NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Baskar Babu Ramachandran re-appointed as MD & CEO
of Suryoday SFB: The Reserve Bank
of India has approved the re-appointment of Baskar Babu
Ramachandran as MD & CEO of Suryoday Small Finance
Bank for three years, with effect from 23 January 2023. He has
several years of experience in the banking and finance sector. Prior
to co-founding the Suryoday Micro Finance Private Limited, he had
worked with various companies including GE Capital Transportation Financial
Services and HDFC Bank. Suryoday SFB is a scheduled commercial bank. Suryoday Small Finance Bank advanced
2.58% to Rs 109.35 after the bank said that the RBI has approved the
re-appointment of Baskar Babu Ramachandran as the MD & CEO of the bank for
a period of three years, effective from 23 January 2023.
2. Meity becomes nodal ministry for India's online gaming
sector: The govt of India has
designated the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
as the nodal ministry to oversee the online gaming industry in India.
The ministry will soon release rules for online gaming intermediaries
and start public consultation on these rules In May 2022, the govt set up
a seven-member inter-ministerial task force, chaired by Rajeev
Chandrasekhar, MoS, IT. Aim: To work on online gaming regulations and
identify a nodal ministry. The
government has been deliberating on plans to regulate the online gaming sector
since early this year. However, in absence of a nodal ministry to oversee the
sector, online gaming intersects with multiple ministriesincludingMeitY,MinistryofIn...
3. Home Ministry gives NOC for name change of two places
in Uttar Pradesh: The Uttar Pradesh
government has received the ‘no-objection’ certificates from
the ministry of home affairs to change the names of two places in state With
this consent, ‘Mundera Bazaar’ municipal council in Gorakhpur district has
been renamed to ‘Chauri Chaura’ and ‘Telia Afghan’ village in Deoria
district to ‘Telia Shukla’ MHA gives a ‘no-objection’ certificate to change the
name of any place after taking consent from ministry of railways,
department of posts and Survey of India The
no-objection certificates were issued by the home ministry on Tuesday for
changing the name of ‘Mundera Bazaar’ municipal council in Gorakhpur district
to ‘Chauri Chaura’ and that of ‘Telia Afghan’ village in Deoria district to
‘Telia Shukla’
4. IISc, Bengaluru to be G20 science working group’s
secretariat: The Indian
Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru has been named the Secretariat
for Science 20 (S20), the G20 summit’s science working group. S20
2023 theme is ‘Disruptive Science for Innovative and Sustainable
Development.' S20 has been set up as part of efforts by G20 to address global
challenges including climate change mitigation and sustainable development. G20
is an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 countries and the European Union. The Indian Institute of Science (IISc),
Bengaluru, will function as the secretariat for Science 20 (S20), a working
group set up as part of the G20 which will be presided over by India in
2023. S20 has been set up as part of efforts by G20theint...
5. 'Dhanu Yatra' begins in Bargarh, Odisha: The ‘Dhanu Yatra’
festival,11-day long festival, has been started in the Western Odisha
town of Bargarh. It was came into existence in Bargarh in 1947-48 as
part of the celebration of the country’s Independence. The festival
starts with the play of dethroning of Emperor Ugrasen of
Mathura by angry Kansa over the marriage of his sister Devaki with
Vasudev. It will be concluded with the death of demon king Kansa and
restoration of the throne to Ugrasen. The 'Dhanu
Yatra' festival, considered to be the world’s largest open-air theatre, began
on Tuesday in the Western Odisha town of Bargarh. President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister
Narendra Modi offered greetings to the people of the eastern state with the
commencement of the 11-day festival.
