december

15th edition of Kathakar was held in New Delhi to showcase amazing stories and music by Indian and International
storytellers, in their pristine physical form, from six countries along with India.
The six countries are the United Kingdom, Australia, Mongolia, Israel, Sierra Leonne and South Korea.
1. Dhabari Quruvi has become the first Indian feature film in the history of Indian cinema to have a star
cast comprising only indigenous tribal people.
This film has starred more than 60 people, belonging to Irula, Muduka, Kurumba and Vaduka tribal communities of
Attappadi, a scheduled tribe hamlet in the state of Kerala.It also holds the distinction of having been shot completely
in the tribal language of Irula.Its world premiere was held in the Indian Panorama section at the 53rd International
Film Festival of India in Goa.
2. Space tech startup Agnikul has inaugurated India’s first-ever launchpad designed and operated by a private
player, situated at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
The facility, designed by Agnikul and executed with the support of ISRO and IN-SPACe, has two
sections – the Agnikul launchpad (ALP) and the Agnikul mission control center (AMCC).
3. India will receive its first cargo from Indonesia’s Tangguh liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant at the Dahej
terminal in Gujarat.
4. Researchers from IISER-Thiruvananthapuram and IIT-Indore have developed a new artificial light-harvesting
system that can efficiently capture light for power conversion by mimicking photosynthesis, the process by which
plants absorb sunlight and produce sugars.
The research has been published in the prestigious ‘Royal Chemical Society – Chemical Science’ journal.
IISER – Indian Institute of Science Education and Research
India aims to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2070 and to meet 50% of its electricity needs from
renewable sources such as solar power by 2030.
5. NITI Aayog has released the “Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage Policy Framework and its Deployment
Mechanism in India”
• It explores the importance of Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS) in promoting the sustainable
development of India.
Knowledge Nuggets -

• Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) - It is the technology for decarbonising
carbon dioxide (CO2) from high polluting sectors such as steel, cement, oil, gas,
petrochemicals, chemicals and fertilisers.
• CCUS involves the capture of CO2 from large point sources, such as power generation or
industrial facilities that use either fossil fuels or biomass as fuel. The CO2 can also be
captured directly from the atmosphere.
1. Nirogi Haryana scheme has been launched to provide comprehensive free health check-ups and required medical
treatment to beneficiary families.
Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentDefence News
1. The Annual Joint HADR (Human Assistance and Disaster Resilience) Exercise ‘Samanvay 2022’ was conducted by the
Indian Air Force at the Air Force Station, Agra.
Memorandum of Understanding
1. Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) signed an MOU to work
together “to trace India’s legacy in the field of science and technology” and find out if India was a ‘Vishwa Guru’.
• ICHR Chairman – Raghuvendra Tanwar
Banking and Economy
1. Britain’s Rolls-Royce has successfully run an aircraft engine on It is the first aircraft engine that was operated on
hydrogen.
2. YES Bank has signed a share purchase agreement (SPA) with US-based JC Flowers Asset Reconstruction
Company (ARC) for purchasing a 9.9% stake in the ARC.
3. Life Insurance Corporation of India has reduced its holding in Bharat Bijlee from 6.695% to 4.54%.
• Bharat Bijlee is a public-listed electrical engineering company headquartered in It was established in 1946.
4. Adani Enterprise’s wholly owned subsidiary Vishvapradhan Commercial Private Limited (VCPL) has increased its
shareholding in news broadcaster New Delhi Television Ltd (NDTV) to over 29.18% stake.
• The stake has been bought from the RRPR Holding (promoter of NDTV).
5. Kotak Mahindra Bank has partnered with ai to provide finance to dealers onboarded on actyv.ai, an AI-powered
enterprise SaaS (software as a service) platform.
• KMBL will provide short-term loan under the ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ category to businesses so that they can buy
technological solutions from actyv.ai.
6. State Bank of India (SBI) has approved raising ₹10,000 crore through infrastructure bonds during the FY2023.
• The issue will also include a green shoe option of Rs 5,000 crores.

Knowledge Nuggets -

• Greenshoe option - A greenshoe option is a provision in an IPO underwriting agreement

that grants the underwriter the right to sell more shares than originally planned.
7. Star Health and Allied Insurance, a standalone health insurance company, has launched the ‘Star Out Patient Care
Insurance Policy’ for providing complete health and wellness benefits to customers at an affordable cost.
• Star Out Patient Care Insurance Policy is a standalone cover that provides access to doctors, clinics and diagnostic
centres all over India.
• The policy has four sum-insured options that customers can choose from – cover of ₹25,000, ₹50,000, ₹75,000 and
₹1 lakh for a policy term of one year.
8. Tamilnad Mercantile Bank has entered into bancassurance partnerships with Cholamandalam MS General
Insurance Company Ltd and Max Life Insurance Company to provide general insurance products and life insurance
schemes respectively to the bank’s customers.
9. According to a reply to the RTI query, most electoral bonds have been sold in Mumbai, followed by Kolkata and
Hyderabad, in terms of sheer numbers and value since the introduction of the scheme 5 years ago.
• A total of over ₹10,700 crore worth of electoral bonds have been sold so far to political parties.
11. Tata group announced the merger of Vistara with Air India. Now, the Singapore Airlines will have a 25.1% stake in
Air India.
• Tata group owns a 51% stake in Vistara and the rest is with Singapore Airlines (SIA).
Appointments
1. Sundararaman Ramamurthy has been appointed as MD and CEO of the Bombay Stock Exchange.
Knowledge Nuggets -

• BSE, the first-ever stock exchange in Asia established in 1875 and was the first in the
country to be granted permanent recognition under the Securities Contract Regulation Act
1956.
• BSE has launched India INX, India's 1st international exchange, located at GIFT CITY IFSC in
Ahmedabad.
• Indian Clearing Corporation Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of BSE, acts as the central
counterparty to all trades executed on the BSE trading platform and provides full novation,
guaranteeing the settlement of all bonafide trades executed.
• BSE has also launched BSE Sammaan, the CSR exchange, is a 1st of its kind initiative which
aims to connect corporate with verified NGOs.
2. Former Health Secretary Preeti Sudan has been appointed as a member of Union Public Service
Commission (UPSC).

Knowledge Nuggets -

• UPSC was established in 1926.

• Chairman - Dr Manoj Soni
3. Prasanth Kumar, the chief executive officer (CEO) for South Asia of GroupM Media (India) Pvt Ltd, has been elected
the president of the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) for 2022-23.
Important Days
1. November 28 to December 2 – Aviation Safety Awareness Week (by Airports Authority of India)
Knowledge Nuggets –

• Airports Authority of India (AAI) is a Miniratna category-I company.

• It was established in 1995 for creating, upgrading, maintaining and managing civil aviation
infrastructure both on the ground and in air space in the country.
• It came into existence through the Airports Authority of India Act of 1994.
• Chairman – Sanjeev Kumar
2. November 29 – International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
• The 2022 International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East was organized by the UN in Geneva,
Switzerland.
● Ministry of Tourism’s Travel for LiFE campaign was also introduced in the workshop In order to develop
sustainable and responsible tourist destinations and promote sustainable tourism in the Country, Ministry of
Tourism in association with IITTM, UNEP and RTSOI organised a first regional workshop on Development of
Sustainable and Responsible Tourist Destinations at Khajuraho on 29th November, 2022
Knowledge Nuggets –

• Palestine Capital – Jerusalem* (claimed by Israel as well) and Ramallah (administrative

centre)
• Palestine Currency – Pound
• Israel was created in 1948 from Palestine.

• The Dead Sea, also known by other names, is a saltwater lake bordered by Jordan to the east and Israel and the West
Bank to the west. It is the deepest hypersaline lake in the world.
• Dead Sea is the lowest waterbody on Earth, with the lowest elevation on land. The Dead Sea’s water is about 10
times saltier than normal ocean water.
• The water of the Dead Sea is full of salt, which makes it much denser and heavier than freshwater. If you swim in it,
you float very easily.
3. November 29 – International Jaguar Day (by National Zoological Park)
Awards
1. Sangeet Natak Akademi has announced one-time Sangeet Natak Akademi Amrit Award under Azadi Ka Amrit
Mahotsav (AKAM) commemorating 75 years of India’s independence for 86 artists.
• These include artists who are above the age of 75 years and haven’t been accorded any national honour in their
career so far, from the field of the Performing Arts of India.
• The artists are given Rs 1 lakh as prize money, along with Tamrapatra and Angavastram.
2. Forbes has launched its annual list of India’s 100 richest billionaires and according to the list,
• According to the list, the combined wealth of India’s 100 richest grew by $25 billion to touch $800 billion.
• Rank 1 – Gautam Adani ($150 billion net worth)
• Rank 2 – Mukesh Ambani ($88 billion net worth)
• Rank 3 – Radhakrishna Damani ($27.6 billion net worth)
Miscellaneous
1. Merriam-Webster, America’s oldest dictionary publisher, has just chosen “gaslighting” as its word of the year for
2022.
• Gaslighting means manipulating (someone) by psychological means into doubting their own sanity.
2. Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano located in Hawaii island of the US, has erupted for the first time in 38
years.

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National News
1. ‘Vayu-The Vital Life Force’ Conference was held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha to celebrate the spirit of Azadi Ka Amrit
Mahotsav in the 75th year of Independence and channel dialogue on the need for clean air in the country
• Objective: To build upon the multidimensional efforts taken by Governments to achieve air quality targets as set in
National Clean Air Program by uniting all the important stakeholders.
• Organising Ministry: Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
• It focused on varied air quality issues ranging from scientific discussions on climate change and pollution control, to
enriching understanding on air quality from ancient scriptures/texts.
Knowledge Nuggets -

• National Clean Air Program (NCAP) was launched in 2019 for implementation till 2024 by
the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
• Objective - To improve air quality by reducing Particulate Matter (PM2.5 and PM10)
concentrations by 20-30%
• Target Year - 2024 (with 2017 as the base year for comparison)
• Criteria - It is implemented in Non-Attainment Cities (NACs) wherein the National Ambient
Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) is exceeded for 5 consecutive years.
• Coverage - It covers 132 cities o It includes 124 cities identified as NACs and 8 other
million-plus cities of 15th Finance Commission- Million Plus Cities Challenge Fund.
• It is envisaged as a long-term, time-bound, national-level strategy to deal with the air
pollution problem across the country in a comprehensive manner.
• Under it, city-specific action plans are prepared that include measures for strengthening
air quality monitoring networks, reducing vehicular and industrial emissions, increasing
public awareness, etc.
• PRANA portal (Portal for Regulation of Air Pollution in Non-attainment Cities): It aids in
reporting and monitoring of physical and financial progress of these action plans.
2. India has provided financial assistance of $100 million to the Maldives in the form of budgetary support to tide over
the difficult economic situation.
Knowledge Nuggets -

• Maldives capital – Malé; Currency – Rufiyaa

• President of Maldives - Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
• Parliament of Maldives - People's Majlis
• Maldives is a part of the SAARC group, which has Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan,
Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh.
• The Maldives consists of 1,192 coral islands grouped in a double chain of 26 atolls.
• It is the smallest country in Asia.
• Maldives is just 1.5 metres above the sea level, which means it can sink with the slightest
increase in the sea level. India has provided $500 million package to Maldives for
the Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP).
3. Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) has partnered with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to work
together “to trace India’s legacy in the field of science and technology” and find out if India was a ‘Vishwa Guru’ in
science in ancient times.

Knowledge Nuggets -

• ISRO was established previously as the Indian National Committee for Space Research
(INCOSPAR), up by the Government of India in 1962, as envisioned by Dr Vikram Sarabhai.
• ISRO was formed on 15 August 1969 and superseded INCOSPAR with an expanded role to
harness space technology.
• Department of Space was set up and ISRO was brought under DOS in 1972. Department of
Space is headed by the Prime Minister of India. At present, the Minister of State of the
Department of Space is Jitendra Singh.
• Current Chairman of ISRO – S Somnath
4. Registrar General of India has released the Special Bulletin in Maternal Mortality in India 2018-20.
• The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) of India has declined from 130 per lakh live births in 2014-16 to 97 per lakh
live births in 2018-20.
• India has witnessed a progressive reduction in MMR from 130 in 2014-2016, 122 in 2015-17, 113 in 2016-18, 103 in
2017-19 and to 97 in 2018-20.
• With this, it has accomplished National Health Policy, 2017 target for MMR of less than 100/lakh live births.
• It is on the right track to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) – Target 3.1 of MMR less than 70/ lakh live
births by 2030.
• 8 States have achieved SDG Target 3.1 of MMR: Kerala (19), Maharashtra (33), Telangana (43), Andhra Pradesh (45),
Tamil Nadu (54), Jharkhand (56), Gujarat (57) and Karnataka (69).
5. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is helping the people working in the waste segregation
industry in India to move into formal economy, by helping them access government welfare programmes.
• As part of the initiative, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General Usha Rao-Monari would distribute the ‘Jan
Dhan’ account kits to waste segregation workers during her first visit to the country, on December 1.
• The programme also ensures the well-being and financial inclusion of the `Safai Sathis’ or waste-pickers, by linking
them to the social protection schemes.
6. Ministry of Finance has amended the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
• The list has been amended in exercise of its powers under Section 66 of the PMLA, in the public interest.
• The ministry has also added 15 bodies that are bound to share information with Enforcement Directorate under
PMLA.
• The agencies added to the list are the National Investigating Agency (NIA), Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO),
State Police, Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), National Intelligence Grid,
Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), Defence Intelligence Agency, National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO),
Military Intelligence, and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau.
• Products/services with export potential have been identified in 733 Districts across the country (Including
Agricultural & Toy clusters and GI products in these Districts). INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISM IN DISTRICTS
7. The Kirit Parikh committee has submitted its report on gas pricing.
• As per the report, India should have completely free and market-determined pricing of natural gas extracted from
legacy fields, which is over 70% of the total natural gas produced in India.
• The panel also recommended to link the price of gas produced from legacy fields to imported crude oil prices rather
than benchmarking them to gas rates in global markets. The arrived rates will be subject to a floor and ceiling.
State News
1. Meghalaya Mental Health & Social Care Policy has been launched for addressing the issues of mental
health and social care through collaborative engagement with communities.
• Meghalaya is the third state in the country to have a comprehensive policy on mental health and social care, paying
attention to these issues, especially among children, adolescents and youth.
• Kerala and Karnataka are the other two states in the country to have such policies.
• In 2014, the Centre launched the first-ever National Mental Health Policy in an attempt to provide universal
psychiatry care.
2. Assam government will soon introduce a scheme under which all female students pursuing post-graduate
courses in the state will be provided a yearly stipend of Rs 10,000 each.
Memorandum of Understanding
1. Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) signed an MOU with top six engineering institutes of India for establishment
of ‘BIS Standardization Chair Professor’ at these institutes.
• Purpose – to introduce Indian standards as an integral part of the curriculum
• The MoU was signed with IIT-Indore, IIT- Patna, IIT- Madras, IIT- BHU, Malaviya National Institute of Technology
Jaipur, and National Institute of Technology Trichy.
International News
1. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) water-powered CubeSat spacecraft, EQUilibriUm Lunar-Earth point
6U (EQUULEUS), was launched on its way by NASA’s Orion spacecraft.
• This is the world’s first successful orbit control beyond low-Earth orbit using a water propellant propulsion system.
• The EQUULEUS mission’s primary goal is to demonstrate low-energy trajectory control technologies for reaching
deep space locations such as EML2 using less fuel.
2. A UNESCO’s taskforce has recommended that Australia’s Great Barrier Reef should be added to a list of “in danger”
World Heritage sites.
• Baguette — the staple French bread — was included in the UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage (ICH).
• The baguette is a long and thin loaf made of flour, water, salt and yeast, and is consumed as a staple in France. It is
believed to be invented by August Zang, a baker and an entrepreneur from Vienna in 1839.
Reports and Indices
1. United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has released the “Review of Maritime Transport
2022” report.
• For 2022, UNCTAD projects maritime trade growth to slow down to 1.4%, and for the period 2023–2027 to expand at
an annual average of 2.1%, a slower rate than the previous three-decade average of 3.3%.
Banking and Economy
1. TurtleFin, India’s leading insurtech platform, has partnered with YES BANK, to create a comprehensive technology
platform – EasyNsure.
• EasyNsure, is a first-of-its-kind proposition for Yes Bank that will bring multiple insurance partners onto a common
platform.
• It will provide a host of benefits such as – a seamless single-point online insurance service, ability to compare and
select a suitable insurance cover basis the customer’s need, as well as a facility to compare costs for rationalizing
purchase decisions, among others.
2. SBM Bank India and OPEN Financial Technologies Pvt Ltd has announced a strategic partnership for
launching Asia’s first end-to-end Embedded Finance platform–
• Purpose – to offer a no-code, low-code and full-stack API solution that enables fintechs to build their own financial
products using Zwitch’s technology stack
• Furthermore, Zwitch is built and operated by Open– the world’s fastest-growing digital banking enterprise that
serves more than 3 million businesses and processes annual transactions worth more than USD 30 billion.November
27 – National Organ Donation Day (13th edition)
• August 13 – World Organ Donation Day
2. November 30 – Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare
Sports
1. Magnus Carlsen has won the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour 2022 held at San Fransisco, USA.
Miscellaneous
1. Industrialist and Toyota Kirloskar Motor vice-chairman Vikram Kirloskar has passed away.

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National News
1. India and South Korea have collaborated to approve the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) loan of
Rs. 1,500 crores approx. to establish Intelligent Transport System on Nagpur-Mumbai Super Communication
Expressway project.
• Purpose – to enhance the efficiency in traffic management through establishment of the Intelligent Traffic
Management System (ITMS) and traffic centre
• Republic of Korea was designated as India’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) partner for development
cooperation in October, 2016.
• The Economic Development Co-operation Fund (EDCF) was established in 1987 by the Republic of Korea for
providing aid to different countries.
2. Germany has unveiled a proposal to provide €1 billion (₹8440 crore) for energy transition projects in India under a
bilateral partnership for green and sustainable development.
• The two sides agreed on the funding for more than 20 development projects over the next year in the fields of
renewable energy, sustainable urban development in smart cities and sustainable use of natural resources.
• The funding will include 10% grants and 90% in the form of lines of credit.
3. *Union Minister for Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia launched Digi Yatra from the Indira Gandhi International
Airport, New Delhi for three airports in the country, namely New Delhi, Varanasi and Bengaluru.
• Digi Yatra, in the first phase, will be launched at 7 airports.
• However, it has been initially launched at 3 airportse., Delhi, Bengaluru and Varanasi on December 1, to be followed
by 4 airports namely Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, and Vijayawada by March 2023.
• The service is presently being launched for domestic flight passengers only.
• The initiative aims to make travel paperless and hassle-free. The passenger’s ID and travel credentials are stored in a
secure wallet on the passenger’s smartphone itself.
• The uploaded data will utilise blockchain technology and all the data will be deleted from the servers within 24 hours
of use.
Knowledge Nuggets -

• ‘Digi Yatra’ is a policy released by the ministry of ‘Civil Aviation’ in June 2017.
• It is based on biometric digital processing at airports.
• It is on the line of ‘Digital India’ vision.
• The major purpose behind this scheme is to digitize nation or transform nation into
digitally empowered society.
• Digi Yatra Foundation – a joint venture company, formed in 2019 under Section 8 of the
Companies Act, 2013 – is implementing the initiative.
• The Foundation is owned by –
o Airport Authority of India – 26%
o Remaining 74% share is held by 5 shareholders –
o Bangalore International Airport Limited
o Delhi International Airport Limited
o GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited
o Mumbai International Airport Limited
o Cochin International Airport Limited
State News
1. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has launched One District One Sport (ODOS) on the lines of the highly
successful One District One Product (ODOP) scheme of the government.
• Under the scheme, one sport will be identified in each of the 75 districts of UP and necessary steps taken to find
district-wise sport-specific talents and hone their skills.
• Firstly, the scheme would help in promoting sports culture and keeping the younger generation healthy in the state
and secondly, it will provide a platform for sportspersons to nurture their talents and skills in order to take part in
prestigious national and international championships and win medals.
• ODOS sports and districts –
Athletics – Mainpuri, Firozabad,
Wrestling Jaunpur, Bhadohi, Sambhal, Hockey – Pratapgarh,
– Varanasi, Sitapur, Kasganj, Unnao, Ayodhya, Mau, Bareilly,
Gorakhpur, Kaushambi, Etah, Amethi, Lucknow, Rae Bareli,
Chandauli, Rampur, Siddharthnagar, Hardoi, Farrukhabad,
Baghpat, Aajgarh, Santakbirnagar, Chitrakoot, Basti, Moradabad,
Deoria, Hamirpur, Hapur, Meerut, Balrampur, Etawah
Maharajganj Ghazipur, Shamli, Ballia and and Ghaziabad
Muzaffarnagar

Table Tennis Badminton – Aligarh and Gautam Weightlifting

– Agra, Kanpur Budh Nagar – Mirzapur and Bijnor

Boxing
– Bulandshahr and Archery – Sonbhadra and Lalitpur Football – Hathras
Kushinagar

Swimming
Shooting – Banda Kabaddi – Kannauj
– Pilibhit

Lawn Tennis
- -
– Prayagraj
2. Tree Tag (Green startup in Kerala) has won Climathon-2022, a hackathon organized by the Kerala Startup
Mission (KSUM) in Kochi, in the category of “Life on Land”.
• The hackathon was organized in collaboration with EY Global Delivery Services, UNDP, Startup India, Global Shapers
Kochi, NASSCOM and TiE Kerala.
• The winners will receive a prize money of Rs 5 lakh.
• Climathon-2022 focussed on climate change with the theme of securing a sustainable and climate-resilient future.
3. A first-of-its-kind Tribal Winter Festival was held in the Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir.
4. 23rd Hornbill Festival 2022 has begun at Naga Heritage Village Kisama in Nagaland.
• Hornbill Festival of Nagaland is also popularly known as the ‘Festival of Festivals’.
• Hornbill is an Indian bird also known as the concave-casqued hornbill.
• G20 chief coordinator – Harsh Vardhan Shringla
Defence News
1. Indian Army has trained a kite named “Arjun” to prey on enemy drones. It was showcased during the ongoing joint
training exercise Yudh Abhyas of India and the US in Uttarakhand’s Auli.
2. 12th Edition of Exercise Agni Warrior, a bilateral exercise between the Singapore & Indian Army, was held at Field
Firing Ranges, Maharashtra.
Memorandum of Understanding
1. The Comptroller & Auditor General of India and the Comptroller General of the Republic of Chile have signed
an MOU to strengthen institutional and professional capacities and learn from each other’s best practices at the
Chilean capital of Santiago.
Knowledge Nuggets –

• Chile Capital – Santiago; Currency – Chilean peso; National Language – Spanish

• Chile is located in South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the
closest to Antarctica.
• Chile is home to the world’s driest desert named Atacama.

• Article 148 of the Indian Constitution - There shall be a Comptroller and Auditor-General
of India who shall be appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal and
shall only be removed from office in like manner and on like grounds as a Judge of the
Supreme Court.
International News
1. Israeli Navy conducted a successful test of a long-range interceptor missile against an “advanced” cruise missile.
• The LRAD missile, part of the Barak MX defense system, is developed by the Israeli Aerospace Industries and the
Defense Ministry’s research and development division, known by the Hebrew acronym MAFAT.
• The Sa’ar 6-class corvette INS Magen launched the missile after detecting a target that resembled an advanced
cruise missile.
2. India has assumed the presidency of UN Security Council for the month of December 2022.
• India was elected as the president in August 2021 also.
Reports and Indices
1. World Bank has released the “Migration and Development Brief 37”, in collaboration with KNOMAD.
• Remittance flows to South Asia are expected to grow 3.5% to reach $163 billion in 2022, benefiting from a heavy lift
from India and Nepal.
• India’s remittances are anticipated to reach a milestone of $100 billion in 2022, in comparison to $89.4 billion in
2021.
• India’s growth rate in remittances is 12% over 2021-22.
• A change in trend – These remittances are coming from high-skilled labours and from high-income countries.
• US has replaced UAE as the main source of remittance for India in 2022, with 23% remittance contribution.
• Mexico is the second topmost remittance recipient with a tally of $60 billion (which replaced China in second
position during 2021).
2. World Bank has released the “Climate Investment Opportunities in India’s Cooling Sector” report.
• As per the report, shifting to a more energy-efficient pathway could lead to a substantial reduction in expected CO2
levels over the next two decades.
• Over 160-200 million Indians could be exposed to lethal heat waves.
• It suggests a sustainable roadmap for cooling that has the potential to reduce 300 million tons of carbon dioxide
annually by 2040.

Knowledge Nuggets -

• In 2019, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has launched the India
Cooling Action Plan to address the cooling requirement across sectors and lists out actions
which can help reduce the cooling demand.
• Targets under the India Cooling Action –
(i) Reduce cooling demand across sectors by 20% to 25% by 2037-38
(ii) reduce refrigerant demand by 25% to 30% by 2037-38,
(iii) Reduce cooling energy requirements by 25% to 40% by 2037-38,
(iv) recognize “cooling and related areas” as a thrust area of research under national S&T
Programme,
(v) training and certification of 100,000 servicing sector technicians by 2022-23, synergizing
with Skill India Mission
Banking and Economy
1. Fino Payments Bank has partnered with citizen-centric and population-scale e-governance solutions Protean eGov
Technologies (formerly NSDL e-Governance Infrastructure Limited), to expand permanent account
number (PAN) card issuance services in rural areas.
• MD and CEO of Protean eGov Technologies – Suresh Sethi
• MD and CEO of Fino Payments Bank – Rishi Gupta
2. RBI has granted a conditional approval to The Carlyle Group and Verventa Holdings to acquire 9.99% stake each
in YES Bank.
• BFHL will own approximately 60% and GIC and CC will own approximately 20% each in IDFC AMC.
3. City Union Bank customers can pay their GST dues payable to the Government through their bank account on
the GST Portal.
4. com, an online foreign exchange marketplace, has launched the Interbank Rate Multi-Currency Forex Card – India’s
first zero markup travel card.
• The BookMyForex co-branded multi-currency card has been developed in association with Yes Bank, M2P and is
powered by Visa so it will work on all platforms where Visa is accepted.
• com is a Makemytrip Group Company.
5. ICICI Bank has launched STACK for companies in real estate sector to offer solutions to their banking requirements
on one platform.
• The STACK, which is a combination of digital and physical solutions, enables participants of the real estate sector
namely builders, Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and Alternate Investment Funds (AIFs) to undertake banking
transactions expeditiously.
• This initiative is an extension of the ‘ICICI STACK for Corporates’ which the Bank launched last year to provide a
customised set of banking solutions for corporates and their entire ecosystem.
6. Bank of Baroda has launched of a new product at its branch in GIFT City, e., Foreign Currency Loan against INR
Deposits of Indian Companies for their Overseas Subsidiaries/ Joint Ventures.
• It is the first bank to open this facility in the GIFT City.
• This facility will help corporates working overseas in increasing their foreign currency reserves through the bank.
7. RBI and the Financial Services Agency (FSA), Japan has exchanged letters of cooperation in the field of Central
Counter Parties (CCPs) with the objective of improving mutual cooperation.
8. RBI has allowed foreign branches/foreign subsidiaries of Indian banks and All India Financial Institutions (AIFIs) to
deal in financial products, including structured financial products, that are not available or are not permitted by it in
the domestic market without its prior approval.
• The financial products dealt by the foreign branches and subsidiaries as well as IFSCs will attract the prudential
norms such as capital adequacy, exposure norms (including Large Exposure Framework), periodical valuation, and all
other applicable norms.
9. RBI has adopted the regulatory framework for Urban Co-operative Bank, recommended by the NS Vishwanathan’s
Expert Committee on UCBs.
• The four-tier structure of UCBs –
• Tier 1 – All unit UCBs and salary earners’ UCBs (irrespective of deposit size), and all other UCBs having deposits up to
₹100 crore;
• Tier 2 – UCBs with deposits more than ₹100 crore and up to ₹1000 crore;
• Tier 3 – UCBs with deposits more than ₹1000 crore and up to ₹10,000 crore;
• Tier 4 – UCBs with deposits more than ₹10,000 crore.
• Specifically, a minimum net worth of ₹2 crore for Tier 1 UCBs operating in single district and ₹5 crore for all other
UCBs (of all tiers) has been stipulated.
• The minimum CRAR requirement for Tier 1 banks is retained at the present prescription of 9% under current capital
adequacy framework based on Basel I.
• For Tier 2, Tier 3 and Tier 4 UCBs, while retaining the current capital adequacy framework, it has been decided to
revise the minimum CRAR to 12% so as to strengthen their capital structure.
• As per the data reported by the banks as on March 31, 2021, most of UCBs have CRAR more than 12% (1274 banks
out of 1534).
• All the remaining banks will have to achieve a CRAR of 10% by the financial year ending March 31, 2024, 11% by
March 31, 2025; and 12% by March 31, 2026.
Important Days
1. December 1 – World Aids Day; Theme – Equalize
• Red Ribbon is used for creating awareness about AIDS.

Knowledge Nuggets -

• AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is a chronic, potentially life-threatening

condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
• Ways of transmission – mother-to-child (during pregnancy), blood transmission, sexual
contact, and infected syringes
• India has launched the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) in 1992.
• Phases of the Program-
o Phase 1 – Launched in 1992
o Phase 2 - 1999
o Phase 3 - 2007
o Phase 4 - 2012 (extension for the period 2017-20)
o Phase 5 - 2021-2026
• Phase 5 –
o Target – The NACP Phase-V aims to reduce annual new HIV infections and AIDS-related
mortalities by 80% by 2025-26 from the baseline value of 2010.
o Specific targets –
i. 95% of people who are most at risk of acquiring HIV infection use comprehensive
prevention
ii. 95% of HIV positive know their status, 95% of those who know their status are on
treatment and 95% of those who are on treatment have suppressed viral load
iii. 95% of pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV have suppressed viral load
towards attainment of elimination of vertical transmission of HIV
iv. Less than 10% of people living with HIV and key populations experience stigma and
discrimination
o Total outlay - Rs 15471.94 crore
o It is a Central Sector Scheme.
• Awareness Ribbons –
• Global AIDS Strategy 2021-2026 — End Inequalities. End AIDS has been released by UNAIDS.
2. December 2 –
• International Day for the Abolition of Slavery
• National Pollution Prevention Day (38th anniversary of 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy)
• World Computer Literacy Day
Awards
1. Wildlife Trust of India has selected Kerala’s Man-Animal Conflict Team (an 8-member team) for its award for
bringing down the incidents of man-animal conflict in the region.
• An eight-member team from Chinnakkanal that comes under the Munnar forest division.
2. 41st India International Trade Fair 2022 was held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
Category Winner

Pavilion of the Ministry of Health and Family

Outstanding Contribution towards the
Welfare on the theme of Heal in India, Heal
Public Communication and Outreach
by India

Gold medal in Foreign Sector Afghanistan’s Pavilion

States and UTs – Gold Medal Kerala’s Pavilion

Govt Departments – Gold Medal IT Board and Central Board of Direct Taxes
3. The Manthan platform has won NSEIT Best Tech Initiative of the Year Award at the Dun & Bradstreet Business
Excellence Awards 2022.
• Purpose – for building the technology infrastructure to promote collaboration between industry and the scientific
research at scale
• Manthan Platform was launched in 2022 to facilitate R&D/innovation, share challenges focused on emerging
technologies, other scientific interventions, as well as those with a social impact.
• Implementing Agency: Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India.
• It promotes collaboration at scale between industry and scientific research and development ecosystem to help
meet India’s national targets and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Knowledge Nuggets –

• NSEIT Limited is a global technology enterprise focused on delivering excellence in complex digital environment,
primarily in banking, insurance, and capital market ecosystem.
• It is a 100% subsidiary of National Stock Exchange of India.
• Its key service pillars are Application Modernization, Business Transformation, Data Analytics, Infrastructure &
Cloud Services, Cybersecurity, EdTech, and online examinations solutions
4. “The Chipko Movement: A People’s History” book has won the Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize 2022.
• Author – Shekhar Pathak

Knowledge Nuggets –

• Since 2018, the New India Foundation has been awarding the annual Kamaladevi
Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize for the best non-fiction book on modern / contemporary
India published in the previous year.
• This prize is named to honour the legacy of Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, an Indian social
reformer and freedom activist.
• Prize Money - Rs 15 lakhs
6dec****************************************************************************************
National News
1. Supreme Court has floated the idea of launching a “Project GIB (Great Indian Bustard)” for protecting this
endangered bird.
• This large bird, found mainly in Rajasthan and Gujarat, has been categorised as critically endangered by
the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
• According to the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), in Rajasthan, 18 GIBs die every year after colliding with overhead
power lines.

