Current Affairs 27 December 2022

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 27 December 2022, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2022 events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Standard and all Government official websites.

Our Current Affairs December 2022 events will help you to get more marks in Banking, Insurance, SSC, Railways, UPSC, CLAT and all State Government Exams. Also, try our Latest Current Affairs Quiz and Monthly Current Affairs 2022 PDF which will be a pedestrian to crack your exams.

Read Current Affairs in CareersCloud APP, Course Name – Learn Current Affairs – Free Course – Click Here to Download the APP
We are Hiring – Subject Matter Expert | CA Video Creator | Content Developers(Pondicherry)

Click here for Current Affairs 25 & 26 December 2022

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

MoD gives nod to procure Pralay Ballistic Missiles for Armed ForcesThe Ministry of Defence (MoD), during a high-level meeting, has given its nod for the procurement of 120 Pralay ballistic missiles for the armed forces. These are indigenously developed new generation quasi-ballistic surface-to-surface missiles.

• They are likely to be deployed along India’s border areas along Pakistan and China.
• The missile would be provided to the Air Force and the Navy.

Features:
i.Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), it’s system is road mobile.
ii.It can hit targets in the range of 150-500 km and the missile has an accuracy of 10 metres(capable of hitting within 10 metres of the target).
iii.It can  carry 350-700 kg high grade explosive, Penetration-Cum-Blast explosive, and Runway Denial Penetration Submunition.
iv.The missile has a speed of around 2,000 km per hour, and is equipped with an infrared or thermal scanner. It can be used in the night to attack enemy’s targets.
v.Pralay is powered with solid propellant rocket motor, missile guidance system including state-of-the-art navigation system, and integrated avionics.
vi.It has a capacity to tackle interceptor missiles as well.
vii.It is also capable of changing its route after travelling a certain distance in the air.

Garuda Aerospace becomes 1st Drone Company to get DGCA’s double certification for ‘Kisan Drones’Garuda Aerospace, a Chennai (Tamil Nadu)-based drone manufacturer, has become India’s 1st drone startup to receive both Type Certification and Remote Pilot Training Organisation (RPTO) approvals by Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for their indigenously designed ‘Kisan Drones’.

• The DGCA Type certification is provided based on the quality of the drones and is issued following a rigorous testing process.
• RPTO is an organization authorised by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to impart Remote Pilot Training to any individual seeking a Remote Pilot Certificate under Rule 34 of Drone Rules 2021.

Note:

• Under the Drone Rules, the Indian government introduced Type certification in August 2021.
• On 6th December 2022, Anurag Singh Thakur, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, flagged off India’s 1st Drone Skilling and Training Virtual E-Learning Platform at the Chennai manufacturing facility of Garuda Aerospace, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

Kisan Drones: 
i. The Made in India ‘Kisan’ drones are particularly designed for agricultural purposes such as crop loss reduction, crop health monitoring, yield measurement, and crop loss mitigation.
ii. Kisan Drone is now eligible for Rs 10 lakh in unsecured loans from Agri Infrastructure Fund at 5% interest and a 50-100% government subsidy.
iii. The ‘Kisan’ drone, priced at Rs 4.50 lakhs, is India’s most affordable advanced automated Agri Drone in the 25 kg small category.
Key Points:
i. The approvals will now lead to the creation of job opportunities for youth soon, and a goal of training 1 lakh drone pilots in the next 2 years.
ii. Garuda Aerospace is powered and blessed with strong demands of manufacturing 5000 drones in the next 5 months catering to many opportunities.

• It recently began its USD 30 million Series A round at a USD 250 million valuation.
• It operates 400 drones and employs over 500 pilots spread across 26 cities.

iii. Former Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the company’s Brand Ambassador, has invested in Garuda Aerospace’s drone. He has recently launched a drone named Droni.

Ladakh Celebrates Losar Festival to Mark Ladakhi New YearOn 24th December 2022 Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) celebrated the Losar Festival to mark the Ladakhi New Year, a major socio-religious festival of Ladakh celebrated in winter.

• Losar festival is a 15-day long festival that falls during the winter solstice, any time between 8th and 30th December.
• The term ‘Losar’ means New year in the Tibetan language. ‘Lo’ means year and ‘Sar’ means new.

