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Defence Affairs

117. On December 2, Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), the flagship

initiative of the Department of Defence Production, signed the 300th contract with
Bengaluru-based Agnit Semiconductors Private Limited. The contract relates to
the design and development of advanced Gallium Nitride Semiconductors which is
essential for the next generation of wireless transmitters in defence applications
ranging from radars to EW (Electronics Warfare) jammers. This is a first
procurement order placed by a Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) under the iDEX scheme, which was launched
by the Prime Minister in 2018. In another development, BEL signed a procurement contract with Blurgs Innovations
Private Limited for their solution TRIDENT, which is an intelligent maritime domain awareness tool with a robust solution
designed to enhance maritime security. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• iDEX + Agnit Semiconductors = signed the 300th contract for the design & development of advanced Gallium Nitride
Semiconductors
• Nitride Semiconductors – essential for wireless transmitters in defence applications like radars, EW jammers, etc.
• Ministry of Defence: Rajnath Singh | Constituency – Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
• MoS in Ministry of Defence: Ajay Bhatt

118. Recently, INS Mahe, INS Malvan and INS Mangrol, the first three ships of
the 8 Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts (ASW SWC), being built
by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) for the Indian Navy, were launched at CSL’s
Kochi Yard in Kerala. The ships were launched to the invocation from Atharva
Veda. The ASW SWC ships will have over 80% indigenous content, thereby
ensuring that large scale defence production is executed by Indian
manufacturing units, generating employment and capability enhancement
within the country. The ASW SWC ships are 78 m long and displacement is approx 900 tons, with a maximum speed of 25
knots. Also, the ships are equipped with indigenously developed SONARS (Sound Navigation & Ranging) for underwater
surveillance. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• INS Mahe, INS Malvan and INS Mangrol – were launched at CSL’s Kochi Yard in Kerala
• These are the first three ships of the 8 Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts (ASW SWC)
• The three ships are being built by – Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) for the Indian Navy
• The ASW SWC ships will have over 80% indigenous content
• The ASW SWC ships are 78 m long and displacement is approx 900 tons, with a maximum speed of 25 knots
• HQs of Cochin Shipyard – Kochi, Kerala | Chairman & MD – Madhu S. Nair | Incorporated in – 1972

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119. On December 4, INS Sandhayak (Yard 3025), the first of four Survey Vessel
(Large) ships, being built at Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE),
Kolkata, was delivered to the Indian Navy. The Contract for four Survey Vessel
(Large) was signed in October, 2018. The primary role of the ship would be full
scale coastal and deep-water Hydrographic Survey of Port/ Harbour
approaches and determination of navigational channels/ routes. In their
secondary role, ships will provide limited defence and function as Hospital ship
during war/ emergencies. Sandhayak has an indigenous content of over 80% by cost. The ship is powered by two Diesel
Engines and can achieve speed up to 18 knots. Other three Survey Vessel Ships are INS Nirdeshak, INS Ikshak & INS
Sanshodhak. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• INS Sandhayak (Yard 3025) – first of four Survey Vessel (Large) ships was delivered to the Indian Navy
• It was being built at GRSE, Kolkata | INS Sandhayak – has an indigenous content of over 80% by cost
• The ship is powered by two Diesel Engines and can achieve speed up to 18 knots
• Other 3 Survey Vessel Ships under development – INS Nirdeshak, INS Ikshak & INS Sanshodhak
• HQs of GRSE – Kolkata, India | Chairman & MD – P. R. Hari | Founded in – 1884

120. On December 8, Ministry of Defence signed a contract with the Telecommunications

Consultants India Limited (TCIL) of Rs 588.68 Crore for the acquisition of the Digital Coast
Guard (DCG) project under the Buy (Indian) category. A pivotal Initiative for the Indian
Coast Guard (ICG), the DCG project will unfold a comprehensive narrative of technological
progression, encompassing the construction of an advanced data centre, the
establishment of a robust disaster recovery data centre, amplification of connectivity
across ICG sites, and the development of the ERP system. The project also leverages
secured Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS)/Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) connectivity. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• MoD + TCIL = a contract for acquisition of Digital Coast Guard (DCG) project under the Buy (Indian) category
• The project also leverages secured MPLS / VSAT connectivity
• HQs of TCIL – New Delhi | CMD – Sanjeev Kumar

121. On December 11, Indian Army contingent conducted 4th edition of joint
military exercise, “VINBAX-2023”, with Vietnam Army at Hanoi, Vietnam. The
exercise was conducted from December 11-21. The Indian contingent
comprised 39 personnel from Engineer Regiment of Bengal Engineer Group and
6 personnel of Army Medical Corps. Exercise VINBAX was instituted in 2018 and
the first edition was conducted at Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. It is an annual
training event conducted alternatively in India and Vietnam. The exercise with
focus on deployment and employment of an Engineer Company and a Medical Team. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Indian Army + Vietnam Army = conducted 4th joint military exercise, “VINBAX-2023”, at Hanoi, Vietnam
• VINBAX – instituted in 2018 and the first edition was conducted at Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh
• Vietnam – Hanoi – Vietnamese dong | PM – Pham Minh Chinh | President – Vo Van Thuong

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122. On December 9, Indian Navy, along with other defence state and civil agencies completed a two-phased exercise
“Prasthan” in the Offshore Development Area, off the Mumbai coast. The exercise, which is conducted every 6 months,
was held on the R12A (Ratna) Platform of Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) around 83 km away from Mumbai
harbour. The ‘Prasthan’ is conducted to validate measures and procedures to address various contingencies that may arise
in the oil production platforms. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Indian Navy – completed a two-phased exercise “Prasthan” in Offshore Development Area, off the Mumbai coast
• The exercise is conducted every 6 months & it was held on R12A (Ratna) Platform of ONGC
• HQs of Indian Navy – Delhi | Chief – Admiral R. Hari Kumar | Vice Chief – Vice-Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi

123. On December 15, in a major boost for the Indian Army, the Ministry of Defence
has approved a Rs 2,800 Crore proposal for buying around 6,400 rockets for Pinaka
multi-barrel rocket launcher systems. The Defence Acquisition Council had cleared
the proposal for the acquisition of two types of these rockets, known as Area Denial
Munition Type 2 and Type-3. The Pinaka Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) is a
multiple rocket launcher developed and produced in India for the Indian Army by
the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The Mark-I version
has a maximum range of 40 km and the Mark-I enhanced version has a range of 120 km. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• MoD – approved a Rs 2,800 Cr proposal for buying 6,400 rockets for Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher systems
• DAC – cleared the proposal for acquisition of 2 types of these rockets (Area Denial Munition Type 2 and Type-3)
• Pinaka MBRL is developed & produced in India for Indian Army – by DRDO
• Mark-I version – has a maximum range of 40 km
• Mark-I enhanced version – has a range of 120 km
• HQs of DRDO – New Delhi | Chairman – Samir V. Kamat | Established in – 1958

124. On December 14, Indian Navy commissioned INS Tarmugli, a Fast Attack Craft,
at an impressive ceremony held at Naval Dockyard Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh,
under the aegis of the Eastern Naval Command (ENC). Vice Admiral Sandeep
Naithani, Chief of Materiel, was the Chief Guest for the Ceremony. The ship is a
Trinkat Class FAC which was gifted to the Maldivian Naval Defence Forces (MNDF) in
2006 by the Govt of India, bearing the name ‘INS Tillanchang’. The ship was returned
to the Indian Navy in May, 2023. INS Tarmugli is being commanded by Cdr Satpal
Singh Sangwan. The ship was built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, in 2001. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Indian Navy – commissioned INS Tarmugli at Naval Dockyard Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, under aegis of ENC
• The ship is a Trinkat Class FAC which was gifted to MNDF in 2006 by GoI, bearing the name ‘INS Tillanchang’
• It was returned to the Indian Navy in May, 2023
• INS Tarmugli is being commanded by – Cdr Satpal Singh Sangwan | built by – GRSE, Kolkata (in 2001)
• HQs of Indian Navy – Delhi | Chief – Admiral R. Hari Kumar | Vice Chief – Vice-Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi

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125. On December 17, the Indian Air Force has successfully test-fired its “SAMAR” air
defence missile system, during exercise “AstraShakti-2023” held at Air Force Station
Suryalanka in Andhra Pradesh. The IAF has developed the ‘Surface to Air Missile for
Assured Retaliation (SAMAR)’ air defence missile system by using its old Russian-
origin air-to-air missile systems. The missile system participated for the first time in
the exercise to test its surface-to-air weapon systems and carry out their operational
field trials. The system can engage aerial threats with missiles operating at a speed range of 2 to 2.5 Mach. Moreover,
India has strongly demonstrated the firepower of its Akash surface-to-air (SAM) weapon system, where a single firing unit
simultaneously engaged and destroyed four unmanned targets during the exercise ‘AstraShakti-2023’. With this
demonstration, India has become the first country in the world to demonstrate the capability of engaging four targets
simultaneously at 25Km ranges by command guidance using a single firing unit. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• “AstraShakti-2023” exercise was held at – Air Force Station Suryalanka in Andhra Pradesh
• IAF – successfully test-fired its “SAMAR” air defence missile system
• SAMAR – Surface to Air Missile for Assured Retaliation
• IAF – has developed the ‘SAMAR’ air defence missile system by using its old Russian-origin air-to-air missile systems
• India – became 1st country in world to engage 4 targets simultaneously at 25Km ranges by command guidance using
a single firing unit
• HQs of IAF – New Delhi | Chief – Air Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari | Vice Chief – Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh

126. On December 20, Ministry of Defence signed a contract with Mazagon Dockyard Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL), Mumbai, for
the procurement of 6 Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels (NGOPVS) for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG). The contract
was made under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category at a total cost of Rs 1614.89 Crore. Out of the 6 vessels being procured, 4
would replace the existing aging OPVs and the other 2 would augment the ICG fleet. These modern and high-tech Ships
will play a critical role in enhancing surveillance, Law enforcement, Search and Rescue, Maritime Pollution Response, and
other important capabilities. The contract achieves the objectives of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ to boost the nation’s
indigenous shipbuilding capability. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• MoD + MDL = a contract for the procurement of 6 Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels for the ICG
• The contract was made under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category at a total cost of Rs 1614.89 Crore
• HQs of MDL – Mumbai, MH | CMD – Sanjeev Singhal

127. On December 13, Defence Research and Development Organisation

(DRDO) successfully carried out a flight trial of “Autonomous Flying Wing
Technology Demonstrator”, an indigenous high-speed flying-wing Unmanned
Aerial Vehicle (UAV) from the Aeronautical Test Range, Chitradurga in
Karnataka. This UAV is designed and developed by DRDO’s Aeronautical
Development Establishment (ADE). It has been developed for India’s secret
unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) programme, called ‘Ghatak’. The
autonomous landing of this high-speed UAV, without the need for ground radars/infrastructure/pilot, showcased a unique
capability demonstration, allowing take-off and landing from any runway with surveyed coordinates. This was possible
using onboard sensor data fusion with indigenous satellite-based augmentation using GPS Aided GEO Augmented
Navigation (GAGAN) receivers to improve the accuracy and integrity of GPS navigation. {Read more}

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128. In December 2023, Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a landmark contract with
Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) worth Rs 5,336.25 Crore for the procurement of
electronic fuzes (i.e., used with artillery munitions fired by guns such as howitzers and
mortars) for the Indian Army. The contract will span over the next 10 years and comes
under the ‘Manufacture of Ammunition for Indian Army by Indian Industry’ initiative by
the central government. Electronic fuzes are a crucial component of medium to heavy
calibre artillery guns. BEL will be manufacturing electronic fuzes at its Pune and,
eventually, Nagpur plants. BEL has already won orders worth Rs 18,298 Crore in the financial year 2023-24, reaching a new
all-time high for the company. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• MoD + BEL = signed a landmark contract worth Rs 5,336.25 Cr for procurement of electronic fuzes for Indian Army
• Electronic fuzes – used with artillery munitions fired by guns such as howitzers and mortars
• The contract comes under ‘Manufacture of Ammunition for Indian Army by Indian Industry’ initiative by GoI
• BEL – will manufacture electronic fuzes at its Pune and, eventually, Nagpur plants
• BEL – has won orders worth Rs 18,298 Cr in FY 2023-24, reaching a new all-time high for the company
• HQs of BEL – Bengaluru, Karnataka | CMD – Bhanu Prakash Srivastava (addi. charge)

129. On December 19, the United States is forming a multinational naval coalition,
“Operation Prosperity Guardian”, to protect Red Sea commercial traffic from Yemen’s Houthi
movement. Initially, 9 countries that joined the operation were - UK, Bahrain, Canada,
France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain. Later, more than 20 countries
joined the coalition, including most Arab nations. Bahrain is the only Middle Eastern nation
to have joined the operations. The coalition is in addition to existing naval coalitions like
‘Operation Atalanta’ and ‘Operation Agenor’, which protect shipping lanes and ensure freedom of navigation in the region.
{Read more}
Smart Points:
• US – formed a multinational naval coalition, “Operation Prosperity Guardian”, to protect Red Sea commercial traffic
from Yemen’s ‘Houthi’ movement
• Initially, 9 countries joined the operation which was later joined by more than 20 countries
• Bahrain – is the only Middle Eastern nation to have joined the operations
• US – Washington, D.C. – US Dollar | 46th President – Joe Biden | 49th VP – Kamala Harris

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130. INS Imphal (Pennant D68), the 3rd of 4 warships of Project 15B
that together form the Visakhapatnam class stealth-guided missile
destroyers, is commissioned into the Indian Navy. Mazagon Dock
Shipbuilders Limited (MDSL), one of India’s key Defence Public
Sector Undertakings (PSUs), has built all these ships. Designed by
the Indian Navy’s in-house warship design entity Warship Design
Bureau, and built by MDSL in Mumbai, the four ships of Project 15B
are christened after major cities from all four corners of the country
- Visakhapatnam (lead ship), Mormugao, Imphal and Surat. Imphal
is the first naval warship being commissioned with accommodation for women officers and sailors. The ship can
accommodate a crew of 312 persons, has an endurance of 4000 nautical miles and can carry out a typical 42-day mission.
It is armed with supersonic Surface-to-Surface ‘Brahmos’ missiles and ‘Barak-8’ Medium Range Surface to Air Missiles.
Between 2014 and 2016, the Indian Navy commissioned three guided missile destroyers of Kolkata class - INS Kolkata, INS
Kochi and INS Chennai - under a project codenamed ‘15A’. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• INS Imphal (Pennant D68), the 3rd of 4 warships of Project 15B – is commissioned into the Indian Navy
• These ships are built by – MDSL | Designed by – Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau
• The 4 ships of Project 15B are christened after major cities – Visakhapatnam (lead ship), Mormugao, Imphal & Surat
• It is armed with supersonic Surface-to-Surface ‘Brahmos’ missiles & ‘Barak-8’ Medium Range Surface to Air Missiles
• Indian Navy commissioned 3 guided missile destroyers of Kolkata class - INS Kolkata, INS Kochi & INS Chennai
• These 3 ships were commissioned under project ‘15A’
• HQs of Indian Navy – Delhi | Chief – Admiral R. Hari Kumar | Vice Chief – Vice-Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi

131. On December 29, Indian Navy unveiled the new design of Admirals’
epaulettes, with the octagon in the new design, drawn from the naval ensign
and inspired from rajmudra of Chhatrapati Shivaji. The Navy is also set to
rename some of the ranks from the British nomenclature to reflect an Indian
connect. Adoption of the new design reaffirms the commitment to the two
pillars of ‘Panch Pran’ - Virasat Par Garv & Ghulami ki Mansikta se Mukti. The
new Admirals epaulettes now have the golden navy button top, followed by an octogon, and an Indian sword and a
telescope crossed followed by stars indicating the ranks of Rear Admiral, Vice Admiral and Admiral. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Indian Navy – unveiled new design of Admirals’ epaulettes
• New epaulettes consist of-
− Golden navy button top
− Octagon (inspired from rajmudra of Chhatrapati Shivaji)
− Indian sword and telescope (crossed)
− Stars (indicating ranks)
• Navy is also set to rename some ranks from British names to Indian, shows commitment to two pillars-
− Panch Pran - Virasat Par Garv
− Ghulami ki Mansikta se Mukti
• HQs of Indian Navy – Delhi | Chief – Admiral R. Hari Kumar | Vice Chief – Vice-Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi

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Sports & Games
132. On December 4, Vaishali Rameshbabu (R Vaishali), sister of R Praggnanandhaa,
became India’s 84th Grandmaster. She is the third Indian woman to become a Grandmaster,
after Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli. To achieve this feat, Vaishali Rameshbabu
defeated FM Tamer Selbes in a match at the 4th El Llobregat Open Chess Tournament in
Spain. The victory nudged Vaishali’s rating points to over 2500. According to FIDE (The
International Chess Federation), Vaishali and Prag are the first-ever brother-sister pair to be GMs. Vaishali is now the
current world No. 11 in women’s ranking with a live rating of 2501.5 and India’s No. 2 after Koneru Humpy. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• R Vaishali (sister of R Praggnanandhaa) – became India’s 84th Grandmaster
• She is 3rd Indian woman to become a Grandmaster after Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli
• Vaishali and Prag are the first-ever brother-sister pair to be GMs
• Vaishali – currently world No. 11 in women’s ranking with a live rating of 2501.5 & India’s No. 2 after Koneru Humpy
• HQs of FIDE – Lausanne, Switzerland | President – Arkady Dvorkovich | Founded on – July 20, 1924

133. In December 2023, India’s Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto won the women’s
doubles title of the “Guwahati Masters 2023” badminton tournament, beating Chinese Taipei’s
Sung Shuo Yun and Yu Chien Hui in the final. This was Ashwini and Tanisha’s second title as a
pair, having previously won the ‘Abu Dhabi Masters Super 100’ this year. Additionally, they
finished as Runners-Up in final of the “Syed Modi International Super 300” badminton
tournament held in Lucknow, after being defeated by a Japanese pair of Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi. Malaysia’s pair
Choong Hon Jian & Muhammad Haikal won the Men’s Doubles title. Men’s Singles title was won by Taiwanese badminton
player Chi Yu-jen, while Women’s Singles title was won by Nozomi Okuhara of Japan. India’s women’s doubles badminton
pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto jumps to 28th spot in BWF rankings. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Ashwini Ponnappa + Tanisha Crasto = won women’s doubles of “Guwahati Masters 2023” badminton tournament
• They defeated – Chinese Taipei’s Sung Shuo Yun and Yu Chien Hui in the final
• The pair has jumped to 28th spot in BWF rankings
• Winners of “Syed Modi International Super 300” badminton tournament held in Lucknow:
- Women’s Doubles – Rin Iwanaga & Kie Nakanishi (Japan) | Runner Up – Ashwini Ponnappa & Tanisha Crasto
- Men’s Doubles – Choong Hon Jian & Muhammad Haikal (Malaysia)
- Women’s Singles – Nozomi Okuhara (Japan)
- Men’s Singles – Chi Yu-jen (Taiwan)

134. Recently, Indian women’s hockey team reclaimed its best-ever 6th place ranking in
the world, following its stupendous show in the recently concluded Asian Champions
Trophy and the Hangzhou Asian Games. India is now placed 6th with 2368.83 rating points,
ahead of England. The Netherlands continued to be ranked as the best women’s hockey
team in the world with 3422.40 points, followed by Australia in second place with 2817.73
points and Argentina at third with 2766.90 points. The ‘FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers’ is
scheduled to be held from January 13 to 19, 2024, in Ranchi, Jharkhand. {Read more}

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135. On December 3, India’s Ramkumar Ramanathan, a member of the Indian Davis Cup team,
defeated Austrian David Pichler in men’s singles final to secure his third ITF (International
Tennis Federation) title by winning the “Kalaburagi Open 2023” at the Chandrashekhar Patil
Stadium in Kalaburagi (Gulbarga), Karnataka. A few days ago, he also won the ‘ITF Mumbai
Open 2023’ title. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Ramkumar Ramanathan – won men’s singles final at “Kalaburagi Open 2023” at Chandrashekhar Patil Stadium
• He defeated – David Pichler (Austria) | It was his third ITF (International Tennis Federation) title
• Chandrashekhar Patil Stadium – is located in Kalaburagi (Gulbarga), Karnataka
• Karnataka: Capital – Bangalore | CM – Siddaramaiah | Governor – Thaawarchand Gehlot
• HQs of ITF – London, UK | President – David Haggerty | Founded in – 1913

136. On December 3, Germany, a four-time FIFA World Cup winner, won a maiden “FIFA Men’s
U-17 Men’s World Cup” in 2023, beating France in the final on penalties. The tournament was
hosted by Indonesia. One of the most important players for the Germans, Paris Josua Brunner,
was adjudged the best player of the tournament, with the Golden Ball Award. Agustín Ruberto
of Argentina was the top scorer. French Footballer Paul Argney was named the Best
Goalkeeper. England team won Fair Play award. “Bacuya” (Light Horn Rhinoceros) was the
official mascot of the tournament. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• “FIFA Men’s U-17 Men’s World Cup” – hosted by Indonesia | Official mascot – “Bacuya” (Light Horn Rhinoceros)
• Germany – won a maiden “FIFA Men’s U-17 Men’s World Cup” in 2023, beating France in the final on penalties
• Best player of the tournament (Golden Ball Award) – Paris Josua Brunner (Germany)
• Top scorer – Agustín Ruberto (Argentina)
• Best Goalkeeper – Paul Argney (France)
• Fair Play award – England
• Indonesia – Jakarta (Nusantara in future) – Rupiah | President – Joko Widodo

137. On December 5, Indian contingent won a total of 17 medals including 3 gold, 9 silver and 5
bronze at the “IBA Junior World Boxing Championships 2023” held in Yerevan, Armenia from
November 23 to December 4, 2023. Payal (48 kg), Nisha (52 kg) and Akanksha (70 kg) won 3 gold
medals for India. Russia topped the medals tally with 7 gold, 2 silver & 7 bronze, followed by
Armenia & Uzbekistan. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• “IBA Junior World Boxing Championships 2023” held in Yerevan, Armenia
• Indian contingent – won a total of 17 medals (3 gold, 9 silver & 5 bronze)
• 3 gold medals for India won by – Payal (48 kg), Nisha (52 kg) and Akanksha (70 kg)
• Russia – topped the medals tally (7 gold, 2 silver & 7 bronze), followed by Armenia & Uzbekistan

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138. Asila Mirzayorova from Uzbekistan and Peng Zheng from China were announced as
‘Best Female Athlete’ and ‘Best Male Athlete’ at the 4th edition of “Asian Awards 2023”
organized by the Asian Paralympic Committee in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. India’s Sheetal Devi,
the ‘armless archer’ who went viral after her performances in Hangzhou, was named ‘Best
Youth Athlete’. The ‘Best Team Performance’ award went to I. R. Iran’s Men’s Wheelchair
Basketball Team. While, the ‘Best Photography’ award went to Masamine Kawaguchi from Japan. The final award for
‘Exemplary Asian Official’ went to Mr Young-ju Lee from the Republic of Korea. Moreover, the ‘Asian Order’ was presented
to 6 recipients for their contribution to the Paralympic Movement in Asia. A final Award of Appreciation was given to NPC
KSA President, His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic
Committee for all of his efforts in promoting the Paralympic Movement in Saudi Arabia and across Asia. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Asian Paralympic Committee – organized 4th “Asian Awards 2023” in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• ‘Best Youth Athlete’– Sheetal Devi, the ‘armless archer’ from India
• ‘Best Female Athlete’ – Asila Mirzayorova (Uzbekistan)
• ‘Best Male Athlete’ – Peng Zheng (China)
• ‘Best Team Performance’ – I. R. Iran’s Men’s Wheelchair Basketball Team
• Best Photography’ – Masamine Kawaguchi (Japan)
• ‘Exemplary Asian Official’ – Mr Young-ju Lee (Republic of Korea)
• ‘Asian Order’ – was presented to 6 recipients for their contribution to the Paralympic Movement in Asia
• Saudi Arabia – Riyadh – Saudi Riyal | PM – Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud | King – Salman bin Abdulaziz

139. On December 15, Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka were honored by the
International Tennis Federation as the “2023 ITF World Champions” in men’s &
women’s category respectively. The pair were the only singles players who managed
to reach at least the semi-finals of all four Grand Slam events this year. This is
Djokovic’s 8th ITF World Champion award, which is also a record. While, this is the
first time Sabalenka has received this honour. Other ITF World Champions included
Storm Hunter (Australia) and Elise Mertens (Belgium) in women’s doubles, while Rajeev Ram (US) and Joe Salisbury (UK) in
men’s doubles. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• 2023 ITF World Champions:
- Men’s category – Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
- Women’s category – Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus)
- Men’s category – Rajeev Ram (US) & Joe Salisbury (UK)
- Women’s category – Storm Hunter (Australia) & Elise Mertens (Belgium)
• HQs of ITF – London, UK | President – David Haggerty | Founded in – 1913

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140. In December 2023, the International Gymnastics Federation announced that the “Artistic Gymnastics World
Championships 2027” will be held in Chengdu, China. The dates of the event are 23 September to 7 October. Moreover,
43rd FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships is announced to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan in September 2027.
{Read more}
Smart Points:
• “Artistic Gymnastics World Championships 2027” – to be held in Chengdu, China
• 43rd FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships – to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan
• HQs of FIG – Lausanne, Switzerland | President – Morinari Watanabe | Founded – July 23, 1881

141. On December 17, the 1st edition of “Khelo India Para Games 2023”
concluded in New Delhi with Haryana winning the inaugural title by
securing 105 medals (40 gold, 39 silver & 26 bronze). Uttar Pradesh
came second on the KIPG 2023 medal tally with 62 medals (25 gold, 23
silver & 14 bronze), while Tamil Nadu finished third with 20 gold, 8 silver
& 14 bronze medals. Medal events at KIPG 2023 were held across seven
sports - para athletics, para shooting, para archery, para football, para
badminton, para table tennis, para weightlifting (powerlifting) at three
different Sports Authority of India (SAI) facilities in New Delhi - Indira Gandhi Stadium, Shooting Range in Tughlakabad and
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. So far, 5 Khelo India Youth Games, 3 Khelo India University Games, 3 Khelo India Winter Games
and 1 Khelo India Para Games have been successfully conducted under the Khelo India initiative. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• 1st edition of “Khelo India Para Games 2023” – concluded in New Delhi
• Haryana – won inaugural title by securing 105 medals (40 gold, 39 silver & 26 bronze)
• 2nd – UP 62 medals (25 gold, 23 silver & 14 bronze) | 3rd – Tamil Nadu (20 gold, 8 silver & 14 bronze)
• Medal events at KIPG 2023 were held across seven sports at 3 SAI facilities in New Delhi
• Events successfully conducted so far under the Khelo India initiative:
• - 5 Khelo India Youth Games
- 3 Khelo India University Games
- 3 Khelo India Winter Games
- 1 Khelo India Para Games
• Haryana: Capital – Chandigarh | CM – Manohar Lal Khattar | Governor – Bandaru Dattatray

142. On December 18, Zinc Football Academy, a CSR initiative of Hindustan Zinc, has
achieved yet another significant milestone, as the academy has been bestowed with the
prestigious “Elite 3-star” rating by the All India Football Federation (AIFF). The Academy
currently hosts over 70 budding footballers categorized under the age groups of under-13,
under-15, under-17 and under-19. The AIFF rating firmly establishes Zinc Football among
the best youth development academies in India. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Zinc Football Academy (CSR initiative of Hindustan Zinc) – bestowed with the “Elite 3-star” rating by the AIFF
• The Academy currently hosts over 70 budding footballers
• Location of Zinc Football Academy – Zawar, near Udaipur, Rajasthan
• HQs of Hindustan Zinc Limited – Udaipur, Rajasthan | CEO – Arun Misra

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143. On December 15, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the
retirement of the iconic jersey number 7 of India’s former World Cup-winning captain MS
Dhoni. The only other Indian cricketer to have been given the honour is Sachin Tendulkar. In
2017, the BCCI decided to retire his jersey number 10. So now, the Indian cricketers will no
longer be seen wearing number 7 or 10 jerseys. Earlier, Dhoni had revealed that he chose
the number 7 because of his birth date (July 7). Retiring jerseys has been a long tradition in
all sports across the globe. It is done to show respect to a player, usually after they leave a team. Once a number is retired,
no player is allowed to wear that number. The first number officially retired by a team in a professional sport was number
6 of the Toronto Maple Leafs ice hockey player Ace Bailey in 1934. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• BCCI announced the retirement of the iconic jersey No. 7 of MS Dhoni
• The only other Indian cricketer to have been given the honour is – Sachin Tendulkar (Jersey No. 10)
• Once a number is retired, no player is allowed to wear that number
• The first number officially retired in a professional sport was No. 6 of Ace Bailey (ice hockey player) in 1934
• HQs of BCCI – Mumbai, Maharashtra | President – Roger Binny | Secretary – Jay Shah | Founded in – 1928

