Daily Current Affairs December 31 2021 | Latest News

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog releases ‘Innovations For You’ & ‘The Ingenious Tinkerers’:

• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) NITI Aayog has released the second edition of – ‘Innovations for You’- a compendium of innovations focused on agriculture featuring 70 startups supported by Atal incubation Centers (AICs) of AIM and ‘The Ingenious Tinkerers’ – a compendium on the innovations on technology featuring 41 innovations from Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL) of India.
• As the nation rejoices the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav – 75th Year of Independence, both the books are celebration of the success stories of young innovators of India.
• The ‘Innovations For You’ is a compilation of successful innovations by the entrepreneurial minds of India solving problems of present for future, while as ‘The Ingenious Tinkerers’ is a compilation of the top innovations created by young student innovators who participated in the ATL Marathon – which invites school students to address a problem that they see or face on a day-to-day basis.
• The Ingenious Tinkerers’ leveraged the up-and-coming technologies available at ATLs to devise a solution.
• These young tinkerers took it upon themselves to identify their problem statements by interacting with the members of their community and designing a prototype in a manner that fits their needs and demands.
• Their determination to make a difference in their community has paved a way for their innovation to reach the top 41 innovations of India for the ATL Marathon 2019.

About NITI Aayog:

• Objectives: Foster involvement and participation in the economic policy-making process by the State Governments of India
• Formed: 1 January 2015
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Chairperson: Narendra Modi

PM inaugurates and lays the foundation stone of 23 projects worth over Rs 17500 crore in Uttarakhand:

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 23 projects worth over Rs 17500 crore in Uttarakhand.
• He laid the foundation stone of the Lakhwar Multipurpose Project which was first conceived in 1976 and was pending for many years.
• He inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of Rs 8700 crore road sector projects.
• These road projects would realise PM’s vision to improve connectivity in remote, rural and border areas. Kailash Mansarovar Yatra will also get improved connectivity.
• He also laid the foundation stone of AIIMS Rishikesh satellite centre at Udham Singh Nagar and Jagjivan Ram Government Medical College at Pithoragarh.
• These satellite centres would be in line with PM’s endeavour to provide world-class medical facilities in all parts of the country.
• He laid the foundation stone of Aroma Park at Kashipur and Plastic Industrial Park at Sitarganj and multiple other initiatives in housing, sanitation and drinking water supply across the state.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India welcomes Egypt as 4th member of BRICS New Development Bank:

• India has welcomed Egypt as the fourth new member of BRICS New Development Bank.
• The External Affairs Ministry ,Arindam Bagchi, Bangladesh, UAE, and Uruguay joined in September this year.
• Bagchi, membership expansion enables New Development Bank to position itself as a premier development institution for emerging economies.
• The New Development Bank aims to mobilize resources for development projects in BRICS, emerging economies, and developing countries.

About BRICS:

• Founded: June 2006
• South Africa: President Cyril Ramaphosa
• China: President Xi Jinping
• Russia: President Vladimir Putin
• Brazil: President Jair Bolsonaro
• India (2021 host): Prime Minister Narendra Modi
• Founders: China, Russia, Brazil, United Nations General Assembly

About New Development Bank:

• Headquarters location: Shanghai, China
• President: Marcos Prado Troyjo
• Founded: 15 July 2014.

About Egypt:

• Capital: Cairo
• Currency: Egyptian pound
• President: Abdel Fattah Al-Sis

Click here to read more;

Somalia’s President suspends PM Mohamed Hussein Roble:

• Somalia’s President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has suspended the Prime Minister, Mohamed Hussein Roble who is facing allegations of involvement in the theft of land.
• Mr Farmajo stated , suspension of the Prime Minister pending the outcome of an investigation into the corruption allegations.
• Mohamed Roble accused the President of trying to stage a coup and said he would continue in office.
• He urged the security forces to take orders from him rather than Mr Farmajo.

