NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Ajay Kumar Srivastava appointed as
new MD and CEO of Indian Overseas Bank: Ajay Kumar Srivastava has been appointed as MD and CEO of Indian
Overseas Bank (IOB) with effect from January 1, 2023. Presently, he is serving
as the executive director of IOB. He started his banking career as
a probationary officer in 1991 with Allahabad Bank. After the successful
completion of about 27 years in Allahabad Bank he was elevated as Executive
Director of IOB in October 2017
He was appointed as Director on the Board of India Infrastructure
Finance Company
2. Ministry of Rural Development
launches Prajjwala Challenge: The Ministry of Rural Development under the Deendayal
Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission has launched
the Prajjwala Challenge Aim: To invite ideas, solutions and actions
that can transform rural economy The broad contours fall into following
categories: Focus on Women and Marginalized section of community;
Localised Models; Sustainability; Cost Effective solutions; Multi sectoral
ideas and solutions Top 5 ideas will be rewarded with Rs. 2 Lakh each
With an aim to invite ideas,
solutions and actions that can transform rural economy, the Deendayal Antyodaya
Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) has launched the
Prajjwala Challenge. It is one of the platforms where ideas are invited from
individuals, Social Enterprises, Start up, Private Sector, Civil Society,
Community Based Organization, Academic Institution, Start-ups, Incubation
centres, Investors etc having potential to transform the rural economy.
3. CRPF DG Sujoy Lal Thaosen takes
additional charge as BSF chief: The Union government has given an additional charge as
Border Security Force (BSF) DG to senior Madhya Pradesh cadre IPS officer
and CRPF Director General (DG), Sujoy Lal Thaosen. He replaced Pankaj
Kumar Singh, who retired on December 31, 2022.
About BSF:
·
It was raised in 1965,
after the India-Pakistan war.
·
It is one of the seven
Central Armed Police Forces.
·
Other Central Armed
Police Forces are: Assam Rifles (AR), ITBP, CISF, CRPF, NSG and SSB.
4. ISRO, Andhra University set up equipment to predict rip currents at sea: Indian Space and Research
Organization, National Centre for Earth Sciences (NCES), and
the Andhra University (AU) have researched and concluded
that constant rip current zones at Rushikonda beach and RK Beach have
become a danger to the beach visitors. They have set up equipment to identify
Rip currents to warn marines and local police. Rip currents are common at
all beaches across the globe. People can enter the waters in rip current zones
up to knee-deep levels. Visakhapatnam (Andhra
Pradesh) [India], December 31 (ANI) Over 200 people have drowned in sea at various
beaches in and around Visakhapatnam between 2012 to 2022 and of these, RK beach
in the city accounted for 60 per cent of deaths, according to official
statistics.
5. PM Modi to address 108th Indian
Science Congress on January 3, 2023: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 108th Indian Science
Congress through video conferencing on 3rd January, 2023. Theme 2023: Rashtrasant
Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU) at its Amravati Road Campus will
host Science and Technology for Sustainable Development with Women Empowerment
The inaugural ceremony. The technical sessions of the 108th Indian Science
Congress have been divided into 14 sections. A special attraction of the
event is the mega expo "Pride of India". The prominent developments,
major achievements and the significant contributions largely of Indian Science
and Technology to the society will be showcased in the exhibition, which brings
together and displays hundreds of new ideas, innovations, and products covering
the entire canvas of the scientific world.
6. International Year of Millets (IYM)
2023 kick starts on 1 Jan 2023: The year
2023 is being observed all over the world as the International
Year of the millets. The Government of India aims to make the International
Year of the millets a ‘People’s Movement’ and position India as the ‘Global Hub
for Millets’. The proposal was accepted and passed by the 75th session of the
United Nations General Assembly in 2021 and 2023 was declared as the
International Year of Millets. Central Ministries, States and Indian embassies
allocated a focused month in 2023 to carry out various activities for the
promotion of the International Year of Millets and increase awareness about the
benefits of millets. January 2023 is the focused month for the Ministry of
Sports and Youth Affairs and the States of Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, and Rajasthan
for conducting events and activities. The Ministry has planned 15 activities
over 15 days in January which include engaging sports persons, nutritionists
and fitness experts through video messages, and conducting webinars on millets
with leading nutritionists, dieticians, and elite athletes. India is the
largest producer of millets in the world. ‘Millets’ were among the first crops
to be domesticated in India.
7. CRPF celebrated
Jashn-e-Chillai-Kalan’ with students in Srinagar: CRPF celebrated ‘Jashn-e-Chillai-Kalan’ with
students in Srinagar. Chillai-Kalan is the harshest winter period in
Kashmir for a period of 40 days starting from 21st December to 29th January
every year. Many activities such as Badminton, debate, drawing, singing, etc.
were organized in the school. The program gives them an environment to
participate and learn new things. Through these programmes, people of the area
and forces develop good and healthy relationships.
8. India’s second longest cable-stayed
eight-lane Zuari Bridge opens in Goa: Union
Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has inaugurated
the first phase of the New Zuari Bridge across River Zuari connecting
Bambolim in North Goa to Verna junction in South Goa. Located on
NH-17/NH-66 on the Panjim-Mangalore section in the state of Goa, the bridge
will reduce the travel time between North and South Goa by minimizing the
traffic blockades between the Bambolim-Agasaim-Cortalim-Sancoale to Verna
Junction.
