Crack Grade B 1

MONTHLY CURRENT AFFAIRS

DECEMBER 2022
NATIONAL NEWS

The Ministry of Power has launched a five-year procurement scheme for 4500 MW
of aggregate power:

• A program for the Ministry of Power’s SHAKTI Policy has been initiated to acquire a total of
4500 MW of power over five years. The scheme, according to the Ministry, will aid states that
are experiencing a lack of electricity and assist generation facilities in expanding their capacities.
The deadline for submitting a bid is December 21st. The B(v) of the SHAKTI scheme is being
used for the first time to conduct bidding.
• The nodal agency has been named PFC Consulting Limited. For the delivery of 4,500 MW of
electricity, it has requested bids.
What is SHAKTI Policy?

o Ministry of Power (MoP) in 2017 cleared the Coal Linkage Policy known as SHAKTI
(Scheme to Harness and Allocate Koyla Transparently in India). The Policy provides
coal linkages to power plants which lack fuel supply agreements (FSAs) through coal
auctions.

The NITI Aayog has released a study report titled “Carbon Capture to Achieve Net
Zero Emission Target by 2070.”

• ‘Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage Policy Framework and its Deployment Mechanism
in India’ is the title of a study report that was published. The importance of carbon capture,
use, and storage as a method for reducing emissions and achieving deep decarbonization from
challenging industries is examined in the paper.
• The paper describes the broad-scale policy changes required across numerous sectors for its
deployment. India has updated its NDC targets to achieve 50% of total installed capacity from
non-fossil-based energy sources by 2030, a 45% reduction in emission intensity by 2030,
and Net Zero by 2070, and the role of Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS)
becomes important as a reduction strategy to achieve decarbonization from the difficult-
to-abate sectors.

NITI Aayog:

Headquarters: New Delhi

Chairperson: Shri Parameswaran Iyer

CEO: Shri Narendra Modi

Union Minister R.K Singh launched the ‘Doctor Apke Dwar’ Mobile Health Clinics:

• Union Minister of Power and New and Renewable Energy, K. Singh, launched REC’s CSR
effort for the procurement, operation, and maintenance of ten ‘Doctor Apke Dwar’ Mobile

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Health Clinics (MHC) at Sadar Hospital, Aarah, Bhojpur District, Bihar. The initiative
intends to reduce operational costs for three years to ensure seamless operation.
• The project’s entire cost is Rs. 12.68 crores. The goal of 10 Mobile Health Clinics (MHC) is to
deliver primary health care to the poor population in all 14 blocks of Bihar’s Bhojpur district.

Animal Quarantine Certification Services Launched in Bengaluru:

• The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying held Animal Quarantine
Certification Services in Bengaluru as part of the National Milk Day celebrations. The
Department of Animal Husbandry, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying
commemorated National Milk Day.
• As part of the celebrations in Hasserghata Bengaluru, the Department launched Animal
Quarantine Certification Services. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, Minister of State in Finance,
Fisheries, and Animal Husbandry, Government of India, inaugurated the station on National Milk
Day in the presence of the Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
AQCS, Bangalore was established in August 2009, and it operates from the airport satellite
office at Alpha 3, Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru.

Yak has been approved as a ‘food animal’ by the FSSAI:

• The Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) has recognized the Himalayan Yak
as a “food animal”.
• According to an official at the National Research Centre (NRC) on Yak in Dirang, West Kameng
district, Arunachal Pradesh, the move is likely to help stem the decrease of the high-altitude
bovine animal population by merging it into the mainstream milk and meat businesses. The ‘food
animal’ tag will become official once approved by a competent authority and published in
the gazette.

FSSAI:

Headquarters: New Delhi

Chairperson: Shri Rajesh Bhushan

CEO: G Kamala Vardhana Rao

India’s assumption of the G-20 Presidency was marked by the illumination of 100
National Monuments:

• The G-20 presidency will officially transition to India on December 1, 2022. The anniversary will
be marked by several activities happening all around the nation, including the illumination of 100
monuments with the G-20 insignia.
• One Earth, One Family, One Future is the focus of India’s G-20 Presidency. The topic upholds the
importance of all life—human, animal, plant, and microorganism—as well as the interdependence
of these species both on Earth and in the larger cosmos. The brilliant colours of India’s national flag
served as inspiration for the design. It contrasts Earth with the lotus flower, which is the national
flower of India and symbolizes progress despite obstacles. The earth represents India’s pro-planet
philosophy of living in perfect harmony with the environment.
• From December 1 to December 7, 2022, 100 monuments, including UNESCO World Heritage Sites,
will be illuminated with the G-20 insignia for seven days. In addition to Sher Shah Suri’s Tomb
in Bihar and Modhera Sun Temple in Gujarat, the list of 100 locations that will be illuminated
also includes Purana Quila and Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi. 19 nations make up the Group of
Twenty (G-20).

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• Along with the European Union, the G-20 consists of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada,
China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa,
Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Gross GST income for November 2022 was Rs. 1,45,867 crores:

• According to information provided by the finance ministry, the Goods and Services Tax (GST)
receipts for November 2022 were Rs 1,45,867 crore. When compared to the same month a
year ago, when the GST collection was Rs 1,31,526 crore, the revenue for November is 11%
higher. For the ninth consecutive month, GST revenue has stayed above Rs 1.40 lakh crore.
• The total GST income collected in November 2022 was Rs 1,45,867 crore, of which the CGST,
SGST, IGST, and Cess components totalled Rs 25,681 crore, Rs 32,651 crore, Rs 77,103
crore, and Rs 10,433 crore, respectively (including Rs 817 crore collected on import of
goods).

India’s First Debt Collection Innovation Lab is Unveiled by Spocto:

• The first Innovation Lab (SIL) in India, focused on the debt collection sector of the banking
sectors in India and the Middle East, was opened with the help of the world’s top full-stack
debt assistance and risk mitigation platform. To gain a deeper understanding of the NPA
situation and possible technological solutions, SIL will collaborate with a variety of bank
stakeholders.
• By utilizing technology that offers hyper-personalization and data-driven solutions to enhance
repayments, Spocto will also advance digitalization in the ecosystem of the collection. The
concepts will be refined in collaboration with a “borrower” focus group made up of people from
diverse racial and socioeconomic groups. By incorporating feedback from both the borrower and
lender sectors, SIL is expected to help Spocto reduce the default rate by 10% by 2025.

The NSE introduces a new Nifty Bharat Bond Index:

• NSE Indices, a division of the National Stock Exchange, announced the introduction of
a new index in the Nifty Bharat Bond Index series. Each index in the Bharat Bond Index
series evaluates the performance of a portfolio of “AAA” rated bonds issued by
government–owned businesses and maturing in a certain year. The series has a target
maturity date structure.
• The sixth installment of the Bharat Bond ETF series will follow the recently created Nifty
BHARAT Bond Index, which has a 2033 maturity date. In December 2019, the first Bharat
Bond ETFs were introduced, mirroring the Nifty Bharat Bond indices.
• As a result of the Bharat Bond ETFs’ introduction, a new category of target maturity date index
funds with more than 1.30 lakh crore in assets under management has also been created. In
addition to the current five target maturity indices, the introduction of the new Bharat Bond
index, which matures in 2033, would give fixed-income investors more investment options
and support the development of a ladder structure of varying maturities.

NSE:

Headquarters: Mumbai

Chairperson: Girish Chandr Chaturvedi

MD & CEO: Ashishkumar Chauhan

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New Delhi hosts an international conference on “J C Bose: A Satyagrahi Scientist”:

• The government of India’s Ministry of Culture and Vijnana Bharati organized

an “International conference on the contributions of J C Bose: A Satyagrahi Scientist” at
the Inter-University Accelerator Center in New Delhi on the occasion of the 164th
anniversary of the birth of eminent Indian scientist Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose as
part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsava.
• Bama Sundari Bose and Bhagawan Chandra’s Bengali child was born on November 30, 1858.
He developed the crescograph, a tool for gauging plant growth while working as a plant
physiologist and physicist.

India is the first nation to get $100 billion in remittances in the entire world:

• According to the World Bank, India will be the first nation in the world to receive $100
billion in remittances in 2022.
• Remittances to the other South Asian nations fell by 10% but increased by 12% in India. To
reach $163 billion in 2022, remittances to South Asian countries increased by 3.5%.
Remittances to the other South Asian nations fell by 10% but increased by 12% in India.
• Remittances are anticipated to reach $794 billion globally in 2022. The majority of
remittances, which are expected to total $163 billion in 2022, are sent to South Asia. India will
provide $100 billion. With $142 billion, Latin America and the Caribbean come in second.

The largest wind-solar hybrid power developer in the world is Adani Green:

• The third wind-solar hybrid power plant has been put into operation in Jaisalmer in
Rajasthan by Adani Green Energy Ltd (AGEL), the Adani Group’s renewable energy division.
The first 390 MW hybrid power plant in India was operationalized by AGEL in May 2022.
• The largest co-located hybrid power plant in the world, with a 600 MW capacity, was
commissioned in September 2022. These two hybrid energy production facilities are situated
near Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
• AGEL currently has a total operating generation capacity of 7.17 GW after the successful
commissioning of its 450 MW plant. Additionally, this makes AGEL the largest wind-solar
hybrid power farm developer in the world. This recently installed hybrid power plant has a
total operational generation capacity of 450 MW. With SECI, the plant has Power Purchase
Agreements (PPA) for 25 years at Rs 2.67/kwh. The 420 MW solar and 105 MW wind power
plants that make up this new hybrid power plant were installed using cutting-edge
technologies.
• Adani Green Energy now has the largest operational hybrid power generation capacity of 1,440
MW thanks to this hybrid facility.

Adani Green:

Headquarters: Ahmedabad

Chairperson: Gautam Adani

MD & CEO: Vneet S. Jain

Dhaka celebrates the 51st Maitri Diwas, which marks India’s recognition of
Bangladesh:

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• On December 6, Dhaka commemorated the 51st anniversary of “Maitri Diwas,” which
commemorates India’s recognition of Bangladesh in 1971. The event was hosted by the
Indian High Commission in Dhaka and featured participation from liberation war fighters,
lawmakers, civil society leaders, media, dignitaries, and other notable individuals.
• K.M. Mozammel Haque, the Minister for Liberation War Affairs of Bangladesh, attended as the
event’s chief guest. On December 16, the Pakistani forces led by Lieutenant General Niazi
surrendered to a joint force of the Indian Army led by Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh
Arora and Mukti Bahini, liberating Bangladesh, formerly known as East Pakistan
(Bangladeshi freedom fighters).

Bangladesh:

Capital: Dhaka

Currency: Bangladeshi Taka

PM: Sheikh Hasina

President: Mohammad Abdul Hamid

The global economy appears to be heading for a recession, exacerbated by

inflation:

• The world economy appears to be heading for a catastrophic recession, with analogies
being drawn between the 2008 global financial crisis and the 2020 slowdown caused by the
Covid-19 pandemic. Many people believe that any significant setback may be avoided if the
policy is fine-tuned, which may be difficult to achieve.
• For the past few months, the US dollar has been soaring. It is already at its highest level in
two decades, and analysts anticipate it will rise even further in the following days. However, the
spike in the value of the dollar is roiling economies and markets around the world, creating
winners and losers. While a strong dollar benefits Americans, it has negative effects on other
countries, particularly emerging ones.

The production of coal in India increased by 11.66% in November:

• The total amount of coal produced in India increased by 11.66% from 67.94 million tonnes
in November 2021 to 75.87 million tonnes in November 2022. According to data from the coal
ministry, Coal India Ltd. (CIL) experienced an increase in November 2022 of 12.82%, while
Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) and other captive mines experienced growth of
7.84% and 6.87%, respectively.
• Out of the top 37 coal mines, 24 mines produced more than 100% of the total output, and
five mines produced between 80% and 100% of the total output. In November, the dispatch
of power utilities grew by 3.55 percent to 62.34 million tonnes from 60.20 million tonnes during
the same month last year.
• Raosaheb Danve Patil, the Union Minister of State for Coal, stated that India intends to boost
its yearly coal production to 1.5 billion tonnes by 2030 to fulfill its rising fuel demand.

Researchers at IIT Madras create the “Sindhuja-I” ocean wave energy converter:

• Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) have created an
“Ocean Wave Energy Converter” that can produce power from waves in the ocean. The
second week of November 2022 saw the successful conclusion of this device’s trials.

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• The item is known as “Sindhuja-I,” which translates to “produced from the ocean.” A
floating buoy, a spar, and an electrical module make up the system. The wave and the buoy
both oscillate up and down. In the current design, a long rod known as a spar can pass
through the center of a system that resembles a balloon and is referred to as a “buoy.”
• India’s 7,500 km of coastline, which can generate 54 GW of electricity, can meet a
significant portion of the nation’s energy needs.

IIT Madras:

Headquarters: Chennai, Tamil Nadu

CEO: Tamaswati Ghosh

Goa hosts the 9th World Ayurveda Congress and Arogya Expo 2022:

• The World Ayurveda Congress & Arogya Expo 2022 will take place in Goa from December 8–
11 to give industry leaders, practitioners, traditional healers, educators, students, medicine
manufacturers, etc. a global platform for networking and intellectual exchange to strengthen
the Ayurveda sector, envision its future, and facilitate interaction between experts and
customers to increase Ayurveda commerce.
• This year’s 9th World Ayurveda Congress (WAC) has the subject “Ayurveda For One Health.”
The third edition of the ‘Ayushman comic book series was also released at the
event.A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the All India Institute of
Ayurveda (AIIA) and Rosenberg’s European Academy of Ayurveda, Germany, to allow
advanced studies in traditional Indian medicinal systems.

India’s First Drone Training Conference Was Launched by Anurag Thakur:

• Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur launched India’s first Drone
Skilling and Training Virtual E-Learning Platform at the Chennai manufacturing site of
Garuda Aerospace, an Indian business that uses agri-drones to empower and mobilize farmers
throughout the country.
• The Minister also launched Garuda Aerospace’s drone yatra, “Operation 777,” which will go
to 777 districts in India to raise awareness of and show the value of drones for various
agricultural applications.
• The first of 1,000 planned Drone Centers of Excellence was also inaugurated by the I&B
Minister at the company’s manufacturing facility in Chennai, which is also the biggest in India.

13th Installment of PM Kisan Status 2022 is forthcoming:

• PM Kisan Status 2022: On December 20, 2022, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi may
introduce PM Kisan.gov.in for the 13th Installment Payment. PM Kisan’s 13th instalment
date is 2022.
• The Indian government will transfer the 13th instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman
Nidhi Yojana into the bank accounts of registered farmers before December 2022. The Central
Government of India will deposit a total of 2,000 rupees into each beneficiary’s account
from December 15 to December 20, 2022, so farmers who have applied under the PM Kisan
Yojana Yojana won’t have to wait too long.
• The Indian Union Agriculture Minister has withdrawn this announcement. The deadline for
completing the PM Kisan E-KYC 2022, which must be done by any or all beneficiaries to receive
the benefits of the PM Kisan Yojana 2022, has been once again extended by the Indian
government till December 20, 2022.

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Varanasi will commemorate “Universal Health Coverage (UHAC) Day 2022”:

• The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will hold a two-day convention in
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, on December 10 and 11, 2022, with the subject “Universal Health
Coverage Day (UHC) 2022.” Mrs Anandiben Patel, Governor of Uttar Pradesh, will open the
two-day event, which will be attended by Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Health
and Family Welfare, and Dr Bharti Praveen Pawar, Minister of State for Health and Family
Welfare. It’s interesting that the United Nations proclaimed December 12 as “International
Universal Health Coverage Day” in 2017.
• The theme of UHC Day this year is “Build the World We Want: A Healthy Future for
All,” emphasizing the value and function of health insurance in creating a healthy future for
everyone. The event will take place at the International Co-operation and Convention Center
Rudraksh Hall. The program will include participation from health ministers from various states.
• The 1st Regional Community Health Officers (CHO) Conference for Northern India will be
held during the Varanasi event. The regional meeting will be attended by concerned government
officials from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. The goal
of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is to ensure that “all individuals have access to needed
promotive, preventative, curative, and rehabilitative health care of sufficient quality to be
successful, while simultaneously ensuring that people do not face financial hardship while paying
for these treatments.”

The government extends the rooftop solar program through March 2026:

• The Rooftop Solar Program will now run through March 31, 2026, according to a statement
from the central government. The program’s subsidy will be accessible till the aim is currently
attained. The government has warned all residential customers not to pay any additional fees to
any vendor on account of the National Portal application fee or any additional fees for net
metering/testing that are not specified by the relevant distribution business.
• The subsidy under the National Portal has been set at Rs 14,588 per kW (for a capacity of up
to 3 kW) for the entire nation, and residential consumers are required to install rooftop solar
plants from any one of the vendors registered by the relevant distribution firm of their locality.
The Ministry is carrying out Rooftop Solar Programme Phase-II, which offers CFA/subsidy to
residential users for rooftop solar installation. A National Portal was created to make the
Program’s execution easier, and Prime Minister Modi officially unveiled it on July 30, 2022.

The Indian government contributes Rs 5000 billion to the SWAMIH Fund to

complete housing projects:

• The government has contributed an extra Rs 5,000 crore to the SWAMIH Invest Fund-I to
assist the strained real estate investment platform in reaching its final close of Rs 15,530
crore. India’s largest social impact fund, the Special Window for Affordable and Mid-Income
Housing Fund, claims that the government recently invested Rs 5,000 crore in it.
• For the completion of distressed, brownfield, and residential projects registered with regulatory
agencies that fall under the category of affordable, middle-income housing, it seeks to offer priority
loan financing. The fund announced that it has awarded final permission to 127
projects, which will result in the completion of more than 79,000 homes.

TRAI decides there will be no fees for SMS and cell broadcast alerts during disasters:

• The Telecom Tariff (69th Amendment) Order 2022 on Tariff for SMS and Cell Broadcast Alerts
Disseminated Through Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) Platform During Disasters/Non-
Disasters was issued by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

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• The Department of Telecom (DoT) asked TRAI to provide pricing for SMS and cell broadcast
alerts and messages that TSPs will disseminate via the CAP platform during both disasters and
non-disasters. The Authority has decided that no fees shall be assessed for such SMS/Cell
Broadcast Alerts or messages sent either during a disaster, before notification of disaster, or
after the disaster has passed, taking into account the importance of alerts or messages sent by
directions issued under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

Cochin International Airport has received the country’s largest business jet
terminal:

• At the Cochin International Airport, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan opened the
country’s first chartered gateway and a business jet terminal. As a result, Cochin Airport has
become the country’s fourth airport to operate a private jet terminal.
• Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) now has the country’s largest Business Jet
Terminal in addition to two magnificent domestic and international passenger terminals.
The newly launched business jet terminal was developed at a cost of 40 crore rupees by
remodeling the former domestic terminal. It has 40,000 square feet of space and includes
attractive lounges, customs, and immigration counters, a business center, and other modern
amenities. The new airport facility will increase tourism as well as the state’s MICE (Meetings,
Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) sector.

The sixth Vande Bharat train on the Nagpur-Bilaspur route was signalled by PM Modi:

• India’s sixth Vande Bharat Express between Bilaspur (Chattisgarh) and Nagpur
(Maharashtra) has been launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After the Mumbai-
Ahmedabad Vande Bharat express, this is the second Vande Bharat express in the state.

• At the Khapri Metro Station, he formally opened “Nagpur Metro Phase I” and set the
cornerstone for “Nagpur Metro Phase II.” Phase I development cost Rs. 8650 crores, while
the Phase II development will cost at least 6700 crore.

• The Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg, which

connects Nagpur and Shirdi, was officially opened by him. One of the nation’s longest
expressways, constructed at 55,000 crores, runs across 10 Maharashtra districts, including
Amravati, Aurangabad, and Nashik.

• Additionally, he created the Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering and Technology

(CIPET), Chandrapur, the Centre for Research, Management and Control of Hemoglobinopathies,
Nagpur, and the AIIMS Nagpur and Nag River pollution abatement project. Indian Railways
created the Vande Bharat, a domestic semi-high-speed train. By August 15th, 2023, the
government plans to operate 75 Vande Bharat express trains across the nation. The Vande
Bharat Express includes travel classes similar to those on the Shatabdi Train but with superior
amenities and a top speed limit of 160 kmph.

The Government of India has extended the PM SVANidhi Scheme beyond March 2022

• The Government of India has extended the PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM
SVANidhi) Scheme beyond March 2022 with the following provisions: Extension of lending
period till December 2024.
• Introduction of 3rd loan of up to ₹50,000 in addition to 1st & 2nd loans of ₹10,000
and ₹20,000 respectively. To extend the ‘SVANidhi Se Samriddhi’ component for all
beneficiaries of the PM SVANidhi scheme across the country; As on November 30, 2022, 31.73
lakh Street Vendors have availed the benefit of 1st loan of ₹ 10,000 loans; Out of these 5.81 lakh
have availed of the benefit of the second loan of ₹ 20,000 loans; Out of those who availed 2nd
loan, 6,926 street vendors have availed the benefit of the third loan of ₹50,000. 42 lakh street
vendors are to be provided benefits under PM SVANidhi Scheme by December 2024.

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MSME launched SAMADHAAN Portal:

• The Ministry of MSME launched SAMADHAAN Portal in 2017

(http://samadhaan.msme.gov.in/MyMSME/MSEFC/ MSEFCWelcomer.aspx.) for monitoring
the outstanding dues to the MSEs from the buyers of goods and services. The Ministry of
MSME created a special sub-portal within the Samadhaan portal in 2020, after the Aatma
Nirbhar Bharat announcements, for reporting the dues and monthly payments by central
Ministries/Department/Public Sector Enterprises to MSMEs.
• Dues of 1,65,034.09 crore have been paid to MSME vendors by Government Ministries/
Departments/CPSEs from May 2020 till 05th December 2022. The government of India has
also instructed CPSEs and all companies with a turnover of Rs. 500 Crore or more to get
themselves on-boarded on the Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS), an electronic
platform for facilitating the discounting of trade receivables of MSMEs through multiple
financiers. Companies that get supplies of goods or services from Micro & Small Enterprises and
whose payment to Micro and Small Enterprises exceeds 45 days from the date of acceptance or
the date of deemed acceptance of the goods or services, also need to submit a half-yearly return
to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs stating the number of payments due and the reasons of the
delay.

PM took part in a program commemorating Sri Aurobindo’s 150th birth anniversary:

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi attended a function honoring Sri Aurobindo’s 150th
birthday. Under the auspices of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, the Prime Minister released a
commemorative coin and postal stamp in honor of Sri Aurobindo. He is well known as
the yogi Rishi Aurobindo. He was a revolutionary, a nationalist, a poet, a teacher, and a
philosopher. Shri Krishnadhan Ghosh gave birth to him on August 15, 1872, in Calcutta.

The Chief Justice of India inaugurates Digitization Hubs in ten Odisha districts:

• Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud virtually inaugurated ten district court digitization
hubs (DCDH) in Odisha, stating that the judiciary needs to be modernized. With this
inauguration, the state now has a total of 15 DCDHs, each serving a neighboring district and
therefore covering all 30 district courts.
• The digitizing of all 30 districts in the state would be handled by the hubs in Angul, Bhadrak,
Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Keonjhar, Koraput, Malkangiri, Mayurbhanj, Nayagarh, and
Sonepur. Each DCDH will be tasked with digitizing the districts around it.
• On April 30, 2021, four District Court Digitization Centres (DCDC) were established on a trial
basis in the districts of Cuttack, Ganjam, Sambalpur, and Balasore. He praised the Orissa High
Court’s information and communication technology (ICT) policies implemented under the
direction of Chief Justice S Muralidhar, saying, “Digitisation should be complemented with a
drive for e-filing of cases.”

Retail inflation fell below 6% in November for the first time since 2022:

• Retail inflation in India has been reduced from 6.77% in October to 5.88% in November
2022. It is the first time in this fiscal year that the inflation rate has fallen below the RBI’s
tolerance band of 2 to 6%.
• Food costs, which make up over 40% of the CPI basket, fell to 4.67% in November from 7.01%
in October. Since January, retail inflation has remained beyond the Reserve Bank of India’s 2%-
6% tolerance level, prompting a 225-basis point increase in interest rates, bringing it to
6.25%. Core inflation, excluding volatile food and energy components, is expected to be between
6% and 6.26% in November, according to three experts, up from 5.9% to 6.3% in October.

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In November, WPI inflation fell to a 21-month low of 5.85%:

• In November, wholesale price-based inflation fell to a 21-month low of 5.85 percent due to
lower food, fuel, and manufactured-goods prices. After lingering in the double digits for 19
months, wholesale price index (WPI) inflation fell to 8.39% in October.
• In November 2021, inflation was 14.87 percent. The decrease in the rate of inflation in
November 2022 is mostly due to lower prices for food, basic metals, textiles, chemicals & chemical
products, and paper & paper products compared to the previous year’s corresponding month. A
lower level of inflation was last observed in November 2022, when WPI inflation was 4.83
percent in February 2021.

By 2031 India will have 20 new nuclear power plants:

• According to the government, India expects to commission 20 nuclear power stations by

2031, adding roughly 15,000 MW of power generation capacity. The first of these 20 nuclear
power plants, a 700 MW unit, is scheduled to be completed in 2023 at Kakrapar in Gujarat,
which already has three active nuclear power plants.
• According to a written reply by Minister of State in the PMO Jitendra Singh, the 500 MW
Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam is projected to be operational in 2024,
followed by two 1,000 MW units at Kudankulam in 2025. He expects two 700 MW
units in Rawatbhata, Rajasthan, to be finished by 2026, and two 1,000 MW units in
Kudankulam to be completed by 2027.
• Two 700 MW units are planned to be built in Gorakhpur, Haryana, by 2029, according to the
minister, who detailed the projects under consideration.

• Furthermore, the government granted administrative permissions and financial sanctions for the
construction of ten 700 MW atomic power plants at Gorakhpur, Haryana (units 3&4), Kaiga,
Karnataka (unit 5&6), Chutka, Madhya Pradesh (units 1&2), and Mahi Banswara, Rajasthan.
These ten nuclear power units are expected to be built in stages by 2031, according to Singh.

The government has allocated Rs 1037.90 crore to the New India Literacy
Programme over the next five years:

• The Ministry of Education (MoE) has approved a new five-year program called the “New
India Literacy Programme” to address all aspects of adult education through the new National
Education Policy (NEP). The ministry has also opted to use “Education For All” rather than
“Adult Education” because the previous title did not adequately reflect all non-literates aged 15
and up.
• The scheme’s goals are to teach not only foundational literacy and numeracy, but also other
components required for a 21st-century citizen, such as critical life skills vocational skills
development to obtain local employment; and basic education (including preparatory, middle, and
secondary school). The policy will apply to non-literates aged 15 and up in all states and
union territories.
• For the fiscal years 2022-27, the target for Foundational Literacy and Numeracy is 5 crore
learners using the Online Teaching, Learning and Assessment System
(OTLAS) in collaboration with the National Informatics Centre, NCERT, and NIOS, in which
a learner may register himself/herself with essential information such as name, date of birth,
gender, Aadhaar number, and mobile number. For 2022-27, the total estimated outlay for the
“New India Literacy Programme” is Rs 1037.90 crore, which includes a central contribution
of Rs 700 crore and a state portion of Rs 337.90 crore.

Bhopal will host the 8th India International Science Festival 2022:

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• The India International Science Festival (IISF)-2022 will take place in Bhopal in January
2023, and it is one of the key events to take place after India assumed the G-20 presidency.
• The IISF is a project of the Government of India’s Ministries of Science and Technology and
Earth Science, in collaboration with Vijnana Bharati, a science movement with a swadeshi
spirit led by notable scientists from throughout the country. Since its beginning in 2015, the IISF
2022 is the 8th edition.
• It is a festival that brings together students, innovators, craftspeople, farmers, scientists, and
technocrats from India and throughout the world to honour India’s scientific and technological
achievements. It also allows people and the scientific community in India and throughout the
world to come together, collaborate, and experience the thrill of doing science for the benefit of
India and humanity. During these four days, fourteen activities will be held in parallel, with
the involvement of over 8,000 delegates from across the country.

India will be the first country to auction off satellite spectrum:

• According to telecom regulator Trai chairman PD Vaghela, India will be the first country to
auction spectrum for satellite communication, and it should be tailored to promote
investments in the field. Vaghela stated at a Broadband India Forum
summit on SatCom that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) will soon make
recommendations to make permissions required for satellite communication from various
ministries — Information and Broadcasting, Space, and Telecom — seamlessly to improve the
ease of doing business in the sector.
• He also stated that Trai has received a referral from the Department of Telecommunications for
the auction of spectrum and related components of satellite-based communication. The regulator
has yet to issue a consultation document on the spectrum auction by the customary protocol
for satellite communication.

Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister of Jal Shakti, will inaugurate the 7th India
IWIS:

• Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Jal Shakti Minister, launched the 7th India Water
Impact Summit (IWIS 2022) in the presence of Shri Bishweshwar Tudu, Minister of State for Jal
Shakti. This year’s summit theme is “Restoration and Conservation of Small Rivers in a Large
Basin,” with a focus on the “Mapping and Convergence of 5Ps” – People, Policy, Plan,
Programme, and Project.
• The summit will be held from December 15th to 17th, 2022 at the Ambedkar International
Centre in New Delhi by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and the Center for
Ganga River Basin Management and Studies (cGanga). The three-day summit will try to
provide insight into probable reasons for divergence and develop a strategy for achieving
convergence.

PMKKK Scheme has been renamed the Promotion of Prime Minister’s Heritage (PM
Vikas) Scheme:

• The Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) Scheme has replaced the Pradhan
Mantri Kaushal Ko Kaam Karyakram (PMKKK), according to Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, Minister
of Minority Affairs, in response to a question in the Lok Sabha.
• Five former Ministry of Finance programs—Seekho aur Kamao, USTTAD, Hamari Dharohar,
Nai Roshni, and Nai Manzil—have been combined into one integrated program. The Cabinet has
given the plan its blessing for the duration of the 15th Finance Commission.

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• PM VIKAS uses the elements of skill development, education, women’s leadership, and
entrepreneurship to enhance the livelihoods of minorities, especially the artisan groups. The
scheme’s ultimate goal is to boost recipients’ incomes and give support through facilitating credit
and market linkages. These components work in harmony to achieve this goal.

Nation Honors Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on the Anniversary of His Death:

• Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s 72nd death anniversary was marked by tributes from Prime
Minister Narendra Modi and several Union Ministers. Recalling Sardar Patel on his Punya
Tithi, Prime Minister Modi declared that the nation would be eternally grateful to Patel.
• The “Iron Man of India,” Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, was born on October 31, 1875, in the
village of Nadiad in modern-day Gujarat. India will always be grateful to him for his exemplary
service, his managerial prowess, and the tireless efforts he made to bring our country together.
Indian nationalist Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel was known as Sardar. He served as India’s
first deputy prime minister from 1947 until 1950.

The fifth edition of Youth Co: Lab is released by Atal Innovation Mission and UNDP
India:

• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, and UNDP India together launched the fifth
edition of Young Co: Lab, making it the largest youth innovation movement in the Asia Pacific
region. The applications for this edition were introduced by Mr. Dennis Curry, Deputy Resident
Representative, UNDP India, and Dr. Chintan Vaishnav, Mission Director AIM, NITI Aayog.
• Through the fifth edition of Youth Co: Lab India, Atal Innovation Mission, and UNDP India are
leading this movement and supporting young social entrepreneurs who have the potential to be
great forces in driving social change and advancing the implementation of SDG target actions.
• The fifth edition of Youth Co: Lab India will concentrate on locating and assisting youth-led
early-stage social enterprises or innovations operating in the following areas: 1) Digital and
Financial Literacy for Youth, 2) Gender Equality and Women’s Economic Empowerment, 3)
Creating FinTech Solutions Focused on Biodiversity Conservation, 4) Promoting Biodiversity-
friendly Lifestyles through Technological Solutions in Finance, 5) Accelerating Circular Economy
through Upcycling Innovations ( Lifestyle For Environment).

Delhi International Arts Festival was organized by the ministry of culture:

• Inaugurating the Delhi International Arts Festival at Kartavya Path with the slogan “Where
Bharat Meets India,” the Ministry of Culture worked in partnership with the Prasiddha
Foundation. The event strives to honor the great epics, the warriors who fought for our freedom,
and the numerous policies and programs established by our government in the interest of
“Women’s Empowerment,” “Cleaning Our Holy Rivers,” and “Maintaining a Country Free
from Dirt and Disease.”
• In addition to theatre, classical musical performances, and other cultural acts, the festival will
feature dance performances like Kathak and Odissi.

“AYURSWASTHYA Yojana” Status of Centers of Excellence:

• The status of the “AYURSWASTHYA Yojana” centres of excellence program was reported in
a notification from the Ministry of Ayush. Under the initiative, money is given to qualified
institutions and individual groups to help them set up and improve their facilities and/or
conduct AYUSH-related research and development.

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• The scheme was created by merging two previous programs of this Ministry, namely i) the Central
Sector Scheme of Grant-in-Aid for Promotion of AYUSH Intervention in Public Health
Initiatives (PHI) and (ii) the Central Sector Scheme for Assistance to AYUSH Organizations
(Government/Non-Government Non-Profit) Engaged in AYUSH Education/Drug
Development, primarily consists of two components: I AYUSH and Public (CoE).
• To encourage the development of cutting-edge, highly specialized AYUSH medical health units in
reputable AYUSH and Allopathic institutions in both the public and private sectors. To promote
AYUSH at the national and international levels by promoting creative and innovative proposals
for the establishment and improvement of the facilities and services of reputable institutions. This
will help to improve the skills of AYUSH professionals in areas like education technology,
research, and innovation. To encourage original ideas and proposals for prestigious organizations
with established facilities and infrastructure that want to advance AYUSH systems to the level of
a Center of Excellence.

The first green steel brand in the nation, “KALYANI FeRRESTA,” was introduced
by Jyotiraditya Scindia:

• The first green steel brand in India, “KALYANI FeRRESTA,” was introduced in New Delhi by
Union Steel Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.
• The Kalyani Group, a steel manufacturer with headquarters in Pune, created this ground-
breaking steel with zero carbon footprints on the environment. The Kalyani Group effort will assist
in changing the steel industry’s long-standing reputation as a “hard to abate sector” with high
carbon emissions into a low-emitting, environmentally friendly steel-producing sector.
Internationally, the steel sector is responsible for 7% of CO2 emissions, with the Indian steel
sector contributing 13% of those emissions.

First-ever “Surety Bond Insurance” for Infrastructure Projects is introduced by Nitin

Gadkari:

• Nitin Gadkari, the minister of roads, transport, and highways, introduced the nation’s first-
ever surety bond insurance product, reducing the reliance on bank guarantees for
infrastructure companies. For infrastructure projects, surety bond insurance will serve as a
security measure and will protect both the principal and the contractor. The item will meet the
needs of a variety of contractors, many of whom are engaged in business in today’s increasingly
unstable climate.

Good Governance Week 2022 is inaugurated by Union Minister Jitendra Singh:

• Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of state for Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions, has
officially launched Good Governance Week, which runs from December 19–25, 2022, at
Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.

• Paying respects to Bharat Ratna Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the former prime minister of India,
in whose honour Good Governance Day and Good Governance Week are observed. In
addition, the Minister started a five-day national campaign called “Prashasan Gaon Ki Ore” to
honour former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birthday.

8% Annual Growth in Note in Circulation to Rs 32 Lakh Crore:

• The note in circulation (NiC), according to Finance Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman,
increased by 7.98% annually to reach Rs 31.92 lakh crore. According to her, the demand for
money is influenced by several macroeconomic variables, such as economic growth and interest
rate levels.

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• The amount of money in circulation has increased to a record high of Rs 32 lakh crore six
years after demonetisation, demonstrating that cash is still Indians’ preferred method of
payment. From Rs 17 lakh crore on November 4, 2016, it has climbed by a staggering 72%
compared to the pre-demonetisation period.

IPL surpasses a valuation of $10 billion and becomes a decacorn:

• IPL’s valuation exceeds $10 billion: The Indian Premier League (IPL), whose whole market value
is more than $10 billion, has developed into a decacorn. According to a D and P Advisory
assessment released, the league is currently valued at $10.9 billion.
• Notably, it has increased by an astonishing 75% since 2020. Profitable collaborations with
media sector titans have benefited IPL’s growth. A decacorn is a firm that is valued at above
$10.0 billion. The IPL has accomplished the feat in less than 15 years since its inception.
The inaugural ICC T20 World Cup was held in 2008, with India emerging victorious months
earlier.

Gross Direct Tax Collections Increase by 25.90% in the Fiscal Year 2022–2023:

• The total amount of direct taxes collected in the fiscal year 2022–2023 increased by 25.90
percent to 13,63,649 crore rupees. 10,83,150 crores of rupees were collected as gross revenue
during the relevant period.
• Data from the Finance Ministry show that for the fiscal year 2022–23, net direct tax receipts
totalled 11,35,754 crore rupees, representing an increase of 19.81 percent. For the
corresponding time period, 9,47,959 crore rupees in net direct tax receipts were recorded.

Indian Railways inaugurates Kashmir’s longest “escape tunnel”:

• The 111 km long Banihal-Katra railway line in Jammu and Kashmir, which was under
construction, now has India’s longest escape tunnel, measuring 12.89 km in length. It was
built by the Indian Railways. The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL)
project includes the tunnel with the greatest length.
• Following the 75 km T-49, the longest tunnel of the Indian Railways, which was finished in
January of this year, this is the fourth tunnel on the Banihal-Katra route. In the event of an
emergency, the construction of the escape tunnel will make rescue efforts easier.

PM Modi will open the National Youth Conference in Karnataka:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will officiate the opening of the National Youth Festival,
according to Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. The festival will be held in the twin
cities of Hubballi and Dharwad.
• On January 12, in honour of Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary, the National Youth Festival
will be held. The youth festival will draw about 7,500 participants from all 50 States.
The National Youth Festival is held to honour Swami Vivekanand’s birthday, which falls
on January 12. As a key component of the National Integration Camp’s curriculum, the first
National Youth Festival began in 1995. In Puducherry, the 25th National Youth Festival was
held.

Over Rs 10,000 billion would be added to India’s GDP by the YouTube creator’s
ecosystem in 2021:

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• In 2021, the creative ecosystem of YouTube, which is owned by Google, was expected to
sustain more than 750,000 full-time equivalent employment in India and contribute more
than Rs 10,000 crore to the GDP of the country, according to a statement made by YouTube.
A new product called Courses, which would offer users a better learning experience and creators
a new way to monetize their work, was also revealed by the company.
• Its beta debut was scheduled for 2023. According to the findings of the most recent Oxford
Economics study conducted by YouTube, content created by Indian YouTube artists is
currently viewed by billions of people worldwide.

