December - 2023

Current Affairs December 2023 www.parchamclasses.
in
Contents
Important Days ....................................................... 3 National News ...................................................... 28
Books ..................................................................... 5 Economics ............................................................ 40
Appointments ......................................................... 6 International News ............................................... 43
Awards ................................................................. 10 Sports ................................................................... 52
Obituaries............................................................. 16 Report/Ranking .................................................... 59
State News ........................................................... 17
Connect Us - 2
Current Affairs December 2023 www.parchamclasses.in
Important Days
DATE DAY THEME/ REMARK
1 Dec World AIDS Day Theme 2023- “Let communities lead”
The first World AIDS Day was observed in 1988.
1 Dec Nagaland statehood day Nagaland became 16th State of the Union of India on 1st December 1963
1 Dec Border Security Force raising day This day marks the creation of BSF on December 1, 1965.
2 Dec National Pollution Control Day Theme 2023 - Sustainable Development for a Clean and Healthy Planet
Observed in remembrance of those who lost their lives in the Bhopal Gas
tragedy (methyl isocyanate leaked out of Union Carbide plant on night of
December 2-3 in 1984).
2 Dec International Day for the Theme 2023 – Fighting Slavery’s Legacy of Racism through
Abolition of Slavery Transformative Education
main objective - to eradicate contemporary forms of slavery
2 Dec World Computer Literacy Day Theme 2023 - Promoting literacy for a world in transition: Building the
foundation for sustainable and peaceful societies.
3 Dec International Day of Persons with Theme 2023 - United in action to rescue and achieve the SDGs for, with
Disabilities and by persons with disabilities
4 Dec International Day of Banks Designated by UNGA since 2019
4 Dec Indian Navy Day Theme 2023 is "Operational Efficiency, Readiness and Mission
Achievement in the Maritime Domain"
To respect the Indian Navy's counter-attack in Operation Trident during
the Indo-Pakistan war in 1971.
4 Dec International Cheetah Day -
5 Dec International Volunteer Day (IVD) 2023 Theme: the power of collective action: if everyone did.
recognize volunteer contributions to the achievement of the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) at local, national and international levels.
5 Dec World Soil Day 2023 Theme – Soil and water, a source of life
5 December 2014 as the first official World Soil Day.
7 Dec Armed Forces Flag Day Also the Flag Day of India - dedicated towards collection of funds from
people of India for the welfare of the Indian Armed Forces personnel.
observed since 1949
7 Dec International Civil Aviation Day Theme 2023: “Advancing Innovation for Global Aviation Development”.
In 1944, 54 nations came together to sign the Convention on International
Civil Aviation, also known as the ‘Chicago Convention’. The convention
approves the rules of airspace, aircraft registration, and safety.
9 Dec International Anti-Corruption Theme 2023 – ‘UNCAC at 20: Uniting the World Against Corruption.’
Day The UN General Assembly adopted the United Nations Convention
against Corruption on October 31, 2003, and designated December 9 as
International Anti-Corruption Day.
10 Dec Human Rights Day 2023 Theme: Freedom, Equality and Justice for All
2023 marks the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights.
11 Dec UNICEF Day Theme 2023 – “For every child, every right.“
• UNGA created UNICEF on December 11, 1946
• UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund, an organization
established in 1946.
• UNICEF Headquarters – New York
11 Dec International Mountain Day • Theme 2023 – Restoring mountain ecosystems
• Since 2003
12-Dec International Day of Neutrality To raise public awareness of the value of neutrality in international
relations.
12-Dec International Universal Health Theme 2023 – Health For All: Time for action.
Coverage Day Aims to raise awareness of the need for strong and resilient health
systems and universal health coverage with multi-stakeholder partners.
14 Dec National Energy Conservation The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), established under the Union
Day Ministry of Power, has been organizing the National Energy Conservation
Day since 1991.
Connect Us - 3
16 Dec Vijay Diwas Bijoy Dibos or Vijay Diwas or विजय दििस or Victory Day is
commemorated in Bangladesh and India, to observe India’s victory
over Pakistan in War of 1971 for the liberation of Bangladesh from
Pakistan.
18 Dec Minorities Rights Day in India Theme for 2023 – Celebrating Diversity and Inclusion
celebrated by National Commission for Minorities in India, which was
established under the National Commission for Minorities act, 1992.
Dec 18 International Migrants Day Theme: Act today (given by UN)
19 Dec Goa's Liberation Day Goa got its freedom from Portuguese on 19th December, 1961 after 450
years.
On December 18, 1961, India launched a 36-hour military operation
called Operation Vijay.
20 Dec International Human Solidarity -
Day
22 Dec National Mathematics Day to mark the birth anniversary of legendary Indian mathematician,
Srinivasa Ramanujan. Started in 2012.
On this day, Srinivasa Ramanujan was born in 1887 to a Tamil Brahmin
Iyengar family at Erode, Tamil Nadu.
23 Dec Kisan Diwas/ National Farmer's Commemorates birthday of the 5th Prime Minister of India, Choudhary
Day Charan Singh, also a farmer's leader
He served twice as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
24 Dec National Consumer Day/ or On this day, the Consumer Protection Act, of 1986 received the assent of
Bharatiya Grahak Diwas the president
celebrated first time in the year 2000.
World Consumer Rights Day is celebrated on the 15th of March
25 Dec Good Governance Day (India) The day is celebrated on the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister
सुशासन दििस Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Since 2014
Good Governance Week from December 19 to 25 (3rd edition)
26 Dec Veer Baal Diwas This day is observed to pay honor and tribute to the sacrifices made by
Sahibzada Zorawar Singh (6) and Sahibzada Fateh Singh (9), who were
laid down their lives while defending their faith in Sirhind, Punjab.
27 Dec International Day of Epidemic Declared by UNGA in 2020.
Preparedness The decision is part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Which day is observed as ‘Border Security Force

raising day ’? 24 December is observed as:
a) 1 December a) Good Governance Day
b) 2 December b) National Consumer Day
c) 3 December c) Human Rights Day
d) 4 December d) UNICEF Day
Which day is observed as ‘Kisan Diwas’? What was the theme of the ‘World AIDS Day’ 2023?
a) 22 December a) End Inequalities. End AIDS
b) 23 December b) Equalize
c) 24 December c) Let Communities Lead
d) 26 December d) Global Solidarity, Shared Responsibility
‘International Migrants Day’ is observed on:

a) 14 December
b) 16 December
c) 18 December
d) 19 December
Connect Us - 4
Books
Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami released Book 'RESILIENT INDIA: How Modi Transformed
India's Disaster Management Paradigm
• The book Highlights PM Modi's Role In Transforming disaster management
Huma Qureshi launched 1st novel ‘Zeba’.
Naye Bharat Ka Samveda

• Former President of India, Ram Nath Kovind launched a book “ Naye Bharat ka Samveda”
in New Delhi.
• The book is a compilation of speeches of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Indian
Constitution.
• ‘Karmayoddha Granth’: This book based on the life of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was
released by Amit Shah.
• “Narendra Modi: A Political Biography”: Andy Marino
Major books written by Prime Minister Narendra Modi:
• Exam Warriors in both English and Hindi languages
• A Journey: Poems by Narendra Modi
• Jyotipunj (in both English and Hindi language)
• Waqt ki Mang
Twinkle Khanna launches her fourth book 'Welcome to Paradise'

• Twinkle Khanna has previously authored books like ‘Mrs Funnybones,’
‘Pyjamas are Forgiving,’ and ‘The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad’.
Short News
• A Book Titled “The Babri Masjid Ram Mandir Dilemma” Authored By Madhav Godbole
Connect Us - 5
Appointments
Kanchan Devi first woman DG of Doon-based ICFRE
• Kanchan Devi - Director General (DG) of the Indian Council of Forestry Research
Education (ICFRE).
• ICFRE is under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Indian Council of Forestry Research Education (ICFRE):
• Established – 1986
• Headquarters – Dehradun
• It is an autonomous organization.
Commander P. Deosthalee Becomes The First Woman To Command An INW(an Indian

Naval Warship )
• Indian Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar
The Indian Navy comprises three commands.

• Eastern Naval Command – Headquartered in Visakhapatnam.
• Western Naval Command – Headquartered in Mumbai.
• Southern Naval Command – Headquartered in Kochi.
• Padma Bandopadhyay: She was the first woman to be promoted to

the rank of Air Marshal in the Indian Air Force.
Captain Geetika Koul 1st woman medical officer to be deployed at Siachen

• She is from Snow Leopard Brigade of the Indian Army at the world's highest battlefield, Siachen.
Vice Admiral Dinesh Tripathi to become India’s new Vice Chief of Navy Staff
• Vice Admiral Tripathi is set to assume his new responsibilities on January 4,
2024.
Nina Singh First Woman CISF Chief

• Neena Singh has become the first woman to be appointed to the post of Director
General of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)
• till 31 July 2024.
Connect Us - 6
Central Industrial Security Force (CISF):

• It works under the Union Home Ministry.
• It was established in 1969 by the Indian Parliament under the CISF Act 1968.
• Motto – "Safety and Defense“
• Headquarters – New Delhi
Anish Dayal Singh appointed CRPF chief

• Anish Dayal Singh was appointed as the Director General of Central Reserve Police
Force (CRPF)
• Vivek Srivastava, will be Director General of Fire Service, Civil Defence and Home
Guards.
Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF):

• It is the largest central armed police force under the Union Home Ministry.
• It was established in 1939 as the Crown Representatives Police.
• After Independence, it became the Central Reserve Police Force on 28 December 1949 with the enactment
of the CRPF Act.
• Motto – Service and Loyalty
• Headquarters – New Delhi
Rahul Rasgotra ITBP Chief

• IPS officer Rahul Rasgotra was appointed Director General of ITBP.
• till September 30, 2025
Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP):
• It was established in 1962.
• usually deployed in the Himalayan mountains along the border with China.
• Motto - Bravery – Perseverance – Dedication
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• IPS officer Rahul Rasgotra was appointed Director General of ITBP.
• till September 30, 2025
Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP):
• usually deployed in the Himalayan mountains along the border with China.
• Motto - Bravery – Perseverance – Dedication
• Headquarters: New Delhi
Jithesh John Assumes Role As IBBI Executive Director

• Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI)
Max Life Insurance appoints Rajiv Anand as Chairman, Analjit Singh resigns
Connect Us - 7
Captain Fatima Wasim has become the first woman medical officer to be posted at
the operational post of Siachen Glacier
Mohan Yadav becomes new Madhya Pradesh chief minister

• MLA Jagdish Devda from Mandsaur and MLA Rajendra Shukla from Rewa have
been elected as deputy chief ministers.
Lalduhoma took oath as Mizoram’s next CM

• From Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) Party
Revanth Reddy appointed as Telangana's new chief minister

• From Congress
• Revanth Reddy is the second Chief Minister of Telangana
Vishnu Deo Sai Is New Chhattisgarh Chief Minister

• Vishnu Deo becomes Chhattisgarh's first tribal chief minister
• Vishnu Deo Sai is from the Kanwar tribe.
Bhajan Lal Sharma as new chief minister of Rajasthan

• Diya Kumari and Prem Chand Bairwa have been made the Deputy
Chief Ministers of Rajasthan.
SEBI approved Pramod Agrawal’s appointment as BSE Chairman

• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has granted approval for the
appointment of Pramod Agrawal as the Chairman of BSE Ltd from January 17,
2024
• term of current chairman S S Mundra ends on January 16
• The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) is India's first and largest stock market and was
founded in 1875 as the Native Equity and Stockbroker Association.
SC Collegium Recommends Names Of New Chief Justices For 5 High Courts

• Supreme Court Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India DY
Chandrachud
• The Chief Justice of Allahabad, Rajasthan, Guwahati, Jharkhand,
Punjab and Haryana High Court will be appointed by the Supreme
Court Collegium.
• Justice Manindra Mohan Srivastava recommended as the Chief
Justice of the Rajasthan High Court.
Connect Us - 8
• Justice Arun Bhansali recommended for Allahabad High Court.

• Justice Vijay Bishnoi recommended for the Gauhati High Court.
• Justice BR Sarangi recommended for the Jharkhand High Court.
• Justice Sheel Nagu recommended for the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Supreme Court Collegium:

• The body appoints and transfers judges in the High Court and the Supreme Court.
• It is neither a constitutional nor statutory institution, but it was established through the decisions of the
Supreme Court.
• The Collegium of the Supreme Court is headed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and includes four
other senior-most judges.
Justice Sanjiv Khanna nominated NALSA Chairperson

National Legal Services Authority (NALSA).
• NALSA has been constituted under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, to
provide free legal services to the weaker sections of society and to organise
Lok Adalats for amicable settlement of disputes.
• The prime objective of NALSA is the speedy disposal of cases and reducing the
burden on the judiciary.
Vita Dani Makes History As First Indian On ITTF Governing Board

• Sports entrepreneur Vita Dani has become the first Indian to be inducted as a
governing board member of the International Table Tennis Federation's (ITTF)
Foundation.
• The Foundation was established in 2018 by the ITTF to attract more people to the
sport.
RBI Approves CS Rajan As The Chairman Of Kotak Mahindra Bank

• for two years w.e.f. January 1, 2024
• Rajan replaces Prakash Apte, whose term expires on December 31, 2023.
• Founder: Uday Kotak
• Founded: 21 November 1985
• Headquarters: Mumbai
HDFC Bank board approves re-appointment of Atanu Chakraborty as Chairman
Uday A Kaole Takes Over as CMD of Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd
Connect Us - 9
Sony Sports Ropes In Kartik Aaryan As Brand Ambassador For Football
Bisleri signed Deepika Padukone as it’s Global Brand Ambassador
Premium global smartphone brand TECNO has appointed Indian superstar Deepika
Padukone as its brand ambassador.
Tripura appoints Ganguly as its tourism brand ambassador
Short News
• Senior IPS officer Maheshwar Dayal takes over as Director General of Prisons
• Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar, has been appointed as the ex-officio Chancellor of Pondicherry
University.
Awards
National Sports Awards 2023
• Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports announced National Sports Awards 2023
• President of India will give away the awards on 09th January 2024
• Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2023
S. No. Name of the sportsperson* Discipline

1. Shri Chirag Chandrashekhar Shetty Badminton
2. Shri Rankireddy Satwik Sai Raj Badminton
• ‘Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award’ is given for most outstanding performance in the field of sports by a
sportsperson over the period of the previous four years.
• 26 Sports persons will receive Arjuna Awards for outstanding performance in Sports and Games 2023
Name of the sportsperson Discipline

Shri Ojas Pravin Deotale Archery
Ms Aditi Gopichand Swami Archery
Shri Sreeshankar M Athletics
Ms Parul Chaudhary Athletics
Connect Us - 10
Ms Diksha Dagar Golf
Shri Krishan Bahadur Pathak Hockey
Ms R Vaishali Chess
Shri Mohammed Shami Cricket

Shri Illuri Ajay Kumar Reddy Blind Cricket
Ms Prachi Yadav Para Canoeing

Ms Sheetal Devi Para Archery
Shri Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar Shooting
Ms Esha Singh Shooting

Shri Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu Squash
• ‘Dronacharya Award for outstanding coaches in Sports and Games’ is given to coaches for doing outstanding
and meritorious work on a consistent basis
• Regular Category:
Name of the Coach Discipline
Shri Lalit Kumar Wrestling

Shri R. B. Ramesh Chess
Shri Mahaveer Prasad Saini Para Athletics
Shri Shivendra Singh Hockey
Shri Ganesh Prabhakar Devrukhkar Mallakhamb
 Lifetime Category:
S.No. Name of the Coach Discipline

1. Shri Jaskirat Singh Grewal Golf
2. Shri Bhaskaran E Kabaddi
3. Shri Jayanta Kumar Pushilal Table Tennis
• Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime achievement in Sports and Games 2023:
S. No. Name of the sportsperson Discipline

1. Ms Manjusha Kanwar Badminton
2. Shri Vineet Kumar Sharma Hockey
3. Ms Kavitha Selvaraj Kabaddi
Connect Us - 11
 Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy 2023:
1. Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar Overall winner university

2. Lovely Professional University, Punjab 1st runner up University
3. Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra 2nd runner up University
First Divyang Sports Awards

• Javelin thrower Sumit Antil and archer Sheetal Devi won the
prestigious Best Male and Best Female Athlete awards at the first
Divyang Sports Awards.
• The 1st Divyang Sports Awards has been instituted for the first time in
the country exclusively for Divyang athletes
• India's first Paralympic gold medalist and freestyle swimmer Muralikant Petkar, who won gold at the 1972
Paralympics, was also honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
• Renowned para-badminton coach Gaurav Khanna - best coach award.
• Gaurav Khanna Excellia Badminton Academy also won the Best Academy Award.
• Major Dhyanchand Team of the Year Award: The Indian Blind Chess team
About Sumit Antil:

