Current Affairs December 21st 2022| Current Affairs News

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CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

Delhi International Arts Festival was organized by the ministry of culture:

• Inaugurating the Delhi International Arts Festival at Kartavya Path with the slogan “Where Bharat Meets India,” the Ministry of Culture worked in partnership with the Prasiddha Foundation.
• The event strives to honor the great epics, the warriors who fought for our freedom, and the numerous policies and programs established by our government in the interest of “Women’s Empowerment,” “Cleaning Our Holy Rivers,” and “Maintaining a Country Free from Dirt and Disease.”
• In addition to theater, classical musical performances, and other cultural acts, the festival will feature dance performances like Kathak and Odissi.
• Numerous locations in Delhi, including Kartavya Path India Gate Lawns, Central Vista, Samvet Auditorium Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts Janpath, Amphitheatre Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts Janpath, etc., will host several activities and performances.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Indian govt allows Sri Lankans to hold $10,000 worth of rupees in cash

• Sri Lankans can hold $10,000 (Rs 8.14 lakh) worth of the Indian rupee (INR) in a physical form, though the INR would not be legal tender in Sri Lanka after India approved a Sri Lankan request to designate the INR as the foreign currency.

Reason :

• This is because designating INR as a legal currency in Sri Lanka will provide the country with much-needed liquidity support to help it tide over its economic crisis amid inadequate availability of the US dollar. 

Key Highlights :

• To enable this, Sri Lankan banks must sign an agreement with an Indian bank to open “INR Nostro accounts” which means the accounts that banks hold in a foreign currency in another bank.
• Another important development is that offshore banking units (OBU) of Lankan banks have been permitted to accept savings, time, and demand deposits from non-residents.
• All current account transactions including exports, imports, and remittances can be undertaken between Lankan residents and non-residents.
• So far, India’s central bank has approved banks to open 12 Vostro accounts for trade in rupees with Russia. 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

UP govt signs agreements with Singapore ahead of UP global investors’ summit

• The Uttar Pradesh (UP) government has signed several agreements with investors in Singapore ahead of the UP Global Investors Summit  (UPGIS) in February 2023 as it sought Singapore’s support for reaching a USD 50 billion investment commitments target.
• The UP Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) to set the pace for Singapore investors to participate in the prosperity of UP.

Key Highlights :

• The UP  is set to become a USD 1 trillion economy in tandem with the central government’s target to build a USD 5 trillion national economy in the coming years.
• To achieve such targets, the UP government needs to have around USD 50 billion grounded as early as possible
• Projects worth Rs 380,000 crore, raised from the 2018 UP Investors Summit, are in various phases of implementation.
• Another USD 5 billion is expected from UPGIS,

About UP :

• Governor : Anandiben Patel
• Chief Minister: Yogi Adityanath
• Capital: Lucknow

About Singapore :

• President : Halimah Yacob
• Prime Minister : Lee Hsien Loong
• Currency: Singapore dollar

Tamil Nadu & Kerala are top beneficiaries of free health cover

• According to data, people from Tamil Nadu were the biggest beneficiaries among 33 States and Union Territories (UT) that have implemented the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).
• Till December 4, 2022, about 8.4 million people from the southern state, with an average per capita income of Rs 2,41,131 (against the national average of Rs 149,848) have availed themselves of hospitalization benefits under the PM-JAY.
• Another top beneficiary states are Kerala, with about 4.6 million availing of hospitalization benefits, followed by Rajasthan (3.9 million) and Karnataka (3.5 million).
• As per the socio-economic caste census (SECC) 2011, currently, the scheme covers the bottom 40% population of the country, who are identified based on select deprivation and occupational criteria in rural and urban areas, respectively.

About PM-JAY :

• Launched: 23 September 2018
• 41.8 million beneficiaries across the country have availed of free hospitalization benefits worth Rs 48,900 crore till November-end, 2022.
• Under PM-JAY, a total of 1,949 procedures are available for beneficiaries to get cashless treatment which includes all the costs related to treatment, medicines, supplies, diagnostic services, physician’s fees, room charges, surgeon charges, OT & ICU charges, etc.
• The cost of PM-JAY, which offers Rs 50,000 per year of free health cover to 107 million households in the country, is shared between the Centre and states in a 6:4 ratio.

