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CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

SPIC MACAY, Culture Ministry collaborate for ‘Music in the Park’ series under ‘Shruti Amrut’:

• The Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth (SPIC MACAY) organized its very popular ‘Music in the Park’ series this year under the name ‘Shruti Amrut’ in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and the New Delhi Municipal Council.
• The beauty of Indian Classical Music was showcased by eminent artists from across the country.
• In this series, the first event of 2023 was held in Nehru Park, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi.
• The concert began with a Sarod performance by Aman Ali Bangash, a 7th Generation musician from Senia Bangash Gharana.
• He was accompanied by Anubrata Chatterjee (Tabla) and Abhishek Mishra (Tabla). Following this, a Hindustani Vocal performance by Padma Bhushan Begum Parween Sultana of Patiala Gharana accompanied by Akram Khan (Tabla), Shrinivas Acharya (Harmonium), and Shadaab Sultana (Vocals) was performed.
• SPIC MACAY is a voluntary youth movement that promotes the tangible & intangible aspects of Indian & world heritage by organizing programs and workshops on Indian Classical, Folk Music and dance, Yoga, meditation, crafts, and other aspects of Indian culture.
• It is a movement started in 1977 and has chapters in over 850 towns across the world.

Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh launches “Geospatial Hackathon”:

• The Department of Science and Technology has announced the Geospatial Hackathon to promote innovation and Start-Ups in India’s geospatial ecosystem.
• The Geospatial Hackathon will conclude on March 10, 2023, with two sets of hackathon challenges to determine four winners for the “best solutions” to the geospatial select problem statements: the Research challenge and the Start-Ups challenge.
• This hackathon aims to promote partnerships not only among the public and private geospatial sectors but also to strengthen our country’s geospatial Start-Up ecosystem.
• The Geospatial Hackathon seeks to promote innovative and cutting-edge solutions from India’s vibrant start-up community as well as recognize research work that could be applied to solve geospatial issues.
• Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh appreciated the Ministry of Science and Technology, Survey of India, IIIT Hyderabad, and Microsoft India for planning, participating, and designing the Geospatial Hackathon, which he said will serve as a formal launchpad for India’s geospatial strategy and policy, which envisions making India a global leader in the geospatial sector in times to come and becoming truly Atmanirbhar.

PM Modi shares snippets titled ‘Your Exam, Your Methods-Choose Your Style’ from Exam Warriors book:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shared snippets titled ‘Your Exam, Your Methods-Choose Your Style’ from Exam Warriors book and urged students to share how they prepare for exams.
• The Prime Minister said that in the book Exam Warriors, one Matra is ‘Your Exam, Your Methods – Choose Your Style.
• He urged all students to share their interesting experiences while preparing for the exams.
• The Prime Minister said it will surely motivate Exam Warriors.

B-20 inception meeting to be organized in Gandhinagar:

• As part of India’s G-20 presidency, a Business-20 (B-20) inception meeting will be organized at Gandhinagar in Gujarat between the 22nd to 24th of January.
• The meeting will be held to formulate policy recommendations to be submitted to G-20 ahead of the leaders' Summit.
• This will be the first of 15 events that the State is set to organize as part of India's G-20 presidency.
• The inaugural ceremony of the B-20 inception meeting will be attended by Union Ministers Piyush Goyal and Ashwini Vaishnav, State Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, India's Sherpa to G-20 Amitabh Kant, and Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran.
• More than 150 policy-makers, business executives, CEOs, and senior executives representing enterprises from G-20 countries will take part in the inaugural meeting.

'Womaniya on Government eMarketplace' commemorated in New Delhi:

• The success of “Womaniya on Government eMarketplace” was commemorated in New Delhi.
• There are over one lakh 44 thousand Udyam-verified women micro, small enterprises (MSE) registered at present, known as “Womaniya”.
• They are registered as sellers and service providers on the GeM portal and have fulfilled over 14.76 lakh orders amounting to over 21 thousand crore rupees in Gross Merchandise Value.
• The event was held by GeM in partnership with the Self-Employed Women’s Association, Bharat, and attended by women entrepreneurs and participants from stakeholder organizations and associations.
• The “Womaniya” initiative was launched in 2019.
• It has sought to encourage the participation of women entrepreneurs and self-help groups from the informal sector on the GeM portal and facilitate the sale of their products directly to various Government buyers, sans intermediaries.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Guyana offers 200 acres of land for the exclusive production of millet

• President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana Mr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali offered 200 acres of land in Guyana to India for cultivation and production of millets for the private sector after the United Nations (UN) declared 2023 as the International Year of Millet (IYOM).
• The offer was made by Mr. Irfaan Ali to Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, who called on the visiting foreign dignitary in New Delhi.
• Irfaan Ali also requested Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s presence at the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in February 2023 to present India’s vision on agriculture and food security.

