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 AFFAIRSCLOUD TODAY
Current Affairs 21 December 2022 : Headlines

1. MP gets India’s 1st & World’s 2nd Infantry Museum at Mhow Cantonment, Indore
2. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Chairs 48th Meeting of The GST Council
3. Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh releases the Annual Report of CPGRAMS for the year 2022
4. Meghalaya Tops States in Average Monthly Income per Agricultural Household
5. Highlights of 2022 UN Biodiversity Conference held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
6. Science & Engineering Indicators 2022: India Jumped from 7th To 3rd Global Ranking in
Scientific Publications
7. Nigeria & Rwanda Become 1st African Nations to Sign Artemis Accords: US-Africa Leaders
Summit
8. Nitin Gadkari Launches First-ever ‘Surety Bond Insurance’ for Infrastructure Projects
9. Data by 1Lattice: SBI Continues to Lead in Debit Cards, While HDFC Bank Leads in Credit Cards
10. OCL & HDFC ERGO Collaborates to Launch ‘Paytm Payment Protect’ Insurance Plan
11. Bandhan Bank signs MoU with CGDA to Provide Services to Defence Pensioners
12. PTC India Signs Pact with Bhutan’s Druk Green Power Corporation to Export 600 MW Power
13. Nuclear Scientist Dinesh Kumar Shukla appointed as Chairperson of AERB
14. North Korea Launches Test Satellite for Development of its 1st Spy Satellite
15. 3rd T20 World Cup for the blind 2022: India won the title for 3rd Consecutive time
16. International Human Solidarity Day 2022 – December 20
17. 2nd Good Governance Week – 19th to 25th December 2022
18. UP Govt & Austin University Signs MoU to Build Austin Smart City of Knowledge Project in UP

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 NATIONAL AFFAIRS
MP gets India’s 1st & World’s 2nd Infantry Museum at Mhow Cantonment, Indore
On 16th December 2022, the eve of 75 years of raising of the Infantry School and to commemorate the Vijay
Diwas, India’s first & World’s 2nd Infantry Research Centre and Museum was inaugurated in the Mhow
cantonment in Indore district, Madhya Pradesh(MP).

• The museum was thrown open to the public on 17th December 2022.
• The world-class museum has been set up under the aegis of The Infantry School, Mhow.
• The Museum aims to showcase the Infantry with the theme line Infantry: The Ultimate.
About Infantry Research Centre and Museum:
i.The museum is housed in a 3 storied building spread across a 2-acre land. The project is developed in 3
phases.
ii.The construction of the research centre and museum began in 2009 and was completed in 2019.
Highlights of the Museum:
i.The Museum showcases the history of the Infantry Corps from 1747 to 2020 which includes the sacrifice of
valour and valiant soldiers preserved in statues, murals and photo galleries of 30 theme zones.
ii.The museum has also preserved the history of the battles of Plassey, Saragarhi, Buxar and Indo-Pak wars of
1965 and 1971 and also features the history of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Subhash Chandra Bose.
iii.The 2nd floor of the building features the Kargil war room with stories of heroes through photographs and
the Fateh Gallery. It also depicts the history of 27 regiments of the Army across India.
Note: National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center, Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning in
Columbus Georgia, United States of America is the world’s first National Infantry Museum.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Chairs 48th Meeting of The GST Council
The 48th Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council Meeting was conducted virtually on December 17, 2022, in
New Delhi, Delhi, and was presided over by Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Ministry of Finance (MoF).

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 • The meeting was also attended by Union Minister of State (MoS) Pankaj Choudhary, MoF, as well as
Finance Ministers of States & Union Territories (UTs) (with legislature) and senior officers of the
MoF & States/ UTs.
Key Highlights of The 48th GST Council Meeting:
Rate Revisions
i.The council has clarified the applicability of a 22 % cess on Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) provided four
requirements are fulfilled.
ii.The GST on pulse husks has been decreased from 5% to NIL.
iii.The GST on Ethyl alcohol supplied to refineries for blending with motor spirit (petrol) was decreased from
18% to 5%.
iv.Since the Group of Ministers (GoM) report on GST on online gaming and casinos was recently submitted, the
issue was not discussed. The GoM is chaired by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma. Click here for official
notification.
Measures for Facilitation of Trade
i.In accordance with Section 132 of the Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) Act of 2017, the GST Council
suggested decriminalizing a number of offences.
• The GST law established strict penalties and guidelines that taxpayers must follow in order to
ensure smooth intrastate or interstate trade of products, eliminate corruption, and maintain an
effective tax collection system.
• The GST Law provides for two different types of penalties, which may be both concurrent and
simultaneous.
• For violations of statutory provisions, the department authorities have the authority to levy
monetary fines and seize goods.
ii.The CGST Act of 2017 has provisions pertaining to penalties in Sections 122 to 131 and to prosecution and
compounding in Sections 132 to 138.
• The length of the prison sentence is determined by the amount of tax evaded, the amount of Input
Tax Credit (ITC) improperly claimed or utilised, or the amount of refund improperly claimed.
iii.The recommendations for facilitating trade include lowering the compounding amount for GST and raising
the threshold for tax amounts subject to prosecution to Rs. 2 crore.
iv.Two major recommendations include refunding unregistered persons and facilitating e-commerce for
micro enterprises.
• There was no mechanism for claiming a refund of tax borne by unregistered buyers when a contract
/ agreement for the supply of services, such as the construction of a flat / house or a long-term
insurance policy, was terminated and the time period for the issuing of a credit note by the
concerned provider had elapsed.
• The Council proposed amending the CGST Rules, 2017, to specify the procedure for filing an
application for refund by unregistered buyers in such circumstances.
47th Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council Meeting
i.The 47th meeting of the GST Council was conducted in June 2022, in Chandigarh, following which the Goods
and Services Tax (GST) was rationalised for several commodities, including LED lamps and solar water heaters,
among others.
• The rate changes recommended by the GST Council took effect on July 18, 2022.
ii.The GST Council gave in-principle approval for unregistered suppliers and composition taxpayers to use E-
Commerce Operators (ECOs) to make intra-state goods during its 47th meeting, subject to certain conditions.

