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CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

Good Governance Week 2022 is inaugurated by Union Minister Jitendra Singh:

• Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of state for Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions, has officially launched Good Governance Week, which runs from December 19–25, 2022, at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.
• Paying respects to Bharat Ratna Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the former prime minister of India, in whose honour Good Governance Day and Good Governance Week are observed.
• In addition, the Minister started a five-day national campaign called "Prashasan Gaon Ki Ore" to honour former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's birthday.
• In all Indian districts, states, and union territories, there will be a campaign to address public grievances and improve service delivery.
• The Campaign will involve over 700 District Collectors, and representatives will visit Tehsil and Panchayat Samiti headquarters.
• Under the initiative, 3,120 New Services specified by District Collectors would be added for Online Service Delivery.
• The District Collectors have also noted 81,27,944 applications for service delivery that need to be eliminated and 19,48,122 public grievances that need to be resolved through state grievance portals during the planning phase of the Good Governance Week 2022.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : STATE NEWS 

Uttar Pradesh government signs MoU with Austin University for $42 billion Knowledge Smart City in UP

• The Uttar Pradesh (UP) Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States (US)-based Austin University for the construction of a smart city of knowledge.
• The Smart City of Knowledge will be built in the state at a total cost of USD 42 billion.
• To be built on 5,000 acres, the Knowledge City will include the best universities in the world.

Signatories :

• Uttar Pradesh finance minister Suresh Khanna and additional chief secretary (Infrastructure and Industrial Development) Arvind Kumar signed the MoU on behalf of the government.
• The MoU was signed during a state government delegation’s visit to the United States as part of efforts to attract investment ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Global Investors Summit-2023 .

Key Highlights :

• The UP Chief Minister has set a goal of luring investments totalling ₹ 10 lakh crore through the Global Investors Summit, which will take place in the state capital, Lucknow, between February 10 to 12, 2022.
• At least 8 teams of ministers and government representatives are travelling across 18 countries to attract investments through road shows and trade exhibits.
• Besides, Star Consortium will provide data centre and logistics services in the state whereas SLG will build a capital data centre.

Other MoU :

• In San Francisco, a US-based Saloni Heart Foundation has inked a pact in the presence of Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna and Additional Chief Secretary Arvind Kumar of Infrastructure and Industrial Development
• 3 MoUs were also signed with Falcon X CEO Murali Chirala, which includes establishing a centre in Noida.
• Along with this, two investments of ₹20 crores each will be made in Uttar Pradesh. 

Note :

• President of Austin University : Ashraf Ali Mustafa

About UP :

• Governor : Anandiben Patel
• Chief Minister : Yogi Adityanath
• Capital : Lucknow
• National Park : Dudhwa National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuary : Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary, Chandraprabha Wildlife Sanctuary, Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Bird wildlife Sanctuary

Tamil Nadu government makes Aadhaar a must for all of its schemes

• The Tamil Nadu (TN) government has announced that all those who are eligible for benefits (other than minor children) under various government schemes will have to submit proof of having an Aadhaar number or get an Aadhaar identification.

Key Highlights :

• As per the order, Aadhaar is mandatory for government employees, government pensioners and beneficiaries of various schemes implemented by the state government through various departments through their implementing agencies.
• The Treasury and Accounts Department through its implementing agency will provide Aadhaar enrollment facilities for those beneficiaries who are not yet enrolled.
• In case there is no Aadhaar Enrollment Centre, the Department will provide enrollment facilities at convenient locations through its implementing agency in coordination with the existing Registrar of UIDAI or by becoming the Registrar of UIDAI itself.
• The government has also announced a remedial mechanism in case Aadhaar authentication fails due to bad biometrics or any other reason.
• This will be done through Aadhaar One Time Password (OTP) or time-based OTP with limited time validity.

About Tamil Nadu :

• Governor: R. N. Ravi
• Chief minister: M. K. Stalin
• Capital: Chennai
• Dance : Bharatnatyam, Karakattam
• National Park : Mudumalai National Park, Mukurthi National Park, Guindy National Park, Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries : Kalakad Wildlife sanctuary, Karikili Bird Sanctuary, Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary
• Tiger Reserve : Anamalai Tiger Reserve
• Biosphere Reserve : Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE

Bandhan Bank signs MoU with Defence Ministry to extend services to defence pensioners

• Bandhan Bank has signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA), Ministry of Defence (MoD), Govt. of India (GoI) for extending the banking services to the Defence Pensioners and their families.
• The bank is aligned with the vision of the government in being a one-stop solution to all pension related activities of defence pensioners under the Outreach Programme for Defence Pensioners on System for Pension Administration Raksha (SPARSH).
• The MoU was signed in New Delhi, in the presence of Sham Dev, IDAS, Controller, O/o PCDA (Pensions), Prayagraj, Ministry of Defence, Government of India, Shri. Giridhar Aramane, IAS, Defence Secretary, Government of India, Smt. Rasika Chaube, Financial Advisor (Defence Services) and Shri Debraj Saha, Head – Govt. Business, Bandhan Bank.

