Important Weekly Current Affairs PDF Download (Dec 22nd to 31st Dec 2023)

Dear Readers, Here we have given the list of Important Weekly Current Affairs of Dec 22nd to 31st Dec 2023. Candidates those who are preparing for Upcoming SBIClerk 2023 and other competitive exams can make use of it.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

• National Mathematics Day 2023 is observed on the 22nd of December 2023.
• National Consumer Rights Day 2023 is observed on the 24th of December 2023.
• Christmas Day 2023 is observed on the 25th of December 2023.
• Good Governance Day 2023 is observed on the 25th of December 2023.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE

• Private sector Karur Vysya Bank Limited (KVB) and HDFC Life Insurance Company Limited (HDFC Life) have entered into a corporate agency (CA) agreement to offer life insurance products to their respective customers.
• Life Insurance Corp (LIC), the country’s biggest institutional holder of marketable securities, is officially an anchor investor for an upcoming bond sale by the National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (NABARD), marking the first such occurrence in India’s corporate debt market.
• PayCraft Solutions Private Limited, a Mumbai-based fintech entity specializing in online and offline payments processing, has launched the One Nation Corporate Card in partnership with NSDL Payments Bank and the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
• U GRO Capital, a lending tech platform catering to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), has raised Rs 250 crore (approximately USD 30 million) through non-convertible debentures (NCDs) from FMO, the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank based in the Hague, the Netherlands.
• CASHe, a leading credit-led Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven financial wellness platform, has unveiled its super app with the tagline – ‘Bharat Ka Money App.’
• IDFC First Bank, LIC Cards, and Mastercard announced their collaboration to launch an exclusive co-branded credit card to meet the dynamic financial needs of the country.
• Pension regulator Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has issued a Draft Risk Management Framework for the Central Record keeping Agencies (CRAs) under National Pension System (NPS) architecture.
• SBI Mutual Fund acquired shares of scheduled commercial bank Karur Vysya Bank (KVB) for Rs 190 crore through open market transactions.
• State Bank of India (SBI) has signed a $165 million (over Rs 1,300 crore) Line of Credit (LoC) with the World Bank for promoting rooftop solar projects in India.
• Bandhan Bank has obtained a mandate to oversee revenue collection on the Assam government’s e-GRAS portal.
• The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) has constituted an expert committee on transition finance to formulate a regulatory framework to promote green and sustainable debt securities.
• Private sector lender Axis Bank has tied up with American Express and launched an Axis Bank Privilege Credit Card on the American Express network.
• Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance Company has introduced a new insurance product known as U.L.I.P – Term with Unit Linked Insurance Plan.
• Bank of Baroda informed, in an exchange filing, that the Reserve Bank of India had imposed a penalty of ₹5 crore on the bank, in light of a shortage in the soiled note remittances.
• Pension fund regulator, the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) allowed National Pension System (NPS) subscribers to deposit their contributions directly under the D-Remit process through the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) QR code.
• Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance and IDFC First Bank have entered into a bancassurance partnership to offer insurance solutions to the bank’s customers.
• DCB Bank, a new generation private sector bank and Easy Home Finance Limited (EASY) – India’s leading mortgage tech company have entered a colending business alliance to offer affordable home loans in the country.
• Unclaimed deposits with banks have seen a notable 28% year-on-year increase, soaring to Rs 42,270 crore by March 2023, up from Rs 32,934 crore in the fiscal year 2022.
• Bandhan Bank has launched the ‘INSPIRE’ programme for senior citizens, catering to their diverse banking needs, from preferential interest rates and priority banking to doorstep facilities.
• The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has given the green light to a groundbreaking initiative aimed at fortifying urban water and sewerage systems for approximately 2 million people in Tamil Nadu, one of India’s most urbanised states.
• The Government of India (GoI) signed an agreement with Asian Development Bank (ADB) to avail a USD 100 million loan to improve urban services and tourism facilities in the northeastern state of Tripura.
• The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium (DSGE) model forecasts retail inflation to be 4.8% in the fiscal year 2024-25.
• Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) lender U Gro Capital has raised ₹250 crore from Dutch development bank through rupee-denominated non-convertible debentures (NCDs).
• India’s de facto exchange rate regime has been reclassified by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from “floating” to “stabilised arrangement” for the period December 2022 to October 2023.
• Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) will get time till May 2032 to comply with Minimum Public Shareholding (MPS) norms prescribed by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) under Rule 19A (6) of the Securities Contract (Regulations) Rules (SCRR) 1957.
• The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has teamed up with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to help the farming sector tackle the adverse impact of climate change.
• Hinduja-promoted IndusInd Bank sold its entire 2.86% stake in Nippon Life India Asset Management for Rs 795 crore through open market transactions.
• The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has granted Rs 12.45 crore to ETO Motors to deploy 300 electric three-wheelers in Hyderabad, Telangana and New Delhi, Delhi for first- and last-mile passenger connectivity.
• IndusInd Bank has launched ‘eSvarna’, the country’s first corporate credit card on the RuPay network, enabling the private sector lender to become the first to integrate UPI functionality with a corporate credit card.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) directed banks and Non-bank financial companies (NBFCs) not to invest in any scheme of Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs).
• ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund has announced changes in its 28 exchange-traded fund (ETF) product symbols on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and National Stock Exchange (NSE).
• HDFC Life, one of India’s leading insurers, and NKGSB Co-operative Bank Limited, having a legacy of 106 years, have entered into a Corporate Agency tie-up enabling NKGSB Co-operative Bank customers to avail life insurance products of HDFC Life.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed monetary penalties on 4 co-operative banks, ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 7 lakh, for some non-compliances.
• Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has once again extended the deadline for mutual fund and demat account holders to add the name of the beneficiary/beneficiaries or opt out of it till June 30, 2024.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced new guidelines focused on lending and borrowing practices of government securities.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has given its approval for the reverse merger of IDFC Limited and IDFC Financial Holding Company (IDFC FHCL) with its banking subsidiary IDFC First Bank.
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has proposed the introduction of a facility for clearing and settlement of funds and securities on T+0 (same day) and instant settlement cycle on an optional basis.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

