Daily Current Affairs and GK | 25 and 26 December 2024

Topic: National News

1. The foundation stone of the Ken-Betwa River link project laid by PM Modi on December 25.

• The foundation stone of the Ken-Betwa River linking project, the first initiative under the national river interlinking policy, laid by PM Narendra Modi at Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh.
• On December 25, PM Modi came to Khajuraho in Chhatarpur district to lay the foundation stone of the project.
• Under this project, drinking water will be provided to about 44 lakh people in 10 districts of Madhya Pradesh and 21 lakh people in Uttar Pradesh, which is estimated to cost Rs 44,605 ​​crore.
• Under this project, around 7.18 lakh farmer families of 2,000 villages will be benefited, which will also generate 103 MW hydropower and 27 MW solar power.
• The Ken-Betwa Link Project is a unique example of cooperation and coordination between the Central Government, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.
• The project will construct a 77-meter-high and 2.13-kilometer-long Daudhan Dam, along with two tunnels (upper level 1.9 kilometers and lower level 1.1 kilometers), on the Ken River in Panna Tiger Reserve.
• The dam will store 2,853 million cubic meters of water.
• The excess water of the Ken River will be transferred to the Betwa River through a 221 km-long link canal from Daudhan Dam, providing irrigation and drinking water facilities in both states.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

2. 27th SIES Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswati National Eminence Award presented to Jaishankar for leadership.

• The South Indian Education Society (SIES) awarded External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar the Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi National Eminence Award for Public Leadership.
• The awards are named after the late Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati, the 68th seer of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham.
• He led the spiritual awakening at a critical juncture of contemporary history.
• The awards are given in four areas: public leadership, community leadership, human endeavour, science and technology and social leadership, with priority given to spirituality.
• The award carries Rs. 2.5 lakh cash prize, a citation, an ornamental lamp, and a scroll.

Topic: Indian Economy

3. A $500 million loan was signed by the Government of India and Asian Development Bank (ADB) on 20th December 2024.

• This loan has been signed to support green and sustainable infrastructure projects aligned with India’s climate commitments.
• The ADB loan will be extended to the India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (IIFCL).
• Ms. Juhi Mukherjee Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, for the Government of India, and Country Director Mio Oka for ADB were the signatories to the Financing Environmentally Sustainable Growth in Infrastructure Project.
• IIFCL's institutional capacity to incorporate best practices and green practices into infrastructure projects will be strengthened by the project.
• To evaluate the sustainability rating of the projects, a sustainability unit, environmental sustainability framework, and scoring system will also be devised.

Topic: Important Days

4. Good Governance Day: 25 December

• Good Governance Day, or Sushasan Diwas, is observed every year on 25 December to mark the anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
• This year is commemorated as the 100th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
• The centenary celebrations commenced with the inauguration of the Atal Swasthya Mela in Lucknow.
• Atal Smriti Sabhas will be held at different places. Schools and colleges will also hold poetry recitations and other events based on Vajpayee’s works.
• Good Governance Day was started by the Government of India in 2014.
• Atal Bihari Vajpayee was born on December 25, 1924, in Gwalior.
• He served as the Indian Prime Minister thrice - first in 1996 for a term of 13 days, then for 13 months between 1998 and 1999.
• Atal Bihari Vajpayee was honoured with the Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian honour, in 2015.