Current Affairs 10 December 2022

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

International Lusophone Festival Held in Goa; Organised by MEA in partnership with ICCR & Goa Govt The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in partnership with Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) and the Goa government organised the International Lusophone Festival in Goa from 3rd December to 6th December 2022 to further improve India’s connection with the Lusophone world.

• The International Lusophone Festival was inaugurated by Pramod Sawant, Chief Minister (CM) of Goa at the Durbar Hall in Raj Bhavan.
• Attendees – Meenakshi Lekhi, Minister of State for External Affairs was the Guest of Honour.

Key highlights:
i.The festival includes performances by cultural troupes with around 70 artists from the CPLP countries at several venues in Goa including ESG complex, Azad Maidan, Sanskruti bhavan and Institute Menezes Braganza.
ii.As part of the festival, workshops on Lusophone music for artists and volunteers, various workshops cum exhibition of photocopies of historical records, unique Goan architecture, Goan handicrafts and Goan furniture were organised.

• In addition, the Lusophone Food and Spirits Festival, showcasing the culinary links between India and the Lusophone world were also organised.

About International Lusophone Festival:
i.International Lusophone festival is being conducted to highlight the connection between Goa and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP – Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa), which is also known as Lusophone Commonwealth (Comunidade Lusofona).
ii.Goa has had historical linkages with the Lusophone world by the presence of Portuguese cultural institutions including the Orient Foundation and the Camoes Institute which promote Portuguese language and culture in India.

• This has deepened economic, cultural co-operation and people-to-people ties with the CPLP member countries.

About Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP):
i.The CPLP (Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa) or the Lusophone Commonwealth (Comunidade Lusofona), is a multilateral forum, founded on 17th July 1996 at the 1st CPLP Heads of State & Government Summit in Lisbon.
ii.Members – India joined CPLP as an associate observer in July 2021.

• The founding three planned mOneWeb’s members include Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal and Sao Tome and Principe. Whereas, Timor Leste and Equatorial Guinea joined later.

iii.9 Lusophone countries comprise approximately 300 million people in 4 different continents (Africa, Latin America, Asia and Europe)
Note – On 5th May 2022, As part of India’s Lusophone Commonwealth engagement with CPLP, the MEA celebrated the World Portuguese Language Day in Delhi, soon after joining CPLP.

MNRE extends Rooftop Solar Scheme till March 2026The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has extended the ‘Rooftop Solar Programme’ till March 2026. This means, the consumers do not have to pay any additional charge for solar installations, and the subsidy under the programme will be available until the target under the program is achieved.

• MNRE also advised residential consumers not to pay any additional charges to any vendor on account of fee for application on the National Portal.

About Rooftop Solar Program:
MNRE is implementing the Rooftop Solar Programme Phase-II to achieve a cumulative capacity of 40,000 MW from Rooftop Solar Projects by 2022 (now extended to 2026). Under, the Ministry is providing a 40% subsidy for the first 3 kW (Kilo Watt) and 20% subsidy beyond 3 kW and upto 10 kW of solar panel capacity.

• The subsidy under National Portal has been fixed at Rs. 14,588/- per kW (for capacity upto 3 kW).
• It is being implemented in the state by distribution companies (DISCOMs).

Some Other Schemes by the Central Government for Promoting Solar Energy:

• Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM
• Scheme for Development of Ultra Mega Renewable Energy Power Parks
• National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy, 2018
• Atal Jyoti Yojana (AJAY)
• Suryamitra Skill Development Programme
• International Solar Alliance (ISA)
• Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), or the National Solar Mission

MIB issues guidelines for MSOs (multi-system operators) to transmit local contentThe Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) issued guidelines for Platform Services (PS) offered by Multi-System Operators (MSOs). These guidelines have to be adhered to by the MSO’s under a 12 months period.

• These guidelines lay down the norms for the MSOs in running the PS.
• The Cable Television Network Rules, 1994, permit Multi-System Operators (MSOs) to transmit their own programming service, either directly to their own subscribers or through one or more local cable operators.
• These own programming services referred to as ‘Platform Services (PS)’, which includes most ‘local-channels’, are exclusive programming services being generated at the local level offered by MSOs.

