Daily Current Affairs December 24 2022

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

National Consumer Rights Day: 24th December

• National Consumer Rights Day 2022 is observed on the 24th of December 2022.
• When India’s Consumer Protection Act of 1986 was passed, consumer rights were given serious consideration.
• The purpose of this legislation was to protect consumers against unfair commerce, the sale of subpar goods, fraud, and inadequate service.
• India’s economy has changed tremendously throughout the years, greatly impacting how many Indians shop and travel.
• As a result, the consumer’s tried-and-true habits have been altered, necessitating a revision and overhaul of the Consumer Protection Act.
• On August 6, 2019, India’s parliament passed the amended Consumer Protection Bill, taking into account this dynamic and modern economy.
• The Right to Information Act, which made India’s governance procedures open to the public and had significant ramifications for consumer rights, is a supplement to the Consumer Protection Acts of 1986 and 2019.
• The rights to safety, information, freedom of choice, and consumer education are a few of these.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

Indian Railways inaugurates Kashmir’s longest “escape tunnel”:

• The 111 km long Banihal-Katra railway line in Jammu and Kashmir, which was under construction, now has India’s longest escape tunnel, measuring 12.89 km in length. It was built by the Indian Railways.
• The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL) project includes the tunnel with the greatest length.
• Following the 75 km T-49, the longest tunnel of the Indian Railways, which was finished in January of this year, this is the fourth tunnel on the Banihal-Katra route.
• In the event of an emergency, the construction of the escape tunnel will make rescue efforts easier.
• The tunnel, which connects the Sumber Station yard on the south side to Tunnel T-50 after passing under Bridge No. 04 over Khoda Nallah on the north side at Khoda hamlet, is shaped like a modified horseshoe.
• The New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM), a cutting-edge drill and blast method, was used to build the tunnel.
• To make rescue efforts easier in case of an emergency, the escape tunnel “T-13” was built.
• The longest High-Altitude Tunnel is the Atal Road Tunnel in Himachal Pradesh (Length: 8800 meters, or 5.5 miles, approximately.)
• Jammu and Kashmir’s Pir Panjal Railway Tunnel (Length: 11,215 meters, or 11.22 km.)
• Jammu & Kashmir’s Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Road Tunnel (Length: 9280 meters, or 9.34 km.)
• Kerala’s Trivandrum Port Railway Tunnel (Length: 9020 meters, or 9.02 km.)
• Road Tunnel at Banihal Qazigund, Jammu & Kashmir (Length: 8500 meters, or roughly 8.5 km)
• Rail tunnel in Sangaldan, Jammu & Kashmir (Length: 8000 meters, or approximately 8 km.)

PM Modi will open the National Youth Conference in Karnataka:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will officiate the opening of the National Youth Festival, according to Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
• The festival will be held in the twin cities of Hubballi and Dharwad.
• On January 12, in honour of Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary, the National Youth Festival will be held.
• The youth festival will draw about 7,500 participants from all 50 States.
• The National Youth Festival is held to honour Swami Vivekanand’s birthday, which falls on January 12.
• As a key component of the National Integration Camp’s curriculum, the first National Youth Festival began in 1995.
• In Puducherry, the 25th National Youth Festival was held.
• The day after Swami Vivekananda’s birthday, January 12, is always honoured as National Youth Day, and the week of January 12–16 is known as National Youth Week.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India announces candidature for UNSC membership for the 2028-29 term

• External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar announced the candidature of India for non-permanent membership at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the 2028-29 term.
• On 1 December 2022  India got the presidency of the UNSC for December 2022, which rotates monthly. India will have this presidency till 31 December.

