Bazooka December 2022

BAZOOKA: December 2022
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www.practicemock.com 1 info@practicemock.com 9319314079

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Contents
NATIONAL AFFAIRS ........................................................................................................ 2
STATES AFFAIRS .......................................................................................................... 21
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS .............................................................................................. 39
REPORTS & INDICES ..................................................................................................... 46
GOVERNMENT SCHEMES & PROGRAMMES ........................................................................ 62
BUSINESS & ECONOMY ................................................................................................. 67
BANKING & FINANCE .................................................................................................... 83
RBI IN NEWS ............................................................................................................. 103
AWARDS & RECOGNITION ........................................................................................... 107
BOOKS & AUTHORS .................................................................................................... 125
PERSON IN NEWS ....................................................................................................... 126
OBITUARIES .............................................................................................................. 132
SPORTS .................................................................................................................... 135
IMPORTANT DAYS ....................................................................................................... 144
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
1. The 19th meeting of the Experts and Coordinators of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization’s Interbank Consortium (SCO-IBC), and the first under India’s presidency, has
been held in New Delhi.
• The SCO IBC will be led by India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (IIFCL) from 26th
October to 25th October 2023.
• The SCO-IBC is presided over by Pawan Kumar, Deputy Managing Director of IIFCL.
During the meeting, it has been determined to establish a data bank, work toward the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and undertake climate financing initiatives.
Additional Information:
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO IBC) was established on October 26, 2005,
under the decision made by the Council of Heads of SCO Member States to develop a
mechanism to financially support and service investment projects in the SCO member
countries economic area (Agreement on Interbank Cooperation with the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization).

India was granted observer status in the SCO during the Astana Summit of the Shanghai
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Cooperation Organization in July 2005.
2. The Indian Gas Exchange (IGX), promoted by the Indian Energy Exchange (IEX), has launched
India's first Gas Price Index named ‘GIXI’ to reflect benchmark natural gas price for India.
• The IGX Price Index has been developed with the purpose of deriving a single price for the
country in line with international benchmarks such as JKM (Japan Korea Maker), HH (Henry
Hub), WIM (West India Marker), TTF (Dutch), which are currently representative of the
prices in their respective coverage regions.
• IGX Price Index is calculated for various hubs and delivery points with IGX prices being
discovered based on actual deliveries making it reflective of the true market situation.
• At IGX, over 447 lakh MMBtus (1.1 Billion Cubic Meters) of gas has been traded since
inception.
3. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has organized a musical event called ‘Dance
to Decarbonise’, where renewable energy generated through dance has been used to
charge electric vehicles, at National Stadium, India Gate, in New Delhi as a run up to the India
Energy Week that will be held in Bangalore in the month of February 2023.
The event aims to showcase India’s target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2070 which
needs to be weighed against the country's growing economy, rising energy requirements,
and the implementation of responsible energy sources over transformational energy systems
for the future.
4. Researchers in Bengaluru’s Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research

(JNCASR), an autonomous institute, have recently shown for the 1st time infrared (IR) light
emission and absorption with Gallium Nitride (GaN) Nanostructures, new artificial
nanostructures for Infrared Absorption Technologies can be useful in Defence, Imaging &
Sensing. The research has been published in the prestigious journal Nano Letters.
• JNCASR is an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology,

Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• This new method help in the development of highly efficient infrared absorbers, emitters,
and modulators for use in defence & energy technologies, imaging, sensing, and other
applications.
5. India will receive the third squadron of the S-400 air defence missile system from Russia in
January or February 2023. The system with its missiles of different ranges can take on enemy
ballistic and cruise missiles, fighter aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles flying at distances
up to 400 kilometres.
• India signed a deal worth over Rs.35,000 crore to acquire five squadrons of the S-400 air
defence missiles from Russia over three years.

• India has already operationalized its first two squadrons of missile systems. They have
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been deployed to take care of the Ladakh sector along with the sensitive Chicken’s neck
corridor in West Bengal and the entire north-eastern region.
6. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully conducted the hot test of the
CE-20 cryogenic engine with a thrust level of 22t for a long duration of 650 seconds. During
the test, the engine and the facility performed normally and the required engine
performance parameters have been achieved.
The CE20 engine is designed and developed by Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC),
Valiamala, Kerala.
7. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has given nod for the procurement of 120 Pralay ballistic
missiles for the armed forces. These are indigenously developed new-generation quasi-
ballistic surface-to-surface missiles. The missile will give the armed forces the capability to hit
enemy positions and key installations in actual battlefield areas. The missile will be provided
to the Air Force and the Navy.
• It can hit targets in the range of 150-500 km and the missile has an accuracy of 10 metres
(capable of hitting within 10 meters of the target).
• The missile has a speed of around 2000 km per hour, and is equipped with an infrared or
thermal scanner.
• It is powered with solid propellant rocket motor, missile guidance system including state-
of-the-art navigation system, and integrated avionics.
• It has a capacity to tackle interceptor missiles as well.
• It is also capable of changing its route after travelling a certain distance in the air.
8. Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Piyush Goyal has launched
new initiatives, including the ‘Right to Repair’ portal, an NTH mobile app and also opened
new premises of the National Consumer Helpline centre in New Delhi.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Consumer Affairs
Department and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Varanasi, and launched a capacity
building programme of consumer commissions.
Right to Repair Portal:

• On this portal manufacturer will share the manual of product details with customers so
that they can either repair it by themselves, or by third parties, rather than depend on the
original manufacturers.
• Initially, mobile phones, electronics, consumer durables, automobiles and farming
equipment will be covered.
• It allows consumers to repair and modify their consumer products against the
manufacturer requiring them to use their services either by restricting access to tools and
components or putting in place software barriers.

Recently, the Department of Consumer Affairs has set up a committee under Nidhi Khare to
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develop a comprehensive framework on the right to repair.
9. The India-assisted 720 Megawatts Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Power Project has been
handed to Druk Green Power Corporation (DGPC) in Bhutan. The power plant is built on the
Mangdechhu River in Trongso Dzongkhag district, Bhutan.
With the handing over of the project, India and Bhutan have successfully completed four
mega hydroelectric power projects.
• The 720 MW project Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Power Project was jointly inaugurated by
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bhutanese counterpart Lotay Tshering in 2019.
• The commissioning of the project has increased Bhutan's Electrical Power Generation
Capacity by 44 percent and it is now at 2,326 Megawatts.
• The project will reduce around 2.4 million tons of Green House Gas emissions each year.
10. The Central Government has appointed the Ministry of Electronics and Information
Technology (MeitY) as the nodal ministry to oversee the online gaming industry.
This decision of the government is in line with its initiative to promote the growth of the
Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comic (AVGC) sector and make India a global hub for
online gaming.
The allocation of MeitY as the nodal agency for online gaming will address existing regulatory
issues such as:
• Clear guidelines to determine what qualifies as a game of skill or chance.
• Specific legal provisions to block foreign betting websites that promote money laundering.
• Address several consumer protection issues like child safety, financial losses, grievances
redressal, and Know Your Consumer (KYC).
11. Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah has launched the Mobile App ‘Prahari’
and Manual of Border Security Force (BSF) in New Delhi.
Prahari App:
• The Prahari App can be used by the Border Security Force (BSF) to get information about
the accommodation facilities, Ayushman-CAPF and leaves.
• This application also provides information about bio-data, grievance redressal on the
“Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CP-GRAMS), and
information related to various welfare schemes for the BSF.
• It will connect the user to the Home Ministry’s portal.
Border Security Force (BSF):

It is one of the 7 Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF). It comes under the aegis of the Union
Ministry of Home Affairs. It was raised on 1st December 1965 in the wake of the 1965 war
between India and Pakistan. It is currently the largest border guarding force in the world.

12. The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru will function as the Secretariat for
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Science 20 (S20), the science working group of the Group of Twenty (G20). The S20 2023 will
work towards resolving common global-level challenges like poverty.
The S20 2023 theme is ‘Disruptive Science for Innovative and Sustainable Development’, under
which many deliberations will be held through the year in Agartala, Lakshadweep and
Bhopal.
G20:
It is the premier forum for international economic cooperation comprising 19 countries and
the European Union (EU). India holds the Presidency of the G20 from 1st December 2022 to
30th November 2023. The theme of India’s G20 Presidency is “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” or
“One Earth One Family”.
13. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur has planned to set up an engineering
institute in Malaysia. The institute aims to become the worldwide benchmark in education
excellence by establishing IIT Malaysia, which will be a major step for the institute to set its
global footprint in the international domain.
14. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh-led Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has approved
Acceptance of Necessity (AON) to 24 capital procurement proposals worth Rs 84,238 crore.
• These proposals comprise six for the Indian Army, six for the Indian Air Force, 10 for the
Indian Navy, and two for the Indian Coast Guard.
• Of the total, 21 of the proposals worth Rs 82,127 crore, have been approved for
procurement through the indigenous route.
15. The 46th meeting of the Executive Committee of National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG)
has been organised under the chairmanship of Shri G. Asok Kumar, Director General, NMCG.
During the meeting, the committee has approved 12 projects worth around Rs.2,700 crore
for developing sewerage infrastructure in the Ganga basin: Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand
and West Bengal, with special focus on tributaries of Ganga
Key projects approved:

• In Uttar Pradesh, 3 projects approved, out of which one pertains to development of
sewerage infrastructure in Prayagraj costing Rs. 475.19 crore
• In Bihar, one project each for Daudnagar and Motihari towns approved at estimated costs
of Rs. 42.25 and 149.15 crore respectively
• In West Bengal, big project for Rejuvenation of River Adi Ganga approved at estimated
cost of Rs. 653.67 crore
• Afforestation Programmes for the year 2022-23 for Uttarakhand and Bihar also approved

• Project titled ‘Scientific exploration of floral diversity near the Ganga river banks for
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ethnobotanical purposes along with their conservation and economic development of the
region via skill development programs’ also approved for all the five states.
16. The Department of Posts under Ministry of Communications has launched an ‘Online
request Transfer Portal’ for Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS). The portal has been launched by
Alok Sharma, Director General Postal Services via video conference. The portal aims to bring
transparency and accountability to the governance process by leveraging technology.
17. National Health Authority (NHA) has released a beta version of the lightweight, robust,
and Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission-compliant Hospital Management Information
System (HMIS). It envisions providing a digital platform for healthcare providers, particularly
focusing on private clinics and small health facilities.
18. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has allowed companies to hold their Annual
General Meetings (AGMs) and Extraordinary General Meetings (EGMs) via video
conference mode till 30th September 2023. This extension is applicable for companies whose
financial year ends on 31st December 2022 and 31st March 2023.
19. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued its recommendations on
‘Renewal of Multi System Operators (MSOs) Registration’. It has recommended that the
renewal of registration of multi-system operators (MSOs), who are master cable operators,
should be done for a 10-year period and the process fee kept at Rs.1 lakh.
MSOs are large cable operators, who provide cable or direct-broadcast satellite television
channels to consumer homes via local cable operators (LCOs).
20. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has successfully test-fired the extended range version of BrahMos
air launched missile against a ship target from a SU-30MKI aircraft. The missile has achieved
the desired mission objectives in the Bay of Bengal region.
21. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has successfully conducted the first blow-
down test of their Trisonic Wind Tunnel, the all-new wind tunnel, installed at the Vikram
Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
The test has been facilitated under three conditions including, below the speed of sound
(Subsonic), at the speed of sound (Transonic), and above the speed of sound (Supersonic).
Trisonic Wind Tunnel:

• It is used to study the aerodynamic behaviour of flying objects, such as aeroplanes,
artillery projectiles or missiles in all three-speed regimes: Subsonic, Transonic, and
Supersonic.

• This system aids the aerodynamic design of rockets and re-entry spacecraft by
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characterizing a scaled model by evaluating forces, moments, load distribution, unsteady
pressures, acoustic levels etc.
• The tunnel has an overall length of about 160m and has a maximum cross section of
5.4m.
• The tunnel can simulate flight conditions from 0.2 times the speed of sound (68 m/s) to 4
times the speed of sound (1360 m/s).
22. India has hosted the first G20 Finance and Central Bank Deputies (FCBD) meeting under
its G20 Presidency in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• The meeting has been co-chaired by Secretary Ajay Seth, Department of Economic Affairs
(DEA), and Deputy Governor Dr. Michael Patra, Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• The meeting has been conducted with the aim of seeking the views of G20 members on
India’s G20 Finance Track priorities for 2023 across various workstreams.
• A side event on ‘Strengthening MDBs to Address Shared Global Challenges of the 21st
century’ has been held on the sidelines of the Deputies meeting.
• Around 160 foreign delegates including Deputies from G20 member countries, invitee
countries, and International Organisations have participated in the meeting.
Note: The First G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting will be held from
23-25 February in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
23. India has received its final 36th Rafale aircraft with RB tail number from France that is
equipped with all 13 India specific enhancements. This Rafale is designated as RB008 where
RB stands for former IAF Chief Air Marshal R.K.S Bhadauria who, as then Deputy Chief of IAF,
led the Indian negotiation team for Rafale Purchase Agreement in 2016.
The Rafale is a 4.5 generation aircraft with long range air to air and air to ground missiles
along with advanced radar and electronic warfare capabilities.
Background:
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 Rs 60,000 crore to New Delhi. The first
batch of five Rafale jets had arrived in India on 29 July 2020 in Ambala, Haryana. These were
manufactured by French firm Dassault Aviation.
24. The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, and the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) India have launched the 5th edition of ''Youth Co: Lab'' (2022-23), Asia
Pacific’s largest youth innovation movement, to support young social entrepreneurs. This is a
unique initiative with young people at the forefront to solve India’s most pressing issues
through social entrepreneurship and innovation.

Dr. Chintan Vaishnav, Mission Director AIM, NITI Aayog and Mr. Dennis Curry, Deputy
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Resident Representative, UNDP India have launched the application for the 5th edition.
The 5 focus thematic areas for Youth Co: Lab 2022-23 are:
(a) Digital and Financial Literacy for Youth
(b) Gender Equality and Women Economic Empowerment
(c) Developing FinTech Solutions focused on Biodiversity Conservation
(d) Promoting Biodiversity-friendly Lifestyles through Technological Solutions in Finance
(e) Accelerating Circular Economy through Upcycling Innovations
(f) Behavioural Nudges for LiFE (Lifestyle For Environment)
Youth Co: Lab:

It was co-created in 2017 by UNDP and the Citi Foundation. It is a multi-dimensional and
multi-level response to tackle the challenges young people face by positioning youth at the
forefront in finding solutions to global challenges tackling Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs). It aims to establish a common agenda for Asia-Pacific countries to invest in and
empower youth to accelerate the implementation of the SDGs through leadership, social
innovation and entrepreneurship.
In 2019, Youth Co: Lab was launched by UNDP India in partnership with Atal Innovation
Mission, NITI Aayog.
25. The 16th edition of Indo-Nepal joint training Exercise 'Surya Kiran-XVI' has been conducted
between India and Nepal at Nepal Army Battle School, Saljhandi, Nepal.
• Nepal Army soldiers of Shree Bhawani Baksh Battalion and Indian Army soldiers from the
5 GR have participated in the exercise.
• The joint exercise focuses on the evolution of combined drills for planning and conduct of
tactical operations at the unit level in counter-terrorism operations and disaster response
mechanisms in general and the role of armed forces in the management of disaster.
Exercise “SURYA KIRAN” is conducted annually between India and Nepal with the aim to
enhance interoperability in jungle warfare & counter terrorism operations in mountainous
terrain and HADR under UN mandate.
Note: The 15th edition of Surya Kiran took place at Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand.
26. The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Mormugao (D67), the second of the four ‘Visakhapatnam’ class
destroyers, also known as Project 15B class of stealth guided-missile destroyers, has been
commissioned in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at Naval Dockyard,
Mumbai.
INS Mormugao:
• It is named after Mormugao, a historic port city of Goa on the west coast.

• The ship was launched on September 17, 2016 and commenced sea trials on December
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19, 2021, coinciding with 60 years of Goa Liberation.
• It is indigenously designed by the Indian Navy’s in-house organisation Warship Design
Bureau and constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai.
• It is 163m in length and 17m in breadth with a displacement of 7,400 tonnes.
• It is packed with sophisticated state-of-the-art weapons and sensors such as Surface-to-
Surface Missile and Surface-to-Air Missiles.
• The ship is fitted with a modern Surveillance Radar which provides target data to the
gunnery weapon systems.
• Its Anti-Submarine Warfare capabilities are provided by the indigenously-developed
Rocket Launchers, Torpedo Launchers and the ASW helicopters.
• The ship is equipped to fight under Nuclear, Biological and Chemical warfare
conditions.
• It is propelled by four powerful Gas Turbines, in a Combined Gas and Gas configuration,
capable of achieving speeds in excess of 30 knots.
• The ship has enhanced stealth features resulting in a reduced Radar Cross Section.
27. India, current president of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), has launched a
‘Group of Friends’ to promote accountability for crimes against peacekeepers.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has announced that New Delhi will soon have a
database that will record all crimes against the Blue Helmets.
• The Group of Friends will seek to facilitate the promotion of accountability for all acts of
violence against United Nations peacekeepers; seek facilitation of capacity building and
technical assistance to the host state authorities.
• The Group of Friends will convene two meetings of its members per year, organise and
host one event per year involving Permanent Missions and other stakeholders.
• The Group will convene and be moderated by representatives of the Permanent Missions
of Bangladesh, Egypt, France India, Morocco and Nepal as co-chairs and include all
interested Member States and United Nations partners.
The Group of Friends represents the “political will” of member states, particularly of the troop
and police contributing countries, to champion the implementation of the provisions of
UNSC resolution 2589, which was adopted in August 2021 under India’s Presidency of the
Council.
Note: India, among the largest troop-contributing countries to UN peacekeeping, has lost 177
of its peacekeepers in the line of duty, the largest by far from any troop-contributing country.
28. The Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Tarini has set sail for an expedition to Cape Town,
South Africa to participate in the 50th edition of Cape Town to Rio Race 2023.
• This ocean sailing race will be flagged off from Cape Town on 2nd January, 2023 and will
culminate at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

• The expedition aims to train the crew onboard, in essential seamanship skills including
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Navigation, Communication, Technical and Planning.
• During the expedition while transiting from Goa to Rio de Janeiro via Cape Town and back,
INSV Tarini will be covering a distance of almost 17000 nautical miles.
• The expedition is being undertaken by an Indian Navy crew of five officers including two
women officers. In the present expedition, the vessel is being skippered by Capt. Atool
Sinha with Lt Cdr Ashutosh Sharma, Lt Cdr Dilna K, Lt Cdr Roopa A and Sub Lieutenant
Aviral Keshav as the crew.
Note: INSV Tarini is known for circumnavigating the globe with an all-women officer crew in
the historic expedition titled ‘Navika Sagar Parikrama’ in 2017.
29. The 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Convention on
Biological Diversity (CBD) has been held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada to acknowledge
new set of goals to guide global action through 2030 in order to prevent nature loss.
The President of COP15 is China.

India has been represented by Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister of Environment, Forest, &
Climate Change.
The conference has adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF)
to protect the world’s lands and oceans and provides financing to save biodiversity in the
developing world. The GBF includes four goals and 23 targets to address the loss of
biodiversity and restore natural ecosystems by 2030.
• The GBF aims to protect the 30% of land, and 30% of coastal and marine areas by 2030,
up from an earlier aim of 20%. It will fulfil the deal’s highest-profile goal, known as 30-by-
30.
• Mobilizing at least USD200 billion per year in funding from all sources for biodiversity-
related causes
• Increasing international financial flows to developing countries to at least USD20 billion
per year by 2025 and at least USD30 billion per year by 2030.
• Preventing the introduction of invasive species and reducing the establishment of other
known or potential invasive species
• Requiring large and transnational companies to disclose their risks and impacts on
biodiversity.
• Reducing the use of pesticides and hazardous chemicals by half.
To support the implementation of the GBF, the Global Environment Facility has been
requested to establish a Special Trust Fund, and a multilateral fund for the equitable
sharing of benefits between providers and users of digital sequence information on genetic
resources will be established within the GBF.
The UN has recognized India’s Ganges project among 10 initiatives from globe that restore
the natural world. The initiatives have been declared World Restoration Flagships and are
eligible to receive UN-backed promotion, advice or funding.

Note: The 2024 United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP16) will be held in Turkiye.
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30. The 48th Meeting of the GST Council has been held on 17th December, 2022 via Video
Conference, under the chairpersonship of the Union Finance & Corporate Affairs Minister
Nirmala Sitharaman.
Highlights of the meeting:

• The GST on Husk of pulses has been reduced from 5% to Nil.
• The GST on Ethyl alcohol supplied to refineries for blending with motor spirit (petrol) has
been decreased from 18% to 5%.
• The higher rate of compensation cess of 22% is applicable to motor vehicle fulfilling all
four conditions, namely, it is popularly known as SUV, has engine capacity exceeding 1500
cc, length exceeding 4000 mm and a ground clearance of 170 mm or above.
• No GST is payable where the residential dwelling is rented to a registered person if it is
rented it in his/her personal capacity for use as his/her own residence and on his own
account and not on account of his business.
• Incentive paid to banks by Central Government under the scheme for promotion of RuPay
Debit Cards and low value BHIM-UPI transactions are in the nature of subsidy and thus
not taxable.
• Decriminalization under GST: The Council has recommended to raise the minimum
threshold of tax amount for launching prosecution under GST from Rs.1 crore to Rs.2
crore, except for the offence of issuance of invoices without supply of goods or services
or both.
• The council has recommended to reduce the compounding amount from the present
range of 50% to 150% of tax amount to the range of 25% to 100%.
• E-Com portals can supply goods of Unregistered Suppliers.
GST Council:
The Goods and Services Tax Council (GST Council) is a constitutional body that makes
recommendations to the Union and State Governments on GST-related issues. Article 279A
of the Constitution establishes a Goods and Services Tax Council. It consists of: Union Finance
Minister as Chairman; The Union Minister of State, in-charge of Revenue of finance as
Member, and The Minister In-charge of finance or taxation or any other Minister nominated
by each State Government as Members.
31. The Indian Navy has launched the Indian Navy Ship (INS) “Arnala”, the first of 16
indigenously built Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC) (Yard 3029),
at shipbuilding facility of Larsen & Toubro (L&T) in Kattupalli, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Background:
A contract for building 16 ASW SWC was signed between Ministry of Defence (MoD) and
Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata and Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) in
2019. Of the 16 ASW SWC on order, eight are being built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and

Engineers (GRSE) Kolkata, in partnership with L&T; and the other eight by Cochin Shipyard.
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The navy plans to have all 16 corvettes built and in service by 2026.
INS Arnala:
• The ship has been named INS Arnala to signify the strategic maritime importance
accorded to the island of Arnala (located about 13 km north of Vasai, Maharashtra) by the
great Maratha warrior, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
• The 77.6 metre-long Arnala-class ASW corvettes have a displacement of 900 tonnes, with a
maximum speed of 25 knots and endurance of 1,800 nautical miles.
• It is built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Kolkata, in partnership
with L&T.
• The new Arnala-class corvettes will replace the Indian Navy’s Abhay class ASW ships.
• The Arnala-class is designed to undertake anti-submarine operations in coastal waters
and low intensity maritime operations (LIMO) including subsurface surveillance in littoral
waters.
The fifth submarine of the Project – 75, Kalvari Class submarines, Yard 11879, which when
commissioned will be christened INS Vagir, has recently been delivered to the Indian Navy by
Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) Mumbai. It will be commissioned into the Indian
Navy in January 2023.
32. The Indian Government has allowed Sri Lankan citizens to hold up to USD 10,000 (8.14
lakh Indian rupees) in Indian rupees in cash, though the Indian Rupees would not be legal
tender in Sri Lanka. To enable this, Sri Lankan banks must enter into an agreement with an
Indian bank to open INR Nostro accounts held in another bank in a foreign currency.
33. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has conducted a 2-day exercise in the Eastern sector on 15 & 16
December 2022. It involves practically all of its frontline fighter jets and other assets
stationed in the region, following the recent clash between Indian and Chinese troops in the
Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh.
34. India has successfully conducted the night trials of nuclear-capable ballistic missile Agni V,
capable of striking targets at ranges up to 5,000 kilometres with very high degree of accuracy.
The missile test firing has been conducted from APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast.
This is the 9th flight of the Agni V as a part of routine test. It was first tested in 2012.
35. The 12th World Hindi Conference will be organized by the Ministry of External Affairs in
collaboration with the Government of Fiji from 15 to 17 February 2023 in Fiji.
The main theme of the Conference is "Hindi: From Traditional Knowledge to Artificial
Intelligence".

It is for the first time that Fiji will be hosting the conference.
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According to the United Nations report of 2020, Fiji had a population of more than 896,000
and out of which over 30% is of Indian-origin and majority of them speak Hindi.
Note: 1st World Hindi Conference was held from 10 to 12 January 1975 in Nagpur,
Maharashtra.
36. CELLINK, a pacesetter in bioprinter growth, and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc)
Bengaluru have inaugurated India’s first 3D bioprinting Center of Excellence (CoE) in the
Centre for BioSystems Science & Engineering (BSSE) at IISc’s Bengaluru Campus, Bengaluru,
Karnataka.
• The CoE will provide access to 3D bioprinting systems, enabling researchers to accelerate
their work across critical applications with the ultimate goal of improving health
outcomes.
• It will store several cutting-edge CELLINK 3D bioprinters.
37. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur has inaugurated India’s
first Drone Skilling and Training Virtual E-Learning Platform at the Chennai
manufacturing facility of Garuda Aerospace, a drone-based startup of India.
• He has also flagged off Garuda Aerospace’s Drone Yatra, ‘Operation 777’ which will
educate and demonstrate the efficacy of drones for different agricultural uses across 777
districts in India.
• He has also distributed RPTO Certificates to 75 youth who successfully completed drone
training and 10 Garuda Aerospace drones to young entrepreneurs who have decided to
become drone service providers.
Note: The Indian drone market is expected to reach USD 5 billion in 2024.
38. The Government of India (GoI) has appointed N Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Sons, as
the chair of B20 India to lead the business agenda during India's G20 Presidency.
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has been appointed as the B20 India
Secretariat to lead the B20 India process.
• The Business 20 (B20), established in 2010, is the official G-20 dialogue forum with the
global business community.
• B20 India work will be conducted through Task Forces and Action Councils, which will
develop consensus-based policy recommendations to the G20.
• B20 India will commence work on various taskforces and action councils after the
inception meeting, scheduled on 22-24 January 2023, culminating into the B20 India
Summit in August 2023.

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39. Indian Naval Ships (INS) Kochi, Kavaratti and Sumedha have recently participated in the
maiden International Fleet Review (IFR) 2022 conducted by the Bangladesh Navy (BN)
between 6th to 9th December 2022 in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.
• IFR-22 has been conducted to commemorate Birth Centenary of Father of the Nation,
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and to celebrate Golden Jubilee of Independence
of Bangladesh.
• The Chief Guest for Fleet Review was the PM of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina.
INS Kochi, Kavaratti and Sumedha are the latest indigenously designed and developed guided
missile stealth Destroyer, anti-submarine Corvette and Off-shore Patrol Vessel respectively.
INS Kochi is a part of the Indian Navy’s Western Fleet based at Mumbai, while INS Kavaratti
and INS Sumedha form part of the Eastern Fleet based at Visakhapatnam.
40. The 7th edition of Exercise Sangam, a joint Naval Special Forces exercise between Indian
Navy MARCOs and US Navy SEALs, has been conducted in Goa.
• This edition has witnessed personnel from SEAL Team Five based at San Diego, USA and
Indian Navy MARCOs from INS Abhimanyu.
• It aims to exchange ideas and experiences on various aspects of Maritime Special
Operations.
• The personnel have been trained in Maritime Interdiction Operations, Direct Action
Missions, Combat Free Fall Jumps, Special Heliborne Operations and other skill drills.
Exercise Sangam was first conducted in 1994 and is an important military and diplomatic
initiative between the two nations, reflective of the trust and friendship between them.
41. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has extended the ‘Rooftop Solar
Programme’ till March 2026. This means, the consumers do not have to pay any additional
charge for solar installations, and the subsidy under the programme will be available until the
target under the program is achieved.
Rooftop Solar Programme:

• MNRE is implementing the Rooftop Solar Scheme (Phase II) to achieve a cumulative
capacity of 40,000 MW from Rooftop Solar Projects by the year 2022 (now extended to
2026).
• Under this, the Ministry is providing a 40% subsidy for the first 3 kW and 20% subsidy
beyond 3 kW and upto 10 kW of solar panel capacity.

• This scheme is being implemented in the state by distribution companies (DISCOMs).
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42. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in partnership with the Indian Council of Cultural
Relations (ICCR) and the Government of Goa, has organized the International Lusophone
Festival in Goa from 3-6 December 2022.
• The festival seeks to further India’s connect with the Lusophone world.
• The festival has been inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Goa, Pramod Sawant at
Durbar Hall in Raj Bhavan.
• Minister of State for External Affairs, Meenakshi Lekhi has been the Guest of Honour.
• The festival has been organized to highlight the connection between Goa and the
Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP).
Community of Portuguese Language Countries:
• The Community of Portuguese Language Countries (Comunidade dos Países de Língua

Portuguesa) also known as the Lusophone Commonwealth (Comunidade Lusofona), is a
multilateral forum, founded on 17 July 1996 at the 1st CPLP Heads of State & Government
Summit in Lisbon.
• Members: The founding members were Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Guinea Bissau,
Mozambique, Portugal and Sao Tome e Principe; while Timor Leste and Equatorial Guinea
joined later.
• India joined CPLP as an associate observer in July 2021.
• As part of India’s engagement with CPLP, the Ministry of External Affairs celebrated the
World Portuguese Language Day in Delhi on 5 May 2022, soon after joining CPLP.
43. The 39th edition of India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (IND-INDO CORPAT) between the
Indian Navy and the Indonesian Navy have been conducted from 08 to 19 December 2022.
The CORPAT has been executed along the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) from
15 to 16 December 2022 and has been concluded with a debrief at Port Blair, Andaman &
Nicobar Islands.
The exercise seeks to bolster the maritime cooperation between the two navies and forge
strong bonds of friendship between India and Indonesia.
Participants:
• Indian Navy’s side: Indian Naval Ship (INS) Karmuk (indigenously built Missile Corvette),
L-58 (indigenously built Landing Craft Utility vessel) and Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft.
• Indonesian Navy’s side: KRI Cut Nyak Dien (a Kapitan Pattimura Class Corvette).
The IND-INDO CORPAT has been carried out twice a year since 2002, with an aim of keeping
the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) safe and secure for commercial shipping, international trade,
and also to conduct legitimate maritime activities.

Note: The 38th edition of IND-INDO CORPAT took place between 13th to 24th June 2022 at Port
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Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
44. Indo-Israeli joint venture Kalyani Rafael Advanced Systems (KRAS) has rolled out in
Hyderabad the 100th kit of the made-in-India Medium Range Surface to Air Missile
(MRSAM) for delivery to the Indian Army and Air Force.
The MRSAM kit is a collaborative effort of KRAS and the Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO).
MRSAM mid-section kit:

• MRSAM, an advanced network-centric combat, is a high response, quick-reaction,
vertically launched Supersonic missile, designed to neutralise enemy aerial threats:
missiles, aircraft, guided bombs, and helicopters.
• The MRSAM missile has a 70 km range and can knock down multiple airborne targets
such as planes, drones, helicopters, and incoming missiles.
• The missile kit refers to the front end of the missile, which includes the seeker and critical
electronics.
45. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has successfully conducted a joint
hypersonic vehicle test with Headquarters, Integrated Defense Staff (HQ IDS).
• A hypersonic vehicle can be an airplane, missile, or spacecraft that has the ability to travel
at speeds greater than five times the speed of sound, or Mach 5.
• It is considered cutting edge technology and countries such as China, India, Russia and the
United States are trying to further enhance the capability of their hypersonic weapons.
• ISRO is developing hypersonic missiles in collaboration with Russia.
46. The Ministry of Power (MoP) has recently launched a scheme for procuring aggregate
power of 4500 megawatts on competitive basis or five years on Finance, Own and Operate
(FOO) basis under B (v) of SHAKTI Policy. The scheme aims to help states that are facing
power shortage and help generation plants to increase their capacities.
• PFC Consulting Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of PFC Ltd, has been designated as the
Nodal Agency by the Ministry of Power.
• Under the scheme, PFC Consulting Ltd has invited bids for the supply of 4,500 MW.
• Supply of electricity will commence from April 2023.
• Ministry of Coal has been requested to allocate around 27 MTPA for this.
SHAKTI stands for Scheme for Harnessing and Allocating Koyala Transparently in India.
It was launched in 2018 to provide coal to stressed power units which lack coal supply.\

47. Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal has inaugurated the 41st edition of
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India International Trade Fair (IITF) at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. The fair has been
organized from 14th to 27th November 2022.
• This year the theme of the trade fair is “Vocal For Local, Local to Global”.
• Twenty-nine States and Union Territories have participated in the event.
• Bihar, Jharkhand and Maharashtra have participates as Partner States while Uttar Pradesh
and Kerala have participated as Focus States in the fair.
• Leh Ladakh has participated for the first time this year.
• The 41st IITF has showcased exhibitors from 12 countries including Afghanistan,
Bangladesh, Bahrain, Belarus, Iran, Nepal, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, UK.
Health Pavilion:
NITI Aayog Member (Health) Dr V K Paul has inaugurated the Health Pavilion at the 41st IITF.
The theme of this year’s pavilion of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is ‘Heal in India,
Heal by India’.
The Health Pavilion has been awarded the “Outstanding Contribution Towards Public
Communication and Outreach”.
MSME Pavilion:
Union Minister for MSME Narayan Rane has inaugurated the “MSME PAVILION” at the 41st
IITF. A total of 205 MSMEs are show-casing their products in 26 sectors viz. Textiles, Food,
metallurgy, Fragrances, Footwear, Toys, Chemical, Electrical, Leather, Plastic, Rubber, Stone
Gem and Jewellery among others. This year, MSME Pavilion has the highest ever participation
of Women led enterprises (74%).
Afghanistan has been presented with the ‘Gold Medal’ in the foreign sector at the 41st IITF
in 2022.
Kerala has been awarded a Gold Medal for the best pavilion in the State and Union Territory
category.
Odisha pavilion has been awarded the prestigious “Special Appreciation Certificate for
Excellence in Display” in the category of “State Government and Union Territory”.
India International Trade Fair (IITF):

The India International Trade Fair (IITF), ever since its inception in 1980, has evolved as a
major event for the business community. It is a premier event organized by the India Trade
Promotion Organization (ITPO), the nodal trade promotion agency of the Government of
India.
48. The Government of India (GoI) has provided financial assistance of USD 100 million to the
Government of Maldives to ease the financial challenges. The financial assistance is being
extended without any conditions, and Maldives is free to use it in its economic recovery as it
deems fit.

49. The 12th edition of Exercise Agni Warrior, a bilateral exercise between the Singapore &
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Indian Army, has been held at Field Firing Ranges, Devlali in Maharashtra.
• Exercise Agni Warrior, involved showcasing joint firepower planning, execution and use of
New Generation Equipment by the Artillery arm of both armies.
• Exercise has also included participation by both sides in a joint computer war-game as
part of joint planning process.
• Both sides has utilised niche technology and Artillery Observation Simulators as part of
joint training phase.
• Indigenously manufactured Artillery guns and howitzers have also participated during the
final phase of the exercise.
50. The 8th Dr L M Singhvi Memorial Lecture has been hosted by the OP Jindal Global
University (JGU), on the theme ‘Universal Adult Franchise: Translating India’s Political
Transformation into a Social Transformation’.
• Vice President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar was the chief guest of the event.
• During the event, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dr Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said that "The
Constitution of India is a feminist document and a product of true Indian imagination”.
The Lecture commemorated the life and work of diplomat, jurist, lawyer, and Parliamentarian
L M Singhvi (1931-2007).
The Supreme Court of India has recently launched an online portal that will help citizens file
and access applications under the Right to Information (RTI) Act in matters related to the
court.
51. The Ministry of Culture has organized a letter-writing carnival “Daakroom” in collaboration
with Department of Posts at the Gandhi Darshan at Raj Ghat, New Delhi.
• The one-of-a-kind letter writing event, supported by India Post, Ministry of Culture and
Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti is aimed to give a digital detox with the aim of reviving
the art of letter writing in India.
• Creative activities around Philately, Calligraphy, Stationery design, Handwriting
improvement, Graphology, Origami have been organized on the occasion.
“Swar Dharohar Festival”

Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with Swar Dharohar Foundation, has recently
inaugurated a three-day “Swar Dharohar Festival” under Kalanjali. It is a Music, Art &
Literature Festival to showcase the iconic art and culture of India and, the rich literary Art &
Heritage of Indian States.

