Daily Current Affairs and GK | 15 and 16 December 2024

Topic: Sports

1. Mumbai won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024.

• Mumbai won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 by defeating Madhya Pradesh in the finals.
• Mumbai registered a five-wicket victory over Madhya Pradesh at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
• Mumbai restricted Madhya Pradesh to 174 for 8 in 20 overs while chasing the target in just 17.5 overs.
• Suryakumar Yadav scored a quick 48 off 35 balls for the winning side.
• Suryansh Shedge won the Player of the match award in the final.
• Ajinkya Rahane has been named man of the series.
• This is the second Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Mumbai. Earlier, it has won this title in 2022.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Biotechnology and Diseases

2. India’s first diabetes biobank has been set up in Chennai.

• Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in partnership with the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF) has established India’s first diabetes biobank in Chennai.
• This has been designed to collect, process, store, and distribute biological samples to advance diabetes research.
• This biobank will study the cause of diabetes and its unique pattern in India.
• The biobank contains blood samples from two major ICMR-funded studies.
• From 2008 to 2020, the ICMR-India Diabetes (ICMR-INDIAB) study was conducted across States and Union Territories.

Topic: International News

3. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been impeached over his martial law order.

• On December 14, South Korea's parliament impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over his controversial and short-lived martial law decree, bringing an end to days of political paralysis.
• The decision sparked intense debate over his fate, while jubilant crowds celebrated it as a significant moment in the country's resilient democracy.
• The National Assembly passed the resolution 204–85.
• Following this, Mr. Yoon's presidential powers and duties were suspended and Prime Minister Han Duk-soo, the country's second-highest official, took over presidential powers on December 14, 2024.
• The Constitutional Court has 180 days to decide whether Mr. Yoon should be removed from the presidency or his powers restored.
• If he is removed from office, a national election to choose his successor must be held within 60 days.
• This was the second National Assembly vote on the impeachment of Mr. Yoon, after ruling party lawmakers boycotted the first floor vote.
• Mr. Yoon is banned from leaving South Korea.
• Mr. Yoon is the third South Korean president to be impeached while in office.
• In 2016, parliament impeached South Korea's first female president, Park Geun-hye, over a corruption scandal.
• Earlier in 2004, President Roh Moo-hyun was impeached for alleged election law violations but was later reinstated by the court.

Topic: National News

4. Advanced RPVs will be introduced by NHAI to enhance highway safety.

• With an aim to enhance road safety and strengthen highway patrol services, NHAI plans to implement advanced and futuristic incident management services.
• The guidelines on this subject include updated specifications for new Route Patrolling Vehicles (RPVs) called ‘Rajmarg Saathi’ and outline the design, functions, technology, components and manpower specifications for RPVs.
• These vehicles are equipped with advanced communication and safety equipment to minimise traffic disruption, improve road safety and enhance the overall road user experience on National Highways.
• RPVs inspect National Highway stretches to monitor and respond to emergency situations.
• In existing RPVs, the rear space is open to keep tools and equipment to assist in case of emergency situations.
• However, due to the open space, operators were not able to keep these equipment in a well-organised manner, which at times led to delay in taking prompt action.
• To deal with such a situation, the rear or trunk of the RPV has now been replaced by a closed cabinet that has dedicated space for various equipment and inventory.
• The shelves have been built in to provide quick and easy access to various equipment during emergency situations and are a significant improvement over the older RPV.
• An advanced feature of the new RPV is a dashboard camera equipped with ‘AI Video Analytics.’
• This technology can identify cracks, potholes, vehicles, pedestrians, road signs, and other infrastructure elements.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Personality in News

5. Padma Vibhushan and four-time Grammy Award winner, tabla player Zakir Hussain, passed away at the age of 73.

• On 15 December, Zakir Husain died of complications arising from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
• Born on March 9, 1951, he was the son of the renowned tabla player Ustad Alla Rakha.
• In his career spanning six decades, the musician has worked with many renowned international and Indian artistes.
• Zakir Hussain received four Grammy Awards in his career, three of them at the 66th awards ceremony earlier this year.
• In 1988, Zakir Hussain received the Padma Shri, the Padma Bhushan in 2002, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2023.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

6. Jalvahak has been introduced by Sarbananda Sonowal, the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways.

• Jalvahak is the cargo promotion scheme to increase freight traffic on three national waterways.
• The goal of Jalvahak is to encourage the transportation of long-distance cargo across national waterways on the Barak, Brahmaputra, and Ganga rivers.
• The cargo owners are directly encouraged by Jalvahak to move their goods across a distance of more than 300 km via inland waterways.
• Additionally, Union Minister Sonowal flagged off three cargo ships from Kolkata's GR Jetty along with two dumb barges.
• It also marks the start of National Waterways (NW) 1 and 2's fixed scheduled service of cargo vessels from Haldia.
• Rivers, canals, backwaters, and creeks are all part of India's vast system of inland waterways.
• Out of total navigable length of 20,236 km, 17,980 km is made up of rivers and 2,256 km consists of canals.