The Minimum Support Prices for Copra for the Season of 2023 are Raised by CCEA:

• The Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for copra for the 2023 season have been authorized
by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), which is presided over by Prime
Minister Shri Narendra Modi. The Commission for Agricultural Costs and
Prices’ recommendations and the opinions of the major states that produce coconuts served as
the basis for the approval.
• For the 2023 season, the MSP for milling copra of Fair Average Quality has been set at 10860
per quintal and for ball copra at Rs. 11750 per quintal. This is an increase over the previous
season of Rs. 270/- for milling copra and Rs. 750/- for ball copra per quintal.
• This would guarantee a margin above the weighted average cost of production for all of India of
51.82 percent for milling copra and 64.26 percent for ball copra. The Government’s
announcement of the MSP for copra for the 2023 season is consistent with its policy of setting
the MSP at a level that is at least 1.5 times the weighted average cost of production for all
of India. It is one of the crucial and forward-thinking actions to guarantee higher financial
rewards for coconut growers and significantly enhance their well-being.

Sebi Approves NSE to Establish Social Stock Exchange:

• The Securities Exchange Board of India (Sebi), the country’s capital markets regulator, gave
in-principle clearance to one of India’s top stock exchanges, the National Stock Exchange of
India (NSE), to establish a Social Stock Exchange (SSE) as a distinct segment.

• SSE is a unique idea in India and was first proposed by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
in her Budget address for the financial year 2019–20. The framework for this was notified in
July of this year based on the suggestions of a working group and technical group that Sebi had
formed. Making more capital available to them is intended to benefit the private and non-profit
sectors. A gazette notification announcing a new security with “zero coupons zero principal”
under the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act of 1956 was published by the union
government.

The 75th Amrut Mahotsav of Shree Swaminarayan Gurukul Rajkot Sansthan was
addressed by PM Modi:

• The 75th Amrut Mahotsav of Shree Swaminarayan Gurukul Rajkot Sansthan was addressed
by Prime Minister Narendra Modi through video conference. In 1948, seer Shri
Dharmajivandasji Swami founded the Shree Swaminarayan Gurukul Rajkot Sansthan in
Rajkot.
• It has grown and has more than 40 branches worldwide, offering more than 25,000 students
access to secondary, undergraduate, and postgraduate education facilities. At Sahajanand Nagar,
where famous multi-speciality doctors are offering free medical services and free medicine to the
public, massive blood donation camps and free medical check-up camps are being held as part
of the Amrit Mahotsav celebrations. The number of elite educational institutions like IITs, IIITs,
IIMs, and AIIMS is growing dramatically, according to Modi, who also noted that the number of
medical colleges in the nation has expanded by more than 65% since 2014.

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Indian billionaire Gautam Adani will hold close to 65% of NDTV’s shares:

• Indian billionaire Gautam Adani will control 64.71% of New Delhi Television Ltd
(NDTV.NS) as the company’s founders have decided to sell most of their shares, four months after
he launched a takeover of the news network.
• Adani already held 37% of NDTV after an open offer and an acquisition of a company owned
by founders Radhika and Prannoy Roy, despite several unsuccessful attempts by NDTV to block
the takeover citing regulatory restrictions on moving shares. The husband-and-wife team will sell
a 27.26% stake in NDTV to Adani-owned entity AMG Media Network and retain a combined
5%, regulatory filings by NDTV

Consumer Affairs Minister Goyal unveils ‘right to repair’ portal

• Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal introduced a host of new initiatives,
including a right-to-repair portal and an NTH mobile app, and opened new premises of
the National Consumer Helpline centre in the national capital. On the ‘right to repair’
portal, manufacturers would share the manual of product details with customers so that they
could either repair by themselves, or by third parties, rather than depend on the original
manufacturers.
• Initially, mobile phones, electronics, consumer durables, automobiles, and farming equipment
would be covered. In a short span of six months, we have doubled the disposal of pending cases.
About 90,000 pending cases were disposed of (between July and November this year). Under the
Consumer Protection law, a complaint is required to be disposed of within 90 days of its
filing and within 150 days wherever expert evidence is required to be taken.

Government organizes “Dance to Decarbonize” event to generate power by dance

floor:

• The ‘Dance to Decarbonize’ event for the upcoming India Energy Week in Bangalore in
February 2022 will take place at the National Stadium near India Gate, New Delhi. As part of
a new initiative, the Ministry of Oil and Gas is planning a one-day event to harness renewable
energy generated by dancing to charge electric vehicles. Through the use of dance and music,
the event hopes to increase participation in the topic of sustainability.
• A state-of-the-art stage will be built where dancing people will generate renewable energy, which
will be used to power electric auto-rickshaws and sport utility vehicles. India’s goal of achieving
net zero emissions by 2070 is weighed against the country’s growing energy needs,
economic expansion, and the priority placed on implementing responsible energy sources over
long-term innovative energy systems.

Reliance Jio launches 5G in Andhra Pradesh with an investment of Rs. 6,500 crores:

• Reliance Jio declared that it had started offering True 5G services in Andhra Pradesh. In the
districts of Tirumala, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, and Guntur, 5G services have begun to
be offered.
• Jio has made additional investments of more than Rs 6,500 crore for the deployment of a
5G network in Andhra Pradesh on top of their previous Through the groundbreaking AR-VR Jio
Glass and the Jio Community Clinic medical kit, Jio demonstrated the advantages of 5G in the
field of healthcare. All 33 of Gujarat’s district headquarters, as well as Delhi-NCR, Mumbai,
Kolkata, Varanasi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, and Nathdwara, already have Jio
True 5G service. Jio True 5G services would be accessible in every Andhra Pradesh town, taluka,
mandalam, and hamlet by December 2023.

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Andhra Pradesh:

Capital: Ahmedabad

Chief Minister: YS Jagan Mohan Reddy

Governor: Biswabhusan Harichandan

India Officially Recognizes E-sports As a Part of Multisports Event:

• The Indian government has officially recognized e-sports in the country. Esports will now be a
part of the “multisports event” category in India under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and sports
and a section related to “matters relating to online gaming” is added under MeitY as well.
• Under the Cabinet Secretariat, the addition of “esports” was notified under the sub-
heading Department of Sports under, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. This is a
prominent step towards regularizing an industry that brings in millions if not billions of dollars every
year in terms of investments and expenditures.
• The Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) Promotion Task Force, which was
established earlier this year after the Union Budget of 2022-23, has also submitted a report
outlining the opportunities, challenges and recommended actions that the Government of India can
take to promote and nurture the industry. The government task force has recommended
establishing incubators to accelerate the growth of startups in the AVGC industry and has asked
the MIB to look into tax rebates, incentivizing foreign direct investments (FDI), and offering
research and development opportunities to the industry

Railways to renovate 1,000 small stations under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme:

• The Ministry of Railways, as part of its station redevelopment drive, has formulated a new
scheme to modernise over 1,000 small stations over the coming years. Under the Amrit
Bharat Station Scheme, stations will be equipped with facilities inspired by the mega-
upgradation of marquee stations such as New Delhi and Ahmedabad, albeit at a lower cost.
• Key features of these proposed stations include provisions for rooftop plazas, longer
platforms, ballastless tracks, and 5G connectivity.

Kerala’s Dharmadam becomes the first complete library constituency in India:

• Dharmadam, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s constituency has achieved

the position of complete library constituency in India, the first in India. Out of the total 138
wards in the constituency, there were no libraries in 63 wards. Dharmadam reached the
achievement with the opening of libraries in these wards too.

• Complete librarianisation was made possible with the support of all sections of the people
of the constituency. The People’s Mission for Social Development, a people’s organization, has
taken up the work of establishing libraries and expanding the existing ones in Dharmadam
constituency,” he wrote.

Kerala:

Capital: Thiruvananthapuram

Chief Minister: Pinarayi Vijayan

Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan

Punjab ranks 2nd in average monthly income per agricultural household:

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• Punjab ranks second in the country in average monthly income per agricultural household.
As per information, Meghalaya tops across the country with an average monthly income per
agricultural household (Rs 29,348).
• Punjab (Rs 26,701) is followed by Haryana (Rs 22,841), Arunachal Pradesh (Rs 19,225),
Jammu and Kashmir (Rs 18,918), group of Union Territories (Rs 18,511), Mizoram (Rs
17,964), Kerala (Rs 17,915), group of northeastern states (Rs 16,863), Uttarakhand (Rs
13,552), Karnataka (Rs 13,441), Gujarat (Rs 12,631), Rajasthan (Rs 12,520), Sikkim (Rs
12,447) and Himachal Pradesh (Rs 12,153).
• Punjab would come in the first place, with Meghalaya having a significant proportion of
horticulture and fruits, if we were to rank states based on their dependence on cash crops.

Punjab:

Capital: Chandigarh

Chief Minister: Bhagwant Singh Maan

Governor: Banwarilal Purohit

Oxford Dictionaries names ‘goblin mode’ word of the year via online vote:

• Oxford Dictionaries declared that goblin mode has been selected by online vote as its word
of the year. It defines the term as a type of behaviour that is unapologetically self-indulgent,
lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations. The
word of the year is intended to reflect the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of the past twelve
months.

President of India lays foundation stone for PRASHAD project and UNESCO World
Heritage Site in Telangana:

• The President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu laid the foundation stone for the project
‘Development of Pilgrimage Facilities at Bhadrachalam Group of Temples’ today at Sri
Seetha Ramachandra Swamivari Devasthanam, Bhadrachalam in the Bhadradri Kothagudem
District of the state of Telangana.
• She also laid the foundation stone for another project called ‘Development of Pilgrimage and
Heritage Infrastructure of UNESCO World Heritage Site at Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple’
at Mulugu in the state. The project ‘Development of Pilgrimage Facilities at Bhadrachalam
Group of Temples, Telangana’ has been approved by the Ministry of Tourism at an estimated
cost of Rs 41.38 Crores.

UNESCO:

Headquarters: Paris, France

Founded: 16 Nov, 1945

Director General: Audrey Azoulay

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri launches guidelines for City Finance Rankings
and City Beauty Competition:

• Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has launched the guidelines
for City Finance Rankings and City Beauty Competition in New Delhi. The City Finance
Ranking aims to evaluate, recognize and reward the cities on current financial health and
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improvement in financial performance over time. Guidelines for City Beauty Competition are
aimed at encouraging and recognizing the transformational efforts of wards and cities to
create beautiful, innovative, and inclusive public spaces.

Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw launches ‘Stay Safe Online’ Campaign and ‘G20 Digital
Innovation Alliance’:

• As part of India’s G20 presidency, the Minister for Electronics & Information Technology,
Communications, and Railways, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, introduced the “G20 Digital
Innovation Alliance” (G20-DIA) and the “Stay Safe Online” campaign. The major goal of
the ‘Stay Safe Online Campaign’ is to raise public awareness about staying safe online.

Finance Minister inaugurates two-day long 65th Foundation Day celebrations of DRI
in New Delhi:

• Finance Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the two-day-long 65th Foundation
Day celebrations of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in New Delhi. She will also
launch the current edition of Smuggling in India Report 2021-22 on the occasion. As many as 22
Customs administrations covering the Asia-Pacific region along with international
organizations are invited to the event this year. The 8th Regional Customs Enforcement
Meeting (RCEM) will also be held at the event.

REC organizes ‘Bijli Utsav’ in Assam as a part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav:

• As a part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ – to celebrate 75 years of Independence, REC Limited

organized ‘Bijli Utsav’ in Anandapur Gaon of Baksa district and adjoining villages in Assam.
Numerous dignitaries such as Katiram Boro, Speaker – Dr. Ashraful Amin – Addl. Deputy
Commissioner – Baksa, Khagendranath Sarania, Principal – Anandapur Primary School, Nagen
Chandra Das, Retd. Principal – Nehru Anchalik High School, Manasjyoti Pathak, AGM (RE) Baksa
– Assam Power Distribution Co. Ltd. (APDCL), and officials from REC Regional Office in
Guwahati graced the occasion.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

China Holds First China-Indian Ocean Region Forum Without India

• China organized the first high-level China-Indian Ocean Region Forum on Development
Cooperation (IORFDC), with representatives from 19 countries including all countries from
South Asia except India attending this event.

• 19 countries, including Indonesia, Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives,

Nepal, Afghanistan, Iran, Oman, South Africa, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Seychelles,
Madagascar, Mauritius, Djibouti, Australia, and representatives of three international
organizations were present at the hybrid forum. The meeting was held in a hybrid
manner under the theme of “Shared Development: Theory and Practice from the
Perspective of the Blue Economy” in Kunming, China.
• The forum was organized by the China International Development Cooperation Agency
(CIDCA), China’s new development aid agency.

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World’s largest active volcano Hawaii’s Mauna Loa erupts for the first time in nearly
40 years

• The world’s largest active volcano, Hawaii’s Mauna Loa, erupted for the first time in nearly
40 years. It is the volcano’s first well-documented historical eruption. With the eruption of
the volcano, the night sky above Hawaii’s largest island glowed a hellish red as bright, hot
lava sprang forth at the Volcano’s summit. Hawaii’s Mauna Loa is the largest (not tallest)
volcano in the world.

Globally one in eight people are migrants: WHO

• According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Globally one in eight or over one billion
people are migrants with 281 million international migrants and many million
individuals who are stateless. Climate change, rising inequality, conflicts, trade,
and population growth are accelerating these trends.

WHO:

Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland

Founded: 7 April, 1948

Director General: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

A Greener cooling pathway can create a $1.6 trillion investment opportunity in India
– World Bank

• The World Bank (WB) report, titled “Climate Investment Opportunities in India’s Cooling
Sector” finds that as temperatures steadily rise in India due to climate change, keeping
spaces cool using alternative and innovative energy-efficient technologies can open an
investment opportunity of $1.6 trillion by 2040. This also has the potential to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions significantly and create nearly 3.7 million jobs.
• From 2030 onwards, more than 160 to 200 million people could be exposed to a lethal heat
wave in India every year. Around 34 million people in India will face job losses due to heat
stress-related productivity decline.

World Bank:

Headquarters: Washington D.C, United States

Founded: July 1944

President: David Malpass

Germany announces €1 billion funding for energy transition projects in India

• Germany has unveiled a proposal to provide 1 billion euros (Rs 8440

crore) to India for energy transition projects across India under a bilateral
partnership for green and sustainable development. The announcement comes days ahead
of German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock’s visit to India in December 2022.

Germany:

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Capital: Berlin

Currency: Euro

India & South Korea sign agreement for EDCF loan to develop Nagpur-Mumbai
Super Communication Expressway project

• India and South Korea signed an agreement on an Economic Development Cooperation

Fund loan (EDCF) of over 245 billion (approx. Rs. 1,495.68 crores) Korean won for
the establishment of the Intelligent Transport System on the Nagpur-Mumbai Super
Communication Expressway Project.

South Korea:

Capital: Seoul

Currency: The South Korean Won

CAGs of India & Chile sign MoU to support capacity building

• The Comptroller & Auditor General of India and the Comptroller General of the Republic of
Chile signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen
institutional and professional capacities and learn from each other’s best practices. The MoU
was signed at the Chilean capital of Santiago, Chile.

Chile:

Capital: Santiago

Currency: Chilean Peso

Tech Mahindra to Establish its First Global Delivery Center in Egypt

• Tech Mahindra, a leading provider of digital transformation, consulting, and business re-
engineering services and solutions, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) to establish
a global delivery center in Cairo, Egypt.
• Tech Mahindra aims to hire more than 1000 employees over the next three years to
serve both global and local customers from its newly inaugurated center in Cairo. The new
facility in Cairo will assist Tech Mahindra’s clients across telecom, oil and gas, BFSI
(Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance), energy and utilities, and the public sector
by leveraging artificial intelligence, big data and Analytics, cloud, and 5G technologies.

TCS bags Rail Delivery group contract to create UK Rail Data Marketplace

• Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has signed a six-year contract with

an opportunity for extension with the United Kingdom-headquartered Rail Delivery
Group to build and run the UK government’s Rail Data Marketplace (RDM).

Number of people forcibly displaced crossed 100 million in 2022: UNDP

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• According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report “Turning the tide
on internal displacement: A development approach to solutions”, for the first time, more
than 100 million people were forcibly displaced in 2022, most of them within their own
countries This was the highest global figure and more than double the number recorded 10
years ago, the analysis by UNDP and the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC)
showed.

• The data was collected by the IDMC from January 2021 to January 2022. These internally
displaced persons struggle to cover their basic needs, find decent work or have a stable source
of income, among other challenges, the global body highlighted, describing their plight as
an ‘invisible crisis’ due to gaps in development support.

UNGA Resolution on International Tax Cooperation Framework

• The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has

unanimously adopted a resolution to develop an international tax cooperation
framework or instrument based on a UN intergovernmental process. Nigeria submitted this
resolution on behalf of a consortium of 54 African countries.

Italy, Japan, UK to jointly launch 6th-generation fighter jet by 2035

• The United Kingdom, Japan, and Italy have announced a partnership to build a sixth-
generation warplane scheduled to be ready for deployment by 2035. It will be called the
“Tempest”. The Tempest is expected to replace Britain’s Typhoon, a fighter that served British
air defense for two decades. The Mitsubishi F-X fighter jet will replace the ageing fleet of F-
2s that Japan previously developed with the United States.

Italy:

Capital: Rome

Currency: Euro

Japan:

Capital: Tokyo

Currency: Japanese Yen

UK:

Capital: England

Currency: The Pound Sterling

G7 nations establish an international climate club to fight global warming

• The Group of Seven (G7) leading economies have created an open, international climate
club for countries that want to cooperate in the fight against global warming. This was
announced by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Germany holds the presidency of the G-7 until
the end of 2022 and then passes it on to Japan in 2023.

India Signs Agreement For 3 Projects with Nepal Government In Education,

Healthcare Sectors
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• The Embassy of India and Nepal government’s Ministry of Federal Affairs and General
Administration have signed 3 Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) to collaborate on
projects in the education sector. The collaboration will also focus on
the healthcare and drinking water sectors. The projects shall be implemented at 101.79
million Nepalese rupees (NRs)

Nepal:

Capital: Kathmandu

Currency: Nepalese Rupee

FAO Opening Ceremony of International Year of Millets 2023 held in Rome, Italy

• The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, organized an opening
ceremony for the International Year of Millets – 2023 (IYM2023) in Rome, Italy. An Indian
delegation led by Sushri Shobha Karandlaje, Minister of State, Agriculture & Farmers
Welfare along with Smt. Shubha Thakur, Joint Secretary (Crops), Department of Agriculture
and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW).

FAO:

Headquarters: Rome, Italy

Director General: Qu Dongyu

India and Finland sign joint declaration of Intent on migration and mobility

• India and Finland have signed a joint declaration of Intent on migration and mobility to
arrive at a mutually beneficial arrangement on migration and mobility between the two
countries. The declaration was signed by Union Minister of State for External Affairs Shri V.
Muraleedharan and Minister of Employment of Finland Ms. Tuula Haatainen.
• India and Finland established diplomatic relations in 1949 after New
Delhi became independent in 1947. The year 2022 marks 73 years of diplomatic
relations between the two countries.

Finland:

Capital: Helsinki

Currency: Euro

EU agrees to grant Bosnia & Herzegovina membership candidate status

• European Union (EU) countries have agreed to offer Bosnia-Herzegovina candidate

status to join the 27-member bloc, during the ongoing meeting in Brussels, Belgium. The step
is to be formally approved by EU leaders at a summit in Brussels on December 15, 2022. Bosnia
will join 7 other nations with candidate status: Turkey, North Macedonia, Montenegro,
Serbia, Albania, Moldova, and Ukraine. The move came as Kosovo became the latest
country to formally apply to apply for membership in the bloc.

European Union:

Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium

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Member countries: 27 countries

Iran removed from the UN Commission on the Status of Women

• The 54-member United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)

adopted a resolution to remove Iran from the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) for
the remainder of its four-year term from 2022 to 2026. The development comes in the wake of
the country’s brutal crackdown on protests calling for justice for Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old
woman who died in police custody in September 2022.

Iran:

Capital: Tehran

Currency: Rial

G-7 approves 15.5 billion US dollar energy deal with Vietnam to help cut climate-
damaging pollution

• A group of 9 rich industrialized nations has approved a deal to provide Vietnam with 15.5
billion US dollars to help the Southeast Asian nation move faster from coal
power to renewable energy, cutting its climate-damaging pollution. The $15.5 billion of
funding will come from public and private sources over the coming 3 to 5 years.

Vietnam:

Capital: Hanoi

Currency: Vietnamese Dong

UAE to host next meeting of World Trade Organization

• The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will host the next major meeting of the World Trade
Organization set to take place by March 2024. The UAE and Cameroon were both vying to
host the event known as MC13 (Ministerial Conference 13), a high-level event scheduled every
few years where trade ministers aim to fix new global trade rules.

• The two countries reached an “amicable agreement” for the UAE to host the next meeting,
known as MC13, and for Cameroon to host the one after that, citing a letter from the head of
the WTO’s General Council sent to Geneva-based ambassadors.

UAE:

Capital: Abu Dhabi

Currency: Emirati Dirham (AED)

WTO:

Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland

Founded: 1 Jan, 1995

Director General: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

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India hosts the 1st G20 Finance and Central Bank Deputies (FCBD) meeting under
the G20 India Presidency in Bengaluru, Karnataka

• The First Group Twenty (G20) Finance and Central Bank Deputies Meeting, under the
Indian Presidency, was held in Bengaluru, Karnataka, from 23-25 February 2023 under
the co-chairship of Secretary, Economic Affairs, Shri Ajay Seth and Deputy Governor,
Reserve Bank of India, Dr. Michael Patra. The theme of India’s G20 Presidency, Vasudhaiva
Kutumbakam or “One Earth, One Family, One Future, will guide the G20 Finance Track
discussions.

Indian govt allows Sri Lankans to hold $10,000 worth of rupees in cash

• Sri Lankans can hold $10,000 (Rs 8.14 lakh) worth of the Indian rupee (INR) in a physical
form, though the INR would not be legal tender in Sri Lanka after India approved a Sri Lankan
request to designate the INR as the foreign currency. This is because designating INR as a legal
currency in Sri Lanka will provide the country with much-needed liquidity support to help it
tide over its economic crisis amid inadequate availability of the US dollar.

Sri Lanka:

Capital: Colombo

Currency: Sri Lankan Rupee

Quadrilateral agreement inked on Black Sea submarine electric cable

• Romania, Hungary, Azerbaijan, and Georgia signed an agreement on the Black Sea
submarine cable for the transport of electricity from the Caspian area to Romania. The 500
kV submarine cable between Georgia and Romania would be 1,100 km long and have
a capacity of 1 GW.

India announces candidature for UNSC membership for the 2028-29 term

• External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar announced the candidature of India for non-
permanent membership at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the 2028-29
term. On 1 December 2022. India got the presidency of the UNSC for December 2022, which
rotates monthly. India will have this presidency till 31 December.

UNSC:

Founded: 24 Oct, 1945

Headquarters: New York, United States

UN-Water & WHO Report Points to “Critical” Lack of Funding for WASH

• UN-Water and the World Health Organization (WHO) have released the 2022 edition of
the Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking Water (GLAAS) report, which
presents the latest data from 121 countries and territories and 23 external support
agencies. The 2022 GLAAS report seeks to inform commitments, priority settings, and actions

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during the second half of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN 2023
Water Conference.

Urban-20 (U20) event being organised under G20 presidency of India

• The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) is organising the Urban 20 (U20) event
during India’s G20 presidency from December 01, 2022 to November 30, 2023. In the
process to organise the Urban 20 event, Gujarat CM Shri Bhupendra
Patel unveiled the logo, website, and social media handles of Urban-20.

Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina inaugurates the first Metro rail in Dhaka

• Bangladesh Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the country’s first metro rail
service in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The PM opened the 73-km part of the Mass Rapid Transit
(MRT) Line-6 of the metro rail project from Diabari to Agargaon.
• The government-owned company Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited
(DMTCL) is implementing the metro rail project. This is part of the ambitious Bangladesh
project of Mass Rapid Transit to be completed by 2030. She also released a commemorative
banknote of Taka 50 to mark the metro’s opening.

India hands over 720 MW Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Project to Bhutan

• The India-assisted 720 Megawatts (MW) Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Power Project

(HEPP) has been handed to Druk Green Power Corporation (DGPC) in Bhutan.The handover
was held in Thimphu, in a ceremony that was witnessed by Bhutan’s Minister of Economic
Affairs Lyonpo Loknath Sharma, and India’s Ambassador to Bhutan, Sudhakar Dalela. With
the handing over of the project, India and Bhutan have completed 4 mega hydroelectric power
projects.

Bhutan:

Capital: Thimphu

Currency: Ngultrum

SPORTS NEWS

Man of the Match Award Winners for the FIFA World Cup 2022:

• The FIFA World Cup Man of the Match award has been given out following each game since
2002. The Golden Ball and Golden Boot are just two of the additional honours granted at
the FIFA World Cup.

World Cup Match Man of the match Number of wins

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South Korea/Japan World Cup
Rivaldo 3 wins
2002

Germany World Cup 2006 Andra Pirlo 3 wins

South Africa World Cup 2010 Wesley Snijder 4 wins

Brazil World Cup 2014 Lionel Messi 4 wins

Russia World Cup 2018 Antonie Griezmann 3 wins

• The main distinction between these honours and the FIFA World Cup Man of the Match
award is that the former is granted after the tournament, while the latter is presented following
each World Cup game.

Stephanie Frappart will be the first woman referee at the FIFA World Cup in 2022:

• Stephanie Frappart of France will be the first woman to referee a men’s World Cup match,
according to FIFA. She will officiate the Group E match between Germany and Costa Rica on
December 2, 2022. Frappart is one of three female referees chosen from a field of 36 for the
tournament in Qatar, joining Rwandan official Salima Mukansanga and Japanese official
Yoshimi Yamashita.

NADA India will hold the first-ever Inclusion Conclave to focus on athletes with
impairments:

• The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA India) is hosting an Inclusion Conclave for the first
time to put a greater emphasis on anti-doping processes and education for athletes with
impairments. In addition to WADA Asia-Oceania Regional Office Manager Kenny Lee and UN
Resident Coordinator Shombi Sharp, Secretary Department of Sports Smt. Sujata
Chaturvedi will also speak at the summit.

India will host the third edition of the T20 World Cup for Blind Cricket:

• India will host the third T20 World Cup Cricket Tournament for the Blind from December
5–17, 2022. Australia, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and India will
all compete in the 2022 World Cup. The competition will feature about 150 players from all over
the world, and there will be a total of 24 matches spread among nine Indian cities.
• The tournament is being held to coincide with World Disability Day events around. the World
Cup’s opening ceremony on December 5 at Gurugram’s Tau Devi Lal Indoor Stadium. Yuvraj
Singh, a former Indian batter, is the competition’s brand ambassador. Since 2012, the World
Cup has been run by the Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) in collaboration
with the disability organization Samarthanam Trust.

Saurashtra defeated Maharashtra in the Vijay Hazare Trophy final by five wickets:

• At the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Saurashtra defeated Maharashtra by

five wickets to win the Vijay Hazare Trophy. As captain Ruturaj Gaikwad reached a
century, hitting 108 off 131 balls after a sluggish start, they contained Maharashtra at 248/9 in
50 overs.

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• Bowler Chirag Jani of Saurashtra claimed a hat-trick in the game. At the moment, Sheldon
Jackson is the man. With a 249-run goal to reach, Saurashtra got off to a cautious start until
the openers struck a 125-run partnership. As wickets shattered all around him, batter Shledon
Jackson clutched one end.

Rudrankksh Patil, a shooter, wins the ISSF President’s Cup in Egypt:

• The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) President’s Cup was won by Indian
shooter Rudrankksh Patil in Cairo, Egypt. In the 10-meter rifle play-off, he outscored Italy’s
Danilo Sollazzo 16-8.
• Participants in this competition, which began on November 28, come from 42 different countries
and 43 ISSF Member Federations across all continents. Rudrankksh Patil, 18, won gold in
the men’s 10 m air rifle event at the ISSF Rifle/Pistol World Championships 2022 in
Cairo, Egypt, which came to an end in October. He is now only the sixth Indian shooting
world champion, joining gold medalists Abhinav Bindra, Tejaswini Sawant, Manavjit Singh
Sandu, Om Prakash Mitherval, and Ankur Mittal.
• India won five medals in the ISSF President’s Cup in 2021: gold, silver, and bronze. Among
the medal winners were Olympians Manu Bhaker, Rahi Sarnobat, Saurabh Chaudhary, and
Abhishek Verma.

Indian captain Rohit Sharma has become the country’s sixth-highest ODI run
scorer:

• Indian captain Rohit Sharma has surpassed former batsman Mohammed Azharuddin to
become his country’s sixth-highest ODI run-scorer. This feat was done by the batter
during India’s maiden One-Day International (ODI) against Bangladesh in Dhaka.
• His ODI record now stands at 234 matches and 9,403 runs in 227 innings at an average of
48.46. In his ODI career, he has 29 tons and 45 fifties, with the top individual score of 264,
which is also the highest score ever in ODIs.

Cristiano Ronaldo has agreed to terms with Saudi club Al-Nassr on a contract
worth 200 million euros:

• Cristiano Ronaldo has joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr on a two-and-a-half-year contract
worth 200 million euros each season. The story was published by renowned Spanish source
Marca before the Portugal captain’s FIFA World Cup 2022 Round of 16 matches against
Switzerland, which is slated for at Qatar’s Lusail Stadium.
• Earlier, Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, had met with several clubs, including European
powerhouses such as Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and Atletico Madrid, but no one expressed
serious interest in the 37-year-old forward.

FIFA World Cup 2022 trophy will be unveiled by Deepika Padukone:

• According to speculations, Deepika Padukone will showcase the FIFA World Cup trophy in
Qatar later this month. The trophy will be unveiled on December 18, the day before the World
Cup final. Deepika will be the first actress to be honored in this manner in the world’s
most-watched sporting event. Deepika Padukone is set to unveil the World Cup trophy at the
Lusail Iconic Stadium on December 18.

Sukant Kadam, world No. 3, wins gold at the Peru Para Badminton International:
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• Sukant Kadam, world No. 3, smashed his way to gold at the recently ended Peru Para-
Badminton International, defeating Singapore’s Chee Hiong Ang. India received 14 medals
in total (6 gold, 1 silver, and 7 bronze).
• Sukant dominated the finals from the start. He defeated Chee Hiong Ang in straight sets, 21-
14 and 21-15. The game lasted 32 minutes. The ace shuttler didn’t miss a beat in the final.
Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan and Mandeep Kaur won the SH6 and SL3 singles titles in the
women’s division.

Saikhom Mirabai Chanu wins silver in the World Weightlifting Championships in

Colombia.

• Mirabai Chanu, an Olympic silver medalist, earned silver in the 2022 World Weightlifting
Championships in Colombia. She defeated China’s Olympic champion, Hou Zhihua. Jiang
Huihua of China won gold with a combined weight of 206 kg.
• Mirabai hoisted a total of 200 kg, whereas Zhihua only lifted 198 kg. Mirabai’s second World
Championships medal, having previously won gold in 2017 with a lift of 194 kg. Mirabai
Chanu, participating in her first international meet since winning the Commonwealth Games
2022 in August, struggled with her left wrist in clean and jerk.

One thousand Khelo India Centers Are Scheduled to Open Across the Nation By
August 15:

• Anurag Thakur, the minister of youth affairs and sports, stated that 1,000 Khelo India centers
will be operational nationwide by August 15th, 2023. He continued by saying that 733 of these
1,000 centers have already received approval.
• Thakur claimed that India has performed better than in the past at both the Olympics and the
Paralympics in Tokyo. He claimed that India had also done well at the Deaf Olympics. The
Minister mentioned Khelo India and the efforts made by the government to alter public
perceptions of sports. He claimed that the Khelo India games have provided amateur athletes
a stage on which to perform in front of the entire country.
• According to the minister, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports’ budget has climbed from
Rs 1,219 crore in 2014 to Rs 3,062 crore for the upcoming fiscal year 2022–23, or nearly
three times as much. Thakur highlighted some of India’s greatest sporting victories that have
occurred since the 2014 election of the Modi administration.

McLaughlin-Levrone and Mondo Duplantis were named the 2022 World Athletes of
the Year:

• The World Athlete of the Year honors went to Swedish pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis and
American world champion hurdler Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.

• McLaughlin-Levrone twice broke the women’s 400-meter hurdles world mark, and Duplantis
accomplished three new world records this year. Duplantis, a Swede of American descent, won
the prize for the second time in three years in 2022 after setting three world records, winning
the men’s world indoor title in March and taking home the world outdoor gold in July.
• Adriana Vilago of Serbia and Erriyon Knighton of America were chosen winners of the World
Athletics’ Rising Star of the Year award. Vilago placed in the top three of 15 javelin
tournaments in 2022. She earned gold at the Mediterranean Games and the World U20
Championships in addition to silver at the Munich multisport European Championships.

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Amar Singh Devanda from Air Warrior Corp places sixth in Taiwan’s 24-hour
ultramarathon

• The Chinese Taipai Association’s 24-hour ultramarathon saw Air Warrior Cpl Amar Singh
Devandar finish in sixth place after running 204.47 kilometers. In 510 laps (400 meters each),
he completed the stadium in 24 hours.
• At Soochow University in Taiwan, the Chinese Taipai Association of Ultrarunners organized the
24-Hour Ultramarathon for the year 2022. India was represented at the competition by Cpl
Amar Singh Devanda. 31 runners in total, 21 men and 10 women, from 5 different countries,
took part in the race.
• During the Asia-Oceania 24 Hrs Championship 2022 in Bengaluru, Cpl Amar set a new national
record by traveling 257.618 kilometers on July 3, 2022. He was the captain of the Indian squad
that won the championship.

FIFA World Cup 2022 trophy will be unveiled by Deepika Padukone:

• The FIFA World Cup trophy will reportedly be unveiled by Deepika Padukone in Qatar later
this month. On December 18, before the World Cup final, the trophy will be unveiled. At the
most watched sporting event in the world, Deepika will be the first actor to receive such a
distinction.
• The World Cup trophy is scheduled to be unveiled at the Lusail Iconic Stadium by Deepika
Padukone on December 18. Indian actress Deepika Padukone performs in Hindi-language
movies. She is one of India’s highest-paid actresses and has won three Filmfare Awards. She is
listed among the country’s most well-known public figures; Time named her one of the world’s
100 most important people in 2018 and gave her the TIME100 Impact Award in 2022.

• The Live Love Laugh Foundation, which raises awareness of mental health in India, was
founded by Padukone. She is outspoken on topics like feminism and depression, performs on
stage, has written newspaper articles, created her line of women’s clothes, and is a well-known
celebrity ambassador for goods and brands.

Sidra Ameen and Jos Buttler have been announced as the ICC Player of the Month
honorees for November 2022:

• Jos Buttler, the captain of England that won the T20 World Cup, received the ICC men’s
Player of the Month award for the first time for his outstanding performance in November.
• Sidra Ameen of Pakistan won the women’s Player of the Month title for the nation for the
second time in a row as a result of her outstanding performance in the ODI series victory against
Ireland. The ICC Player of the Month award went to Buttler, one of the most potent batters in
white-ball cricket, who defeated Adil Rashid and Shaheen Shah Afridi for his outstanding
performance in the crucial semifinal match against India and helped England win the T20 World
Cup for the first time since 2010.

Ishan Kishan becomes the fourth Indian to score a double century in ODI:

• Ishan Kishan becomes the fourth Indian to score a double century in one-day international
cricket. He has also become the ninth batter to score a double century in one-day
international cricket.
• Ishan Kishan made 210 runs in just 131 balls with 24 boundaries and 10 sixes in an ODI match
against Bangladesh in Chittagong. He has also become the youngest and the fastest cricketer
to score an ODI double-century. Rohit Sharma has scored three double-centuries. Virender
Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar have also scored double centuries in the ODIs.

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Divya TS won gold in the women’s air pistol National Shooting Championship 2022:

• Divya T.S of Karnataka won her maiden women’s 10m air pistol national title in the 65th
National Shooting Championship Competitions in Pistol events in Bhopal. In the gold medal
match, she defeated Sanskriti Bana of Uttar Pradesh 16-14, and Rhythm Sangwan of Haryana
took the bronze.
• Divya, 27, won the second stage with 254.2 points, beating out a slew of great shooters
including Rhythm Sangwan, Esha Singh, and Manu Bhaker. Manu Bhaker, an Olympian, won
the junior women’s air pistol after defeating Esha Singh (Telangana). In the Youth division,
Rhythm Sangwan won the gold medal.

The Hyderabad Strikers have won the Tennis Premier League 2022:

• Hyderabad Strikers have won the 4th Tennis Premier League (TPL) 2022. The fourth TPL final
was placed in Pune, Maharashtra.
• Hyderabad Strikers defeated Mumbai Leon Army (41-32) to win the event for the second year
in a row.
• The title was won by Hyderabad’s S. Balaji and Nikki Poonacha, who defeated Mumbai’s R.
Ramanathan and J. Nedunnchezhiyan 14-6. Mumbai Leon Army won the TPL Plus, the Tennis
Premier League’s grassroots league that provides a platform for young tennis athletes to learn
from foreign and Indian stars. The winning team received ten lakh rupees, while the runner-up
received five lakh rupees.
• Conny Perrin was named “player of the match” in the final, while Sriram Balaji and Jeevan
Nedunchezhiyan received the honour in the semi-finals.

England’s Joe Root joins the ranks of those who have 10000+ test runs and 50+
wickets:

• Former England captain Joe Root became the third cricketer in history to achieve 10,000
runs and take 50 Test wickets. He accomplished this during the current second Test against
Pakistan in Multan.
• Root accomplished the milestone in the 70th over of Pakistan’s second innings at the Multan
Cricket Stadium, when he bowled Faheem Ashraf. Faheem attempted to push at the off-thrown-
up spinner’s ball.
• The ball spun very little to take the batter’s edge and presented Zak Crawley with a routine catch
at slips. In the longest format, Root joins South African star Jacques Kallis and former Australian
captain Steve Waugh in reaching 10,000 runs and taking 50 wickets. Root has 10629 Test runs
and 50 Test wickets to his name.Waugh has scored 10927 runs and taken 92 wickets, whereas
Kallis has scored 13289 runs and taken 292 wickets.

Chahat Arora Breaks National Record in 100m Breaststroke at FINA World Swimming
Championships 2022:

• In Swimming, Indian swimmer Chahat Arora achieved a national record in the women’s 100-
meter breaststroke at the FINA World Swimming Championships 2022 in Melbourne,
Australia.
• The 16th edition of the FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) 2022 will finish
on December 18. FINA stands for the International Swimming Federation.

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• Chahat Arora finished the 100-meter breaststroke competition in 1 minute,13 seconds.
Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania won the overall heats in 1 minute, 3.81 seconds, 9.32 seconds
faster than Chahat Arora. Lara Van Niekerk, 19, of South Africa, finished second in 1 minute
3.93 seconds.
• Lilly King of the United States finished third in 1 minute and 3.94 seconds. Chahat will
compete in the women’s 50m breaststroke. Siva Sridhar will take part in the 100m individual
medley.

