National
1. The Community Innovator Fellowship application was initiated on 1st December 2022. Community Innovator Fellowship (CIF) is an initiative of the Atal Innovation Mission. It is being implemented in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India.
2. The state government of West Bengal announced 'Graded Response Action Plan' (GRAP) after Kolkata's air quality worsened significantly during the last week of November. 'Graded Response Action Plan' (GRAP) aims to combat increasing air pollution in Kolkata and other non-attainment cities like Howrah, Barrackpore, Durgapur, Haldia and Asansol.
3. The 7th edition of the Global Technology Summit (GTS) was held from 29th November to 1st December in New Delhi. The seventh edition of Global Technology Summit was held this year in hybrid format. It was co-hosted by the Ministry of External Affairs and Carnegie India.
4. In its recent amendment, the Central Government listed 15 government bodies that are required to share information with the Enforcement Directorate under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The list was amended in accordance with Section 66 of the PMLA.
5. The Registrar General of India released a special bulletin on Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR). It revealed that India achieved a significant milestone by reaching the National health policy (NHP) target for MMR. The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) is the number of maternal deaths during a specific time period per 1,00,000 live births during the same period.
6. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras and Australian Universities are collaborating to launch the Australia - India Centre for Energy (AICE) to work on the 2030 SDGs. The Australia - India Centre for Energy (AICE) is a virtual centre that will promote collaboration among universities, research institutes and industry from India and Australia in the energy domain.
7. President of India Droupadi Murmu is set to launch the "Open Loop Ticketing System" for the Haryana State Transport Corporation on the occasion of Gita Mahotsav 2022 in Kurukshetra. This will make Haryana the first state to introduce the open-loop ticketing system for roadways buses.
8. Bharti Airtel and Meta have decided to jointly invest in global connectivity infrastructure project that would extend the 2Africa Pearls (a subsea cable) to India. The 2Africa Pearls is one of the largest subsea cable systems in the world. Its purpose is to provide faster internet connectivity to over 3 billion people by connecting Africa, Europe and Asia.
9. The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has recently approved the Print and Digital Media Association (PADMA) as a self-regulatory body for publishers of news and current affairs across India. The Print and Digital Media Association (PADMA) is a self-regulatory body having 47 news publishers.
10. The state government of Maharashtra recently approved the formation of a separate government department for the divyang (differently abled). The announcement of this development came on the occasion of the International Day of Disabled Persons. This comes after 20 years of demand for a separate department for the welfare and security of differently abled people.
11. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal reviewed the progress of the real-time source apportionment project. The real-time source apportionment project is being implemented by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee in collaboration with IIT-Kanpur, IIT-Delhi and TERI.
12. TRAI has issued a consultation paper seeking public comments about the potential introduction of Calling Name Presentation (CNAP). The CNAP is a feature that provides information about the calling party so that call receivers can make informed decisions before attending income calls and curb harassment by unknown or spam calls.
13. The Rajya Sabha has recently passed the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2022 which makes changes in the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and give effect to India’s obligations to the CITES. The Bill was earlier passed by the Lok Sabha on 2nd August this year.
14. National Judicial Commission Bill, 2022 was introduced in the Rajya Sabha recently. The National Judicial Commission Bill is a private member Bill that proposes major reforms in the Indian Judiciary. Its key features include: Appointment of Judges, Removal of Judges and Transfer of Judges.
15. The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2022 is a 108 pages bill introduced in the Lok Sabha by the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal. The bill aims to promote ease of doing business in India by decriminalizing minor offences in 42 Acts administered by 19 ministries.
16. The University Grants Commission (UGC) recently held a high-level meeting with international publishers to discuss the possibility of translating undergraduate textbooks written in English in India's regional languages.
17. The Indian government has launched a new roadmap titled "Transmission System for Integration of over 500 GW RE Capacity by 2030". The objective of this roadmap is to connect mega solar parks and wind power zones with the national grid at an overall cost of Rs. 2.44 trillion.