Topic: Banking System

7. The Public Sector Banks (PSBs) in India earned their highest-ever total net profit of almost 1 lakh 41 thousand crore in FY24.

• In September 2024, the Gross Non-Performing Assets (GNPA) ratio dropped to 3.12%.
• Compared to the peak GNPA of 14.58 percent in March 2018, this is a sharp drop.
• The PSBs have also made a substantial contribution to shareholder returns, according to the Finance Ministry.
• Over the previous three years, they distributed dividends totalling about 62 thousand crore rupees.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: MoUs /Agreements

8. Britain became the 12th member of the trans-Pacific trade pact.

• The United Kingdom became the 12th member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
• In 2023, the British government announced it would join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
• It would boost Britain's struggling economy by $2.5 billion (roughly €2.4 billion) per year.
• The UK estimates the pact might be worth ￡2 billion (US$2.5 billion) a year in the long run.
• Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. Japan, Australia and Canada are the members of this pact.
• This pact will allow Britain to perform free trade deals with Malaysia and Brunei.

Topic: Defense News

9. India, France and UAE participated in the “Desert Knight” exercise.

• India, France, and the UAE have launched a trilateral air combat exercise called "Desert Knight” in the Arabian Sea.
• It will enhance trilateral defence cooperation and foster better interoperability among the air forces.
• The Indian Air Force participated with aircraft such as Sukhoi-30MKIs and Jaguars along with IL-78 mid-air refuellers.
• French Rafale jets and UAE's F-16 fighters also participated in this exercise.
• This exercise is part of the efforts to strengthen defence ties in the Indo-Pacific and the Persian Gulf.
• The “Desert Knight” exercise is based on the trilateral framework established in 2022 by the foreign ministers of India, France, and the UAE.

Topic: Important Days

10. Vijay Diwas 2024: December 16

• Every year on 16 December, Vijay Diwas is celebrated to commemorate the victory of the Indian Army over Pakistan during the 1971 war.
• This year, the 53rd anniversary of the 1971 war and Indo-Bangladesh friendship is being celebrated.
• On 16 December 1971, the independence of East Pakistan was declared, and Bangladesh was created as a new nation.
• The war began when Pakistan carried out airstrikes on 11 Indian airbases on 3 December 1971.
• India won the war against Pakistan after fighting for 13 days.
• Pakistani Army Chief General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi surrendered along with his soldiers while kneeling before the Indian forces.
• During the historic war of 1971 between Pakistan and India, Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister of India.
• Vijay Diwas is also celebrated in Bangladesh as 'Bijoy Dibos' or Bangladesh Liberation Day.
• A Bangladesh delegation, including Muktijoddhas, is likely to participate in the Vijay Diwas celebrations at the Eastern Command Headquarters in Kolkata on December 16, 2024.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

11. A partnership to empower children in rural India formed between BMW and UNICEF.

• On 11 December, a partnership was announced in India by the BMW Group and UNICEF with the aim of transforming the educational landscape for 1 lakh children in four states.
• The partners will focus on foundational education and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) skills from early years to adolescence.
• The partnership will offer quality STEM education to adolescent girls from marginalized groups in rural Assam, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal.
• The partnership is part of a global long-term alliance between the BMW Group and UNICEF, which aims to reach more than 10 million children and young people each year through education and training.
• This also includes education in STEM subjects in five countries where BMW has large operations, including South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, and Thailand.

Topic: Indian Economy

12. RBI increased limit for collateral-free agricultural loans from 1.6 lakh to 2 lakh rupees.

• The Reserve Bank of India has decided to increase the limit for collateral-free agricultural loans from 1.6 lakh to 2 lakh rupees.
• It will be effective from 1st January next year.
• It will enhance credit accessibility, particularly for small and marginal farmers.
• This new directive instructs banks to waive collateral and margin requirements for agricultural and allied activity loans up to Rs 2 lakh per borrower.
• It will facilitate easier access to Kisan Credit Card (KCC) loans and complement the government's Modified Interest Subvention Scheme.
• It will allow farmers to invest in agricultural operations and improve their livelihoods.
• This initiative will enhance financial inclusion in the agricultural sector.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

13. Satin Creditcare Network has won ‘Microfinance Organization of the Year Award’ at the Global Inclusive Finance Summit.

• Satin Creditcare Network was honoured for making microfinance inclusive.
• It was also honoured for making a lasting impact on large number of households and empowering them to build sustainable livelihoods to help them achieve financial stability.
• Satin Creditcare Network is a leading microfinance company.
• Global Inclusive Finance Summit was organised on 11 and 12 December 2024 in New Delhi.