Current Affairs on 18 December 2020

Current Affairs Daily Digest - December 18 2020. Read daily Current Affairs Daily Digest 2020 for competitive exams like UPSC, SSC, IBPS, SBI etc,.

RBI imposes Rs 50 lakh fine on Urban Co-operative Bank in Kerala
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 50.00 lakh on The Urban Co-operative Bank Ltd in Kerala. This fine is imposed for non-compliance with directions issued on Income Recognition and Asset Classification (IRAC) norms and on Management of Advances-UCBs.

Mega leather park with Rs 5,850 cr investment to come up in Kanpur
Mega leather park to come up in Ramaipur village of Kanpur with an investment of Rs 5,850 crores. The park, part of the mega leather cluster project will create 50,000 direct jobs & indirect employment for 1.5 lakh people.

Ratan Tata to be honoured with 'Global Visionary of Sustainable Business and Peace' award
Veteran industrialist, Ratan Tata will be honoured by the Indo-Israel Chambers of Commerce for promoting innovation that supports sustainability and peace in the region, including with the Palestinians.

India ranks 111 in Human Freedom Index 2020
A worldwide ranking of civil, economic and personal freedom, the Human Freedom Index 2020 was released. India was placed at the 111th spot out of 162 countries. In 2019, India ranked 94 on the index.

ADB and India sign $300 million loan to upgrade power projects in UP
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed $300 million loan agreement with the Government of India to upgrade rural power distribution networks in Uttar Pradesh.

Nehru Zoological Park Hyderabad gets ISO certifications
Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad, with its standard working procedures, has acquired ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Standards Certification from ASCB, UK. The Hyderabad Zoo has become the first zoo in the country to receive ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Standards Certificate.

GoI and ADB sign 4.21 million dollar PRF facility for Tripura
The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed a US $4.21 million project readiness financing (PRF) facility for the preparation of infrastructure development projects to improve urban amenities and develop tourism infrastructure in Tripura.

Robert Lewandowski and Lucy Bronze win best of 2020 FIFA awards
The Bayern Munich striker, Robert Lewandowski has been named The Best FIFA Men's Player 2020, beating off competition from last year's winner Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The 32-year-old Lewandowski, top scorer in Europe and winner of the Champions League with Bayern.

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launched 'Pareshram' Portal
Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik through a video conference, launched 'Pareshram' Portal along with 22 online services of Labour and Employees State Insurance Department. The Portal and the Online Services shall be helpful in "Ease of Doing Business" and contribute significantly to the industrial development of the State.

Arabic Language Day observed globally on 18 December
UN Arabic Language Day is observed annually on December 18 every year. The day was established by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2010 to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity as well as to promote equal use of all six of its official languages throughout the Organization.

International Migrants Day is celebrated on 18 December
The International Migrants Day is observed globally on 18 December every year. In December 2000, the UN General Assembly proclaimed 18 December as International Migrants Day after considering the large and increasing number of migrants in the world.

Singapore's Hawker culture gets UNESCO recognition
The UNESCO (United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has recently recognized "Hawker" culture of Singapore and has included it under the list of intangible cultural heritage. The list also includes Chinese Calligraphy, Yoga and Flamenco.

Yogasana recognized as a competitive Sport in India
The Sports Ministry has formally recognized Yogasana as a competitive sport. This will enable the ancient practice to avail Government funding. This was done to spread awareness about Yoga and its benefits and help improve physical and mental wellbeing of the people.

India-Austria Cooperation in Road Infrastructure sector
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between India and Austria on Technology Cooperation in Road Infrastructure Sector in New Delhi. The MoU seeks to create a framework for the countries' mutual cooperation in the field of Road Transportation, Road/Highways infrastructure development, management and administration, road safety and intelligent transport systems. This is to enhance trade and regional integration between the two countries.