18. The Indian Parliament has recently passed the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2022, which amends the Energy Conservation Act, 2001 and promote energy efficiency and conservation in India.
19. 2022 Hurun Global 500 list was released recently, with India ranking at the 5th position. The Hurun Global 500 list is a compilation of the world's top 500 most valuable non-state-controlled companies. It is released by the Hurun Research Institute. The companies in this list are ranked based on their market capitalization (for listed companies) and valuation (non-listed companies).
20. The Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2022 was introduced in Lok Sabha on 7th December this year. The bill amends the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act, 2002.
21. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Social Alpha to establish a SpaceTech Innovation Network (SpIN). Social Alpha is a multistage innovation curation and venture development platform supporting activities concerning science and technology.
22. On the occasion of National Energy Conservation Day (14th December), President Droupadi Murmu launched the EV-Yatra mobile application in New Delhi. The EV-Yatra mobile application was developed by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) to facilitate in-vehicle navigation to the nearest public charger for EV users.
23. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has scored enough votes in Gujarat in the recent elections to get the "national party" status. A national party is a political party having national presence, as opposed to regional party, whose presence is restricted to a specific region or a state.
24. The Wheebox India Skills Report 2023, which was released recently, found an increase in the employability of Indians over the past one year. The Wheebox India Skills Report 2023 was compiled by trade bodies, companies, educational institutions and others. These include CII, AICTE, AIU, Sunstone, Pearson, AWS, Economic Times and Taggd.
25. The Central Government has recently accorded "In Principle" approval for setting up 21 greenfield airports across India. A greenfield airport is one that is built from scratch on undeveloped land, where no work has been done in the past. This airport is built to minimize the congestion at the existing airports.
26. Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated the Goa-based All India Institute of Ayurveda. He also addressed the 9th World Ayurveda Congress (WAC) and Arogya Expo. All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) is a tertiary care facility situated in New Delhi.
27. The "Curriculum and credit framework for four-year undergraduate programmes" was released recently by the University Grants Commission (UGC). This new framework is in line with the National Education Policy 2020, which recommended four-year undergraduate degrees with multiple entry and exit options.
28. Social Progress Index 2022 was released recently. The Social Progress Index (SPI) for States and Districts, released recently by the Institute for Competitiveness and Social Progress Imperative, ranks states and districts based on the SPI scores under 6 tiers of social progress.
29. India is planning to launch HPV vaccine for preventing cervical cancer in 2023 for girls aged 9 to 14 years. Cervavac is a quadrivalent vaccine that is capable of preventing cervical cancer through the immunization process. It is India's first indigenously developed Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus vaccine (qHPV).
30. The "Toolkit on Enabling Gender Responsive Urban Mobility and Public Spaces in India" was launched at a session organized by the World Bank and the Chennai Urban Metropolitan Transport Authority. This toolkit has practical tools that can help policymakers and private or community-based organizations ensure safe and inclusive public spaces and public transport for women in India.
31. India-based Kalyani Group has launched India's first "green" steel brand called Kalyani Ferresta. Kalyani Ferresta brand steel is the first of its kind steel manufactured by a Pune-based steel company Kalyani Group. It is manufactured using renewable energy resources to bring zero carbon footprint in the environment.
32. Karnataka's government has introduced a new startup policy (2022 - 27) aiming to add around 10,000 startups to the states business ecosystem in the next five years, with a focus on high-growth startups. The policy, which was introduced on 22nd December 2022, aims to stimulate the growth of around 25,000 startups in the coming five years, particularly focusing on increasing the number of high-growth startups.
33. The Delhi government recently approved its draft Solar Policy 2022. The 2022 policy revises the installed capacity proposed by the 2016 policy from 2,000 MW to 6,000 MW by 2025 to increase the share of solar energy in Delhi's electricity demand from the current 9 percent to 25 percent in 3 years - the highest in India.
34. Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs has recently released the draft guidelines for a new ranking system of cities based on their financial performance and beautification. The City Finance Rankings aims to evaluate, recognize and reward urban local bodies based on 15 indicators across 3 financial parameters i.e., resource mobilization, expenditure performance and fiscal governance systems.
35. The book titled "India: Mother of Democracy" was released by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan recently. The book "India: the mother of democracy" aims to showcase the democratic ethos of India since the ancient times.
36. The Union Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways has published its annual report 'Road accidents in India 2021'. In 2021, there were 4,12,432 incidents of road accidents. These incidents have caused nearly 1.54 lakh deaths and injured over 3.84 lakh individuals.
37. The state government of Tamil Nadu has launched the Nilgiri Tahr project to conserve the state animal. The Nilgiri Tahr is an ungulate that is endemic to the southern portion of the Western and Eastern Ghats in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It is mainly found the Nilgiri Hills. It is the state animal of Tamil Nadu.
38. The Allahabad High Court had ordered the Uttar Pradesh Government to conduct urban local body elections without the OBC reservations as the "triple test" requirement for the quota has not been fulfilled. The state government has recently constituted a commission to conduct the tripe test survey in the urban local bodies.
39. The Election Commission of India (ECI) recently announced that it had commenced the process of delimitation of state assembly and parliamentary constituencies of Assam. The last delimitation in Assam happened in 1976. The current delimitation exercise is being conducted based on the 1971 Census.
40. Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of centrally protected monuments that have been illegally encroached. According to the Central Government, a total of 356 centrally protected monuments have been illegally encroached into across India. This is an increase from the 2019 figure of 321 protected monuments that have been infringed.
41. The Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comic (AVGC) Task Force has provided recommendations for the growth and promotion of the AVGC sector. The AVGC Task Force was set up under the chairmanship of the Secretary of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to help realize the full potential of India's AVGC sector by identifying interventions for boosting the domestic capacity that can serve the local and global markets.
42. Several parts of North India are experiencing severe cold waves. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) defines a cold wave in the plains of north India as a fall in the minimum temperature to 4.5°C with an overall temperature falling to below 10°C. In the hills, the cold wave is declared when the temperature reaches 0°C or less and the highest temperature is 4.5 - 6.4 degrees Celsius below normal.
43. The Union Ministry of Power and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set up early warning systems for vulnerable hydro projects or power stations in the hilly regions.
44. The Karnataka Legislative Assembly has passed The Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA) Bill, 2022 recently. The Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA) Bill, 2022 is applicable to the Urban Mobility Region of Bengaluru.
45. The Director General of National Archives of India has recently stated that the agency does not have records of 1962, 1965 and 1971 wars or even the Green Revolution. This is seen by historians as a ploy of successive governments to control the historic narrative as per their political interests.
46. The Union Labour Ministry is currently mulling to shift from the "minimum wages" to "living wages" in a bid to bring more people from poverty in the country. The term "living wage" is the theoretical income level that enables an individual or a family to afford adequate shelter, food, healthcare and other basic necessities.
47. Union Minister Shri Anurag Thakur has released the Official Government of India Calendar for the year 2023. The official calendar for the year 2023 has a collection of 12 images that depict the country's dynamic growth. Overall, this calendar reflects the Indian Government's vision of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas.
48. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has recently issued its recommendations on the "Renewal of Multi-System Operators (MSOs) Registration". Currently, the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994 does not have provisions for the renewal of the MSO registrations.
49. The election Commission of India (ECI) has developed a prototype for the Remote Electronic Voting Machine (RVM) aimed to facilitate voting for domestic migrants across India. The prototype of the RVM will be demonstrated to political parties on 16th January and if it is successful, it will allow domestic migrants to vote without having to travel back to their hometowns.
International
1. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras and Australian Universities are collaborating to launch the Australia - India Centre for Energy (AICE) to work on the 2030 SDGs. It will be launched during the two-day Energy Summit 2022 that will be hosted by IIT Madras in December 2022.
