ISRO launched XPOSAT (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite) into an Eastward low inclination orbit, onboard PSLV-C58 rocket.
This space observatory will study polarisation of cosmic X-rays, with operational lifespan of minimum 5 years. It will study 50 brightest known sources in universe, after being placed in a circular low Earth orbit of 500–700 km.
It will complement efforts of NASA's Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE), which was launched in 2021.
Payloads -
Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays (POLIX) - Will measure degree and angle of polarization of astronomical sources in medium X-ray range.
X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing (XSPECT) - Will measure spectroscopic information, timing of soft X-rays and electromagnetic spectrum generated by different types of matter.
Bihar Police announced Mission Investigation@75 Days, aiming to streamline and expedite criminal justice process in state, Starting from January 01, 2024.
Under it, investigators will be mandated to complete investigation of cases within 75 days of registration of First Information Reports (FIRs).
GST revenue collected in December 2023 stood at 164882 crores (CGST 30443 crores, SGST 37935 crores, IGST 84255 crores & cess 12249 crores).
Misc. Financial / Economy News (Jan 2024) -
Indian GDP Growth Forecasts -
India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) - 6.7% for FY24 (2023-24).
As per APAC Cross-Sector Outlook 2024 by Fitch Ratings - 6.9% for FY24 (2023-24) & 6.5 for FY25 (2024-25).
As per World Bank’s latest Global Economic Prospects report -
Global growth is projected to slow for third year in a row - from 2.6% in 2023 to 2.4% in 2024, before picking up to 2.7 % in 2025.
GDP Growth projections in notable regions -
USA - 1.6 % in 2024 & 1.7 % in 2025
South Asia - 5.6 % in 2024 & 5.9 % in 2025
China - 4.5 % in 2024 & 4.3 % in 2025
India - 6.4 % in 2024 & 6.5 % in 2025. India remains fastest growing large economy in the world.
As per United Nations' World Economic Situation and Prospects 2024 -
GDP Growth projections in notable regions -
USA - 1.4 % in 2024 (after 2.5 % in 2023)
European Union - 1.2 % in 2024 (after 0.5 % in 2023)
China - 4.7 % in 2024 (after 5.3 % in 2023)
South Asia - 5.2 % in 2024 (after 5.2 % in 2023)
India - 6.2 % in 2024 (after 6.3 % in 2023). India remains fastest growing large economy in the world.
Least developed countries - 5.0 % in 2024 (after 4.4 % in 2023). Notably, UN SDGs have set 7.0 % growth target for LDCs.
Notable Penalties put by RBI -
ESAF Small Finance Bank - 29.55 Lakh
Punjab and Sind Bank - 1 crore
Dhanlaxmi Bank - 1.2 crore
NKGSB Co-operative Bank - 50 lakh
RBI Cancelled banking licence of -
Dabhoi (Gujarat) based Shree Mahalaxmi Mercantile Co-operative Bank
Hiriyur (Karnataka) based Hiriyur Urban Co-operative Bank
RBI Approved Power Finance Corporation (PFC)'s proposal to establish a finance company within Gujarat’s GIFT City, an International Financial Services Centre (IFSC).
Tata Consumer Products Ltd acquired 100% stake in FMCG Brand Capital Foods (owner of brands Ching's Secret and Smith & Jones) for 5100 crores.
Maharatna PSU REC Limited issued its 1st Japanese Yen (JPY) 61.1 billion (5-year, 5.25-year and 10-year) Green bonds, under its US$ 10 billion Global Medium Term Notes Programme. Proceeds will be applied to finance Eligible Green Projects.
Govt announced to set up Trade Connect ePlatform, as an intermediary platform to connect Indian exporters / entrepreneurs with stakeholders in international trade.
Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) became most valuable PSU in India, after overtaking SBI.
LIC market cap reached 5.8 lakh crores, following a recent persistent rally in its shares.
Taiwanese electronics contract manufacturer Foxconn partnered with Indian IT Firm HCL Group, to establish a semiconductor packaging and testing venture in India.
DLabs (business incubator at Indian School of Business (ISB)) launched startup accelerator programme called Build for Billions, in partnership with Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) and Union Bank of India.
It aims to bridge gap between financial services and informal economy, by supporting fintech startups in developing financial inclusion solutions for informal economy.
LIC launched its Jeevan Dhara II deferred annuity plan, with life cover during deferment period.
It provides higher annuity rates as policyholders age.
It has minimum entry age of 20 years.
Yes Bank became first Indian bank to execute an export finance transaction on International Trade Financing Services Platform (ITFS) of RXIL Global IFSC Limited (RXIL), a cross-border fintech firm registered under International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA).
This facilitates arranging credit for exporters and importers from both Indian and Global Institutions, at competitive pricing.
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas approved establishment of a subsidiary company by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), focusing on green energy and gas ventures, to be named ONGC Green Limited.
RBI approved LIC's acquisition of up to 9.99% aggregate holding in HDFC Bank.
Krutrim AI (Founded by Ola Founder Bhavish Aggarwal) became India’s first AI startup to reach unicorn status (valuation of $1 billion).
Obituaries (January 2024) -
Ved Prakash Nanda - Noted Indian-American Padma Bhushan awardee Academic.
KJ Joy - Noted Music Composer in Malayalam film industry.
Norman Jewison - Noted Canadian filmmaker.
Misc. MOUs (January 2024) -
Between Indian Railways & Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), to reduce energy and water consumption, aimed at lowering GHG (green house gas) emissions.
Notably, Indian Railways aims to be Net Zero Carbon Emitter by 2030.
Between IIT Roorkee & IIT Bhilai, to strengthen academic and research collaboration, to Forge Alliance for Tribal Research and Preservation of Indian Knowledge Systems.
Between REC Limited & Bank of Baroda, to facilitate joint sanctions of loans to fund power, infrastructure and logistics projects in country over 3 years.
Between Coal India Limited & National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) for Setting up of Multi Skill Development Institutes (MSDIs) in each subsidiary of Coal India Limited.
Between NHPC & Gujarat Power Corporation Limited, for Rs 4000 crores investment in proposed 750 MW Kuppa Pumped Hydro Storage Project.
Between Power Finance Corporation (PFC) & Gujarat Govt, to provide comprehensive financial backing of upto 25000 crores, for state's generation, transmission, and distribution projects.
Between National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) & ISRO's National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), to develop and report a Green Cover Index for extensive network of National Highways in India.
Between Ministry of Rural Development's Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM) & SBI, on Svyam Siddha - SBI’s Financial Product to finance SHG Women led Enterprises in Rural India.
Between Google India Digital Services and NPCI International Payments Ltd, to help expand UPI payments infrastructure beyond India.
It will enable Indian travellers to conveniently make transactions abroad via Google Pay.
Also, NPCI commenced linkage of India's UPI with Singapore's PayNow, enabling Indians to receive remittances instantly from Singapore-based Indian diaspora and vice-versa. The arrangement was announced in Feb 2023.
Between IIT Madras & Altair (tech firm providing solutions in simulation, high-performance computing and AI), to launch an eMobility Simulation Lab.
Between Indian renewable energy firm ACME Group & Japanese integrated heavy industry group IHI Corporation, for supply of green ammonia from Odisha to Japan.
Green Ammonia will be produced at ACME’s 1.2 MMTPA Green Ammonia project being developed at Gopalpur (Odisha), with investment of 5 billion USD.
Term sheet covers supply of 0.4 MMTPA of green ammonia from Phase-1 of Odisha project in Gopalpur on a long-term basis.
Between state govts of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Ministry of Jal Shakti, for implementation of Modified PKC-ERCP (integration of original PKC with Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project of Rajasthan).
It is 2nd project under national perspective plan of interlinking of rivers (ILR) program of Government of India.
Between NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL) & Maharashtra Govt, for development of Green Hydrogen and derivatives (Green Ammonia, Green Methanol) of up to 1 million Ton capacity per annum, Pumped Storage Projects of 2 GW & Renewable energy projects up to 5 GW.
It envisages potential investment of approx 80000 crores in 5 years.
Between NHAI & Geological Survey of India, to help develop robust National Highways network by assisting NHAI with site specific geotechnical consultancy.
Misc. Appointments (Jan 2024) -
Randhir Jaiswal has been named official spokesperson in Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), succeeding Arindam Bagchi, who was named India’s next Permanent Representative to United Nations and other international organizations based in Geneva.
Sheel Vardhan Singh has been named new Member in UPSC.
UPSC has 1 Chairman (Manoj Soni Currently) & upto 10 members.
New Indian Ambassadors Appointed -
Raveesh Kumar - Czech Republic
Manish Prabhat - Denmark
Madhumita Hazarika Bhagat - Turkmenistan
Vidhu P Nair - Angola
Maharashtra govt named Rashmi Shukla as Chief of State Police (DGP). She is 1st female to hold the post.
National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Limited (NIIFL) named Sanjiv Aggarwal as its MD & CEO.
NIIFL maintains infrastructure investments funds for international and Indian investors anchored by Government of India.
RBI approved appointment of Praveen Achuthan Kutty as MD & CEO of DCB Bank.
Prasanna Bhalachandra Varale (Former Chief Justice of Karnataka HC) has been named as as a Judge of Supreme Court of India, taking sitting strength of SC to max possible number of 34.
Azali Assoumani has been re-elected as President of Comoros (East Africa), for his 4th term.
Misc. Sports News (Jan 2024) -
Noted Australian cricketer David Warner announced his retirement from international Test & ODI cricket.
Kenya's Beatrice Chebet broke women's world 5km record in Barcelona (Spain), beating previous record of 14:29 with timing of 14:13.
Indian winners at Scottish Junior Squash Open 2023 in Edinburgh -
Prabhav Bajoria (Boys Under 11)
Shresht Iyer (Boys Under 13)
Subhash Choudhary (Boys Under 15)
Aadya Budhia (Girls Under 13)
Anahat Singh (Girls Under 19)
India's Rohit Sharma became first men’s cricketer to feature in 150 T20 Internationals.
New Zealand cricketer Tim Southee became first bowler to take 150 wickets in T20 Internationals.
Australian cricketer Shaun Marsh announced his retirement from all forms of Cricket.
Binbin and Nini (a pair of Siberian tigers) have been named as Mascots for 2025 Asian Winter Games (9th edition, to be hosted in Harbin (China)).
Sue Redfern (England) become first ICC appointed female neutral umpire (belonging to none of playing nations) to officiate in a bilateral series (between Australia and South Africa).
Global soccer governing body FIFA's president Gianni Infantino has been honored with International Sports Personality of the Year award, at 12th annual Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Awards in Dubai (UAE).
Tata Group retained title sponsorship of Indian Premier League (IPL) for upcoming 5 seasons (2024 to 2028), by paying 500 crore per season.
In 2022, Tata Group had replaced Chinese mobile manufacturer Vivo as IPL title sponsor for 2022 and 2023 seasons, at cost 365 crore per season.
India’s Man Singh won gold medal at Asian Marathon Championships 2024 in Hong Kong.
Indian table tennis player Sreeja Akula won her 1st international title, at WTT Feeder Corpus Christi 2024 in Texas (USA).
Misc. Science News / Events (Jan 2024) -
Elon Musk led firm XAI launched GrokAI, to compete with Google bard and Microsoft ChatGPT. It has been launched initially for Premium subscribers of Musk owned social media platform X (earlier twitter).
Researchers at Linköping University (Sweden) developed an electrically conductive soil for soilless cultivation (known as hydroponics), which can enable seedlings to grow 50% faster when their root system is stimulated electrically through a new cultivation substrate.
Japan launched intelligence-gathering satellite Optical-8, to improve military monitoring and response to natural disasters.
Chinese firm Betavolt developed nuclear battery capable of operating for 50 years, without requiring recharging (including in smartphones).
It utilizes 63 nuclear isotopes compactly arranged within a module, operating by converting the energy released from decaying isotopes into electricity.
Betavolt used nickel-63, a radioactive element, as the energy source for the battery.
Danish logistics firm Maersk unveiled its container ship Ane Maersk, as world’s first large container ship powered by green methanol, to reduce emissions from shipping industry.
As per 1st survey on number of Snow Leopards in India (conduted by Wildlife Institute of India), population of Snow leopards in India stands at 718.
Misc. Defence News (Jan 2024) -
Defence Ministry approved raising 4 new National Cadet Corps (NCC) Units in UTs of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. It includes one Mixed (Boys & Girls) Army Battalion each at Udhampur (J&K), Kupwara (J&K) and Kargil (Ladakh), and one Air Squadron at Udhampur (J&K).
DRDO successfully test fired New Generation AKASH (AKASH-NG) surface-to-air missile, with Operational range 70-80 KM.
DRDO launched indigenously developed assault rifle named Ugram, to replace ageing INSAS rifle currently used by Armed Forces.
It has been developed by DRDO Unit Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) and Hyderabad-based private firm Dvipa Armour India Private Limited.
9th chapter of Capsule on Science, Technology and Applied Research (CAPSTAR) held at Military Institute of Technology (MILIT) Pune, with participation from services, academia, DRDO Labs and private defence industries.
Ajay Bhatt (Minister of State for Defence) flagged off indigenously developed Astra Mk-1 air-to-air missiles produced by Bharat Dynamics Limited (with range upto 110 KM), for induction into Indian Air Force (IAF).
Indian Army launched Operation Sarvashakti, to eliminate terrorists operating on both sides of Pir Panjal mountain ranges in J&K UT.
Ministry of Defence signed Contract with Mumbai-based Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL), for acquisition of 14 Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs) for Indian Coast Guard, at cost 1070 crores.
Competition Commission of India (CCI) Approvals -
Tata Electronics's acquisition of 100 % equity of Wistron Infocomm Manufacturing (India) Private Limited, from SMS Infocomm (Singapore) Private Limited.
This will enable Tata Electronics to become 1st Indian iPhone maker.
Merger of Fincare Small Finance Bank into AU Small Finance Bank.
Under this all-share deal, shareholders of Fincare SFB will receive 579 shares in AU SFB for every 2000 shares they hold in Fincare SFB.
2023 World Rapid Chess Championships (Samarkand, Uzbekistan) -
Men - Magnus Carlsen (Norway). Its his 5th world Rapid title.
Women - Anastasia Bodnaruk (Russia). She defeated India’s Koneru Humpy in final, who won women’s individual silver medal.
2023 World Blitz Chess Championships (Samarkand, Uzbekistan) -
Men - Magnus Carlsen (Norway). Its his 7th world blitz title.
Women - Valentina Gunina (Russia).
Asian Development Bank (ADB) launched Climate Action Catalyst Fund (CACF), as a first-of-its-kind carbon fund under 2015Paris Agreement.
It will aim to mobilize innovative carbon finance through purchase of carbon credits, to catalyze investments in transformative mitigation actions in ADB’s developing member countries.
P Santhosh has been named MD & CEO of National Asset Reconstruction Company (NARCL).
Bengali writer Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay has been awarded 2023 Kuvempu Rashtriya Puraskar, conferred by Rashtrakavi Kuvempu Prathishtana in honour of late Kannada poet Kuvempu. The award carries cash prize of 5 lakh.
Notable Points from PM Narendra Modi's visit to Tamil Nadu & Lakshadweep -
Tamil Nadu -
Launched Demonstration Fast Reactor Fuel Reprocessing Plant (DFRP) at Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) Kalpakkam.
It is only of its kind in world and is capable of reprocessing both carbide and oxide fuels discharged from fast reactors.
Inaugurated New Terminal Building at Tiruchirappalli International Airport, with capacity of serving 44 lakh passengers annually.
Lakshadweep -
Launched Kochi-Lakshadweep Islands Submarine Optical Fiber Connection (KLI - SOFC) project, to boost internet speeds in Lakshasweep islands (upto 200 Gbps).
For the first time since independence, Lakshadweep has been connected through Submarine Optic Fibre Cable.
Launched Low Temperature Thermal Desalination (LTTD) plant at Kadmat, to produce 1.5 lakh litres of clean drinking water every day.
Launched Lakshadweep's first battery backed solar power project at Kavaratti.
Nadia Calvino (Spain) has been named new president of Kirchberg (Luxembourg) based European Investment Bank, becoming first woman to hold the post.
Book Ram Mandir : Raashtr Mandir, Ek Saajhee Viraasat, written by Geeta Singh & Mohd. Aarif Khan has been released.
RBI enhanced bulk deposit limit for large urban co-operative banks (UCBs) to 1 crore and above (from current 15 lakh and above).
New bulk deposit limit applies to UCBs in Tier 3 (deposits between 1000-10000 crores) and Tier 4 (deposits over 10000 crores) categories.
Jharkhand Govt announced reduction in qualifying age for receiving old-age pension to 50 years (from 60 years earlier), for women/SC/ST category beneficiaries.
Jan 04 is observed by UN as World Braille Day, marking birthday of Louis Braille, the creator of Braille writing system used by visually impaired people.
Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) & National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) launched SMART 2.0 (Scope for Mainstreaming Ayurveda Research among Teaching professionals) program, to promote robust clinical studies in priority areas of Ayurveda with Ayurveda academic institutions/hospitals across country.
Succès Masra has been named new Prime Minister of Chad (Central Africa).
Sanjiv Khanna has been named as Executive Chairperson of National Legal Services Authority (NALSA).
SBI announced raising $1 billion from overseas, to bolster domestic ESG (Environmental, social, and governance) financing market, including a green shoe of $250 million.
First Advance Estimates of National Income for FY24 (2023-24), released by National Statistical Office (Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation) -
Real GDP (GDP at Constant (2011-12) Prices) in 2023-24 is estimated to be 171.79 lakh crores, as against Provisional Estimate of GDP for 2022-23 of 160.06 lakh crore (7.3% growth).
Nominal GDP (GDP at Current Prices) in 2023-24 is estimated at 296.58 lakh crores, as against Provisional Estimate of GDP for 2022-23 of 272.41 lakh crores(8.9 % growth).
About -
First Advance Estimates of GDP were introduced in 2016-17, to serve as essential inputs to the Budget exercise. It is based on limited data and compiled using Benchmark-Indicator Method.
Cabinet Approvals (Jan 05, 2024) -
MOUs -
With United States for International Development/India (USAID/India), for supporting Indian Railways to achieve Mission Net Zero Carbon Emission by 2030.
With Guyana - cooperation in hydrocarbon sector.
With Mauritius - cooperation in development of a Joint Small Satellite.
General -
Approved to declare Ayodhya Airport as an International Airport and naming it as Maharishi Valmiki International Airport, Ayodhyadham.
Approved overarching scheme PRITHvi VIgyan (PRITHVI) of Ministry of Earth Sciences, for implementation during 2021-26 at cost 4797 crores.
It encompasses five ongoing sub-schemes -
Atmosphere & Climate Research-Modelling Observing Systems & Services (ACROSS)
Ocean Services, Modelling Application, Resources and Technology (O-SMART)
Polar Science and Cryosphere Research (PACER)
Seismology and Geosciences (SAGE)
Research, Education, Training and Outreach (REACHOUT)
Major Objectives of overarching Prithvi Scheme -
Augmentation and sustainance of long-term observations of atmosphere, ocean, geosphere, cryosphere and solid earth to record vital signs of the Earth System and change.
Development of modelling systems for understanding and predicting weather, ocean and climate hazards and understanding the science of climate change.
Exploration polar and high seas regions of the Earth towards discovery of new phenomena and resources.
Development of technology for exploration and sustainable harnessing of oceanic resources for societal applications.
Translation of knowledge and insights from Earth systems science into services for societal, environmental and economic benefit.
Azerbaijan govt named Mukhtar Babayev as president-elect for 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (commonly known as COP29), to be hosted by Azerbaijan in Baku in 2024.
Notably -
2023 Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP28) was hosted by Dubai (UAE).
2025 Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP30) will be hosted by Belém (Brazil).
India has proposed to host COP33 in India in 2028.
Environment Ministry submitted proposals for Wetland City Accreditation under Ramsar Convention on Wetlands for cities of Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) & Udaipur (Rajasthan), as first Indian cities for which nominations have been submitted for WCA.
About -
Ramsar Convention during COP12 (held in 2015) approved a voluntary Wetland City Accreditation system, which recognizes cities which have taken exceptional steps to safeguard their urban wetlands. It aims to further promote conservation of urban / peri-urban wetlands, as well as sustainable socio-economic benefits for local populations.
Jan 06 is observed as Journalist Day by Maharashtra government, in memory of Balshastri Jambhekar, known as Father of Marathi journalism. He started First newspaper in Marathi, named Darpan.
Sheikh Hasina has been elected as Prime Minister of Bangladesh, for her 4th consecutive term.
Tshering Tobgay has been elected as Prime Minister of Bhutan, for his 2nd term.
Aatmanirbhar Bharat Utsav 2024 held at Bharat Mandapam (New Delhi).
During the summit, National One District One Product Awards 2023 were conferreed. Gold Winners -
District Awards -
Agriculture - Alluri Sitharama Raju (Andhra Pradesh), for Araku Coffee
Non-Agriculture - Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh), for Uppada Jamdani Saree
States -
Category A - Uttar Pradesh
Category B - J&K
Mission Aboard -
Consulate General of India, Vancouver (Canada)
ISRO's Aditya-L1 spacecraft successfully reached Lagrangian point (L1), to study the sun in a halo orbit abround 1.5 million away from Earth.
It was launched on September 2, 2023 onboard PSLV C57 rocket.
A satellite placed in halo orbit around L1 point can continuously view the Sun without any occultation/eclipses. It will study solar atmosphere, solar magnetic storms, and their impact on environment around Earth. Planned mission duration is 5.2 years.
Payloads -
Type
Sl. No.
Payload
Capability
Remote Sensing Payloads
1
Visible Emission Line Coronagraph(VELC)
Corona/Imaging & Spectroscopy
2
Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT)
Photosphere and Chromosphere Imaging- Narrow & Broadband
High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer(HEL1OS)
Hard X-ray spectrometer: Sun-as-a-star observation
In-situ Payloads
5
Aditya Solar wind Particle Experiment(ASPEX)
Solar wind/Particle Analyzer Protons & Heavier Ions with directions
6
Plasma Analyser Package For Aditya (PAPA)
Solar wind/Particle Analyzer Electrons & Heavier Ions with directions
7
Advanced Tri-axial High Resolution Digital Magnetometers
In-situ magnetic field (Bx, By and Bz).
New Members named in Railway Board -
Satish Kumar - Member (Traction & Rolling Stock)
Seema Kumar - Member (Operations & Business Development)
About -
Railway Board has 4 Members and 1 Chairman (Jaya Varma Sinha currently).
1st edition of Bilateral Maritime Exercise between Indian & Thailand Navies, named Ex-Ayutthaya (which translates to the invincible one) has been hosted by Thailand, along with 36th edition of India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol (Indo-Thai CORPAT).
Department of School Education & Literacy (Ministry of Education) launched Experiential Learning program named Prerana, aiming to empower participants with leadership qualities by offering them meaningful, unique, and inspiring experiences.
It is a week-long residential program for selected students of class IX to XII, to run from a Vernacular School, established in 1888, in Vadnagar (Gujarat).
A batch of 20 selected students (10 boys and 10 girls) will attend the program, every week from across country.
Raghuram Iyer has been named new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
81st Golden Globe Awards 2024 (hosted in California, USA) -
Best Motion Picture -
Drama - Oppenheimer
Musical / Comedy - Poor Things
Animated - The Boy and the Heron
Non-English - Anatomy of a Fall (France)
Best Performance in a Motion Picture (Drama) -
Actor - Cillian Murphy for Oppenheimer
Actress - Lily Gladstone for Killers of the Flower Moon
Best Performance in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy) -
Actor - Paul Giamatti for The Holdovers
Actress - Emma Stone for Poor Things
Best Supporting Performance in a Motion Picture -
Supporting Actor - Robert Downey Jr. for Oppenheimer
Supporting Actress - Da'Vine Joy Randolph for The Holdovers
Best Director - Christopher Nolan for Oppenheimer
Barbie received most nominations (9), and Oppenheimer won most awards (5).
Best Television Series -
Drama - Succession (HBO)
Musical or Comedy - The Bear (FX / Hulu)
Former Indian Army Chief Manoj Mukund Naravane's autobiography titled Four Stars of Destiny, has been released.
Book Major Shaitan Singh, PVC: The Man In Half Light, by Jai Samota has been released.
Major Shaitan Singh was honored by Param Vir Chakra (India's highest military decoration), for his bravery at Rezang La during Sino-Indian War 1962.
Govt named Vikas Sheel as Executive Director of Manila (Philippines) based Asian Development Bank (ADB).
His earlier role of Mission Director of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) shall be taken up by Chandra Bhushan Kumar.
Govt named Senthil Pandian C as India's Permanent Representative to Geneva based World Trade Organization (WTO), succeeding Brajendra Navnit.
Kyrgyzstan declared snow leopard as its national symbol, underscoring its commitment to conservation and ecological balance.
President Droupadi Murmu conferred National Sports Awards 2023 and National Adventure Awards 2022 -
Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awards 2022 -
Savita Kanswal (Posthumous) (Mountaineering)
Tulsi Chaitanya Mothukuri (Swimming)
Anshu Kumar Tiwari (Skydiving)
Parveen Singh (Mountaineering)
Notably, National Sports Awards 2023 were announced earlier in Dec 2023.
Jan 9 is observed as Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, established in 2003. It marks contribution of overseas Indian community in development of India. It commemorates return of M K Gandhi from South Africa to India on 9 January 1915.
This day came into effect in 2003, but in 2015 it was revised and since then, PBD Convention has been organised once every 2 years.
Last (17th), PBD Convention was held during Jan 8-10, 2023 at Indore (Madhya Pradesh). Next PBD convention will be held during Jan 8-10, 2025.
Microsoft launched AI Odyssey initiative in India, aiming to train 100000 Indian developers in latest AI technologies, and equip them with skills essential for executing AI projects aligning with business goals.
2024 United Cup Tennis (Hosted in Australia) -
Germany won the title, after Alexander Zverev (Germany) won against Hubert Hurkacz (Poland).
About -
United Cup is an international hard court tennis competition featuring mixed-gender teams from 18 countries.
2024 is 2nd edition of United cup. 1st edition was won by USA.
Jan 10 is observed as World Hindi day, being celebrated world wide since 2006. The language is spoken by over 45 crore people globally.
Notably -
Similar sounding National Hindi Day (Hindi Diwas) is seperate from World Hindi Day.
National Hindi Day is observed on September 14, marking adoption of Hindi in Devanagari script as an official language in Hindi speaking states.
On 50th birthday of Beohar Rajendra Simha on 14th September 1949, Hindi was adopted as an official language.
Govt launched National Single Window System, to streamline import, clinical investigations, and testing of medical devices.
It will act as a one-stop shop for all approvals required by investors, facilitating ease of doing business.
It has been developed by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).
IndusInd Bank launched UPI-enabled Samman RuPay Credit Card in association with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), tailored for government sector employees.
European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) declared 2023 as hottest year on record, potentially marking warmest period in last 100000 years.
2023 saw global average temperature of 14.98°C, 0.17°C higher than previous highest annual value in 2016.
2023 was 0.60°C warmer than 1991-2020 average and 1.48°C warmer than 1850-1900 pre-industrial level.
It sheds light on alarming trajectory of global warming, with each passing month breaking climate records and raising concerns about upcoming consequences for the planet and humans.
West Bengal govt introduced a free training module for SC/ST students in state for various entrance and competitive examinations, named Yogyasree.
General News / Events (Jan 1-10, 2014) -
US designated 12 countries (China, North Korea, Pakistan, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, Nicaragua, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Myanmar) as Countries of Particular Concern for having engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom.
Jan 11 is observed as National Human Trafficking Awareness Day.
Malayalam Poet P N Gopikrishnan has been selected for Odakuzhal Award 2023 for his poetry collection Kavitha Mamsabhojiyanu.
Instituted by Guruvayurappan Trust, this award consists of INR 30000 grant, and is given for best collection of short stories in Malayalam.
Noted lyricist-screenwriter Javed Akhtar has been honored with Padmapani Lifetime Achievement Award at Ajanta-Ellora Film Festival 2023.
RBI issued a draft framework for Self-Regulatory Organisations (SRO) focused on FinTech sector, to empower the growing sector to function and innovate responsibly, even without formal regulations.
9th edition of India International Science Festival (IISF) 2023 held at THSTI campus in Faridabad (Haryana), with theme Science and Technology Public Outreach in Amrit Kaal.
Govt re-appointed Michael Debabrata as a Deputy Governor of RBI, for further period of 1 year.
RBI Board has 4 Deputy Governors. Other 3 - M Rajeshwar Rao, T Rabi Sankar & Swaminathan J.
Shaktikanta Das is Governor of RBI.
Notable Points from PM Narendra Modi's visit to Maharashtra -
Mumbai -
Inaugurated Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri - Nhava Sheva Atal Setu (earlier knwon as Mumbai Transharbour link), built at cost over 17840 crores.
This approx 21.8 km long 6-lane bridge has 16.5 km length over sea and about 5.5 km on the land. It connects Mumbai with Navi Mumbai.
It is longest bridge in India (also longest sea bridge in India), and world's 12th longest sea bridge.
It will provide faster connectivity to Mumbai International Airport and Navi Mumbai International Airport and will also reduce travel time from Mumbai to Pune, Goa and South India.
Inaugurated Bharat Ratnam (Mega Common Facilitation Centre) for Gems and Jewellery sector at Santacruz Electronic Export Processing Zone - Special Economic Zone (SEEPZ SEZ), as first of its kind in India with best available machines in world including 3D Metal printing.
Launched Namo Mahila Shashaktikaran Abhiyaan, which aims to empower women in Maharashtra by providing skill development training and entrepreneurship development.
Nashik -
Inaugurated 27th National Youth Festival in Nashik, on the occasion of National Youth Day (Jan 12).
January 12 is observed as National youth Day in india, to commemorate birth anniversary of Legendary Philiosopher Shri Swami Vivekananda. It has been observed since 1984.
On this occasion -
PM Narendra Modi inaugurated 27th National Youth Festival in Nashik (Maharashtra).
Theme was ViksitBharat@2047 – By the Youth, For the Youth.
15 young individuals were conferred with National Youth Award at 27th National Youth Festival 2024.
Karnataka Govt began disbursement under Yuva Nidhi scheme, which offers monthly unemployment allowance of Rs 3000 to graduates and 1500 to diploma holders who passed in 2022-23 academic year.
Allowance would be given for 2 years from date of announcement of the result, or till he/she becomes employed/self-employed (whichever is earlier).
Urban Youth Unit at NIUA and YuWaah - UNICEF partnered to solidify commitment to empowering young people for urban governance.
Also, Jan 12-16 is observed annually as National Youth Week.
Notably, International Youth Day is celebrated on August 12 by United Nations..
Indian Navy received its first indigenous medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) drone, the Drishti 10 Starliner unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
It will boost Navy's intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities.
Drishti 10 Starliner drone has been built by Adani Defence and Aerospace at its Hyderabad facility, with technology transfer from Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems.
Maharashtra govt declared a new Conservation Reserve in forest land of Sangli district, namely Atpadi Conservation Reserve.
It connects Maini Conservation Area in the west with Maldhok Bird Sanctuary in the northeast.
It will help in protection of wildlife corridors and preserve the habitat of wolves, deer, foxes, civets and other mammals in the area.
Notable points from Tamil Nadu Global Investors Meet (GIM) 2024 (3rd edition, hosted in Chennai) -
State govt released roadmap to making the State a $1 trillion economy by 2030.
Released Semiconductor and Advanced Electronics policy 2024, to attract companies to invest in semiconductor & advanced electronics manufacturers in State.
Denmark announced its Green Fuels Alliance India (GFAI) initiative, to boost collaborative efforts with India in sustainable energy sector and advance efforts towards global goals of carbon neutrality.
Notable MOUs -
Vietnamese electric vehicle firm VinFast announced to establish an integrated electric vehicle facility (Both EV and battery manufacturing) in Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu), with investment of $2 billion.
As per UK-based consultancy Skytrax -
Top 3 Airports globally in 2023 -
Changi Airport (Singapore)
Hamad Airport (Doha)
Haneda Airport (Tokyo)
Top 3 Indian Airports -
Delhi's IGI Airport (36th)
Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (65th)
Bangalore's Kempegowda International Airport (69th)
As per United Nations' World Economic Situation and Prospects 2024 -
GDP Growth projections in notable regions -
USA - 1.4 % in 2024 (after 2.5 % in 2023)
European Union - 1.2 % in 2024 (after 0.5 % in 2023)
China - 4.7 % in 2024 (after 5.3 % in 2023)
South Asia - 5.2 % in 2024 (after 5.2 % in 2023)
India - 6.2 % in 2024 (after 6.3 % in 2023). India remains fastest growing large economy in the world.
Least developed countries - 5.0 % in 2024 (after 4.4 % in 2023). Notably, UN SDGs have set 7.0 % growth target for LDCs.
2024 Adelaide International Tennis -
Men's singles - Jiří Lehečka (Czech Republic)
Women's singles - Jeļena Ostapenko (Latvia)
Men's doubles - Rajeev Ram (US) & Joe Salisbury (UK)
10th edition of biennial Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit held at Gandhinagar (Gujarat). Theme for this edition is Gateway to the Future.
This edition had 34 Partner countries and 16 Partner organisations.
Notable visiting heads of state included Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (President of UAE & Ruler of Abu Dhabi, Chief Guest), Petr Fiala (PM of Czech Republic), Filipe Nyusi (President of Mozambique) & José Ramos-Horta (President of Timor Leste).
Notable MOUs -
University of San Diego (USA) will set up its campus in GIFT City (Gandhinagar), in collaboration with IIT Gandhinagar.
South Korean Semiconductor Substrates maker firm Simmtech will set up a unit to support semiconductor ecosystem at Sanand near Ahmedabad.
Notably, India's first semiconductor chip factory is being set up by Micron at Sanand, which is expected to begin production in December 2024. Simmtech will Ensure Uninterrupted Supplies to Micron's unit in Sanand.
During the summit, Shanghai-based New Development Bank (setup by BRICS Nations) signed 3 loan agreements with India -
Loan of USD 500 million to develop 13500 kilometers of rural roads in Gujarat.
Loan of USD 115 million for an Integrated Sewerage System for city of Imphal (Manipur).
Loan of USD 70 million for rejuvenation of Lamphelpat waterbody and its surrounding areas in Imphal (Manipur).
Notable Activities -
Joint Statement for India-Czechia Strategic Partnership on Innovation was adopted, to boost India-Czechia bilateral relations.
