- National:
- The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) retired MS Dhoni’s iconic jersey number 7 on December 15, 2023. This decision was made to honor Dhoni’s significant contributions to Indian cricket. The BCCI has informed the players of the national team, especially the debutants, that they don’t have the option of picking No 10 or No 7 jerseys. Dhoni is the second Indian cricketer to be given this honor, after Sachin Tendulkar.
- Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Ajay Bhatt flagged in ‘Mission Antarctica’ in New Delhi on December 13, 2023. This mission was carried out by a team from the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling. The expedition, which commenced in 2021, was led by Group Captain Jai Kishan and comprised three trekkers.
- Reliance General Insurance launched ‘Reliance Health Global’ on December 13, 2023. This policy offers up to $1 million coverage globally, an unlimited sum insured within India, and covers overseas treatments, travel, accommodation, and visa services. It also includes air ambulance services, organ donor expenses coverage, and no room rent restrictions.
- According to a study by Motilal Oswal Financial Services, Reliance Industries Ltd was the biggest wealth creator during the five years from 2018 to 2023. It added Rs.9,63,800 crore wealth over this period. On the other hand, Adani Enterprises Ltd was the top all-round wealth creator. Shares of Adani Enterprises clocked a 78% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) to emerge as the best all-round wealth creator between 2018 and 2023. Two other Adani group companies – Adani Power and Adani Energy – also feature in the top 10 All-round Wealth Creators.
- International:
- Iran has indeed lifted visa requirements for citizens of 33 countries. This decision allows the citizens of a total of 45 nations to visit Iran without needing to obtain a visa. The list of countries includes Saudi Arabia, India, and several Central Asian, African, and Muslim countries. This move is seen as a step towards improving relations with various countries around the world.
- Banking:
- Cashfree Payments launched ‘FlowWise’, India’s first self-hosted Payments Orchestration Platform, on December 13, 2023. The platform allows businesses to use multiple payment aggregators with one integration, routes payments efficiently, improves success rates, cuts processing costs, and enhances security.
- On 13th December 2023, The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved the acquisition of 100% shareholding in Constantia Flexibles Holding GmbH (an Austrian global producer of flexible packaging products) by Capripack BidCo GmbH (an acquisition vehicle indirectly majority-owned by investment funds managed and advised by One Rock Capital Partners, LLC)
- Economy:
- India’s exports declined by 2.83% to $33.90 billion in November 2023 compared to the previous year. This data was released on December 15, 2023. Imports also declined to $54.48 billion in the same month. During the April-November period of this fiscal year, exports contracted by 6.51% to USD 278.8 billion.
- The wholesale inflation data for November 2023 was officially released on December 14, 2023. Wholesale price-based inflation rose fastest in eight months at 0.26 per cent in November mainly due to a sharp rise in food prices. The WPI inflation was in the negative zone for the past seven months, at (-) 0.52 per cent in October.
- The trade deficit for November eased sharply to $20.58 billion from the all-time high of $31.5 billion in the previous month. India's goods exports slipped back into contraction to drop 2.83% in November to $33.9 billion, while imports fell by a sharper 4.33% to $54.48 billion.
- The cumulative Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflow into Tamil Nadu, which touched nearly $10 billion, in the last four years, from October 2019 to September 2023. This places Tamil Nadu as the fourth state in India in terms of attracting FDI, following Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Gujarat. The state government is taking steps to attract more investment.
- The International Energy Agency (IEA) announced on December 15, 2023, that India’s coal demand is projected to grow by 3.5% annually until 2026, despite the country’s efforts to increase its solar power capacity.
- Mous:
- The Union Cabinet chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, approved the draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the United States of America and the Republic of India on 14th Dec, 2023 in San Francisco, USA. This MoU aims to enhance innovation ecosystems through an innovation handshake.
- Sports:
- The Indian Women’s Cricket team indeed created history by scoring 410 runs on the first day of their Test match against England at DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai, India on Thursday, December 14, 2023. This is the second-highest score ever in a day in a women’s Test, behind England’s 431/4 against New Zealand in 1935.
- Leander Paes and Vijay Amritraj have indeed made history by becoming the first Asian men to be elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Their official induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame is scheduled for July 20, 2024, in Newport, Rhode Island, USA.
- Science & Technology:
- On 14th December 2023, China successfully launched an uncrewed reusable spacecraft into orbit for the third time since 2020. The spacecraft was launched atop a Long March 2F rocket. This series of secretive orbital test flights is aimed at developing reusable technologies to reduce space mission costs.
- Reports:
- In the upcoming 2024 general election, the SBI report projects a total voter turnout of approximately 68 crores, with an estimated 33 crore (49%) being women voters. Moving forward, projections indicate that by 2029, women voters could reach 37 crore, outnumbering the registered male voters at 36 crore.
- The report on “Logistics Costs in India: Assessment and Long-Term Framework” by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) was released on December 14, 2023. This report presents a baseline aggregated logistics cost estimate and a framework for long-term logistics cost calculation. According to their findings, the logistics cost in India was 7.8% to 8.9% of GDP in 2021-22.
- Summits & Conferences:
- The Pre-Vibrant Gujarat Summit on “Liveable Cities of Tomorrow” was held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat on 15th December 2023. The summit was organized by the Gujarat Urban Development Mission under the Urban Development & Urban Housing Department of Gujarat, in collaboration with Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, and other partner organizations. The aim of this is to bring together city leaders, practitioners, academicians, industry experts, and knowledge seekers for deliberating upon initiatives and experiences, both from India as well as from across the world.
- Defence:
- On December 15, 2023, The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of India has successfully carried out a flight trial of the ‘Autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator’, an indigenous high-speed flying-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) from the Aeronautical Test Range, Chitradurga in Karnataka
- Awards & Honors:
- Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka were honored as the International Tennis Federation’s 2023 ITF World Champions. They were the only singles players to reach at least the semifinals at all four Grand Slam tournaments this season.
Question:
Q.1 Who won the ITF World Champion Awards 2023?a. Serena Williams and Roger Federer
b. Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka
c. Rafael Nadal and Naomi Osaka
d. Andy Murray and Venus Williams
Q.2 Where was the Global Summit on ‘Liveable Cities of Tomorrow’ organized?
a. Ahmedabad, Gujarat
b. Surat, Gujarat
c. Gandhinagar, Gujarat
d. Rajkot, Gujarat