2. The fifth edition of the European Union - India Competition Week is being held from 5th to 7th December this year in New Delhi. The European Union - India Competition Week is organized every year to provide a platform for exchanges between officials from the European Commission Directorate - General for Competition and the Competition Commission of India (CCI).
3. As of 5th December, at least 6 children lost their lives to a common bacterial infection called invasive Group A Strep (GAS) in the United Kingdom. Group A streptococcus (GAS) is a bacterium commonly found in throats and on the skin.
4. For the first time, the Oxford Word of the Year was chosen by the public. More than 3,00,000 English speakers voted over two weeks to choose among three words screened by the editors at the Oxford University Press. Goblin mode won the highest number of votes, making it Oxford's word of the year for 2022. It was followed by "Metaverse" and "#IStandWith".
5. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky was chosen as the 2022 Person of the Year by the Time Magazine. Person of the Year is an annual issue of the Time magazine featuring a person, a group, an idea or an object that had significantly influenced the events of the year. It is chosen by the magazine's editors.
6. According to the International Debt Report 2022 by the World Bank, debt of low and middle-income countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) surged to a record high of 789 billion USD in 2021. The debt of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) increased from 702 billion USD in 2020 to 789 billion USD in 2021.
7. South Africa and Kenya have recently announced the Just Transition Initiative to put an end to plastic pollution in an inclusive manner. This announcement came in the aftermath of the historic the first Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) to phase out plastic.
8. The 17th Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting of the International Labour Organization (APRM of ILO) concluded with the adoption of the "Singapore Declaration". The Singapore Declaration aims to ensure social dialogue to address challenges associated with labour market and finding solutions for crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, and economic uncertainty.
9. China has recently raised a dispute with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over the US chip sanctions. On October, the United States issued new export controls preventing the sales and services by the US businesses to Chinese chip manufacturers.
10. At the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15), the United Nations has recognized ten ground-breaking initiatives from across the world for their role in restoring the natural ecosystems. World Restoration Flagships of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration are the winning ecosystem restoration initiatives that are recognized by the United Nations.
11. Rashid Rover was launched on 11th December aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Rashid Rover, the Arab world's first lunar rover, is named after late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, former Ruler of Dubai. This rover will undertake a 3,85,000 kilometers long journey to reach the lunar surface, making the United Arab Emirates (UAE) the fourth country to land on the Moon.
12. Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog and UNDP India jointly launched the 5th edition of Youth Co:Lab on 15th December 2022. Youth Co:Lab is the largest youth innovation movement in the Asia Pacific. Till date, the Youth Co:Lab initiative has been implemented in 28 countries and territories, involving 2 lakh participants, and benefiting more than 11,000 young social entrepreneurs and supporting some 1,240 social enterprises.
13. The 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) held in Montreal in December 2022 adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). The GBF includes four goals and 23 targets to address the loss of biodiversity and restore natural ecosystems by 2030.
14. In a major shift from the long-time post-war pacific approach, Japan unveiled a 320 billion USD plan for a military build-up. The five-year plan, which is to be implemented with a total budget of 320 billion USD, will make Japan the third-largest military spender in the world after the United States and China.
15. India has recently launched a "Group of Friends" to promote accountability for crimes against peacekeepers. It was launched during India's presidency of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). It seeks to provide capacity building and technical assistance for the host states authorities to prevent and address such crimes.
16. Scotland and Spain have recently passed gender reform laws to make it easier for individuals to change their legally registered gender without requiring any medical supervision. The new Spanish law requires minors aged 12 and 13 years to receive the judge's authorization to change their gender.
17. Amid the unprecedented crisis caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in Europe, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen topped Forbes 2022 list of world's 100 most powerful women. The list is determined by four main criteria - money, media, impact and spheres of influence. For political leaders, GDP and populations were taken into account. For corporate leaders, revenues and employee counts are considered as well as media mentions and influence.
18. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and World Health Organization (WHO) released a report titled "The State of the World's Midwifery 2022: East and Southern Africa". Around 1.2 million lives can be saved each year in East and Southern Africa by 2035 if there is universal coverage of midwife-delivered interventions.
19. The US House has recently passed a 1.7 trillion USD spending bill to fund federal agencies through September to avoid the partial government shutdown. An omnibus spending bill is a type of Bill in the United States that brings together smaller ordinary appropriations bills into single large bill that can be passed with only one vote in each house.
20. As the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II enters its 11th month, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has outlined a 10-point peace plan to end the war with Russia. With Russian President Vladimir Putin expressing his willingness to come to the negotiating table.
21. An unprecedented bomb cyclone has hit the US and Canada, affecting over millions of people in the region. Bomb cyclone is an extra-tropical weather phenomenon that develops by a process called bombogenesis.
22. Japan has adopted a new policy promoting greater use of nuclear energy to secure a stable power supply and reduce carbon emissions, reversing its previous plan to phase out nuclear energy by 2030. The new policy calls for the maximum use of existing nuclear reactors by restarting as many as possible and extending the operating life of old reactors beyond their 60-year limit, as well as developing next-generation reactors to replace them.
23. The 720 Megawatts Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Power Project, which was implemented with the assistance from India, was recently handed over to the Druk Green Power Corporation (DGPC) in Bhutan. With this handing over, the two countries have successfully completed four mega hydroelectric power projects.
24. The Bengaluru based Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has been chosen as the secretariat for Science 20 (S20) - the science working group of the G20 summit. The Science 20 (S20) 2023 will work towards resolving common global-level challenges like poverty.
25. The "Stay Safe Online" campaign and the "G20 Digital Innovation Alliance" (G20 DIA) were launched recently as part of India's G20 presidency. The "Stay Safe Online" campaign aims to raise awareness about the importance of staying safe in the online world amid the increasing dependence on the internet.
26. The US Census Bureau, on 30th December 2022, projected that the global population will hit 7.9 billion on the 2023 New Year's Day. Over 73.7 million people were added since the 2022 New Year's Day. This is a 0.9 percent increase in the global population when compared to previous year.
27. Omicron XBB.1.5 is a variant of the Covid-19 virus that has caused concern among experts due to its immune-evasive and highly contagious nature. It has been linked to a surge in hospitalizations in the US and UK. Omicron XBB.1.5 is a recombinant strain that is both more immune-evasive and better at infecting than other variants.
Defence
1. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), along with the Headquarters of the Integrated Defense Staff (HQ IDS), conducted the joint test run of hypersonic vehicle. The recently held joint trial run fulfilled the predetermined targets successfully. This hypersonic vehicle is set to become operational in three to four years.
2. INS Mormugao is set to be commissioned by Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the eve of the Goa Liberation Day 2022. INS Mormugao is the second ship of the Visakhapatnam-class stealth guided missile destroyers of the Indian Navy.
3. The joint military exercise between India and Nepal, Exercise Surya Kiran XVI, is being held from 16th to 29th December 2022 in Nepal Army Battle School in Nepal's Saljhandi. The Gorkha battalion from the elite Gorkha regiment is representing the Indian Army in this exercise. The Nepal Army is represented by the Shree Bhawani Baksh Battalion.
4. The Indian Navy launched the indigenously-built ship INS Arnala at the shipbuilding facility of Larsen & Toubro (L&T) in Chennai's Kattupalli. Arnala is the first of the 8 anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft (ASW-SWC) that are currently being built by the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE).
5. The Veer Guardian 2023 Exercise is going to be held from 16th to 26th January next year (2023). Veer Guardian 23 will be the first ever bilateral combat air exercise between India and Japan. This 10 days exercise will be held between the Indian Air Force and the Japanese Air Self Defence Force (JASDF) at Japan's Hyakuri air base and Iruma air base.