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Recent Related News:
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) handles all Goods & Services Tax (GST) anti-profiteering
complaints from December 1, 2022, as the extended tenure of the National Anti-Profiteering Authority (NAA)
ended on November 30, 2022.
According to the GST Council’s resolution, the NAA will cease to function from December 1, 2022, and all
investigations based on consumer complaints will be handled by the Directorate General of Anti-Profiteering
(DGAP), which will then submit a report to CCI.
About Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council
i.On September 12, 2016, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, approved the
establishment of the GST Council.
ii.The GST Council will be a joint forum of the Center and the States, in accordance with Article 279A of the
amended Constitution. It will be made up of the following members:
• Union Finance Minister – Chairperson
• The Union Minister of State, in-charge of Revenue of finance – Member
• The Minister In-charge of finance or taxation or any other Minister nominated by each State
Government – Members

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh releases the Annual Report of CPGRAMS for the year 2022
On 20th December 2022, Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances
and Pensions has released the Annual Report of CPGRAMS (Centralised Public Grievance Redress and
Monitoring System) for the year 2022.
Key Highlights:
i.According to the report, in 2022, 18,19,104 grievances were received by all Ministries and Departments of
which 15,68,097 Public Grievances(PG) cases have been redressed.
• 11,29,642 cases among these were disposed of by the Central Ministries and 4,38,455 cases were
disposed of by the States and Union Territories(UTs).
ii.The average disposal time of Central Ministries and Departments has been improved from 32 days in 2021 to
27 days in 2022. Out of 1,71,509 appeals, more than 80% were disposed.
iii.In the feedback conducted by the BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited) call centre from July to November
2022, Over 57,000 grievances have received the rating of Excellent and Very Good from citizens.
iv.The Ministries or Departments have disposed of 1.14 Lakh Public Grievance cases in August 2022, 1.17 lakh
PG cases in September 2022, 1.19 lakh PG cases in October 2022 and 1.08 lakh PG cases in November 2022.
v.For the first time, since the inception of CPGRAMS, the PG case redressal has crossed 1 lakh cases/ month.
vi.The total pendency in the Central Ministries has been reduced to an all-time low of 0.72 lakh cases and in the
States to 1.75 lakh cases.
10-step CPGRAMS reforms:
For improving the quality of disposal and reducing the timelines the departments adopted the 10-step
CPGRAMS reforms which include,
• Universalization of CPGRAMS 7.0 – Auto-routing of grievances to the last mile.
• Technological Enhancements – Automatic flagging of urgent grievances leveraging Artificial
Intelligence(AI) and Machine Learning (ML).
• Language Translation – CPGRAMS Portal in 22 scheduled languages along with English.
• Grievance Redressal Index – Ranking of Ministries/Departments on their Performance.
• Feedback Call Centre – 50-seater call centre to collect feedback directly from every citizen whose
grievance is redressed.
• One Nation One Portal – Integration of State Portal and other GoI portals with CPGRAMS.
• Inclusivity and Outreach – Empowering the remotest citizen to file grievances through Common
Service Centres(CSCs)

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 • Training and Capacity Building – Conducted by ISTM and State ATIs under SEVOTTAM scheme for
enabling effective grievance resolution
• Monitoring Process – Monthly reports for both the Central Ministries/Departments and States/UTs
• Data Strategy Unit – Established at Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances
(DARPG) for insightful data analytics
Note:
In its 121st report submitted to the parliament in December 2022, the Parliamentary Standing Committee of
Ministry of Personnel, PG and Pensions appreciated the 10 step reform taken by the departments to ensure
accountability in the disposal of public grievances, appeal facility, mandatory action taken report, feedback call
centre.

