NATIONAL NEWS

Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve Notified 56th Tiger Reserve

The Union Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change has notified Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve of Chhattisgarh as the 56th Tiger Reserve of India.

The Ministry issued the notification on 18 November 2024.

The apex Tiger conservation body, the National Tiger Conservation Authority, had given its approval in 2021, and the Ministry has issued the notification now.

Tiger reserve area 2,829 square km area

The reserve's core tiger habitat is 2049.2 square km, comprising the Guru Ghasidas National Park and Tamor Pingla Wildlife Sanctuary, and has a buffer of 780.15 square km

The Guru Ghasidas -Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve is geographically spread mainly over the Chota Nagpur plateau and partially over the Baghelkhand plateau.

Seven hundred fifty-three species, including 365 invertebrates and 388 vertebrates, are found in the reserve.

Government of India Has Launched the PAIR Initiative

The Government of India has launched the PAIR initiative under the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) to foster research excellence and innovation in central and state public universities, especially those with limited research infrastructure.

Objective

Enhance Research Capacity: Support internationally competitive research and stimulate innovation in emerging institutions.

Collaborative Networks: Build productive partnerships between top-ranking and emerging institutions.

Mentorship-Driven Model: Foster research excellence through a hub-and-spoke model, where leading institutions mentor others.

Institutional Development: Upscale research infrastructure, Improve research quality and Introduce best practices in research culture.

It bridges the research gap by leveraging the expertise of top-tier institutions.

It also creates a robust network for collaborative research.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Peru Hosted The 31st APEC Summit Economic Leaders Meeting

The 31st Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders Meeting, in which the leaders of the 21 member countries participated, was held in Lima, Peru.

Along with the Economic Leaders Meeting, the 35th APEC Ministerial meeting was held in Lima

The meeting was hosted by the Peruvian President, Dina Boluarte.

It was the last summit meeting of United States President Joe Biden, as his terms end on 19 January 2024, and Donald Trump will be sworn in on 20 January 2025.

APEC is an intergovernmental group of 21 countries in the Asia Pacific region that promotes economic ties among its members. Around 40 per cent of the world's population lives here.

The members of APEC contribute around 50 % of world trade, and they constitute around 60 per cent of the world's gross domestic product (GDP).

The next Summit meeting will be hosted by South Korea in 2025, followed by China in 2026 and Vietnam in 2027.

The theme of the 2024 APEC Economic Leaders meeting was “Empower. Include. Grow.”

The leaders issued a declaration after their meeting titled “Machu Picchu Declaration.”

The declaration called for increased trade and investment, supply chain connectivity, anti-corruption, sustainable and inclusive growth.

Global Soil Conference 2024 Inaugurated in New Delhi

The four-day Global Soils Conference 2024 was inaugurated in New Delhi on 19 November 2024 and will be held from 19 to 22 November 2024.

The conference, which is the apex global platform for world soil scientists and stakeholders, provides a platform for the stakeholders- government, scientists, industry leaders, farmers, etc. to discuss various issues regarding the importance of soils and to find a solution to concerns about the issue of soil degradation and its sustainable management.

The Global Soils Conference is being organised by the Indian Society of Soil Science, New Delhi, under the aegis of the International Union of Soil Sciences, Italy, with the collaboration of the New Delhi-based Indian Council of Agricultural Research and the National Academy of Agricultural Science.

“Caring Soils Beyond Food Security: Climate Change Mitigation and Ecosystem Services” was the 2024 Global Soils Conference theme.

 

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Indian Space Research Organisation to Launch NISAR Satellite in Early 2025

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) plans to launch the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) Earth Observation Satellite in early 2025.

The satellite will be launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Andhra Pradesh (AP)

ISRO has shown interest in building an Earth Observation (EO) satellite for Mexico to strengthen bilateral relations.

This cooperation is aimed at enhancing the 75-year-old diplomatic relationship between India and Mexico.

Mexico's Ambassador to India, Federico Salas, met ISRO Chairman S. Somanath in Bengaluru.

