Daily Current Affairs December 13 2022

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

TRAI decides there will be no fees for SMS and cell broadcast alerts during disasters:

• The Telecom Tariff (69th Amendment) Order 2022 on Tariff for SMS and Cell Broadcast Alerts Disseminated ThroughCommon Alerting Protocol (CAP) Platform During Disasters/Non-Disasters was issued by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
• The Department of Telecom (DoT) asked TRAI to provide pricing for SMS and cell broadcast alerts and messages that TSPs will disseminate via the CAP platform during both disasters and non-disasters.
• The Authority has decided that no fees shall be assessed for such SMS/Cell Broadcast Alerts or messages sent either during a disaster, before notification of disaster, or after the disaster has passed, taking into account the importance of alerts or messages sent by directions issued under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
• For events where a specific request for free-of-charge messages is made by NEC/NCMC/SEC/Nodal Authorities, DOT only permits SMS/Cell Broadcast free of charge for a set amount of time.
• However, there are times when the government would like to alert the populace to a potential disaster or times when the populace needs to be informed of special events like the holding of relief, vaccination, medical, and camp events, as well as times when specific law and order-related situations arise.

Cochin International Airport has received the country’s largest business jet terminal:

• At the Cochin International Airport, Kerala Chief Minister PinarayiVijayan opened the country’s first chartered gateway and a business jet terminal.
• As a result, Cochin Airport has become the country’s fourth airport to operate a private jet terminal.
• Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) now has the country’s largest Business Jet Terminal in addition to two magnificent domestic and international passenger terminals.
• The newly launched business jet terminal was developed at a cost of 40 crore rupees by remodeling the former domestic terminal.
• It has 40,000 square feet of space and includes attractive lounges, customs, and immigration counters, a business center, and other modern amenities.
• The new airport facility will increase tourism as well as the state’s MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) sector.
• It will catapult the airport to the forefront of the country’s aviation industry.
• The building will also function as a hub for the hospitality and aviation industries.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Italy, Japan, UK to jointly launch 6th-generation fighter jet by 2035 

• The United Kingdom, Japan, and Italy have announced a partnership to build a sixth-generation warplane scheduled to be ready for deployment by 2035.
• It will be called the “Tempest”.
• The Tempest is expected to replace Britain’s Typhoon, a fighter that served British air defense for two decades.
• The Mitsubishi F-X fighter jet will replace the ageing fleet of F-2s that Japan previously developed with the United States.

Key Highlights :

• The deal will give Japan greater support in countering China’s growing assertiveness and allow Britain a bigger presence in the Indo-Pacific region.
• To meet the 5-year spending total of 43 trillion yen (USD 316 billion), the government will need an extra 4 trillion yen (USD 30 billion) in defense spending annually.
• The revised national security strategy is predicted to allow the country to have a pre-emptive strike capability and to deploy long-range missiles.
• It will have the ability to operate manned or unmanned.
• It will have the ability to control swarms of attack drones &It will have innovative data systems. 
• It will be armed with cutting-edge weapons like hypersonic missiles.
• This advanced aircraft will be produced through the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), which is a partnership between London, Rome, and Tokyo.
• Britain and Italy have been developing the Tempest to rival an aircraft being built by a Franco-German coalition: Future Combat Air System (FCAS).

About Japan : 

• Prime Minister : Fumio Kishida
• Capital:Japan
• Currency: Japanese yen

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

CM PinarayiVijayan declares Kerala Seed Farm in Ernakulam district as the first carbon-neutral farm

• Kerala Chief Minister ShriPinarayiVijayan declared the State Seed Farm Aluva near Kochi has become the first seed farm in the country to achieve a carbon-neutral farm in India.

Aim : 

• To achieve 40% of its energy needs from renewable energy sources by 2025.

Note :

• As per scientific studies, agriculture and livestock account for 14% of India’s gross national greenhouse gas emissions. 
• However, the usage of power for agricultural activities will push up the emission to 22%.