Key Highlights :

• This is the second time India got the Presidency after holding the top spot in August 2021, during which the government focused on maritime security, UN peacekeeping, and counter-terrorism.
• India has become a member of the Security Council for the 8th time.
• India’s previous seven terms on the council were from 1950–1951, 1967–1968, 1972–1973, 1977–1978, 1984–1985, 1991–1992, and 2011–2012.
• India has been at the forefront of efforts calling for urgent reform of the Security Council, which has been highly divisive in dealing with current challenges.
• India has presided over the Security Council during its two-year tenure as an elected member.
• During India’s December Presidency of the UN Security Council, two high-level signature events took place.
• The meetings were held on ‘Reformed Multilateralism and Counter-Terrorism’ and chaired by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
• The high-level open debate on the theme – “Maintenance of International Peace and Security: New Orientation for Reformed Multilateralism” was held on December 14, 2022.
• On December 15, 2022, a high-level briefing on the theme – “Threats to International Peace and Security Caused by Terrorist Acts: Global Approach to Counter Terrorism – Challenges and Way Forward ‘‘ sought to build a consensus on the principles of a global counter-terror architecture.
• The high-level briefing aimed to enhance the Delhi Declaration adopted during the special meeting of the counter-terrorism committee held in October 2022 in India.

About UNSC :

• UN Security Council: The UN Security Council is composed of 15 members.
• There are 5 permanent members, including China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
• There are 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly.
• The UNSC is the only UN body with the authority to issue binding resolutions on member states.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

The 63rd Session of the IHRC will be organized at Uttar Pradesh State Archives

• The 63rd Session of the Indian Historical Records Committee (IHRC) was held at Uttar Pradesh State Archives, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (UP).
• It was inaugurated by Daya Shankar Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Transport, Government of Uttar Pradesh.
• New Delhi is the Secretariat of the Indian Historical Records Committee (re-designated Indian Historical Records Committee in 1911).

Key Highlights :

• The two days Session will comprise an Inaugural and Business Session on the first day and Academic Session on the next day.
• A total of 24 papers based on the sources of post-1600 of Indian history will be presented by Scholars on various aspects of history.
• An exhibition entitled “Saga of Freedom: Known and Lesser-Known Struggles” based on the original archival sources from the collection of the National Archives of India during the session will also be inaugurated by the Hon’ble Minister.

About IHRC :

• IHRC is an all-India Forum of creators, custodians, and users of records which was set up in 1919 to advise the Government of India on all issues connected with the management of records and their use for historical research.
• The IHRC is headed by the Union Minister of Culture and comprises 134 members including agencies of the Government of India, nominees of the Government of India, and representatives from the State/UT Archives, Universities, and Learned Institutions.
• The IHRC has so far held 62 sessions.
• The Committee has two subsidiary bodies,

1. Editorial Committee to examine and approve papers based on archival sources for being presented at the Sessions of the Committees
2. Standing Committee to review the action taken by the Committee on its recommendations and express its views on the agenda for the Committee’s meeting.

• Secretary of, the Ministry of Culture acts as the Chairman of the Standing Committee of IHRC. 

About the Ministry of Culture :

• Cabinet Minister: G. Kishan Reddy
• Minister of State: Meenakshi Lekhi

About UP :

• Governor : Anandiben Patel
• Chief Minister: Yogi Adityanath
• Capital: Lucknow
• National Park: Dudhwa National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuary: Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary, Chandraprabha Wildlife Sanctuary, Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Bird Wildlife Sanctuary

Ladakh proposes ‘Shukpa’ as the State tree, ‘Tsersnon’ State flower

• The Ladakh administration has proposed Bhoti ‘Shukpa’ (Juniperus polycarpos) and Bhoti ‘Tsersnon’ (Meconopsis aculeata) as the state tree and state flower, respectively,
• Both are used as medicine in the Sow-Rigpa system.
• The proposed state tree and state flower for the union territory of Ladakh are placed in the public domain for suggestions and comments from experts and the general public by the committee constituted for the purpose.

About Shukpa (Juniperus polycarpos): 

• It is commonly known as ‘Himalayan Pencil Cedar’ or ‘Turkistan Juniper’ from the Cupressaceae family.
• It is locally known as ‘Shukpa’ by Buddhists and ‘Chilgi’ by the Brokpa tribes of Ladakh.
• It is used as raw material for aromatic incense preparation, timber in the construction of Buddhist monasteries, medicinal plants by local healers, fuel wood and fodder, making household articles, and for decoration of Lha-thos in Ladakh region.

