Current Affairs is the most important area in all competitive exams. But the difficulty level is very high. That’s why; many aspirants get confused, how to select Current Affairs for Preparation of Competitive Examination? In this Post, Daily Current Affairs 31 December 2021, we have tried to cover each and every point and also included all important facts from National/ International news that are useful for upcoming competitive examinations such as UPSC, SSC, Railway, State Govt. etc. Our gkseries team also provides Daily Current Affairs Quiz for these exams.
Daily Current Affairs 31 December 2021
A book titled ‘Dr V L Dutt: Glimpses of a Pioneer’s Life Journey’ by V L Indira Dutt
Dr. V L Dutt: Glimpses of a Pioneer’s Life Journey book by V L Indira Dutt – M Venkaiah Naidu, Vice President of India has launched the book titled ‘Dr V L Dutt: Glimpses of a Pioneer’s Life Journey’. the book has been authored by Dr V L Indira Dutt who is Chairperson and Managing Director of KCP Group, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The book is based on the life of Late Velagapudi Lakshmana Dutt (V.L. Dutt), the former Chairman of KCP Group.
Dutt was a well-known industrialist, philanthropist, and visionary who influenced a generation of young entrepreneurs. Dutt, as president of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), was essential in bridging the gap between government and industry during the key years of 1991-92. He is Chairperson and Managing Director of KCP Group, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
CP Goyal appointed Director-General of Forests & Special Secretary
Indian Forest Service officer Chandra Prakash Goyal has been appointed as the Director-General of Forests & Special Secretary (DGF&SS), Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change. Goyal, a 1986 batch IFS officer was previously the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest under Uttar Pradesh Department of Forest.
The Appointments Committee of the Union Cabinet approved the appointment of the IFoS officer, according to an order dated December 27. He had returned to UP after being on central deputation as Joint Secretary in the Indian Department of Biotechnology.
PM Modi launches blockchain-based digital degrees at IIT Kanpur
Under the National Blockchain Project, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched blockchain-based digital degrees at the 54th convocation ceremony of Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Kanpur. Later Prime Minister also inaugurated the completed section of the Kanpur Metro Rail Project and the Bina-Panki Multiproduct Pipeline Project. These digital degrees can be verified globally and are unforgeable.
The blockchain technology being used by IIT Kanpur to award digital degrees has been developed in-house. It is being touted as a revolutionary technology for the education sector. The technology is already being used in the financial sector. The technology has been developed by the institute under the National Blockchain Project.
Japan introduced the world’s 1st Dual-Mode Vehicle
The world’s first dual-mode vehicle has hit the ground in the town of Kaiyo, Japan. It is said that the vehicle can run on roads as well as rail tracks.
The DMV looks like a minibus and runs on normal rubber tyres on the road. What makes this vehicle different from the rest is, it also has steel wheels in its underbelly which descend when it hits the rail tracks. The DMV can carry up to 21 passengers and runs at a speed of 60km/h on rail tracks and can go as fast as around 100km/h on public roads.
The front tyres are lifted off the track and the rear wheels stay down to propel the DMV onto the railway. This feature of effectively changing into a train-like module easily on a rail track is the first of its kind. Powered by diesel, the small fleet of vehicles comes in different colours. It runs along part of the coast of Shikoku island in southern Japan, connecting several small towns and offering passengers attractive seaside scenery.
Karnataka govt partnered with NPCI & SBI to implement ‘e-RUPI’
Karnataka partners with NPCI and SBI for enabling and implementing e-RUPI – The Govt of Karnataka has partnered with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the State Bank of India (SBI), and the Department of e-Governance for enabling and implementing e-RUPI. The e-RUPI is a cashless and contactless payment solution provided by NPCI and It will be used to ensure leak-proof delivery transactions.
Benefits the e-RUPI:
Students will scan the QR code or SMS string for redeeming e-RUPI using an application and the digital payment platform e-RUPI will be used to ensure “leak-proof” payment of education fees for students eligible under the scholarship programmes of the Karnataka government. As a part of this process, the Karnataka government will get e-vouchers delivered to the mobiles of eligible students. The voucher code can be received on a feature phone as well. The students will be able to redeem e-RUPI at the identified colleges or institutes for the intended purpose of fees payment.
