Top Current Affairs 23 December 2020

Top Current Affairs 23 December 2020

Top Current Affairs 23 December 2020: This post contains the latest current affairs for 23 December 2020 that are important for all competitive exams like Bank, SSC, IBPS, SBI exams. You can also attempt our Current Affairs Quiz after reading our daily current affairs.

National

Dharmendra Pradhan dedicates West Bengal’s first and India’s 8th oil and gas reserve ‘Bengal Basin’ to nation

• Union Petroleum & Natural Gas Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan dedicated West Bengal’s first oil and gas reserve, ‘Bengal Basin’, to the nation.
• The Bengal Basin is explored and owned by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).
• It is the eight producing basin of India by ONGC. 
• The other are: Krishna-Godavari (KG), Mumbai Offshore, Assam Shelf, Rajasthan, Cauvery, Assam-Arakan Fold Belt and Cambay.
  
• Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Limited commenced the production of crude oil from the Asokenagar-1 well, Bengal Basin in 24 Paragana district of the state on 20 December 2020.

Committee

Government constitutes High Level Committee headed by Home Minister Amit Shah to commemorate 125th Birth Anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose

• The Union Government has decided to constitute a High Level Committee (HLC) to commemorate the 125th Birth Anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, which will be observed on 23rd December 2020.  
• The High Level Committee will be headed by the Union Home Minister, Shri Amit Shah.
• This HLC will decide on the activities for a one year long commemoration beginning 23 January, 2021, as a tribute and mark of gratitude to the contribution made by Netaji in India’s freedom struggle.
• The other members of the High Level Commemoration Committee will include experts, historians, authors, family members of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, as well as eminent persons associated with Azad Hind Fauj/INA.

Conference

12th GRIHA Summit of TERI Concludes

• The 12th GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) Summit was held virtually from December 15-16, 2020. It was inaugurated by Vice President of India Venkaiah Naidu virtually.
• The theme of the Summit was “Rejuvenating Resilient Habitats”.
• It is the annual flagship event organized by GRIHA Council in association with ‘key stakeholders in the construction industry’ to discuss and deliberate on furtherance of Sustainable Habitat Development in India.
• The Summit provides a platform to deliberate on innovative technologies and solutions to help in creating robust mechanisms for developing sustainable and resilient solutions for the benefit of the entire community.

GRIHA Council

• It is an independent, not-for-profit society jointly setup by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India to promote and administer green buildings in India.
• Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) is the national rating system of India for any completed building construction.
• It has been is recognised as India’s own green building rating system in India’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Award

Donald Trump Honours PM Modi With Top US Honour ‘Legion Of Merit’

• US President Donald Trump has presented America’s highest military decoration, ‘The Legion of Merit’, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• The prestigious Legion of Merit was given to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his leadership in elevating strategic partnership of the two countries.
• The award was accepted by India’s Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu on behalf of the prime minister from the US National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien at the White House on 21 December 2020.

About Legion of Merit Medal

• The Legion of Merit Medal was established by the US Congress on July 20, 1942, and is given only to the Head of State or Government. It is also one of the highest military medals that can be awarded to foreign officers.
• It is awarded to members of the US military and foreign military members and political figures who have displayed exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements.
• The Legion of Merit Medal is a five-rayed white cross, edged with red, resting on a green wreath with a blue centre containing 13 white stars.

Defence

Indian Coast Guard Commissions Interceptor Boat C-454 Indigenously-built by L&T

• The indigenously-built interceptor boat C-454, was commissioned in the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) in Hazira of Surat district of Gujarat recently.
• The C- 454 has been built by Larsen and Toubro (L&T) at its Hazira plant.
• The vessel will operate from Gujarat and is the 54th such boat built by L&T for ICG.
• The vessel is a part of ongoing efforts of Indian Coast Guard to strengthen coastal security of Gujarat maritime borders.

Goa Shipyard Limited developed ICGS Sujeet successfully commissioned in Goa

• The Indian Coast Guard ship ‘ICGS Sujeet’, was commissioned in Goa on 15 December 2020, which will enhance the operational capability of Indian Coast Guard to discharge multifarious maritime tasks.
• ICGS Sujeet is second in the series of 5 OPV, being designed and built indigenously by Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) for the Indian Coast Guard.
• The 105 metres OPV (off-shore patrol vessel) is fitted with advanced technology, navigation and communication equipment, sensors and machinery.

Banking & Economy

NCAER projects India’s GDP to contract 7.3% in FY21

• The National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) has projected the Indian economy to contract 7.3 percent in FY21, compared to -12.6% forecast in September 2020. 
• The Delhi based economic think tank, released its mid-year review of the Indian economy virtually on 21 December 2020.

ICICI Bank launches online portal  ‘Infinite India’ for foreign firms expanding in India

• The ICICI Bank has launched an online platform ‘Infinite India’ to support foreign companies to establish or expand business in India.
• The one-stop portal will offer banking solutions as well as value-added services such as incorporation of a business entity, corporate filings, licences and registrations, HR services, compliances and taxation among others.
• Through this initiative, ICICI bank aims to strengthen its position in the multinational corporations (MNC) segment. 

ADB announces Rs 2100 crore loan to Tripura for urban & tourism development

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has announced to provide Rs 2,100 crore loan to the Tripura government for the development of urban areas and tourism in the northeastern state.
• From the total fund of Rs 2,100 crore, Rs 1600 crore will be for urban development and Rs 500 crore for the tourism sector.
• Under this, all 20 urban local bodies in Tripura would be covered and in the tourism sector, all tourism destinations, roads leading to them and tourist facilities would be covered.

Days

India Observes National Farmer’s Day on December 23

• National Farmer’s Day (Kisan Diwas) is observed every year on December 23 in India to remember the role of Indian farmers in the economy.
• The day was first celebrated in 2001.
• The day is observed to mark the birth anniversary of former Prime Minster Chaudhary Charan Singh.
• He brought farmer-friendly policies and worked towards the welfare of the farmers.
• Chaudhary Charan Singh was the fifth Prime Minister of India and served the country as Prime Minister from 28 July 1979 to 14 January 1980.