Key Highlights :

• The Bandhan Bank will provide services to Defence Pensioners and their families through 557 branches.
• The Defence Secretary virtually inaugurated a SPARSH Service Centre in Delhi Cantonment.
• It offers various services such as service requests and grievance redressal, annual life certification, Pensioner Data verification (PDV), and managing profile changes including Aadhar number, PAN number, postal address and bank details.

About Bandhan Bank :

• Founded : 2015
• Headquarters : Kolkata, West Bengal, India
• MD & CEO : Chandra Shekhar Ghosh

About CGDA :

• Headquarters : Delhi Cantt, Delhi
• Additional charge of the CGDA : Rashika Chaube
• CGDA heads the Defence Accounts Department (DAD), which is one of the oldest government organisations in India.
• CGDA functions under the Ministry of Defence of India.

DBS Bank India partners with Gofrugal Tech to empower SMEs towards ONDC

• DBS Bank India Limited (DBIL) has partnered with GoFrugal Technologies Pvt Ltd, a seller-centric platform, which offers omnichannel ERP solutions and claims to empower micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) and retail merchants to adopt Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC). 

About the Partnership :

• The partnership furthers DBS Bank India’s commitment to reimagining SME banking through innovation and providing digital solutions beyond traditional banking.
• Through this partnership, DBS Bank India is integrating its digital solutions with Gofrugal Technologies to help small businesses catalogue their products quickly and expand their sales channels via ONDC.
• Earlier, in April, 2022 DBS Bank India joined hands with start-up venture capital fund Anthill Ventures and evangelist network Headstart Network Foundation to launch DBS Business Class foundED to support promising start-ups in India.

Note :

• CEO of Gofrugal Technologies : Kumar Vembu

About DBS Bank India Limited :

• Established : 1994
• Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• MD & CEO : Surojit Shome

About ONDC :

• The government launched ONDC in April 2022 as an alternative to global e-commerce giants.
• ONDC, an initiative by the Government of India, is a platform based on an open protocol that will enable local commerce across mobility, grocery, food order and delivery, hotel booking and travel etc.

Aim :

• To create new opportunities by offering the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) a level playing field.

Indian Bank launches special fixed deposit of 555 days with returns up to 7.15%

• Indian Bank has launched a new special retail term deposit dubbed “Ind Shakti 555 days”.
• The bank also announced the availability of the "IND SHAKTI 555 DAYS" special retail term deposit product, which has a minimum amount of Rs. 5000 and runs for 555 days with an interest rate of 7.00% for the general public and 15% for senior citizens.

IND SHAKTI 555 DAYS – RATE OF INTEREST

Revision of Interest Rates on Retail Domestic Term Deposits :

Above Indian Bank :

• Founded : 15 August 1907
• Headquarters : Chennai, Tamil Nadu,India
• MD & CEO : Shanti Lal Jain

RBI asks Razorpay, Cashfree to hold off onboarding new merchants

• Payment companies Razorpay and Cashfree Payments have received notices from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to withhold onboarding any new online merchants to their platforms, pending their audit for the payment aggregator/payment gateway licences (PA/PG).

Key Highlights :

• Razorpay, Pine Labs, and Stripe were among the first ones to get an in-principle nod to provide PA/PG services.
• As part of the migration to a full PA licence, Razorpay will have to make some systematic upgrades and migrations to an escrow account from a nodal account, among a few other things.
• Razorpay was granted the in-principle approval for a PA licence in July, 2022.