Knowledge Nuggets –

• Rajasthan State Bird - The Great Indian Bustard

• Rajasthan Total Districts - 33
• Rajasthan State Game - Basketball
• Rajasthan State Animal - Camel and Chinkara
• Rajasthan State Flower - Desert Teak Flower
• Rajasthan State Tree - Jand
• Rajasthan State Dance – Ghoomar
3. NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission has launched a Community Innovator Fellowship programme to help aspiring
community innovators establish the knowledge and infrastructure needed for their entrepreneurial journey.
• It will be a one-year Community Innovator Fellowship Program.
• Each fellow would work on their concept while staying at an Atal Community Innovation Centre (ACIC) and learning
about the SDGs, developing their entrepreneurial abilities, and developing life skills.
• Eligibility criteria for this program –
• Candidates should be between the ages of 18 and 35.
• They must have a bachelor’s, diploma, or degree in any field from an accredited institution.
• Additionally, applicants must have intermediate English skills and their residence address must be 30 kilometres or
less from ACIC.
• The Atal Community Innovation Centre is incubating 22 Community Innovator fellows

Knowledge Nuggets –

• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog is Government of India’s flagship initiative to
promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the country and was setup in 2016.
• It has launched various sub-programs, such as
o Atal Tinkering Labs - at school level
o Atal Incubation Centres - "An ecosystem of Startups and Entrepreneurs”
o Atal Community Innovation Centres - serving Unserved and Under-Served regions of India
o Atal New India Challenges - Product and Service Innovations with National Impact
o ARISE ANIC challenges - to stimulate startup/ MSME industry innovation
o Mentor of Change (Mentorship and Partnerships - with Public, Private sector, NGOs,
Academia, Institutions)
4. IIT-Madras has developed and deployed Sindhuja-I, a system that could generate electricity using energy from
seawaves, about six kilometres from the coast of Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu.
• Sindhuja-I can currently produce 100 watts of energy. It will be scaled up to produce one megawatt of energy in the
next three years.
5. Central government has approved the Print and Digital Media Association (PADMA) as a self-regulatory body for
publishers of news and current affairs across the country.
• The organisation — with 47 digital news publishers on board — will look at grievances related to digital media news
content on their platforms.
• The organisation will be headed by former HC Judge Mool Chand Garg.
6. Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare has launched a nationwide campaign for promotion of Digital Life
Certificate for Central Government pensioners.
• The objective of this nationwide campaign is to promote the use of Face Authentication technology and Digital Life
Certificate (DLC) to ensure transparency and ease of usage.
7. Ministry of Minority Affairs has announced that pre-matric scholarship to students of minority communities
studying in classes 1 to 8 is being discontinued, and only those in Classes 9 and 10 will now be eligible for this
scholarship from 2022-2023 onwards.
• A notice posted on the National Scholarship Portal stated that this is being done in line with the pre-matric
scholarship scheme of the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment and Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
• The Ministry had allocated Rs 1,425 crore for pre-matric scholarships for 2022-23 to minority students.
8. Intellectual Property charges have been increased under the Start-Ups Intellectual Property
Protection (SIPP) scheme.
• In addition to above scheme, IP filling by startups are also encouraged by providing with fee rebates under
respective IP legislations.
• Startups are provided 80% fee rebate in filing patent applications and 50% fee rebate in filling trademark
application. In addition, there are also provisions for fast-track examination of patent applications.

worKnowledge Nuggets –

• Government of India had launched a Scheme for facilitating Start-Ups Intellectual

Property Protection (SIPP) in 2016.
• The scheme facilitated startups in filing and processing of their patent, design or
trademark application through the assistance of IP Facilitators, whose fee was borne by
the Office of the Controller General of Patents Designs and Trademarks, Department for
Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Government of India.
• After its successful implementation resulting in a significant increase in IP fillings by
Startups, the Scheme was extended for a period of three years till 31st March 2023.
9. Ministry of Civil Aviation has issued guidelines for the implementation of the Production Linked
Incentive (PLI) scheme to support the indigenous drone industry.
• For the implementation of this scheme during 2022-23 to 2024-25, a corpus of Rs 120 crore has also been allocated.
10. Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), under the Union Commerce and
Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, will attend the ‘Millets-Smart Nutritive Food’ Conclave in New Delhi.
• At the first-of-its-kind Millets Conclave, the government will release an e-catalogue on 30 potential importing
countries and 21 millet-producing states of India.
• Also, a knowledge book on millets is prepared in association with ‘Yes Bank’.
• The Govt has created the Nutri Cereals Export Promotion Forum to give promote millets exports and production
2023 – International Year of Millets The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, organized
an opening ceremony for the International Year of Millets – 2023 (IYM2023) in Rome, Italy. An Indian delegation
led by Sushri Shobha Karandlaje, Minister of State, Agriculture & Farmers Welfare were present at the opening
ceremony.
Knowledge Nuggets –

• India is one of the leading producers of millets in the world with an estimated share of around 41% in the global
production.
• As per FAO, world production of millets in the year 2020 was 30.464 million metric tons (MMT) and India’s share
was 12.49 MMT, which accounts to 41% of the total millet production.
• India recorded 27% growth in millet production in 2021-22 as compared to millet production in the previous year
was 15.92 MMT.
• India’s top five millet producing states are Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
• Share of export of millets is nearly 1% of the total millet production.
• It is estimated that the millets market is set to grow from its current market value of more than USD 9 billion to
over USD 12 billion by 2025.
• India’s major millet exporting countries are U.A.E, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Oman, Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, U.K
and U.S.A.
• The major millet importing countries in the world are Indonesia, Belgium, Japan, Germany, Mexico, Italy, the
 U.S.A, United Kingdom, Brazil and Netherlands.
• Thevarieties of millets exported by India include Bajra, Ragi, Canary, Jawar, and Buckwheat.
11. Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has launched the “Agriculture Investment Portal” aka Krishi Nivesh
Portal to facilitate investment in agriculture.
➢ Why: It will be a centralized one stop portal for agri-investors to avail benefits of various government schemes
related to agriculture and allied sectors.
• Objectives
▪ To boost investments in the agriculture sector. ▪ To ease the handholding process for the investors.
▪ To guide and assist the investors with the major infrastructure available in India.
▪ Support investors and companies with the schemes, policies and incentives given by the Central/ State Govts.
Swar Dharohar music, art, and literature festival was inaugurated by the Culture Ministry under Kalanjali.
• Ministry of Culture organizes “Daakroom”, the letter writing carnival in association with Department of Post.
• The one-of-a-kind letter writing event, supported by India Post, Ministry of Culture and Gandhi Smriti and Darshan
Samiti, is aimed to give a digital detox.
• Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana, financial aid of Rs. 50,000 per hectare/ three years is allowed, out of which Rs.
31,000 (61 percent) is given to the farmer directly via DBT for input (biopesticides, biofertilisers, botanical extracts,
vermicompost etc) production/ procurement, packing and marketing etc.
State News
1. West Bengal government has launched its ‘Graded Response Action Plan’ (GRAP) to tackle the problem of air
pollution in Kolkata and other non-attainment cities like Howrah, Barrackpore, Durgapur, Haldia and Asansol.
• The GRAP (Graded Response Action Plan) is an emergency response action plan invoked with a view to curb the
further deterioration of adverse air quality scenarios. It is also under implementation in Delhi and NCR.
Knowledge Nuggets

• Air Quality Index:

2. President of India Droupadi Murmu launched “Open Loop Ticketing System” for the Haryana State Transport
Corporation on the occasion of Gita Mahotsav 2022 in Kurukshetra.
• Now, Haryana has become the first state to introduce the open-loop ticketing system for roadways buses.
• Purpose – to help commuters to do away with buying physical tickets for roadways buses
• AU Small Finance Bank has partnered with the Haryana govt to operationalise this system by providing National
Common Mobility Card and other facilities.
3. Tamil Nadu Police Department has issued ‘Soulbound Tokens’ – Non-Fungible Tokens on Blockchain platform – as
rewards to its outstanding team members.
• The Idol Wing of the Tamil Nadu Police Department partnered with GuardianLink (a non-fungible token (NFT) start-
up which has offices in Singapore and Chennai) to issue soulbound tokens to its outstanding team members.
• These virtual assets cannot be taken or given away.
4. Adani Group has bagged 259-hectare Dharavi Redevelopment Project with a ₹5,069 crores bid.
5. Assam is celebrated the first-ever Silchar-Sylhet Festival to cherish the linguistic and cultural ties between the Barak
Valley region of Assam and the Sylhet segment of Bangladesh.
• Southern Assam’s Silchar town is hosting the two-day Silchar-Sylhet Festival that coincides with the 75th year of
India’s independence and the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Bangladesh from Pakistan.
6. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has become the first state in India to set up a separate Divyang
department for the welfare of differently-abled people with a fund allocation of Rs 1,143 crore.
Knowledge Nuggets

• Maharashtra Foundation Day – May 1

• Maharashtra State animal – Indian giant squirrel
• Maharashtra State bird – Yellow-footed green pigeon
• Maharashtra Butterfly – Blue Mormon
• Maharashtra flower – Pride of India/Jarul
• Maharashtra State tree – Mango Tree
Defence News
1. Indian Coast Guard has commissioned Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Mk-III squadron, 840 Sqn (CG), was
commissioned by DG Shri VS Pathania at ICG Air Station, Chennai.
• The ALH Mk-III helicopters are indigenously manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
Memorandum of Understanding
1. India and Germany have signed an agreement on comprehensive migration and mobility.
International News
1. India will assume the chairmanship of the Wassenaar Arrangement, a multilateral technology control agreement,
on 1 January 2023, for a period of one year.
Knowledge Nuggets

• The Wassenaar Arrangement came into being in 1996 and has 42 members. The WA
operates on a voluntary basis and decisions are made by consensus.
• The primary goal of the organisation is to restrict access to sensitive technologies for
terrorist outfits.
• The agreement is a multilateral export control regime, which, through regular information
exchange among members on transfers of conventional arms and dual-use goods and
technologies, seeks to promote transparency and greater responsibility in such transfers and
prevent destabilising accumulations.
• The US, the UK, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany and Australia are some key
members of the WA. Prominent non-members include China and Israel. India will take over
from Ireland.
2. Saudi Arabia has extended its term for a USD 3 billion deposit to support the Pakistan’s cash-strapped economy.
Knowledge Nuggets

• Saudi Arabia Capital – Riyadh; Currency - Saudi Riyal; National Language – Arabic
• The country is home to Mecca and Medina, the two holiest cities in Islam.
4. World Bank has approved USD 250 million financing to help Bangladesh strengthen environment management and
promote private sector participation in green investment.
• The country has launched the Bangladesh Environmental Sustainability and Transformation (BEST) Project to tackle
key pollution issues.
5. Isaac Herzog has become the first Israeli President to visit Bahrain.
Reports and Indices
1. World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has released its first State of Global Water Resources report to assess
the impact of climate change on the world’s water resources.
• The volume of water available in the Ganga river and the groundwater in the river-basin have both seen a significant
fall between 2002 and 2021.
• Apart from this, the report has presented general observations about the deterioration of the freshwater resources
of the world.
Knowledge Nuggets -

• WMO is dedicated to international cooperation and coordination on the state and

behaviour of the Earth’s atmosphere, its interaction with the land and oceans, the weather
and climate it produces, and the resulting distribution of water resources.
• Year of Establishment – 1950
• Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland
• Secretary General – Gerhard Adrian
• Member - 187 Member States and 6 Member Territories (divided into 6 regions – Africa,
Asia, South America, North America, Central America and the Caribbean, South-West Pacific,
Europe).
2. World Health Organization has released the first-ever “Global Report on Health Equity for Persons with
Disabilities”.
• December 3 – International Day of Persons with Disabilities; Theme – “Transformative solutions for inclusive
development: the role of innovation in fuelling an accessible and equitable world”
• As per the report, an estimated 1.3 billion people – or 16% of global population worldwide – experience a significant
disability
• Due to systematic and persistent health inequalities, they are at higher risk of dying up to 20 years earlier than
people without disabilities.
• The report recommends 40 steps the governments can implement to make healthcare sector more inclusive.
• 'Divya Kala Shakti 'Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment, Dr. Virendra Kumar inaugurated the Programme at
Rang Bhawan Auditorium, Akashwani Bhawan, Delhi, today on 10th Dec 2022.Various Non-Govt organizations
working in disability sectors and stake holders of the Department witnessed the extraordinary performances by the
Divyang children and youth at the cultural event ‘Divya Kala Shakti- Witnessing Ability in Disability’ organized by the
Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
in collaboration with PDUNIPPD , a National Institution uder the Administrative head of the Department.
Knowledge Nuggets

• The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that is concerned with
international public health.
• Year of Establishment – 1948
• Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland
• WHO began when its Constitution came into force on 7 April 1948 – a date when we celebrate every year as
World Health Day.
3. International Labour Organization has released the “Global Wage Report 2022-23”.
• Subtitle – The impact of inflation and COVID-19 on wages and purchasing power
• The report estimates that global monthly wages fell in real terms to 0.9% in the first half of 2022.
• This is the first negative global wage growth recorded since the first edition of the Global Wage Report in 2008.
• Among the G20 countries, which account for some 60% of the world’s wage employees, real wages in the first half
of 2022 are estimated to have declined to –2.2% in advanced economies, while wage growth in emerging economies
slowed but remained positive at 0.8%.
• The average wages of advanced G20 countries is $4,000 per month and for emerging G20 countries, it is $1,800 per
month.
• 17th International Labour Organization Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting was recently organized in Singapore.

Knowledge Nuggets

• The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency dealing with labour problems,
particularly international labour standards, social protection, and work opportunities for all.
• Year of Establishment – 1919
 • Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland
• India has ratified a total of 47 ILO Conventions.
• The recent conventions ratified by India are 138 and 182. These were ratified in 2017.
o Convention 138 – This convention specifies the minimum age for employing individuals. Developing or Least
Developed Countries where economy and educational facilities are insufficiently developed may, specify a
minimum age of 14 years. In India, this is the minimum employable age.
o Convention 182 – It prohibits worst forms of child labour.
4. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has released the “Turning the tide on internal displacement: A
development approach to solutions” report.
• According to the report, for the first time ever, more than 100 million people were forcibly displaced in 2022, most
of them within their own countries.
• At the end of 2021, there were over 59 million people forcibly displaced within their own countries due to conflict,
violence, disasters and climate change.
• According to the World Bank, climate change could force more than an estimated 216 million people to move
within their own countries by 2050.
Knowledge Nuggets –

• UNDP is based on the merging of the United Nations Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance, created in
1949, and the United Nations Special Fund, established in 1958.
• Afterwards, the UNDP was established in 1966 by the General Assembly of the United Nations.
5. The Economist Intelligence Unit has released the Worldwide Cost of Living 2022
• Total – 172 cities
• Top 10 most expensive cities in 2022 –
• New York and Singapore (tie)
• Tel Aviv, Israel
• Hong Kong and Los Angeles (tie)
• Zurich, Switzerland
• Geneva, Switzerland
• San Francisco, California
• Paris, France
• Copenhagen, Denmark

Knowledge Nuggets

• Economist Intelligence Unit was created in 1946.

• It helps businesses, financial firms and governments to understand how the world is changing and how that
creates opportunities to be seized and risks to be managed.
6. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has released the “The Future of Food and Agriculture — Drivers and
triggers for transformation”.
• If the necessary changes are not made in the agri-food system, the world will witness persistent food insecurity,
degradation of resources, and unsustainable economic growth in the future.
• The report has suggested four different scenarios for agri-food systems, which are –
• ‘More of the same’ scenario – the continuation of the present scenario
• ‘Adjusted future’ scenario – some steps are taken to ensure sustainable agrifood systems at a slow pace
• ‘Race to the bottom’ scenario – the world is in the worst version of itself
• ‘Trading off for sustainability’ – short-term GPD growth is sacrificed to make agri-food, socioeconomic and
environmental systems more inclusive, resilient and sustainable
Knowledge Nuggets

• The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international
efforts to defeat hunger. The goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access
 to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives.
• Year of Establishment – 1945
• Headquarters – Rome, Italy
FAO’s Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) –
• FAO’s Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) is an intergovernmental body, established jointly by the UN's Food
and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the WHO in 1963, within the framework of the Joint Food Standards
Programme.
• The Secretariat of the CAC is hosted at FAO headquarters in Rome.
• It was established to protect the health of consumers and ensure fair practices in the food trade.
• It meets in regular session once a year alternating between Geneva and Rome.
• Currently, it has 189 Codex Members.
7. 2022 New Energy Outlook report has been released by BloombergNEF to keep the temperature increase to 77
degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by 2050.
• The report has provided certain recommendations for limiting the temperature increase to 1.77 degrees Celsius –
• Emissions need to fall by 30% by 2030 and by 6% a year to 2040.
• Investments in the clean energy sector must triple to reach Net Zero by 2050.
• About 25% of total emissions can be reduced using low-carbon electricity in the transport sector and industrial
processes.
• The rest of the emissions can be reduced by hydrogen and carbon capture and storage (CCS).
• CCS is the process of using technology to capture carbon emissions from industrial processes or power generation,
from where it is transported and stored underground for posterity.
Knowledge Nuggets

• BloombergNEF (BNEF) is a strategic research provider covering global commodity markets and the disruptive
technologies driving the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Banking and Economy
2. San Francisco-based OpenAI has launched ChatGPT chatbot for free public testing. A chatbot is a software
application designed to mimic human-like conversations based on user prompts.
• The chatbot is based on GPT-3.5 – a deep-learning language model that produces human-like text.
3. Bharti Airtel and Meta Platforms Inc. have announced to jointly invest in extending the Facebook parent’s subsea
cable infrastructure to India
• Both organizations will also work to integrate WhatsApp as a communications platform as a service (CPaaS).
• Airtel will partner with Meta and Saudi Telecom to extend 2Africa Pearls, the subsea cable set up by Meta that
connects Africa, Europe and Asia, to India.
• 2Africa is the world’s longest subsea cable system and is expected to provide faster internet connectivity to almost
3 billion people globally.
4. Central Government is planning to allow businesses to use their Permanent Account Number (PAN) as a unique
identifier for accessing the National Single Window System (NSWS) to receive different clearances and approvals
from central and state governments.
• The National Single Window System (NSWS) is being developed by the Department for Promotion of Industry and
Internal Trade (DPIIT) as a one-stop shop for investors to apply for various approvals from central and state
governments.
5. Edelweiss Mutual Fund has announced the launch of the fourth tranche of BHARAT Bond ETF – India’s first
corporate bond ETF (exchange-traded fund).
• A central government initiative, Bharat Bond ETF invests only in ‘AAA’-rated bonds of public sector companies.
• Edelweiss Asset Management is the fund manager of the scheme.
• This latest tranche of the ETF and BHARAT Bond Fund of Fund (FoF) series will mature in April 2033.
• Through the launch of this new series, Edelweiss Mutual Fund proposes to raise an initial amount of ₹1,000
crore with a green shoe option of another ₹4,000 crore.

Knowledge Nuggets
 • Bharat Bond ETF was launched in 2019.
• It is an open ended Target Maturity Exchange Traded Bond Fund that seeks to track the
returns provided by Nifty BHARAT Bond Index.
• A target maturity fund has a maturity date just like Fixed maturity plan. In these ETF’s the
underlying securities are held until the maturity of the Scheme.
• The Fund will have a defined maturity - April 2023 & April 2030 ( 3 years+ & 10 years+
respectively)
6. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) recently extended the deadline by two years for existing third-
party apps to comply with its market share guidelines for the UPI network.
• The NPCI mandate requires payment apps to hold not more than 30% market share in terms of payment volumes.
• The new deadline to comply with the rule is December 31, 2024.
7. State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest lender, has raised ₹10,000 crore through its maiden infrastructure
bond issuance at coupon rate of 7.51%.
• It is the largest single infrastructure bond issued by any Bank in the country.
• The tenor of these bonds is 10 years.
8. Economic Advisory Council member Sanjeev Sanyal has mentioned that India is capable of sustaining an economic
growth of 9% for many years.
9. RBI has imposed a monetary penalty of ₹5 lakh on The Bharat Co-operative Bank Limited, Bengaluru, Karnataka for
non-adherence / violation of directions issued under Exposure Norms and Statutory / Other Restrictions – UCBs.
10. Life Insurance Corporation has also started its services on WhatsApp and the registered policyholders can avail the
services for better communication with the insurance company.
• The official WhatsApp Number of LIC is 8976862090.

Knowledge Nuggets –

• Parliament of India passed the Life Insurance Corporation Act, 1956, and the Life Insurance Corporation of India
was created on 1st September, 1956.
• Life Insurance in its modern form came to India from England in the year 1818. Oriental Life Insurance Company
started by Europeans in Calcutta was the first life insurance company on Indian Soil.
• LIC Chairperson - Mangalam Ramasubramanian Kumar
11. Goldsikka ATM – India’s first Gold ATM and World’s first real-time gold ATM – has been launched in Begumpet,
Hyderabad.
• The ATM allow people to withdraw gold coins just like cash from this gold ATM using their debit or credit cards.
• Goldsikka Pvt Ltd, a gold distributor company, has installed this first gold ATM in collaboration with M/s OpenCube
Technologies Pvt Ltd.
Appointments
1. Rajeeva Laxman Karandikar has been appointed as the chairperson of the National Statistical Commission.
Knowledge Nuggets -

• The National Statistical Commission (NSC) was constituted under the Ministry of Statistics and Program
Implementation with effect from 2006 on the recommendations of the Rangarajan Commission.
• Purpose - to evolve policies, priorities and standards in statistical matters
• The NSC has four Members besides a Chairperson, each having specialization and experience in specified
statistical fields.
Important Days
1. December 4 – Indian Navy Day
• The day commemorates the commencement of Operation Trident against Pakistan during the Indo-Pak War in 1971.
2. December 4 – International Cheetah Day
3. December 5 – Parakram Diwas (51st anniversary of India’s victory in the Longewala battle during the 1971 war)
• The celebrations will take place at the Sagat Singh Stadium, Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
4. December 6 – Mahaparinirvan Diwas (67th death anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar)
Awards
1. Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai has received the Padma Bhushan – India’s third-highest civilian award –
for 2022 in Trade and Industry category.
• The Padma Awards for 2022 have been announced in January 2022. This is the list of awardees
– https://www.thehindu.com/news/resources/full-list-of-padma-awards-2022/article38325003.ece
2. President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, presented the National Awards for the Empowerment of Persons with
Disabilities for the year 2021 and 2022 in New Delhi.
• National Awards for 2021 were given to 25 Individuals, Institutions and Organizations.
• National Awards for 2022 were given to 29 Individuals, Institutions and Organisations.
• Categories of the awards –
• Sarvshresth Divyangjan,
• Shresth Divyangjan,
• Shresth Divyang Bal and Balika,
• Sarvshrestha Vyakti (working towards the empowerment of Divyangjan)
• Sarvshrestha Rehabilitation Professional worker
Sports
1. Indian boxer Urvashi Singh has won the WBC International Super Bantamweight title as well as the WBC Asia Silver
crown in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
2. Saurashtra cricket team has won the 2022-23 Vijay Hazare Trophy by defeating Maharashtra.
3. Indian shuttler Unnati Hooda created history at the Badminton Asia Junior Championships 2022 by becoming
the first Indian to enter the Under-17 singles final.
4. In Shooting, Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh won the 10 metre air pistol mixed team title at the 65th National
Shooting Championship Competitions at the MP Shooting Academy range in Bhopal.
5. The Trophy Tour of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 was officially launched in Bhubaneswar.
6. Six Indian para-shuttlers have won gold medals at Peru Para Badminton International in Lima.
Miscellaneous
1. Semeru Volcano has erupted in Java Island, Indonesia.
Knowledge Nuggets –

• Indonesia Capital – Jakarta; Currency - Indonesian Rupiah; Official language – Indonesian

• Indonesia is a member of ASEAN.
• Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic state.
• Indonesia is the country with largest Muslim population (12.7% of the world's Muslims reside here),
followed by Pakistan (11.1%), India (10.9%) and Bangladesh (9.2%).
• Indonesia is a presidential republic with an elected legislature.
• Ramayana and Mahabharata are the mythological epics of this country.
• Main islands of Indonesia – Sumatra, Java, Borneo, and New Guinea

6dec****************************************************************************************
National News
1. 5th edition of the European Union-India Competition Week was inaugurated at the Competition Commission of
India (CCI) headquarters in New Delhi.
• In 2013, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) and European Commission had signed an MoU for cooperation in
the field of competition laws in 2013.
2. Supreme Court has exempted Maharashtra’s Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary (TWS) from its June 3 order
mandating the creation of a one-kilometre eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) around all Protected Areas in India.
• Earlier, the Supreme Court had exempted the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary
from the ESZ requirement.
3. The 12th World Hindi Conference is being organized by the Ministry of External Affairs, in collaboration with
the Government of Fiji from 15 to 17 February 2023 in Fiji.
• Theme of the Conference – “Hindi: From Traditional Knowledge to Artificial Intelligence”
• According to the United Nations report of 2020, Fiji had a population of more than 896,000 and out of which over
30% is of Indian-origin.
4. Central Govt has launched ₹2.44 lakh crore plan to generate 500 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy by 2030.
• India plans to have 500 GW of non-fossil-based power capacity by 2030 so that cleaner fuels comprise 50% of the
power mix.
• India currently has 409 GW installed capacity comprising 173 GW from non-fossil fuel sources, which is about 42% of
total installed electricity generating capacity.
5. University Grants Commission has constituted an apex committee to prepare the roadmap to
introduce undergraduate and postgraduate courses in regional languages in disciplines including commerce,
humanities, and science across the country.
• The UGC has sought the translation of textbooks for undergraduate programmes in languages such as Telugu, Tamil,
Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Gujarati, Odia, Bengali, Assamese, Punjabi, Hindi, and Urdu.
6. Central government has named 21 uninhabited islands in the union territory of Andaman &
Nicobar after recipients of Param Vir Chakra, the country’s highest wartime gallantry award.
• The first uninhabited island numbered ‘INAN370’ in North and Middle Andaman was named after Major Somnath
Sharma.
• Now ‘INAN370’ will be known as ‘Somnath Dweep’. He was the first recipient of the Param Vir Chakra.
7. Public Health Foundation of India and University of Leicester, England have received a grant of nearly £10
million from the National Institute for Health and Care Research, UK.
• Purpose – to help improve the health outcomes and re-orient health systems to effectively address multiple long-
term conditions (MLTCs) or multimorbidity in India and Nepal
• The Public Health Foundation of India and University of Leicester will collaborate with the All India Institute of
Medical Science (AIIMS), Jodhpur, Health Related Information Dissemination Amongst Youth (HRIDAY), Delhi, and
Kathmandu Medical College (KMC), Kathmandu.
8. SHE STEM 2022, the annual event to honor women in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering,
mathematics, and sustainability, was successfully organized for the 3rd consecutive year as part of the Sweden-India
Nobel Memorial Week.
• Organizers – Swedish Embassy in India, in collaboration with the Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, the Indian
Government, and the German Centre of Innovation and Research, New Delhi
9. NITI Aayog organized a national conclave on soil health management for sustainable farming on the occasion of
the World Soil Day (December 5, 2022).
• The conclave was co-hosted by NITI Aayog and GIZ, GmbH India on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for
Cooperation and Economic Development (BMZ).
• Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development intends to provide up to 300 million
euros by 2025 for financial and technical cooperation for projects under this initiative.
• NITI Aayog and the BMZ have also signed a Statement of Intent for collaborations, with agro ecology being one of
the priority areas.
• In May 2022, India and Germany signed a joint declaration for the establishment of the first-ever bilateral lighthouse
initiative on agro ecology and sustainable management of natural resources.
State News
1. Ladakh has approached the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS), a unit of Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO) for developing “Spatial Data Infrastructure geoportal ‘Geo-Ladakh’ for UT-Ladakh”.
• This portal will be used to find, access, distribute & contribute geospatial information and its associated geographic
services such as navigation, buffer, measurements analysis, metadata catalogue, map catalogue and more.
2. The Telangana government has signed an MoU with Coinbase Inc to collaborate in building a strong Web 3.0
community in the state.
• Amara Raja Batteries Limited (ARBL) has also signed an MOU with the Government of Telangana for setting up
of Lithium-ion Battery Gigafactory in Mahabubnagar district.
International News
1. Invasive Group A Strep (iGAS)-caused bacterial infection has claimed the lives of at least 6 children in the United
Kingdom.
• Some of the symptoms of GAS infections are sore throat, fever, chills and muscle aches.
2. US Air Force has unveiled its newest nuclear stealth bomber named as B-21 Raider (world’s first sixth-generation
aircraft).
• B-21 Raider has been developed by Northrop Grumman.
3. 17th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage was
hosted by the Kingdom of Morocco in Rabat.
4. Botswana to host the 18th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible
Cultural Heritage.
Reports and Indices
1. 14th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion was held in Adelaide, Australia.
• “Preventing injuries and violence: an overview” report was released by WHO during the conference.
• Injuries and violence take the lives of some 12,000 people around the world each day.
• 3 of the top 5 causes of death among people aged 5–29 years are injury related, namely road traffic injuries,
homicide and suicide.
2. The 2nd edition of the “State of Finance for Nature” report has been released by the UN Environment Program.
• The report has been released in collaboration with Economics of Land Degradation initiative of Germany’s Federal
Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the United Nations Convention to Combat
Desertification (UNCCD), and the European Commission.
• As per the report, the current global investment in Nature-based Solutions is $154 billion per annum, which needs
to be increased to $384 billion by 2025.
3. Passport Index 2022 has been published by Arton Capital.
• Top – UAE
• India – 87th rank
4. Global Aviation Safety Ranking has been released by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
• Total – 187 countries
• India is ranked at the 48th position. Four years ago, India was ranked at 102nd
• Singapore is at the top, followed by the UAE and South Korea at the second and third positions, respectively.
5. Tribal Development Report 2022 was launched by the Bharat Rural Livelihood Foundation (BRLF).
• The BRLF, which claims to be the first of its kind since 1947, was set up by the Union Cabinet in 2013 as
an independent society under the Union Ministry of Rural Development to work for the society in partnership with
central and state governments.
• As per the 2011 Census, India’s tribal communities form 8.6% of the country’s population.
• Central India is home to 80% of the tribal communities in the country.
Banking and Economy
Google’s Jigsaw subsidiary is launching a new anti-misinformation project in India for preventing misleading
information that has been blamed for inciting violence.
1. RBI’s bi-monthly Monetary Policy Committee meeting –
• India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – 6.8%
• Consumer Price Index (CPI) based inflation – 6.7% (same as its previous estimate)
• CPI moderated to 6.8 % (y-o-y) in October 2022 but it is still above the upper tolerance band of the target.
• India’s foreign exchange reserves (FER) stands at $561.2 billion as on December 2, 2022.
4. Federal Bank has unveiled a new campaign named ‘Football Fiesta’, to promote
the football game.
5. Fintech player Spice Money has partnered with private sector lender Axis Bank to
facilitate opening of instant, zero balance savings or current accounts for rural
citizens through its Adhikari network.
• Spice Money aims to bridge the rural-urban divide and bring financial inclusivity by
providing access to banking products to the last mile at their doorstep, thereby
financially empowering thousands of rural citizens living in the rural India.
6. ICICI Lombard and AU Small Finance Bank have signed a bancassurance
agreement to sell the insurance products to the bank’s customers.
7. Razorpay merchants can now begin accepting credit card payments on UPI, in
partnership with Axis Bank.
• At present, UPI enables customers to make transactions through their bank accounts.
• However, linking credit cards with UPI will ensure that customers will no longer have to carry their credit cards with
them at all times for payments.
GDP Forecasts
1. Fitch has forecasted a 7% GDP growth rate for India for 2022-
23, 6.2% in 2023-24 and 6.9% in 2024-25.
2. World Bank has forecasted a 6.9% GDP growth
rate for India for 2022-23 in its India Development Update.

3. S&P has forecasted a 7% GDP growth

rate for India in 2022 and 6% in 2023.
Appointments
1. Centre has appointed N Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Sons,
as the chair of B20 India to lead the business agenda during India’s G20 Presidency.
• The B20 is the business platform of G20 countries.
2. Arun Kumar Singh, former chairman of oil refining and marketing company BPCL, was
appointed chairman and managing director of ONGC (Maharatna PSU).
3. Shri K.V. Suresh Kumar, Distinguished Scientist of Department of Atomic Energy, has assumed charge as Chairman
and Managing Director of Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI) for a period of 3 years.
Knowledge Nuggets -

• Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI) is a wholly-owned Enterprise of Government of India under
the administrative control of the Department of Atomic Energy incorporated in 2003 as Public Limited Company
under the Companies Act, 1956.
4. Meghna Ahlawat was elected president of the Table Tennis Federation of India.
Important Days
1. December 4 – International Day of Banks
2. December 5 – World Soil Day; Theme – “Soils, where food begins”
• Food and Agriculture Organization has released the “Global Status of Black Soils” report.
• Status of Black Soil – Black soils are quickly losing their Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) sequestration capacity. They have
lost 20 to 50% of their original SOC stock, with the carbon being released into the atmosphere mostly as carbon
dioxide.
• Importance of Black Soil –
• Black soil has the capability to remove carbon from the atmosphere and lock it up in the soil organic matter (called
carbon sequestration).
• Black soils have the potential to provide 10% of the total Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) sequestration globally if they
receive proper attention.
• Black soils were home to 2.86% of the global population and had 17.36% of cropland, 8.05% of global SOC stock and
30.06% SOC stock of global cropland.
• On this day, the King Bhumibol World Soil Award 2022 has been won by the Institute of Geology, National
Autonomous University of Mexico.
• Dr Ashok Kumar Patra has been awarded the Glinka World Soil Prize 2022.
3. December 5 – International Volunteer Day; Theme – Solidarity through volunteering
Awards
1. 16th edition of Forbes Asia’s Heroes of Philanthropy list –
• Top – Gautam Adani (donation of $7.7 billion)
• HCL Technologies’ Shiv Nadar and Happiest Minds Technologies’ Ashok Soota are other Indians on the list.
2. Badminton World Federation has announced the Player of the Year 2022 awards.
Category Winner

Male Player of the Year Viktor Axelsen (Denmark

Female Player of the Year Yamaguchi Akane (Japan)

 Male Para Badminton Player of the Year Kajiwara Daiki (Japan)

NFemale Para Badminton Player of the Year Manisha Ramadass (India)

3. Volodymyr Zelensky has been named as Times’ Person of the Year 2022.
4. Forbes’ annual list of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women has been released.
• Rank 1 – Ursula von der Leyen (Germany)
• India –
• Nirmala Sitharaman (rank 36)
• Roshni Nadar Malhotra (rank 53)
• Madhabi Puri Buch (rank 54)
• Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (rank 77)
• Falguni Nadar (rank 89)
5. Central India’s first agritech startup, Farmkart’s founder and CEO Atul Patidar has won the prestigious ‘Pride of
Central India 2022’ award for transforming the lives of lakhs of rural farmers in the region.
• Union Minister of Civil Aviation of India Jyotiraditya Scindia handed over the award.
6. Earthshot Prizes 2022 has been announced. The Earthshot Prize was launched in 2020 by Prince William and David
Attenborough.
Category Winner Country

Protect and Restore

Kheyti India
Nature

Clean Our Air Mukuru Clean Stoves Kenya

Indigenous Women of the Great

Revive Our Oceans Australia
Barrier Reef

Build A Waste Free United

NOTPLA
World Kingdom

Fix Our Climate 44.01 Oman

8. Swayam Shikshan Prayog, Maharashtra-based organisation has been awarded the Local Adaptation Champions
Awards.
• The awards are organised by the Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA) at the ongoing COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh,
Egypt.
• SSP worked for developing the Women-led Climate Resilient Farming (WCRF) model.
9. Melbourne-based Veena Nair has won the 2022 Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in
secondary schools.
Sports
1. Three female umpires — Vrinda Rathi, Janani Narayan, and Gayathri Venugopalan — are set to break the record by
officiating in the Ranji Trophy.
• This is the first time women are officiating men’s cricket.
2. Aditya Mittal (aged 16) has become India’s 77th chess Grandmaster during an ongoing Ellobregat Open tournament
in Spain.
3. Former world champion Mirabai Chanu has won a silver medal in the women’s 49kg division at the World
Weightlifting Championships 2022 in Bogota, Colombia.
4. Reigning world champion Rudrankksh Patil defeated world No. 1 Danilo Sollazzo of Italy in the men’s 10m air
rifle final to win the gold medal at the ISSF President’s Cup 2022 in Cairo, Egypt.
• Anjum Moudgil has won the silver award in Women’s 50m rifle in 3 positions.
5. Arjun Erigaisi has won the Tata Steel Chess India 2022 Blitz by defeating American GM Hikaru Nakamura.
• Vaishali Rameshbabu has won the women’s blitz title.
Miscellaneous
1. A new tropical cyclone is likely to form over the Bay of Bengal and is going to impact Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and
Andhra Pradesh.
• The cyclonic storm will be named ‘Cyclone Mandous’, the name which is given by the United Arab Emirates which
means a treasure box in the Arabic language.
2. ‘Goblin Mode’ is the word of the year of Oxford Dictionaries.

8dec*****************************************************************************************
National News
1. Garuda Aerospace launched India’s first e-learning platform for Drone Skilling and Learning in Chennai to provide
skilling and training to one lakh youth over the next two years.
• The virtual platform is called the Garuda Virtual Drone and Skilling University.
• “Operation 777” – Garuda Aerospace’s Drone Yatra, which has the aim to “educate and demonstrate the efficacy of
drones for different agricultural uses across 777 districts of India”, was flagged off.
• Garuda Aerospace Founder and CEO – Agnishwar Jayaprakash
2. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways will launch India’s first-ever surety bonds insurance product to boost
liquidity in the infrastructure sector.
• Surety bonds refer to the performance or delivery obligation to complete the insured project.
3. Sweden and Nepal are conducting research on Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.
State News
1. Uttarakhand has hired McKinsey, a global management consultancy, to achieve the target of doubling its Gross
State Domestic Product (GSDP) in the next five years.
• The government has signed a two-year agreement with the company under Shashakt (empowered) Uttarakhand
mission.
• The company will work in areas like agriculture, horticulture, Urban (Brownfield and greenfield cities), service sector,
infra projects (core as well as social sectors) to accelerate the income of the people and of the State.
• The State has the target of doubling GSDP from ₹2.73 lakh crore to ₹5.5 lakh crore by achieving a CAGR of 15% in the
next five years.
2. Kerala has announced to become a 100% renewable energy-based state by 2040 and net carbon neutral by
• India Climate and Development Partners’ Meet was hosted by the Kerala government and the World Bank.
• The Kerala State Action Plan on Climate Change 2023-2030 was released during the meet.
3. Assam Cabinet approved a bill to create a Safai Karamchari Commission.
Memorandum of Understanding
1. ISRO’s Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (In-Space) has signed an MOU with Vyom Space
Exploration and Services Pvt Ltd (based in Gurugram) for its “human and cargo transportation capsule program”.
2. ISRO has signed an MOU with Social Alpha, a multistage innovation curation and venture development platform for
science and technology start-ups, to launch SpaceTech Innovation Network (SpIN).
• SpIN is India’s first dedicated platform for innovation, curation, and venture development for the space startups.
• SpIN will primarily focus on three categories: Geospatial Technologies and Downstream Applications; Enabling
Technologies for Space & Mobility; and Aerospace Materials, Sensors, and Avionics.
• SpIN has also launched its first innovation challenge. The selected start-ups and innovators will be able to access
both Social Alpha’s and ISRO’s infrastructure and resources.
• Early-stage start-ups for developing solutions in areas of maritime and land transportation, urbanisation, mapping,
and surveying, disaster management, food security, sustainable agriculture, environmental monitoring, and natural
resources management, among others are encouraged to apply.
3. SIDBI has signed an MOU with the Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority of Saudi Arabia (Monsha’at)
for exploring and collaborating on matters of common interest in the development and boosting MSMEs in their
respective countries.
• SIDBI will offer its expertise and experience to the newly launched SME Bank in Saudi Arabia.
International News
1. World Trade Organization’s Goods Trade Barometer has forecasted a slowdown in trade growth in the last quarter
of 2022 and in 2023 due to Russia-Ukraine war.
• The current value of the index is 96.2.
Reports and Indices
1. “Tuberculosis Research Funding Trends, 2005–2021” report has been published by the Treatment Action
Group (TAG) and the Stop TB Partnership.
• In 2021, the funding for TB research and development reached the $1 billion threshold for the first time in history.
• The United Nations High-Level Meeting on TB in 2018 set the target of $2 billion per annum for R&D.
Banking and Economy
1. Union Government has infused about ₹5,000 crore in SWAMIH Investment Fund I, taking the total corpus of the
fund to ₹15,530 crore.
• The Special Window for Completion of Construction of Affordable and Mid-Income Housing Projects (SWAMIH I)
was set up to provide priority debt financing to complete stressed, brownfield and RERA-registered residential
projects.
• The fund is sponsored by the finance ministry and managed by SBICAP Ventures, a unit of State Bank of India.
• SWAMIH is a category II Alternative Investment Fund (AIF).