About Somalia :

• Capital: Mogadishu
• Currency: Somali shilling
• President: Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

Haryana CM launched ‘Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam’ Web-portal

• The Chief Minister of Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar has launched the ‘Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam portal’ and announced to set up the Atal Park & Smriti Kendra in Gurugram, Haryana.
• It aims to deploy contractual manpower and manpower of outsourced category services in Government Departments, Boards, Corporations, Statutory Entities, State Universities, and Other Agencies owned and controlled by the State Government.
• The CM also honoured 78 officers and employees for delivering the best services in various fields. He also launched a magazine ‘Vyavastha Parivartan Se Susashan’ and the 2022 official calendar.
• The portal will help in collecting and analysing the data of All the DC Rate/ Contractual Staff Employees.
• It will play a role in publishing Advertisement for the Contractual Staff Recruitment, Conducting the recruitment process such as Written Exam, Interview, Skill Test, and so on.
• It will also receive the contractual staff requirement from the various departments, boards, organizations, universities, etc.

About Haryana:

• Governor: Bandaru Dattatreya
• Capital: Chandigarh
• Chief minister: Manohar Lal Khattar

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND ECONOMY

Gross Non-Performing Asset may climb to 9.5 percent by September 2022 – RBI:

• The RBI’s half-yearly stress tests indicate that Gross Non-Performing Asset may climb from 1 percent to 9.5 percent by September 2022
• This has increased from 6- year low of 6.9 percent in September this year.
• However, the bad loans would still be in single digits even in a worst-case scenario.
• The Financial Stability Report released by RBI, projects that outcomes are the most optimistic since the pandemic broke out.
• It couched with the assurance that banks are adequately capitalized to absorb the credit losses and meet prudential guidelines.
• The sector’s Gross NPA ratio declining from 6.9 percent in September 2021 to 8.2 percent, a year ago.
• It also warned that the stress test shows Public Sector Banks’ gross NPAs may worsen to 10.5 percent by September next year.
• In a foreword of the report, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das announced ‘balance sheets of banks remain strong and capital and liquidity buffers are being bolstered to mitigate future shocks.

Click here to read more;

SEBI named Aarati Krishnan as a member of MF advisory panel:

• Aarati Krishnan, has been inducted as a member of the Securities & Exchange Board of India’s Advisory Committee on Mutual Funds.
• The committee, chaired by Usha Thorat, former Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank of India, advises SEBI on matters related to mutual fund regulation to ensure investor protection, development of the industry and disclosure requirements.
• It suggests measures required to be taken to render the legal framework for mutual funds transparent and simple for investors and constituents.
• The committee has 24 members comprising CEOs of leading mutual fund houses as well as representatives from academia, exchanges, consumer interest groups, fund trustees, rating agencies, distribution firms and media.

About SEBI:

• Founded: 12 April 1992
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Chairperson: Ajay Tyagi

RBI extends relaxation for periodic updation of KYC by three months:

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended the relaxation it provided for operation of customer accounts of regulated entities where periodic updation of KYC (know your customer) is due and pending as on date, from December 31, 2021, till March 31, 2022.
• RBI informed no restrictions on operations of such accounts shall be imposed till March 31, 2022, for the aforementioned reason alone, unless warranted under instructions of any regulator/enforcement agency/court of law, etc.
• “Regulated Entities” (REs) include all banks, all India financial institutions, all non-banking finance companies, miscellaneous non-banking companies and residuary non-banking companies, all payment system providers/system participants and prepaid payment instrument issuers, and all authorised persons including those who are agents of money transfer service scheme, regulated by the regulator.
• REs’ KYC policy includes four key elements – customer acceptance policy, risk management, customer identification procedures, and monitoring of transactions.
• As part of customer due diligence (CDD) procedure in the case of individuals, REs shall obtain Aadhaar number;
• permanent account number or the equivalent e-document thereof or Form No. 60 as defined in Income-tax rules, 1962;
• And such other documents including in respect of the nature of business and financial status of the customer, or the equivalent e-documents thereof as may be required by them.