144. On December 17, Bangladesh defeated UAE by 195 runs to win the “Under-19 Asia Cup”
(Men’s) in Dubai, UAE. Bangladesh and UAE reached the finals of the Asian Cricket Council
(ACC) U19 Asia Cup, following wins over India and Pakistan. wicketkeeper-batter of
Bangladesh, Ashiqur Rahman Shibli, was named the ‘Player of the Match’ award. {Read
more}
Smart Points:
• “Under-19 Asia Cup” (Men’s) – held in Dubai, UAE
• Bangladesh – won the cup (defeating – UAE)
• Ashiqur Rahman Shibli (Bangladesh) – was named the ‘Player of the Match’ award
• Bangladesh – Dhaka – Taka | PM – Seikh Hasina | President – Mohammed Shahabuddin

145. On December 16, Haryana won “2023 Vijay Hazare Trophy” final by defeating Rajasthan,
and secured the state team’s first title triumph in more than 32 years at the Saurashtra Cricket
Association Stadium (also known as Khandheri Cricket Stadium) in Rajkot, Gujarat. Haryana
team’s Sumit Kumar was named ‘Player of the Series’. While Chandigarh’s Arslan Khan scored
most runs. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Haryana – won “2023 Vijay Hazare Trophy” final by defeating Rajasthan
• The tournament was held at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium (Khandheri Cricket Stadium) in Rajkot, Gujarat
• ‘Player of the Series’ – Sumit Kumar (Haryana) | Most runs scored by – Arslan Khan (Chandigarh)

146. On December 13, India’s Antim Panghal was named the “Rising Star of the Year 2023”
by United World Wrestling (UWW) in women’s category. The 19-year-old Indian wrestler
competes in the 53kg weight. Meanwhile, Greece’s Georgios Kougioumtsidis won the Rising
Star of the Year award in the men’s freestyle and Azerbaijan’s Hasrat Jafarov took the
award in the Greco-Roman category. Besides, Hungary’s Iszmail Muszukajev, Turkiye’s Bose
Tosun, and Cuba’s Gabriel Rosillo were named UWW’s “Breakout Performances of the Year
2023” in Freestyle, Women’s Wrestling, and Greco-Roman categories, respectively. {Read more}

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Smart Points:
• Awards given by United World Wrestling (UWW):
• Rising Star of the Year 2023 award in women’s category – given to Antim Panghal (India)
• Rising Star of the Year award in the men’s freestyle – given to Georgios Kougioumtsidis (Greece)
• Rising Star of the Year award in Greco-Roman category – given to Hasrat Jafarov (Azerbaijan)
• Breakout Performances of the Year 2023 in Freestyle – given to Iszmail Muszukajev (Hungary)
• Breakout Performances of the Year 2023 in Women’s Wrestling – given to Bose Tosun (Turkiye)
• Breakout Performances of the Year 2023 in Greco-Roman category – given to Gabriel Rosillo (Cuba)
• HQs of UWW – Switzerland | President – Nenad Lalovic

147. On December 17, FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced that the first 32-team “2025
FIFA Club World Cup” will be played in the United States from 15 June to 13 July. The
tournament will feature clubs from each of the 6 confederations, with Europe entering 12
teams. It will be held every 4 years thereafter. The Club World Cup is currently held annually,
mid-season, with 7 teams from 6 confederations. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• FIFA announced: The first 32-team “2025 FIFA Club World Cup” will be played in the US
• The tournament will feature clubs from each of the 6 confederations | It will be held every 4 years thereafter
• HQs of FIFA – Zurich, Switzerland | President – Gianni Infantino

148. On December 19, Australian cricketer Mitchell Starc becomes the most
expensive player in the history of Indian Premier League (IPL) as Kolkata Knight
Riders acquire the pacer for a record-breaking sum of Rs 24.75 Crore at the IPL
2024 Auction. Earlier, Pat Cummins was sold to Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 20.50
crore. While New Zealand cricketer Daryl Mitchell was bought by Chennai Super
Kings for Rs 14 Crore. A total of 333 players participated in the 2024 IPL auction
at Coca Cola Arena in Dubai, of which 214 are Indians and 119 are overseas
cricketers. Mallika Sagar became the 1st women to host the IPL 2024 Auction in Dubai. IPL was founded in 2008 by Board
of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Virat Kohli is the only player in the history of the IPL to have played for only one team
since the inaugural edition. He has been with the Royal Challengers Bangalore team since 2008. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Mitchell Starc (Australian cricketer) – became the most expensive player in the history of IPL
• Kolkata Knight Riders acquired Mitchell Starc for a record-breaking sum of Rs 24.75 Crore
• 2nd – Pat Cummins (Rs 20.50 Cr) by Sunrisers Hyderabad | 3rd – Daryl Mitchell (Rs 14 Cr) by CSK
• Mallika Sagar – became the 1st women to host the IPL 2024 Auction in Dubai, UAE

149. In December 2023, Megastar Amitabh Bachchan announced his association with the Indian
Street Premier League (ISPL) as the owner of team Mumbai. The ISPL is India’s first tennis ball
T10 cricket tournament that will be played inside a stadium. The inaugural edition is scheduled to
be held from March 2 to March 9, 2024, in Mumbai. The tournament will feature 19 high-
intensity matches, boasting a line-up of six teams - Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai,
Kolkata, and Srinagar. Recently, actors Akshay Kumar and Hrithik Roshan were announced as the
team owners of Srinagar and Bengaluru, respectively. {Read more}

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150. On December 22, India secured 2 gold, 3 silver & 2 bronze medals at the
25th “Asian Youth Chess Championship (Classical) 2023” held in Al Ain, UAE.
Two Indian youths, Kiyana Parihar (Under-8 Girls), and Harsh Suresh (Under-
16 Open), clinched gold medals. In Asian Youth Chess Championship 2023,
Sharvanika (Under-8 Girls), Arit Kapil (Under-8 Open), and G. Tejaswini (Under-
18 Girls) - secured Silver medals in their respective Classical championships.
Moreover, India earned 9 medals, including 4 golds, on December 13 in the
“Asian Youth Chess Championship (Rapid) 2023” held in Al Ain, UAE.
Bhagyashree Patil (Under-18 Girls), Saparia Ghosh (Under-14 Girls), A. S.
Sharvanika (Under-8 Girls), and Muhammad Shyan Ibrahim (Under-8 Open) clinched gold. Here, Kiyana won a silver medal
in the Under-8 Girls. Besides, on December 17, three Indian girls - V. C. Nivedita (Under-12 Girls), Pratiti Bordoloi (Under-
10 Girls), and A. S. Sharvanika - secured gold medals for India in the “Asian Youth Chess Championship (Blitz) 2023”. In the
girls’ category, Sharvanika, emerged as the sole player to win medals in all three (Blitz, Classical, and Rapid) categories.
{Read more}
Smart Points:
• 25th “Asian Youth Chess Championship (Classical) 2023” – held in Al Ain, UAE | India won 2 gold, 3 silver & 2 bronze
• Gold medals were won by – Kiyana Parihar (Under-8 Girls) & Harsh Suresh (Under-16 Open)
• Silver medals were won by – Sharvanika (Under-8 Girls), Arit Kapil (Under-8 Open), & G. Tejaswini (Under-18 Girls)
• “Asian Youth Chess Championship (Rapid) 2023” – held in Al Ain, UAE | India won 9 medals (including 4 golds)
• Gold Medals were won by – Bhagyashree Patil (Under-18 Girls), Saparia Ghosh (Under-14 Girls), A. S. Sharvanika
(Under-8 Girls), & Muhammad Shyan Ibrahim (Under-8 Open)
• Silver medal was won by – Kiyana (Under-8 Girls)
• “Asian Youth Chess Championship (Blitz) 2023” – held in Al Ain, UAE | India won 3 Gold Medals
• Gold medals were won by – V. C. Nivedita (Under-12 Girls), Pratiti Bordoloi (Under-10 Girls), & A. S. Sharvanika
• Sharvanika – sole player to win medals in all three (Blitz, Classical, and Rapid) categories
• UAE – Abu Dhabi – Dirham | President – Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan

151. On December 22, Manchester City F.C. won the “2023 FIFA Club World Cup”
(20th edition), defeating Fluminense F.C. in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. “Haddaf”, the sand
cat, was the official mascot for the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup. Egypt’s Al Ahly F.C.
stood on third place. Al-Ittihad F.C. won the ‘Fair Play Award’. Spanish footballer
Rodri (Manchester City) was named the ‘Best Player of the Tournament’. The 2023
edition marked the last time that the FIFA Club World Cup was played in a 7-team
format. Starting in 2025, the tournament will feature 32 clubs and be divided into 8 groups of 4 teams each. {Read more}

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152. Tamil Nadu will host the 6th edition of “Khelo India Youth Games” from January 19 to 31, 2024.
These games will be conducted at 15 venues across four cities: Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai and
Tiruchi. The multi-sport extravaganza will feature 27 sporting events, including Silambam. Silambam
is an Indian martial art originating in Tamil Nadu, South India. The mascot of the Games, ‘Veera
Mangai’, represents the brave woman Rani Velu Nachiyar. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Tamil Nadu – to host the 6th edition of “Khelo India Youth Games” in January 2024
• These games will be conducted at 15 venues across 4 cities – Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai & Tiruchi
• The multi-sport extravaganza will feature 27 sporting events, including Silambam (Indian martial art)
• Mascot of the Games – ‘Veera Mangai’ (represents the brave woman Rani Velu Nachiyar)
• Tamil Nadu: Capital – Chennai | CM – Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin | Governor – Ravindra Narayan Ravi

153. On December 21, Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh won the “Chennai Grand Masters Chess
Championship 2023” title, edging out compatriot Arjun Erigaisi on the tie-break after they finished
equal on points. The top three places were taken by the Indians, with Harikrishna finishing in the third
place. The tournament win puts Gukesh in the lead in the Fide Circuit standings. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• D Gukesh – won the “Chennai Grand Masters Chess Championship 2023” title
• 2nd – Arjun Erigaisi | 3rd – Harikrishna

154. In December 2023, Fiza Nazir, a 19-year-old emerging martial arts athlete from Jammu &
Kashmir, secured the gold medal in the senior women’s (56.7kg) category at the “2023 Asian
MMA Championship (IMMMAF)” held in Bahrain. This remarkable achievement not only
brought pride to her home state but also marked a groundbreaking moment in her flourishing
career. She will now represent India in the upcoming World Championship. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• “2023 Asian MMA Championship (IMMMAF)” – held in Bahrain
• Fiza Nazir (J & K) – secured a gold medal in the senior women’s (56.7kg) category
• She will now represent India in the upcoming World Championship
• Bahrain – Manama – Dinar | PM – Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa | King – Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa

155. Abu Dhabi has been selected as the host city for the 47th Chess Olympiad in 2028,
triumphing over Genoa with a vote of 96 to 60 during the FIDE Council Meeting in
December 2023. It was a joint bid by Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the UAE Chess
Federation to secure the rights to host the FIDE Chess Olympiad 2028, FIDE Chess Olympiad
for People with Disabilities 2028, and FIDE Congress 2028. This marks the second time that
the UAE will host a chess Olympiad, following the event held in Dubai in 1986. {Read more}

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156. In December 2023, Indian Women’s Cricket Team concluded their first ‘home
season’ of Test cricket in 28 year and recorded a historic maiden victory over
Australia in the one-off Test in Mumbai on December 24, 2023. The matches were
played at the Wankhede Stadium and at the DY Patil Stadium, both in Mumbai.
Indian team scripted the biggest win by margin of runs against England, and their
first-ever triumph over Australia in 11 Tests. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Indian Women’s Cricket Team – won the one-off Test against Australia (first in 28 years)
• 11 Matches were played at Wankhede Stadium and at DY Patil Stadium, both in Mumbai

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Persons in News
157. On December 4, Dr Akshata Krishnamurthy become the first Indian citizen to
operate ‘Perseverance’ rover on Mars, a mission that involves collecting samples to
bring back to Earth. Dr Krishnamurthy is a Principal Investigator and Mission Science
Phase Lead at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. She is the mission science phase lead
for the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar and served as a robotics systems engineer
on the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Surface Operations Sampling and Caching team.
{Read more}
Smart Points:
• Dr Akshata Krishnamurthy – became 1st Indian citizen to operate ‘Perseverance’ rover on Mars
• She is a Principal Investigator and Mission Science Phase Lead at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory

158. In December 2023, Actor Lee Dong-wook and SHINee singer Minho of South
Korea have been selected as the first “Olympic Friends” for the ‘Winter Youth
Olympic Games Gangwon 2024’. OlympicTM Friends is a new programme created
by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to allow famous figures from
outside of the sporting world to join the Olympic Movement and spread the
Olympic values. Gangwon 2024 will be held from 19 January to 1 February next
year, and is Asia's first Winter Youth Olympic Games. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Actor Lee Dong-wook + SHINee singer Minho of South Korea = selected as first “Olympic Friends” for ‘Winter Youth
Olympic Games Gangwon 2024’
• OlympicTM Friends – a new programme by IOC to allow famous figures from outside of sporting world to join
Olympic Movement
• Gangwon 2024 – Asia’s first Winter Youth Olympic Games & will be held from 19 January to 1 February next year

159. In December 2023, Commander Prerna Deosthalee will be the first woman officer of
the Indian Navy to command an Indian Naval Warship, INS Trinkat, based in Goa.
Commander Prerna Deosthale is presently the First Lieutenant of warship INS Chennai.
She hails from Mumbai and joined the Indian Navy in 2009. Lieutenant Commander
Prerana is also the first lady Observer on Tupolev Tu-142, a maritime reconnaissance
aircraft. The Indian Navy has appointed its first woman commanding officer in a naval ship
in sync with its philosophy of ‘All Roles - All Ranks’ for female personnel. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Commander Prerna Deosthalee – 1st woman officer of Indian Navy to command an Indian Naval Warship, INS Trinkat
• INS Trinkat is based in – Goa | She is also 1st lady Observer on Tupolev Tu-142, a maritime reconnaissance aircraft
• Indian Navy has appointed her in sync with its philosophy of – ‘All Roles - All Ranks’ for female personnel
• HQs of Indian Navy – Delhi | Chief – Admiral R. Hari Kumar | Vice Chief – Vice-Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh

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160. On December 6, Captain Geetika Koul from the Snow Leopard Brigade became the first
woman medical officer of the Indian Army to be deployed at the world’s highest battlefield,
Siachen, after successfully completing the induction training at Siachen Battle School. The
northern Himalayan region of Siachen presents difficulties because of its strategic
significance, severe weather, and difficult terrain. Geetika’s deployment marks a significant
advancement in the Indian Army’s efforts to integrate women. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Captain Geetika Koul (Snow Leopard Brigade) – became 1st woman medical officer of Indian Army to be deployed at
the world’s highest battlefield, Siachen
• HQs of Indian Army – New Delhi | Chief – Lt. Gen. Manoj Pande | Vice Chief – Lt. General MV Suchindra Kumar

161. On December 12, the Indian Army’s Fire and Fury Corps announced that Captain Fatima
Wasim has become the first woman medical officer in the Indian Army to be deployed on an
‘operational post’ on the Siachen Glacier, the world’s highest battlefield. She is the second
medical officer to be deployed on the Siachen Glacier in the Union Territory of Ladakh. She was
inducted to a post at an altitude of 15,200 feet after undergoing rigorous training at the Siachen
Battle School. Earlier this month, Captain Geetika Koul became the first woman medical officer in the Indian Army to be
deployed at Siachen. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Captain Fatima Wasim – became 1st woman medical officer in Indian Army to be deployed on an ‘operational post’
on Siachen Glacier
• She is 2nd medical officer to be deployed on Siachen Glacier in UT of Ladakh
• Captain Geetika Koul – became the first woman medical officer in the Indian Army to be deployed at Siachen
• Ladakh: Capital – Leh | Lt. Governor – B. D. Mishra
• HQs of Indian Army – New Delhi | Chief – Lt. Gen. Manoj Pande | Vice Chief – Lt. General MV Suchindra Kumar

162. On December 14, India’s Uma Sekhar was elected to the Governing Council
of the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) with
an impressive 45 votes out of 59 votes in the first round of elections held in
Rome, Italy. 21 votes were required to be elected to the Governing Council. India
will be the member of the body for the period 2024-28. Rome-based UNIDROIT is
an independent intergovernmental organisation dealing with various legal issues
including studying needs and methods for modernising commercial and private
laws. The Governing Council consists of 25 positions which are held by distinguished legal experts. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Uma Sekhar – was elected to Governing Council of International Institute for Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT)
• India will be the member of the body for the period 2024-28
• Governing Council consists of 25 positions which are held by distinguished legal experts
• HQs of UNIDROIT – Rome | Secretary General – Professor Ignacio Tirado

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163. On December 21, sports philanthropist and entrepreneur Vita Dani became the first
Indian to be inducted as a governing board member to the International Table Tennis
Federation (ITTF) Foundation. In her capacity as the Chairperson of Ultimate Table Tennis, she
has been reshaping the landscape of the sport, ensuring accessibility across all segments of
society, and orchestrating multiple tournaments spanning 25 states in India. Dani also
assumes the position of co-owner of the Chennaiyin Football Club, a top-tier entity in Indian
football. As the founder of the Dani Foundation, headquartered in Mumbai, Dani has
consistently endeavoured to effect meaningful change through her initiatives in sports and philanthropy. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Vita Dani – became the first Indian to be inducted as a governing board member to the ITTF Foundation
• She is the Chairperson of Ultimate Table Tennis & co-owner of the Chennaiyin Football Club
• She is also founder of the Dani Foundation (Mumbai)
• HQs of ITTF – Lausanne, Switzerland | President – Petra Sorling | CEO – Steve Dainton

164. On December 22, India invited France President Emmanuel Macron as Chief Guest for
the Republic Day celebrations on January 26, 2024. Notably, this is the 6th time a French
leader will be the Chief guest at Republic Day celebrations in the national capital. Earlier in
July, PM Modi had visited France to attend the Bastille Day Parade. Last year, Egypt’s
President Abdel Fattah El-Sis was the Chief Guest of the Republic Day celebrations in India.
{Read more}
Smart Points:
• India – invited France President Emmanuel Macron as Chief Guest for Republic Day celebrations on January 26, 2024
• This is the 6th time a French leader will be the Chief guest at Republic Day celebrations
• 2023 Chief Guest – Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sis
• France – Paris – Euro | President – Emmanuel Macron | PM – Elisabeth Borne

165. Raimati Ghiuria, also known as “Queen of Millets”, has grown and
preserved 30 varieties of rare millets. She has also trained hundreds of
women in cultivating these nutritious grains. The recent G20 Summit
included an exceptional guest - Raimati Ghiuria from the simple village of
Koraput in Odisha. She has preserved at least 72 traditional paddy varieties
and 30 varieties of millets, including Kundra Bati, Mandia, Jasra, Juana, and
Jamkoli. Raimati considers Kamala Pujari as her inspiration. Kamala is a 70-
year-old woman honoured with the Padma Shri for conserving hundreds of paddy seed varieties throughout her life.
{Read more}
Smart Points:
• Raimati Ghiuria (also known as “Queen of Millets”) – has grown and preserved 30 varieties of rare millets
• She hails from village of Koraput in Odisha & she was an guest in the recently held G20 Summit
• She has preserved at least 72 traditional paddy varieties and 30 varieties of millets
• She has been honoured with the Padma Shri for conserving hundreds of paddy seed varieties

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166. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become the sole global leader with
20 million (2 Crore) subscribers on his personal YouTube channel, as per
latest data collated by Viennese startup Tubics. With 224 million views in
December 2023 alone, Modi’s YouTube channel had 43 times more views
than Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s channel. Overall, with 4.5
billion video views, Modi’s YouTube channel leads the pack, both in terms
of subscribers and video views among top world leaders. Brazil’s former
president Jair Bolsonaro is at the second spot with a modest 6.4 million followers on his personal YouTube channel. For
several years, global surveys like Morning Consult have rated Modi as the most popular global leader, with approval
ratings upwards of 75%. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• PM Modi – became the sole global leader with 20 million (2 Crore) subscribers on his personal YouTube channel
• With 4.5 billion video views, his YT channel leads in terms of subscribers & video views among top world leaders
• The data is collected by – Viennese startup Tubics
• Morning Consult & other global surveys rated Modi as most popular global leader, with approval ratings of 75%

167. On December 31, Saveera Parkash, a 25-year-old doctor and a member of the People’s Party of
Pakistan (PPP), is set to become the first Hindu woman to contest a general election from Buner
district in Pakistan’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province. She is the daughter of Dr Om
Parkash, a native of Buner and a member of the PPP. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Saveera Parkash – first Hindu woman to contest general election from Buner district, KPK province, Pakistan
• She is the daughter of Dr Om Parkash, a native of Buner and a member of the PPP
• Pakistan – Islamabad – Pakistani Rupee | Caretaker PM – Anwarul Haq Kakar | President – Arif Alvi

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Arts & Cultural Affairs
168. On December 7, Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya inaugurated the “International Gita Mahotsav 2023” which is
being held from December 7 to 24 at Brahma Sarovar, Kurukshetra, Haryana. The festival began with the ‘Saras and Crafts
Fair’, which featured artists and craftsmen from 24 states showcasing the cultural richness of their respective regions.
Assam is the partner state of the festival this year. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Bandaru Dattatreya – inaugurated the “International Gita Mahotsav 2023” at Brahma Sarovar, Kurukshetra, Haryana
• The festival began with the ‘Saras and Crafts Fair’ | Partner State for the Festival – Assam
• Haryana: Capital – Chandigarh | CM – Manohar Lal Khattar | Governor – Bandaru Dattatray

169. On December 8, PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the 1st “Indian Art,

Architecture & Design Biennale (IAADB) 2023”, organised by Ministry of
Culture, at Red Fort, New Delhi. During the programme, the Prime Minister
inaugurated the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Centre for Design’ at Red Fort and
the Student Biennale, ‘Samunnati’. He also launched a Commemorative
Stamp. The AADB will serve as an introduction to the Cultural Space in Delhi.
The Prime Minister highlighted the creation of cultural spaces in 5 cities
namely Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Varanasi as a historic step.
IAADB will showcase different theme-based exhibitions on each day of the week. IAADB will include pavilions based on the
above themes, panel discussions, art workshops, art bazaar, heritage walks and a parallel student biennale. The student
biennale (Samunnati) at Lalit Kala Akademi will provide an opportunity for students to showcase their work, interact with
peers & professionals, and gain valuable exposure within the architecture community. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• PM Modi – inaugurated 1st “Indian Art, Architecture & Design Biennale (IAADB) 2023” at Red Fort, New Delhi
• Organised by – Ministry of Culture
• PM Modi – inaugurated ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Centre for Design’ at Red Fort and the Student Biennale, ‘Samunnati’
• He also launched a Commemorative Stamp
• He also highlighted the creation of cultural spaces in 5 cities (Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Ahmedabad & Varanasi)
• IAADB will showcase different theme-based exhibitions on each day of the week:

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170. On December 10, Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the “Krishnaveni Sangeetha
Neerajanam” at Tummalapalli Kalakshetram in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, celebrating
Telugu culture and classical traditions. R K Roja, Minister for Tourism, Government of
Andhra Pradesh, expressed her gratitude to the Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of
Culture, Government of India, for bringing the inaugural edition of Krishnaveni
Sangeetha Neerajanam to Andhra Pradesh. The 3-day classical music extravaganza
hosted a variety of activities, including classical music performances by renowned
musicians of the country and an exhibition and sale of regional cuisine, local handicrafts and handlooms. The objective of
this musical festival is to celebrate the rich heritage of classical music and help revive focus on Harikatha and
Namasankeerthana traditions. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Nirmala Sitharaman – inaugurated “Krishnaveni Sangeetha Neerajanam” musical festival
• It was inaugurated to celebrate Telugu culture & classical traditions
• It was inaugurated at – Tummalapalli Kalakshetram in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh
• Andhra Pradesh: Capital – Amaravati | CM – Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy | Governor – Syed Abdul Nazeer

171. On December 17, PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the “Kashi Tamil

Sangamam 2023” in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. On this occasion, PM Modi flagged
off the Kanyakumari-Varanasi Tamil Sangamam train and launched multi language
and braille translations of Thirukkural, Manimekalai and other classic Tamil
literature. In this event, Narendra Modi utilized an AI-powered Indian language
translation tool, ‘Bhashini’, for translation of his speech from Hindi to Tamil. Kashi
Tamil Sangamam aims to celebrate, reaffirm and rediscover the age-old links
between Tamil Nadu and Kashi. The 2nd phase of the Kashi Tamil Sangamam will continue till December 30, 2023. Ministry
of Education is the nodal agency for this event. The joint initiative was organised by Banaras Hindu University and IIT
Chennai. IIT Chennai is providing online support to thousands of students from Varanasi in Science and Mathematics
under the Vidya Shakti Initiative. The 7 groups of Students (Ganga), Teachers (Yamuna), Professionals (Godavari), Spiritual
(Saraswati), Farmers and Artisans (Narmada), Writers (Sindhu) and Traders and Businessmen (Kaveri) have been named
after seven sacred rivers of India. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• PM Modi – inaugurated “Kashi Tamil Sangamam 2023” in Varanasi, UP
• Aim – to celebrate, reaffirm and rediscover the age-old links between Tamil Nadu & Kashi
• PM Modi – flagged off the Kanyakumari-Varanasi Tamil Sangamam train
• He also launched multi language & braille translations of Thirukkural, Manimekalai & other classic Tamil literature
• The 2nd phase of the Kashi Tamil Sangamam will continue till December 30, 2023
• Nodal agency – Ministry of Education
• The joint initiative was organised by = Banaras Hindu University + IIT Chennai
• In this event, PM Modi utilized an AI-powered Indian language translation tool, ‘Bhashini’, for translation of his
speech from Hindi to Tamil
• UP: Capital – Lucknow | CM – Yogi Adityanath | Governor – Anandiben Patel

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Science & Technology
172. The NASA is set to launch the Mars smallsat mission, “Escape and Plasma
Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE)” spacecraft, aboard Blue
Origin’s New Glenn launch vehicle by the end of 2024. Blue Origin won the
contract to launch ESCAPADE for $20 million in February 2023. NASA’s
upcoming Mars mission, a multi-spacecraft science mission, aims to study the
transfer of solar wind energy and momentum through Mars’ unique hybrid
magnetosphere. ESCAPADE is part of the NASA’s ‘Small Innovative Missions for
Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx)’ program. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• NASA – to launch Mars smallsat mission, “ESCAPADE” spacecraft, aboard Blue Origin’s New Glenn launch vehicle
• It will be launched by the end of 2024 | ESCAPADE – Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers
• Blue Origin – won the contract to launch ESCAPADE for $20 million in February 2023
• ESCAPADE – is part of the NASA’s ‘Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx)’ program

173. Recently, a study by an international team of researchers, including those from

Arizona State University (ASU) revealed the formation of a new layer, named “E prime
layer”, on the outer part of the Earth’s core. The formation of this new layer is a result of
surface water penetrating deep into the planet, altering the composition of the metallic
liquid core’s outermost region. Earth comprises 4 primary layers - Inner core (at the
planet’s center), surrounded by the Outer core, Mantle & Crust. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Researchers revealed formation of a new layer, named “E prime layer”, on the outer part of the Earth’s core
• The formation of this new layer is a result of surface water penetrating deep into the planet
• Earth comprises 4 primary layers – Inner core (at the planet’s center), surrounded by the Outer core, Mantle & Crust

174. On December 4, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) launched a ‘Seed Fund
Scheme’ for start-ups operating in the area of urban development and disaster management by using space technology.
As part of the scheme, selected start-ups will receive seed funding for transforming an original idea into a prototype using
space technology, ISRO facility support, mentorship support, and access to data algorithm as transfer of technology from
Department of Science (DoS). The scheme has the provision of providing financial assistance of up to Rs 1 crore in addition
to mentorship support, training and networking opportunities. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• IN-SPACe – launched a ‘Seed Fund Scheme’ for start-ups operating in urban development & disaster management
• Selected start ups will receive seed funding for transforming an original idea into a prototype using space technology
• The scheme has the provision of providing financial assistance of up to Rs 1 crore
• HQs of IN-SPACe – Ahmedabad | Chairman – Dr. Pawan Goenka | Works under – Department of Space

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175. On December 5, China, jointly with Egypt, launched a new “MisrSat-2” satellite into
space, hitting a milestone in its space cooperation program with the African country. The
MisrSat-2 satellite was launched on the Long March-2C carrier rocket from the Jiuquan
Satellite Launch Center located in China’s Gobi Desert. The optical remote sensing
satellite has successfully entered the orbit. The satellite boasts its role in crucial
functions such as farming, national resources, urban planning, and coastal change
monitoring in space. China also launched two separate remote sensing satellites,
Starpool 02-A & 02-B, which were designed and developed by Chinese startup EllipSpace. The MISRSAT-2 project made
Egypt the first country in Africa to achieve the satellite development and launch. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• China + Egypt = launched a new “MisrSat-2” satellite into space
• It was launched on Long March-2C carrier rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center located in China’s Gobi Desert
• China – also launched two separate remote sensing satellites, Starpool 02-A & 02-B
• Starpool 02-A & 02-B – designed and developed by Chinese startup EllipSpace
• Egypt – first country in Africa to achieve the satellite development and launch
• Egypt – Cairo – Egyptian Pound | President – Abdel Fattah el-Sisi

