Today's Current Affairs 24th December 2023

NATIONAL

Air India's 1st wide-body A350-900 aircraft lands in Delhi

• Air India's first wide-body A350-900 aircraft, sporting new brand livery, arrived in New Delhi from European aviation major Airbus' Toulouse facility in France.
• The aircraft, registered as VT-JRA, touched down at the national capital's Indira Gandhi International Airport at 1346 hrs, making the Tata Group-owned airline the first aircraft operator in India to have this type of aircraft in its fleet, a statement said.
• The delivery flight is operated using a special call sign AI350, it said.
• The aircraft is the first of Air India's 20 Airbus A350-900 on order, with five more scheduled for delivery through March 2024, the airline said.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra no longer Uttar Pradesh in-charge; Sachin Pilot to handle Chhattisgarh

• Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is now a Congress general secretary “without any assignment portfolio” while Sachin Pilot will be the general secretary in-charge of Chhattisgarh as part of a major organisational reshuffle that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge carried out on Saturday.
• According to the press release, issued by the Congress party, Mukul Wasnik has been assigned to take care of the state of Gujarat, while Jitendra Singh has been assigned to Assam and Madhya Pradesh.

President gives assent to Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Bill 2023

• President Droupadi Murmu has given her assent to Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Bill 2023.
• These three new criminal justice bills were passed by the Parliament last week. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 replaced the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, which is the principal law on criminal offences in the country.

 SPORTS

Women's Cricket: India achieve historic feat with maiden Test victory over Australia in one-off match in Mumbai

• India recorded their maiden victory against Australia in a women's test match at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday (24 December 2023) with their comprehensive eight-wicket win in the one-off contest.
• India had taken control of the match with a commanding 187-run lead in the first innings. They needed just 75 runs to win the match after bowling Australia out for 261 in the second innings. India reached the target just after lunch losing two wickets.
• This is India's first victory against Australia in 11 tests since the teams first clashed in the longest format in 1977.

 OBITURY

Stand-up comedian Neel Nanda dies at 32

• Stand-up comedian Neel Nanda died shortly after celebrating his 32nd birthday. This news about Nanda, who was also seen on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ and Comedy Central's ‘Adam Devine's House Party’, was confirmed by his manager, Greg Weiss, who has reportedly been managing him since he was 19.

 APPOINTMENS & RESIGNATIONS

Vita Dani, first Indian to join ITTF foundation's governing board.

• ITTF welcomes Dani, praising her passion for the sport and her vision for its growth and impact on the community. Dani's objective is to make table tennis accessible to everyone. 

• Dani and her organization, the Dani Foundation, have majorly contributed to the recent upliftment of Indian table tennis.

 IMPORTANT DAYS

National Consumer Rights Day – 24th December

• National Consumer Rights Day is on December 24th. This special day is all about the rights of people who buy and use things. It reminds us that when we purchase items or services, we have the right to be treated fairly and get what we paid for.
• On this day, we talk about how important it is to be aware of our rights as consumers. It’s like a day to say, “Hey, let’s make sure everyone is treated well when they buy stuff!” National Consumer Rights Day helps us understand that we deserve good service, fair prices, and safe products when we go shopping.

 AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Khel Ratna, Padma Shri, Arjuna Award: Deeper meaning of awards & rewards in the world of sports’

• The year 2023 is ending as well as it started for Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, the badminton doubles combination that will get the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award for 2023. They will be presented with this in January 2024. 

• The dynamic combination, an energetic, eminently watchable duo on court, capped the year with an Asian Games gold medal, having begun 2023 with a semi-final appearance in the Malaysia Open in January.

 BANKING AND ECONOMY

RBI Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) Meeting Highlights December 2023: Inflation is top priority, loosening of rates is not on the table, says Shaktikanta Das

• RBI MPC Meeting Highlights | RBI’s Monetary Policy News & Outcomes: RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das has said the assumption of status quo as neutral stance is not correct.
• Monetary policy continues to be actively disinflationary, the Governor added. In view of the uncertainties, RBI denies to give any forward guidance on the interest rate trajectory. The CPI for November is expected to be high, he added.
• RBI MPC has kept the key policy repo rate unchanged at 6.5% by a unanimous decision. This is the fifth meeting on the trot that the MPC decided to maintain the status quo on the repo rate. Notably, 5 out 6 MPC members voted in favour of withdrawal of accommodation.