PSLV-C50/CMS-01
India’s communication satellite CMS-01 was successfully launched by PSLV-C50 on December 17, 2020 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota.
About:
- CMS-01 is envisaged to provide services in the extended-C Band of the frequency spectrum that will cover the Indian mainland, the Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands.
- It was India's 42nd communication satellite with a mission life of over seven years.
- The satellite will be placed in the specified slot in the geosynchronous orbit. Subsequently, it will function as the continuation of GSAT11 launched 11 years back.”
- PSLV-C50 is the 52nd flight of PSLV and 22nd flight of PSLV in 'XL' configuration (with 6 strap-on motors).
INDIA-BANGLADESH VIRTUAL SUMMIT
Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India and Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh held a Summit in virtual format on 17 December 2020.
About:
- The two sides jointly inaugurated the Bangabandhu-Bapu Digital Exhibition.
- The two sides jointly inaugurated a railway link between Haldibari in India and Chilahati in Bangladesh during the summit. Haldibari - Chilahati route will be beneficial for transit into Bangladesh from Assam and West Bengal.
- Both sides also agreed to hold an early meeting of the Joint Boundary Conference to prepare a new set of strip maps along the stretch of Icchamati, Kalindi, Raimongol and the Hariabhanga Rivers.
- Bangladesh requested India to name the historic road from Mujib Nagar to Nodia on Bangladesh-India border as "Shadhinota Shorok” commemorating the historic significance of the road during Bangladesh’s Liberation War.
- The following bilateral development partnership projects were also inaugurated:
- Beautification and city development project in Rajshahi City;
- Construction of Khalishpur Collegiate Girl’s School in Khulna.
- SESSIONS OF PARLIAMENTThe government has said that parties are in favour of doing away with the Winter Session, and that it would be appropriate to have the Budget Session in January.
About:
- The power to convene a session of Parliament rests with the government.
- The decision is taken by the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, which currently comprises nine ministers, including those for Defence, Home, Finance, and Law.
- The decision of the Committee is formalised by the President, in whose name MPs are summoned to meet for a session.
- The summoning of Parliament is specified in Article 85 of the Constitution. This provision specified that the central legislature had to be summoned to meet at least once a year, and that not more than 12 months could elapse between two sessions.
- India does not have a fixed parliamentary calendar. By convention, Parliament meets for three sessions in a year
CURRENCY MANIPULATIONThe United States has once again included India in its monitoring list of countries with potentially “questionable foreign exchange policies” and “currency manipulation”.
About:
- The term ‘currency manipulator’ is a label given by the US government to countries it feels are engaging in “unfair currency practices” by deliberately devaluing their currency against the dollar.
- The practice would mean that the country in question is artificially lowering the value of its currency to gain an unfair advantage over others. This is because the devaluation would reduce the cost of exports from that country and artificially show a reduction in trade deficits as a result.
USTAD IQBAL AHMED KHANMusic maestro Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan passed away at the age of 66.
About:
- Born in 1954, Iqbal Ahmed Khan was raised in the Dilli Gharana of music.
- He began his stage career under the guidance of his teacher and grandfather Ustad Chand Khan.
- Keeping up with the family traditions, Khan had actively promoted Amir Khusro’s musical works.
- He also founded Dilli Durbar, “aimed solely towards the renaissance of Indian Classical Music”, which held its first classical event in 2019.
GPS-BASED TOLL COLLECTION SYSTEMUnion Minister of Road Transport & Highways has said that the Government has finalised GPS-based(Global Positioning System) technology toll collection to ensure seamless movement of vehicles across the country.
About:
- This will ensure India becomes ‘toll booth free’ in next two years.
- The toll amount will be deducted directly from the bank account based on the movement of vehicles. While now all commercial vehicles are coming with vehicle tracking systems, the Government will come up with some plan to install GPS technology in old vehicles.
- The Minister expressed hope that the toll collections may reach Rs 34 thousand crore by March 2021. By using GPS technology for toll collection, the toll income in next five years will be Rs 1.34 lakh crore.
WORLD ANTI-DOPING AGENCY (WADA)India has pledged a sum of USD 1 million to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) towards the global agency’s scientific research budget, which will allow WADA to develop innovative anti-doping testing and detection methods.
About:
- The World Anti-Doping Agency is a foundation initiated by the International Olympic Committee to promote, coordinate and monitor the fight against drugs in sports.
- The agency's key activities include monitoring of the World Anti-Doping Code, whose provisions are enforced by the UNESCO International Convention against Doping in Sport.
- Headquarters: Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
- Established in: 1999.
DEFENCE ACQUISITIONThe Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) in its meeting, held under the Chairmanship of Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh approved proposals to procure equipment worth Rs 28,000 crore.
About:
- This is the first meeting of the DAC under the new regime of Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020 and these are the first set of Acceptance of Necessity (AoNs) accorded with majority AoNs being accorded in the highest categorization of Buy Indian (IDDM).
- 6 of the 7 proposals, that is, Rs 27,000 Cr out of Rs 28,000 cr for which AoNs were granted will be sourced from the Indian industry to give a boost to the “Make in India” and “Atmanirbhar Bharat” initiatives of the Government.
- Acquisition proposals approved today include the DRDO designed and developed Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) Systems for the Indian Air Force, Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels for the Indian Navy and Modular Bridges for the Indian Army.
YOGASANAThe Ministry of AYUSH and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced the formal recognition of Yogasana as a competitive sport at a joint press conference.
About:
- The origins of Yogasana competitions can be traced to the Indian Yoga tradition, where such competitions have been held for centuries.
- Yogasana is an integral and important component of Yoga, which is psycho-physical in nature and popular across the globe for its efficacy in fitness and general wellness.
- Competitions that will arise out of the recognition of Yogasana as a sport will enhance interest in Yoga among people around the globe.
- Government of India is planning to include Yogasana as a Sport discipline in National Games, Khelo India and international sports events
RAJA CHARIRaja Chari is among the three astronauts selected by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) to fly to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the SpaceX Crew-3 mission.
About:
- The Indian-American will command the mission, which is expected to launch in the fall of 2021.
- Earlier this year in January, Chari became one of the 11 astronauts to join NASA’s ranks. The new graduates completed more than two years of basic training and became the first to graduate from NASA’s Artemis programme. Under the programme, NASA wants to send the next man and first woman to the Moon by 2024.
- The power to convene a session of Parliament rests with the government.
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