Note:
i.The festival is celebrated by all Ladakhi Buddhists by making offerings to the gods and goddesses, both in the Gonpas and in their domestic shrines. Various special ceremonies are also conducted by the monks and Lamas in different monasteries.
ii.The festival also marks the beginning of the new Tibetan year.

Key highlights:
i.The Losar festival 2022 will continue for 9 more days from the new year with the offering of prayers in the name of God and Goddess along with dances and songs in honour of Ibex and the pilgrimage of Mount Kailash.
ii.As a part of Losar festival, Ladakh will be lit in lights by the lighting of prayer lamps, illumination of buildings, houses, religious places like monasteries, stupas, and other business establishments.
J&K Organises ‘Nowshera Folk Festival’ to Boost Tourism
On 24th December 2022 the Directorate of Tourism Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) in collaboration with the District Administration Rajouri organised the ‘Nowshera Folk Festival’ at Nowshera to promote tourism.
Attendees:

• The event was inaugurated by Deputy Commissioner Rajouri, Vikas Kundal and DDC Chairman Naseem Liaquat Choudhury.
• Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) members from Nowshera, Seri, Lamberi, Qila Darhal and adjoining areas also attended the event.

Key highlights:
i.The festival started with a Dogri dance followed by a Gojri and Pahari dance by prominent artists. The star performances in the show included brilliant singing performances by Shoaib Kandoo, Shivam Shiva and Sandeep Brar.
ii.About 2500 people participated in the event and there were also displays of local art, handloom, and handicraft products along with a display of mannequins in Pahari and Gojri attire.
Keynote:
On 25th December 2022 the Additional Deputy Commissioner Nowshera, Kartar Singh, Assistant Director Tourism Rajouri, Ambika Bali flagged off a ‘Heritage Tour Bus’ from Dak Bungalow Nowshera which carried bloggers and local travel enthusiasts to Mangla Mata, Brigadier Usman War Memorial, Khambah Fort, Khori Baba Shrine and culminated at the Thakurdwara Temple in Nowshera.

BANKING & FINANCE

RBI revised Bank Locker Rules rules w.e.f. January 1, 2023The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has amended the bank locker rules w.e.f. January 1, 2023. In this regard, all the existing locker depositors are required to furnish proof of eligibility for a renewed locker arrangement. They are required to sign a renewal agreement before the specified date.

• The agreement must follow the model drafted by the Indian Bank Association (IBA) in line with the Supreme Court’s (SC) orders and guidelines.

Key Points:
i.Banks should ensure that any unfair terms or conditions are not incorporated in their locker agreements.
ii.RBI advises banks to install CCTV (closed-circuit television) camera at entry and exit points of the strong room and the common areas of operation. It mandates to preserve its recording for a period of not less than 180 days.
iii.If any customer has complained to the bank that his/her locker is opened without his/her knowledge and authority, or any theft or security breach is noticed/observed, the bank should preserve the CCTV recording till the police investigation is completed and the dispute is settled.
iv.Depositors can now get up to 100 times the bank charges if the valuables stored in the vaults are lost due to fire or building collapse. However, the bank is not liable for any damage caused by natural calamities or ‘Acts of God’.

Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Launches ‘Respect Senior Care Rider’ for Senior CitizensBajaj Allianz General Insurance Limited launched the ‘Respect Senior Care Rider’, a unique and first-of-its-kind health insurance riders, which will offer 360-degree assistance for senior citizens.

• The company has tied up with a wide network of service providers to assist the insured.
• The company collaborates with Strategic Partners to provide seamless services experience for customers by providing them a 24×7 direct connection in under 30 seconds with the medical support and emergency platform which activates rapid response within 10 minutes.