6. A tripartite agreement was signed by the Indian Government, Manipur Government and an insurgent group called Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF). The Zeliangrong United Front is an insurgent group that was established in 2011.
7. Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah launched the 'Prahari' app and the revised version 13 Border Security Force (BSF) manuals. The Prahari App can be used by the jawans of the Border Security Force (BSF) to get information about the accommodation facilities, Ayushman-CAPF and leaves.
Business, Economy & Banking
1. After successfully launching the wholesale pilot project for central bank digital currency in November, the RBI commenced the retail CBDC pilot project from 1st December. The project initially covers four cities - Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, and Bhubaneswar, where customers and merchants can use the digital rupee (e₹-R) or e-rupee to make transactions. Four banks are controlling the launch of the retail e-rupee – SBI, ICICI Bank, Yes Bank and IDFC First Bank.
2. A four-tiered regulatory framework for categorization of the Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) was recently released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). It had also announced norms concerning the net worth and capital adequacy of these banks.
3. On 1st December, the Reserve Bank of India has unveiled a framework allowing overseas subsidiaries and branches of Indian banks and financial institutions to undertake activities that are not specifically permitted in the Indian domestic market. This framework has been implemented with immediate effect.
4. At the end of the recently held Monetary Policy Committee's Meeting, RBI Governor announced that UPI's capacity will be enhanced through the introduction of single block and multiple debits functionality, enabling the users to block funds in their accounts to be used when in need. He also announced the expansion of the scope of BBPS to include all categories of payments and collections.
5. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has released new guidelines titled "Performance Benchmarking and Reporting of Performance by Portfolio Managers". The guidelines, which will come to effect from 1st April next year, provide certain performance reporting and benchmarking norms to improve transparency in the disclosure of portfolio management firms.
Science & Technology
1. Japanese Space Agency JAXA recently announced that it had successfully used steam to propel its EQUULEUS spacecraft, which was one of the 10 CubeSats that were launched as part of the Artemis I mission on the maiden flight of the Space Launch System (SLS).
2. Idol Wing of the Tamil Nadu Police Department recently issued 'Soulbound Tokens' to its outstanding team members. Soulbound token is a unique blockchain asset that cannot be bought, sold or moved to another blockchain wallet. It is a permanent non-transferable NFTs that cannot be given away or taken from the private blockchain wallet.
3. OpenAI has unveiled a chatbot called ChatGPT that is available for public testing for free. ChatGPT is a chatbot powered by artificial intelligence that can be used to ask queries. This chatbot is designed in such a way that the replies to the queries are both technical and jargon-free.
4. Researchers in IIT Madras have developed and deployed a system called Sindhuja-I that is capable of generating electricity using energy from sea waves. It was recently deployed some 6 km from the coast of Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu, where the sea's depth is around 20 meters.
5. A new study led by researchers from Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences found that a small fraction of marine microorganisms is responsible for most of the consumption of oxygen and release of carbon dioxide in the ocean.
6. Researchers at the California-based Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have recently announced a historic nuclear fusion breakthrough, claiming it to be the "landmark achievement" in the quest for a source of unlimited, clean power and an end of the dependence on fossil fuels.
7. NASA has launched the newest Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) spacecraft to track nearly all the water on the surface of the Earth. It was launched atop a SpaceX rocket from Space Launch Complex 4E at California's Vandenberg Space Force Base. It will remain operational for 3 years.
8. Scientists, who are working on Great Barrier Reef, have succeeded in testing a new method for freezing and storing coral larvae. The newly developed "cryomesh" technology enables the storage of the coral larvae at -196°C (-320.8°F). It was developed by a team of scientists from the University of Minnesota's College of Science and Engineering.
9. Project Vaani will be implemented jointly by the Indian Institute of Sciences (IISc), ARTPARK (AI and Robotics Technology Park) and Google to gather speech data from across India for the creation of an AI-based language model that can understand diverse Indian languages and dialects.
