Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 25 December 2020

SSC CGL Current Affairs

Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 25 December 2020

::NATIONAL::

Launched e-Sampada portal and app

The Ministry of Urban Affairs on Friday launched a new Web Portal and Mobile App, e-Sampada which provides a single window for all these services including allotment for over one lakh government residential accommodations, office space allotment to government organisations in 28 cities and venues like 5, Ashoka Road for social functions.
its endeavour to provide ‘One Nation, One System’, the erstwhile four websites (gpra.nic.in, eawas.nic.in, estates.gov.in, holidayhomes.nic.in), and two Mobile Apps (m-Awas & m-Ashoka5) of the Directorate of Estates have been integrated into one, which paves the way for all services on the same platform throughout the country.
Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep S Puri said that this is a significant step towards promotion of e-governance to boost transparency and accountability in providing various Estate Services like allotment, retention, regularisation, no dues certificate etc.
The minister said that E-Sampada is developed to simplify processes and bring uniformity in system across India. This will promote ease of living for government officers and departments as all services can be availed online on a single window with a live tracking of applications.
E-Sampada Mobile App and Chatbot facility has been provided for better user experience. Service level benchmarks and activity log for officials are incorporated to ensure accountability.

::ECONOMY::

PM-KISAN: Seventh installment of financial benefits released

At a time when crores of farmers are waiting for December 25 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release the next instalment of benefits under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), the benefits might not reach to everyone under the scheme.
As per media reports, till 23 December, the FTO (Fund Transfer Order) many farmer beneficiaries were generated while the FTO of many others have not been generated, meaning which, there might be problems debiting of the funds in their account.
PM Modi will transfer Rs 18,000 crores to more than 9 crores beneficiary farmer families under PM-KISAN 12 pm via video conferencing on December 25, which is also the birth anniversary of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme was launched by PM Modi in 2019. The Scheme aims to provide income support to all landholder farmer families across the country with cultivable land, subject to certain exclusions.
Under the Scheme, an amount of Rs 6000 per year is released in three 4-monthly instalments of Rs 2000 each directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries. In a financial year, PM Kisan installment is credited thrice through --Period 1 from April-July; Period 2 from August to November; and Period 3 from December to March.

::INTERNATIONAL::

EU and British agreed on Brexit trade agreement

The EU and UK have reached a post-Brexit trade deal, ending months of disagreements over fishing rights and future business rules.
At a Downing Street press conference, Boris Johnson said: "We have taken back control of our laws and our destiny."
The text of the agreement has yet to be released, but the PM claimed it was a "good deal for the whole of Europe".
The UK is set to exit EU trading rules next Thursday - a year after officially leaving the 27 nation bloc.
It will mean big changes for business, with the UK and EU forming two separate markets, and the end of free movement.
But the trade deal will come as a major relief to many British businesses, already reeling from the impact of coronavirus, who feared disruption at the borders and the imposition of tariffs, or taxes on imports.
As the deal was announced, Mr Johnson - who had repeatedly said the UK would "prosper mightily" without a deal - tweeted a picture of himself smiling with both thumbs lifted in the air.
In a press conference in Brussels, European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen said: "This was a long and winding road but we have got a good deal to show for it."
"The EU began with I think wanting a transition period of 14 years, we wanted three years, we've ended up at five years," he said.
And he said the UK had not got all it wanted on financial services, a vital part of the UK economy, but he insisted the deal was "nonetheless going to enable our dynamic City of London to get on and prosper as never before".

Science and Tech

Chandrayaan-2 mission’s initial data released: ISRO

The Indian Space Research Organisation on Thursday said it has released the first set of data from the country's second mission to the Moon, the Chandrayaan-2, for the general public.
Chandrayaan-2 was launched on July 22, 2019 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
The Orbiter which was injected into a lunar orbit on September 2, 2019, carries eight experiments to address many open questions on lunar science.
"All experiments have been performing well and the data received suggests excellent capability to deliver on the pre-launch promises," ISRO said.
In the period since the launch, payload teams tuned on-board systems for optimal instrument configurations, derived essential in-flight calibration data, revised/updated data processing steps/software and have started to publish early results, it said.
On Thursday the first set of data was being released for all users, the ISRO further said.
The public release data archived at the Indian Space Science Data Centre in Bylalu, near Bengaluru is prepared in the standard, globally followed Planetary Data System 4 (PDS4) format for public release, it added.
This activity has been completed and hence the first set of data from the Chandrayaan-2 mission is now being released for the wider public use through the PRADAN portal hosted by ISSDC.

Sports

Former bowler Chetan Sharma elected chairman of selectors

Former Indian cricketer, Chetan Sharma, has been appointed as the new chief selector of the Indian Cricket Team. The decision came after the BCCI’s AGM on Thursday, which took place in Ahmedabad. BCCI has once again surprised everyone with their choice as Ajit Agarkar was the front runner to win the race.
Apart from Sharma, the BCCI has also appointed Abey Kuruvilla and Debashish Mohanty in the selection panel. Until now, it was being headed by Sunil Joshi. They were picked by the BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), which also picked Abey Kuruvilla and Debashish Mohanty.