MOUs signed between India and UAE -
Investment Cooperation in Innovative Healthcare Projects, Renewable Energy Sector & Food Park Development.
MOU between UAE Based Logistics firm DP World and Gujarat Govt, for Special Economic Zone (SEZ) development, ports and related infrastructure.
Notably -
India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) had come into effect on May 1, 2022.
India-UAE bilateral trade reached USD 85 billion in 2022-23, targeted to be 100 billion USD (well before target year of 2030).
Indian Navy Ships Cheetah, Guldar and Kumbhir have been decommissioned, after 4 decades of services.
Cheetah, Guldar and Kumbhir were built at Gdynia Shipyard (Poland) as Polnocny class Landing Ships, and were commissioned into Indian Navy in 1984, 1985 and 1986 respectively.
President Droupadi Murmu conferred Swachh Survekshan awards 2023 at Bharat Mandapam (New Delhi) -
Surat (Gujarat) and Indore (Madhya Pradesh) have been Jointly named India's cleanest cities.
Earlier, Indore had conquered the top spot alone for 6 consecutive years.
Other Awardees -
Top 3 Cities with population under 1 lakh - Sasvad (Maharashtra), Patan (Gujarat) and Lonavala (Maharashtra)
Cleanest Ganga Towns - Varanasi (1), Prayagraj (2).
Best Performing States (Top 3) - Maharashtra (1), Madhya Pradesh (2) and Chhattisgarh (3).
Best Safaimitra Surakshit Sheher - Chandigarh.
International Purple Fest 2024 held in Goa (2nd edition), showcasing diversity, inclusivity, and empowerment of Divyangjans (PWDs) on a global scale.
On this occasion, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) and Enable India jointly introduced a transformative 70-hour interactive Employability Skills course for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).
Beach Games 2024 (first multi-sports beach games in India) organized at blue flag certified Ghoghla Beach in Diu.
Madhya Pradesh emerged overall champion, followed by Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttarkhand and UT of Dadra, Nagar Haveli, Diu & Daman.
Notably, Lakshadweep won gold medal in Beach Soccer, defeating Maharashtra.
2024 Malaysia Open badminton -
Men's singles - Anders Antonsen (Denmark)
Women's singles - An Se-young (South Korea)
Men's doubles - China's Liang Weikeng & Wang Chang
Women's doubles - China's Liu Shengshu & Tan Ning
Mixed doubles - Japan's Yuta Watanabe & Arisa Higashino
As per Henley Passport Index 2024 Global Ranking -
6 Nations have been ranked jointly at top (enabling visa-free access to 194 nations) - France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Spain.
Indian passport has been ranked at 80th place (jointly with Uzbekistan), enabling visa-free access to 62 nations.
Govt announced to set up Bharat Park, an India-specific trade zone with a showroom and warehouse in UAE.
It will facilitate other countries to buy Indian goods, while payments will be secured in UAE.
Gabriel Attal has been named new prime minister of France.
Aged 34, he is youngest PM of France.
Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep S. Puri launchecd refreshed PAiSA (Portal for Affordable Credit and Interest Subvention Access) Portal and PM SVANidhi Mission Monitoring Portal, to provide real-time progress updates on the mission and scheme.
PM SVANidhi (Prime Minister Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar Nidhi) was launched in 2020, to provide affordable loans to street vendors (ranging 10000 - 50000).
Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav launched book Modi: Energising A Green Future, authored by R K Pachnanda, Bibek Debroy, Anirban Ganguly & Uttam Kumar Sinha.
Indian and Japanese Coast Guards conducted joint exercise Sahyog Kaijin, off the coast of Chennai.
Book Gandhi: A Life in Three Campaigns, authored by M J Akbar & K Natwar Singh has been released.
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik inaugurated Malkangiri airport, to enhance connectivity and foster development in tribal-dominated areas.
The airport is initially capable of accommodating nine-seateraircraft.
This takes number of operational airports in Odisha to 7.
As per NITI Aayog report Multidimensional Poverty in India since 2005-06 -
Between 2013-14 to 2022-23 -
24.82 crore people escaped multidimensional poverty, with decline in Poverty Headcount Ratio from 29.17% to 11.28%.
Uttar Pradesh registered largest decline in number of poor (5.94 crore people escaping multidimensional poverty), followed by Bihar (3.77 crore), Madhya Pradesh (2.30 crore) and Rajasthan (1.87 crore).
All 12 indicators of MPI have recorded significant improvement during the period. India is likely to achieve its SDG target of halving multidimensional poverty well before 2030.
About -
Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) is a globally recognized comprehensive measure that captures poverty in multiple dimensions beyond monetary aspects.
MPI’s global methodology is based on robust Alkire and Foster (AF) method that identifies poverty based on universally acknowledged metric designed to assess acute poverty.
Jan 15 is observed as Indian Army Day.
It marks taking over of Lt Gen K M Cariappa (later Field Marshal) as commander-in-chief of the Indian Army in 1949 from General Francis Butcher, the last British commander-in-chief of India.
General Cariappa retired on January 14, 1953. His retirement day is observed as Armed Forces Veterans Day, since 2017.
Notably, Indian Army has marked 2024 as Year of Technology Absorption.
Jan 15 is also observed as Thiruvalluvar Day, marking birth anniversary of Noted Tamil poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar (commonly known as Valluvar).
Jan 15, 2024 also marks 150th anniversary of establishment of India Meteorological Department (IMD), which was formed on Jan 15, 1875.
1st edition of Joint India-UAE Army exercise DESERT CYCLONE held at Mahajan (Rajasthan).
Frederik X has been named new King of Denmark, acceding to throne following his mother Margrethe II's abdication (after her 52 years long reign).
Book Pranab My Father: A Daughter Remembers, authored by Sharmistha Mukherjee has been released.
PM Narendra Modi released first instalment to 1 lakh beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Gramin (PMAY - G) under Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN).
Launched on Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas (Nov 15, 2023), PM-JANMAN focuses on 11 critical interventions through 9 Ministries, with budget of approx 24000 crores.
It aims at socio-economic welfare of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), by saturating PVTG households and habitations with basic facilities.
Inflation and Trade Data for December 2023 -
Inflation -
Wholesale price Index (WPI) based (wholesale inflation) -
WPI based inflation increased to 0.73 % in December 2023.
WPI Inflation in last 12 months -
November 2023 - 0.26 %
October 2023 - (-) 0.52 % (Negative)
September 2023 - (-) 0.26 % (Negative)
August 2023 - (-) 0.52 % (Negative)
July 2023 - (-) 1.36 % (Negative)
June 2023 - (-) 4.12 % (Negative) (lowest in 8 years)
May 2023 - (-) 3.48 % (Negative)
April 2023 - (-) 0.92 % (Negative)
March 2023 - 1.34 %
February 2023 - 3.85 %
January 2023 - 4.73 %
December 2022 - 4.95 %
Consumer Price Index (CPI) Based (retail inflation) -
CPI-based inflation rate for December 2023 increased to 5.69%.
CPI Inflation in Last 12 Months -
November 2023 - 5.55 %
October 2023 - 4.87 %
September 2023 - 5.02 %
August 2023 - 6.83 %
July 2023 - 7.44 % (15 Month High)
June 2023 - 4.81 %
May 2023 - 4.25 % (25 Month Low)
April 2023 - 4.7 %
March 2023 - 5.66 %
February 2023 - 6.44 %
January 2023 - 6.52 %
December 2022 - 5.72 %
Trade -
Overall Trade December 2023 (Merchandise + Services) -
Overall Imports - 71.50
Overall Exports - 66.33
Overall Trade Deficit - 5.17 Billion USD
Compared to Last Month (November 2023)
Overall Imports - 67.88
Overall Exports - 62.58
Overall Trade Deficit - 5.30Billion USD
Notably, India's Overall Trade Deficit stood at 21 month low of 1.38 Billion USD, in April 2023.
Notable facts about India’s Trade during Previous Financial Year (FY 23 (2022-23)) -
Exports stood at highest ever USD 770.18 billion during FY 2022-23, growing 13.84 % over FY 2021-22.
Out of this, Merchandise exports stood at USD 447.46 billion & Services exports at USD 322.72 billion, both a new annual record.
US and UAE retained first and second places respectively as India's largest export destinations, during FY 2022-23. Netherlands rose to third place, replacing China.
In terms of overall trade too (exports + imports), US remained India's top partner in 2022-23, with $128.55 Billion Trade (Exports $78.31 billion & imports $50.24 billion).
Jan 16 is observed as National Startup Day, since 2022. On this occasion -
Startup Shala was launched for extensive handholding of startups at the scaleup stage, as Startup India’s flagship Accelerator Program. The initiative is a 3-month long accelerator program for early-stage startups to provide them access to knowledge, network, funds, or guidance required to scale up.
National Startup Awards 2023 were conferred.
As per World Bank’s latest Global Economic Prospects report -
Global growth is projected to slow for third year in a row - from 2.6% in 2023 to 2.4% in 2024, before picking up to 2.7 % in 2025.
GDP Growth projections in notable regions -
USA - 1.6 % in 2024 & 1.7 % in 2025
South Asia - 5.6 % in 2024 & 5.9 % in 2025
China - 4.5 % in 2024 & 4.3 % in 2025
India - 6.4 % in 2024 & 6.5 % in 2025. India remains fastest growing large economy in the world.
China launched lotus-shaped satellite Einstein Probe, aimed at observing mysterious transient phenomena in the universe that flicker like fireworks.
2024 Grand Prix Zagreb Open wrestling (Zagreb, Croatia) -
Champions -
Freestyle - United States
Greco-Roman - Azerbaijan
Women - Ukraine
Notably -
India's Aman Sehrawat won gold in Men's freestyle 57 kg category.
As a result of sanctions by UWW imposed on Wrestling Federation of India for not conducting its elections on time, wrestlers from India participated under name and flag of United World Wrestling (UWW).
2024 Asian Rifle/Pistol Championships (Jakarta, Indonesia) -
Medal Table -
Rank
Nation
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Total
1
India
12
7
5
24
2
South Korea
5
3
6
14
3
China
3
3
1
7
4
Kazakhstan
2
1
2
5
5
Vietnam
1
2
0
3
India ranked at Top, with 24 medals (including 12 gold).
Individual Indian gold medalists -
Varun Tomar - Men's 10 m air pistol
Yogesh Singh - Men's 25 m standard pistol
Akhil Sheoran - Men's 50 m rifle 3 positions
Esha Singh - Women's 10 m air pistol
Nancy Mandhotra - Women's 10 m air rifle
I-STEM (Indian Science, Technology, and Engineering facilities Map), an initiative from Office of Principal Scientific Advisor, organized Samavesha National event at Indian Institute of Science Bangalore (IISc), to revolutionise Research collaboration in India.
I-STEM aims to connect Researchers/Industry/Start-ups with Lab facilities, to save their capital expenditure of purchasing advanced equipment, by connecting them with institutions possessing required equipment.
Notable Winners at 29th Critics' Choice Awards (Hosted in Los Angeles (USA)) -
Best Picture - Oppenheimer
Best Director - Christopher Nolan (for Oppenheimer )
Best Actor - Paul Giamatti (for The Holdovers)
Best Actress - Emma Stone (for Poor Things)
Best Supporting Actor - Robert Downey Jr. (for Oppenheimer)
Best Supporting Actress - Da'Vine Joy Randolph ( for The Holdovers )
Best Foreign Language Film - Anatomy of a Fall (France)
Kerala govt launched Operation Amrith (Antimicrobial Resistance Intervention For Total Health), to curb overuse of antibiotics in state by checking over-the-counter sales of antibiotics without a doctor’s prescription.
AMR (antimicrobial resistance), refers to the ability of bacteria and microbes to resist the drugs used to inhibit or kill them. Recognized as a silent pandemic, AMR is associated with 5 million annual deaths globally.
Yes Bank Launched SmartFin, as an advanced digital Supply Chain Finance (SCF) platform developed in collaboration with Veefin Solutions, to support Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
Bernardo Arévalo has been named as new President of Guatemala (Central America).
Also, Karin Herrera has been named as vice-president.
Notable points from PM Narendra Modi's visit to Andhra Pradesh and Kerala -
Andhra Pradesh -
Inaugurated new state-of-the-art campus of National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes and Narcotics (NACIN) at Palasamudram, Sri Sathya Sai District (Andhra Pradesh).
Kerala -
Inaugurated New Dry Dock (NDD) & International Ship Repair Facility (ISRF) at Cochin Shipyard Limited (Kochi)-
NDD can handle strategic assets like future aircraft carriers up to 70000T displacement, and also large commercial vessels, eliminating India's dependency on foreign nations for emergency national requirements.
ISRF will modernise and expand existing ship repair capabilities of CSL, to help make Kochi a global ship repair hub.
Pench Tiger Reserve (located on Madhya Pradesh-Maharashtra border) has been recognized as India’s 1st Dark Sky Park (and 5th in Asia).
It has been recognized for its efforts to protect night sky and prevent light pollution, making it ideal for astronomy enthusiasts.
Lai Ching-te has been elected as president of Taiwan (Officially called Republic of China).
He is set to be first president to assume the office through election instead of a predecessor's death.
State Bank of India (SBI) launched Green Rupee Term Deposit scheme, to mobilise funds to support environment-friendly initiatives and projects, to help foster growth of a green finance ecosystem in India. Tenors and Interest rates (50 basis points less for bulk deposits) -
1111 Days- 6.65 %
1777 Days- 6.65 %
2222 Days- 6.40 %
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways annually observes Road Safety Week between Jan 11-17.
As per States' Startup Ranking Framework 2022 -
Category A States (Population over 1 crore) -
Best performer - Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu
Top Performer - Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana
Category B States (Population under 1 crore) -
Best performer - Himachal Pradesh
Top Performer - Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya
As per 3rd advance estimates of area and production of various horticultural crops for year 2022-23, released by Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare -
Estimation of total horticulture production for 2022-23 is 355.25 million tonnes, which is 8 million tonnes more than 2021-22.
Estimated Area under cultivation is 28.34 million hectares, against 28.04 in 2021-22.
Cabinet Approvals (Jan 18, 2024) -
MOUs -
With Ecuador, Dominican Republic, The Netherlands - Cooperation in field of Medical Products Regulation
With European Commission - Working Arrangements on Semiconductors Ecosystems under framework of EU-India Trade and Technology Council.
With Kenya, Cuba - Cooperation in field of sharing successful Digital Solutions implemented at Population Scale for Digital Transformation.
General -
Approved creation of 3 posts at level of Joint Secretary (2 posts of Joint Secretary and 1 post of Economic Adviser) for recently constituted 16th Finance Commission (to be headed by Arvind Panagariya).
CCEA (Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs) Approvals -
Proposal for equity investment by -
South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) for setting-up 1×660 MW Thermal Power Plant through JV of SECL and MPPGCL
Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) for setting-up 2x800 MW Thermal Power Plant through Mahanadi Basin Powe Ltd (MBPL - a subsidiary of MCL).
American Lunar Mission Peregrine Mission one has been declared as failed, after a fault prevented it from completing its mission.
Built by Astrobotic Technology, the mission carried payloads for NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. It was launched as maiden flight of Vulcan Centaur rocket, by United Launch Alliance (ULA). It aimed to land first US built lunar lander on the Moon, since crewed Apollo Lunar Module on Apollo 17 in1972.
As per Military Strength Rankings 2024 by Global Firepower -
Top 5 Strongest Armies - US (1), Russia (2), China (3), India (4), South Korea (5)
Book An Uncommon Love: The Early Life of Sudha and Narayana Murthy, authored by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni has been released.
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) launched Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Intelligent Internet of Things (IIoT) Sensors and India Innovation Centre for Graphene (as India’s first Graphene Centre), at Maker Village in Kochi (Kerala).
CoE in IIoT Sensors will catalyze development of sensors within realm of Intelligent IoT systems.
IICG (set up by Kerala Govt along with Tata Steel Limited) will foster R&D and capacity building in area of Graphene and 2D material systems.
These centres have been set up with Digital University Kerala and Thrissur-based Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (CMET) as technical partners.
Notable points from PM Narendra Modi's visit to Karnataka and Tamil Nadu -
Karnataka -
Inaugurated Boeing India Engineering & Technology Center (BIETC) campus in Bengaluru.
Built with investment of 1600 crores, this 43 acre campus is Boeing’s largest such investment outside USA.
Launched Boeing Sukanya Program, that aims to support entry of more girl children from across India into aviation sector.
It will facilitate females from across India to learn critical skills in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) fields and train for jobs in aviation sector.
Tamil Nadu -
Launched revamped DD Podhigai channel as DD Tamil.
Inaugurated Khelo India Youth Games 2023 (6th edition) in Chennai.
Mascot for the games is Veera Mangai, an Indian queen who waged a war against British colonial rule. Logo for the games incorporates figure of poet Thiruvalluvar.
Athletes from across India will participate in 26 sporting disciplines. Silambam, a traditional sport of Tamil Nadu, is being introduced as a demo sport for the first time in KIYG.
As per 2024 Social Progress Index released by Social Progress Initiative -
Top 3 - Denmark (1), Norway (2), Finland (3)
Bottom 3 - Chad (168), Central African Republic (169), South Sudan (170)
India ranked 111 in list.
Neighbors - China (77), Pakistan (134), Sri Lanka (83), Bangladesh (121), Nepal (110)
Notable highlights from Annual World Economic Forum (WEF) Meet 2024 in Davos (Switzerland) -
India announced launch of Global Good Alliance for Gender Equity and Equality, to promote women-led development globally.
Supported by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the alliance will be housed by CII Centre for Women Leadership, with WEF as Network Partner and Invest India as Institutional Partner.
WEF and Telangana govt jointly established 19th Centre of WEF’s Fourth Industrial Revolution Network (4IR) in Hyderabad, to help advance healthcare technology.
Official launch of the centre will be conducted during BioAsia 2024 (Feb 2024).
MoU signed between Adani Enterprises & Maharashtra govt, to set up 1 GW of hyperscale data infrastructure in state over 10 years, with investment of 50000 crores.
As per Edelman Trust Barometer 2024 released during WEF meet, India topped the charts in metrices of confidence in businesses and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
As per Global 500 Brands Ranking 2024 by Brand Finance -
Top 5 firms globally - Apple, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Samsung
Top 3 Indian Firms in list - Tata Group (64), Infosys (145), LIC (222)
Notably, As per IT Services Firms 2024 Ranking by Brand Finance -
Top 3 IT Firms globally - Accenture, TCS, Infosys
Jan 19 is observed as Kokborok Day (Tripuri language Day), observed in Tripura.
19th Summit of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) held in Kampala (Uganda), with theme Deepening Cooperation for Shared Global Affluence.
India was represented by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. He also attended 3rd South Summit of the Group of 77 and China (G-77), in Kampala.
About -
Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a forum of 120 countries that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. It was founded in 1961, to advance interests of developing countries in the context of Cold War confrontation.
125-foot-tall statue of Dr B R Ambedkar has been unveiled at Swarajya Maidan of Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh).
It has been named Statue of Social Justice.
The statue stands on an 81 feet tall base building, making its total height 206 feet, as fourth tallest statue in India.
Govt named Daljit Singh Chaudhary as Director General of paramilitary force Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
Assam govt announced winners of State's Civilian Awards for 2023.
Highest civilian award in State of Assam, called Assam Baibhav, shall be conferred on former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi.
He is 3rd recepient of this award, after Ratan Tata (2021) & Tapan Saikia (2022).
The Award carries cash prize of 5 lakh, along with lifetime free medical treatment.
State government honored total 22 personalities under civilian awards 2023, including 1 Assam Baibhav, 4 Assam Saurav and 17 Assam Gaurav awards.
Assam Saurav awardees include Kishan Chand Nauriyal (Arts and Culture), Elvis Ali Hazarika (Swimming), Hima Das (Athletics) and Nadiram Deuri (Tiwa Dance). It carries cash prize of 4 lakh.
General News / Events (Jan 11-20, 2024) -
University Grants Commission (UGC) introduced Mulya Pravah 2.0, to promote ethical practices in higher education.
It is an updated version of original Mulya Pravah guideline, introduced in 2019.
A new campus of IIT Madras will soon be started in Kandy (Sri Lanka).
International Camel Festival 2024 held in Bikaner (Rajasthan).
Ministry of Home Affairs revoked Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Act 2020 registration of New Delhi based think-tank Centre for Policy Research (CPR).
British & Ukraine signed a new security agreement, to increase military funding for ukraine amid its war with Russia, to 2.5 billion pounds ($3.2bn).
India will chair & host UNESCO's World Heritage Committee's 46th session in July 2024 in New Delhi, making it India's 1st time holding this event.
Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival 2024 held at Seijosa in Pakke Kessang district of Arunchal Pradesh, to acknowledge Nyishi tribal group and its role in safeguarding hornbills of Pakke Tiger Reserve.
Traditional buffalo fight Moh-juj organized during Magh Bihu harvest festival in Assam.
It has been organized after a gap of 9 years, due to a ban imposed by supreme court.
2nd edition IInvenTiv held at IIT Hyderabad, as R &D Innovation Fair of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).
NHAI launched One Vehicle, One FASTag initiative, to encourage users to use one FASTag per vehicle, to enhance efficiency of Electronic Toll Collection system.
Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region organized Uttar Purvi Mahotsav 2024 at Bharat Mandapam (New Delhi), showcasing rich diversity of North East India.
Ayush Minister Sarbananda Sonowal laid foundation of India's 1st Integrated Ayush Wellness Centre, to be set up at Azara (Guwahati).
Health & Family Welfare Minister Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated India’s 1st Healthy & Hygienic Food Street, PRASADAM, at Mahakal Lok in Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh).
Indus Food 2024 organized at India Expo Mart in Greater Noida (Uttar Pradesh), showcasing India's vibrant and diverse food ecosystem.
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation launched MPLADS e-SAKSHI Mobile App, for revised fund flow procedure under MPLAD Scheme.
Jan 21 is statehood day of Northeastern States of Tripura, Manipur and Meghalaya (Formed in 1972).
Novel Conversations with Aurangzeb, written by Tamil Writer Charu Nivedita has been released. It has been translated by Nandini Krishnan.
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)'s Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) mission successfully landed on moon surface, making Japan the 5th country to soft-land a spacecraft on Moon (after Soviet Union, US, China & India).
Mission includes rovers named Lunar Excursion Vehicle 1 (LEV-1) & Lunar Excursion Vehicle 2 (LEV-2).
SLIM was launched alongwith X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM), a joint X-ray space telescope mission of JAXA & NASA, to provide breakthroughs in the study of structure formation of the universe, outflows from galaxy nuclei, and dark matter.
ICICI Bank subsidiary ICICI Bank Canada launched its Money2India mobile banking app, enabling customers of all Canadian banks to instantly transfer funds to any Indian bank without opening an account with ICICI Bank Canada.
Users can send amounts up to CAD 30000 in a single transaction.
Assam govt launched Mukhyamantri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyaan, aimed at empowering rural women entrepreneurs who are part of self-help groups.
This initiative introduces unique conditions, focusing specifically on number of children that applicant woman have (upto 3 children for General/OBC and upto 4 children for SC/ST women).
Himachal Pradesh govt unveiled My School-My Pride campaign under Apna Vidyalay programme, aimed at revolutionizing quality of education in government schools, through a holistic approach to student growth and development.
It will encourage active participation from individuals and organisations to adopt schools and contribute to various aspects of students’ growth.
Wings India 24 organized in Hyderabad (Telangana), as largest event in Civil Aviation sector in Asia, with theme Connecting India to the World in Amrit Kaal: Setting the Stage for India Civil Aviation @2047. Notable Highligjhts -
UDAN 5.3 (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) was launched.
Airbus formed a 50:50 joint venture with Tata-owned Air India, to launch a world-class pilot training centre in Gurugram (Haryana).
Airbus partnered with Tata Group to establish a Final Assembly Line (FAL) for helicopters in India, to produce Airbus’ best-selling H125 helicopters in India.
Newly formed airline Akasa Air placed order for 150 narrow-body 737 MAX planes with US aircraft manufacturer Boeing, costing $20 billion.
Kempegowda International Airport (Bengaluru) and Indira Gandhi International Airport (Delhi) were named Best Airport of the Year, during Wings India Awards 2024.
Govt announced to designate Farsi (Persian) as a classical language of India, under New Education Policy.
Tamil was the first language in India to receive classical language status in 2004, followed by Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam and Odia.
Notably -
8th schedule of Indian Constitution lists 22 languages as official languages in India, and 6 languages as classical languages of India. It will now also include Persian.
PM Narendra Modi attended Pran Pratishtha (consecration) ceremony of Shri Ramlalla (Childhood form of Lord Shri Ram) in newly built Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh).
On this occasion -
The auspicious occasion was celebrated by Hindus across Nation and world, in grand fervour.
PM released 6 special commemorative postage stamps to mark the grand occasion.
Chhattisgarh govt announced Ramlala Darshan Scheme, to enable its citizens to avail free-of-cost pilgrimage to newly built Ram Temple at Ayodhya.
Approx 20000 Individuals in age group 18-75 shall be selected for Ayodhya visit each year.
Timeline of Ayodhya Land Dispute -
1528 - The ancient Temple at site of Birth of Lord Shri Ram was demolished by Muslim Invader Babur, and Babri masjid was built over it in 1528 by Mughal commander Mir Baqi.
This action was in line with Islamic invaders' long standing approach to destroy all ancient Hindu religious sites in India, to weaken India by depriving it of its rich cultural heritage.
Before 1940s, the masjid was officially known as Masjid-i-Janmasthan.
1858 - Nihang Sikhs installed Nishan Sahib and performed a havana inside Babri Masjid, also writing Ram inside it. This was followed by riots in Ayodhya, after which British administration prohibited Hindus from conducting puja (rituals) at the contested site. A platform was created for conducting rituals outside the mosque.
1885 - First Suit filed by Mahanth Raghubar Das to construct Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
1949 - Idols of Lord Ram found inside Babri Masjid. 5 other suits were filed both by Hindu and Muslim religious organizations, Between 1950 and 1990.
1992 - Babri Masjid was demolished by Hindus.
2010 - Allahabad High Court pronounced a judgement that divided disputed land among Nirmohi Akhara, Sunni Waqf Board and Ram Lalla.
2019 - Supreme court overruled HC judgement and gave the site to Hindus, with muslims to be given 5 acre land outside Ayodhya, to build a mosque.
SC referenced a report from Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as evidence suggesting presence of a non-Islamic structure beneath demolished Babri Masjid.
Concerned Mosque will be made by Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation near Ayodhya, named Masjid Muhammed bin Abdullah.
2024 India Open Badminton (New Delhi) -
Men's singles - Shi Yuqi (China)
Women's singles - Tai Tzu-ying (Chinese Taipei)
Men's doubles - South Korea's Kang Min-hyuk & Seo Seung-jae
Women's doubles - Japan's Mayu Matsumoto & Wakana Nagahara
Jan 23 is Birth Anniversary of notable Freedom Fighter Netaji Shri Subhash Chandra Bose.
In 2021, Govt had announced to celebrate January 23rd every year as 'Parakram Diwas', to commemorate birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
Notably -
Netaji revived Azad Hind Fauj (INA) in 1943, which was founded by Mohan Singh and Indian prisoners of war captured by Japan during Malayan campaign and at Singapore in 1942. INA aimed to secure India's independence from British rule, and was supported by Japanese Empire initially.
Soldiers of INA were persecuted later under infamous Lal Qila Trials by british Govt during 1945-1946. This led to country-wide uproar against british rule and shaken up the already weakened british govt (due to world war 2). The widespread revolt proved to be a major driver of India's independence from british rule in 1947.
On this occasion -
Govt announced winner of Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar 2024 -
60 Parachute Field Hospital (Uttar Pradesh) has been selected (in institutional category) for Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar 2024.
About -
Govt instituted annual Subhas Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar to honour invaluable contribution and selfless service rendered by individuals and organisations in field of disaster management.
It is announced every year on 23rd January, carrying cash prize of 51 lakh for an institution and 5 lakh for an individual.
Home Minister Amit Shah launched book Assam's Braveheart Lachit Barphukan, written by Arup Kumar Dutta.
2024 Asian Shotgun Championships (Kuwait City, Kuwait) -
PM Narendra Modi launched Pradhanmantri Suryodaya Yojana, which aims to install rooftop solar on 1 crore houses across nation.
Maharatna PSU REC Ltd has been designated as nodal agency for implementation of PM Suryoday Yojana.
Indian Wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya (Tokyo Olympic silver medallist) won bronze medal at Grand Prix De France Henri Deglane 2024 wrestling tournament in Nice (France).
As a result of sanctions by UWW imposed on Wrestling Federation of India for not conducting its elections on time, wrestlers from India participated under name and flag of United World Wrestling (UWW).
Beijing based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) announced investment of Approx USD 58 million in Sustainable Energy Infra Trust (SEIT), India’s largest renewable energy Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvIT).
SEIT has 8 operating solar power generation assets of 1.54 gigawatt-peak capacity in India, co-sponsored by Mahindra Susten Private Limited and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.
Jan 24 is observed as National Girl Child Day in India, initiated in 2008 by Ministry of Women and Child Development.
Jan 24 is observed by UNESCO as International Day of Education, with 2024 theme Learning for lasting peace.
Jan 24 is foundation day of Uttar Pradesh, which was formed on Jan 24, 1950.
On this occasion, state govt conferred Uttar Pradesh Gaurav Samman2023 (1st edition) on noted ISRO scientist Ritu Karidhal Srivastava and Naveen Tiwari (CEO of Inmobi). Award carries cash prize of 11 lakh.
2023 ICC Awards Winners -
Men's Awards -
Cricketer of the Year (Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy) - Pat Cummins (Australia)
Test Cricketer of the Year - Usman Khawaja (Australia)
ODI Cricketer of the Year - Virat Kohli (India). Its his 4th ODI Cricketer of the year title.
T20I Cricketer of the Year - Suryakumar Yadav (India). Its his 2nd T20 Cricketer of the year title.
Emerging Cricketer of the Year - Rachin Ravindra (New Zealand)
Associate Cricketer of the Year - Bas de Leede (Netherlands)
Women's Awards -
Cricketer of the Year (Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award) - Nat Sciver-Brunt (England)
ODI Cricketer of the Year - Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka)
T20I Cricketer of the Year - Hayley Matthews (WINDIES)
Emerging Cricketer of the Year - Phoebe Litchfield (Australia)
Associate Cricketer of the Year - Queentor Abel (Kenya)
Umpire of the Year (David Shepherd Trophy) - Richard Illingworth (England). Its his 3rd time winning this award.
Also, India's Rohit Sharma has been named captain of ICC Men's ODI Team of the Year 2023, and Suryakumar Yadav was named captain of ICC Men's T20I Team of the Year 2023.
Indian Navy participated in Ex Sea Dragon 24 (4th edition), an Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) exercise organized by US Navy. It was also attended by navies from Australia, South Korea & Japan.
Cabinet Approvals (Jan 25, 2024) -
MOUs
With Oman - cooperation in field of Information Technology.
Approved signing of a protocol for establishment of Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) between India and Caribbean nation Dominican Republic.
CCEA (Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs) Approvals -
Approved scheme for promotion of Coal/Lignite Gasification Projects of Government PSUs and Private Sector, with outlay 8500 crores towards incentive for coal gasification projects under three categories.
In category I - 4050 crores for Government PSUs in which upto 3 projects will be supported by providing lump-sum grant of 1350 crore or 15% of capex, whichever is lower.
In category II - 3850 crores for private sector / Government PSUs in which lump-sum grant of 1000 crore or 15% of capex, whichever is lower provided for each project.
At least one project will be bid out on tariff-based bidding process and its criteria will be designed in consultation with NITI Aayog.
In category III - 600 crores for demonstration Projects (indigenous technology) and/or small-scale product-based Gasification Plants under which lump-sum grant of 100 crore or 15% of capex, whichever is lower, will be given to selected entity who will have a minimum Capex of 100 Crore and minimum production of 1500 Nm3/hr Syn gas.
Approved equity investment by Coal India Limited (CIL) for -
Setting up of Coal-to-SNG (Synthetic Natural Gas) Project at ECL command area through a JV of CIL & GAIL
Project will be set up at Sonepur Bazari Area of Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) in Burdwan district of West Bengal.
Setting up of Coal-to-Ammonium Nitrate Project at MCL command area through a JV of CIL & BHEL.
Project will be set up at Lakhanpur Area of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) in Jharsuguda district of Odisha.
Jan 25 is observed in India as National Voters’ Day, with 2024 theme Nothing Like Voting, I Vote For sure.
It marks Foundation day of Election Commission of India (ECI), which was established on 25th January 1950. It is observed Since 2011.
On this occasion -
Short voter awareness film My Vote My Duty produced by ECI in association with filmmaker Raj Kumar Hirani was screened.
A special commemorative postage stamp was released, to mark 75th year of Election Commission of India.
Jan 25 is also observed as -
Statehood day of Himachal Pradesh, formed in 1971.
National Tourism Day in India, with 2024 theme Sustainable Journeys, Timeless Memories.
Note that World Tourism day is observed on Sep 27.
Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted Exercise Desert Knight over Arabian sea, along Air Forces from France & UAE.
Home Minister Amit Shah launched book A Promised Nation Hon'ble Shri Narendra Modi- the Maker of New India, written on life and works of PM Narendra Modi, in Braille script.
Padma Awards 2024 (Highest Civilian Awards in India) -
Notably, Padma awardees are selected by a committee headed by cabinet secretary of India (Rajiv Gauba currently).
BCCI Awards 2023 -
Polly Umrigar Award (Best Men's International Cricketer) -
Mohammed Shami for 2019-20
Ravichandran Ashwin for 2020-21
Jasprit Bumrah for 2021-22
Shubman Gill for 2022-23
Best International Cricketer (Women) -
Deepti Sharma for 2019-20 & 2022-23
Smriti Mandhana for 2020-21 and 2021-22
Col CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award - Farokh Engineer and Ravi Shastri
Jan 26, 2024 observed as 75th Republic day of India. It marks enactment of Indian constitution on Jan 26, 1950.
Chief Guest -
President of France, Emmanuel Macron was Chief Guest at Republic Day 2024 celebrations.
Awards -
President Ram Nath kovind approved conferment of Jeevan Raksha Padak Series Awards 2023 on 31 persons, which includes Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak to 3, Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak to 7 and Jeevan Raksha Padak to 21 persons.
President Draupadi Murmu Conferred Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2024 to 19 children under various categories (age group 5-18 years).