Knowledge Nuggets -

• Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) means any fund established or incorporated in India which is a privately
pooled investment vehicle which collects funds from sophisticated investors, whether Indian or foreign, for
investing in alternate investment instruments.
• AIFs are governed by the SEBI (Alternative Investment Funds) Regulations, 2012.
• There are three categories of AIFs in India –
o Category I AIF – Encouraged and incentivised by the govt
 Venture capital funds (Including Angel Funds)
 SME Funds  Social Venture Funds  Infrastructure funds
o Category II AIF – AIFs which do not fall in Category I and III. These funds aim to meet day-to-day operational
requirements. Govt does not provide any concessions in this category.
 Real Estate Funds  Private Equity Funds
 Funds For Distressed Assets
o Category III AIF – AIFs which employ diverse or complex trading strategies fall in this category. These funds can
also invest in listed or unlisted derivatives.
 Hedge Funds  PIPE Funds

2. Walmart and Flipkart partnered with the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) to accelerate capacity
building for MSMEs across India.
• The partnership will help MSMEs unlock export potential and become part of retail supply chains locally and globally.
• The partnership has been established under the Walmart Vriddhi Supplier Development Programme. This program
includes training, seminars and mentoring sessions conducted regularly for MSMEs.
3. Ageas Federal Life Insurance (AFLI) has launched its new healthcare plan named Ageas Federal Life Insurance Criti
Care Plan, which covers the treatment of 30 critical illnesses and major disorders.
• The policy provides coverage up to the age of 70 years.
4. National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) and GMR Airports Limited (GAL) will invest in three of GMR
airports, including the Greenfield ones at Mopa, Goa, and Bhogapuram, Andhra Pradesh.
• The amount of investment and the name of the third airport have not been unveiled.
• The investment is expected to be around Rs 631 crore.

Knowledge Nuggets -

• National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) is India’s first infrastructure specific
investment fund or a sovereign wealth fund that was set up by the Government of India in
February 2015.
• It aims to increase investments in infrastructural projects, both greenfield and brownfield.
7. IDFC FIRST Bank and NASSCOM Centre of Excellence (COE) have partnered to grow the innovation ecosystem
through an exclusive range of banking solutions.
• IDFC First Bank and NASSCOM COE have also signed an MOU to appoint IDFC First Bank as the banking partner for
startups.
8. RBI has decided to introduce the functionality of a single-block-and-multiple-debit in UPI.
• It will ease the process of recurring payments.
• The single block multiple debit feature of the UPI will enable users to separate and block funds in their accounts for
specific purposes.
9. “Toolkit on Enabling Gender Responsive Urban Mobility and Public Spaces in India” was launched at a session
organized by the World Bank and the Chennai Urban Metropolitan Transport Authority.
• The aim of the World Bank’s toolkit is to make urban mobility and design gender inclusive.
10. The RBI has signed a Currency Swap Agreement with the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) to enable MMA to
make withdrawals in multiple tranches up to a maximum of $200 million from the RBI.
• This agreement has been signed under the SAARC Currency Swap Framework.
• The RBI will continue to offer a swap arrangement within the overall corpus of USD 2 billion.
• The swap withdrawals can be made in US dollar, euro or Indian rupee. The framework provides certain concessions
for swap withdrawals in Indian rupee.
Appointments
1. Uttarakhand government has named Prasoon Joshi, the CEO and CCO of McCann Worldgroup India, the state’s
brand ambassador.
• Joshi was awarded the Uttarakhand Gaurav Samman to honour him for his contributions to art, literature, culture
and advertising.
• The Uttarakhand Gaurav Samman, apart from the Uttarakhand Ratna, is one of the state’s two highest civilian
awards given for achievements in various fields.
2. Dina Boluarte has been elected as the first female President of Peru.
3.
Knowledge Nuggets -

• Peru Capital – Lima; Currency – Peruvian sol; Official Language – Spanish (along with other
Peruvian languages)
• It is among the eight countries which occupy Amazon rainforests.
• Amazon rainforest countries – Brazil, Bolivia, Columbia, Ecuador, French Guinea (not a
country but a territory), Guyana, Suriname, Peru and Venezuela
• It is among seven countries which occupy the Andes Mountain range - Venezuela,
Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina
• Nazca Lines (a UNESCO World Heritage site) is a geoglyph etched into the Nazca Desert in
southern Peru.

Important Days
1. November 28 – Red Planets Day (NASA launched the Mariner 4 space probe on Mars in 1964)
2. December 7 – Armed Forces Flag Day

Knowledge Nuggets –

• Pingali (or Pinglay) Venkayya designed the flag of India.

3. December 7 – International Civil Aviation Day; Theme – Advancing Innovation for Global Aviation Development
4. December 8 – SAARC Charter Day (38th edition)
Awards
1. South Korea’s Mina Sue Choi was crowned Miss Earth 2022.
• Miss Fire 2022 is Andrea Aguilera of Columbia, Miss Water 2022 is Nadeen Ayoub of Palestine, and Miss Air
2022 is Sheridan Mortlock of Australia.
2. World Athlete of the Year 2022 (Female) – Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (American)
• World Athlete of the Year 2022 (Male) – Armand Duplantis (American-Swedish)
• The awards are given by World Athletics (based in Stockholm).
3. Priyanka Chopra Jonas has featured on the BBC 100 Women 2022.
• Sirisha Bandla (Aeronautical engineer), Sneha Jawale (Social worker), and Geetanjali Shree (author) are other Indian
women on this list.
4. Three Indian-origin women – Neelima Kadiyala, Dr Ana Baburamani and Dr Indrani Mukherjee – have been
recognized as Superstars of STEM by Australia, along with other 57 scientists, technologists, engineers, and
mathematicians.
• Australia’s Superstars of STEM is an initiative that aims to smash society’s gender assumptions about scientists and
increase the public visibility of females and non-binary people.
• These three women are working in Australia.
5. Quaide Milleth Educational and Social Trust will present the Quaide Milleth Award for Probity in Political / Public
Life 2022 to Dravidar Kazhagam president K. Veeramani and The Wire (India) Media.
• The award, named after Quaide Milleth Mohamed Ismail Sahib, is given annually to veterans in political and public
life with a deep commitment to constitutional values, secularism, pluralism, inclusivism and concern for marginalised
people.
Sports
1. Indian shuttler Anish Thoppani clinched a silver medal in the under-15 category at the Badminton Asia Junior
Championships in Nonthaburi, Thailand.
Miscellaneous
1. “Sultan: A Memoir” is the autobiography of Pakistani cricketer Wasim Akram, written in collaboration with Gideon
Haigh.

9dec****************************************************************************************
National News
1. Nagpur’s Economic Explosives Limited (EEL), a subsidiary of Solar Group, has developed a rocket motor for PSLV,
which was successfully tested by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
• This also marks the beginning of end-to-end production of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles (PSLV) through a
private sector industry.
• It was the first PSOM XL motor, which forms the PS0 stage of the PSLVE-XL.
2. Central government has extended the ‘Rooftop Solar Programme-Phase 2’ till March 31, 2026.
• Now, the subsidy under the programme will be available until the target under the programme is achieved.

Knowledge Nuggets –

• Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is implementing the Rooftop Solar Programme-Phase 2 since 2019 to
achieve 40,000 MW cumulative capacity from rooftop solar projects by 2022 (now extended to 2026).
• Components of the scheme –
o Component A – Setting up of 4000 MW of grid connected rooftop plants in residential sector with central
financial assistance.
o Component B – Incentives to DISCOMs based on achievement of installing rooftop capacity.
• Central financial assistance –
o For individual households CFA up to 40% of the benchmark cost is provided for RTS projects up to 3 kW capacity
o Up to 20% of the benchmark cost is provided for RTS projects beyond 3 kW and up to 10 kW
o For Group Housing Societies/Residential Welfare Associations, CFA is limited to 20% for RTS plants
• The total solar power installed capacity in the country as on 28.2.2022 was 50.78 GW including 6.4 GW from
rooftop solar.
• National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), an autonomous institute under the Ministry of New and Renewable
Energy, has estimated a potential of 43 GW for Grid Connected RTS in the country.
3. Ministry of External Affairs, in partnership with the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) and the Government
of Goa, is organizing the International Lusophone Festival.
• Lusophones are peoples that speak Portuguese as a native or as common second language.

Knowledge Nuggets –

• Portuguese is an official language of Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, Guinea Bissau,
Macau, Mozambique, Portugal, & São Tomé and Príncipe.
• Goa was a colony of Portuguese until December 19, 1961. Even today, the elderly and
educated populations speak Portuguese.
4. Government of India has accorded ‘In-Principle’ approval for setting up of 21 Greenfield Airports.
• Out of these, 9 Greenfield airports Durgapur, Shirdi, Kannur, Pakyong, Kalaburagi, Orvakal (Kurnool), Sindhudurg,
Kushinagar and Donyi Polo, Itanagar have been operationalized.
State News
1. West Bengal’s Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden – India’s largest botanical garden – is
currently under threat because of severe land erosion by Ganga river.
• It is situated in Shibpur, Howrah near Kolkata.
2. Kerala CM M.K. Stalin has inaugurated the Sanitation Workers’ Development Scheme to protect the welfare of
conservancy workers in the State.
3. Three medicinal plant species (Meizotropis pellita, Fritillaria cirrhosa, Dactylorhiza hatagirea) found in the Himalayas
have been added to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
• Meizotropis pellita: commonly known as Patwa; endemic to Uttarakhand; classified as ‘critically endangered’ due to
limited area of occupancy (less than 10 sq. km)
• Fritillaria cirrhosa: commonly known as Himalayan fritillary; classified as ‘vulnerable’ by IUCN
• Dactylorhiza hatagirea: commonly known as Salampanja; endemic to the Hindu Kush and Himalayan ranges of
Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, and Pakistan; classified as ‘endangered’ by IUCN
Defence News
1. INS Kochi, Kavaratti and Sumedha arrived in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh to participate in the maiden International
Fleet Review (IFR) being conducted by the Bangladesh Navy.
• IFR-22 is conducted by Bangladesh to commemorate the Birth Centenary of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Independence of Bangladesh.
• Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina was the Chief Guest at the IFR.
• INS Kochi is a part of the Indian Navy’s Western Fleet based at Mumbai, whilst INS Kavaratti and INS Sumedha form
part of the Eastern Fleet based at Visakhapatnam.
2. 7th edition of Exercise Sangam, a joint Naval Special Forces exercise between Indian Navy MARCOs and US Navy
SEALs, was organized in Goa.
• Exercise Sangam was first conducted in 1994.
• MARCOS are the marine commandos and United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as
Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy’s primary special operations force.
International News
1. Japan has announced to develop Mitsubishi F-X fighter jet, its next-generation fighter jet, in collaboration with
the United Kingdom and Italy.
• The Mitsubishi F-X fighter jet will replace the aging fleet of F-2s that Japan previously developed with the United
States.
• These countries will also collaborate for developing the next-generation planes – the F-X and Britain’s Tempest, a
successor to the Eurofighter Typhoon – by 2035.
Knowledge Nuggets –

• Japan capital – Tokyo; currency – Yen; Japanese name of the country – Nippon; Popular as – The Land of the
Rising Sun
• Japanese Yen is a part of the Special Drawing Rights basket of International Monetary Fund, along with US
Dollar, Chinese Renminbi, British Pound Sterling, and Euro.
 • Japan is an archipelago of 4000 small islands.
• Main islands of Japan are Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku, and Okinawa.
• Japan’s Hiroshima city is located on the Honshu island and Nagasaki is located on Kyushu island.
• Kyoto City on Honshu island is the ‘Cultural Capital of Japan’.
• Osaka city on Honshu island is called the ‘Manchester city of Japan’.
• Japan’s highest civilian honours (descending order) –
o Order of the Chrysanthemum
o Order of the Rising Sun

Reports and Indices

1. International Energy Agency has released the “Renewables 2022: Analysis and forecast to 2027” report.
Global Scenario –
• Over 2022-2027, renewables are seen growing by almost 2,400 GW, equal to the entire installed power capacity of
China at present.
• Renewables are set to account for over 90% of global electricity capacity expansion over the forecast period.
• Renewables will become the largest source of global electricity generation by early 2025, surpassing coal. Its share
in the total energy mix is set to increase to 38% by 2027.
• Electricity from wind and solar PV more than doubles in the next five years, providing almost 20% of global power
generation in 2027.
• Solar PV’s installed power capacity is set to surpass that of coal by 2027, becoming the largest in the world.
• Global wind capacity will double almost, with offshore projects accounting for one-fifth of the growth. Over 570 GW
of new onshore wind capacity are forecast to become operational over the 2022-27 period.
Country-Wise Data –
• China is forecast to install almost half of new global renewable power capacity over 2022-2027.
• In India, the new renewable energy installations are set to double over the forecast period, led by solar PV to achieve
the government’s ambitious target of 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030.
• Solar PV manufacturing investment in India and the United States is expected to reach almost USD 25
billion over 2022-2027, a sevenfold increase compared with the last five years.
Knowledge Nuggets -

• IEA was created in 1974.

• HQ - Paris, France
• Members - 31 member countries, 11 association countries, and 4 accession countries
2. World Bank has released the “International Debt Report 2022”, formerly International Debt Statistics (IDS).
• The debt of low and middle-income countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa has increased to a record high of $789
billion in 2021.
• This high level of debt is beyond the repayment capacity of the countries in this region.
Banking and Economy
1. Jindal Steel and Power (JSPL) has acquired bankrupt Monnet Power for ₹410 crore.
2. in, an online unlisted securities portal, has launched India’s first private market index known as StocX Private
Market Index (SPMI).
• Until now, there was no way to track the price movements of privately traded securities (i.e., the stocks of
companies that are not yet listed in the stock market). Thus, StocX.in aims to provide the information about the
prices of privately traded securities.
• in built the StocX Private Market Index using a methodology known as “Change Percentage.“ The index is computed
using 1000 as the base value as on 1 January 2022.
• The index will track prices of more than 30 companies actively traded in the unlisted market and provide analysis
and trends through data analytics.
4. mpany has partnered with NIIT, a global talent development corporation, to create a large pool of IT professionals.
• Purpose – To create developers to unlock full potential of technology powered insurance solutions
• The program will be delivered through live, instructor-led sessions and will also offer a stipend to the participants.
 Knowledge Nuggets -

• NIIT Ltd (National Institute of Information Technology) is an Indian multinational skills and
talent development corporation headquartered in Gurgaon, India.
• The company was set up in 1981 to help the IT industry overcome its human resource
challenges.
5. ASK Capital has received approval from the Central Bank of Ireland to launch an India-based fund — ASK Indian
Entrepreneur Fund — through the UCITS (Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities) route.
• ASK is the fourth asset or wealth management firm in India to receive approval for an UCITS (Undertakings for
Collective Investment in Transferable Securities) fund.
• UCITS is a regulatory framework of the European Commission for management and sale of mutual funds. This label
serves as a stamp of quality and reliability for overseas investors.
6. Paisabazaar and RBL Bank has launched a new co-created credit card ‘Duet’.
• The card offers two credit offerings–cashback on purchases made through the card and a line-of-credit from RBL
bank that enables instant transfer of money into the bank account.
• All online and offline purchases done through the card will earn the cardholder a flat 1% cashback.
• There is no upper limit on the cashback earned but no cashback is offered on wallet loading, EMI transactions, fuel
purchase and rent payment done through the card. The card carries no joining fee or annual fee.
7. Private sector IndusInd Bank have partnered with SV Credit Line (NBFC) for a co-lending agreement for Rs 500 crore
loan exclusively to women borrowers.
• The agreement will help rural women access to affordable loans.
• This NBFC only lends to women customers.
Appointments
1. Indian-origin Sushmita Shukla, a veteran of the insurance industry, has been appointed as the First Vice
President and Chief Operating Officer at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
2. Bangladesh’s PM Sheikh Hasina has been named ‘global ambassador for diabetes’ by the International Diabetes
Federation at the World Diabetes Congress 2022 in Portugal.
Knowledge Nuggets -

• The International Diabetes Federation is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.

• International Diabetes Federation (IDF) is an umbrella organization of over 230 national
diabetes associations in more than 160 countries and territories.
• November 14 – World Diabetes Day
Important Days
1. December 8 – Indian Navy’s 55th Submarine Day
2. December 9 –
• International Anti-Corruption Day; Theme – UNCAC at 20: Uniting the World against Corruption
• International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of
this Crime
• The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Genocide Convention) was signed on
December 9, 1948 in Paris as an instrument of international law that codified the crime of genocide, for the first
time.
Sports
1. Ashleigh Barty, the winner of the Australian Open women’s singles title in January, has been conferred with The Don
Award, Australia’s most prestigious annual sports award.
• The award is named after the country’s legendary cricketer Don Bradman.
Miscellaneous
“Fit @ Any Age: A Practitioner’s Guide” has been authored by Air Marshal P V Iyer.

13dec****************************************************************************************
National News
1. Central government has selected a total of 67 entries with an investment potential of Rs 42,500 crore under
the production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for specialty steel.
• The Union Cabinet in July 2021 approved a Rs 6,322-crore PLI scheme to boost the production of speciality steel in
India.
2. Union Government has sought Parliament’s nod for additional spending of ₹4.36 trillion for FY23, including over ₹1
trillion for fertilizer subsidy.
• The first batch of supplementary demands for grants tabled in Lok Sabha by the minister of state for finance Pankaj
Chaudhary also sought approval for additional expenditure of ₹80,348 crores towards food subsidy and additional
allocation under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY).
• The supplementary demand is an additional grant required to meet the required expenditure of the government
over and above the amount for which the parliamentary nod was taken earlier.
3. The University Grants Commission (UGC) announced that the Four-Year Under-Graduate Programme (FYUP) will be
adopted in higher education institutions from 2023-24 academic session.
• The FYUP will split the four-year UG degree into parts and provide different entry and exit options to students.
4. The G20 Development Working Group (DWG) meeting will be held in Mumbai under Indian presidency between
December 13-16.
• The group will discuss developmental issues in developing countries, least developed countries, and island
countries.
• 1st G20 Finance & Central Bank Deputies Meeting will be held in Bengaluru.
5. National Health Authority (NHA) has announced to set up a health exchange platform to digitize and simplify the
process of filing health insurance claims.
• Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) will be the first insurance scheme in the
world to implement this digital solution.
• The platform will be rolled out in Haryana, followed by a pan-India launch.
• NHA has recently signed an MoU with the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to expand healthcare
services to the transgender population.
6. Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare is organizing a two-days conclave commemorating the “Universal
Coverage Day (UHC) 2022” on 10th and 11th December 2022 at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
• December 12 – International Universal Health Coverage Day; Theme – Build the world we want: A healthy future for
all
7. Indian Institute of Science (IISc) inaugurated India’s first 3D bioprinting Center of Excellence (CoE) for providing
researchers tools to advance discoveries in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine and drug discovery.
• The Centre is established at the Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering (BSSE) at IISc.
• The CoE will help researchers to accelerate their work across critical applications.
8. ISRO has launched the test flight of hypersonic vehicles with headquarters of the Integrated Defense Staff
• Any aircraft, missile, or spacecraft that can exceed Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound) is considered a hypersonic
vehicle.
• ISRO has also successfully tested the Hot Test of Scramjet Engine at ISRO’s Propulsion Research
Complex at Mahendragiri in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu.
• The scramjet is a more advanced version of the ramjet engine and can operate efficiently at hypersonic speeds.
• India is the fourth country to demonstrate the flight testing of a Scramjet Engine.
9. National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has launched GHAR – GO Home and Re-Unite (Portal
for Restoration and Repatriation of Child) to digitally monitor and track the restoration and repatriation of children.
• The portal will allow digital tracking and monitoring of children who are in the Juvenile Justice system and have to be
repatriated to another country, state or district.
• It will help to digital transfer of cases of children to the concerned Juvenile Justice Board/Child Welfare Committee
of the State. It will help in the speedy repatriation of children.
Knowledge Nuggets –

• National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR was established in March 2007
under the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act of 2005.
• Chairperson - Priyank Kanoongo
1. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has declared a seed
farm, located in Aluva, as the first carbon-neutral farm in the
country.
• As many as 30% of greenhouse gas emissions come from
agriculture and this can be prevented and climate change can
be regulated through carbon-neutral agricultural practices.
2. PM Narendra Modi has inaugurated the first phase of
the greenfield international airport at Mopa in North Goa.
International News
1. The 17th Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting (APRM) of the International Labour Organization was organized
in Singapore.
• Singapore Declaration for Labour Protection was adopted at the meeting. It was a tripartite declaration which aims
to address the challenges with the participation of all stakeholders (government, employers, and workers).
• The Declaration focuses on reducing inequalities. It has suggested ways to reduce inequalities.
• Develop inclusive labour market programmes and policies.
• Implement collective and determined efforts to accelerate a smooth transition from the informal to formal
economy.
• Facilitate the transition to peace, security and decent work in situations of crisis.
• Recognise the impact of climate change and develop national plans that help build environmentally sustainable
economies and societies.
• Frame policies to regulate labour migration to coordinate labour mobility and social protection and harness
opportunities arising from labour migration
2. Japan has launched its first lunar mission on the Falcon-9 rocket of SpaceX from Cape Canaveral in the US state of
Florida.
• The spacecraft has been developed by Tokyo-based startup It is expected to land on moon’s surface in 2023.
• The ispace mission is the first of a program called Hakuto-R, which means “white rabbit” in Japanese.
• UAE has also launched a rover, named Rashid, along with ispace’s mission. If it successfully lands, it will be the Arab
World’s First Moon Mission.
Reports and Indices
1. The 5th edition of the WHO Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) has been
released.
• It was first launched in 2015 to foster AMR surveillance and inform strategies to contain AMR.
Banking and Economy
1. cording to Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal’s reply in the Parliament, the trade
deficit between India and China touched USD 51.5 billion during April-October 2022.
• Imports during the period stood at USD 60.3 billion, while exports aggregated at USD 8.8 billion.
2. RBI has shortlisted seven global consultancy firms to use artificial intelligence and machine learning for supervisory
functions.
• These firms are Accenture Solutions Private Limited; Boston Consulting Group (India) Pvt Ltd; Deloitte Touche
Tohmatsu India LLP; Ernst and Young LLP; KPMG Assurance and Consulting Services LLP; McKinsey and Company;
and Pricewaterhouse Coopers Pvt Ltd.
3. Hurun Global 500 list has been released for the year 2022.
• India is ranked at the 5th position with 20 firms on the list. The most valuable companies in India are Reliance
Industry (1st), Tata Consultancy Services (2nd), and HDFC Bank (3rd).

6. Tamilnad Mercantile Bank and Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance have partnered to offer Bajaj Allianz Life’s retail products
to the new and existing customers of the bank.
7. PNB Housing Finance launched Roshni, a low-cost home loan programme, with a range of Rs. 5 lakhs to Rs. 30
lakhs, for Tier I and II cities.
GDP Forecasts
1. Nomura has forecasted India’s GDP growth rate at 5.1% for 2023-24.
• Nomura expects India’s headline retail inflation to ease from 6.8% in 2022-23 to 5% in 2023-24 and 4.9% in 2024-
25.
• Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation forecast was 6.7% for FY23.
Appointments
1. Bhupendra Patel (from BJP) has been appointed as the Chief Minister of Gujarat.
• Gujarat Governor – Acharya Devvrat
2. Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (from Congress) has been appointed as the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh.
Important Days
1. December 10 – UN Human Rights Day; Theme – Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for All
• UNESCO runs ‘Orange the World Campaign’ from November 25 (International Day for the Elimination of Violence
against Women) to December 10.
Awards
1. Sony Entertainment Television has become the official satellite partner of the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film
Festival Awards 2023.
2. Meghalaya govt has won the Best Practice in Advocacy, Communication and Social Mobilisation in Tuberculosis
control award at the National Workshop on ACSM to end TB in New Delhi, India.
• A National Strategic Plan for TB Elimination (2017-25) was launched to achieve the target of eliminating
TB by 2025.
• The TB Mukt Bharat campaign, or ‘Jan Andolan’, was launched to build greater awareness, remove the stigma, and
generate demand for services across the state.
Sports
1. Denmark-based Viktor Axelsen (Men’s badminton world No 1) has won men’s singles at the BWF World Tour
Finals in Bangkok, Thailand.
• Akane Yamaguchi of Japan won the women’s singles.
2. Akhil Rabindra won the Drivers’ Championship in the inaugural Indian Racing League at the Hyderabad Street
Circuit.
3. Indian batter Ishan Kishan has become the fastest double centurion in one-day international.

14dec**********************************************************************************

1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually participate in a programme commemorating Sri Aurobindo’s 150th
birth anniversary.
• Sri Aurobindo, born on 15th August 1872, was a visionary who made lasting contributions to India’s freedom
struggle. He died on 5 December 1950.
2. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will inaugurate the India Global Forum UAE 2022 in Dubai.
State News
1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 520-km-long phase-1 of the Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi
Mahamarg in Maharashtra.
• The stretch, which connects Nagpur and Shirdi, will be opened.
• The longest operational expressway in the country, Samruddhi Mahamarg is expected to reduce travel time
between Nagpur and Mumbai from 16 hours to eight hours.
• In total, PM launched 11 projects worth Rs 75,000 crores in Nagpur.
• The state-of-the-art facilities at AIIMS Nagpur was launched.

Knowledge Nuggets –

• Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana was launched in 2003.

• Components –
o Total 22 AIIMS to be created
 AIIMS-Manethi (Haryana) has received the approval in 2019 and it became the 23rd AIIMS
of India. Right now, it is under-construction.
 AIIMS Manipur and AIIMS Karnataka have been proposed as the 24th and 25th AIIMS.
o Upgradation of Government Medical College (GMC)/ Institutions
2. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the 5th edition of Kochi-Muziris Biennale, the country’s largest
contemporary art exhibition.
• The art exhibition was organized on the theme of ‘In Our Veins Flow Ink and Fire’.
• The KMB was launched in 2012, and this year marks the 10th anniversary of the biennial event.
3. Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated the All-India Institute of Ayurveda in Dhargal, Goa.
• He also addressed the 9th World Ayurveda Congress (WAC) and Arogya Expo in Panaji Goa.
• National Institute of Unani Medicine at Ghaziabad and National Institute of Homeopathy in New Delhi were also
inaugurated virtually.
• PM Narendra Modi has announced that India will have National Ayush Research Consortium.
Defence News
1. 39th edition of India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (IND-INDO CORPAT) between the Indian Navy and
the Indonesian Navy is being conducted from 08 – 19 December 2022.
Memorandum of Understanding
1. National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Ltd (NIIFL) has signed an MOU with the Tamil Nadu Infrastructure
Development Board (TNIDB) to help attract commercial capital into infrastructure opportunities in the state, under
the public private project (PPP) model.
International News
1. Kenya and South Africa have announced the Just Transition initiative to end plastic pollution in a way that is as fair
and inclusive as possible to everyone concerned.The Just Transition initiative aims to create decent work
opportunities for waste-pickers and other workers in the plastic value chain.
• The first Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) to phase out plastic was held
in Uruguay from November 28 to December 2, 2022.
• International Alliance of Waste Pickers is a networking process of that connects and supports thousands of waste
picker organisations in over 28 countries.
2. European Space Agency (ESA) has informed that an asteroid not larger than the Statue of Liberty is travelling
towards the Earth.The asteroid has been named 2015 RN35.
Banking and Economy
1. Jaypee Group has signed a binding agreement to sell the group’s cement business to Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Ltd at
an enterprise value of Rs 5,666 crore.
2. HDFC Bank has launched the sixth annual grants program for social startups in partnership with the ‘Startup
India’ program of the government.The program is known as Parivartan SmartUp Grants.
It aims to identify startups working in the social impact space and support them through monetary grants.
The grants have been offered under the aegis of Parivartan, the umbrella name for the HDFC bank’s social
initiatives.
So far, the bank has disbursed over Rs 30 crore to more than 45 incubators which supported over 165 start-ups.
Appointments
1. Prasar Bharati Additional Director General Sunil has been unanimously elected as the Vice President of the Asia
Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) for a 3-year term.Malaysia-headquartered ABU (Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union) is
a non-profit, professional association of broadcasting organizations of the Asia and Pacific region.
Important Days
1. December 11 –UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) Day (established on Dec 11,
1946)International Mountain Day; Theme – Women Move Mountains
2. December 12 – International Day of Neutrality
Awards
1. Former vice president Venkaiah Naidu has been conferred with the 25th Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi
National Eminence Award (SIES).

Category Winner

Public Leadership Arif Mohammed (Kerala’s Governor)

 Community Leadership Ratan Tata

Dr Marthanda Varma Sankaran Valianathan

Science and Technology
(Cardiologist)

Ajay Kumar Sood (scientific advisor to the central

Science and Technology
government)

Spiritual Leadership Vishakha Hari (Harikatha artiste)

Knowledge Nuggets –

• Jagadguru Shri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Mahaswamigal (born Swaminathan

Sharma; 20 May 1894 – 8 January 1994) also known as the Sage of Kanchi or Mahaperiyavar.
• He was the 68th Jagadguru Shankaracharya of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham. He was a
spiritual leader.
Sports
1. The legendary former athlete PT Usha has been formally elected as the first woman president of Indian Olympic
Association (IOA).The 58-year-old Usha is a multiple Asian Games gold medallist and a fourth-place finisher in the
1984 Olympics 400m hurdles final.
2. Tokyo Olympian Manu Bhaker clinched a gold in the 10m pistol junior event at the ongoing 65th National Shooting
Championship being held in Bhopal.
Miscellaneous
1. Kenneth Powell, popularly known as “the Gentleman Sprinter”, was an Indian track and field athlete from the state
of Karnataka. He has passed away.

15dec****************************************************************************************

National News
1. Union Minister for Tourism, Culture, and Development of the North Eastern Region (DoNER) Shri G Kishan Reddy has
launched various projects under Swadesh Darshan scheme.
• The projects included renovation of various temples.
• The union minister also inaugurated Puducherry Shopping
Festival 2022 logo.

2. The cervical cancer vaccine named Cervavac, developed

by Serum Institute of India, will be rolled out by next year.
• This indigenously developed quadrivalent vaccine will be
available at a cheaper price.
3. Pension Fund Regulatory and Development
Authority (PFRDA) has launched the NPS Prosperity
Planner (NPP) to help individuals calculate their retirement
income based on annuity options and contributions to
the National Pension System.
• The Facility is available for individuals through the three central recordkeeping agencies (CRAs)—Protean (formerly
NSDL), Fintech, and CAMS.
• PFRDA has appointed Suraj Bhan as the chairman of NPS Trust in November 2022.
State News
1. Airbnb has signed an MOU with the Goa government to promote the state as one of the most high-potential tourist
destinations around the world.
2. NTPC has established its new Devikot solar PV projects at Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. The solar power projects will have a
capacity of 150 MW and 90 MW.
3. Maharashtra government has set up a committee, headed by Mangal Prabhat Lodha, to gather information on the
interfaith and inter-caste marriage couples.
4. Kerala government has passed the Universities Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2022 to replace the governor from the post
of chancellor in the universities in the state.
• The government shall appoint an accommodation or a person of eminence from any field as the chancellor of the
universities.
• Chancellor will be appointed for a period of five years and the person appointed as chance love shall be eligible for
the appointment of one or more terms.
5. Karnataka government has formed a 5-member Cabinet Sub-committee, headed by JC Madhuswamy (Law and
Parliamentary affairs minister), to make recommendations on providing internal reservation for scheduled caste.
• In the historic Indra Sawhney case (1992), the Supreme Court has provided the upper cap of 50% reservation.
Presently, the reservation in the state of Karnataka stands at 56%.
• In 2012, the Justice AJ Sadashiva commission recommended the reclassification of SC.
6. Kozhikode, Kerala has applied for a Geographical Indication (GI) tag for its famous Beypore
Uru (boat).
• Beypore Uru is a wooden dhow (ship / sailing boat / sailing vessel) handcrafted by skilled
artisans and carpenters in Beypore, Kerala.

Defence News
1. 6th edition of Indo – Kazakhstan joint army training exercise “KAZIND-22” is being conducted at Umroi
(Meghalaya) from 15 to 28 December 2022.
• The joint annual training exercise with the Kazakhstan Army was instituted in 2016 as Exercise Prabal Dostyk, which
was later upgraded to a company-level exercise and renamed the Ex Kazind in 2018.
Memorandum of Understanding
1. MTAR Technologies has signed an MOU with IN-SPACe India for design and development of a two-stage to low-earth
orbit all-liquid small satellite launch vehicle.
Knowledge Nuggets -

• Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) is a single-window,

independent, nodal agency which functions as an autonomous agency in Department of
Space (DOS).
• Chairman of IN-SPACe – Pawan Goenka
• Headquarters – Ahmedabad, Gujarat
2. All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) has signed an MOU with the University of Medical Sciences, Cuba.
• The AIIA has also extended the agreement with Rosenberg European Academy of Ayurveda (REAA), Germany, for
five more years to take forward collaborative programmes.
• The agreements were signed during the 9th World Ayurveda Congress (WAC) and Arogya Expo in Goa.

Knowledge Nuggets –

• All India Institute of Ayurveda is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of AYUSH. It is set up along the
lines of AIIMS as an apex institution under the Ministry.
• AIIA will bring synergy between the traditional wisdom of Ayurveda and modern diagnostic tools and
technology.
• The AIIA was established in 2017 in Delhi
 International News
2. European Union has given Bosnia a Candidate status.
Knowledge Nuggets -

• Bosnia and Herzegovina is a developing country, located

on the Balkan peninsula in Europe.
• Capital – Sarajevo; Currency - Bosnia-Herzegovina
Convertible Marka; Official Language – None
• The country has three ethnic groups, of which Bosniaks
are the largest group of three, the Serbs are the second-
largest, and the Croats are the third-largest.
• In English, all natives of Bosnia and Herzegovina,
regardless of ethnicity, are called Bosnian.
• During WWI, Bosnia was a part of the Austro-Hungarian
monarchy. After WWII, it became a part of the Kingdom of
Yugoslavia. After the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1992, Bosnia proclaimed independence.