What are the guidelines?
i.Under this, MSO are mandated to apply to register as a ‘company’ within the next three months if they wish to provide local news and current affairs programs on their networks as PS.
ii.MSOs are permitted to transmit their own programming service, either directly to their own subscribers or through one or more Local Cable Operators.
iii.There is a a simple online registration process for PS channels by MSOs at nominal fees of Rs 1,000 per channel.

• The total number of permitted PS channels per operator is to be capped at 5% of the total channel carriage capacity.
• Two PS channels are permitted at the level of each district.

iv.All PS channels are placed together under genre ‘Platform Services’ in the Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) along with their Maximum Retail Price and option for activation-deactivation, as per Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
v.The MSOs offering PS will have to retain recording of all PS channel programs for a period of 90 days.

Indian & US Navies Conduct Special Forces Exercise “Sangam” In Goa 

The 7th edition of Exercise “Sangam,“ a joint Naval Special Forces exercise involving Indian Navy Marine Commandos (MARCOs) and United States (US) Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, has commenced in Goa on December 01, 2022 and is scheduled to last three weeks.

• The Sangam series is a bilateral exercise exclusively between the US and Indian Special Forces. The first ‘Exercise Sangam’ was held in 1994.
• The two countries view it as a significant military and diplomatic endeavor that demonstrates their mutual goodwill and cooperation.

Key Points:
i.Indian Navy MARCOs from Indian Naval Ship (INS) Abhimanyu and members of SEAL Team Five, based in San Diego, US, will collaborate during the 7th edition of Exercise “Sangam.”

• It aims to facilitate ideas and knowledge sharing on many facets of Maritime Special Operations.

ii.Personnel will practice and improve their abilities in special heliborne operations, combat free fall jumps, direct action missions, and maritime interdiction operations, during the exercise.
Other Exercises between India – US:
i.‘Exercise Malabar’ is an annual naval special forces exercise that includes US SEALs, Indian Navy MARCOs, and other participating nations.
ii.In November 2022, the 18th edition of the Indo-US joint training exercise “YUDH ABHYAS 22“ commenced in Uttarakhand.
iii.Every year, India and the USA conduct Exercise Yudh Abhyas to exchange best practices, strategies, techniques, and operational procedures between their armed forces.

• The 17th edition of the exercise was held in October 2021 at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson in Alaska, USA.
• In accordance with Chapter VII of the United Nations (UN) mandate, the training programme emphasizes the deployment of an integrated battle group.
• The exercise encompasses all peacekeeping and peace enforcement operations.The exercise also includes Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations.

DoPPW launches Nation-wide Campaign for Promotion of Digital Life Certificate

The Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions (MoPP&P), Government of India (GoI), has launched a Nation-wide Campaign for Promotion of Digital Life Certificate for Central Government pensioners.

• Nation-wide Campaign was launched to promote the Life certificate through Digital mode and popularizes the Face Authentication technique.
• All registered Pensioners schemes and centres have been directed to promote the Digital Life Certificate and Face Authentication Technique for submitting Life Certificate by organising special camps for ‘Ease of Living’ of pensioners.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

IEA Report – ‘Renewables 2022’: Global renewables capacity set to double over next 5 yearsAccording to “Renewables 2022“ (December 2022 edition), an annual report on the renewable sector released by the International Energy Agency (IEA), global renewable power capacity is likely to double over the next five years, driven by energy security concerns following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

• The capacity of renewable power worldwide is now anticipated to increase by 2400 gigawatts (GW) , which is equivalent to China’s entire power capacity in 2022.The same expects to increase by 5,640 GW in 2027.

Renewables 2022
Renewables 2022 is the IEA’s primary analysis of the sector, based on current policy and market trends.

• The use of renewable energy solutions for heating, transportation, and power is forecasted till 2027.
• It also examines significant industry difficulties and outlines limitations to faster growth.

