NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Aloke Singh to be chief of Air India
LCC business from January 2023: The Air India management has appointed Air India Express CEO, Aloke
Singh as the new chief executive officer of Air India's Low Cost
Carrier (LCC) business from January 1, 2023. The LCC business
will comprise AirAsia India and Air India Express. The current AirAsia
India CEO, Sunil Bhaskaran will assume the leadership of a new initiative -- an
aviation training academy. AirAsia India was launched in 2014 while Air India
Express started operations back in 2005. “The two constituent airlines will continue to have the
full complement of regulatory post-holders until the merger is complete but,
for now, a single CEO will provide the clarity and singular accountability
necessary to navigate the process,” Air India CEO and managing director
Campbell Wilson said in the internal communication.
2. Shamsher Singh as MD and CEO of SBI
Funds: Shamsher Singh has been appointed as
the MD & CEO of
SBI Funds Management Limited (SBIFML). Prior to this
role, he served as the
Deputy MD of State Bank of India. He had joined
SBI as probationary officer in June 1990. He has more than 32 years of rich
experience working with SBI
in various verticals, including investment
banking, treasury, corporate banking and branch banking. SBIFML is a JV between SBI and Europe’s
largest asset manager, Amundi. Singh has more
than 32 years of rich experience working with SBI in various verticals,
including investment banking, treasury, corporate banking and branch banking.
He had joined SBI as probationary officer in June 1990 and moved up the ranks
to become deputy MD by successfully managing leadership roles across domains
besides serving international stints in the US, Bahrain and UAE.
3. Petroleum Ministry organizes musical
event 'Dance to Decarbonise': The Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry has organised one of
its kind musical event, Dance to Decarbonise at the National Stadium in
New Delhi on 23rd Dec 2022. As per the ministry, the renewable energy
generated through dance will be used to charge electric vehicles. Aim: To
showcase the India’s target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2070 weighing
against the country's growing economy, and rising energy requirements over
transformational energy systems for the future
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry will organise a one of its kind
musical event, Dance to Decarbonise,
National Stadium in New Delhi today.
The Ministry has informed that the renewable energy
generated through dance will be used to charge electric vehicles.
4. Assam grants industry status to its
tourism sector: The Assam State
Cabinet led by CM Himanta Biswa Sarma has approved the proposal
for grant of industry status to the tourism sector in the state. Aim: To
boost investments and generate employment. The industry status, fresh
investments in tourism infrastructure, permanent in nature,
will contribute towards rapid employment generation, public-private partnership
and development. Tourism is to be one of the main sources of
income generation for the people over the years. State tourism minister Jayanta Mallabaruah said with
the industry status, fresh investments in tourism infrastructure, permanent in
nature, will contribute towards rapid employment generation, public-private
partnership and development.
5. Odisha CM launches 'Drink From Tap'
facility in 19 cities, towns: Odisha CM, Naveen Patnaik has launched the ‘Drink From Tap’
project in 19 cities and towns of the state.
Aim: To provide safe drinking water provision at every home in the
state Earlier, this facility was unveiled in Puri and Gopalpur. Under the
project, drinking water will be supplied round the clock through taps
installed in households. CM has announced that at least 5.55 lakh people in the
19 cities and the towns would benefit from the project.
6. TATA Projects, CSIR-IIP ink MoU for
Clean Energy Solutions: TATA Projects Limited has inked an MoU with the CSIR – Indian
Institute of Petroleum (CSIR – IIP) to collaborate and work
together towards ensuring clean energy solutions. As part of this
agreement, clean energy solutions such as room temperature bio-diesel produced
from CSIR-IIP shall be used across some of Tata Projects’ ongoing sites. This
partnership will also explore utilization of by-product Green Diesel from
the existing DILSAAF™. one of India's fastest
growing and most admired infrastructure companies yesterday 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.
7. LG Manoj Sinha launched 3 New
Schemes for J&K: Lt Governor of Jammu and Kashmir
Manoj Sinha has launched three new schemes- Holistic Development
of Agriculture & Allied Sectors, 2. Aspirational Towns, and 3. Aspirational
Panchayat for J&K. The projects which have now been approved by the
administrative council, have an outlay of 5013 crore rupees. Over the next five
years, these projects would transform the agriculture economy of J&K
putting it on a new trajectory of growth with doubling the output of the
sectors and making them sustainable and commercially viable.