Key Highlights :

• The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at its 75th session in March 2021 declared 2023 the International Year of Millets (IYM).
• The IYM 2023 is an opportunity to raise awareness of, and direct policy attention to the nutritional and health benefits of millets and their suitability for cultivation under adverse and changing climatic conditions.
• IYM 2023 aims to contribute to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 3 (Good health and well-being), SDG 8 (Decent work and economic growth), SDG 12 (Responsible consumption and production), SDG 13 (Climate action) and SDG 15 (Life on land).
• IYOM -2023 would provide an opportunity to increase global production, efficient processing, and better use of crop rotation and promote millets as a major component of the food basket.

About Guyana 

• President: Mohamed Irfaan Ali
• Capital: Georgetown
• Currency: Guyanese dollar

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

Uttarakhand Governor approves Bill granting 30% women's reservation in government jobs

• Uttarakhand Governor Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (retd) has approved a bill to grant 30% reservation for women in government jobs.
• Uttarakhand Public Services (Horizontal Reservation for Women) Bill, 2022 was passed by the Uttarakhand assembly on November 29, 2022, & now the bill has become an Act.
• The bill seeks to provide 30% reservation to women in government jobs to ensure social justice, equality of opportunity, improvement in living standards, and gender equality in public planning.

About Horizontal reservation : 

• Horizontal reservation refers to the equal opportunity provided to other categories of beneficiaries such as women, veterans, the transgender community, and individuals with disabilities, cutting through the vertical categories.
• The horizontal quota is applied separately to each vertical category, and not across the board.

About Uttarakhand : 

• Governor: Gurmit Singh
• Chief Minister: Pushkar Singh Dhami
• Capital: Bhararisain (summer) and Dehradun (winter)

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING & FINANCE

Aditya Birla Health Insurance in Bancassurance Partnership with Punjab & Sind Bank

• Aditya Birla Health Insurance Co. Ltd. (ABHICL), the health insurance joint venture of Aditya Birla Capital Ltd. (ABCL), signed a bancassurance partnership with Punjab & Sind Bank for the distribution of health insurance products through the bank’s network of branches across India.
• This partnership will enable ABHICL to expand its national footprint and access Punjab & Sind Bank’s widely distributed network of 1,528 branches and its customers.

About the partnership : 

• Through this Partnership, Punjab & Sind Bank’s customers and employees will have access to ABHICL’s comprehensive suite of health-first insurance plans, aimed at encouraging customers to practice a healthy lifestyle through innovative products such as 100% Health ReturnsTM and Chronic’s Incentive Wellness To reward with profit.
• Also Management Program, Day 1 covers Asthma, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, and Diabetes; wellness coaching on nutrition and fitness; Counseling on mental health among others.
• With this, ABHICL now has 18 bancassurance companions with over 70,000 direct promoting brokers, throughout India.

About Bancassurance :

• Bancassurance is an arrangement between a bank and an insurance company, through which the insurer can sell its products to the bank's customers.

About Punjab & Sind Bank : 

• Established: 1908
• Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi
• MD & CEO: Swaroop Kumar Saha
• Tagline: Where Service is a Way of Life

About Aditya Birla Health Insurance : 

• Established: 2015
• CEO: Mayank Bathwal
• ABHICL, a part of Aditya Birla Capital Ltd (ABCL), is a joint venture between Aditya Birla Group and MMI Holdings of South Africa

Union Bank of India partners with Garuda Aerospace sanctions 150 Agri drone loans for Garuda Kisan drones 

• Chennai’s drone startup Garuda Aerospace has partnered with the Union Bank of India (UBI) with 150 Garuda Agri Kisan drones receiving sanction for a loan under the Kisan Pushpak Scheme.
• The drone loan will help farmers to digitize land record operations for crop production, and spraying of fertilizers, chemicals, and pesticides, with the help of drones.

