Current Affairs for BANK, IBPS Exams - 22 December 2021

::National::

Lok Sabha passed the Electoral Reform Bill

A bill to link electoral roll data with the Aadhaar ecosystem and bring other poll reforms was passed by the RajyaSabha through a voice vote amid a walkout by the opposition on Tuesday, a day after the LokSabha cleared.
The RajyaSabha approved the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021, after members of the BharatiyaJanata Party (BJP), JD(U), YSRCP, AIADMK, BJD and TMC-M supported it, saying it will help in eradicating duplicate and fake voters from the electoral rolls.
However, members of opposition parties like the Congress, Trinamool Congress, Left parties, the DMK and the Nationalist Congress Party staged a walkout in protest.
The bill was passed in the LokSabha after a brief debate and amid the demand by the opposition to refer it to a standing committee.
The Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 seeks to allow electoral registration officers to seek the Aadhaar number of people who want to register as voters "for the purpose of establishing identity."
The bill also seeks to allow the electoral registration officers to get Aadhaar numbers from "persons already included in the electoral roll for the purposes of authentication of entries in the electoral roll, and to identify registration of the name of the same person in the electoral roll of more than one constituency or more than once in the same constituency.”
MallikarjunKharge, the Leader of Opposition in the RajyaSabha, on Tuesday hit out at the Centre and said the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021, was passed without any "discussion or debate"; called it "mockery of democracy".
"ModiGovt has passed the Election Laws 2021 amendment bill without any discussion or debate. The bill is in violation of SC Puttaswamyjudgement and will lead to mass disenfranchisement. How can it be passed WITHOUT any DISCUSSION or SCRUTINY? It's a mockery of our democracy!" Kharge said in a tweet before it was passed in the Upper House.

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::International::

Gabriel Boric elected new president: Chile

Chileans on 19-12-2021 elected Gabriel Boric as their next president, entrusting the young leftist lawmaker with helping to shape the future of a nation that has been roiled by protests and is now drafting a new Constitution.
At 35, Mr. Boric will be the nation’s youngest leader and by far its most liberal since President Salvador Allende, who died by suicide during the 1973 military coup that ushered in a brutal 17-year dictatorship.
He will assume office at the final stage of a yearslong initiative to draft a new Constitution, an effort that is likely to bring about profound legal and political changes on issues including gender equality, Indigenous rights and environmental protections.
Capitalizing on widespread discontent with the political factions that have traded power in recent decades, Mr. Boric attracted voters by pledging to reduce inequality and promising to raise taxes on the rich to fund a substantial expansion of the social safety net, more generous pensions and a greener economy.
The president-elect defeated José Antonio Kast, a far-right former lawmaker who sought to portray Mr. Boric as a radical communist who would destroy one of the region’s most solid economies. Mr. Boric’s coalition includes the Communist Party.
Mr. Kast conceded the race, saying he had called Mr. Boric to congratulate him.
“From now on, he is the president elect of Chile and deserves all our respect and constructive collaboration,” Mr. Kast wrote on Twitter.
With more than 98 percent of ballots counted, Mr. Boric had won more than 55 percent of the vote and Mr. Kast had 44 percent. The margin surprised political observers because recent polls suggested the race was tighter.

::Economy::

Asian Development Bank (ADB) to provide $350 million loan to improve access to urban services in India

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide USD 350 million loan to improve access to urban services in India by accelerating policy actions and reforms to enhance service delivery and promote performance-based central fiscal transfers to urban local bodies (ULBs).
The ADB will provide knowledge and advisory support to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in programme implementation, including monitoring and evaluation, the multi-lateral agency said in a statement.
It will also support urban local bodies particularly in select low-income states to implement policy reforms, prepare investment plans, and provide recommendations on cross-cutting issues like climate change, environmental and social safeguards assessment, and gender equality and social inclusion.
Rajat Kumar Mishra, Additional Secretary in the finance ministry signed the loan agreement for the first sub-programme of USD 350 million under Sustainable Urban Development and Service Delivery Programme while Takeo Konishi, Country Director of ADB's India Resident Mission, signed for ADB.
Konishi said the programme builds upon ADB's long engagement with India in the urban sector with continued support to the central and state governments to undertake reforms to ensure universal and improved access to basic urban services such as water supply, sanitation, and affordable rental housing, especially for the poor most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The ADB said with increasing urbanization, cities are expected to become a strong engine of growth for Indiagenerating economic activity and outputs, creating jobs for a significant volume of workers, improving competitiveness and urban livability, and protecting the environment.

Sitharaman to hold pre-budget consultations with leading economists

Union finance minister NirmalaSitharaman will on Wednesday hold pre-budget consultations with prominent economists. The meeting will be held virtually.
“Union finance minister NirmalaSitharaman will chair Pre-Budget consultations with prominent economists tomorrow afternoon, 22nd December 2021, in New Delhi in connection with the forthcoming General Budget 2022-23,” the finance ministry said in a tweet.
Since December 15, Sitharaman has been holding pre-budget consultations with representatives of various sectors. She has sought inputs from industry bodies, farmer organisations, economists and the experts of the services sector for reviving consumption and growth which is hit by the ongoing coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
The Union finance minister's first meeting was with agri experts and agro-processing industry. Sitharaman has held six such pre-budget consultations till now with the latest one held on December 18 with stakeholders from health, education, rural development and water and sanitation.
During the interaction, PM Modi talked about the inherent strength of the country, displayed during the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Just like the country aspires for a podium finish at the Olympics, the country also wants to see our industries among the top five of the world in every sector, and this is something for which we should collectively work towards,” Modi said, according to a statement by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

::Science and tech::

ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) designs kit for omicron detection

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has designed a diagnostic kit for detection of Omicron variant of the coronavirus and has invited Expression of Interest from in vitro diagnostics (IVD) kit manufacturers for undertaking transfer of technology for its development and commercialisation.
The ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre, NE, Dibrugarh, one of the institutes of the ICMR, New Delhi, has developed a novel technology -- real-time RT-PCR assay for detection of Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant of SARS-CoV2 and a kit for the same. "ICMR is the owner of the said technology, including any underlying intellectual property(ies) and commercialisation rights.
ICMR is lawfully entitled to enter into any form of non-exclusive license agreements with selected manufacturer/manufacturers, including transfer of technology through suitable agreement to any other interested manufacturers," the invitation of Expression of Interest document said. "ICMR, New Delhi, invites Expression of Interest (EOI) through email from experienced IVD kit manufacturers for undertaking transfer of technology for development and commercialisation of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (B.1.1.529) Real time RT-PCR assay (RT-PCR) through a novel diagnostic kit, developed by ICMR," the invitation of EoI said.

::Sport::

Eddie Nketiah hat-trick fires Arsenal into League Cup semis

Eddie Nketiah struck a hat-trick as Arsenal beat League One club Sunderland 5-1 at the Emirates on Tuesday to book a place in the semi-finals of the League Cup.
MikelArteta rotated his side but still fielded a strong enough line-up to ensure his team comfortably progressed to the last four.
The 22-year-old Nketiah, who has not started in the Premier League this season, put the Gunners ahead, against the third-tier club, pouncing from close range after Rob Holding's header from a corner was parried out by Sunderland keeper Lee Burge.
Nicolas Pepe doubled the lead with a deflected shot after good work from Cedric Soares but Sunderland pulled a goal back with a nice finish from Nathan Broadhead, who lifted the ball over the advancing Bernd Leno.