52. The researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras have developed and
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deployed a device called ‘Sindhuja I’ or ‘Ocean Wave Energy Converter’ that can generate
electricity using energy from sea waves.
• The device has been named ‘Sindhuja-I,’ which means ‘generated from the ocean’.
• The device is deployed at a location about 6 km off the coast of Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, at a
location with a depth of 20 metres.
• The device targets generating 1MW of power from ocean waves in the next three years.
For the test, IIT Madras partnered with a start-up Virya Paramita Energy (VPE) Pvt. Ltd., and
Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT) Allahabad.
Project Sindhuja-I:
The project received funding support through the ‘Innovative Research Project’ of IIT Madras,
TBI-KIET under the DST Nidhi-Prayas Scheme and the Australian Alumni Grant Scheme 2022
by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australian Government.
The electrical storage system is designed by the GKC Institute of Engineering and Technology
and MCKV Institute of Engineering, West Bengal.
Waterfront Engineering and Infrastructure Pvt Ltd assisted in deploying the system in the
Ocean.
53. Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has inaugurated the
National Conference on Soil Health Management for Sustainable Farming 2022 in New
Delhi.
• The conference has been organized by the NITI Aayog in collaboration with GIZ (Germany
Agency for International Cooperation) affiliated to the Federal Ministry for Economic
Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Germany.
• During the conclave, panel discussions have been held for sustainable soil management
by promoting natural farming.
• Panellists have highlighted various governance strategies from the globe involving a
vertical & horizontal integration of policies.
54. The Government of India (GoI) has exempted the Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO) from taking its approval for manufacturing, storage, use and transportation of solid
propellant for space rockets to promote ease of doing business.
Earlier, ISRO was required to take a license from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety
Organisations (PESO), an arm of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal
Trade (DPIIT).
A solid propellant is the main fuel used in a category of space rockets.
As per the notification:

• ISRO has to follow the guidelines of the Storage and Transportation of Explosives
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Committee (STEC) for the construction of buildings for the manufacture, storage,
transportation and use of explosives.
• They also have to carry out a biennial safety audit of the solid propellant manufacturing
facilities with the participation of a member from the Centre for Fire, Explosive and
Environment Safety (CFEES), which is under the Ministry of Defence.
55. The Director-General of Indian Coast Guard (ICG), VS Pathania, has commissioned 840
Squadron (840 Sqn (CG)), an ICG Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Mk-III squadron, at ICG
Air Station, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Note: A total of 16 ALH Mk-III aircraft, indigenously manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics

Limited (HAL), have been inducted into the Indian Coast Guard in a phased manner and four
of these aircraft are positioned in Chennai.
56. The President of India Draupadi Murmu has approved the Maharashtra Housing and Area
Development Act Amendment Bill. This amendment will pave the way for the
redevelopment of dangerous or dilapidated Maharashtra Housing and Area Development
Authority (MHADA) owned residential buildings, or Cess buildings.
Presently, there are 56 cess buildings in Mumbai city, where redevelopment has been stalled
or is incomplete.
In 2020, the Maharashtra government had passed the bill amending the Maharashtra
Housing and Area Development Authority Act 1976, and it had been awaiting the final nod
from the President.
57. The Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has handed over Authority
Holding Sealed Particulars (AHSP) of Akash Weapon System (Indian Army Version) to Missile
Systems Quality Assurance Agency (MSQAA) in Hyderabad, Telangana.
• Akash is the first state-of-the-art indigenous surface-to-air missile system which has been
with Armed Forces for nearly a decade.
• It is inducted by Indian Army and Indian Air Force with order value worth Rs.30,000 crore.
STATES AFFAIRS
58. The Government of Odisha has launched te 24 Hour 'Drink from Tap' facility in 19 cities and
towns of Odisha, which will benefit over 5.5 lakh people. Under the project, drinking water
will be supplied round the clock through taps installed in households.
59. The Women and Child Development Department of Maharashtra has launched ‘Balsnehi’
(child-friendly) buses and vans under an initiative aimed at rehabilitation of street-children. A
fund of Rs 50 lakh has been approved for it.

• Under the project, flying squads consisting of a teacher and a counsellor along with a
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driver and assistant will roam around a district in the dedicated vehicle to bring these
children into the mainstream and ensure their education under government schemes and
initiatives.
• The project will have a tenure of six months and will be implemented in six districts:
Mumbai city, Mumbai suburbs, Thane, Nashik, Pune and Nagpur by district women and
child development officers in collaboration with NGOs working in this sector.
60. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has successfully conducted a trial run of the 4.1 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. The landing facility has
been constructed at Picchikalagudipadu village of Prakasam district on the National Highway-
16.
61. The Atal Incubation Centre – Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (AIC-BARC) has been
launched at BARC, the premier multidisciplinary R&D establishment of the Department of
Atomic Energy (DAE) in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• AIC-BARC has been setup as one of the three Aatma Nirbhar projects of DAE and is in
consonance with the 2020 Budget Speech of the Union Finance Minister.
• AIC-BARC will complement the Aatma Nirbhar Bharat initiative of the government, and it
aims to promote start-ups and other emerging entrepreneurs, thereby also opening up
newer employment avenues.
AIC-BARC has also signed agreements with MSME industries for the incubation of prominent
DAE technologies for societal and industrial applications.
Atal Incubation Centre (AIC):

Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) of NITI Aayog has been establishing world-class incubators
called Atal Incubation Centres (AICs) at universities, institutions, and corporates among
others to create an ever-evolving ecosystem of start-ups and entrepreneurs. These centres
aim to foster and support world-class innovation and dynamic entrepreneurs who want to
build scalable and sustainable enterprises.
62. Ladakh has celebrated the Losar Festival to mark the Ladakhi New Year, a major socio-
religious festival of Ladakh celebrated in winter. It is a 15-day long festival that falls during the
winter solstice, any time between 8th and 30th December.
• The term ‘Losar’ means New Year in the Tibetan language. ‘Lo’ means year and ‘Sar’ means
new.
• The festival is observed by all Ladakhi Buddhists by making offerings to the Gods and
Goddesses, both in the Gonpas and in their domestic shrines.
• The festival also marks the beginning of the new Tibetan year.

63. Chennai-based Garuda Aerospace has become the first drone startup in India to receive
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'Type Certification' and 'Remote Pilot Training Organisation' (RTPO) approval by the
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for its indigenously designed ‘Kisan Drones’.
• The DGCA Type Certification is provided on the basis of quality checks of the drones and is
issued after a rigorous testing process.
• Remote Pilot Training Organization is a DGCA-recognized organization which gives
Remote Pilot Certificates under Rule-34 of Drone Rules-2021.
Note: In India, the government introduced type certification in August 2021 under the Drone
Rules.
‘Kisan’ drones:
• The Made in India 'Kisan' drones are specially developed for agricultural purposes such as
reducing crop losses, crop health monitoring, yield measurement etc. with latest
manufacturing capabilities.
• These drones are used for uniform spraying of pesticides, monitoring of crops, gathering
of data related to land and collection of data etc.
• The 'Kisan' drone, priced at Rs.4.50 lakh, is India's most affordable advanced automated
agriculture drone that falls under the sub 25 kg category.
64. The 10th edition of the North East Festival has been held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
in New Delhi. The festival aims to promote the North East region’s diverse life, culture,
traditions, and tourism.
• Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Minister Narayan Rane has inaugurated the 4-day
festival at the stadium in Delhi.
• The festival provides an opportunity for entrepreneurs from North East regions especially
women and Scheduled Caste & Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) entrepreneurs to showcase their
skills, and products, and create new growth opportunities.
North East Festival was first started in 2013. The first 7 editions of the festival were held in
New Delhi. The last 2 editions were held in Guwahati, Assam, virtually.
65. The Directorate of Tourism Jammu, in collaboration with District Administration Rajouri, has
organized the ‘Nowshera Folk Festival’ in the lawns of Boys Higher Secondary School in
Nowshera, Jammu & Kashmir. The aim is to promote tourism.
• The event started with a performance by Dogri performers followed by a scintillating Gojri
and Pahari dance.
• The star performances in the show included brilliant singing performances by Shoaib
Kandoo, Shivam Shiva and Sandeep Brar.
66. The State Government of Tamil Nadu has approved the implementation of India’s first ‘The
Nilgiri Tahr Project’ with an outlay of Rs.25.14 crore for a period of 5 years i.e. 2022 to 2027
to conserve Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius), which is a state animal of Tamil Nadu.

• The project is dedicated to its conservation, expansion of its habitat and to spread
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awareness among the public.
• It will be implemented with an initial allocation of Rs.10 crore.
• Under this, there will be the restoration of its historic and fragmented habitat especially
Shola grasslands in Upper Bhavani as pilot to reintroduce the Tahr population, and will
ensure proper rehabilitation facilities.
Nilgiri Tahr:
• It is the only mountain ungulate in southern India amongst the 12 species present in
India.
• It is locally known as ‘Varaiaadu’.
• This is the endemic species of the Western Ghats.
• It is listed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and is protected
under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of India, 1972.
• The Eravikulam National Park in Anamalai hills, Kerala, is home to the largest
population of the Nilgiri tahr.
67. The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has approved the formation of an Advisory
Group for streamlining the development of the Bamboo sector.
• The Advisory group encompasses the representation of various stakeholders viz.,

academicians, researchers, innovators, progressive entrepreneurs, designers, farmer
leaders, marketing specialists, and policy makers.
• The Union Agriculture Secretary will be the Chairperson and Mission Director of the
National Bamboo Mission will be the Convener of the Committee.
• The committee is mandated to advise on the bamboo plantation, technologies for value
addition to bamboo, skill development in bamboo based processing and market linkages.
68. The Indian Army has inaugurated its first 3D Printed House Dwelling Unit for soldiers at
Ahmedabad Cantonment in Gujarat. 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.
• The disaster-resilient structures comply with zone-3 earthquake specifications and green
building norms.
• The 3-D printed houses are symbolic of the modern-day rapid construction efforts to
cater for growing accommodation requirements of the armed forces personnel.
69. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has inaugurated India's
second-largest cable-stayed Zuari Bridge in Goa.
• Zuari Bridge is an important link between North and South Goa.

• The bridge is located on NH-17/NH-66 on the Panjim (Goa)-Mangaluru (Karnataka) section
in the state of Goa.

• The 13.20 km and the 8-lane bridge connecting Bambolim and Verna over the Zuari River
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will greatly improve transportation between North and South Goa.
70. Minister for Local Self-Governments M.B. Rajesh has inaugurated Kerala’s first smart
mobile composting unit, which has been jointly launched by Suchitwa Mission and the
Kerala Mission in Pallithottam, Kerala. This unit scientifically treats waste from auditoriums
and large catering centres and turns it into manure.
71. The Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma has inaugurated the Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA)-assisted ‘Guwahati Water Supply Project’ to provide affordable
and continuous (24×7) water supply to the Guwahati Metropolitan Area.
72. Pushkar Singh Dhami, Chief Minister (CM) of Uttarakhand, has launched the 'Climate
Resilient Livelihoods for Disaster Prone Region of Uttarakhand' project helping Chamoli’s
(Uttarakhand) villages fight climate change.
• The project is designed by the collaboration of the SBI Foundation, the Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) arm of the State Bank of India (SBI), and Himalayan Environmental
Studies and Conservation (HESCO).
• SBI General Insurance Company Limited is providing financial support for the project,
which will be carried out over 3 years until May 2025.
73. The 6th edition of Indo - Kazakhstan joint training exercise “KAZIND-22” has been held in
Umroi, Meghalaya from 15 to 28 December 2022.
• Kazakhstan Army soldiers comprising of troops from the Regional Command, South and
Indian Army soldiers from the 11 Gorkha Rifles have partcipated in the exercise.
• The aim of the exercise is to build positive military relations, imbibe each other’s best
practices and promote the ability to operate together while undertaking counter terrorist
operations in semi urban / jungle scenario, under a UN peace enforcement mandate.
• The scope of this exercise involves a Command Post Exercise (CPX) at the Battalion level
and Company level Field Training Exercise (FTX) on sub-conventional operations.
Joint annual training exercise with the Kazakhstan Army was instituted in 2016 as Exercise
Prabal Dostyk, which was later upgraded to a company level exercise and renamed as Ex
Kazind in 2018.
74. The 5th edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2022 will be held in Kochi, Kerala from 23rd
December 2022. It will display the works of over 90 artists from across the world in various
media. It is curated by Singapore-based Indian-origin artist Shubigi Rao. The central theme
for this event is “In Our Views Flow Ink and Fire”.
Kochi-Muziris Biennale:

It is an international exhibition of contemporary art. It was founded in 2011 by Kerala-
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born, Mumbai-based artists Bose Krishnamachari and Riyas Komu. It aims to create a new
language of cosmopolitanism and modernity originating from the historic and living
experience of the Kochi port, which has been a crucible of various communal identities.
The inaugural edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale was held in 2012.
75. The Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma has launched the second version of
'Orunodoi', the flagship scheme of the state government aimed at providing financial
security to financially disadvantaged families. The total financial outlay of this scheme is
Rs.4142 crore.
'Orunodoi' is a poverty alleviation scheme that was launched on 1st December 2020, which
entails a monthly grant of Rs.1250 to each beneficiary.
76. The 8th edition of India International Science Festival (IISF)-2022 will be held from 21-
24th January 2023 at Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT), Bhopal in
Madhya Pradesh.
• The IISF 2022 will witness "Vigyanika", the Science Literature Festival where several
programs related to the various genre will be organized.
• The two-day Student’s Innovation Festival (SIF22) will also be organized.
• The International Science Film Festival of India (ISFFI) will be another highlight of the
festival and will promote recognizing the efforts of filmmakers and motivate them to
develop scientific and innovative content.
India International Science Festival (IISF) is an initiative of Ministry of Science and Technology
and Ministry of Earth Science of Government of India in association with Vijnana Bharati
which is a science movement with swadeshi spirit lead by eminent scientists of the country.
The main purpose of IISF is the celebration of science by all.
77. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K.Stalin has inaugurated the statue of ‘Mahakavi
Subramanian Bharathiyar’ at the renovated house of Bharathiyar at Varanasi, Uttar
Pradesh. He has also released a souvenir on his centenary.
The year 2022 marks the 141st birth anniversary of Bharathiyar.

Bharathiyar was a Tamil writer, poet, journalist, Indian independence activist, social reformer,
and polyglot.
78. The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M.K. Stalin has launched the Tamil Nadu Climate Change
Mission at the ‘TN Climate Summit 2022’ to protect the natural resources and restore them
on a long-term basis.
• With this, Tamil Nadu has become the first state to launch its own Climate Change
Mission.
• The mission will be implemented at the district level and it will be coordinated and
implemented by climate officers appointed at the district level.

• Through this initiative, Tamil Nadu will achieve carbon neutrality much ahead of the
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national target of 2070.
• The state government has also established India’s first ‘Tamil Nadu Green Climate
Company’, a special purpose vehicle to implement three major nature conservation
projects namely Green Tamil Nadu Mission, Tamil Nadu Wetlands and Tamil Nadu Climate
Change.
• The state government has also introduced a single window system to provide clearances
to green projects during the Tamil Nadu Climate Change Mission to attain a 1 trillion
economy by 2030.
During the climate summit, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed
between the World Resources Institute, Anna University and the National Centre for
Sustainable Coastal Management to help the government establish 10 smart villages, 25
green schools and achieve blue flag beaches.
79. Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, Minister of School Education, Government of Tamil Nadu has
launched the ‘Friends of Library’ scheme, wherein books will be personally provided to
those who are unable to visit state-run libraries.
• In its first phase, the scheme will cover 2,500 libraries including 31 district libraries.
• This scheme will benefit differently abled persons, senior citizens, children and hospital in-
patients among others who cannot come to a library.
The state government has also inaugurated the “Sanitation Workers Development
Scheme” to protect the welfare of conservancy workers in the state. Tamil Nadu is the 2nd
state after Odisha to implement such a scheme.
80. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone, and inaugurated and
dedicated to the nation multiple projects worth over Rs. 2450 crores in Shillong,
Meghalaya. He has also attended the meeting of the North Eastern Council at the State
Convention Centre in Shillong and participated in its golden jubilee celebrations.
Key projects:
• Prime Minister has dedicated to the nation 4G mobile towers, of which more than 320
have been completed and around 890 are under construction.
• He has inaugurated the New Campus of IIM Shillong at Umsawli.
• He has also inaugurated Shillong – Diengpasoh Road, which will provide better
connectivity to new Shillong satellite township and decongest Shillong.
• He has also inaugurated four other road projects across three states viz. Meghalaya,
Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.
• He has inaugurated the Spawn Laboratory at Mushroom Development Center in
Meghalaya to enhance mushroom spawn production and also provide skill training for
farmers and entrepreneurs.

• He has also inaugurated the Integrated Beekeeping Development Centre in Meghalaya
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to improve the livelihood of beekeeping farmers through capacity building and technology
upgradation.
• He has inaugurated 21 Hindi libraries in Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura and Assam.
• He has also laid the foundation stone of the Integrated Hospitality and Convention Centre
at Tura and Shillong Technology Park Phase -II.
81. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also laid the foundation stone, inaugurated and
dedicated to the nation various key initiatives worth over Rs. 4350 crores in Agartala,
Tripura.
Key projects:
• Prime Minister has launched the Grih Pravesh programme for beneficiaries under
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Rural. These
houses, developed at a cost of over Rs 3400 crores, will cover over 2 lakh beneficiaries.
• He has inaugurated the project for widening the Agartala bypass (Khayerpur – Amtali)
NH-08, which will help ease traffic congestion in Agartala city.
• He has laid the foundation stones for 32 roads of more than 230 km in length under
PMGSY III (Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana) and for the improvement of 112 roads
covering a distance of over 540 Km.
• He has also inaugurated the State Institute of Hotel Management at Anandnagar and
Agartala Government Dental College.
82. India's 1st, and World's 2nd Infantry Research Centre & Museum has been inaugurated in
the Mhow cantonment in Indore district, Madhya Pradesh (MP) during the eve of 75 years
of raising of the Infantry School and to commemorate the Vijay Diwas.
• The world-class museum has been set up under the aegis of The Infantry School, Mhow.
• The museum aims to showcase the Infantry with the theme line infantry: The Ultimate.
• The museum will showcase Infantry Corps’ history from 1747 to 2020, in which the
sacrifice of valour and valiant soldiers have been preserved in statues, murals and photo
galleries.
• The museum, housed in a three-storey building spread on two acres of land, is developed
in three phases.
• The Kargil war room, built on the second floor, will depict the stories of heroes through
photographs and the Fateh Gallery. The room depicts the history of 27 regiments of the
Army across the country.
• The history of battles of Plassey, Saragarhi, Buxar and Indo-Pak wars of 1965 and 1971
along with the history of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Subhash Chandra Bose etc. have
been preserved.
83. As per the 77th round of the Situation Assessment Survey (SAS) of Agricultural Households in
the rural areas of India, Meghalaya has topped the list of average monthly income per
agricultural household.

• Meghalaya has topped the list with a monthly agriculture household income of Rs.29, 348,
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followed by Punjab (Rs 26,701), and Haryana (Rs 22,841).
• Haryana is followed by 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).
The 77th round of the survey has been conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO)
under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) from January 2019
to December 2019 with reference to the agricultural year July 2018-June 2019.
84. Union Steel Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has launched India’s first Green Steel Brand
“KALYANI FeRRESTA” in New Delhi. This first-of-its-kind steel has been manufactured by a
Pune-based Steel company, Kalyani group by using renewable energy resources, leaving zero
carbon footprints in the environment.
Green Steel:
It is the manufacturing of steel without the use of fossil fuels. This can be done by using low-
carbon energy sources such as hydrogen, coal gasification, or electricity instead of the
traditional carbon-intensive manufacturing route of coal-fired plants. It eventually lowers
greenhouse gas emissions, cuts costs and improves the quality of steel.
Note: The steel industry produces 7 percent of CO2 emissions internationally, while the
Indian steel industry accounts for 12 percent of such emissions.
85. Ministry of Culture, Government of India, in collaboration with “Swar Dharohar

Foundation,” has inaugurated the three-day “Swar Dharohar Festival”, a Music, Art &
Literature Festival, under Kalanjali to showcase the iconic art and culture of India and, the
rich literary Art & Heritage of Indian States, at Central Vista, New Delhi, Delhi.
The festival has been inaugurated Chief Guest Mehtab Ali (Sitar Player) and Pt. Lalit Prasad
(Classical Vocal).
86. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has inaugurated a Football Stadium at the PA
Sangma Sports Complex at Dakopgre in Tura, Meghalaya. The stadium is India’s largest
pre-engineered composite football stadium with a sizable seating capacity of 9500.
• The stadium was originally constructed in 2006 by the Late P.A. Sangma and the Stadium
was named after him.
• The up gradation of this stadium was funded by the Ministry of Minority Affairs and the
Meghalaya Government.
87. Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) has received the certificate of accreditation from
the Airports Council International (ACI). The accreditation is for level-2 of the airport
customer experience accreditation programme. It is valid for one year.

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88. The Uttarakhand government has named Prasoon Joshi, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
of McCann Worldgroup India, the state’s brand ambassador.
Prasoon Joshi is a native of Uttarakhand and is currently the Chairman of the Central Board
of Film Certification (Censor Board). He has written the lyrics for songs in popular Bollywood
movies such as Rang De Basanti, Fanaa and Taare Zameen Par. He has also written the script
for the award-winning 2013 film, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. He was awarded Padma Shri in in
2015.
89. The Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS), a unit of the Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) will develop "Spatial Data Infrastructure geoportal 'Geo-Ladakh' for
Union Territory of Ladakh.
The portal will provide geospatial data visualization and analytics for UT-Ladakh, consisting of
Spatial viewer, Carbon Neutrality, Geospatial utility mapping and Geo-Tourism.
90. The Assam Cabinet led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has approved a bill to
establish a Safai Karamchari Commission for the first time in the state’s history, at a
meeting held at the historic Gandhi Mandap in Guwahati, Assam. It has also approved
decisions directly involving providing maternity benefits, monitoring drug prices, protecting
the rights of Safai Karmacharis, and filling open positions in the Forest Department.
Other initiatives launched/approved:
• The Assam Cabinet has also renamed the Dergaon Police Academy as Lachit Barphukan
Police Academy.
• The Nalbari Science Centre and Planetarium, Assam’s first 3D and fourth planetarium,
has been inaugurated.
• 'Bikashar Babe Eta Poshek', a development initiative, has been launched to take the
development journey of the state in an organized manner.
91. The 7th edition of the Global Technology Summit (GTS), a 3-day summit, has been held in
New Delhi, Delhi. It is India’s flagship annual event on geotechnology that brings together
industry experts, policymakers, scientists and other key stakeholders from across the world
to discuss technology and changing geopolitics.
• It has been co-hosted by the Ministry of External Affairs and Carnegie India.
• The theme for the 2022 edition of GTS is “Geopolitics of Technology”.
• Ministers and senior government officials from the US, the EU, Singapore, Japan, Nigeria,
Brazil, Bhutan, and other countries have participated in this event.
92. The Government of Kerala, in collaboration with World Bank, has hosted the India
Climate and Development Partners' Meet 2022 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala to provide

a platform for dialogue and enhancing cross-learning between and among national and sub-
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national government agencies and relevant stakeholders.
• During the event, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has announced that Kerala aspires
to become a 100% renewable energy-based State by 2040 and net carbon neutral by
2050.
• He has also released the Kerala State Action Plan on Climate Change 2023-2030 (Kerala
SAPCC 2.0).
• A new report titled “Climate Investment Opportunities in India’s Cooling Sector” has also been
released by the World Bank in partnership with the state government of Kerala.
• Kerala has also signed an agreement with the AFD – French Development Agency
(Agence Française de Développement) that offers a performance-based loan of EUR 100
million (Rs.866 crore) to the state.
93. The team, comprising of birdwatchers from Bengaluru, Chennai, and Thiruvananthapuram,
and two guides from Arunachal Pradesh, have discovered a new bird species of wren babbler
dubbed Lisu Wren Babbler in March 2022 at Mugaphi Peak in Changlang, Arunachal
Pradesh.
• The new species is named after the Lisu community of Arunachal Pradesh.
• The new species found in Mugaphi had a whitish belly.
• The new species also have a sweet song similar to the songs of the Naga wren babbler
unlike the trilling song of the grey-bellied wren babbler.
Lisu community:
Lisu tribe live in the most eastern corner of the country in Shidi Valley and Nibodi village of
Arunachal Pradesh, surrounded by Namdapha National Park. Earlier, the tribe used to live in
neighbouring countries such as Myanmar and China. Lisu people in India are called "Yobin".
94. Meghalaya has received an award for 'Best Practice in Advocacy, Communication, and
Social Mobilisation in Tuberculosis control' at the National Workshop on ACSM to end TB
in India, held in New Delhi.
• The award has been given to recognize the effort by the Meghalaya Government for
initiating ‘Jan Andolan’ (people’s movement) or ‘TB Mukt Bharat campaign’ against
Tuberculosis.
• The state registered 4,189 TB cases in 2021 while in the first quarter of 2022, around 1,075
patients have been enrolled for treatment.
Note: TB affects 2.6 million people in India every year.
95. Bhupendra Patel has become the Chief Minister of Gujarat for the second consecutive
term. He has administered oath as 18th Chief Minister of the state by Governor Acharya

Devvrat at the ceremony held at the Helipad Ground inside the new secretariat complex in
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Gandhinagar.
• Bhupendra Patel has won the assembly election from Ghatlodia constituency of
Ahmedabad city by a margin of 1.92 lakh votes. He has been elected as the leader of BJP
legislature party by the elected MLAs.
• The BJP party recorded a historic lead and seventh consecutive victory in the recently
concluded elections of the Gujarat Assembly, by winning 156 of the total 182 seats.
96. Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, a four-time MLA of Nadaun assembly constituency and chairman
of the Congress' state election campaign committee, has been appointed as the new chief
minister of Himachal Pradesh. He has administered oath as 15th Chief Minister of the state
by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at a ceremony held in Shimla. He has replaced Jai
Ram Thakur.
Mukesh Agnihotri has been appointed as the Deputy Chief Minister of the state.
In the recently held elections, Congress party has won 40 of the 68 assembly seats.
97. Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has organized a two-day National Health
Ministers' conclave on Universal Health Coverage to commemorate the “Universal
Coverage Day (UHC)” (12th December) at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
• Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel has inaugurated the conclave in the presence
of Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya. Chief Minister
Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath.
• During the event, Jammu & Kashmir has been awarded the 1st prize under the
Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) ID generation category and 2nd prize under the
Teleconsultation category.
• During the event at Varanasi, the 1st Regional Community Health Officers (CHO)
Conference for Northern India has been held as a side event.
• Concerned government officials from the medical field from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar,
Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand have participated in the regional
conference.
Universal Health Coverage (UHC) aims that ‘all people have access to needed promotive,
preventive, curative and rehabilitative health services, of sufficient quality to be effective,
while also ensuring that people do not suffer financial hardship when paying for these
services’.
12th December, was officially designated as “International Universal Health Coverage Day” by
the United Nations in the Year 2017. The theme of UHC day 2022 is “Build the World We Want:
A Healthy Future for All”.

98. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has declared a seed farm, located in Aluva at Kochi, as
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the first carbon neutral farm in the country. A significant reduction in carbon emission has
helped the seed farm, achieve the carbon neutral status.
The total amount of carbon emission from the farm, located at Thuruthu in Aluva, in the last
one year was 43 tons but its overall procurement was 213 ton.
99. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation
various projects worth more than Rs.75,000 crores in Maharashtra.
Key projects:
Samruddhi Mahamarg
PM Narendra Modi has inaugurated Phase – I of Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb
Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg, covering a distance of 520 kilometres and
connecting Nagpur and Shirdi.
• It is also known as the Nagpur-Mumbai Super Communication Expressway project.
• Its outlay is about Rs.55,000 crore.
• It is a 701 km expressway which is one of India’s longest expressways, passing through
Maharashtra’s 10 districts and prominent urban regions of Amravati, Aurangabad and
Nashik.
• It will connect to the Delhi Mumbai Expressway, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust and tourist
locations like Ajanta Ellora Caves, Shirdi, Verul, Lonar, etc.
AIIMS Nagpur:
PM has dedicated to the nation AIIMS Nagpur, being developed at a cost of more than Rs
1575 crore. It is a hospital with state-of-the-art facilities, with OPD, IPD, diagnostic services,
Operation theatres and 38 departments covering all major speciality and super speciality
subjects of Medical Science.
National Institute of One Health, Nagpur:

PM has laid the foundation stone of the National Institute of One Health (NIO), Nagpur. It will
be established at a cost of more than Rs 110 crore to improve the research and capacity
building in ‘One Health’ approach across the country.
Rail projects:
• PM has flagged off Vande Bharat Express Train from Nagpur to Bilaspur.
• He has dedicated ‘Nagpur Metro Phase I’, developed at a cost of more than Rs 8650
crore, to the nation.
• He has also flagged off two metro trains from Khapri to Automotive Square (Orange Line)
and from Prajapati Nagar to Lokmanya Nagar (Aqua line) at Khapri Metro Station.
• He has also laid the foundation stone of Nagpur Metro Phase- II, which will be developed
at a cost of more than Rs 6700 crore.

• He has laid the foundation stone for the redevelopment of Nagpur Railway Station and
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Ajni Railway Station, to be redeveloped at a cost of about Rs.590 crore and Rs.360 crore
respectively.
Other projects:
PM Narendra Modi has dedicated the Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering &
Technology (CIPET), Chandrapur to the Nation. The institute aims to develop skilled human
resources to meet the requirements of the polymer & allied industries.
He has laid the foundation stone of the project for pollution abatement of river Nag at
Nagpur. The project, under National River Conservation Plan (NRCP), will be operationalized
at a cost of more than Rs.1925 crore.
100. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the first phase of the Greenfield
International Airport in Mopa, Goa, which has been named after former Chief Minister
Manohar Parrikar.
This is Goa’s second international airport, besides the existing airport at Dabolim, Goa.
• The Manohar International Airport, situated near Mopa village in North Goa, has been
built at a cost of Rs.2,870 crore.
• The new airport, which is about 35 km from capital city Panaji, can handle 44 lakh
passengers annually.
• The new airport is capable of handling large aircraft such as the Airbus A380.
• It has rapid exit taxiways and six cross taxiways for quicker aircraft movement.
• It has been built with the theme of sustainable infrastructure.
101. The 9th edition of World Ayurveda Congress (WAC) & Arogya Expo 2022 have been held
in Panaji, Goa to strengthen the Ayurveda sector, envision its future, and facilitate
interaction between professionals and consumers to boost Ayurveda commerce.
The theme of the 9th edition of WAC is "Ayurveda for One Health".
During the event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated three institutes developed
at a total cost of about Rs 970 crores:
• All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), Goa
• National Institute of Unani Medicine (NIUM), Ghaziabad
• National Institute of Homoeopathy (NIH), Delhi
These institutes will strengthen research and international collaborations and will also
facilitate affordable Ayush services for people. These institutes will increase the intake of
students by around 400 along with the addition of about 500 hospital beds.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between All India Institute of
Ayurveda (AIIA) and Rosenberg’s European Academy of Ayurveda, Germany to facilitate
advanced studies in traditional Indian medicine systems.

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102. 'Gamocha', a symbol of the culture and identity of Assam, has received the Geographical
Indication (GI) tag from the central government, five years after the first application was
made.
A GI is tagged to primarily agricultural, natural or manufactured products, handicrafts and

industrial goods originating from a definite geographical territory.
Gamocha:
• A 'gamocha' literally means a towel and is commonly used in Assamese households for
day-to-day affairs.
• It is a handwoven rectangular cotton piece of cloth with red borders and different designs
and motifs.
• It is traditionally offered to elders and guests as a mark of respect and honour by
Assamese people.
• A 'gamocha' meant for exchange during 'Bihu' festival is known as 'Bihuwan'.
103. The Cabinet of Meghalaya has recently approved the Mental Health and Social Care
policy. With this, Meghalaya has become the first state in the Northeast and the third state
in India to have such a policy.
• This policy aims to promote overall mental health and well-being and facilitate
appropriate access and care pathways.This policy will ensure proper attention to mental
health, especially for children, adolescents, and youths.
104. Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath has launched the ‘One District One Sport’
(ODOS) scheme to promote indigenous sports in the state. The scheme aims to revive the
indigenous sports that are losing their presence in the field. Under ODOS, one sport will be
identified in each of the 75 districts of UP.
105. Bandipora district of Jammu & Kashmir has hosted the first-ever Tribal Winter Festival
of Kashmir Valley. It has been organized by the District administration in collaboration with
various departments at Ketson village in the Aloosa area of North Kashmir’s Bandipora
district.
• The festival aims to educate people about homestays, horseback riding, hotel
management, etc.
• During the festival, people from the Kashmiri community, Gujjars and Bakerwals have
danced together to the beats of dhol (drum) in a unique portrayal of cultural unity in
diversity.
• The ‘gatka’ has been performed by two tribal communities portraying the fighting spirit of
the Gujjars amid all geographic, social and political odds.

106. The 23rd edition of the Hornbill Festival, the biggest and most important festival in
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Northeast India, has been observed from 1st to 10th December 2022 at the Naga Heritage
Village of Kisama located at a distance of 12 km from Kohima in Nagaland.
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has graced the inaugural function of the festival as the
Chief Guest.
Hornbill Festival:
It is the main celebration of the Naga Warrior Tribes and is generally observed for 10 days.
The festival derives its name from the bird named Hornbill. It is called the ‘Festival of
Festivals’. It is organized by the Government of Nagaland, mainly to encourage inter-tribal
interaction and to promote the cultural heritage of Nagaland. The festival was first observed
in 2000.
Hornbill Bird:
Hornbill is an Indian bird also known as the concave-casqued hornbill. It is one of the larger
members of the hornbill family and is found in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
107. President of India Droupadi Murmu has inaugurated the International Gita Mahotsava
(IGM)-2022 on the banks of Brahma Sarovar in Kurukshetra in Haryana. It has been held
from 19th November to 6th December 2022. This year Uttarakhand has been selected as a
partner state for enhancing the dimensions and popularity of the festival.
• During the festival, President has inaugurated the Gita Shilp Udyan, built in Purushottam
Bagh, dedicated to the ongoing celebrations of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
• She has also launched 'Nirogi Haryana', a health checkup scheme, and an e-ticketing
system of public road transport facilities.
108. Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has recently launched 'Digi Yatra', a
paperless airport entry facility, from the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi
for three airports in India, namely New Delhi, Varanasi, and Bengaluru.
By March 2023, four more airports will be added: Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, and Vijayawada.
Currently, the service is only available to domestic flight passengers.
Digi Yatra:
The Digi Yatra project is conceived by Digi Yatra Foundation under the Ministry of Civil
Aviation. It is built on 4 pillars: Connected Passengers, Connected Flights, Connected
Airports, and Connected Systems. The project envisions any traveller passing through
multiple airport checkpoints using paperless and contactless processing, establishing their
identity with facial features and linking it to their boarding card.

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109. Tamil Nadu police has presented a 5-member team with non-transferrable digital assets in
the form of non-fungable tokens (NFTs) minted with paintings of images of the idols seized
during a raid conducted by the Tamil Nadu Idol Wing content identifier (CID).
With this, Tamil Nadu police has become the first police force in the world to mint and
award Soulbound Tokens (SBTs) to both officers and the public as a form of motivation, and
second in the world to issue NFTs.
110. The Government of India (GoI) has named 21 uninhabited islands in the union territory of
Andaman & Nicobar after recipients of Param Vir Chakra, India’s highest wartime gallantry
award with the support of Andaman administration and the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
• Out of the 21 islands, 16 are located in North and Middle Andaman district, while five
islands are in South Andaman.
• The first uninhabited island numbered ‘INAN370’ in North and Middle Andaman has been
named after Major Somnath Sharma as ‘Somnath Dweep’.
• Another uninhabited island numbered ‘INAN380’ has been named after Subedar and
Honorary Captain Karam Singh as ‘Karam Singh Dweep’.
111. Parakram Diwas has recently been observed at Jaisalmer Military Station and Longewala
War Memorial in Rajasthan to mark the 51st anniversary of India's victory in the Longewala
battle during the 1971 war.
Battle of Longewala:
It was one of the major decisive battles fought on the Western sector during the India -
Pakistan War of 1971. The battle was fought between 120 Indian soldiers accompanied by
four Hunter fighter aircraft and 2,000–3,000 Pakistani soldiers accompanied by 30–40 tanks.
The Thar Desert of Rajasthan became a battleground between the Indian Armed Forces and
the Pakistani Army in this battle. This battle caused heavy losses to the Pakistani army, where
around 200 soldiers were killed. The battle was broke out on 3 December and was fought
between 4 and 7 December 1971.
112. President of India Droupadi Murmu has launched the “Open Loop Ticketing System” for
the Haryana State Transport Corporation on the occasion of Gita Mahotsav 2022 in
Kurukshetra, Haryana.
With this, Haryana has become the first state to introduce the open-loop ticketing system
for roadways buses.
Open Loop Ticketing System:

The open-loop ticketing system aims to help commuters to do away with buying physical
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tickets for roadways buses.
The entire system includes the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) issued by AU Small
Finance Bank, Electronic Tickets Issuing Machines (ETIMs), a GPS System, and Online
Reservation System for advance booking of tickets.
Initially, the system has been launched for bus routes originating from 6 districts: Faridabad,
Chandigarh, Karnal, Sonipat, Bhiwani, and Sirsa.
113. Maharashtra has become the first state to have an independent department for the
welfare of Divyang (differently-abled persons). It will be called Divyang Welfare
Department. The state government has allocated Rs.1,143 crore for setting up the
department.
Until now, the welfare activities of Divyang people like education, training, and rehabilitation
were so far taken care of by the state social justice department.
114. The city of Mumbai will host India's premier show on Technical Textiles- ‘Technotex 2023’
from 22nd to 24th February 2023.
• The event will be organized by the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India in

collaboration with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce Industry (FICCI), under
National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM).
• This is the largest event of technical textile industry in India.
• It is focused on providing its attendees access and networking opportunities to meet top
CEOs, manufacturers, industry peers, purchase managers and suppliers from India and
around the globe.
115. Principal Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department, Dheeraj Gupta has
unveiled Jammu & Kashmir’s 1st FASTag-enabled parking management system at Multi-
Level Car Parking General Bus Stand Jammu.
• This is the first-of-its-kind initiative in Jammu and the second across India.
• The parking will be managed through an app called ‘Park+’ that allows people search for,
book and prepay for a parking spot.
116. The first edition of Sylhet-Silchar Festival 2022, celebrating the close cultural ties between
the neighbouring regions of India and Bangladesh, has been held in Barak Valley, Silchar,
Assam from 2nd to 4th December 2022.
• The festival has been organised by the India Foundation under the aegis of the Union
Ministry of Culture, in association with the Bangladesh Foundation for Regional
Studies.
• The festival coincides with the 75th year of India’s Independence and the 50th anniversary
of the liberation of Bangladesh from Pakistan.