About the Partnership : 

• The partnership is for the Agri Infrastructure Fund (AIF) Scheme & Capital Subsidy under submission on Agriculture Mechanization (SMAM).
• It will be useful for lead generation, customer acquisition, sourcing of applications, and due diligence of customers for credit deployment.
• The bank has launched the Union Kisan Pushpak Scheme for financing Kisan drones to help farmers in improving their crop yield and enhance their income.

About Agri Infrastructure Fund Scheme : 

• The Agri Infrastructure Fund Scheme will finance 150 drone applications that will benefit the farmer community and create 150 skilled pilots who will engage to become entrepreneurs and improve farmers' income.
• Garuda Kisan drone is the first to receive the Agri drone loan in July 2022 from the Union Minister of Agriculture and farmer welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar.
• The AIF loans are collateral-free and can secure up to Rs 10 lakh with 3 months of EMI relaxation and a 5% interest rate for the youth and farmers.
• This development will help youth to buy drones and will help them earn around Rs 75,000 to Rs 1 lakh per month.
• Garuda Aerospace has started training 1 lakh youth free of cost and is targeting to sell 5,000 drones before Mar. 31, 2023.

About Garuda Aerospace : 

• Founder and CEO:   Agnishwar Jayaprakash
• Brand ambassador: Mahendra Singh Dhoni
• Garuda Aerospace is the 1st drone Company to get both DGCA approvals for Type Certification and Remote Pilot Training Organization

About UBI : 

• Founded: 11 November 1919
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• MD & CEO : A Manimekhalai
• Tagline: Good People To Bank With

India's retail inflation shrinks to 5.72% for December 2022    

• India's retail inflation eased to 5.72% in December 2022 primarily on the back of a decline in food prices.
• Retail inflation stood at 5.88% in November 2022.

Key Highlights : 

• Food prices account for nearly 40% of India’s CPI (Consumer Price Index).
• Food inflation for December 2022 eased to 4.19%.
• In November 2022 it was recorded to be 4.67%.
• In the December 2022 Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) retained its inflation forecast of 6.7% for FY23.
• In Dec 2022, MPC raised interest rates by 35 basis points to 6.25% to tame inflation.
• The consumer price index (CPI)-based inflation has remained below RBI's upper tolerance band of 6% for the second consecutive month.

About CPI : 

• The Consumer Price Index is a comprehensive measure used for the estimation of price changes in a basket of goods and services representative of consumption expenditure in an economy.
• At the national level, there are four Consumer Price Index (CPI) numbers.
• These are:

1. CPI for Industrial Workers (IW) - Base Year 2016
2. CPI for Agricultural Labourers (AL)
3. CPI for Rural Labourers (RL) - Base Year 1986-87
4. CPI (Rural/Urban/combined) - Base Year 2012

• While the first three are compiled and released by the Labour Bureau in the Ministry of Labour, the 4th one is released by the NSO in the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
• The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) increased by 7.1% for November 2022.
• This is the highest in 5 months.
• According to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation data, IIP recorded positive growth after contracting by 4% in the preceding month.

SBI launches e-Bank Guarantee (e-BG) facility in association with National e-Governance Services Limited (NeSL) 

• State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest lender, has launched an e-Bank Guarantee (e-BG) facility in association with National e-Governance Services Limited (NeSL).
• The introduction of e-BG will replace this function with e-stamping and e-signature.

Aim : 

• To enhance transparency and reduce turnaround time from days to minutes. 

Key Highlights :

• NeSL’s Digital Document Execution (DDE) platform, which provides e-Stamp and e-Sign functions, will facilitate the e-Bank Guarantee process.
• Beneficiaries will instantly receive an e-Bank Guarantee on NeSL’s platform without further verification.
• This facility will bring about a revolutionary change in the banking ecosystem, where bank guarantee is frequently used in large volumes.
• Currently, the bank issues these guarantees with physical stamping and wet signatures.

About NeSL : 

• MD & CEO: Mr. Debajyoti Ray Chaudhuri
• NeSL is India’s first Information Utility and is registered with the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) under the aegis of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC).

CURRENT AFFAIRS: ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

Axis AIF exits SBI General for Rs 350 crore

• Axis Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) bought its 1.27% stake in SBI General Insurance Co to 2 entities of IIFL Alternative Investment Funds for about ₹350 crores.
• This marks the total divestment of Axis AIF’s 1.65% stake within the insurer.