• Sonipat, Haryana
• He holds the current world record with a throw of 73.29 meters at the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou.
• 2021 – Khel Ratna Award, India's highest sporting honour.
• 2022 – Padma Shri Award, the fourth highest civilian award of the Republic of India.
About Sheetal Devi:

• Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir.
• Sheetal Devi had won two gold and one silver in the Asian Para Games held in Hangzhou, China.
• He has been chosen the Best Young Athlete of the Year 2023.
• He has recently been selected for the Arjuna Award 2023.
Olympian M. Sreeshankar Clinches 35th Jimmy George Foundation Award

• Olympian Murali Sreeshankar, the long jump silver medallist in the
Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, has won the 35th Jimmy George
Foundation award for the best sportsperson of Kerala.
Sahitya Akademi Award 2023

• Sahitya Akademi has announced its annual Sahitya Akademi Award
2023 in 24 Languages.
• Sanjeev will get Sahitya Akademi Award for his Hindi novel Mujhe
Pahachaano.
• Neelam Saran Gour will get the award for her English Novel
Requiem in Raga Janki.
• Sahitya Akademi Award, established in the year 1954
• Apart from the 22 languages included in the Constitution of India, this award is also given in English and
Rajasthani.
• The Sahitya Akademi Award is the second-highest literary honour conferred by the Government of India
after the Jnanpith Award.
• The first winner of the Sahitya Akademi Award was RK Narayan, who was given the award in 1960 for his
novel 'The Guide'.
Connect Us - 12
Noted Hindi Writer Pushpa Bharati To Receive 33rd Vyas Samman

• Pushpa Bharati’s 2016 memoir, Yaadein, Yaadein aur Yaadein, has
been selected for the 33rd Vyas Samman, 2023
• The award was instituted by the KK Birla Foundation in 1991. It is
given annually to an outstanding work of Hindi literature by an Indian
citizen published in the last 10 years.
• It carries a cash prize of ₹4 lakh, a citation and a plaque
• Besides the Vyas Samman, the KK Birla Foundation has also instituted
Saraswati Samman and Bihari Puraskar.
Javed Akhtar to be felicitated with Padmapani Lifetime Achievement Award at

the Ajanta-Ellora Film Festival
Bhutanese author Tshering Tashi conferred with Sahitya Akademi’s Premchand

Fellowship
• The ‘Premchand Fellowship’ is named after popular Hindi writer Munshi
Premchand and was instituted by the Sahitya Akademi in 2005 on his 125th
Birth Anniversary
Poet Sukrita Paul Kumar Wins Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize For ‘Salt &
Pepper
• cash prize of USD 5,000, a Tagore statue, and a certificate
Karnataka bags National Energy Conservation Award 2023

• Karnataka bagged first place in the State Designated Agency (SDA Group-1)
category at the National Energy Conservation Awards – 2023 (NECA 2022)
held in Delhi.
• The Bureau of Energy Efficiency organized the awards as part of the
National Energy Conservation Day.
Mr L P Hemanth K Srinivasulu Receives ‘Man Of The Year 2023’

Award From Home Minister Shri Amit Shah
• Mr. L.P. Hemanth K. Srinivasulu, the newly appointed
Director of the Latin America and Caribbean Trade Council
• Mr. Hemanth’s outstanding contributions to trade
diplomacy and global economic relations.
Connect Us - 13
President Droupadi Murmu presents President's Colour to Armed Forces Medical College Pune
• Reason: commendable work in providing medical services in the country and abroad in its glorious history of
75 years.
• Known as the 'Rashtrapati Ka Nishan', this flag is the highest honor given to a military unit.
• She also virtually inaugurated the Armed Forces Centre for Computational Medicine ‘Prajna’.
Prashant Agrawal Receives National Award For ‘Best Personality- Empowerment

Of Differently-Abled
• In 2017, the Rajasthan government honored him with the Best Social
Worker Award.
Arshia Sattar Conferred With French Honour

• Renowned author and translator Arshia Sattar honored with the Knight of the Order
of Arts and Letters by the French government.
• Notable among her works are translations of epics like
• the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, as well as tales from Kathasaritsagara.
• “The Mahabharata for Children” earning her the Sahitya Akademi Prize for Children’s
Literature in 2022.
Indian-Origin Novelist Meira Chand Receives Singapore’s Highest Arts Award

• Her ‘The Painted Cage’ (1986) was longlisted for the prestigious Booker Prize.
Jay Shah Honoured With Sports Business Leader Of The Year Award
• organized by Confederation of Indian Industry.
• Jay Shah - Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary & President of
the Asian Cricket Council.
• Jay Shah is the first person in the Indian sports administration to receive this
honour.
• Sports Franchise of the Year Award: Royal Challenger Bangalore (RCB)

• Best states promoting sports: Tamil Nadu
Activist Ali Abu Awwad and pianist Daniel Barenboim win Indira Gandhi Peace Prize
• for their efforts in bringing together the youth and peoples of Israel and the
Arab World for a non-violent resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
• The International Jury of the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and
Development chaired by former Chief Justice of India T.S. Thakur.
• Established: 1986
Ex-UN Secretary-General Gen Ban Ki-moon gets Power of One Award 2023
• Lifetime Achievement Award at the Power of One Award 2023
ceremony, organised by the Diwali Foundation USA.
• The awards are granted to selfless individuals for their help to form a
peaceful and secure world for all.
• They are hailed as the 'Oscars of diplomacy'.
Connect Us - 14
Nikhil Dey Named ‘Global Anti-Corruption Champion’ By US
At COP28: Game-Changing Innovator award for plastic surgeon Dr Atul Shah

• Dr. Atul Shah, a plastic surgeon, has been honored with the 2023 REACH Game Changing Innovator award
for his groundbreaking contribution to leprosy care.
IREDA CMD bags the ‘CMD of the Year’ award for a second consecutive year
• Pradip Kumar Das, Chairman & Managing Director of IREDA, receives the prestigious "CMD of the Year"
award at the 13th PSE Excellence Awards in the Mini-Ratna category.
• hosted by the Indian Chamber of Commerce in New Delhi
• Founded: 1987
Bhutan’s top honor for former Punjab Cadre IAS Officer Dr Khetrapal/
• Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh, the Regional Director of the World Health
Organisation (WHO) South-East Asia, has been honored with Bhutan’s
National Order of Merit (NOM) Gold Medal.
• Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk
ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 Moon Mission Earns Leif Erikson Lunar Prize

• Indian Ambassador Balasubramanian Shyam received this prestigious
award on behalf of ISRO.
• The 'Chandrayaan-3' was launched on 14 July by ISRO
• It was launched by LVM 3 from Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota.
• It included Lander (Vikram) and Rover configuration (Pragyan).
About Leif Erikson Lunar Prize:

• Establishment – 2015
• The Leif Erikson Lunar Prize is provided by the Investigation Museum to celebrate extraordinary
achievements in lunar exploration.
• This award is given every year in his name.
Nyholm Prize:
• Professor Savita Ladage from Mumbai received the
Royal Society of Chemistry’s Nyholm Prize for
Education in recognition of her contributions to
chemistry education.
Connect Us - 15
NTPC Kanti receives FICCI Water Award 2023 for industrial water use efficiency
• NTPC Kanti has been awarded the 11th Edition of FICCI Water Award 2023 under the "Industrial Water Use
Efficiency" category.
• The award was presented by the Director General of National Mission for Clean Ganga, Government of India
G Asok Kumar
INS Shivaji Received 'Vir Chakra' Of 1971 War Hero

• INS Shivaji received the original 'Vir Chakra' awarded to the late Vice-Admiral Benoy Roy Chowdhury, the
1971 War Hero.
• INS Shivaji serves as the Indian Navy's leading technical training institution.
• Vice-Admiral Dinesh Prabhakar of INS Shivaji received the honour at the training ground at Lonavala.
• 'Veer Chakra' is an award given for military bravery during wartime.
• Benoy Roy Chowdhury is the only technical officer of the Navy to be honoured with this award.
About INS Shivaji:

• It is an Indian Naval station located in Lonavala, Maharashtra. INS Shivaji houses the Naval College of
Engineering.
• It educates and trains Indian Navy and Coast Guard officers.
• The Indian Naval Station was commissioned in February 1945 as His Majesty's Indian Ship (HMIS) Shivaji.
Short News
• Amazon India received the National Award for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities for fostering an
inclusive environment for individuals with disabilities awarded by Gol.
Obituaries
Renowned sculptor and former Chairman of Lalit Kala Akademi Dr Uttam Pacharne
passed away
Former European Commission President Jacques Delors Dies at 98
DMDK founder ‘Captain’ Vijayakanth passed away in Chennai

• He established himself as a versatile actor with a successful career in cinema.
South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun, widely recognized for his role in the Oscar-winning
film Parasite, has been found dead
Sheikh Nawab AI-Ahmad AI-Sahab, Kuwait Emir, Passed Away At The Age Of 86
• India observing a one-day state mourning
Connect Us - 16
Former chairman of the National Commission for Women and Padma Bhushan (2007) awardee
Mohini Giri passed away.
Nobel Peace Prize winner Henry Kissinger passed away

• Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973 for his role in the
Paris Peace Accords.
Exposed AIDS epidemic, Dr. Gao Yaojie passed away

• Chinese doctor Gao Yaojie, known for having exposed the AIDS epidemic in the rural part of
the country, died at the age of 95.
State News
Anand Marriage Act implemented in J&K, gives recognition to Sikh marriage rituals
• This Act provides statutory recognition to the marriage rituals of Sikhs, addressing
their longstanding demand to separate their marriages from the Hindu Marriage
Act.
• The newly formulated “Jammu and Kashmir Anand Marriage Registration Rules,
2023” outline the procedures for Anand marriages.
Historical Context of the Anand Marriage Act

• The historical roots of the Anand Marriage Act date back to 1909 when the British Imperial Legislative
Council passed legislation recognizing the Sikh wedding ceremony, Anand Karaj.
• The Act aimed to acknowledge and respect the customs and practices of the Sikh community. In 2012, the
Parliament passed the Anand Marriage (Amendment) Bill, bringing Sikh traditional marriages under legal
recognition.
Jammu & Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023:

• The Lok Sabha has passed two significant bills related to Jammu and Kashmir, aimed at providing rights to
those who faced injustice and were deprived of their rights in the Union Territory.
• Aims to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004.
• Provides reservation in jobs and admission in professional institutions to Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled
Tribes (STs), and other socially and educationally backward classes.

• The amendment suggests a change in the nomenclature of a section of people previously described as “weak
and underprivileged classes (social castes)” to “other backward classes.”
• Introduces changes to Section 2 of the 2004 Act.
• The bill provides for the reservation of 7 seats for the Scheduled Castes and 9 seats for the Scheduled Tribes in
the assembly.
Connect Us - 17
Amendment:
• Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 Seeks to amend the Jammu and Kashmir
Reorganisation Act, 2019.
• Provides representation in the Legislative Assembly to Kashmiri migrants and displaced persons from
Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
• The bill proposes to increase the number of seats in the Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly from 107 to
114.
• Out of these 114 seats, 24 seats will be reserved for the people of the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir(POK).
• earlier there were 2 nominated members in the Assembly, now there will be 5
• Earlier there were 37 seats in Jammu which have now become 43, there were 46 seats in Kashmir earlier
which have now become 47 and 24 seats have been kept reserved for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Pong Dam Wildlife Sanctuary

• The Union Ministry of Environment and Forest recently issued a
draft notification declaring a one-kilometre area from the
boundaries of the Pong Dam Wildlife Sanctuary in Kangra district
as an eco-sensitive zone.
• Pong Dam Lake (also known as Maharana Pratap Sagar) is a
manmade reservoir formed due to the construction of Pong Dam
on the Beas River in the wetland zone of Shivalik Hills.
• In 1983, the entire reservoir was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary by
the Himachal Pradesh government.
• Pong Dam Lake was declared a Ramsar Site in November 2002.
• The climate of the region is subtropical.
National Park located in Himachal Pradesh –

Great Himalayan National Park:
• declared a national park in the year 1999.
• In the year 2014, it was given the status of UNESCO World Heritage Site for its amazing contribution in
biodiversity conservation.
Pin Valley National Park:
• Pin Valley National Park is located in Lahaul and Spiti district.
• Inderkilla National Park
• Kheerganga National Park
PM Modi to inaugurate Uttarakhand Global Investors Summit in Dehradun

• Global Investors Summit 2023’ at Forest Research Institute, Dehradun.
• theme : “Peace to Prosperity”.
• ‘Uttarakhand Global Investors Summit 2023’ is a step towards establishing
Uttarakhand as a new investment destination.
Aarogya Maitri Aid Cube:

• The world’s first portable hospital, ‘Aarogya Maitri Aid Cube’, was unveiled
recently in Gurugram.
• Aarogya Maitri Aid Cube is the world’s first portable hospital.
• Designed indigenously under Project BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for
Sahyog Hita and Maitri),
• system is made up of 72 detachable mini-cubes
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• It contains medical equipment and supplies such as a mini-ICU, an operation theatre, cooking station, food,
water, a power generator, blood test equipment, an X-ray machine, and more.
• It can treat as many as 200 patients.
• These cubes are light and portable, and can be rapidly deployed anywhere, from airdrops to ground
transportation.
Cinereous Vulture
• The Cinereous Vulture, one of the largest raptors in the world, has been sighted at the
Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Cinereous Vulture is also known as the Eurasian Black Vulture or monk vulture.
• It is one of the heaviest and largest raptors in the world.
• It is mainly found in Spain and inland Portugal, South France, central Asia, northern
India, northern Manchuria, Mongolia and Korea.
IUCN: Near threatened
• Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary:It is located on the Southern Delhi Ridge of the Aravalli hill range on the Delhi-
Haryana border.
International Gita Mahotsav Inaugurated In Kurukshetra (Haryana)

• Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurated the International Gita Seminar
and Geeta Mahotsav at Brahma Sarovar, Kurukshetra
• The theme of the seminar is – “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: Srimad Bhagavad
Gita and Universal Unity”.
• Assam is the main state partner in this programme.
History of International Geeta Mahotsav –

• Beginning – Year 1989
• Declared a national festival - year 2002 (by Geeta Jayanti Committee formed in 1992)
• International Status - Year 2016
• In the year 2019, this festival was celebrated outside the country for the first time in Mauritius and London.
• The International Gita Mahotsav was organized in Australia in April 2023. The festival will be held in America
in the year 2024.
Civic body looks to rename Firozabad to Chandra Nagar

• A proposal to rename Firozabad, in Uttar Pradesh, to Chandra Nagar was approved by the municipal
corporation
• The plan seeks to rename the city after Raja Chandra Sen, who ruled the region in the 16th century
• In 1566, Mansabdar Firoz Shah, sent by Akbar, changed its name to Firozabad
PM Modi To Inaugurate Of Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate the 402 km Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor, connecting
New Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction to New Bhaupur Junction.
• It is part of 402 km-long segment of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC)
• It encompasses a total of 12 stations, including six junction stations and six crossing stations.
Ayodhya Railway Station To Be Renamed As Ayodhya Dham
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Ayodhya Airport To Be Renamed Maharishi Valmiki Airport

• The airport currently boasts the lengthy name “Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram
International Airport.”
• The Yogi Adityanath government is reportedly considering renaming it “Maharishi
Valmiki Airport,” honoring the revered poet who authored the epic Ramayana.
UP CM Yogi Starts Agra-Mathura First Intra-District Helicopter Service

• will fly from Bateshwar in Agra to Goverdhan in Mathura
• Based on the PPP model.It will cover a distance of 65 km between
Agra and Mathura.
• The projects worth ₹100 crore are aimed at bringing new life to
Bateshwar, a historical village located amid the ravines of Chambal
across the borders of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
International Airports in Uttar Pradesh:

• There are 3 operational international airports in UP.
• Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow
• Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Varanasi
• Kushinagar International Airport, Kushinagar
• There are many new international airports under construction in the state. These include mainly
• Jewar International Airport, Gautam Buddha Nagar
• Taj International Airport, Greater Noida
• Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram International Airport, Ayodhya
• The upcoming airports are expected to begin operations in 2024.
Sanskriti Utsav 2023

• 'Sanskriti Utsav 2023' will be organized in the state from December 25 to January 26, 2024, to enrich the
cultural heritage of Uttar Pradesh and to make folk art famous all over the world including the country.
• Theme of Sanskriti Utsav:
• Uttar Pradesh Festival: Our Culture-Our Identity’
• First Chief Minister of the state – Pt. Govind Ballabh Pant
• First woman Chief Minister of the state and country - Sucheta Kripalani
• Current Chief Minister – Yogi Adityanath
• First woman governor of the state and country - Sarojini Naidu
UP To Build India’s First AI City In Lucknow
Cabinet Approves 4.56 km Ganga Bridge In Bihar Connecting Digha- Sonpur