Key Observations from The Report:
i.This significant estimated increase in renewables is 30% greater than the amount of growth predicted in 2021, demonstrating policy weight on renewables kept by world governments.
ii.According to the report, renewable energy sources are expected to supply over 90% of the additional electricity generated globally over the next 5 years, surpassing coal as the primary source of electricity by the beginning of 2025.

• The world is on track to add as much renewable energy in the next 5 years as it did in the past 20 years.
• The continuous acceleration of renewables is vital to reduce global warming to 1.5°C.

iii.A combination of energy security concerns and climate objectives is expected to drive a two-fold increase in the amount of new renewable power capacity added in Europe between 2022 and 2027 compared to the preceding five-year period.
iv.By 2027, the capacity of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems is expected to almost triple globally, while capacity is set to almost double.
v.By 2027, the demand for biofuel is estimated to rise by 22%.

INS Kochi, INS Kavaratti & INS Sumedha Participates in BN IFR-22 Indian Navy ships (INS) Kochi, INS Kavaratti and INS Sumedha participated in BN IFR-22, the maiden International Fleet Review (IFR) conducted by the Bangladesh Navy (BN) between 6th and 9th December 2022 in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.

• Sheikh Hasina, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh was the chief guest for BN IFR – 22.

Key highlights:
i. IFR – 22 was conducted by BN to commemorate the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh MujiburRahman, the country’s father of the nation(Bangladesh) and also to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Independence of Bangladesh.
ii.All three ships including INS Kochi, a guided missile stealth destroyer; INS Kavaratti, an anti-submarine corvette and INS Sumedha, an offshore patrol vessel were designed and developed indigenously.

• INS Kochi is a part of the Indian Navy’s Western Fleet based at Mumbai, INS Kavaratti and INS Sumedha form part of the Eastern Fleet based at Visakhapatnam.

iii.All three ships are equipped with a versatile array of weapons and sensors, which carry multi-role helicopters and symbolise India’s warship building capabilities.

Japan To Jointly Develop ‘Next-Generation’ Fighter Jet With UK, ItalyJapan has signed a deal with the United Kingdom (UK) and Italy to develop a next-generation fighter aircraft together by 2035.

• This enables Japan to work with countries other than the United States (US) for the first time to meet a major defence requirement.

Key Points:
i.The move entails integrating Japan’s F-X and Britain’s Tempest, a successor to the Eurofighter Typhoon, into the next-generation combat aircraft, which will be deployed in 2035.

• The outdated F-2 fighter jets that Japan had co-developed with the US will be replaced by the Mitsubishi F-X.

ii.The agreement will enable the UK to have a stronger presence in the Indo-Pacific area and provide Japan with more assistance in defending against China’s growing aggression.
iii.Japan has been enlarging its defence alliances with nations in the Indo-Pacific, including Australia, Southeast Asian nations, and Europe, to offset the rising threats from China and North Korea.
Backdrop
i.Fumio Kishida, the Prime Minister of Japan, set a five-year budget of 43 trillion yen (USD 316 billion) for military capabilities development, with a significant increase in defence spending.

• The Japanese government will also require an annual increase in defence spending of 4 trillion yen (USD 30 billion).

ii.The updated national security strategy is expected to provide Japan the ability to launch long-range missiles and conduct preemptive strikes.

• This will be a significant and contentious change from Japan’s self-defence-only defence strategy adopted following its defeat in World War II in 1945.

iii.Japan relaxed the export restrictions on weapons in 2014 and established its own Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Agency in 2015.

• It is made as an effort to boost the weak domestic defence sector and encourage collaborative technological research, development, and sales with friendly nations.

About Japan:
Prime Minister – Fumio Kishida
Capital – Tokyo
Currency – Japanese Yen (JPY)

BANKING & FINANCE

IndusInd Bank enters into Rs 500-crore co-lending pact with SV CreditlineIndusInd Bank signed a co-lending agreement with Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC), SV Creditline Limited (SVCL) for Rs 500 crore loan exclusively to women borrowers.

• Under this pact, rural women will get access to affordable loans to be utilized towards the economic activities such as agriculture, animal husbandry, trading and local manufacturing, among others.

