Dear Readers, Here we have given the list of Important Weekly Current Affairs of Dec 15th to 21st Dec 2023. Candidates those who are preparing for Upcoming SBIClerk 2023 and other competitive exams can make use of it.

Weekly Current Affairs December 15th to 21st PDF Download

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

• Vijay Diwas 2023 is observed on the 16th of December 2023 for the remembrance of the victory of the Indian Armed Forces in ‘Operation: Vijay’ against the infiltrating Pakistani troops.
• Minorities Rights Day 2023 is observed on the 18th of December 2023.
• International Migrants Day 2023 is observed on the 18th of December 2023.
• Goa’s Liberation Day 2023 is observed on the 19th of December 2023.
• International Human Solidarity Day 2023 is observed on the 20th of December 2023.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) increased the limit for automatic payments through Unified Payments Interface (UPI) to Rs 1 lakh per transaction from the existing Rs 15,000 for certain categories, including subscription to mutual funds.
• Following a change in ownership, Poonawalla Housing Finance has been rebranded as Grihum Housing Finance with global private equity firm TPG now holding 99.02 per cent stake in the housing finance company.
• Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and DBS Bank India have collaborated to establish a financing programme customised to the requirements of the compressed biogas project initiated by RIL.
• The finance ministry has released ₹10,000 crore in urgent assistance to meet unexpected enhanced expenditure under the rural job guarantee scheme until the first batch of supplementary demands for grants is approved by parliament at its next session.
• Cryptocurrency platform CoinSwitch has unveiled PeepalCo, a new umbrella brand to house all its business segments, as it plans to expand into a wealth-tech platform.
• Federal Bank, a leading financial institution, has been recognised as "Bank of the Year (India)" by Financial Times owned The Banker, one of the only three global awards that considers the work of banks spanning 120 countries.
• iVIS, a subsidiary of Magellanic Cloud, has announced its empanelment with ICICI Bank for the delivery of e-surveillance services across branches.
• Intellect Design Arena Limited, the Chennai-based FinTech company for financial and insurance clients, has signed a ₹80 crore, 5-year deal with Indian Bank to deploy Intellect’s eMACH.ai powered Cash Management System.
• India and ADB have signed a $200 million loan agreement with Uttarakhand for the Power System Project.
• The weighted average cut-off yield of State Government Security issuances increased to 7.71% as per RBI report.
• SBI signed a 70 million euro (approximately Rs 630 crore) Line of Credit (LoC) with KfW.
• PNB Housing Finance, the third largest housing finance company in India, announced that it has achieved a loan book size of Rs 1,000 crore in the affordable housing segment.
• YES Bank has invited expressions of interest (EoI) for the proposed sale of NPAs worth ₹4,234 crore.
• A total of 10 Public Sector Banks (PSBs) have transferred Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) of over Rs 11,617 crore to NARCL between January and November this year.
• Bandhan Bank has been authorised by RBI to disburse pensions on behalf of Indian Railways.
• Indian banks increased their overseas presence through the subsidiaries route to 417 during 2022-23, from 399 at the end of the preceding fiscal, as per Reserve Bank data.
• Private equity firm Bain Capital has offloaded a 1.1% stake in Axis Bank through the open market raking in a profit of more than Rs 3,700 crore.
• Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) has notified an increase in gratuity limit to Rs 5 lakh from Rs 3 lakh for LIC agents with an aim to bring substantial improvements to the working conditions and benefits for them.
• Reliance General Insurance Company introduced “Reliance Health Global", a healthcare policy aimed at providing Indians with access to global healthcare.
• IndusInd Bank has introduced the 'Indus Solitaire Program,' a specialized community banking initiative tailored for the diamond industry.
• The Government of India (GoI) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed an agreement for a 37 billion Japanese Yen ($250 million) loan that will continue financing the construction of the 82-kilometre Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor.
• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has raised the limits on losses for the appointment of Surveyors and Loss Assessors.
• Since the last two years, foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into Gujarat have remained subdued, despite the state topping the FDI charts in 2020–21.
• Cashfree Payments, India's leading payments and API banking company, announced its foray into payment orchestration with the launch of 'FlowWise' that helps Indian businesses manage payments more efficiently.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

• Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Tribal Affairs Shri Arjun Munda inaugurated ASEAN-India Millet Festival today at New Delhi.
• Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare while inaugurating five new facilities at the Indian Council of Medical Research - National Institute of Malaria Research (ICMR-NIMR).
• The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has launched the Indian Forest & Wood Certification Scheme.
• The Rajya Sabha has passed a Bill to regulate the appointment of the Election Commission of India.
• India’s first six-lane steel slag-based Road Connecting NH-6 to Hazira Port has been constructed.
• The 29th Kolkata International Film Festival ended & Israeli film 'Children of Nobody' won the Best Film Award under International Competition in Innovation Moving Images.
• The Union Cabinet chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi was apprised of a MoU signed between the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Information, Communication and Information Technology of the United Republic of Tanzania on cooperation in the field of sharing successful Digital Solutions implemented at Population Scale for Digital Transformation.
• The Union Cabinet chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, approved the draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the United States of America and the Republic of India to enhance innovation ecosystems through an innovation handshake.
• The Cabinet chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi was apprised of a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) signed between the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Communications and information Technology of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia on cooperation in the field of Digitization and Electronic Manufacturing.
• The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval for signing of Memorandum of Understanding between the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce & Industry of the Republic of India and the Directorate General for the Protection of Industrial Property-Italian Patent and Trademark Office of the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy of the Italian Republic on Cooperation in the field of Industrial Property Rights.
• The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has approved the proposal to declare Surat Airport as an International Airport.
• The second phase of Kashi Tamil Sangamam will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi at the Namo Ghat, Varanasi, UP
• Unnati Foundation became the first entity to list on the social stock exchanges (SSE).
• In Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dedicated the newly Built Diamond Bourse, the World’s largest corporate office hub in Surat.
• IIT Madras developed ‘AMRIT’ (Arsenic and Metal Removal by Indian Technology) for removing Arsenic and Metal ions from water.
• In a move towards eco-friendly maritime transportation, the Barracuda, India’s fastest solar-electric boat, was ceremoniously launched at the Navgathi Panavally Yard in Alappuzha.
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the scheme of arrangement involving Dhani Services Limited, Indiabulls Enterprises Limited, Savren Medicare Limited, Auxesia Soft Solutions Limited, Gyansagar Buildtech Limited, Pushpanjli Finsolutions Limited, Devata Tradelink Limited, Evinos Developers Limited, Milky Way Buildcon Limited, Indiabulls Consumer Products Limited, Indiabulls Infra Resources Limited, Jwala Technology Systems Private Limited, Mabon Properties Limited, YDI Consumer India Limited, Indiabulls General Insurance Limited, Indiabulls Life Insurance Company Limited, Juventus Estate Limited, India Land Hotels Mumbai Private Limited, Indiabulls Pharmcare Limited, and Yaari Digital Integrated Services Limited.
• NTPC Group has achieved the fastest ever 300 Billion Units (BU) electricity generation.
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the proposed acquisition of certain business undertakings of Ind Swift Laboratories Limited and Essix Biosciences Limited by Synthimed Labs Private Limited.
• Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) has created another landmark in the history of generic medicines in the country by selling medicines worth Rs. 1000 Crore this year.
• Union Minister Kiren Rijiju flagged off India's first-ever winter science expedition to the Arctic region.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : INTERNATIONAL NEWS

• India is aiming to get 50,000 electric buses on its streets by 2027 with help from a joint finance mechanism with the United States (US).
• India, South Korea and the United States (US) will start an informal trilateral technology dialogue in the first quarter of 2024 in response to China's rapid progress in critical technologies within the Indo-Pacific region.
• The Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Summit was inaugurated at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : STATE NEWS

• Key Apple supplier and American gorilla glass maker, Corning Inc., is investing Rs 1,000 crore to set up a manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu (TN).
• The first-of-its-kind, Nature Interpretation Centre at the Eastern Ghats Biodiversity Centre along the periphery of the Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary in Visakhapatnam was inaugurated.
• The Uttarakhand government is set to transform tourism by launching India's first-ever Himalayan AirSafari using gyrocopters, compact and agile aircraft.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

• India’s overall exports (Merchandise and Services combined) in November 2023* are estimated to be USD 62.58 Billion, exhibiting a positive growth of 1.23 per cent over November 2022.
• Retail inflation increased to the three-month high level of 5.55% in November 2023, mostly due to increasing food prices.
• The Ministry of Finance, that the Gross Direct Tax collections for the Financial Year 2023-24  have registered a growth of over 17 per cent.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

• Mohan Yadav, the BJP legislature party leader and MLA from Ujjain South, was sworn in as the 19th Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh (MP) replacing Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
• After current leader Mateusz Morawiecki lost a confidence vote in parliament, Donald Tusk was elected as the new Prime Minister (PM) of Poland.
• Nikhil Dey, an Indian social activist, has been named as the International Anti-Corruption Champion by the US State Department.
• The Centre has appointed Parama Sen, Additional Secretary, Department of Expenditure in the Finance Ministry, as a part-time member of the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
• Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embalo has reappointed Geraldo Martins as prime minister (PM) after dissolving his government.
• The Israeli government approved the appointment of Reuven Azar as the new Ambassador to India.
• In a historic moment for India, India’s first woman candidate, Ms. Uma Sekhar secured a remarkable victory by garnering 45 out of 59 votes in the initial round of elections for the Governing Council of the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) held in Rome, Italy.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

