Daily Current Affairs December 27 2022

 CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

The 75th Amrut Mahotsav of Shree Swaminarayan Gurukul Rajkot Sansthan was addressed by PM Modi:

• The 75th Amrut Mahotsav of Shree Swaminarayan Gurukul Rajkot Sansthan was addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi through video conference.
• In 1948, seer Shri Dharmajivandasji Swami founded the Shree Swaminarayan Gurukul Rajkot Sansthan in Rajkot.
• It has grown and has more than 40 branches worldwide, offering more than 25,000 students access to secondary, undergraduate, and postgraduate education facilities.
• At Sahajanand Nagar, where famous multi-speciality doctors are offering free medical services and free medicine to the public, massive blood donation camps and free medical check-up camps are being held as part of the Amrit Mahotsav celebrations.
• The number of elite educational institutions like IITs, IIITs, IIMs, and AIIMS is growing dramatically, according to Modi, who also noted that the number of medical colleges in the nation has expanded by more than 65% since 2014.
• For the first time in India, a futuristic and forward-thinking educational system was being developed through the new National Education Policy (NEP).
• When India celebrates a century of independence in 2047, the Prime Minister emphasized that ideal citizens and adolescents raised in a better education system will struggle to realize the dream of a prosperous India, and the efforts of organizations like Shri Swaminarayan Gurukul will undoubtedly be crucial.

Indian billionaire Gautam Adani will hold close to 65% of NDTV’s shares:

• Indian billionaire Gautam Adani will control 64.71% of New Delhi Television Ltd (NDTV.NS) as the company’s founders have decided to sell most of their shares, four months after he launched a takeover of the news network.
• Adani already held 37% of NDTV after an open offer and an acquisition of a company owned by founders Radhika and Prannoy Roy, despite several unsuccessful attempts by NDTV to block the takeover citing regulatory restrictions on moving shares.
• The husband-and-wife team will sell a 27.26% stake in NDTV to Adani-owned entity AMG Media Network and retain a combined 5%, regulatory filings by NDTV
• The AMG Media Network, after the recent open offer, is now the single largest shareholder in NDTV.
• Consequently, with mutual agreement, we have decided to divest most of our shares in NDTV to the AMG Media Network
• The ports-to-energy conglomerate’s takeover of NDTV had raised fears among some journalists that one of the country’s last bastions of free media was under threat.
• Ravish Kumar, a senior executive editor of NDTV, resigned soon after Adani acquired the entity backed by NDTV’s founders

CURRENT AFFAIRS : INTERNATIONAL NEWS

UN-Water & WHO Report Points to “Critical” Lack of Funding for WASH

• UN-Water and the World Health Organization (WHO) have released the 2022 edition of the Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking Water (GLAAS) report, which presents the latest data from 121 countries and territories and 23 external support agencies.
• The 2022 GLAAS report seeks to inform commitments, priority settings, and actions during the second half of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN 2023 Water Conference.

About the Report :

• The report highlights opportunities to accelerate progress in key areas that positively affect the quality and sustainability of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services and delivery, pandemic preparedness, and resilience to climate change.
• Less than one-third of countries reported maintaining enough human resources to manage essential WASH tasks.
• Poor access to WASH claims millions of lives each year.
• While 45% of countries are on track to achieve their nationally-defined drinking-water coverage targets, only 25% of countries are on track to achieve their national sanitation targets.
• It provides policy– and decision-makers at all levels with reliable, easily accessible, comprehensive data on WASH systems, including governance, monitoring, human resources and finance.
• It monitors elements of WASH systems that are required to sustain and extend WASH services and systems to all, especially to the most vulnerable population groups.

About WHO :

• Founded : 7 April 1948
• Headquarters : Geneva, Switzerland
• Director General : Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
• The WHO is a specialised agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health.

About UN-Water :

• Founded : 2003
• Headquarters : Geneva, Switzerland
• UN-Water Chair : Gilbert Houngbo
• UN-Water’s role is to ensure that Members and Partners’ deliver as one’ in response to water-related challenges.

Urban-20 (U20) event being organised under G20 presidency of India

• The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) is organising the Urban 20 (U20) event during India’s G20 presidency from December 01, 2022 to November 30, 2023.
• In the process to organise the Urban 20 event, Gujarat CM Shri Bhupendra Patel unveiled the logo, website, and social media handles of Urban-20.

What is Urban 20 (U20) ?

