CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

India Officially Recognizes E-sports As a Part of Multisports Event:

• The Indian government has officially recognized e-sports in the country.
• Esports will now be a part of the "multisports event" category in India under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and sports and a section related to "matters relating to online gaming" is added under MeitY as well.
• Under the Cabinet Secretariat, the addition of "esports" was notified under the sub-heading Department of Sports under, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
• This is a prominent step towards regularizing an industry that brings in millions if not billions of dollars every year in terms of investments and expenditures.
• The Government has made its intentions and willingness to boost the digital economy and gaming (now can be called esports) in India.
• The Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) Promotion Task Force, which was established earlier this year after the Union Budget of 2022-23, has also submitted a report outlining the opportunities, challenges and recommended actions that the Government of India can take to promote and nurture the industry.
• The government task force has recommended establishing incubators to accelerate the growth of startups in the AVGC industry and has asked the MIB to look into tax rebates, incentivizing foreign direct investments (FDI), and offering research and development opportunities to the industry

Railways to renovate 1,000 small stations under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme:

• The Ministry of Railways, as part of its station redevelopment drive, has formulated a new scheme to modernise over 1,000 small stations over the coming years.
• Under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, stations will be equipped with facilities inspired by the mega-upgradation of marquee stations such as New Delhi and Ahmedabad, albeit at a lower cost.
• Key features of these proposed stations include provisions for rooftop plazas, longer platforms, ballastless tracks, and 5G connectivity.
• The scheme will subsume all previous redevelopment projects where work is yet to begin.

OBJECTIVE:

• The scheme aims at the preparation of Master Plans of the Railway stations and the implementation of the Master Plan in phases to enhance the facilities including and beyond the Minimum Essential Amenities and aiming for the creation of Roof Plazas and city centres at the station in the long run,” the Railway Board said in the policy document.
• However, plans and consequent budgets will only be approved based on factors such as footfall and inputs from stakeholders.
• Zonal railways have been given the responsibility of selecting stations, which will then be approved by a committee of senior railway officials.
• The model envisages low-cost redevelopment of stations which can be executed timely.
• The separate scheme focused on small stations, was taken to ensure that the modernisation of small stations does not lose steam as the ministry focuses on mega-projects to upgrade New Delhi, Mumbai (CST), and Ahmedabad stations, which will take much longer.

Kerala’s Dharmadam becomes the first complete library constituency in India:

• Dharmadam, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s constituency has achieved the position of complete library constituency in India, the first in India.
• Out of the total 138 wards in the constituency, there were no libraries in 63 wards. Dharmadam reached the achievement with the opening of libraries in these wards too.
• Complete librarianisation was made possible with the support of all sections of the people of the constituency.
• The People’s Mission for Social Development, a people’s organization, has taken up the work of establishing libraries and expanding the existing ones in Dharmadam constituency,” he wrote.
• Mentioning that libraries and public spaces have a unique place in social progress, the Chief Minister said that this is why people have gone ahead with the activities of establishing libraries in every ward.
• A mission was formed to consolidate operations.
• The District Library Council and local self-governing bodies, which are part of the mission, became active participants in the activities
• The meetings were held at ward and panchayat levels to implement the objective.
• Committees were formed for this.
• These people’s committees provided local leadership for the activities.
• The building of libraries is an inspiration to the whole of Kerala through the people’s movement for social development.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : STATE NEWS

10th Edition of the North East Festival begins at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi

• The 10th Edition of the North East Festival 2022 began at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi, Delhi.

Aim :

• To promote the diverse life, culture, traditions and tourism of the North East region.
• Union Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Shri Narayan Rane inaugurated the 4-day Festival.
• Director General, Tourism, Government of India, Shri GK Vardhana Rao will grace the occasion.
• The first 7 editions were organised from 2013 to 2019 respectively at Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA), Janpath, New Delhi, Delhi.
• The last 2 editions were held in Guwahati, Assam in a hybrid model, due to the spike in COVID cases in Delhi.
• Since its inception in 2013, this festival has contributed a lot to promoting tourism in the North Eastern states.