About Tsersnon (Meconopsis aculeata) : 

• It belongs to the ‘Papaveraceae family also known as ‘The Poppy family.’
• Commonly known as ‘The Himalayan blue poppy” or ‘poppy’.
• It is large, sky blue to purplish race Moseley arranged at the apex
• It is found in rock- crevices and amongst boulders in alpine zones, in all valleys at an altitude of 3000-4200m.

About Ladakh :

• Lieutenant Governor: Radha Krishna Mathur
• Capitals : Leh, Kargil

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING & FINANCE

SEBI board approves phasing out shares buyback through stock exchanges

• Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) decided to gradually phase out the buyback of shares by companies through the stock exchange route to address the drawbacks associated with the existing mechanism.
• At present, for share buyback, companies have both the options of the stock exchange and tender offer.

Key Highlights :

• A SEBI committee, headed by HDFC vice-chairman and CEO Keki Mistry, proposed the mechanism of share buybacks through open market transactions.
• The minimum utilization of the amount for buyback through the stock exchange has been increased to 75% from 50% currently.
• Buybacks will be undertaken through a separate window on stock exchanges until then.
• The timeline for completion of buybacks through tender offers has been reduced by 18 days.
• SEBI has also accepted the recommendations of a working group on improving governance standards at exchanges – new rules include increased accountability of directors, stricter investment policy, and data sharing.
• SEBI has also given a green light proposal for Execution Only Platforms for direct plans of Mutual Fund schemes. 
• The SEBI will also reduce the time taken for registration of FPIs to facilitate ease of doing business.

About SEBI :

• Established: on 12 April 1988 as an executive body and was given statutory powers on 30 January 1992 through the SEBI Act, 1992
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Chairman: Madhabi Puri Buch
• SEBI is the regulatory body for securities and commodity markets in India under the ownership of the Ministry of Finance, GoI.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

Over Rs 10,000 billion would be added to India’s GDP by the YouTube creator’s ecosystem in 2021:

• In 2021, the creative ecosystem of YouTube, which is owned by Google, was expected to sustain more than 750,000 full-time equivalent employment in India and contribute more than Rs 10,000 crore to the GDP of the country, according to a statement made by YouTube.
• A new product called Courses, which would offer users a better learning experience and creators a new way to monetize their work, was also revealed by the company.
• Its beta debut was scheduled for 2023.
• According to the findings of the most recent Oxford Economics study conducted by YouTube, content created by Indian YouTube artists is currently viewed by billions of people worldwide.
• This has made it feasible for creators to make money from their work, allowing many of them to convert their passions into long-lasting jobs.
• YouTube announced that it would step up efforts to work with more healthcare organizations, including Narayana, Manipal, Medanta, and Shalby, to produce and promote trustworthy content covering more than 100 medical conditions in Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Gujarati, Bengali, and English.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Major General Mohit Seth takes over as GOC Kilo force

• Major General Mohit Seth took charge as General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Counter Insurgency Force Kilo.
• He took over from Major General Sanjiv Singh Slaria who has been moved to Northern Command headquarters in Udhampur

About Major General Mohit Seth :

• Major General Mohit Seth was commissioned into the 3 MADRAS Regiment in December 1991.
• In his distinguished military career spanning over three decades, the General Officer has held various prestigious staff and command appointments in Jammu and Kashmir, the northeast, and at the Army headquarters.
• He has also served as Indian Army Liaison Officer, High Commission of India, United Kingdom.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE NEWS

Indian Navy gets 5th scorpene-class submarine, Vagir

• The fifth (5th) Scorpène submarine, Vagir of Project – 75 Kalvari Class submarines has been delivered to the Indian Navy by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• Also, the Indian Navy commissioned the indigenously built guided missile destroyer INS Mormugao

About Project – 75 :

• Under Project 75, six submarines are to be constructed.
• The submarines are being constructed at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai in collaboration with the Naval Group of France.
• In November 2021, the Indian Navy commissioned a fourth scorpene-class submarine, INS Vela, which formed part of the Western Naval Command’s submarine fleet.