About Respect Senior Care Rider:
i.The main aim of the rider product is to minimise the worries of senior citizens and of their family members who are living in different cities.
ii.The Respect Senior Care Rider is available in 3 plans:

• Plan 1 provides planned and emergency road ambulance service, home assistance/daily care, cyber and travel legal assistance.
• Plan 2 offers home care services including physiotherapy & nursing care, concierge services, psychological assistance and medical tele-consultation services.
• Plan 3 provides smart watches with fall detection technology, which tracks and records Oxygen Saturation (SPO2), Body Temperature, Medicine Reminder, Heart Rate and SOS.

iii.The product cost starts from INR 700 and ranges up to INR 7,500 excluding Goods and Services Tax (GST).
iv.Any individual who is insured with Bajaj Allianz Health Insurance (base policy) can add this rider for themselves or their family members with 50 years of age or above.
About Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Limited:
Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Limited is a joint venture between Bajaj Finserv Limited and Allianz SE.
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Tapan Singhel
Headquarters – Pune, Maharashtra
Establishment – 2001

Infibeam Avenues Receives RBI Nod for Bharat Bill Payment Licence

Infibeam Avenues Limited (IAL), India’s first listed payments infrastructure firm, has received Perpetual Licence for its bill payments business, BillAvenue from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in accordance with its circular on Perpetual validity for certificates of Authorization (CoA) issued to Payment System Operators (PSOs) under Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.

• After the issuance of licence, BillAvenue will now function as a Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit (BBPOU) under Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS).
• As a BBPOU, BillAvenue will operate as both biller and customer operating unit onboarding billers and also agent institutions to service customers.

About BillAvenue:
i.BillAvenue is a unified, interoperable online bill payment platform, built on the NPCI’s Bharat BillPay infrastructure to provide ‘anytime, anywhere’ bill payment facilities to customers across India through a network of small & medium agents to large agent Institutions
ii.This services amongst telecom, broadband companies, cable TV, DTH players, electricity distribution companies, LPG & Gas distribution companies, FASTAG, health insurance, life insurance, NBFCs, and municipalities.
About Infibeam Avenues Limited (IAL):
Managing Director (MD) – Vishal Mehta
Headquarters – Gandhinagar, Gujarat
Establishment – 2007

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Sony Entertainment & Cashfree Payments partners for Shark Tank India S2

Cashfree Payments India Pvt Ltd, a payments and API banking solutions firm, has partnered with Sony Entertainment Television and its OTT platform Sony LIV as the ‘Payments Partner’ for Shark Tank India season 2 (S2), which is set to premiere on 2nd January 2023.

• The collaboration aligns with the company’s vision of empowering India’s aspiring entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into successful and scalable businesses.
• Out of the 198 pitches in the 1st season of Shark Tank India, 67 Indian businesses received investments, providing a significant boost to the Indian entrepreneurial landscape.
• S2 (50 episodes) aims to have a bigger impact with more episodes, pitches and cracked business deals.
• The partnership demonstrates Cashfree Payments’ commitment to the Make in India initiative.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS  

Cricket Australia Renames Test Player of the Year Award in Honour of Late Shane WarneOn 26th December 2022, Cricket Australia (CA) chief executive Nick Hockley and Australian Cricketers’ Association Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Todd Greenber renamed the Australia’s men’s Test Player of the Year award to honour the late legendary spinner ‘Shane Warne’ during the Boxing Day Test against South Africa.

• The Shane Warne Men’s Test Player of the Year award will be presented annually at the Australian Cricket Awards.
• Shane Warne won Australia’s men’s Test player of the Year Award in 2006, when he recorded 40 wickets in the famous 2005 Ashes series in England.

About Shane Warne:
i.Shane Warne made his international debut representing Australia against India in 1992 in Sydney.

• After his retirement from all forms of cricket in 2013, he took up cricket commentary and coaching roles.

ii.He participated in 145 Test matches and 194 One Day International (ODI)’s, and was the Player of the Match in the semi-final and the final of Australia’s victorious 1999 World Cup campaign.
iii.He has picked up 708 wickets in Test matches which is the second-highest after Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan and 293 in ODIs to take 1001 international wickets.

IIT Madras’ BS In Data Science & NPTEL Win Wharton-QS Reimagine Education Awards 2022

Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), Chennai, Tamil Nadu has won key recognition in Wharton-QS Reimagine Education Awards 2022, referred to as ‘the Oscars of Education’ during the event held at the Wharton Campus, Philadelphia, United States of America (USA).

• IIT Madras’ BS (Bachelor’s Degree) in Data Science and Applications won Silver in the ‘Best Online Program’ category.
• NPTEL (National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning), a joint initiative of IITs and IISc, won the Gold in the ‘Lifelong Learning category’.
• Educational Initiatives’ Mindspark: Leveraging AI to Enhance Learning Outcomes won Silver in the ‘AI in Education Award’ category.
• The award categories are designed to reflect the diversity and breadth of the education sector. An expert panel chooses the winners.

