21st December, 2022 Current Affairs

Sakshi Education

NATIONAL
Agriculture Ministry Organises Millet Food Festival in Parliament

To raise awareness about the importance of millet, the Agriculture Ministry is hosting a Millet food festival in Parliament for the members. As the global agrifood systems face challenges to feed an ever-growing global population, resilient cereals like millet provide an affordable and nutritious option.
The United Nations has passed a resolution declaring the year 2023 as the International Year of Millets (IYM). The IYM 2023 and the push towards increasing millet production will also contribute to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) accepted the proposal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to celebrate 2023 as the International Year of Millets.
As the global agrifood systems face challenges to feed an ever-growing global population, resilient cereals like millet provide an affordable and nutritious option.

Jyotiraditya Scindia launched country’s first Green Steel Brand “KALYANI FeRRESTA”

Union Steel Minister, JyotiradityaScindia has launched India’s first Green Steel Brand “KALYANI FeRRESTA” in New Delhi. This first-of-its-kind steel has been manufactured by a Pune-based Steel company, Kalyani group by using renewable energy resources, leaving zero carbon footprints in the environment.
Green steel is the manufacturing of steel without the use of fossil fuels. This new phenomenon is about producing steel by using low-carbon energy sources such as hydrogen, coal gasification, or electricity instead of the traditional carbon-intensive manufacturing route of coal-fired plants.

INTERNATIONAL
UAE to Host the 13th WTO Ministerial Meeting in 2024

The next World Trade Organization ministerial conference will be held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates in February 2024, the global trade watchdog confirmed in a statement. The UAE and Cameroon were both vying to host the event and came to an informal agreement for Abu Dhabi to host the first one and Cameroon to do the next, trade sources.
For the UAE, hosting the meeting is part of its own push to position itself as a global hub for business amid growing competition in the Middle East. It has been rolling out bilateral trade deals with fast-growing markets since the pandemic. Next year the Gulf Arab state will host COP28, the UN’s Climate Change conference.
Founded in 1995. The WTO is the successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) established in the wake of the Second World War. The WTO is run by its 164 members.
Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
WTO is the only international organization that deals with the rules of trade between countries.

Hawaii’s Last Princess, Abigail Kawānanakoa passes away

Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kawānanakoa, a Hawaiian princess whose lineage included the royal family that once ruled the islands and an Irish businessman who became one of Hawaii’s largest landowners, passed away at the age of 96 in Honolulu, Hawaii. She was born on 23rd April 1926 in Honolulu, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii.
She was a symbol of Hawaiian national identity that endured after the kingdom was overthrown by American businessmen in 1893.

ECONOMY
EU Adopts Global Minimum 15% Tax on Big Business

The European Union has adopted a plan for a global minimum 15% tax on big business. The landmark deal between nearly 140 countries aims to stop governments racing to cut taxes in a bid to attract companies. It was praised by US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen as “an historic agreement which helps even the playing field”.
EU member states reached agreement in principle to implement at EU level the minimum taxation component, known as Pillar 2, of the OECD’s reform of international taxation. The ambassadors of EU member states decided to advise the Council to adopt the Pillar 2 directive, and a written procedure for the formal adoption will be launched.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Indian Forces Acquiring ‘Pralay’ Ballistic Missile for Striking Targets at 150-500 Km

As the conflicts in the border region with China increase, the Indian armed forces are now set to procure the ‘Pralay’ ballistic missile that can hit the target from 150 to 500 km. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) had successfully conducted the maiden flight test of the indigenously developed surface-to-surface missile ‘Pralay’, from Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha in December 2021.
Pralay’ is powered with a solid propellant rocket motor and many new technologies. The missile has a range of 150-500 kilometres and can be launched from a mobile launcher. The missile guidance system includes a state-of-the-art navigation system and integrated avionics.

Fifth Scorpene Submarine ‘Vagir’ Delivered to Indian Navy

The fifth Scorpène submarine, Vagir of Project – 75 Kalvari Class submarines has been delivered to the Indian Navy by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) Mumbai. Defence Ministry said, the submarine would shortly be commissioned into the Navy and enhance its capability. Project-75 includes the indigenous construction of six submarines of Scorpene design. These submarines are being constructed at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) Mumbai, under collaboration with Naval Group, France.
This project envisages indigenous construction of submarines equipped with the state-of-the-art Air Independent Propulsion system at an estimated cost of Rs. 43,000 crore.
Project 75 (I), approved in 2007, is part of the Indian Navy’s 30 year Plan for indigenous submarine construction.
It will be the first under the strategic partnership model which was promulgated in 2017 to boost indigenous defence manufacturing.

AWARDS
Digital India Awards 2022: India’s Smart Cities Mission wins Platinum Icon

Under Smart Cities Mission, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has won the Platinum Icon in the Digital India Awards 2022 for their initiative “DataSmart Cities: Empowering Cities through Data”. The award was announced under the ‘Data Sharing and Use for Socio-Economic Development’ category. The DataSmart Cities Initiative is a key step in creating a robust data ecosystem that enables evidence-based decision-making in cities.
The DataSmart Cities Initiative is a key step in creating a robust data ecosystem that enables evidence-based decision-making in cities. It aims to harness the power of data for better governance in India’s 100 Smart Cities.
The Digital India awards instituted in 2009 are one of a kind in India for honouring the efforts of different Government entities in the digital realm. These are conducted by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) under the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY). The seventh edition of Digital India Awards (DIA) is being held in 2022.

SPORTS
Jaipur Pink Panthers won 9th Pro Kabaddi League title

Jaipur Pink Panthers won the Pro Kabaddi League Season 9 Final against a hard-fighting Puneri Paltan by a score of 33-29 to win their second PKL championship.
After Patna, Jaipur Pink Panthers, the league’s first-ever winners, are currently only the second team to win multiple titles. The tournament was played across Bengaluru, Pune, and Hyderabad while the playoffs were played in Mumbai.
Jaipur Pink Panthers team is currently led by Sunil Kumar Malik and coached by Sanjeev Baliyan. The team is owned by Abhishek Bachchan.

Published date : 21 Dec 2022 06:30PM