About RBI :

• Established: 1 April 1935
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• Governor : Shaktikanta Das
• Deputy governors: Mahesh Kumar Jain, M. Rajeshwar Rao, Michael Patra, and T. Rabi Shankar

CURRENT AFFAIRS : ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

CCI approves Brookfield’s minority stake buy in UPL SAS

• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved Woodhall Holdings Ltd’s (WHL) acquisition of a minority stake in UPL Sustainable Agri Solutions Ltd (UPL SAS).
• Woodhall Holdings Ltd (WHL) is a special purpose vehicle (SPV) and part of Brookfield Asset Management

Key Highlights :

• In October,2022 UPL announced that Brookfield along with other investors will invest Rs 1,580 crore for a 9.09% stake in its agri-tech platform UPL SAS.
• The deal has been cleared under the green channel route.
• Under this framework, a transaction which does not raise any risk of an appreciable adverse effect on competition is deemed to be approved on being intimated to the fair trade regulator

About CCI :

• Established : 14 October 2003
• Headquarters : New Delhi
• Chairperson : Sangeeta Verma
• The CCI is the chief national competition regulator in India.
• It is a statutory body within the Ministry of Corporate Affairs 

About UPL SAS : 

• Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• Directors : Nitin Achyut Kolhatkar, Krishna Srivastava Ramprakash, Pradyumna Agrawal Kumar, Ashish Dobhal
• UPL SAS is an Indian agrochemical company engaged in the manufacture, marketing, and sales of various agrochemicals such as insecticides, herbicides, and anti-sprouting agents.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Anushka Sharma appointed as brand ambassador for Puma India

• The manufacturer and designer of casual and athletic footwear, Puma India has roped in Bollywood actress and entrepreneur Anushka Sharma as its brand ambassador.
• The association is intended to "accelerate Puma's strong commitment towards the women consumer segment".
• She will endorse the brand’s footwear, apparel and accessories, including select collections through myriad activities and brand campaigns, throughout the year.
• The brand’s other ambassadors in India include Kareena Kapoor Khan, MC Mary Kom, Yuvraj Singh, Sunil Chhetri, and most recently Harrdy Sandhu.
• Sharma is a celebrity endorser for various brands and products, including TVS Scooty, Nivea, Elle 18 cosmetics, Bru coffee and Pantene

Pepsico's Aquafina appoints Katrina Kaif as its brand ambassador

• Actor Katrina Kaif has been signed as a brand ambassador for Pepsico India’s packaged-water brand Aquafina. 
• Earlier, she was the brand ambassador for the company’s fruit-flavoured sugar drink Slice for the last 16 years.
• Aquafina, is an American brand of purified bottled water that is produced by PepsiCo, consisting of both unflavored and flavored water.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

US Air Force launches 1st operational hypersonic missile - AGM-183A

• The United States Air Force (USAF) has successfully tested its first prototype hypersonic missile AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) from a B-52H bomber off California's coast.
• This test was the first launch of a full prototype operational missile.

Key Highlights :

• Lockheed Martin-designed the weapon based on previous test vehicles built by DARPA (opens in new tab) that have an alleged maximum speed of Mach 20, or 15,000 mph (24,000 kph).
• Due to the extremely high speeds of Hypersonic missiles, no defense system currently in wide use can successfully intercept them.
• Hypersonic missiles are capable of being steered to deliver nuclear weapons
• Following the ARRW's separation from the aircraft, it reached hypersonic speeds greater than five times the speed of sound, completed its flight path and detonated in the terminal area.
• ARRW is designed to enable the U.S. to hold fixed, high-value, time-sensitive targets at risk in contested environments.
• In 2021, China carried out a test of a hypersonic missile, and Russia used hypersonic weapons during its war in Ukraine & North Korea claims to have conducted test flights as well.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS & ECONOMY

8% Annual Growth in Note in Circulation to Rs 32 Lakh Crore:

• The note in circulation (NiC), according to Finance Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, increased by 7.98% annually to reach Rs 31.92 lakh crore.
• According to her, the demand for money is influenced by several macroeconomic variables, such as economic growth and interest rate levels.
• The amount of money in circulation has increased to a record high of Rs 32 lakh crore six years after demonetisation, demonstrating that cash is still Indians' preferred method of payment.
• From Rs 17 lakh crore on November 4, 2016, it has climbed by a staggering 72% compared to the pre-demonetisation period.
• On November 8, 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the demonetisation (of the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes that were no longer accepted as legal tender) with the intention of, among other things, limiting the flow of illegal money into the economy.
• When comparing absolute numbers, it's crucial to compare them to the GDP, which is the primary metric for gauging the amount of money in circulation in relation to economic expansion.
• A quick calculation reveals that the amount of cash in circulation now is 13% of GDP, down from 14% last year.
• After the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) injected money into the system, bringing the figure down to 13% in 2020.
• In 2016, the amount of money in circulation as a percentage of GDP was 12%.
• Digital payments have increased together with the amount of cash in circulation.