Meghalaya Tops States in Average Monthly Income per Agricultural Household

According to the 77th round of the Situation Assessment Survey (SAS) of Agricultural Households in the rural
areas of India, Meghalaya tops the list of Average monthly income per agricultural household.

• Meghalaya topped the list with a monthly agriculture household income of Rs 29,348 followed
by Punjab with Rs 26,701 and Haryana with Rs 22,841.

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 • The 77th round of the survey was conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO) under the
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) from January 2019 to December
2019 with reference to the agricultural year July 2018-June 2019.
Key Points:
i.Considering the dependence on maximum cash crops, Punjab would have topped the list but the Meghalaya
has topped the list due to its major share of horticulture and fruits.
ii.The agriculture income includes income from wages, income from leasing out of the land, net receipt from
crop production, net receipt from farming of animals and net receipt from the non-farm business.
Top 10 states/Union Territories(UTs) Average monthly income per agricultural household:
(Considering paid out expenses only)
States/Union Territories(UTs) Average monthly income per agricultural household (Rs)
Meghalaya 29,348
Punjab 26,701
Haryana 22,841
Arunachal Pradesh 19,225
Jammu & Kashmir 18,918
Group of UTs 18,511
Kerala 17,915
Uttarakhand 13,552
Karnataka 13,441
Gujarat 12,631

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Highlights of 2022 UN Biodiversity Conference held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
From December 7 – 19, 2022, the United Nations (UN) Biodiversity Conference was held in Montreal, Quebec,
Canada to acknowledge new set of goals to guide global action through 2030 in order to prevent nature loss.

• It comprised of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 15) to the Convention on
Biological Diversity (CBD), 10th Meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
(Cartagena Protocol COP/MOP 10), and the 4th meeting of the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol on
Access and Benefit-sharing (Nagoya Protocol COP/MOP 4).
It should be noted that the COP 15 was held in two phases. Phase one took place virtually, from 11 to 15
October 2021 while Phase two was held as a part of above mentioned Biodiversity Conference.
Points to be noted:
i.The president of COP15 was China.

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ii.India was represented by Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate
Change (MoEF&CC)
Global Biodiversity Framework adopted
The conference saw the adoption of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) that addresses the key drivers of
nature loss, and promotes health and well-being of mankind and planet.
• It will replace the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, comprises 22 targets and four goals proposed for
2030, a stepping stone to the 2050 goal of Living in Harmony with Nature.
Aim:
To protect the world’s lands and oceans and provides financing to save biodiversity in the developing world.
Key Highlights:
i.The framework envisages to protect 30% of land and 30% of coastal and marine areas by 2030, up from an
earlier aim of 20%. It will fulfill the deal’s highest-profile goal, known as 30-by-30.
• Currently, such protection covers 17% of land.
ii.It also calls for raising $200 billion by 2030 for biodiversity financing from a number of sources.
iii.Funding to poor countries by wealthier countries should be increased to at least $20 billion each year by
2025, and then increase to $30 billion each year by 2030.
iv.Companies should analyse and report how their operations affect and are affected by biodiversity issues.
v.Countries should identify subsidies that deplete biodiversity by 2025, and then eliminate, phase out or reform
them. These incentives should be slashed by at least $500 billion a year by 2030, and increase incentives that
are positive for conservation.
vi.It pledged to reduce pesticides by ‘at least half’.
India urges dedicated fund for biodiversity conservation
India made an urge to create a new and dedicated fund to help developing countries successfully implement a
post-2020 GBF to stop biodiversity loss.
• Currently, the Global Environment Facility which caters to multiple conventions, including the
UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ) and UN Convention to Combat
Desertification (UNCCD), remains the only source of funding for biodiversity conservation.
The conservation of biodiversity must also be based on ‘Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and
Respective Capabilities’ (CBDR) as climate change also impacts nature.
UN recognises Ganges project among 10 initiatives restoring natural world
The UN has recognized India’s Ganges project among 10 initiatives from globe that restore the natural world.
The initiatives were declared World Restoration Flagships and are eligible to receive U.N.-backed promotion,
advice or funding.
• They were selected under the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, a global movement
coordinated by the U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP) and the U.N. Food and Agriculture
Organisation (FAO).
Key points:
i.The movement is designed to prevent and reverse the degradation of natural spaces across the planet.
ii.Together, the 10 flagships aim to restore more than 68 million hectares, an area bigger than Myanmar, France
or Somalia, and create nearly 15 million jobs.
iii.The other inaugural World Restoration Flagships include the Trinational Atlantic Forest Pact, which aims to
protect and restore the forest in Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina, and the Abu Dhabi Marine Restoration project
which is safeguarding the world’s second-largest dugong population in Abu Dhabi.
• The Great Green Wall for Restoration and Peace initiative, the Multi-Country Mountain Initiative
based in Serbia, Kyrgyzstan, Uganda and Rwanda, the Small Island Developing States Restoration
Drive focused on three small island developing states – Vanuatu, St Lucia and Comoros, Altyn Dala
Conservation Initiative in Kazakhstan, the Central American Dry Corridor, and Shan-Shui Initiative
in China were also recognised.