DRDO named Paras Defence for handing over border surveillance systems tech
Paras Defence has been selected by Defence Research Development Organization (DRDO) as one of the companies for handing over technology of border surveillance systems as developed by instruments research and development establishment (IRDE) and DRDO. This technology has been transferred by a licensing agreement for transfer of technology for border surveillance Systems entered between the Company, Instruments Research & Development Establishment (IRDE) and Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO).
This system shall provide all-weather surveillance for day and night monitoring of the border areas, it shall consist of Radar, EO sensors etc., mounted on Pan Tilt platforms. With this ToT, Paras Defence and Space Technologies shall be serving the requirement of the Armed Forces of the nation.
About the Paras Defence and Space Technologies:
Paras Defence and Space Technologies is primarily engaged in designing, developing, manufacturing and testing of a wide range of defence and space engineering products and solutions. Its product offerings cater to four major segments of the Indian defence sector i.e. defence and space optics, defence electronics, electro-magnetic pulse (EMP) protection solution and heavy engineering for defence and niche technologies.
National Dope Testing Laboratory regained WADA accreditation
The National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) has regained the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accreditation. NDTL has been informed by WADA that its accreditation has been restored. With this, NDTL’s Anti-Doping testing and activities will be resumed with immediate effect. NDTL has also been collaborating with other WADA accredited laboratories for strengthening its research activities and anti-doping efforts.
India is currently third in the WADA’s global list of dope violators, led by Russia. The suspension of the NDTL had prohibited it from carrying out any anti-doping activities, including all analysis of urine and blood samples. The process had made the anti-doping programme very expensive for the country because of the significant cost involved in sending samples abroad.
IndusInd Bank launched ‘green fixed deposits’
IndusInd Bank has announced the launch of ‘Green Fixed Deposits’ where the deposit proceeds will be used to finance projects and firms supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). IndusInd Bank is amongst few banks globally, to bring forth this proposition, thereby integrating SDG into a regular fixed deposit product. . These deposits will be offered to both retail & corporate customers.
Features & Benefits of Green Fixed Deposit
• Higher rate of interest up to 6 percent per annum
• Additional returns for the senior citizens of 0.50 percent per annum
• Deposits backed by insurance for up to Rs 5 laks
• Low pre-mature withdrawal charges of only 1 percent
• Assurance certification from a reputed external consulting firm
Sahitya Akademi Award 2021 Announced
On December 30, 2021, the Sahitya Akademi announced its prestigious “Sahitya Akademi Awards, Yuva Puraskar as well as Bal Sahitya Puraskar” for 2021 in various languages. According to the board, an engraved copper plate, shawl and an amount of Rs 1 lakh will be given to the main Sahitya Akademi prize winner and an engraved copper plate and an amount of Rs 50,000 each will be given to the Yuva Puraskar and Bal Sahitya Puraskar.
Sahitya Akademi Award 2021:
The Sahitya Akademi Award 2021 was given in 20 Indian languages, the winner of Gujarati, Maithili, Manipuri, and Urdu languages will be announced at a later date. Seven books of poetry, two novels, five books of short stories, two plays, one book each of biography, autobiography, criticism, and epic poetry have won the Sahitya Akademi Awards 2021. Author, Namita Gokhale was awarded for her novel Things to Leave Behind
- Anuradha Sarma Pujari (Assamese)
- Bratya Basu (Bengali)
- Mwdai Gahai (Bodo)
- Raj Rahi (Dogri)
- Namita Gokhale (English)
- Daya Prakash Sinha (Hindi)
- DS Nagabhushana (Kannada)
- Wali Mohd Aseer Kashtawari (Kashmiri)
- Sanjiv Verenkar (Konkani)
- George Onakkoor (Malayalam)
- Kiran Gurav (Marathi)
- Chhabilal Upadhyaya (Nepali)
- Hrushikesh Mallick (Odia)
- Khalid Hussain (Punjabi)
- Meethesh Nirmohi (Rajasthani)
- Vindeshwariprasad Mishr “Vinay” (Sanskrit)
- Niranjan Hansda (Santali)
- Arjun Chawla (Sindhi)
- Ambai (Tamil)
- Gorati Venkanna (Telugu)
Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar 2021:
The Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar 2021 were awarded for 22 Indian languages and the award in Tamil will be declared later, there was no award given in Rajasthani language this year. Author Megha Majumdar won the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar 2021 for her debut book ‘A Burning’, published in 2020.