Reports and Indices

1. WHO has released the “World Malaria Report 2022”.
• Covid-19 has disrupted attempts to control malaria. It has caused 63,000 more deaths and 13 million more infections
globally over the last two years.
• Globally, there were an estimated 247 million malaria cases in 2021 in 84 malaria endemic countries (including the
territory of French Guiana), an increase from 245 million in 2020.
• Belize and Cabo Verde reported zero malaria cases for the third consecutive year, with Iran and Malaysia reporting
zero indigenous cases for the fourth consecutive year.
• Five countries – Azerbaijan, Belize, Cabo Verde, Iran (Islamic Republic of) and Tajikistan – have submitted an official
request for malaria free certification.
• In 2021, with the ongoing increase in malaria cases, HBHI countries accounted for 68% of all cases and 70% of deaths
globally.
Knowledge Nuggets -

• In 2018, WHO launched the High Burden to High Impact countries to tackle the problem of
malaria in 11 countries.
• These countries are Burkina, Cameroon, DRC, Ghana, Mali, India, Mozambique, Niger,
Nigeria, Uganda, and Tanzania.
• Approximately 70% of the world’s malaria burden is concentrated in just 11 countries.
• Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016–2030 (GTS) aims at reducing malaria cases and
deaths by at least 40% by 2020, at least 75% by 2025 and at least 90% by 2030.
2. According to The Wheebox India Skills 2023 Report, the employability of Indians has increased.
• 50.3% of Indians were found to be employable as compared to the 46.2% last year.
• Parameters – Wheebox’s national employability test (for freshers) and India hiring intent survey (for companies)
• Among cities, Mumbai has the highest overall employment percentage of candidates, followed
by Lucknow and Mangalore.
• The report found women to be more employable at 52.8%, as compared to men at 47.2%.
• Currently, the share of women in India’s workforce – at 33% – is much less than that of males at 67%.
• On the other hand, countries in South America, Asia, and Africa have a women’s workforce participation rate of 36%.
• Rajasthan has the most percentage of employable females at 53.5%, followed by Uttar Pradesh at 46.5%.
Banking and Economy
1. GODI India, the first Indian company to get BIS certification to sell lithium-ion cells made with homegrown
technology, has started manufacturing India’s first ever 5.2 Ah 21700 cylindrical lithium-ion cells.
• The cells have an energy density of 275 Wh/kg based on silicon anode technology.
2. Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd has formed a joint venture company with Kyrgyzindustry – Open Joint Stock Company to
construct rail road and other infrastructure projects in Kyrgyz Republic.
• RVNL is a Category-I MiniRatna CPSE under the Ministry of Railways.
• Kyrgyzindustry-RVNL is a closed joint stock company.
3. Universal Sompo General Insurance has partnered with Zopper, an insurance infrastructure API platform, to roll out
a special integrated offering for customers.
• Through this partnership, customers will have access to buy insurance seamlessly along with an option to purchase a
protection plan.
4. Canara HSBC Life Insurance has launched the “Guaranteed Fortune Plan”, a non-linked, non-participating individual
savings life insurance plan.
• It has two options – guaranteed savings option and guaranteed cash back option.
5. Central government has received an amount of Rs 60.46 crore in tax from entities for transactions in virtual digital
assets (VDAs), including cryptocurrencies, since the introduction of TDS Provisions in July 2022.
• The government imposed a 30% income tax plus surcharge and cess on transfer of crypto assets like bitcoin,
Ethereum, Dogecoin with effect from April 1, 2022.
• In addition to this, a 1% tax deducted at source (PDS) was levied under section 194S of the Income Tax, 1961 on
crypto payments of over 10,000 with effect from July 1, 2022.
6. According to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman, banks have written off bad loans worth over ₹10 lakh crore during
the last five financial years.
Appointments
1. World Health Organization (WHO) has appointed Dr Jeremy Farrar as its new chief scientist.
2. Shri Shaji K V has been appointed as the Chairman of NABARD.
Awards
1. World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO) has presented the 2022 Masters of the WGO award to Chennai-based
gastroenterologist R. Palaniswamy for his contributions to the field of gastroenterology.
• Palaniswamy received the award at the World Congress of Gastroenterology being held in Dubai.

Knowledge Nuggets –

• World Gastroenterology Organisation was established in 1958 in USA.

• It is a global federation of 119 Member Societies representing over 60,000 individual
health care professionals.
2. Asian Academy Creative Awards 2022 have been announced.
• Indian winners –

Category Winner

Best Current Affairs Ganga River From the Skies National Geographic
Programme or Series India

Esha Paul - Inside the Opioid Crisis Gripping This

Best Factual Presenter Himalayan State Vice Media Asia Pacific, Vice World
News

My Daughter Joined A Cult Discovery

Best Infotainment Programme
Communications India

Say Yes To The Dress India Discovery

Best Lifestyle Programme
Communications India

Shreya Dube - Thar Anil Kapoor Film Company /

Best Cinematography
Netflix

Basil Joseph - Minnal Murali Weekend Blockbusters/

Best Direction (Fiction)
Netflix
 Best Single Drama/Telemovie/ Qatil Haseenaon Ke Naam (Ode to Femme Fatales)
Anthology Episode Zee Zindagi / Zee5 / Zee Entertainment
3. Women’s Tennis Association has announced its Awards for 2022.
• WTA Player of the Year: Iga Swiatek (Poland)
• WTA Newcomer of the Year: Qinwen Zheng (Chinese)
Sports
1. International Master Harshavardhan won gold medal at the Asian Junior Chess held in the Philippines.
• Rakshitta Ravi has won a silver in Classical and a Bronze in Blitz event.
Miscellaneous
1. Julia Bell Reichert (American Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker, activist, and feminist) has passed
away.
2. Padma Shri awardee & Veteran Lavani Singer Sulochana Chavan passed away.

16dec*****************************************************************************************

National News
1. India has offered to set up a permanent secretariat for the No Money for Terror Ministerial Conference in the
country.
• India hosted the third Ministerial Level Conference on Counter-Terrorism Financing last month.
2. Central government has approved a revival package of Rs 1,64,000 crore for revival of BSNL.
• BSNL is going to implement indigenously developed 4G and 5G technology.
• The reasons for losses of BSNL are high employee cost over the years, debt burden, stiff competition in the market
and lack of 4G services (except on a limited basis in certain areas).
3. India has successfully conducted night trials of the nuclear-capable ballistic missile named Agni V, capable of striking
targets at ranges up to 5,000 km with a very high degree of accuracy.
• The missile test firing was conducted from APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast.
4. Law Minister Kiren Rijiju informed the Rajya Sabha that states are empowered to enact personal laws that decide
issues such as succession, marriage and divorce, in their endeavour to secure a uniform civil code (UCC).
• Article 44 of the Constitution provides that the State shall endeavour to secure for the citizens a uniform civil code
throughout the territory of India.
5. Union Minister of Civil Aviation and Steel, Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia inaugurated a direct
flight between Mumbai and San Francisco.
• Air India will operate the non-stop flight on this route effective from 15th December 2022.
6. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has proposed the ‘Bharat Krishi Satellite Programme’ for using satellites
in agriculture.
• The satellites will be owned by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare and not by ISRO. The ISRO will just
provide the technical support.
• An ‘Earth Observation Council’ will be created for addressing the current deficiencies in earth observation
capabilities and data utilisation.
State News
1. The 20th edition of the Chennai International Film Festival was inaugurated in the city.
• At the festival, 102 films from 51 countries will be screened.
2. Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA) and Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) signed
an MOU to “strengthen and densify the weather forecasting network in the state.”
• A committee has been formed to identify places for the installation of radars and other weather forecasting
equipment.
Agriculture and Rural
Development
1. Department of Industry
Promotion and Internal Trade,
Ministry of Commerce and
Industry has issued the GI
tags to 9 new products, taking
the number of GI-tagged
products to 432.
• The products include –

Knowledge Nuggets -

• GI tags are issued as per the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and
Protection) Act,1999. This tag is issued by the Geographical Indication Registry under the
Department of Industry Promotion and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• The top 5 states holding the maximum number of GIs are Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar
Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala
Defence News
1. The 16th edition of the Indo-Nepal joint army training Exercise “SURYA KIRAN-XVI” was held at Nepal Army Battle
School, Saljhandi.
2. All 36 Rafale aircrafts have arrived in India from France.
• India and France had signed the inter-government agreement in 2016, under which Paris agreed to provide 36 Rafale
fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 60,000 crore to India.
• The first batch of five Rafale jets arrived on 29th July 2020.
3. Kalyani Rafael Advanced Systems Pvt Ltd (KRAS), which is a 51:49 joint venture between Pune-based Kalyani Group
and Israel’s Rafael group, has rolled out its 100th medium range surface to air missile (MRSAM) kit for delivery to the
Indian armed forces.
Memorandum of Understanding
1. The Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) has signed an MOU with Shiprocket to support micro, small and
medium enterprise (MSME) exporters in India showcasing their products on the Indian Business Portal (IBP).
International News
1. G7 countries, along with Norway and Denmark, has approved $15.5 billion to Vietnam to help the Southeast Asian
nation move faster from coal power to renewable energy.
• Vietnam aims to reduce its emissions to “net zero” by 2050.
• Vietnam has initiated the Just Energy Transition Partnership to mobilise $15.5 billion of public and private finance to
support Vietnam to achieve its ambitious Net Zero 2050 goal.
2. In the United States, wildlife officials declared a Nevada wildflower
• The wildflower is the only place it’s known to exist.
Reports and Indices
1. World Bank has released the “Striving for Clean Air: Air Pollution and Public Health in South Asia” report.
• South Asia is home to 9 of the world’s 10 cities with the worst air pollution, which causes an estimated 2 million
premature deaths across the region each year and incurs significant economic costs.
Banking and Economy
1. Redseer Strategy Consultants in their latest report stated that India currently has around 350 million online
transacting users across e-commerce, shopping, travel and hospitality, and OTT and the number is set to double by
2030.
• At 780 million, India is home to the second-largest Internet user base in the world, which is more than 2 times of the
US population.
• With the accelerated growth of Internet and smartphone adoption, India is expected to surpass 1 billion Internet
users by 2030.
• Gaming has almost 450 million users in 2022, and the market will see a 33% rise in paid gamers by 2026.
2. Ministry of Heavy Industries has allocated Rs 1000 crores under the phase-II of FAME-India Scheme for the
development of charging infrastructure.
• The Ministry has sanctioned 2,877 electric vehicle charging stations in 68 cities across 25 states/UTs.
3. Reliance Consumer Products — the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) arm and a fully owned subsidiary
of Reliance Retail Ventures (RRVL) — launched its consumer-packaged goods brand – ‘Independence’, in Gujarat.
4. Tamilnad Mercantile Bank has partnered with Kotak Mahindra General Insurance company to sell its general
insurance products to customers.
GDP Forecasts
Appointments
1. American executive Cindy Hook has been appointed as the inaugural CEO of the organising committee for the 2032
Olympic and Paralympic Games in Brisbane.
Important Days
1. December 14 – National Energy Conservation Day
2. December 16 – Vijay Diwas (to honour the victory of Indian armed forces over Pakistan in the 1971 war)
Awards
1. Jindal Steel and Power (JSP) has been honoured with FICCI CSR Special Commendation Award for its efforts to
counter the COVID-19 pandemic.
• JSP launched a special initiative, ‘Mission Zero Hunger’ in three states, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand, to feed
truck drivers, stranded migrant labourers, and the poor.
• This initiative was later extended to Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra, delivering more than 2 million meals.
• NTPC Ltd. has been conferred with the prestigious FICCI Special Jury Commendation Awards in the category-
Environmental Sustainability for the project – Revival & Operation of Municipal Solid Waste plant at Karsada,
Varanasi.
2. SpiceJet has won the ‘Safety Performer of the Year’ award at the annual GMR Delhi Airport Awards for being the top
performer among the self-handling airlines, besides for “its success in reducing ground safety violations”.
Sports
1. Praggnanandhaa has won the $10,000 Julius Baer Challenger Championship in Tel Aviv.
2. Rafael Nadal was crowned the ITF world champion for the fifth time.
• Top-ranked Iga Swiatek won the ITF’s women’s award.
• In the men’s doubles category, American Rajeev Ram and Briton Joe Salisbury won the award for the first time.
3. Kabaddi World Cup will be held in the West Midlands region of the United Kingdom in
• The Kabaddi World Cup 2025 will be hosted out of Asia for the first time announced by the World Kabbadi
Federation (WKF).
17-19dec*************************************************************************
National News
WHO’s Global Centre for Traditional Medicines in Jamnagar, Gujarat is the first and only global centre for
traditional medicines and it will soon emerge as the Centre of Global Wellness.
• AYUSH Minister Sabarnanda Sonowal made this announcement.
3. India and Finland have signed a joint declaration of Intent on migration and mobility to arrive at a mutually
beneficial arrangement on migration and mobility between the two countries.
• This will facilitate mobility of students, academics, researchers, business people, and professionals and to combat
irregular migration.
• India has signed similar agreements with many countries.
Knowledge Nuggets -

• Finland Capital – Helsinki; Currency - Euro

• It is a Nordic country. It is also known as a Scandinavian country because of the Scandinavian Mountains, which is
spread across the Scandinavian Peninsula.
• Finland has the Gulf of Bothnia to the west, Baltic Sea in the South, and the Gulf of Finland in the East.
 • Finland shares a very long land border with Russia. This year only, Finland and Sweden
have applied for membership of NATO.
• Diplomatic relations between Finland and India were established in 1949.
4. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has recently conducted the maiden blow-down test of their all-new wind
tunnel, installed at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC).
• The Trisonic Wind tunnel facilitates testing under three conditions – subsonic (below the speed of the sound), at the
speed of sound and supersonic (faster than the speed of sound).
5. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) Startup Hub and Google have announced to train 100
early to mid-stage homegrown startups under the Appscale Academy program of 2023.
• At present, nearly 50% of startups in India come from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities in India.
• MeitY Startup Hub and Google furthermore will launch a multi-city roadshow aiming to engage over 1,000 startups
in cities such as Surat, Indore, Coimbatore, Gangtok, and Jaipur.
Knowledge Nuggets -

• Google launched the Appscale Academy program in October 2021 to train early to mid-
stage startups across India on building high-quality apps for the world.
• For this, Google has partnered with the Ministry of Electronics and IT’s Startup Hub.
• The Appscale Academy will help local startups across gaming, healthcare, financial
technology, education technology and social impact domains.
• 100 startups will be selected in the program every year.
• The program will have a special focus to the emerging startup ecosystem in Tier II and Tier
III cities of India.
6. Sri Lankans can now hold $10,000 worth of the Indian rupee in a physical form, though the INR would not be legal
tender in Sri Lanka after India approved a Sri Lankan request to designate the INR as the foreign currency.
• Sri Lankan residents will now be able to convert the INR into another currency and to enable this, Sri Lankan banks
must sign an agreement with an Indian bank to open “INR Nostro accounts” which means the accounts that banks
hold in a foreign currency in another bank.
• India has also allowed offshore banking units (OBU) of Lankan banks to accept savings, time and demand deposits
from non-residents.
7. Ministry of Tribal Affairs implemented a dedicated Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) “Scheme of Development of
Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups”.
• The scheme aims at planning for the socio-economic development of the PVTGs tribal communities in a
comprehensive manner while retaining their culture and heritage by adopting a habitat development approach to fill
in the critical gaps in development.
• The scheme aims to fill the gap in education, housing, livelihood, drinking water, agricultural development, roads,
health, installation of non-conventional sources of energy, conservation of culture and traditional practices, etc.
• The projects/activities taken up under this scheme are demand-driven in nature.
8. Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) has signed a loan agreement with SJVN Green Energy for
financing over ₹4,000 crore for 1,000 MW solar power project at Bikaner, Rajasthan.
Knowledge Nuggets-

• Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA) is a Mini Ratna

(Category – I) Enterprise under the administrative control of Ministry of New and
Renewable Energy (MNRE).
• It was established as an NBFC in 1987 under the Companies Act of 1956. It is also
registered with RBI as an NBFC. It extends finance for new and renewable energy
projects.
• IREDA’s Motto is “Energy for Ever.”
• Chairman and MD of IREDA - Pradip Kumar Das
9. The Department of Commerce has expanded the scope of the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported
Products (RoDTEP) scheme to include iron & steel, chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
• The expanded list of items will be applicable for exports made from December 15.
• The outlay for the scheme is estimated to be Rs 1,000 crore. It is not specified whether the outlay is for the current
year or not.
Knowledge Nuggets -

• The scheme was notified on January 1, 2021, and replaced the controversial Merchandise Exports from India
Scheme (MEIS) after a World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruling said it violated the provisions of the global trade
body by giving export subsidies for a wide range of goods.
• Objectives of RoDTEP -
o To boost exports by reducing duties on exports & to provide easy refund of various taxes to exporters.
o To provide the automatic refund route for Input tax credit (ITC).
o To help exporters in meeting international exports standards.
10. The 5th edition of Youth Co:Lab, Asia Pacific’s largest youth innovation movement, was jointly launched by Atal
Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog and UNDP India.
• Youth Co: Lab is an initiative launched in 2019 by UNDP India in partnership with Atal Innovation Mission, NITI
Aayog.
• It aims to establish a common agenda for Asia-Pacific countries to invest in and empower youth to accelerate the
implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through leadership, social innovation, and
entrepreneurship.
• The Youth Co: Lab initiative, till date, has been implemented in 28 countries and territories.
• The 5 focus thematic areas for Youth Co: lab 2022-23 are
• Digital and Financial Literacy for Youth
• Gender Equality and Women Economic Empowerment
• Developing FinTech Solutions focused on Biodiversity Conservation
• Promoting Biodiversity-friendly Lifestyles through Technological Solutions in Finance
• Accelerating Circular Economy through Upcycling Innovations
• Behavioural Nudges for LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment)

Knowledge Nuggets –

• Youth Co: Lab was launched in 2017 by UNDP and the Citi Foundation.
• It is a multi-dimensional and multi-level response to tackle the challenges young people
face by positioning youth at the forefront in finding solutions to global challenges tackling
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
State News
1. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has launched Orunodoi 2.0, one of the largest DBT schemes in the
country.
• Orunodoi 2.0 aims to empower women of economically vulnerable families, aged men, specially-abled citizens and
those belonging to the third gender with a minimum monthly cash flow.
• The scheme commits a monthly transfer of Rs 1,250 to more than 27 lakh beneficiaries, which is directly transferred
to their bank accounts on the 10th day of every month for procuring medicines, pulses, and sugar.
• This scheme will cost over Rs 4,000 crore to govt.
2. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has inaugurated the Football Stadium at PA Sangma Sports Complex in
Tura.
3. Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin has launched the “Friends of Library” scheme to promote reading by
delivering books to people who are unable to visit state-run libraries.
• Tamil Nadu has also launched a sanitary workers’ development scheme to focus on the holistic development of
sanitation workers and their family members with the help of urban local bodies.
• Under the scheme, safety kits like gloves and boots will be distributed to 53,301 sanitary workers in the state.
• The state launched a mobile application called SHWAS (Sanitation Workers Health Welfare and Safety).
• Tamil Nadu is the 2nd state in India, after Odisha, to implement such a scheme and mobile application for sanitation
workers.
 Agriculture and Rural Development
1. ICAR-Indian Agriculture Research Institute developed a drought-tolerant variety of Chickpea named ‘Pusa JG 16’.
• Collaborators – Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya (JNKVV) Jabalpur, Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Krishi Vishwa
Vidyalaya, Gwalior and ICRISAT, Patancheru, Hyderabad
• The variety will enhance productivity in the drought-prone areas of Central Zone consisting of Madhya Pradesh,
Bundelkhand area of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Southern Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Gujarat, where terminal
drought is a major problem and sometimes leads to 50-100% loss of yield.
Defence News
1. Indian Air Force (IAF) will conduct an exercise in the Eastern Sector of the country.
• As per sources, this will be a command-level exercise planned by the eastern command to test the capabilities of IAF
on the China front.
• Air bases in Assam’s Tezpur, Chhabua, Jorhat and West Bengal’s Hashimara are likely to be activated in the
exercise. Hasimara air base is home to the Rafale fighter jets.
Memorandum of Understanding
1. Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare and the Department of Space have signed an MOU to develop a Krishi-
Decision Support System (Krishi-DSS) using satellite data.
• Krishi-DSS is being developed on the lines of Gati Shakti, using RISAT-1A and VEDAS of the Department of Space.
• RISAT-1A data will be extremely useful in developing decision support systems for agriculture, bioresources,
environment, water resources and disaster management.
• The system will also integrate the MOSDAC and BHUVAN (Geo-platform) of ISRO and systems of ICAR.

Knowledge Nuggets -

• RISAT-1A is India’s first Radar Imaging Satellite, which was launched on 14th February 2022. RISAT-1A is an all-
weather satellite and can penetrate deep into vegetation. It can take high-resolution geospatial images
regardless of lighting conditions.
• The Meteorological & Oceanographic Satellite Data Archival Centre (MOSDAC) is a Data Centre of the Space
Applications Centre (SAC) and has a facility for satellite data reception, processing, analysis and dissemination.
o MOSDAC is operationally supplying earth observation data from Indian meteorology and oceanography
satellites, to cater to national and international research requirements.
• BHUVAN is a type of web portal used to find and access geographic information (geospatial information) and
associated geographic services (display, editing, analysis, etc.) via the Internet.
2. Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council – Texprocil and the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) has signed
an MoU for branding and traceability of Indian-grown Kasturi Cotton during the two-day Textile Conclave in
Varanasi, UP.
• The Textile Conclave coincided with the Kashi Tamil Samagam event in Varanasi.
• Union Minister for Textiles, Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Piyush Goyal
has entrusted Texprocil with the responsibility of being the implementing agency for branding the premium Indian
cotton Kasturi.

Knowledge Nuggets -

• Chairman of Texprocil - Sunil Patwari

• Cotton Corporation of India was established in 1970 under the Ministry of Textiles.
• CCI Chairman and Managing Director – Sh. Lalit Kumar Gupta
• CCI HQ – Mumbai
3. National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) has signed an MOU with NIT
Manipur for bringing innovation in highway construction.
• In 2022-23, NHIDCL has signed MOUs with various prestigious institutes like IIT Roorkee, IIT Kanpur, CSIR-CRRI,
NSDC, IIT Patna, NIT Srinagar, NIT Agartala, NIT Silchar, NIT Uttarakhand, NIT Nagaland NIT Sikkim, IIT Kharagpur, IIT
Mandi, IIT Bombay, IIT Guwahati and NIT Jote, Arunachal Pradesh for innovation.
4. ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India has signed an MOU with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to
provide digital skill training to more than 1,600 young people across the country.
 Knowledge Nuggets -

• National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) is a not-for-profit public limited company

incorporated in 2008 under the Companies Act, 1956.
• The Government of India through Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship
(MSDE) holds 49% of the share capital of NSDC, while the private sector has the balance 51%
of the share capital.
5. Russia and India have signed an MOU to assist local entrepreneurs and enterprises to find and promote investment
projects on the territories of two countries.
• Signatories to the MOU –
• Party I – Minister of the Moscow City Government, Head of the Department for External Economic and International
Relations of Moscow (DEEIR), Chairman of the Board of the Business Council for Cooperation with India (BCCI) and
• Party II – Indian Chambers of International Business (ICIB)
6. Equitas Small Finance Bank Ltd has signed an MOU with the Controller General of Defence Accounts, under
the Ministry of Defence to allow itself to be a SPARSH (System for Pension Administration (Raksha) service
centre to provide data verification for pensioners.
• This makes Equitas the first small finance bank inducted by the government for the SPARSH programme.
International News
1. United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has released the Global Trade Update-
December 2022.
• Global trade is set to reach almost US $32 trillion in 2022, but its growth has turned negative during the second half
of 2022.
Knowledge Nuggets -

• United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was established in 1964
in Geneva, Switzerland.
• UNCTAD’s Secretary-general – Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica (first woman and Central
American).
2. NASA astronauts Josh Cassada and Frank Rubio successfully installed Roll-Out Solar Array on the starboard truss
structure of the space station.
3. The 54-member UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) adopted a resolution to remove Iran from
the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) for the remainder of its four-year term ending in 2026.
Knowledge Nuggets -

• The UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the principal global

intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the
empowerment of women.
• The CSW was established by ECOSOC in 1946.
4. NASSCOM Foundation has launched the “Aspirational Districts Programme” for digitally enabling and skilling more
than 3.5 million lives by March 2024, thus empowering the marginalized in remote and backward sectors of India.
• Under the programme, NASSCOM Foundation is tapping into more than 100 aspirational districts out of which 55
districts have been identified as of now across 23 states.
5. According to a new study published in Nature Astronomy, two exoplanets – Kepler-138c and Kepler-138d – have
been found by NASA in Kepler 138, which is 218 light years away from Earth in the constellation named Lyra.
• United States Air Force (USAF) has successfully tested its first prototype hypersonic missile named AGM-183A Air-
launched Rapid Response Weapon, or ARRW (“Arrow”).
6. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket has launched the Swot (surface water and ocean topography) satellite into orbit to
provide information about the water bodies on Earth and help researchers better understand climate breakdown.
• The satellite has been jointly launched by NASA and the French space agency CNES, in partnership with
the British and Canadian space agencies.
• It will make the world’s first-ever global survey of the Earth’s surface water.
 Reports and Indices
1. Swedish think-tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has released the list of top 100 arms-
producing companies.
• Two Indian defence PSUs, Hindustan
Aeronautics (HAL) at 42th rank and Bharat
Electronics (BEL) at 63rd rank have figured in this
list.
• India has set an ambitious target of a $26 billion
turnover in manufacturing of aerospace and
defence goods, with exports of $5 billion,
by 2025.
• The USA has the maximum number of companies
(at 40) in the top 100, which account for $299
billion in arms’ sales in 2021.
• Top 3 Producers – Lockheed Martin ($60 billion
arms sales in 2021), Raytheon ($42 billion) and
Boeing ($33 billion)

2. International Energy Agency has released the “Coal 2022: Analysis and forecast to 2025”
• By 2025, India’s coal production would exceed 1 billion tonnes.
• Coal markets have been shaken severely in 2022, with traditional trade flows disrupted, prices soaring and demand
set to grow by 1.2%, reaching an all-time high and surpassing 8 billion tonnes for the first time.
Banking and Economy
1. HDFC Bank has announced to acquire 7.75% stake in fintech startup Mintoak Innovations for Rs 31.14 crore in cash.
2. Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has given partial relief to non-resident taxpayers by exempting them from
mandatory electronic filing of Form 10F until March 2023.
• Filing this form is required to claim the benefits of tax treaty.
• The Form 10F is signed physically by non-resident taxpayers and furnished along with the tax residency certificate to
resident payers for the purpose of determining withholding tax implications.
3. Maruti Suzuki India has showcased the Wagon R Flex Fuel prototype model in Delhi.
• It is India’s first mass-segment flex-fuel car, which is designed to run on any ethanol-petrol blend between 20%
ethanol and 85% petrol.
4. Microsoft has partnered with global communications company Viasat to deliver satellite internet access to 10
million people across the world by 2025.
• Viasat is the first satellite partner to work with Microsoft’s Airband Initiative.
• The companies will provide and pilot technologies including, satellites (both geostationary orbit and low earth orbit)
and fixed wireless.
• These companies will combine their expertise and assets to help enable telehealth, distance learning and education,
precision agriculture, clean power and other services to reach new areas through the transformational provision of
power and connectivity.
5. Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) became India’s first carbon-neutral power exchange.
• The IEX will use market-based tradable instruments to offset its carbon emissions.
• EKI Energy, India’s leading pre-eminent global service provider in the sphere of Energy, Carbon Credit & Quality
Management, was the sustainability partner by providing advisory & consultancy services in this climate action
exercise.
6. Tata AIA Life Insurance has launched the Emerging Opportunities Fund.
• The new fund will invest in mid-cap companies and emerging market leaders with the potential to generate
significant future growth for its investors.
7. Reliance General Insurance Company Ltd. (RGICL) launched a premium health insurance product – Reliance Health
Infinity Policy that claims to offer limitless benefits.
• This first-of-its-kind policy comes loaded with high-sum insured up to ₹5 crore that includes features like more
Global cover, maternity cover, OPD cover, unlimited restoration of sum insured, and 15 plus useful add-on benefits.
8. SIDBI has partnered with M1xchange as the financier to bring liquidity to MSMEs at competitive interest rates.
• M1xchange offers early liquidity to MSMEs within 24 hours through its online bidding platform through end-to-end
digital process.
• M1xchange is a Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS).
Knowledge Nuggets -

• TReDS is regulated by RBI that enables discounting of bills of Micro, Small & Medium
Enterprises (MSMEs) resulting in improvement of cash flow and liquidity and overall
improvement in functioning of MSMEs.
• There are four TReDS platforms in India, which are Receivables Exchange of India Ltd.,
M1xchange, C2FO, and Invoicemart.
9. Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) signed an MOU with Energy Conservation Mission of The Institution of
Engineers (India) to propagate the importance of energy conservation in Telangana.
• EESL and Energy Conservation Mission have partnered with the aim to conduct awareness sessions on ‘Energy
Conservation’ across 30 schools in the state.
10. Employees State Insurance Corporation has announced to invest up to 15% of its surplus funds into
equity through exchange traded funds.
• Labour minister Bhupender Yadav is the chairman of ESIC.

Knowledge Nuggets -

• ESIC is already implementing the Nirman Se Shakti initiative to modernise the infrastructure of ESIC hospitals and
dispensaries.
• ESIC and Employee Provident Fund Organization are the two important parts of Ministry of Labour and Employment.
11. HDFC Securities has launched “Roots”, a dedicated platform providing comprehensive investor education and
market analysis.
• The site offers multiple forms of valuable information, including articles, bite-sized tips, podcasts by experts, video
tutorials and explainers, and live social media feed on the Indian financial markets.
• The biggest USP of the platform is that it produces content which are being searched on Google by current or
prospective investors and traders.
Appointments
1. Rajeev Kumar Vishnoi has taken additional charge of the post of Chairman and Managing Director of NHPC
Limited.
2. Mette Frederiksen has been re-elected as the Prime Minister of Denmark.
3. Sonakshi Sinha has been named as PETA Person of The Year 2022 after featuring in a campaign against the use of
animal leather.
Important Days
1. December 17 – International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers
Awards
1. According to the ‘Sixth Bloomberg 50’ report, businessman and philanthropist Gautam Adani has topped the list of
people whose wealth witnessed the maximum rise globally in 2022.
• He has become the world’s third-richest person behind Bernard Arnault and Elon Musk.
2. London-based Association of Tennis Professionals (men’s tennis organization) has announced ATP Awards 2022.
Category Winner

Fans’ Favourite Award (Singles) Rafael Nadal

Coach of the Year Juan Carlos Ferrero

ATP Masters 1000 Tournament of the Year BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells)
Sports
1. Tata Steel Ltd has signed an MOU with Hockey India to become an Official Partner of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s
World Cup 2023.
• FIH Men’s World Cup 2023 will take place from January 13 – 29, 2023 in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela in Odisha.
Miscellaneous
1. “Bravehearts of Bharat: Vignettes from Indian History” book has been authored by historian Vikram Sampath.

20 dec*******************************************************************************
National News
1. The curtain raiser of India’s flagship energy event India Energy Week 2023 (IEW 2023) was organised at Bengaluru,
Karnataka.
• Tagline of the event: “Growth, Collaboration, Transition”
• It is being organised by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and supported by the Indian Oil and Federation
of Indian Petroleum Industry.
• It will be held from 6-8 February 2023 in Bengaluru during India’s G20 Presidency.
2. India has launched a ‘Group of Friends’ to promote accountability for crimes against peacekeepers.
• India, Bangladesh, Egypt, France, Morocco and Nepal are co-chairs of the ‘Group of Friends to Promote
Accountability for Crimes Against Peacekeepers’ launched during India’s current presidency of the UN Security
Council.
3. Panini code — the 2500-year-old grammatical algorithm in Sanskrit — has been cracked by Rishi Rajpopa, an Indian
PhD student at the University of Cambridge.
• His thesis is titled as “In Panini, We Trust: Discovering the Algorithm for Rule Conflict Resolution in the Astadhyayi”
• Panini is a famous Sanskrit scholar, philologist and grammarian.
• He lived around the 5th century BCE in India and is considered the “first descriptive linguist”. The western scholars
consider him as the “father of linguists”.
• The most famous work of Panini is Astadhyayi book, which defines the ancient language of Sanskrit.
4. President Droupadi Murmu is scheduled to launch an EV yatra portal and a mobile application, developed
by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE).
• The mobile application helps to facilitate in-vehicle navigation to the nearest public EV charger, and a website to
disseminate information on various central and state-level initiatives to promote e-mobility in the country.
• BEE has also developed a web-portal to enable charging point operators (CPOs) to register their charging details
securely into the National Online Database.
5. Lok Sabha has passed the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Third Amendment) Bill, 2022 to include
the Hattee community in the Trans-Giri region of Sirmaur district in Himachal Pradesh in the Scheduled Tribes list
of the State.
6. Central Government has announced that all Child Care Institutions have to be compulsorily registered with the
district authorities and if they fail to do so then they will be asked to shut down.
7. Union Cabinet has approved the National Geospatial Policy to boost entrepreneurship for the socio-economic
development of the country.
• Already, a National Geospatial Policy, 2021 is under implementation in India.
• Objective – It is a citizen-centric policy that liberalizes the geospatial sector and democratizes the datasets
generated by the use of public funds.
• It aims to develop the Geospatial Infrastructures and also seeks to strengthen the national and sub-national
arrangements for the generation and management of geospatial information.
• As per the policy, the Geospatial sector in India is growing at 15% per annum, however, it has a potential to grow
at 25% p.a. and more. It can contribute to the economy to the tune of Rs 1 lakh crore and employ nearly 10 lakh
people by 2029-2030.
• Government will constitute at the national level an authority named as the Geospatial Data Promotion and
Development Committee (GDPDC) who shall be the apex national authority for formulating and implementing
policies for promoting the geospatia
8. Union Health Minister, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya has inaugurated ICMR-NARFBR (National Animal Resource Facility
for Biomedical Research) at Genome Valley, Hyderabad.
• The facility will help in the study of animals in biomedical research for discovering causes, diagnosis and treatment of
zoonotic agents and diseases.
• Director General of ICMR and Secretary of the Department of Health Research – Dr Rajiv Bahl
• Director of ICMR-NARFBR – Dr Ramchandra S.G.
9. Union Minister for Science & Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh, who is also the Vice President of CSIR (Council of
Scientific & Industrial Research), launched the “One Week, One Lab” countrywide campaign from 6th January,
2023.
• Purpose – each and every lab of CSIR will display their innovations one by one every week to the common citizens of
India
• There are a total of 37 CSIR institutes/laboratories spread across the country.
• The campaign was launched during the 200th Governing Body Meeting of CSIR at the Science Centre in New Delhi.
• A new tagline for CSIR has also been unveiled, which is “CSIR-The Innovation Engine of India”.
• The implementation of paperless E-office across all labs with effect 01 April 2023 and E-performance appraisal
system for admin cadre staff for Reporting Year 2022-2023 was also approved.
Knowledge Nuggets -

• CSIR was established on 26 September 1942 and was registered as a CSIR Society under the Societies Registration Act,
1860.
• It is an R&D organization under the Ministry of Science and Technology.
• Vision of CSIR@2030 - “Enhance quality of life of the citizens of India through innovative Science and Technology, globa
competitive R&D, by developing sustainable solutions and capacity building to fulfil dream of Atmanirbhar Bharat”.
• Leadership of CSIR -
o President – Prime Minister (ex-officio)
o Vice-President – Minister of Science and Technology (ex-officio)
o Director-General of CSIR and Secretary of Dept. Of Scientific and Industrial Research – N. Kalaiselvi (1st woman)
Agriculture and Rural Development
1. Dharti Agro Chemicals Pvt. Ltd. is the first in the world to introduce GMS-based Cowpea Hybrids in the market and
has released three hybrids in Cowpea – Bubbly, Sherly and Poorvaja.
• Cowpea is easily affordable and provides rich source of protein and micronutrients.
• Being a leguminous crop, it fixes atmospheric nitrogen, is involved in carbon sequestration and soil amelioration,
thus reducing agriculture’s contribution towards volumes of crop protection products, enhancing and sustaining soil
health.
Defence News
1. Indian Naval Ship (INS) Mormugao, a P-15B stealth-guided missile destroyer, was commissioned into the Indian
Navy.
• This was the second ship to be inducted as a part of the four ‘Visakhapatnam’ class destroyers.
• Indigenously designed by the Navy’s in-house organisation Warship Design Bureau and constructed by Mazagon
Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in the country’s financial capital Mumbai.
International News
1. Romania, Hungary, Azerbaijan and Georgia signed an agreement on the Black Sea submarine cable for
the transport of electricity from the Caspian area to Romania.
2. Japan has unveiled a $320 billion plan for raising its military build-up – the largest since the Second World War.
3. European Union members have agreed to implement a minimum tax rate of 15% on big businesses in accordance
with Pillar 2 of the OECD’s Global Tax Agreement framed by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD) last year.
4. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz officially unveiled the country’s first floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal.
Reports and Indices
1. The 11th Global Food Security Index has been released by the British weekly The Economist.
• Parameters – Affordability,
Availability, Quality and Safety, and
Natural Resources and Resilience
• India is ranked at the 68th
position, along with Algeria with an
overall score of 58.9. In 2021, India
was ranked at 71st
• China’s position is 25th with a score
of 74.2.
• A total of 113 countries have
featured on this list.