• This bridge will be a 6-lane cable bridge between Digha and Sonpur
district in Bihar.
• The total cost of the project is Rs 3,064.45 crore
• This project of Bihar is a part of the Buddha Circuit.
• Digha (situated at Patna and the south bank of the Ganga River) and
Sonepur (north bank of the Ganga River in Saran district) are presently
connected by a rail-cum-road bridge for the movement of light
vehicles only, restricting its use for transportation of goods and
commodities.
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Statue of ‘Jatayu’ installed at Ayodhya Mandir complex

• A bronze idol of ‘Jatayu’ has been installed at historic ‘Kuber Tila’
located in the Ram Janmabhoomi complex in Ayodhya.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to offer his tributes at the
idol on January 22, 2024, before presiding over the consecration
ceremony.
• Treasurer of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Trust, Govind
Devagiri
PM Modi inaugurates SwarVed Mahamandir at Umaraha in Varanasi

• It is world's largest meditation center Swaraveda Mahamandir at Umrah
• There is no idol of any deity in this temple. Instead of worship in the temple, yoga practice will be done to
attain the knowledge of Brahma.
• Prime Minister also unveiled a 135 feet tall statue of Saint Sadafal Maharaj.(author of Swarveda)
• The construction work of Swarveda Mahamandir was started in the year 2004. The foundation of the
Mahamandir was laid by Sadguru Acharya Swatantra Dev and Sant Pravar Vigyan Dev.
• This temple has been built by GRC technique of Gujarat.
Bihar Police To Launch ‘Mission Investigation@75 Days’ From January 1, 2024

• Bihar Police have decided to make it binding on investigators to complete investigation of cases within 75
days of registration of FIR from January 1 next year
• The performances of all police stations and district police will also be reviewed on a monthly basis from
January 1, 2024.
Bihar Launches ‘Mission Daksh’ To Aid 25 Lakh Academically Weak Students

• Full name:'Mission Daksh' (Dynamic Approach for Knowledge and Skill)
• Aim:aiding around 25 lakh students facing academic challenges in Classes 3-8 in government-operated
schools.
• Each teacher will mentor only five students, specifically those struggling with fluency in Hindi and English
and facing challenges in basic Mathematics.
• To ensure the effective implementation of ‘Mission Daksh,’ district-wise monitoring committees, led by
district magistrates, will oversee the program’s progress.
• The committees will play a pivotal role in daily supervision starting from December 1.
• Extra classes, held post-lunch with no more than five students at a time, will be conducted by teachers.
• All identified students are expected to take their final examinations in April 2024.
• The Education Department emphasizes that if these students fail, strict departmental action will be taken
against headmasters, principals, and teachers.
First World Odia Language Conference 2024 to be held in Bhubaneswar

• By hosting the first World Odia Language Conference, the promotion, dissemination and research work of
the Odia language will be enhanced.
• Odia is a language spoken in the state of Odisha. It is also the official language of the state
• As a linguistic family, Odia is an Aryan language.
• The oldest example of written Odia language is found in Madala Panji (register of Jagannath temple of Puri),
which was written on palm leaves.
• Tripura Road Investment Approved by Cabinet
• Approval was granted to upgrade a 135 km Khowai-Harina highway stretch in Tripura for Rs 2,486 crore.
Japan will provide 70% financing
• it will ease travel between Assam and Tripura and also improve connectivity between north and south
Tripura.
• To provide alternative access to Assam and Meghalaya from Tripura, apart from existing NH-8.
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Meghalaya’s Lakadong Turmeric gets Geographical Indication tag

• It is considered to be one of the world's best varieties of turmeric
• It is darker in colour and is grown organically without the use of fertilisers.
• It is found in Lakadong area of Jaintia Hills, has high curcumin content.
Lakadong Turmeric Received GI Tag Belongs To

A. Kerala
B. Meghalaya
C. Gujarat
D. Punjab
Amrit Brikshya Andolan: Assam govt creates nine Guinness World Records
• some of the following records that were created in September this year:
• Longest line of Potted Saplings (September 9) (approx. 22km line)
• Largest number of saplings distributed at one venue in 24 hours (September
10)
• Most trees planted by a team in 24 hours (September 13-14)
• Most trees planted by a team in 1 hour (September 15)
• Largest potted saplings mosaic (September 16)
26th National Integration And Youth Leadership Camp At Itanagar

Inaugurated by- Governor of Arunachal Pradesh Lt. General KT Parnaik, (Retd.)
Organised by- Central Calcutta Science & Culture Organisation for Youth (CCSCOY)
(Founded in 1996)
Place- Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh
Theme- Viksit Yuva, Viksit Bharat
• The Camp is attended by about 1,000 children, including 250 youth from several states in the NorthEast
Region.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced the “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat” programme.
• On the occasion of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's 140th birth anniversary, the programme was launched on
October 31, 2015.
• Formation: 20 February 1987
• Before was: North-East Frontier Agency
• Capital: Itanagar (Executive Branch)
• Chief minister: Pema Khandu
• Flower: Foxtail orchid
PM Modi unveiled the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot Fort

• Rajkot Fort in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi also attended the Navy Day 2023 celebrations in Sindhudurg
• The event, hosted by Admiral R. Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff
• The fort was built in 1660 by Maratha Ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The Sindhudurg Fort boasts of
India's rich maritime history
• The Maratha empire founder's seal inspired the new naval ensign that was adopted last year when PM Modi
commissioned the first indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant.
• PM Modi inaugurated Kashi Tamil Sangamam 2.0 at Namo Ghat.
• He also flagged off the Kashi Tamil Sangamam Express train that is bound to run between Kanyakumari and
Varanasi.
• The second edition of Kashi Tamil Sangamam, scheduled from December 17 to 30, 2023, is part of the ‘Ek
Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Yuva Sangam’ program.
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Surat Diamond Bourse : World’s Largest Corporate Office Hub

• Surat, Gujarat, the gem capital of India, has hosting the world's largest office
building - the 'Surat Diamond Bourse.’
• Surat Diamond Bourse is located in Khajod village, near Surat.
• ‘Surat Diamond Bourse.’ Replacing the iconic Pentagon in the US
• The Surat Diamond Bourse has a platinum ranking from the Indian Green
Building Council (IGBC).
• It will also be a global centre for trading both rough and polished diamonds as well as jewellery.
• It is built on 35.54 acres of land at a cost of Rs 3,400 crore.
• It is the world’s largest interconnected building, as it houses over 4,500 interconnected offices.
• The renowned architecture firm, Morphogenesis, based in New Delhi, was responsible for designing the
impressive Surat Diamond Bourse.
Banni Grassland : Setup Of Cheetah Breeding And Conservation Centre

• Central Government has approved setting up a cheetah breeding and conservation centre in the Banni
Grassland.
• Banni Grassland is located along the northern border of Kachchh district.
• It is one of the largest grasslands in the Indian subcontinent with an area of
over 2500 sq. km.
• The region also serves as a breeding ground for the Banni buffalo and the
Kankrej cow.
• Chhari Dhand Conservation Reserve are part of the Banni Grasslands.
Cabinet approves declaration of Surat Airport as an International Airport

• The Union Cabinet approved the proposal to declare Surat Airport as an International Airport
Five-Day Kuno Forest Festival Inaugurated In MP

• Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav inaugurated the first edition of the Kuno Forest
Festival
• Location:village Ranipura in Sheopur district.
• It includes seeing the cheetah during a jungle safari in Kuno.
• In 1952, cheetahs were officially declared extinct in India.
MP govt. to set up PM College of Excellence in all districts of the state

• The decision to this effect was taken at the first Cabinet meeting chaired by
new CM Mohan Yadav.
• Madhya Pradesh government will upgrade one college in every district out of
total 570 government colleges as "PM College of Excellence".
• Govt. also decided to implement a cyber tehsil system in all the districts and
ban on illegal use of loudspeakers at religious and other places.
• The Cabinet decided to increase the tendu leaf collection rate from Rs 3,000
per bag to Rs 4,000 per bag.
• The Cabinet decided to ban illegal buying and selling of meat, fish etc. in the
open without licence in the urban areas of the state.
• A decision was taken by the Council of Ministers regarding the cancellation of
the bail obtained by the Honourable Court for serious crimes and habitual criminals in previous crimes as per
the provisions of Section 437, 438, 439 of CrPC.
UNESCO Adds Gujarat’s 'Garba' Dance To Intangible Cultural Heritage List

• Gujarat’s traditional dance form ‘Garba’ has been included in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage by the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
• The popular dance form is the 15th cultural item from India to make it to the UNESCO list.
• Kolkata’s Durga Puja was the last one added two years ago.
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Order Heritage State Year

1 Kutiyattam, Sanskrit theatre Kerala 2008
2 Vedic chanting tradition India 2008
3 Ramlila (performance of Ramlila) India 2008
4 Ramman (religious festival and ritual Uttarakhand 2009
theatre of the Garhwal Himalayas of India)
5 Chhau dance Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha 2010
6 Kalbelia Rajasthan 2010
7 Mudiyettu Kerala 2010
8 Buddhist Chanting of Ladakh Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir 2012
9 Sankirtan (singing, drumming and dancing) Manipur 2013
10 Jandiala Guru (traditional brass and copper Punjab 2014
craft of pottery making by Thathera
community)
11 Navroz (Persian New Year) 2016
• India has a total of 42 tangible heritage sites (34 cultural, 7 natural and 1 mixed) and 15 intangible cultural
heritage sites recognised by UNESCO.
12 Yoga India 2016

13 Kumbh Mela Prayagraj 2017
14 Durga Puja Fifth note of musical scale. Bengal 2021
15 Garba dance Gujarat 2023
Gujarat To Unveil India’s First Submarine Tourism In Dwarka

• It has joined hands with the Mazgaon Dock Limited (MDL) in a project to explore the marine life surrounding
Bet Dwarka, a small island off the coast of Dwarka city
• The tourism facility is likely to be operationalised before Diwali 2024.
• It will enable tourists to dive 100 metres below the sea in a submarine to experience the marine life around
the island.
Gujarat emerges as India's 'petro capital

• world's largest grassroot oil refinery in Jamnagar and OPaL petrochemical complex
at Dahej in Bharuch district, Gujarat is now recognised as the 'petro capital' of India
• Reliance Industries Ltd's (RIL) Jamnagar refinery is the largest and most complex
single-site refinery in the world with 1.4 million barrels per day (MMBPD) crude
processing capacity
Rajasthan's First Snake Park Will Open In Kota

• The first snake park in Rajasthan state will soon open in Kota. The Central Zoo
Authority (CZA) has recently approved this.
• 29 Indian and 4 American species of snakes can be kept in Kota Snake Park.
• Budget of Rs 10 crore for snake park in Kota
• CZA is a government body established by law under the Ministry of Environment,
Forest and Climate Change, Government of India.
• The CZA was established in 1992 through an amendment to the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.
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Free Education Scheme For Girls From Kg To Pg In Rajasthan

• Along with this, the government has decided to provide jobs to 2.5 lakh youth in the next five years.
• The government will provide gas cylinders to poor families for Rs. 450. The government itself will bear the
subsidy amount for this.
• Under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, the amount of financial assistance for farmers will be increased to Rs 12
thousand per year.
• With an investment of Rs 800 crore, regional heritage centres will be established in major cultural areas.
• Women police stations and women desks will be formed in every police station in every district. Also, anti-
Romeo squads will be formed in all the cities of Rajasthan.
• SIT has already been formed to investigate the paper leak case of recruitment in the previous government.
• chief Minister:Bhajan Lal Sharma, two Deputy Chief Ministers “Diya Kumari” and “Premchand Bairwa”.
New Guinness World Record Set in 'City of Music' Gwalior

• Around 1,500 musicians played Vande Mataram on tabla to enter the
Guinness World Record for the “largest table ensemble” during the ongoing
99th International Tansen Mahotsav in Gwalior.
• Chief Minister Yadav stated that 25 December will be designated as 'Tabla
Divas'.
• The city of Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh has been accepted by UNESCO's Creative Cities Network (UCCN) for
its outstanding commitment to culture and creativity.
• The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has designated Gwalior,
Madhya Pradesh, as the 'Creative City of Music.' Tansen was born in Gwalior.
• Tansen Sangeet Samaroh, one of India's largest yearly music festivals, is held in Gwalior.
• Gwalior Music Gharana flourished under the patronage of Gwalior's former royal houses, such as Raja
Mansingh and Scindias.
TSPCB Launched “Janavani– Kalushya Nivarani” Mobile App to Register Complaints Related to
Environmental Pollution
• A public grievance mobile application called “Janavani- Kalushya Nivarani”, developed
by the Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB) for registering various types of
complaints related to environmental pollution
DGCA approves Drone Academy at Telangana Agri University

• The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has approved the Drone
Academy at Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University
(PJTSAU).
• Aim:“PJTSAU Drone Academy” for the benefit of the farming community of
Telangana state.
• Remote Pilot Training Organization (RPTO), which will provide agri-drone pilot training to farmers, diploma
holders, Agri graduates, unemployed rural youth with the assistance from M/s. Marut Drone tech Private
Limited, Hyderabad for ten years
Telangana Announces Rs 5 Lakh Accident Insurance For GIG Workers

• Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said the state government will provide
Rs 5 lakh accident insurance to gig workers such as those involved in food
delivery, and driving cabs and auto-rickshaws.
• he also assured the gig workers that the government would provide Rs 10 lakh
health cover under the Rajiv Arogyasri scheme.
NIIF Plans To Invest Up To Rs 675 Crore Bhogapuram airport

• National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) is planning to invest up to Rs 675 crore on the upcoming
greenfield international airport at Bhogapuram in Andhra Pradesh, which is being developed by the GMR
group.
• This marks NIIF’s second airport investment, after the GMR Goa International Airport Ltd, which operates
Manohar International Airport in Goa.
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Maha Lakshmi Scheme

• Telangana government has issued guidelines for the implementation of
Maha Lakshmi scheme, aimed at providing free travel to women in TSRTC
buses.
• The Maha Lakshmi scheme aims to provide free travel for girls, women of all
age groups, and transgender persons in state-run Palle Velugu and express
buses operated by the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC)
within the borders of Telangana State.
Praja Palana Program Launched By Telangana Govt To Address Citizens’ Needs

• Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu recently inaugurated the Government’s Praja
Palana programme
• Aim:addressing the needs of the people at the grassroots level.
• The Praja Palana programme is designed to gather comprehensive information about the needs of the
residents, creating a detailed database at the grassroots level.
KSRTC Launches Namma Cargo Truck Service

• Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has launched 'Namma Cargo' truck service
• Next year, 2024, it will include 500 trucks
• With Namma Cargo, KSRTC aims to disrupt the logistics business dominated by private companies.
• Namma cargo trucks will transport goods across Karnataka.
• The state-owned transport corporation "Namma Cargo Truck Service" is equipped with GPS to transport
goods.
Bengaluru to Get India’s Largest Circular Railway: 287-km Network to Connect Key
Towns
• Railway Minister: Ashwini Vaishnaw
• It is being implemented by the Rail Infrastructure Development Company
(Karnataka) Ltd. (K-RIDE), a joint venture established by the Karnataka
government (51 percent share) and the Ministry of Railways (49 percent).
Urban Flood Mitigation Project

• PM approves the first urban flood mitigation project for the ‘Integrated Urban Flood Management Activities
for Chennai Basin Project (IUFM)‘
• This initiative, under the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF), includes Central assistance of Rs. 500
crore and aims to make Chennai flood-resilient.
National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF):
• The NDMF was established by the Central Government on February in 2021.
• IUFM is a holistic approach that stresses the interrelationship between socioeconomic development,
environmental sustainability, and flood-risk management.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin unveiled a statue of late anti-
caste activist Iyothee Thass Pandithar
• Location:Gandhi Mandapam in Chennai.
• He was born on 20 May 1845 in Madras presidency.
• In 1876, Thass established the Advaidananda Sabha and
launched a magazine called Dravida Pandian in collaboration
with Rev. John Rathina.
• He established the “Dravida Mahajana Sabha
• He established the Sakya Buddhist Society in Madras, with
branches all over South India.
• The Sakya Buddhist Society, also known as the Indian Buddhist Association, was established in 1898.
• To manage and coordinate the functioning of society, he began a weekly magazine, Tamizhan, in 1907.
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Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar to inaugurate the 5th Global Ayurveda Festival at
Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala
• theme ‘Emerging Challenges in Healthcare and a Resurgent Ayurveda’.
Assembly Election Results 2023

States Total Seats Elections Held Winning Party (Total Seats) Losing Party (Total Seats)
Madhya Pradesh 230 230 BJP (163) Congress (66)
Rajasthan 200 199 BJP (115) Congress (69)
Telangana 119 119 Congress (64) BRS (39)
Chhattisgarh 90 90 BJP (54) Congress (35)
Indian Mouse Deer And Chousingha

