December 2020 Current Affairs with static points

National:

• 7th Joint Commission Meeting(JCM) with Suriname on 2nd December 2020.

• Suriname is a small country on the northwestern coast of South America.
• Co-Chaired By: V. Muraleedharan (Minister of State for External Affairs) and Albert R. Ramdin(Minister of Foreign affairs for the Republic of Suriname.)
• Agenda: Energy mix, efficiency, creative industries, health, etc.
• Next JCM meeting scheduled at Paramaribo (Capital of Suriname) in 2022.
• Additionals: India also held its JCM with Chile this year on October 16, 2020.

• Dept. of Space signs 1st of its kind MOU with Agnikul Cosmos Pvt Ltd for Launch vehicle development program on Dec 03.

• Under this MOU the latter can access the facilities and technical expertise of ISRO for its launch vehicle development program.
• Signed By: R. Umamaheswaran, Scientific Secretary(ISRO) and Srinath Ravichandran (CEO, Agnikul)
• Additionals: Agnikul is a Chennai-based startup that builds small private satellite launch vehicles. The agreement was signed after the establishment of (In-SPACe announced in June 2020) India National Space Promotion and Authorization for enabling private players to undertake space activities in India.

• 6th CLMV Business conclave held virtually.

• CLMV members: Cambodia, Lao, Myanmar, Vietnam.
• Indian representative: V. Muraleedharan (Minister of State for External Affairs)
• Theme: Building bridges for constructive development.
• The meeting was held from virtual platform CII HIVE on 3-4 Dec 2020.
• Chief Guest: Piyush Goyal ( Minister for Commerce and Industry)
• Additionals: CLMV countries form the third-largest economy in the world. India's trade with CLMV countries increased from 1.5B USD to 10B USD.

• Pixxel Signs pact with NSIL to launch India's first Private Remote Sensing Satellite on PSLV Rocket in 2021

• NSIL: New Space India Limited, Dept. of Space.
• PSLV: Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
• Pixxel is headquartered in Bangaluru. 
• Founders of Pixxel: Awais Ahmed & Kshitij Khandelwal

• India-Russia PASSEX 2020 in Eastern Indian Ocean Region

• Date: 4-5 Dec 2020
• It is marine exercise between countries to enhance interoperability.
• India has participated in 13 bilateral-multilateral exercises in 2020.
• PASSEX between India and Japan was conducted earlier near Malacca Strait(between Indonesia and Malaysia)

• 6th ICT(Information and Communication Technology) joint working group meeting between India and Japan Virtually

• Agenda: Cooperation in 5G tech, medical appliances, etc.
• Virtual meeting held through VC Solution(web platform developed by India's C-Dot (Centre for Development of Telematics).
•  The India-Japan ICT was established in 2014.
• Represented by: Japan Vice-Minister of Internal affairs Yoshida Mabito. India was represented by K Ramchand Advisor at the Department of Technology and Anshu Prakash Secretary Dept. of the Ministry of Telecommunication. 

• Optical-Fibre connectivity between Kochi and Lakshadweep Islands for approval from cabinet

• Estimated cost: Rs. 1072 Cr.

• Lakshadweep becomes India's first 100% Organic Union territory

• Second in the country after Sikkim
• Confirmation from Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojna (organic farming improvement program launched in 2015)
• It means: use of synthetic chemicals for farming has stopped completely.
• About Lakshadweep: india's smallest UT with 36 islands. Capital: Kavaratti. Lt Governor: Praful Patel
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