NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. PM Modi's personal YouTube Channel reaches two crore
subscribers: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become the first world leader whose
personal YouTube Channel has reached two crore subscribers. The channel has
also crossed nearly 450 crore views on its videos. Narendra Modi's YouTube
Channel has also surpassed the YouTube channels of his Indian and Global
contemporaries in terms of views and subscribers.
2. UP CM inaugurated state’s first intra-district chopper
service: Marking the birth anniversary of former Prime
Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Uttar
Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has inaugurated UP’s first intra-district
helicopter service from Bateshwar in Agra to Goverdhan in Mathura. Based
on the private-public partnership (PPP), the helicopter service is to be run by
a private player from Uttrakhand. A helicopter service will cover a distance of
65 km between Agra city and Mathura. CM Yogi Adityanath also unveiled a statue
of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his birth anniversary in his native
village Bateshwar in Agra district. UP CM also laid the foundation stone of
projects worth ₹100 crore, which are aimed at bringing new life to Bateshwar, a
historical village located amid the ravines of Chambal across the borders of
Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
3. Health Minister launched ‘MedTech Mitra’ to advance
health Solution.: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has virtually
launched MedTech Mitra – a
strategic initiative to empower MedTech innovators and advance healthcare
solutions. It will be a game-changer for Indian MedTech industry and
facilitate indigenous development of affordable, quality MedTech devices and
diagnostics. He said the medical devices sector is an integral constituent of
India’s healthcare sector. He also said India is taking a holistic approach to
health with a vision to transform the health landscape in the country by 2047.
4. Bihar Police to launch ‘Mission Investigation@75
days’: Bihar
Police will launch a new initiative, “Mission Investigation@75 days”, making it mandatory for investigators to complete the
investigation of cases within 75 days of FIR registration starting
from January 1 next year. The Bihar government is preparing to take several
measures from January 1, 2024 to make the state police more people-friendly and
accountable. Our main focus is to improve the quality of investigation. The
performance of all police stations and district police will also be reviewed on
a monthly basis from January 1.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. UN chief appoints Sigrid Kaag as senior humanitarian
coordinator for Gaza: UN Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres has appointed Sigrid Kaag of the Netherlands as the senior
humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza. Kaag will facilitate,
coordinate, monitor and verify aid consignments to the embattled enclave, in
line with a recent UN Security Council resolution. She will also establish a UN
mechanism to accelerate humanitarian relief shipments through states that are
not party to the conflict, Xinhua news agency reported.
2. UK to introduce carbon import levy on certain products
by 2027: United Kingdom will implement a new carbon import levy on some products from 2027 to
help to protect businesses against cheaper imports from countries with less
strict climate policies. The planned carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM)
will apply to carbon-intensive products in the iron, steel, aluminium,
fertiliser, hydrogen, ceramics, glass and cement sectors. The charge applied
will depend on the amount of carbon emitted in the production of the imported
good and any gap between the carbon price applied in the country of origin and
the carbon price faced by UK producers. Britain, which has a target of reaching
net zero emissions by 2050, launched an emissions trading system (ETS) in 2021
to charge power plants, factories and airlines for each tonne of carbon dioxide
they emit as part of efforts to meet that goal.
3. India to Acquire Five Lithium Blocks in Argentina: The
Indian government is
planning to enter into exploration and development agreements with the Argentina government for five lithium blocks that have been
identified by Khanij Bidesh India (KABIL) in Catamarca province. The
Centre will be investing around Rs 200 crore over the next five years for the
purpose of exploring and developing these mines. This marks India’s second
attempt at signing a foreign partnership for sourcing critical minerals after
previously signing a memorandum of understanding with Australia’s Critical
Minerals Facilitation Office (CMFO) in 2022. The 2022 agreement allowed India
to explore five blocks, two for lithium and three for cobalt.
4. 27 December – International Day of Epidemic Preparedness: International
Day of Epidemic Preparedness is observed every year on 27 December. This special day encourages everyone, including
individuals, institutions, and governments, to participate in educational and
awareness activities that suit their country’s needs. It emphasizes how crucial
it is to prevent, prepare for and work together against outbreaks like
diseases. The United Nations proclaimed on December 7, 2020, that December 27
would be the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness. The first-ever
International Day of Epidemic Preparedness was organised on December 27, 2020,
to show how important it is to be ready for and fight against epidemics.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. Coca-Cola extends partnership with ICC till 2031: Beverage major Coca-Cola has extended its partnership
with the International Cricket Council (ICC) for eight years,
encompassing ICC World events across all three formats, up until the end of 2031. This
eight-year partnership as a Global Partner of the ICC confirmed the
collaboration as one of the longest-ever associations formed by the ICC with a
single brand, spanning a total timeline of 13 years (2019-2031). The
partnership will see the Coca-Cola Company’s brands becoming exclusive
non-alcoholic beverage partners. The agreement includes all men’s and women’s
events at the pinnacle of the sport including the ICC Cricket World Cups, ICC
T20 World Cups, and ICC Champions Trophies through to the end of 2031.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. Education Loans Experience 20.6% Spike From April To
October: Education loans registered a record year-on-year
growth of 20.6 percent at ₹1,10,715 crore in the current financial year till
October compared with ₹96,853 crore in the year-ago period. According to
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data, the spurt in education loans was the highest
in the last five years. The growth registered in the comparable period was 12.3
percent FY23 and (-) 3.1 percent in FY22. For the last one-year, foreign
education loans with an average ticket size of ₹40 lakh-60 lakh accounted for
nearly 65 percent of loans disbursed.
2. IndusInd Bank launches ‘eSvarna’ credit card: IndusInd Bank has launched the ‘IndusInd
Bank eSvarna’, India’s first Corporate Credit Card on RuPay
network. This launch positions IndusInd Bank as the first in the country to
integrate UPI functionality with a Corporate Credit Card. The card facilitates
transactions at merchant outlets and allows users the flexibility to make UPI
payments by linking the card with UPI-enabled apps. The IndusInd Bank eSvarna
credit card on the RuPay network comes with perks and rewards.
3. World Bank Approves $100 Mn For Skill Development In Sikkim: The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved a new project to support the state of Sikkim’s efforts to train, upskill, and provide jobs for 300,500 women and youth in high-growth and priority sectors. Sikkim has been one of the fastest-growing states in India. While over 40 percent of youth are currently engaged in agriculture, the state has a growing manufacturing and services industry. To sustain growth, the state aims to skill its women and youth in jobs in non-farm sectors like renewable energy, information and technology (IT) services, tourism, hospitality and wellness care, and creative design. The $100 million Sikkim: Integrated Service Provision and Innovation for Reviving Economies (INSPIRES) Operation will establish an Employment and Entrepreneurship Promotion Facility, which will promote partnerships with private-sector firms, central agencies, and business associations.
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