• As part of an animal exchange programme recently executed by the Indira Gandhi
Zoological Park (IGZP) with Kakatiya Zoological Park in Warangal, IGZP has received
two new species, Mouse Deer and Chousingha.
• The Indian Mouse Deer is the smallest deer in India.
• Scientific Name: Moschiola indica
• It is endemic to the Indian Subcontinent.
• It is mainly found in peninsular India, with some old records from Nepal.
• It is small, 25-30 cm at shoulder height, and weighs from two to four kg.
• A Namdapha flying squirrel has resurfaced in Arunachal Pradesh after going missing for 42 years.
Short News
• The 5th Nagaland Honey Bee Day was celebrated under the theme- 'Bee & Honey Trials' at Naga Heritage
Village, Kisama.
• The Tamil Nadu (TN) government has planned to set up a footwear manufacturing park at an outlay of Rs
400 crore on a 250-acre land.
• Tribute to the chief architect of the Indian Constitution, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, a wax statue has been unveiled
at the Jaipur Wax Museum, Nahargarh Fort
• A team of researchers has discovered India's first Early Cretaceous shark fossils, which are approximately
"115 million years old", in the Jaisalmer region of Rajasthan.
• Jewish Christmas, Hanukkah or Chanukah is a festival celebrated for eight days, usually in the month of
December . It is also known as the “festival of lights.”
• Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal recently launched the
“Bhagwant Mann Sarkar, Tuhade Dwaar” scheme in Ludhiana(providing doorstep delivery of essential
services)
• The 29th Kolkata International Film Festival ends, Israeli film ‘Children of Nobody’ won the Best Film Award
• The government of Uttar Pradesh approved the opening of 57 cyber crime police stations in the state.
• Manipur Health Minister Launches SAANS Campaign 2023-24 to Tackle Pneumonia
• Uttar Pradesh Police has taken a significant step towards enhancing public outreach and transparency by
becoming one of the first in the country to launch WhatsApp Channels for its headquarters and all district
units.
• Navratna Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has recently signed a contract worth Rs 445 crore with the Uttar
Pradesh government for the next generation UP 'Dial 112' project.
• Country’s first Himalayan Air Safari was launched from Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand has become the first state
in the country to start Gyrocopter Adventure.
• Kerala’s Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, recently inaugurated the Kerala Public Enterprises (Selection and
Recruitment) Board, a pivotal step toward enhancing transparency and efficiency in the recruitment
processes of public sector units (PSUs)
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National News
India's First Winter Scientific Arctic Expedition Launched
• Launched by: Union Earth Sciences Minister Kiren Rijiju from New Delhi
• This expedition allows scientists to conduct special scientific observations during polar nights.
• The first group of researchers for the Arctic winter expedition includes researchers from the National
Center for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi, Indian Institute of
Tropical Meteorology Pune, and Raman Research Institute, Bengaluru.
• India has been operating a research base in the Arctic called Himadri since 2008
Emmanuel Macron Will Be The Chief Guest At Republic Day 2024

Chief Guest at Republic Day Celebration 2023:
• Egyptian President Abdel Fatah el-Sisi was the chief guest at India's Republic Day Parade 2023.
• Indonesian President Sukarno was the chief guest at the first Republic Day celebrations on 26 January
1950.
NHAI Launched ERS Mobile App

• NHAI has unveiled the NHAI ERS (Emergency Response System) Mobile Application.
• NHAI aims to enhance communication and coordination during emergency situations
• The app is introduced to make sure that when there is an emergency call for assistance on the highways, the
information reaches the on-road units quickly and efficiently. This helps in providing swift responses to
emergency situations.
Gram Manchitra application

• To empower Gram Panchayats and improve grassroots spatial planning, the
Ministry of Panchayati Raj launched tools like the GIS app “Gram Manchitra”
and mobile solution “mActionSoft.”
• Geographic Information System (GIS) application “Gram Manchitra.”
• This application facilitates and supports Gram Panchayats to perform planning at Gram Panchayat level using
geo-spatial technology.
• It provides a single/ unified Geo-Spatial platform to better visualise the various developmental works to be
taken up across the different sectors and provide a decision support system for the Gram Panchayat
Development Plan (GPDP).
• Further, Ministry has launched mActionSoft, a mobile based solution to help in capturing photos with Geo-
Tags (i.e. GPS Coordinates) for the works which have assets as an output.
JCI launches dedicated ‘Paat-Mitro’ app for jute farmers

• The Ministry of Textiles recently launched the “Paat-Mitro” mobile application
• Paat Mitro is a mobile application developed by the Jute Corporation of India Limited (JCI).
• Purpose is to provide important information about Minimum Support Prices (MSP) and agronomy to jute
farmers.
Jute Corporation of India Limited (JCI):
• It was set up in 1971
• It is the implementing agency of various projects of the Government of India for the enhancement and
betterment of the Jute crop and the lives of Jute growers.
• It is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Textiles.
National Geoscience Data Repository Portal : Ministry Of Mines

• The Union Ministry of Mines is to launch the National Geoscience Data Repository (NGDR) Portal
• It is a comprehensive online platform for accessing, sharing, and analysing geospatial information across
India.
• The NGDR initiative was spearheaded by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and Bhaskaracharya Institute of
Space Applications and Geoinformatics (BISAG-N).
• Geological Survey of India (GSI) was set up in 1851 primarily to find coal deposits for the Railways.
• Its main functions relate to creating and updating of national geoscientific information and mineral resource
assessment.
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• GSI is an attached office of the Ministry of Mines.

• Headquarters: Kolkata
• It has six regional offices located in Lucknow, Jaipur, Nagpur, Hyderabad, Shillong and Kolkata
MedTech Mitra Portal:

• The Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare launched the MedTech Mitra portal.
• MedTech Mitra portal is an online portal that aims to assist medtech innovators in clinical evaluation,
regulatory facilitation, and uptake of new products.
• The portal will be coordinated by the Indian Council of Medical
Research (ICMR) and the Central Drugs Standard Control
Organisation (CDSCO), under the guidance of NITI Aayog’s Atal
Innovation Mission.
• The new initiatives would facilitate indigenous development of
affordable, quality MedTech devices and diagnostics, leading to a
considerable reduction in the import dependence of this sector.
• It would provide end-to-end guidance to startups, making their
journey from idea to product smooth.
Bhoomi Rashi portal

• The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways recently said that 1467 projects of the National
Highway Authority of India have been brought under the Bhoomi Rashi portal.
• It is an e-governance initiative of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
• Its objective is to speed up the process of land acquisition for national highways.
• Bilingual application with Hindi and English for easy usability
PM Modi To Chair 3rd National Conference Of Chief Secretaries In Delhi

• The first conference was held in Dharamshala in June 2022 and the second in Delhi in January 2023.
• The National Conference of Chief Secretaries is organised to encourage participatory governance and
partnership between the Central and State Governments.
• The main focus of the National Conference of Chief Secretaries this year is 'Ease of Living'.
The five sub-themes to be discussed in this conference are:
• Land & Property
• Electricity
• Drinking Water
• Health and
• Schooling
Cooperative Federalism:
• Cooperative federalism is a concept that reflects the relationship between the Center and the State, where
both of them cooperate with each other to solve common problems.
109th Indian Science Congress:

• Lovely Professional University(LPU) withdrew from hosting 109th Indian Science Congress (ISC)
• The ISC is a prestigious and influential scientific organization that meets annually in the first week of January.
• It was founded in 1914 to stimulate scientific research in India.
• ISCA, is a professional body under the Department of Science & Technology, Ministry of Science &
Technology.
• The theme of the 109th ISC is “The Global Perspective on Science and Technology for Sustainable Future”.
PM Modi inaugurates first Indian Art & Design Biennale at Red Fort
• IAADB is being organized in line with the PM's vision to develop a flagship global cultural initiative in the
country.
• PM Shri unveiled the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Centre for Design‘
• The Prime Minister underlined the creation of cultural spaces in 5 cities namely Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai,
Ahmedabad and Varanasi as a historic step and said that it will further enrich these cities culturally.
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27th WAIPA World Investment Conference Organised In New Delhi

• at the India International Convention and Expo Center – Yashobhoomi, New Delhi.
• The World Investment Conference ((WIC)) is being held in India for the first time.
• The National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency of the Government of
India and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) are
organising the conference.
• This year's conference focuses (theme) on “Empowering Investors: IPAs Pioneering
Future Growth”.
• WAIPA stands for World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies
• The WAIPA was founded in 1995 in Geneva as a non-governmental organisation.
• WAIPA aims to provide investment promotion agencies to grow their economies.
India To Host Three-Day Global Technology Summit From December 4

Eighth edition of GTS in New Delhi:
• The summit address topics including new technology, digital infrastructure, and national security.
• theme of this Global Technology Summit will be ‘Geopolitics of Technology’.
India Internet Governance Forum 2023:

• Venue: New Delhi
• The forum is a multi-stakeholder platform bringing together representatives from
various groups to discuss public policy issues related to the Internet.
• Theme: Moving Forward – Calibrating Bharat’s Digital Agenda.
• The India Internet Governance Forum is an initiative associated with the UN
Internet Governance Forum.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan laid Foundation Stone For NSTI Plus
• National Skill Training Institutes (NSTI) Plus at Jatni in Odisha
• Aim: uplift Odisha's youth with demand-driven vocational education, fostering skill development.
Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurates new factory of Dixon Technology in Noida

• Aim: to boost the local smartphone ecosystem.
• Dixon Technologies is a contract manufacturer of televisions, washing
machines, smartphones, LED bulbs, battens, downlighters and CCTV
security systems for companies such as Samsung, Xiaomi, Panasonic and
Philips.
• It has 17 manufacturing units in India.
Press Mud : Sugarcane Byproduct

• Sugarcane byproduct press mud can help generate 460,000 tonnes of compressed biogas (CBG) valued at Rs
2,484 crore.
• Press Mud is often known as filter cake or press cake.
• It can be utilised as a feedstock for biogas production through anaerobic
digestion and subsequent purification to create compressed biogas (CBG).
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Cabinet Approved Increase In Copra Minimum Support Price For 2024 Season
• The Minimum Support Price (MSP) for copra for the 2024 season has been approved by the Cabinet
Committee on Economic Affairs, CCEA.
• MSP for milling copra increased by 300 rupees per quintal and for ball copra by 250 rupees per quintal.
• Copra, also known as Gari or Gola, is the dried portion of a coconut.
• Milling copra is primarily produced in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, whereas ball copra is primarily produced in
Karnataka.
Crops Under MSP
• The Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) proposes minimum support prices (MSPs) for 22
mandated commodities, as well as a fair and remunerative price (FRP) for sugarcane.
• The compulsory crops comprise 14 kharif crops, 6 rabi crops, and two other commercial crops.
• Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices is a decentralised agency of the Government of India. It was
established in 1965 as the Agricultural Prices Commission, and was given its present name in 1985.
Government To Sell Rice At Rs 25 Per Kg Under The “Bharat Brand”

• To control the rise in rice prices, the Government of India will sell rice at Rs 25 per kg under the "Bharat
Brand".
• According to the data of the Consumer Ministry, the inflation of rice has increased by 14.1 percent this year
compared to last year and its average price has reached Rs 43.3 per kg.
• It will be sold through the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (Nafed), National
Cooperative Consumers Federation (NCCF) and Kendriya Bhandar outlets.
• Presently, the Central Government is selling flour and gram pulses at cheaper rates under the Bharat brand.
• On 6 November 2023, the Central Government launched 'Bharat Atta' at a price of Rs 27.50 per kg.
• It is being made available in packs of 10 Kg and 30 Kg.
• Whereas one kg pack of gram pulses with Bharat brand is being sold at the rate of Rs 60 per kg
• 2,000 retail points have been created across the country to sell these products.
National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED):

• It was established on 2 October 1958 under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act.
• It is the central nodal agency for the Price Support Scheme (PSS) for the purchase of oilseeds and pulses at
minimum prices.
• NAFED is headquartered in New Delhi.
• Its regional offices are in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.
• Chairman– Bijendra Singh
'Jal Itihas Utsav’ Organized at Jahaz Mahal in Delhi

• The objective of this program is to increase public awareness
towards conservation of water heritage sites
Reuse of Inert Waste Material under Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0

• The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has developed a policy regarding
the use of inert waste.
• uses inert materials obtained from solid waste to build embankments alongside
national highways.
• This initiative aims to reduce costs and reliance on fossil fuels.
Examples
• The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has already used inert material from municipal solid waste in
road construction under the following projects:
• The Dholera project in Ahmedabad
• The first stretch of Delhi-Mumbai Expressway
• Urban Extension Road II that connects NH 44
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• Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway on NH 48 in Delhi

• The garbage from Delhi's three landfill sites in Ghazipur, Okhla and Bhalaswa will be utilised to build the
capital's third ring road, Urban Extension Road (UER)-II.
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan

• The Prime Minister of India started the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) on October 2, 2014.
• The goal of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was to eliminate open defecation in the country by 2019.
Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) 2.0
• Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) 2.0 was launched in February 2021 under the "Health and Wellbeing" sector.
• The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) will carry out the mission.
• It was launched on October 1, 2021, to achieve the 'Garbage Free Cities' vision for the next five years.
• It would be implemented during five years, from 2021 to 2026.
 Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) 2.0 was launched in

a) February 2021
b) March 2021
c) June 2021
d) October 2021
Ans: d
NAMO Drone Didi Scheme to provide drones to 15,000 self help groups gets
Cabinet nod
• with an outlay of Rs.1261 crore.
• The plan wants to provide 15,000 chosen groups of women drones from
2023 to 2026.
• These drones will be used to rent out services to farmers for for
agricultural purposes.
Govt Unveils ‘Mera Gaon, Meri Dharohar’ Project To Document Village Heritage
• This National Mission is being run in coordination with Indira Gandhi
National Center for the Arts (IGNCA) under the Ministry of Culture.
• launched. The MGMD seeks to compile comprehensive information
• detailing the life, history, and ethos of Indian villages and to make the same
available to virtual and real-time visitors
Government decided to implement component of "Nari Adalat" in phased manner

• Nari Adalats, which are women-only courts established at the village level.
These courts serve as alternative dispute resolution forums for issues such as
domestic violence, property rights, and challenging the patriarchal system.
• 'Mission Shakti' as an umbrella scheme for the safety, security and
empowerment of women.
• Outlay: The total approved outlay of ‘Mission Shakti’ for the 15th Finance Commission period is Rs. 20,989
crore, with Central Share of Rs. 15,761 crore and State Share of Rs 5,228 crore.
• Sub-schemes: It has two sub-schemes – ‘Sambal’ and ‘Samarthya’.
• “Sambal” is for the safety and security of women .
• e components of the Sambal sub-scheme consist of schemes including One Stop Centre, Women Helpline,
Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao and Nari Adalats.The “Samarthya“ is for empowerment of women.
• The components of Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), Palna, Shakti Sadan, Sakhi Niwas and
Hub for Empowerment of Women are part of ‘Samarthya’ sub scheme.
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RAMP Programme : Three Sub Schemes

• The Union Minister for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) launched three sub-schemes under the
aegis of the RAMP programme.
• It is a World Bank assisted Central Sector Scheme, supporting various CoronaVirus Disease 2019 (Covid)
Resilience and Recovery Interventions of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MoMSME).
• The total outlay for the scheme is Rs. 6,062.45 crore out of which Rs. 3750 crore would be a loan from the
World Bank and the remaining Rs. 2312.45 crore would be funded by India.

