Current Affairs

6^th December 2022

Top 20 Daily Current Affairs: National & International News

Here is the Daily Current Affairs of the 06th December 2022 covering the following news headlines: International Cheetah Day, Cristiano Ronaldo, Rohit Sharma, One District One Sport, Longewala battle, Exercise Sangam, Adani Green Energy Ltd.

National News

1. FM Nirmala Sitharaman Inaugurated 65th Foundation Day Celebrations of DRI

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurates the two-day long 65th Foundation Day celebrations of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in New Delhi. She also launches the current edition of Smuggling in India Report 2021-22 on the occasion.

As many as 22 Customs administrations covering the Asia-Pacific region along with international organisations are invited to the event this year. The 8th Regional Customs Enforcement Meeting (RCEM) will also be held at the event.

International News

2. NDDB, Amul to Provide Technical Support to Enhance Milk Production in Sri Lanka

India will provide technical support to Sri Lanka to enhance its dairy industry and milk output, a move aimed at reducing the cash-strapped country’s dependence on imported milk products, the Sri Lankan President’s Office said.

Officials of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which markets milk under the Amul brand, have taken steps to provide necessary technical support for the production of milk in Sri Lanka.

Plans were discussed doubling local milk production by implementing short and medium-term plans and making Sri Lanka self-sufficient in milk in the long run through a targeted program,” the statement said.

Agreements News

3. India, Germany sign Migration and Mobility Agreement

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Germany’s foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock signed a comprehensive migration and mobility partnership, which will facilitate easier access for people to study, research and work in both countries.

The deal which aims at facilitating two-way movement of students, professionals and researchers, is also set to address the challenges of illegal migration.

The migration and mobility partnership is set to encourage increased exchange of students between the two countries. In May this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stated that the Indian government will facilitate admission of German students in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) under programmes like Study in India.

4. Airtel and Meta collaborate to accelerate India’s digital ecosystem

The telecom major Airtel has announced that it has collaborated with Meta Platforms, Inc. (Meta) to support the growth of India’s digital ecosystem. The announcement comes on the back of telecom operators’ demand to share revenue with service providers to build networks.

Airtel and Meta will jointly invest in global connectivity infrastructure and CPaaS based new-age digital solutions to support the emerging requirements of customers and enterprises in India.

Airtel will partner with Meta and STC to extend 2Africa Pearls to India. 2Africa is the world’s longest subsea cable system and is expected to provide faster internet connectivity to almost 3 billion people globally.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

Airtel Founder: Sunil Bharti Mittal;

Airtel Founded: 7 July 1995, India;

Airtel Headquarters: New Delhi.

Economy News

5. Edelweiss Mutual Fund Launches Fourth Tranche of ‘BHARAT Bond ETF’

Edelweiss Mutual Fund has announced the launch of the fourth tranche of BHARAT Bond ETF – India’s first corporate bond ETF (exchange-traded fund).

A central government initiative, Bharat Bond ETF invests only in ‘AAA’-rated bonds of public sector companies. Edelweiss Asset Management is the fund manager of the scheme.

This latest tranche of the ETF and BHARAT Bond Fund of Fund (FoF) series will mature in April 2033. The new fund offer (NFO) will start on 2 December and end on 8 December. Through the launch of this new series, Edelweiss Mutual Fund proposes to raise an initial amount of ₹1,000 crore with a green shoe option of another ₹4,000 crore.

6. ESIC Can Invest Up to 15% Surplus Funds in Equity Through ETFs

The Employees State Insurance Corporation(ESIC) can now invest up to 15 per cent of its excess fund into equity after the Centre allowed the body to do so. The social security body can invest its surplus fund in equity through exchange traded funds.

The decision to invest surplus funds into equity was taken due to the low returns on debt instruments and the need to diversify the corporation’s portfolio. Initially, the investment will be restricted to exchange-traded funds.

7. World Bank upgrades India’s GDP growth forecast for 2022-23 to 6.9 percent

According to the World Bank, Indian economy is set to grow at 6.9 per cent in 2022-23, raising its forecast of 6.5 per cent growth made in October. In October, it had cut India’s GDP growth forecast to 6.5 per cent from 7.5 per cent earlier. Now, it has upgraded the projection to 6.9 per cent for 2022-23 (April 2022 -March 2023).

The institution said that the government is expected to meet the fiscal deficit target of 6.4 per cent of the GDP in 2022-23.

The World Bank saw the government meeting the fiscal deficit target of 6.4 per cent of the GDP in 2022-23. It expected inflation to be 7.1 per cent in current fiscal year.

Business news

8. 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 to South Asian countries grew by 3.5% to $163 billion in 2022

Though remittances to the rest of the South Asian countries declined by 10%, it rose by 12% in India’s case.

Worldwide, remittances are estimated at $794 billion in 2022.

 South Asia receives the most remittances that are estimated at $163 billion in 2022.

 India’s share will be $100 billion.

Latin America and Caribbean comes second with $142 billion.

9. Adani Green becomes World’s Largest Wind-Solar Hybrid Power Developer

Adani Green Energy Ltd (AGEL), the renewables arm of Adani Group, has commissioned its third wind-solar hybrid power plant at Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. Earlier, in May 2022, AGEL had operationalised India’s first hybrid power plant of 390 MW.

This was followed by the commissioning, in September 2022, of the world’s largest co-located hybrid power plant of 600 MW. Both these hybrid energy generation assets are located in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. With the successful commissioning of this 450 MW plant, AGEL now has a total operational generation capacity of 7.17 GW. This also makes AGEL the world’s largest wind-solar hybrid power farm developer.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

Adani Green Energy Ltd CEO: Vneet Jaain (Jul 2020–);

Adani Green Energy Ltd Founded: 23 January 2015;

Adani Green Energy Ltd Headquarters: Ahmedabad.

10. Hyderabad-based startup gets India’s first real-time Gold ATM

Goldsikka with technology support from Hyderabad-based startup, Opencube Technologies has launched its first Gold ATM at Begumpet and described it India’s first Gold ATM and world’s first Real Time Gold ATM. This ATM can dispense gold coins in different denominations ranging from 0.5 gm to 100 grams.

The company plans to launch three machines in the Hyderabad at the airport, old city and propose to launch them in Karimnagar and Warangal also. Taruj said plans were being drawn to launch 3,000 machines all over India in coming two years.

Banking News

11. SBI Crosses Rs 5 lakh Crore Personal Banking Loan Advances

SBI announced that its personal banking advances excluding high value home loans have crossed the ₹ 5 lakh-crore mark. The largest lender in the country took a year to book the last ₹ 1 lakh crore of advances, as against over 15 months for the previous ₹ 1 lakh crore and over 30 months for the previous ₹ 1 lakh crore, as per an official statement.

Dinesh Kumar Khara stressed that the ₹ 5 lakh crore excludes housing loans, where the bank has the numero uno position in the market. Personal Banking advances mainly comprise personal loans, pension loans, auto loans, education loans, gold loans, and other Personal loan products, the statement said.

Defence News

12. 7th edition of US-India Naval Exercise Sangam begins in Goa

The 7th edition of Exercise Sangam, a joint Naval Special Forces exercise between Indian Navy MARCOs and US Navy SEALs commenced in Goa. The present edition which will see personnel from SEAL Team Five based at San Diego, US and Indian Navy MARCOs from INS Abhimanyu together aims at exchange of ideas and experiences on various aspects of maritime special operations.

The exercise is planned for a duration of three weeks wherein personnel will exercise and hone their skills in maritime interdiction operations, direct action missions, combat free fall jumps, special heliborne operations and various other evolutions.

13. Parakram Diwas celebrated on the occasion of 51st anniversary of Longewala battle

To mark the 51st anniversary of India’s victory in the Longewala battle during the 1971 war, Parakram Diwas celebrated at Jaisalmer Military Station and Longewala War Memorial in Rajasthan on December 5. Several programs has been organized on this occasion at the Sagat Singh Stadium.

This includes a band display, daredevils motorcycle stunts, mixed martial arts, mallakhamb, show jumping, musical performance, Parachute free fall, and much

more.

Schemes News

14. UP CM Yogi Adityanath launches ‘One District One Sport’ scheme

The Uttar Pradesh government’s ambitious One District One Product (ODOP) scheme has received praise at the national level for helping in the revival of traditional crafts in the state. Now, on similar lines, the government has launched the One District One Sport (ODOS) programme for promoting local sporting talent.

The Yogi Adityanath government hopes the ODOS programme will become a platform to create sportspersons who can represent the state at the national and international level. According to officials, one sport will be identified in each of the 75 districts of UP. Steps will be taken to find district-wise sport-specific talent and groom them.

Under ODOS, one sport will be identified in each of the 75 districts of UP and necessary steps taken to find district-wise sport-specific talents and hone their skills in order to enable them to represent the district, state, national and international level tournaments and championships.

Summits and Conferences News

15. International Conference on “J C Bose: A Satyagrahi Scientist” Organized in New Delhi

On the occasion of 164th birth anniversary of legendary Indian scientist Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose and as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsava, Vijnana Bharati and Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India organized an “International conference on the contributions of J C Bose: A Satyagrahi Scientist”, at Inter-University Accelerator Centre, New Delhi. 

Born on 30^th November, 1858 to Bama Sundari Bose and Bhagawan Chandra, Bengal. He was a Plant Physiologist and physicist who invented the crescograph, a device for measuring the growth of plants. He for the first time demonstrated that plants have feelings.

Sports News

16. Indian skipper Rohit Sharma becomes 6th-highest run scorer for India in ODIs

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has surpassed former batter Mohammed Azharuddin to become the sixth-highest run-getter for his country in ODI cricket. The batter accomplished this record during India’s first ODI against Bangladesh at Dhaka.

With this, his ODI statistics stand at 234 matches, and 9,403 runs in 227 innings at an average of 48.46. He has scored 29 tons and 45 fifties in his ODI career, with the best individual score of 264, which is also the highest score ever in ODIs.

Azharuddin, who moved down to 7th spot, had scored 9,378 runs in 334 matches in 308 innings at an average of 36.92, with seven tons and 58 fifties and the best score of 153. Other leading run-scorers in ODI cricket for India are: Sachin Tendulkar (18,426), Virat Kohli (12,353), Saurav Ganguly (11,221), Rahul Dravid (10,768) and MS Dhoni (10,599).

17. Cristiano Ronaldo signs 200-million euro contract with Saudi club Al-Nassr

Famous Footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo has sensationally joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr on a two and a half year deal worth 200 million euros per season. The news has been reported by renowned Spanish outlet Marca ahead of the Portugal captain’s FIFA World Cup 2022 Round of 16 fixture against Switzerland, scheduled for Wednesday at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar.

Earlier, Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes had spoken to a number of clubs including European giants like Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, etc., but no one showed any serious interest in the 37-year-old forward.

Important Days

18. National Zoological Park celebrates International Cheetah Day 2022

The National Zoological Park, Delhi Zoo has celebrated International Cheetah Day and Wildlife Conservation Day in New Delhi on 4th December. The purpose of the celebration is to spread awareness among the present generation about Wildlife Conservation.

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 1991 and she designated December 4 as International Cheetah Day in 2010. Since that year, the world has been celebrating this day.

Obituaries News

19. City of Joy’ author Dominique Lapierre passes away at the age of 91

 Freedom at Midnight author Dominique Lapierre has passed away at the age of 91. He was born on July 30, 1931 in Chatelaillon.

Lapierre’s works, in collaboration with the American writer Larry Collins, became bestsellers such that they sold about 50 million copies of the six books he wrote. The author was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India’s third highest civilian award, in 2008.

Miscellaneous News

20. Nagpur Metro successfully created a Guinness World Record

Nagpur Metro has successfully created a Guinness World Record by constructing the longest double-decker viaduct (metro) is 3,140 meters and was achieved by the Wardha Road in Nagpur.

The double-decker viaduct of 3.14 km on Wardha Road has three metro stations – Chhatrapati Nagar, Jai Prakash Nagar and Ujjwal Nagar. These stations require special planning which are station specific to meet the functional requirements of themetro duly incorporating site specific constraints and double-decker viaduct requirements. The engineering thought process, concept, design and execution of these stations are no less than a challenge.