About North East Festival 2022 :

• The 2022 edition will host colourful dance dramas, musical performances, fashion shows, open-mic sessions, interactive sessions, and art and photography exhibitions.
• The festival will provide an opportunity for entrepreneurs from North East regions especially women and Scheduled Caste & Scheduled Tribes SC/ST entrepreneurs to showcase their skills, and products and create new growth opportunities.

About Delhi :

• Governor: Vinai Kumar Saxena
• Chief Minister : Arvind Kejriwal\
• Capital: New Delhi
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, National Chambal Sanctuary

Home Ministry gives NOC for the name change of 2 places in Uttar Pradesh

• The Union Home Ministry has given its consent to change the names of two places in Uttar Pradesh (UP) following recommendations from the UP government.
• The 'no-objection' certificates were issued by the ministry for changing the name of the municipal council 'Mundera Baazar' in Gorakhpur district to 'Chauri-Chaura' and that of 'Telia Afghan' village in Deoria district to 'Telia Shukla'.
• It gives a 'no-objection' certificate to change the name of any place after taking consent from the Ministry of Railways, Department of Posts and the Survey of India.
• For changing the name of a village, town or city, an executive order is needed.
• Renaming a state requires an amendment of the Constitution with a simple majority in Parliament.

Uttarakhand CM launches SBI Foundation and HESCO’s Project

• The Chief Minister (CM) of Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami launched the Climate Resilient Livelihoods for Disaster Prone Region of Uttarakhand project.

Aim :

• To promote equitable economic and ecological development in 10 disaster-prone villages in the Joshimath Block of Chamoli District, Uttarakhand.

About the Project :

• The project aims to achieve this crucial balance by promoting diversified livelihoods, including horticulture, ecotourism, biofarming, agriculture, and environmental protection measures.
• The project is receiving funding support from SBI General Insurance Company Limited and will be implemented over a period of 3 years, until May 2025.

Additional Info :

• National parks in Uttarakhand include the Corbett National Park (the first national park of India) at Ramnagar in Nainital District, and Valley of Flowers National Park and Nanda Devi National Park in Chamoli District, which together are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

About Uttarakhand :

• Governor : Gurmit Singh
• Chief Minister : Pushkar Singh Dhami
• Capital : Gairsain (summer), Dehradun (winter)
• National Park : Rajaji National Park, Gangotri National Park,
• Wildlife Sanctuary : Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary, Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary

Jammu and Kashmir Tourist Department Organises Nowshera Folk Festival in Rajouri

• The Directorate of Tourism Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), in collaboration with District Administration Rajouri, organised the ‘Nowshera Folk Festival’ in Rajouri’s Nowshera, J&K.
• The event was inaugurated by Deputy Commissioner Rajouri, Vikas Kundal along with DDC Chairperson Naseem Liaquat Choudhury.
• About 2500 people participated in the grand cultural event.
• The event also appreciated the display of local art, handloom, and handicraft products along with a display of mannequins in Pahari and Gojri attire.
• Additional Deputy Commissioner Nowshera Kartar Singh, Assistant Director Tourism Rajouri, Ambika Bali; BDO Nowshera, Khalil Rehman and SDPO Nowshera Adil Ahmed flagged off a ‘Heritage Tour Bus’ from Dak Bunglow Nowshera.

About J&K :

• Lieutenant Governor : Manoj Sinha
• Capital : Srinagar, Jammu
• National Park : Kishtwar High Altitude National Park, Kazinag National Park, Dachigam National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries : Ramnagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE

SEBI expands committees on cyber security and information systems

• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has expanded two of its committees – the High Powered Steering Committee on Cyber Security (HPSC-CS) and Information Systems Security Committee (ISSC)

Aim :

• To strengthen cyber security frameworks and cyber resilience requirements.