Aimed
• Improving access to market and credit
• Strengthening institutions and governance at the Centre and State
• Improving Centre-State linkages and partnerships
• Addressing issues of delayed payments and greening of MSMEs

• three sub-schemes under the aegis of the RAMP programme.
MSME Green Investment and Financing for Transformation Scheme (MSME GIFT Scheme):
• This scheme intends to help MSMEs adopt green technology with interest subvention and credit guarantee
support.
• Implementing agency is SIDBI.
• Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) is under the
jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance
• Founded: 2 April 1990
• Headquarters: Lucknow
• MSE Scheme for Promotion and Investment in Circular Economy

(MSE SPICE Scheme):
• It is the first ever scheme in the Government to support circular
economy projects which will be done through credit subsidy and
will lead to realizing the dream of the MSME sector towards zero
emissions by 2070.
• Implementing agency is SIDBI.
MSE Scheme on Online Dispute Resolution for Delayed Payments:

• It is a first-of-its-kind scheme to synergise legal support with modern IT tools and Artificial Intelligence to
address the incidences of delayed payments for Micro and Small Enterprises.
• National Informatics Centre Services Inc. (NICSI) is the Implementing Agency.
• In addition, the Zero Defect and Zero Effect (ZED) Scheme of the Ministry has now been made completely
free for women led MSMEs. The government guarantees payment of 100 percent financial support for the
certification cost.
• Launched in 2016 by the Ministry of MSME, the scheme is an integrated and comprehensive certification
system.
• Its mission is to develop and implement the ‘ZED’ culture in India based on the principles of Zero Defect &
Zero Effect.
Zero Defect:
• The Zero defect concept is focusing on the customer.
Zero Effect:
• Zero air pollution, liquid discharge, solid waste
• Zero wastage of natural resources
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Indian Forest & Wood Certification Scheme:

• Recently, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has launched the Indian Forest & Wood
Certification Scheme.
• This national forest certification scheme offers voluntary third-party certification designed to promote
sustainable forest management and agroforestry in the country.
• The scheme includes forest management certification, tree outside forest management certification, and
chain of custody certification.
• It can provide market incentives to various entities that adhere to responsible forest management and
agroforestry practices in their operations.
• Forest Management Certification, Based on the Indian Forest Management Standard, aligned with the
National Working Plan Code 2023. Includes 8 criteria, 69 indicators, and 254 verifiers to ensure responsible
forest management.
• The Indian Forest and Wood Certification Council will oversee the scheme, acting as a multistakeholder
advisory body.
• The Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal, will serve as the scheme’s operating agency, managing
its overall implementation.
• The National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies under the Quality Council of India will accredit
certification bodies.
• These bodies will conduct independent audits to assess adherence to prescribed standards.
58 Airports covered under “Krishi Udan” Scheme: Govt

• The Scheme was launched in 2020 on international and national routes
to assist farmers in transporting agricultural products to help improve
their value realization.
• Krishi Udan Scheme 2.0 was also announced in 2021 focusing on
transporting perishable food products from the hilly areas, North Eastern
States, and tribal areas.
• The scheme currently covers 25 airports focusing on North Eastern, Hilly
and Tribal region besides 33 airports in other regions/ areas.
PM Modi launches ‘Viksit Bharat@2047- Voice of Youth’

• This visionary initiative aims to actively engage the youth of India in shaping the nation’s plans, priorities,
and goals. .
• Viksit Bharat @2047 is the vision to make India a developed nation by 2047, the 100th year of
independence. The vision encompasses various aspects of development, including economic growth, social
progress, environmental sustainability, and good governance.
YUVAi Initiative
• ‘YUVAi- Youth for Unnati and Vikas with AI’ featured at the Global Partnership
on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Summit.
• This joint venture focuses on empowering students from class 8 to 12 with
essential AI skills, cultivating a deeper understanding of AI, and inspiring them
to become responsible designers and users of AI.
• YUVAi Initiative is a collaborative initiative of National e-Governance Division
(NeGD), Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY),
Government of India and Intel India.
Finance Ministry gave Rs 10,000 crore advance for MGNREGS from Contingency Fund: Govt
• over and above the budgetary allocation of Rs 60,000 crore
• MGNREGA is one of the largest work guarantee programmes in the world launched in 2005 by the Ministry
of Rural development.
• The primary objective of the scheme is to guarantee 100 days of employment in every financial year to adult
members of any rural household
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LS clears Bills for women’s quota in J&K, Puducherry Assemblies

• Bills to extend the provisions of the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act – that grants 33% reservation for
women in Parliament and State legislatures – to the Union Territories of Puducherry and Jammu and
Kashmir
Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2023

• Parliament has passed the Central Universities
(Amendment) Bill, 2023 with Rajya Sabha giving assent to it.
• The Bill will amend the Central Universities Act, 2009, which
establishes central universities for teaching and research in
various States.
• The Bill seeks to establish a Central Tribal University in
Telangana which will be named ‘Sammakka Sarakka Central
Tribal University’.
• It will provide avenues of higher education and research
facilities primarily for the tribal population of India. The
University will be established at a cost of Rs. 889.07 crore.
In the University, there will be graduate, postgraduate and
Doctoral level courses
Parliament Passes Post Office Bill, 2023

• The Indian Parliament approves the Post Office Bill, 2023, replacing the 125-year-old Indian Post Office Act,
1898.
Enhanced Powers for National Security
• The Bill grants post office employees the authority to open, detain, or intercept any item during transmission
in the interest of national security or public safety.
• Another provision says the post office and its officers shall be exempt from any liability by reason of any loss,
misdelivery, delay or damage in course of any service provided by it.
Telecommunications Bill 2023 : Introduced In Lok Sabha

• It seeks to repeal the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1933, and the
Telegraph Wires (Unlawful Possession) Act, 1950.
• It also amends the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Act, 1997.
Key Provisions of Telecommunications Bill 2023:
• Prior authorisation from the central government will be required to provide telecommunication services,
establish, operate, maintain, or expand telecommunications networks, or possess radio equipment.
• Existing licenses will continue to be valid for the period of their grant, or for five years, where the period is
not specified.
• Spectrum will be assigned by auction, except for specified uses, where it will be allocated on an
administrative basis.
• These include purposes such as national security and defense, disaster management, weather forecasting,
transport, satellite services
• The Bill introduces provisions for allocating spectrum to satellite Internet providers like OneWeb (supported
by Bharti) and U.S.-based companies such as SpaceX’s Starlink.
• Messages or a class of messages between two or more persons may be intercepted, monitored, or blocked
on certain grounds.
• The government may take temporary possession of any telecom infrastructure, network, or services on
occurrence of any public emergency or public safety.
• Biometric Authentication is mandatory for telecom customers to combat spam calls and messages.
• The Bill amends the TRAI Act to also allow individuals with: at least 30 years of professional experience to
serve as the chairperson, and at least 25 years of professional experience to serve as members.
• The Universal Service Obligation Fund has been established under the 1885 Act to provide for telecom
services in underserved areas.
• The Bill retains this provision, renames the fund as Digital Bharat Nidhi, and also allows its use for research
and development.
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• The Ministry of Electronics and IT will handle the regulation of OTT apps
• The Bill specifies various criminal and civil offenses.
• Providing telecom services without authorisation, or gaining unauthorized access to a telecom network or
data, are punishable with imprisonment up to three years, a fine up to two crore rupees, or both.
• The central government will appoint an adjudicating officer to conduct inquiries and pass orders against civil
offenses under the Bill.
• The officer must be of the rank of joint secretary and above.
Rajya Sabha passes Bill to appoint Chief Election Commissioner, Election Commissioners
• The Rajya Sabha today passed the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners
(Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023.
• The Bill replaces the Election Commission (Conditions of Service of Election Commissioners and Transaction
of Business) Act, 1991.
• It provides for the appointment, salary, and removal of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election
Commissioners (ECs).
• According to the provisions of the Bill, the CEC and ECs will be appointed by the President upon the
recommendation of a Selection Committee.
• The Selection Committee will consist of the Prime Minister, a Union Cabinet Minister, and Leader of
Opposition or leader of the largest opposition party in Lok Sabha.
• if the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioner give order during duty, the court cannot take
action against them.
• At present, the CEC and fellow ECs enjoy the status of a judge of the Supreme Court. By bringing the
amendment, the government has retained that status.
• "The CEC and other commissioners shall be paid a salary which is equal to the salary of a judge of the
Supreme Court," Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said
• One more amendment in the bill protects the sitting Election Commissioners from civil or criminal
proceedings.
• Moreover, the search committee, which is tasked with providing the five names to the selection panel will
be now headed by the Union Law Minister. In the earlier bill, the Cabinet Secretary was leading the search
committee.
• The Election Commission of India (ECI) is an autonomous constitutional authority responsible for
administering Union and State election processes in India.
• It was established in accordance with the Constitution on 25th January 1950 (celebrated as national voters'
day).
• Part XV (Article 324-329) of the Indian Constitution: It deals with elections and establishes a commission for
these matters.
• The term is 6 years or until the age of 65, with no chance for reappointment.
New Science Museum To Promote Science Culture In Country

• The Ministry of Culture is creating new science centers/museums through the Scheme for Promotion of
Culture of Science in the Country (SPOCS).
• The National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) is an independent organization under the Ministry of
Culture, Government.
• The Government of India is the implementing agency for developing Science
Centres/Cities/Museums/Innovation Centres under the SPOCS scheme.
• 25 Science Museums/Science Centres in country are currently functional under NCSM
• -Culture Ministry has approved 4 new Science Centre projects in MP, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu
01 Science Centre, (Cat-II) Jabalpur Madhya Pradesh
02 Science Centre, (Cat-II) Ajmer Rajasthan
03 Science Centre, (Cat-II) Kanyakumari Tamil Nadu
04 Science Centre, (Cat-II) Bikaner Rajasthan
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CISF Replaces Delhi Police For Parliament Security

• Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has asked the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to take security charge
of the Parliament building from the Delhi Police.
• The CISF will first conduct a survey of the premises prior to the deployment of its security and fire wing.
• after completing the survey, the CISF will work with the Parliament Security Services to control access to the
new and old Parliament complex.
• Security within the building will continue to be the responsibility of the Lok Sabha Secretariat, while the
police will continue to protect the outer perimeter.
• the CISF was set up by an Act of Parliament on March 10, 1969.
Six Indian Heritage Projects bag UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards 2023

• The UNESCO Asia-Pacific Prize for Cultural Heritage Conservation 2023 has been announced, with six winners
from India.
• Among the recognised sites, five are from China, six from India, and one from Nepal.
• India's performance in UNESCO:
Award of Excellence: Rambagh Gate in Amritsar
Award of Distinction: Karnikara Mandapam at Kunnamangalam Bhagavathi Temple,
Kerala/ के रल के कुन्नामग
ं लम भगवती मदं िर में कदणिकारा मडं पम
• Award of Merit: Church of the Epiphany in Gurugram, Haryana, David Sassoon

Library and Reading Room in Mumbai, Bikaner
House in New Delhi.
• Peepal Haveli in Punjab and Sikami Chhen in
Kathmandu were awarded 'Special
Recognition for Sustainable Development' for
their transformative heritage practices
Church of Epiphany, Gurgaon:

• From 1856 to 1866, military officers and British residents used this place in the Civil Lines military
cantonment for prayers.
• This church was built when the Bishop of Kolkata came to the Church of Hisar in 1866.
Peepal Haveli, Gurdaspur:
• Peepal Haveli is a heritage rural homestay in Gurdaspur district, Punjab.
• Peepal Haveli belongs to the Sangha family.
• The construction of 'The People Haveli' was started 125 years ago by a family led by Sardar Narayan Singh.
• The village received the "Best Tourism Village" award from the Ministry of Tourism of Punjab in September
2023.
Rambagh Gate and Ramparts, Amritsar:

• Ram Bagh is a garden built during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in Amritsar, Punjab, India.
• It was completed in 1831 and is named after the fourth Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Ram Das, who founded the
city of Amritsar.
• The 'Asia-Pacific Heritage Award' has been given by UNESCO since 2000
• The purpose of this award is to promote the conservation of such cultural heritage areas whose conservation
efforts have been initiated by an individual or organisation.
UNESCO: Bengaluru Airport’s T2 named among ‘world’s most beautiful airports’

• The Bengaluru Airport Terminal 2 has earned acclaim as one of the ‘World’s Most
Beautiful Airports’ and received the ‘World Special Prize for an Interior 2023.’
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Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC)Target

• India achieves two targets of Nationally Determined Contribution well ahead of the time
• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Paris Agreement, India
submitted its first Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in the year 2015
• To reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33 to 35 percent by 2030 from 2005 level; and
• To achieve about 40 percent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy
resources by 2030.
• These two targets have been achieved well ahead of the time.
• the cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources is 186.46 MW,
which is the 43.81% of the total cumulative electric power installed capacity.
• the emission intensity of its GDP has been reduced by 33 percent between 2005 and 2019.
• In August 2022, India updated its NDC according to which target to reduce emissions intensity of its GDP has
been enhanced to 45 percent by 2030 from 2005 level, and the target on cumulative electric power installed
capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources has been enhanced to 50% by 2030.
PM Modi To Soon Flag Off Amrit Bharat Train With Push-Pull Technology
• incorporation of push-pull technology for enhanced speed and passenger comfort
• Amrit Bharat train is its use of semi-permanent couplers, which eliminate the possibility of shocks within the
train.
• Amrit Bharat Express to be Launched on December 30
• top speed of 130 kmph
• The inaugural Amrit Bharat Express is likely to run between holy cities Ayodhya (UP) and Darbhanga (Bihar)
University Grants Commission (UGC) Releases Notification To Scrap Mphil

• The University Grants Commission has issued a notice warning students not to
pursue an MPhil degree since it is no longer recognised
• In addition, the commission has cautioned universities not to provide the
programme, and applications for the 2023-24 academic year are barred.
• However, the MPhil degree awarded prior to the publication of new legislation
in 2022 will be valid.
University Grants Commission(UGC)

• established on 28 December 1953 by the then Education Minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
• UGC was formally established as a statutory body in November 1956 through an Act of Parliament
• UGC works under the Department of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education.
• In September 1994, the University Grants Commission (UGC) created the National Assessment and
Accreditation Council (NAAC) in Bangalore to assess the performance of the country's universities and
colleges.
MHA Declares Muslim League Jammu Kashmir (Masarat Alam Faction) Unlawful Under UAPA
• under Section 3(1) of the Anti-Terrorist Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) 1967 for five years.
• According to the Home Ministry, this organisation and its members are involved in anti-national and
separatist activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
• UAPA is the primary anti-terrorism law enacted in India in 1967.
• The original Act was amended in the years 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2019 to expand its scope.
India Identifies 22 Critical Mineral Blocks for Future Mining

• Critical minerals refer to specialized metals and non-metals crucial for high-tech industries, clean energy
technologies, defense, aerospace, and electronics.
• India’s Mines Ministry has recognized around 22 critical mineral blocks under exploration across 9 states for
possible future auctions.
• These blocks contain vital reserves like cobalt, titanium, gallium, vanadium, tungsten, lithium, and rare earth
elements
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• Most blocks are being surveyed by governmental agencies Geological Survey of India (GSI) and Mineral
Exploration Corporation Limited (MECL).
• The prospective blocks lie in mineral-rich states such as Karnataka, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh,
Tamil Nadu, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, and Madhya Pradesh.
• Specific minerals identified so far include cobalt in Karnataka, titanium, gallium and vanadium in Jharkhand,
tungsten deposits in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu, and vanadium reserves in
Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Bihar.
Power Minister RK Singh Launched POWERGRID Vishram Sadan In Bengaluru

• RK Singh appreciated the social welfare efforts being made by POWERGRID in the program.
• This Vishram Sadan of Power Grid will greatly benefit the poor people living in remote areas.
• This 2-storey rest house, built at approximately Rs 23 crore, has 270 beds.
• A total of 55 rooms in this building are equipped with all the necessary facilities. These rest homes can
provide the maximum possible relief to the patients' attendants.
POWERGRID has built Vishram Sadan in many cities:

• POWERGRID has established itself as a responsible corporate citizen for the benefit of the general public.
POWERGRID has set up similar rest houses at AIIMS New Delhi, IGIMS Patna, DMCH Darbhanga, KGMU
Lucknow, Guwahati and Vadodara.
• Power Grid is also constructing similar rest houses in Ranchi and Jhansi.
• POWERGRID is a Schedule 'A', 'Maharatna' Public Sector Enterprise of the Government of India.
• POWERGRID was established on October 23, 1989, by the Companies Act, 1956 provisions.
India Ranked Second Largest Steel Producer in the World

• According to the government, India has become the world's second-largest steel producer
• According to the Ministry of Steel, domestic steel production was around 90 million tonnes, with domestic
steel consumption at 87 million tonnes.
• According to the report, the Production Linked Incentive Scheme increased investment in the steel sector.
Status of steel production in India
• 2022-23, India exported 72 million tonnes (MT) of finished steel while importing approximately 6 MT.
• India will produce 435 million tonnes (mt) by 2050.
• The steel sector in India has grown significantly over the last decade, with production increasing by 75%
since 2008.
• Steel consumption per capita in India was 86.7 kilograms in FY23.
Short News
• Reliance Jio Infocomm, under the leadership of Chairman Akash Ambani, is set to launch the ‘Bharat GPT’
program in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay.
• Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the proposal to open the Consulate General of
India in Auckland, New Zealand.
• Government Initiative To Establish Subsidized Staple Food Stores At Delhi Metro Stations. store will be
overseen by the National Cooperative Consumer Federation of India (NCCF).
• India invite bids for 20 critical mineral blocks, including lithium and graphite for the first time.
• Allen Career Institute acquires doubt solving platform Doubtnut
• Indian Railways has introduced a cutting-edge technology named 'Gajraj Suraksha’ to prevent elephant
accidents on railway tracks. planning to introduce this system in West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Assam,
Kerala, certain parts of Chhattisgarh, and Tamil Nadu.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 10,000th Jan Aushadhi Center at AIIMS, Deoghar. The
scheme was launched in 2015 by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.
• Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Anil Chauhan has inaugurated the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
Avionics Expo 2023 in New Delhi.
• As per union minister Scindia, 23 Vande Bharat trains are running in the country and the mission is to run
4,500 Vande Bharat trains by 2047.
• 'Shar Amartala Torgya' Festival is an annual festival celebrated in the state of Arunachal Pradesh.
• The Government said that eShram cards have been issued to over 29 crore unorganized workers registered
on the eShram portal.
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• The eShram portal was launched in 2021 for registration of unorganized workers.
• Union Ministry of Home Affairs has given its nod for the release of ₹338 crore to Gujarat and ₹633 crore to
Himachal Pradesh as financial assistance for damages caused by natural calamities.(Gujarat, affected by
Cyclone Biparjoy)
• IndiGo, India’s leading carrier, has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first Indian airline to
transport 100 million passengers in a single calendar year.
• JN.1 Variant Of COVID-19 Virus:JN.1 was detected in Kerala
• Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama inaugurate the first International Sangha Forum 2023 in Bodhgaya in
Bihar, the sacred place where Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment.
• Government has initiated steps to increase the nuclear power capacity from 7480 MW to 22480 MW by
2031-32.
Economics
S&P Predicts India To Be The 3rd Largest Economy By 2030
• Rating agency S&P has estimated the country's GDP growth to reach 7 percent in the financial year 2026-27.
• GDP growth rate 6.4 percent in financial year 2024-25
Bharti Airtel Becomes the 8th Company to Surpass ₹6 Lakh Crore Mcap(market capitalization )/
• Bharti Airtel joins the league of other Indian giants, including Reliance Industries, TCS, HDFC Bank,
ICICI Bank, HUL, Infosys and ITC, with a market capitalization exceeding Rs.6 lakh crore.
HDFC Life’s ‘Insure India’ Campaign Sets Guinness World Record

