NATIONAL NEWS
Rajnath Singh inaugurates Kalpana Chawla Centre for Research in Space Science & Technology at Chandigarh University, GharuanDefence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Kalpana Chawla Centre for Research in Space Science & Technology (KCCRSST) at Chandigarh University, Gharuan.
- This INR 3.5 crore project, along with securing its status as a first of its kind in North India, acts as a crucial step to elevate India’s education and science sectors towards its goal of a global spread and to strengthen the private sector of the country.
- The Union Minister also launched Chandigarh University's Defence Scholarship Scheme, worth Rs 10 Crore, for the wards of Defence Personnel of the three services.
The Centre formed a three-member committee to enquire into "serious lapses" in security arrangements during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Punjab which led to the exposure of the VVIP to "grave risk.
- The MHA has also sought an immediate report from the state government besides asking it to fix responsibility and take strict action against those responsible.
- The three-member committee will be led by Sudhir Kumar Saxena, Secretary (Security), Cabinet Secretariat, and would comprise Balbir Singh, Joint Director of the Intelligence Bureau, and S Suresh, IG, Special Protection Group.
Kochi has become the first city with a water metro project as it launches the first in a series of battery-powered electric boats in the city.
- The new project by the Kochi Metro Rail Ltd will likely have an integrated water transport system with 15 identified routes.This project has a total cost of Rs 819 crore. It uses LTO batteries, which is the latest in battery technology with a capability for fast charging.
- It will connect 10 islands along a network of routes that span 76 km with a fleet of 78 fast, electrically propelled hybrid ferries plying to 38 jetties.
The three-day 9th edition of the North East Festival concluded at Radisson Blu, Guwahati after setting the NE Growth Agenda with discussions on the revival of travel and tourism industry post-Covid-19 pandemic and showcasing manufacturing potentials of the region.
- The main objective of this festival is to promote and highlight the commercial and tourism potential of North East region.
The National Health Mission, in partnership with health non-profit Piramal Swasthya and IT giant Cisco, has introduced a new project to digitise the public healthcare delivery in the Indian state of Assam.
- Dubbed Niramay, the project covers health and wellness centres, block primary health centres and district hospitals at three local districts – Baksa, Barpeta, and Darrang.
- This initiative, aims to leverage the learnings of the pilot to facilitate Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission roll out in the state in-line with envisaged national guidelines to develop digital backbone on transforming healthcare delivery in the state and nation.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Japan, Australia sign ‘landmark’ defense agreement to counter Chinese aggressionThe leaders of Japan and Australia signed a “landmark” defence agreement that allows closer cooperation between their militaries and stands as a rebuke to China’s growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.
- Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met in a virtual summit to sign the Reciprocal Access Agreement, the first such defence pact signed by Japan with any country other than the United States.
- The pact builds on the strategic dialogue known as “the Quad,” which includes Japan, Australia, the United States and India. Australia last year also signed the Aukus agreement with the United States and Britain, both of which have pledged to help Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines.
BANKING & FINANCE
Edelweiss group partners Indian Bank for co-lending to priority segmentDiversified financial group Edelweiss said Edelweiss Housing Finance Ltd (EHFL) and ECL Finance Ltd (ECLF) have entered into co-lending partnership with Indian Bank for lending to priority sector areas.
- Agriculture ,micro enterprises and advances to weaker sections of the society are amongst the categories that form the priority sector in lending space.
- With this alliance, Edelweiss and Indian Bank, aim to create a conducive lending environment and democratise access to credit, channelising liquidity to those who need it the most.
RBL Bank stated that it has collaborated with Google to strengthen its customer experience strategy and expand value proposition in order to serve its rapidly growing customer base through its digital platform, Abacus 2.0.
- This collaboration will enable RBL to better manage customer data and analytics and enable effective cross-selling, thereby reducing the cost of customer acquisition significantly.
After setting up a financial technology unit back in 2018, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said it will now put together a separate fintech department in view of the sector’s rapidly changing landscape.
- The department will not only promote innovation in the sector, but also identify the challenges and opportunities associated with it and address them in a timely manner.
- DPSS is the department of payment and settlement systems, which works on policy formation and authorisation of payment and settlement system operators in the country, among other things.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
India to surpass Japan as Asia's 2nd largest economy by 2030India is likely to overtake Japan as Asia’s second-largest economy by 2030 when its GDP is also projected to surpass that of Germany and the U.K. to rank as the world’s No.3, IHS Markit said in a report.
- Currently, India is the sixth-largest economy, behind the U.S., China, Japan, Germany and the U.K.
- For the full fiscal year 2021-22, India’s real GDP growth rate is projected to be 8.2%, rebounding from the severe contraction of 7.3% year-on-year in 2020-21, IHS Markit said.