Banking and Economy

1. Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has increased its stake in Indian Railway Catering and Tourism (IRCTC)
to 7.2% approx.
2. Wipro has signed a multi-year partnership with fintech firm Finastra for the digital transformation of corporate
banks in the Middle East.
• Wipro, in partnership with Finastra, will help banks transform and digitize the entire financial process in the region.
3. Google has partnered with DigiLocker, a government-authorized identification storage system, to bring local storage
of government-issued IDs on Android devices.
• This announcement was made at the Google for India conference.
• The partnership is part of Google’s artificial intelligence (AI) offerings that include on-device processing of text and
images to identify important documents and organise them in a locally stored ‘Files’ folder.
4. Indian Bank has launched a special retail term deposit product named “IND SHAKTI 555 DAYS”e.f., December 19,
2022.
• Interest rate – 7% for general and 7.15% for senior citizens
• Tenure – 555 days
• Amount – Rs 5000 to 2 Crore
5. DBS Bank India has partnered with Gofrugal Technologies Pvt. Ltd., a seller-centric platform offering Omnichannel
ERP solutions.
• The company empowers enterprise customers, including micro, small and medium enterprises and retail merchants,
to adopt Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) and enables them to expand their digital commerce footprint.
• Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), an initiative
by the Government of India, is a platform based on an open
protocol that will enable local commerce across mobility,
grocery, food order and delivery, hotel booking and travel
etc.
6. IDFC FIRST Bank announced ZERO Fee Banking on savings
accounts and waived fees on 25 commonly used banking
services such as transaction charges, ATM transaction
charges,
7. The 48th edition of the GST Council was held virtually,
under the chairpersonship of Nirmala Sitharaman, the
Union Finance Minister.
Appointments
1. Indian-origin Leo Varadkar has been elected as the Prime
Minister of Ireland for a 2nd term.
Knowledge Nuggets -

• Ireland Capital – Dublin; Currency – Irish Pound; Official languages – Irish and English
• Geographically, the country is located on the British Isles.
 Ireland is divided into two countries, which are Republic of Ireland and Norther Ireland (part of United Kingdom).
Important Days
1. December 18 –
• Minorities Rights Day in India to create awareness about rights of religious minorities in India
• International Migrants Day
• World Arabic Language Day; Theme – The Contribution of the Arabic Language to Human Civilization and Culture

Knowledge Nuggets -

• UN has six official languages, which were adopted on the following days.
o Arabic Language Day (18 December)
o Chinese Language Day (20 April)
o English Language Day (23 April)
o French Language Day (20 March)
o Russian Language Day (6 June)
o Spanish Language Day (23 April)
Awards
1. NMDC won the coveted IEI (Institution of Engineers, India) Industry Excellence Award 2022.
Knowledge Nuggets -

• Institution of Engineers (India) [IEI] is the largest multi-disciplinary professional body of engineers, established in 1920
with its headquarters located in Kolkata.
• The purpose is to promote the general advancement of engineering amongst its members and persons attached to the
Institution.
• President of IEI – Narendra Singh
2. Sargam Koushal (from Jammu) has been crowned as Mrs World 2022 in the USA.
• She brought this accolade to India after 21 years. Aditi Govitrikar became the first Indian woman to win the honour
for India in 2001.

3. Namami Gange initiative has been recognised by the United Nations as one of the Top 10 World Restoration
Flagships to revive the natural world.
• Director General, Namami Gange, G Asok Kumar, received the award in the 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) to
the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) in Montreal, Canada.
• The Namami Gange initiative is committed to reviving the Ganga River, and was started in 2014.
• 2021 to 2030 – United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
• Other winners –
1. Trinational Atlantic Forest Pact (Brazil, 2. Abu Dhabi Marine Restoration 3. Great Green Wall
Paraguay and Argentina) (UAE) (African Union)

5. Small Island Developing States 6. Altyn Dala

4. Multi-Country Mountain Initiative (Serbia,
Restoration Drive (Vanuatu, St Lucia Conservation Initiative
Kyrgyzstan, Uganda and Rwanda)
and Comoros) (Kazakhstan)

7. Central American Dry Corridor (Costa

9. Shan-Shui Initiative
Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, 8. Building with Nature (Indonesia)
(China)
Nicaragua and Panama)
• At the COP-15, Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), having 4 goals and 23 targets, was
adopted.
• The Framework aims to address the loss of biodiversity and restore natural ecosystems by 2030.
• 188 countries, 95% of which are parties to the CBD, have approved the Framework, in addition to the USA and the
Vatican City.
Major Targets of the Framework -

• Conservation of at least 30% of the world’s land, water, coastal, and marine areas
• Restoration of at least 30% of degraded terrestrial, inland water, coastal, and marine ecosystems
• Phasing out subsidies that harm biodiversity by at least USD 500 billion per year and scaling up incentives for conservation
and sustainable use
• Mobilize by 2030 at least $200 billion per year in domestic and international biodiversity-related funding from all sources
– public and private
• Increasing international financial flows to developing countries to at least USD 20 billion per year by 2025 and at least USD
30 billion per year by 2030.
4. Union Ministry of Power has announced the National Energy Conservation Awards – 2022.
• Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd (KREDL) has won the first prize in the State Designated Agency (SDA
Group-1) sector.
Sports
1. India has won the inaugural FIH Women’s Hockey Nations Cup by defeating Spain held in Spain.
• By virtue of winning the Nations Cup, the Indian team has been promoted to the 2023-24 FIH Hockey Women’s Pro
League, a key event ahead of next year’s Asian Games and 2024 Paris Olympics.
2. Argentina won the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Doha, Qatar by defeating France at
Lusail Stadium.
• Slogan of FIFA 2022 – Now is All
• Mascot of FIFA 2022 – La’eeb
• Official match ball – Al Rihla (meaning ‘The Journey’) designed by Adidas
• Trophy of FIFA 2022 – Jules Rimet Trophy (unveiled by Deepika Padukone)

Awards of FIFA World Cup 2022 –Category Winner

Golden Ball Lionel Messi (Argentine)

Golden Boot Kylian Mbappe (France); 8 goals

FIFA Young Player Award Enzo Fernandez (Argentine)

• FIFA World Cup 2026 will be held in Canada, Mexico, and the USA.
3. Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra was the most written-about track and field athlete in 2022.
• He has displaced Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt from the top of the list after years.
4. Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports Shri Anurag Thakur has launched the Trophy Tour of the FIH Odisha
Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar – Rourkela.
• In this tour, the coveted trophy will travel across 13 states and one Union Territory before returning to Odisha on 25
December.
• The World Cup will be organized from 13-19 January 2023.
5. India defeated Bangladesh to win its third consecutive T20 World Cup for the Blind by 120 runs.
• Venue – India
21-22dec***********************************************************************************
National News
1. Indian Railways received 800 proposals from startups to solve 11 problems under the “Startups for
Railways” initiative launched in June this year.
• In June 2022, the Minister of Railway Ashwini Vaishnaw launched Indian Railway Innovation
Policy — ‘StartUps for Railways’ in New Delhi to leverage innovative technologies
developed by Indian Startups, MSMEs, Innovators, Entrepreneurs to improve operational
efficiency and safety of Indian Railways.
• The policy aims to encourage young entrepreneurs to come up with ideas for improving
operational efficiency and safety.
• Portal for submission of solutions – innovation.indianrailways.gov.in
 • Financial Grant – Rs 1.5 crores worth of grant will be given to the innovator on an equal
sharing basis
• The payment will be based on performance / achievement of milestones.
2. Aviation regulator Directorate General for Civil Aviation has introduced new features on its e-governance
platform (eGCA) for stakeholders.
• The eGCA, a single window e-governance platform, has been enhanced to further improve
the ease of doing business in the civil aviation ecosystem.
• Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has developed the system of eGCA.
3. Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog has opened applications for ‘ATL Marathon 2022-23’– a flagship
innovation challenge under AIM’s Atal Tinkering Labs program.
• ATL Marathon is a national-level innovation challenge for young innovators across India who
can solve community problems of their choice, and develop innovative solutions in the form
of working prototypes or, minimum viable products (MVP).
• Theme of the ATL Marathon – “India’s G20 Presidency”
• Problem areas – Education, Health, Agriculture, Environment & Climate Sustainability,
Development, Digital Economy, Tourism, and Others (Identify your own problem and solve
it)
• Website for the Marathon – https://innovateindia.mygov.in/atl-marathon-2022/
4. National Test House (NTH) will set up testing facilities for EV batteries and charging systems at its Mumbai
and Kolkata centres.
• NTH, set up in 1912, is one of the largest multidisciplinary testing labs of the central
government which caters to quality testing needs in different disciplines.
• NTH is registered in the Government e-Market (GeM) as a service provider in the category
“Testing and Calibration Service” to meet the testing needs of all government departments,
CABs, and PSUs, etc.
5. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has announced the integration of Government e-
Marketplace services (GeM) with Common Service Centres (CSC) and India Post.
• The Minister also launched the Government e-Marketplace Seller Samvaad Booklet. The
booklet is a compilation of testimonials from sellers and service providers based on their
experience on the GeM portal.
• GeM Seller Samvaad events were held in around 26 cities across the country in collaboration
with Press Information Bureau to facilitate an informal interaction of GeM sellers and
service providers with members of regional and local media to document their journey in
public procurement.
6. Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Fifth Amendment) Bill, 2022 has been passed by Lok Sabha to
include Dhanuhar, Dhanuwar, Kisan, Saunra, Saonra, and Binjhia communities in the list of Scheduled
Tribes in Chhattisgarh.
• The Bill includes Bhuinya, Bhuiyan, and Bhuyan communities as synonyms of the Bharia
Bhumia community. It also includes three Devanagari versions of the name of the Pando
community.
7. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has flagged off the ground survey of Pey Jal Survekshan.
• The Pey Jal Survekshan under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation
(AMRUT) 2.0 was launched by Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Shri Hardeep Singh
Puri.
• The scheme aims to assess the service level compliance of the city with respect to quality,
quantity, and coverage of water supply, sewerage and septage management, extent of reuse
& recycle of used water and conservation of water bodies in 500 (485 after merger) AMRUT
cities.
• Ministry has appointed a third-party agency, IPSOS to conduct the Survekshan.
8. Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas will organise a one of its kind musical event, Dance to Decarbonise,
at National Stadium in New Delhi.
 • The event aims at showcasing India’s target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2070 vis-a-vis
the country’s growing economy, rising energy requirements, and the implementation of
responsible energy sources over transformational energy systems for the future.
9. Commerce and industry Minister Piyush Goyal introduced the Jan Vishwas Bill in Lok Sabha, which seeks
to decriminalise minor offences by amending 183 provisions in 42 Acts with a view to promote ease of
business.
• The Bill was later referred to a 31-member joint committee of Parliament for scrutiny.
10. Union Steel Minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia, has launched India’s first Green Steel Brand “KALYANI
FeRRESTA” in New Delhi.
• This first-of-its-kind steel has been manufactured by a Pune-based Steel company, Kalyani
Group, by using renewable energy resources, leaving zero carbon footprints in the
environment.
State News
1. Telangana will disburse ₹7600 crore to farmers under its ‘Rythu Bandhu’ scheme.
• Rythu Bandhu scheme (aka Farmer’s Investment Support Scheme) is a welfare program to
support farmer’s investment for two crops a year.
2. Uttar Pradesh has signed an agreement with the California-based “Austin University” to build a $42 billion
‘Smart City of Knowledge’ in the state.
• To be built on 5,000 acres of land at a cost of USD 42 billion, the Knowledge City will include
the best universities of the world.
3. Meghalaya has ranked first in the country as far as the average monthly income per agricultural
household is concerned at Rs 29,348 per month.
• After Meghalaya, other North-Eastern states’ rank remains as such — Arunachal Pradesh (Rs 19,225),
Mizoram (Rs 17,964), Sikkim (Rs 12,447), Manipur (Rs 11,227), Assam (Rs 10,675), Tripura (Rs 9,918) and
Nagaland (Rs 9,877).
• At an all-India level, Punjab’s average monthly income per agricultural household is second-highest at
Rs 26,701, which is then followed by Haryana (Rs 22,841), Arunachal Pradesh (Rs 19,225), and Jammu &
Kashmir (Rs 18,918).
Defence News
1. INSV Tarini has set sail for an expedition to Cape Town, South Africa for participating in the 50th
edition of Cape to Rio Race 2023 – ocean sailing race.
• This race will be flagged off from Cape Town, South Africa and will end at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2. Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL) delivered the fifth Scorpene Submarine ‘Vagir’ of Project P-75 to the
Indian Navy.
• The sixth Scorpene submarine – Vaghsheer was launched on 20 April 2022 and is getting readied for
trials.
International News
1. UAE launched a biometric service at the Abu Dhabi airport under which no passport or ticket will be
required anymore and a passenger’s face will be his boarding pass.
• That means passengers can use their faces to get a boarding pass at the airport.
• This advanced AI technology is designed by Abu Dhabi-based tech company, NEXT50.
2. Scientists working on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef have successfully trialled a new method for freezing and
storing coral larvae they say could eventually help rewild reefs threatened by climate change.
• It is the world’s first with Great Barrier Reef coral.
• Scientists used cryomesh to freeze coral larvae at the Australian Institute of Marine
Sciences (AIMS).
3. European Union has introduced the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), also known as
the carbon border tax, to add a pollution price on certain imports to the EU.
4. Nigeria and Rwanda became the first African nations to sign the Artemis Accords during the first-ever U.S.-
Africa Space Forum.
• The Artemis Accords are a broad non-binding framework that lay out agreements for
responsible and peaceful international exploration of the moon.
 • The Artemis Accords were launched jointly by NASA and the S. State Department along
with eight nations in 2020 for advancing bilateral and multilateral space cooperation
between signatories.
• Now, there are 23 signatories to the Accords, which sets of principles and best practices for
exploration.
5. According to the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Science & Engineering Indicators 2022 report of the
United States, India’s position globally has improved from the 7th position in 2010 to the 3rd position in
2020 in scientific publications.
• India now ranks 3rd in terms of the number of PhDs in science and engineering.
Reports and Indices
1. Economic Advisory Council to Prime Minister (EAC-PM) released the Social Progress Index (SPI) for states
and districts of India.
• Developer – Institute for Competitiveness and Social Progress Imperative
• Parameters: It assesses states and districts across three critical dimensions of social progress
• Basic Human Needs.
• Foundations of Wellbeing.
• Opportunity
• Under each dimension there are four components (refer below image)

• It uses an extensive framework comprising 89 indicators at the state level and 49 at the district level.
• Its overall score is scaled from 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest) to provide social progress performance of states
and districts.
• Based on the SPI scores, states and districts are ranked under 6 tiers of social progress. They are
• Tier 1: Very High Social Progress.
• Tier 2: High Social Progress.
• Tier 3: Upper Middle Social Progress.
• Tier 4: Lower Middle Social Progress.
• Tier 5: Low Social Progress.
• Tier 6: Very Low Social Progress.
• Best-performing states: Puducherry, Lakshadweep, and Goa.
• Top 3 best-performing districts: Aizawl (Mizoram), Solan (Himachal Pradesh), and Shimla (Himachal
Pradesh).
Knowledge Nuggets -

• This national level SPI dwells on India's performance based on the global SPI released
Social Progress Imperative since 2013.
• In 2022 global SPI, India was ranked 110th out of 169 countries with score 60.2/100 and
 was placed in fourth tier of performance.
• India's aggregate SPI score of 60.2 in 2022 was slightly lower than the world average of
65.2.
Banking and Economy
1. Jindal Steel and Power (JSPL) will spend Rs 7,930 crore under the production-linked
incentive (PLI) scheme for specialty steel to manufacture eight types of high-end alloy in the country.
• The government has selected a total of 67 entities with an investment potential of Rs 42,500
crore under the scheme.
• The proposed investments are expected to generate 70,000 job opportunities and add 26
million tonnes of speciality steel capacity in India.
2. Bhutan has signed an agreement with PTC India to receive an electricity supply of 600 MW during the winter
season.
• CMD of PTC India Ltd – Rajib K Mishra
3. Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting announced a definitive agreement to buy Nirapara, one of the largest-
selling traditional food brand in Kerala.
4. Credit bureau TransUnion CIBIL, in collaboration with Online PSB Loans and SIDBI have launched the FIT
Rank – a comprehensive ranking model for MSMEs.
• The rankings will provide information on the probability of an MSME becoming a non-
performing asset (NPA) in the next 12 months.
• FIT Rank provides a ranking for the MSME, based on its financial, income, and trade data on
a scale of 1 to 10, FIT Rank 1 being for the least risky MSME and FIT Rank 10 being for the
most at-risk MSME.
• FIT Rank will also provide the details available with Goods and Services Tax (GST) filings.
• Using FIT rankings, SIDBI has launched a new Express loan Product for MSMEs to provide
them loans up to Rs 50 lakh for purchase of machinery and rooftop solar through straight-
through processes.
5. Maritime logistics arm of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Singapore-based AG&P (Atlantic,
Gulf and Pacific) have signed an agreement to use Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) carrier as a floating storage
unit in India.
• The LNG carrier is owned by ADNOC Logistics & Services (ADNOC L&S).
6. Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd. (RRVL), a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd., has signed definitive
agreements to acquire 100% equity stake in Metro Cash & Carry India Pvt Ltd. for a total cash consideration
of ₹2,850 crore.
7. Private lender Bandhan Bank has signed an MOU with the Controller General of Defence Accounts to
extend banking facilities to servicemen.
• The service to the defence personnel will be provided under the System for Pension
Administration Raksha (SPARSH).
8. One97 Communications Limited (OCL) launched ‘Paytm Payment Protect’, a group insurance plan, in
association with HDFC ERGO General Insurance, to insure transactions made through UPI across all apps and
wallets.
• With this new insurance offering, which comes at a cost of as low as Rs 30 per annum, users
can now secure themselves against mobile fraudulent transactions up to Rs 10,000.
• Higher cover options for cover up to Rs 1 lakh per annum will soon be added to the product.
GDP Forecasts
1. Fitch Ratings affirmed India’s sovereign credit rating at ‘BBB-‘ with stable outlook.
• FY23 fiscal deficit target – 6.6% of GDP
• FY24 fiscal deficit target – 6% of GDP
• India’s deficit will gradually decline to 9.2% of GDP in FY24 and 8.7% in FY25 on the back of
continued declines in central government deficits.
2. NITI Aayog has forecasted an over 7% growth rate for India in FY23.
• RBI has forecasted a 6.8% growth rate for FY23.
Appointments
 1. Renowned athlete PT Usha became the first nominated MP in Rajya Sabha to be nominated to
the panel of Vice Chairpersons.
• The vice-chairpersons will conduct the proceedings of the House when Chairman and
Deputy Chairman are not available.
2. Senior nuclear scientist Dinesh Kumar Shukla has been appointed as the chairperson of the Atomic Energy
Regulatory Board (AERB) for a period of 3 years.
• The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board was constituted in 1983 by the President of India by
exercising the powers conferred by the Atomic Energy Act of 1962.
Important Days
1. December 20 – International Human Solidarity Day
2. December 23 – National Farmer’s Day
3. December 19-25 – 2nd Sushasan Saptah (Good Governance Week)
Awards
1. Sethrichem Sangtam, who runs an NGO that works with farmers in eastern Nagaland, has won the first
Rohini Nayyar Prize for Outstanding Contribution to Rural Development.
• It carries a Rs 10 lakh prize.
• The Nayyar Foundation for Social and Economic Purpose, a foundation set up by her family,
will give away the annual prize to those under 40 for their contribution to rural
development.
2. Indian scientist at IIT-Madras, Thalappil Pradeep, received VinFuture special prize in Hanoi for creating
a low-cost filtration system to remove arsenic and other heavy metals from groundwater.
3. ‘Naatu Naatu’ from the blockbuster Telugu film ‘RRR’ has been shortlisted for the 2023 Oscar Awards in
the ‘Best Original Song’ category.
• Gujarati film ‘Chhello Show’ was shortlisted in the ‘Best International Feature Film’
4. Indian female wrestler Antim Panghal has been nominated for the honour of United World Wrestling Rising
Star of the Year.
Sports
1. Indian doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty reached a career-best world No. 5.
• HS Prannoy regained his place in the top 10 in men’s singles in the BWF world rankings.
2. United World Wrestling has announced that the Asian Wrestling Championships 2023 will take place
between March 28 to April 2nd, 2023 in New Delhi.
• The Championship will feature men’s freestyle, women’s freestyle, and men’s Greco-Roman
divisions.
3. Tata Motors will be the title sponsor of the Maharashtra Open, better known as Tata Open Maharashtra,
which is South Asia’s only ATP 250 tournament.
• It will begin on 31 December in Pune.
23-25 dec*************************************************************************************
National News
1. India’s first infantry museum will be inaugurated in Mhow cantonment in Indore district of Madhya
Pradesh.
• There are 64 cantonment boards in India.
2. Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs has launched the Impact Leaders programme to create Impact Leaders
in the areas of Environmental-Social-Governance (ESG).
• IICA is an autonomous institution under the aegis of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
• IICA has also formed a National Association of Impact Leaders which is a membership-based association
only for ESG professionals. The association will provide a platform for further professional advancement
and engagement to its members.
3. Ministry of Ayush is currently implementing a Central Sector Scheme titled AYURSWASTHYA Yojana.
• Components of the scheme –
• AYUSH and Public Health: To promote AYUSH medication for community health care.
• Up-gradation of facilities to Centre of Excellence: To provide financial assistance to individual
organizations/institutes to advance their R&D in AYUSH and establish AYUSH medical health units in reputed
AYUSH and Allopathic institutions both in Government and Non-Government sector
• Financial support of Rs 10 crores per organization is given under this component.
4. The tentative list of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites includes Sun temple, Modhera, Gujarat; Vadnagar,
Gujarat; and Rock-cut sculptures of Unakoti, Tripura.
5. 19th meeting of the Experts and Coordinators of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s Interbank
consortium (SCO-IBC) was held in New Delhi.
• During the meeting, it was decided to create a data bank of the various initiatives which have been taken
so.
• The bank will collect data on the work done towards the sustainable development goals, and climate
finance initiatives, besides sharing the best practices and experiences amongst the member countries.
• India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (IIFCL) is presiding over the Presidency of the SCO
Interbank Consortium (SCO IBC) during the period of October 26 to October 25 2023.
Knowledge Nuggets -

• The SCO IBC was established in 2005, under the decision made by the Council of Heads of
SCO Member States to create a mechanism to financially support and service investment
projects in the SCO member countries’ economic area (Agreement on Interbank
Cooperation with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization).
• India Infrastructure Finance Cooperation Limited (IIFCL) was nominated by the Ministry of
Finance in 2017 to represent India at the SCO Interbank Consortium (SCO IBC) and since
then it has been participating in the forum.
State News
1. J&K signed an MOU with the Ladakh administration for conferring professional status to each other. This
MOU will also allow “J&K Bank” to become the “preferred banker” of the UT.
• J&K has approved the Rehabilitation Policy for Children in Street Situation to safeguard
children from dangerous situations.
2. Kerala has launched its 1st smart mobile composting unit. The state will eliminate its waste management
issues by 2026.
3. Odisha has launched the ‘Drink from Tap’ project in 19 cities and towns of the state.
• In October 2020, the Odisha government launched the ‘Sujal-Drink from Tap Mission’ to
provide quality drinking water which would be suitable for consumption from the tap in Puri
and Bhuvneshwar.
4. Kerala Startup Mission has signed an MOU with HDFC Bank to engage more deeply with the start-up
community and to promote entrepreneurship in the state.
• The Bank will extend its full-suite of specialized services and facilities tailored for start-ups,
known as Smart-Up, to all the firms associated with KSUM.
Defence News
1. ‘INS Arnala’, the first of the eight of the Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft Project, being built
by GRSE for the Indian Navy.
2. Innovations for Defence Excellence (IDEX) has signed its 150th contract with Pune-based Altair Infrasec Pvt
Ltd.
• Altair Infrasec Pvt Ltd. won Defence India Start-up Challenge (DISC 7) SPRINT edition. Now,
Altair will develop the ‘Expendable Mobile Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Training Target
(EMATT) capable of simulating the sound and movement of a submarine’.
Knowledge Nuggets -

• Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) is the flagship initiative of the Department of
Defence Production and it was rolled out to encourage start-ups and other such entities
engaged in defence innovation.
Memorandum of Understanding
 1. Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) has signed an MOU with Bangalore-
based deep tech startup QNu Labs to develop indigenous Satellite QKD (quantum key distribution)
products.
2. US-based Cognizant has signed an MoU with Chennai-based drone startup, Garuda Aerospace to fit
advanced digital capabilities on its drones.
• The partnership aims at bringing innovative solutions at scale for enterprises looking to
achieve greater agility, productivity, and high return on investment.
3. Tata Projects Ltd. has signed an MOU with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research—Indian
Institute of Petroleum (CSIR-IIP) to jointly work towards clean energy solutions.
International News
1. NASA has ended its InSight mission after more than four years of collecting information on Mars.
• Launched in 2018, InSight was the first robotic probe that was specially designed to study
the interiors of Mars.
2. NASA has selected Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) of California, to provide launch services for
the Sentinel-6B mission.
• Sentinel-6B has been collecting long-term global sea level data since 1992.
• The mission is a partnership between NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the European Organization for the
Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites.
Reports and Indices
1. UI GreenMetric World University Rankings 2022 has been released by The Universitas Indonesia and
the Manipal Academy of Higher Education in Manipal, Karnataka.
• Top rankers –

Banking and Economy

1. Online home services platform Urban Company has signed an agreement with the National Skill
Development Corporation (NSDC) to provide training and digital certification to “thousands” of freshers.
• The certificates will be QR coded and will be available on both NSDC’s Skill India portal and
the Urban Company app.
2. RBL Bank, one of India’s leading private sector banks, won IBSi Global FinTech Innovation Awards 2022 in
the Best CRM System Implementation and Most Impactful Project categories along with BUSINESSNEXT.
3. Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL), a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd, signed definitive
agreements to acquire a 100% equity stake in Metro Cash and Carry India Pvt Ltd, which operates under
the ‘Metro India’ brand, for a cash consideration of Rs 2,850 crore.
4. RBI has granted in-principle authorisation to Worldline ePayments India Private Limited to act as a payment
aggregator under the provisions of Guidelines on Regulation of Payment Aggregators and Payment
Gateways dated March 17, 2020.
5. Karnataka Bank has gone live in the Indian Customs Electronic Gateway (ICEGATE), the national
portal of Indian Customs of Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.
• The portal enables its customers to pay customs duty online.
 • This integration of KBL on ICEGATE portal will enable all the individual and corporate
customers to pay customs duty at their convenience, thus helping them in the smooth
conduct of their business.
6. International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) has come up with a regulatory framework for
Distribution of Capital Market Products and Services under IFSCA (Capital Market Intermediaries)
Regulations, 2021.
• Distributors may undertake distribution of:
• Capital Market Products – which include a wide bouquet of securities as covered
under Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956.
• Capital Market Services – which include portfolio management services and
investment advisory services.
• IFSCA registered / licensed entities, such as Banking Units, Finance Companies, Broker-
Dealers, Investment Bankers, Investment Advisers and Corporate Agents – may avail of the
simplified registration process and undertake distribution services from IFSC.
• IFSCA and the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) have signed an MoU for
mutual assistance and cooperation in the area of sustainable finance.

Knowledge Nuggets -

• The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) has been established in 2020
under the International Financial Services Centres Authority Act, 2019.
• It is headquartered at GIFT City, Gandhinagar in Gujarat.
• IFSCA is the 5th financial regulator in India after RBI, SEBI, IRDAI, and PFRDA.
• As far as the All-India Financial Institutions are concerned, there are five AIFIs, which are
SIDBI, NHB, NABARD, EXIM, and National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and
Development (NBFID).
• Chair of IFSCA – Shri Injeti Srinivas
• The Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) is one of Asia’s leading not-for-
profit policy research institutions.
7. Indian Gas Exchange (IGX), promoted by the Indian Energy Exchange (IEX), has launched GIXI – the first-
ever, nationwide price index to track benchmark natural gas prices for India.
• India has a target of achieving a 15% share of natural gas in India’s energy mix.
• IGX Price Index has been developed with the purpose of deriving a single price for the
country in line with international benchmarks.
Appointments
1. Puma, the manufacturer and designer of causal and athletic footwear, has roped in Bollywood actor and
entrepreneur Anushka Sharma as its brand ambassador.
2. Central Govt has appointed Justice Hemant Gupta as the Chairperson of the New Delhi International
Arbitration Centre.
• Set up in 2019, the NDIAC has been declared to be an institution of national importance and
is mandated to be a seven-member body that is headed by a former Judge of the Supreme
Court or a High Court or an eminent person.
• Recently, the Union Minister for Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju introduced a Bill to rename the
New Delhi International Arbitration Centre as the India International Arbitration Centre.
Important Days
1. December 22 – National Mathematics Day (birthday of Srinivasan Ramanujan on Dec 22, 1887)
Awards
1. Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has become the only Indian to be named in the Empire
magazine’s ’50 Greatest Actors of All Time’.
2. 7th edition of Digital India Awards-2022 has been awarded by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
• These are conducted by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) under the Ministry of
Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY).
 Category Winner

Digital Empower of Citizens National Agriculture Market (NAM)

Digital Initiatives at Grassroot Level e-Vivechna app of Madhya Pradesh

Digital Initiatives for Ease of Doing

Mine Mitra at Uttar Pradesh
Business

Data Sharing and Use for Socio- Smart Cities Mission, Ministry of Housing
Economic Development and Urban Affairs

Public Digital Platforms Duare Sarkar (West Bengal)

Indian Customs Electronic Data Interchange

Central Ministries
Gagetway (ICEGATE) Portal Gold – eShram

Digital Initiatives in collaboration with Digital Workforce Management System of

Startups Kerala

Best Web and Mobile Initiatives

complying with GIGW & Accessibility Bilaspur District Website (Chhattisgarh)
Guidelines
Miscellaneous
1. Gamaka exponent Padma Shri awardee H R Keshava Murthy passed away.
Knowledge Nuggets -

• Gamaka (also spelled gamakam) refer to ornamentation that is used in the performance of
North and South Indian classical music.
26dec**********************************************************************************
National News
1. Central Ayurveda Research Institute (CARI), New Delhi, and Central Ayurveda Research Institute,
Jhansi, have been accredited with NABH and NABL accreditations, respectively.
• Both the CARIs come under the aegis of Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic
Sciences (CCRAS) of the Ministry of Ayush.
• Central Ayurveda Research Institute (CARI), New Delhi – provides OPD services in ayurveda
• Central Ayurveda Research Institute, Jhansi – tests state-of-the-art Quality Control
Laboratories (Chemistry, Microbiology, Pharmacognosy), Ayurvedic Pharmacy, Central
Herbarium and Museum, and National Raw Drugs Repository (NRDR)
Knowledge Nuggets -

• National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH) is a constituent
board of Quality Council of India, set up to establish and operate accreditation programme
for healthcare organisations.
• National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) is an
accreditation body for testing laboratories, calibration laboratories, medical testing
laboratories, etc.
2. ISRO has announced to carry the scientific instruments of the USA on its forthcoming Chandrayaan 3
mission.
• The Chandrayaan mission 2 also carried American scientific instruments.
• The Chandrayaan-3 mission is a continuation of Chandrayaan-2, which was launched in July
2019. It will also be launched on the South Pole of moon.
 3. Bengaluru-based Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), an autonomous
institute of the Department of Science and Technology, has shown for the first time infrared light emission
and absorption with GaN nanostructures.
• Gallium Nitride (GaN) is a very hard and mechanically stable wide band gap (WBG)
semiconductor, as it has a hexagonal crystal structure.
4. Central government will provide free foodgrains to about 35 crore beneficiaries under the National Food
Security Act (NFSA) for one year from January 1, 2023.
• The Centre will spend more than Rs 2 lakh crore in this period as food subsidy under NFSA
and other welfare schemes, to remove the financial burden of the poor and the poorest of
the poor.
• 5 kg food grains per person to Priority Households (PHH) beneficiaries and 35 kg per
household to Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) beneficiaries (poorest of the poor) will be
provided free of cost for the next 1 year.
5. India’s first intranasal Covid vaccine iNCOVACC has been approved by the Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare as a booster or precautionary dose for those aged 18 years and above.
• The vaccine will be added to the Co-Win app – a web platform for vaccination registration in
the country.
6. Atal Incubation Centre (AIC) at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) signed agreements
with MSMEs for the incubation of newer technologies into commercial products.
7. India and Bangladesh have decided to start talks for a free trade agreement (FTA) early.
8. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off West Bengal’s first Vande Bharat Express on the busy Howrah-
New Jalpaiguri route.
• It will bring down travel time between Kolkata and Siliguri, the gateway to the Northeast
considerably.
9. “Lion@47: Vision for Amrutkal” has been prepared by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate
Change for the conservation of the Asiatic Lion in Gujarat.
• The Project is being implemented in the Gir landscape in Gujarat which is the last home of
the Asiatic lion.
• Project Tiger is being implemented in tiger landscapes spread across the country in 53 tiger
reserves.
Knowledge Nuggets -

• Already, the Project Lion is being implemented by the Gujarat govt and other stakeholders
like Central Zoo Authority.
• Financial assistance of Rs. 124.58 lakhs have been provided to State of Gujarat for
conservation of wildlife including Asiatic Lions under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS)-
‘Development of Wildlife Habitats’ during the last three years.
10. A total of 10 captive-bred Asian Giant Tortoises (Manouria emys) have been released into Ntangki National
Park in Peren district, Nagaland, India to conserve one of the largest tortoise species in mainland Asia.
• The Asian Giant Tortoise is listed as “critically endangered” on the International Union for
Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species.
• The Nagaland Zoological Park in Dimapur has the highest number of Asian Giant Tortoise,
with 110 hatchlings and juveniles from 13 adults.
11. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs is organizing the Urban 20 (U20) event during India’s G20
presidency from December 01, 2022 to November 30, 2023.
• Purpose – to provide a platform for cities from G20 countries to discuss important issues of
urban development, including climate change, social inclusion, sustainable mobility,
affordable housing, and financing of urban infrastructure
• Ahmedabad (a UNESCO World Heritage city) will host the U20 cycle.
State News
1. Manipur CM N Biren Singh has upgraded the Inner Line Permit (ILP) System portal of the state.
 Knowledge Nuggets -

• Article 371 provides special status to some states in India -

o 371. Special provision with respect to the States of Maharashtra and Gujarat.
o 371A. Special provision with respect to the State of Nagaland.
o 371B. Special provision with respect to the State of Assam.
o 371C. Special provision with respect to the State of Manipur.
o 371D. Special provisions with respect to the State of Andhra Pradesh or the State of
Telangana.
o 371E. Establishment of Central University in Andhra Pradesh.
o 371F. Special provisions with respect to the State of Sikkim.
o 371G. Special provision with respect to the State of Mizoram.
o 371H. Special provision with respect to the State of Arunachal Pradesh.
o 371-I. Special provision with respect to the State of Goa.
o 371J. Special provisions with respect to the State of Karnataka
• States which require Inner Line Permit – Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland,
Manipur, and Lakshadweep
2. Uttarakhand Governor Gen. (Retd.) Gurmit Singh gave a nod to the State’s Freedom of Religion
(Amendment) Act for making unlawful conversions a cognizable and non-bailable offence punishable with a
prison term of up to 10 years.
• Uttarakhand will now be slapped with a fine of at least Rs 50,000.
3. Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Anurag Singh Thakur inaugurated the Sports Science
Centre in Udupi, Karnataka.
4. Maharashtra Women and Child Development department has launched ‘Balsnehi’ (child-friendly) buses
and vans under an initiative to rehabilitate street children.
• The project will be implemented in six districts where ‘flying squads’ will move around in
dedicated vehicles to help bring these street children into the mainstream of the society and
ensure their education.
• The project will be implemented in Mumbai city and its suburbs, Thane, Nashik, Pune and
Nagpur, over a period of six months.
Agriculture and Rural Development
1. Union Cabinet approved minimum support prices (MSPs) for copra for 2023 season, fixing it at Rs 10,860
per quintal for fair average quality of milling copra and at Rs 11,750 per quintal for ball copra.
The approval is based on recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices.
Defence News
1. India and Japan will conduct their first-ever air exercise named “Veer Guardian” from January 16 to 26,
2023.
• This 10-day exercise will be held between the Indian Air Force and the Japanese Air Self-
Defence Force (JASDF) at Japan’s Hyakuri air base and Iruma air base.
Memorandum of Understanding
1. NTPC Ltd. and GE Power India Limited have signed an MOU to demonstrate technologies to reduce
the carbon footprint of NTPC’s existing coal-fired power plants.
GE Power will conduct the feasibility study for developing technologies to reduce NTPC’s carbon footprint.
Knowledge Nuggets -

• NTPC is India’s largest power utility with an installed capacity of 70,824 MW (including
JVs).
• It plans to become a 130 GW company by 2032.
• Established in 1975, NTPC aims to be the world’s largest and best power major.
• It is a Maharatna company.
• NTPC CMD – Gurdeep Singh
International News
1. The Russian government is working towards supplying the third S-400 air defence systems to India in time
by January-February 2023.
• The first two squadrons have already been operationalised in the northern and eastern
sectors respectively.
2. IIT-Kharagpur aims to become the world-wide benchmark in education excellence by establishing IIT-
Malaysia.
• It will be a major step for the institute to set its global footprint in the international
domain of Higher Education promoting Indian standards of education.
3. Japan has adopted a plan to extend the operation of existing nuclear power reactors and replace ageing
facilities with new advanced ones.
Banking and Economy
1. Reliance Jio has won the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) order for providing SD-WAN (Software Defined
Wide Area Network) solution.
• Purpose – to power IOCL’s retail automation and critical business processes, such as
payment processing, daily price updates, Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) software and
network monitoring with enterprise-grade connectivity, Quality of Service (QOS) and 24×7
support across 28 states and eight Union Territories
2. Tata Power has received a Rs 450 crore “sustainable trade finance facility” from MUFG Bank of Japan to
fund its solar projects in India.
• MUFG extended this financing to fund the procurement of TP Kirnali Limited (TPKL)’s two
solar power projects – a 100 MW project in Parthur, Maharashtra and a 120MW project in
Mesanka, Gujarat.
Knowledge Nuggets -

• Tata Power is committed to becoming carbon net zero before 2045.

