Daily Current Affairs 22 December for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.
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NATIONAL NEWS
France President Emmanuel Macron to be Chief Guest for 75th Republic Day celebrations in Delhi
India announced French President Emmanuel Macron will be the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations on January 26, making him the fifth head of state from France to be accorded the honour, and the sixth time that a French leader will attend the celebrations as chief guest since 1976.
- The development comes soon after the US was unable to accept India’s invitation for President Joe Biden to be the chief guest for Republic Day.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the guest of honour at the Bastille Day Parade held on July 14 in Paris. President Macron visited India for the G-20 Summit in September.
Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur launches MY Bharat campaign
Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting and Youth Affairs & Sports Shri Anurag Singh Thakur has launched MY Bharat campaign to provide an opportunity to the youth of India to play an active role in various nation building events.
- Speaking to the youth after launching MY Bharat campaign, he said that the achievement of the Government has shown a quantum jump in development in all sectors. The Minister said that whether it is infrastructure, economy, or any field, the country has been witnessing a defining change in all sectors.
Union Minister Arjun Munda inaugurates Adi Vyakhyan, two-day tribal orientation programme in New Delhi
Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda inaugurated a two-day tribal orientation programme – Adi Vyakhyan – in New Delhi.
- The programme has been organized by the National Tribal Research Institute (NTRI), with the objective to have a deeper understanding of the complexities of tribal traditions and culture and to explore the challenges to their existence. This is an initiative to explore tribal identity and the tribal contributions to the nation’s cultural diversity.
- The Adi Vyakhyan programme will familiarize the tribal communities with the statistical input of India and the Constitutional safeguards. It is expected to provide valuable insights into the legal frameworks that shape tribal governance and land rights and will set the stage for a deeper understanding of tribal people.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
8th edition of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium Conclave of Chiefs concludes in Bangkok, Thailand
The 8th edition of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Conclave of Chiefs (CoC) was hosted by Royal Thai Navy at Bangkok, Thailand. Adm R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff, is leading a three-member Indian Naval delegation for the Conclave.
- Various bilateral interactions are also being conducted on the side-lines of the Conclave to facilitate a greater degree of maritime cooperation and understanding between the IONS countries.
- India would take over the Chair of IONS (2025-27) during the 9th CoC planned to be conducted in India in end 2025.
BANKING & FINANCE
After a year of waiting, RBI grants at least six payment aggregator licences
After over a year of waiting, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) granted its final approval for at least six payment aggregator licences, thus lifting the ban on entities such as RazorPay and Cashfree Payments for acquiring new merchants.
- The final nod for the payment aggregator licence has come for Razorpay, Cashfree Payments, Open Financial, EnKash, Google Pay and Paymate India.Â
- The licences comes over a year after the central bank in December 2022 asked platforms which has in-principal approvals for a payment aggregator licence such as RazorPay, Cashfree Payments, PayU, PineLabs, Paytm and Stripe, among others, to stop on-boarding new merchants till additional documents and audit reports are submitted and a final licence is awarded.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
Africa’s second-biggest oil producer ‘Angola’ leaves OPEC after disagreements over production targets
Angola, Africa’s second-largest oil producer, has announced its exit from OPEC following disagreements over production targets, delivering a setback to the oil cartel chaired by Saudi Arabia.
- This decision comes after OPEC reduced Angola’s oil output target last month as part of broader production cuts led by Saudi Arabia to support prices.
- Angola, an OPEC member since 2007, has been in conflict with Saudi Arabia over attempts to lower its production baseline. The production baseline determines each member’s output quota and is adjusted to reflect declines in the country’s production capacity.
SPORTS
Chennai Grand Masters 2023; Dommaraju Gukesh clinches title; Arjun Erigaisi secures second spot in Chess
In Chennai Grand Masters 2023 tournament, Indian chess prodigy, Dommaraju Gukesh clinched the title by holding compatriot Pentala Harikrishna for a draw.
- Meanwhile, Arjun Erigaisi secured the second spot. Both Arjun and Gukesh finished the event at 4.5 points out of 7. Gukesh won the tournament on tie-breaks. Pentala Harikrishna finished third with 4 points, as all three Indians in the tournament ended the campaign with a podium finish.
- With this win, Gukesh takes the lead in the FIDE Circuit. If he keeps the lead till 1st January 2024, he will qualify for the highly coveted Candidates Tournament 2024. Earlier, R. Praggnanandhaa qualified for the Candidates by finishing second at the FIDE World Cup 2023 held at Baku, Azerbaijan this year.
Sports Minister Anurag Thakur launches logo, jersey, and mascot of 6th Khelo India Youth Games in Chennai
Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Singh Thakur and Tamil Nadu Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin unveiled the official jersey of 6th Khelo India Youth Games in Chennai. Mr Thakur also unveiled the mascot for the Games. The mascot is the former Tamil queen warrior Veera Mangai Velu Nachiyar. The theme song of the games was also released.
- The Khelo India Youth Games will be held from January 19 to 31 next year. The upcoming edition will take place in Chennai, Trichy, Madurai and Coimbatore. The Minister told that this edition of the Khelo India Youth Games will introduce squash.
- More than five thousand 500 sports persons and more than 1600 coaches are expected to participate in the event. Over 1000 referees and 1200 volunteers will be a part of the sporting event in which 27 types of sports will be played. For the first time, squash will be included in Khelo India games. Volunteers can register themselves on the exclusive website.
AWARDS
UNESCO awards Rambagh Gate & Ramparts project highest honor, Award of Excellence for inclusivity & access to broader community
UNESCO has awarded the resilient urban revitalisation of Rambagh Gate and Ramparts in Punjab, as well as the heritage conservation projects related to Haryana’s Church of Epiphany and Delhi’s Bikaner House.
- The Rambagh Gate and Ramparts project received the highest honor, the ‘Award of Excellence,’ for its inclusivity and access to the broader community. Three projects, including the Church of Epiphany and Bikaner House, received an ‘Award of Merit.’
- The UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation recognize the efforts of individuals and organizations in restoring and conserving structures of heritage value. Twelve projects from China, India, and Nepal were acknowledged by the awards jury this year.
- Three projects – the Fanling Golf Course in Hong Kong SAR, China; Dongguan Garden Residences in Yangzhou, China; and Karnikara Mandapam at Kunnamangalam Bhagawati Temple, Kerala, India – garnered an ‘Award of Distinction’ each.
Kempegowda International Airport T2, one of the world’s most beautiful airports, wins special prize at UNESCO’s 2023 Prix Versailles
Terminal 2 (T2) of Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru has been recognised as one of the world’s most beautiful airports and awarded the world special prize for interiors at the UNESCO’s 2023 Prix Versailles.
- The World Judges Panel for the Prix Versailles 2023, chaired by renowned fashion designer Elie Saab, announced the latest architectural projects to win a World Title, according to Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), which operates KIA.
- This global acknowledgment highlights the airport’s commitment to exceptional design and architecture on a global scale.