC countries Brazil,
South Africa, India, China and like-minded 40 developing countries were
together on the issue and got benefit on the unity.
- He said, India engaged constructively in the negotiations while
protecting India’s key interests including consideration of principles of
equity and Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective
Capabilities CBDR-RC.
- Mr Javadekar said, Prime Minister NarendraModi has increased the target
for renewables from 175 Giga Watts to 450 Giga Watts at the recent UN
Climate Action Summit and India is simultaneously progressing on solar,
biomass and wind energy.
::ECONOMY::
Centre plans to increase global trade by 8-10%
- India must increase its share in global trade to 8-10% to become a $5
trillion economy, said minister for road transport & highways and MSMEs
NitinGadkari, adding that policy-making kept in mind import substitution for
local industries to grow.
- He said India was spending Rs 7 lakh crore every year on crude oil
import and the country has the potential to reduce this bill by Rs 2 lakh
crore by shifting to alternative fuels including ethanol, methanol, bio-CNG
and electric vehicles. Gadkari also said he will not allow driverless cars
in India, which has a shortage of 2.2 million drivers.
- Talking about the highways sector, Gadkari said projects worth Rs 15
lakh crore will be awarded in five years of the government’s second term.
““By March 2020, we will have awarded projects worth Rs 2 lakh crore and
next year (FY21) we will award projects worth Rs 3 lakh crore, and Rs 5 lakh
crore in the following year (FY22),” he said.
IMF says Indian economy less likely to see recovery soon
- India's economy may not see recovery any time soon going by
high-frequency indicators, International Monetary Fund chief economist Gita
Gopinath said while advocating “important reforms” for land acquisition and
labour laws to get its manufacturing going and becoming part of the global
value chain.
- Gopinath also wanted India to pursue fiscal consolidation path with
consolidated fiscal deficit of state and Centre being the highest in the
G-20.
- She pointed out that after witnessing a sharp weakness in investment,
the country is seeing weakness in consumption growth. She said the IMF will
be revising the numbers again in January when it puts out an update.
- Gopinath said India will need to pursue the clean-up of the banking
sector as also take steps to boost rural incomes while focussing on
macroeconomic stability.
- Gopinath said another set of big reforms are required to get
manufacturing on the ground and for India to have bigger presence on the
export front. There are important reforms needed with respect to land
acquisition and labour laws.
::INTERNATIONAL::
India holds meeting with stakeholders on implementation of Chabahar
agreement
- The second meeting between officials of India, Afghanistan and Iran took
place in New Delhi yesterday to monitor implementation of the 2016 agreement
regarding development and management of the Chabahar port in Iran.
- External Affairs Ministry said that the three countries welcomed steady
progress in port operations by India Ports Global Ltd company since the
taking over of the port operations at ShaheedBeheshti Port at Chabahar in
December 2018.
- The second meeting of the "follow-up committee" took place at the level
of "joint secretary/director general" in New Delhi.
- The MEA said that it was agreed to finalise the protocol to harmonise
transit, roads, customs and consular matters. It was also agreed to organise
promotional and business events in Afghanistan and India to popularise the
Chabahar port.
- The third meeting of the "follow-up committee" will take place in the
first half of 2020.
Ethiopia launches its first satellite
- Ethiopia launched its first satellite today, a landmark achievement for
the country's space program that caps a banner year for the African space
industry.
- The launch of the Ethiopian Remote Sensing Satellite (ETRSS) took place
at a space station in China. The live broadcast was watched by a group of
Ethiopian and Chinese officials and scientists who had gathered at the
Entoto Observatory and Research Centre outside the capital, Addis Ababa.
- Deputy Prime Minister DemekeMekonnen said, this would be a foundation
for their historic journey to prosperity. He said, this technological
infrastructure was important even if delayed.
- According to TemidayoOniosun, managing director of Space in Africa, a
Nigeria-based firm that tracks African space programs, this was the eighth
launch of an African satellite this year, topping the previous record of
seven in 2017.
- The launch makes Ethiopia the eleventh African country to put a
satellite into space. Egypt was the first in 1998.
::SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY::
Study finds transmission of chicken pox virus from mother to child
- The study of DBT and NII have found that women having chickenpox
infection may transmit their infection to babies during their pregnancy.
This stimulates babies’ immunity and protects them. A person being infected
by the virus and treated gains immunity lifelong.
- This immunity is transferred to babies during pregnancy. Also, if a
mother was vaccinated in her childhood, she is said to be immune to the
disease. Research says that this immunity is transferred to the child as
well.
- The researchers of National Institute of Immunology (NII) and Department
of Biotechnology (DBT) found that the transfer of viral DNA from mother to
child during their pregnancy is long lasting.
- Currently, it is understood that mothers transfer several antibodies to
babies that lasts for 12 to 15 months. However, the new study says that this
scenario is different in case of chickenpox. The study also showed that
reactivation of chickenpox can be induced by stress of pregnancy.
- It is a highly contagious disease caused by Varicella Zoster Virus.
According to WHO, around 140 million people are affected by the disease all
over the world annually. In developed countries, incidence of the disease is
16 cases per 1000 people. Out of these, 90% of the cases are reported in
children.
::SPORTS::
India bags gold in Qatar international weightlifting championship
- Former world champion, weightlifter SaikhomMirabaiChanu won the women's
49kg category gold medal to open India's account at the 6th Qatar
International Cup in Doha yesterday.
- Chanu bagged gold with an effort of 194kg in the Olympic qualifying
event, with the points which will come in handy when the final rankings for
Tokyo 2020 cut are done. The 24-year-old Manipuri lifted 83kg in snatch and
111kg in clean and jerk to finish on top of the podium.