• Pushpa Bharati’s from Moradabad of Uttar Pradesh 2016 memoir ‘Yaadein, Yaadein aur Yaadein’ has been selected for the 33rd Vyas Samman.
• Kabir Bedi has been honoured with the highest civilian honour of Italy.
• Veteran lyricist-screenwriter Javed Akhtar will be honoured with the Padmapani Lifetime Achievement Award at the Ajanta-Ellora Film Festival.
• 2023 Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament, and Development awarded to Ali Abu Awwad and Daniel Barenboim.
• Indian Armed Forces officers have been awarded the 'Golden Owl' for their outstanding performance.
• Leena Nair, the global CEO of luxury brand Chanel, has several significant firsts to her credit.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE NEWS

• The Indian Navy will be re-inducting a refurbished 22-year-old fast attack craft, INS Tarmugli, in a ceremonial commissioning ceremony at the naval dockyard, Visakhapatnam, more than 17 years after she was gifted to Maldives which used it for years and returned to India in May, 2023.
• Interglobe Aviation, the parent company of India’s largest airline, IndiGo, has received approval from IFSC Gift City to establish an aircraft leasing venture.
• In alignment with the Government of India’s strategic vision for Digital Armed Forces, the Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL), at a total cost of Rs 588.68 crore, for the acquisition of Digital Coast Guard (DCG) project, under the Buy (Indian) category.
• Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully conducted the test of the 'SAMAR' standing for Surface to Air Missile for Assured Retaliation, air defence missile system during 'Exercise Astrashakti-2023.'

CURRENT AFFAIRS : ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

• Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) announced that Corporation’s shareholding in "Dixon Technologies India Limited” has decreased from 29,97,913 to 17,94,395 Equity Shares, decreasing its shareholding from 5.012% to 3.000% of the paid-up capital of the Company.
• Infibeam Avenues Limited (IAL), a Gandhinagar, Gujarat based fintech company, announces its strategic foray into the capital markets and digital lending software market by acquiring a significant 49% equity stake in Pirimid Fintech,a Ahmedabad, Gujarat based Financial Services Company investing Rs 25 crore to solidify this strategic partnership.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• China has started commercial operations at a new generation nuclear reactor that is the first of its kind in the world.
• Geojit Financial Services Limited is establishing a Centre of Excellence in Sustainability at the Cochin University of Science and Technology.
• Iran unveiled advanced Karrar combat drones armed with air-to-air missiles, enhancing its air defence capabilities.
• NASA is gearing up to enhance our understanding of Earth’s atmosphere with the upcoming Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission, scheduled for launch in early 2024.
• IndiGo has achieved the distinction of becoming the first Indian airline to transport 100 million passengers in a single year.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING AND INDEX

• According to the Quality of Living Index 2023 released by Mercer, Hyderabad is in the top spot in terms of ‘quality of living’ in India & Hyderabad attained the 153rd spot in the Quality of Living Index 2023.
• According to the data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Hyderabad is in first position in India regarding food adulteration cases.
• Every second candidate trained under the Skill India International Centres (SIIC) and got employment abroad between April 2022 and December 2023 landed in Saudi Arabia, Union Skill Minister of State Rajeev Chandrasekhar told the Lok Sabha.
• According to the World Bank’s latest Migration and Development Report, India with 125 billion dollars remittance remains the largest recipient of remittances in the world in 2023.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

• Khelo India Games will be held in Tamil Nadu in January 2024.
• Khelo India, the flagship program of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and Svayam, India's pioneering accessibility organisation, joined hands to ensure transportation and infrastructure are accessible in New Delhi during the Khelo India Para Games.
• The first-ever Khelo India Para Games (KIPG) concluded in New Delhi with Haryana winning the inaugural title by securing 105 medals including 40 gold, 39 silver, and 26 bronze.
• In team events of the 75th Inter State-Inter Zonal Badminton Championship 2023, Maharashtra bagged women's and  Airport Authority of India (AAI) won the men's title events in Guwahati.
  The prestigious national championship organized by Badminton Association of India is being held in Assam after four years.
• The Government announced the National Sports Awards 2023, Badminton players Chirag C Shetty and Satwik Sai Raj Rankireddy will be honoured with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
• Bangladesh won the Under-19 Asia Cup by defeating UAE in the finals.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

• Kuwait's ruling emir, Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah passed away at the age of 86.