The meeting highlighted the successful cooperation between the two countries' space agencies.

 

BANKING

Canara Bank Designates RCom and Its Subsidiary As 'Fraud' Accounts

Canara Bank has classified Reliance Communications (RCom) and its subsidiary, Reliance Telecom, as "fraud" accounts due to non-utilization of funds as per the sanctioned terms.

The bank alleges that the loan amount was routed through RCom to Reliance Telecom for settling liabilities to connected or related parties, violating the terms of the loan agreement.

The loans availed by RCom were invested in mutual funds and fixed assets, which were liquidated immediately to make payments to related and non-related parties.

Canara Bank had sanctioned a loan of Rs 1,050 crore to Reliance Communications.

Reliance Communications was classified as a non-performing asset (NPA) in March 2017.

Ericsson India initiated insolvency proceedings against Reliance Communications, leading to the company's admission into the Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP) in May 2018

 

AWARDS & PRIZES

Victoria Kjær Theilvig of Denmark Crowned Miss Universe 2024

Victoria Kjær Theilvig from Denmark has been crowned Miss Universe 2024, marking the first time a Danish contestant has won the prestigious title.

Kjær, an animal protection advocate and diamond industry professional, emerged victorious after competing against Miss Nigeria, who was the runner-up, while Miss Mexico placed third.

The 73rd edition of Miss Universe was held in the Mexico City Arena, with a capacity of 20,000 people, creating a vibrant atmosphere with supporters waving flags from around the world.

The event began with a performance from 131 mariachi musicians and a special appearance by Taboo of the Black Eyed Peas, who performed "Mexicana," a song created by Emilio Estefan for the contest.

The gala was hosted by Mario López, Olivia Culpo (Miss Universe 2012), Zuri Hall, and Catriona Gray (Miss Universe 2018)

 

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

K. Sanjay Murthy Appointed as the Next GAG of India

The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, has appointed K Sanjay Murthy as India's next Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).

He will succeed the incumbent, Girish Chandra Murmu

The Comptroller General of India is the head of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), which controls the country's entire financial system. It is also called the Guardian of Public Funds.

The newly appointed CAG of India, K. Sanjay Murthy, is a 1989 batch IAS officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre.

He is currently Secretary of the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education and was due to retire on 31 December 2024.

The Comptroller and Auditor General is a constitutional body under Article 148 of the Indian constitution.

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India is the custodian of public finances and the controller of the entire financial system of the country.

 

SPORTS

Magnus Carlsen Clinches Tata Steel Chess India Blitz Title

Magnus Carlsen triumphed in the sixth edition of Tata Steel Chess India Blitz after a dramatic turn of events.

Arjun Erigaisi, who had been leading the tournament with three rounds left, faltered dramatically, ending off the podium.

Carlsen finished 1.5 points ahead of second-placed Wesley So, clinching his second title in five days and his 10th major title of the year.

Arjun Erigaisi's over-ambitious strategy led to losses in his final three games, including a critical defeat to Carlsen in the penultimate round.

Wesley So capitalized on Arjun's collapse, securing second place with an outstanding 8.0/9 score on the final day.

Jorge Martin Clinches First MotoGP World Championship

Jorge Martin of Prima Pramac Ducati has won his first MotoGP World Championship in the 2024 season.

Martin only needed a 9th place finish or higher in the Solidarity Grand Prix of Barcelona to secure the title, with a 19-point lead over Pecco Bagnaia.

Throughout the 24-lap race, Martin maintained a measured pace, while Pecco Bagnaia led the race, with Marc Marquez pursuing him on the Gresini Ducati.

Aleix Espargaro, riding for Factory Aprilia, helped Martin by keeping pressure off him, staying ahead of Alex Marquez and acting as a defensive buffer.

Jorge Martin crossed the finish line, realizing his long-held dream and securing the championship, finishing with 10 points more than Pecco.

Marc Marquez completed the season in third place, a notable achievement riding a year-old Ducati for a satellite team.