NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Jakson
Green to invest Rs 22,400 cr in green hydrogen project in Rajasthan: Jakson Green to invest Rs 22,400 crore to set up green hydrogen and
green ammonia project in Rajasthan. The Jakson Green company signed MoU with
the Government of Rajasthan to this effect. Jakson Green will set up a 3,65,000
tons per annum Green Hydrogen and Green Ammonia plant along with an integrated
hybrid renewable power complex in phase wise manner. Key Points:
a) The project initiated by Jakson Green and Rajasthan Government is
expected to generate over 32,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities
across various phases of the scale-up.
b) The MoU was signed by Vish Iyer, Global Chief Commercial Officer, Jakson
Green, and Bhaskar S Sawant, Principal Secretary of Energy to the Government of
Rajasthan.
c) The government of Rajasthan would facilitate Jakson Green in obtaining
necessary registrations, approvals, and clearance, and provide incentives.
d) Jakson Green has announced its global ambition to be a leading developer
and integrator of green hydrogen and green ammonia assets across select
geographies Jakson Green to invest Rs 22,400 crore to set up a green hydrogen
and green ammonia project in Rajasthan.
2. GoI
appoints Sangeeta Verma as acting chairperson of CCI: The government of India appointed Sangeeta Verma as the acting
chairperson of the Competition Commission of India (CCI). The appointment
follows full-time Chairperson Ashok Kumar Gupta demitting office. Verma is
currently a member at the regulator. Her appointment will be effective for a
“period of three months or till the appointment of regular Chairperson or till
any further orders, whichever is the earliest,” according to an official order.
Ashok Kumar Gupta had taken over as the CCI chairperson in November 2018.
Competition
Commission of India (CCI): The Competition Commission
of India (CCI) was established under the Competition Act, of 2002 for the
administration, implementation and enforcement of the Act. It was constituted in March 2009.
Members
of the CCI: It consists of 7 members; one Chairperson and six
other members. The members are appointed by the government for five years and
are re-eligible for appointments. However, the members have to retire after
attaining the age of sixty-five years.
3. Ladakh
MP launched “Main Bhi Subhash” campaign: Ladakh MP
Jamyang Tsering Namgyal launched the ‘Main Bhi Subhash’ campaign from Leh. The
‘Main Bhi Subhash’ campaign is a series of events which is organized by the
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose INA Trust in collaboration with the Ministry of
Culture. The ‘Main Bhi Subhash’ campaign is going to be organized on the
occasion of the 125th Birth Anniversary of Netaji on 23rd January next year.
The ‘Main Bhi Subhash’ campaign begins in Mumbai and Kolkata.
4. National
Statistical Office (NSO) Released the Employment Outlook of India: The National Statistical Office (NSO), under the Ministry of
Statistics and Programme Implementation, released a press note on Employment
Outlook of the country covering the period September, 2017 to June, 2022. This
data is based on the administrative records available with selected government
agencies to assess the progress in certain dimensions, the release stated.
Key
Points:
a) Since April, 2018 this ministry has been bringing out the employment
related statistics in the formal sector covering the period September 2017
onwards, using information on the number of subscribers who have subscribed
under three major schemes, namely the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) Scheme,
the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Scheme and the National Pension Scheme
(NPS).
b) The information is based on the number of subscribers, and the tables
reflect a dynamic status for six sets of periods – (a) September 2017 – March
2018, (b) April 2018 – March 2019, (c) April 2019 – March 2020, (d) April 2020
– March 2021, (e) April 2021 – March 2022, and (f) monthly data from April 2022
onwards.
c) The data includes information gender-wise, on the number of new members
who have started subscribing to EPF, the number of members that have ceased
their subscription and the number of members who restarted contribution, having
ceased subscription in the past.
d) A total of 36,53,544 new subscribers joined and contributed in the NPS
the central government, state governments, and corporate schemes during
September, 2017 to June, 2022.
e) India’s formal sector employment jumped by 0.4 million in the
October-December quarter of 2021 with the total number of workers employed
across nine sectors at 31.4 million compared to 31 million in July-September
quarter and 30.8 million in the April-June quarter of 2021, the labour ministry
said.
5. IIT-Madras
and NASA researchers study microbes on space station: The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT) and NASA Jet Propulsion
Laboratory researchers studied the interactions between microbes in the
International Space Station (ISS). The study aims to help devise strategies for
the disinfection of space stations to minimize any potential impact of microbes
on the health of astronauts. Key Points:
a) Studying the microbes inhabiting the space station will help to
understand the risks associated with short-term and long-term space travel on
the health of astronauts.
b) The study was motivated by earlier observations of the dominance of
Klebsiella pneumonia on the surface of the ISS.
c) The pathogen has been known to cause pneumonia and other nosocomial
infections.
d) The researchers analyzed the microbial sample data taken across three
space flights at seven locations at the ISS.
e) The study found that Klebsiella pneumonia is a major microbe that
resides on the ISS.