• MUFG has announced to achieve net zero emissions in its finance portfolio by 2050 and its
own operations by 2030.

3. Bharti Airtel and Apollo Hospitals conducted India’s first 5G-driven, artificial intelligence (AI)-guided
colonoscopy trials in collaboration with technology companies HealthNet Global, Amazon Web
Services (AWS) and Avesha.
• The AI-guided colonoscopy procedure helped in image processing in real-time.
4. International Finance Corporation, a part of the World Bank Group, has extended a $400 million
loan to HDFC Bank to boost green housing in the affordable segment.
• 75% of this funding will be used for extending loans for green affordable housing portfolio.
5. Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the revision of pension of Armed
Forces Pensioners/family pensioners under the One Rank One Pension (OROP) from July 1, 2019.
• Pension of the past pensioners would be re-fixed on the basis of average of minimum and
maximum pension of Defence Forces retirees of calendar year 2018 in the same rank with
the same length of service.
• Arrears will be paid in four half-yearly instalments.
6. Adani Group will control around 65% of NDTV as founders Radhika and Prannoy Roy have sold their stake.
• Radhika and Prannoy Roy will sell a 27.26% stake of their remaining 32.26% shareholding in
NDTV to an entity owned by Adani, giving it 64.71% of NDTV.
GDP Forecasts
1. International Monetary Fund (IMF) has projected India to grow by 6.8% in 2022-23.
• India’s GDP Growth Rate for 2023-24 – 6.1%
2. US President Joe Biden has nominated Indian-American lawyer diplomat Richard Verma, also a former US
ambassador to India.
Appointments
 1. SBI Funds Management Limited (SBIFML), a joint venture between State Bank of India and Amundi, Europe’s
largest asset manager, has appointed Shamsher Singh as the MD & CEO of SBI Funds Management Limited.
2. Sitiveni ‘Rambo’ Rabuka has been appointed as the new Prime Minister of Fiji.
Knowledge Nuggets -

• Fiji Capital – Suva; Currency – Dollar; Official Languages – English, Fiji Hindi, and Fijian
• The Republic of Fiji is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific
Ocean.
• Fiji is a part of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC), which includes India
and 14 Pacific Island Nations (including Fiji).

3. PN Vasudevan will continue to be the MD & CEO of Equitas Small Finance Bank.
4. Former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mysore S. Rangappa has been elected as a fellow of The World
Academy of Science (TWAS) for the advancement of science in developing countries.
• The fellowship comes into effect from January 1, 2023.

Knowledge Nuggets -

• TWAS is the programme unit of UNESCO with its headquarters in Trieste, Italy.
• TWAS was founded in 1983 by a distinguished group of scientists from the developing
world. It has 1,296 elected fellows representing more than 100 countries and 11 of them are
Nobel laureates.
• TWAS has the objective of encouraging scientific research in solving major challenges
facing developing countries.
5. Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has been elected as the Prime Minister of Nepal.
Important Days
1. December 24 – National Consumer Day
2. December 25 – Good Governance Day (birth anniversary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee)
3. December 26 – Veer Bal Diwas (to commemorate the martyrdom of two younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh
– Sahibzadas Baba Zorawar Singh Ji and Baba Fateh Singh Ji)
• December 23 – Shaheedi Diwas (to commemorate the martyrdom of two elder sons of Guru
Gobind Singh – Baba Ajit Singh ji and Baba Jujhar Singh Ji)
Awards
1. Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has won the prestigious GRIHA Exemplary Performance
Award 2022, a top national level Green Building Award.
• GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) is a national rating system for
green buildings in India.
• UIDAI has also won the Data Security Council of India’s Excellence Award 2022 in the “Best
Security Practices in Government Sector” category.
2. The ‘Ekalabya Puraskar’ for the year 2022 was presented to cyclist Swasti Singh.
• Indian Metals Public Charitable Trust (IMPaCT) has instituted the Ekalabya Puraskar to
encourage young sports talents.
3. Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize 2021-22 has been jointly won by Sudeep Sen and Shobhana Kumar.
• Sen won this award for his genre and form bender ‘Anthropocene: Climate Change,
Contagion, Consolation’.
• Kumar won the award for her haibun collection ‘A Sky Full of Bucket Lists’.
4. Indian scientist, Thalappil Pradeep (IIT-Madras) received VinFuture special prize in Hanoi for innovating
a low-cost filtration system to remove arsenic and other heavy metals from groundwater.
5. The American magazine Forbes released the list of the top 25 female athletes.
• PV Sindhu, at 12th rank, is the only shuttler (badminton player) and Indian on the list.
• Naomi Osaka (tennis player from Japan) is at 1st
Sports
 1. FIFA World Rankings December 2022 –
• Top ranking countries – Brazil (1st) and Argentina (2nd)
2. Mirabai Chanu won the silver medal in 49 kg category at the 2022 IWF World Weightlifting
Championship at Bogota, Columbia.
• Hidilyn Diaz from Philippines won 3 gold medals in 55 kg category.
3. Hockey India has announced the 18-member team to represent India at the prestigious FIH Odisha Hockey
Men’s World Cup 2023 to be held in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela from January 13 to 29.
• Ace drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh has been named the captain of the squad with Amit
Rohidas as the Vice-Captain.
4. Sam Curran becomes the most expensive player in IPL history in the Rs 18.50 crore deal.
5. Geto Sora (badminton player from Arunachal Pradesh) has won the Top Arena Junior International
Badminton Championship title in the Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
B27******************************************************************************
National News
1. Central Govt has mandated the digital attendance of workers employed under the Mahatma Gandhi
National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGREGS) from January 1, 2023.
2. Ministry of Mines has approved the purchase of two new surveyor ships, which will replace the ageing RV
Samudra Shaudhikama and RV Samudra Kaustabh and conduct marine surveys for the Geological Survey of
India (GSI).
• The RV Samudra Shaudhikama and RV Samudra Kaustabh were built in the Netherlands and
commissioned in 1984.
3. The bar-headed goose, considered one of the world’s highest-flying birds, recently visited the Muttukadu
backwaters in Tamil Nadu.
4. Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comic (AVGC) Task Force has provided recommendations for the
growth and promotion of the AVGC sector.
• The AVGC Task Force was set up under the chairmanship of the Secretary of
the Information and Broadcasting Ministry (Apurva Chandra).
• Among the recommendations, the Task Force has called for a National AVGC-XR (Extended
Reality)
• Establish a National Centre of Excellence (COE) for the AVGC sector to become an
international reference point across Skilling, Education, Industry Development and Research
& Innovation for the AVGC sector.
• Four Sub-Task Forces were constituted for devising strategies of growth through targeted
interventions in their respective areas,
1. Industry & Policy headed by Shri Apurva Chandra, Secretary MOIB;
2. Education headed by Shri Anil Shahashrabudhe, then Chairperson AICTE;
3. Skilling headed by Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, then Secretary MoSDE, and;
4. Gaming headed by Shri Vikram Sahay, JS MOIB. Their recommendations have
formed the basis of the consolidated report of the Task Force.
5. Project Vaani has been launched by the Indian Institute of Science-Bangalore, Google and ARTPARK
(AI and Robotics Technology Park).
• Purpose – to gather speech data from across India for the creation of an AI-based language model
that can understand diverse Indian languages and dialects
• Under Project Vaani, diverse languages used across India will be mapped by collecting speech sets of
around 1 million people from 773 districts over 3 years.
• The Project will cost Rs 30 to 40 million.
State News
1. Ladakh celebrated Losar Festival to mark the Ladakhi New Year. It will continue for nine days from the new
year.
2. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal reviewed the progress of the real-time source apportionment
project, which is being implemented by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, in collaboration with IIT-
Kanpur, IIT-Delhi, and TERI.
 • Under this project, a supersite with cutting-edge air analysers and a mobile air quality
monitoring system will be used to measure the concentration of various substances in the
air above Delhi.
Agriculture and Rural Development
1. Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued the Type Certification for the Kisan drones made
by Garuda Aerospace.
• DGCA has also authorised Garuda Aerospace as Remote Pilot Training Organisation (RPTO)
to train people to operate drones.
• Thus, it became the first company to get DGCA’s double certification for Kisan Drones.
Defence News
1. Ministry of Defence has announced to procure indigenous short-range ballistic surface-to-
surface (SRBM) missile named Pralay (developed by DRDO).
• The missile will be India’s first tactical quasi-ballistic missile.
• Key Features of Pralay – It is a ballistic missile with a low trajectory. It can manoeuvre
(change its path) in flight. It has been designed to evade interceptor missile. High accuracy.
Capable of carrying 350-700 kg of deadly warheads.
• ‘Pralay’ ballistic missile is a canisterised tactical, surface-to-surface, and short-range
ballistic missile (SRBM) for battlefield use. It can hit targets from a distance of 150 to
500 km and is extremely difficult to intercept by enemy interceptor missiles
Knowledge Nuggets -

· The Pralay missile project was sanctioned in 2015 and is a derivative of the Prahaar missile
programme, which was first tested in 2011.
· Pralay is a short-range ballistic missile. Unlike intercontinental ballistic missiles that exit the
Earth’s atmosphere, short-range ballistic missiles stay within it.
· India is planning to create a Rocket Force, envisaged by Late CDS Bipin Rawat, which will
include the BrahMos as well as the Smerch and indigenous Pinaka multi-barrel missile
launchers, besides a few other systems that are being built.
International News
1. According to the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) data, India will become the third
economic superpower by 2037 and a $10-trillion economy by 2035.

• The annual rate of India’s GDP will be 6.4% over the next five years.
• The annual rate of India’s GDP growth will be 6.5% on average in the subsequent nine years.
• This growth trajectory will push India’s ranking from fifth place on the World Economic
League Table in 2022 to third in the global rankings by 2037.
2. Serbia is terminating visa-free entry for Indians from January 1, 2023. From Jan 1, Indian passport holders
will no longer have the luxury of traveling to Serbia without a valid visa.
• Earlier, diplomatic and official Indian passport holders were allowed to visit the country for
90 days without any visa, while the duration was 30 days for ordinary passport holders.
3. According to a new research study, the population of Antarctica’s Emperor Penguins may go extinct by
2100, if immediate actions are not taken.
• The populations of up to 97% of land-based Antarctic species could decline by the end of this
century.
Reports and Indices
1. World Bank has released the “2022 in Nine Charts” report to assess the year of 2022.
• Poverty –
• In 2022, 685 million people are living in extreme poverty. This makes 2022 the
second-worst year for poverty reduction in the past 20 years after the year 2020.
• Around 7% of the global population (574 million people) will live in extreme poverty
by 2030, which is far short of the global goal of 3% in 2030.
• Debt Crisis –
 • Currently, 60% of the world’s poorest countries are either in debt distress or at risk
of it.
• Energy Crisis –
• At present, 733 million people do not have access to electricity. By 2030, over 670
million people will remain without access to electricity.
• Learning Poverty –
• Of every 100 children in low and middle-income countries, 60 are “learning
deprived” and 10 are deprived of schools.
Banking and Economy
1. Tata Steel has been certified as ‘Great Place to Work’ by Great Place to Work Institute for 2023 for the sixth
consecutive year.
2. Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, one of the leading private general insurers of India, has launched its unique
health insurance rider ‘Respect Senior Care Rider’.
• The company offers a comprehensive network of services and professionals who collaborate
with one another to ensure that senior citizen will always receive the highest possible level
of care.
3. In May 2022, HCL Corporation and World Economic Forum launched a $15 million Aquaprenuer- Global
Fresh Water Innovation Challenge initiative.
• HCL Corporation partnered with UpLink, the open innovation platform of the World
Economic Forum, to announce the five-year-long Aquapreneur Innovation Initiative.
• HCL Corporation has committed $15 million over a period of five years to support this
initiative.
• This year, the initiative is witnessing massive interest of startups from regions like India and
the rest of Asia, South America and Africa.
• UpLink, an innovation platform led by the WEF, helps link startups solving global challenges
to investor ecosystems.
Appointments
1. Santosh Kumar Yadav has been appointed as the Chairman of the National Highways Authority of
India (NHAI) and Maharashtra Metro achieved the world record for constructing the longest double-decker
viaduct with a length of 3.14 km in Nagpur. The longest viaduct with highway flyover and metro rail
supported on single column piers. The maximum metro stations constructed on a double-decker viaduct are
recognized by the Asia Book of Records & India Book of Records. The development is the fulfilment of the
promise by PM Modi’s Government on building world-class infrastructure in New India.
Knowledge Nuggets -

· The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was constituted by an Act of Parliament,
the National Highways Authority of India Act, 1988.
· Chairperson - Alka Upadhyaya
2. Anil Kumar Lahoti has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Railway Board.

1. IIT-Madras has won the Wharton-QS Reimagine Education Awards, referred to as ‘the Oscars of Education’.
• The BS in Data Science and Applications won Silver in the ‘Best Online Program’ category, while NPTEL (National
Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning), a joint initiative of IITs and IISc, won the Gold in the ‘Lifelong
Learning category.’
2. Australia’s men’s Test Player of the Year award will be named in honour of Shane Warne.
Sports
1. Lovlina Borgohain and Nikhat Zareen won the gold medals at Women’s National Boxing Championship
2022 in Bhopal.
• The Railways team topped the medals tally with 10 medals – five golds, three silvers and two
bronze.
 • Madhya Pradesh, with one gold, two silver and five bronze stood second, while Haryana
with two gold and two bronze claimed the third position. Shane Warne
Miscellaneous
1. “Forks in the Road: My Days at RBI and Beyond” book has been authored by Rangarajan (former Governor
of RBI).
28dec*****************************************************************************
NATIONAL NEWS
1. IIT-Guwahati and IIT-Bombay are collaborating with the European Universities for the LOTUS Indo-European
project.
• The LOTUS Indo-European project has been launched by Department of Science and Technology and the
European Commission for providing solutions for issues related to the quality of water supplied across Indian
households and elsewhere.
• Under the project, Universit Gustave Eiffel, IIT Guwahati, and the SME EGM, Sophia
Antipolis, France have developed the LOTUS water quality sensor.
2. Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change has been implementing the Assistance to Botanical Garden
(ABG) Scheme since 1992 for ensuring the ex-situ conservation of endemic and threatened species of plants in the
network of Botanic Garden.
• Botanical Survey of India is the implementing agency of the scheme.
• Rs 48.07 crores has been spent on this scheme, so far.
• Recently, the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India’s Report for 2020-21highlighted the
ineffectiveness of this scheme in the conservation of plants, due to delay in fund release by the Ministry and
lack of monitoring.
Knowledge Nuggets -
• Botanical Survey of India’s HQ – Kolkata
• Botanical Survey of India’s Director – Dr Ashiho Asosii Mao
3. According to a govt official, the Rs 200 per cooking gas cylinder subsidy for 12 cylinders per year under Ujjwala
Scheme may be extended for another year in the upcoming Budget 2023-24.
4. National Mission for Clean Ganga has approved 12 projects worth Rs 2700 crores for developing sewerage
infrastructure in the Ganga Basin.
• The Ganga Basin covers areas in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, with a special focus on
tributaries of Ganga.
Knowledge Nuggets -
• National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) was registered as a society in 2011 under the Societies
Registration Act 1860.
• It acted as an implementation arm of the National Ganga Council which was constituted under the
provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act (EPA),1986.
• Organizations for the effective implementation of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) -
o National Ganga Council is under chairmanship of Hon’ble Prime Minister of India.
o Empowered Task Force (ETF) on river Ganga under chairmanship of Hon’ble
Union Minister of Jal Shakti (Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation)
5. Researchers at the IIT-Madras, Tel Aviv University and Columbia University are studying a rare genetic brain
disease called “GNB1 Encephalopathy” and trying to develop a drug to treat it effectively.
• With less than 100 documented cases worldwide, GNB1 Encephalopathy is a kind of neurological disorder
which affects individuals in the foetus stage.
• A single nucleotide mutation in the GNB1 gene that makes one of the G-proteins, the “Gβ1 protein,”
causes this disease.
• This mutation affects the patient since they are a foetus. Children born with GNB1 mutation experience
mental and physical developmental delay, epilepsy (abnormal brain activity), movement problems.
• The research was supported by Indo-Israel Binational grant offered by Israel Science Foundation (ISF) and
India’s University Grants Commission (UGC).
6. IIT-Roorkee has developed the SwasthGarbh Mobile App for antenatal care and real-time medical support for
pregnant women.
• The free-of-cost application was developed in collaboration with the All-India Institute of
Medical Sciences (AIIMS), for women with poor access to healthcare services, especially
in rural areas.
[Type here]
pg. 4
STATE NEWS
1. Uttarakhand launched the “Climate Resilient Livelihood for Disaster Prone Region of Uttarakhand”, in
collaboration with SBI Foundation and HESCO’s Project.
• Purpose – to create livelihood options for people living in disaster-prone areas
2. The 10th edition of the North East Festival was organized at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi from December 23-
26, 2022.
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
1. Tata Steel and TuTr Hyperloop have signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) at IITMadras to jointly work on
development and deployment of Hyperloop technology at scale.
2. NTPC Limited has signed a non-binding MOU with Tecnimont Private Limited, Indian subsidiary of Italy-based
Maire Tecnimont Group.
• Purpose – to collaborate for green methanol production facility at an NTPC project in India
• The green methanol project involves capturing carbon from NTPC power plants and converting it into a
green fuel.
3. Ministry of Power has signed an MOU with Defence Research and Development
Organization (DRDO), Ministry of Defence for the implementation of Early Warning System for Vulnerable Hydro
Projects/Power Stations.
• Ministry of Power and DRDO will jointly work towards developing suitable mitigation measures against avalanches,
landslides, glaciers, glacial lakes and other geo-hazards.
BANKING AND ECONOMY
2. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) has been appointed as the nodal ministry for
online gaming.
• The department of sports under the ministry of youth affairs and sports has been notified as the nodal
ministry for “eSports as part of multi-sports events”.
GDP FORECASTS
1. According to the Chief Economic Adviser to the Govt of India, Dr V. Anantha Nageswaran, Indian economy is likely
to grow 6.5% to 7% in 2023-24.

APPOINTMENTS
1. Senior bureaucrats Santosh Kumar Yadav has been appointed as the chairman of National Highways Authority of
India (NHAI).
• Subhasish Panda, a 1997-batch IAS officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as Delhi
Development Authority (DDA) vice chairman.
2. Ganji Kamala V Rao has been named the CEO of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
IMPORTANT DAYS
1. December 27 - International Day of Epidemic Preparedness
1. 9th Atal Samman Samaroh was organized in New Delhi to honour personalities who played an important role in
various fields like political, religious, social, educational, film etc., on the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister
of the country Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
• Prabhu Chandra Mishra has received the Atal Samman Award for his work in the field of
science and research.

29-31dec***************************************************************************
National News
1. Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution, Piyush Goyal, has launched the Rights to
Repair portal and the new premises of National Consumer Helpline Centre.
• An MOU was also signed between the Ministry and IIT-BHU for undertaking the capacity
building programs of the consumer commissions.
2. India has handed over the Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Power Project (720 MW) to Druk Green Power
Corporation (DGPC) in Bhutan.
• With this project, India and Bhutan have successfully completed four mega hydroelectric power projects.
The commissioning of the project has increased Bhutan’s Electrical Power Generation Capacity by 44%.
3. National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), an autonomous society under the Ministry of Tribal
Affairs, will organize 2-days’ face-to-face capacity building programme for Eklavya Model Residential
School (EMRS)
• Purpose – to implement Amazon Future Engineer Program in collaboration with the Learning Links
Foundation (LLF)
Knowledge Nuggets -

• Amazon Future Engineer is a comprehensive childhood-to-career program aimed at increasing access to computer scien
education for children and young adults from underserved and underrepresented communities.
• Amazon Future Engineer (AFE) Program is being launched in around 54 EMRSs across 6 States namely, Andhra Pradesh,
Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Telangana in schools having access to digital infrastructure including a
computer lab and stable active internet connectivity.
4. The Department of Posts under Ministry of Communications has launched an ‘Online request Transfer
Portal’ for Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS).
• India has the largest network of Post Offices in the world consisting of more than 1.56 lac
Post Offices across India, out of which more than 1,31,000 Branch Post Offices (BOs) are in
rural areas, where the Postal facilities are delivered by Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS).
5. The Ministry for Electronics & Information Technology (Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw) has launched the “Stay Safe
Online” campaign and the “G20 Digital Innovation Alliance” (G20-DIA).
• The ‘Stay Safe Online Campaign’ aims to raise awareness among citizens to stay safe in the
online world due to the widespread use of social media platforms and the rapid adoption of
digital payments.
• The campaign will be carried out in English, Hindi and local languages to reach a
wider audience.
• G20 Digital Innovation Alliance aims to identify, recognize, and enable the adoption of
innovative and impactful digital technologies developed by start-ups, from G20 nations as
well as the invited non-member nations.
• Areas of Innovation – Agri-tech, Health-tech, Ed-tech, Fin-tech, Secured Digital
Infrastructure, and Circular Economy
6. Shri Hardeep S. Puri, Union Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs and Petroleum & Natural Gas has
launched ‘City Finance Rankings, 2022’ and ‘City Beauty Competition’ to take India’s Urban Rejuvenation
journey to next level.
Knowledge Nuggets -

A) ‘City Finance Rankings’

• ‘City Finance Rankings’ aims to evaluate, recognize and reward Urban Local Bodies on the basis of their strength across
three financial parameters viz. resource mobilization, expenditure performance and fiscal governance systems.
• The cities will be ranked at the national level on the basis of their scores under any one of the following four population
categories: (i) Above 4 million (ii) Between 1-4 million (iii) 100K to 1 million (iv) Less than 100,000.
• The top 3 cities in each population category will be recognized and rewarded at the national level as well as within each
state/state cluster.
B) ‘City Beauty Competition’
• The ‘City Beauty Competition’ aims to encourage and recognize the transformational efforts made by cities and wards in
India to create beautiful, innovative and inclusive public spaces.
• Wards and public places of cities would be judged against the five broad pillars (i) accessibility (ii) amenities (iii) activitie
(iv) aesthetics and (v) ecology.
 7. Indian Institute of Science (IISc.) will be the secretariat for the Science 20 (S20), which is one of the several
groups of the G20.
• Theme of S20 - Disruptive Science for Innovative and Sustainable Development
State News
1. Tamil Nadu Forest Department and HCL Foundation (CSR arm of HCL Technologies) have partnered to clean
the debris in the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park in Tamil Nadu.
2. Odisha Cabinet has approved the provision of Rs 367.19 crores for five years from 2022-23 to 2026-27 for
implementation of the State Scheme “Empowerment of Women in Agriculture-Promotion of
Entrepreneurship for Women SHG (WSHG)”.
• The scheme aims to double the mushroom production across the State through area
expansion involving women beneficiaries/WSHGs and to make the state self-sufficient in the
production of button mushroom and loose flowers.
• The state Cabinet has also approved the provision of over Rs 1100 crore for four years
from 2022-23 to 2025-26 for implementation of the State Scheme- “Development of Potato,
Vegetable and Spices” with the involvement of WSHGs and FPOs.
• Purpose – to provide financial assistance to the farmers for the cultivation of Potato,
Onions, Hybrid vegetables, and Spices in order to make the State self-sufficient in
the production of 5 vegetables (Potato, Onion, Tomato, Cauliflower & Cabbage)
along with an increase in area and production under spices
3. Tamil Nadu has launched India’s first Nilgiri Tahr project to conserve
the State animal of Tamil Nadu at a cost of ₹25.14 crore.
• The project aims for the conservation of Tamil
Nadu’s State animal, expansion of its habitat and to
spread awareness among the public.
• The Nilgiri Tahr is the only mountain ungulate in
Southern India among the 12 species present in
India.

3. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi

Vijayan’s constituency named Dharmadam has become India’s first and only constituency to have a library in
all the wards.
• Kerala is perhaps the only state in India that has a library in every village.
4. Union Minister of Roads Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has inaugurated India’s second longest cable-
stayed eight-lane Zuari Bridge in Goa.
Agriculture and Rural Development

1. Union Agriculture Ministry has formed an Advisory Group for streamlining the development of the Bamboo
sector.
• Functions of the committee – The members of the committee shall advise the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers
Welfare on issues and technologies in propagation, plantation of bamboo & intercropping, primary processing,
product development, value addition, market infrastructure and linkages, processing machineries, skill
development etc.
• Composition of Advisory Group ▪ Chairperson – Union Agriculture Secretary
▪ Convenor – Mission Director of National Bamboo Mission ▪ It also has representation of various stakeholders –
researchers, innovators, progressive entrepreneurs, farmer leaders, marketing specialists and policy makers.
➢ About Restructured National Bamboo Mission
• Objective: To bring the bamboo resources into the market value chain to reduce import and improve livelihood &
business opportunities.
• It is Centrally Sponsored Scheme. • Launch Year: 2018.▪ National Bamboo Mission initially launched in 2006.
• The restructured NDM includes market, value addition, product development, skill & R&D components.
• It is being implemented under the ‘National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture’.
• Implementation: It is being implemented in only 23 States (including NE and Hilly States) and UT of J&K
• Funding Pattern
▪ 60:40 between Centre and State Government for all States.▪ 90:10 between Centre and NE & Hilly states.
▪ 100% from Centre for Union Territories/ R&D institutes/ Bamboo Technology support Groups (BTSGs) and National
Level Agencies
Defence News
1. Union Home Minister launched ‘Prahari’ app for Border Security Force (BSF) Jawans to provide personal and
service-related information, housing, Ayushman- Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and leave related
information to Jawans.
• The app will also connect the Jawans with the portal of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Knowledge Nuggets –

• BSF Motto - Duty until death• BSF Est. - 1 December 1965

Memorandum of Understanding
1. Indian Oil Corp. Ltd. has signed an MOU with the Central TB Division under the Union Health Ministry and
the states of Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to undertake intensified tuberculosis (TB) elimination project,
as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities.
• Uttar Pradesh and Chhatisgarh share the highest burden of TB cases among large states in
India.
2. Atal Incubation Centre (AIC) at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) signed agreements
with MSMEs for incubation of newer technologies into commercial products.
Knowledge Nuggets –

• Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) is India’s premier nuclear research facility headquartered in Trombay, Mumbai,
Maharashtra.
• After the demise of Dr Homi Jehangir Bhabha in 1966, AEET was renamed Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).
• Director of BARC - Ajit Kumar Mohanty
Banking and Economy
1. The Internet and Mobile Association of India has been selected to form a Self-Regulatory
Organisation for online gaming.
• Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) has become the nodal ministry to
govern online gaming industry.
• Currently estimated at $2.2 billion, India’s online real-money gaming market is expected to
reach a value of $7 billion by FY26, according to the All-India Gaming Federation (AIGF).
• The market’s current compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is about 27%, making it the
fastest-growing segment in the $24-billion media & entertainment space.
Knowledge Nuggets –

• IAMAI President – Subho Roy

• Established in 2004, the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) is a not-for-profit industry body and the
country's only organization representing the digital services industry.
• Its mandate is to expand and enhance the online and mobile value-added services sectors.
3. Max Healthcare has entered into a partnership with genomics biotech firm Anuva to conduct genomic-based
research on various communicable and non-communicable diseases in India.
• Purpose – to identify insights for precision medicine application across diseases including
breast cancer, lung cancer, diabetes, cardiac disease, kidney disease, drug resistant
tuberculosis, and others
• Anuva CEO – Jonathan Picker
•
5. Hyderabad-based drone manufacturer Marut Drones has received the type certification approvals from
the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for their Drone AG 365 which is an extensively tested and robustly
designed multi-utility agricultural drone.
 • Having been awarded a type certificate for AG 365 model, the drone is now eligible for Rs 10
lakh unsecured loans from the Agri Infrastructure Fund at a minimal 5-6% interest.
• Further, a 50-100% subsidy can be availed from the Government of India.
6. Niva Bupa (formerly Max Bupa Health Insurance) and Swara Fincare (NBFC) have partnered to launch Niva
Bupa Xpress Health – Serious Illness Plan benefit to deepen health insurance in rural areas.
• As part of the plan, the insurer will cover up to 3 EMIs (equated monthly instalments) in a
policy year of the respective customer in case of hospitalisation for 5 days or more.
7. IRDAI has made the KYC (Know Your Customer) rules mandatory for all the insurance policy buyers – health,
general, and life – w.e.f., January 1, 2023.
• At present, KYC documents are only required when making a claim worth over Rs 1 lakh.
8. Ministry of Corporate Affairs has permitted companies to hold their annual general meetings and extra
ordinary general meetings through video conferencing until September 30, 2023.
• It has been decided to allow the companies whose AGMs are due in the year 2023, to
conduct their AGMs on or before 30th September, 2023 by video conferencing or other
audio-visual means.
AppointmentUnited Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Abdullah Abdul Samad
Dashti of Kuwait as United Nations Coordinator for the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
• The Black Sea Grain Initiative was launched by Ukraine, Türkiye, the Russian Federation and
the United Nations in July 2022 to enable the resumption of exports from Ukraine of grain,
foodstuffs, and fertilizer, including ammonia, through a safe maritime humanitarian corridor.
2. Benjamin Netanyahu was sworn-in as Israel’s prime minister for a sixth time. He is the 25th PM of Israel.
Awards
1. Vishal Mittal has won the Prestigious Ambassadors of Change Award by Australia’s University’s Equity and
Participation Team for his work as a student mentor.
• Vishal Mittal is an Indian student studying at the University of Canberra in Australia.
2. The prestigious European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO) Young Investigator Network has chosen
Indian scientist Dr Mahima Swamy recognising her as one of the most revered experts at the University of
Dundee’s School of Life Sciences.
• She is a specialist in Immunology.
3. Rajasthan government’s Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) has won the ‘Effective
Government Communication Award’ for rolling out key state e-governance programmes, through digital
mode, for the general public and the beneficiaries.
• The state department had launched “Sujus” app to show the articles, events, press notes
etc. on the mobile.
4. Four veteran diplomats and a US lawmaker have been honoured with 2022 annual ‘Diwali- Power of One’
award for their efforts in working towards a peaceful and secure world.
• The award, which is also known as the ‘Oscars of Diplomacy’, is presented to former top
diplomats of the United Nations or a member state for their effort to help form a more
perfect, peaceful and secure world for all.
• The award was established in 2017 by Diwali Foundation USA Inc. to promote a peaceful and
consensus-based process to achieve societal ‘Good’.
1. 2022 FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championship Rapid Open was held at Almaty, Kazakhstan.
• Magnus Carlsen (Norway) and Tan Zhongyi (China) have won gold in Open and Women’s
championships.
• Savitha Shri B from India has won the Bronze Medal in women’s championship.
Miscellaneous
1. Pelé, Brazilian professional footballer and former Minister of Sports in Brazil, has passed away.
MISSION KARAMYOGI
➢ What: An Approach paper on Annual Capacity Building Plans for Ministries and Departments of Government of
India under “Mission Karmayogi” was launched recently.
• Objective: To enhance governance through Civil Service Capacity Building. • Launch Year: 2020.
• It seeks to create an ecosystem of competency driven training and Human Resource management by transitioning
from a ‘rulesbased’ system to ‘roles-based’ system
• Six pillars: 1. Policy Framework. 2. Institutional Framework. 3. Competency Framework.
4. Digital Learning Framework (iGOT-Karmayogi).5. Electronic Human Resource Management System (e-HRMS).
6. Monitoring and Evaluation Framework.
• Nodal Agency: Public Human Resource Council under the chairmanship of Prime Minister
▪ It will drive and provide strategic direction to civil service reforms and capacity building.
• Other implementing organisations:▪ Capacity Building Commission▪ Coordination Unit headed by the Cabinet
Secretary
▪ Special Purpose Vehicle for owning and operating the digital assets and the technological platform for online
training

National Single Window system

➢ What: National Single Window System Portal is currently accepting applications for 248 Government to Business
clearances from 26 Central Ministries/ Departments
• Objective: To provide a single platform to enable the identification and obtaining of approvals and clearances
needed by investors, entrepreneurs, and businesses in India.
• Nodal Agency: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade(DPIIT) • Launch Year: 2021.
• Detailed Objectives
▪ To reduce duplicity of information submission to different ministries, ▪ To reduce compliance burden
▪ To promote sector specific reforms and schemes ▪ To reduce gestation period of projects
▪ To promote ease of starting and doing business.
• Know Your Approval module: It guides investors to identify approvals required for their business based on a
dynamic intuitive questionnaire.

Community Innovator Fellowship

➢ What: Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog has launched applications for Community Innovator Fellowship
(CIF).
➢ Why: To facilitate knowledge building and provide infrastructure support to aspiring community innovators
essential for their entrepreneurship journey.
➢ About Community Innovator Fellowship
• Objective: To create a conducive environment where knowledge, mentorship, community immersion and inclusion
can prosper through adequate infrastructure and funding.
• Launched By: Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog in collaboration with UNDP India • Launch Year: 2022.
• It is a one-year-long intensive fellowship program, developed as a pre-incubation model.
• Beneficiary: Any aspiring community innovator can apply irrespective of their socio-economic background.
• It will provide them an opportunity to establish their social enterprise focusing on SDG based solutions for solving
community issues.
• During the course of this fellowship, each fellow will be hosted at an Atal Community Innovation Centre (ACIC).
• The selected fellows will be acquired with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) awareness, entrepreneurial skills
and life skills while working their ideas.

2nd Sustainable Agriculture Summit & Awards

New Delhi: Sohan Lal Commodity Management (SLCM), comprehensive service provider in the global post-harvest
space for agricultural commodities has received the prestigious “Sustainable Agriculture Awards” 2022 from FICCI.
This is the 2nd edition of the awards and SLCM has retained this prominent award for the second consecutive year
under the “Innovative Product/Technology/Services Promoting Sustainable Agriculture” category.
The award was received by Mr Sandeep Sabharwal, CEO, SLCM from Shri Narendra Singh Tomar Union Minister of
Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of IndiaSLCM has also expanded its product range under the AgriReach
umbrella to include proprietary solutions like ‘AgriSuraksha’ and ‘AgriReach Mobile Quality Check App’ for a more
efficient monitoring and quality control for agricultural commodities under storage at its facilities.

Indian Coast Guard conducts 24th National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan and Preparedness Meeting in
Chennai
Indian Coast Guard (ICG) conducted the 24th National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan (NOS-DCP) and
Preparedness Meeting in Chennai, Tamil Nadu on November 30, 2022. Director General, ICG Shri VS Pathania, who is
the Chairman of NOS-DCP, chaired the meeting. About 100 delegates, including representatives of various Ministries,
Central and State Government departments and agencies, State Pollution Control Board, Ports and Oil Handling
Companies participated. National capabilities with the common aim to ensure collective preparedness to respond to
any oil and chemical spill contingency in Indian waters were reviewed.