10. Researchers in India, the US and Israel are currently trying to develop a drug to treat a rare genetic disease called GNB1 Encephalopathy. GNB1 Encephalopathy is a rare genetic brain disease caused due to mutations in the GNB1 gene.
11. A new species of bush tomato, christened Garrarnawun bush tomato (Solanum scalarium), was discovered in Australia recently. This species belongs to the taxonomically challenging group called Kimberley dioecious clade in Australia. It is distinguished from other members of this group by its spreading decumbent habit and conspicuously prickly male floral rachis.
12. The fossil remains of a 119 million years old beaked bird were recently discovered in China. The fossil of Confuciusornis shifan's skeleton was preserved on a single slab in the Jiufotang Formation, which was found close to the Xiaotaizi village in the Chinese province of Liaoning.
Government Schemes
1. The Central Government has set up a panel to recommend structural and other reforms required for the effective implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The panel will be headed by Amarjeet Sinha - the former Rural Development Secretary and advisor in the PMO.
2. The Sanitation Worker's Development Scheme was launched by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin to ensure the welfare of conservancy workers in the southern state. As part of this scheme, a mobile application was launched for the identification and census collection of sanitation workers.
3. The Union Ministry of Railways has launched a new scheme called Amrit Bharat Station Scheme to modernize railway stations across India. Under this scheme, high-level platforms will be delivered for all categories of railway stations. Drainage facilities will be improved on these platforms, including the covering of drains with aesthetically designed theft-resistant covers.
Awards & Honours
1. On 1st December, the Supreme Court exempted Maharashtra's Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary (TWS) from its June order mandating the creation of a 1 km eco-sensitive zones (ESZ) around all protected areas in India. Tungareshwar wildlife sanctuary or Tungareshwar National Park is situated on a plateau east of Vasai and Virar in Maharashtra's Palghar district.
2. The Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden was previously known as the Indian Botanic Garden and the Calcutta Botanic Garden. It is India's largest botanical garden. A recent inspection revealed that the 1.8 km stretch of the Ganga River bank lining the botanical garden is eroding because of the swelling of the river.
3. Indian PhD student, Rishi Rajpopa has solved the Panini code. He released a thesis titled "In Panini, We Trust: Discovering the Algorithm for Rule Conflict Resolution in the Astadhyayi". This thesis has decoded the problem that was a source of perplexity for Sanskrit scholars for centuries.
4. President of India Droupadi Murmu presented the National Energy Conservation Awards, National Energy Efficiency Innovation Awards and National Painting Competition prizes on the occasion of National Energy Conservation Day (14th December).
5. The bar-headed geese were spotted at Rushikulya in Odisha's Ganjam. The bar-headed goose (Anser indicus) is considered to be one of the world's highest flying birds. It spends the winters in South Asia, as far south as peninsular India. It migrates south from Tibet, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Russia before crossing the Himalayas.
6. The 14 km long Angul - Balram rail link was inaugurated recently. The Angul - Balram rail link was constructed by the Mahanadi Coal Railway Limited (MCRL). It was constructed at a total cost of Rs. 300 crore. This rail link is the first phase of the 68 km long inner corridor called Angul - Balram - Putugadia - Jarapada - Tentuloi.
7. The north-eastern state of Meghalaya commemorated the 160th death anniversary of U. Kiang Nagbah on 30th December 2022. U. Kiang Nangbah is an Indian freedom fighter from Meghalaya, famed for leading an uprising against the British colonial government. He was hanged publicly by the British on 30th December 1862, in Jowai town in the West Jaintia Hills district.
Sports
1. Karnataka shooter Divya T. S. has secured her first women's 10m air pistol national title at the 65th National Shooting Championship Competitions in Pistol events held in Bhopal. She defeated Sanskriti Bana from Uttar Pradesh by 16-14 in the gold medal match and Rhythm Sangwan from Haryana settled for bronze.