- The Indian economy is forecast to continue growing strongly in the 2022-23 fiscal year, at a pace of 6.7%.
The Assam government and National Dairy Development Board signed an agreement to create a Rs 2,000-crore joint venture for holistic development of the sector in the state.
- As per the MoU, a joint venture company will be set up for Rs 2,000 crore with a target of processing 10 lakh litres of milk through six new units in seven years.
- Milk from more than 4,100 dairy cooperative societies will be processed, packed and marketed.This will benefit more than 1,75,000 farmers associated with dairy farms in Assam and increase their earnings.
ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS
Reliance acquires 73.37% in New York’s Mandarin Oriental hotelBillionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) has announced acquisition of 73.37 per cent of New York's premium luxury hotel Mandarin Oriental for $98.15 million.
- Set up in 2003, Mandarin Oriental New York is an iconic luxury hotel located at 80 Columbus Circle, directly adjacent to the pristine Central Park and Columbus Circle.
SPORTS
AISCD gets approval to hold first World Deaf T20 Cricket championship in 2023The All India Sports Council of the Deaf said it has got the approval from the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) to host the first World Deaf T20 Cricket Championship in Kerala from January 10 to 20, 2023.
- This championship was planned to be conducted in 2020-2021 but due to the sudden outbreak of coronavirus it was postponed first to 2022 and now fixed for January 2023.
French tennis player Gael Monfils has won the 2022 Adelaide International 1 and has defeated Russia’s Karen Khachanov in the men’s singles event to get the 11th ATP title of his career.
- On the other hand, world number 1 Australian star Ashleigh Barty has won her 2nd Adelaide International title in the women’s category. Ashleigh beat Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan.
APPOINTMENTS
OPEC appoint Kuwait’s Haitham Al Ghais as its New Secretary GeneralThe Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) voted to appoint Kuwaiti candidate Haitham al-Ghais as its new secretary general.
- Al-Ghais, who was Kuwait's OPEC governor from 2017 to June 2021, serves as a deputy managing director of the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC).
- His decades of experience in the industry include stints in Beijing and London for the state oil corporation.He will replace Nigeria's Mohammed Barkindo, who took over the helm of the organisation in 2016 and led it for two terms.
The Government of India has extended the tenure of Navrang Saini as interim Chairperson of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) for three more months till March 05, 2022.
- Mr. Saini, who is a Whole Time Member of IBBI, was assigned additional charge of Chairperson in addition to his existing duties in October 2021 for three months till January 13, 2022.
- The post of full-time Chairperson has been lying vacant after M.S. Sahoo retired upon completing a five-year tenure on September 30, 2021.
AWARDS
Dr Satish Adiga receives ICMR National AwardSatish Adiga, professor in Clinical Embryology at Kasturba Medical College (KMC), Manipal, has been selected for the Indian Council of Medical Research’s Dr. Subhas Mukherjee Award for the year 2020.
- He will receive Dr Subhas Mukherjee Award from ICMR in recognition for his outstanding contribution to the field of in-vitro fertilization (IVF). He has contributed significantly to both clinical IVF and fertility research.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
China’s Chang’e 5 lunar probe finds first on-site evidence of water on moon’s surfaceChina’s Chang’e 5 lunar lander has found the first-ever on-site evidence of water on the surface of the moon, lending new evidence to the dryness of the satellite.
- The study published in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances revealed that the lunar soil at the landing site contains less than 120 parts-per-million (ppm) water or 120 grams water per ton, and a light, vesicular rock carries 180 ppm, which are much drier than that on Earth.
OBITUARIES
Noted Kannada writer & activist Prof Chandrashekhar Patil passes awayNoted Kannada writer and activist Professor Chandrashekhar Patil popularly known as Champa passed away in Bengaluru. He was 82.
- The proponent of Kannada medium education, Champa was one of the prominent ‘Bandaya sahithi’ in Kannada literary school of thought. Being a Bandaya writer, he was an important voice in public discourse of Karnataka for over half a century.
- He had served as the Chairman of Kannada Development Authority and was appointed President of Kannada Sahitya Parishat for a term. He was honored with the highest Rajyotsava Award by the State Government.
IMPORTANT DAYS
First-ever Startup India Innovation Week from 10th Jan - 16th JanThe Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade will virtually organise the first-ever ‘Startup India Innovation Week’ from 10th-16th January 2022, which also aims to commemorate India's 75th year of independence and is designed to showcase the spread and depth of entrepreneurship across the country.
- The startup and innovation festival's primary goal is to bring together the country's key startups, entrepreneurs, investors, incubators, funding entities, banks, policymakers, and other national, international stakeholders to celebrate entrepreneurship and promote innovation.
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