• India’s coal demand is expected to increase by 3.5% annually till 2026, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah presented three redrafted Bills in the Lok Sabha to replace the existing British-era criminal laws.
• President of France Emmanuel Macron will be the Chief Guest for the 75th Republic Day celebrations.
• Government allowed additional borrowing of Rs 60,000 crore to 22 states for the National Pension Scheme.
• The government has given a 5,228 crore rupees subsidy to incentivise 11.53 lakh Electric Vehicles in the country in 2023.
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated 9 projects worth 368 crore rupees and laid the foundation stone of three projects worth 3200 crore rupees in Chandigarh.
• The Centre has released ₹72,961 crore in the form of tax devolution to States.
• Vice-President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar launched this new logo of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI).
• Union Minister Smriti Irani inaugurated the National Programme on Anganwadi-cum-Creches in New Delhi.
• Union Minister Bhupender Yadav launched a NITI Aayog report, ‘A Green and Sustainable Growth Agenda for the Global Economy’.
• The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has notified two new return forms, ITR-1 (SAHAJ) and ITR-4 (SUGAM), for the Assessment Year 2024-25. These forms will come into effect from April 1, 2024.
• India will launch an app that will enable companies to track their live cargo across land, rail, sea, and air.
• Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya today virtually launched MedTech Mitra – a strategic initiative to empower MedTech innovators and advance healthcare solutions.
• Union Minister for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) launched three sub-schemes under the aegis of the RAMP programme.
• The Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, 1467 projects of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) have been brought under the Bhoomi Rashi Portal.
• The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has given its ex-post facto approval to the proposal of the Ministry of External Affairs to sign and ratify the Migration and Mobility Agreement between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Italian Republic.
• The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has approved the proposal to open a Consulate General of India in Auckland, New Zealand.
• The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi was apprised of the MoU/Agreement signed which has an immense potential to strengthen the cooperation in the field of broadcasting, exchange of news, and audio-visual programmes as well as significantly augment India’s friendly relations with the country.
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval for the Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for copra for 2024 season.
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval for Improvement & Widening to two lanes with a paved shoulder of road from km 101.300 (Khowai) to km 236.213 (Harina) of NH-208, covering a total length of 134.913 kms in the State of Tripura.
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, gave its approval for the Construction of New 4556 m long, 6-Lane High Level/ Extradosed Cable stayed Bridge across River Ganga (Parallel to Western Side of Existing Digha-Sonepur Rail-Cum Road Bridge) and its approaches on both sides in the Districts of Patna and Saran (NH-139W) in the State of Bihar on EPC mode.
• This project is aimed at providing faster commute and to provide better connectivity between North and South Parts of Bihar.
• At present, the Indian Telecommunications sector is governed by three separate Acts of Parliament – Indian Telegraph Act 1885, Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act 1933, Telegraph Wires, (Unlawful Protection) Act 1950
• In a step towards fostering collaboration between the public and private sectors in infrastructure capacity-building, the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Ministry of Finance, Government of India, and World Bank Group have launched an e-course.
• President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023.
• The Central government has increased the rate of interest on two small savings schemes for January-March 2024 quarter by up to 20 basis points.
• Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav launched the National Transit Pass System (NTPS) pan-India to facilitate the seamless transit of timber, bamboo, and other forest produce across the country.
• Fifty-one mineral exploration projects worth over 419 crore rupees have been approved this year by National Mineral Exploration Trust.
• Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari has sanctioned in the Union territory of Ladakh an allocation of 1170.16 crore for 29 roads projects, encompassing state Highway, major and other District roads.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi becomes first world leader to reach 2 crore subscribers on YouTube channel.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : INTERNATIONAL NEWS