About SVCL:
i.It should be noted that SVCL only lends to women customers in the low-income segment with an annual household income of Rs. 125,000 in rural areas and Rs. 200,000 in urban areas.  It is providing services to 130 districts in 10 states through its 227 branches.
ii.It is registered as NBFC-MFI (Micro Finance Institution) under Section 451A of Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, and promoted by Vans Pte. Ltd. and SV Corporation Pvt. Ltd.
iii.SVCL’s Business correspondents (BC) partners are IndusInd Bank, Edelweiss Housing Finance Limited, Jana Small Finance Bank Limited, MAS Financial Services Limited, DCB Bank and IDBI Bank.

RBL Bank & Paisabazaar.com Partners to Launch New Co-Credit Card – ‘Duet’
On 8th December 2022 Paisabazaar.com and RBL Bank launched a new co-created credit card ‘Duet’, which offers two credit offerings including cashback on purchases made through the card and a line-of-credit from RBL bank enabling instant transfer of money to bank account.

About Duet credit card:
i.The Duet credit card is a unique Credit Line product by RBL Bank. It will be a part of Paisabazaar’s neo-lending product suite and will replace Paisa On Demand (PoD) credit card on Paisabazaar.
ii.Duet is a lifetime free credit card from RBL Bank with no joining fee or annual fee and also offers direct cashback benefits.
Benefits:
i.Cardholders can earn a flat 1% cashback for all online and offline purchases done through the card. There is no upper limit on the cashback earned.

• Cashback is not offered on wallet loading, EMI transactions, fuel purchase and rent payment done through the card.

ii.Cardholders can avail loans easily by simply logging in to their account on Paisabazaar.com and select from the Credit Line option and complete the required loan transaction by authorising it with an OTP received on registered mobile number.
iii.A line-of-credit above Rs.3,000 and up to the cardholder’s credit limit will also be available for the card holders.
About RBL Bank:
Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – R Subramaniakumar
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Tagline –Apno Ka Bank

ASK Indian Entrepreneur Fund: ASK Capital gets Central Bank of Ireland nod to launch India-based fundASK Capital Management Pte. Ltd. (ASK Capital) has received an approval from the Central Bank of Ireland to launch an India-based fund namely ‘ASK Indian Entrepreneur Fund’ through the UCITS route. This fund will be ASK Capital’s first UCITS vehicle.

• UCITS stands for Undertakings for the Collective Investment in Transferable Securities which is a regulatory framework of the European Commission for management and sale of mutual funds.
• With this fund,  ASK Capital aims to raise US$ 500 million over the next 3 years from global investors.

About UCITS Funds:
UCITS funds can be registered in Europe and sold to investors worldwide using unified regulatory and investor protection requirements. It serves as a stamp of quality and reliability for overseas investors
Key Points:
i.ASK Indian Entrepreneur Fund will be modeled on ASK’s flagship portfolio management services (PMS), ASK Indian Entrepreneur Portfolio (IEP).

• IEP is one of the most consistent alpha-generating strategies since its launch in 2010. It invests in companies led by Indian entrepreneurs.

ii.It provides global investors with a familiar, tax efficient, and convenient access to the high-growth Indian equity markets.
iii.This approval will enable ASK Capital to reach out to institutional investors, endowments, pension funds, family offices, and investors via private banks across Europe, Middle East, Latin America, and parts of Asia.
About ASK Capital:
CEO & Managing Director– Sameer Dev
Headquarters– Singapore

HDFC ERGO & NIIT Partners to Create a Pool of Future Ready IT Professionals

HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company Limited has partnered with NIIT, a global talent development corporation, to launch HDFC ERGO Technocrat – Advance Dot Net Developer Program to build a large pool of developers.

• This will create future-ready Information Technology (IT) Professionals for HDFC ERGO, who can play a pivotal role in offering technology-powered insurance solutions.
• The program will be delivered through live, instructor-led sessions and also offers a stipend to the participants.