8. India’s manned space flight ‘H1’ to
launch in fourth quarter of 2024: Union minister of state
for Space and Technology Jitendra Singh has announced
that India’s maiden human space flight ‘H1’ mission is targeted to
be launched in the fourth quarter of 2024. The uncrewed ‘G1’ mission is targeted
to be launched in the last quarter of 2023 followed by the second uncrewed ‘G2’
mission in the second quarter of 2024, before the final human space flight ‘H1’
mission in the fourth quarter of 2024. The Rs 10,000 crore project aims to take
a three-person Indian crew into orbit for five to seven days before returning
them safely to Earth The Gaganyaan project was conceived in 2007 and it was
formally started in 2018. Four Indian Air Force pilots have been identified as
crew for the mission who are undergoing training in Russia.
9. 23 December – National Farmers Day: Kisan
Diwas or National Farmers Day is observed every year on December 23
across India. Objective – To mark the vital contributions of farmers who
produce food for around 141 crore people of India. Kisan Diwas is observed in
honour and memory of our fifth Prime Minister, Chaudhary Charan Singh, who was
born on that day in 1902. This year we celebrate his 120th birth anniversary.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan appointed as next
Ambassador of India to Saudi Arabia: According to the Ministry of External Affairs, an Indian Foreign
Service (IFS) official of 1997 batch, Dr. Suhel Ajaz
Khan has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
He will replace Dr. Ausaf Sayeed, a 1989 batch IFS officer. Presently, he
is serving as the Ambassador of India to the Republic of Lebanon. He has
also served as a United Nations Pension Board member in 2016 and 2017. An Indian Foreign Service official of 1997 batch, Dr.
Suhel Ajaz Khan who is presently the Ambassador of India to the Republic of
Lebanon has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia. He will replace Dr. Ausaf Sayeed, a 1989 batch IFS officer. Dr.
Khan is expected to take up the assignment shortly.
2. Suhel Ajaz Khan appointed India’s
new ambassador to Saudi Arabia: The Government of
India has appointed senior diplomat Suhel Ajaz Khan as India’s new
ambassador to Saudi Arabia. Khan will replace Dr. Ausaf Sayeed, a 1989 batch
IFS officer. Suhel Ajaz Khan is a 1997-batch Indian Foreign Service officer and
is presently serving as Indian ambassador to the Republic of Lebanon.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. Goa to host 1st ever World Table
Tennis series in India: India’s first ever World Table Tennis (WTT) series event will
be hosted by Goa from February 27 to March 5 2023. The event will be
held at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor stadium, located
at the Goa University Campus. Stupa Analytics, a homegrown sports analytics
firm, will be the tournament host with active support from the Goa
government. WTT Series is the official professional table tennis series of
events, with the world’s best players. “Goa is the nation’s biggest tourist destination and I am overjoyed to welcome
WTT to our shores as they announce WTT Contenders Goa 2023 as the first event
of the WTT Calendar. We are happy that Goa has been chosen as the host for a
WTT event for the very first time in India," said state tourism minister
Rohan Khaunte during the press conference.
2. Viacom18 bagged Paris Olympics 2024
broadcasting rights: The International Olympic Committee
(IOC) has announced that Viacom18 Media Private Limited
(Viacom18) has secured exclusive media rights to broadcast
the Olympic Games Paris 2024. It has also secured the non-exclusive rights
to the Winter Youth Olympic Games Gangwon 2024, in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India,
the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. It will provide multi-platform
coverage of the Games and ensure free-to-air television coverage within the
region. In 2024, France in Paris, beginning from July 26 to August 11, will
host the Olympics. In recent times, it has been bolstering it’s sports content
with rights for FIFA and digital rights for IPL till 2027. While IOC did not
specify the deal size, media experts peg the deal at Rs 200-250 crore. Viacom
18 had won the broadcast rights of the recently-concluded Fifa World Cup for Rs
450 crore.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. Sahitya Akademi Awards 2022
announced: Sahitya Akademi has
announced its annual Sahitya Akademi Awards in 23 languages on 22nd
December 2022. 7 books of poetry, 6 of novel, 2 of short stories, 3
Play/Dramas, 2 Literary Criticism, one each of Autobiographical Essays,
Collection of Articles and Literary History have won the Sahitya Akademi
Awards 2022. The awardee will receive an engraved copper-plaque, a shawl
and Rs.1,00,000 in Cash.
It also announced the ‘Sahitya Akademi Translation’ awards for 2022.