Key Highlights : 

• The 103-year-old Seed Farm located on the banks of the Periyar River in Thuruth Island on 13.5 acres was accorded carbon neutral status following a study by the Climate Change and Environmental Science department of Kerala Agricultural University.
• Carbon neutrality indicates that emissions made during agricultural practices on a farm must be absorbed into the soil itself.
• The total amount of carbon emission from the farm, located at Thuruthu in Aluva, in the last 1 year was 43 tons but its overall procurement was 213 tons.
• Paddy is the main crop at the farm which is cultivated on 7 acres.
• The government has also planned to set up model carbon-neutral farms in all 140 assembly constituencies in Kerala.

About Kerala : 

• Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan
• Chief minister: PinarayiVijayan
• Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
• National Park: Eravikulam National Park, Silent Valley National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary

Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu launches Sanitation Workers’ Development Scheme

• The Tamil Nadu (TN) Shri Chief Minister (CM) MK Stalin launched the Sanitation Workers Development Scheme in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.

Aim : 

• To identify conservancy workers and ensure their welfare through various government initiatives.
• He unveiled the logo for the sanitary workers in TN.
• He also launched a mobile app “SHWAS” (Sanitation Workers Health Welfare and Safety) as part of this scheme for the identification and census collection of sanitation workers.
• CM also unveiled a 13-foot-tall bronze statue of B.R. Ambedkarat thePerungudijunction near Madurai Airport.

About Sanitation Workers’ Development Scheme : 

• The first phase of this scheme will be implemented in 5 urban local bodies in TN.
• The scheme will benefit over 53,300 sanitation workers in TN, including 18,859 permanent employees and 34,442 temporary contract workers in the urban local bodies.
• Under the scheme, safety equipment like gloves and boots will be distributed to beneficiaries.
• It will ensure proper education for the children of conservancy workers.
• It will also cover informal workers involved in conservancy operations in the private sector.
• The local bodies will be implementing this scheme with the assistance from Ahmedabad-based Urban Management Centre.

About Tamil Nadu :

• Governor: N. Ravi
• Chief minister: K. Stalin
• Capital: Chennai
• Dance : Bharatnatyam, Karakattam
• National Park: Mudumalai National Park, Mukurthi National Park, Guindy National Park, Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Kalakad Wildlife sanctuary, Karikili Bird Sanctuary, Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary
• Tiger Reserve: Anamalai Tiger Reserve
• Biosphere Reserve: Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve

The 27th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala kicks off in Thiruvananthapuram

• The 27th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala has started at Nishagandhi auditorium in Thiruvananthapuram.
• The Festival will be held from December 9 to December 16, 2022.
• Kerala Chief Minister ShriPinarayiVijayan inaugurated the International Film Festival at Nisha Gandhi Arena in Thiruvananthapuram and presided over by Minister, VN Vasavan.

Key Highlights :

• 186 cinemas from more than 70 countries will be screened in this 8-day festival. 
• It is one of the distinguished film festivals in India, which is hosted by the Kerala Chalachitra Academy.
• Iranian director MahnazMohammadi, who fights for women’s freedom in Iran has bagged the Spirit of Cinema Award 2022.
• The 26th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala began in Thiruvananthapuram on 18 March 2022 to 25 March  2022.

Assam Cabinet approves bill to create SafaiKaramchari Commission                      

• The Assam Cabinet led by Chief Minister (CM), HimantaBiswaSarma has approved a bill to set up a SafaiKaramchari Commission.
• For the first time in the history of Assam, the State Cabinet led by CM HimantaBiswaSarmaheld the meeting at the historic Gandhi Mandap in Guwahati, Assam.
• In addition to this, the cabinet has also approved decisions related to providing maternity benefits, monitoring drug prices, protecting SafaiKarmacharis’ rights,and filling up vacancies in the Forest Department.
• The cabinet has also renamed the Dergaon Police Academy as LachitBarphukan Police Academy.