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About Government-led Namami Gange initiative:
The government-led Namami Gange initiative is rejuvenating, protecting and conserving the Ganga and its
tributaries, reforesting parts of the Ganga basin and promoting sustainable farming, according to the statement.
• The project also aims to revive key wildlife species, including river dolphins, softshell turtles, otters,
and the hilsa shad fish.
• The initiative, with an investment of up to $4.25 billion so far, has the involvement of 230
organisations, with 1,500 km of river restored to date.
‘Coalition for Nature’ formed by Small Island Developing States
A number of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) has agreed to form a ‘Coalition for Nature’ for the
implementation and adoption of GBF. It will be led by Cabo Verde, Samoa and Seychelles.
• SIDS host 19% of the world’s coral reefs and their geographic isolation safeguards an array of
endemic plants and animals found nowhere else on earth.
• The island states are responsible for an ocean area 28 times the size of their land mass.
Members:
i.Belize, Cabo Verde, Comoros, Dominican Republic, Guinea Bissau, Kiribati, Samoa, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and
Principe, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu are the current members of the coalition.
ii. As of December 14th, the Friends of the SIDS Coalition for Nature are Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg,
Monaco, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

Science & Engineering Indicators 2022: India Jumped from 7th To 3rd Global Ranking in
Scientific Publications
India has improved its position in the global ranking of scientific publications from 7th in 2010 to 3rd in
2020, according to the “Science & Engineering Indicators 2022” report by the National Science Foundation
(NSF) of the United States (US).

• The amount of scholarly output produced in India has increased, going from 60,555 papers in 2010
to 1,49,213 papers in 2020.
• The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent US government agency that supports
fundamental research and education in all non-medical fields of science and engineering.
Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST), made this announcement after a
review meeting in New Delhi, Delhi.
Key Highlights:
i.India is currently 3rd in the world for the number of PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) in science and engineering.
ii.Over the past three years, the India Patent Office (IPO) has given more patents to Indian scientists than ever
before—from 2,511 in 2018–19 to 4,003 in 2019–20 and 5,629 in 2020–21.
iii.Compared to 2022-23, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) is set to get a 20% increase in
funding in the next Union Budget for 2023-24.
• The DST received Rs 6,002 crore in the budget 2022–23, or 42% of the whole fund of Rs 14,217
crore allotted to the MoST.

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 • The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) received Rs. 5,636 crore (40%) while
the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) received Rs. 2,581 crore (18%).
iv.Under the provisions of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the Government of India (GoI) has allowed
the corporate sector to make investments in research and development (R&D).
• As part of their CSR initiatives, corporates can invest in technology business incubators or
contribute to the research efforts made by institutions and national research laboratories.
v.There are specific investment incentives available, such as location-based tax incentives that permit 100%
profit deductions from starting and operating a business in India’s northeastern states.
vi.According to the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2022 by the World Intellectual Property Organization
(WIPO), India’s GII rating has also significantly increased from 81st in 2014 to 40th position in 2022.
Recent Related News:
i.According to the World Intellectual Property Indicators 2021 report by the World Intellectual Property
Organization (WIPO), Global innovators submitted 3.4 million patent applications in 2021, an increase of 3.6%
from 2020.
ii.Nearly 67.6% of all applications worldwide were received by offices in Asia.
About the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO):
WIPO is the global forum for intellectual property (IP) services, policy, information and cooperation. It is a self-
funding agency of the United Nations (UN).
Director General – Daren Tang
Establishment – 1967
Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland
DeMembership – 193 member states

Nigeria & Rwanda Become 1st African Nations to Sign Artemis Accords: US-Africa Leaders
Summit
Nigeria and Rwanda became the first African nations to sign the Artemis Accords during the first-ever US-
Africa Space Forum, which was held on 13th December 2022 on the sideline of the US-Africa Leaders Summit
in Washington DC, United States (US).

• Nigeria & Rwanda have become the 22nd and 23rd signatories of the Artemis Accords.
• Signatories: Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy signed the
Artemis Accords on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, while Francis Ngabo, Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) of Rwanda Space Agency, signed the Accords on behalf of the Republic of Rwanda.
• Participants – It was signed in the presence of Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda, NASA
Administrator Bill Nelson, Assistant Secretary for Oceans and International Environmental and
Scientific Affairs Monica Medina, and U.S. National Space Council Executive Secretary Chirag Parikh.
About Artemis Accord:
i.The Artemis Accords are the broad non-binding framework that was launched jointly by the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the U.S. State Department along with eight other
nations in 2020 with an aim of advancing bilateral and multilateral space cooperation between the signatories.

