Today’s top news: 24 December, 2020 (GPN):

NATIONAL NEWS:

1. PM Modi will interact with farmers from six states on Friday. On the occasion, PM Modi will digitally deposit a total of Rs 18,000 crore in the bank accounts of nine crore farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme.
2. Protesting farmer unions on Wednesday asked it to come up with a new concrete proposal for resumption of talks : Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Wednesday said the government would continue with reforms in the farm sector even as he reiterated that protesting farmers would soon come forward to resume their dialogue with the Centre.
3. The Haryana Police booked 13 farmers on charges of attempt to murder and rioting on Wednesday, a day after a group of people protesting against the Centre’s farm laws allegedly blocked Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s convoy and hurled sticks at it.
4. Foundation work of Ayodhya temple to start in January. The trust on Wednesday also held meeting with leaders of Vishva Hindu Parishad and discussed the progress on the construction of the temple.
5. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) along with Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has announced the launching of “CoWIN”, a Grand Challenge for strengthening the COVID Vaccine Intelligence Network (CoWIN) system, a digitalised platform to be used to effectively roll out and scale up the mechanism for COVID Vaccine Distribution System, nationally.
6. The FDA is advising consumers who have purchased Green Gorilla Root Juice sold by Green Gorilla Root Juice LLC in St. Louis to not drink the product. The warning comes because the product contains Yohimbine, an ingredient that can be dangerous at the levels found in this beverage
7. Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman chaired the pre-budget consultation meetings for budget 2021-22 held in virtual mode from 14th to 23rd December, 2020.
8. LPG cylinder prices may change every week from next year . Currently, these prices are fixed on a monthly basis but in view of the daily fluctuations in the prices of petroleum products, oil companies are now planning to change the prices on a weekly basis.
9. The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has approved to merge four of its film media units, namely Films Division , Directorate of Film. Festivals, National Film Archives of India, and Children’s Film Society, India with the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) Ltd. by expanding the Memorandum of Articles of Association of NFDC, which will then carry out all the activities hitherto performed by them. The merger of Film Media Units under one corporation will lead to convergence of activities and resources and better coordination .
10. Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday challenged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) asking the party to fight her politically. During a press conference, she asserted, “Fight me politically and not through NIA or ED. I have nothing to hide.”
11. Two Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative officials died and its 16 other employees were injured in a major ammonia gas leak at the fertiliser major’s plant at Phulpur near Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh.
12. The first indigenous vaccine against pneumonia, developed by Serum Institute of India (SII), is slated to be launched by Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and made available in the domestic market early next week
13. A Central Bureau of Investigation special court in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday awarded life imprisonment to the catholic priest and nun, who were found guilty of the murder of Sister Abhaya 28 years ago in Kottayam.
14. All India Muslim Personal Law Board members terming the proposed construction of a grand mosque in Ayodhya’s Dhannipur village as against the Waqf Act and Shariat laws, the Sunni Central Waqf Board on Wednesday asserted that the upcoming shrine is perfectly legal
15. Gorakhpur Sessions court has sentenced Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (HuJI) operative Tariq Qasmi to life imprisonment in connection with the serial blasts that rocked the city in 2007.
16. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved major and transformatory changes in the Centrally Sponsored Scheme ‘Post Matric Scholarship to students belonging to Scheduled Castes (PMS-SC)’ to benefit more than 4 Crore SC students in the next 5 years so that they can successfully complete their higher education.
17. The State Bank of India (SBI) has announced vacancies in various specialist cadre officer posts. Online registration has begun online at the official website of the SBI. The last date of registration is January 11, 2021.
18. The West Bengal Civil Services exam details have been announced. This is a combined competitive exam comprising four distinct exams for various posts under group A, group B, Group C and group D services. The preliminary exam will be held in March-April. Registration for the exam will begin today (December 24).
19. The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved revision in guidelines for providing direct to home (DTH) services in the country under which licences would be issued for 20 years.
20. On December 26, 2020, the PM Modi is to launch the SEHAT Scheme for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. SEHAT is Social Endeavour for Health and Telemedicine
21. The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet on Wednesday decided to continue with night curfew in four districts of Shimla, Kullu, Kangra and Mandi, though the duration has been reduced by an hour as the timings now will be from 10 pm to 6 am
22. Army’s proposed ‘Tour of Duty’ recruitment model could be expanded to Navy and IAF too . Three-year volunteer scheme is being designed to attract more youth to Army, fill up officers’ vacancies, and reduce ballooning defence pensions.
23. The CBI has chargesheeted the Principal of the prestigious National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, Om Prakash Shukla for allegedly making false claims about his teaching experience in his application to the Union Public Service Commission 12 years ago.
24. India on Wednesday successfully test-fired a medium range surface-to-air missile (MRSAM) from Odisha coast,
25. Rain and snowfall will occur again in North India between 26 December to 28 December. Meanwhile, rain activities may occur at some places in the plains as well. This will be the last snowfall of 2020.
26. Coronavirus Cases: 10,111,256
    Deaths: 146,562
    Recovered: 9,674,090