Click here to read more;

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

ITC collaborates with Invest India to support start-ups for sustainable packaging and waste management solutions:

• ITC Paperboards and Specialty Papers Division (PSPD) has collaborated with Invest India to launch the ‘ITC Sustainability Innovation Challenge’ to support innovative start-up ideas on sustainable packaging and smart waste management solutions.
• It will enable ITC-PSPD to leverage on the country’s ” rich start-up repertoire” as well as provide support to the start-up ecosystem.
• ITC PSPD is inviting responses from startups for challenges laid out by the Company to find sustainable and smart technology-based solutions that can substitute single-use plastics and automate the waste segregation process to improve efficiency and speed.
• ITC Sustainability Innovation Challenge’ will enable the company to crowdsource out-of-the box ideas for phasing out single-use plastics by 2022 in collaboration with Invest India.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOUR

Alia Bhatt India’s 2021 Person of the Year: PETA

• People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India has named Bollywood star Alia Bhatt its 2021 Person of the Year.
• Alia has been involved in animal welfare activities and regularly voices out the need for stronger animal protection laws.
• Alia also invested in Phool, the company behind Fleather, a vegan leather made from discarded temple flowers.
• Alia Bhatt is known to advocate support for cats and dogs and often uses her voice to call for stronger animal protection laws.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS:

IAS Radhika Jha appointed CEO of Energy Efficiency Services   

• Radhika Jha, Indian Administrative Service cadre 2002, has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer in state-run Energy Efficiency Services (EESL).
• Among others, Ramesh Pallakonda, chairman of Rajasthan’s power distribution company, and Harpreet Singh Pruthi, executive director at Indian Railways, were also in contention for the post.

About Radhika Jha :

• Radhika Jha completed Bachelors in Psychology & Economics – Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi University in 1998 and Masters in Psychology from the Delhi University in 2000.
• Prior toCEO of EESL, she was serving as Secretary to the Government of Uttarakhand for the Education Department.
• She navigated the operational guidelines for resuming classes post COVID and formulated a detailed strategy to cover up for the learning loss.
• Also, she was responsible for monitoring the developmental progress of the state and coordinated with various Ministries/stakeholders on behalf of the Chief Minister’s office.
• She spearheaded the Center’s Integrated Power Development Scheme as executive director in Power Finance Corp, before moving to the state.

About EES :

• Headquarters location: New Delhi
• Founded: 2009
• Chairman : Arun Kumar Mishra
• Ministry: Ministry of Power
• EESL is a joint venture between NTPC, Power Grid, Power Finance Corp and REC, and it aims to promote energy efficiency in the country & it is responsible for implementation of the Domestic Efficient Lighting Programme (DELP).

Praveen Kumar appointed as DG & CEO of Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA)

• Govt of India has approved the appointment of Praveen Kumar, IAS (Retd.), to the post of Director General & Chief Executive Officer (DG & CEO), Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA).

About Praveen Kumar :

• Praveen Kumar is a 1987 batch retired IAS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, and a Former Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship

About IICA :

• The proposal for setting up IICA was approved by the Planning Commission in the year 2007.
• It was established in 2008 at Manesar, Haryana.
• Headquarters : New Delhi, Delhi, India
• The Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) is a central civil service training institute under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India .
• It is for the central civil servants of the Indian Corporate Law Service cadre.

EaseMyTrip appoints Vijay Raaz and Varun Sharma as brand ambassadors

• EaseMyTrip, announced the appointment of ace actors Vijay Raaz and Varun Sharma as its brand ambassadors.
• This is the first time EaseMyTrip has appointed any brand ambassadors & also, this is the first time, when Vijay Raaz and Varun Sharma are coming together as a duo for any brand campaign.