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 • With the signing of Nigeria and Rwanda, there are now total 23 signatories to the accord.
ii.The Accords take inspiration for their name from NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to establish a
sustainable human presence on and around the moon by the end of the 2020s.
iii.The signatories of the accord commit to principles to guide their civil space activities, including the public
release of scientific data, responsible debris mitigation, registration of space objects, and also the establishment
and implementation of interoperability standards.
23 signatories of the Artemis Accord:
Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, France, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Luxembourg,
Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Poland, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Ukraine, the United Arab
Emirates(UAE), the United Kingdom(UK), and the US.

BANKING & FINANCE

Nitin Gadkari Launches First-ever ‘Surety Bond Insurance’ for Infrastructure Projects
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari launched India’s first-ever ‘Surety Bond
Insurance’ product from Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company to reduce the dependence of
infrastructure developers on bank guarantees.

• The product was introduced in response to the demand identified by the Infrastructure sector and
the Government of India (GoI).
• It shall be used as a substitute to bank guarantees.
• This product launch is in line with the GoI’s vision to up-scale the infrastructure development in
India, to increase the pace of development of upcoming projects.
About Surety Bond
i.The Surety Bond Insurance is a risk transfer tool for the principal (contract awarding authority) and shields
them from the losses that may arise, when the contractor fails to perform their contractual obligation.
ii.The insurance product will provide a contract of guarantee upon contractual terms to the principal, and other
business deals will be concluded in accordance with the mutually agreed terms.
• If the contractor fails to fulfil the contractual terms, the principal can raise a claim on the surety
bond and recover the losses that were incurred.
Features:
i.Unlike a bank guarantee, the Surety Bond Insurance does not require large collateral from the contractor thus
freeing up significant funds for the contractor, which they can utilise for the growth of the business.
ii.The product will help in reducing the contractors’ debts and will also facilitate the growth of upcoming
infrastructure projects in India.

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Recent related news:
In July 2022 Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Limited became the first company to launch Pay As You
Consume (PAYC), an add-on motor insurance cover under the Insurance Regulatory and Development
Authority of India’s (IRDAI’s) Sandbox Regulations.
About Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Limited:
Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Limited is a joint venture between Bajaj Finserv Limited and Allianz
SE.
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Tapan Singhel
Headquarters – Pune, Maharashtra
Establishment – 2001

Data by 1Lattice: SBI Continues to Lead in Debit Cards, While HDFC Bank Leads in Credit Cards
According to 1Lattice (previously PGA Labs) data, State Bank of India (SBI), India’s largest public sector bank,
and HDFC Bank, India’s largest private sector bank, continued to lead the debit card and credit card markets,
respectively.
• With a de-growth of 4%, SBI continues to hold the top position in the Debit Card Segment with a
whopping 30% share.
HDFC Bank, India’s largest private sector bank, continued to lead the credit Card Segment, with 21% share,
registering a growth of 9%.
• It also recorded the most growth in the debit card segment.
Key Points:
Debit Card Segment
i.SBI is followed by Bank of Baroda (BoB) with 10% growth, Bank of India (BoI) with 4% growth, and Canara
Bank with 7% growth, with BoB owning an 8% market share and the latter two holding 5% each.
• India now has 1 billion debit cards in use as issuance of new debit cards resumed.
ii.According to a Worldline research report, the number of credit cards climbed by 25% from 62.81 million in
June 2021 to 78.7 million in June 2022.
• The number of debit cards increased by 2% over the same time period, from 906 million to 921.75
million.
Credit Card Segment
i.HDFC bank continued to lead the Credit Card segment with 21% share, registering a growth of 9%.
ii.Following SBI Cards which recorded 19% growth with 19% share, ICICI Bank reported 13% growth with
17% share, while Axis Bank recorded 17% growth with 11% share.
• Kotak Mahindra Bank recorded the most growth in this segment, with a 78% YoY (year-over-year)
growth and a 6% market share, and was followed by RBL Bank with a 28% YoY growth.
iii.In the second quarter (Q2) of the current fiscal year 2022-23 (FY23), outstanding cards-in-force fell by 2.55
million to 77.7 million.
iv.Global giants underperformed in the credit card market, with Citibank and American Express reporting
declines of 4% and 9%, respectively.
• Citibank had a 3% market share, while American Express had a 2% share.

OCL & HDFC ERGO Collaborates to Launch ‘Paytm Payment Protect’ Insurance Plan
One97 Communications Limited (OCL), that owns the brand Paytm, in association with HDFC ERGO General
Insurance Company Limited launched ‘Paytm Payment Protect’, a group insurance plan, to insure
transactions made through Unified Payment Interface (UPI) across all apps and wallets.
• The first-of-its-kind offering comes at a cost as low as Rs. 30 per annum.
• With this collaboration, users can now secure themselves against mobile fraudulent transactions up
to Rs. 10,000.