• Urban-20 (U20) is one of the Engagement Groups of G20.
• Hosted: Ahmedabad, a UNESCO World Heritage city will host the U20 event.
• Participants – Besides G20 countries, the Mayors and representatives of C40 (Climate 40), UCLG (United Cities and Local Governments) member cities, and Observer Cities.
• Purpose: It provides a platform for cities from G20 countries to facilitate discussions on various important issues of urban development including climate change, social inclusion, sustainable mobility, affordable housing and financing of urban infrastructure and propose collective solutions.
• Objective – The effort of this cycle will be to move from ‘intention to action’.
• It drafts a roadmap for closing the gaps between policy and practice to address critical urban issues.
• Ahmedabad became a member of the C40 in 2022 and has been a member of other global alliances like the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives(ICLEI).
• The first Sherpa meeting of the Urban 20 event is scheduled to be held on February 09-10, 2023.
• Priority areas for the Urban 20 event are as follows:

1. Encouraging environmentally responsive behaviour
2. Ensuring water security
3. Accelerating Climate Finance
4. Leveraging ‘local’ potential and identity
5. Reinventing urban governance and planning frameworks
6. Catalysing digital urban futures

About MoHUA :

• Cabinet Minister : Hardeep Singh Puri
• Minister of State : Kaushal Kishore

 CURRENT AFFAIRS : STATE NEWS

J&K approves rehabilitation policy for Children in Street Situation

• The Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Administrative Council which met under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, accorded its approval to the Rehabilitation Policy for Children in Street Situation (CiSS) to safeguard them from different hazards.

Key Highlights :

• According to the Juvenile Justice Act, children in Street Situations (CiSS) fall under the category of children in need of care and
• The act empowers governments to frame a policy for the rehabilitation of such children in distress.
• Earlier, the Social Welfare department had conducted an exercise and identified 687 such children.
• A committee headed by the chief secretary will monitor and review its implementation.
• The Health, School Education, Housing and Urban Development, Rural Development, Home, Labour and Employment departments have been assigned specific roles and responsibilities to implement the policy.
• The Social welfare Department will be responsible for the regular monitoring of the implementation of the policy to protect and safeguard the future of all such children in J&K.

About J&K :

• Lieutenant Governor : Manoj Sinha
• Capital : Srinagar, Jammu
• National Park : Dachigam National Park, Kazinag National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries : Rajparian (Daksum) Wildlife Sanctuary, Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary, Ramnagar Wildlife Sanctuary

Meghalaya awarded for TB control programme

• The Meghalaya administration, which has launched a ‘Jan andolan’ (people’s movement) against Tuberculosis, was honoured for using the best practices to combat the illness that affects nearly 2.6 million citizens annually in
• The award for Best Practice in Advocacy, Communication and Social Mobilisation in Tuberculosis Control was presented to representatives of the health department at a national workshop, in New Delhi, aimed at ending TB infections.

Key Highlights :

• The state registered 4,189 TB cases in 2021 while in the first quarter of 2022, around 1,075 patients have been enrolled for treatment.
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had set a national target to eliminate the disease, which affects more than 26 lakh Indians each year, by 2025, 5 years ahead of the WHO’s Sustainable Development Goals.
• A National Strategic Plan for TB Elimination (2017-25) has also been launched reorienting the programme’s focus to ensure greater community engagement.
• The TB Mukt Bharat campaign, or ‘Jan Andolan’ to build greater awareness, remove the stigma and generate demand for services is running smoothly across the state.

About Meghalaya :

• Governor : B. D. Mishra
• Chief Minister : Conrad Sangma
• Capital : Shillong
• National Park : Nokrek National Park, Balpakram National Park, Baghmara Reserve Forest
• Wildlife Sanctuary : Siju Bird Sanctuary, Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary

Kerala set to host first International Beach Festival

• The Government of Kerala will host the Bekal International Beach Festival at the Spice Coast, in the far north of Kerala, better known as North Malabar.
• Chief Minister Shri Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the 10-day first international beach festival.
• The event would conclude on January 2, 2023.
• The festival is organised by Bekal Resorts Development Corporation (BRDC) in association with the District Tourism Promotion Council, Kudumbashree, Asmi Holidays, and the local self-government bodies in the district.
• This will be an annual festival celebrating the cultural heritage and natural beauty of Kasaragod, and Bekal will be its permanent venue.

About the Festival :

• The festival captures the wholeness and the essence of the district’s cultural and artistic uniqueness and displays the rich cultural diversity and grandeur of the country, at the majestic Bekal Beach Park.
• Around 5 lakh people from across the globe are set to revel at the festival.
• The festival will be staged at the three venues of Chandragiri, Thejaswini, and Payaswini.
• It would reflect a cross-section of the culture and the unique identity of the
• A special tour package named ‘Yathrashree’ is made available for tourists through Kudumbasree to explore exotic tourist destinations in the Kasargod district.

