Current Affairs: 22 November – 28 November, 2020
India likely to get Oxford vaccine shots by January – February 2021
India will be getting Oxford COVID-19 vaccine shots in the beginning of 2021 by January or February, after India and the United Kingdom give emergency use authorisation approval to the Serum Institute of India (SII). The first batch of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine shots will be available for healthcare professionals and vulnerable people.
RBI becomes first Central Bank to gain 1 million followers on Twitter
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) became the first among the Central Banks to gain one million followers on its official Twitter handle. The RBI achieved this feat by surpassing the European Central Bank and US Federal Reserve.
Indian Government bans 43 more mobile apps for users
The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has imposed a ban on 43 more mobile apps for Indian users under section 69A of the Information Technology Act. Earlier this year, the Government had banned more than 170 mobile apps.
Home Ministry relaxes account norms for NGOs under the FCRA
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has relaxed the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) account norms for the NGOs. As per the relaxed norms the “FCRA Account” holder shall have complete freedom to transfer the foreign contribution (FC) received in “FCRA Account” opened in SBI to another “FCRA Account”.
India’s ‘Delhi Crime’ bags best drama series at Emmy Awards 2020
Indian web series Delhi Crime of Netflix has bagged the best drama series awards at 48th International Emmy Awards 2020. Another Indian show ‘Four More Shots Please’ also made its way to the nominations this year at Emmy Awards, however, did not win.
Cabinet approves merger of Lakshmi Vilas Bank & DBS Bank
The Union Cabinet granted its approval for the merger of Lakshmi Vilas Bank Limited (LVB) and Singapore-based DBS Bank on November 25, 2020. With this, depositors can withdraw their money from Lakshmi Vilas Bank without any restrictions.
National Constitution Day 2020 observed across India
The National Constitution Day 2020 was observed in India on 26th November 2020. The Day is observed every year to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution of India. The Constitution was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on November 26, 1949.
Football legend Diego Maradona dies at 60
Diego Maradona, footballer of Argentina, passed away on November 25, 2020 after battling the cardiac arrest. He was 60. The Football legend represented Napoli, Boca Juniors, Barcelona and Newell’s Old Boys.
Indian firm Hetero to manufacture Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine
Indian pharma company Hetero will be manufacturing over 100 million doses of Russian COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V every year. The production of Sputnik V will start in the beginning of 2021 in India. The development came following a deal between Hetero and RDIF Sovereign Wealth Fund of Russia.
Indian-Origin MP creates history by taking oath in Sanskrit in New Zealand
Dr. Gaurav Sharma, Member of Parliament (MP) in New Zealand created history on November 25, 2020 by becoming the first Indian-origin parliamentarian to take oath in Sanskrit language on foreign land. Dr. Sharma is one of the youngest and newly-elected MPs from the Labour Party in the NZ Parliament. He hails from Himachal Pradesh. He took oath first in New Zealand’s indigenous Maori language and then in Sanskrit, showing deep respect for the cultural traditions of both India and New Zealand.
Government suspends International flights till December 31
The government has suspended the international commercial passenger flights further till 31st December 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier, the services were suspended till November 30, 2020.
Indian Army to get drones from Israel, America for surveillance in Eastern Ladakh
The Indian Army will soon acquire drones from Israel and America to upgrade its surveillance capabilities in Eastern Ladakh and other areas along the India-China border. The drones will provide a major boost to the capabilities of the Indian Army.
The Israeli Herons will be deployed in the Ladakh sector and they are expected to be more advanced than the existing fleet of the Indian Army.
The deals for the acquisition of these drones is in the final stages and expected to be signed in December. The acquisition of these drones is being done under the emergency financial powers granted by the centre to the defence forces.
