2nd January
National & International Appointments
1. Vinod Kannan took over as CEO of Vistara airlines
- Vinod Kannan took over as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Vistara airline.
- He replaced Leslie Thng, who was the CEO from July 2017 to December 31, 2021.
- He started his stint with Vistara as Chief Strategy Officer in June 2019 and took over as Chief Commercial Officer in January 2020
- Deepak Rajawat has been elevated to the role of Vistara’s chief commercial officer
- Vistara is a 51:49 joint venture between Tata Sons Private Limited and Singapore Airlines (SIA).
Honours & Awards
2. Smriti Mandhana nominated for prestigious Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy
- Indian women’s team cricketer Smriti Mandhana has been nominated for the prestigious Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year-2021 award.
- She has scored 855 runs in 22 internationals, at an average of 38.86 with one century and five half-centuries
- Besides her, other 3 cricketers - England’s Tammy Beaumont, Australia’s Lizelle Lee and Ireland’s Gaby Lewis are also being nominated
- She was named as Best Indian Women's International Cricketer in 2018
State Affairs
3. Justice Chandrachud inaugurates e-filing module of Kerala High Court
- Chairperson of the Supreme Court's e-Committee, Justice D Y Chandrachud has virtually inaugurated e-filing module of the Kerala High Court.
- He also urged states to make e-filing mandatory and suggested that training on e-services should be made available free of cost to the litigants.
- Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court Justice S Manikumar also inaugurated e-office initiative on the occasion
- It will save time, and speed up the process of court proceedings
Sports
4. Kargil Winter Expedition cancelled due to rising COVID cases
- Kargil District Disaster Management Authority, DDMA, has canceled Kargil Winter Expedition due to the rising of Covid 19 cases in Ladakh region
- About Kargil Winter Expedition:
- It is a 7-day tryst, starting from Leh, crossing some of the highest mountain passes and covering Kargil's gorgeous sectors like Aryan, Batalik, Drass and Suru
- It includes events like Snow Horse Polo, Snow Soccer, Snow Bashing etc
- It was scheduled to begin from 22nd January.
State Affairs
5. Union Minister to inaugurate CGHS Wellness Centre in Nashik
- Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Bharati Pawar will inaugurate Central Government Health Scheme, CGHS Wellness Centre in Nashik, Maharashtra
- After this, Nashik will be the 4th city in Maharashtra to have CGHS Wellness Centre, after Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur
- It will provide OPD Treatment including issue of medicines, indoor treatment at Govt and Empanelled Hospitals, cashless facility for treatment in empanelled centers for pensioners, etc.
State Affairs
6. PM Modi to lay foundation stone of 22 Developmental Projects in Manipur
- PM Narendra Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of 22 Developmental Projects worth over Rs 4,800 crore in Imphal.
- He will also inaugurate 13 Projects worth around Rs 1,850 crore and lay the foundation stone of nine projects worth around two thousand 950 crore rupees.
- These projects relate to diverse sectors such as Road Infrastructure, Drinking Water Supply, Health, Urban Development, Housing, Skill Development, Art and Culture, among others.
State Affairs
7. Maharashtra implements use of electric vehicles from January 2022
- Govt of Maharashtra has decided to implement the decision of Purchasing or Renting only Electric Vehicles for Govt/ Urban Local Bodies/ Corporations from 1st January 2022 instead of 1st April 2022
- As per Maharashtra EV policy, 2021, adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) contributes to a wide range of sustainability goals.
- It includes better air quality, reduced noise pollution, enhanced energy security, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
National & International Appointments
8. Anupam Ray to become India's new ambassador to UN Conference on Disarmament
- Senior diplomat Anupam Ray (1994-batch Indian Foreign Service officer) has been appointed as the India's next permanent representative to the UN Conference on Disarmament
- He is currently serving as a joint secretary in the MEA's headquarters in Delhi.
- He will succeed Pankaj Sharma, who has been appointed as India's next ambassador to Mexico.
- UN Conference on Disarmament is a multilateral disarmament forum based at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
State Affairs
9. Jawaharlal Nehru Road renamed as 'Narendra Modi Marg' by Sikkim Government
- Governor of Sikkim Ganga Prasad has officially inaugurated Second road linking Tsomgo lake and Nathula border pass with Gangtok has been christened as 'Narendra Modi Marg'
- The older route is known as Jawaharlal Nehru Road
- Alternative double-lane road at 51 Kyongasala gram panchayat unit, spanning 19.51 km has been operational for almost a year now
- It has been constructed by Border Roads Organization and has reduced the distance between Gangtok and Tsomgo lake by 15 km
State Affairs
10. Centre releases 830 crore to Odisha for al Jeevan Mission implementation
- Centre has released over Rs 830 crore to Odisha to expedite the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission in the state.
- Odisha has planned to become Har Ghar Jal State in 2024.
- Out of around 85 lakh rural households in the state, around 41% households have tap water supply in their homes.
- Jal Jeevan Mission was announced on 15th August 2019, with the aim to provide assured tap water supply to every rural home by 2024.
Schemes
11. IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw launches India Semiconductor Mission
- Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has launched India Semiconductor Mission (ISM)
- The schemes have been notified and uploaded on the IT website with dedicated portal
- Interested companies can tap Rs 76,000-crore incentives earmarked by Centre for development of semiconductors and display manufacturing ecosystem in India can begin applying for the same from 1st January
- ISM is a specialized and independent business division within Digital India Corporation
3rd January
Honours & Awards News
1. Zishaan A Latif wins Ramnath Goenka Award in Photo journalism category
- Zishaan A Latif won Ramnath Goenka Award in the Photo Journalism category.
