Current Affairs for BANK, IBPS Exams - 28 December 2020

::NATIONAL::

Home Minister inaugurates Thoubal Multipurpose Project in Manipur

Giving a significant boost to the development of the entire North-East, Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated several development projects in Manipur. He said the Central government is committed to the all-round development and lasting peace in the North-East region.
Amit Shah inaugurated the e-office and Thoubal Multipurpose Project (Thoubal Dam) in Imphal through virtual mode. He also laid the foundation stone of seven major development projects, including the Churachandpur Medical College, IT-SEZ at Mantripukhri, Manipur Bhawan in Dwarka, New Delhi, and the Integrated Command and Control Center at Imphal.
Shah said the State Police Headquarters and Smart City Integrated Center at Imphal will help in advancing smart governance. Shah said the IIIT and IT-SEZ will connect the youth of Manipur with the world. "After the creation of IT-SEZ, the GDP of Manipur will increase by ₹4,600 crores annually and there will be employment generation for 44,000 people. With the establishment of the medical college, the youth of Manipur will come out as doctors and the health system of the state will be strengthened," he said.
Shah said, "Modi Ji knows the heart of the people, the demand for the Inner Line Permit for its original residents existed for many years and on 11 December 2019, Modi Ji decided not to give the Inner Line Permit to Manipur would be an injustice to the original inhabitants of the state."

Sikh gurus’ history will be included in UP school syllabus

The history of Sikh gurus will be included in the school curriculum in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced on 27-12-2020.
Adityanath said this at a Gurbani Kirtan held at his residence on the occasion of ‘Sahibzada Diwas’, which marks the martyrdom of four ‘sahibzada’ (sons) of 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh and his mother Mata Gujri.
On December 27, he said, schools and colleges should organise debates and the day should be celebrated in a way that people can take inspiration from it and ‘Sahibzada Diwas’ can become the “real” Children’s Day.
Adityanath, who sported a saffron turban, said, “The history of Sikh gurus will be a part of the syllabus. Apart from this, December 27 will be celebrated every year as Sahibzada Diwas in all schools. Today is the day to pay gratitude to the sons of the Guru and mother who martyred their lives for the motherland, country and religion.” Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma, and Cabinet ministers attended the programme.
“No society can move ahead if it forgets history. The Sikh society is known for its hard work. The Sikh gurus sacrificed their lives to defend the Hindu religion. The country will always remember this,” Adityanath said. The chief minister, his ministerial colleagues and seers from the Sikh community also accepted the ‘‘langar prasad’‘ on the occasion, the UP government said in a statement.

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::International::

China tells Ent Group to return to its core business

Chinese regulators have ordered Ant Group, the world’s largest financial technology company, to rectify its businesses and comply with regulatory requirements amid increased scrutiny of anti-monopoly practices in the country’s internet sector.
The People’s Bank of China, the country’s central bank, summoned Ant executives on Saturday and ordered them to formulate a rectification plan and an implementation timetable of its business, including its credit, insurance and wealth management services.
The statement said that Ant Group lacked a sound governance mechanism, defied regulatory compliance requirements and engaged in regulatory arbitrage. It also said that the company used its market position to exclude rivals and hurt the rights and interests of consumers.
The People’s Bank of China, the country’s central bank, summoned Ant executives on Saturday and ordered them to formulate a rectification plan and an implementation timetable of its business.
The statement said that Ant Group lacked a sound governance mechanism, defied regulatory compliance requirements and engaged in regulatory arbitrage.
Chinese regulators last month halted Ant’s $37 billion stock debut in Shanghai and Hong Kong over regulatory changes.

Archaeologists discovered an ancient street food shop in Pompeii

Archaeologists in Pompeii, the city buried in a volcanic eruption in 79 AD, have made the extraordinary find of a frescoed hot food and drinks shop that served up the ancient equivalent of street food to Roman passersby.
Known as a termopolium, Latin for hot drinks counter, the shop was discovered in the archaeological park’s Regio V site, which is not yet open the public, and unveiled on Saturday.
Traces of nearly 2,000-year-old food were found in some of the deep terra cotta jars containing hot food which the shop keeper lowered into a counter with circular holes.
::Economy::

