Daily Current Affairs 13 January 2024 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.
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NATIONAL NEWS
Hyderabad 9th cleanest city in India, Siddipet cleanest in South India
Hyderabad city was deemed the ninth cleanest among cities having a population of more than one lakh, as per the Swachh Survekshan Awards 2023. Siddipet won the national award for being the cleanest in south India in the 50,000-1 lakh population category.
- Besides the ninth rank, Greater Hyderabad got a five-star rating for sanitation. It is also the first instance of a Telangana city, with a population of over 1 lakh, getting a five-star certification. It also received a recertification of ‘water+’ city.
- The assessment was based on a survey conducted between April 2022 and March 2023, covering 4,443 local bodies in all.
Coast Guards of India, Japan hold joint exercises on responding to distress in real-time
The Coast Guards of India and Japan held a joint exercise of responding in real-time, rescuing the crew of a distressed vessel off the coast of Chennai. The joint exercise code-named ‘Sahyog Kaijin’ on the Bay of Bengal saw the ICGS Shaurya and JCGS Yashima, equipped with advanced equipment, rush swiftly to rescue the crew of MT Matsyadristi and MV Anveshika involved in a simulated collision that resulted in a fire onboard the MT Matsyadristi as well as a crude oil slick.
- Immediately after receiving the distress call, fast patrol vessels ICGS Annie Besant and ICGS Rani Abbakka surged forward to commence the rescue operation. But before the vessels arrived, two Dornier aircraft flew over the sea to pin the location (GPS coordinates of the spot) to enable rescue ships to reach the accurate destination. As the crew was evacuated for a medical emergency, the coast guard ships used their firefighting equipment to douse the flames.
Indian Army to observe 2024 as Year of Technology Absorption
Indian Army will observe 2024 as the “Year of Technology Absorption” as it’s trying to gradually mature into a modern force that will have a new operational philosophy for induction of drones and counter-drones systems right across infantry, artillery and armoured battalions, and establish Command Cyber Operations Support Wings (CCOSWs), besides bridging other conventional asymmetries.
- This move underscores the Army’s commitment to leveraging technology as a catalyst for transformative change, enhancing operational and logistic capabilities through in-house expertise, and working in collaboration with the domestic defence industry.
BANKING & FINANCE
Shanghai’s NDB to provide $500 million loan to Gujarat
Shanghai-headquartered New Development Bank (NDB) signed an agreement for providing a $500-million loan to Gujarat government.This financial infusion is earmarked for the Mukhayamantri Gram Sadak Yojana, a pivotal project in the state.
- The agreement solidifies NDB’s commitment to supporting the roads and buildings department of the Gujarat government. The allocated funds will facilitate the construction of approximately 1,200 kilometers of roads, a critical initiative for enhancing connectivity and accessibility across the state.
NPCI expands UPI’s linkage with Singapore’s PayNow
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) announced the launch of the UPI-PayNow linkage that will enable Indians to receive remittances directly into their bank accounts from Singapore and vice-versa.
- Currently, users of mobile-based applications such as Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM), PhonePe, and Paytm can access the service. Banks including Axis Bank, DBS Bank India, ICICI Bank, Indian Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, and State Bank of India (SBI) provide this functionality through their respective apps.
- Meanwhile, other third-party applications (TPAP) and bank applications such as Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Canara Bank, Central Bank of India, Federal Bank, HDFC Bank, IDFC First Bank, IndusInd Bank, Karur Vysya Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Punjab National Bank, South Indian Bank, and UCO Bank are expected to be added to the linkage soon.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
Tata Consumer acquires Capital Foods, Organic India
Tata Consumer Products Ltd (TCPL) signed definitive agreements to acquire 100% equity shares of Capital Foods, owner of the brands Ching’s Secret and Smith & Jones, and Organic India, a company that sells organic herbal teas and health foods.
- While the acquisition of Capital Foods will be in a phased manner, TCPL will acquire 100% of Organic India in an all-cash deal.
- TCPL will pay an enterprise value on a no cash-no debt basis of ₹5,100 crore for 100% stake in Capital Foods. While 75% of the equity shareholding will be acquired upfront, the remaining 25% will be acquired within the next three years, TCPL said in a filing to the exchanges.
SPORTS
Tim Southee achieves rare milestone, becomes first bowler to take 150 wickets in T20Is
Veteran New Zealand pacer Tim Southee completed 150 wickets in the shortest format, becoming the first bowler in Men’s T20Is to reach the milestone. Southee achieved the feat in Auckland during the first T20I against Pakistan, where he claimed figures of 4/25 in his four-over spell.
- Abbas Afridi was Southee’s 150th victim in T20Is. The New Zealand quick was the third to get to 100 T20I wickets behind Shakib Al Hasan and Lasith Malinga.
- Southee, who made his T20I debut in 2008, currently has 746 international wickets, including over 350 in the longest format of the game.
AWARDS
Late Savita Kanswal, 1st Indian woman who climbed Everest, Makalu within 16 days, honoured by President Murmu
President Draupadi Murmu posthumously conferred the prestigious Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award upon Savita Kanswal. The award, presented to her father Radheshyam Kanswal, is a testament to Savita’s exceptional achievements in the field of mountaineering.
- Savita Kanswal made history by becoming the first Indian woman mountaineer to conquer both Mount Everest (8848 m) and Mount Makalu (8485 m) within an astonishing span of 16 days. This remarkable feat showcased not only her physical prowess but also her unwavering determination to achieve greatness at the young age of 25.
NICMAR Hyderabad gets platinum certification under IGBC green campus rating
National Institute of Construction Management and Research, (NICMAR) Hyderabad has been awarded the platinum certification under the Indian Green Building Council’s Green Campus Rating.
- With over 25 trees per acre or 47% green cover and water-efficient irrigation systems among green initiatives, NICMAR is leading the way in promoting sustainability in higher education institutions in India and sensitising young architects at an early stage.
- Of the total landscape area of 21,619 square metres, a whopping 90.04% is covered by drought-tolerant or native species while 9.96% is covered by turf.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
China launches new satellite ‘Einstein Probe’ shaped like a lotus to observe violent cosmic phenomena
China sent a new astronomical satellite shaped like a lotus into space to observe mysterious transient phenomena in the universe that flicker like fireworks.
- The satellite named Einstein Probe (EP), which uses new X-ray detection technology inspired by the functioning of a lobster eye, was launched by a Long March-2C carrier rocket at from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in southwest China’s Sichuan Province.
- Weighing about 1.45 tonnes and as large as a full-size SUV, the satellite is shaped like a lotus in full bloom and features 12 petals and two stamens. The 12 “petals” are 12 modules consisting of wide-field X-ray telescopes (WXT), while the two “stamens” consist of two modules of follow-up X-ray telescopes (FXT).