President approved 391 Gallantry and other Defence decorations to Armed Forces personnel (Army - 269, Navy - 43, Air Force - 70, CRPF - 1, BRDB - 3, Coast Guard - 1, J&K Police - 4). Awards Include 6 Kirti Chakras, 16 Shaurya Chakras.
Wartime Decorations -
No Paramvir Chakra Awardees This year.
No Mahavir Chakra Awardees This year.
No Vir Chakra Awardees This year.
Peacetime Decorations -
No Ashoka Chakra Awardees This year.
Kirti Chakra (All from Army) -
Major Digvijay Singh Rawat
Major Deependra Vikram Basnet
Captain Anshuman Singh
Havildar Pawan Kumar Yadav
Havildar Abdul Majid
Sepoy Pawan Kumar
Shaurya Chakra -
Major Maneo Francis (Army)
Major Amandeep Jakhar (Army)
Captain Mv Pranjal (Army)
Captain Akshat Upadhyay (Army)
Naib Subedar Baria Sanjay Kumar Bhamar Sinh (Army)
India's Top Peacetime Gallantary Awards are - Ashoka Chakra > Kirti Chakra > Shaurya Chakra.
India's Top Wartime Gallantary Awards are - Param Vir Chakra > Maha Vir Chakra > Vir Chakra.
President Also approved gallantary Decorations to Coast Guard Personnel, which includes 1 President’s Tatrakshak Medal (Distinguished Service) - Bhisham Sharma, 2 Tatrakshak Medal (Gallantry) and 3 Tatrakshak Medal (Meritorious Service).
Other Notable Points -
Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurated year long pan India campaign Hamara Samvidhan, Hamara Samman, at Dr Ambedkar International Centre (New Delhi), to commemorate 75th Year of India as Republic.
Campaign will be undertaken by Department of Justice (Ministry of Law and Justice).
Jan 26, 2024 has been observed by UN as 1st ever International Day of Clean Energy. It will be observed annually.
Jan 26 is also observed as International Customs Day.
CoRover.ai launched indigenous generative AI platform BharatGPT as India's first Large Language Model (LLM), to revolutionise AI conversations across 22 Indian languages.
As per Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) data on trends in Direct Tax collections during period FY14 (2013-14) - FY23 (2022-23) -
Net Direct Tax Collections increased from 638596 crores to 1663686 crores.
Gross Direct Tax Collections increased from 721604 crores to 1972248 crores.
Direct Tax to GDP ratio increased from 5.62% to 6.11%.
Cost of collection decreased from 0.57% to 0.51%, of total collection.
Number of ITRs filed increased from 3.80 crores to 7.78 crores.
Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2024 (Annual chess tournament held in Wijk aan Zee (the Netherlands)) -
Champions -
Masters - Wei Yi (China). He defeated India's Gukesh D in the finals.
Challengers - Leon Luke Mendonca (India). He defeated India's Divya Deshmukh in finals.
Notably, during the tournament, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa became Top ranked Indian chess player, after defeating reigning world champion Ding Liren.
2024 Women's FIH Hockey5s World Cup (1st edition, hosted in Muscat (Oman)) -
Netherlands won the title, defeating India in final. Poland stayed at 3rd place.
Netherlands's Noor de Baat was named Best player.
Jan 27 is observed by UN as International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust.
The Holocaust was World War II genocide of European Jews. Between 1941 and 1945. Germany murdered over 60 lakh Jews, around two-thirds of Europe's Jewish population.
Nitish Kumar has been named chief minister of Bihar, for his record 9th term.
It came after he resigned as chief minister of govt formed in 2022 by an alliance comprising RJD, INC, CPI.
For his 9th term now, Nitish Kumar has rejoined BJP led NDA alliance. Vijay Kumar Sinha and Samrat Choudhary have been named deput CMs.
Ministry of Rural Development launched DAY-NRLM’s SARATHI app, as national tech solution for strategy for working with most vulnerable households. It has been developed in partnership with The/Nudge Institute.
Ministry of Education releasesd All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2021-2022 (conducted since 2011).
Enrolment in higher education increased to 4.33 crore in 2021-22 from 4.14 crore in 2020-21 and 3.42 crore in 2014-15.
Female enrolment increased to 2.07 crore in 2021-22 from 2.01 crore in 2020-21, and 1.57 crore in 2014-15.
Category wise -
SC - 66.23 lakh in 2021-22 (46.07 lakh in 2014-15).
ST - 27.1 lakh in 2021-22 (16.41 lakh in 2014-15).
OBC - 1.63 crore in 2021-22 (1.13 crore in 2014-15).
Among Disciplines at undergraduate level, enrolment is highest in Arts (34.2%), followed by science (14.8%), Commerce (13.3%) and Engineering & Technology (11.8%).
Among streams at postgraduate level, maximum students are enrolled in Social Science (21.1%) followed by science (14.7%).
Number of Universities / University level institutions registered is 1168 (341 established since 2014-15).
Number of faculty/teachers in 2021-22 are 15.98 lakh, of which about 56.6% are male and 43.4% are female.
2024 Australian Open Grand Slam Tennis (112th edition, hosted in Melbourne) -
Sumit Nagal became first Indian tennis player to defeat a seeded opponent at a Grand Slam since 1989, when he defeated Alexander Bublik (Kazakhstani) during Australian Open 2024.
Earlier, Ramesh Krishnan was first Indian player to beat a seeded opponent at a Grand Slam in 1989, when he defeated Mats Wilander during 1989 Australian Open.
About-
Australian Open is one of 4 Grand slams in Tennis. Other 3 - French Open (May-Jun), Wimbledon (July) & US Open (Aug-Sep).
Jan 28 is observed globally as Data Privacy Day.
As per data by Bloomberg -
Indian stock market went past Hong Kong to become 4th highest equity market globally, with value of shares listed on Indian exchanges reaching USD 4.33 trillion.
Top 3 - US ($50.86 trillion), China ($8.44 trillion) and Japan ($6.36 trillion).
Champai Soren has been named as new (7th) Chief Minister of Jharkhand, after earlier CM Hemant Soren had resigned.
Asian Development Bank (ADB) and India's SAEL Industries Limited (through its subsidiary SAEL Solar P4 Private Limited) signed loan agreement of $147 million, for development of a 400-megawatt (MW) greenfield solar power plant in Gujarat (India), to support India’s ongoing transition toward clean energy and low-carbon growth.
President Droupadi Murmu nominated Satnam Singh Sandhu (Chandigarh University founder) to the Rajya Sabha.
Rajya Sabha membership is limited to 250, out of which upto 12 members are nominated by President of India, and rest are elected by State legislative assemblies members.
Best marching contingents & tableaux of Republic Day Parade 2024 -
Panel Results -
Best three Tableaux (States/UTs) -
First - Odisha (Woman Empowerment in Viksit Bharat)
Second - Gujrat (Dhordo : A Global Icon Of Gujarat’s Border Tourism)
Third - Tamil Nadu (Kudavolai System in ancient Tamil Nadu – Mother of Democracy)
Ministries/Departments - Ministry of Culture – (Bharat : Mother of Democracy)
Best Marching Contingent among three services - Sikh Regiment Contingent
Best Marching Contingent among CAPF/other auxiliary forces - Delhi Police Women Marching Contingent
Online Poll (on MyGov) -
Best Marching Contingent among three services - Rajputana Rifles Regimental Marching Contingent
Best Marching Contingent among CAPF/other auxiliary forces - CRPF Woman Marching Contingent
Best three Tableaux (States/UTs):
First - Gujrat (Dhordo : A Global Icon Of Gujarat’s Border Tourism)
Second - Uttar Pradesh (Viksit Bharat Samradh Virasat)
Third - Andhra Pradesh (Transforming School Education in Andhra Pradesh – Making Students Globally Competitive)
Best Tableau (Central Ministries/Departments) - Vibrant Villages (Ministry of Home Affairs)
Notably -
NCC Directorate Maharashtra contingent won Prime Minister’s Banner at Republic Day Camp 2024 event, for third time in a row.
Home Minister Amit Shah launched Computerization project of 1851 units of Agriculture and Rural Development Banks (ARDBs) and Registrar of Cooperative Societies (RCSs) of all States/UTs, to modernize the cooperative sector and enhance efficiency by bringing entire cooperative ecosystem on a digital platform.
As per IMF World Economy Outlook January 2024 Update -
Globally -
Growth is projected to stay 3.1 % in 2024 (same as 2023), and 3.2 % in 2025.
2024 global growth forecast has been increased to 3.1 % (from 2.9 % in Oct 2023 update), amid higher resilience in USA and several large emerging / developing economies.
Global headline inflation is expected to fall to 5.8 % in 2024 and 4.4 % in 2025 (with 2025 forecast revised down). It is still above pre-pandemic (2017–19) levels of 3.5 %.
Growth in Other notable regions -
India - Set to fall from 6.7 % in 2023 to 6.5 % in 2024 & 2025.
Notably, IMF has revised 2023 growth forecast for India from 6.3 % earlier to 6.7 % now.
US - 2.5 % (2023), 2.1 % (2024), 1.7 % (2025)
China - 5.2 % (2023), 4.6 % (2024), 4.1 % (2025)
Jan 30 is observed as Martyr's Day, marking death anniversary of M K Gandhi. He was killed on this day in 1948, by Nathuram Godse.
Jan 30 is also observed by WHO as World neglected tropical diseases Day.
Maratha Military Landscapes of India has been named as India’s nomination for recognition as UNESCO World Heritage List for 2024-25.
12 components of this nomination are - Salher fort, Shivneri fort, Lohgad, Khanderi fort, Raigad, Rajgad, Pratapgad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala Fort, Vijay durg, Sindhudurg in Maharashtra and Gingee Fort in Tamil Nadu.
2024 Men's FIH Hockey5s World Cup (1st edition, hosted in Muscat (Oman)) -
Netherlands won the title, defeating Malaysia in final. Oman stayed at 3rd place.
Malaysia 's Akhimullah Anuar was named Best player.
In a supervisory action against Paytm Payments Bank (PPBL), under section 35A of Banking Regulation Act 1949 -
No further deposits shall be allowed in any PPBL customer accounts, prepaid instruments, wallets, FASTags, NCMC cards, etc. after February 29, 2024.
However, Withdrawal or utilisation of balances by its customers (from mentioned products) will be permitted without any restrictions.
Notably, Earlier in March 2022, RBI had directed PPBL to stop onboarding new customers.
RBI Digital Payments Index (RBI-DPI) for September 2023 stands at 418.77, against 395.57 for March 2023, showing growth in Digital payments spcae.
RBI has been publishing DPI data since January 1, 2021 with March 2018 as base (100), to capture extent of digitisation of payments across country.
General News / Events (Jan 21-31, 2024)
NITI Aayog, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) jointly launched Investment Forum for Advancing Climate Resilient Agrifood Systems in India.
It aims to develop an investment and partnership strategy to advance climate resilient agrifood systems in India.
Odisha govt announced to establish a melanistic tiger safari, as first of its kind in world, near Baripada (Mayurbhanj District).
President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated Kaushal Bhawan in New Delhi, to mark empowering India’s youth through skills, under Skill India Mission.
World Health Organization (WHO) certified Cabo Verde (island country of West Africa) as a malaria-free country, making it 43rd to achieve malaria-free status (3rd in Africa).
Ayush Minister Sarbananda Sonowal laid foundation stone for Ayush Diksha, as first of its kind centre for development of human resources for Ayush professionals.
It will be developed within campus of Central Ayurveda Research Institute, Bhubaneswar.
Inline with recommendations of new National Education Policy 2020, govt directed all school / higher education regulators to make study material in Indian languages (included in the 8th Schedule of Constitution) available for all courses in next 3 years.
It aims to provide students with opportunity to study in their own language, to give them a natural space to think innovatively without any language barrier.
Govt had also launched Anuvadini App, to undertake translation of Engineering, Medical, Law, UG, PG and Skill books. These books are available on ekumbh portal.
47th International Kolkata Book Fair has been organized in Kolkata, with United Kingdom (UK) as theme country.
PM Narendra Modi launched 173 Km long double line electrified section between New Khurja - New Rewari on Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC), as crucial connectivity between Western and Eastern DFCs.
This section is also known for a one kilometre long double line rail tunnel with high rise electrification, as first of its kind in the world.
Annual Ethnic Mamani Festival organized at Historical Styangkung Village and Chiktan Shagaran in Ladakh.
PM Narendra Modi inaugurated Diamond Jubilee celebrations (75th anniversary) of Supreme Court of India, including unveiling of several initiatives such as Digital Supreme Court Reports (Digi SCR) & Digital Courts 2.0
World's largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas embarked on its first official voyage, out of Port of Miami in USA.
It is approx 365 metres long and weighs around 250000 tons. It can carry approx 10000 passengers and crew at maximum capacity.
Govt extended ban on Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) for 5 years, under Section 3(1) of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) 1967.
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched Ministry of Education - AICTE Investor Network, to bring students, faculty, investors and the market on one platform to strengthen culture of innovation and address issue of start-up funding.
Notable Visits to India (Jan 2024) -
Fahad Abdullah S Al-Ghofaily, Chief of Saudi Arabia Navy visited India.
President of 78th Session of United Nations General Assembly (PGA), Dennis Francis visited India.
He participated as a State guest in Republic Day Parade of Maharashtra.
Swiss Economy Minister Guy Parmelin (head of Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research) visited India.
French President Emmanuel Macron visited India, to attend India's 75th republic day celebrations as chief guest.
Notable MOUs/Agreements signed during visit -
MoU Between ISRO's commercial arm NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) & French satellite launch company Arianespace, to support satellite launch missions.
India and France adopted a Roadmap on Defence Industrial Cooperation, to identify co-operation opportunities in defence industrial sector.
India and France declared 2026 as India-France Year of Innovation.
India agreed to join Mercator initiative, which aims to create a digital twin of the ocean, in preparation for 2025 UN Ocean Conference (3d edition), to be co-hosted by France and Costa Rica in Nice (France).
Notable Visits from India (Jan 2024)
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited UK.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Nepal.
During the visit, Nepal and India signed a power trade agreement, for Nepal to export 10000 megawatts (MW) of hydroelectricity to India over next 10 years.
Govt named members of newly formed 16th finance Commission, headed by Arvind Panagariya (former NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman).
Members are Ajay Narayan Jha, Annie George Mathew, Niranjan Rajadhyaksha & Soumya Kanti Ghosh.
Background -
Govt had recently constituted 16th Finance Commission, in pursuance to Article 280(1) of the Constitution.
It will be chaired by Arvind Panagariya (former NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman), while Ritvik Ranjanam Pandey has been named as Secretary to the Commission.
16th FC has been asked to make its report available by 31st October 2025, to give recommendations for devolution of taxes and other fiscal matters for 5 fiscal years (covering FY27 (2026-27) to FY31 (2030-31)).
Earlier, 15th FC was constituted in November 2017 and submitted its final report On 01 Feb 2021, chaired by Nand Kishore Singh (covering FY22 (2021-22) to FY26 (2025-26)).
About -
Finance Commissions are constituted by President of India under Article 280 of the Indian Constitution, to define financial relations between central and state governments.
First Finance Commission was established in 1951, chaired by K C Neogy.
Finance Commission consists of a chairman and four other members.
Maharashtra topped the medal tally in Khelo India Youth Games 2024 (6th edition), hosted in 4 cities of Tamil Nadu.
Top 3 - Maharashtra (158, with 57 gold), Tamil Nadu (98, with 38 gold), Haryana (103, with 35 gold)
About -
Mascot for the games was Veera Mangai, an Indian queen who waged a war against British colonial rule. Logo for the games incorporates figure of poet Thiruvalluvar.
Athletes from across India participated in 26 sporting disciplines.
Silambam, a traditional sport of Tamil Nadu, was introduced as a demo sport for the first time in KIYG.
Squash was introduced in Khelo India Youth Games for the first time, in 2024 edition.
Jan 31 is observed as International Zebra Day.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented report Indian Economy – A Review, prepared by office of Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) V Anantha Nageswaran.
This report has been tabled in place of usual Economic Survey traditionally presented annually before Union Budget. As 2024 is a general elections year, Economc Survey has not been presented.
The reportpresents a comprehensive analysis of India’s economic journey over past 10 years, and aims to assess state of Indian economy and provide insights into its future outlook.
Dec 1 - Statehood day of Nagaland, formed on Dec 1, 1963.
Hornbill Festival, called the ‘Festivals of Festivals’, is a 10-day annual cultural fest of Nagaland that showcases diverse Naga ethnicity. It begins Dec 1 each year, on Nagaland's Statehood day.
Dec 1 is also formation day of Border Security Force (BSF), border defence organisation of India. It is one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces of India, and was formed on 1 December 1965.
Dec 1 is also observed as -
Indigenous Faith Day, in Arunachal Pradesh.
World AIDS Day, to raise public awareness about Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), caused due to infection of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). 2022 theme is Equalize.
Obituaries (Dec 2023) -
Joseph Solomon - Former Guyanese cricketer, who played for West Indies team.
Clyde Butts - Former Guyanese cricketer, who played for West Indies team.
Subbalakshmi - Noted Malayalam Carnatic musician and actress.
Benjamin Zephaniah - Noted British writer & actor.
Naeem Sayyed (Also known as Junior Mehmood) - Noted actor.
Leelavathi - Noted Kannada & Tamil actress.
V Mohini Giri - Noted Padma Bhushan awardee social activist.
Vijayakanth - Noted Tamil Actor & former MLA.
Misc. MOUs (Dec 2023) -
Between Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Bank of England (BoE), concerning cooperation and exchange of information in relation to Clearing Corporation of India Limited (CCIL).
It establishes a framework for BoE to place reliance on RBI’s regulatory and supervisory activities while safeguarding UK financial stability.
Between Indian firm Bharat Biotech International and Australia's University of Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute (Sydney ID), to advance vaccine research initiatives.
Between Union Bank of India & IT Firm Accenture, for digital transformation of bank's systems through implementation of advanced analytics and cutting-edge technologies.
Between Indian Navy and IIT Kanpur, to promote technology development, innovative solutions and joint R&D.
National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) and International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) signed a 5-year Statement of Intent (SoI), aiming to fortify policy and program frameworks contributing to India's agricultural transformation and rural developmental objectives.
Between Tata Steel and Imperial College London, to establish Centre for Innovation in Sustainable Design and Manufacturing in London.
Between Indian Navy and IIT Bombay, to enable Naval personnel to pursue MTech course in Systems & Control Engineering.
Between IIT Kanpur and Kotak Mahindra Bank, to establish India’s first full integrated institution dedicated to sustainability education, named Kotak School of Sustainability.
Between Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) & with Reliance Retail’s JioMart, to help enhance outreach of the products of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), to empower rural SHG artisans.
Between Arunachal State Rural Livelihoods Mission (ArSRLM) & State Bank of India (SBI), to provide comprehensive banking services to self-help groups (SHGs) in Arunachal Pradesh.
Between India's Khanij Bidesh India Ltd (KABIL) and Argentina's Catamarca Minera Y EnergÃtica Sociedad Del Estado (CAMYEN).
Under it, India will invest 200 crores to explore and develop five lithium mines in Argentina.
Between IIT Bombay & Reliance Jio, to launch Artificial Intelligence project Bharat GPT.
Between Gujarat govt & Mazgaon Dock Limited, to introduce India's first submarine tourism in Bet Dwarka, a small island off the coast of Dwarka city.
Misc. Appointments (Dec 2023) -
Fino Payments Bank named Rajat Kumar Jain as its Chairman.
Andry Rajoelina has been named new president of Madagascar (East Africa).
Kanchan Devi has been named new (and first woman) Director General of Indian Council of Forestry Research Education (ICFRE).
UK govt named Samir Shah as new chair of British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
Israel named Reuven Azar as new Israeli Ambassador to India.
India's Uma Sekhar has been elected to Governing Council of Rome (Italy) based International Institute for Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT), which studies needs / methods for modernizing, harmonizing and coordinating private and commercial law among States and groups of States.
New Indian Ambassadors appointed -
Smita Pant - Uzbekistan.
Hemant H. Kotalwar - Finland.
Santosh Jha - Sri Lanka.
North East Small Finance Bank (NESFB) named Satish Kumar Kalra as its interim MD and CEO.
Notably, NESFB is merging with Fintech unicorn Slice.
Vita Dani became first Indian to be inducted as a governing board member of International Table Tennis Federation's (ITTF) Foundation.
The Foundation was established in 2018 by ITTF, to attract more people to the sport.
V Srinivas has been named chief of Southern Naval Command (Indian Navy).
Misc. Defence News (Dec 2023) -
President Droupadi Murmu conferred President’s Colour to Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) Pune, in its platinum jubilee year (75th year). President’s Colour is highest honour conferred upon any military unit in India.
Indian Army conducted a Table-Top Exercise (TTX) for Women Officers of Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) at Manekshaw Centre (New Delhi), to promote gender inclusivity and enhance capabilities of women military personnel in peacekeeping operations.
Ministry of Defence signed contract with Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL) for Digital Coast Guard (DCG) project, at cost 589 crores.
Indian Navy conducted co-ordinated exercise named Prasthan, at Mumbai Offshore Development Area.
Ministry of Defence signed contract with Mazagon Dockyard Shipbuilders, for procurement of 6 Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels for Indian Coast Guard, at cost 1615 Crores.
Pakistan tested indigenously developed guided multi-launch rocket system Fatah-II, with range 400 KMs.
Misc. Financial / Economy News (Dec 2023) -
HDFC Securities launched its mobile trading app HDFC SKY, on Amazon Web Services cloud.
Indian GDP Growth Forecasts (Dec 2023) -
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) - 6.3% in 2023-24 (FY24) and 6.1% in 2024-25 (FY25).
Asian Development Bank (ADB) - 6.7% in both 2023-24 (FY24) & 2024-25 (FY25).
Rating agency ICRA - 6.5% in 2023-24 (FY24).
As per data based on RBI's Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium (DSGE) model
-
India's GDP growth for FY24 (2023-24) will be 7.1%, followed by a relatively slower and uneven expansion of 6% during FY25 (2024-25).
It predicts annual retail inflation to ease to 4.8% in FY25 (2024-25), from 5.3% in FY24 (2023-24).
Ministry of External Affairs introduced Credit Insurance as an alternative option for financial security in tandem with existing Bank Guarantee system, to ensure faster resolution of grievances registered by Indian migrant workers.
Life insurer HDFC Life's Insure India campaign has been inscribed in Guinness World Records, for creation of largest online selfie mosaic, with compilation of over 19000 photos contributed by individuals.
RBI cancelled banking licence of -
Kolhapur (Maharashtra) based Shankarrao Pujari Nutan Nagari Sahakari Bank Limited.
Sitapur (Uttar Pradesh) based Urban Co-operative Bank Limited.
Nashik (Maharashtra) based Faiz Mercantile Cooperative Bank Ltd.
Musiri (Tamil Nadu) based Musiri Urban Co-operative Bank Ltd.
Aurangabad (Maharashtra) based Adarsh Mahila Nagari Sahakari Bank Maryadit.
Botad (Gujarat) based The Botad Peoples Co-operative Bank Ltd. Notably, RBI has allowed it to function as non-banking institution.
Ujjivan Small Finance Bank partnered with Water.org, to provide affordable loans for construction of safe drinking water and sanitation facilities in homes, to address pressing issue of water and sanitation in India.
RBI announced rate of interest on Government of India Floating Rate Bond 2031 (FRB 2031) applicable for half year (December 07, 2023 to June 06, 2024) at 8.12 % per annum.
Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA) launched its retail division, to enhance emphasis on providing loans to borrowers under PM-KUSUM scheme, Rooftop Solar, and other Business-to-Consumer (B2C) sectors.
Bank of India launched Nari Shakti Savings Account, to cater specifically to women with an independent source of income.
IDFC FIRST Bank launched co-branded credit card in partnership with LIC and Mastercard, tailored to cater to diverse needs of policyholders across India.
Reliance Industries partnered with DBS Bank India, to establish a financing program targeting farmers and aggregators, to help manage crop residue effectively, utilizing it in production of compressed biogas (CBG).
Global rating agency Moody’s Investors Service reaffirmed Baa2 rating for India's Reliance Industries, maintaining a stable outlook.
IndusInd Bank launched Indus Solitaire Program, as an innovative community banking initiative specifically designed to cater to unique needs of diamond industry.
Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance and IDFC First Bank signed bancassurance partnership, which enables the bank to sell its partner insurer's products to its customers.
Govt granted one time exemption to Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) till May 2032, to comply with Minimum Public Shareholding (MPS) norms prescribed by Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
As per updated terms, LIC has to achieve 25 % Minimum Public Shareholding (MPS) within 10 years from date of listing.
Also, LIC announced opening a branch office at India's International Financial Services Centre GIFT City (Gujarat), to boost overseas offerings.
Bank of Baroda announced to divest entire 100 % stake in its New Zealand Subsidiary.
India made its first-ever payment in rupees for crude oil purchased from UAE, to promote local currency globally and diversify oil suppliers, cut transaction costs.
Earlier -
In July 2022, RBI allowed importers to pay in rupees and exporters to receive payments in local currency.
In July 2023, India formalised an agreement with UAE for rupee settlements.
Misc. Sports News (Dec 2023) -
Indian Snooker player Vidya Pillai won IBSF 6-Red Snooker World Championship title in Doha (Qatar).
Windies cricketer Shane Dowrich announced his retirement from international cricket.
England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) launched Cricket Regulator, as an independent body responsible for monitoring compliance with game's regulations, and enforcement of adherence to those regulations.
Vaishali Rameshbabu became India's new chess Grandmaster, at IV El Llobregat Open in Spain. She is 3rd female Grandmaster from India (after Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli).
Indian para archer Sheetal Devi won Best Youth Athlete award at Asian Awards 2023 organised by Asian Paralympic Committee in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia).
Sheetal Devi had won gold in individual and team compound events, and silver in compound doubles, at Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games.
Team Italy won Admiral’s Cup 2023 Sailing Regatta held at Ezhimala-based Indian Naval Academy (INA).
Pakistan cricketer Asad Shafiq announced his retirement from International Cricket.
Haryana won 2023–24 Vijay Hazare Domestic Cricket Trophy, defeating Rajasthan in Final.
As a tribute to former cricketer M S Dhoni, BCCI retired No.7 jersey worn by him.
Earlier in 2017, BCCI had retired No 10 jersey worn by Sachin Tendulkar.
Mitchell Starc (Australia) became costliest player in history of IPL, after he was acquired by Kolkata Knight Riders for 2024 season for 24.75 crores.
Sports Ministry suspended Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), shortly after Sanjay Singh was elected as WFI Chief.
2016 Olympics bronze medalist Wrestler Sakshi Malik also announced her retirement.
South African Cricketer Dean Elgar announced his retirement from international cricket.
Wrestler Pooja Dhanda has been suspended for 1 year by National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), for doping violations.
Misc. Science News (Dec 2023) -
Airline IndiGo launched its Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered chat assistant named 6Eskai, powered by Microsoft’s GPT-4.
Google parent firm Alphabet unveiled Gemini, as its most advanced AI model so far.
Gemini is Alphabet's first AI model after merger of its AI research units DeepMind and Google Brain. It can comprehend and process diverse types of information concurrently.
IT Firm IBM and Facebook parent Meta Launched AI Alliance, as an International Community of Leading Technology Developers, Researchers, and Adopters Collaborating Together to Advance Open, Safe and Responsible AI.
IT Firm IBM unveiled Condor, as its latest quantum processor with 1121 qubits, showcasing a quantum machine with over 1000 qubits for the first time.
IT Firm Accenture established its Generative AI Studio in Bengaluru, to boost research in field of artificial intelligence.
China launched MisrSat-2 satellite onboard Long March-2C carrier rocket, Developed along with Egypt.
Earth Sciences Minister Kiren Rijiju flagged off India’s first winter scientific expedition to the Arctic.
Scientific expeditions to the Arctic during winter (November to March) will allow researchers to conduct unique scientific observations during polar nights, where there is no sunlight for nearly 24 hours and sub-zero temperatures.
Since 2008, India operates a research base in the Arctic named Himadri, which has so far hosted scientists during summer only (April to October).
Researchers from Visva-Bharati University identified a new bacteria strain capable of boosting plant growth, and named it Pantoea Tagorei (in honor of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore).
Pantoea Tagorei has the potential to significantly reduce need for commercial fertilizers, and may possibly lead to cost savings for farmers and boost crop yields.
Gross GST revenue collected in November 2023 stood at 167929 crores (15% Increase YoY), (CGST 30420 crore, SGST 38226 crores, IGST 87009 crores and Cess 12274 crores).
Misc. / Industrial Awards (Dec 2023) -
Odisha Pavilion won gold medal at India International Trade Fair (IITF) 2023, held at Pragati Maidan (New Delhi). It was themed Unity through Trade.
India's Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) won ISSA Vision Zero 2023 Award at World Congress on Safety and Health at Work 2023 in Sydney (Australia).
Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh has been honored at Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), for his significant contributions to cinema.
Financial Times owned The Banker named Federal Bank as Bank of the Year (India).
Homi Bhabha Centre fors Science Education (TIFR) Professor Savita Ladage has been named among winners of Royal Society of Chemistry’s Nyholm Prize for Education, for her contributions to chemistry education. Award carries cash prize of £5000.
India's Srinivas Naik Dharavath (CMD of Real Vision Homes Pvt Ltd) has been honored with Global Icon Award at G20 Initiative Summit in Colombo (Sri Lanka), organized by Global Economic Forum.
Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) Terminal 2 (T2) has been named by UNESCO among world's most beautiful airports, honoured with Special Prize for an Interior.
New Delhi based Latin America and Caribbean Trade Council honored its director L P Hemanth K Srinivasulu with Man of the year 2023 award, presented by Home Minister Amit Shah.
Dec 2 is observed by UN as International Day for the Abolition of Slavery.
Dec 2 is also observed as -
National Pollution Control Day in India, to commemorate people who lost their lives in unfortunate incident of Bhopal Gas Tragedy that occurred on this day in 1984.
World Computer Literacy Day, launched by Indian IT Firm NIIT in 2001.
Asom Divas, in state of Assam, which commemorates arrival of founder and first King of Ahom kingdom in ancient Assam.
Akshaya Mukul won 2023 Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize for Writer, Rebel, Soldier, Lover: The Many Lives of Agyeya (biography of writer Agyeya). The award carries cash prize of Rs 15 lakh.
Somali refugee Abdullahi Mire has been named 2023 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award Global Laureate, for his work championing the right to education for displaced children.
UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award was established in 1954 to honor legacy of Fridtjof Nansen, a Norwegian scientist and first High Commissioner for Refugees for the League of Nations. It consists of monetary prize of USD 100000, donated by governments of Norway and Switzerland .
Hockey India Senior National Championships 2023 -
Men - Punjab won by defeating Haryana in Final.
Women - Madhya Pradesh won by defeating Maharashtra.
Indian Author-translator Arshia Sattar has been conferred with Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters (Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres) honour by France.
Indian Railways announced to build new 287 km circular railway around Bengaluru, connecting major nearby towns.
It will be largest such network in India, aimed at easing traffic congestion and improving connectivity in the region.
High-Level Committee headed by Home Minister Amit Shah approved Recovery and Reconstruction (R&R) plan of 1658 crores for Joshimath (Uttarakhand), which was recently affected by large scale landslides and ground subsidence.
India has been elected as a member of Executive Committee of Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), representing Asian region.
CAC is an international food standards body established jointly by Food and Agriculture organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) in 1963, with the objective of protecting consumer's health and ensuring fair practices in food trade.
Govt named Narayan Seshadri (Former KPMG MD) as Chairman of India Debt Resolution Company Limited (IDRCL, also called bad bank).
Dec 3 is observed by UN as International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Dec 3 is also Birth anniversary of Dr. Rajendra Prasad, first President of India.
2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup (Indonesia) -
Germany won the title (their 1st), defeating France in Final. The event was contested by 24 teams.
Best player - Paris Brunner (Germany)
Bihar government launched Mission Daksh (Dynamic Approach for Knowledge and Skill), aimed at supporting 25 lakh children facing significant academic challenges in state-run schools.
It focuses on providing specialized Hindi, Mathematics, and English classes to students in classes 3-8 statewide. Each teacher will mentor five students.
General Elections to State Assemblies of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana 2023 -
Chhattisgarh -
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won clear majority by winning 54 out of 90 seats, followed by Indian National Congress (35 seats).
Vishnu Deo Sai has been named New (4th) Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, for his 1st term.
Deputy CM - Arun Sao, Vijay Sharma.
Speaker - Raman Singh.
Madhya Pradesh -
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won clear majority by winning 163 out of 230 seats, followed by Indian National Congress (66 seats).
Mohan Yadav has been named New (19th) Chief Minister of MP, for his 1st term.
Deputy CM - Rajendra Shukla, Jagdish Devda.
Speaker - Narendra Singh Tomar
Mizoram -
Zoram People's Movement won clear majority by winning 27 out of 40 seats, followed by Mizo National Front (10 seats).
Lalduhoma has been named New (6th) Chief Minister of Mizoram, for his 1st term.
Rajasthan -
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won clear majority by winning 115 out of 200 seats, followed by Indian National Congress (69 seats).
Bhajan Lal Sharma has been named New (14th) Chief Minister of Rajasthan, for his 1st term.
Deputy CM - Diya Kumari, Prem Chand Bairwa.
Speaker - Vasudev Devnani
Telangana -
Indian National Congress (INC) won clear majority by winning 64 out of 119 seats, followed by Bharat Rashtra Samithi (39 seats).
Anumula Revanth Reddy has been named New (2nd) Chief Minister of Telangana, for his 1st term.
Deputy CM - Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu.
Speaker - Gaddam Prasad Kumar
Indian Navy Hosted 1st edition of its high level virtual interaction MAHASAGAR (Maritime Heads for Active Security And Growth for All in the Region), attended by representatives from several Indian Ocean Region (IOR) Nations.
India has been re-elected to International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council for 2024–25 biennium, with the highest tally.
India's re-election falls under Category of 10 states with the largest interest in international seaborne trade.
Dec 4 is observed as Indian Navy Day, being observed in commemoration of Operation Trident, which celebrates bravery of Indian Navy that forced Pakistan to admit defeat during Indo-Pak war of 1971.
About -
Pakistani army attacked India on December 03, 1971. India launched 'Operation Trident' in retaliation, after which 1971 war began. India targeted Pakistani Navy headquarters in Karachi with a tremendous attack, resulting in port of Karachi being completely destroyed.
