NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Accenture opened genAl studio in Bengaluru: Multinational professional services company Accenture has launched a generative AI studio in India’s tech capital Bengaluru. The studio
will develop a full stack of genAI capabilities for enterprises to leverage to
optimize their business processes. Accenture’s data and AI team and clients
will co-create solutions with a modern data and AI foundation, LLM (large
language model) architecture, ecosystems partnerships, talent, and responsible
AI frameworks. The studio in Bengaluru offers robust generative AI capabilities
combined with a wide range of world-class technology services, and in-depth
industry knowledge that is the hallmark of Accenture’s Advanced Technology
Centers in India.
2. NHAI Launched ERS Mobile App For Swift Emergency
Response: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has
unveiled a groundbreaking initiative with the introduction of the ERS (Emergency Response Support System) mobile
application. This technological advancement aims to revolutionize
emergency management on national highways across the country. The ERS app is
poised to play a pivotal role in ensuring swift and effective responses to road
accidents and other emergencies, thereby enhancing overall safety and security
on Indian highways. The ERS app’s primary objective is to provide a rapid and
seamless response mechanism during critical situations, such as accidents or
medical emergencies, by connecting road users directly to the NHAI’s command
and control center.
3. Maheshwar Dayal Takes Over as
Director General of Prisons: Senior IPS officer and Additional Director General of Police
(ADGP) Maheshwar Dayal took
charge as Director General of Prisons
and Correctional Services. He had served as Superintendent of Police
(SP) in Virudhunagar, The Nilgiris and Nagapattinam districts and Deputy
Commissioner of Police in Tirunelveli, Tiruchi and Gurgaon, Haryana. He was
also Commandant of Tamil Nadu Special Police, Tihar Battalion, Deputy Inspector
General of Police, Central Industrial Security Force and Bureau of Civil
Aviation.
Before
becoming ADGP, he also served as Inspector General of Police (IG) Economic
Offences of Tamil Nadu Police, IG, Anti-Naxal Commando force, Government of
India, IG Anti-Naxal Operations, CRPF, Ranchi.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. World Basketball Day 2023: 21st December: World Basketball Day is
celebrated annually on December 21 to
commemorate the growth of a sport that has inspired millions of people
worldwide with its athleticism, joy, and camaraderie. Basketball has developed
into one of the most well-liked and extensively practiced sports in the world
today. According to estimates from FIBA, the agency that oversees basketball,
there are currently at least 450 million basketball players worldwide.
2. Dalai Lama inaugurates first International Sangha
Forum in Bodh Gaya: Tibetan Spiritual leader Dalai
Lama inaugurated the three-day International Sangha Forum 2023 in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, Gautama
Buddha attained enlightenment. The event will see discussions among monks,
nuns, and Bhikkhu scholars, that delve into the profound teachings of Buddhism.
Over 2,000 members of the sanghas and invited guests from 33 countries including
Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Sri Lanka, Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal,
Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea
3. Noma added to WHO list of Neglected Tropical Diseases: The World Health Organization (WHO) announced
that the gangrenous disease noma has been added to its official list of
neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Primarily found in sub-Saharan Africa, noma
mainly affects malnourished children between the ages of 2 and 6 years. Poor
oral hygiene, malnutrition, weakened immune systems, and extreme poverty are
among the risk factors.
4. Abdel Fattah El-Sisi elected president of Egypt: President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has secured a third six-year
term leading the North African nation Egypt. Sisi won another term with
89.6 percent of the vote. Over 39 million Egyptians voted for the former army
chief, who has ruled the nation for over a decade. This will be Sisi’s final
term in office as the Egyptian constitution only allows a president to sit for
three terms. He was first sworn into office in 2014 after the overthrow of the
country’s first popularly elected president, Mohammed Morsi, and was reelected
in 2018, both times winning with over 90 percent of the vote.
5. 21 December – World Basketball Day: World Basketball
Day is observed every year on 21 December. Objective – To honour the development of a sport that
has inspired millions of people worldwide with its athleticism, joy, and
companionship. In the areas of business, peace, and diplomacy, basketball is
significant as it promotes a special environment of collaboration, physical
activity, and interdependence that enables players to view one another first
and foremost as fellow human beings James Naismith, a Canadian physical
education educator, invented basketball on December 21, 1891, at the
International YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA. He
created the game to keep his students active throughout the winter. The General
Assembly declared August 25, 2023, to be World Basketball Day by adopting
resolution A/RES/77/324.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. FIFA’s 32-team World Cup for clubs could change the
face of football: FIFA announced that its
revamped Club World Cup, to be held for the first time in 2025, will
feature 32 teams and will be played from mid-June to mid-July. The United
States will host the 2025 edition of the expanded event, which will be held
every four years thereafter. The tournament will have eight groups of four with
the top two teams from each group going through to the knockout stages — the
same format as the World Cup. The current version of the FIFA Club World Cup —
an annual competition with seven teams — will be discontinued after the
tournament now being hosted by Saudi Arabia. Europe will have 12 teams in the
new competition and South America will have six, while Africa, Asia and North
America will have four each.