About Kerala : 

• Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan
• Chief minister: Pinarayi Vijayan
• 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

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE

Canara Bank hits business milestone of Rs 20 lakh crore

• Canara Bank has achieved a milestone of crossing the total global business of Rs 20,00,000 crore.
• Stock of Canara Bank closed at ₹291.45 apiece on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), down by 6.54%.

About Canara Bank :

• Established : 1906
• Headquarters: Bengaluru.
• MD & CEO : Lingam Venkata Prabhakar
• Canara Bank is an Indian public sector bank under the control and ownership of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India.

Honda Cars India partners with Indian Bank to provide vehicle loans

• Indian Bank has partnered with Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) to provide vehicle finance for its customers.
• The partnership will offer easy loan disbursement, reasonable interest rates, special offers, flexible policies and simplified process.
• The customers can avail of financing benefits across over 5,700 branches of Indian Bank and HCIL dealer network across the country.

About Honda Cars India :

• Founded : 1995
• Headquarters : Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
• President & CEO : Takuya Tsumura

About Indian Bank :

• Founded : 15 August 1907
• Headquarters: Chennai, Tamil Nadu
• CEO: Shri Shanti Lal Jain.

CSB Bank partners with OneCard and Mastercard to launch a co-branded credit card

• CSB Bank (erstwhile Catholic Syrian Bank Limited), one of the oldest private sector banks in India, in collaboration with Mastercard and OneCard has unveiled its first consumer credit card – CSB Bank OneCard- in
• The launch aligns with the bank’s growth strategy and its vision to enhance customer experience with innovative digital banking solutions.

About the co-branded credit card :

• The co-branded credit card is a metal credit card loaded with rewards, privileges and safety and security features. 
• Customers can easily tap-and-pay through OneCard on all merchant outlets across the country and enjoy a 1% Forex rate when travelling abroad.
• With zero joining and annual fees, the card provides 5X rewards on the Top 2 spend categories every month.

About CSB Bank Limited :

• Founded : 26 November 1920
• Headquarters : Thrissur, Kerala, India.
• MD & CEO : Pralay Mondal·

About OneCard :

• Co-founder & CEO : Anurag Sinha

Axis Bank crosses Rs 100 crore in AUM for retirement business

• Axis Bank has received a regulatory nod to act as a pension fund manager and has already crossed Rs 100 crore in assets under management (AUM) for its retirement business.
• The bank received a commencement of business certificate from the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) on September 20, 2022 and the AUM has been managed in the first 45 days of the business.
• The bank has launched a step-down subsidiary Axis Pension Fund Management through its subsidiary Axis Asset Management Company, which marks its foray into the retirement business.
• The Axis Pension Fund will capitalise on the investment management capabilities and distribution strength of the group and aims to be the preferred retirement solutions provider.

About Axis Bank :

• Founded : 3 December 1993
• Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• MD & CEO : Amitabh Chaudhry

J&K Bank signs MoU with Administration of Ladakh union territory

• • Jammu and Kashmir Bank signed a memorandum of understanding with the Administration of Ladakh union territory, conferring preferential status to each other.
• According to the MoU, the Ladakh UT Administration would nominate J&K Bank as ‘preferred banker’ for all its banking-related services, while as, J&K Bank would give the ‘most favoured client’ status to UT Administration and its active permanent employees who maintain the their salary accounts with the Bank.
• Lieutenant Governor Ladakh (UT) R K Mathur also handed over the keys of the e-rickshaws provided by J&K Bank to the University of Ladakh besides the commitment letter under which J&K Bank would provide support to 50 tuberculosis (TB) patients from Kargil as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities.
• Mathur announced to launch of ‘public participatory programmes’ across Ladakh wherein the UT administration in collaboration with councils and panchayats will work with the Bank in the identification of beneficiaries on a large scale who can avail loans from the bank under different employment generation schemes.

About J&K Bank :

• Founded : 1 October 1938
• Headquarters : Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
• MD & CEO : Baldev Prakash
• J&K Bank functions as a universal bank in Jammu & Kashmir and as a specialised bank in the rest of the country.

Karnataka Bank goes live on ICEGATE

• Karnataka Bank has gone live on the Indian Customs Electronic Gateway (ICEGATE), the national portal of Indian Customs of Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, enabling its customers to pay customs duty online.
• The integration of Karnataka Bank on ICEGATE portal will enable all its individual and corporate customers to pay customs duty at their convenience, enabling smooth conduct of their business.

