22 december 2021 current affairs

CURRENT AFFAIRS
22 DECEMBER 2021
Dr. A. PRABAHARAN
www.indopraba.blogspot.com

Surface-to-Surface missile ‘Pralay’: DRDO
successfully tests missile with ability to
change path midair
 The Defence Research and Development Organisation
successfully conducted the maiden flight test of indigenously
developed surface-to-surface missile ‘Pralay’ on December 22,
2021, from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha.
 The Ministry of defence while announcing the test of surface-
to-surface missile ‘Pralay’ said that the mission met all of its
objectives.
 The advanced missile ‘Pralay’ has been developed in a way that
it is able to defeat the interceptor missiles and also has the
ability to change its path after covering certain range mid-air.

PM Modi in Varanasi news: Development
Projects worth over Rs. 850 crores to be
launched by Prime Minister
 Prime Minister will be visiting Varanasi again on December 23,
2021, to launch multiple development projects worth over Rs.
850 crores.
 PM Modi during his visit to Varanasi will launch development
initiatives which will include inaugurating and laying the
foundation stone of 22 projects in Varanasi, which is also PM’s
Lok Sabha Constituency.
 This will be PM Modi’s second visit to Varanasi in the last two
weeks. He had inaugurated the ambitious Kashi Vishwanath
Corridor during his previous visit to the city.

Sony Zee merger
 Sony Pictures Networks India Private Limited (SPNI) and
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL) announced on
December 21, 2021 that they have signed definitive
merger agreements to combine their linear networks,
digital assets, production operations and program
libraries.
 Under the agreement, Zee Entertainment will be
merged with Sony Pictures Networks to form a new
combined company.
 The agreement comes after the conclusion of an
exclusive negotiation period during which ZEEL and
SPNI conducted mutual due diligence.

PT Thomas, Senior Congress Leader and
MLA from Kerala, passes away
 PT Thomas, the working President of Kerala Pradesh Congress
Committee (KPCC) senior Congress MLA, passed away on
December 22, 2021, at the age of 70. PT Thomas was a former MP
who was battling Pancreatic Cancer and undergoing treatment at
Christian Medical College, Vellore.
 PT Thomas was known for his uncompromising stand on
environmental protection. A three-time MLA, Thomas who rose
through the ranks of the Congress Party had been politically active
since his college days as a firebrand KSU leader at Maharaja’s
College, Ernakulam.
 The Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, in his condolence
message on the demise of PT Thomas, said that Kerala has lost an
outstanding parliamentarian.
 He was known for making his views inside and outside the
assembly which were irrespective of his party’s stance.

National Mathematics Day 2021
 India observes National Mathematics Day every year on December
22 to celebrate the life and work of Srinivasa Ramanujan, a great
mathematician who was born on this day in 1887.
 The National Mathematics Day in India was announced in 2012 by
then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to mark the 125th birth
anniversary of Srinivasa Ramanujan.
 National Mathematics Day 2021 provides us an opportunity to
admire the work of Srinivasa Ramanujan who even though had no
formal training in pure mathematics, but his substantial
contributions to the field of maths are still acknowledged.
 It also includes providing solutions to the problems that were then
considered unsolvable.

20 YouTube Channels Banned along with 2
Websites by Govt
 The Government of India announced on December 21,
2021, that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
has ordered the blocking of 20 YouTube channels as
well as 2 websites for spreading anti-India propaganda
and fake news content on the internet.
 The decision has been taken with closely coordinated
efforts between the Intelligence agencies and the
Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

Indian Army inducts first set of next-gen
Armoured Engineer Reconnaissance Vehicle
 Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane flagged off and
inducted the first set of indigenously developed next-
generation Armoured Engineer Reconnaissance Vehicle at Bombay
Engineering Group (BEG) on December 21, 2021.
 The Armoured Engineer Reconnaissance Vehicle will enhance the
existing engineer reconnaissance capabilities of the Indian Army.
 As per army officials, it would be a major game-changer in support of
mechanised operations in future conflicts.
 The Armoured Engineer Reconnaissance Vehicles have been fully
designed and developed within India.
 These next-generation vehicles can match the speed of the tanks and
help in conducting mechanised operations on the Western Front, stated
Lt General Harpal Singh.

Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 passed
by Parliament
 The Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was passed by the
Parliament on December 21, 2021 after it was given a go ahead in
the Rajya Sabha.
 The bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on December 20, 2021. The bill
seeks to make amendments to the Representation of the People Act
and allow electoral registration officers to seek the Aadhaar number
of those who want to register as voters to establish their entity.
 Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju clarified that the bill would allow the
electoral roll to be linked with Aadhaar cards. It will be optional, not
mandatory.
 Opposition Congress MP Shashi Tharoor argued that Aadhaar is
only meant to be proof of residence, it's not proof of citizenship. "If
you're in a position asking Aadhaar for voters, all you're getting is a
document that reflects residence, not citizenship.
 You're potentially giving the vote to non-citizens," Tharoor said.

PM Modi in Prayagraj: Prime Minister
transfers Rs. 1,000 crores in SHGs bank
accounts
 Prime Minister Modi arrived in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh
on December 21, 2021, to participate in a ‘one-of-its-kind
programme’ that will be attended by over 2 lakh
women. The event in a poll-bound state took place at
around 1 PM.
 The programme in Prayagraj was held as per the Prime
Minister’s vision of empowering women, particularly at
the grassroots level, by providing them with the
necessary skills, resources, and incentives. With the
upcoming UP elections, this will be another significant
visit of PM Modi to the state. Before Prayagraj, he had
also visited Varanasi to inaugurate the ambitious Kashi
Vishwanath Corridor Project.

World Economic Forum annual meeting
2022 postponed
 The World Economic Forum annual meeting 2022 will be
postponed due to the continued uncertainty over the Omicron
outbreak.
 The WEF meeting was scheduled to take place in Davos-
Klosters, Switzerland between January 17-21, 2022
 The WEF annual meeting is now likely to take place during
early summer, World Economic Forum informed.
 The participants will now instead join a headline series of State
of the World sessions that will bring together global leaders
online to focus on shaping solutions to the world’s most
pressing challenges.

AFSPA in Nagaland: State govt adopts
resolution demanding repeal of AFSPA
 The Nagaland Assembly on December 20, 2021,
unanimously passed a resolution demanding the repeal of AFSPA
in Nagaland.
 The resolution for the removal of the Armed Forces Special Powers
Act was adopted during a special session that was held in
aftermath of the botched security ambush that claimed the lives of
14 civilians earlier in December 2021.
 Massive protests have been held in the Capital, Kohima, with the
Nagaland cabinet also recommending the repeal of the law.
 The resolution to repeal AFSPA in Nagaland was adopted by a
voice vote. Chief Minister of Nagaland Neiphiu Rio, while moving
the resolution, said that for the last 20 years Nagaland government
has been recommending that AFSPA must be removed and the
state must be taken off from the list of the ‘disturbed areas’.

Pradeep Kumar Rawat appointed as Indian
ambassador to China
 Diplomat Pradeep Kumar Rawat has been appointed as the
next Ambassador of India to China. Rawat (Indian Foreign
Services, 1990) is presently the Ambassador of India to the
Kingdom of the Netherlands and is expected to take up his
new assignment shortly. Pradeep Rawat has been serving as
the envoy to the Netherlands since January 2021.
 Pradeep Kumar Rawat will replace Vikram Misri as India’s next
ambassador to China. Misri completed a close to three-year
term earlier in December 2021.
 Pradeep Rawat as India’s next envoy in China will take charge
amid the worst phase in relations between the two nations
ever since the normalization of ties 1980s.

IAF deploys first S-400 air defence system in
Punjab
 The Indian Air Force has deployed the first S-400 Triumf
air defence missile system in the Punjab sector near
Pakistan border.
 The deployment is to take care of any aerial threat from
either Pakistan or China.
 The deployment of the air defence system is expected
to provide a major boost to India's air defence
capabilities.
 The parts of the Russian missile system had started
reaching India earlier this month. The unit is expected
to be operationalized in the next few weeks.

Gabriel Boric, former student activist, elected
as Chile's youngest president
 Gabriel Boric, leftist lawmaker and former student activist has
won Chile's Presidential Elections 2021. He beat right-wing
candidate Jose Antonio Kast in Chile's presidential runoff with
56 percent votes on December 19, 2021, becoming Chile's
youngest President ever.
 The 35-year-old had come to the limelight in 2011 when he
had led the student protests demanding better education.
 During his presidential campaign, he had promised to
address economic inequality, boost green investment and
raise taxes on the rich.

22 december 2021 current affairs

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