Daily Current Affairs and GK | 4 and 5 December 2022
Main Headlines:
- 1. India jumped to 48th place in global aviation safety ranking released by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
- 2. Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) is celebrating its 65th Founding Day on 5-6 December 2022.
- 3. Haryana duo Sarabjot Singh and Manu Bhaker won mixed team pistol title at 65th National Shooting Championship.
- 4. Indian Navy Day 2022: 4 December
- 5. US Air Force launched its latest nuclear stealth bomber: B-21.
- 6. Indian origin Mohan Mansigani conferred “Officer of the Most Excellent Order” of the British Empire.
- 7. 'Millets-Smart Nutritive Food' Conclave organised in New Delhi on 5 December to promote the export of millets.
- 8. ‘The Chipko Movement: A People’s History’ has won Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize.
- 9. PM Modi to inaugurate first phase of Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway on December 11.
- 10. Isaac Herzog becomes the first Israeli President to visit Bahrain.
- 11. National awards presented by President on International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
- 12. Rajendra Prasad’s birth anniversary is celebrated on December 3 every year.
- 13. Canara Bank has won the Banker’s Bank of the Year Award 2022 for the India segment at the Global Banking Summit.
- 14. RBI announces a 4-tired regulatory framework for UCBs.
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Topic: Reports and Indices/Ranking
1. India jumped to 48th place in global aviation safety ranking released by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
- Singapore is at the top of the ranking. UAE and South Korea are at the second and third positions, respectively.
- France and Iceland are the fourth and fifth places, respectively.
- Four years ago, India was 102nd position. China is at the 49th place.
Rank |
Country |
1 |
Singapore |
2 |
UAE |
3 |
South Korea |
4 |
France |
5 |
Iceland |
48 |
India |
- The ICAO audit or “coordinated validation mission” called “USOAP continuous monitoring approach” was conducted from November 9 to 16, 2022.
- The ICAO audit has been conducted in the fields of legislation, organisation, personal licensing, operations, airworthiness, and aerodromes.
- As per the DGCI, India’s score in terms of effective implementation of key safety elements has improved to 85.49 percent. In the last audit in 2018, India’s score was 69.95 percent.
- International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO):
- It is an agency of the United Nations that is responsible for the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth.
- It was established in 1947 by the Convention on International Civil Aviation (1944).
- Its headquarters is located in Montreal.
Topic: National News
2. Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) is celebrating its 65th Founding Day on 5-6 December 2022.
- Union Finance & Corporate Affairs Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated this two-day long celebration event in New Delhi.
- On this occasion, she also released the ‘Smuggling in India Report 2021-22’.
- The report is about the trends in the field of anti-smuggling and commercial fraud and DRI’s performance and experience over the last year.
- The current edition of the report has captured issues related to natural security, foreign trade policy, gold smuggling, environmental violations, etc.
- As per the report, the number of cases of gold smuggling increased after the ease of lockdown restrictions.
- In FY 2020-21, the largest amount of the gold seized by the DRI has origin of Myanmar.
- Around 22 Customs administrations from the Asia-Pacific region, along with international organisations, are taking part in this event.
- The 8th Regional Customs Enforcement Meeting (RCEM) will also be organized during the event.
- Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI):
- It is a premier intelligence and enforcement agency under the aegis of the Central Board of Indirect taxes & Customs (CBIC).
- It tackles anti-smuggling matters and its headquarters is located in New Delhi.
- It has 12 Zonal Units, 35 regional Units, and 15 Sub-regional units.
- It was founded on December 4, 1957.
Topic: Sports
3. Haryana duo Sarabjot Singh and Manu Bhaker won mixed team pistol title at 65th National Shooting Championship.
- They have clinched the 10 metre air pistol mixed team title at the championship.
- They defeated Karnataka duo Divya TS and Imroz 16-4 in the finals.
- Punjab and ONGC have shared the bronze medal at the event.