TN introduces single window clearance system for green projects

• Tamil Nadu (TN) Chief Minister (CM) M K Stalin introduced a single window system to accord clearances to green projects to attain 1 Trillion economies by 2030.
• The Tamil Nadu Climate Change Mission will coordinate initiatives such as ‘meendum manjappai’, e-buses, climate-smart villages, and green monument projects.
• A separate green corridor will be created for renewable energy and the State is devising a Repowering Policy to promote wind energy.
• The CM further stated that 10 villages have been selected for the climate-smart villages project and a climate literacy initiative will be taken up to create awareness about climate change among the people.
• Green Tamil Nadu Mission will increase the green cover of the State as well as help in carbon reduction

About Tamil Nadu :

• Governor: R. N. Ravi
• Chief minister: M. K. Stalin
• Capital: Chennai
• Dance : Bharatnatyam, Karakattam
• National Park: Mudumalai National Park, Mukurthi National Park, Guindy National Park, Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Kalakad Wildlife sanctuary, Karikili Bird Sanctuary, Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary
• Tiger Reserve: Anamalai Tiger Reserve
• Biosphere Reserve: Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING & FINANCE

Tata AIA Life Insurance opens Emerging Opportunities Fund

• Tata AIA Life Insurance Company Limited (Tata AIA) has launched a new Emerging Opportunities Fund that will invest in mid-cap companies and emerging market leaders

Objective :

• To generate capital appreciation in the long term by investing in a portfolio of stocks that offer opportunities in the mid-cap space and emerging leaders in the new-age sectors.
• The New Fund Offering (NFO) window will remain open from 15th December to 30th December 2022 at Rs 10 per unit, which is applicable only during the NFO period.

About the Emerging Opportunities Fund :

• The new offer will provide consumers with a unique opportunity to benefit from the long-term growth potential of equity while securing their loved ones with the protection of a life insurance cover.
• Investments in the funds can be made through Tata AIA’s ULIP offerings like Fortune Pro, Wealth Pro, Fortune Maxima, and Wealth Maxima. 
• Besides, investors’ funds will also be diverted to Tata AIA’s Param Rakshak Solutions.
• The fund can invest up to 30% of the portfolio in equity and equity-related instruments falling outside the mid-cap range.

About Tata AIA Life Insurance Company Limited : 

• Founded: 1 April 2001
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• MD & CEO :  Naveen Tahilyani

BoB proposes to sell its majority stake in Nainital Bank

• State-owned Bank of Baroda (BoB) plans to sell its majority stake in Nainital Bank.  
• The bank has authorized the issuance of an advertisement inviting expressions of interest (EOI) through a preliminary information memorandum (PIM) from interested parties (IPs).
• Bob currently holds 98.57% of the total equity share capital of NBL
• It has decided to bring in a strategic partner in its subsidiary Nainital Bank Ltd (NBL).
• The strategic partner will help the Bank of Baroda to reduce its stake in percentage terms.

About Nainital Bank :

• Founded: 1922
• Headquarters: Nainital, Kumaon, India
• MD & CEO: Dinesh Pant
• The Nainital Bank Limited is a scheduled commercial bank.
• It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bank of Baroda.
• Nainital Bank was originally promoted by the Late Bharat Ratna Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant.
• In 1974, RBI directed the Bank of Baroda to manage the affairs of NBL.

Equitas Small Finance Bank signs MoU with Controller General of Defence accounts

• Equitas Small Finance Bank Limited, one of the leading Small Finance Banks (SFBs), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Controller General of Defence Accounts, Ministry of Defence, Government of India.
• The MoU will allow Equitas to be a SPARSH (System for Pension Administration (Raksha) service center to provide data verification for pensioners.