About Vagir :

• Vagir was launched on Nov 12, 2020, and commenced the sea trials on February 1, 2022.
• It has completed all major trials including the weapon and sensor trials in the shortest time in comparison to the earlier submarines.
• It can carry out multifarious missions typically undertaken by any modern submarine, which include anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying, and area surveillance.
• The construction of these submarines in an Indian yard is another step towards ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and enhances self-confidence in this field, a notable achievement.
• This is the third submarine delivered to the Indian Navy in 24 months.

About the Indian Navy :

• Founded: 26 January 1950
• Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi
• Chief of the Naval Staff: Admiral R. Hari Kumar

Indian Navy launches the first ship of ASW SWC Project – INS Arnala

• The Indian Navy launched ‘Arnala’ (Y3029), the first of the eight indigenously-built anti-submarine warfare shallow watercraft (ASW-SWC), at the shipbuilding facility of Larsen & Turbo (L&T) in Chennai’s Kattupalli, Tamil Nadu (TN).
• It is being built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, West Bengal (WB).
• Arnala was launched at the launch ceremony graced by Rasika Chaube, Financial Adviser, Ministry of Defence (MoD).
• The Arnala class of ships will replace the Abhay class ASW Ships of the Indian Navy.

About ‘Arnala’ :

• Arnala is the first ship of the anti-submarine warfare shallow watercraft (ASW SWC) Project.
• The ship has been named Arnala to signify the strategic maritime importance accorded to the island of Arnala located about 13 Km north of Vasai, Maharashtra by the great Maratha warrior, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
• Defence Ministry and GRSE, Kolkata had signed a contract for building eight ASW SWC ships in April 2019.
• These are designed to undertake anti-submarine operations in coastal waters and low-intensity maritime operations (LIMO), including subsurface surveillance in littoral waters. 
• The 6-meter-long ASW-SWC ships have a displacement of 900 tonnes with a maximum speed of 25 knots and endurance of 1800 nautical miles (NM).
• The ASW-SWC ships will have over 80% indigenous content, ensuring that large-scale defence production is executed by Indian manufacturing units thereby generating employment and capability build-up within the country.

About ASW-SWC :

• The ASW-SWC corvettes are a class of anti-submarine warfare vessels currently being built for the Indian Navy, by Cochin Shipyard (CSL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE).

About GRSE :

• Headquarters: Kolkata, West Bengal, India
• Chairman & MD: Cmde PR Hari, IN (Retd.)
• GRSE is one of India’s leading shipyards.
• It builds and repairs commercial and naval vessels.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

IN-SPACe signs MoU with QNu Labs to develop indigenous satellite quantum key distribution products

• The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bangalore-based deep tech startup QNu Labs to develop indigenous Satellite QKD (quantum key distribution) products. 
• The collaboration shall ensure India leads the future of global quantum communication networks that will involve a combination of the quantum-satellite constellation, providing intercontinental connectivity.
• With the support of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Indian Start-up Qnu Labs aims to demonstrate unlimited distance Satellite Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) based secure communications.
• This partnership will help home-grown deep tech startup QNu Labs to be the first-of-its-kind globally to demonstrate QKD network capability covering both terrestrials as well as satellite medium.

About QKD :

• QKD is an essential technology development that uses principles of quantum mechanics to ensure the security of sensitive information shared among different parties.
• QKD is a secure communications method, where the sender and recipient of a message produce a shared secret key and use it to encrypt and decrypt messages
• The applications of this technology are primarily in the government and defence sectors, where the security and confidentiality of shared information are of paramount importance.