- In junior mixed team pistol event, Anjali and Sagar from Uttar Pradesh won gold by defeating Yashasvi and Abhinav from Uttarakhand.
- 65th National Shooting Championship is being organised at the MP State Shooting Academy in Bhopal from 20 November to 10 December 2022.
- National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) is affiliated to International Shooting Sport Federation, Asian Shooting Confederation, Commonwealth Shooting Federation, South Asian Shooting Confederation and Indian Olympic Association.
- Shri Raninder Singh is the President and Shri K Sultan Singh is the Secretary General of National Rifle Association of India.
- Terms related to Shooting: Airgun, Bore, Range, Bull, Bunker, Double trap, Offhand, Trap, Free pistol, etc.
Topic: Important Days
4. Indian Navy Day 2022: 4 December
- The day is observed to honor the brave Indian soldiers who defeated Pakistani Navy in 1971 under Operation Trident.
- It is also observed to acknowledge the achievements of Indian Navy.
- Indian Navy Day 2022 theme is “Swarnim Vijay Varsh”.
- For the first time this year, the Navy Day celebrations were held outside Delhi. This year the celebrations were held in Visakhapatnam.
- On the occasion of Navy Day, the Governor of Kerala Arif Mohammed Khan laid a wreath at the War Memorial, Southern Naval Command in Kochi.
- Chhatrapati Shivaji Bhosle is known as the Father of the Indian Navy.
- Indian Navy has three commands: Western, Eastern and Southern Naval Command.
- Chief of the Naval Staff: Admiral R Hari Kumar
Topic: Defence
5. US Air Force launched its latest nuclear stealth bomber: B-21.
- It will replace the aircraft first flown during the Cold War.
- The new bomber has been built by Northrop Grumman.
- The new bomber launched in 30 years would cost around 700 million dollars each.
- B-21 can carry nuclear as well as conventional weapons.
- According to the US Defence Secretary, B-21 is hard to be detected even by the most sophisticated air defence systems.
- The strategic bombers can penetrate the air defence system of enemies and are capable of carrying nuclear weapons. These can be used for tactical missions.
- Currently, only three countries fly bombers. These are US, Russia and China.
- The United States has strategic bombers B-1, B-2, and B-52.
- In 2021, China inducted the newest and most powerful bomber H-20 that is capable of carrying conventional, nuclear and hypersonic cruise missiles.
- Russia has four-engined bomber Tu-160 also known as White Swan and dubbed Blackjack by NATO.
Topic: Awards and Prizes
6. Indian origin Mohan Mansigani conferred “Officer of the Most Excellent Order” of the British Empire.
- Mohan Mansigani is an Indian origin businessman and charity worker.
- He was honoured for his charitable services to healthcare at a ceremony held at Buckingham Palace in London.
- He is known as a creative finance director with private equity experience.
- He played an important role in establishing Casual Dining Group.
- Most Excellent Order of the British Empire:
- It is given to recognise contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside civil service.
- It was established by King George V on 4 June 1917.
- It has five grades- Knight/ Dame Grand Cross (GBE), Knight/Dame Commander (KBE/DBE), Commander (CBE), Officer (OBE), and Member (MBE).
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November Monthly Current Affairs | October Monthly Current Affairs |
September Monthly Current Affairs | August Monthly Current Affairs |
Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings
7. 'Millets-Smart Nutritive Food' Conclave organised in New Delhi on 5 December to promote the export of millets.
- The one-day 'Millets-Smart Nutritive Food' conclave is the first conclave to be held in the pre-launch program of the International Year of Millets - 2023.
- Ministry of Commerce and Industry organised it through the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority.
- Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal was the chief guest at the conclave.
- At the conclave, government released e-catalogue on 30 potential importing countries and 21 millet producing states of India.
- A knowledge book on Millets prepared in association with Knowledge partner ‘Yes Bank’ was released on the occasion.
- India’s proposal led the United Nations’ General Assembly to declare 2023 as the International Year of Millets on the 5th of March 2021.