Rehan Ahmed makes his Test Cricket debut, becoming the youngest player for
England:

• Rehan Ahmed makes his Test debut for England in the final match between Pakistan and
England. When the match begins, Rehan Ahmed will be 18 years and 126 days old.
• Brian Close, who was 18 years and 149 days old at the time, was the youngest player in England
during the 1949 New Zealand vs. England match. Ben Stokes confirmed Rehan Ahmed’s
debut in the final match between England and Pakistan.

Tata Steel has been an official partner of the FIH Men’s World Cup 2023:

• Tata Steel Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hockey India to
become an Official Partner of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar
– Rourkela. The FIH Men’s World Cup is the highest level of men’s hockey competition.
• The 15th edition of the prestigious event will take place from January 13 to January 29,
2023, in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela. Tata Steel has aided in the development of India’s national
sport by providing top-tier high-performance residential hockey training facilities, foreign
coaches, nutritionists, and mental and physical trainers.

Neeraj Chopra becomes the most written-about athlete in 2022, according to World
Athletics:

• According to World Athletics, India’s Tokyo Olympics gold medallist javelin thrower Neeraj
Chopra was the most written-about track and field athlete in 2022, edging out Jamaican
legend Usain Bolt. The data compiled by media monitoring company Unicepta was mentioned
by World Athletics, the global governing body for athletics.

• Neeraj Chopra, the men’s javelin champion at the Tokyo Olympics, led the way with 812
articles, followed by the Jamaican women’s sprint trio of Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-
Herah (751 articles), 100m world champion Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce (698 articles), and
200m world champion Shericka Jackson (679 articles).

• Usain Bolt, the world record holder in the 100m and 200m men’s sprint, comes in fourth in the
list with 574 references. For years, the Jamaican, who is now retired, led the annual list of most
written-about athletes.

The Indian women’s hockey team won the FIH Nations Cup 2022:

• The Indian women’s Hockey team led by Captain Savita Punia beat Spain 1-0 in the final to
win the inaugural FIH Nations Cup staged at Valencia, Spain. Gurjit Kaur of India scored the
game-winning goal. The first FIH Nations Cup was contested in Valencia, Spain, from
December 11 to 17, 2022.
• India and Spain competed in the FIH women’s hockey Pro League 2021-22 season as
substitute teams after Australia and New Zealand withdrew due to COVID-19 concerns.

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The outcome also means that the Janneke Schopman-coached squad has been promoted to the
FIH Pro League 2023-24.
• Hockey India has set a monetary award of Rs 2 lakh for each member of the squad and Rs 1
lakh for each support staff member. India finished the tournament undefeated, having won all
five matches. The Indian squad defeated Chile (3-1), Japan (2-1), and South Africa (2-0) in the
group round before defeating Ireland 2-1 in a penalty shootout in the semifinal.

Argentina defeats France in the tournament’s final match on penalties:

• FIFA World Cup 2022: Messi’s Argentina won the ultimate prize in men’s football in the
Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, defeating France 4-2 on penalties (3-3 after extra time) to win
their third World Cup championship from six final appearances in history. It had two victories
under Diego Maradona in 1978 and 1986.
• Lionel Messi nearly won in 2014, but La Albiceleste fell to Germany in the championship game
0-1 instead. The sole connection to Messi’s Qatari campaign in 2014 was his Golden Ball victory
as Tournament Player of the Year. He became the first player to take home two Golden Balls
at the World Cup. The 22nd World Cup just concluded, and it will be another 4 years before
the next one. Additionally, the 2026 World Cup will be split among Mexico, Canada, and the
United States.

Karim Benzema of France has declared his retirement from international football:

• Karim Benzema, a football player for France, has declared his retirement from international
competition. Despite having scored 37 goals in 97 games for France, Benzema’s tenure with the
team hasn’t exactly been smooth since his debut 15 years ago.
• In March 2007, Benzema scored in his first game as a substitute for France against Austria.
He was selected for France’s Euro 2008 team, however, his performance was criticized after the
team was eliminated early. Despite regularly competing in the qualification process, Benzema
was not included in France’s World Cup roster for 2010. He was once again a member of the
France squad for Euro 2020.

Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek have been crowned ITF World Champions 2022:

• Rafael Nadal of Spain has been awarded the Men’s International Tennis Federation (ITF)
World Champion 2022 for the fifth time following a successful 2022 season. He previously won
the men’s ITF World Championship in 2008, 2010, 2017, and 2019.
• Iga Witek of Poland has been named Women’s ITF World Champion 2022 for her achievements
in 2022, which included two Grand Slam titles and eight titles. The winners will be recognized
at the annual ITF World Champions Awards ceremony, which will take place on July 8, 2023,
at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, United Kingdom (UK). Typically, the event is
hosted in Paris, France.

Rehan Ahmed of England becomes the country’s youngest five-fer on Test debut:

• Rehan Ahmed, England’s leg-spinner, became the youngest men’s Test cricketer to capture
a five-wicket haul on debut during the third match versus Pakistan now underway at the
National Bank Cricket Arena.
• He captured three wickets in six overs on his way to 5-48 in the second innings after making
his Test debut at the age of 18 years and 126 days, playing a significant role in bowling out
Pakistan for 216 in 74.5 overs on day three of the match. He eclipsed the mark set by now-
Australian captain Pat Cummins, who was 18 years and 193 days old when he took 6-79 against
South Africa in 2011.

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India defeated Bangladesh by 120 runs in the Blind T20 World Cup of 2022:

• The national blind cricket team of India has won the T20 World Cup for the Blind three times
in a row. By a dominant score of 120 runs, India defeated Bangladesh at Bengaluru’s M
Chinnaswamy Stadium.
• Ajay Kumar Reddy, the captain of India, chose to bat after winning the toss, and his team finally
set Bangladesh a difficult target of 277 runs. Only 157 runs for three were scored in response by
the Bangladeshi team. Sunil Ramesh received the championship’s Man of the Match award.

Sam Curran sets new records at the IPL Auction and becomes the most expensive
cricketer:

• Sam Curran shatters all records and is now the most expensive cricket player ever acquired
by an IPL franchise (IPL). Sam Curran, a 24-year-old English cricketer, was purchased
by Punjab Kings for $18.5 crores on the opening day of the IPL auction. Kerala is the location
of the IPL auctions for the 2023 season. He has surpassed Ishan Kishan, who was purchased
by the Mumbai Indians for $15.25 crore.

Geto Sora wins Junior International Badminton Championship title in Malaysia:

• Budding badminton sensation Geto Sora once again made Arunachal proud by winning
the Top Arena Junior International Badminton Championship title in the below 9 years
category, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He won the championship title after beating Malaysia’s
second seed Jaryl Teh in straight sets 21-5, 21-16. This is Sora’s second international
badminton title in two months. In November, the 7-year-old Sora won the multinational BTY-
Yonex-Singha Championship, which was held at the Banthongyord Badminton School in
Bangkok, Thailand.

Goa will host India’s first World Table Tennis (WTT) Series event:

• Goa will host India’s first World Table Tennis (WTT) series event from February 27 to March
5. The top-tier WTT Star Contender Goa 2023 will be held in the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee
Indoor Stadium on the Goa University Campus.
• The competition will be hosted by Stupa Analytics, an indigenous sports analytics
organization, with significant assistance from the Goa government.
• The World Table Tennis Series (WTT Series) is the official professional table tennis series of
events, featuring the world’s greatest players competing in various category tournaments
throughout the year, with the four Grand Smashes being the ultimate prize to win. The six Star
Contender events include 48 men and women in their singles main draws, with the top 30
world rankings allowed to compete, four of whom must be in the world’s top 20.

Morocco has been chosen by FIFA to host the Club World Cup in February 2023:

• The hosting rights for the 2025 Club World Cup, which will include 32 teams, were granted
to Morocco by FIFA in February 2023. The most recent competition was held in the UAE in
February 2022, and Chelsea, an English football team, took first place.
• From February 1 through 11, the usual seven-team competition will feature Real Madrid, the
European champion, Flamengo, the South American champion, and Seattle Sounders, the
first American team to win the CONCACAF Champions League. The competition will continue
in its current format, with the top team from the host country competing against the winners of
the six continental federations.

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• One of the final seven-team editions for continental champions will take place in 2025 when
an enlarged, month-long competition will begin. The Club World Cup was first staged in
Morocco in 2013 and then again in 2014. The most recent tournament, which Chelsea won,
was held in the United Arab Emirates in February.

Anurag Thakur inaugurates Sports Science Centre in Karnataka’s Udupi:

• Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag
Thakur inaugurated Sports Science Centre in Udupi. He also assured the establishment of
an FM Station at Brahmavara. Every help will be provided to Karnataka Government to
promote games Anurag Thakur assured. It is not only the effort of the government even parents
have equal responsibility to encourage their children to become sports persons.

Cricket Australia renames Test Player of the Year award in honour of Shane Warne:

• In memory of the late spin legend Shane Warne, Cricket Australia has renamed its top yearly
award for finest performance in Test cricket. The Allan Border Medal, given to the best
performer of the year across all forms, will be the most prestigious award for men, followed by
the Shane Warne Men’s Test Player of the Year award, which will be handed yearly at the
Australian Cricket Awards.

• When honours were given to the legendary leg-spinner who passed away on March 4, 2022,
while on vacation at the island of Ko Samui, the trophy was renamed, the first day of the
annual Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against South Africa.

South Africa’s Farhaan Behardien announces retirement:

• South African batter Farhaan Behardien announced retirement, concluding an 18-year

international cricketing career. The 39-year-old has represented the Proteas in 59 ODIs and
has 1074 runs and 14 wickets under his belt.
• Behardien also has 38 T20I caps for South Africa and has amassed 518 runs at an average of
32.37. He also led the Proteas in the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka in January 2017.
His last international game came way back in 2018, in South Africa’s 21-run win over Australia
in a T20I at the Carrara stadium.

Aditya Mittal becomes India’s 77th GM:

• Sixteen-year-old Aditya Mittal has become India’s 77th chess Grandmaster during an
ongoing tournament in Spain. The Mumbai player, who had secured three GM norms,
crossed the 2,500 ELO points mark during the sixth round of the ongoing Ellobregat Open
tournament in Spain.
• He drew the game against Spain’s No.1 Francisco Vallejo Pons to achieve the feat. To become
a GM, a player has to secure three GM norms and cross the live rating of 2,500 ELO points.

BANKING & ECONOMY

IRDAI approves amendments, simplifies rules to set up insurance firms

• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has amended rules
on registering insurance companies and investments in them. To promote ease of doing
business and (simplify) the process of setting up an insurance company in India
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RBI working with ICRIER to develop a food inflation projection framework

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is working with the Indian Council for Research on
International Economic Relations (ICRIER) to develop a food inflation projection framework as
the central bank looks to depend more on a consultative approach to collect first-hand data and
improve policy responses. Combining high-frequency information on prices with market
intelligence on high-impact food items helps nowcast food inflation and generate near-term
inflation forecasts.
• Three key vegetables viz tomatoes, onions, and potatoes (TOP), with a combined weight of 2.2%
in the consumer price index (CPI) basket in India.

ICRIER:

Headquarters: New Delhi

Director: Dr. Deepak Mishra

Chairperson: Pramod Bhasin

Indore plans India’s first retail municipal bond for solar plant

• The Indore Municipal Corporation, Madhya Pradesh (MP) is planning to issue the nation’s
first local government bond targeting individual investors, with proceeds used to fund a solar
power project. Indore Municipal Corp. seeks to raise as much as 2.6 billion rupees ($31.8
million) via a 10-year bond sale in Dec 2022.

Interest subvention on KCC crop loan to continue in FY23, FY24 – RBI

• The government has approved the continuation of the interest subvention scheme (ISS)
with modification for the financial years 2022-23 and 2023-24. The applicable lending rate
to farmers will be 7% and the rate of interest subvention to lending institutions will be
1.5%.

Tamilnad Mercantile Bank ink bancassurance pacts with Chola MS General & Max
Life

• Old private sector lender Tamilnad Mercantile Bank Limited (TMBL) has entered
into bancassurance partnerships with Cholamandalam MS General Insurance Company
Ltd, part of the Chennai-based Murugappa Group, and Max Life Insurance Company

Tamilnad Mercantile Bank Limited (TMBL):

Headquarters: Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu

MD & CEO: Krishnan Sankarasubramaniam

Star Health launches policy for outpatient expenses with a 1-year term

• Star Health and Allied Insurance Co Ltd, a standalone health insurance company, has
launched the Star OutPatient Care Insurance Policy. To provide complete
health and wellness benefits to customers at an affordable cost. To bridge the gap between

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expenses related to in-patient hospitalization, which is catered to by the health insurance
industry, and outpatient expenses.

AMFI seeks to raise the TDS limit to ₹50,000 per annum

• The mutual fund industry has urged the government to increase the threshold for
withholding tax (TDS) on the dividend to ₹50,000 per annum from the current level
of ₹5,000 per annum. In a pre-Budget representation, the Association of Mutual Funds in
India (AMFI) announced the current threshold for TDS on dividends has been causing hardship
to retail investors particularly when TDS on banks’ fixed deposits was raised from ₹10,000
to ₹40,000 a couple of years ago.

SEBI revises framework for approving changes in control of stock brokers

• Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has put in place a revised
framework for seeking its prior approval for changes in control of stock brokers, depository
participants, and other market intermediaries which will be effective from December 1, 2022.
• The framework will apply to stock brokers/clearing members, depository participants,
investment advisers, research analysts or research entities, registrars to an
issue, and share transfer agents and KYC (Know Your Client) Registration Agencies (KRAs).

Securities & Exchange Board of India:

Established: 12 April, 1992

Headquarters: Mumbai

Chairperson: Madhabi Puri Buch

Yes BANK partners with Turtlefin to launch ‘EasyNsure’

• TurtleFin, India’s leading insurtech platform, has partnered with YES

BANK, to create a first-of-its-kind comprehensive technology platform – EasyNsure. Its
distinctive API will power the platform and help it offer a slew of insurance solutions in a single
place.

Yes Bank:

Headquarters: Mumbai

CEO: Prasant Kumar

Tagline: Experience our expertise

RBI To Launch First Pilot Of Retail Digital Rupee

• The Reserve Bank of India’s first pilot for a retail e-rupee, its version of the central bank
digital currency (CBDC), will be launched. The pilot will cover select locations in a closed user
group comprising participating customers and merchants. The first phase will begin with 4
banks i.e. State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, Yes Bank, and IDFC First Bank in 4 cities including
Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, and Bhubaneswar, and later extend to Ahmedabad, Gangtok,
Guwahati, Hyderabad, Indore, Kochi, Lucknow, Patna, and Shimla.

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SBI board approves raising Rs 10,000 crore via infrastructure bonds

• State Bank of India (SBI) approved raising Rs 10,000 crore (including a green shoe option of
Rs. 5,000 crores) through infrastructure bonds during the financial year 2023. In the July-
September quarter, SBI’s gross non-performing assets (NPA) eased to 3.52% from 3.91% in
Q1FY23 and 4.9% in Q2FY22.
• Similarly, net NPAs dropped to 0.8% in September 2022 quarter from 1% in June 2022 quarter
and 1.52% in September 2021 quarter. The bank also recorded credit growth at 19.93% year-
on-year in July-September.

State Bank of India:

Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra

Chairman: Dinesh Kumar Khara

Tagline: Pure Banking, Nothing Else

SEBI restructures advisory panels on FPIs, social stock exchange

• Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India

(Sebi) has restructured its advisory committees about foreign portfolio investors
(FPIs) and social stock exchange. The SEBI has set up three separate committees in a fresh
push towards reforming the capital markets and improving the ease of doing business.

Sri Lankans holding the Indian rupee (INR) in physical form

• India has allowed Sri Lankan citizens to hold up to $10,000 (8.14 lakh Indian
rupees) in Indian rupees (INR) in the physical form. Though the INR would not be legal tender
in the island nation after India approved a Sri Lankan request to designate the INR as a foreign
currency.

RBI announces four-tiered regulatory framework for Urban Co-operative Banks

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced a four-tiered regulatory framework for
the categorization of Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs).

1. Tier 1 – All unit UCBs and salary earners’ UCBs (irrespective of deposit size), and all other UCBs
having deposits up to ₹100 crores;
2. Tier 2 – UCBs with deposits more than ₹100 crore and up to ₹1000 crore;
3. Tier 3 – UCBs with deposits more than ₹1000 crore and up to ₹10,000 crore;
4. Tier 4 – UCBs with deposits of more than ₹10,000 crores.
Key Highlights:

• RBI prescribed a minimum net worth of ₹2 crores for Tier-1 banks and ₹5 crores for all other
banks.

• While Tier-1 UCBs shall continue to maintain a minimum CRAR (Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets)
of 9% on an ongoing basis, Tier-2 to -4 UCBs shall maintain a minimum CRAR of 12% on an
ongoing basis.

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• UCBs in Tier-2 to -4, which do not currently meet the revised CRAR of 12% of RWAs, shall achieve
the same in a phased manner.
• Such UCBs shall achieve the CRAR of at least 10% by March 31, 2024, 11% by March 31, 2025,
and 12% by March 31, 2026.
• UCBs, which currently do not meet the minimum net worth requirement, shall achieve the
minimum net worth of ₹2 crore or ₹5 crores in a phased manner.
• Such UCBs shall achieve at least 50% of the applicable minimum net worth on or before March
31, 2026, and the entire stipulated minimum net worth on or before March 31, 2028.

IIFL Mutual Fund launches India’s first passive tax-saver fund – IN50

• IIFL Mutual Fund has launched India’s first passive tax saver fund, IIFL ELSS Nifty 50 Tax
Saver Index Fund (IN50) will be on sale through a new fund offer (NFO). The dedicated Fund
Manager for the IIFL ELSS Nifty 50 Tax Saver Index Fund is Parijat Garg.
• It is the first passively managed tax-saving scheme (also known as Equity-Linked Savings
Scheme, or ELSS) to be launched after the capital market regulator, the Securities and
Exchange Board of India (SEBI), allowed fund houses to launch such passive funds on May 23,
2022.

India extends USD 100 million credits to Maldives to overcome financial crisis

• India handed over USD 100 million to the Maldives to ease the financial challenges faced by
the archipelagic state in the Indian Ocean. Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid and
Finance Minister Ibrahim Ameer were present at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ceremony in New
Delhi.
• The assistance being extended to the Maldives is without any terms and conditions and the
Maldives is free to use it in its economic recovery. India has also provided a $ 500 million loan
to the Maldives for the Greater Male Connectivity Project.

Maldives:

Capital: Male

Currency: Maldivian Rufiyaa

RBI & Financial Services Agency of Japan exchange Letter of Cooperation in the
field of Central CounterParties

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Financial Services Agency (FSA), Japan exchanged
letters of cooperation in the field of Central Counterparties (CCPs) to improve mutual
cooperation. With this exchange of letters, RBI and FSA are committed to deepening
relations between the two countries and strengthening the exchange of information.
• RBI and FSA also expressed their willingness to hold a dialogue or exchange views about
matters of common interest. The letters confirm the interest of both jurisdictions in enhancing
cooperation in line with their respective laws and regulations.

RBI imposes Rs 1.25 crore penalty on Zoroastrian Co-operative Bank

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a penalty of Rs 1.25 crore on Zoroastrian Co-
operative Bank, Mumbai. For non-compliance with certain directions, including one related

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to discounting of bills. Also, the RBI has imposed a penalty of Rs 20 lakh on Indian Mercantile
Co-operative Bank, Lucknow for non-compliance with certain norms related classification of
non-performing assets.

Zoroastrian Co-operative Bank:

Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra

MD & CEO: Daljit Dogra

BoB launches Foreign Currency Loan against INR Deposits for Corporates

• Bank of Baroda (BoB) has launched “Foreign Currency Loan against INR Deposits of Indian
Companies for their Overseas Subsidiaries/Joint Ventures” at its branch in Gujarat
International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), Gandhinagar, Gujarat. BoB is the first bank to
offer this facility at GIFT City.
• Foreign Currency Loan against INR Deposits provides Indian companies with an alternative
facility to raise funds for their international businesses.

Bank of Baroda:

Headquarters: Vadodara, Gujarat

MD & CEO: Sanjiv Chadha

Tagline: India’s International Bank

ICICI Bank launches STACK for companies in the real estate sector

• ICICI Bank has launched a STACK for companies in the real estate sector to offer
solutions to their banking requirements on one platform. ICICI Bank is the first bank in
the industry to offer real estate-specific STACK to provide unparalleled convenience to
players in this sector.

ICICI Bank:

Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra

MD & CEO: Sandeep Bakhshi

Tagline: Hum Hai Na, Khayal Apka

City Union Bank authorized to enable GST payments

• Old private sector lender, City Union Bank (CUB), announced that the Goods and Services
Tax Network, under the auspices of the GST Council, has included CUB as one of the banks
available for paying GST. City Union Bank’s digital solutions include – digital signatures, QR
codes, Video KYC, and digital payment solutions, such as UPI 123pay, payment on the go
through wearables, increased payment limit for online transactions, & soft launch of voice
biometric authentication for mobile banking.

City Union Bank (CUB):

Headquarters: Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu

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MD & CEO: Dr N Kamakodi

Tagline: Trust and Excellence since 1904

BookMyForex launches “Interbank Rate Forex Card” – India’s first true zero
markup travel card

• India’s first online foreign exchange marketplace, BookMyForex.com has launched

the Interbank Rate Multi-Currency Forex Card, which is India’s first true zero markup
travel card. The card has been developed in association with Yes Bank, and M2P, and
is powered by Visa.

IDFC AMC to be renamed as Bandhan Mutual Fund as regulators approve a change

in ownership

• Markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India

(SEBI) has approved the acquisition of IDFC Asset Management Company Limited (IDFC
AMC) by a consortium comprising Bandhan Financial Holdings Limited (BFHL), GIC, and
Following the completion of the proposed transition, BFHL will own
about 60% and GIC and ChrysCapital will own approximately 20% each in IDFC AMC.
• On completion of the transition, IDFC AMC is proposed to be renamed as Bandhan Asset
Management Company Limited, and IDFC Mutual Fund (IDFC MF) is proposed to
be renamed as Bandhan Mutual Fund. Consequently, each scheme of IDFC MF will
be renamed to replace the word ‘IDFC’ with the word ‘Bandhan’.

RBI permits overseas Indian banks to deal in financial products not permitted in
domestic markets

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed foreign branches/foreign

subsidiaries of Indian banks and All India Financial Institutions (AIFIs) to deal in financial
products that are not available or are not permitted by it in the domestic market without its
prior approval. The relaxation applies to Indian Banks and AIFIs operating in foreign
jurisdictions and International Financial Services Centers (IFSCs) in India
including Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City).

SEBI reduces the timeline to list debt securities issued on a private placement
basis

• Markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)

reduced the timeline for listing debt securities issued on a private placement basis to 3
days from the current timeline of 4 days. The new guidelines would come into effect from
January 1, 2023.

Tata Play becomes the first firm to file confidential papers with SEBI for IPO

• Tata Play, a direct-to-home platform, has become the first company to submit confidential
papers to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for an initial public offering
(IPO). Tata Play confidentially pre-filed its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with the
market’s regulator. The proposed IPO is Tata’s first since the public issue of TCS in 2004. Tata
play is a joint venture between the Tata group and Walt Disney.
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NPCI extends UPI market cap deadline by 2 years

• The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has extended the deadline for the
Unified Payments Interface (UPI) to meet the market cap deadline of 30% to December 31,
2024. The earlier deadline to meet the market cap norms was December 31, 2022. Currently,
there’s no cap on volume, and Google Pay and PhonePe hold a market share of about 80%.

NPCI:

Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra

MD & CEO: Dilip Asbe

Canara Bank wins Banker’s Bank of the Year Award 2022 for India at Global
Banking Summit

• Canara Bank received the “Banker’s Bank of the Year Award 2022” for the India segment at
the Global Banking Summit held in London, United Kingdom (UK). The public sector lender
has been adjudged as the Best Bank in India for 2022. The Canara bank’s MD and CEO L V
Prabhakar received the award from the organizers, a statement from the public sector lender
said.

Canara Bank:

Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra

MD & CEO: K Satyanarayana Raju

Tagline: Together we can

Protean & Fino Payments Bank tie-up to expand PAN card issuance services in
India

• Fino Payments Bank has partnered with Protean eGov Technologies (formerly NSDL e-
Governance Infrastructure Limited), a market leader in universal, citizen-centric, and
population-scale e-governance solutions, to expand PAN card issuance services in India,
especially in rural area.

Fino Payments Bank:

Headquarters: Juinagar, Navi Mumbai

MD & CEO: Rishi Gupta

Tagline: Qadar Aapki Mehnat Ki

RBI authorized Tamilnad Mercantile Bank to undertake government business

• Private sector lender Tamilnad Mercantile Bank Limited (TMBL) has been authorized by
the Reserve Bank of India to undertake government business on behalf of the banking
regulator. An agreement in this connection was signed by the bank with RBI in Mumbai for
appointing TMB as an ‘agency bank’ of RBI to undertake government agency business.

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ADB & ABIS Signs Sustainability-Linked Debt Facility to Support Climate-Resilient

Fish Farming in India

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and ABIS Exports India Private Limited (ABIS)
entered into an agreement on sustainability-linked and blue-debt facility non-convertible
debentures for $16 million (in equivalent Indian rupee). To enhance food security in
India by supporting the construction of a micro fish feed plant and by training up to 6,000
farmers in climate-resilient fish farming practices as well as financial literacy. This
is ADB’s first private sector sustainability-linked financing, with adjustments in pricing
when pre-defined sustainability targets are met.

Asian Development Bank:

Headquarters: Mandaluyong, Philippines

Founded: 19 Dec, 1966

President: Masatsugu Asakawa

NSE indices Launch New Nifty Bharat Bond Index

• NSE Indices Limited (formerly known as India Index Services & Products Limited (IISL), a
subsidiary of the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) has launched an index Nifty Bharat
Bond Index – April 2033 under the Nifty Bharat Bond Index series

India to soon have variable capital companies as expert panel gives a nod

• A nine-member expert committee, headed by MS Sahoo, has drafted a legal

framework for allowing Variable Capital Company (VCC) structure in the International
Financial Centres (IFSCs). The committee has proposed a legal framework within the
International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) Act, 2019, which provides for
one implementing agency, IFSCA. The agency registers VCCs as body corporates, as well
as authorizes and supervises their operations.

Razorpay Becomes India’s First Payment Gateway to Support Credit Cards on UPI

• Razorpay, India’s Leading Full-Stack Payments and Banking Platform for

Businesses announced the platform’s readiness to support Credit Card Transactions on
Unified Payments Interface (UPI). With this launch, Razorpay becomes India’s First PG to
support Credit Cards on UPI.
• Customers of HDFC Bank, Punjab National Bank, Union Bank, and Indian Bank will be the
first to enjoy the benefits of this innovation.

RBI Releases “Handbook of Statistics on Indian States, 2021-22”

• The 7th edition of the Handbook of Statistics on Indian States 2021-22 is released by
the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Handbook of Statistics on Indian States 2021-22 seeks
to provide comprehensive data about the regional economies of India. It covers sub-national
statistics on socio-demographics, state domestic product, agriculture, price and wages,
industry, infrastructure, banking, and fiscal indicators across the states during various
periods ranging from 1951 to 2021-22.

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Asian Development Bank partners with GOI to provide $3 million PRF facility

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India signed a $3 million project
readiness financing (PRF) facility to support preparatory activities for designing a project to
improve municipal infrastructure in priority areas of Agartala city, Tripura.

Centre To Allow Foreign Funds to Own Over 51% In IDBI Bank

• According to a government clarification, the Indian government will allow a consortium of foreign
funds and investment firms to own more than 51% of IDBI Bank Ltd. The current guidelines of
the Reserve Bank of India restrict foreign ownership in new private banks.

World Bank upwards India’s GDP growth forecast to 6.9% for FY23

• The World Bank in its latest India development update titled ‘Navigating the Storm’ revised
upwards its GDP growth forecast for India to 6.9% for 2022-23 from 6.5% in its Oct 2022
Update. In October,2022 it cut India’s GDP growth forecast to 6.5% from 7.5% earlier.
• The World Bank’s India Development Update announced that India is affected by spillovers from
the US, Euro area and China. It however saw the government meeting the fiscal deficit target of
6.4% of the GDP in 2022-23. The World Bank expects inflation at 7.1% in the current fiscal
year.

ESIC to invest up to 15% surplus funds in the stock market via ETFs

• The Government of India has allowed Employee State Insurance Corporation

(ESIC) to invest up to 15% of its surplus funds into equity through exchange-traded funds
(ETFs), in a bid to accrue better returns on its surplus funds. The decision was taken at
an ESIC meeting chaired by the Union labour minister Bhupender Yadav at
the corporation’s headquarters in New Delhi.

ESIC:

Headquarters: New Delhi

Director General: Dr. Rajendra Kumar

Bank of Baroda Wins EAG Laureate Award on Financial Security

• State-owned Bank of Baroda (BoB) has bagged an EAG Laureate Award in the International
Olympiad on Financial Security held in Sochi, Russia. The Eurasian Group on combating
money laundering and financing of terrorism (EAG) is a FATF-style regional body which
comprises 9 countries including India.

• The 9 countries are: Belarus, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, India, Russia, Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan and EAG is an associate member of the FATF. EAG has organised a contest
on ‘Best example of AML-CFT Financial Analysis’ amongst the Compliance Officers of the
member countries in the international Olympiad on Financial Security at Sochi,
Russia on October 10, 2022.

SEBI releases uniform format for OTC trades in non-convertible securities

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• Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India
(SEBI) has issued a uniform format for reporting over-the-counter (OTC) trades in
listed non-convertible securities (NCS) The new guideline would come into force from January
1, 2023. The development comes after Sebi observed that information on OTC trades in listed
non-convertible securities provided to the stock exchanges by the investors is incomplete and
inaccurate.

ADB approves $250 mn policy-based loans to strengthen the logistics sector

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a $250 million policy-based loan to support
India’s wide-ranging reforms. To strengthen and modernize the logistics infrastructure,
improve efficiency, and lower the cost in the logistics sector. The loan will finance the first
subprogram of the ‘Strengthening Multimodal and Integrated Logistics Ecosystem’, which
supports the government’s efforts to create a comprehensive policy, planning, and institutional
framework at the federal, state, and city levels. This will rationalize India’s high cost of
logistics and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

RBI signs currency swap agreement with Maldives Monetary Authority

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has signed a Currency Swap Agreement with the Maldives
Monetary Authority (MMA) under the SAARC Currency Swap Framework. This is to provide
swap support as a backstop line of funding for short-term foreign exchange liquidity
requirements. This agreement will enable the MMA to make drawals in multiple tranches up to
a maximum of USD 200 million from the RBI. RBI had signed a similar agreement to provide
a $400 million currency swap facility to Sri Lanka in Colombo.

Paisabazaar & RBL Bank launch ‘Duet Credit Card’

• Digital marketplace for consumer credit and free credit score platform Paisabazaar and RBL
Bank launched a new co-created credit card ‘Duet’. Duet is a 2-in-1 product that meets two
distinct consumer needs It is a credit card that offers cashback on purchases and also a line-
of-credit from RBL Bank that enables instant transfer of money into the bank account.

• It will be part of Paisabazaar’s neo-lending product suite and will replace Paisa On Demand
(PoD) credit cards on the platform. The card provides a flat 1% cashback on
all online and offline spending with no upper limit.

RBL Bank:

Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra

MD & CEO: R Subramaniakumar

Tagline: Apno Ka Bank

IndusInd Bank ties up with SV CreditLine for co-lending agreement for ₹500 Cr

• The non-banking finance company SV CreditLine and the private sector lender IndusInd
Bank have signed a co-lending collaboration for a ₹500 crore loan targeted solely
towards women borrowers. The agreement will help rural women access affordable
loans which they could use for a wide range of economic activities such as agriculture,
animal husbandry, trading, and local manufacturing, among others.

IndusInd Bank:

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Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra

MD & CEO: Sumanth Kathpalia

Tagline: We Care Dil Se, We Make You Feel Richer

SEBI introduces credit rating-wise investment limit for active debt funds

• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) introduced a credit rating-based single
issuer limit for investment for most actively managed debt mutual fund schemes.

• According to the SEBI, the above investment limits may be extended by up to 2% of the NAV of
the scheme with prior approval of the Board of Trustees and Board of Directors of the asset
management companies, subject to compliance with the overall 12% limit specified in clause 1
of 7th Schedule of MF Regulation. According to the rules, a mutual fund scheme shall not
invest more than 10% of its net asset value in debt and money market securities of companies
rated ‘AAA’.
• For companies rated ‘AA’, the exposure cannot be larger than 8%. While the limit is set at 6%
for ‘A’-rated companies. The limits can be extended by another 2% with prior approval of the
board of trustees and the board of directors of the asset management company.

IDFC First Bank & NASSCOM COE partner to promote the startup ecosystem

• IDFC FIRST Bank and the National Association of Software and Service Companies
(NASSCOM) Centre of Excellence (COE) has partnered to grow the innovation
ecosystem through an exclusive range of banking solutions. A Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) was signed between IDFC FIRST Bank and NASSCOM COE appointing the
Bank as a Preferred Banking Partner for startups, at an event in Bangalore,
Karnataka attended by startup founders.

IDFC First Bank:

Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra

MD & CEO: Mr. V. Vaidyanathan

Tagline: Always You First

ADB approves $780 mn loans to expand Chennai’s metro rail network

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a $780 million multitranche financing facility
(MFF) to build new lines and improve the connectivity of the metro rail system at
Chennai, the capital of India’s Tamil Nadu, with the city’s existing bus and feeder services. The
project will expand Chennai’s metro rail system to provide a safe and integrated transport
solution essential to improving urban mobility and making the city more liveable.

SEBI amends norms to bring in buying, and selling of mutual funds under insider
trading rules

• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has amended norms to bring
buying and selling of mutual fund units under the ambit of insider trading rules. At present,
insider trading rules apply to dealing in securities of listed companies or those proposed to be

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listed, when in possession of Unpublished Price Sensitive Information (UPSI). The units
of mutual funds are specifically excluded from the definition of securities under the rules.

ADB approves $300 Million Loan to Improve Roads and Regional Trade in India

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a $300 million loan to upgrade more than 300
kilometers of state highways and major district roads in Assam, including six road sections in
the state’s western, central, and southern regions. The project
will expand state highways and major district roads from single-lane to two-lanes and
introduce new climate- and disaster-resilient structures. It will
establish pedestrian and public transport facilities, elevate highways in flood-prone
areas, and include landslide prevention structures in hilly and mountainous areas.

Edelweiss Mutual Fund launches the fourth tranche of ‘BHARAT Bond ETF’

• Edelweiss Mutual Fund has launched the fourth tranche of BHARAT Bond ETF –India’s first
corporate bond ETF (exchange-traded fund). Bharat Bond ETF is an initiative of
the Government of India, from the Department of Investment and Public Asset
Management. It will provide retail investors with an option to explore the ‘safe’ debt mutual
fund category, which was earlier dominated by institutional investors.

IRDAI increases limits for intermediaries & corporate agents can distribute products
of 9 insurers

• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has notified
increased limits for corporate agents (banks) and insurance marketing firms (IMFs).
Corporate agents (banks) can now enter into a tie-up with as many as 9 life insurers, 9 general
insurers, and 9 health insurers.
• Insurance marketing firms (IMFs) can now have distribution tie-ups with a maximum of 6
life insurers, 6 general insurers, and 6 health insurers. IRDAI’s move to open the
bancassurance channel for insurers is part of its effort to achieve the long-term goal of
‘insurance for all’ by 2047.

IRDAI:

Headquarters: Hyderabad

Founded: 1999

Chairman: Debasish Panda

StocX.in launches India’s first private market index

• StocX.in, an internet unlisted securities portal, has launched India’s first private market
index often known as StocX Private Market Index (SPMI). It constructed the StocX Private
Market Index utilizing a technique often known as “Change Percentage. Until now, there was no
method to monitor the value actions of privately traded securities (i.e the shares of
corporations that aren’t listed within the inventory market).
• The largest problem in developing such an index is the availability of value. The index is
computed utilizing 1000 as the bottom worth as on 1 January 2022.

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Centre’s fiscal deficit touches 45.6 pc of the full-year target at end-Oct

• According to the data released by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA), the government’s
fiscal deficit in end-October touched 45.6% of the full year’s Budget Estimate.

• In actual terms, the fiscal deficit difference between expenditure and revenue was Rs
7,58,137croreduring the April-October period of 2022-23. In the corresponding period last year,
the deficit was 3% of the budget estimates for 2021-22. For 2022-23, the fiscal deficit of the
government is estimated to be Rs 16.61 lakh crore or 6.4% of the GDP. As per the CGA data,
the net tax revenue at Rs 11.71 lakh crore was 5% of BE 2022-23.

PNB HFC launched the affordable home loan scheme Roshni for Tier 1 & Tier 2 cities

• PNB Housing Finance (HFC) unveiled a low-cost home loan program Roshni which enables
individuals to apply for loans under this scheme ranging from 5 lakh to Rs. 30 lakhs. This
launch is in line with PNB Housing Finance’s long-term
goal of enabling and assisting an individual’s desire to purchase a home.

PNB HFC:

Headquarters: New Delhi

MD & CEO: Girish Kousgi

ADB approves $250 mn loans to strengthen India’s logistics sector

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $250 million policy-based
loan to support the Government of India’s wide-ranging reforms.
To strengthen and modernize the country’s logistics infrastructure, improve
efficiency, and lower the cost in the logistics sector. The loan will fund the first sub-program
of the Strengthening Multimodal and Integrated Logistics Ecosystem (SMILE) Program.

Tamilnad Mercantile Bank signs pact with Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance

• Private sector lender Tamilnad Mercantile Bank (TMB) has partnered with life insurance firm
Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance to sell term, annuity, and other value-packed products of the private
life insurer across its over 500 branches. The agreement to this effect was signed by the TMB’s MD
& CEO S. Krishnan and Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance MD & CEO Tarun Chugh
• Under this strategic partnership, New and existing customers of the bank would be able to avail
of the services of Bajaj Allianz Life offerings including savings, retirement, and investment
products.

ADB & IIFL HFL initiate policy dialogue around green affordable housing

• Asian Development Bank (ADB) and IIFL Home Finance (IIFL HFL) organized
‘Kutumb’ in Delhi to discuss the scope of green affordable housing in The ‘Kutumb’ was launched
with an event titled ‘Green Affordable Housing Ecosystem’ in Delhi.

Road transport ministry to launch Surety Bonds Insurance Product for

Infrastructure Sector

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• The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is set to launch India’s first-ever surety
bonds insurance product for highway contractors on December 19, 2022, to boost liquidity in
the infrastructure sector. This comes 2 years after the union ministry
directed the Insurance Regulatory and Developmental Authority of India (IRDAI) to explore
the feasibility of surety bonds.

