NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. India will be covered by Doppler
Weather Radar network by 2025: Earth Sciences Minister, Dr. Jitendra Singh announced that India
will be covered by Doppler Weather Radar Network by 2025, at the 148th
Foundation Day of the Indian Meteorological Department. Aim: To predict
extreme weather events more accurately It will enhance weather monitoring
capabilities and benefit the farmers to contribute significantly to the economy.
IMD has taken proactive steps to increase the Radar Network from a mere 15
in 2013 to 37 in 2023.
2. RailTel bags ₹170 cr order for
Puducherry smart city project: Indian Railway's wholly owned subsidiary, RailTel
Corporation of India Ltd has received an order worth ₹170.11 crores from the Puducherry government. Agenda: To
design, develop, supply, install, test, commission, and operations, and
maintenance of integrated command control centre (ICCC) and other associated
activities for the smart city. The contract is for five years and
will be completed in 10 months. PM Modi launched the Smart Cities Mission in
2015.
3. G20’s first Infrastructure Working
Group meeting to be held in Pune: The first G-20
Infrastructure Working Group (IWG) meeting under G20 India Presidency is
scheduled to be held from 16th-17th January 2023 in Pune. The forum will
bring together the IWG member countries, guest countries and international organizations
invited by India to discuss the 2023 Infrastructure Agenda under the Indian G20
Presidency. The Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government
of India along with Australia and Brazil will host the meeting as the
co-chairs. The Indian G20 Presidency’s theme of ‘One Earth, One Family, One
Future’ sets the tone for the 2023 Infrastructure Agenda under the 2023
Indian G-20 Presidency. The theme underlines the message of equitable growth
and aptly ties up with the central agenda of the discussions which is building
resilient, inclusive, and sustainable urban infrastructure. In the Pune
meeting, discussions will focus on the agenda for the Infrastructure Working
Group under the Indian Presidency. The flagship priority to be discussed in
this meeting is “Financing Cities of Tomorrow: Inclusive, Resilient and
Sustainable”.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. World Economic Forum Annual Meeting
2023 organizes in Davos: The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum started in Davos, Switzerland, on
January 16 and will continue till January 20, 2023. The theme of the 53rd
annual event is ‘Cooperation in a Fragmented World’.
Aim: To address the pressing issues the world is facing and promote
innovative solutions A range of topics will be discussed at the 2023
meeting - New Energy, Climate Change, Jobs, Travel and Tourism, Health,
Tech, and Banking.
2. Kerala enters Guinness Book of World
Records for goals scored: Kerala has entered
the Guinness Book of World Records by taking 4,500 penalty kicks
in 12 hours. The Department of Sports and Youth Affairs organized the event to
set the Guinness record for a Dream Goal penalty shootout organized in Manjeri,
Kerala. Many football lovers, students, teachers and others enthusiastically
queued up to take the penalty kicks. Officials representing the Guinness Book
of World Records were present at the event organized by the State Department of
Youth Affairs and Sports. The Malappuram event obliterated the previous record
of 2500 penalty kicks held by Germany. Former Indian player U. Sharafali took
the inaugural kick. Minister for Sports V. Abdurahiman took the last penalty
kick of the record.
3. UAE names ADNOC oil chief Sultan
al-Jaber as President of COP28: The president
of the UAE’s national oil company Sultan al-Jaber has
been named as president of this year’s COP28 climate talks. Jaber, also
UAE’s minister of industry and technology and its climate envoy, will help
develop the COP28 agenda and play a central role in intergovernmental negotiations
to build consensus. The UAE, a major OPEC oil exporter, will be the second Arab
state to host the climate conference after Egypt hosted the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) 27th Conference of the
Parties (COP 27) in 2022. The chief executive of the ADNOC will be the first
CEO to take the role at the UN summit. Jaber is also the Gulf state’s special
envoy for climate change and has taken part in more than 10 COP meetings.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. Indian pair of Yuki Bhambri, Saketh
Myneni wins Bangkok Open tennis title: In tennis, the Indian team of Yuki Bhambri and Saketh Myneni won the
men's double Bangkok Open title 2023 organized at Nonthaburi, Thailand. They defeated
Christopher Rungkat and Akira Santillan (Indonesian-Australian team). With this
win, Yuki will get a career-high doubles rank of 90 and Saketh should also
touch a career-best 74 in the ATP doubles chart. They will next compete in
the Australian Open where they have been given a wild card entry.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. SBI Research: Retail inflation
expected to come down to 5% by March 2023: According to SBI Research's latest Ecowrap
report, the retail inflation rate of India based on the Consumer
Price Index would remain below RBI's comfort zone of 6% and will decline
materially to 5% by March 2023. Reason: Latest figures showed a marginal
decline and further moderation in retail inflation as compared with the last
month. The retail inflation for December 2022 was at 5.72%.
