Why in news?

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Kidambi Srikanth’s silver medal win in the World Badminton Championships, saying it will inspire several sportspersons and further interest in badminton.

About Kidambi Srikanth

• Srikanth clinched a historic silver medal in the World Badminton Championships after suffering a straight-game defeat to Loh Kean Yew of Singapore in the summit clash to notch up the best ever performance by an Indian in the men’s singles
• Srikanth Kidambi (born 7 February 1993) is an Indian badminton player who trains at the Gopichand Badminton Academy, Hyderabad. He ranked as world number 1 at the BWF ranking in April 2018. Kidambi was awarded with the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian award in 2018 and Arjuna award in 2015.

Why in news?

• International Human Solidarity Day was introduced by the UN General Assembly. The purpose of solidarity is to build our movement and to embody our mutual care and concern for justice. Solidarity works best when there is respect and understanding of each other’s needs and life circumstances.
• The principle of solidarity is a socio-ethical and political concept which states that it is fair and just that benefits and obligations are shared between members of society.

About International Human Solidarity Day 2021

International Human Solidarity Day 2021: Date

• International Human Solidarity Day is observed annually on December 20, every year.
• Solidarity is capable of reducing inequality and social injustice in the world. It leads to the sustainable development of people.
• Solidarity can be cultivated through education.

International Human Solidarity Day 2021: Significance

• The United Nation’s creation brought the nations and people of the world together to promote human rights, social and economic development and peace.
• The organization was founded on the fundamentals of unity and harmony among its members.
• It is expressed in the concept of collective security that relies on the solidarity of its members to unite and maintain peace and security.

Why in news?

• During the last 3 years, KVIC has empowered over 300 potters’ families in Bundelkhand region, creating livelihood for nearly 1200 persons of the community. It has also given a big thrust to the PMEGP scheme by setting up nearly 11,000 new manufacturing units in the region and thereby, creating 8800 direct employments. To support these projects, KVIC also disbursed subsidy amount of Rs 75 crore. Also, 16 Khadi institutions are currently working in the Bundelkhand region that are engaged in spinning and weaving activities by mostly women artisans.

About Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)

• The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is a statutory body formed in April 1957 by the Government of India, under the Act of Parliament, ‘Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act of 1956’.
• It is an apex organisation under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, with regard to khadi and village industries within India, which seeks to – “plan, promote, facilitate, organise and assist in the establishment and development of khadi and village industries in the rural areas in coordination with other agencies engaged in rural development wherever necessary.
• The broad objectives that the KVIC has set before it is…
• The social objective of providing employment.
• The economic objective of producing saleable articles.
• The wider objective of creating self-reliance amongst the poor and building up of a strong rural community spirit.

Why in news?

• Rishabh Pant has been appointed the brand ambassador of Uttarakhand with an aim to promote sports and create mental health awareness among the state’s youth.

About the news

• Pant, 24, was born in the state’s Roorkee town in Haridwar district.
• Pushkar Singh Dhami took to Twitter to confirm the news. He labelled Pant as one of the best cricketers of the Indian side and added that Pant is the idol of the youth of the country. Dhami also added that Pant has been appointed as the State Brand Ambassador to encourage the youth to focus on sports.

Why in news?

• Every year, Goa’s Liberation Day is observed on December 19 in India. The day is celebrated to recognise the achievements of Goa in the tourism sector and also for being the highest per capita income among all the states and Union Territories in India. The state has its own history that is the story of its liberation. The day is marked with enormous celebrations and events which bring honour to the country’s smallest state.

About Goa Liberation Day

• Goa Liberation Day was celebrated on 19th December, 2021 in commemoration of the Indian armed forces freeing Goa from Portuguese colonial rule.

Goa Liberation Day 2021: Celebrations

• PM Modi was a part of inauguration projects like the renovated Fort Aguada Jail Museum in North Goa, the Super Specialty Block at the Goa Medical College and Hospital, the New South Goa District Hospital, Aviation Skill Development Center at Mopa Airport, and the Gas-insulated Substation at Dabolim-Navelim, Margao.

Why in news?

• Every year on December 18, the International Migrant Day is observed to tackle the problem and challenges of global migration.

About International Migrant Day 2021

International Migrants Day 2021: History

• The United Nations General Assembly in the year 1999 created the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families.
• But on December 04, 2000, keeping an account of the large and increasing migrants across the globe, December 18 was decided as International Migrants’ Day.
• Later, based on the previous concerns on December 14 and 15, 2006, 132 member states shared a high-level dialogue on the migration issues proposed by the General Assembly.
• Therefore, International Migrants Day was created to commemorate the importance of strengthening international cooperation and migration bilaterally, regionally, and globally.