About QNu Labs :

• Founded: 2016
• Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
• CEO: Sunil Gupta
• QNu Labs (or QuNu Labs Private Limited) is a cybersecurity company.
• It is credited to be the first firm in India to successfully develop commercial cybersecurity products using quantum physics

About IN-SPACe :

• Headquarters: Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
• Chairman : Dr. Pawan Kumar Goenka
• IN-SPACe acts as a single-window, independent, nodal autonomous agency of the Department of Space (DOS) for the promotion, enabling, authorization, and supervision of various space activities of non-governmental entities (NGEs).

IICA launches ESG Impact Leader Programme

• Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, an autonomous institution under the aegis of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India has launched a program to create Impact Leaders in the areas of Environmental-Social-Governance (ESG).
• The Chief Guest at the launch was Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Govt. of India, Ms. Leena Nandan.
• Nandan emphasized the need for creating a cadre of ESG Professionals in India.
• IICA Certified ESG Professional: Impact Leader Programme’ is the first of its kind in
• IICA has also formed a ‘National Association of Impact Leaders’ which is a membership-based association exclusively for ESG professionals.
• It will provide a platform for further professional development and engagement to its members.
• The event was attended by 50 budding ESG Professionals who are senior corporate officials enrolled in the program across the globe.

About IICA :

• Established: 2008
• IICA is an autonomous institution under the aegis of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India. 

About Ministry of Corporate Affairs :

• Union Minister : Nirmala Sitharaman
• Minister of State: Rao Inderjit Singh

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

Unveiling of the 2022 Sahitya Akademi Awards:

• Every year, the federal government has given out an award for outstanding literary work.
• As a result, on December 22, the central government revealed the winners of the Sahitya Akademi Award for literature.
• This prize was given to Tamil Nadu author M. Rajendran for his book “Kala Pani.”
• A copper shield and a cash award of one lakh rupees will be given to the winner.
• The Kalayarkovil or Kalayarkool War is the subject of this historical “Kala Pani”
• A significant contribution to the language and literature of the genre in which it belongs must be made by the book.
• The book or literary work must have been originally published in one of the Sahitya Akademi’s recognized languages during the five years immediately before the award year.
• The author and location of publication of the literary work should both be Indian.
• No translations or anthologies of works by numerous writers should be included in the book or literary work.
• When two or more books are on par in quality, the total literary contribution and reputation of the authors will be taken into account to choose the winner.

Language	Title and Genre	Name of the Author
Assamese	Bhool Satya (Short Stories)	Manoj Kumar Goswami
Bodo	Sansrini Modira (Poetry)	Rashmi Choudhury
Dogri	Chhe Roopak (Drama)	Veena Gupta
English	All The Lives We Never Lived (Novel)	Anuradha Roy
Gujarati	Gher Jatan (Autobiographical Essays)	Gulam Mohammad Shaikh
Hindi	Tumadi Ke Shabd (Poetry)	Badri Narayan
Kannada	Bahutvada Bhaarata mattu Bouddha Taatvikate (Collection of Articles)	Mudnakudu Chinnaswamy
Kashmiri	Zael Dab (Literary Criticism)	Farooq Fayaz
Konkani	Amrutvel (Novel)	Maya Anil Kharangate
Maithili	Pen-Drive Me Prithvi (Poetry)	Ajit Azad
Malayalam	Ashaante Seethayanam (Literary Criticism)	M. Thomas Mathew
Manipuri	Leironnung (Poetry)	Koijam Shantibala
Marathi	Ujavya Sondechya Bahulya (Novel)	Praveen Dashrath Bandekar
Nepali	Saino (Drama)	K.B. Nepali
Odia	Dayanadi (Poetry)	Gayatribala Panda
Punjabi	Main Aynghosh Nahi (Short Stories)	Sukhjit
Rajasthani	Alekhun Amba (Play)	Kamal Ranga
Sanskrit	Deepmanikyam (Poetry)	Janardan Prasad Pandey ‘Mani’
Santali	Sabarnaka Balire Sanan’ Panjay (Poetry)	Kajli Soren (Jagannath Soren)
Sindhi	Sindhi Sahit Jo Mukhtasar Itihas (Literary History)	Kanhaiyalal Lekhwani
Tamil	Kaala Paani (Novel)	M. Rajendran
Telugu	Manodharmaparagam (Novel)	Madhuranthakam Narendra
Urdu	Khwab Saraab (Novel)	Anis Ashfaq

