- National:
- On 2nd December 2023, India has joined the Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) Consortium, an initiative of The Global Leadership Council (GLC) of the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP). The consortium aims to advance the deployment of BESS in India and other countries, especially for renewable energy integration. India stands among the pioneering nations committed to securing 5 gigawatts (GW) of BESS commitments by the conclusion of 2024.
- A roadmap to significantly reduce plastic waste in India has been released on 7th December 2023, with CSIRO collaborating with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), Development Alternatives, and other partners.
- A USD 175 million loan agreement signed between the Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on 5th December 2023, in Bhopal. This agreement aims to improve road connectivity and climate resilience in Madhya Pradesh, India. The project will upgrade 1,500 km of rural roads, construct 100 km of bypasses, and rehabilitate 500 km of existing roads.
- According to the data from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, India accounted for 26% of the total tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka in November 2023, with over 59,000 visitors.
- The Government has decided to implement the component of "Nari Adalat" in a phased manner under Mission Shakti. In the first phase, the State of Assam and the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) have been selected by the Ministry to implement the component of Nari Adalat.
- The Miyawaki method has been adopted for forest plantation in Chhattisgarh’s coal belt, one of India's most polluted regions. The Miyawaki method is a technique of creating mini-forests in urban areas by planting native trees and plants in a dense and mixed manner. This project aims to restore the green cover of the area, which has been degraded due to mining activities and deforestation.
- Duqm port is a strategic port in Oman that provides access to the Indian Ocean region and the Red Sea. It is located in the Al-Wusta province, where habitation is very less compared to the areas near to the capital, Muscat. It is a deep-sea port with a dry dock facility and comes under the Special Economic Zone at Duqm (SEZD).
- Captain Geetika Koul is the first woman medical officer of the Indian Army to be deployed at Siachen, the world’s highest battlefield. She was posted at the Kumar post, located at an altitude of around 15,600 feet in Siachen, on 4th December for a three-month stint after she underwent rigorous training at the Siachen Battle School.
- The Union government is considering a proposal to determine the equivalence of posts in State government PSUs vis-a-vis Central government posts for recruitment under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation.
- The 'Build for Bharat' initiative take place on 5th December 2023. This initiative encompasses three key categories. In Category 1, 'NextGen Ventures', the focus is on propelling venture creation on ONDC, offering a pathway for aspiring founders and early-stage teams to raise capital, launch, scale companies, and incubate new businesses.
- International:
- Gujarat's popular Garba dance, mostly performed in community circles, has achieved a significant milestone. The dance form has made it to the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity by UNESCO. The news was announced by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel On 6th December.
- WHO has recently released its first-ever global tax manual for sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), which are drinks that contain added sugar and have little or no nutritional value. These include soft drinks, flavoured milks, energy drinks, fruit juices and sweetened iced teas.
- Italy has recently announced its plan to withdraw from the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a global infrastructure project launched by China in 2013. Italy is the only G7 country that has joined the BRI, but it has faced criticism for its lack of economic benefits and strategic alignment with China.
- Banking:
- The Reserve Bank on 7th December brought all entities facilitating cross-border payment transactions for the import and export of goods and services under its direct regulation.
- Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance Company, the life insurance subsidiary of Aditya Birla Capital, on Tuesday, December 5, announced the launch of 'ABSLI Salaried Term Plan' for Salaried Individuals. This plan offers a range of comprehensive life cover options to suit the diverse needs of policyholders.
- Union Bank of India, a leading public sector bank in India is collaborating with Accenture (NYSE: ACN) to design and develop a scalable and secure enterprise data lake platform with advanced analytics and reporting capabilities on December 5 in Mumbai.
- SBI has announced its decision to acquire a 20% additional stake in SBI Pension Funds for Rs. 229.52 crore. SBI Pension Funds Private Limited was appointed as the Pension Fund Manager (PFM) to manage the pension corpus under the National Pension System.
- HDFC Bank and Tata Neu have partnered to launch a co-branded credit card that offers exclusive rewards and benefits for Tata Neu customers. The card is powered by RuPay/Visa and has two variants: Tata Neu Plus HDFC Bank Credit Card and Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank Credit Card.
- Defence:
- Sweden and the United States signed a Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) on Tuesday, December 6, 2023, in Washington. This agreement will allow the US access to all military bases across the Scandinavian country, saying the deal would bolster regional security. The DCA is part of Sweden’s efforts to deepen its partnership with NATO as an Enhanced Opportunities Partner (EOP) by applying for full membership in May 2022.
- Reports:
- On 5th December 2023, The UNEP report was released. The UNEP report lays out three sets of actions that could cut those emissions by 60% by 2050: Passive cooling measures such as insulation, natural shading, ventilation, and reflective surfaces could curb the growth in demand by 24% by 2050.
- Science & technology:
- The Chandrayaan-3 mission's lunar lander is shown on the moon's surface. The Vikram lander touched down on August 23 after separating from the propulsion module, which remained in lunar orbit. Now, the propulsion module is back in orbit around Earth, India's space agency said.
- Important Days:
- The Armed Forces Flag Day is observed in India every year on December 7. The theme for Armed Forces Flag Day 2023 is “Strengthening the Nation with Pride in our Armed Forces”. It’s a day dedicated to India’s soldiers, airmen, and sailors. The day is marked by the distribution of small flags in exchange for donations to the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund.
- International Civil Aviation Day is observed annually on 7th December. This day was established in 1994 as part of the United Nations’ efforts to recognize the importance of international civil aviation in the social and economic development of states. The theme for International Civil Aviation Day 2023 is “Advancing Innovation for Global Aviation Development.”
- Appointments:
- United Arab Emirates' Mohammed Al Ramsi has been appointed Chairman of World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (WRC 23). The event is being held in Dubai, UAE, from November 20th to December 15th, 2023.
Questions:
Q.1 When was the Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) signed between Sweden and the United States?a. December 6, 2022
b. December 6, 2023
c. May 2022
c. None of the above
Q.2 Who is the first female medical officer to be stationed in Siachen?
a. Captain Anjali Singh
b. Captain Divya Ajith Kumar
c. Captain Geetika Koul
d. Captain Tania Shergill
