December 27th, 2021 Current Affairs

Sakshi Education

NATIONAL

Anti-apartheid campaigner Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu passes away

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate who helped end apartheid in South Africa, has died aged 90.
A contemporary of anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, he was one of the driving forces behind the movement to end the policy of racial segregation and discrimination enforced by the white minority government against the black majority in South Africa from 1948 until 1991.
The outspoken Tutu was considered the nation's conscience by both, the black majority and the white minority, an enduring testament to his faith and spirit of reconciliation in a divided nation. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1984 for his role in the struggle to abolish the apartheid system.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed sadness at the demise of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu. In a tweet, Mr. Modi said the Archbishop was a guiding light for countless people globally and his emphasis on human dignity and equality will be forever remembered.

Centre deploys multi-disciplinary teams in ten States to contain COVID-19

Multi-disciplinary Central teams have been deployed in ten identified States which are reporting rise in Covid 19 cases including new variant Omicron and slow vaccination.
Union Health Ministry said, the teams have been sent to Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Mizoram, Karnataka, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Punjab.
These teams will be stationed in States for 3 to 5 days and will work along with State Health Authorities in the management of Covid-19.
The teams will specifically look at areas of contact tracing, including surveillance and containment operations and COVID-19 testing including sending of adequate samples from clusters for genome sequencing. The teams will also focus on ensuring COVID appropriate behavior, availability of hospital beds, sufficient logistics including ventilators and medical oxygen.
They will also look at COVID-19 vaccination progress.
The central teams will assess the situation, suggest remedial actions and submit a report every evening on the public health activities being undertaken.

IMA hails PM Modi's nod to precautionary dose of vaccine for frontline workers

Indian Medical Association, IMA, has hailed the announcement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the precautionary dose of vaccine for health care frontline workers.
In a statement, IMA said that it is the right step in view of the new variant of concern omicron as there is need to protect our health care frontline workers in all possible ways.
IMA said it appreciates the efforts of the Government in creating the adequate infrastructure needed for this war. It also said that the issue of expediting the PG counseling is the need of the hour to increase the manpower.
IMA has also welcomed the much-awaited decision of vaccination for children from 3rd of next month.

HM Amit Shah releases Good Governance Index 2021

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said that people's faith in democracy has enhanced since 2014, as they started getting benefits of development undertaken by the Modi government.
The Good Governance Index 2021 prepared by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances.
Good Governance Index (GGI) 2021 Framework covered ten sectors and 58 indicators including Agriculture and Allied Sectors, Commerce and Industries, Public Health Economic Governance and Environment. As per the GGI, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa topped the composite rank score covering 10 sectors.
GGI 2021 says that Gujarat registered 12.3 percent increase and Goa registered 24.7 percent increase over GGI 2019 indicators. It also says that Uttar Pradesh has shown an incremental growth of 8.9 percent over GGI 2019 performance.
Among the sectors, UP has secured top position in Commerce and Industry sector and has also shown increase in Social Welfare and Development and Judiciary and Public Safety.
In the North-East and Hill States category, Mizoram and Jammu and Kashmir have registered an overall increase of 10.4 percent and 3.7 percent over GGI 2019. In the Union Territories category, Delhi tops the composite rank registering a 14 percent increase over 2019 indicators.

Mission Indradhanush: Full immunization coverage among children aged 12 to 23 months increases to 76.4 percent

Mission Indradhanush which was launched on 25th December 2014 as a special drive to expand full immunization coverage in India has completed seven years. In a tweet, Union Health Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviyasaid that seven successful years of Mission Indradhanush has ensured full immunization coverage to child and mother in eliminating diseases for building a healthy India.
Under the Mission, 701 districts across the country have been covered and 3 crore 86 lakh children have been vaccinated. He said, around 97 lakh pregnant women have also been immunized under the Mission.
The Minister said that full immunization coverage among children aged 12 to 23 months have increased to 76.4 per cent.

