Daily GK Update- 28th Nov, 2023

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India's largest tiger reserve to be set up in Madhya Pradesh: The Central government has approved a proposal to merge two wildlife sanctuaries in Madhya Pradesh to create the largest tiger reserve in the country spanning 2,300 square kilometres. The new tiger reserve will not only provide a safe haven for the area's tiger population, which currently stands at 16 but also boost tourism and development in the region.

 

2. President Droupadi Murmu Unveils BR Ambedkar's Statue At Supreme Court: President Droupadi Murmu today unveiled a statue of Dr BR Ambedkar on the Supreme Court premises during an event to mark Constitution Day.  Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal were present on the occasion.  The statue of BR Ambedkar, in a lawyer's gown, stands 7-feet-tall and is placed on a 3-feet base stand. The statue is seen holding a copy of the Constitution.

 

3. Pranab Mukherjee's daughter pens his biography: This and other nuggets of Mukherjee's life from an unprepossessing village in West Bengal's Birbhum district to a roller-coaster career thereafter are the highlights of an about-to-be-released biography penned by his daughter, classical dancer Sharmishtha Mukherjee. The book, titled 'Pranab, My Father: A Daughter Remembers', is being brought out by Rupa Publications The book is also a mirror to the father-daughter relationship between Pranab Mukherjee and Sharmishtha

 

4. HDFC Bank appoints Harsh Kumar Bhanwala as director: The board of HDFC Bank has approved the appointment of former NABARD chairman Harsh Kumar Bhanwala as an additional independent director. Board also approved the appointment of V Srinivasa Rangan, chief financial officer of erstwhile Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd, as executive director for three years. Currently, Non-Executive Chairman of MCX, Bhanwala also serves as the Director on the boards of IIM Rohtak and Bayer Crop Science Ltd.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Harin Fernando appointed as Sri Lanka's new sports minister: Sri Lanka's Tourism Minister Harin Fernando was also sworn in as the Minister of Youth Affairs. He replaced sacked Minister Roshan Ranasinghe. Meanwhile, Pavithra Wanniarachchi was sworn in as the Minister of Irrigation. A United Nations Development Programme survey conducted in 2022 and 2023 found that 55.7% of Sri Lanka’s population, or 12.34 million people, are vulnerable across various dimensions due to the economic crisis.

 

2. India and European Union signed an MOU in the field of semiconductor ecosystem: India and the European Union have packed together and signed an MOU regarding the fostering and sustainable development of the semiconductor ecosystem. Ashwini Vaishnav, minister of communication, electronics and information technology and also the minister of railways, and Thierry Breton, Commissioner for Internal market have signed the MOU. Some major points about this MOU are to share information, combine best practice, develop and promote skills, identify ideas to collaboration, businesses etc.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

DEFENCE

 

1. Indigenous tank Zorawar will begin trials soon.: Tackling with the mighty Chinese front India will begin trials of the Zorawar light tank developed by DRDO and Larsen and Toubro. First the testing will be done in the desert sector before taking them to high altitudes of Ladakh. DRDO is working with L&T to develop a 25 tonne light tank which would be efficient in moving fast in the high mountainous regions. This project is under the make in India initiative.An advanced protection system has been installed to tackle with anti-tank guided missiles.

 

SPORTS

 

1. Gautam Gambhir back in Kolkata Knight Riders as mentor: Former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Gautam Gambhir (42-years) has been named as the mentor of the franchise for the upcoming IPL season.  Gambhir had a successful stint with KKR from 2011-17, leading the team to title victories in 2012 and 2014. He will work with KKR’s head coach Chandrakant Pandit.

 

2. Vidya Pillai clinches 6-Red snooker world title: Veteran cueist Vidya Pillai clinched the IBSF 6-Red Snooker World Championship title in Doha, Qatar, triumphing 4-1 against compatriot Anupama Ramachandran. Vidya dominated her opponents throughout the championship, with a standout victory of 4-1 against compatriot Anupama Ramachandran in the title clash.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Fino Payment Bank appoints Rajat Kumar Jain as chairman: Fino Payments Bank has received approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for the appointment of Rajat Kumar Jain as Part-time Chairman of the Bank. Fino started operations in 2017, receiving an RBI license two years earlier. The appointment comes at a time when the payments bank is charting out its digital growth plans and targets for the next phase, Fino 2.0.

 

2. S&P Global Ratings raises India's FY24 GDP growth forecast: Global rating agency S&P Global Ratings has revised India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth projection for financial year 2024 to 6.4 percent from 6 percent earlier on the back of strong domestic tailwinds. However, it lowered the growth projection for financial year 2025 to 6.4% from 6.9% earlier. S&P Global Ratings is a market leader in the field of credit risk research.