India’s mining sector to witness reforms, flurry of activities in 2021

The country’s mining sector will see “hectic activities” in the new year with the central government’s approvals for pending mining reforms expected in January itself and efforts continuing to bolster overall mineral output.
The reforms will pave the way for auctioning of at least 500 mineral blocks, Mines secretary Anil Kumar Jain told PTI and emphasised that calendar year 2021 will be a “bridge year between the past and the future”.
On account of market forces, there is a fluctuation in steel prices but the Covid-19 pandemic did not impact the country’s mineral production this year, he noted.
While many sectors had to bear the brunt of the pandemic-induced lockdown, Jain said India has “registered in iron ore some of the best export numbers in the last seven-eight months as compared to previous years”.
“The year 2021 will see hectic activity on the mining side because the reforms which have been in waiting for some time, they (reforms) are likely to be approved in the month of January which will involve some changes in the MMDR Act (Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957) and some changes in the rules all meant to liberate the sector.
Bitcoin on longest winning run since 2019 hits record high of $28,365
Bitcoin is on track for its longest monthly winning streak in more than a year after touching a record above $28,000 over the weekend.
The largest cryptocurrency reached an all-time high of $28,365 on Sunday before paring some of the advance, according to a composite of prices compiled by Bloomberg. The run of outsized returns over October, November and December so far is the longest such stretch since mid-2019.
“My sense is we’re very close to a top -- we could hit $30,000 though,” said Vijay Ayyar, head of business development with crypto exchange Luno in Singapore. “We should definitely see a pullback, but the magnitude is probably lesser. We might only see 10% to 15% drops.”
Bitcoin has divided opinion as its price more than tripled in 2020 amid a worsening pandemic. Believers see it as a hedge against dollar weakness and the risk of faster inflation amid huge stimulus injections, and cite growing interest from institutional buyers. Others question Bitcoin’s validity as an investment and point to the digital currency’s history of wild rallies followed by crashes.
Bitcoin climbed as much as 3.6% on Monday and was trading at about $27,150 as of 1 p.m. in Tokyo. The cryptocurrency has advanced about 280% this year, while the wider Bloomberg Galaxy Crypto Index is up 261%.

::Science and Technology::

UNDP Awards first prize to Innovation of Plant-Based Mock Egg by IIT Delhi scientist

The innovation of plant-based mock egg by Prof. Kavya Dashora, Centre for Rural Development and Technology, IIT Delhi has secured first prize at Innovate4SDG contest by ‘UNDP (United Nation Development Program) Accelerator Lab India’.
The award included a sum of USD5000 and was conferred online by Christiane Hieronymus, Head of Economic Cooperation & Development, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, New Delhi, and Prof K. VijayRaghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Govt of India.
According to the UNDP, the mock egg innovation is a perfect innovation that will help in accelerating progress towards the SDGs. The development of the mock egg meets the protein needs of the diet-specific, health-conscious, vegan, and vegetarian people. This innovation addresses SDG 2 and 3 (Zero Hunger and Good Health & Well Being).
“The plant-based textured foods which resemble egg, fish, and chicken have been developed with an aim to address the longstanding battle for malnutrition and clean protein food for people. The mock egg has been developed from very simple farm-based crop proteins, which not only looks and tastes like an egg but also very close in nutritional profile to a poultry egg,” said Prof Kavya Dashora.
Apart from the egg, the IIT Delhi scientist has also developed the meat analogs for chicken and fish from plant sources using fruits and vegetables.
The products were tested on various parameters including appearance, taste, bite-size, texture, aroma, flavor, shelf life, nutritional profile, and customer preference.

::SPORTS::

Legends, celebrities back Fit India Movement; Join Kiren Rijiju for Second Fit India Dialogue

After the superhit first edition of the Fit India Dialogue hosted by Honourable PM, Narendra Modi in September, Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju on Sunday, December 27th anchored the second edition of the Fit India Dialogue where he interacted with fitness sports icons - legendary Milkha Singh, Bollywood superstar Anil Kapoor, Indian cricketer and ODI captain Mithali Raj, former Indian footballer Bhaichung Bhutia and Indian national badminton coach Pullela Gopichand
During the dialogue, Rijiju and the panellists discussed many aspects of sports in India, including how athletes attitude towards fitness has changed over the decades. Talking about his fitness mantra, 91-year-old Milkha Singh said that the reason he has been able to remain fit all these years is that he never stuffs himself with food and exercise regularly.