Key Highlights : 

• Axis AIF purchased the shares in September 2018 for about ₹200 crores.
• Axis AIF purchased the shares via a scheme known as Axis New Opportunities Fund AIF-I.
• The first step of the sale -0.38% to Avendus Future Leaders Fund happened earlier.
• In the second step, two entities of IIFL AIF - IIFL India Private Equity Fund-Series 1A and IIFL Special Opportunities Fund- Series 9 bought out the stake.
• The full divestment value is about ₹450-₹475 crore, according to Centrum Capital, which advised on the deals.

About SBI General Insurance :

• Founded: 24 February 2009
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• CEO: Prakash Chandra Kandpal.

Alibaba sells Paytm stake worth $125 million via block deal  

• China's Alibaba Group has sold about a 3% stake in One97 Communications, the parent entity of leading Indian mobile payments and financial services company Paytm, for ₹1,031 crores through a block deal.
• According to block deal data on the NSE, Alibaba.com sold 19.2 million shares at ₹536.95 apiece. 
• While Morgan Stanley Asia bought 5 million shares, Ghisallo Master Fund acquired 4.98 million shares.
• Formally known as One97 Communications, Paytm was listed in 2021 after a mega $2.5 billion initial public offer (IPO).
• In November 2022 the Japanese SoftBank Group sold 29 million shares of Paytm, or a 4.5% stake, worth about $200 million through a block deal.
• SoftBank had a 17.5% stake in Paytm as of Sept. 30, 2022.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING AND REPORTS

WEF Global Risks Report Unveils Top Risks World Is Facing:

• The World Economic Forum taking place in Davos, Switzerland released the 18th edition of the Global Risk Report 2023 based on the 2022-2023 Global Risks Perception Survey (GRPS) that reveals the cost-of-living crisis, food supply crisis, energy supply crisis, rising inflation, and cyberattacks on critical infrastructure are the major risks, the world is witnessing currently.
• Apart from the five top risks, the report mentioned other issues as well that have the potential to impact the world on large scale including the weaponization of economic policy, weakening of human rights, NetZero targets, failure of non-food supply chains, and a debt crisis.
• According to the report, the participants of the survey see the way 2025 will be dominated by a social and environmental risk that is driven by underlying geopolitical and economic trends.
• The WEF Global Risks Report ranked the ‘cost of living crisis’ in first place among all the global risks based on its severity over the short term.
• As per the respondents of GRPS, the Cost of living is the most severe global risk which was already there but due to the advent of the pandemic, the crisis of cost of living escalated.
• This risk further shoots up as a consequence of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
• The disruption occurred in the energy supply due to the Russia-Ukraine crisis, expanded the expenditure of countries, and end it up in rising inflation. To solve this issue, many countries introduced restrictions including export bans.
• The report also mentioned that due to the increase in fuel prices, protests broke out in nearly 92 countries.
• Apart from this, rising inflation is another top global risk that potentially impacts global space, earlier GRR (Global Risks Report) warned that inflation and debt an emerging risks.

Shah Rukh Khan only Indian to beat Tom Cruise, Jackie Chan, and others on the world's richest actor list:

• Shah Rukh Khan is the only Indian on the list of the world's richest actors. Tom Cruise and Jackie Chan are on the list, while Jerry Seinfeld occupied the numero uno position.
• As per a recent list released by the World of Statistics, Shah Rukh Khan is the third richest actor in the world with a net worth of $770 million.
• The list is led by Seinfeld star Jerry Seinfeld and Tyler Perry with $1 billion.
• They are followed by Dwayne Johnson, with $800 million.
• Shah Rukh Khan is the only Indian on the list.
• SRK, apart from acting, has a sports business, his VFX company, and a host of other business ventures.
• Top Gun star Tom Cruise follows SRK on the list with $620 million.
• The only other non-American, apart from SRK, on this list is Jackie Chan with $520 million.
• George Clooney and Robert De Niro end the list with $500 million.
• And now SRK has become the only Indian to beat some of the cult Hollywood stars to feature on the world's richest actors list.
• As per the data released by World of Statistics, Shah Rukh Khan has taken the fourth position in the list of eight richest actors in the world with an estimated net worth of $770 million.
• He has beaten the likes of Tom Cruise, Jackie Chan, George Clooney, and Robert De Niro.
• According to the list, the richest actor in the world is Jerry Seinfeld with a net worth of $1 Billion followed by Tyler Perry ($1 Billion), and Dwayne Johnson ($800 million) in number two and three positions.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: ENVIRONMENT

Centre puts Neelakurinji on the list of protected plants:

• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF) has listed Neelakurinji ( Strobilanthes kunthiana) Under Schedule III of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, it is included in the list of protected plants.
• This action is intended to safeguard the plant from being damaged or uprooted, which has become a major hazard to flowering areas.
• The new ordinance also imposes severe penalties on anyone found guilty of destroying or uprooting the plant.
• Those uprooting or destroying the plant will be fined Rs 25,000 and imprisoned for three years.
• As per the order, cultivation and possession of Neelakurinji are not permitted.
• Forest officials said Neelakurinji has been included in the list after the Center expanded the earlier protected list of six plant species to 19.