Indian Navy was established in 1612, when East India Company formed an army in form of the East India Company's Marine to protect its ships. It was renamed Bombay Marine in 1686. Later in 1892, it was renamed as Royal Indian Marin.
On this occasion, PM Narendra Modi -
Unveiled statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot Fort (Sindhudurg, Maharashtra).
Announced to revamp ranks within Indian Navy, to eliminate colonial influences and infuse a distinct Indian cultural identity.
Dec 04 is also Birth anniversary of -
8th President of India, R. Venkataraman.
12th PM of India, Inder Kumar Gujral.
Dec 4 is also observed as -
International Cheetah Day and Wildlife Conservation Day.
International Day of Banks, by UN.
IBA Junior World Boxing Championship 2023 (Yerevan, Armenia) -
India won 17 medals, including 3 gold, 9 silver and 5 bronze medals.
American-Canadian writer John Vaillant’s Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World has been named winner of 50000 pound Baillie Gifford Prize 2023.
Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction (formerly Samuel Johnson Prize), is an annual British book prize for best non-fiction writing in English language.
Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) delivered Sandhayak to Indian navy, as first of four Survey Vessel (Large) ships being built under the contract signed in 2018.
Other 3 ships under the project are Nirdeshak, Ikshak & Sanshodhak.
3 Indian businessperson – Nandan Nilekani (Infosys), KP Singh (DLF) and Nikhil Kamath (Zerodha), have been named in Forbes Asia’s Heroes of Philanthropy list 2023.
Dec 5 is observed by UN as International Volunteer Day, to show gratitude towards people who help others without monetary benefits. 2023 theme is the power of collective action: if everyone did.
Dec 5 is also observed as -
World Soil Day, observed by Food and Agriculture Organization of UN.
Honey Bee Day in Nagaland.
World's first portable hospital, Aarogya Maitri Aid Cube has been unveiled in Gurugram (Haryana), Designed indigenously under Project BHISHM.
This modular trauma management and aid system is made up of 72 detachable mini-cubes, each being a specialized station for emergency response and humanitarian efforts. It can treat upto 200 patients.
As per WHO World Malaria Report 2023, Malaria Cases Surged To 249 Million In 2022, 16 Million Above Pre-Pandemic Levels.
Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu and US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti jointly inaugurated Hump WWII Museum in Pasighat, as second museum in Asia dedicated to honoring the fallen airmen of the US forces during World War II.
The museum's theme reflects history of the Hump air route, which was used by Allied forces to transport people from Assam to Yunnan (China).
The Hump route traverses various regions, including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Tibet, Yunnan, and Myanmar, and an estimated 650 aircraft crashed in these areas due to extreme flying conditions.
China’s financial regulator adopted One Province One Policy approach, asking all provinces to come up with their own plans to handle financial risks, and resolve local debt issues.
Long jumper Murali Sreeshankar has been named winner of Jimmy George Foundation Award 2023, given to best sportsperson from Kerala state.
Jimmy George Award for best Sportsperson of Kerala was instituted by Jimmy George Foundation in 1989, carrying cash prize of Rs 1 Lakh.
8th edition of Global Technology Summit held in New Delhi, as India’s annual flagship event on Geotechnology, co-hosted by Ministry of External Affairs and Carnegie India. 2023 theme is Geopolitics of Technology.
Dec 06 is Mahaparinirvan Diwas (Death anniversary) of Babasaheb Ambedkar, Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee. He was also 1st Minister of Law and Justice.
Also, India and Bangladesh observe December 6 as Maitri Diwas, the day on which India formally recognized Bangladesh in 1971.
Garba of Gujarat has been inscribed in Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity by UNESCO, during meet of Intergovernmental Committee for Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Kasane (Botswana).
Garba is 15th ICH Element from India to Join the List.
Actress Huma Qureshi's first novel Zeba: An Accidental Superhero has been released.
JT-60SA, dubbed as world's largest and most advanced nuclear fusion reactor, started operations in Japan's Ibaraki Prefecture, as a joint initiative of European Union and Japan.
6-storey high JT-60SA reactor is kept in a hangar in Naka north of Tokyo, comprising a doughnut-shaped tokamak vessel set to contain swirling plasma heated up to 200 million degrees Celsius.
17th edition of annual India-Nepal Joint Army exercise SURYA KIRAN has been conducted in Pithoragarh (Uttarakhand).
2nd edition of India-Australia joint Tri-services exercise AUSTRAHIND-23 has been conducted at Perth (Australia).
Dec 7 is observed as Armed Forces Flag Day, being observed annually since 1949. This day marks responsibility of every citizen to take care of families and dependents of armed forces personnel.
Dec 7 is observed by UN as International Civil Aviation Day. 2023 theme is Advancing Innovation for Global Aviation Development.
On this day in 1944, participants from 54 nations gathered in Chicago (US), had signed Convention on International Civil Aviation, known as ‘Chicago Convention’.
American Singer Taylor Swift has been named 2023 Person of the Year by Time magazine.
She is first Person of the Year to be recognized for their achievement in the arts. Swift is also first woman to be recognized more than once, as she was also part of 2017 Person of the Year, called Silence Breakers.
Also, Argentinian Footballer Lionel Messi has been named Time magazine’s Athlete of the Year 2023.
Indian-origin writer Meira Chand is among 3 Singaporeans that have been conferred Cultural Medallion, Singapore's biggest arts accolade.
Other 2 are novelist Suchen Christine Lim and Malay dance veteran Osman Abdul Hamid.
Sri Lanka reached an agreement in principle with India and Paris Club group of creditors, on a debt treatment plan that will help the crisis-hit island nation tap the next tranche of the International Monetary Fund’s $3 billion recovery package.
Paris Club is a group of officials from major creditor countries whose role is to find co-ordinated and sustainable solutions to payment difficulties experienced by debtor countries. It currently has 22 permanent members.
4 Indians have been named in Forbes’ The World’s Most Powerful Women 2023, including Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, HCL Chairperson Roshni Nadar, SAIL Chairperson Soma Mondal and Biocon Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw.
As per report by S&P Global Market Intelligence -
India's Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) is world’s 4th largest insurer in terms of life and accident & health reserves of companies for 2022.
Top 3 - Germany's Allianz SE ($750.20 billion), China's Life Insurance Company ($616.90 billion), Japan's Nippon Life Insurance Company ($536.80 billion) and India's LIC ($503.7 billion).
Italy formally withdrew from China's Belt and Road infrastructure initiative (BRI).
BRI is a global infrastructure development strategy adopted by China in 2013, to help China assume a greater leadership role in global affairs, by investing in over 150countries.
New Union Ministers Level Appointments (in addition to their existing portfolio) -
Arjun Munda - Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
Shobha Karandlaje - Minister of State in Ministry of Food Processing Industries
Rajeev Chandrasekhar - Minister of State in Ministry of Jal Shakti
Bharti Pravin Pawar - Minister of State in Ministry of Tribal Affairs
Dec 8 is observed as SAARC Charter Day, commemorating establishment of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) by Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka at First Summit meeting in Dhaka (Bangladessh). Afghanistan later joined as 8th SAARC member in 2007.
Dec 8 is also observed by Indian Army as 260th Corps Day of the Army Service Corps. Indian Army Service Corps handles Army's logistic support function, set up on Dec 08, 1760.
Dec 8 is also observed by Indian Navy as Submarine Day.
Power and New & Renewable Energy Minister R K Singh launched 4E Wave, as a student-led National Movement for Energy Conservation.
It strives to promote sustainable practices and instil a sense of responsibility in individuals and communities to save energy.
4E Wave encapsulates four key elements -
Eco-friendliness: Promoting energy-saving practices that are environmentally friendly
Economy: Emphasizing energy-saving solutions that lead to economic benefits for individuals and communities
Education: Focusing on educating the public about energy- saving methods and their importance
Empowerment: Empowering individuals and communities to take active roles in conserving energy
Originating from Jammu based Government College of Engineering & Technology (GCET), this youth-led movement invites individuals across nation to contribute to cause of energy conservation.
India-Korea Electronic Origin Data Exchange System (EODES) has been lcunched, for faster clearance of imported goods.
It will facilitate implementation of India-Korea Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) by electronic exchange of origin information between two customs administrations for goods traded under the CEPA.
Cabinet Approvals (Dec 08, 2023) -
General -
Approved additional allocation of 2500 crores for continuation of Interest Equalisation Scheme till 30th June 2024.
This would help exporters from identified sectors and all MSME manufacturer exporters to avail pre and post shipment Rupee export credit at competitive rates.
It shall be implemented by RBI through banks who provide pre / post shipment credit to exporters. The Scheme is jointly monitored by DGFT and RBI.
Benefit shall be continued till 30-06-2024 to manufacturer / merchant exporters of identified 410 tariff lines, and to all manufacturer exporters from MSME sectors at mentioned rates -
Category of Exporters
Rate of interest Equalisation
1
Manufacturer and Merchant Exporters exporting products listed in the 410 tariff lines
2%
2
MSME exporters of all tariff lines
3%
CCEA (Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs) -
Approved reservation norms for mandatory use of jute in packaging for Jute Year 2023 -24 (July 2023 to June 2024), under JPM Act, 1987.
It provides for 100% reservation of foodgrains and 20% of sugar to be compulsorily packed in jute bags.
Keel has been laid for 4th and 5th ship (Mulki, Malpe) to be developed by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) under Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft project.
Under this project, 8 ships are being made by each of Cochin Shipyard (CSL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE). 1st ship to be launched under this project was Arnala.
ASW SWC project consists 16 planned ships, with over 80% indigenous content.
Dinesh K Tripathi has been named new Vice Chief of Indian Navy, succeeding Sanjay Jasjit Singh, who has been named chief of Western Naval Command.
RBI Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) kept key interest rates unchanged, raising its GDP growth projection for FY24 (2023-24) to 7% from 6.5% earlier, and retained average inflation forecast at 5.4%.
Current key MPC Rates -
Repo Rate - 6.50 %
Reverse Repo - 3.35 %
Bank Rate - 6.75 %
CRR (Cash Reserve Ratio) - 4.5 %
SLR(Statutory Liquidity ratio) - 18.00 %
Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) Rate - 6.75 %
Dec 09 is observed by UN as International Anti-Corruption Day.
On this occasion, US State Department of State announced awardees of 2023 Anti-corruption Champions Award -
Nikhil Dey (India)
Veronica Mihailov-Moraru (Moldova)
Stanislau Ivaskhevich (Belarus)
Marc N. Kollie (Liberia)
Francisco Belo Simoes da Costa (Timor-Leste)
Jean-Claude Mputu (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Vladimir Novovic (Montenegro)
Annette Planells (Panama)
May De Silva (Seychelles)
Arturo Torres (Ecuador)
Ali Totakunov (Kyrgyzstan)
Dec 9 is also observed by UN as International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of Victims of Crime of Genocide.
Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation announced winners of Jamnalal Bajaj awards 2023 -
Constructive Work - Regi George and Lalitha Regi Trustees (Tribal Health Initiative, Tamil Nadu)
Application of Science & Technology for Rural Development - Ramalakshmi Datta (Vivekananda Institute of Biotechnology, West Bengal)
Development and Welfare of Women and Children - Sudha Varghese (Nari Gunjan, Bihar)
Promoting Gandhian Values Oustide India - Raha Naba Kumar (Gandhi Ashram Trust, Bangladesh)
About -
Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation established in 1977, instituted four Awards, to globally propagate ideals of Jamnalal Bajaj. Each award carries Cash Prize of 10 Lakh.
World Athlete of the Year awards 2023 (Conferred by World Athletics) -
Winners -
Men - American track and field athlete Noah Lyles
Women - Kenyan middle-distance runner Faith Kipyegon
Rising Stars -
Men - Kenyan middle-distance runner Emmanuel Wanyonyi
Women - Kenyan runner Faith Cherotich
IDFC FIRST Bank launched FIRST SWYP credit card in association with Mastercard, as a youth-centric offering designed to cater to unique demands of new-age customers.
General News / Events (Dec 1-10, 2023) -
2nd Edition of flagship Financial Technology event Infinity Forum 2.0 hosted by International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) and GIFT City (Gujarat).
Uttarakhand Global Investors Summit 2023 held at Dehradun, with theme Peace to Prosperity.
Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari virtually inaugurated luxury vessel Classic Imperial, as biggest of its kind tourist vessel in Kerala.
4th edition of ASEAN India Grassroots Innovation Forum (AIGIF) launched in Langkawi (Malaysia).
India announced US$1 million immediate relief assistance to Papua New Guinea, after major volcanic eruption at Mount Ulawun.
National Water Mission (Ministry of Jal Shakti) hosted Jal Itihas Utsav at Mehrauli (New Delhi).
As per 1st Delta Ranking of Aspirational Blocks Programme (ABP) released by NITI Aayog -
Tiriyani Block of Kumuram Bheem Asifabad district (Telangana) ranked at top, followed by Kaushambi block of Kaushambi District (Uttar Pradesh).
Word of the year 2023 -
Merriam-Webster Dictionary - Authentic
Oxford University Press - Rizz (reflecting linguistic choices of Generation Z)
10-day long cultural fest Hornbill Festival 2023 hosted across Nagaland, named after hornbill bird.
As per report by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Kolkata has been named safest city in India for 3rd onsecutive year.
Maharatna PSU REC Limited signed 200 million Euro loan agreement with German bank KfW, as REC's sixth line of credit under Indo-German Development Cooperation.
Dec 10 is observed by UN as International Human Rights Day. 2023 theme is Freedom, Equality and Justice for All.
On this day in 1948, Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was proclaimed by UN. Later in December 1993, UNGA announced to celebrate Human Rights Day annually.
Also, Dec 10 is marked as Swahid Diwas in Assam, commemorating martyrs of Assam Movement, which was an uprising in Assam during 1979-1985, demanding Government to detect and deport outsiders from state.
Earthshot prize Winners 2023 (also called Eco Oscars), presented by Queen Elizabeth II's grandson Prince William -
Winners -
Protect & Restore Nature - Accion Andina (The Andes Mountains)
A grassroots, community-based initiative working across south america to protect native high andean forest ecosystems.
Clean Our Air - GRST (Hong Kong)
Honored for GRST (Green, Renewable, Sustainable Technology)'s cleaner process to make batteries that pollute less, and use components that can be more easily recycled.
Revive our Oceans - Wildaid Marine Program
Scales marine enforcement to end illegal fishing and strengthen ocean conservation.
Build a Waste Free World - S4S Technologies (India)
S4S technologies’ solar-powered dryers and processing equipment combats food waste, enabling small-hold farmers to preserve crops and turn produce that might otherwise go to waste into valuable products.
Fix our Climate - BOOMITRA
(Founded by India's Aadith Moorthy)
Uses satellite and AI technology to measure, report, and verify soil carbon credits across the globe.
About -
Earthshot Prize is awarded to 5 winners each year for their contributions to environment, first awarded in 2021 and is planned to run annually until 2030.
Each winner receives a grant of £1 million to continue their environmental work.
Earthshot Prize was launched in 2020 by Prince William and David Attenborough. Winners are selected by the Earthshot Prize Council.
RBI increased UPI payment limits for medical and educational purposes, from 1 to 5 lakh.
Dec 11 is observed by UN as International Mountain Day. 2023 Theme is Restoring mountain ecosystems.
Notable Points in RBI Report State Finances: A Study of Budgets of 2023-24, an annual publication that provides an assessment of finances of State governments -
Improvement in State finances continued in 2022-23, with combined States’ gross fiscal deficit (GFD) contained at 2.8 % of gross domestic product (GDP) - below budget estimates for 2nd consecutive year. States aim at consolidated GFD to stay under 3.1 % of GDP.
Alongside near elimination of revenue deficit, capital outlay is budgeted to increase by 42.6 % in 2023-24 to 2.9 % of GDP.
States’ total outstanding liabilities are budgeted to fall to 27.6 % of GDP for 2023-24, from peak of 31 % in 2020-21.
A Constitution Bench of Supreme Court unanimously upheld power of the President to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution, which in August 2019 led to reorganisation of the State of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) into 2 UTs and denuded it of its special privileges.
It reasoned that -
Article 370 was only a ‘temporary provision’ to ease accession of the then princely State to Union at a time of internal strife and war.
Special privileges of J&K as well as a separate Constitution were held to be a mere feature of ‘asymmetric federalism’ and not sovereignty.
PM Narendra Modi launched Viksit Bharat @2047: Voice of Youth initiative, aiming to provide a platform to youth of the country to contribute ideas to vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.
Viksit Bharat @2047 is the vision to make India a developed nation by 2047, the 100th year of independence. It encompasses various aspects of development, including economic growth, social progress, environmental sustainability, and good governance.
Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change launched Indian Forest & Wood Certification Scheme, offering voluntary third-party certification designed to promote sustainable forest management and agroforestry in 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 is based on Indian Forest Management Standard, which is an integral part of National Working Plan Code 2023, launched earlier this year. A separate Trees Outside Forests Standard, is now introduced as a part of the newly launched Indian Forest & Wood Certification Scheme.
India's startup sector remained at 4th position in 2023 in terms of startup funding, recording lowest funding in 5 years.
After grabbing 3rd spot globally in 2021 & 2022, India ranked 4th behind US, UK and China in 2023, receiving $7 billion funding.
14th Edition of Indo-US Joint Army Special Forces exercise VAJRA PRAHAR 2023 conducted at Joint Training Node, Umroi (Meghalaya).
To shift away from traditional coal-fired power plants, China began commercial operations of Shidao Bay nuclear power plant in eastern Shandong province, as world's first 4th-generation, gas-cooled nuclear reactor power plant.
The plant distinguishes itself by utilizing 2 high-temperature reactors cooled by gas, a departure from conventional pressurized water cooling systems.
Donald Tusk has been named new Prime Minister of Poland.
Dec 12 is observed by UN as Universal Health Coverage Day. 2023 theme is Health For All: Time For Action.
Dec 12 is also observed by UN International Day of Neutrality.
2023 Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (known as COP28, or 28th United Nations Climate Change conference) hosted in Dubai (UAE) -
About -
Held annually since first UN climate agreement in 1992, this event is intended for governments to agree on policies to limit global temperature rises and adapt to impacts associated with climate change. Next (29th) UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) will be held in Baku (Azerbaijan) in 2024.
Further, 30th UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) will be held in Belém (Brazil) in 2025.
Notably, India proposed to host COP33 in India in 2028.
Notable Highlights -
Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber (minister of industry and advanced technology of UAE) was named president of COP28 climate talks.
Ahead of COP28 summit, Global Faith Leaders Summit was also organized, gathering different faith leaders with climate experts to fight climate change.
For the first time in history of COP summits, the global pact explicitly mentioned necessity to shift away from all kinds of fossil fuels. However, no clear commitment to phase out fossil fuels was reached.
During the summit -
A loss and damagefund to compensate poor states for effects of climate change was agreed on, to be administered by World Bank. Initial promises were made by host (UAE) to donate $100 million, and by United Kingdom ($75 million), United States ($24.5 million), Japan ($10 million) and Germany ($100 million).
Joint consortium of United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) were selected as host of Santiago network secretariat, which aims to avert, minimize and address loss and damage from impacts of climate change, by accelerating countries’ access to technical assistance.
Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI 2024) was released, framed by Germanwatch -
Top 5 - Denmark (4), Estonia (5), Philippines (6), India (7).
India improved its rank compared to 8th place last year.
No country got ranked in CCPI's top 3 places.
World Bank announced a new Climate and Health Program to urgently respond to rising negative health impacts of climate change in low- and middle-income countries.
World Bank data shows that a warmer climate could lead to at least 21 million additional deaths by 2050, from 5 health risks - extreme heat, stunting, diarrhea, malaria, and dengue.
New program will help countries to assess their climate and health vulnerabilities and increase investments in climate-resilient health systems to reduce impacts of climate change on people’s health and livelihoods.
Michelle Zárate Palomec (Mexico) & Sebastian Mwaura (Kenya) have been named winners of UN Global Climate Action Awards, for their outstanding efforts to make their communities more sustainable, resilient and equitable places to live.
As per Emissions Gap Report 2023: Broken Record, released by UNEP during COP28,
Progress since Paris Agreement (signed in 2015) -
Greenhouse gas emissions in 2030, were projected to increase by 16 % at the time of agreement’s adoption. Today, the projected increase is 3 %.
However, predicted 2030 greenhouse gas emissions still must fall by 28 % for Paris Agreement 2°C pathway and 42 % for 1.5°C pathway.
Fully implementing unconditional Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) made under Paris Agreement would put the world on track for limiting temperature rise to 2.9°C above pre-industrial levels (by 2100). Fully implementing conditional NDCs would lower this to 2.5°C.
Report calls for all nations to accelerate economy-wide, low-carbon development transformations
Global GHG emissions reached record high of 57.4 GtCO2e in 2022, growing by 1.2 % from previous year. Atmospheric CO2 concentrations grew to 417.9 ± 0.2 PPM in 2022.
Global GHG emissions must decline to levels between 33 and 41 GtCO2e by 2030, to get on a least-cost pathway to meet temperature goal of Paris Agreement.
Facts about India -
India has so far contributed 5 % of global warming (1850-2021).
India's GHG emissions increased by 5.1 % in 2022.
India is 3rd largest emitter, after US & China.
India's per capita greenhouse gas emissions of 2.4 tCO2e (tonne carbon dioxide equivalent) are far below world average of 6.5 tCO2e.
Per capita GHG emissions are highly unequally distributed across countries, with emissions as low as 1.3 tCO2e in Nepal and as high as 73 tCO2e in Qatar.
Global median estimates of per capita emissions by 2050 consistent with 2°C and 1.5°C scenarios are 2.2 tCO2e and 1.0 tCO2e respectively.
Notably, As per updated NDC, India stands committed to reduce Emissions Intensity of its GDP by 45 % by 2030, from 2005 level and achieve 50 % cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030.
Notable Pledges / Declarations -
Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP) for Climate Action (signed by 71 countries) - includes commitments to promote global climate action, make more ambitious Nationally determined contributions by 2025, increase efforts for climate change adaptation, preserving biodiversity for limit warming to 1.5 degrees.
Declaration on a Global Climate Finance Framework (signed by 13 countries including India) - Aims to mobilize 100 billion USD by 2025 and 5-7 trillion USD by 2030 to climate action.
Declaration on Climate and Health(endorsed by 143 countries) - Includes commitments to reduce negative health impacts from climate change.
Notably, India refrained from endorsing COP28 Declaration on Climate and Health, amid India’s apprehensions about practicality and achievability of reducing greenhouse gas emissions for cooling within its healthcare infrastructure.
Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge (signed by 130 countries) - Countries pledge to refer to energy efficiency as first fuel and double rate of energy efficiency increase from 2% to over 4% every year until 2030. Pledge also includes tripling capacity of renewable energy by 2030.
Global Cooling Pledge (Endorsed by 61 countries) -Mentions effects of increasing heat waves on health and economy and contribution of cooling industry to climate change. Pledge includes cutting GHG emissions from cooling industry by 68% by 2050.
Declaration to triple nuclear energy capacity from 2020 to 2050(signed by 25 countries) - Signing countries pledged to implement policies to extend their nuclear capacities, stating that nuclear power can play key role in cutting carbon emissions to net zero.
UAE announced US$30 billion commitment to newly launched catalytic climate vehicle ALTÉRRA, which aims to boost international efforts to create a fairer climate finance system, with an emphasis on improving access to funding for Global South.
This makes ALTÉRRA world’s largest private investment vehicle for climate change action, aiming to mobilize US$250 billion globally by 2030.
PM Narendra Modi Attended the event on India's Behalf, along with Environment minister Bhupender Yadav-
India & UAE co-hosted meet on Green Credits Programme, which has been conceptualized as a mechanism to incentivize voluntary pro-planet actions, to combat climate change. It envisions issue of Green Credits for plantations on waste/degraded lands and river catchment areas, to rejuvenate and revive natural eco-systems.
India co-hosted LeadIT (Leadership Group for Industry Transition) Summit 2023, along with Sweden. On the occasion, LeadIT 2.0 (second phase of LeadIT) was launched, with 3 pillars - A global forum for dialogue; Technology transfer and co-development; and an Industry Transitions Platform.
India attended Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC) ministerial meet, an initiative to raise awareness of significance of mangroves and their role in reducing global warming. It was launched during COP27 in Egypt.
Notably, India launched Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes (MISHTI), in Budget 2023-24. Under this, mangrove plantations along coastline / salt pans are being taken up.
UNICEF's Generation Unlimited in collaboration with India's Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, launched Green Rising initiative, to mobilize youth to drive climate action.
Green Rising initiative, a part of YuWaah campaign in India, focuses on engaging youth for impactful environmental actions at grassroots level, aligning with global effort to address severe impacts of climate change.
Global River Cities Alliance (GRCA) has been launched at COP28, led by India's National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) under Ministry of Jal Shakti.
It will widely expand reach of existing River Cities Alliance (RCA), formed by NMCG in association with National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) in 2021.
Earlier, in this regard, River Cities Alliance (RCA) had signed Memorandum of Common Purpose (MoCP) with Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative (MRCTI), representing 124 cities/towns situated along banks of Mississippi River (USA).
PM Narendra Modi also attended World Climate Action Summit, held as High-Level Segment of COP28.
Indian plastic surgeon Atul Shah has been honored with 2023 REACH Game Changing Innovator award at COP28, for his groundbreaking contribution to leprosy care.
India joined United Nations’ Race to Resilience global campaign, which aims to enhance resilience of most vulnerable communities to impacts of climate change by 2030.
Noted Hindi writer Pushpa Bharati has been selected for 33rd Vyas Samman 2023 by K K Birla Foundation, for her 2016 memoir, Yaadein, Yaadein aur Yaadein.
About the award -
Instituted in 1991 by K K Birla Foundation, Vyas Samman recognises an outstanding Hindi literary work by an Indian citizen published during last 10 years. It carries an award money of ₹4 lakh.
Awards Institited by K K Birla Foundation in 1991 -
Saraswati Samman - For literary work in any Indian language
Vyas Samman - For prose/poetry work in Hindi
Bihari Puraskar - For prose/poetry work in Hindi/Rajasthani, only authors from Rajasthan are eligible
Shankar Puraskar - For a work in Hindi concerning Indian philosophy, culture and/or art.
Vachaspati Puraskar - For any work in Sanskrit.
G.D. Birla Award for Scientific Research
United Nations officially ended its decade-long peacekeeping mission in Mali, responding to Mali government’s claim that the force was inadequate in addressing the escalating threat of violent islamic extremism.
Dr. Hemachandran Ravikumar has been honored with Karmaveer Chakra Medal and Rex Karmaveer Global Fellowship by ICONGO, in collaboration with United Nations, for his contributions to R&D in Physical & Bio-Science and Microbiological Studies.
Karmaveer Chakra Award is global civilian honours given by international confederation of NGO (iCONGO) in partnership with UN, to people across globe for relentless courage. The award is tribute to Dr A P J Abdul Kalam.
Indian actor Kabir Bedi has been awarded Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (Merito della Repubblica Italiana), Italy’s highest civilian honour.
It honors those who have made outstanding contributions to society, embodying Itakly’s values of merit and excellence.
Myanmar surpassed Afghanistan as world’s largest source of opium in 2023, amid domestic instability and a significant decline in opium cultivation in Afghanistan After Taliban imposed a ban on drugs in 2022.
Opium, the base from which morphine and heroin are produced, is harvested from poppy flowers.
Dec 14 is observed as National Energy Conservation Day in India, observed by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) under Ministry of Power, since 1991.
Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development2023 (also called Indira Peace Prize or Indira Gandhi Prize), was announced on Daniel Barenboim and Palestinian peace activist Ali Abu Awwad, for their efforts in bringing together people of Israel and Arab World, for a non-violent resolution of Israel-Palestine conflict.
The award is confererd every year on Nov 19, Birth Anniversary of Indira Gandhi (observed as National Integration day).
Likewise, 2023 award shall be conferred on Nov 19, 2024.
India hosted Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) summit 2023 at Bharat Mandapam (New Delhi).
During the summit, YUVAi-Youth for Unnati and Vikas with AI was launched as a collaborative initiative of National e-Governance Division (NeGD) & Intel India, designed to equip the youth with essential AI skills.
Launched in June 2020 with 15 members, GPAI’s membership has expanded to 28 member countries and European Union (EU). India is GPAI Chair in 2023.
Invest India (National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency of India) hosted WAIPA (World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies)World Investment Conference 2023 (WIC) at India International Convention & Expo Centre - Yashobhoomi (New Delhi).
Tax Inspectors Without Borders (TIWB), a joint initiative of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has been launched in caribbean nation Saint Lucia, with India as Partner.
Under it, India will help Saint Lucia in strengthening its tax administration by transferring technical knowledge and sharing best practices.
Saint Lucia's is 7th TIWB programme which India has supported by providing Tax Experts.
Indian Navy inducted Fast Attack Craft INS Tarmugli, at Naval Dockyard Visakhapatnam.
The ship has a unique distinction of having served under the flag of 2 nations, India and Maldives.
It served in Indian Navy as Trinkat Class INS Tillanchang, till 2006. It was thereafter gifted to Maldives and served there till May 2023 (as MCGS Huravee). It was then decommissioned by Maldives and returned to India.
Post extensive repair and upgrade, it has now been Inducted into Indian Navy service again, as INS Tarmugli.
Poonawalla Housing Finance has been renamed as Grihum Housing Finance, after its acquisition by TPG Capital Asia.
Four diplomats and a US lawmaker have been honoured with annual Diwali- Power of One awards 2023.
Winners -
Ban Ki-Moon (Former United Nations Secretary-General)
Mirsada Colakovic (Former permanent representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the UN)
Kim Sook (Former permanent representative of South Korea to the UN)
Miroslav Lajcak (72nd UN General Assembly president)
Presented by Diwali Foundation USA since 2017, these honors are also known as Oscars of Diplomacy, presented to former top diplomats for helping to form a more peaceful world.
Cabinet Approvals (Dec 15, 2023) -
General -
Approved to declare Surat Airport (Gujarat) as an International Airport, aimed at unlocking economic potential of Surat airport and to boost trade.
MOUs -
Saudi Arabia - Cooperation in field of Digitization and Electronic manufacturing .
Italy - Cooperation in field of Industrial Property Rights.
Tanzania - Cooperation in field of sharing successful Digital Solutions implemented at Population Scale for Digital Transformations.
USA - To enhance innovation ecosystems through an innovation handshake.
Background -
During 5th India-US Commercial Dialogue held in New Delhi in March 2023, the Commercial Dialogue was re-launched with strategic focus on several key areas. It also included launch of a new Working Group on Talent, Innovation and Inclusive Growth (TIIG), with special focus on Start-ups working towards goals of iCET (Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET)).
Further, The Joint Statement released by US President Joe Biden and PM Narendra Modi in June 2023 (During PM Modi's state visit to USA) established an Innovation Handshake that shall connect two sides’ dynamic startup ecosystems, particularly in critical and emerging technologies (CET).
To formalize the cooperation under the Innovation handshake and implement the guidance, an MoU was signed between India and US in Nov 2023 (during Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal's visit to USA). Concerned MOU has now been approved by union cabinet.
Inflation and Trade Data for November 2023 -
Wholesale price Index Based (WPI) -
WPI based inflation stayed at 0.26 % in November 2023.
WPI Inflation in last 12 months -
October 2023 - (-) 0.52 % (Negative)
September 2023 - (-) 0.26 % (Negative)
August 2023 - (-) 0.52 % (Negative)
July 2023 - (-) 1.36 % (Negative)
June 2023 - (-) 4.12 % (Negative) (lowest in 8 years)
May 2023 - (-) 3.48 % (Negative)
April 2023 - (-) 0.92 % (Negative)
March 2023 - 1.34 %
February 2023 - 3.85 %
January 2023 - 4.73 %
December 2022 - 4.95 %
November 2022 - 5.85 %
Consumer Price Index (CPI) Based (retail inflation) -
CPI-based inflation rate for November 2023 rose to 5.55 %.
CPI Inflation in Last 12 Months -
October 2023 - 4.87 %
September 2023 - 5.02 %
August 2023 - 6.83 %
July 2023 - 7.44 % (15 Month High)
June 2023 - 4.81 %
May 2023 - 4.25 % (25 Month Low)
April 2023 - 4.7 %
March 2023 - 5.66 %
February 2023 - 6.44 %
January 2023 - 6.52 %
December 2022 - 5.72 %
November 2022 - 5.88 %
Trade -
Overall Trade November 2023 (Merchandise + Services) -
Overall Imports - 67.88
Overall Exports - 62.58
Overall Trade Deficit - 5.30Billion USD
Compared to Last Month (October 2023)
Overall Imports - 79.35
Overall Exports - 62.26
Overall Trade Deficit - 17.08 Billion USD
Notably, India's Overall Trade Deficit stood at 21 month low of 1.38 Billion USD, in April 2023.
Notable facts about India’s Trade during Previous Financial Year (FY 23 (2022-23)) -
Exports stood at highest ever USD 770.18 billion during FY 2022-23, growing 13.84 % over FY 2021-22.
Out of this, Merchandise exports stood at USD 447.46 billion & Services exports at USD 322.72 billion, both a new annual record.
US and UAE retained first and second places respectively as India's largest export destinations, during FY 2022-23. Netherlands rose to third place, replacing China.
In terms of overall trade too (exports + imports), US remained India's top partner in 2022-23, with $128.55 Billion Trade (Exports $78.31 billion & imports $50.24 billion).
Dec 16 is observed as Vijay Diwas, commemorating Indian victory over Pakistan in war of 1971.
India fought against Pakistan to help Bangladesh obtain its freedom. It resulted in win for India, along with largest Military Surrender after World War – II, when 93000 Pakistani Soldiers surrendered. On the same day, Bangladesh celebrates its independence.
China operationalized world's deepest and largest subterranean laboratory, known as Deep Underground and Ultra-low Radiation Background Facility for Frontier Physics Experiments (DURF), at depth of 2400 meters below ground, beneath Jinping Mountain in Sichuan's Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture.
It has been jointly built by Tsinghua University and Yalong River Hydropower Development Company Ltd.
It will enable researchers to pursue invisible substance known as dark matter, as cosmic rays here will only be one hundred-millionth of those on earth's surface.
Newly elected Telangana govt (led by CM Anumula Revanth Reddy) launched Maha Lakshmi Scheme, enabling free travel for women and transgender persons in state-run buses. Other notable announcements made by new state govt -
Dividing state into 3 development zones - Hyderabad City covering area inside Outer Ring Road (ORR), Region between ORR and proposed Regional Ring Road (RRR) and Rest of area outside of RRR.
