Clat Post (December 2022)

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S. No. Contents
1. Assam-Meghalaya Border Dispute 4
2. All-Women Bench In Sc To Hear Transfer Petitions Involving Matrimonial Disputes And Bail 6
Matters
3. New Energy Outlook Report 2022 8
4. Pm Gati Shakti 9
5. Right To Conversion 11
6. Un Groundwater Summit 2022 13
7. India To Become A Hub Of Drone Technology 14
8. Collegium System 16
9. Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2022 18
10. Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill 2022 20
11. What It Takes To Become A National Party In India? 22
12. Namami Gange Programme 23
13. Asean Consensus On Myanmar 25
14. Ops Vs Nps 27
15. National Food Security Act, 2013 And The PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) 29
16. Current Affairs Practice Sheet 30
17. National 43
18. International 56
19. Science & Technology 62
20. Appointmens & Resignations 63
21. Awards & Recognition 67
22. Books & Author 72
23. Important Days 73
24. Obitury 78
25. Ranking 79
26. Sports 83
27. Summit's & MoU's 88
28. Banking And Economy 90
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29. 99
30. Criminalising consensual relationships 103

The blanket criminalisation of consensual sexual acts among or with adolescents is in gross
oversight of their sexual development and bodily integrity and autonomy
31. Explained | How do personality rights protect celebrities? 104
What are personality rights and how do they differ from publicity and trademark rights?
Can indiscriminate use of a person’s name on the internet be a violation of personality
rights?
32. Rules made by Centre, State cannot exceed powers granted by parent statute: SC 105
The SC ruling on a Kerala electricity board appeal holds that delegated legislation, such as
rules and regulations, must not supplant, exceed or be in non-compliance with the law
they derive power from
33. 1'Rooh Afza' Trademark Has Acquired Immense Goodwill, Requires High Degree Of 106
Protection: Delhi High Court In Suit Against 'Dil Afza' Sharbat
34. Letter and Spirit | A failed attempt at decriminalisation 107
What is the Jan Vishwas Bill tabled by the Union government in Parliament and what are
its objectives? Is it the solution to the problem of overcriminalisation? What are the
shortcomings of the Bill and how can it be overcome?
35. Parliament Passes Bill To Change Name Of 'New Delhi International Arbitration Centre' 108
36. 109
37. 110
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December, 2022
ASSAM-MEGHALAYA BORDER DISPUTE

News
Six people, including an Assam Forest Guard, were killed and several others injured during an alleged clash between
the Assam Police and a mob, around 3 am in an area bordering the West Karbi Anglong district of Assam and Mukroh
village in Meghalaya’s West Jaintia Hills.
• The Assam Police has claimed they opened fire in self-defence after a mob surrounded them when they were trying
to intercept a truck allegedly smuggling timber.
• Five of those killed are from Meghalaya.
• The deaths took place before the second round of negotiations to settle the boundary dispute between the two
states.
What is the border dispute?

Assam and Meghalaya have a longstanding dispute in 12 stretches of their 884-km shared border. The two states had
signed a pact in March resolving the dispute in six out of 12 areas.
In August, they decided to form regional committees. The second round of discussions for the remaining six phases was
to commence by the end of this month.
The Assam-Meghalaya pact was seen as a major achievement, as Assam’s border disputes with other states in the
Northeast have remained unresolved despite multiple rounds of talks. Now, the firing threatens to derail the upcoming
talks.
During the British rule, undivided Assam included present-day Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Mizoram.
Meghalaya was carved out in 1972, its boundaries demarcated as per the Assam Reorganisation (Meghalaya) Act of 1969,
but has held a different interpretation of the border since.
In 2011, the Meghalaya government had identified 12 areas of difference with Assam, spread over approximately 2,700
sq km. Some of these disputes stem from recommendations made by a 1951 committee headed by then Assam chief
minister Gopinath Bordoloi.
The 1969 Act is based on these recommendations, which Meghalaya rejects, claiming these areas originally belong to
the Khasi–Jaintia Hills. On the other hand, Assam says Meghalaya does not have the requisite documents to prove these
areas historically belonged to Meghalaya.
A number of attempts had been made in the past to resolve the boundary dispute. In 1985, under then Assam chief
minister Hiteswar Saikia and Meghalaya chief minister Captain W A Sangma, an official committee was constituted
under the former Chief Justice of India Y V Chandrachud. However, a solution was not found.
From July 2021, Sangma and his Assam counterpart, Himanta Biswa Sarma, held several round of talks to make some
headway.
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Both state governments identified six out of 12 disputed areas for resolution in the first phase: three areas contested
between West Khasi Hills district in Meghalaya and Kamrup in Assam, two between RiBhoi in Meghalaya and Kamrup-
Metro, and one between East Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya and Cachar in Assam.
After a series of meetings and visits by teams to the disputed areas, both sides submitted reports based on five mutually
agreed principles: historical perspective, ethnicity of local population, contiguity with boundary, peoples’ will and
administrative convenience.
A final set of recommendations were made jointly: out of 36.79 sq km of disputed area taken up for settlement in the
first phase, Assam would get full control of 18.46 sq km and Meghalaya of 18.33 sq km. In March, an MoU was signed
based on these recommendations.
Officials had then said the six areas taken up did not have major differences and were easier to resolve, which is why
they were picked in the first phase. “The remaining six areas are more complex and may take longer to resolve,” an
Assam government official had said.
How is the boundary dispute linked to the incident?

Although the Assam government claims to the contrary, the fact that the two governments refer to the place of the
incident by two names makes it apparent that the boundary dispute is intertwined.
While Meghalaya says the place is Mukroh in West Jaintia Hills District, Assam claims it is Mukhrow or Moikrang in
West Karbi Anglong district. The village is also very close to Block 1, one of the six dispute sectors that remain to be
resolved.
Other States of India are Involved in Border Disputes

Belagavi Border Dispute:
State-to-state conflict along the Belagavi border exists between Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Though Maharashtra claims it, Belgaum or Belagavi is currently a part of Karnataka.
As a result of the States Reorganisation Act of 1956 being put into effect, Maharashtra sought that its border with
Karnataka be readjusted in 1957.
Odisha’s Border Dispute:

The states of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh are at odds over the Odisha Border Dispute.
Since 1960, Kotia gramme panchayat has been the subject of a territorial dispute between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
21 villages in the gramme panchayat of Kotia are the subject of disputes.
Involving its water conflicts with Andhra Pradesh regarding the Inter-State River Vamsadhara, Odisha made a
complaint to the Central Government in 2006 under Section 3 of the Inter-State River Water Disputes (ISRWD) Act,
1956.
1. Assam and Meghalaya have disputes in how many (b) Hon’ble Mr. Justice V.N. Khare
stretches in their boundries? (c) Hon’ble Mr. Justice S. Rajendra Babu
(a) 6 (b) 8 (d) Hon’ble Mr. Justice R.C. Lahoti
(c) 10 (d) 12
4. During the British rule, undivided Assam did not
2. Meghalaya was carved out as a separate State in include which of the following?
which of the following years? (a) Nagaland (b) Meghalaya
(a) 1969 (b) 1972 (c) Sikkim (d) Arunachal Pradesh
(c) 1975 (d) 1978
5. How many people were killed in the recent shooting
3. In 1985, an official committee to resolve the on the Assam-Meghalaya border by the Police?
boundary dispute was formed under which of the (a) 3 (b) 6
following persons? (c) 10 (d) 12
(a) Hon’ble Mr. YV Chandrachud
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ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1. (d) Assam and Meghalaya have a longstanding dispute in committee was constituted under the former Chief
12 stretches of their 884-km shared border. The two Justice of India Y V Chandrachud. However, a
states had signed a pact in March resolving the solution was not found.
dispute in six out of 12 areas. 4. (c) During the British rule, undivided Assam included
2. (b) Meghalaya was carved out in 1972, its boundaries present-day Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh,
demarcated as per the Assam Reorganisation Meghalaya and Mizoram.
(Meghalaya) Act of 1969, but has held a different 5. (b) Six people, including an Assam Forest Guard, were
interpretation of the border since. killed and several others injured during an alleged
3. (a) A number of attempts had been made in the past to clash between the Assam Police and a mob, around 3
resolve the boundary dispute. In 1985, under then am in an area bordering the West Karbi Anglong
Assam chief minister Hiteswar Saikia and Meghalaya district of Assam and Mukroh village in Meghalaya’s
chief minister Captain W A Sangma, an official West Jaintia Hills.
ALL-WOMEN BENCH IN SC TO HEAR TRANSFER PETITIONS

INVOLVING MATRIMONIAL DISPUTES AND BAIL MATTERS
News
Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud has constituted an all-women bench comprising Justices Hima Kohli and Bela
M Trivedi to hear transfer petitions involving matrimonial disputes and bail matters.
• This is the third occasion in the history of the apex court that an all-women bench has been constituted.
• The two-judge bench is currently sitting in Court number 11 of the top court.
• The bench has 32 matters listed before it, starting with 10 transfer petitions involving matrimonial disputes and
followed by 10 bail matters.
• The first time the Supreme Court had an all-woman bench was in 2013, when Justices Gyan Sudha Misra and Ranjana
Prakash Desai sat together.
• The second occasion came in 2018, when Justices R Banumathi and Indira Banerjee shared a bench on September
5.
• The apex court currently has only three women judges: Justices Kohli, B V Nagarathna, and Trivedi. While Justice
Kohli has a tenure until September 2024, Justice Trivedi will hold office until June 2025. Justice Nagarathna is set to
go on to be the country’s first woman Chief Justice in 2027.
• The Supreme Court now has a working strength of 27 judges, against a sanctioned strength of 34. The vacancy will
rise to eight next month with Justice S Abdul Nazeer set to retire on January 4, 2023. Next year will also see seven
more judge, besides Justice Nazeer, completing their tenure.
• The apex court had its first woman judge in 1989, when Justice M Fatima Beevi was appointed after her retirement
as a judge of Kerala High Court. She was followed by Justices Sujatha Manohar, Ruma Pal, Gyan Sudha Misra,
Ranjana Prakash Desai, R Banumathi, Indu Malhotra, Indira Banerjee, Kohli, Nagarathna and Trivedi. The last three
were sworn-in on the same day — September 2, 2021 — during the tenure of then Chief Justice of India N V Ramana,
taking the number of serving women judges to a historic four, including Justice Banerjee.
• Justice Banerjee retired on September 23 this year.
• Justice Kohli was Chief Justice of Telangana HC before her elevation to the apex court. Justice Trivedi was a judge
of Gujarat HC before her elevation to SC.
About Supreme Court of India

• The Supreme Court of Judicature in Calcutta was created as a Court of Record with full jurisdiction and authority
with the adoption of the Regulating Act of 1773.
• It was formed to entertain, hear, and decide on any lawsuits or actions in Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa in addition to
hearing and deciding on all complaints for crimes of any kind.
• King George III founded the Supreme Courts at Madras and Bombay in 1800 and 1823, respectively.
• The India High Courts Act of 1861 established High Courts in a number of provinces, abolished the Sadar Adalats
in Presidency towns, and closed the Supreme Courts in Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay.
• Up until the Federal Court of India was established by the Government of India Act 1935, these High Courts held
the distinction of being the highest Courts for all cases.
• The Federal Court had the authority to hear appeals against decisions from High Courts as well as resolve conflicts
between provinces and federal states.
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• The Constitution of India was enacted on January 26, 1950, following India's acquisition of independence in 1947.
The Supreme Court of India was also established, and its inaugural session took place on January 28, 1950.
• All courts located within the boundaries of India must abide by the laws that the Supreme Court has proclaimed.
• It has the authority to invalidate legislative and executive actions that are in conflict with the terms and framework
of the Constitution, the division of powers between the Union and the States, or the fundamental rights that the
Constitution protects.
6. The first all India Women bench was Constituted in (c) 26th January 1950
the Supreme Court in which of the following years? (d) 28th January 1950
(a) 1989 (b) 1998
(c) 2009 (d) 2013 9. The Supreme Court of Adjudicature at Calcutta was
established by which of the following?
7. Who was the first Women Justice of the Supreme (a) Regulating Act of 1773
Court of India? (b) Pitts India Act of 1783
(a) Justice M Fatima Beevi (c) Regulating Act of 1793
(b) Justices Sujatha Manohar (d) Charter Act of 1813
(c) Justice Ruma Pal
(d) Justice Gyan Sudha Misra 10. Who among the following is slated to become the
first women Chief Justice of India?
8. The inaugural session of the Supreme Court of India (a) Justice Nagarathna
took places on which of the following days? (b) Justice Kohli
(a) 26th January 1947 (c) Justice Trivedi
(b) 28th January 1947 (d) Justice Desai

6. (d) The first time the Supreme Court had an all-woman 8. (d) The Constitution of India was enacted on January 26,
bench was in 2013, when Justices Gyan Sudha Misra 1950, following India's acquisition of independence in
and Ranjana Prakash Desai sat together. 1947. The Supreme Court of India was also
7. (a) The apex court had its first woman judge in 1989, established, and its inaugural session took place on
when Justice M Fatima Beevi was appointed after her January 28, 1950.
retirement as a judge of Kerala High Court. She was 9. (a) The Supreme Court of Judicature in Calcutta was
followed by Justices Sujatha Manohar, Ruma Pal, created as a Court of Record with full jurisdiction and
Gyan Sudha Misra, Ranjana Prakash Desai, R authority with the adoption of the Regulating Act of
Banumathi, Indu Malhotra, Indira Banerjee, Kohli, 1773.
Nagarathna and Trivedi. The last three were sworn-in 10. (a) The apex court currently has only three women
on the same day — September 2, 2021 — during the judges: Justices Kohli, B V Nagarathna, and Trivedi.
tenure of then Chief Justice of India N V Ramana, While Justice Kohli has a tenure until September
taking the number of serving women judges to a 2024, Justice Trivedi will hold office until June 2025.
historic four, including Justice Banerjee. Justice Nagarathna is set to go on to be the country’s
first woman Chief Justice in 2027.
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NEW ENERGY OUTLOOK REPORT 2022
News
With deliberate action, it is still possible to keep the temperature increase to 1.77 degrees Celsius, according to the 2022
New Energy Outlook report (by BloombergNEF).
It will be challenging to keep global temperature increases to 1.5 degrees Celsius. In order to analyse Net Zero scenarios
or routes, which have a 67 percent likelihood of limiting global warming to 1.77 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial
levels by 2050.
Key highlights of the report-

 The report is BloombergNEF’s long-term scenario analysis on the future of the energy economy covering electricity,
industry, buildings, buildings and transport and the key drivers shaping these sectors until 2050.
 The Bloomberg NEF’s Economic Transition Scenario is its baseline assessment of how the energy transition might
evolve from today as a result of cost-based technology changes.
 The Bloomberg NEF’s Net Zero Scenario describes an economics-led evolution of the energy economy to achieve
net-zero emissions in 2050.
 As per the report, it is still possible to keep the temperature increase to 1.77 degrees Celsius with determined
action. But investments in the clean energy sector must triple that of fossil fuel to reach Net Zero by 2050.
 It says that greenhouse gas emissions from developing economies, particularly India, will continue to rise
until the end of the present decade and will only begin to decline by the early 2030s.
 The report by global, clean energy research provider BloombergNEF analysed Net Zero scenarios or pathways that
limit global warming to 1.77 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by 2050, with a 67 per cent assurance.
 Emissions in Europe, the United States, Australia and Japan have already peaked in 2022 and will decline
rapidly after that.
 However, China’s drop takes a blended approach; emissions peak in 2022 and stabilise for a while before they
realign with developed countries’ trajectories.
 Its modelling suggests emissions need to fall by 30 per cent by 2030 and overall by 6 per cent a year to 2040.
 On the contrary, if no new policies were carried out to transition to a low-carbon economy, the emissions
would fall on average at a rate of 0.9 per cent every year, as per the economic transition scenario. This aligned
with 2.6 degrees Celsius temperature warming by 2100.
 Switching the sources of power generation from fossil fuels to renewable energy is the need of the hour and
this would account for nearly half of the reductions in carbon emission
 About 25 per cent of total emissions can be reduced using low-carbon electricity in the transport sector
and industrial processes.
 The rest of the emissions can be abated by hydrogen and carbon capture and storage (CCS) by 6 per cent and 11 per
cent, respectively.
 CCS is the process of using technology to capture carbon emissions from industrial processes or power
generation, from where it is transported and stored underground for posterity.
 Using CCS results in 11 per cent of all emissions being reduced from 2022-50.
 The annual rate of emissions captured by CCS grows from very low levels today to 1.7 gigatons of carbon dioxide in
2030, 4.9 gigatons in 2040 and 7.3 gigatons by 2050 — a volume comparable to the combined power sector emissions
of China, the US, and Europe in 2021.
 The usage of hydrogen grows five-fold in the Net Zero projection for 2050 from 90 million tonnes now to
501 million tonnes in 2050.
 It is driven by the energy industry (163 million tonnes), steel making (144 million tonnes) and transport (88 million
tonnes) sectors for either aviation or shipping.
 The Net Zero scenario requires a global investment of $194 trillion by 2050 to make this large-scale clean
energy transition.
State of India’s Energy Transition

As of 30 November 2021, the nation's installed renewable energy (RE) capacity was 150.54 GW (solar: 48.55 GW, wind:
40.03 GW, small hydro power: 4.83, bio-power: 10.62, large hydro: 46.51 GW), while its installed nuclear energy-based
electricity capacity was 6.78 GW.
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The fourth-largest wind power capacity in the world is in India.
This takes the overall installed capacity for non-fossil energy to 157.32 GW, or 40.1 percent of the total installed capacity
for electricity, which is 392.01 GW.
As part of a five-point action plan that includes lowering emissions to 50% by 2030, India said at COP26 that it would
achieve carbon neutrality by 2070.
India's position in the Energy Transition Index: The World Economic Forum's Global Energy Transition Index (ETI)
2021 placed India 87th out of 110 nations.
11. Who released the 2022 New Energy Outlook report? (a) 87th (b) 91st
(a) BloombergNEF (c) 95th (d) 100th
(b) International Energy Agency.
(c) International Renewable Energy Agency. 14. India has co-founded which of the following
(d) International Radiation Protection Association. organisations?
(a) International Atomic Energy Alliance
12. The report state that with efforts the temperature (b) International Solar Alliance
increase can be maintained at which of the (c) World Economic Forum
following? (d) World Energy Forum
(a) 1.50 degrees Celsius
(b) 1.65 degrees Celsius 15. The report finds that the emissions need to fall by
(c) 1.77 degrees Celsius how much percent by 2030?
(d) 1.89 degrees Celsius (a) 25% (b) 30%
(c) 45% (d) 50%
13. The World Economic Forum's Global Energy
Transition Index (ETI) 2021 placed India at which of
the following positions?

11. (a) With deliberate action, it is still possible to keep the 14. (b) India and France launched the International Solar
temperature increase to 1.77 degrees Celsius, Alliance (ISA) to boost solar energy in developing
according to the 2022 New Energy Outlook report (by countries. It was launched at the United Nations
BloombergNEF). Climate Change Conference in Paris in November
12. (c) With deliberate action, it is still possible to keep the 2015 by the Indian Prime Minister and French
temperature increase to 1.77 degrees Celsius, President. Its secretariat is located in Gurugram,
according to the 2022 New Energy Outlook report (by India.
BloombergNEF). 15. (b) Its modelling suggests emissions need to fall by 30 per
13. (a) The World Economic Forum's Global Energy cent by 2030 and overall by 6 per cent a year to 2040.
Transition Index (ETI) 2021 placed India 87th out of
110 nations.
PM GATI SHAKTI
News
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched the Gati Shakti – National Master Plan for Multi-modal Connectivity in
New Delhi, heralding a new chapter in governance.
Gati Shakti — a digital platform — will bring 16 Ministries including Railways and Roadways together for integrated
planning and coordinated implementation of infrastructure connectivity projects.
It will incorporate the infrastructure schemes of various Ministries and State Governments like Bharatmala, Sagarmala,
inland waterways, dry/land ports, UDAN etc. Economic Zones like textile clusters, pharmaceutical clusters, defence
corridors, electronic parks, industrial corridors, fishing clusters, agri zones will be covered to improve connectivity &
make Indian businesses more competitive.
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It will also leverage technology extensively including
spatial planning tools with ISRO imagery developed by
BiSAG-N (Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space
Applications and Geoinformatics).
The multi-modal connectivity will provide integrated

and seamless connectivity for movement of people,
goods and services from one mode of transport to
another. It will facilitate the last mile connectivity of
infrastructure and also reduce travel time for people.
6 Pillars of PM Gati Shakti

PM Gati Shakti is based on six pillars:
Comprehensiveness: It will include all the existing

and planned initiatives of various Ministries and
Departments with one centralized portal. Each and
every Department will now have visibility of each
other's activities providing critical data while planning
& execution of projects in a comprehensive manner.
Prioritization: Through this, different Departments
will be able to prioritize their projects through cross-
sectoral interactions.
Optimization: The National Master Plan will assist
different ministries in planning for projects after
identification of critical gaps. For the transportation of the goods from one place to another, the plan will help
in selecting the most optimum route in terms of time and cost.
Synchronization: Individual Ministries and Departments often work in silos. There is lack of coordination in
planning and implementation of the project resulting in delays. PM Gati Shakti will help in synchronizing the
activities of each department, as well as of different
layers of governance, in a holistic manner by
ensuring coordination of work between them.
Analytical: The plan will provide the entire data at

one place with GIS based spatial planning and
analytical tools having 200+ layers, enabling better
visibility to the executing agency.
Dynamic: All Ministries and Departments will now
be able to visualize, review and monitor the
progress of cross-sectoral projects, through the GIS
platform, as the satellite imagery will give on-
ground progress periodically and progress of the
projects will be updated on a regular basis on the
portal. It will help in identifying the vital
interventions for enhancing and updating the
master plan.
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16. Gati Shakti was launched in which of the following
years? 19. The Gati Shakti scheme will subsume the Rs 110 lakh
(a) 2019 (b) 2020 crore National Infrastructure Pipeline that was
(c) 2021 (d) 2022 launched in which year?
(a) 2018 (b) 2019
17. PM Gati Shakti is based on how many pillars? (c) 2020 (d) 2021
(a) 4 (b) 5
(c) 6 (d) 8 20. India recently launched the National Logistics
Policy. Which of the following is India’s current cost
18. Digital Platform of Gati Shakti will bring together of GDP for logistics?
how many ministries? (a) 8% (b) 12%
(a) 12 (b) 14 (c) 16% (d) 20%
(c) 16 (d) 18

16. (c) The plan was launched on 13 October 2021 to provide together for integrated planning and coordinated
multimodal connectivity infrastructure to all implementation of infrastructure connectivity
economic zones of India and approved on 21 October projects.
2021 by Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs. 19. (b) The Gati Shakti scheme will subsume the Rs 110 lakh
17. (c) PM Gati Shakti is based on six pillars crore National Infrastructure Pipeline that was
 Comprehensiveness launched in 2019.
 Prioritization 20. (c) Logistics costs have to be cut by half to be near global
 Optimization benchmarks by 2030 by reducing the cost of logistics
from 14-18% of GDP to global best practices of 8%.
 Synchronization
Countries like the US, South Korea, Singapore, and
 Analytical certain European nations have such a low logistics
 Dynamic cost-to-GDP ratio. The current cost is 16% of GDP.
18. (c) Gati Shakti — a digital platform — will bring 16
Ministries including Railways and Roadways
RIGHT TO CONVERSION
News
Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to declare the religious conversion laws of five States as
unconstitutional, saying they bring the personal decision of an individual to adopt another faith under state scrutiny.
The writ petition challenged the legality of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition Of Unlawful Conversion Of Religion Act, 2021;
the Uttarakhand Freedom Of Religion Act, 2018; the Himachal Pradesh Freedom Of Religion Act, 2019; the Madhya
Pradesh Freedom Of Religion Act, 2021; and the Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act, 2021.
What is Religious Conversion?

The acquisition of a set of beliefs associated with one specific religious denomination at the exclusion of others is
referred to as religious conversion. Therefore, "religious conversion" would refer to the process of leaving one
denomination and joining another.
Baptist Christians may convert to Methodists or Catholics, or Shia Muslims may convert to Sunnis. Religious conversion
can occasionally "signal a transition of religious identity and is marked by unique ceremonies," as the phrase goes.
What is the Need for Anti-Conversion Laws?

No Right to Proselytize:
Each person has a basic right under the Constitution to declare, practise, and spread their faith.
Trying to convert someone from the convertee's religion to the converter's religion is known as proselytising.
A communal right to proselytise cannot be derived from an individual's freedom of conscience and religion.
Because both the person seeking to be converted and the person who is converting have a right to religious freedom.
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Fraudulent Marriages:
The practise of forcing the other person to change to one's own religion after being married has been observed in several
recent cases when people have married members of different religions by concealing or misrepresenting their own
religion.
Status of Anti-Conversion Laws in India

Constitutional Provision:
The right to profess, propagate, and practise religion is guaranteed by Article 25 of the Indian Constitution, and all
religious groups are permitted to conduct their own affairs in religious matters, subject to public order, morality, and
health.
No one, however, should be made to follow a religion against their will or forced to adhere to their religious views.
Existing Laws:
There is no national legislation that prohibits or controls religious conversions.
To govern religious conversions, however, Private Member Bills have often been submitted in Parliament since 1954
(although never passed by the body).
Additionally, the Union Law Ministry stated in 2015 that Parliament lacks the legislative authority to enact legislation
prohibiting conversion.
Anti-Conversion Laws in Various States:

Several states have passed 'Freedom of Religion' laws over the years to prohibit forced, fraudulent, or coerced
conversions to another religion.
Orissa's 1967 Freedom of Religion Act, Gujarat's 2003 Freedom of Religion Act, Jharkhand's 2017 Freedom of Religion
Act, Uttarakhand's 2018 Freedom of Religion Act, and Karnataka's 2021 Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act
are all examples of state laws that protect religious freedom.
What is the Current Petition Challenging?

"The compulsory disclosure of one's religion in any form amounts to violation of the right to manifest his/her beliefs as
the said right includes the right not to manifest one's beliefs," it said.
Further, the provisions of the five Acts entitle the family members of persons entering into interfaith marriage to lodge
a first information report (FIR), virtually giving them a fresh tool for harassing a convert, the plea contended. These
laws are being misused by the disgruntled family members, it said.
"It is submitted that the phrase 'undue influence' is too wide and vague and the same can be used to prosecute any
person who is in a stronger position vis-a-vis the converted person," it said.
Earlier, while hearing a batch of petitions challenging the Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh laws, a bench headed
by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud had said it will have to take a call on whether all the cases pending before several
High Courts challenging the Acts should be transferred to the Supreme Court.
21. Which of the following is NOT a reasonable authority to enact legislation prohibiting
restriction to the Right to Religion in India? conversion?
(a) Public Order (b) Health (a) 2012 (b) 2015
(c) Morality (d) Sovereignty (c) 2017 (d) 2019
22. Which of the following was the first state to 24. Uniform Civil Code is given under which article of
introduce an anti-conversion bill? the Constitution of India?
(a) Madhya Pradesh (b) Rajasthan (a) Article 41 (b) Article 44
(c) Orrisa (d) Karnataka (c) Article 51 (d) Article 56
23. In which of the following years did the Union Law 25. Which Indian State has Uniform Civil Code in place?
Ministry stated that Parliament lacks the legislative (a) Maharashtra (b) Goa
(c) Manipur (d) Sikkim
13
21. (d) The right to profess, propagate, and practise religion 24. (b) These diluted versions supported by Jawaharlal
is guaranteed by Article 25 of the Indian Constitution, Nehru were in contraction to the implementation of
and all religious groups are permitted to conduct a uniform civil code in Article 44 of the Directive
their own affairs in religious matters, subject to public principles of the Constitution specifying, "The State
order, morality, and health. shall endeavour to secure for citizens a uniform civil
22. (c) The Orissa Freedom of Religion Act, 1967 It is the first code throughout the territory of India."
such law in the country and prohibits conversion 25. (b) Goa is the only state in India which has a uniform civil
from one religion to the other by “force or code. The Goa Family Law, is the set of civil laws,
inducement or by fraudulent means” originally the Portuguese Civil Code, continued to be
23. (b) the Union Law Ministry stated in 2015 that Parliament implemented after its annexation in 1961.
lacks the legislative authority to enact legislation
prohibiting conversion.
UN GROUNDWATER SUMMIT 2022

News
The importance of protecting groundwater and methods for its sustainable use will be the highlights of the United
Nations-Water Summit on Groundwater 2022 that begins December 7, 2022 in Paris, France.
The two-day conference was organised by UN-Water, UNESCO and the International Groundwater Resources
Assessment Centre.
Objective:
To increase understanding of groundwater management opportunities and difficulties, as well as groundwater
conservation.
• To commemorate the conclusion of UN-2022 Water's "Groundwater: Making the Invisible Visible" campaign.
• The 5 pillars of the SDG 6 Global Acceleration Framework—data and information, capacity development,
innovation, financing, and governance—were the main topics of debate.
• Concerning the initiative "Groundwater: Making the Invisible Visible": It emphasised the part that groundwater
plays in reducing hunger, water scarcity, and other socioeconomic development obstacles.
Groundwater:
• Through dirt and rocks, water seeps into the earth, where it is stored. The rocks that store groundwater are known
as aquifers.
• Only 0.62 percent of the world's water and 30 percent of its accessible freshwater comes from this untapped
resource.
• It is an essential resource that provides approximately half of the world's drinking water, 40% of the water used for
irrigation, and a third of the water needed for industry.
• When you consider that there are around 2.7 billion people in the world who lack access to clean water, the
importance of groundwater to human growth increases.
Highlights of the Summit:

• The discussions highlighted the opportunities and challenges of groundwater management across the world as
presented in The United Nations World Water Development Report 2022 published March 22, 2022.
• The campaign highlighted the role of groundwater in alleviating poverty, food and water insecurity and other socio-
economic development hurdles.
• Groundwater management is imperative to meet the UN-mandated Sustainable Development Goal 6 of providing
clean water and sanitation for all.
• “Groundwater is a vital resource that provides almost half of all drinking water worldwide, about 40 per cent of
water for irrigated agriculture and about a third of water required for industry,” UN said in a press statement.
• The role of groundwater in human development becomes bigger in the face of heightened water scarcity that is
“already affecting about 2.7 billion people around the world for at least one month per year”, the global body added.
• The five pillars of the SDG 6 Global Acceleration Framework released in June 2020 — data and information, capacity
development, innovation, finance and governance — will be the main themes of the discussions.
14
• The key takeaways from the summit will be presented at the UN 2023 Water Conference to be held in New York in
March 2023.
Legal/constitutional framework in India:

The antiquated Indian Easement Act of 1882 ambiguously defines groundwater ownership and rights.
Article 21 of the Indian Constitution (right to life) recognises the fundamental right to water.
The Environment (Protection) Act of 1986 gives the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) the authority to create
groundwater policies and initiatives.
Public trust doctrine, according to the Supreme Court It would be unfair to make groundwater a subject of private
ownership.
Steps taken by the Indian government:

A groundwater management programme called Atal Bhujal Yojana was introduced in 2019.
Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA): It was started in 2019 in 256 water-stressed districts around the nation to enhance
groundwater conditions and water availability.
26. United Nations-Water Summit on Groundwater (a) SDG 2 (b) SDG 5

2022 was held at which of the following places? (c) SDG 6 (d) SDG 7
(a) London (b) Paris
(c) Dubai (d) Washington DC 29. Jal Shakti Ministry was formed in which of the
following year?
27. Atal Bhujal Yojana was introduced in which of the (a) 2017 (b) 2018
following years? (c) 2019 (d) 2021
(a) 2017 (b) 2018
(c) 2019 (d) 2020 30. The Environment (Protection) Act was passed in
which of the following years?
28. Clean water and Sanitation comes under which of (a) 1982 (b) 1986
the following UN Sustainable Development Goals? (c) 1990 (d) 1992

26. (b) The importance of protecting groundwater and 28. (c) Groundwater management is imperative to meet the
methods for its sustainable use will be the highlights UN-mandated Sustainable Development Goal 6 of
of the United Nations-Water Summit on providing clean water and sanitation for all.
Groundwater 2022 that begins December 7, 2022 in 29. (c) The Ministry of Jal Shakti was established in May 2019
Paris, France. under the Government of India. Two ministries
27. (c) A groundwater management programme called Atal namely the Ministry of Water Resources, River
Bhujal Yojana was introduced in 2019. Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, as well as the
Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA): It was started in 2019 in Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, were
256 water-stressed districts around the nation to merged together to form the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
enhance groundwater conditions and water 30. (b) The Environment (Protection) Act of 1986 gives the
availability. Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) the
authority to create groundwater policies and
initiatives.
INDIA TO BECOME A HUB OF DRONE TECHNOLOGY

News
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Tuesday said India would become a hub of drone
technology, creating employment opportunities worth about ₹6,000 crore per year in the sector.
 After flagging off the “Drone Yatra 2.0” in Chennai, where the first drone skilling and training conference was
launched at Garuda Aerospace in Agni College of Technology, Mr. Thakur said the country would require at
least one lakh drone pilots by next year. Each pilot would earn at least ₹50-80 thousand a month, he said.
 The drone sector was slated to add $3 billion to the agriculture sector in 2023, benefiting 10 crore farmers, he said,
stating that Garuda Aerospace planned to make one lakh “Made in India” drones in the next two years. There are
currently over 200 drone start-ups.
15
 The Minister said as a part of the SWAMITVA scheme, for survey of villages and mapping with improvised
technology in village areas, drones were being used. They were increasingly being deployed for sprinkling pesticides
and nano fertilizers in the fields.
 Earlier, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Directorate General of Civil Aviation had granted conditional
exemption to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for drone-enabled live aerial cinematography
of Indian cricket matches in 2021.
 As part of the “Kisan Drone Yatra” inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 100 drones had been sent to
villages across the country to spray pesticides.
 In May, Mr. Modi had launched the country’s biggest drone festival “Bharat Drone Mahotsav 2022”. “India is also
moving towards creating a strong drone manufacturing ecosystem in the country through schemes like Production
Linked Incentive.
 Garuda’s drone skilling and training conference to be conducted in 775 districts is expected to reach 10 lakh youth.
About Drones:
 A drone or UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) is a remotely controlled flying device.
 Originally developed for the military and aerospace industries, drones have found their way into the mainstream
because of the enhanced levels of safety and efficiency they bring.
 A drone’s autonomy level can range from remotely piloted (a human controls its movements) to advanced
autonomy, which means that it relies on a system of sensors and LIDAR detectors to calculate its movement.
 Drones have been divided into five categories based on their weight (existing rules) –
o Nano: Less than or equal to 250 grams,
o Micro: From 250 grams to 2kg, Small: From 2 kg to 25kg,
o Medium: From 25kg to 150kg,
o Large: Greater than 150kg.
Rules regulating drones in India:

 In India, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) governs the use of all (manned or automated) aerial
vehicles.
 ‘The Drone Rules, 2021’, to regulate the use and operation of Drones or Unmanned Aerial Systems.
Drone Rules, 2021

 To promote R&D and turn India into a powerhouse for drone production, the Ministry announced the liberalisation
of drone regulations in 2021.
 Several clearances and approvals were eliminated. There are now only five forms to complete instead of 25, and
there are only four sorts of fees instead of 72.
 Drones can be flown in green zones without a permit, and micro and nano drones can be used for non-commercial
purposes without a remote pilot's licence.
 Drones may now carry payloads of up to 500 kg, enabling them to function as unmanned flying taxis.
 Additionally, foreign ownership of businesses that use drones is now permissible.
What is the PLI Scheme for Drones

 A Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for drones and their parts was also approved by the government, with
a budget of Rs. 120 crore for three fiscal years.
 The strategic, tactical, and operational applications of this cutting-edge technology are covered by the PLI Scheme
for the industry of drones and drone componentry.
Drone Shakti Scheme

 Drone promotion through startups and talent development at industrial training institutes (ITIs) was encouraged
by the Union Budget.
 Startups will be supported in their efforts to support "Drone Shakti" through a variety of applications and for "drone-
as-a-service" (DrAAS). Additionally, skill-building courses will begin in a few ITIs throughout all States.
 DrAAS enables businesses to use a variety of drone company services without having to invest in drone hardware,
software, pilots, or training programmes.
16
 There are countless industries in which drones can be used. These include, among others, geo-spatial mapping,
photography, agriculture, mining, telecom, insurance, oil & gas, construction, transit, disaster management, and
law and order.
 Additionally, the use of drones for crop evaluation, digitising land records, and applying nutrients and insecticides
to crops will be encouraged (Kisan Drones).
 In the next three years, it is anticipated that the drone services sector will increase to over Rs 30,000 crore and
create over five lakh employment.
31. Less than or equal to 250 grams of Drone comes (a) 2017 (b) 2019
under which of the following categories? (c) 2021 (d) 2022
(a) Nano (b) Mini
(c) Micro (d) Large 34. Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)
became Statutory body in which of the following
32. Drone Yatra 2.0 took place at which of the following years?
places? (a) 2017 (b) 2018
(a) Chennai (b) Bengaluru (c) 2019 (d) 2020
(c) Hyderabad (d) Puducherry
35. Bharat Drone Mahotsav 2022 was held in which city?
33. Kisan Drone Yatra was introduced in which of the (a) New Delhi (b) Bengaluru
following years? (c) Chennai (d) Hyderabad

31. (a) Drones have been divided into five categories based 34. (d) The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is a
on their weight (existing rules) – statutory body of the Government of India to regulate
 Nano: Less than or equal to 250 grams, civil aviation in India. It became a statutory body
 Micro: From 250 grams to 2kg, Small: From 2 kg under the Aircraft Act, 2020.
to 25kg, 35. (a) Recently, India's biggest Drone Festival - Bharat
 Medium: From 25kg to 150kg, Drone Mahotsav 2022 was inaugurated in New Delhi
 Large: Greater than 150kg. by the Prime Minister. A virtual award of drone pilot
32. (a) After flagging off the “Drone Yatra 2.0” in Chennai, certificates, panel discussions, product launches,
where the first drone skilling and training conference display of a 'Made in India' Drone Taxi prototype,
was launched at Garuda Aerospace in Agni flying demonstrations, among others were the key
College of Technology, Mr. Thakur said the country events.
would require at least one lakh drone pilots by next
year.
33. (d) Kisan Drone Yatra was introduced in 2022.
COLLEGIUM SYSTEM
News
The Supreme Court of India's Collegium system has been dominating the headlines of late with Union Law Minister
Kiren Rijiju criticising the decades-old system of appointment of judges saying that "nowhere in the world, except in
India is there a practice where judges appoint their brother judges".
Origins of Collegium System

 The collegium system is the way by which judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts are appointed and
transferred. The collegium system is not rooted in the Constitution or a specific law promulgated by Parliament; it
has evolved through judgments of the Supreme Court.
 In the first judges case, SP Gupta v Union of India - 1981, the judges suggested that the executive must have the
biggest say in judicial appointments.
 In the second judges case, Supreme Court Advocates-on Record Association v Union of India - 1993, a nine-
judge bench said that the CJI must be given priority in such appointments.
 This was reiterated in the third judges case, in re Special Reference 1 of 1998. Since then, judges have been
appointed by the collegium system.
17
 In September 2013, the Rajya Sabha passed The Constitution (120th Amendment) Bill, 2013 that amends
articles 124(2) and 217(1) of the Constitution of India, 1950 and establishes the National Judicial Appointments
Commission, on whose recommendation the President would appoint judges to the higher judiciary. However, the
amendment was quashed by the apex court for being unconstitutional in October 2015.
How does The Collegium System works

The Supreme Court Collegium is a five-member body, which is headed by the incumbent CJI and comprises the
four other senior most judges of the court at that time. A High Court collegium is led by the incumbent Chief
Justice and two other senior most judges of that court. By its very nature, the composition of the collegium keeps
changing.
Judges of the higher judiciary are appointed only through the collegium system, and the government has a role only
after names have been decided by the collegium. Names recommended for appointment by a High Court collegium
reach the government only after approval by the CJI and the Supreme Court collegium.
The role of the government in this entire process is limited to getting an inquiry conducted by the Intelligence Bureau
(IB) if a lawyer is to be elevated as a judge in a High Court or the Supreme Court. The government can also raise
objections and seek clarifications regarding the collegium’s choices, but if the collegium reiterates the same names, the
government is bound to appoint them.
Sometimes the government delays making the appointments, especially in cases where the government is perceived to
be unhappy with one or more judges recommended for appointment by the collegium. Supreme Court judges have
sometimes expressed anguish over such delays.
National Judicial Appointment Commission

The Constitution (99th Amendment) Act, which established the NJAC and the NJAC Act, was passed by
Parliament in 2014 to set up a commission for appointing judges, replacing the Collegium system. This would
essentially increase the government’s role in the appointment of judges.
The NJAC was to comprise the Chief Justice of India as the ex officio Chairperson, two senior-most Supreme
Court Judges as ex officio members, the Union Minister of Law and Justice as ex officio member, and two
eminent persons from civil society — one of whom would be nominated by a committee consisting of the CJI, Prime
Minster and the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and the other would be nominated from the
SC/ST/OBC/minority communities or women.
The laws were repealed in October 2015 after the Supreme Court struck them down.
The Constitution Bench declared the said Act as violative of the basic structure of the Constitution. The Act is full
of contradictions and strikes at the independence of the judiciary.
Under Article 141, the law declared by the Supreme Court is binding on all courts. If it is binding on all courts, it
is equally binding on all constitutional authorities. In a constitutional democracy, there is no scope of Parliamentary
Sovereignty. Parliament is neither sovereign nor supreme. Equally, the judiciary is also not supreme.
The Parliament can amend the Constitution but it cannot damage or destroy or change its basic structure. If the
constitutional amendment is violative of the basic structure, it is liable to be declared unconstitutional. The
Constitution is supreme. It is binding on all, including the Parliament.
36. Under which Article Law declared by the Supreme 37. National Judicial Appointment Commission was
Court is binding on all the Courts? brought via which of the following Amendments?
(a) Article 32 (b) Article 121 (a) 97th Amendment
(c) Article 141 (d) Article 137 (b) 98th Amendment
(c) 99th Amendment
(d) 100th Amendment
18
38. First Judge Case was held in which of the following (c) Piyush Goyal
years? (d) Ashwini Vaishnav
(a) 1981 (b) 1993
(c) 1998 (d) 2015 40. Supreme Court Collegium is how many members
body?
39. Who is the current Law Minister of India? (a) 3 (b) 4
(a) Ravishankar Prasad (c) 5 (d) 6
(b) Kiren Rijiju

36. (c) Under Article 141, the law declared by the Supreme 39. (b) The Supreme Court of India's Collegium system has
Court is binding on all courts. been dominating the headlines of late with Union
37. (c) The Constitution (99th Amendment) Act, which Law Minister Kiren Rijiju criticising the decades-old
established the NJAC and the NJAC Act, was passed system of appointment of judges saying that
by Parliament in 2014 to set up a commission for "nowhere in the world, except in India is there a
appointing judges, replacing the Collegium system. practice where judges appoint their brother judges".
This would essentially increase the government’s role 40. (c) The Supreme Court Collegium is a five-member
in the appointment of judges. body, which is headed by the incumbent CJI and
38. (a) In the first judges case, SP Gupta v Union of India - comprises the four other senior most judges of the
1981, the judges suggested that the executive must court at that time.
have the biggest say in judicial appointments.
MULTI-STATE COOPERATIVE SOCIETIES (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2022

News
On December 7, the government had introduced the Bill that proposes merger of “any cooperative society” into an
existing multi-state cooperative society.
• The Lok Sabha referred the Multi-State Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Bill-2022 to a joint committee of
Parliament comprising 21 members from the Lower House and 10 from the Upper House.
• Home Minister Amit Shah moved a proposal to this effect in Lok Sabha, which was approved by a voice vote.
• The committee has been given time till the last day of the first week of the second part of the Budget Session-2023
to present its report to the House.
• Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will appoint one of the members of the committee as its chairperson.
• Of the 21 Lok Sabha members on the committee, a maximum of 12 are from BJP.
About the Amendment

The Centre has proposed this amendment through Section 6 of the Bill, introduced in Lok Sabha by Minister of State
for Cooperation B L Verma.
 As per the present law, enacted 20 years ago, only multi-state cooperative societies can amalgamate
themselves and form a new multi-state cooperative society.
 But now, “any cooperative society may, by a resolution passed by majority of not less than two-thirds of
the members present and voting at a general meeting of such society, decide to merge into an existing
multi-state co-operative society: Provided that such resolution shall be subject to provisions of the respective
State Cooperative Societies Act for the time being in force, under which such cooperative society is registered,”
states the proposed sub-section (10) to be added in Section 17 of the 2002 law.
 The Bill also seeks to establish a “cooperative election authority” to bring “electoral reforms” in the cooperative
sector.
 The government has proposed to substitute Section 45 of the 2002 Act. As per the proposed amendment, the
authority will consist of a chairperson, a vice-chairperson and a maximum of three members to be appointed by the
Centre.
 The Bill seeks to insert a new Section — 63A — in the principal Act. This relates to “establishment of the
Cooperative Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Development Fund” for revival of “sick multi-state
cooperative societies”.
19
 It also proposes to insert a new Section — 70A — relating to “concurrent audit” for such multi-state societies with
an annual turnover or deposit of more than the amount as determined by the Centre.
 Increasing penalties: Under the Act, certain offences by a multi-state co-operative society or its officer or member
include making false returns, furnishing false information, or disobeying any summons are offences. The fine for
such offences extends from Rs 2,000 to Rs 10,000. The Bill adds that the failure to file any return or information
will also be an offence. The fine for all these offences will extend from Rs 5,000 to one lakh rupees.
 Specified co-operative societies: Under the Act, the central government may give directions and supersede the
boards of specified multi-state co-operative societies. These are those multi-state co-operative societies where the
central government has a shareholding of at least 51%. The Bill amends this definition to include any multi-state
co-operative society where the government has any shareholding, or has extended any loan, financial assistance, or
guarantee.
 Composition of board of directors: Under the Act, the board of a multi-state co-operative society will have a
maximum of 21 directors. The board may co-opt two additional directors. The Bill amends the composition of
the board of directors to mandate the inclusion of: (i) one Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe member, and (ii)
two women members. Further, the co-opted members should have experience in the field of banking, financing,
co-operative management or specialisation fields related to the functioning of multi-state co-operative society.
 At the time of the introduction of the Bill in Lok Sabha, Opposition members, had opposed it. They were demanding
that the Bill be sent to the Standing Committee, arguing that it seeks to “take away” state governments’ rights and
is against the country’s federal structure.
41. The Lok Sabha referred the Multi-State Co-operative (c) 2005 (d) 2008
Societies (Amendment) Bill-2022 to a joint
committee of Parliament comprising how many 44. Who is the speaker of the Lok Sabha?
members? (a) Om Birla
(a) 10 (b) 12 (b) Harivansh Narayan Singh
(c) 15 (d) 21 (c) Jagdeep Dhankhar
(d) Pramod Chandra Mody
42. The Centre has proposed this amendment through
Section 6 of the Bill, introduced in Lok Sabha by 45. Article 43B of the Constitution with respect to
Minister of State for Cooperation __________. Directive Principle of State Policy was via which of
(a) BL Verma (b) Jitendra Singh the following amendments?
(c) Anurag Thakur (d) Giriraj Singh (a) 94th Amendment
(b) 96th Amendment
43. The Present law on Multi-Cooperative Societies was (c) 97th Amendment
brought in which years? (d) 99th Amendment
(a) 2000 (b) 2002

41. (d) The Lok Sabha referred the Multi-State Co-operative 44. (a) Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will appoint one of the
Societies (Amendment) Bill-2022 to a joint committee members of the committee as its chairperson. Of the
of Parliament comprising 21 members from the Lower 21 Lok Sabha members on the committee, a maximum
House and 10 from the Upper House. of 12 are from BJP.
42. (a) The Centre has proposed this amendment through 45. (c) Article 43B of the Constitution inserted by the 97th
Section 6 of the Bill, introduced in Lok Sabha by Amendment says that “states shall endeavour to
Minister of State for Cooperation B L Verma. promote voluntary formation, autonomous
43. (b) As per the present law, enacted 20 years ago, only functioning, democratic control and professional
multi-state cooperative societies can management of cooperative societies”.
amalgamate themselves and form a new multi-
state cooperative society.
20
ENERGY CONSERVATION (AMENDMENT) BILL 2022
News
Parliament passed the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill-2022 that enables the Union government to set up a
carbon credit trading scheme and specify the minimum amount of non-fossil sources to be used by designated
energy consumers.
 As per India’s commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change as given by
Prime Minister Narendra Modi at COP-26 last year, the goal is to cut emission intensity by 45% and achieve 50%
of the installed capacity of electricity generation from non-fossil fuel sources.
The Bill, which amends the Energy Conservation Act-2001, was passed in the Rajya Sabha by voice vote. The Lok Sabha
had passed the amendment on August 8.
Power Minister R.K. Singh termed the Bill as futuristic and said it would give an impetus to India’s efforts to got for
greener sources of energy.
Mr. Singh said the Bill aimed to bring large residential buildings, with a minimum connected load of 100 kilowatt (kW)
or contract demand of 120 Kilovolt Ampere (kVA), within the fold of Energy Conservation regime. He said the States, if
they wished, could bring down the connected load and contract demand.
Key Features
Carbon credit trading
 The Bill empowers the central government to specify a carbon credit trading scheme.
 Carbon credit implies a tradeable permit to produce a specified amount of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse
emissions.
 The central government or any authorised agency may issue carbon credit certificates to entities registered and
compliant with the scheme. The entities will be entitled to trade the certificates. Any other person may also
purchase a carbon credit certificate on a voluntary basis.
Obligation to use non-fossil sources of energy

 The Act empowers the central government to specify energy consumption standards.
 The Bill adds that the government may require designated consumers to meet a minimum share of energy
consumption from non-fossil sources.
 Different consumption thresholds may be specified for different non-fossil sources and consumer categories.
Designated consumers include: (i) industries such as mining, steel, cement, textile, chemicals, and petrochemicals,
(ii) transport sector including Railways, and (iii) commercial buildings, as specified in the schedule.
 Failure to meet this obligation will be punishable with a penalty of up to Rs 10 lakh. It will also attract an additional
penalty of up to twice the price of oil equivalent of energy consumed above the prescribed norm.
Energy conservation code for buildings

 The Act empowers the central government to specify Energy Conservation Code for buildings.
 The code prescribes energy consumption standards in terms of area.
 The Bill amends this to provide for an 'Energy Conservation and Sustainable Building Code'.
 This new code will provide norms for energy efficiency and conservation, use of renewable energy, and other
requirements for green buildings.
 Under the Act, the energy conservation code applies to commercial buildings:
i. erected after the notification of the Code, and
ii. having a minimum connected load of 100 kilowatt (kW) or contract load of 120 kilo volt ampere (kVA).
 Under the Bill, the new Energy Conservation and Sustainable Building Code will also apply to the office and
residential buildings meeting the above criteria. The Bill empowers the state governments to lower the load
thresholds.
21
Standards for vehicles and vessels
 Under the Act, the energy consumption standards may be specified for equipment and appliances which consume,
generate, transmit, or supply energy.
 The Bill expands the scope to include vehicles (as defined under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988), and vessels (includes
ships and boats).
 The failure to comply with standards will be punishable with a penalty of up to Rs 10 lakh.
 Non-compliance in case of vessels will attract an additional penalty of up to twice the price of oil equivalent of
energy consumed above the prescribed norm.
 Vehicle manufacturers in violation of fuel consumption norms will be liable to pay a penalty of up to Rs 50,000 per
unit of vehicles sold.
Composition of the governing council of BEE

 The Act provides for the setting up of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE).
 The Bureau has a governing council with members between 20 and 26 in number. These include: (i) secretaries of
six departments, (ii) representatives of regulatory authorities such as the Central Electricity Authority, and the
Bureau of Indian Standards, and (iii) up to four members representing industries and consumers.
 The Bill amends this to provide that the number of members will be between 31 and 37. It increases the number of
secretaries to 12. It also provides for up to seven members representing industries and consumers.
46. Who among the following is the Minister of Power?

(a) RK Singh (b) Piyush Goyal 49. The Bill amends the Energy Conservation Act of
(c) Prakash Javadekar (d) Narendra Singh Tomer which of the following?
(a) Energy Conservation Act 2000
47. The Amendment of Energy Conservation (b) Energy Conservation Act 2002
(Amendment) Bill-2022 provides for setting up of (c) Energy Conservation Act 2005
which of the following? (d) Energy Conservation Act 2008
(a) Bureau of Energy Efficiency
(b) Energy Efficiency Council 50. Failure to meet the requirement designated to
(c) Commission for Energy Council consumers to meet a minimum share of energy
(d) Task force for Energy Council consumption from non-fossil sources will be
punishable with a penalty of up to how much
48. The Bill empowers the central government to specify rupees?
which of the following? (a) Rupees 05 Lakh
(a) Carbon Credit Trading (b) Rupees 10 Lakh
(b) Carbon Plus Trade (c) Rupees 15 Lakh
(c) Carbon Cut Points (d) Rupees 20 Lakh
(d) Carbon Grading Trading

46. (a) Power Minister R.K. Singh termed the Bill as futuristic 49. (b) The Bill, which amends the Energy Conservation Act-
and said it would give an impetus to India’s efforts to 2001, was passed in the Rajya Sabha by voice vote. The
got for greener sources of energy. Lok Sabha had passed the amendment on August 8.
47. (a) The Act provides for the setting up of the Bureau of 50. (b) Failure to meet this obligation will be punishable with
Energy Efficiency (BEE). The Bureau has a governing a penalty of up to Rs 10 lakh. It will also attract an
council with members between 20 and 26 in number. additional penalty of up to twice the price of oil
48. (a) The Bill empowers the central government to specify equivalent of energy consumed above the prescribed
a carbon credit trading scheme. Carbon credit implies norm.
a tradeable permit to produce a specified amount of
carbon dioxide or other greenhouse emissions.
22
WHAT IT TAKES TO BECOME A NATIONAL PARTY IN INDIA?
News
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was leading in 5 seats in Gujarat after more than seven hours of counting of votes on
December 8, but its vote-share was close to 13%, which meant it is on track to be recognised as a national party by the
Election Commission of India (ECI).
 The ECI has laid down the technical criterion for a party to be recognised as a national party. A party may gain or
lose national party status from time to time, depending on the fulfilment of these laid-down conditions.
What is a national party?

The name suggests that a national party would be one that has a presence ‘nationally’, as opposed to a regional party
whose presence is restricted to only a particular state or region.
National parties are usually India’s bigger parties, such as the Congress and BJP. However, some smaller parties, like the
communist parties, are also recognised as national parties. A certain stature is sometimes associated with being a
national party, but this does not necessarily translate into having a lot of national political clout.
Some parties, despite being dominant in a major state — such as the DMK in Tamil Nadu, BJD in Odisha, YSRCP in
Andhra Pradesh, RJD in Bihar, or TRS in Telangana — and having a major say in national affairs, remain regional parties.
So how is a national party defined?

The ECI has laid down the technical criterion for a party to be recognised as a national party. A party may gain or lose
national party status from time to time, depending on the fulfilment of these laid-down conditions.
As per the ECI’s Political Parties and Election Symbols, 2019 handbook, a political party would be considered a
national party if:
a. it is ‘recognised’ in four or more states; or
b. if its candidates polled at least 6% of total valid votes in any four or more states in the last Lok Sabha or Assembly
elections and has at least four MPs in the last Lok Sabha polls; or
iii. if it has won at least 2% of the total seats in the Lok Sabha from not less than three states.
To be recognised as a state party, a party needs:

a. at least 6% vote-share in the last Assembly election and have at least 2 MLAs; or have 6% vote-share in the last
Lok Sabha elections from that state and at least one MP from that state; or
b. at least 3% of the total number of seats or three seats, whichever is more, in the last Assembly elections; or
c. at least one MP for every 25 members or any fraction allotted to the state in the Lok Sabha;
or
d. have at least 8% of the total valid votes in the last Assembly election or Lok Sabha election from the state.
National Parties in India

As of now, the ECI has recognised eight parties as national parties — the BJP, Congress, Trinamool Congress, CPI(M),
CPI, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), and Conrad Sangma’s National People’s Party (NPP),
which was recognised in 2019.
APP has become the 9th National Party

With 12.9 per cent of the votes in Gujarat, as well as five seats, the AAP became India’s ninth national party.
However, the party's national recognition is yet to receive an official nod from the Election Commission of India (ECI).
About Election Commission

 The administration of the Union and State election procedures in India is the purview of the Election Commission
of India, an independent constitutional body.
 The organisation oversees elections for the President and Vice President of India as well as the Lok Sabha, Rajya
Sabha, and State Legislative Assemblies.
 The Indian Constitution's Part XV addresses elections and creates a commission to handle these issues.
 On January 25, 1950, the Election Commission was constituted in conformity with the Constitution.
23
 The constitution's Articles 324 to 329 deal with the commission's and the member's authority, function, tenure,
eligibility, etc.
51. How many National Parties are there in India? (c) Municipal Corporation
(a) 5 (b) 7 (d) State Assembly
(c) 8 (d) 10
54. Which of the following was the last recognised
52. As per the ECI’s Political Parties and Election National Party in India?
Symbols, 2019 handbook, a political party would be (a) Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)
considered a national party if it is recognised at least (b) Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)
in how many states? (c) Conrad Sangma’s National People’s Party (NPP)
(a) 2 or more (b) 3 or more (d) Trinamool Congress
(c) 4 or more (d) 5 or more
55. Who is the Current Chief Election Commissioner of
53. Election Commission does not oversee the election India?
of which of the following? (a) Arun Goel (b) Sushil Chandra
(a) President (c) Rajiv Kumar (d) Anup Chandra Pandey
(b) Vice President

51. (c) With 12.9 per cent of the votes in Gujarat, as well as iii. if it has won at least 2% of the total seats in the
five seats, the AAP became India’s ninth national Lok Sabha from not less than three states.
party. 53. (c) The organisation oversees elections for the President
However, the party's national recognition is yet to and Vice President of India as well as the Lok Sabha,
receive an official nod from the Election Commission Rajya Sabha, and State Legislative Assemblies.
of India (ECI). Therefore, the answer is 8. 54. (c) As of now, the ECI has recognised eight parties as
52. (c) As per the ECI’s Political Parties and Election national parties — the BJP, Congress, Trinamool
Symbols, 2019 handbook, a political party would be Congress, CPI(M), CPI, Nationalist Congress Party
considered a national party if: (NCP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), and Conrad
a. it is ‘recognised’ in four or more states; or Sangma’s National People’s Party (NPP), which was
b. if its candidates polled at least 6% of total valid recognised in 2019.
votes in any four or more states in the last Lok 55. (c) Sh. Rajiv Kumar, Election Commissioner in ECI since
Sabha or Assembly lections and has at least four MPs 1st September 2020, took charge as the 25th Chief
in the last Lok Sabha polls; or Election Commissioner on 15th May 2022. Prior to
assuming charge in the Election Commission.
NAMAMI GANGE PROGRAMME

News
The Union Minister for Jal Shakti Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat chaired the 10th meeting of the Empowered Task
Force (ETF) of National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) including central ministries, departments and state
governments on 8th December 2022.
 The Union Minister reviewed the progress of various components under Namami Gange Programme as central
ministries and States provided an update on the recent developments that have taken place and mapped out their
future plans.
 The Union government has moved its emphasis from improving sanitation to Ganga river conservation, tourism,
and economic growth as part of its flagship Namami Gange programme.
National Mission for Clean Ganga

 The National Council for Rejuvenation, Protection, and Management of River Ganga, commonly known as the
National Ganga Council, is in charge of carrying it out.
 As a recognised society under the Societies Registration Act of 1860, this mission was founded on August 12th, 2011.
Objectives
 The goal of the mission is to stop the inflow of sewage by renovating and enhancing existing sewage treatment
plants and taking immediate, short-term action to reduce pollution at riverbank egress locations.
24
 To keep the water flowing continuously while preserving the natural seasonal fluctuations.
 To preserve and restore groundwater and surface flow.
 To restore and preserve the local ecosystem's native plants.
 the river Ganga basin's riparian and aquatic biodiversity should be preserved and replenished.
 To enable public involvement in the process of managing, restoring, and protecting the river.
Namami Gange Programme

‘Namami Gange Programme’, is an Integrated Conservation Mission, approved as ‘Flagship Programme’ by the Union
Government in June 2014 with budget outlay of Rs.20,000 Crore to accomplish the twin objectives of effective
abatement of pollution, conservation and rejuvenation of National River Ganga.
 Its implementation has been divided into Entry-Level Activities (for immediate visible impact), Medium-Term
Activities (to be implemented within 5 years of time frame) and Long-Term Activities (to be implemented within
10 years).
 It is run by the Ministry of Jal Shakti's Department of Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga
Rejuvenation.
 The NMCG and its state counterpart organisations, State Program Management Groups, are carrying out the
programme (SPMGs).
 In order to reduce delays, the states will concentrate on completing projects quickly and creating bankable Detailed
Project Reports (DPR) for projects in Ganga tributary towns during phase 2 of the Namami Gange Programme (2021-
26).
 The restoration of tiny rivers and wetlands is also a priority.
 Future plans call for each Ganga district to adopt policies for the reuse of treated water and other by products as
well as scientific plans and health cards for at least 10 wetlands.
Recent Developments in Ganga Rejuvenation

 The Ministry of Jal Shakti's Department of Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation is in
charge of running it.
 The NMCG and State Initiative Management Groups, which are its state equivalent bodies, are putting the
programme into action (SPMGs).
 The states would prioritise swift project completion and the creation of bankable Detailed Project Reports (DPR)
for projects in Ganga tributary towns in phase 2 of the Namami Gange Programme (2021-26), reducing delays.
 The restoration of tiny rivers and wetlands is another area of emphasis.
 Each Ganga district must create a scientific plan and health card for at least ten wetlands in the future, as well as
establish policies for the reuse of treated water and other by products.
 In addition to initiatives by MoA&FW to increase water-use effectiveness in Ganga communities, eco-agriculture is
being encouraged.
 Under SBM 2.0 and AMRUT 2.0, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs is concentrating on mapping urban
drains and managing solid and liquid waste in Ganga towns.
 The Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change is considering stepping up afforestation efforts in the
Ganga belt, and it is also developing a comprehensive plan to move "Project Dolphin" forward.
Other Related Missions related to River Ganga

Ganga Action Plan: In order to improve the water quality by intercepting, diverting, and treating home sewage, the
Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change adopted the first River Action Plan in 1985.
The Ganga Action Plan is expanded upon by the National River Conservation Plan. Under phase 2 of the Ganga Action
Plan, it attempts to clean the Ganga river.
National River Ganga Basin Authority (NRGBA): In accordance with Section 3 of the Environment Protection Act
of 1986, it was established by the Government of India in 2009.
It proclaimed the Ganga to be India's "National River."
Clean Ganga Fund: It was established in 2014 with the goals of cleaning up the Ganga, building waste treatment
facilities, and preserving the biological diversity of the river.
25
Bhuvan-Ganga Web App: It ensures that the general population is involved in the monitoring of pollutants entering
the Ganges River.
Ban on Waste Disposal: The National Green Tribunal forbade the discharge of any garbage into the Ganga in 2017.
56. National River Ganga Basin Authority was (b) Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
established by the Government of India in which of (c) Arjun Munda
the following years? (d) Jitendra Singh
(a) 2002 (b) 2005
(c) 2009 (d) 2014 59. The Ministry of Environment adopted the first River
Action Plan in which of the following years?
57. ‘Namami Gange Programme’ was approved by the (a) 1978 (b) 1985
Union Government in which of the following years? (c) 1991 (d) 1998
(a) 2014 (b) 2015
(c) 2019 (d) 2020 60. Ganga was proclaimed a national river in which of
the following years?
58. Who among the following is the Union Minister for (a) 2005 (b) 2007
Ganga Rejuvenation? (c) 2008 (d) 2009
(a) Giriraj Singh
56. (c) National River Ganga Basin Authority (NRGBA): Clean Ganga (NMCG) including central ministries,
In accordance with Section 3 of the Environment departments and state governments on 8th
Protection Act of 1986, it was established by the December 2022.
Government of India in 2009. 59. (b) In order to improve the water quality by intercepting,
It proclaimed the Ganga to be India's "National diverting, and treating home sewage, the Ministry of
River." Environment, Forest, and Climate Change adopted
57. (a) ‘Namami Gange Programme’, is an Integrated the first River Action Plan in 1985.
Conservation Mission, approved as ‘Flagship The Ganga Action Plan is expanded upon by the
Programme’ by the Union Government in June 2014 National River Conservation Plan. Under phase 2 of
with budget outlay of Rs.20,000 Crore to accomplish the Ganga Action Plan, it attempts to clean the Ganga
the twin objectives of effective abatement of river
pollution, conservation and rejuvenation of 60. (d) The Ganga was declared as a National River by Prime
National River Ganga. Minister Manmohan Singh in 2008 in order to achieve
58. (b) The Union Minister for Jal Shakti Shri Gajendra the objectives of the Ganga Action Plan, initiated by
Singh Shekhawat chaired the 10th meeting of the PM Rajiv Gandhi in 1985
Empowered Task Force (ETF) of National Mission for
ASEAN CONSENSUS ON MYANMAR

News
India and other countries should “respect” and follow ASEAN’s policy on Myanmar rather than adopting a “different”
path, said Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi.
 She urged India and other countries to follow the ASEAN “five point consensus” that calls for an immediate end
to violence in the country; dialogue among all parties; the appointment of a special envoy; humanitarian assistance
by ASEAN; and the special envoy’s visit to Myanmar to meet with all parties.
 “Our message to ASEAN partners is, please support the ASEAN efforts -- because if you do differently, then that
will not help us be effective and to help Myanmar out of this political crisis,” Ms. Marsudi told The Hindu when
asked about India’s policy of direct engagement with the military rulers.
 ASEAN’s peace effort is the only official diplomatic process in play, but it has so far been a failure, with the junta
unwilling to implement a so-called “five-point consensus” that it agreed to with ASEAN in April 2021.
What is the consensus?

The agreement includes an immediate end of hostilities, all parties engaging in constructive dialogue, allowing an
ASEAN envoy to mediate and meet all stakeholders, and for ASEAN to provide humanitarian assistance.
 So far, the only success cited by ASEAN chair Cambodia has been allowing some humanitarian access, but that has
been limited and conditional.
26
What have the special envoys done?
 ASEAN has had two Myanmar special envoys and both have expressed frustration with the junta for denying them
access to other stakeholders, including deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is on trial, accused of multiple
crimes.
 The junta has refused to engage opponents or civil society groups and has outlawed a shadow National Unity
Government (NUG) and an alliance of sidelined lawmakers, designating them “terrorists”.
 It has vowed to destroy resistance groups but its offensives have killed a large number of civilians and prompted
frequent international condemnation.
 Current ASEAN envoy Prak Sokhonn, Cambodia’s foreign minister, has complained of an absence of political will
from all sides, with the lack of trust preventing anyone from coming to the negotiating table.
 He said he understood criticism that his visits were one-sided and could legitimise the junta. His only notable
meeting have been with the generals so far, with many cancelled. He has unsuccessfully sought the military’s
blessing to engage the NUG in dialogue.
How has the Junta responded?

The military government has accused critical ASEAN members of meddling and warned them not to engage with the
NUG. In August it cited “notable progress” on the peace plan, without providing specifics, but said its commitment
would be determined by developments on the ground.
It has accused its opponents of trying to sabotage the ASEAN plan and has justified military offensives as necessary to
secure the country and enable political talks.
Instead of advocating for the five-point ASEAN plan, the generals have instead been pushing a five-step roadmap of
their own towards a new election, with few similarities.
What approaches might ASEAN take?
 Suspending Myanmar as an ASEAN member would be extremely unlikely, as would any trade sanctions, and the
junta has demonstrated it will not respond to threats. Modifying the plan could be interpreted as concessions to
the military.
 Malaysia’s foreign minister Saifuddin Abdullah has said the consensus must be seriously reviewed for its relevance
“and if it should be replaced with something better”.
 Singapore in August last year said the military had disrespected ASEAN’s peace effort and engaging with the junta
had limited value without progress.
 Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr last month said he would be proposing a new approach on Myanmar that
“at the very least” would bring the junta or its representatives to the table.
 ASEAN has so far opted to bar the generals from key summits and invited non-political representatives instead,
which the junta has declined.
61. When did East Asia Summit began? (a) Act West Policy
(a) 2001 (b) 2003 (b) Act East Policy
(c) 2005 (d) 2007 (c) Act Develop Policy
(d) Act North Policy
62. Which of the following is NOT TRUE about India-
ASEAN relation? 64. How many countries are part of ASEAN?
(a) In 2022, the ASEAN-India relations will (a) 7 (b) 10
complete 30 years. (c) 11 (d) 16
(b) India became a Sectoral Partner of ASEAN in
1992. 65. Which year has been highlighted as India-ASEAN
(c) India became a Dialogue Partner in 1996. Friendship by the leaders?
(d) India became a Summit level Partner in 2007. (a) 2021 (b) 2022
(c) 2023 (d) 2025
63. ASEAN is central to which of the following Indian
Policy?
27
61. (c) The East Asia Summit (EAS) process was initiated in systems such as a Summit, Ministerial and Senior
2005 with the convening of the 1st East Asia Summit Officials meetings.
in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. At its inception, the East 64. (b) The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
Asia Summit comprised 16 participating countries, is a regional grouping that promotes economic,
namely ASEAN Member States, Australia, China, political, and security cooperation among its ten
India, Japan, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea. members: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos,
62. (d) In 2022, the ASEAN-India relations will complete 30 Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore,
years. India became a Sectoral Partner of ASEAN in Thailand, and Vietnam.
1992, a Dialogue Partner in 1996, and a Summit level 65. (b) The Year 2022 has been highlighted as India-ASEAN
Partner in 2002. Friendship by the leaders. India-ASEAN Summit is
63. (b) ASEAN is central to India’s Act East Policy and the held every year and provides an opportunity for India
wider vision of the Indo-Pacific region. India and and Asean to engage at the highest level.
ASEAN partnership conducts various dialogue
OPS Vs NPS
News
The issue of the old pension scheme (OPS) versus the new pension scheme (NPS) has dominated news since a long time
now. Some state governments recently announced their plan to implement the old pension scheme (OPS) by replacing
the National Pension Scheme (NPS).
 The Punjab Government recently announced its plan to implement the old pension scheme (OPS) by replacing the
National Pension Scheme (NPS) being implemented since 2004. Several other states are also playing with the idea
of reverting to OPS.
Old Pension Scheme

 The plan guarantees post-retirement income for life.
 Employees under the previous plan receive a pension based on a pre-established formula that is equal to 50% of the
last wage received. Additionally, they benefit from the twice-yearly modification of the Dearness Relief (DR). There
was no salary deduction and the compensation is predetermined. Additionally, the General Provident Fund (GPF)
was a provision of the OPS.
 Only Indian government personnel have access to GPF. In essence, it permits all government workers to pay a
portion of their salaries into the GPF.
 At the time of retirement, the employee receives the complete amount that has accumulated over the course of
their employment.
 The cost of the pension is covered by the government. The programme was abandoned in 2004.
Concerns in the Old Pension Scheme

 The biggest issue was that the pension liability was still unfunded, meaning that there was no corpus created just
for pensions that would grow over time and could be used to make payments.
 Every year, the budget of the Indian government included money for pensions, but there was no clear strategy for
how they would be paid in the future.
 The OPS could not be maintained. For starters, as seniors' benefits grew annually, such as salaries of current
employees or pensioners who benefited from indexation, or what is known as "dearness relief," pension liabilities
would continue to rise.
 Additionally, improved medical facilities would lead to longer payouts due to an increase in longevity.
 The Union and state governments now have a significant pension burden as a result of this.
New Pension Scheme

 The Old Age Social and Income Security (OASIS) initiative was the subject of a report ordered in 1998 by the Union
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. The report was submitted in January 2000 by an expert committee.
 The New Pension Scheme, which was announced in December 2003, was built on the OASIS study.
 With effect from January 2004, the Central Government implemented the National Pension System (NPS) (except
for armed forces).
 The Union Cabinet approved improvements to the NPS in 2018–19 to benefit central government employees who
are covered by the programme and to streamline and improve it.
28
 The government started the NPS as a strategy to get rid of its pension responsibilities.
 An article in the news highlighted early 2000s studies that claimed that India's pension debt was out of control.
 The Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972 were changed in response to the establishment of NPS.
 After retirement, people can utilise some of the pension money as a lump sum withdrawal and the remainder to
purchase an annuity for a steady income.
Implementation
 PFRDA (Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority) is the organisation in charge of implementing and
overseeing NPS in the nation.
 All assets under the NPS are officially owned by the National Pension System Trust (NPST), which was established
by PFRDA.
Features
 The NPS's All-Nationals Model enables all Indian citizens (including NRIs) between the ages of 18 and 70 to sign
up.
 Employees contribute from their salaries to their pension corpus as part of a participation programme, and the
government matches their contributions. The money are subsequently invested through Pension Fund Managers
in specified investment plans.
 Government employees who participate in this NPS contribute 10% of their base pay, and their employers may also
contribute up to 14%.
 According to the Finance Ministry, Central government personnel have the choice of Investment Pattern and
Pension Funds (PFs) as of 2019.
 At retirement, they are permitted to withdraw 60% of the corpus tax-free, with the remaining 40% invested in
annuities that are taxed.
 Even private persons are eligible to join the programme.
Issues with the NPS

 In contrast to OPS, the NPS mandates that employees deposit 10% of their base salary as well as their dearness
allowance.
 The pension amount is not fixed, and there is no GPF benefit.
 The scheme's return-based nature and market linkage are its main drawbacks. Simply said, the reward is
unpredictable.
66. Old Pension Scheme was discontinued in which of 68. Under NPS, at retirement, people are permitted to
the following years? withdraw how much of the corpus tax-free?
(a) 2000 (b) 2002 (a) 40% (b) 50%
(c) 2004 (d) 2005 (c) 60% (d) 75%
67. Under National Pension Scheme All-Nationals 69. Government employees who participate in this NPS
Model enables all Indian citizens (including NRIs) contribute how much of their base pay?
between the ages of which of the following to sign (a) 5% (b) 10%
up? (c) 15% (d) 25%
(a) 14 and 58 Years
(b) 18 and 70 Years 70. Pension Fund Regulatory and Development
(c) 18 and 60 Years Authority was established in which year?
(d) 14 and 70 Years (a) 2002 (b) 2003
(c) 2005 (d) 2008

66. (c) The Government bears the expenditure incurred on 68. (c) At retirement, they are permitted to withdraw 60% of
the pension. The scheme was discontinued in 2004. the corpus tax-free, with the remaining 40% invested
67. (b) The NPS's All-Nationals Model enables all Indian in annuities that are taxed.
citizens (including NRIs) between the ages of 18 and
70 to sign up.
29
69. (b) Government employees who participate in this NPS established through a resolution by the Government
contribute 10% of their base pay, and their employers of India to promote, develop and regulate pension
may also contribute up to 14%. sector in India.
70. (b) On 23rd August, 2003, Interim Pension Fund
Regulatory & Development Authority (PFRDA) was
National Food Security Act, 2013 and the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana
(PMGKAY)
News
The Cabinet led by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had approved new integrated food security scheme for
providing free foodgrains to Antodaya Ann Yojna (AAY) & Primary Household (PHH) beneficiaries, to be rolled out
from 1st January 2023.
 New scheme has been named as Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY). Implementation of the new
scheme has started from 1st January 2023, benefitting more than 80 crore poor and poorest of poor people.
 Keeping in view welfare of the beneficiaries and in order to maintain uniformity across the States, free foodgrains
will be provided under PMGKAY for the year 2023 to all PHH and AAY beneficiaries, as per entitlement under NFSA.
 The integrated scheme will strengthen the provisions of NFSA, 2013 in terms of accessibility, affordability and
availability of foodgrains for the poor.
National Food Security Act

 The NFSA was notified was 10th September 2013.
 By ensuring that people had access to sufficient supplies of high-quality food at reasonable prices, it aimed to
provide for food and nutritional security throughout the human life cycle.
 Under the Targeted Public Distribution System, up to 50% of the urban population and 75% of the rural population
are eligible to receive subsidised foodgrains (TPDS).
 In total, the NFSA protects 81.35 crore citizens.
Provisions
 A person should consume 5 kg of food each month at a cost of Rs. 3/2/1 per kg of rice, wheat, or coarse grains.
 35 Kg of foodgrains will continue to be given to each existing AAY home each month.
 Meals and maternity benefits for expectant moms and nursing mothers that total at least Rs. 6,000 during pregnancy
and the first six months following childbirth.
 Meals for young people up to age 14.
 Beneficiaries receive a food security stipend if their meals or food grains are not provided as required.
 establishing district and state-level dispute resolution processes.
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana

 A component of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP), PMGKAY aids the underprivileged in their
fight against COVID-19.
 The programme sought to give each person covered by the National Food Security Act of 2013 an additional 5 kg of
free grains (rice or wheat), on top of the 5 kg of subsidised foodgrain that was being given out under the Public
Distribution System (PDS).
 It was previously announced to affect 80 crore ration card holders during a three-month period (April, May, and
June 2020). Later, the deadline was raised until September 2022.
 The Ministry of Finance is its nodal Ministry.
 Any migratory worker or beneficiary of the One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) programme may take advantage
of the free ration by porting their benefits to any of the country's roughly 5 lakh ration outlets.
 About Rs. 3.91 lakh crore would be spent on PMGKAY total for all phases.
 Based on the most recent census, the National Food Security Act's beneficiaries (2011). Since then, the number of
people who lack access to food has increased.
30
Challenges
Expensive: It enhances the need for an ample supply of affordable grains because maintaining it costs a lot of money
for the government. Following a poor harvest in 2022, which increased pressure on food prices and shook the world
agricultural markets due to unpredictable weather, India was forced to impose export restrictions on wheat and rice.
Increase Fiscal Deficit: It might put the government's goal of reducing the fiscal deficit to 6.4 percent of GDP at
danger.
Inflation: The selection of the programme could also have an impact on inflation. Due to lower production due to a
heatwave and a spotty monsoon, rice and wheat prices are rising, accounting for nearly 10% of India's retail inflation.
71. When was the National Food Security Act Passed? 73. Which state in India first implemented food security
(a) 2010 (b) 2013 act?
(c) 2014 (d) 2016 (a) Madhya Pradesh (b) Chhattisgarh
(c) Gujrat (d) Orrisa
72. Which of the following is TRUE about the NFSA?
(a) NFSA caters to 67% of the total population. 74. Which of the following is the Nodal Ministry for
(b) Households covered under existing Antyodaya Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana?
Anna Yojana are eligible under the NFSA (a) Ministry of Food Processing
(c) 75% of the rural population and upto 50% of the (b) Ministry of Agriculture
urban population receivies subsidized (c) Ministry of Finance
foodgrains under Targeted Public Distribution (d) Ministry of Social Welfare
System (TPDS).
(d) All of the above 75. NFSA covers how many citizens in India?
(a) 51.35 crore (b) 61.35 crore
(c) 71.35 crore (d) 81.35 crore

71. (c) The National Food Security Act 2013 (also 'Right receivies subsidized foodgrains under Targeted
to Food Act') is an Indian Act of Parliament Public Distribution System (TPDS).
which aims to provide subsidized food grains to 73. (b) The National Food Security Act, (NFSA) 2013 legally
approximately two thirds of the country's 1.2 entitled up to 75% of the rural population and 50% of
billion people. It was signed into law on 12 September the urban population to receive subsidized food
2013, retroactive to 5 July 2013. grains under the Targeted Public Distribution
72. (d) NFSA caters to 67% of the total population. System. The Chhattisgarh government has taken the
Households covered under existing Antyodaya Anna initiative to pass the first Food Security Act in the
Yojana are eligible under the NFSA. 75% of the rural country.
population and upto 50% of the urban population 74. (c) The Ministry of Finance is its nodal Ministry.
75. (d) In total, the NFSA protects 81.35 crore citizens.
CURRENT AFFAIRS PRACTICE SHEET

Passage1. The [1] Hornbill Festival, which began at the Naga Heritage Village [2] in Nagaland on December 1, has been
entertaining and enrapturing audiences for roughly a week now. With its daily cultural events, such as music festivals,
fashion shows, adventure sports, and night carnivals, the Hornbill Festival is already a massive hit among visitors. This
year, there is an additional incentive because the festival has teamed with the international consumer products company
Reckitt to stimulate conversations about individual health and well-being.
However, Kohima and the surrounding areas have much to offer in addition to the festival. So, take a break from the
festival and go to these locations to get a taste of Nagaland.
One of the main attractions in Kohima is the Nagaland State Museum, which houses a vast collection of exhibits
showcasing Naga culture. This museum's collection of priceless artefacts from all 16 of the state's tribes is one of its main
draws. These include inscriptions, valuable stones, necklaces, traditional clothing, and clan motifs. The Naga Morung,
miniature huts that illustrate the differences in tribal architecture, are also displayed in the museum.
https://www.outlookindia.com/travel/five-places-to-visit-in-kohima-when-at-the-hornbill-festival-2022-news-243063
31
76. Which of the following will replace [1] in the above (a) Khiamniungan (b) Konyak
passage? (c) Kuki (d) Lotha
(a) 19th (b) 22nd
(c) 23rd (d) 25th 79. What is the IUCN status of the Great Hornbill?
(a) Vulnerable
77. Which of the following will replace [2] in the above (b) Endangered
passage? (c) Critically Endangered
(a) Niuland (b) Kuhoboto (d) Extinct
(c) Nihokhu (d) Kisama
80. When did Nagaland became a State?
78. Which of the following is the largest Naga ethnic (a) 1959 (b) 1962
group? (c) 1963 (d) 1965

76. (c) The 23rd Hornbill Festival, which began at the Naga Changlang districts of Arunachal Pradesh; Sibsagar
Heritage Village Kisama in Nagaland on December 1, District of Assam; and also in Myanmar.
has been entertaining and enrapturing audiences for 79. (a) It is predominantly frugivorous, but is an opportunist
roughly a week now. and will prey on small mammals, reptiles and birds.
77. (d) The 23rd Hornbill Festival, which began at the Naga IUCN status: Vulnerable
Heritage Village Kisama in Nagaland on December 1, 80. (c) The State of Nagaland was formally inaugurated on
has been entertaining and enrapturing audiences for December 1st, 1963, as the 16th State of the Indian
roughly a week now. Union.
78. (b) The Konyaks are the largest of the Naga ethnic
groups. They are found in Tirap, Longding, and
Passage 2. Days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to West Bengal and a likely meeting with Chief Minister
Mamata Banerjee, the issue of pending MGNREGA(Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) funds
for workers in the state has surfaced with the rights organisations urging the Centre to clear the dues immediately.
On Monday, NREGA Sangharsh Morcha in a press statement accused the Centre of withholding the release of
MGNREGA funds to West Bengal to the tune of over Rs 7,500 crore.
The morcha claimed that MGNREGA workers in the state have not been paid wages since December last year and it was
a violation of their fundamental rights. The outfit demanded immediate release of pending wages, compensation for
the delay at the rate of 0.05% per day for the entire duration and initiation of new works and job cards among others.
Of the state’s Rs 7,500 crore MGNREGS dues, the pending wages of workers amount to Rs 2,744 crore, it said.
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/kolkata/before-modi-visit-issue-of-states-mgnrega-dues-takes-centrestage-
8347636/
81. Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to 82. Who is the Minister for Rural Development?
MGNREGA? (a) Shri Giriraj Singh
(a) Wages must be paid according to the statutory (b) Muralitharan Chaudhary
minimum wages specified for agricultural (c) Thawar Singh Gehlot
labourers in the state under the Minimum (d) Palani Swamy
Wages Act, 1948.
(b) MGNREGA’s design is its legally-backed 83. Among the following who are eligible to benefit
guarantee for any rural adult to get work within from the “Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
15 days of demanding it, failing which an Employment Guarantee Act”?
‘unemployment allowance’ must be given. (a) Adult members of only the scheduled caste and
(c) At least one-third of beneficiaries have to be scheduled tribe households
women. (b) Adult members of below poverty line (BPL)
(d) People only above 30 years of age are entitled for households
this scheme. (c) Adult members of households of all backward
communities
32
(d) Adult members of any household
85. MGNREGA was first proposed in which of the
84. MGNREGA was passed in which of the following following years?
years? (a) 1991 (b) 1992
(a) 2005 (b) 2006 (c) 1993 (d) 1998
(c) 2007 (d) 2008

81. (d) Wages must be paid according to the statutory 83. (d) The mandate of the MGNREGA is to provide at least
minimum wages specified for agricultural labourers 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a
in the state under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. financial year to every rural household whose adult
MGNREGA’s design is its legally-backed guarantee members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.
for any rural adult to get work within 15 days of 84. (a) Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment
demanding it, failing which an ‘unemployment Guarantee (MGNREGA), which is the largest work
allowance’ must be given. At least one-third of guarantee programme in the world, was enacted in
beneficiaries have to be women. The mandate of the 2005 with the primary objective of guaranteeing 100
MGNREGA is to provide at least 100 days of days of wage employment per year to every household
guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled
every rural household whose adult members manual work.
volunteer to do unskilled manual work. 85. (a) The act was first proposed in 1991 by P.V. Narasimha
82. (a) Shri Giriraj Singh is the current Minister of Rural Rao. It was finally accepted in the parliament and
Development & Panchayati Raj. commenced implementation in 625 districts of India.
Passage 3. While rules regarding the appointment of National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) chairperson
or members provide for a term of three years, there is no provision in the Act or rules for reconstituting the body within
a time frame, the Centre told the Madras HC on Friday.
Persons with socio-political works belonging to backward classes have to be identified for appointment as chairperson,
the Centre said. The process started and is expected to be completed shortly, it added.
The submission was made by the NS Venkateshwaran, under-secretary of the department of social justice and
empowerment, before a division bench of justices D Krishnakumar and Krishnan Ramasamy in response to a plea filed
by PMK leader and advocate K Balu.
https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2022/nov/26/no-time-frame-to-reconstitute-ncbcs-centre-
2522228.html
86. Who is the chairperson of the National Commission (a) Article 338A (b) Article 338B
for Backward Class? (c) Article 338C (d) Article 338D
(a) Hansraj Gangaram Ahir
(b) Vijay Sampla 89. Mandal Commission was a backward class
(c) Arun Halder commission set up in which of the following year?
(d) Subhash Ramnath Pardhi (a) 1976 (b) 1979
(c) 1981 (d) 1988
87. National Commission for Backward Class was given
constitutional status in which year? 90. Which Constitution amendment provides
(a) 2015 (b) 2016 constitutional status to the National Commission for
(c) 2017 (d) 2018 Backward Classes?
(a) 100 Constitution Amendment Act
88. Which of the following articles was added to the (b) 101 Constitution Amendment Act
Constitution to confer the Constitutional Status to (c) 102 Constitution Amendment Act
the National Commission for Backward Class? (d) 103 Constitution Amendment Act
33
86. (a) President Droupadi Murmu on Friday appointed Article 338B has been inserted, forming a
Hansraj Gangaram Ahir as NCBC chairperson with Commission for the socially and educationally
effect from the date he assumes charge. backward classes to be known as National
87. (d) The present Commission (8th) has been accorded Commission for Backward Classes. The Commission
Constitutional Status and constituted through “The consists of a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and three
Constitution (One Hundred and Second other Members in the rank & pay of Secretary to the
Amendment) Act, 2018” Act dated 11.8.2018, whereby Govt of India and their condition of service and
Article 338B has been inserted, forming a tenure of office has been notified vide Ministry of
Commission for the socially and educationally Social Justice and Empowerment Notification dated
backward classes to be known as National 23.08.2018.
Commission for Backward Classes. The Commission 89. (d) The Mandal Commission or the Socially and
consists of a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and three Educationally Backward Classes Commission (SEBC),
other Members in the rank & pay of Secretary to the was established in India in 1979 by the Janata Party
Govt of India and their condition of service and government under Prime Minister Morarji Desai with
tenure of office has been notified vide Ministry of a mandate to "identify the socially or educationally
Social Justice and Empowerment Notification dated backward classes" of India. It was headed by B.P.
23.08.2018. Mandal.
88. (b) The present Commission (8th) has been accorded 90. (c) 102 Constitution Amendment Act, 2018 provides
Constitutional Status and constituted through “The constitutional status to the National Commission for
Constitution (One Hundred and Second Backward Classes (NCBC).
Amendment) Act, 2018” Act dated 11.8.2018, whereby
Passage 4. [1] is marked as International Cheetah Day every year. The day is dedicated to encouraging people worldwide
to help this animal win the race against extinction. Cheetahs are carnivores and they usually chase down their prey and
then bite its throat, killing it by cutting off its air supply (suffocation).
American zoologist Dr Laurie Marker is credited with creating International Cheetah Day. Dr Marker founded the
Cheetah Conservation Fund in [2] and she designated [1] as International Cheetah Day in 2010. Since that year, the world
has been celebrating this day.
Dr Marker chose December 4th as it was the birthday of a cheetah named Khayam who she raised from a cub at Wildlife
Safari in Oregon. Khayam was trained for the first research project in re-wilding and inspired her first trip to Namibia
in 1977.
https://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/international-cheetah-day-586651.html
91. Which of the following will replace [1] in the above (c) Botswana (d) Namibia
passage?
(a) November 2 (b) December 4 94. Cheetah was declared extinct in India in which of the
(c) November 10 (d) December 10 following years?
(a) 1947 (b) 1952
92. Which of the following will replace [2] in the above (c) 1958 (d) 1962
passage?
(a) 1991 (b) 1993 95. Recently brought Cheetah’s to India are kept in
(c) 1995 (d) 1998 which of the following places?
(a) Bandhavgarh National Park
93. Recently, 8 Cheeta’s were brought in India from (b) Kanha National Park
which of the following countries? (c) Kuno National Park
(a) Tanzania (b) Kenya (d) Panna National Park

91. (b) December 4 is marked as International Cheetah Day 92. (a) American zoologist Dr Laurie Marker is credited with
every year. The day is dedicated to encouraging creating International Cheetah Day. Dr Marker
people worldwide to help this animal win the race founded the Cheetah Conservation Fund in 1991.
against extinction. 93. (d) On 17 September 2022, 8 cheetahs from Namibia
arrived in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park,
34
where they were released by Prime Minister Narendra 95. (c) On 17 September 2022, 8 cheetahs from Namibia
Modi as part of the programme to reintroduce the arrived in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park,
feline in India. Out of the 8 cheetahs, 5 are female and where they were released by Prime Minister Narendra
3 are male. Modi as part of the programme to reintroduce the
94. (b) The cheetah was declared extinct from India in 1952. feline in India. Out of the 8 cheetahs, 5 are female and
The Cheetahs that would be released are from 3 are male.
Namibia and have been brought under an MoU
signed earlier this year.
Passage 5. THE WILD Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2022, which seeks to strengthen the protection of endangered
species and enhance punishment for illegal wildlife trade, was passed in the Rajya Sabha by a voice vote on Thursday.
The Bill, which was cleared by the Lok Sabha on August 2 during the monsoon session, was introduced by Environment
and Forest Minister [1] on Tuesday.
[1] said India was a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
that required certain legislative actions.
Responding to the debate on the Bill in the Upper House, [1] noted that while protecting forest land is critical, it is
equally important to safeguard the rights of the people who have been residing there since ages. He said the NDA
government has taken steps to increase the green cover in the country since taking over the reins in [2], and it is bound
to protect wildlife according to the provisions of the law.
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/parliament-winter-session-rajya-sabha-clears-wild-life-protection-
amendment-bill-8314473/
96. Which of the following will replace[1] in the above (a) 5 (b) 4
passage? (c) 3 (d) 2
(a) Bhupendra Yadav
(b) Montek Singh Allhuwalia 99. CITES was drafted as a result of a resolution adopted
(c) Smriti Irani in which of the following years?
(d) Maneka Gandhi (a) 1962 (b) 1963
(c) 1972 (d) 1974
97. Which of the following will replace [2] in the above
passage? 100. Forests and Protection of Wild Animals and Birds
(a) 2012 (b) 2014 was transferred from State to Concurrent List via
(c) 2016 (d) 2018 which of the following amendments?
(a) 42nd (b) 44th
98. The Current bill reduces the schedule from 6 to (c) 52nd (d) 86th
which of the following?

96. (a) The Bill, which was cleared by the Lok Sabha on species, and insertion of a new schedule for
August 2 during the monsoon session, was specimens under CITES.
introduced by Environment and Forest Minister 99. (b) CITES was drafted as a result of a resolution adopted
Bhupender Yadav on Tuesday. in 1963 at a meeting of members of the International
97. (b) He said the NDA government has taken steps to Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
increase the green cover in the country since taking 100. (a) The 42nd Amendment Act, 1976, Forests and
over the reins in 2014, and it is bound to protect Protection of Wild Animals and Birds was transferred
wildlife according to the provisions of the law. from State to Concurrent List.
98. (b) The Bill reduces the total number of schedules to four
which includes the removal of schedule for vermin
35
Passage 6. The Indian Minister of State for the Space Department, Jitendra Singh, recently stated in Parliament that
the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) would equip all of its future satellites with the [1] frequency to promote
the use of Navigate with the Indian Constellation (NavIC), the Indian version of GPS/Galileo/GNSS. NavIC is the Indian
acronym for “[2]”. In a written submission to Parliament, Singh stated, “The satellites beginning with NVS-01 will utilize
the [1] spectrum for civil navigation.”
The seven satellites in the NavIC constellation use the L5 and S frequency bands to transmit position data. Designed to
replace these satellites, the NVS-01 and later spacecraft will likewise have the [1] frequency. [1] is the navigation signal
that has been in use the longest and is the most well-established. It may be received by civilian devices as essential as a
wristwatch. As a result, given this range, there is potential for an expansion of the application of NavIC in civilian
devices. Although the ISRO navigation satellite system was approved in 2006 for 174 million dollars, the system became
operational in 2018.
101. Which of the following replaces [1] in the passage?

(a) L1 (b) L2 104. Which of the following correctly defines the range of
(c) L3 (d) L4 navigation of the NAVIC system?
(a) 1000 km radius over mainland India.
102. Which of the following has been replaced by [2]? (b) 800 km from the Indian coastline.
(a) Navigate with the International Constellation (c) 1500 km radius over the Indian subcontinent
(b) Navigate with the International Configuration (d) 1200 km radius over India (including the Indian
(c) Navigate with the Indian Constellation Islands)
(d) Navigate with the Indian Configuration
105. Which of the following is the name of Europe’s
103. In which of the following years was the navigation system?
constellation’s first satellite launched? (a) GPS (b) Galileo
(a) 2014 (b) 2013 (c) GLONASS (d) BeiDou
(c) 2018 (d) 2016

101. (a) The Indian Minister of State for the Space Navigate with the Indian Constellation (NavIC), the
Department, Jitendra Singh, recently stated in Indian version of GPS/Galileo/GNSS. NavIC is the
Parliament that the Indian Space Research Indian acronym for “Navigate with the Indian
Organization (ISRO) would equip all of its future Constellation”.
satellites with the L1 frequency to promote the use of 103. (b) In 2006, the project was approved by the Government
Navigate with the Indian Constellation (NavIC), the of India and was expected to be completed and
Indian version of GPS/Galileo/GNSS. NavIC is the implemented by 2015-16. The constellations' first
Indian acronym for “Navigate with the Indian satellite (IRNSS-1A) was launched on 1st July 2013 and
Constellation.” In a written submission to Parliament, the seventh and final satellite (IRNSS-1G) was
Singh stated, “The satellites beginning with NVS-01 launched on 28th April 2016. With the last launch of
will utilize the L1 spectrum for civil navigation.” the constellation's satellite (IRNSS-1G), IRNSS was
The seven satellites in the NavIC constellation use the renamed Navigation Indian Constellation (NaVIC) by
L5 and S frequency bands to transmit position data. India’s Prime Minister.
Designed to replace these satellites, the NVS-01 and 104. (c) Presently, NAVIC consists of eight satellites, three
later spacecraft will likewise have the L1 frequency. L1 satellites in geostationary orbit and five satellites in
is the navigation signal that has been in use the geosynchronous orbit. The main objective is to
longest and is the most well-established. It may be provide reliable position, navigation and timing
received by civilian devices as essential as a services over India and its neighbourhood. It works
wristwatch. As a result, given this range, there is just like the established and popular US Global
potential for an expansion of the application of NavIC Positioning System (GPS) but within a 1,500-km
in civilian devices. radius over the sub-continent.
102. (c) The Indian Minister of State for the Space 105. (b) India became one of the 5 countries having their own
Department, Jitendra Singh, recently stated in navigation system like GPS of USA, GLONASS of
Parliament that the Indian Space Research Russia, Galileo of Europe and BeiDou of China. So
Organization (ISRO) would equip all of its future India's dependence on other countries for navigation
satellites with the L1 frequency to promote the use of purposes reduces.
36
Passage7. The proposed Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP), set to benefit [1] districts of Rajasthan through
interlinking of three rivers, has taken a political twist following the Centre’s directive to stop all work in view of “lack of
consent” by other States. The Congress government has termed the Centre’s interference undesirable and described it
as crossing the line of cooperative federalism.
Rajasthan has been demanding the national project status for ERCP for quite some time, while pointing out that any
delay in its implementation would lead to a phenomenal increase in its cost, which is at present estimated at ₹37,200
crore. The ambitious project stipulates transfer of excess water from the [2] river basin to the regions facing water
scarcity.
106. Which of the following replaces [1] in the passage? 109. What percentage of the total estimated cost of any
(a) 5 (b) 8 national project is funded by the Central
(c) 13 (d) 17 government?
(a) 30 (b) 50
107. Which of the following replaces [2] in the passage? (c) 75 (d) 90
(a) Chambal (b) Satluj
(c) Betwa (d) Indus 110. Who is the Chief Minister of Rajasthan as of January
2023?
108. Which of the following is NOT one of the tributaries (a) Ashok Gehlot
of [2]? (b) Vasundhara Raje
(a) Banas (b) Kali Sindh (c) Sachin Pilot
(c) Parbati (d) Ken (d) Om Birla

106. (c) The proposed Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project Chambal river basin to the regions facing water
(ERCP), set to benefit 13 districts of Rajasthan through scarcity.
interlinking of three rivers, has taken a political twist 108. (d) The major tributaries of Chambal River are Banas,
following the Centre’s directive to stop all work in Kali Sindh, Sipra, Parbati etc. Whereas Ken is a
view of “lack of consent” by other States. The tributary of Yamuna river.
Congress government has termed the Centre’s 109. (d) The Chief Minister of Rajasthan has demanded the
interference undesirable and described it as crossing national project status for the Eastern Rajasthan
the line of cooperative federalism. Canal Project (ERCP). The main advantage of a
107. (a) Rajasthan has been demanding the national project project which has received national project status is
status for ERCP for quite some time, while pointing that 90% of the funding for the project will be given
out that any delay in its implementation would lead by the central government.
to a phenomenal increase in its cost, which is at 110. (a) Ashok Gehlot is the serving Chief Minister of
present estimated at ₹37,200 crore. The ambitious Rajasthan since 2018.
project stipulates transfer of excess water from the
Passage 8. The Karnataka government Tuesday tabled a Bill in the Legislative Assembly to increase reservations for
Scheduled Castes, from 15 per cent to [1] per cent, and Scheduled Tribes, from 3 per cent to 7 per cent in the state.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai introduced The Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of
Seats in Educational Institutions and of Appointments or posts in the services under the state) Bill, 2022, which seeks
to replace the ordinance of the same name.
Opposition Congress raised concerns about the legality of the Bill’s provisions, as it breaches the [2] per cent cap on
quotas, and sought a discussion on it.
The government’s decision to table the Bill comes with Assembly polls due in 2023. The ruling BJP is eyeing the SC/ST
vote bank, which traditionally supports the Congress. While the SCs make up 16 per cent of the state’s population, the
STs constitute 6.9 per cent.
37
111. Which of the following is replaced by [1] in the (a) Justice HN Nagamohandas
passage? (b) Justice Subhash B Adi
(a) 15.6 (b) 16 (c) Justice A.R.Somanath Iyer
(c) 17 (d) 19 (d) Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi
112. Which of the following is replaced by [2] in the 114. What is the current total percentage of reservation
passage? in Karnataka?
(a) 51 (b) 50 (a) 56% (b) 62%
(c) 55 (d) 47.5 (c) 71% (d) 68%
113. BJP government set up a committee in March 2021 115. In which of the following years was the ‘State of
to study enhancement of SC-ST quota in the state. Mysore’ renamed as ‘Karnataka’?
The committee was headed by who among the (a) 1948 (b) 1960
following? (c) 1973 (d) 1982
111. (c) The Karnataka government Tuesday tabled a Bill in retired high court judge Justice Subhash B Adi to
the Legislative Assembly to increase reservations for study the issue. This committee gave its report on July
Scheduled Castes, from 15 per cent to 17 per cent, and 6 this year.
Scheduled Tribes, from 3 per cent to 7 per cent in the 114. (a) Karnataka currently has 32% quota for OBC, and 17%
state. and 7% quota for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled
112. (b) Opposition Congress raised concerns about the Tribes, respectively, taking the total to 56%.
legality of the Bill’s provisions, as it breaches the 50 115. (c) Originally known as the State of Mysore, it was
per cent cap on quotas, and sought a discussion on it. renamed Karnataka on November 1, 1973.
113. (b) In March 2021, the BJP government under BS
Yediyurappa set up another committee headed by
Passage9. Union Home and Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah presided over the 25th Eastern Zonal Council meeting
in Kolkata today. The meeting was attended by the Chief Ministers of West Bengal and Jharkhand, the Deputy Chief
Minister of Bihar and Ministers from Odisha and other senior officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the States
under the Council.
In his inaugural address, the Union Home Minister said that in the last 8 years under the leadership of Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, more than 1,000 issues were discussed in the meetings of the Zonal Councils and 93 percent of them
were resolved, which is a huge achievement. He said that in the 8 years from 2006 to 2013, a total of 6 meetings of the
Zonal Councils were held (an average of less than one meeting per year), but in the 8 years since 2014, despite the
COVID-19 pandemic, a total of 23 meetings (including today's meeting) have been held (an average of 3 meetings per
year). Shri Shah said that there has been a significant increase in the frequency of meetings of the Zonal Council and
these results are visible, which has been possible with the cooperation of all the State Governments, Central Ministries
and Departments and in this the Inter-State Council Secretariat is playing an active role.
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1884413#:~:text=The%20Union%20Home%20Minister%20said%20tha
t%20Left%20Wing%20Extremism%20has,dominance%20over%20Left%20Wing%20Extremism.
116. Zonal Councils are statutory bodies established by (d) Lal Bahadur Shastri
which of the following acts of parliament?
(a) State Reorganization Acts of 1956 118. North Eastern Council was setup in which of the
(b) State Reorganization Acts of 1960 following years?
(c) State Reorganization Acts of 1971 (a) 1956 (b) 1975
(d) State Reorganization Acts of 1984 (c) 1972 (d) 1965
117. Who among the following first mooted the idea of 119. Who among the following is the chairman of each of
creation of zonal councils in independent India? these zonal councils?
(a) Indira Gandhi (a) Prime Minister of India
(b) Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel (b) Union Home Minister
(c) Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (c) Minister of Minority Affairs
38
(d) Minister of States for Home Affairs (b) Arresting the growth of acute State
consciousness, regionalism, linguism and
120. Which of the following is/are the objectives of particularistic tendencies
setting up the zonal councils? (c) Enabling the Centre and the States to co-operate
(a) Bringing out national integration and exchange ideas and experiences
(d) All of the above

116. (a) There are five Zonal Councils which are statutory interState and Centre-State environment with a view
bodies set up under the States Reorganization Act, to solving inter-State problems and fostering
1956. The Zonal Council meetings are chaired by the balanced socio economic development of the
Union Home Minister. The Chief Ministers and two respective zones.
Ministers from the member States are the members 118. (c) The North Eastern States i.e. (i) Assam (ii) Arunachal
in each Zonal Council. At present, there are 6 Zonal Pradesh (iii) Manipur (iv) Tripura (v) Mizoram (vi)
Council. Meghalaya (vii) Nagaland and (viii) Sikkim are part of
117. (c) The idea of creation of Zonal Councils was mooted by North Eastern Council, set up under the North
the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawahar Lal Eastern Council Act, 1972.
Nehru in 1956 when during the course of debate on 119. (b) The Union Home Minister is the Chairman of each of
the report of the States Re-organisation Commission, the Zonal Councils.
he suggested that the States proposed to be 120. (d) The main objectives of setting up of Zonal Council are
reorganised may be grouped into four or five zones as under:
having an Advisory Council "to develop the habit of (a) Bringing out national integration;
cooperative working” among these States. This (b) Arresting the growth of acute State consciousness,
suggestion was made by Pandit Nehru at a time when regionalism, linguism and particularistic tendencies;
linguistic hostilities and bitterness as a result of (c) Enabling the Centre and the States to co-operate
reorganisation of the States on linguistic pattern were and exchange ideas and experiences;
threatening the very fabric of our nation. As an (d) Establishing a climate of co-operation amongst
antidote to this situation, it was suggested that a high the States for successful speedy execution of
level advisory forum should be set up to minimise the development projects.
impact of these hostilities and to create healthy
Passage 10. The 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) adopted the
[1] Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) December 19, 2022. The framework has 23 targets that the world needs to
achieve by 2030.
The targets are ambitious, considering that biodiversity is in a poor state. In 2020, the world had failed to meet the last
set of targets, the [2]. Countries would need to ensure success this time round. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic,
adoption of the new targets is already delayed by two years leaving lesser time for the countries to achieve the targets.
COP15 had representatives of 188 governments on site and agreed on the framework that hopes to arrest the ongoing
loss of terrestrial and marine biodiversity. Clear indicators to measure progress have been set to avoid the failure as seen
in the Aichi Targets.
121. Which of the following is replaced by [1] in the 123. In which of the following years the [2] target entered
passage? into force?
(a) Paris-Kyoto (a) 1993 (b) 2011
(b) Kunming-Montreal (c) 1988 (d) 2016
(c) Bern-Chengdu
(d) Shenzhen-Geneva 124. Which of the following country successfully met the
[2] biodiversity targets as of 2020?
122. Which of the following is replaced by [2] in the (a) Japan (b) Germany
passage? (c) Norway (d) None of the above
(a) Aichi Targets
(b) Hitaichi Targets 125. The COP15 meet was chaired by which one of the
(c) Suriname Targets following countries?
(d) Nagoya Targets (a) China (b) Canada
(c) USA (d) France
39
121. (b) The 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) to the UN 124. (d) Many of the 24 conservation targets under discussion
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) adopted at the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) aim to
the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity avoid past mistakes and improve on the world’s last
Framework (GBF) December 19, 2022. The framework set of conservation goals — the Aichi Biodiversity
has 23 targets that the world needs to achieve by 2030. Targets that expired in 2020. No single country met
122. (a) The targets are ambitious, considering that all 20 Aichi Targets within its own borders, according
biodiversity is in a poor state. In 2020, the world had to a September 2020 UN assessment.
failed to meet the last set of targets, the Aichi Targets. 125. (a) COP15, which was chaired by China and hosted by
Countries would need to ensure success this time Canada ended on 19 December 2022 with a landmark
round. agreement to guide global action on nature through
123. (d) The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was to 2030. Representatives from 188 governments have
opened for signature at the Earth Summit in Rio de been gathered in Montreal for the past two weeks for
Janeiro on 5 June 1992 and entered into force on 29 the important summit.
December 1993. The United States is the only UN
member state which has not ratified the Convention.
Passage 11. Tamil author M. Rajendran, Telugu writer Madhuranthakam Narendra and Sanskrit Poet Janardan Prasad
Pandey ‘Mani’ were among 23 litterateurs awarded the Sahitya Akademi Awards for 2022. The Bhasha Samman was
awarded to [1] for his valuable contribution to the field of classical and medieval literature in the eastern region.
Seventeen books were selected for the translation awards which included Yaad Vashem by N. Nallathambi and
Akupacha Kavithalu by Varala Anand.
The awards in 23 languages included seven books of poetry, six of novel, two of short stories, three dramas, two literary
criticism and one each of autobiographical essays, collection of articles and literary history.
The awards, recommended by distinguished jury members were approved by the Executive Board of the Sahitya
Akademi which met on Thursday under its President [2].
126. Which of the following is replaced by [1] in the (a) Maithili (b) Santhali
passage? (c) Bodo (d) Bhojpuri
(a) Ashapurna Devi
(b) Udaya Nath Jha 129. ‘Sahitya Akademi’ is also known as which of the
(c) Abid Surti following?
(d) Bhisham Sahni (a) India’s National Academy of Literature
(b) India’s National Academy of Letters
127. Which of the following is replaced by [2] in the (c) India’s National Academy of Language
passage? (d) India’s National Academy of Regional literature
(a) Chand Bardai
(b) Chandrashekhar Kambar 130. Sahitya Akademi Award is the ______ highest
(c) Mridula Garg literary honour by the Government of India.
(d) Narendra Kohli (a) Second (b) Third
(c) First (d) Fifth
128. Ganesh Marandi, who won the ‘Sahitya Akademi Bal
Sahitya Puraskar 2022’ for ‘Hapan Mai’, is originally
written in which of the following languages?

126. (b) The Bhasha Samman was awarded to Udaya Nath Jha 129. (b) Sahitya Akademi award established in 1954, is a
for his valuable contribution to the field of classical literary honour that is conferred annually by Sahitya
and medieval literature in the eastern region. Akademi, also known as India’s National Academy of
127. (b) Chandrashekhar Kambar is the current President of letters.
the Sahitya Akademi. 130. (a) The Sahitya Akademi award is the second-highest
128. (b) Ganesh Marandi, who won the ‘Sahitya Akademi Bal literary honour by the Government of India, after the
Sahitya Puraskar 2022’ for ‘Hapan Mai’, is originally Jnanpith award.
written in Santhali.
40
Passage 12. Every December, Sikhs mark the supreme sacrifice made by the children and mother of the 10th Guru, Guru
Gobind Singh ji. Shaheedi Jor Mela or Shaheedi Sabha is observed at [1], which is attended by lakhs of people.
In January this year, the Centre announced that December 26 would be observed as ‘Veer Bal Diwas’ to mark the
martyrdom of Guru Gobind Singh’s younger sons, Sahibzada Zorawar Singh (9) and Sahibzada Fateh Singh (7).
The two Sahibzade were killed in [2], in events sparked by the attack on Anandpur Sahib by the armies of the Mughals
and the hill kings of present-day Himachal Pradesh. Guru Gobind Singh’s mother Mata Gujari Ji, and two other sons,
Sahibzaada Ajit Singh Ji (18) and Sahibzaada Jujhar Singh Ji (14), were also martyred within a week.
131. Which of the following is replaced by [1] in the (a) 1654 (b) 1694
passage? (c) 1699 (d) 1710
(a) Harmindir Sahib
(b) Fatehgarh Sahib 134. Which of the following sacred places stands today
(c) Kartarpur Sahib on the spot where the battle of Sarsa took place?
(d) Anandpur Sahib (a) Gurdwara Parivaar Vichhora Sahib
(b) Sri Akal Takht
132. Which of the following is replaced by [2] in the (c) Gurudwara Jyoti Sarup
passage? (d) Gurudwara Shri Hemkund Sahib
(a) 1687 (b) 1704
135. The fateful attack of [2], was led by the king of which
(c) 1739 (d) 1698 of the following kingdoms?
(a) Bilaspur (b) Mewar
133. In which of the following years was the ‘Khalsa’ (c) Jodhpur (d) Mandi
established by Guru Gobind Singhji?

131. (b) Every December, Sikhs mark the supreme sacrifice 133. (c) Guru Gobind Singh established the Khalsa in the year
made by the children and mother of the 10th Guru, 1699.
Guru Gobind Singh ji. Shaheedi Jor Mela or Shaheedi 134. (a) Today, Gurdwara Parivaar Vichhora Sahib stands on
Sabha is observed at Fatehgarh Sahib, which is the spot where the battle of Sarsa took place and Guru
attended by lakhs of people. Gobind Singh’s family was separated.
132. (b) The two Sahibzade were killed in 1704, in events 135. (a) The fateful attack of 1704 was led by Bilaspur King
sparked by the attack on Anandpur Sahib by the Bheem Chand and Handuria King Raja Hari Chand.
armies of the Mughals and the hill kings of present- They cordoned off Anandpur Sahib with support from
day Himachal Pradesh. Guru Gobind Singh’s mother the Mughal empire. The armies of Sarhand, Lahore,
Mata Gujari Ji, and two other sons, Sahibzaada Ajit Jalandhar, Malerkotla and Saharnpur also joined the
Singh Ji (18) and Sahibzaada Jujhar Singh Ji (14), were attack. Supplies to Anandpur Sahib were cut off for
also martyred within a week. several months.
Passage 13. The Maharashtra cabinet has decided to bring Lokayukta Act in the state on the lines of the Lokpal and
Lokayuktas Act, [1], which will also bring the Chief Minister as well as other ministers under the purview of a Lokayukta,
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on Sunday.
Fadnavis said that the Lokayukta Bill will be introduced in the Winter Session that will start on December 19. The
Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, will be part of the newly approved Lokayukta unlike the already existing one in the
state, the deputy CM said while addressing a gathering on the eve of the Winter Session in [2].
136. Which of the following is replaced by [1] in the (c) Nagpur (d) Kolhapur
passage?
(a) 2012 (b) 2013 138. In 1809, the institution of ombudsman was
(c) 2015 (d) 2016 inaugurated officially for the first time in which of
the following countries?
137. Which of the following is replaced by [2] in the (a) Sweden (b) Norway
passage? (c) New Zealand (d) United Kingdom
(a) Aurangabad (b) Pune
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139. In 2011, the government formed a Group of (d) Pranab Mukherjee
Ministers, chaired by ___________ to suggest
measures to tackle corruption and examine the 140. The term of office for Lokpal Chairman and
proposal of a Lokpal Bill. Members is 5 years or till the age of how many years?
(a) P Chidambaram (a) 60 (b) 62
(b) Jai Ram Ramesh (c) 65 (d)
(c) Shashi Tharoor 70

136. (b) The Maharashtra cabinet has decided to bring 138. (a) In 1809, the institution of ombudsman was
Lokayukta Act in the state on the lines of the Lokpal inaugurated officially in Sweden. In the 20th century,
and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, which will also bring the Ombudsman as an institution developed and grew
Chief Minister as well as other ministers under the most significantly after the Second World War. New
purview of a Lokayukta, Deputy Chief Minister Zealand and Norway adopted this system in the year
Devendra Fadnavis announced on Sunday. 1962 and it proved to be of great significance in
137. (c) Fadnavis said that the Lokayukta Bill will be spreading the concept of the ombudsman.
introduced in the Winter Session that will start on 139. (d) In 2011, the government formed a Group of Ministers,
December 19. The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, chaired by Pranab Mukherjee to suggest measures to
will be part of the newly approved Lokayukta unlike tackle corruption and examine the proposal of a
the already existing one in the state, the deputy CM Lokpal Bill.
said while addressing a gathering on the eve of the 140. (d) The term of office for Lokpal Chairman and Members
Winter Session in Nagpur. is 5 years or till the age of 70 years.
Passage 14. The Indian National Congress (INC), India’s largest opposition party, marked its 138th foundation day on
[1]. Recently elected party president [2] addressed party workers at the All India Congress Committee headquarters in
New Delhi. “Today India has progressed as Congress has taken the courage to break the shackles of Dalits, poor… To
keep democracy strong, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru appointed five non-Congress ministers to his cabinet. It shows the
principle of taking everyone along,” said Kharge.
Several party members shared messages from the party’s social media accounts, featuring videos and photos of its
history, invoking the party’s role in the Indian freedom struggle and role in independent India.
141. Which of the following is replaced by [1] in the (a) Bombay (b) Delhi
passage? (c) Calcutta (d) Madras
(a) December 28 (b) December 12
(c) December 31 (d) December 15 144. Who was the President of INC at the time of
independence?
142. Which of the following is replaced by [2] in the (a) J.B. Kriplani
passage? (b) Abul Kalam Azad
(a) Shashi Tharoor (c) Rajendra Prasad
(b) Mallikarjun Kharge (d) Motilal Nehru
(c) Rahul Gandhi
(d) Jairam Ramesh 145. Who among the following established the INC?
(a) A.O Hume (b) W.C Bonnerjee
143. In which of the following places was the INC (c) MK Gandhi (d) Dadabhai Naoroji
founded in 1885?

141. (a) The Indian National Congress (INC), India’s largest 143. (a) The Indian National Congress was founded at
opposition party, marked its 138th foundation day on Bombay in 1885.
December 28. 144. (a) J.B. Kriplani was the President of INC at the time of
142. (b) Recently elected party president Mallikarjun Kharge independence.
addressed party workers at the All India Congress 145. (a) Retired British Indian Civil Service (ICS) officer A.O.
Committee headquarters in New Delhi. Hume founded the Indian National Congress in order
42
to form a platform for civil and political dialogue
among educated Indians.
Passage 15. The dispute between Karnataka and Maharashtra over areas that both States claim to be theirs has become
nasty and noisy in recent weeks, even leading to violence. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Maharashtra
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis — both from the BJP — have crossed swords publicly. Campaigners for the
merger of Karnataka’s Marathi-speaking areas with Maharashtra upped the ante this week by organising a conference
in [1]. Maharashtra politicians wanted to attend it but were stopped by the police, leading to a flare-up, possibly as
intended by the invitees and the organisers. Karnataka’s practice, since 2006, of holding the winter session of the
Assembly in [1], is itself an assertion of its authority over the place. Recently, Mr. Bommai reiterated Karnataka’s claim
over 48 villages of Sangli in Maharashtra, drawing a sharp rebuttal. With exchanges getting increasingly provocative,
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has told the Chief Ministers to dial down the rhetoric and wait for the Supreme Court
to adjudicate the matter. The Court is seized of the matter, but it can only do so much as the underlying factors that
originated along with the [2] linguistic reorganisation of Indian States are not easily amenable to technical and legal
solutions.
146. Which of the following is replaced by [1] in the (c) Nipani (d) Virajpet
passage?
(a) Hubbali (b) Udupi 149. Which of the following commissions was set up to
(c) Vijayapura (d) Belgaum resolve the border dispute in October 1966?
(a) Mahajan Commission
147. Which of the following is replaced by [2] in the (b) Murthy Commission
passage? (c) Verma Commission
(a) 1962 (b) 1956 (d) Nagaraja Commission
(c) 1960 (d) 1952
150. Which of the following was the first state to be
148. Which of the following does not come under the created on linguistic basis?
border dispute area between the two states? (a) Punjab (b) Maharashtra
(a) Belagavi (b) Karwar (c) West Bengal (d) Andhra Pradesh

146. (d) The dispute between Karnataka and Maharashtra 147. (b) The Court is seized of the matter, but it can only do
over areas that both States claim to be theirs has so much as the underlying factors that originated
become nasty and noisy in recent weeks, even leading along with the 1956 linguistic reorganisation of Indian
to violence. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj States are not easily amenable to technical and legal
Bommai and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister solutions.
Devendra Fadnavis — both from the BJP — have 148. (d) The border dispute over Belagavi, Karwar and Nipani
crossed swords publicly. Campaigners for the merger in North Karnataka is long-standing.
of Karnataka’s Marathi-speaking areas with Virajpet is a town in the district of Kodagu,
Maharashtra upped the ante this week by organising Karnataka. It is near the Kerala-Karnataka border.
a conference in Belgaum. Maharashtra politicians 149. (a) In October 1966, the Centre set up the Mahajan
wanted to attend it but were stopped by the police, Commission, led by former Chief Justice of India
leading to a flare-up, possibly as intended by the Mehr Chand Mahajan, to resolve the border dispute
invitees and the organisers. Karnataka’s practice, in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala.
since 2006, of holding the winter session of the 150. (d) The first state to be created on a linguistic basis was
Assembly in Belgaum, is itself an assertion of its Andhra Pradesh in 1953, created out of the Telugu-
authority over the place. speaking northern parts of Madras State.
43
KVIC distributes over 330 'bee-boxes' under Re-Hab project to village in Uttarakhand
 KVIC Chairman Shri Manoj Kumar inaugurated the ambitious Reducing Human Attacks using Honey Bees (Re-
Hab) Project. Re-Hab Project was inaugurated under the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (Ministry of
Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, Government of India).
 Shri Manoj Kumar also distributed 330 bee boxes, bee colonies, and toolkits along with the honey extractor to the
rural beneficiaries in Chausla village.
 The Chairman of KVIC informed that the Re-Hab Project is running under the Khadi and Village Industries
Commission which is under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
 The Re-Hab Project is running in 7 states including Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Assam, and Odisha.
 Fencing of Bee boxes on the routes of movement of elephants blocks the path of wild elephants.
 This was through the bees; elephants can be prevented from attacking humans and destroying farmers’ crops.
Indore Municipality To Lead With First Green Municipal Bonds For Solar Plant
 Indore with a strong environmental record is planning to issue the nation’s first local government bond targeting
individual investors, with proceeds used to fund a solar power project.
 Indore Municipal Corp. seeks to raise as much as 2.6 billion rupees ($31.8 million) via a 10-year bond sale next
month, according to Divyank Singh, chief executive officer of Indore Smart City, who is working with various
stakeholders to finalize the offering. The offering from Indore, which is in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, is
also set to be the country’s maiden municipal green bond designed for retail investors.
 The issuer has mandated A.K. Capital Services Ltd. and SBI Capital Markets Ltd. as lead managers of the offering,
Singh said.
 We could have easily funded the power plant by getting money from banks or private players, but we have decided
to reach out to the people because it gives a sense of belongingness,” Singh said. “The issuance is an alternative,
newer financing source for the municipality and also opens doors for others to follow suit.”
Power Min launches schemes to procure 4,500 MW electricity supply for five years
 Ministry of Power has launched a scheme for procurement of aggregate power of 4500 MW for five years under
SHAKTI Policy. The Ministry said that the scheme will help states that are facing power shortage and help
generation plants to increase their capacities.
 The last date for the bid submission is 21st December. It is for the first time that bidding is being carried out under
B(v) of SHAKTI scheme. PFC Consulting Limited has been designated as the nodal agency. It has invited bids for
the supply of 4,500 MW electricity. The supply will commence from April next year.
 The utilities that have shown interest for the scheme are Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd, Maharashtra State
Electricity Distribution Company Ltd, Madhya Pradesh Power Management Company Ltd, New Delhi Municipal
Corporation and Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Ltd.
India to illuminate 100 iconic monuments with G20 logo from 1-7 dec
 India will formally take over the G-20 presidency today, December 1. Several events will be held across the country
including the lighting of 100 monuments with the G-20 logo to mark the occasion.
 The logo draws inspiration from the vibrant colours of India’s national flag. It juxtaposes planet Earth with India’s
national flower Lotus, which reflects growth amid challenges. The Earth reflects India’s pro-planet approach to life,
one in perfect harmony with nature. Below the G20 logo is written Bharat, in the Devanagari script.
 AIR correspondent reports, the theme of India’s G20 Presidency is Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam or One Earth One
Family One Future. The theme affirms the value of all life - human, animal, plant, and microorganisms and their
interconnectedness on the planet Earth and in the wider universe.
44
Meghalaya Cabinet on Tuesday passed its first ever Mental Health & Social Care Policy
 The Meghalaya cabinet has approved a policy aimed at addressing the issues of mental health and social care
through collaborative engagement with communities. The Meghalaya Mental Health & Social Care Policy was
approved at the cabinet meeting, chaired by the Chief Minister. In 2014, the Centre launched the first-ever National
Mental Health Policy in an attempt to provide universal psychiatry care.
 Meghalaya is the third state in the country to have a comprehensive policy on mental health and social care, paying
attention to these issues, especially among children, adolescents and youth. Kerala and Karnataka are the other two
states in the country to have such policies.
 India being a signatory to it, launched her national mental health policy (NMHPolicy) in 2014.
 The policy was in concordance with WHO’s mental health (MH) policy, plan, and program (2005), and the United
Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD, 2007).
 Further, it aligned with and was supported by contemporary laws such as the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Act (RPWD, 2016), Mental Healthcare Act (MHCA, 2017), etc.
Nagaland: 23rd Hornbill Festival 2022 kicks start

 23rd Hornbill Festival 2022 begins at Naga Heritage Village Kisama in Nagaland. Nagaland’s famous Hornbill
Festival is scheduled from 1st December to 10th December 2022. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar graced the
inaugural function of the festival as the Chief Guest. Now it has been more than 20 years that the Hornbill Festival
of Nagaland has welcomed visitors from around the world. In 10 days festival, a visitor gets the opportunity to view
all the Naga tribes, their culture and distinctiveness in one place.
 Hornbill Festival of Nagaland is also popularly known as the ‘Festival of Festivals’ and showcases Nagaland’s rich
culture. It is organized by the Government of Nagaland, mainly to encourage inter-tribal interaction and to promote
the cultural heritage of Nagaland. This year, in the 10-day festival, more than 130 stalls are set up in Kisama wherein,
100 stalls are taken up by the Micro Small & Medium Enterprises and 32 are temporary stalls. The daily cultural
events include activities such as music festivals, photo fest, fashion shows, adventure sports, night carnivals, etc.
International Lusophone Festival to be held from 3-6 December in Goa

 Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in partnership with Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) and the Goa
government will organize the International Lusophone Festival in Goa from 3-6 December. It will be inaugurated
by the Chief Minister of Goa, Pramod Sawant at Durbar Hall in Raj Bhavan. Minister of State for External Affairs,
Meenakshi Lekhi will be the Guest of Honour. AIR correspondent reports that Lusophones are people that speak
Portuguese as a native or as a common second language.
 The festival seeks to further India’s connect with the Lusophone world. Goa has had historical linkages with the
Lusophone world, which has been nurtured through the presence of Portuguese cultural institutions like the Orient
Foundation and the Camoes Institute which promote Portuguese language and culture in India. This has deepened
our economic, cultural co-operation and people-to-people ties with the CPLP member countries.
 The Community of Portuguese Language Countries (Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa) also known as
the Lusophone Commonwealth (Comunidade Lusofona), is a multilateral forum, founded on 17 July 1996 at the 1st
CPLP Heads of State & Government Summit in Lisbon.
J&K Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha inaugurates Amar Jawan Shourya Sthal in Reasi
 J&K Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday inaugurated Amar Jawan Shourya Sthal at Pouni, Reasi. On the occasion
LG paid obeisance to Param Poojya Sant Balak Yogeshwar Das Ji Maharaj.
 While addressing the gathering LG saluted Veer Naris, and veterans, and paid tributes to all those martyrs who
have sacrificed their lives for our country.
 Lt Governor observed that after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, the ecosystem nurturing terrorism has
been dismantled. He said the nation is truly indebted to the brave Jawans for safeguarding national security.
UP Govt Launches ‘One District One Sport’ Scheme to Promote Sports Culture
 In his mission to promote sports and sportspersons in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has launched
One District One Sport (ODOS), modeled after the government's highly successful One District One Product
(ODOP) scheme.
 The scheme serves the government's two interconnected goals of promoting sports culture and keeping the state's
younger generation healthy and providing a platform for athletes to develop their talents and skills to compete in
prestigious national and international championships and win medals.
45
 According to a press release from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), under ODOS, one sport will be identified in
each of UP's 75 districts and necessary steps will be taken to find district-specific sport-specific talents and hone
their skills to enable them to represent the district, state, national, and international level tournaments and
championships.
 Because wrestling has a long history in Deoria, Maharajganj, Azamgarh, Chandauli, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's
parliamentary constituency Kashi, and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's Gorakhpur in Purvanchal, the government
has made it the ODOS here. Many local wrestlers have even flown the tricolor at national and international
competitions.
India to assume chairmanship of wassenaar arrangement on january 1 2023

 India will assume chairmanship of the plenary of the Wassenaar Arrangement for a year on January 1, 2023, just five
years after joining the 42-member voluntary export control regime that monitors transfers of conventional weapons
and dual-use goods.
 At the 26th annual plenary of the Wassenaar Arrangement held in Vienna during November 30- December 1,
Ireland’s ambassador Eoin O’Leary handed over the chairmanship to India’s ambassador Jaideep Mazumdar, who
is the permanent representative to the UN and international organisations in Vienna.
 India joined the Wassenaar Arrangement in December 2017 as its 42nd participating state. The body is a multilateral
export control regime that works to promote transparency and greater responsibility in transfers of conventional
arms and dual-use goods and technologies through regular exchanges of information among its members.
 The regime is aimed at tracking such transfers and preventing “destabilising accumulations” of conventional arms
and dual-use goods, the external affairs ministry said.
Civil Aviation Minister launches Digi yatra for three Airports in India
 Union Minister for Civil Aviation Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia today launched Digi Yatra from the Indira Gandhi
International Airport, New Delhi for three airports in the country, namely New Delhi, Varanasi and Bengaluru. Digi
Yatra is conceived to achieve contactless, seamless processing of passengers at airports based on Facial Recognition
Technology (FRT).
 Speaking about the Digi Yatra project conceived by Digi Yatra Foundation under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the
Minister said that the project envisages a traveller today pass through various check points at the airports through
a paperless and contactless processing using facial features to establish her identity which could be linked to the
boarding pass. To use this facility, one-time registration on Digi Yatra app is required using Aadhar based validation
and a self-image capture. The project has tremendous advantages of improving passenger convenience and ease of
travel.
 About the privacy features of the project, the Minister said that keeping in mind the privacy, there is no central
storage of Personally Identifiable Information (PII). Passenger’s ID and travel credentials are stored in a secure
wallet in the passenger’s smartphone itself. The uploaded data will utilise blockchain technology and all the data
will be purged from the servers within 24 hours of use.
Culture Ministry inaugrates a three-day long music, art and literature festival Swar Dharohar in New Delhi
 Three-day-long music, art, and literature festival Swar Dharohar was inaugurated by the Culture Ministry on Friday
under Kalanjali. The festival aims at showcasing the iconic art, culture and heritage of the country.
 The program will facilitate the upcoming local artists to perform with renowned artists on the same platform. The
national, as well as local poets, will also exhibit their artistry through Kavi Sammelan.
 The festival will continue till 4th of this month at Central Vista, New Delhi. Entry is free for everyone.
India, US successfully conclude 18th edition of joint military exercise 'Yudh Abhyas'
 India and the US have successfully concluded the 18th edition of joint military exercise 'Yudh Abhyas' in the Auli
Sdistrict of Uttarakhand.
 Exercise Yudh Abhyas, conducted annually between India and USA with the aim of exchanging best practices,
tactics, techniques and procedures between the Armies of the two nations. The previous edition of the exercise was
conducted at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Alaska (USA) in October 2021.
Power Min waives inter-state transmission charges for new hydro projects
 The Power Ministry announced a waiver of inter-state transmission charges on wheeling electricity for 18 years for
new hydropower projects.
46
 The waiver is already available to solar and wind power projects. The government has set an ambitious plan to have
500 GW of generation capacity from non-fossil energy-based sources by 2030.
 Hydropower projects, being clean, green and sustainable will be of paramount importance in our clean energy
transition journey.
Seventh edition of Global Technology Summit held at New Delhi

 The seventh edition of the Global Technology Summit was held from 29th Nov till the 1st of December in New Delhi
in a hybrid format.
 The Summit is India’s annual flagship event on Geotechnology and is co-hosted by the Ministry of External Affairs
and Carnegie India. The theme for this year’s Summit is ‘Geopolitics of Technology'
Spocto introduces India’s First Debt Collection Innovation Lab

 The world’s leading full-stack debt support and risk mitigation platform has inaugurated India’s first Innovation
Lab (SIL) dedicated to the debt collection segment of banking industries in India and the Middle East.
 SIL will work with a variety of bank stakeholders to better understand the NPA situation and how the team might
be able to use technology to remedy it.
First G20 Sherpa meeting under India’s Presidency begins at Udaipur

 India has been ranked among the top 50 countries of the world in terms of comprehensive safety audits conducted
by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), said the Director General of Civil Aviation.
 In terms of ranking India jumped from the 102nd rank four years ago to the 48th spot this year.
 The Indian aviation safety has scored the highest ever El score of 85.49 per cent which puts India in the 48th spot.
In 2018, India scored 69.95 per cent at the 102nd rank.
India The First Country in The World to Receive $100 billion in Remittances
 India will be the first country in the world to receive $100 billion from remittances during 2022, the World Bank has
said. Though remittances to the rest of the South Asian countries declined by 10%, it rose by 12% in India’s case.
 Remittances are a vital source of household income for low income countries as they help alleviate poverty, improve
nutritional outcomes, and are associated with increased birth weight and higher school enrolment rates for children
in disadvantaged households. Studies show remittances help recipient households to build resilience, for example
through financing better housing and to cope with the losses in the aftermath of
Maharashtra becomes first state in India to have a separate Divyang department
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has announced the setting up of a separate Divyang department for the
welfare of differently abled people with a fund allocation of Rs 1,143 crore.
 Maharashtra is the first state to have such a department, Shinde said while addressing an event in Mumbai to mark
the International Day of Disabled Persons.
 The Maharashtra government has created 2,063 posts for the new department which will formulate policies for the
welfare of the disabled by taking into consideration views of the stakeholders
In first, Ajit Doval hosts NSAs of Central Asian nations

 National Security Adviser Ajit Doval for the first time, hosted a special meeting with his counterparts from Central
Asian countries.
 This was the first time that NSAs of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan were in Delhi for a high-
level security meeting, which focus mainly on the security situation in Afghanistan and the threat of terrorism
originating from the country under the Taliban.
 This meeting flows from the India-Central Asia virtual summit, held in January this year.
Election results 2022: BJP breaks records in Gujarat, Cong wins Himachal
 The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) posted a record-breaking tally of 156 out of the 182 seats in the Gujarat Assembly
elections, winning a seventh consecutive term in the state. The Congress posted its worst tally in Gujarat, notching
up just 17 seats with a vote share of around 27 per cent, down from 41.4 per cent in 2017.
 In Himachal Pradesh, the final seat tally stood at 40 for the Congress, a gain of 19 seats from the previous election,
and 25 for the BJP. However, the contest was closer in terms of vote share, with the Congress getting 44 per cent of
the votes and BJP 43 per cent.
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 The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won five seats in Gujarat but could not open its account in Himachal Pradesh.
However, thanks to its vote share of 12.9 per cent, it gained national party status.
RBI signs Currency Swap Agreement with Maldives Monetary Authority

 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has signed a Currency Swap Agreement with the Maldives Monetary Authority
under the SAARC Currency Swap Framework. This agreement will enable the Maldives authority to make drawals
in multiple tranches up to a maximum of 200 million dollars from the RBI.
 9th World Ayurveda Congress and Arogya Expo 2022 inaugurated in Goa
 9th World Ayurveda Congress (WAC) was inaugurated at Panaji, Goa. The 9th WAC aims to showcase the efficacy
and strength of the AYUSH systems of medicine at the Global level.
 A MoU was signed between All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) and Rosenberg’s European Academy of Ayurveda,
Germany to facilitate advanced studies in traditional Indian medicine systems.
NTT India to invest $2 bn in data centres, submarine cable, renewables

 NTT India has earmarked around USD 2 billion to boost information and communications technology
infrastructure in the country over the next three-four years, aiming to tap the rise in data consumption. New data
centres, cloud computing, submarine cable landing stations and solar parks are key areas where NTT India's capex
is planned.
J&K awarded 1st prize in category for Ayushman Bharat health account ID generation
 Jammu and Kashmir has been awarded 1st prize in the category for Ayushman Bharat health account ID generation
and 2nd prize in the category for Teleconsultation conducted during the celebration of Universal Health Coverage
Day 2022 which is being celebrated on 10th and 11th December at International Cooperation and Convention Centre,
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
Country's largest business jet terminal commissioned at Cochin International Airport

 Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the country's first chartered gateway, and a business jet terminal
at the Cochin International Airport.
 With this, Cochin airport has become the fourth airport in the country to operate a private jet terminal. The Chief
Minister is also the Chairman of the Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL).
1st G20 Central Bank Deputies Meet in Bengaluru Under India’s Presidency
 The first G20 Finance and Central Bank Deputies (FCBD) meeting is scheduled to be held during 13-15 December
2022 in Bengaluru.
 This meeting, which will mark the start of discussions on the Finance Track agenda under the Indian G20
Presidency, will be hosted jointly by the Ministry of Finance and the Reserve Bank of India.
Indian Army’s Airawat Division conducted Ex Sanchaar Bodh

 Indian Army’s Airawat Division conducted Ex Sanchaar Bodh in extensive obstacle ridden terrain of Punjab. The
exercise validated tactical communication capabilities.
 The formation reaffirmed its determination to win at any cost under adverse conditions.
 Chief of Army Staff: General Manoj Pande;
 Indian Army Headquarters: New Delhi;
 Indian Army Founded: 1 April 1895, India.
9th World Ayurveda Congress: PM Modi inaugurates 3 National Ayush Institutes

 The institutes inaugurated by PM Modi include the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), Goa, National Institute
of Unani Medicine (NIUM), Ghaziabad and National Institute of Homoeopathy (NIH), Delhi.
 National Institute of Unani Medicine (NIUM), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh will be a satellite Centre of the existing
National Institute of Unani Medicine, Bangalore.
Prime Minister launches several development projects worth 75,000 crore rupees in Maharashtra
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lay the foundation stone and inaugurate projects worth Rs 75,000 crores in
Maharashtra. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, PM Modi inaugurated Phase-I of Hindu Hrudaysamrat
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Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg, covering a distance of 520 Kms and connecting Nagpur
and Shirdi.
 In yet another step that will revolutionise urban mobility, Prime Minister will dedicate ‘Nagpur Metro Phase I’ to
the nation. He will flag off two metro trains – from Khapri to Automotive Square (Orange Line) and from Prajapati
Nagar to Lokmanya Nagar (Aqua line) – at Khapri Metro Station. Phase I of the Nagpur Metro is developed at a cost
of more than Rs 8650 crore. Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone of Nagpur Metro Phase- II, which will
be developed at a cost of more than Rs 6700 crore.
 Prime Minister’s commitment to strengthen health infrastructure across the country will be strengthened through
the dedication of AIIMS Nagpur to the nation. The Hospital, whose foundational stone was also laid by the Prime
Minister in July 2017, has been established under the Central sector scheme Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha
Yojana.
 Prime Minister dedicated Government Maintenance Depot, Ajni (Nagpur) and Kohli-Narkher Section of Nagpur-
Itarsi Third line project to the Nation. These projects have been developed at a cost of about Rs 110 crore and about
Rs 450 crore respectively.
PM addresses programme commemorating Sri Aurobindo’s 150th birth anniversary via video conferencing
 Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi participated in a programme commemorating Sri Aurobindo’s 150th birth
anniversary, on 13th December, 2022. The programme, being held in Kamban Kalai Sangam, Puducherry, under the
aegis of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, witnessed the Prime Minister releasing a commemorative coin and postal stamp
in honour of Sri Aurobindo.
 He is popularly known as yogi Rishi Aurobindo. He was a revolutionary, nationalist, poet, educationist and
philosopher.He was born on August 15, 1872, in Calcutta to Shri Krishnadhan Ghosh.His father was a rich doctor
from Calcutta.
 At the age of seven he was taken to England for education. There he studied at St. Paul’s School, London, and at
King’s College, Cambridge.
CJI Chandrachud inaugurates 10 district court digitisation hubs in Odisha

 Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud virtually inaugurated 10 district court digitisation hubs (DCDH) in Odisha,
and said that modernisation of judiciary is the need of the hour.
 With this inauguration, a total of 15 DCDHs have now become functional in the state, with each catering to a
neighbouring district, thus covering all 30 district courts.
 The hubs at Angul, Bhadrak, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Keonjhar, Koraput, Malkangiri, Mayurbhanj, Nayagarh and
Sonepur, will take care of digitisation work of all 30 districts of the state. Each DCDH will be assigned the task of
digitizing the surrounding districts.
 Initially, four District Court Digitization Centres (DCDC) were set up on a pilot basis in Cuttack, Ganjam, Sambalpur
and Balasore districts on April 30, 2021.
 Appreciating the information and communication technology (ICT) measures adopted by the Orissa High Court
under the leadership of its Chief Justice S Muralidhar, he said, “Digitisation should be accompanied by a push for
e-filing of cases.”
ISRO is doing to boost the use of NavIC, India’s version of GPS

 To promote the use of ‘NAVigation with the Indian Constellation’ (NavIC), the Indian version of GPS, the Indian
Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will introduce the L1 frequency in all its future satellites.
 The seven satellites in the NavIC constellation currently use two frequencies for providing positioning data — the
L5 and S bands. However, most mobile System on Chips(SoCs) and wearable devices support the L1 band.
 To overcome this drawback, ISRO announced that new satellites from NVS-01 onwards which are meant to replace
these satellites will also have L1 frequency.
 L1 frequency is one of the most commonly used frequencies in the Global Positioning System (GPS), which even the
less sophisticated, civilian-use devices such as smartwatches are capable of receiving. Thus, with this band, the use
of the NavIC in wearable devices and personal trackers that use low-power, single-frequency chips can go up.
 NavIC, or Navigation with Indian Constellation is an independent stand-alone navigation satellite system developed
by the Indian Space Research Organization(ISRO). NavIC was originally approved in 2006. It was expected to be
completed by late 2011 but only became operational in 2018. NavIC consists of eight satellites and covers the whole
of India’s landmass and up to 1,500 km from its boundaries.
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Govt allocates Rs 1037.90 crore to New India Literacy Programme for next 5 years: MoE
 The Ministry of Education (MoE) approved a new scheme “New India Literacy Programme” for the next five years
to cover all the aspects of adult education to align with new National Education Policy (NEP).
 The ministry has also decided to use “Education For All” instead of “Adult Education” as the previous term did not
appropriately represent all non-literates in 15 years and above age group.
 The objectives of the scheme is to impart not only foundational literacy and numeracy but also to cover other
components which are necessary for a citizen of 21st century such as critical life skills including financial literacy,
digital literacy, commercial skills, health care and awareness, child care and education, and family welfare);
vocational skills development with a view towards obtaining local employment); basic education including
preparatory, middle, and secondary stage equivalency, and continuing education including engaging holistic adult
education courses in arts, sciences, technology, culture, sports, and recreation, as well as other topics of interest or
use to local learners, such as more advanced material on critical life skills.
Union Minister for Jal Shakti Inaugurates The 7th Edition of India Water Impact Summit
 Union Jal Shakti Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has inaugurated the 7th India Water Impact Summit
(IWIS 2022) on December 15, 2022 in the presence of Shri Bishweshwar Tudu, Minister of State for Jal Shakti.
 The summit is being organized from 15th to 17th December, 2022 at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi
by National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and Center for Ganga River Basin Management and Studies (cGanga).
 The theme of the summit this year is Restoration and Conservation of Small Rivers in a Large Basin, with emphasis
on the ‘Mapping and Convergence of 5Ps’ – People, Policy, Plan, Programme and Project.
 The three-day-long summit will aim to give an insight into the potential causes for divergence and formulate a
strategy to achieve convergence.
 The 5 broad themes of the summit are Science and Policy, Finance and Economics, Technology and Innovation,
International and Implementation Challenges.
India, Kazakhstan Begins Joint Military Drill In Meghalaya

 The 6th Edition of Indo – Kazakhstan joint training exercise “KAZIND-22” is conducted at Umroi (Meghalaya) from
15 to 28 December 2022. The scope of this exercise involves a Command Post Exercise (CPX) at the Battalion level
and Company level Field Training Exercise (FTX) on sub-conventional operations. During the exercise, participants
will engage in variety of missions ranging from joint planning, joint tactical drills, basics of special arms skills, HADR
and raiding a hostile target.
 Joint annual training exercise with the Kazakhstan Army was instituted in 2016 as Exercise Prabal Dostyk, which
was later upgraded to a company level exercise and renamed as Ex Kazind in 2018.
India successfully carries out night trials of Agni-5 nuclear-capable ballistic missile
 India has successfully conducted night trials of nuclear-capable ballistic missile Agni V, capable of striking targets
at ranges more than 5,000 kilometers with very high degree of accuracy. The missile test firing was conducted from
APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast. This was the latest test in the Agni missile series. According to defence
sources, the test was carried out to validate new technologies and equipment on the missile that are now lighter
than before.
 The nigh-trials came a few days after Chinese soldiers indulged in a brawl with Indian soldiers at the Line of Actual
Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh. Several soldiers from both sides are injured, but none of the armies reported
any deaths.
 Last year, China raised concerns regarding India’s launch of an Agni-5 intercontinental ballistic missile citing a
resolution of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) 1172. The resolution was issued after India’s 1998 nuclear
tests.
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Ko Kaam Karyakram (PMKKK) is now named as Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka
Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) Scheme
 The Minister of Minority Affairs, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani in a reply to a question in the Lok Sabha informed that the
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Ko Kaam Karyakram (PMKKK) has now been named as Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka
Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) Scheme. The integrated scheme converges five erstwhile schemes of the Ministry viz.
Seekho aur Kamao, USTTAD, Hamari Dharohar, Nai Roshni and Nai Manzil. The scheme has been approved by the
Cabinet for the period of 15th Finance Commission.
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 PM VIKAS aims to improve livelihoods of the minorities, particularly the artisan communities, using the
components of skill development, education, women leadership & entrepreneurship. These components
compliment each other in the ultimate objective of the scheme to increase the incomes of the beneficiaries and
provide support by facilitating credit and market linkages.
Atal Innovation Mission and UNDP India launch 5th edition of Youth Co:Lab for entrepreneurs
 The 5th edition of Youth Co:Lab, Asia Pacific’s largest youth innovation movement was jointly launched by Atal
Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog and UNDP India December 15th 2022. The applications for this edition were
launched by Dr. Chintan Vaishnav, Mission Director AIM, NITI Aayog and Mr. Dennis Curry, Deputy Resident
Representative, UNDP India.
 Atal Innovation Mission, along with UNDP India are driving this movement through the fifth edition of Youth
Co:Lab India and have been supporting young social entrepreneurs who can be a powerful force in leading social
change and furthering the implementation of SDGs target actions.
 Youth Co:Lab is an initiative launched in 2019 by UNDP India in partnership with Atal Innovation Mission, NITI
Aayog and aims to establish a common agenda for Asia-Pacific countries to invest in and empower youth to
accelerate implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through leadership, social innovation,
and entrepreneurship.
India successfully carries out night trials of Agni-5 nuclear-capable ballistic missile
 India has successfully conducted night trials of nuclear-capable ballistic missile Agni V, capable of striking targets
at ranges more than 5,000 kilometers with very high degree of accuracy. The missile test firing was conducted from
APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast. This was the latest test in the Agni missile series. According to defence
sources, the test was carried out to validate new technologies and equipment on the missile that are now lighter
than before.
 The nigh-trials came a few days after Chinese soldiers indulged in a brawl with Indian soldiers at the Line of Actual
Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh. Several soldiers from both sides are injured, but none of the armies reported
any deaths.
 Last year, China raised concerns regarding India’s launch of an Agni-5 intercontinental ballistic missile citing a
resolution of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) 1172. The resolution was issued after India’s 1998 nuclear
tests.
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Ko Kaam Karyakram (PMKKK) is now named as Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka
Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) Scheme
 The Minister of Minority Affairs, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani in a reply to a question in the Lok Sabha informed that the
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Ko Kaam Karyakram (PMKKK) has now been named as Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka
Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) Scheme. The integrated scheme converges five erstwhile schemes of the Ministry viz.
Seekho aur Kamao, USTTAD, Hamari Dharohar, Nai Roshni and Nai Manzil. The scheme has been approved by the
Cabinet for the period of 15th Finance Commission.
 PM VIKAS aims to improve livelihoods of the minorities, particularly the artisan communities, using the
components of skill development, education, women leadership & entrepreneurship. These components
compliment each other in the ultimate objective of the scheme to increase the incomes of the beneficiaries and
provide support by facilitating credit and market linkages.
Atal Innovation Mission and UNDP India launch 5th edition of Youth Co:Lab for entrepreneurs
 The 5th edition of Youth Co:Lab, Asia Pacific’s largest youth innovation movement was jointly launched by Atal
Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog and UNDP India December 15th 2022. The applications for this edition were
launched by Dr. Chintan Vaishnav, Mission Director AIM, NITI Aayog and Mr. Dennis Curry, Deputy Resident
Representative, UNDP India.
 Atal Innovation Mission, along with UNDP India are driving this movement through the fifth edition of Youth
Co:Lab India and have been supporting young social entrepreneurs who can be a powerful force in leading social
change and furthering the implementation of SDGs target actions.
 Youth Co:Lab is an initiative launched in 2019 by UNDP India in partnership with Atal Innovation Mission, NITI
Aayog and aims to establish a common agenda for Asia-Pacific countries to invest in and empower youth to
accelerate implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through leadership, social innovation,
and entrepreneurship.
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Jaishankar declares India's candidature for 2028-29 UNSC term
 India looks forward to being back in the UN Security Council, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said, as he
declared the country’s candidature as non-permanent member for the 2028-29 term. Jaishankar arrived at UN to
preside over two signature events on counter-terrorism and reformed multilateralism held under India’s current
Presidency of the UN Security Council, before the curtains come down this month on the country’s two-year tenure
as elected member of the 15-nation top organ of the world body.
The previous eight terms that India has been in the Council are 1950-1951, 1967-1968, 1972-1973, 1977-1978, 1984-1985,
1991-1992 and 2011-2012. On December 1, India assumed the monthly rotating Presidency of the Security Council,
the second time after August 2021 that India is presiding over the Council during its two year tenure as elected
UNSC member
Assam government launches Orunodoi 2.0 scheme

 Turning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of direct benefit transfer into reality, the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led
Assam government has launched a special scheme, Orunodoi 2.0, under which 10.54 lakh beneficiaries will be given
Rs 1,250 every month, officials said.
 With the fresh inclusion, the total number of beneficiaries under the poverty alleviation scheme, which was first
launched on December 1, 2020, will be around 27 lakh. The Orunodoi benefit is usually transferred to the bank
account of each beneficiary by the 10th day of every month, an official said. It is one of the 18 flagship schemes of
the Assam government currently in operation.
 "Our government has been extending economic and nutritional security to lakhs of financially vulnerable families
across the state and the foremost among the schemes has been Orunodoi," Sarma said. The chief minister said the
greater version of Orunodoi is being launched to ensure that the benefits reach the financially vulnerable and
underprivileged families of the state. The total financial outlay for Orunodoi is Rs 4,142 crore per annum, making it
one of the largest DBT schemes in the country.
63rd session of Indian Historical Records Committee begins in Lucknow

 Two-day 63rd session of the Indian Historical Records Committee (IHRC) organised by the National Archives of
India (NAI), New Delhi, got under way at Uttar Pradesh State Archives’ Mahanagar Extension office here on Sunday.
 “The IHRC has aided in preserving Indian history and culture and it is one method we can teach to the next
generation about the rich past we have,” said minister of state for transport (independent charge) Daya Shankar
Singh while inaugurating the event.
 “It would not have been possible to know our beginnings if the epics—the Ramayana and the Mahabharata—were
not maintained and archived,” he added while requesting all the delegates coming from different states to visit
Uttar Pradesh and see how it has changed.
 The event will comprise inaugural and business sessions on the first day and academic session on the second and
the concluding day. A total of 24 academic papers based on original sources of post 16th century of the Indian
history will also be presented by scholars on various aspects of history during the event.
Karnataka Govt set up development board for nomadic communities

 The Karnataka government has issued an order to set up a Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Nomadic
Communities Development Board for the upliftment of these communities which are among the most
downtrodden.
 This is aimed at helping 51 communities among Scheduled Castes and 23 communities among Scheduled tribes, as
per the order. As per the 2011 census, there are 9,91,184 people belonging to nomadic and semi-nomadic
communities. At the Central level, there is Development and Welfare Board for De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-
Nomadic Communities.
Tamil Nadu government makes Aadhaar a must for all of its schemes
 The Tamil Nadu government has announced that all those who are eligible for benefits (other than minor children)
under various government schemes are required to submit proof of possession of an Aadhaar number or undergo
Aadhaar identification. According to the order, Aadhaar is mandatory for government employees, government
pensioners and beneficiaries of various schemes implemented by the State government through various
Departments by their implementing agencies.
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 Any individual desirous of availing himself of benefits, but does not possess an Aadhaar number or has not yet
enrolled for Aadhaar, shall be required to make an application for Aadhaar enrolment before registering for the
“Scheme.”
Ministry of culture in collaboration with Prasiddha foundation organises Delhi

 Ministry of Culture in collaboration with Prasiddha Foundation inaugurated Delhi International Arts Festival at
Kartavya Path with the tag-line – ‘Where Bharat Meets India.
 The festival aims to celebrate the great Epics, the Warriors Who Fought for Our Freedom, and the many policy
decisions and schemes instituted by our Government towards ‘Women Empowerment’, towards ‘Cleaning Our Holy
Rivers‘, towards keeping our Country ‘Clean and Free from Dirt and Disease’.
 In the festival dance performances such as Kathak, Odissi along with theatre, classical musical performances and
other cultural performances will be organised. A series of events and performances will be organised at various
venues like Kartavya Path India Gate Lawns, Central Vista, Samvet Auditorium Indira Gandhi National Centre for
Arts Janpath, Amphitheatre Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts Janpath, etc in Delhi.
Gujarat CM to unveils Urban G20 logo, website and social media handle
 In Gujarat, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has unveiled the logo, website and social media handles of the Urban-
20 conference in Gandhinagar. The UNESCO heritage city Ahmedabad will host the Urban 20 cycles as part of G-
20 meetings between February to July. The logo unveiling event in Gandhinagar was attended by senior officials of
the Gujarat government and the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC).
 CM Patel said the unveiling of the U20 logo heralds the launch of the U20 cycle, which will begin in February next
year with the Sherpas’ meeting and end with the U20 Mayors’ summit.
 Along with C40 (Climate 40) and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), Ahmedabad will organise various
events including City Sherpas’ inception meeting on February 9 and 10.
 This city diplomacy initiative facilitates a productive dialogue between the national and local governments and
helps promote the importance of urban development issues in the G20 agenda.
Indian Railways opens nation’s longest ‘escape tunnel’ in Kashmir

 The Indian Railways on Thursday completed the construction of a tunnel on a 111-kilometre section of the
Udhampur-Katra railway line in Kashmir. The ‘escape tunnel’, which is the longest of its kind in the country, is
located at an elevation of 12.89 meters.
 According to railway officials, the tunnel was constructed to allow emergency response teams to carry out rescue
operations in case of an accident. It passes through various drainages and reservoirs in the Chenab River, including
the Khoda, Hingni, and Kundan nullahs making its drilling and construction a challenging task.
 The tunnel, which is the fourth on the Banihal-Katra route, was constructed using a modern technique known as
the New Austrian Tunnelling Method. It was completed in January this year.
Steel Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia launches country’s first Green Steel Brand
 Union Steel Minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia has launched India’s first Green Steel Brand “KALYANI FeRRESTA” in
New Delhi. This first-of-its-kind steel has been manufactured by a Pune-based Steel company, Kalyani group by
using renewable energy resources, leaving zero carbon footprints in the environment.
 The Kalyani Group initiative will help transform the steel sector’s long-standing identity as a carbon-emitting ‘hard
to abate sector’ to a reduced carbon emitting-green steel-producing industry.
 The steel industry produces 7 per cent of CO2 emissions internationally, while the Indian steel industry accounts
for 12 per cent of such emissions. Green steel is manufactured using low-carbon energy sources such as hydrogen,
coal gasification and electricity instead the widely used coking coal. The company avoided 76,484 total carbon
dioxide (tCO2) emissions, reduced water consumption by 10 per cent and recycled 99.4 per cent of its waste.
Agriculture Ministry to host Millets Food Festival for members of Parliament

 To raise awareness about the importance of millet, the Agriculture Ministry is hosting a Millet food festival in
Parliament for the members. As the global agrifood systems face challenges to feed an ever-growing global
population, resilient cereals like millet provide an affordable and nutritious option. The United Nations has passed
a resolution declaring the year 2023 as the International Year of Millets (IYM). The IYM 2023 and the push towards
increasing millet production will also contribute to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
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 Recently, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations organised the opening ceremony of the
International Year of Millets – 2023 (IYOM 2023) in Rome, Italy.
 The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) accepted the proposal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to
celebrate 2023 as the International Year of Millets.
Indian Navy gets 5th Scorpene Submarine ‘Vagir’; 3rd in 24 months

 The fifth Scorpène submarine, Vagir of Project – 75 Kalvari Class submarines has been delivered to the Indian Navy
by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) Mumbai. Defence Ministry said, the submarine would shortly be
commissioned into the Navy and enhance its capability. Project-75 includes the indigenous construction of six
submarines of Scorpene design. These submarines are being constructed at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited
(MDL) Mumbai, under collaboration with Naval Group, France.
 Launched on the 12th of November 2020, Vagir commenced the sea trials on the Ist of February 2022 and it has
completed all major trials including the weapon and sensor trials in the shortest time in comparison to the earlier
submarines. Construction of these submarines in an Indian yard is another step towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat and
a notable achievement is that this is the third submarine delivered to the Navy in a span of 24 months. In all, six
submarines of the Kalvari class, based on the Scorpene design of the Naval Group of France, are being constructed
at the MDL in collaboration with the Naval Group of France.
Indian Navy launches its first anti-submarine warfare ship "INS Arnala”
 The Indian Navy launched ‘Arnala’, the first of the eight indigenously-built anti-submarine warfare shallow water
craft (ASW-SWC), at the shipbuilding facility of L&T in Chennai’s Kattupall. Built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders
and Engineers (GRSE), ‘Arnala’ made its first contact with the water of the Bay of Bengal.
 The ship has been named ‘Arnala’ to signify the strategic maritime importance accorded to the island of Arnala,
located about 13 kilometres north of Vasai, Maharashtra, by Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
 The ‘Arnala’ class of ships will replace the ‘Abhay’ class ASW ships of the Indian Navy. These are designed to
undertake anti-submarine operations in coastal waters and low-intensity maritime operations (LIMO), including
subsurface surveillance in littoral waters. The 77.6-metre-long ASW-SWC ships have a displacement of 900 tonnes
with a maximum speed of 25 knots and endurance of 1800 nautical miles (NM).
 It is anti-submarine warfare vessel in 700 ton displacement range and will replace Abhay-class corvette (a corvette
is a small warship) currently serving in Indian Navy.
PM Modi to inaugurate National Youth Festival in Hubballi-Dharwad on Jan 12: Karnataka CM

 Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that a National Youth festival is poised to be hosted at Hubballi-
Dharwad twin cities, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The National Youth Festival will
be organized on January 12 in connection with the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.
 Around 7,500 representatives from all the States will participate in the youth festival. The National Youth Festival
is organised to commemorate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanand which falls on 12 January.
 The first National Youth Festival was started in 1995 as a major activity under the programme of National Integration
Camp. The 25th National Youth Festival was organised in Puducherry.
 Swami Vivekananda’s birthday on January 12 is always celebrated as National Youth Day and 12-16 January every
year is observed as the National Youth Week.
Tourism sector receives industry status in Assam

 As the growth in the tourism sector is vital for socio-economic development in a state, the Assam State Cabinet led
by CM Himanta Biswa Sarma approved the proposal for grant of industrial status to the tourism sector in the state.
 It has been highlighted that with such industry status, fresh investments in tourism infrastructures permanent in
nature will contribute towards rapid employment generation, public-private partnership and infrastructure
development.
 With the grant of industry status to the tourism sector, now, restaurants, cafeterias, health clubs, spas and wellness
centres among others are eligible for incentives under the industrial policy.
 The ministry also said mentioned that the infrastructure can be developed through Public Private Partnership (PPP)
mode, which will contribute to the overall development of the region.
 Assam has now become a nationally and internationally acclaimed all-season tourist destination for its unique
wildlife, bio-diversity and experience of an unexploited wonderland.
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About Assam:
Capital: Dispur
Chief Minister: Himanta Biswa Sarma
Governor: Prof. Jagadish Mukhi
Country's first infantary Museum opens for public in Mhow (Indore)

 The country’s first Infantry Museum has been opened for the general public at Mhow, Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
This museum is the first in the country and second in the world. Before this, such a museum has been built in
America. The Army inaugurated to celebrate the Victory Day and the eve of the 75th year of the establishment of
the Infantry School. The world-class museum has been set up with the intention of showcasing the Infantry. The
project was conceived in July 2003 as a national-level training hall cum research centre.
 The Infantry Museum covers the history of the Infantry from 1747 to 2020. It depicts the rich heritage, glorious past
and supreme sacrifice of our brave soldiers preserved in sculptures, murals, and photo galleries.
 The construction of this museum has been in the works for a decade. This three-story building of the museum has
been built on two acres of land. It has 17 different rooms covering the history and development of the Indian Infantry
since 1747 in chronological order in 30 subject areas. In this museum, along with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj,
Subhash Chandra Bose, and Maharaja Ranjit, the history of many great men will be seen.
About Madhya Pradesh

Capital: Bhopal;
Governor: Mangubhai C. Patel;
Chief Minister: Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
UP's Sania Mirza clears NDA, set to become country's first Muslim woman fighter pilot
 Sania Mirza, a Mirzapur resident and the daughter of a TV mechanic, successfully passed the National Defense
Academy admission examination (NDA). Sania Mirza is from the Jasovar village, which is within the jurisdiction of
the Mirzapur Dehat Kotwali Police Station.
 Sania Mirza was born in the Jasovar hamlet under the Mirzapur Dehat Kotwali Police Station.
 Sania Mirza aspires to be a fighter pilot like Avni Chaturvedi, the nation’s first female fighter pilot.
 She will join NDA Khadakwasla in Pune on December 27. Both Sania’s parents and the villagers are pleased with
her.
Garuda Aerospace receives Type certification and RTPO approvals from DGCA
 Drone manufacturer Garuda Aerospace has received the Type Certification and RPTO (Remote Pilot Training
Organisation) approvals from the Director General of Civil Aviation for the indigenously designed kisan drones.
 DGCA Type certification is provided on the basis of the quality check and is issued after a rigorous testing process
of the unmanned aerial vehicles.
 The kisan drones are developed for agricultural purposes and with the Type Certification received for the GA-AG
model, Garuda Kisan drones were eligible for Rs 10 lakh unsecured loans from the agri-infrastructure fund offered
by the Centre.
 According to DGCA, a remote pilot training organisation is an organisation authorised by the DGCA to impart
remote pilot training to any individual seeking for a remote pilot certificate under Rule 34 of Drone Rules 2021.
10th Edition of North East Festival begins at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi
 The 10th Edition of the North East Festival began at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. The festival aims
to promote the North East region’s diverse life, culture, traditions, and tourism. Micro Small and Medium
Enterprises Minister Narayan Rane inaugurated the MSME Exhibition at the North East Festival.
 The last two editions were held in Guwahati in a hybrid model due to rising Covid in the national capital. Since its
inception in 2013, this festival has contributed a lot in promoting tourism in the North Eastern states.
 The festival will provide an opportunity to entrepreneurs from North East regions especially women and SC/ST
entrepreneurs to showcase their skills, products and create new opportunities for growth.
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Ladakh celebrates Losar Festival to mark Ladakhi New Year
 Ladakh celebrated Losar Festival to mark the Ladakhi New Year. Losar Festival is celebrated in Ladakh on 24th
December 2022. The Losar Festival or the Ladakhi New year is a major socio-religious festival of Ladakh celebrated
during winter.
 The Losar Festival will continue for nine days from the new year. People will celebrate by offering prayers in the
name of God and goddess. They will also dance and sing in honor of Ibex and the pilgrimage of Mount Kailash.
 The Losar Festival celebrated in Ladakh marks the beginning of the New year.
 Losar has been celebrated in Ladakh for centuries and has strengthened the existing community bond.
 The festival brings joy to the lives of inhabitants of the landlocked Himalayan territory of Ladakh.
Humanising Prisons! Arunachal Pradesh Lays Foundation Of State's First Central Jail; Names It
Correctional Centre
 Prison systems have, over time, undergone multiple reforms to ensure that prisoners are treated with dignity and
given a second chance at life. Many countries have worked toward improving prison conditions, the effectiveness
of their penal systems, implementing alternatives to incarceration, and facilitating rehabilitation. Unsafe and
unsanitary prisons grew into being considered a violation of both ethical grounds and constitutional laws.
 One of the biggest challenges posed before the prison system is the rehabilitation of prisoners back into society
after they serve their term. Prisoners are denied many opportunities and a decent livelihood even after serving their
sentence due to the stigma attached. The system hopes to humanise the prisons through the correctional facilities
and ensure that prisoners become integral members of society after their release.
Union minister piyush goyal unveils right to repair portal

 Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday introduced a host of new initiatives, including a
right to repair portal and an NTH mobile app and opened new premises of the National Consumer Helpline centre
in the national capital.
 On the 'right to repair' portal, manufacturers would share the manual of product details with customers so that
they could either repair by self, by third parties, rather than depend on original manufacturers. Initially, mobile
phones, electronics, consumer durables, automobile and farming equipments would be covered.
Union Min Jitendra Singh launched revamped probity portal ehrms 2.0
 To mark Good Governance Day, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Dr. Jitendra Singh
will launch the revamped Probity Portal, e-HRMS 2.0 Portal and e-Books on major initiatives and achievements of
his Ministry on Sunday in New Delhi. The revamped e-HRMS 2.0 Portal will provide services in a digital mode to
the employees including Transfers, Deputation, APAR, Vigilance Status, Deputation Opportunities, Service Book
and other basic HR Services like Leave, Tour and Reimbursements.
 The Minister will also launch Mobile Application of iGoTKarmayogi Portal by Karmayogi Bharat to create
professional, well-trained and future-ready civil service for India. The iGOTKarmayogi platform is envisaged as a
democratised, competency driven solution space that all of the government can access to enhance their execution
capabilities. Revamped Probity Portal for Government Employees will demand the right attitude towards public
service with ‘integrity’ and ‘probity’.
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INTERNATIONAL
India, Australia wargames Austra Hind 22 to begin on November 28, 2022

 The bilateral training exercise “AUSTRA HIND 22” between contingents of the Indian Army and the Australian
Army begins at Mahajan Field Firing Ranges in Rajasthan. The exercise will continue till 11th of December. This is
the first exercise in the series of AUSTRA HIND with participation of all arms and services contingent from both
armies. During the exercise, participants will engage in a variety of tasks ranging from joint planning, joint tactical
drills, sharing basics of special arms skills and raiding a hostile target. The joint exercise, besides promoting
understanding and interoperability between the two armies, will further help in strengthening ties between India
and Australia.
 The Australian Army contingent comprised soldiers from the 13th Brigade of the 2nd Division. The Indian Army is
represented by troops from the DOGRA Regiment. The exercise “AUSTRA HIND” will be a yearly event that will be
conducted alternatively in India and Australia. The aim of the exercise is to build positive military relations, imbibe
each other’s best practices and promote the ability to operate together while undertaking multi-domain operations
in Semi deserts terrain under a UN peace enforcement mandate.
Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA)

 India has decided to send a utility helicopter unit to the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali
(MINUSMA). Bangladesh and Pakistan, each, will also send an armed helicopter unit to this operation.
 Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s Spokesperson Farhan Haq said, that the utility helicopter unit from India that
is to be deployed in March will “provide much-needed support to our forces and are critical for early warning and
rapid response to protect civilians”.
 Haq added, “The UN continues to discuss with member states the deployment of new assets and plans to fill longer-
standing gaps in addition to those resulting from recent announcements” of withdrawals.
 The Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) is a United Nations peacekeeping
mission that was set up in 2013 by the UNSC to stabilize the western African country after the 2012 Tuareg rebellion.
 This mission was set up to assist in the political processes of Mali and undertake numerous security-related tasks
within the conflict-hit country. It is tasked with supporting the transitional authorities of Mali in achieving the
political stabilization and implementing the transitional roadmap.
'Gaslighting' is Merriam-Webster's word of the year 2022

 The US dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster announced that their 2022 word of the year is “gaslighting” or as
Merriam-Webster defines it, “the act or practice of grossly misleading someone especially for one’s own advantage.”
Interest in the term was up by 1,740% over the previous years according to searches of the online dictionary. The
term itself came into existence 80 years ago in 1938 through gas light, Gas Light is a play written by Patrick Hamilton.
Two films were made on this play in the 1940s.
 The top definition of “gaslighting” from Merriam-Webster is a form of psychological manipulation, usually over an
extended period of time, that “causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality,
or memories and typically leads to confusion, loss of confidence and self-esteem, uncertainty of one’s emotional or
mental stability, and a dependency on the perpetrator.”
 The dictionary defines the term as: “The act or practice of grossly misleading someone especially for one’s own
advantage.”
 Gaslighting refers to playing with someone on a psychological level for a long period of time, so that the victim
begins to doubt the validity of their own thoughts and true sense of self.
Great Barrier Reef risks 'in danger' World Heritage listing

 A UN-backed mission to the Great Barrier Reef has concluded the world’s biggest coral reef system should be placed
on a list of world heritage sites in danger.
 The long-awaited report on the 10-day mission that took place in March said climate change was presenting a
“serious challenge” to the values that saw the reef inscribed as a global wonder in 1981.
 Progress to cut pollution running into the reef’s waters from farming and grazing was too slow and more investment
was needed to meet water quality targets, the report from the mission said.
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 The report’s recommendation the reef be placed on a list of world heritage sites “in danger” will be taken into
account alongside responses from the Queensland and federal governments before Unesco makes a formal
recommendation to the world heritage committee before its next meeting.
 The reef mission was carried out at the request of former federal environment minister Sussan Ley after the former
government successfully lobbied against a 2021 Unesco recommendation the reef should be placed on the “in
danger” list.
 Two experts – one from Unesco and another from the International Union for Conservation of Nature – met the
government, scientists and stakeholders in Queensland two months before the defeat of the Morrison government.
Paris Club proposes 10-year moratorium on Sri Lankan debt

 Paris Club creditor nations are proposing a 10-year moratorium on Sri Lankan debt and another 15 years of debt
restructuring as a formula to resolve the Sri Lankan debt crisis. The Paris club is a group of officials from 22 countries
who find sustainable solutions for challenges faced by debtor countries.
 The Paris club has also called upon the Global north and south to take a similar haircut in restructuring of Sri
Lankan debt. So far no official proposal has been made by Paris club to China or India.
UAE emerges as second biggest tea importer from India after CIS bloc
 The United Arab Emirates (UAE) emerged as the second largest importer of tea from India after the Commonwealth
of Independent States (CIS) as a block, according to the latest data released by Tea Board.
 During the period from January to September 2022, UAE imported 28.58 million kilograms of tea from India, a rise
of 159 per cent from the similar nine-month period of 2021.
Goblin Mode’ is Oxford’s Word of the Year for 2022

 The Oxford Word of the Year is the slang term "goblin mode". Oxford Languages opened its choice of 'Word of the
Year' to public vote for the first time in its history.
 Over the last two weeks, more than 300,000 people cast their votes.
 The term "goblin mode" is often used to describe a type of behaviour that is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy,
slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations.
U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity, COP 15 Commences in Canada

 TheUnited Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, also called as Conference of Parties (COP-15) commenced
in Montreal, Canada on 7 December 2022.
 The two-weeklong conference (7-19 December 2022) wasoriginally scheduled to be held in Kunming, China in
October but was shifted to Montreal, Canada due to covid situation in China. This is the second part of the COP15.
World Bank’s Flagship Gender Toolkit Launched

 A Gender Toolkit based on “Enabling gender-responsive urban mobility and public spaces” was launched in a
session conducted by the World Bank and the Chennai Urban Metropolitan Transport Authority.
Britain, Italy and Japan to jointly develop future fighter jet

 Britain, Italy, and Japan on Friday said, they will jointly develop a future fighter jet that uses artificial intelligence.
 The three nations held out the prospect of cooperation with European and US allies, which are developing their
own sixth-generation planes, vowing to maintain interoperability among all the allies against threats from the likes
of China.
Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu takes oath as new Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh , Mukesh Agnihotri his
deputy
 Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Bhagel made the announcement. He said the new Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister will
be Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and Mukesh Agnihotri will be Deputy Chief Minister.
 He will be the second chief minister from Hamirpur district, after Prem Kumar Dhumal.
 Governor of Himachal Pradesh: Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar.
 Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu will be the 15th chief minister of HP.
Bhupendra Patel to continue as Gujarat CM for second term

 Bhupendra Patel took oath as chief minister of Gujarat for the second time.
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 BJP swept the Gujarat Assembly election with a whopping 156 out of the 182 Assembly seats, which is the highest
number of seats any party has won after the formation of the state in 1960.
 Did you Know
 Governor of Gujarat: Acharya Devvrat.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates Goa's second international airport

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Goa's second airport, MOPA International Airport. The airport is
named after former Chief Minister Manohar Parikar. The operations will begin from January 5, 2023. GMR Goa
International Airport Limited (GGIAL) will manage the airport.
 Manohar International Airport is built on 2,132 acres and is located at Pernem Taluka in North Goa.
 Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.
NASA’s Orion capsule splashes down in Pacific after lunar mission

 NASA’s Orion space capsule splashed down safely in the Pacific on Sunday, completing the Artemis-1 mission — a
more than 25-day journey around the moon.
 After hurtling through the earth's atmosphere at a speed of 40,000 kmph, the uncrewed capsule floated down to
the water with the help of three parachutes.
Russia becomes India's second-largest oil supplier

 Russia has for the first time emerged as top oil supplier to India replacing Iraq as refiners last month snapped up
oil from Moscow fearing a price cap from Dec. 5 could hit supplies and choke payment avenues.
 India’s oil imports from Russia rose for the fifth straight month, totaling 908,000 barrels per day (bpd) in November,
up 4% from October, the data showed.
 The Group of Seven nations(G-7), Australia, and the 27 European Union countries have imposed a price cap of $60
a barrel on Russian seaborne oil from Dec. 5 as the West tries to limit Moscow’s ability to finance its war in Ukraine.
The price cap plan calls for G7 countries to deny insurance, finance, brokering, navigation, and other services to oil
cargoes priced above the price cap on crude and oil products.
 Russian oil accounted for about 23% of India’s overall import of about 4 million bpd oil in November, the data
showed. India’s overall imports in November declined 11% from October on lower purchases by Russia-backed
Indian refiner Nayara Energy, which had shut its 400,000 bpd refinery for maintenance during the month, the data
showed.
France to host International Conference in Paris

 According to the French embassy, France will host an International conference “Standing with the Ukrainian
People” in Paris with an aim to coordinate international support for civilian resilience in Ukraine and address the
Ukrainian people’s urgent humanitarian needs. The conference is organised at the initiative of French President
Emmanuel Macron and is co-organised with Ukraine. During the conference, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr
Zelenskyy will address virtually.
 The Ukrainian people are facing dire difficulties in all sectors essential to life: electricity supply, food security, water
supply, and access to medical care.
 This situation is aggravated by the onset of winter and by the increased Russian bombardments against civilian
infrastructures in Ukraine, particularly energy infrastructure, resulting in severe blackouts.
 The goal of the conference is therefore to muster international humanitarian aid to bolster the Ukrainian people’s
resilience through the harsh winter, and establish a coordination mechanism to ensure effective and needs-based
delivery of aid.
Vietnam reaches $15.5B energy deal with G7 to cut emissionsNo index entries found.
 A group of nine rich industrialized nations approved a deal to provide Vietnam with $15.5 billion to help the
Southeast Asian nation move faster from coal power to renewable energy, cutting its climate-damaging pollution.
 The Group of Seven major economies, along with Norway and Denmark, said in a statement that the aim is to help
Vietnam reduce its emissions to “net zero” by 2050, a goal which expert say needs to be met globally to cap global
warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius.
 The Just Energy Transition Partnership with Vietnam is among a series of agreements that developing and rich
nations are negotiating. The first such deal was signed with South Africa last year, and a similar agreement was
reached with Indonesia last month.
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 Vietnam is a dynamic, emerging economy at the heart of Southeast Asia,” British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said.
“The investment we are making today means the country can cut its emissions while simultaneously creating new
jobs and growth.
UN: Global Trade Surges to $32 Trillion Record in 2022

 The value of global trade is set to reach a new record this year, increasing by about 12 per cent to an estimated $32
trillion, according to a UN report that signaled a slowdown heading into 2023. “The substantial trade growth during
the last year was largely due to increases in the value of the trade of energy products,” the United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development said in the report.
 Trade in merchandise goods soared to $25 trillion, an increase of about 10 per cent versus the prior year. Trade in
services grew 15 per cent year-over-year to nearly $7 trillion, according to the report.
 The UN body expects the inflation-adjusted value of global trade will diminish next year because of the combined
impact of geopolitical frictions, lower economic growth, higher prices for goods and record levels of global debt.
New Zealand passes world's first law to ban smoking for future generation
 The New Zealand government has passed a law to completely end tobacco smoking by banning youth from buying
cigarettes for life. The Smoke Free Environments and Regulated Products (Smoking Tobacco) Amendment Bill has
been passed in New Zealand which aims to make New Zealand smoke free by 2025.
 The bill aims to ban the sale of tobacco to anyone born after January 1, 2009, and reduce the number of cigarette
retailers in the country. The bill has received bipartisan support in New Zealand’s parliament and Prime Minister
Jacinda Ardern also plans to reduce the amount of nicotine allowed in smokeless tobacco products. Passage of the
bill would reduce the number of tobacco retailers nationwide to about one-tenth of the current number of 6,000.
 This will lead to thousands of lives longer and an additional $5 billion less burden on the health system as there will
be no need to treat diseases caused by smoking, such as many types of cancer, heart attacks, strokes, amputations.
The legislation aims to prevent the high number of deaths caused by tobacco consumption in New Zealand which
disproportionately affects the native Māori population.
Iran removed from U.N. women’s rights body after protest crackdown; India abstains on resolution
 In an unprecedented move, Iran has been expelled from the United Nation’s Commission on the Status of Women
(CSW) in a vote on which India abstained. The US proposal at the UN Economic and Social Council to remove Iran
from the panel received 29 votes, while there were eight votes against and 16 abstentions in the 54-member elected
body.
 The vote came after intense lobbying by the US following widespread protests in Iran sparked by outrage against
the edict compelling women to wear hijabs.
 US Permanent Representative Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the Council that CSW, which is “the premier UN body
for promoting gender equality and empowering women” cannot function if it is “undermined from within” by Iran.
“Iran’s membership at this moment is an ugly stain on the Commission’s credibility,” she said.
 Mahsa Amin who died after being held by “morality police” in September. Her death sparked the protests, during
which, “government security forces have reportedly detained and tortured thousands of people, killed hundreds of
peaceful protestors, and badly injured many more. Men supporting women in the streets are now being targeted
with the death penalty.
Solar panels mandatory for new homes after 2025 at Tokyo city in Japan
 The Japanese capital local assembly passed a new regulation which stated that all new houses in Tokyo built by
large-scale homebuilders after April 2025 must install solar power panels to cut household carbon emissions.
Currently, Japan stands at fifth spot in the world’s largest carbon emitters list.
 This new regulation for new built homes requires about 50 major builders to equip homes of up to 2,000 square
meters (21,500 square feet) with renewable energy power sources, mainly solar panels.
 Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike also noted that just 4% of buildings where solar panels could be installed in the city
have them now. However, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government aims to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030
compared with 2,000 levels.
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Iran removed from U.N. women’s rights body after protest crackdown; India abstains on resolution
 In an unprecedented move, Iran has been expelled from the United Nation’s Commission on the Status of Women
(CSW) in a vote on which India abstained. The US proposal at the UN Economic and Social Council to remove Iran
from the panel received 29 votes, while there were eight votes against and 16 abstentions in the 54-member elected
body.
 The vote came after intense lobbying by the US following widespread protests in Iran sparked by outrage against
the edict compelling women to wear hijabs.
 US Permanent Representative Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the Council that CSW, which is “the premier UN body
for promoting gender equality and empowering women” cannot function if it is “undermined from within” by Iran.
“Iran’s membership at this moment is an ugly stain on the Commission’s credibility,” she said.
 Mahsa Amin who died after being held by “morality police” in September. Her death sparked the protests, during
which, “government security forces have reportedly detained and tortured thousands of people, killed hundreds of
peaceful protestors, and badly injured many more. Men supporting women in the streets are now being targeted
with the death penalty.
Solar panels mandatory for new homes after 2025 at Tokyo city in Japan
 The Japanese capital local assembly passed a new regulation which stated that all new houses in Tokyo built by
large-scale homebuilders after April 2025 must install solar power panels to cut household carbon emissions.
Currently, Japan stands at fifth spot in the world’s largest carbon emitters list.
 This new regulation for new built homes requires about 50 major builders to equip homes of up to 2,000 square
meters (21,500 square feet) with renewable energy power sources, mainly solar panels.
 Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike also noted that just 4% of buildings where solar panels could be installed in the city
have them now. However, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government aims to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030
compared with 2,000 levels.
Indian-origin Leo Varadkar set to become Ireland's prime minister for second time
 Indian-origin Leo Varadkar has returned for a second term as Ireland’s Prime Minister as part of a job-sharing deal
made by the country’s centrist coalition government. His appointment was confirmed when he received the seal of
office from President Michael D. Higgins, Ireland’s head of state.
 This is the second time that Varadkar has been elected as Irish prime minister. He first became the Irish prime
minister in June 2017. In June 2020, the Fine Gael party led by Varadkar formed a coalition government with Fianna
Fail and Green Party, in which he served as deputy prime minister and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and
Employment.
 According to an agreement reached by the three parties in setting up a coalition government, Fianna Fail party
leader Micheal Martin will first serve as Irish prime minister until December 2022 and Fine Gael party leader
Varadkar will replace Martin to be the new prime minister until the five-year term of the current government comes
to an end.
EU deal set to trigger 'domino effect' for global minimum tax deal
 The European Union has adopted a plan for a global minimum 15% tax on big business. The landmark deal between
nearly 140 countries aims to stop governments racing to cut taxes in a bid to attract companies. It was praised by
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen as “an historic agreement which helps even the playing field”.
 EU member states reached agreement in principle to implement at EU level the minimum taxation component,
known as Pillar 2, of the OECD’s reform of international taxation. The ambassadors of EU member states decided
to advise the Council to adopt the Pillar 2 directive, and a written procedure for the formal adoption will be
launched.
 Corporation tax is usually based on a company’s profits. But often they might be able to pay less depending on
where their offices are registered or how they invest in their business.
India recorded 4 cases of BF.7 that's causing surge in China

 The BF.7 sub-variant of Omicron that is prevalent in China is thought to be the cause of the present spike in Covid-
19 infections there. This isn’t the first time BF.7 has been in the spotlight; back in October, it began to displace the
main variations in the US and several other European nations. The massive Covid rise in China is being caused by
the BF.7 sub-variant of Omicron, which has been found in four cases in India. In Gujarat and Odisha, the instances
of BF.7 Covid Variant first came to light. Currently, the Covid protocol is not required in the nation.
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 As the main stem of the SARS-CoV-2 tree sprouts branches and sub-branches, so do viruses when they change,
creating lineages and sub-lineages.
 The Omicron sub-lineage BA.5 and the BF.7 are identical. The latter is also known as BA.5.2.1.7.
 The study found that another Omicron sub-variant named BQ.1 had a more than 10-fold higher neutralization
resistance than BF.7, which is not the most resilient sub-variant.
UNSC adopts first-ever resolution on Myanmar, demanding end to violence and release of political
prisoners
 The U.N. Security Council has adopted its first ever resolution on Myanmar in 74 years to demand an end to violence
and urge the military junta to release all political prisoners, including ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Ms. Kyi, 77,
has been a prisoner since the army toppled her government almost two years ago and violently cracked down on
dissent.
 The 15-member council has long been split on how to deal with the Myanmar crisis with China and Russia arguing
against strong action. They both abstained from the vote, along with India. The remaining 12 members voted in
favor.
 The resolution urges the junta to immediately release all arbitrarily detained prisoners, including Suu Kyi and ex-
president Win Myint.
 It also demands an immediate end to all forms of violence and asks for all parties to respect human rights,
fundamental freedoms and the rule of law.
 It also urges “concrete and immediate actions” to implement a peace plan agreed upon by the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
US to provide $1.85 billion military aid to Ukraine, including critical Patriot missile system
 The United States is finalizing plans to send the Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine. Ukraine has asked its
Western partners for air defenses, including U.S.-made Patriot systems, to protect it from heavy Russian missile
bombardment including against its energy infrastructure. The system is part of $1.85 billion in assistance unveiled
in parallel with a visit to Washington by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
 Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has warned NATO against providing Ukraine with Patriot missile
defenses, and it is likely Moscow will view the move as an escalation.
 The Pentagon says Russia’s recent surge in missile strikes in Ukraine is partly designed to exhaust Kyiv’s supplies of
air defenses so it can dominate the skies above the country.
 The Patriot is considered to be one of the most advanced U.S. air defense systems and is usually in short supply,
with allies around the world vying for it.
 Ground-based air defense systems such as Raytheon Technology Corp’s (RTX.N) Patriot are built to intercept
incoming missiles.
 Patriot has been proven effective in Saudi Arabia against Iranian-design ballistic missiles fired from Yemen.
Sitiveni Rabuka confirmed as Fiji Prime Minister after close election

 Sitiveni Rabuka was confirmed as Fiji’s next Prime Minister more than two decades after the former military
commander first held the office in a term lasting nearly seven years. The 74-year-old won the nomination by one
vote over incumbent Frank Bainimarama at a sitting of the Fijian Parliament in Suva. It also signals the end of
former Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama’s 16 years in power. In the 55-member Parliament of Fiji, Sitiveni Rabuka
secured 28 votes against Bainimarama’s 27 votes.
 Mr. Sitiveni Rabuka , the head of the People’s Alliance Party, was elevated to the position after forming a majority
coalition with two other parties following last week’s close and contentious election. He was the instigator of two
military coups in 1987. He was democratically elected as Prime Minister of Fiji, serving from 1992 to 1999, and again
in 2022 leading a three-party coalition. He also served as Chairman of the Great Council of Chiefs from 1999 to 2001,
and later as Chairman of the Cakaudrove Provincial Council from 2001 to 2008.
"Bomb Cyclone": Monster Storm Could Bring Deadly Winter Weather To US

 Bomb Cyclone has thrashed US and Canada with extreme climate and has trapped the residents inside their houses
with snow and power outages. During the Christmas season, the bomb cyclone occurred due to a low temperature
of -40 degrees Fahrenheit. Thousands of flights have been canceled and several highways have been blocked. People
are advised not to step outside their homes as it can be life-threatening.
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 Due to Artic Blast, the US has been experiencing an extremely cold climate, heavy snow, and intense wind. The
authorities have ordered to put a halt on traveling during the Christmas season because of the Bomb Cyclone.
 During the Christmas season, the travel plans of millions were affected due to the Bomb Cyclone. Approximately
7,423 flights were delayed and 3,400 were canceled. The roads are considered extremely dangerous to travel and the
government has also urged people to expect zero visibility and snow drifts. Highways are closed completely, and
people are advised to avoid traveling.
Pushpa Dahal 'Prachanda' Appointed Nepal's Prime Minister For Third Time
 President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Sunday appointed CPN-Maoist Centre chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda'
as the new Prime Minister of Nepal.
 Prachanda has been appointed as the Prime Minister of Nepal as per the Article 76 Clause 2 of the Constitution,
according to a statement issued by the President's Office.
 The President had called any member of the House of Representatives, who can garner a majority with support
from two or more parties as stipulated in the Article 76 clause 2 of the Constitution to submit a claim for the Prime
Minister's post.
 Prachanda, 68, had submitted the claim before the deadline given by the President expired at 5 pm on Sunday.
International Finance Corporation approves 400 million dollar loan to HDFC

 World Bank’s investment arm, International Finance Corporation (IFC) has proposed to make a $400 million
(around ₹3,400 crore) loan to mortgage lender HDFC Ltd, with an aim to drive India’s green housing growth.
 The capital will help HDFC boost its green affordable housing portfolio, with 75% (around $300 million) of the
proceeds earmarked for this sector, the company said in a statement.
 “We are keen to increase our footprint in funding affordable and green housing and are committed towards
supporting India’s efforts for a sustainable and green, low-carbon economy. This investment will help galvanize
HDFC’s efforts to cater to the underserved segments of the population, boosting economic resilience and supporting
the government’s vision of housing for all," said Renu Sud Karnad, managing director – HDFC Ltd.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Adani Green becomes world’s largest wind-solar hybrid power developer with 450 MW Rajasthan plant
Adani Green stated that it has commissioned a 450 MW wind-solar hybrid power plant in Rajasthan. With the new
hybrid plant in Jaisalmer, Adani Green Energy has the largest operational hybrid power generation capacity of 1,440
MW. AGEL has a total operational generation capacity of 7.17 GW, making it the largest wind-solar hybrid power
farm developer.
ISRO inks MoU with Social Alpha to establish SpaceTech Innovation Network
 Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Social Alpha today signed an MoU to launch SpaceTech Innovation
Network (SpIN), India’s first dedicated platform for innovation curation and venture development for the
burgeoning space entrepreneurial ecosystem.In line with the partnership announcement, SpIN has launched its
first innovation challenge.
Japan's ispace launches world's first commercial moon lander

 A Japanese space startup launched a spacecraft to the moon after several delays, a step toward what would be a first
for the nation and for a private company.
 ispace Inc's HAKUTO-R mission took off without incident from Cape Canaveral, Florida, after two postponements
caused by inspections of its SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
NASA Successfully Launches Game-Changing SWOT Mission To Survey Earth's Water

 The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the French space agency Centre National
d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES) have jointly launched the newest Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT)
spacecraft to track nearly all the water on the surface of the Earth. It was launched atop a SpaceX rocket from Space
Launch Complex 4E at California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base. It will remain operational for 3 years.
 The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission is a satellite altimeter jointly developed and operated
by NASA and CNES (French space agency) in partnership with the space agencies of the UK and Canada.
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 The mission’s objective is to make the world’s first-ever global survey of the Earth’s surface water, capable of
observing the finer details of the ocean surface topography and measuring the changes in the terrestrial surface
water bodies.
 As it uses wide-swath of altimetry technology, the mission will be capable of almost completely observing the
world’s oceans and freshwater bodies with repeated high-resolution elevation measurements.
 The satellite can measure the height of water in freshwater bodies and the ocean on more than 90 percent of the
Earth’s surface.
 The information obtained from this mission can be used to understand the ocean’s influence in climate change,
impact of global warming on the waterbodies.
Indian Armed Forces To Get Pralay Missile; 150-500 Km Range Will Allow Targeting Of Chinese Infra In
Tibet
 As the conflicts in the border region with China increase, the Indian armed forces are now set to procure the ‘Pralay’
ballistic missile that can hit the target from 150 to 500 km. Defence Research and Development Organisation
(DRDO) had successfully conducted the maiden flight test of the indigenously developed surface-to-surface missile
‘Pralay’, from Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha in December 2021.
 “The new missile followed the desired quasi ballistic trajectory and reached the designated target with high degree
accuracy, validating the control, guidance and mission algorithms. All the sub-systems performed satisfactorily. All
the sensors deployed near the impact point across the eastern coast, including the down range ships, tracked the
missile trajectory and captured all the events,” the statement read.
 The Pralay missiles combined with the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles would be the longest-range tactical
weapon system in the defence forces as the long-range strategic weapons are controlled by the strategic forces
command. The missile can help the troops to completely destroy or take out enemy air defence sites or similar high-
value targets.
Gaganyaan: India Targets Q4 2024 For Launch Of Its Maiden Human Space Flight Mission
 The Government has said, the country’s maiden human space flight mission, Gaganyaan, is targeted to be launched
in the fourth quarter of 2024. Science & Technology Minister, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, in view of the paramount
importance of crew safety, two uncrewed flights are scheduled, before the final human space flight- ‘H1 mission’, to
demonstrate the performance of the crew escape system and parachute-based deceleration system for different
flight conditions.
He said, uncrewed ‘G1 mission’ will be targeted in the last quarter of next year, followed by the ‘G2’ in the second
quarter of 2024. Dr. Jitendra Singh said the astronaut designates for the Gaganyaan are identified and undergoing
mission-specific training at Bengaluru. The first uncrewed flight of Gaganyaan programme ‘G1’ mission is aimed at
validating the performance of the human rated launch vehicle, Orbital module propulsion system, mission
management, communication system, and recovery operations. The mission will carry a humanoid as a payload.
APPOINTMENS & RESIGNATIONS
PT Usha all set to become first woman president of Indian Olympic Association
 PT Usha was elected to become the president of the Indian Olympics Association (IOA). The Minister of Law and
Justice of India announced on Twitter to congratulate the legendary Indian athletes. PT Usha becomes the first
woman president of the IOA.
 She also expressed her intentions to run for IOA on 26th November 2022. She was the only contender for the
election of the top position in the sports organization.
 PT Usha is one of the most accomplished athletes in India.She has won 11 medals including four gold at the Asian
Games between 1982 and 1994. She also won four gold medals at the Seoul Asan Games in 1986.
 She has participated in 200m, 400m hurdles, and 4×400 relays. Umesh Sinha the returning officer for the IOA
elections has reported that the process was underway on 25th November.
Punjab-origin Gurdeep Randhawa first Indian appointed to state presidium of German political party
 Indian-origin German citizen, Gurdeep Singh Randhawa has been appointed to the Thuringia state Christian
Democratic Union (CDU) party presidium in Germany. Randhawa has been an active member of the CDU and has
served in the party for several years now. Earlier in August, Gurdeep Singh Randhawa was elected as the first
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representative of the Indian community in Germany. It is the first time that an Indian-origin German national has
been appointed to a state presidium in Germany by the CDU.
 As a representative of the Indian community, Randhawa’s work was to make the concerns of the Indian community
heard. His task was also to encourage Indians to become politically active. Randhawa continues to have business
ties with India and is also involved in humanitarian work, especially for the rights of Sikhs and the people of Punjab.
 The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian-democratic and liberal-conservative political party in
Germany. It is the major catch-all party of the centre-right in German politics. The CDU’s policies derive from
political Catholicism, Catholic social teaching and political Protestantism as well as economic liberalism and
national conservatism.
Ex-Health Secretary Preeti Sudan appointed UPSC member

 Andhra Pradesh cadre IAS officer and former health secretary, Preeti Sudan has took the oath of office and secrecy
as Member, UPSC. The oath was administered to her by the UPSC chairman Dr Manoj Soni. Sudan superannuated
as the Union Health Secretary in July, 2020. She also served as Secretary, Department of Food & Public Distribution,
and in Women and Child Development and Defence Ministries.
 Preeti Sudan is an M.Phil in Economics & MSc in Social Policy and Planning from LSE. Amongst her notable
contributions have been initiating two major flagship programmes of the country, i.e., Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao and
Ayushman Bharat, apart from Legislation on National Medical Commission, Allied Health Professionals
Commission & ban on E-cigarettes. Sudan was also a Consultant with the World Bank. She served as Chair of COP-
8 of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, Vice Chair of Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child
Health, Chair of Global Digital Health Partnership and as member of WHO’s Independent Panel for Pandemic
Preparedness and Response.
Senior journalist Ravish Kumar resigns from NDTV amid Adani takeover
 A senior journalist, Ravish Kumar has resigned from NDTV according to news sources. This comes just a day after
the channel’s founders and promoters Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy resigned from their positions as directors on
the board of RRPR Holding Private Limited (RRPRH). The senior jounalists resignation come after the news channel
was acquired by the Adani Group, and holds 29.18% stake in the news channel.
 Prannoy Roy and his wife Radhika Roy had resigned as Directors on the Board of RRPR Holding Private Limited
just yesterday, the company said in a regulatory filing on Tuesday. The board of RRPR Holding has approved the
appointment of Sudipta Bhattacharya, Sanjay Pugalia and Senthil Sinniah Chengalvarayan as Directors on its board
with immediate effect.
 Kumar, a winner of the Ramon Magsaysay award, used to host a number of programs including the channel’s
flagship weekday show Hum Log, Ravish ki Report, Des Ki Baat, and Prime Time. He has also been conferred with
the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award twice.
Hansraj Ahir assumes charge as NCBC chairperson

 Former Union Minister Hansraj Gangaram Ahir assumed charge as Chairperson of the National Commission for
Backward Classes (NCBC) on Friday.
 He belongs to District Chandrapur, State of Maharashtra. He is an Agriculturist by profession, read a statement
from the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.
 Hansraj Gangaram Ahir had been elected four times Member of Parliament from Parliamentary Constituency
Chandrapur, Maharashtra and also he was Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council. He had been Member
of various Standing Committees of Parliament and also served as the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing
Committee on Coal and Steel.
 He had been Union Minister of State for Home Affairs and Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers,
Government of India the 16th Lok Sabha.
Vijender Sharma elected president, Rakesh Bhalla as VP of ICAI

 The Institute of Cost Accountants of India on Monday said that Vijender Sharma has been elected as the new
president and Rakesh Bhalla as vice-president for 2022-23.
 The institute, which is a statutory body set up under an Act of Parliament, comes under the administrative control
of Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
 Vijender Sharma has been elected as the President of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICAI) for the year
2022-23, according to a statement.
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 The institute conducted the election of President on November 28.
 Sharma is a fellow member of ICAI and a law graduate. He is a leading practising cost accountant since 1998 and
insolvency professional since January 2017.
 He has an experience of over 22 years in diversified areas of financial, cost and management accounting, internal
audit, management consultancy, forensic audit, insolvency and liquidation, etc.
Hansraj Ahir assumes charge as NCBC chairperson

 Former Union Minister Hansraj Gangaram Ahir assumed charge as Chairperson of the National Commission for
Backward Classes (NCBC).
 Hansraj Gangaram Ahir had been elected four times Member of Parliament from Parliamentary Constituency
Chandrapur, Maharashtra and also he was Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council. He had been Union
Minister of State for Home Affairs.
Sushmita Shukla appointed First Vice President, Chief Operating Officer of Federal Reserve Bank of New
York
 Sushmita Shukla, an Indian-origin veteran of the insurance industry, has been appointed as First Vice President
and Chief Operating Officer at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, making her the second-ranking officer at the
prominent institution.
 The appointment was approved by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
 President and Chief Executive Officer of the New York Fed John Williams.
Ashok Leyland appoints Shenu Agarwal as MD and CEO

 Ashok Leyland, a subsidiary of Hinduja group, announced on December 8, 2022, that they had appointed Shenu
Agarwal as the new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer for a period of five years from December 8, 2022,
to December 7, 2027.
 Agarwal joins Ashok Leyland from Escorts Kubota Ltd, where he was its President.
Vodafone CEO Nick Reed to step down from his role

 Vodafone Chief Executive Officer Nick Read will step down as head of organisation at the end of December 2022.
He will be replaced on an interim basis by Margherita Della Valle who has been serving as Chief Financial Officer
OF Vodafone Group.
 Nick Read has been serving the group for more than 20 years and is holding the chair of CEO for the last four years.
Meghna Ahlawat new TTFI president, ex-champ Kamlesh Mehta secretary

 Meghna Ahlawat was elected president of the Table Tennis Federation of India on Monday with former stalwart
Kamlesh Mehta elected secretary general.
 Patel Nagender Reddy was elected treasurer. The Delhi High Court had suspended TTFI in February and appointed
a Committee of Administrators (CoA) to take over its functioning.Dushyant Chautala was the previous TTFI
president.
GoI appointed Meenesh C Shah as the Managing Director of NDDB

 National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has appointed Meenesh C Shah as its Managing Director with effect
from November 15. Union Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Parshottam Rupala informed that
the Gujarat-based NDDB does not have regular chairman since December 2020.
 Varsha Joshi, the then Joint Secretary in the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India,
held the additional charge of the post of Chairman, NDDB, from December 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021.
Senior nuclear scientist K V Suresh Kumar is new BHAVINI CMD

 Senior nuclear scientist K V Suresh Kumar assumed charge as the chairman and managing director of the Bharatiya
Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI).
 BHAVINI is tasked with operationalizing the Stage-II of India's three-stage nuclear programme with a focus on fast
breeder reactor technology.
 BHAVINI is under the Government's Department of Atomic Energy.
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Sir Jeremy Farrar becomes WHO's Chief Scientist
 World Health Organization (WHO) announced that Dr Jeremy Farrar will become its new Chief Scientist.
Currently, Director of the Wellcome Trust, Dr Farrar will join WHO in the second quarter of 2023. As WHO’s Chief
Scientist, Dr Farrar will oversee the Science Division, bringing together the best brains in science and innovation
from around the world to develop and deliver high quality health services to the people who need them most, no
matter who they are and where they live.
 Dr Farrar is a clinician scientist who, before joining Wellcome in 2013, spent 17 years as Director of the Clinical
Research Unit at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Viet Nam where his research interests were in global health
with a focus on emerging infectious diseases. Dr Farrar is a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences UK, European
Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO), the National Academies USA and a Fellow of The Royal Society.
 Dr Amelia Latu Afuhaamango Tuipulotu will become WHO’s Chief Nursing Officer. Previously Minister for Health
of the Kingdom of Tonga, and before that Tonga’s Chief Nursing Officer, Dr Tuipulotu will join WHO in the first
quarter of 2023.
Harvard appoints Claudine Gay as first Black president

 Harvard University named Claudine Gay, a dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science, as its new president, the first
African American to hold the post at the prestigious university. Gay, 52, is just the second woman to be elected to
head the school in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Gay, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, will take over as the
university’s 30th president on July 1, 2023.
 The daughter of Haitian immigrants, Gay graduated from Stanford and then earned her Ph.D. in government at
Harvard in 1998, winning the Toppan Prize for best dissertation in political science.
 Gay was elected to the presidency by the Harvard Corporation, the university’s principal governing board.
Rail Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw appointed 1st Chancellor of Gati Shakti University
 Union Minister of Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw has been appointed as the Chancellor of Gati Shakti
Vishwavidyalaya, Vadodara, by President Smt. Draupadi Murmu. It is noteworthy to mention that Shri Ashwini
Vaishnaw will be the first Chancellor of Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya. President also appointed Dr Manoj Chaudhary
as the first Vice Chancellor of Gati Shakti University, Vadodara. As per the Central University Act, 2009, Dr Manoj
Chaudhary will hold the position of Vice Chancellor of Gati Shakti University for five years from the date he assumes
office.
 Gati Shakti University was granted the central status by the Union Cabinet in July 2022.
 In August this year, the Central Government introduced a bill in the Lok Sabha to convert the National Rail and
Transportation Institute, into Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya, an autonomous central university.
 The Central Universities (Amendment) Bill was introduced by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan
which seeks to expand the scope of the university from beyond the railways to cover the entire transport sector to
support the ambitious growth and modernisation in the field.
Major General Mohit Seth appointed as General Officer Commanding

 Major General Mohit Seth has took over as the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Counter Insurgency
Force Kilo. He took over from Major General Sanjiv Singh Slaria who has been moved to Northern Command
headquarters in Udhampur. In his distinguished military career spanning over three decades, the General Officer
has held various prestigious staff and command appointments in Jammu and Kashmir, the northeast and at the
Army headquarters.
 Major General Mohit Seth has also served as Indian Army Liaison Officer, High Commission of India, United
Kingdom.
 Maj Gen Seth, who took over as GOC of Kilo Force was commissioned into 3 MADRAS Regiment in December 1991.
He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Maj Gen Seth attended the prestigious NDC at New Delhi.
Puma India onboards Anushka Sharma as brand ambassador

 The manufacturer and designer of causal and athletic footwear, Puma has roped in Bollywood actor and
entrepreneur Anushka Sharma as its brand ambassador. The association is intended to “accelerate Puma’s strong
commitment towards women consumer segment”. The actor will endorse the brand’s footwear, apparel and
accessories, including select collections through myriad activities and brand campaigns, throughout the year.
 The brand announced ‘End of Season Sale’ promotions on its social media featuring images of the actor in its
products. Anushka took to her social media and called out the brand for using her imagery only after onboarding
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her as a brand ambassador. The brand’s other ambassadors in India include Kareena Kapoor Khan, MC Mary Kom,
Yuvraj Singh, Sunil Chhetri, and most recently Harrdy Sandhu.
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
Film Bazaar concludes at IFFI in Goa; Bangladesh film 'Agantuk' wins Prasad DI award
 The 5-day long Film Bazaar concluded at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa with Bangladesh
feature film ‘Agantuk’ being named the winner of the Prasad DI award. The Biplob Sarkar-directed movie was
screened in the Viewing Room section, which presents Indian and South Asian films looking for film festivals, world
sales, distribution partners and also finishing funds.
 From the Work in Progress (WIP) Lab section of Film Bazaar, the Kannada film ‘Mithya’ bagged the Prasad Post-
production award, while the multilingual Nepali, Kumaoni, and Hindi film ‘Bahadur’ won the Moviebuff
Appreciation Award.
 Two short movies, ‘Perianayaki’ by Bala Murali Shingade and Suchana Saha’s animated film ‘Priyo Ami’, received
the under the “Film Bazaar Recommends (FBR) ” category. The French Institute Award by the French Embassy was
given to ‘Kissa – E – Circus’ by Savita Singh which was showcased in the co-production market.
Team Purple’s ‘Dear Diary’ Claims 75 Creative Minds Prize at IFFI

 Team Purple, with its newly minted “Dear Diary” was named the winner of the 75 Creative Minds of Tomorrow
talent campus, a segment of the International Film Festival of India. The winning film “Dear Diary” told a story of
a woman who is forced to confront her past trauma when she meets with her sister, who wants to visit the same
venue where her abuse previously took place. The films were judged by a three-member jury chaired by celebrated
filmmaker Mani Ratnam along with CEO and Shorts TV founder Carter Pilcher and Armstrong Pame, deputy
secretary (Films-I) at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
 The second edition of ‘75 Creative Minds of Tomorrow’ at International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa
concluded with the award ceremony of the “53-Hour Challenge”. The competition provided a challenge to the 75
Creative Minds selected from all over the country to produce a short film on their idea of India@100, all in 53 hours.
The event involved participants, aged between 18-35 years, who hailed from different aspects of filmmaking and
from across India. Among their challenges was to work in five teams and produce a short film in the space of just
53 hours and on a budget of no more than $1,000.
Union Minister Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan presents National Gopal Ratna Award
 Union Minister of State for Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, and Dairying Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan conferred the
National Gopal Ratna Award to the farmers, Cooperatives, and technicians involved in Artificial Insemination for
their exemplary contribution towards milk production in India.
 The award was conferred during the National Milk Day event at Dr. Babu Rajendra Prasad International Convention
Centre, GKVK Campus, Bengaluru.India is the highest milk producer with a 33 percent contribution to global
production.
 There are 222 cooperatives in the countries with over 17 million farmers supplying milk. The National Milk Day was
celebrated to commemorate the 101st birth anniversary of Dr. Verghese Kurien, also known as the ‘Father of White
Revolution.
 National Gopal Award is one of the highest National Awards in the livestock and dairy sector field. The National
Gopal Ratna Award has an objective to recognize and encourage all individuals like farmers rearing indigenous
animals. AI Technicians and Dairy cooperative societies, Milk Producer Companies, and Dairy Farmer’s Producers
Organizations working in this sector.
Sangeet Natak Akademi announces 128 winners of Akademi Puraskar

 The Sangeet Natak Akademi has announced 128 winners of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (Akademi Puraskar)
for the years 2019, 2020 and 2021 for their significant contribution to the fields of music, dance, theatre,
traditional/folk/tribal music/dance/theatre, puppetry and contribution/scholarship in the performing arts. The
General Council of the Akademi also announced 10 eminent personalities in the field of performing arts as Akademi
Fellows. While the winners of the Akademi Puruskar will receive a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh, Akademi fellows will get
Rs 3 lakh each and both will also receive a tamrapatra and angavastram.
 Among the Akademi Fellows are Bharatnatyam exponent Saroja Vaidyanathan, Kerala-based Kathakali dancer
Sadanam Krishnan Kutty, Manipuri dancer Darshana Jhaveri, Banaras-based Hindustani classical vocalist
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Chhannulal Mishra, Carnatic music clarinet player A.K.C Natarajan, Hindustani classical singer of Gwalior gharana
Malini Rajurkar, two-time Grammy nominee and tabla maestro Swapan Chaudhuri and Cochin-based Hindustani
and Carnatic music vocalist T. V. Gopalakrishnan, among others. With these 10 new Akademi Fellows, the tally of
fellows has increased to 39.
 Apart from these, the Akademi has also announced the names of 86 artists from the field of the performing arts
who have won the one-time Sangeet Natak Akademi Amrit Award under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM), which
commemorates 75 years of India’s independence. These include artists above the age of 75 years who haven’t been
accorded any national honour in their career. These artists will receive a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh.
 Additionally, the Akademi also announced the names of 102 artists for the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for
the years 2019, 2020, and 2021.
Tamil writer Imayam selected for Kuvempu national award

 Rashtrakavi Kuvempu Prathishtana Kuppali has selected Tamil poet V Annamalai aka Imayam for the Kuvempu
National award for the year 2022 at the Kuvempu’s 118th birth anniversary program on December 29 at Kuppali in
Thirthahalli taluk. ‘Kannada National Poet Kwembu Rashtriya Puraskar Award is presented annually in memory of
the late poet Kwembu has been announced to Writer Institute for the Tamil language. The award carries a cash
prize of Rs 5 lakh, a silver medal and a citation.
 Annamalai writes in the pen name Imayam and has penned seven novels, six short story collections, and a novella.
His debut novel ‘Koveru Kazhudaigal has been translated into English, French, and many other Indian languages.
Imayam has brought new sensibilities to Tamil literature through his writings. His novels Koveru Kazhudaigal and
Pethavan, have been translated into English and several other languages.
Tamil writer Imayam selected for Kuvempu national award

 Rashtrakavi Kuvempu Prathishtana Kuppali has selected Tamil poet V Annamalai aka Imayam for the Kuvempu
National award for the year 2022 at the Kuvempu’s 118th birth anniversary program on December 29 at Kuppali in
Thirthahalli taluk. ‘Kannada National Poet Kwembu Rashtriya Puraskar Award is presented annually in memory of
the late poet Kwembu has been announced to Writer Institute for the Tamil language. The award carries a cash
prize of Rs 5 lakh, a silver medal and a citation.
 Annamalai writes in the pen name Imayam and has penned seven novels, six short story collections, and a novella.
His debut novel ‘Koveru Kazhudaigal has been translated into English, French, and many other Indian languages.
Imayam has brought new sensibilities to Tamil literature through his writings. His novels Koveru Kazhudaigal and
Pethavan, have been translated into English and several other languages.
Iranian film 'Nargesi' on the struggles of a person with Down's

 Iranian film Nargesi by Director Payam Eskandari has won the ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Medal at the 53rd edition of
International Film Festival of India, given for a film that best reflects Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals of peace, tolerance
and non-violence. The film is about a man with Down’s syndrome and the burden and consequences it creates in
his life. Compassion and tenderness are the two qualities depicted in this award-winning film.
 The film depicts struggles of a human being with Down’s Syndrome whose greatest wish is to find love and get
married and, in that pursuit, he attempts at doing anything. It seems, however, that the present-day world offers
no place for him and his love until a gift completely turns his life around. Payam Eskandari is a young Iranian
director who is known for his movies ‘Nargesi’, ‘The Good, the Bad, the Corny’ (2017) and ‘Mohey’ (2016). He has
also worked as an actor and writer.
Avani Lekhara wins Para Sportsperson of the Year award

 At the Turf 2022 and India Sports Awards of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI),
former Ranji cricketer Sarkar Talwar was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement of the Year award. Talwar, the
Director-Sports, Manav Rachna Education Institutions, is also the recipient of the Dronacharya Lifetime Award,
given by the President of India. Apart from Talwar, Avani Lekhara, who won two medals at the Tokyo 2020
Paralympics, was recognized as the Para Sports Person of the Year, while Shrey Kadyan was recognized as the Special
Sportsperson of the Year. Best Male Coach to R.B. Ramesh and Best Female Coach to Nonita Lal Qureshi.
 For his contribution to sports journalism, Rakesh Rao, Deputy Editor (Sports) of The Hindu, was presented the
Special Recognition Award by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), at the FICCI
India Sports Awards 2022 held at Federation House.
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Manthan Platform Wins the Best Tech Initiative Award
 The Manthan platform won NSEIT the Best Tech Initiative of the Year at the Dun & Bradstreet Business Excellence
Awards 2022 .
 The award was presented for building the technology infrastructure to support Manthan, a platform that promotes
collaboration at scale between industry and the scientific research and development ecosystem.
India's Greenhouse-in-a-Box startup Kheyti wins 2022 Earthshot Prize

A Greenhouse-in-a-Box sustainable solution for small farmers devised by Telangana startup Kheyti has won the 1
million pounds Earthshot Prize, founded by Britain's Prince William and dubbed the Eco Oscars'. Kheyti, one of the
five winners at a gala green carpet awards ceremony in Boston, won the prize in the Protect and Restore Nature
category from hundreds.
Indian-origin science teacher wins Prime Minister's prize in Australia

 An Indian-origin teacher in Australia has received the 2022 Prime Minister's Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching
in secondary schools. Melbourne-based Veena Nair, who is ViewBank College's Head of Technology and STEAM
project leader, has been awarded for demonstrating practical application of STEAM to students, and how they can
use their skills to make a real impact in the world.
 As a leading educator in STEAM, Nair has more than 20 years of experience in teaching science-based subjects
across India, the United Arab Emirates, and now Australia.
Former VP Venkaiah Naidu confers with SIES Award for public leadership
 Former vice president Venkaiah Naidu has been conferred with the 25th Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi National
Eminence Award (SIES). The award was presented during the event held at Shanmukhananda auditorium, King’s
Circle in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The awards are given in the fields of public leadership, community leadership,
science and technology, and social thinkers who have made outstanding contributions in their respective fields.
The SIES was set up in 1932 by M. V. Venkateshwaran in Mumbai.
 Venkaiah Naidu was the 13th Vice President of India from 11th August 2017 to 11th August 2022.
 Prior to joining Modi’s Cabinet, he was the minister of housing, urban poverty alleviation, urban development, and
information.
 He was a prominent leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its National President from 2002 to 2004.
 He served as Minister for Rural Development in Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government from 1996 to 2002.
SpiceJet wins ‘Safety Performer of the Year’ award by Delhi Airport

 SpiceJet has been awarded the ‘Safety Performer of the Year’ award by GMR Delhi Airport Awards for being the top
performer among the self-handling airlines and as it has been able to reduce ground safety violations significantly.
SpiceJet ground handling team at Delhi Airport achieved this performance through constant focus on quality
improvements, innovation and hard work. Moreover, their role in minimising incidences of ground safety violations
ensured compliance with safety guidelines and regulatory requirements.
 Recently, the airline was audited by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and its operations, safety
processes, and systems were found to be strong and at par with the global best practices and safety standards.
 The airline was the only scheduled Indian airline part of the audit conducted by ICAO, the United Nations aviation
arm. The audit of SpiceJet safety systems “helped India achieve” its highest-ever safety ranking in ICAO audit
After Golden Globes and Critics Choice, SS Rajamouli's RRR bags 4 nominations at HCA Film Awards
 SS Rajamouli-directed period movie ‘RRR’ has been nominated in two categories at the Golden Globe Awards to be
held in January 2023. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) has nominated ‘RRR’ in the Best Picture:
Non-English language and Best Original Song Naatu Naatu.
 ‘RRR’ follows a pre-Independence story woven around two real-life Indian revolutionaries: Alluri Sitarama Raju and
Komaram Bheem, in the 1920s. Starring Ram Charan and Jr NTR in the lead, the film released worldwide in March
in five languages. RRR is the only Indian film to make the final five out of a clutch of other entries from India, among
them Gangubai Kathiawadi, Kantara and Chhello Show.
India's Sargam Koushal wins Mrs World 2022

 Sargam Koushal created history as she finally won the Mrs World 2022 title after 21 years while competing for India
in the pageant. The 32-year-old won the competition in Las Vegas after defeating competitors from 63 other nations.
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 Sargam Koushal beat Mrs. Polynesia to win the title.
 The Jammu and Kashmir-born beauty queen previously worked as a teacher in Vizag.
 Koushal is shown beaming in photographs from her historic victory that were posted on the Mrs India pageant’s
official Instagram account. “The long wait is over; the CROWN is returned after 21 years!” Check out the caption.
 Sargam Koushal, an Indian contestant, won the title of Mrs. World on Sunday at a gala held in Las Vegas.
Sonakshi Sinha is PETA India's 2022 'Person of the Year'

 Bollywood actress, Sonakshi Sinha has been awarded PETA India’s 2022 Person of the Year title. Sonakshi’s actions
helped save the lives of many animals killed for fashion, but her strong advocacy for dog and cat rights earned her
the title. She is actively involved in animal welfare activities and regularly voices out the need for stronger animal
protection laws. The international animal rights non-profit group endorsed the title and celebrated the actions of
the “Dabang” actress for saving animal lives in India.
 Last year, Alia Bhatt was awarded the same title. Previously PETA India Person of the Year winners include former
Supreme Court Justice KS Panicker Radhakrishnan, cricketer Virat Kohli, comedian Kapil Sharma; and actors John
Abraham, Anushka Sharma, Sunny Leone, R Madhavan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Hema Malini, and Sonam Kapoor
Ahuja, among others.
Oscars 2023: RRR's Naatu Naatu, Last Film Show, among others shortlisted for the 95th Academy Awards
 The Gujarati-language Chhello Show (The Last Show), which is India’s official entry for the 2023 Academy Awards
or Oscars awards in the International Feature film category, has been shortlisted for next year’s Academy Awards.
Meanwhile, the track Naatu Naatu from SS Rajamouli’s RRR has been shortlisted in the Best Original Song Category.
The Academy announced the list of shortlisted entries in 10 categories. The nominations for the Academy Awards
will be announced on January 24.
 India’s history with the Oscar entries for the last few years were – Koozhangal, Jallikattu, Gully Boy, Village
Rockstars, Newton, Visaranani, all of which have failed to make the Oscar shortlist. The only Indian films to have
been nominated for an Oscar so far have been Mother India, Salaam Bombay and Lagaan.
 As far as RRR’s best song category is concerned, 15 songs have been shortlisted from among 81 tunes. Other songs
include ‘Nothing Is Lost’ from ‘Avatar: The way Of Water’, ‘Lift Me Up’ from ‘Blank Panther: Wakanda Forever’,
‘Hold My Hand’ from ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ among others.
Sahitya Akademi Award Winner list 2022

 The award has been given by the central government for the best literature of every year. Accordingly, the central
government has announced the Sahitya Akademi Award for literature on December 22. Writer M. Rajendran from
Tamil Nadu has received this award for his novel ‘Kala Pani’. The awardee will be presented with a cash prize of one
lakh rupees and a copper Shield. This ‘Kala Pani’ novel is a historical novel based on the war of Kalayarkovil or
Kalayarkool.
 The Awards, recommended by distinguished Jury members in 23 Indian languages, were approved by the Executive
Board of the Sahitya Akademi, under the Chairmanship of Dr. Chandrashekhar Kambar, President, Sahitya
Akademi.
SAHITYA AKADEMI AWARD 2022:
Language Title and Genre Name of the Author
Assamese Bhool Satya (Short Stories) Manoj Kumar Goswami
Bodo Sansrini Modira (Poetry) Rashmi Choudhury
Dogri Chhe Roopak (Drama) Veena Gupta
English All The Lives We Never Lived (Novel) Anuradha Roy
Gujarati Gher Jatan (Autobiographical Essays) Gulam Mohammad Shaikh
Hindi Tumadi Ke Shabd (Poetry) Badri Narayan
Kannada Bahutvada Bhaarata mattu Bouddha Taatvikate (Collection Mudnakudu Chinnaswamy
of Articles)
Kashmiri Zael Dab (Literary Criticism) Farooq Fayaz
Konkani Amrutvel (Novel) Maya Anil Kharangate
Maithili Pen-Drive Me Prithvi (Poetry) Ajit Azad
Malayalam Ashaante Seethayanam (Literary Criticism) M. Thomas Mathew
Manipuri Leironnung (Poetry) Koijam Shantibala
Marathi Ujavya Sondechya Bahulya (Novel) Praveen Dashrath Bandekar
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Nepali Saino (Drama) K.B. Nepali
Odia Dayanadi (Poetry) Gayatribala Panda
Punjabi Main Aynghosh Nahi (Short Stories) Sukhjit
Rajasthani Alekhun Amba (Play) Kamal Ranga
Janardan Prasad Pandey
Sanskrit Deepmanikyam (Poetry)
‘Mani’
Santali Sabarnaka Balire Sanan’ Panjay (Poetry) Kajli Soren (Jagannath Soren)
Sindhi Sindhi Sahit Jo Mukhtasar Itihas (Literary History) Kanhaiyalal Lekhwani
Tamil Kaala Paani (Novel) M. Rajendran
Telugu Manodharmaparagam (Novel) Madhuranthakam Narendra
Urdu Khwab Saraab (Novel) Anis Ashfaq
The Last Show And RRR’s Naatu Naatu Make It To Shortlist: Oscars 2023
UIDAI bags top data security award for best practices in govt sector
 Data Security Council of India (DSCI), a not-for-profit, industry body on data protection in India, setup by
NASSCOM awarded UIDAI for its significant role in securing national critical ‘Aadhaar’ infrastructure that provides
digital identity based welfare services to residents.
 The jury recognized the forward looking security strategy, good security practices for safeguarding residents’
demographic and biometric data and the proactive approach in addressing new age cyber security risks and threats
through effective and efficient security governance and state of art security infrastructure deployment.
 This award is another feather in the cap for UIDAI, which takes pride to be the first Government Organization to
be Privacy Certified on leading industry standard (ISO27701) and one of the leading government institutions that is
ahead in innovation and incubation of indigenized technology implementation.
 The award was given in the just concluded three day ‘Annual Information Security Summit (AISS)’ of DSCI in New
Delhi. Among over 270 nominations across five award categories, UIDAI was awarded by DCSI jury panel for ‘Best
Security Practices in Government Sector’.
The Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize 2021-22 jointly won by Sudeep Sen and Shobhana Kumar
 The Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize has been jointly won by Sudeep Sen for his genre and formbender
Anthropocene: Climate Change, Contagion, Consolation (Pippa Rann Books & Media, 2021) and Shobhana Kumar
for her haibun collection A Sky Full of Bucket Lists (Red River, 2021). The winners, awarded $10,000 and a
Rabindranath Tagore statuette, were picked from a shortlist of 11 at India International Centre, with the Tagore
Prize for social achievement going to Sanjoy K Roy, producer of the Jaipur Literature Festival.
 The Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize was started in 2018 to annually recognise literary and social
accomplishments. In 2020, the award was won by Raj Kamal Jha, Chief Editor, The Indian Express, for The City and
The Sea (2019, Penguin Books), and in 2019, it was awarded posthumously to Kabir for One Hundred Poems of
Kabir, translated by Rabindranath Tagore.
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NHPC wins ‘Best Globally Competitive Power Company of India – Hydropower and Renewable Energy
Sector’ at PRAKASHmay ‘15th Enertia Awards 2022’
 NHPC Limited has been awarded as Winner of ‘Best Globally Competitive Power Company of India – Hydropower
and Renewable Energy Sector’ at PRAKASHmay ‘15th Enertia Awards 2022’. Shri U.S. Sahi, Executive Director
(EMS/CC/CSR), NHPC received the award on behalf of NHPC at a glittering function held at New Delhi Institute
of Management, New Delhi on 22nd December 2022.
 The Award has been conferred to NHPC in recognition of its leadership in the hydropower sector with a gross asset
class renewable energy capacity of more than 7000 MW. The award also recognizes that NHPC has more than 5000
MW of projects under construction and an ambitious 7000 MW plus plan for Solar capacity addition. The award
was given by Shri V.M. Bansal, Chairman, New Delhi Institute of Management. During the event Shri K. Vijayanand,
Special Chief Secretary, Energy, Government of Andhra Pradesh and Shri A.K. Singh, former CMD, NHPC were also
present.
Nobel Prize 2022 Winners

 The Nobel Prize is one of the most prestigious and distinguished awards given in six different fields, namely, Physics,
Chemistry, Literature, Economic Sciences, Physiology or Medicine, and Peace Prize. It was started in 1901 by the
Nobel Foundation in memory of Swedish scientist Alfred Nobel. The winners of the Nobel Prize are called Laureates
and are given a gold medal, a diploma, and a monetary award. In this article, we are covering the winners’ list of the
Nobel Prize 2022 Awards.
Nobel Prize 2022 Winners List
Nobel Prize Category Nobel Prize Winners Awarded For
Ben Bernanke, Douglas
Nobel Prize Winner in
Diamond and Philip “for research on Banks and Financial crises”
Economic Sciences
Dybvig
Ales Bialiatski, For promoting the right to criticize power and protect
Nobel Peace Prize 2022 organisation Memorial and the fundamental rights of citizens.
Winner organisation Center for For showing outstanding efforts to document war
Civil Liberties crimes, human rights abuses, and the abuse of power.
“for the courage and clinical acuity with which she
Nobel Prize Winner in
Annie Ernaux uncovers the roots, estrangements and collective
Literature
restraints of personal memory”.
“concerning the genomes of extinct hominins and
Physiology or Medicine Svante Paabo
human evolution”
Alain Aspect, John F “for experiments with entangled photons, establishing
Physics Clauser and Anton the violation of Bell inequalities, and pioneering
Zeilinger quantum information science”.
Nobel Prize Winner in Carolyn Bertozzi, Morten
“click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry”
Chemistry Meldal & Barry Sharpless
BOOKS & AUTHOR

Shekhar Pathak wins Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize 2022 for 'The Chipko Movement'
 A book on the popular forest conservation campaign Chipko Movement, written by historian-activist Shekhar
Pathak, was named the winner of the Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize 2022. Translated from Hindi by
Manisha Chaudhry, “The Chipko Movement: A People’s History” was selected from a diverse shortlist of five books
covering a wide expanse of modern Indian history and encompassing distinct topics and perspectives.
 The winner was selected by a six-member jury panel chaired by political scientist Niraja Gopal Jayal. The other jury
members were entrepreneur Manish Sabharwal; historians Srinath Raghavan and Nayanjot Lahiri; former diplomat
Navtej Sarna; and attorney Rahul Matthan.
 The other shortlisted books were “Accidental Feminism: Gender Parity and Selective Mobility Among India’s
Professional Elite” by Swethaa S Ballakrishnen; “Whole Numbers and Half Truths: What Data Can and Cannot Tell
Us About Modern India” by Rukmini S; “Midnight’s Borders: A People’s History of Modern India” by Suchitra
Vijayan; and “Born a Muslim: Some Truths about Islam in India” by Ghazala Wahab.
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A book ‘Brave Hearts of Bharat, Vignettes from Indian History’ authored by Vikram Sampath
 A book titled ‘Brave Hearts of Bharat, Vignettes from Indian History’ by Vikram Sampath, an anthology of 15 stories
of men and women and their indomitable spirit of freedom and courage, was launched in Delhi. The book is
published under Penguin publication.
 The book chronicles the stories of courage and determination of few individuals, whose stories largely remained
untold and therefore unknown for a long time.
Book “The Light We Carry: Overcoming In Uncertain Times” by Michelle Obama

 The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times is a nonfiction book written by Michelle Obama and
published, by Crown Publishing. The Light We Carry will inspire readers to examine their own lives, identify their
sources of gladness, and connect meaningfully in a turbulent world. The author “shares the contents of her ‘personal
toolbox’ – the habits and practices, attitudes and beliefs, and even physical objects that she uses to overcome her
feelings of fear, helplessness and self doubt.”
 The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times has generally received positive reviews by book critics for
herself on biography. In The Light We Carry, the former First Lady shares her practical wisdom and powerful
strategies for staying hopeful and balanced in today’s highly uncertain world.
IMPORTANT DAYS
World AIDS Day 2022:1st December
 Every year, on 1 December, the world commemorates World AIDS Day. People around the world unite to show
support for people living with and affected by HIV and to remember those who lost their lives to AIDS. The day
raise awareness and to unite people worldwide in the fight against the global health issue of acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome. The day provides an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against
HIV, to show support for people living with HIV and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related
illness.
 The World AIDS Day theme for 2022 is “equalize”. According to UNAIDS, “The slogan is a call to action. It is a
prompt for all of us to work for the proven practical actions needed to address inequalities and help end AIDS.
 World AIDS Day is significant to fight the stigma around it and focus on providing care and support for those who
are already living with the disease. Like with most major public health issues, the HIV pandemic has only been
presented with further challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Border Security Force to celebrate its Raising Day on 1st Dec 2022
 India celebrates the 58th BSF Raising Day (1st December) in 2022. This is for the first time that the Raising Day
Parade of India’s first line of defense is being held in Punjab and the second time outside the national capital. The
58th Raising Day Parade of the Border Security Force (BSF) will be held on December 4 on Guru Nanak Dev
University campus.
 Formed in 1965, the primary role of the BSF lies in securing the borders of India shared with Bangladesh and
Pakistan. The Border Security Force (BSF) comprises Indian armed personnel dedicated to protecting the
sovereignty and integrity along the Indo-Bangladesh and the Indo-Pakistan borders.
 From BSF Raising Day, personnel roll across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, securing the LoC
(Indo-Pakistan border) from rogue elements trying to infiltrate along the western borders.
 They operate in West Bengal, Meghalaya, Assam, Mizoram, and Tripura along the Indo-Bangladesh border. The
jurisdictions of BSF empower them to act within 50-km of the international border in these states.
National Pollution Control Day 2022: 2nd December

 National Pollution Control Day is observed every year on 2 December in India. The day is recognized to
commemorate the precious lives that were lost in the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, one of the greatest industrial disasters
in the history of India. The main aim and objectives of celebrating the National Pollution Prevention Day 2022 in
India is to create awareness among people about the judicious use of industries to prevent uncalled-for industrial
disasters.
 The significance of celebrating the National Pollution Control Day is to avoid similar catastrophes like the Bhopal
Gas Tragedy and save the earth from the damage caused by pollution. The day is dedicated to encourage the
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adoption of pollution control acts to prevent the environmental pollution caused by human negligence and
industrial emissions.
World Computer Literacy Day 2022: 2nd December

 December 2 is observed as International Computer Literacy Day. It was started in 2001 by NIIT, a world-famous
Indian computer firm. The day is entirely devoted to Computers and how they are a significant source of concern
with the modernisation of the planet. The aim is to highlight the importance of computer literacy, which is essential
for the present times. The day promotes technological skills, especially in children and women, and aims to inspire
them to learn more and make their work easier by the use of computers. To know, more about the World Computer
Literacy day candidates are advised to read the below article.
 World Computer Literacy Day was launched in 2001 by an Indian company called N.I.I.T to celebrate its 22nd
anniversary. Founded in 1981 by Rajendra Singh Pawar and Vijay K. Thadani, N.I.I.T, which stands for National
Institute of Information Technology, is a skills and talent development company. World Computer Literacy Day
was founded by the company in response to a study that revealed that men formed the majority of computer users
in the world. As a result, N.I.I.T took up the cause to educate more women and children by equipping them with
computer literacy skills. Since its inception in 1981, the company has spread to over 30 countries of the world.
International Day of Persons with Disabilities: 3 December

 December 3rd is celebrated as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, worldwide. The day is observed to
highlight issues that affect people with disabilities and to champion their well-being, their dignity and fundamental
rights. International Day of Persons with Disabilities is celebrated to encourage increased assimilation of persons
with disabilities in the socio-political, economic and cultural aspects of life. The goals fall under the 2030 Agenda
for Sustainable Development.
 The theme of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, this year, is “Transformative solutions for inclusive
development: the role of innovation in fuelling an accessible and equitable world“. The 2022 celebration will focus
on the need for innovative solutions to help create an inclusive developmental model to aid people with disabilities.
 In 1976, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed 1981 as the International Year of Disabled
Persons (IYDP). On February 6, 1981, US President Ronal Reagan did the same. Then the UNGA declared 1983-1992
as the decade of Disabled Persons. The adoption of December 3 as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities
happened during the UNGA’s 37th plenary meeting, on October 4, 1992.
‘Matiri Diwas’ marking recognition to Bangladesh by India celebrated in Dhaka

The 51st anniversary of ‘Maitri Diwas’ marking the recognition granted to Bangladesh by India in 1971 was celebrated
in Dhaka on 6th December.
Liberation war fighters, Parliamentarians, members from civil society, media, dignitaries, and other prominent
people took part in the event organised by the High Commission of India in Dhaka.
Armed Forces Flag Day 2022
December 7 is marked as the Armed Forces Flag Day or the Flag Day in India every year. The day is commemorated
in order to honour the soldiers serving in India’s armed forces as well as the veterans. This year, Prime Minister
Narendra Modi unveiled the new naval ensign that eschews the Union Jack and other colonial heritage of the past.
International Civil Aviation Day 2022
International Civil Aviation Day is observed on December 7 every year. The day was established by the United
Nations in order to promote the importance of international civil aviation.
The ICAO Council establishes the theme for International Civil Aviation Day every four years. The theme till 2023
is "Advancing Innovation for Global Aviation Development".
International Anti-Corruption Day 2022

 International Anti-Corruption Day is observed annually on December 9 with an aim to raise awareness against
corruption and the measures that can be implemented to fight it. The UN General Assembly adopted the United
Nations Convention against Corruption on October 31, 2003, and designated December 9 as International Anti-
Corruption Day.
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International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the
Prevention of this Crime: 9th December
 International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention
of this Crime is commemorated on December 9 of every year around the world.
 It is observed to raise awareness about the greatest crime perpetrated by man against man, the violation of human
rights and how it can be prevented in the future.
 On December 9, 1948, the United Nations adopted the first human rights treaty, the Convention on the Prevention
and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (the “Genocide Convention”).
Nobel Prize Day

 On December 10th, Nobel Prize Day recognizes the annual award established by Alfred Nobel. Since 1901, the five
Nobel Prize has been awarded annually on December 10th. In 1969:
 “The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel.” Each year on 10 December, a
ceremony is held in Stockholm, Sweden on the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.
Human Rights Day

 Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December — the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted,
in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
 The 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights will be celebrated on 10 December 2023.
 2022 Theme: Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for All.
UNICEF Day
 UNICEF Day is observed every year on December 11. The United Nations General Assembly created UNICEF on
December 11, 1946, as the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund.
 The organisation was originally named United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund.
International Mountain Day

 International Mountain Day is marked annually on 11 December to create awareness about mountains. The United
Nations accepted a document titled “Managing Fragile Ecosystems: Sustainable Mountain Development” while the
Commission on Sustainable Development was held in 1992.
 The United Nations General Assembly then declared 11 December as International Mountain Day in 2003.
 The theme for 2022 is “Women move mountains”
International Universal Health Coverage Day

 On 12 December 2017, the United Nations proclaimed 12 December as International Universal Health Coverage Day
(UHC Day). Universal Health Coverage Day, commemorated each 12 December, is the anniversary of the first
unanimous United Nations resolution calling for countries to provide affordable, quality health care to every person,
everywhere.
 The UHC Day 2022 theme is “Build the world we want: A healthy future for all,”
International Day of Neutrality

 International Day of Neutrality is commemorated on December 12. It is a day when people look at the possibility of
a world free of armed and other types of conflicts.
 The day was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2017. Its focus was on advo cating
and campaigning for intra -state peaceful relations.
National Energy Conservation Day 2022: History, significance and more

 The National Energy Conservation Day is celebrated every year on 14th December 2022. The purpose is to showcase
the achievements of the nation in energy efficiency and conservation. This occasion has been celebrated since 1991
when is led by the Ministry of power. This day is celebrated to raise awareness regarding the conservation of energy
as it is the best way to have a greener and brighter future.
 The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), under the power ministry of India, launched the National Energy
Conservation Awards in 1991 to recognise the contribution of industries and establishments in reducing energy
consumption while maintaining their production through awards. The first time the awards were given away was
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on December 14, 1991. Since then, the day has been declared as National Energy Conservation Day. These awards
are given away by eminent dignitaries at a function organised every year on the same day.
15 December 2022: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel death anniversary

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several Union Ministers paid tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his 71st
death anniversary. Stating that the country will forever be grateful to Patel, PM Modi said, “Remembering Sardar
Patel on his Punya Tithi. India will always be grateful to him for his monumental service, his administrative skills,
and the untiring efforts to unite our nation.”
 Sardar, or Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel, was an Indian leader. From 1947 until 1950, he was India’s first deputy prime
minister. He was a barrister and a prominent leader of the Indian National Congress who led the country’s
independence movement and guided its integration into a single, independent nation. He was a member of the
Indian National Congress’s conservative wing.
 Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, known as the “Iron Man of India,” was born in Nadiad village in present-day Gujarat on
October 31, 1875.
15 December 2022: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel death anniversary

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several Union Ministers paid tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his 71st
death anniversary. Stating that the country will forever be grateful to Patel, PM Modi said, “Remembering Sardar
Patel on his Punya Tithi. India will always be grateful to him for his monumental service, his administrative skills,
and the untiring efforts to unite our nation.”
 Sardar, or Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel, was an Indian leader. From 1947 until 1950, he was India’s first deputy prime
minister. He was a barrister and a prominent leader of the Indian National Congress who led the country’s
independence movement and guided its integration into a single, independent nation. He was a member of the
Indian National Congress’s conservative wing.
 Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, known as the “Iron Man of India,” was born in Nadiad village in present-day Gujarat on
October 31, 1875.
18 December International Migrants Day 2022: History, Significance

 International Migrants Day is observed annually on December 18 to bring attention to the social and economic
realities of migrants around the world. This day is observed to guarantee that the rights of migrants are equally
respected and not violated. The mobility of people is still influenced by a range of factors despite the world’s rapid
growth and change.
 Currently, 281 million individuals are international migrants who reside in nations other than their own.
International Migrants Day serves as a reminder that the challenges faced by migrants in every country remain
unresolved, and policymakers must continue to develop constructive and comprehensive policies to address the
issue.
 The day is set aside to honour the health, security, and welfare of all migrants. During the Intergovernmental
Conference in December 2018, it was decided to adopt the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration.
Minority Rights Day celebrated at the National Commission for Minorities

 National Minorities Rights Day is commemorated on December 18 every year in India. Its aim is to safeguard the
individual rights of the religious, ethnic, racial, or linguistic minorities in the country. This day is a reminder about
the rights of minorities and to raise awareness about it. Minority Rights Day in India is commemorated by
conducting debates and seminars on topic related to minority communities.
 Awareness about their linguistic, national, cultural and religious identity are also a topic of study during this day.
The day revolves around understand the issues faced by these communities and how discrimination against them
can be stopped.
 The Union Government set up the National Commission for Minorities under the National Commission for
Minorities Act 1992. Following this five religious communities have been notified as minority communities in the
Gazette of India by the Union Government all around the country.These religious communities are Muslims, Sikhs,
Buddhists, Christians, and Zoroastrians.
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International Human Solidarity Day 2022: Date, Theme, Significance
 International Human Solidarity Day (IHSD) is observed annually on December 20 across the globe to celebrate the
ideal of unity in diversity. IHSD highlights the goal of the United Nations and its member states to create awareness
about poverty and the need to reduce poverty in independent nations.
 The celebration of the International Day of Human Solidarity is a significant step in the aim of the United Nations
Sustainable Development Agenda for 2030, to eradicate poverty in all its forms across the globe. The annual
celebration reminds world citizens of the issues faced by poor people and nations affected by poverty. The day
serves to remind governments, civil society members and other institutions that poverty can tackled and eradicated
only through a united effort to help usher in an era where social equality, dignity and justice prevails
National Mathematics Day 2022: 22nd December

 National Mathematics Day is celebrated on December 22 across the nation every year. The National Mathematics
Day is marked to recognise and celebrate the works of Srinivasa Ramanujan. Srinivasa Ramanujan, the Indian
mathematical genius, was born on this day in 1887. This year nation celebrates his 135th birth anniversary of
Ramanujan. The main objective behind the celebration of National Mathematics Day is to make people aware of
the development of mathematics and its importance in the growth of humanity.
 The day was announced on 26 February 2012 by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to mark the 125th
anniversary of the birth of the Indian mathematical genius Srinivasa Ramanujan (22 Dec 1887- 26 Apr 1920). 2012
was also observed as National Mathematics Year. Ramanujan had a wealth of ideas that have transformed and
reshaped 20th-century mathematics. These ideas continue to shape the mathematics of the 21st century.
Indian National Farmer’s Day 2022: 23rd December

 December 23 is observed as Farmers’ Day or Kisan Diwas across India. Farmers are the backbone of our economy
and to honour their hardship, this day was coined by the government of India in 2001. This day also marks the birth
anniversary of the ‘Champion of Indian Peasants’ and the fifth Prime Minister of India, Chaudhary Charan Singh.
 The day aims to spread awareness of the contributions of farmers to the socioeconomic development of the nation.
It also recognises the efforts of the former Prime Minister who helped in uplifting the farmers in the country,
introduced Debt Redemption Bill and Land Holding Act.
 National Farmers Day or Kisan Diwas is the day marked every year to honor each and every farmer who is working
continuously for the nation. Farmers are considered to be the backbone of the nation as without them none of us
can survive. Agriculture is the basis for all our growth and consumption.
National Consumer Rights Day 2022: History, Significance and More

 Every year on December 24, India observed the National Consumer Day or Bharatiya Grahak Diwas. This day is
used to make all consumers aware of their powers and rights. This day was made under the Consumer Protection
Act, which came to power in 1986 to create awareness and save consumers from market exploitation like defective
products or expensive pricing.
 The significance of Bharatiya Grahak Diwas 2022 revolves around giving a wholesome shopping experience to
consumers. They are provided protection against unfair trade practices like fake advertisements, false gift offers,
and hoardings, among others. Owing to an effective complaint redressal forum, the Consumer Protection Act
assures that there is an efficient settlement of consumer disputes. The act also brought changes in the process of
how consumer complaints were dealt.
 World Consumer Rights Day is celebrated on March 15 every year. The day marks an opportunity to urge that all
consumers’ rights be recognised and safeguarded, as well as to protest market abuses and social injustices that
jeopardise those rights.
Good Governance Day 2022: 25th December

 Good Governance Day: Every year, in honour of former Indian Prime Minister Atal Vihari Vajpayee’s birthday, India
observes “Good Governance Day“. The day is devoted to former prime minister Atal Vihari Vajpayee. Prime Minister
Narendra Modi 2014 announced that “Good Governance Day” will be observed annually on December 25 in memory
of the former PM.
 The Indian government decided that every year December 25 would be a full day of work. The government has been
commemorating Good Governance Day every year since 2014. The day is celebrated to t make sure that the country’s
residents are treated fairly by the government and they receive the advantages of various government services. The
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purpose of Good Governance Day is to increase public access to various government programmes and services via
good governance. It was established with the slogan “Good Governance through e-Governance.”
PM Modi to participate in first veer BAL DIWAS programme on 26 Dec

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in a historic programme marking Veer Bal Diwas at Major Dhyan
Chand National Stadium in Delhi on Monday.
 On the day of the Prakash Purab of Sri Guru Gobind Singh on 9th January this year, Prime Minister had announced
that 26th December will be observed as Veer Bal Diwas to mark the martyrdom of Sri Guru Gobind Singh’s sons
Sahibzadas Baba Zorawar Singh and Baba Fateh Singh.
 During the programme, Prime Minister will attend a Shabad Kirtan performed by about three hundred Baal
Kirtanis.
 On this occasion, Mr Modi will also flag off a march-past by about three thousand children in Delhi.
OBITURY
Former Chinese President Jiang Zemin dies at 96
 Former Chinese President Jiang Zemin has died at the age of 96, Jiang died on Wednesday from leukaemia and
multiple organ failure in the city of Shanghai, the official Xinhua news agency said, publishing a joint letter to the
Chinese people by the ruling Communist Party, parliament, cabinet and the military, announcing the death.
 Flags at major Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and government buildings in China and worldwide will be flown at
half-mast, state media reported.
 Jiang was plucked from obscurity to head the CCP after the bloody Tiananmen crackdown on pro-democracy
protesters in 1989, but broke the country out of its subsequent diplomatic isolation, mending fences with the United
States and overseeing an unprecedented economic boom.
Veteran odia film actress jharana Das passes away at 77

 Veteran Odia film actress Jharana Das died at her residence here, family sources said on Friday. She was 77.
 Das, a winner of the state government's prestigious 'Jaydev Puraskar' for her lifetime contribution to Odia film
industry, was suffering from old age-related aliment.
 Born in 1945, the versatile actress was known for her memorable roles in films ‘Malajahna’, ‘Amadabata’, ‘Adina
Megha’, ‘Abhinetri’, ‘Shree Jagannath’, ‘Nari’, ‘Hira Nilla’ and many more Odia classics.
 Having started out as a child artiste in All India Radio in the 60s, Cuttack, she was a trained Odissi dancer and had
learnt the art from Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra. In the later part of her career, she went on to become the voice of
AIR-Cuttack.
Poland’s only cosmonaut, Mirosław Hermaszewski, dies aged 81

 Poland’s only cosmonaut Gen Miroslaw Hermaszewski passed away recently at the age of 81. He circled the Earth
in a Soviet spacecraft in 1978. Hermaszewski became a national hero thanks to his trip to space. For nine days in
June and July of 1978, Hermaszewski and Soviet cosmonaut Pyotr Klimuk circled the Earth in the Soyuz 30 spaceship
that docked at the Salyut 6 orbital space station. They went around the globe 126 times.
 Hermaszewski travelled into space as part of the Soviet Union’s Intercosmos program, which offered an opportunity
to explore space for countries within the then-Eastern Bloc, under Moscow’s domination or which had ties with the
Soviets.
 The first person to blast off as part of the program was Vladimir Remek of then-Czechoslovakia, in March 1978.
Hermaszewski followed, while Sigmund Jahn of then-East Germany was the third to fly that year.
Hawaii’s Last Princess, Abigail Kawānanakoa passed away at the age of 96

 Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kawānanakoa, a Hawaiian princess whose lineage included the royal family that once
ruled the islands and an Irish businessman who became one of Hawaii’s largest landowners, passed away at the age
of 96 in Honolulu, Hawaii. She was born on 23rd April 1926 in Honolulu, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii.
 Her great¬grandfather, James Campbell, an Irish businessman who owned a sugar plantation, was the source of her
enormous wealth, which was kept in trust and is estimated to be worth USD 215 million (175 million in a pound).
Iolani Palace, the royal residence of the rulers of the Kingdom of Hawaii, is the only royal residence in the United
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States of America. She was a symbol of Hawaiian national identity that endured after the kingdom was overthrown
by American businessmen in 1893.
Songwriter Shirley Eikhard, who wrote 'Something to Talk About', dies at age 67
 The legendary singer and songwriter Shirley Eikhard died at the age of 67. Shirley Eikhard was one of the most
prolific songwriters in the industry. She penned the Grammy-winning single Something to Talk About.
 Shirley Eikhard died on Thursday at the healthcare centre in Orangeville. According to her publicist, Eric Alper, she
died cause of severe cancer-related complications. She took her last breaths at the Headwaters healthcare Centre
in Ontario.
 During her musical journey, Shirley Eikhard released 18 albums between 1972 to 2021. She was a self-taught
performer and taught herself to play instruments like drums, bass, guitar, piano and many others.
Padma Shri awardee, H.R Keshava Murthy passed away at 89
 H.R. Keshava Murthy, a senior gamaka exponent, who was honoured with Padma Shri earlier this year, passed away.
He was born in a family of gamaka artists. He had his initial training from his father Ramaswamy Shastry. Under
the guidance of Venkateshaiah he continued his studies. Over the decades he has presented hundreds of
programmes and trained many students. Through his performances, he publicised noted Kannada epics. Hosahalli,
his native place, is known for many music talents.
 Keshava Murthy has been honored with many awards inlcuding Shantala Natya Shri award, by the State government
and different cultural organisations. The President honoured him with the Padma Shri this year. The residents of
his village celebrated the occasion.
Veteran Telugu actor Kaikala Satyanarayana passes away
 Veteran Telugu actor Kaikala Satyanarayana has died at his Filmnagar residence in the wee hours of Friday. He was
87. The last rites will be performed on Saturday in Hyderabad’s Mahaprasthanam.
 Kaikala was admitted to the hospital in November 2021. Before that, he was on respiratory support at home following
post-Covid complications. He was also admitted in October 2021, after a fall at his residence.
 Fondly known as Navarasa Natana Sarvabhouma, Kaikala was born on 25th July 1935 in the Krishna district of
Andhra Pradesh. He starred in more than 770 films and has worked with over 200 directors.
RANKING
Carbon capture key for sustainable development: Niti Aayog report
 A study report, titled ‘Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage Policy Framework and its Deployment Mechanism
in India’, was released. The report explores the importance of Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage as an
emission reduction strategy to achieve deep decarbonization from the hard-to-abate sectors. The report outlines
broad level policy interventions needed across various sectors for its application.
 India has updated its NDC targets for achieving 50% of its total installed capacity from non-fossil-based energy
sources, 45% reduction in emission intensity by 2030 and taking steps towards achieving Net Zero by 2070, the role
of Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS) becomes important as reduction strategy to achieve
decarbonization from the hard-to abate sectors.
 “CCUS can enable the production of clean products while still utilizing our rich endowments of coal, reducing
imports and thus leading to an Atmanirbhar Indian economy.” said Suman Bery, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog.
Implementation of CCUS technology certainly be an important step to decarbonise the hard-to-abate sector.
Gautam Adani tops Forbes list of 100 richest Indians
 The world economy may be slowing but India’s richest have grown even richer this year. The Forbes 2022 list of
India’s 100 richest is finally here, according to which, the combined wealth of India’s 100 richest grew by $25 billion
to touch a colossal $800 billion. The top 10 richest Indians are worth a cumulative $385 billion. Adani Group
chairman Gautam Adani has bagged the top spot on the list with a net worth of $150 billion. According to Forbes,
the gain was largely due to a record-breaking feat by infrastructure tycoon, which changed the pecking order at the
top for the first time since 2008.
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Top 10 Richest person:
RANK NAME NET WORTH
1 Gautam Adani Rs 1,211,460.11 crore
2 Mukesh Ambani Rs 710,723.26 crore
3 Radhakishan Damani Rs 222,908.66 crore
4 Cyrus Poonawalla Rs 173,642.62 crore
5 Shiv Nadar Rs 172,834.97 crore
6 Savitri Jindal Rs 132,452.97 crore
7 Dilip Shanghvi Rs 125,184.21 crore
8 Hinduja Brothers Rs 122,761.29 crore
9 Kumar Birla Rs 121,146.01 crore
10 Bajaj Family Rs 117,915.45 crore
Pakistan tops 'list of nations at ‘risk of Violence'

 Pakistan has topped the list of countries at the highest risk of experiencing new mass killings, according to a new
report.
 The report cites violence by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as one of the main challenges for the nation already
facing political and economic crises.
 It said that Pakistan is estimated to have about a one in six chance of experiencing a new mass killing in 2022 or
2023.
Indian Navy Day

 India observes Navy Day on December 4 every year to recognise the role and achievements of the Indian Navy. It
also commemorates the launch of Operation Trident in the Indo-Pakistan War in 1971.
 The Indian Navy is all set to demonstrate India’s combat prrowess and capability through an ‘Operational
Demonstration’ at Visakhapatnam.
International Day of Banks

 On 19 December 2019, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution, which designated 4 December as the
International Day of Banks in recognition of the significant potential of multilateral development banks and other
international development banks in financing sustainable development and providing know-how; and also in
recognition of the vital role of the banking system.
International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development
 International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development is observed on December 5 every year.
 The day is also referred to as IVD and is mandated by the UN General Assembly in 1985. To achieve goals at the
local, national and international levels, the UN offers an opportunity to volunteer-involving organisations and
individual volunteers to promote volunteerism.
World Soil Day

 World Soil Day is held annually on 5 December as a means to focus attention on the importance of healthy soil and
to advocate for the sustainable management of soil resources.
 An international day to celebrate soil was recommended by the International Union of Soil Sciences in 2002. In
December 2013, the UN General Assembly designated 5 December 2014 as first soil day.
 The theme of World Soil Day 2022 is “Soils: where food begins”.
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India ranked 48th in Global Aviation Safety Rankings 2022
 According to DGCA officials, India has jumped to the 48th position in the global aviation safety ranking by the
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
 Four years ago, the country was ranked at the 102nd position. In the ranking, Singapore is at the top, followed by
the UAE and South Korea at the second and third positions, respectively, the officials said. China is at the 49th
place.
BBC Releases 100 Most Influential Women’s List: 4 Indian women’s in the list
 The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has published the list of 100 most influential women in the world and
has included women from several areas such as politics, science, sports, entertainment, and literature.
 The BBC’s 100 most influential women’s list also includes four Indians: Actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas, author
Geetanjali Shree, engineer and astronaut Sirisha Bandla, and social worker Sneha Jawale.
India's GDP to grow at 6.9% in FY23 & will remain one of the fastest-growing major economies, says World
Bank
 The World Bank in its India Development Update has upgraded the forecast for the Indian economy to 6.9% from
6.5% earlier in the current fiscal year.
 The report sees average retail inflation at 7.1% this year. World Bank's India Development Update said India is
affected by spillovers from the US, Euro area, and China.
Gautam Adani, 2 other Indian billionaires on Forbes Asia Heroes of Philanthropy list
 Billionaires Gautam Adani, HCL Technologies' Shiv Nadar, and Happiest Minds Technologies' Ashok Soota are the
three Indians who have been named in the 16th edition of Forbes Asia’s Heroes of Philanthropy list.
 Gautam Adani was listed for having pledged ₹60,000 crores ($7.7 billion).
 Shiv Nadar donated ₹11,600 cr. ($142 million).
 Ashok Soota has pledged ₹600 cr. ($75 mn.)
20 Indian firms in 500 most valuable globally, Reliance top: Hurun report
 Twenty Indian companies, up eight from last year, are among the 500 most-valuable ones in the world, Hurun
report showed. With a valuation of $202 billion, Reliance Industries was the most valuable Indian company on the
list. Globally, it was the 34th biggest company.
 Apple, worth $2.4 trillion, was the most valuable company, followed by Microsoft, with $1.8 trillion.
World's strongest passports list 2022: India stands at 87th position, UAE ranked the best
 The Passport Index 2022, published by Arton Capital, ranks the world's strongest and weakest passports. The
passport rankings indicate how many countries you can visit without a visa.
 The UAE has got the first position in the rating of passports for 2022, while India was ranked 87 in the list of the
strongest passports in the world.
UIDAI tops Grievance Redressal Index for the fourth month in a row in Nov
 Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) topped the grievance redressal index among all group A
ministries, departments and autonomous bodies for resolution of public grievances for the fourth month in a row
in November.
 The Electronics and Information Technology Ministry stated that UIDAI has moved towards a centralized grievance
handling mechanism through its Open-Source customer relationship management system. UIDAI’s new open-
source CRM (customer relationship management) system has enhanced user experience and improved service
delivery to the residents.
 UIDAI’s Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning based Chatbot, Aadhaar Mitra is also gaining popularity and
soon the conversations happening there on a daily basis are going to cross 50,000 figures.
 The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is a statutory authority established on 12 July 2016 by the
Government of India under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, following
the provisions of the Aadhaar Act 2016.
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UN Ranks Namami Gange Among Top 10 World Restoration Flagship Programmes
 The United Nations has recognised the Namami Gange initiative to rejuvenate India’s sacred River Ganga as one of
the top 10 World Restoration Flagships to revive the natural world. The award was received by G Ashok Kumar,
Director General, Namami Gange, at the 15th Conference of the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) in Montreal,
Canada.
 Namami Gange was selected from over 150 such initiatives from 70 countries across the globe. They were selected
under the banner of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, a global movement coordinated by the
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO).
 It is designed to prevent and reverse the degradation of natural spaces across the planet. The recognized initiatives,
including Namami Gange, will now be eligible to receive UN support, funding or technical expertise.
2022 GFSI Report released by British weekly The Economist

 The 2022 Global Food Security Index (GFSI) report was released by the British weekly The Economist. The 11th
Global Food Security Index shows a deterioration in the global food environment for the third year, threatening
food security. In this report, South Africa overtook Tunisia to become the most food-secure country in Africa.
 Vulnerability to Shocks: The global food environment is deteriorating, making it vulnerable to shocks. Significant
progress was made in global food security from 2012 to 2015, with the overall GFSI score increasing by 6 percent.
 Widening food security gap: In 2022, 8 of the top 10 performing countries are in Europe, with Finland topping the
list with a score of 83.7.
 Africa’s Most Food-Secure Country: South Africa, at the 59th position, was recognized as the most food-secure
country in Africa. It made a record leap from the 70th rank in 2021.
 India is ranked at 68th position along with Algeria with the overall score of 58.9. China’s position is at 25th with the
score of 74.2.
India Ranks Third Globally In Scientific Publications, Higher Budgetary Allocations Expected For DST:
Minister
 Union Minister for Science and Technology, Jitendra Singh has revealed that India had jumped from 7th to 3rd in
global scientific publications and scholarly output, according to a report by America’s National Science Foundation.
India also ranks third globally in the number of PhDs produced annually. In a similar upward trend, the number of
patents granted by the India Patents Office to Indian scientists has more than doubled in just the last four years.
 India’s scholarly output increased from 60,555 papers in 2010 to 1, 49,213 papers in 2020.
 China leads the world in the publication of the maximum number of scientific papers followed by The United States
of America.
 The National Science Foundation is an independent agency of the United States government that supports
fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical
counterpart is the National Institutes of Health. The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal
agency created by Congress in 1950 “to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity,
and welfare; to secure the national defense.
PV Sindhu 12th highest-paid female athlete in world, only Indian and badminton player in top 25
 Forbes annual list: India’s badminton star, PV Sindhu is the only Indian sportsperson to feature in the top 25 of
Forbes’ annual list of the world’s highest-paid female athletes. Sindhu, the 2016 Tokyo Olympics silver medallist,
occupies the 12th spot in the list. Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka tops the list. For the third straight year, Osaka
tops Forbes’ annual list of the World’s highest-paid female athletes. The list is dominated by tennis players once
again.
List of highest paid female athletes of the year:

1. Naomi Osaka (Japan) – Tennis – $51.1 million
2. Serena Williams (USA) – Tennis – $41.3 million
3. Elieen Gu (China) – Skiing – $20.1 million
4. Emma Raducanu (UK) – Tennis – $18.7 million
5. Iga Swiatek (Poland) – Tennis – $14.9 million
12. P.V. Sindhu (India) – Badminton – $7.1 million
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SPORTS
Madras Boat Club women lift Adyar trophy
 The Madras Boating Club women won the 81st Annual Madras-Colombo Rowing Regatta, which was held in
Colombo, Sri Lanka. The 81st Annual Madras-Colombo Rowing Regatta was held on 26th November 2022, and they
were awarded the Adyar Trophy. The Men’s category was bagged by Colombo Rowing Club, and they were awarded
Deepam Trophy.
 The first-ever Madras-Colombo Rowing Regatta was held in 1898 and is considered the oldest sporting encounter
held between Sri Lanka and India.
 The Madras Boat Club and the Colombo Rowing Club host the Regatta and this year Colombia Rowing Club’s turn
to host the Indian team.
 The main event of the Regatta is the men’s boat race, considered the second oldest boat race in the world.
 The overall winners of the men’s event are awarded with the prestigious Deepam Trophy while the women’s
championship is awarded Adyar Trophy.
Ruturaj Gaikwad hits 7 sixes an over in Vijay Hazare Trophy to create world record
 Ruturaj Gaikwad hit a world record seven sixes in the 49th over of Maharashtra’s Vijay Hazare Trophy quarter-final
against Uttar Pradesh in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Rituraj Gaikwad, playing for Maharashtra, became the first batsman
in List-A cricket to hit 7 sixes in an over in the quarter-finals. Gaikwad made this record against Uttar Pradesh in
Ahmedabad. He remained unbeaten after scoring 220 runs off 159 balls. This is his first double century in List-A
cricket, before that 187 not out was his best score. This is also his sixth century in the last 8 innings of Vijay Hazare
Trophy. In the 49th over of the innings, he scored 43 runs including 7 sixes on left arm spinner Shiva Singh.
 On the first ball, Rituraj hit a six over long-on, on the second ball he also hit a straight six, on the third ball he hit a
six on the leg side to complete the hat-trick, on the fourth and 5th ball he hit a six over mid-off, the 5th ball was
also a no ball.This is the most expensive over in List-A cricket, in which a total of 43 runs were scored. Batsmen who
have hit six sixes in an over include Sir Garfield Sobers, Ravi Shastri, Herschelle Gibbs, Yuvraj Singh, Ross Whiteley,
Hazratullah Zazai, Leo Carter, Kieron Pollard and Thisara Perera.
All-round Saurashtra beat Maharashtra by 5 wickets, win second Vijay Hazare Trophy
 Saurashtra beat Maharashtra by 5 wickets in the final to win the Vijay Hazare Trophy at the Narendra Modi Stadium
in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. They restricted Maharashtra at 248/9 in 50 overs as captain Ruturaj Gaikwad hit a century,
scoring 108 off 131 balls after a slow start. Saurashtra bowler Chirag Jani claimed a hat-trick in the match. Man of the
moment is Sheldon Jackson.
 Chasing the target of 249, Saurashtra started off cautiously before the openers sitiched a 125-run partnership. Batter
Shledon Jackson held one end as wickets tumbled around him. He scored a match-winning 133 off 136 balls to help
Saurashtra chase down the target in 46.3 overs, with five wickets to spare. It was Saurashtra’s second title triumph
in history.
 The win enhanced Jaydev Unadkat’s credentials as captain, he had led Saurashtra to their first Ranji Trophy title in
2019-2020. He also finished at the top of the wicket-taking charts in the Vijay Hazare Trophy with 19 strikes to his
name.
Shooter Rudrankksh Patil clinches ISSF President’s Cup in Egypt

 Indian shooter Rudrankksh Patil has clinched the International Shooting Sport Federation President’s Cup held in
Cairo, Egypt. He defeated Italy’s Danilo Sollazzo in the 10-metre rifle play-off by 16-8.
 Rudrankksh Patil bagged India's first quota for the 2024 Paris Olympics, when he clinched a gold in the men’s 10-
metre air rifle in the ISSF Rifle-Pistol World Championship.
Anish Thoppani clinches silver medal in U for app_20201213 -15 category at Badminton Asia Junior
Championships
 Indian shuttler Anish Thoppani clinched a silver medal in the under-15 category at the Badminton Asia Junior
Championships in Nonthaburi, Thailand on Sunday.
 Anish lost the men's singles final against Chinese Taipei's Chung-Hsiang Yih 8-21, 24-22, 19-21 to settle for silver.
India’s under-17 men’s duo Arsh Mohammad and Sanskar Sraswat also lost the final to secure a silver medal.
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Arjun Erigaisi, Rameshbabu Vaishali Emerge Champions in Tata Steel Chess India
 Arjun Erigaisi clinched the Blitz title finishing ahead of Hikaru Nakamura on the concluding day of the Tata Steel
Chess India.
 Displaying a strong performance on the last day, R Vaishali emerged as the Blitz women’s champion. She ended
with 13.5 points followed by Mariya Muzychuk with 12 points and Harika Dronavalli with 11 points.
Asian Junior C’ships: Unnati Hooda wins India’s first-ever medal in under-17 category
 Indian shuttler Unnati Hooda became the first-ever Indian under-17 shuttler to clinch a medal at the Asian Junior
Badminton Championships.
 She lost to Sarunrak Vitidsarn of Thailand in the gold medal match in the women’s singles category.
 In the men’s doubles category, the in-form duo of Arsh and Sanskar also got a silver medal.
FIFA World Cup round of 16: France, for app_20201213 England reach quarterfinals
 France beat Poland 3-1, while England recovered from a slow start to hand African champion Senegal a 3-0 defeat.
 France’s Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Giroud provided the 3-1 goals that defeated Poland, and England’s Jordan
Henderson, Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka put three in the net for their 3-0 win over Senegal.
 France and England will take on each other in the quarterfinal at the FIFA World Cup.
Brazil defeat South Korea 4-1 to reach FIFA WC quarter-finals for 8th straight time
 Five-time champions Brazil defeated South Korea 4-1 in their round of 16 match at Stadium 974 in Doha to reach
FIFA World Cup quarter-finals for the eighth straight time.
 Vinicius Jr, Neymar, Richarlison and Lucas Paquetá scored for Brazil, marking the first time since 1954 that Brazil
netted four goals in the first half of a FIFA World Cup match.
Brazil and Croatia enter quarterfinals of FIFA World Cup

 In the FIFA World Cup Football, Brazil crushed South Korea 4-1 and secured their spot in the 2022 World Cup
quarterfinals, in Ras Abu Aboud, Doha, Qatar.
 Earlier, Croatia secured their spot in the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals after defeating Japan 3-1 on penalties after
both sides were levelled 1-1 round of 16 draw at the end of scheduled playtime at the Al-Janoub Stadium, Qatar.
 Croatian goalkeeper Livakovic saved three Japan spot-kicks, to send the 2018 finalists through to the last eight.
World No. 3 Sukant Kadam strikes gold at Peru Para Badminton International
Sukant Kadam smashed his way to a gold medal at the Peru Para-Badminton International, defeating ace shuttler
defeated Singapore’s Chee Hiong Ang.
In the women’s category, Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan and Mandeep Kaur clinched the titles in the SH6 & SL3 singles
sections.
While Nithya overpowered Peru’s Giuliana Poveda Flores, Mandeep defeated Ukraine’s Oksana Kozyna.
FIFA World Cup: Argentina, Croatia, France & Morocco teams qualified for semi -finals
 In the FIFA World Cup, with the quarter-finals concluded, Argentina, Croatia, France and Morocco are the four
teams which have qualified for the semi-finals of the marquee tournament.
 Argentina is now all set to face off against Croatia in the first semi-finals on 14th December 2022.
 In the second semifinals, France will be up against Morocco at Al-Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar on 15th December
2022.
 The final will be played on 18th December.
PAK vs ENG: Joe Root joins elite list with 10000+ test runs and 50+ wickets in 2nd Test 2022
 PAK vs ENG: Former England skipper Joe Root became only the third cricketer in history to score 10000 runs and
pick up 50 wickets in Test cricket. He achieved the feat during the ongoing second Test against Pakistan in Multan.
Root reached the milestone when he dismissed Faheem Ashraf in the 70th over of Pakistan’s second innings at the
Multan Cricket Stadium. It was a tossed-up delivery from the off-spinner and Faheem tried to push at it. The ball
turned very little to take the batter’s edge and presented a simple catch to Zak Crawley at slips.
 Root joins South African legend Jacques Kallis and former Australian skipper Steve Waugh in scoring 10000 runs
and claiming 50 wickets in the longest format.
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 Root currently has 10629 Test runs and 50 wickets under his belt. Waugh has 10927 runs and 92 wickets, while Kallis
tops the chart with 13289 runs and 292 wickets.
Chahat Arora sets national record in women's 100-metre breaststroke

 In Swimming, Indian swimmer Chahat Arora set a national record in the women’s 100-metre breaststroke at the
FINA World Swimming Championships 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. FINA is the International Swimming
Federation. Chahat Arora completed the 100-metre breaststroke race in 1 minute, 13.13 seconds.
 Lithuania’s Ruta Meilutyte, topped the overall heats in 1 minute, 3.81 seconds, which was 9.32 seconds quicker than
Chahat Arora.
 The 19-year-old Lara Van Niekerk of South Africa came second in 1 minute 3.93 seconds.
 Lilly King of the USA came third in 1 minute 3.94 seconds. Chahat will participate in the women’s 50m breaststroke
event. Siva Sridhar will compete in the 100-metre individual medley.
Rafel nadal and Iga Swiatek crowned ITF world championship 2022
 Rafa Nadal was named ITF world champion for the fifth time in his career, while top-ranked Iga Swiatek won the
women's award after a stellar 2022 season, according to the International Tennis Federation (ITF). World number
two Nadal came back from two sets down to defeat Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final in January,
capturing his 21st Grand Slam trophy, before capturing his 22nd major in June with a record-extending 14th French
Open title.
 The Spaniard joins his friend and recently-retired rival Roger Federer as a five-times ITF world champion behind
Pete Sampras (6) and 2021 winner Novak Djokovic (7). "I'm very happy to be named ITF World Champion for the
fifth time," the 36-year-old Nadal, who also bagged the award in 2008, 2010, 2017 and 2019, said in a statement.
Rehan Ahmed becomes youngest player to represent England in Tests Cricket Match
 Rehan Ahmed becomes England’s youngest-ever Test Cricketer to debut in the final match between Pakistan and
England. Rehan Ahmed will be 18 years and 126 days old when the match begins. Till now, Brian Close, who was 18
years and 149 days old, was the youngest player in England during the New Zealand vs England match in 1949.
 Ben Stokes announced the debut of Rehan Ahmed in the Final match of England vs Pakistan.
 Rehan Ahmed beats Brian Close for being the youngest cricketer to debut for England in Test Cricket. Rehan Ahmed
is 18 years and 126 days old.
Tata Steel becomes an Official Partner of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup 2023
 Tata Steel Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hockey India on December 13, 2022 to
become an Official Partner of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar – Rourkela. The FIH
Men’s World Cup is the pinnacle of men’s hockey tournaments. The 15th edition of the esteemed event will take
place in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela from January 13 to January 29, 2023.
 Tata Steel has contributed in strengthening the national sport of India through various top-notch high-performance
residential hockey training facilities, international coaches, nutritionists, and mental and physical trainers.
 This journey started with the Naval Tata Hockey Academy which was founded in the year 2017 as a state-of-the-art
facility to enable budding field hockey talent at the grassroot level in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand.
 Currently, there are around 65+ centres of grassroot programmes with 3000+ cadetsrun by Collectives for Integrated
Livelihood Initiatives in the interiors of 3 districts of Jharkhand.
 In addition to this, 9 centres are being run by Tata Steel Foundation in the interiors of other districts of the State
with 300+ cadets. These talented cadets from the grassroot centres are promoted to the Regional Development
Centre, where they are given advanced training along with a better pitch and match exposure at state levels.
Rafel nadal and Iga Swiatek crowned ITF world championship 2022
 Rafa Nadal was named ITF world champion for the fifth time in his career, while top-ranked Iga Swiatek won the
women's award after a stellar 2022 season, according to the International Tennis Federation (ITF). World number
two Nadal came back from two sets down to defeat Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final in January,
capturing his 21st Grand Slam trophy, before capturing his 22nd major in June with a record-extending 14th French
Open title.
 The Spaniard joins his friend and recently-retired rival Roger Federer as a five-times ITF world champion behind
Pete Sampras (6) and 2021 winner Novak Djokovic (7). "I'm very happy to be named ITF World Champion for the
fifth time," the 36-year-old Nadal, who also bagged the award in 2008, 2010, 2017 and 2019, said in a statement.
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Rehan Ahmed becomes youngest player to represent England in Tests Cricket Match
 Rehan Ahmed becomes England’s youngest-ever Test Cricketer to debut in the final match between Pakistan and
England. Rehan Ahmed will be 18 years and 126 days old when the match begins. Till now, Brian Close, who was 18
years and 149 days old, was the youngest player in England during the New Zealand vs England match in 1949.
 Ben Stokes announced the debut of Rehan Ahmed in the Final match of England vs Pakistan.
 Rehan Ahmed beats Brian Close for being the youngest cricketer to debut for England in Test Cricket. Rehan Ahmed
is 18 years and 126 days old.
Tata Steel becomes an Official Partner of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup 2023
 Tata Steel Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hockey India on December 13, 2022 to
become an Official Partner of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar – Rourkela. The FIH
Men’s World Cup is the pinnacle of men’s hockey tournaments. The 15th edition of the esteemed event will take
place in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela from January 13 to January 29, 2023.
 Tata Steel has contributed in strengthening the national sport of India through various top-notch high-performance
residential hockey training facilities, international coaches, nutritionists, and mental and physical trainers.
 This journey started with the Naval Tata Hockey Academy which was founded in the year 2017 as a state-of-the-art
facility to enable budding field hockey talent at the grassroot level in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand.
 Currently, there are around 65+ centres of grassroot programmes with 3000+ cadetsrun by Collectives for Integrated
Livelihood Initiatives in the interiors of 3 districts of Jharkhand.
 In addition to this, 9 centres are being run by Tata Steel Foundation in the interiors of other districts of the State
with 300+ cadets. These talented cadets from the grassroot centres are promoted to the Regional Development
Centre, where they are given advanced training along with a better pitch and match exposure at state levels.
Messi and Argentina’s World Cup wait ends with dramatic final win over France
 FIFA World Cup 2022: Messi’s Argentina clinched their 3rd World Cup trophy from six final appearances in history,
seeing off France 4–2 on penalties (3–3 after extra time) to win the biggest prize in men’s football at the at Lusail
Stadium in Lusail, Qatar. It had won two in 1978 and 1986 under Diego Maradona. Lionel Messi had come close to
winning in 2014 but La Albiceleste lost the final 0-1 to Germany. The only similarity from Messi’s 2014 campaign in
Qatar was his Golden Ball award for Player of the Tournament award. He became the first player to win two World
Cup Golden Balls.
 The 22nd edition of the World Cup just ended and for another 4 years for the next World Cup. Also, The 2026
World Cup will be held across three different countries, the United States, Canada and Mexico.
 Top 4 team Rankings: Argentina (Winner), France (2nd), Croatia (3rd) and Morocco (4th)
 Golden Boot Award: Kylian Mbappe (France); (8 Goals)
 Golden Ball Award: Lionel Messi (Argentina); (7 goals and registering 3 assists)
 Golden Glove Award: Emiliano Martinez (Argentina)
Neeraj Chopra pips Usain Bolt to become most written-about athlete in 2022
 According to the World Athletics, Tokyo Olympics gold medalist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra of India was the
most written about track and field athlete in 2022, displacing the Jamaican legend Usain Bolt from the top lists. The
data collated by media analysis company Unicepta was cited by World Athletics, the global governing body for
athletics.
 Neeraj Chopra, the Tokyo Olympics men’s javelin champion, led the way with 812 articles ahead of the Jamaican
women’s sprint trio of Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah (751 articles), 100m world champion Shelley-
Ann Fraser-Pryce (698 articles) and 200m world champion Shericka Jackson (679 articles). Usain Bolt, the world
record holder in 100m and 200m men’s sprint, comes in fourth in the list with 574 mentions. The Jamaican, who is
now retired, had previously topped the annual list for most written-about athlete for years.
Indian Women’s Hockey Team Wins FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup Spain 2022
 The Indian women Hockey team led by Captain Savita Punia beat Spain 1-0 in the final to win the inaugural FIH
Nations Cup played at Valencia, Spain. The winning goal was scored by Gurjit Kaur of India. The inaugural FIH
Nations cup was held in Valencia, Spain from 11-17 December 2022. India and Spain had played in the FIH women’s
Hockey Pro League 2021-22 season as replacement teams after pull-outs by Australia and New Zealand due to
COVID-19 related issues.
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 The result also means that Janneke Schopman-coached side has been promoted to the FIH Pro League 2023-24.
Hockey India has announced cash prize of Rs 2 lakh for every member of the squad and Rs 1 lakh each for all the
support staff. India ended the tournament with a perfect record of five wins in five matches. Indian team beat Chile
(3-1), Japan (2-1), and South Africa (2-0) in the group stage before a thrilling 2-1 win over Ireland in the penalty
shootout in the semifinal.
Rafael Nadal crowned ITF World Tennis Champion for fifth time
 Spanish Tennis Player, Rafael Nadal has been named the Men’s International Tennis Federation (ITF) World
Champion 2022 for the 5th time after an outstanding 2022 season. Previously, He has been named the men’s ITF
World Champion in 2008, 2010, 2017 and 2019. Polish tennis player, Iga Świątek, has been named Women’s ITF
World Champion 2022 for her performance in 2022 winning 2 Grand Slam titles and 8 titles.
 The winners will be honoured at the annual ITF World Champions Awards event which will be held on 8th July
2023 at Victoria and Albert Museum, London, United Kingdom(UK). The event is usually held in Paris France.
About International Tennis Federation (ITF):

President¬: David Haggerty
Headquarters¬: London, United Kingdom (UK)
Establishment:¬ 1913
Abhishek Bachchan's Jaipur Pink Panthers Wins The Trophy Of Pro Kabaddi League 9!
 Jaipur Pink Panthers won the Pro Kabaddi League Season 9 Final against a hard-fighting Puneri Paltan by a score
of 33-29 to win their second PKL championship. After Patna, Jaipur Pink Panthers, the league’s first-ever winners,
are currently only the second team to win multiple titles. The tournament was played across Bengaluru, Pune, and
Hyderabad while the playoffs were played in Mumbai. Jaipur Pink Panthers team is currently led by Sunil Kumar
Malik and coached by Sanjeev Baliyan. The team is owned by Abhishek Bachchan.
PKL Season 9: Award winners 2022

 Perfect Player of the Final: Sunil Kumar (Pink Panthers)
 Game Changer of the Final: V Ajit Kumar (Pink Panthers)
 Moment of the Final: Ankush Rathee (Pink Panthers)
 Move of the Final: V Ajit Kumar (Pink Panthers)
 Perfect Moment of the Final: Sunil Kumar (Pink Panthers)
T20 World Cup for the Blind: India beat Bangladesh to claim third successive title
 The Indian national blind cricket team won the T20 World Cup for the Blind for the third time in a row. They
defeated Bangladesh at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium by a commanding score of 120 runs. The Indian
captain, Ajay Kumar Reddy elected to bat after winning the toss, and his side eventually set a challenging total of
277 runs for Bangladesh. The Bangladeshi team could only muster 157 runs for three in return.
 Sunil Ramesh won Man of the Match award in the championship. He was also given the B3 category’s Man of the
Series award. India, the tournament’s victors and unbeaten team, won Rs. 3 lakh as prize money, while Bangladesh
took second place and received Rs. 1.5 lakh. Ajay won the title of Man of the Series in the B2 division. Mohammed
Mahmud Rashid of Bangladesh won the title of Man of the Series in the B1 division.
FIFA chooses Morocco to host the 2023 Club World Cup

 Morocco was rewarded by FIFA with hosting rights for the next Club World Cup in February, with an expanded 32-
team edition set to launch in 2025. The most recent edition of the tournament was held in the UAE in February
2022 and was won by the English football club, Chelsea. European champion Real Madrid, South American
champion Flamengo and Seattle Sounders, the first CONCACAF Champions League winner from the United States,
will play in the traditional seven-team tournament from Feb. 1-11.
About Federation International de Football Association (FIFA)

Founded: 21 May 1904;
Founded: Paris, France;
Headquarters: Zürich, Switzerland;
Membership: 211;
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Languages: English, French, German, Spanish & Italian;
First President: Robert Guérin;
Current President: Gianni Infantino (Switzerland);
Secretary General: Fatma Samoura (Senegal).
English all-rounder Sam Curran becomes most expensive IPL player ever, breaks Ishan Kishan’s record
 Sam Curran breaks all the records and became the most expensive cricketer ever to be bought by any franchise of
the Indian Premier League (IPL). Sam Curran is a 24-year-old English Cricketer who was bought by Punjab Kings
on the first day of the IPL auction for ₹18.5 crores. The IPL auctions for the 2023 season are being held in Kerala.
 Sam Curran has broken the record of Ishan Kishan who was bought for ₹15.25 crore by Mumbai Indians.
 Punjab Kings Director Ness Wadia said that Same Curran is one of the best all-rounder players in the world and
will bring good balance to our team.
 Other than Sam Curran, Cameron Green was bought by Mumbai Indians for ₹17.50 crore and Ben Stokes was bought
by Chennai Super Kings for ₹16.25 crore.
Arunachal's Geto Sora wins junior international badminton championship

 Budding badminton sensation Geto Sora once again made Arunachal proud by winning the Top Arena Junior
International Badminton Championship title in the below 9 years category, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Friday,
December 23.
 He won the championship title after beating Malaysia’s second seed Jaryl Teh in straight sets 21-5, 21-16.This is Sora’s
second international badminton title in two months.
 In November, the 7-year-old Sora had won the multinational BTY-Yonex-Singha Championship, which was held at
the Banthongyord Badminton School in Bangkok, Thailand.
SUMMIT'S & MOU's

Udaipur gears up to host first G20 Sherpa Meeting in India from Dec 4 to 7
 Udaipur is gearing up to host the first G20 Sherpa Meeting in India from 4 to 7 December. The meeting is aimed at
fostering growth and building bonds amongst the member nations. Among the highlights will be the depiction of
Indian culture with wall paintings and illumination of heritage sites across the city.
 The G20 Sherpa meeting is expected to be held at the Darbar Hall at the City Palace Udaipur. Arrangement is being
made at Fateh Prakash Palace, Hotel Udai Vilas and Leela Palace to accommodate the delegates for this meeting.
The Royal Dinner is expected to be held at Jag Mandir where the delegates will be treated to delicacies from the
Indian cuisine as well as those of the member countries.
 The Sherpa Meeting of the G20 Summit is a preliminary meeting of the government representatives before the main
G20 Summit. Here the representatives of the member nations hold discussions to firm up possible agreements.
EAM S Jaishankar addresses seventh edition of Global Technology Summit

 The seventh edition of the Global Technology Summit is to be held till the 1st of December in New Delhi in a hybrid
format. The Global Technology Summit is India’s annual flagship event on Geotechnology and is co-hosted by the
Ministry of External Affairs and Carnegie India.
 The inaugural session of the Summit would be a conversation with External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar on
geo-digital and its effects.
 External Affairs Ministry informed that over three days, the world’s leading minds in technology, government,
security, space, startups, data, law, public health, climate change, academics, and the economy will gather, and
debate related to technology and its future.
 The theme for this year’s Summit is ‘Geopolitics of Technology. GTS 2022 will see participation from more than 100
speakers across over 50-panel discussions, keynote addresses, book launches, and other events.
Nai Chetna: Jan Andolan to address gender-based violence

 ‘Nai Chetna’, is a month-long campaign envisioned as a ‘Jan Andolan’ or people’s movement. The ‘Nai Chetna’
campaign is launched by the Ministry of Rural Development and involves sensitizing women, especially in rural
areas. It seeks to enable women to acknowledge, prepare, and take support in situations of comprise.
 The Union Minister described that the ‘Nai Chetna’ campaign focuses on women.
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 Women in rural areas are unaware of the various mechanisms available to raise their concerns.
 The campaign has an idea to bring the issue of gender-based violence into focus and make women aware of their
rights and the mechanism available to help redress their grievances.
 The ‘Nai Chetna’ campaign was launched on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against women
on 25th November 2022.
Vistara To Merge With Air India Which Is Growing After Tata Takeover
 Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Tata Sons announced that they have agreed to merge Air India and Vistara, with SIA
getting a 25.1 per cent stake in the merged entity at an investment of Rs 2,058.5 crore ($250 million) in Air India as
part of the transaction.
 The 25.1 per cent stake will be in an enlarged Air India group – it will have Air India, Vistara, AirAsia India and Air
India Express – and the merger of all airlines is targeted for completion by March 2024, subject to regulatory
approvals. The group is already in the process of merging Air India Express and AirAsia India into one entity that
will provide low-cost flight options.
 SIA intends to fully fund this investment with its internal cash resources, which stood at S$17.5 billion as of 30
September 2022. SIA and Tata have also agreed to participate in additional capital injections, if required, to fund
the growth and operations of the enlarged Air India in FY2022/23 and FY2023/24. Based on SIA’s 25.1 per cent stake
post-completion, its share of any additional capital injection could be up to Rs 5,020 crore ($615 million), payable
only after the completion of the merger,” SIA said in a statement.
Cristiano Ronaldo signs 200-million euro contract with Saudi club Al-Nassr
 Cristiano Ronaldo is set to move to Saudi Arabia from the start of 2023 after agreeing a contract with Al-Nassr.
 The initial deal will be around €100m (£86m) with advertisement and sponsorship bringing his wages to a record
figure that will see him become the highest paid athlete in sport.
 He recently became the first man to score at five different World Cups.
NSIC Signs MoU with Walmart

 A Memorandum Of Understanding was signed between The National Small Industries Corporation Ltd. and
Walmart Global Sourcing India Private Limited, to facilitate services to MSMEs in Walmart Vriddhi program.
 Through this MoU, NSIC will be able to extend the NSIC schemes and other services to MSMEs which would
participate in various Vriddhi programs. Moreover, the MSMEs would get the exposure to various advantages of
gaining working capital, bulk procurement support etc. under various opportunities offered by NSIC.
8th India International Science Festival in Bhopal next month

 India International Science Festival (IISF)-2022 will be held in Bhopal in January 2023 and incidentally, it is one of
the major events to be held after India took over G-20 Presidency. IISF is the initiative of the Ministry of Science &
Technology and Ministry of Earth Science of Government of India in association with Vijnana Bharati which is a
science movement with swadeshi spirit led by eminent scientists of the country. The IISF 2022 is the eighth edition
since its inception in 2015.
 It is a festival to celebrate the achievements of India’s scientific and technological advancements with students,
innovators, craftsmen, farmers, scientists and technocrats from India and abroad.
 It also provides opportunities to people and scientific fraternity in the country and abroad to come together, work
together and experience the joy of doing science for the wellbeing of India and humanity.
 There will be fourteen events organized during these four days which will be running parallel with the participation
of more than 8,000 delegates from across the country. More than lakhs of local visitors will witness the festival and
will remember the festival for its unique grandeur and creativity in science.
Airbnb signs MoU with Department of Tourism, Government of Goa to promote Inclusive Tourism
 Airbnb signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Tourism, Government of Goa, to
jointly promote Goa as one of the most sought-after high potential tourism destinations in India and around the
world.
 This partnership is aimed at encouraging travel to unique destinations that are lesser-known and enabling
economically regenerative community-led tourism in the state. On the sidelines of the official launch of ‘Rediscover
Goa’, a week-long celebration of Goa’s vast cultural diversity beyond its beaches and dazzling nightlife, Airbnb and
Goa Tourism Department have joined hands to scale homestay capacity across the state, and provide support to
Goan homestay Hosts in delivering quality tourism experiences to guests, both domestic and international.
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 The announcement reflects the commitment of both parties to support the development of a sustainable tourism
ecosystem in Goa, while highlighting current and upcoming tourism destinations in the state. By hosting knowledge
sharing and training workshops for homestay Hosts, the partnership will also enhance the potential of tourism to
create jobs and sustainable livelihood opportunities for the local communities. There will be a spotlight on unique
properties that enable more domestic and international travelers to explore Goa like never before and uncover some
hidden gems.
Amit shah chairs the eastern zonal council meeting in Kolkata

 Union Home Minister Amit Shah will chair the Eastern Zonal Council meeting at the West Bengal secretariat here
on Saturday, officials said.
 West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her counterparts from Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Sikkim are
likely to attend the EZC meeting.
 Sources in the secretariat, however, said that Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik may skip the
meeting.
 Among other issues, Mr. Shah is slated to hold discussions on matters related to boundaries of the five states and
the completion of the eastern freight corridor.
 Along with the CMs, chiefs of all central armed forces are also expected to attend the meeting, which was earlier
scheduled for November 5, but got postponed due to Shah's unavailability, owing to other engagements.
UAE Set to Host World's Largest Trade Minister Meeting in 2024

 The next World Trade Organization ministerial conference will be held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates in
February 2024, the global trade watchdog confirmed in a statement. The UAE and Cameroon were both vying to
host the event and came to an informal agreement for Abu Dhabi to host the first one and Cameroon to do the next,
trade sources said.
 For the UAE, hosting the meeting is part of its own push to position itself as a global hub for business amid growing
competition in the Middle East. It has been rolling out bilateral trade deals with fast-growing markets since the
pandemic. Next year the Gulf Arab state will host COP28, the UN’s Climate Change conference.
 The top priority for the WTO’s 13th ministerial conference, known as MC13, will be reaching an agreement to reform
the trade body’s hobbled dispute settlement system and modernising its 27-year-old rulebook.
Atal Incubation Centre (AIC) signs agreements with MSMEs to hasten commercialisation of new products
 Atal Incubation Centre (AIC) at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) signed agreements with MSMEs for
incubation of newer technologies into commercial products. The agreements were signed to commemorate the
launch of the AIC at the BARC to hasten conversion of products from research labs to the market.
 The incubation agreements are signed specifically for technologies aligned with India’s global commitments of
achieving Net Zero (carbon neutrality) such as access to safe drinking water, and growth of potential import
substitutes for advanced and affordable healthcare in the country.
 The technologies include Alkaline Water Electrolyser for Green Hydrogen production, DC Accelerator for
Wastewater Treatment, novel Gamma Monitoring, and X-Band LINAC-based X-ray source for radiotherapy
machines.
 The launch of AIC-BARC was announced in the 2020 Budget Speech of the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
and will complement the Aatma Nirbhar Bharat initiative of the government.
BANKING AND ECONOMY

BSE signs up TAC Security as cyber security partner
 Risk and vulnerability management company TAC Security announced that it is the official cyber security partner
for the stock exchange-BSE.
 The cyber security company said it signed an agreement with the oldest stock exchange to ensure that the BSE is
empowered with the highest possible level of cybersecurity. It said the alliance was a significant stride in the
longstanding relationship between the two institutions.
 BSE will get a holistic view of their risk-vulnerability management on a single platform using TAC Security’s ESOF
(Enterprise Security in One Framework), the company said.
 “It is an honour and privilege to be protecting Asia’s biggest and essential stock market body.” said Trishneet Arora,
Founder, and CEO. “We aim to ensure the highest-level cybersecurity for an organisation that defines the stock
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market of the country. It is truly a step towards providing organizations across the globe with the next – generation
of Vulnerability Management.”
SEBI orders mutual fund houses to pay dividends within seven days of the record date
 Mutual funds (MFs) have to pay dividend to unit-holders in seven working days after declaration of record date. In
a circular issued, SEBI said the record date will be two working days from the issue of public notice on dividend
payment.
 The transfer of redemption proceeds to the unit-holders should be made in three working days from the date of
redemption, it said. On paying redemption proceeds for schemes investing at least 80 per cent of total assets
overseas, the transfer of redemption proceeds should be made in five working days from the date of redemption, it
said.
 The list will be published within 30 days, said SEBI. In case of delay in payment of redemption proceeds, MFs have
to pay an interest of 15 per cent per annum to unit-holders and the cost will be borne by the fund houses, it added.
India’s milk production registers monumental growth by 83 MT in last 8 years

 India’s milk production has registered a monumental growth in the last eight years as it has increased by 83 Million
Tonnes. In 2013-14, the production was 138 Million Tonnes which increased to 221 Million Tonnes in 2021-22.
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said, a vibrant dairy sector is also a great way to further strengthen Nari Shakti.
 Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying, Parshottam Rupala has credited it to the
government’s initiatives for a paradigm shift in the policy perspective of the Dairy and Animal Husbandry sector in
the last eight years.
 He added a huge budgetary allocation has also been made for this sector which was mostly ignored earlier. The
Minister also said that Centre has expanded the vaccination program for Foot and Mouth Disease to pan India. He
added that it was launched as an eradication programme which was earlier a disease control program limited to
selected states and districts.
RBI to Paytm: Re-apply for payment aggregator licence

 Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has for now declined to entertain Paytm Payments Services’ (PPSL), a wholly owned
subsidiary of Paytm, application for an authorisation to provide payment aggregator services for online merchants.
The central bank has advised PPSL to resubmit its application within 120 days after taking certain steps.
 The company in a exchange filing said,” Our 100% subsidiary, Paytm Payments Services Limited (“PPSL”), is in
receipt of a letter from Reserve Bank of India (“RBI”) in response to an application from PPSL for the authorization
to provide payment aggregator services (“PA application”) for online merchants.
 Paytm further said that the firm can continue to onboard new offline merchants and offer them payment services
including All-in-One QR, Soundbox, Card Machines, etc.
The firm said that it is hopeful of receiving the necessary approvals in a timely manner and resubmitting the
application
Tamilnad Mercantile Bank ink bancassurance pacts with Chola MS General, Max Life
 Old private sector lender Tamilnad Mercantile Bank has entered into bancassurance partnerships with
Cholamandalam MS General Insurance Company Ltd, part of the Chennai-based Murugappa Group, and Max Life
Insurance Company to provide general insurance products and life insurance schemes respectively to TMB’s
customers.
 Under the tie-up, Tuticorin-based TMB’s 500-plus branches will start retailing the insurance products of both
companies. The bank has inked agreement with Cholamandalam MS General Insurance Company for the purpose
of marketing, distribution & selling the general insurance products.
 “On getting listed in the Stock Exchanges, Tamilnad Mercantile Bank, is back to enrich our vision in expanding the
network PAN India, with added features in the products and services,” said S.Krishnan, MD & CEO, Tamilnad
Mercantile Bank Limited (TMB). This tie-up launching function, we believe, is a watershed moment for the Bank.
 It is the selling of insurance products through banking channels. In Bancassurance a bank enters into an agreement
with an Insurance company.
 It was set up at the Nadar Bank limited in 1921 by Nadar business community of Tamilnadu. It was renamed as
Tamilnad Mercantile Bank in 1962. It is a Private sector bank in India.
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Sebi forms a high-level panel to review corporate takeover rules
 Capital markets regulator Sebi has set up a high-level panel to review the takeover norms in a move to simplify and
strengthen the current rules by adopting appropriate global practices. Also, the regulator will assess the current
rules in the light of past judicial pronouncements and various informal guidelines issued by the capital markets
regulator.
 The 20-member committee will be chaired by former Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court, Shiavax Jal
Vazifdar. Apart from Vazifdar, other members of the panel include Sundareswaran S Managing Director (MD) at
Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors; Rajendra Kanoongo, Joint MD of Mark Corporate Advisors; K Srinivas MD of
Saffron Capital Advisors, Ankur Verma, Senior Vice President at Tata Sons and Dolphy Dsouza Partner at E&Y.
 In addition, Sudhir Kumar Jha, head of legal at HDFC Ltd and Sunil Sanghai, founder and CEO, NovaaOne Capital
are part of the committee. Jha and Sanghai are also representatives of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and
Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) respectively.
RBI to launch retail digital rupee pilot on 1 December

 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced a trial for retail digital rupee (e ₹-R) beginning 1 December, with four
banks in as many cities participating in the pilot programme, a month after testing the wholesale central bank
digital currency (CBDC).
 RBI said the pilot would cover select locations in a closed user group (CUG) comprising participating customers
and merchants. While it has identified eight banks for gradual participation in the pilot, the first phase will begin
with four: State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, Yes Bank and IDFC First Bank.
 The remaining four—Bank of Baroda, Union Bank of India, HDFC Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank—will
subsequently join the trial, it said.
 While the retail CBDC would initially cover Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru and Bhubaneswar, the trials will be
later extended to Ahmedabad, Gangtok, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Indore, Kochi, Lucknow, Patna and Shimla.
 The e ₹-R would be in the form of a digital token that represents legal tender. It would be issued in the same
denominations that paper currency and coins are currently issued.
SBI board approves infrastructure bonds worth ₹10,000 cr

 State Bank of India plans to raise Rs 10,000 crore worth of infrastructure bonds during the current financial year.
SBI confirmed the meeting of the Executive Committee of the Central Board of State Bank of India to seek approval
for raising infrastructure bonds to Rs 10,000 crore through public issues or private placement.
 The planned insurance worth Rs 10,000 crore includes a greenshoe option of Rs 5,000 crore. The infrastructure
bonds are likely to be of 10 years tenure according to the plans. Infrastructure bonds typically have an edge in such
a scenario as the money raised through the issuance of these bonds will be excluded while maintaining a cash
reserve ratio (CRR). With these, the banks will have more funds to lend.
 State Bank of India is an Indian Multinational public sector bank and financial services statutory body
headquartered in Mumbai. SBI is the 49th largest bank in the world by total assets and ranked 221st in the Fortune
Global 500 list. It is only Indian Bank on the list. The bank was founded on 1st July 1955.
Yes Bank buys 9.9% stake in JC Flowers ARC, to acquire additional stake
 Yes Bank has signed a Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) with JC Flowers Asset Reconstruction Company (ARC),
acquiring a 9.9 percent stake in the ARC at Rs 11.43 per share on 28th November 2022. A subsequent acquisition of
the additional shareholding of 10 percent is subject to requisite regulatory approvals.
 Yes Bank’s board has approved the sale of stressed loans worth Rs 48,000 crore to JC Flowers. The bank intends to
participate as a minority shareholder in the ARC. It is said that this will be ancillary to the main line of business of
the bank. As of 31st March 2022, JC Flowers ARC had Rs 595 crore in assets under management with an annual
turnover of Rs 19.9 crore.
 For the three-month ended 30 September 2022, the net profit of Yes Bank dropped by 32.2 percent year-on-year to
Rs 152.8 crore. Total income during Q2 FY23, was higher at Rs 6,394.11 crore as against Rs 5,430.30 crore in the same
period a year ago. Gross non-performing assets came down to 12.89 percent of gross advances as against 14.97
percent in the year-ago period.
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RBI comes out with four-tiered regulatory framework for urban cooperative banks
 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced a four-tiered regulatory framework for categorisation of Urban Co-
operative Banks (UCBs). Besides, the central bank has come out with norms pertaining to the net worth and capital
adequacy of these banks.
 The Reserve Bank of India had constituted the Expert Committee on Urban Co-operative Banks, under the
Chairmanship of Shri N. S. Vishwanathan, former Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank to examine the issues in urban
cooperative banking sector and to review regulatory/ supervisory approach for strengthening the sector. Based on
the recommendations of the Expert Committee, RBI had released the Revised Regulatory Framework for Urban Co-
operative Banks (UCBs) on July 19, 2022. The four-tiered regulatory framework, based on size of deposits of the
UCBs, will come into force with immediate effect.
Rs. 1,45,867 crore gross GST revenue collected for November 2022
 Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections for the month of November 2022 stood at Rs 1,45,867 crore, according to
the data shared by finance ministry. The revenue for the month of November are 11% higher than the GST revenue
in the same month last year, which itself was Rs 1,31,526 crore. This is the ninth straight month when collections
from GST has remained above Rs 1.40 lakh crore.
 The gross GST revenue collected in November 2022 came in at Rs 1,45,867 crore of which CGST is Rs 25,681 crore,
SGST is Rs 32,651 crore, IGST is Rs 77,103 crore (including Rs 38,635 crore collected on import of goods) and Cess is
₹10,433 crore (including Rs 817 crore collected on import of goods). The government has settled Rs 33,997 crore to
CGST and Rs 28,538 crore to SGST from IGST as regular settlement.
 The total revenue of Centre and the state after regular settlements in the month of November 2022 is Rs 59678 crore
for CGST and Rs 61189 crore for the SGST. In addition, the Centre had also released Rs 17,000 crore as GST
compensation to States/UTs in November 2022.
UPI volume cap deadline extended by 2 yrs in relief for PhonePe, Google Pay
 In a major relief to payment firms like PhonePe and Google Pay, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)
extended the volume cap deadline for third-party application providers (TPAPS) by two years, until December 31,
2024.
 In November 2020, NPCI came up with a directive capping the share of transactions a TPAP could process at 30 per
cent of the volume of transactions handled on UPI, effective January 1, 2021, which was to be calculated on the basis
of the volume of transactions processed during the preceding three months (on a rolling basis).
 However, it gave the existing TPAPs, such as PhonePe and Google Pay, which exceed the desired market cap, two
additional years, starting January 2023, to comply with the directive. According to the latest data released by NPCI,
PhonePe processed over 47.26 per cent of the transactions done through UPI in October.
 Google Pay processed about 34 per cent of transactions through the UPI. Both these players have a combined market
share of over 81 per cent in volume terms of total transactions processed on UPI.
NSE Launches New Nifty Bharat Bond Index

 The National Stock Exchange’s subsidiary NSE Indices has launched one more index under the Nifty Bharat Bond
Index series.
 The Bharat Bond Index series follows a target maturity date structure wherein each index in the series measures the
performance of a portfolio of ‘AAA’ rated bonds issued by government owned entities maturing in a specific year.
 Nifty Bharat Bond Index — April 2033 - has been launched within the Nifty Bharat Bond Index series. In December
2019, NSE Indices launched the first two indices in the Bharat Bond Index with maturities in April 2023 and April
2030, and in July 2020, further two indices with maturities in April 2025 and April 2031 were launched.
Reserve Bank of India issues framework for Indian banks' foreign biz
 RBI has put in place a framework to allow overseas subsidiaries and branches of Indian banks and financial
institutions to undertake activities not specifically permitted in the Indian domestic market.
 The framework also specifies the applicability of these instructions to International Financial Services Centres in
India, including Gujarat International Finance Tec-City.
RBI Monetary Policy 2022: RBI Repo Rate Hike by 35 bps to 6.25%
 The decision of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das headed six-member Monetary Policy
Committee (MPC) has been announced.
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 In the consecutive fifth hike this year, the RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee has raised the repo rate by 35 basis
points (bps) to 6.25 per cent with immediate effect, making loans expensive.
 The policy rate is now at the highest level since August 2018. The RBI has maintained policy stance at ‘withdrawal
of accommodation’.
Razorpay becomes India's first payment gateway to support credit cards on UPI
 Razorpay, India’s full-stack payments and banking platform for businesses announced the platform’s readiness to
support credit card transactions on Unified Payments Interface (UPI). With this launch, Razorpay becomes India’s
first PG to support credit cards on UPI.
 Customers of HDFC Bank, Punjab National Bank, Union Bank & Indian Bank will be the 1st to enjoy the benefits.
UPI to now allow blocking money for multiple debits, paves way for ASBA
 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) enhanced the capabilities of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) by introducing
a ‘single-block-and-multiple debits’ functionality, which allows a customer to enable a payment mandate against a
merchant by blocking funds for specific purposes in his/her bank account which can be debited, whenever needed.
YES Bank gets RBI nod to raise capital from Carlyle, Verventa Holdings
 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued two letters to YES Bank as the final go-ahead for its proposed capital raise
plan from the Carlyle Group and Verventa Holdings, the bank said in a statement while informing the exchanges.
 YES Bank will now engage with the investors for completion of the proposed capital raise, subject to various
regulatory compliances.
RBI shortlists 7 global consultancy firms to use AI, ML to improve regulatory supervision
 7 firms are Accenture Solutions Private Limited; Boston Consulting Group (India) Pvt Ltd; Deloitte Touche
Tohmatsu India LLP; Ernst and Young LLP; KPMG Assurance and Consulting Services LLP; McKinsey and
Company; and Pricewaterhouse Coopers Pvt Ltd.
 The Department of Supervision has been developing and using linear & a few machine-learnt models for supervisory
examinations.
November retail inflation eases below 6% for the first time this year
 Retail inflation of India has been eased to 5.88% in November 2022 from 6.77% in October. It is the first time in this
Financial Year when the inflation rate came within the tolerance band of RBI i.e. 2 to 6%. Food prices, which account
for nearly 40% of the CPI basket, eased to 4.67% in November, compared with 7.01% in October.
 Retail inflation has been above the upper end of the Reserve Bank of India’s 2%-6% tolerance band since January,
triggering 225 basis points of interest rate rise, so far taking it to 6.25%.
 Excluding the volatile food and energy components, the core inflation is estimated to be between 6% and 6.26% in
November, according to three economists’ estimates, compared to 5.9% to 6.3% in October.
 RBI recently wrote a letter to the government explaining the reasons for failing to contain inflation within the set
band for three successive quarters. The letter has not been made public so far.
 Cooling vegetable and edible oil prices drove India’s retail inflation down to 5.88% in November from 6.77% in
October, the first time since January this year that consumer prices have risen slower than the 6% tolerance
threshold set for the central bank.
Banks Wrote Off Bad Loans Worth Over 10 Lakh Crore In Last 5 Financial Years: Minister
 Banks have written off bad loans worth ₹ 10,09,511 crore during the last five financial years, Finance Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman informed Parliament. The non-performing assets (NPAs), including those in respect of which full
provisioning has been made on completion of four years, are removed from the balance sheet of the bank concerned
by way of write-off.
 Banks write off NPAs as part of their regular exercise to clean up their balance sheet, avail tax benefit and optimise
capital, in accordance with RBI guidelines and policy approved by their boards. As per inputs received from RBI,
Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs) wrote off an amount of ₹ 10,09,511 crore during the last five financial years.
 As borrowers of written-off loans continue to be liable for repayment and the process of recovery of dues from the
borrower in written-off loan accounts continues, write-off does not benefit the borrower, she said.
 Banks continue to pursue recovery actions initiated in written-off accounts through various recovery mechanisms
available, such as filing of a suit in civil courts or in Debts Recovery Tribunals, filing of cases under the Insolvency
and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 and through sale of non-performing assets.
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Bank of Baroda Proposes Sale of Majority Stake in Nainital Bank
 State-owned Bank of Baroda (BoB) said it plans to sell its majority stake in Nainital Bank. The board of directors of
the bank has approved divestment of its majority shareholding in Nainital Bank Limited (NBL), and authorised
issuance of an advertisement inviting Expressions of Interest (EOI) through a Preliminary Information
Memorandum (PIM) from interested parties (IPs).
 BoB currently holds 98.57 per cent of the total equity share capital of NBL. Uttarakhand-based Nainital Bank has
about 150 branches across Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan. The Mumbai-based BoB had
taken over Nainital Bank in 1973 on the directions of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
 Bank of Baroda is one of the leading commercial public sector banks in India. The Bank is having their head office
located at Baroda and their corporate office is located at Mumbai.
 Bank of Baroda is one of India’s largest banks and as on December 2020 the bank has a strong domestic presence
spanning 8246 domestic branches and 11553 ATMs & Cash Recyclers supported by self-service channels.
ADB keeps India's GDP growth unchanged at 7% for current financial year
 The Manila-based Asian Development Bank kept its economic growth outlook for India unchanged at seven percent
for the fiscal 2022-23. The bank also forecasted a weaker-than-previously expected pace for developing Asia. The
seven percent growth projection for fiscal 2022-23, unchanged from its September forecast, against 8.7 percent GDP
growth in the previous fiscal.
 For the next fiscal year, FY 23-24, the GDP growth has been kept unchanged at 7.2 percent, “sustained by positive
effects from structural reform and from public investment catalysing private investment”.
 The Manila-based bank’s report sees Asia expanding 4.2 percent this year and accelerating to 4.6 percent in 2023.
The previously estimated expansion stood at 4.3 percent and 4.9 percent, respectively.
 “While some recent high-frequency indicators are more favourable than expected — notably consumer confidence,
electricity supply and purchasing managers’ indexes — others are a little less favourable, in particular exports,
largely textiles and iron ore, and the index of industrial production of consumer goods,” the report said.
HDFC Bank Launches Parivartan SmartUp Grants with Startup India

 HDFC Bank announced the launch of its sixth annual grants program for social startups in partnership with the
Government of India’s flagship initiative ‘Startup India’. Known as Parivartan SmartUp Grants, the program aims
to identify startups working in the social impact space and support them through monetary grants to their
incubators.
 The grants have been offered under the aegis of Parivartan, the umbrella name for the bank’s social initiatives. So
far, the bank has disbursed over INR 30 crore to more than 45 incubators which supported over 165 startups working
in areas like environment, agri-business, ed-tech, waste management, healthcare, and skill development sectors.
 This year the bank will also focus on building capacities of incubators and startups working in tier-II & III cities.
Through selected incubator partners, the bank will fund social impact startups developing solutions in
environmental conservation, affordable healthcare, sustainable rural economy, technologies for better governance,
economic growth of SMEs, gender diversity and inclusion space.
Sitharaman holds 48th GST Council meet, panel agrees to decriminalise certain offences
 The 48th Goods and Service Tax (GST) Council meeting at the national capital Delhi on 17 December has concluded
without any decisions on the highly anticipated GST Appellate Tribunals, tax rate applicable on gutkha and pan
masala.
 Increase in monetary threshold, from the current ₹5 crore to ₹20 crore, for launching legal proceedings against
offenders. Additionally, the fee payable by a taxpayer for compounding of GST offences be lowered to 25% of the
tax amount, down from the up to 150% currently.
 A report on tax evasion by the tobacco industry (pan masala, gutka), along with a possible mechanism to curb the
evasion.
 As proposed by a Group of Ministers (GoM), increasing the indirect tax on online gaming, casinos, and horse racing,
to 28%, from the existing 18%.
India’s monthly merchandise trade deficit comes down to a six-month low

 India’s overall trade deficit for goods and services in November this year has fallen to $11.11 billion, lower than year-
ago and month-ago levels. Moreover, thanks to a recovery in exports, India’s monthly merchandise trade deficit
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came down to a six-month low of $23.81 billion. Trade deficit is the amount by which a country’s import costs exceed
its export value in a given period.
 November’s goods exports stood at $31.99 billion against $29.78 billion in October and $30.04 billion a year ago. The
export data is still the lowest since November 2021 due to lower prices and volumes. Also, November goods imports
were recorded at $55.88 billion against $56.69 billion a month ago. The number stood at $52.94 billion a year ago.
November goods trade deficit has fallen to $23.81 billion against $26.9 billion in October and $22.9 billion year-on-
year (YoY). The November goods deficit is the lowest since May.
 The November trade deficit is down on marginal recovery in exports and a fall in services imports.
RBI holds 599th central board meeting, reviews economic situation

 The 599th meeting of the board was held in Kolkata on December 16. The meeting was chaired by RBI Governor
Shaktikanta Das.
 Directors of the Central Board, Satish K. Marathe, Revathy Iyer, Sachin Chaturvedi, Venu Srinivasan, Pankaj
Ramanbhai Patel and Dr Ravindra H. Dholakia attended the meeting. RBI deputy governors Mahesh Kumar Jain,
Dr Michael Debabrata Patra, M. Rajeshwar Rao, and T. Rabi Sankar too attended the meeting.
 The Central Board of Directors of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) reviewed the current economic situation, and
global and domestic challenges including the overall geopolitical developments, finance, and trade. The Board also
discussed the activities of select Central Office Departments and the draft Report on the Trend and Progress of
Banking in India, 2021-22.
IDFC First Bank waives fee on savings accounts and multiple banking services
 IDFC FIRST Bank has declared ZERO Fee Banking on savings accounts and waived fees on multiple banking
services, including Passbook charges, NEFT charges. The bank said that customers maintaining as low as Rs 10,000
Average Monthly Balance, and the Rs 25,000 AMB savings account variant will get these benefits.
 Number of Cash Transactions at branches per month (Cumulative of Deposit and Withdrawal)
 Value of Cash Transactions (Cumulative of Deposit and Withdrawal) at Branches
 Third-party Cash Transaction Charges (Cumulative of Deposit and Withdrawal) at Branches
 Demand Drafts/ PO (Issuance Charges) – at Bank Locations
 IMPS Charges per Transaction– Outward
Government launches first-ever ‘Surety Bond Insurance’ for infrastructure projects

 Road, transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari launched the country’s first-ever surety bond insurance
product, a move that would reduce the dependence of infra developers of bank guarantee. Surety Bond Insurance
will act as a security arrangement for infrastructure projects and will insulate the contractor as well as the principal.
The product will cater to the requirements of a diversified group of contractors, many of whom are operating in
today’s increasingly volatile environment.
 The Surety Bond Insurance is a risk transfer tool for the Principal and shields the Principal from the losses that may
arise in case the contractor fails to perform their contractual obligation.
 The product gives the principal a contract of guarantee that contractual terms and other business deals will be
concluded in accordance with the mutually agreed terms. In case the contractor doesn’t fulfil the contractual terms,
the Principal can raise a claim on the surety bond and recover the losses they have incurred.
Oscars 2023: RRR's Naatu Naatu, Last Film Show, among others shortlisted for the 95th Academy Awards
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Jio deposits Rs 3,720 cr in SBI escrow account to acquire Reliance Infratel
 Reliance Projects and Property Management Services — a subsidiary of telecom major Reliance Jio — has deposited
Rs 3,720 crore in an SBI escrow account to acquire mobile tower and fibre assets of Reliance Infratel. Reliance
Infratel has fibre assets of about 178,000 route kilometres and 43,540 mobile towers across the country. The National
Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) gave an approval to Jio for the acquisition of Reliance Infratel (RITL).
 The Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio had placed a bid of Rs 3,720 crore in November 2019 to acquire the tower and
fibre asset of debt-ridden subsidiary of his younger brother Anil Ambani-managed firm Reliance Communications.
 The tribunal had asked Jio to deposit Rs 3,720 crore in the State Bank of India (SBI) escrow account to complete the
acquisition of RCOM’s tower and fibre assets.
Govt hikes copra MSP by 3-7% for 2023

 The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs(CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved
Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for copra for 2023 season. The approval is based on recommendations of the
Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices and views of major coconut growing states.
 The MSP for Fair Average Quality of milling copra has been fixed at Rs. 10860/- per quintal and for ball copra at Rs.
11750/- per quintal for 2023 season.
 This is an increase of Rs. 270/- per quintal for milling copra and Rs. 750/- per quintal for ball copra over the previous
season.
 This would ensure a margin of 51.82 percent for milling copra and 64.26 percent for ball copra over the all India
weighted average cost of production.
 The announced MSP of copra for 2023 season is in line with the principle of fixing the MSP at a level of at least 1.5
times all India weighted average cost of production as announced by the Government in the Budget 2018-19.
New Bank Locker Rules To Take Effect On January 1, 2023

 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently said that all leading banks should issue the locker agreement to its holders
before January 1, 2023, as the new locker rules will be implemented from that date. Earlier, the RBI had announced
revised guidelines on August 8, 2021, which became effective from January 1, 2022. And now, all the locker owners
must display their eligibility for a new locker arrangement and sign a renewal agreement prior to January 1, 2023.
 Banks shall ensure that any unfair terms or conditions are not incorporated in their locker agreements.
 Further, the terms of the contract shall not be more onerous than required in the ordinary course of business to
safeguard the interests of the bank.
 Banks shall renew their locker agreements with existing locker customers by January 1, 2023.
 All banks need to circulate a new locker agreement to their safe deposit locker holders under the new rules.
 According to the Central bank, all the lenders can use the IBA-drafted model locker agreement, which should
comply with the updated instructions and Supreme Court’s directives.
India clears defence purchase plan worth Rs 84328 crore

 In a step to augment the operational capabilities of the Armed Forces and the Indian Coast Guard in future, the
Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh accorded approval for Acceptance
of Necessity (AoN) for 24 Capital Acquisition Proposals. These proposals include six for the Indian Army, six for the
Indian Air Force, 10 for the Indian Navy and two for the Indian Coast Guard for a total value of Rs 84,328 crore.
 It is pertinent to mention that 21 proposals, worth Rs 82,127 crore (97.4%), are approved for procurement from
indigenous sources. This unprecedented initiative of DAC will not only modernise the Armed Forces but also
provide a substantial boost to the defence industry to achieve the goal of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.
Indian Billionaire Gautam Adani to Control Nearly 65% of NDTV

 Indian Billionaire Gautam Adani is to control 64.71% of New Delhi Television Ltd (NDTV) as the founders have
decided to sell most of the shares. The founders of NDTV, Prannoy Roy and his wife Radhika Roy have decided to
transfer most of the shares in the company giving Gautam Adani his conglomerate control of about 65% of NDTV.
The decision comes after four months after Gautam Adani announced his takeover of the news channel.
 Radhika Roy and Prannoy Roy will sell a 27.26% stake of their remaining 32.26% shareholding in NDTV.
 Gautam Adani already holds 37% of shares after an open offer and an acquisition of NDTV.
 Adani Group will become the single largest shareholder in NDTV after first buying out a firm backed by the founders
and then acquiring more shares from the open market.
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 New Delhi Television Ltd or NDTV is an Indian news media company that was founded in 1984. The founders of
NDTV are economists Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy. The husband-and-wife duo is from Kolkata. In August 2022,
the Adani Group launched a hostile bid to take over NDTV.
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1. Recently, Prime Minister of India launched as a fundamental or constitutional right under

various new initiatives under the e-court project the Indian Constitution. Though marriage is
including Virtual Justice Clock, JustIS mobile regulated through various statutory enactments,
App 2.0, Digital court and S3WaaS Websites on its recognition as a fundamental right has only
Constitution Day, 26th November 2022. During developed through judicial decisions of India’s
the programme, the Prime Minister will launch Supreme Court. Such declaration of law is
various new initiatives under the e-court binding on all courts throughout India under
project. The Project is an effort to provide Article 141 of the Constitution.
services to litigants, lawyers and the judiciary (Source:
through ICT enablement of courts. The https://indianexpress.com/article/india/sc-
initiatives being launched by the Prime Minister centre-same-sex-special-marriage-act-
include Virtual Justice Clock, JustIS mobile App 8289275/)
2.0, Digital court and S3WaaS Websites. Virtual
Justice Clock is an initiative to exhibit vital 3. Recently, the Union Home Ministry proposed
statistics of the justice delivery system at the amendment to the Registration of Birth and
Court level. JustIS Mobile App 2.0 is a tool Death (RBD) Act, 1969. The bill will be
available to judicial officers for effective court introduced in the winter session of parliament.
and case management by monitoring pendency It has been proposed to make birth certificates a
and disposal of cases. Digital court is an mandatory document for almost every sphere of
initiative to make the court records available to life — admission in educational institutions,
the judge in digitised form to enable the inclusion in the voter list, appointment in
transition to Paperless Courts. S3WaaS Websites Central and State government jobs, issue of
is a framework to generate, configure, deploy driving licence and passport. It shall be
and manage websites for publishing specified mandatory for hospitals and medical
information and services related to district institutions to provide a copy of all death
judiciary. certificates, stating the cause of death, to the
(Source: local registrar apart from the relative of the
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRI deceased. According to the Civil Registration
D=1878804#:~:text=Prime%20Minister%20Shri System (CRS) report, the registration level of
%20Narendra%20Modi,the%20Constituent%20 births for the country increased to 92.7% in 2019
Assembly%20in%201949.) from 82.0% in 2010 and that of registered deaths
increased from 66.9% in 2010 to 92.0 % in 2019.
2. The Supreme Court has issued notice to the CRS is an online system for registration of births
Centre and the Attorney General for India on a and deaths under the operational control of the
plea by two gay couples seeking recognition of RGI. The draft amendments would enable the
same-sex marriage under the Special Marriage Registrar General of India (RGI) under the
Act, 1954. As a result of several petitions, a two- Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to “maintain a
judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India D database of registered birth and deaths at the
Y Chandrachud issued the notice. The non- national level”. The birth and death database at
recognition of same-sex marriage amounted to the national level that will be available with the
discrimination that struck at the root of dignity RGI may be used to update the Population
and self-fulfillment of LGBTQ+ couples. The Register, the Electoral Register, and the Aadhar,
petitioner argued that the Act is ultra vires the ration card, passport and driving licence
Constitution to the extent it discriminates databases. If the amendments are implemented,
between same-sex couples and opposite sex the Centre could use the data to update the
couples, denying same-sex couples both legal National Population Register (NPR) that was
rights as well as the social recognition and status first prepared in 2010 and revised through door-
that flows from marriage. The Special Marriage to-door enumeration in 2015.
Act of 1954 ought to apply to a marriage between (Source:
any two persons, regardless of their gender https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/birt
identity and sexual orientation. Further, the h-certificate-to-be-made-mandatory-for-jobs-
right to marry is not expressly recognized either
100
driving-licence-passport-voting- Supreme Court since its inception, and no
right/article66187390.ece) women Chief Justices. The apex court currently
has only three women judgesout of total
4. Recently, many Kuki-Chin refugees from strength of 27: Justices Kohli, B V Nagarathna,
Chittagong Hill Tract Area in Bangladesh and Trivedi. While Justice Kohli has a tenure
entered Mizoram (India) fearing an attack from until September 2024, Justice Trivedi will hold
Bangladesh security forces against them. office until June 2025. Justice Nagarathna is set
Mizoram Government expressed sympathy for to go on to be the country’s first woman Chief
the refugees, who belong to the Chin-Kuki-Mizo Justice in 2027.
communities, and resolved to give temporary Source:
shelter, food and other relief as per convenience https://indianexpress.com/article/india/all-
of the state government. India ensures that woman-bench-today-third-time-in-sc-history-
refugees can access protection services that are to-hear-transfer-pleas-bail-matters-8299204/
on a par with their fellow Indian hosts. For those
refugees registered directly by the Government
such as those from Sri Lanka, they are entitled 6. The Delhi High Court recently passed an interim
to Aadhaar cards and PAN cards to enable their order to prevent the unlawful use of a Bollywood
economic and financial inclusion. They can have star’s name, image and voice. The court, through
access to national welfare schemes and its order, restrained persons at large from
contribute effectively to the Indian economy. infringing the personality rights of the actor.
However, for those registered with UNHCR, Personality rights refer to the right of a person
such as refugees from Afghanistan, Myanmar to protect his/her personality under the right to
and other countries, while they have access to privacy or property. These rights are important
protection and limited assistance services, they to celebrities as their names, photographs or
do not possess government-issued even voices can easily be misused in various
documentation. India lacks specific legislation advertisements by different companies to boost
to address the problem of refugees, in spite of their sales. Therefore, it is necessary for
their increasing inflow. India is not a party to the renowned personalities/celebrities to register
1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, their names to save their personality rights. The
the key legal documents pertaining to refugee closest statute to protect personality rights is
protection. However, India has had a stellar Article 21 of the Constitution of India under
record on the issue of refugee protection. India rights to privacy and publicity. Other statutory
has a moral tradition for assimilating foreign provisions protecting personality rights include
people and culture. the Copyright Act, 1957. According to the Act,
Source: moral rights are only granted to authors and
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/indi performers, including actors, singers, musicians,
a-and-bangladesh-establish-contact-with- and dancers.
more-kuki-chin-refugees-expected-to-cross- Source:
over-to- https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/expl
india/article66200745.ece#:~:text=Ten%20days ained-how-do-personality-rights-protect-
%20after%20the%20first,in%20the%20next%20 celebrities/article66211659.ece
few%20days.
7. Recently, Adani Group approached the Kerala
5. Recently, the Supreme Court has recently High Court requesting the security cover of
appointed a female all-woman bench for the central forces in its port construction site in
third time in its history, as Chief Justice of India Vizhinjam which was marred by violent protests
D Y Chandrachud set up the bench comprising by the Fishermen. It is Rs 7,525 crore port, being
Justices Hima Kohli and Bela M Trivedi. The first built under a Public Private Partnership (PPP)
time the Supreme Court had an all-woman model with Adani Ports Private Limited at
bench was in 2013, when Justices Gyan Sudha Vizhinjam near Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. It
Misra and Ranjana Prakash Desai sat together. was laid in December 2015 and has since missed
And the second occasion came in 2018. During its completion deadline. The port is to have 30
the last 70 years, no significant attempt has been berths, and will be able to handle giant
made to provide adequate representation for “megamax” container ships. Fisherfolk have
women in the High Courts or Supreme Court. been protesting against the project for the past
There have been only 11 women judges on the four months, alleging that its construction is
101
causing massive sea erosion, taking away their the Rajya Sabha on the ground of defection; The
livelihood and dwellings. They want an impact Chairman's consent is needed to raise a question
study conducted and the project to remain of breach of privilege in the House.
suspended until the study report comes out. Parliamentary Committees, regardless of
Source: whether set up by the Chairman or by the
https://www.livemint.com/news/india/vizhinja House, work under the direction of the
m-port-protest-adani-group-demanded- Chairman. He nominates members to different
deployment-of-central-forces-not-the-state- Standing Committees and the Department-
clarifies-kerala-minister-11670121684694.html related Parliamentary Committees. He is the
Chairman of the Business Advisory Committee,
8. The Bombay High Court (HC) seeks the Dharavi the Rules Committee and the General Purposes
redevelopment project authority’s reply to Committee. It is the duty of the Chairman to
Public Interest Litigation (PIL) for removal of interpret the Constitution and rules so far as
Mahim Nature Park from the Dharavi matters in or relating to the House are
Redevelopment Project. Mahim Nature Park is a concerned, and no one can enter into any
protected forest under Indian Forest Act, 1927. argument or controversy with the Chairman
Dharavi Redevelopment Project is the makeover over such interpretation.
of Mumbai’s slum cluster, Dharavi. The project Source:
was initially mooted in 2004, but never got off https://indianexpress.com/article/india/parlia
the ground due to various reasons. Recently, the ment-winter-session-rajya-sabha-welcomes-
Adani Group won the bid for this project. It jagdeep-dhankhar-its-new-chairman-8312156/
entails resettling 68,000 people, including slum
dwellers and those with commercial 10. The Rajya Sabha passed the Wild Life
establishments. The rehabilitation construction (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2022 which seeks
cost is estimated at 23,000 crore. A special to give effect to India's obligations under the
purpose vehicle (SPV) is to be formed, with Convention on International Trade on
Adani as the lead partner. Adani will hold 80% Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
equity in the SPV while the state government ('CITES'). Protection of Endangered Species: Bill
will hold 20%. The SPV will construct free seeks to enhance punishment for illegal Wildlife
housing for eligible slum residents, with trade. Better Management of Protected Areas: It
amenities and infrastructure such as water and provides for certain permitted activities like
power supply, sewage disposal, piped gas, etc. grazing or movement of livestock and Bonafide
Source: use of drinking and household water by local
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumb communities. Protection of Forest Lands: It is so
ai/bombay-hc-dharavi-redevelopment- critical because it equally inculcates in itself the
authoritys-pil-mahim-nature-park-project- protection of rights of the people who have been
area-8307045/ residing there since ages. This amendment
proposed a new schedule for species listed in the
9. Recently, Rajya Sabha (RS) welcomed its new Appendices under CITES. Section 6 has been
Chairman, Jagdeep Dhankhar. The Vice- amended to constitute Standing Committee to
President is the ex-officio chairman of the Rajya exercise such powers and duties as may be
Sabha. The Vice-President as Chairman of the delegated to it by the State Board for Wildlife.
Rajya Sabha is the unchallenged guardian of the Section 43 of the act amended which permitted
eminence and dignity of the House. the use of elephants for 'religious or any other
Constitutional Provisions: Article 64: The Vice- purposes'. To enable the Central government to
President shall be ex officio Chairman of the appoint a Management Authority Section 49E
Council of States and shall not hold any other has been inserted. To allow the Central
office of profit. Article 89 of the Constitution Government to appoint a Scientific Authority to
provides provision for the Chairman (Vice- provide guidance on matters relating to the
President of India) and the Deputy Chairman of impact on the survival of the specimens on being
the Rajya Sabha. The Chairman of the Rajya traded. The Bill also empowers Central
Sabha is empowered to adjourn the House or to government to regulate and stop the import,
suspend its sitting in the event of the absence of trade or possession of invasive plant or animal
quorum. The 10th Schedule of the Constitution alien species.
empowers the Chairman to determines the Source: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-
question as to disqualification of a member of tech/energy-and-environment/rajya-sabha-
102
passes-wildlife-protection-amendment-bill- 13. The Aam Aadmi Party became the 9th National
2022/article66239449.ece Party of India after the result of Gujarat elections
where it gained almost 13% of the vote share. At
11. Recently, the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy the time of the first General Elections (1952),
(Delhi based independent think-tank) in its there were 14 national parties in India. National
book “From Rule by law to the Rule of Law” Party, as the name suggests, it has a nationwide
suggested reforms regarding role of the District presence as opposed to a regional party that is
Collector/ District Magistrate (DC/DM). The restricted to only a particular state or region. A
Indian legal system still has remnants of colonial certain stature is sometimes associated with
authority despite having a modern Constitution. being a national party, but this does not
The name of the positions of the District necessarily translate into having a lot of national
Collector varies from place to place in the political influence. A recognised party (national
country which creates confusion related its role or state) has the right to certain privileges like
and responsibilities. Post of District Collector allocation of the party symbols, provision of
comes in ambit of All India Services so the name time for political broadcasts on the state-owned
should be homogeneous in entire India. television and radio stations and access to
Different nomenclatures represent diverse electoral rolls. These parties are allowed to have
administrative developments in various regions 40 “star campaigners” during the time of
of British-administered India. The lack of elections (the registered-unrecognised parties
devolution of powers and responsibilities to are allowed to have 20 “star campaigners”).
local governing bodies is an indication of the Every national party is allotted a symbol
vested interest in mystifying governance. Article exclusively reserved for its use throughout the
50 of the Constitution states that “The State country. Even in the states where it is not
shall take steps to separate the judiciary from contesting elections.
the executive in the public services of the State.” Conditions for Declaring a Party ‘National’: As
Source: per the ECI’s Political Parties and Election
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/colu Symbols, 2019 handbook, a political party would
mns/need-to-restructure-district-collector- be considered a national party if: It is
role-8312235/ ‘recognised’ in four or more states; or If its
candidates have secured at least 6% of total valid
12. Recently, chief of a political party of Tripura led votes in at least 4 states (in latest Lok Sabha or
a two-day dharna at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, Assembly elections) and the party has at least 4
to raise the demand for a “Greater Tipraland”. MPs in the last LS polls; or If it has won at least
The objective is to secure the rights of 2% of the total seats in the LS from at least 3
indigenous communities in the state. The party states.
is demanding a separate state of ‘Greater Source:https://indianexpress.com/article/cities
Tipraland’ for the indigenous communities of /delhi/national-party-national-ambitions-aap-
the north-eastern state. They want the Centre to centre-stage-8313998/
carve out the separate state under Article 2 and
3 of the Constitution. Among the 19 notified 14. Recently, four Bills, seeking to modify the
Scheduled Tribes in Tripura, Tripuris (aka Tipra Scheduled Tribes (ST) list in 4 States - Tamil
and Tiprasas) are the largest. According to the Nadu, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh and
2011 census, there are at least 5.92 lakh Tripuris Chhattisgarh, were introduced in Lok Sabha via
in the state, followed by Bru or Reang (1.88 lakh) amendments proposed in the Constitution (STs)
and Jamatias (83,000). They are demanding a Order, 1950. The Bill Seeks To add the
separate state not only for the indigenous people Narikoravan and Kuruvikkaran hill tribes to the
but also for all communities who live in the ST list of Tamil Nadu. The Lokur Committee
Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District (1965), in its report, also recommended their
Council (TTAADC) area. Further, Parliament inclusion in the list. Introduce Betta-Kuruba as
derives powers to create a new state from Article a synonym for the already categorised Kadu
2 and Article 3 of the Constitution of India. kuruba in the ST list of Karnataka. Add a
Source: number of synonyms in Devanagri script for the
https://indianexpress.com/article/political- already categorised Bhariya Bhumia tribe in the
pulse/tipra-motha-chief-new-delhi-tripura- ST list of Chhattisgarh. As per the Ministry of
assembly-election-8311087/ Tribal Affairs, they are all part of the same tribe
but had been kept out of the list just because
103
they are pronounced and spelled their names Source:https://www.thehindu.com/news/natio
differently. Add Hattee community of Trans- nal/parliament-bills-to-modify-st-list-
Giri region in Sirmaur district to the ST list of introduced-in-lok-sabha/article66242715.ece
Himachal Pradesh (after almost five decades).
15. Criminalising consensual relationships

The blanket criminalisation of consensual sexual acts among or
with adolescents is in gross oversight of their sexual development
and bodily integrity and autonomy
India is home to the largest adolescent population in the world. The National Family Health Surveys indicate that a
significant proportion of Indian teenagers are sexually active.
Misuse of POCSO
According to an analysis by Enfold Proactive Health Trust, ‘romantic cases’ (where the relationship was consensual,
according to the girls, their family members, or the court) constituted 24.3% of the total cases registered and disposed
under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act between 2016 and 2020 by special courts in
Assam, Maharashtra and West Bengal. While POCSO’s objective is to protect children below 18 years from sexual
abuse, its unintended effect has been the criminal prosecution and the deprivation of liberty of young people in
consensual relationships. The law is also used by parents of adolescent girls to curtail sexual expression and “safeguard
family honour”. The ensuing criminal investigation and trial and the simultaneous inquiry under the child protection
system have an adverse impact on the adolescents’ development, education, employment, self-esteem, social
reputation, and family life. For the adolescent boys, the long-term consequences of a conviction for statutory rape are
incarceration and inclusion in the sex offenders registry.
The law casts adolescent girls as “victims”, thus rendering them voiceless. These girls are institutionalised in children’s
homes when they refuse to return to their parents. Adolescent boys are by default treated as children in conflict with
the law and can even be tried as adults. Such blanket criminalisation of consensual sexual acts among or with
adolescents is in gross oversight of their sexual development, bodily integrity and autonomy, and violates their right
to life, privacy, and dignity. The penal approach also impedes adolescents’ right to barrier-free access to sexual and
reproductive health services and information recognised under the Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram. The
mandatory reporting obligation under the POCSO Act and the fear of the partner being reported to the police deters
girls from availing themselves of medical services and inadvertently pushes them towards unsafe abortions.
The inclusion of consensual and non-exploitative acts involving adolescents detracts from the purpose of the POCSO
Act and diverts time and resources from the investigation and trial of actual cases of sexual violence and exploitation.
The median time between the lodging of the FIR and the disposal of such romantic cases was 1.4 years in Assam and
2.3 years each in Maharashtra and West Bengal.
According to Crime in India, 2021, 92.6% of cases under the POCSO Act were pending disposal. Consensual cases
among these are overburdening the criminal justice system. The futility of using the criminal law to regulate adolescent
sexuality is also evinced by the abnormally high acquittal rates (93.8% in romantic cases) and the fact that the girl did
not say anything incriminating against the accused in 81.5% of the cases. Further, in 46.5% of the cases, the victims
were married to the accused. The acquittal rate in these cases was 98.1% as many courts did not wish to disturb the
marital life of the couple.
Many High Courts have recognised that adolescent relationships are normal and criminalisation of such acts affects
both parties. In Vijayalakshmi v. State Rep. (2021), the Madras High Court cited evidence that “adolescent romance is
an important developmental marker for adolescents’ self-identity, functioning and capacity for intimacy”.
The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in General Comment No. 20 on the implementation
of the rights of the child during adolescence urged states to balance protection of children from sexual exploitation
and abuse with respect for their evolving autonomy and recommended that “[s]tates should avoid criminalizing
adolescents of similar ages for factually consensual and non-exploitative sexual activity.” In 2019, it urged states to
remove status offences, which criminalise adolescents who engage in consensual sexual acts with one another.
104
The way forward
Comprehensive sexuality education is needed to bridge knowledge gaps, build positive skills and attitudes so as to
enable adolescents to make informed decisions and navigate through interpersonal relationships, while also realising
the importance of their health and dignity. Equal efforts need to be directed towards imparting knowledge, skills and
attitudes to vulnerable groups such as children with disabilities or those out of schools.
An amendment needs to be considered to the POCSO Act and the Indian Penal Code to decriminalise consensual acts
involving adolescents above 16 years, while also ensuring that those above 16 years and below 18 years are protected
against non-consensual acts. A provision recognising consent by those above 16 years may be considered, while
criminalising acts against them if it is against their will, without their consent, or where their consent has been
obtained through fear of death or hurt, intoxication, or if the accused is in a position of authority. Till such time as the
law is amended, law enforcement agencies, child welfare committees and juvenile justice boards may consider
exercising the discretion available to them under existing provisions in the best interest of children, so as to
avoid/minimise the harm caused by arrest, apprehension, and institutionalisation of adolescents in consensual cases.
https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/criminalising-consensual-relationships/article66281782.ece
16. Explained | How do personality rights protect celebrities?

What are personality rights and how do they differ from publicity
and trademark rights? Can indiscriminate use of a person’s name
on the internet be a violation of personality rights?
The story so far: The Delhi High Court recently passed an interim order to prevent the unlawful use of Bollywood
star Amitabh Bachchan’s name, image and voice. The court, through its order, restrained persons at large from
infringing the personality rights of the actor.
What are personality rights?
Personality rights refer to the right of a person to protect his/her personality under the right to privacy or property.
These rights are important to celebrities as their names, photographs or even voices can easily be misused in various
advertisements by different companies to boost their sales. Therefore, it is necessary for renowned
personalities/celebrities to register their names to save their personality rights.
A large list of unique personal attributes contribute to the making of a celebrity. All of these attributes need to be
protected, such as name, nickname, stage name, picture, likeness, image and any identifiable personal property, such
as a distinctive race car.
Are personality rights different from publicity rights?
Personality rights are different from publicity rights. Personality rights consist of two types of rights — firstly, the right
of publicity, or the right to keep one’s image and likeness from being commercially exploited with out permission or
contractual compensation, which is similar (but not identical) to the use of a trademark; and secondly, the right to
privacy or the right to not have one’s personality represented publicly without permission. However, under common
law jurisdictions, publicity rights fall into the realm of the ‘tort of passing off’. Passing off takes place when someone
intentionally or unintentionally passes off their goods or services as those belonging to another party. Often, this type
of misrepresentation damages the goodwill of a person or business, resulting in financial or reputational damage.
Publicity rights are governed by statutes like the Trade marks Act 1999 and the Copyright Act 1957.
Does the use of a name on the internet affect personality rights?
The Delhi High Court in 2011 made an observation in the case of Arun Jaitley vs Network Solutions Private Limited
and Ors., in which Mr. Jaitley filed a suit seeking permanent injunction against the defendants from misuse and
immediate transfer of the domain name www.arunjaitley.com. The Court stated that “the popularity or fame of
individual will be no different on the internet than in reality.” The Court decided in the favour of Mr. Arun Jaitley,
stating that the “name also falls in the category wherein it besides being a personal name has attained distinctive
indicia of its own. Therefore, the said name due its peculiar nature/distinctive character coupled with the gained
popularity in several fields whether being in politics, or in advocacy, ...has become a well-known personal name/mark
105
under the trade mark law which enures him the benefit to refrain others from using this name unjustifiably in addition
to his personal right to sue them for the misuse of his name.”
What about consumer rights?
While celebrities are protected from commercial misuse of their name and personality, there have also been instances
where the consumers are misled owing to false advertisements or endorsements by such personalities. Due to such
cases, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs has made a notification in 2022 to keep a check on misleading adverts and
endorsements of consumer products by imposing a penalty on the endorser.
 Personality rights refer to the right of a person to protect his/her personality under the right to privacy or property.
It is necessary for renowned personalities/celebrities to register their names to save their personality rights.
 Personality rights are different from publicity rights. Publicity rights are governed by statutes like the Trade marks
Act 1999 and the Copyright Act 1957.
 Personal attributes of a celebrity need to be protected, such as name, nickname, stage name, picture, likeness, image
and any identifiable personal property, such as a distinctive race car.
G.S. Bajpai is Vice-Chancellor, Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Punjab, where Sangeeta Taak is Assistant
Professor.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/explained-how-do-personality-rights-protect-
celebrities/article66211659.ece
17.Rules made by Centre, State cannot exceed powers granted by

parent statute: SC
The SC ruling on a Kerala electricity board appeal holds that
delegated legislation, such as rules and regulations, must not
supplant, exceed or be in non-compliance with the law they derive
power from
Delegated legislation, including rules and regulations formed by State and Central authorities, should not supplant
but supplement the parliamentary statute from which it draws power from, the Supreme Court has held in a judgment.
"If a rule goes beyond the rule-making power conferred by the statute, the same has to be declared invalid. If a rule
supplants any provision for which power has not been conferred, it becomes invalid," a Bench of Justices Dinesh
Maheshwari and JB Pardiwala observed.
A delegated power to legislate by making rules or regulations cannot be exercised so as to bring into existence
substantive rights, obligations or disabilities not contemplated by the provisions of the parent statute, Justice
Pardiwala, who authored the judgment, wrote.
As a body making rules or regulations has no inherent power of its own to make rules, but derives such power only
from the statute, it has to necessarily function within the purview of the statute. "Delegated legislation should not
travel beyond the purview of the parent Act. If it does, it is ultra vires and cannot be given any effect," Justice Pardiwala
explained.
Ultra vires (acting beyond one’s legal powers) may arise in cases of simple excess of power, inconsistency with or sheer
non-compliance with the procedural requirements of the parent law.
The court has laid down the law in an appeal filed by the Kerala State Electricity Board against a State High Court
decision which upheld Regulation 153(15) of the Kerala Electricity Supply Code, 2014. Regulation 153(15) of the C ode
provided that ‘unauthorised additional load’ in the same premises and under the same tariff shall not be reckoned as
‘unauthorised use of electricity’ except in cases of consumers billed on the basis of the connected load.
The apex court reversed the High Court decision while holding that the Regulation was inconsistent with Section
126(6) of the Electricity Act, 2003. Section 126 of the 2003 Act was enacted with a specific purpose to restrict such
unauthorised consumption of electricity.
106
“The overdrawal of electricity is prejudicial to the public at large, as it is likely to throw out of gear the entire supply
system, undermining its efficiency, efficacy and even-increasing voltage fluctuations… Regulation 153(15) deserves to
be declared invalid being inconsistent with the provisions of Section 126 of the Act 2003,” the judgment said.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/rules-made-by-centre-state-cannot-exceed-powers-granted-by-parent-
statute-sc/article66313557.ece
18. 'Rooh Afza' Trademark Has Acquired Immense Goodwill,

Requires High Degree Of Protection: Delhi High Court In Suit
Against 'Dil Afza' Sharbat
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday observed that the mark "Rooh Afza" has acquired immense goodwill and has
served as the "source identifier" for the sharbat being manufactured by Hamdard National Foundation (India) and
Hamdard Dawakhana for over a century.
Observing that "Rooh Afza" mark requires a high degree of protection and it is essential to ensure that the competitors
keep a safe distance from it, a division bench of Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice Amit Mahajan restrained Sadar
Laboratories Private Limited from manufacturing and selling any product under the trademark "DIL AFZA" till the
disposal of the trademark infringement suit filed by the former.
"Given the overall commercial impression, prima facie, we are of the view that the impugned trademark lacks sufficient
degree of dissimilarity, which is required to protect the appellant's trademark," the bench said.
The court made absolute an interim order passed by the single judge dated December 15, 2020 wherein the statement
made on behalf of Sadar Laboratories Private Limited was recorded that it will not manufacture and sell syrups and
beverages under the trademark "DIL AFZA."
"The said ad interim order is made absolute and shall continue till the disposal of the suit," the court said.
The bench was hearing an appeal moved by manufacturers of Rooh Afza against rejection of its application seeking an
interim injunction against Sadar Laboratories Pvt. Ltd., for infringing its registered trademarks.
In the suit, the appellants had claimed that use of marks like "SHARBAT DIL AFZA" or "DIL AFZA" are likely to cause
confusion and amounted to infringement of its registered trademark "SHARBAT ROOH AFZA" or "ROOH AFZA."
The single judge had rejected the argument that the two competing marks were similar. The court had said buying a
bottle of sharbat would not entail any deep emotion and in any event, the consumers would be able to distinguish
between 'ROOH' and 'DIL'.
While refusing to pass an interim injunction, the single judge had directed the respondent to file a quarterly report in
regard to its accounts till the disposal of the suit. The suit was also stayed in view of section 124(1)(b)(i) of the
Trademarks Act.
While setting aside the impugned order, the division bench observed that when one examines the question as to
whether the words "ROOH AFZ and "DIL AFZA" are similar, the fact that both the composite marks end with "AFZA"
lends an element of similarity to both the marks.
"…this also acquires a higher significance since 'AFZA' is not a descriptive word of the product in question. But the use
of the word 'AFZA', as a part of the impugned trademark, may not be dispositive of the question – whether the overall
commercial impression of the impugned trademark is confusingly similar," the court said.
On the finding of the single judge that there could not be any confusion between the words ROOH and DIL, the court
observed that when one considers that the literal meaning of the Urdu word "ROOH" in English language is "soul' and
of "DIL" is heart', the connection becomes "clear at once."
"It is thus not difficult to conceive that a person who looks at the label of DIL AFZA may recall the label of ROOH AFZA
as the word 'AFZA' is common and the meaning of the words 'ROOH' and 'DIL', when translated in English, are
commonly used in conjunction," the court observed.
The bench also observed that the propensity for confusion on account of a similar meaning has to be understood in a
wider sense and that it is not essential that the competing brands be synonymous.
"Given that the chords of memory are also connected by association of ideas and subjects; a wider conceptual association
between the meaning of the competing brands may be sufficient to add to consumer confusion," the court said.
107
Observing that there is a similarity in the trade dress of the two products as they have same deep red colour and texture,
the court further said that the commercial impression of impugned trademark "Dil Afza" is deceptively similar to "Rooh
Afza" trademark.
"The value of the product is another factor to be considered. The product is a consumable item and is a low-priced
product. Thus, the attention that the customer may devote to the product on a shelf or on an online marketplace would,
at best, be cursory. It is not expected that the average customer would deliberate on the details of the product as one
would do while taking a high value investment decision," the court said.
The court also noted that the trademark "ROOH AFZA" has been used in respect of the appellant's product for over a
century and thus, prima facie, it is a strong mark.
"The two products – medicated syrups and beverages concentrate – cater to different markets. In any view, the reasoning
that there is no likelihood of confusion as the competing marks had coexisted is, ex facie, erroneous as the same is based
on use of the impugned trademark in respect of medicated syrups without examining the trade dress, the label, the size
of packaging etc. of that product," the court observed.
Title: HAMDARD NATIONAL FOUNDATION (INDIA) & ANR v. SADAR LABORATORIES PVT LTD
Citation: 2022 LiveLaw (Del) 1204
https://www.livelaw.in/news-updates/rooh-afza-trademark-goodwill-delhi-high-court-suit-dil-afza-sharbat-217262
19. Letter and Spirit | A failed attempt at decriminalisation

What is the Jan Vishwas Bill tabled by the Union government in
Parliament and what are its objectives? Is it the solution to the
problem of overcriminalisation? What are the shortcomings of the
Bill and how can it be overcome?
Last week, the Union Government tabled the Jan Vishwas Bill, 2022, (Bill) in the Parliament with the objective of
“decriminalising” 183 offences across 42 legislations and enhancing the ease of living and doing business in India. It is
a welcome move and can be viewed as an attempt to reverse the trend of overcriminalisation. However, there is much
that needs to be done in order to institutionalise efforts aimed at decriminalisation.
Consequences of overcriminalisation
An unprincipled growth of criminal law has long been a cause of concern for scholars of law. Such growth is evident
from the fact that criminal law is frequently used as a political tool; the act of criminalisation often becomes a medium
for governments to put across a strong image as opposed to punishing wrongful conduct. Governments offer little in
the way of justifications to support such decisions. This phenomenon has been termed “overcriminalisation” by
scholars.
The consequences are felt almost immediately. As per the National Judicial Data Grid, of the 4.3 crore pending cases,
nearly 3.2 crore cases are in relation to criminal proceedings. It is trite to say that the growing number of pending
criminal cases share a direct relation with the number of criminal laws. Similarly, the rise in the prison population is
also proof of overcriminalisation. As per the National Crime Records Bureau’s Prison Statistics of 2021, a total of 5.54
lakh prisoners were confined in prisons against a capacity of 4.25 lakh.
Scope of the Bill
The Jan Vishwas Bill either omits penal provisions or replaces them with fines in legislations such as the Air Act,
Environment Protection Act, Forest Act, Drugs and Cosmetics Acts, Cinematograph Act, Patents Act, Trade Marks Act
and Information Technology Act amongst several others. These are primarily offences which are regulatory in nature.
By and large, an examination of the provisions of the Bill reveals that stress has been on the replacement of
imprisonment clauses with fines. This can hardly be termed as ‘decriminalisation’. There is much that is required for
the efforts aimed at decriminalisation to fructify in any meaningful way.
Firstly, the Bill undertakes what we may refer to as ‘quasi-decriminalisation.’ In this context, Andrew Ashworth’s
arguments in relation to use of criminal laws in regulatory frameworks are particularly poignant. In his seminal piece
108
titled – ‘Is the Criminal Law a Lost Cause?,’ Mr. Ashworth creates a distinction between regulatory offences and penal
offences and exemplifies the same through the functional distinction between a tax and a fine. While the purpose of a
tax is primarily regulatory in nature, a fine carries with it an element of censure and stigma. This functional distinction,
Mr. Ashworth proffers, is increasingly being diluted under our legislative frameworks which frequently deploy these
elements of censure and stigma to regulatory domains.
Secondly, the Observer Research Foundation’s report titled Jailed for Doing Business found that there are more than
26,134 imprisonment clauses in a total of 843 economic legislations, rules and regulations which seek to regulate
businesses and economic activities in India. In this light, the number of offences deregulated under the Bill seems to
be a mere drop in India’s regulatory framework.
Thirdly, the regulatory offences to be considered for ‘decriminalisation’ need to be prioritised not only from the point
of view of the ease of doing business, but also from the points of view of the ills that plague our criminal justice system
itself.
Lastly, the Bill conforms to the understanding of the government that decriminalisation should be limited to
regulatory domains. However, the time is now ripe to shift focus to existing penal offences as well. Debates are ongoing
about the decriminalisation of several penal offences such as sedition, offences under NDPS Act & UAPA Acts, triple
talaq and anti-conversion laws etc. There is an urgent need to assess these offences on a principled basis.
The way ahead
The intent of the Bill is merely to ensure that imprisonment is replaced with fines for as many offences as possible.
The extent to which it succeeds in ‘decriminalising’ offences, however, is questionable. If these faults are to be rectified,
it is pertinent that a more comprehensive exercise is undertaken and that the government prioritises the needs and
requirements of the criminal justice system.
G.S. Bajpai is the Vice-Chancellor at Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Punjab, where Ankit Kaushik is an
Assistant Professor
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/a-failed-attempt-at-decriminalisation/article66315018.ece
20. Parliament Passes Bill To Change Name Of 'New Delhi

International Arbitration Centre'
The Parliament has passed the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (Amendment) Bill which seeks to rename
New Delhi International Arbitration Centre as the "India International Arbitration Centre". It will amend the New Delhi
International Arbitration Centre Act, 2019. It was passed by the Lok Sabha on August 8, 2022.
The Bill was introduced by Law Minister Kiren Rijiju after the Centre felt that the current name of the institution gives
an impression of it being city-centric whereas it should be reflective of the aspirations to promote India as a hub of
institutional arbitration.
"Therefore, it is considered imperative to change the name of the Centre so that a unique identity of the institute of national
importance as conferred on it by law is evident and reflects its true objective" the Bill states.
Also Read: 'Urgent Need Of A Credible Institutional Arbitration Centre In India': Delhi High Court Rejects Plea Alleging
Bias In Composition Of DIAC
It also seeks to amend Section 15(a) of the principal Act and facilitate the conduct of arbitration and other forms of
alternative dispute resolution mechanism, both international and domestic, in the manner as may be specified by the
regulations.
The Law Minister assured the House that the institution will have a pre-determined arbitration procedure, which will
be laid down by the Arbitration Centre itself. There will no government intervention in the institution, he said. He
further assured that the institution will have an efficient panel of arbitrators, professional support and world class well
built infrastructure, which in turn will increase the ease of doing business in India.
While most members supported the Bill, there was a unanimous sentiment among them that a Bill, brought within 3
years of passing of the principal Act, merely to amend the nomenclature, reflects badly on the draftsmanship.
DMK MP and Senior Advocate P. Wilson revealed that it costs Rs. 2.5 Lakhs per minute to run the Parliament and
approximately Rs. 1.5 crore from the State exchequer will be spent to pass this Bill, due to incompetent draftsman. He
thus emphasized on the need to hold extensive stakeholder consultations and undertake legislative impact assessment
before rushing any Bill.
https://www.livelaw.in/news-updates/parliament-passes-bill-to-change-name-of-new-delhi-international-arbitration-
centre-216724
109
LEGAL CROSSWORD
COMPLETE THE CROSSWORD PUZZLE BELOW
110
CROSSWORD ANSWER KEY
1. Ballot 6. Implicate 11. Injunction 16. Easement
2. Certiorari 7. Affidavit 12. Adjudicate 17. Malice
3. Clemency 8. Cannibalism 13. Pardon 18. Cognate
4. Consummate 9. Exculpate 14. Hearsay 19. Amenable
5. Forfeiture 10. Bestiality 15. Deceit 20. Executor

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1. Assam-Meghalaya Border Dispute 4

6. Un Groundwater Summit 2022 13

7. India To Become A Hub Of Drone Technology 14

9. Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2022 18

10. Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill 2022 20

11. What It Takes To Become A National Party In India? 22

12. Namami Gange Programme 23

13. Asean Consensus On Myanmar 25

14. Ops Vs Nps 27

16. Current Affairs Practice Sheet 30

19. Science & Technology 62

20. Appointmens & Resignations 63

21. Awards & Recognition 67

22. Books & Author 72

23. Important Days 73

27. Summit's & MoU's 88

28. Banking And Economy 90

30. Criminalising consensual relationships 103

ASSAM-MEGHALAYA BORDER DISPUTE

What is the border dispute?

How is the boundary dispute linked to the incident?

Other States of India are Involved in Border Disputes

Odisha’s Border Dispute:

ALL-WOMEN BENCH IN SC TO HEAR TRANSFER PETITIONS

About Supreme Court of India

ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS

Key highlights of the report-

State of India’s Energy Transition

ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS

The multi-modal connectivity will provide integrated

6 Pillars of PM Gati Shakti

Comprehensiveness: It will include all the existing

Analytical: The plan will provide the entire data at

ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS

What is Religious Conversion?

What is the Need for Anti-Conversion Laws?

Status of Anti-Conversion Laws in India

Anti-Conversion Laws in Various States:

What is the Current Petition Challenging?

UN GROUNDWATER SUMMIT 2022

Highlights of the Summit:

Legal/constitutional framework in India:

Steps taken by the Indian government:

26. United Nations-Water Summit on Groundwater (a) SDG 2 (b) SDG 5

ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS

INDIA TO BECOME A HUB OF DRONE TECHNOLOGY

Rules regulating drones in India:

Drone Rules, 2021

What is the PLI Scheme for Drones

Drone Shakti Scheme

ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS

Origins of Collegium System

How does The Collegium System works

National Judicial Appointment Commission

ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS

MULTI-STATE COOPERATIVE SOCIETIES (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2022

About the Amendment

ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS

Obligation to use non-fossil sources of energy

Energy conservation code for buildings

Composition of the governing council of BEE

46. Who among the following is the Minister of Power?