- Abhijit Bora (Assamese)
- Gourob Chakraborty (Bengali)
- Gautom Daimary (Bodo)
- Arun Akash Dev (Dogri)
- Megha Majumdar (English)
- Drashti Soni (Gujarati)
- Himanshu Vajpai (Hindi)
- L.Lakshmi Narayan Swamy (Kannada)
- Razi Tahir Bhagat (Kashmiri)
- Sharddha Garad (Konkani)
- Amit Mishra (Maithili)
- Mobin Mohan (Malayalam)
- Lenin Khmancha (Manipuri)
- Pranav Sakhadeo (Marathi)
- Mahesh Dahal (Nepali)
- Debabrata Das (Odia)
- Veerdavinder Singh (Punjabi)
- Swetapadma Satapathy (Sanskrit)
- Kuna Hansdah (Santali)
- Rakesh Shewani (Sindhi)
- Thagulla Gopal (Telugu)
- Umar Farhat (Urdu)
Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2021:
The Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2021 was given in 22 Indian languages, no Bal Sahitya Puraskar was given in Gujarati and Punjabi languages this year. Anita Vachharajani has been named as the recipient of the Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2021 for the biography “Amrita Sher-Gil: Rebel with a Paintbrush”. Hindi writer Devendra Mewari won the award for his play titled “Natak Natak me Vigyan”.
- Mrinal Chandra Kalita (Assamese)
- Sunirmal Chakraborty (Bengali)
- Ratneshwar Narzary (Bodo)
- Narsingh Dev Jamval (Dogri)
- Anita Vaccharajani (English)
- Devendra Mewari (Hindi)
- Basu Bevinagida (Kannada)
- Majeed Majazi (Kashmiri)
- Sumedha Kamat Desai (Konkani)
- Anmol Jha (Maithili)
- Raghunath Paleri (Malayalam)
- Ningombam Jadumani Singh (Manipuri)
- Sanjay Wagh (Marathi)
- Sudarsha Ambatey (Nepali)
- Digaraj Brahma (Odia)
- Kirti Sharma (Rajasthani)
- Asha Agarwal (Sanskrit)
- Sova Hansda (Santali)
- Kishin Khubchandani “Ranjayal” (Sindhi)
- Mu. Murugesh (Tamil)
- Devaraju Maharaju (Telugu)
- Kausar Siddiqui (Urdu)
PM Modi inaugurated Bina (MP)-Panki (UP) Multiproduct pipeline project
Prime Minister Narendra Modi 356 km long has been inaugurated Bina Refinery (Madhya Pradesh) – POL Terminal Multiproduct Pipeline Project at Panki (Kanpur, UP) (capacity of 45 million metric tonnes per annum) with an outlay of Rs 1524 crore (Rs 1227 crore in UP and Rs 297 crore in MP). The project has been completed and commissioned one month before the approved completion schedule of December 2021 (3 years from PNGRB authority) and within the approved cost. It will provide safe and efficient extraction of products from Bina Refinery and will also improve the availability of products in Eastern UP, Central UP, North Bihar and Southern Uttarakhand.
About the Project:
- The project will cover five districts of Uttar Pradesh (UP) and two of Madhya Pradesh (MP).
- It is a 356 Km long project has a capacity of around 3.45 million metric tonne per annum. Out of this 283 km in UP and 73 km in MP.
- It includes following facilities:
- Construction of Pipeline Dispatch Terminal at Bina.
- Pipeline Receipt Terminal at Panki.
- Rail Loading Gantry.
- 11 SV stations and one Intermediate Pigging station along pipeline route.
Some other projects inaugurated by PM Modi:
PM has also inaugurated the completed section of the Kanpur Metro Rail Project and undertook a metro ride from the IIT metro station to Geeta Nagar. The entire length of the Metro Rail Project in Kanpur is 32 Km and is being built at a cost of around ₹11,000 crores. PM also attended the 54th Convocation Ceremony of IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) Kanpur.