• Thousands of people were affected when Tropical Cyclone Jasper hit northeastern Australia.
• The United Kingdom government follows the European Union in deciding to enforce a carbon border tax on specific commodities such as iron, steel, aluminium, ceramics, and cement, starting in 2027.
• The top court in the United States (US) state of Colorado ordered former US President Donald Trump to be taken off the ballot in the state for the Presidential elections next year.
• The GCC has signed a free trade agreement with South Koreato boost trade and economic ties between the six-member bloc and Seoul.
• Madhya Pradesh (MP) government will set up PM College of Excellence in all districts of the state.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh and launch multiple development projects worth over 15,000 crore rupees in the state.
• Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) {DEPwD), MoSJ&E, GoI through National Divyangjan Finance and Development Corporation (NDFDC, an apex corporation under (DEPwD) is organizing a unique event showcasing the products and craftsmanship of Divyang entrepreneurs/artisans from across the country, ‘Divya Kala Mela’ from 29^thDecember 2023 – 7^th January 2024 in Surat, Gujrat.
• The Jammu and Kashmir administration has amended the Union Territory’s Panchayati Raj Act to incorporate reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBC), an official spokesperson stated.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

• Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh has been awarded Bhutan’s National Order of Merit Gold Medal.
• UNESCO has awarded Rambagh Gate and Ramparts in Amritsar, Punjab.
• Sukrita Paul Kumar has won the sixth edition of the Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize for her book, ‘Salt & Pepper: Selected Poems’.
• ISRO has been awarded the Leif Erikson Lunar Prize by the Husavik Museum for its achievements in advancing lunar exploration and contributing to understanding celestial mysteries through the successful Chandrayaan-3 mission.
• Professor Savita Ladage from Mumbai’s Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) has been named winner of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s (RSC) Nyholm Prize for Education in recognition of her contribution to chemistry education.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

• The Government of India today signed an agreement with Asian Development Bank (ADB) to avail a USD 100 million loan to improve urban services and tourism facilities in the northeastern state of Tripura.
• The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Reliance Retail’s JioMart as part of its efforts to enhance the outreach of the products of self-help groups (SHGs) of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
• A historic tripartite peace accord was signed between the Centre, the Assam Government and the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) in New Delhi.
• India and Oman will likely sign a free trade agreement in early 2024.
• India and Russia signed the agreement on the construction of future power units of the Kudankulam nuclear plant.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

• Trade deficit for November 2023 declined to $20.58 billion from the all-time high level of $31.5 billion in October 2023.
• The National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) has made a secondary data-based estimate of logistics cost in India.
• Inbound shipments of thermal coal from the US increased to 1.40 million tonnes (MT), highest in over a year.
• As per the latest statistics of the Ministry of Coal, the cumulative achievement in coal production during FY’ 2023-24 from April 2023 to 25th December 2023, has touched 664.37 million tonne (MT), indicating a substantial 12.29% growth compared to the corresponding period last year at 591.64 MT.
• E-retail in India is expected to surge past USD 160 billion (over Rs 13 lakh crore) mark by 2028, a report released by Bain & Company in collaboration with Flipkart.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE NEWS

