26th December
Sports
1. UP crowned 11th Hockey India junior national championship winner
- Uttar Pradesh has been crowned as the winners of 11th Junior National Men’s Championship following a 3-1 victory over Chandigarh in the final, held at Kovilpatti, Tamil Nadu.
- UP maintained its 100 percent record in the tournament.
- Top scorer of tournament: Sharda Nand Tiwari.
- Hockey Association of Odisha edged out Haryana by 3 - 2 in a closely contested affair to clinch 3rd place in the Championship.
National Affairs
2. Union Home Minister release Good Governance Index 2021
- Union Home Affairs Minister, Amit Shah has released Good Governance Index (GGI) 2021 on Good Governance Day
- It is prepared by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG)
- GGI framework covered ten sectors and 58 indicators
- Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa top the composite rank score covering 10 sectors
- UP secured top position in Commerce & Industry sector and has also shown increase in Social Welfare & Development.
Banking & Finance
3. HDFC Bank wins CII award for 'Most Innovative Best Practice'
- HDFC Bank has been conferred with 'Most Innovative Best Practice' for financial inclusion at the coveted CII Digital Transformation Award 2021.
- It has been conferred due to HDFC Bank's efforts in furthering financial inclusion through partnership with Government of India's Common Service Centres (CSC)
- CII instituted digital transformation award to recognize excellence in Digital Transformation in India.
- CEO of HDFC Bank: Sashidhar Jagdishan.
National Affairs
4. NITI Aayog to release The Healthy States, Progressive India
- NITI Aayog to release fourth edition of ‘The Healthy States, Progressive India’, ranking States performance
- As a part of cooperative & competitive federalism, NITI Aayog and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) work to continuously nudge states/UTs towards improvements in health outcomes.
- NITI Aayog in collaboration with Ministry of Health and World Bank initiated an annual Health Index for tracking Overall Performance and Incremental Performance on health
National & International Organizations
5. India to regain its place as the world's sixth biggest economy in 2023
- Indian economy is all set to become 6th largest economy in the world leaving French and British economy, as per British Consultancy Cybr report
- The report says that Indian economy will exceed French economy in 2022 whereas it will trump British economy in 2023.
- China will take time for the Mandarins to become world's top economy in dollar terms in 2030
- Russia could become a Top 10 economy by 2036 and Indonesia looks on track for ninth place in 2034
Obituaries
6. Anti-apartheid campaigner Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu passes away
- Anti-apartheid campaigner Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu (90 years) passed away in Cape Town, South Africa.
- He was a South African Anglican bishop and theologian, known for his work as an anti-apartheid and human rights activist.
- He was the bishop of Johannesburg and archbishop of Cape Town.
- He won the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize.
- He became president of All Africa Conference of Churches in 1986.
Defense
7. Defence Minister lays foundation stone for Defence Technology, Test Centre
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has laid foundation stone for Defence Technology and Test Centre (DTTC) and BRAHMOS Manufacturing Centre, established by Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) in Lucknow.
- BRAHMOS supersonic cruise missile system is to act as a deterrent and reflects the technical cooperation between India and Russia, but also the long-standing cultural, political and diplomatic ties
- DTTC spread over approximately 22 acres is being set up
National Affairs
8. BJP launches micro-donation campaign on Atal ji’s birth anniversary
- Minister and Senior BJP leader Amit Shah has launched micro-donation campaign, where people can donate any amount ranging from five rupees to one thousand rupees.
- In this, people can contribute their donation through NaMo App.
- He also appealed to all the BJP workers and supporters to donate and inspire others for the same.
- Campaign will continue till 11th February, the Death Anniversary of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya.
National Affairs
9. National Book Trust announces results of the all-India contest
- National Book Trust has announced the results of the all-India contest organized on the theme ‘National Movement of India’ under PM-YUVA Mentorship Scheme.
- As per the Scheme, 75 Authors were to be selected for a Scholarship-cum-Mentorship Scheme for young authors below the age of 30 years.
- All-India Contest was organized from 1st June to 31st July through MyGov and National Book Trust platforms.
- Selected authors will undergo six-months of Mentorship.
National Affairs
10. New CRC for Skill Development, Empowerment of PwDs inaugurated
- Union Minister, Sushree Pratima Bhoumik will inaugurate new Composite Regional Centre for Skill Development, Rehabilitation and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) in Imphal, Manipur.
- Camp for distribution of aids & assistive devices to Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) will also be inaugurated
- For this, Social Welfare Department, Government of Manipur has extended a rent free temporary infrastructure of around 3115 Sqft.
National Affairs
11. NMCG and TERI launch Centre of Excellence on Water Reuse
- Director General of National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and Director General of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) has launched Centre of Excellence, CoE on Water Reuse in New Delhi.
- It is the first of its kind to be established in the country through a collaboration between NMCG and TERI.
- It will be setup to design and foster research and innovation including identification of knowledge gaps for research
27th December
National Affairs
1. PM Modi to lay foundation stone of 4 hydro power projects in HP
- PM Modi will be visiting Mandi, Himachal Pradesh to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of hydropower projects worth over ₹11,000 crore.
- He will lay the foundation stone of Renukaji Dam project which is lying pending for around three decades.
- Also, he inaugurated the Sawra-Kuddu Hydro Power Project.
- The 111 MW Project has been built at a cost of around ₹2,080 crore
- Other Projects are: Luhri Stage 1 Hydro Power Project and Dhaulasidh Hydro Power Project.