Note: NPTEL is a joint venture of the IITs and IISc, funded by the Ministry of Education (MoE) Government of India, and was launched in 2003.
Wharton-QS Reimagine Education Awards:
i. The Wharton-QS Reimagine Education Awards recognise and celebrate outstanding achievements in education by educators, institutions, and organisations.

• USD 50,000 in funding is available to the Reimagine Education Global Winners.
• The Global Education Award winner will receive USD 25,000 in funding.
• The Global Edtech Award winner will receive USD 25,000 in funding.

ii. Bronze, Silver and Gold Category Winners were given the opportunity to showcase their innovations at the virtual Reimagine Education Conference held from 5-9 December 2022.

Tata Steel has been certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ for 2023

Tata Steel India Limited has been certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ by the Great Place to Work Institute for 2023. It has been certified for the 6th consecutive year.

• The Company has received recognition for its efforts towards building an inclusive and sustainable organisation.
• Tata Steel has introduced several policies and practices for employee welfare and well-being since its inception.
• According to the Great Place to Work assessment, Tata Steel excelled in all 5 dimensions of a High-Trust, High-Performance Culture: Credibility, Respect, Fairness, Pride and Camaraderie.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS   

Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ appointed as New PM of NepalOn 25th December 2022, Bidhya Devi Bhandari, President of Nepal, appointed 68-year-old Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal as new Prime Minister of Nepal. He was sworn in for the 3rd time as the PM of Nepal succeeding Sher Bahadur Deuba of the Nepali Congress party.

• Pushpa Kamal Dahal is also known as Prachanda – meaning “terrible” or “fierce”.
• He previously served as prime minister from 2008 to 2009, and again from 2016 to 2017.

Background:
In Novemeber 2022, Nepal’s ruling coalition broke down after Nepali Congress and CPN (Maoist Center) failed to reach a power-sharing agreement.
New Coalition: 
i. Pushpa Kamal Dahal now has the support of 169 Members of Parliament.
ii. In the new coalition, the CPN-UML has 78, Maoist Center 32, Rastriya Swatantra Party 20, Rastriya Prajatantra Party 14, Janata Samajbadi Party 12, Janamat Party 6, Nagarik Unmukti Party has 4 MPs and 3 independent lawmakers are in support of Prachanda.
About Pushpa Kamal Dahal:
i. Pushpa Kamal Dahal was born in Dhikurpokhari of Kaski district near Pokhara, Nepal, on December 11, 1954.

• He started his political career in 1972 with the Pushpal Group and formed a Marxist in 1975.

ii. In 1996, he declared the People’s War and led the Royal massacre of 2001, which resulted in a 10-year civil war led by Prachanda, during which more than 13,000 people were killed and thousands were displaced.
iii. He led the Maoist insurgency that ended the monarchy and established Nepal as a democratic republic and served as its 1st PM (2008–09).
About Nepal: 
President– Bidhya Devi Bhandari
Currency– Nepalese Rupee
Capital– Kathmandu      

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

ISRO’s Long Duration CE-20 Engine Hot Test successfulOn December 23, 2022, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully operated CE-20, a cryogenic rocket engine with a thrust level of 22t for a long duration of 650 seconds.

• The activity was carried out at the Cryogenic Main Engine & Stage Test Facility of ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC) in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu (TN).
• The CE20 engine is designed and developed by Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Valiamala, Kerala.

Key Points:
i.The engine was operated with a 20.2t thrust level for the first 40 s, followed by an operation at 20t off-nominal zones) before operating it at 22.2 t for a duration of 435 s, by moving the thrust control valve.
ii.The engine used for this hot test had undergone 11 hot tests with a cumulative duration of 2720 s earlier. Thus, It has undergone 3370 s cumulative burn duration at different thrust & mixture ratio levels.
iii.During the test, the engine and the facility performed normally and the required engine performance parameters were achieved.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

C Rangarajan authored a book titled “Forks in the Road” 

C Rangarajan authored a book titled “Forks in the Road: My Days at RBI and Beyond”. It was published by the Penguin Business (Penguin Group).