Banks should not ask for verification at the branch level if e-KYC has been done –
RBI

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced that banks should not ask
for verifications/updates at the branch level in case a customer has done e-KYC or those who
have completed the KYC (know-your-customer) process on the C-KYC portal. Bank customers
who have completed their KYC verifications online can do the annual updates as well as
changes if any in their details online.
• Customers who have uploaded their KYC details on the central KYC (C-KYC) portal should not
be asked for verification by any bank. In such a case, the customer can just mail or message from
the registered email ID or mobile to the bank to access the KYC details from the C-KYC portal.

Finance Ministry allows PSUs to invest in debt schemes of all mutual funds

• The finance ministry in an office memorandum allowed public sector undertakings (PSUs) to
invest in debt schemes of all mutual funds. Earlier, provisions limited central public sector
enterprises (CPSEs) to investment in public sector mutual funds only, in which the government
held more than 50% share.

Canara HSBC Life Insurance Launches Non-Participating ‘Guaranteed Fortune Plan’

• Canara HSBC Life Insurance launched a new “Guaranteed Fortune Plan” a non-linked, non-
participating individual savings scheme offering life cover and a lump sum amount on
outliving the policy term. The product offers two plan options: Guaranteed Savings Option &
Guaranteed Cash Back Option.

Canara HSBC Life Insurance Company Limited:

Headquarters: Gurugram, Haryana

MD & CEO: Anuj Mathur

HDFC Bank partners with Startup India to launch 6th Parivartan SmartUp Grants

• Private Sector lender HDFC Bank in partnership with the Government of India’s flagship
initiative ‘Start-up India’ launched its sixth Parivartan SmartUp Grants, the annual grants
program for social start-ups. To identify start-ups working in the social impact space and
support them through monetary grants to their incubators. The grants have been offered under
the aegis of Parivartan, the umbrella name for the bank’s social initiatives.

HDFC Bank:

Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra

MD & CEO: Sashidhar Jagdishan

Tagline: We understand your world

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Trucknetic partners with DBS Bank India to provide trucking solutions

• India’s Uber for Trucks, Trucknetic, has partnered with DBS Bank as a logistics partner on
their Business Class platform. To offer comprehensive digital banking, logistics, value-
added services, and deals to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) across the country.

DBS Bank India:

Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra

MD & CEO: Piyush Gupta

Universal Sompo General Insurance partners with Zopper to launch a special

integrated insurance offering

• Universal Sompo General Insurance Company Limited has partnered with an insurance
infrastructure Application Programming Interface (API) platform, Zopper, to roll out
a special integrated offering for customers. To cover 1 million assets by offering
users personalized insurance solutions, as well as a hassle-free customer experience from
policy generation to claims management.

• Through this partnership, customers will have access to buy insurance seamlessly along with an
option to purchase a protection plan.

Universal Sompo General Insurance Company Limited:

Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra

MD & CEO: Mr. Sharad Mathur

IndusInd Bank enters into Rs 500 crore co-lending pact with SV Credit Line

• The non-banking finance company SV CreditLine Limited (SVCL) and the private sector
lender IndusInd Bank have signed a co-lending collaboration for a ₹500 crore loan targeted
solely towards women borrowers.
• The agreement will help rural women access affordable loans that they could use for a wide
range of economic activities such as agriculture, animal husbandry, trading, and local
manufacturing, among others.

HDFC ERGO partners with NIIT to create a large pool of developers

• HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company, a leading general insurance company in India, has
partnered with NIIT, a global talent development corporation, to launch HDFC ERGO
Technocrat – Advance Dot Net Developer Program to create a large pool of developers. It will
create ready-to-deploy talent, who can play a pivotal role in offering technology-powered
insurance solutions.

HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company:

Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra

MD & CEO: Ritesh Kumar

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ASK Capital gets Central Bank of Ireland nod to launch India-based fund

• ASK Capital has received approval from the Central Bank of Ireland to launch an India-based
fund ASK Indian Entrepreneur Fund through the UCITS route. To raise USD 500
million from global investors to take high-return bets on enterprises promoted by Indian
entrepreneurs over the next 3 years.

• ASK is the fourth asset or wealth management firm in India to receive approval for a UCITS
(Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities) fund.

The government repays IL&FS loans to ADB & KfW to fulfil the commitment

• The central government has repaid the sum of Rs. 1109 crore and Rs. 29 crores to the Asian
Development Bank and German state-owned lender KFW, respectively, to fulfil
guarantees offered to Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS). The
government provided loan guarantees; as a result, it has taken the place of the lenders and
entered the list of IL&FS creditors.

CBDT Exempts NRIs Without PAN From E-filing Form 10F Upto March 2023

• The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has exempted non-resident Indians (NRIs) without
permanent account numbers (PANs) from e-filing Form 10F up to March 2023.

• This will apply to those NR taxpayers who are not having a PAN and are not required to have a
PAN as per relevant provisions of the Income-tax Act, 1961 are exempted from mandatory
electronic filing of Form 10 F till 31 March 2023, The CBDT in July 2022 mandated electronic
filing of the form but this created a hurdle for non-resident taxpayers as in certain cases, a non-
resident payee is not required to obtain a PAN under the Act.

CBDT:

Headquarters: New Delhi

Chairman: Shri Nitin Gupta

RBI Shortlists 7 Global Consultancy Firms to Use AI, ML to Improve Regulatory

Supervision

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has shortlisted 7 global consultancy firms, to use artificial
intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) for supervisory functions. 7 applicants have been
shortlisted for taking part in the request for proposal (RFP) process for the selection of
consultant(s).

SBI donates ₹4.26 cr to rejuvenate lakes in the Kolar district of Karnataka

• The State Bank of India (SBI) has sanctioned a donation of ₹4.26 crore to rejuvenate 7
major lakes in the Kolar district of Karnataka. SBI will undertake the rejuvenation of 7 major
lakes as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) – Manjalanagara Amnikere and S
Vadigepallikere in Srinivaspura Taluk, Peddapallikerein KGF,
Tambihallikere and Channegowdanakere in Kolar Taluk, C Hosurkere in Mulabagal
Taluk and Rajalukere (WS) in Bangarpet Taluk of Kolar District.

• The rejuvenation would include bund development and channel development for the 7 lakes.

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HDFC Bank partners with LEAF to provide financial aid to marginalized farmers

• Ooty, Tamil Nadu (TN) headquartered Lawrencedale Agro Processing (LEAF) has entered into
a strategic partnership with private sector lender HDFC Bank to offer customized financial
products and services to marginalized farmers. To expand the financial
accessibility and inclusivity of farmers and the scope of the Farmer Producer Organisation
(FPO) ecosystem

SEBI gives nod to AIFs to raise money from FPIs

• Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) issued a framework for
the Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) in India will now be able to raise money from
Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs).
• At the time of onboarding investors, the manager of an AIF will have to ensure that FPIs are
residents of a country, the securities market regulator of which is a signatory to the International
Organisation of Securities Commission’s (IOSCO) Multilateral Memorandum of
Understanding, or a signatory to a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding with SEBI.

Paytm board approves Rs 850-crore share buyback via open market

• The board of One97 Communications Ltd, the listed entity that runs Paytm, approved a
share buyback program worth ₹850 crores via an open market route through the stock
exchanges method. The company will undertake a buyback of up to ₹850 crores (excluding
buyback taxes and other transaction costs) at a maximum price of ₹810 per share.

Paytm:

Headquarters: Noida, UP

CEO: Vijay Shekhar Sharma

RGICL launches ‘Reliance Health Infinity Policy’

• Reliance General Insurance Company Limited (RGICL) has launched the first-of-its-kind
premium health insurance product – ‘Reliance Health Infinity Policy’ that offers limitless
benefits. The policy is available in individual and family floater, covering up to 8 members, and
categories and offers sum-insured options starting from ₹5 lakh to ₹5 crores. It has features
like MoreGlobal Cover, Maternity Cover, OPD Cover, unlimited restoration of the sum
insured, and 15-plus useful add-on benefits.

Cashfree Payments enables eUPP to provide educational institutions with instant

and secure payments for parents and students

• India’s leading payments and API banking solutions company, Cashfree Payments, is enabling
eUPP (eLite Unified Payment Platform), a fee payment management system for schools and
colleges, to offer an instant and secure fee payments experience for end users Currently,
through this partnership, more than 500 educational institutions across the country are
leveraging Cashfree Payments’ payment collections suite for their payment needs.

Tamilnad Mercantile Bank Inks Pact with Kotak Mahindra General Insurance

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• Private sector lender Tamilnad Mercantile Bank Ltd. (TMB) has entered into a strategic
alliance with Kotak Mahindra General Insurance Co. Ltd., for marketing the products of
the insurance arm of Kotak Mahindra Bank. To offer customer-centric choices in every
product, Tamilnad Mercantile Bank executed the agreement for marketing the general
insurance products under the tie-up with Kotak Mahindra General Insurance Company Ltd.
• In Nov 2022, Tamilnad Mercantile Bank tied up with Cholamandalam General Insurance
and Max Life Insurance Company to offer their insurance products.

SIDBI partners with M1xchange to provide liquidity to MSMEs

• Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), the principal financial institution
engaged in the promotion, financing, and development of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises
(MSME) has partnered with M1xchange as the financier. This move is expected to bring
liquidity to MSMEs at competitive interest rates. This is a highly effective and efficient
solution for addressing the issue of the delayed payment of MSMEs.

SIDBI:

Headquarters: Lucknow, UP

MD & CEO: Shri Sivasubramanian Raman

IREDA signs Rs. 4,445 crore loan agreement with SJVN Green Energy Ltd. for a
1,000 MW Solar power project

• Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA) signed a loan agreement
for 4,444.71 crores with SJVN Green Energy Ltd. (SGEL, a subsidiary of SJVN Ltd.), for a
1,000 MW Solar power project at Bikaner, Rajasthan. In the presence of Shri Pradip Kumar
Das, Chairman & Managing Director (CMD), IREDA and Shri Nand Lal Sharma, CMD, SJVN,
Shri Pradipta Kumar Roy, DGM (IREDA) and Shri S. L. Sharma, Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
(SGEL) signed the loan agreement at the corporate office of IREDA.

Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd.

Headquarters: Tamil Nadu

Chairman & Managing Director: Shri Pradip Kumar Das

SJVN Green Energy Ltd.

Headquarters: Shimla, Himachal Pradesh

Chairman & Managing Director: Shri S. L. Sharma

Only about 13% recovery in written-off loans during the last 5 years

• According to the Finance Ministry data presented in the Rajya Sabha, only about 13% of
the loans written off by the scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) during the last 5
financial years have been recovered. Total recovery of over ₹32 lakh crore from written-off
loan accounts made during the last 5 financial years.

• In response to two separate questions on the issue, the Ministry presented data on write-off and
recovery. As per inputs received from RBI, SCBs (scheduled commercial bank) wrote off an

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amount of over ₹09 lakh crore during the last 5 financial years (Fiscal Year 2017-18 to the
Fiscal Year 2021-22).
• NPAs (non-performing assets), including those with full provisioning made on completion
of 4 years, are removed from the balance sheet of the bank as a write-off. Banks write off
NPAs to clean up their balance sheet, get a tax benefit and optimize capital, by RBI guidelines
and policies approved by their boards.
• Further, as per RBI data on domestic operations, “stressed assets, including restructured
standard assets, as a percentage of gross advances in SCBs, has declined from 8% as on March
31, 2014, to 7.8% as on March 31, 2022.

HDFC Securities launches investor education and market analysis platform ‘Roots’

• Leading Indian stock brokerage firm, HDFC Securities has launched Roots, a dedicated
platform providing comprehensive investor education and market analysis. The site offers
multiple forms of valuable information, including articles, bite-sized tips, podcasts by experts,
video tutorials and explainers, and live social media feed on the Indian financial markets.

• The biggest USP of the platform is that it produces content that is being searched on Google by
current or prospective investors and traders. The Blog section of Roots is updated with
articles addressing all aspects of investing in the Indian financial markets, from intraday
trading to ETFs, and more.

HDFC Securities:

Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra

CEO: Dhiraj Relli

AU Small Finance Bank and HDFC Life announce Bancassurance Tie-up

• AU Small Finance Bank, India’s leading small finance bank, and HDFC Life, one of India’s
leading life insurers, entered into a corporate agency arrangement for soliciting insurance
plans of HDFC Life through the bancassurance business model. To enrich the Bank’s life
insurance offering by enabling its customers to access the digital platform and the touch points
of HDFC Life for servicing.

AU Small Finance Bank:

Headquarters: Jaipur, Rajasthan

CEO: Sanjay Aggarwal

Tagline: Chalo Aage Badhe

Tata AIA Life Insurance opens Emerging Opportunities Fund

• Tata AIA Life Insurance Company Limited (Tata AIA) has launched a new Emerging
Opportunities Fund that will invest in mid-cap companies and emerging market leaders.
To generate capital appreciation in the long term by investing in a portfolio of stocks that offer
opportunities in the mid-cap space and emerging leaders in the new-age sectors. The New Fund
Offering (NFO) window will remain open from 15th December to 30th December 2022 at Rs
10 per unit, which is applicable only during the NFO period.

Tata AIA Life Insurance Company Limited:

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Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra

CEO: Naveen Tahilyani

BoB proposes to sell its majority stake in Nainital Bank

• State-owned Bank of Baroda (BoB) plans to sell its majority stake in Nainital Bank. The bank
has authorized the issuance of an advertisement inviting expressions of interest (EOI) through
a preliminary information memorandum (PIM) from interested parties (IPs).
• Bob currently holds 98.57% of the total equity share capital of NBL. It has decided to bring in
a strategic partner in its subsidiary Nainital Bank Ltd (NBL). The strategic partner will help
the Bank of Baroda to reduce its stake in percentage terms.

Equitas Small Finance Bank signs MoU with Controller General of Defence accounts

• Equitas Small Finance Bank Limited, one of the leading Small Finance Banks
(SFBs), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Controller General of
Defence Accounts, Ministry of Defence, Government of India. The MoU will allow Equitas to
be a SPARSH (System for Pension Administration (Raksha) service center to provide data
verification for pensioners.

Equitas Small Finance Bank Limited:

Headquarters: Chennai, Tamil Nadu

CEO: Mr. PN Vasudevan

Tagline: It’s fun Banking

State Bank of India to begin overseas rupee trade with smaller nations

• State Bank India (SBI) will start overseas trade in rupee with smaller countries like
Mauritius and Sri Lanka to steer clear of any transactions with Russia which carries the risk
of sanctions by the West. In all 18 such special rupee accounts have been opened by 11
banks, including 2 in Russia and one in Sri Lanka, following approval from the Reserve Bank of
India (RBI).

RBI extends Market trading hours to pre-pandemic level

• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) extended the hours of trading for a number of the markets that
it regulates; the new timings from 9 am to 5 pm will come into effect from 12 Dec 2022. Under
the new timings, the call/notice/term money market will close at 5 pm, the market for
Commercial paper and Certificates of Deposit will close at 5 pm, Repo in Corporate Bonds
ends at 5 pm and Rupee Interest Rate Derivatives will end at 5 pm.

• The timing of Government Securities (Central Government Securities, State Development

Loans, and Treasury Bills), Foreign Currency (FCY)/Indian Rupee (INR) Trades including
Forex Derivatives will be 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM.

• The tri-party repos in government securities shall continue with the post-pandemic trading
hours of 9 am to 3 pm. In April 2020, the RBI announced shortened market hours for all
trading segments in light of the disruptions caused by the pandemic. Trade timings for all market
segments were revised to 10 am to 2 pm at that time.

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Bank of Baroda Launches the 2nd edition of Green Ride with Milind Soman

• Bank of Baroda, one of India’s leading public sector banks, has launched the 2nd edition of
Green Ride – Ek Pehal Swachh Hawa Ki Aur, an initiative with environmental
advocate and fitness enthusiast, Milind Soman. Under this initiative, Milind will embark on
an 8-day sustainable journey on a bicycle and an electric scooter, promoting eco-friendly
transportation, a green lifestyle as well as the importance of health & fitness.
• The 1400 km Green Ride will be flagged off from Mumbai on December 19 and conclude
in Mangalore, Karnataka on December 26, 2022. Under a unique initiative called “Plant A
Tree”, the Bank will plant a fruit-bearing tree on behalf of its customers for every Auto Loan or
Home Loan disbursed over the next three years.

Axis Bank takes over RCom’s enterprise arm, Globalcom

• Reliance Communication’s (RCom) enterprise business, Globalcom IDC Ltd, has been taken
over by Axis Bank, due to the non-payment of dues. RCom had received notice from Axis
Trustee Services Limited seeking to sell 100% equity shares of Globalcom. Axis Bank has
taken over Globalcom to recover RCom’s direct dues to the bank.

RBI Imposes Rs2.66 Crore Penalty On Bank Of Bahrain & Kuwait BSC

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty of ₹66 crores on Bank of
Bahrain & Kuwait BSC(India Operations) for non-compliance with regulatory
directions on “Cyber Security Framework in Banks”. The penalty has been imposed in the
exercise of powers vested in RBI under the provisions of section 47 A (1) (c) read with sections
46 (4) (i) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (the Act).

IDFC FIRST Bank announces zero-fee banking on savings accounts

• On the occasion of its foundation day, IDFC FIRST Bank has announced zero-fee banking on
savings accounts. The bank mentioned that it had waived fees on 25 commonly used banking
services related to savings accounts such as cash deposit and withdrawal at branches, third-
party cash transactions, demand drafts, immediate payment service (IMPS), National
Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT), Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS), cheque book, SMS
alerts, interest certificates, insufficient balance for ATM transactions, international ATM
usage.

Paytm & HDFC ERGO launch ‘Payment Protect’ insurance policy to protect mobile
transactions

• One97 Communications Limited (OCL), which owns the brand Paytm, in association with
HDFC ERGO General Insurance, a leading general insurance company in India launched
a group insurance plan called ‘Paytm Payment Protect’. To insure transactions are made
through the Unified Payment Interface (UPI) across all apps and wallets.

LIC raises stake in IRCTC to 7.278%

• Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India has increased its stake in the Indian Railway
Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) from 5.005% to 7.278%. LIC raised its stake in
IRCTC after adding 1,81,80,323 IRCTC shares to its portfolio making it 5,82,22,948 IRCTC
shares in total.

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Bandhan Bank signs MoU with Defence Ministry to extend services to defence
pensioners

• Bandhan Bank has signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Controller
General of Defence Accounts (CGDA), Ministry of Defence (MoD), Govt. of India
(GoI) for extending the banking services to the Defence Pensioners and their families. The
bank is aligned with the vision of the government in being a one-stop solution to all pension
related activities of defence pensioners under the Outreach Programme for Defence Pensioners
on System for Pension Administration Raksha (SPARSH).

Bandhan Bank:

Headquarters: Kolkata, West Bengal

CEO: Chandra Shekhar Ghosh

Tagline: Aapka Bhala, Sabki Bhalai

DBS Bank India partners with Gofrugal Tech to empower SMEs towards ONDC

• DBS Bank India Limited (DBIL) has partnered with GoFrugal Technologies Pvt Ltd, a seller-
centric platform, which offers omnichannel ERP solutions and claims to empower micro,
small and medium enterprises (MSME) and retail merchants to adopt Open Network for
Digital Commerce (ONDC). The partnership furthers DBS Bank India’s commitment
to reimagining SME banking through innovation and providing digital solutions beyond
traditional banking.

Indian Bank launches special fixed deposit of 555 days with returns up to 7.15%

• Indian Bank has launched a new special retail term deposit dubbed “Ind Shakti 555 days”.
The bank also announced the availability of the “IND SHAKTI 555 DAYS” special retail term
deposit product, which has a minimum amount of Rs. 5000 and runs for 555 days with
an interest rate of 7.00% for the general public and 15% for senior citizens.

Indian Bank:

Headquarters: Chennai, Tamil Nadu

CEO: Shri Shanti Lal Jain

Tagline: Banking that’s twice as good

RBI asks Razorpay, Cashfree to hold off onboarding new merchants

• Payment companies Razorpay and Cashfree Payments have received notices from
the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to withhold onboarding any new online merchants to their
platforms, pending their audit for the payment aggregator/payment gateway licences
(PA/PG). Razorpay, Pine Labs, and Stripe were among the first ones to get an in-principle
nod to provide PA/PG services.

SEBI board approves phasing out shares buyback through stock exchanges

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• Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
decided to gradually phase out the buyback of shares by companies through the stock
exchange route to address the drawbacks associated with the existing mechanism. At present,
for share buyback, companies have both the options of the stock exchange and tender offer.

NSE Gets SEBI’s In-Principle Nod To Set Up Social Stock Exchange As Separate
Segment

• The National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) received in-principle approval from the market
regulator Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI), to set up a Social Stock Exchange
(SSE) as a separate segment of the NSE. The idea of SSE was first floated by Finance Minister
Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget speech for the financial year 2019-20.

Tata Power gets ₹450 crores sustainable trade finance facility from Japan’s MUFG
Bank

• Tata Power has received a Rs 450 crore “sustainable trade finance facility” from MUFG
(Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group) Bank of Japan to fund its solar projects in India.This credit
facility was extended for two solar projects under TP Kirnali Limited (TPKL). TPKL is a 100%
subsidiary of Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL).

Canara Bank hits business milestone of Rs 20 lakh crore

• Canara Bank has achieved a milestone of crossing the total global business of Rs 20,00,000
crore. Stock of Canara Bank closed at ₹291.45 apiece on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE),
down by 6.54%.

Canara Bank:

Headquarters: Bangalore, Karnataka

Executive Director: Shri K. Satyanarayana Raju

Tagline: Together we can

Honda Cars India partners with Indian Bank to provide vehicle loans

• Indian Bank has partnered with Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) to provide vehicle finance for
its customers. The partnership will offer easy loan disbursement, reasonable interest rates,
special offers, flexible policies and simplified process.

• The customers can avail of financing benefits across over 5,700 branches of Indian Bank and
HCIL dealer network across the country. CSB Bank (erstwhile Catholic Syrian Bank
Limited), one of the oldest private sector banks in India, in collaboration with
Mastercard and OneCard has unveiled its first consumer credit card – CSB Bank
OneCard- in India.

Axis Bank crosses Rs 100 crore in AUM for retirement business

• Axis Bank has received a regulatory nod to act as a pension fund manager and has already
crossed Rs 100 crore in assets under management (AUM) for its retirement business. The
bank received a commencement of business certificate from the Pension Fund Regulatory and

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Development Authority (PFRDA) on September 20, 2022 and the AUM has been managed in
the first 45 days of the business.
• The bank has launched a step-down subsidiary Axis Pension Fund Management through
its subsidiary Axis Asset Management Company, which marks its foray into the retirement
business.

Axis Bank:

Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra

MD & CEO: Amitabh Choudhary

Tagline: Badhti Ka Naam Zindagi

PFRDA:

Headquarters: New Delhi

Chairman: Supratim Bandyopadhyay

J&K Bank signs MoU with Administration of Ladakh union territory

• Jammu and Kashmir Bank signed a memorandum of understanding with

the Administration of Ladakh union territory, conferring preferential status to each other.
According to the MoU, the Ladakh UT Administration would nominate J&K Bank as ‘preferred
banker’ for all its banking-related services, while as, J&K Bank would give the ‘most favoured
client’ status to UT Administration and its active permanent employees who maintain the their
salary accounts with the Bank.

Karnataka Bank goes live on ICEGATE

• Karnataka Bank has gone live on the Indian Customs Electronic Gateway (ICEGATE),
the national portal of Indian Customs of Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs,
enabling its customers to pay customs duty online. The integration of Karnataka Bank on
ICEGATE portal will enable all its individual and corporate customers to pay customs duty at
their convenience, enabling smooth conduct of their business.

Karnataka Bank:

Headquarters: Mangaluru, Karnataka

MD & CEO: Shri Mahabaleshwara M.S

Tagline: Your Family Bank Across India

Worldline ePayments India gets RBI’s in-principle nod to act as a payment

aggregator

• Worldline ePayments India (WEIPL), a leader in digital payments, has received in-principle
authorisation from the Reserve Bank Of India (RBI) to act as a payment aggregator
(PA). WEIPL received the communication from RBI on Dec 20, 2022.
• The authorisation by the RBI was under the provisions of the Guidelines on Regulation of
Payment dated March 17, 2020. The RBI has been proactive in introducing

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regulations and frameworks to help the entire digital ecosystem and
to increase the adoption of digital payments further.

IFSCA introduces a new framework to boost distribution of capital market products

from Gift City

• Gift City regulator International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) has come up
with a regulatory framework for the distribution of capital market products and services
from international financial services centres (IFSCs). With this move, distributors of capital
market products can register with the IFSCA, and undertake global distribution from these
IFSCs and offer their services to clients in various jurisdictions.

IFSCA:

Headquarters: Gandhinagar, Gujarat

Chairman: Shri Injeti Srinivas

IRDAI to introduce ‘Bima Vahaks’ to expand insurance force

• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) will soon introduce
“Bima Vahaks” in each gram panchayat. To enhance the insurance force in India. The
announcement was made by Rakesh Joshi, a member of the IRDAI at the Business Standard
BFSI Insight Summit 2022 in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

SEBI expands committees on cyber security and information systems

• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has expanded two of its committees –
the High-Powered Steering Committee on Cyber Security (HPSC-CS) and Information
Systems Security Committee (ISSC). To strengthen cyber security frameworks and cyber
resilience requirements. The committee on cyber security has been expanded to 8 members
from 6 earlier.

• Chair – Navin Kumar Singh, Director General (DG) at National Critical Information
Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC).

Bajaj Allianz General Insurance launches ‘Respect Senior Care Rider’ for senior
citizens

• Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, one of the leading private general insurers of
India, has launched its unique health insurance rider ‘Respect Senior Care Rider’. It is one
of the first health insurance riders from the Company, which will offer 360-degree
assistance for senior citizens. The company collaborates with Strategic Partners to provide a
seamless services experience for customers by providing them with a 24×7 direct
connection in under 30 seconds with the medical support & emergency platform that will
activate rapid response within 10 minutes.

Indian Banks’ GNPAs decline to 5% in September 2022 – RBI report

• The Gross non-performing assets (GNPA) ratio of Scheduled Commercial banks

(SCBs) has declined sequentially to 5% as of September 2022 from the peak levels of
around 9% in 2017-18 led by lower fresh slippages.
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• The reduction in NPAs was mainly contributed by written-off loans in the case of PSBs (public
sector banks), while the upgradation of loans was the primary driver for asset quality
improvement for PVBs (private banks), the central bank stated in its report on Trend and
Progress of Banking in India for 2021-2022.

Indian Bank launches ‘MSME Prerana’ flagship program in Rajasthan

• Indian Bank, one of the leading public sector banks in the country, has launched its flagship
business mentoring program for Micro Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME)
entrepreneurs – ‘MSME Prerana’ in Rajasthan. “MSME Prerana”, is a first-of-its-kind
initiative for the MSME sector in the country by any bank.

ADB approves USD 125 mn loan to improve urban services in TN

• Multilateral funding agency Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India
(GoI) signed a $125 million (about 1025 crore) loan to develop climate-resilient sewage
collection and treatment, and drainage and water supply systems in 3 cities Coimbatore,
Madurai & Thoothukudi of Tamil Nadu (TN).

• Rajat Kumar Mishra, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of
Finance signed for the GoI. Hoe Yun Jeong, Officer-in-Charge of ADB’s India Resident Mission
signed for ADB.
• The financing is the third and the last tranche of the $500 million multi-tranche financing
facility (MFF) for the Program approved by ADB in 2018 to build priority water supply, sewerage,
and drainage infrastructure in strategic industrial corridors across 10 cities in TN.

Spice Money Partnered with Axis Bank for Financial Inclusion in Rural India

• Fintech player Spice Money has partnered with private sector lender Axis Bank to facilitate
the opening of instant, zero-balance savings or current accounts for rural citizens through
its Adhikari network. To bridge the rural-urban divide and bring financial inclusivity by
providing access to banking products at the doorstep, thereby financially empowering thousands
of rural citizens living in the hinterlands of India.

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

YES Bank acquires 9.9% stake in JC Flower Arc

• YES, Bank has signed a share purchase agreement (SPA) with JC Flowers Asset
Reconstruction Company (ARC), purchasing a 9.9% interest in the ARC for Rs 11.43 per
share. While the bank also plans to acquire the remaining 10% in due course, subject to requisite
regulatory approvals.

RBI gives conditional approval to Carlyle & Advent’s stake buy in YES Bank

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has given conditional approval to private equity investors
Carlyle Group and Advent International to acquire up to 9.99% each in private lender Yes
Bank. The proposed investment is by CA Basque investments, a part of The Carlyle Group,
and Verventa Holdings Limited, an affiliate of funds managed by Advent.

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Alibaba Group sells a 3% stake in Zomato for ₹1,631 crore

• Alipay Singapore, an arm of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, sold a 3.07% stake in online food
delivery giant Zomato for ₹1,631 crores via an open market transaction.
• Alipay Singapore Holding Pte offloaded around 26,28,73,507 shares, aggregating to a
3.07% stake in the firm, according to the bulk deal data available with the National Stock
Exchange (NSE).

JSPL acquires Monnet Power for Rs 410 cr

• Jindal Steel and Power (JSP) Limited has acquired debt-laden Monnet Power for Rs 410
crore through the insolvency route.mMonnet Power, has a 1050 MW under-construction plant
in Odisha’s Angul.
• The power plant would be used for captive use and it will consume 20-25% less coal. Monnet
Power was admitted for the corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP) in 2018 after
proceedings were instituted by the IDFC Bank.

HDFC Bank to acquire 7.75% stake in Mintoak for Rs 31 cr

• India’s largest private bank HDFC Bank has acquired a 7.75% stake in fintech start-up
Mintoak Innovations (Mintoak) for a total cash consideration of Rs 31.14 crore. The
acquisition is likely to be completed by 31 January 2023, subject to conditions precedent.

CCI approves Brookfield’s minority stake buy in UPL SAS

• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved Woodhall Holdings Ltd’s (WHL)
acquisition of a minority stake in UPL Sustainable Agri Solutions Ltd (UPL SAS). Woodhall
Holdings Ltd (WHL) is a special purpose vehicle (SPV) and part of Brookfield Asset
Management

Reliance Jio acquires 100 pc stake in Reliance Infratel for Rs 3,720 crore

• Reliance Projects and Property Management Services (RPPMSL), a subsidiary of telecom

major Jio, has completed a 100% stake acquisition in Reliance Infratel Limited (RITL) for
about Rs 3,720 crore. The existing paid-up equity share capital of RITL has been canceled.
Upon such cancellation, RPPMSL holds 100% equity share capital of RITL.
• The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) approved Reliance Projects and Property
Management Services (RPPMSL) for the acquisition of Reliance Infratel (RITL) in November
2022.

Reliance Strategic Business Ventures buys 23.3% stake in Exyn Technologies

• Reliance Strategic Business Ventures Limited (RSBVL), a wholly owned subsidiary of

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), acquired a 23.3% stake in Exyn Technologies Inc
(Exyn) for a total consideration of $25 million.

PhonePe separates from Walmart-owned Flipkart

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• One of India’s largest digital payments platforms, PhonePe, has separated from parent e-
commerce platform Flipkart in preparation for an initial public offering. The PhonePe Group
was acquired by the Flipkart Group in 2016 and is now India’s largest digital payments platform.
• The company has more than 400 million registered users and more than one in four Indians
avail of its services As part of the transaction, the shareholders of the Singapore entities of both
firms have purchased shares directly in PhonePe’s India entity. Walmart will remain the majority
shareholder of both business groups. PhonePe is also set to acquire fintech start-up ZestMoney
for $200-300 million and the deal may be closed in the next few weeks.

RANKINGS & REPORTS

Gautam Adani tops Forbes’ list of India’s 100 richest people in 2022:

• The global economy may be faltering, but India’s wealthiest have become considerably wealthier
this year. The Forbes 2022 list of India’s 100 wealthiest is finally here, and according to it, the
combined wealth of India’s 100 wealthiest has increased by $25 billion to a whopping $800
billion. The top ten wealthiest Indians are worth a total of $385 billion. Gautam Adani,
chairman of Adani Group, topped the list with a net worth of $150 billion.

• Anand Mahindra, with a net worth of $2.2 billion (Rs 17,768.08 crore), is one of the four returnees
on the list. Returnees on the rich list are Bhadresh Shah (Rs 15,345.16 crore), Anu Aga (Rs
18,010.37 crore), and Joy Alukkas (Rs 25,036.84 crore). Paytm CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma was a
prominent drop-off, with shares of his One97 Communications plummeting during the worldwide
tech collapse. This year’s threshold for the top 100 was $1.9 billion.

Knight Frank’s Global Prime Cities Index ranks Mumbai 22nd:

• According to Knight Frank, Mumbai was ranked 22nd in a global index that analyzes the
annual price appreciation of luxury residential properties.
• According to Knight Frank’s research on the ‘Prime Global Cities Index Q3 (July-September)
2022, ‘all three Indian cities, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and New Delhi, saw an increase in average
yearly prices in the third quarter of 2022. The prime global cities index is a valuation-based
index that tracks the change of prime home prices in local currency in 45+ cities around the
world.
• Mumbai rose to 22nd place in the third quarter of 2022, from 39th place the previous year.
Bengaluru’s rank increased to 27th from 41st, while New Delhi’s position climbed to
36trom 38th.

BBC Announces List of 100 Most Influential Women: Four Indian ladies on the list:

• The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has issued a list of the world’s 100 most
influential women, which includes women from politics, science, sports, entertainment, and
literature. Four Indians are on the BBC’s list of the 100 most influential women: actress
Priyanka Chopra Jonas, author Geetanjali Shree, engineer and astronaut Sirisha Bandla,
and social worker Sneha Jawale.
• The yearly list recognizes women’s achievements worldwide, from grassroots volunteers to global
leaders, and is used by the BBC to focus on women’s experiences around the world through a
dedicated series of interviews, documentaries, and features.

India will rank as the eighth-largest advertising market in 2023:

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• India is anticipated to surpass Brazil and take over as the eighth-largest advertising
market in 2023, according to GroupM’s worldwide end-of-year prediction.
• India is recognized as the ninth-largest advertising market in the world by GroupM in
“This Year, the Next Year 2022.” The report claims that by 2022, India’s total advertising
income will have increased by 15.8% to $14.9 billion, driven mostly by growth in pure-play
digital advertising. It is anticipated to rise by 16.8% in 2023.
• In contrast, it is anticipated that Brazil’s advertising market will increase by 9% to $15.4
billion in 2022. It is anticipated to rise by 3.8% in 2023. According to the report, digital
advertising in India makes up the largest portion of the country’s overall advertising market in
2022 (40.8%) and is predicted to keep growing above pre-pandemic levels. Retail media, a
segment of digital advertising, is predicted to reach $551 million in 2022 and nearly
quadruple by 2027, according to the report.

Global Aviation Safety Rankings 2022 placed India at position 48:

• India, according to DGCA officials, has moved up to position 48 in the International Civil
Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) evaluation of the world’s aviation safety. The nation held
the 102nd place ranking four years ago.
• According to the officials, Singapore is at the top of the list, followed by the UAE and South
Korea in second and third place, respectively. China is in position 49.
• An ICAO Coordinated Validation Mission (ICVM) was carried out from November 9 to
November 16 as part of its Continuous Monitoring Approach for its Universal Safety Oversight
Audit Programme (USOAP). According to the officials, the nation now has an effective
implementation score of 85.49 percent for critical safety components.

India is listed eighth on a list of nations at risk of mass murder:

• India is ranked eighth among the nations with the highest danger of mass murder in 2022
and 2023, according to a new analysis by the US think tank Early Warning Project.

• India’s ranking has decreased from second place in the previous year. The improvement in
men’s freedom of movement, which was one of the variables utilized in the analysis, is primarily
responsible for India’s drop in position from second to ninth.
• A fresh mass murder is predicted to occur in Pakistan in 2022 or 2023 with a probability of
one in six, according to the report. While Pakistan topped the list this year, the 2022–23
study revealed that out of the 162 nations, Yemen came in at number two, Myanmar at
number three, Ethiopia at number five, Nigeria at number six, and Afghanistan at number
seven.
• India’s ranking is lower than that of Sudan (ninth), Somalia (tenth), Syria (eleventh), Iraq
(12th), and Zimbabwe (14th rank).

WMO Announces the Global Water Resources Report 2021:

• The first edition of the World Meteorological Organization’s State of Global Water
Resources Report 2021 has been published. In a time of rising demand and constrained
supplies, the purpose of this yearly report is to enable the monitoring and management of
the world’s freshwater resources.
• A summary of river flow, significant floods, and droughts is provided in the report. It sheds light
on areas where freshwater storage could shift and emphasizes the critical function and
susceptibility of the cryosphere (snow and ice). The paper demonstrates how significant regions
of the world had drier-than-average conditions in 2021, a year in which climate change
and a La Nia event affected precipitation patterns.

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In 2022, the Indian Premier League remains the most searched query on Google in
India:

• Google has published its “Year in Search 2022” report, which highlights the topics that
sparked the most interest and were the most often searched on the website this year.
According to the list, which is issued annually for various countries, India’s search trends have
altered substantially since last year.
• The Indian Premier League (IPL), the most searched sporting tournament in the country,
topped all 2022 trending search results in India. IPL was followed by CoWIN, a government
website gateway that facilitates COVID-19 vaccine registration and appointment scheduling and
delivers digital immunization certificates.
• The FIFA World Cup, which began on November 20 in Qatar, was the third most searched-
for topic in India. Sports contests, the Asia Cup and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, came
in fourth and fifth place, respectively.

Gautam Adani and two other Indian billionaires have been named Forbes Asia Heroes
of Philanthropy:

• Gautam Adani, Shiv Nadar of HCL Technologies, and Ashok Soota of Happiest Minds
Technologies are the three Indians chosen for the 16th edition of the yearly list. The list
honors the region’s most prominent donors who have shown a strong personal dedication to
causes such as education and the environment.
• Malaysian-Indian Brahmal Vasudevan, founder and CEO of Kuala Lumpur-based private
equity firm Creador, and his lawyer wife, Shanthi Kandiah, help Malaysian and Indian
communities through the Creador Foundation, a non-profit they co-founded in 2018.

Nirmala Sitharaman and Falguni Nayar are listed among the “World’s 100 Most
Powerful Women.”

