Daily GK Update: 28th November 2023

 National & International Appointments

1. Fino Payment Bank appoints Rajat Kumar Jain as chairman

• Fino Payments Bank has received approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for the appointment of Rajat Kumar Jain as Part-time Chairman of the Bank.
• Fino started operations in 2017, receiving an RBI license two years earlier.
• The appointment comes at a time when the payments bank is charting out its digital growth plans and targets for the next phase, Fino 2.0.

 State Affairs

2. India's largest tiger reserve to be set up in Madhya Pradesh

• The Central government has approved a proposal to merge two wildlife sanctuaries in Madhya Pradesh to create the largest tiger reserve in the country spanning 2,300 square kilometres.
• The new tiger reserve will not only provide a safe haven for the area's tiger population, which currently stands at 16 but also boost tourism and development in the region.

 Obituaries

3. Dhanlaxmi Bank major shareholder, director C K Gopinathan passes away

• C K Gopinathan, director on the board of Kerala-based Dhanlaxmi Bank and one of the major shareholders, passed away on November 27 following a major heart attack, according to people familiar with the development.
• Gopinathan has a 7.5 percent stake in the bank as of September 2023 and has permission to hold up to 9.99 percent.
• According to the website of the bank, Gopinathan was appointed to the board with effect from August 2016.

 National Affairs

4. President Droupadi Murmu Unveils BR Ambedkar's Statue At Supreme Court

• President Droupadi Murmu today unveiled a statue of Dr BR Ambedkar on the Supreme Court premises during an event to mark Constitution Day. 
• Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal were present on the occasion. 
• The statue of BR Ambedkar, in a lawyer's gown, stands 7-feet-tall and is placed on a 3-feet base stand.
• The statue is seen holding a copy of the Constitution.

 Banking & Finance

5. S&P Global Ratings raises India's FY24 GDP growth forecast

• Global rating agency S&P Global Ratings has revised India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth projection for financial year 2024 to 6.4 percent from 6 percent earlier on the back of strong domestic tailwinds.
• However, it lowered the growth projection for financial year 2025 to 6.4% from 6.9% earlier.
• S&P Global Ratings is a market leader in the field of credit risk research.

 Books & Authors

6. Pranab Mukherjee's daughter pens his biography

• This and other nuggets of Mukherjee's life from an unprepossessing village in West Bengal's Birbhum district to a roller-coaster career thereafter are the highlights of an about-to-be-released biography penned by his daughter, classical dancer Sharmishtha Mukherjee.
• The book, titled 'Pranab, My Father: A Daughter Remembers', is being brought out by Rupa Publications
• The book is also a mirror to the father-daughter relationship between Pranab Mukherjee and Sharmishtha

 Sports

7. Gautam Gambhir back in Kolkata Knight Riders as mentor

• Former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Gautam Gambhir (42-years) has been named as the mentor of the franchise for the upcoming IPL season. 
• Gambhir had a successful stint with KKR from 2011-17, leading the team to title victories in 2012 and 2014.
• He will work with KKR’s head coach Chandrakant Pandit.

 National & International Appointments

8. Harin Fernando appointed as Sri Lanka's new sports minister

• Sri Lanka's Tourism Minister Harin Fernando was also sworn in as the Minister of Youth Affairs.
• He replaced sacked Minister Roshan Ranasinghe.
• Meanwhile, Pavithra Wanniarachchi was sworn in as the Minister of Irrigation.
• A United Nations Development Programme survey conducted in 2022 and 2023 found that 55.7% of Sri Lanka’s population, or 12.34 million people, are vulnerable across various dimensions due to the economic crisis.