• The aim of the festival is to revisit the common values and shared heritage of the twin
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cities and their people separated by international borders.
• The festival showcased the cuisine, arts, crafts, culture and local produce of the two
regions.
117. The 3rd edition of the SHE STEM 2022, the annual event organized as part of the Sweden-
India Nobel Memorial Week to honour the women in the disciplines of Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), has been organized in New Delhi.
• The event has been organized by the Swedish Embassy in India in collaboration with the
Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, the Indian Government, and the German Centre of
Innovation and Research, New Delhi.
• The host school for SHE STEM 2022 is Darbari Lal DAV Model School in New Delhi.
Sweden-India Nobel Memorial Week:

It has been observed from 6th to 10th December 2022. The year 2022 marks the observance
of the 15th edition of the week.
118. Arunachal Pradesh has recently observed Indigenous Faith Day (IFD) on 1st December to
promote and preserve the indigenous faith and traditional practices of tribal communities of
the state.
The day was first observed in 2013 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Golgi Bote
Talom Rukbo, who is known as the father of indigenous faith.
119. India's first permanent ramp for persons with disability has been inaugurated at
Marina Beach, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The facility has been established by the Greater
Chennai Corporation (GCC). It has been developed with funding from Singara Chennai 2.0 at
an estimated cost of Rs.1.14 crore.
120. The Scientists of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have discovered a new species of the
head-shield sea slug, named Melanochlamys bengalensis, from the coast of the Bay of
Bengal near Digha (West Bengal), and other locations such as Bakkhali, Tajpur, New Digha
Udaipur in West Bengal, and Chandipur, Talsari, and Kanika Islands in Odisha.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

121. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed Abdullah Abdul Samad
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Dashti of Kuwait as the United Nations Coordinator for the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
He has succeeded Amir Mahmoud Abdulla of Sudan, who served as United Nations
Coordinator since August 2022.
Black Sea Grain Initiative:

The Initiative was launched by Ukraine, Türkiye, the Russian Federation and the United
Nations on 22 July 2022. The initiative aims to enable the resumption of exports from Ukraine
of grain, foodstuffs, and fertilizer, including ammonia, through a safe maritime humanitarian
corridor.
122. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has retired its Mars InSight
lander, 4 years after it arrived on the surface of the red planet. The last time InSight
communicated with Earth was on 15th December 2022. InSight was the first robotic probe
that was specially designed to study the interior of Mars, the red planet.
NASA has selected Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, California, to

provide launch services for the ‘Sentinel-6B’ mission worth approximately USD 94 million.
The mission aims to continue global sea level observations for at least the next 10 years.
123. The High Ambition Coalition (HAC) for Nature and People has announced the
establishment of a new permanent Secretariat to be co-hosted by the World Resources
Institute (WRI) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
• Under the new Secretariat, the Coalition will lead an historic effort to protect and
conserve at least 30 percent of the world’s land and ocean by the year 2030 (“30x30”).
• Currently, protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures
(OECMs) cover about 17 percent of all land and a bit more than 8 percent of the ocean.
HAC was officially launched during the One Planet Summit in Paris, France in 2021. The
Coalition is an intergovernmental group of 116 countries co-chaired by Costa Rica and France
and by the United Kingdom as Ocean co-chair.
124. SpaceX has launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 54 Starlink satellites of the new
generation, so-called v2.0 or Gen2, to low Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40)
at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, USA. This mission was SpaceX's 60th of the
year, more than double the number from the previous year.
125. The 54-member United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) has adopted a USA
drafted resolution to remove with immediate effect the Islamic Republic of Iran from the
UN Commission on the Status of Women (UN CSW) for the remainder of its 2022-2026 term.

• Iran has been removed from UNCSW due to Tehran’s brutal crackdown on women-led
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protests.
• The country undermines and suppresses the human rights of women and girls.
The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the principal global intergovernmental
body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of
women. It is a functional commission of the ECOSOC, established by ECOSOC in 1946. It is
headquartered in New York, USA.
126. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Scientists have discovered two
exoplanets named 'Kepler-138c' and 'Kepler-138d'. These exoplanets are located in a
planetary system 218 light-years away. They are found in the constellation Lyra.
• Scientists observed exoplanets Kepler-138c and Kepler-138d with Hubble and the retired
Spitzer space telescopes and discovered water on them.
• These exoplanets orbit around a red dwarf star and are unique in their composition.
• These exoplanets have been found to be filled with water.
127. The United States (US)-France satellite Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT)
has successfully launched abroad a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force
Base in California, USA. It will map all of the world's oceans, lakes, and rivers.
• SWOT, a USD 1.2 billion project, has been jointly developed by the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration (NASA) and Centre National D'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), French
Space Agency with contributions from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and United
Kingdom Space Agency.
• The SWOT mission lifetime is 3 years.
SWOT features:
• The satellite will measure the height of water on more than 90% of Earth’s surface,
allowing scientists to track the flow and identify potential high-risk areas.
• It will also survey millions of lakes as well as 1.3 million miles (2.1 million kilometers) of
rivers.
• The satellite will shoot radar pulses at Earth, with the signals bouncing back to be received
by a pair of antennas, one on each end of a 33-foot (10-meter) boom.
The United States Air Force (USAF) has successfully tested its first prototype hypersonic
missile ‘AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW or Arrow)’ which
represents a cutting edge, strategic weapons system developed by Russia and China. The
missile is designed by Lockheed Martin.

128. Nigeria and Rwanda have become the first African nations to sign the Artemis Accords
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during the first-ever US-Africa Space Forum, which has been held on the sideline of the US-
Africa Leaders’ Summit in Washington DC, USA.
Nigeria and Rwanda have become the 22nd and 23rd signatories of the Artemis Accords.
Artemis Accords:
• The Artemis Accords is the international moon exploration framework that was
launched jointly by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the US
State Department along with eight other nations in 2020 with an aim of advancing
bilateral and multilateral space cooperation between the signatories.
• The founding members of the Artemis Accords are Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan,
Luxembourg, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the US.
• 23 signatories of the Artemis Accords: Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Canada, Colombia,
France, Italy, Israel, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, New Zealand,
Nigeria, Poland, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Ukraine, the United Arab
Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the USA.
129. The 115-foot-tall (35 meters) Vega C rocket that carried two satellites, Pléiades Neo 5 and
Pléiades Neo 6, which together weigh 4,359 pounds (1,977 kilograms), to sun-synchronous
orbit has lost in space in few minutes after its launch from the spaceport in Kourou, French
Guinea.
Vega C Rocket is developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and is now operated by
Arianespace. The new rocket is a more powerful variant of the original Vega, which made its
debut in 2012.
130. Romania, Hungary, Azerbaijan, and Georgia have signed a quadrilateral

intergovernmental 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 will be 1,100 km long and have a capacity of 1 GW.
Black Sea:
It is a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean. It is located between Eastern Europe and Western
Asia. The bordering countries of Black Sea are: Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria and
Romania.
131. 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). They
have also disconnected a cable allowing restoring a power channel to 75% of its operating
capacity.
132. A Japanese space startup, ispace, has launched the world's first commercial moon lander.
The rocket has been launched for ispace’s Hakuto-R mission atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket

from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The ispace craft aims to put a small
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NASA satellite into lunar orbit to search for water deposits before touching down in the Atlas
Crater.
The UAE, in collaboration with Japanese startup iSpace and Elon Musk's SpaceX, has
successfully launched the first ever Arab-built lunar spacecraft, the Rashid Rover.
The Rashid Rover was built by Dubai’s Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), in the
United Arab Emirates (UAE), and is being delivered by the Hakuto-R lander.
133. The Group of Seven (G7) leading economies have established an open, International
Climate Club for countries that want to cooperate in the fight against global warming.
• The climate club aims to support the rapid and ambitious implementation of the Paris
Agreement, which seeks to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees
Fahrenheit).
• The club will work to help accelerate the industrial transition to cleaner forms of energy
and to further develop emission-reduction measures.
• The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the
International Energy Agency (IEA) will establish a "climate change secretariat” in Berlin
(Germany) now that the forum has been established.
Note: The concept of a climate club was developed by the Nobel-winning economist William
Nordhaus in 2015.
The G7 was set up in 1975 as an informal forum bringing together the leaders of the world’s
leading industrial nations.
Members: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Germany holds the presidency of the G-7 until December 2022 and it will be passed on to
Japan in 2023.
134. The European Union’s (EU) general affairs ministers from the 27 EU nations agreed to give
Bosnia and Herzegovina “candidate status” to join the union during the meeting in
Brussels, Belgium. With this, Bosnia and Herzegovina joins 7 other nations with candidate
status: Turkiye, North Macedonia, Serbia, Albania, Montenegro, Moldova, and Ukraine.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country on the Balkan Peninsula in south-eastern Europe. Its
capital is Sarajevo.
135. Elon Musk's SpaceX has successfully launched 40 satellites for competing communications
company OneWeb, after it halted its flights for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It’s the first of
three planned missions.

The Falcon 9 rocket, with a payload of 40 satellites for OneWeb broadband communications,
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lifts off from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA.
136. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has successfully used steam (water) to
propel its CubeSat EQUilibrium Lunar-Earth point 6U Spacecraft (EQUULEUS), which has
been launched as one of the payloads abroad National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA)’s Orion spacecraft.
This is the world's first successful orbit control beyond low-earth orbit (LEO) using a water
propellant propulsion system.
• EQUULEUS used an engine named AQUARIUS that uses water as fuel to get to the second
Earth-Moon Lagrange point (EML2).
• EQUULEUS will reach the Lagrange point (EML2) in approximately 1.5 years.
• EQUULEUS was designed to demonstrate low energy trajectory control technologies to
achieve EML2, and to study some of the phenomena caused by electromagnetic
disturbances in the solar wind and measure the plasma in the Earth-Moon system.
Note: Lagrange points are places in space where gravity and centrifugal forces are in
balance.
137. The Israeli Navy has successfully tested the first-of-its kind long-range interceptor missile
against an “advanced” cruise missile LRAD, part of the Barak MX defence system.
LRAD has been launched from a Sa'ar 6-class corvette warship, after detecting a target that
resembled an advanced cruise missile and destroyed it.
Note: Barak LRAD is parallel to the Indian BARAK 8.
138. The 26th annual plenary of the Wassenaar Arrangement (WA) has been held in Vienna,
Austria from 30th November to 1st December 2022.
• During the plenary, Ireland’s ambassador Eoin O’Leary has handed over the chairmanship
to India’s ambassador Jaideep Mazumdar, who is the permanent representative to the UN
and international organisations in Vienna.
• India will assume the Chairmanship of the plenary of the Wassenaar Arrangement for a
year on 1st January 2023.
Wassenaar Arrangement:
It was formally established in July 1996. It is a voluntary export control regime consisting of
42-member that monitors transfers of conventional weapons and dual-use goods. It is set up
to contribute to regional and international security and stability, by promoting transparency
and greater responsibility in transfers of conventional arms and dual-use goods and
technologies, thus preventing destabilising accumulations.
India joined the Wassenaar Arrangement in December 2017 as its 42nd participating state.

139. The 17th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the
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Intangible Cultural Heritage has been hosted by the Kingdom of Morocco in Rabat from
28 November to 3 December 2022.
• It has been chaired by Samir Addahre, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of the
Kingdom of Morocco to UNESCO.
• It has been attended by representatives of States Parties, non-governmental
organizations, cultural institutions and other stakeholders from across the globe.
The session has witnessed the inclusion of 47 new items in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural
Heritage list submitted by 60 countries. These include 39 items in the Representative list of
the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, 4 items in the Registrar of Good Safeguarding
Practices, and 5 in urgent safeguarding list.
The Committee has decided that its 18th session will be held in Gaborone, Botswana from
4 to 9 December 2023. Eva Kuminkova has been elected as the Committee’s Rapporteur for
its 18th session.
140. The United States (US) Airforce has launched its newest nuclear stealth bomber named
'B-21 Raider’, which is world’s first Sixth-Generation Aircraft. The technology behind this is
developed and delivered by the Northrop Grumman.
The B-21 Raider is named in honour of the Doolittle Raids of World War II when 80 men, led
by Lt. Col. James “Jimmy” Doolittle, and 16 B-25 Mitchell medium bombers set off on a
mission that changed the course of World War II.
The designation B-21 recognizes the Raider as the first bomber of the 21st century.
141. Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano, has erupted in Hawaii for the first time in
four decades. It was the first eruption since 1984. The eruption began in Moku’aweoweo, the
summit caldera of Mauna Loa, inside the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The volcano is
located on the south-central part of the island of Hawaii, Hawaii state, USA.
142. A team of researchers from the University of Alberta (U of A) have discovered 2 new
minerals 'Elaliite' and 'Elkinstantonite', that have been found on Earth in the El Ali
Meteorite found in Somalia in 2020. It have been discovered after analysing a slice of a 15-
tonne meteorite that landed in east Africa.
They have been named Elaliite, after the location of the meteorite, and Elkinstantonite, after
Lindy Elkins-Tanton, principal investigator of NASA’s upcoming Psyche mission that aims to
send a spacecraft to a metal-rich asteroid.
143. Semeru Volcano has started erupting in Java Island, Indonesia. The eruption has caused
huge volcanic ash and over 2,000 residents in East Java province were evacuated. It was last

erupted in December 2021, killing at least 50 people and leaving streets filled with mud and
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ash.
Semeru, also known as "The Great Mountain", is the highest volcano in Java at 3,676m
(12,060ft) and one of the most active.
144. China has launched a spacecraft with a three-person crew to its under-construction
Tiangong space station amid intensifying competition with the United States. The
Shenzhou-15 spaceship carrying the aircraft has been launched from the Jiuquan Satellite
Launch Centre in northwest China. It carried three astronauts: Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming,
and Zhang Lu.
145. Three Chinese astronauts have landed back on earth on board the re-entry capsule of the
Shenzhou-14 spacecraft after completing a six-month mission on China's space station.
• The three astronauts were commander Chen Dong and teammates Liu Yang and Cai
Xuzhe.
• They left for space on 5 June 2022 to oversee the final construction stage of the Tiangong
space station, which was completed in November 2022.
REPORTS & INDICES

146. The 14th edition of the World Economic League Table (WELT) 2023 has been released by
international economic forecasters, the London-based Centre for Economics and Business
Research (CEBR).
Key highlights:
• India is ranked 5th in WELT 2022 and it is projected to remain the 5th in WELT 2023.
• India is set to rise from 5th place in 2022 to 3rd in the global rankings by 2037.
• By 2035, India is forecast to become the world’s third $10 trillion dollar economy.
• The USA has topped the WELT 2022, followed by China, Japan, and Germany.
• In the 2023 table, the USA is projected to top the ranking followed by China, Germany, and
Japan.
147. Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri has released draft
guidelines for a new ranking system of cities based on financial performance and
beautification.
‘City Finance Rankings, 2022’:

• The ‘City Finance Rankings, 2022’ aim to evaluate, recognize and reward India’s cities
(Urban Local Bodies or ULBs) on the basis of the quality of their current financial health
and improvement over time in financial performance.
• The rankings aim to motivate city/state officials and decision-makers, to implement
municipal finance reforms.

• The participating ULBs will be evaluated on 15 indicators across three key municipal
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finance assessment parameters, namely: (i) Resource Mobilization, (ii) Expenditure
Performance, and (iii) Fiscal Governance.
• The cities will be ranked at the national level on the basis of their scores under any one of
the following four population categories: (i) Above 4 million (ii) Between 1-4 million (iii)
100K to 1 million (iv) Less than 100,000.
‘City Beauty Competition’:

• The ‘City Beauty Competition’ aims to encourage and recognize the transformational
efforts made by cities and wards in India to create beautiful, innovative and inclusive
public spaces.
• Wards and public places of cities will be judged against the five broad pillars (i)
Accessibility (ii) Amenities (iii) Activities (iv) Aesthetics and (v) Ecology.
148. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) in its report released on Annual Procurement 2022,
has ranked Water & Power Consultancy Services (India) Limited (WAPCOS), a
Government of India (GoI) enterprise under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, as the Top Consulting
Services Firm in Water and other Infrastructure Sectors, with highest sanctioned financed
amount.
In another report on its Members’ Fact Sheet - 2022 released by the ADB, WAPCOS figured
amongst the Top 3 Consultants from India involved in Consulting Services Contracts under
ADB Loan, Grant and Technical Assistance Projects in Energy, Transport and Water & other
Urban Infrastructure Sectors.
WAPCOS is the only Indian Public Sector featuring in the above categories.
WAPCOS Limited:
WAPCOS is a leading technology driven Consultancy and Engineering, Procurement and
Construction (EPC) organization in the fields of Water Resources, Power and Infrastructure
Development. It was incorporated on 26th June 1969 under the Companies Act, 1956. It is a
“MINI RATNA-I” Public Sector Enterprise under the aegis of the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
149. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has published the annual report ‘Road
accidents in India — 2021’. The report provides information on various facets of road
accidents in the country during the calendar year 2021.
This report is based on the data/information received from police departments of

States/Union Territories collected on calendar year basis in standardized formats as provided
by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP)
under the Asia Pacific Road Accident Data (APRAD) base project.
Key findings of the report:

• In 2021, there were 4,12,432 incidents of road accidents. These incidents have caused
nearly 1.54 lakh deaths and injured over 3.84 lakh individuals.

• In 2020, India witnessed an unprecedented decline in the number of road accidents,
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fatalities and injuries. The decline is attributed to the pandemic-led lockdowns and
containment measures.
• Major indicators related to road accidents have performed well in 2021 when compared
with 2019. These indicators are: a) Road accidents declined by 8.1 percent, and b) Number
of injuries fell by 14.8 percent.
However, the number of fatalities caused by road accidents has increased by 1.9 percent in
2021, when compared to the same period in 2019.
150. Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), a Swedish think-tank, has released
a report titled ‘Top 100 Arms-producing and Military Services Companies, 2021’, which
lists companies making arms, weapons, military planes and equipment.
• India’s military equipment manufacturing companies Hindustan Aeronautics Limited

(HAL), and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) have been listed in the top 100.
• HAL has improved to 42nd position in 2021 ranking, compared to 43rd in 2020 and BEL has
secured 63rd position, showing improvement from 69th position in 2020.
• The total arms sales of the two Indian companies in the top 100 were USD 5.1 billion in
2021.
• Top 3 global companies in the list: Lockheed Martin Corporation (USA), Raytheon
Technologies (USA), and Boeing (USA).
SIPRI is an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict,

armaments, arms control and disarmament. It was established in 1966, on the basis of a
decision by the Swedish Parliament.
151. World Bank (WB) has released a report titled “Striving for Clean Air: Air Pollution and
Public Health in South Asia”. The report states that South Asia is home to 9 of the world’s
10 cities with the worst air pollution, which causes an estimated 2 million premature deaths
across the region each year and incurs significant economic costs.
• The report states that the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Air Quality Guideline
recommends that concentrations of PM2.5, small dust or soot particles in the air, should
not exceed an annual average of 5 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3).
• According to the report, in South Asia, nearly 60 percent of the population lives in areas
where concentrations of PM2.5 exceed an annual mean of 35 μg/m3.
The six major airsheds identified by the report in South Asia where spatial interdependence
in air quality is high are:
1. West/Central Indo-Gangetic Plain: Punjab (Pakistan), Punjab (India), Haryana, part of

Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh
2. Central/Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plain: Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bangladesh

3. Middle India: Odisha/Chhattisgarh
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4. Middle India: Eastern Gujarat/Western Maharashtra
5. Northern/Central Indus River Plain: Pakistan, part of Afghanistan; and
6. Southern Indus- Plain and further west: South Pakistan, Western Afghanistan extending
into Eastern Iran
152. As per the National Science Foundation (NSF)’s Science & Engineering Indicators 2022
report of the United States, India’s position globally in scientific publications, has improved
from 7th position in 2010 to 3rd position in 2020. India’s scholarly output has increased from
60,555 papers in 2010 to 1,49,213 papers in 2020.
• India now ranks 3rd in terms of number of PhDs in science and engineering.
• The number of patents granted to Indian scientists at India Patent Office (IPO) during the
last three years has also increased from 2511 in 2018-19 to 4003 in 2019-20 and 5629 in
2020-21.
• The Government has allowed corporate sector to make R&D investments under the
provision of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
As per the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2022 brought out by World Intellectual Property
Organization (WIPO), India’s GII ranking has also improved significantly from 81st in 2014 to
40th position in 2022.
153. The Social Progress Index (SPI) 2022 for states and districts of India has been released by
the Economic Advisory Council- Prime Minister (EAC-PM) along with the Institute for
Competitiveness and Social Progress Imperative.
Globally, Norway has topped the index with a score of 90.74 in Tier-1 countries, followed by
Denmark and Finland. India has been ranked 110th with a score of 60.19 in Tier-4 countries.
India in 2022 SPI:

• Puducherry, Lakshadweep, and Goa have emerged as best-performing states; and
Aizawl (Mizoram), Solan (Himachal Pradesh), and Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) are the
top 3 best-performing districts.
• Puducherry has the highest SPI score of 65.99 in the country, attributable to its
remarkable performance across components like Personal Freedom and Choice, Shelter,
and Water and Sanitation.
• Lakshadweep and Goa closely follow it with scores of 65.89 and 65.53, respectively.
• Jharkhand and Bihar scored the lowest, 43.95 and 44.47, respectively.
• For the dimension of Basic Human Needs, Goa, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, and
Chandigarh are the top four states with the best performance in Water and Sanitation
and Shelter as compared to the other states and union territories.
• In addition, Goa has the highest component score for Water and Sanitation, followed by
Kerala, scoring the highest across the Nutrition and Basic Medical Care component.

• For Shelter and Personal Safety, Chandigarh and Nagaland have emerged as the front-
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runners, respectively.
• Mizoram, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, and Goa have emerged as the best-performing
states for the Foundations of Wellbeing.
• Within the dimension for the Access to Basic Knowledge component, Punjab has the
highest component score of 62.92, while Delhi has topped the list for Access to
Information and Communication with a score of 71.30.
• For Health and Wellness, Rajasthan has the highest component score of 73.74. For
Environmental Quality, the top three states belong to the northeast region, namely,
Mizoram, Nagaland, and Meghalaya.
• Tamil Nadu has achieved the highest component score of 72.00 for the Opportunity
dimension.
• Within this dimension, Andaman and Nicobar Islands have the highest component score
for Personal Rights, while Sikkim has topped the list for Inclusiveness.
• It is commendable to witness Puducherry attaining the highest scores across two
components in this dimension, i.e., Personal Freedom and Choice and Access to Advanced
Education.
Social Progress Index (SPI)

SPI is a comprehensive tool that can serve as a holistic measure of a country's social progress
at the national and sub-national levels. The index assesses states and districts based on 12
components across three critical dimensions of social progress - Basic Human Needs,
Foundations of Wellbeing, and Opportunity. The index uses an extensive framework
comprising 89 indicators at the state level and 49 at the district level.
• Basic Human Needs assess the performance of states and districts in terms of
Nutrition and Basic Medical Care, Water and Sanitation, Personal Safety and Shelter.
• Foundations of Wellbeing evaluates the progress made by the country across the
components of Access to Basic Knowledge, Access to Information and Communication,
Health and Wellness, and Environmental Quality.
• Opportunity focuses on Personal Rights, Personal Freedom and Choice, Inclusiveness,
and Access to Advanced Education.
Based on the SPI scores, states and districts have been ranked under six tiers of social
progress. The tiers are Tier 1: Very High Social Progress; Tier 2: High Social Progress; Tier 3:
Upper Middle Social Progress; Tier 4: Lower Middle Social Progress; Tier 5: Low Social
Progress; and Tier 6: Very Low Social Progress.
154. The Universitas Indonesia (UI) has recently released the UI Green Metric World University
Rankings 2022. This is a ranking on green campus and environmental sustainability. Around
1050 Universities from 85 countries have participated in the UI Green Metric World University
Rankings 2022.
Key highlights:

• The Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal, Karnataka has been
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ranked 1st in India and 121st worldwide for being the most sustainable university.
• MAHE is followed by Mangalore University (2nd), and S R M University (Institute of Science
& Technology), Tamil Nadu (3rd).
• MAHE has topped among the Indian universities with a total score of 8050.
• Globally, Wageningen University & Research of Netherlands has topped the list,
followed by the UK’s Nottingham Trent University and University of Nottingham in 2nd and
3rd place respectively.
155. Passport Index 2022 has been published by Arton Capital. It is the ranking of the world's
strongest and weakest passports. The Passport Index methodology is based on the 139
members of the United Nations and six territories are considered for the list.
• UAE has been ranked first in the index, followed by Germany, Sweden, Finland,
Luxembourg, Spain France.
• Afghanistan has been ranked below in the index.
• India has been ranked 87th in the index.
156. Forbes has released the 19th annual Forbes list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful
Women. The list includes 39 CEOs; 10 heads of state; and 11 billionaires worth a combined
USD 115 billion.
• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has topped the list for her
leadership during the Ukraine war, as well as handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.
• European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde has been placed at 2nd position, US
Vice President Kamala Harris ranked 3rd in the list.
• Iran's Jina "Mahsa" Amini (100th) has posthumously made it to the influential list.
Indian women who made it to the list:
1. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman, who is ranked 36th, is on the list for the
fourth time in a row.
2. Roshini Nadar Malhotra, Chairperson of HCLTech, has been ranked 53rd.
3. Madhabi Puri Buch, Chairperson of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), has
been ranked 54th on the list.
4. Soma Mondal, Chairperson of the Steel Authority of India, has been ranked 67th.
5. Mazumdar-Shaw, executive chairperson and founder of Biocon Limited and Biocon
Biologics Limited has been ranked 72nd.
6. Falguni Sanjay Nayar, the founder and CEO of the beauty and lifestyle retail company
Nykaa, has been ranked 89th.
157. The “Toolkit on Enabling Gender Responsive Urban Mobility and Public Spaces" has
been launched by Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi at a
session conducted by the World Bank and the Chennai Urban Metropolitan Transport
Authority, with the aim of guiding Indian cities on how to design public transport that is more
inclusive of women’s travelling requirements.
Features of Gender Toolkit:

• It is a two-volume guide created by the World Bank with a four-pillar implementation
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framework for urban bodies to design a gender responsive urban mobility and public
spaces programme.
• The first pillar focuses on the assessment of ground situation, including the
understanding of gender differences in mobility patterns, safety concerns, and gaps in
policies and infrastructure.
• The second pillar recommends integrating gender as a lens while planning and promoting
gender inclusivity among policymakers and institutions.
• The third pillar focuses on awareness creation and capacity building.
• The fourth pillar emphasises strengthening the infrastructure in a way that it is gender
inclusive.
The toolkit has been designed in response to a 2019 World Bank-supported survey of 6,048
respondents in Mumbai. This survey found that between 2004 and 2019, men shifted to two-
wheelers to commute to work, while women used auto-rickshaws or taxies, which tend to be
more costly (per trip) than two wheelers.
158. According to the recently released Hurun Global 500 list 2022, India, with 20 most valuable
companies in the world, has been ranked 5th among countries that are home to the world’s
top 500 firms. In 2021, India was ranked 9th with 8 companies.
Of the 20 Indian companies featured on the list this year, 11 are based in Mumbai, four in
Ahmedabad and one each in Noida, New Delhi, Bengaluru and Kolkata.
Top ranked Indian companies:

• Reliance Industries Limited is the top ranked Indian company. It is ranked 34th in the
world.
• Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has been ranked second, and HDFC bank has been
ranked third.
For the first time, 4 Adani group companies have also made to the list. These companies are;
Adani Transmission, Adani Green Energy, Adani Enterprises and Adani Total Gas.
Top ranked company in the world:

US based Apple has topped the list, followed by Microsoft, Alphabet (owner of Google),
Amazon and Tesla.
Country wise ranking:

The USA with 260 companies has topped the list. It is followed by China with 35 companies,
Japan with 28 companies, the UK with 21 companies, India and Canada are at the 5th position
with 20 companies each.
The 2022 Hurun Global 500 has been published by the Hurun Research Institute in
collaboration with Jiaxing City in East China. The list is a compilation of the 500 most valuable
non-state-controlled companies in the world. Companies are ranked according to their
market capitalization (for listed companies) and valuations for non-listed companies.

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159. The International Energy Agency (IEA) in its latest report stated that India is expected to
add 145 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy (RE) capacity in the next five years (2022-27),
with solar energy accounting for 75 percent of the addition.
• Solar photovoltaic (PV) accounts for three-quarters of this growth, followed by onshore
wind with 15 percent and hydropower providing almost all the rest.
• The share of generation from RE in India’s total generation mix, which stood at 22.1%
during FY22, is likely to increase to 40.9% during FY30.
• RE will comprise 90 percent of global electricity capacity expansion by 2027 and much of it
will be in India, China, the European Union, and the USA.
• RE’s installed power capacity addition will grow to 2,400 GW between 2022 and 2027.
160. The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has published the Worldwide Cost of Living (WCOL)
Index 2022. As per the index, Singapore and New York City (US) have been declared as
joint most expensive cities in the world to live in.
• New York has topped the index for the first time along with Singapore which has topped
the index 8 times in 10 years.
• Tel Aviv of Israel has secured the 3rd position in the index.
• The cheapest cities in the index are Damascus (Syria) ranked 172nd, Tripoli (Libya) ranked
171st, and Tehran (Iran) ranked 170th.
• Indian cities like Ahmedabad, Chennai, and Bengaluru are among the Bottom 10 positions
of the index, ranked 165th, 164th, and 161st respectively.
161. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has published its first State of Global
Water Resources Report 2021 to support monitoring and management of global freshwater
resources in an era of growing demand and limited supplies.
The first edition of the report focuses on three key areas:
(a) Streamflow - the volume of water flowing through a river channel at any given time.
(b) Terrestrial water storage (TWS) - all water on the land surface and in the sub-surface.
(c) The cryosphere (frozen water)
Key highlights of the report:

• Currently, 3.6 billion people have inadequate access to water at least one month per year
and this is expected to increase to more than five billion by 2050.
• According to UN Water, 74% of all natural disasters between 2001 and 2018 were water-
related.
• Large areas of the globe recorded drier-than-normal conditions in 2021, which was a year
in which precipitation patterns were influenced by climate change and a La Niña event.
• There is a scarcity of easily accessible, verifiable hydrological data.
162. According to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Goods Trade Barometer, global trade
growth is likely to slow down in the last quarter of 2022 and in 2023 as countries experience

significant challenges to their economies amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, high energy prices,
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inflation, and monetary tightening in major economies.
The current goods trade Barometer index value is 96.2.
163. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has published its
‘Global Trade Update (December 2022)’ report. As per the report:
• Global trade is set to reach almost US$32 trillion for 2022, but its growth has turned
negative during the second half of 2022.
• Demand for foreign goods proved resilient throughout 2022, with trade volumes
increasing by 3 percent.
• Trade of East Asian economies has shown more resilience, South- South trade has lagged
during Q3 2022.
• Geopolitical frictions, persisting inflation, and lower global demand are expected to
negatively affect global trade during 2023.
164. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has
released a report recommending Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (GBR) on a list of world
heritage sites in danger. It is the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem.
• The recommendation has been made as the reef is significantly impacted by climate
change and warming of oceans.
• The acidity of water has increased 26% and water quality targets have not been met.
• There are frequent bleaching events affecting the reef due to the warming oceans due to
the burning of fossil fuels, and acidification. There was widespread bleaching in 1998,
2002, 2016, 2017, 2020, and 2022.
Great Barrier Reef (GBR):

It is the world's largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900
islands stretching for over 2,300 kilometres over an area of approximately 344,400 square
kilometres. It is located in the Coral Sea (North-East coast), off the coast of Queensland,
Australia. It was listed by UNESCO in 1981 as the most extensive and spectacular coral reef
ecosystem on the planet.
165. As per the Special Bulletin on Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) released by the Registrar
General of India (RGI), the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) of India has declined from 130 in
2014-16 to 97 per lakh live births in 2018-20.
As per the statistics derived from Sample Registration System (SRS), India has witnessed a
progressive reduction in MMR from 130 in 2014-2016, 122 in 2015-17, 113 in 2016-18, 103 in
2017-19 and to 97 in 2018-20.
• Assam has the highest MMR of 195 while Kerala has the lowest of 19 per lakh live births.
• Assam is followed by Madhya Pradesh with MMR of 173 per lakh live births and Uttar
Pradesh 167.
• Kerala is followed by Maharashtra (33) and Telangana (43).

• The highest number of maternal deaths nationally i.e. 32% happened in the 20 to 24 year
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age group followed by 30% in 25-29 years and 20% in 30 to 34 years.
With this, India has accomplished the National Health Policy (NHP) target for MMR of less
than 100/lakh live births and is on the way to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)
target of MMR less than 70/ lakh live births by 2030.
The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) is defined as the number of maternal deaths during a
given time period per 100,000 live births.
166. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has published its
flagship report ‘Review of Maritime Transport 2022’. As per the report, the pace of global
shipping activity is set to decrease in 2023 due to the impacts of economic turmoil, the
conflict between Ukraine and Russia and the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the outlook
for trade.
• The report has estimated that the global maritime trade growth will moderate to 1.4% in
2022 and remain at the same level in 2023.
• The report also comprises the estimated growth of 3.2% in 2021 and overall shipment
volume of 11 billon tonnes, versus a 3.8% decline in 2020.
• As per the report, for the period 2023-27, the growth is expected to grow at 2.1% annually,
which is slower than the 3.3% average recorded during the past three decades.
• The review has estimated that higher grain prices and dry bulk freight rates in early 2022
contribute to a 1.2% increase in consumer food prices.
• In 2021, the total greenhouse-gas emissions from the world fleet have increased by 4.7%.
The Review of Maritime Transport is an UNCTAD flagship report, published annually since
1968. It provides an analysis of structural and cyclical changes affecting seaborne trade, ports
and shipping, as well as an extensive collection of statistics from maritime trade and
transport.
167. NITI Aayog has released a study report, titled ‘Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage
(CCUS) Policy Framework and its Deployment Mechanism in India’. The report explores
the importance of CCUS as an emission reduction strategy to achieve deep decarbonisation
from the hard-to-abate sectors.
Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS):
• CCUS includes methods and technologies to remove CO2 from the flue gas and from the
atmosphere, followed by recycling the CO2 for utilization and determining safe and
permanent storage options.
• CO2 captured using CCUS technologies is used to make commercially marketable
products. These products are green urea, food and beverage form application, building

materials, chemicals (methanol and ethanol), polymers (including bio-plastics) and
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enhanced oil recovery (EOR).
• The first CCUS projects started in the 1970s-80s in Texas, USA.
It is estimated that about 750 MTPA of carbon capture by 2050 can create employment
opportunities of about 8-10 million on full time equivalent (FTE) basis in a phased manner.
The role of CCUS is important for India in achieving its target including 50% of its total
installed capacity from non-fossil-based energy sources, 45% reduction in emission intensity
by 2030 and taking steps towards achieving Net Zero by 2070.
168. The National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
(MoSPI), has released the estimates of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the Second
Quarter (July-September) 2022-23 or Q2FY23.
• As per it, India’s GDP for Q2FY23 has slowed to 6.3 percent as compared to the expansion
of 8.4% in Q2FY22.
• India’s GDP in Q1FY23 was 13.5%.
• As per the data, Gross Value Added (GVA) for Q2FY23 slowed to 5.6% as against 12.7% in
Q1FY23 and 8.3% in Q2FY22.
• Among key sectors, agricultural output rose 4.6% while manufacturing fell 4.3% and the
employment-generating construction sector saw a 6.6% annual increase in activity.
• Real GDP or GDP at Constant (2011-12) Prices in Q2 2022-23 is estimated at Rs 38.17 lakh
crore, as against Rs 35.89 lakh crore in Q2 2021-22.
• Nominal GDP or GDP at Current Prices in Q2FY23 is estimated at Rs.65.31 lakh crore, as
against Rs.56.20 lakh crore in Q2FY22.
169. As per the data by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), India’s
unemployment rate has increased to a three-month high at 8 percent during November
2022.
• Unemployment rate: Urban area (8.96%) and Rural area (7.55%).