• for creating the largest online selfie mosaic made from 19,097 photos clicked by individuals for the ‘Insure
India’ campaign.
• HDFC Life launched the ‘Insure India’ campaign with the aim of raising awareness about the significance of
life insurance among the Indian population.
• HDFC Life’s larger industry vision, aiming to ensure ‘Life insurance for all‘ by the year 2047.
RBI keeps policy repo rate unchanged at 6.5 percent

• This is for the fifth time in a row that the MPC has maintained the status quo.
• Standing Deposit Facility rate remains at 6.25
percent and the Marginal Standing Facility (MSF)
rate and the Bank Rate at 6.75 percent.
• RBI Governor informed that, real GDP growth
projection for the current year 2023-24 has been
revised from earlier 6.5 per cent to 7 percent.
• The Reserve Bank of India has recently announced that the limit of UPI payments related to healthcare and
education will increase to 5 lakh from 1 lakh. Before this announcement the limit of these payments through
UPI was 1 lakh.
RBL Bank Introduced Electronic Bank Guarantee on NeSL Platform

• RBL Bank has launched the Electronic Bank Guarantee (e-BG), signalling a
significant step forward in trade finance digital transformation.
• The e-BG product builds on the framework enabled by NeSL, incorporating
their expertise in e-Stamping and e-Sign.
• This integration eliminates the traditional physical signing and stamping
processes, seamlessly transitioning into a secure and efficient digital format.
• NeSL’s e-BG substantially transforms the trade finance space and marks a milestone in the digitization of
banking services.
SEBI proposes two-phase transition to instant settlement in Indian stock market

• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has proposed a phase-wise transition to instant settlement
of trades in the equity cash market.
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• An optional T+0 settlement cycle for trades till 1:30 pm may be introduced in the first phase, with settlement
of funds and securities to be completed on the same day by 4:30 p.m.
• To begin with, a T+0 settlement will be made available in the top 500 listed equity shares in three tranches,
from the lowest to the highest market capitalization.
• In the second phase, an optional immediate trade-by-trade settlement will be carried out for trades till 3.30
p.m.
India To Be World's Top Economic Power By Century-End: CEBR

• Center for Economics and Business Research (CEBR)
• CEBR has said in the report published named 'World Economic League Table Report' that India's Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) will be 90 percent larger than China's and 30 percent larger than America’s.
• India will maintain a strong average growth of 6.5 percent from 2024 to 2028.
• By 2032, it will become the world's third-largest economy, leaving behind Japan and Germany.
Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance introduces the unveiling of T.U.L.I.P.

• new insurance product known as T.U.L.I.P – Term with Unit Linked Insurance Plan.
• This is a unit-linked term insurance plan designed to provide life coverage up to 100 times the annual
premium.
• In addition to life coverage, it offers extra protection against critical illnesses and accidental death
• It is aimed at taking care of our customer’s core financial needs.
• MD of Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance Company – Mahesh Balasubramanian
eSvarna: The First Corporate RuPay Credit Card with UPI

• IndusInd Bank has launched a pathbreaking new corporate credit card – eSvarna – on the RuPay network.
• It is India’s first corporate credit card that allows linking with UPI apps for payments.
• The eSvarna Rupay corporate credit card enables smooth transactions at merchant outlets, both physical
and digital.
• The card is designed keeping in mind premium business travellers who seek exclusive privileges and value-
added benefits. It offers complimentary domestic and international airport lounge access up to 10 times
annually to relax and unwind during travels.
• Additionally, it provides comprehensive travel insurance covering passport, baggage delays, flight
cancellations and accidents.It also provides business-focused rewards on daily transactions.
RBI Identifies SBI, HDFC Bank, And ICICI Bank As Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs)/
• Established in 2014, the D-SIB framework mandates the RBI to disclose the names of designated banks
annually.
• Bucket 5: No Designation
• Bucket 4: State Bank of India (SBI) – Additional CET1 requirement of 0.80%.
• Bucket 3: No Designation
• Bucket 2: HDFC Bank – Additional CET1 requirement of 0.40%.
• Bucket 1: ICICI Bank – Additional CET1 requirement of 0.20%.
• The classification of HDFC Bank considers its increased systemic importance post the merger of HDFC Ltd
into the bank on July 1, 2023
• SBI and HDFC Bank move to higher buckets – SBI shifts from bucket 3 to bucket 4 and HDFC Bank shifts from
bucket 1 to bucket 2
• 2015 SBI
• 2016 ICICI
• 2017 HDFC
Changes In Interest Rates Of Small Savings Schemes: January-March 2024

• Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana has been increased by 0.20% and 3-year time deposit rates have been increased
by 0.10%.
• Earlier, the interest rate of the Sukanya Scheme was 8% and the interest rate of a three-year time deposit
was 7%.
• Kisan Vikas Patra: 7.5 percent (mature in 115 months)
• Public Provident Fund (PPF): 7.1 percent
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• Sukanya Samriddhi Account: 8.2 percent (earlier 8.0 percent)

• Senior Citizens Savings Scheme: 8.2 percent
• Small savings instruments can be divided into three parts:
• Postal Deposit: Saving Account, Recurring Deposit, Time Deposit and Monthly Income Scheme
• Saving Certificate: National Small Savings Certificate (NSC), Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP)
• Social Security Schemes: Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, Public Provident Fund (PPF) and Senior Citizens Savings
Scheme (SCSS)
Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana:

 Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 22 January 2015 as a part of
the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign.
 This scheme aims to promote the welfare of the girl child in India.
 The minimum investment in this is ₹250 per year. The maximum investment is ₹1,50,000 per year.
Card-On-File Tokenization : Reserve Bank Of India

• In order to make digital payments more secure, safe and sound the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has now
enabled card-on-file tokenization (CoFT) through card issuing banks and institutions.
• Tokenization refers to replacement of actual credit and debit card details with an alternate code called the
“token”.
• It is a combination of card, token requestor and device.
• The card detail when stored with a merchant is known as card-on-file (CoF).
• This token is a randomly generated string of characters that has no intrinsic value and is meaningless outside
of the context of a specific transaction.
• The token is used as a surrogate for the actual card details, making it more secure to store and transmit.
• Generation of CoFT tokens for a card can be enabled through mobile banking and internet banking channels.
• The token can be generated only on explicit customer consent and with AFA (additional factor
authentication) validation.
• The cardholder may tokenize the card at any time of their convenience, either on receipt of the new card or
at a later stage.
Short News
• Fitch Ratings expects India to be among the world’s fastest-growing countries, with resilient GDP growth of
6.5% in 2024-25. For the current financial year 2023-24, it pegs GDP growth at 6.9%.
• The World Bank has recently provided assistance of $ 1.34 billion to Ukraine under public expenditure.
• Ola Electric files IPO papers with Sebi; first by auto company in 20 years
• India Makes First-Ever Rupee Payment for the Purchase of Crude Oil from UAE
• Federal Bank, a prominent financial institution, has been awarded the prestigious title of “Bank of the Year
(India)” by The Banker, a renowned publication under the Financial Times umbrella.
• IDFC FIRST Bank has introduced the “FIRST SWYP” credit card, a youth-centric offering designed to cater to
the unique demands of the new-age customer.
• Bank of India has launched Nari Shakti Savings Account, aimed at catering to women aged 18 and above with
an independent source of income.
• Poonawalla HF gets a new name, rebrands as Grihum Housing Finance
• RBI Grants Authorization To Bandhan Bank For Pension Disbursement To Retired Railway Employees
• ADB Revises India’s Growth Projection To 6.7% For FY24
• State Bank of India (SBI) has signed a Line of Credit (LOC) of Euro 70 million (about Rs 630 crore) with
German development bank KfW to promote solar projects in the country.
• The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank have signed a loan of 37 billion Japanese Yen for
the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System Corridor.
• Indian economy to grow 6.3% in FY24 and FY25: IMF
• India has emerged as a star performer and is projected to contribute more than 16 percent of the global
growth: Stated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
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International News
Santosh Jha Assumes Role As India’s New Envoy To Sri Lanka
UN chief appoints Sigrid Kaag as senior humanitarian coordinator for Gaza
 United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres
 she will facilitate, coordinate, monitor, and verify humanitarian relief

consignments to Gaza.
 Ms. Kaag is expected to begin her assignment on 8 January 2024.
India To Acquire Five Lithium Blocks In Argentina
 In a significant development, India is poised to secure exploration and

development rights for five lithium blocks in Argentina, marking its
second international foray into critical minerals after a partnership with
Australia in 2022.
 The deal is on the verge of finalization between Khanij Bidesh India Ltd.
(KABIL) and Catamarca Minera Y Energética Sociedad Del Estado
(CAMYEN), an Argentine state-owned mining and energy company.
KABIL JV
 KABIL is a joint venture between the National Aluminium

Company (NALCO), Mineral Exploration Corporation Ltd.
(MECL), and Hindustan Copper Ltd. (HCL).
 It was formed for the identification, acquisition, development,

and processing of strategic minerals overseas for use in India.
Lithium triangle
 Argentina, together with Chile and Bolivia, form the so-called

“Lithium Triangle” and is currently the fourth largest producer.
It has the world’s third-largest lithium reserve.
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Angola to quit OPEC
Angola is leaving the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting

Countries (OPEC) with effect from 1 January 2024, after exits from
Ecuador in 2020 and Qatar in 2019.
Angola, which joined OPEC in 2007, produces about 1.1 million barrels
per day
OPEC was founded in 1960 by Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Venezuela, Iran and Iraq.
Since 2017, OPEC has worked with Russia and other non-members as part of the
OPEC+ group to manage the market
Headquarters: Vienna, Austria
Project PRAYAS:
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) launched Project PRAYAS to help
Indian workers and students migrate in a secure, orderly, and regular manner.
Promoting Regular Assisted Migration for Youth and Skilled Professionals (PRAYAS) was
launched in partnership with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
It is one of the first attempts to consolidate all the state-level initiatives for safe, orderly,
and well-managed international migration.
India-Russia Signed Kudankulam Plant Agreement for Future Power Supply
 India and Russia signed agreements related to the construction of future power generation units of the
Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu
 KNPP is being built in Tamil Nadu with technical assistance from Russia.
 Its construction started in March 2002. The initial power unit of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant has
been consistently operational since February 2016, generating 1,000 MW of capacity.
 KNPP will be India's largest nuclear power station.
 Once the six units of KNPP are commissioned, the total capacity of the power plant will be 6,000MW.
 All units of KNPP will be completed in 2027
UP Pavilion Will Be Displayed For The First Time In the WEF Meeting
 World Economic Forum meeting to be held in Davos (Switzerland) from 14 -20 January.
 Through the Uttar Pradesh Pavilion, people from all over the world will be able to get a glimpse of the
industrial development and culture of this place.
 Efforts will be made to attract investors from all over the world to invest in Uttar Pradesh through the
pavilion.
 One District-One Product (ODOP) will be presented in the Uttar Pradesh Pavilion.
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World Economic Forum:
 It was established in the year 1971 in Geneva (Switzerland).
 Major reports published by the World Economic Forum:
 Global Competitiveness Report
 Global Information Technology Report
 Global Gender Gap report
 Global Risk Report
 Global Travel and Tourism Report
Abdel Fattah El-Sisi wins third term as president of Egypt
India's Uma Sekhar Elected To The Governing Council Of UNIDROIT
 International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT).
International Institute for the Unification of Private Law:
 It is an independent intergovernmental Organisation.
 UNIDROIT was initially established in 1926 as a part of the League of Nations.
 The institute was later re-established under the UNIDROIT statute in 1940 after the dissolution of the League
of Nations.
 Members: It consists of 65 Member States are drawn from the five continents
 Languages: The official languages are English, French, German, Italian and Spanish; its
working languages are English and French.
 India has been a member of this organisation since 1950.
Donald Tusk elected as new Prime Minister of Poland
 British-Indian composer Nitin Sawhney has been

announced as a member of the 2024 Booker Prize
judging panel. He is best known for the screen
adaptation of Salman Rushdie's 1981 Booker Prize-
winning Midnight's Children.
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Javier Milei was sworn in as Argentina’s President
Samir Shah Picked as New Chairman of the BBC
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
He will replace Richard Sharp.
Samir Shah has worked in television for more than 40 years and has held a
number of roles at the BBC, including as head of current affairs.
UAE's Mohammed Al Ramsi appointed chairman of WRC23
World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (WRC 23).
The event is being held in Dubai, UAE, from November 20th to December 15th, 2023.
WRC is organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) every four years to
revise the global use of radio-frequency spectrum, geostationary - satellite and non-
geostationary-satellite orbits.
Israel Appoints Reuven Azar As New Ambassador To India
Kuwait's Sheikh Meshal named as successor of Emir Sheikh Nawaf
 After the death of Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmed Al Sabah, his
brother Sheikh Meshal has been declared the new Emir.
 Sheikh Meshal was the Deputy Chief of the National Guard from 2004-
2020.
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Green City On Assam Border
Bhutan, announced its ambitious “Gelephu Smartcity Project.” The Bhutanese King, Jigme
Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, revealed the plans for a massive “international city”
spanning over 1,000 sq. km. on the border with Assam. It is an “economic corridor
connecting South Asia with Southeast Asia via India’s northeastern States.”
 Infrastructure Development: Includes India-Bhutan railway line to Gelephu, linking roadways, trading points,
and connections to Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Singapore.
 India has committed to improving roads, connecting border towns with railways, and supporting Bhutan’s
development.
 Gelephu would be a “Special Administrative Region,” governed by distinct laws to facilitate international
investment.
 It will mark Bhutan’s international presence.
Noma added to WHO list of Neglected Tropical Diseases
 Recently, World Health Organization (WHO) added noma to its list of neglected
tropical diseases (NTDs) underscoring the urgent need to address this health
challenge and allocate resources for prevention and
treatment.
 Noma, also known as cancrum oris
 affecting children aged 3-10 in poor communities.
 Evidence indicates that noma is caused by bacteria

found in the mouth.
 blood flow to a large area of tissue is cut off.
Essequibo region
The Essequibo region is a 159,500 KM² area west of the Essequibo River. The region
is disputed by Guyana and Venezuela.
The territory is controlled by Guyana based on the 1899 Paris Arbitral Award, but is
also claimed by Venezuela.
In December 2023, Guyana and Venezuela agreed not to use force to settle their
dispute over the oil-rich region.
Fault Line : Discovered On Canada’s Vancouver Island
A team of geologists, mineralogists, and Earth and ocean scientists affiliated

with institutions in Canada, the U.S., and France recently discovered a 72-
kilometer fault line on Canada’s Vancouver Island.
Fault Line is a line determined by the intersection of a geological fault and the
earth’s surface.
A fault is a fracture or zone of fractures between two blocks of rock.
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World’s Oldest Known Fort:
An international team of archaeologists has uncovered is believed to be the world’s

oldest-known fort in a remote region of Siberia.
The fortified settlement, named Amnya, is located along the Amnya River in western
Siberia.
It features around 20 scattered pit-house depressions divided into two sections, Amnya
I and Amnya II.
Radiocarbon dating of samples collected at the site places the fort’s construction around 8,000 years ago, making it
the oldest-known fort in the world.
NMCG Launched Global River Cities Alliance at the United Nations Climate Change
Conference in Dubai
GRCA is a unique alliance covering 275+ global river-cities in 11 countries,

international funding agencies and knowledge management partners and is first of
its kind in the world.
River Cities Alliance (RCA), launched in 2021 to foster the sustainable development
of river cities.
National Mission for Clean Ganga
 On 12th August 2011, the NMCG was listed as a society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
 It acted as the implementation arm of the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) which was
constituted under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act (EPA),1986.
 NGRBA was dissolved in 2016 and replaced by the National Council for Rejuvenation, Protection, and
Management of River Ganga.
Saiga Antelope : IUCN Category
The Saiga (Saiga tatarica) species category was changed from Critically
Endangered to Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of
Nature (IUCN). Saiga Antelope is a large migratory herbivore. This antelope has
an extremely unusual appearance with an oversized and flexible nose, the
internal structure of which acts like a filter. It inhabits open dry steppe
grasslands and semi-arid deserts.It is found in fragmented populations within
Kazakhstan, Mongolia, the Russian Federation and Uzbekistan
 Statue Of Tamil Icon ‘Thiruvalluvar’ Unveiled In France
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Akshata Krishnamurthy Becomes First Indian To Operate Mars Rover
 Dr Akshata Krishnamurthy works on multiple cool space missions, including the