About Neelakurinji:

• Neelakurinji is an indigenous plant found in a tiny stretch of the Western Ghats, from the Mangaladevi hills to the Nilgiris highlands.
• Strobilanthes kunthiana, the most popular Neelakurinji, blooms only once every 12 years.
• However, some rare kinds of Neelakurnji can also be found in the Western Ghats.
• The flowering of Neelakurinji is a big draw for tourists, who come to the regions where it blooms.
• However, this has resulted in the damage and uprooting of the plant, which is a severe threat to the flowering areas.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Cognizant appoints ex-Infosys president Mr. Ravi Kumar as CEO

• Nasdaq-listed Cognizant Technology Solutions has appointed Mr. Ravi Kumar S as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and a member of the Board, effective immediately.
• Kumar succeeds Mr. Brian Humphries in both roles.
• To facilitate a smooth transition, Mr. Humphries will remain with the company as a special advisor until March 15, 2023.

About Mr. Ravi Kumar S : 

• Kumar worked as a scientist with the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.
• He joins Cognizant after a 20-year career at Infosys, where he held various leadership roles, most recently serving as President from January 2016 through October 2022.
• He has overseen Infosys business operations in India, Latin America, Japan, and
• He also serves on the Board of Governors of the New York Academy of Sciences and the Board of Directors of theS. Chamber of Commerce.
• Kumar currently serves on the board of directors of TransUnion.

Other Appointments : 

• The company also announced that Stephen J. Rohleder, a member of Cognizant's Board since March 2022, has been elected Chair of the Board.
• Former Chair Michael Patsalos-Fox will remain on the Board as an independent director.
• Cognizant also announced that Surya Gummadi has been named President of Cognizant Americas.

About Cognizant : 

• Founded: 26 January 1994
• Headquarters: Teaneck, New Jersey, United States

UAE names oil giant ADNOC’s chief Mr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber as COP28 climate conference president

• The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has named Mr. Sultan al-Jaber, Cabinet Member and Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology of the UAE, & Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC Group) as President of the COP28 climate summit.
• Mr. Jaber, also UAE’s minister of industry and technology and its climate envoy, will help develop the COP28 agenda and play a central role in intergovernmental negotiations to build consensus.
• The summit will be held from 30th November and 12th December 2023 in Dubai, UAE.

Note : 

• The UAE is the first country in the region to ratify the Paris Agreement and has committed to reaching net zero emissions by 2050.
• The COP28 conference will be the first global stocktake since the landmark Paris Agreement in 2015.
• The UAE, a major OPEC oil exporter, will be the second Arab state to host the climate conference after Egypt hosted the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) 27th Conference of the Parties (COP 27) in 2022.

About Mr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber : 

• Mr. Jaber is the UAE's climate envoy and has participated in 10 COP meetings so far.
• He is also the chief executive officer (CEO) of Masdar, which is the UAE's renewable energy company.
• He is also overseeing an acceleration of ADNOC’s low-carbon growth strategy approved in 2022.

About UAE : 

• President: Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
• Prime Minister: Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
• Capital: Abu Dhabi
• Currency: UAE dirham

Govt extends tenure of SBI MD Mr. Challa Sreenivasulu Setty by 2 years    

• The government has extended the term of State Bank of India (SBI) Managing Director (MD) Challa Sreenivasulu Setty for two years with effect from January 20, 2023.
• SBI announced that its board has considered raising funds through the issue of infrastructure bonds worth up to ₹10,000 crores during the financial year 2023.

