current affairs 20 December 2021

Union cabinet approves Rs 76,000 crore push for semiconductor manufacturing.

• The Union Cabinet approved a Rs 76,000 crore Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme to boost semiconductor and display manufacturing in India.
• With this, the total amount of Production Linked Incentives (PLIs) announced for the electronics sector increased to Rs 2.30 lakh crore.
• The plan was approved to establish India as a global hub of hi-tech production as well as attract large chip makers.
• It will also strengthen India's ambitions to be self-reliant in electronics manufacturing and bring in huge investments.
• The government will also set up an independent India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) to drive long-term strategies to develop a sustainable semiconductor and display ecosystem in India.

Jharkhand Chief Minister launched SAHAY scheme for maoist-hit areas.

• Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has launched a sports action towards Youth Akanksha (SAHAY) scheme with the aim of nurturing young sports talent in Maoist affected districts of the state.
• The scheme has been launched to curb Left Wing Extremism (LWE), which has affected 19 out of 24 districts of the state.
• Under the scheme, boys and girls in the age group of 14-19 from village to ward level will be registered.
• And they will be given an opportunity to showcase their skills in basketball, volleyball, hockey and athletics.

ISRO signed six agreements with four countries for the launch of foreign satellites.

• The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has signed six agreements with four countries to launch foreign satellites during 2021-2023.
• About 132 million euros will be earned through the launch of these foreign satellites on a commercial basis.
• The ISRO-Indian Space Agency was established in 1969 to develop an independent Indian space programme.
• Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Atomic Energy and Space has said that ISRO has launched a total of 342 satellites from 34 countries since 1999.
• ISRO through its commercial arm, New Space India Limited (NSIL), has been launching satellites belong to other countries from Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
• Total 124 indigenous satellites have been put into Earth’s orbit including 12 student satellites.

A book titled "Revisiting the first 25 years of MeitY! by SS Oberoi.

• A book titled Rewinding of First 25 Years of Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology authored by SS Oberoi, former advisor, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) was released by Ajay Prakash Sawhney, Secretary, MeitY.
• The book covers life experiences, challenges of working as a consultant under MeitY.
• He was the first head of a software development agency and the first consultant on information technology.

Kumar Mangalam Birla receives Global Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

• Aditya Birla Group Chairman, Kumar Mangalam Birla has received the Global Entrepreneur of the Year Award - Business Transformation from The Indus Entrepreneurs (TIE) based out of Silicon Valley.
• Birla is the first Indian industrialist to receive the award for Global Entrepreneurship along with top global business leaders Satya Nadella, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.
• The award winners were selected by an independent jury headed by venture capitalist, Tim Draper, founder, Draper University.