6. Nation
celebrates 113th Birth anniversary of Homi Jehangir Bhabha: 113th Birth anniversary of Indian nuclear physicist Homi Jehangir
Bhabha who is also known as the father of the Indian nuclear program. He was
born on 30 October 1909 in Bombay, Bombay Presidency, British India (now
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India). His invaluable contributions to the field of
science continue to inspire generations of young minds in the country. Homi J
Bhabha was born into a prominent wealthy Parsi family. Some facts related to
this great personality:
a) Homi J Bhabha was the founding director and professor of physics at the
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR).
b) Homi J Bhabha was also the founding director of the Atomic Energy
Establishment, Trombay (AEET). It is now named the Bhabha Atomic Research
Centre in his honour.
c) TIFR and AEET were the cornerstones of Indian development of nuclear
weapons and both were supervised by Bhabha as director.
d) In 1942, Bhabha was awarded the Adams Prize and Padma Bhushan in 1954.
e) In 1951 and 1953–1956, Bhabha was also nominated for the Nobel Prize for
Physics.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Shefali
Juneja named as chairperson of UN’s Air Transport Committee: India’s representative to the International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO), Shefali Juneja has been elected as the chairperson of the
United Nations’ specialized aviation agency’s Air Transport Committee (ATC).
Juneja, a 1992 batch officer of the Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax cadre),
served as a Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) before
joining the ICAO. India secured this position in ICAO after 28 years when
Juneja was unanimously elected to the post on Monday. She is the first woman to
represent India in the ICAO. ATC is a standing committee of the ICAO created by
the Chicago Convention in 1944.
Note: International
Civil Aviation Organization Headquarters: Montreal, Canada; International Civil
Aviation Organization Council President: Salvatore Sciacchitano; International
Civil Aviation Organization Founded: 7 December 1944.
2. OAG
report: Delhi’s IGI airport is now world’s 10th busiest airport: According to Official Airline Guide (OAG) report, the Indira Gandhi
International Airport in Delhi is the 10th busiest airport in the world in
terms of seat capacity and frequency of domestic and international flights as
of October 2022. According to OAG, there were 34,13,855 seats at the Delhi
airport, popularly known as the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA). In
its research, aviation analytics company OAG said the Delhi airport improved
from its 14th position in October 2019, before the pandemic struck. Key
points in the reports:
a) The busiest airport in the world as of October 2022 is
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport having serviced 47,47,367
seats.
b) Dubai International is second with 41,27,704 seats, followed by Tokyo
International Airport with 38,77,164 seats and Dallas Dallas/Fort Worth
International Airport with 37,53,858 seats.
c) In fifth place is the Denver airport with 37,09,394 seats, followed by
London Heathrow Airport, Chicago O’Hare International Airport at the 7th spot
and Los Angeles International Airport at the 9th position, the OAG report said.
3. FIPRESCI
declared ‘Pather Panchali’ as best Indian movie: Legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray’s feature “Pather Panchali” has been
declared the best Indian film of all time by the International Federation of
Film Critics (FIPRESCI). The 1955 film has received the number one slot in the
top ten films in the history of Indian cinema list, which was declared after a
poll conducted by the India chapter of FIPRESCI. Based on Bibhutibhushan
Bandyopadhyay’s 1929 Bengali novel of the same name, “Pather Panchali” was Ray’s
directorial debut. It starred Subir Banerjee, Kanu Banerjee, Karuna Banerjee,
Uma Dasgupta, Pinaki Sengupta and Chunibala Devi. As per a press release issued
by FIPRESCI-India, the poll was conducted in secret and involved 30 members. FIPRESCI:
Other films nominated in the list:
This list also
features Ritwik Ghatak’s 1960 drama “Meghe Dhaka Tara” (Bengali),
Mrinal Sen’s
1969 drama “Bhuvan Shome” (Hindi),
Adoor
Gopalakrishnan’s 1981 drama “Elippathayam” (Malayalam),
Girish
Kasaravalli’s 1977 film “Ghatashraddha” (Kannada),
MS Sathyu’s 1973
movie “Garm Hava” (Hindi),
Ray’s 1964 film
“Charulata” (Bengali),
Shyam Benegal’s
1974 film “Ankur” (Hindi),
Guru Dutt’s 1954
film “Pyaasa” (Hindi) and
1975 blockbuster
“Sholay” (Hindi), directed by Ramesh Sippy.
OTHER UPDATES:
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. Indian
Bank rolls out a bouquet of Digital products as part of “Project WAVE”: PSU lender Indian Bank has launched several digital initiatives under
“Project WAVE” in a bid to enhance the customer experience through integrated
services on its digital platform. Six digital initiatives were launched by the
SL Jain, MD and CEO, Indian Bank, along with Sharad Mathur, MD & CEO, of
Universal Sompo General Insurance Co. About the agreements:
a) Indian Bank along with Universal Sompo General Insurance will provide
online vehicle and health insurance through its mobile banking app IndOASIS.
b) This digital collaboration would enable the bank’s customers to access
and buy general insurance products digitally, anytime, anywhere, thus augmenting
the insurance inclusion in India, it said in a statement.
c) Under the co-lending arrangement, Indian Bank has partnered with Rupeek
Capital Pvt. Ltd, to offer jewel loans at customer doorsteps. The entire gold
loan journey will be through digital platform and not require any physical
visit to the bank branch by the customer.
d) This facility which is presently available in select pockets will be
soon expanded to other locations as well.
e) The public sector lender has extended pre-approved personal loans to
self-employed customers of the bank as well. Since April, it is being offered
to salaried customers and pensioners.
f)
Indian Bank has now extended e-overdraft facility
against term deposits opened at branches by individual customers. Earlier it
was offered for e-deposits only.