176. On December 5, “JT-60SA”, the world’s largest and most advanced

nuclear fusion reactor started its official operations in Naka, Japan. JT-60SA is
a joint initiative between the European Union and Japan. The experimental
nuclear fusion reactor is quite a new technology. Notably, fusion differs from
fission, the technique currently used in nuclear power plants. The JT-60SA
reactor, a six-storey-high machine, comprises a doughnut-shaped ‘tokamak’
vessel set to contain swirling plasma heated up to 200 million degrees
Celsius. JT-60SA is a forerunner for its big brother in France, the under-
construction ‘International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER)’.
{Read more}
Smart Points:
• “JT-60SA” – world’s largest & most advanced nuclear fusion reactor, started its official operations in Naka, Japan
• JT-60SA is a joint initiative between = European Union + Japan
• JT-60SA – is forerunner for under-construction ‘International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER)’ in France
• Japan – Tokyo – Yen | PM – Fumio Kishida

177. On December 7, Google launched its most capable, flexible, and general AI model,
“Gemini”. It will now be available to users across the world. It will be integrated into ‘Bard’
as well as the latest Pixel 8 Pro smartphones. Gemini was built to be multimodal and
hence can generalize and seamlessly understand, operate across and combine different
types of information including text, code, audio, image and video. This AI model comes in
3 sizes - Gemini Ultra, Gemini Pro & Gemini Nano. While Gemini Ultra will be the largest
and most capable model for highly complex tasks, Gemini Pro will be best at scaling across a wide range of tasks, and
Gemini Nano will manage on-device tasks. {Read more}

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178. On December 5, Meta Platforms and International Business Machines (IBM)

launched “AI Alliance”, a coalition of more than 50 Artificial Intelligence companies and
research institutions that are pushing open model of AI, hoping to gain traction in a fast-
growing market. The AI Alliance members include Intel, Oracle, Cornell University, the
National Science Foundation, etc. The alliance is focusing on 6 areas - Developing
benchmarks and evaluation standards to ensure responsible AI development, Advancing open foundation models with
diverse capabilities to tackle big societal challenges, Boosting the AI hardware accelerator ecosystem, Supporting global AI
skills building and exploratory research, and Creating educational content to inform the public and policymakers about AI.
{Read more}
Smart Points:
• Meta Platforms + IBM = launched “AI Alliance”, a coalition of more than 50 AI companies & research institutions
• The alliance is focusing on 6 areas
• Some imp AI Alliance members are – Intel, Oracle, Cornell University, the National Science Foundation, etc
• HQs of Meta – California, US | CEO – Mark Zuckerberg | Founded in – 2004
• HQs of IBM – Armonk, New York, US | CEO – Arvind Krishna | Founded in – 1911

179. On December 5, International Business Machines (IBM) unveiled “Condor”, the

first Quantum Computer with more than 1,000 qubits. The new quantum computing
chip has 1,121 superconducting qubits arranged in a honeycomb pattern. These
quantum chips can easily handle problems that classical supercomputers are believed
to take hundreds or thousands of years to solve. The company has also unveiled a chip
called “Heron” that has a record-low error rate, five times lower than that of its
previous quantum processor. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• IBM – unveiled “Condor”, the first Quantum Computer with more than 1,000 qubits
• It has 1,121 superconducting qubits arranged in a honeycomb pattern
• IBM – also unveiled a chip called “Heron” that has a record-low error rate (5 times lower)
• HQs of IBM – Armonk, New York, US | CEO – Arvind Krishna | Founded in – 1911

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180. On December 9, Chinese private aerospace firm, LandSpace Technology Corporation, successfully
launched the world’s first methane-liquid oxygen rocket, “Zhuque-2 Y-3”, carrying 3 satellites -
Honghu, Tianyi 33 & Honghu-2. Zhuque-2 is capable of putting payloads totalling 1.5 metric tons into
500-km (300-mile) orbit. One more Chinese private aerospace firm iSpace (Interstellar Glory Space
Technology Ltd) launched the country’s first reusable launch vehicle test, “Hyperbola-2”. The test
flight verified the reuse capability of a full-size liquid-oxygen-methane rocket. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• LandSpace Technology Corporation (China) – launched “Zhuque-2 Y-3”, world’s 1st methane-liquid oxygen rocket
• It was carrying 3 satellites – Honghu, Tianyi 33 & Honghu-2
• iSpace (China) – launched the country’s first reusable launch vehicle test, “Hyperbola-2”
• China – Beijing – Renminbi | President – Xi Jinping | PM – Li Qiang

181. On December 8, IIT Madras developed a technology called ‘AMRIT’ (Arsenic and
Metal Removal by Indian Technology) for the removal of Arsenic and Metal ions from
water. The technology uses nano-scale iron oxy-hydroxide, which selectively removes
arsenic when water is passed through it. This water purifier has been developed for both
domestic as well as community levels. Also, the technology has been recommended by
the erstwhile ‘Standing Committee’ of the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation
for the examination of the best technologies concerning water and sanitation. {Read
more}
Smart Points:
• IIT Madras – developed a technology called ‘AMRIT’ for removal of Arsenic and Metal ions from water
• AMRIT – Arsenic and Metal Removal by Indian Technology
• The technology is recommended by erstwhile ‘Standing Committee’ of Dept of Drinking Water & Sanitation
• Director of IIT Madras – V. Kamakoti

182. On December 12, KPIT Technologies, a software integration firm focused on the
automotive and mobility ecosystem, unveiled India’s first Sodium-ion battery technology.
The technology is set to lower the cost of an electric vehicle battery by 25-30% compared to
the current lithium-ion batteries. It would also reduce India’s import dependency on core
battery materials. Sodium-ion battery technology offers an extended lifespan with 80%
capacity retention for 3000-6000 cycles and faster charging capability. KPIT collaborated with
the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune for the project. Ravi Pandit is the Co-founder &
Chairman of KPIT. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• KPIT Technologies – unveiled India’s first Sodium-ion battery technology
• KPIT Technologies – collaborated with IISER, Pune for the project
• It will lower the cost of an electric vehicle battery by 25-30% compared to the current lithium-ion batteries
• Sodium-ion battery technology offers an extended lifespan with 80% capacity retention for 3000-6000 cycles
• HQs of KPIT Technologies – Pune, MH | Chairman – Ravi Pandit | MD & CEO – Kishor Patil

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183. On December 13, the Department of Atomic Energy and IDRS Labs Pvt Ltd, Bengaluru,
partnered to develop AKTOCYTE tablets to enhance the quality of life for cancer patients
undergoing radiotherapy. Experts from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai; Tata
Memorial Hospital, Mumbai; Advanced Centre for Training Research and Education in
Cancer, Navi Mumbai, also collaborated with the IDRS Labs with a primary aim of minimizing
the side effects of radiotherapy. AKTOCYTE has received approval from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
(FSSAI). {Read more}
Smart Points:
• DAE + IDRS Labs (Bengaluru) = partnered to develop AKTOCYTE tablets
• The tablets will enhance the quality of life for cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy
• AKTOCYTE – has received approval from FSSAI

184. In December 2023, Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh,

Banwarilal Purohit, inaugurated a deeptech startup accelerator program dedicated
to catalyzing innovation in agriculture and water technology. The program called
“SAMRIDHI” (Strategic Acceleration for Market, Research, Innovation &
Development: a Holistic Initiative for ICPS Startups) is hosted by AwaDH, a
technology and innovation hub of IIT Ropar set up under National Mission on
Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS). The SAMRIDHI conclave in which 5 strategic collaborations were
formalized, featured 5 deep-tech innovations. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Banwarilal Purohit – inaugurated “SAMRIDHI”, a deeptech startup accelerator program
• SAMRIDHI – Strategic Acceleration for Market, Research, Innovation & Development: a Holistic Initiative for ICPS
Startups
• The program is hosted – by AwaDH (a technology and innovation hub of IIT Ropar) set up under NM-ICPS

185. On December 18, Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Kiren Rijiju, flagged
off India’s 1st ‘Winter Scientific Expedition to the Arctic’ from the MoES
headquarters in New Delhi. Indian scientific expeditions to the Arctic during
the winter (November to March) will allow researchers to conduct unique
scientific observations during polar nights, where there is no sunlight for
nearly 24 hours and sub-zero temperatures (as low as -15 degrees Celsius).
Since 2008, India operates a research base in the Arctic named “Himadri”,
which has been mostly hosting scientists during the summer (April to October). The first batch of the maiden Arctic winter
expedition comprises researchers from the host National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa; IIT Mandi;
Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune; and Raman Research Institute (RRI), Bengaluru. Indian scientific
expeditions to the Earth’s poles (the Arctic and the Antarctic) are facilitated under the ‘PACER (Polar and Cryosphere)’
scheme of the MoES. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Kiren Rijiju (MoES) – flagged off India’s 1st ‘Winter Scientific Expedition to the Arctic’ from New Delhi
• Since 2008, India operates a research base in the Arctic named “Himadri”
• The first batch of the maiden Arctic winter expedition comprises researchers from – NCPOR, IIT Mandi, IITM, RRI
• Indian scientific expeditions to the Earth’s poles are facilitated under ‘PACER (Polar & Cryosphere)’ scheme of MoES
• Minister of Earth Sciences: Kiren Rijiju | Constituency – Arunachal West

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186. On December 14, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
announced to launch the “Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, Ocean Ecosystem (PACE)”
mission in 2024, with the aim of enhancing our understanding of Earth’s
atmosphere. Advanced polarimeters will be employed to study the interplay
of light, aerosols, and clouds, contributing to a deeper comprehension of their
impact on air quality and climate. The PACE mission will not only analyze
aerosols but also explore the color of the ocean. The Ocean Color Instrument
(OCI), the primary science instrument for PACE, is designed to measure the ocean’s color across a spectrum from
ultraviolet to shortwave infrared. In addition, PACE will feature two polarimeters - the Spectro-polarimeter for Planetary
Exploration (SPEXone) and the Hyper Angular Research Polarimeter (HARP2). {Read more}
Smart Points:
• NASA – to launch the “Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, Ocean Ecosystem (PACE)” mission in 2024
• Aim: enhancing our understanding of Earth’s atmosphere
• The PACE mission will not only analyze aerosols but also explore the color of the ocean
• Primary science instrument for PACE – Ocean Color Instrument (OCI)
• PACE will feature two polarimeters – SPEXone & HARP2
• HQs of NASA – Washington D.C., US | Administrator – Bill Nelson | Founded in – 1958

187. On December 18, Microsoft has

released a new small language model, “Phi-
2”, which has 2.7 billion parameters and is
an upgraded version of Phi-1.5. It is
currently available via the Azure AI Studio
model catalogue. Microsoft claims that Phi-
2 can outperform larger models such as
Llama-2, Mistral, and Gemini-2 in various generative AI benchmark tests. This generative AI model is said to have common
sense, language understanding, and logical reasoning. Microsoft Phi-2 SLM is trained using ‘textbook-quality’ data, which
includes synthetic datasets, general knowledge, theory of mind, daily activities, and more. Microsoft’s Phi-2 can also solve
complex mathematical equations and physics problems. On top of that, it can identify a mistake made by a student in a
calculation. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Microsoft – released a new small language model, “Phi-2”, which has 2.7 billion parameters
• It is currently available via the Azure AI Studio model catalogue | It is trained using ‘textbook-quality’ data
• This generative AI model is said to have common sense, language understanding & logical reasoning
• HQs of Microsoft – Washington, US | Chairman & CEO – Satya Nadella | Founded in – 1975

188. In December 2023, Krutrim Si Designs, the AI venture of Ola co-founder

Bhavish Aggarwal, unveiled its base large language model (LLM), “Krutrim”, which
is India’s first complete AI computing stack. Krutrim has joined the AI race
dominated by players such as Google, Microsoft and OpenAI. It has been built with
the largest representation of Indian data used for its generative AI applications for
all Indian languages. Krutrim, meaning ‘artificial’ in Sanskrit, is a family of LLMs,
including Krutrim base and Krutrim Pro, which will have multimodal, larger
knowledge capabilities, and many other technical advancements for inference.
{Read more}

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189. On December 18, the Indian Navy partnered with IIT Kanpur to promote
technology development through joint R&D. The MoU could open the gates for
enhancing capacity building and providing innovative solutions to field-level issues. IIT
Kanpur can bring its expertise to address real-world challenges faced by the Indian
Navy. The structured collaboration focuses on joint R&D initiatives involving teams
from the Centre of Excellence (Marine Engg) at INS Shivaji, Lonavla and IIT Kanpur.
{Read more}
Smart Points:
• Indian Navy + IIT Kanpur = partnered to promote technology development through joint R&D
• It focuses on joint R&D initiatives involving teams from Centre of Excellence (Marine Engg) at INS Shivaji, Lonavla &
IIT Kanpur
• Director of IIT Kanpur – Abhay Karandikar
• HQs of Indian Navy – Delhi | Chief – Admiral R. Hari Kumar | Vice Chief – Vice-Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi

190. India aims to set up a new research station, named “Maitri-II”, in

Antarctica by 2029. The existing Indian research station, ‘Maitri’,
commissioned in 1989, is very old. Currently, India has two operational
research stations in Antarctica, named ‘Maitri’ and ‘Bharati’. India has been
operating the Bharati research station in the Larseman Hills area since 2012.
Bharati is about 3,000 Kms away from Maitri station. Dakshin Gangotri, India’s
first research station in Antarctica, was commissioned in 1983. However, it
had to be abandoned in 1989 after being submerged in snow. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• India – aims to set up a new research station, named “Maitri-II”, in Antarctica by 2029
• India has two operational research stations in Antarctica – ‘Maitri’ & ‘Bharati’
• India – has been operating the Bharati research station in the Larseman Hills area since 2012
• The existing Indian research station, ‘Maitri’, commissioned in 1989, is very old
• India’s first research station in Antarctica – Dakshin Gangotri (commissioned in 1983)
• Dakshin Gangotri – had to be abandoned in 1989 after being submerged in snow

191. On December 21, researchers at IIT Guwahati in collaboration with the Brahmaputra Board, under Ministry of Jal
Shakti, have developed an indigenous river model “BRAHMA-2D” (Braided River Aid: Hydro-Morphological Analyzer). This
comprehensive mathematical model can help to understand flow of large braided rivers like Brahmaputra, providing
valuable insights to field engineers to design sustainable hydraulic structures like Spurs, Revetment and other river bank
protection measures. The model was successfully validated on the Brahmaputra River near Majuli Island, the largest river
Island & second largest freshwater river Island in the world, prone to river bank erosion. {Read more}

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192. NASA’s new satellite, “TEMPO”, to hourly measure air pollution has shown
significant progress. “Tropospheric Emissions Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO)” is
NASA’s first Earth-observation satellite in geostationary orbit and has developed
further from previous polar-orbiting satellites provided daily observations to provide
10 to 12 daily scans. It is built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies to measure
atmospheric pollution from Canada’s oil sands to the Yucatán Peninsula. It also gets
data from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and made its first North American scans in August 2023. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• NASA’s new satellite, “TEMPO”, to hourly measure air pollution has shown significant progress
• TEMPO – Tropospheric Emissions Monitoring of Pollution | Built by – Ball Aerospace & Technologies
• It is NASA’s 1st Earth-observation satellite in geostationary orbit to measure atmospheric pollution from Canada’s oil
sands to the Yucatán Peninsula
• HQs of NASA – Washington D.C., US | Administrator – Bill Nelson | Founded in – 1958

193. On December 21, the World Health Organization (WHO) added the “R21/Matrix-M”
malaria vaccine to its list of prequalified vaccines. It is developed by Oxford University
and manufactured by Serum Institute of India (SII). In October 2023, WHO had
recommended its use for the prevention of malaria in children, following the advice of
the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization and the Malaria
Policy Advisory Group. The R21 vaccine is the second malaria vaccine prequalified by
WHO, following the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine which had obtained prequalification status in July 2022. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• WHO added the “R21/Matrix-M” malaria vaccine to its list of prequalified vaccines
• It is developed by Oxford University & manufactured by Serum Institute of India (SII)
• In October 2023, WHO had recommended its use for the prevention of malaria in children
• HQs of SII – Pune, Maharashtra | Chairman – Cyrus S. Poonawalla | CEO – Adar C. Poonawalla | Founded in – 1966
• HQs of WHO – Geneva, Switzerland | DG – Tedros Adhanom | Member Countries – 194 | Founded in – 1948

194. On December 30, Reliance Jio partnered with IIT Bombay to launch its new AI project
called, “BharatGPT”, to expand its presence in the field of artificial intelligence. The
announcement was made by Akash Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Jio during the annual
Techfest of IIT Bombay. The BharatGPT consortium, which aims to deliver India-centric
multi-lingual and multi-modal GPT/LLMs, is a unique Public Private Partnership (PPP)
initiative led by IIT Bombay. The consortium consists of other premier academic institutes
such as IIT Madras, IIT Mandi, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Kanpur, IIIT Hyderabad, IIM Indore and Bhashini (a division of MeitY). The
focus of this project is to develop AI solutions for key business verticals such as telecom and retail. {Read more}

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Appointments & Resignations
195. On December 2, a 1991-batch Indian Forest Service Officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre, Kanchan
Devi, has been appointed as the Director General (DG) of the Indian Council of Forestry Research
Education (ICFRE). Kanchan is the first woman officer to hold this post of Dehradun-based premier
council under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change. At International level,
the ICFRE enjoys observer organization status with the UN bodies of UNFCCC, and CBD. The Council is
actively involved in deliberations on climate change at the international arena. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Kanchan Devi – 1st woman officer appointed for as DG of the Indian Council of Forestry Research Education (ICFRE)
• HQs of ICFRE – Dehradun, Uttarakhand | DG – Kanchan Devi

196. In December 2023, Squadron Leader Manisha Padhi was appointed as the
Aide-De-Camp (ADC) to the Governor of Mizoram, Hari Babu Kambhampati. This
marks India’s first female Indian Armed Forces officer to serve as ADC to the
governor of the country. Squadron Leader Padhi was earlier posted at Air Force
stations in Bidar, Pune and Bhatinda before her new posting. An aide-de-camp is
an officer in the armed forces who helps an officer of higher rank. In India, Aide-
de-Camp is a title of honour while current as well as former aides-de-camp are
conferred the post-nominal letters ADC. The service chiefs, including the chief of the Army, Navy, and Air Staff, usually
have three aides-de-camp. While the President has five aides-de-camp. In India, the governors of states have two aides-
de-camp, one each from the Indian Armed Forces and the Indian and state police services. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Squadron Leader Manisha Padhi – appointed as Aide-De-Camp (ADC) to the Governor of Mizoram
• She became India’s first female Indian Armed Forces officer to serve as ADC to the governor of the country
• Aide-De-Camp – is an officer in the armed forces who helps an officer of higher rank
• The service chiefs, including the chief of the Army, Navy, and Air Staff, usually have three aides-de-camp
• President has five aides-de-camp
• Governors of states have two aides-de-camp (one each from Indian Armed Forces & Indian and state police services)
• Mizoram: Capital – Aizawl | CM – Zoramthanga | Governor – Hari Babu Kambhampati
197. On December 2, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of J & K, Pandurang K Pole announced that former
Indian cricketer Suresh Raina has been appointed as the youth voter awareness ambassador for
Jammu and Kashmir. This influence can be harnessed to encourage more individuals to participate in
the electoral process, leading to higher voter turnout and greater civic engagement. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Suresh Raina – appointed as the youth voter awareness ambassador for Jammu and Kashmir
• Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of J & K – Pandurang K Pole
• J & K: Capital – Srinagar | Lt. Governor – Manoj Sinha

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198. On December 7, an India-born media executive who has worked in UK broadcasting for
over 40 years, Dr Samir Shah, has been appointed as the new Chairman of British Broadcasting
Corporation (BBC). The 71-year-old, who was honoured with a CBE by Queen Elizabeth II in 2019
for services to television and heritage, will replace Richard Sharp, who had been forced to resign
after his communication with former PM Boris Johnson came under scrutiny. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Dr Samir Shah (India-born media executive) – appointed as the Chairman of BBC (Replacing - Richard Sharp)
• He was honoured with a CBE by Queen Elizabeth II in 2019
• HQs of BBC – London, UK | DG – Tim Davie | Chairman – Dr Samir Shah | Founded in – 1992

199. On December 8, Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) leader Lalduhoma took oath as the new Chief
Minister of Mizoram. He succeeds Zoramthanga. 11 other newly elected MLAs from the party were
also sworn in as new cabinet ministers. Lalduhoma is the first non-Congress, non-MNF chief minister of
the state since its formation in 1987. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Lalduhoma (Zoram People’s Movement) – took oath as new CM of Mizoram
• He is the first non-Congress, non-MNF chief minister of the state since its formation in 1987
• Mizoram: Capital – Aizawl | CM – Lalduhoma | Governor – Hari Babu Kambhampati

200. On December 7, Anumula Revanth Reddy was sworn in as the first Congress Chief Minister of
Telangana at the Lal Bahadur Stadium in the State’s capital, Hyderabad. He replaced K
Chandrashekar Rao. The outgoing Congress Legislative Party leader Mallu Bhatti Vikaramarka took
oath as the Deputy Chief Minister, along with ten others chosen to be part of the Council of
Ministers. Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan administered the oath of office to Mr. Reddy,
who steered his party to victory in India’s youngest State. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Anumula Revanth Reddy – sworn in as 1st Congress Chief Minister of Telangana (replacing - K Chandrashekar Rao)
• Lal Bahadur Stadium – located in Hyderabad
• Mallu Bhatti Vikaramarka – took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister
• Telangana: Capital – Hyderabad | CM – Anumula Revanth Reddy | Governor – Tamilisai Soundararajan

201. In December 2023, the Government of India has approved several high-profile
appointments, including the elevation of Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi to the position of Vice
Chief of the Naval Staff. Vice Admiral Tripathi, currently serving as the Flag Officer Commanding-
in-Chief of the Western Naval Command, will take over the crucial role from Vice-Admiral Sanjay
Jasjit Singh, effective early January 2024. Vice Admiral Su Singh (Sanjay Jasjit Singh), the current
Vice Chief, will take over as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command, succeeding Vice
Admiral Tripathi. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi – to be appointed as Vice Chief of the Naval Staff in early January 2024
• He will take over the crucial role from Vice-Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh
• Sanjay Jasjit Singh – will take over as FOC-in-C of Western Naval Command (succeeding - Dinesh K Tripathi)
• HQs of Indian Navy – Delhi | Chief – Admiral R. Hari Kumar | Vice Chief – Vice-Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi
• HQs of WNC – Mumbai, MH | FOC-in-C – Sanjay Jasjit Singh | Chief of Staff of WNC – Krishna Swaminathan

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202. On December 8, President Droupadi Murmu assigned Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda
the additional charge of Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare after the resignation of
Narendra Singh Tomar from the Union Cabinet following his election as an MLA in the Madhya
Pradesh Assembly. Shobha Karandlaje, Minister of State in Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers
Welfare, is assigned the additional charge of the Minister of State (MoS) in Ministry of Food
Processing Industries, after the resignation of Prahlad Singh Patel. Rajeev Chandrasekhar,
Minister of State in Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, was assigned the additional charge of the Minister
of State in Ministry of Jal Shakti, after the resignation of Prahlad Singh Patel. Bharati Pravin Pawar, Minister of State in
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, was assigned the additional charge of the Minister of State in Ministry of Tribal
Affairs, after the resignation of Renuka Singh Saruta. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Arjun Munda (Tribal Affairs Minister) – is assigned additional charge of Minister in MoAFW
• Shobha Karandlaje (MoS in MoAFW) – is assigned additional charge of MoS in MoFPI
• Rajeev Chandrasekhar (MoS in MSDE) – is assigned additional charge of MoS in Ministry of Jal Shakti
• Bharati Pravin Pawar (MoS in MoHFW) – is assigned additional charge of MoS in Ministry of Tribal Affairs
• Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare: Arjun Munda | Constituency – Khunti, Jharkhand
• MoS in Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare: Shobha Karandlaje & Kailash Choudhary
• Ministry of Jal Shakti: Gajendra Singh Sekhawat | Constituency – Jodhpur, Rajasthan
• MoS for Jal Shakti – Rajeev Chandrasekhar
• Ministry of Tribal Affairs: Arjun Munda | Constituency – Khunti, Jharkhand
• MoS in Ministry of Tribal Affairs: Bharati Pravin Pawar & Bishweswar Tudu
• Minister of Food Processing Industries: Pashu Pati Kumar Paras | Constituency – Hajipur, Bihar
• MoS in Ministry of Food Processing Industries: Shobha Karandlaje

203. On December 13, Mohan Yadav was sworn-in as the 19th Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh
along with his two deputies - Jagdish Devda and Rajendra Shukla. Prime Minister Narendra
Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national president J. P. Nadda, and former CM
Shivraj Singh Chouhan were among the dignitaries present at the ceremony. M.P. Governor
Mangubhai Patel administered the oath of office and secrecy on Mr. Yadav, Mr. Devda and Mr.
Shukla. Mohan Yadav is a three-term MLA from Ujjain-Dakshin (South) and a prominent OBC
leader in the State. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Mohan Yadav – sworn-in as 19th CM of Madhya Pradesh (succeeding - Shivraj Singh Chouhan)
• Jagdish Devda + Rajendra Shukla = sworn-in as Deputy CMs
• Madhya Pradesh: Capital – Bhopal | CM – Mohan Yadav | Governor – Mangubhai Chhaganbhai Patel

204. On December 13, Donald Tusk was sworn in as new Prime Minister of Poland by President Andrzej
Sebastin Duda. Tusk named Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, an experienced politician and agrarian party
leader, as his Defense Minister. The leader of the centrist Civic Platform party, Tusk also served as Polish
PM from 2007-2014. {Read more}

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205. On December 13, Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vishnu Deo Sai took oath as the Chief Minister
of Chhattisgarh. Mr. Sai, a tribal leader from Jashpur, is the fourth Chief Minister of the State and he
succeeds Bhupesh Baghel. State BJP president Arun Sao and general secretary Vijay Sharma took oath as
Deputy Chief Ministers in a brief swearing-in ceremony. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Vishnu Deo Sai (BJP) – took oath as CM of Chhattisgarh (succeeding - Bhupesh Baghel)
• He is a tribal leader from Jashpur
• Arun Sao & Vijay Sharma – took oath as Deputy Chief Ministers
• Chhattisgarh: Capital – Raipur | CM – Vishnu Deo Sai | Governor – Biswa Bhusan Harichandan

206. On December 12, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) selected first-time MLA from Jaipur district’s
Sanganer seat, Bhajan Lal Sharma, as the next Chief Minister of Rajasthan. Mr. Sharma succeeds Senior
Congress leader and outgoing Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. Hailing from Nadbai in Bharatpur district, Mr.
Sharma, 56, was fielded as the BJP candidate from Sanganer, where he defeated Congress’s Pushpendra
Bhardwaj. The new BJP government in the State will have two Deputy Chief Ministers - Diya Kumari and
Prem Chand Bairwa. Governor Kalraj Mishra invited Mr. Sharma to take oath as the Chief Minister. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Bhajan Lal Sharma (BJP) – to be the next Chief Minister of Rajasthan (succeeding - Ashok Gehlot)
• He is an MLA from Jaipur district’s Sanganer seat & he hails from Nadbai in Bharatpur district
• Diya Kumari & Prem Chand Bairwa – to be the Deputy Chief Ministers of Rajasthan
• Rajasthan: Capital – Jaipur | CM – Bhajan Lal Sharma | Governor – Kalraj Mishra

207. President Droupadi Murmu nominated Justice Sanjiv Khanna, the senior-most judge of the
Supreme Court, as the Executive Chairperson of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA). Justice
Khanna would replace Justice SK Kaul who retired on December 25. It has been a convention to appoint
the second senior-most SC judge to the post. According to the Legal Services Authority Act of 1987, the
Chief Justice of India is the Patron-in-Chief of NALSA. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Justice Sanjiv Khanna – nominated as Executive Chairperson of NALSA (replacing - Justice SK Kaul)
• CJI is the Patron-in-Chief of NALSA according to the Legal Services Authority Act of 1987
• HQs of NALSA – New Delhi | Executive Chairman – Justice Sanjiv Khanna | Founded in – 1995

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208. On December 29, the Central government appointed Nina Singh as the first woman
Director General of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). She will hold the top post till
July 31, 2024. Nina Singh, a 1989-batch IPS officer of Rajasthan cadre, is currently the
Special Director General of CISF. Moreover, Rahul Rasgotra has been appointed as the new
Director General of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), succeeding Anish Dayal Singh
who is now appointed as the DG of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). Mr Anish succeeds
Sujoy Lal Thaosen. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved Singh’s appointment as DG of CRPF up to
December 31, 2024, i.e. the date of his superannuation. Besides, Vivek Srivastava has been appointed as the Director
General of the Fire Service, Civil Defence & Home Guards under the Ministry of Home Affairs. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Nina Singh – appointed as first woman DG of CISF by Centre (till July 31, 2024)
• Rahul Rasgotra – appointed as DG of ITBP (succeeding - Anish Dayal Singh)
• Anish Dayal Singh – appointed as DG of CRPF till December 31, 2024 (succeeding - Sujoy Lal Thaosen)
• Vivek Srivastava – appointed as DG of Fire Service, Civil Defence & Home Guards (under MHA)
• HQs of CISF – New Delhi | DG – Nina Singh | Motto – ‘Protection & Security’ | Founded in – 1969
• HQs of ITBP – New Delhi | DG – Rahul Rasgotra | Established on – October 24, 1962
• HQs of CRPF – New Delhi | DG – Anish Dayal Singh | Formed on – July 27, 1939 | Motto – “Service & Loyalty”
• Ministry of Home Affairs: Amit Shah | Constituency – Gandhinagar, Gujarat
• MoS in Ministry of Home Affairs: Nityanand Rai, Ajay Kumar & Nisith Pramanik