- Facts related to millets:
- India is one of the leading producers of millets in the world with an estimated share of about 41 per cent in global production.
- India recorded 27% growth in millet production in 2021-22 as compared to millet production in the previous year.
- Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are India’s top five millet producing states.
- Share of export of millets is nearly 1% of the total millet production.
- Millet exports from India chiefly consist of whole grains. Export of value added products of millets from India is negligible.
- Millets market is estimated to increase from its current market value of over USD 9 billion to more than USD 12 billion by 2025.
- Millets are rich in calcium, iron, and fibers. Bajra, Ragi, Canary, Jawar, and Buckwheat are the varieties of millets exported by India.
Some Major Varieties of Millets |
|
Sorghum (Jowar) |
Pearl Millet (Bajra) |
Finger Millet (Ragi) |
Minor Millets (Kangani) |
Proso Millet (Cheena) |
Kodo Millet (Kodo) |
Barnyard Millet (Sawa/Sanwa/Jhangora) |
Little Millet (Kutki) |
Two Pseudo Millets (BuckWheat/Kuttu), Ameranthus (Chaulai) |
Brown Top Millet |
Topic: Awards and Prizes
8. ‘The Chipko Movement: A People’s History’ has won Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize.
- ‘The Chipko Movement: A People’s History’ is a book by historian and Padma Shri-awardee Shekhar Pathak.
- It is translated from Hindi by Manisha Chaudhry. It covers ordinary people of the 1973 Chipko movement, such as Gaura Devi.
- Shekhar Pathak established the People’s Association for Himalaya Area Research (PAHAR) in 1983.
- He also wrote Asia ki Peeth Per (On Asia’s Back) along with Uma Bhatt. It is a biography of the Himalayan explorer Pandit Nain Singh Rawat.
- Shortlisted books for this years’ prize are given below.
- Accidental Feminism: Gender Parity and Selective Mobility Among India’s Professional Elite by Swethaa S. Ballakrishnen
- Whole Numbers and Half Truths: What Data Can and Cannot Tell Us About Modern India by Rukmini S
- Midnight’s Borders: A People’s History of Modern India by Suchitra Vijayan
- Born a Muslim: Some Truths about Islam in India by Ghazala Wahab
- Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize is given for non-fiction on contemporary India by writers of any nationality.
- It carries a cash award of Rs 15 lakhs, a trophy and a citation.
- Dinyar Patel won last year’s prize for the biography Naoroji: Pioneer of Indian Nationalism.
- Past awardees of the prize include Milan Vaishnav for When Crime Pays: Money and Muscle in Indian Politics, Ornit Shani for How India Became Democratic, and Jairam Ramesh for A Chequered Brilliance, a biography of VK Krishna Menon.
Topic: Infrastructure and Energy
9. PM Modi to inaugurate first phase of Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway on December 11.
- The first phase of the expressway between Shirdi and Nagpur will be opened for the public on December 11. It will be 500-km long.
- The remaining stretch would be opened for the public in the next six months. It will connect many districts and ports.
- After the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, the Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg is Maharashtra's second expressway.
- The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is constructing 701 km eight-lane Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway.
- It will be touted as the fastest expressway where vehicles can run at with a speed of 150 kmph.
- It will pass through 14 districts, six talukas, and 392 villages and reduce the time between Nagpur and Mumbai from the existing 16 hours to 8 hours.
Topic: International News
10. Isaac Herzog becomes the first Israeli President to visit Bahrain.
- This is the first visit by an Israeli President to Bahrain Since both countries normalized relations in 2020.
- Isaac Herzog met King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa as well as Prince and Prime Minister, Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa.
- The UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco are the first Arab states to normalize relations with Israel in 2020.
- Israel has also reached on peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan.
- Naftali Bennett is the first Prime Minister to sign a defence agreement with Bahrain.
- Israel:
- It is a small country in Western Asia.
- It shares borders with Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.