IPL surpasses a valuation of $10 billion and becomes a decacorn:

• IPL's valuation exceeds $10 billion: The Indian Premier League (IPL), whose whole market value is more than $10 billion, has developed into a decacorn.
• According to a D and P Advisory assessment released, the league is currently valued at $10.9 billion.
• Notably, it has increased by an astonishing 75% since 2020.
• Profitable collaborations with media sector titans have benefited IPL's growth.
• A decacorn is a firm that is valued at above $10.0 billion.
• The IPL has accomplished the feat in less than 15 years since its inception.
• The inaugural ICC T20 World Cup was held in 2008, with India emerging victorious months earlier.
• Since then, the IPL has become significantly stronger thanks to the participation of well-known athletes from around the globe.
• In a report titled "Beyond 22 Yards," the D and P Advisory claimed that the IPL reached an important milestone after selling its media rights for the years 2023 to 2027.
• The league sold its media rights for $6.2 billion, representing a three-fourth increase in revenue over the previous cycle.
• For the first time, the rights were distributed among many broadcasters.
• Contrarily, the IPL is the second-largest sports league in the world in terms of revenue from broadcasting fees for each game.
• The estimated revenue from each game's telecast is $12 million.
• Only the National Football Competition (NFL) generates more money each game ($17 million) than the Indian T20 league.
• Notably, the number of IPL games will gradually increase in the next years.

Gross Direct Tax Collections Increase by 25.90% in the Fiscal Year 2022–2023:

• The total amount of direct taxes collected in the fiscal year 2022–2023 increased by 25.90 percent to 13,63,649 crore rupees.
• 10,83,150 crores of rupees were collected as gross revenue during the relevant period.
• Data from the Finance Ministry show that for the fiscal year 2022–23, net direct tax receipts totalled 11,35,754 crore rupees, representing an increase of 19.81 percent.
• For the corresponding time period, 9,47,959 crore rupees in net direct tax receipts were recorded.
• The significant tax mop-up indicates that the economy has recovered from its epidemic lows with an increase in corporate and household profits.
• This fiscal year saw an increase in net tax revenue as well.
• The I-T department's most recent data show that in FY2022-23, the net collection increased by 19.81%.
• It was 11,35,754 crore, 80% of the full-year Budget target, compared to 9,47,959 crore in the same time of the prior fiscal year.
• Corporation Tax (CIT) at 6,06,679 crore (net of refund) and Personal Income Tax (PIT) including Securities Transaction Tax (STT) at 5,26,477 crores make up the net direct tax collection of 11,35,754 crore (net of refund).

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

The Last Show and RRR's Naatu Naatu Reach the Oscars 2023 Shortlist:

• The official entry of India for the International Feature film category of the 2023 Academy Awards or Oscars is the Gujarati-language Chhello Show (The Last Show), which has been shortlisted.
• In the meantime, the Best Original Song Category has shortlisted the song Naatu Naatu from SS Rajamouli's RRR.
• The list of contenders in 10 categories was released by the Academy.
• On January 24, the Academy Award nominees will be revealed.
• Koozhangal, Jallikattu, Gully Boy, Village Rockstars, Newton, and Visaranani were all Indian entries for the Oscars throughout the past few years, however none of them was successful in getting on the Oscar shortlist.
• Lagaan, Mother India, and Salaam Bombay are the only Indian movies that have received Oscar nominations thus far.
• 15 songs from a total of 81 have been chosen as finalists for RRR's best song category. Other songs include "Hold My Hand" from "Top Gun: Maverick," "Nothing Is Lost" from "Avatar: The way of Water," and "Lift Me Up" from "Blank Panther: Wakanda Forever."
• The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has released its shortlists for the 10 Oscar categories that will be presented in 2023.
• These categories include documentary and international features, as well as a documentary short subject, makeup and hairstyling, original score, original song, animated short, live-action short, sound, and visual effects.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING AND REPORTS

SPI (Social Progress Index) for States and Districts to be Published:

• The Economic Advisory Council-Prime Minister received and published the Social Progress Index (SPI) for States and Districts created by the Institute for Competitiveness and Social Progress Imperative.
• States and districts have been categorized into six stages of social advancement based on their SPI scores.
• Tiers 1 and 2 represent extremely high social progress, Tiers 3 and 4 lower middle social progress, Tiers 5 and 6 very low social progress, and Tiers 1 very high social progress.
• Due to its outstanding performance in areas like Personal Freedom and Choice, Shelter, and Water and Sanitation, Puducherry has the highest SPI score of 65.99 in the entire nation.
• Goa and Lakshadweep are closely behind it, scoring 65.89 and 65.53, respectively.
• Bihar and Jharkhand both had the lowest scores, 44.47 and 43.95, respectively.
• Goa, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, and Chandigarh are the top four states with the best performance in Water and Sanitation and Shelter when compared to the other states and union territories for the dimension of Basic Human Needs.
• Additionally, Goa has the highest component score for the categories of water and sanitation, followed by Kerala, which has the top component scores for the categories of nutrition and basic medical care.
• Chandigarh and Nagaland have emerged as the front-runners in shelter and personal safety categories, respectively.
• In terms of the Foundations of Wellbeing, Mizoram, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, and Goa have been shown to be the top-performing states.
• Punjab has the greatest component score in the dimension for the Access to Basic Knowledge component, with a score of 62.92, while Delhi has the highest component score in the dimension for Access to Information and Communication, with a score of 71.30.
• Rajasthan has the highest component score for health and wellness (73.74).
• Mizoram, Nagaland, and Meghalaya are the northeast's top three states for environmental quality.
• Last but not least, Tamil Nadu received the component score of 72.00 for the Opportunity dimension, which is the highest.
• Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Sikkim have the highest component scores for Personal Rights and Inclusiveness, respectively, within this dimension.
• It is excellent to see Puducherry achieve the highest marks in terms of Personal Freedom and Choice and Access to Advanced Education, two factors in this dimension.

The Sun Temple and Vadnagar town Rock cut sculpture have been added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites:

• Three new Indian cultural sites have been tentatively added to the list of UNESCO world heritage sites, including the well-known Sun Temple at Modhera, the medieval town of Vadnagar in Gujarat, and the Unakoti rock-cut relief sculptures in Tripura.
• A tentative list is an "inventory of those properties which each State Party plans to consider for nomination," according to the UNESCO website.
• Sun Temple, Modhera, Gujarat
• Vadnagar – A multi¬layered Historic town, Gujarat
• Rock¬cut Sculptures and Reliefs of the Unakoti, Tripura
• Temples in Bishnupur, West Bengal, Mattanchery Palace in Kerala, Wild Ass Sanctuary, and Little Rann of Kutch in Gujarat are also among the 52 "Sites on the Tentative List," as defined by UNESCO.
• Currently on the provisional list for 2022 are six Indian locations.
• India is home to 40 locations that are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
• 32 of these are "cultural sites," including the Taj Mahal, the Red Fort complex in Delhi, the Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, the Elephanta Fort in Agra, the Taj Mahal in Uttar Pradesh, the Agra Fort in Uttar Pradesh, the Taj Mahal in Uttar Pradesh, the Mahabodhi Temple complex in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, and the Harappan era site at Dholavira in Gujarat.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

India defeated Bangladesh by 120 runs in the Blind T20 World Cup of 2022:

• The national blind cricket team of India has won the T20 World Cup for the Blind three times in a row.
• By a dominant score of 120 runs, India defeated Bangladesh at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
• Ajay Kumar Reddy, the captain of India, chose to bat after winning the toss, and his team finally set Bangladesh a difficult target of 277 runs.
• Only 157 runs for three were scored in response by the Bangladeshi team.
• Sunil Ramesh received the championship's Man of the Match award.
• Additionally, he received the Man of the Series honours for the B3 category.
• India, the winning and unbeaten team in the competition, received Rs. 3 lahks in prize money, while Bangladesh came in second and received Rs. 1.5 lakh.
• In the B2 division, Ajay was named Man of the Series.
• In the B1 category, Mohammed Mahmud Rashid of Bangladesh was named Man of the Series.
• Sunil Ramesh was named Final's Man of the Match (IND)
• Sunil Ramesh was named the B3 division's Man of the Match (IND)
• Ajay Kumar Reddy was named the B2 Category's Man of the Match (IND)
• Mohammed Mahmud Rashid was named the B1 division's player of the match (BAN).

CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

1971 Indo-Pak war hero, Bhairon Singh Rathore, passes away

• A Border Security Force (BSF) veteran and hero of the 1971 India-Pakistan War, Bhairon Singh Rathore has passed away at the age of 81 in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.