2. Prof. Thalappil Pradeep received
VinFuture special prize 2022: Renowned researcher and Madras IIT Professor, Pradeep
Thalappil has received the VinFuture Prize 2022 instituted by the
VinFuture Prize Council to honour breakthrough research projects. He has been
awarded the ‘Special Prize dedicated to Innovators from Developing
Countries’ for his development of a low-cost filtration system to
remove arsenic and other heavy metals from groundwater. He was also honoured
with the Padma Shri (2020), Nikkei Asia Prize (2020). Indian scientist, Prof. Thalappil Pradeep, Indian
Institute of Technology, Madras received VinFuture special prize on 20th Dec.
2022 in Hanoi for innovation of a low-cost filtration system to remove arsenic
and other heavy metals from groundwater.
3. Shah Rukh Khan the only Indian to feature
on Empire’s 50 Greatest Actors off All Time List: Bollywood
superstar Shah Rukh Khan has become the only Indian to be named
in an international list of 50 greatest actors of all time by a
prominent British magazine. The 57-year-old actor is included in Empire
magazine’s list which also recognizes Hollywood giants like Denzel Washington,
Tom Hanks, Anthony Marlon Brando, Meryl Streep, Jack Nicholson, and many others
From his extensive filmography, the publication highlighted Shah Rukh Khan’s
notable characters from four movies — Sanjay Leela Bhansali-directed “Devdas”,
Karan Johar’s “My Name Is Khan” and “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai”, and “Swades”,
directed by Ashutosh Gowarikar.
His dialogue from the
2012 movie ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’ — “Zindagi toh har roz jaan leti hai… Bomb toh
sirf ek baar lega” (Everyday life kills us a little. A bomb will kill you only
once) — has been recognized as the “iconic line” of his career. The actor will
be next seen in the actioner “Pathaan”, set to be released worldwide on January
25, 2023. Directed by Siddharth Anand, the movie also stars John Abraham and
Deepika Padukone.
4. Sudeep & Shobhana won
Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize 2021-22: Sudeep
Sen and Shobhana Kumar has won the Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize
2021-22. Sudeep Sen has been recognized for Anthropocene: Climate Change,
Contagion, Consolation (Pippa Rann Books & Media, 2021). While, Shobhana
Kumar for her haibun collection A Sky Full of Bucket Lists (Red River, 2021). The
winners, awarded $10,000 and a Rabindranath Tagore statuette, were picked from
a shortlist of 11 at India International Centre with the Tagore Prize for
social achievement going to Sanjoy K Roy, producer of the Jaipur Literature
Festival. The Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize was started in 2018 to
annually recognise literary and social accomplishments. In 2020, the award was
won by Raj Kamal Jha, Chief Editor for The City and The Sea (Penguin Books).
DEFENCE
1. India, Japan to conduct first
bilateral air combat exercise in January 2023: India and Japan will organise
their maiden bilateral air combat exercise, Veer Guardian 2023 from
January 16 to 26 at Hyakuri air base and Iruma air base in Japan. Reason: To
promote the mutual understanding, strengthen defence cooperation between the
Air Forces, and enhance JASDF’s tactical skill. India will deploy
four Sukhoi-30MKI fighters supported by two C-17 Globemaster-III
strategic lift aircraft, one IL-78 mid-air refueler and around 150 IAF
personnel.
The exercise `Veer Guardian’, to be conducted at the
Hyakuri and Iruma air-bases in Japan from January 16 to 26, will see India
deploying four Sukhoi-30MKI fighters supported by two C-17 Globemaster-III
strategic lift aircraft, one IL-78 mid-air refueler and around
150 IAF personnel. Japan, in turn, will deploy F-2 and F-15 fighters,
among assets, for the exercise.
OBITUARIES
1. Veteran Telugu actor Kaikala
Satyanarayana passes away: Veteran Telugu actor, Kaikala Satyanarayana has been passed away at
the age of 87 in Hyderabad. He was honoured with the several
awards including Raghupati Venkaiah Award (2011), Filmfare Awards for
lifetime achievement award for Telugu cinema (2017) and the Andhra Pradesh
government’s Nandi film awards. He was also elected to the 11th Lok Sabha
from Machilipatnam on Telugu Desam Party (TDP) but withdrew from politics
after 1998.
2. Former PepsiCo India chairman, PM Sinha passes away: PepsiCo legend, PM Sinha, who popularly known as Suman has been passed away at the age of 82 in Gurugram. He started his career from Hindustan Lever Ltd (HLL, later HUL). He served as the chairman of PepsiCo India between 1992 and 2002. He was also credited with launching bottled water brand Aquafina in India. He helped acquire Duke’s in Mumbai and snack food company, Uncle Chipps. He also joined Bata as chairman in 2004 and is credited with restructuring the company.
No comments:
Post a Comment