For Jan-Mar 2023, the average retail inflation is seen at
4.7%.
2. Alibaba sells Paytm stake worth $125
million via block deal: China’s Alibaba
Group sold a 3.1% stake in Indian digital payments firm Paytm for a
total of $125 million through a block deal. Alibaba, which held a 6.26%
stake in Paytm as of end-September, sold the stake at 536.95 rupees apiece. Formally
known as One97 Communications, Paytm listed in 2021 after a mega $2.5 billion
initial public offer (IPO). Since then, the stock has plunged around 75% from
its IPO offer price as investors started questioning the company’s monetization
plans amid worries about sky-high valuations of tech companies and fears of a
global economic recession. Block deal: Single transaction between two
institutional players of a minimum quantity of 5 lakh shares or at least Rs. 5
Crores in value. It happens at the start of trading hours for about 35 minutes
through a separate trading window.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. Miss USA R'Bonney Gabriel crowned
Miss Universe 2022: Miss USA,
R'Bonney Gabriel (28) has been crowned the Miss Universe 2022 at
the 71st Miss Universe pageant organized in New Orleans, Louisiana. She
is a model, fashion designer, and sewing instructor who prioritizes the
environment in her work. She is also the first Filipino American to win
Miss USA. Amanda Dudamel from Venezuela was the first
runner-up, and Andreína Martínez from the Dominican Republic was the
second runner-up.
2. DNPA announces Digital Impact Award
2023: The Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) has announced Digital
Impact awards 2023 in eight categories.
Categories (Best Use of Digital Media):
·
For Health – CoWIN
App
·
For Women & Child
Welfare Reforms – (A) Poshan Tracker App, (B) Himmat Plus Ap
·
For Ease of
Living –Digilocker
·
For Financial
Reforms – PMJDY
·
For Human Resource
Development & Education – DIKSHA
·
For Sustainability and
Environment Protection – CAMPA
3. Writer K Venu received Federal Bank
Literary Award 2023: Noted writer K Venu has bagged the first-ever Federal Bank
Literary Award 2022 for his autobiography ‘Oranweshananthinte Katha’.
The award was presented by the chairman and independent director of the
Federal Bank, Balagopal Chandrasekhar. It was presented at an event held as
part of the ongoing sixth edition Kerala Literature Festival, Kozhikode
beach.The prize money was handed over by Nandakumar V (executive vice-president
of the bank).
4. 'RRR' wins Best Foreign Language
Film at Critics Choice Awards 2023: India's 'RRR' directed by SS Rajamouli has won
the Critics Choice Awards 2023 in the Best Foreign Language Film
category and Best Song category for 'Naatu Naatu' Television: Best
Actor: Bob Odenkirk (Best Drama Series: Better Call Saul) Best
Actress: Zendaya (Euphoria)
Film:
·
Best Actor: Brendan
Fraser (The Whale as Charlie)
·
Best Actress: Cate
Blanchett (Tár)
·
Best
Director: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (Best Movie: Everything
Everywhere All at Once)
OBITUARIES
1. Mukarram Jah,
titular eighth Nizam of Hyderabad, passes away: Mukarram Jah Bahadur, the titular eighth Nizam of
Hyderabad passed away at the age of 89 in Istanbul, Turkey. He was the
successor and grandson of the last Nizam of Hyderabad Mir Osman Ali Khan
Bahadur. He was born to Prince Azam Jah and Princess Durru Shehvar, the
imperial princess of the Ottoman Empire, on October 6, 1933, in France. He
was coronated as Asaf Jah the Eighth on April 6, 1967, after the
passing away of Mir Osman Ali Khan in February 1967.
2. British
linguist Ronald E Ashe passed away: A British linguist and
educator specializing in Dravidian languages, Ronald E. Asher passed
away at the age of 96. He won a gold medal from Kerala Sahitya
Akademi, Trichur, in 1983 and was honored by the Royal Society, Edinburgh
in 1991. His relationship with Kerala began during his days at the University
of London.
He was also a recipient of a medal from the College de France, Paris in 1970.
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