• Haryana has the highest unemployment rate in India in November 2022 at 30.6 per cent,
followed by Rajasthan at 24.5 percent, Jammu and Kashmir at 23.9 percent, Bihar at 17.3
percent and Tripura at 14.5 percent.
• Chhattisgarh (0.1 percent), Uttarakhand (1.2 percent), Odisha (1.6 percent),
Karnataka (1.8 percent) and Meghalaya (2.1 percent) have witnessed the lowest
unemployment rate.
India's unemployment rate in October 2022 was at 7.77 percent.
170. The Bharat Rural Livelihood Foundation (BRLF) has launched the Tribal Development
Report 2022, which is the first of its kind report since 1947. The objective of the report is to
inform the stakeholders to help understand the scope of tribal issues.
Key findings:

• Tribal communities are at the bottom of India’s development pyramid even after 75 years
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of independence.
• Central India is home to 80% of the tribal communities in the country.
• Of the 257 Scheduled Tribe districts, 230 (90%) are either forested or hilly or dry. They
account for 80 % of India’s tribal population.
• The report stated that indigenous communities of India have been pushed farther away
from alluvial plains and fertile river basins into the harshest ecological regions of the
country like hills, forests, and drylands.
• For the first time, the National Forest Policy of 1988 recognized the domestic
requirements of local people.
India’s tribal communities form 8.6% of the country’s population according to the 2011
Census.
Bharat Rural Livelihoods Foundation (BRLF):

It was set up by the Government of India as an independent society under the Ministry of
Rural Development, to scale up civil society action in partnership with the central and state
governments. It was established in 2013.
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• CEO: Pramathesh Ambasta
171. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has released the Global Aviation
Safety Rankings 2022.
Singapore has been ranked at the top of the list, followed by the UAE at the second and
South Korea at the third position.
India’s performance:
• India has jumped to the 48th position, up from 102nd in 2018.
• India and Georgia are in 48th position, each with a score of 85.49%.
• India’s score for civil aviation organizations increased from 63.64% to 72.73 %, aircraft
operations from 80.34% to 97.44%, personnel licensing and training from 25.58% to
84.71%, and aerodrome and ground aid from 72.36% to 92.68%.
• India now ranks above China (49), Turkey (54), and Israel (50).
• India is now among the top 50 countries with best aviation safety.
172. As per the study by Washington-based think tank Pew Research Centre, India has been
ranked first in the Social Hostilities Index (SHI) in 2020 with a score of 9.4%. It is followed
by Nigeria and Afghanistan.
• India’s SHI in 2020 was worse than neighbouring Pakistan and Afghanistan.
• India has faced severe backlash due to the controversy around the Tablighi Jamaat
meeting in Delhi increased violence around protests of the Citizenship Amendment Act.
• The study makes mention of targeting minorities in India during COVID-19.

• Pandemic-related social hostilities against religious groups that involved physical violence
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were reported in just four countries- India, Argentina, Italy, and the United States.
• Of the 198 countries listed in the Social Hostilities Index (SHI), 11 have been clubbed
together as “very high” with scores of 7.2 or higher.
Social Hostilities Index (SHI):

It measures acts of religious hostility by private individuals, organizations or groups. The
index comprises 13 metrics, including religion-related armed conflict or terrorism and mob or
sectarian violence.
173. Property consultant Knight Frank has published the 'Prime Global Cities Index Q3 (July-
September) 2022'. It is a valuation-based index tracking the movement in prime residential
prices in local currency across 45-plus cities worldwide.
Dubai (UAE) has topped the index, followed by Miami (USA), and Tokyo (Japan).
• Mumbai has been ranked 22nd in the third quarter of 2022 from 39th rank in Q2 2021.
• The rise in average prices in Mumbai has been recorded at 4.8 percent Year-on-Year (YoY),
Bengaluru (3.3 percent YoY) and New Delhi (1.2 percent YoY) during the 12- month change
(Q3 2021-Q3 2022).
• Bengaluru has been ranked 27th as against 41st, while New Delhi's position improved to
36th rank from 38th rank.
174. Worldline India, a financial services company, has released the ‘India Digital Payments
Report’ for Q3 2022 (July-September 2022).
Key highlights of the report:

• In Q3 2022, UPI, Debit and Credit cards, Prepaid Payment Instruments like Mobile Wallets,
and Prepaid Cards have executed 23.06 billion transactions worth Rs.38.32 trillion.
• UPI has recorded more than 19.65 million transactions worth Rs.32.5 trillion in Q3 2022.
It registered an 88% increase in volume and a 71% gain in value in Q3 2022 compared to
Q3 2021, nearly doubling its transaction volume and value since 2021.
• UPI Person-to-Merchant (P2M) and Person-to-Person (P2P) emerged as the most chosen
payment method among consumers, accounting for 42% of total transaction volume.
• In regards to value, UPI P2M contributed to 19% of digital transactions, whereas UPI P2P
counted for 65% (UPI was 84% in total). This is followed by credit and debit card
payments, which accounted for 7% of volume and 14% of value.
• In Q3 2022, the volume and value of debit card transactions were 907 million and Rs.1.88
trillion, respectively.

• In Q3 2022, the volume and value of credit card transactions were 725 million and Rs.3.5
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trillion, respectively.
As of Q3 2022,
• Top 3 UPI Apps in terms of volume and value were PhonePe, Google Pay, and Paytm
Payments Bank App.
• Top 5 Remitter Banks: State Bank of India, HDFC Bank, Bank of Baroda, Union Bank, and
ICICI Bank.
• Top 5 Beneficiary Banks: Paytm Payments Bank, YES Bank, State Bank of India, Axis
Bank, and ICICI Bank.
States and cities with the highest number of transactions at physical touch points in Q3 2022.
• Top 10 States: 1. Maharashtra 2. Karnataka 3. Kerala 4. Tamil Nadu 5. Andhra Pradesh 6.
Delhi 7. Uttar Pradesh 8. Gujarat 9. Telangana 10. West Bengal
• Top 10 Cities: 1. Bengaluru 2. Hyderabad, 3. Chennai 4. Mumbai 5. Pune 6. Delhi, 7.
Kolkata, 8. Thiruvananthapuram, 9. Coimbatore, 10. Thrissur
175. An analysis titled “Preventing injuries and violence: An overview” has been released by
the World Health Organization (WHO) during the 14th World Conference on Injury,
Prevention, and Safety Promotion held in Adelaide, Australia.
• As per the analysis, Road Traffic injuries are the second leading cause of death among
children aged 5 to 14 years.
• The analysis states that Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death among youth
aged 15 to 29 years old. Around 271,990 youths have lost their lives due to road traffic
injuries.
• In 2019, an estimated 4.4 million people globally lost their lives due to injuries from
unintentional causes and violence.
• 3 of the top 5 causes of death in people aged 5 to 29 years are injury-related, road traffic
injuries, homicide, and suicide.
• As per the report, drowning is the 6th leading cause of death.
• Across all ages, the 3 leading causes of death from injuries for males are road traffic
injuries, suicide, and homicide, while for females, they are road traffic injuries, falls, and
suicides.
176. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in collaboration with the
Economics of Land Degradation initiative of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation
and Development (BMZ) of Germany, the United Nations Convention to Combat
Desertification (UNCCD) and the European Commission, has published the second edition of
the State of Finance for Nature Report 2022.

• Financing for nature-based solutions (NbS) needs to be doubled to deal with multiple
global crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation.

• The current global investments in NbS are around $154 billion (Rs 12,49.44 crore) per
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year, which needs to be increased to $384 billion by 2025.
• On the other hand, investments in economic activities that release greenhouse gas (GHG)
into the atmosphere are currently three to seven times larger than the investments in
NbS.
• As per the report, harmful subsidies are highest in the energy sector, estimated to range
from $340 billion/ year to $530 billion/year and in the agriculture sector, estimated
around $500 billion/year.
• Private sector will have to combine ‘net zero’ with ‘nature positive’.
177. The World Health Organization (WHO) has released the ‘Global Report on Health Equity
for Persons with Disabilities’.

• The persons with disabilities (PwDs) are at higher risk of premature death and illness
when compared with others in the society.
• Due to systematic and persistent health inequalities, they are at higher risk of dying up to
20 years earlier than people without disabilities.
• They are at double the risk of developing chronic conditions like asthma, depression,
diabetes, obesity, oral diseases and stroke.
• Currently, one in six people (1.3 billion) across the globe has significant disabilities.
• The report highlighted the importance of immediate actions to address significant health
disparities created by the unfair and unjust conditions. It identified several factors that
contribute to differences in health outcomes. These include:
a) Healthcare providers’ hostile attitudes
b) Formats of health information being incomprehensible
c) Physical barriers, lack of transportation or financial constraints making healthcare facilities
inaccessible.
178. The International Labour Organization (ILO) has released a report titled the “Global
Wage Report 2022-2023: The Impact of inflation and COVID-19 on wages and purchasing
power”.

• Global wages declined in 2022 for the first time since the 2008 global financial crisis due
to increasing living expenses. This is threatening to worsen inequality and trigger social
unrest.
• Severe inflation crisis and global economic slowdown, caused partly because of the war in
Ukraine and global energy crisis, are causing a decline in real monthly wages in many
countries.
• Monthly wages have declined by 0.9 percent in real terms in the first half of 2022. This is
the first negative growth of real global wage in the 21st century.
• Lower-income countries have been hit because of significant loss in wages during the
COVID-19 pandemic.

• The countries that witnessed a fall in minimum wages include Bulgaria, Spain, Sri Lanka,
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South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States.
• The overall wages were lower in real terms in 2022 when compared with 2008 in countries
like the UK, Italy, Japan and Mexico.
• The year 2022 recorded the biggest gap between real labour productivity growth and the
real wage growth in high-income countries since 1999.
• Among the advanced G20 countries, the real wages in the first half of 2022 fell to minus
2.2 pe cent. Real wages in emerging G20 countries grew by 0.8 percent, which is 2.6
percent lesser than in 2019, the year before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out.
• The average wages of advanced G20 countries is 4,000 USD per month and for emerging
G20 countries, it is 1,800 per month.
179. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has released a report titled
“Turning the tide on internal displacement: A development approach to solutions”.

• For the first time in history, more than 100 million people were forcibly displaced in 2022,
majority of them within their own countries.
• Internally displaced communities are struggling to access basic amenities, find decent
work or have a stable source of income.
• By the end of 2021, conflicts, violence, disasters and climate change has forcefully
displaced some 59 million people.
• This is the highest number of displaced people recorded and more than double the
number recorded a decade ago.
• Before the war broke out in Ukraine, an estimated 6.5 million people were internally
displaced.
• The report recommended long-term actions to reverse the record levels of internal
displacement.
• The direct impact of internal displacement in 2021 is around 21.5 billion USD.
• The income of 48 percent of the internally displaced household has fallen when compared
with the times before the displacement.
• Households headed by women and youth were the worst affected by the displacement.
• On an average, children of internally displaced persons were more likely to have
experienced interruptions in education than their host counterparts.
• Health of around 31 percent of internally displaced persons worsened following the
displacement.
180. According to an analysis of the data released by the Employees' Provident Fund
Organisation (EPFO), 87.1 lakh new formal jobs were generated in India during the first half
of the current financial year (H1 FY23), a 35% rise from H1 FY22.
Key highlights:
• In the first halves of FY21 and FY22, 24.6 lakh and 64.72 lakh formal jobs were created in
the country, respectively.

• In fact, Q2 FY23 saw a slight increase in formal job creation, to 47.4 lakh, compared to Q1
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(39.3 lakh).
• In this fiscal (FY23), most jobs were created in September i.e. 16.82 lakh.
• The disaggregated data released by EPFO shows that a major proportion of these jobs
were created in the expert services sector. It is then followed by trading-commercial
establishments and engineering.
• The data demonstrates that states with higher contributions from the service sector, like
Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, created the most formal jobs.
• Around 18.29 lakh new formal jobs were created in Maharashtra during H1, the numbers
were 9.87 lakh and 9.18 lakh in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, respectively.
• Among the big States, the ones that lagged behind are Himachal Pradesh (0.67 lakh new
jobs), Jharkhand (0.8 lakh) and Chhattisgarh (0.84 lakh).
GOVERNMENT SCHEMES & PROGRAMMES

181. The Union Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the
revision of the pension of Armed Forces Pensioners/family pensioners under One Rank
One Pension (OROP) w.e.f. 1st July 2019.
• Pension of the past pensioners will be re-fixed on the basis of average of minimum and
maximum pension of Defence Forces retirees of calendar year 2018 in the same rank with
the same length of service.
• The Armed Forces Personnel retired up to June 30, 2019 (excluding pre-mature (PMR)
retired w.e.f. July 01, 2014) will be covered under this revision.
• The estimated annual expenditure for the implementation of the revision has been
calculated as approximately Rs.8,450 crore at 31 percent Dearness Relief (DR).
• As per calculation, the arrears with effect from 1 July, 2019 - 31 December, 2021, have
been calculated as over Rs.19,316 crore based on DR at 17 percent for the period from 1
July, 2019 to 30 June, 2021 and at 31 percent for the period from 1 July, 2021 to 31
December, 2021.
• Also arrears w.e.f. 1 July, 2019 to 30 June, 2022 have been calculated as approximately
Rs.23,638 crore as per the applicable DR.
MSP for Copra:

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has
approved the Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for copra for 2023 season. The MSP for
Fair Average Quality of milling copra has been fixed at Rs.10860/- per quintal and for ball
copra at Rs.11750/- per quintal for 2023 season. This is an increase of Rs.270/- per quintal for
milling copra and Rs.750/- per quintal for ball copra over the previous season.
182. The Rs.200 per cooking gas cylinder subsidy for 12 cylinders per year under Ujjwala
Scheme may be extended for another year in the upcoming Budget 2023-24. The budget

may also be extended the Ujjwala scheme beyond March 2023 to take domestic cooking gas
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to uncovered areas in states and attain the goal of 100% Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).
Meghalaya is the worst performer in India with an LPG coverage of 54.9%, followed by
Tripura, Jharkhand, and Gujarat.
Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY):

It is a flagship scheme of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG). It was first
launched on 1st May 2016 in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh. The scheme provides financial support of
Rs.1600 for each LPG connection to the BPL households.
Ujjwala 2.0 was launched on 10th August 2021 with an aim to reach the households that
missed out in the first phase.
183. The Ministry of Railways has launched a new scheme called Amrit Bharat Station
Scheme to modernize railway stations across India. It is based on Master Planning for long
term and implementation of the elements of Master Plan as per the needs and patronage of
the station.
The Amrit Bharat Station Scheme has several broad objectives. These are:
• The preparation and implementation of master plans for railway stations to enhance the
facilities beyond the minimum essential amenities and creating roof plazas and city
centers at the station premises in the long-term.
• Meet the needs of all stakeholders based on the funding availability and inter-se priority
• The scheme will cater to the upgradation and replacement of existing amenities as well as
the introduction of new amenities.
• It will cover stations that have undergone detailed techno-economic feasibility studies.
However, the roof plazas in these stations will not be constructed in the near term as
reallocation of structures and utilities is given higher priority.
The scheme will be implemented based on the needs and patronage of the railway stations.
Infrastructural development will be ensured for more than 1,000 stations under this scheme.
184. Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw has launched
the "Stay Safe Online" campaign and the “G20 Digital Innovation Alliance” (G20-DIA)
program, the first-ever programs to be launched worldwide as a G20 (Group of Twenty)
initiative.
Stay Safe Online Campaign:

The objective of the ‘Stay Safe Online Campaign’ is to raise awareness among citizens to stay
safe in the online world due to the widespread use of social media platforms and the rapid
adoption of digital payments.
G20 Digital Innovation Alliance (G20-DIA):

• The objective of G20-DIA is to identify, recognize, and enable the adoption of innovative
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and impactful digital technologies developed by StartUps, from G20 nations as well as the
invited non-member nations, which can address the needs of humanity in the critically
important sectors of Agri-tech, Health-tech, Ed-tech, Fin-tech, Secured Digital
Infrastructure, and Circular Economy.
• These will be showcased at a three-day event in Bengaluru, on the side-lines of the Digital
Economy Working Group (DEWG) meeting, in August 2023.
185. The NASSCOM Foundation has launched the “Aspirational Districts Programme" to
digitally empower and skill over 3.5 million people by March 2024, to empower marginalized
people in remote and backward areas of India.
• The programme will focus on digital literacy, e-governance and digital skill building for the
marginalised communities and establish digital resource centres in 55 aspirational
districts across 23 states.
• The programme focusses on the two aspects of inclusive growth and meeting SDG
(Sustainable Development Goals) commitments.
186. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoT) has implemented a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS)
namely “Scheme of Development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups”. It is aimed at
planning for the socio-economic development of the PVTGs (Particularly Vulnerable Tribal
Groups) tribal communities.
• Under this scheme, funds are released as a measure of gap filling interventions in
accordance with the Conservation-Cum-Development (CCD) Plans prepared by the State
Governments.
• It will cover diverse sectors i.e. education, housing, livelihood, drinking water, agricultural
development, roads, health, installation of non-conventional sources of energy for lighting
purpose, conservation of culture and traditional practices, etc.
• The projects/activities taken up under this scheme are demand driven in nature.
There are 75 groups of most vulnerable sections amongst the tribals who are classified as
PVTGs spread over 18 States and the Union Territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
MoT is also implementing a scheme of Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) to
provide quality education to Scheduled Tribes (ST) students including PVTG students (Class
6th to 12th) in remote areas.
187. The Ministry of Commerce & Industry has expanded the scope of the Remission of Duties
and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) scheme with effect from 15th December 2022
to 30th September 2023.
• The scheme will be expanded to include shipments from the chemical and
pharmaceutical industries, as well as shipments of iron and steel listed in chapters 28,
29, 30, and 73 of the International Trade Classification (HS) system.

• This expansion will cost around Rs.1000 crore to the Central Government.
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• The expanded list of eligible export items under Appendix 4R will increase from 8,731
export items (8 digit tariff lines) to 10,342 export items (8 digit tariff lines).
RoDTEP scheme:
The scheme was initiated on 1st January 2021. It refunds the embedded non-creditable
central, state, and local levies paid on inputs to exporters. It replaced an earlier Merchandise
Exports from India Scheme (MEIS).
188. Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA), an autonomous institution under the aegis of
the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India, has launched a programme to create
‘Impact Leaders’ in the areas of Environmental-Social-Governance (ESG).
• Impact Leader programme is designed as a comprehensive course on ESG giving a holistic

understanding of the philosophy of ESG, its principles, its relevance and its implication in
the current scenario.
• The Six Month course comprising 8 Self-paced learning modules will be delivered online.
• Renowned ESG professionals of International & National repute would be involved in
delivering the live interactive Master classes.
• IICA has also created the 'National Association of Impact Leaders' which is a membership-
based association exclusively for ESG professionals.
189. The Ministry of AYUSH has issued a notification regarding the status of centres of
excellence scheme ‘AYURSWASTHYA Yojana’. This information has been given by Minister of
Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.
‘AYURSWASTHYA Yojana’:
It is a Central Sector Scheme. It has two components:
(i) AYUSH and Public Health (PHI)

(ii) Centre of Excellence (CoE) from the Financial Year 2021-22 by merging two erstwhile
schemes of this Ministry namely (a) Central Sector Scheme of Grant-in-Aid for Promotion of
AYUSH Intervention in Public Health Initiatives (PHI) and (b) Central Sector Scheme for
assistance to AYUSH organizations (Government / Non-Government Non-Profit) engaged in
AYUSH Education/ Drug Development & Research / Clinical Research etc. for upgradation to
Centre of Excellence (CoE).
Under the CoE component of AYURSWASTHYA Yojana, financial assistance is provided to

eligible individual organizations/institutes for establishing and upgrading their functions &
facilities and/or for research & development activities in AYUSH. The objectives of the Centre
of Excellence component of AYURSWASTHYA Yojana are:
a) To support establishment of advanced/ specialized AYUSH medical health unit in reputed

AYUSH and Allopathic institutions both in Government and Non-Government sector.

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b) To support creative and innovative proposals for establishment and upgradation of both
functions and facilities of reputed institutions to strengthen competencies of AYUSH
professionals in education technology, research & innovation and such other fields necessary
for promotion of AYUSH at national as well as international level.
c) To support creative and innovative proposals for prestigious organizations which have
well-established buildings and infrastructure, and wish to work for AYUSH systems to the
level of Centre of Excellence.
The maximum admissible financial assistance under the Centre of Excellence component of
AYURSWASTHYA Yojana, to an organization/institute is Rs.10.00 crores for maximum period
of three years.
Note: No organization/institute of Puducherry is supported under erstwhile Centre of

Excellence scheme and Centre of Excellence component of AYURSWASTHYA Yojana. Further,
no proposals were received under the Centre of Excellence component of AYURSWASTHYA
Yojana from the UT of Puducherry.
190. The Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW), Ministry of Personnel, Public
Grievances, and Pensions, has launched a nationwide campaign for promotion of Digital
Life Certificate for Central Government pensioners. The objective of this nationwide
campaign is to promote the use of Face Authentication technology and Digital Life Certificate
(DLC) and to ensure transparency and ease of usage.
191. The Government of India (GoI) has revised the scheme for supporting Start-Ups
Intellectual Property Protection (SIPP) to encourage intellectual property (IP) facilitators to
provide quality services to startups in order to boost the number of IP applications filed by
startups.
Revised fees structure:
Stage of Payment Patents Trademarks Designs

FEE (in INR) 2016 2022 2016 2022 2016 2022
At the time of filing of 10,000 15,000 2,000 3,000 2,000 3,000
Application
At the time Without 10,000 25,000 2,000 5000 2,000 5,000
of final Opposition
disposal of With 15,000 35,000 4,000 10000 4,000 10,000
Applications Opposition
Startups are provided 80% fee rebate in filing patent applications and 50% fee rebate in filling
trademark application.
Key achievements:

• Patent applications filed by Startups have increased from 179 in 2016-17 to 1500 in
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2021-22;
• Trade Mark applications filed by Startups have increased from 4 in 2016-17 to 8649 in
2021-22;
• From 2016-17 to October 2022, 7430 patent applications and 28749 Trade mark
applications have been filed by startups.
Start-Ups Intellectual Property Protection (SIPP):

The Government of India (GoI) had launched a Scheme for facilitating Start-Ups Intellectual
Property Protection (SIPP) in 2016 to protect and promote Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) of
Startups and to encourage innovation and creativity among them. The scheme facilitated
startups in filing and processing of their patent, design or trademark application through the
assistance of IP Facilitators.
After its successful implementation, the Scheme was extended for a period of three years till
31st March 2023.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY

192. GAIL (India) Limited has signed a time charter contract with Japan's Mitsui O.S.K. Lines
(MOL) for a new build Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) carrier, and also for joint ownership of an
existing LNG carrier.
The vessel will be built by South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine
Engineering with a charter period from 2023.
193. US-based Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp (Cognizant) has signed a Memorandum
of Understanding (MoU) with drone startup, Garuda Aerospace to fit advanced digital
capabilities on its drones.
This MoU aims to bring innovative solutions at scale for enterprises looking to achieve
greater agility, productivity, and high return on investment (RoI).
194. TATA Projects Limited has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – Indian Institute of Petroleum (CSIR – IIP)
to collaborate and work together towards ensuring clean energy solutions. This MoU will help
in reducing India’s energy imports and also enhance India’s self-reliance by repurposing
waste and under-utilised local renewable carbon resources.

195. Bharti Airtel, in collaboration with Apollo Hospitals, has conducted India's first 5G-
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driven, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-guided colonoscopy trials. HealthNet Global, AWS and
Avesha are the other three companies that collaborated in this trial.
• The trial has been carried out with AI on Airtel’s 5G technology, which has ultra-low
latency and high processing capabilities, resulting in the detection of colon cancer much
faster and with accuracy.
• The AI assisted colonoscopy polyp detection trial will help doctors to improve quality of
patient care, improve accuracy of detection rates by capturing information correctly and
reducing errors.
196. Ministry of Power has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Defence
Research and Development Organization (DRDO) for the implementation of an Early
Warning System (EWS) for vulnerable hydro projects or power stations, especially those that
are located in upper reaches of Hilly regions.
Early Warning System (EWS):

The EWS is an integrated system of hazard monitoring, forecasting and prediction, disaster
risk assessment, communication, and preparedness for timely action to reduce disaster risks
in advance of hazardous events.
197. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati and IIT Bombay have collaborated with
European universities to build 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 the European Commission, aims to provide solutions for issues related to
the quality of water supplied across Indian households and elsewhere.
• LOTUS stands for Low-cost innovative Technology for water quality monitoring and water
resources management for Urban and rural water Systems in India.
• IIT Guwahati has collaborated with Linxens Private Limited and Hydroscope Technology
Private Limited for the commercial production of the sensor for the Indian market.
198. TuTr Hyperloop has joined hands with Tata Steel to develop hyperloop technology. 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.
199. NTPC Limited has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with
Tecnimont, an Indian subsidiary of Maire Tecnimont Group, Italy to jointly evaluate and

explore the possibility to develop a commercial-scale green methanol production facility at
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an NTPC project in India.
• Green methanol has a wide range of applications, including serving as a base material for
the chemical industry, storing renewable electricity, and even as a transportation fuel.
• It is also considered a substitute fuel for maritime fuel applications.
200. The Tamil Nadu Forest Department (TNFD) has partnered with HCL Foundation (HCLF),
the CSR arm of HCLTech, towards marine and coastal conservation to resolve the ghost net
and marine debris problem in the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park, Tamil Nadu.
A three-year action plan and ‘Debris-Free Gulf of Mannar’ mass awareness campaigns for a
larger citizen’s action will also be conducted.
Gulf of Mannar:
It is India’s first Marine National Park and one of the largest biosphere reserves. It is
protected area of India consisting of 21 small islands and adjacent coral reefs in the Gulf of
Mannar in the Indian Ocean.
201. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee, in collaboration with AIIMS Delhi, has
developed the 'SwasthGarbh' mobile app to provide antenatal care and real-time medical
support to pregnant women.
This is the 1st pregnancy app that provides immediate access to doctor’s advice and is
clinically endorsed and credible.
202. The Government of India (GoI) and the Government of Manipur have entered into a
Cessation of Operation Agreement with the Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF) to promote
peace.
Under the agreement, rehabilitation and resettlement of the armed cadres will be provided
and a Joint Monitoring Group will be constituted to oversee the enforcement of the ground
rules.
Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF):

It is an insurgent group that was established in 2011.This Naga insurgent group is actively
operating in Manipur, claiming to safeguard the interests of Zeliangrong Naga tribes in
Manipur, Assam and Nagaland. Its objective is to create a ‘Zeliangrong’ state within the Indian
Territory, covering the Zeliangrong Naga tribe’s area in the three north-eastern states.
203. Indian Oil Corporation Limited (Indian Oil) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with the Central TB Division (CTD) under the Ministry of Health to undertake
intensified TB elimination project in Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

• This MoU will bolster the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to end TB in India by
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2025, 5 years ahead of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2030.
• This MoU for the Anti-TB campaign has been signed as a part of the IndianOil’s Corporate
Social Responsibility (CSR).
204. Marut Dronetech Private Limited, a drone technology manufacturer, has received the
Type Certification approvals from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for Marut
Drones’ multi-utility agricultural drone AG-365.
• ‘AG 365 – Agricopter’ is India’s first Multi-utility Agriculture Medium Category Drone to
receive the prestigious certificate.
• AG 365 is designed and developed for Indian conditions and can be used for multiple
purposes and is eligible for Rs.10 lakh unsecured loans from the agri-infrastructure fund
offered by the Centre at a minimum interest rate.
205. The National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs
has organized a two-day’ face-to-face capacity building programme for Eklavya Model
Residential Schools (EMRS) teachers to implement Amazon Future Engineer Program (CSR
Programme) in collaboration with the Learning Links Foundation (LLF).
• This association between NESTS and Amazon will empower teachers and students in the
field of digital education.
• The Future Engineer Programme will serve as a stepping stone in creating Computer
awareness for the tribal students of EMRSs.
• In Phase I, a two-day face-to-face training workshop has been held in New Delhi for
teachers of 54 EMRSs across 6 states namely, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh,
Odisha, Rajasthan, and Telangana.
206. Max Healthcare Institute has collaborated with Anuva, a UK-based genomics biotech
company, formerly known as the Global Gene Corp, to conduct genomics-based research on
various communicable and non-communicable diseases in India. They have signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a 5-year engagement.
The research aims to discover new information for the application of precious medicine to
diseases including breast cancer, lung cancer, diabetes, cardiac disease, kidney disease, and
others.
207. Tata Power Renewable Energy (TPREL), a subsidiary of Tata Power, has received the
Letter of Award (LoA) from Tata Power Delhi Distribution to set up 255 megawatt (MW)
hybrid (wind and solar) power project in Karnataka.
• The project will be commissioned within 24 months from the power purchase agreement
(PPA) execution date.

• The power generated from the project will be supplied to Tata Power- DDL, which supplies
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electricity to a populace of over 7 million in North Delhi.
208. Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL), a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited, has
signed definitive agreements to acquire 100% equity stake in Metro Cash & Carry India Pvt
Ltd. for a total cash consideration of Rs.2,850 crore, subject to closing adjustments.
209. Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), the flagship initiative of the Department of
Defence Production, has signed an innovation contract with Altair Infrasec Pvt Ltd, Pune.
This is the 150th contract of iDEX.
210. NTPC Limited, India's largest power-generating utility, and GE Power India Limited, a
listed company of GE Steam Power in India, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) to reduce the carbon footprint of NTPC’s existing coal-fired power plants.
This first of a kind MoU aims at partnering on research, development and engineering of
technologies that will enable NTPC to reduce the amount of coal fired in their units and
gradually replace it by co-firing of ‘alternate fuel’ in boiler - both (i) carboneous (methanol,
Carbon neutral fuel- agri-waste, biomass, etc.) and (ii) non-carboneous (such as ammonia).
211. Reliance Projects and Property Management Services (RPPMSL), a subsidiary of

telecom major Jio, has completed 100 percent stake acquisition in Reliance Infratel
Limited (RITL) for about Rs.3,725 crore.
212. Reliance Industries-backed Reliance Strategic Business Ventures (RSBVL), a wholly-

owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), has acquired a 23.3% stake in Exyn
Technologies (Exyn) for a total cash consideration of USD 25 million.
213. 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 has been signed by Union Minister of State for External Affairs V.
Muraleedharan and Minster of Employment of Finland Tuula Haatainen.
• This will facilitate mobility of students, academics, researchers, business people, and
professionals and to combat irregular migration.
214. Airbnb has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of
Tourism, Government of Goa to jointly promote Goa as one of the most high potential
tourist destinations around the world. This will be done through targeted domestic and
international destination promotion campaigns.

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215. Tata Steel Limited has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hockey India
to become an official partner of the FIH (International Hockey Federation) Odisha Hockey
Men's World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela.
• The FIH Men's World Cup 2023, the 15th edition of the event, will be held from January 13
to January 29, 2023.
• The tournament will feature 16 Nations.
216. Microsoft has partnered with global communications company Viasat to deliver satellite
internet access to 10 million people across the world by 2025, including 5 million across
Africa.
Viasat is the first satellite partner to work with Microsoft's Airband Initiative, launched in
2017.
Note: According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), around one-third of the
world's population, that is, 2.7 billion people, have still never used the internet.
217. The Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) has become India's first carbon-neutral power
exchange, using market-based tradable instruments to offset its carbon emissions. To
reduce its carbon footprint, IEX voluntarily cancelled CERs (certified emissions reductions)
from clean projects registered under the Clean Development Mechanism of the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
218. The Uttar Pradesh Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) at the Singapore
roadshow, to set the pace for Singapore investors to participate in the prosperity of UP. SICCI
will act as a bridge between Singapore’s investment companies, and the UP Government.
219. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) Startup Hub has
collaborated with Google to support 100 Indian startups, across different Indian cities and
scale up their app businesses with the 2nd edition of Appscale Academy Programme-
Appscale Academy 2023.
• The second edition of 'Appscale Academy' will mark a six-month programme, through
which startups will be trained on several aspects of building successful apps, including UX
design, business model and monetization strategies, international expansion best
practices, and data safety and security practices.
• MeitY Startup Hub and Google will also launch a multi-city roadshow aiming to engage
over 1,000 startups across emerging hubs like Surat, Indore, Coimbatore, Gangtok and
Jaipur.

220. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Indian Agricultural Research
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Institute (IARI), also known as the Pusa Institute, in collaboration with Jawaharlal Nehru
Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya (JNKVV) Jabalpur, Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya,
Gwalior and ICRISAT, Patancheru, Hyderabad have developed drought tolerant variety of
chickpea 'Pusa JG 16' that has potential to boost yield of chickpea in central India.
Pusa JG 16:
• This variety was developed by using genomic assisted breeding techniques that allowed
precision transfer of drought tolerant genes from ICC 4958 in the parental variety JG 16.
• The variety will enhance productivity in the drought prone areas of Central Zone
consisting of Madhya Pradesh, Bundelkhand area of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh,
Southern Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Gujarat, where terminal drought is a major
problem and sometimes leads to 50-100 per cent loss of yield.
• This variety is resistance to fusarium wilt and stunt diseases, having short duration
maturity (110 days) and a yield potential of 2 tonnes per hectare under drought stress
conditions over the recurrent parent JG 16 (1.3 tonnes/hectares).
221. Reliance Consumer Products, a subsidiary of Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL), has
launched its made-for-India Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) brand named
'Independence' in Gujarat.
• The company has introduced the brand to consumers and kirana partners on the
occasion of the centenary celebration of Pramukh Swami Maharaj at Akshardham in
Ahmedabad.
• Independence brand offers a wide range of products under several categories including
staples, processed foods, and other daily essentials.
222. The Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) Limited has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with the Cotton Textile Export Promotion Council, known as
TEXPROCIL, on Branding, Traceability, and Certification of “Kasturi Cotton India” on the
concluding day of Kashi Tamil Samagam in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
• Under this MoU, the Ministry of Textile (MoT) will contribute an equal share of Rs.15 crore
over a period of three cotton seasons starting from 2022-23 to 2024-25.
• Union Minister of Textiles Piyush Goyal has also announced the creation of an advisory
group on ‘Man-Made Fibre’ on the lines of Cotton Group.
Kasturi Cotton:
It is India’s premium cotton. It was launched on the World Cotton Day (7th October 2020). The
brand represents whiteness, brightness, softness, purity, uniqueness and Indianness.
223. The National Institute of Technology (NIT), Manipur has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with the National Highways Infrastructure Development Corp. Ltd.

(NHIDCL), a CPSE under the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Govt. of India, to boost
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cooperation in the field of highway engineering and other infrastructure works.
224. Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) has signed a loan agreement
worth Rs.4,444.71 crore with SJVN Green Energy (SGEL) for a 1,000 MW solar power project
in Bikaner, Rajasthan. The project will connect to 400/220 KV substation Bikaner-II.
225. Google has partnered with DigiLocker, a government authorized identification storage
system, to bring local storage of government issued IDs on Android devices.
• The partnership has been announced during the 8th edition of Google for India 2022
conference.
• The partnership is part of Google’s artificial intelligence (AI) offerings that include on-
device processing of text and images to identify important documents, and organise them
in a locally stored ‘Files’ folder.
DigiLocker is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology
(MeitY) under the Digital India Programme.
226. Dharti Agro Chemicals Private Limited has launched the world’s first Genetic Male
Sterility (GMS) based Cowpea (Lobia) Hybrids in the market and released 3 hybrids in
cowpea: Bubbly, Sherly & Poorvaja.
These hybrids have given extremely good performance in farmer's field giving up to 100%
heterosis in regular season of Kharif and up to 200 to 250% heterosis in off season providing
almost two times the profit as compared to the traditional varieties.
• Cowpea is a leguminous crop.
• It is easily affordable and provides rich source of protein and micronutrients.
• It fixes atmospheric nitrogen, and is involved in carbon sequestration and soil
amelioration, thus reducing agriculture's contribution towards volumes of crop protection
products, enhancing and sustaining soil health.
227. Bhutan, through Druk Green Power Corporation Limited, has tied up with PTC India Ltd to
purchase power from the Indian power market in order to meet its power requirement
during the dry winter season.
• Bhutan has also executed the agreement with the Settlement Nodal Agency for
settlement of grid operation-related charges.
• With all requisite approvals, Bhutan will now start procuring up to 600 MW of power,
through PTC, from the Indian Power Market.
228. The Government of Uttar Pradesh has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with Austin University in San Francisco, USA, to build the Austin Smart City of Knowledge

in the state for US$ 42 billion. The project built on 5,000 acres of land in UP will have the best
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universities of the world coming up inside the project.
229. The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Singapore-based Atlantic, Gulf and
Pacific (AG&P) have signed an 11-year charter agreement to utilize Ghasha, an ADNOC L&S
a liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier, as a floating storage unit in India.
• The LNG carrier is owned by ADNOC Logistics & Services (ADNOC L&S).
• It will be used at AG&P’s LNG import terminal in India which will be commissioned in the
second half of 2024.
• The agreement is valid for 11 years with the option of a four-year extension.
This is the third agreement signed between the two companies for a floating storage unit
lease in India and the Philippines.
230. 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 domestic satellite QKD (quantum key distribution) products.
Through this MoU, QNu Labs, with the help of ISRO and IN-SPACe, aims to demonstrate
limitless distance satellite QKD-based quantum secure communication.
Note: QKD is a technology that uses principles of quantum mechanics to ensure security to
sensitive information shared among different parties.
231. Switzerland-based E2S Power, a developer of thermal energy storage solutions, has signed
an agreement with power utility firm India Power Corporation Ltd (IPCL) for a 250 kilowatt
hour (kWh) pilot thermal energy storage unit to be operated in India.
232. Urban Company, an online home services platform, has tied up with the National Skill
Development Corporation (NSDC) to provide training and digital certification to thousands
of unskilled workers.
The professionals will be trained by Urban Company for various facilities including Salon, Spa
& Massage, Electricians, Plumbers, Carpenters, Appliance Repair, and Cleaning & Pest
Control.
233. The Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with Energy Conservation Mission of The Institution of Engineers
(India) in an effort to propagate the importance of energy conservation in Telangana. The
aim is to conduct awareness sessions on ‘Energy Conservation’ across 30 schools in
Telangana.