Note :

• Equitas is the first small finance bank inducted for the SPARSH program
• The Ministry of Defence also signed the MoU with five other banks viz. Indian Postal Payment Bank, Union Bank of India, Axis Bank Ltd., ICICI Bank Ltd., and Bandhan Bank.

About the MoU :

• Under this MoU, Defence pensioners and their families can avail of a few services for the pension account from branches PAN India.

Key Services :

• Annual issuing of life certificate (digital or manual)
• Change of bank details for pension accounts
• Information about pensioners and their accounts.
• Also, offer the best interest rates for senior citizens along with a host of other value-added services like insurance benefits (IHO) and attractive reward points program.

About Equitas Small Finance Bank :

• Founded: 2016
• Headquarters: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
• MD & CEO : Vasudevan P N

State Bank of India to begin overseas rupee trade with smaller nations

• State Bank India (SBI) will start overseas trade in rupee with smaller countries like Mauritius and Sri Lanka to steer clear of any transactions with Russia which carries the risk of sanctions by the West.
• In all 18 such special rupee accounts have been opened by 11 banks, including 2 in Russia and one in Sri Lanka, following approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

Key Highlights :

• Union Bank of India has opened a special rupee account of Ros Bank Russia while Chennai-based Indian Bank has opened such accounts with three Sri Lankan banks, including Colombo-based NDB Bank and Seylan Bank.
• To be sure, no specific Indian bank has been authorized by the government for facilitating rupee trade with any particular country, and all interested banks are allowed to open such accounts with any country of their choice.
• Given that about 30-35 countries, including those from Asia, Scandinavia, and Africa, have expressed interest in better understanding the proposed rupee trade mechanism for possible adoption, the number of Vostro accounts is expected to rise shortly.
• The Finance Ministry has asked the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) and the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) to spearhead an awareness campaign to sensitize stakeholders about the rupee trade.
• The RBI had in July 2022 notified the new mechanism for settling international trade in the rupee.
• This was aimed at not just reducing the rupee against the dollar but also internationalizing the domestic currency.

About SBI :

• Founded: 1 July 1955
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• Chairman: Dinesh Kumar Khara

About Mauritius :

• President: Prithvirajsing Roopun
• Prime Minister: Pravind Kumar Jugnauth
• Capital: Port Louis
• Currency: Mauritian rupee (MUR)

About Sri Lanka :

• President: Ranil Wickremesinghe
• Prime Minister: Dinesh Gunawardena
• Capital: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (legislative), Colombo (executive and judicial)
• Currency: Sri Lankan rupee

 RBI extends Market trading hours to pre-pandemic level

• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) extended the hours of trading for a number of the markets that it regulates; the new timings from 9 am to 5 pm will come into effect from 12 Dec 2022.

Key Highlights :

• Under the new timings, the call/notice/term money market will close at 5 pm, the market for Commercial paper and Certificates of Deposit will close at 5 pm, Repo in Corporate Bonds ends at 5 pm and Rupee Interest Rate Derivatives will end at 5 pm.
• The timing of Government Securities (Central Government Securities, State Development Loans, and Treasury Bills), Foreign Currency (FCY)/Indian Rupee (INR) Trades including Forex Derivatives will be 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM.
• The tri-party repos in government securities shall continue with the post-pandemic trading hours of 9 am to 3 pm 
• In April 2020, the RBI announced shortened market hours for all trading segments in light of the disruptions caused by the pandemic.
• Trade timings for all market segments were revised to 10 am to 2 pm at that time.

About RBI :

• Established: 1 April 1935
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• Governor : Shaktikanta Das
• Deputy governors: Mahesh Kumar Jain, M. Rajeshwar Rao, Michael Patra, and T. Rabi Shankar

Bank of Baroda Launches the 2nd edition of Green Ride with Milind Soman 

• Bank of Baroda, one of India’s leading public sector banks, has launched the 2nd edition of Green Ride – Ek Pehal Swachh Hawa Ki Aur, an initiative with environmental advocate and fitness enthusiast, Milind Soman.
• Under this initiative, Milind will embark on an 8-day sustainable journey on a bicycle and an electric scooter, promoting eco-friendly transportation, a green lifestyle as well as the importance of health & fitness.
• The 1400 km Green Ride will be flagged off from Mumbai on December 19 and conclude in Mangalore, Karnataka on December 26, 2022.
• Under a unique initiative called “Plant A Tree”, the Bank will plant a fruit-bearing tree on behalf of its customers for every Auto Loan or Home Loan disbursed over the next three years.