Key highlights:
i.The program is an initiative of  HDFC ERGO and NIIT Institute of Finance, Banking and Insurance (NIIT-IFBI), that aims to equip the participants with the knowledge and confidence of being immediately productive at work and also provide training to handle critical projects and assignments.
ii.Eligibility – The Applicants should be between 21 and 28 years of age at the time of admission and  should have completed X, XII, and Graduation in regular mode (only up to 2 years of academic gap is allowed after the 10th).

• Applicants must be familiar with basic coding skills in C++, C# and Java.

iii.Process – The applicants will have to clear a two-level assessment test, after which they will receive a provisional offer letter from HDFC ERGO.
About HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company Limited:
HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company Limited is a joint venture between HDFC Limited, India’s premier Housing Finance Institution and ERGO International AG, the primary insurance entity of Munich Re Group.
Chairman – Keki M Mistry
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra

PayMate receives In-Principle authorization to operate as a Payment Aggregrator from RBI

PayMate India Limited, a leading business-to-business (B2B) payments and services provider, has received ‘in-principle’ approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as a Payment Aggregator (PA), subject to the RBI Guidelines on Regulation of PAs and Payment Gateways (PG), dated 17th March 2022 as updated from time to time.

• PayMate digitizes, automates and streamlines B2B payments in supply chains.
• Payment aggregators are entities that help merchants and businesses to make and receive payments, pool and transfer them to the merchants within the time frame specified by the RBI Guidelines.

StocX.in Launches India’s First Private Market Index to Monitor Values

 StocX.in, an internet unlisted securities portal, has launched StocX Private Market Index (SPMI), India’s first private market index by utilising ‘Change Percentage’ technique, to monitor the value actions of privately traded securities, those that are traded within the unlisted market. The index is computed utilising 1000 as the bottom worth as on 1st January 2022.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS      

Ashleigh Barty wins Australia’s prestigious Don Award for 2nd Time

Ashleigh Barty, who retired from tennis earlier this year at the age of 25, won Australia’s prestigious Don Award for the 2nd time in her career after 2019.

• The Don Award is given to the player (or a team) who has provided the most inspiration to the country in the previous year through performance and example.
• Ashleigh Barty is the 3-time Grand Slam winner and the No.1 ranked female player.
• She became the 3rd person to win the award twice, following hurdler Sally Pearson (2012 and 2014) and pole vaulter Steve Hooker (2008 and 2009).  

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS    

IDF Named Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina as 1st Global Ambassador for DiabetesSheikh Hasina, Prime Minister (PM) of Bangladesh, has been named the “Global Ambassador for Diabetes” by the International Diabetic Federation (IDF) at the opening ceremony of the World Diabetes Congress 2022 held in Lisbon, Portugal.

• PM Sheikh Hasina is the 1st Global Ambassador for Diabetes.

Key Points:
i. On 5th December 2022, the title was received by the Bangladesh Ambassador to Portugal Tarik Ahsan on behalf of PM Sheikh Hasina from IDF president-elect Prof. Akhtar Hussain.
ii. The title was conferred in recognition of her contribution to improving the lives of people living with diabetes.
iii. For the next 2 years, the global diabetes ambassador will be the voice of people living with diabetes all over the world.
About PM Sheikh Hasina:
i. PM Sheikh Hasina was born on 28th September 1947, in the village of Tungipara, Dhaka, Bangladesh. She became active in politics in the late 1960s.
ii. Sheikh Hasina served as Prime Minister of Bangladesh 3 times: 1996-2001, 2009-2014, and 2014-Present. She is the longest-serving prime minister in the history of Bangladesh.
Recognitions:
i. She is also included in the US-based Foreign Policy journal’s list of 100 Global Thinkers in 2019.
ii. She has been recognised as one of the world’s most powerful women, ranking 26th on Forbes’ list of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women in 2018.
iii. In 2014, she received the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Peace Tree award for her commitment to women’s empowerment and girls’ education.

New York Fed appoints Sushmita Shukla as First Vice President & COO

Sushmita Shukla, an Indian-origin veteran of the insurance industry, has been appointed as 1st Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York ((New York Fed), with effect from March 2023.

