Today's Current Affairs 27th December 2023

INTERNATIONAL 

Israel-affiliated merchant vessel hit by aerial vehicle off India

• An Israel-affiliated merchant vessel was struck by an uncrewed aerial vehicle off India's west coast, British maritime security firm Ambrey said on Saturday, in the first such known attack so far away from the Red Sea since the Gaza war.
• A fire on the Liberian-flagged tanker was extinguished without crew casualties in the incident 200 km (120 miles) southwest of the Indian city of Veraval, it said, adding some "structural damage was also reported and some water was taken onboard".
• "Merchant vessels are advised these types of attacks are typically targeted at Israel-affiliated shipping, but have in the past mistakenly hit previously Israel-affiliated vessels," Ambrey said. "This event fell within Ambrey's Iranian UAV heightened threat area."
• "The safety of crew and ship has been ascertained. The Navy has also dispatched a warship to arrive in the area and provide assistance as required," the official said, declining to be named as he was not authorised to discuss the incident.
• The Indian Coast Guard ship ICGS Vikram was dispatched to respond to a merchant vessel, MV Chem Pluto, in the Arabian Sea, located 217 nautical miles off the Porbandar coast. The vessel had reported a "fire incident suspected to be caused by a drone attack."

NATIONAL

1300 tabla players performance at ‘Tansen Festival’ in Gwalior enters Guinness World Records

• The ‘99th International Tansen Samaroh’ in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior on Monday entered the Guinness World Records for achieving the largest tabla ensemble at any event. According to the information, as many as 1300 tabla players performed together at the event and made it to the Guinness World Records comfortably.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to visit Rajouri on December 27

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Wednesday called on the security forces to not just defend the nation but also win the hearts of the countrymen.
• “I agree that the responsibility of defending the country is on all of you,” he said while addressing troops at the Army’s Rajouri-based 25 Div headquarters. “I want to make a very special request from all of you – while fulfilling the responsibility of defending the nation, you also have a bigger responsibility of winning the hearts of your countrymen on your shoulders.”
• Pointing out that he knows security forces make efforts in that direction and there may be mistakes sometimes, he said the effort should be to avoid such mistakes in which any citizen is hurt.
• “While serving the nation, also keep yourself connected with its people and win their confidence,” he said, adding that “you can play an important role in it”. “I admit that you have been playing such a role, but there is a need to perform it more seriously,” he said.

Cabinet approves construction of new 4.56 km long bridge on river Ganga in Bihar

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today gave its approval for the Construction of New 4556 m long, 6-Lane High Level/ Extra Dosed 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.
• Digha (situated at Patna & South Bank of Ganga River) and Sonepur (North Bank of Ganga River in Saran District) are presently connected by a Rail Cum Road Bridge for movement of light vehicles only. Therefore, the present road cannot be used for transport of goods and commodities which is a major economic blockade. The constraint will be removed by providing this bridge, between Digha and Sonepur and; goods and commodities can be transported once the bridge is constructed, unleashing the economic potential of the region.
• This bridge will provide direct connectivity from Patna to Golden quadrilateral corridor via NH-139 at Aurangabad and Sonepur (NH-31), Chhapra, Motihari (East-West corridor old NH-27), Bettiah (NH-727) in the Northern side of Bihar. This Project is a part of Buddha circuit. lt provides better connectivity to Buddha Stupa at Vaishali and Keshariya. Also, NH-139W provides connectivity to very famous Areraj Someshwar Nath Temple and proposed Viraat Ramayan Mandir (largest religious monument in the world) at Kesariya in the East Champaran District. 

• This project is falling in Patna and will provide better connectivity to North Bihar and South part of the Bihar through State Capital. The Bridge will make the movement of vehicles faster and easier resulting in overall development of the region. The Economic analysis results have shown an EIRR of 17.6% in base case and 13.1% is worst case which may be attributed to the savings in distance and time travelled.

 SPORTS

Warner picks Marcus Harris as his Test replacement

• Veteran Australian opener David Warner has picked Marcus Harris as his replacement at the top of the order after he quits the longest format of the sport.
• Warner had already said that the ongoing three-Test series against Pakistan will be his last in the format.
• While there have been talks about his ideal replacement in red-ball cricket, Warner vouched for the 31-year-old Harris, who he feels has been around for a long time and that the selectors need to show faith in him.
• "It's a tough one. It's obviously up to the selectors. But from my position, I feel like the person who's worked their backside off and has been there for a while in the background.
• "I think Harry's been that person. He's toured, he's going to have that chance. He scored a hundred the other day.
• "He missed out in a couple of other games, but he's always been that person who was next in line. If the selectors show faith in him, then I'm sure he'll come out and play the way he does," he said.

 OBITURY

"Veteran Newsman Warren Johnston, Who Covered Six Cities Over Four Decades, Passes at 77

• Warren Johnston, a veteran newsman, who put in tours of duty in six cities over four decades died on December 9 at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH. He was 77. The cause was complications of cardiac surgery.
• Johnston got his start in the news business in coastal SC, first as a reporter at The Georgetown Times and then as editor of a monthly literary magazine, the Pawleys Island Perspective.
• In a long and prolific career that followed, he had stints as the editor of The Natchez Democrat, as Bureau Chief at The Tampa Tribune, as an editor at the Las Vegas Sun and as editor, reporter, and columnist at the Valley News in NH. Low key and gentle, but with high standards, he was an unflappable journalist, described by his co-worker, Mark Davis as a “true Southern gentleman” who epitomized the very best traits of the expression - soft spoken and slow to anger. Long-time food writer and restaurant critic at The Tampa Tribune, Mary Scourtes remembers him as an “authoritative editor who knew how to weigh a situation critically, while helping a reporter craft a story in the best possible light.”