- Israeli new shekel is the currency of Israel and the capital is Jerusalem.
Topic: Awards and Prizes
11. National awards presented by President on International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
- On 3 December, President Droupadi Murmu presented the National Awards for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities for the years 2021 and 2022 in New Delhi.
- For 2021, 25 individuals, institutions and organizations were honored while for 2022, 29 individuals, institutions and organizations were honored.
- They were honored for their extraordinary achievements and work for the empowerment of persons with disabilities.
- The awards were presented in various categories including Sarvshresth Divyangjan, Sarvshrestha Vyakti working towards the empowerment of Divyangjan and Sarvshrestha Rehabilitation Professional worker.
- President Murmu has said that the purpose of International Day of Persons with Disabilities is to encourage awareness of issues related to persons with disabilities.
- She stressed the need to create a healthy environment for PwDs so that PwDs can lead dignified lives and participate in political, social, economic, cultural and sports activities without any discrimination.
Topic: Personality in News
12. Rajendra Prasad’s birth anniversary is celebrated on December 3 every year.
- This year, his 138th birth anniversary was celebrated in the country.
- Rajendra Prasad, who was born in Bihar, is the first Indian president to have served on two consecutive terms.
- Rajendra Prasad was a true Gandhian as well as a visionary politician, skilled lawyer, ardent patriot and a staunch nationalist.
- In 1962, he was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award.
- Dr. Rajendra Prasad:
- He was born at Zeradei village in Bihar on 3 December 1884.
- He was the first President of Independent India.
- He joined the Indian National Congress in 1911.
- He was the founder of the Bihari Students’ Conference.
- He had left his law profession to participate in Indian National Movement in 1920 actively.
- He served as the President of the Constituent Assembly and also became the Food and Agriculture Minister in the Interim Government.
- He was President of India from 1950 to 1962.
- He has taken his last breath on 28 February 1963 at Sadaqat Ashram, Patna.
Topic: Awards and Prizes
13. Canara Bank has won the Banker’s Bank of the Year Award 2022 for the India segment at the Global Banking Summit.
- It won the award at the Global Banking Summit held in London, UK from November 29, 2022, to December 1, 2022.
- The ability to deliver returns, strategy, innovation, technology, and product and services in their respective geographies in the last 12 months were the judgment criteria for the award.
- The award ceremony was attended by the MD and CEO of Canara Bank, L V Prabhakar.
- The Banker’s magazine is from the Financial Times (FT) group, the British-based global financial daily newspaper.
- Canara Bank:
- It was founded in July 1906. It is headquartered in Bengaluru. Lingam Venkat Prabhakar is its CEO.
- Recently, the government has merged Syndicate bank with Canara bank.
Topic: Banking System
14. RBI announces a 4-tired regulatory framework for UCBs.
- On 1 December 2022, RBI issued a circular regarding four-tired regulatory framework to categorize Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs). The framework will come into force immediately.
- The existing framework categorizes UCBs into two tiers- Tier I and Tier II.
- RBI said that such framework was required to balance the spirit of mutuality and co-operation.
- RBI has also announced norms related to the net worth and capital adequacy of UCBs.
- Tier 1 UCBs operating in a single district should have a minimum worth of ₹2 crore and for other UCBs, the minimum worth should be ₹5 crore.
- Tier 1 UCBs have to maintain a minimum capital to risk weighted assets ratio of 9% of Risk Weighted Assets while other UCBs have to maintain capital adequacy ratio of 12%.
- The categorization of UCBs is as follows:
Tiers |
Criteria |
Tier 1 |
All unit UCBs and salary earners' UCBs (irrespective of deposit size), and all other UCBs having deposits up to ₹100 crore |
Tier 2 |
UCBs with deposit more than ₹100 crore and up to ₹1,000 crore |
Tier 3 |
UCBs with deposit more than ₹1,000 crore and up to ₹10,000 crore |
Tier 4 |
UCBs with deposit more than ₹10,000 crore |
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