About SBI : 

• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• Chairperson: Dinesh Kumar Khara

Mr. Kartik Jain appointed as MD and CEO of Shriram AMC                        

• The Board of Shriram Asset Management Company, which is part of the Shriram Group, approved the appointment of Kartik Jain as the company’s new Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals.
• His appointment will re-orient the brand’s customer strategy and enhance operational efficiency

About Mr. Kartik Jain : 

• He also served as CMO at HDFC Bank and led marketing and eChannel at ICICI Lombard General Insurance. 
• Before joining Shriram AMC, Mr. Jain headed Product, Platforms, and Digibank at DBS Bank India's Consumer Business Group in
• At KPMG, Jain advised clients in the UK and Europe on eBusiness strategy and process re-engineering.

About Shriram AMC : 

• Shriram AMC is a subsidiary of the Shriram Group, a financial conglomerate with assets worth over Rs 2.25 lakh crore
• Director : Subhasri Sriram

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE NEWS

ICG ship ‘Kamla Devi’- the last vessel of the FPV series, commissioned in  West Bengal    

• Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ship ‘Kamla Devi’, the Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) designed, built, and delivered by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd, Kolkata to the Indian Coast Guard was commissioned.
• As per the specifications of the ICG, ICGS Kamla Devi is officially the 5th and last vessel of the series of FPVs designed and built by GRSE.
• Director General of the ICG, V.S. Pathania, commissioned the

Note : 

• The ICG ship Kamla Devi was named after Kamladevi Chattopadhyay, a well-known Indian social reformer and independence activist.

About ICGS Kamla Devi : 

• ICGS Kamla Devi is 48.9 meters long and 7.5 meters wide with a displacement of 308 Tons.
• With 3 engines and water jets, she is capable of a top speed of 34 knots and an endurance of over 1,500 nautical miles. 
• She also has an Integrated Bridge System and is fitted with a 40/60 gun as the main armament.
• The ship has advanced habitability features with fully air-conditioned accommodations for 35 personnel.
• It will patrol the seas and carry out anti-smuggling, anti-poaching and search and rescue operations as and when required.
• Also, ‘MV Ma Lisha’, a Passenger-cum-Cargo Ocean Going Ferry built by the shipyard for the Cooperative Republic of Guyana was flagged off  by GRSE chairman and managing director (CMD) Commodore (retd) P R Hari 
• This is the first such ship built for exports to a Latin American country by any Defence Public Sector shipyard.

About Kamladevi Chattopadhyay :

• She is the first lady in India to run in elections from the Madras seat, which paved the way for women in India.
• She was granted the Sangeet Natak Academy Fellowship in 1974, the highest honor bestowed by India's National Academy of Music, Dance, and Drama.
• The government awarded her the Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan in 1955 and 1987, respectively.
• She is known as Hatkargha Maa because of her involvement in the handloom industry.

About ‘MV Ma Lisha’ : 

• The MV Ma Lisha was designed and built by GRSE.
• It will move towards Chennai and once at Chennai, she will be loaded onto a semi-submersible vessel MV Sun Rise for her long voyage to Guyana.
• The 70-meter-long vessel with a displacement of 1,700 tonnes is propelled by two diesel engines and can attain a maximum speed of 15 knots.
• The ship can accommodate 294 passengers including 14 crew members along with 14 cars, two trucks, and 14 containers and cargo.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

South African Launch Of World’s First Agri-Focused Satellite Will Generate Revenue Of $108 million         

• The Chairperson of the South African Council for Space Affairs, Pontsho Maruping announced that the successful launch of the world’s first agri-focused satellite called AgriSAT-1 /ZA 008 is expected to generate over USD 100 million in revenue for South Africa.

About AgriSAT-1 /ZA 008 : 

• Dragonfly Aerospace launched the satellite, on a Space X Falcon 9 rocket.
• It is the world’s first agriculture-focused satellite constellation providing the agriculture and forestry industry with high-quality data to support efficient and sustainable practices.
• The satellite is the first of a 7-satellite constellation in low Earth orbit for customer EOSDA (EOS Data Analytics). 
• The remaining 6 satellites of the constellation will be deployed over the next 3 years.
• Images obtained from Dragonfly’s satellite will deliver valuable information for harvest monitoring, application mapping, seasonal planning, and assessments that analyze information such as soil moisture, yield prediction, and biomass levels. 
• This data will support growers in reducing carbon dioxide emissions and help them to develop sustainable agricultural methods.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

Yamaguchi, Axelsen win Malaysia Open singles crowns:

• Akane Yamaguchi and Viktor Axelsen won the Malaysia Open Super 1000 women’s and men’s singles titles in Kuala Lumpur.
• Yamaguchi won her maiden Super Series Premier title at the China Open in 2017.
• Yamaguchi, after dropping the first game 12-21, bounced back to win the tightly fought second game 21-19 before sealing the contest 21-11 in the third.
• The men’s singles final saw a repeat of last month’s World Tour Finals.
• Axelsen, the regaining Olympic and world champion, won the Malaysia Open title in straight games, beating Japanese youngster Kodai Naraoka in 40 minutes.
• This was Axelsen’s ninth Super Series Premier title and third Malaysia Open crown.
• Chen Qingchen-Jia Yifan, the world no. 1 pairing in women’s doubles, blew away South Korea’s Baek Hana-Lee Yulim 21-16, 21-10 in 52 minutes.
• In mixed doubles, the world no. 1 pairing of Zheng Siwei-Huang Yaqiong, carrying on their last season’s dominating display, claimed the season’s first Super Series Premier title.
• Zheng-Huang beat Yuta Watanabe-Arisa Higashino of Japan 21-19, 21-11 in 44 minutes.
• Last season, the Chinese pairing won an overwhelming nine Super Series titles on the World Tour.

Broadcaster Viacom18 bags Women's IPL five-year media rights for Rs 951 cr:

• Reliance-backed Viacom18 has secured the Women’s Indian Premier League (WIPL) media rights for five years (2023-27) at an auction.
• Viacom18 had committed ~951 crores for five years, translating into a per-match value of Rs 7.09 crore.
• There will be a total of 134 matches in the five-team WIPL over five years, with 22 matches each in the first three years.
• The number could touch 34 matches each in the final two years.
• BCCI is anticipating growth in WIPL over the next few years, said executives at the cricketing body.
• While BCCI was eyeing Rs 1,100-1,250 crore from the sale of media rights for WIPL for five years, observed media experts, what has come in is 14-24 percent lower in terms of total bid value (Rs 951 crore).
• The Big Bash League in Australia has both a men’s and women’s edition.
• At last year’s e-auction for the men’s IPL for 2023-27, the total value of media rights was nearly 3x the previous cycle’s value at Rs 48,390 crore, with the per-match value at Rs 118 crore.
• Disney Star and Viacom18 had picked up the television and digital rights for Rs 23,575 crore and Rs 23,491 crore, respectively.
• Viacom18 and Times Internet had picked up the overseas rights for Rs 1,324 crore.

Barcelona beats Real Madrid 3-1 to win Super Cup:

• Barcelona won the Spanish Super Cup for the first time since the competition was revamped and moved to Saudi Arabia with a 3-1 victory over Real Madrid.
• Robert Lewandowski, Gavi, and Pedri scored a goal each at King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh to give Barcelona its first Super Cup trophy since 2018 — and its 14th overall — and the first since the tournament began being played in a Final Four format in 2020 in a lucrative deal for the Spanish soccer federation.
• It was also Barcelona’s first title since former player Xavi took over as the team’s coach in 2021, and since Lionel Messi left for Paris Saint-Germain.
• Barcelona had not lifted a trophy since the 2021 Copa del Rey under former coach Ronald Koeman.
• That was Messi’s 35th and final title with Barcelona before leaving amid the club’s financial struggles.
• Madrid beat Barcelona 3-1 at home in the first “El Clásico” of the season at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in the Spanish league in October.
• The Super Cup used to be played between the Spanish league champion and the Copa del Rey winner.
• Now the runners-up in both competitions also participate.
• Madrid played as the league champion and Barcelona was the league runner-up. Betis won the Copa title over Valencia last season.
• The current contract to play the Super Cup in Saudi Arabia runs through the 2024-25 season.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARIES

Former Union Minister Sharad Yadav passed away

• Former Union Minister and one of the country's most prominent socialist leaders, Sharad Yadav, Passed away at the age of 75 in Gurugram, Haryana.

About Sharad Yadav : 

• Yadav was born on 1 July 1947 in Babai, Hoshangabad district of Madhya Pradesh (MP).
• He was an Indian politician from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) party.
• He was a three-time member of the Rajya Sabha (1986, 2004, 2014).
• He was elected as Lok Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) 7 times in his political career including 4 times from Bihar's Madhepura district and twice from Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh (MP) & once from Badaun in Uttar Pradesh (UP).
• He won the Madhepura Lok Sabha seat a total of 4 times; in 1991, 1996,1999, and 2009.
• He was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time at the age of 27 from Jabalpur in 1974 & he was re-elected in 1977.
• He was the first Janata Dal United JD(U) president and held the post from 2003 to 2016.
• He founded the Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) in May 2018.
• In March 2022, he merged his party Loktantrik Janata Dal with the Rashtriya Janata Dal.

