Today's Current Affairs 29th December 2022

INTERNATIONAL

Bangladesh's first-ever metro inaugurated in capital Dhaka

• Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the first metro rail in Dhaka. The metro train was flagged off in Dhaka for the first journey between Diabari and Agargaon station. The metro rail is part of the Bangladesh project of Mass Rapid Transit to be completed by 2030.
• Bangladesh has reached another milestone in its development journey with its first metro rail inauguration.
• The metro rail is an approximately 12-kilometer-long metro route.
• The metro rail will connect Diabari to Agargaon station in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
• Ten pairs of trains with six coaches each will run on this route initially for four hours carrying about five lakh passengers daily.
• Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the first-ever metro rail of Bangladesh which has increased the pride and development of the country.

 NATIONAL

President Murmu lays foundation stone for restoration works of Kameswaralaya Temple in Mulugu, Telangana

• Droupadi Murmu has laid the foundation stone of the project ‘Development of Pilgrimage Facilities at Bhadrachalam Group of Temples’ at Sri Seetha Ramachandra Swamivari Devasthanam, Bhadrachalam in Telangana.
• The President of India laid the foundation stone for another project called ‘Development of Pilgrimage and Heritage Infrastructure of UNESCO World Heritage Site at Rudreshwara Temple in Telangana. These projects have been approved under the PRASAD Scheme of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.
• President Droupadi Murmu informed that the famous temples of Telangana are visited by lakhs of pilgrims, and they form the major components of domestic and foreign tourists.
• Tourism increases the livelihood opportunities and income of the people.
• The President appreciated the Ministry of Tourism for boosting spiritual and cultural tourism by developing pilgrimage sites under the ‘PRASHAD’ scheme.

A 10-day International Beach Festival is happening in Kerala

• The ‘Spice Coast’ in the far north of Kerala, better known as North Malabar, bask in myriad colours and the pomp and splendour of the cultural extravaganza titled ‘Bekal International Beach Festival’. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has inaugurated the 10-day first international beach festival, that captures the wholeness and the essence of the district’s cultural and artistic uniqueness and displays the rich cultural diversity and grandeur of the country, at the majestic Bekal Beach Park.
• It is organised by Bekal Resorts Development Corporation (BRDC) in association with the District Tourism Promotion Council, Kudumbashree, Asmi Holidays, and the local self-government bodies in the district. In Kerala, festival dates are decided in accordance with the Malayalam calendar and the local traditions and customs.

Water sports series kick off in Uttarakhand's Tehri

• World Class Kayaking Canoeing Academy to be set up at Tehri in Uttarakhand. The Union Minister of Power and New & Renewable Energy R.K.Singh announced the World Class Kayaking Canoeing Academy. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also inaugurated the National Championship “Tehri Water Sports Cup” at Tehri Lake.
• Union Minister of Power and New & Renewable Energy R.K.Singh informed that there are immense possibilities for the hydropower projects in the mountains, and central and state government is working together to take them forward.
• State Chief Minister Pushkar Singh highlighted that it is the first time that a national-level sports competition is being organized at Tehri Lake.
• He also informed us that making Tehri Lake an international tourism destination is being done at a fast pace.
• New sports policy has been implemented in the state and the government has announced the re-introduction of sports quota in jobs.

UP govt launches E-Sushrut Hospital Management Info System in medical colleges

• The Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brijesh Pathak and Minister of State for Medical Education Mayankeshwar Sharan Singh inaugurated the ‘E-Sushrut’ Hospital Management Information System (HMIS )in 22 state medical colleges. The initiative was launched by the state medical education department in collaboration with the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC).
• Patients will be able to download E-Sushrut HMIS software from their Android phone’s Playstore.
• By registering through software, patients will be saved from the inconvenience caused at the counter.
• The software will also tell which doctors will be available in the hospital on which day.
• Patients will be able to pay the fee online through any medium like UPI, Net banking.

 SPORTS

South Africa's Farhaan Behardien retires from cricket

• South African batter Farhaan Behardien has announced retirement, concluding an 18-year international cricketing career. The 39-year old has represented the Proteas in 59 ODIs and has 1074 runs and 14 wickets under his belt.
• Behardien also has 38 T20I caps for South Africa and has amassed 518 runs at an average of 32.37. He also led the Proteas in the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka in January 2017. His last international game came way back in 2018, in South Africa’s 21-run win over Australia in a T20I at the Carrara stadium. The batter remained not out for three off two deliveries.

 AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Prabhu Chandra Mishra receives the Atal Samman Award

• On the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister of the country Atal Bihari Vajpayee, many personalities who played an important role in various fields were honored, at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi during 9th Atal Samman Samaroh. Prabhu Chandra Mishra has been awarded Atal Samman Award for his excellence in field of science & research. His area of work is Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine in infertility especially when IVF also fails.
• The diseases like premature ovarian failure, thin endometrium, Asherman syndrome Etc have shown satisfactory results with body’s own cells. PRP & bone marrow-derived StemCells Research have shown promising hope for these patients/ couples who are struggling for their own child’s.

IIT Madras’ courses win Wharton-QS Reimagine Education Awards

• The Wharton-QS Reimagine Education Awards, also known as “,” gave significant recognition to the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M). The best programme awards went to the IIT Madras courses, BS Data Science and NPTEL in partnership with IISc Bangalore. The institute has been awarded and its BS in Data Science and Applications is awarded the silver in the best online programme category. While, the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL), a joint initiative of IITs and IISc, run by IIT Madras, won the gold in the lifelong learning category.
• The Bachelor of Science in Data Science and Applications program is a sought-after undergraduate degree that is uniquely designed to address the employability of students in this domain. The programme opens the door to the world of data science and programming where the demand for skilled resources is very high, to anyone from any background and of any age group. This tailor-made programme provides core employment-oriented skills to students.”

 BANKING AND ECONOMY

Indian PSU WAPCOS top amongst Consulting Services Firm category in ADB report

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB), in its report released on annual procurement, ranked Indian-PSU company WAPCOS as top amongst consulting services firms in water and other infrastructure sectors, with the highest sanctioned financed amount. In another report on its members’ Fact Sheet – 2022 released by the ADB, WAPCOS figured amongst the Top 3 consultants from India involved in consulting services contracts under ADB loan, grant, and technical assistance projects in energy, transport and water, and other urban infrastructure sectors.
• WAPCOS is a leading technology-driven consultancy, engineering, and procurement and construction (EPC) organization in the fields of water resources, power, and infrastructure development.
• It was established by the government of India in 1969 under the aegis of the Ministry of Water Resources to utilize India’s knowledge and expertise in the field of water resources by sharing and exporting technology to friendly developing nations.

India, Australia Economic Cooperation & Trade Agreement comes into force from today

• India, Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement comes into force from 29 December. India and Australia signed the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) on the 2nd of April 2022. ECTA is the first trade agreement of India with a developed country after more than a decade. The agreement encompasses cooperation across the entire gamut of bilateral economic and commercial relations between the two friendly countries.
• Under this trade agreement, Indian exports will benefit from preferential zero-duty market access in Australia for 100 per cent of its tariff lines. It will benefit India’s labour-intensive sectors such as gems and jewellery, textiles, leather, furniture, food and agricultural products, engineering products, and medical devices.
• India has provided preferential access to Australia on over 70 per cent of its tariff lines, which are primarily raw materials and intermediaries. As a result of this agreement, 10 lakh jobs are estimated to be created in the country. The total bilateral trade is expected to cross 45 to 50 billion dollar in five years from the existing 31 billion US dollar.