DAILY GY 29-31 DEC

 DAILY GY 29-31 DEC

1.     RBI’S REPORT ON TRENDS AND PROGRESS OF BANKING IN INDIA 2021-22

·       According to the Report on Trend and Progress of Banking in India 2021-22 published by the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) on 27th December 2022, the Gross Non-Performing Assets (GNPA) ratio of Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs) declined to 5% in September 2022 from 9% in 2017-18.

·       The consolidated balance sheet of Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs) showed double digit growth in 2021-22, after a gap of seven years, led by credit growth, which accelerated to a ten-year high in the first half of this financial year ending March 2023 (H1:2022-23).

·       In FY22, banks reported 9,102 frauds of Rs 60,389 crore against 7,358 frauds with an amount involved of Rs 1.37 lakh crore in FY21.

 

2.     EUROPEAN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY ORGANIZATION (EMBO) YOUNG INVESTIGATOR AWARD

·       MahimaSwamy, an Indian scientist hailing from Bengaluru, Karnataka, has been chosen to join the prestigious European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Young Investigator network, recognising her as one of the top talents in biology – Immunology in Europe.

·       MahimaSwamy’s membership is between 2023-2026 and her subject area is Immunology.

 

3.     AMBASSADORS OF CHANGE AWARD

·       Vishal Mittal, an Indian student at the University of Canberra (UC), Australia, is recognised as an Ambassador of Change Award, for his outstanding work as a Student Mentor and contribution to the UC community.

·       Vishal Mittal is one of the 9 Ambassadors of Change, who were recognised for their work in various areas.

 

4.     NEW UN COORDINATOR FOR BLACK SEA GRAIN INITIATIVE

·       Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), appointed Abdullah Abdul SamadDashti, a retired Kuwaiti Vice admiral, of Kuwait as the new UN Coordinator for the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

·       The Black Sea Grain Initiative was launched in Istanbul, Türkiye on 22nd July 2022 by Ukraine, Türkiye, the Russian Federation and the United Nations to enable the resumption of exports from Ukraine of grain, foodstuffs, and fertiliser, including ammonia, through a safe maritime humanitarian corridor.

 

5.     FIDE WORLD RAPID AND BLITZ CHAMPIONSHIP 2022

·       Norwegian chess grandmaster(GM) Magnus Carlsen won the gold in World Rapid Championship, defeating German GM Vincent Keymer, at the FIDE(Fédération Internationale des Échecs –  International Chess Federation) World Rapid and Blitz Championship 2022 held in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

·       Chinese chess grandmaster Tan Zhongyi  won the gold in World Women’s Rapid Championship defeating DinaraSadaukassova of Kazakhstan

·       India’s Woman International Master Savitha Shri B (15 years old), has won the Bronze in World Women’s Rapid Championship and became the 3rd Indian after Viswanathan Anand and Koneru Humpy  to win a medal at the world rapid championship.

 

6.     MCA EXTENDS VIRTUAL AGMS & EGMS TILL SEPTEMBER 2023

·       The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has allowed companies to hold their Annual General Meetings (AGMs) and Extraordinary General Meetings (EGMs) through video conference (VC) mode till September 30, 2023.

·       This extension is applicable for companies whose financial year ends on December 31, 2022, and March 31, 2023.

·       This benefit was started during the pandemic-hit years.

 

7.     G20 INDIA: IISC TO BE SECRETARAT FOR SCIENCE 20 (S20)

·       The Indian Institutie of Science (IISc) based in Bengaluru, Karnataka is set to be the secretariat of the S20 – Science 20, the science working group of the Group of Twenty (G20).

·       The Science 20 (S20) 2023 will work towards resolving common global-level challenges like poverty.

·       The theme of the S20 2023 is “Disruptive Science for Innovative and Sustainable Development”.

 

8.     KERALA’S DHARMADAM BECOMES FIRST COMPLETE LIBRARY CONSTITUENCY IN INDIA

·       Dharmadam, the constitution of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan became first in India to achieve the position of complete library constituency.

·       The constituency has made libraries available with complete librarianisation was made possible with the support of all sections of the people of the constituency.