• The appointment was approved by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

Key Points:
i. Sushmita Shukla will be the New York Fed’s 2nd-ranking officer as First Vice President.
ii. She will establish, communicate, and execute the organization’s strategic direction in collaboration with the Bank’s President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
iii. She will also serve on the Federal Open Market Committee as an alternate voting member.
About Sushmita Shukla:
i. Sushmita Shukla has over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry and has led technology, operations, and enterprise-wide transformation efforts. She is also well-versed in technology and agile innovation methods.
ii. She has served as Senior VP and COO for International Accident & Health at Chubb, the world’s largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company, where she led operations, claims technology, and strategic programmes in 51 countries.
iii. Sushmita Shukla led an enterprisewide transformation programme at Healthfirst, where she began as VP of Enterprise Business Solutions in 2016 and later became interim Senior VP of Enterprise Transformation in 2017.
iv. Prior to that, she worked for The Hartford for 10 years, rising through the ranks to become VP of Strategic Programs, Billing & Operations Shared Services. In this capacity, she led the turnaround of a significant programme.       

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS  

JSPL acquires Monnet Power for Rs 410 cr

Jindal Steel and Power (JSP) Limited acquired debt-laden Odisha-based Monnet Power Company for Rs 410 crore through insolvency resolution process.

• Monnet Power has a 1050 MW under-construction plant located near Malibrahmani in Angul (Odisha).
• JSPL will utilize the power plant for captive use and it will consume 20-25% less coal.

Background:
In 2018, Monnet Power was admitted for the corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP) after proceedings were instituted by the IDFC Bank. In 2019, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) ordered liquidation as there was no resolution plan. Monnet’s bank debt was about Rs 3,819 crore. 

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

SpaceX Launches 40 OneWeb Satellites into Polar OrbitOn 9th December 2022, SpaceX successfully launched 40 OneWeb broadband relay satellites onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, to support London-based OneWeb (legally Network Access Associates Ltd) to expand its fleet in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Falcon 9 rocket was launched from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, United States of America(USA).

• This marks SpaceX’s 55th launch of 2022, its 188th Falcon 9 flight overall, and its 154th successful booster recovery. This is OneWeb’s 15th launch till date.
• These 40 satellites, released into an initial 373-mile-high orbit tilted 87 degrees to the equator will use onboard xenon ion thrusters to reach their operational altitude of about 745 miles.
• This was the first of three planned missions and the next two dedicated launches with SpaceX are planned for 2023, in addition to another launch with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Key highlights:
i.The Falcon rocket blasted off at sunset with 40 mini satellites bound for polar orbit. They will expand OneWeb’s constellation to over 500, which is nearly 80% of the planned total of about 630 satellites.
ii.Background – OneWeb, which is building an initial constellation of 648 satellites in low Earth Orbit, had originally contracted to launch all of its satellites on Russian Soyuz rockets.

• Due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, OneWeb broke ties with Russia in March 2022. Russian Soyuz rockets had already launched 13 batches of OneWeb satellites, in 2019.
• Later, OneWeb entered into agreements with SpaceX, ISRO, and startup Relativity to launch its constellation.

Note – In early 2023 Amazon is planning to launch the first of its internet satellites from Cape Canaveral.
About Oneweb satellites:
i.The new satellites will increase the range of internet services to the entire USA, Europe and also large parts of Africa and South America.

• OneWeb is already providing internet service in Alaska, Canada and northern Europe.

ii.Each OneWeb satellite is about the size of a washing machine and weighs 330 pounds (150 kilograms). They are built at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center through a joint venture (JV) with France’s Airbus.
Note – SpaceX has more than 3,200 Starlink satellites in orbit, providing high-speed, broadband internet to remote corners of the world.
About SpaceX:
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Elon Musk
Headquarters – California, United States of America (USA)

PSLV-XL Rocket Motor PSOM-XL by EEL Successfully Clears Test

The booster motor PSOM-XL developed by Economic Explosives Limited (EEL) for Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles (PSLV)-XL rocket successfully cleared test in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The ISRO had transferred the technology to EEL, Nagpur in 2019 and this was the first step in the end-to-end production of PSLV through EEL. NewSpace India Limited, the commercial arm of Department of Space (DoS) has selected the HAL-L&T led consortium to make five PSLV-XL rockets.