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234. ReNew Power has signed a pact with Microsoft India to supply 150 MW of green energy
from a recently commissioned solar site near Bikaner, Rajasthan. The partnership will help
contribute towards Microsoft's ambition of shifting to 100 percent supply of renewable
energy by 2025.
235. TML Smart City Mobility Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of Tata Motors, has signed a
definitive agreement with Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) for the
supply, maintenance, and operations of 921 electric buses of 12-metre low-floor electric
buses for a period of 12 years in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
236. Sergey Cheremin, Minister of the Moscow Government, Head of the Department of Foreign
Economic and International Relations of Moscow, Chairman of the Board of the Business
Council for Cooperation with India (DSSI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with the Indian Chambers of International Business (ICIB) and MSME in New Delhi.
The MoU aims to develop bilateral trade between India and Russia, as well as assisting local
entrepreneurs and enterprises in finding and promoting investment projects on the territory
of the two countries.
237. ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to provide digital skill training to
more than 1,600 young people across the country.
• The initiative aims to motivate young people from four states: Odisha, Chhattisgarh,
Gujarat, and Maharashtra.
• This is the second digital training initiative by AM/NS India in partnership with NSDC.
238. Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting, a part of Wipro Enterprises, has acquired Nirapara,
the largest-selling traditional food brand in Kerala.
Nirapara, launched in 1976, is known for its blended spices. The brand leads in producing a
large variety of spice mixes, and rice powder used in making 'appam', 'idiyappam', etc.
239. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved Woodhall Holdings Ltd’s
acquisition of a minority stake in UPL Sustainable Agri Solutions Ltd (UPL SAS). The deal
has been cleared under the green channel route.
• Woodhall Holdings Ltd (WHL) is a special purpose vehicle and part of Brookfield Asset
Management.
• In October 2022, UPL announced that Brookfield along with other investors will invest Rs
1,580 crore for a 9.09 per cent stake in its agri-tech platform UPL SAS.

240. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has signed a Memorandum of
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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 has been facilitated by India’s nodal space authorization body, Indian National
Space Promotion and Authorization Center (In-Space).
A ‘capsule’ in a space mission is the module inside which any cargo is placed for being carried
to space. In manned missions, the capsule is what hosts the astronauts.
241. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has recently signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with Social Alpha to launch SpaceTech Innovation Network (SpIN),
India’s first dedicated platform for innovation curation and venture development for the
burgeoning space entrepreneurial ecosystem. This partnership marks the entry of Social
Alpha into the field of Space tech.
SpIN will primarily focus on facilitating space tech entrepreneurs in three distinct innovation
categories:
a) Geospatial Technologies and Downstream Applications;

b) Enabling Technologies for Space & Mobility;
c) Aerospace Materials, Sensors, and Avionics
242. StocX.in, an online unlisted securities portal, has launched India's first private market
index known as StocX Private Market Index (SPMI).
• The StocX Private Market Index has been built using a methodology known as “Change
Percentage”.
• The index is computed using 1000 as the base value as on 1st January 2022.
• The index will track prices of more than 30 companies actively traded in the unlisted
market and provide analysis and trends through data analytics.
243. MTAR Technologies has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian
National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) for the design and
development of a Two Stage to Low Earth Orbit All Liquid Small Satellite Launch Vehicle
powered by semi cryogenic technology with a payload capacity of 500 kg. The MoU shall
remain in force for three years.
244. The Embassy of India in Kathmandu has signed three Memorandum of Understandings
(MoUs) with the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration of the Government of
Nepal for undertaking three High Impact Development Projects (HICDPs) in Nepal under

the grant assistance of the Indian government, one each in education, healthcare and
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drinking water sectors.
The Three High Impact Development Projects (HICDPs):

• The Shree Janata Belaka Secondary School building in the Udayapur district, Nepal
• The Ngonga Thenchowk Chholing meditation centre in the Soulukhumbu district, Nepal
• The Lisnekhola Tikasung Dangchet Jharlang water supply project in Dhading district, Nepal
These projects will be implemented at a cost of Nepalese rupees (NRs) 101.79 million.
Note: Since 2003, India has undertaken 532 HICDPs in Nepal, of which 476 have been
completed.
245. NTPC Limited, India’s largest power generator, has successfully commissioned entire
capacities of 150 MW & 90 MW Devikot Solar PV Projects, developed under the CPSU
Scheme Phase-II Tranche-I of the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, at Jaisalmer,
Rajasthan.
• NTPC has achieved the milestone of 1GW annual capacity in the renewable energy (RE)
segment by adding 1074.59 MW RE capacity in FY23 taking the total NTPC non-fossil
capacity to 9.41%.
• With this, the standalone installed and commercial capacity of NTPC has reached
57,801.27 MW, while group installed and commercial capacity stands at 70,416.27 MW.
• NTPC’s target is to have 60 GW capacity through RE segment by 2032, which will constitute
nearly 45 percent of its overall power generation capacity.
Recently, NTPC Limited has commissioned the first 162.27 MW of the 230 MW Ettayapuram
Solar PV Project in Tamil Nadu.
246. The Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with Shiprocket, an e-commerce enablement platform, to support
micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) exporters in India showcasing their products on
the Indian Business Portal (IBP).
The MoU will enable FIEO member exporters to choose premium economy & express options
from the Shiprocket panel.
247. Walmart and Flipkart have tied up with the National Small Industries Corporation
(NSIC) to accelerate capacity building for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs)
across India and help them unlock export potential and become part of retail supply chains
locally and globally.
248. Jindal Steel and Power (JSP) Limited has acquired the heavily indebted Odisha-based
Monnet Power for Rs.410 crore through the insolvency route.

• Monnet Power has a 1,050 megawatt under-construction plant located in Angul, Odisha.
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• JSPL will utilize the power plant for captive use and it will consume 20-25% less coal.
249. Dalmia Bharat Limited has recently announced the acquisition of the cement assets of
Jaypee Group's flagship company Jaiprakash Associates Ltd and its associate firms at an
enterprise value of Rs 5,666 crore. The divestment includes a total cement capacity of 9.4
Million tonnes (MnT) per annum, along with clinker capacity of 6.7 MnT and thermal power
plants of 280MW.
250. Rail Vikas Nigam (RVNL) has formed a joint venture (JV) company with Kyrgyzindustry -
Open Joint Stock Company to construct rail road and other infrastructure projects in Kyrgyz
Republic. The JV namely "Kyrgyzindustry-RVNL" is a Closed Joint Stock Company (CJSC) in
which RVNL will hold 50% stake.
251. The Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA) and Indian
Meteorological Department (IMD) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to
strengthen and densify the weather forecasting network in the state. The MoU has been
signed for the next 5 years for the installation of equipment for collecting weather data from
different places in the state.
252. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Department of
Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW)
and the Department of Space (DoS) to develop the Krishi-Decision Support System
(Krishi-DSS) using geospatial technologies and related databases for enhancing evidence-
based decision-making capability of all the stakeholders in the agriculture sector.
• The MoA&FW is developing Krishi-DSS, a decision support system, on the lines of Gati
Shakti, using RISAT-1A and VEDAS of the Department of Space.
• This will enhance the evidence-based decision-making capability of all the stakeholders in
the agriculture sector by way of integration with MOSDAC (Metrological and
Oceanographic Satellite Data Archival Centre) and BHUVAN (Geo-platform) of ISRO and
systems of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
253. Maruti Suzuki India has showcased the Wagon R Flex Fuel prototype model, India's 1st
mass segment Flex Fuel car, designed to run on any ethanol-petrol blend between 20% (E20)
and 85% (E85) fuel. The prototype has been unveiled in New Delhi in the presence of Union
Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari.
• This car is designed and developed locally by engineers of Maruti Suzuki, with necessary
support from Suzuki Motor Corporation, Japan.
• This car is compliant with upcoming BS6 Phase-II emission norms.

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254. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has been selected by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) to
design, develop, implement, and operate the Rail Data Marketplace of the United Kingdom.
The contract is for a term of six years including an extension term opportunity.
The project was first announced in 2021 by the UK Rail Minister, Chris Heaton-Harris, as part
of his plan to stimulate collaboration between the government and industry to accelerate
innovation and deliver new products and services to enhance passenger experience and the
effective movement of freight.
255. India and South Korea have signed an agreement for Economic Development
Cooperation Fund (EDCF) loan worth 245 billion Korean won to establish an Intelligent
Transport System on the Nagpur-Mumbai Super Communication Expressway Project.
• The objective of the project is to enhance the efficiency in traffic management through
establishment of the Intelligent Traffic Management System.
• The project will also improve the efficiency in toll management through the establishment
of the Toll Collection System.
• This is the first project funded by EDCF loan by the South Korean government.
256. The Comptroller & Auditor General of India (CAG) has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with the Comptroller General of the Republic of Chile to support
capacity building and share methodologies in public audit and conduct training programmes
in their respective countries.
The MoU has been signed by Girish Chandra Murmu, Comptroller and Auditor General of
India, and Jorge Bermudez Soto, the Comptroller General of the Republic of Chile.
257. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras has tied up with Australian
Universities to establish the "Australia-India Centre for Energy" (AICE) to work on the
2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• AICE is a virtual centre to promote collaboration among universities, research institutes

and industry from India and Australia in the energy domain.
• It has been launched during the two-day Energy Summit 2022, hosted by IIT Madras in
Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
• The main objective is to deepen bilateral collaboration between India and Australia in the
energy sector through transformative research, technology development and
deployment.
• It aims to become a leading bilateral platform on SDG 7 and other related SDGs for
academics, industries and government agencies to engage in science, technology,
economics, policy and governance.
• The collaboration under the AICE has been led by IIT Madras and Deakin University in
Australia.

258. India and France have recently collaborated on Kaziranga project. The Agence Française
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de Développement (AFD) has sanctioned a fund of €80.2 million for a 10-year period,
between 2014-2024.
Kaziranga project:
• It is a part of a larger Assam Project on Forest and Biodiversity Conservation (APFBC).

• The Assam government, with the support of AFD, launched the APFBC in 2012, to restore
forest ecosystems, protect wildlife and enhance the livelihood of the forest-dependent
communities.
• The project conceptualised the reforestation of 33,500 hectares of land and the training of
10,000 community members in alternate livelihoods by 2024.
Kaziranga National Park:

It is located in Assam and covers 42,996 Hectare (ha). It is the single largest undisturbed and
representative area in the Brahmaputra Valley floodplain. It was declared as a National Park
in 1974. It has been declared a tiger reserve since 2007. It has a total tiger reserve area of
1,030 sq km with a core area of 430 sq. km. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in
1985.
259. Hyderabad-based Goldsikka Pvt Ltd in collaboration with a city-based startup Open cube
Technologies Pvt Ltd has set up a gold ATM in Begumpet, Hyderabad.
• This is India's first and the world's first real-time Gold ATM.
• This Gold ATM supplies in denominations ranging from 0.5 gms to 100 gms.
• Customers can use their debit, credit cards to buy the yellow metal from the gold ATM.
The company has planned to launch 3,000 machines all over India within the next two years.
260. The Government of Telangana has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
Coinbase Inc, an American-based trading company to build a strong Web 3.0 community in
Telangana.
Coinbase will be supporting Web 3.0 entrepreneurs of Telangana through capacity-building

sessions, mentorship programs, and promoting initiatives conducted with the help of
Telangana’s innovation ecosystem partners.
Recently, Amara Raja Batteries Limited (ARBL), one of India’s leading industrial and
automotive battery majors, has signed an MoU with the Government of Telangana to set up
a research and manufacturing facilities for lithium-ion battery making in Mahbubnagar
district, Telangana with an investment of Rs.9,500 crore over the next 10 years.

261. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has signed an agreement on the comprehensive
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migration and mobility partnership with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in
New Delhi. This will facilitate two-way movement of students, professionals, and researchers,
and also address the challenges of illegal migration.
262. Bharti Airtel has joined hands with Meta, the parent company of Facebook, WhatsApp,
and Instagram, to support high-speed internet in India and boost data-carrying capacities
between geographies.
The two companies, along with Saudi Telecommunication Company, will bring the world’s
longest subsea cable system 2Africa Pearls to India, at Airtel’s landing station in Mumbai.
2Africa Pearls:
The 2Africa Pearls is one of the largest subsea cable systems in the world. Its purpose is to
provide faster internet connectivity to over 3 billion people by connecting Africa, Europe, and
Asia. It was launched in 2020. It connected 23 countries with the 37,000 km subsea cable.
263. The Tata Group and Singapore Airlines (SIA) has agreed to merge Vistara with Air India to
drive synergies and grab market share in the fast-growing aviation market.
As part of the agreement, and in lieu of its 49 percent stake in Vistara and fresh investment of
Rs.2,059 crore in the merged entity, SIA will receive 25.1 percent stake in the enlarged Air
India, the rest will be held by the Tata Group. The transaction will be completed by March
2024 and will give SIA board representation in the airline.
264. The Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) has earmarked on a project titled, 'History
of Indian Science & Technology' to compile India's history of science & technology, and
economics from ancient times to the present.
• ICHR has approached the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) for the
compilation project.
sanctioned Rs.25 lakh for the project.
265. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with six leading engineering institutes of India for making standardisation an integral part of
curriculum.
The MoU has been signed with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) BHU, Malaviya National
Institute of Technology (NIT) Jaipur, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Indore, Indian Institute
of Technology (IIT) Patna, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras and National Institute of
Technology (NIT) Trichy for the establishment of ‘BIS Standardisation Chair Professor’ at
these institutes.

266. REC Limited has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Power Finance
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Corporation Limited (PFC), as per the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) Performance
Evaluation System for FY 2022-23 for Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs).
267. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the proposed deal of Bharat
Biotech International Ltd (BBIL) for acquiring the shares of Eastman Exports Global Clothing
Pvt Ltd (EEGC) through a share purchase agreement.
BANKING & FINANCE

268. Cashfree Payments India Private Limited, a payments and API banking solutions firm,
has collaborated with Sony Entertainment Television and Sony LIV as the 'Payments Partner'
for Shark Tank India season 2, which is set to premiere on 2nd January 2023.
The collaboration aligns with the company's vision of empowering India's budding
entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into successful and scalable businesses.
269. Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Limited has launched the 'Respect Senior Care Rider', a
unique and first-of-its-kind health insurance riders, which will offer 360-degree assistance for
senior citizens.
The main aim of the rider product is to minimise the worries of senior citizens and of their
family members who are living in different cities.
270. The Board of Equitas Small Finance Bank has decided to extend the term of P.N.
Vasudevan as the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for a period of 3
years with effect from 23rd July 2022, subject to approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
He is the founder of Equitas SFB and his current term as MD & CEO expires on 22nd July 2023.
271. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its Article IV consultation report has projected
a growth rate of 6.8 percent in the current fiscal year (FY23) and failing to 6.1% in the next
fiscal year (FY24).
• The IMF has also called for further structural reforms, including addressing the adverse
impact of climate change and to secure strong and sustainable growth.
• The IMF board has suggested that the Monetary tightening must be communicated to
balance inflation objectives and growth needs.

272. International Finance Corporation (IFC), an investment arm of the World Bank Group,
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has provided a loan of USD 400 million to HDFC Limited to boost Green Affordable Housing
Finance in India. This will help HDFC boost its green affordable housing portfolio, with 75%
(around $300 million) of the proceeds earmarked for this sector.
273. SBI Funds Management Limited (SBIFML), a joint venture between State Bank of India
(SBI) and Amundi, Europe’s largest asset manager, has appointed Shamsher Singh as its
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
He has replaced Vinay M Tonse.
274. Tata Power has received a Rs 450 crore sustainable trade finance facility from MUFG Bank
of Japan to fund its solar projects in India. This credit facility has been extended for two solar
projects under TP Kirnali Limited (TPKL), a 100 percent subsidiary of Tata Power Renewable
Energy Limited (TPREL). The two projects are:
• A 100 MW renewable energy project in Parthur, Maharashtra.

• A 120 MW green energy project in Mesanka, Gujarat.
It is the first sustainable trade finance facility offered by MUFG in India and TPKL will utilise
the funds towards generating renewable energy capacity.
275. The National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) has received in-principle approval from the
Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to set up a Social Stock Exchange (SSE) as a
separate segment of the NSE.
• To enable fundraising through SSE for not-for-profit organizations (NPOs), the

government introduced “Zero Coupon Zero Principal (ZCZP)" under the Securities
Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956.
• The new instrument ZCZP can be publicly or privately issued by NPOs upon registering
with SSE to raise funds.
• Currently, the minimum issue size is Rs.1 crore and the minimum application size for
subscription is Rs.2 lakhs.
276. HDFC Bank Limited has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kerala
Startup Mission (KSUM), the nodal agency of the Government of Kerala, to assist startups
with financial and banking services. The period for MoU is 1 year.
The lender will utilize its banking solution ‘SmartUp’ to aid startups.
277. The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) has signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Council on Energy, Environment, and
Water (CEEW) for mutual assistance and cooperation in the area of sustainable finance. This
MoU will focus on broad areas of sustainable finance.
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278. The MahaMetro Corporation has finalized its debt arrangement and raised a loan of
Rs.3,568 crore from Asian Development Bank (ADB) and European Investment Bank
(EIB) for the 2nd phase of the Nagpur Metro project.
• The ADB will contribute 200 million dollars, and 239 million dollars will come from EIB.
• The total amount estimated for the 2nd phase of the project is Rs.6,700 crores. Out of this
amount, around Rs.3,100 crores will come from the central and state government in the
form of equity capital.
Around 630 million Euros was arranged during the first phase of the project and was funded
by Agence Française de Développement (AFD) Group funds, France and KfW bank, Germany.
279. Niva Bupa Health Insurance Company Limited has joined hands with Swara Fincare
Limited, a non-banking lender, to pay the debtors’ 3 Equated Monthly Instalments (EMIs) if
they are hospitalized for more than 5 days.
According to Niva Bupa, less than 20% of the rural population currently has health insurance.
280. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed a USD 125 million loan agreement with
India to develop climate-resilient sewage collection and treatment, and drainage and water
supply systems in three cities, Coimbatore, Madurai, and Thoothukudi of Tamil Nadu
(TN).
This is the third and last tranche of the USD 500 million multi-tranche financing facility (MFF)
for the programme approved by ADB in 2018 to build priority water supply, sewerage, and
drainage infrastructure in strategic industrial corridors across 10 cities in the state.
281. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has expanded two of its committees High
Powered Steering Committee on Cyber Security (HPSC-CS) and the Information Systems
Security Committee (ISSC) to strengthen cyber security frameworks and cyber resilience
requirements.
High Powered Steering Committee on Cyber Security (HPSC-CS):

• The committee on cyber security has been expanded to eight members from six earlier.
• It will continue to be chaired by Navin Kumar Singh, DG of the National Critical
Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC).
• G Padmanabhan, ex-executive director, of the Reserve Bank of India, and Sushil Kumar
Nehra, Additional Director, the Cyber Security Division, MeitY are its new members.
Information Systems Security Committee (ISSC):

• The committee has been expanded to 7 members.
• It will continue to be chaired by Prof H. Krishnamurthy, IISc, Bengaluru.

282. Karnataka Bank has recently gone live on the Indian Customs Electronic Gateway
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(ICEGATE), the national portal of Indian Customs of Central Board of Indirect Taxes and
Customs, enabling its customers to pay customs duty online.
283. IDFC First Bank has introduced ZERO Fee Banking on savings accounts on the occasion of
its foundation day on 18th December 2022.
The lender has waived off 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 and so on.
This service is provided to customers, who maintain Average Monthly Balance (AMB) between
Rs.10000 and Rs.25000 in their savings accounts.
284. Gofrugal Technologies Pvt. Ltd., a platform that provides Omni channel ERP solutions, has
collaborated with DBS Bank India to empower enterprise customers, such as micro, small
and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as well as retail merchants, to embrace the Open Network
for Digital Commerce (ONDC) and grow their digital presence.
ONDC is an initiative of the Government of India which was launched in April 2022. It is a
platform built on a universal standard that will enable local commerce in a variety of
industries, including mobility, groceries, food order and delivery, hotel booking, and travel.
Other collaboration:
Trucknetic, India's version of Uber for trucks, has joined hands with DBS Bank as a logistics
partner on its Business Class platform to offer complete digital banking, logistics, value-
added services, and discounts to SMEs throughout India.
285. Equitas Small Finance Bank has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the
Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA). This MoU will allow Equitas to act as a
SPARSH (System for Pension Administration (Raksha)) service centre and provide data
verification for pensioners.
Equitas is the first small finance bank to be inducted into the SPARSH scheme by the GoI.
286. AU Small Finance Bank has entered into a corporate agency arrangement for soliciting
insurance plans of HDFC Life Insurance Company Limited through the bancassurance
business model. This partnership will enable diverse customers of AU Small Finance Bank to
access the entire range of life insurance products offered by HDFC Life.
287. HDFC Securities Limited, a stock brokerage firm, has launched “Roots”, a dedicated
Google search-driven education platform that provides comprehensive investor education

and market analysis. The Unique Selling Point (USP) of the platform is that it produces
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content which are being searched on Google by current or prospective investors and traders.
Sections in the site: Blog section, Bytes section, Video segment, Podcasts segment, Live
Feed segment, and User Generated Content (UGC) section.
288. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has introduced performance
benchmarking and categorisation for the Portfolio Management Services (PMS) industry
with effect from 1st April 2023. These guidelines are similar to the current norms in mutual
funds.
Key guidelines:
• Portfolio managers should adopt an additional layer of broadly defined investment
strategies while managing clients' funds. These broad strategies will be Equity, Debt,
Hybrid and Multi-Asset.
• Each investment approach (IA) will be tagged to only one strategy from the specified
strategies.
• The Association of Portfolio Managers in India (APMI) will prescribe a maximum of
three benchmarks for each strategy.
• These strategies will be on the present investment approach, which documents the
investment philosophy.
• The valuation of the portfolio debt and money market securities by portfolio managers
shall be carried out in accordance with the standardised valuation norms prescribed by
APMI.
• Portfolio managers will submit the monthly reports to APMI within 7 working days from
the end of each month.
SEBI has also laid down guidelines for orderly winding down of critical operations and
services offered by clearing corporations (CCs).
Key points:
• CCs will be allowed to wind down operations if they have taken a strategic decision to do
so, or if there are losses due to defaults on the part of clearing members, or other factors.
They will also be allowed to wind down in case of regulatory action.
• Under the Standing Operating Procedure (SOP), a notice will have to be issued by CC with
prior approval from SEBI in case a scenario is triggered. The corporation will have to
include the operational modalities relating to the transfer or close-out of positions,
collateral, etc.
• CCs will have to hold liquid net assets equal to at least six months of gross operational
expenses for an orderly winding.
289. The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has tied up with M1xchange,
India’s leading Trade Receivables Discounting System (TREDS) platform, as the financier to

provide liquidity to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) at low interest rates. With
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this, MSMEs will be able to use TREDS to discount receivables from corporate buyers.
290. Reliance General Insurance Company Ltd. (RGICL) has launched a premium health
insurance product ‘Reliance Health Infinity Policy’, a first-of-its-kind that claims to offer
limitless benefits.
• This first of its kind policy provides high sum insured up to Rs.5 crore that includes
features like moreGlobal cover, maternity cover, OPD cover, unlimited restoration of sum
insured, and 15 plus useful add-on benefits.
• The policy is available in individual and family floater, covering up to 8 members,
categories and offers sum-insured options starting from Rs.5 lakh to Rs.5 crore.
• Children above 90 days of age and adults between the age of 18 to 65 years are covered
in this policy.
• The policy offers discounts (first in India) to policyholders based on their financial credit
score.
291. Tata AIA Life Insurance (Tata AIA) has launched the 'Emerging Opportunities Fund'. It is
an equity fund suitable for consumers who are looking to benefit from the long-term growth
potential in equity and have relatively high-risk appetite.
This fund aims to invest in a portfolio of stocks in the mid-cap space and emerging leaders in
the new age sectors.
292. The Union Government has nominated Manoj Govil, Secretary, Ministry of Corporate
Affairs, to the Board of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). He is a 1991 batch IAS
officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre. He has replaced erstwhile MCA Secretary Rajesh Verma.
• The SEBI Board comprises nine members, including the Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch.
• There are two Government nominees (DEA Secretary Ajay Seth and now MCA Secretary
Manoj Govil); one RBI nominee (Deputy Governor M Rajeshwar Rao); and four 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.
Note: Rajesh Verma was appointed as the Secretary to the President of India Droupadi
Murmu in August 2022.
293. RBL Bank, one of India's leading private sector bank, has won IBS Intelligence (IBSi) Global
FinTech Innovation Awards 2022 in the Best CRM System Implementation and Most
Impactful Project categories along with BUSINESSNEXT.
The IBSi Global FinTech Innovation Awards identifies and honours technology companies and
banks for their outstanding work in implementing and innovating financial technology using
emerging technologies.

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294. Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Bank has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding
with the Administration of Ladakh union territory, conferring preferential status to each
other.
Under this MoU, the Ladakh UT Administration will nominate J&K Bank as ‘preferred banker’
for all its banking-related services, while as, J&K Bank will give the ‘most favoured client’
status to Ladakh UT Administration and its active permanent employees who maintain their
salary accounts with the Bank.
Rehabilitation Policy for Children in Street Situation (CiSS):

The Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Council which met under the chairmanship of
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, has recently approved the Rehabilitation Policy for
Children in Street Situation (CiSS) to safeguard them from different hazards
295. Credit bureau TransUnion CIBIL, in collaboration with Online PSB Loans and Small
Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), has launched the 'FIT Rank', a
comprehensive ranking system for the Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
• The ‘FIT Rank’ will rate over 6 crore MSMEs by drawing inputs from their current accounts,
income tax returns and also Goods and Service Tax (GST) returns to arrive at a score
between 1-10 to rate a borrower after taking consent to draw the relevant data.
• This ranking model uses machine learning algorithms to predict the probability of an
MSME becoming a non-performing asset (NPA) in the next 12 months.
• FIT Rank provides a ranking for the MSME, based on its financial, income, and trade data
on a scale of 1 to 10, FIT Rank 1 being for the least risky MSME and FIT Rank 10 being for
the most at-risk MSME.
• Each FIT rank corresponds to a Probability of Default (PD).
• The lower the FIT Rank, the lower the perceived risk of default associated with the MSME.
Using FIT Rank, SIDBI has launched a new Express loan Product for MSMEs to provide loans
up to Rs.50 lakh for the purchase of machinery and roof top solar through straight through
processes.
296. As per the 1Lattice (previously PGA Labs) data, State Bank of India (SBI), India’s largest
public sector bank, and HDFC Bank, India’s largest private sector bank, have topped the debit
card and credit card markets, respectively.
Debit Card segment:

• SBI has topped the segment with a whopping 30% share, registering a de-growth of 4%.
• SBI is followed by Bank of Baroda with 10% growth, Bank of India with 4% growth, and
Canara Bank with 7% growth.
Credit Card segment:

• HDFC Bank has topped the segment with 21% share, registering a growth of 9%.
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• HDFC Bank is followed by SBI Cards with 19% share, ICICI Bank with 17% share, and Axis
Bank with 11% share.
297. Paytm has introduced ‘Paytm Payment Protect’, a group insurance plan, in collaboration
with HDFC ERGO General Insurance, a leading general insurance company of India, to
insure transactions made through Unified Payment Interface (UPI) across all apps and
wallets.
• The first-of-its-kind offering comes at a cost as low as Rs.30 per annum.

• With this collaboration, users can now secure themselves against mobile fraudulent
transactions up to Rs.10,000.
• This new product aims to enhance the digital payments experience and also increases
financial inclusion across India.
298. Bandhan Bank has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Controller
General of Defence Accounts (CGDA) to be a part of the Central Government’s Outreach
Programme for Defence Pensioners on System for Pension Administration Raksha (SPARSH)
by providing a one-stop solution to all pension related activities of defence pensioners.
299. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has launched one of India's
first-ever Surety Bond Insurance product from Bajaj Allianz General Insurance to reduce
the dependence of infrastructure developers on bank guarantees. It will be used as a
substitute to bank guarantees.
Surety Bond:
• The Surety Bond Insurance is a risk transfer tool for the Principal and shields the Principal
from the losses that may arise in case the contractor fails to perform their contractual
obligation.
• The product gives the principal a contract of guarantee that contractual terms and other
business deals will be concluded in accordance with the mutually agreed terms.
• In case the contractor does not fulfil the contractual terms, the principal can raise a claim
on the surety bond and recover the losses they have incurred.
• Unlike a bank guarantee, the Surety Bond Insurance does not require large collateral from
the contractor thus freeing up significant funds for the contractor, which they can utilize
for the growth of the business.
• The product will help in reducing the contractors' debts to a large extent thus addressing
their financial worries.
300. Wipro Limited, a leading technology services and consulting company, has signed a multi-
year partnership with fintech firm Finastra for the digital transformation of corporate banks
in the Middle East. This partnership will make Wipro the exclusive implementation and go-
to-market partner to deploy Finastra’s trade finance solutions in the region.

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301. Indian Bank has recently launched a new Special Retail Term Deposit Product named "IND
SHAKTI 555 DAYS", which has a minimum amount of Rs.5000 and it has a 555 days term
with an interest rate of 7.00% for the general public and 7.15% for senior citizens.
302. The Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has approved a proposal to invest up
to 15 percent of its excess fund into equity through exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The
initial investment shall start at 5 percent and increase up to 15 percent gradually, after a
review of two quarters. The investment will be confined in ETFs, i.e., Nifty50 and Sensex. It
will be managed by fund managers of Asset Management Companies (AMCs).
303. Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has raised its stake in the state-owned Indian
Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to 7.3% from 5.0% earlier. LIC bought
1,81,80,323 shares, or 2% equity, at an average cost of Rs 692.28 via open market purchase
during the period from 17 October 2022 to 16 December 2022.
304. The SWAMIH Investment Fund I, which invests in stressed residential projects, has
received approximately Rs.5000 crore investment from the Government of India (GoI),
bringing the fund’s ultimate value to Rs.15, 530 crore. This is among the largest capital raised
by any fund in India in recent years.
The fund has already achieved construction completion of 19,500 homes and is on track to
deliver about 20,000 homes every year for the next 3 years.
SWAMIH Investment Fund I:

• It is set up under the Special Window for Affordable and Mid-Income Housing (SWAMIH).
• It is India’s largest social impact fund that aims to provide priority debt financing for the
completion of stressed, brownfield and Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act
(RERA) registered residential projects.
• It is a category II Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) which was announced by finance
minister Nirmala Sitharaman in September 2019, and approved by the Cabinet in
November 2019.
• The fund is sponsored by the Union Ministry of Finance, and is managed by SBICap
Ventures Ltd., a State Bank Group company.
• The State Bank of India (SBI) is one of the anchor investors of the fund along with Life
Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). Other investors include HDFC Ltd and major
nationalised banks.
305. ASK Capital Management Private Limited (ASK Capital) has received approval from the
Central Bank of Ireland to launch an India-based fund namely 'ASK Indian Entrepreneur

Fund' through the UCITS (Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable
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Securities) route.
• With this, ASK Capital aims to raise USD 500 million over the next 3 years from global
investors.
• ASK is the fourth asset or wealth management firm in India to receive approval for an
UCITS fund. Kotak AMC, Whiteoak Capital and UTI AMC already have such funds.
• The UCITS vehicle ASK Indian Entrepreneur Fund will be modeled on ASK’s flagship
portfolio management services (PMS), ASK Indian Entrepreneur Portfolio.
UCITS is a regulatory framework of the European Commission for management and sale of
mutual funds.
306. RBL Bank, in collaboration with Paisabazaar.com, has launched a new co-created credit
card named ‘Duet’.
• Duet is a lifetime free credit card from RBL Bank, with easy to understand direct cashback
benefits.
• The card provides a flat 1% cashback on all online and offline spends with no upper limit.
• It will be part of Paisabazaar's neo-lending product suite.
• Duet will replace Paisa On Demand (PoD) credit card on Paisabazaar.
307. IndusInd Bank has signed a co-lending agreement with Non-Banking Financial Company
(NBFC), SV CreditLine Limited (SVCL) for Rs.500 crore loan exclusively to women borrowers.
The agreement will help rural women access to affordable loans.
308. The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) has partnered with GMR
Airports (GAL), the airport business holding entity and a subsidiary of GMR Airports
Infrastructure, to invest in the equity capital of three airport projects.
• The three airports include the Greenfield international airports at Mopa, Goa and
Bhogapuram, Andhra Pradesh.
• NIIF will make a primary investment of Rs.631 crore in the form of Compulsory
Convertible Debenture (CCD) in GMR Goa International Airport (GGIAL), a special purpose
vehicle to run and operate the New Goa Airport.
• This is NIIF's first investment in an airport asset and also its first direct investment in the
state of Goa.
309. IDFC FIRST Bank has joined hands with the NASSCOM Centre of Excellence (COE) to grow
the innovation ecosystem through an exclusive range of banking solutions.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between IDFC FIRST Bank and
NASSCOM COE for appointing the Bank as a Preferred Banking Partner for startups, at an
event in Bangalore, Karnataka.

310. The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has signed a Memorandum of
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Understanding (MoU) with the Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority of the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Monsha’at) to develop Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises
(MSMEs) and their ecosystem, in both the countries.
Under this MoU, both sides will explore and collaborate on matters of common interest.
311. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India (GoI) have signed a
USD 3 million project readiness financing (PRF) facility to assist preparatory operations for
designing the "Agartala Municipal Infrastructure Development Project", which aims to
strengthen municipal infrastructure in priority areas of Agartala, Tripura.
Kutumb:
IIFL Home Finance (IIFL HFL) and ADB have recently organised the 'Kutumb' event in Delhi
to discuss scope around green affordable housing in India. The 'Kutumb' has been launched
with an event titled 'Green Affordable Housing Ecosystem' in Delhi.
312. The World Bank in its latest ‘India Development Update-Navigating the Storm’ has
increased its GDP growth for India during FY23 to 6.9% from 6.5% in its October 2022
update. This is the first upgrade of India’s growth forecast by any multilateral agency in FY23.
• However, India’s real GDP growth at constant market prices will be slower at 6% in the
FY23-24 as compared to 7% projected earlier.
• India’s real GDP growth at constant factor prices will be 4% in FY2023-24.
Other agencies forecast:

The Fitch Ratings has retained its FY23 GDP forecast for India at 7 percent. It expects lower
growth in India at 6.2 percent in FY24 and 6.9 percent in FY25, compared with earlier
forecasts of 6.7 per cent and 7.1 percent respectively.
313. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York (New York Fed) has appointed Indian-origin
Sushmita Shukla as its First Vice President, and Chief Operating Officer (COO) with effect
from March 2023. The appointment has been approved by the Board of Governors of the
Federal Reserve System.
• She will be the second ranking officer, only behind President and CEO, John C Williams.
• She will establish, communicate, and execute the strategic direction of the organisation.
• She will also serve as an alternate voting member of the Federal Open Market Committee.
314. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a loan of USD 780 million to build new
lines for Chennai’s metro rail and improve the network’s connectivity with bus and feeder
services.

ADB will also provide an additional USD 1 million technical assistance (TA) grant to help the
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Chennai Metro Rail with the planning and management of the metro system’s multimodal
integration.
• The project will construct 10.1 km of an elevated section between Sholinganallur to State
Industries Promotion Corporation, including nine metro stations and system components;
10 km of the underground section between Lighthouse and Meenakshi College including 9
stations; and 31 km of system components, such as electrical, mechanical, power, and
telecommunication infrastructure, between Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus to Okkiyam
Thoraipakkam.
• The stations will be disaster- and climate-resilient and responsive to the needs of the
elderly, women, children, and the differently abled.
Other approvals by ADB:
• ADB has also approved a USD 300 million loan to upgrade more than 300 kilometres of
state highways and major district roads in Assam, including six road sections in the state's
western, central, and southern regions.
• ADB has approved a USD 250 million policy-based loan to support the Government of
India’s wide-ranging reforms that aim to strengthen and modernize the country’s 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 Program.
315. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) in its Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2022
Supplement: Global Gloom Dims Asian Prospects has lowered developing Asia’s economic
growth to 4.2% in 2022 from 4.3% forecasted in September 2022. For 2023 also it is declined
to 4.6% from 4.9% projected in September 2022.
ADB has lowered its forecast for inflation in the developing Asia and the Pacific to 4.4% from
4.5% in 2022, and it will be at 4.2% in 2023 from 4%.
ADB has maintained the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth projections for India at 7% in
2022 and 7.2% in 2023.
India’s inflation rates are forecasted at 6.7% in 2022 and 5.8% in 2023.
316. HDFC Bank has inked a pact with integrated full-stack agriculture technology solutions
provider Lawrencedale Agro Processing India (LEAF) to support the farming community in
three southern states.
• Under this MoU, the lender will extend its specialised services and facilities to farmers,
agri-producers and other rural communities.