About BoB :

• Founded: 20 July 1908
• Headquarters: Vadodara, Gujarat
• Chairman: Hasmukh Adhia
• MD & CEO: Sanjiv Chadha

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOUR

Sonakshi Sinha has been selected “Person of the Year” by PETA India for 2022:

• Sonakshi Sinha, a Bollywood actress, has been named PETA India’s Person of the Year for 2022.
• Sonakshi’s activities helped save many animals that would have been slaughtered for fashion, but she was given the title because of her ardent support for dog and cat rights.
• She actively participates in animal welfare initiatives and frequently advocates for stricter animal protection regulations.
• The global non-profit organization for animal rights supported the film’s title and praised the “Dabang” actress for her efforts in India to save animal lives.
• Alia Bhatt received the same honor the previous year.
• Previous PETA India Person of the Year winners include, among others, former Supreme Court Justice KS Panicker Radhakrishnan, cricketer Virat Kohli, comedian Kapil Sharma, and actresses John Abraham, Anushka Sharma, Sunny Leone, R Madhavan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Hema Malini, and Sonam Kapoor Ahuja.

About PETA:

• Founded: 22 March 1980, Rockville, Maryland, United States
• Headquarters: Norfolk, Virginia, United States
• President: Ingrid Newkirk

The National Miner NMDC receives the 2022 IEI Industry Excellence Award:

• The prestigious IEI (Institution of Engineers, India) Industry Excellence Award 2022 was presented to National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) in Chennai.
• The 37th Indian Engineering Congress honored the nation’s largest iron ore producer for its remarkable performance and high standard of commercial excellence.
• After examining a company’s commercial operations, financial performance, environmental performance, research and development, CSR, and corporate governance practices, the Institution of Engineers (India) presented the Industry Excellence Award to NMDC.
• To maintain its domestic leadership and make strides toward becoming a global mining business, NMDC is undertaking transformative projects with an eco-friendly, economical, and efficient strategy.

About NMDC

• In 1958, NDMC was established as a public company by the Indian government. It produces the most iron ore in India.
• Since its creation, the company has been conducting mineral exploration, among them for copper, rock phosphate, limestone, magnesite, diamond, tungsten, and beach sand, under the administrative supervision of the Ministry of Steel.
• Hyderabad is the headquarters.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Indian-origin Leo Varadkar elected as prime minister of Ireland

• Indian-origin Leo Varadkar, former Irish Deputy Prime Minister ( Tánaiste) and leader of the Fine Gael party, has been elected as the new prime minister ( Taoiseach) of Ireland for the second term in Dec 2022 for 5 years.
• Varadkar replaced Micheal Martin as Taoiseach (premier).
• A total of 87 members of the house voted in favor of his nomination as the new prime minister while 62 members voted against it.

List of the new cabinet members :

• Former Irish Prime Minister and leader of Fianna Fail Micheal Martin will become the new deputy prime minister & minister for foreign affairs and defense 
• Former Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence Simon Coveney will become minister for enterprise, trade, and employment.
• Former Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe will be the minister for public expenditure and reform 
• Former Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath will take Donohoe’s position as the new finance minister.
• There are altogether 15 members in the cabinet & all the positions held by other cabinet members have remained the same.

About Leo Varadkar :

• Leo Varadkar was Born on 18 January 1979, in Dublin, Ireland.
• He served under Taoiseach Enda Kenny as Minister for Social Protection from 2016 to 2017, Minister for Health from 2014 to 2016, and Minister for Transport, Tourism, and Sport from 2011 to 2014.
• He served as Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade, and Employment from June 2020 to December 2022.
• He first became the Irish prime minister in June 2017.
• He became the country’s youngest Taoiseach at the age of 38 as well as its first openly gay head of government and first of Indian heritage.