Announced to build new Telangana Bhavan in national capital New Delhi.
UWW (United World Wrestling) Awards 2023 -
Freestyle Wrestler of the Year - Akhmed Tazhudinov (Bahrain)
Greco-Roman Wrestler of the Year - Luis Orta (Cuba)
Women's Wrestler of the Year- Aisuluu Tynybekova (Kyrgyzstan)
Former Indian tennis players Vijay Amritraj and Leander Paes became first Asian (and Indian) players to be inducted into International Tennis Hall of Fame.
1st Khelo India Para Games held in New Delhi, with participation in 7 para disciplines (athletics, shooting, archery, football, badminton, table tennis and weight-lifting).
Ujjwala (a sparrow) was named as mascot for 1st Khelo India Para Games.
Top 3 -
Haryana (40 gold, 39 silver, 26 bronze)
Uttar Pradesh (25 gold, 23 silver, 14 bronze)
Tamil Nadu (20 gold, 8 silver, and 14 bronze).
State Bank of India (SBI) signed €70 million Line of Credit (LoC) agreement with German Development Bank KfW, to support solar projects in India.
Abdel Fattah al-Sisi won Egypt presidential elections 2023, securing his 3rd term.
International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Champions 2023 -
Men's - Novak Djokovic (Serbia). Its his record extending 8th title.
Women's - Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus).
Men's doubles - Joe Salisbury (UK) & Rajeev Ram (US). Its their 2nd title.
Notable points from PM Narendra Modi's visit to Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) & Surat (Gujarat) -
Surat (Gujarat) -
Inaugurated New Integrated Terminal Building of Surat Airport, with annual handling capacity increased to 55 lakh passengers.
Notably, cabinet had recently designated Surat Airport (Gujarat) as an International Airport, aimed at unlocking economic potential of Surat airport, and boost trade.
Inaugurated Surat Diamond Bourse, as World’s largest and modern centre for international diamond and jewellery business.
It is also world's largest office complex, with over 67 lakh square feet floor area.
It will be a global centre for trading of both rough and polished diamonds as well as jewellery.
Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) -
Inaugurated Kashi Tamil Sangamam 2023 (2nd edition).
Inaugurated newly built SwarVed Mahamandir, as world's largest meditation centre. It can accomodate 20000 people at a time for meditation.
Constructed at cost 10903 crores, this section is a crucial link for 1337 km long Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (between Ludhiana in Punjab and Dankuni in West Bengal), which has now been completed.
December 18 is observed by UN as International Migrants Day. 2023 theme is Act Today. It marks adoption of International Convention on Protection of Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, adopted by UN on 18 December, 1990.
On this occasion -
Govt launched Project PRAYAS (Promoting Regular & Assisted Migration for Youth and Skilled Professionals), assisted by International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Development Fund.
It aims at development of a roadmap for improved coordination between Central and State Governments to encourage sharing of best practices on matters related to international migration cycle. The project is a joint collaboration between IOM India and Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA).
Dec 18 is also observed as -
Minorities Rights Day in India.
UN Arabic Language Day.
Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has been named new Emir of Kuwait, after earlier emir Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah passed away.
2023 ACC Under-19 Asia Cup Cricket (UAE) -
Bangladesh won the title (their 1st), defeating UAE in final.
In a move towards eco-friendly maritime transportation, the Barracuda, India’s fastest solar-electric boat, has been launched at Navgathi Panavally Yard in Alappuzha.
It has been jointly developed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders and Navalt.
Dec 19 is observed as Goa, Daman and Diu Liberation Day, which were liberated on December 19 (1961) under operation Vijay, after around 450 years of Portuguese rule.
Actress Dia Mirza has been named PETA India’s 2023 Person of the Year, for her work in saving lives of animals.
Indian Air Force conducted Astra Shakti 2023 exercise at Suryalanka Air Force Station (Andhra Pradesh). During the exercise -
India became first country to demonstrate the ability to engage four targets at once, when indigenously developed Akash medium-range surface-to-air missile system engaged 4 targets with its single firing unit, at range 25 KM.
IAF also successfully tested Surface to Air Missile for Assured Retaliation (SAMAR) air defence missile system.
SAMAR is a twin-turret rail launch platform which can launch two missiles in single or salvo mode, with missiles operating in Mach 2 to 2.5 range.
Finland's International Gender Equality Prize has been awarded to Afghan Women Skills Development Center, which works to promote and protect rights of women in Afghanistan.
The award carries cash prize of EUR 300000.
As per World Bank's latest Migration and Development Brief -
Remittances to low-and middle-income countries slowed to 3.8 % in 2023, after averaging 9 % in 2021 and 2022.
India saw highest amount of remittance inflows in the world in 2023, at USD 125 billion.
Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal released Logistics Ease Across Different State (LEADS) 2023 report (5th edition).
LEADS report classifies states / UTs under Achievers / Fast Movers / Aspirers groups, as per their performance in logistics sector.
States / UTs ranked under Achievers category include -
Coastal - Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu
PM Narendra Modi inaugurated Aatmanirbhar Bharat Centre for Design, at Red Fort.
Set up by Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), the centre aims to pave way for a sustainable cultural economy derived from indigenous crafts of India, by empowering artisan communities with new designs and innovations.
Named as Project Aatman, this centre is housed in a colonial barrack from year 1861, in the Red Fort premises.
PM also inaugurated 1st Indian Art, Architecture & Design Biennale (IAADB) 2023, held at Red Fort (New Delhi).
General News / Events (Dec 11-20, 2023) -
ASEAN-India Millet Festival 2023 held at New Delhi.
Jammu and Kashmir administration framed Jammu and Kashmir Anand Marriage Registration Rules 2023, for registration of marriages under Anand Marriage Act, which provides statutory recognition to marriage rituals of Sikhs.
Revered Tamilian cultural icon Thiruvalluvar's statue has been inaugurated in French town of Cergy.
Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann launched Sarkar, Tuhade Dwaar scheme, to provide doorstep delivery of 43 essential govt services to citizens across state.
International Gita Mahotsav 2023 held in Kurukshetra (Haryana).
Bhutan announced to build an international city in area over 1000 sq km, on its border with India's Assam.
Dec 20 is observed by UN as International Human Solidarity Day.
Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports announced National Sports Awards 2023 (to be presented by president Droupadi Murmu on January 09, 2024) -
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2023 -
Chirag Chandrashekhar Shetty
- Badminton
Rankireddy Satwik Sai Raj
- Badminton
Arjuna Awards -
Name of sportsperson
Discipline
Ojas Pravin Deotale
Archery
Ms Aditi Gopichand Swami
Archery
Sreeshankar M
Athletics
Ms Parul Chaudhary
Athletics
Mohameed Hussamuddin
Boxing
Ms R Vaishali
Chess
Mohammed Shami
Cricket
Anush Agarwalla
Equestrian
Ms Divyakriti Singh
Equestrian Dressage
Ms Diksha Dagar
Golf
Krishan Bahadur Pathak
Hockey
Ms Pukhrambam Sushila Chanu
Hockey
Pawan Kumar
Kabaddi
Ms Ritu Negi
Kabaddi
Ms Nasreen
Kho-Kho
Ms Pinki
Lawn Bowls
Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar
Shooting
Ms Esha Singh
Shooting
Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu
Squash
Ms Ayhika Mukherjee
Table Tennis
Sunil Kumar
Wrestling
Ms Antim
Wrestling
Ms Naorem Roshibina Devi
Wushu
Ms Sheetal Devi
Para Archery
Illuri Ajay Kumar Reddy
Blind Cricket
Ms Prachi Yadav
Para Canoeing
Dronacharya Award (for outstanding coaches) -
Regular -
Name of the Coach
Discipline
Lalit Kumar
Wrestling
R. B. Ramesh
Chess
Mahaveer Prasad Saini
Para Athletics
Shivendra Singh
Hockey
Ganesh Prabhakar Devrukhkar
Mallakhamb
Lifetime -
Name of the Coach
Discipline
Jaskirat Singh Grewal
Golf
Bhaskaran E
Kabaddi
Jayanta Kumar Pushilal
Table Tennis
Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime achievement -
Name of sportsperson
Discipline
Ms Manjusha Kanwar
Badminton
Vineet Kumar Sharma
Hockey
Ms Kavitha Selvaraj
Kabaddi
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy 2023
Guru Nanak Dev University (Amritsar)
Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar 2023 -
Category
Entity awarded for Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar 2023
1.
Identification and nurturing of budding / young talent
Jain Deemed to be University, Bengaluru
2.
Encouragement to sports through Corporate Social Responsibility
Odisha Mining Corporate Limited
Awards at 29th Kolkata International Film Festival 2023 -
Best Film (International) - Israeli film Children of Nobody.
For best film, Royal Bengal Tiger Trophy & 51 lakh rupees were given as award.
Best Director - Venezuela's Carlos Daniel Malave (for One Way).
Best film (Bengali Panorama) - Mon Potongo.
Joint India-Vietnam Army exercise VINBAX-23 held in Hanoi (Vietnam).
Dec 21, 2023 has been observed by UN as first-ever World Basketball Day (to be obseeved annually).
12 projects from China, India and Nepal have been honored at UNESCO Asia-Pacific Prize 2023 for Cultural Heritage Conservation. Awardees from India include -
Award of Excellence: Rambagh Gate (Amritsar)
Award of Distinction: Karnikara Mandapam at Kunnamangalam Bhagavathi Temple (Kerala)
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.
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launched Amplifi 2.0 (Assessment and Monitoring Platform for Liveable, Inclusive and Future-ready urban India) portal, to make raw data from Indian cities available on a single platform. It aims to enable academics, researchers, and stakeholders in data-driven policy making.
Ministry of Textiles launched Paat-Mitro mobile application (developed by Jute Corporation of India), to provide important information about MSP and agronomy to jute farmers.
Winter Session of Parliament 2023 (Dec 4-21, 2023) -
Notable Info disseminated during session -
Share of agriculture in India’s GDP has dropped from 35% in FY1991 (1990-91) to 15% in FY23 (2022-23), due to expansion of industrial and service sector GVAs.
Unclaimed deposits in Indian banks witnessed 28% annual rise during last financial year, reaching 42270 crores by end of FY23 (2022-23).
Public sector banks account for majority of these unclaimed deposits (36185 crores).
Govt announced initiative Mera Gaon, Meri Dharohar, developed in partnership with Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA).
It seeks to explore life, history, and ethos of Indian villages, highlighting their cultural richness.
India has been selected as pioneer lead country for International Maritime Organization (IMO) Green Voyage2050 Project, which aims to assist developing countries in their efforts to reduce Green House Gases (GHG) emissions from ships.
To encourage Spatial Planning by Gram Panchayats, Ministry of Panchayati Raj launched Geographic Information System (GIS) application Gram Manchitra, which facilitates planning at Gram Panchayat level using geo-spatial technology.
India will operationalize a new research station in East Antarctica, named Maitri-II (near existing Indian research base Maitri). It will be operationalized in beginning of 2029.
Govt has been implementing SHREYAS (Scholarships for Higher Education for Young Achievers) scheme, as an umbrella scheme comprising 4 central sector sub- schemes - Top Class Education for SCs, Free Coaching Scheme for SCs and OBCs, National Overseas Scheme for SCs and National Fellowship for SCs.
Rates under the scheme have been revised - 37000 pm for JRF and 42000 pm for SRF.
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment implements Central Sector Scheme namely Scheme for Residential Education for Students in High Schools in Targeted Areas (SHRESHTA) -
It aims to enhance reach of development Intervention of Government, to fill gap in service deficient SCs dominant areas, in the sector of education.
Bills -
19 Bills were passed by Both Houses of Parliament (Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha) -
Advocates (Amendment) Bill 2023 -
Bill amends Advocates Act 1961, which consolidates law related to legal practitioners and constitutes Bar Councils and the All-India Bar. The bill also repeals certain sections related to touts under Legal Practitioners Act 1879.
Key features -
Bill provides that any HC/District/Sessions judge/district magistrate / revenue officer (not below rank of district collector) may frame and publish lists of touts.
Tout refers to a person who Proposes to procure or procures employment of a legal practitioner in a legal business, in return of a payment.
Court / judge may exclude from the premises of the Court any person whose name is included in the list of touts.
Authorities empowered to publish list of touts may order subordinate courts to hold an inquiry into conduct of persons alleged or suspected to be touts.
No person will be included in such lists without getting an opportunity of showing cause against his inclusion.
Any person who acts as a tout while his name is included in the list of touts will be punished with imprisonment up to 3 months and / or a fine up to 500.
Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill 2023 -
It amends Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act 2004, which provides for reservation in jobs and admission in professional institutions to members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and other socially and educationally backward classes.
Key features -
Under the Act, socially and educationally backward classes include people residing in villages declared as socially and educationally backward by UT of Jammu and Kashmir, people residing in areas adjoining Actual Line of Control and International Border, and weak and under-privileged classes (social castes).
Bill substitutes weak and under-privileged classes with other backward classes as declared by UT of Jammu and Kashmir.
Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill 2023 -
It amends Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act 2019, which provides for reorganisation of state of Jammu and Kashmir into UTs of Jammu and Kashmir (with legislature) and Ladakh (without legislature).
Key Features -
2nd Schedule of Representation of the People Act 1950 provides for number of seats in legislative assemblies. 2019 Act amended 2nd Schedule of 1950 Act to specify total number of seats in Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly to be 83. It reserved six seats for Scheduled Castes. No seats were reserved for Scheduled Tribes.
Bill increases total number of seats to 90. It also reserves 7 seats for Scheduled Castes and 9 seats for Scheduled Tribes.
Bill adds that Lieutenant Governor may nominate up to 2 members from Kashmiri migrant community to Legislative Assembly, with 1 nominated member being a woman.
Migrants are defined as persons who migrated from Kashmir Valley or any other part of state of Jammu and Kashmir after November 1, 1989, and are registered with Relief Commissioner.
Migrants also include individuals who have not been registered due to being in government service in any moving office, having left for work, or possessing immovable property at place from where they migrated but are unable to reside there due to disturbed conditions.
Bill adds that Lieutenant Governor may nominate to the Legislative Assembly 1 member representing displaced persons from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Displaced persons refer to individuals who left or were displaced from their place of residence in Pakistani-occupied Jammu and Kashmir and continue to reside outside such place.
Such displacement should have taken place in 1947-48, 1965, or 1971 due to civil disturbances.
Central Universities (Amendment) Bill 2023 -
The Bill amends Central Universities Act 2009, which establishes central universities for teaching and research in various states.
Bill establishes a Central Tribal University in Telangana, to be named Sammakka Sarakka Central Tribal University. It will provide avenues of higher education and research facilities primarily for tribal population of India.
Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Second Amendment) Bill 2023 -
The Bill amends Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act 2019, which provides for reorganisation of state of Jammu and Kashmir into UTs of Jammu and Kashmir (with legislature) and Ladakh (without legislature).
The Bill reserves one-third of all elected seats in Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly for women. This reservation will also apply to seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Assembly.
Reservation will be effective once the census conducted after commencement of this Bill has been published. Based on census, delimitation will be undertaken to reserve seats for women. The reservation will be in place for 15 years. However, it will continue till such date as determined by a law made by Parliament.
Seats reserved for women will be rotated after each delimitation, as determined by a law made by Parliament.
Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill 2023 -
The Bill amends Government of Union Territories Act 1963, which provides for establishing Legislative Assemblies and constitution of Councils of Ministers for certain UTs.
Bill reserves one-third of all elected seats in the Puducherry Legislative Assembly for women. This will also apply to the seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Assembly.
Reservation will be effective once the census conducted after the commencement of this Bill has been published. Based on census, delimitation will be undertaken to reserve seats for women. Reservation will be provided for 15 years. However, it will continue till such date as determined by a law made by Parliament.
Seats reserved for women will be rotated after each delimitation, as determined by a law made by Parliament.
Post Office Bill 2023 -
It repeals Indian Post Office Act 1898.
Bill provides for matters related to the functioning of the Post Office, an undertaking of the central govt (also known as India Post).
Key Features -
Act provides that wherever central govt establishes posts, it will have exclusive privilege of conveying letters by post, as well as incidental services such as receiving, collecting, sending, and delivering letters. The Bill does not contain such privileges.
Bill states that Post Office will have the exclusive privilege of issuing postage stamps, similar to the Act.
Act specifies services provided by Post Office include delivery of postal articles and money orders. Bill provides that Post Office will provide services prescribed by central govt.
Act allows for interception of a shipment being transmitted through post on certain grounds, in case of any public emergency.
Bill provides that interception of a shipment may be carried out on grounds of security, friendly relations with foreign states, public order/ emergency and contravention of provisions of the Bill or any other law.
The Act, as well as the Bill, provides for the appointment of the Director General of Postal Services.
Under the Act, DG can decide time and manner of delivery of postal services, and Govt can notify charges for postal services.
Bill enhances DG's rights by stating thet he/she may make regulations regarding any activity necessary to provide postal services, make regulations to specify charges & may also make regulations on supply and sale of postage stamps and postal stationery.
Under the Act, a designated officer may examine a shipment if he suspects that it contains goods which are prohibited, or are liable to be paid duty upon.
Officer must invite addressee to attend the examination. DG may direct the presence of two witnesses in the absence of the addressee.
Bill removes the powers of examination. It instead provides that in such cases, govt may empower an officer to deliver the shipment to the customs / any other specified authority, who will then deal with the item in question.
Act specifies various offences and penalties. Bill does not provide for any offences or consequences, except one. Amounts not paid or neglected by a user will be recoverable as arrears of land revenue.
Act exempts govt from any liability related to loss, mis delivery, delay or damage to a postal article. Officers are also exempt from such liability unless they have acted fraudulently or wilfully.
Bill retains these provisions. However, it provides that instead of central govt, the Post Office may prescribe the liability regarding its services.
National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill 2023 -
Bill amends National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second Act 2011, which protects unauthorised development and encroachment by specified persons in UT of Delhi from punitive action.
These include slum dwellers, hawkers, unauthorised colonies, schools, religious and cultural institutions, and agricultural godowns.
It requires central govt to take certain measures to address these issues. These include: (i) finalising norms, policy guidelines, and strategies, and (ii) making orderly arrangements for relocation and rehabilitation.
Act was initially valid until December 31, 2014, with subsequent amendments extending it until December 31, 2023. The Bill further extends the validity until December 31, 2026.
Central Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Bill 2023 -
It amends Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) Act 2017, which provides for levy and collection of CGST on the intra-state supply of goods and services.
Act allows central govt to set up an Appellate Tribunal on recommendation of GST Council.
The Tribunal comprises President, a judicial member, and two technical members.
Persons eligible to be appointed as judicial member are: (i) judge of High Court, or (ii) district judge or additional district judge having served for at least 10 years.
Bill allows advocates with at least 10 years of experience to be appointed as the judicial member, with substantial experience in matters relating to indirect taxation.
Minimum age to be appointed as a member or president of the Tribunal will be 50 years.
Bill increases the age limit: (i) for the president of the Tribunal from 67 to 70 years, and (ii) for members from 65 to 67 years.
Provisional Collection of Taxes Bill 2023 -
Bill repeals Provisional Collection of Taxes Act 1931, which provides for interim imposition or increase of customs or excise duty. The Bill retains all the provisions under the Act, including Interim collection of taxes & Refund of taxes and duties in certain cases.
Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita 2023 -
The Bill will replace Indian Penal Code 1860.
Key Changes include -
Offences against the body: The IPC criminalises acts such as murder, abetment of suicide, assault and causing grievous hurt. The BNS2 retains these provisions. It adds new offences such as organised crime, terrorism, and murder or grievous hurt by a group on certain grounds.
Sexual offences against women: The IPC criminalises acts such as rape, voyeurism, stalking and insulting the modesty of a woman. The BNS2 retains these provisions. It increases threshold for victim to be classified as a major, in the case of gangrape, from 16 to 18 years of age. It also criminalises sexual intercourse with a woman by deceitful means or making false promises.
Sedition: The BNS2 removes the offence of sedition. It instead penalises the following: (i) exciting or attempting to excite secession, armed rebellion, or subversive activities, (ii) encouraging feelings of separatist activities, or (iii) endangering the sovereignty or unity and integrity of India. These offences may involve exchange of words or signs, electronic communication, or use of financial means.
Terrorism: Terrorism includes an act that intends to: (i) threaten the unity, integrity, security or economic security of the country, or (ii) strike terror in the people or any section of people in India. Punishment for attempting or committing terrorism includes: (i) death or life imprisonment, and a fine, if it results in death of a person, or (ii) imprisonment between five years and life, and a fine.
Organised crime: Organised crime includes offences such as kidnapping, extortion, contract killing, land grabbing, financial scams, and cybercrime carried out on behalf of a crime syndicate. Attempting or committing organised crime will be punishable with: (i) death or life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10 lakh, if it results in death of a person, or (ii) imprisonment between five years and life, and a fine of at least five lakh rupees.
Mob lynching: The BNS2 adds murder or grievous hurt by five or more people on specified grounds, as an offence. These grounds include race, caste, sex, language, or personal belief. The punishment for such murder is life imprisonment or death.
Rulings of the Supreme Court: The BNS2 conforms to some decisions of the Supreme Court. These include omitting adultery as an offence and adding life imprisonment as one of the penalties (in addition to the death penalty) for murder or attempt to murder by a life convict.
The Bill also exemps Doctors from criminal prosecution in alleged medical negligence cases when a patient dies during medical proceedings.
It seeks to replace Criminal Procedure Code 1973 (CrPC), which provides for procedure for arrest, prosecution, and bail.
Key features of CrPC include -
CrPC classifies offences into two categories: cognisable and non-cognisable. Cognisable offences are those in which the police can arrest and initiate an investigation without a warrant. Non-cognisable offences require a warrant, and in some cases, a complaint by the victim or a third party.
CrPC deals with various types of criminal offences, ranging from traffic violations to murder. It distinguishes between bailable and non-bailable offences, specifying the offences for which an accused has the right to bail from police custody.
Key changes included in new Bill -
Detention of undertrials: As per CrPC, if an accused has spent half of maximum period of imprisonment in detention, he must be released on personal bond. This does not apply to offences punishable by death. BNSS2 adds that this provision will also not apply to: (i) offences punishable by life imprisonment, and (ii) persons against whom proceedings are pending in more than one offence.
Medical examination: CrPC allows medical examination of accused in certain cases, including rape cases. Such examination is done by a registered medical practitioner on the request of at least a sub-inspector level police officer. BNSS2 provides that any police officer can request such an examination.
Forensic investigation: BNSS2 mandates forensic investigation for offences punishable with at least 7 years of imprisonment. In such cases, forensic experts will visit crime scenes to collect forensic evidence and record the process.
Signatures and finger impressions: CrPC empowers a Magistrate to order any person to provide specimen signatures or handwriting. BNSS2 expands this to include finger impressions and voice samples. It allows these samples to be collected from a person who has not been arrested.
Timelines for procedures: BNSS2 prescribes timelines for various procedures.
For instance, it requires medical practitioners who examine rape victims to submit their reports to the investigating officer within seven days.
Other specified timelines include: (i) giving judgement within 30 days of completion of arguments (extendable up to 45 days), (ii) informing the victim of progress of investigation within 90 days, and (iii) framing of charges by a sessions court within 60 days from the first hearing on such charges.
Hierarchy of Courts: CrPC establishes a hierarchy of courts for adjudication of criminal matters in India.
These courts include: (i) Magistrate’s Courts: subordinate courts responsible for the trial of most criminal cases, (ii) Sessions Courts: presided over by a Sessions Judge and hear appeals from Magistrate’s Courts, (iii) High Courts: have inherent jurisdiction to hear and decide criminal cases and appeals, and (iv) Supreme Court: hear appeals from High Courts and also exercise its original jurisdiction in certain matters.
CrPC empowers state governments to notify any city or town with a population of more than one million as a metropolitan area. Such areas have Metropolitan Magistrates. BNSS2 removes the classification of metropolitan areas and Metropolitan Magistrates.
Notably, the Bill may also expand powers of the police, related to detention, police custody and use of handcuffs.
Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill 2023 -
It seeks to replace Indian Evidence Act 1872 (IEA). It retains most provisions of the IEA including those on confessions, relevancy of facts, and burden of proof.
Bill retains most of the provisions of the IEA, including -
Admissible evidence: Parties involved in a legal proceeding can only present admissible evidence. Admissible evidence can be classified as either ‘facts in issue’ or ‘relevant facts’. Facts in issue refer to any fact that determines the existence, nature, or extent of any right, liability, or disability claimed or denied in a legal proceeding. Relevant facts are facts that are pertinent to a given case. The IEA provides for two kinds of evidence – documentary and oral evidence.
A proved fact: A fact is considered proven when, based on the evidence presented, the Court believes it to either: (i) exist, or (ii) its existence so likely that a prudent man should act as if it exists in circumstances of the case
Police confessions: Any confession made to a police officer is inadmissible. Confessions made in police custody are also inadmissible, unless recorded by a Magistrate. However, if a fact is discovered as a result of information received from an accused in custody, that information may be admitted if it distinctly relates to the fact discovered.
Key changes proposed in Bill include -
Documentary evidence: Under IEA, a document includes writings, maps, and caricatures. BSB2 adds that electronic records will also be considered as documents. Documentary evidence includes primary and secondary evidence.
Primary evidence includes the original document and its parts, such as electronic records and video recordings. Secondary evidence contains documents and oral accounts that can prove the contents of the original. The BSB2 retains this classification.
Oral evidence: Under IEA, oral evidence includes statements made before Courts by witnesses in relation to a fact under inquiry. BSB2 allows oral evidence to be given electronically. This would permit witnesses, accused persons, and victims to testify through electronic means.
Admissibility of electronic or digital records as evidence: Documentary evidence includes information in electronic records that have been printed or stored in optical or magnetic media produced by a computer.
BSB2 provides that electronic or digital records will have the same legal effect as paper records. This will also include records on emails, server logs, smartphones, locational evidence and voice mails.
Secondary evidence: BSB2 expands secondary evidence to include: (i) oral and written admissions, and (ii) the testimony of a person who has examined the document and is skilled to examine the documents.
Joint trials: A joint trial refers to the trial of more than one person for the same offence. IEA states that in a joint trial, if a confession made by one of the accused which also affects other accused is proven, it will be treated as a confession against both. BSB2 adds an explanation to this provision. It states that a trial of multiple persons, where an accused has absconded or has not responded to an arrest warrant, will be treated as a joint trial.
Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill 2023 -
It repeals Election Commission (Conditions of Service of Election Commissioners and Transaction of Business) Act 1991.
Key F;eatures -
As per Article 324 of the Constitution, the Election Commission consists of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and such number of other Election Commissioners (ECs), as the President may decide. CEC and other ECs are appointed by the President.
Bill specifies same composition of Election Commission, and adds that CEC and other ECs will be appointed by President on recommendation of a Selection Committee.
Selection Committee will consist of Prime Minister as Chairperson, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha as member, and a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by Prime Minister as member.
A Search Committee will prepare a panel of 5 persons for consideration of Selection Committee.
Search Committee will be headed by Cabinet Secretary. It will have two other members, not below the rank of Secretary to central government.
Persons who are holding or have held posts equivalent to rank of Secretary to central government will be eligible to be appointed as CEC and ECs.
Act provides that salary of ECs will be equal to that of a Supreme Court judge.
Bill provides that salary, allowance, and service conditions of the CEC and other ECs will be the same as that of Cabinet Secretary.
Act mandates that CEC and other ECs will hold office for a term of 6 years or until they reach age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. If an EC is appointed as the CEC, his total term cannot exceed six years.
Bill retains the same tenure. Further, under the Bill, the CEC and other ECs will not be eligible for re-appointment.
Under Article 324 of Constitution, the CEC can only be removed from his office in a manner similar to that of a Supreme Court judge.
This is done through an order of the President, based on a motion passed by both Houses of Parliament in same session. The motion for removal must be adopted with majority support of total membership of each House, and at least two-thirds support from members present and voting.
An EC can only be removed from office on recommendation of the CEC.
The Bill retains this removal procedure.
1991 Act provides that CEC and other ECs may submit their resignation to the President. The Bill has the same provision.
Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill 2023 -
It repeals Press and Registration of Books Act 1867.
Key Features -
Act provides for registration of newspapers, periodicals, and books, along with cataloguing of books.
Bill provides for registration of periodicals, which include any publication containing public news or comments on public news. Periodicals do not include books or scientific and academic journals.
Act provides that a declaration specifying printer/ publisher be made to District Magistrate. DM sends it to Press Registrar, who then issues certificate of registration. Such declaration and authentication by DM is necessary for publication of newspaper.
Bill allows publisher of a periodical to obtain a registration certificate by filing an online application with Press Registrar General and specified local authority.
Any person convicted of a terrorist act or unlawful activity, will not be allowed to publish a periodical.
An exact reproduction of a foreign periodical may be printed in India only with prior approval of govt.
Act provides for govt to appoint a Press Registrar who maintains a register of newspapers.
Bill provides for Press Registrar General of India who will issue registration certificates for all periodicals. Press Registrar General will also maintain a register of periodicals, make guidelines for admissibility of title of periodicals, verify circulation figures of prescribed periodicals, and revise/ cancel registration.
Act requires a printing press to be declared before DM.
Bill allows for information regarding printing presses to be submitted to Press Registrar General through an online portal.
Bill allows Press Registrar General to suspend a periodical’s registration for minimum 30 days (extendable to 180 days).
Registration may be suspended due to registration obtained by furnishing false information, failure to publish periodicals continuously and giving false particulars in annual statements.
Bill empowers Press Registrar General to impose penalties for publishing periodicals without registration (up to 5 lakh), failing to furnish annual statement within specified time (up to 20000 on first default).
Any person may appeal against refusal to issue a registration certificate, suspension/ cancellation of registration, or imposition of penalty. Such appeals may be filed before Press and Registration Appellate Board within 60 days.
The Telecommunications Bill 2023 -
The Bill seeks to replace Indian Telegraph Act 1885 and Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act 1933. Key features of the Bill include -
Authorisation for telecom-related activities: Prior authorisation from central government will be required to: (i) provide telecommunication services, (ii) establish, operate, maintain, or expand telecommunications networks, or (iii) possess radio equipment. Existing licences will continue to be valid for the period of their grant, or for five years, where the period is not specified.
Assignment of spectrum: Spectrum will be assigned by auction, except for specified uses, where it will be allocated on an administrative basis. Specified purposes include: (i) national security and defence, (ii) disaster management, (iii) weather forecasting, (iv) transport, (v) satellite services such as DTH and satellite telephony, and (vi) BSNL, MTNL, and public broadcasting services. Govt may re-purpose or re-assign any frequency range, and may permit sharing, trading, leasing, and surrender of spectrum.
Powers of interception and search: Messages or a class of messages between two or more persons may be intercepted, monitored, or blocked on certain grounds.
Such actions must be necessary or expedient in the interest of public safety or public emergency, and must be in the interest of specified grounds which include: (i) security of the state, (ii) prevention of incitement of offences, or (iii) public order.
These actions will be subject to procedure, safeguards, and duration as may be prescribed.
Telecom services may be suspended on similar grounds.
Govt may take temporary possession of any telecom infrastructure, network, or services on occurrence of any public emergency or public safety.
An officer authorised by government may search premises or vehicles for possession of unauthorised telecom network or equipment.
Protection of users: Govt may provide for measures to protect users which include: (i) prior consent to receive specified messages such as advertising messages, (ii) creation of Do Not Disturb registers, and (iii) a mechanism to allow users to report malware or specified messages. Entities providing telecom services must establish an online mechanism for registration and redressal of grievances.
Right of way: Entities laying telecommunication infrastructure may seek right of way over public or private property. Right of way must be provided on a non-discriminatory and non-exclusive basis to the extent possible.
Appointments to TRAI: Bill amends TRAI Act to also allow individuals with: (i) at least 30 years of professional experience to serve as the Chairperson, and (ii) at least 25 years of professional experience to serve as members.
Digital Bharat Nidhi: Universal Service Obligation Fund has been established under Indian Telegraph Act 1885 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 in telecom.
Offences and penalties: Bill specifies various criminal and civil offences.
Providing telecom services without authorisation, or gaining unauthorised access to a telecom network or data, are punishable with imprisonment up to three years, a fine up to two crore rupees, or both.
Breaching terms and conditions of authorisation is punishable with a civil penalty of up to five crore rupees.
Possessing unauthorised equipment, or using unauthorised network or service, is punishable with a penalty of up to ten lakh rupees.
Adjudication process: Govt will appoint an adjudicating officer to conduct inquiries and pass orders against civil offences under the Bill.
The officer must be of the rank of joint secretary and above.
Orders of adjudicating officer may be appealed before the Designated Appeals Committee within 30 days.
Members of Committee will be officers of the rank of at least Additional Secretary.
Appeals against the orders of the Committee, in connection to breach of terms and conditions, may be filed with TDSAT within 30 days.
Dec 22 is observed as National Mathematics Day in India, to commemorate birth anniversary of Legendary Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan.
He contributed greatly to mathematics and is also known for Hardy-Ramanujan number- ‘1729’, which is smallest number which can be represented as sum of two different cubes in two different ways.
On this occasion, SASTRA Ramanujan Awards for 2022 and 2023 were conferred upon mathematicians Yunqing Tang (2022) & Ruixiang Zhang (2023), at SASTRA University in Kumbakonam.
Both awardees are affiliated with University of California.
The awards, instituted by SASTRA in 2005, honor individuals under the age of 32 who have made remarkable contributions to mathematics. The award carries USD 10000.
Drita Ziri (Albania) won Miss Earth 2023 global beauty pageant, hosted in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam).
India was represented by Priyan Sain (Miss Earth India 2023).
World Bank approved $300 million loan for India, for Tamil Nadu Climate Resilient Urban Development Program.
It will help 21 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in Tamil Nadu, to update their delivery systems and provide quality and efficient water supply and sewerage services to consumers.
World Bank approved 100 Million USD Loan for India, for Integrated Service Provision and Innovation for Reviving Economies (INSPIRES) project in Sikkim.
It aims to train, upskill, and provide jobs for over 3 lakh women and youth in Sikkim, in high-growth and priority sectors.
As per data based on RBI's Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium (DSGE) model
-
India's GDP growth for FY24 (2023-24) will be 7.1%, followed by a relatively slower and uneven expansion of 6% during FY25 (2024-25).