About EaseMyTrip :

• Founded: 2008
• Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi,India
• CEO & co-founder : Nishant Pitti
• Founders: Nishant Pitti, Rikant Pitti
• EaseMyTrip is an India’s second-largest online travel platform, provides hotel bookings, air tickets, holiday packages, bus bookings, and white-label services.
• It acts as both a B2B (business to business) and a B2C (business to consumer) player.

About Vijay Raaz :

• Vijay Raaz is an Indian film actor, film director, film narrator, and comedian.
• In 2014, he debuted as a director with Kya Dilli Kya Lahore.
• Raaz garnered recognition for his comedic role in the 2004 film Run.

About Varun Sharma :

• Varun Sharma is an Indian film actor who has starred in commercially successful films including Fukrey (2013), Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon (2015), Dilwale (2015), Fukrey Returns (2017) and Chhichhore (2019).

Equitas Small Finance Bank Limited board reappoints Vasudevan as MD, CEO for 3 years

• Equitas Small Finance Bank Limited board of directors has approved the proposal for re-appointment of Vasudevan Pathangi Narasimhan (PN) as the MD & CEO for three years, with effect from July 23, 2022, up to July 22, 2025.
• He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Science (Physics) from University of Madras.
• He is a qualified Company Secretary from the Institute of Company Secretaries of India.
• He has extensive experience in the financial services sector.
• He worked for about two decades in Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company Limited.
• He has also served as the Executive Vice President and Head of Consumer Banking Group in Development Credit Bank Limited, for more than one and a half years.
• He was also the Chairman of the Managing Committee of the South India Hire Purchase Association for Fiscal 2006.
• He became Managing Director of erstwhile Equitas Finance Limited, now our Bank with effect from July 23, 2016.

About Equitas Small Finance Bank Limited :

• Founded : 2016
• Headquarters: Chennai, Tamil Nadu
• Part Time Chairman : Arun Ramanathan
• MD & CEO : Vasudevan P N

CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENSE NEWS

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurates Brahmos missile manufacturing unit in Lucknow

• Defense minister Rajnath Singh laid the foundation stone of the Defense Technology and Test Center and BrahMos manufacturing center that will be established by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) in Lucknow.

About Brahmos missile :

• BrahMos was derived from Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers of India and Russia
• It is a joint venture between the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of India and NPOM, Russia to develop next-generation supersonic missiles for the Indian forces.
• It can be launched from land, aircraft, submarines or ships & it is one of the fastest supersonic cruise missiles worldwide.
• Meanwhile, BrahMos project is estimated to create 5,500 fresh job opportunities.
• All the three wings of the Indian defence forces viz. Army, Air Force and Navy, have already inducted BrahMos advanced weapon system.

Recent News :

• Recently India successfully test-fired the air version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from the integrated test range of Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha.

About DRDO :

• Founded: 1958
• Headquarters : New Delhi, Delhi, India
• Chairman : Dr G. Satheesh Reddy

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Russia launches 3rd and final Angara A5 demonstration mission 

• Russia has launched its third and final demonstration of its new heavy-class flight of the Angara A5 rocket.
• It is being developed and built by the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center in Moscow, Russia and is intended to replace several existing launch vehicles.
• It was the third launch of the new rocket after its maiden voyage in 2014.

About Angara A5 :

• Angara has several configurations that can range between 2 and 3 stages, depending on the mission requirements.
• They are designed to replace the Proton rockets that date back to the 1960s and have suffered a series of failures.
• It will revive Russia’s space industry and reduce reliance on other former Soviet countries.

Note :

• The last launch of the heavy-class Angara rocket took place in December 2020.

Click here to read more;

Russia launches 1st Versatile Nuclear Powered Icebreaker ‘Sibir’

• Russia has launched a new nuclear powered icebreaker ‘Sibir’ that will contribute to the rapidly growing fleet of lethal icebreakers to keep the Northern Sea Route open for year-round shipping through the Arctic enabling wider presence of India in the region.
• During the 21st edition of the India-Russia summit held on December 6, the Indian Side also expressed its interest in collaborating with Russia on the Northern Sea Route.