Key Highlights :

• The state cabinet has approved Rs 525 crore for the construction of 162 new police stations in the state under the Moitry scheme.
• There will be no more optional papers in the Combined Competitive Examination conducted by Assam Public Service Commission (APSC).
• The Assam Power Distribution Corporation Ltd (APDCL) and Oil & natural gas corporation Limited (ONGC) will jointly establish a 250 MW solar power project for which the state cabinet has approvedRs 285 crore to APDCL.

 About Assam :

• Governor : JagdishMukhi
• Chief minister: HimantaBiswaSarma
• Capital: Dispur
• National Park: Kaziranga National Park, Manas National Park, Raimona National Park, Nameri National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Amsang Wildlife Sanctuary, Nambor Wildlife Sanctuary, SonaiRupai Wildlife Sanctuary

Assam’s 1st 3D Planetarium was Inaugurated at Nalbari

• The Chief Minister of Assam ShriHimantaBiswaSarma inaugurated the Nalbari Science Centre and Planetarium at Milanpur, Nalbari. 
• This is Assam’s first 3D and the 4rd planetarium in Assam which is built at an estimated cost of Rs. 8 crores 50 lakhs rupees.
• The foundation stone of the planetarium was laid at Nalbari in 2012.
• The CM will also visit Tamulpur for laying the foundation of 6 projects.
• He will lay the foundation stone and Bhumipujan of Tamulpur Medical College and a bridge along with several other projects with a cost of 568 crores.
• Notably, a bridge was constructed at Kumarikata-Kouli connecting the Bhutan border in the Tamulpur district 76 years after Independence.
• Infrastructural projects will be launched at Tamulpur, Morigaon, Golaghat, Bishwanath, Majuli, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh,and
• The second phase will begin on January 5, 2023, and the projects of the 2 phases are expected to be completed before the 2026 assembly election.

Assam to give a stipend of to all female PG students of Rs 10,000 each

• The Assam government will soon introduce a scheme under which all female students pursuing post-graduate (PG) courses in Assam will be provided a yearly stipend of Rs 10,000 each.
• The CM appealed to the female students pursuing PG courses to apply for getting the stipend in the portal to be launched by the Department of Education for the purpose.

Key Highlights :

• A total of 35,800 beneficiaries, of which 6,052 are boys and 29,748 are girls, have got scooters from the Assam government.
• To be eligible for the award, the male candidates had to score a minimum of 75% in the higher secondary examination, while for female candidates the cut-off was fixed at 60%.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING & FINANCE

Edelweiss Mutual Fund launches the fourth tranche of ‘BHARAT Bond ETF’

• Edelweiss Mutual Fund has launched the fourth tranche of BHARAT Bond ETF –India’s first corporate bond ETF (exchange-traded fund).

About  BHARAT Bond ETF :

• Bharat Bond ETF is an initiative of the Government of India, from the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management.
• It will provide retail investors with an option to explore the ‘safe’ debt mutual fund category, which was earlier dominated by institutional investors.
• It will also help deepen India’s debt market penetration.
• Edelweiss proposes to raise an initial amount of 1,000 crores with a green shoe option of Rs. 4,000 crores.
• So far, 5 maturities of Bharat Bond ETFs have been launched – 2023, 2025, 2030, 2031, and

Salient Features :

• The ETF will invest in constituents of the Nifty Bharat Bond Indices, consisting of AAA-rated public sector companies. 
• The benchmark index it will follow will be the Nifty Bharat Bond Index – April 2033.

Investing Amount :

• The minimum investment is Rs 1,000 and in multiples of Re 1 thereafter.
• For retirement funds, qualified institutional buyers, and non-institutional investors, the minimum investment amount is Rs 2,00,001 and in multiples of Re 1 thereafter.