It predicts annual retail inflation to ease to 4.8% in FY25 (2024-25), from 5.3% in FY24 (2023-24).
VinFuture Prize 2023 Awardees -
The VinFuture Grand Prize
Martin Green
Australia
for revolutionary innovations that contribute to establishing a sustainable foundation for green energy by utilizing solar cells for production and Lithium-ion batteries for storage.
M. Stanley Whittingham
USA
Rachid Yazami
Morocco
Akira Yoshino
Japan
Female Innovator
Susan Solomon
USA
for uncovering the mechanism of ozone depletion in Antarctica, which played a key role in development of the Montreal Protocol
Developing Country Innovator
Gurdev Khush
USA
for their noteworthy efforts in developing and promoting disease-resistant rice varieties, such as IR36 and IR64, thereby safeguarding global food security.
Võ Tòng Xuân
Vietnam
Outstanding Achievements in Emerging Fields
Daniel J. Drucker
Canada
for identifying the function of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), leading to the development of widely utilized treatments for diabetes and obesity, and fostering new applications for addressing neurodegenerative diseases.
Joel Habener
USA
Svetlana Mojsov
Jens Juul Holst
Denmark
VinFuture Prize (established in 2021) honors remarkable scientific breakthroughs and promotes innovations for mankind. It is first influential and worldwide prize to be founded in Vietnam, hosted by VinFuture Foundation.
VinFuture Grand Prize carries approx 3 million USD Prize, and three additional prizes carry 500000 USD each.
Dec 23 is observed as National Farmers Day in India, to commemorate birth anniversary of 5th Prime Minister of India, Choudhary Charan Singh.
He was a farmer’s leader and introduced many policies to improve lives of farmers. The day is observed since 2001.
Sahitya Akademi announced annual Sahitya Akademi Awards in 24 languages. Awardees include -
Pranavjyoti Deka (Assamese), Nandeswar Daimari (Bodo), Prakash S. Parienkar (Konkani), Taraceen Baskey (Turia Chand Baskey) (Santali) and T. Patanjali Sastry (Telugu)
Essays
Lakshmisha Tolpadi (Kannada), Basukinath Jha (Maithili) and Judhabir Rana (Nepali)
Literary Study
E.V. Ramakrishnan (Malayalam)
Award carries 1 Lakh Cash prize.
Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk honored India's Poonam Khetrapal Singh (Regional Director WHO South-East Asia) with Bhutan’s National Order of Merit Gold Medal, for her distinguished services to Bhutan.
India's Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has been honored with Leif Erikson Lunar Prize by Husavik Museum, for ISRO's successful Chandrayaan-3 mission.
Leif Erikson Awards are awarded annually by Exploration Museum in Húsavík (Iceland), for achievements in exploration.
Poet-critic Sukrita Paul Kumar has been honored by Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize 2023 (6th edition) for her book Salt & Pepper: Selected Poems.
It is a literary honour in India conferred annually to published works of Indian authors in novel, short stories, poetry and drama, originally written in any of Indian official languages and dialects, but translated to English.
It was founded in 2018 by US-based independent and non-profit publishing house Maitreya Publishing Foundation. Winners receive USD 5000 as prize money.
Also Notably, TagorePrize for Social Achievement 2023 was awarded to Abhijit Banerjee (noted Indian American economist and Nobel laureate for Economics)
.
Dec 24 is observed as National Consumer Day in India. Consumer Protection Act 1986 was enacted on 24th December, 1986.
Ferrycraft Manjula has been delivered to Indian Navy, built by Shalimar Works Ltd (Kolkata).
Contract for construction and delivery of 07 x 250 Men Ferry Craft was signed with Shalimar Works Ltd. Manjula is 7th (last) Ferrycraft to be delivered under the project.
International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) formed and Expert Committee on Transition Finance, to recommend a regulatory framework for transition finance instruments and measures to promote transition finance through GIFT IFSC. It will be chaired by Dhruba Purkayastha (India Director for Climate Policy Initiative).
Transition finance means providing financial services to high-carbon-emitting industries to help them transition to decarbonization.
FIH Hockey Star Awards 2023 -
Men's Player of the year - Hardik Singh (India)
Women's Player of the Year - Xan de Waard (The Netherlands)
Men's Goalkeeper of the Year - Pirmin Blaak (The Netherlands)
Women's Goalkeeper of the Year - Savita (India)
Dec 25 - Birth Anniversary of Former PM and Bharat Ratna awardee Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. It is observed as Good Governance Day in India, since 2014.
On this occasion, Union Minister Jitendra Singh launched -
Extended Version of Mission Karmayogi, which integrates 3 new features on iGOT Karmayogi platform - My iGOT, Blended Programs and Curated Programs.
Launched jointly by Karmayogi Bharat & NITI Aayog, 6 SAMARTH Curated Training Programs on iGOT Karmayogi Platform for State Government officials include SAMARTH Blocks, SAMARTH Zila, SAMARTH Rajya, SAMARTH Rajya Sachiva, SAMARTH Policy & SAMARTH Procurement.
A new blended learning programme named VIKAS (Variable & Immersive Karmayogi Advanced Support), meant for capacity building of Middle management civil servants in Central Secretariat.
Dec 25 is also Birth anniversary of Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, noted educationist and independence activist.
On this occaison -
PM Narendra Modi released first series of 11 volumes of Collected Works of Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya.
As per Forbes' World's Highest-Paid Female Athletes 2023 -
Indian badminton player PV Sindhu is only Indian player in List, with 7.1 million USD earnings. She has been ranked 16th (Jointly with American gymnast Simone Biles).
Top 5 -
Polish Tennis Player Iga Świątek (23.9 Million USD)
Chinese Freestyle Skier Eileen Gu (22.1 Million USD)
American Tennis Player Coco Gauff (21.7 Million USD)
British Tennis Player Emma Raducanu (15.2 Million USD)
Japanese Tennis Player Naomi Osaka(15 Million USD)
MSME Minister Narayan Rane launched 3 sub-schemes under RAMP (Raising And Accelerating MSME Productivity) programme -
MSME Green Investment and Financing for Transformation Scheme (MSE GIFT Scheme) - Aims to help MSMEs adopt green technology with interest subvention and credit guarantee support.
MSE Scheme for Promotion and Investment in Circular Economy (MSE SPICE Scheme) - Aims to support circular economy projects to be done through credit subsidy, to help MSME sector reach zero emissions by 2070.
MSE Scheme on Online Dispute Resolution for Delayed Payments - Aims to synergise legal support with modern IT / AI tools, to address incidences of delayed payments for MSMEs.
Also -
Zero Defect Zero Effect (ZED) Scheme has now been made completely free for women led MSMEs.
Ministry exchanged MoUs with implementing agencies SIDBI (for MSME GIFT and MSME SPICE schemes) and with National Informatics Centre Services Inc. (for MSE ODR scheme).
Book Breaking the Mould: Reimagining India’s Economic Future, authored by Former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan & economist Rohit Lamba, has been released.
United Nations declared 2024 as International Year of Camelids, to build awareness of untapped potential of camelids. It was proposed by Bolivia.
Camelids are members of biological family Camelidae, the only currently living family in the suborder Tylopoda. The seven extant members of this group are - dromedary camels, Bactrian camels, wild Bactrian camels, llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, and guanacos.
Notably, 2023 was observed by UN as International Year of Millets (Proposed by India).
Dec 26 is marked as Veer Bal Diwas, to mark martyrdom of sons of Sri Guru Gobind Singh - Sahibzadas Baba Zorawar Singh Ji and Baba Fateh Singh Ji. It was marked by Govt in Jan 2022.
On Dec 26 in 1704, Guru Gobind Singh's two sons Sahibzada Fateh Singh and Zorawar Singh Ji, were bricked alive in wall by Mughal Governor Wazir Khan, under rule of Cruel Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. They were killed after refusing a safe passage on converting to Islam.
Later, Wazir Khan was beheaded by a Sikh Khalsa warrior named Fateh Singh, during Battle of Chappar Chiri, in May 1710.
Indian Navy’s third indigenous stealth destroyer of Project 15B class, Named Imphal, has been commissioned into Indian Navy service.
Contract for four ships of Project 15B was signed with Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders in 2011, as a follow-on of Kolkata class (Project 15A) destroyers.
3 ships have been commissioned into Indian Navy under Project 15B - Visakhapatnam, Mormugao & Now Imphal.
Another ship Surat has also been launched. It will be commissioned into Indian Navy in 2024.
SEBI Approved appointment of Pramod Agrawal as Chairman of Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).
IRDAI announced to launch Bima Vistaar as first of its kind all-in-one affordable insurance product for life, health, and property cover.
It is set to be rolled out in 1st quarter of FY25 (2024-25).
RBI Approved appointment of C S Rajan as part-time Chairman of Kotak Mahindra Bank, for 2 years (Jan 01, 2024 onwards).
Dec 27 is observed by UN as International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, observed since 2020.
Indian tennis player Debasis Sahoo has been honoured with 31st Ekalabya Puraskar for 2023, conferred by IMFA's charitable wing IMPaCT. Award includes cash prize of 5 lakh.
Book The Babri Masjid Ram Mandir Dilemma: An Acid Test for India’s Constitution, authored by Madhav Godbole has been released.
Central African oil-producing Nation Angola exited from Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), after similar exits from OPEC by Ecuador in 2020 and Qatar in 2019.
Cabinet Approvals (Dec 27, 2023) -
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA Approvals -
Approved Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for copra for 2024 season.
MSP for Fair Average Quality of milling copra has been fixed at 11160 per quintal and for ball copra at 12000 per quintal for 2024 season.
This will ensure a margin of 51.84 % for milling copra and 63.26 % for ball copra.
Approved Construction of 4556 m long, 6-Lane High Level/ Extra Dosed Cable stayed Bridge across River Ganga and its approaches on both sides in Districts of Patna and Saran (NH-139W) in Bihar, at cost 3064 crores.
Approved Improvement & Widening to two lane with paved shoulder of road covering 135 kms, in Tripura (on NH-208).
Project involves investment of 2487 crores, which includes a loan component of 1512 crores, from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) under its Official Development Assistance (ODA) scheme.
General
Approved proposal to open of a Consulate General of India in Auckland (New Zealand).
MOUs -
Malaysia - To strengthen cooperation in field of broadcasting, exchange of news, and audio-visual programmes.
Approved proposal of Ministry of External Affairs to sign and ratify Migration and Mobility Agreement between India and Italy.
It will enhance people-to-people contacts, foster mobility of students, skilled workers, young professionals and strengthen cooperation on issues related to irregular migration.
As per RBI Financial Stability Report December 2023 (Released twice a year) -
Indian economy and domestic financial system remain resilient despite global economy facing multiple challenges.
Capital to risk-weighted assets ratio (CRAR) and common equity tier 1 (CET1) ratio of scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) stood at 16.8 % and 13.7 % respectively, in September 2023.
SCBs’ gross non-performing assets (GNPA) ratio continued to decline to a multi-year low of 3.2 % and net non-performing assets (NNPA) ratio to 0.8 %, in September 2023.
Resilience of non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) sector improved with CRAR at 27.6 %, GNPA ratio at 4.6 % and return on assets (RoA) at 2.9 % respectively, in September 2023.
In 2022-23, consolidated balance sheet of scheduled commercial banks (SCBs), grew in double digits at 12.2%.
RBI released 2023 list of Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs), which includes SBI, HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank.
While ICICI Bank continues to be in same bucketing structure as last year, SBI and HDFC Bank move to higher buckets - SBI shifts from bucket 3 to bucket 4 and HDFC Bank from bucket 1 to 2.
Govt announced interest hike on small savings scheme Sukanya Samriddhi (SSY), which will now yield 8.2% (up from previous 8%).
Also, 3-year term deposits will now yield 7.1% (up from 7%).
All other small saving schemes will carry unchanged interest rate -
Public Provident Fund (PPF) - 7.1 %
Kisan Vikas Patra - 7.5%
National Savings Certificate - 7.7%
Senior Citizens Savings Scheme - 8.2%
Term Time 1 year - 6.9%
Term Deposit 2 year - 7%
Term Deposit 2 year - 7.5%
Nina Singh has been named Director General of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), becoming first woman to hold the post.
Also, Rahul Rasgotra has been named Director General of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav launched National Transit Pass System (NTPS) pan-India, to facilitate seamless transit of timber, bamboo, and other forest produce across country.
NTPS is envisioned as a One Nation-One Pass regime, to enable seamless transit across country by replacing permits based on state specific transit rules.
This will streamline issuance of timber transit permits by providing a unified, online mode for tree growers and farmers involved in agroforestry across country.
As per World Economic League Table by Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) -
India will become third-largest economy by 2032, outpacing Japan and Germany with robust growth averaging 6.5 %.
India will become largest economy by 2100, becoming 90 % larger than China and 30 % larger than US.
Israel govt approved $3.2 billion grant for Intel, to set up a $25 billion chip plant in southern Israel, as largest investment ever by a company in Israel.
Notably, it came amidst israel's war with islamic militant group Hamas, ignited after Hamas' massacre of over 1500 innocent Israelis.
World Health Organization (WHO) included noma (cancrum oris or gangrenous stomatitis) in its official list of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).
Noma, a severe gangrenous disease of the mouth and face, primarily affects malnourished young children (between ages 2-6 years) in regions of extreme poverty.
NTDs are a diverse group of conditions caused by a variety of pathogens and associated with devastating health, social and economic consequences.
Argentina govt, led by newly elected president Javier Milei, withdrew its application to join BRICS Bloc of Nations.
BRICS was formed in 2009, with founding members Brazil, Russia, India, China & South Africa.
Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and UAE were later invited to join the bloc, whose Full membership will take effect on 1 January 2024. However, Argentina has now withdrew its membership, and Saudi Arabia is also not yet formalised to be a BRICS member.
New Zuari Bridge (commonly known as Manohar Setu) became fully operational, as country’s second longest cable-stayed Bridge with length 640 metres. It conects North and South Goa, and will help ease traffic woes in Goa. Notably -
Phase 1 of Zuari Bridge was inaugurated by Road and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari in Dec 2022.
Longest cable-stayed Bridge in India is Vidyasagar Setu, over Hooghly River in West Bengal, linking cities of Kolkata and Howrah.
The 3rd Narmada Bridge in Bharuch (Gujarat) (opened in 2017) is longer than Vidyasagar Setu, but it's an extradosed bridge, not a cable-stayed bridge.
Notable Points from PM Narendra Modi's visit to Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh) -
Inaugurated newly built Ayodhya Airport (named Maharishi Valmiki International Airport), developed at cost over 1450 crores. It can handle upto 10 lakh passengers annually.
Inaugurated Phase I of redeveloped Ayodhya Dham Railway Station, equipped with several modern features.
Flagged off a new category of superfast passenger trains in country - Amrit Bharat Express.
Amrit Bharat train is an LHB push pull train with non air-conditioned coaches. It provides improved facilities for rail passengers.
2 Amrit Bharat Trains have been flaged off initially - Darbhanga-Ayodhya-Anand Vihar Terminal, and Malda Town-Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminus (Bengaluru).
PM also flagged off 6 new Vande Bharat Trains.
J& K Administration amended Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act 1989, to incorporate definition of OBCs in the Act for ensuring their reservation in this grassroots democratic institution.
Telangana govt launched Praja Palana programme, as a 10-day public outreach programme of newly elected Congress government, for taking governance to doorsteps of citizens.
Uttar Pradesh govt announced to build India’s first AI city in state capital Lucknow, to promote AI (Artificial Intelligence) ecosystem.
China launched its first ocean drilling vessel named Mengxiang, designed to delve into Earth's crust and explore the mantle.
It aims to be first drilling ship to reach Earth’s mantle, after piercing through Earth’s crust.
Loans approved by ADB (Asian Development Bank) for India in Dec 2023 -
$200 million - to improve quality, efficiency, and reliability of power supply in Uttarakhand.
$200 million - As additional financing for Uttarakhand Integrated and Resilient Urban Development Project, to further expand access to reliable water supply and upgrade sanitation facilities in Uttarakhand.
$250 million - To develop industrial corridors in India to increase competitiveness of the manufacturing sector, strengthen national supply chains and links with regional / global value chains.
$200 million - To improve solid waste management and sanitation in Indian cities. It will support India’s Swachh Bharat (Clean India) Mission–Urban 2.0, which commits all cities to be garbage free by 2026.
$98 million - To improve horticulture crop farmers’ access to certified disease-free planting materials, which will boost their crops’ yield, quality, and resilience to climate impacts.
$100 million - To improve urban services and tourism facilities in Tripura.
$175 million - To improve connectivity and resilience of roads in Madhya Pradesh.
$250 million - To continue financing construction of 82-kilometre Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor, to help ease traffic congestion in NCR region.
Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) partnered to establish Leading Asia's Private Infrastructure Fund 2 (LEAP 2), with capital of up to $1.5 billion, to be provided by JICA. It aims to cofinance high-quality, resilient, and sustainable infrastructure projects in Asia and the Pacific.
Visits to India (Dec 2023) -
Sultan Haitham bin Tarik - Head of State of Sultanate of Oman.
MOUs Signed -
Culture, Information Technology.
Agreement concerning Gainful Employment of Accompanying Persons of Official Employees.
Cooperation in exchange of intelligence related to money laundering, associated predicate offences and terrorism financing.
Establishment of ICCR Chair of Indian Studies- Hindi Language.
Albert Ramdin - Foreign Minister of Suriname.
Vincent Biruta - Foreign Minister of Rwanda.
Olushegun Adjadi Bakari - Foreign Minister of Benin.
William Samoei Ruto - President of Kenya.
India announced to provide a line of credit of USD 250 million to Kenya for modernizing its agricutural sector.
MOUs -
Cooperation on digital solutions at a population scale.
Cooperation in field of standardization, expertise sharing, and mutual trade between Bureau of Indian Standards and the Bureau of Kenya Standards.
Visits from India (Dec 2023) -
Raksha Rajya Mantri Ajay Bhatt visited Ghana, to attend 2023 United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting, in Accra.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Russia. During the visit -
Three documents relating to Kudan Kulam Nuclear Power Plants, and an MoU on cooperation in pharmaceuticals and healthcare and a Protocol on Foreign Office Consultations were signed.
Situated in Kudankulam in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu, Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant is largest nuclear power station in India. It is scheduled to have six VVER-1000 reactors built in collaboration with Russia's Atomstroyexport and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), with an installed capacity of 6000 MW.
Phase 1 of the project (comprising 2 units of 1000 MW Each) is operational since 2016. Phase 2 & 3 are under construction (targeted to be completed by 2027).
Another Phase (Phase IV) comprising of 2 units of 1200 MW each has been proposed.
Govt constituted 16th Finance Commission, in pursuance to Article 280(1) of the Constitution.
It will be chaired by Arvind Panagariya (former NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman), while Ritvik Ranjanam Pandey has been named as Secretary to the Commission.
16th FC has been asked to make its report available by 31st October 2025, to give recommendations for devolution of taxes and other fiscal matters for 5 fiscal years (covering FY27 (2026-27) to FY31 (2030-31)).
Earlier, 15th FC was constituted in November 2017 and submitted its final report On 01 Feb 2021, chaired by Nand Kishore Singh (covering FY22 (2021-22) to FY26 (2025-26)).
About -
Finance Commissions are constituted by President of India under Article 280 of the Indian Constitution, to define financial relations between central and state governments.
First Finance Commission was established in 1951, chaired by K C Neogy.
Finance Commission consists of a chairman and four other members.
Notably, 4 members of 16th FC will be notified shortly.
General News / Events (Dec 21-31, 2024) -
Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav launched G20 report A Green and Sustainable Growth Agenda for the Global Economy, prepared jointly by NITI Aayog, International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Global Development Network (GDN).
Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya launched MedTech Mitra, as a Strategic Initiative to Empower MedTech Innovators and advance healthcare solutions.
Memorandum of Settlement signed Central Govt, Assam Govt & United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), for ending insurgency in Assam.
Home Minister Amit Shah released a commemorative Postal Stamp, to mark 50 years of Pandit Motiram Pandit Maniram Sangeet Samaroh, held annually at Chowmahalla Palace in Hyderabad.
Govt declared J&K Based islamic militant groups Tehreek-e-Hurriyat & Muslim League (Masarat Alam faction) as Unlawful Association under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) 1967.
Kerala govt inaugurated Kerala Public Enterprises (Selection and Recruitment) Board, to enhance transparency and efficiency in recruitment processes of public sector units (PSUs) in state.
Karnataka govt launched initiative named Namma Cargo, to introduce cargo services on KSRTC buses.
Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur launched Government of India calendar 2024, with theme Hamara Sankalp Viksit Bharat.
Geert Wilders won general elections 2023 in The Netherlands. He is known as an anti-Islam populist leader.
Nov 01 is formation day of States of Andhra Pradesh (in 1956), Karnataka (in 1956), Kerala (in 1956), Tamil Nadu (in 1956), Madhya Pradesh (in 1956), Punjab (in 1966), Haryana (in 1966), Chhattisgarh (in 2000).
On this occasion -
Kerala Govt -
Chosen Noted Malayalam writer S K Vasanthan for Ezhuthachan Puraskaram 2023.
Instituted in 1993, it is highest literary honour given by Kerala Govt's Kerala Sahitya Akademi, named after Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan, the father of Malayalam language. It consists of cash prize of 5 Lakh.
Conferred Kerala Awards 2023, which were instituted in 2021 by Kerala Govt as highest state-level civilian awards. Winners are honored annually on Nov 1 (Formation day of Kerala). Awards are -
Kerala Jyothi - T. Padmanabhan.
Kerala Prabha (conferred on upto 3 individuals).
Justice (Retired) M. Fathima Beevi
Nataraja Krishnamurthy
Kerala Sree (conferred on up to 6 persons).
Punalur Somarajan (social service)
V. P. Gangadharan (health)
Ravi D. C. (industry and commerce)
K. M. Chandrasekhar (civil service)
Pandit Ramesh Narayan (art, music)
Nov 1 is also observed as -
World Vegan Day. It was established in 1994 by Louise Wallis, then Chair of Vegan Society in UK.
Zojila Day, to celebrate action by Indian troops in 'Operation Bison' in 1948, which was launched on icy heights of Zojila pass, the gateway to Ladakh, for liberating Zojila pass from Pakistani Intruders.
Notably -
For first time since its formation in 1956, Tamil Nadu state government celebrated 'Tamil Nadu Day' on November 1, 2019.
Indian PM Narendra Modi and Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina virtually inaugurated 3 Indian assisted development projects in Bangladesh -
Akhaura - Agartala Cross-Border Rail Link -
It has been executed Indian grant assistance of 393 crores. Length of rail link is 12.24 km, with a 6.78 km Dual Gauge rail line in Bangladesh and 5.46 km in Tripura.
Khulna - Mongla Port Rail Line -
It has been implemented under Indian Line of Credit with total project cost of USD 389 million.
It includes construction of 65 kms of broad gauge rail route between Mongla Port and existing rail network in Khulna.
With this, Mongla, the second largest port of Bangladesh, gets connected with broad-gauge railway network.
Unit – II of Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant () -
Maitree STPP under Indian Concessional Financing Scheme loan of USD 1.6 billion, is a 1320 MW (2x660) Super Thermal Power Plant (MSTPP) located in Rampal in Khulna Division of Bangladesh.
It has been implemented by Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company (Private) Limited (BIFPCL), which is a 50:50 Joint Venture company between India's NTPC Ltd and Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB).
Unit I was unveiled jointly by both Prime Ministers in September 2022, and Unit 2 has now been inaugurated.
Misc. Appointments (Nov 2023) -
RBI appointed Manoranjan Mishra as an Executive Director (ED).
PM Narendra Modi has been elected as chairman of Shree Somnath Trust (SST) for 5 year term, marking a significant departure from traditional 1-year tenure for the trust’s chairman.
Bangladesh’s Saima Wazed (daughter of PM Sheikh Hasina) has been elected as World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for South-East Asia.
Santosh Kumar Jha has been named new CMD of Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL).
Koppu Sadashiv Murthy has been named CMD at Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL).
Notable New Indian Ambassadors -
Rajesh Uike - Tajikistan.
Former UK PM David Cameron has been named new Foreign Secretary of UK.
Alok Sharma has been appointed as new director of Special Protection Group (SPG), the elite security unit responsible for safeguarding the Prime Minister.
Bandhan Bank approved re-appointment of Chandra Shekhar Ghosh as its MD & CEO.
Obituaries (Nov 2023) -
D B Chandregowda - Former MP, MLA and Speaker of Karnataka Legislative Assembly.
Gieve Patel - Noted Indian poet, playwright & painter.
Leela Omchery - Noted Padma shri awardee classical singer and musicologist from Tamil Nadu.
Chandra Mohan - Noted Telugu actor.
P B Acharya - Former governor of Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh & Tripura.
N Sankaraiah - Former MLA and Independence Activist from Tamil Nadu.
Brijinder Nath Goswamy - Noted Padma Bhushan awardee Art Historian.
A S Byatt - Noted Booker awardee british novelist.
S Venkitaramanan - Former RBI Governor.
Sanjay Gadhvi - Noted Filmmaker, prominently known for directing first two instalments of Dhoom series.
P Vatsala - Noted Malayalam writer, and a recipient of Ezhuthachan Puraskaram, highest literary honour by Kerala govt.
M Fathima Beevi - Former Supreme Court Judge (first female judge of supreme court of India), and Governor of Tamil Nadu.
Zaverilal Dalpatram Mehta - Noted Padma Sri Awardee Indian photographer.
Misc. MOUs (Nov 2023) -
Between Ministry of Rural Development 's Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM) and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), to establish a reliable and sensitive support structure for capacity enhancement of women entrepreneurs in India.
Between Election Commission of India (ECI) and Ministry of Education, to enhance electoral literacy among School / College students.
Letter of Intent signed Between India & France, for Cooperation in field of Public Administration and Administrative Reforms, for 3 years.
Between Axis Bank and Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA), to establish Axis Bank Chair for financial inclusion at IRMA, to advance financial inclusion and financial literacy in India.
Between IT firm IBM and Amazon Web Services, to launch an Innovation Lab at IBM Client Experience Center in Bengaluru, to expand their services to facilitate mutual clients operations and derive value from generative artificial intelligence (AI).
Between Technology Development Board (TDB) and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), to boost MSME sector by facilitating easier access to credit for enterprises engaged in development and commercial application of indigenous or imported technology.
Between Geospatial solutions provider Genesys International and Survey of India, to create digital twins of major Indian cities and towns, under India Map Stack initiative.
Between India and European Union (EU), for co-operation in semiconductors ecosystem, to help build a robust supply chain and support innovation.
Between Payments firm Mastercard and MSME Financing NBFC UGRO Capital, to provide financial solutions to small businesses in India.
Between National Geospatial Programme (DST), National Institute of Geo-informatics Science & Technology (NIGST) and IIT Tirupati Navishkār I-Hub Foundation, for setting up a Centre of excellence (Pilot) to foster Geospatial Technology, Innovation and Solutions.
GST revenue collected in October 2023 stood at 172003 crores (out of which 30062 crore CGST, 38171 crore SGST, 91315 crore IGST and 12456 crore cess).
Notably, GST revenue collection for October 2023 is 2nd highest ever, 2nd only to April 2023 (1.87 lakh crores).
Misc. Sports News /Events (Nov 2023) -
England cricketer David Willey declared his retirement from international cricket.
Australian Female cricketer Meg Lanning announced her retirement from international cricket.
Indian Army Medical Corps officer Sanjeev Malik won 5 Gold Medals at World Medicine and Health Games 2023, hosted in Colombia.
Saudi Arabia will host 2034 FIFA World Cup, as it remain only nation to submit a bid for hosting the same.
Australia called off its bid just before last date of Oct 30, 2023.
FIFA had restricted hosting eligibility to Asia or Oceania only.
Indian skydiver Shital Mahajan became first woman globally, to complete a skydive from height of 21500 feet in front of Mt Everest. She landed at Kalapatthar peak (17444 feet).
Traditional folk sport Kambala buffalo racing contest has been hosted in Bengaluru. It was earlier native to coastal Karnataka region.
West Indies cricketer Marlon Samuels has been banned from all forms of International cricket by ICC for 6 years, amid anti-corruption code violations.
Pakistani Cricketer Imad Wasim announced retirement from all forms of international cricket.
2nd Rohini Nayyar Prize for outstanding contribution to rural development has been presented to Deenanath Rajput, for his work on empowering tribal women in Bastar, Chhattisgarh.
The prize was presented in memory of late economist-administrator Dr Rohini Nayyar. It comes with cash prize of Rs 10 lakh.
Misc. / Industrial Awards (Nov 2023) -
10-year-old Vihaan Talya Vikas from Bengaluru won top prize in his age category at Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition 2023, organized by Natural History Museum.
Kalakar Puraskar 2023 (conferred by Carvalho Household of Kundapura) has been awarded to Apolinaris D’Souza (prominent Konkani singer and composer).
Pakistan-based startup She-Guard won ClimateLaunchpad Asia-Pacific’ finals climate innovation initiative award, showcasing its innovative biodegradable and plastic-free sanitary products.
It works to transform banana crop waste into affordable, eco-friendly sanitary napkins, addressing challenges of climate change, public health and solid waste management.
ClimateLaunch Pad, organized by Europe’s leading climate innovation initiative, EIT Climate-KIC, stands as world’s largest green business competitive for climate innovators.
Noted Indian Origin author Salman Rushdie received first Lifetime Disturbing the Peace Award, by Vaclav Havel Center (US).
Indian Actor Ishwak Singh won Best Actor award at Stars Asian International Film Festival 2023 (SAIFF) in Los Angeles (USA), for his performance in film Berlin (directed by Atul Sabharwal).
Misc. Science News (Nov 2023) -
Tata Play Fiber partnered with Nokia, to launch India’s first WiFi6-ready broadband network, using Nokia’s fiber optical line terminal (OLT) technology.
In a global first, Polish Rum company Dictador appointed a robotic AI Mika as CEO, in collaboration with Hong Kong-based Hanson Robotics.
Samsung Electronics introduced its new generative artificial intelligence model called Samsung Gauss, designed for AI applications on devices.
It has been named after noted German mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss, who established normal distribution theory, the backbone of machine learning and AI.
Researchers discovered oldest black hole known yet, formed 470 million years after the Big Bang.
It has been discovered based on observations made by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and Chandra X-Ray Observatory.
Given the universe is 13.7 billion years old, that puts the age of this black hole at 13.2 billion years.
Association of Asia-Pacific Airlines (AAPA) has set a target for its 14 member airlines (including newly inducted Air India), to achieve 5% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) usage by 2030. It aims to address aviation industry’s carbon emissions challenges.
IIT Madras based Centre for Research on Start-ups and Risk Financing (CREST) developed India’s first information platform on incubators and accelerators.
The platform, developed in partnership with IIT Madras-incubated YNOS, contains comprehensive information on incubators and accelerators.
OneWeb India (part of Bharti Group and subsidiary of France's Eutelsat Group) became first organisation to recieve approval from India's space regulator IN-SPACe, to commence Eutelsat OneWeb's commercial satellite broadband services in India.
Misc. Defence News /Events (Nov 2023) -
Indian Navy's Gunnery Symposium 2023 conducted at INS Dronacharya, the Navy's Center for Excellence in Gunnery and Missile Warfare under Southern Naval Command.
Swedish defence firm Saab became first foreign company to secure 100 % Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) approval for a defence project in India.
Saab will establish a new manufacturing facility in India, which will focus on producing shoulder-fired rockets.
Notably, India allows up to 74 % FDI in defence sector under automatic route, with additional clearance available on a case-by-case basis.
Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue 2023 (IPRD) held in New Delhi, as Indian Navy's annual apex-level international conference.
Indian Coast Guard conducted National Level Pollution Response Exercise 2023 (NATPOLREX-IX) at Vadinar (Gujarat).
Misc. Economy / Financial News (Nov 2023) -
Life insurer IndiaFirst Life became first life insurance company to secure registration within Gujarat-based GIFT City International Financial Services Centre (IFSC). It will enable IndiaFirst Life to expand its services beyond India.
Indian GDP Growth Forecasts (Nov 2023) -
UBS - 6.3% for FY 24 (2023-24).
Morgan Stanley - 6.5% for FY2024 (2023-24) and FY2025 (2024-25).
Notable penalties imposed by RBI -
Indian Overseas Bank - 1 Crore
Citibank - 5 crore
Bank of Baroda - 4.34 crore
Svatantra Microfin acquired Chaitanya India Fin Credit Private Limited (subsidiary of Sachin Bansal’s Navi Group), for $178.5 Million. It will position Svatantra as 2nd largest microfinance company in India.
Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) launched a new non-linked, non-participating individual savings whole life insurance product called Jeevan Utsav.
Minimum sum assured under the policy is Rs 5 lakh, with premium paying terms ranging 5-16 years and entry age 8-65 years.
Misc. Infra Projects (Nov 2023) -
JSW Infrastructure received contract for developing an all-weather, deep-water, greenfield port at Keni Port in Karnataka, on a public private partnership basis, at cost 4119 crores.
Nov 2 is Observed by UN as International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists.
2023 Asian Shooting Championships (Changwon, South Korea) -
Medal Table -
Rank
Nation
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Total
1
China
14
9
10
33
2
South Korea
9
9
6
24
3
India
6
8
5
19
4
Kazakhstan
4
4
6
14
5
Qatar
3
1
1
5
Indian Gold Medalists -
Men -
50 m rifle 3 positions - Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar
Skeet team - Angad Vir Singh Bajwa, Gurjoat Siingh Khangura, Anantjeet Singh Naruka
50 m rifle 3 positions team - Ashi Chouksey, Ayushi Podder, Shriyanka Sadangi
Mixed -
Trap team - Prithviraj Tondaiman, Manisha Keer
Skeet team - Anantjeet Singh Naruka, Darshna Rathore
2023 U23 World Wrestling Championships (Tirana, Albania)
-
Rank
Nation
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Total
–
Individual Neutral Athletes
11
4
8
23
1
Japan
5
3
4
12
2
United States
5
2
2
9
3
Turkey
3
4
5
12
4
Moldova
2
3
1
6
5
Ukraine
1
3
5
9
6
United World Wrestling
1
2
6
9
As a result of sanctions by UWW imposed on Wrestling Federation of India for not conducting its elections on time, wrestlers from India participated under name and flag of United World Wrestling (UWW).
Indian Wrestlers won 9 medals (1 Gold, 2 Silver & 6 Bronze).
