- National:
- India's fastest solar-electric boat, the "Barracuda," was launched on December 14, 2023. It set sail for a sustainable future at the Navgathi Panavally Yard in Alappuzha, Kerala.
- Aktocyte tablets are a breakthrough nutraceutical developed by scientists from the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and IDRS Labs Pvt. Ltd. Bengaluru. They are designed to treat pelvic cancer and minimize the side effects of radiotherapy. They have received approval from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and are expected to hit the market in January 2024.
- Gaddam Prasad Kumar was elected as the Speaker of the Telangana Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, December 13, 2023. He was a former Minister in the Kiran Kumar Reddy Cabinet in united Andhra Pradesh. He was elected from the Vikarabad SC constituency.
- Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien and a total of 13 Lok Sabha MPs from Opposition parties were suspended for the remainder of the Winter Session of Parliament. This suspension followed an uproar over a security breach in the Lower House. The suspended MPs include nine from the Congress and the DMK’s Kanimozhi.
- The Ayodhya Airport has recently received an Aerodrome License from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). This license is in the public use category and is applicable for all weather conditions. The airport has been developed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) at a cost of around Rs 350 crore. The Chairman of the AAI, Sanjeev Kumar, received the license on December 14.
- International:
- The Global Expert Review on Debt, Nature, and Climate is an initiative launched by Colombia, Kenya, and France. This international team of experts aims to review the financial architecture and examine the intricate interplay between sovereign debt and the capacity of developing nations to safeguard biodiversity, confront the climate emergency, and transition towards carbon neutrality.
- The latest India-US Anti-Money Laundering/Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Dialogue took place on Thursday, December 14, 2023. This Dialogue aims to strengthen collective efforts against money laundering and terror financing.
- Banking:
- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a USD 250 million loan for the National Industrial Corridor Development Program (NICDP) Subprogram. This aims to stimulate job creation across various sectors and develop multimodal logistics infrastructure.
- ADB has also approved an additional USD 200 million financing for the Rajasthan Secondary Towns Development Sector Project. This project aims to improve water supply and sanitation systems and support urban resilience and heritage living in selected towns.
- Bain Capital did indeed sell a 1.08% stake in Axis Bank for Rs 3737 crore on December 13, 2023. This follows their earlier sale of a 0.75% stake in June for Rs 2150 crore
- Economy:
- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has indeed raised India’s growth forecast for the financial year 2023-24 (FY24) to 6.7%. This is an increase from their earlier projection of 6.3%. The revision is based on India’s higher-than-expected gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 7.6% in the second quarter of FY24. The ADB has also retained its growth forecast for FY25 at 6.7%. Other agencies such as the RBI, Nomura, Citigroup, and DBS have also revised their growth projections for India.
- Defence:
- The Defence Ministry of India has approved the acquisition of 6,400 new rockets for the Pinaka weapon system, which is strategically deployed along the borders with Pakistan and China. The total cost of this acquisition is Rs. 2800 Cr. The Defence Acquisition Council’s recent meeting had cleared the proposal for the acquisition of two types of these rockets, known as Area Denial Munition Type 2 and Type-3.
- Science & technology:
- KPIT Technologies has developed India’s first Sodium-Ion (Na) battery technology, which is a cost-effective alternative to lithium-ion cells. The technology promises 80% capacity retention for 3000-6000 cycles and faster charging. It can be used in electric vehicles, UPS backups, grid storage, and the marine and defence sectors.
- Reports:
- IUCN Red List Report on Extinction Threat to Freshwater Fish .This report reveals that 25% of freshwater fish species are at risk of extinction. The threats include pollution (impacting 57% of species), dams and water extraction (45%), overfishing (25%), and invasive species and disease (33%). The report emphasizes the need to address the climate and biodiversity crises together. The IUCN Red List now includes 157,190 species, with 44,016 threatened with extinction.
- The Global Status Report on Road Safety 2023 by WHO highlights: Annual road traffic deaths slightly decreased to 1.19 million. Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for children and young people aged 5-29 years. Over half of fatalities occur among pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists, especially in low and middle-income countries. Urgent action is needed to achieve the global goal of halving road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030.
- Awards & Honors:
- The 2023 Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament, and Development was indeed awarded to Ali Abu Awwad and Daniel Barenboim. They were recognized for their efforts in resolving the Israel-Palestine conflict and uniting the youth of West Asia through music and dialogue.
- On 13th December 2023 Professor Savita Ladage from the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), affiliated with the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, was awarded the prestigious Nyholm Prize for Education by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC).
Questions:
Q.1 Who has developed India’s first Sodium-Ion (Na) battery technology?a. ISRO
b. DRDO
c. KPIT Technologies
d. TATA Motors
Q.2 What is the name of India’s fastest solar-electric boat?
a. Dolphin
b. Barracuda
c. Shark
d. Whale