Workshop Cum Buyer-Seller Meet

➢ What: Workshop-cum-Buyer Seller Meet (BSM) has been organised in Aizawl, Mizoram.
➢ Why: To give a boost to the export of organic agricultural products of Mizoram and North Eastern Region (NER).
• Objectives
▪ To promote the exports of the potential agri-horti products.
▪ To provide market linkage to farmers, Farmer Producer Organisations, Farmer Producer Companies from the
northeastern state.
• Organisers: Agricultural and Processed Food Export Development Authority (APEDA) in association with Ministry of
Agriculture, Ministry of commerce & industries, Mizoram Government and North Eastern Regional Agricultural
Marketing Corporation Ltd
“Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region” (MOVCDNER).
• Objectives: LAUNCHED IN 2015
▪ To develop certified organic production in a value chain mode to link growers with consumers.
▪ To support the development of entire value chain starting from inputs, seeds, certification.
▪ To support creation of facilities for collection, aggregation, processing, marketing and brand building initiative.
• It is Central Sector Scheme.• sub-mission under National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA)
• It is implemented only in North Eastern States- Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram,
Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
• Under it, an assistance of Rs. 46,575/ha for 3 years is provided for creation of ▪ Farmers Producer Organisations
▪ Support for organic inputs ▪ Quality seeds/planting material and training ▪ Hand holding and certification
• Need based assistance is also provided for post-harvest infrastructure and value addition up to maximum limit of
▪ Rs 6 Crore for integrated processing unit. ▪ Rs 37.50 lakh for integrated pack house.
▪ Rs 18.75 lakh each for refrigerated vehicle and cold store components.
▪ Rs 10.0 lakh for collection, aggregation, grading and custom hiring centre.
▪ Rs 6.0 lakh for four-wheeler/transportation.

National Commission for Backward Classes

Shri.Hansraj Gangaram Ahir assumed charge as Chairperson, National Commission for Backward Classes here today.
He belongs to District Chandrapur, State of Maharashtra. He is an Agriculturist by profession.

Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar has said that natural farming is the
need of the hour, in which the cost is less and the produce fetches more price. Natural farming will now be part of
the agricultural education. The government is making efforts in this direction to include soon the natural farming
methods in agricultural education curriculum. Shri Tomar said this as the chief guest at the National Workshop on
Natural Farming in Gwalior, organized by the Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute (ATARI),
Jabalpur and Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Agricultural University, Gwalior.

TECHNOX
➢ What: India's premier show on Technical Textiles - ‘Technotex2023’ will be held in Mumbai in February 2023.
• It has been organized under National Technical Textiles Mission
• Organisers: Ministry of Textiles in collaboration with FICCI
• It is focused on providing its attendees access and networking opportunities to meet top CEOs, manufacturers,
industry peers, purchase managers and suppliers from India and around the globe.
Two-Week Capacity building programmes for civil servants of Maldives and Bangladesh was unveiled at National
Centre for Good Governance (NCGG), Mussoorie. 27 civil servants from Maldives and 39 Civil Servants from
Bangladesh are taking part in these two programmes.This programme has been conceptualized in consonance
with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ and ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, and
India is helping neighbouring countries to build capacities of their civil servants to meet the emerging challenges in
governance and assured public service delivery to improve the quality of life of people.This capacity building
programme will help the civil servants in putting up dedicated efforts to fill in the gaps between policies and
implementation. It is scientifically tailored to equip them to deliver robust and seamless services to the
people.During the visit of Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi to Maldives in 2019, National Centre for Good
Governance (NCGG), entered into an MoU with the Civil Service Commission, Maldives for capacity building of 1,000
Maldives civil servants by 2024. Similarly, an agreement was signed with the Govt of Bangladesh for the capacity
building of 1,800 civil servants by 2024.
PM’s Award for Excellence in Pub-Ad
➢ What: Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions has approved the Scheme for Prime Minister’s Awards
for Excellence in Public Administration 2022.
➢ Why: To acknowledge, recognize and reward exemplary work done by civil servants across the country
• Categories of Awards ▪ Promoting Swachh Jal through Har Ghar Jal Yojana.
▪ Promoting Swasth Bharat through Health & Wellness Centres.
▪ Promoting quality education with an equitable and inclusive classroom environment through Samagra Shiksha.
▪ Holistic Development through Aspirational District Program. ▪ Innovations.
• PM’s Awards portal: It was launched in October 2022 for registration and submission nomination for awards.

PACK MACH ASIA EXPO

Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises(MSME) in partnership with the PHD Chamber of Commerce and
Industry is organizing Mega International Conference on Packaging at Packmach Asia and Buyer Seller meet from 7-9
December, 2022 at Mumbai.

Indian Railways break several records in freight loading during Financial Year-2021-22
Indian Railways breaches 1400 MT Freight Loading mark for 1st time in Financial Year-2021-22
Achieves incremental growth of 15 % with increase in freight loading from 1233.2 MT in FY- 2020-21 to 1418.1 MT
(provisional) in FY-2021-22

policy has been launched on 15.12.2021. The locations for GCTs are being identified/finalized on the basis of
demand from industry and potential of Cargo Traffic. So far, 6 GCTs have already been commissioned and around 74
more locations have been provisionally identified for development of GCTs. 1Andhra Pradesh 2Assam 3Bihar
4Chhattisgarh 5Delhi 6Gujarat 7Haryana
Extension of PM SVANidhi
➢ What: Ministry of housing and urban affairs has extended PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi)
Scheme till December 2024
• The Scheme has been extended with following provisions –
• Introduction of 3rd loan of up to ₹50,000 in addition to 1st & 2nd loans of ₹10,000 and ₹20,000 respectively.
• To extend ‘SVANidhi Se Samriddhi’ component for all beneficiaries of PM SVANidhi scheme across the country

Abua Bugin Hodmo

➢ What: Ministry of Tribal Affairs has hosted free One-Day Mega Health Camp - 'Abua Bugin Hodmo' ('Our Better
Health') in Jharkhand.
➢ Why: To offer improved healthcare services to the tribal people.
• Objective: To reduce the burden of three categories of diseases that seriously impair the health of the members of
tribal group.
▪ 1st Category: TB, leprosy, HIV, hepatitis, and other contagious diseases.
▪ 2nd Category: Breast and uterine cancer, sickle cell disease, heart disease, skin conditions, nervous system
disorders, and dental problems.
▪ 3rd Category: Malnutrition and adolescent health, including maternal and child health nutrition (MCHN+A).
• Organisers: It was jointly organised by Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Ministry of AYUSH, Tata Steel Foundation and
District Administration

One Station One Product Scheme 2022

➢ What: Ministry of Railways has launched ‘One Station One Product’ (OSOP) scheme in Indian Railways.
➢ Why: To make each railway station a promotional hub and showcase destination for a local product giving a major
boost to local industry.
• Objectives:
▪ To promote ‘Vocal for Local’ vision of the Central Government of India.
▪ To provide a market for local/indigenous products and create additional income opportunities for the marginalised
sections of society.
• Under it, OSOP outlets at railway stations are allotted for showcasing, selling and giving high visibility to indigenous
/local products.
• Allotment is done to all applicants on a rotation basis who meet objectives of the scheme.
• Product categories:
▪ Handicrafts/ Artefacts ▪ Textiles and Handlooms s ▪ Traditional Garments
▪ Local agricultural produce/ Processed/semi processed foods

Rural Development and Self Employment Training Institute (RUDSET)

Union Minister Giriraj Singh inaugurated the new campus of the National Academy of Rural Development and Self
Employment Training Institute (RUDSET) - NAR at Kumbalagodu in Bengaluru on Saturday. The event was also
attended by Karnataka CM BS Bommai. The Rural Self Employment Training Institutes have a significant role in
building India into a major human resources hub,

'Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA)' 2019 launched under Digital India Mission to
bridge the digital divide specially targeting rural population including the marginalised sections of society, women
and girls by covering 6 crore rural households As on 08.12.2022, the percentage of women benefited under
PMGDISHA is over 53% of total enrolled, over 54% of total trained and over 56% of total certified.

“Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan” in 2016 with an aim to provide free of cost, assured, comprehensive
and quality antenatal care on the 9th day of every month universally to all pregnant women in their 2nd / 3rd
trimesters of pregnancy
Below are some of the main objectives of the scheme.
– Provide a healthy life to the pregnant women.
– Lowering the maternity mortality rate.
– Making pregnant women aware of their health issues/diseases.
– Making sure safe delivery and healthy life of the baby
The scheme is applicable only to the women in their pregnancy period of 3 to 6 months. The women who are not
fromm urban areas and belong to semi urban, poor and rural areas will be given preferences under the Surakshit
Matritva Abhiyan.
National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), an attached office of the Department of Pharmaceuticals fixes
the ceiling price of all scheduled formulations specified in the first schedule of the DPCO, 2013.All manufacturers of
scheduled medicines have to sell their products within the ceiling price (plus applicable Goods and Service Tax) fixed
by the NPPA.

NATIONAL WATERWAYS
TO promote Inland Water Transport (IWT) in the country, 111 waterways (including 5 existing and 106 new) have
been declared as National Waterways (NWs) under the National Waterways Act, 2016 which came into effect from
12th April, 2016. Based on the outcome of techno-economic feasibility and Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) of NWs,
25 NWs which have been found viable by Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) for cargo/ passenger
movement is at Annex-1. Development activities have been initiated in the first 13 NWs out of the 25 viable NWs.
Rs. 96.00 crore has been sanctioned for development of the stretch between Vijayawada to Muktayala in Krishna
River of NW-4 in Andhra Pradesh for following works:-
(i) Establishment of four Floating Pontoons,
(ii) Dredging as per requirement,
(iii) Land acquisition for construction of 3 Nos. of fixed Ro-Ro terminals at Muktayala, Harichandrapuram and
lbrahimpatnam.
During the last two years i.e. 2019-20 and 2020-21, Rs. 18.87 crore and Rs. 7.66 crore respectively has been allocated
to Andhra Pradesh

The UDAN Scheme is applicable for a period of 10 years from the date of notification of Scheme. The Government
has set a target to operationalize 1000 UDAN routes during the currency of the scheme and to revive/develop 100
unserved & underserved airports/heliports/water aerodromes by 2024. The Government of India has approved a
budget of Rs. 4500 crore for revival of existing unserved / underserved airports / airstrips of the State
Governments, Airports Authority of India, Public Sector Undertakings and Civil Enclaves. Airports Authority of
India (AAI), the Implementing Agency, monitors the progress for the revival/development of awarded aerodromes
under UDAN and the same is reviewed by the Ministry in consultation with stakeholders time to time.

Efficient Use of Water Resources

The average annual water availability of any region or country is largely dependent upon hydro-meteorological and
geological factors. However, water availability per person is dependent on population of a country. The per capita
water availability in the country is reducing due to increase in population. The annual per-capita water availability
of less than 1700 cubic meters is considered as water stressed condition. Based on the study of “Reassessment of
Water Availability in India using Space Inputs” (CWC, 2019), the average annual per capita water availability for
year 2031 has been assessed as 1367 cubic meters

Bureau of Water Use Efficiency has been set up by Government of India for promotion, regulation and control of
efficient use of water in irrigation, industrial and domestic sector

Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) was launched by Ministry of Housing and Urban
Affairs in 2015 in selected 500 cities and towns across the country. 4676 projects have been completed under it till
December 2022 of the total 5,873 projects worth Rs. 82,222 Crores undertaken by States/UTs

e-Green Watch portal portal has been developed by Forest Survey of India to provide userfriendly interactive
viewing of the forest fire related data for continuous monitoring and tracking of large forest fires in near real-time
basis
Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas has launched Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation
(SATAT) initiative in 2018 for setting up of 5000 Compressed Biogas (CBG) plants for production of 15 Million Metric
Ton (MMT) per annum of CBG by 2023- 24

Ministry of Law and Justice has launched Centrally Sponsored Scheme for setting up Fast Track Special Courts
(FTSCs) in October 2019 for setting up of 1023 FTSCs for expeditious trial and disposal of cases related to rape and
Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, in pursuance to the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2018

PM Adi Adarsh Gram Yojana

• Objective: To achieve integrated socio-economic development of selected villages through convergence approach.
• Duration: 2021-22 to 2025-26. • Ministry – Ministry of tribal affairs
• Coverage: It envisages to cover 36,428 villages having at least 50% tribal population and 500 Scheduled Tribes
across States/UTs. PM Adi Adarsh Gram Yojana 9999466225
• Features ▪ Preparing village Development Plan based on the needs, potential, and aspirations.
▪ It also includes maximizing the coverage of individual/family benefit schemes of the Central/State Governments.
▪ It also seeks at improving the infrastructure in vital sectors like health, education, connectivity and livelihood.
• Focused Sectors 1. Road connectivity (Internal and Intervillage /block).
2. Telecom connectivity (Mobile /internet). 3. School. 4. Anganwadi Centres. 5 . Health Sub-Centre.
6. Drinking water facility. 7. Drainage. 8. Solid waste management.
• Funding: Under it, Rs.20.38 lakh per village has been provisioned as ‘Gap-filling’ for approved activities
including administrative expenses.
▪ Besides, States/UTs are encouraged for convergence of resources as Central/State Scheduled Tribe Component
(STC) funds and other financial resources.

India International Science Festival • Launch Year: 2015.

➢ What: The 8th edition of India International Science Festival (IISF)-2022 will take place in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
in January 2023.
➢ Why: ▪ To celebrate the achievements of India’s scientific and technological advancements ▪ To engage the public
with science and celebrate the joy of science.
▪ To show the ways how science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) provide us with the solutions to
improve our lives. India International Science Festival
• Organisers: Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of Earth Science in association with Vijnana Bharati.
• Previous Editions: The 1st and 2nd IISF were held in New Delhi, 3rd in Chennai, 4th in Lucknow, 5th in Kolkata, 6th
was held in virtual mode and 7th was held in Goa.

Dare to Dream Scheme • Launch Year: 2019

• Objective: To bring together innovators, entrepreneurs, individuals above 18 years and start-ups for innovative
ideas in the field of Defence and Aerospace.
• Ministry: Ministry of Defence. Dare to Dream Scheme
• Implementing Agency: Defence Research and Development Organisation.
• Dare to Dream Contests are held every year for selecting innovative ideas.
• Benefits: DRDO provides support to the selected individuals/companies to realise their ideas into Prototype
through Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme.

India Internet Governance Forum

➢ What: The India Internet Governance Forum (IIGF) 2022 was held in New Delhi.
➢ Why: To discuss the roadmap to digitization and to reaffirm India's place on the global stage in international
policy development on internet governance.
➢ About India Internet Governance Forum
• It is an initiative associated with United Nations Internet Governance Forum (UN-IGF).
• 2022 IIGF Theme: ‘Leveraging Techade for Empowering Bharat’
Environment Education Programme • Launch Year: 1983.
➢ What: Environment Education, Awareness and Training (EEAT) scheme has been revamped into ‘Environment
Education Programme’ during the current financial year (FY 2022-23).
• Objectives:▪ To promote environmental awareness among all sections of society.
▪ To spread environment education. ▪ To mobilize student’s participation for environment conservation.
▪ National Green Corps (NGC) Programme
➢ More than 1 lakh Eco-clubs have been formed in schools and colleges to educate students and to spread
awareness on environmental issues.
➢ Financial assistance of Rs.5,000/- per Eco-club is provided under it, with a ceiling of 500 school Eco-clubs per
district and 100 college Eco-clubs per State.
➢ Eco-clubs undertake activities such as plantation drives, cleanliness drives, awareness and capacity building on
solid waste management, green pledges, etc.
▪ National Nature Camping Programme (NNCP):
➢ Under it, field visits/nature camps are being organised in different Protected Areas/ Nature Parks/ Tiger Reserves
of the country for students.
➢ These camps provide ‘nature experience’ to students and trigger their sensitivity towards nature and its
conservation.
➢ Under it, financial assistance not exceeding Rs.2,000/- per student for a camp of 2 nights and 3 days is provided,
with a ceiling of 20 camps per State/UT

Capacity Building Program

➢ What: National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has launched the project on ‘Capacity Building Programme for
Leveraging Community and Local Resources Based on Technology’ under ArthGanga.
➢ Why: To empower Ganga Basin's local communities by working towards their economic upliftment through
ecological perceptions. Capacity Building Program
• Objectives:
▪ To develop new need-based skills for the future amongst local community along River Ganga.
▪ To provide alternative solutions to the community members under Arth Ganga.
• Implementing Agencies: It is being jointly implemented by NMCG and Himalayan Environmental Studies and
Conservation Organization (HESCO).
• It envisages establishing Arth Ganga Centres and three Ganga Resource Centres.
• Under it, latest technologies will be sourced and disseminated for economically and ecologically viable
interventions for the community.
• Implementation States: Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand.
➢ About Arth Ganga
• Its concept was introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during 1st National Ganga Council meeting held in
Kanpur in 2019.
• Its central idea is linking people and Ganga through the bridge of economics in line with the slogan of “Banking on
River Ganga”.
• It strives to contribute at least 3% of the GDP from the Ganga Basin itself.
• Implementing Agency: National Mission for Clean Ganga.
• Six Verticals:
1. Zero Budget Natural Farming. 2. Monetization and Reuse of Sludge & Wastewater.
3. Livelihood Generation Opportunities. 4. Public Participation to ensure increased synergies between stakeholders.
5. Cultural Heritage &Tourism. 6. Institutional Building for better decentralized water governance.

National Conclave on Accelerating Energy

➢ What: Bureau of Energy Efficiency under Ministry of Power has organised the “National Conclave on Accelerating
Energy Efficiency in MSMEs” in New Delhi.
➢ Why: For pooling knowledge and synergizing the efforts made by various stakeholders, to promote energy
efficiency in the MSME sector.
National Conclave on Accelerating Energy
• UNNATEE tool was launched during the event.
▪ UNNATEE stands for Unified navigation tool on energy efficiency.
▪ Objective: For faster adoption of energy efficiency projects in MSME Sectors.
▪ Jointly developed by: Bureau of Energy Efficiency and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI).
➢ About GEF-UNIDO-BEE Project• Launch Year: 2011.
• Project Name: Promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy in selected MSME clusters in India.
• Objectives: To develop and promote a market environment for introducing energy efficiency and enhanced use of
renewable energy technologies in process applications in selected energyintensive MSME sectors.
• Implementing Agencies: It is Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded national project executed by United Nations
Industrial Development Organization and BEE.
• Supporting Ministries: Ministry of MSME and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)

The National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology (NCHMCT) recenlty unveiled a portal of
library and studies material. This will help to augment the online availability of study resources for further improving
education training and other research activities. Under Ministry of Tourism

100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is allowed under automatic route for sale of coal, coal mining activities
including associated processing infrastructure subject as per reviewed FDI policy in the coal mining notified in 2020

Union Government has established two Defence Industrial Corridors (DICs) to achieve Aatmanirbharta and realise
the goal of ‘Make in India’. In which states these DICs in UTTAR PRADESH AND TAMIL NADU

In the year 2018-19, Ministry of Education launched Samagra Shiksha – an integrated scheme for School Education
covering children with special needs from classes I to XII. The Scheme is governed and regulated by the provisions of
the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009. Section3(2) of RTE Act, 2009 deals with
elementary education of all differently abled children

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules,
2021 for prohibiting identified single use plastic items, which have low utility and high littering potential from 1st
July 2022. Under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986

To increase the forest cover in the country, afforestation programmes are being taken up under various Centrally
Sponsored Schemes of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change such as National Mission for Green
India (GIM). GIM is one of the eight Missions outlined under the National Action Plan on Climate Change. It aims at
protecting, restoring and enhancing India’s forest cover and responding to Climate Change by undertaking plantation
activities in the forest and non- forest areas. it was GIM launched 2014

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is implementing Nagar Van Yojana (NVY) since 2020 for
developing 400 Nagar Vans and 200 Nagar Vatika in the country. It aims to significantly enhance the tree and green
cover outside forests, enhance biodiversity and ecological benefits to the urban and peri-urban areas apart from
improving quality of life of city dwellers. For this, funds under the National Fund of the Compensatory Afforestation
Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) will be utilised. It is implementation period of this Scheme
frpm 2020-21 to 2024-25

‘Sahi Fasal’2019 campaign launched by National Water Mission to nudge farmers in the water stressed areas to
grow crops which are not water intensive, but use water very efficiently and are economically remunerative, healthy
and nutritious are environmentally friendly- suited to the agro-climatic-hydro characteristics of the area

Namami Gange Programme was launched in June 2014 for a period up to 31st March, 2021 to rejuvenate River
Ganga and its tributaries. The programme was subsequently extended up to 31 march 2026

Assam Rifles Paramilitary force, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has signed Memorandum of
Understanding to supply high quality kachhi ghani mustard oil
Developing Working Group – G20
➢ What: The first meeting of the Development Working Group under India’s G20 Presidency was held in Mumbai,
Maharashtra.
➢ Why: To focus on G20 collective actions for accelerating progress on the SDGs, and support to developing
countries in dealing with immediate concerns relating to food, fuel and fertiliser security. Developing Working Group
➢ About G20 Development Working Group
• Objective: To discuss developmental issues in Developing Countries, Least Developed Countries and Island
Countries • Establishment: 2010 (at the G20 Toronto Summit)
• It is a platform for G-20 member countries to come together and prioritize multilateralism, share solutions that
promote growth and remap development plans.
• In 2016, it was entrusted responsibility for coordinating and monitoring policy actions across all G20 countries
related to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Finance & Central Bank Deputies

➢ What: The 1st Finance & Central Bank Deputies Meeting under the G20 Presidency of India was held in Bengaluru,
Karnataka.
➢ Why: To mark the start of discussions on the Finance Track agenda under the Indian G20 Presidency. Finance &
Central Bank Deputies
• Organizers: It was hosted jointly by Ministry of Finance and Reserve Bank of India.
• Around 40 meetings of Finance Track will be held in several locations in India, which also include meetings of G20
Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors.
• The discussions in the G20 Finance Track will ultimately be reflected in the G20 Leaders’ Declaration

MoU – Agriculture and Space

➢ What: Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Department of Space have signed an MoU to develop
the Krishi-Decision Support System (Krishi-DSS) using geospatial technologies.
➢ Why: For enhancing evidence-based decision-making capability of all the stakeholders in the agriculture sector.
• It is a decision support system on the lines of Gati Shakti.
• It will use RISAT-1A Satellite and Visualisation of Earth observation Data and Archival System (VEDAS) of
Department of Space.
• It will also integrate Meteorological and Oceanographic Satellite Data Archival Centre (MOSDAC) and BHUVAN
(Geo-platform) of ISRO
▪ MOSDAC is data repository of ISRO, dealing with meteorology, oceanography and tropical water cycles

Fisheries & Aquaculture Development Fund

➢ What: Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying has created Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure
Development Fund (FIDF).
• Objectives ▪ Creation and modernization of capture & culture fisheries infrastructure.
▪ Creation of Marine Aquaculture Infrastructure. ▪ Creation and modernization of Inland Fisheries Infrastructure.
▪ Reduce post- harvest losses and improve domestic marketing facilities through infrastructure support.
• Launch Year: 2018-19. • Total fund size: Rs 7522.48 crore.
• It provides concessional finance to the Eligible Entities (EEs), including States/UTs and State entities for
development of identified fisheries infrastructure facilities.
• This finance is provided through the interest subvention up-to 3% by the Nodal Loaning Entities (NLEs) at the
interest rate not lower than 5% per annum
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has organised National Maternal Health Workshop in New Delhi. During this
event, States/UTs were awarded for their remarkable efforts and achievements in maternal health. Identify correct
statements
(2) Tamil Nadu bagged 2nd position in bigger state category for roll out of SUMAN Scheme
(3) Chandigarh bagged 1st position in Small State/UT category for Quality certifications under LaQshya’ programme
(4) Manipur won 1st prize for rapid rollout of extended Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan
(5) Telangana was awarded best performing state for Midwifery initiative

The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs has recently celebrated the completion of 60 years of enactment of
Customs Act, 1962. On this occasion Mascot for India Customs was released the name of this mascotOfficer hans
Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) was launched by Ministry of Power in December 2014 for rural
electrification works across the country. In 31 march 2019 was electrification of all villages and all willing Households
was completed under it (as reported by all State Governments

60.8% the percentage of rural workers including small and marginal farmers engaged in agriculture sector of the
country according to Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), 2020-21 conducted by Ministry of Statistics & Programme
Implementation

India’s contribution 25.44% to global production for pulses in the year 2019 as per the Agricultural Statistics at a
Glance 2021

Agriculture and Agricultural Marketing is a State Subject. Even though, Central Government has made a provision for
Contract Farming in the Model Acts circulated to the States for their adoption. 15 states have provisioned Contract
Farming in their state APMC Acts, as per the Central Government’s Model APMC Act, 2003?

National Council of Educational Research and Training has developed a specific module on “Emotional Wellbeing
and Mental Health” under the aegis of School Health Programme under Ayushman Bharat

Under Phase-II of Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) Scheme,
Rs. 1000 Crore has been allocated for the development of charging infrastructure. Under it, Ministry of Heavy
Industries has sanctioned 2,877 electric vehicle charging stations in _68_cities across 25 states/UTs

EV YATRA Web Portal and Mobile App has been launched by Bureau of Energy Efficiency to facilitate e-vehicle
navigation and promote e-mobility in the country

National Mission on Teachers & Training

• Objectives▪ To provide quality teachers in schools and colleges, attract talented people in the education sector and
improve quality in teaching.
▪ To set the teaching standard so that an organized cadre of professional teachers can be created.
▪ To develop innovative teaching method and high-level
institutional facilities in all the constituent areas of education.• Launch Year: 2014 (up to 2020)
• Implementing Ministry: Ministry of Education.
• Outlay: Rs. 900 Crore for over the XII Plan.
• It is Central Sector Scheme.
• It comprehensively addressed all issues related to teachers, teaching, professional development, curriculum
design, and developing assessment & evaluation methodology, research in developing effective Pedagogy.
• It is focused on Integrated Teacher education programmes to cater to the professional development needs for
both pre-service and in-service teachers & faculty.

North-Eastern Region. • Establishment: 1972.

• It is statutory body established under North Eastern Council Act, 1971.
• It serves as the nodal agency for the economic and social development of the North Eastern Region.
• Parent Ministry: It functions under Ministry of Development of the
• Headquarters: Shillong, Meghalaya.
North Eastern Council
• Member States: 8 North eastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland
and Tripura, Sikkim.
▪ Sikkim was included as the 8th member state through NEC (Amendment) Act, 2002.
• Composition:
▪ Ex-officio Chairman: Union Home Minister.
▪ Ex-officio Vice-Chairman: Minister of State (IC), Ministry of Development of the North-Eastern Region.
• Members: Respective Chief Ministers and Governors are members

India Energy Week 2023

➢ What: The curtain raiser of India’s flagship energy event India Energy Week 2023 (IEW 2023) was organised at
Bengaluru, Karnataka.
➢ Why: To mark the beginning of number of preparatory events being hosted in the run up to the India Energy
Week 2023.
• Objective: To showcase India as both an engine of global economic growth and driver for global consumption,
conducive and investment-friendly environment and a skilled workforce.
• Tagline: “Growth, Collaboration, Transition”.
• It will be organised by Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and supported by Indian Oil and Federation of Indian
Petroleum Industry.

Open Network for Digital Commerce • Launch Year: 2021.

• Objectives: ▪ Democratisation and decentralization of eCommerce.
▪ Inclusivity and access for sellers, especially SMEs as well as local businesses.
▪ Increased choices and independency for consumers.
▪ It has been incorporated as a non-profit, Section-8 company.
• Initiative of: Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce.
• Authorized capital: Rs. 500 Crores.
▪ Many public and private banks and financial institutions have contributed equity to ONDC till now.
• Board members: 12 including three government nominees from the Ministries of Commerce and Industry (DPIIT),
MSME and Consumer Affairs.
• Pilot Phase: It was launched in April 2022 in five cities- New Delhi, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Shillong and Coimbatore.

Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati • Launch year – 2019-20

• Objective
▪ It is aimed at promoting traditional indigenous practices, which give freedom to farmers from externally purchased
inputs.
▪ It focuses on on-farm biomass recycling with major stress on biomass mulching; use of cow dung–urine
formulations; and exclusion of all synthetic chemical inputs either directly or indirectly.
• Period of implementation – 2019-20 to 2024-25
• Total outlay – Rs.4645.49 Crores
▪ Rs.12200/ha for 3 years is provided for cluster formation, capacity building and continuous handholding by trained
personnel.
▪ Out of Rs.12200, Rs.2000 is provided as incentive to farmers through DBT
▪ Rs.2700 per ha is provided for PGS Certification and Residue Analysis for three years under BPKP to facilitate
marketing of natural farming products.
▪ Rs.8800/ha for 3 years from PKVY funds for marketing, value addition and publicity of natural farming products

Under Gramin Krishi Mausam Seva Program, Survey of India in collaboration with IMD is issuing Agromet advisories
twice a week (Tuesday and Friday) to around 6 crore farmers of the country.

Council of Scientific & Industrial Research will be launching "One Week, One Lab" countrywide theme-based
campaign to ignite the minds of young innovators, students, Start-ups, academia, and industry to look for
opportunities through deep tech ventures

Ministry of Minority Affairs implements Shahari Waqf Sampatti Vikas Yojana through Central Waqf Council to
provide interest free loan to Waqf Institutions/Waqf Boards for taking up economically viable projects on the urban
waqf land such as commercial complexes, marriage halls, hospitals, cold storages etc

Indian Railway’s National Rail Plan has envisaged to increase share of freight traffic by rail from current share of
27% to 45% by 2030.

CDAC and National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) has collaborated to develop an e-learning
platform i.e., Eklavya Learning Management System (ELMS) to enable a comprehensive learning environment for
students in Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs)

Ministry of Education had launched National Credit Framework (NCrF) to enable the integration of academic and
vocational domains to ensure flexibility and mobility between the two. It is an inclusive umbrella Framework to
seamlessly integrate the credits earned through school education, higher education, and vocational & skill
education. Released by 2022

Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions is celebrating 2nd Good Governance Week from 19th to 25th
December 2022. Prashasan Apke Ki Ore a nationwide campaign will be organised during this week to create a
national movement for good governance in furtherance of the initiative towards a citizen-centric approach of
governance

Government of India has increased the MSP for wheat for Rabi marketing season 2022-23. What is the MSP for this
season? Rs.2125/quintal

Make in India 2.0 is focused on 27 sectors. Out of 27 sectors,15 are in manufacturing sector and 12 are in service
sector

The Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) is a pioneering Indian initiative, jointly implemented by the CSIR and
Ministry of AYUSH to prevent exploitation and to protect Indian traditional knowledge from misappropriation by way
of wrongful Intellectual Property Rights. It contains Indian traditional medicine knowledge from classical/ traditional
texts related to Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Sowa Rigpa, and Yoga techniques in a digitized format. It is available in
five international languages to patent examiners are these international languages (1) English (2) French (3) German
(4) Spanish (5) Japanese

Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act 2001 enacted by Parliament for the establishment of an
effective system for protection of plant varieties, the rights of farmers and plant breeders and to encourage the
development of new varieties of plants

MusQan Scheme • Launch Year: 2021.

➢ What: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is implementing MusQan Scheme.
➢ Why: For improving the quality of care at public health facilities for children up to 12 year of age group.
• Objective: To accelerate efforts toward reduction of preventable maternal mortality and morbidity by improving
Quality of Care during the delivery and immediate post-partum period.
• Ministry: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• It specifically focuses on the care around birth provided in the Labour room and Maternity Operation Theatre.
• It has been initiated in all government medical college hospitals, district hospitals & equivalent health facilities, all
designated FRUs and high case load CHCs.
• Key strategy of MusQan is to
▪ Strengthen clinical protocols and management process.
▪ Children and parent attendant friendly ambience and infrastructure.
▪ Strengthen referral and follow-up services.
▪ Provision of respectful and dignified care.

TIDE 2.0 Scheme • Launch Year: 2019.

• Objective: To promote tech entrepreneurship through financial and technical support to incubators engaged in
supporting ICT start-ups using emerging technologies such as IoT, AI, Blockchain, Robotics etc. in areas of societal
relevance.
▪ TIDE 1.0 was launched in 2008. • Ministry: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
• Implementation: It is being implemented through 51 TIDE 2.0 Incubation Centres.
• Overall outlay: Rs.264 Crore for period of five years.
• It is expected to provide incubation support to approximately 2000 tech start-ups.
▪ Healthcare ▪ Education ▪ Agriculture ▪ Financial inclusion including digital payments
▪ Infrastructure and transportation ▪ Environment and clean tech ▪ Clean energy solutions▪ Other emerging areas

SAMRIDH Scheme • Launch Year: 2021.

• SAMRIDH stands for ‘Start-up Accelerator Programme of MeitYfor Product Innovation, Development and Growth’.
• Objectives: ▪ To support existing and upcoming Accelerators to further select and accelerate potential software
product-based startups to scale.
▪ To accelerate the start-ups by providing customer connect, investor connect and internationalization connect
services.
• Ministry: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
• Implementing Agency: MeitY Start-up Hub.
▪ It is nodal entity to interconnect deep tech start-up infrastructure pan India.
• It focuses on accelerating 300 start-ups in three years by providing them customer connect, investor connect, and
international immersion.
• Investment: Up to Rs.40 Lakh to the start-up.

DISHA Scheme • Launch year: 2021

• Objectives▪ To secure “Justice” to the people of India as enunciated in the Constitution of India.
▪ To design and consolidate various initiatives to provide citizencentric delivery of legal services.
▪ To create awareness and dissemination through use of technology and developing simplified Information,
Education and Communication (IEC) material for the masses.
• Ministry: Ministry of Law and Justice. • Duration: 5 years from 2021 to 2026.
• Financial Outlay: Rs. 250 Crore. • Programs under the scheme:
▪ Tele-Law: It is an e-interface platform to empower people through pre-litigation advice for rightfully claiming their
entitlements and for timely redressal of their difficulties.
▪ Nyaya Bandhu: It aims to create a pan India framework for dispensation of pro bono legal services.
▪ Nyaya Mitra: It aims to facilitate expeditious disposal of 10-15 years old pending cases in High Courts and
Subordinate Courts
▪ Legal Literacy & Awareness: It aims to enable the vulnerable sections of society to have access to information
about their legal rights, entitlements and create better legal awareness

Pey Jal Sarvekshan

➢ What: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has started the ground survey of Pey Jal Survekshan under
Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0.
➢ Why: To serve as a monitoring tool and accelerator for the AMRUT Mission while also fostering healthy
competition among cities.
• Objective: To assess the service level compliance of the city with respect to
▪ quality, quantity, and coverage of water supply ▪ sewerage and septage management
▪ extent of reuse & recycle of used water ▪ conservation of water bodies in 500 (485 after merger)
AMRUT cities.
• Third Party Agency: To conduct this Survekshan, MoHUA has engaged a third-party agency, IPSOS.
• Focus Areas: ▪ Water utility services. ▪ Used water utility services. ▪ Water bodies.
▪ Non-Revenue Water (NRW) estimation. ▪ Best practices and innovation.
• Process of Survekshan
▪ Self-assessment of service levels: ULBs will undertake self-assessment against the parameters on on-line Peyjal
Portal.
▪ Direct Observation: Assessors will visit the ULBs to carry out ground survey. This will help in assessing and
validating the claims made by the ULBs.
▪ Citizen’s Feedback: Assessors will conduct citizen feedback survey from all parts of the cities to capture the level of
satisfaction in service delivery by the ULBs.

As on 31 October 2022, a total of 172.72 GW of capacity from non-fossil fuel sources has been installed in the
country. Arrange the following in descending order as per the installation capacity
▪ Solar-61.63 GW. ▪ Large Hydro-46.85 GW. ▪ Wind-41.84 GW.
▪ Bio-Power-10.70 GW. ▪ Nuclear Power-6.78 GW. ▪ Small Hydro Power (SHP)-4.92 GW.

Central Government has been implementing Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme throughout the country
wherein Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) sell petrol blended with ethanol. Under EBP Programme, Government has
fixed the target of 10% and 20% blending of ethanol with petrol by 2022 and 2025 respectively.

The provisions mentioned in Schedule-II of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
(MGNREGA), 2005 wage seekers is entitled to receive payment of compensation for the delay, at the rate of 0.05%
of the unpaid wages per day of delay beyond the 16th day of closure of muster roll.

Operation NARCOS operation is being undertaken by Railways Protection Force to take action against trafficking of
Drugs via Railways as part of Indian Railways sincere efforts to curb drug trafficking through their network?

