Daily Current Affairs 17th December, 2022

Daily Current Affairs 17 December 2022 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

NOTE: To read complete Current Affairs, subscribe to our plan. All important news are not covered here.

NATIONAL NEWS

Culture Ministry inaugrates a three-day long music, art and literature festival Swar Dharohar in New Delhi
Three-day-long music, art, and literature festival Swar Dharohar was inaugurated by the Culture Ministry under Kalanjali. The festival aims at showcasing the iconic art, culture and heritage of the country.

• The program will facilitate the upcoming local artists to perform with renowned artists on the same platform. The national, as well as local poets, will also exhibit their artistry through Kavi Sammelan.
• The festival will continue till 4th of this month at Central Vista, New Delhi. Entry is free for everyone.

India receives all 36 Rafale aircraft from France with last one landing in country on December 15
India has received all 36 Rafale aircraft from France, with the last aircraft landing in the country. According to the Indian Air Force, the aircraft arrived after a quick en-route mid-air refuelling from a UAE Air Force tanker aircraft, after taking off from France.

• India and France had signed the inter-government agreement in 2016, under which Paris agreed to provide 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around 60,000 crore rupees to India. The first batch of five Rafale jets had arrived on 29th July, 2020.

NITI Aayog’s AIM, UNDP launch 5th edition of Youth Co:Lab
NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and UNDP India launched the fifth edition of ‘Youth Co: Lab’ to support young social entrepreneurs.

• Launched in partnership with AIM in 2019, Youth Co: Lab is a UNDP India initiative that aims to establish a common agenda for Asia-Pacific countries to invest in and empower youth to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through leadership, social innovation, and entrepreneurship.
• The Youth Co: Lab initiative, to date, has been implemented in 28 countries and territories, reaching over 2,00,000 participants, benefitting more than 11,000 young social entrepreneurs, and supporting over 1,240 social enterprises, it said.

Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Ko Kaam Karyakram (PMKKK) now named as Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) scheme
The Minister of Minority Affairs has informed that the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Ko Kaam Karyakram (PMKKK) has now been named as Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) Scheme. 

• The integrated scheme converges five erstwhile schemes of the Ministry viz. Seekho aur Kamao, USTTAD, Hamari Dharohar, Nai Roshni and Nai Manzil. The scheme has been approved by the Cabinet for the period of 15th Finance Commission.
• PM VIKAS aims to improve livelihoods of the minorities, particularly the artisan communities, using the components of skill development, education, women leadership & entrepreneurship. These components compliment each other in the ultimate objective of the scheme to increase the incomes of the beneficiaries and provide support by facilitating credit and market linkages.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

New York, Singapore ranked most expensive cities in the world 
According to the Worldwide Cost of Living Index released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the Russian war in Ukraine and the pandemic’s aftereffects have caused the cost of living to go up by 8.1 per cent in 2022.

• New York and Singapore are the most expensive cities in the world, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Worldwide Cost of Living Index for this year. Some Indian students are interested in attending these cities for higher education.
• For many students, pursuing higher education in New York has long been a dream. Students will be exposed to the rich culture and way of life of the Big Apple while studying there, which will open up various job prospects.
• Ivy League institutions like Cornell University and Columbia University are located in New York.

BANKING & FINANCE

RGICL launches ‘Reliance Health Infinity Policy
Reliance General Insurance Company Ltd. (RGICL) announced the launch of a premium health insurance product – Reliance Health Infinity Policy that claims to offer limitless benefits.

• This first of its kind policy comes loaded with high sum insured up to ₹5 crore that includes features like moreGlobal cover, maternity cover, OPD cover, unlimited restoration of sum insured, and 15 plus useful add-on benefits.
• It also rewards customers for being fit both financially and physically by offering India’s first credit score based discount and BMI-based discount on the premium.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Sidbi partners M1xchange to provide liquidity to MSMEs 
Small Industries Development Bank of India (Sidbi), the principal financial institution engaged in the promotion, financing, and development of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) has partnered with M1xchange as the financier to bring liquidity to MSMEs at competitive interest rates.

• M1xchange offers early liquidity to MSMEs within 24 hours through its online bidding platform through end-to-end digital process. This is a highly effective and efficient solution for addressing the issue of delayed payment of MSMEs.
• M1xchange is one of three TReDS platforms. TReDS is regulated by RBI that enables discounting of bills of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) resulting in improvement of cash flow and liquidity and overall improvement in functioning of MSMEs.

SPORTS

Rehan Ahmed becomes England’s youngest men’s Test cricketer
All-rounder Rehan Ahmed is set to become England’s youngest men’s Test cricketer after being named in the side for the third Test against Pakistan.

• Leg spinner Ahmed will be 18 years and 126 days old when the final match of the three-Test series kicks off in Karachi. That will beat the mark set by Brian Close, who was 18 years and 149 days old when he played a Test for England in 1949.

APPOINTMENTS

Cindy Hook named as CEO of 2032 Olympic organising committee
American executive Cindy Hook has been appointed as the inaugural CEO of the organising committee for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Brisbane.The organising committee announced the appointment after engaging with 50 candidates over six months.

• Hook was based in Singapore as CEO of Deloitte Asia Pacific until June and had previously worked for the international professional services network in the US and in Australia, moving to Sydney in 2009 to lead the auditing practice for six years and later becoming CEO of the Australian operation in 2015.

AWARDS

Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek crowned 2022 ITF World Champions 2022
Spanish Tennis Player, Rafael Nadal has been named the Men’s International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Champion 2022 for the 5th time after an outstanding 2022 season.

• Previously, He has been named the men’s ITF World Champion in 2008, 2010, 2017 and 2019. Polish tennis player, Iga Świątek, has been named Women’s ITF World Champion 2022 for her performance in 2022 winning 2 Grand Slam titles and 8 titles.

ITF World Champions 2022:

• Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova have been named ITF Women’s Doubles World Champions for the 2nd straight year and the 3rd time overall, having won the title in 2018 and 2021.
• Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury have been named ITF Men’s Doubles World Champions for the 1st time.
• Japan’s Shingo Kunieda and Netherlands’ Diede de Groot were honoured in the men’s and women’s wheelchair categories
• At junior level, two-time Grand Slam boys’ singles runner-up Gilles Arnaud Bailly of Belgium has been rewarded for a season of consistent performances, while Roland Garros girls’ singles champion Lucie Havlickova of Czech Republic was crowned as ITF Girls World Champion.

Click here to read Daily Current Affairs