About HPSC-CS :

• The committee on cyber security has been expanded to 8 members from 6 earlier.
• Chair - Navin Kumar Singh, Director General (DG) at National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC).

New Members :

• G Padmanabhan, ex-executive director, Reserve Bank of India
• Sushil Kumar Nehra, Additional Director, Cyber Security Division, MeitY

Roles & Responsibility :

• The 8-member committee oversees and guides cyber security initiatives.
• Also it advises SEBI in developing and maintaining cyber security and cyber resilience requirements aligned with global best practices and industry standards by the needs of the Indian capital market structure.

About ISSC :

• The SEBI also expanded its panel on the Information Systems Security Committee (ISSC) to 7 members, chaired by Prof Krishnamurthy.

Roles & Responsibility :

• The panel approves Information Security Policies, suggests amendments to the existing ones, and provides inputs and suggestions to take urgent actions on cyber security incidents of SEBI-regulated entities.
• The move comes at a time when Central Depository Services (India) (CDSL), the largest depository in India by a number of accounts, faced cyber security issues in November, 2022 which impacted settlement activities.

About SEBI :

• Established on 12 April 1988 as an executive body and was given statutory powers on 30 January 1992 through the SEBI Act, 1992
• Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Chairman : Madhabi Puri Buch
• The SEBI is the regulatory body for securities and commodity markets in India under the ownership of the Ministry of Finance within the Government of India.

Bajaj Allianz General Insurance launches ‘Respect Senior Care Rider’ for senior citizens

• Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, one of the leading private general insurers of India, has launched its unique health insurance rider ‘Respect Senior Care Rider’.

About ‘Respect Senior Care Rider’ :

• It is one of the first health insurance riders from the Company, which will offer 360-degree assistance for senior citizens.
• The company collaborates with Strategic Partners to provide a seamless services experience for customers by providing them with a 24×7 direct connection in under 30 seconds with the medical support & emergency platform that will activate rapid response within 10 minutes.
• Rider available in 3 plans. ie..
• Plan 1 offers Planned and emergency Ambulance Services, Concierge Services such as Home Assistance/ Daily Care, and Cyber, Travel Legal Assistance.
• Plan 2 offers services like Physiotherapy Service at home, Nursing Care at home and Tele-Consultation Services for Psychological Conditions.
• Plan 3 provides a smartwatch with fall detection technology, which tracks and records key vitals like SP02, Body Temperature, Medicine Reminder, Heart Rate, SOS
• This rider is available to people over 50 who have health insurance through their company.
• The price of the product starts from INR 700 and ranges up to INR 7,500 excluding GST

About Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Limited :

• Headquarters : Pune, Maharashtra
• MD & CEO : Tapan Singhel
• Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance is a joint venture between Bajaj Finserv and Allianz SE.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

Punjab ranks 2nd in average monthly income per agricultural household:

• Punjab ranks second in the country in average monthly income per agricultural household.
• As per information, Meghalaya tops across the country with an average monthly income per agricultural household (Rs 29,348).
• Punjab (Rs 26,701) is followed by Haryana (Rs 22,841), Arunachal Pradesh (Rs 19,225), Jammu and Kashmir (Rs 18,918), group of Union Territories (Rs 18,511), Mizoram (Rs 17,964), Kerala (Rs 17,915), group of northeastern states (Rs 16,863), Uttarakhand (Rs 13,552), Karnataka (Rs 13,441), Gujarat (Rs 12,631), Rajasthan (Rs 12,520), Sikkim (Rs 12,447) and Himachal Pradesh (Rs 12,153).
• Punjab would come in the first place, with Meghalaya having a significant proportion of horticulture and fruits, if we were to rank states based on their dependence on cash crops.
• The prominent crops produced in Punjab include rice, wheat, maize, bajra, sugarcane, oilseeds, and cotton, but rice and wheat alone constitute 80 per cent of the total gross cropped area.
• At present, sugarcane is cultivated on 1.25 lakh hectares in Punjab.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Shri Anil Kumar Lahoti appointed as Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of the Railway Board

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Shri Anil Kumar Lahoti, Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS) as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chairman of the Railway Board and will assume the charge from January 1, 2023.
• He will be taking over the chairmanship from Shri Vinay Kumar Tripathi who is set to retire on 31st Dec 2022.