·       Kerala is the first state to achieve 100 % literacy status in India.

 

9.     IRDAI MAKES KYC MANDATORY FROM JANUARY 1, 2023

·       The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has made Know Your Customer (KYC) norms mandatory for the purchase of all new insurance policies, irrespective of their premiums, starting January 1, 2023.

·       This rule will apply to all types of insurance — life, general and health insurance. 

·       At present, KYC documents are not mandatory for buying non-life or general insurance policies such as health insurance, auto insurance, and travel insurance policies.

·       IRDAIChairperson – DebasishPanda,Headquarters – Hyderabad, Telangana

 

10. BENJAMIN NETANYAHU SWORN IN AS ISRAEL’S NEW PRIME MINISTER 

·       Benjamin Netanyahu was sworn in as Israel’s 25th Prime Minister (PM) for the 6th time, leading the right-wing Likud party, and Israel is set to get its 37th government.

·       Benjamin Netanyahu was sworn in following his presentation to the Knesset (Israeli parliament) coalition agreements signed by 6 parties on 28th December 2022.

·       Benjamin Netanyahu succeeds YairLapid, who served briefly as PM (July 2022- December 2022).

·       His coalition of nationalist and religious parties won a parliamentary majority in an election on 1st November 2022.

·       IsraelPresident- Isaac Herzog,Capital- Jerusalem,Currency- Israeli Shekel

 

11. NEW CEO OF FSSAI 

·       Ganji Kamala Vardhana Rao, is appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

·       Prior to Kamala Vardhana Rao, ArunSinghal was the CEO of FSSAI (2020-2022).

·       FSSAIThe FSSAI was established under the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006 on 23rd August 2006.Headquarters- New Delhi, Delhi            

 

12. MOBILE APP ‘PRAHARI’ OF BORDER SECURITY FORCE

·       Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah launched the Mobile App ‘Prahari’ and Manual of Border Security Force (BSF) in New Delhi.

·       The BSF ‘Prahari’ app is a great example of Proactive Governance. Jawans can get personal information and information related to accommodation, Ayushmann-CAPF and leaves on their mobiles.

·       Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has recently started the Vibrant Village programme, through which the Border Security Forces shall make efforts towards increasing tourism in the village, making the village self-sufficient with complete facilities.

 

13. BRAZILIAN FOOTBALLER PELÉ PASSED AWAY 

·       Former Brazilian Footballer and 3 time FIFA(Fédération Internationale de Football Association) World Cup Winner Pelé(real name:  Edson Arantes do Nascimento), passed away at the age of the age of 82 in State of São Paulo, Brazil.

·       He was nicknamed O Rei (The King) and fondly known as “The King of Football”.

·       He holds the record for all time leading scorer of brazil national football team with 77 goals which he scored in 92 appearances.

·       He scored the most number of goals in football’s history. He scored a total of 1,283 goals in 1,366 matches.

·       During his international career, he won three FIFA World Cups: 1958, 1962 and 1970 and He is the only Men’s football player to have won 3 FIFA World Cup titles.

·       Pelé law is a Brazilian law that required clubs to incorporate as taxable for-profit corporations and to publish balance sheets.

·       It required that players be 20 before signing a professional contract and gave them the right of free agency after two years (instead of after age 32).

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DAILY GK 27,28 DEC

 DAILY GK 27,28 DEC

1.     MOD GIVES NOD TO PROCURE PRALAY BALLISTIC MISSILES FOR ARMED FORCES

·       The Ministry of Defence (MoD), during a high-level meeting, has given its nod for the procurement of 120 Pralay ballistic missiles for the armed forces.

·       These are indigenously developed new generation quasi-ballistic surface-to-surface missiles.

·       It is Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), it’s system is road mobile.

·       It can hit targets in the range of 150-500 km and the missile has an accuracy of 10 metres(capable of hitting within 10 metres of the target).

·       The missile has a speed of around 2,000 km per hour

 

2.     RBI REVISED BANK LOCKER RULES RULES W.E.F. JANUARY 1, 2023

·       The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has amended the bank locker rules w.e.f. January 1, 2023.

