NATIONAL NEWS

NGEL and HPCL Signed an Agreement

• NTPC Green Energy Ltd (NGEL) has signed an agreement with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) for the development of renewable energy-based power projects for HPCL Refineries and other Business Units.

• The agreement was signed in New Delhi by Mr Neeraj Sharma, Head of Finance, NGEL and Shri Shuvendu Gupta, Executive Director- BioFuels & Renewables, HPCL.

• Under the agreement NGEL which is a subsidiary of NTPC will supply 400 MW renewable power to the HPCL

• This MoU marks the first step for NGEL and HPCL to collaborate and cooperate in the field of development of Renewable Energy projects which shall help HPCL in meeting its Clean Energy Commitments.

Union Cabinet Approves Naming of Mopa Airport

• The Union cabinet in a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved for naming the Greenfield International Airport at Goa's Mopa as Manohar International Airport, after former defence minister and Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar.

• Manohar Parrikar was the Chief Minister of Goa from 2000 to 2005, 2012 to 2014 and from 14 March 2017 until his death in March 2019.

• Manohar Parrikar was also the union Defence minister from October 2014-March 2017.

• He was awarded Padma Bhushan posthumously in January 2020.

Central Sector Broadcasting Infrastructure & Network Development Scheme

• The Central Government has approved Central Sector Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development (BIND) Scheme with an outlay of over two 2,539 crore rupees up to 2025-2026 on 04 January 2023.

• The scheme will financially assist Prasar Bharati in expansion and upgradation of its broadcasting infrastructure, content development and civic works.

• The scheme will enable the public broadcaster to upgrade facilities with better infrastructure.

• This will enhance the reach of the scheme including Left Wing Extremism, Border and Strategic Sectors and provide high quality content to the viewers.

All India Annual State Ministers Conference on Water

• First All India Annual State Ministers Conference on Water to be held in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh on 05 January and 06 January 2023.

• The Government is to discuss on the preparation of the Action Plan and Vision Document of India@2047.

• Water Vision@2047 is part of PM’s India@2047 plan.

• Thematic sessions will be organised at the conference to focus on water security, water use efficiency, water governance, water infrastructure and water quality.

• The participants will have to prepare a blueprint of Water Vision @ 2047 and prepare a road map to overcome the water problems of the country.

State Food Security Scheme

• The Naveen Patnaik government in Odisha will provide free 5 Kg rice per month to the beneficiaries under the State Food Security Scheme for one year.

• According to the Chief Minister’s Office the total expenditure for the scheme will be Rs 185 crore which will be given by the state government.

• Under the National Food Security Act, the Antodaya Anna Yojana beneficiaries get 35 kg of food grains (rice or wheat or coarse cereals) per month and the Priority Household gets 5kg per person per month.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Karnataka Transmission Project

• According to the Norwegian embassy in India Norway’s Climate Investment Fund, managed by Norfund, together with Norwegian pension fund KLP will invest Rs 90 crore in a transmission project in Karnataka being developed by ReNew Power company.

• The Norwegian fund together will hold 49% stake in the ReNew’s transmission project in Koppel, Karnataka.

• The Norwegian investment in Karnataka will connect 2.5 GW of renewable capacity to the national grid.

• ReNew is one of the largest renewable energy independent power producers globally. ReNew develops, builds, owns and operates utility-scale wind energy, solar energy and hydro projects.

• This will be the third investment of the Climate investment fund in India.

BANKING

IDBI Mutual Fund to LIC Mutual Fund

• IDBI Bank signed an agreement to transfer schemes from IDBI Mutual Fund (IDBI MF) to LIC Mutual Fund (LIC MF).

• The decision has been taken to comply with Section 7B of the Securities and Exchange Board of India’s (SEBI) Mutual Fund Regulations.

• LIC completed the takeover of IDBI Bank, the sponsor of IDBI Mutual Fund, in January 2019.

• SEBI rules restrict a single promoter to own more than a 10% stake in multiple asset management companies (AMCs).

Tata AIA Life Introduces Emerging Opportunities Fund

• Tata AIA Life Insurance has launched Emerging Opportunity Fun, and ULIP plans (Unit Linked Insurance Plans) which can spend money on mid-cap firms and rising market leaders with the potential to generate important future development.

• The purposes for ULIP plans with the New Fund Offering (NFO) window will stay open until 31 December 2022.

• Investments within the Fund might be made using Tata AIA’s ULIP choices like Fortune Pro, Wealth Pro, Fortune Maxima and Wealth Maxima.

AWARDS & PRIZES

World Habitat Award 2023

• Odisha government’s slum improvement and land titling programme, JAGA (Odisha Liveable Habitat Mission has won the UN-Habitat’s World Habitat Awards 2023.

• This year it was awarded the bronze medal.

• This is the second time that the programme has received the UN-Habitat’s World Habitat Award.

• In 2019, the project received the World Habitat Awards for its success in providing land tenure security to slum dwellers.

• This award is given by World Habitat, a United Kingdom -based organization, in partnership with United Nation (UN)-Habitat, in recognition of innovative, outstanding and revolutionary ideas, projects and programmes from across the world.

• The Government of Odisha in May 2018 launched JAGA Mission based on the Odisha Land Rights to Slum Dwellers Act, 2017.

• It is the world’s largest slum titling and upgradation initiative.
• It aims to make Odisha the first state in India to be slum free by the end of 2023.

International IACP Awards 2022

• The US-based international organisation International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) has selected Chhattisgarh Police's anti-drug and illicit liquor campaign 'Nijat' for 'Leadership in Crime Prevention' in the institutional category.

• Nijat was launched by the Chhattisgarh Police under the leadership of IPS officer Santosh Kumar Singh, who launched an intensive drive against drug addiction and illicit liquor in the districts of Koriya, Rajnandgaon and presently Korba.

• Under this campaign, a comprehensive awareness campaign is also being run among the people against drugs from city to village.

• The campaign undertook to end the illegal trade of illegal drugs, narcotics and alcohol as well as prevent its smuggling.

• IACP is the world's largest and most influential professional association for police leaders.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Braille Day

• World Braille Day is celebrated every year on 04 January and it also marks the birth anniversary of Braille’s inventor Louis Braille.

• It was Louis Braille who gave birth to the Braille script, due to which today blind people are also able to read and write and are moving forward.

• The day also recognizes that people with visual impairments are equally entitled to the same standards of human rights as all others.

• World Braille Day was celebrated for the first time on 04 January 2019.

• The United Nations General Assembly decided to celebrate the birthday of Louis Braille, the father of Braille script.

OBITUTARY

Pritzker-Winning Japanese Architect Arata Isozaki

• A Pritzker-winning Japanese architect, Arata Isozaki Passed away in Japan’s southern island of Okinawa. He was at the age of 91.

• Arata Isozaki was a Japanese architect, urban designer and theorist.

• He was awarded the RIBA Gold Medal.

• Isozaki won the Pritzker Architecture Prize, internationally the highest honour in the field, in 2019

• He is known as a post-modern giant who blended the culture and history of the East and the West in his designs.