• The lender will work with LEAF Farmers Network in the operational areas under LEAF in
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Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Recently, HDFC Bank has acquired a 7.75% stake in fintech start-up Mintoak Innovations
for a total cash consideration of Rs.31.14 crore.
317. The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has launched "NPS
Prosperity Planner" (NPP) which is a personalized calculator for subscribers to calculate
their retirement Income (Annuity) as per the annuity options based on their existing
contribution under NPS.
• NPP provides the tool for higher Retirement Income through Accelerated Contribution
plan in the residual period until retirement duly considering inflation and the projected
cost of living expenses.
• This initiative is a part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM).
The New Pension Scheme (NPS), which is governed by the PFRDA, is a voluntary structured
contribution pension scheme that offers old age income, long-term market returns, and old
age security coverage to all residents. NPS provides low-cost retirement planning options to
Indian residents.
318. Canara HSBC Life Insurance has introduced the “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 and Guaranteed Cash Back Option.
319. Universal Sompo General Insurance, a joint venture of Indian Bank, Indian Overseas
Bank, Karnataka Bank, Dabur Investment Corp, and Japan’s Sompo Japan Insurance Inc., has
collaborated with Zopper, an insurance infrastructure API platform, to launch a special
integrated offering for customers.
Under this collaboration, Universal Sompo General Insurance will provide tailor-made
affordable insurance cover to its customers.
320. HDFC Bank, in partnership with the Government of India's flagship initiative 'Startup
India’, has launched the 6th ‘Parivartan Smartup Grants’, the annual grants program for
social startups.
• The program aims to identify startups 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.

• In 2022, the HDFC bank will also focus on building capacities of incubators and startups
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working in tier-II & III cities.
321. The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Limited (NIIFL) has collaborated with
Tamil Nadu Infrastructure Development Board (TNIDB) to help attract commercial capital
into infrastructure opportunities in the state.
Currently, 7 projects are identified across departments which have the potential to attract
private investments of approximately Rs. 5,000 to 6,000 crores.
322. PNB Housing Finance (HFC) has introduced a low-cost home loan programme named
‘Roshni’ to enable individuals from Tier 1 & Tier 2 cities to apply for loan ranging from Rs. 5
lakh to Rs. 30 lakh.
This is in line with PNB Housing Finance's long-term goal of enabling and assisting an
individual's desire to purchase a home.
323. Tamilnad Mercantile Bank has entered into a bancassurance partnership with Bajaj
Allianz Life Insurance to sell the private insurer’s term, annuity, and other value-packed
products across its 500 branches.
Through this partnership, new and existing customers of the lender can now choose from
Bajaj Allianz Life’s retail products, including term, savings, retirement, and investment
products.
324. Ageas Federal Life Insurance (AFLI), one of India's leading life insurance companies, has
launched the “Ageas Federal Life Insurance Criti Care Plan”, a comprehensive plan
covering 30 critical illnesses and major diseases. This new policy provides a lump sum
payment on the first diagnosis of the listed 30 critical illnesses, regardless of the actual
amount spent on treatment.
325. HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company, a leading general insurance company of 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.
326. PayMate India Limited, a leading Business to Business (B2B) payments and service
provider, has received 'in-principle' authorisation from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to
operate as a Payment Aggregator (PA). This will enable PayMate to facilitate payments for
merchants and businesses.
327. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has issued a framework in terms of
Regulation 10 (a) of SEBI (Alternative Investment Funds) Regulations, 2012, enabling

Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) in India to raise money from Foreign Portfolio Investors
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(FPIs) by issuing units, with immediate effect, by ensuring the following:
• The foreign investor is a resident of a country whose securities market regulator is a

signatory to the International Organization of Securities Commission's (IOSCO)
Multilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) or a signatory to a bilateral MoU with
SEBI.
• The investors contributing 25 percent or more in the corpus should not be a person:
a) Named in the Sanctions List notified by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
b) Resident in a country identified in the public statement of the Financial Action Task Force
(FATF).
c) Resident country that has not made sufficient progress in addressing the deficiencies or
has not committed to an action plan developed with FATF to address such deficiencies.
In case an investor who has been on-boarded to a scheme of an AIF subsequently does not
meet the specified conditions, the manager of the AIF will not drawdown any further capital
contribution from such investor for making investment, until the investor again meets the
conditions.
328. The stock exchanges, BSE Limited (BSE) and National Stock Exchange of India Limited
(NSE), have granted their in-principle approval for the transfer of Non-Convertible
Debentures (NCD) issued by HDFC Limited to HDFC Bank, in terms of Regulation 59 of the
Listing Regulations, subject to sanctioning of the Scheme by the National Company Law
Tribunal (NCLT).
329. The Government of India (GoI) has recently repaid the sum of Rs.1,109 crore to Asian
Development Bank (ADB) and Rs.29 crore to German state-owned lender KfW to fulfill
guarantees offered to Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS).
330. Tamilnad Mercantile Bank (TMB) has entered into bancassurance partnerships with
Cholamandalam MS General Insurance Company Ltd and Max Life Insurance Company
to provide general insurance products and life insurance schemes respectively to TMB’s
customers.
Under the agreement, TMB’s 500-plus branches will start retailing the insurance products of
both companies.
Agency Bank:
Recently, TMB has been authorized by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to undertake
government business on behalf of RBI. As per the agreement, RBI has appointed the bank as
an agency bank of RBI for undertaking Government Agency Business.

331. The Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has restructured its advisory committees
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pertaining to Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) and social stock exchange.
FPI Advisory Committee:
• Former finance secretary Hasmukh Adhia will now chair the 16-member panel. It was
earlier headed by K V Subramanian, former Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of
India.
• Chew Hai Jong, Managing Director at GIC, and Michael Drumgoole, Managing Director -
Direct Custody and Clearing at JPMorgan, are the new inductees.
• The committee has been entrusted with the task of advising the capital markets regulator
on measures to facilitate ease of doing business by FPIs in India as well as encourage their
participation in the bond market.
Social stock exchange Committee:

• The 18-member committee will now be headed by R Balasubramaniam, chairman of
Grassroots Research and Advocacy Movement (GRAAM). It was earlier chaired by Ishaat
Hussain (Director at SBI Foundation and former Finance Director at Tata Sons).
• Other appointments: Anil Kumar SG, Founder & CEO, Samunnati Financial
Intermediation & Services; Santosh Jayaraman Global Head- Sustainability, HCL Tech;
Pushpa Aman Singh, Founder and CEO of GuideStar India; and Hemant Gupta, Managing
Director at BIL Ryerson Technology Startup Incubator Foundation.
• The panel is responsible for advising SEBI on the issues pertaining to regulatory
framework for social enterprises, suggests the regulator on the matters to be taken up for
changes in legal framework for simplification and transparency in systems governing such
social enterprises.
332. Yes Bank has collaborated with TurtleFin, India's leading insurtech platform, to build
'EasyNsure', a first-of-its-kind comprehensive technology platform, which will bring multiple
insurance partners onto a common platform. This platform will allow business tracking
across bank hierarchy, simplifying revenue reconciliation.
333. SBM Bank India, a subsidiary of State Bank of Mauritius, has tied up with Open Financial
Technologies to launch Asia's first end-to-end Embedded Finance platform named ‘Zwitch’.
The Zwitch will offer a no-code, low-code, and full-stack Application Programming Interface
(API) solution that enables fintechs to build their own financial products using Zwitch’s
technology stack, which comprises drag-drop dashboard, low-code plugins along with
300+APIs.
Zwitch is built and operated by Open Financial Technologies Private Limited.

334. The Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has increased the investment limit of
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mutual funds (MFs) in debt instruments issued by a single issuer to 12% of the Net Asset
Value (NAV) from 10% on all new schemes.
Existing schemes will be exempt until the underlying debt and money market instruments
held by these schemes mature.
The single-issuer instruments include money market securities and non-money market
securities re-rated investment grade by a credit rating agency.
Other guidelines by SEBI:

SEBI has recently reduced the timeline for listing of debt securities issued on a private
placement basis to T+3 days from the current timeline of T+4 days. The new guidelines will
come into effect from January 1, 2023.
335. Germany has introduced a proposal to provide 1 billion Euro (Rs.8440 crore) for energy
transition projects across India under a bilateral partnership for green and sustainable
development.
• Both nations agreed on the funding for more than 20 development projects over the next
year.
• The funding, including 10% grants and 90% in the form of lines of credit, will support
India’s efforts in the fields of renewable energy, sustainable urban development in smart
cities and sustainable use of natural resources.
• The lines of credit will be provided by KfW Development Bank with “very cheap interest”
ranging from 2.7% to 3.2% for development projects in states such as Tamil Nadu and
Meghalaya.
Note: Germany will support India with 10 billion Euro by 2030 under the umbrella of the new
Indo-German partnership for green and sustainable development. The funding of 1 billion
Euro for the projects in India is part of this pledge.
336. Fino Payments Bank has tied up 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 Permanent Account Number (PAN) card
issuance services in India, especially in rural areas.
This association makes Fino the first payments bank to act as PAN Service Agency (PSA) of
Protean and facilitate paperless PAN issuance services.
337. The Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has approved the acquisition of IDFC Asset
Management Company (AMC) by a consortium comprising Bandhan Financial Holdings
Limited (BFHL), GIC (GIC), and ChrysCapital (CC).
• After the completion of the proposed transition, BFHL will own approximately 60% and
GIC & CC will own approximately 20% each in IDFC AMC.

• IDFC AMC is proposed to be renamed as Bandhan Asset Management Company
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Limited and IDFC Mutual Fund (MF) is proposed to be renamed as Bandhan Mutual
Fund, with BFHL becoming the Sponsor of the Mutual Fund.
338. Tata Play, formerly known as Tata Sky, has become the first company to file a confidential
Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) with the Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for
its Initial Public Offering (IPO). This will be the Tata Group’s 1st IPO in 2 decades. The group
last entered the primary market through TCS in 2004.
The Tata Group direct-to-home (DTH) platform is looking to raise Rs.2000-2500 crore to give
part or full exit to partners such as the Walt Disney Company.
339. BookMyForex has launched the 'Interbank Rate Multi-Currency Forex Card', India's first
true zero markup travel card, in association with M2P Fintech, and Yes Bank. It is a co-
branded multi-currency card powered by Visa.
The card can be loaded with 14 different currencies, and the exchange rates on forex cards
remain fixed.
340. IIFL Mutual Fund has launched India's first Passive Tax Saver Fund, IIFL Equity-Linked
Savings Scheme (ELSS) Nifty 50 Tax Saver Index Fund (IN50), which will be on sale through New
Fund Offering (NFO).
• Parijat Garg is the dedicated Fund Manager for the IIFL ELSS Nifty 50 Tax Saver Index
Fund.
• It is an open-ended passive equity-linked savings scheme that replicates or tracks the
Nifty 50 index and has a statutory lock-in period of three years and the fund will provide
both a tax benefit and create wealth.
341. ICICI Bank has launched a STACK for companies in the real estate sector to offer
solutions to their banking requirements on one platform. With this, ICICI Bank has become
the first bank to offer real-estate specific STACK to provide unparalleled convenience to the
companies in the real-estate sector.
• The STACK is a combination of digital and physical solutions that enables participants of
the real estate sector namely builders, Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and Alternate
Investment Funds (AIFs) to undertake banking transactions expeditiously.
• This initiative is an extension of the ‘ICICI STACK for Corporates’ which was launched in
2021 to provide a customised set of banking solutions for corporates and their entire
ecosystem.
342. Bank of Baroda (BoB) has launched a Foreign Currency Loan against INR Deposits of
Indian Companies for their Overseas Subsidiaries/ Joint Ventures (VS) in Gujarat International
Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) branch in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

• BoB is the first bank to offer this facility at GIFT City.
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• It provides an alternative facility for the Indian companies to raise funds for their
international businesses.
Note: Bank of Baroda’s IFSC Banking Unit (IBU) is the first and only bank to provide
transaction-based Internet Banking facility in three major foreign currencies i.e. US Dollar,
Euro and British Pound Sterling to cater to the needs of its retail and corporate customers.
343. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and ABIS Exports India Private Limited (ABIS) have
entered into an agreement to subscribe to non-convertible debentures for USD 16 million, 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.
The specialized micro fish feed is a new product in the Indian market and is smaller in size
than standard feed, making it suitable for more species of fish.
344. Canara Bank has won the "Banker's Bank of the Year Award 2022" for the Indian
segment of the Global Banking Summit. The summit has been held in London, UK. The lender
has been adjudged as the ‘Best Bank in India for 2022’.
The Bankers’ Bank of the Year Award is considered to be like Oscar award for the banking
sector and the winners are judged on their ability to deliver returns, strategy, innovation,
technology and product and services in their respective geographies in the last 12 months.
Other Winners:
• Global: BBVA has been awarded the Global Bank of the Year 2022.
• Asia-Pacific: Standard Chartered Bangladesh (SC Bangladesh) has bagged the 2022 Bank
of the Year award.
345. Federal Bank has launched the 'Football Fiesta' campaign with many prizes lined up to
celebrate the FIFA World Cup 2022. As per the campaign, the lender has introduced an
Augmented Reality (AR) filter for Instagram.
The lender has also released a visual representation of the bank’s musical logo (MOGO),
which is based on the Football World Cup.
346. Spice Money Limited, a rural fintech player, has collaborated with Axis Bank to facilitate
opening of instant, zero balance savings or current accounts for rural citizens through its
Adhikari network.
Through this collaboration, Spice Money aims to bridge the rural-urban divide and bring
financial inclusivity by providing access to banking products at doorstep.

347. The ICICI Lombard General Insurance has entered into a Bancassurance tie-up with AU
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Small Finance Bank to provide the bank’s diverse customers access to the Non-life insurer’s
portfolio and enhance penetration across India.
ICICI Lombard’s entire suite of products will be offered across 980+ banking touchpoints
spread over 20 states and two union territories.
348. Razorpay, India's Leading Full-Stack Payments and Banking Platform for Businesses, has
announced a first-of-its-kind move, in collaboration with Axis Bank, to enable merchants to
accept credit card transactions via Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with minimal changes
to the existing setup.
• With this, Razorpay has become India's first payment gateway to support Credit Card
Transactions on UPI.
• This facility has been enabled for the customers of HDFC Bank, Punjab National Bank,
Union Bank of India, and Indian Bank.
At present, UPI enables customers to make transactions through their bank accounts.
349. In its latest Migration and Development Brief 2022, World Bank has stated that India will
receive more than USD 100 billion in yearly remittances in 2022. This is for the first time a
single country will receive more than USD 100 billion in yearly remittances.
Key highlights:
• India remains the world’s top recipient of remittances.
• The growth of global remittance flows is expected to be 4.9% in 2022.
• Remittance flows to India will rise 12 percent which is ahead of China, Mexico, and the
Philippines.
• Remittances to South Asia grew an estimated 3.5% to USD 163 billion in 2022.
• Remittances flows to Europe and Central Asia are estimated to have increased by 10.3% to
USD 72 billion in 2022.
• Remittances to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are increased by an estimated
5% to USD 626 billion which is lower than the 10.2% increase in 2021.
• The World Bank’s Groundswell report estimated that internal climate migration may reach
up to 216 million people by 2050 due to slow-onset climate impacts.
350. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has extended the deadline for limiting
the volume cap to 30% for Third-Party Payment Application Providers (TPAP) in Unified
Payments Interface (UPI) by two years till 31st December 2024. At present, there is no
volume cap.

351. NSE Indices Limited, a subsidiary of the National Stock Exchange (NSE), has launched a
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new index 'Nifty Bharat Bond Index, April 2033' under the Nifty Bharat Bond Index within
the Nifty Bharat Bond Index series.
• The new tranche of the Bharat Bond ETF, India's first corporate bond exchange traded
fund (ETF), has been launched for New Fund Offer (NFO) of the ETF, which will open from
2nd to 8th December 2022.
• This new Bharat Bond ETF and Bharat Bond Fund of Fund (FOF) series will mature on 18th
April 2033.
The Bharat Bond Index series follows a target maturity date structure wherein each index in
the series measures the performance of a portfolio of 'AAA' rated bonds issued by
government owned entities maturing in a specific year.
RBI IN NEWS
352. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has published the Report on Trend and Progress of
Banking in India 2021-22. As per the report, the Gross Non-Performing Assets (GNPA) ratio
of Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs) has declined to 5% in September 2022 from 9% in
2017-18.
Key highlights:
• The consolidated balance sheet of SCBs showed double digit growth in 2021-22, after a
gap of 7 years, led by credit growth, which accelerated to a 10-year high in the first half of
this financial year ending March 2023.
• The capital to risk weighted assets ratio (CRAR) of SCBs strengthened from 16.3% at end-
March 2021 to 16.8% at end March 2022.
• The Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) sector also maintained liquidity buffers,
adequate provisioning, and a strong capital position during 2021-22.
• The financial performance of Urban Co-Operative Banks (UCBs) improved in 2021-22, due
to augmented capital buffers, a decline in GNPA ratio and improved profitability
indicators.
• In 2021-22, the reduction in NPAs was mainly contributed by written-off loans in the case
of Public sector banks (PSBs), while upgradation of loans was the primary driver for asset
quality improvement for private banks.
353. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the reappointment of Baskar Babu
Ramachandran, as the MD & CEO of the Suryoday Small Finance Bank for a further period
of three years, with effect from 23rd January 2023.

RBI has approved the appointment under terms of the provisions of Section 35B of the
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Banking Regulation Act 1949.
354. Worldline ePayments India, a leader in digital payments, has received in-principle
approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to act as a Payment Aggregator (PA) under
the provisions of the Guidelines on Regulation of Payment dated March 17, 2020.
355. Infibeam Avenues Ltd., India’s first listed payments infrastructure firm, has received
Perpetual Licence from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for its bill payments business,
BillAvenue. The licence will allow BillAvenue to function as a Bharat Bill Payment Operating
Unit (BBPOU) under Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS).
356. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed curbs on RazorPay and Cashfree Payments
for onboarding new merchants till they get the final Payment Aggregator (PA) license. Both
entities need to complete the migration of existing merchants to the new platform and
submit a progress report with RBI.
357. The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) six-member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has
released the ‘Monetary Policy Statement, 2022-23 Resolution of the MPC’. The MPC has
decided to remain focused on withdrawal of accommodation to ensure that inflation
remains within the target going forward, while supporting growth. The meeting has been
held from 5th December to 7th December 2022.
Key Highlights:
• Repo rate has increased by 35 basis points (bps) to 6.25 percent from 5.90 percent.
• GDP growth forecast for FY 2022-23 has projected at 6.8 percent (earlier 7.0%) with Q3 at
4.4 percent; and Q4 at 4.2 percent.
• The GDP growth for Q1FY24 is projected at 1% and at 5.9% for Q2.
• Inflation has been projected at 6.7-percent in 2022-23, with Q3 at 6.6 percent, and Q4 at
5.9 percent.
• The Consumer Price Index (CPI) Inflation for Q1FY24 is projected at 5% and for Q2 at
5.4%.
Policy rates as of December 2022

Repo rate 6.25%
Reverse Repo Rate 3.35%
Standing Deposit Facility (SDF) rate 6%
Marginal Standing Facility Rate 6.50%
Bank Rate 6.50%
Reserves Ratio as of December 2022
Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) 4.50%
Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) 18%

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Note- The next meeting of the RBI Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is scheduled to be
held during February 6 to 8, 2023.
Other Decisions:
• MPC has extended the dispensation of enhanced Held to Maturity (HTM) limit of 23
percent of Net Demand and Time Liabilities (NDTL), for Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR)
eligible securities up to 31st March 2024 in order to provide further flexibility to banks in
managing their investment portfolios.
• RBI has introduced a single-block-and-multiple debits functionality in Unified
Payments Interface (UPI) to enable customers to create a payment mandate against a
merchant by blocking funds in his/her bank account for specific purposes which can be
debited, whenever needed.
• RBI has decided to expand the scope of Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) to include all
categories of payments and collections, both recurring and non-recurring in nature.
• RBI has allowed resident entities from India to hedge gold price risks at the International
Financial Services Centre (IFSC).
• RBI has also mandated banks to not ask for verifications/updates at the branch level in
case a customer has done e-KYC or those who have completed the KYC process on the
central KYC portal.
• RBI has decided to restore pre-pandemic trading hours for some segments of money
markets and rupee interest rate derivatives. The pre-pandemic trading hours of 9 a.m. to
5 p.m. have been restored for the interbank call money market, the commercial paper
market, the market for certificates of deposits, repo in corporate bonds and rupee
interest rate derivatives.
Accommodative Stance:
It will be used to allow the money supply to rise in line with national income and the demand
for money. This will expand the overall money supply and boost the economy when the
economic growth is slowing down.
Monetary Policy Committee is a statutory body under the Reserve Bank of India Act
1934. It is headed by the RBI Governor including 5 members (2 officials of the RBI and 3
external members nominated by the Government of India). It meets 4 times in a year.
Current Monetary Policy Committee structure is:
• Shaktikanta Das – RBI Governor as a Head

• Other members - Dr. Shashanka Bhide, Dr. Ashima Goyal, Prof. Jayanth R. Varma, Dr.
Rajiv Ranjan, and Dr. Michael Debabrata Patra.

358. Japanese brokerage Nomura has projected India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth
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may slow down sharply to 5.1 percent in 2023-24 (FY24), forcing the Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) to cut the key repo rate by 75 basis points (bps) in the second half of 2023.
• As per Nomura, the RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will implement a “shallow
easing cycle” by decreasing the policy rate by 25 bps in August, October, and December
2023, resulting in a repo rate of 5.75% at the end of 2023.
• India’s CPI-based inflation will decline from 6.8% in FY23 to 5% in FY24, and 4.9% in FY25.
Note: RBI has forecasted 6.5% growth in FY24.
359. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has adopted a four-tiered regulatory framework, as
against the existing two-tiered framework, for the categorization of Urban Co-operative
Banks (UCBs).
The UCBs have been categorized into following four tiers for regulatory purposes:
Tier 1 - All unit UCBs and salary earners’ UCBs (irrespective of deposit size), and all other
UCBs having deposits up to Rs.100 crore.
Tier 2 - UCBs with deposits more than Rs.100 crore and up to Rs.1000 crore;
Tier 3 - UCBs with deposits more than Rs.1000 crore and up to Rs.10,000 crore;
Tier 4 - UCBs with deposits more than Rs.10,000 crore.
Minimum Net worth:

• Tier 1 UCBs operating in a single district should have minimum net worth of Rs.2 crore.
• All other UCBs (Tier 2, 3 and 4) tiers), the minimum net worth should be Rs 5 crore.
• If a UCB transits to a higher Tier on account of increase in deposits in any year, it may be
provided a glide path of up to a maximum of three years, to comply with higher regulatory
requirements.
Minimum CRAR requirement:

• Tier 1 UCBs have to maintain, as hitherto, a minimum capital to risk weighted assets ratio
(CRAR) of 9 percent of Risk Weighted Assets (RWAs) on an ongoing basis.
• Tier 2 to 4 UCBs have to maintain a minimum capital to risk weighted assets of 12
percent of RWAs on an ongoing basis.
Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has exchanged a letter of cooperation with the
Financial Services Agency (FSA), Japan in the field of Central Counter Parties (CCPs) to
improve mutual cooperation.
360. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recently launched its first pilot for retail digital Rupee
(e₹-R), a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) which is an electronic form of sovereign
currency.

Pilot coverage:
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• Eight banks have been identified for phase-wise participation in this pilot.
• The first phase will begin with four banks, viz., State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, Yes Bank
and IDFC First Bank in four cities across the country.
• Four more banks, viz., Bank of Baroda, Union Bank of India, HDFC Bank and Kotak
Mahindra Bank will join this pilot subsequently.
• The pilot will initially cover four cities, viz., Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru and
Bhubaneswar and later extend to Ahmedabad, Gangtok, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Indore,
Kochi, Lucknow, Patna and Shimla.
The scope of pilot may be expanded gradually to include more banks, users and locations as
needed.
Retail Digital Rupee (e₹-R):

• The e₹-R will be in the form of a digital token that represents legal tender.
• It will be issued in the same denominations that paper currency and coins are currently
issued.
• It will be distributed through intermediaries, i.e., banks.
• Users will be able to transact with e₹-R through a digital wallet offered by the participating
banks and stored on mobile phones / devices.
• Transactions can be both Person to Person (P2P) and Person to Merchant (P2M).
• Payments to merchants can be made using QR codes displayed at merchant locations.
• The e₹-R will offer features of physical cash like trust, safety and settlement.
• It will not earn any interest and can be converted to other forms of money, like deposits
with banks.
361. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has granted a conditional approval to the Carlyle Group
and Verventa Holdings to acquire 9.99 percent of paid up share capital each in Yes Bank
through subscription to equity shares and share warrants of the Bank.
AWARDS & RECOGNITION

362. Indian scientist, Professor Thalappil Pradeep, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras,
has received the VinFuture special prize 2022 in Hanoi, Vietnam. He has been awarded the
“Special Prize for Innovators from Developing Countries” for inventing a low-cost filtration
system to remove arsenic and other heavy metals from groundwater, helping hundreds of
millions of people around the world living with contaminated water get access to clean water.
VinFuture Prize:
It is an annual international award that honours remarkable scientific breakthroughs and
promotes innovations for mankind, with involvement from world-renowned scientists,
policymakers, business leaders, and Prize holders. It is the first influential and worldwide
prize to be founded in Vietnam, and it is hosted by the VinFuture Foundation.

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363. Two of the premiere institutes under the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences
(CCRAS) of the Ministry of Ayush namely, Central Ayurveda Research Institute (CARI), New
Delhi, and Central Ayurveda Research Institute, Jhansi, have been accredited with the
National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH) and the National
Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accreditations,
respectively.
• CARI, New Delhi is the first institute under CCRAS to receive the official accreditation of
NABH.
• Apart from these two CCRAS institutes, National Ayurveda Research Institute for
Panchakarma (NARIP), Cheruthuruthy, Thrissur, Kerala has also got NABL M(EL)T
accreditation for its clinical laboratory services.
NABH:
It is the parent board of the Quality Council of India, which has been set up to establish and
run accreditation Programs of healthcare organizations. Official accreditation focuses on
patient safety and quality of health care based on national/international standards.
364. The Sahitya Akademi has announced the winners of Sahitya Akademi Award 2022, the
annual award that recognises the literary works in 24 Indian languages (including English).
The 2022 winners includes 7 books of poetry, 6 novel, 2 short stories, 3 dramas/plays, 2
literary criticism and 1 each under Autobiographical Essays, a Collection of Articles and
Literary History.
India author Anuradha Roy has won the coveted Sahitya Akademi Award 2022 in the English
language for her novel 'All The Lives We Never Lived', which was published in 2018.
Sahitya Akademi Awards 2022
Language Title and Genre Name of the Author

Assamese Bhool Satya (Short Stories) Manoj Kumar Goswami
Bodo Sansrini Modira (Poetry) Rashmi Choudhury
Dogri Chhe Roopak (Drama) Veena Gupta
English All The Lives We Never Anuradha Roy
Lived (Novel)
Gujarati Gher Jatan Gulam Mohammad
(Autobiographical Essays) Shaikh
Hindi Tumadi Ke Shabd Badri Narayan
(Poetry)
Kannada Bahutvada Bhaarata Mudnakudu
mattu Bouddha Taatvikate Chinnaswamy
(Collection of Articles)

Kashmiri Zael Dab (Literary Farooq Fayaz
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Criticism)
Konkani Amrutvel (Novel) Maya Anil Kharangate
Maithili Pen-Drive Me Prithvi Ajit Azad
(Poetry)
Malayalam Ashaante Seethayanam M. Thomas Mathew
(Literary Criticism)
Manipuri Leironnung (Poetry) Koijam Shantibala
Marathi Ujavya Sondechya Bahulya Praveen Dashrath
(Novel) Bandekar
Nepali Saino (Drama) K.B. Nepali
Odia Dayanadi (Poetry) Gayatribala Panda
Punjabi Main Aynghosh Nahi Sukhjit
(Short Stories)
Rajasthani Alekhun Amba (Play) Kamal Ranga
Sanskrit Deepmanikyam (Poetry) Janardan Prasad
Pandey ‘Mani’
Santali Sabarnaka Balire Sanan’ Kajli Soren (Jagannath
Panjay (Poetry) Soren)
Sindhi Sindhi Sahit Jo Mukhtasar Kanhaiyalal Lekhwani
Itihas (Literary History)
Tamil Kaala Paani (Novel) M. Rajendran
Telugu Manodharmaparagam Madhuranthakam
(Novel) Narendra
Urdu Khwab Saraab (Novel) Anis Ashfaq
Sahitya Akademi Awards:

It was established in 1954. It is presented to recognize and promote excellence in Indian
writing and also acknowledge new trends. The award comprises a plaque and a cash prize of
Rs.1, 00,000.
365. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) Headquarter in New Delhi has won
the prestigious GRIHA Exemplary Performance Award 2022, a top national level Green
Building Award.
• UIDAI HQ has been declared a winner among the existing highest rated building category.
• UIDAI utilizes the concept of recycle and reuse to reduce carbon footprint.
• It is using solar power for energy consumption, and on an average 25% to 30% of its daily
water consumption is coming from recycled water.
UIDAI has also been honoured with the Data Security Council of India’s (DSCI) Excellence
Award 2022 under the 'Best Security Practices in Government Sector' category.

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GRIHA Rating System:
GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) is an indigenous rating system
developed by Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI). It is a national rating system for green
buildings in India.
366. The Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize 2021-22 has been jointly won by Sudeep Sen for
his genre and form bender “Anthropocene: Climate Change, Contagion, Consolation” (Pippa
Rann Books & Media, 2021) and Shobhana Kumar for her haibun collection “A Sky Full of
Bucket Lists” (Red River, 2021). The award carries a cash prize of USD 10,000 each.
The Tagore Prize for social achievement has been awarded to Sanjay K Roy, producer of the
Jaipur Literature Festival.
The Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize was started in 2018 to annually recognise literary and
social accomplishments. This award has been initiated by Peter Bundalo of the United States
(US)-based independent and non-profit publishing house Maitreya Publishing Foundation
(MPF) to honour the legacy of Rabindranath Tagore.
367. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has won key recognition in Wharton-QS
Reimagine Education Awards 2022, referred to as ‘Oscars of Education’, during the event
held at the Wharton Campus, Philadelphia, United States of America (USA).
• IIT Madras’ BS (Bachelor’s Degrees) in Data Science and Application has won a silver prize
in the ‘Best Online Programme’ category.
• The National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL), a joint initiative of
IITs and Indian Institute of Science (IISc), has won gold in the ‘Lifelong Learning category’.
• Educational Initiatives’ Mindspark: Leveraging AI to Enhance Learning Outcomes has won
Silver in the ‘AI in Education Award’ category.
The Wharton-QS Reimagine Education Awards recognise and celebrate outstanding

achievements of educators, institutions and organisations that drive innovation and
excellence in education. The award categories are designed to reflect the diversity and
breadth of the education sector.
368. Prabhu Chandra Mishra has been honoured with the Atal Samman Award (Atal Anveshi
Shikhar Samman) for his excellence in the field of science & research. His area of work is
StemCell & Regenerative Medicine in infertility, especially when In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) also
fails.
He has been honoured during the 9th Atal Samman Samaroh, on the birth anniversary of
former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

369. Vishal Mittal, an Indian student at the University of Canberra (UC), Australia, has won the
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Ambassador of Change Award for his outstanding work as a Student Mentor and
contribution to the University of Canberra (UC) community. He is one of the 9 Ambassadors
of Change, who are recognized for their work in various areas.
The award has been presented at the official awards night hosted by the University’s Equity
and Participation team, which coincides with World Access to Higher Education Day.
370. Indian scientist Mahima Swamy, who hails from Bengaluru, Karnataka, has been chosen to
join the prestigious European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Young Investigator
network. She has been recognized as one of the top talents in biology- Immunology in
Europe.
• Mahima Swamy’s membership is between 2023-26 and her subject area is immunology.
• She is one among 24 researchers in the EMBO Young Investigator network.
EMBO Young Investigator network:

It is a Global network of young group leaders who demonstrated excellence in their fields.
EMBO Young Investigators receive an award of 15,000 euros in the second year of their
tenure and can apply for additional grants of up to 10,000 euros per year.
371. The Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), Government of Rajasthan,
has been honoured with the "Effective Government Communication Award" for taking
public welfare schemes through digital media to the general public and the beneficiaries.
• The award has been given by the Public Relations Society of India (PSRI) during the 44th
Annual Convention of PSRI held in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
• The department has done innovations like the Information e-Bulletin, Sujus Video Bulletin,
and Sujus Awaaz (Podcast) through which information about daily news, interviews of
beneficiaries, and important government decisions are made available.
372. The United Nations (UN) has honoured 4 veteran diplomats and a US lawmaker with the
2022 'Diwali Stamp- The Power of One' Award, also known as ‘Oscars of Diplomacy’, for
their efforts in working towards a peaceful and secure world.
Award Winner 2022:

• Former Permanent Representative of Georgia to the UN Kaha Imnadze
• Former Permanent Representative of Grenada to the United Nations Keisha McGuire
• Former Permanent Representative of Bulgaria to the UN Georgi Velikov Panayotov
• Former Permanent Representative of Benin to the UN Jean-Claude do Rego
• Former Chairman, Foreign Affairs Committee of the US House of Representatives Eliot
Lance Engel
Diwali Stamp-The Power of One Award:

It is presented to former top diplomats of the United Nations or a member state for their
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effort to help form a more perfect, peaceful and secure world for all. The award was
established by Diwali Foundation USA. The Diwali Foundation USA was founded in 2017 to
promote a peaceful and consensus based process to achieve societal goods.
373. ACC Limited, the cement and building materials company of Adani Cement, has won the
National Award for Safety Excellence (FY2021-22) at the 10th Global Safety Summit (GSS) in
the Large Enterprise-Cement Manufacturing sector.
Global Safety Summit (GSS):

It is an annual conference, organized by Fire & Safety Forum a duly registered Non-
Governmental Organization in India, founded in 2009. It is the first international certification
and assessment body in India to create certification standards in accordance with the
American National Standard Institute in the United States.
374. Dharmadam, the constituency of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, 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.
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.
375. International cyclist Swasti Singh, hailing from Odisha, has been honoured with the 30th
Ekalabya Puraskar for the year 2022 during a programme organized by Indian Metals Public
Charitable Trust (IMPaCT), the charitable wing of IMFA. She has received a cash award of Rs.5
lakh, a citation, and a trophy. She has been honoured for her performance from 1st April
2022 to 31st March 2022 at both national and international levels.
Indian Women’s Footballer Pyari Xaxa, hailing from Odisha and Indian field hockey player
Shilandra Lakra from Odisha have been recognized with citations and cash awards of
Rs.50,000 each.
Ekalabya Puraskar:
It was instituted by Indian Metals Public Charitable Trust (IMPaCT) of IMFA, a leading Ferro
Alloys producer, in the country, in 1993. The annual award aims to encourage and inspire
young sportspersons to perform at national and international levels. It is recognized as the
most prestigious sports award of Odisha.
376. Tata Steel has been certified as 'Great Place to Work' by Great Place to Work Institute for
2023. This is the 6th consecutive year that the company has received the recognition for its
efforts towards building an inclusive and sustainable organisation.

377. JioBusiness, the Enterprise arm of Reliance Jio Infocomm, has won the Indian Oil
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Corporation Ltd (IOCL) order for providing SD-WAN (Software Defined Wide Area Network)
solution that will power IOCL's retail automation and critical business processes, such as
payment processing, daily price updates, Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) software and
network monitoring with enterprise-grade connectivity, Quality of Service (QOS) and 24x7
support across 28 states and 8 Union Territories.
Reliance Jio will be deploying and managing SD-WAN for IOCL across its 7,200 retail outlets
for a period of 5 years.
378. The Government of India (GoI) has recently granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag
to 9 new products from different states, including the Attappady Aattukombu Avara,
Gamosa, Alibag White Onion, Tandur Redgram etc. Out of the 9 GI tags that are granted, five
are for products from Kerala.
• With this, the total number of GI tags in India comes to 432, of which 401 are Indian-origin
products, 31 foreign-origin.
• Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are states with the highest number of GI tags, followed by
Kerala (35), Uttar Pradesh (34), and Maharashtra (31).
Products State
Tandur Redgram Telangana
Gamosa Assam
Raktsey Karpo Ladakh
apricot
Alibag White Maharashtra
Onion
Attappady Kerala
Aattukombu Avara
Kodungallur Snap Kerala
Melon
Kanthalloor Kerala
Vattavada Garlic
Attappady Kerala
Thuvara
Onattukara Kerala
Sesame
Recently, the GoI supported the promotion of GIs by approving an expenditure of Rs.75 crore
for three years for their advertising at awareness programmes.
379. Bollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha has been awarded PETA (People for Ethical Treatment
of Animals) India’s 2022 Person of the Year title for advocating Animal Adoption & Vegan
Fashion. She has been awarded for her strong support for dog and cats rights.

