Daily Current Affairs 21st December 2019 | Daily GK Update

Dear Aspirants,

General awareness section is the most important part of every competitive exam, it can help you score well in the exam if you are updated with all the current news. Banking Awareness, Static GK and the current news are the parts that make the GA section complete. It is important to know what is happening in and outside of India. GK updates are incorporated with the important news that made the headlines today. It is the complete bag of the important news that held all day long. One should have complete knowledge about the banking terms, current affairs news, etc. So, here is the GK update of 21st December to help you prepare the Current affairs part. After reading this section, you can successfully attempt Current Affairs Quiz.

International News

1. Ethiopia launched its first space satellite

• Ethiopia launched its first satellite, a landmark achievement for the country’s space program that caps a banner year for the African space industry.
• The launch of the Ethiopian Remote Sensing Satellite (ETRSS) took place at a space station in China.
• The launch makes Ethiopia the 11th African country to put a satellite into space. Egypt was the first in 1998.
• Data provided by Ethiopia’s satellite is expected to paint a fuller picture of the country’s agriculture, forestry and mining resources and improve responses to flooding and other disasters.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Ethiopia Capital: Addis Ababa; Currency: Birr.

2. Indian-American computer scientist to lead National Science Foundation in USA

• US President Donald Trump has picked Indian-American computer scientist Sethuraman Panchanathan to lead the prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) in USA.
• The NSF is a US government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Panchanathan would succeed France Cordova when her six-year term as the NSF Director ends in 2020.
• Panchanathan is currently the Executive Vice President and the Chief Research and Innovation Officer at Arizona State University.
• He is also the Founding Director of the Centre for Cognitive Ubiquitous Computing at the ASU.

Banking

3. Google searches for ‘Operation Twist’ surge in India

• Google searches for “Operation Twist” surged in India after the central bank announced its version of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s unconventional monetary policy.
• Most searches for the term came from Delhi followed by Maharashtra.
• The central bank will buy long-term bonds, while simultaneously selling short-term government securities in an effort to cheapen long-term borrowing and boost bank lending.
• The Reserve Bank of India will buy longer-tenor bonds while selling shorter debt.
• The concept is similar to Operation Twist used by the Fed in 2011-2012 in an effort to cheapen long-term borrowing and spur bank lending.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• RBI 25th Governor: Shaktikant Das; Headquarters: Mumbai; Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata.

4. RBI to buy and sell govt bonds worth Rs 10,000 crore

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will simultaneously purchase and sell government securities worth Rs 10,000 crore under a special Open Market Operation (OMO).
• On a review of the current liquidity and market situation and an assessment of the evolving financial conditions, the Reserve Bank has decided to conduct simultaneous purchase and sale of government securities on December 23, 2019.
• The purchase will be for government securities worth Rs 10,000 crore for the instrument ‘6.45 per cent GS 2029’.
• The Reserve Bank reserves the right to decide on the quantum of purchase/sale of individual securities and to accept bids/offers for less than the aggregate amount.

Summits and Conferences

6. PM Modi addresses ASSOCHAM Annual Conference

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) annual conference in Delhi.
• The theme of the event was ‘New India Aspiring for a USD 5 trillion economy’.
• The event was organised on the completion of 100 years of ASSOCHAM.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Assocham President: B K Goenka; Headquarters: New Delhi; Est: 1921.

Sports

7. Mirabai Chanu wins Gold in 6th Qatar International Cup

• Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu won the women’s 49kg category gold medal to open India’s account at the 6th Qatar International Cup in Doha.
• She bagged gold with an effort of 194kg in the Olympic qualifying event, with the points which will come in handy when the final rankings for Tokyo 2020 cut are done.
• She lifted 83kg in snatch and 111kg in clean and jerk to finish on top of the podium.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Qatar Capital: Doha; Currency: Qatari riyal.

8. Belgium crowned FIFA Team of the Year

• Belgium has been crowned FIFA ‘Team of the Year’ for the second successive time after a record-breaking year for the global ladder.
• World champions France remains in the second place ahead of Brazil in third.
• Besides accumulating the biggest points haul, Qatar has also jumped a year-high 38 places, followed closely by fellow climbers Algeria (up 32 ranks) and Japan (up 22 places).

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• President of FIFA: Gianni Infantino; Founded: 21 May 1904.
• Headquarters: Zürich, Switzerland.

9. ICC continues partnership with UNICEF for Women’s World T20

• The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced that it has extended its partnership with UNICEF through to the Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 with the focus on empowering women and girls through cricket.
• The partnership and public donations continue to bring positive change to children through the programs in cricket playing nations focused on empowering women and girls in cricket.
• The money raised during the Women’s World T20 will go to similar projects in cricket playing nations, including an innovative program to promote girls” participation in cricket in Sri Lanka and build peace in communities.
• The ICC and UNICEF partnership commenced in 2015, as part of the ICC”s global community outreach program ”Cricket 4 Good”.
• During the Men’s 50-over World Cup held in England and Wales earlier this summer, UNICEF raised $180,000 as part of ‘One Day 4 Children’ and this money will go directly to fund a girls’ cricket project in Afghanistan. 

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• ICC CEO: Manu Sawhney; ICC chairman: Shashank Manohar.
• ICC Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Obituaries

10. Former Kerala Minister Thomas Chandy passes away

• Nationalist Congress Party’s Kerala State President and former Minister Thomas Chandy passed away.
• He represented Kuttanad constituency in Alappuzha district in the state Assembly.
• He was forced to quit as Kerala Transport Minister from the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government in November 2017 after facing encroachment allegations.

11. Writer and critic LS Sheshagiri Rao passes away

• Kannada writer and critic L.S. Sheshagiri Rao passed away. His first work was Idu Jeevana, an anthology of short stories was released in 1948.
• He is best known for his book “Hosagannada Sahitya Charitre”.
• He was best known for his critical works and an English-Kannada dictionary that he compiled.
• Proficient in Kannada and English, many of his works were bridges between the two languages.

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