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Awards, Rewards, Recognition & Prizes
209. On December 3, Safeena Hussain, founder of ‘Educate Girls’, has become the first Indian
woman to receive the “WISE Prize” worth $5 lakh for mobilising 14 lakh ‘out of school girls’ in
Indian villages to get back to mainstream education. The most prestigious awards in
education was awarded by the Qatar Foundation at the 11th edition of the “World Innovation
Summit for Education (WISE) Summit” in Doha, Qatar. Safeena is the second Indian to receive
the award. Her group has been using Artificial Intelligence to identify villages with high
numbers of out-of-school girls. Established in 2011 by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, the WISE Prize for
Education is the first distinction of its kind to recognise an individual or a team for an outstanding, world-class contribution
to education. ‘Pratham’ co-founder Madhav Chavan was the recipient of the 2012 WISE Prize. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Safeena Hussain – became the first Indian woman & 2nd Indian to receive the “WISE Prize” worth $5 lakh
• She won the prize for mobilising 14 lakh ‘out of school girls’ in Indian villages to get back to mainstream education
• WISE Prize – most prestigious awards in education
• It was awarded by – Qatar Foundation at 11th “World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) Summit” held in Doha
• WISE Prize for Education – was established in 2011 by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser
• Recipient of the 2012 WISE Prize – Madhav Chavan (‘Pratham’ co-founder)
• Qatar – Doha – Riyal | PM – Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani

210. 3 Indians - KP Singh, Nandan Nilekani and Nikhil Kamat have featured on the
17th edition of “Forbes Asia’s Heroes of Philanthropy List 2023”. The Forbes Asia
list acknowledges individuals who donate from personal funds, showcasing their
commitment to various causes. KP Sing, the Chairman Emeritus of DLF, made
headlines after selling his remaining direct stake in the Delhi-based property
developer, raising $89 million. The proceeds will fund philanthropic causes,
supporting the KP Singh Foundation. Nandan Nilekani, the Co-founder and
Chairman of Infosys, recently donated $38 million to IIT Bombay, marking his 50-year association with the institution.
Nikhil Kamath, Co-founder and CFO of Zerodha, has been actively engaging in philanthropy through his YouTube podcast
series, “WTF is”, donating up to $1,20,000 to charities selected by his audience. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• 3 Indians featured on the 17th edition of “Forbes Asia’s Heroes of Philanthropy List 2023”:
- KP Sing (Chairman Emeritus of DLF)
- Nandan Nilekani (Co-founder & Chairman of Infosys)
- Nikhil Kamat (Co-founder & CFO of Zerodha)

211. On December 1, President Droupadi Murmu conferred the ‘President’s Colour’ to the Pune-based
Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) during its platinum jubilee year. President’s Colour, also known
as ‘Rashtrapati ka Nishaan’, is the highest honour bestowed upon any military unit. AFMC was
established on May 1, 1948. The institution conducts training of medical undergraduates and post-
graduates, nursing undergraduates and post-graduates, dental postgraduates and paramedical staff.
AFMC has the distinction of being the first medical college set up by the armed forces of any country in
Asia. {Read more}

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212. On December 3, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, President Droupadi Murmu, in a grand ceremony
in New Delhi, bestowed the “National Awards for the Empowerment of Divyangjan 2023” upon 21 individuals and 9
institutions for their remarkable achievements and contributions to the empowerment of Divyangjan. During her address,
she reiterated the significance of prioritizing the empowerment of Divyangjan, constituting 15% of the global population.
The award is presented annually by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DoEPwD), under
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE). In 2023, applications/nominations for the National Awards were
invited through the centralized portal of the Ministry of Home Affairs. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Droupadi Murmu – bestowed “National Awards for Empowerment of Divyangjan 2023” upon 21 individuals & 9
institutions
• December 3 – International Day of Persons with Disabilities | Divyangjan – constitute 15% of the global population
• The award is presented annually by – DoEPwD under MoSJE
• Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment: Virendra Kumar | Constituency – Sagar, Madhya Pradesh
• MoS in Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment: Ramdas Athawale

213. Suganthy Sundararaj, Regional Head of Public Relations at Apollo Hospitals, has
been honoured with the “PRSI National Award 2023” for Outstanding Contributions to
the Public Relations Society of India (PRSI) and the public relations industry. The Award
recognizes her dedication to the communications and public relations industry and her
stellar role in shaping the strategic management of the public relations function in the
healthcare domain. Suganthy Sundararaj received the Award at the International
Public Relations Festival underway at New Delhi. The festival brings together seasoned
professionals and young minds from the PR space to facilitate knowledge exchange. This year, the festival was organized
around the theme “G20: Showcasing Indian Values and The Emerging India to the World: Opportunities for Public
Relations”. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Suganthy Sundararaj – honoured with “PRSI National Award 2023”
• She is Regional Head of Public Relations at Apollo Hospitals
• She received the Award at the International Public Relations Festival underway at New Delhi
• Theme – “G20: Showcasing Indian Values and The Emerging India to the World: Opportunities for Public Relations”

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214. On December 8, Karmaveer Chakra Award & Rex Karmaveer Chakra
Fellowship were presented to people at the function held in Faridabad, Haryana.
The Karmaveer Chakra Award is a distinguished global civilian honour presented
by the international confederation of NGOs, iCONGO, in collaboration with the
United Nations, recognising commitment and relentless courage in positively
impacting society. Some of the awardees include Dr. Hemachandran Ravikumar
who was honored for his exceptional contributions to R&D in Physical & Bio-
Science and Microbiological Studies. Megha Bhagat and Abhijit Sinha were
awarded the gold medal under the aegis of the Rex Karmaveer Chakra Awards for their audacious work in the field of
alternative education at Project DEFY. Advocate Namrata Mishra has been honoured with the prestigious Rex Karmaveer
Chakra Award (Silver) for her relentless courage and outstanding contributions in the field of child rights and protection.
Advocate Namrata Mishra was honoured with the Rex Karmaveer Chakra Award (Silver) for her relentless courage and
outstanding contributions in the field of child rights and protection. The awards are presented annually in mid-November
to individuals and organisations in broad categories like activism, education, volunteering and healthcare. Narayanappa, a
marginal farmer of the Andhra Pradesh Community-Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) programme, was honoured with
the Rex Karmaveer Chakra Award (Bronze). {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Karmaveer Chakra Award & Rex Karmaveer Chakra Fellowship – presented at function held in Faridabad, Haryana
• Karmaveer Chakra Award – a global civilian honour presented by NGOs, iCONGO, & United Nations
• Dr. Hemachandran Ravikumar – honored for his exceptional contributions to R&D
• Megha Bhagat & Abhijit Sinha – were awarded the gold medal under the aegis of the Rex Karmaveer Chakra Awards
• Advocate Namrata Mishra – honoured with the prestigious Rex Karmaveer Chakra Award (Silver)
• Narayanappa – a marginal farmer of APCNF programme, was honoured with Rex Karmaveer Chakra Award (Bronze)

215. On December 5, Time magazine has named the Midnights singer Taylor Swift as the
“Person of the Year” for 2023. Recently, Swift was also crowned as Spotify’s ‘Global Top
Artist of 2023’. Besides Swift, Lionel Messi has been named Time’s “Athlete of the Year” for
2023. The news came after Messi won the 2023 Ballon d’Or for a record-extending 8th time.
Also, Messi played a key role in Argentina’s victorious 2022 World Cup campaign. CEO of
OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, is named as “CEO of the Year” for 2023 for his remarkable
impact on the tech industry. OpenAI is a prominent research company specializing in artificial
intelligence, especially in the last year since it launched ChatGPT. Moreover, American actor
and singer Alex Newell has been named as Time’s “Breakthrough of the Year” for 2023 for
her trailblazing success as a non-binary actor on stage and screen. She has made history as
one of the first two out non-binary Tony Award winners. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Awards given by Time magazine for 2023:
• “Person of the Year” – Taylor Swift (She was also crowned as Spotify’s ‘Global Top Artist of 2023’)
• “Athlete of the Year” – Lionel Messi (He won the 2023 Ballon d’Or for a record-extending 8th time)
• “CEO of the Year” – Sam Altman (OpenAI’s CEO)
• Time’s “Breakthrough of the Year” – Alex Newell
• HQs of TIME – New York, US | Editor-in-chief – Edward Felsenthal | 1st issue published – March 3, 1923

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216. On the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the Department of
Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities under the Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment organized a ceremony at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi. The Chief Guest of the
event, President Draupadi Murmu, conferred the National Award to Prashant Agrawal,
President of Udaipur-based Narayan Seva Sansthan (NSS), under the category of ‘Best
Personality - Empowerment of Differently-abled’. He was awarded in recognition of his
outstanding work in the field of empowerment of persons with disabilities. The President also awarded Dr Apte Subhash
as the ‘Best Professional in Rehabilitation’ and recognized Amazon India as the ‘Best Employer for Persons with
Disabilities’. Additionally, the Social Justice and Empowerment Department presented awards in more than 15 categories,
totaling 30 awards, for their contributions to the implementation of the Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan and social justice for
persons with disabilities. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• President Draupadi Murmu conferred the National Award to:
- Prashant Agrawal under ‘Best Personality - Empowerment of Differently-abled’ category
- Dr Apte Subhash under ‘Best Professional in Rehabilitation’ category
- Amazon India under ‘Best Employer for Persons with Disabilities’ category
• Prashant Agrawal is the President of Udaipur-based Narayan Seva Sansthan (NSS)
• Additionally, the Social Justice & Empowerment Department presented awards in more than 15 categories
• Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment: Virendra Kumar | Constituency – Sagar, Madhya Pradesh
• MoS in Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment: Ramdas Athawale

217. On December 6, 81-year-old Indian-origin writer, Meira Chand, was among the three
Singaporeans who conferred the “Cultural Medallion”, Singapore’s most prestigious arts accolade,
in recognition of their artistic excellence and contribution to enriching the country’s arts and
culture scene. Meira Chand, novelist Suchen Christine Lim and Malay dance veteran Osman Abdul
Hamid received the award from President Tharman Shanmugaratnam. The award comes with an
SGD 80,000 grant for each recipient to support their artistic pursuits. Chand is an award-winning
novelist known for her depiction of multicultural societies. Her ‘The Painted Cage’ (1986) was longlisted for the prestigious
Booker Prize. The award has been conferred to 132 artists in the fields of film, literary arts, performing arts, and visual
arts. Last year, 56-year-old Tamilian Hindu Aravinth Kumarasamy was conferred the prestigious award. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Meira Chand (Indian-origin writer) – was conferred “Cultural Medallion”, Singapore’s most prestigious arts accolade
• Other two awardees: Suchen Christine Lim & Osman Abdul Hamid
• Meira Chand’s ‘The Painted Cage’ (1986) was longlisted for the prestigious Booker Prize
• Last year, Tamilian Hindu Aravinth Kumarasamy was conferred the prestigious award

218. On December 5, Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan conferred the
“National Award for Innovations and Good Practices in Educational Administration
(2020-21 & 2021-22)” on 65 outstanding district and block education officers from
across the country. The award is instituted by the National Institute of Educational
Planning and Administration (NIEPA). The scheme was launched in 2014 to encourage
innovations and good practices in educational administration at the grass-root level for
improving the functioning of the public system of education. {Read more}

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219. On December 4, Michelle Zarate Palomec of Mexico and Sebastian Mwaura of

Kenya were selected from hundreds of applicants from 120 countries for the “UN
Global Climate Action Awards” during the UN Climate Change Conference COP28 in
Dubai, UAE. They were honoured for their outstanding efforts to make their
communities more sustainable, resilient and equitable places to live. Zárate Palomec
(27) leads efforts within an organization called Espacio de Encuentro de las Culturas
Originarias to provide access to clean and sufficient water for highly marginalized
indigenous communities in the state of Oaxaca. While Mwaura (35) is the co-founder
of Yna Kenya, whose primary objective is to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles by providing a robust charging
network that is powered by renewable energy sources. The 2023 edition of the Awards were implemented in partnership
with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and
the Permanent Representative of the UAE to IRENA. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Michelle Zarate Palomec (Mexico) + Sebastian Mwaura (Kenya) = selected for “UN Global Climate Action Awards”
• Zárate Palomec (27) – leads efforts within an organization called Espacio de Encuentro de las Culturas Originarias
• Sebastian Mwaura (35) – is the co-founder of Yna Kenya
• 2023’s Awards were implemented in partnership with = IRENA + IUCN + Permanent Representative of UAE to IRENA
• HQs of IRENA – Abu Dhabi, UAE | DG – Francesco La Camera | Members – 168 countries

220. On December 8, noted Bhutanese author Tshering Tashi was conferred

with the Sahitya Akademi’s ‘Premchand Fellowship’. Mr. Tashi is a writer
known for his works in the field of creative non-fiction. He has written
numerous books on Bhutan and has made his country accessible, engaging,
and interesting for the youth. He is also the co-director of the Bhutan Echoes
Literary Festival. The ‘Premchand Fellowship’ is named after popular Hindi
writer Munshi Premchand was instituted by the Sahitya Akademi in 2005 on
his 125th Birth Anniversary. It is given to “a person of eminence in the field of
culture and literature” doing research on Indian literature or to creative writers from the South Asian Association for
Regional Cooperation countries other than India. Mr. Tashi is the 12th recipient of the fellowship. Pakistani Urdu writer
Intizar Hussain was the first recipient of the fellowship. The Sahitya Akademi was founded in March 1954 as an
autonomous institution under the Ministry of Culture. {Read more}

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Smart Points:
• Tshering Tashi (Bhutan) – is 12th recipient of Sahitya Akademi’s ‘Premchand Fellowship’
• He is also the co-director of the Bhutan Echoes Literary Festival
• It is given to “a person of eminence in the field of culture and literature” doing research on Indian literature or to
creative writers from SAARC countries other than India
• ‘Premchand Fellowship’ – named after popular Hindi writer Munshi Premchand
• It was instituted by Sahitya Akademi in 2005 on Munshi Premchand’s 125th Birth Anniversary
• Intizar Hussain (Pakistani Urdu) – was the first recipient of the fellowship
• Sahitya Akademi – founded in March 1954 as an autonomous institution under Ministry of Culture
• HQs of Sahitya Akademi – Delhi | President – Madhav Kaushik | Vice President – Kumud Sharma

221. On December 12, Noted Hindi writer Pushpa Bharati’s 2016 memoir, “Yaadein, Yaadein aur
Yaadein”, has been selected for the 33rd ‘Vyas Samman 2023’. She is from Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh.
Instituted in 1991, the award is given by KK Birla Foundation to an outstanding Hindi literary work of an
Indian citizen published during the last 10 years. It carries a cash prize of ₹4 lakh, a citation and a
plaque. Besides the Vyas Samman, the KK Birla Foundation has also instituted Saraswati Samman and
Bihari Puraskar. Saraswati Samman carries a cash prize of ₹15 lakh and is given to an outstanding
literary work by an Indian citizen in any of the languages. While Bihari Puraskar carries a cash prize of ₹2.5 lakh and is
meant for Hindi/Rajasthani writers of Rajasthan. Last year, the 32nd ‘Vyas Samman’ was awarded to Dr Gyan Chaturvedi for
his novel “Pagalkhana”. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• “Yaadein, Yaadein aur Yaadein” (2016) – selected for 33rd ‘Vyas Samman 2023’
• It was authored – by Pushpa Bharati (She hails from Moradabad, UP)
• Vyas Samman – given by KK Birla Foundation & it was instituted in 1991
• The award is given to an outstanding Hindi literary work of an Indian citizen published during the last 10 years
• KK Birla Foundation – has also instituted Saraswati Samman and Bihari Puraskar
• 32nd ‘Vyas Samman’ (2022) – awarded to Dr Gyan Chaturvedi for his novel “Pagalkhana”
• Cash Prize in awards: Saraswati Samman – ₹15 lakh | Bihari Puraskar – ₹2.5 lakh
• Bihari Puraskar – is meant for Hindi/Rajasthani writers of Rajasthan
• HQs of KK Birla Foundation – New Delhi | Director – Dr Suresh Rituparna | Founded – 1991

222. In December 2023, the 8th “Glinka World Soil Prize 2023” was awarded to Fiji-based Laureate
Professor Ravendra (Ravi) Naidu. Professor Naidu is a global leader in contamination studies and has
made monumental contributions within research and beyond. The award is named after Konstantin
Glinka, an eminent Russian soil scientist known for his work on the geographical distribution of soils.
The prize, launched in 2016, honours distinguished individuals or organizations that promote
sustainable soil management and the protection of soil resources, which have a direct impact on people’ well-being.
{Read more}
Smart Points:
• Professor Ravendra Naidu (Fiji) – received the 8th “Glinka World Soil Prize 2023”
• The award is named after – Konstantin Glinka (an eminent Russian soil scientist) | Launched in – 2016

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223. In December 2023, during the World Soil Day celebration held in Chachoengsao Province,
Thailand, the “2023 King Bhumibol World Soil Day Award” worth $15,000 was conferred to the
Soil and Fertilizer Society of Thailand (SFST) for its exceptional dedication to engaging a wide
audience on the importance of soils. The SFST is a scholastic organization that brings together soil
experts from government organizations, universities, the private sector, and national institutions
with the goal of building technical expertise, knowledge of soil science, and advancing research in
soil and fertilizer management. Launched in 2018, the King Bhumibol World Soil Day Award
acknowledges individuals or institutions that raise public awareness on soils by organising successful and influential World
Soil Day celebrations. The award is named after King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand for his lifelong commitment to
raising awareness on the importance of sustainable soil management. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Soil & Fertilizer Society of Thailand (SFST) – received the “2023 King Bhumibol World Soil Day Award” worth $15,000
• The award is named after – King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand
• Thailand – Bangkok – Thai Baht | PM – Srettha Thavisin | King – Maha Vajiralongkorn

224. On December 12, Australian batter Travis Head, who smashed an explosive century to help
Australia win their 6th ICC Cricket World Cup title, has been named as the ICC Men’s Player of the
Month for November 2023. While, Nahida Akter from Bangladesh has been named the ICC
Women’s Player of the Month for November 2023. She is the first Bangladesh women’s player to
win the award. She is awarded for her wicket-taking exploits during last month’s competitive ODI
series victory over Pakistan. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Travis Head (Australia) – named the “ICC Men’s Player of the Month for November 2023”
• Nahida Akter (Bangladesh) – named the “ICC Women’s Player of the Month for November 2023”
• Nahida Akter – first Bangladesh women’s player to win the award

225. On December 26, Union Minister Piyush Goyal proposed that musical concerts will held
at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on the 24th of every month next year to mark the
centenary year of singer Mohammed Rafi. Every year, Spandan Arts celebrates Mohammed
Rafi’s birth anniversary by conferring the Mohammed Rafi Lifetime Achievement Award and
the Mohammed Rafi Award to eminent personalities from the music industry. This year, the
“Mohammed Rafi Lifetime Achievement Award 2023” was conferred on veteran lyricist
Santosh Anand. And the “Mohammed Rafi Award 2023” was given to Sonu Nigam. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Musical concerts will be held on every 24th in 2024 at Bharat Mandapam to mark centenary year of Mohammed Rafi
• Mohammed Rafi Lifetime Achievement Award 2023 – conferred on veteran lyricist Santosh Anand
• Mohammed Rafi Award 2023 – was conferred on Sonu Nigam
• The awards are given by – Spandan Arts to celebrate Mohammed Rafi’s birth anniversary

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226. On December 12, World No 1 Iga Swiatek has been named ‘Player of the Year’ by the
Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) for 2023. Swiatek is the first player since legendary
Serena Williams to win back-to-back WTA Player of the Year awards. The ‘Doubles Team of
the Year’ award went to Storm Hunter of Australia and Elise Mertens of Belgium, who won
two WTA 1000 titles in 2023. China’s Zheng Qinwen was awarded the ‘Most Improved
Player’ award. Mirra Andreeva of Russia was awarded the ‘Newcomer of the Year’. Elina
Svitolina of Ukraine won the award for the ‘Comeback Player of the Year’. Ons Jabeur of
Tunisia received ‘Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award & Peachy Kellmeyer Player Service
Award’. Jessica Pegula of the US won the ‘Jerry Diamond ACES Award’ for her off-court
promotional and charitable activities. Tomasz Wiktorowski, who works with Iga Swiatek, was named ‘Coach of the Year’ by
WTA. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Awards announced by Women’s Tennis Association (WTA):
• ‘Player of the Year’ for 2023 – Iga Swiatek
• She is the first player since Serena Williams to win back-to-back WTA Player of the Year awards
• The ‘Doubles Team of the Year’ award – Storm Hunter (Australia) & Elise Mertens (Belgium)
• ‘Most Improved Player’ award – Zheng Qinwen (China)
• ‘Newcomer of the Year’ – Mirra Andreeva (Russia)
• ‘Comeback Player of the Year’ – Elina Svitolina (Ukraine)
• ‘Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award & Peachy Kellmeyer Player Service Award’ – Ons Jabeur (Tunisia)
• ‘Jerry Diamond ACES Award’ – Jessica Pegula (US)
• ‘Coach of the Year’ – Tomasz Wiktorowski

227. On December 11, Actor Kabir Bedi was awarded the “Order of Merit of the Italian Republic”
(Merito della Repubblica Italiana), Italy’s highest honour awarded to civilians, at a private ceremony
held in Mumbai. His popularity is widespread across all generations in Italy. This is the reason why the
President of the Republic of Italy decided to present him one of Italy’s highest decorations, The Order of
Merit. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Actor Kabir Bedi – awarded the “Order of Merit of the Italian Republic”, Italy’s highest honour awarded to civilians
• Italy – Rome – Euro | President – Sergio Mattarella | PM – Giorgia Meloni

228. On December 14, Indian tennis legends Leander Paes and Vijay Amritraj
became the first Asian men to be inducted into the “International Tennis Hall of
Fame 2024”. Paes, an 18-time Grand Slam champion in doubles and mixed doubles,
has been selected in the player category, while Amritraj was inducted in the
contributor category. The contributor category recognises true pioneers, visionary
leaders, or individuals/groups who have made a transcendent impact on the sport.
Paes and Amritraj will join an elite group of 264 inductees from 27 nations - with India set to become the 28th nation
represented in the Hall of Fame. {Read more}

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229. On December 12, veteran lyricist-screenwriter Javed Akhtar will be felicitated with the
Padmapani Lifetime Achievement Award at the 9th edition of Ajanta-Ellora Film Festival 2024.
Akhtar, the co-writer of classics such as ‘Zanjeer’, ‘Deewaar’, ‘Sholay’, ‘Don’, ‘Kaala Patthar’ and
‘Mr India’, will be honoured for his contribution to Indian film industry. The award ceremony
will take place at Rukmini Auditorium in MGM University campus of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
on January 3, 2024. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Javed Akhtar – to be felicitated with Padmapani Lifetime Achievement Award at 9th Ajanta-Ellora Film Festival 2024
• The Film Festival will held at – Rukmini Auditorium in MGM University campus of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
230. On December 14, the “Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and
Development for 2023” has been jointly awarded to Daniel Barenboim and Ali Abu
Awwad for their efforts in bringing together the youth and people of Israel and the
Arab World for a non-violent resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict. Maestro
Daniel Barenboim is an Argentine-born distinguished classical pianist and conductor,
while Ali Abu Awwad is an eminent Palestinian peace activist. In 2014, Mr. Awwad
co-founded a local Palestinian-Israeli initiative called “Roots”, promoting understanding, non-violence and transformation.
The International Jury of the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development is chaired by former Chief
Justice of India T. S. Thakur. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• “Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament & Development for 2023” is jointly awarded to – Daniel Barenboim &
Ali Abu Awwad
• Maestro Daniel Barenboim – is an Argentine-born distinguished classical pianist and conductor
• Ali Abu Awwad – is an eminent Palestinian peace activist
• Ali Abu Awwad – co-founded a local Palestinian-Israeli initiative called “Roots”
• International Jury of the Prize is chaired by – T. S. Thakur (former CJI)

231. On December 13, at the recently concluded UN Climate Change COP-23 at Dubai, plastic surgeon Dr
Atul Shah was felicitated with the “Game Changing Innovator” award at the ‘2023 REACH (Recognizing
Excellence Around Champions of Health)’ event that recognises unsung heroes of global health. He was
recognised for his effort towards the welfare of leprosy-affected persons. The awards ceremony was held
at the Reaching the Last Mile Forum, held within COP28, where various organisations pledged $777
million to eliminate neglected tropical diseases. Leprosy, caused by bacteria Mycobacterium Leprae, primarily affects the
peripheral nervous system causing skin lesions, numbness and other deformities. {Read more}

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232. On December 13, Professor Savita Ladage from Mumbai’s Homi Bhabha
Centre for Science Education, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, received
the Royal Society of Chemistry’s “Nyholm Prize for Education 2023” in recognition
of her contributions to chemistry education. Her efforts include mentoring
chemistry educators and spearheading impactful teacher and student programs
that advance chemistry education in the country. In addition to the prize, Prof.
Ladage will be awarded £5,000, along with a medal and a certificate. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Professor Savita Ladage – received the Royal Society of Chemistry’s “Nyholm Prize for Education 2023”
• She is from Mumbai’s Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
• In addition to the prize, Prof. Ladage will be awarded £5,000, along with a medal and a certificate

233. On December 12, Haryana was selected for the ‘National Energy Conservation
Award (NECA) 2023’ due to its outstanding performance in the State Energy
Efficiency Index. Besides, Haryana has also been declared the winner of the second
prize in the ‘State Energy Efficiency Performance Award 2023’. Moreover, Crompton
Greaves Consumer Electricals Ltd (CGCEL) was honored with the ‘National Energy
Conservation Award 2023’. The winners of the ‘National Painting Competition 2023
on Energy Conservation’ were also honoured. President Droupadi Murmu felicitated
all the winners on the occasion of National Energy Conservation Day 2023. The National Energy Conservation Day and the
awards are organised by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), under Ministry of Power. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Haryana – selected for ‘National Energy Conservation Award (NECA) 2023’
• Haryana – also been declared winner of 2nd prize in ‘State Energy Efficiency Performance Award 2023’
• Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals Ltd (CGCEL) – honored with ‘National Energy Conservation Award 2023’
• President Droupadi Murmu – felicitated all winners on the occasion of National Energy Conservation Day 2023
• BEE (under Ministry of Power) – organised National Energy Conservation Day & awards

234. On December 13, Israeli filmmaker Erez-Tadmor’s “Children of Nobody”

clinched the Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award for ‘Best Film’ under International
Competition in Innovation Moving Images section, at the 29th Kolkata International
Film Festival (KIFF). In the same section, the festival’s Special Jury Award was
presented to Anjan Dutt for his film ‘Chalchitra Ekhon’. While, Venezuela’s Carlos
Daniel Malave took home the award for ‘Best Director’. Under Bengali Panorama
section, ‘Mon Potongo’ film of duo Rajdeep Paul & Sharmistha Maity was awarded
‘Best Film’ award. In the Asian Select section, the NETPAC Award for Best Film was granted to Ninefold Mosaic’s ‘Broken
Dreams: Stories from the Myanmar Coup’. {Read more}

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Smart Points:
• Awards given at 29th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF):
• Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award for ‘Best Film’ – given to Israeli filmmaker Erez-Tadmor’s “Children of Nobody”
• It won the award under – International Competition in Innovation Moving Images section
• Special Jury Award – given to Anjan Dutt for his film ‘Chalchitra Ekhon’
• ‘Best Director’ Award – given to Carlos Daniel Malave (Venezuela)
• ‘Best Film’ award (Bengali Panorama section) – given to ‘Mon Potongo’ film
• NETPAC Award for Best Film (Asian Select section) – given to Ninefold Mosaic’s ‘Broken Dreams: Stories from the
Myanmar Coup’

235. In December 2023, Sreya Francis, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) innovator from Kerala’s
Cherthala, won the “AIconics Solutions Implementer of the Year 2023” award at the AI Summit
2023 held in New York, US. The prize is given to individuals who have developed in-house
innovation and successfully implemented AI to drive meaningful change and business growth for
their brand. Ms. Francis, who works as head of technical innovation at Farm Mutual Re in Ontario,
Canada, emerged as the winner beating a line-up of five shortlisted AI innovators. Sreya has a
unique blend of excellence in core and applied AI research, industrial innovation, and technical leadership. {Read more}

Smart Points:
• AI Summit 2023 – held in New York, US
• Sreya Francis (Kerala’s Cherthala) – won “AIconics Solutions Implementer of the Year 2023” award
• She works as head of technical innovation at Farm Mutual Re in Ontario, Canada