9. Air Marshal Pankaj Mohan Sinha
assumes command of the IAF Western Command: Air Marshal Pankaj Mohan Sinha has
assumed command of the Indian Air Force’s Western Air Command. Pankaj
Mohan Sinha succeeds Air Marshal S Prabhakaran who superannuated on 31 December
2022 after putting in more than 39 years of distinguished service in the IAF. The
Air Marshal is a graduate of the National Defence Academy, Pune, and was
commissioned into the IAF as a fighter pilot in June 1985. He is an alumnus of
the prestigious Defence Services Staff College, Wellington.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva sworn in
as 39th president of Brazil: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (77) has been sworn in as the 39th
president of Brazil. He has defeated Jair Bolsonaro in October
2022 to win an unprecedented third presidential term. In election, he has
secured 50.83% of the votes, whereas his opponent, Bolsonaro got 49.17% votes. He
was served as the president of Brazil for two terms from 2003 to 2006 and
then 2007 to 2011. He is the first Brazilian president to have been
elected to a third term in office. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been sworn in as the 39th president of
Brazil following the 2022 Brazilian general election. 77-year-old Lula narrowly
defeated Jair Bolsonaro in October to win an unprecedented third presidential
term after a hiatus that saw him spend a year and a half behind bars on
corruption convictions that were later overturned.
2. 1668 Journalists killed in the last
20 years: Reporters without Borders: According to Reporters
without Borders (RSF), a total of 1,668 journalists have been
killed worldwide in connection with their work of journalism over the past
two decades (2003–2022), due to murders, contract killings, ambushes, war zone
deaths, and fatal injuries. The report says that on average every year 80
journalists lost their lives. The total killed since 2000 is 1,787. The annual
death tolls peaked in 2012 and 2013 with 144 and 142 journalists killed,
respectively. These peaks, due in large measure to the war in Syria, were
followed by a gradual fall and then historically low figures from 2019 onwards.
During the past two decades, 80% of media fatalities have occurred in 15
countries. The two countries with the highest death tolls are Iraq and
Syria, with a combined total of 578 journalists killed in the past 20 years, or
more than a third of the worldwide total. They are followed by Afghanistan,
Yemen, and Palestine. Africa has not been spared, with Somalia coming next.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. Cristiano Ronaldo joined Saudi
Arabian club Al Nassr: Portugal team captain Cristiano Ronaldo has joined Saudi
Arabian club Al Nassr on a two-and-a-half-year contract. The 37-year-old
Ronaldo signed the deal, which is believed to be worth more than 200 million
euros, which will continue till June 2025. Ronaldo will move to Saudi Arabia
after a stellar spell at Spanish club Real Madrid from 2009 to 2018, winning
two La Liga titles, two Spanish Cups, four Champions League titles, and three
Club World Cups.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. Gross GST collection in December
goes up by 15%: The government of India
has collected Rs 1,49,507 crore gross GST revenue during December 2022. Out
of which, CGST is Rs 26,711 crore, SGST is Rs 33,357 crore, IGST is Rs
78,434 crore and Cess is Rs 11,005 crore. The revenues for December 2022
are 15% higher than the GST revenues in December 2021. The total revenue of
Centre and the States after regular settlements in the month of December 2022
is Rs 63,380 crore for CGST and Rs 64,451 crore for the SGST.
2. RBI launches Utkarsh 2.0 for the
period 2023-2025: RBI Governor, Shaktikanta Das has launched Utkarsh 2.0, the second
phase of RBI's medium-term strategy for strengthening regulatory and
supervisory mechanism. The Vision in Utkarsh 2.0 that will guide RBI over
the period 2023-25 are: Excellence in performance of its functions Strengthened
trust of citizens and Institutions in the RBI Enhanced relevance and
significance in national and global roles Transparent, accountable and
ethics-driven internal governance
OBITUARIES
1. Gujarat's first woman chief
secretary Manjula Subramaniam passes away: The first woman chief secretary of Gujarat, Dr
Manjula Subramaniam has been passed away at the age of 74 due to health
complications at a hospital in Vadodara. She was appointed as the first
woman chief secretary of Gujarat in 2007. PM Narendra Modi was the Chief
Minister of Gujarat then. After retirement, she was appointed as chief
vigilance commissioner of Gujarat. She was also part of the Sabarmati
Riverfront Development Corporation.
2. Tata group veteran R Krishnakumar
passes away: Tata group veteran R Krishnakumar has been passed away at the age of
84. He started working for Tata Administrative Services in 1963 and joined Tata
Global Beverages (erstwhile Tata Finlay) in 1965. He had also worked through
Tata Global Beverages’ transformation into Tata Tea and became VP of South
India Plantations in 1982. He was honoured with the India’s fourth highest
civilian honour, Padma Shri in 2009 for contributions to the
country’s trade and business.
3. Former Pope Benedict XVI passed away: Former Pope Benedict XVI passed away recently in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican. He was 95 years old. The head of the Catholic Church, former Pope Benedict, was the first pope in 600 years to resign. He resigned in 2013 and was replaced by the present pope Francis. Pope Benedict was the first German to become pope in 1000 years. He was the head of Vatican City from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. He was born as Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger on April 16, 1927, in the southern German village of Marktl, close to Austria.
No comments:
Post a Comment