Note : 

• Managing director and CEO, Edelweiss Mutual Fund: Radhika Gupta,

IRDAI increases limits for intermediaries & corporate agents can distribute products of 9 insurers

• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI)hasnotified increased limits for corporate agents (banks) and insurance marketing firms (IMFs).
• Corporate agents (banks) can now enter into a tie-up with as many as 9 life insurers, 9 general insurers,and 9 health insurers.
• Insurance marketing firms (IMFs) can now have distribution tie-ups with a maximum of 6 life insurers, 6 general insurers,and 6 health insurers.
• IRDAI’s move to open the bancassurance channel for insurers is part of its effort to achieve the long-term goal of ‘insurance for all’ by 2047.

About the amendments : 

• The amendments to regulations about the registration of Indian insurance companies are aimed at promoting ease of doing business and simplifying the process of setting up an insurance company in India.
• Investment through Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) has been made optional for Private Equity (PE) Funds enabling them to invest directly in insurance companies, providing more flexibility.
• Investments up to 25% of the paid-up capital by a single investor (50% for all investors collectively) will now be treated as ‘investor ‘ and investments over and above that will only be treated as promoter”.
• A new provision has been introduced to allow the promoters to dilute their stake up to 26%, subject to the condition that the insurer has a satisfactory solvency record for the preceding 5 years and is a listed entity.
• Corporate agents and IMFs were earlier permitted to tie up with only 3 and 2 insurers, respectively, in each segment.
• IRDAI move to open the bancassurance channel will give customers wider choice and access to insurance plans.

About IRDAI : 

• Founded: 1999
• Headquarters:Hyderabad , Telangana
• Chairperson: Debasish Panda
• The IRDAI is a regulatory body under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance, GoI& is tasked with regulatingand licensingthe insuranceand reinsurance industries in India.

StocX.in launches India’s first private market index

• in, an internet unlisted securities portal, has launched India’s first private market index often known as StocX Private Market Index (SPMI).
• in constructed the StocX Private Market Index utilizing a technique often known as “Change Percentage.
• Until now, there was no method to monitor the value actions of privately traded securities (i.e the shares of corporations that aren’t listed within the inventory market).
• The largest problem in developing such an index is the availability of value.
• The index is computed utilizing 1000 as the bottom worth as on 1 January 2022.
• The index will monitor the costs of greater than 30 corporations actively traded within the unlisted market and supply evaluation and developments by way of knowledge analytics.

 Centre’s fiscal deficit touches 45.6 pc of the full-year target at end-Oct

• According to the data released by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA), the government’s fiscal deficit in end-October touched 45.6% of the full year’s Budget Estimate.

Key Highlights :

• In actual terms, the fiscal deficit difference between expenditure and revenue was Rs 7,58,137croreduring the April-October period of 2022-23.
• In the corresponding period last year, the deficit was 3% of the budget estimates for 2021-22.
• For 2022-23, the fiscal deficit of the government is estimated to beRs 16.61 lakh crore or 6.4% of the
• As per the CGA data, the net tax revenue at Rs 11.71 lakh crore was 5% of BE 2022-23.
• During the corresponding period of 2021-22, the tax revenue (net) was 68.1% of that year’s BE.

About the fiscal deficit of India :

• The government describes the fiscal deficit of India as “the excess of total disbursements from the Consolidated Fund of India, excluding repayment of the debt, over total receipts into the Fund (excluding the debt receipts) during a financial year”.
• It is calculated as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), or simply as total money spent more than income.

Fiscal Deficit = Total expenditure of the government (capital and revenue expenditure) – Total income of the government (Revenue receipts + recovery of loans + other receipts).

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOUR

J&K Received First Place in Category for Generating Ayushman Bharat Health Account ID:

• Jammu & Kashmir won first place in the category for creating Ayushman Bharathealth account IDs and second place in the category for conducting teleconsultations in honor of Universal Health Coverage Day in 2022.
• Every year, a day called Universal Health Coverage Day is observed to honor the importance of this program, which strives to bring affordable, high-quality healthcare to all people.
• J&K is on track to establish the nation’s greatest model of health delivery, according to Secretary of Health and Medical Education Bhupinder Kumar, as seen by the dramatic improvement in health indicators.
• He recognized the officers of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission J&K for their contribution to the mission’s successful execution in J&K after its recent inception.
• The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) seeks to create the framework required to sustain the nation’s integrated digital health infrastructure.
• Through digital highways, it would close the distance between the various healthcare ecosystem stakeholders.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING AND REPORTS

