National:
OPPI Summit:
- The Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers Shri D V Sadananda Gowda inaugurated the two-day Annual Summit of the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI), on December 17, 2020. The Minister conferred the lifetime achievement and Special Recognition awards during the summit.
Award:
- Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has been awarded with the prestigious Golden Peacock Environment Management Award for the year 2020 in the Steel Sector. The award has been presented by Institute of Directors. SAIL has been the winner of this award for successive two years. This award encourages corporate to enhance their responsibility for environment protection.
35th IND-INDO CORPAT:
- The 35th edition of India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (IND-INDO CORPAT) between the Indian Navy and the Indonesian Navy was conducted from 17 December to 18 December, 2020.
The 35th IND-INDO CORPAT contributed towards the Indian Navy’s efforts to consolidate inter-operability and forge strong bonds of friendship across the Indo Pacific.
International:
United States Space Force:
- United States Space Force on December 18, 2020 announced that its members’ official name would be “Guardians”.
Loan Agreement:
- The Government of India and the New Development Bank signed a loan agreement for lending $1,000 million on 16 December 2020.
This amount will be used for supporting expenditures on rural infrastructure related to natural resource management (NRM) and rural employment generation under Government of India’s Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). This will support India’s economic recovery from COVID-19.
Sports:
Yogasana as a competitive sport:
- The Ministry of AYUSH, and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced the formal recognition of Yogasana as a competitive sport.
This was announced in New Delhi, on December 17, 2020 at a joint press conference held by the Union Minister of State for AYUSH Shri Shripad Naik, and the Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports Shri Kiren Rijiju.
Shri Kiren Rijiju also said that we are planning to include Yogasan as a sport discipline in ‘Khelo India’ and ‘University Games’ and we will also make it a part of National Games.
For future development of Yogasana Sports:
A pilot Yogasana Competition will be held in early 2021 under the name of “National Individual Yogasana Sports Championship (Virtual Mode).
Death:
- Former Sanskrit Professor & RSS ideologue, MG Vaidya has died in Nagpur on December 19, 2020. He was 97.
He worked with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh as Akhil Bharatiya Bouddhikh Pramukh (chief of intellectual cell of RSS).