✈INTERNATIONAL NEWS

1. India-Russia Annual Summit 2020 postponed on account of COVID pandemic
2. Union Health Secretary, Rajesh Bhushan, reviewed the status of passengers coming from UK to India and found positive in the States/UTs of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Goa, Punjab, Gujarat and Kerala and their response measures in a meeting held through Video Conferencing on Wednesday,
3. The plight of 23 crew members of Indian ship Jag Anand is far from over as Chinese govt on Wednesday reiterated its unwillingness to allow a crew change citing epidemic control requirements at ports.
4. The ship MV Jag Anand laden with huge consignment of Australian coal is stuck at China’s Jingtang port since June as China is not allowing the ship to unload the cargo from Australia with which it is locked in a political tussle.
5. NCB Bengaluru zone nabbed two foreigners for peddling drugs MDMA and Cocaine from the Netherlands and Ethiopia to supply in the city.
6. The US based Aircraft Giant Boeing recently announced that the F/A-18F Super Hornet Fighter Jet of the company has successfully completed the ski-jump. This makes it suitable for the Aircraft Carriers of the Indian Navy. The company has proposed to the Indian Navy under its “By India For India” programme.

🌎WORLD NEWS🌍

1. Chinese ambassador Hou Yanqi on Tuesday evening met Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari at the presidential palace Shital Niwas, people familiar with the matter said. The hour-long meeting comes two days after the President signed off on Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s recommendation to dissolve parliament, a precursor to the split in Nepal’s communist party that the Chinese leadership had been trying to avert.
2. UK identifies new South African coronavirus variant, calls it ‘highly concerning’ . tightens lockdown
3. The Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii’s Big Island recently erupted after an Earthquake that struck the region. The epicentre of the earthquake was located beneath the Kilauea Volcano
4. America denies China expelled US Navy warship near Spratly Islands: China falsely claimed that it expelled an American warship from the South China Sea (SCS) on Tuesday, the US Navy has said, adding that Beijing’s statement was an effort to assert its illegitimate claims in the maritime region.
5. Coronavirus Cases:78,692,150
   Deaths: 1,730,347
   Recovered: 55,354,162

🚣🚴🏇🏁🏊Sports:

Union Minister of Sports & Youth Affairs Kiren Rijiju virtually inaugurated eight Khelo India State Centres of Excellence (KISCEs) across India and in the presence of distinguished State Sports Ministers. Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa was part of the virtual launch.

Legal notice sent to restrain BCCI AGM; probe against President Ganguly & Secy Shah sought : The notice sent by Treasurer of the Jharkhand Cricket Association, Naresh Makani, has also proposed for conducting fresh elections to the BCCI in December 2020

USD 73.78 💷GBP 99.66
In Delhi
🥇Gold ₹51,610@10 gm 24 (Krt)
🥈 Silver ₹66,900@ Kg
⛽ Petrol ₹ 83.72
⛽ Diesel ₹ 73.87

LPG ₹ 694.00 /14.2 Kg

🇮🇳Facts about India🇮🇳

Chaudhary Charan Singh (23 December 1902 – 29 May 1987) served as the 5th Prime Minister of India between 28 July 1979 and 14 January 1980. Historians and people alike frequently refer to him as the ‘champion of India’s peasants. He was first elected to the U.P. Legislative Assembly in 1937 from Chhaprauli, He was the chief architect of land reforms in U.P.

Every year, the Rashtriya Kisan Diwas is observed on December 23. The Rashtriya Kisan Diwas is also called the National Farmers Day. In India, it is celebrated in December 23 to honour the fifth Prime Minister of India, Choudhary Charan Singh.

😀Thought of the day

A beautiful soul loves without condition, talks without bad intention, gives without reason and most of all cares for people withoutany expectation.

Joke of the day

कहते हैं कभी भी किसी की,
“परिस्थिति” पर मत हंसो!!
वही परिस्थिति हमारी भी आ सकती हैं।
इसलिए मैं रोज़ सिर्फ
“अम्बानी” की ही “परिस्थिति” पर हंसता हूँ..!!😜😜

😳Why❓❓❓

Why are airplanes usually painted white?
✈️🛫🛬🛩️🚀
The main reason why aircraft are painted white or light colours is to reflect sunlight. Other colours will absorb most of the light. This is crucial as when sunlight is absorbed by an aircraft, this heats up the body of an airplane. Painting a passenger plane white minimises both the heating and potential damage from solar radiation not only when the airplane is in flight, but also when it’s parked on the runway.