Note :

• This is the first appointment of the Railway Board chief after the government notified the integrated railway service, Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS).

About Shri Anil Kumar Lahoti :

• Lahoti belongs to the 1984 batch of Indian Railway Service of Engineers (IRSE) officers.
• He joined the Central Railway and worked in various capacities over Nagpur, Jabalpur (Now on West Central Railway) and Bhusaval divisions and Central Railway headquarters from 1988 to 2001.
• He was appointed as the General Manager of Central Railway in July 2021.
• At present, he is serving as a member (infrastructure) of the Railway Board.

About Ministry of Railways :

• Union Minister : Ashwini Vaishnaw
• Minister of State : Raosaheb Danve, Darshana Jardosh
• Chairman : Anil Kumar Lahoti

Santosh Kumar Yadav was Sworn in as NHAI chief & Subhasish Panda to be DDA's Vice Chairman

• Senior bureaucrat Santosh Kumar Yadav, was appointed as chairman of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways.

Other Appointments :

• Subhasish Panda, a 1997-batch IAS officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as Delhi Development Authority (DDA) vice chairman.
• Ganji Kamala V Rao has been named Chief Executive Officer of, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• Hitesh Kumar S Makwana has been named as Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• Rajneesh, a 1997-batch IAS officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre, will be the additional secretary and development commissioner of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

About Santosh Kumar Yadav :

• Santosh Kumar Yadav, a 1995-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre.
• Currently he is an additional secretary in the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

Gouri Amma Foundation award for Cuban rights activist Aleida Guevara:

• Noted Cuban social worker and human rights advocate Aleida Guevara has been selected for the first award instituted by the K.R. Gouri Amma Foundation.
• The jury, chaired by former Education Minister M.A. Baby and comprising Binoy Viswam, MP, and P.C. Beenakumari, managing trustee of the foundation, unanimously chose Dr Guevara for the award for her efforts to rehabilitate differently-abled children and provide debt relief to developing countries.
• Aleida is also an active member of the Cuban Medical Mission which works to improve the health profile of children in Latin America.
• The award comprising $3,000, a statuette and a citation will be given away by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at a function to be held here on January 5.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

Center and Manipur sign a peace accord with the Naga armed group:

• The Union government and the Manipur government have signed a cessation of operations agreement with the Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF), a Manipur-based Naga armed group.
• The banned group, active for a decade, has been demanding a separate State for the Zeliangrong Naga tribe.
• The armed group has said in statements earlier that they are the followers of Rani Gaidinliu, a freedom fighter from Manipur, who was jailed by the British for 14 years.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a statement that the agreement would be a significant boost to the peace process in Manipur.
• It was signed by senior officers of the MHA, the Government of Manipur and the representatives of the ZUF in the presence of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh. Union Home Minister Amit Shah was not present at the signing of the agreement.

NTPC and Tecnimont sign an agreement to investigate the possibility of developing green methanol production:

• NTPC, India's largest power generation company, has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Tecnimont Private Limited, an Indian Subsidiary of Maire Tecnimont Group, Italy.
• The objective of the MOU is to jointly evaluate and explore the possibility to develop a commercial-scale Green Methanol Production facility at the NTPC project in India.
• The Green Methanol Project involves capturing carbon from NTPC power plants and converting it into green fuel.
• Green Methanol has a wide range of applications, including serving as a base material for the chemical industry, storing renewable electricity, and even as a transportation fuel.
• It is also considered a substitute fuel for maritime fuel applications.
• K Mondal, Director (Commercial), NTPC commented that this project along with NTPCs under execution Pilot scale Green Methanol project aligns with NTPC's commitment to sustainability and renewable energy, and will significantly contribute to India's energy transition.

