Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 09 December 2021

SSC CGL Current Affairs

Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 09 December 2021

::NATIONAL::

India Ranked Fourth Most Powerful Country in Asia Power Index 2021

India has risen as the fourth most powerful country in Asia, according to a report by Lowy Institute Asia Power Index 2021. It has been ranked fourth among the 26 countries and territories in Indo-Pacific for comprehensive power.
The report has also added that the nation could have performed even better had it not been for the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, the country declined by two points from 2020:
“The country performs best in the future resources measure, where it finishes behind only the United States and China. However, the lost growth potential for Asia’s third-largest economy due largely to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic has led to a diminished economic forecast for 2030,” the report says.
It is important to note that not only India but the pandemic has driven down the comprehensive power of almost all states in 2021, weakening their capacity to respond to and shape their external environment, the report reads.
The Power Index 2021 has also pointed out that despite being the hard-hitting country due to COVID-19, in comparison to its growth path prior to the pandemic, India has boosted its resilience and military capability in 2021. In terms of points rated by the Index, in 2021, India had the greatest gains in ‘resilience’ (+1.7) and has improved in ‘military capability' (+0.5). However, it lost on the parameters of ‘cultural influence’ (−7.9), ‘economic relationships’ (−5.1), ‘diplomatic influence’ (−2.4), ‘defence networks’ (−2.1) and ‘economic capability’ (−1.3) as compared to last year.

::INTERNATIONAL::

SAARC Charter Day 2021: 8 December

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Charter Day is observed annually on 8 December to commemorate the adoption of the SAARC Charter. This year marks the 37th anniversary of the regional group.

History and significance of the SAARC Charter:

On 8 December 1985, the SAARC Charter was adopted, in Dhaka, during the first summit of the group. The Charter was signed by the leaders of eight South Asian nations- Bangladesh, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Maldives, Nepal, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
As mentioned in its charter, the prime focus of SAARC is to work collectively to promote the welfare of people in the region and to improve their standard of living through social progress and economic development.
As per its official website, the aim of SAARC members is to promote stability, peace, and progress in the region. SAARC has organised 18 summits since 1985. It is currently focusing on regional cooperation in all fields of development activity which impact the livelihood of people.

::ECONOMY::

PayPhi Launches Tokenization Service Supporting RuPay Card

PayPhi, Phi Commerce's API-first digital payments platform has become the first certified tokenization service for NPCI Tokenization System (NTS) that supports the tokenization of RuPay cards.
To further enhance the safety of online transactions, RBI has issued a set of guidelines to store sensitive customer information in the form of encrypted 'token'. To comply with this guideline, NPCI announced the launch of NPCI Tokenization system (NTS) to support tokenization of cards as an alternate to storing card details with merchants.
NPCI's NTS platform enables PayPhi Tokenization service to provide partner merchants and aggregators with Token Reference On File (TROF). TROF is a unique digital identifier aka 'token' which replaces the 16-digit RuPay card number.
Whenever any RuPay cardholder consents to save their card with an online merchant or payment gateway, PayPhi Tokenization service will obtain an unique TROF from NPCI's NTS platform. Thus, instead of the card number, TROF is stored at the merchant/payment gateway end and will be used in all subsequent transactions thus ensuring compliance to RBI guidelines by eliminating card on file storage and fortifying online transmission of customer credentials.
New and existing merchants and aggregators will be able to integrate in a matter of days and start processing token-based transactions. PayPhi Tokenization service ensures seamless migration of existing cards on file to NPCI TROF thereby ensuring business continuity.
At the launch, Tushar Shankar, Head Business Development and Co-Founder of Phi Commerce said, "It is our constant endeavour to provide businesses and consumers with 100% transaction security without any compromise in user experience. We are very excited and proud that PayPhi Tokenization service has been certified for NPCI's NTS platform. It is our endeavour to enable all our merchant partners and their consumers across all card brands comply with the RBI guideline wef Jan 1, 2022."

::SCIENCE AND TECH::

Japan's Yusaku Maezawa and Yojo Hirano fly to the International Space Station on a Russian Soyuz rocket

A Russian rocket lifted off on Wednesday carrying a Japanese billionaire to the International Space Station, marking the country's return to space tourism after a decade-long pause that saw the rise of competition from US companies, especially Elon Musk led company Elon Musk led SpaceX. Online fashion tycoon YusakuMaezawa and his production assistant Yozo Hirano blasted off from the Russian-operated Baikonurcosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 0738 GMT, an AFP correspondent at the scene reported.
Their journey aboard the three-person Soyuz spacecraft piloted by cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin will take just over six hours, capping a banner year that many have seen as a turning point for private space travel.
Billionaires, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson all made breakthrough commercial tourism flights this year, bursting into a market Russia is keen to defend.
A crowd at the launch site -- including Maezawa's family and friends -- braved freezing temperatures and cheered as the rocket blasted off into the grey sky, leaving a trail of orange flames before disappearing in the clouds.
"This has been a long process. It's so moving. I was about to cry," said Ryo Okubo, 46, a lawyer for Maezawa's space projects.
After docking at the Poisk module of the Russian segment of the ISS, the trio will spend 12 days on the station. The Japanese tourists will document their daily life aboard the ISS for Maezawa's popular YouTube channel.
The 46-year-old billionaire has set out 100 tasks to complete on board, including hosting a badminton tournament in orbit.
The ISS is home to an international crew of seven people including two Russian cosmonauts and a Japanese astronaut.

::SPORTS::

Indian shuttler PV Sindhu won silver medal at BWF World Tour Finals 2021

Ace Indian shuttler PV Sindhu had to be satisfied with a silver medal at the BWF World Tour Finals in Bali .
Korean teenager An Seyoung shattered Sindhu’s hopes of regaining the crown with a commanding 21-16, 21-12 victory in the summit clash.
With this victory, An Seyoung completed a hat-trick of titles in Bali. She came into the season-ending tournament with back-to-back titles in the Indonesian Masters and Indonesian Open in the last fortnight.
The way Sindhu played against Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in the semifinal on Saturday, it looked like the Indian player would give a tough fight to the Korean.
However, reigning world champion Sindhu had no answer to the in-form world No. 6 Seyoung, who dictated terms from the word go.