• The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has given the green light for the acquisition of 6,400 new rockets for the Pinaka weapon system.
• Indian Naval Ship (INS) Imphal, the third warship of Project 15B forming the Visakhapatnam class stealth-guided missile destroyers, is set to be commissioned into the Indian Navy.
• The 8th edition of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Conclave of Chiefs (CoC) was conducted by the Royal Thai Navy at Bangkok, Thailand.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has planned to launch Chandrayaan-4 to bring back samples from the Moon in 4 years stated its chairperson S Somanath while elaborating on the space agency’s Vision 2047.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin participated in a televised flag-raising ceremony for two significant Russian nuclear submarines.
• Krutrim SI Designs, the new artificial intelligence (AI) venture of Ola co-founder Bhavish Aggarwal, has unveiled a family of multilingual artificial intelligence (AI) models to cater to the unique requirements of the Indian ecosystem.
• Tesla has unveiled “Optimus Gen 2”, a new generation of its humanoid robot that should be able to take over repetitive tasks from humans.
• Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT Guwahati) developed an indigenous river model, BRAHMA-2D.
• At the COP28, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) announced that an Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool called ai would be available on the open-source AI platform Hugging Space.
• Google Maps, Namma Yatri, and the government-backed Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) have joined forces in a three-way collaboration to enhance the open mobility experience for users.
• Meta, a prominent technology company, has entered into a collaboration with the government-backed ecommerce network Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC).
• China successfully launched a Long March-11 carrier rocket into space, sending 3 satellites into planned orbit.
• The BeiDou Satellite Navigation System, also known as the BDS – China’s largest space-borne infrastructure to date that provides quality services to worldwide users – added two more satellites to its mega constellation.
• In an unprecedented extension of its celestial duties, the spacecraft that delivered asteroid samples from Bennu, OSIRIS-REx, has embarked on a new mission, and NASA has renamed it as OSIRIS-APEX.
• Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning to launch 50 satellites in the next five years for geo-intelligence gathering.
• Building on the momentum of 2023, Indian Space Research Organisation or ISRO is set to start 2024 with a bang.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING AND INDEX

• The number of women voters is projected to be greater than men voters in 2029, according to SBI’s economic research department (ERD).
• As per the recently released WHO’s Global Status Report on Road Safety 2023, the annual number of road traffic deaths has dropped by 5 per cent to 1.19 million per year.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the reappointment of Sandeep Batra as Executive Director of ICICI Bank, effective from December 23, 2023, to December 22, 2025.
• Sanjay Kumar Singh has won the election for the new president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).
• PepsiCo India has roped in celebrity couple Kiara Advani and Sidharth Malhotra brand ambassador for brand Quaker.
• Bengaluru-based fintech Slice-backed North East Small Finance Bank (NESFB) has appointed Satish Kumar Kalra as its interim Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has given its nod to the appointment of Pramod Agrawal, the former Chief of Coal India, as the Chairman of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).
• Sony Sports Network, the destination for football in India, has joined hands with Bollywood’s Gen Z actor and youth icon – Kartik Aaryan to become their brand ambassador for football.
• The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) was assigned its first woman chief in Nina Singh, who has been appointed as the Director-General (DG).

CURRENT AFFAIRS : PERSON IN NEWS

• Sports entrepreneur Vita Dani has become the first Indian to be inducted as a governing board member of the International Table Tennis Federation’s (ITTF) Foundation.
• Pakistan’s Naila Kianihas become the first woman from the country to summit 8,091m high Annapurna I in Nepal.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

• Sanjay Singh has been elected as the new president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).
• In Chennai Grand Masters 2023 tournament, Indian chess prodigy, Dommaraju Gukesh clinched the title by holding compatriot Pentala Harikrishna for a draw.
• Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Singh Thakur will launch the Official logo and mascot for Khelo India Youth Games in Chennai.
• Mitchell Starc became the most expensive player in IPL history, bought by KKR for Rs 24.75 crore.
• Olympic bronze medalist Sakshi Malik announced her retirement from wrestling in New Delhi.
• In Badminton, Anmol Kharb has won the women’s singles title at the National Badminton Championships 2023 in Guwahati.
• Indian hockey players Hardik Singh and Savita Punia have won major awards at the FIH Hockey Star Awards for the 2023 season.
• Beverage major Coca-Cola has renewed its partnership with the International Cricket Council (ICC), securing an eight-year commitment that stretches through 2031, encompassing all major ICC world events in various cricket formats.
• The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) constituted an Ad Hoc committee comprising Bhupinder Singh Bajwa as Chairman, MM Somaya and Manjusha Kanwar as Members.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARIES

• Chennai: Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) founder and popular yesteryear Tamil actor Narayanan Vijayaraj Alagarswami, popularly known as Vijayakanth, who raised his voice against corruption on the big screen before taking the political plunge, passed away.
• Jacques Delors, a passionate advocate of post-war European integration and a founding father of the European Union’s single currency project, has died.

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