236. On December 15, all three Indian Armed Forces officers, undergoing the
Command and Staff Course at Defence Services Command and Staff College
(DSCSC) in Sri Lanka, have been awarded the “Golden Owl” for their outstanding
performance. Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe handed over the award
to Wing Commander Sumeet Mahajan (from IAF), Major Rohit (from Indian Army)
and Lieutenant Commander Sunny Sharma (from Indian Navy). Lt Cmdr Sunnay
Sharma also received the ‘Commandant’s Honours’. The DSCSC course is a
program designed to prepare senior officers for leadership roles in joint
operations and higher command. The ‘Golden Owl’ award admires analytical skills, strategic thinking, and potential for
future leadership. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• “Golden Owl” was awarded to – all three Indian Armed Forces officers, undergoing the Command and Staff Course
at DSCSC in Sri Lanka
• ‘Golden Owl’ award – admires analytical skills, strategic thinking, and potential for future leadership
• Sri Lanka – Colombo/Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte – Sri Lankan Rupee
• PM – Dinesh Gunawardena | President – Ranil Wickremesinghe

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237. On December 14, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan, announced in
in Rajya Sabha that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been conferred with the highest
national awards of 14 countries since 2014 in recognition of his leadership at bilateral,
regional, and global levels. The minister also referred to PM Modi receiving the highest
environmental award of the United Nations in 2018. The minister listed several notable
awards conferred on Modi which included the ‘State Order of Ghazi Amir Amanullah Khan’ by
Afghanistan in 2016, the ‘Grand Collar of the State of Palestine’ by Palestine in February 2018, the ‘UN Champion of the
Earth Award’ by the UN in October 2018, the ‘Order of Zayed’ by UAE in April 2019, and the ‘Order of St Andrew’ by Russia
in April 2019. Other awards are mentioned below. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• PM Modi – has been conferred with highest national awards of 14 countries since 2014 for his leadership
• The list of awards if given below:
- Order of King Abdulaziz Al Saud by Saudi Arabia (2016)
- State Order of Ghazi Amir Amanullah Khan by Afghanistan (2016)
- Grand Collar of the State of Palestine by Palestine (2018)
- Order of Zayed by UAE (2019)
- Order of St Andrew by Russia (2019)
- Order of the Distinguished Rule of Izzuddin from Maldives (2019)
- King Hamad Order of the Renaissance by Bahrain (2019)
- Legion of Merit by US (2020)
- Order of the Dragon King by Bhutan (2021)
- Order of Fiji by Fiji (2023)
- Order of Logohu by Papua New Guinea (2023)
- Order of the Nile by Egypt (2023)
- Legion of Honour by France (2023)
- Order of Honour by Greece (2023)

238. On December 20, Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports announced the ‘National Sports Awards 2023’. The awardees will
receive their awards from the President of India at a specially organized function at Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 9,
2024. Badminton pair Chirag Chandrashekhar Shetty and Rankireddy Satwik Sai Raj are jointly chosen for ‘Major Dhyan
Chand Khel Ratna Award 2023’ on account of their Team performance. 26 sportsperson have been chosen for ‘Arjuna
Awards 2023’, including Sreeshankar M (Athletics), Parul Chaudhary (Athletics), R Vaishali (Chess), Mohammed Shami
(Cricket), Ritu Negi (Kabaddi), Sheetal Devi (Para Archery) etc. 5 coaches are selected for ‘Dronacharya Award 2023’ in
Regular Category, while 3 coaches have been chosen for Lifetime Category. Three sportspersons have been selected for
‘Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sports & Games 2023’. Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar is the
overall winner of ‘Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy 2023’, while Lovely Professional University, Punjab &
Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra are the 1st & 2nd runner up universities. ‘Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award’ &
‘Arjuna Award’ are given to a sportsperson for good performance over the period of the previous 4 years. {Read more}

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Smart Points:
• Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports – announced the “National Sports Awards 2023” (felicitated by the President)
• Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award: Chirag Chandrashekhar Shetty & Rankireddy Satwik Sai Raj (Badminton)
• Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy 2023: Guru Nanak Dev University (Amritsar, Punjab)
• Arjuna Awards 2023: given to 26 sportspersons
• Dronacharya Award 2023 in Regular Category (to 5 coaches):
- Lalit Kumar (Wrestling), R. B. Ramesh (Chess), Mahaveer Prasad Saini (Para Athletics)
- Shivendra Singh (Hockey), Ganesh Prabhakar Devrukhkar (Mallakhamb)
• Dronacharya Award 2023 in Lifetime Category (to 3 coaches):
- Jaskirat Singh Grewal (Golf), Bhaskaran E (Kabaddi), Jayanta Kumar Pushilal (Table Tennis)
• Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sports & Games 2023 (3):
- Manjusha Kanwar (Badminton), Vineet Kumar Sharma (Hockey), Kavitha Selvaraj (Kabaddi)

240. On December 21, Sahitya Akademi has announced its annual Sahitya Akademi Awards in 24 languages. 9 books of
poetry, 6 of novel, 5 of short stories, 3 Essays and 1 Literary Study have won the “Sahitya Akademi Awards 2023”. The
Awards were approved by the Executive Board of the Sahitya Akademi under the Chairmanship of Madhav Kaushik,
President of Sahitya Akademi. The Awards relate to books first published during the five years immediately preceding the
year of Award (i.e. between 1 January, 2017 and 31 December, 2021). The Award comprises an engraved copper-plaque, a
shawl and an amount of Rs 1 lakh. This year, Vinod Asudani has become the first visually challenged author to receive the
Sahitya Akademi award for his collection of Sindhi ghazals ‘Hathu Pakidjai’. All the winners are mentioned below. {Read
more}
Smart Points:
• Sahitya Akademi announced its “Sahitya Akademi Awards 2023” in 24 languages:

Categories Awardees
Vijay Verma (Dogri), Vinod Joshi (Gujarati), Manshoor Banihali (Kashmiri), Sorokkhaibam
Poetry (9) Gambhini (Manipuri), Ashutosh Parida (Odia), Swarnjit Savi (Punjabi), Gaje Singh Rajpurohit
(Rajasthani), Arun Ranjan Mishra (Sanskrit) and Vinod Asudani (Sindhi)
Swapnamay Chakrabarti (Bengali), Neelum Saran Gour (English), Sanjeev (Hindi), Krushnat
Novel (6)
Khot (Marathi), Rajasekaran (Devibharathi) (Tamil) and Sadiqua Nawab Saher (Urdu)
Pranavjyoti Deka (Assamese), Nandeswar Daimari (Bodo), Prakash S. Parienkar (Konkani),
Short Stories (5)
Taraceen Baskey (Turia Chand Baskey) (Santali) and T. Patanjali Sastry (Telugu)
Essays (3) Lakshmisha Tolpadi (Kannada), Basukinath Jha (Maithili) and Judhabir Rana (Nepali)
Literary Study (1) E. V. Ramakrishnan (Malayalam)

• The Award comprises an engraved copper-plaque, a shawl and an amount of Rs 1 lakh

• In 2023, Vinod Asudani – became the first visually challenged author to receive the Sahitya Akademi award
• HQs of Sahitya Akademi – Delhi | President – Madhav Kaushik | Vice President – Kumud Sharma

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241. On December 21, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) clinched the prestigious “2023 Leif Erikson Lunar
Prize”, a testament to its unwavering dedication to lunar exploration. This accolade stands as a recognition of ISRO’s
significant strides in advancing our comprehension of celestial mysteries through the triumphant Chandrayaan-3 mission.
The Leif Erikson Lunar Prize, named after the legendary Norse explorer Leif Erikson, is an annual accolade presented by the
Exploration Museum in Husavik, Iceland. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• ISRO – clinched the prestigious “2023 Leif Erikson Lunar Prize” presented by Exploration Museum in Husavik, Iceland
• HQs of ISRO – Bengaluru, Karnataka | Director – S. Somanath | Formed on – August 15, 1969

242. On December 21, the 6th edition of the “Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize 2023” was awarded to poet-critic Sukrita
Paul Kumar for her book, ‘Salt & Pepper: Selected Poems’. An amount of $5,000, a Tagore statue and a certificate for
contribution to literature was given to Kumar at the award ceremony. Founded in 2018 by US-based publisher Peter
Bundalo, the award is a platform for world peace, literature, art, education and human rights. The Rabindranath Tagore
Literary Prize for social achievement was awarded to Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee for his contributions to societal
welfare. Last year, the prize was given to journalist-author Raj Kamal Jha for his novel ‘The City and The Sea’. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Sukrita Paul Kumar received – the 6th edition of the “Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize 2023”
• She is awarded $5,000 prize for her book, ‘Salt & Pepper: Selected Poems’
• This award was founded in 2018 by US-based publisher Peter Bundalo

242. In December 2023, Rijul Maini, a medical student from Michigan (a US state), was crowned the “Miss India USA 2023”
in New Jersey, US. Meanwhile, Greeshma Bhat of Virginia was declared first runner-up and Ishita Pai Raikar of North
Carolina was the second runner-up. During the event, Sneha Nambiar from Massachusetts was declared as “Mrs India USA
2023” and Saloni Rammohan from Pennsylvania won the title of “Miss Teen India USA 2023”. The contest was started by
New York-based Indian-Americans Dharmatma and Neelam Saran under the banner of Worldwide Pageants. This year
marks the 41st anniversary of the pageant. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Rijul Maini (Michigan) – was crowned the “Miss India USA 2023” in New Jersey, US
• First runner-up – Greeshma Bhat (Virginia) | Second runner-up – Ishita Pai Raikar (North Carolina)
• Sneha Nambiar (Massachusetts) – declared as “Mrs India USA 2023”
• Saloni Rammohan (Pennsylvania) – won the title of “Miss Teen India USA 2023”
• The contest was started by – Indian-Americans Dharmatma (New York) & Neelam Saran under banner of Worldwide
Pageants

243. On December 19, retired Punjab cadre 1975-batch IAS officer and WHO South-East Asia Regional Office (WHO-
SEARO) Director, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, has been awarded Bhutan’s prestigious “National Order of Merit Gold
Medal” for her distinguished services to the country. Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk honoured Dr
Khetrapal at Bhutan’s 116th National Day celebration in Thimpu, the capital of Bhutan. Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh became
the first Indian to be elected as the regional director of WHO South-East Asia. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh – awarded with “National Order of Merit Gold Medal” by Bhutan
• She is a retired Punjab cadre 1975-batch IAS officer & WHO-SEARO Director
• Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh – became the 1st Indian to be elected as the regional director of WHO South-East Asia
• Bhutan – Thimphu – Bhutanese Ngultrum | PM – Lotay Tshering | Monarch – Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck

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244. On December 20, INS Shivaji, the premier Training establishment of the Indian
Navy, received the original ‘Vir Chakra’ awarded to Late Vice Admiral Benoy Roy
Chowdhury, AVSM, VrC (Retd.), at a solemn ceremony at Lonavala, Maharashtra.
Vice Admiral Dinesh Prabhakar, AVSM, NM, VSM (Retd), Distinguished Chair Marine
Engineering, INS Shivaji, received the ‘Vir Chakra’. The ‘Vir Chakra’ is an Indian
wartime military bravery award presented for acts of gallantry on the battlefield, on
land or in air or at sea. VAdm Chowdhury is the only technical officer of the Indian
Navy, who has been decorated with this prestigious award. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• INS Shivaji – received the original ‘Vir Chakra’ awarded to Late Vice Admiral Benoy Roy Chowdhury
• The award was received by Vice Admiral Dinesh Prabhakar (Distinguished Chair Marine Engineering, INS Shivaji)
• HQs of Indian Navy – Delhi | Chief – Admiral R. Hari Kumar | Vice Chief – Vice-Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi

245. On December 21, Terminal 2 (T2) of Kempegowda

International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru has been recognised as one
of the world’s most beautiful airports and awarded the ‘World
Special Prize for Interiors’ at the UNESCO’s 2023 Prix Versailles. T2,
also known as ‘Terminal in a Garden’, was inaugurated on
November 11, 2022. T2 is the world’s largest terminal pre-certified
with a Platinum LEED rating by the US Green Building Council
before operational commencement. The terminal is built upon 4
foundational pillars - Technological leadership, Terminal in a garden, Environmental and Ecological stewardship, and a
Celebration of Karnataka’s rich heritage and culture. According to BIAL, in Phase 1, T2 is designed to accommodate 25
million passengers per annum (MPPA). The World Judges Panel for the Prix Versailles 2023 was chaired by renowned
fashion designer Elie Saab. The Prix Versailles, established in 2015, focuses on intelligent sustainability as a cultural driver,
acknowledging innovation, creativity, reflection of local heritage, ecological efficiency, and values of social interaction.
Hari Marar is the MD & CEO of Bangalore International Airport Limited. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• T2 of Kempegowda Int. Airport – awarded with ‘World Special Prize for Interiors’ at UNESCO’s 2023 Prix Versailles
• T2 is the world’s largest terminal pre-certified with a Platinum LEED rating by the UGBC
• T2 is designed to accommodate 25 million passengers per annum (MPPA)
• MD & CEO of Bangalore International Airport Limited – Hari Marar
• World Judges Panel for the Prix Versailles 2023 – chaired by Elie Saab (a renowned fashion designer)

246. In December 2023, Finland awarded the “International Gender Equality Prize for
2023” to Afghan Women Skills Development Center, an NGO in Afghanistan that works
to promote and protect the rights of women in Afghanistan. The NGO does important
humanitarian work to promote the safety of Afghan women. Finnish Prime Minister
Petteri Orpo presented the EUR 3,00,000 Prize to the organisation’s representative,
Mahbouba Seraj. Finland was one of the first countries in the world to extend the right
to vote and stand for elections to all women and men in 1906. Finland was also the first
country to elect women to Parliament. {Read more}

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247. On December 19, Indian hockey team midfielder Hardik Singh was named
the “FIH Player of the Year (Men’s)” at the FIH Hockey Star Awards 2023. Singh
also won the player of the year title at the Hockey India Awards 2022 held in
March. Indian women’s hockey team captain Savita Punia won the “Goalkeeper
of the Year (Women’s)” award. Xan de Waard of Netherlands was named “FIH
Player of the Year (Women’s)”. While Pirmin Blaak of Netherlands was named
“FIH Goalkeeper of the Year award (Men’s)”. Other awardees are mentioned below. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• FIH Hockey Star Awards 2023:
- FIH Player of the Year (Men’s) – Hardik Singh (India)
- FIH Player of the Year (Women’s) – Xan de Waard (Netherlands)
- FIH Goalkeeper of the Year award (Men’s) – Pirmin Blaak (Netherlands)
- FIH Goalkeeper of the Year award (Women’s) – Savita Punia (India)
- FIH Rising Star of the Year (Women’s) – Teresa Lima (Spain)
- FIH Rising Star of the Year (Men’s) – Gaspard Xavier (France)
- FIH Umpire of the Year (Women’s) – Ayanna McClean (Trinidad-and-Tobago)
- FIH Umpire of the Year (Men’s) – Ben Göntgen (Germany)
- FIH Coach of the Year (Women’s) – Alyson Annan (China)
- FIH Coach of the Year (Men’s) – André Henning (Germany)

248. On December 19, the “Gaja Capital Business Book Prize 2023” (5th edition) has been jointly
won by ‘Against All Odds: The IT Story of India’ written by Kris Gopalakrishnan, N Dayasindhu and
Krishnan Narayanan, and ‘Winning Middle India: The Story of India’s New-Age Entrepreneurs’
written by TN Hari and Bala Srinivasa. The Rs 15 lakh cash prize is awarded annually to authors of
narrative non-fiction about Indian business and entrepreneurship. Last year’s award was won by
The Indian Express National Rural Affairs and Agriculture Editor Harish Damodaran for ‘Broke to
Breakthrough: The Rise of India’s Largest Private Dairy Company’. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Joint winner of “Gaja Capital Business Book Prize 2023” (5th edition):
- ‘Against All Odds: The IT Story of India’ – Kris Gopalakrishnan, N Dayasindhu & Krishnan Narayanan
- ‘Winning Middle India: The Story of India’s New-Age Entrepreneurs’ – TN Hari & Bala Srinivasa
• Rs 15 lakh cash prize is awarded to authors of narrative Non-fiction about Indian business & entrepreneurship

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249. Recently, Chairman & Managing Director of Real Vision Homes Pvt Ltd, Dr. Srinivas Naik Dharavath, was awarded the
prestigious “Global Icon Award” at the G20 Initiative Summit held in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The G20 Initiative Summit,
organized as part of the Global Economic Forum, was an exclusive gathering that brought together global leaders,
policymakers, and industry visionaries. This year’s summit held particular significance as it commemorated the 200-year
anniversary of the arrival of Indians to Sri Lanka. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• G20 Initiative Summit held in Colombo, Sri Lanka | It was organized as part of the Global Economic Forum
• Dr. Srinivas Naik Dharavath (of Real Vision Homes Pvt Ltd) – was awarded the prestigious “Global Icon Award”
• The summit commemorated the 200-year anniversary of the arrival of Indians to Sri Lanka
• Sri Lanka – Colombo/Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte – Sri Lankan Rupee
• PM – Dinesh Gunawardena | President – Ranil Wickremesinghe

250. On December 21, Rambagh Gate & Ramparts in Punjab’s Amritsar

received the ‘Award of Excellence’, the highest recognition among all
categories, at the “2023 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage
Conservation”. While, Pipal Haveli in Punjab’s Gurdaspur, Karnikara Mandapam
at Kunnamangalam Bhagawati Temple, Kerala, and Sikami Chhen in
Kathmandu, Nepal, were accorded ‘Special Recognition for Sustainable
Development’. Additionally, three projects received the ‘Award of Distinction’,
including the Fanling Golf Course in Hong Kong SAR, China; Dongguan Garden Residences in Yangzhou, China; and
Karnikara Mandapam at Kunnamangalam Bhagawati Temple in Kerala, India. Total 5 projects earned the ‘Award of Merit’,
namely Yan Nan Yuan at Peking University, Beijing, China; Pan Family Residence in Suzhou, China; Church of Epiphany in
Haryana, India; David Sassoon Library and Reading Room in Mumbai, India; and Bikaner House in New Delhi, India. The
‘Award for New Design in Heritage Contexts’ was presented to Erlitou Site Museum of the Xia Capital in Luoyang, China.
{Read more}
Smart Points:
• 2023 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation:
• Rambagh Gate & Ramparts (Amritsar, Punjab) – received the ‘Award of Excellence’ (highest recognition among all)
• ‘Special Recognition for Sustainable Development’:
- Pipal Haveli (Gurdaspur, Punjab)
- Karnikara Mandapam (Kunnamangalam Bhagawati Temple, Kerala)
- Sikami Chhen (Kathmandu, Nepal)
• ‘Award of Distinction’:
- Karnikara Mandapam (Kunnamangalam Bhagawati Temple, Kerala, India)
- Fanling Golf Course (Hong Kong SAR, China)
- Dongguan Garden Residences (Yangzhou, China)
• ‘Award of Merit’:
- Church of Epiphany (Haryana, India)
- David Sassoon Library & Reading Room (Mumbai, Maharashtra, India)
- Bikaner House (New Delhi, India)
- Yan Nan Yuan at Peking University (Beijing, China)
- Pan Family Residence (Suzhou, China)
• ‘Award for New Design in Heritage Contexts’:
- Erlitou Site Museum (Luoyang, China)

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251. On December 21, Indian Actress Aastha Rawal clinched the coveted title of “Miss Continental
International 2023” (5th edition), which is held in India for the first time. It was held in New Delhi. Honored
with the titles of ‘Best in Interview’ and ‘Best in Swimwear’, she showcased her all-encompassing
excellence and prowess in specific categories. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Aastha Rawal (Indian Actress) – clinched the coveted title of “Miss Continental International 2023” (5th edition)
• The pageant was held in India (New Delhi) for the first time
• Aastha Rawal was honored with the titles of ‘Best in Interview’ and ‘Best in Swimwear’

252. On December 22, the “Sastra-Ramanujan Prizes” for 2022 and 2023 were
presented to Dr Yunqing Tang and Dr Ruixiang Zhang of University of California,
Berkeley, at the Sastra campus in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, in recognition of their
pioneering work in areas influenced by Ramanujan. The annual cash prize of $10,000
will be given at an “International Conference in Number Theory” during December 20
and December 22 at SASTRA University in Tamil Nadu’s Kumbakonam, mathematician
Srinivasa Ramanujan’s hometown. The age limit for the prize has been set at 32
influenced by Ramanujan’s achievements in his brief life of 32 years. Krishnaswami
Alladi (University of Florida) was the Chair of 2023 SASTRA Ramanujan Prize
Committee. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• “Sastra-Ramanujan Prizes” for 2022 & 2023 – presented to Dr Yunqing Tang & Dr Ruixiang Zhang
• $10,000 prize was given at an “International Conference in Number Theory” at SASTRA University, Kumbakonam, TN
• Age limit for the prize has been set at – 32 years
• Chair of 2023 SASTRA Ramanujan Prize Committee – Krishnaswami Alladi (University of Florida)

253. In December 2023, the 28th edition of the International Film Festival of
Kerala (IFFK) concluded in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Renowned actor
Prakash Raj attended the event as the Chief Guest. The highly anticipated
‘Suvarna Chakoram for Best Film’ was awarded to Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s
Japanese film ‘Evil Does Not Exist’. Meanwhile, the Malayalam film
‘Thadavu’ and its director Fazil Razak clinched two prestigious awards -
‘Audience Poll Award’ & ‘Rajata Chakoram for Best Debut Director’,
respectively. Simultaneously, Shokir Kholikov received the ‘Rajata Chakoram for Best Director’ for his ‘Uzbek’ film. Uttam
Kamati was the recipient of the ‘FFSI KR Mohanan Award for Best Debut Director from India’ for his film ‘Kherwal’, and
Anand Ekarshi’s ‘Aattam’ film earned the ‘NETPAC Award for the Best Malayalam Film’. Additionally, Shokir Kholikov’s
‘Sunday’ film also clinched the ‘NETPAC Award for the Best Asian Film’. Shruthi Sharanyam’s ‘B 32 Muthal 44 Vare’ film
secured the ‘FIPRESCI Award for the Best Malayalam Film by a Debut Director’, while Felipe Carmona’s ‘Prison in the
Andes’ film earned the ‘FIPRESCI Award for the Best Film in the International Competition’ category. Ace Polish filmmaker
Krzysztof Zanussi received the ‘IFFK Lifetime Achievement Award’, recognizing his lasting impact on cinema. {Read more}

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Smart Points:
• 28th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) – concluded in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
• Chief Guest of IFFK 2023 – Prakash Raj
• Suvarna Chakoram for Best Film – Japanese film ‘Evil Does Not Exist’ (directed by - Ryusuke Hamaguchi)
• Audience Poll Award – Malayalam film ‘Thadavu’ (directed by - Fazil Razak)
• Rajata Chakoram for Best Debut Director – Fazil Razak (for Malayalam film ‘Thadavu’)
• Rajata Chakoram for Best Director – Shokir Kholikov (for his film ‘Uzbek’)
• FFSI KR Mohanan Award for Best Debut Director from India – Uttam Kamati (for his film ‘Kherwal’)
• NETPAC Award for the Best Malayalam Film – ‘Aattam’ film (directed by - Anand Ekarshi)
• NETPAC Award for the Best Asian Film – ‘Sunday’ film (directed by - Shokir Kholikov)
• FIPRESCI Award for Best Malayalam Film by a Debut Director – ‘B 32 Muthal 44 Vare’ film (directed by – Shruthi)
• FIPRESCI Award for Best Film in International Competition – ‘Prison in the Andes’ film (directed by – Felipe Carmona)
• IFFK Lifetime Achievement Award – Krzysztof Zanussi (Polish filmmaker)

254. The 42nd “India International Trade Fair (IITF)” concluded recently in New
Delhi. 10 lakh domestic and foreign visitors and business persons participated in
this 14-day fair. The theme of the fair this year was based on ‘Vasudhaiva
Kutumbakam’. Bihar and Kerala were the partner states of the fair and Delhi,
Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh were the focus
states. In the States & Union Territories category, Odisha won the gold medal
for ‘Excellence in Display’, while the silver medal was presented to Assam and
the bronze medal to Rajasthan. This year’s theme of Odisha Pavilion was ‘Unity
through Trade’. Madhya Pradesh won the gold medal in the ‘Thematic Presentation by the States’ Category. In the same
category, Tripura bagged silver medal & Andhra Pradesh won bronze medal. Moreover, the Punjab Pavilion bagged the
gold medal for the ‘Swachh Pavillion’ for excellence in display in the IITF 2023. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• 42nd – “India International Trade Fair (IITF)” concluded recently in New Delhi
• Theme of the fair – was based on ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’
• Partner states – Bihar and Kerala | focus states – Delhi, J & K, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, & UP
• Winners for ‘Excellence in Display’ in States & UT category:
• Gold Medal – Odisha | Silver medal – Assam | Bronze medal – Rajasthan
• Theme of Odisha Pavilion – ‘Unity through Trade’
• Winners in the ‘Thematic Presentation by the States’ Category:
• Gold Medal – Madhya Pradesh | Silver – Tripura | Bronze – Andhra Peradesh
• Punjab Pavilion – bagged the gold medal for the ‘Swachh Pavillion’ for excellence in display in the IITF 2023

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255. In December 2023, the 99th edition of “Tansen Samaroh 2023” was held in
Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. The music festival, dedicated to music emperor
Ramtanu Misra (famously known as Mian Tansen), was organized by the Ustad
Alauddin Khan Music & Art Academy. On this occasion, MP government
honoured the winners of Rashtriya Tansen Samman 2022, Kavi Pradeep
Samman 2022 and Raja Mansingh Tomar Samman 2022 during the Tansen
ceremony at Tansen Samadhi Parisar, Hazira, Gwalior. Pandit Ganpati Bhatt, a
renowned Indian Hindustani classical vocalist from Karnataka, was conferred with the ‘Tansen Samman 2022’. Guru
Saxena, a renowned Poet from Madhya Pradesh, was conferred with the ‘Kavi Pradeep Samman 2022’. While, Malwa Lok
Kala Kendra from Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, was conferred with the ‘Raja Mansingh Tomar Samman 2022’. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• 99th edition of “Tansen Samaroh 2023” – held in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh
• This music festival is dedicated to – music emperor Ramtanu Misra (famously known as Mian Tansen)
• It was organized by – Ustad Alauddin Khan Music & Art Academy
• Winners honoured by the MP government:
• ‘Tansen Samman 2022’ – conferred to Pandit Ganpati Bhatt (Indian Hindustani classical vocalist from Karnataka)
• ‘Kavi Pradeep Samman 2022’ – conferred to Guru Saxena (renowned Poet from Madhya Pradesh)
• ‘Raja Mansingh Tomar Samman 2022’ – conferred to Malwa Lok Kala Kendra from Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
• Madhya Pradesh: Capital – Bhopal | CM – Mohan Yadav | Governor – Mangubhai Chhaganbhai Patel

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Schemes & Initiatives
256. On December 5, the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), in
collaboration with Google Cloud India, Antler in India, Paytm, Protean and
Startup India, launched an initiative called ‘Build for Bharat’. The initiative aims
to tackle diverse challenges in digital commerce, promoting industry innovation
to develop practical solutions in this space. ‘Build for Bharat’ intends to tap into
India’s technological and entrepreneurial potential with an expected
participation of 2,00,000+ participants representing startups, companies and
colleges. ONDC, incorporated on December 31, 2021, is a non-profit company
established by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) to develop open e-commerce. T.
Koshy is the MD & CEO at ONDC. Bikram Singh Bedi is Managing Director at Google Cloud India. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• ONDC – launched an initiative called ‘Build for Bharat’
• The initiative is launched in collaboration with – Google Cloud India, Antler in India, Paytm, Protean & Startup India
• ONDC – incorporated on December 31, 2021 by DPIIT
• HQs of ONDC – New Delhi | MD & CEO – Thampy Koshy
• CEO of Google Cloud – Thomas Kurian | MD at Google Cloud India – Bikram Singh Bedi

257. On December 8, a total of 1,132 projects for food processing have been approved in the 36 states/UTs with total
project cost of Rs 23,071.29 crore, under the “Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY)”. Ministry of Food
Processing Industries (MoFPI) has been implementing an umbrella scheme ‘PMKSY’ since 2017-18 across the country. It
aims to create processing capacity of 252.297 lakh MT/annum, preservation capacity of 42.908 lakh MT/annum,
employment of 6,02,070 persons and providing benefits to 38,19,220 farmers. PMKSY is a comprehensive package of
component schemes, which is aimed at creation of modern infrastructure with efficient supply chain management from
farm gate to retail outlet. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• 1,132 projects for food processing – approved in 36 states/UTs with total project cost of Rs 23071 Cr under ‘PMKSY’
• MoFPI has been implementing an umbrella scheme ‘PMKSY’ since 2017-18 across the country
• It aims to create processing capacity of 252.297 lakh MT/annum & preservation capacity of 42.908 lakh MT/annum
• Minister of Food Processing Industries: Pashu Pati Kumar Paras | Constituency – Hajipur, Bihar
• MoS in Ministry of Food Processing Industries: Prahalad Singh Patel

