Daily GK Update: 14th December 2023

 National & International Appointments

1. Parama Sen appointed part-time member of PFRDA board

• The Centre has appointed Parama Sen, Additional Secretary, Department of Expenditure in the Finance Ministry, as a part-time member in Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
• Mr. Sen replaces Anne George Mathew, Additional Secretary in Finance Ministry, who demitted office this year.
• Now, All three part-time member posts in the PFRDA board are filled. 
• PFRDA has a chairman besides three whole-time members and three part-time members.

 State Affairs

2. MP govt. to set up PM College of Excellence in all districts of the state

• Madhya Pradesh govt will set up PM College of Excellence in all districts of the state.
• The decision to this effect was taken at the first Cabinet meeting chaired by new CM Mohan Yadav.
• Madhya Pradesh government will upgrade one college in every district out of total 570 government colleges as "PM College of Excellence".
• Govt. also decided to implement a cyber tehsil system in all the districts and ban on illegal use of loudspeakers at religious and other places.

 Important Dates

3. National Energy Conservation Day 2023: 14th December

• The National Energy Conservation Day is celebrated on 14th December every year, to spread the message of the importance of conserving energy and to showcase the achievements of the nation in energy efficiency and conservation.
• The President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu will grace the National Energy Conservation Day 2023 function being held in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
• Every year, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency under the Ministry of Power spearheads the celebrations.

 Honours & Awards

4. 33rd Vyas Samman will be conferred to Pushpa Bharati 2023

• The 33rd Vyas Samman will be conferred to notable Hindi-Writer Pushpa Bharati this year.
• The award was instituted by the KK Birla Foundation in 1991.
• It is given annually to an outstanding work of Hindi literature by an Indian citizen published in the last 10 years.
• The Foundation said that Ms Bharati has been selected for her memoirs- Yaadein, Yaadein aur Yaadein.

 International Affairs

5. Nations at COP28 Reach Landmark 'UAE Consensus' for Net Zero by 2050

• In Dubai, nations reached for a landmark agreement, the 'UAE Consensus' that calls for a transition away from fossil fuels to achieve net zero by 2050.
• The 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) has come to a historic close, marking a turning point in global efforts to combat climate change.
• 198 participating Parties outlined an ambitious climate agenda aimed at keeping the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C within reach.

 International Affairs

6. Bangladesh observes ‘Martyred Intellectuals Day’

• Bangladesh is observing the Martyred Intellectuals Day to mark the day of brutality when Pakistani forces killed hundreds of intellectuals including teachers, doctors, journalists and others in Dhaka and other parts of Bangladesh in 1971.
• Bangladesh President Mohammad Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid tributes to the martyred intellectuals on the occasion of the Martyred Intellectuals Day.

 National Affairs

7. UIDAI imposes Rs 50,000 penalty for overcharging Aadhaar services

• Any operator found overcharging for Aadhaar services is suspended and the registrar who appointed him faces a penalty of Rs 50,000, Parliament was informed.
• Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has placed an obligation on all Aadhaar operators not to overcharge for Aadhaar services including update of biometric and demographic details.
• Persons can lodge their grievances with UIDAI through email or call to the toll free number 1947.

 State Affairs

8. OYO founder launches 5 healthcare centers for underprivileged in Odisha

• OYO’s founder Ritesh Agarwal announced the establishment of five healthcare centers for the underprivileged in his home state of Odisha over the next one year.
• The centers will be operated by the health-tech startup ‘Last Mile Care’, which already runs 11 health centers across India.
• Each such center will have a team of doctors with specialization in gynecology, eye diseases and heart diseases.

 Agreement

9. India, ADB sign $200 million loan agreement for Uttarakhand power system

• The Centre has signed an agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for availing a $200 million loan from the latter to improve the quality, efficiency, and reliability of power supply in the State of Uttarakhand.
• The project will modernise Dehradun city’s power network infrastructure by introducing an advanced and climate-resilient underground cable system.

 Banking & Finance

10. ACKO & PhonePe collaborate to ensure accessibility of insurance for million

• ACKO General Insurance and PhonePe have collaborated to provide a range of inclusive car and bike insurance products directly to users through the PhonePe platform.
• This strategic partnership combines ACKO’s customer-centric approach with PhonePe’s extensive distribution network, ensuring convenient access to insurance as a readily available financial option for PhonePe users.

 National Affairs

11. Update Aadhaar card details online: till 14 March 2024

• The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on 13 December informed that it had extended the free Aadhaar update of documents by 3 months from 14 December 2023 to 14 March 2023.
• Among the details sought include name, address, and details of relatives in case of marriage or death, etc.
• These details can be updated for free on UIDAI's website or physically done at Common Services Centres (CSC).

 Banking & Finance

12. RBI announces community cloud for financial sector

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will set up a cloud facility for the financial sector in India to secure financial sector data and help with scalability and business continuity.
• The Indian Financial Technology and Allied Services (IFTAS) will set up and operate the cloud facility initially.
• It will later be transferred to a separate entity owned by the financial sector participants.

 Sports

13. Guwahati Masters Badminton Tournament 2023

• India’s Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto won the women’s doubles title at the Guwahati Masters 2023 badminton tournament.
• Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto, beat Taipei’s Sung Shuo Yun and Yu Chien Hui 21-13, 21-19 to win their second title as a pair.
• Results at the Guwahati Masters 2023 badminton tournament will count towards players’ qualifying rankings for the Paris 2024 Olympics.