National & International Appointments
2. RBI appoints Yogesh Dayal as additional director on RBL board
- The RBI has appointed Yogesh Dayal as an additional director on the board of RBL Bank.
- The private sector lender’s MD and CEO Vishwavir Ahuja has proceeded on leave with immediate effect.
- The central bank invoked Section 36 AB contained in Part 2A (Control over Management) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
- The gross NPA of the bank rose 106 basis points to 5.40 per cent of gross advances as at September-end 2021 against 4.34 per cent as at March-end 2021.
Banking & Finance
3. IndusInd Bank, NPCI partner to offer cross-border payments through UPI
- IndusInd Bank has partnered with the National Payments Corporation to offer real-time cross-border remittances to India using UPI IDs, for its Money Transfer Operator (MTO) partners.
- It is the first Indian bank to go live on UPI for cross-border payments/NRI remittances.
- Under this arrangement, the MTOs will be using the IndusInd Bank channel to connect with NPCI’s UPI payment systems for validation and cross-border payment settlement into beneficiary accounts.
Obituaries
4. Greece’s former president Karolos Papoulias passes away
- Former Greek president Karolos Papoulias, who served two terms between 2005 and 2015 passed away.
- Papoulias, who was also foreign minister in 1985-89 and 1993-96, was a high-ranking member of socialist PASOK party and a close associate of its late leader and former prime minister Andreas Papandreou.
- He served as President during the crisis that plunged the country into the most grave political and economic turmoil of recent decades.
Obituaries
5. 'He-Man' artist and toy designer T. Mark Taylor passes away
- Mark Taylor, artist and toy designer for the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe franchise as well as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles passed away.
- He-man was the muscled front man for toy manufacturer Mattel’s Masters of the Universe franchise
- He-Man was the epitome of hulking superhero warrior but also became an icon within the LGBTQ+ community.
- Taylor began his career with El Segundo-based Mattel in 1976 as a packaging designer.
Sports
6. Himachal Pradesh create history, win Vijay Hazare Trophy
- Himachal Pradesh clinch their maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy beating Tamil Nadu in the final in Jaipur.
- Himachal Pradesh skipper Rishi Dhawan won the toss and put Dinesh Karthik-led Tamil Nadu to bat.
- Youngster Shubham Arora came out all guns blazing with his maiden List A century as Himachal downed five-time champions Tamil Nadu.
- Tamil Nadu have been the best domestic side in the country in white-ball cricket since the 2019-20 season.
Sports
7. Radiant beats Challengers to win Pro Tennis League 2021
- Team Radiant won the Pro Tennis League 2021 beating Bangalore Challengers in the final of the Centena Pro Tennis League. Davis Cupper Saketh Myneni led the Team Radiant.
- Saketh outclassed reigning National champion Niki Poonacha 5-0 in the third rubber to gain a four-point lead for the team which proved decisive in the eventual analysis.
- Four-time National champion Prerna Bhambri was equally responsible in Radiant shining as she won both her mixed doubles matches.
Sports
8. Moyuka Uchijima of Japan wins ITF W25 Pune title
- Japanese tennis player Moyuka Uchijima has won her maiden 20th edition of the NECC Deccan $25,000 Women’s ITF Championships.
- the 20-year-old outlasted Diana Marcinkevica of Latvia 6-2, 7-5 in the singles final.
- With junior Sara Saito winning two back-to-back ITF junior events earlier in December, Uchijima capped the hattrick for Japan with her victory.
- Anna Danilina of Kazakhstan and Valeriya Strakhova of Ukraine claimed the doubles title.
Banking & Finance
9. PNB enters into co-lending arrangement with Lendingkart
- PNB has entered into a co-lending arrangement with Lendingkart Finance Ltd
- This partnership is part of its efforts to improve the flow of credit to the unserved and underserved sector of the economy
- This arrangement will focus on digital underwriting and cashflow based lending
- The ultimate beneficiaries would be MSME borrowers who will get the funds at an affordable rate with greater outreach considering the lower cost of funds from banks and greater reach of the NBFC
Banking & Finance
10. RBI imposes ₹30 lakh penalty on MUFG Bank
- The RBI has imposed a monetary penalty of ₹30 Lakh on MUFG Bank Ltd for non-compliance with its directions on ‘Loans and Advances – Statutory and Other Restrictions’.
- MUFG Bank has the largest network amongst Japanese banks in India, with a presence in five locations.
- MUFG Bank caters to the banking needs of Japanese and global corporates that are establishing or growing their businesses in India.
National Affairs
11. Centre sets up panel to look into withdrawal of AFSPA in Nagaland
- The center has instituted a high-level committee to examine the possibility of withdrawing the AFSPA in Nagaland.
- Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India Vivek Joshi will head the 5-member committee and Additional Secretary in the Home Ministry Piyush Goyal will be its Member-Secretary.
- The Chief Secretary and DGP of Nagaland and the DGP of Assam Rifles will be the other members of the committee.
- The committee will submit its report within 45 days.
Obituaries
12. Seven-term Rajya Sabha MP Mahendra Prasad passes away
- Seven time Rajya Sabha MP from the Janata Dal (United) and industrialist Mahendra Prasad passed away in New Delhi.
- Prasad was a seven-term Rajya Sabha MP from Bihar and was also elected to the Lok Sabha once.
- Prasad was first elected to the Lok Sabha on a Congress ticket in 1980.
- He remained associated with the party for a long time and shifted his loyalties later as its fortunes declined in the state.
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