Daily GK Update: 19th December 2023

National & International Appointments

Egypt’s election authority announced that President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has secured a third six-year term leading the North African nation.
Sisi won another term with 89.6 percent of the vote, the National Elections Authority said.
Over 39 million Egyptians voted for the former army chief, who has ruled the nation for over a decade.
This will be Sisi’s final term in office as the Egyptian constitution only allows a president to sit for three terms.

Arts & Culture

Khelo India Games will be held in Tamil Nadu (Chennai, Coimbatore,Madurai and Trichy) from 19 to 31 January, 2024.
More than 5,500 sports persons and over 1,600 coaches are expected to participate in the event.
More than 1000 referees and 1200 volunteers will be part of the sporting event in which 27 types of sport will be played.
For the first time, squash will be included in Khelo India games.

Sports

Bangladesh crushed UAE by 195 runs to win the Under-19 Asia Cup in Dubai on December 17.
Opening the batting, Ashiqur smashed 12 fours and one six in his knock of 129 (149 balls) as Bangladesh posted 282/8 after hosts UAE opted to field.
In reply, UAE surrendered meekly to fold up for 87 in 24.5 overs as Bangladesh clinched the eight-nation tournament with five wins from as many games.

Sports

Haryana won the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2023 title for the first time by defeating Rajasthan by 30 runs.
Haryana's Sumit Kumar was chosen player of the match in the final match.
Vijay Hazare Trophy is known as Ranji One Day Trophy.
The most runs in the tournament have been scored by Arsalan Khan (508) of the Chandigarh team while the most wickets have been taken by Varun Chakraborty (19) of the Tamil Nadu team.

Important Dates

Goa Liberation Day is very important as it marks the official liberation and integration of Goa into the Indian Union in 1961.
On this unique day, there is a sense of pride and independence in the air as the golden sun rises over the beautiful state of Goa.
Liberation Day in Goa is a historic event that resonates with resilience and freedom.

Banking & Finance

The Gross Direct Tax collections for the Financial Year 2023-24 have registered a growth of over 17 percent.
Before adjusting refunds, Gross Collection of Direct Taxes stands at over 15 lakh 95 thousand crore rupees as compared to 13 lakh 63 thousand crore in the corresponding period of 2022-23.
The Ministry of Finance has said that the Direct Tax collections for this finance year up to 17th December.

State Affairs

According to an online blogging platform soic.in, Maharashtra has emerged as the largest economy of India.
It has the largest share of 15.7% in India ’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
It is followed by Uttar Pradesh (UP) with 9.2% share in India ’s GDP, and Tamil Nadu (TN) with 9.1%.
The above states are followed by Gujarat (8.2%), West Bengal (7.5%), Karnataka (6.2%), Rajasthan (5.5%), Andhra Pradesh (4.9%), and Madhya Pradesh (4.6 %).

Banking & Finance

PNB Housing Finance has achieved a loan book size of Rs 1,000 crore in the affordable housing segment.
It aims to double the loan book by March 2025.
Under the Roshni scheme, the company provides loans for ticket sizes in the range of Rs 5 lakh to Rs 35 lakh.
Currently, at 100 branches, it is aiming to open 38 more branches for "prime" loans, taking the total of all housing finance branches close to 300 at the end of the current financial year.

Banking & Finance

The Reliance General Insurance Company Limited (RGICL ), a subsidiary of Reliance Capital limited, introduced “ Reliance Health Global ” , a health insurance policy that provides comprehensive coverage for customers globally, including treatment from the best hospitals.
Notably, it is the first global health insurance policy that covers emergency and planned treatments within India by offering an unlimited Sum Insured.

Agreement

National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship ( MSDE) has signed a MoU with the government of Saudi Arabia.
The MoU aims to protect the rights of skilled India labourers (across all categories, including Air Conditioner (AC) mechanics, and car painters) who are working in Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi Arabian government will also be introducing a wage protection system.

National & International Appointments

Finland, a global champion of gender equality, recently conferred the International Gender Equality Prize for 2023.
The Afghan Women Skills Development Center plays a pivotal role in providing training, supporting skills development, and empowering Afghan women.
The prestigious award, accompanied by a EUR 300,000 prize, was presented by Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo during a ceremony in Tampere.