 APPOINTMENS & RESIGNATIONS

IPS officer resigns to pursue social and personal goals

• Anand Mishra, the IPS officer from Assam-Meghalaya cadre batch of 2011, who began his uniformed career in the Garo Hills, taking on the might of the then most powerful militant outfit Garo National Liberation Army in the jungles of East and south Garo Hills, has finally called it a day.
• Mishra, who is currently serving as the Superintendent of Police of Lakhimpur district in Assam, has tendered his resignation from the Indian Police Service (IPS).
• The resignation, submitted in a formal letter to the Chief Secretary of the Government of Assam, is set to take effect on January 16, 2024.
• While Anand Mishra cites in his resignation letter to the Assam government, dated December 18, 2023, a desire to pursue a life of freedom and independence through various social services and personal goals, this young officer, who earned the nickname of the Bollywood hero “Singham” for taking on militants, extortionists and mafia groups alike, hasn’t been shy of his political ambitions.
• When this scribe met up with him at Lakhimpur, a month ago, Mishra spoke about the day to day challenges faced by the people and the importance of good leadership.

 IMPORTANT DAYS

27 December: International Day of Epidemic Preparedness

• International Day of Epidemic Preparedness is observed on December 27 to fulfil the great need to raise awareness, the exchange of information, scientific knowledge and best practices, and quality education to curb the fatality of the Epidemic.
• As exemplified by the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic major infectious diseases and epidemics have devastating impacts on human lives, wreaking havoc on long-term social and economic development. Global health crises threaten to overwhelm already overstretched health systems, disrupt global supply chains and cause disproportionate devastation of the livelihoods of people, including women and children, and the economies of the poorest and most vulnerable countries. There is an urgent need to have resilient and robust health systems, reaching those who are vulnerable or in vulnerable situations.
• In the event of the absence of international attention, future epidemics could surpass previous outbreaks in terms of intensity and gravity. There is great need of raising awareness, the exchange of information, scientific knowledge and best practices, quality education, and advocacy programmes on epidemics at the local, national, regional and global levels as effective measures to prevent and respond to epidemics.

 AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Kohinoor Group Clinches Best Brands 2023 Award, Standing Out Amongst Hundreds of National Brands, Reflecting Visionary Leadership and Transformative Initiatives

• At a glittery function in Mumbai, Kohinoor Group was crowned as The Best Brands of 2023, a testament to its outstanding position amidst a competitive field of hundreds of national brands.
• R. Gopalakrishnan, the Independent Director and Non-Executive Chairman of Castrol India, presented the awards to the winners. The Kohinoor Group was represented by Mr. Sameer Desai, Director of Marketing, Mr. Prasanth Gopinath, Director of Commercial BU, and Mr. Raghu Iyer, Director of Residential BU, who accepted the award on behalf of the group and expressed their gratitude.
• With a rich legacy of 40 years, Kohinoor Group has not only redefined excellence in Pune's real estate sector but has also undertaken visionary steps to adapt to the evolving industry landscape.
• Under the visionary leadership of Mr. Krishnakumar Goyal, Founder and Chairman of Kohinoor Group, the company has successfully transformed from a family-run entity to a professionally managed organization. This evolution is marked by the establishment of a professional board of experts in Commercial Real Estate, Residential Real Estate, Marketing & Branding, Finance, Strategy, and HR. These experts contribute their insights and expertise to propel Kohinoor Group's success to new heights.

 BANKING AND ECONOMY

Higher credit demand, lower NPAs to boost banking sector; public sector banks' total profit likely to touch Rs 1.50 lakh cr

• India's banking sector is all set to witness another good year and the total profit of public sector banks is set to touch Rs 1.50 lakh crore amid higher credit demand driven by a strong economic growth. During the first six months of the current financial year, public sector banks earned about Rs 68,500 crore and the trajectory is likely to continue unchanged in the second half as well.
• Going by the present trend, public sector banks are expected to earn a net profit of around Rs 1.50 lakh crore in FY2024 up from Rs 1.04 lakh crore recorded in FY2023.
• Stability on the non-performing assets (NPAs) side, robust credit demand and high interest rate regime are expected to help the profitability of the banks in the coming months.

Sensex closes above 72,000; Nifty gains over 200 pts to settle at 21,654

• Sensex, Nifty updates on 27 December 2023: Benchmark indices continue to advance from early trade gains. Sensex surged past 72,000 for the first time while Nifty soared above 21,650. At 3:30 pm, the BSE Sensex rose 701.63 pts or 0.98% to 72,038.43 while the NSE Nifty gained 213.40 pts or 1% to 21,654.75. Dr. V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services, remarked that the market’s resilience during the typically subdued holiday season suggests an underlying bullish sentiment.
• He also highlighted the noteworthy global support originating from the U.S. market, where the S&P 500 is approaching an all-time high. Meanwhile, global optimism echoed in markets as Asian indices stood firm, supported by Wall Street’s positivity. There were 3,914 stocks traded on the BSE. Among them, 1,993 advanced, 1,813 declined, and 108 stocks remained unchanged. Notably, 361 stocks reached their 52-week high, while 18 stocks touched their 52-week low.