About Sibir’ :

• Construction of the “Sibir” started on May 26, 2015, and the icebreaker was floated on September 22, 2017.
• On December 24, the ceremony of signing of the Delivery-Acceptance Act of the first serial universal Project 22220 Sibir nuclear-powered icebreaker took place in Baltic Shipyard, St. Petersburg.

About Project 22220 :

• Project 22220 nuclear-powered icebreakers are to date the most powerful and the largest in the world.
• The ships ensure Russia’s leading position in the Arctic.
• The icebreaker is 173.3 meters (568.6 feet) long and 34 meters broad with a 33,500-ton displacement.
• The Project 22220 icebreakers will help unleash the traffic potential of the Northern Sea Route.

Note :

• Russia has a fleet of six nuclear-powered icebreakers: ”Taymyr”, “Vaygash”, “50 Let Pobedy”, “Yamal”, “Arktika” and “Sibir”.
• Also, the nuclear-powered cargo ship “Sevmorput” belongs to Rosatomflot’s fleet based in Murmansk.
• Currently Ural, Yakutia, and Chukotka nuclear icebreakers are being built in St. Petersburg.

About Russia :

• Capital: Moscow
• President: Vladimir Putin
• Currency: Russian ruble

CURRENT AFFAIRS : RANKING & INDEX

CEBR: India to become 3rd largest economy in 2031

• The Center for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) from the United Kingdom has predicted that the Indian economy will regain sixth position from France in 2022 and become the third-largest economy in 2031.
• CEBR, one of the UK’s leading economics consultancies, in its annual World Economic League Table also predicted that China will overtake the US in 2030, two years later than forecast a year ago.
• Over the next 15 years, India will see an improvement in its ranking in the World Economic League Table (WELT), rising from 7th place in 2021 to be the world’s third-largest economy in 2036.
• The world economy is set to surpass $100 trillion for the first time in 2022.
• As per World Economic League (WEL) India has a GDP per capita of $7,314 in 2021, classifying it as a lower-middle-income country.
• A large drop in daily active cases has also contributed to a sharp rebound in economic activity in 2021, following a GDP contraction of 7.3% in 2020.
• The GDP in the second quarter of 2020 grew by 20.1% year-on-year amid a low base and despite the deadly second wave. This was followed by a slightly muted figure of 8.4% in Q3 2021, marking the fourth consecutive quarter of expansion.
• Overall, the economy is estimated to have grown by 8.5% in 2021, with output in 2021 expected to be 0.6% above 2019 levels.

World Economic League Table 2022 :

Ranking out of 191 countries	2021	2022	2026	2031	2036
United States	1	1	1	2	2
China	2	2	2	1	1
Japan	3	3	3	4	5
Germany	4	4	4	5	4
UK	5	5	6	6	6
France	6	7	7	7	7
India	7	6	5	3	3

About CEBR :

• Headquarters : London, United Kingdom
• Chairman: Martin Piers

Click here to read more;

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SPORTS NEWS

Uttar Pradesh crowned 11th Hockey India junior national championship

• In Hockey, Uttar Pradesh were crowned the winners of the 11th Junior National Men’s Championship following a 3-1 victory over Chandigarh in the final at Kovilpatti, Tamil Nadu
• Tournament top-scorer Sharda Nand Tiwari opened the scoring for Uttar Pradesh.
• In the 3rd/4th place playoff match, Odisha edged out Haryana 3-2 in a closely contested affair to clinch the third place in the competition.

About 11th Junior National Men’s Hockey Championship :

• The 11th Junior National Men’s Hockey Championship was played at International Hockey Field Kovilpatti located in Tamil Nadu, India from 16th to 25th December 2021.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

Scientist E.O. Wilson, dubbed modern-day Darwin Passes away

• Edward O. Wilson, a US naturalist dubbed the “modern-day Darwin” Passed away at the age of 92.