• The book is the memoir of Dr C. Rangarajan, an Indian economist, a former Member of Parliament, and the 19th Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• It discusses India’s transition from its post-independence planning era to the present times.
• The book is divided into 3 parts. Part 1- ‘RBI and Planning Commission’, Part 2- ‘Governor of RBI’ and Part 3- ‘Beyond RBI’

IMPORTANT DAYS

National Good Governance Day 2022 – December 25i.Good Governance Day, also known as Sushasan Diwas in Hindi, is annually observed across India on 25th December to mark the birth anniversary of the former Prime Minister (PM) Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee. 25th December 2022 marks the 98th birth anniversary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
ii.This day also ensures that residents are treated fairly by the government and they receive advantages of various government services.
iii.In 2014, The Government of India declared the 25th December of every year, the birth anniversary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, as Good Governance Day.
iv.To mark this occasion, Minister of State (MoS) for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Dr Jitendra Singh launched the revamped Probity Portal, e-HRMS (Human Resource Management System) 2.0 Portal, Mobile Application of iGoTKarmayogi Portal by Karmayogi Bharat, and e-Books on major initiatives and achievements of Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
About Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions:
Union Minister– Narendra Modi(Constituency- Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State– Dr. Jitendra Singh (Constituency- Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir)
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
>> Read Full News

Veer Bal Diwas 2022 – December 26Veer Bal Diwas is observed across India on December 26 to mark the martyrdom of the Sahibzadas- Sri Guru Gobind Singh’s 4 sons of the 10th Sikh guru- Guru Gobind Singh Ji in the 17th century.

• 26th December 2022 marks the 1st observance of Veer Bal Diwas.

On 9th January 2022, on the occasion of the Prakash Purab of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, PM Narendra Modi announced ‘Veer Bal Diwas’.
Event 2022:
i. On 26th December 2022, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi attended the ‘Veer Bal Diwas’ programme held at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi, Delhi, as a tribute to the martyrdom.
ii. The PM attended a ‘Shabad Kirtan’ performed by about 300 Baal Kirtanis.
iii. India’s 1st, Resolution of ‘Rastra Pratham’, was the unshakable resolve of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. PM backed up his point by recounting his family’s immense personal sacrifice.
>> Read Full News

STATE NEWS

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma Launches Projects Worth Rs. 973.38 Crore for DibrugarhAssam Chief Minister (CM) Himanta Biswa Sarma laid the foundation stones and inaugurated projects worth Rs. 973.38 Crore for Dibrugarh district of Assam, while attending the last programme of the first phase of ‘Bikakhor Babe Eta Pokhek’ (a fortnight for development initiatives) at Tingkhong in Dibrugarh.

• Attendees – Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Rameswar Teli, Assam ministers Ranjeet Kumar Dass, Keshab Mahanta, Bimal Bora, MLAs Prasanta Phukan, Taranga Gogoi, Teros Gowala and Chakradhar Gogoi were present at the event.

Key highlights:
i.The foundation stones were laid for setting up mini stadia at four places, a rural sports complex at Abhoipur at Moran, upgradation of government Industrial Training Institute (ITI)’s at Dibrugarh and Lahowal and also Dibrugarh Government Polytechnic located at Lahowal among several other projects in the district.
ii.The projects that were inaugurated includes Government Dental College in Dibrugarh, a PWD bungalow at Tingkhong, 24 piped water supply schemes under Jal Jeevan Mission and a project facilitation centre of the Water Resources department.
Keynote:
i.For the development of Dibrugarh, CM outlined plans for strengthening and improvement of the river bank of Buridihing at an estimated cost of Rs 250 crore.
ii.The Assam government plans to set up a zoo at Tingkhong in the district and the Ahom ritual of offering obeisance to Me-Dam-Me-Phi will be celebrated at historic Tipam.
About Assam:
Governor – Jagdish Mukhi
Chief Minister (CM) – Himanta Biswa Sarma
Wildlife sanctuary – Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary
Airport – Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Dibrugarh Airport

*******

List of Current Governors in India – AUGUST 2022

List of Current Chief Ministers in India – AUGUST 2022

*******

List of Less Important News – Click Here

*****Click Here View – AC Excluded News*****

Current Affairs Today (AffairsCloud Today)