• Six Indians made it onto Forbes’ annual list of “The World’s 100 Most Powerful
Women,” including Finance Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, Biocon Executive Chairman
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, and Nykaa Founder Falguni Nayar.
• Nirmala Sitharaman, who is ranked number 36, has appeared on the list four times running.
The 63-year-old minister was rated 37th on the list in 2021; in 2020 and 2019, she held
the 41st and 34th positions,
• The list includes 39 CEOs, 10 heads of state, and 11 billionaires worth a total of $115 billion,
including HCLTech Chairperson Roshni Nadar Malhotra (rank: 53), Securities And Exchange
Board Of India (SEBI) Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch (rank: 54), and Steel Authority Of
India Chairperson Soma Mondal (rank: 67).
• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tops the 19th annual Forbes list of the
World’s 100 Most Powerful Women for her leadership throughout the Ukraine war and her
handling of the Covid-19 outbreak. While European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde
is ranked second, US Vice President Kamala Harris is ranked third.

India was placed 87th in the world’s top passport list for 2022:

• The Passport Index 2022, produced by Arton Capital, assessed the world’s strongest and
weakest passports. A passport is a travel document issued by a country’s government to its
inhabitants that certifies the holder’s identity and nationality for international travel.

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• India was placed 87th in the world’s strongest passport. The UAE boasts the world’s most
powerful passport.

India was placed fifth among the 500 most valuable firms in the Hurun Global 500
rankings:

• India has risen to fifth place among nations that are home to the top 500 corporations in the
globe, boasting 20 of the most valuable companies in the world. It had eight enterprises and
placed tenth the previous year. The Hurun Global 500 list for 2022 shows that the US remained
at the top of the list.

• This year’s list of 20 Indian businesses includes 11 companies with headquarters in Mumbai, four
in Ahmedabad, and one each in Noida, New Delhi, Bengaluru, and Kolkata. Reliance Industries
(RIL), the highest-valued Indian company, came in at $202 billion, placing it 34th globally. Tata
Consultancy Services ($139 billion) and HDFC Bank ($97 billion) came in second and third,
respectively.

• With a market price of $2.4 trillion, Apple held its top spot as the most valuable business in the
world, followed by Microsoft ($1.8 trillion), and Alphabet, the parent company of Google, who
replaced Amazon to claim the third spot. Following Japan (28) and the UK (26) was China, which
came in second with 35 businesses (21). With eight new additions and three new additions,
respectively, India and Canada surpassed France and Germany to take fifth and sixth place with
20 firms each.

WHO has launched the 2022 edition of its annual World Malaria Report:

• The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched the 2022 edition of its annual World
Malaria Report, emphasizing the cumulative impacts the prolonged pandemic continued to
weigh on the economies and health systems of malaria-endemic countries across the globe.
• As per the report, there were an estimated 247 million malaria cases recorded in 2021 in 84
malaria-endemic countries. The report states that the case incidence remained largely similar
in 2020 and 2021. The WHO African Region continued to account for the largest burden
globally, with 4 nations in the region responsible for over half of all malaria deaths.

UIDAI topped the Grievance Redressal Index for the fourth time in a row:

• For the fourth month in a row, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) topped
the grievance redressal index among all group A ministries, departments, and autonomous
bodies for the resolution of public concerns in November. The Administrative Reforms and
Public Grievances Department (DARPG) issued the report.
• According to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, UIDAI has moved
toward a centralized grievance-handling procedure via its Open-Source customer relationship
management system.The new open-source CRM (customer relationship management)
system from UIDAI has improved user experience and service delivery to citizens.

The UN ranks the ‘Namami Gange’ Project as one of the top ten initiatives in the
world:

• The Namami Gange program to revitalize India’s sacred River Ganga has been named one
of the top ten World Restoration Flagships to revitalize the natural world by the United
Nations.

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• G Ashok Kumar, Director General of Namami Gange, accepted the prize at the 15th
Conference of the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) in Montreal, Canada. Namami Gange
was chosen from among over 150 similar programs from 70 countries around the world. They
were chosen as part of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, a global initiative
coordinated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

List of best universities and tuition costs, most expensive cities (New York,
Singapore):

• The costliest cities in the world are New York and Singapore, according to the Economist
Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Worldwide Cost of Living Index for this year. Some Indian students
want to pursue higher education in these cities.
• Here is a list of some of the prestigious colleges and universities in these expensive cities. Higher
education in New York has long been a goal for many students. While attending school in the
Big Apple, students will be exposed to its rich culture and way of life, which will increase their
job possibilities. Cornell University and Columbia University, two Ivy League schools, are
located in New York.

India ranks 3rd internationally in the publication of scientific papers:

• According to a survey by America’s National Science Foundation, India has risen from
seventh to third in global scientific publications and academic output, according to Union
Minister for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh.
• India is third in the world in terms of the number of PhDs produced annually. In a similar
rising trend, the number of patents awarded by the India Patents Office to Indian scientists has
more than doubled in just the last four years. India’s scholarly production climbed from 60,555
papers in 2010 to 1, 49,213 papers in 2020. China tops the world in the publication of the
highest number of scientific articles followed by The United States of America.

Report on the Global Food Security Index (GFSI) for 2022:

• The British weekly The Economist published the 2022 Global Food Security Index (GFSI)
study. The 11th Global Food Security Index demonstrates that the global food
environment has deteriorated for the third year in a row, jeopardizing food security.
• According to this report, South Africa has surpassed Tunisia to become Africa’s most food-
secure country. The global food ecosystem is worsening, exposing it to shocks. Significant
progress was made in global food security from 2012 to 2015, with the aggregate GFSI score
increasing by 6 percent.
• India is ranked 68th, like Algeria, with an overall score of 58.9. China is ranked 25th,
with a score of 74.2. India was ranked at 71st position in the Global Food Security (GFS)
Index 2021 among 113 countries with an overall score of 57.2 points on the GFS Index
2021. In 2022, Europe will have eight of the top ten performing countries, with Finland
topping the list with a score of 83.7.
• Ireland (with a score of 81.7) and Norway are next (scoring 80.5). These countries achieved high
scores on all four GFSI pillars. Japan and Canada are the only non-European countries in
the top ten.
• Since 2019, the gap between top-performing countries and lower-ranking countries has
widened, highlighting injustice in the global food system. Africa’s Most Food-Secure
Country: South Africa, ranked 59th, was named Africa’s most food-secure country. It
jumped from 70th to first place in 2021. This is despite the country’s agriculture sector

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facing numerous worldwide issues such as climate change, the fertilizer shortage caused by the
Ukraine war, inflation, and so on.
• This is the first time that a country in Sub-Saharan Africa has been named the
continent’s best performer. Tunisia is Africa’s second-best performing country, ranking
62nd.

SPI (Social Progress Index) for States and Districts to be Published:

• The Economic Advisory Council-Prime Minister received and published the Social Progress
Index (SPI) for States and Districts created by the Institute for Competitiveness and Social
Progress Imperative. States and districts have been categorized into six stages of social
advancement based on their SPI scores.

• Tiers 1 and 2 represent extremely high social progress, Tiers 3 and 4 lower middle social progress,
Tiers 5 and 6 very low social progress, and Tiers 1 very high social progress.
• Due to its outstanding performance in areas like Personal Freedom and Choice, Shelter, and
Water and Sanitation, Puducherry has the highest SPI score of 65.99 in the entire nation.
• Goa and Lakshadweep are closely behind it, scoring 65.89 and 65.53, respectively. Bihar and
Jharkhand both had the lowest scores, 44.47 and 43.95, respectively.
• Goa, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, and Chandigarh are the top four states with the best
performance in Water and Sanitation and Shelter when compared to the other states and
union territories for the dimension of Basic Human Needs. Additionally, Goa has the highest
component score for the categories of water and sanitation, followed by Kerala, which has
the top component scores for the categories of nutrition and basic medical care.

• Chandigarh and Nagaland have emerged as the front-runners in shelter and personal safety
categories, respectively. In terms of the Foundations of Wellbeing, Mizoram, Himachal
Pradesh, Ladakh, and Goa have been shown to be the top-performing states.
• Punjab has the greatest component score in the dimension for the Access to Basic Knowledge
component, with a score of 62.92, while Delhi has the highest component score in the
dimension for Access to Information and Communication, with a score of 71.30.
• Rajasthan has the highest component score for health and wellness (73.74).
• Mizoram, Nagaland, and Meghalaya are the northeast’s top three states for environmental
quality. Last but not least, Tamil Nadu received the component score of 72.00 for the
Opportunity dimension, which is the highest. Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Sikkim have
the highest component scores for Personal Rights and Inclusiveness, respectively, within this
dimension. It is excellent to see Puducherry achieve the highest marks in terms of Personal
Freedom and Choice and Access to Advanced Education, two factors in this dimension.

The Sun Temple and Vadnagar town Rock cut sculpture have been added to the list
of UNESCO World Heritage Sites:

• Three new Indian cultural sites have been tentatively added to the list of UNESCO world heritage
sites, including the well-known Sun Temple at Modhera, the medieval town of Vadnagar in
Gujarat, and the Unakoti rock-cut relief sculptures in Tripura. A tentative list is an “inventory
of those properties which each State Party plans to consider for nomination,” according to the
UNESCO website.
• Sun Temple, Modhera, Gujarat
• Vadnagar – A multi¬layered Historic town, Gujarat
• Rock¬cut Sculptures and Reliefs of the Unakoti, Tripura

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• Temples in Bishnupur, West Bengal, Mattanchery Palace in Kerala, Wild Ass Sanctuary, and
Little Rann of Kutch in Gujarat are also among the 52 “Sites on the Tentative List,” as defined
by UNESCO. Currently on the provisional list for 2022 are six Indian locations. India is home
to 40 locations that are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Badminton star PV Sindhu among top 25 highest-paid female athletes in Forbes’

annual list:

• India’s badminton star PV Sindhu is the only player in the top 25 in Forbes’ annual list of
the highest-paid female athletes in the world. Sindhu, the 2016 Tokyo Olympics silver
medallist, occupies the 12th spot in the list. Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka tops the
list.
• The 27-year-old made 7 million US Dollars of her earnings, having won a singles gold and doubles
silver at the Commonwealth Games earlier this year in Birmingham. For the third straight year,
Osaka tops Forbes’ annual list of the World’s highest-paid female athletes. The list is
dominated by tennis players once again. The list’s Top 10, includes Serena Williams, Emma
Raducanu, Iga Swiatek, Venus Williams, Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula. For the record,
Osaka and Serena are the only two women who are placed in the Top 50 of Forbes’ list of the
world’s highest-paid athletes.

Shah Rukh Khan was listed among the top 50 actors of all time in a British magazine:

• Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is the only actor from India to be included in a
prestigious British magazine’s list of the 50 greatest performers in history. The 57-year-old
actor is listed alongside Hollywood heavyweights like Denzel Washington, Tom Hanks,
Anthony Marlon Brando, Meryl Streep, Jack Nicholson, and many others on Empire
magazine’s list. The article drew attention to four films from Khan’s lengthy filmography:
Swades, directed by Ashutosh Gowarikar, My Name Is Khan, and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, as well
as the Sanjay Leela Bhansali-helmed Devdas.

India’s cuisine is ranked fifth among the world’s top cuisines:

• According to Taste Atlas, India is ranked fifth on the world’s top cuisines list for 2022. Votes
from the audience for ingredients, dishes, and beverages are used to determine the ranking.
The food of Italy came in first, followed by that of Greece and Spain.
• According to the assessment, the greatest meals in India are “garam masala, malai, ghee, butter
garlic naan, keema,” which obtained a score of 4.54.
• The list contains 460 things in total. The list also includes 450 additional restaurants, such as
Shree Thaker Bhojanalay (Mumbai), Karavalli (Bengaluru), Bukhara (New Delhi), Dum Pukht
(New Delhi), and Comorin (Gurugram) as the top places to try Indian food. Among the top 10
nations with the best cuisines were Japan, the United States of America, Turkey, France, and
Peru.

India Ranks 8th Among Countries at Highest Risk for Mass Killing: US Research
Org’s Report

• India is ranked eighth among the countries that are at the highest risk for mass killing in 2022
and 2023, a US-based research organization. India has seen a drop in rank from the second
position in the earlier year.
• There is a 7.4% – or approximately one in 14 – chance of a new mass killing beginning in
India in 2022-2023,” the Early Warning Project, that identifies countries at risk of mass violence.

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The Project is a joint initiative of the Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide at
the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Dickey Center for International
Understanding at Dartmouth College.

HAL, BEL ride government orders, find a place in SIPRI’s list of top 100 global arms
companies:

• Two Indian defence PSUs, Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) and Bharat Electronics (BEL), figure
in the list of the top 100 arms-producing companies released by Swedish think-tank
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
• The government’s Make-in-India push in indigenous defense production seems to be bearing
positive results as the two Indian Defence Public Sector Undertakings, Hindustan
Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), have improved upon their
previous rankings among the arms-producing companies of the world.
• HAL ranked 42nd and BEL bagged 63rd place with a total evaluation of $5.1 Billion in 2021.

ADB ranks WAPCOS amongst the Top Consulting Services Firms in Water and other
Infrastructure Sectors:

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has named Water and Power Consultancy Services India
Limited (WAPCOS) as the best Consulting Services Firm in the Water and Other
Infrastructure Sectors in its annual Procurement Report 2022.
• WAPCOS was named one of the top three Indian consultants involved in Consulting Services
Contracts under ADB Loan, Grant, and Technical Assistance Projects in the Energy,
Transportation, Water, and other Urban Infrastructure Sectors in another report on its
Members’ Fact Sheet – 2022 released by the ADB. WAPCOS is the only Indian public sector
organization represented in the aforementioned categories.

APPOINTMENTS

SEBI approves Sundararaman Ramamurthy as MD & CEO of BSE

• BSE Ltd has received approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for
Sundararaman Ramamurthy as the managing director (MD) and chief executive officer
(CEO) of the exchange. The top position was vacant since July 2022 when the then MD & CEO
Ashish Kumar Chauhan resigned from the post to join the National Stock Exchange (NSE). This
is the second stint of Sundararaman Ramamurthy at BSE

Odisha’s Manoj Kumar Sahoo Appointed Deputy Election Commissioner

• Senior Odia bureaucrat Manoj Kumar Sahoo has been appointed as Deputy Election
Commissioner as part of a senior-level bureaucratic reshuffle effected by the Centre. Sahoo
is a 2006 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa,
Mizoram, and Union Territories (AGMUT) cadre. He has been appointed to the post for an
overall tenure of 7 years up to December 16, 2023

Govt extends the term of Mr. Vinay Mohan Kwatra as Foreign Secretary

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• The government has extended the term of Vinay Mohan Kwatra as Foreign Secretary till
April 30, 2024.

WHO’s first Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan left the health agency

• Soumya Swaminathan, the first Chief Scientist of the World Health Organization
(WHO), will resign from her post after a five-year stint and return to India. She is an Indian
paediatrician and clinical scientist known for her research on tuberculosis.

• She is the daughter of the “Father of the Green Revolution of India”, M. S. Swaminathan,
and Indian educationalist, Mina Swaminathan. She served as the Deputy Director General of
Programmes (DDP) at the World Health Organization.

Former Health Secretary Preeti Sudan appointed as a UPSC member

• Top Andhra Pradesh cadre Indian Administrative (IAS) officer and former health secretary
Mrs. Preeti Sudan took the oath of office and secrecy as a member of the Union Public Service
Commission (UPSC).
• UPSC Chairman Dr. Manoj Soni administered the oath to Mrs. Sudan at Central Hall, UPSC
Main Building. Even after the appointment of Sudan, there is a vacancy for four members in
the commission.

Uttarakhand Government appoints Prasoon Joshi as its Brand Ambassador

• The Uttarakhand government has named Prasoon Joshi, the CEO, and CCO of McCann
Worldgroup India, the state’s brand ambassador. The Uttarakhand Gaurav Samman, apart
from the Uttarakhand Ratna, is one of the state’s two highest civilian awards given for
achievements in various fields.

India Assumes Presidency of UN Security Council For December

• India assumed the Presidency of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in December
2022. It is the second time in its two-year tenure as an elected member of the UN Security
Council in 2021-22 that India has assumed the Presidency of the Council.
• India’s 2021-2022 term on the Council ends December 31, 2022, with Ruchira Kamboj, India’s
first woman Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York. Earlier, India
assumed the Presidency of the UNSC as a non-permanent member in August 2021.

IPS Officer Laxmi Singh becomes UP’s first woman Police Commissioner

• The Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) has appointed the IPS Officer Laxmi Singh as the new
Noida Police Chief, making her the first woman officer to head a Police Commissionerate in
the state. Laxmi Singh has replaced previous chief Alok Singh, who has now taken up duties
at Police HQ in Lucknow.
• The Uttar Pradesh Government issued a transfer and the posting list of 16 Indian Police Service
(IPS) Officers in the state, including for the new Commissionrates of Varanasi, Agra and
Prayagraj. The state at present has 7 police commissionerates, a policy structure created first in
2020.

GroupM South Asia CEO Prasanth Kumar elected as president of AAAI

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• Prasanth Kumar, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), South Asia of GroupM Media (India) Pvt
Ltd, has been elected as the President of the Advertising Agencies Association of India
(AAAI) for fiscal 2022-23. Rana Barua, Group CEO of Havas Group India was
unanimously elected Vice-President of the Association. Anupriya Acharya will be the ex-
officio member of the AAAI Board for 2022-23.

M Paramasivam was appointed as the new Executive Director of the Punjab National
Bank

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of M
Paramasivam as the executive director of the government-owned Punjab National
Bank for three years. Paramasivam, an agriculture graduate, started his journey at Canara
Bank as an agricultural extension officer

Rajeeva Laxman Karandikar was appointed as chairperson of the National

Statistical Commission of India

• Rajeeva Laxman Karandikar who is a Professor Emeritus at the Chennai Mathematical

Institute (CMI) has been appointed as the part-time chairperson of the National Statistical
Commission of India for 3 years. He will continue to be a professor while taking up his
responsibility as the chairperson. The chairperson of the National Statistical
Commission has the status equivalent to that of a Minister of State.

Jawahar Reddy appointed as Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh

• Indian Administrative Service officer of the 1990 batch, K S Jawahar Reddy,

was appointed as the Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh (AP). He will be in service till June
30, 2024. He will replace 1985-batch officer Sameer Sharma, who will retire on November
30, 2022.
• Jawahar Reddy is currently serving as Special Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister of AP
CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy since Feb 2021. Poonam Malakondaiah, two years senior to
Jawahar Reddy, has been appointed as the Special Chief Secretary to CM.

IAMAI appoints Rohit Jain as Chairman of the Digital Entertainment Committee

• The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) has appointed Rohit Jain, managing
director, of emerging markets Asia, Lionsgate, as the new chairman of their digital
entertainment committee for the period of 2 years from 2022 to 2024.
• Rohit Jain has succeeded Amit Goenka, head of ZEE5 Global. Amit Doshi, head, of IVM
Podcasts has also been appointed co-chair, alongside Jain.

Vijender Sharma was elected as the President of the Institute of Cost Accounting
of India

• The Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICMAI) has elected Vijender Sharma as
the President and Rakesh Bhalla as the Vice-President of the Institute for the year 2022-23

Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary Iqbal Singh Bains gets 6-month extension

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• As per the order of the Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievance and Pension, Madhya
Pradesh (MP) Chief Secretary Iqbal Singh Bains who was set to retire on November 30,
2022, has been given a six-month extension, will continue in the post until May 31, 2023.
• Bains, a 1985-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Madhya Pradesh
cadre. The extension of Iqbal Singh Bains was recommended by the Chief Minister of MP
Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

MoE appoints IAS Sanjay Kumar as Secretary of The Department of School

Education & Literacy

• Indian Administrative Service (IAS) Officer Shri Sanjay Kumar was elected as
the Secretary of the Department of School Education and Literacy, Government of India
in Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi. He replaced Anita Karwal IAS.

Wearables brand Noise onboards Virat Kohli as a brand ambassador

• Nexxbase Marketing Pvt Ltd-owned Noise, a wearables technology company, has roped
in cricketer Virat Kohli as its new brand ambassador for its smartwatch range. He joins
the cohort of Bollywood actor Taapsee Pannu and cricketer Rishabh Pant. Kohli was earlier
the brand ambassador of Boltt Games Pvt. Ltd owned Fire-Boltt.

India to assume chairmanship of Wassenaar Arrangement on 1 Jan 2023

• India will assume the chairmanship of the Wassenaar Arrangement (WA), a multilateral
technology control agreement, on 1 January 2023, for 1 year. The chairmanship was
handed over to India at the 26th Annual Plenary Meeting of the Wassenaar
Arrangement, held in Vienna from 30 November to 1 December 2022.
• Ireland’s ambassador Eoin O’Leary handed over the chairmanship to India’s ambassador
Jaideep Mazumdar.

Mahua Acharya resigns as MD & CEO of state-owned CESL

• Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of state-owned Convergence
Energy Services Ltd (CESL) Mahua Acharya, has resigned from the top post. She would also
like to resign from the company’s board as well and requested for an appropriate resolution to
be passed in this regard.

Sharath Kamal was named co-chairperson of the ITTF Athletes’ Commission

• Two-time Commonwealth Games singles champion Sharath Kamal Achanta and China’s
Liu Shiwen were named co-chairpersons of the International Table Tennis Federation’s
(ITTF) Athletes’ Commission in Amman, Jordan. This is for the first time that the ITTF has
chosen two chairpersons, a male and a female & both will be part of the ITTF Executive
Committee.
• Both Achanta and Liu will become members of the ITTF Executive Committee. They join
South Korean Ryu Seung-min, the first vice-chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission, in
representing the voice of athletes.

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Senior nuclear scientist K V Suresh Kumar takes charge as Chairman and

Managing Director of BHAVINI

• Shri K.V. Suresh Kumar, a Distinguished Scientist of the Department of Atomic Energy has
assumed charge as Chairman and Managing Director of Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam
Limited (BHAVINI) at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu. His tenure will be for three years.

Hansraj Gangaram Ahir assumes charge as NCBC chairperson

• Former Union Minister Hansraj Gangaram Ahir assumed charge as Chairperson of

the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC). He belongs to District Chandrapur,
State of Maharashtra. He is an Agriculturist by profession. He had been elected four times
Member of Parliament from Chandrapur Constituency, Maharashtra.

Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran appointed as Chair of B20 India

• N Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Sons, has been appointed as the chair of Business 20
(B20) India to lead the business agenda during India’s G20 Presidency. India took over
the presidency of G-20 from Indonesia on 1 December 2022 and will hold the G-20 Summit
meeting on 9-10 September 2023.
• G20 is a group of 19 countries and the European Union. The Confederation of Indian
Industry (CII) is appointed as the B20 India Secretariat by the Centre to lead the B20 India
process.

Centre appoints Arun Kumar Singh as chairman and MD of ONGC

• Former chairman of oil refining and marketing company Bharat Petroleum Corporation
Limited (BPCL ), Shri Arun Kumar Singh appointed the Chairman and managing director
(MD) of the central public sector undertaking Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) by
the Search-cum-Selection Committee (SCSC) of the Government of India. He will head the
company for a three-year tenure with effect from the date of assumption of charge.

• The SCSC was chaired by Chairperson, PESB with Secretary, Petroleum and Natural Gas and
Shri B Ashok, ex-Chairman, IOCL as members.

Dina Boluarte becomes Peru’s first female President

• Vice President of Peru, Dina Ercilia Boluarte Zegarra was sworn in as the new president of
Peru after her predecessor, Pedro Castillo, was impeached by Congress following his attempt
to dissolve the legislative body.

• Dina Boluarte is the first woman to hold office in the country’s 200 years of independence
after Congress ousted former president Pedro Castillo. She is the first female
president in Peru’s history and the 6th Peruvian president in less than 5 years. She served
as the 64th president of Peru from 7 December 2022.

Meghna Ahlawat was Elected as the First Women President of TTFI & Legendary
Paddler Kamlesh Mehta to be Secretary General

• Meghna Ahlawat has been elected as the first-ever woman president of the Table Tennis
Federation of India (TTFI). She succeeded Kamlesh Mehta.

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• While 8-time national champion Kamlesh Mehta will be taking over as the new Secretary
General and Patel Nagender Reddy has been elected as the Treasurer of the body. The Delhi
High Court suspended TTFI in February 2022 & appointed a Committee of Administrators
(CoA) to take over its functioning.

KV Shaji appointed as the new chairman of NABARD

• Shaji K V has become the Chairman of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
Development (NABARD). He is a native of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. He worked for
the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and Kerala Gramin Bank, the country’s
largest regional rural bank. From 2013 until 2017, he served as the Chairman of Kerala
Grameen Bank Before joining NABARD, he spent 26 years in various roles at Canara Bank. He
served as NABARD’s Deputy Managing Director (DMD) till May 21, 2020.

IDF named Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina as the ‘global ambassador for diabetes’

• Bangladesh Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina was named the “Global Ambassador for
Diabetes” by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) at the opening ceremony of
the World Diabetes Congress 2022 held in Lisbon, Portugal.
• Bangladesh Ambassador to Portugal Tarik Ahsan received the certificate on behalf of
the prime minister from Prof Akhtar Hussain, president-elect of the IDF. The global
ambassador for diabetes is expected to represent the voice of people living with diabetes
worldwide for two years.

Sushmita Shukla appointed as 1st VP & COO of Federal Reserve Bank of New York

• Indian-origin Sushmita Shukla, a veteran of the insurance industry, has been appointed as
the First Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) at the Federal Reserve Bank of
New York. She is the second-ranking officer at the institution after the President and CEO,
John C Williams. The appointment was approved by the Board of Governors of the Federal
Reserve System.

Pottery Barn ropes in Deepika Padukone as brand ambassador

• American furniture retailer Pottery Barn announced a global partnership with actor Deepika
Padukone who has been signed as a brand ambassador to promote the
company’s international expansion. She will also work with the company’s in-house design
team in San Francisco to co-create a capsule collection, that will be launched in ‘Fall 2023’

Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu takes oath as 15th CM of Himachal Pradesh

• Congress leader Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu was sworn in as the 15th Chief Minister (CM) of
Himachal Pradesh (HP) at a mega swearing-in ceremony held at historic ridge ground in Shimla,
HP. He will succeed Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur. He is the first Congress
leader from lower Himachal comprising areas merged in Himachal in 1966 such as Nalagarh,
Una, Hamirpur, Kangra, and the lower hills of Kullu to occupy the top state post.

Penguin Random House CEO Markus Dohle resigns

• The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Penguin Random House, the world’s largest trade
publisher, Markus Dohle stepped down from his role. It comes just weeks after a federal judge
blocked the company’s attempt to buy rival Simon & Schuster. Dohle, who will remain with the
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company in an advisory capacity, had been working under a 5-year contract set to expire in
December 2025.
• Dohle will be succeeded, on an interim basis, by Nihar Malaviya, 48, currently president and
COO of Penguin Random House.

Indian-origin Nihar Malaviya named interim CEO of publishing group Penguin

Random House

• An Indian-origin publishing executive, Nihar Malaviya, has been named interim Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of the International publishing group Penguin Random House. The
appointment comes after the current CEO Markus Dohle, who is stepping down. He will take
over as Interim CEO beginning January 1, 2023.

PT Usha elected as the first woman president of the Indian Olympic Association

• The legendary former athlete Pilavullakandi Thekkeraparambil Usha (PT Usha) has been
formally elected as the first woman president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). Usha
is the first sportsperson to have represented the country and also become IOA chief
since Maharaja Yadavindra Singh, who played a Test match in 1934.
• Ajay H Patel has been elected as senior Vice President and Rajlaxmi Singh Deo and Gagan
Narang as Vice Presidents of the Indian Olympic Association. The elections were held under
the supervision of Supreme Court-appointed retired SC judge L Nageswara Rao.

Ashok Leyland appoints Shenu Agarwal as MD & CEO

• Hinduja group flagship Ashok Leyland has appointed Shenu Agarwal as the company’s
managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) with immediate effect. Before Shenu
Agarwal, Vipin Sondhi served as MD & CEO of the company between December 2019 and
December 2021.
• Agarwal is expected to drive the technology development, growth, and future strategy for Ashok
Leyland towards achieving its vision to be among the top 10 commercial vehicles (CV) players
globally.

WHO appoints Dr. Jeremy Farrar as chief scientist to replace Soumya Swaminathan

• Wellcome Trust director Dr. Jeremy Farrar will become the World Health Organization’s
(WHO) Chief Scientist in the second quarter of 2023. He will be replacing Soumya
Swaminathan, who departed in November 2022 ahead of a broader shakeup at the health agency.

Bhupendra Patel takes oath as the Chief Minister of Gujarat for 2nd consecutive
time

• The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Shri Bhupendra Patel takes oath as the 18th Chief
minister (CM) of Gujarat for the second consecutive time at a function held at the Helipad
Ground, Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Patel broke his record and once again won from the Ghatlodia
constituency by a margin of 1,91,000 votes in the 2022 election. BJP has won 156 seats in
the 182-member House. He was sworn in as Chief Minister of Gujarat for the first time in
September 2021.

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Cindy Hook was appointed as CEO of the 2032 Olympic organizing committee

• American executive Cindy Hook has been appointed as the inaugural Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) of the organizing committee for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games in
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

• Hook was the chief executive officer for Deloitte Australia from 2015 to 2018. She was
the first female CEO of an Australian big four professional services firm. She was based
in Singapore as CEO of Deloitte Asia Pacific until June 2022.

Justice Dipankar Datta takes oath as Supreme Court judge

• Chief Justice of Bombay High Court Justice Dipankar Datta took oath as a judge of
the Supreme Court. Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud administered the oath to Justice
Dutta. Justice Dutta’s term will end on February 8, 2030. With his appointment, the Supreme
Court will have 28 judges out of the strength of 34 judges.

Rajeev Kumar Vishnoi appointed as CMD of NHPC Limited

• Rajeev Kumar Vishnoi has assumed the additional charge as Chairman and Managing
Director (CMD) of the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC). Before his
appointment, Yamuna Kumar Chaubey NHPC’s Director (Technical) was holding the additional
charge of the CMD of the company. Currently, he is also the CMD of Rishikesh-based Tehri
Hydro Development Corporation India Limited (THDCIL).

MCA Secretary Manoj Govil nominated as SEBI Board Member

• The Centre has nominated Manoj Govil, Secretary of, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs
(MCA), to the Board of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). The SEBI Board
comprises 9 members, including the Chairperson Madhabhi Puri Buch.

• There are 2 Government nominees (DEA Secretary Ajay Seth and now MCA Secretary Manoj
Govil); 1 RBI nominee (Deputy Governor M Rajeshwar Rao); and 4 Wholetime Members (S K
Mohanty, Ananta Barua, Ashwani Bhatia, and Ananth Narayan G) & there is also a public
interest member, V Ravi Anshuman, a Professor from IIM-Bangalore.

Mette Frederiksen re-elected as the PM of Denmark

• Head of the Socio Democratic Party Mette Frederiksen was re-elected as the Prime Minister
(PM) of Denmark for a second term.
• Lokke Rasmussen will serve as the new foreign minister. After the elections, the new
coalition parties have a combined 89 seats in the 179-seat parliament. It is the first time in
the last 44 years that such a centrist government has been formed.

Indian-origin Leo Varadkar elected as prime minister of Ireland

• Indian-origin Leo Varadkar, former Irish Deputy Prime Minister ( Tánaiste) and leader of
the Fine Gael party, has been elected as the new prime minister ( Taoiseach) of Ireland for
the second term in Dec 2022 for 5 years. Varadkar replaced Micheal Martin as Taoiseach
(premier). A total of 87 members of the house voted in favor of his nomination as the new prime
minister while 62 members voted against it.

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Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was appointed as the first Chancellor of Gati
Shakti University

• Hon’ble Minister of Railways, Communications, Electronics & Information Technology,

Govt. of India, Ashwini Vaishnaw has been appointed as the Chancellor of Gati Shakti
Vishwavidyalaya, Vadodara, Gujarat by Hon’ble President Smt. Draupadi Murmu. The
President has appointed Dr. Manoj Chaudhary as the first Vice Chancellor of Gati Shakti
University, Vadodara, Gujarat. As per the Central University Act, 2009, Dr. Manoj Chaudhary
will hold the position of Vice Chancellor of Gati Shakti University for 5 years from the date he
assumes office.

Dinesh Kumar Shukla appointed as Chairperson of AERB

• Senior nuclear scientist Dinesh Kumar Shukla has been appointed as the chairperson of
the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) for 3 years. Shukla, who has been the executive
director of the AERB, succeeds G Nageswara Rao to the top post.

Anushka Sharma appointed as brand ambassador for Puma India

• The manufacturer and designer of casual and athletic footwear, Puma India has roped in
Bollywood actress and entrepreneur Anushka Sharma as its brand ambassador. The
association is intended to “accelerate Puma’s strong commitment towards the women
consumer segment”.
• She will endorse the brand’s footwear, apparel and accessories, including select collections
through myriad activities and brand campaigns, throughout the year. The brand’s other
ambassadors in India include Kareena Kapoor Khan, MC Mary Kom, Yuvraj Singh, Sunil
Chhetri, and most recently Harrdy Sandhu.

Pepsico’s Aquafina appoints Katrina Kaif as its brand ambassador

• Actor Katrina Kaif has been signed as a brand ambassador for Pepsico India’s packaged-
water brand Aquafina. Earlier, she was the brand ambassador for the company’s fruit-
flavoured sugar drink Slice for the last 16 years. Aquafina, is an American brand of purified
bottled water that is produced by PepsiCo, consisting of both unflavored and flavored water.

Major General Mohit Seth takes over as GOC Kilo force

• Major General Mohit Seth took charge as General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Counter
Insurgency Force Kilo. He took over from Major General Sanjiv Singh Slaria who has been
moved to Northern Command headquarters in Udhampur

SBI Funds Management appoints Shamsher Singh as MD & CEO

• SBI Funds Management Ltd has appointed Shamsher Singh as the managing director (MD)
and chief executive officer (CEO) of the company. Singh who was previously working as
the deputy managing director of the State Bank of India (SBI) has replaced Vinay M
Tonse consequent to his repatriation to the SBI.

Jimmy Shergill becomes the new brand ambassador for Ezeepay

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• Ezeepay, a renowned rural fintech brand, has appointed Indian Actor and film producer
Jimmy Shergill as its brand ambassador. As the face of the brand, Jimmy Shergill
will appear in multiple forthcoming campaigns to be run across India. During a year-long
association with Mr. Shergill, the brand aims to build its hold in rural India.

Prasar Bharati ADG elected as vice president of Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union

• Prasar Bharati Additional Director General Sunil has been unanimously elected as the Vice
President of the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU). Sunil has been elected for a three year
term.
• Prasar Bharati hosted the 59th ABU General Assembly and Associated Meetings in New Delhi
in Nov 2022. Its General Assembly was attended by over 400 representatives of broadcasting
organisations from more than 57 countries.

P N Vasudevan to continue as MD & CEO of Equitas Small Finance Bank

• The Board of Equitas Small Finance Bank (SFB) has decided to extend the term of PN
Vasudevan as the managing director (MD) and the chief executive officer (CEO) for a period
of 3 years with effect from July 23, 2023 subject to the approval of Reserve Bank of India and
shareholders. The current term of Vasudevan as MD and CEO expires on July 22, 2023.

Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ to be sworn in as new PM of Nepal

• President of Nepal Bidya Devi Bhandari appointed Communist Party of Nepal (CPN)-Maoist
Centre chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ as the new Prime Minister (PM) of Nepal.
He was sworn in for the 3rd time as the PM of Nepal. He succeeded Sher Bahadur Deuba of the
Nepali Congress Party.

Centre appoints former SC Judge Hemant Gupta as chief of New Delhi International
Arbitration Centre

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Justice
Hemant Gupta as the chairperson of the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre
(NDIAC). Along with Justice Gupta, Ganesh Chandru and Anant Vijay Palli have been
appointed as part-time members of the NDIAC.

Shri Anil Kumar Lahoti appointed as Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of the
Railway Board

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Shri
Anil Kumar Lahoti, Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS) as the Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) and Chairman of the Railway Board and will assume the charge from January 1,
2023. He will be taking over the chairmanship from Shri Vinay Kumar Tripathi who is set
to retire on 31st Dec 2022.

Santosh Kumar Yadav was Sworn in as NHAI chief & Subhasish Panda to be DDA’s
Vice Chairman

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• Senior bureaucrat Santosh Kumar Yadav, was appointed as chairman of the National
Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways.
Other Appointments:

• Subhasish Panda, a 1997-batch IAS officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre, has been appointed
as Delhi Development Authority (DDA) vice chairman.
• Ganji Kamala V Rao has been named Chief Executive Officer of, the Food Safety and
Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

• Hitesh Kumar S Makwana has been named as Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Home
Affairs.
• Rajneesh, a 1997-batch IAS officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre, will be the additional
secretary and development commissioner of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises.

RBI approves the re-appointment of Baskar Babu Ramachandran as MD & CEO of

Suryoday SFB

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the re-appointment of Baskar Babu
Ramachandran as Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Suryoday
Small Finance Bank (SFB). He was re-appointed for three years with effect from January 23,
2023, in terms of the provisions of Section 35B of the Banking Regulation Act, of 1949.

Mr. Abdullah Abdul Samad Dashti of Kuwait was appointed as United Nations
Coordinator for Black Sea Grain Initiative

• United Nations Secretary-General Mr. António Guterres has appointed Mr. Abdullah Abdul
Samad Dashti of Kuwait as United Nations Coordinator for the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
Dashti succeeds Mr. Amir Mahmoud Abdulla of Sudan who has served as United Nations
Coordinator since August 2022.

Mr. Praveen Kumar Srivastava was appointed as the acting Central Vigilance
Commissioner

• The government of India (GoI) has appointed the vigilance commissioner Praveen Kumar
Srivastava as the acting Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC). He replaced Mr. Suresh N
Patel, who completed his term as the chief of CVC. Besides Srivastava, former Intelligence Bureau
(IB) chief Mr. Arvind Kumar is the other Vigilance Commissioner.

Senior journalist Mr. Ravish Kumar resigns from NDTV amid Adani acquisition

• Senior Hindi journalist and anchor Mr. Ravish Kumar, who hosted the widely lauded
primetime show on NDTV India has resigned from the channel. This comes just a day after the
channel’s founders and promoters Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy resigned from their positions
as directors on the board of RRPR Holding Private Limited (RRPRH). The senior journalist’s
resignation came after the news channel was acquired by the Adani Group, which holds a 18%
stake in the news channel.

Manasi Tata was appointed as director of Kirloskar Systems Pvt. Ltd

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• Kirloskar Systems Pvt. Ltd. (KSPL) has appointed Manasi Tata, daughter of late Vikram
Kirloskar, as Director on the board of the KSPL’s joint-venture firms with immediate effect.
These joint ventures include Toyota Industries Engine India Pvt Ltd, Kirloskar Toyota Textile
Machinery Pvt Ltd (KTTM), Toyota Material Handling India Pvt Ltd (TMHIN), and Denso
Kirloskar Industries Pvt Ltd (DNKI). She was appointed to the post after the demise of
her father Vikram S Kirloskar.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Iranian movie “Nargesi” gets the ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Medal at IFFI 53

• The ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Medal, awarded at the 53rd International Film Festival of
India for a film that best exemplifies Mahatma Gandhi’s principles of nonviolence, tolerance,
and peace, was awarded to the Iranian film Nargesi, directed by Payam Eskandari. The story
of a guy with Down syndrome and the difficulties and effects it has on his life is the subject of the
movie. In this Oscar-winning movie, two virtues are portrayed: sensitivity and compassion.