258. Between the year 2023-24 to 2025-26, “Pradhan Mantri Dakshata Aur Kushalata Sampanna Hitgrahi (PM-DAKSH)
Yojana” is projected to train 1,69,300 trainees (53,900, 56,450 & 58,950 trainees in 2023, 2024 & 2025). A total amount of
Rs 286.42 Crore is likely to be spent on these trainings. During 2023-24, 28 Government and 84 private training institutes
have been empanelled for implementation of the Scheme. PM-DAKSH Yojana of Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment
is a Central Sector Scheme, which was launched in 2020-21. The main objective of the Scheme is to enhance competency
level of the target groups i.e. SCs, OBCs, EBCs, DNTs, Safai Karamcharis including waste pickers etc and to make them
employable both in self-employment and wage-employment for their socio-economic development. The scheme is for the
Indian Nationals, who are in the 18-45 years of age group. {Read more}

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Smart Points:
• ‘PM-DAKSH) Yojana’ is projected to train 1,69,300 trainees between the year 2023-24 to 2025-26 (cost - 286.42 Cr)
• During 2023-24, 28 Govt & 84 private training institutes have been empanelled for implementation of the Scheme
• Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment launched ‘PM-DAKSH Yojana’ in 2020-21 | Age criteria – 18-45 years
• Objective: To enhance competency level of the target groups i.e. SCs, OBCs, EBCs, DNTs, Safai Karamcharis
• Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment: Virendra Kumar | Constituency – Sagar, Madhya Pradesh
• MoS in Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment: Ramdas Athawale

259. On December 7, the Kozhikode district administration in Kerala launched ‘Suchitwa Theeram’, a project to keep the
coastal areas of the district free of plastic and garbage. The project is being implemented under the aegis of the
Department of Local Administration under the ‘Malinya Muktha Navakeralam’ programme. A massive clean-up drive was
carried out in 12 coastal local bodies in the district on December 9 as part of the project. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Kozhikode district administration (Kerala) – launched ‘Suchitwa Theeram’
• It is implemented under aegis of Dept of Local Administration under ‘Malinya Muktha Navakeralam’ programme
• This project will keep the coastal areas of the district free of plastic and garbage
• Kerala: Capital – Thiruvananthapuram | CM – Pinarayi Vijayan | Governor – Arif Mohammad Khan

260. On December 11, S Krishnan, Secretary of Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY), while
speaking at the ‘CII Electronic Summit 2023’, said the government is working on a 2nd version
of incentive scheme for electronics components namely, “Scheme for Promotion of
Manufacturing of Electronic Components and Semiconductors (SPECS 2.0)”. SPECS 1.0 was
launched in 2020 by Ministry of Electronics and IT. The scheme provides a financial incentive
of 25% on capital expenditure for the identified list of electronic goods. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• S Krishnan (MeitY) – spoke at the ‘CII Electronic Summit 2023’
• GoI – working on 2nd version of “SPECS 2.0”
• SPECS – Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electronic Components and Semiconductors
• SPECS 1.0 was launched in 2020 by Ministry of Electronics and IT

261. In December 2023, in line with the Union government’s Aspirational Development Block initiative, the Uttar Pradesh
government launched the ‘Chief Minister Fellowship Program for Aspirational Cities’. The urban development department
initiated online registration for the program under the Aspirational City Scheme on December 4. Eligibility criteria for the
CM Fellowship Program mandate applicants to hold a Bachelor’s degree or higher qualification in the relevant field, with a
maximum age limit of 40 years. Uttar Pradesh takes the lead as the first state in the nation to embark on a development
venture like the Aspirational City Scheme. Recently, the UP cabinet granted approval for the ‘Aspirational City Plan’, aiming
to generate fresh employment opportunities and enhance basic urban amenities, education, health, and social
infrastructure in 100 small cities with populations ranging from 20,000 to 1 lakh. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• UP – launched the ‘Chief Minister Fellowship Program for Aspirational Cities’
• It was launched in line with the Union government’s Aspirational Development Block initiative
• UP – became the first state in India to embark on a development venture like the Aspirational City Scheme
• UP cabinet – recently granted approval for the ‘Aspirational City Plan’
• UP: Capital – Lucknow | CM – Yogi Adityanath | Governor – Anandiben Patel

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262. On December 10, AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant
Mann launched the “Bhagwant Mann Sarkar Tuhade Dwar” scheme, aimed at providing citizen-
centric services to people at their doorstep. Under the scheme, people will get 43 services, including
issuance of certificates of birth, marriage, death, income, residence, caste, rural area, border area,
backward area, pension, payment of electricity bills and land demarcation. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Arvind Kejriwal + Bhagwant Mann (Punjab CM) – launched “Bhagwant Mann Sarkar Tuhade Dwar” scheme
• Under the scheme, people will get 43 services at their doorstep
• Punjab: Capital – Chandigarh | CM – Bhagwant Mann | Governor – Banwarilal Purohit

263. On December 9, Telangana Chief Minister, A. Revanth Reddy, launched the “Maha
Lakshmi Scheme”, under which girls, women and transgender persons of all ages, who are
domicile of Telangana, can travel free of cost in TSRTC buses. As for travel in inter-State
buses, free travel facility would be applicable up to the borders of the State. The rides are
free in City Ordinary and Metro Express buses which ply in Hyderabad. The Maha Lakshmi
scheme was announced by the Congress party on September 18, in its Manifesto for Telangana. According to the scheme,
the Congress party will provide free bus travel for women in Telangana while also providing ₹2500 to women every month
under the Maha Lakshmi scheme. Besides, the CM also enhanced the health insurance coverage under “Rajiv Aarogyasri”
insurance scheme to Rs 10 lakh from Rs 5 lakh. The CM reiterated the Congress government’s commitment to
implementing the 6 guarantees within 100 days of coming to power in the state. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Telangana – launched “Maha Lakshmi Scheme”
• Girls, women & transgender persons (domicile of Telangana) of all ages – can travel free of cost in TSRTC buses
• Congress party – announced Maha Lakshmi scheme in its Manifesto for Telangana
• The party will provide free bus travel for women in Telangana & ₹2500 to women every month under the scheme
• CM enhanced health insurance coverage under “Rajiv Aarogyasri” insurance scheme to Rs 10 lakh from Rs 5 lakh
• Telangana: Capital – Hyderabad | CM – A. Revanth Reddy | Governor – Tamilisai Soundararajan

264. On December 8, UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited, in collaboration with India’s

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change unveiled the “Green Rising”
initiative at COP28 in Dubai, UAE. The global “Green Rising” initiative and the
“Green Rising India Alliance” marks a collaborative effort involving UNICEF,
Generation Unlimited, and a diverse network of public, private, and youth
partners. The main goal is to mobilize millions of young people worldwide,
encouraging their active participation in green initiatives addressing and adapting
to the severe impacts of climate change on their communities. Over $83 billion were mobilized within the first seven days
of the COP28, marking a new era of climate action. Key financial boosts include $3.5 billion for the Green Climate Fund,
$133.6 million for the Adaptation Fund, and $129.3 million for the Least Developed Countries Fund. The UAE’s launch of
the $30 billion catalytic fund, ‘ALTERRA’, aims to mobilize an additional $250 billion emphasizing a strong commitment to
global climate action. {Read more}

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Smart Points:
• Generation Unlimited (UNICEF) + MoEFCC = unveiled the “Green Rising” initiative at COP28 in Dubai, UAE
• “Green Rising” & “Green Rising India Alliance” – a collaborative effort involving UNICEF, Generation Unlimited &
public, private, and youth partners
• Over $83 billion were mobilized within the first seven days of the COP28
• Key financial boosts include:
- $3.5 billion for the Green Climate Fund
- $133.6 million for the Adaptation Fund
- $129.3 million for the Least Developed Countries Fund
• UAE – launched $30 billion catalytic fund, ‘ALTERRA’, aims to mobilize an additional $250 billion
• UAE – Abu Dhabi – Dirham | President – Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
• HQs of UNICEF – New York, US | Executive Director – Catherine Russell | Established in – 1946

265. On December 11, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change launched the
“Indian Forest & Wood Certification Scheme”. This national forest certification scheme offers
voluntary third-party certification designed to promote sustainable forest management and
agroforestry in India. The scheme includes forest management certification, tree outside forest
management certification, and chain of custody certification. The Forest Management
certification is based on the Indian Forest Management Standard, consisting of 8 criteria, 69
indicators and 254 verifiers. Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal, will act as the scheme operating agency and
will be responsible for overall management of the scheme. The National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies,
under the Quality Council of India (QCI), will accredit the certification bodies. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• MoEFCC – launched the “Indian Forest & Wood Certification Scheme”
• The scheme offers voluntary third-party certification to promote sustainable forest management & agroforestry
• Indian Institute of Forest Management (Bhopal) – will act as scheme operating agency
• National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (under QCI) – will accredit the certification bodies
• HQs of QCI – New Delhi | Chairman – Jaxay Shah | Secretary General – Dr. Ravi P. Singh | Established – 1997

266. On December 20, Union Minister for MSME Narayan Rane launched 3 sub-
schemes under the aegis of the ‘Raising and Accelerating MSME Productivity
(RAMP)’ scheme. These are MSME Green Investment and Financing for
Transformation Scheme (MSE GIFT Scheme), MSE Scheme for Promotion and
Investment in Circular Economy (MSE SPICE Scheme), and MSE Scheme on
Online Dispute Resolution for Delayed Payments. The RAMP scheme, launched
on 30 July, 2022, is a World Bank-assisted program that aims to improve the
performance of MSMEs in India. Shri Narayan Rane also chaired the 2nd Meeting of the National MSME Council. {Read
more}

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Smart Points:
• Narayan Rane launched 3 sub-schemes under ‘Raising & Accelerating MSME Productivity (RAMP)’ scheme:
- MSME Green Investment & Financing for Transformation Scheme (MSE GIFT Scheme)
- MSE Scheme for Promotion & Investment in Circular Economy (MSE SPICE Scheme)
- MSE Scheme on Online Dispute Resolution for Delayed Payments
• The RAMP scheme, launched on 30 July, 2022, is a World Bank-assisted program
• Narayan Rane – chaired the 2nd Meeting of the National MSME Council
• Ministry of MSME: Narayan Rane | Constituency – Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg, Maharashtra
• MoS in Ministry of MSME: Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma

267. In December 2023, to promote self-employment opportunities in the state and to provide livelihood to the local
youth by encouraging entrepreneurship, the Himachal Pradesh government initiated the “Rajiv Gandhi Swarozgaar Yojna
2023 (RGSY)” with an outlay of Rs 680 Crore. The government will give a guarantee for employment and start-up
assistance to the youth by providing a subsidy of 50% on purchase of e-taxi under RGSY. A bonafide Himachali with
minimum age of 23 years, having an experience of 7 years in driving a vehicle, with educational qualification of class 12 is
eligible to apply for e-taxi. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• HP – initiated “Rajiv Gandhi Swarozgaar Yojna 2023 (RGSY)” | Outlay – Rs 680 Crore
• HP Govt – will provide a subsidy of 50% on purchase of e-taxi under RGSY
• HP: Capital – Shimla & Dharamshala | CM – Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu | Governor – Shiv Pratap Shukla

268. On December 26, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah launched the 5th
and last poll guarantee, ‘Yuva Nidhi’ scheme, offering unemployment assistance
to graduates and diploma holders. The government will begin the distribution of
allowances on January 12, the day when national youth day is celebrated to
mark Swamy Vivekananda’s birth anniversary. The scheme offers monetary
assistance of ₹3,000 to the graduates and ₹1,500 to the diploma holders who
passed in the 2022-23 academic year. The money would be given to those who
do not get a job even after completion of 180 days from the date of passing of the degree/diploma. The unemployment
allowance would be given for a period of two years from the date of announcement of the result or till he/she becomes
employed/self-employed whichever is earlier. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah – launched the 5th & last poll guarantee, ‘Yuva Nidhi’ scheme
• The scheme offers monetary assistance of ₹3,000 to the graduates & ₹1,500 to the diploma holders
• Assistance would be given to those who do not get a job even after completion of 180 days from the date of passing
of the degree/diploma
• The unemployment allowance would be given for a period of 2 years from the date of announcement of the result
or till he/she becomes employed/self-employed whichever is earlier
• Karnataka: Capital – Bangalore | CM – Siddaramaiah | Governor – Thaawarchand Gehlot

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269. In December 2023, Uttarakhand government announced to revolutionise
tourism with the launch of India’s first-ever ‘Himalayan Air Safari’ using
compact, agile aircraft known as ‘Gyrocopters’. The first gyrocopter trial flight
was successfully completed at Bairagi Camp, Haridwar. The Uttarakhand
Tourism Development Board, in collaboration with Rajas Aerosports and
Adventures Pvt Ltd, is introducing gyrocopters as a novel way to explore its
stunning landscapes. These gyrocopters are procured from German company,
AutoGyro. Under the Himalayan Air Safari scheme, which is part of the
‘Breakfast Tourism’ initiative started by the department, tourists will soar across the skies, enjoying aerial views of the
majestic Himalayan ranges and serene rivers. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Uttarakhand – to launch India’s first-ever ‘Himalayan Air Safari’ using compact, agile aircraft known as ‘Gyrocopters’
• The first gyrocopter trial flight was successfully completed at – Bairagi Camp, Haridwar
• Gyrocopters are introduced by = Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board + Rajas Aerosports + Adventures Pvt Ltd
• These gyrocopters are procured from – AutoGyro (a German company)
• Himalayan Air Safari scheme – is a part of the ‘Breakfast Tourism’ initiative started by the department
• Uttarakhand: Capital – Dehradun & Gairsain | CM – Pushkar Singh Dhami | Governor – Lt. Gen. Gurmit Singh

270. Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy launched Karnataka

State Road Transport Corporation’s (KSRTC) new venture “Namma Cargo
Truck service” and flagged off 20 new cargo trucks. The 20 fully-
equipped trucks were launched with the aim of enhancing the non-ticket
revenue of the corporation. Mr. Reddy informed that 100 trucks would
be inducted in a month and 500 trucks in a year’s time. The KSRTC also
entered into an MoU with KMS Coach Builders Pvt. Ltd. for lending its
cargo truck services on a rental basis for a period of two months.
Similarly, it has entered into an agreement with S.M. Kannappa Automobiles (P) Ltd for a period of one-month, marking
significant development in the transportation sector. The features of the service include dedicated trucks to transport
goods throughout Karnataka with secure, speedy and reliable services, trucks are completely secure with closed
containers. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Ramalinga Reddy – launched KSRTC’s new venture “Namma Cargo Truck service” & flagged off 20 new cargo trucks
• 100 trucks would be inducted in a month and 500 trucks in a year’s time
• KSRTC + KMS Coach Builders Pvt. Ltd. = an MoU for lending its cargo truck services on a rental basis for 2 months
• KSRTC + S.M. Kannappa Automobiles = similar MoU for 1 month
• Karnataka: Capital – Bangalore | CM – Siddaramaiah | Governor – Thaawarchand Gehlot

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271. The Centre has begun survey and registration to identify eligible beneficiaries of ‘Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-
Gramin (PMAY-G)’ among 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) across 18 states and Union Territories, and
aims to release the first instalment to them by mid-January, 2024. Ministry of Rural Development, that implements the
PMAY-G, has started the survey on December 15, 2023. The survey is underway in 15 states - Andhra Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar
Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha and Rajasthan. In all, 4.9 lakh houses are to be built for PVTGs under the ‘Pradhan Mantri
Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN)’. The proposed 4.9 lakh houses are over and above the existing target
of 2.95 crore houses under the PMAY-G scheme. Moreover, the Centre has increased the unit cost of a PMAY-G house to
Rs 2 lakh for PVTGs, which is higher as compared to Rs 1.2 lakh in plain areas and Rs 1.30 lakh in hilly areas. Of the 75
PVTGs, the maximum 13 are in Odisha, followed by 12 in Andhra Pradesh. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• The Centre has begun to identify eligible beneficiaries of ‘PMAY-G’ among 75 PVTGs across 18 states & UTs
• The Centre aims to release the first instalment to them by mid-January, 2024
• PMAY-G is implemented by – Ministry of Rural Development
• 4.9 lakh houses are to be built for PVTGs under ‘Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN)’
• Centre has increased the unit cost of a PMAY-G house to Rs 2 lakh for PVTGs
• The cost is Rs 1.2 lakh in plain areas and Rs 1.30 lakh in hilly areas
• Of the 75 PVTGs, the maximum 13 are in Odisha, followed by 12 in Andhra Pradesh

272. In December 2023, the Goa government launched the

“Mukhyamantri Pashuseva Yojana” with 24x7 Animal Ambulance service
to enhance animal productivity and welfare. The scheme promises
timely, accessible, and comprehensive care for livestock. It introduces a
toll-free number facilitating emergency services, collaborating with
NGOs and not-for-profit organisations in a public-private partnership
model. The initiative incorporates mobile veterinary ambulatory clinics
and two-wheeler emergency vehicles to provide immediate aid in emergencies. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Goa – launched “Mukhyamantri Pashuseva Yojana” with 24x7 Animal Ambulance
• Goa: Capital – Panaji | CM – Pramod Sawant | Governor – P. S. Sreedharan Pillai

273. On December 28, Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu launched the “Praja Palana” programme
in Ibrahimpatnam. It envisages receipt of applications from people on their needs so that the government will have a
comprehensive database of their needs at the grassroot level. The programme will be held till January 6 in all the villages
and wards across the State. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Telangana – launched the “Praja Palana” programme to collect a comprehensive database of people’s needs at the
grassroot level
• Telangana: Capital – Hyderabad | CM – A. Revanth Reddy | Governor – Tamilisai Soundararajan

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274. Government data revealed that as of December 20, 2023, approximately 28.45 Crore Ayushman Cards have been
created since the inception of the “Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri - Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY)”. AB PM-JAY is the
largest publicly funded health assurance scheme in the world and provides health cover of ₹5 lakhs per family per year for
secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation. Approximately 9.38 crore Ayushman Cards have been created during the year
2023. Currently as per government figures 55 crore individuals corresponding to 12 crore families are covered under the
scheme. Women account for approximately 49% of the total Ayushman cards created and approximately 48% of total
authorised hospital admissions. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Approximately 28.45 Cr Ayushman Cards have been created since inception of “AB PM-JAY” (9.38 Cr in 2023)
• It is the largest publicly funded health assurance scheme in the world
• It provides health cover of ₹5 lakhs per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation
• 55 crore individuals corresponding to 12 crore families are covered under the scheme
• Women account for approx 49% of total Ayushman cards created & 48% of total authorised hospital admissions

275. On December 29, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the 3rd phase of the state’s flagship health scheme,
“Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY)”. With this third phase of expansion, it is estimated that over 1.10 crore families,
covering nearly 90% of the state’s population will be provided health assurance under BSKY. As per the BSKY norms, the
new beneficiaries will also be entitled to cashless care worth Rs 5 lakh per annum and the amount of coverage for women
would be up to Rs 10 lakh in empanelled private hospitals both inside and outside the state. In the past five years, BSKY
has provided free healthcare service to nearly 21 lakh patients with cashless healthcare of about Rs 4,500 crores. {Read
more}
Smart Points:
• Odisha – launched the 3rd phase of the state’s flagship health scheme, “Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY)”
• Over 1.10 crore families, covering nearly 90% of the state’s population will be provided health assurance under BSKY
• New beneficiaries will also be entitled to cashless care worth Rs 5 lakh per annum
• Amount of coverage for women would be up to Rs 10 lakh in empanelled private hospitals
• Odisha: Capital – Bhubaneswar | CM – Naveen Patnaik | Governor – Raghubar Das

276. Out of the Rs 1,67,518.6 Crore special assistance (loan) allocated by the Centre under the “Scheme for Special
Assistance to States for Capital Expenditure/Investment”, Uttar Pradesh has been the highest recipient, securing ₹22,857.9
crore (14%) over the last four years, followed by Bihar. While Uttarakhand, Haryana & Kerala are among the States which
have received only about 1-2% of the total released amount under the Scheme. The Scheme for Special Assistance to
States for Capital Expenditure was launched in FY2020-21. The scheme has been expanded and continued as ‘Scheme for
Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment 2023-24’ with allocation of ₹1.3-lakh crore. This includes an amount of
₹1-lakh crore under Part-I of the Scheme, which has been allocated to States in proportion to their share of Central taxes
as per the award of the 15th Finance Commission and incentive amounts of ₹30,000 crore for reform-centric and sector-
specific areas. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• GoI launched “Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Expenditure/Investment” in FY2020-21
• Special assistance (loan) allocated under the scheme – Rs 1,67,518.6 Cr
• Highest recipient over last four years – UP (securing ₹22,857.9 Cr i.e. 14%) | 2nd – Bihar
• Uttarakhand, Haryana & Kerala – received only about 1-2% of the total released amount under the Scheme
• The scheme is expanded & continued as ‘Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment 2023-24’
• Allocation – ₹1.3-lakh Cr

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277. On December 29, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy
has formally launched an enhanced “YSR Aarogyasri”, a scheme to provide free
healthcare to the poor with additional benefits and new features. The revamped
scheme will now provide free treatment costing up to ₹25 lakh, (from ₹5 lakh
earlier), while expanding the coverage to about 4.25 crore people in the state
under the purview of Aarogyasri. The treatment under the scheme is now being
provided in 2,513 hospitals across the state. The distribution of Smart
Aarogyasri Cards with new features has also commenced. A supplementary scheme, Aarogya Aasara, is also being
implemented to assist ₹5,000 per month. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Andhra Pradesh – launched an enhanced “YSR Aarogyasri” to provide free healthcare to the poor with additional
benefits and new features
• The revamped scheme will now provide free treatment costing up to ₹25 lakh, while expanding the coverage to
about 4.25 crore people
• A supplementary scheme, Aarogya Aasara, is also being implemented to assist ₹5,000 per month
• Andhra Pradesh: Capital – Amaravati | CM – Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy | Governor – Syed Abdul Nazeer

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Meetings, Conference & Summits
278. On December 1, while speaking at the opening ceremony of high-level segment at COP 28 in
UAE, PM Narendra Modi proposed to host the 33rd Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC
(CoP33) in India in the year 2028. India aims to reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 45% by
2030. Despite India being home to 17% of population of the world, its contribution to Global
Carbon Emissions is less than 4%. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Narendra Modi proposed to host the 33rd Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (CoP33) in India in 2028
• India aims to reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 45% by 2030
• India’s contribution to Global Carbon Emissions is less than 4%

279. Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, hosted the 81st Plenary Meeting of the International Cotton Advisory
Committee (ICAC) at Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai during December 2 to 5, 2023. It was organised in association
with the Cotton Corporation of India Limited (CCI), the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) and the Cotton
Association of India (CAI). The event was previously hosted by India in 2015, almost 8 years ago. Piyush Goyal, Union
Minister of Textiles, inaugurated this event. The theme of this Plenary Meeting was “Cotton Value Chain: Local Innovations
for Global prosperity”. The 81st Plenary aimed to serve as a platform for sharing innovations, benchmarks, good practices
and experiences across the globe on productivity, climate resilience and circularity for a vibrant cotton economy. ICAC was
formed in 1939 and has 28 Member countries at present. India along with Brazil, Egypt, France, Sudan and USA is one of
the founder members of this forum. Moreover, India is also set to host the world’s largest textile exposition, ‘Bharat Tex
2024’, scheduled to take place from February 26-29, 2024, in the International Exhibition cum Convention Centre (IECC) at
Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Ministry of Textiles – hosted 81st Plenary Meeting of the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) in Mumbai
• It was organised in association with = CCI + CITI + CAI | The event was previously hosted by India in 2015
• Theme – “Cotton Value Chain: Local Innovations for Global prosperity”
• ICAC was formed in 1939 & has 28 Member countries at present
• India is also set to host the world’s largest textile exposition, ‘Bharat Tex 2024’ in New Delhi (in Feb’24)
• Ministry of Textiles: Piyush Goyal | Constituency – Maharashtra
• MoS in Ministry of Textiles: Darshana Vikram Jardosh

280. On December 1, Vice-President, Jagdeep Dhankhar, inaugurated the 5th ‘Global

Ayurveda Festival’ at Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
The focal theme of GAF 2023 is “Emerging Challenges in Healthcare and a Resurgent
Ayurveda”. The Vice-President referred to Kerala as the ‘Cradle of Ayurvedic
Excellence’. The biennial event is being organised by the Centre for Innovation in
Science and Social Action (CISSA) in association with the Ministry of AYUSH. CISSA is a
Non-governmental organization in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Nearly 7,500 delegates
representing 75 countries were expected to attend the 5-day conclave. {Read more}

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281. On December 4, the 3rd edition of the India Internet Governance Forum (IGF) was
held in New Delhi under the overarching theme “Moving Forward - Calibrating Bharat’s
Digital Agenda”. The first two editions of the IIGF were convened in 2021 and 2022. IGF is
a multi-stakeholder platform bringing together representatives from various groups,
considering all to be at par to discuss public policy issues related to the internet. {Read
more}
Smart Points:
• 3rd edition of the India Internet Governance Forum (IGF) – held in New Delhi
• Theme – “Moving Forward - Calibrating Bharat’s Digital Agenda”

282. On December 1, a high-ranking Indian delegation attended the 91st

Interpol General Assembly held in Vienna, Austria. The Indian delegation was
led by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director Praveen Sood and includes
National Investigation Agency (NIA) director-general Dinkar Gupta. The
delegation pitched for coordinated strategies to crack down on criminal
organisations operating across international jurisdictions. India also supported
the adoption of Interpol’s Vision 2030 and the creation of the Interpol Future
Council. The CBI is the National Central Bureau for Interpol in India and coordinates all international police cooperation
requirements of Indian law enforcement agencies via Interpol channels. India, which joined Interpol in 1949, had hosted
the 90th Interpol General Assembly in Delhi in October 2022. Subsequently, India has also hosted the Interpol Young Global
Police Leaders programme earlier in 2023. The 2023’s General Assembly also marks the 100 th anniversary of Interpol
(International Criminal Police Organization) which was founded in 1923. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• 91st Interpol General Assembly – held in Vienna, Austria
• Indian delegation was led by – CBI director Praveen Sood & includes NIA director-general Dinkar Gupta
• India – supported adoption of Interpol’s Vision 2030 & creation of the Interpol Future Council
• CBI – is National Central Bureau for Interpol in India
• India – joined Interpol in 1949 & had hosted 90th Interpol General Assembly in Delhi in October 2022
• India – has also hosted the Interpol Young Global Police Leaders programme earlier in 2023
• 2023’s General Assembly marks 100th anniversary of Interpol which was founded in 1923
• HQs of Interpol – Lyon, France | President – Ahmed Naser Al-Raisi | Founded on – Sep 7, 1923

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283. On December 4, the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) bagged the
“ISSA Vision Zero 2023” Award at the 23rd ‘World Congress on Safety and Health at Work’
in Sydney, Australia. “Vision Zero” is a transformational approach for prevention of
accidents at work places integrating the three dimensions of safety, health and well-
being at all levels of work. ESIC was awarded as it had great success in outreach in the
field of safety and health at work places by aligning the prevention strategy. Dr. Rajendra
Kumar, Director General, ESIC representing ESIC, received this award. The International
Social Security Association (ISSA) is the principal international institution bringing together social security agencies and
organizations of the world. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• 23rd ‘World Congress on Safety and Health at Work’ – held in Sydney, Australia
• ESIC – bagged the “ISSA Vision Zero 2023” Award at the congress
• HQs of ESIC – New Delhi | DG – Rajendra Kumar
• HQs of ISSA – Geneva, Switzerland | President – Dr Mohammed Azman | Founded in – 1927

284. On December 2, Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt attended the “United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Ministerial
Meeting” in Accra, Ghana, to address the security and operational challenges being faced by the peacekeepers and
generate support for these missions deployed across the world. India has always been at the forefront by sending the
maximum number of troops and equipment to various UN Peacekeeping missions. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Ajay Bhatt – attended “United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting” in Accra, Ghana
• India – sends the maximum number of troops and equipment to various UN Peacekeeping missions
• Ghana – Accra – Cedi | President – Nana Akufo-Addo

285. The 8th edition of the “Global Technology Summit (GTS)” was held in New Delhi from
December 4 to December 6, 2023. The summit, India’s premier event in the realm of geo-
technology, took place at an in-person venue, emphasizing a return to normalcy after the
hybrid format adopted in 2022. The opening session of the Summit commenced with a
speech by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. This year’s GTS focused on the “Geopolitics
of Technology”, as highlighted by the Ministry of External Affairs. The Summit also saw active participation from students
and young professionals, known as GTS Young Ambassadors. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• 8th edition of “Global Technology Summit (GTS)” – held in New Delhi
• This year’s GTS focused on – “Geopolitics of Technology”
• GTS – India’s premier event in the realm of geo-technology
• The opening session of Summit commenced with a speech by – External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar

286. On December 6, Mohammed Al Ramsi was appointed as the Chairman of the “World Radiocommunication
Conference 2023 (WRC23)” held in Dubai, UAE, from November 20 to December 15, 2023. Approximately 4,500
government officials from 193 countries, along with around 900 international organisations, universities, and companies
worldwide, attended the conference. As the host of this session, the UAE stands as the sole country globally to have
hosted and chaired all conferences and events of the ITU. The WRC is one of the major event within the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU), occurring every 4 years with the primary objective of revising the Radio Regulations.
{Read more}

