1 45 opposition MPs of Rajya Sabha and 33 of Lok Sabha were suspended from the House for indecent behavior.
33 opposition MPs from Lok Sabha and 45 from Rajya Sabha have been suspended on charges of unruly conduct and obstruction of proceedings in Parliament . Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar suspended 34 opposition members for the remaining part of the winter session of the House. Whereas 11 MPs were suspended till the report of the Privilege Committee of the House comes.
2 PM Modi inaugurates newly constructed Swaraveda Mahamandir in Umrah, Varanasi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that with the country creating new records in economic growth decades after independence, spiritual places are now becoming witnesses of development. After inaugurating the newly constructed Swaraveda Mahamandir in Umrah , Varanasi , Shri Modi said that the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya is also going to be completed in a few weeks. Addressing the devotees of the Mahamandir, Shri Modi urged people to take nine resolutions in life. These include – water conservation, promotion of digital payments, cleanliness, promotion of local products, travel to different places in the country, natural farming, promotion of millets, fitness and helping at least one poor family. This newly built meditation center stands seven floors high, which can accommodate an impressive 20,000 devotees meditating at a time. The name of the temple is derived from Swarveda , a spiritual text written by Sadhguru Shri Sadaphal Devji Maharaj, the eternal yogi and founder of Vihangam Yoga.
3 Bhashini AI translated PM Modi’s speech into Indian languages
In an unprecedented move, Prime Minister Narendra Modi used an AI-powered Indian language translation tool , ‘ Bhasini ‘ , during a recent speech in Uttar Pradesh . The tool, developed by the government, aims to facilitate real-time translation , promoting communication between diverse linguistic communities within the country. Prime Minister Modi chose the occasion of Kashi Tamil Sangamam in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh to unveil the capabilities of Bhashini. Addressing the Tamil-speaking audience, he began his speech by encouraging them to use earphones to access the translation in real time.
4 Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of several development projects worth over Rs 19,150 crore in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh and dedicated to the nation
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of several development projects worth over Rs 19,150 crore and dedicated to the nation in Varanasi , Uttar Pradesh . These projects include the inauguration of the new Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Nagar – New Bhaupur Dedicated Freight Corridor project built at a cost of approximately Rs 10,900 crore along with other rail projects. He flagged off Varanasi-New Delhi Vande Bharat Express train , Doharighat-Mau MEMU train and two long haul goods trains on the newly dedicated freight corridor. He also flagged off the 10,000th engine manufactured by Banaras Locomotive Works . Mr Modi inaugurated the green-field Shivpur-Phulwaria-Lahartara route along with two Railway Over Bridges (ROBs) constructed at a cost of over Rs 370 crore. The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of various projects worth over Rs 6500 crore, including an 800 MW solar park in Chitrakoot district at a cost of about Rs 4000 crore and a new petroleum oil terminal at Mirzapur at a cost of over Rs 1050 crore .
5 Parliament passes Post Office Bill, Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization (Second Amendment) Bill and Union Territory Government Amendment Bill 2023
Post Office Bill 2023 passed in Parliament . This Bill will replace the Indian Post Office Act, 1898 . According to the provisions of the Bill, the Director General of Postal Services will be appointed as the head of India Post. The Director General will have the power to make rules on various matters including charges for services and supply of postage stamps . According to the Bill, the government can stop any article being transmitted through India Post on specific grounds, including security of the state and public order . Parliament passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Second Amendment Bill, 2023 and the Union Territory Government (Amendment) Bill, 2023 . The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization (Second Amendment) Bill, 2023, provides for reserving 33 percent seats for women in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. Its objective is to enable greater representation and participation of women as public representatives in law making processes in the Union Territory. The Union Territory Government (Amendment) Bill, 2023, provides for reservation of 33 per cent seats for women in the Puducherry Assembly .
6 Bone marrow transplant of a child suffering from rare primary immunodeficiency performed for the first time in India
In a first in India , doctors have successfully performed a life-saving bone marrow transplant on a child suffering from a rare primary immunodeficiency disease at the Delhi Cantonment Army Hospital, the Defense Ministry has said . The Defense Ministry said that this success of the doctors has opened new doors of hope for children and families suffering from this type of problem. The seven-year-old was diagnosed with ARPC1b, a very rare form of immunodeficiency, at the age of one. The disorder left the child’s immune system severely compromised and vulnerable to frequent life-threatening infections and other complications.
7 India retains the top position in the world in the year 2023 also with the highest receipts from expatriates at $ 125 billion
According to the World Bank ‘s Migration and Development Report, this year too India remains at the top in terms of receipts from migrants. This year, NRIs sent an estimated 125 billion dollars to India . There was a significant increase in the amount of money sent by migrants to India in the South-Asian region. Overall, remittances from South Asia to India increased by 7.2 percent. The other top five countries in terms of remittances from emigrants are Mexico $67 billion, China $50 billion, Philippines $40 billion and Egypt $24 billion. Due to the tightening of the labor market in the US and employment growth in Europe, more remittances were sent by emigrants to India than expected.