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 • The policy has been designed to protect customers and drive the adoption of mobile payments.
Key highlights:
i.This new product aims to enhance the digital payments experience and also increases financial inclusion
across India.
ii.In order to secure all the future digital transactions, the users can choose ‘Protect Payment’ from paytm app
and enter details to proceed with the transaction.
Note – The higher cover options for cover up to Rs. 1 Lakh per annum will soon be added to this new plan.
About HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company Limited:
HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company Limited is a joint venture between HDFC Limited and ERGO
International AG, the primary insurance entity of Munich Re Group.
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Ritesh Kumar
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra

Bandhan Bank signs MoU with CGDA to Provide Services to Defence Pensioners
Bandhan Bank has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Controller General of Defence
Accounts (CGDA), Ministry of Defence (MoD) to be a part of the Central Government’s Outreach Programme for
Defence Pensioners on System for Pension Administration Raksha (SPARSH) by providing a one-stop solution
to all pension related activities of defence pensioners.

Signatories:
The MoU was signed in the presence of Sham Dev, IDAS (Indian Defence Accounts Service), Controller, O/o
Principal Controller of Defence Accounts(PCDA) (Pensions), Prayagraj, MoD, Giridhar Aramane, Defence
Secretary, and Debraj Saha, Head – Govt. Business, Bandhan Bank in New Delhi, Delhi.
Key Points:
i.It should be noted that the Defence Accounts Department (DAD), which is headed by CGDA, and functions
under MoD organized 176th Raksha Pension Samadhan Aayojan, an Outreach Programme for Defence
Pensioners on SPARSH.
ii.Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane was the Chief Guest at the function.
iii.There, he virtually inaugurated a SPARSH Service Centre in Delhi Cantonment, offering services such as
service requests and grievance redressal, annual life certification, Pensioner Data verification (PDV), manage
profile changes including Aadhaar number, PAN (Permanent Account Number) number, postal address and

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bank details.
iv.Apart from Bandhan Bank, DAD also signed a MoU with five more banks viz. Indian Postal Payment
Bank (IPPB), Union Bank of India (UBI), Axis Bank Ltd., ICICI Bank Ltd., and Equittas Small Financial
Bank Ltd to extend services at the portal.
About Project SPARSH:
Implemented by MoD of Defence in July 2021, the Project SPARSH is implemented by DAD. In September 2022,
it signed MoU with Bank of Baroda and HDFC Bank. The State Bank of India (SBI) and Punjab National Bank
(PNB), Kotak Mahindra Bank are already on it. SPARSH is a unified system to bring pensions services at the
doorstep of the veterans.
About Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA):
Additional Charge of CGDA– Rasika Chaube
Headquarters– Delhi Cantt, Delhi

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

PTC India Signs Pact with Bhutan’s Druk Green Power Corporation to Export 600 MW Power
On 19th December 2022 PTC India Limited (PTC) entered into a Power Purchase
Agreement (PPA) with Druk Green Power Corporation Limited, an electricity utility firm in Bhutan for the
purchase of power from the Indian power market in order to meet its power requirement during the winter
season.
• Under the partnership, Bhutan will procure up to 600 MW of power from the Indian market during
the winter season.
Key highlights:
i.Bhutan has also executed an agreement with the settlement nodal agency for the settlement of grid operation
related charges.
ii.Bhutan has been exporting hydro power to India over the years and now due to its increasing domestic
demand, Bhutan is in need to import electricity from India.
iii.This PPA will address the energy requirements and also strengthen the regional power markets for energy
security and sustainability in South Asia.
About PTC India Limited (PTC):
Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) – Rajib K Mishra
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
Establishment – 1999

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Nuclear Scientist Dinesh Kumar Shukla appointed as Chairperson of AERB
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Senior Nuclear Scientist
Dinesh Kumar Shukla to the post of Chairperson of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB). He has been
appointed to the post for a period of three years.
• The appointment order has been issued by the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT),
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
• Dinesh Kumar Shukla, who has been the Executive Director of the AERB, succeeds G Nageswara Rao
to the post of Chairperson.
About Dinesh Kumar Shukla:
i. Dinesh Kumar Shukla joined the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) in 1981 after completing the 25th batch
of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Training School.