2. Saurashtra beat Maharashtra by 5 wickets in the final to win the Vijay Hazare Trophy at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. They restricted Maharashtra at 248/9 in 50 overs as captain Ruturaj Gaikwad hit a century. Saurashtra bowler Chirag Jani claimed a hat-trick and Sheldon Jackson scored a match-winning 133 off 136 balls.
3. The third T20 World Cup Cricket Tournament for the Blind will be held from 5th to 17th December 2022 in India. The participating countries of the World Cup 2022 are Australia, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and India.
4. Indian shooter Rudrankksh Patil has clinched the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) President's Cup held in Cairo, Egypt. He defeated Italy's Danilo Sollazzo in the 10-metre rifle play-off by 16-8. Athletes from 42 nations representing 43 ISSF Member Federations from all continents are taking part in this competition.
5. World No 3 Sukant Kadam smashed his way to a gold medal at the recently concluded Peru Para-Badminton International, defeating ace shuttler Singapore's Chee Hiong Ang. India won 14 medals in total (6 gold, 1 silver and 7 bronze).
6. Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu won silver at the 2022 World Weightlifting Championships in Colombia. She beat the Tokyo 2020 champion Hou Zhihua of China. China's Jiang Huihua took home the gold medal with a combined weight of 206 kg.
7. Sixteen years old Aditya Mittal has become India's 77th chess Grandmaster during an ongoing tournament in Spain. The Mumbai player, who had secured three GM norms, crossed 2,500 ELO points mark during the sixth round of the ongoing Ellobregat Open tournament in Spain. He drew the game against Spain's No.1 Francisco Vallejo Pons to achieve the feat.
8. Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Anurag Thakur said one thousand Khelo India centres will be opened by the 15th of August next year across the country. He added that out of these one thousand centres, 733 centres have been already sanctioned.
9. The Indian women Hockey team led by Captain Savita Punia beat Spain 1-0 in the final to win the inaugural FIH Nations Cup played at Valencia, Spain. The winning goal was scored by Gurjit Kaur of India. The inaugural FIH Nations cup was held in Valencia, Spain from 11th to 17th December 2022.
10. Spanish Tennis Player, Rafael Nadal has been named the Men's International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Champion 2022 for the 5th time after an outstanding 2022 season. Previously, He has been named the men's ITF World Champion in 2008, 2010, 2017 and 2019. Polish tennis player, Iga Swiatek, has been named Women's ITF World Champion 2022 for her performance in 2022 winning 2 Grand Slam titles and 8 titles.
11. England's leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed has became the youngest men's Test cricketer to take a five-wicket haul on debut during the ongoing third match against Pakistan at the National Bank Cricket Arena. After making his Test debut at 18 years and 126 days, Rehan claimed three wickets in six overs on his way to 5-48 in the second innings.
12. The Indian national blind cricket team won the T20 World Cup for the Blind for the third time in a row. They defeated Bangladesh at Bengaluru's M. Chinnaswamy Stadium by a commanding score of 120 runs. Sunil Ramesh won Man of the Match award in the championship. He was also given the B3 category's Man of the Series award.
13. FIFA World Cup 2022, Argentina defeated France by 4-2 in penalty shootout after the match drawn 3-3 in the normal time. France Kylian Mbappe (8 Goals) won The Golden Boot, Argentina Messi won The Golden Ball and The Golden Glove won by Emiliano Martinez (Argentina)
14. Sam Curran breaks all the records and became the most expensive cricketer ever to be bought by any franchise of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Sam Curran is a 24-year-old English Cricketer who was bought by Punjab Kings on the first day of the IPL auction for Rs. 18.5 crores. The IPL auctions for the 2023 season are being held in Kerala.
15. Telangana Boxing star and the reigning world champion, Nikhat Zareen and Lovlina Borgohain, the bronze medalist from the Tokyo Olympics, both won gold medals in their separate finals in the 6th Elite Women's National Boxing Championships in Bhopal.
References:
jagranjosh.com
gktoday.in
business-standard.com
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