·       In this regard, all the existing locker depositors are required to furnish proof of eligibility for a renewed locker arrangement. They are required to sign a renewal agreement before the specified date.

·       The agreement must follow the model drafted by the Indian Bank Association (IBA) in line with the Supreme Court’s (SC) orders and guidelines.

·       Depositors can now get up to 100 times the bank charges if the valuables stored in the vaults are lost due to fire or building collapse.

·       However, the bank is not liable for any damage caused by natural calamities or ‘Acts of God’.

 

3.     REIMAGINE EDUCATION AWARDS 2022

·       Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), Chennai, has won key recognition in Wharton-QS Reimagine Education Awards 2022, referred to as ‘the Oscars of at Philadelphia, United States of America (USA).

·       IIT Madras’ BS (Bachelor’s Degree) in Data Science and Applications won Silver in the ‘Best Online Program’ category.

·       NPTEL (National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning), a joint initiative of IITs and IISc, won the Gold in the ‘Lifelong Learning category’.

·       Educational Initiatives’ Mindspark: Leveraging AI to Enhance Learning Outcomes won Silver in the ‘AI in Education Award’ category.

 

4.     TATA STEEL CERTIFIED AS A ‘GREAT PLACE TO WORK’ FOR 2023

·       Tata Steel India Limited has been certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ by the Great Place to Work Institute for 2023.

·       It has been certified for the 6th consecutive year.

·       According to the Great Place to Work assessment, Tata Steel excelled in all 5 dimensions of a High-Trust, High-Performance Culture: Credibility, Respect, Fairness, Pride and Camaraderie.

 

5.     PUSHPA KAMAL DAHAL IS NEW PM OF NEPAL

·       Bidhya Devi Bhandari, President of Nepal, appointed Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal as new Prime Minister of Nepal.

·       He was sworn in for the 3rd time as the PM of Nepal succeeding Sher Bahadur Deuba of the Nepali Congress party.

·       Pushpa Kamal Dahal is also known as Prachanda – meaning “terrible” or “fierce”.

 

6.     BOOK “FORKS IN THE ROAD” BY C RANGARAJAN

·       C Rangarajan authored a book titled “Forks in the Road: My Days at RBI and Beyond”.

·       The book is the memoir of Dr C. Rangarajan, an Indian economist, a former Member of Parliament, and the 19th Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

 

7.     NATIONAL GOOD GOVERNANCE DAY 2022 – DECEMBER 25

·       Good Governance Day, also known as Sushasan Diwas in Hindi, is annually observed across India on 25th December to mark the birth anniversary of the former Prime Minister (PM) Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

·       In 2014, The Government of India declared the 25th December of every year, the birth anniversary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, as Good Governance Day.

 

8.     VEER BAL DIWAS 2022 – DECEMBER 26

·       Veer BalDiwas is observed across India on December 26 to mark the martyrdom of the Sahibzadas- Sri Guru Gobind Singh’s 4 sons of the 10th Sikh guru- Guru Gobind Singh Ji in the 17th century.

·       26th December 2022 marks the 1st observance of Veer BalDiwas.

 

9.     INDIA TO RISE TO 3RD SPOT ON THE WORLD ECONOMIC LEAGUE TABLE BY 2037

·       The United Kingdom (UK) based Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) has projected 3rd spot for India on the World Economic League Table (WELT) by 2037.

·       India is on 5th spot in WELT 2022 and WELT 2023.

·       It is topped by the United States (US) in 2022 & 2023.

·       India overtook the UK to become the world’s 5th largest economy in 2021.

 

10. ATAL SAMMAN AWARDS

·       Prabhu Chandra Mishra received the Atal Samman Award (Atal AnveshiShikharaSamman) during the 9th Atal SammanSamaroh, on the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister (PM) Atal Bihari Vajpayee at VigyanBhawan, New Delhi.

·       He was honoured with the award for his excellence in the field of science and research.

·       He has worked in areas of stem cell and regenerative medicines in infertility, especially when In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) also fails.

