DAILY GK 27-28 DEC

 DAILY GK 27-28 DEC

1.       COINSWITCH RELEASED “INDIA’S CRYPTO PORTFOLIO 2023”

●        According to “India’s Crypto Portfolio 2023”, the annual investor report of CoinSwitch, India’s largest crypto trading platform, Delhi tops India’s crypto adoption (measured in terms of value invested) in 2023.

●        Delhi accounted for 8.8% of total crypto investment followed by Bengaluru(Karnataka) with 8.3% and Mumbai(Maharashtra) with 5.2%.

●        Other Top Indian cities are Hyderabad(Telangana) accounted for 3.8% of India’s Crypto adoption followed by Pune(Maharashtra) with 2.7%; Gurgaon (Haryana) with 2.2%;

●        Bitcoin, the most prominent crypto, is up by more than 150% year on year, compared to December 2022.

●        The report stated that Dogecoin (DOGE), is the most popular coin for retail investors.

 

2.       INDIA & OMAN ADOPTS VISION DOCUMENT TO EXPAND BILATERAL COOPERATION

●        Narendra Modi, Prime Minister (PM) of India and Haitham Bin Tarik, the Sultan of Oman adopted the joint Vision document titled ‘A Partnership for the Future’ for strengthening bilateral cooperation in diverse areas and to scale up the partnership between India and Oman.

●        The vision document was adopted during the maiden visit of his Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, the Sultanate of Oman, to India

●        Oman:Capital– Muscat

 

3.       GLOBAL RISK SURVEY 2023: CYBER RISK TOPS

●        According to the report titled “PwC Global Risk Survey 2023 – India highlights”, Cyber risks are tops as the biggest threat faced by the Indian organisations.

●        Around 38% of respondents are feeling highly or extremely exposed to cyber risk.

●        Climate change (37%) and inflation (36%) were the 2nd and 3rd biggest threats for Indian organisations.

●        PwC India Headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal (WB) while PwC Global headquartered in London, United Kingdom (UK).

 

4.       INDIA’S ROOFTOP SOLAR CAPACITY CROSSES 10 GW

●        Union Minister Raj Kumar Singh(RK Singh), Ministry of New and Renewable Energy(MNRE), informed that the cumulative Roof Top Solar (RTS) installed capacity increased to 10.406 Gigawatts (GW) (as of 30th November 2023) from 1.8 GW (as of 31st March 2019

●        3.2 GW of RTS installed capacity(30% of the total installed capacity), Gujarat has emerged as the leader in RTS segment.

●        Gujarat is followed by Maharashtra with 1.85 GW and Rajasthan with 1.06 GW capacity.

●        In 2015, the government of India approved the Grid Connected Rooftop and Small Solar Power Plants Programme to install 4,200 megawatt (MW) RTS plants in India by the year 2019-20.

●        The objective  to achieve a cumulative installed capacity of 40,000 MW from Grid Connected RTS projects.

●        The RTS programe was extended till March 2026 without change in financial outlay.

 

5.       IRDAI IS SET TO LAUNCH ‘BIMA VISTAAR’

●        The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) is all set to launch the first of its kind affordable insurance product covering risks against life, health, and property namely ‘Bima Vistaar’ in the first quarter of 2024-2025 i.e. Q1FY25.

●        Bima Vistaar is a part of Insurance Trinity which also includes Bima Sugam, a one-stop digital platform; and Bima Vahak, a women-led field distribution force.

●        These efforts are integral to IRDAI’s vision for universal insurance by 2047 by addressing gaps in product design, pricing, distribution, and more.

●        Women ‘Vahaks’ will promote affordable social security and encourage/convince rural women to opt for Bima Vistaar coverage.

 

6.       ANGOLA QUITS OPEC 

●        The Republic of Angola announced its decision to withdraw from OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries), with effect from January 2024, after disagreements regarding the OPEC’s production targets.

●        OPEC is a permanent, intergovernmental Organization enabling the cooperation of leading oil-producing countries.

●        OPEC+, formed in 2016, is a group consisting of OPEC members(13 members including  Angola) and top 10 oil-producing countries.

●        OPEC was created at the Baghdad Conference in 1960, by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.

●        Secretary General of OPEC – Haitham Al Ghais(Kuwait)

●        Headquarters– Vienna, Austria

●        Current Member: Algeria; Angola; Congo; Equatorial Guinea; Gabon; Iran; Iraq; Kuwait; Libya; Nigeria; Saudi Arabia; United Arab Emirates(UAE) and Venezuela.

●         Indonesia(2016); Qatar(2019) and Ecuador(2020) are the other countries that have left OPEC.

 

7.       RBI RELEASES DRAFT LICENSING FRAMEWORK FOR APS UNDER FEMA

●        Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released a draft ‘Licensing Framework for Authorized Persons (APs)‘ under Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999.

