NATIONAL

3^rd National Water Awards

• The Union Minister of Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat announced 3rd National Water Awards-2020.
• To encourage individuals and organizations doing exemplary work in the field of water resources management, the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti is giving 57 awards to States, Organizations.
• The Awards are given in 11 different categories such as- Best State, Best District, Best Village Panchayat, Best Urban Local Body, Best Media (Print & Electronic), Best School, Best Institution/RWA/Religious organization for Campus usage, Best Industry, Best NGO, Best Water User Association, and Best Industry for CSR Activity.
• In the Best State category, Uttar Pradesh has been awarded first prize, followed by Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.

List of Winners in various categories-

Foundation stone of 10 National Highways laid

• Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari laid Foundation Stone of 10 National Highway Projects for 336 kms worth Rs 14,169 Crore in Mathura in Uttar Pradesh virtually.
• The development of Mathura-Hathras-Budaun-Barielly Highway connectivity and traffic issues will be resolved at pilgrimage and tourist places.
• With the construction of a bypass connecting Agra Inner Ring Road and Yamuna Expressway, the city of Agra will get rid of traffic jams.
• The construction of Agra - Jalesar - Etah road will facilitate the traders of brass industry.
• Kosi Parikrama Marg of Braj will be declared as a new National Highway and will be included in Bharatmala Project Phase-II.
• This route will be made like the 84 Kosi Parikrama Marg of Ayodhya and will be connected to all the major pilgrimage sites in the vicinity. Apart from Mathura and will pass through the border areas of Rajasthan, Haryana.

Namsoong and Sonam Losoong festival celebrated

• Bhutia’s and Lepcha people of India, Bhutan and Nepal has celebrated the Namsoong and Lossong festival which begins at end of annual harvest season.
• The Festival is celebrated on the 18^th day of ten month Tibetian Lunar Calendar, which falls on December/January.
• The God of the demon king Laso Mung Punu is set on fire at midnight, which marks his defeat at the hands of Azor Bongthing, who protected the Lepchas from Mung Punu’s atrocities and the rituals begins when the chief priest offers the sacred alcohol ‘Chi-Fut’ to the gods.
• Losoong celebrations include tribal dances and competitions depicting the symbolic victory of good spirits and gods over evil.
• The Bhutia people perform black hat dance and Chaam dances and conduct Archery contests also.
• Local liquor Chhaang which is brewed from rice or barley along with Sikkimese noodle Guthuk will be consumed during the celebrations.

Sikkim Capital-Gangtok

Sikkim Chief Minister-Prem Singh Tameng

Single Largest Ethinic groups of Sikkim- Rai or Khambu followed by Chettris

Sea Dragon-22 exercise begins

• India along with five Indo Pacific nations have started participating in the U.S led largest multi-lateral anti submarine warfare exercise named- “Sea Dragon-22” conducted at Gaum in the Western Pacific.
• The participating nations include- Australia, Canada, India, Japan, South Korea and United States.
• The Exercise is focussed on anti-submarine warfare training, where the nations will discuss on traditional maritime security challenges faced in the Indo-Pacific region.
• The exercise includes 270 hours of in flight training and tracking targets and tracking US navy submarines.
• The Training process will have grades at each stages and the country scoring highest points will receive the Dragon Belt Award.
• The P-8A Poseidon Swordsman maritime patrol aircraft of U.S and Trident is set to join the forces from five nations.

Additional Data-

Last Year Dragon Belt Award winner-Canada

Other Quad Naval exercise in Indo Pacific-Malabar Exercise

BANKING, FINANCE AND ECONOMICS

Airtel Payments Bank and Park+ ties for parking solution

• Airtel Payments Bank collaborated with Park+ to offer FASTag-based smart parking solutions to commercial and residential properties in the country.
• The partnership aims to increase the distribution reach and digital payments stack of airtel Payments Bank to digitise the parking ecosystem using FASTag associated with the vehicle.
• Park+ operates in the area of automating parking spaces through FASTag and the majority of parking FASTag transactions in India are currently being processed through Park+ systems, It will offer its full suite of FASTag services including issuance, acquiring, recharge, and technology support to airtel Payments Bank.
• Park+ access control systems have been installed at more than 1,500 societies, over 30 malls, and more than 150 corporate parks across the country.
• Airtel Payments Bank is among the top five issuers of FASTag in the country and the customers can purchase a FASTag from the banking section of the Airtel 'Thanks App'.

Park+ CEO- Amit Lakhotia

Park+ Headquarters-New Delhi

Airtel Payments Bank CEO-Anburata Biswas

Airtel Payments Bank-New Delhi

Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme subscription opened

• Government of India released Notification on Sovereign Gold Bonds 2021-22, which will be opened for subscription during the period January 10-14, 2022 with Settlement date January 18, 2022.
• The issue price of the Bond during the subscription period shall be Rs 4,786  per gram.
• The Government of India in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India has decided to allow discount of Rs 50 per gram from the issue price to those investors who apply online and the payment is made through digital mode.
• For Digital  investors the issue price of Gold Bond will be Rs 4,736 per gram of gold.

SPORTS

India’s First multi-dimensional adventure sports flagged

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh flagged India’s first multi-dimensional adventure sports expedition conducted by National Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (NIMAS) in France.
• The expedition was conducted in November 2021 and the team was led by Director NIMAS Colonel Sarfaraz Singh, comprising 12 people - eight Army personnel and four youths of Arunachal Pradesh.
• The expedition team carried out over 250 kilometres of winter trekking in the Alps Mountain Ranges, which included Tour De Mont Blanc trek covering the French, Swiss and Italian Alps.
• The paragliding team conducted 19 jumps/flights on the valley floor of the Alps from different mountain locations.
• It was followed by 975 kilometres of cycling from Alps Mountain Ranges to English Channel near Dunkirk via France, Switzerland and Belgium.
• The cycling activity was carried out in extreme cold weather condition where the team cycled on an average of 09-10 hours/day without any logistic vehicle. 
• The Multi-dimensional Expedition culminated with 12 deep scuba dives in the Mediterranean Sea.

National Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (NIMAS)- Colonel Sarfaraz Singh

APPOINTMENTS AND AWARDS

• Maria Elisa, from Chilean Constitutional assembly have been given the task to draft the new constitution for the Republic of Chilie.
• Chinese diplomat Zhang Ming has been appointed as the new secretary of Shanghai Cooperation Organization(SCO).