John Abraham and Fatima Sana Sheikh have been named PETA India’s Most Beautiful
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Vegetarians of 2022.
380. India’s Sargam Koushal (Jammu & Kashmir) has won the Mrs World 2022 title, bringing the
crown back to India after 21 years. She has won the title after besting contestants from 63
countries. Mrs World 2021, Shaylyn Ford of the US, has presented the crown to her in a
ceremony held at Las Vegas, USA.
Mrs World:
It is the first beauty pageant for married women, conceived in 1984. From 1984 to 1987, the
pageant was known as Mrs Woman of the World and was changed to Mrs World in 1988.
Rosy Senanayake (Sri Lanka) was the winner of the first Mrs World in 1984.
381. Sethrichem Sangtam, who runs an NGO, ‘Better Life Foundation’, which works with
farmers in eastern Nagaland, has won the first Rohini Nayyar Prize for Outstanding
Contribution to Rural Development. He works with nearly 1,200 farmers in Nagaland’s
Tuensang and Kiphire to promote sustainable farming practices and help farmers’ transition
from slash-and-burn to settled cultivation. He helps farmers grow fruit such as kiwi and
apple.
Rohini Nayyar Prize:

The prize has been instituted in memory of Rohini Nayyar, renowned economist who worked
with the Planning Commission. The award carries a cash prize of Rs.10 lakh, a citation, and
trophy.
382. PepsiCo India has appointed Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif as brand ambassador of its
packaged drinking water brand, Aquafina. She was earlier the brand ambassador for the
company’s fruit flavoured sugar drink Slice for the last 16 years.
383. Sports brand Puma India has roped in Bollywood actress and entrepreneur Anushka
Sharma as its new brand ambassador, part of its ongoing commitment towards the women
consumer segment in India. She will endorse the brand’s footwear, apparel and accessories,
including select collections through myriad activities and brand campaigns throughout the
year.
384. Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan has become the only Indian to feature on the 50
Greatest Actors of All Time List of Empire Magazine, a British monthly film magazine. The list
also includes an iconic dialogue of Shah Rukh from the film Jab Tak Hai Jaan: “Everyday life kills
us a little. A bomb will kill you only once.”
• He made his film debut with the commercially successful Deewana (1992).
• His notable works: ‘Devdas’, ‘My Name is Khan’, ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’, ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’,
and ‘Swades’.

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385. The 7th edition of the Digital India Awards (DIA) 2022 has been presented to inspire and
motivate not only government entities but also startups in fulfilling the Digital India vision.
The Smart Cities Mission, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has won the Platinum Icon
in the Digital India Awards 2022 under the Data Sharing and Use for Socio-Economic
Development category for their initiative “DataSmart Cities: Empowering Cities through Data”.
Other awardees in different categories:
a. Digital Empowerment of Citizens:
Award Winners
Platinum e-NAM
Gold Transport Mission Mode Project
(eTransport)
Silver Judgment Search Portal
b. Digital Initiatives at Grassroot Level:

Award Winners
Platinum e-Vivechna App (MP)
Gold DeGS Computer Basic Training
Grassroot level (Jharkhand)
Silver Ksheerasree Portal (Kerala)
c. Digital Initiatives for Ease of Doing Business:

Award Winners
Platinum Mine Mitra (UP)
Gold eAbkari (Odisha)
Silver Invest Punjab
d. Data Sharing and Use for Socio Economic Development:

Award Winners
Platinum Smart Cities Mission, M/o Housing and
Urban Affairs
Gold Central Board of Secondary Education
(CBSE)
Silver Center for e-governance (Karnataka)
e. Public Digital Platforms - Central Ministries, Departments and States:

Award Winners- States
Platinum DUARE SARKAR
(West Bengal)
Gold e-Services Manipur

Award Winners- Central
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Ministries,
Departments
Platinum ICEGATE Portal
Gold eShram
f. Digital Initiatives in Collaboration with Startups:

Award Winners
Platinum Digital Workforce Management
System (Kerala)
Gold Smart Nutrient Management of the
Soil (Telangana)
Silver Digital Deposit Refund System
(Uttarakhand)
g. Best Web & Mobile Initiatives Complying with GIGW & Accessibility Guidelines:
Award Winners
Platinum Bilaspur District Website (Chhattisgarh)
Gold Website of Kottayam District (Kerala)
Silver Website of Central Institute of
Petrochemicals Engineering &
Technology
Digital India Awards, instituted in 2009, are one of a kind in India for honouring the efforts of
different Government entities in the digital realm. These are conducted by the National
Informatics Centre (NIC) under the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY).
These awards are instituted under the aegis of National Portal of India to encourage and
honour innovative digital solutions by government entities at all levels.
386. According to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), 3 new Cultural Sites in India have
been added to the provisional list of United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites. These sites are:
• Sun Temple, Modhera, Gujarat and its adjoining monuments.

• Vadnagar: A multi-layered Historic town, Gujarat, which is also the birthplace of Prime
Minister Narendra Modi.
• Rock-cut Sculptures and Reliefs of the Unakoti, Unakoti Range, Unakoti District, Tripura.
Sun Temple, Modhera, Gujarat

The Sun Temple in Modhera, Gujarat, is dedicated to Surya Dev and is situated on the left
bank of the Pushpavati River, a tributary of the River Rupan.

Vadnagar – a multi-layered Historic town, Gujarat
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Vadnagar is a municipality in Mehsana district of Gujarat. It is a multi-layered historic town
that has been inhabited continuously for more than 2,700 years, dating back nearly to the 8th
century BCE.
Rock-cut Sculptures and Reliefs of the Unakoti, Tripura

Unakoti, the chiselled “Angkor Wat of the NorthEast,” is a series of Shaivite rock sculptures
found in the northern region of Tripura. It is renowned as an ancient holy site associated with
Shaiva worship. Unakoti, located in the Raghunandan hills about 180 kilometres from
Agartala, is home to massive bas-relief sculptures from the 8th and 9th centuries.
Note: There are 40 sites in India that have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
387. NMDC Limited, formerly known as National Mineral Development Corporation, under the
Ministry of Steel, has won the coveted IEI (Institution of Engineers, India) Industry
Excellence Award 2022 at the 37th Indian Engineering Congress for its outstanding
performance and high level of business excellence in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
388. The 22nd edition of the Miss Earth pageant has been held at the Okada Manila in
Parañaque, Metro Manila, Philippines.
• Mina Sue Choi of South Korea has been crowned Miss Earth 2022.
• This is the first time South Korea won the Miss Earth pageant, one of the Big Four
international beauty pageants.
• She has been crowned by Destiny Wagner of Belize, Miss Earth 2021.
Other winners:
• Miss Fire 2022: Andrea Aguilera of Colombia
• Miss Air 2022: Sheridan Mortlock of Australia
• Miss Water 2022: Nadeen Ayoub of Palestine
• Vanshika Parmar of Nadaun, Hamirpur (Himachal Pradesh) has been crowned as Miss
Earth India 2022.
389. Actor-producer Priyanka Chopra Jonas, aeronautical engineer Sirisha Bandla, Booker-
winning author Geetanjali Shree and social worker Sneha Jawale have been featured on the
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)’s 100 Women list 2022, a list of 100 inspiring and
influential women from around the world for 2022.
1. Sneha Jawale:
She is a domestic abuse victim turned social worker. She is also a tarot card reader and
scriptwriter. She is set to star in a theatre play, ‘Nirbhaya’, named after the 2012 Delhi gang-
rape victim and based on the experiences of survivors of violence.
2. Priyanka Chopra Jonas:

She is the former Miss World (2000) and Indian actress. She has acted in more than 60 films
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since her debut in 2002. She became the first South Asian actress to lead an American
network drama series ‘Quantico’ in 2015. She is also UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.
3. Sirisha Bandla:
She is an Indian-American aeronautical engineer. She went to edge of space as part of the
historic 2021 Unity 22 mission, Virgin Galactic’s first fully crewed sub-orbital spaceflight. She
became the second woman born in India to go to space.
4. Geetanjali Shree:
She is the first Hindi writer to win the International Booker Prize 2022 for ‘Tomb of the Sand’,
the English translation of her novel ‘Ret Samadhi’. She writes fiction in Hindi and non-fiction
in Hindi and English.
From the world of politics, Ursula von der Leyen, the first female President of the European
Commission, Mia Mottley, the first female Prime Minister of Barbados and Ukraine’s First
Lady, Olena Zelenska, also make the list.
390. Time Magazine has named Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and "the spirit of
Ukraine”, embodied by countless individuals inside and outside the country, as its 2022
Person of the Year.
Volodymyr Zelensky has been recognised internationally for his courage in resisting the
Russian invasion.
Other awardees:
Time's 2022 Heroes of the year: Women in Iran
Time's 2022 Entertainer of the year: K-pop band Blackpink
Time’s 2022 Athlete of the Year: American baseballer Aaron Judge
Time’s 2022 Icon of the Year: Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh
Note: Time first presented its Person of the Year award in 1927.
391. The Quaide Milleth Award for Probity in Political / Public Life 2022 has been awarded to
Dravidar Kazhagam President K. Veeramani and The Wire (India) Media.
• K. Veeramani has been recognised for upholding the ideas and taking ahead the DK
motion.
• The Wire has been recognized for its excellent contribution to journalistic excellence
based mostly on worth and excessive ideas of equity and ethics.
The award, named after Quaide Milleth Mohamed Ismail Sahib, is given yearly to veterans in
political and public life with deep dedication to constitutional values, secularism, pluralism,
inclusivism and concern for marginalised folks, in keeping with a belief press launch.

392. Three medicinal plant species, Meizotropis pellita, Fritillaria cirrhosa, Dactylorhiza
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hatagirea, found in the Himalayas have been added to the IUCN Red List of Threatened
Species following a recent assessment.
This assessment in the Himalayan region shows deforestation, habitat loss, forest fires, illegal
trade and climate change pose a serious threat to the species. The fresh data is expected to
aid conservation efforts in the region.
Meizotropis pellita:
It is commonly known as Patwa. It is a perennial shrub with a restricted distribution that is
endemic to Uttarakhand. It was listed as ‘critically endangered’ based on its limited area of
occupancy (less than 10 sq. km).
Use: The essential oil extracted from the leaves of the species possesses strong antioxidants
and can be a promising natural substitute for synthetic antioxidants in pharmaceutical
industries.
Fritillaria cirrhosa:
It is commonly known as Himalayan fritillary. It is a perennial bulbous herb. It was listed as
‘Vulnerable’.
Use: In China, the species is used for the treatment of bronchial disorders and pneumonia.
The plant is also a strong cough suppressant and a source of expectorant drugs in traditional
Chinese medicine.
Dactylorhiza hatagirea:
It is commonly known as Salampanja. It is a perennial tuberous species endemic to the
Hindu Kush and Himalayan ranges of Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, and Pakistan.
It was listed as ‘endangered’.
Use: It is used in Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and other alternative systems of medicine to cure
dysentery, gastritis, chronic fever, cough and stomach aches.
393. Former vice president Venkaiah Naidu has been honoured with the 25th Sri
Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi National Eminence Award (SIES) for public leadership.
Other awardees in various categories included:

Governor of Kerala Arif Mohammed Khan, eminent industrialist Ratan Tata, renowned
cardiologist and Padma Vibhushan awardee Dr Marthanda Varma Sankaran Valianathan,
Scientific Advisor to the Government of India Ajay Sood and famous Harikatha artiste
Vishakha Hari.
SIES Award:

It was set up in 1932 by M. V. Venkateshwaran in Mumbai. The awards are given in the fields
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of public leadership, community leadership, science and technology, and social thinkers who
have made outstanding contributions in their respective fields.
394. The 2022 Asian Academy Creative Awards, Asia Pac's most prestigious awards for
creative excellence, have been presented at Chijmes Hall in Singapore.
List of Indian Award Winners:
2022 Asian Academy Creative Awards
Category Winners
Best Current Affairs “Ganga River From The Skies” by
Programme or Series National Geographic India
Best Factual Presenter Esha Paul – “Inside The Opioid Crisis
Gripping This Himalayan State” by
Vice Media Asia Pacific, Vice World
News
Best Infotainment “My Daughter Joined A Cult” by
Programme Discovery Communications India
Best Lifestyle Programme “Say Yes To The Dress India” by
Discovery Communications India
Best Cinematography Shreya Dube – “Thar” by Anil
Kapoor Film Company/Netflix
Best Direction (Fiction) Basil Joseph – “Minnal Murali” by
Weekend Blockbusters, Netflix
Best Single “Qatil Haseenaon Ke Naam” (“Ode
Drama/Telemovie/Anthology to Femme Fatales”) by Zee Zindagi,
Episode Zee5, & Zee Entertainment
395. Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL) has been awarded with the Federation of Indian
Chambers of Commerce & Industry Corporate Social Responsibility (FICCI CSR) Special
Commendation Award for its efforts to counter the COVID-19 pandemic. The award has
been presented by the Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda to company executives in
New Delhi.
Efforts taken by JSPL:
• After the announcement of the COVID-19 lockdown, JSP launched a special initiative,
‘Mission Zero Hunger’ in three states, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand, to feed truck
drivers, stranded migrant labourers, and the poor. This initiative was later extended to
Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra, delivering more than 2 million meals.

• During the second COVID wave, the steelmaker supplied more than 5,000 tonnes of Liquid
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Medical Oxygen (LMO) by road and Indian Railway’s Oxygen Express to 13 states. It also
provided two cryogenic tankers to the Odisha government for LMO transportation.
NTPC Limited has been conferred with the prestigious FICCI Special Jury Commendation
Awards in the category- Environmental Sustainability for the project - Revival & Operation
of Municipal Solid Waste plant at Karsada, Varanasi.
396. Chennai-based gastroenterologist K. R. Palaniswamy has been presented the 2022

Masters of the World Gastroenterology Organization (WGO) Award for his contributions
to the field of gastroenterology. He has received the award at the World Congress of
Gastroenterology being held in Dubai.
397. SpiceJet has been awarded the 'Safety Performer of the Year' award by GMR Delhi
Airport Awards 2022. The award acknowledged its top performance among the self-handling
airlines and its efforts to reduce ground safety violations significantly.
398. The 3 Indian-origin women, Neelima Kadiala, Dr. Ana Baburamani, and Dr. Indrani
Mukherjee, are among 60 scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians who have
been selected as 'STEM Superstars' by Science & Technology Australia (STA) to undertake a
2-year program (2023-24).
STEM Superstar is an initiative aimed at breaking the gendered perceptions of society about
scientists.
399. Kerala’s Man-Animal Conflict Mitigation Team has been selected for the Wildlife Trust
of India Award 2022. An eight-member team from Chinnakkanal that comes under the
Munnar forest division, which has been instrumental in bringing down the incidents of
man-animal conflict in the region, has won recognition for its efforts in ensuring the
protection of the wild elephants and people in the region.
400. The Manthan platform has won NSEIT the Best Tech Initiative of the Year award at the
Dun & Bradstreet Business Excellence Awards 2022 during an event in Mumbai. The award
has been presented for building the technology infrastructure to support Manthan, a
platform that promotes collaboration at scale between industry and the scientific research
and development ecosystem.
Manthan platform:
• Manthan aims to promote collaboration between industry and the scientific research and
development ecosystem.
• It was launched on India’s 76th Independence Day.

• Manthan empowers multiple stakeholders to collaborate for co-creating solutions aligned
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with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and our national scientific
missions.
• The platform was designed and implemented by the Office of the Principal Scientific
Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India.
Dun & Bradstreet Business Excellence Awards 2022:

The Dun & Bradstreet SME and Mid-Corporate ‘Business Excellence Awards 2022’ is an
endeavour to acknowledge and recognize the achievements and performance of SMEs and
Mid-Corporates. The award covers 23 categories largely based on business performance
parameters.
401. The Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize 2022 has been awarded to "The Chipko
Movement: A People’s Movement", a book on the popular forest conservation campaign
Chipko Movement written by a historian and an activist Shekhar Pathak. This is the 5th
edition of the award.
The book has been translated from Hindi by Manisha Chaudhry.
Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize:

It was instituted by the New India Foundation in 2018. It is given for the best non-fiction book
on modern / contemporary India published in the previous year.
This prize is named to honour the legacy of Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, a great patriot and
institution-builder who contributed significantly to the Indian freedom struggle, the women’s
movement, theatre resurgence, refugee rehabilitation and the renewal of handicrafts. The
award carries a cash prize of Rs.15 lakh, a trophy, and a citation.
402. The 2022 Burgundy Private Hurun India 500, the 2nd edition of the list that ranks the 500
most valuable firms in India, has been published by Burgundy Private, Axis Bank’s Private
Banking Business, and Hurun India.
Most Valuable Listed Company in India:

As per the list, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) is the most valuable listed company in
India, with a valuation of Rs.17.2 lakh crore, up 3.6% from 2021. It is followed by TCS and
HDFC Bank.
India’s Largest Private Employer:

As per the list, TCS, which employs 5,92,195 people, is the largest private employer in India. It
is followed by Quess Corp Limited, and Reliance Industries Limited (RIL).
Most-valuable industrial group:

The most-valuable industrial group in the list is Tata Group with Rs 20 trillion market value.
Most Valuable Unlisted Company:

India's pharmaceutical firm Serum Institute of India has topped as the India's most valuable
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company in unlisted space. It is followed by BYJU’s and the National Stock Exchange of India
(NSE).
403. Prince William, Prince of Wales, has announced the winners of the Earthshot Prize 2022,
the 2nd edition of the annual awards, at the awards ceremony held at the MGM Music Hall in
Boston, USA.
Category Winners of the Earthshot Prize 2022 About
Clean our Air Mukuru Clean Stoves, Kenya A start-up providing

cleaner-burning stoves to
women in Kenya to reduce
unhealthy indoor pollution
and provide a safer way to
cook.
Protect and Kheyti, India A pioneering solution for
Restore Nature local smallholder farmers
to reduce costs, increase
yields and protect
livelihoods in a country on
the frontlines of climate
change.
Revive our Indigenous Women of the Great An inspiring women led
Oceans Barrier Reef, Australia program that combines
60,000 years of indigenous
knowledge with digital
technologies to protect
land and sea.
Build a Waste- Notpla, United Kingdom A circular solution creating
free World an alternative to plastic
packaging from seaweed.
Fix our Climate 44.01, Oman Created by childhood
friends who have
developed an innovative
technique to turn CO2 into
rock, and permanently
store it underground.
The Earthshot Prize is awarded to five winners each year for their contributions to
environmentalism. It was first awarded in 2021 and is planned to run annually until 2030.
Each winner receives a grant of £1 million to develop their innovation.

404. Farmkart's founder and CEO Atul Patidar has won the prestigious 'Pride of Central India
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2022' award for transforming the lives of rural farmers.
• Union Minister of Civil Aviation of India Jyotiraditya Scindia has handed over the award to
Farmkart CEO Atul Patidar at a ceremony held in New Delhi on 1st December 2022.
• Dainik Bhaskar’s ‘Pride of Central India’ honours people with exceptional and inspirational
work in education, health, art, business, and social work.
405. Researchers from the Public Health Foundation of India and the University of Leicester
have been awarded a prestigious grant of nearly £10 million by the National Institute for
Health and Care Research (NIHR) Global Health Research Centre, UK.
• This grant help to improve the health outcomes and re-orient health systems to effectively
address multiple long-term conditions (MLTCs) or multimorbidity in India and Nepal.
• The researchers will collaborate with the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS),
Jodhpur, Health Related Information Dissemination Amongst Youth (HRIDAY), Delhi, and
Kathmandu Medical College (KMC), Kathmandu, Nepal.
406. Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP), a Pune-based Non-Governmental Organization (NGO),

has been awarded the Local Adaptation Champions Award in the capacity and knowledge
category, organised by the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) at the COP27 Climate Summit
held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
• The award has been conferred for the work in supporting women farmers to adopt more
resilient and sustainable agricultural practices in Marathwada, Maharashtra, where a
focus on water-intensive cash crops currently leaves farmers exposed to climate shocks
such as poor and uncertain monsoon seasons.
• The award constitutes 15,000 euros as cash, certificate and memento.
407. Indian billionaires Gautam Adani, HCL Technologies's Shiv Nadar, and Happiest Minds
Technologies' Ashok Soota are the three Indians who have been named in the 16th edition
of Forbes Asia’s Heroes of Philanthropy list.
• Gautam Adani has been listed for pledging Rs.60,000 crores ($7.7 billion) when he turned
60 in June 2022 and this made him one of India’s most generous philanthropists.
• Shiv Nadar has donated Rs.11,600 crore ($142 million) in 2022 to the Shiv Nadar
foundation, established in 1994.
• Ashok Soota has pledged Rs.600 crore (USD 75 million) to the medical research trust,
founded in April 2021 for the study of ageing and neurological illnesses.
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Malaysian-Indian businessman Brahmal Vasudevan and his lawyer wife Shanthi Kandiah
have also named in the list.
Forbes Asia’s Heroes of Philanthropy list is an unranked list that highlights leading altruists in
the Asia-Pacific region who demonstrated a strong personal commitment to philanthropic
causes.
408. An Indian-origin teacher in Melbourne, Australia, Veena Nair, has received the 2022 Prime
Minister's Prize for Excellence in science teaching in the secondary schools category. She
has been awarded for demonstrating practical application of STEAM (Science, Technology,
Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) to students, and how they can use their skills to make a
real impact in the world.
Prime Minister's Prize for Science is the most prestigious prize in Australia for outstanding
achievements in scientific research, research-based innovation, and excellence in science
teaching.
409. President of India Droupadi Murmu has conferred the National Awards for the
Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities for the year 2021 and 2022 on the occasion of
International Day of Persons with Disabilities (3rd December) at a function in New Delhi. She
has felicitated 52 persons with disabilities for their laudable contribution in their fields.
The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) of the Ministry of

Social Justice and Empowerment gives away the National Awards for the Empowerment of
Persons with Disabilities every year to individuals, institutions, organisations, state/district,
etc. for their outstanding achievements and work done towards empowerment of persons
with disabilities
BOOKS & AUTHORS

410. C Rangarajan has authored a book titled “Forks in the Road: My Days at RBI and Beyond”.
The book has been published by the Penguin Business (Penguin Group).
• This book is a memoir of Dr C. Rangarajan, an Indian economist, a former Member of

Parliament, and the 19th Governor of the Reserve Bank of India.
• The book includes his journey as an economist and RBI Governor and brings to light some
of the hidden truths surrounding India's economic history.
411. Historian Dr Vikram Sampath has authored a book titled ‘Bravehearts of Bharat:
Vignettes from Indian History’. The book is published by Penguin Viking. The book
chronicles the stories of courage, determination and victory, which largely remained untold
and therefore unknown for a long time.

412. An autobiography titled ‘Sultan-A Memoir Wasim Akram with Gideon Haigh’ has been
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released. Sultan is the official biography of Wasim Akram, the "sultan of swing", one of the
greatest fast bowlers in the history of cricket. The book is published by Hardie Grant Books.
The book tells the story of Wasim Akram who was groomed by Imran Khan to become World
Champion and Man of the Match in Pakistan’s World Cup victory in 1992.
413. Retired Air Marshal P.V. Iyer, who runs 8 km a day, has authored a book titled “Fit At Any
Age: A Practitioner’s Guide”, in which he tells how people can make fitness part of their
everyday activities at any age, leaving sufficient time for leisure. The book is published by
Bloomsbury India.
414. The Oxford English Dictionary has selected 'Goblin mode' as the word of the year 2022 by
an online vote. The word has received 93% of the votes against contenders “metaverse” and
“I#StandWith”.
• ‘Goblin Mode’ is a “slang term” means “a type of behaviour which is unapologetically self-
indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations”.
• The word is often used in the expressions ‘in goblin mode’ or ‘to go goblin mode’.
• The word ‘Goblin mode’ was first introduced on Twitter in 2009.
PERSON IN NEWS
415. Former Supreme Court judge Hemant Gupta has been appointed as the Chairperson of
the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (NDIAC). Ganesh Chandru and Anant Vijay Palli
has been appointed as part-time members of NDIAC.
New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (NDIAC):

The NDIAC, under the Ministry of Law and Justice, was established for the purpose of creating
an independent and autonomous regime for institutionalised arbitration. It is headquartered
in New Delhi.
416. Sania Mirza, hailing from Jasovar village in Uttar Pradesh, has become India's first Muslim
female fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force (IAF) and UP’s 1st IAF pilot.
She has secured this position by passing the National Defence Academy (NDA) exam with
149th rank. She will join NDA Khadakwasla in Pune, Maharashtra.
417. Sitiveni Rebuka, a former military commander, has become the 12th Prime Minister of
Fiji. He has replaced Frank Bainimarama, who has been in office for 16 years. He has been
elected to the post for the second term.
418. CPN-Maoist Centre chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' has been elected as the
new Prime Minister of Nepal for the third time. He has succeed Sher Bahadur Deuba.

Note: Nepal shares a border of over 1,850-km with five Indian states - Sikkim, West Bengal,
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Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
419. Santosh Kumar Yadav, a 1995-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Uttar
Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as the Chairman of the National Highways Authority of
India (NHAI). He is currently an additional secretary in the Department of School Education
and Literacy, Ministry of Education.
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, a 1990-batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre, has been named Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI),
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• Hitesh Kumar S Makwana has been named the 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 (MSME).
420. Anil Kumar Lahoti has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chairman
of the Railway Board with effect from 1st January 2023. He will succeed Vinay Kumar
Tripathi. He is an Indian Railway Service of Engineers (IRSE) officer of the 1984 batch.
Railway Board:
It consists of Chairman and 4 other members including:
• Member (Infrastructure): Sudhanshu Sharma
• Member (Traction & Rolling Stock): DC Sharma
• Member (Operations & Business Development): Sanjay Kumar Mohanty
• Member (Finance): Mohit Sinha
421. Benjamin Netanyahu has recently been sworn in as the Prime Minister of Israel for a
record sixth time. He has gained the support of 63 lawmakers in the 120-member Knesset
(Israeli parliament).
He is the longest-serving Prime Minister of Israel. He has succeeded Yair Lapid.
422. Vigilance Commissioner Praveen Kumar Srivastava has been appointed as the acting
Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC). He has succeeded Suresh N Patel, whose tenure
completed on 24th December 2022. He is a 1988-batch (retired) Indian Administrative Service
officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre.
Central Vigilance Commission (CVC):

It is an apex anti-corruption government body in India. It was set up on the recommendation
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of the K Santhanam Committee. It was granted statutory status in 2003 under the Central
Vigilance Commission Act 2003. The commission is headed by a CVC and can have a
maximum of two Vigilance Commissioners. The tenure of a CVC and vigilance commissioner
is of four years or till the incumbent attains the age of 65 years.
423. US President Joe Biden has nominated Indian American Richard Verma, a former
ambassador to India, as the Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources. He is
currently the Chief Legal Officer and Head of Global Public at Mastercard.
424. Kirloskar Systems Private Limited (KSPL) has appointed Manasi Tata, late Vikram Kirloskar’s
daughter, as Director on the board of KSPL’s joint-venture companies with an immediate
effect. Manasi Tata is a 5th generation scion of the Kirloskar empire.
425. Former Vice-Chancellor of University of Mysore K.S. Rangappa has been elected as a fellow
of The World Academy of Science (TWAS), a programme unit of the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), headquartered in Trieste, Italy for
the advancement of science in developing countries. This fellowship comes into effect from
1st January 2023.
426. NHPC Limited, an Indian Hydropower generation company, has appointed Rajeev Kumar
Vishnoi as the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) with effect from 13th December 2022.
He is currently serving as CMD of Rishikesh-based THDC India Limited.
Until now, Yamuna Kumar Chaubey NHPC's Director (Technical) was holding the additional
charge of CMD of the company.
427. Mette Frederiksen, Head of the Social Democratic Party, has been re-elected as the Prime
Minister of Denmark. She was first elected as the Prime Minister of Denmark in 2019 and
became the youngest PM in Danish history, succeeding Lars Lokke Rasmussen.
428. Indian-origin Leo Varadkar, former Irish Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the Fine Gael
party, has been elected as the new Prime Minister of Ireland. This is the second time he has
been elected as Irish prime minister. He first became the Irish prime minister in June 2017.
He has replaced Micheál Martin.
Michael Martin has become the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister.

429. Senior nuclear scientist Dinesh Kumar Shukla has been appointed as the Chairperson of
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the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) for a period of three years. He has succeeded
G. Nageswara Rao to the top post.
430. Legendary former athlete and nominated Rajya Sabha member P.T. Usha has been
nominated to the panel of Vice-chairperson in the Upper House (Rajya Sabha). This is the first
time a nominated member has been appointed in the panel.
YSRC MP Vijai Sai Reddy has also been nominated along with her.
The Chairman of Rajya Sabha shall, from time to time, nominate from amongst the members
of the Council a panel of not more than six Vice-Chairmen, any one of whom may preside
over the Council in the absence of the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman when so
requested by the Chairman, or in his absence, by the Deputy Chairman.
• Current Chairman: Jagdeep Dhankhar
• Deputy Chairman: Harivansh
431. Arun Kumar Singh, former chairman of oil refining and marketing company BPCL, has
been appointed as the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the Oil and Natural Gas
Corporation (ONGC) for three years.
Vetsa Rama Krishna Gupta has taken over the additional charge of CMD of Bharat Petroleum
Corporation Limited (BPCL).
432. Vice President of Peru, Dina Boluarte, has been sworn in as the first woman President of
Peru after Pedro Castillo, President of Peru, was ousted by Congress and arrested on a
charge of rebellion.
433. The President of India Draupadi Mormu, in exercise of the power conferred by Article 223
of the Constitution of India, has appointed Justice Tashi Rabstan, the senior most judge, as
the Acting Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. He has
succeeded Justice Ali Mohd Magrey.
Justice Tashi Rabstan hails from Skurbuchan village, Ladakh and became the first judge from
Ladakh.
434. Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina has been named the first "Global
Ambassador for Diabetes" by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) at the opening
ceremony of the World Diabetes Congress 2022 held in Lisbon, Portugal. She has been
named in recognition of her contribution to improving the lives of people living with diabetes.
435. Prasar Bharati Additional Director General Sunil has been elected as the Vice President of
the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU). He has been elected for a three year term.

Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU):
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It is a non-profit, professional association of broadcasters from Asia and Pacific regions. It
was established in 1964. It is the biggest broadcasting union in the world.
• Headquarters: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• President: Masagaki Satoru
436. Indian-origin Nihar Malviya has been named the interim CEO of New York-based
international publishing group Penguin Random House. He will succeed Markus Dohle. He
will assume the role of interim CEO from 1st January 2023.
He will join the Bertelsmann's Group Management Committee (GMC), as well as continue to
be a member of the Penguin Random House Global Executive Committee.
437. Ashok Leyland, the flagship company of the Hinduja group and India’s leading commercial
vehicle manufacturer, has appointed Shenu Agarwal as its new Managing Director (MD) and
Chief Executive Officer (CEO). He has succeeded Vipin Sondhi, who resigned in November
2021.
438. The World Health Organization (WHO) has appointed Dr Jeremy Farrar as its new Chief
Scientist with effect from the second quarter of 2023. He will replace Soumya Swaminathan,
who resigned from the post after a 5-year stint.
439. Shaji K.V. has become the new Chairman of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
Development (NABARD). He has succeeded Suchindra Misra, Additional Secretary,
Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance (MoF), who was holding additional
charge.
440. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved extension in service to Vinay
Mohan Kwatra, as Foreign Secretary of India beyond the date of his superannuation i.e.
from 31st December 2022 to 30th April 2024 or until further orders, whichever is earlier, in
the public interest as per provisions of Fundamental Rule 56 (3). He is a 1988 batch IFS
officer.
He became the 34th Foreign Secretary of India on 1st May 2022. He succeeded Harsh
Vardhan Shringla.
441. The Government of India (GoI) has appointed Rajeeva Laxman Karandikar, Professor
Emeritus at Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI), as the part-time Chairman of the National
Statistical Commission (NSC) of India for a period of three years.
National Statistical Commission (NSC):

The Government of India through a resolution dated 1st June, 2005 set up the National
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Statistical Commission (NSC), on the recommendations of the Rangarajan Commission,
which reviewed the Indian Statistical System in 2001. It is an autonomous body that helps the
national statistical system in evolving better strategies to improve the functioning of the
system. The chairperson of the Commission enjoys the status of a Minister of State,
Government of India.
442. K V Suresh Kumar, a renowned Scientist of the Department of Atomic Energy, has been
named the new Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut
Nigam Ltd (BHAVINI). He has been appointed for a period of 3-years.
443. Renowned Odia film actress Jharana Das has recently passed away in Cuttack, Odisha. She
was also a trained classical dancer. She received the Odisha government’s prestigious ‘Jaydev
Puraskar’ for her lifelong contribution to the Odia cinema industry. She was also honoured
with Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award for lifetime achievement in 2016.
444. Former Chinese President Jiang Zemin, who led the country for a decade of rapid
economic growth after the Tiananmen crackdown in 1989, has recently passed away in
Shanghai, China. He was born in 1926 in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, China. He served as the
President of China from 1993 to 2003.
445. Dominique Lapierre, the acclaimed French author and Padma Bhushan awardee, has
recently passed away in Saint Tropez, France. He was born on 30th July 1931 in Chatelaillon,
France.
• He authored a book titled ‘City of Joy’ in 1985, describing the struggles of a rickshaw
puller in Kolkata.
• He co-authored 6 books in collaboration with Larry Collins which includes: O Jerusalem!
(1972) on the creation of the state of Israel; Freedom at Midnight (1975); Is Paris Burning?
(1965), on the liberation of Paris during World War II; The Fifth Horseman (1980); Is New
York Burning? (2005); and Or I’ll Dress You In Mourning (1968).
• His investigative account, Five Past Midnight in Bhopal: The Epic Story of the World’s
Deadliest Industrial Disaster (1997; English translation in 2001), written in collaboration
with Javier Moro, traced the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy and the role of Union Carbide in it.
• He was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India’s third highest civilian award, in 2008.
446. Indian businessman Vikram Kirloskar, Vice Chairman, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, has
recently passed away in Bengaluru, Karnataka. He played a key role in bringing Japan’s
Toyota Motor Corp to India in the late 1990s.
• He was the President of Confederation of Indian Industry from 2019 to 2020.

• He was currently the Chairman of CII Manufacturing Council, CII Trade Fair's council and
Chairman Hydrogen Task force.

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Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM), which sells a range of vehicles, is a joint venture between the
Japanese auto major Toyota Motor Company and the Kirloskar Group.
OBITUARIES
447. Gamaka exponent and Padma Shri awardee H R Keshava Murthy has recently passed
away at his residence in Shivamogga district of Karnataka.
He was born on 22nd February 1934 in Hosahalli, Shivamogga district of Karnataka. He was
honoured with Shantala Natya Sri Award by the Government of Karnataka in 1998 and
Padma Shri in 2022 by the Government of India in the field of arts.
Note: Gamaka, also known as kaavya vaachana, is a form of storytelling by singing that
originated in Karnataka.
448. Pele, the Brazilian football legend who won three World Cups and became the sport's first
global icon, has recently passed away at the age of 82. He was born as “Edson Arantes do
Nascimento” in city of Tres Coracoes in Minas Gerais state, Brazil.
He is the only player to win the World Cup three times, lifting the trophy in 1958, 1962, and
1970. He is nicknamed O Rei (The King) after the 1958 tournament. He is credited with
connecting the phrase “The Beautiful Game” with football.
449. Veteran Telugu actor Kaikala Satyanarayana, known for his villain and other character
roles, has recently passed away in Hyderabad, Telangana.
He was born on 25th July 1935 in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh. He appeared in over 750
films and served as the Member of Parliament in the 11th Lok Sabha representing
Machilipatnam constituency from Telugu Desam Party.
450. Legendary Footballer George Cohen, the right-back in England's World Cup-winning team
of 1966, has recently passed away at the age of 83. He was born in Kensington, London in
1939. He joined Fulham Football Club in 1956 and made his debut in 1957. He has made
459 appearances representing Fulham FC between 1956 to 1969.
451. Noted economist and former Union minister Yoginder K Alagh has recently passed away in
Ahmedabad, Gujarat. He was born on 14th February 1939 in Chakwal in present-day Pakistan.

• He was Union Minister of State for Planning and Programme Implementation, Science
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and Technology and Power during 1996-98.
• He was the Chairman of Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) from 2006 to 2012.
• He was the Chancellor of the Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar.
452. Kumble Sundar Rao, an Indian politician and Yakshagana and Tala-Maddale (traditional
dance) artist, has recently passed away in Mangaluru, Karnataka. He was a native of the
Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka.
He was exponent of Thenkuthittu or Thenkatittu style of Yakshagana.

He served as a BJP MLA from Surathkal constituency from 1994 to 1999. He was awarded the
Yakshamangala award from P Dayananda Pai and P Satish Pai Yakshagana Adhyayana
Kendra at Mangalore University for the year 2018-2019.
Yakshagana:
It is a theatrical dance-art form famously performed in Coastal Karnataka. It involves heavy
make-up, music, dialogues and is very expressive. It is traditionally presented from dusk to
dawn. Its stories are drawn from Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavata and other epics from
both Hindu and Jain and other ancient Indic traditions.
453. Kenneth Powell, Olympian and India’s 1970 Asian Games 4*100m relay bronze-winning
team member, has recently passed away in Bengaluru, Karnataka. He was born on 20th April
1940 in Kolar, Karnataka.
• He was popularly known as "the Gentleman Sprinter".