Perseverance rover, collecting samples to bring back to Earth.
 NASA Administrator Bill Nelson
 NASA Founded: 29 July 1958, United States
PM Modi Proposes To Host COP33 In India In 2028
This offer was made during his address

at the inaugural session of the World
Climate Action Summit at COP28 in
Dubai. “India's goal is to bring down
emissions intensify by 45% till 2030. We
have decided to increase the share of
non-fossil fuel to 50%. We will also keep
going ahead towards our goal of net zero by 2070,”
Launching The Loss And Damage Fund At COP28
loss and damage fund to help vulnerable countries cope with the impact of climate change was officially launched.
Loss and Damage Fund was first announced during COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
The term refers to the compensation that rich nations, whose industrial growth has resulted in global warming and
driven the planet into a climate crisis, must pay to poor nations, whose carbon footprint is low but are facing the
brunt of rising sea levels, floods, crippling droughts, and intense cyclones, among others.
 The initial corpus of the fund will be over $400 million, well short of the $400 billion estimates suggest will
be needed every year.
 On the opening day of COP28, 196 parties adopted the decision to operationalise the Loss and Damage fund
 The UAE, the COP28 presidency, pledged $100 million to the fund
Green Credit Initiative
Prime Minister Narendra modi launched the Green Credit Initiative at the
COP28 climate conference in Dubai.
This is an important event jointly hosted by India and the UAE at COP28.
The Green Credits Programme, launched by the Environment Ministry in

October this year, is an effort to create a market-based incentive for
different kinds of environment-positive actions, not just for carbon
emission reductions.
In its initial phase, the Green Credit Program gives priority to two essential activities: water conservation and
afforestation.
Under this scheme, green credits will be assigned to specific environmental activities, and will be treated as tradable
commodities. These green credits will be able to be sold on domestic market platforms.
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ALTÉRRA Fund : COP28 Climate Summit
UAE President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, at the COP28 climate summit in
Dubai, announced the creation of a $30 billion climate fund named ALTÉRRA.
The fund aims to attract $250 billion in investment by the end of the decade, with $25
billion allocated to climate strategies and $5 billion to incentivize investment in the
Global South.
The term “Alterra” typically refers to a Latin word that is often used in various contexts to signify alteration,
transformation, or variation.
India Refuses to Sign COP28
 India has refused to sign the COP28 Declaration on Climate and Health
 At COP28, India was absent from a list of 118 countries signed on to a pledge to triple installed renewable
energy capacity by 2030.
 India has said that it would not be possible to fulfil the same within a short term.
 India is not preparing to propose that a decision to phase out fossil fuels be included in the outcome of the
COP28 climate meeting.
 India argued that coal must not be singled out for a phase-down and that the use of all fossil fuels must be
progressively reduced.
 More than 50 per cent of India’s electricity generation comes from coal-fired power plants
Climate Club : COP28
The Climate Club was formally launched at the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change.
Climate Club is led by Germany and Chile, the Club has garnered support from 36 member countries including Kenya,
the European Union, Switzerland and others.
It aims to make decarbonisation of industries successful for climate and businesses, through ambitious policies,
alignment of methodologies and standards and improving finance and assistance for emerging and developed
economies.
Two co-chairs will be elected for two-year terms for the Club. Currently, Germany and Chile serve as the co-chairs.
 A secretariat will be formed to implement the work program.
 Furthermore, a steering group will be formed to support the body of members when the Club reaches 40
members.
 Currently, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and International Energy Agency are
the joint interim heads of secretariat.
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President of Kenya, William Samoei Ruto arrived in New Delhi
 Kenya has decided to join the Global Biofuels Alliance and the International
Solar Alliance.
 Five Memorandums of Understanding were exchanged following the

discussions in a number of areas, including sports, IT, and education.
 Prime Minister Modi announced that India has decided to provide a line of credit of USD 250 million to
Kenya for modernizing its agricutural sector.
 Kenyans and Indians are ‘one people’ situated in two different geographical region: Dr William Ruto
 India is the 3rd largest trading partner of Kenya, after China and the UAE.
Asian Ranger Forum
The 1st Asian Ranger Forum began in Guwahati with the aim to provide a unique
opportunity to the rangers and organisations from the Asian region to collaborate on
the issues affecting rangers globally and to provide solutions.
The ‘Exploring Womanhood Foundation Van Durga Conservation Award 2023’ was
presented to women rangers, Smt. Heena Patel of Gujarat, Smt. Martina Sangma of
Meghalaya and Deepika Vashisht of Rajasthan.
The theme of the forum is “Asia's biodiversity guardians for 30X30”.
Saudi Arabia wins bid for 2030 world fair
Riyadh, the capital of the Gulf country Saudi Arabia, has won the right to host the
Expo 2030 world fair.
This expo will be organized in Riyadh between October 2030 and March 2031.
India Re-Elected To The International Maritime Organization Council
 The 33rd Assembly of the IMO Council is being held from 27 November to 6
December 2023 at the IMO Headquarters in London.
 India comes in the category of ten countries with the greatest interest in
international maritime trade.
 International Maritime Organization (IMO):
 Established: 17 March 1948 (made by an agreement during the Geneva Conference).
 Headquarters: London
 At present the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has a total of 175 members and 3 associate
members.
 India joined IMO only in the year 1959.
 Sri Lanka will host the 37th session of the Asia Pacific Regional Conference (APRC) of the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in February 2024.
 The United Nations mission in Mali has officially ended a 10-year deployment in the country.
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 Indonesia’s Ibu volcano erupts, ash up to 1,200m
 Tropical Cyclone Jasper, the first named storm of the 2023–24 Australian region cyclone season
Short News
 Google announced the launch of its latest, most powerful AI

model, Gemini.
 Italy withdraws from China's Belt and Road Initiative
 Merriam Webster announced ‘Authentic’ is the word of 2023.
 Andry Rajoelina is again elected as the president of Madagascar.
 Rizz Crowned Oxford Word of the Year 2023
 The United Nations declared 2024 the International Year of

Camelids.
 Denmark impose a tax on air passengers to help finance the

airline industry’s transition to greener practices, which will be
gradually phased in from 2025.
 The G7 nations will ban imports of rough diamonds directly from Russia starting January 1, 2024.
 The carbon tax that the UK plans to levy from 2027 on imports of carbon-intensive materials is the Carbon
Border Tax. It will apply to items like iron, steel, aluminum, ceramics and cement.
 Indonesia’s Mount Marapi in West Sumatra province erupted
 China Adopts ‘One Province, One Policy’ Approach to Financial Risk Management/चीन वित्तीय जोखिम
प्रबंधन के लिए 'एक प्रांत, एक नीलत' दृविकोण अपनाता है
 Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the 'Migration and Movement'
Agreement between the Government of India and the Government of Italy.
 Argentine President Javier Milei has officially declined the invitation to join the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India,
China, South Africa) grouping of major emerging economies
Sports
First-ever Khelo India Para Games conclude in New Delhi
Haryana won the inaugural title by securing 105 medals including 40 gold, 39
silver, and 26 bronze.
Uttar Pradesh came second with 62 medals.
Tamil Nadu finished third with 20 gold.
Vijay Hazare Trophy 2023:
 Haryana won the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2023 title by defeating Rajasthan by
30 runs.
 Final match played at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot
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 Haryana team was successful in winning the Vijay Hazare Trophy for the first time.
 Haryana's Sumit Kumar was chosen player of the match in the final match.
 Vijay Hazare Trophy is known as Ranji One Day Trophy.
 This tournament started as a limited overs tournament in the year 2002-03.
 In 2007, it was renamed in honor of the famous Indian cricketer Vijay Hazare.
 This competition is organized by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
 Most Successful Team – TN, Tamil Nadu (5 titles)
 2022-23 Winner – Saurashtra
Bangladesh Clinches First U-19 Asia Cup 2023, Beating UAE
 The Under-19 Asia Cup is being organized since 1989.
IPL Auction 2024: Mitchell Starc becomes most expensive player
 Mitchell Starc was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for Rs 24.75
crore
 The player auction for IPL 2024 took place at the Coca-Cola Arena in
Dubai.
 History of IPL:
 First Edition - Year 2008
 Most successful teams – Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings (5 titles)
 Most runs – Virat Kohli (7263 runs)
 Most wickets – Yuzvendra Chahal (187 wickets)
Amitabh Bachchan Becomes Owner Of Mumbai Team In Indian Street Premier League
 The ISPL is India's first tennis ball T10 cricket tournament
 six teams – Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, and Srinagar
 Recently, actors Akshay Kumar and Hrithik Roshan were announced as the team
owners of Srinagar and Bengaluru, respectively.
Hardik Singh and Xan de Waard named FIH Players of the Year 2023
 FIH Awards for 2023:
 Player of the Year (Men): Hardik Singh (India)
 Player of the Year (Women): Xan de Waard (Netherlands)
 Goalkeeper of the Year (Men): Pirmin Black (Dutch)
 Goalkeeper of the Year (Women): Savita (India)
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 Coach of the Year (Men): Andre Henning, Germany (Head Coach of the German Men's Team)
 Coach of the Year (Women): Alison Annan, Australia (Chief Women's Team Head Coach)
 Savita is currently the captain of the Indian women's team. Savita has received the FIH Women's Goalkeeper
of the Year Award for the third consecutive year.
International Hockey Federation (FIH):
 Established: 1924
 Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland.
 FIH is recognised by the International Olympic Committee as the sole

governing body for hockey worldwide.
Chennai Grand Masters 2023:
Indian chess player D Gukesh won the Chennai Grand Masters 2023
tournament.
Whereas, Arjun Erigaisi secured the second position in this tournament.
BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2023: Mary Earps wins award
England goalkeeper Mary Earps has been named the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year
for 2023.
Cricketer Stuart Broad was the runner-up. These winners were decided by the public
vote.
Mary Earps is the second consecutive female footballer to win the BBC award.
Beth Mead was awarded BBC Sports Personality of the Year for 2022. Beth Mead lifted England's first major
women's football trophy by defeating Germany.
 This is the 70th edition of the BBC's annual awards ceremony.
 Other winners of BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2023:
 Helen Rollason Award: Fatima Whitbread
 Coach of the Year: Pep Guardiola
 Team of the Year: Manchester City
 Youth Sports Personality of the Year: Mia Brooks
 Lifetime Achievement: Sir Kenny Dalgleish
 Unsung Hero: Des Smith
 World Sports Star: Erling Haaland
Shaikh Hassan Khan Climbed Mount Vinson
Kerala government employee Shaikh Hassan Khan has climbed Mount Vinson.
Mount Vinson is the highest mountain in Antarctica.
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Height:4,892 metres (16,050 feet) above sea level.
Apart from Mount Vinson, Shaikh Hassan Khan has climbed four other highest peaks – Mount Everest (Asia), Mount
Denali (North America), Mount Kilimanjaro (Africa), and Mount Elbrus (Europe).
Leander Paes, Vijay Amritraj become first Asian men to be elected to Tennis Hall of Fame
 They are the first Asian male tennis players to achieve such a feat
 They will be formally included in the Tennis Hall of Fame in July

2024.
 Leander Paes has won 18 Grand Slam titles in men's doubles or

mixed doubles. Vijay Amritraj is a former player, broadcaster and
promoter.
 Amritraj helped India reach the Davis Cup finals in 1974 and 1987.
 Apart from Amritraj, British journalist Richard Evans has also been included in the
contributor category.
 Chinese player 'Li Na', who has won two Grand Slam titles, is the first Asian player
to join the women's category.
 She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame (ITHF) in the year
2019.
 International Tennis Hall of Fame (ITHF):
 Established: 1880
 Founder: James J. Van Alen
Iga Swiatek becomes the first woman since Serena Williams to win WTA
Player of the Year twice
Williams, who retired last year, was the WTA Player of the Year every season
from 2012-15
Iga Natalia Świątek is a Polish professional tennis player.
Asad Shafiq AnnouncesdRetirement From All Forms Of Cricket
set to become Pakistan selector
 Two-time World under-20 champion and senior

Worlds bronze medallist Antim Panghal (53kg)
was named as United World Wrestling (UWW)
Rising Star of the Year 2023 in the women’s
section.
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 Faith Kipyegon And Noah Lyles Win 2023 World Athletics Award/फेथ
दकपयेगॉन और नोआ िायल्स ने 2023 विश्व एथिेदिक्स पुरस्कार जीता
 Noah Lyles of America was declared the best male track athlete at. Kenya's
Faith Kipyegon was declared the best female track athlete.
Argentina superstar Lionel Messi named Time’s Athlete of the Year for 2023
 The news comes after Messi won the 2023 Ballon d'Or for a record-extending eighth time
Taylor Swift named Time Magazine's person of the year
The award goes to an event or person deemed to have had the most influence on global events over
the past year.
Time Magazine has named OpenAI founder Sam Altman as 'CEO of the Year’.
Sam Altman is the co-founder of ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, which was launched in November
2022.
Minho & Lee Dong Wook chosen as Global Ambassadors for the Olympics
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has chosen Minho and K-drama
star Lee Dong Wook to serve as the first Global Ambassadors for ‘OlympicTM
Friends.’
The Republic of Korea's Gangwon province will host the 4th Winter Youth
Olympic Games.
R Vaishali becomes India’s third female chess Grandmaster
She is the third female player to attain the grandmaster title, besides Koneru
Humpy and Harika Dronavalli.
With this achievement, Vaishali and her younger brother, Rameshbabu

Praggnanandhaa, have become the first-ever Grandmaster siblings pair in history.
 Chennai's Vaishali Rameshbabu has become India's 84th Grandmaster
 Viswanathan Anand is the first Indian player to become a chess

grandmaster.
Tamil Nadu is the Indian state with the most number of Grandmaster titles.
 83rd Grandmaster – Aditya Samant
 82nd Grandmaster – Vuppala Praneeth
 81st Grandmaster – Sayantan Das
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 80th Grandmaster – Vignesh NR
 International Chess Federation (FIDE) –
 It was started in 1924 in Paris.
 It was recognized as a global sports organization by the International Olympic Committee in 1999.
 Headquarters – Lausanne (Switzerland)
 Chairman – Arkady Dvorkovich
 Vice President – Vishwanathan Anand
Amazon acquires ICC cricket rights for Australia till 2027
The partnership will see Prime Video Australia exclusively stream all men’s and
women’s events, including the Men’s and Women’s Cricket World Cups, T20 World
Cups, Champions Trophy, U19s, and the World Test Championship Final
Germany won the FIFA U-17 World Cup for the first time
 Runner up:France
 Agustin Ruberto of Argentina wins Golden Boot
Syed Modi India International Badminton Tournament 2023
Location:Babu Banarasi Das Badminton Academy, Lucknow.
Syed Modi India International 2023 Badminton Winner:
Men's Singles: Chi Yu Jen (Chinese Taipei)
Women's Singles: Nojomi Okuhara (Japan)
About Syed Modi India International Badminton Championship:
The tournament was started by the Uttar Pradesh Badminton Association (UPBA) in 1991 as the 'Syed Modi
Memorial Badminton Tournament' in memory of Commonwealth Games champion Syed Modi.
In 2004 it was organized as an international event for the first time.
Sheetal Devi
Indian para archer Sheetal Devi emerged victorious at the fourth edition of the
Asian Awards in Riyadh securing the prestigious title of Best Youth Athlete.
The Asian Awards, organized by the Asian Paralympic Committee
Devi’s remarkable performance at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games in October ,gold in both the individual and
team compound events.
 Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games gold medallist Asila Mirzayorova from Uzbekistan :Best Female Athlete
 Peng Zheng :Best Male Athlete
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IBA Junior World Boxing Championship 2023:
26-member squad secured 17 medals including three gold, nine silver and five bronze
medals.
Venue: MIKA Sports Arena, Yerevan, Armenia
Akansha won gold in the 70 kg category, Pari clinched the gold medal in the 48 kg
weight category.
Nisha won gold in the 52 kg category.
Anmol Kharb wins women’s singles title at National Badminton