 

11. SANTOSH YADAV APPOINTED NHAI CHAIRMAN

·       Santosh Kumar Yadavis appointed as Chairman of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways.

·       Subhasish Pandahas been appointed as Vice Chairman of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA).

·       Ganji Kamala V Raohas been appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

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DAILY GK 25,26 DEC

 DAILY GK 25,26 DEC

1.     FORBES HIGHEST PAID FEMALE ATHLETE IN 2022

·       According to the Forbes’s World’s Highest-Paid Female Athletes 2022, Indian Badminton player PV Sindhu is ranked 12th with a total earning of USD 7.1 million. 

·       She is the only Indian and the only badminton player among the top 25 of the list.

·       Naomi Osaka of Japan(Tennis) tops the list with USD 51.1 million(USD 1.1 million on-field and USD 50 million off-field.

·       Serena Williams of United States of America(USA) (Tennis) is ranked 2nd

 

2.     IMF PROJECTS 6.8 PERCENT GROWTH IN CURRENT FISCAL FOR INDIA

·       The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its Article IV consultation report projected a growth rate of 6.8 percent for India in the current fiscal year (FY23)

·       IMP has projected 6.1 percent Growth rate in the next fiscal year (FY24).

 

3.     VINFUTURE SPECIAL PRIZE 2022

·       Professor Thalappil Pradeep, an Indian scientist from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, was awarded the “VinFuture Special Prize 2022” in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam.

·       He received the “Special Prize for Innovators from Developing Countries” for developing a low-cost filtration system to remove arsenic and other heavy metals from groundwater.

·       He was previously awarded the ‘Padma Shri Award in Science and Engineering in 2020’

·       TheVinFuture Prize serves as the central core of the ‘VinFuture Foundation’, an independent, non-profit organisation.

 

4.     UIDAI GETS DSCI EXCELLENCE AWARD FOR ‘BEST SECURITY PRACTICES IN GOVERNMENT SECTOR’

·       Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has been honoured with the Data Security Council of India (DSCI) Excellence Award 2022 under ‘Best Security Practices in Government Sector’ category.

·       The award recognises UDAO’s contribution in securing national critical ‘Aadhaar’ infrastructure which provides digital identity based welfare services to residents.

·       DSCI is a not-for-profit industry body on data protection in India established by the National Association of Software and Service Companies(NASSCOM).

 

5.     RABINDRANATH TAGORE LITERARY PRIZE 2021-2022

·       The Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize 2021-22 has been jointly won by Sudeep Sen for his genre and form bender “Anthropocene: Climate Change, Contagion, Consolation” and Shobhana Kumar for her haibun collection “A Sky Full of Bucket Lists” .

·       This award was initiated by Peter Bundalo of the United States (US)- based independent and non-profit publishing house Maitreya Publishing Foundation (MPF) to honour the legacy of Rabindranath Tagore.

 

6.     EKALABYA PURASKAR

·       International cyclist Swasti Singh hailing from Odisha has been honoured with the 30th EkalabyaPuraskar for the year 2022 

·       Swasti Singh has won 2 gold and several silver medals at the national level representing Odisha

·       EkalabyaPuraskar was instituted by IMPaCT(Indian Metals Public Charitable Trust) of IMFA, a leading Ferro Alloys producer, in the country, in 1993.

 

7.     PRIME MINISTER OF FIJI

·       SitiveniRabuka, a former military commander, has been chosen as Fiji’s 12th Prime Minister (PM), replacing Frank Bainimarama, who has been in office for 16 years.

·       Mr. Rabuka, who served as PM of Fiji from 1992 to 1999, is being elected to the post for the second term.

·       He is head of the People’s Alliance Party (PAP)

·       Fiji, a small Pacific island, has experienced four coups in the last 35 years.

·       FijiCapital – Suva

 

8.     NATIONAL CONSUMER DAY 2022 – DECEMBER 24

·       National Consumer Day or BhartiyaGrahakDiwas is annually observed across India on December 24 to create awareness about consumer rights and responsibilities.

·       National Consumer Day is also known as National Consumer Rights Day.

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