About NTPC:

• NTPC Limited, formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation Limited, is an Indian central public sector undertaking under the ownership of the Ministry of Power, Government of India which is engaged in the generation of electricity and allied activities.
• Founded: 7 November 1975
• Headquarters: New Delhi, India

CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE NEWS

Govt gives nod to procure Pralay ballistic missiles for armed forces

• The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has given the nod to procure 120 “Pralay” short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missiles for the armed forces.
• These missiles will carry conventional warheads and will be deployed along the line of actual control (LAC) with China and the international border (IB) and line of control (LoC) with Pakistan.
• In December, 2021 the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted the maiden flight test of the indigenously developed Pralay missile.

About Pralay :

• Pralay is capable of striking and destroying targets in the range of 150-500 km.
• It can be used at night to attack enemy targets.
• The missile has a speed of around 2,000 km per hour, and is equipped with an infrared or thermal scanner.
• It would be provided to the Air Force and the Navy.
• The missile has an accuracy of 10 metres which means it is capable of hitting within 10 metres of the target and causing damage.
• It has been developed with the capacity to tackle interceptor missiles as well.

About MoD :

• Defence Minister : Rajnath Singh
• Minister of State : Ajay Bhatt
• Defence Secretary :Giridhar Aramane

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

IIT Guwahati, IIT Bombay & European partners are building sensors to check Indian water quality

• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati and IIT Bombay in collaboration with European universities are working towards building a low-cost technology to check the quality of potable and other water in India.
• The LOTUS Indo-European project, an initiative of the Department of Science and Technology and the European Commission, is aimed at providing solutions for issues related to the quality of water supplied across Indian households.

About the LOTUS Indo-European project :

• A core element of the LOTUS project is a novel water quality sensor that builds on previous work done at Ecole Polytechnique, Paris, France.
• The sensor was further developed during the project by researchers at Université Gustave Eiffel in collaboration with IIT Guwahati and the SME EGM, Sophia Antipolis, France.
• The LOTUS water quality sensor requirements were established after collecting information from Indian water utility owners, operators, end users, and research and development experts and therefore LOTUS sensor is expected to satisfy Indian water industries.
• For the commercial production of the sensor for the Indian market, IIT Guwahati is collaborating with Linxens India Private Limited and Hydroscope Technology Private Limited, a start-up firm.

Components of LOTUS sensor :

• The core of the LOTUS sensor is a chip with carbon nanotube-based sensing elements that are capable of measuring multiple quality parameters such as Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Potential of Hydrogen (pH), chlorine, and
• The components of the sensor system include software that enables water quality monitoring and safe water supply in the piped water network and tanker supply systems.

About LOTUS :

• LOTUS - LOw cost innovative Technology for water quality monitoring and water resource management for Urban and rural water Systems in India.
• LOTUS, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program.

Aim :

• To co-create, co-design and co-develop innovative low-cost technology for tackling India’s water and sanitation issues.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

Cricket Australia renames Test Player of the Year award in honour of Shane Warne:

• In memory of the late spin legend Shane Warne, Cricket Australia has renamed its top yearly award for finest performance in Test cricket.
• The Allan Border Medal, given to the best performer of the year across all forms, will be the most prestigious award for men, followed by the Shane Warne Men's Test Player of the Year award, which will be handed yearly at the Australian Cricket Awards.
• When honours were given to the legendary leg-spinner who passed away on March 4, 2022, while on vacation at the island of Ko Samui, the trophy was renamed, the first day of the annual Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against South Africa.
• As one of Australia's all-time greats, it is fitting we acknowledge Shane's extraordinary contribution to test cricket by naming this award in his honour in perpetuity.
• The announcement comes just ahead of Cricket Austria's awards, including the Allan Border Medal for men and Belinda Clark Women's award, which will be presented on January 30, 2023.
• Warne played 145 tests between 1992-2007 and his 708 wickets were the record until he was passed by Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan.
• The Australian Cricket Awards are held on an annual basis to celebrate the performances of Australian players across national and domestic cricket.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BOOKS AND AUTHOR