2. India’s Hardik and Savita win accolades in FIH Annual
awards: Indian men’s hockey
team midfielder Hardik Singh and women’s side captain Savita have
won the FIH Player of the Year and Goalkeeper of the Year (women) awards
respectively. The awards were declared following a vote by an expert panel,
National Associations — represented by their respective national teams’
captains and coaches, fans, and media. This is Hardik’s second big award this
year as he was also conferred the Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr Award for Player
of the Year 2022. As for Savita, this is her third consecutive FIH Women’s
Goalkeeper of the Year award, having won the recognition in 2021 and 2022. Xan
de Waard of the Netherlands has been elected as the 2023 FIH Player of the Year
in the women’s category.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. Razorpay and Cashfree to Operate as Payment
Aggregators: Razorpay and Cashfree have received the final
authorization from the Reserve Bank of India to operate as Payment Aggregators
(PAs). Payment Aggregators are entities that facilitate e-commerce sites and
merchants in accepting various payment instruments from customers, streamlining
the payment process without requiring merchants to create their systems. PAs
collect payments from customers, pool them, and offering a seamless transaction
experience.
2. Government launched Sovereign Gold Bonds 2023-24 with
Digital Discount: The Government of
India has launched the Sovereign
Gold Bond Scheme 2023-24 (Series III). Stemming from the inaugural
scheme in November 2015 under the Gold Monetization Scheme, this initiative
aims to reduce the demand for physical gold. Open for subscription from
December 18 to December 22, the scheme introduces a digital discount for online
applications, enhancing the accessibility and attractiveness of secure gold
investments to a diverse investor base. Investors opting for online applications
and utilizing digital payment modes will benefit from a ₹50 discount per gram,
reducing the issue price to ₹6,149 per gram during the subscription period.
3. Aditya Birla Sun Life collaborates with IDFC First
Bank for financial solutions: Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance and IDFC First
Bank have entered into a
bancassurance partnership to offer insurance solutions to the bank’s customers.
Under this collaboration, the insurer will leverage the extensive distribution
network of IDFC First Bank. Aditya Birla Sun Life will offer products and
services, including those that focus on retirement planning, ensuring a steady
source of second income and tax-free returns tailored to their life stages. This
collaboration will go a long way in enhancing accessibility, as well as making
financial protection and planning easily available to a wider segment of
customers served by IDFC FIRST Bank’s extensive distribution network.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. Storyteller Sanjeev gets Sahitya Akademi Award 2023: Sahitya Akademi has announced its annual Sahitya Akademi Award 2023 in
24 Languages. Sanjeev will get Sahitya Akademi Award for his Hindi novel
Mujhe Pahachaano. Neelam Saran Gour will get the award for her English Novel
Requiem in Raga Janki. Nine books of poetry, six novels, five short story
collections, three essays and one literary study have won the Sahitya Akademi
Awards this year.
2. NTPC Kanti receives prestigious FICCI Water Award 2023: NTPC Kanti has been awarded the 11th Edition
of FICCI Water Award 2023 under the "Industrial Water Use Efficiency"
category. The award recognizes NTPC Kanti's exceptional efforts in water
conservation and efficient use of water resources in its operation. The award
was presented to NTPC Kanti during the inaugural event of the 9th Edition of
India Industry Water Conclave held at FICCI Federation House in New Delhi.
3. Bhutan top honour for former Punjab cadre IAS officer
Dr Khetrapal: WHO South-East Asia
regional director Dr Poonam
Khetrapal Singh has been awarded Bhutan’s prestigious National
Order of Merit Gold Medal for her distinguished services to the country. Dr
Singh is the retired Punjab cadre IAS officer of the 1975 batch. Dr Poonam
Khetrapal Singh became the first Indian to be elected as the regional director
of WHO South-East Asia.
4. INS Shivaji received ‘Vir Chakra’ of late Vice Adm.
Benoy Chowdhury: INS Shivaji, Indian
Navy’s premier marine engineering training institute, has received the Vir Chakra medal awarded to Late Vice Admiral
Benoy Roy Chowdhury, the only technical officer of the Indian Navy to be
awarded the honour. Vice Admiral Dinesh Prabhakar, Distinguished Chair Marine
Engineering at INS Shivaji, received the Vir Chakra on behalf of the Indian
Navy from Pradipta Bose and Gargi Bose, the family members of Vice Admiral
Chowdhury The Vir Chakra is an Indian wartime military bravery award presented
for acts of gallantry on the battlefield, on land or in air or at sea. Vice
Admiral Chowdhury is the only technical officer of the Indian Navy, who has
been decorated with this prestigious award. Vice Admiral Benoy Roy Chowdhury’s
gallantry is firmly rooted during the1971 Indo-Pak War wherein, he was the
Engineer Officer onboard erstwhile INS Vikrant.
5. Dr. Nitin Mohan Lal received prestigious International Doctorate: Nitin Mohan Lal, a distinguished Psychologist, Reiki Grandmaster, NLP Practitioner, and Life Coach, has been bestowed with an honorary doctorate by a leading International University.This accolade stands as a resounding recognition of Dr. Lal’s exceptional contributions to the field of healing, mentorship, and transformative personal development. This prestigious honor is a testament to Dr. Lal’s unwavering commitment to empowering lives through a myriad of channels, including his courses, programs, healing sessions, and counseling services. His diverse expertise encompasses a range of modalities, from the intricacies of Angelic healing to the profound principles of Reiki and NLP.
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