About Ireland :

• President: Michael D. Higgins
• Capital: Dublin
• Currency: Euro

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was appointed as the first Chancellor of Gati Shakti University

• Hon’ble Minister of Railways, Communications, Electronics & Information Technology, Govt. of India, Ashwini Vaishnaw has been appointed as the Chancellor of Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya, Vadodara, Gujarat by Hon’ble President Smt. Draupadi Murmu.
• The President has appointed Dr. Manoj Chaudhary as the first Vice Chancellor of Gati Shakti University, Vadodara, Gujarat.
• As per the Central University Act, 2009, Dr. Manoj Chaudhary will hold the position of Vice Chancellor of Gati Shakti University for 5 years from the date he assumes office.

Note :

• Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw will be the first Chancellor of Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya.

About Dr. Manoj Chaudhary :

• Dr. Chaudhary is currently an invitee member of the 6G Task Force in the Department of Telecom, Govt. of India, and a Member of the Management Council of the Semiconductor Laboratory in the Ministry of Electronics and IT
• In addition, he holds the post of Director of the Jodhpur DISCOM Board.

Key Highlights :

• Gati Shakti University was granted central status by the Union Cabinet in July 2022.
• In August 2022, the Central Government introduced a bill in the Lok Sabha to convert the National Rail and Transportation Institute, into Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya, an autonomous central university.
• The Central Universities (Amendment) Bill was introduced by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan which seeks to expand the scope of the university from beyond the railways to cover the entire transport sector to support the ambitious growth and modernization in the field.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE NEWS

Indigenous stealth guided-missile destroyer INS Mormugao commissioned into the Indian Navy

• Indian Naval Ship (INS) Mormugao (D67), a second warship of the P15B class of stealth guided-missile destroyers, was commissioned into the Indian Navy in the presence of Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.

Aim :

• To make India the indigenous ship-building hub

About INS Mormugao :

• INS Mormugao is one of the most powerful indigenously-built warships which will significantly enhance the country’s maritime capabilities and secure national interests
• This is the most technologically advanced warship.
• It is the second of the four ‘Visakhapatnam’ class destroyers of ‘Project 15B’, indigenously designed by the Indian Navy’s in-house organization, Warship Design Bureau, and constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai.
• It was launched on 17 September 2016.
• It is named after the port city of Mormugao in Goa.
• Named after the historic port city of Goa, Mormugao coincidentally undertook its first sea trial on December 19, 2021, when Goa celebrated 60 years of liberation from Portuguese rule.
• The warship is packed with sophisticated state-of-the-art weapons and sensors such as surface-to-surface missiles and surface-to-air missiles. 
• It is fitted with a modern surveillance radar that provides target data to the gunnery weapon systems on board.

Features :

• Length – 163 meters 
• Width – 17 meters
• Displacement – 7,400 tonnes
• Maximum speed – 30 knots (55 kmph).

About MoD :

• Defence Minister: Rajnath Singh
• Minister of State: Ajay Bhatt
• Defence Secretary: Giridhar Aramane

About the Indian Navy :

• Founded: 26 January 1950
• Headquarters:  New Delhi, Delhi
• Chief of the Naval Staff: Admiral R. Hari Kumar

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

India receives its final 36th Rafale jet from France

• The Indian Air Force (IAF) received the delivery of the 36th Rafale fighter jets from France
• According to the IAF, the aircraft arrived after a quick en-route mid-air refueling from a UAE Air Force tanker aircraft, after taking off from France
• India and France had signed the inter-government agreement in 2016, under which Paris agreed to provide 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around 60,000 crore rupees to India. 
• The first batch of five Rafale jets arrived on 29th July 2020 in Ambala, Haryana.