India was placed fifth among the 500 most valuable firms in the Hurun Global 500 rankings:

• India has risen to fifth place among nations that are home to the top 500 corporations in the globe, boasting 20 of the most valuable companies in the world.
• It had eight enterprises and placed tenth the previous year.
• The Hurun Global 500 list for 2022 shows that the US remained at the top of the list.
• The Hurun Research Institute has compiled a list of the 500 most valuable privately held businesses in the world.
• Enterprises were ranked based on valuations for non-listed companies and market capitalization for listed companies.
• This year’s list of 20 Indian businesses includes 11 companies with headquarters in Mumbai, four in Ahmedabad, and one each in Noida, New Delhi, Bengaluru, and Kolkata.
• Reliance Industries (RIL), the highest-valued Indian company, came in at $202 billion, placing it 34th globally.
• Tata Consultancy Services ($139 billion) and HDFC Bank ($97 billion) came in second and third, respectively.
• The list also included four businesses led by billionaire Gautam Adani, with a combined valuation of $173 billion: Adani Transmission, Adani Green Energy, Adani Enterprises, and Adani Total Gas.
• ITC ($52 billion), Avenue Supermarts ($33 billion), Axis Bank ($33 billion), Bajaj Finserv ($32 billion), and Larson & Toubro ($32 billion) are the other new arrivals from India on the list.
• With a market price of $2.4 trillion, Apple held its top spot as the most valuable business in the world, followed by Microsoft ($1.8 trillion), and Alphabet, the parent company of Google, who replaced Amazon to claim the third spot.
• Following Japan (28) and the UK (26) was China, which came in second with 35 businesses (21).
• With eight new additions and three new additions, respectively, India and Canada surpassed France and Germany to take fifth and sixth place with 20 firms each.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

MeghnaAhlawatwas Elected as the First Women President of TTFI & Legendary Paddler Kamlesh Mehta to be Secretary General

• MeghnaAhlawathas been elected as the first-ever woman president of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI).
• She succeeded
• While 8-time national champion Kamlesh Mehta will be taking over as the new Secretary General and Patel Nagender Reddy has been elected as the Treasurer of the body.
• The Delhi High Courtsuspended TTFI in February 2022&appointed a Committee of Administrators (CoA) to take over its functioning.
• The prime mandate of the new Electoral Committee will be to create an athlete-centric federation.
• Other key focus areas will involve capacity building for state bodies, and bringing in improvement in the competition structure, to chart out a concrete and clear pathway for the budding paddlers in the country.

About TTFI :

• Established: 1926
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• It includes 32 state units and 37 institutions
• TTFI is the governing body for table tennis in India& it was a founding member of the International Table Tennis Federation.

KV Shaji appointed as the new chairman of NABARD

• Shaji K V has become the Chairman of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).

About Shaji K V :

• Shaji KV is a native of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
• He worked for the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and Kerala Gramin Bank, the country’s largest regional rural bank.
• From 2013 until 2017, he served as the Chairman of Kerala Grameen Bank
• Before joining NABARD, he spent 26 years in various roles at Canara Bank. 
• He served as NABARD’s Deputy Managing Director (DMD) till May 21, 2020.

About NABARD : 

• Founded: 12 July 1982
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• It was established on the recommendations of the Sivaraman Committee (by Act 61, 1981 of Parliament).
• The NABARD is an apex regulatory body for the overall regulation of regional rural banks and apex cooperative banks in India.
• It is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance, Go

IDF named Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina as the ‘global ambassador for diabetes’

• Bangladesh Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina was named the “Global Ambassador for Diabetes” by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) at the opening ceremony of the World Diabetes Congress 2022 held in Lisbon, Portugal.
• Bangladesh Ambassador to Portugal Tarik Ahsan received the certificate on behalf of the prime minister from Prof Akhtar Hussain, president-elect of the IDF.
• The global ambassador for diabetes is expected to represent the voice of people living with diabetes worldwide for two years.

