Daily GK Update: 21st December 2023

Honours & Awards

Sahitya Akademi has announced its annual Sahitya Akademi Award 2023 in 24 Languages.
Sanjeev will get Sahitya Akademi Award for his Hindi novel Mujhe Pahachaano.
Neelam Saran Gour will get the award for her English Novel Requiem in Raga Janki.
Nine books of poetry, six novels, five short story collections, three essays and one literary study have won the Sahitya Akademi Awards this year.

Important Dates

World Basketball Day is celebrated annually on December 21 to commemorate the growth of a sport that has inspired millions of people worldwide with its athleticism, joy, and camaraderie.
Basketball has developed into one of the most well-liked and extensively practiced sports in the world today.
According to estimates from FIBA, the agency that oversees basketball, there are currently at least 450 million basketball players worldwide.

Honours & Awards

NTPC Kanti has been awarded the 11th Edition of FICCI Water Award 2023 under the "Industrial Water Use Efficiency" category.
The award recognizes NTPC Kanti's exceptional efforts in water conservation and efficient use of water resources in its operation.
The award was presented to NTPC Kanti during the inaugural event of the 9th Edition of India Industry Water Conclave held at FICCI Federation House in New Delhi.

Honours & Awards

WHO South-East Asia regional director Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh has been awarded Bhutan’s prestigious National Order of Merit Gold Medal for her distinguished services to the country.
Dr Singh is the retired Punjab cadre IAS officer of the 1975 batch.
Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh became the first Indian to be elected as the regional director of WHO South-East Asia.

State Affairs

Tibetan Spiritual leader Dalai Lama inaugurated the three-day International Sangha Forum 2023 in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment.
The event will see discussions among monks, nuns, and Bhikkhu scholars, that delve into the profound teachings of Buddhism.
Over 2,000 members of the sanghas and invited guests from 33 countries including Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Sri Lanka, Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea

International Affairs

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the gangrenous disease noma has been added to its official list of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).
Primarily found in sub-Saharan Africa, noma mainly affects malnourished children between the ages of 2 and 6 years.
Poor oral hygiene, malnutrition, weakened immune systems, and extreme poverty are among the risk factors.

Banking & Finance

Razorpay and Cashfree have received the final authorization from the Reserve Bank of India to operate as Payment Aggregators (PAs).
Payment Aggregators are entities that facilitate e-commerce sites and merchants in accepting various payment instruments from customers, streamlining the payment process without requiring merchants to create their systems.
PAs collect payments from customers, pool them, and offering a seamless transaction experience.

National Affairs

Minister for Mines Pralhad Joshi launched India’s National Geoscience Data Repository (NGDR) portal.
NGDR is a comprehensive online platform that will host geospatial data for the entire country.
The launch of the portal puts India in the league of nations like the US, Australia, and Canada, that are advanced in their mineral mining journey.

State Affairs

In Manipur, the State Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Sapam Ranjan Singh launched the Social Awareness and Action to Neutralise Pneumonia Successfully (SAANS) Campaign 2023-24 at Imphal.
The Minister also inaugurated the State Newborn Resource Centre at Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) in Imphal.
Pneumonia is a common, preventable, treatable disease if precautionary steps are taken up at the right time.