About Karnataka Bank Limited :

• Founded : 18 February 1924
• Headquarters : Mangalore, Karnataka, India
• MD & CEO : Mahabaleshwara M. S

Worldline ePayments India gets RBI’s in-principle nod to act as a payment aggregator

• Worldline ePayments India (WEIPL), a leader in digital payments, has received in-principle authorisation from the Reserve Bank Of India (RBI) to act as a payment aggregator (PA). 
• WEIPL received the communication from RBI on Dec 20, 2022.
• The authorisation by the RBI was under the provisions of the Guidelines on Regulation of Payment dated March 17, 2020.
• The RBI has been proactive in introducing regulations and frameworks to help the entire digital ecosystem and to increase the adoption of digital payments further.

About WEIPL :

• Chief Executive Officer of Worldline India : Ramesh Narasimhan
• WEIPL, part of Worldline group, offers solutions for all sorts of payment needs offering in-store, online, and omnichannel payments to its customers.

IFSCA introduces a new framework to boost distribution of capital market products from Gift City

• Gift City regulator International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) has come up with a regulatory framework for the distribution of capital market products and services from international financial services centres (IFSCs).
• With this move, distributors of capital market products can register with the IFSCA, and undertake global distribution from these IFSCs and offer their services to clients in various jurisdictions.
• Currently, there is only one IFSC in India GIFT City in

Key Highlights :

• In Gift City, distributors are permitted to enter into arrangements with other distributors (called associated distributors) from India, IFSC and foreign jurisdictions.
• The capital market services that can be provided out of the IFSCs include portfolio management services and investment advisory services.
• Distributors such as banking units, finance companies, broker-dealers and those with a net worth more than $1,50,000 are permitted to invest in select countries where the omnibus structure is allowed, subject to adequate measures such as prior consent of clients, maintenance of records, compliance with KYC and AML/CFT norms, etc.
• A comprehensive code of conduct has also been prescribed to ensure distributors maintain high standards of integrity, disclosure, diligence, promptitude and fairness in their dealings with clients.

About IFSCA :

• Headquarters : Gandhinagar, Gujarat
• Chairman : Injeti Srinivas
• The IFSCA is a statutory authority established under the International Financial Services Centres Authority Act, 2019 (“IFSCA Act”) with a mandate to develop and regulate the financial products, financial services, and financial institutions in the International Financial Services Centres (‘IFSC’).
• It will consist of nine members, appointed by the central government.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

AIC signs agreements with MSMEs to hasten the commercialisation of new products:

• Atal Incubation Centre (AIC) at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) signed agreements with MSMEs for the incubation of newer technologies into commercial products.
• The agreements were signed to commemorate the launch of the AIC at the BARC to hasten the conversion of products from research labs to the market.
• The incubation agreements are signed specifically for technologies aligned with India’s global commitments of achieving Net Zero (carbon neutrality) such as access to safe drinking water, and growth of potential import substitutes for advanced and affordable healthcare in the country.
• AIC-BARC is introduced as one of the three projects for the self-reliance of DAE and is established under the aegis of the Atal Innovation Mission, a flagship initiative of the union government to create and promote the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the country.
• The launch of AIC-BARC was announced in the 2020 Budget Speech of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and will complement the Aatma Nirbhar Bharat initiative of the government.
• Moreover, the incubation centre will help promote start-ups and other emerging businesses and create new employment opportunities for people. As per the framework of AIC-BARC, the scientists of BARC will mentor the incubatee industries for further improvisation and development of market-ready products with the help of DAE technologies.
• Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Director, BARC, representatives of Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, and senior members of DAE also attended the launch of the centre.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING AND INDEX

Badminton star PV Sindhu among top 25 highest-paid female athletes in Forbes’ annual list:

• India’s badminton star PV Sindhu is the only player in the top 25 in Forbes’ annual list of the highest-paid female athletes in the world.
• Sindhu, the 2016 Tokyo Olympics silver medallist, occupies the 12th spot in the list.
• Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka tops the list.
• The 27-year-old made 7 million US Dollars of her earnings, having won a singles gold and doubles silver at the Commonwealth Games earlier this year in Birmingham.
• For the third straight year, Osaka tops Forbes’ annual list of the World’s highest-paid female athletes.
• The list is dominated by tennis players once again.
• The list’s Top 10, includes Serena Williams, Emma Raducanu, Iga Swiatek, Venus Williams, Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula. For the record, Osaka and Serena are the only two women who are placed in the Top 50 of Forbes’ list of the world’s highest-paid athletes.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Prasar Bharati ADG elected as vice president of Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union

• Prasar Bharati Additional Director General Sunil has been unanimously elected as the Vice President of the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU).
• Sunil has been elected for a three year term.
• Prasar Bharati hosted the 59th ABU General Assembly and Associated Meetings in New Delhi in Nov 2022.
• Its General Assembly was attended by over 400 representatives of broadcasting organisations from more than 57 countries.