Top Green Building Award is won by the UIDAI HQ Building:

• The coveted GRIHA Exemplary Performance Award 2022, a top national-level Green Building Award, has been given to the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
• In the category of currently highly rated buildings, UIDAI HQ has been named the winner.
• Reuse and recycling are ideas that UIDAI supports and believes in as a way to lessen its carbon footprint.
• For a percentage of its energy needs, it has been utilizing solar power.
• It has been implementing sustainable waste management techniques and recycling and reusing water.
• UIDAI HQ building was deemed to be in second place in 2021.
• The ongoing effort and the prize are a blatant acknowledgement of how UIDAI officials and personnel have worked hard to maintain their environmental awareness and support the nation’s net zero goal.
• Staff members enjoy a pleasant working environment because of the building’s eco-friendliness.
• The amount of recycled water used every day ranges from 25% to 30% on average.
• The UIDAI headquarters building recharges groundwater as well, on average at a rate of 3590 KL each year.

The Rohini Nayyar Prize for Rural Development was given to Sethrichem Sangtam:

• The first Rohini Nayyar prize was given to Sethrichem Sangtam for his extraordinary contribution to rural development, which tripled the incomes of 1,200 marginalized farmers in Eastern Nagaland.
• Suman Bery, vice chairman of Niti Ayog, gave the prize given to a person who is 40 years of age or younger.
• Ashok Khosla, the creator of Development Alternatives, Dr. Rajesh Tandon, founder of PRIA, and Ms. Renana Jhabwala, national coordinator of SEWA, comprised an esteemed jury from civil society that chose the winner.
• Through his organization, the “Better Life Foundation,” which focuses on rural livelihood stability, environmental sustainability, and education for change, Sangtam works with 1,200 marginalized farmers in Eastern Nagaland.
• Among his numerous accomplishments was persuading local farmers to switch from costly slash-and-burn crops to permanent farming.
• As a result of his actions, the farmers’ average revenue tripled.
• The award was established by the family of the late Dr. Rohini Nayyar, a distinguished administrator, and scholar who devoted a large portion of her career to advancing rural development in India.
• One of India’s leading experts on rural development was Dr. Nayyar, a well-known economist and former principal adviser at the old Planning Commission.
• Her death occurred in October 2021.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING AND REPORTS

Shah Rukh Khan was listed among the top 50 actors of all time in a British magazine:

• Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is the only actor from India to be included in a prestigious British magazine’s list of the 50 greatest performers in history.
• The 57-year-old actor is listed alongside Hollywood heavyweights like Denzel Washington, Tom Hanks, Anthony Marlon Brando, Meryl Streep, Jack Nicholson, and many others on Empire magazine’s list.
• The article drew attention to four films from Khan’s lengthy filmography: Swades, directed by Ashutosh Gowarikar, My Name Is Khan, and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, as well as the Sanjay Leela Bhansali-helmed Devdas.
• In the 2012 film Jab Tak Hai Jaan, he says, “Zindagi toh har Roz jaan leti hai… “Everyday life kills us a little bit, bomb toh Sirf Ek Baar lega”
• It has been acknowledged as the “iconic line” of his career: “A bomb will kill you only once.”
• On January 25, 2023, the action movie Pathaan, which stars the actor, will be released in theatres everywhere.
• John Abraham and Deepika Padukone also appear in the Siddharth Anand-directed film.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

Goa will host India’s first World Table Tennis (WTT) Series event:

• Goa will host India’s first World Table Tennis (WTT) series event from February 27 to March 5.
• The top-tier WTT Star Contender Goa 2023 will be held in the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium on the Goa University Campus.
• The competition will be hosted by Stupa Analytics, an indigenous sports analytics organization, with significant assistance from the Goa government.
• The World Table Tennis Series (WTT Series) is the official professional table tennis series of events, featuring the world’s greatest players competing in various category tournaments throughout the year, with the four Grand Smashes being the ultimate prize to win.
• The six Star Contender events include 48 men and women in their singles main draws, with the top 30 world rankings allowed to compete, four of whom must be in the world’s top 20.
• A 16-team doubles main draw and an eight-team mixed doubles main draw are also available at Star Contender events.
• Eight qualifiers in singles and four in doubles compete against the best, while host countries receive enough wild-card spots in both singles and doubles.

Morocco has been chosen by FIFA to host the Club World Cup in February 2023:

• The hosting rights for the 2025 Club World Cup, which will include 32 teams, were granted to Morocco by FIFA in February 2023.
• The most recent competition was held in the UAE in February 2022, and Chelsea, an English football team, took first place.
• From February 1 through 11, the usual seven-team competition will feature Real Madrid, the European champion, Flamengo, the South American champion, and Seattle Sounders, the first American team to win the CONCACAF Champions League.
• The competition will continue in its current format, with the top team from the host country competing against the winners of the six continental federations.
• One of the final seven-team editions for continental champions will take place in 2025 when an enlarged, month-long competition will begin.
• The Club World Cup was first staged in Morocco in 2013 and then again in 2014.
• The most recent tournament, which Chelsea won, was held in the United Arab Emirates in February.

Daily CA on December 24:

• National Consumer Rights Day 2022 is observed on the 24th of December 2022.
• The 111 km long Banihal-Katra railway line in Jammu and Kashmir, which was under construction, now has India’s longest escape tunnel, measuring 12.89 km in length. It was built by the Indian Railways.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will officiate the opening of the National Youth Festival, according to Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
• In 2021, the creative ecosystem of YouTube, which is owned by Google, was expected to sustain more than 750,000 full-time equivalent employment in India and contribute more than Rs 10,000 crore to the GDP of the country, according to a statement made by YouTube.
• Every year, the federal government has given out an award for outstanding literary work.
• The coveted GRIHA Exemplary Performance Award 2022, a top national-level Green Building Award, has been given to the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
• The first Rohini Nayyar prize was given to Sethrichem Sangtam for his extraordinary contribution to rural development, which tripled the incomes of 1,200 marginalized farmers in Eastern Nagaland.
• Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is the only actor from India to be included in a prestigious British magazine’s list of the 50 greatest performers in history.
• Goa will host India’s first World Table Tennis (WTT) series event from February 27 to March 5.
• The hosting rights for the 2025 Club World Cup, which will include 32 teams, were granted to Morocco by FIFA in February.
• External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar announced the candidature of India for non-permanent membership at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the 2028-29 term.
• The 63rd Session of the Indian Historical Records Committee (IHRC) was held at Uttar Pradesh State Archives, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (UP).
• The Ladakh administration has proposed Bhoti ‘Shukpa’ (Juniperus polycarpos) and Bhoti ‘Tsersnon’ (Meconopsis aculeata) as the state tree and state flower, respectively,
• Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) decided to gradually phase out the buyback of shares by companies through the stock exchange route to address the drawbacks associated with the existing mechanism.
• Major General Mohit Seth took charge as General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Counter Insurgency Force Kilo.
• The fifth (5th) Scorpène submarine, Vagir of Project – 75 Kalvari Class submarines has been delivered to the Indian Navy by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• The Indian Navy launched ‘Arnala’ (Y3029), the first of the eight indigenously-built anti-submarine warfare shallow watercraft (ASW-SWC), at the shipbuilding facility of Larsen & Turbo (L&T) in Chennai’s Kattupalli, Tamil Nadu (TN).
• The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bangalore-based deep tech startup QNu Labs to develop indigenous Satellite QKD (quantum key distribution) products. 
• Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, an autonomous institution under the aegis of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India has launched a program to create Impact Leaders in the areas of Environmental-Social-Governance (ESG).