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ii. He has been associated with the commissioning of the high flux research reactor Dhruva and later held the
positions of Reactor Superintendent of Dhruva Research Reactor and Head of Reactor Operations Division
(ROD) at BARC.
iii. He was the chairman of the Advisory Committee on Occupational Health for BARC Facilities and the Unit
Level Safety Committee for Medical and Other Facilities.
iv. He was also a member of the Management Committee for the Board of Radiation and Isotope Technology
(BRIT) and also of the Radioisotopes, Radiation Technology and Application Committee (RTAC) of the Board of
Research in Nuclear Sciences (BRNS).
v. He was also a consultant to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on matters related to the safety
of research reactors.
About the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB):
Chairman- Dinesh Kumar Shukla
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra
Establishment- 15th November 1983

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

North Korea Launches Test Satellite for Development of its 1st Spy Satellite
On 19th December 2022 North Korea launched a test satellite as a final-stage test for the development of
its first spy satellite, a key military capability coveted by its leader Kim Jong Un along with other high-tech
weapons systems from northwestern Tongchang-ri area of North Korea. A pair of Ballistic missiles, a new type
of liquid fuelled weapon, were launched with two different types of cameras, one for black-and-white imagery
and video and the other for colour.

SPORTS
3rd T20 World Cup for the blind 2022: India won the title for 3rd Consecutive time
On 18th December 2022, the Indian National Blind Cricket Team won the 3rd T20 World Cup for the blind
2022 by defeating Bangladesh in the final held at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, Karnataka. Team India
has won the title for the third consecutive time(previously won in 2012 and 2017). Indian blind cricket team
was led by Ajay Kumar Reddy.
• Runner-up and winner trophies were presented by Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot and
Sunil Ramesh was awarded man of the match.

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 IMPORTANT DAYS
International Human Solidarity Day 2022 – December 20
United Nations (UN)’s International Human Solidarity Day is annually observed across the globe
on December 20 to raise public awareness of the value of solidarity, stimulate new efforts for the eradication
of poverty, and remind governments of all countries of their responsibilities under international agreements.

Background:
i. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/60/209 on 22nd December
2005 and proclaimed December 20 of each year as International Human Solidarity Day.
ii. The day marks the establishment of the World Solidarity Fund resolution (A/RES/57/265) on 20th
December 2002.
iii. The 1st ever International Human Solidarity Day was observed on 20th December 2006.
What is International Human Solidarity Day?
International Human Solidarity Day is a day
• to celebrate our unity in diversity;
• to remind governments to respect their commitments to international agreements;
• to raise public awareness of the importance of solidarity;
• to encourage debate on the ways to promote solidarity for the achievement of Sustainable
Development Goals including poverty eradication;
• of action to encourage new initiatives for poverty eradication.
The UN and the Concept of Solidarity:
Since the UN’s founding, the idea of solidarity has defined the work of the United Nations activities.
• The establishment of the UN brought together people and nations from all over the globe to advance
peace, human rights and social and economic development.
Millennium Declaration:
According to the UN’s Millennium Declaration, one of the core principles of international relations in the 21st
century is solidarity, which holds that those who suffer or benefit the least should receive assistance from those
who benefit the most.
World Solidarity Fund:
i. The World Solidarity Fund, which was established in 2002, was set up in February 2003 as a trust fund of the
UN Development Programme.
ii. Its aim is to end poverty and advance social and human development in developing countries, especially
among the most underprivileged populations.
The Independent Expert:
i. The Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity is one of the thematic special
procedures overseen by the UN Human Rights Council.
ii. Independent Expert’s responsibilities: developing further the guidelines, standards, norms, and principles
related to the right to international solidarity.

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iii. The UN Human Rights Council designated an independent expert on human rights and international
solidarity to develop a draft declaration on the right of peoples and individuals to international solidarity.
iv. With Resolution 2005/55, the UN Commission on Human Rights established the mandate of the
Independent Expert in 2005. The Human Rights Council extended the mandate in 2008, 2011, and 2014.
Current mandate holder- Professor Obiora C. Okafor (Nigeria)
About the United Nations (UN):
Secretary-General- António Guterres
Headquarters- New York, USA
Establishment- 1945

2nd Good Governance Week – 19th to 25th December 2022

The 2nd Good Governance Week (Sushasan Saptah) is being observed from 19th to 25th December 2022 by the
Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Ministry of Personnel, Public
Grievances and Pensions.

• The theme of Good Governance Week 2022 is – “Prashasan Gaon Ki Ore”

Background:
Good Governance Week 2021 was celebrated as a part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebration,
from 20th to 26th December 2021.
The theme of Good Governance Week 2021 was “Prashasan Gaon Ki Aur”.
Events:
i.On 19th December 2022, Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances
and Pensions inaugurated the 5 days Prashasan Gaon ki Ore campaign, Nationwide campaign for Redressal of
Public Grievances and Improving Service Delivery during the event held in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, Delhi.
• He also launched the ‘Prashasan Gaon Ki Aur’ 2022 (www.pgportal.gov.in/GGW22), a dedicated
portal for the District Collectors to upload progress along with Good Governance Practices and video
clips.
ii.The campaign was launched to commemorate the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari
Vajpayee
• In India, the 25th of December is celebrated as ‘Good Governance Day,’ commemorating the birth
anniversary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
‘Prashasan Gaon Ki Aur’ 2022 campaign:
During the 5 days ‘Prashasan Gaon Ki Aur’ 2022 campaign, 3,120 New Services identified by District Collectors
across the country will be added for Online Service Delivery.
The ‘Prashasan Gaon Ki Aur’ 2022 campaign is expected to create a National Movement for good governance in
furtherance of the initiative towards a citizen-centric approach of governance.
• Over 700 District Collectors will be participating in the Campaign and officials will be visiting Tehsils
and Panchayat Samiti Headquarters.
• This marks the 2nd time in the Amrit Kaal Period that the Government of India is conducting a
National Campaign at the Tehsil level to address Public Grievances and Improving Service Delivery.
The campaign will be conducted with a focus on the following issues,

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 • Redressal of pending public grievances in CPGRAMS
• Redressal of public grievances in the State portals
• No. of services added for online service delivery
• Disposal of Service Delivery applications
• Collation of Good Governance practices and their dissemination
• Sharing of one success story per district on the resolution of public grievances
Other Highlights:
i.The Annual Report on CPGRAMS(Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System) for 2022 to
reflect the progress the Nation has made in Redressal of Public Grievances in 2022 was released during the
event.
ii.He also inaugurated the Exhibition on Good Governance Practices.
Key Points:
i.The Preparatory Phase of the Good Governance Week 2022 was held from December 10-18, 2022.
ii.District Collectors have identified 81,27,944 applications for Service Delivery to be disposed of, along with
19,48,122 Public Grievances to be redressed in State Grievance Portals.
Other Identified targets:
Dedicated Portal Targets
Grievances Redressed in CPGRAMS 31,980
Number of New Services added for Online Service Delivery 3120
Best Good Governance Practices 373
Success Stories in Public Grievances 43
Additional info:
i.On 23rd December 2022, A workshop on District Level Innovations will be conducted under the chairmanship
of the District Collector will be organised in District.
ii.This workshop will focus on District level innovations
373 District Level Innovations have been identified for presentation in the District level workshops
About Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions:
Union Minister– Narendra Modi (Constituency- Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State– Dr Jitendra Singh(Constituency- Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir)

STATE NEWS
UP Govt & Austin University Signs MoU to Build Austin Smart City of Knowledge Project in UP
On 18th December 2022, The Uttar Pradesh (UP) government signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with the Austin University, Texas, United States of America (USA) for the construction
of ‘Austin Smart City of Knowledge Project in UP’ at a cost of USD 42 billion.

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 • The MoU was signed by the officials of Uttar Pradesh (UP finance minister Suresh Khanna and
additional chief secretary (Infrastructure and Industrial Development) Arvind Kumar, and Austin
University, which included Austin University President Ashraf Al Moustafa.
• The MoU was signed during the visit of the UP government delegation to the United States of
America (USA) as part of efforts to attract investment ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Global Investors
Summit (UPGIS) – 2023 .
Key highlights:
i.The project built on 5000 acres of land in UP will have the best universities of the world coming up inside the
project.
ii.The investment of USD 42 billion will be provided over time in instalments, with the first instalment of USD 7
billion being issued initially and then, the rest will be increased accordingly.
• In addition, an investment target of Rs. 10 lakh crore has been fixed to attract through UPGIS that is
to be held in Lucknow, UP between 10th February and 12th February 2022.
• Around eight teams of ministers and officials are on tour to 18 countries to attract investments
through road shows and trade shows.
iii.Further, the Star consortium will provide a data centre and logistics services, while the SLG Group will build
the Capital Data Centre.
iv.With this proposal, a number of employment opportunities will be made available to the people of UP.
Other agreements:
i.The UP also signed an MoU with US-based Saloni Heart Foundation in the presence of Minister Suresh Kumar
Khanna and Additional Chief Secretary (Infrastructure and Industrial Development) Arvind Kumar in San
Francisco for building a centre of excellence for treating Children suffering from heart disease.
ii.The delegations on tour have signed three more agreements with fintech startup FalconX Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) Murali Chirala, for opening incubator and accelerator units under Invest UP.
iii.They also met associates of the global entrepreneurship organisation TiE and Indians who contributed to
creating Silicon Valley in San Francisco and urged them to set up a Silicon Valley in UP.
About Uttar Pradesh (UP):
Governor – Anandiben Mafatbhai Patel
Chief Minister (CM) – Yogi Adityanath
Wildlife sanctuary – Chandraprabha WL Sanctuary, Kaimoor Wildlife Sanctuary
Zoological Park – Nawab Wajid Ali Shah Zoological Garden, Kanpur Zoological Park

❖ List of Current Governors in India – AUGUST 2022

❖ List of Current Chief Ministers in India – August 2022
❖ List of Less Important News – Click Here
❖ Click Here View – AC Excluded News
❖ Affairscloud’s Self Analysis for General Awareness Section

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