Top Weekly Current Affairs – 22 November to 28 November 2020

Today, we will see the latest news of the week from 22nd Nov-20 to 28th Nov-20. This current affairs 2020 is must for aspirants of competitive exams like UPSC, SSC and other Banking and Government Exams. So let’s start!!!

Polity and Governance

1. National Constitution Day 2020 

26th November 2020 in India saw the celebration of National Constitution Day of the country. This day is to celebrate the adoption of the Indian Constitution done on November 26, 1949. It is an annual event of national importance. 

2. Indian Government tightens norms to prioritize local tenders

The Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan has made it mandatory for ministries to float domestic tender for their requirements and look for local providers before moving towards global investors. This is applicable for contracts up to ₹200 crores.

3. One Nation, One Election – PM Modi

The 80th All India Presiding Officers Conference witnessed the Prime Minister’s suggestion for one election for the country. The election frequency distribution over the months impacts the development of the country. This also means using one voter list for all the elections like state, center, etc in the country. 

Banking and Economy

1. RBI becomes first Central Bank to gains 1 million followers on Twitter

The Central Bank of India, RBI has successfully managed to gain 1 million followers on Twitter. It is big news as it is the first central bank in the world to reach this benchmark. They moved ahead of European Central Bank and US Federal Reserve.

2. Lakshmi Vilas Bank & DBS Bank to Merge

Both the banks received approval from the union cabinet on their merger on 25th Nov 2020. DBS Bank is based out of Singapore and users can use LVB ATMs to withdraw money without restrictions. 

3. The idea of Corporate setting up Banks Receives Backlash

The ex RBI governor of India, Raghuram Rajan has shown disapproval towards the new policy of RBI. The internal committee of RBI is already deciding the license policy for this proposal. Rajan suggests limiting business involvement in the banking sector to avoid monopoly and control in the future. 

4. India reached 120% of its Annual Target of Fiscal deficit

The fiscal deficit of India has widened to ₹9.53 lakh crore that is 120% of the annual target. This is largely due to poor revenue management, and thus the country exceeded the spending limit more than the revenue. 

International Relations and Security

1. 43 more Chinese apps lose license by Indian Government

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of India took a step ahead of banning 43 mobile apps for the users in India. This was under the 69A of the Information Technology Act stated in the constitution. 

2. Japanese releases grants for Maldives Coast Guard

An agreement between Japan and Maldives to extend the grant to Maldives Coast Guard is official now. The grant is of $7.6 million and will reach the Maritime Rescue and Coordination Center as well.

3. Global Meet on Criminal Finances witnesses 132 Countries 

This was the 4th Global Conference on Criminal Finances and Cryptocurrencies. Interpol, Europol, and the Basel Institute were the organizers of this event which took place virtually. The first conference took place in 2016 as an initiative to control money laundering in the countries. 

4. Indian Navy leases 2 drones from the U.S.

Two MQ-9B Sea Guardian unarmed drones are taken on lease by the Indian Navy. Defense Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 allows leasing of defense and military equipment to reduce restructure the world force. 

Sports

1. Diego Maradona – The Football Legend dies of cardiac Arrest

A footballer of Argentina – Diego Maradona passed away on November 25, 2020, due to severe cardiac arrest. He won several tournaments and was an important figure as he represented teams like –  Napoli, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, and Newell’s Old Boys.

Awards and Prizes

1. Emmy Awards 2020 for Delhi Crime

The Netflix Original Delhi Crimes based on the Nirbhaya gang-rape case of Delhi won the Emmy Awards for the best drama of 2020. This was the 48th International Emmy Awards where the Indian web series managed to win. 

2. Pilibhit Tiger reserve

The number of tigers is up to 65 from 25 from the last four years in the reserved area. This led to them receiving an award at the Global Tiger Forum and the International Union for Conservation of Nature. 

Science and Technology

1. Lunar Rocks to return to Earth: China

China is preparing to send a spacecraft without a name to bring back lunar rocks. This is the first time in four decades that any nation took a step to bring back the stones. Only two countries have been successful in doing this before, they are the U.S. and the Soviet Union. 

2. NASA Launches Sentinel – 6 Satellite

This satellite is to monitor the global sea level and report any changes in it regularly. The main idea is to study the changing climate of the earth and come up with suitable measures to control it at the right time. NASA launched it on November 21, 2020. 

Health and Sanitisation

1. India may get Oxford vaccine by 2021

India can expect Oxford COVID-19 vaccine shots by Jan 2021 as the Serum Institute of India approves. The first batch of vaccine shots is only for healthcare workers and people at high risk of getting Covid.

Environment and Ecology

1. Blue Tide Phenomenon Spotted in Mumbai

The blue tide is a situation when marine plants called dinoflagellates have chemical reactions in turn producing light. The waves disturb these unicellular organisms making them produce blue light. Juhu, Devgad, and Ratnagiri beaches witnessed this site. 

2. India Climate Change Knowledge portal

The Union Ministry of Environment launched the portal for all the updates related to climate change in India. This is a one-stop website where one can find everything related to the country’s climate and relevant initiatives to control the change. 

Summary

This was all about the latest weekly news of the last week of November 2020.