Total length of Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC), a mega-infrastructure project undertaken by Indian Railways for
dedicated freight movement is 2843 km

Ministry of Earth Science under Samudrayaan Mission will be sending three personnel to 6000-metre depth in a
vehicle called ‘MATSYA 6000’ for the exploration of deep-sea resources like minerals

For increasing the production of Nutri-Cereals under National Food Security Mission (NFSM) programme, the NFSM-
Nutri Cereals is being implemented in 212 districts of 12 states

Free Food under NFSA

➢ What: Union Cabinet has decided to provide free foodgrains to about 81.35 crore beneficiaries under National
Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, as per their entitlement.
➢ Why: To remove the financial burden of the poor and the poorest of the poor.
• Duration: For 1 year from January 1, 2023.
• Expenditure: Government will spend more than Rs 2 lakh crore in this period as food subsidy under NFSA.
• 5 kg food grains per person to Priority Households (PHH) beneficiaries and 35 kg per household to Antyodaya Anna
Yojana (AAY) beneficiaries will be provided free of cost for next one year.
• Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana has been discontinued and has been merged with the NFSA. Its free
portion has been now added to the NFSA

Rajiv Gandhi Shramik Kalyan Yojana • Launch Year – 2005

• Objective To provide unemployment allowance to the Insured Person (IP) for a maximum period of 24 months in
case
▪ He/She becomes unemployed involuntarily due to retrenchment as defined under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947
▪ Closure of the factory/ establishment as defined under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947
▪ Permanent invalidity of not less than 40% arising out of nonemployment injury.
• Ministry – Ministry of labour and employment
• Eligibility conditions
▪ The Insured person (IP) should be in service for a minimum two years
▪ The paid/payable contribution in respect of an IP for 156 days or more in any two consecutive contribution period
will be deemed as having worked for one full year.
▪ Contribution paid for 78 days or more in a contribution period will be deemed as having served for a half year
▪ The IP and his/her family are also entitled for medical care
▪ Unemployment allowance shall cease to be payable in case the Insured Persons who gets re-employment or attains
the age of superannuation or 60 years, whichever is earlier.
• Unemployment allowance - Daily rate of unemployment allowance is 50% of the average daily wages drawn by
theinsured person for first 12 months and 25% for the last 12 months

ASEAN India Grassroots Innovation Forum

➢ What: The 3rd edition of ASEAN India Grassroots Innovation forum 2022 concluded at Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
• Organisers: ASEAN Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation (COSTI) in partnership with Department of
Science and Technology (DST), India and National Innovation Foundation (NIF) – India.
• Objective: To promote and strengthen
the development of the grassroots
innovation ecosystem.
• Organisers: It is organized annually by
COSTI in partnership with DST, India and
NIF – India.
• It comprises of seminar sessions,
innovation competitions, and an
exhibition.
• Previous Editions: The first two forums
were organized in Indonesia (2018) and
Philippines (2019) respectively.
AI Pe Charcha
➢ What: National eGovernance Division (NeGD) under the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) has organized an AI
Pe Charcha (AI Dialogue) in New Delhi.
➢ Why: To discuss the importance of and approaches for enabling access to quality datasets for AI’s Modernization
Programme.
➢ About AI Pe Charcha series
• Objective: To cover the importance of data driven and AIenabled governance along with the global best practices.
• It was initiated as a part of India's first global AI summitResponsible AI for Social Empowerment (RAISE).
▪ This summit was organized by MeitY in 2020.

Digital Health Incentive Scheme

➢ What: National Health Authority has announced a Digital Health Incentive Scheme (DHIS) for the stakeholders of
the digital health ecosystem.
• Objective: To give a further boost to digital health transactions in the country under the Ayushman Bharat Digital
Mission (ABDM).
• Financial Outlay: Rs. 50 crores for a period of 6 months starting from 1st January 2023 onwards.
• Beneficiaries: Under it, incentives will be provided to the following entities:
▪ Health Facilities having 10 or more beds.
▪ Laboratory/radiology diagnostics centres.
▪ Digital Solution Companies (entities providing ABDM enabled digital solutions).
• They will be given financial incentives up to Rs. 4 crores based on the number of digital health records they create
and link to Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA).

Digital India Land Records Modernization Program

• Objective: To develop a modern, comprehensive and transparent land record management system with the aim to
develop an Integrated Land Information Management System.
• Launch Year: It was launched in 2008 as National Land Record Modernization Programme.
▪ It was revamped and converted as a Central Sector Scheme in 2016.
• Duration: It has been extended for period of 5 years- 2021-22 to 2025-26.
• Funding: 100% from Centre.
• Implementing Ministry/Agency: Department of Land Resources under Ministry of Rural Development.
• Benefits:
▪ Provides real-time information on land. ▪ Optimize use of land resources.
▪ Benefits both landowners & prospectors ▪ Assists in policy & planning
▪ Helps to reduce land disputes.
➢ Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN) or Bhu-Aadhar
• It is a 14-digit Alpha–numeric unique ID for each land parcel based on Geo-coordinates of vertices of the parcel
which is of international standard.
• It contains ownership details of the plot besides its size and longitudinal and latitudinal details.
• It facilitates real estate transactions, helps to resolve property taxation issues and improve disaster planning and
response efforts, etc.
• Implementation: So far, it has been rolled out in 24 States/UTs.

TULIP Program • Launch year – 2020

➢ What: The Urban Learning Internship Program (TULIP) is being implemented by ministry of housing and urban
affairs in collaboration with Ministry of education and All India Council of Technical Education.
• Objective – It is a platform to provide internships to students and graduates in ULBs, Smart Cities of States/UTs.
• This program is a stepping stone for fulfilment of Ministry of education’s and AICTE’s goal of 1 crore successful
internships by the year 2025
• Since the launch of TULIP Programme in June 2020, so far more than 25,000 internship opportunities have been
advertised; of which more than 5,000 internships have been offered; of which more than 3,500 have been
completed

Start-Up India Seed Fund Scheme • Launch Year: 2021.

• Objective: To provide financial assistance to start-ups for proof of concept, prototype development, product trials,
market entry and commercialization.
• Financial Outlay: Rs. 945 crores. • Ministry: Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• Duration: 2021-22 to 2024-25.
• Implementation: Experts Advisory Committee (EAC) constituted by Central Government is responsible for the
overall execution and monitoring of the scheme.
▪ The EAC evaluates and selects incubators for funds under the Scheme.

Headquarters of Unique Identification Authority of India organisation was awarded prestigious GRIHA Exemplary
Performance Award 2022, a top national level Green Building Award

Defence Acquisition Council, headed by Defence Minister has approved 24 Capital Acquisition Proposals of total
value of Rs.84,328 crore. 78.98% of these proposals will be procurement from indigenous sources

India under its updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted to United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in August 2022 has committed to reduce Emissions Intensity of its GDP by
45 percent by 2030, from 2005 level.

National Conclave on Techneev@75 is the culmination of the yearlong Techneev@75 program. Who had organised
it to bring together communities, societal change makers, and experts on one platform for absorption of science and
technology at the community level
[a] Ministry of Earth Sciences
[b] Ministry of Science and Technology
[c] Council of Scientific and Industrial Research

Madhukranti Portal has been launched under Central Sector Scheme- National Beekeeping and Honey Mission for
online registration and developing Blockchain system for traceability of source of honey and other bee products

NIRMAN Accelerator Program • Launch Year: 2022

➢ What: 15 Start-ups were selected in the first-of-its-kind NIRMAN Accelerator Program.
➢ Why: For supporting innovators developing sustainable solutions especially in healthcare and agriculture
domains.
➢ About NIRMAN Accelerator Program
• Objective: To enable comprehensive nurturing and fostering of the start-ups through effective mentoring and
market access.
• Launched by: Start-ups Incubation and Innovation Centre of IIT Kanpur.
• Supported by: Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology through its NIDHI
scheme portfolio.
• It provides support to solve challenges in the product development journey of indigenous innovations.
➢About NIDHI (National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations) Program
• Objective – It is an umbrella program for nurturing ideas and innovations into start-ups.
• NIDHI aims to nurture start-ups through scouting, supporting and scaling of innovations.
• Funding – National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board

Right to Repair Portal

➢ What: Ministry of Consumer Affairs has launched 'right to repair' portal and revamped National Consumer
Helpline.
• Manufacturers will share the manual of product details with customers so that they could either repair by self, by
third parties, rather than depend on original manufacturers.
• Initially, mobile phones, electronics, consumer durables, automobile and farming equipments will be covered.
➢ National Consumer Helpline
• It has been revamped to provide services in 12 languages.
▪ It had only 2 languages earlier.
• Inclusion of more languages will help to cater the wider consumer bases conversing in their mother tongue

PRASHAD Scheme • Launch Year: 2014-15.

➢ What: President Droupadi Murmu has inaugurated the project “Development of Srisailam Temple in the State of
Andhra Pradesh” at Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh.
• The project has been sanctioned and executed under PRASHAD Scheme.
• It was 100% funded by the Ministry of Tourism.
• Objectives
▪ Development and promotion of religious tourism in India.
▪ To integrate pilgrimage destinations in a prioritised, planned and sustainable manner to provide a complete
religious tourism experience.
• Ministry: Ministry of Tourism.
• Financing: It is a Central Sector Scheme with complete financial assistance by the Central Government.
• It focuses on integrating infrastructure development to harness pilgrimage and heritage tourism destinations for its
direct and multiplier effect upon employment generation and economic development.

VISVAS Scheme
• Objective – To provide financial assistance to SC and OBC self-help groups and individuals in the form of interest
subvention. • Launch year – 2020 • Ministry – Ministry of social justice and empowerment
• Implementing agency - National Scheduled Castes Finance Development Corporation (NSFDC) and National
Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation (NBCFDC)
• Eligibility – The beneficiary should have family income up to Rs.3 Lakhs
• Interest subvention ▪ 5% interest subvention for loans up to Rs.4 Lakhs in case of SHGs
▪ In case of individual beneficiaries, 5% interest subvention for loans up to Rs.2 Lakhs

Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan

• Objective: To reach out to the masses and spread awareness about substance use.
• Launch Year: 2020.
• Ministry: Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.
• Coverage: It is being implemented in 372 most vulnerable districts.
▪ Identification of these districts is based on the findings of the 1st Comprehensive National Survey and inputs from
the Narcotics Control Bureau.
• Special Focus: It is on higher educational Institution, university campuses & schools, reaching out & identifying
dependent population, counselling & treatment facilities in hospitals & rehabilitation centres and Capacity building
programmes for service providers.
 • The Abhiyan will be implemented in the 17000 Border Villages in 18 States/UTs during May 2023

1 January 2023 Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment has announced to waive off
Registration/Diagnostics/Treatment fee at all National Institutes/ Composite Regional Centres (CRCs) under
Department of Empowerment of Persons for Divyangjan having Unique ID for Persons with Disabilities (UDID) cards

Unique Identification Authority of India has been awarded Data Security Council of India - Annual Information
Security Summit (DSCI-AISS) Award for ‘Best Security Practices in Government Sector’

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for Fair Average Quality
of milling copra at Rs. 10860/- per quintal and for ball copra at Rs. 11750/- per quintal for 2023 season. This approval
was based on recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices and views of major coconut
growing states. [a] National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd [b] National Cooperative
Consumers’ Federation act as Central Nodal Agencies (CNAs) for procurement of copra

NHPC Limited has won ‘Best Globally Competitive Power Company of India – Hydropower and Renewable Energy
Sector’ at PRAKASHmay ‘15th Enertia Awards 2022’

The 46th meeting of the Executive Committee of National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) was recently organised
under the chairmanship of Director General, NMCG. It approved Afforestation Programmes for the year 2022-23 for
Uttarakhand and Bihar

During 46th meeting of the Executive Committee of National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) project titled
‘Scientific exploration of floral diversity near the Ganga River banks for ethnobotanical purposes along with their
conservation and economic development of the region via skill development programs’ was approved for all the five
Ganga basin states. This project has three components 1) Plant Biodiversity Exploration (2) Training and Skill
Development (3) Advanced Scientific Research & Experimentation

Vadodara was ‘Bijli Utsav’ organised by REC Limited, a Maharatna Company under the Ministry of Power as a part
of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ – to celebrate 75 years of Independence

Rbi

1. Reserve Bank of India has approved the re-appointment of Baskar Babu Ramachandran as the MD &
CEO of Suryoday Small Finance Bank for three years effective January 23, 2023.

Infibeam Avenues Ltd., the country’s first listed payments infrastructure firm, has received Perpetual Licence from
the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for its bill payments business, BillAvenue.
• The licence will allow BillAvenue to function as a Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit (BBPOU)
under Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS).
• As a BBPOU, BillAvenue operates as both biller and customer operating unit onboarding billers and agent
institutions to service customers.

12. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed curbs on RazorPay and Cashfree Payments for on-boarding new merchants
till they get the final Payment Aggregator (PA) licence.
13. AU Small Finance Bank, India’s leading small finance bank, has signed a bancassurance agreement with HDFC Life
Insurance to sell the insurance products to bank’s customers.
3. B2B payments solutions provider PayMate has received ‘in-principle’ authorisation from the Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) to operate as a payment aggregator.
• As per a report, the Indian payment gateways market stood at $1.2 Bn in 2021 and is expected to grow to $2.68
Bn by 2027.
Knowledge Nuggets -
 • Merchant aggregation also known as payment aggregation, is a business model where a
third-party payment provider signs up merchants directly under its own merchant
identification number (MID) to process transactions through a single master account.
• In 2020, RBI released the Guidelines for Regulation of Payment Aggregators and Payment
Gateways.
• Highlights of the guidelines –

HDFC ERGO General Insurance Co

3. Private sector lender Tamilnad Mercantile Bank (TMB) has been authorised by the Reserve Bank of India to
undertake government business on behalf of the RBI.
• TMB is one of the oldest private sector banks with a history of over 100 years, having been established in 1921 as
Nadar Bank.

2. Central Government will allow a consortium of foreign funds and investment firms to own more than 51% in IDBI
Bank.
• The current guidelines of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) restrict foreign ownership in new private banks.

4. RBI has launched the pilot project for operationalising the Central Bank Digital Currency (e₹-R) in retail
mode, after its successful implementation at the wholesale level.
• In the first phase, the retail e-rupee pilot project has been launched in four
cities of Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, and Bhubaneswar on December 1.
• Four banks are controlling the launch of the retail e-rupee – SBI, ICICI Bank, Yes
Bank and IDFC First Bank.
• Future launch – Ahmedabad, Gangtok, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Indore, Kochi, Lucknow,
Patna, and Shimla, in collaboration with Bank of Baroda, Union Bank of India, HDFC Bank,
and Kotak Mahindra Bank
• The e₹-R will be issued in the same denominators as paper currency and coins and
distributed via banks.
Knowledge Nuggets –

• The Reserve Bank of India was established on April 1, 1935 in accordance with the provisions of the Reserve Bank of Ind
• The Central Office of the RBI was initially established in Kolkata but was permanently moved to Mumbai in 1937.
• Initially, it was privately owned but in 1949, the RBI was nationalised.
• The accounting year for the RBI was changed to April-March (earlier July-June) from the financial year 2020-21 onwards
• The Reserve Bank's affairs are governed by a central board of directors.
o Official Directors
 Full-time : Governor and not more than four Deputy Governors
o Non-Official Directors
 Nominated by Government: ten Directors from various fields and two government Official
 Others: four Directors - one each from four local boards
• Subsidiaries of RBI –
(i) Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation of India (DICGC),
(ii) Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Private Limited (BRBNMPL),
(iii) Reserve Bank Information Technology Private Limited (ReBIT),
(iv) Indian Financial Technology and Allied Services (IFTAS),
 (v) Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH)
• Institutes Funded by the Bank –

Amrit Bharat Station

➢ What: Ministry of Railways has formulated a new policy for modernization of railway stations named “Amrit
Bharat Station” scheme.
• Objective: To prepare Master Plans of the Railway stations and implement Master Plan in phases to enhance the
facilities beyond Minimum Essential Amenities.
• Coverage: It envisages infrastructural development of more than 1,000 stations.
• Implementation: It will be implemented as per needs and patronage of the railway stations.
• Some Key Features
▪ To develop passenger amenities by clubbing different types of waiting halls and to provide good cafeteria and retail
facilities
▪ To relocate redundant/old buildings in a cost-efficient manner to make space available for higher priority
passenger related activities and future development.
▪ Improving station premises by well-planned parking areas, properly designed signages, removal of unwanted
structures, dedicated pedestrian pathways, widening of roads etc.
▪ Cost efficient improvement to facades, provision of wide, well-lit aesthetically pleasing entrance porches

Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme

➢ What: Ministry of Power is implementing the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS).
➢ Why: To help distribution companies (DISCOMs) improve their operational efficiencies and financial sustainability
by providing result-linked financial assistance to DISCOMs.
• Objectives
▪ Reduction of Aggregate Technical & Commercial (AT&C) losses to pan-India levels of 12-15% by FY 2024-25.
▪ Improve quality, reliability, and affordability of power supply to consumers through a financially sustainable and
operationally efficient distribution sector.
• Total Outlay: Rs. 3.04 lakh Crores.
• Duration: 5 years (FY 2021-22 to FY 2025-26).
• Prepaid Smart metering: It is the critical intervention envisaged under this scheme with an estimated outlay of
Rs.1,50,000 Crores.
▪ 250 million prepaid smart meters are targeted to be installed during the Scheme period

Amazon Future Engineer Program

➢ What: National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) will be organizing two-days’ face-to-face capacity
building programme for Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) teachers.
➢ Why: To implement Amazon Future Engineer Program in collaboration with the Learning Links Foundation.
• Objective: To increase access to computer science education for children and young adults from underserved and
underrepresented communities.
• Implementing Agency: It is Corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative of Amazon.
▪ It is being implemented by Philanthropic organization- LLF.
• It is a comprehensive childhood-to-career program in the area of computational skills training for students and
teachers of EMRSs.
➢ Implementation in EMRS
• Coverage: It will be launched in around 54 EMRSs across 6 States namely, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya
Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Telangana.
• It will serve as a stepping stone in creating awareness about the potential of Computer Science in students of
EMRS as well as access to quality IT education in our schools.

"Stay Safe Online"

➢ What: As part of India's G20 presidency, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) has launched
"Stay Safe Online" campaign.
• Objective: To raise awareness among citizens to stay safe in the online world.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY).
• Targeted Group: Citizens of all age groups, especially children, students, women, senior citizens, specially-abled,
teachers, faculty, officials of Central/State Governments, etc.
• Languages: This campaign will be carried out in English, Hindi and local languages to reach a wider audience.
• During India's G20 presidency MeitY is focusing on three priority digital areas together with the Stay Safe Online
campaign and Digital Innovation Alliance (G20-DIA) programme -
▪ Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) ▪ Cyber Security. ▪ Digital Skill Development

G20 Digital Innovation Alliance

➢ What: G20 Digital Innovation Alliance (G20-DIA) has been launched as part of India's G20 presidency.
➢ Why: To reduce the digital divide and enable sustainable, and inclusive techno-socio-economic development.
G20 Digital Innovation Alliance
• Objective: To identify, recognize, and enable the adoption of innovative and impactful digital technologies
developed by startups from G20 nations as well as the invited non-member nations.
• 6 Themes:
1. Agri-tech. 2. Health-tech. 3. Ed-tech. 4. Fin-tech. 5. Secured Digital Infrastructure 6. Circular Economy.
• Objective: To recognise and support start-ups creating cuttingedge digital solutions in 6 themes bridging the digital
divide between humanity and advance the world economy.
• It will be held in Bangaluru
• It will bring together the key players in the innovation ecosystem from both G20 member countries and the invited
non-member countries.

City Beauty Competition

➢ What: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has launched City Beauty Competition.
➢ Why: To encourage wards and cities to showcase their initiatives and interventions for creating functionally
beautiful public spaces and preserve their rich cultural heritage.
➢ About the Competition
• Objective: To encourage and recognize the transformational efforts made by cities and wards in India to create
beautiful, innovative and inclusive public spaces.
• Parameters: Wards and public places of cities will be judged against the five broad pillars
1. Accessibility 2. Amenities 3. Activities 4. Aesthetics 5. Ecology
• Participation: It is voluntary for wards and cities.
▪ Competing wards/cities need to submit their entries on the city beauty portal which will be designed by MoHUA’s
knowledge partners - Administrative Staff College of India.
• Evaluation: Entries by wards/cities will be evaluated by an Independent Jury.
• Award/Recognition: This competition will felicitate most beautiful wards and beautiful public places at the city
level

City Finance Rankings

➢ What: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has launched City Finance Rankings.
➢ Why: To evaluate, recognize and reward ULBs on the basis of their strength across different financial parameters.
• Objective: To evaluate, recognize and reward Urban Local Bodies on the basis of the quality of their current
financial health and improvement over time in financial performance.
 • Parameters: The participating ULBs will be evaluated on 15 indicators across 3 key municipal finance assessment
parameters.
1. Resource Mobilization 2. Expenditure Performance 3. Fiscal Governance
• Ranking: The cities will be ranked at the national level on the basis of their scores under four population
categories:
1. Above 4 million 2. Between 1- 4 million 3. 100K to 1 million 4. Less than 100,000
• The top 3 cities in each population category will be recognized and rewarded at the national level as well as within
each state/state cluster.

Kisan Sabha app has been launched by CSIR - Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) to connect farmers to the
supply chain and freight transportation management system

National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases institute under Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has
developed first indigenous ‘Inactivated low pathogenic avian influenza (H9N2) vaccine for chickens’

Ministry of Jal Shakti in partnership with States is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) to make provision of tap
water supply to every rural household by 2024. Four States and three UTs so far have been reported as Har Ghar Jal,
i.e. every rural household has provision of tap water supply (100% Coverage).
(1) Goa (2) Telangana (3) Gujarat (4) Haryana (5) Andaman & Nicobar Islands

President Droupadi Murmu recently laid the foundation stone for the development projects of Bhadrachalam and
UNESCO World Heritage Site at Rudreshwar Temple (Ramappa), Mulugu. Both of these projects have been approved
under PRASHAD (National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive) Scheme.
these cultural sites at Telangana

Uttar Pradesh, Chattishgarh and Central TB Division, Indian Oil has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
to undertake intensified TB elimination project as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility

Appointments of part-time members of National Medical Commission (NMC), Autonomous Boards, and Search
Committee was done through draw of lots as per procedure laid down in NMC Act, 2019. 1 years is tenure of these
appointments as per the NMC Act, 2019

Kolkata was national conference on ‘Drinking Water Quality– Issues & Challenges’ organized by Ministry of Jal
Shakti, supported by UNICEF, INREM Foundation and WaterAid
The Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) between India and Australia came into force on 29th
December 2022
Second edition of National Ganga Council meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi held Kolkata

With an objective of making quality generic medicines available at affordable prices to all, Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya
Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) was launched by Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers in November 2008. Under it,
Government has set a target to increase the number of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs) to
10,000 by March 2024

Asian development bank

1. International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) scientists, in collaboration with the Asian
Development Bank (ADB), have developed high-resolution spatial maps of croplands.
• The maps will be used for insurance claims and agriculture policy decision-making on targeting regenerative
agriculture (RA).
Knowledge Nuggets –

• The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is a non-profit, non-political
organization that conducts agricultural research for development in the drylands of Asia and sub-Saharan
Africa.
• Est. - 1972
• ICRISAT is headquartered in Hyderabad, Telangana State, in India, with two regional hubs (Nairobi, Kenya
 and Bamako, Mali) and country offices in Niger, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Ethiopia and Mozambique.
• ICRISAT envisions a prosperous, food-secure and resilient dryland tropics.

8. Asian Development Bank (ADB) and ABIS Exports India Private Limited (ABIS) entered into an agreement to
subscribe to non-convertible debentures for $16 million.
• Purpose – to enhance food security in India by supporting the construction of a micro fish feed plant and by training
up to 6,000 farmers in climate-resilient fish farming practices as well as financial literacy

Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India signed a $3 million project readiness
financing (PRF) facility to support preparatory activities for designing a project to improve municipal
infrastructure in priority areas of Agartala city, Tripura.
• ADB financing will support the Tripura government in holistic planning and development of priority
municipal infrastructure and help in the preparation of future investment-ready projects.

9. Asian Development Bank (ADB) and IIFL Home Finance Ltd., India’s fastest growing digital-first home finance
company, organised ‘Kutumb’ event in Delhi.
• Purpose – to discuss the scope around green affordable housing in India.
• They launched ‘Kutumb’ with an event titled ‘Green Affordable Housing Ecosystem’ in Delhi.
• In February 2022, IIFL HFL signed a $68 million loan with ADB to improve financial access to affordable green
housing for the economically weaker sections and lower-income groups in India.
10. Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $780 million multi-tranche financing facility to build new lines and
improve the connectivity of the metro rail system in Chennai with the city’s existing bus and feeder services.
11. Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a $300 million loan to upgrade more than 300 km of state highways and
major district roads in Assam, including six road sections in the state’s western, central, and southern regions.
• The project will strengthen the capacity of the Assam Public Works (Roads) Department in managing road
assets, integrating climate and disaster resilience in road projects, and ensuring safeguards—such as
environment, resettlement, and indigenous peoples concerns—are considered.

12. Asian Development Bank has approved a USD 250 million policy-based loan to India for strengthening and
modernising India’s logistics infrastructure, improve efficiency, and lower costs.

1. Asian Development Bank (ADB) has forecasted a 7% GDP growth rate for 2022-23.
• For 2023-24, the GDP growth has been kept unchanged at 7.2%.
• Inflation in India is still expected to rise to 6.7% in 2022-23

->Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a USD 125 million loan with the Government of India to develop climate-
resilient sewage collection and treatment and drainage and water supply systems in three cities in the state of Tamil
Nadu.
• This is the third and the last tranche of the USD 500 million multi-tranche financing facility (MFF), approved by
ADB in 2018, to build priority water supply, sewerage and drainage infrastructure in strategic industrial corridors
across ten cities in the state.
This tranche covers three loans covers Coimbatore, Madurai, and Thoothukudi.

4. Asian Development Bank (ADB) has ranked WAPCOS as the top consulting services firm in the water and other
infrastructure sectors, with the highest sanctioned financed amount, in its Annual Procurement Report 2022.
• WAPCOS is a Government of India Enterprise under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.

Knowledge Nuggets –

• WAPCOS was founded in 1969 for utilizing India's knowledge and expertise in the field of water resources by sharing and
exporting technology to friendly developing nations.
• Water and Power Development Consultancy Services (India) Limited was renamed "Water and Power Consultancy
 Services (India) Limited" in 1979.
• WAPCOS has successfully completed or is currently completing consulting projects in more than 51 countries across Asia
Africa, the CIS, the Pacific Islands, and South America.

Government of India and Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed a $125 million loan to develop climate-resilient
sewage collection and treatment, and drainage and water supply systems in three cities of Tamil Nadu

SEBI
10. Sebi has restructured its advisory committees pertaining to foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) and social stock
exchange.
• Chair of FPI Advisory Committee (16 members) – Hasmukh Adhia (former finance secretary)
• Chair of Social Stock Exchange (18 members) – R Balasubramaniam (chairman of Grassroots Research and Advocacy
Movement (GRAAM)
Knowledge Nuggets –

• The idea of the Social Stock Exchange was first floated by Finance Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman in her Budget speech for the financial year 2019-20.
• In July 2022, SEBI introduced the social stock exchange framework.
• The SSE will be established as a separate segment of the BSE.
12. SEBI has formed a 20-member panel, chaired by former Shiavax Jal Vazifdar (Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana
High Court), to review corporate takeover rules.
• The panel will have to advise the regulator on simplifying and strengthening the current norms by adopting
appropriate global practices.

5. SEBI has increased the investment limit of mutual funds (MFs) in debt instruments issued by a single issuer
to 12% of the net asset value from 10%.
• The single-issuer instruments will include money market securities and non-money market securities re-rated
investment grade or above by a credit rating agency.Important Days

10. SEBI has reduced the timeline for listing of debt securities issued on a private placement basis to three days.
• Currently, the timeline is four days (T+4) and the latest move aims to reduce the timeline to T+3.
• The new guidelines would come into effect from January 1, 2023.
• Sebi has listed out the steps involved in pre-listing and post-listing along with relevant timelines, both
through Electronic Book Provider (EBP) platform and otherwise.

11. IDFC Asset Management Company Limited (AMC), one of the top 10 AMCs in the country, has received regulatory
clearances from SEBI for its acquisition by consortium comprising Bandhan Financial Holdings Limited, GIC,
and ChrysCapital.
• The IDFC AMC will be renamed as Bandhan Mutual Fund.

12. Tata Play (formerly Tata Sky) has become the first company to take the pre-filing route for its initial public
offering (IPO).
• The direct-to-home platform has pre-filed its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) confidentially with the Securities
and Exchange Board of India (Sebi).

13. IIFL Mutual Fund has launched India’s first passive tax saver fund named IIFL ELSS Nifty 50 Tax Saver Index Fund.
• The fund is launched, almost six months after the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), introduced the
passive alternative in the Equity Linked Savings Scheme (ELSS) space.
• Parijat Garg is the dedicated fund manager for this fund.
4. SEBI has revised rules related to foreign investment in alternative investment funds (AIFs).
• At present, SEBI rules allow AIFs to raise funds from any investor – whether Indian, foreign or non-resident Indian –
by way of issue of units.
• AIFs may accept commitments from a government or government-related investor that does not meet the signatory
condition, if the investor is a resident in the country as approved by the Indian government.
• According to SEBI’s guidelines, the investor or its underlying investors contributing 25% or more in the corpus of the
investor, should not be mentioned in the sanctions list of the United Nations Security Council.
• The investor must not be a resident of a country identified by the Financial Action Task Force as a jurisdiction having
anti-money laundering deficiencies.
• In case an investor who has been onboarded to the scheme of an AIF does not subsequently meet these conditions,
the manager of the AIF should not draw down any further capital contribution from such an investor, until the said
conditions are met.

14. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has introduced performance benchmarking and
categorisation for the portfolio management services (PMS) industry.
• It will help investors assess and compare the performance of service providers. The move will come into effect from
April 1, 2023.
• SEBI directed portfolio managers to adopt an additional layer of broadly defined investment strategies categorised
as equity, debt, hybrid, and multi-asset.
• SEBI has laid out a framework for the orderly winding down of critical operations and services of clearing
corporations (CC).
• Under this framework, CCs will have to develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) detailing about their essential
services so as not to cause any disruption to the financial system after the winding up of the corporation.

1. SEBI has approved the amendment to its buyback regulations which allows the gradually phase out of share
buyback option through stock exchange route.
• Until then, a separate window will be created on the stock exchanges to conduct such repurchases.
• At present, for share buyback, companies have both the options of stock exchange and tender offer.
• Minimum utilisation of amount for buyback through stock exchange has been increased to 75% from 50%
currently.
2. National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) received in-principle approval from SEBI to set up a Social Stock
Exchange (SSE) as a separate segment of the NSE.
• In October 2022, Bombay Stock Exchange got the approval from SEBI to set up a Social Stock
Exchange (SSE) as a separate segment of the
• The SSE will issue ‘zero coupon, zero principle’ securities.
The minimum issue size is Rs 1 crore and the minimum application size is Rs 2 lakh.

1. SEBI has expanded two of its committees--High Powered Steering Committee on Cyber Security (HPSC-CS) and
Information Systems Security Committee (ISSC)-- to strengthen cyber security frameworks and cyber resilience
requirements.
• High Powered Steering Committee on Cyber Security –
o Total members – 8 (earlier 6)
o Chair - Navin Kumar Singh (DG at National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC)
o New members - G Padmanabhan (ex-executive director in RBI), and Sushil Kumar Nehra (Additional Director, Cyber
Security Division, MeitY)
• Information Systems Security Committee (ISSC) –
o Total members – 7 (earlier 6) o Chair - Prof Krishnamurthy
SUMMIT
7. The 7th edition of the Global Technology Summit was held in New Delhi in a hybrid format.
• The Summit is India’s annual flagship event on Geotechnology and is co-hosted by the Ministry of External
Affairs and Carnegie India.
• Theme – ‘Geopolitics of Technology’
2. IIT-Madras and the Deakin University in Australia have launched Australia-India Centre for Energy (AICE) to achieve
the 2030 SDGs.
• The Australia-India Centre for Energy (AICE) is a virtual centre that will promote collaboration among universities,
research institutes and industry from India and Australia in the energy domain.
• It will be launched during the 3-day Energy Summit 2022, hosted by IIT Madras in December 2022.

Knowledge Nuggets –

• Australia Capital – Canberra; Currency – Australian Dollar; National Language – English

• Australia PM – Anthony Albanese
• Australia’s population – 2.6 crore approx.
• Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the
mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands.

• Australia is the largest country by area in Oceania and the world's sixth-largest country.
• Politically, Australia is a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy, comprising six
states and ten territories.
• Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Belize,
Grenada, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and
the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu are the Commonwealth Group of
Countries which accept England’s monarchy as the Head of the State.
• Important cities of Australia – Sydney (most populous city and financial centre),
Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide.
7. The 3rd edition of Odisha’s flagship investment summit named “Make in Odisha Conclave 2022”.
• Altogether 741 proposals worth around Rs 10.5 lakh crore spanning across minerals, metals, renewable and green
energy, aerospace and defence sectors were received in the past three days.

3. 1st Sherpa Meeting of India’s G20 Presidency was held in Udaipur, Rajasthan.
• The Jal Sanjhi art form is an incredible 300-year-old Rajasthani rare art form where the canvas is the surface of
water. Rajesh Vaishnav, a Jal Sanjhi Artist, created a beautiful piece of art for all the guests to view and appreciate.
Knowledge Nuggets

• A sherpa is the personal representative of a head of state or head of government who

prepares an international summit, such as the annual G7 and G20 summits.
• G20 Establishment Year – 1999
• 2023 G20 Presidency – India (18th edition); Theme - “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” or “One
Earth One Family One Future”
• G20 members –
7. Canara Bank has won the “Banker’s Bank of the Year Award 2022” for the Indian segment of the Global Banking
Summit.
• The bank has been adjudged as the ‘Best Bank in India for 2022’.

3. The first China-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit was held at the King Abdulaziz International Conference
Center in Riyadh.

4. Union Minister for Jal Shakti Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat inaugurated the 7th Edition of the India Water Impact
Summit (IWIS) at New Delhi.
• The theme of this year’s Summit is ‘Restoration and Conservation of Small Rivers in a Large Basin’ with emphasis on
the select aspects of ‘Mapping and Convergence of 5Ps’ – People, Policy, Plan, Programme and Project.
• An online learning platform named PtB was launched in collaboration with Germany to strengthen quality
infrastructure water monitoring of the river Ganga.
• This will be done through the data collected in the river basin of Ganga to monitor water quality based on recognized
quality-assurance measures.

1. G7 countries have created an International Climate Club for countries that want to cooperate in the fight against
global warming.
• The climate club aims to support the rapid and ambitious implementation of the Paris Agreement, which seeks to
limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit).
• G7 Presidency in 2022 – Germany
• G7 Presidency in 2023 – Japan

Knowledge Nuggets -

• G 7 is an international informal finance group consisting 7 industrialized nations Canada, France, Germany,
Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
• G 7 was established in 1975 to facilitate economic cooperation among the world’s largest industrial nations.
• Summits -
o 48th summit (2022) – Germany
o 49th summit (2023) – Japan
o 50th summit (2024) – Italy

1. At the “India SatCom 2022” event in New Delhi, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s Chairman PD
Vaghela has announced to conduct the world’s first auction of satellite communication spectrum.
• The India SatCom 2022 event is the 8th edition of the international summit of the Broadband India Forum.

Knowledge Nuggets -

• The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) was established under the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
Act of 1997.
• HQ – New Delhi

1. High Ambition Coalition (HAC) for Nature and People has announced the formation of a new
permanent Secretariat to be co-hosted by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the Global Environment
Facility (GEF).
• This coalition is an intergovernmental group of 116 countries co-chaired by Costa Rica and France and by
the UK as Ocean co-chair.
• The coalition was officially launched at the One Planet Summit in Paris in 2021
2. ACC has won the National Award for Safety Excellence (2021-22) at the 10th Global Safety Summit (GSS) in
the Large Enterprise-Cement Manufacturing sector.
• The award was instituted by the Fire and Safety Forum and United Nations Global Compact Network India.
• GSS is India’s First International Certification and Assessment Body, developing the certification guidelines as
per the American National Standard Institute, United States of America.