●        The goal is to improve operational efficiency in delivering foreign exchange services to individuals, tourists, and businesses while maintaining necessary safeguards.

●        RBI proposed to introduce a scheme, i.e., FCS, based on a principal-agency model, where AD Category-I or AD Category-II acts as the principal for Forex Correspondents (FxCs), entering into agency agreements under the FCS.

 

8.       WINNERS OF SAHITYA AKADEMI 2023 ANNOUNCED

●        The Sahitya Akademi announced the winners of the Sahitya Akademi Awards 2023, the annual award that recognizes literary works in 24 Indian languages (including English).

●        The winners of the Sahitya Akademi Awards 2023 include 9 books of poetry, 6 Novels, 5 short stories, 3 Essays, and 1 Literary Study.

●        The Award is in the form of a casket containing an engraved copper plaque, a shawl, and a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh.

●        The Sahitya Akademi Award is the second-highest literary honor by the Government of India, following the Jnanpith Award.

●        The head office of the Sahitya Akademi is in New Delhi, Delhi.

 

9.       BSE CHAIRMAN

●        The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has approved the appointment of Pramod Agrawal as the Chairman of the BSE Limited (formerly Bombay Stock Exchange) with effect from 17th January 2024.

●        Pramod Agrawal is a retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 1991 batch belonging to the Madhya Pradesh (MP) cadre.

●         BSE Limited:Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra

●        Established in  –  1875

 

10.    IN COMMISSIONED STEALTH GUIDED MISSILE DESTROYER INS IMPHAL

●        Indian Navy (IN) commissioned the Indian Naval Ship (INS) Imphal (Yard 12706), a Stealth Guided Missile Destroyer, at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai, Maharashtra

●        It is the third of four Project 15B ‘Visakhapatnam’ class destroyers designed by the IN’s Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai.

●        Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS)– Admiral Radhakrishnan Hari Kumar

 

11.    BOOK ‘FEAST SOFTWARE’

●        The book titled “Introduction to Finite Element Analysis – A Textbook for Engineering Students” released by the Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO)’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) offers insights into the fundamentals of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) method and how FEAST (Finite Element Analysis of Structures) software can be used for solving real-world problems.

●        The book was edited by S Somanath, Chairman of ISRO, and  Dr. Unnikrishnan Nair S, Director of  VSSC- Thiruvananthapuram(Kerala), and written by finite element analysis experts of VSSC.

 

12.    VEER BAL DIWAS 2023 – DECEMBER 26

●        Veer Bal Diwas is annually observed across India on 26 December to pay honour and tribute to the sacrifices of Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Fateh Singh, the 3rd and 4th son(Chhote Sahibzadas) of Guru Gobind Singh, 10th and last Sikh Guru.

●        9 January 2022, on occasion of the Prakash Purab (birth anniversary) of Guru Gobind Singh, PM Narendra Modi declared that December 26 would be observed as ‘Veer Bal Diwas’ to mark the martyrdom of the Chhote Sahibzadas.

●        Guru Gobind Singh Ji was the Sikh leader in Punjab during the Mughal reign and had 4 sons. They were know as the 4 Sahibzade Khalsa.

●        He founded the Sikh warrior community called Khalsa in 1699, especially for the defence of Sikhism and Hinduism against the Mughals.

●        On December 1704, Guru Gobind Singh’s eldest sons, Sahibzada Ajit Singh and Sahibzada Jujhar Singh were killed in the Battle of Chamkaur against Mughal.

●        His younger sons Sahibzada Zorawar Singh (9) and Sahibzada Fateh Singh (6), were murdered by Wazir Khan the Mughal Governor of Sirhind.

 

13.    99TH WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL HELD IN GWALIOR

●        Tansen Samaroh 2023, The 99th edition of the annual World Music Festival, is being held in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh (MP)

●        The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, applauded the performance of 1,282 tabla players at the ongoing ‘Tansen Festival’ in Madhya Pradesh for entering the Guinness Book of World Records.

●        Tansen Samaroh music festival is annually organised in the month of December in Gwalior to pay tribute to the Indian musical legend, “father of Hindustani music” Ramtanu Misra, famously known as Mian Tansen.

●        A renowned Indian Hindustani classical vocalist Pandit Ganpati Bhatt from Karnataka was conferred with the Tansen Samman 2022.

●        It is recognized as the highest honour in Indian classical music that acknowledges exceptional contributions to the field of arts and culture.

●        Guru Saxena, a renowned poet from Narsinghpur, MP was conferred with Kavi Pradeep Samman 2022

●        Raja Mansingh Tomar Samman 2022 :Malwa Lok Kala Kendra from Ujjain, MP was conferred with the award, for his excellence in arts and culture preservation.