Lekhara, a Paralympic medalist, has been named Para Sports Person of the Year:

• Sarkar Talwar, a former Ranji cricketer, was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement of
the Year award at the Turf 2022 and India Sports Awards of the Federation of Indian
Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI). Talwar, the Director-Sports of Manav Rachna
Education Institutions, is also the winner of the President of India’s Dronacharya Lifetime
Award.
• Avani Lekhara, who won two medals at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, was named Para Sports
Person of the Year, while Shrey Kadyan was named Special Sportsperson of the Year, in
addition to Talwar. R.B. Ramesh was named Best Male Coach, and Nonita Lal Qureshi was
named Best Female Coach.

Mina Sue Choi of South Korea is named Miss Earth 2022:

• During the pageant’s coronation at Cove Manila, Okada Hotel, Paraaque City, South Korea’s
Mina Sue Choi was named Miss Earth 2022. Only three queens received the pageant’s three
element titles out of a total of 86 Eco-warriors.
• Andrea Aguilera of Columbia is Miss Fire 2022, Nadeen Ayoub of Palestine is Miss Water
2022, and Sheridan Mortlock of Australia is Miss Air 2022. Choi also won a few medals at the
pre-pageant competitions. She won competitions for resort wear, long gowns, beach wear, and
swimsuits. The previous monarch, Destiny Wagner, who was the first Belizean woman to win
a significant international crown, left the title to the current monarch.

NMDC bagged the Champion of Champions Award, sweeping the 16th PRCI Global
Communication Conclave 2022:

• The National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) won the Champion of Champions
Award and fourteen Corporate Communication Excellence Awards at the 16th PRCI Global
Communication Conclave in 2022.

• At the Global Communication Conclave, which the Public Relations Council of India (PRCI)
organized in Kolkata, prizes were given out. The Most Resilient Company of the Year, Internal
Communication Campaign, Corporate Brochure, and Best PSE Implementing CSR categories
were all won by NMDC.

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SS Rajamouli received Best Director at the 2022 New York Film Critics Circle
Awards:

• The Best Director Award went to director SS Rajamouli for his work on RRR at the 2022
New York Film Critics Circle. This group is among the first critics’ organizations to comment
on the awards season.
• Many people were astonished by Rajamouli’s victory considering his rivals, who included Gina
Prince-Blythewood, Sarah Polley, Steven Spielberg, and Darron Aronofsky. In “RRR,” a
fictional pre-independence tale, Ram Charan and Jr. NTR play Alluri Sitarama Raju and
Komaram Bheem, two real-life Indian revolutionaries of the 1920s.

India’s Greenhouse-in-a-Box startup Kheyti won Earth shot Prize 2022:

• The Prince of Wales, Prince William, unveiled the five winners in Boston, Massachusetts,
and one of them was India’s Greenhouse-in-a-Box. A Telangana-based Indian firm named
Kheyti created a sustainable solution for small-scale farmers and earned $1,2 million for
it.
• Kaushik Kappagantulu, co-founder and CEO of Kheyti, said that he has developed the
remedy for at least 100 million regional smallholder farmers who are most adversely affected by
climate change. The goal of greenhouse-in-a-box is to lower costs and boost yields, which will
aid in preserving these farmers’ means of subsistence. The second Earth shot award
ceremony, often known as the “Eco Oscars,” was founded by Prince William and featured
several famous people who walked the green carpet.

Four veteran diplomats and a US senator have been granted the “Diwali Stamp-
Power of One” by the United Nations:

• Four senior diplomats and a US senator were honored here with this year’s annual
‘Diwali- Power of One award for their efforts toward a peaceful and safe world. The award,
often known as the ‘Oscars of Diplomacy,’ is given to former top diplomats of the United
Nations or a member state for their efforts to help shape a more perfect, peaceful, and secure
world for all.”
• The Diwali Foundation USA, the European Union Delegation to the United Nations, and the
Permanent Missions of Chile, Georgia, India, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Morocco, Oman, and
Sri Lanka to the United Nations co-organized the 2022 award event.

The Nadoja Award was given to C.N. Manjunath, Krishnappa G., and S. Shadakshari:

• Author Krishnappa G., social activist S. Shadakshari, and physician and head of the Sri
Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research C.N. Manjunath have all been
chosen to receive the Nadoja Award from Kannada University in Hampi.
• Governor Thawarchand Gehlot, who serves as the university’s Chancellor, will present the
honorees with the award. Manjunath is a well-known cardiologist and the director of the state-
run Jayadeva Cardiology Institute, one of the top cardiology institutions in the nation. He is from
Cholenahalli in the Channarayapatna taluk of Hassan district. The social services provided by
Mr. Shadakshari, who hails from Talavur in the Chintamani taluk of the Chikkaballapur district,
are well-known.

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Time Magazine’s 2022 Person of the Year: Volodymyr Zelensky and the “Spirit of
Ukraine”:

• Time magazine picked President Volodymyr Zelensky, as well as “the spirit of Ukraine,” as
the 2022 person of the year for the country’s resistance to Russia’s invasion. Zelensky
shares the 2022 title with “the spirit of Ukraine,” which Felsenthal described as “countless
individuals inside and outside the country” who fought behind the scenes, including ordinary
people like chefs and surgeons.
• The “spirit of Ukraine,” according to Time magazine editor Edward Felsenthal, refers to
Ukrainians all over the world, including many who “fought behind the scenes” against the Russian
invasion. According to the magazine, Zelensky encouraged Ukrainians and was recognized
internationally for his bravery in repelling the Russian invasion.

The Jamnalal Bajaj Award for 2022 has been announced:

• The Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation announced the 44th Jamnalal Bajaj Award 2022 winners
in December 2022. The Foundation bestows four awards in various categories. Three are
presented to Indians, while one is granted to a foreigner for promoting Gandhian values outside
of India.

The Local Adaptation Champions Awards were presented to Swayam Shikshan

Prayog:

• Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP), a Maharashtra-based organization, has been awarded

the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) Local Adaptation Champions Awards at the
ongoing COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
• It received the award in the ‘Capacity and Knowledge’ category for its work in assisting women
farmers in Marathwada, Maharashtra, where a focus on water-intensive cash crops currently
exposes farmers to climate shocks such as poor and unpredictable monsoon seasons. “Swayam
Shikshan Prayog encourages women to become agricultural leaders rather than
labourers,” stated Ban Ki-moon, Chair of the Global Center on Adaptation and the United
Nations’ eighth Secretary-General.

J&K Received First Place in Category for Generating Ayushman Bharat Health
Account ID:

• Jammu & Kashmir won first place in the category for creating Ayushman Bharathealth
account IDs and second place in the category for conducting teleconsultations in honor
of Universal Health Coverage Day in 2022. Every year, a day called Universal Health Coverage
Day is observed to honor the importance of this program, which strives to bring affordable, high-
quality healthcare to all people.
• J&K is on track to establish the nation’s greatest model of health delivery, according to Secretary
of Health and Medical Education Bhupinder Kumar, as seen by the dramatic improvement in
health indicators. He recognized the officers of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission J&K for
their contribution to the mission’s successful execution in J&K after its recent inception.

Predictions for Oscar Nominations in 2023 for Best Actor, Actress, and Picture

• The Oscar nominations for 2023 will be announced, and they will include Best Actors,
Actresses, and Films. The school will also issue ten categories before December 21st, 2022.

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Documentary Features, International Features, Makeup & Hairstyling, Visual Effects, and the
three shorts are the other Oscar Nominations in the 2023 categories (Animated,
Documentary, and Live action).
• From 1957 to 2022, India nominated various films for the Oscars; however, only two films were
nominated. “Salam Bombay!” Both “Lagaan” by Ashutosh Gowariker in 2002 and “Mira Nair”
by Mira Nair in 1988 received Oscar nominations. India has been nominated for an Oscar
nomination in 2023 for the Gujarati film “Chhello Show,” directed by Pan Nalin.

GMR Delhi Airport has named SpiceJet the ‘Safety Performer of the Year.’

• SpiceJet was named ‘Safety Performer of the Year’ by GMR Delhi Airport Awards for being
the top performer among self-handling airlines and for dramatically reducing ground safety
infractions.
• The SpiceJet ground handling team at Delhi Airport accomplished this result by focusing on
continuous quality improvement, innovation, and hard work. Furthermore, their assistance in
reducing ground safety infractions assured compliance with safety norms and legal requirements.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) recently audited the airline, and its
operations, safety processes, and systems were judged to be strong and in line with worldwide
best practices and safety requirements.

Sargam Koushal wins Mrs. World 2022 title after 21 years:

• Sargam Koushal created history as she finally won the Mrs. World 2022 title after 21
years while competing for India in the competition. The 32-year-old won the championship
in Las Vegas after defeating opponents from 63 other nations.
• To win the championship, Sargam Koushal defeated Mrs. Polynesia. The Jammu and
Kashmir-born beauty queen’s ex-husband is an Indian Navy officer; she was formerly employed
as a teacher in Vizag. World was lastly held by an Indian in 2001.
• At a gala held in Las Vegas, Sargam Koushal, an Indian competitor, took home the title of Mrs.
World. Koushal defeated rivals from 63 different countries to bring the title back to India after a
21-year absence. Sargam Koushal of Mumbai, currently based there, and World 2021 Shaylyn
Ford of the US, received the title. Sargam Koushal is originally from Jammu and Kashmir.

Sonakshi Sinha has been selected “Person of the Year” by PETA India for 2022:

• Sonakshi Sinha, a Bollywood actress, has been named PETA India’s Person of the Year for
2022. Sonakshi’s activities helped save many animals that would have been slaughtered for
fashion, but she was given the title because of her ardent support for dog and cat rights. She
actively participates in animal welfare initiatives and frequently advocates for stricter animal
protection regulations.
• The global non-profit organization for animal rights supported the film’s title and praised
the “Dabang” actress for her efforts in India to save animal lives. Alia Bhatt received the same
honor the previous year.

The National Miner NMDC receives the 2022 IEI Industry Excellence Award:

• The prestigious IEI (Institution of Engineers, India) Industry Excellence Award 2022 was
presented to National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) in Chennai. The 37th
Indian Engineering Congress honored the nation’s largest iron ore producer for its
remarkable performance and high standard of commercial excellence.
• After examining a company’s commercial operations, financial performance, environmental
performance, research and development, CSR, and corporate governance practices, the
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Institution of Engineers (India) presented the Industry Excellence Award to NMDC. To maintain
its domestic leadership and make strides toward becoming a global mining business, NMDC is
undertaking transformative projects with an eco-friendly, economical, and efficient
strategy.

India’s Smart Cities Mission Wins Platinum Icon at the 2022 Digital India Awards:

• The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs’ initiative “DataSmart Cities: Empowering Cities
through Data” earned the Platinum Icon award in the Smart Cities Mission category of the
Digital India Awards 2022. The prize was presented in the area of “Data Sharing and Use for
Socio-Economic Development.”
• A crucial first step in developing a strong data ecosystem that supports evidence-based decision-
making in cities is the DataSmart Cities Initiative. The Digital India awards, which were
established in 2009, are unique in India because they recognize the work made by various
government agencies in the digital sphere. These are run by the Ministry of Electronics &
Information Technology’s National Informatics Centre (NIC) (MeitY). In 2022, the seventh
annual Digital India Awards (DIA) will take place.

Jaipur Pink Panthers won the Pro Kabaddi League’s ninth championship:

• Jaipur Pink Panthers defeated a tenacious Puneri Paltan team in the Pro Kabaddi League
Season 9 Final by a score of 33-29 to claim their second PKL title. The only other team to
have won many championships right now, after Patna, is Jaipur Pink Panthers, the league’s
first-ever champions.
• While the playoffs were held in Mumbai, the tournament was held in Bengaluru, Pune, and
Hyderabad. Sunil Kumar Malik and Sanjeev Baliyan are now in charge of the Jaipur Pink
Panthers team. Abhishek Bachchan is the team’s owner.

The Last Show and RRR’s Naatu Naatu Reach the Oscars 2023 Shortlist:

• The official entry of India for the International Feature film category of the 2023 Academy
Awards or Oscars is the Gujarati-language Chhello Show (The Last Show), which has been
shortlisted.
• In the meantime, the Best Original Song Category has shortlisted the song Naatu Naatu from SS
Rajamouli’s RRR. The list of contenders in 10 categories was released by the Academy. On
January 24, the Academy Award nominees will be revealed. Koozhangal, Jallikattu, Gully Boy,
Village Rockstars, Newton, and Visaranani were all Indian entries for the Oscars throughout
the past few years, however none of them was successful in getting on the Oscar shortlist.

Unveiling of the 2022 Sahitya Akademi Awards:

• Every year, the federal government has given out an award for outstanding literary work. As
a result, on December 22, the central government revealed the winners of the Sahitya
Akademi Award for literature. This prize was given to Tamil Nadu author M. Rajendran for
his book “Kala Pani.” A copper shield and a cash award of one lakh rupees will be given to the
winner. The Kalayarkovil or Kalayarkool War is the subject of this historical “Kala Pani”

Top Green Building Award is won by the UIDAI HQ Building:

• The coveted GRIHA Exemplary Performance Award 2022, a top national-level Green Building
Award, has been given to the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).

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• In the category of currently highly rated buildings, UIDAI HQ has been named the winner. Reuse
and recycling are ideas that UIDAI supports and believes in as a way to lessen its carbon footprint.
For a percentage of its energy needs, it has been utilizing solar power. It has been implementing
sustainable waste management techniques and recycling and reusing water. UIDAI HQ building
was deemed to be in second place in 2021.

The Rohini Nayyar Prize for Rural Development was given to Sethrichem Sangtam:

• The first Rohini Nayyar prize was given to Sethrichem Sangtam for his extraordinary
contribution to rural development, which tripled the incomes of 1,200 marginalized farmers
in Eastern Nagaland.
• Suman Bery, vice chairman of Niti Ayog, gave the prize given to a person who is 40 years of
age or younger. Ashok Khosla, the creator of Development Alternatives, Dr. Rajesh Tandon,
founder of PRIA, and Ms. Renana Jhabwala, national coordinator of SEWA, comprised an
esteemed jury from civil society that chose the winner.
• Through his organization, the “Better Life Foundation,” which focuses on rural livelihood
stability, environmental sustainability, and education for change, Sangtam works with 1,200
marginalized farmers in Eastern Nagaland.

Sudeep and Shobhana were awarded the Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize for
2021–2022:

• The Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize has been shared by Shobhana Kumar and Sudeep
Sen for their collections of haibun, A Sky Full of Bucket Lists, and Anthropocene: Climate
Change, Contagion, and Consolation, respectively. The winners, who each received $10,000
and a Rabindranath Tagore figurine, were chosen from a shortlist of 11 at the India International
Centre. Sanjoy K. Roy, the director of the Jaipur Literature Festival, received the Tagore Prize
for social achievement.

PRAKASHmay: NHPC Wins India’s Best Globally Competitive Power Company Award:

• NHPC Limited was named the ‘Best Globally Competitive Power Company of India-
Hydropower and Renewable Energy Sector’ at the PRAKASHmay 15th Enertia Awards 2022.
The award was accepted on behalf of NHPC by Shri U.S. Sahi, Executive Director (EMS/CC/CSR).
• The event was place at the New Delhi Institute of Management in New Delhi. The honor was
given to NHPC in appreciation for its leadership in the hydropower industry. More than 7000 MW
of gross renewable energy capacity belongs to NHPC. The award also acknowledges NHPC’s
ambitious 7000+ strategy for solar capacity expansion and its more than 5000 MW worth of
ongoing projects. The New Delhi Institute of Management’s Chairman, Shri V.M. Bansal,
presented the prize.

VinFuture Special Prize 2022 Awarded to Indian Scientist Prof. Thalappil Pradeep:

• The VinFuture Special Prize was presented to Professor Thalappil Pradeep of the India
Institute of Technology in Madras in Hanoi. For the development of a low-cost filtration device to
remove heavy elements like arsenic from groundwater, Thalappil Pradeep received an award.
• At the Indian Institute of Technology Madras’ Department of Chemistry, Thalappil
Pradeep teaches chemistry. He is an Indian scientist. In 2020, he was given the Padma Shri
award for his outstanding work in the field of science and technology. He was awarded the Shanti
Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology in 2008, the World Academy of
Sciences (TWAS) Prize in 2018, and the Nikkei Asia Prize in 2020.

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Awarded Best Film at KIFF was Kura Pokkhir Shunye Ura and Upon Entry:

• The 28th Kolkata International Film Festival’s Best Film Award went to the Spanish film
Upon Entry and the Bangladeshi film Kura Pokkhir Shunye Ura (The Golden Wings of
Watercocks).
• A couple from Barcelona who arrives in New York with pre-approved immigration permits are
subjected to an unexpected interrogation in the Spanish movie Upon Entry. The journey of
a peasant who is impacted by nature’s wrath is the focus of the Bangladeshi film Kura Pokkhir
Shunye Ura. The director of Kura Pokkhir Shunye Ura, Muhammad Quayum, was present.

The BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2022 Award was given to Beth Mead:

• As the player of the competition and leading scorer at Euro 2022, Beth Mead has been named
the BBC Sports Personality of the Year for 2022.
• Beth Mead won England’s first significant women’s football trophy by defeating Germany
in the championship game at Wembley. The 27-year-old was up for the BBC Sports
Personality of the Year for 2022 award along with Ronnie O’Sullivan and Ben Stokes.

Swasti Singh, an Indian cyclist, receives the 30th Ekalabya Puraskar:

• Swasti Singh, an Indian cyclist, has received the esteemed 30th Ekalabya Puraskar for 2022.
The charitable arm of IMFA, IMPaCT, established the prize. At the Ekalabya Puraskar
ceremony in Bhubaneswar, Swasti was given a cash prize of Rs. 5 lakhs and a citation.

• At the national level, she has won two gold and the same number of silver medals. This year’s
winner was unquestionably Swasti, who has represented the State in several national
competitions and was recognized for their exceptional brilliance from April 1, 2020, to
March 31, 2022. Along with Swasti, two more athletes received recognition for their outstanding
efforts in competitions at the national and international levels in their respective sports.
• Pyari Xaxa, a promising international football player, and Shilanand Lakra, a rising
international hockey player, were also honoured during the event.

RBL Bank in partnership with BUSINESS NEXT wins IBSi Global FinTech Innovation
Award:

• One of India’s biggest private sector banks, RBL Bank, won the Best CRM System
Implementation and Most Impactful Project IBSi Global FinTech Innovation Awards 2022.
The same prize also went to BUSINESS NEXT for its noteworthy project and finest CRM
system implementation.
• BUSINESSNEXT is a composable suite of deep tech platforms – CRMNEXT, CUSTOMERNEXT &
DATANEXT and pre-assembled products for the BFSI industry. RBL bank implemented the
platform across Retail banking and Risk control units, deploying 140+ two-way Integration
touchpoints covering 3000+ users, 400+ branches, and 10 million+ customers.

Gouri Amma Foundation award for Cuban rights activist Aleida Guevara:

• Noted Cuban social worker and human rights advocate Aleida Guevara has been selected for
the first award instituted by the K.R. Gouri Amma Foundation. The jury, chaired by former
Education Minister M.A. Baby and comprising Binoy Viswam, MP, and P.C. Beenakumari,
managing trustee of the foundation, unanimously chose Dr Guevara for the award for her efforts
to rehabilitate differently-abled children and provide debt relief to developing countries.

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• Aleida is also an active member of the Cuban Medical Mission which works to improve the
health profile of children in Latin America. The award comprising $3,000, a statuette and a
citation will be given away by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at a function to be held here
on January 5.

IIT Madras wins Wharton-QS Reimagine Education Awards:

• The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT) Madras has won the Wharton-QS Reimagine
Education Awards at the recently concluded ceremony held at the Wharton Campus,
Philadelphia, USA. The institute has been awarded and its BS in Data Science and Applications
is awarded the silver in the best online program category.
• While, the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL), a joint initiative
of IITs and IISc, run by IIT Madras, won the gold in the lifelong learning category.

Indian-origin science teacher wins Prime Minister’s prize in Australia:

• An Indian-origin teacher in Australia has received the 2022 Prime Minister’s Prize for
Excellence in Science Teaching in secondary schools.

• Melbourne-based Veena Nair, who is ViewBank College’s Head of Technology and STEAM
project leader, has been awarded for demonstrating the practical application of STEAM to
students, and how they can use their skills to make a real impact in the world. As a leading
educator in STEAM, Nair has more than 20 years of experience in teaching science-based subjects
across India, the United Arab Emirates, and now Australia.

Prabhu Chandra Mishra was honoured with Atal Samman Award at Vigyan Bhawan
New Delhi:

• Shri Prabhu Chandra Mishra received an honourable Atal Samman Award (Atal Anveshi
Shikhar Samman) during this event for his excellence in the field of science & research. On
the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister of the country Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, many
personalities who played an important role in various fields were honoured at Vigyan Bhawan,
New Delhi during the 9th Atal Samman Samaroh.

Three Indian-Origin Women Scientists Among Australia’s “Superstars Of STEM”:

• Neelima Kadiala, Dr. Ana Baburamani, and Dr. Indrani Mukherjee will be honoured as STEM
superstars in 2022. They are all women of Indian descent.
• Three Indian-origin women are among 60 scientists, technologists, engineers, and
mathematicians who have been selected as Australia’s Superstars of STEM, an initiative that
aims to smash society’s gender assumptions about scientists and increase the public visibility of
females and non-binary people This effort aims to alter how society views scientists in terms of
gender. In addition to Indians, women scientists of Sri Lankan descent have also been chosen.

AGREEMENTS & MOUs SIGNED

BIS signed an agreement with the top six engineering institutes in India:

• The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)

with India’s top six engineering colleges to include Indian standards in the curriculum. This

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program aims to institutionalize BIS’s collaboration with notable institutes to ensure the active
participation of academia.
• The Memorandum of Understanding was signed on November 28, 2022, with the Indian
Institute of Technology BHU, Malaviya National Institute of Technology Jaipur, Indian
Institute of Technology Indore, Indian Institute of Technology Patna, Indian Institute of
Technology Madras, and National Institute of Technology Trichy.

India and Germany reach an agreement on migration and mobility:

• A comprehensive agreement on migration and mobility was inked by German Foreign Minister
Annalena Baerbock and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, making it simpler for
people to work, study, and travel in both nations. The agreement, which aims to make it
easier for researchers, professionals, and students to move back and forth, is also expected to
address the problems associated with illegal immigration.
• During her two days in India, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock will talk
about India’s relations with China and Russia as well as cooperation on the transition to
renewable energy. The agreement on migration and mobility is expected to promote more
student exchanges between the two nations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in May of
this year that the Indian government would make it easier for German students to enroll
in higher education institutions (HEIs) through initiatives like Study in India.

Airtel and Meta are collaborating to help India’s digital ecosystem grow:

• Airtel has announced a collaboration with Meta Platforms, Inc. (Meta) to promote the
expansion of India’s digital ecosystem. The announcement follows telecom operators’
demand for revenue sharing with service providers to construct networks.

• Airtel is now testing 4G and 5G Open RAN solutions on select sites in the state of Haryana,
and the technology will be commercially deployed across numerous locations in India over the
next several quarters. Airtel will share its insights with wider TIP ecosystem partners, including
Meta, to help expedite the adoption of Open RAN-based networks around the world. Airtel and
Meta will collaborate to invest in global connectivity infrastructure and new-age digital
solutions based on CPaaS to meet the evolving needs of users and enterprises in India.

Walmart and NSIC Sign an Agreement:

• The National Small Industries Corporation Ltd. and Walmart Global Sourcing India Private
Limited have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate services for MSMEs in the
Walmart Vriddhi program. Using this MoU, NSIC will be able to offer its programs and other
services to MSMEs that take part in different Vriddhi programs.

• Additionally, the MSMEs would be exposed to different benefits of obtaining working capital, help
for large-scale purchases, etc. under various chances provided by NSIC. MSMEs, which are a part
of the NSIC ecosystem, will also be connected to the Vriddhi program in pertinent clusters and
will have “free of charge” access to the program’s existing business training materials, advisory
support, tools, and knowledge. By 2030, MSME exports will be able to surpass $2 trillion in
value thanks in large part to the MoU.

Venkaiah Naidu has been conferred with the 25th Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi
National Eminence Award:

• Former vice president Venkaiah Naidu has been conferred with the 25th Sri
Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi National Eminence Award (SIES). Other awardees in various
categories included the Governor of Kerala Arif Mohammed Khan, eminent industrialist

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Ratan Tata, renowned cardiologist and Padma Vibhushan awardee Marthanda Varma
Sankaran Valianathan, Scientific Advisor to the Government of India Ajay Sood and famous
Harikatha artiste Vishakha Hari.
• The awards were instituted by the South Indian Education Society in 1998 in memory of the
late Seer of Kanchi, Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati.

AIC signs agreements with MSMEs to hasten the commercialisation of new products:

• Atal Incubation Centre (AIC) at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) signed
agreements with MSMEs for the incubation of newer technologies into commercial products.
The agreements were signed to commemorate the launch of the AIC at the BARC to hasten the
conversion of products from research labs to the market.

• The incubation agreements are signed specifically for technologies aligned with India’s
global commitments of achieving Net Zero (carbon neutrality) such as access to safe drinking
water, and growth of potential import substitutes for advanced and affordable healthcare in the
country.

HDFC Bank Signs MoU with Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM)

• HDFC Bank signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kerala Startup Mission
(KSUM), the nodal agency of the Government of Kerala to engage more deeply with the start-
up community and to promote entrepreneurship in the state. The MoU was signed by Rajesh
Krishnamoorthy, Circle Head – Ernakulam Circle, Kerala, and Anoop Ambika CEO, of Kerala
Startup Mission.

Infibeam Avenues receives RBI nod for Bharat Bill Payment license

• India’s first listed payments infrastructure firm, Infibeam Avenues Ltd has received a
Perpetual Licence from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for its bill payments business,
BillAvenue. The license will allow BillAvenue to function as a Bharat Bill Payment Operating
Unit (BBPOU) under Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS). As a BBPOU, BillAvenue operates as
both a biller and customer operating unit onboarding billers and agent institutions to service
customers.

Center and Manipur sign a peace accord with the Naga armed group:

• The Union government and the Manipur government have signed a cessation of operations
agreement with the Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF), a Manipur-based Naga armed group. The
banned group, active for a decade, has been demanding a separate State for the Zeliangrong Naga
tribe. The armed group has said in statements earlier that they are the followers of Rani Gaidinliu,
a freedom fighter from Manipur, who was jailed by the British for 14 years.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a statement that the agreement would be a
significant boost to the peace process in Manipur. It was signed by senior officers of the MHA,
the Government of Manipur and the representatives of the ZUF in the presence of Chief
Minister N. Biren Singh. Union Home Minister Amit Shah was not present at the signing of
the agreement.

NTPC and Tecnimont sign an agreement to investigate the possibility of developing

green methanol production:

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• NTPC, India’s largest power generation company, has signed a non-binding Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) with Tecnimont Private Limited, an Indian Subsidiary of Maire
Tecnimont Group, Italy. The objective of the MOU is to jointly evaluate and explore the
possibility to develop a commercial-scale Green Methanol Production facility at the NTPC project
in India. The Green Methanol Project involves capturing carbon from NTPC power plants and
converting it into green fuel.

Tata Steel and TuTr Hyperloop join hands to develop hyperloop technology:

• Tata Steel and TuTr Hyperloop signed an agreement to jointly work on the development and
deployment of hyperloop technology. The research will focus on key challenges of design and
materials selection.
• The partnership seeks to design, develop, and scale up the technology for
commercialization. Phase-I work will take place on the 50-meter test track at IIT Madras.
The subsequent work to achieve a 10-km track will be completed in Phase-II and -III involving
a consortium of other industry partners from the automotive, construction, and engineering
sectors.

DEFENCE NEWS

India, Australia’s Joint Military Exercise Austra-Hind 2022 begins In Rajasthan

• The Indian Army and Australian Armies began their joint military exercise Austra-Hind
2022 at Rajasthan’s Mahajan Field Firing Ranges (MFFR) in Bikaner, Rajasthan which will
end on December 11, 2022. The Year 2022 marks the first edition of the Austra Hind.

India-Malaysia joint military exercise ‘Harimau Shakti-2022’ begins in Kluang,

Malaysia

• India–Malaysia annual joint military exercise “Harimau Shakti 2022” commenced at Pulai,
Kluang, Malaysia. The exercise will culminate on 12th December 2022.

Pakistan PM Sharif and Turkiye Prez Erdogan jointly inaugurate a new warship for
the Pakistani Navy

• Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have
jointly inaugurated a corvette warship built by Turkey for the Pakistani Navy under a
strategic cooperation project. The launch of PNS Khyber represents the deepening of defence
cooperation between the two nations.

Annual Joint HADR exercise of Indian Air Force – Samanvay 2022

• Indian Air Force is conducting the Annual Joint Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster
Relief (HADR) Exercise “Samanvay 2022” at Air Force Station in Agra, Uttar Pradesh.
To provide a unique platform for the exchange of domain knowledge, experience, and best
practices with the participating Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member
countries.

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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to co-chair 4th India-France Annual Defence

Dialogue with French counterpart

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh co-chaired the 4th India-France Annual Defence
Dialogue with French Minister of Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu in New Delhi. Both
leaders discussed military-to-military cooperation and the strengthening of maritime
cooperation.

Indian Coast Guard Advanced Light Helicopter Mk-III squadron commissioned in

Chennai

• An Indian Coast Guard Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Mk-III squadron was commissioned
by D G V S Pathania at ICG Air Station, Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN) in a major boost to
further strengthen the Coast Guard Region East, 840 Sqn (CG).
• It will provide a major fillip to the abilities of the Indian Coast Guard in the security-sensitive
waters off Tamil Nadu and Andhra region. Since induction, the squadron has flown over 430
hours and conducted numerous operational missions.

The 12th edition of Exercise Agni Warrior 2022 concludes in Devlali, Maharashtra
• The 12th Edition of Exercise Agni Warrior (XAW) 2022, a bilateral exercise between
the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) & Indian Army (IA), concluded at Field Firing Ranges, Devlali
(Maharashtra). To enhance mutual understanding of drills & procedures and improve
interoperability between the SAF & IA. The closing event was witnessed by Wong Wie Kuen, High
Commissioner of Singapore to India & Lieutenant General S Harimohan Iyer, Commandant,
School of Artillery.

• India was among the first countries to set up diplomatic relations after the independence of
Singapore on 24 August 1965.

Israeli Navy tests long-range anti-cruise missile interceptor from advanced

corvette

• The Israeli Navy conducted a successful test of a long-range interceptor missile against an
“advanced” cruise missile, LRAD. The Sa’ar 6-class corvette INS Magen launched the
missile after detecting a “target that resembled an advanced cruise missile” and destroyed
it

• The LRAD missile, part of the Barak MX defense system, is developed by the Israeli
Aerospace Industries and the Defense Ministry’s research and development
division, known by the Hebrew acronym MAFAT.

Indian Army Trains Kites to Prey on Enemy Drones

• Indian Army troops are using trained Kites to prey on enemy drones in a first-of-its-kind usage
of these birds along with dogs for military operations during the ongoing joint training exercise
Yuddh Abhyas in Auli, Uttarakhand. The Indian Army used A kite named “Arjun”. During the
exercise, the Indian Army created a situation, in which the Indian Army used a kite and a dog
to identify the location of enemy drones and destroy them.
• The 18th edition of the Indo-US joint training exercise “Yudh Abhyas 22” commenced in
Uttarakhand’s Auli. Exercise Yudh Abhyas is conducted annually between India and the
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United States (US) to exchange best practices, Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures between
the Armies of the two nations. The Yudh Abhyas is a 15-day-long exercise that will focus on
high altitude and extremely cold climate warfare.

Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane inaugurates the first Coastal Security

Conference in Chennai

• Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane inaugurated the first Coastal Security

Conference organized by the Indian Coast Guard under the aegis of the Colombo Security
Conclave (CSC) at Chennai.
• The 2-day conference being held under the theme: “Collaborative Efforts for Coastal
Security,” saw the participation of 4 member countries viz. India, Maldives, Sri Lanka,
and Mauritius.

Defense Ministry Extends Pension Payments For SPARSH Pensioners By 3 Months

• The Ministry of Defence has approved the extension of pension payment for 3 months for
banks’ pensioners, who migrated to SPARSH, {System for Pension Administration
(Raksha)} and whose identification was due in November 2022. It is reiterated that the
process of Annual Identification/Life Certification is a statutory requirement for continued
and timely credit of monthly pensions.

New Design of The President’s Standard and Colour & the Indian Navy Crest Unveiled

• The Hon’ble President of India has approved the introduction of a new design for
the President’s Standard and Colour and Indian Navy Crest for the Indian Navy, which
was unveiled at Visakhapatnam on Navy Day on 04 Dec 2022.

US & India Navy Conducts 7th edition of Special Forces Exercise In Goa

• The 7th edition of Exercise Sangam, a joint Naval Special Forces exercise between Indian Navy
Marine Commandos (MARCOs) and United States (US) Navy Sea, Air & Land (SEALs) commenced
at Goa. It will see personnel from SEAL Team Five based in San Diego, USA,and Indian Navy
MARCOs from INS Abhimanyu

Indian Navy’s P75I submarine program in troubled waters

• The Indian navy’s plan to build 6 modern conventional submarines that can stay
underwater for a long time is still having trouble and delays. For example, foreign partners
missed a deadline for submitting bids. The Rs 43,000 crore P 75I program, which calls for an
Indian shipyard and a foreign technology partner to work together to build submarines in India,
is getting another extension. The new deadline for bids is August 2023.

Indian Navy ships Kochi, Kavaratti, and Sumedha participating in IFR-22 at Cox’s
Bazar, Bangladesh

• Indian Navy ships Kochi, Kavaratti, and Sumedha arrived in Cox’s Bazar,
Bangladesh to participate in the maiden International Fleet Review
(IFR) being conducted by the Bangladesh Navy (BN). The Chief Guest for the Fleet
Review was Smt Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

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The 39th edition of India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol underway

• The 39th edition of India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (IND-INDO CORPAT) between

the Indian Navy and the Indonesian Navy is being conducted from December 8 to 19, 2022.
The CORPAT will be executed along the International Maritime Boundary Line
(IMBL) on December 15-16, 2022, and will conclude with a debrief at Port Blair, Andaman &
Nicobar Islands.

MoS Defence Ajay Bhatt unveils bust of India’s first CDS late Gen Bipin Rawat in
New Delhi

• Minister of State for Defence Shri Ajay Bhatt unveiled a bust of India’s first Chief of Defence
Staff (CDS) late General Bipin Rawat at the United Service Institution of India (USI) in New
Delhi to commemorate his first death anniversary. The Armed Forces and the USI have taken
the initiative to institute a Chair of Excellence and a Memorial Lecture in memory of General
Bipin Rawat at the Institution.

Kalyani Rafael rolled out its 100th kit of Indo-Israeli MRSAM missiles for supply to
Indian forces

• Indo-Israeli joint venture Kalyani Rafael Advanced Systems(KRAS) rolled out the 100th
kit of the made-in-India Medium Range Surface to Air Missile(MRSAM) kit, for delivery to
the Indian Armed Forces (IAF).
• Dr. Narayana Murthy, Director General of Missiles & Strategic Systems handed over the
100th MRSAM Missile kit to senior officers of the Indian Armed Forces. The ceremony took place
at the KRAS facility in the Indian city of Hyderabad, Telangana.

India-Kazakhstan joint military exercise “KAZIND – 2022” to be held at Umroi

Meghalaya

• The 6th edition of the India-Kazakhstan joint military training exercise, “KAZIND-22” is
scheduled to be conducted from December 15 to 28, 2022 at Umroi, Meghalaya. To build
positive military-to-military relationships, imbibe each other’s best practices, and enhance
the ability to work together while conducting counter-terrorism operations in semi-
urban/jungle scenarios.

• The 5th edition of India-Kazakhstan Joint Training Exercise KAZIND-21 was conducted
from August 30 to September 11, 2021, in Kazakhstan.

IAF to conduct annual air exercise in the eastern sector

• The Indian Air Force (IAF) will carry out a two-day exercise in the Eastern Sector of the
country on December 15 and 16, 2022. The exercise is involving almost all its frontline fighter
jets and other assets deployed in the region. Fighter jets, transport aircraft, helicopters, and
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) will participate in the exercise.

16th Edition of Indo-Nepal joint training Exercise – SURYA KIRAN-XVI begins

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• The 14-day long, 16th Edition of Indo-Nepal joint training Exercise “SURYA KIRAN-XVI”
between India and Nepal will be conducted at Nepal Army Battle School, Saljhandi (Nepal),
from 16 – 29 December 2022. Exercise “SURYA KIRAN” is conducted annually between India
and Nepal.

Indigenous stealth guided-missile destroyer INS Mormugao commissioned into the

Indian Navy

• Indian Naval Ship (INS) Mormugao (D67), a second warship of the P15B class of stealth
guided-missile destroyers, was commissioned into the Indian Navy in the presence of Raksha
Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. To
make India the indigenous ship-building hub

INSV Tarini to participate in the 50th edition of Cape Town to Rio Race 2023

• Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Tarini will participate in the 50th edition of
the expedition to Cape Town, South Africa for participating in the Cape to Rio Race 2023.
The ocean sailing race will be flagged off from Cape Town on January 2, 2023, and
will culminate at Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. The expedition is being undertaken by an Indian
Navy crew of 5 officers including 2 women officers

Indian Navy gets 5th scorpene-class submarine, Vagir

• The fifth (5th) Scorpène submarine, Vagir of Project – 75 Kalvari Class submarines has
been delivered to the Indian Navy by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) Mumbai,
Maharashtra.

• Also, the Indian Navy commissioned the indigenously built guided missile destroyer INS
Mormugao. Under Project 75, six submarines are to be constructed. The submarines are
being constructed at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai in collaboration
with the Naval Group of France.

Indian Navy launches the first ship of ASW SWC Project – INS Arnala

• The Indian Navy launched ‘Arnala’ (Y3029), the first of the eight indigenously-built anti-
submarine warfare shallow watercraft (ASW-SWC), at the shipbuilding facility of Larsen &
Turbo (L&T) in Chennai’s Kattupalli, Tamil Nadu (TN). It is being built by Garden Reach
Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, West Bengal (WB).
• Arnala was launched at the launch ceremony graced by Rasika Chaube, Financial Adviser,
Ministry of Defence (MoD). The Arnala class of ships will replace the Abhay class ASW Ships
of the Indian Navy.