Note : 

• Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinais the first global ambassador for diabetes.
• The honorary “Global Ambassador for Diabetes” was conferred on a person in recognition of his or her significant contribution to upgrading the life standard of the people living with diabetes.

About Sheikh Hasina :

• Hasina served as Prime Minister of Bangladesh 3 times – 1997-2001, 2009-2014 & 2014 to Present.
• She is the longest-serving prime minister in the history of Bangladesh, having served for a combined total of over 18 years

About IDF :

• Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium
• The IDF is an umbrella organization of over 230 national diabetes associations in more than 160 countries and territories.

SushmitaShukla appointed as 1st VP & COO of Federal Reserve Bank of New York

• Indian-origin SushmitaShukla, a veteran of the insurance industry, has been appointed as the First Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. 
• She is the second-ranking officer at the institution after the President and CEO, John C Williams
• The appointment was approved by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

Roles &Responsibilities : 

• Shukla (54) will establish, communicate, and execute the strategic direction of the organization and will also serve as an alternate voting member of the Federal Open Market Committee.

About SushmitaShukla : 

• In 2018, she began working with Chubb, which is based in New York and is the world’s largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company.
• Shukla was the Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer for International Accident and Health at Chubb.

About Federal Reserve Bank of New York : 

• Established: November 16, 1914
• Headquarters: New York, United States
• President: John C. Williams
• The Federal Reserve Bank of New York is one of the 12 Federal Reserve Banks of the United States. 
• It is the largest Reserve Bank in terms of assets and volume of activity.

Pottery Barn ropes in DeepikaPadukone as brand ambassador

• American furniture retailer Pottery Barn announced a global partnership with actor DeepikaPadukonewho has been signed as a brand ambassador to promote the company’s international expansion.
• She will also work with the company’s in-house design team in San Francisco to co-create a capsule collection, that will be launched in ‘Fall 2023’

About Pottery Barn :

• Founded: 1949
• Headquarters: San Francisco, California, United States
• President: Marta Benson
• Pottery Barn is an American upscale home furnishing store chain ande-commerce
• In July 2022, Pottery Barn launched its online retail website for India, in partnership with Reliance Brands.
• It has launched its first retail store in Ambience VasantKunj, New Delhi

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE NEWS

US & India Navy Conducts 7th edition of Special Forces Exercise In Goa

• The 7th edition of Exercise Sangam, a joint Naval Special Forces exercise between Indian Navy Marine Commandos (MARCOs) and United States (US) Navy Sea, Air & Land (SEALs) commenced at Goa.
• It will see personnel from SEAL Team Five based in San Diego, USA,and Indian Navy MARCOs from INS Abhimanyu

Aim : 

• To exchange ideas and experiences on various aspects of Maritime Special Operations.
• MARCOS was raised in the year of 1985 as the Indian Maritime Special Force (IMSF).

About the Exercise Sangam :

• The Sangam exercise is a bilateral exercise purely between the United States (US) and Indian Special Forces.
• Exercise Sangam was first conducted in 1994.
• It is an important military and diplomatic initiative between the two nations, reflective of the trust and friendship between them.
• The exercise will be for three weeks,during which the personnel will be trained in Maritime Interdiction Operations, Direct Action Missions, Combat Free Fall Jumps, Special Heliborne Operations,and other skill drills.

Other Exercise between India &US : 

• Notably, the 18th edition of the Indo-US joint training exercise “YUDH ABHYAS 22” started in Uttarakhand in Nov 2022.

About Exercise YudhAbhyas :

• Exercise YudhAbhyas is conducted annually between India and USA to exchange best practices, Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures between the Armies of the two nations.
• The 17th edition of the exercise was conducted at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Alaska (USA) in October 2021.
• The joint exercise also focuses on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations. 

