NATIONAL NEWS
Karnataka CM Extends Raitha Vidya Nidhi Scheme for Girl Students of Classes 8, 9Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, announced extending the Raitha Vidya Nidhi scheme for Class 8 and 9 girls as recent figures show a drop in their enrolment in rural areas.
- The scheme provides scholarships to children of farmers, it was earlier limited to lower grades. Bommai said that education coupled with farming will help farmers to secure an alternative source of income besides agriculture.
Bharat Biotech's Covaxin is likely to be the only Covid-19 vaccine available, for now, for children in the age group of 15-18 years, who will be inoculated from January 3, official sources said.
- Also, healthcare and frontline workers and citizens above 60 years of age with comorbidities would be administered the third dose of the same vaccine they had been given before.
- The decisions came amid rising Covid cases linked to the Omicron variant of the virus. The precaution dose will also be available for citizens above 60 years of age and with comorbidities on the advice of their doctor from January 10 next year as well.
Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan inaugurated the River Festival 2021 at the villyanur Thirukanchi Temple.
- As a part of the Azadi Ka Amrit mahotsav, to celebrate India 's 75th year of independence, the Puducherry Tourism Department organised the Sankaraparani River Festival - 2021 in villianur commune - thirukanchi Gangai varaha Nadeeswarar temple.
- To create awareness on river rejuvenation and rainwater harvesting a cleaning camp was also organised along with sapling planting program at the Sankarabharani worship event.
Government has said that the market size of Ayush has grown by 17 percent during 2014 to 2020 to reach 18.1 billion dollars.
- As per the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) report, despite a slump in economic activity in 2020 due to Covid pandemic, the industry is projected to reach 20.6 billion dollars in 2021 and 23.3 billion dollars in 2022.
- Ayush Ministry said that it is determined to revive and promote the traditional Indian medicine system.
BANKING & FINANCE
- He said, UPI has emerged as favourite digital payment choice with over 22 billion transactions in financial year 2020-21.
- The Minister said, RuPay debit cards have been issued to Jan-Dhan account holders under Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana. He said, 31.17 crore RuPay debit cards have been issued to PMJDY account holders so far to promote digital transactions in the country.
Punjab National Bank (PNB) has entered into a co-lending arrangement with Lendingkart Finance Limited as part of its efforts to improve the flow of credit to the unserved and underserved sector of the economy.
- This arrangement, fourth for PNB, will focus on digital underwriting and cashflow based lending. The ultimate beneficiaries would be MSME borrowers who will get the funds at an affordable rate with greater outreach considering the lower cost of funds from banks and greater reach of the NBFC.
The Centre has appointed two separate groups of experts to suggest suitable working models with cost benefit analysis that will lower crop insurance premium and technology in crop yield estimation under the flagship Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). This follows the exit of several States including Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar and West Bengal from the scheme, citing high premium.
- A ten-member committee under scientist KR Manjunath of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will explore the feasibility of adoption of various technology-based approaches developed through pilot projects by ISRO and its arm National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) as well as Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre (MNCFC) of the Union Agriculture Ministry.
- The other sub-committee, headed by Saurabh Mishra, joint secretary in Ministry of Finance, will conduct cost benefit analysis of all “accepted models – agriculture insurance pool, cup and cap 80-110 per cent and co-insurance 20-80 per cent” as well as any profit-loss sharing model.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
SIDBI signs MoU to develop MSME ecosystem in West BengalSIDBI has signed a memorandum of understanding with the government of West Bengal to develop the MSME ecosystem in the state, a SIDBI official said. As per the MoU a project management unit (PMU) of SIDBI will work with the state government.
- The PMU will support the West Bengal government in making necessary interventions for focused engagement of SIDBI with the objective of facilitating development of the MSME ecosystem.
The Centre imposed stock holding limits on soya meal, which is used as a raw material in the poultry feed industry, till June 2022 to curb hoarding as well as check price rise.
- The limits will be in place till June 30, 2022 and an order in this regard was issued with effect from December 23.
- Besides, the government has notified an order under the Essential Commodities Act to declare 'soya meal' as an essential commodity up to June 30, 2022 by amending the Schedule of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.
SPORTS
Himachal Pradesh create history, win Vijay Hazare TrophyHimachal Pradesh completed a fairytale script with Shubham Arora's unbeaten hundred to beat Tamil Nadu in the final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021 and win their first-ever domestic title at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.
- Youngster Shubham Arora came out all guns blazing with his maiden List A century as Himachal downed five-time champions Tamil Nadu under the VJD method.
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, before Arun Sahani 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.
Ace cueist Pankaj Advani defended his national billiards title, his 11th in the tournament after he defeated his PSPB teammate Dhruv Sitwala 5-2 in a best of nine games final.
- Advani responded with breaks of 56 and 46 to restore parity at 1-1 after Sitwala's breaks of 64 and 42.
Paralympic champion Krishna Nagar continued his good form as he won three gold medals at the 4th National Para Badminton Championship.
- Nagar repeated his 2019 National’s feat of winning three gold as he emerged champion in all the categories he participated in — singles, men’s doubles and mixed doubles.
- Krishna easily beat Sudharshan 21-12 21-12 in the men’s singles SH6 category in a game that lasted just 20 minutes.
- In mixed doubles, Nagar and Nithya Sre breezed past Dhinagaran and Latatai Umrekar in 17 minutes.
Young Rudrankksh Patil from Thane emerged victorious in the senior category of the 12th RR Lakshya Cup 2021 all-India Top 20 Invitational 10m air rifle shooting tournament.
- Rudrankksh, who won silver at the 64th Shooting Nationals held earlier this month in Bhopal, was leading from the start after the first two series of five shots each.
- A spirited fight from Navy’s Kiran Jadhav pushed Patil to the second position after the 15th shot.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Nitin Gadkari Launches 'Intelligent Transport System' On Delhi ExpresswayIn an attempt to to minimize traffic woes and enhance safety of commuters, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari launched the first Intelligent Transport System on Eastern Peripheral Expressway at Dasna, Ghaziabad.
- Nitin Gadkari said India needs to improve its road engineering as every year, around 1.5 lakh people are killed in 5 lakh accidents across the country.
- The ITS can detect any accident and receive alerts to ensure that ambulance reaches the spot within 10-15 minutes.While the speed limit on the 135-km expressway is 120 kmph for cars, the road ministry is working to revise speed limits for different categories of vehicles.
The world's largest and most powerful space telescope rocketed away on a high-stakes quest to behold light from the first stars and galaxies and scour the universe for hints of life.
- NASA's James Webb Space Telescope soared from French Guiana on South America's northeastern coast, riding a European Ariane rocket into the Christmas morning sky.
- The $10 billion observatory hurtled toward its destination one million miles (1.6 million kilometers) away, or more than four times beyond the moon. It will take a month to get there and another five months before its infrared eyes are ready to start scanning the cosmos.
OBITUARIES
Anti-apartheid campaigner Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu passes awayArchbishop 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 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.
The former Urdu newsreader of All India Radio, Waheed Qureshi passed away in New Delhi. He was 79.
- Waheed Qureshi was associated with News Services Division's Urdu unit of All India Radio for about 35 years.
Noted Kannada film director KV Raju passed away after prolonged illness at his residence in Bengaluru. He was 67
- He made his debut in 1982 with the Kannada movie Badada Hoovu as an assistant director to his brother K V Jayaram. However, he made a mark as a scriptwriter and director with the movie Olave Baduku in 1984.
- The ace director gave many hit movies such as Sangrama, Bandha Mukta and Yuddhakanda.
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