Daily CA on January 18:

• The Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth (SPIC MACAY) organized its very popular ‘Music in the Park’ series this year under the name ‘Shruti Amrut’ in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and the New Delhi Municipal Council.
• The Department of Science and Technology has announced the Geospatial Hackathon to promote innovation and Start-Ups in India’s geospatial ecosystem.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shared snippets titled ‘Your Exam, Your Methods-Choose Your Style’ from Exam Warriors book and urged students to share how they prepare for exams.
• As part of India’s G-20 presidency, a Business-20 (B-20) inception meeting will be organized at Gandhinagar in Gujarat between the 22nd to 24th of January.
• The success of “Womaniya on Government eMarketplace” was commemorated in New Delhi.
• The World Economic Forum taking place in Davos, Switzerland released the 18th edition of the Global Risk Report 2023 based on the 2022-2023 Global Risks Perception Survey (GRPS) that reveals the cost-of-living crisis, food supply crisis, energy supply crisis, rising inflation, and cyberattacks on critical infrastructure are the major risks, the world is witnessing currently.
• Shah Rukh Khan is the only Indian on the list of the world's richest actors. Tom Cruise and Jackie Chan are on the list, while Jerry Seinfeld occupied the numero uno position.
• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF) has listed Neelakurinji ( Strobilanthes kunthiana) Under Schedule III of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, it is included in the list of protected plants.
• Akane Yamaguchi and Viktor Axelsen won the Malaysia Open Super 1000 women’s and men’s singles titles in Kuala Lumpur.
• Reliance-backed Viacom18 has secured the Women’s Indian Premier League (WIPL) media rights for five years (2023-27) at an auction.
• Barcelona won the Spanish Super Cup for the first time since the competition was revamped and moved to Saudi Arabia with a 3-1 victory over Real Madrid.
• President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana Mr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali offered 200 acres of land in Guyana to India for cultivation and production of millets for the private sector after the United Nations (UN) declared 2023 as the International Year of Millet (IYOM).
• Uttarakhand Governor Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (retd) has approved a bill to grant 30% reservation for women in government jobs.
• Aditya Birla Health Insurance Co. Ltd. (ABHICL), the health insurance joint venture of Aditya Birla Capital Ltd. (ABCL), signed a bancassurance partnership with Punjab & Sind Bank for the distribution of health insurance products through the bank’s network of branches across India.
• Chennai’s drone startup Garuda Aerospace has partnered with the Union Bank of India (UBI) with 150 Garuda Agri Kisan drones receiving sanction for a loan under the Kisan Pushpak Scheme.
• India's retail inflation eased to 5.72% in December 2022 primarily on the back of a decline in food prices.
• State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest lender, has launched an e-Bank Guarantee (e-BG) facility in association with National e-Governance Services Limited (NeSL).
• Axis Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) bought its 27% stake in SBI General Insurance Co to 2 entities of IIFL Alternative Investment Funds for about ₹350 crores.
• China's Alibaba Group has sold about a 3% stake in One97 Communications, the parent entity of leading Indian mobile payments and financial services company Paytm, for ₹1,031 crores through a block deal.
• Nasdaq-listed Cognizant Technology Solutions has appointed Mr. Ravi Kumar S as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and a member of the Board, effective immediately & he succeeds Brian Humphries in both roles.
• The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has named Sultan al-Jaber, Cabinet Member and Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology of the UAE, & Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC Group) as President of the COP28 climate summit.
• The government has extended the term of State Bank of India (SBI) Managing Director (MD) Challa Sreenivasulu Setty for two years with effect from January 20, 2023.
• The Board of Shriram Asset Management Company, which is part of the Shriram Group, approved the appointment of Kartik Jain as the company’s new Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals.
• Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ship ‘Kamla Devi’, the Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) designed, built, and delivered by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd, Kolkata to the Indian Coast Guard was commissioned.
• The Chairperson of the South African Council for Space Affairs, Pontsho Maruping announced that the successful launch of the world’s first agri-focused satellite called AgriSAT-1 /ZA 008 is expected to generate over USD 100 million in revenue for South Africa.
• Former Union Minister and one of the country's most prominent socialist leaders, Sharad Yadav, Passed away at the age of 75 in Gurugram, Haryana.