About Ministry of Defence : 

• Union Minister: Rajnath Singh
• Minister of Defence: Ajay Bhatt
• Defence Secretary: GiridharAramane

Indian Navy’s P75I submarine program in troubled waters

• The Indian navy’s plan to build 6 modern conventional submarines that can stay underwater for a long time is still having trouble and delays.
• For example, foreign partners missed a deadline for submitting bids.

Key Highlights :

• TheRs 43,000 crore P 75I program, which calls for an Indian shipyard and a foreign technology partner to work together to build submarines in India, is getting another extension.
• The new deadline for bids is August 2023.
• The original plan was for Indian shipyards to put together a single bid with a foreign partner in 2021.
• After several problems were brought up about liability clauses and other issues, the deadline was pushed back to June 2022.
• Indian companies shortlisted for the construction, Mazagaon Dockyards Ltd (MDL) and Larsen and Toubro (L&T), have been talking with foreign technology partners from Germany, France, Russia, South Korea, and Spain for the past few years to make a plan for transferring technology.
• But only Germany and South Korea are still in the running because the navy has stated that the bidder must have an AIP system that has been tested at sea.

About Project 75 (I) : 

• It was approved in 2007and is part of the Indian Navy’s 30-year Plan for indigenous submarine construction.
• In 1999, the Cabinet Committee on Security outlined a 30-year plan for submarine manufacturing.
• The plan included designing and building 24 conventional submarines by the end of 2030.
• Of the 24 submarines, 18 will be conventional, while the remaining 6 will be nuclear-powered
• Project 75 and Project-75i are two sister projects under this plan.
• Project 75 aimed to build 6 conventional diesel-electric fuelled Scorpene-class attack submarines and was built by the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL).

Indian Navy ships Kochi, Kavaratti, and Sumedha participating in IFR-22 at Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

• Indian Navy ships Kochi, Kavaratti, and Sumedha arrived in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh to participate in the maiden International Fleet Review (IFR) being conducted by the Bangladesh Navy (BN).
• The Chief Guest for the Fleet Review was Smt Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

Key Highlights :

• In 2022, BN organized IFR-22 to commemorate the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh MujiburRahman, as well as the Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh’s Independence.
• Indian Naval Ships Kochi, Kavaratti, and Sumedha are the latest indigenously designed and developed Guided Missile Stealth Destroyer, Anti Submarine Corvette, and Off-shore Patrol Vessels,
• INS Kochi is part of the Western Fleet of the Indian Navy, based in Mumbai, whilst INS Kavaratti and INS Sumedha are part of the Eastern Fleet, based in Visakhapatnam.
• All three ships are equipped with a versatile array of weapons and sensors and symbolize India’s warship-building capabilities.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

FIFA World Cup 2022 trophy will be unveiled by Deepika Padukone:

• The FIFA World Cup trophy will reportedly be unveiled by Deepika Padukone in Qatar later this month.
• On December 18, before the World Cup final, the trophy will be unveiled.
• At the most watched sporting event in the world, Deepika will be the first actor to receive such a distinction.
• The World Cup trophy is scheduled to be unveiled at the Lusail Iconic Stadium by Deepika Padukone on December 18.
• Indian actress Deepika Padukone performs in Hindi-language movies.
• She is one of India’s highest-paid actresses and has won three Filmfare Awards.
• She is listed among the country’s most well-known public figures; Time named her one of the world’s 100 most important people in 2018 and gave her the TIME100 Impact Award in 2022.
• The Live Love Laugh Foundation, which raises awareness of mental health in India, was founded by Padukone.
• She is outspoken on topics like feminism and depression, performs on stage, has written newspaper articles, created her line of women’s clothes, and is a well-known celebrity ambassador for goods and brands.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARIES

Artist, writer, and Padma Shri awardee ManoharDevadoss passes away 

• Renowned Indian artist, writer, and Shriawardee ManoharDevadoss passed away at the age of 86 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN).