6. Santosh Kumar Yadav appointed as chairman of NHAI: Senior bureaucrats, Santosh
Kumar Yadav has been appointed as chairman of National Highways
Authority of India (NHAI). He is a 1995-batch IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh
cadre. He is currently serving as an additional secretary in the Department of
School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education. Subhasish Panda has been
appointed as vice chairman of Delhi Development Authority. Ganji Kamala V
Rao has been named CEO of FSSAI, Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare
7. IIT Guwahati, Bombay, European join hands to check
Indian water quality: IIT Guwahati and
Bombay have joined hands with European universities to develop a
technology to check the quality of potable and other water in India. The LOTUS
Indo-European project is an initiative of the Dept of Science and
Technology and the European Commission Aim: To provide solutions for
issues related to the quality of water supplied across Indian households The
LOTUS project is built around a novel water quality sensor developed at Ecole
Polytechnique in Paris New Delhi, Dec 26 (PTI)
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati and Bombay in collaboration with
European universities are working towards building a low-cost technology to
check the quality of potable and other water in India.
8. President Murmu inaugurated project worth Rs 43.08 cr
at Srisailam Temple: President
Droupadi Murmu has inaugurated the project “Development of Srisailam
Temple” at Srisailam Temple Complex Andhra Pradesh. The project has been
sanctioned and executed under PRASHAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and
Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive) scheme under the Ministry of
Tourism. The project “Development of Srisailam Temple in the state of Andhra
Pradesh” has been completed with a cost of Rs 43.08 crores. The project is 100
percent funded by the Ministry of Tourism. Srisailam Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy
Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and his consort Goddess Parvati.
9. Jio launched 5G services in Andhra Pradesh with an
investment of Rs 6,500 crore: Reliance Jio has launched
its 5G services in Andhra Pradesh with an investment of Rs 6500 crore
starting with the cities of Tirumala, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada & Guntur. Andhra
Pradesh Information and Technology Minister Gudivada Amarnath and Chief
Secretary KS Jawahar Reddy launched the Jio True 5G and Jio True 5G Powered
wi-fi services. Apart from their existing investment of Rs 26,000 crore,
additionally, Jio has invested over Rs 6,500 crore for deploying 5G network in
Andhra Pradesh. By December 2023, Jio True 5G services will be made available
in every town, taluka, mandalam, and village of Andhra Pradesh. The Jio True 5G
services are available to selected customers at no additional cost. The
customers’ 4G tariff plan/package is upgraded to 5G. The only difference is
that all upgraded 5G plans have unlimited data allowance.
10. Hasmukh Adhia appointed as chief advisor to the
Gujarat CM: Former Union finance secretary Hasmukh Adhia has been appointed
as the chief advisor to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. The
government has also appointed SS Rathod, the managing director of Gujarat Metro
Rail Corporation Limited and former CMD of Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam
Limited, as the chief minister’s advisor. Hasmukh Adia is a former Gujarat cadre
IAS officer. Adhia retired from service in November 2018. He was made the
secretary in the Department of Financial Services, Union Ministry of Finance
when Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister of India in 2014.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Cabinet approved opening of Indian Mission in
Lithuania and Maldives: The Union Cabinet has approved the opening of new Consulates
in Maldives and Lithuania. India has opened missions in 14 African countries
out of the 18 announced in March 2018. Three new Missions in Estonia, Paraguay,
and the Dominican Republic, approved by Cabinet in December 2020, were made
operational in January-February, 2022. The decision to open a new Indian
Mission in Lithuania is a forward-looking step in pursuit of our national priority
of growth and development or ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. South African cricketer Farhaan Behardien announces
retirement: South African white-ball
specialist and former T20I skipper Farhaan Behardien has announced his
retirement from professional cricket. The 39-year-old, who played 59 ODIs and
38 T20Is and captained the Proteas in a three-match T20 series against Sri
Lankan in 2017. He represented South Africa in four World Cups. He was part of
the Proteas’ T20 World Cup campaigns in 2012, 2014, and 2016 as well as the ODI
World Cup in 2015. Behardien played 59 ODIs for the Proteas, in which he scored
1074 runs at an average of 30.69. He also played 38 T20ls and scored 518 runs. He
last represented South Africa in November 2018 in a T20I against Australia in
Carrara.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. India, ADB sign $125 million loan to improve Urban
Services in Tamil Nadu: India has signed a $125 million loan
agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to develop
climate-resilient sewage collection and treatment, and drainage and water
supply systems in three cities of Tamil Nadu. The tranche 3
loan for Tamil Nadu Urban Flagship Investment Program signed between Rajat
Kumar Mishra (Additional Secretary, DEA) and Hoe Yun Jeong (Officer-in-Charge
of ADB’s India Resident Mission). This loan will cover Coimbatore, Madurai, and
Thoothukudi The Government of India and Asian Development
Bank (ADB) today signed a $125 million loan to develop climate-resilient sewage
collection and treatment, and drainage and water supply systems in three cities
in the state of Tamil Nadu. The signatories to the tranche 3 loan for Tamil Nadu
Urban Flagship Investment Program were Rajat Kumar Mishra, Additional
Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance who signed
for the Government of India, and Hoe Yun Jeong, Officer-in-Charge of ADB’s India
Resident Mission who signed for ADB.
