NATIONAL NEWS

Asia's First Drone Delivery Hub

• The Meghalaya government in partnership with Startup TechEagle has unveiled Asia's first drone delivery hub and network Meghalaya Drone Delivery Network (MDDN).
• The Meghalaya Drone Delivery Network (MDDN) project is aimed at delivering vital supplies like drugs, diagnostic samples, vaccines, blood and blood components quickly and safely to different regions of the state using a dedicated drone delivery network.
• It will be possible to overcome the problem of lack of visibility, high delivery costs, outdated technology and inaccessibility through roads and railway networks and deliver better healthcare facilities to people of Meghalaya.

NSIC Signs MoU with Walmart

• An MoU was signed between Walmart Global Sourcing India Private Limited and The National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) Limited.

• The MoU was signed at the Walmart Vriddhi Seller Summit in New Delhi.

• The MoU aims to jointly accelerate capacity building for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across India.
• The partnership is also aimed at supporting MSMEs in their journey to become a part of retail supply chains, locally and globally.
• The partnership with NSIC will enable a large number of small businesses and entrepreneurs in India to access the Vriddhi program.
• The Vridhi program provides training and an end-to-end learning platform, along with access to the support needed to grow and expand businesses.

High-Frequency Radio System

• Delhi Police is set to design, install and supply the ‘Open Standard Digital Trunking Radio System’ (OS-DTRS) and will phase out the current wireless network services.
• It will be a more efficient internal communication system, aimed at a faster exchange of information and bigger networks.
• This system provides multiple channels and common groups for policemen.
• It will also have a voice logger system, which can be used to describe a crime scene, interrogation details and evidence.
• The project’s master site will be at the Delhi Police Head Quarters.

BANKING

RBI's Monetary Policy

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) raised its Repo rate or the key lending rate by 35 basis points (bps) to 6.25%, to curb lingering inflation pressures.
• This is the fifth time in a row that the RBI has increased the repo rate in 2022.
• The RBI policy rate is now at its highest level since August 2018.
• The RBI also cut the growth forecast for the current financial year to 6.8 per cent.
• Standing deposit facility (SDF) rate stands adjusted to 6.00 per cent.
• The marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the bank rate have been kept at 6.50 per cent.
• In FY23 Consumer Price Index (CPI) estimate at 6.7 per cent. It remains unchanged.

SPORTS

Weightlifting World Championship in Colombia

• Former world champion Mirabai Chanu won silver medal in the women’s 49kg division at the World Weightlifting Championships 2022 being held in Bogota, Colombia.

• The World Weightlifting Championships 2022 are the first in the series of qualifying events for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

• It is being held in Bogota, Colombia from 05 December to 15 December 2022.

RANKS, INDICES & REPORTS

Forbes Asia Heroes of Philanthropy List

• Three Indian billionaires Gautam Adani, Shiv Nadar and Ashok Soota were named in the 16th edition of Forbes Asia's Heroes of Philanthropy list.

• It also included Malaysian-Indian businessman Brahmal Vasudevan and his lawyer wife Shanthi Kandiah.

• Asia’s richest man Gautam Adani has pledged Rs 60,000 crore to charity. The money will be used in healthcare, education and skill development.
• Co-founder of HCL Technologies, Shiv Nadar has donated Rs 11,600 crore to the Shiv Nadar Foundation.
• Ashok Soota, founder of Happiest Mind software company has pledged Rs 600 crore to the medical research trust.

AWARDS & PRIZES

Time Magazine's 2022 Person of the Year

• The American magazine ‘Time’ has named Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and ‘the spirit of Ukraine’ as its 2022 Person of the Year.

• The Time person of the year award goes to an event or person deemed to have had the most influence on global events over the past 12 months.

• The Time magazine editor Edward Felsenthal wrote that ‘spirit of Ukraine’ referred to Ukrainians around the world, including many who ‘fought behind the scenes’ against the Russian invasion.

EAG Laureate Award on Financial Security

• State-owned Bank of Baroda has announced it has bagged an EAG Laureate award in the International Olympiad of Financial Security held at Sochi, Russia.
• The Eurasian group on combating money laundering and terrorism (EAG) is a FATF type regional which comprises of 9 members including India.
• TheFinancial Action Task Force (FATF) is the global anti- money laundering and anti- terrorist financing body.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Chairman of ONGC

• The Government of India has appointed former chairman of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) Arun Kumar Singh, as the new chairman of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).

• He has been appointed for a term of three years.

• Vetsa Rama Krishna Gupta has taken over the additional charge of Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL).

• It is a public sector company owned by the government of India.

Chancellor of Kerala Kalamandalam Deemed University

• The Kerala Government appointed classical dancer Mallika Sarabhai as the chancellor of the Kerala Kalamandalam deemed university.
• Mallika Sarabhai is a world-renowned Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi performer.
• Apart from being a dancer, she has also proved her mettle in the fields of theatre, film and television and has also established herself as a writer, publisher and director.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Technology to Generate Electricity from Sea Waves

• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras Researchers have developed an 'Ocean Wave Energy Converter' that can generate electricity from sea waves.

• The system, named 'Sindhuja-I', was deployed by the researchers about six kilometres off the coast of Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu, where the sea depth is about 20 metres.
• Sindhuja-I can currently produce 100 watts of power. It will generate one megawatt of power in the next three years.
• The research team plans to deploy a remote water desalination system and a surveillance camera at the location by December 2023.
• The system has been named 'Sindhuja-1', which means 'originating from the ocean’.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Civil Aviation Day

• International Civil Aviation Day is observed every year on 07 December.
• This day is observed to raise awareness about the importance of civil aviation and its contribution in the world.
• The day honours civil aviation workers, air traffic controllers and everyone who works towards keeping flights and flying safe for passengers.
• The theme for the year 2022 is ‘Advancing Innovation for Global Aviation Development’.
• The first Civil Aviation Day was observed on 07 December 1994 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Chicago convention.

Armed Forces Flag Day

• The Armed Forces Flag Day is observed every year on 07 December.

• It is to honour the martyrs and the Armed Forces personnel who safeguard the motherland.

• The day is dedicated towards collection of funds from people for the welfare of the Armed Forces personnel.
• The fund collected on this day is also used for the welfare of the serving personnel and ex-servicemen.
• The day also pays tribute to the thousands of men who have died defending the country.
• This day is observed to honour Indian soldiers, sailors and pilots.