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287. On December 9, PM Narendra Modi addressed the 2nd edition of “Infinity Forum”
jointly organized by the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA), and
GIFT City, under the aegis of the Government of India, as a precursor event to ‘Vibrant
Gujarat Global Summit 2024’. The theme of the forum was “GIFT-IFSC: Nerve Centre
for New Age Global Financial Services”. The forum provides a platform, where
progressive ideas, pressing problems, and innovative technologies from across the
world get discovered, discussed and developed into solutions and opportunities. The
Forum witnessed the participation of 300+ CXOs with strong online participation from
India and a global audience across 20+ countries. The event was also attended by Vice-Chancellors from foreign
universities and representatives of foreign embassies. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• IFSCA + GIFT City = jointly organized “Infinity Forum” as a precursor event to ‘Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024’
• Theme – “GIFT-IFSC: Nerve Centre for New Age Global Financial Services”
• HQs of IFSCA – Gandhinagar, Gujarat | Chairman – K. Rajaraman | Set up on – April 27, 2020
• HQs of GIFT City Ltd – Gujarat | Chairman – Hasmukh Adhia

288. On December 6, the 1st Asian Ranger Forum (ARF) was held in Guwahati,
Assam, to strengthen a global community of conservation practioners. The
theme of the forum was “Asia’s Biodiversity Guardians for 30X30”. The Guwahati
Declaration, a declaration by rangers for rangers, was announced during the
forum. The event concluded on December 8 with participants from 20 countries.
The Guwahati Declaration will feed into the upcoming 10th IRF World Ranger
Congress to be held in October 2024 in France. The event was organised by the
state forest department, biodiversity conservation organisation Aaranyak,
International Ranger Federation (IRF), the Ranger Federation of Asia (RFA), and
the Universal Ranger Support Alliance (URSA). The ‘Exploring Womanhood Foundation Van Durga Conservation Award
2023’ was also presented to 3 women rangers - Heena Patel of Gujarat, Martina Sangma of Meghalaya and Deepika
Vashisht of Rajasthan during the event. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• 1st Asian Ranger Forum (ARF) – was held in Guwahati, Assam
• The event was organised by = state forest dept + Aaranyak + IRF + RFA + URSA
• Theme of the forum – “Asia’s Biodiversity Guardians for 30X30”
• The event saw participants from 20 countries
• The Guwahati Declaration will feed into upcoming 10th IRF World Ranger Congress to be held in Oct 2024 in France
• ‘Exploring Womanhood Foundation Van Durga Conservation Award 2023’ was presented to 3 women rangers:
• Heena Patel (Gujarat), Martina Sangma (Meghalaya) & Deepika Vashisht (Rajasthan)
• Assam: Capital – Dispur | CM – Himanta Biswa Sarma | Governor – Gulab Chand Kataria

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289. On December 5, the 1st Meeting of the National Traders’ Welfare Board (NTWB) was held at Vanijya Bhawan, New
Delhi, under the Chairmanship of Shri Sunil J. Singhi. The NTWB was constituted by the Department for Promotion of
Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). All non-official members nominated by the Central Government representing Trade
Associations and States/UTs attended the meeting of the Board. NTWB has been constituted to advise the Government in
these objectives - (i) To identify policy measures to achieve the objective of welfare of traders and their employees, (ii) To
suggest simplifications in the Acts & Rules applicable to traders, (iii) To make recommendations to reduce the compliance
burden of traders, (iv) To improve access to funds for traders, (v) To make recommendations regarding social security
benefits like insurance, pension, healthcare etc., for traders and their employees, (vi) To make recommendations to
address any other problems and issues of traders and their employees. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• 1st Meeting of the National Traders’ Welfare Board (NTWB) – held at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi
• Chairman of the board – Sunil J. Singhi
• NTWB has been constituted to advise the Government in these objectives:
- To identify policy measures to achieve the objective of welfare of traders and their employees
- To suggest simplifications in the Acts and Rules applicable to traders
- To make recommendations to reduce the compliance burden of traders
- To improve access to funds for traders
- To make recommendations regarding social security benefits like insurance, pension, healthcare etc., for traders
and their employees
- To make recommendations to address any other problems and issues of traders and their employees

290. On December 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated “Uttarakhand

Global Investors Summit 2023” held at Forest Research Institute, Dehradun,
Uttarakhand. He also took a walkthrough of the exhibition and unveiled the Ground
Breaking Wall. Prime Minister Modi also launched a book, ‘Sashakt Uttarakhand’,
and Uttarakhand’s brand, ‘House of Himalayas’. The theme of the Summit is “Peace
to Prosperity”. Referring to the investors present on the occasion, the Prime Minister
drew the analogy of a ‘SWOT’ analysis carried out by the multinationals and
emphasized performing this exercise on the nation. SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities & Threats) analysis is a method for identifying and analyzing internal strengths and weaknesses and external
opportunities and threats that shape current and future operations and help develop strategic goals. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• PM Modi – inaugurated “Uttarakhand Global Investors Summit 2023” held at Forest Research Institute, Dehradun
• Theme of Summit – “Peace to Prosperity”
• He also launched a book, ‘Sashakt Uttarakhand’, and Uttarakhand’s brand, ‘House of Himalayas’
• He also drew analogy of a ‘SWOT’ analysis & emphasized performing this exercise on the nation
• SWOT – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats
• Uttarakhand: Capital – Dehradun & Gairsain | CM – Pushkar Singh Dhami | Governor – Lt. Gen. Gurmit Singh

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291. On December 12, PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the “Global Partnership on
Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) 2023 Summit” in New Delhi. GPAI is a grouping of
countries in North and South America, Europe, and East Asia, that strives to work
towards trustworthy development, deployment, & use of AI. The representatives
from 28 countries and the European Union adopted the ‘New Delhi Declaration’ of
the GPAI. The previous summit was held in Japan. As part of the Summit, the
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in collaboration with
the Centre for Responsible AI (CeRAI), IIT Madras, organised a ‘Research
Symposium’ under the theme, “Advancing Responsible AI in Public-Sector Applications”. Launched in June 2020 with 15
members, GPAI’s membership has now expanded to 28 member countries and the European Union. Moreover, ‘YUVAi’
(Youth for Unnati & Vikas with AI), a collaborative initiative of National e-Governance Division (NeGD), under MeitY, and
Intel India, was featured at the GPAI Summit. YUVAi is aimed to foster a deeper understanding of AI, to enable school
students from class 8 to 12 across the nation with AI skills and empower them to become human-centric designers and
users of AI. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• PM Narendra Modi – inaugurated “Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) 2023 Summit” in New Delhi
• The representatives from 28 countries & EU adopted the ‘New Delhi Declaration’ of the GPAI
• MeitY + CeRAI (IIT Madras) = organised a ‘Research Symposium’ under the theme, “Advancing Responsible AI in
Public-Sector Applications”
• ‘YUVAi’ (Youth for Unnati & Vikas with AI), an initiative of NeGD & Intel – was featured at the 2023 GPAI Summit
• YUVAi is aimed to foster a deeper understanding of AI among school students from class 8 to 12
• The previous summit was held in Japan | GPAI was launched in – 2020

292. In December 2023, the 27th “WAIPA World Investment Conference (WIC)” was held in
New Delhi. This 4-day WIC was organised from 11 to 14 December, 2023 at the India
International Convention and Expo Center, ‘Yashobhoomi’, New Delhi. It was hosted by Invest
India and World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA). The WIC was held in
India for the first time. This year’s conference is themed “Empowering Investors: IPAs
Pioneering Future Growth”. Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Piyush Goyal, delivered
the keynote address on the Role of Trade and Investment in the Decade of Action. He also
launched the Experience India Centre (EIC), showcasing the best of India’s offerings across services, technology, and
products through a variety of technologies, including virtual reality, augmented reality, interactive touch screens, and
projection mapping. The WAIPA was created in 1995 in Geneva, as a non-governmental organization. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• 27th “WAIPA World Investment Conference (WIC)” – held at ‘Yashobhoomi’ in New Delhi
• Theme – “Empowering Investors: IPAs Pioneering Future Growth”
• Piyush Goyal – delivered keynote address & launched the Experience India Centre (EIC)
• WAIPA – created in 1995 in Geneva, as a non-governmental organization

293. On December 8, Sri Lanka announced to host the 37th Session of the Asia Pacific
Regional Conference (APRC) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
(FAO) in February, 2024. The conference will enable ministers of agriculture and high officials
from 46 member countries across the Asia Pacific region to discuss challenges and priorities
related to food and agriculture, promoting regional coherence. {Read more}

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294. On December 10, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah, chaired
the 26th Meeting of the Eastern Zonal Council in Patna, Bihar. The Chief Minister of Bihar Shri
Nitish Kumar, and senior Ministers from Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand attended
the meeting. Mr Shah said that in the meeting, all four states - Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal
and Odisha - made impressive presentations regarding good practises being implemented in
their respective states. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Amit Shah – chaired the 26th Meeting of the Eastern Zonal Council in Patna, Bihar
• Bihar, Jharkhand, WB & Odisha – made impressive presentations regarding good practises being implemented
• Bihar: Capital – Patna | CM – Nitish Kumar | Governor – Rajendra Vishwanath Arleka

295. The 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, called “Davos 2024” will be held in
Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, from January 15 to 19, 2024. The WEF theme for Davos 2024 is
“Building Trust”. The summit will focus on the opportunities presented by new technologies and
their impact on decision-making and global partnerships. The WEF is a leading summit that brings
together world leaders to help shape the global, regional, and industry agenda. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• 54th Annual Meeting of WEF “Davos 2024” – will be held in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland in January 2024
• Theme – “Building Trust”
• HQs of WEF – Cologny | Exe. Chairman – Klaus Schwab | President – Borge Brende | Founded – 1971

296. In December 2023, the 20th edition of “Global Inclusive Finance Summit 2023” was held in
New Delhi with the theme of “Future of Finance - Inclusive and Equitable Growth for All”. The
summit encompassed a spectrum of stakeholders, including government officials, regulators,
policy influencers, financial institutions, technology enablers, investors, thought leaders,
researchers, academicians, foundations, and private sector players. This year, the Department
of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, is the co-host of the summit. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• 20th edition of “Global Inclusive Finance Summit 2023” – held in New Delhi
• Theme – “Future of Finance - Inclusive and Equitable Growth for All”
• Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance – is the co-host of the summit
• Ministry of Finance: Nirmala Sitharaman | Constituency – Karnataka
• MoS in Ministry of Finance: Pankaj Chaowdhary & Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad

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297. On December 18, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and
Dairying, Parshottam Rupala, inaugurated the “Animal Health Conclave 2023”
(Pashu Swasthya Sammelan) in New Delhi. The Department of Animal Husbandry
and Dairying and Indian Immunological Limited (IIL) jointly organized the
conclave for shaping Animal Health sector with Innovative Vaccine and Precision
diagnostics. The conclave focused on fostering dialogue and collaboration among
esteemed speakers and experts to enhance animal health. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Parshottam Rupala – inaugurated the “Animal Health Conclave 2023” in New Delhi
• The conclave was organized by = Dept. of Animal Husbandry & Dairying + Indian Immunological Ltd
• HQs of Indian Immunological Ltd – Hyderabad, Telangana | Chairman & MD – Meenesh Shah
• Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying: Parshottam Rupala | Constituency – Gujarat
• MoS in Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying: Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan & Dr. L. Murugan

298. On December 20, Dalai Lama inaugurated the 3-day ‘International

Sangha Forum (ISF) 2023’ on the theme “Bridging Traditions, Embracing
Modernity: A Dialogue on the Buddha’s Teaching in Today’s World”. The
forum was organised jointly by the Office of the Dalai Lama and the
International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) at the International Convention
Centre in Bodha Gaya, Bihar. The ISF aims to foster dialogue on the intricate
aspects of Vinaya rules and explore the evolving role of Buddhism in the 21 st
century. Earlier in December, about 5,000 monks and nuns from around the world gathered in Bodh Gaya for the 18th
International Tipitaka Chanting Programme. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Dalai Lama – inaugurated the 3-day ‘International Sangha Forum (ISF) 2023’ at Bodha Gaya, Bihar
• Theme – “Bridging Traditions, Embracing Modernity: A Dialogue on the Buddha’s Teaching in Today’s World”
• The forum was organised by = Office of the Dalai Lama + International Buddhist Confederation
• Bihar: Capital – Patna | CM – Nitish Kumar | Governor – Rajendra Vishwanath Arleka

299. On December 20, the Odisha government announced to host the first-ever ‘Biswa Odia Bhasha Sammilani’ (World
Odia Language Conference) in February 2024, to strengthen and popularise the language. The Heritage Cabinet, headed by
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, approved a proposal in this regard. Ashiwini Patra is the Minister of Odia Language,
Literature and Culture Department. Odia became the 6th Indian language - following Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, Sanskrit
and Tamil - and first from the Indo-Aryan linguistic group, to get the classical tag by the Centre in February 2014. {Read
more}
Smart Points:
• Odisha Govt – to host the first-ever ‘Biswa Odia Bhasha Sammilani’ (World Odia Language Conference) in Feb 2024
• Odia became the 6th Indian language (after Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, Sanskrit & Tamil), and 1st from Indo-Aryan
linguistic group, to get the classical tag by the Centre in 2014
• Odisha: Capital – Bhubaneswar | CM – Naveen Patnaik | Governor – Raghubar Das

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300. In December 2023, Gujarat Urban Development Mission, in collaboration with Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation,
and other partner organisations, organised Pre- Vibrant Gujarat Summit on “Liveable Cities of Tomorrow”, at Mahatma
Mandir, Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The summit brought together city leaders, practitioners, academicians, industry experts
and knowledge seekers for deliberating upon initiatives and experiences, both from India as well as from across the world.
The Summit provided a platform for cities to showcase their unique initiatives and explore potential avenues for future
collaboration in anticipation of the 10th edition of the “Vibrant Gujarat Summit”, scheduled for January 10-12, 2024. {Read
more}
Smart Points:
• Gujarat Urban Development Mission – organised Pre- Vibrant Gujarat Summit on “Liveable Cities of Tomorrow”
• It was organized in collaboration with – Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, and other partner organisations
• Location – Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar, Gujarat
• It explored potential avenues for future collaboration in anticipation of 10th edition of “Vibrant Gujarat Summit”
• Gujarat: Capital – Gandhinagar | CM – Bhupendra Patel | Governor – Acharya Dev Vrat

301. The 8th edition of “Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Conclave
of Chiefs (CoC)” was conducted by Royal Thai Navy at Bangkok, Thailand
from 19-22 December, 2023. Chiefs of Navies/ Senior Delegates from 27
Members/ Observer countries participated in the event. Admiral R Hari
Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff, attended the event with a 3-member
Indian Naval delegation. The theme of the conclave was “Blue
Economy: Ways Forward for Sustainable Development of IONS Member
States”. During the Conclave of Chiefs, Thailand assumed the duties of Chair of IONS and Work Plan for next two years was
finalised. Flag designed by India was selected as the IONS Flag. India also took over as the co-Chair of IONS Working
Groups on Maritime Security and HADR for the forthcoming cycle. South Korean Navy was welcomed by the Conclave as
the latest ‘Observer’, raising the collective strength of IONS to 34 (25 Members & 9 Observers). IONS was conceived by the
Indian Navy in 2008 as a forum. India is scheduled to take over as the Chair of IONS (2025-27) during 9th CoC planned to
be conducted in India in 2025. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• 8th edition of “Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Conclave of Chiefs (CoC)” – conducted in Bangkok, Thailand
• Theme – “Blue Economy: Ways Forward for Sustainable Development of IONS Member States”
• During the Conclave, Thailand assumed the duties of Chair of IONS and Work Plan for next 2 years
• India – took over as the Co-Chair of IONS Working Groups on Maritime Security & HADR for the forthcoming cycle
• South Korean Navy was welcomed by the Conclave as the latest ‘Observer’
• The collective strength of IONS raised to 34 (25 Members & 9 Observers)
• India is scheduled to take over as the Chair of IONS (2025-27) during 9th CoC to be conducted in India in 2025
• Thailand – Bangkok – Thai Baht | PM – Srettha Thavisin | King – Maha Vajiralongkorn

302. On December 22, Goa will host the 2nd edition of one of the most prestigious energy
events, “India Energy Week (IEW) 2024”, at the IPSHEM-ONGC Training Institute from 6 to
9 February, 2024. To be organized by the Federation of Indian Petroleum Industry (FIPI)
under the aegis of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, IEW 2024 will serve as a
catalyst for meaningful discussions, knowledge exchange, and collaboration among
industry experts, policy makers, academia and entrepreneurs. {Read more}

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303. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has inaugurated the 40th “Coast
Guard Commanders’ Conference 2023” in New Delhi. During the
inauguration, the Raksha Mantri complimented the ICG for ensuring
maritime security by being in the vanguard in the field of search &
rescue and pollution response. The conference is held annually. The
three-day conference aimed at addressing contemporary maritime
challenges and fortifying the country’s coastal surveillance mechanisms.
It was attended by senior officers of the Ministry of Defence and the
ICG. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Rajnath Singh – inaugurated 40th “Coast Guard Commanders’ Conference 2023” in New Delhi
• Aim – addressing contemporary maritime challenges and fortifying the country’s coastal surveillance mechanisms

304. PM Narendra Modi chaired the 3rd “National Conference of Chief Secretaries” in Delhi on December 28 & 29, 2023.
The first was held in June 2022 in Dharamshala and the second in January 2023 in Delhi. The conference was organised to
encourage participative governance and partnership between the Centre and the State Governments. The key focus of the
National Conference of Chief Secretaries this year was ‘Ease of Living’. The Conference emphasised on the evolution and
implementation of a common development agenda and blueprint for cohesive action in partnership with the States.
{Read more}
Smart Points:
• PM Modi – chaired 3rd “National Conference of Chief Secretaries” in Delhi
• The key focus was – ‘Ease of Living’.
• The first was held in June 2022 in Dharamshala and the second in January 2023 in Delhi

305. In December 2023, the 9th edition of “International Food

Convention (IFCON 2023)” was held in Mysuru, Karnataka. This year’s
theme of the convention is “Technology Re-engineering for
Innovation and Mitigating the risk for a Safe, sustainable, Affordable
and secure Food Ecosystem (TRIMSAFE)”. The 4-day convention was
inaugurated by ISRO Chairman Dr S Somnath and organised by the
Association of Food Scientists and Technologists of India (AFSTI) with
support from the CSIR-CFTRI, DRDO-DFRL, and CSIR-Indian Institute of
Toxicology Research, Lucknow. The IFCON is organised once in five years and the last edition was in 2018 in Mysuru.
During the convention, the prestigious AFSTI annual awards were presented to the achievers in the field of Food Science &
Technology. {Read more}

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306. The “World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (WRC23)”, held in Dubai, UAE,
from November 20 to December 15, has opened up 100 MHz spectrum in 6 GHz band for
mobility services across the world, while the upper 6 GHz band has been identified for IMT
(mobility services) in Europe, Middle East and Africa. Telecom operators in India have
been demanding 6 GHz band for IMT as it would be pivotal for meeting national
connectivity goals and future spectrum requirements for 5G/6G. Region 1 includes Europe,
Middle East and Africa, region 2 is Americas and region 3 is Asia Pacific. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• “World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (WRC23)” – held in Dubai, UAE
• It has opened up 100 MHz spectrum in 6 GHz band for mobility services across the world
• Upper 6 GHz band has been identified for IMT (mobility services) in Europe, Middle East and Africa

307. On December 24, three High-Level Meetings, aimed at improving Indo-Bangla trade and connectivity across North
East, were held between the governments of India and Bangladesh in Dhaka. The meetings included Shipping Secretary
Level Talks, a meeting of the Standing Committee under protocol on Inland Water Transit & Trade (PIWT&T) and a meeting
of the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) on the use of Chattogram and Mongla Ports for to-and-fro movement of
goods. India is collaborating with Bangladesh to develop certain segments of the IBP (India-Bangladesh Protocol) route.
Furthermore, Bangladesh agreed with India to extend IBP route and declare Safardighi in West Bengal as new ‘Ports of
Call’ under PIWT&T. The total trade volume between India and Bangladesh via the IBP route from FY14 to FY24 (until
October 2023) is approximately 35.59 million metric tons. The trade volume was 5.20 million metric tons in FY23. {Read
more}
Smart Points:
• India + Bangladesh = held 3 high level meetings in Dhaka mentioned below:
- Shipping Secretary Level Talks
- A meeting of the Standing Committee under protocol on Inland Water Transit & Trade (PIWT&T)
- A meeting of the IGC on the use of Chattogram and Mongla Ports for to-and-fro movement of goods
• Bangladesh – agreed to extend IBP route & declare Safardighi in West Bengal as new ‘Ports of Call’ under PIWT&T
• Trade volume between India & Bangladesh via IBP route from FY14 to FY24 (until Oct 2023) – 35.59 MMT
• Bangladesh – Dhaka – Taka | PM – Seikh Hasina | President – Mohammed Shahabuddin

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308. Quantum Ecosystems and Technology Council of India (QETCI), along with the
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), organized the 1st
“National Quantum Science and Technology Symposium (NQSTS)” at Scope
Convention Centre in New Delhi. The symposium was organized with the objective
to galvanize the Quantum Eco System and develop synergies to leverage Quantum
Technology to solve real life problems. The highlight of the symposium was the
launch of “Centre for Quantum Security”, a joint initiative by Quantum Science and
Technology Symposium (QETCI) and CR Rao Advanced Institute of Mathematics Statistics and Computer Science (CR Rao
AIMSCS). To forge strategic partnerships to accelerate research and adoption of Quantum Technology a MoU was signed
between QETCI and BeST Cluster. Also, the ‘Quantum Value Chain Report’, a comprehensive report on the Quantum
Ecosystem in India, was released. Dr. V K Saraswat is the Chairman of QETCI. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• 1st “National Quantum Science & Technology Symposium (NQSTS)” – held at Scope Convention Centre in New Delhi
• Organized by = QETCI + MeitY
• Centre for Quantum Security is a joint initiative by QETCI + CR Rao AIMSCS
• QETCI and BeST Cluster = an MoU to accelerate research and adoption of Quantum Technology
• HQs of QETCI – Hyderabad | Chairman – Dr. V K Saraswat

309. IIM Bangalore hosted the “India Strategy Conference (ISC) 2023” in collaboration with IIM Ahmedabad, ISB
Hyderabad, and the Confederation of Indian Industry Chief Strategy Officers’ (CII CSO) Forum from December 14 to 17 at
the IIM Bangalore campus. The theme of the conference was “Strategies for a Digital & Inclusive Future”. The conference
focused on nurturing the future of strategy scholarship through formative conversations and workshops. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• IIM Bangalore + IIM Ahmedabad + ISB Hyderabad + CII CSO Forum = hosted “India Strategy Conference (ISC) 2023”
• Theme – “Strategies for a Digital & Inclusive Future”
• Aim – nurture the future of strategy scholarship through formative conversations & workshops

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Ranks, Reports & Surveys
310. On December 1, 5 Indians - Bose Krishnamachari, Prateek Raja & Priyanka
Raja, Dayanita Singh, Natasha Ginwala - have been included in the “Power
100”, the list of the world’s most influential personalities in the field of art,
prepared by Art Review, an internationally-renowned art magazine. The list
includes personalities from all spheres of contemporary art such as artists,
thinkers, curators, gallerists, museum directors, and collectors. Kerala-based
Krishnamachari (Artist, Curator & President of Kochi-Muziris Biennale) is
ranked 38th, West Bengal-based P & P Raja (Gallerists and Cofounders of Experimenter) are ranked 62 nd, Delhi-based
Dayanita Singh (Photographer) is ranked 78th, and Gujarat-based Natasha Ginwala (Independent curator, Researcher &
Writer) is ranked 94th on the list. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• 5 Indians included in Art Review’s “Power 100”, the list of world’s most influential personalities in the field of art:
- Bose Krishnamachari (38th) – Artist, Curator & President of Kochi-Muziris Biennale (Kerala)
- Prateek Raja & Priyanka Raja (62nd) – Gallerists and Cofounders of Experimenter (West Bengal)
- Dayanita Singh (78th) – Photographer (Delhi)
- Natasha Ginwala (94th) – Independent curator, Researcher & Writer (Gujarat)

311. On December 1, the International Institute for Management Development (IMD)

published the “2023 World Digital Competitiveness Ranking (WDCR)”, in which India
ranks 49th among 64 economies. According to IMD’s study, India has made significant in
terms of cybersecurity knowledge but lacks on fronts like technology and future
readiness. The United States moved back to the top position with robust results across
all three factors: knowledge, technology, and future readiness. Netherlands ranks
second, followed by Singapore, Denmark & Switzerland. In the Asia-Pacific region, India has slipped to 12th place among
the 14 countries. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• India ranked 49th in the “2023 World Digital Competitiveness Ranking (WDCR)” published by IMD
• 1st – US | 2nd – Netherlands | 3rd – Singapore
• HQs of IMD – Lausanne, Switzerland | President – Jean-François Manzoni

312. Kolkata has again topped the list of cities with the least number of cognisable offences
per lakh population, making the metropolis the safest city of India in 2022, according to the
latest report titled “Crime in India 2022” (70th edition) released by the National Crime
Records Bureau (NCRB). Kolkata reported 86.5 cases of cognisable offences per lakh people,
followed by Pune (Maharashtra) at 280.7 and Hyderabad (Telangana) at 299.2. A total of
58,24,946 cognisable crimes were registered in 2022, a decline of 4.5% from 2021. It
includes 35,61,379 Indian Penal Code (IPC) crimes and 22,63,567 Special & Local laws (SLL).
The crime rate registered per lakh population was 422.2 in 2022. Besides, a total of 4,45,256
cases of crime against women were registered in 2022. The cognisable crimes include cases
registered under sections of the Indian Penal Code and SLL (Special and Local Laws). The report is based on data collected
from 36 states and Union Territories as well as central agencies. {Read more}

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313. On December 7, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released the list of the top 100 arms-
producing companies in the world. Indian defence public sector undertakings (PSUs) Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL), Bharat
Electronics (BEL), and Mazagon Docks (MDL) secured 41st, 63rd and 89th positions respectively with $3.4 billion, $1.9 billion
and $1 billion in arms sales. However, the combined sales of these three Indian companies accounted for only 1% of the
global arms sales of $597 billion in the past year. The list was predominantly dominated by US and Chinese companies.
Lockheed Martin Corporation of the US topped the list, followed by Raytheon Technologies (US) & Northrop Grumman
Corporation (US). {Read more}
Smart Points:
• SIPRI – released the list of the top 100 arms-producing companies in the world
• Positions secured & arms sales by Indian PSUs:
• HAL – 41st ($3.4 billion) | BEL – 63rd ($1.9 billion) | MDL – 89th ($1 billion)
• Combined sales of these 3 Indian companies accounted for only 1% of global arms sales of $597 billion in past year
• Top on the list – Lockheed Martin Corporation, Raytheon Technologies, & Northrop Grumman Corporation (All US)
• HQs of SIPRI – Stockholm, Sweden | Chair – Jan Eliasson

314. Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) is the 4th largest insurer in
the world, according to “The World’s Largest Life Insurers, 2023”, a
ranking based on life and accident & health reserves of companies in
2022 by S&P Global Market Intelligence. The LIC’s reserves stood at
$503.7 billion in FY 2023. The state-owned insurer is ranked after
Germany’s Allianz SE ($750.2 billion), China Life Insurance Company
($616.90 billion) and Nippon Life Insurance Company ($536.80 Billion) of Japan. Out of the top 50 companies, the US has
the highest number of life insurers on the list, with 8 companies, followed by the UK with 7 companies. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• “The World’s Largest Life Insurers, 2023” ranking – released by S&P Global Market Intelligence
• LIC is the 4th largest insurer in the world with reserves worth $503.7 billion in FY 2023
- 1st – Germany’s Allianz SE ($750.2 billion)
- 2nd – China Life Insurance Company ($616.90 billion)
- 3rd – Japan’s Nippon Life Insurance Company ($536.80 Billion)
• HQs of LIC – Mumbai | Chairman – Siddhartha Mohanty | Founded in – 1956 | Tagline – ‘Yogakshemam Vahamyaham’
• 4 MDs of LIC – R. Doraiswamy, Sat Pal Bhanoo, Tablesh Pandey & M. Jagannath

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315. In 2022, India accounted for 66% of malaria cases in the WHO South-East Asia Region,
as per the “2023 World Malaria Report” published by the World Health Organization
(WHO). It adds that almost 46% of all cases in the region were due to ‘Plasmodium vivax’,
which is a protozoal parasite & a human pathogen, which is the most frequent and widely
distributed cause of recurring malaria. The WHO South-East Asia Region accounted for
about 2% of malaria cases globally, while malaria cases declined by 76%, from 23 million in
2000 to about 5 million in 2022. The report stated that in 2022, there were estimated 249 million cases globally, exceeding
the pre-pandemic level of 233 million in 2019. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• “2023 World Malaria Report” – published by WHO
• India accounted for 66% of malaria cases in the WHO South-East Asia Region
• Almost 46% of all cases in the region were due to ‘Plasmodium vivax’, a protozoal parasite & a human pathogen
• Plasmodium vivax – is the most frequent and widely distributed cause of recurring malaria
• WHO South-East Asia Region – accounted for about 2% of malaria cases globally
• Malaria cases declined by 76%, from 23 million in 2000 to about 5 million in 2022 in South-East Asia Region
• There were estimated 249 million cases globally, exceeding the pre-pandemic level of 233 million in 2019
• HQs of WHO – Geneva, Switzerland | DG – Tedros Adhanom | Member Countries – 194 | Founded in – 1948