Govt gives nod to procure Pralay ballistic missiles for armed forces

• The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has given the nod to procure 120 “Pralay” short-range
surface-to-surface ballistic missiles for the armed forces. These missiles will carry
conventional warheads and will be deployed along the line of actual control (LAC) with
China and the international border (IB) and line of control (LoC) with Pakistan.
• In December, 2021 the Defence Research and Development Organisation
(DRDO) successfully conducted the maiden flight test of the indigenously developed Pralay
missile.

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Indian Army inaugurates first 3D-printed dwelling unit for soldiers in Ahmedabad

• The Indian Army inaugurated its first 3-D Printed House Dwelling Unit (with Ground plus
One configuration) for soldiers at Ahmedabad Cantonment, Gujarat, India. The dwelling unit
has been constructed by the Military Engineering Services (MES) in collaboration with MiCoB
Pvt Ltd incorporating the latest 3D Rapid Construction Technology.

IAF conducts trial run for emergency landing of flights on Andhra Pradesh highway

• The Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully conducted a trial run of the1 km long and 33-metre-
wide ’emergency landing facility (ELF)’ constructed by the National Highways Authority of
India (NHAI) on a national highway in Andhra Pradesh (AP). The ELF strip is located near
the Pichikala Gudipadu village of the Korishapadu Mandal in the Bapatla district of AP. This
ELF in Andhra Pradesh would be the first one to be operational in peninsular India. Two such
airstrips are already operational in Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Rajasthan

Indian Army conducts exercise ‘Sudarshan Prahar’ in Rajasthan

• Indian Army’s Sudarshan Chakra Troops carried out Exercise Sudarshan Prahar in the
deserts of Rajasthan. The exercise was conducted by the Shahbaaz Division of Sudarshan
Chakra Corps. The exercise was witnessed by GOC-in-C Southern Command, Lt Gen AK
Singh along with his formation commanders. The exercise was focused on the synergized
application of combat power through the integration of force multipliers and practicing new
battle techniques and procedures.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Agnikul inaugurates India’s first private space vehicle launch pad & Mission Control
Centre in SDSC

• Chennai-based space tech startup AgniKul Cosmos Private Limited has inaugurated its first-
ever launchpad designed and operated by a private player at Satish Dhawan Space Center
(SDSC).
• Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman S Somanath inaugurated the Agnikul
Launchpad. The facility, designed by Agnikul Cosmos and executed with the support
of ISRO and IN-SPACe, has two sections the Agnikul Launchpad (ALP) and the Agnikul
Mission Control Center (AMCC).

IIT Madras’ students launch India’s first electric formula racing car – RF23

• The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) students have launched the first
electric formula racing car to have come from the institute. The formula vehicle ‘RF23’ which
was entirely constructed by 45 students of Team Raftar, is the result of a year-long process in
which the team worked on the design, manufacturing, and testing of the vehicle.

Rolls-Royce successfully tests World’s first hydrogen-powered jet engine

• Airline EasyJet and British aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce had successfully tested
a hydrogen-powered aircraft engine, the world’s first modern aircraft engine for the aviation

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industry. The ground test, using a converted Rolls-Royce AE 2100-A regional aircraft
engine, used green hydrogen created by wind and tidal power from the Orkney Islands in
Scotland.
• Rolls & easyJet are seeking to prove that hydrogen can safely and efficiently deliver power for
civil aero engines.

ICRISAT & ADB to develop High-Resolution Spatial Maps to enable cropland mapping
for insurance claims

• International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)

scientists in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have developed high-
resolution spatial maps that enable cropland mapping for insurance claims and agriculture
policy decision-making on targeting regenerative agriculture (RA).

ICRISAT:

Headquarters: Hyderabad, Telangana

Chairman: Prof Prabhu Pingali,

Hyderabad-based IIL partners with CIFE to develop India’s first vaccine for fish

• Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), a leading vaccine manufacturer, has announced a

partnership with the Central Institute of Fisheries Education (CIFE), Mumbai, an Indian
Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Institute for the commercial development of India’s
first fish vaccine.

• The vaccine will be developed to protect freshwater fish against common bacterial diseases.
Currently, there are no fish vaccines available in India on a commercial scale to prevent
aquaculture infections.

Japan successfully propels steam-powered spacecraft – EQUULEUS

• Japanese Space Agency Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has successfully used
steam to propel its CubeSat spacecraft, EQUilibriUm Lunar-Earth point 6U (EQUULEUS) was
launched on its way by NASA’s Orion spacecraft. JAXA claimed that this is the world’s first
successful orbit control beyond low-Earth orbit using a water propulsion system.

Western Sydney University to Work With ICAR to Increase Research on Climate-

Smart Agriculture

• Western Sydney University, The Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR), The Indian
Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Bangalore and the Indian Institute for Spices
Research (IISR), Calicut, and the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University have come together to
launch a Centre in High Tech Protected Cropping Systems. This will help address the impact
of the changing climate on crop production. It will have two nodes, one each at IIHR, Bengaluru,
and IISR, Calicut. The Centre will investigate hi-tech aeroponic crop production, crop health
monitoring technologies with advanced sensors and cameras, and ways to standardize pollination
as part of a pilot.

China launches three astronauts to Tiangong space station

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• China launched its six-month Shenzhou 15 mission, carrying 3 astronauts to Tiangong, the
country’s newly completed space station. The Long March 2F rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan
Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert. The team for the six-month mission is led by
veteran Fei Junlong and two first-time astronauts Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu.

IIT Madras develops Ocean Wave Energy Converter to generate electricity from sea
waves

• Researchers at IIT Madras have developed and deployed an ‘Ocean Wave Energy
Converter’ to generate electricity from sea waves. The device has been named Sindhuja-I
(Ocean Wave Energy Converter) which can generate electricity from sea waves. The device
completed its trials during the second week of November 2022. The device was deployed at
a location about 6 kilometers off the coast of Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, at a location with
a depth of 20 meters.

Center Approves Formation of Advisory Group to Bring Synergy in Bamboo Value

Chain

• Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has approved the formation of an advisory
group to streamline the development of the bamboo sector. The group has representation
from various stakeholders, including academicians, researchers, innovators, progressive
entrepreneurs, designers, farmer leaders, marketing experts, and
• The Restructured National Bamboo Mission was launched during 2018-19 as a Centrally
Sponsored Scheme. It primarily focuses on the development of a complete value chain of
the bamboo sector to connect producers to consumers.

India’s first open-source satellite ‘InQube’ to be launched

• India’s first open-source satellite ‘InQube’ will be launched in Dec 2022 with the help of the
Indian Space Agency- Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). InQube was developed
by Onkar Batra, a 12th-standard student at BSF Senior Secondary School in Jammu. It was
prepared under the banner of Paradox Sonic Space Research Agency and will be launched Dec
2022 with the help of ISRO.

ISRO & In-Space announce MoU with Vyom Space to build space capsules

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) & Indian National Space Promotion and
Authorization Center (In-Space) signed a memorandum of understanding
(MoU) with Gurugram, Haryana-based private space firm, Vyom Space Exploration and
Services Private Limited, for its “human and cargo transportation capsule program”. The
MoU was facilitated by India’s nodal space authorization body, In-Space

ISRO:

Headquarters: Bangalore, Karnataka

Chairman: S Somnath

PFC signed an MoU with the Ministry of Power

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• Power Finance Corporation Limited (PFC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with the Ministry of Power between the signatories Mr. Ravinder Singh Dhillon, CMD, Power
Finance Corporation, and Alok Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Power.
• Power Finance Corporation plans to set up one of the largest funding agencies in the Renewables
space, witnessing a strategic change in its loan portfolio and getting its Memorandum of
Association (MoA) changed to fund the infrastructure and logistics space as well. It has been a
key partner of the Government of India in implementing several schemes Revamped
Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), Liquidity Infusion Scheme under Atmanirbhar Bharat, etc,
and has been one of the highest dividends paying companies.

Japanese startup launches historic Moon mission

• A Japanese startup’s spacecraft was launched to the Moon, the country’s first-ever lunar
mission and the first of its kind by a private company. The launch was carried out by Elon
Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies Corp (SpaceX) in Cape Canaveral in the United
States (US) state of Florida after two postponements for additional pre-flight checks.
• The spacecraft, produced by Tokyo-based startup ispace, blasted off aboard a Falcon 9
rocket live footage of the launch showed. The ispace mission is the first of a program
called Hakuto-R, which means “white rabbit” in Japanese.

MTAR signs MoU with IN-SPACe India for Small Satellite Launch Vehicle

• MTAR Technologies has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian National
Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) India for
the design and development of a two-stage to low earth orbit all liquid small satellite launch
vehicle. The satellite launch vehicle will be powered by semi-cryogenic technology with a
payload capacity of 500 kg.

GODI India manufactures India’s first ever 5.2 Ah 21700 Cylindrical lithium-ion
Cells

• Home-grown cell manufacturer Godi India has produced the country’s first ever 5.2 Ah 21700
cylindrical lithium-ion cells with an energy density of 275 Watt-hours per kilogram
(Wh/kg) based on silicon anode technology. To solve the never-ending demand of commuters
related to electric vehicle range anxiety.

IIT Ropar and the Army Training Command have signed an agreement to establish
a Center of Excellence:

• The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar and the Indian Army’s Army Training
Command (ARTRAC) has struck an agreement to establish a center of excellence for
academics and applied research in defense and security at the premier institute. The MoU
was signed by Rajeev Ahuja, director of IIT Ropar, and Lt Gen SS Mahal, General Officer
Commanding-in-Chief of the ARTRAC.
• IIT Ropar will also curate training programs as the exchange of information on educational
programs for security practitioners of the armed forces, Central Armed Police Forces, intelligence
agencies, and state police forces run by it as part of its on-campus and off-campus programs on
research and innovation.

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Airbnb and the Goa government have signed an agreement to promote inclusive
tourism:

• Airbnb inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Tourism,

Government of Goa, to jointly market Goa as one of the most sought-after high-potential
tourism destinations in India and around the world. This collaboration aims to promote
visitation to lesser-known distinctive sites while also enabling economically regenerative
community-led tourism in the state.
• On the official launch of ‘Rediscover Goa,’ a week-long celebration of Goa’s vast cultural
diversity beyond its beaches and dazzling nightlife, Airbnb and the Goa Tourism Department
have joined forces to scale homestay capacity across the state and support Goa homestay
Hosts in providing quality tourism experiences to domestic and international guests.

The AIIA signed agreement with international institutions to promote Ayurveda:

• The All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU)
with the University of Medical Sciences in Cuba and has renewed its partnership with the
Rosenberg European Academy of Ayurveda (REAA) in Germany for another five years to
advance joint programs. The agreements were reached during the 9th World Ayurveda
Congress and Arogya Expo.
• The Memorandum of Understanding with the Havana-based University of Medical Sciences
was signed by Cuban Ambassador to India Alejandro Simancas Marin and AIIA Director Dr.
Tanuja M Nesari. AIIA, a Delhi-based independent organization within the Ministry of AYUSH,
now has 15 international partners and 35 national partners as part of its collaborative
operations.

India successfully carries out night trials of the Agni-V nuclear-capable ballistic
missile

• India has successfully carried out night trials of the Agni V nuclear-capable ballistic
missile from Abdul Kalam Island, off the coast of Odisha. This comes days after
Indian and Chinese troops clashed in the Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh. To boost
India’s nuclear deterrence against China, which is known to have missiles like Dongfeng-
41 having ranges between 12,000-15,000 km.

ISRO Successfully Tests 160-meter trisonic wind tunnel

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully conducted the first
blowdown test of the newly released 160m Trisonic Wind Tunnel at the Vikram Sarabhai
Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
• The tunnel can be used for testing various space vehicles in 3 flight regimes – below the speed
of sound, at the speed of sound, and above the speed of sound: hence the name Trisonic Wind
Tunnel.

NASA astronauts successfully install a new roll-out solar array on ISS

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronauts Josh Cassada and Frank
Rubio have successfully installed Roll-Out Solar Array (ROSA) on the starboard truss
structure of the International Space Station (ISS).

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• In addition to installing an iROSA, the spacewalkers will disconnect a cable to allow the 1B
power channel to be reactivated after it was shut down due to a power trip in its electrical system.
Cassada will serve as extravehicular crew member 1 (EV 1) and will wear a suit with red
stripes. Rubio will serve as extravehicular crew member 2 (EV 2) and will wear the unmarked
suit. The spacewalk will be the 2nd for both Cassada and Rubio.

NASA:

Headquarters: Washington DC, United States

Administrator: Bill Nelson

India will be the first country to hold a satellite spectrum auction

• The chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), PD Vaghela, announced
that India will be the first country in the world to auction spectrum for satellite
communications (SatCom) spectrum. TRAI is working on a model for the auction of space
spectrum – to encourage and promote investment in the sector

• TRAI will soon make recommendations to make permissions required for satellite
communication from various ministries Information and Broadcasting, Space, and Telecom,
seamlessly to enhance the ease of doing business in the sector.

India receives its final 36th Rafale jet from France

• The Indian Air Force (IAF) received the delivery of the 36th Rafale fighter jets from France.
According to the IAF, the aircraft arrived after a quick en-route mid-air refueling from a UAE
Air Force tanker aircraft, after taking off from France
• India and France had signed the inter-government agreement in 2016, under which Paris
agreed to provide 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around 60,000 crore rupees to
India. The first batch of five Rafale jets arrived on 29th July 2020 in Ambala, Haryana.

A hot test of the scramjet engine was conducted successfully

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully tested the Hot Test of the
Scramjet Engine at ISRO’s Propulsion Research Complex at Mahendragiri in Tirunelveli
district of Tamil Nadu (TN). The test lasted for 11 seconds.
• A hot test system is a 100% production test used to check all the engine operating
parameters as they would function in real-time. With this test, the Indian Space Agency’s quest
to fabricate credible next-generation air-breathing scramjet engines to launch satellites in
a predetermined orbit at a low cost crossed a key milestone.

US-France satellite SWOT launched to map the world’s oceans, rivers,

lakes

• A United States (US).-French satellite that will map almost all of the world’s oceans,
lakes, and rivers rocketed into orbit. The predawn launch aboard a SpaceX rocket
from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California capped a highly successful year for NASA.
NASA and the French Space Agency collaborated on the USD 1.2 billion projects, with Britain
and Canada chipping in. The mission is expected to last 3 years.

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North Korea launches test flight for planned 2023 spy satellite

• North Korea fired a test satellite in an important final-stage test for the development of
its first spy satellite, a key military capability coveted by its leader Kim Jong Un along with
other high-tech weapons systems. The rocket carrying the test satellite was launched to assess
the satellite’s photography and data transmission systems.

North Korea:

Capital: Pyongyang

Currency: North Korean Won

US Air Force launches 1st operational hypersonic missile – AGM-183A

• The United States Air Force (USAF) has successfully tested its first prototype hypersonic
missile AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) from a B-52H bomber off
California’s coast. This test was the first launch of a full prototype operational missile.

IN-SPACe signs MoU with QNu Labs to develop indigenous satellite quantum key
distribution products

• The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-

SPACe) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bangalore-based deep tech
startup QNu Labs to develop indigenous Satellite QKD (quantum key distribution)
products. The collaboration shall ensure India leads the future of global quantum
communication networks that will involve a combination of the quantum-satellite
constellation, providing intercontinental connectivity.
• With the support of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Indian Start-up Qnu Labs
aims to demonstrate unlimited distance Satellite Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) based
secure communications. This partnership will help home-grown deep tech startup QNu Labs to
be the first-of-its-kind globally to demonstrate QKD network capability covering both
terrestrials as well as satellite medium.

ISRO’s Long Duration CE-20 Engine Hot Test Successful

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully operated the CE-20
engine, which is a cryogenic rocket engine, with a thrust level of 22t for a long
duration of 650 seconds at the Cryogenic main engine & stage test facility at the ISRO
propulsion complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri in Tamil Nadu (TN). The CE20 engine has been
designed and developed by Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) in Valiamala, Kerala.

IIT Guwahati, IIT Bombay & European partners are building sensors to check Indian
water quality

• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati and IIT Bombay in collaboration with
European universities are working towards building a low-cost
technology to check the quality of potable and other water in India. The LOTUS Indo-
European project, an initiative of the Department of Science and Technology and

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the European Commission, is aimed at providing solutions for issues related to the quality of
water supplied across Indian households.

Ministry of Power signs MoU with DRDO for Implementation of Early Warning
System

• The Ministry of Power signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Defence
Research and Development Organization (DRDO), Ministry of Defence for
the Implementation of an Early Warning System (EWS) for Vulnerable Hydro Projects/Power
Stations. The MoU was signed by Shi Alok Kumar, Secretary, of the Ministry of Power,
and Samir V Kamat, Secretary of, the Department of Defence (R&D) & Chairman, of DRDO.

SpaceX launches first mission for Starlink Gen2 constellation

• SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket with 54 more Starlink internet satellites to low Earth
orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force
Station in Florida, United States (US). The mission marked a successful end to SpaceX’s 60th
launch of SpaceX in 2022, nearly doubling the 31 launches set as a SpaceX record in 2021.

• The Falcon 9 first stage on this mission made its 11th flight with this launch. The booster
previously flew 5 Starlink missions, launched 2 U.S. GPS satellites, the Nilesat 301
commercial satellite, and carried two different private astronaut crews on the Inspiration4 and
Ax-1 missions.

SpaceX:

Headquarters: California, USA

CEO: Elon Musk

BOOKS & AUTHORS

‘Yanam,’ the first science documentary filmed in Sanskrit, was shown at the 53rd
IFFI:

• ‘Yaanam,’ a non-feature film, was shown in the Indian Panorama section of the 53rd
International Film Festival in Goa. It is based on former space chairman Padma Bhushan Dr.
K. Radhakrishnan’s autobiographical book “My Odyssey: Memoirs of the Man Behind the
Mangalyaan Mission.”
• The film ‘Yaanam’ depicts India’s long-awaited Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan). The 45-
minute documentary is entirely in Sanskrit, with the full screenplay and dialogues written in
the ancient language. AV Anoop produced the film under the company AVA Productions with
the full backing of ISRO. The film debuted in Chennai on August 21, 2022. It is the first
science documentary in the history of world cinema to be made in Sanskrit.

Shekhar Pathak’s work on the Chipko Movement wins the Kamaladevi

Chattopadhyay NIF Prize 2022:

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• The Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize 2022 has been awarded to a book by historian
and activist Shekhar Pathak about the well-known Chipko Movement for forest
conservation. The Chipko Movement: A People’s History, which Manisha Chaudhry
translated from Hindi, was chosen from a diverse shortlist of five books that covered a broad
range of modern Indian history and included many issues and viewpoints.

The UK nonfiction book prize is won by a biography of English poet John Donne:

• The “Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne” biography by British author

Katherine Rundell was awarded the 50,000 pounds ($59,000) Baillie Gifford Prize at a
ceremony in London. Out of the 362 novels that were submitted for the award, Rundell’s book
was selected by all six judges without dissent.

• According to the book, Donne is “a writer perhaps as outstanding as Shakespeare, and a writer
we should all study for his writing on love, sex, and death.”

‘Brave Hearts of Bharat, Vignettes from Indian History,’ a book by Vikram

Sampath:

• A book by Vikram Sampath called “Brave Hearts of Bharat, Vignettes from Indian
History,” an anthology of 15 tales of men and women and their unyielding spirit of freedom
and bravery, was released in Delhi. The book is released by the Penguin publishing house.
The book tells the heroic and tenacious tales of a select group of people, many of whose tales
were long forgotten and untold.

The book “Miracles of Face Yoga” by author Mansi Gulati was published:

• The president of India, Droupadi Murmu, has praised Mansi Gulati, the founder of
Manasvani, for her book, “Miracles of Face Yoga.” Mansi Gulati, a well-known author,
thought leader, and international yogi, committed herself to learning as much as she could about
the theory and practices of yoga.

A book written by Michelle Obama called “The Light We Carry: Overcoming In

Uncertain Times”:

• Michelle Obama wrote a nonfiction book titled The Light We Carry: Overcoming in
Uncertain Times, which was released by Crown Publishing. The Light We Carry will
encourage readers to reflect on their own lives, find their joys, and form meaningful connections
in a chaotic world.

Retired Air Marshal PV Iyer published his book, “Fit At Any Age.”

• In New Delhi’s India International Centre, Air Marshal PV Iyer (retired) has published his
book, “Fit At Any Age.” In the book, he chronicled his quest for health and used personal
anecdotes to explain how he found the will to exercise every day. He also discusses the value of
exercise and the need for early beginnings on the road to fitness in the book, which was released
by Bloomsbury India.

The authors of “The Indian Navy@75,” Commodore Ranjit Rai (r) and Aritra Banerjee:

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• The “Indian Navy@75 Reminiscing the Voyage”, a book written by defence writer Aritra
Banerjee and Commodore Ranjit B Rai (Retd). The book describes how British historians who
were unable to comprehend the Royal Indian Navy’s (RIN) mutiny in 1946 left out the exploits
and sacrifices of the RIN during the Second World War.

A New Book Titled “Forks in the Road: My Days at RBI and Beyond,” Authored by C.
Rangarajan:

• “Forks in the Road: My Days at RBI and Beyond” was authored by C Rangarajan. It was
released by Penguin Business (Penguin Group).
• Dr C. Rangarajan is an Indian economist, former Member of Parliament, and the 19th
Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). It examines India’s transition from post-
independence planning to the present. The book is broken into three sections. Part 1- ‘RBI and
Planning Commission’, Part 2-‘Governor of RBI’ and Part 3- ‘Beyond RBI’.

OBITUARIES

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Vice Chairman Vikram Kirloskar passes away

• The vice chairman of Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt Ltd, Vikram S Kirloskar has passed away
at the age of 64. Vikram S Kirloskar is Known in the industry as a “Passionate Engineer” He
became the vice chairman of Toyota Kirloskar in 1998. He was also the president of
Bangalore’s Central Manufacturing Institute.

Former Chinese President Jiang Zemin Passes away

• Former President of China Jiang Zemin, who supported economic reforms leading to years of
growth in the country, Passed away at the age of 96. Jiang Zemin was born in the city
of Yangzhou, Jiangsu, on 17 August 1926.

• Leading a divided Communist Party after the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown, Jiang Zemin saw
China through history-making changes. He was the Communist Party general secretary for 13
years.

Veteran Odia actress Jharana Das passes away

• Veteran Odia film actress Jharana Das Passed away at the age of 77 in Cuttack, Odisha.
Jharana Das Born in 1945, Das started her acting career in the 1960s.

• She had worked as a child artist and announcer with the All India Radio (AIR), Cuttack,
also as an assistant station director of Doordarshan in Cuttack. She also directed
a biographical documentary on former Odisha chief minister Harekrushna Mahtab.

Economist and ex-Union minister Yoginder K Alagh passes away

• Renowned economist, academic and former Union minister Yoginder K. Alagh passed away
at the age of 83 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Alagh was born at Chakwal in Punjab, now in Pakistan.
He was a noted agricultural economist and former Union Minister. He is known for his

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“inclusive approach to development”. During the 1980s, he headed the Agricultural Prices
Commission (APC) as well the Bureau of Industrial Costs & Prices (BICP).

City of Joy author Dominique Lapierre passes away

• Dominique Lapierre, the French author and well-known in India for his ode to the city of
Kolkata titled ‘The City of Joy’, passed away at the age of 91. Dominique Lapierre was born on
July 30, 1931, in Chatelaillon, Charente-Maritime, France

Artist, writer, and Padma Shri awardee ManoharDevadoss passes away

• Renowned Indian artist, writer, and Shriawardee ManoharDevadoss passed away at the age
of 86 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN). Devadoss was born on 10 September 1936, in Madurai,
Tamil Nadu. He was well-known for his paintings of traditional buildings.

Olympian & Asian Games medallist Kenneth Powell passes away

• Olympic sprinter& a member of the 1970 Asian Games bronze medal-winning 4x100m relay
team Kenneth Powell, passed away at the age of 82 in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

Marathi Actress & Lavani Singer Sulochana Chavan Passes Away

• Renowned Lavani singer and Marathi actress Sulochana Kadam-Chavan passed away at the
age of 92 in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Sulochana Kadam was born on 13 March 1933 in Mumbai,
Maharashtra. She is better known as Sulochana Chavan.

The last Hawaiian princess Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kawānanakoa Passes away

• Hawaiian royalty Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kawānanakoa, known as the “last Hawaiian
princess” or the “last American princess Passed away at the age of 96 in Honolulu, Hawai.
Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kawānanakoa was born on April 23, 1926, in Honolulu, Oahu,
Territory of Hawaii. She was a member of the House of Kawānanakoa.

Gamaka exponent & Padma Shri awardee H R Keshava Murthy passes away

• A senior gamaka exponent and Padma Shri awardee H R Keshava Murthy passed away in the
Shivamogga district of Karnataka. Murthy was born on 22 February 1934 in a family of gamaka
artists. He had his initial training from his father Ramaswamy Shastry. Under the guidance of
Venkateshaiah, he continued his studies.

Veteran Telugu Actor Kaikala Satyanarayana Passes away

• Veteran Telugu actor Kaikala Satyanarayana, known for his villain and other character roles,
passed away at the age of 87 in Hyderabad, Telangana. Kaikala Satyanarayana was born on 25
July 1935 in Andhra Pradesh. He appeared in over 750 films and served as the Member of
Parliament in the 11th Lok Sabha representing the Machilipatnam constituency from
the Telugu Desam Party.

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Eminent scholar, Padma Shri awardee Sribhashyam Vijayasarathi passed away

• Veteran Sanskrit scholar, Sribhashyam Vijayasarathi, who is known for his poetry, has passed
away at the age of 86 in Telangana. Sribhashyam Vijayasarathi was born on March 10, 1936, in
Chegurthi village in Karimnagar district, Telangana. He was an Indian author, Sanskrit
grammarian, Philosopher

STATE NEWS

Rajasthan Cabinet approves rural tourism scheme

• The Rajasthan Cabinet approved the Rajasthan Rural Tourism Scheme, 2022, to boost rural
tourism and generate employment. The meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Shri Ashok
Gehlot. The Rajasthan Rural Tourism Scheme will create employment opportunities in
the villages and protect the handicraft industry by establishing rural guest houses,
agricultural tourism units, camping sites, and caravan parks. The scheme will acquaint
domestic and foreign tourists with Rajasthan’s rural culture.

Rajasthan:

Capital: Jaipur

Chief Minister: Ashok Gehlot

Governor: Kalraj Mishra

National Park: Keoladeo Ghana National Park, Ranthambhore National Park, Sariska National Park

Meghalaya cabinet approves mental health and social care policy

• Meghalaya has become the first state in the Northeast to pass the first-ever Mental Health
and Social Care Policy. To address the issues of mental health and social care through
collaborative engagement with communities. The Meghalaya Mental Health & Social Care Policy
was approved at the cabinet meeting, chaired by the chief minister.

Meghalaya:

Capital: Shillong

Chief Minister: Conrad Kongkal Sangma

Governor: B. D. Mishra

National Park: Balphakram National Park, Nokrek Ridge National Park

First-ever Tribal Winter Festival held in Jammu-Kashmir’s Bandipora

• A first-of-its-kind Tribal Winter Festival was held in the Bandipora district of Jammu and
Kashmir (J&K). The festival was organized at Ketson Bandipora by District Administration
Bandipora in collaboration with Tourism and Tribal Welfare Departments to give
a boost to tourism in tribal areas.

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Jammu and Kashmir:

Capital: Srinagar

Lieutenant Governor: Manoj Sinha

National Park: Dachigam National Park, Kishtwar National Park

3rd Hornbill Festival 2022 to begin in Nagaland

• The 23rd Edition of the Hornbill Festival 2022 is set to begin at Naga Heritage Village
Kisama from 1st December to 10th December.
• Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar will grace the inaugural function of the festival as the Chief
Guest. The first festival was held in 2000. It is organized by the State Tourism and Art &
Culture Departments of the Government of Nagaland to encourage inter-tribal
interaction and to promote the cultural heritage of Naga. A total of 132 stalls will be set up
in Kisama wherein, 100 stalls will be taken up by the Micro Small & Medium
Enterprises and 32 temporary stalls.

Nagaland:

Capital: Kohima

Chief Minister: Neiphiu Rio

Governor: Jagdish Mukhi

National Park: Intanki National Park

UP CM Yogi Adityanath launches ‘One District One Sport’ scheme

• Uttar Pradesh (UP), Chief Minister Shri Yogi Adityanath has launched One District One
Sport (ODOS), modeled after the government’s highly successful One District One Product
(ODOP) scheme. To promote sports and sportspersons of UP. Currently, 57 districts have
been taken up & divided across 13 sports & the sports department is working on appointing
coaches.

Uttar Pradesh:

Capital: Lucknow

Chief Minister: Yogi Adityanath

Governor: Anandiben Patel

National Park: Dudhwa National Park

Karnataka developing an app-based networking platform for the commercialization

of IPRs

• Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology (KSCST) is developing an app-based
networking platform called “Patentkart”. To commercialize Intellectual Property Rights

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(IPRs). The app will be functional by early 2023. It will benefit patent holders and their clients
in commercializing their IP.

• More than 700 patents have been filed by KSCST-assisted IP cells in the past three years.
Patent Facilitation Centre has supported the setting up of a Patent Information Centre at
KSCST, IISc. Karnataka State has topped the India Innovation Index for three successive
terms.

Karnataka:

Capital: Bengaluru

Chief Minister: Basavaraj Bommai

Governor: Thawarchand Gehlot

National Park: Anshi National Park, Bandipur National Park, Bannerghatta National Park, Kudremukh
National Park, Nagarahole (Rajiv Gandhi) National Park

Haryana govt launches Nirogi Haryana scheme

• The Haryana government has launched the Nirogi Haryana project across the state. The scheme
was launched by the President of India Ms. Droupadi Murmu in Kurukshetra. The project was
inaugurated by Gian Chand Gupta, Haryana Speaker, and Kulbhushan Goyal, Panchkula Mayor.

• The Nirogi Haryana Project has been launched to provide comprehensive free health check-
ups and necessary medical treatment to the beneficiary families. The initial phase of this scheme
was started at District Hospital, Sector 6, Panchkula. It will be gradually enrolled in other
dispensaries and health and wellness centers in remote rural areas of the Panchkula district. 51
health facilities in the Panchkula district have been nominated to provide services to the listed
beneficiaries. 1,82,354 persons from 42,000 families in Panchkula listed under Antyodaya
Yojana are eligible for this scheme. The beneficiaries of this scheme are divided into 6
categories based on age – 0 to 6 months, 6 to 59 months, 6 to 18 years, 18 to 40 years, 40 to
60 years, and above 80 years. Each of these categories is provided with a different colored OPD
card, each containing 8 pages.

• The empaneled beneficiaries are provided with an ‘invitation letter’ by the ANM or ASHA
workers to visit their health facilities on a specified date.

Haryana:

Capital: Chandigarh

Chief Minister: Manohar Lal Khattar

Governor: Bandaru Dattatraya

National Park: Kalesar National Park, Sultanpur National Park

Ramp for persons with disability to open at Chennai’s Marina Beach

• India’s First permanent pathway for persons with disability and senior
citizens at Chennai’s Marina beach, Tamil Nadu (TN) will be inaugurated by Tamil Nadu Chief
Minister MK Stalin. The facility was established by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC).

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The pathway has been developed with funding from Singara Chennai 2.0 at an estimated cost
of ₹14 crore.

• The 3-meter-wide pathway leads to a 22-meter-wide deck for disabled people to view the sea.
Udhayanidhi Stalin launched 6 vehicles for the disabled acquired at a cost of ₹4.12
lakh under the MPLADS funds of Chennai Central MP Dayanidhi Maran.

Ministry of Culture inaugurates 3-day long music, art, and literature festival Swar
Dharohar in New Delhi

• The Ministry of Culture, Government of India in collaboration with “The Swar Dharohar
Foundation,” inaugurated a 3-day “Swar Dharohar Festival” under Kalanjali. The 3-day
festival would be organized at Central Vista, India Gate, New Delhi. The festival was
Inaugurated by Chief Guest Sh. Mehtab Ali (Sitar Player) and Lalit Prasad (Classical Vocal).

International Lusophone Festival to be held in Goa

• The Ministry of External Affairs, in association with the Indian Council for Cultural
Relations (ICCR) and the Government of Goa, will organize the International Lusophone
Festival in Goa from 3-6 December 2022. The festival will be inaugurated by the Chief
Minister of Goa, Pramod Sawant at Durbar Hall in Raj Bhavan.

Goa:

Capital: Panaji

Chief Minister: Pramod Sawant

Governor: P.S. Sreedharan Pillai

National Park: Mollem National Park

ISB & Odisha govt to collaborate for women’s empowerment & rural prosperity
through a sustainable forest economy

• Indian School of Business (ISB) and the Department of Mission Shakti, Government of
Odisha signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enable women’s economic
empowerment & rural prosperity through a robust forest economy.
• The MoU was signed by Ashwini Chhatre, Executive Director – of Bharti Institute of Public
Policy (BIPP), Indian School of Business, and Smt. Sujatha Karthikeyan, IAS,
Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Department of Mission Shakti, Govt. of Odisha. This MoU
marks a significant step towards Mission Shakti’s vision of making Odisha a land of equal
opportunities, where women are empowered to live with dignity and economic prosperity.

Odisha:

Capital: Bhubaneshwar

Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik

Governor: Prof. Ganeshi Lal Mathur

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National Park: Bhitarkanika National Park, Simlipal National Park

Indian School of Business:

Headquarters: Hyderabad

Chairman: Harish Manwani

Maharashtra to set up bulk drug park

• Maharashtra, which accounts for around 20% of India’s pharmaceutical output,

plans to set up a bulk drug park in Raigad district at an initial investment of ₹2,442
crores. To boost manufacturing of raw materials for medicines in the country and reduce
dependency on imports.

Maharashtra:

Capital: Mumbai

Chief Minister: Eknath Shinde

Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari

National Park: Chandoli National Park, Gugamal National Park, Nawegaon National Park, Sanjay Gandhi
(Borivilli) National Park, Tadoba National Park, Pench (Jawaharlal Nehru) National Park

First Sylhet-Silchar Festival 2022 to celebrate Indo-Bangla cultural ties to begin in

Assam

• The first Sylhet-Silchar Festival celebrating the close cultural ties between
the neighbouring regions of India and Bangladesh was inaugurated in Assam’s Barak Valley,
Silchar, Assam. The festival is being organized by India Foundation under the aegis of
the Union Ministry of Culture in association with the Bangladesh Foundation for Regional
Studies.

Assam:

Capital: Dispur

Chief Minister: Himanta Biswas Sarma

Governor: Jagdish Mukhi

National Park: Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, Kaziranga National Park, Manas National Park, Nameri
National Park, Raimona National Park, Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park, Dihing Patkai National Park

India’s 1st gold ATM comes up in Hyderabad

• Goldsikka with technology support from Hyderabad-based startup, OpenCube

Technologies has launched its first Gold ATM at Begumpet and described it as India’s first
Gold ATM and the world’s first Real Time Gold ATM. The ATM was launched into the market
by the ‘GoldSikka’ company.

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• Telangana Women’s Commission chairperson, Sunitha Lakshma Reddy inaugurated the
gold ATM Centre. ATM has a capacity of storing 5 kgs of gold. This ATM can dispense gold
coins in different denominations ranging from 0.5 gm to 100 grams. The prices are
displayed live on the screen making it transparent and clear for the customers and the coins
are dispensed in tamper-proof packs certified with 999 purity.

Telangana:

Capital: Hyderabad

Chief Minister: K. Chandrashekhar Rao

Governor: Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan

National Park: Kasu Brahmananda Reddy National Park, Mahaveer Harina Vanasthali National Park,
Mrugavani National Park

Maharashtra becomes the first state in India to have a separate Divyang

department

• On International Day of Disabled Persons (Dec 03), Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath
Shinde announced the setting up of a separate Divyang department for the welfare of
differently-abled people with a fund allocation of Rs 1,143 crore.
• Maharashtra is the first State in the country to have a separate Ministry for the disabled.

MNRE floats draft proposal for offshore wind energy project off Tamil Nadu coast

• The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) has invited proposals for its draft tender
on leasing out seabed areas for a 4 gigawatt (GW) equivalent offshore wind capacity project off
the coast of Tamil Nadu (TN). The government proposes to lease out the sea bed, which
includes specifically identified offshore wind sub-blocks B1, B2, B3, B4, and G1 off the coast of
Tamil Nadu in the Gulf of Mannar, in the current financial year.

Tamil Nadu:

Capital: Chennai

Chief Minister: M.K. Stalin

Governor: R. N. Ravi

National Park: Indira Gandhi (Annamalai) National Park, Mudumalai National Park, Guindy National Park,
Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park, Mukurthi National Park

TN govt signs MoU with a German bank to implement green power corridor

• Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for
a loan with German bank KFW to implement phase two of the Green Energy Corridor (GEC) in
TN.

Delhi Police to design a high-frequency radio system

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• Delhi Police is set to design, install and supply the ‘Open Standard Digital Trunking Radio
System’ (OS-DTRS) and will phase out the current tetranet wireless network services. The
project will cost close to Rs 100 crore. It will be a more efficient internal communication
system, aimed at a faster exchange of information and bigger networks. The trunking
system provides multiple channels and common groups for policemen.

Delhi:

Capital: New Delhi

Chief Minister: Arvind Kejriwal

Governor: Vinay Kumar Saxena

Kashmir Tourism Department to organize Houseboat festival in Srinagar

• The Kashmir Tourism Department organized a houseboat festival in Srinagar At Dal Lake.
The event is organized by the tourism department of Kashmir, and several cultural programs
will be held during the two-day festival, which will be followed by a water laser show on Dal
Lake.
• The lieutenant governor, Monoj Sinha, is likely to be the chief guest on the occasion and will
inaugurate this festival. In 2021, “Union Home Minister Amit Shah” inaugurated a houseboat
festival organized by J&K’s tourism department at Dal Lake.

Delhi, UP & Maharashtra top in electric vehicle penetration

• Delhi, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh have the highest penetration of electric two-
wheelers, passenger vehicles, and three-wheelers respectively. According to a BNP Paribas
report on India’s electric vehicles for November 2022, Delhi had 9.3% two-wheeler electric
vehicle penetration followed by Kerala and Karnataka.

Odisha partners with EPIC Foundation to design and manufacture chips, electronics

• The Odisha government and Epic Foundation have signed a memorandum of understanding
(MoU) for designing and manufacturing chips and electronics products in Odisha. To create
an ecosystem of design, manufacturing, distribution, and service
companies to meet the local, national and global demand for chips and electronics.