About Rafale :

• The Rafale is a 4.5-generation aircraft with long-range air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles along with advanced radar and electronic warfare capabilities.
• It is a French twin-engine, canard delta wing, multi-role fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. 
• The Rafale is referred to as an “omnirole” aircraft by Dassault
• The French firm Dassault Aviation is also involved in the maintenance of the aircraft whose serviceability is over 75%.

Note :

• French Ambassador to India Emmanuel Lenain

A hot test of the scramjet engine was conducted successfully

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully tested the Hot Test of the Scramjet Engine at ISRO’s Propulsion Research Complex at Mahendragiri in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu (TN).
• The test lasted for 11 seconds.
• A hot test system is a 100% production test used to check all the engine operating parameters as they would function in real-time.
• With this test, the Indian Space Agency’s quest to fabricate credible next-generation air-breathing scramjet engines to launch satellites in a predetermined orbit at a low cost crossed a key milestone.

About Scramjet Engine :

• The scramjet is a more advanced version of the ramjet engine and can operate efficiently at hypersonic speeds.
• India is the 4th country to demonstrate the flight testing of a Scramjet Engine.
• This allows for supersonic combustion by taking oxygen from the atmosphere during flight.
• It is then allowed to mix with the hydrogen already stored in the vehicle to trigger the oxygen combustion and propel the satellite to its designated orbit.
• In an air-breathing scramjet engine, air from the atmosphere is rammed into the engine’s combustion chamber at a supersonic speed of more than Mach two.
• In the chamber, the air mixes with the fuel to ignite supersonic combustion but the cruiser’s flight will be at a hypersonic speed of Mach 6 to 7.
• So it is called supersonic combustion ramjet or Scramjet.
• Air from the atmosphere was then rammed into the scramjet engine’s combustion chamber at a supersonic speed.

About ISRO :

• Founded: 15 August 1969
• Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka, Indi
• Chairman: Sreedhara Somanath
• The ISRO is the national space agency of India, & it operates under the Department of Space (DOS).

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

Karim Benzema of France has declared his retirement from international football:

• Karim Benzema, a football player for France, has declared his retirement from international competition.
• Despite having scored 37 goals in 97 games for France, Benzema’s tenure with the team hasn’t exactly been smooth since his debut 15 years ago.
• In March 2007, Benzema scored in his first game as a substitute for France against Austria.
• He was selected for France’s Euro 2008 team, however, his performance was criticized after the team was eliminated early.
• Despite regularly competing in the qualification process, Benzema was not included in France’s World Cup roster for 2010.
• He was once again a member of the France squad for Euro 2020.

Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek have been crowned ITF World Champions 2022:

• Rafael Nadal of Spain has been awarded the Men’s International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Champion 2022 for the fifth time following a successful 2022 season.
• He previously won the men’s ITF World Championship in 2008, 2010, 2017, and 2019.
• Iga Witek of Poland has been named Women’s ITF World Champion 2022 for her achievements in 2022, which included two Grand Slam titles and eight titles.
• The winners will be recognized at the annual ITF World Champions Awards ceremony, which will take place on July 8, 2023, at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, United Kingdom (UK).
• Typically, the event is hosted in Paris, France.
• Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova have won the ITF Women’s Doubles World Championship for the second year in a row and for the third time overall, having previously won the championship in 2018 and 2021.
• For the first time, Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury have been crowned ITF Men’s Doubles World Champions.
• Shingo Kunieda of Japan and Diede de Groot of the Netherlands were honored in the men’s and women’s wheelchair categories, respectively.
• At the junior level, Gilles Arnaud Bailly of Belgium was rewarded for a season of solid performances, while Roland Garros girls’ singles champion Lucie Havlickova of the Czech Republic was crowned ITF Girls World Champion.