316. On December 6, Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL) has been declared the 2nd largest global solar PV developer in the
global solar energy sector, according to Mercom Capital Group’s Annual Global Report 2023. In this global annual report,
Mercom Capital Group has unveiled the top ten leading global large-scale solar PV developers based on data compiled
from July 2022 to June 2023. France-based TotalEnergies, which holds a total capacity of 41.3 GW, was ranked number
one and followed by AGEL with its total solar capacity of 18.1 GW. Canada-based Brookfield Renewable Partners came in
third with 18 GW. Among the top 10 global large-scale solar PV developers, six were based in Europe and three in North
America. AGEL is the only South Asian-based company to make the global list. AGEL currently has an operating renewable
portfolio of 8.4 GW across 12 states. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Key highlights of Mercom Capital Group’s Annual Global Report 2023:
• AGEL – declared 2nd largest global solar PV developer in global solar energy sector (total solar capacity of 18.1 GW)
• AGEL is the only South Asian-based company to make the global list
• Top – TotalEnergies (France) with a total capacity of 41.3 GW | 3rd – Brookfield Renewable Partners (18 GW)
• AGEL currently has an operating renewable portfolio of 8.4 GW across 12 states
• HQs of AGEL – Ahmedabad, Gujarat | CEO – Amit Singh

317. On December 5, QS Quacquarelli Symonds, a global higher education analyst, published the 2 nd edition of the “QS
World University Rankings: Sustainability 2024”. Among the 56 Indian universities listed, the University of Delhi (DU)
claimed the top spot, securing the 220th position worldwide. DU ranked 30th in Asia. In contrast, the IITs lagged behind,
with IIT Madras, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Roorkee & IIT Delhi securing ranks of 344th, 349th, 387th, and 426th, respectively. Notably,
in the Environmental Sustainability indicator, four Indian universities have secured positions within the top 100 globally,
with Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) leading the national front at 49th place worldwide. In Environmental Research, IIT
Delhi secured the highest rank globally at 236th. Canada emerges as the world leader in sustainability within the higher
education system by several measures. The University of Toronto holds the top position globally, followed by the
University of California (US) & and the University of Manchester (UK). {Read more}

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318. On December 6, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, HCL Corporation

Chairperson Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Steel Authority of India Chairperson Soma
Mondal and Biocon Executive Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw are the four Indians
among the 100 named in Forbes’ annual list of “The World’s Most Powerful Women”.
Sitharaman has made it to the list for the fifth year in a row, ranking at number 32.
While Malhotra was ranked 60th, Mondal took the 70th spot and Mazumdar-Shaw the
76th. Politicians topped the list, occupying the first four spots, with Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European
Commission, at the number 1 position. She is followed by European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, US Vice
President Kamala Harris and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Musician Taylor Swift ranked number 5 on the list. The
list comprised six categories - politics and policy, business, finance, media and entertainment, philanthropy and
technology. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• “The World’s Most Powerful Women” List – released by Forbes
• There are four Indians among the 100 who are:
• Nirmala Sitharaman (32nd) | HCL Corporation Chairperson Roshni Nadar Malhotra (60th)
• SAIL Chairperson Soma Mondal (70th) | Biocon Executive Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (76th)
• Top – Ursula von der Leyen (President of the European Commission)
• 2nd – Christine Lagarde (President of European Central Bank) | 3rd – Kamala Harris (US Vice President)
• 4th – Giorgia Meloni (Italy PM) | 5th – Taylor Swift
• HQs of Forbes – New York | Chairperson & Editor-in-Chief – Steve Forbes | CEO – Mike Federle

319. On December 7, Tiriyani Block of Kumuram Bheem Asifabad district in Telangana secured
the top position in the 1st delta rankings of Aspirational Blocks Programme (ABP) released by
NITI Aayog. The second position was bagged by Kaushambi block of Kaushambi district, Uttar
Pradesh. The rankings were announced in a virtual event at NITI Aayog which saw
participation of 329 districts and 500 aspirational blocks from across the country. In addition
to ABP, the Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP) rankings were also announced for the
month of October, 2023 which saw Rayagada (Odisha) and Jamui (Bihar) achieving the first and second ranks respectively.
Besides, the blocks have also been geographically divided into six zones and two blocks from each zone have been given
rankings. ABP focuses on improving governance to enhance the quality of life of citizens in the most difficult and relatively
underdeveloped blocks of India. {Read more}

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320. Close to 568 million people could be exposed to heatwaves by 2030 under a high-warming (HW) scenario where
global temperature rises by 3-4 degrees Celsius by 2100, according to the new “Climate Mobility Impacts” dashboard
launched by Global Data Institute of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Under the scenario, up to 2.79
billion people could be exposed to heatwaves by 2090. Of these 2.79 billion, almost 2.6 billion or roughly 93%, are
projected to live in Asia and Africa. No region in the world will be immune to the impacts of climate change, according to
the interactive dashboard of the GDI. It shows the level of human exposure to climate hazards and includes heatwaves,
droughts, wildfires, river floods, tropical cyclones and crop failure. According to the HW scenario, river floods will
potentially affect up to 156 million people by 2090. Asia will account for more than 87% of these. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• “Climate Mobility Impacts” dashboard – launched by Global Data Institute of IOM
• It discusses a high-warming (HW) scenario where global temperature rises by 3-4 degrees Celsius by 2100
• Key highlights:
• Close to 568 million people could be exposed to heatwaves by 2030
• Up to 2.79 billion people could be exposed to heatwaves by 2090 (roughly 93% to live in Asia & Africa)
• No region in the world will be immune to the impacts of climate change
• River floods will potentially affect up to 156 million people by 2090 (Asia will account for more than 87% of these)

321. Hyderabad is the most liveable city in India, according to the “Quality of Living Index 2023” released by Mercer, a
global consultant for businesses, on December 13. Hyderabad ranked 153rd globally, followed by Pune (154) & Bengaluru
(156). Vienna (Austria), Zurich (Switzerland) and Vancouver (Canada) are the top three cities in that order, according to the
2023 index. This index evaluates the quality of life for employees working abroad, especially with families, and relies on
data from over 500 cities all over the world. The ranking is based on factors like climate, schools and education, disease
and sanitation standards, violence and crime, physical remoteness and ease of communications and socio-political
environment. The last of these rankings were published in 2019. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• “Quality of Living Index 2023” released – by Mercer
• Most liveable city in India – Hyderabad (Global rank - 153rd) | 2nd – Pune (154) | 3rd – Bengaluru (156)
• Top city globally – Vienna (Austria) | 2nd – Zurich (Switzerland) | 3rd – Vancouver (Canada)

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322. India ranked 7th in the “Climate Change Performance Index 2024”, up one spot from
the previous one. It is published by Germanwatch, the NewClimate Institute, and Climate
Action Network International. India also remained among the highest performers,
according to the report released during the global climate talks at COP28. Monitoring
Climate Mitigation Efforts of 63 Countries & the EU, and covering more than 90% of the
Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions, India has received a high ranking in the ‘Greenhouse
Gas Emissions’ and ‘Energy Use’ categories, but a medium in ‘Climate Policy’ and
‘Renewable Energy’, as in the previous year. In the per capita GHG category, India is on track to meet a benchmark of well
below 2 degrees Celsius, as per the report based on the index. PM Narendra Modi announced at COP26 that India will
achieve net-zero emissions by 2070. Globally, the first three positions of the index remained empty as no country
performed well enough in all index categories. Denmark claimed the 4th spot, followed by Estonia and the Philippines at 5th
& 6th places. The G20 members account for more than 75% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• “Climate Change Performance Index 2024” published by = Germanwatch + NewClimate Institute + Climate Action
Network International
• India – ranked 7th in the index & also remained among the highest performers
• First three positions of the index remained empty as no country performed well enough in all index categories
• 4th – Denmark | 5th – Estonia & Philippines
• India received:
- High ranking in ‘Greenhouse Gas Emissions’ & ‘Energy Use’ categories
- Medium ranking in ‘Climate Policy’ and ‘Renewable Energy’
• India is on track to meet a benchmark of well below 2 degrees Celsius in the per capita GHG category
• PM Modi announced at COP26 that India will achieve net-zero emissions by 2070

323. On December 18, the World Bank’s latest “Migration and Development Brief” report reveals a continuous growth in
remittance flows to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in 2023. Remittances to LMICs grew by an estimated 3.8%
in 2023, reaching a total of $669 billion. South Asia witnessed a 7.2% increase in remittances in 2023. India retained its
position as the largest recipient of remittances, with an estimated $125 billion in 2023. The other four among top five
remittance recipient countries include - Mexico ($67 billion), China ($50 billion), the Philippines ($40 billion), and Egypt
($24 billion). The report highlights that banks continue to be the costliest channel for sending remittances, with an average
cost of 12.1%. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• “Migration and Development Brief” report – released by World Bank
• Remittances to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) grew by 3.8% in 2023, reaching a total of $669 billion
• South Asia – witnessed a 7.2% increase in remittances in 2023
• India – retained its position as the largest recipient of remittances, with an estimated $125 billion in 2023
• 2nd – Mexico ($67 billion), 3rd – China ($50 billion), 4th – Philippines ($40 billion), 5th – Egypt ($24 billion)
• Banks continue to be the costliest channel for sending remittances, with an average cost of 12.1%
• HQs of World Bank – Washington D.C., US | President – Ajay Banga | MD/CFO – Anshula Kant | Members – 189

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324. On December 14, the Logistics Division, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal
Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), launched a report titled “Logistics Cost in
India: Assessment and Long-Term Framework”. The Report has been prepared by the National
Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), in a consultative manner, with guidance of the Asian
Development Bank (ADB) experts and task force members. This report presents a baseline
aggregated logistics cost estimate, and a framework for long-term logistics cost calculation. The logistics cost in India for
the fiscal year 2021-22 has been determined to be in the range of 7.8 to 8.9% of the GDP. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• DPIIT – launched a report titled “Logistics Cost in India: Assessment and Long-Term Framework”
• The Report is prepared by – NCAER + ADB experts & task force members
• Logistics cost in India for fiscal year 2021-22 – determined to be in the range of 7.8 to 8.9% of GDP
• HQs of DPIIT – New Delhi | Secretary – Anurag Jain | DPIIT works under – Ministry of Commerce & Industry

325. On December 16, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Chandigarh, and Gujarat are among the 13 states and
Union Territories that have again been categorised as “Achievers” in the 5th edition of the “Logistics Ease Across Different
State (LEADS) 2023” report released by Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The report was prepared by the Logistics
Division of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). The index is an indicator of the efficiency
of logistical services necessary for promoting exports and economic growth. The other states and UTs in the “Achievers”
category are Delhi, Assam, Haryana, Punjab, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh. As against last year’s 15 states/UTs in
‘Achievers’ category, this year the number has reduced to 13 as Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have slipped into
“Aspirers” and “Fast Movers” categories. Sikkim and Tripura have moved up to the “Achievers” category from “Fast
Movers”. To check the full list of all states included in ‘Aspirers’ & ‘Fast Movers’ categories, click here: {Read more}
Smart Points:
• 13 states & UTs have again been categorised as “Achievers” in 5th edition of “LEADS 2023” report
• LEADS – Logistics Ease Across Different State
• The report is released by – Ministry of Commerce and Industry | Prepared by – Logistics Division of DPIIT

326. Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, referred to as the ‘King Khan’ of the Indian film industry,
has topped a UK list of the “Top 50 Asian Celebrities in the World”. Khan beat off tough competition
to make it to the annual list published by UK weekly Eastern Eye. By the time 2023 ends, King Khan
will become the first leading man from the modern era to have three huge Bollywood blockbuster hits
in a Calendar Year namely - ‘Pathaan’, ‘Jawan’ & ‘Dunki’. Popular actor Alia Bhatt came in second for
her impact in Bollywood and Hollywood. Third placed Priyanka Chopra Jonas has been recognised for
her ground-breaking work on the international stage. The oldest star in the list is 81-year-old Amitabh
Bachchan (35th) and the youngest is 20-year-old Indian television star Sumbul Touqeer (44th). {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Shah Rukh Khan – topped the list of the “Top 50 Asian Celebrities in the World” published by Eastern Eye (UK)
• SRK is the first leading man from the modern era to have 3 huge Bollywood blockbuster hits in a Calendar Year
• 2nd – Alia Bhatt | 3rd – Priyanka Chopra Jonas
• Oldest star in the list – 81-year-old Amitabh Bachchan (35th) | Youngest – 20-year-old Sumbul Touqeer (44th)

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327. On December 18, a report by prominent online blogging platform, soic.in, which keeps track of investments and the
stock market, has revealed that Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the second-largest economy of India, after Maharashtra.
The report is based on Sensex and CSLA (Credit Lyonnais Securities Asia). As per the report, Maharashtra leads with a GDP
share of 15.7% of India total GDP, followed by Uttar Pradesh (9.2%), Tamil Nadu (9.1%), Gujarat (8.2%), and West Bengal
(7.5%). UP has also jumped from the 14th to the 2nd position in the ‘Ease of Doing Business’ rankings. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Key highlights of the report released by soic.in (based on Sensex and CSLA):
• Maharashtra economy leads with a GDP share of 15.7% of India total GDP | 2nd – UP (9.2%)
• 3rd – Tamil Nadu (9.1%) | 4th – Gujarat (8.2%) | 5th – WB (7.5%)
• CLSA – Credit Lyonnais Securities Asia
• UP – also jumped from the 14th to the 2nd position in the ‘Ease of Doing Business’ rankings

328. On December 21, Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of electric vehicles in India with around 7.75 lakh vehicles,
followed by Maharashtra with around 5.17 lakh and Karnataka with around 4 lakh vehicles, as per latest data of
government shared in the parliament on the status of electric and hybrid vehicle in use in 2023. Whereas the states with
the highest ELECTRIC Battery-Operated Vehicles (BOV) are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and
Gujarat. India currently has around 30 lakhs registered EVs on Indian roads. Annual electric vehicle sales in India are
expected to reach close to 20 million units by 2030. The government of India has undertaken various initiatives to help
drive the demand for EVs in the country including: Phase-II of FAME India Scheme, launched initially for a period of 5 years
w.e.f. April 1, 2019 with a total budgetary support of Rs 10,000 crore; Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for
Automobile and Auto Component Industry that provides incentives up to 18% for electric vehicles; GST on electric vehicles
and chargers/ charging stations for electric vehicles has been reduced to 5%, states have been advised to waive road tax
on EVs, which in turn will help reduce the initial cost of EVs. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Uttar Pradesh – has the highest number of electric vehicles in India (7.75 lakh vehicles)
• 2nd – Maharashtra (5.17 lakh vehicles) | 3rd – Karnataka (4 lakh vehicles)
• States with the highest ELECTRIC Battery-Operated Vehicles (BOV) – Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan
• India currently has around 30 lakhs registered EVs on Indian roads
• Annual electric vehicle sales in India are expected to reach close to 20 million units by 2030
• The government of India has undertaken various initiatives to help drive the demand for EVs in India:
- Phase-II of FAME India Scheme
- PLI Scheme for Automobile & Auto Component Industry
- GST on electric vehicles & chargers/ charging stations for electric vehicles has been reduced to 5%
- States have been advised to waive road tax on EVs

329. The cumulative Roof Top Solar (RTS) installed capacity increased to 10.4 GW
as of November 30, 2023, from 1.8 GW as of March 31, 2019. The Compound
annual growth rate (CAGR) of RTS installations during the period is about 46%,
according to information provided by the Union Ministry of New and Renewable
Energy (MNRE). MNRE launched its Rooftop Solar Programme Phase-II in August
2019 with an aim to achieve 40 GW capacity in the RTS segment. The financial
outlay of the Phase-II Roof Top Solar (RTS) program is ₹11,814 crore, including
₹6,600 crore of Central Financial Assistance (CFA) and ₹4,985 crore of incentives to the Distribution Companies. Gujarat is
the leader in RTS installations in the country. In the cumulative capacity of 10.4 GW as of November 2023, Gujarat’s share
was 3.2 GW, followed by Maharashtra at 1.9 GW and Rajasthan at 1.1 GW capacity. {Read more}

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Smart Points:
• Cumulative RTS installed capacity increased to 10.4 GW as of November 30, 2023, from 1.8 GW as of March 31, 2019
• CAGR of RTS installations during the period is about 46%
• MNRE launched its Rooftop Solar Programme Phase-II in August 2019 to achieve 40 GW capacity in the RTS segment
• Outlay of Phase-II RTS program – ₹11,814 Cr (₹6,600 Cr of CFA & ₹4,985 Cr of incentives to Distribution Companies)
• Cumulative capacity as of November 2023 – 10.4 GW
• Highest RTS installations in India – Gujarat (3.2 GW) | 2nd – Maharashtra (1.9 GW) | 3rd – Rajasthan (1.1 GW)

330. According to Knight Frank India’s “Affordability Index 2023”, the most expensive residential market in India is
Mumbai, which is the only city beyond the affordability threshold of 50%. Ahmedabad is India’s most affordable housing
market with an affordability ratio of 21%, followed by Pune (24%) & Kolkata (24%). Mumbai saw an improvement of 2% in
its affordability index from 53% in 2022 to 51% in 2023. Hyderabad is the second most-expensive residential market in
India with an affordability level of 30%. While National Capital Region (NCR) is the third most-expensive residential market
in India with an affordability level of 27%. The index looks into the proportion of income of a household required to fund
the monthly instalment (EMI) of a housing unit in the city. An EMI/income ratio of over 50% is considered unaffordable as
it is the limit beyond which banks rarely underwrite a mortgage. Shishir Baijal is the Chairman & Managing Director of
Knight Frank India. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• “Affordability Index 2023” – released by Knight Frank India
- Mumbai – most expensive residential market | 2nd – Hyderabad | 3rd – New Delhi
- Ahmedabad – most affordable residential market | 2nd – Pune | 3rd – Kolkata
• Shishir Baijal – CMD of Knight Frank India

331. According to the “India’s Crypto Portfolio 2023”, a report by crypto trading
platform CoinSwitch, Delhi maintained its lead in India’s crypto adoption with 8.8% of
total crypto investment, followed by Bangalore (8.3%) and Mumbai (5.2%). The
parameter for this was in terms of value invested. According to the report, more than
20% of India’s total crypto investments are concentrated in these three major
metropolitan areas. The total crypto market capitalisation grew to over $1.5 trillion
by December 2023. The top invested cryptos were Dogecoin (DOGE), Bitcoin (BTC),
and Ethereum (ETH), accounting 11.1%, 8.5%, and 6.5%, respectively. Solana (SOL) was the best-performing crypto in
India’s portfolio, with 633% growth year-to-date. Bitcoin, which the company claims to be the most prominent crypto,
ended with more than 150% year-on-year. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• “India’s Crypto Portfolio 2023” report – released by crypto trading platform CoinSwitch
• Delhi – maintained its lead in India’s crypto adoption with 8.8% of total crypto investment
• 2nd – Bangalore (8.3%) | 3rd – Mumbai (5.2%)
• The total crypto market capitalisation grew to over $1.5 trillion by December 2023
• The top invested crypto – Dogecoin (DOGE) at 11.1% | 2nd – Bitcoin (BTC) at 8.5% | 3rd – Ethereum (ETH) at 6.5%
• Solana (SOL) – was the best-performing crypto in India’s portfolio, with 633% growth year-to-date
• Bitcoin – ended with more than 150% year-on-year
• HQs of CoinSwitch – Bengaluru, Karnataka | CEO – Ashish Singhal

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Amount & Agreements
332. On December 6, India extended a $250 million Line of Credit for
modernisation of agriculture in Kenya as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and
visiting Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto agreed to strengthen bilateral ties
in the field of defence, trade, energy, digital public infrastructure and healthcare.
Moreover, PM Narendra Modi said both sides will carry out joint military exercises
and will collaborate on counter-terror projects. Moreover, India and Kenya
unveiled a “Joint Vision Statement on Maritime Cooperation in the Indian Ocean
Region - BAHARI (Ocean in Swahili)” as a blueprint for scaling up maritime engagement between the two countries. India
also welcomed Kenya’s decision to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Global Biofuels Alliance. Namgya C.
Khampa is Indian High Commissioner to Nairobi, Kenya. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• India – extended a $250 million Line of Credit for modernisation of agriculture in Kenya
• India + Kenya = to strengthen bilateral ties in defence, trade, energy, digital public infrastructure & healthcare
• India + Kenya = will carry out joint military exercises and will collaborate on counter-terror projects
• India + Kenya = unveiled a “Joint Vision Statement on Maritime Cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region - BAHARI
(Ocean in Swahili)” as a blueprint for scaling up maritime engagement
• Kenya – announced to join the ISA & Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA)
• Indian High Commissioner to Nairobi, Kenya – Namgya C. Khampa
• Kenya – Nairobi – Kenyan Shilling | President – William Samoei Ruto

333. On December 12, KfW, Germany’s state-owned investment and development bank, announced to sign an agreement
to provide €500 million (around ₹4,500 crore) in financial assistance for the expansion of the Bengaluru Metro, also called
Namma Metro. KfW, which is looking to expand its funding for green energy and sustainable mobility projects in India, is
also financing metro projects in Mumbai and Nagpur among other cities. Germany have committed to providing at least
€10 billion in assistance to India for its green and sustainable development ambitions with KfW providing an estimated €1
billion annually for funding in India. The bank is also expected to provide funding for PM e-Bus Sewa scheme, which plans
to put 10,000 electric buses on the streets of nearly 170 Indian cities. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• KfW (Germany) – to provide €500 million in financial assistance for expansion of Bengaluru Metro
• Bengaluru Metro – also called Namma Metro
• Germany – committed to providing at least €10 billion to India for its green & sustainable development ambitions
• KfW – will provide an estimated €1 billion annually for funding in India
• HQs of KfW – Frankfurt, Germany | CEO – Gunther Braunig

334. On December 14, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a $200 million loan to support the ‘Swachh Bharat
(Clean India) Mission-Urban 2.0’. The initiative, which is committed to making all cities garbage-free by 2026, aims to
introduce international best practices, integrate new technologies, and adopt climate- and disaster-resilient approaches in
municipal solid waste management. Apart from the loan, ADB will provide an additional $3.15 million in technical
assistance grants from its Urban Resilience Trust Fund, the Republic of Korea e-Asia and Knowledge Partnership Fund, and
the Sanitation Financing Partnership Trust Fund. The total financial outlay of SBM-U 2.0 is around Rs 1.41 lakh crore for the
period 2021-22 to 2025-26. {Read more}

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335. On December 18, the Government of India and Asian Development Bank (ADB)
signed a loan agreement worth 37 billion Japanese Yen ($250 million) that will continue
financing the construction of the 82-km Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System
(RRTS) corridor. Earlier, ADB had approved a $1,049 million Multi-tranche Financing
Facility (MFF) for the project in 2020. The RRTS will have multi-modal hubs to ensure
smooth interchange with other transport modes. Delhi-Meerut RRTS is the first of three
priority rail corridors planned under ‘NCR Regional Plan, 2021’, to connect Delhi to other cities in adjoining states. {Read
more}
Smart Points:
• GoI + ADB = a loan agreement worth 37 billion Japanese Yen ($250 million) to continue financing the construction of
the 82-km Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor
• Delhi-Meerut RRTS is the first of three priority rail corridors planned under the ‘NCR Regional Plan, 2021’
• Delhi: CM – Arvind Kejriwal | Lt. Governor – Vinai Kumar Saxena | Chief Secretary – Naresh Kumar
• HQs of ADB – Mandaluyong, Philippines | President – Masatsugu Asakawa | Members – 68

336. In December 2023, the Government of India and Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $250 million policy-based
loan that will continue support to industrial corridor development in India, aligning with the National Industrial Corridor
Development Program (NICDP). It aims to make manufacturing more competitive, strengthen national supply chains and
links with regional and global value chains & create more and better jobs. In addition, the second sub-Programme will help
industrial corridors develop alternative financing solutions, such as green finance, for industrial cluster development.
{Read more}
Smart Points:
• GoI + ADB = signed a $250 million policy-based loan to support industrial corridor development in India
• HQs of ADB – Mandaluyong, Philippines | President – Masatsugu Asakawa | Members – 68

337. On December 22, World Bank approved $300 million financial assistance for Tamil Nadu
Climate Resilient Urban Development Program, aimed at fortifying urban water and sewerage
systems for approximately 2 million people in Tamil Nadu. The program will target 21 Urban Local
Bodies (ULBs), upgrading their delivery systems. By 2030, almost 70% of India's new jobs will be
generated in cities and more than 18 million people will move to cities. This Program aims to
leverage the private sector by introducing performance-based contracts. In addition, it will issue municipal bonds and
support urban governance reforms to improve the fiscal health of ULBs. The Program loan carries a maturity of 32 years,
including a grace period of 7 years. {Read more}

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338. On December 22, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed an

agreement with the Indian Government to provide an official development
assistance loan of Rs 22,627 Crore (400 billion Japanese Yen) as 5th tranche for
financing the construction of Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR)
Project. It is the largest loan commitment ever by the Japanese government
agency in its history. The estimated cost of the 508-km Mumbai-Ahmedabad
High-Speed Rail Project is at about Rs 1.25 lakh crore and JICA is slated to fund
about 88% of the financing requirement. Apart from the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor, the government is
planning to have high-speed rail connectivity at three major cities of India - New Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata. National High
Speed Rail Corporation Ltd, a 100% subsidiary of Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd, is currently undertaking the execution of the
Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• JICA + Indian Govt = a loan agreement worth Rs 22,627 Cr (400 billion Japanese Yen) as 5 th tranche for financing the
construction of Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) Project
• It is the largest loan commitment ever by the Japanese government agency in its history
• The estimated cost of the 508-km MAHSR Project – Rs 1.25 Lakh Cr (JICA will fund about 88%)
• National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd is currently undertaking the execution of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor
• Govt is planning to have high-speed rail connectivity at 3 major cities of India – New Delhi, Chennai & Kolkata

339. The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved $100 million loan for Sikkim’s “Integrated Service Provision
and Innovation for Reviving Economies (INSPIRES) Operation”, aimed at upskilling and providing job opportunities for
3,00,500 women and youth in India’s northeastern state of Sikkim. The initiative aims to foster growth and development
by focusing on non-farm sectors, including renewable energy, IT services, tourism, hospitality, wellness care, and creative
design. The INSPIRES Operation will establish an Employment and Entrepreneurship Promotion Facility, fostering
partnerships with private-sector firms, central agencies, and business associations. The loan has a maturity of 14 years,
including a grace period of 5 and a half years. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• World Bank – approved $100 million loan for Sikkim’s “INSPIRES Operation”
• INSPIRES – Integrated Service Provision and Innovation for Reviving Economies
• Aim of INSPIRES Operation – upskilling & providing job opportunities for 3,00,500 women & youth in Sikkim
• The loan has a maturity of 14 years, including a grace period of 5 and a half years
• HQs of World Bank – Washington D.C., US | President – Ajay Banga | MD/CFO – Anshula Kant | Members – 189
• Sikkim: Capital – Gangtok | CM – Prem Singh Tamang | Governor – Lakshman Prasad Acharya

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Defence Affairs

117. On December 2, Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), the flagship

120. On December 8, Ministry of Defence signed a contract with the Telecommunications

127. On December 13, Defence Research and Development Organisation

169. On December 8, PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the 1st “Indian Art,

171. On December 17, PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the “Kashi Tamil

173. Recently, a study by an international team of researchers, including those from

176. On December 5, “JT-60SA”, the world’s largest and most advanced

178. On December 5, Meta Platforms and International Business Machines (IBM)

179. On December 5, International Business Machines (IBM) unveiled “Condor”, the

184. In December 2023, Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh,

187. On December 18, Microsoft has

188. In December 2023, Krutrim Si Designs, the AI venture of Ola co-founder

190. India aims to set up a new research station, named “Maitri-II”, in

219. On December 4, Michelle Zarate Palomec of Mexico and Sebastian Mwaura of

220. On December 8, noted Bhutanese author Tshering Tashi was conferred

234. On December 13, Israeli filmmaker Erez-Tadmor’s “Children of Nobody”

• The Award comprises an engraved copper-plaque, a shawl and an amount of Rs 1 lakh

245. On December 21, Terminal 2 (T2) of Kempegowda

250. On December 21, Rambagh Gate & Ramparts in Punjab’s Amritsar

264. On December 8, UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited, in collaboration with India’s

270. Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy launched Karnataka

272. In December 2023, the Goa government launched the

280. On December 1, Vice-President, Jagdeep Dhankhar, inaugurated the 5th ‘Global

282. On December 1, a high-ranking Indian delegation attended the 91st

290. On December 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated “Uttarakhand

298. On December 20, Dalai Lama inaugurated the 3-day ‘International

305. In December 2023, the 9th edition of “International Food

311. On December 1, the International Institute for Management Development (IMD)

318. On December 6, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, HCL Corporation

338. On December 22, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed an

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