9th World Ayurveda Congress and Arogya Expo 2022 inaugurated in Goa

• The 4 days long 9th World Ayurveda Congress (WAC) was inaugurated at Panaji, Goa in the
presence of Union Minister of State for Tourism and Shipping, Ports and Waterways Shripad
Naik, and the Chief Minister of Goa Pramod Sawant. To showcase the efficacy and strength of
the AYUSH systems of medicine at the Global level to provide a global platform for all
the stakeholders, including industry leaders, practitioners, traditional healers,
educationists, students, medicine manufacturers, growers of medicinal
plants, and marketing strategists.

CM Pinarayi Vijayan declares Kerala Seed Farm in Ernakulam district as the first
carbon-neutral farm

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• Kerala Chief Minister Shri Pinarayi Vijayan declared the State Seed Farm Aluva near
Kochi has become the first seed farm in the country to achieve a carbon-neutral farm in India.
To achieve 40% of its energy needs from renewable energy sources by 2025.

Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu launches Sanitation Workers’ Development Scheme

• The Tamil Nadu (TN) Shri Chief Minister (CM) MK Stalin launched the Sanitation Workers
Development Scheme in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. To identify conservancy workers and ensure
their welfare through various government initiatives. He unveiled the logo for the sanitary
workers in TN.

• He also launched a mobile app “SHWAS” (Sanitation Workers Health Welfare and Safety) as
part of this scheme for the identification and census collection of sanitation workers. CM also
unveiled a 13-foot-tall bronze statue of B.R. Ambedkar at the Perungudi junction near
Madurai Airport.

The 27th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala kicks off in
Thiruvananthapuram

• The 27th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala has started at Nishagandhi
auditorium in Thiruvananthapuram. The festival will be held from December 9 to December
16, 2022. Kerala Chief Minister Shri Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the International Film
Festival at Nisha Gandhi Arena in Thiruvananthapuram and presided over by Minister, VN
Vasavan.

Assam Cabinet approves bill to create Safai Karamchari Commission

• The Assam Cabinet led by Chief Minister (CM), Himanta Biswa Sarma has approved a bill to
set up a Safai Karamchari Commission. For the first time in the history of Assam, the State
Cabinet led by CM Himanta Biswa Sarma held the meeting at the historic Gandhi Mandap in
Guwahati, Assam.
• In addition to this, the cabinet has also approved decisions related to providing maternity
benefits, monitoring drug prices, protecting Safai Karmacharis’ rights,and filling up
vacancies in the Forest Department. The cabinet has also renamed the Dergaon Police
Academy as Lachit Barphukan Police Academy.

Assam’s 1st 3D Planetarium was Inaugurated at Nalbari

• The Chief Minister of Assam Shri Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurated the Nalbari Science
Centre and Planetarium at Milanpur, Nalbari. This is Assam’s first 3D and the 4rd
planetarium in Assam which is built at an estimated cost of Rs. 8 crores 50 lakhs rupees.

• The foundation stone of the planetarium was laid at Nalbari in 2012. The CM will also visit
Tamulpur for laying the foundation of 6 projects. He will lay the foundation stone
and Bhumipujan of Tamulpur Medical College and a bridge along with several other projects
with a cost of 568 crores. Notably, a bridge was constructed at Kumarikata-Kouli connecting
the Bhutan border in the Tamulpur district 76 years after Independence.
• Infrastructural projects will be launched at Tamulpur, Morigaon, Golaghat, Bishwanath,
Majuli, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh,and Jorhat. The second phase will begin on January
5, 2023, and the projects of the 2 phases are expected to be completed before the 2026 assembly
election.

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Assam to give a stipend of to all female PG students of Rs 10,000 each

• The Assam government will soon introduce a scheme under which all female students
pursuing post-graduate (PG) courses in Assam will be provided a yearly stipend of Rs 10,000
each. The CM appealed to the female students pursuing PG courses to apply for getting the
stipend in the portal to be launched by the Department of Education for the purpose.

Kerala to become 100% renewable energy-based State by 2040: Chief Minister

Pinarayi Vijayan

• The Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the India Climate and
Development Partners’ Meet and announced that Kerala aspires to become a 100%
renewable energy-based State by 2040 and net carbon neutral by 2050. The event
was hosted by the World Bank and Kerala Government where Kerala State Action Plan on
Climate Change 2023-2030 (Kerala SAPCC 2.0) was released.
• Kerala is the first State in India to include hydrogen-powered mobility in its zero-emissions
mobility policy.

Assam CM Sarma launches ‘Bikashar Babe Eta Poshek’ in Bongaigaon

• Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched ‘Bikashar Babe Eta Poshek’, a
development initiative of the Assam government at a function held at Bongaigaon, Assam. To
take the development journey of Assam in an organized manner.

• In the first phase, the program, which will run till December 19, 2022, will witness the laying
of foundation stones and inauguration of infrastructure projects worth Rs 15,000 crore in 11
districts of Assam. He also laid the foundation stone of the 200 bedded Bangagaon Medical
College and Hospital at a function held at North Bongaigaon Stadium play ground in Bongaigaon.
The project is scheduled to be completed within three months at Rs 61,067.41 lakh. He also
inaugurated the Srijangram Model Hospital constructed at Rs 439.56 lakh.

PM Modi inaugurates the first phase of Mopa international airport in Goa

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the first phase of the greenfield
international airport at Mopain North Goa. The airport would be named Manohar
International Airport after former Goa chief minister (late) Manohar Parrikar.

Assam’s unique theatre festival ‘Under the Sal Tree’ to begin on Dec 15

• The 12th edition of the ‘Under the Sal Tree’ theatre festival will start on December 15, 2022,
for 3 days at Badungduppa Kalakendra at Rampur in lower Assam’s Goalpara district. This
unique theatre festival is held every year in the middle of the Sal tree plantation.
• It is organized completely in natural settings, with no artificial devices, not even a microphone
to enhance the voice of the actors. In 2022, the festival got support from the Chief Minister of
Assam, Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council, Indian Oil Limited
Corporation, and Bongaigaon Refinery.

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First-ever festival for persons with disabilities – Purple Fest Goa held in January
2023

• The Purple Fest: Celebrating Diversity, the first-ever inclusive festival in the state
for persons with disabilities (PwDs), will be organized in Panjim, Goa, from January 6-8, 2023.
The 3-day festival aims to show all how to bring inclusivity in our society, and how to support
one another. It will be hosted by the Goa State Commission for Persons with Disabilities in
association with the Directorate of Social Welfare and Entertainment Society of Goa.

Arunachal Pradesh launches SevaApkeDwar 2.0’ Camp Hosted At Gossang Village

• Arunachal government launched the 7th edition of the ‘SevaAapkeDwar 2.0’

campaign at Gossang village in Upper Siang District, Arunachal Pradesh. To ensure that the
benefits of government schemes and services reach the doorsteps of people living in Arunachal
Pradesh.

• It was organized by the Upper Siang District Administration. The decision to initiate the camp
was undertaken during a recent e-Pragati meeting with the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of
all the districts.

Arunachal Pradesh:

Capital: Itanagar

Chief Minister: Pema Khandu

Governor: Brigadier Dr B.D Mishra

National Park: Mouling National Park, Namdapha National Park

NIIFL Signs Agreement with Tamil Nadu for Renewable Energy Projects

• The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Limited (NIIFL) announced the signing of
a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu Infrastructure Development
Board (TNIDB). The MoU to help attract commercial capital into infrastructure
opportunities in the state, under the public-private project (PPP) model.

National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Limited:

Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra

CEO: Sujoy Bose

Forest department launches ‘Vanikaran’ project to restore natural vegetation in

Kerala

• The Forest department in association with Noolpuzha grama panchayat has launched
the ‘Vanikaran’ (afforestation) Project in Kerala. To root out invasive plants, especially Senna
spectabilis, and restore natural forests.

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• The project was being executed on 30 hectares of forest land under the Sulthan Bathery forest
range of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, where exotic invasive plants, including Senna
spectabilis, Eupatorium, Mikania micrantha, and Lantana Camara, were posing a serious threat
to the local species of trees.

Assamese Gamocha gets Geographical Indication Tag

• ‘Gamocha’, a symbol of the culture and identity of Assam, has received the Geographical
Indication (GI) tag from the central government, 5 years after the first application was made
in 2017. The GI tag has been registered in favour of the Directorate of Handloom & Textiles of
the Assam government under the Geographical Indication of Goods (Registration and
Protection) Act, 1999.

• As per the application by the directorate, the certificate has been awarded for ‘Gamocha’ as
of October 16, 2017. The process was started in 2017 when an application for a GI tag was filed
by the Institute of Handicraft Development of Golaghat district.

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurates the 5th edition of the Kochi-Muziris

Biennale

• Kerala Chief Minister Shri Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the 5th edition of Kochi-Muziris
Biennale (KMB), at Fort Kochi Parade ground, Kochi, Kerala. It is the largest contemporary
art exhibition in India held in Kochi, Kerala.

• The 5th edition was originally scheduled for 2020 and postponed twice due to the Covid
pandemic. After a gap of 4 years, the exhibition has been organized & the 4th edition was held
in 2018.

Tamil Nadu becomes the first state to launch its own Climate Change Mission

• Tamil Nadu (TN) has become the first state in India to launch its own Climate Change
Mission. To make Tamil Nadu a “climate-smart state”. The TN government has launched this
mission to protect the natural resources in TN. TN has aimed to achieve carbon
neutrality much ahead of the 2070 target set by the central government.

Uttarakhand Plans Genetic Enhancement of Its Indigenous Badri Cow

• The government of Uttarakhand is planning for genetic enhancement of the Badri

Cow through sex-sorted semen and embryo transfer technology to increase its productivity.
• Uttarakhand aims to achieve its target in the next 10 years. The state government asked
to adopt embryo transfer technology for the production of elite Badri bulls for semen
production. For this purpose, the state established a nucleus breeding bull mother
farm of Badri cattle at the Nariyal village in the Champawat district.

Uttarakhand:

Capital: Dehradun

Chief Minister: Pushkar Singh Dhami

Governor: Gurmit Singh

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National Park: Corbett National Park, Gangotri National Park, Govind National Park, Nanda Devi National
Park, Rajaji National Park, Valley of Flowers National Park

Assam govt launches ‘Orunodoi 2.0’, DBT scheme to benefit over 1 mn people

• Assam Chief Minister (CM) Himanta Biswa Sarma launched the Orunodoi 2.0
scheme virtually from Assam House in New Delhi. The total financial outlay for Orunodoi
is 4,142 crore per annum. To provide financial security to financially disadvantaged
families.

Tramjatra event – 150 years of the Kolkata tram to be celebrated by users

• Kolkata will witness the Tramjatra event that will celebrate 150 years of its iconic tram and
renew hope that this non-polluting mode of transport does not become entirely extinct in February
2023. To educate people, particularly the younger generation, about climate change, air
pollution, and sustainable development objectives with a focus on green
mobility and Kolkata’s tram legacy. The theme of the 2023 Tramjatra will be Heritage, Clean
Air, and Green Mobility.

Kerala registers Beypore Uru (boat) for GI tag

• The District Tourism Promotion Council, Kozhikode has applied for a Geographical
Indication (GI) tag for the famous Beypore Uru (boat).
• The Beypore Urus is a symbol of Kerala’s trade relations and friendship with the Gulf
countries. It is a wooden dhow (ship/sailing boat/sailing vessel) handcrafted by skilled
artisans and carpenters in Beypore, Kerala. It is mainly made of Malabar teak, probably
the biggest handicraft in the world. Beypore urus is purely made of wood, without using any
modern techniques, and traditional methods are used to launch this ship into the water.

Ladakh gets its first-ever GI Tag to its Raktsey Karpo Apricot

• The Union Government has granted the first-ever Geographical Indication (GI) tag to Raktsey
Karpo apricot of Ladakh. The coveted GI tag certification for 20 years. Ladakh grows more
than 30 types of Apricots, but the Raktsey Karpo variety is unique to the region.
• Apricot is the major fruit of Ladakh with large-scale cultivation in both Leh and Kargil
Districts among the nine fruits grown in Ladakh. Apricot is also being promoted under One
District One Product for Kargil.

Ladakh:

Capital: Leh

Lieutenant Governor: Shri Radha Krishna Mathur

Wayanad rice festival promotes climate-resilient crops

• The Kerala-based Organisation named Thanal in an experiment has planted 300 climate-
resilient varieties of traditional rice on5 acres of land at its agroecology center in Panavally in
the Wayanad district. To sensitize people to the significance of conserving traditional crops
that can withstand harsh climatic conditions.

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• Thanal has been organizing annual “rice field weeks” since 2012. Thanal also launched the
Rice Diversity Block (RDB) at Panavally under the Save Our Rice campaign in 2009, with a
collection of 30 varieties of rice.

Reliance Retail’s unit launches FMCG brand ‘Independence’ in Gujarat

• Reliance Retail Ventures Limited’s Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) unit Reliance
Consumer Products launched its indigenous consumer packaged goods brand, ‘Independence’
in Gujarat. The new launch has been introduced to consumers and kirana partners on the
occasion of the centenary celebration of Pramukh Swami Maharaj at Akshardham in
• As per the company, Independence offers a wide range of products under several categories
including staples, processed foods, and other daily essentials. The company plans to develop
Gujarat as a “go-to-market” state to create excellence in execution for its FMCG business, as it
prepares for a national rollout for the brand.

Gujarat:

Capital: Gandhinagar

Chief Minister: Bhupendra Patel

Governor: Acharya Devvrat

National Park: Blackbuck (Velavadar) National Park, Gir National Park, Marine (Gulf of Kachchh) National
Park, Vansda National Park

UP govt signs agreements with Singapore ahead of UP global investors’ summit

• The Uttar Pradesh (UP) government has signed several agreements with
investors in Singapore ahead of the UP Global Investors Summit (UPGIS) in February
2023 as it sought Singapore’s support for reaching a USD 50 billion investment
commitments target. The UP Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) to set the pace
for Singapore investors to participate in the prosperity of UP.

Tamil Nadu & Kerala are top beneficiaries of free health cover

• According to data, people from Tamil Nadu were the biggest beneficiaries among 33
States and Union Territories (UT) that have implemented the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya
Yojana (PM-JAY).
• Till December 4, 2022, about 8.4 million people from the southern state, with an average per
capita income of Rs 2,41,131 (against the national average of Rs 149,848) have availed
themselves of hospitalization benefits under the PM-JAY.
• Another top beneficiary states are Kerala, with about 4.6 million availing of hospitalization
benefits, followed by Rajasthan (3.9 million) and Karnataka (3.5 million). As per the socio-
economic caste census (SECC) 2011, currently, the scheme covers the bottom 40%
population of the country, who are identified based on select deprivation and occupational
criteria in rural and urban areas, respectively.

TN introduces single window clearance system for green projects

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• Tamil Nadu (TN) Chief Minister (CM) M K Stalin introduced a single window
system to accord clearances to green projects to attain 1 Trillion economies by 2030.
• The Tamil Nadu Climate Change Mission will coordinate initiatives such as ‘meendum
manjappai’, e-buses, climate-smart villages, and green monument projects. A separate
green corridor will be created for renewable energy and the State is devising a Repowering
Policy to promote wind energy.
• The CM further stated that 10 villages have been selected for the climate-smart villages
project and a climate literacy initiative will be taken up to create awareness about climate
change among the people. Green Tamil Nadu Mission will increase the green cover of the State
as well as help in carbon reduction

Tripura: Unakoti Seeks UNESCO World Heritage Tag

• Unakoti of Tripura has applied for a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) world heritage tag to preserve lakhs of Shaivite rock carvings,
figures, and images of gods and goddesses.
• Unakoti is also known as ‘Angkor Wat of the North-East’. Unakoti means ‘one less one
crore’ in Hindi and Bengali. In the Kokborok language, it is called Subrai Khung and is
the central tourist spot of the Unakoti District. The site displays almost the same mystical
charm as the Angkor Wat temple of Cambodia & hence, it is called the Angkor Wat of North-
East. Images found at Unakoti are of two types- rock-carved figures and stone images.

Tripura:

Capital: Agartala

Chief Minister: Manik Saha

Governor: Satyadev Narayan Arya

National Park: Clouded Leopard National Park, Bison (Rajbari) National Park

Madhya Pradesh government forms task force to recommend regulation of online

gambling and gaming

• The Madhya Pradesh government has constituted a high-level task force, which will make
recommendations about regulating online gambling and gaming in the state after
examining the technical and legal aspects. The task force was constituted under
the chairmanship of the Additional Chief Secretary of the state home ministry.

• The task force will also comprise other senior officials such as the additional chief secretary of
the home department, the principal secretary in the department of law and legislative
affairs, and the director of public prosecution. It has taken all these steps after the
alleged suicide of an 11-year-old boy while playing an online game.

Madhya Pradesh:

Capital: Bhopal

Chief Minister: Shivraj Singh Chauhan

Governor: Mangubhai Chhaganbhai Patel

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National Park: Bandhavgarh National Park, Kanha National Park, Madhav National Park, Panna National
Park, Satpura National Park

Uttar Pradesh government signs MoU with Austin University for $42 billion
Knowledge Smart City in UP

• The Uttar Pradesh (UP) Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
the United States (US)-based Austin University for the construction of a smart city of
knowledge. The Smart City of Knowledge will be built in the state at a total cost of USD 42
billion. To be built on 5,000 acres, the Knowledge City will include the best universities in the
world.

Tamil Nadu government makes Aadhaar a must for all of its schemes

• The Tamil Nadu (TN) government has announced that all those who are eligible for benefits
(other than minor children) under various government schemes will have to submit proof of
having an Aadhaar number or get an Aadhaar identification.

• As per the order, Aadhaar is mandatory for government employees, government

pensioners and beneficiaries of various schemes implemented by the state government
through various departments through their implementing agencies. The Treasury and Accounts
Department through its implementing agency will provide Aadhaar enrollment facilities for
those beneficiaries who are not yet enrolled.

The 63rd Session of the IHRC will be organized at Uttar Pradesh State Archives

• The 63rd Session of the Indian Historical Records Committee (IHRC) was held at Uttar
Pradesh State Archives, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (UP). It was inaugurated by Daya Shankar
Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Transport, Government of Uttar
Pradesh. New Delhi is the Secretariat of the Indian Historical Records Committee (re-designated
Indian Historical Records Committee in 1911).

Ladakh proposes ‘Shukpa’ as the State tree, ‘Tsersnon’ State flower

• The Ladakh administration has proposed Bhoti ‘Shukpa’ (Juniperus polycarpos) and Bhoti
‘Tsersnon’ (Meconopsis aculeata) as the state tree and state flower, respectively, Both are
used as medicine in the Sow-Rigpa system. The proposed state tree and state flower for the
union territory of Ladakh are placed in the public domain for suggestions and comments from
experts and the general public by the committee constituted for the purpose.

Odisha CM Launches ‘Drink From Tap’ Facility In 19 Cities & Towns

• Odisha Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik launched the ‘Drink from Tap’ project in 19
cities and towns of Odisha. At least 55 lakh people in 19 cities and towns would benefit from
the project. The project was launched in the places of Cuttack, Berhampur, Rourkela,
Sundargarh, Biramitrapur, Rajgangpur, Keonjhar, and some parts of Bhubaneswar.
• Earlier, the facility was unveiled in Puri and Gopalpur. Under the project, drinking water will
be supplied around the clock through taps installed in households.

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Assam CM inaugurates partial commissioning of JICA-assisted Guwahati Water
Supply project

• Assam Chief Minister Shri Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurated the partial commissioning of
the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-Assisted Guwahati Water Supply
Project at an event held on the premises of its water treatment plant at Kharghuli, Guwahati,
Assam. To provide clean potable water to the residents of Guwahati, Assam. To provide
water supply to more than a lakh households, all necessary steps are being taken to ensure the
completion of the entire project by March 2024.

Kerala’s first smart mobile composting unit inaugurated

• Minister for Local Self-Governments M.B. Rajesh inaugurated the first smart mobile
composting unit in the State jointly launched by Suchitwa Mission and the Kerala Mission at
Pallithottam, Kerala.
• He stated that the waste management issues in Kerala will be eliminated by 2026 making
the State completely garbage free. The smart mobile composting unit is an innovative
concept that scientifically treats waste from auditoriums and large catering centers and turns
it into manure. The unit can process up to 500 kg of waste per hour and convert it into manure.

J&K approves rehabilitation policy for Children in Street Situation

• The Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Administrative Council which met under
the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, accorded its approval to
the Rehabilitation Policy for Children in Street Situation (CiSS) to safeguard them from
different hazards. According to the Juvenile Justice Act, children in Street Situations
(CiSS) fall under the category of children in need of care. The act empowers
governments to frame a policy for the rehabilitation of such children in distress.

Meghalaya awarded for TB control programme

• The Meghalaya administration, which has launched a ‘Jan andolan’ (people’s movement)
against Tuberculosis, was honoured for using the best
practices to combat the illness that affects nearly 2.6 million citizens annually in India.
The award for Best Practice in Advocacy, Communication and Social Mobilisation in
Tuberculosis Control was presented to representatives of the health department at
a national workshop, in New Delhi, aimed at ending TB infections.

Kerala set to host first International Beach Festival

• The Government of Kerala will host the Bekal International Beach Festival at the Spice
Coast, in the far north of Kerala, better known as North Malabar.

• Chief Minister Shri Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the 10-day first international beach
festival. The event would conclude on January 2, 2023. The festival is organised by Bekal
Resorts Development Corporation (BRDC) in association with the District Tourism
Promotion Council, Kudumbashree, Asmi Holidays, and the local self-government bodies in
the district. This will be an annual festival celebrating the cultural heritage and natural beauty
of Kasaragod, and Bekal will be its permanent venue.

Ladakh celebrates Losar Festival to mark Ladakhi New Year

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• Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) celebrated the Losar Festival to mark the Ladakhi New
Year. The festival is a major socio-religious festival of Ladakh celebrated during winter. Losar
Festival is a 15-day long festival. The term Losar means New Year in the Tibetan
Language, Lo means year & Sar means new. For the next 9 days from January 1, 2023 people
dance and sing in honour of Ibex and travel to Mount Kailash.

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma launches projects worth Rs 973 cr in Dibrugarh

• Assam Chief Minister Shri Himanta Biswa Sarma laid the foundation
stones and inaugurated projects worth Rs 973.38 crore for Dibrugarh district, Assam. For
the development of Dibrugarh, the CM announced that strengthening and improvement of
the river bank of Buridihing at an estimated cost of Rs 250 crore will be taken up.

• The CM attended the last program of the first phase of ‘Bikakhor Babe Eta Pokhek’ (a fortnight
for development initiatives) at Tingkhong in Dibrugarh, Assam.

GI Tag for Joynagar Moa – Extended For 10 years

• The geographical indication (GI) tag for Joynagar Moa (the popular West Bengal sweet) has
been extended for 10 years.

• This variety of Moa originated in Jaynagar of the South 24 Parganas district in the Indian state
of West Bengal. The moa is a popped rice (Khoi) ball held together with fresh date-palm
jaggery, extracted only in the The popped rice is mixed with jaggery, sugar, cashew
nuts, and raisins. Jaynagarer Moa was given a Geographical Indication tag in 2015 which
will enable the product to be protected from unauthorized uses and piracy.

West Bengal:

Capital: Kolkata

Chief Minister: Mamata Banerjee

Governor: Dr. C.V. Ananda Bose

National Park: Gorumara National Park, Jaldapara National Park, Neora Valley National Park, Singalila
National Park

10th Edition of the North East Festival begins at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New
Delhi

• The 10th Edition of the North East Festival 2022 began at the Jawaharlal Nehru
Stadium in New Delhi, Delhi. To promote the diverse life, culture, traditions and tourism of
the North East region. Union Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Shri
Narayan Rane inaugurated the 4-day Festival. Director General, Tourism, Government of
India, Shri GK Vardhana Rao will grace the occasion.

• The first 7 editions were organised from 2013 to 2019 respectively at Indira Gandhi National
Centre for Arts (IGNCA), Janpath, New Delhi, Delhi. The last 2 editions were held
in Guwahati, Assam in a hybrid model, due to the spike in COVID cases in Delhi. Since
its inception in 2013, this festival has contributed a lot to promoting tourism in the North
Eastern states.

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Home Ministry gives NOC for the name change of 2 places in Uttar Pradesh

• The Union Home Ministry has given its consent to change the names of two places in Uttar
Pradesh (UP) following recommendations from the UP government. The ‘no-objection’
certificates were issued by the ministry for changing the name of the municipal council
‘Mundera Baazar‘ in Gorakhpur district to ‘Chauri-Chaura’ and that of ‘Telia Afghan’
village in Deoria district to ‘Telia Shukla’.
• It gives a ‘no-objection’ certificate to change the name of any place after taking consent from
the Ministry of Railways, Department of Posts and the Survey of India. For changing the
name of a village, town or city, an executive order is needed. Renaming a state requires an
amendment of the Constitution with a simple majority in Parliament.

Uttarakhand CM launches SBI Foundation and HESCO’s Project

• The Chief Minister (CM) of Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami launched the Climate
Resilient Livelihoods for Disaster Prone Region of Uttarakhand project. To promote
equitable economic and ecological development in 10 disaster-prone villages in
the Joshimath Block of Chamoli District, Uttarakhand.

Jammu and Kashmir Tourist Department Organises Nowshera Folk Festival in

Rajouri

• The Directorate of Tourism Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), in collaboration with District
Administration Rajouri, organised the ‘Nowshera Folk Festival’ in Rajouri’s Nowshera, J&K.
The event was inaugurated by Deputy Commissioner Rajouri, Vikas Kundal along with DDC
Chairperson Naseem Liaquat Choudhury.
• About 2500 people participated in the grand cultural event. The event also appreciated the
display of local art, handloom, and handicraft products along with a display of mannequins in
Pahari and Gojri attire.

Tamil Nadu govt launches ‘Friends of Library’ program to promote reading

• The school education minister of Tamil Nadu (TN) Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi,
has launched the “Friends of Library” program, through which books would be directly
supplied to those who are unable to access state-run libraries. The project will
be helpful to people with differently-abled persons, senior citizens, children, and hospital
in-patients among others who cannot come to a library will benefit from the initiative.

UP govt launches E-Sushrut Hospital Management Info System in medical colleges

• Uttar Pradesh (UP) Deputy chief minister Shri Brijesh Pathak and Mayankeshwar Sharan
Singh launched E-Sushrut Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) in 22 state
medical colleges. The initiative was launched by the state medical education department in
collaboration with the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC).

Dhanu Yatra’ Begins in Odisha’s Bargarh

• The ‘Dhanu Yatra’ festival, considered to be the world’s largest open-air theatre, began after
a gap of two years, in Bargarh in Odisha. The vibrant Dhanu Yatra is associated with the culture

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of Odisha. The festival is being held from December 27, 2022, to Jan 6, 2023. Several artists
from 130 cultural troupes from across the country are scheduled to perform during the festival.

Odisha Cabinet approves Rs 367 crores for ’empowerment of women in agriculture

• The Odisha Cabinet headed by Chief Minister (CM) Shri Naveen Patnaik
approved the provision of Rs 367.19 crores for 5 years from 2022-23 to 2026-
27 for implementation of the State Sector Scheme “empowerment of women in agriculture-
promotion of entrepreneurship for Women Self Help Group (WSHG).
To double the mushroom production across the State through area expansion involving women
beneficiaries/WSHGs and to make the state self-sufficient in the production of button
mushrooms and loose flowers.

TN government sets up Nilgiri Tahr conservation project

• The Tamil Nadu (TN) government launched India’s first Nilgiri Tahr (locally known
as Varaiaadu) project to conserve the State animal of Tamil Nadu will be taken up for ₹14
crores. The project would be implemented for 5 years from 2022-2027. In the 2022-2023 TN
Budget, the finance minister announced in the Assembly that for the conservation of Tamil
Nadu’s State animal, expansion of its habitat and to spread awareness among the public, the
government will implement the project the Nilgiri Tahr with an initial allocation of ₹10 crores.

Tata Power Renewable Energy to set up 255 MW hybrid power project in Karnataka

• Tata Power Renewable Energy (TPREL), a subsidiary of Tata Power, has received the “letter
of the award” (LoA) from Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd, a joint venture of Tata Power and
the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, for setting up a 255-megawatt (MW) hybrid
(wind and solar) power project in Karnataka. The project will be commissioned within 24
months from the PPA execution date. The letter was awarded through an e-reverse auction.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World AIDS Day: 1st December

• WORLD AIDS Day 2022 is observed on the 1st of December 2022. Its theme set by the WHO
this year is “Equalise”.
• World AIDS Day was first initiated in 1998 and observed on December 1. It was the first day
celebrated for health awareness. The Idea of Conceiving World AIDS Day was started in 1988.

World Computer Literacy Day: 2nd December

• World Computer Literacy Day 2022 is observed on the 2nd of December 2022. World
Computer Literacy Day was launched in 2001 by an Indian company called N.I.I.T. to
celebrate its 20th anniversary. The Company was founded in 1981 by Rajendra Singh Pawar
and Vijay K. Thadani. N.I.I.T stands for National Institute of Information Technology, is a skills
and talent development company.

International Day for the Abolition of Slavery: 2nd December

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• International Day for the Abolition of Slavery 2022 is observed on the 2nd of December
2022. International Day for the Abolition of Slavery 2022 theme set by the UN this year
is “Stories of Courage: Resistance to Slavery and Unity against Racism”.

• The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery focuses on eradicating modern forms of slavery
like trafficking, sexual exploitation, child labour, forced marriage, and forced recruitment of
children into armed conflict.

National Pollution Control Day: 2nd December

• National Pollution Control Day 2022 is observed on the 2nd of December 2022. National
Pollution Control Day is observed to create awareness about pollution which is causing harm
to our environment and living beings. It is nationally observed for the remembrance of an
Industrial accident that took place in Bhopal which took thousands of lives in 1984.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities: 3rd December

• International Day of Persons with disabilities 2022 is observed on the 3rd of December
2022. The International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2022 theme set by the UN this year
is “Transformative solutions for inclusive development: The role of innovation in fueling
an accessible and equitable world”.

• In 1976, UN General Assembly decided that from 1981 International Day of Persons with
Disabilities will be celebrated globally.

Indian Navy Day: 4th December

• Indian Navy Day 2022 is observed on the 4th of December 2022. Indian Navy Day 2022 theme
set for this year is “Swarnim Vijay Varsh”.

• At the Senior Naval Officer’s Conference in May 1972, Indian Navy Day was decided to be
celebrated on December 4 to acknowledge the efforts & achievements of the Indian Navy
during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. Indian Navy was established by the East India Company in
1612.

World Soil Day: 5th December

• World Soil Day 2022 is observed on the 5th of December 2022. In 2002, the International
Union of Soil Sciences recommended creating an international day to celebrate and generate
awareness about soil. It was a movement led by the Kingdom of Thailand under the late King
Bhumibol Adulyadej. "Soils: Where food begins" is the theme of World Soil Day this year.

International Volunteer Day: 5th December

• International Volunteer Day 2022 is observed on the 5th of December 2022. International
Volunteer Day 2022 theme set by the UN this year is “solidarity through volunteering”.
Volunteerism started in Europe for supporting elderly people within the community and carrying
out Church-related work and helping the poor.

National Microwave Oven Day: 6th December

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• National Microwave Oven Day 2022 is observed on the 6th of December 2022. Percy
Spencer, a self-taught American engineer, developed a way to safely prepare food with
microwaves.

• In 1945, he realized a candy bar in his pocket was melting while working with active radar. He
discovered that he could direct the magnetron’s power into a metal box and trap it there.

BR Ambedkar Death Anniversary: 6th December

• BR Ambedkar Death Anniversary in 2022 is observed on the 6th of December 2022.

• Ambedkar was born into a Mahar (Dalit) caste, who were treated as untouchables and
subjected to socio-economic discrimination. 6th December 2022 will be celebrated as the 67th
death anniversary of Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar. The death anniversary of Dr. BR
Ambedkar is referred to as Mahaparinirvana Divas.

International Civil Aviation Day: 7th December

• International Civil Aviation Day 2022 is observed on the 7th of December 2022. The
International Civil Aviation Day 2022 theme set by the UN this year is “Advancing
Innovation for Global Aviation Development”.

• The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a specialist organization within

the United Nations, established December 7 as the day to celebrate the impact that civil
aviation has had on the world.

Armed Forces Flag Day: 7th December

• Armed Forces Flag Day 2022 is observed on the 7th of December 2022. On Armed Forces
Flag Day 2022, patriotic events are arranged to encourage public participation and support the
cause across the nation. The color code for the day is red, light blue, and dark blue. It
represents three Indian armed forces- Army, Air Force, and Navy. The idea of Armed Forces
Flag Day observation every year was first decided in the year 1949 by the then Defense
Minister.

International Anti-Corruption Day: 9th December

• International Anti-Corruption Day 2022 is observed on the 9th of December 2022.

International Anti-Corruption Day 2022 theme set by the UN this year is “Recover with
Integrity”. Transparency International has organized, easy-to-read data on corruption levels
around the world starting from 1995. The U.N. has launched a special campaign on corruption
in the last two years with the theme ‘Recover with Integrity’.

Human Rights Day: 10th December

• Human Rights Day 2022 is observed on the 10th of December 2022. Human Rights Day 2022
theme set by the WHO this year is “Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for all”. On Human Rights
Day 2022, donate to some Human Rights Charity that takes care of the people ‘s rights in society.

• Human Rights Day’s first observation was started in 1948 when the United Nations General
Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Nobel Prize Day: 10th December

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• Nobel Prize Day 2022 is observed on the 10th of December 2022. Alfred Nobel’s father was an
engineer himself and Alfred Nobel expressed early interest in engineering, and explosives in
particular. Nobel became interested in stabilizing the unpredictable explosive nitro-glycerine.
While conducting the experiments an unexpected accident took place which cost the life of his
brother.

International Mountain Day: 11th December

• International Mountain Day 2022 is observed on the 11th of December 2022. The
International Mountain Day 2022 theme set by the UN this year is “Women Move Mountains”.

UNICEF Foundation Day: 11th December

• UNICEF Foundation Day 2022 is observed on the 11th of December 2022. UNICEF was
created by the U.N. Relief Rehabilitation Administration in 1946 to provide relief funds for
children and mothers affected by World War II with immediate aid. In that same year, the U.N.
General Assembly founded the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund
(UNICEF) to further institutionalize post-war relief work. The theme to celebrate UNICEF Day
2022 is One team for child rights.

Universal Health Coverage Day 2022: 12th December

• Universal Health Coverage Day 2022 is observed on the 12th of December 2022. Universal
Health Coverage Day 2022 theme set by the WHO this year is “Build the world we want: A
healthy future for all”. The first healthcare system was established by a German named
Chancellor Otto von Bismarck in 1883.

National Energy Conservation Day: 14th December

• National Energy Conservation Day 2022 is observed on the 14th of December 2022. It aims
to create awareness among the people on saving energy by reducing the use of energy and using
it efficiently. It was first observed on December 14th, 1991 by the Bureau of Energy
Efficiency BEE, under the Union Ministry of Power which falls under the government of India.

Vijay Diwas: 16th December

• 50th Vijay Diwas 2022 is observed on the 16th of December 2022. Vijay Diwas is celebrated
for the remembrance of the victory of the Indian Armed Forces in ‘Operation: Vijay’ against the
infiltrating Pakistani troops. Rich tributes are given to the Armed Soldiers who lost their lives
in the war. Pakistani troops attacked 11 Indian airfields that proved the war on December 3,
1971.

Minorities Rights Day in India: 18th December

• Minorities Rights Day 2022 is observed on the 18th of December 2022. December 18
commemorates declarations on the rights of persons belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious,
and Linguistic Minorities. The theme for Minorities Rights Day 2022 is centered around “All in
4 Minority Rights” as part of the commemoration of the 30-year anniversary of the UN
Declaration being adopted.
• Minorities Rights Day was first observed on December 18th, 1992 by the United Nations. The
UN adopted the statement on the individual Rights belonging to religious or Linguistic National

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or Ethnic Minorities. In India, it is the responsibility of the National Commission for Minorities
(NCM) to carry out the events on this day. The NCM was established by the Union Government
under the National Commission for Minorities Act, in 1992.

Goa’s Liberation Day: 19th December

• Goa’s Liberation Day 2022 is observed on the 19th of December 2022. Goa was still in
disrepair after 450 years of Portuguese rule on August 15, 1947, when India attained freedom.
• Action Vijay, which translates to “Operation Victory,” was a 36-hour military operation that
began on December 18, 1961, by the combined forces of the Indian navy, air force, and army.
451 years of Portuguese rule in the region officially came to an end and the territory was
taken back by India on December 19, 1961.

International Migrants Day: 18th December

• International Migrants Day 2022 is observed on the 18th of December 2022. Although the
day was established in 2000, it has been observed since 1997 that several Asian migrant
organizations designated December 18 as the day to advocate for the respect, rights, and
protection of migrants. The theme for International Migrants Day 2022 is Integrating migrants
into primary health care.
• On account of the ever-increasing number of migrants around the world, on December 4, 2000,
the United Nations General Assembly declared December 18 as the day for International
Migrants. Goals connected to migration are included in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development of the United Nations.

International Human Solidarity Day: 20th December

• International Human Solidarity Day 2022 is observed on the 20th of December 2022.
People are welcome to participate in discussions regarding actions to foster solidarity on
International Human Solidarity Day when nations demonstrate their adherence to various
international agreements.

• On December 22, 2005, the UN General Assembly recognized solidarity as one of the
fundamental and enduring values of the twenty-first century by passing Revolution
60/209.

National Mathematics Day: 22nd December

• National Mathematics Day 2022 is observed on the 22nd of December 2022. The renowned
mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, whose works had a widespread impact both in India
and around the world, is the driving force behind the establishment of Mathematics Day in
that country. Ramanujan was born in 1887 to an Iyengar Brahmin family in Erode, Tamil
Nadu.

National Consumer Rights Day: 24th December

• National Consumer Rights Day 2022 is observed on the 24th of December 2022. When India’s
Consumer Protection Act of 1986 was passed, consumer rights were given serious
consideration. The purpose of this legislation was to protect consumers against unfair commerce,
the sale of subpar goods, fraud, and inadequate service. The theme of National Consumer Day
2022 is “Effective Disposal of cases in Consumer Commission”.

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Christmas Day: 25th December

• Christmas Day 2022 is observed on the 25th of December 2022. The truth is that nobody is
certain of the date and location of Jesus’ birth. The apostles Matthew, Mark, Luke and
John share comparable narratives in the New Testament of the Bible, although they never specify
the time of Jesus’ birth. Sextus Julius Africanus, the earliest Christian historian, is largely
responsible for the creation of December 25.

Good Governance Day: 25th December

• Good Governance Day 2022 is observed on the 25th of December 2022. It is observed for
the birth anniversary of Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Atal Bihari Vajpayee,
a former prime minister, and Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya were both named as recipients
of the Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian honor, on December 23, 2014. The day has
particular importance as it marks the theme of good governance “Prashasan Gaon Ki Aur”.
This day is celebrated by conducting nationwide campaigns to facilitate the redressal of the
grievance to the public.

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