OBITUARY

Padma Shri awardee Manohar Devadoss Passed Away On 7th December 2022, renowned artist and writer, Padma Shri Awardee Manohar Devadoss passed away in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, at the age of 85.
About Manohar Devadoss:
i. Manohar Devadoss was born in 1936 in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. He was well-known for his paintings of traditional buildings.
ii. He authored many books and also made illustrations for them. In 1982, he started writing his book, Green Well Years, about his childhood in Madurai, which took him a decade to complete.

Books:

• ‘A Poem to Courage’, ‘Dreams, Seasons and Promises’ and ‘Mahe and Mano: Challenges, Resilience and Triumphs’ are works about his life with his wife, Mahema Michael.
• ‘Madras Inked: Impressions of an Artist and an Architect’ was his last book, which was co-authored by Sujatha Shankar.

iii. He launched a charitable trust, Mahema Devadoss Endowment, named after his wife to provide medical assistance to rural people afflicted with eye-related diseases.
iv. He was awarded the Padma Shri (2020), India’s 4th-highest civilian award, for his inspirational work in Art and Charity.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Retired Air Marshal P.V. Iyer launched book ‘Fit At Any Age’

Retired Air Marshal P V Iyer, a 92-year-old, who runs 8 kilometres (km) a day, has authored and launched a book “Fit at Any Age: A Practitioner’s Guide“, in which he tells how people can make fitness part of their everyday activities at any age, leaving sufficient time for leisure.

• His book “Fit at Any Age” combines personal anecdotes, science-based logic, and simple tips to tell an inspirational story about how anything is possible at any age.
• Air Marshal P V Iyer began a fitness journey that allowed him to run over 1,20,000 km.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide & of the Prevention of this Crime 2022 – December 9United Nations (UN)’s International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide & of the Prevention of this Crime is annually observed across the globe on December 9 to honour the victims of genocide and the anniversary of the Genocide Convention.

• 9th December 2022 marks the 74th anniversary of the adoption of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (‘Genocide Convention’), the 1st Human Rights Treaty, by the UN General Assembly (UNGA).

i. The UNGA adopted the resolution A/RES/69/323 on 11 September 2015 and proclaimed December 9 of every year as the ‘International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of This Crime’.
About the United Nations (UN):
Secretary-General- António Guterres
Headquarters- New York, USA
Establishment- 1945
>> Read Full News

Indian Navy’s 55th Submarine Day – 8th December 2022Indian Navy annually Observes Submarine Day on 8th December to commemorate the induction of the first submarine, the erstwhile INS Kalvari, into the Indian Navy on 8th December 1967.

• 8th December 2022 marks the observance of the 55th Submarine Day.

Background:
The submarine arm of the Indian Navy was born on 8th December 1967 with the induction of INS Kalvari, the first Scorpene class submarine in India, at Riga in Latvia, the erstwhile Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).

• To mark this occasion 8th December is observed as the Indian Navy’s Submarine Day.

About Indian Navy:
Chief of Naval Staff– Admiral R Hari Kumar
Integrated Headquarters Ministry of Defence (Navy)– New Delhi, Delhi
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International Anti-Corruption Day 2022 – December 9The United Nations(UN)’s International Anti-Corruption Day(IACD) is annually observed across the globe on 9th December to create awareness about the negative impacts of corruption and the role of the UN Convention on combating and preventing corruption.

• The day highlights the role of everyone including, Individuals, non-governmental organisations, law enforcement, and media persons in tackling the issues of corruption.

The theme of IACD 2022 is “UNCAC at 20: Uniting the World Against Corruption”.
About United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC):
Director-General– Ghada Fathi Waly (Egypt)
Headquarters– Vienna, Austria
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