About International Tennis Federation (ITF)

• President- David Haggerty
• Headquarters- London, United Kingdom (UK)
• Establishment- 1913

Rehan Ahmed of England becomes the country’s youngest five-fer on Test debut:

• Rehan Ahmed, England’s leg-spinner, became the youngest men’s Test cricketer to capture a five-wicket haul on debut during the third match versus Pakistan now underway at the National Bank Cricket Arena.
• Rehan captured three wickets in six overs on his way to 5-48 in the second innings after making his Test debut at the age of 18 years and 126 days, playing a significant role in bowling out Pakistan for 216 in 74.5 overs on day three of the match.
• Rehan’s superb performance enabled England set a 167-run target to win the series 3-0.
• Rehan eclipsed the mark set by now-Australian captain Pat Cummins, who was 18 years and 193 days old when he took 6-79 against South Africa in 2011.
• Rehan was introduced into Pakistan’s bowling attack after 41 overs of the second innings and had an instant impact by breaking the partnership between Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel, which had put the hosts in control.

Daily CA on December 21:

• Inaugurating the Delhi International Arts Festival at Kartavya Path with the slogan “Where Bharat Meets India,” the Ministry of Culture worked in partnership with the Prasiddha Foundation.
• Sonakshi Sinha, a Bollywood actress, has been named PETA India’s Person of the Year for 2022.
• The prestigious IEI (Institution of Engineers, India) Industry Excellence Award 2022 was presented to National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) in Chennai.
• Karim Benzema, a football player for France, has declared his retirement from international competition.
• Rafael Nadal of Spain has been awarded the Men’s International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Champion 2022 for the fifth time following a successful 2022 season.
• Rehan Ahmed, England’s leg-spinner, became the youngest men’s Test cricketer to capture a five-wicket haul on debut during the third match versus Pakistan now underway at the National Bank Cricket Arena.

• Sri Lankans can hold $10,000 (Rs 8.14 lakh) worth of the Indian rupee (INR) in a physical form, though the INR would not be legal tender in Sri Lanka after India approved a Sri Lankan request to designate the INR as the foreign currency.
• The Uttar Pradesh (UP) government has signed several agreements with investors in Singapore ahead of the UP Global Investors Summit  (UPGIS) in February 2023 as it sought Singapore’s support for reaching a USD 50 billion investment commitments target.
• According to data, people from Tamil Nadu were the biggest beneficiaries among 33 States and Union Territories (UT) that have implemented the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).
• Tamil Nadu (TN) Chief Minister (CM) M K Stalin introduced a single window system to accord clearances to green projects to attain 1 Trillion economies by 2030.
• Tata AIA Life Insurance Company Limited (Tata AIA) has launched a new Emerging Opportunities Fund that will invest in mid-cap companies and emerging market leaders
• State-owned Bank of Baroda (BoB) plans to sell its majority stake in Nainital Bank.  
• Equitas Small Finance Bank Limited, one of the leading Small Finance Banks (SFBs), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Controller General of Defence Accounts, Ministry of Defence, Government of India.
• State Bank India (SBI) will start overseas trade in rupee with smaller countries like Mauritius and Sri Lanka to steer clear of any transactions with Russia which carries the risk of sanctions by the West.
• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) extended the hours of trading for a number of the markets that it regulates; the new timings from 9 am to 5 pm will come into effect from 12 Dec 2022.
• Bank of Baroda, one of India’s leading public sector banks, has launched the 2nd edition of Green Ride – Ek Pehal Swachh Hawa Ki Aur, an initiative with environmental advocate and fitness enthusiast, Milind Soman.
• Indian-origin Leo Varadkar, former Irish Deputy Prime Minister ( Tánaiste) and leader of the Fine Gael party, has been elected as the new prime minister ( Taoiseach) of Ireland for the second term in Dec 2022 for 5 years.
• Hon’ble Minister of Railways, Communications, Electronics & Information Technology, Govt. of India, Ashwini Vaishnaw has been appointed as the Chancellor of Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya, Vadodara, Gujarat by Hon’ble President Smt. Draupadi Murmu.
• Indian Naval Ship (INS) Mormugao (D67), a second warship of the P15B class of stealth guided-missile destroyers, was commissioned into the Indian Navy in the presence of Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
• The Indian Air Force (IAF) received the delivery of the 36th Rafale fighter jets from France
• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully tested the Hot Test of the Scramjet Engine at ISRO’s Propulsion Research Complex at Mahendragiri in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu (TN).