When flying at high altitudes, airplanes are completely exposed to various atmospheric conditions. Coloured aircraft tend to fade over time, and thus require repainting to maintain their aesthetic appeal. Aside from the fact that paint adds significant weight to an aircraft –meaning more fuel is burned. White exteriors can enhance aircraft visibility and potentially increase its detection and avoidance by birds strike.

LEARN Sanskrit🙏🏻

विस्मर् : Forgetting

🤔 How it works ⁉
📣📢

A siren is a loud noise-making device. Generally used in factories and industries. Fire sirens are often called “fire whistles”, “fire alarms”, or “fire horns”.
It consists of an electric motor which turns a fan called the “rotor” or “impeller”, spinning inside a slotted drum called the “stator”. … Each time the rotor and stator holes align, a burst of air is forced through. The frequency of these bursts is the pitch of the siren.

💁🏻‍♂️ GK TODAY

The All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) are a group of autonomous government public medical colleges of higher education. AIIMS New Delhi, the fore-runner institute, was established in 1956 .

Originally proposed by the then Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru for establishment in Calcutta , it was established in New Delhi following the Chief Minister of West Bengal Bidhan Chandra Roy refusal

🛕 VEDIK GYAN

WHY ARE THE BEL LEAVES 🌿SO IMPORTANT FOR WORSHIPPING LORD SHIVA ?

Bilwa Patra leaves are important as their trifoliate shape signifies Shiva’s three eyes as well as the three spokes of the lords Trishul . Since they have a cooling effect, they are offered to the Shivalinga to soothe this hot-tempered deity.

The three segments of Bel leaf symbolically represents the three Gunas i.e. Tamas (physical body), Rajas (emotions) and satvic (intellect). The proportion of satvic component is more, hence the bel leaf has more capacity to absorb and emit satvic frequencies.

According to Brihaddharma Purana says Lakshmi prayed to Shiva every day and offered him 10,000 lotus buds. One day she fell short by two buds. Remembering that Vishnu had compared her breasts to lotus buds, she cut one off and offered it humbly. Before she could cut the other, Shiva, pleased with her, stopped her. Her cut breast became the fruit of the bel.Bhavishya Purana says after the samudra manthan, Lakshmi, emerged from the ocean on the ninth day of Bhadra and rested on the bel tree, so the bel is worshipped every year on that day.

🧬 HEALTH CARE: HOME REMEDIES🩺
( Note : These home tips followed in villages/ancient traditions, it is up to you to use it or not🙏🏻)

Benefits of Cloves

Cloves contain fiber, vitamins, and minerals, so using whole or ground cloves to add flavor to your food can provide some important nutrients

Cloves are replete with powerful antioxidants that help fight free radical damage and boost our immunity. The oil obtained from clove is a good source of a compound called eugenol. The strong germicidal properties of clove help combat toothache, sore gums and ulcers.

The anti-inflammatory compounds help heal sore throats, cold and cough and headache. The eugenol present in clove helps ease digestion; healthy digestion is key to effective weight loss. Clove also helps rev up metabolism naturally. By fighting free radical activity, cloves may also help give you a beautiful skin

Note : It is advised that you can consume not more than 2 to 3 cloves a day. Excessive consumption of cloves can cause fluid imbalances and liver damage
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🙏🏻💐 MUST READ. A INSPIRATIONAL STORY OF A YOUNG BOY : NCC Cadet died while saving 3 children from fire :💐
We know that Kareena Kapoor is going to have a second child.
We know what Nikki Tamboli did last night at BIGG BOSS.
We even know which star kid will enter films in the coming days.

On all these unrestrained things, we can gossip all day long… But do you know who was Cadet Amit Raj? Your answer will be ‘No’ and I do not blame you completely for this. Because, we only get a lot of rhetoric on the news. Today we will tell you about Cadet Amit Raj.

Sainik School (Purulia) cadet Amit Raj was in his hometown of Bihar on 7 December when he heard shouts of people in his neighbourhood. A house was set on fire. Amit Raj, regardless of his life, entered the house and rescued 3 children who were trapped inside. He saved the first two children and decided to save the third, he had burned 85%. He was not even in a condition to save the third child, yet with the great emphasis, he entered the house to save the third child, but during this time he was 95% burned. After which he was admitted to a nearby hospital and later referred to Delhi. This brave warrior lost his life on 13 December. Not a single media channel covered this important incident. How shameful it is. Even Google will not provide more information about this incident. But whatever Amit Raj did, we salute him for his bravery.

🙏PLZ FOLLOW GOVT. NORMS, MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCE, KEEP YOURSELF & YOUR FAMILY SAFE🌼