Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 26 December 2021

SSC CGL Current Affairs

Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 26 December 2021

::NATIONAL::

Karnataka Assembly passed the Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021

The contentious "Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021", popularly known as "Anti-conversion Bill", was passed by Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Thursday, amidst din. Congress partly vehemently opposed the bill, calling it "anti people", "inhuman", "anti constitutional", "anti poor" and "draconian", and urged that it should not be passed for any reason and should be withdrawn by the government.
JD(S) too expressed its opposition to the bill, which was introduced in the Assembly on Tuesday. The bill was passed by a voice vote, even as Congress members were protesting from the well of the House, demanding continuation of the debate on the bill, that began this morning. They were also expressing their anguish against some remarks made by Minister K S Eshwarappa, during his intervention in the debate.
Congress seemed to be on a back foot with the ruling BJP alleging that the bill was actually "initiated" by the Siddaramaiah led Congress administration, and placed documents to support its claim before the House. Though Siddaramaiah, who is now the Leader of Opposition, denied it, later on personally going through the records in the Speaker's office, accepted that as the CM he had then only asked the draft bill to be placed before the cabinet and no decision was taken in this regard, and hence it cannot be seen or projected as the intention of his government.
"It is for a healthy society.... Congress was indulging in vote bank politics by opposing it now, their double standard is clear today." The "Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021", provides for protection of right to freedom of religion and prohibition of unlawful conversion from one religion to another by misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means.

::INTERNATIONAL::

South Korea becomes 10th country outside Europe to join Europol Law Enforcement Cooperation Agency

South Korea has became the 10th country outside of Europe to join the European Union (EU) law enforcement cooperation agency that fights terrorism and other international crimes, police said.
The National Police Agency (NPA) joined Europol by signing a working-level agreement that was approved unanimously by the 27 EU nations on October 6. The accession is an outcome of efforts by police to strengthen cooperation with Europe since 2017, Yonhap news agency quoted officials as saying.
Under the agreement, police can now exchange information on crime and cooperate with member states of Europol -- 17 European and nine non-European countries -- as well as international organisations and research institutes collaborating with the agency.
The NPA said the agreement is expected to enhance police response capabilities against global crimes through sharing expertise and training programs, and working together with Europol officers.
NPA chief Kim Chang-yong had planned to visit Europol headquarters in the Hague to attend a signing ceremony but exchanged the agreement with Europol's Commissioner-General Catherine De Bolle through a diplomatic pouch due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Europol, established in 1992, is EU's law enforcement agency supporting the fight against terrorism, international drug trafficking and other serious crimes.

::ECONOMY::

Mastercard and Google Pay join hands, will provide tokenization facility on card payment

Mastercard and Google today announced the rollout of tokenization that will enable Google Pay users to safely transact using their Mastercard credit and debit cards while enjoying a hassle-free experience.
Through tokenization, Mastercard cardholders can make payments through a secure digital token without having to share their credit or debit card details such as card number, expiry date, etc. with a merchant. This collaboration is a commitment to ensure the best-in-class user experience and security features in an increasingly digital-first world.
*The companies work together to provide consumers choice - strengthening the ease, safety, and security of digital payments in India
*Mastercard cards on Axis Bank, Federal Bank, HDFC Bank, HSBC, RBL Bank, and SBI Card are live
With this collaboration, Google Pay Android users can scan and pay across all Bharat QR-enabled merchants, tap-and-pay, and make in-app transactions through their Mastercard debit and credit card. For a convenient registration, users will do a one-time setup by entering their card details and their OTP to add their card on the Google Pay app.
Mastercard Digital Enablement Service (MDES) allows payment credentials to be securely tokenized and stored in mobile devices. When making a purchase with a Mastercard debit or credit card using Google Pay, cardholders and merchants will enjoy a similar experience as a regular card-based transaction with enhanced safety and convenience.

::SCIENCE AND TECH::

India successfully test-fires 'Agni P' missile off Odisha coast

India on Saturday successfully test-fired the Agni Prime missile off the coast of Odisha in Balasore, government officials said.
Agni-P is a new generation advanced variant of Agni class of missiles. It is a two-stage canisterised missile with range capability between 1,000 and 2,000 km.
This was the second test of the Agni Prime missile. The test was conducted at 11am off the APJ Abdul Kalamisland in balasore.
An ANI report said a lot of new features have been added to the nuclear-capable strategic missile Agni Prime during this test.
“The missile test met all its mission objectives with a high level of accuracy,” an official was quoted as saying. The first test was successfully carried out on June 28 at the same place.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the Defence and Research Development Organisation (DRDO) for the successful flight test and expressed his happiness over the system's performance.
“Test carried out by DRDO at 11.06am. Telemetry, radar, electro-optical stations and downrange ships positioned along eastern coast tracked and monitored missile trajectory and parameters. Missile followed textbook trajectory, meeting all mission objectives with high level of accuracy,” the DRDO said in a statement.
The ballistic missile weighs 50 per cent less than Agni 3 and can be launched from rail and road and stored for a longer period and transported all across the country as per operational requirements.

::SPORTS::

Leeds v Aston Villa Premier League game postponed due to COVID

Leeds United's home Premier League game against Aston Villa on Tuesday has been postponed due to positive COVID-19 cases and injuries in the Leeds squad, the league.
Fourteen Premier League games have been called off this month due to COVID-19, but the league said its intention was to continue the fixture schedule where safely possible.
"The postponement is a result of the ongoing COVID-19 cases and injuries at Leeds which saw their Boxing Day match against Liverpool called off. The Board accepted the postponement application as the club does not have the required number of players available for the match."