- He won the award for his photo essay, The arduous struggle for inclusion in the NRC, which was published in The Caravan in October 2019.
- He documented the plight of people who were dropped from the National Register of Citizens (NRC), and put a face to an untold human story.
- Latif made his way through four districts in Assam, documenting people’s struggle for inclusion in the NRC.
National Affairs News
2. Parliamentary Panel to examine women marriage age bill
- The Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha during the winter session.
- It was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports.
- The bill seeks to increase the legal age of marriage of women from 18 to 21.
- The parliamentary standing committee will be led by senior BJP leader Vinay Sahasrabuddhe.
- TMC MP Sushmita Dev is the only woman among the 31 members.
Banking & Finance News
3. NTPC plans to acquire 5% equity in Power Exchange of India
- NTPC Ltd is mulling acquiring 5 per cent equity stake in Power Exchange of India Ltd (PXIL) that provides various electricity trading options.
- The PXIL is India's first institutionally promoted power exchange, which has been providing various electricity trading solutions and connecting buyers as well sellers since 2008.
- the authorised share capital of the PXIL is Rs 120 crore and paid-up capital is Rs 58.47 crore.
- The PXIL was incorporated on February 20, 2008.
International Affairs News
4. Sudan's PM Abdalla Hamdok announces resignation
- Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has announced his resignation amid political deadlock.
- Hamdok, a former UN official seen as the civilian face of Sudan’s transitional govt, was reinstated in November amid international pressure in a deal that called for an independent technocratic cabinet under military oversight led by him.
- Hamdok’s resignation came after Sudanese security forces violently dispersed the pro-democracy protesters against the Oct 25 military coup.
Obituaries News
5. Kenyan conservationist Richard Leakey passes away
- Kenyan conservationist and paleoanthropologist Richard Leakey passed away.
- He spearheaded campaigns against the ivory trade to save the dwindling African elephant.
- For years, Mr. Leakey served in various roles in the govt.
- He served as director of the state-run National Museums of Kenya and twice as board chairman at the Kenya Wildlife Service.
- He was celebrated for his work to save wildlife from poachers and for leading campaigns against the ivory trade.
National Affairs News
6. Mumbai to host India's first water taxi service
- Mumbai is set to get a new transportation solution with the commissioning of state-of-the-art water taxi services.
- The services would be formally launched in January by PM Narendra Modi and the exact dates are being finalised.
- The project is a joint initiative of Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT), City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) and Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB).
- Infinity Harbour Services LLP and West Coast Marine will be the two service operators.
Banking & Finance News
7. Fino Payments Bank gets RBI nod to start international remittance business
- Fino Payments Bank has received the Reserve Bank of India’s approval for commencing international remittance business.
- It received approval from central bank under the Money Transfer Service Scheme (MTSS).
- It will be undertaking inward cross-border money transfer activities in association with an overseas principal, the details of which are being worked out.
- It also has plans to commence outward remittance services soon.
- CEO, Fino Payments Bank: Ashish Ahuja
National Affairs News
8. Govt forms Energy Transition Advisory Committee headed by Tarun Kapoor
- The oil ministry has set up the Energy Transition Advisory Committee headed by former petroleum secretary Tarun Kapoor.
- The panel will include representatives of all public-sector oil and gas companies and will reach out to other stakeholders in the sector.
- The committee has until the middle of 2022 to recommend a roadmap for the sector's transition.
- The energy transition roadmap could prove to be a key step on India's path to net-zero emissions by 2070.
Banking & Finance news
9. Paisabazaar.com and Axis Bank launch pre-qualified personal loans
- Paisabazaar.com partnered with Axis Bank to launch a pre-qualified program for unsecured loans on its platform.
- Axis Bank customers, both salaried and self-employed, who are eligible for pre-qualified personal loans from the bank, will now be able to view and apply for the same offers through the Paisabazaar platform as well.
- This integration would lead to instant access to credit for these select customers through an end-to-end digital process
Banking & Finance News
10. Sebi Restructures Its Advisory Committee On Market Data
- SEBI has restructured its advisory committee on market data that recommends policy measures pertaining to areas like securities market data access and privacy.
- the panel will now be chaired by S Sahoo, former chairperson, IBBI.
- It is responsible for recommending appropriate policy for access to securities market data.
- The committee recommends standardization of data definitions; data identification logic and data validation techniques
National Affairs News
11. Cochin Shipyard hands over first electric boat to Kochi Water Metro
- The Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) handed over the first of the 23 battery-powered electric boats being constructed for the water metro project under the Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL).
- This is the first of the 23 boats awarded for building to Cochin Shipyard under the Kochi Water Metro project.
- Five boats are under construction and will be handed over to KMRL in a couple of months by the CSL.
- The construction of water metro terminals is also progressing.
Sports News
12. India defeat Sri Lanka by 9 wickets to lift U-19 Asia Cup 2021 title
- In cricket, India defeated Sri Lanka to win Under-19 Asia Cup 2021.
- Yash Dhull-led young Indian side defeated Sri Lanka by 9 wickets at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
- Sri Lanka had scored 106/9 and India were given the target of 99 runs due to the DLS method.
- India suffered an early jolt as Harnoor Singh was plummed in front of the stumps in the fifth over.
- Raghuvanshi and Rasheed stitched an unbeaten 96-run stand to take India home in the summit clash.
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