Championships in Guwahati
 In Badminton, Anmol Kharb has won the women’s singles title at the
National Badminton Championships 2023 in Guwahati.
 men’s singles title :Chirag Sen
Magnus Carlsen Won The 2023 FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship
 Magnus Carlsen captures world rapid chess crown for record fifth time.
 Magnus Carlsen has won a total 16 World Championship titles including 5 Rapid
titles, 6 Blitz titles and 5 Classical titles.
 In August 2023, Magnus Carlsen won the FIDE World Cup title by defeating Indian
Grandmaster Ramesh Babu Praggnanandhaa.
 The World Rapid Chess Championship was started in 2012.
 Eight-year-old A.S. Sharvaanica has become the champion in

two formats of the Asian Youth Chess Championships at Al
Ain in the UAE. Gold in the U-8 rapid and blitz categories, and
silver in the U-8 classical category
 Wrestler Pooja Dhanda handed one-year ban by NADA
Coca-cola Extends Partnership with International Cricket

Council (ICC) for eight years
ICC World events across all three formats, up until the end of
2031.
total timeline of 13 years (2019 – 2031).
South Africa’s Dean Elgar Announced Retirement From International Cricket
Indian Olympic Association forms three-member ad hoc committee to run affairs of suspended WFI
Wushu Association of India president Bhupinder Singh Bajwa will be the chairman of the panel with hockey
Olympian M. M. Somaya and former international shuttler Manjusha Kanwar being the other two members.
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The Sports Ministry suspended the WFI, three days after it elected new office bearers with Brij Bhushan Singh
loyalist Sanjay Singh as president, and also asked IOA to constitute an ad-hoc panel to manage the affairs of the
sports body.
Short News
 Men's Volleyball Club World Championship to begin in Bengaluru
 Hardik Pandya to captain Mumbai Indians in IPL 2024
 BCCI Likely To Launch IPL-Like T10 League In 2024: Report
 Former West Indies wicketkeeper-batsman Shane Dowrich (32-year) has retired from international cricket.
 Italy won Admiral’s Cup 2023 held at Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala
 Kashvee Gautam became the most expensive uncapped player in the WPL Auction 2024 as the Gujarat
Giants bought her for ₹2 crore.
 Kolkata Knight Riders have appointed experienced Indian batsman Shreyas Iyer as their captain for the
upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL). Nitish Rana has been made the vice-captain.
 The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to retire the iconic number 7 jersey worn by
former captain MS Dhoni. BCCI has taken this decision to honor Dhoni's achievements. Earlier, BCCI had
retired the jersey number 10 of the great Sachin Tendulkar
 Khelo India Games will be held in Tamil Nadu in January 2024. The State Government said that the games
will be held in Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai and Trichy from 19th to 31st January, 2024.
 For the first time, squash will be included in Khelo India games.
 Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka have been named the 2023 ITF World Champions by the International
Tennis Federation.
Report/Ranking
India Climbs to 7th Place in Global Climate Performance
Index
The announcement came during the global COP-28 held in

Dubai.
Published by:
Germanwatch, the New Climate Institute and the Climate

Action Network annually since 2005.
The first three overall positions therefore remain empty.
The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) tracks

countries’ efforts to combat climate change.
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Google's top 10 trending athletes in the year 2023
 American Football superstar Damar Hamlin was the most-searched

athlete on Google in 2023
 Indian cricket megastar Shubman Gill was among the most-searched

athletes in the year 2023
Here are the top searched News events of 2023 that India Googled:
 1) Chandrayaan-3
 2) Karnataka Election Results
 3) Israel News
 4) Satish Kaushik
 5) Budget 2023
Myanmar is world's biggest opium producer
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released its
Southeast Asia Opium Survey 2023.
The report states that Myanmar is the world's biggest opium producer.
Opium is dried latex obtained from the seed capsules of the opium poppy
Papaver somniferum.
World’s Most Popular Leader
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi retained his position as the world's

most popular leader with an approval rating of 76 per cent, as per
the data released by US-based consultancy firm ‘Morning Consult’
 Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is ranked second

on the list with an approval rating of 66 per cent.
 Alain Berset, the President of the Swiss Confederation, bagged the third spot with a 58 per cent approval
rating. Brazil's Lula da Silva and Australia's Anthony Albanese are in fourth and fifth positions respectively
 While US President Joe Biden was at the eighth spot with an approval rating of 37 per cent
LIC Ranks Fourth Globally In S&P Global’s 2022 Insurance Report
LIC secures the fourth global position in 2022, per S&P Global. Top three
insurers are Allianz SE, China Life Insurance, and Nippon Life Insurance. LIC's
reserves reach $503.7 billion.
Quality of Living Index 2023
Hyderabad ranked 153rd in Mercer’s Quality of Living City Index 2023, while Pune scored the 154th position and
Bengaluru attained the 156th spot
Pune has the second best ‘quality of life’ in India after Hyderabad.
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Vienna (Austria), Zurich (Switzerland), and Vancouver (Canada) are the top three cities in that order, according to the
2023 index.
Khartoum (Sudan) at the bottom-most position (241st spot).
This index evaluates the quality of life for employees working abroad, especially with families, and relies on data
from over 500 cities all over the world.
The ranking is based on factors like climate, schools and education, disease and sanitation standards, violence and
crime and ease of communications, and socio-political environment.
Adani Green Energy ranked 2nd-largest solar PV developer: Mercom
Adani Green Energy Ltd. with its total solar capacity of 18.1 GW ranked second
after France-based Total Energies, which holds a total capacity of 41.3 GW.
Mercom Capital Group is a clean energy communications and research firm.
This achievement aligns with their ambitious target of achieving 45 GW of

renewable energy capacity by the year 2030.
First delta ranking of Aspirational Blocks Programme (ABP) by NITI Aayog
 Tiriyani Block of Kumuram Bheem Asifabad district in Telangana has emerged as the frontrunner in the first
delta ranking of the Aspirational Blocks Programme (ABP) unveiled by NITI Aayog
 The second position was secured by Kaushambi Block in Kaushambi District, Uttar Pradesh
 Launched on January 7, 2023, the ABP aims to enhance governance and improve the quality of life for
citizens in the most challenging and relatively underdeveloped blocks across India.
 Approximately 500 blocks from 329 districts across 27 states and 4 Union Territories are part of this
programme.
 The rankings were determined based on the performance and progress of the blocks in achieving key
performance indicators (KPIs).
 also revealed the rankings for the Aspirational District Programme (ADP) for October 2023. Rayagada in
Odisha secured the first position, with Jamui in Bihar coming in second.
 NITI Aayog Vice Chairman :Shri Suman Bery
 NITI Aayog. Members NITI Aayog, Prof. Ramesh Chand, Dr. V.K. Paul and Dr. Arvind Virmani and CEO NITI
Aayog, Shri BVR Subrahmanyam
Forbes Asia Heroes Of Philanthropy List
Three prominent Indian business leaders – Nandan Nilekani, KP Singh and Nikhil
Kamath, have earned a coveted spot on the 17th edition of Forbes Asia’s Heroes
of Philanthropy list.
Nadan Nilekani, co-founder and chairman of the renowned tech giant Infosys
KP Singh, chairman emeritus at DLF
Nikhil kamat, co-founder of Zerodha, is another notable name on the list.
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Nirmala Sitharaman And Three Other Indians Secure Spots On Forbes’ “World’s 100
Most Powerful Women” Of 2023
 Nirmala Sitharaman (32nd), HCL's Roshni Nadar Malhotra (60th), SAIL's Soma
Mondal (70th) and Biocon Executive Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (76th)
 Politicians topped the list, occupying the first four spots, with Ursula von der
Leyen, President of the European Commission, at the number 1 position. She is followed by European
Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, US Vice President Kamala Harris and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia
Meloni.
National Crime Records Bureau : Data
Delhi logged the highest rate of FIRs linked to crimes against women in the country in 2022,
the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data revealed.
After Delhi, 6,176 cases were reported in Mumbai and 3,924 in Bengaluru.
National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) was established in 1986 to act as a repository of
information on crime and criminals.
It comes under the Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA), Government of India.
It was set up based on the recommendations of the Tandon Committee, the National Police Commission (1977-1981)
and the Task Force of the Home Ministry.
Headquarters: New Delhi
Criminal Incidents:
In criminal cases, Uttar Pradesh is first in the entire country, Maharashtra is second, while Madhya Pradesh is third.
The highest number of murder cases, 3491, have been registered in Uttar Pradesh, followed by 2930 cases in Bihar
and 2295 cases in Maharashtra.
In a recent report published by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Kolkata has emerged as the safest city in
India for the third consecutive year.
Maximum cases of Pasco:
According to the report, a maximum of 20 thousand 762 cases of child exploitation (POCSO) has been registered in
Maharashtra.
After this, 20415 crimes were registered in Madhya Pradesh and 18682 crimes were registered in Uttar Pradesh.
Cases related to financial fraud increased by 11.1 %.
Cyber crime increased by 24.4 %.
World Digital Competitiveness Index 2023
The International Institute for Management Development (IMD) has released the World
Digital Competitiveness Index 2023 to measure the ranking of countries across the world
in the field of digital environment.
India Ranks 49th in world digital competitiveness index 2023 and this index is topped by the United States of
America.
Netherlands and Singapore secured 2nd and 3rd ranking in the World Digital Competitiveness Index 2023
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Logistics Performance Index 2023
 Logistics Ease in Various States (LEADS) Report 2023 has been released by Commerce and Industry Minister
Piyush Goyal
 LEADS is an indigenous data-driven index to assess logistics infrastructure, services and human resources
across all 36 states and union territories.
 The logistics sector will play an important role in taking the country's economy to approximately US$ 35
trillion by 2047.
 The country's logistics costs are estimated to rise between 7.8% and 8.9%.
 The first logistics report was released in 2018.
 The fifth LEADS (Logistics Ease Across Different States) 2023 report ranks states based on their logistics
ecosystem.
 Three performance categories:
 Achievers Category: States/UTs achieving 90% or more
 Fast Movers Category: States/UTs scoring between 80-90%
 Aspirers Category: States/UTs scoring less than 80 % marks have been placed in this category.
Coastal Group
 Achievers- Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu
 Fast Movers- Kerala, Maharashtra
 Aspirers- Goa, Odisha, West Bengal
Landlocked Group
 Achievers- Haryana, Punjab, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh
 Fast Movers- Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand
 Aspirers- Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand
North-East Group
 Achievers- Assam, Sikkim, Tripura
 Fast Movers- Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland
 Aspirers- Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram
Union Territories
 Achievers- Chandigarh, Delhi
 Fast Movers- Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshadweep, Puducherry
 Aspirers- Daman & Diu/ Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh
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Lancet report
 India's success in eliminating child marriage is crucial to the

achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal target 5.3
 Child marriage was defined as marriage in individuals younger

than 18 years for men and women.
 Child marriage declined during 1993 to 2021. The all-India

prevalence of child marriage in girls declined from 49·4% in
1993 to 22·3% in 2021.
 1 in 5 girls, 1 in 6 boys are married
 The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 5.3 aims to end child marriage in girls by 2030 as part of a
global commitment to “eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage
 Girl child marriages increased in six states, including Manipur, Punjab, Tripura, and West Bengal, while eight
states, including Chhattisgarh, Goa, Manipur, and Punjab, witnessed a rise in boy child marriages
 Prohibition of Child Marriage Act passed in 2006. The Act set the legal age of marriage for men to 21 years
and women to 18 years.
India Leads World Bank's Global Remittance Charts For 2023
 In 2023, overseas Indians sent an estimated $ 125 billion to India.
 In overall, South Asia saw an increase of 7.2 percent in 2023.
 Top five countries in terms of money received from migrants:
 India,Mexico,China,Philippines,Egypt
India Skills Report 2024
Recently, Wheebox in association with various agencies including All India Council
for Technical Education (AICTE), Confederation of Indian Industry and Association
of Indian Universities has published India Skills Report 2024
Theme: Impact of AI on the Future of Work, Skilling & Mobility.
State of Employability in India: It has improved with 51.25% of the assessed youths
found to be employable with the required skills.
 State with Maximum Employability: Telangana has the highest concentration of employable talent in the age
group of 18-21 where 85.45% were found employable.
 Gujarat has the highest availability of employable resources in the age group of 26-29 with 78.24% in this
age group found employable.
 Kerala, and Telangana demonstrate a high concentration of highly employable youth.
 As of August 2023, there were 4.16 lakh AI professionals, poised to meet the increasing demand expected to
reach 1 million by 2026.
CIties with Employable Talent:
 Among top cities with employable talent in the age group of 18-21, Pune came first with 80.82% of
candidates found highly employable, followed by Bengaluru, and then Trivandrum.
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 For employability in the age group of 22-25 among top cities, Lucknow comes first at 88.89%, followed by
Mumbai and then Bengaluru.
Most Preferred State to Work:
 Kerala is the most preferred state to work for both male and female employable talent, with Cochin being
the most preferred area to work for female test takers.
World Bank Released International Debt Report
The International Debt Report (IDR), formerly International Debt Statistics (IDS), is a
longstanding annual publication of the World Bank featuring external debt statistics and
analysis for the 122 low- and middle-income countries
It provides a comprehensive picture of external borrowing and sources of lending by type of

borrower and creditor.
Since 1973
Developing countries faced an unprecedented financial challenge in 2022, as they spent a

staggering $443.5 billion to service their external public and publicly guaranteed debt.
PM Modi Becomes World's No.1 Leader In Terms Of Subscribers On YT
 20 million subscribers on YouTube.
 The world leader with the second most followers is

former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonora, who has just
6.4 million subscribers.
 PM Modi is one of the leaders who added the most new

subscribers in India, achieving the figure of 63 lakh
subscribers in 2023.
 At second place, Rahul Gandhi's YouTube channel has

gained 22.5 lakh subscribers in 2023.
Short News
 Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, referred to as the King Khan of the Indian film industry, has topped a
UK list of the ‘Top 50 Asian Celebrities in the World’.
 Second:Alia Bhatt
 Third: Priyanka Chopra Jonas
 National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data pointed out that Hyderabad topped the nation in food
adulteration cases in 2022.
 Tamil Nadu ranks fourth in attracting FDI in the period between Oct 2019 and September 2023, after
Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Gujarat
 Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the second largest economy of India after Maharashtra in terms of gross
domestic product (GDP) share.
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Current Affairs December 2023 www.parchamclasses.

Which day is observed as ‘Border Security Force

‘International Migrants Day’ is observed on:

Huma Qureshi launched 1st novel ‘Zeba’.

Naye Bharat Ka Samveda

Twinkle Khanna launches her fourth book 'Welcome to Paradise'

Commander P. Deosthalee Becomes The First Woman To Command An INW(an Indian

The Indian Navy comprises three commands.

• Padma Bandopadhyay: She was the first woman to be promoted to

Captain Geetika Koul 1st woman medical officer to be deployed at Siachen

Nina Singh First Woman CISF Chief

Central Industrial Security Force (CISF):

Anish Dayal Singh appointed CRPF chief

Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF):

Rahul Rasgotra ITBP Chief

Jithesh John Assumes Role As IBBI Executive Director

Mohan Yadav becomes new Madhya Pradesh chief minister

Lalduhoma took oath as Mizoram’s next CM

Revanth Reddy appointed as Telangana's new chief minister

Vishnu Deo Sai Is New Chhattisgarh Chief Minister

Bhajan Lal Sharma as new chief minister of Rajasthan

SEBI approved Pramod Agrawal’s appointment as BSE Chairman

SC Collegium Recommends Names Of New Chief Justices For 5 High Courts

• Justice Arun Bhansali recommended for Allahabad High Court.

Supreme Court Collegium:

Justice Sanjiv Khanna nominated NALSA Chairperson

Vita Dani Makes History As First Indian On ITTF Governing Board

RBI Approves CS Rajan As The Chairman Of Kotak Mahindra Bank

HDFC Bank board approves re-appointment of Atanu Chakraborty as Chairman

Uday A Kaole Takes Over as CMD of Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd

Sony Sports Ropes In Kartik Aaryan As Brand Ambassador For Football

Bisleri signed Deepika Padukone as it’s Global Brand Ambassador

Tripura appoints Ganguly as its tourism brand ambassador

S. No. Name of the sportsperson* Discipline

2. Shri Rankireddy Satwik Sai Raj Badminton

Name of the sportsperson Discipline

Ms Parul Chaudhary Athletics

Ms Diksha Dagar Golf

Shri Krishan Bahadur Pathak Hockey

Shri Mohammed Shami Cricket

Ms Prachi Yadav Para Canoeing

Shri Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar Shooting

Ms Esha Singh Shooting

Name of the Coach Discipline

Shri Lalit Kumar Wrestling

Shri Ganesh Prabhakar Devrukhkar Mallakhamb

S.No. Name of the Coach Discipline

S. No. Name of the sportsperson Discipline

 Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy 2023:

1. Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar Overall winner university

First Divyang Sports Awards

About Sumit Antil:

About Sheetal Devi:

Olympian M. Sreeshankar Clinches 35th Jimmy George Foundation Award

Sahitya Akademi Award 2023

Noted Hindi Writer Pushpa Bharati To Receive 33rd Vyas Samman

Javed Akhtar to be felicitated with Padmapani Lifetime Achievement Award at

Bhutanese author Tshering Tashi conferred with Sahitya Akademi’s Premchand

Karnataka bags National Energy Conservation Award 2023