Current Affairs in English – December 29 2022

December 29, 2022

National Events:

President of India-Droupadi Murmu:

• The President of India Droupadi Murmu laid the foundation stones for the development of Pilgrimage Facilities at Bhadrachalam temple and Development of Pilgrimage and Heritage Infrastructure at Rudreshwara Temple in Telangana.
• These projects have been approved under the PRASHAD (National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive) Scheme of Tourism Ministry.
• President Droupadi Murmu visited Bhadradri Kothagudem and Mulugu districts of Telangana on 28 December 2022. She inaugurated Smmakka Saralamma Janjathi Pujari Sammelan at Bhadrachalam.
• She also virtually inaugurated two Eklavya Model Residential Schools of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs at Komaram Bheem Asifabad district in Telangana.

Two day capacity – building programme:

• National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) under Tribal Affairs Ministry is organising a two day capacity – building programme from 28 December 2022 for Eklavya Model Residential Schools teachers in Delhi.
• It is being organised for teachers from 54 Eklavya Model Residential Schools of six States. These states are Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Telangana.

Sanjay Singh:

• Indian Oil Officers Association (IOOA) has announced that Sanjay Singh has been elected all India president of Indian Oil Officers Association.
• The newly elected apex body of 100A comprises Sanjay Singh, president; Rituraj Barooah, vice president; Anoop Singh, general secretary; Syed Qamar Ahmed, general treasurer; and Bal Krishan Prajapati, additional general secretary.

Lokayukta Bill 2022:

• Maharashtra assembly has passed the Lokayukta Bill 2022, which brings the chief minister and council of ministers under the ambit of the anti corruption ombudsman. Maharashtra has become the 1st state to do so.
• According to the Bill, the Lokayukta will have to seek the approval of the assembly before initiating any inquiry against the CM and bringing a motion before the session of the house.

SRAM & MRAM Group:

• UK-based conglomerate SRAM & MRAM Group has introduced its investment and growth accelerator arm, Startup Wings, in India.
• It will support Indian startups through funding, mentoring, industry network, and its deep experience of working in the global start up ecosystem.
• Besides, the group will also invest in 100 women-led start – ups to encourage women entrepreneurs in India.

‘Statistical Tables relating to Banks in India: 2021-22’:

• The Reserve Bank has released its web publication entitled ‘Statistical Tables relating to Banks in India: 2021-22’ covering the activities of the Indian banking sector.
• The publication presents entity – wise information on major items of liabilities and assets along with their maturity profile; income and expenses; select financial ratios, number of employees etc.

E-Sports:

• The Government has officially recognised e-sports in the country. E-Sports will now be a part of the “multisports event” category in India under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
• E-Sports, short for electronic sports, is a form of competition using video games. The decision will boost the growth of the country’s E – Sports industry.

IOC & TB:

• Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) on 28 December 2022 announced that id it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate with state authorities in fighting the menace of Tuberculosis in Uttar Pradesh and Chhatisgarh.
• The agreement is part of the government’s vision to end Tuberculosis in India by 2025. It aims to offer free TB treatment to the people of UP and Chhatisgarh.

NESTS & Amazon:

• National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) partnered with Amazon to organize a two day capacity building program for EMRS (Eklavya Model Residential School) teachers to implement the Amazon Future Engineer Program.
• The collaboration between NESTS and amazon will empower teachers and students in digital education. It will serve as a stepping stone in creating Computer awareness for the tribal students of EMRSs.

ADB & WAPCOS:

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) in its report released on Annual Procurement, ranked WAPCOS (Water and Power Consultancy Services (India) Limited) as the top Consulting Services Firm in Water and other Infrastructure Sectors on 28 December 2022.
• WAPCOS figured amongst the top 3 Consultants from India involved in Consulting Services Contracts under ADB funded projects. WAPCOS is the only Indian Public Sector featuring in the above categories.

Ashwini Vaishnaw:

• Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw on 28 December 2022 launched the ‘Stay Safe Online’ campaign and the ‘Digital Innovation Alliance (DIA)’ programme.
• It is among the first ever programmes to be launched worldwide as a G-20 initiative. DIA programme is launched to recognise and support start-ups developing innovative digital solutions.

Gramin Dak Sevaks:

• The Department of Posts has launched an Online request Transfer Portal for Gramin Dak Sevaks on 28 December 2022. The Department of Posts has the largest network of Post Offices in the world consisting of more than 1,56,000 Post Offices across India.
• The entire transfer process of Dak Sevaks, and issuing transfer orders, has now been made paperless and simple through the above portal.

Suryoday Small Finance Bank:

• The Reserve Bank of India has approved the re-appointment of Baskar Babu Ramachandran as MD & CEO of Suryoday Small Finance Bank for three years with effect from January 23, 2023.
• Suryoday Small Finance Bank (Suryoday SFB) is a scheduled commercial bank. The SFB commenced its business with effect from January 23, 2017. The bank has a wide presence across 13 states and UTs across India.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar:

• External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will visit the Republic of Cyprus and Austria from December 29 to 3 January 2023. This year marks 60 years of diplomatic relations between India and Cyprus.
• In Austria, He will meet Austrian Federal Minister for European and International Affairs, Alexander Schallenberg. 2023 marks 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and Austria.

Lieutenant General Arvind Walia:

• Lieutenant General Arvind Walia has been appointed as the next Engineer-in-Chief of the Indian Army on 27 December 2022. He would be succeeding Lt Gen Harpal Singh who is superannuating on December 31.
• An officer of the 1986 batch, Lt Gen Walia is an alumnus of the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. He was also an instructor at the College of Defence Management in Secunderabad.

‘Bijli Utsav’:

• REC Limited, a Maharatna Company under the Ministry of Power, organized ‘Bijli Utsav’ in the Baksa dist of Assam on 28 December 2022.
• The event highlights the consumer rights to electricity, the benefits of electricity and the challenges faced during electrification in remote areas, and how the quality of life improves with access to power. REC Limited Established: 1969.

‘Spice Coast’:

• The 10 day Bekal international beach festival is being held at Bekal Palikkere Beach in Kasaragod of Kerala from December 24, 2022. The ‘Spice Coast’ is in the far north of Kerala, popularly known as North Malabar.
• Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the 10- day first International Beach Festival. The festival reflects a cross- section of culture and the unique identity of the land.

International Events:

India & Bangladesh:

• Project management consultancy contract signed between India, Bangladesh. The Project Management Consultancy (PMC) services contract for the upgradation of the Mongla port was signed in Dhaka in December 2022.
• The project is being financed under India’s concessional Line of Credit (LOC) of USD 4.5 billion extended to Bangladesh. The contract was signed between Mongla Port Authority (MPA) and EGIS India Consulting Engineers Pvt Ltd.

Oil and petroleum products:

• Russia has announced to ban oil supplies to countries that have introduced price caps on Russian oil and petroleum products in response to Moscow’s operation in Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree in this regard.
• The decree will be in effect for five months from 1st February until 1st July 2023. Russia is the world’s second – largest oil exporter after Saudi Arabia.