About ABU :

• Founded : 1 July 1964
• Headquarters : Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• President : Satoru Masagaki
• Membership : 287 members
• The ABU is a non-profit, professional association of broadcasters from Asia and Pacific regions.

P N Vasudevan to continue as MD & CEO of Equitas Small Finance Bank 

• The Board of Equitas Small Finance Bank (SFB) has decided to extend the term of PN Vasudevan as the managing director (MD) and the chief executive officer (CEO) for a period of 3 years with effect from July 23, 2023 subject to the approval of Reserve Bank of India and shareholders.
• The current term of Vasudevan as MD and CEO expires on July 22, 2023.

About PN Vasudevan :

• Vasudevan is the founder of Equitas and has been associated with its journey as a microfinance institution dating back to 2007.
• The entity was converted into a bank, under his leadership, in 2016.

About Equitas Small Finance Bank  :

• Founded : 2007
• Headquarters : Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

Geto Sora wins Junior International Badminton Championship title in Malaysia:

• Budding badminton sensation Geto Sora once again made Arunachal proud by winning the Top Arena Junior International Badminton Championship title in the below 9 years category, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
• He won the championship title after beating Malaysia’s second seed Jaryl Teh in straight sets 21-5, 21-16.
• This is Sora’s second international badminton title in two months.
• In November, the 7-year-old Sora won the multinational BTY-Yonex-Singha Championship, which was held at the Banthongyord Badminton School in Bangkok, Thailand.

Daily CA on December 27:

• The 75th Amrut Mahotsav of Shree Swaminarayan Gurukul Rajkot Sansthan was addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi through video conference.
• Indian billionaire Gautam Adani will control 64.71% of New Delhi Television Ltd (NDTV.NS) as the company’s founders have decided to sell most of their shares, four months after he launched a takeover of the news network.
• Atal Incubation Centre (AIC) at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) signed agreements with MSMEs for the incubation of newer technologies into commercial products.
• India’s badminton star PV Sindhu is the only player in the top 25 in Forbes’ annual list of the highest-paid female athletes in the world.
• Budding badminton sensation Geto Sora once again made Arunachal proud by winning the Top Arena Junior International Badminton Championship title in the below 9 years category, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
• UN-Water and the World Health Organization (WHO) have released the 2022 edition of the Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking Water (GLAAS) report, which presents the latest data from 121 countries and territories and 23 external support agencies.
• The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) is organising the Urban 20 (U20) event during India’s G20 presidency from December 01, 2022 to November 30, 2023.
• The Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Administrative Council which met under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, accorded its approval to the Rehabilitation Policy for Children in Street Situation (CiSS) to safeguard them from different hazards.
• The Meghalaya administration, which has launched a ‘jan andolan’ (people’s movement) against Tuberculosis, was honoured for using the best practices to combat the illness that affects nearly 2.6 million citizens annually in
• The Government of Kerala will host the Bekal International Beach Festival at the Spice Coast, in the far north of Kerala, better known as North Malabar.
• Canara Bank has achieved a milestone of crossing the total global business of Rs 20,00,000 crore.
• Indian Bank has partnered with Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) to provide vehicle finance for its customers.
• CSB Bank (erstwhile Catholic Syrian Bank Limited), one of the oldest private sector banks in India, in collaboration with Mastercard and OneCard has unveiled its first consumer credit card – CSB Bank OneCard- in
• Axis Bank has received a regulatory nod to act as a pension fund manager and has already crossed Rs 100 crore in assets under management (AUM) for its retirement business.
• Jammu and Kashmir Bank signed a memorandum of understanding with the Administration of Ladakh union territory, conferring preferential status to each other.
• Karnataka Bank has gone live on the Indian Customs Electronic Gateway (ICEGATE), the national portal of Indian Customs of Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, enabling its customers to pay customs duty online.
• Worldline ePayments India (WEIPL), a leader in digital payments, has received in-principle authorisation from the Reserve Bank Of India (RBI) to act as a payment aggregator (PA). 
• Gift City regulator International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) has come up with a regulatory framework for the distribution of capital market products and services from international financial services centres (IFSCs).
• Prasar Bharati Additional Director General Sunil has been unanimously elected as the Vice President of the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU).
• The Board of Equitas Small Finance Bank (SFB) has decided to extend the term of PN Vasudevan as the managing director (MD) and the chief executive officer (CEO) for a period of 3 years with effect from July 23, 2023 subject to the approval of Reserve Bank of India and shareholders.