Gold -
Reetika Hooda (76 kg Women's freestyle)
Silver -
Neha Sharma (55 kg Women's freestyle)
Jyoti Berwal (72 kg Women's freestyle)
Power and New & Renewable Energy Minister R K Singh launched Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL)'s National Efficient Cooking Programme (NECP) and Energy Efficient Fans Programme (EEFP). These initiatives are aimed at optimizing cooking practices in India and emphasizing on importance and urgency of energy efficient fans.
NECP introduces induction-based cook-stoves, offering a cost advantage of 25-30% over traditional cooking methods. By deploying 20 Lakh Induction cook-stoves across India, EESL seeks to reduce environmental impact of cooking methods, ensuring cleaner air and improved health for citizens.
EEFP focuses on deploying energy-efficient BLDC fans, with goal of distributing 1 crore ceiling fans.
As per EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2023, Top Philanthropists during FY 2022-23 (donations in Crores) -
Shiv Nadar (2042)
Azim Premji (1774)
Mukesh Ambani (376)
Kumar Mangalam Birla (287)
Gautam Adani (285)
Nov 03 is observed by UNESCO as International Day for Biosphere Reserves. It was first observed in 2022.
Zurich Insurance invested 4501 crores in India's Kotak General Insurance, to acquire 51% stake.
Further, Zurich Insurance will acquire an additional stake of 19 % within 3 years. Kotak Mahindra Bank will retain management control of the general insurance arm until Zurich increases its stake to 70%.
India will host World Telecommunication Standardisation Assembly (WTSA) in 2025.
Held every 4 years, WTSA is governing conference of ITU Standardisation Sector (ITU-T), one of the three world conferences of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
India-born British author Nandini Das won 2023 British Academy Book Prize for Global Cultural Understanding, for her book Courting India: England, Mughal India and the Origins of Empire. Award carries cash prize of £25,000.
Election Commission of India (ECI) deployed software solution named ENCORE (Enabling Communications on Real-time Environment), to simplify election management process.
ENCORE is an end-to-end counting application for returning officers to digitize votes polled, tabulate round-wise data and take out various statutory reports of counting.
2023 Sultan of Johor Cup (Annual men's under- 21 field hockey tournament held in Malaysia) -
Germany won the title (their 2nd), defeating Australia in Final. India was placed 3rd.
Notably, 2023 edition featured 8 teams, expanding from 6 teams earlier.
Indian Army hosted Chanakya Defence Dialogue 2023 (1st edition) at Manekshaw Centre (New Delhi), organised in partnership with Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS).
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced addition of 55 new cities to its Creative Cities Network (UCCN).
It includes 2 Indian cities - Kozhikode (Kerala) as City of Literature, and Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh) as City of Music.
Ports, Shipping & Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal flagged off domestic sailing of the first International Cruise Liner Costa Serena in India at Mumbai.
Notably, India aims to have 50 million cruise passengers by 2047.
India raised concerns at WTO on EU’s climate and environment related policies – particularly Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and regulation on deforestation, acting as non-tariff barriers and not meeting multilateral trade rules.
CBAM is a carbon tariff on carbon intensive products imported by European Union. As part of European Green Deal, it takes effect in 2026, with reporting starting in 2023.
Nov 5 is observed by UN as World Tsunami Awareness Day.
Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2023 organized at Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre in Mumbai, after a 4 year gap.
Notable Awards -
Noted directors Mani Ratnam and Luca Guadagnino (Italy) were presented with Excellence in Cinema award.
Noted critic Aruna Vasudev, author Nasreen Munni Kabir, and casting director Uma Da Cunha received lifetime achievement awards.
Women's Asian Champions Trophy Hockey 2023 (Ranchi, Jharkhand)
-
India won the title (their 2nd), deferating Japan in Final.
Joint bilateral Army exercise Harimau Shakti 2023 between Indian & Malaysian Armies, held at Umroi Cantonment (Maghalaya).
Red Bull's Dutch-Belgian F1 Racer Max Verstappen won São Paulo (Brazil) Grand Prix 2023.
Notably -
It is Max Verstappen's record extending 17th victory of 2023 F1 Season.
Also, Max Verstappen has already won 2023 F1 Season title (his 3rd F1 title).
F1 Season 2023 -
Grand Prix
Winner
Race date
Bahrain Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
5 March
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Sergio Pérez (Mexico)
19 March
Australian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
2 April
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Sergio Pérez (Mexico)
30 April
Miami Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
7 May
Monaco Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
28 May
Spanish Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
4 June
Canadian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
18 June
Austrian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
2 July
British Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
9 July
Hungarian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
23 July
Belgian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
30 July
Dutch Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
27 August
Italian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
3 September
Singapore Grand Prix
Carlos Sainz Jr. (France)
17 September
Japanese Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
24 September
Qatar Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
8 October
United States Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
22 October
Mexico City Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
29 October
São Paulo Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
5 November
Las Vegas Grand Prix
18 November
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
26 November
Nov 6 is observed by UN as International Day for preventing environmental exploitation during war and armed conflict.
As per Global TB Report 2023 released by WHO (World Health Organization) -
28 Lakh TB cases notified in India in 2022, 33% higher than 2021.
India carries highest TB burden gloablly, with 27 % of global TB cases reported from India. Indonesia ranks 2nd (10 %), China 3rd (7.1 %).
India’s TB incidence for 2022 is 215 per 100000 population, compared to baseline year of 2015 (when it was 256 per lakh population).
Notably, Under recently launhed Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan initiative, India aims to eliminate TB by 2025, as against global target of 2030.
Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) has developed Krishi 24/7 in collaboration with Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence, as first AI-powered solution for automated agricultural news monitoring and analysis, with support from Google.org.
Krishi 24/7 will aid in identifying relevant news, generate timely alerts, and take prompt action to protect farmers' interests and promote sustainable agricultural growth.
FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament 2023 (Isle of Man, UK) -
Men -
India's Vidit Gujrathi won the title, followed by Hikaru Nakamura (US).
Women -
India's R Vaishali won the title, followed by Anna Muzychuk (Ukraine) and Tan Zhongyi (China).
Top 2 finishers have qualified for partcipating in Candidates Tournament 2024 (Men & Women), which is part of World Chess Championship 2024 (Men & Women).
World Chess Championship 2024 will be a chess match to determine World Chess Champion(Men & Women).
For men, It will be played between defending champion Ding Liren (China), and a challenger (winner of Candidates Tournament 2024).
For Women, It will be played between defending women's champion Ju Wenjun (China), and a challenger (winner of Women's Candidates Tournament 2024).
Challenger will qualify by winning Candidates Tournament 2024 (Men & Women), which will be an eight-player double round-robin tournament, to be held in 2024 in Toronto (Canada).
Notably -
2 Indian Players have qualified for Candidates Tournament 2024 so far -
R Praggnanandhaa (As runner-up in Chess World Cup 2023)
Vidit Gujrathi (As winner of FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament 2023)
For women's Candidates Tournament 2024, R Vaishali is only Indian qualifier so far.
ISRO Chairman S Somanath withdrew publication his autobiography Nilavu Kudicha Simhangal (translated as Lions that drank the moonlight).
37th National Games hosted in Goa, featuring record 43 sporting disciplines.
Notably -
This was also 1st time that Goa hosted National Games.
37th National Games marked debut of several new sports disciplines -
Medal stage - Beach football, roll ball, golf, sepaktakraw, sqay martial arts, kalliyarapattu, pencak silat & Mini Golf.
Demonstration sports - lagori and gatka.
Official Signs -
Motto - Get Set Goa.
Mascot - Moga (an Indian bison).
Fintech firm Paytm was named official sponsor of 37th National Games.
Medal Table -
Rank
State
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Total
1
Maharashtra
80
69
79
228
2
Services
66
27
33
126
3
Haryana
62
55
75
192
4
Madhya Pradesh
37
36
39
112
5
Kerala
36
24
27
87
Maharashtra topped the medal table, winning the Raja Bhalindra Trophy (for overall championship), for the first time since 1994.
IIT Madras' Zanzibar (Tanzania) campus has been inaugurated, as first offshore campus of any IIT (Indian Institute of Technology).
Total 45 students have been admitted for a four-year Bachelor of Science degree in Data Science and AI and a two-year Master of Technology degree in Data Science and AI.
As per data released under 2022 Bihar caste-based survey -
Survey was conducted in 2 phases - house listing and caste and economic enumeration.
Results -
Total population of State is 1.3 crores.
Top 3 Religions - Hinduism (81.99% ), Islam (17.70%), Buddhism (0.08%).
Community wise -
Other Backward Classes (63.14%)
Scheduled Castes (19.65%)
General (15.52%)
Scheduled Tribes (1.68%)
Income Data -
34.13 % of all families in Bihar survive on less than ₹ 6000 per month.
1.5% of state’s population is employed in government jobs, while 95.49% of state's population do not possess any vehicles.
Notably -
CM Nitish Kumar announced a one-time benefit of Rs 2 lakh to 94 lakh families that earn less than Rs 6000 a month.
2 days after releasing final caste survey data, Bihar Assembly passed a Bill to hike overall quota in educational institutions and government jobs for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) from 50% to 65%. With existing 10% quota for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), the effective quota will be 75%.
Changes -
For EBCs and OBCs, quota is proposed to be raised from 12% to 25% and 8% to 18% respectively.
For SCs, proposed new quota is 20%, up from the existing 14%.
Quota for STs, however, is proposed to be slashed from 10% to 2%.
Notably, In its 1992 decision in Indra Sawhney vs Union of India, the Supreme Court had fixed the reservation ceiling at 50%.
1st flagship publication of Centre for Advanced Financial Research and Learning (CAFRAL), titled India Finance Report 2023 (IFR 2023) has been released by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das.
IFR 2023, with Connecting the Last Mile as its theme, provides an in-depth assessment of non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) in India.
CAFRAL was set up in 2011 as an independent body by RBI, to promote research and learning in banking and finance.
Nov 7 is observed as National Cancer Awareness Day in India, along with Infant Protection day.
Nov 8 is observed as International Day of Radiology. It coincides with day of discovery of X-rays (on November 8, 1895), by German scientist Wilhelm Röntgen.
Nov 8 is also observed as World Urbanism Day, also known as Town Planning Day.
3 Indian Businesswomen have been named on Forbes 2023 Asia’s Power Businesswomen list -
Mahima Datla (Biological E)
M R Jyothy
(Jyothy Labs)
Rashmi Verma (C E Info Systems)
As per QS World University Rankings: Asia 2024 -
Top 5 -
Peking University
(China)
University of Hong Kong
National University of Singapore
Nanyang Technological University (Singapore)
Tsinghua University
(China)
Top 5 Indian Universities in List -
Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (40)
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (46)
Indian Institute of Technology Madras (53)
Indian Institute of Science
Bangalore (58)
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (59)
President Draupadi Murmu appointed Heeralal Samariya as Chief Information Commissioner in Central Information Commission (CIC).
Also, Anandi Ramalingam and Vinod Kumar Tiwari have been named as Information Commissioners.
CIC includes 1 chief information commissioner and upto 10 information commissioners, who are appointed by President on recommendation of a committee headed by Prime Minister.
Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) launched LEAP AHEAD initiative, as a joint collaboration of Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) and The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE). It aims to support and accelerate success of tech startups across India.
This will enable tech startups to access funding support of up to ₹ 1 Crore and a 3 month mentorship program.
Nov 9 is observed as National Legal Services Day In India, to commemorate enactment of Indian Legal Services Authorities Act 1987.
On 11 October 1987, Legal Services Authorities Act 1987 was enacted. It took effect on 9 November 1995.
Notably, Legal Literacy and Legal Awareness Program (LLLAP) of Department of Justice (under DISHA scheme) is being implemented nationwide through 14 agencies.
Nov 9 is statehood day of Uttarakhand.
On 9 November 2000, Uttarakhand became 27th state of India, being carved from Himalayan districts of Uttar Pradesh.
4th edition of Bilateral Exercise between Indian and Bangladesh Navies, BONGOSAGAR-23, and 5th edition of joint Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) conducted in Northern Bay of Bengal.
Ministry of Information and broadcasting published draft Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill 2023, to replace ageing Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995.
Key Highlights -
It addresses need of consolidating / updating regulatory provisions for various broadcasting services under a single framework. It extends regulatory purview to encompass broadcasting over-the-top (OTT) content and digital news, currently regulated through IT Act 2000.
To keep pace with evolving technologies, bill introduces comprehensive definitions for contemporary broadcasting terms and incorporates provisions for emerging broadcasting technologies.
It enhances self-regulation with introduction of Content evaluation committees, and evolves existing Inter-Departmental Committee into a more participative Broadcast Advisory Council.
It allows for a differentiated approach to Programme and Advertisement Codes across various services and require self-classification by broadcasters and robust access control measures for restricted content.
Bill addresses specific needs of persons with disabilities by providing for enabling provisions for issue of comprehensive accessibility guidelines.
Bill introduces statutory penalties such as advisory, warning, censure, or monetary penalties, for operators and broadcasters. Provision for imprisonment and/or fines remains, but only for very serious offenses, ensuring a balanced approach to regulation.
Bill also includes provisions for infrastructure sharing among broadcasting network operators and carriage of platform services. It also streamlines Right of Way section to address relocation and alterations more efficiently, and establishes a structured dispute resolution mechanism.
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting approved Digital Advertisement Policy 2023. It will -
Enable Central Bureau of Communication to Empanel organisations in new age spaces of OTT, Video on Demand, Podcasts and Digital Audio platforms.
Empowers CBC to on board Innovative Communication Platforms in Digital Space. It introduces competitive bidding for rate discovery, ensuring transparency and efficiency. Rates will remain valid for 3 years and will be applicable to all eligible agencies.
International Cricket Council (ICC) suspended membership of Sri Lanka Cricket, citing government interference in administration of cricket in Sri Lanka.
Due to this suspension, ICC moved U-19 World Cup 2024 to South Africa, which was earlier to be hosted by Sri Lanka.
Nov 10 is observed by UN as World Science Day for Peace and Development, marked by UNESCO. 2023 Theme is Building Trust In Science.
Also, International Week of Science and Peace is observed annually Between November 9-15.
Nov 10, 2023 was also observed as National Ayurveda Day in India. It is observed every year from 2016 on day of Dhanwantri Jayanti (Dhanteras).
2nd edition of World Food India 2023 organised by Ministry of Food Processing Industries at Pragati Maidan (New Delhi), to showcase Indian Food Processing Sector seeking collaborations and investments from global Stakeholders.
It was organized as part of International Year of Millets 2023 activities.
Ministry of Food Processing Industries had launched 1st edition of World Food India in 2017.
General News / Events (Nov 1-10, 2023) -
Cyclone Midhili struck Bangladesh and Indian State of West Bengal.
5th India - US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue held in New Delhi, attended by Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on India's bahalf. US side was represented by visiting US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken and Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin III.
Kerala Tourism launched a series of microsites, to promote pilgrimage tourism. These microsites have been designed to showcase state's rich heritage, and profound significance of its key religious sites.
Iconic Throne Room at Raj Bhavan (Kolkata), which stands as a testament to the British era’s grandeur, has been renamed after Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of Independent India.
NITI Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) opened applications for ATL Marathon 2023-24, a flagship innovation challenge organised in collaboration with Ministry of Education, YuWaah and UNICEF.
Ministry of Tourism (India) participated in World Travel Mart 2023 (London).
2nd World Local Production Forum (WLPF) held in Hague (The Netherlands). India was represented by Bhagwant Khuba (Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers).
WLPF is a platform created at the initiative of WHO, with aim of increasing access to medicines and other health technologies.
During the visit, India and Netherlands signed Memorandum of Intent (MoI) to cooperate on medical product regulation and enhance quality of medical products and healthcare services.
Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), under the aegis of India's G20 presidency, hosted G20 Standards Dialogue 2023 at Bharat Mandapam (New Delhi).
Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ministry launched sale of wheat flour (Atta) under Bharat brand, to be available at an MRP not exceeding ₹ 27.50/Kg.
7th edition of Ganga Utsav organized by National Mission for Clean Ganga in New Delhi.
NTPC subsidiary NTPC Renewable Energy Limited began commercial operations of its first project, as 50 MW wind project at Dayapar in Kachch (Gujarat).
With this, installed capacity of NTPC Group reached 73874 MW, out of which 3364 MW is Renewable sources based.
India Manufacturing Show 2023 organized in Bengaluru (Karnataka), jointly by Laghu Udhyog Bharti & IMS Foundation and supported by Department of Defence Production.
Quality Council of India (QCI) hosted International Convention on Sustainable Trade and Standards 2023 (ICSTS) in New Delhi.
Collins Dictionary named AI as Word of the Year for 2023, reflecting increasing prominence of Artificial Intelligence.
Recently named new chief justices in various high courts -
Allahabad HC - Manoj Kumar Gupta
(Acting)
Delhi HC - Manmohan
(Acting)
Gauhati HC - Lanusungkum Jamir
(Acting)
Rajasthan HC - Manindra Mohan Shrivastava
(Acting)
Meghalaya HC - Hamarsan Singh Thangkhiew
(Acting)
Uttarakhand HC - Manoj Kumar Tiwari
(Acting)
Manipur HC - Siddharth Mridul
Punjab and Haryana HC - Ritu Bahri
(Acting)
Orissa HC - Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi
(Acting)
November 11 is celebrated as National Education Day in India, to commemorate birth anniversary of Maulana Abdul Azad, the first Education Minister of India. He is accredited for establishment of several premier institutes of country. It is being celebrated since 2008.
Indian Army and Indian Air Force participated in Exercise KAZIND 2023, with Kazakhstan Army and Air Force.
Joint Exercise between India and Kazakhstan was instituted as PRABAL DOSTYK in 2016. After 2nd edition, it was upgraded to a company-level exercise and renamed as KAZIND.
The Exercise has been further upgraded as a Bi-service Exercise from 2023 onwards, by including Air Force component.
Time Magazine Featured Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina on its cover, for being longest-tenured female non-hereditary head of government and longest-serving female leader of any country.
She has also been acknowledged for driving Bangladesh's economy to a path of growth in the last two decades.
As per UN's Asia-Pacific Regional Human Development Report2024 -
India has emerged among top countries in terms of income and wealth inequality.
Between 2015 and 2021, Share of population living in multidimensional poverty in India fell from 25 to 15 %.
Between 2000 and 2022, per capita income in India increased from $442 to $2389.
Between 2004 and 2019, poverty rates (based on international poverty measure of $2.15 per day) came down from 40 to 10 %.
Russia officially pulled out of Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), that restricts use of conventional weapons, stating NATO’s expansion as reason for the same.
November 12 is observed as Public Service Broadcasting in India. It commemorates visit of M K Gandhi to studio of All India Radio in Delhi in 1947.
Nov 12 is also observed as World Pneumonia Day, marked in 2009.
NITI Aayog named 4 four Distinguished Fellows for a period of one year -
Anoop Singh (Member of 15th Finance Commission).
O P Agarwal
(Expert in urban transport).
Ajai Chowdhry (Co-founder of HCL).
V Lakshmikumaran (Legal Expert).
World Bank approved $200 million loan for India, to fund a project that will facilitate power sector reforms in Himachal Pradesh and add 10000 megawatts to state's renewable energy portfolio.
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) launched AAINA Dashboard for Cities portal (www.aaina.gov.in), where Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) across country can participate voluntarily, and submit their key data on a regular basis.
It aims to help cities to see how they are faring compared to other cities, and inspire them by pointing to possibilities and areas of improvement.
US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) announced to invest USD 553 million in Sri Lanka's Colombo West International Terminal Pvt. Ltd - a consortium of India's Adani Group, Sri Lanka's John Keells Holdings (JKH) & Sri Lanka Ports Authority. Adani Group holds 51 % stake in the venture.
Nov 13 is observed annually as World Kindness Day.
SIDBI launched one-of-its kind MSME Economic Activity Index Sumpoorn, in association with digital lending transformation platform Jocata.
MSME specific high-frequency indicator will capture state of MSMEs in India, that contribute more than a quarter of country's overall Gross Value Added (GVA) and over 40 % of exports.
UK govt proposed expanding list of safe states, by including India and Georgia in List.
It will speed up process of returning Indians who travel to UK illegally, and rule out their chance of seeking asylum in Britain.
It aims to strengthen UK's immigration system and help prevent abuse by people making unfounded protection claims.
All India Football Federation (AIFF) has been honoured with AFC President’s Recognition Bronze medal, for its efforts in grassroot-level development of Football in India.
As per WIPO's World Intellectual Property Indicators Report 2023 -
Number of Patent Applications Filed Worldwide in 2022 stood at record 3.46 million.
Top 3 - China (16.2 Lakh), US (5.94 Lakh), Japan (2.9 Lakh).
Patent applications by residents of India grew by 25.2 % in 2022 (approx 77000 applications). South Africa saw most increase in Patent applications (27.6 %), followed by India.
Nov 14 is observed as World Diabetes Day, with 2021-2023 theme Access to Diabetes Care – If Not Now, When?.
Nov 14 is observed as Children's Day in India. It commemorates Birth Anniversary of India's First Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
International Cricket Council (ICC) inducted 3 former cricketers into ICC Cricket Hall of Fame, including Virender Sehwag (India), Diana Edulji (India), and Aravinda de Silva (Sri Lanka).
IIT Kanpur established a Center of Excellence (CoE) named ATMAN (Advanced Technologies for Monitoring Air-quality iNdicators), focusing on building indigenous low-cost sensor manufacturing and Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) capabilities to enhance air quality across urban and rural areas of India.
National Medical Commission (NMC) announced to launch one nation, one registration platform for doctors across country, to eliminate duplication and allow public to access information on any physician working in India.
Inflation and Trade Data for October 2023 -
Wholesale price Index Based (WPI) -
WPI based inflation stayed at - 0.52 % (negative) in October 2023.
WPI Inflation in last 12 months -
September 2023 - (-) 0.26 % (Negative)
August 2023 - (-) 0.52 % (Negative)
July 2023 - (-) 1.36 % (Negative)
June 2023 - (-) 4.12 % (Negative) (lowest in 8 years)
May 2023 - (-) 3.48 % (Negative)
April 2023 - (-) 0.92 % (Negative)
March 2023 - 1.34 %
February 2023 - 3.85 %
January 2023 - 4.73 %
December 2022 - 4.95 %
November 2022 - 5.85 %
October 2022 - 8.39 %
Consumer Price Index (CPI) Based (retail inflation) -
CPI-based inflation rate for October 2023 fell to 4.87 %.
CPI Inflation in Last 12 Months -
September 2023 - 5.02 %
August 2023 - 6.83 %
July 2023 - 7.44 % (15 Month High)
June 2023 - 4.81 %
May 2023 - 4.25 % (25 Month Low)
April 2023 - 4.7 %
March 2023 - 5.66 %
February 2023 - 6.44 %
January 2023 - 6.52 %
December 2022 - 5.72 %
November 2022 - 5.88 %
October 2022 - 6.77 %
Trade -
Overall Trade October 2023 (Merchandise + Services) -
Overall Imports - 79.35
Overall Exports - 62.26
Overall Trade Deficit - 17.08 Billion USD
Compared to Last Month (September 2023)
Overall Imports - 68.75
Overall Exports - 63.84
Overall Trade Deficit - 4.92 Billion USD
Notably, India's Overall Trade Deficit stood at 21 month low of 1.38 Billion USD, in April 2023.
Notable facts about India’s Trade during Previous Financial Year (FY 23 (2022-23)) -
Exports stood at highest ever USD 770.18 billion during FY 2022-23, growing 13.84 % over FY 2021-22.
Out of this, Merchandise exports stood at USD 447.46 billion & Services exports at USD 322.72 billion, both a new annual record.
US and UAE retained first and second places respectively as India's largest export destinations, during FY 2022-23. Netherlands rose to third place, replacing China.
In terms of overall trade too (exports + imports), US remained India's top partner in 2022-23, with $128.55 Billion Trade (Exports $78.31 billion & imports $50.24 billion).
Nov 15 is statehood day of Jharkhand. It was created on 15 November 2000, carved out of Bihar. Nov 15 also marks Birth Anniversary of Birsa Munda, a noted Indian tribal freedom fighter who belonged to the Munda tribe.
In 2021, Govt declared November 15 as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas, to mark birth anniversary of Sri Birsa Munda who is revered by tribal communities across country.
On this occasion, PM Narendra Modi launched several initiatives from Khunti (Jharkhand) -
Launched Pradhan Mantri Janjaatiya Aadivasi Nyaya Mahabhiyaan (PM Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) Development Mission), as a 24000 crore rupees scheme that aims to benefit and saturate families and habitations with basic facilities.
There are 75 PVTGs in 18 States & UTs living in 22544 villages (220 districts), having population of around 28 lakhs.
Launched Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, as a 72-day nationwide outreach and awareness campaign aimed at promoting government schemes and reaching vulnerable sections of society. Yatra will start from districts with significant tribal population initially, and will culminate on 26th January 2024, covering all districts.
Govt named Hitesh Kumar S. Makwana as Surveyor General of India.
Surveyor General of India is Head of Department of Survey of India, under Ministry of Science and Technology.
NASA launched new sounding rocket mission named Integral Field Ultraviolet Spectroscope Experiment (INFUSE), to study a stellar event in Cygnus Loop, which is a supernova remnant that took place 20000 years ago.
Cygnus is about 2600 light years away from Earth. The INFUSE mission will study the Cygnus Loop and try to understand the life cycle of stars.
2023 Rolex Paris Masters Men's Tennis -
Singles - Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
Doubles - Santiago González (Mexico) & Édouard Roger-Vasselin (France)
Sister Zeph, Pakistani teacher who as a teenager founded a school for underprivileged children, won Global Teacher Prize 2023, carrying $1 million.
Notably, India's Deep Narayan Nayak (from West Bengal) was also among top 10 finalists for the Prize.
Global Teacher Prize is an annual US $1 million award by Varkey Foundation, to honor a teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession.
Nov 16 is observed by UN as International Day of Tolerance.
In 1995, to mark UN Year for Tolerance and 125th birth anniversary of M K Gandhi, UNESCO instituted UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence, awarded every 2 years on International Day for Tolerance (16 November).
Last Time (in 2022), Franca Ma-ih Sulem Yong from Cameroon was named as winner of the prize.
Next Awardee will be announced in 2024.
Nov 16 is also observed as -
National Press Day in India. On this day, Press Council of India started functioning, to ensure that press maintains high standards.
Audit Diwas in India, observed since 2021.
Nov 16, 2023 was also observed as World Philosophy Day, observed annually on third Thursday of November. 2023 theme is Philosophical Reflection in a Multicultural World.
Maharashtra govt honored noted singer Suresh Wadkar with Lata Mangeshkar Award 2023.
As per World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Greenhouse Gas Bulletin 2023 -
Global averaged concentrations of CO2 (the most important greenhouse gas) in 2022 were 50% above pre-industrial era for the first time. They continued to grow in 2023.
Other 2 greenhouse gases (Methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O)) also saw highest year-on-year increase on record, from 2021 to 2022.
Global mean temperature in 2022 was 1.15C above the 1850-1900 average.
Report indicated that efforts for emission control have been off track and current level of greenhouse gas concentrations will cause an increase in temperatures well above Paris Agreement targets by the end of this century (limit temp rise to 1.5°C). This will be accompanied by more extreme weather, including intense heat and rainfall, ice melt, sea-level rise and ocean heat and acidification.
As per research by Journalistic.Org -
India ranks 3rd in terms of number of unicorn companies (over 1 Billion USD), after US (1) & China (2).
India has 72 unicorns, with total valuation of $195.75 billion, making 5 % contribution to global unicorn valuation.
Pedro Sánchez has been re-elected as Prime Minister of Spain, for his 3rd term.
Nov 17 is observed as International Students' Day, commemorating Czech universities which were stormed by Nazis in 1939 and students who were subsequently killed and sent to concentration camps.
Note that Oct 15, Birth Anniversary of Former (11th) President of India A P J Abdul Kalam, is observed by United Nations as World Students' Day.
Assam govt approved merger of Secondary Education Board of Assam (SEBA) and Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC), to now be known as Assam State School Education Board (ASSEB).
SEBA (which has been responsible for conducting Class 10 exams), and AHSEC (entrusted with overseeing Class 12 board exams), will now function as a unified board under banner of ASSEB.
IndusInd Bank became first bank to go live as a Financial Information Provider under new Account Aggregator Framework of Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
As an FIP, IndusInd Bank will facilitate customers to share their financial information with Financial Information Users (FIUs) on Account Aggregator Ecosystem. Once other financial institutions go live on AA framework, it will eliminate need for collecting/submitting physical documents for getting loans or accessing other financial products / services.
Earlier, to promote open banking in India, RBI announced Account Aggregator (AA) framework in June 2016, to enable individuals / businesses to avail services that will help them fulfil their financial requirements in a seamless way.
Indian Army observes Nov 18 as Corps of Engineers Day.
The Corps officially recognises its raising year as 1780, when senior-most of the Corps, The Madras Sappers, were raised.
Subsequently, Groups of Bengal Sappers and Bombay Sappers were formed. 3 Engineer Groups were later merged to form The Corps of Engineers, on 18th November 1932, observed as The Corps of Engineers Day.
November 18 is observed as National Naturopathy Day by AYUSH Ministry. It was first observed in 2018.
Nov 18 is also observed by UN as World Day for the Prevention of and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Violence. It was first observed in 2022.
Red Bull's Dutch-Belgian F1 Racer Max Verstappen won Las Vegas (US) Grand Prix 2023.
Notably -
It is Max Verstappen's record extending 18th victory of 2023 F1 Season.
Also, Max Verstappen has already won 2023 F1 Season title (his 3rd F1 title).
F1 Season 2023 -
Grand Prix
Winner
Race date
Bahrain Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
5 March
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Sergio Pérez (Mexico)
19 March
Australian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
2 April
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Sergio Pérez (Mexico)
30 April
Miami Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
7 May
Monaco Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
28 May
Spanish Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
4 June
Canadian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
18 June
Austrian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
2 July
British Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
9 July
Hungarian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
23 July
Belgian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
30 July
Dutch Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
27 August
Italian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
3 September
Singapore Grand Prix
Carlos Sainz Jr. (France)
17 September
Japanese Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
24 September
Qatar Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
8 October
United States Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
22 October
Mexico City Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
29 October
São Paulo Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
5 November
Las Vegas Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
18 November
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
26 November
Nov 19 is Birth Anniversary of Former (3rd) Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Her Birthday is observed as National Integration day in India.
Notably, Similar sounding National Unity Day is observed annually on Oct 31 (Sardar Shri Vallabh Bhai Patel's Birth Anniversary).
On this occasion -
Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development2022 (also called Indira Peace Prize or Indira Gandhi Prize), was conferred jointly on Indian Medical Association and Trained Nurses Association of India, as representatives of COVID-19 warriors in country.
Nov 19 is observed by UN as World Toilet Day. 2023 theme is Accelerating Change.
Other Observations on Nov 19 -
Women's Entrepreneurship Day.
International Men's Day.
World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims (UN).
Sheynnis Palacios
(Nicaragua) won Miss Universe 2023pageant, hosted in El Salvador.
Notably, India was represented by Shweta Sharda (Miss Diva 2023winner).
India's Ayush Ministry and World Health Organization (WHO) signed Traditional and Complementary Medicine Project Collaboration Agreement, in Geneva (Switzerland).
It aims to standardize Traditional and Complementary Medical Systems, integrate their quality and safety aspects into National Health System, and disseminate them at international level.
To fulfil this, Traditional Medicine Global Strategy 2025-34 will be prepared by WHO, with support of Ministry of Ayush.
Earlier, 2 Project Collaboration Agreements were signed by Ministry of Ayush with WHO - first in 2016 to take Traditional Medical systems like Yoga, Ayurveda, Unani, and Panchakarma to the global level and 2nd was signed in 2017 to strengthen system of Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha medical systems.
2023 ICC Cricket World Cup (13th edition, Hosted in India) -
Australia won the title (their 6th), defeating India in the final match played at Narendra Modi Stadium (Ahmedabad).
Notable Players -
Player of the series - India's Virat Kohli
Most runs - India's Virat Kohli (765)
Most wickets - India's Mohammed Shami (24)
Notably -
Records -
2 records made by Indian Players during India’s World Cup semifinal match against New Zealand -
Mohammed Shami became first Indian bowler to pick 7 wickets in a One Day International (ODI). Mohammad Shami also became India’s highest wicket-taker in ODI World Cups.
Virat Kohli became first batter to score 50 One Day International (ODI) centuries, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49 centuries.
During World Cup 2023 match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka player Angelo Mathews became first player to be timed out in an international cricket match.
India's Shubman Gill become fastest player to reach 2000 ODI runs, during World Cup match against New Zealand. He reached 2000-run milestone in 38 innings.
Australia's David Warner became fastest batter to complete 1000 runs in ODI World Cup.
India's Rohit Sharma became first player to hit 50 sixes in the ODI World Cup.
Appointments -
ICC had named India's Sachin Tendulkar as Global Ambassador for Cricket World Cup 2023.
Former Indian Cricketer Ajay Jadeja was named Afghanistan's team mentor for World Cup 2023.
Nov 20 is observed by UN as World Children's Day, with 2023 themeFor every child, every right.
Nov 20 is also observed by UN as Africa Industrialization Day.
Luc Frieden has been named new Prime Minister of Luxembourg (Western Europe).
Javier Milei has been elected as new president of Argentina (South America).
India-Australia 2+2 Dialogue held in new Delhi.
India was represented by Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. While Australia was represented by visiting Defence Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
General News /Events (Nov 11-20, 2023) -
Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit held in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), to discuss cessation possibilities of ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.
International Conference on Plant Health Management (ICPHM) 2023 held in Hyderabad, organized by Plant Protection Association of India (PPAI).
India hosted 2nd Voice of Global South Summit in virtual format, connecting 125 countries of Global South to share their perspectives and priorities on a common platform.
India had earlier hosted inaugural Voice of Global South Summit in January 2023, in virtual format.
Kochi (Kerala) named only Indian city in Condé Nast Traveller’s list of 11 best destinations in Asia for 2024.
As a boost for India’s wildlife and ecosystem conservation efforts, India has been removed from Review of Significant Trade (RST) for Red Sanders tree, During Standing Committee meet in Geneva of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). This will help in motivating farmers to grow more red sanders trees as a source of sustainable income.
6th High-Level Meeting of India-OPEC Energy Dialogue held at OPEC Secretariat in Vienna (Austria), attended by Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on India's behalf.