2. Indian Bank launched ‘MSME Prerana’ programme in
Rajasthan: Indian
Bank has launched its flagship business mentoring program for MSME
entrepreneurs named ‘MSME Prerana’ in Rajasthan. Aim: To empower MSME
Entrepreneurs through skill development and capacity building training in their
local languages. This program will also assist them in acquiring necessary
financial and managerial skills, capacity to handle crisis in business. The
training program will be provided in collaboration with M/s Poornatha & Co.Shri Mahendra Kumar Parakh,
Commissioner, Industries, Govt of Rajasthan, Shri Narendra Sharma, GM (MSME)
and Shri. Ravinder Singh, FGM (Delhi), Indian Bank and other senior officials
of State Government and Bank were present at the event.Ends
3. SBI, Axis, ICICI Bank to introduce Rupay Credit card
on UPI by March 2023: State Bank of India
(SBI), ICICI Bank, and Axis Bank will start issuing RuPay credit cards
over the UPI by March 2023.
Presently, the RuPay credit card segment on the UPI platform is live
with Union Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Indian Bank and HDFC Bank.
The RBI has authorised the connection of credit cards to UPI in June 2022. Users
will benefit from more convenience as a result of the change, which will also
expand the adoption of digital payments.
4. Sebi expands committees on cyber security and
information systems:
SEBI has expanded two of its committees- (1) High Powered
Steering Committee on Cyber Security (HPSC-CS) and (2) Information Systems
Security Committee (ISSC). High Powered Steering Committee on Cyber
Security (HPSC-CS) was expanded to eight members from six
earlier. It will continue to be chaired by Navin Kumar Singh (DG at
NCIIPC). SEBI has also expanded its panel on Information Systems Security
Committee (ISSC) to seven members, chaired by Prof Krishnamurthy. The move comes at a time when Central
Depository Services (India) (CDSL), the largest depository in India by number
of accounts, faced cyber security issues in November which impacted settlement
activities
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. Prabhu Chandra Mishra honoured with Atal Samman Award: Prabhu Chandra Mishra was
honoured with the prestigious Atal Samman Award during the 9th Atal
Samman Samaroh, organised in New Delhi. He was awarded for his excellence
in field of science & research. He has worked in the area of
StemCell & Regenerative Medicine in infertility especially when In
vitro fertilization (IVF) failed. Under his work, diseases like premature
ovarian failure, and Asherman syndrome have shown satisfactory results with
body’s own cells. On the birth anniversary of
former Prime Minister of the country Atal Bihari Vajpayee, many personalities
who played an important role in various fields were honored on December 24,
2022, at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi during 9th Atal Samman Samaroh.
2. IIT Madras won Wharton-QS Reimagine Education Awards 2022: The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT) Madras has won the Wharton-QS Reimagine Education Awards at the Wharton Campus, Philadelphia, USA. The institute has been awarded and its BS in Data Science and Applications is awarded the silver in the best online programme category. While, the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL), a joint initiative of IITs and IISc, run by IIT Madras, won the gold in the lifelong learning category. The NPTEL-National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning has won the Gold in the ‘Lifelong Learning’ category. The Wharton-QS Reimagine Education Awards are considered to be the Oscars of Education.
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