International Migrants Day 2021: Theme

• The theme for the year 2021 is ‘Harnessing the potential of human mobility’.

International Migrants Day 2021: Significance

• The day plays a significant role in determining the movement of people due to voluntary or forced movements for environmental issues like disaster and poverty.
• The various factors that result in the characteristics and scale of migration in the present and the future have created the issue of migration.

Why in news?

• In a move to curb Left Wing Extremism, the Jharkhand government recently launched the Sports Action toward Harnessing Aspiration of Youth (SAHAY) scheme aimed at nurturing young sporting talents in Maoist-hit districts.

About SAHAY Scheme

• The scheme, which was launched in Saraikela-Kharsawan, West Singhbhum, Khunti, Gumla and Simdega districts, will be replicated in other districts as well.
• According to the scheme, boys and girls in the 14-19 age group from villages to ward level will be registered under the scheme, and given opportunities to display their skills in basketball, volleyball, hockey and athletics.
• They will be encouraged with incentives such as cash prize as well as money for kits.
• The chief minister said a Sports Nursery will be set up in the affected areas to nurture talented youngsters.

Why in news?

• Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, one of the leading private general insurers of India, recently announced the launch of its unique ‘Health Prime’ rider.

About ‘Health Prime’ rider

• This rider can be availed along with the company’s health insurance and personal accident policies.
• The idea behind this rider is to provide holistic healthcare solutions. In order to provide seamless services under this rider, the Company has tied up with Bajaj Finserv Health Ltd., a health-tech company that will leverage its extensive network of more than 2,500 lab chains and 90,000 doctors with various specialities to serve the customers of Bajaj Allianz General Insurance.
• This will be a remarkable step towards redefining the health and wellness landscape in the country, thriving on the power of digitization.
• Health Prime rider covers 4 key areas for the customers, namely – Tele-consultation Cover wherein the customer suffering from any illness/injury can opt for unlimited consultations with a doctor on the service provider’s digital platform, Doctor Consultation Cover where the customer can consult a doctor in person in case of any illness/injury from the prescribed network centres of the service provider or outside its network, Investigations Cover for pathology or radiology expenses from prescribed network centres or outside prescribed network and lastly, Annual Preventive Health Check-up Cover wherein the customer can avail free Preventive health check-up once in every policy year as per the list of tests mentioned in the rider document.
• All these benefits are completely cashless and can easily be utilized seamlessly at your fingertips through the ‘Caringly yours’ app of Bajaj Allianz General Insurance.
• Health Prime rider has 6 plans on an individual basis with premium ranging from Rs. 63 to Rs. 1,084 excluding GST and 3 plans on floater basis with premium ranging from Rs. 1,146 to Rs. 2,348 excluding GST.

Why in news?

• ICICI Prudential Life Insurance has recently signed United Nations supported Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI) demonstrating its commitment towards Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) issues. It is the first Indian insurance company to do so.

About ICICI Prudential Life Insurance signing United Nations supported Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI)

• In its journey towards promoting sustainability, the Company is integrating ESG factors into its investment management framework. As a responsible corporate it has also adopted sustainability principles across its business activities.
• The company in a recent release said, the sustainability framework is built on three pillars of ESG which include leaving the planet a better place for the next generation, giving back to society and transparency in functioning.
• With Assets under Management of over ₹2.37 trillion, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance is a key institutional investor and believes integrating the ESG framework in its investment management practices will ensure sustainable value creation for all stakeholders.
• The Company also engages with investee companies on ESG issues to ensure the business operates in a responsible and sustainable manner, benefitting the environment, society and investors.

Why in news?             

• The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has launched the Unified Logistics Interface Platform’s (ULIP) hackathon – ‘LogiXtics’ to crowdsource more ideas which will benefit the logistics industry.

About Unified Logistics Interface Platform’s (ULIP) hackathon – ‘LogiXtics’

• ULIP is designed to enhance efficiency and reduce logistics cost in India by creating a transparent platform that can provide real time information to all stakeholders and remove all asymmetry information.
• The ULIP Hackathon – LogiXtics was organised by NITI Aayog and Atal Innovation Mission and supported by National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC) and NICDC Logistics Data Bank Services Limited (NLDSL).

Significance

• The cost of logistics in the India is about 14% which is higher than other countries in the world.
• ULIP’s objective has been to work with top Indian technology organizations from the private sector and identify solutions to reduce logistics cost.