10th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) held in Indonesian capital Jakarta, attended by Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh on India's behalf.
India hosted 33rd Conference of World Organisation for Animal Health Representation (WOAH) Regional Commission for Asia and the Pacific, at New Delhi.
President Droupadi Murmu launched National Education Campaign – New Education for New India, organized by Brahma Kumaris, at Sambalpur (Odisha).
Ministry of Tourism organized 11th edition of International Tourism Mart 2023 (ITM) in Shillong (Meghalaya).
J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha launched Gyanodaya Express – College on Wheels train at Katra Railway Station, as a mobile educational initiative that aims to empower female students from universities across UT.
New Delhi-based India's oldest think-tank United Service Institution of India (established - 1870), organized its Annual UN Forum 2023 in New Delhi, with theme International Humanitarian Law and Peacekeeping.
Inaugural State Educational Achievement Survey (SEAS) 2023 conducted by Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development (PARAKH), the national assessment regulator.
The survey aimed to identify areas for improvement in student learning across various grades.
2023 ATP Finals Men's tennis (Turin, Italy) -
About - It was season-ending event for highest-ranked singles players and doubles teams on 2023 ATP Tour.
Winners -
Singles - Novak Djokovic (Serbia).
He defeated Jannik Sinner (Italy). With this win, Djokovic went past Roger Federer's record of Most ATP Singles Titles, as his 7th title.
2023 Asian Table Tennis Championships (Hosted in South Korea) -
Men's -
Gold - Ma Long (China)
Silver - Fan Zhendong (China)
Women's -
Gold - Wang Manyu (China)
Silver - Sun Yingsha (China)
Medal Table -
Rank
Nation
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Total
1
China
7
5
3
15
2
South Korea
0
1
5
6
3
Chinese Taipei
0
1
2
3
4
Japan
0
0
2
2
5
Hong Kong
0
0
1
1
India
0
0
1
1
India's only medal was a Bronze, won by Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, in Men's team event.
Nov 21 is observed as World Fisheries Day.
On this occaison -
Department of Fisheries organized Global Fisheries Conference India 2023, at Gujarat Science City in Ahmedabad.
Best States (fisheries production) were honored -
Inland - Uttar Pradesh
Marine - Andhra Pradesh
Himalayan and North Eastern - Assam
Nov 21 is also observed by UN as World Television Day.
NITI Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) launched new accelerator called Rapid Innovation and Startup Expansion (RISE), to support Australian and Indian circular economy startups.
It has been delivered in partnership between CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency.
Book Do Palkon Ki Chhavn Main by Hema Joshi has been released.
Deepti Babuta became first woman to win Dhahan Prize, the largest international literary award for fiction in Punjabi language.
She won the award for her short story collection Bhukh Eon Sah Laindi Hai.
Conferred by Canada-India education society, the award carries cash prize of $25000 CAD.
Govt named Vinay M. Tonse as a Managing Director of State Bank of India (SBI).
SBI board has 4 MDs (others being C S Setty, Ashwini Kumar Tewari & Alok Kumar Choudhary) & Chairman (Dinesh Kumar Khara).
Uttar Pradesh govt imposed ban on production, storage, distribution and sale of halal certified products within state. It encompasses a wide range of edible and external use items.
Halal / Haram - In Islam, products are certified as Halal, marking them usable by muslims. The marking isnt based on quality / safety standards, but is solely determined by islamic traditional beliefs. This leads to confusion about food quality, and potentially violates government rules.
The ban aims to address these concerns and ensure that certification is done exclusively by authorized bodies only, like Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
Tamil Writer Perumal Murugan won JCB Award for Literature 2023 for his novel Fire Bird, which was translated into English by Janani Kannan. Perumal Murugan received award trophy and cash prize of 25 lakh rupees, while Janani Kannan received award money of 10 lakh rupees.
About -
JCB Prize for Literature was established in 2018, given to a distinguished work of fiction by an Indian writer working in English or translated fiction by an Indian writer.
It includes cash prize of 25 lakh, funded by English construction manufacturing group JCB. Additional 10 lakh prize money is given to the translator.
Notable data from RBI's Handbook of Statistics on Indian States 2022-23 -
Top 3 states / UTs in terms of -
Sex ratio (2011) - Kerala (1084), Puducherry (1037), Tamil Nadu (996)
Literacy Rate (2011) - Kerala (94), Lakshadweep (91.85), Mizoram (91.33)
Maternal Mortality Ratio (2018-20) - Kerala (19), Maharashtra (33), Telangana (43)
Tree Cover -Maharashtra (12108 sq km), Rajasthan (8733), Karnataka (7494)
Installed Capacity of Power (2022-23) - Gujarat (45913), Maharashtra (45546 MW), Rajasthan (38999)
Total installed capacity of grid-interactive renewable power (2022) - Rajasthan (17041 MW), Gujarat (16588 MW), Tamil Nadu (16099 MW)
Central Council for Research in Ayurveda Sciences (CCRAS) launched Ayurveda Gyan Naipunya Initiative (AGNI), for physicians practicing in field of Ayurveda, to promote research for mainstreaming pragmatic Ayurveda practices through scientific validation and evidence-based appraisal.
AGNI aims to provide a platform to Ayurveda practitioners for reporting their innovative practices & and experiences in various disease conditions.
CCRAS will document and publish reported medical practices and therapeutic regimens for academic purposes, in consultation with NCISM(National Commission for Indian System of Medicine).
Girish Chandra Murmu (Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India), has been elected as vice-chair of UN Panel of External Auditors.
The independent body is composed of representatives from 12 countries, to conduct financial, performance, and compliance audits of UN entities, ensuring transparency and accountability.
Kerala's Responsible Tourism Mission & Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra) have been included in United Nations World Tourism Organisation's (UNWTO) list of case studies, emphasizing innovative approach to grassroots development, and aligning tourism with UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
As per Times Global Employability University Rankings 2023 -
Top 5 universities globally -
California Institute of Technology (US)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US)
Stanford University (US)
University of Cambridge (UK)
Harvard University (US)
Indian Universities in List -
IIT Delhi is top ranked Indian University in List (placed 27th globally), followed by IISc (55), IIT Bombay (62). 9 Indian universities have been named in top 250.
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) announced Champions of the Earth Awards 2023 -
Policy Leadership -
Mayor Josefina Belmonte of Quezon City (Philippines) .
Inspiration and Action -
Ellen MacArthur Foundation (UK)
Entrepreneurial Vision -
Blue Circle (China) - Uses blockchain / internet of things technology to monitor full lifecycle of plastic pollution. It has collected over 10700 tonnes of marine debris, making it China’s largest marine plastic waste programme.
Jose Manuel Moller (Chile) - Founder of Algramo, a social enterprise dedicated to providing refill services that reduce plastic pollution and lower the costs of everyday essentials.
Science and Innovation -
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (South Africa) - Uses cutting-edge technology and multidisciplinary research to develop innovations to tackle plastic pollution and other issues.
India hosted Virtual G20 Leaders’ Summit, as part of its 2023 G20 Presidency.
On this occasion -
PM Narendra Modi launched 2 India-led initiatives - Global Digital Public Infrastructure Repository and a Social Impact Fund (SIF).
Global Digital Public Infrastructure Repository (GDPIR) -
G20 Digital Economy Working Group’s efforts culminated in first-ever multilateral consensus on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), endorsing 3 DPI deliverables -
Framework for building DPI.
Mobilizing finances for DPI development in Low-and Middle-Income Countries.
Creation of GDPIR, for exchange of information and best practices.
Under this, India's MeitY has developed GDPIR, as a resource hub, to bridge knowledge gap in choices / methodologies required for design, construction, deployment, and governance of DPIs.
Social Impact Fund (SIF) -
India has pledged an initial commitment of 25 million USD to SIF, which is a govt led initiative to fast-track DPI implementation in global south.
This fund will offer financial support to provide upstream technical and non-technical assistance to countries in developing DPI systems.
Notably -
Under India's G20 Presidency in 2023, India had hosted G20 Summit 2023, at newly built Bharat Mandapam International Exhibition-Convention Centre (Pragati Maidan) in New Delhi.
During New Delhi G20 Summit 2023, PM Narendra Modi had announced that India would also be hosting a virtual G20 Leaders’ Summit prior to conclusion of India’s G20 Presidency (on 30 Nov 2023).
2023 World Wushu Championships (Fort Worth, Texas, USA) -
Medal Table -
Rank
Nation
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Total
1
China
15
0
0
15
2
Vietnam
5
3
3
11
3
Macau
5
2
4
11
4
Hong Kong
3
2
3
8
5
Singapore
2
4
2
8
With 3 Medals (1 Silver, 2 Bronze), India ranked 18th.
Silver - Roshibina Devi Naorem (60 kg women's sanda)
Bronze - Kushal Kumar (48 kg men's sanda), Chhavi (48 kg women's sanda)
2023 Asian Archery Championships ( Bangkok, Thailand) -
Medal Table -
Rank
Nation
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Total
1
South Korea
6
2
3
11
2
India
3
1
3
7
3
Kazakhstan
1
2
0
3
4
China
0
2
1
3
Chinese Taipei
0
2
1
3
6
Thailand
0
1
0
1
7
Indonesia
0
0
1
1
Japan
0
0
1
1
Indian Medalists -
Gold -
Parneet Kaur (Women's individual compound)
Women's Team Compound (Aditi Swami, Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Parneet Kaur)
Notably, Asian Para Archery Championships 2023 were also held alongside (in Bangkok), in which India won 9 medals (4 Gold, 4 Silver, 1 Bronze).
Rakesh Sharma won 3 Gold (Compound Men Open, Compound Men Open Team & Compound Mixed Open Team).
Nov 24 is observed as Martyrdom Day of 9th Guru of Sikhs, Guru Teg Bahadur. He was executed on November 24, 1675, on orders of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
Also, World Health Organization observes Global Antimicrobial Awareness Week between November 18 - 24.
Also, Nov 24 is observed as Lachit Divas in several parts of India, Mainly in Assam.
It marks birth anniversary of Lachit Borphukan, a commander in Ahom kingdom. He was known for his leadership in 1671 Battle of Saraighat, when Ahom Kingdom defeated Mughal forces led by Ram Singh I.
London-based International Sugar Organisation named India as its Chair for 2024.
Notably -
India is world’s largest producer and consumer of sugar, and 2nd largest exporter of sugar.
India is also 3rd largest in terms of ethanol production (after USA and Brazil). Ethanol blending percentage in India has increased from 5% in 2019-20 to 12% in 2022-23.
Book Thread by Thread: The S.Kumar's Story, by Sathya Saran has been released.
Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) named Anish Shah (Mahindra Group CEO) as its President, for term 2023-24.
Afghanistan announced permanent closure of its embassy in New Delhi, citing persistent challenges from Indian government.
Nov 25 is Marked by UN as International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. 2023 Theme is UNiTE! Activism to End Violence against Women & Girls!.
On November 25 in 1960, three Mirabal sisters were assassinated upon orders from Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo. In 1981, activists from Caribbean Feminist Encuentros marked November 25 as day to raise awareness of violence against women. In 1999, this date received official UN adaption.
Also, Uttar Pradesh govt declared to observe November 25 as no non-veg day, in commemoration of birth anniversary of vegetarian lifestyle acticvist Sadhu TL Vaswani.
Nov 19 - 25 is observed as Qaumi Ekta Week In india, to foster spirit of Communal Harmony -
November 19 - National Integration Day (Birth Anniversary of Indira Gandhi)
November 20 - Welfare of Minorities Day
November 21 - Linguistic Harmony Day.
November 22 - Weaker Sections Day
November 23 - Cultural Unity Day
November 24 - Women’s Day.
November 25 - Conservation Day.
Also, UNESCO World Heritage Week is observed annually between November 19 - 25.
4 Indian women have been named in British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) 100 Women list 2023, including Actress Dia Mirza, Cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur, Photographer Arati KumarRao, and Tibetan Buddhist nun Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo.
RBI extended Payments Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) scheme by 2 years, till December 31, 2025.
It will now also include beneficiaries of PM Vishwakarma scheme.
PIDF Scheme was operationalised in January 2021 for 3 years, to incentivise deployment of payment acceptance infrastructure in tier-3 to tier-6 cities, NE states and UTs of J&K and Ladakh.
Beneficiaries of PM SVANidhi Scheme in Tier-1 and 2 centres were later included in scheme.
As of now, over 2.7 crore new touch-points have been deployed under the Scheme.
World's first 3D printed temple has been set up at Burugupally in Siddipet dsitrict (Telangana).
It has been built by Hyderabad-based Apsuja Infratech in collaboration with additive manufacturing solutions provider Simpliforge Creations.
World's largest single-site solar power plant has been launched in United Arab Emirates, as 2-gigawatt Al Dhafra Solar Photovoltaic Independent Power Project (IPP).
It will generate enough electricity to power 200000 homes, and will displace 2.4 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually.
Warren Buffett-led Berkshire Hathaway divested its entire 2.46% stake in India's One 97 Communications (Paytm parent).
Selling at average price of Rs 877.2 per share, the transaction resulted in Rs 507 crores loss for Berkshire Hathaway.
Nov 26 is observed as National Milk Day In India, to commemorate birth anniversary of Dr. Verghese Kurien, father of India’s White Revolution.
First National Milk Day was celebrated on 26 November 2014, marked by Indian Dairy Association (IDA).
Dr. Kurien is also famous for his ‘Operation Flood’, world’s largest agricultural development program. He established 30 institutions which are run by various farmers and workers and played a key role in establishment and success of Amul brand.
India is world’s largest milk producer, with 24 percent of global production, followed by USA, Pakistan, China and Brazil.
Nov 26 is observed as Constitution Day in India (Samvidhan Divas). It commemorates adoption of the Constitution of India on 26 November 1949 by Indian Constituent Assembly. However, the Indian Constitution came into force on 26 January 1950.
Government declared observing 26 November as Constitution Day in 2015, as 2015 represented 125th birth anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar, who had chaired the drafting committee of Constituent Assembly. Previously, Nov 26 was celebrated as National Law Day.
On this occasion, President Droupadi Murmu revealed a statue of Dr B R Ambedkar within Supreme Court premises.
Nov 26, 2023 has been observed as first-ever World Sustainable Transport Day by UN.
Nov 26, 2023 observed as NCC Day, marking 75th edition in 2023.
NCC (National Cadet Corps) was formed on 15th July 1948. However, NCC day is observed on 4th Sunday of November, as it was on that day in 1948 that first NCC units were raised in Delhi.
Govt named Saurabh Kumar as next Ambassador of India to Belgium. He will also be accredited as Ambassador of India to the European Union.
Red Bull's Dutch-Belgian F1 Racer Max Verstappen won season ending Abu Dhabi (UAE) Grand Prix 2023.
Notably -
It is Max Verstappen's record extending 19th victory of 2023 F1 Season.
Also, Max Verstappen has already won 2023 F1 Season title (his 3rd F1 title).
F1 Season 2023 -
Grand Prix
Winner
Race date
Bahrain Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
5 March
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Sergio Pérez (Mexico)
19 March
Australian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
2 April
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Sergio Pérez (Mexico)
30 April
Miami Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
7 May
Monaco Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
28 May
Spanish Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
4 June
Canadian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
18 June
Austrian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
2 July
British Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
9 July
Hungarian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
23 July
Belgian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
30 July
Dutch Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
27 August
Italian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
3 September
Singapore Grand Prix
Carlos Sainz Jr. (France)
17 September
Japanese Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
24 September
Qatar Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
8 October
United States Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
22 October
Mexico City Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
29 October
São Paulo Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
5 November
Las Vegas Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
18 November
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)
26 November
Nov 27 is observed as National Organ Donation Day in India.
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba group’s investment arm Alipay exited India's Zomato, by selling its 3.44 % stake at an average price of ₹112.70 per share (Approx 3337 crores).
However, Alibaba Group still owns 6.39 % stake in Zomato, through Antfin Singapore Holding Pte. Ltd.
Indian Railways developed AI-based software called Gajraj, to prevent collisions between trains and elephants.
The indigenous software uses optical fiber cable (OFC) to detect and alert the locomotive pilot of any suspicious activity near or on the rail tracks.
Winners of Infosys Prize 2023 announced by Infosys Science Foundation (ISF)
-
Engineering & Computer Sciences - Sachchida Nand Tripathi (IIT Kanpur), for deployment of large-scale sensor-based air quality network and mobile laboratory for hyper local measurements of pollution, data generation and analysis using AI+ML.
Humanities - Jahnavi Phalkey (Science Gallery Bengaluru), for her insights into individual, institutional, and material histories of scientific research in modern India.
Life Sciences - Arun Kumar Shukla (IIT Kanpur), for his contributions to biology of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), a key component of cell function..
Mathematical Sciences - Bhargav Bhatt (University of Michigan, USA), for his contributions to arithmetic geometry and commutative algebra.
Physical Sciences - Mukund Thattai (NCBS Bengaluru), for his contributions to evolutionary cell biology.
Social Science - Karuna Mantena (Columbia University, USA) for her research on theory of imperial rule.
Infosys Prize is an annual award given by the Infosys Science Foundation, being conferred since 2008. Prize includes prize money of $100,000.
Italy won Davis Cup 2023 Tennis title, after Jannik Sinner (Italy) defeated Australia’s Alex de Minaur in finals.
This is Italy's first Davis Cup title since 1976.
Davis Cup is premier international team event in men's tennis, contested annually between teams from competing countries in a knock-out format, touted as World Cup of Tennis.
ISSF World Cup 2023 Finals (Held in Doha (Qatar)) -
Calendar for 2023 ISSF World Cup included 12 stages, followed by Finals held in Doha (Qatar).
Overall Medal Table -
Rank
Nation
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Total
1
China
18
13
12
43
2
United States
10
7
3
20
3
Hungary
9
7
1
17
4
India
8
5
12
25
5
Italy
8
5
8
21
Indian Gold Medalists during ISSF World Cup 2023 -
Elavenil Valarivan - Women's 10m Air Rifle (Rio de Janeiro)
Narmada Nitin Raju & Rudrankksh Patil - Mixed team 10m Air Rifle (Cairo)
Pistol Events -
Sarabjot Singh - Men's 10m Air Pistol (Bhopal)
Rhythm Sangwan & Varun Tomar - Mixed team 10m Air Pistol (Cairo)
Sarabjot Singh & Divya Thadigol Subbaraju - Mixed team 10m Air Pistol (Baku)
Shotgun Events -
Mairaj Ahmad Khan & Ganemat Sekhon - Mixed Team Skeet (Cairo)
Notably, Anish Bhanwala won bronze medal in men’s 25m rapid fire pistol event at ISSF World Cup Final 2023 in Doha (Qatar). This was India’s first medal in 25m rapid fire pistol event in history of ISSF World Cup, and only Indian individual medal at the Doha meet.
Irish novelist Paul Lynch won 2023 Booker Prize for his novel Prophet Song.
About -
Earlier, the prize was called Booker–McConnell Prize (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019).
It is a literary prize awarded each year for best novel written in English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland. It includes monetary award of £50,000.
Notably -
Booker Prize is different from Similar sounding International Booker Prize.
International Booker Prize was announced in 2004, as International version of Booker Prize. Between 2005 - 2015, the award was given every two years to a living author of any nationality for work published in English or generally available in English translation.
Since 2016, the award has been given annually to a single book translated into English and published in UK/Ireland, with £50,000 prize for winning title, shared equally between author and translator.
Bulgarian author Georgi Gospodinov had won International Booker Prize 2023, for his Novel Time Shelter.
Nov 28 is observed globally as Red Planet day, Commemorating Nov 28, 1964 when USA launched space probe Mariner 4 towards Mars.
54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) held in Goa -
British film Catching Dust by Stuart Gatt was Opening feature film, and American film The Featherweight by Robert Kolodny was Closing feature film.
Awards -
Best Film (Golden Peacock Award) - Iranian Film Endless Borders, by Abbas Amini.
Award carries cash prize of ₹40 lakh (US$50,000), shared equally between the director and producer.
Silver Peacock -
Best Director: Stephan Komandarev (for Blaga's Lessons) (Bulgaria). Comprises cash prize of ₹15 lakh (US$19,000).
Other awards -
Best Actor: Pouria Rahimi Sam (for Endless Borders) (Iran). Comprises cash prize of ₹10 lakh (US$13,000).
Best Actress: Mélanie Thierry (for Party of Fools) (France). Comprises cash prize of ₹10 lakh (US$13,000).
Special Jury Award - Rishab Shetty (for Kantara). Comprises cash prize of ₹15 lakh (US$19,000).
Best Debut Director: Rêger Azad Kaya (for When The Seedlings Grow) (Turkey). Comprises cash prize of ₹10 lakh (US$13,000).
Best Web Series Award (NEWLY INTRODUCED)- Panchayat Season 2
ICFT UNESCO Gandhi Medal - Drift (Directed by Anthony Chen)
Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award - Michael Douglas (US)
Special Recognition for Contribution to Bharatiya Cinema Award (Earlier called Indian Film Personality of the Year) - Madhuri Dixit
Jury -
International Jury headed by Shekhar Kapur.
Feature Film Jury headed by T S Nagabharana
Non-feature film Jury headed by Arvind Sinha
Notably -
Odh, a short film about receding beach lines of Goa, won best film award in 75 Creative Minds of Tomorrow initiative. It included creating a short film in 48 hours on theme Mission Life.
PM Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated 10000th Jan Aushadhi Kendra, at AIIMS Deoghar. He also launched -
Program to increase number of Jan Aushadhi Kendras in country from 10000 to 25000.
Pradhan Mantri Mahila Kisan Drone Kendra, under Drone Didi Scheme.
Under it, Drones will be provided to 15000 Women Self Help Groups (SHGs), with outlay of 1261 Crores, between 2024-25 to 2025-26.
Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Zubin Irani launched -
Guide on Gender-Inclusive Communication, prepared by LBSNAA in collaboration with UN WOMEN and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The Guide provides recommendations on use of Gender-Inclusive language that avoids bias towards a particular sex or social gender, to convey or amplify gender stereotypes.
Anganwadi Protocol for Divyang Children, under Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi program of Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0.
Through this protocol, every district administration will be guided in addressing special needs for education and nutrition, providing Swavlamban Cards for empowerment of divyang children and their families.
Defence Acquisition Council (chaired by Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh) approved Acceptance of Necessity (AoNs) for various Capital Acquisition Proposals amounting to 2.23 lakh crore, with acquisition worth 98% of total AoN amount to be sourced from domestic industries. Notable approvals include -
Towed Gun System (TGS) for Army, to replace Indian Field Gun (IFG) that has completed service life.
Surface-to-Surface Missile Medium Range Anti-Ship Missiles (MRAShM), for surface platform of Indian Navy.
Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) for Indian Air Force (IAF) & Indian Army and Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk 1A for IAF, from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Su-30 MKI Aircraft will also be upgraded indigenously by HAL.
Also, to maximise indigenisation, DAC has approved an amendment in Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 -
Henceforth, in all categories of procurement cases, minimum 50% of indigenous content shall be in the form of material, components & software that are manufactured in India.
For all procurement cases with AoN cost upto 300 crore, registered MSMEs / start-ups will be considered for issue of Request for Proposal (RFP) without any stipulation of financial parameters (relaxable for AoN upto 500 crores on case-to-case basis).
Loans Approved by Asian Development Bank (ADB) for India (In Nov 2023) -
$400 million - To support India's urban reform agenda for creating high quality urban infrastructure, improving service delivery, and promoting efficient governance systems.
$250 million - To strengthen India’s power sector by improving financial sustainability and facilitating the shift to renewable energy.
$125 million - With L&T Finance, to support financing in rural and peri-urban areas in India, particularly for women borrowers.
$170 million - To support modernization of water supply services in city of Kochi in Kerala, helping improve quality of urban life and build climate resilience.
$500 million - To improve access to quality and affordable tertiary health care and medical education in Maharashtra.
$6.5 million - With Greenway Grameen Infra Private Limited,; to produce and distribute 1 million improved cookstoves to rural households in India’s Madhya Pradesh and Odisha states.
The financing also includes a $3.25 million first-loss liquidity reserve from the Climate Innovation and Development Fund (CIDF).
$100 million -To improve urban services and tourism facilities in Tripura.
Nov 29 is observed by UN as International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
Nov 29 is also observed as International Jaguar Day.
Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) conducted simultaneous launch of Mahe, Malvan and Mangrol, as first 3 of 8 ships being built for Indian Navy, by CSL under Project ASW Shallow Water Craft.
Under this project, 8 ships are being made by each of Cochin Shipyard (CSL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE). Ships under this project will have over 80% indigenous content.
Ships being made under the project -
By Cochin Shipyard (CSL) -
Launched - Mahe, Malwan, Mangrol
Under Construction - Malpe, Mulki
Other 3 ships are yet to be named.
By GRSE -
Launched - Arnala, Anjadip, Amini, Androth
Other 4 ships are yet to be named.
Notably -
Androth has been claimed to be most silent ship in Indian Navy.
Amini was launched recently in Nov 2023.
Cabinet Approvals (Nov 29, 2023)
General -
Approved Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN), with outlay of 24104 crores (Central Share 15336 crore and State Share 8768 crore), to focus on 11 critical interventions through 9 line Ministries, for welfare of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
It was announced by PM Narendra Modi on November 15 (Janjatiya Gaurav Divas), aiming to benefit and saturate families and habitations with basic facilities.
There are 75 PVTGs in 18 States / UTs living in 22544 villages (220 districts), having population of around 28 lakhs.
Other mesures to be taken under Mission -
Ministry of Ayush will set up Ayush Wellness Centre as per existing norms and Ayush facilities will be extended to PVTG habitations through Mobile Medical Units.
Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship will facilitate skill and vocational training in PVTG habitations, Multipurpose centres and hostels as per suitable skills of these communities.
Approved extension of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) by 5 years (effective Jan 01, 2024 ), to provide free food grains (rice , wheat and coarse grains/millets) to 81.35 crore beneficiaries across nation. It will include cost of approx 11.80 lakh crores over 5 years
PMGKAY was announced by govt on March 26, 2020, during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in India, as largest food security program in world benefiting 81.35 crore people.
It aims to feed BPL Families of India by providing grain through Public Distribution System, including 5 kg of rice or wheat per person and 1 kg of dal to each family.
Approved Central Sector Scheme named Drone Didi, for providing Drones to Women Self Help Groups (SHGs), with outlay of 1261 Crores, for period 2024-25 to 2025-26.
Under it -
Drones will be provided to 15000 Women SHGs during the period, for providing rental services to farmers for agriculture purpose.
Central Financial Assistance @ 80% of cost of drone and accessories charges up to 8 Lakh will be provided to women SHGs for purchase of drones. Cluster Level Federation (CLFs) of SHGs may raise balance amount as loan under National Agriculture Infra Financing Facility (AIF), with Interest subvention @ 3%.
Considering difficulties which SHGs may face in procuring/repair/maintenance of drones, Lead Fertilizer Companies (LFCs) will act as bridge between drone suppliers and SHGs. LFCs will also promote use of Nano Fertilizers such as Nano Urea and Nano DAP by drones with SHGs.
Approved continuation of Fast Track Special Court (FTSCs) as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS), from 01-04-2023 to 31-03-2026.
It will have outlay 1952 crores (1207 crore as Central Share and 745 crore as State share). Central Share is to be funded from Nirbhaya Fund. Scheme was launched on 02-10-2019.
About -
FTSCs were set up under Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2018, to ensure swift dispensation of justice, offering quick relief to victims while strengthening deterrence framework for sexual offenders.
Approved Terms of Reference for 16th Finance Commission, which would cover period of 5 years commencing April 1, 2026. Commission shall make its report available by 31st October 2025.
About -
Earlier one, the 15th Finance Commission (Chaired by NK Singh) was constituted on November 27, 2017. It made recommendations covering 6 years commencing 1st April, 2020. Recommendations of 15th Finance Commission are valid upto FY 26 (2025-26).
Article 280(1) of Constitutions lays down modalities for setting up of a Finance Commission.
9th edition of Joint India-Sri lanka military exercise MITRA SHAKTI 2023 held in Aundh (Pune), with participation of Army and Air Force from both nations.
Angkor Wat (Cambodia) has been named 8th Wonder of the World, leaving behind Pompeii (Italy).
Built in 12th century by Hindu King Suryavarman II, Angkor Wat was originally dedicated to the Hindu deity Vishnu. However, overtime, it transformed into a Buddhist temple. Guinness World Records considers it as largest religious structure in the world.
CM Yogi Adityanath launched Hot Cooked Meal Scheme in Uttar Pradesh, providing nutritious meals to children aged 3 to 6 years at Anganwadis. It will provide 70 grams of food grains per beneficiary per day, in the form of hot-cooked meals.
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launched AMA Bank scheme, for providing banking services through CSP Plus banking outlets in all unbanked Gram Panchayats in state, in collaboration with 6 public sector banks.
Ama Bank is a low cost brick and mortar micro bank branch which sits between a BC (Banking Correspondent) and a small bank branch, and will provide all necessary banking services.
Under it, State government will provide rent free banking space for 5 years. It will also bear one-time expenses for Fixed Cost & Recurring expenses for 3 years.
Provision of 500 Crore has been made for this scheme.
Uttar Pradesh Govt approved setting up of India's first Telecom Center of Excellence, at IIT Roorkee (Saharanpur Campus).
The center will focus on intersection of 5G technology and artificial intelligence (AI) and will lay groundwork for launch of 6G technology.
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation's National Statistical Office released Estimates of GDP growth for Quarter Jul-Sep 2023-24 (Q2 FY24) -
Real GDP or GDP at Constant (2011-12) Prices -
GDP estimated at 41.74 lakh crores in Q2 FY24 (2023-24), as against 38.78 lakh crore in Q2FY 23 (2022-23), showing growth of 7.6 %.
GDP Growth for last 5 Quarters -
Q1 FY 24 (2023-24) - 7.8 %
Q4 FY 23 (2022-23) - 6.1 %
Q3 FY 23 (2022-23) - 4.4 %
Q2 FY 23 (2022-23) - 6.3 %
Q1 FY 23 (2022-23) - 13.5 %
Nominal GDP or GDP at Current Prices -
GDP Growth in Q2 FY24 (2023-24) came to be 9.1 %.
Visits to India (Nov 2023) -
Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck - Bhutan’s King.
Sylvestre Radegonde - Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism of Seychelles.
Zambry Abdul Kadir - Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia.
Jason Clare - Australian Education Minister.
Visits from India (Nov 2023) -
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal visited USA -
During the visit, an MOU was signed Between India and US, on Enhancing Innovation Ecosystems through an Innovation Handshake under framework of India – U.S. Commercial Dialogue.
Innovation Handshake was established during state visit of PM Narendra Modi to US in June 2023.
MoU aims to connect the two sides’ dynamic startup ecosystems and share best practices, particularly in critical and emerging technologies (CET) as identified under India US initiative for Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET).
Attended 3rd Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) Ministerial Meeting in San Francisco (California).
At the Meeting, IPEF member nations signed IPEF Supply Chain Agreement.
About -
IPEF was launched in May 2022 at Tokyo, with 14 partner countries. It seeks to strengthen economic engagement among partner countries, to advance growth, peace and prosperity in the region.
The framework is structured around 4 pillars relating to Trade (Pillar I); Supply Chains (Pillar II); Clean Economy (Pillar III); and Fair Economy (Pillar IV). India had joined Pillars II to IV of IPEF, while it has an observer status in Pillar-I.
Education and Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan visited UAE. During the visit -
Agreement signed between India's NSDC International and We One (DP World subsidiary), for long term recruitment of skilled manpower.
Announced to open CBSE India's regional office in Dubai, to benefit Indian diaspora.
During External Affairs minister S Jaishankar's visit to Italy, 2 Agreements were signed - on Migration and Mobility Partnership, and Executive Programme on Cultural Cooperation for period 2023-27.
General News / Events (Nov 21-30, 2023) -
Hamfest (Amateur radio) India 2023 held at Science City, Ahmedabad (Gujarat).
Education and Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan laid foundation stone for National Skill Training Institutes (NSTI) Plus at Jatni (Odisha).
ASEAN-India Millet Festival 2023 held in South Jakarta (Indonesia).
India Water Impact Summit 2023 (IWIS) held at Dr Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi.
Meghalaya Govt launched Water Smart Kid Campaign under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), to create awareness about water conservation amongst children.
Tripartite peace agreement has been signed between Central govt, Manipur govt and United National Liberation Front (UNLF), the oldest valley-based armed group of Manipur.
To boost local economy, Jammu and Kashmir administration approved establishment of 4 new industrial estates - Budhi (Kathua), Chandgam (Pulwama), Lelhar (Pulwama) & Medicity Jammu (Jammu).
Nepal became first South Asian country to formally register a case of same-sex marriage.
In 2007, Nepal’s Supreme Court allowed same-sex marriage, which was followed by a Constitution amendment in 2015, that prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Govt launched first-ever tranche auction of critical and strategic minerals, including 20 blocks of critical and strategic minerals across country to be auctioned.
Mines Ministry had recentlty released first ever report on Critical Minerals for India, which identified 30 critical minerals, taking into account requirements of various key sectors such as renewable energy, defence, agriculture, pharmaceutical, high-tech electronics, telecommunications and transport.
Maharashtra govt announced to name a street in Andheri West (Mumbai) after Vikram Chandrakant Gokhale, as a tribute to late National Award-winning actor-director.
Nov 30 is observed by UN as Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare.
Govt announced phased introduction of blending compressed biogas with natural gas, to boost domestic demand and cut dependence on natural gas imports.
Mandatory introduction will start at 1% for use in automobiles and households from April 2025, to be increased to 5% by 2028.
Book Pranab, My Father: A Daughter Remembers authored by Sharmishtha Mukherjee (Former President Pranab Mukherjee's daughter) has been released.
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) announced relaxing fundraising norms for Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) on social stock exchanges -
Reduced minimum issue size of Zero Coupon Zero Principal Instruments from one crore rupees to 50 lakh rupees.
Minimum investment amount for investors has also been reduced from 2 lakh rupees to 10 thousand rupees.
SEBI also approved amendments to SEBI (Real Estate Investment Trusts) Regulations 2014 (REIT Regulations) to create a new regulatory framework for small and medium REITs.
These REITs can have an asset value of at least Rs 50 crore, versus current minimum asset value of 500 crore for existing REITs.
Govt rebranded Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs) as Ayushman Arogya Mandir, with tagline Arogyam Parmam Dhanam.
Book India's Moment: Changing Power Equations around the World, by Mohan Kumar (O P Jindal Global University) has been released, in London.