A New Book Titled "Forks in the Road: My Days at RBI and Beyond," Authored by C. Rangarajan:

• "Forks in the Road: My Days at RBI and Beyond" was authored by C Rangarajan.
• It was released by Penguin Business (Penguin Group).
• Dr C. Rangarajan is an Indian economist, former Member of Parliament, and the 19th Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• It examines India's transition from post-independence planning to the present.
• The book is broken into three sections.
• Part 1- 'RBI and Planning Commission', Part 2-'Governor of RBI' and Part 3- 'Beyond RBI'.

About the Book

• In this book, the renowned economist and policymaker tells the story of his career life, beginning with his entirely accidental entry into the RBI in 1982.
• Rangarajan, recognized as one of the most towering personalities in the history of India's economic reforms, shares critical insights into his role as a member of the team that launched far-reaching reforms in India's economy in the early 1990s
• During his tenure as governor of the RBI, he implemented ground-breaking reforms such as the deregulation of interest rates, strengthening of the banking system through gradual tightening of prudential norms, creation and nurturing of financial markets, giving them depth and vibrancy, shifting to market-determined exchange rates, making the rupee convertible on the current account, and ending automatic monetization of the budget deficit.

Daily CA on December 29:

• The Indian government has officially recognized e-sports in the country.
• The Ministry of Railways, as part of its station redevelopment drive, has formulated a new scheme to modernise over 1,000 small stations over the coming years.
• Dharmadam, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s constituency has achieved the position of complete library constituency in India, the first in India.
• Punjab ranks second in the country in average monthly income per agricultural household.
• Noted Cuban social worker and human rights advocate Aleida Guevara has been selected for the first award instituted by the K.R. Gouri Amma Foundation.
• The Union government and the Manipur government have signed a cessation of operations agreement with the Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF), a Manipur-based Naga armed group.
• NTPC, India's largest power generation company, has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Tecnimont Private Limited, Indian Subsidiary of Maire Tecnimont Group, Italy.
• In memory of the late spin legend Shane Warne, Cricket Australia has renamed its top yearly award for finest performance in Test cricket.
• "Forks in the Road: My Days at RBI and Beyond" was authored by C Rangarajan.

• The 10th Edition of the North East Festival 2022 began at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi, Delhi with an aim to promote the diverse life, culture, traditions and tourism of the North East region.
• The Union Home Ministry has given its consent to change the names of two places in Uttar Pradesh (UP) following recommendations from the UP government.
• The Chief Minister (CM) of Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami launched the Climate Resilient Livelihoods for Disaster Prone Region of Uttarakhand’ project.
• The Directorate of Tourism Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), in collaboration with District Administration Rajouri, organised the ‘Nowshera Folk Festival’ in Rajouri’s Nowshera, J&K.
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has expanded two of its committees – the High Powered Steering Committee on Cyber Security (HPSC-CS) and Information Systems Security Committee (ISSC)
• Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, one of the leading private general insurers of India, has launched its unique health insurance rider ‘Respect Senior Care Rider’.
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Shri Anil Kumar Lahoti, Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS) as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chairman of the Railway Board and will assume the charge from January 1, 2023.
• Senior bureaucrat Santosh Kumar Yadav, was appointed as chairman of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways.
• The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has given the nod to procure 120 “Pralay” short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missiles for the armed forces.
• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati and IIT Bombay in collaboration with European universities are working towards building a low-cost technology to check the quality of potable and other water in India.