• He competed in the 1964 Olympics and the 1970 Asian Games.
• He was a recipient of the Government of India's Arjuna Award in 1965 and Government
of Karnataka's Rajyotsava Award in 2018.
454. Noted artist and writer Manohar Devadoss has recently passed away in Chennai, Tamil
Nadu. He was born in 1936 in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. He was well-known for his paintings of
traditional buildings.
Books: ‘A Poem to Courage’, ‘Dreams, Seasons, and Promises’, ‘Madras Inked: Impressions of
an Artist and an Architect’, etc.
He was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, for his inspirational
work in art and charity in 2020.
455. Marathi actress and noted Lavani singer, Sulochana Kadam, popularly known as
Sulochana Chavan, has recently passed away in Mumbai, Maharashtra. She was born on
13th March 1933 in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Awards & Honours:

• She was awarded the Padma Shri in 2022.

• She was conferred the title of "Lavanisamradhni" (Queen of Lavani) for her singing
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contribution to the art genre.
• She was honoured with the Lata Mangeshkar Award for the year 2010 instituted by
Government of Maharashtra.
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Award was conferred on her in 2012.
Lavani:
It is a traditional folk art form from the state of Maharashtra. It is a combination of
traditional song and dance, which particularly performed to the beats of Dholki, a percussion
instrument. It is performed by the female performers wearing nine-yard long sarees. The
songs are sung in a quick tempo.
456. American filmmaker Julia Bell Reichert has recently passed away in Ohio, United States
(US). She was born on 16th June 1946 in New Jersey, USA. She has been called a ‘godmother’
of the US independent film movement.
She was awarded the Academy Award (Oscar) for Best Documentary Feature (“American
Factory”) in 2020. She was a two-time winner of the Primetime Emmy, a two-time nominee
of the Peabody Award, and director of a film on the National Film Registry.
457. Renowned Odia film actress Jharana Das has recently passed away in Cuttack, Odisha. She
was also a trained classical dancer. She received the Odisha government’s prestigious ‘Jaydev
Puraskar’ for her lifelong contribution to the Odia cinema industry. She was also honoured
with Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award for lifetime achievement in 2016.
458. Former Chinese President Jiang Zemin, who led the country for a decade of rapid
economic growth after the Tiananmen crackdown in 1989, has recently passed away in
Shanghai, China. He was born in 1926 in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, China. He served as the
President of China from 1993 to 2003.
459. Dominique Lapierre, the acclaimed French author and Padma Bhushan awardee, has
recently passed away in Saint Tropez, France. He was born on 30th July 1931 in Chatelaillon,
France.
• He authored a book titled ‘City of Joy’ in 1985, describing the struggles of a rickshaw
puller in Kolkata.
• He co-authored 6 books in collaboration with Larry Collins which includes: O Jerusalem!
(1972) on the creation of the state of Israel; Freedom at Midnight (1975); Is Paris Burning?
(1965), on the liberation of Paris during World War II; The Fifth Horseman (1980); Is New
York Burning? (2005); and Or I’ll Dress You In Mourning (1968).
• His investigative account, Five Past Midnight in Bhopal: The Epic Story of the World’s
Deadliest Industrial Disaster (1997; English translation in 2001), written in collaboration
with Javier Moro, traced the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy and the role of Union Carbide in it.

• He was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India’s third highest civilian award, in 2008.
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460. Indian businessman Vikram Kirloskar, Vice Chairman, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, has
recently passed away in Bengaluru, Karnataka. He played a key role in bringing Japan’s
Toyota Motor Corp to India in the late 1990s.
• He was the President of Confederation of Indian Industry from 2019 to 2020.

• He was currently the Chairman of CII Manufacturing Council, CII Trade Fair's council and
Chairman Hydrogen Task force.
Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM), which sells a range of vehicles, is a joint venture between the
Japanese auto major Toyota Motor Company and the Kirloskar Group.
SPORTS
461. Indian weightlifter, Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, has won a silver medal under 49 kg women
category at the 2022 World Weightlifting Championship after defeating Hou Zhihui of
China in the match held in Bogota, Colombia from 5th to 16th December 2022. Jiang Huihua
has won the Gold medal in the tournament.
Hidilyn Diaz, a Filipino weightlifter (Philippines), has won 3 Gold medals under the 55 kg
women's category at the 2022 IWF World Championships in Bogota, Colombia.
Note: 2022 World Weightlifting Championship is the first qualifying competition for the Paris
2024 Olympic Games.
462. FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) has officially announced the 2022
world rankings. Brazil has been ranked first and 22nd FIFA Men’s World Cup 2022 Champions
Argentina has been ranked 2nd. France has been ranked 3rd.
Morocco has improved from 22nd to 11th in the FIFA world ranking, following their
achievements at the 2022 FIFA Global Cup.
463. Forbes has recently released the list of the World’s Highest-Paid Female Athletes 2022.
Indian Badminton player P.V. Sindhu has been ranked 12th with a total earning of USD 7.1
million. She is the only Indian and the only badminton player among the top 25 of the list.
• Naomi Osaka of Japan has topped the list with USD 51.1 million and USD 50 million off-
field.
• Serena Williams of USA has been ranked 2nd with USD 41.3 million, followed by Eileen Gu
of China with USD 20.1 million.
464. Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur has inaugurated the Sports
Science Centre at M.G. Stadium in Udupi, Karnataka. This Sports Science Centre will bring
together sports scientists and athletes.

Note: The Government of India (GoI) has increased the sports budget from Rs.854 crores
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before 2014 to Rs.3,100 crore in 2022 and spent Rs.2700 crore to enhance sporting
infrastructure as against Rs.630 crore earlier.
465. Cricket Australia (CA) chief executive Nick Hockley and Australian Cricketers’ Association
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Todd Greenber has renamed the Australia men's Test Player of
the Year award to honour the late spin wizard Shane Warne during the Boxing Day Test
against South Africa.
• The Shane Warne Men’s Test Player of the Year Award will be presented annually at
the Australian Cricket Awards.
• Shane Warne won Australia’s men’s Test Player of the Year award in 2006, when he
recorded 40 wickets in the famous 2005 Ashes series in England.
466. South African cricketer Farhaan Behardien has announced his retirement from
professional cricket. He was in a cricket career for more than 18 years. He has played 59 One
Day Internationals (ODIs), and 38 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) scoring 1592 runs and
scalping 17 wickets across formats.
467. The International Chess Federation (FIDE) World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship
2022 has been held in Almaty, Kazakhstan. It is an annual joint rapid and blitz chess
tournament held since 2012, to determine the world champion in chess played under rapid
time controls.
Open Rapid
Rank Name
1 Magnus Carlsen
(Norway)
2 Vincent Keymer
(Germany)
3 Fabiano Caruana (USA)
Women’s Rapid
1 Tan Zhongyi (China)
2 Saduakassova Dinara
(Kazakhstan)
3 Savitha Shri B (India)
468. Auto major Tata Motors has become the title sponsor of the Maharashtra Open for the
fifth consecutive year. This is South Asia’s only ATP 250 tournament and will begin from 31
December 2022 in Pune, Maharashtra.

The Tata Open Maharashtra, owned by IMG and managed by RISE Worldwide, will be
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conducted by the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) for the fifth year in
Pune.
469. Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Singh Thakur has launched the Khelo
India Dashboard in New Delhi, which has all the statistical data related to the Khelo India
Scheme and the Khelo India events. The Khelo India Dashboard will be updated on real-time
and aims to be a unique one-stop platform through which every citizen of the country will
have access to all the information regarding the various offerings of the Khelo India Scheme.
470. Indian shuttler Unnati Hooda (Haryana) has become the first Indian to win a medal in the
U17 category in the Badminton Asia Junior Championships 2022 held in Nonthaburi,
Thailand. She has won a silver medal in the Women’s Singles-U17 category.
India has won a total of 3 silver and 2 bronze medals in the Badminton Asia Junior
Championships 2022.
Spanish legend Rafael Nadal has been named the Men’s ITF World Champion 2022 by the
International Tennis Federation for the 5th time after an outstanding 2022 season.
Polish tennis player, Iga Swiatek has been named Women’s ITF World Champion 2022 for
her performance in 2022 winning 2 Grand Slam titles and 8 titles.
Other ITF World Champions 2022 include:
• Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova in women’s doubles.
• Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury in men’s doubles.
• Diede de Groot in women’s wheelchair tennis.
• Shingo Kunieda in men’s wheelchair tennis.
• Niels Vink in quad wheelchair tennis.
The ITF Awards will be presented on 8th July 2023 at a ceremony at the Victoria and Albert
Museum in London.
471. The 2022 Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Awards have been presented at the
event held in Pala Alpitour in Turin, Italy.
2022 ATP Awards

Category Winners
ATP No.1 presented by Carlos Alcaraz
Pepperstone
Most Improved Player of
the Year
ATP Doubles No.1 Wesley Koolhof & Neal Skupski
presented by Pepperstone

Comeback Player of the Borna Coric
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Year
Coach of the Year Juan Carlos Ferrero
Newcomer of the Year Holger Rune
Fan’s favourite (singles) Rafael Nadal
Fan’s favourite (doubles) Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi
Kokkinakis
Stefan Edberg Casper Ruud
Sportsmanship Award
Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Andy Murray
Award
Ron Bookman Media Sebastian Torok
Excellence Award
ATP Masters 1000 BNP Paribas Open (Indian
Tournament of the Year Wells)
ATP 500 Tournament of the cinch Championships (London)
Year
ATP 250 Tournament of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open (Doha)
Year
472. Indian team under the captaincy of Ajay Kumar Reddy has won the 3rd T20 World Cup for
Blind 2022 held at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Indian team has
defeated Bangladesh by 120 runs in the final match. This is the third title for India having
won it in 2012 and 2017.
The 3rd T20 World Cup for Blind has been held in India from 6 -17 December 2022. India,
Nepal, Sri Lanka, Australia, Bangladesh, and South Africa competed in the tournament. It has
been organized by the Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI).
Note: The 4th T20 World Cup for Blind will be held in Pakistan in 2023.
473. The first edition of 2022 Women's FIH Hockey Nations Cup, the annual qualification
tournament for the Women's FIH Pro League, has been organised by the International
Hockey Federation. The tournament has been held at the Estadio Betero in Valencia, Spain
from 11 to 17 December 2022.
• The Indian Women's Hockey Team has defeated Spain 1-0 in the final to win the FIH
Women's Nations Cup 2022.
• The Indian team has also been promoted to the 2023-24 FIH Hockey Women's Pro
League.
• For India, Gurjit Kaur scored the winning goal of the match in the first quarter.
Top scorer: Katie Mullan (3 goals) (Ireland)

Best player: Lucía Jiménez Vicente (Spain)

Best young player: Sarah McAuley (Ireland)
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Best goalkeeper: Savita Punia (India)
474. The 22nd edition of FIFA Men's World Cup 2022 has been held from 20th November to 18th
December 2022 in Qatar. It is the first World Cup held in the Middle East country and the
second held entirely in Asia after the 2002 tournament jointly hosted by South Korea and
Japan. It has been organized by the International Association Football Federation.
Slogan: Now is All

Mascot: La’eeb (meaning: super skilled player)
Match Ball: Al Rihla (meaning: journey)
• Argentina has won the 2022 FIFA Men's World Cup by defeating France in the final match
held at Lusail Stadium, Lusail, Qatar.
• This marked Argentina’s third World Cup win and their first since 1986.
• France secured the 2nd spot, Croatia (3rd), and Morocco (4th).
Awards at FIFA World Cup 2022:

Golden Ball (best overall player) Silver Ball Bronze Ball
Lionel Messi Kylian Luka Modrić
(Argentina) Mbappé (Croatia)
(France)
Golden Boot (top scorer) Silver Boot Bronze Boot
Kylian Mbappé Lionel Olivier
Messi Giroud
(France)
Golden Glove (best goalkeeper): Emiliano Martínez (Argentina)
FIFA Young Player Award: Enzo Fernández (Argentina)
FIFA Fair Play Trophy: England
The FIFA World Cup Trophy 2022 (Julies Rimet Trophy) has been unveiled by the Bollywood
actress Deepika Padukone, along with former Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas.
Note: The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be held in three countries: Canada, Mexico, and the USA.
It will be the first edition to feature 48 teams.
475. United World Wrestling (UWW) has announced that the Asian Wrestling Championships
2023 will be held from 28th March to 2nd April 2023 in New Delhi. The championship will
feature men’s freestyle, women’s freestyle, and men’s Greco-Roman divisions. The Asian
Championships will be held in New Delhi for the 36th time.
The UWW has also decided on the host cities for the four ranking series tournaments in
addition to designating India as the location for the Asian Championships.

The first and second events will take place in Zagreb and Cairo in February 2023, respectively,
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while the third and fourth events will take place in Bishkek and Budapest in June and July
2023.
476. American hurdler and 2022 World Champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Swedish
pole vaulter and current Olympic and World Champion Mondo Duplantis have been named
the Female and Male World Athlete of the Year 2022 by the World Athletics.
Mondo Duplantis has claimed this award for the second time in 3 years with 3 world records
in 2022.
World Athletics has also named Adriana Vilagoš of Serbia and American Erriyon Knighton
as the Rising Star of the Year.
477. Retired tennis player Ashleigh Barty, the winner of the Australian Open women's singles
title in January 2022, has been conferred with The Don Award, Australia's most prestigious
annual sports award, for the second time in her career after 2019.
• She is the 3-time Grand Slam winner and the No.1 ranked female player.
• She has become the 3rd person to win the award twice, following hurdler Sally Pearson
(2012 and 2014), and pole vaulter Steve Hooker (2008 and 2009).
Don Award:
The Don Award was introduced by the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1998 and is awarded
annually by the Sport Australia Hall of Fame Selection Committee to honour a current
Australian athlete or team who, by their achievements and example in the last 12 months,
have most inspired the nation. The award is named after the country's legendary cricketer
Donald Bradman.
478. Indian cricketer Ishan Kishan has become the fastest double centurion in One Day
International (ODIs) by breaking the previous record held by West Indies cricketer Chris
Gayle.
• He reached the 200 run mark in just 126 deliveries during the third and final ODI match of
the series against Bangladesh at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram.
• He has become the seventh batter in the world to achieve the feat and fourth from India
after Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma and Virender Sehwag.
• Chris Gayle had reached the 200-run mark in 138 balls against Zimbabwe in 2015, en
route to his knock of 215 in 2015.
479. Indian shuttler Manisha Ramadass has won the BWF Female Para-Badminton Player of
the Year award 2022 of the BWF’s annual player of Year Awards. The awards have been
presented at the Gala Awards Night hosted by BWF in Bangkok, Thailand. She has won 11
gold medals and 5 bronze in 2022.
Other BWF Player of the Year 2022 Awards:

• Male Player of the Year: Viktor Axelsen (Denmark)
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• Female Player of the Year: Yamaguchi Akane (Japan)
• Pair of the Year: Zheng Siwei / Huang Yaqiong (China)
• Eddy Choong Most Promising Player of the Year: Naraoka Kodai (Japan)
• Most Improved Player of the Year: Fajar Alfian / Muhammad Rian Ardianto (Indonesia)
• Male Para Badminton Player of the Year: Kajiwara Daiki (Japan)
• Para Badminton Pair of the Year: Thomas Wandschneider / Rick Cornell Hellman
(Germany)
480. The 5th edition of the 2022 BWF World Tour Finals has been held at Nimibutr Arena in
Bangkok, Thailand. It is the final tournament of the 2022 BWF World Tour.
2022 BWF World Tour Finals

Men’s Singles Viktor Axelsen
(Denmark)
Men’s Doubles Liu Yuchen and Ou
Xuanyi
(China)
Women’s Singles Akane Yamaguchi
(Japan)
Women’s Doubles Chen Qingchen and Jia
Yifan
(China)
Mixed Doubles Zheng Siwei and Huang
Yaqiong
(China)
481. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the winners of the ICC Player of the
Month awards for November 2022.
• England’s T20 World Cup-winning captain Jos Buttler has been named the ICC men’s
Player of the Month for the first time following his stupendous performance in November
2022.
• Pakistan’s Sidra Ameen has become the second successive winner of the ICC women’s
Player of the Month award for her brilliant performance in the ODI series win over Ireland.
482. The Women Tennis Association (WTA) has presented the 2022 WTA Awards to players and
coaches for achievements during a season or their careers.
Category Winners
Player of the Year Iga Swiatek (Poland)
Doubles Team of the Year Barbora Krejcikova And Katerina
Siniakova
(Czech Republic)

Newcomer of the Year Zheng Qinwen (China)
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Most Improved Player of Beatriz Haddad Maia (Brazil)
the Year
Comeback Player of the Tatjana Maria (Germany)
Year
Sportsmanship Award Ons Jabeur (Tunisia)
Player Service Gabriela Dabrowski (Canada)
Coach of the Year David Witt (Jessica Pegula’s Coach)
(USA)
ACES Award Maria Sakkari (Greece)
483. American executive Cindy Hook, former CEO of Deloitte Asia Pacific, has been appointed as
the inaugural Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the organising committee for the 2032 Olympic
and Paralympic Games in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Brisbane 2032:
The International Olympic Committee awarded the 2032 Games to Brisbane in July 2021,
under a revamped procedure for choosing host cities that saw a small group of IOC members
identify and propose host cities to the board.
Brisbane will become the first Olympic host city to be elected unopposed.
Note: Australia has twice previously hosted the Summer Olympics, at Melbourne in 1956 and
Sydney in 2000.
484. Saurashtra led by Jaydev Unadkat has won the 2022–23 Vijay Hazare Trophy title by
defeating Maharashtra by 5 wickets (249/5 & 248/9) in the final at Narendra Modi Stadium
Ground ‘A’, Motera, Ahmedabad (Gujarat). It is the 2nd Vijay Hazare Trophy victory for
Saurashtra.
Saurashtra won its 1st Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2007-08 against Bengal by 6 wickets.
• Player of the series: Ruturaj Gaikwad (Maharashtra)
• Most runs: Narayan Jagadeesan (830) (Tamil Nadu)
• Most wickets: Jaydev Unadkat (19) (Saurashtra)
Vijay Hazare Trophy:

It is also known as the Ranji One-Day Trophy. It was started in 2002-03 as a limited-overs
cricket domestic competition involving state teams from the Ranji Trophy plates organized by
the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). It is named after the legendary Indian
cricketer Vijay Hazare.
485. Indian shooter Rudrankksh Patil has won the International Shooting Sport Federation
(ISSF) President’s Cup held in Cairo, Egypt. He has defeated Italy’s Danilo Sollazzo in the 10-
metre rifle play-off by 16-8.

With this, Rudrankksh Patil has made it to the world No.1 in the latest ISSF Rankings for
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men’s 10m air rifle shooters.
Indian women's rifle ace Anjum Moudgil has won silver medal in the women's 50m rifle 3
positions (3P) event at ISSF President’s Cup 2022.
486. The 4th edition of the 2022 Tata Steel Chess India (TSCI) Rapid and Blitz has been held
from 29th November to 4th December 2022 in Kolkata, West Bengal. The 2022 TSCI marks the
first edition of the TSCI women’s events (Rapid & Blitz).
Category Winners of Rapid Winners of Blitz

Men’s Nihal Sarin Arjun Erigaisi (Winner)
(Winner)
Arjun Erigaisi Hikaru Nakamura
(Runner) (Runner)
Women’s Anna Ushenina Vaishali Rameshbabu
(Winner) (Winner)
Nana Dzagnidze Mariya Muzychuk
(Runner) (Runner)
487. Meghna Ahlawat has been elected as the new President of the Table Tennis Federation
of India (TTFI). She has become the first-ever woman president of TTFI. She is the wife of
the outgoing President of TTFI, Dushyant Chautala, Deputy CM of Haryana.
Other appointments:
• Kamlesh Mehta, eight-time national champion, has been elected as the new Secretary
General of TTFI.
• Patel Nagender Reddy has been elected as the Treasurer of TTFI.
488. World Champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway has defeated Poland’s Jan-Krzysztof Duda in
the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour finals 2022 held at the SHACK15 venue in San
Francisco, USA. He has topped the overall tour standing having won five of the nine events
conducted as a part of the 2022 tour.
489. Stéphanie Frappart of France has become the first female referee in FIFA Men’s World
Cup 2022. She has officiated the Group E match between Germany and Costa Rica on 2
December 2022. She is one of three women referees among the 36 selected for the
tournament in Qatar, alongside Salima Mukansanga (Rwanda) and Yoshimi Yamashita
(Japan).

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490. Aditya Mittal (Mumbai), a 16-year old, has become India's 77th chess Grandmaster (GM)
during the Ellobregat Open tournament held 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.
491. The Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik has launched the Trophy Tour of the FIH
Hockey Men's World Cup 2023 in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. He has handed over the trophy to
Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey. The prestigious trophy will travel across 12 states and
one Union territory, before returning to Bhubaneswar on 25th December 2022.
492. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)
have jointly announced that the AIFF has officially withdrawn its bid to host the AFC Asian
Cup 2027 in India.
The current focus of AIFF is to build the foundations of a proper footballing structure before
thinking of hosting bigger events like the AFC Asian Cup.
IMPORTANT DAYS
493. World AIDS Day is observed annually on 1st December to spread awareness about the
disease and remember all those who lost their lives to it. It was first observed in 1988.
Theme 2022: “Equalize”

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a chronic, potentially life-threatening health
condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that interferes with the body’s
ability to fight infections.
494. Border Security Force (BSF) has recently observed its 58th Raising Day on 1st December
2022. It was formed on 1st December 1965 as a unified central agency after the Indo-Pak and
India-China wars for ensuring the security of the borders of India and for matters connected
therewith. It has been termed as the First Line of Defence of Indian Territories.
495. World Computer Literacy Day is observed annually on 2nd December to create awareness
and drive digital literacy in underserved communities worldwide. The day was founded by the

Indian computer company NIIT to mark its 20th anniversary in 2001. The day was first
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observed in 2001.
496. International Day for the Abolition of Slavery is observed annually on 2nd December to
highlight the importance of eradicating contemporary forms of slavery including trafficking in
persons, sexual exploitation, child labour, forced marriage, and the forced recruitment of
children for use in armed conflict. The day was first observed in 1986.
The day marks the date of the adoption, by the General Assembly, of the United Nations
Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the
Prostitution of Others (resolution 317(IV) of 2 December 1949).
497. National Pollution Control Day is observed annually on 2nd December to commemorate
the lives of the people who died in the Bhopal gas tragedy. The main aim of this day is to
educate the people and to make them aware of pollution control acts and industrial
disasters. The year 2022 marks the 38th anniversary of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy.
Bhopal Gas Tragedy:

It was an incident of gas leakage at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in
Bhopal on the night of 2-3 December 1984. More than five lakh people were affected by the
incident, which killed several thousands of people due their exposure to Methyl Isocyanate
(MIC) gas.\
498. International Day of Persons with Disabilities, also known as World Handicapped day, is
observed annually on 3rd December to promote the rights and well-being of persons with
disabilities in all spheres of society and development, and to increase awareness of the
situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural
life.
Theme 2022: “Transformative solutions for inclusive development: the role of innovation in
fueling an accessible and equitable world.”
The day was proclaimed in 1992 by the United Nations General Assembly.
499. International Day of Banks is observed annually on 4th December to highlight the
importance of multilateral and international development banks in financing sustainable
developments.
The United Nations General Assembly designated December 4 as the International Day of
Banks in 2019. The day was first observed in 2020.
500. National Navy Day is observed annually on 4th December to mark Indian Navy's victory in
Operation Trident. During the 1971 war, naval forces caused heavy damage to Pakistan’s
vessels. It was during this operation that an anti-ship missile was used for the first time.

The Indian Navy has also observed Indian Navy Week from 1st to 7th December 2022.
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Note: The Maratha Emperor, Chhatrapati Shivaji Bhosle of the 17th century is considered as
“Father of the Indian Navy”.
501. International Volunteer Day, also known as International Volunteer Day for Economic and
Social Development, is observed annually on 5th December to recognize and promote the
tireless work of volunteers across the globe. The day was first observed by the UN General
Assembly in 1985.
Theme 2022: “Solidarity through volunteering”
502. World Soil Day is observed annually on 5th December to spread awareness of the
importance of soil quality for human well-being, food security and ecosystems. The day was
first observed on 5th December 2014.
Theme 2022: "Soils: Where food begins”

The date of 5 December was chosen because it corresponds with the official birthday of the
late H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand, who was one of the main proponents of
this initiative.
503. Mahaparinirvan Divas is observed annually across India on 6th December. This day is
commemorated to mark the death anniversary of Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, who
fought for the economic and social empowerment of Dalits in the country.
The year 2022 marks his 67th death anniversary.
Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar:
He was popularly known as Babasaheb Ambedkar. He was one of the main architects of the
Indian Constitution. He was born on 14 April 1891 in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh in Hindu Mahar
Caste.
• He attended all the three Round Table Conferences (1930-32) in London.
• He founded the Independent Labour Party in 1936.
• He was the Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee.
• His famous writings include- Mook Nayak (weekly) 1920; Janta (weekly) 1930; The
Annihilation of Caste 1936; The Untouchables 1948; Buddha or Karl Marx 1956, etc.
• He was posthumously conferred with the Bharat Ratna in 1990.
• He passed away on 6th December 1956.
• Chaitya Bhoomi is a memorial to B R Ambedkar, located in Mumbai.
504. India and Bangladesh have observed 6th December as “Maitri Diwas” (Friendship Day).
On this day in 1971, India had formally recognised Bangladesh. India was one of the first
countries to establish bilateral diplomatic ties with Bangladesh.

The Maitri Diwas is being commemorated in 18 countries around the world apart from Dhaka
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and Delhi. These countries are Belgium, Canada, Egypt, Indonesia, Russia, Qatar, Singapore,
UK, Australia, France, Japan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, UAE
and USA.
505. National Armed Forces Flag Day is observed annually on 7th December to distribute flags
amongst the people and collect the funds from them for the betterment of the armed forces.
A committee was constituted on 28th August 1949 under the then Defence Minister of India,
which decided to observe 7th December as a Flag Day every year. India's Ministry of Defence
consolidated all related welfare funds into one Armed Forces Flag Day Fund in 1993.
506. International Civil Aviation Day is observed annually on 7th December to highlight the
importance of aviation to the social and economic development of the world.
From now until 2023, the council has decided upon the theme: “Advancing Innovation for
Global Aviation Development”.
The day was established in 1994 to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) based in Montreal, Canada. The United
Nations General Assembly proclaimed the day in 1996.
507. The fifth edition of the European Union-India Competition Week has been held from 5
to 7 December 2022 in New Delhi. The week is organized every year to provide a platform for
exchanges between officials from the European Commission Directorate-General for
Competition and the Competition Commission of India (CCI).
• The week-long event has been organized since 2018.

• It builds on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the field of
competition law that was inked by the EU and India in 2013.
• It is part of the Competition Cooperation project – a 5-year EU-funded programme that
provides technical assistance and cooperation to competition authorities in Asia and
ensures convergence in competition policy benefiting the citizens and businesses in both
the European Union and Asia.
508. South-Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Charter Day is observed
annually on 8th December to mark the signing of the SAARC Charter in 1985 that established
the regional group SAARC. The year 2022 marks the observance of 38th SAARC Charter Day.
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was established with the
signing of the SAARC Charter in Dhaka on 8 December 1985. It comprises 3% of the world's
area, 21% of the world's population and 3.8% (US$2.9 trillion) of the global economy.
• Member Countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and
Afghanistan.
• Headquarters: Kathmandu, Nepal

• Secretary-General: Esala Weerakoon (Sri Lanka)
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509. Army Service Corps (ASC), oldest and largest administrative service in the Indian Army, has
recently observed its 262nd Raising Day on 8th December 2022.
ASC was established by the East India Company (EIC) in 1760 as a part of the administrative
components of the EIC’s armies in the Bombay, Madras, and Bengal Presidencies. It was
renamed as ‘Royal Indian Army Service Corps (RIASC)’ in 1935. On 8th December 1950, after
the Independence of India, the prefix Royal was dropped from the corps name.
510. International Anti-Corruption Day is observed annually on 9th December to raise public
awareness for anti-corruption. The day is observed since the passage of the United Nations
Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) on 31 October 2003.
Theme 2022: “UNCAC at 20: Uniting the World Against Corruption”

The 2022 International Anti-Corruption Day seeks to highlight the crucial link between anti-
corruption and peace, security, and development.
511. The International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of
Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime is observed annually on 9th December to
spread awareness of the Genocide Convention and its role in combating and preventing the
crime of genocide, as defined in the Convention, and to commemorate and honour its
victims.
512. Human Rights Day is observed annually on 10th December to create awareness and
mobilize political will to promote respect for the rights and freedoms enshrined in the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in
1948.
Theme 2022: “Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for All”
513. International Mountain Day is observed annually on 11th December to spread awareness
about the importance of mountains to life, to highlight the opportunities and constraints in
mountain development and to build alliances that will bring positive change to mountain
peoples and environments around the world.
Theme 2022: ‘Women Move Mountains’

The day was established by the UN General Assembly in 2003.
514. United Nations Children's Funds (UNICEF) Day is observed annually on 11th December
to raise awareness about saving children's lives by defending and helping them to fulfil their
wishes.

The year 2022 marks the 76th anniversary of UNICEF Day. This year’s theme is, “to help
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children to recover from interruption and learning losses experienced through the pandemic
in the last two years”.
United Nations Children’s Funds (earlier known as United Nations Children’s Emergency
Fund) was established by the United Nations General Agency in 1946.
• Headquarters: New York, USA
• Head: Catherine Russell
515. International Universal Health Coverage Day is observed annually on 12th December to
raise awareness of the need for strong and resilient health systems and universal health
coverage with multi-stakeholder partners.
Theme 2022: ‘Build the world we want: A healthy future for all’
The United Nations proclaimed 12 December as International Universal Health Coverage Day
on 12th December 2017.
516. International Day of Neutrality is observed annually on 12th December to raise public
awareness of the value of neutrality in international relations. The day was first observed in
2017.
517. National Energy Conservation Day, also known as Energy Efficiency Day, is observed
annually across India on 14th December to raise awareness regarding the conservation of
energy as it is the best way to have a greener and brighter future. The day is annually
organized by the Ministry of Power. The day was first observed in 1991.
Ministry of Power has also observed the National Energy Conservation Week 2022 from 14th
to 20th December.
Note: Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) implemented the Energy Conservation Act (EC Act) in
2001 with the goal of reducing energy intensity of Indian economy.
President of India Droupadi Murmu has recently presented the 32nd National Energy
Conservation (NECA), 2nd National Energy Efficiency Awards Innovation Awards (NEEIA), and
National Painting Competition prizes in New Delhi, Delhi, on the occasion of National Energy
Conservation Day (14th December 2022).
During the occasion, the President of India Droupadi Murmu has launched the ‘EV-Yatra
Portal’ to facilitate in-vehicle navigation to the nearest public EV charger. The portal is
developed by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE).
518. Vijay Diwas is observed annually across India on 16th December to commemorate the
service, valour, and sacrifices of the gallant men of the Indian Armed Forces’ victory over
Pakistan in the 1971 war. The year 2022 marks the 51st Vijay Diwas.

On 16th December 1971, India had won the war against Pakistan after fighting for 13 days.
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The chief of the Pakistani forces, General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi surrendered to the joint
forces of Indian Army and Bangladesh's Mukti Bahini, along with 93,000 Pakistani troops.
519. International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers is observed annually on 17th
December to focus attention on the hate crimes committed against sex workers across the
world. The day was first observed in 2003.
Note: ‘Red Umbrella’ is the symbol for sex workers’ rights across the globe.
520. International Migrants Day is observed annually on 18th December to spread awareness
about the social and economic conditions as well as circumstances of migrants. The day is
marked by the United Nations, through the UN-related agency International Organization for
Migration (IOM). The year 2022 marks the 71st anniversary of the International Organization
for Migration (IOM).
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared December 18 as International

Migrants Day on 4th December 2000. The International Convention on the Protection of the
Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families was adopted by the UNGA on
this day in 1990.
521. World Arabic Language Day is observed annually on 18th December to raise awareness of
the history, culture and development of the language by preparing a program of special
activities and events. The day was first observed in 2012.
Theme 2022: ‘The Contribution of the Arabic Language to Human Civilization and Culture’
522. International Human Solidarity Day is observed annually on 19th December to celebrate
unity in diversity and raise awareness about the importance of solidarity.
The UN General Assembly, on 22 December 2005, by resolution 60/209 identified solidarity as

one of the fundamental and universal values that should underlie relations between peoples
in the 21st century, and in that regard decided to proclaim 20 December of each year
International Human Solidarity Day.
523. National Minorities Rights Day is observed annually on 18th December to educate people
about the right of minorities. In India, the day is organized by the National Commission for
Minorities (NCM).
The United Nations on 18th December, 1992 adopted the Statement on the individual's
Rights belonging to religious or Linguistic National or Ethnic Minorities and declared
December 18 as the Minorities Rights Day.

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524. Goa Liberation Day is observed annually on 19th December to mark the success of
'Operation Vijay' undertaken by the Indian Armed Forces in 1961 that liberated Goa from
Portuguese rule. The year 2022 marks the 61 years of Goa’s independence.
525. National Mathematics Day is observed annually on 22nd December to commemorate the
birth anniversary of renowned Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, who was born on 22nd
December 1887 in Erode, Madras Presidency, British India. The year 2022 marks the 135th
birth anniversary of him. The day was first observed in 2012.The main objective of the
celebration is to spread awareness about the importance of mathematics for the growth of
humanity.
526. National Farmers Day is observed annually on 23rd December to commemorate the birth
anniversary of Choudhary Charan Singh, India's fifth Prime Minister. The day aims to spread
awareness of the contributions of farmers to the socioeconomic development of the nation.
The year 2022 marks the 120th birth anniversary of Choudhary Charan Singh.
This day was coined by the Government of India in 2001.
Chaudhary Charan Singh:

• He was born in 1902 at Noorpur in Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh.
• He was given the nickname ‘Champion of India’s Peasants’ for his work towards upliftment
of farmers and development of agriculture throughout the country.
• He took a leading part in formulation and finalisation of the Debt Redemption Bill 1939, in
order to give relief to the peasantry from moneylenders.
• He was instrumental in bringing about the Land Holding Act, 1960 which was aimed at
lowering the ceiling on land holdings to make it uniform throughout the State.
• He served twice as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
• He was the Prime Minister of India from 28 July 1979 to 14 January 1980.
527. National Consumer Rights Day is observed annually on 24th December to highlight the
importance of the consumer movement and spread awareness about the rights and
responsibilities of every consumer. The day was first observed in 1986 under the Consumer
Protection Act, 1986.
In August 2019, the Consumer Protection Act 2019 was passed by parliament. It came into
force in July 2020 and replaced the Consumer Protection Act, 1986.
Theme 2022: “Effective Disposal of cases in Consumer Commission”

Note: World Consumer Rights Day is observed annually on 15th March.
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528. Good Governance Day is observed annually on 25th December to commemorate the birth
anniversary of Bharat Ratna and former-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Since 2014,
the Good Governance Day has been celebrated every year on 25th December. The year 2022
marks the 98th birth anniversary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee:

He was an Indian politician who thrice served as the Prime Minister of India, first for a term of
13 days in 1996, for a period of eleven months from 1998 to 1999, and then for a full term
from 1999 to 2004. He was conferred the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award in
2015.
The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) under the
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions has observed the 2nd edition of 'Good
Governance Week 2022' from 19th to 25th December 2022. It is organized under the
theme -“Prashasan Gaon Ki Aur”.
529. Veer Bal Diwas is observed across India on 26th December to mark the martyrdom of the
“Sahibzades”, four sons of Guru Gobind Singh, the last Sikh guru.
Guru Gobind Singh ji four sons: Sahibzada Ajit Singh, Sahibzada Jujhar Singh, Sahibzada
Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Fateh Singh.
• The year 2022 marks the 1st observance of Veer Bal Diwas.
• The date has been chosen as it was the day observed as the martyrdom day of the
Sahibzadas Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh, who were killed at the tender age of 6 and
9 in Sirhind (Punjab) by Mughal forces.
On 9th January 2022, on the occasion of the Prakash Purab of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, PM
Narendra Modi announced ‘Veer Bal Diwas’.
530. The United Nation’s International Day of Epidemic Preparedness is observed annually on
27th December to facilitate exchange of information, transmission of scientific knowledge
and exchange best practices regionally, locally, and internationally.
The year 2022 marks the 3rd edition of the day. The day was first observed in 2020.

Bazooka December 2022

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BAZOOKA: December 2022

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4. Researchers in Bengaluru’s Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research

• JNCASR is an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology,

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Right to Repair Portal:

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Border Security Force (BSF):

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Key projects approved:

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Trisonic Wind Tunnel:

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Youth Co: Lab:

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The President of COP15 is China.

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Highlights of the meeting:

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Rooftop Solar Programme:

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Community of Portuguese Language Countries:

• The Community of Portuguese Language Countries (Comunidade dos Países de Língua

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MRSAM mid-section kit:

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India International Trade Fair (IITF):

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“Swar Dharohar Festival”

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As per the notification:

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Note: A total of 16 ALH Mk-III aircraft, indigenously manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics

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Atal Incubation Centre (AIC):

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• The Advisory group encompasses the representation of various stakeholders viz.,

• Zuari Bridge is an important link between North and South Goa.

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The year 2022 marks the 141st birth anniversary of Bharathiyar.

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85. Ministry of Culture, Government of India, in collaboration with “Swar Dharohar

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Other initiatives launched/approved:

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Note: TB affects 2.6 million people in India every year.

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National Institute of One Health, Nagpur:

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A GI is tagged to primarily agricultural, natural or manufactured products, handicrafts and

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