About E.O. Wilson :

• Edward Osborne Wilson was born on June 10, 1929, in Birmingham, Alabama, US.
• He was called ‘Darwin’s natural heir,’ and was known affectionately as ‘the ant man’ for his pioneering work as an entomologist.
• Wilson discovered more than 400 species of ants & he was nicknamed Ant Man.
• He was a longtime Harvard University research professor, considered the world’s leading authority on ants and their behavior.
• Early in his career, he broadened his scope immensely, studying not just insects but the social interactions of birds, mammals and humans.
• He effectively & controversially established a new field of science known as sociobiology.
• He has been called “the father of sociobiology” and “the father of biodiversity.
• He was the author of hundreds of scientific papers and more than 30 books, & he was a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction (for On Human Nature in 1979, and The Ants in 1991).

Daily CA On Dec 31 :

• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) NITI Aayog has released the second edition of – ‘Innovations for You’- a compendium of innovations focused on agriculture featuring 70 startups supported by Atal incubation Centers (AICs) of AIM and ‘The Ingenious Tinkerers’ – a compendium on the innovations on technology featuring 41 innovations from Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL) of India.
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 23 projects worth over Rs 17500 crore in Uttarakhand.
• India has welcomed Egypt as the fourth new member of BRICS New Development Bank.
• Somalia’s President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has suspended the Prime Minister, Mohamed Hussein Roble who is facing allegations of involvement in the theft of land.
• The Chief Minister of Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar has launched the ‘Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam portal’ and announced to set up the Atal Park & Smriti Kendra in Gurugram, Haryana.
• The RBI’s half-yearly stress tests indicate that Gross Non-Performing Asset may climb from 1 percent to 9.5 percent by September 2022
• Aarati Krishnan, has been inducted as a member of the Securities & Exchange Board of India’s Advisory Committee on Mutual Funds.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended the relaxation it provided for operation of customer accounts of regulated entities where periodic updation of KYC (know your customer) is due and pending as on date, from December 31, 2021, till March 31, 2022.
• ITC Paperboards and Specialty Papers Division (PSPD) has collaborated with Invest India to launch the ‘ITC Sustainability Innovation Challenge’ to support innovative start-up ideas on sustainable packaging and smart waste management solutions.
• People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India has named Bollywood star Alia Bhatt its 2021 Person of the Year
• Radhika Jha, Indian Administrative Service cadre 2002, has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer in state-run Energy Efficiency Services (EESL).
• Govt of India has approved the appointment of Praveen Kumar, IAS (Retd.), to the post of Director General & Chief Executive Officer (DG & CEO), Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA).
• EaseMyTrip, announced the appointment of ace actors Vijay Raaz and Varun Sharma as its brand ambassadors.
• Equitas Small Finance Bank Limited board of directors has approved the proposal for re-appointment of Vasudevan Pathangi Narasimhan (PN) as the MD & CEO for three years, with effect from July 23, 2022, up to July 22, 2025.
• Defense minister Rajnath Singh laid the foundation stone of the Defense Technology and Test Center and BrahMos manufacturing center that will be established by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) in Lucknow.
• Russia has launched its third and final demonstration of its new heavy-class flight of the Angara A5 rocket & it is being developed and built by the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center in Moscow, Russia and is intended to replace several existing launch vehicles.
• Russia has launched a new nuclear powered icebreaker ‘Sibir’ that will contribute to the rapidly growing fleet of lethal icebreakers to keep the Northern Sea Route open for year-round shipping through the Arctic enabling wider presence of India in the region.
• The Center for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) from the United Kingdom has predicted that the Indian economy will regain sixth position from France in 2022 and become the third-largest economy in 2031.
• In Hockey, Uttar Pradesh were crowned the winners of the 11th Junior National Men’s Championship following a 3-1 victory over Chandigarh in the final at Kovilpatti, Tamil Nadu
• Edward O. Wilson, a US naturalist dubbed the “modern-day Darwin” Passed away at the age of 92.