About ManoharDevadoss : 

• Devadoss was born on 10 September 1936, in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.
• He was well-known for his paintings of traditional buildings.
• In his 30s, he was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa (a progressive, incurable degenerative eye disease) which leads to total blindness.
• He authored many books such as – A poem to courage, Multiple facets of my Madurai, Mahe, and Mano: Challenges, Green Well Years, etc.

Awards &Honors :

• He was awarded the Padma Shri (2020), India’s fourth-highest civilian award, for his inspirational work in Art and Charity.

Daily CA on December 13:

• The Telecom Tariff (69th Amendment) Order 2022 on Tariff for SMS and Cell Broadcast Alerts Disseminated Through Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) Platform During Disasters/Non-Disasters was issued by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). 
• At the Cochin International Airport, Kerala Chief Minister PinarayiVijayan opened the country’s first chartered gateway and a business jet terminal.
• Jammu & Kashmir won first place in the category for creating Ayushman Bharathealth account IDs and second place in the category for conducting teleconsultationsin honor of Universal Health Coverage Day in 2022. 
• India has risen to fifth place among nations that are home to the top 500 corporations in the globe, boasting 20 of the most valuable companies in the world.
• The FIFA World Cup trophy will reportedly be unveiled by DeepikaPadukone in Qatar later this month.
• The United Kingdom, Japan, and Italy have announced a partnership to build a sixth-generation warplane scheduled to be ready for deployment by 2035 & it will be called the “Tempest”.
• Kerala Chief Minister ShriPinarayiVijayan declared the State Seed Farm Aluva near Kochi has become the first seed farm in the country to achieve a carbon-neutral farm in India.
• The Tamil Nadu (TN) Shri Chief Minister (CM) MK Stalin launched the Sanitation Workers Development Scheme in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.
• The 27th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala has started at Nishagandhi auditorium in
• The Assam Cabinet led by Chief Minister (CM), HimantaBiswaSarma has approved a bill to set up a SafaiKaramchari Commission.
• The Chief Minister of Assam ShriHimantaBiswaSarma inaugurated the Nalbari Science Centre and Planetarium at Milanpur, Nalbari. 
• The Assam government will soon introduce a scheme under which all female students pursuing post-graduate (PG) courses in Assam will be provided a yearly stipend of Rs 10,000 each.
• Edelweiss Mutual Fund has launched the fourth tranche of BHARAT Bond ETF –India’s first corporate bond ETF (exchange-traded fund).
• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI)hasnotified increased limits for corporate agents (banks) and insurance marketing firms (IMFs).
• in, an internet unlisted securities portal, has launched India’s first private market index often known as StocX Private Market Index (SPMI).
• According to the data released by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA), the government’s fiscal deficit in end-October touched 6% of the full year’s Budget Estimate.
• MeghnaAhlawathas been elected as the first-ever woman president of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI)  & she succeeded
• Shaji K V has become the Chairman of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).
• Bangladesh Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina was named the “Global Ambassador for Diabetes” by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) at the opening ceremony of the World Diabetes Congress 2022 held in Lisbon,Portugal.
• Indian-origin SushmitaShukla, a veteran of the insurance industry, has been appointed as the First Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. 
• American furniture retailer Pottery Barn announced a global partnership with actor DeepikaPadukonewho has been signed as a brand ambassador to promote the company’s international expansion.
• The 7th edition of Exercise Sangam, a joint Naval Special Forces exercise between Indian Navy Marine Commandos (MARCOs) and United States (US) Navy Sea, Air & Land (SEALs) commenced at
• The Indian navy’s plan to build 6 modern conventional submarines that can stay underwater for a long time is still having trouble and delays.
• Indian Navy ships Kochi, Kavaratti, and Sumedha arrived in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh to participate in the maiden International Fleet Review (IFR) being conducted by the Bangladesh Navy (BN).
• Renowned Indian artist, writer, and Padma Shriawardee ManoharDevadoss passed away at the age of 86 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN).