Daily Current Affairs and GK | 13 December 2022

Topic: State News/ Tamil Nadu

1. Tamil Nadu becomes the first state to launch its own Climate Change Mission.

• To make Tamil Nadu a climate-smart state, Chief Minister M K Stalin launched the Tamil Nadu Climate Change Mission.
• The Tamil Nadu government has launched this mission to protect the natural resources in the state.
• The state has aimed to achieve carbon neutrality much ahead of the 2070 target set by the central government.
• Tamil Nadu government had announced the launch of the Tamil Nadu Climate Change Mission with an outlay of Rs 500 crore in the budget to undertake climate change management and mitigation activities.
• ‘Tamil Nadu Green Climate Company’ – a special purpose vehicle has been established by the government.
• It will implement three major nature conservation projects namely Green Tamil Nadu Mission, Tamil Nadu Wetlands and Tamil Nadu Climate Change.
• The government has allocated Rs 77.35 crore for carrying out basic research for restoration of coastal habitats, creation of mangrove forests, etc.
• On this occasion, MoU with the World Resources Institute, Anna University and National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management was signed.
• It will help the government to establish 10 smart villages, 25 green schools, and achieve blue flag beaches.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

2. Three Himalayan medicinal plants have been included to the IUCN Red List.

• After a recent assessment, three medicinal plant species found in the Himalayas have been included in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
• Meizotropis pellita has been included as ‘critically endangered’, Fritilloria cirrhosa as ‘vulnerable’, and Dactylorhiza hatagirea as ‘endangered’.
• Meizotropis pellita is commonly known as Patwa. It is a perennial shrub found in Uttarakhand. Deforestation, habitat fragmentation and forest fires are the main threats to the species.
• Fritillaria cirrhosa (Himalayan fritillary) is a perennial bulbous herb. Its population has declined by around 30% over the assessment period (22 to 26 years).
• Fritillaria cirrhosa is used in China for the treatment of bronchial disorders and pneumonia.
• Dactylorhiza hatagirea (Salampanja) is a perennial tuberous species endemic to the Hindu Kush and Himalayan ranges of Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, and India.
• Habitat loss, livestock grazing, deforestation, and climate change are the main threats for this species.
• It is commonly used in Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and other alternative systems of medicine. It is used as medicine in the treatment of dysentery, gastritis, chronic fever, cough and stomach aches. 

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

3. First G20 Finance and Central Bank Deputies (FCBD) meeting will be organized from 13th-15th December 2022 in Bengaluru.

• This meeting will be jointly hosted by the Ministry of Finance and the Reserve Bank of India.
• During the meeting, the discussion will be focussed on the agenda for the Finance Track under the Indian G20 Presidency.
• Many topics including financing cities of tomorrow, managing global debt vulnerabilities, advancing financial inclusion and productivity gains, etc. will be discussed.
• The first Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting will be held during 23-25 February 2023 in Bengaluru.
• Around 40 meetings of the Finance Track will be organized at several locations in India.
• The theme of ‘One Earth One Family, One Future’ will guide the discussions of the G20 Finance Track.

(Source: News on AIR)

 Topic: Reports and Indices/Ranking

4. India jumped to 5^th Spot in the Hurun Global 500 List 2022.

• India came to the fifth position as 20 Indian companies have found places in the 500 most valuable ones.
• India’s position has moved from 9th to 5th. The US topped the list with 260 companies.
• China is in the second position with 35 companies, and Japan is in the third spot it with 28 companies.
• Reliance Industries is the most valuable company in India, followed by Tata Consultancy Services and HDFC Bank.
• Reliance Industries and Tata Consultancy Services are the only two Indian companies to find place in the top 100 list.
• Mumbai moved up 3 places to 5th position in the top cities list of the Hurun Global 500.
• Financial services with 21% is the biggest contributor to the Hurun Global 500.
• As per the report, 57 energy companies added $1.2 trillion of value.
• Food & beverages was only sector which has grown by value.
• Iran, Turkey, Poland, Thailand, Israel and Norway are the largest countries in terms of GDP without being a Hurun Global 500 company.

Topic: Sports

5. Manu Bhaker bagged the gold medal at National Shooting Championship.

• Manu Bhaker won a gold medal in the 10-metre pistol junior women's event at the National Shooting Championship in Bhopal.
• She represented Haryana at the 65th edition of the National Shooting Championship.
• Manu Bhaker bagged total of four gold medals in the women's 25m pistol events at the ongoing National Shooting Championship 2022.
• Manu Bhaker defeated Esha Singh by 17-13 in the final with 583 points.
• Vijay Kumar from Himachal Pradesh with a score of 583 won the national title in the men’s 25m centre fire pistol.
• Anish Bhanwala and Gurpreet Singh were on the second and third positions, respectively.
• Terms related to Shooting: Airgun, Bore, Range, Bull, Bunker, Double trap, Offhand, Trap, Free pistol, etc.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Art and Culture

6. Government has set up seven Zonal Cultural Centres for the development of Arts, Culture and Craft.

• The Ministry of Culture has set up seven Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) with headquarters at Patiala, Nagpur, Udaipur, Prayagraj, Kolkata, Dimapur and Thanjavur.
• The main objective of the centres is the conservation and development of art, culture and crafts across the country.
• These ZCCs have organized more than 42 Regional Festivals to promote art and culture in the country.
• ZCCs received regular grants from the government for conducting various activities and programmes.
• Ministry of Culture also organizes Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsavs (RSMs) through these ZCCs.
• These ZCCs have documented several art forms in the digital format (Audio and Video format).
• These ZCCs have also implemented various schemes like Guru Shishya Parampara, Theatre Rejuvenation, Research and Documentation, Shilpgram, and National Cultural Exchange Programme.

Topic: Space and IT

7. First ever Arab-built lunar spacecraft successfully launched by UAE.

• A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carried it into space on 11 December 2022.
• The spacecraft was launched from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
• The Rashid Rover has become the first ever Arab-built lunar spacecraft to launch into space.
• Dubai’s Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has built the Rashid Rover.
• It is being delivered by HAKUTO-R lander, engineered by Japanese lunar exploration company ispace.
• The mission is scheduled to reach the moon sometime in April 2023.

Topic: Indian Polity

8. Justice Dipankar Dutta has taken oath as a judge of the Supreme Court on 12 December 2022.

• Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud administered the oath to Justice Dutta.
• Justice Dutta’s term will end on February 8, 2030.
• With his appointment, the Supreme Court will have 28 judges out of the strength of 34 judges.
• Presently, Supreme Court's maximum strength is thirty-four judges. This includes one chief justice and thirty three other judges.
• President appoints the judges of the Supreme Court. A person appointed as Supreme Court judge takes the oath before the President or some other person appointed by him for this purpose.

Topic: Indian Polity

9. Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 was passed in Parliament.

• Rajya Sabha approved the bill on 12 December 2022. Lok Sabha has already passed the Bill.
• The bill amends the Energy Conservation Act, of 2001.
• It gives the centre powers to specify a carbon credit trading scheme.
• It also provides that certain consumers can meet a part of their energy requirement from non-fossil sources.
• Under the bill, The Energy Conservation Code for buildings will apply to office and residential buildings with a connected load of 100 kilowatt or above.
• The bill has provisions to increase the members in the Governing Council of Bureau of Energy Efficiency.
• It empowers the State Electricity Regulatory Commissions to make regulations for the discharge of its functions.
• It has provisions for the mandatory use of non-fossil sources like green hydrogen, green ammonia, biomass and ethanol for energy and feedstock.

Topic: Defence

10. 39th edition of IND-INDO CORPAT is being conducted from 08 – 19 December 2022.

• India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (IND-INDO CORPAT) is an exercise between the Indian Navy and the Indonesian Navy.
• Indian Naval Ship (INS) Karmuk took part in the pre-deployment briefing at Belawan, Indonesia. It is an indigenously built Missile Corvette.   
• L-58 and Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft will also be taking part in the CORPAT.
• L-58 is an indigenously built Landing Craft Utility vessel.
• KRI Cut Nyak Dien, a Kapitan Pattimura Class Corvette, would take part from the Indonesian side.
• The CORPAT will be executed along the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) from 15 to 16 December 2022. It will conclude with a debrief at Port Blair.
• India and Indonesia have been carrying out CORPATs twice a year since 2002. CORPATs help build understanding and interoperability between Indian and Indonesian navies.

Topic: State News/ Kerala

11. A seed farm of Kerala has been declared as India’s first carbon neutral farm.

• CM of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan has declared a seed farm in Aluva, Kerala as the first carbon neutral farm.
• The seed farm achieved the carbon neutral status after significantly reducing its carbon emissions.
• For the last 10 years, no chemical fertilizers or pesticides has been used in the farm at any stage of seed production.
• CM said that carbon neutral farms would be set up in all 140 assembly constituencies.
• Women groups will be implementing the carbon neutral agricultural methods and such interventions would be made in the tribal sector as well.
• The state has set a net zero carbon emission target of 2050.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

12. Former VP Venkaiah Naidu was presented with 25th SIES award on 11 December 2022.

• 25th Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi National Eminence Award (SIES) was given to Former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu for public leadership.
• Other awardees are:
  • Governor of Kerala Arif Mohammed Khan
  • Ratan Tata
  • Padma Vibhushan awardee Dr Marthanda Varma Sankaran Valianathan
  • Scientific Advisor to the Government of India Ajay Sood
  • Famous Harikatha artiste Vishakha Hari
• The award is 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 award carries Rs. 2.5 lakh cash prize, a citation, an ornamental lamp and a scroll.

Topic: State News/ Goa

13. PM Modi inaugurated Mopa International Airport in Goa on 12 December 2022.

• Mopa International Airport has been named after former CM of Goa Manohar Parikkar.
• This is the second airport in Goa after Dabolim Airport.
• The new airport is about 35 km from capital city of Goa, Panaji. It is located near Mopa village in North Goa.
• The airport has been constructed at a cost of Rs. 2870 crores.
• The airport can handle 44 lakh passengers annually.
• The airport can handle large aircraft such as the Airbus A380.
• The commercial flights will start from 5 January 2023.
• The new airport will further boost tourism in Goa.

Topic: State News/ Tamil Nadu

14. Tamil Nadu CM virtually inaugurated statue of “Mahakavi Subramanian Bharathiyar” in Varanasi.

• CM of Tamil Nadu M K Stalin unveiled the statue of Mahakavi Subramanian Bharathiyar on his 141^st birth anniversary.
• He also released a souvenir on his centenary.
• C. Subramaniya Bharathiyar:
  • He was a poet, freedom fighter and social reformer from Tamil Nadu.
  • He was known as Mahakavi Bharathiyar.
  • He was born on 11 December 1882 in Tamil Nadu.
  • He is considered as one of India’s greatest poets. “Kannan Pattu” “Nilavum Vanminum Katrum” “Panchali Sabatam” “Kuyil Pattu” are some of his peoms.