current affairs 09 December 2021

US announces diplomatic boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics.

• The Biden administration has announced that US officials will not attend the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing after China took an unspecified retaliation against any such diplomatic boycott.
• The US cited China's human rights abuses as the main reason for its boycott.
• The US called the boycott a diplomatic boycott.
• This means that the US is not sending any official or diplomatic representation to participate in the Olympics.
• However, the US is allowing American athletes to participate in the Olympics.

Neelmani Phukan Jr. and Damodar Moujo receive the Jnanpith Award.

• Assamese poet Nilamani Phukan Jr. won the 56th Jnanpith Award and Konkani novelist Damodar Moujo won the 57th Jnanpith Award.
• The country's highest literary award, the Jnanpith, is given to authors for their outstanding contribution to literature.
• The Jnanpith Award is a literary award given annually by the Jnanpith organization of India to Indian writers.
• It was established in 1961 and is awarded only to Indian writers who write in Indian languages and English.

A new book titled "1971: Charge of the Gorkhas and Other Stories" was released.

• A new book titled 1971: Charge of the Gorkhas and Other Stories has been released and was written by Rachna Bisht Rawat.
• The book covers the story of a flight lieutenant who went missing after his plane crashed inside Pakistan and up to the last khukri attack in modern military history.
• Rachna Bisht Rawat is the author of six books by Penguin Random House India, including bestsellers The Brave and Kargil.

PM Modi organized the India-Russia Summit 2021.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin organized the 21st India-Russia Annual Summit to discuss all aspects of the relationship, including regional and global issues.
• During his visit, India and Russia signed 28 agreements.
• The leaders also discussed about the International North-South Transport Corridor and the Chennai-Vladivostok Eastern Maritime Corridor (which is under proposal).
• The visit of the Russian President is a reflection of the country's commitment to its relationship with India.
• This is the need of the hour.
• Because India-Russia relations were influenced by New Delhi's relationship with America.
• Also, Russia was getting closer to China in 2014 due to US sanctions, CAATSA and its annexation of Crimea.

FICCI appointed Sanjiv Mehta as its President.

• Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) announced that Sanjiv Mehta, Chairman and Managing Director of Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) will be appointed as its Chairman.
• Mehta, currently senior vice president at FICCI, will replace media industry veteran Uday Shankar.
• Mehta is also the President of Unilever South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal), and a member of the Unilever Leadership Executive which is Unilever's global executive board.