Note: Indian
Bank CEO: Shri Shanti Lal Jain; Indian Bank Founded: 15 August 1907; Indian
Bank Headquarters: Chennai.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
1. Apple
Announces New Clean Energy Investments: APPLE said it
would make fresh investments to set up solar and wind projects in Europe and
called on its suppliers to decarbonise operations related to the production of
iPhones and other products. The company in 2020 had pledged to remove carbon
emissions from its entire business, including products and its sprawling supply
chain – which spans from Vietnam to Brazil – by 2030.
The iPhone maker
will now require its supply partners to report on progress on carbon neutrality
goals, specifically Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions reductions, related to the
production of Apple products and will audit their progress annually. “We’re
determined to be a ripple in the pond that creates a bigger change,” chief
executive officer Tim Cook said. Apple has been carbon neutral for its global
corporate operations since 2020.
A
Humongous Supply-Chain: More than 200 suppliers,
representing 70 per cent of Apple’s direct manufacturing spending and including
Corning, Nitto Denko, SK Hynix, STMicroelectronics, TSMC and Yuto, have committed
to using clean power such as wind or solar for all Apple production, Apple
said. Apple had previously asked suppliers to commit to 100 per cent renewable
energy for Apple’s production.
DEFENCE
1. Smt
Droupadi Murmu presents Silver Trumpet and Trumpet Banner to the President’s
Bodyguard: The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu,
presented the Silver Trumpet and Trumpet Banner to the President’s Bodyguard
(PBG) at a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Delhi. The President
appreciated PBG for their excellent military traditions, professionalism and
discipline in all their tasks. She said that the nation is proud of them. She
expressed confidence that they will strive with dedication, discipline and
valour, to maintain the highest traditions of Rashtrapati Bhavan and be an
ideal role model for other Regiments of the Indian Army. History of
President’s Bodyguard:
a) The President’s Bodyguard is the oldest regiment in the Indian Army,
having been raised as the Governor-General’s Bodyguard (later the Viceroy’s
Bodyguard) in 1773. As the President of India’s own Guard, it has the unique
distinction of being the only military unit of the Indian Army that is
privileged to carry the President’s Silver Trumpet and Trumpet Banner.
b) This distinction was conferred on the President’s Bodyguard in 1923 by
the then Viceroy, Lord Reading, on the occasion of the Bodyguard completing 150
years of service. Each succeeding Viceroy, thereafter, presented the Silver
Trumpet and Trumpet Banner to the Bodyguard.
c) On January 27, 1950, the regiment was renamed the President’s Bodyguard.
Every President has continued the practice of honouring the regiment. Rather
than a coat of arms, as was the practice in the colonial era, the monogram of
the President appears on the Banner. Dr Rajendra Prasad, the first President of
India, presented his Silver Trumpet and Trumpet Banner to the President’s
Bodyguard on May 14, 1957.
d) The President’s Bodyguard, as it is known today, was raised in Banaras
(Varanasi) by the then Governor-General, Warren Hastings. It had an initial
strength of 50 cavalry troopers, later augmented by another 50 horsemen. Today,
the President’s Bodyguard is a select body of hand-picked men with special
physical attributes. They are chosen after a rigorous and physically gruelling
process.
2. Indian
Navy & Drone Federation tie-up to promote indigenous drone technology: The Technology Development and Acceleration Cell of the Naval Innovation
Indigenisation Organization (NIIO) under the Indian Navy and Drone Federation
of India (DFI) have come together to collaborate towards promoting indigenous
development, manufacturing, and testing of drones, counter-drone, and
associated technologies for the Indian Navy.
As a part of
this collaboration, TDAC and DFI will increase the Navy-Industry-Academia
synergy, and source technology development challenges toward component
indigenization. A special maritime drone testing site shall also be earmarked
for the Indian drone industry to facilitate faster development and testing of
drones, especially in maritime environments, thus enabling development for a
host of applications. Under the agreement:
a) Additionally, programmes on sensitization and skill development shall
also be undertaken as a part of this collaboration.
b) TDAC has been working towards accelerating the development of indigenous
technologies to be utilized by the Indian Navy.
c) Drone Federation of India will help us in developing a deeper industry
connection as well as create a stronger roadmap for induction of drone
platforms in the Indian Navy in a time-bound manner.
d) The maritime testing site being developed under this initiative will accelerate the development of versatile and reliable drone platforms for advanced maritime use cases like maritime patrol, drone landings on moving ships, ship-to-ship deliveries, ship-to-shore deliveries, etc.
No comments:
Post a Comment