INTERNATIONAL

Afghanistan Crisis: Russian diplomat says banking system in Afghanistan is not functioning, UN personnel have forced to bring cash

In Afghanistan, amid the growing humanitarian needs, a senior Russian diplomat has said that UN personnel are forced to bring in cash to the country because the banking system is not working due to US sanctions. By the end of the year, donors have pledged to transfer 1.2 billion US dollars to humanitarian organizations, nearly double the 606 million dollars originally requested by the UN.
Petr Ilichev, Director of the Department of International Organizations at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Sputnik said that the banking system in Afghanistan is not functioning, so it is impossible to transfer the promised money to the country's population. He said UN personnel have to bring cash with them.
Earlier this month, the US had said that it was allowing certain transactions involving the Taliban or Haqqani Network for governmental and non-governmental organizations doing humanitarian work in Afghanistan.
The UN Security Council last week unanimously adopted a resolution clearing the way for aid to reach Afghans in desperate need of basic support while preventing funds from falling into the hands of the Taliban.

Japan approves use of COVID-19 antiviral treatment pill

In Japan, Government's regulatory panel has approved the use of COVID-19 antiviral treatment pill called Molnupiravir developed by Merck & Co Inc.
National broadcaster NHK reported that the approval was widely expected and opens the door to shipments of 200,000 doses across the country from this weekend.

ANDHRAPRADESH

Indian Navy Undertakes Training Capsule for Marine Police of AP

As a part of coastal security initiatives at Eastern Naval Command, a maiden coastal security training capsule for 15 Marine Police from eight coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh was conducted under the aegis of Naval Officer in Charge (Andhra Pradesh) at SagarPrahari Bal (Vizag) premises from 20 to 24 Dec 21.
The Training Capsule included classroom instructions on Seamanship, Navigation, Communication, Damage Control and Fire Fighting.

S&T

NASA launches world’s most powerful space telescope to scour universe for hints of life

World’s largest and most powerful space telescope has been launched successfully into orbit to make breakthrough discoveries on the origins of the Universe and Earth-like planets beyond our solar system.
The James Webb Space Telescope, NASA's premier space observatory of the next decade, launched in an Ariane rocket from the European Space Agency's base in French Guiana on Christmas Day.
The Webb telescope will reach its destination in solar orbit some 1.5 million km from Earth - about four times farther away than the moon. And Webb's special orbital path will keep it in constant alignment with the Earth as the planet and telescope circle the sun in tandem.
It will see farther into our origins, from the formation of stars and planets, to the birth of the first galaxies in the early Universe. It intends to show humans what the Universe looked like even closer to its birth nearly 14 billion years ago.
Webb, named after one of the architects of the Apollo Moon landings, is the successor to the Hubble telescope. Jointly built by NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency, the new observatory is, however, 100 times more powerful.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson called Webb ‘a time machine that will provide a better understanding of our universe and our place in it, who we are, what we are, the search that’s eternal. We are going to discover incredible things that we never imagined’, Nelson said shortly after the launch.

SPORTS

Uttar Pradesh crowned 11th Hockey India junior national championship winners

In Hockey, Uttar Pradesh were crowned the winners of the 11th Junior National Men’s Championship following a 3-1 victory over Chandigarh in the final at Kovilpatti, Tamil Nadu.
Tournament top-scorer Sharda Nand Tiwari opened the scoring for Uttar Pradesh in the 15th minute with a trademark penalty corner, beforeArunSahani in 16th and 34th minutes, stretched the lead further with a brace. Raman pulled one goal back for Chandigarh in the 51st minute, but Uttar Pradesh held on to the lead to be crowned champions of the tournament.

Veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh announces retirement from all forms of cricket

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has announced retirement from all forms of competitive cricket. The 41-year-old spinner from Punjab, who made his Test debut against Australia in Bangalore back in 1998, took a total of 417 wickets in 103 Tests.
He also scalped 269 wickets in 236 One Day International and 25 wickets in 28 T20 internationals during his over two-decades-long career. Harbhajan also played 163 IPL matches and took 150 wickets.

Published date : 27 Dec 2021 07:02PM