About Lance Naik Rathore :

• Lance Naik Rathore served in the 14th BSF unit during the war and retired from service in 1987.
• The BSF veteran’s bravery at Rajasthan’s Longewala post during the war was portrayed by actor Suniel Shetty in the Bollywood movie ‘Border’.
• Rathore was deployed at the Longewala post in the Thar desert, commanding a small BSF unit that was accompanied by a company of the Army's 23 Punjab regiment. 
• It was the bravery of these men that decimated an assaulting Pakistani brigade and tank regiment at this location on December 5, 1971.

Awards & Honors :

• In recognition of his bravery, Rathore was awarded the Sena Medal in 1972.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BOOKS AND AUTHOR

The authors of "The Indian Navy@75," Commodore Ranjit Rai (r) and Aritra Banerjee:

• The “Indian Navy@75 Reminiscing the Voyage”, a book written by defence writer Aritra Banerjee and Commodore Ranjit B Rai (Retd).
• The book describes how British historians who were unable to comprehend the Royal Indian Navy's (RIN) mutiny in 1946 left out the exploits and sacrifices of the RIN during the Second World War.
• To correct this, the IN created its records and archives.
• A journalist with Indian Aerospace & Defence, Aritra Banerjee is also co-author of the book "The Indian Navy @75: Reminiscing the Voyage" and a co-founder of Mission Victory India (MVI), a think tank promoting modern military reforms.
• He has written defence and strategic affairs columns for national and international print and digital outlets.

Daily CA on December 23:

• Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of state for Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions, has officially launched Good Governance Week, which runs from December 19–25, 2022, at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.
• The note in circulation (NiC), according to Finance Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, increased by 7.98% annually to reach Rs 31.92 lakh crore.
• IPL's valuation exceeds $10 billion: The Indian Premier League (IPL), whose whole market value is in excess of $10 billion, has developed into a decacorn.
• The total amount of direct taxes collected in the fiscal year 2022–2023 increased by 25.90 percent to 13,63,649 crore rupees.
• The official entry of India for the International Feature film category of the 2023 Academy Awards or Oscars is the Gujarati-language Chhello Show (The Last Show), which has been shortlisted.
• The Economic Advisory Council-Prime Minister received and published the Social Progress Index (SPI) for States and Districts created by the Institute for Competitiveness and Social Progress Imperative.
• Three new Indian cultural sites have been tentatively added to the list of UNESCO world heritage sites, including the well-known Sun Temple at Modhera, the medieval town of Vadnagar in Gujarat, and the Unakoti rock-cut relief sculptures in Tripura.
• The national blind cricket team of India has won the T20 World Cup for the Blind three times in a row.
• The “Indian Navy@75 Reminiscing the Voyage”, a book written by defence writer Aritra Banerjee and Commodore Ranjit B Rai (Retd).

• The Uttar Pradesh (UP) Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States (US)-based Austin University for the construction of a smart city of knowledge.
• The Tamil Nadu (TN) government has announced that all those who are eligible for benefits (other than minor children) under various government schemes will have to submit proof of having an Aadhaar number or get an Aadhaar identification.
• Bandhan Bank has signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA), Ministry of Defence (MoD), Govt. of India (GoI) for extending the banking services to the Defence Pensioners and their families.
• DBS Bank India Limited (DBIL) has partnered with GoFrugal Technologies Pvt Ltd, a seller-centric platform, which offers omnichannel ERP solutions and claims to empower micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) and retail merchants to adopt Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC). 
• Indian Bank has launched a new special retail term deposit dubbed “Ind Shakti 555 days”.
• Payment companies Razorpay and Cashfree Payments have received notices from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to withhold onboarding any new online merchants to their platforms, pending their audit for the payment aggregator/payment gateway licences (PA/PG).
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved Woodhall Holdings Ltd’s (WHL) acquisition of a minority stake in UPL Sustainable Agri Solutions Ltd (UPL SAS).
• The manufacturer and designer of casual and athletic footwear, Puma India has roped in Bollywood actress and entrepreneur Anushka Sharma as its brand ambassador.
• Actor Katrina Kaif has been signed as a brand ambassador for Pepsico India’s packaged-water brand Aquafina. 
• The United States Air Force (USAF) has successfully tested its first prototype hypersonic missile AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) from a B-52H bomber off California's coast.
• A Border Security Force (BSF) veteran and hero of the 1971 India-Pakistan War, Bhairon Singh Rathore has passed away at the age of 81 in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.