8 Union Minister Shri Kiren Rijiju launches India’s first winter scientific Arctic expedition
Hon’ble Union Minister of Earth Sciences, Shri Kiren Rijiju flagged off India’s first winter scientific expedition to the Arctic from the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) Headquarters in New Delhi on December 18, 2023 . The Indian Scientific Expedition to the Arctic (November to March) will allow researchers to make unique scientific observations during polar nights in a region where there is no sunlight for 24 hours almost every day during winter and temperatures drop below zero. (less than -15 degrees Celsius). This will help increase understanding of factors that influence weather and climate in the tropics, including monsoon, in the Arctic, particularly climate change, space weather, sea-ice and ocean circulation dynamics, ecosystem adaptation, etc. Are. India has been operating a research base in the Arctic called Himadri since 2008 , hosting scientists mostly during the summer (April to October). The decision to facilitate winter expeditions to the Arctic in June 2023 at Himadri, Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard in the Norwegian Arctic has been taken after a personal review of India’s Arctic activities by Shri Rijiju.
9 India’s trade deficit improves
India’s trade deficit recently saw a significant improvement with a decline in both exports and imports , thereby narrowing the trade gap. Merchandise exports declined 2.8% year-on-year to US$33.9 billion in November 2023, while imports declined 4.3% to US$54.98 billion, resulting in an overall trade deficit of US$20.58 billion. The trade deficit declined significantly from the high of US$29.9 billion recorded in October 2023. Trade deficit is the amount by which the cost of a country’s imports exceeds its exports. This is part of the current account deficit. A decline in petroleum and engineering product shipments, which account for about half of India’s exports, contributed to the overall export contraction. Positive contribution from emerging sectors like electronics (growth of 23.56%) and gems & jewelery iron ore, pharma & minerals provided some support in November.
10 Akash Missile: Ability to hit four targets simultaneously in the air
Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) gave information about the strength of Akash missile . In the demonstration of Akash missile system, DRDO showed that Akash has the power to destroy four targets simultaneously . On the successful launch of Akash missile, which has the capability to hit up to 25 kilometers, DRDO said that the Akash missile system, equipped with the power of accurate air targeting, will be counted as a state-of-the-art weapon among India’s security weapons. According to DRDO, India is the first country in the world which has technology and power like Akash missile. According to the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRRO), India is at the forefront among the countries in launching missiles using a single firing unit and having the ability to hit four targets simultaneously. No other country in the world currently has such capability.
11 Successful test of indigenous SAMAR air defense missile systems
Indian Air Force successfully test fired SAMAR (Surface to Air Missile for Assured Retaliation) air defense missile system . Let us tell you that the Samar Air Defense Missile System has been developed in India itself and is based on indigenous design. This surface-to-air missile system has been developed by the Indian Air Force itself. This is an important step towards making the Air Force self-reliant. The Air Force issued a statement saying that the SAMAR air defense missile system, designed and developed in India, was successfully tested during Exercise Astrashakti-2023 . This test was conducted at Air Force Station Surya Lanka. The air defense system has been developed by a unit of the Maintenance Command of the Air Force. This air defense system was field tested for the first time. During testing the missile system successfully accomplished all its objectives under various conditions.
12 Microsoft’s Phi-2: Small Model, Big Impact
Microsoft ‘s recent release of the small language model Phi-2 marks an important milestone in the world of language models. Positioned as an improved version of Phi-1.5, the model boasts capabilities in generative AI that challenge larger counterparts such as Lama-2, Mistral and Gemini-2 . Fundamentally, the goal lies in training Phi-2s on “textbook-quality” datasets, empowering it with general knowledge, language understanding, logical and skills in solving complex mathematical and physics problems.
13 SCO joint anti-terrorism exercise
Recently, officials of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member countries, in collaboration with the Executive Committee of the SCO Regional Counter-Terrorism Structure, conducted a joint counter-terrorism exercise to curb terrorist, separatist and extremist online activities . Hosted by India , the exercise focused on reducing the exploitation of the Internet for terrorist, separatist and extremist purposes. SCO is a permanent intergovernmental international organization whose purpose is to promote a new democratic, fair and rational international political and economic international order. It was formed in the year 2001. The SCO Charter was signed in the year 2002 and came into force in the year 2003. Membership: Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan and Iran.
14 Dr. Srinivas Naik Dharawath receives Visionary Leader Icon 2023 Award
Real Vision Homes Private Limited proudly announces the remarkable achievement of its respected Chairman, Dr. Srinivas Naik Dharawath , who has been awarded the Visionary Leader Icon Award for the year 2023 by the Advocates Association for Social Responsibility and Awareness (ASRA) . This prestigious award was presented at the 5th National Summit held at the Constitution Club of India in New Delhi on 24 November 2023.
15 IndusInd Bank launches ‘Indus Solitaire Programme’ for diamond industry
IndusInd Bank has recently launched ‘ Indus Solitaire Programme ‘, an innovative community banking initiative specifically designed to meet the unique needs of the diamond industry . This comprehensive program is set to offer a range of exclusive benefits and features, strengthening the Bank’s commitment to serve the Diamond community.
16 Hyderabad leads in cases of adulteration in food items: NCRB
NCRB data showed that Hyderabad topped the country in cases of food adulteration in 2022 . Andhra Pradesh was at second place after Telangana . Across 19 major Indian cities, a total of 291 cases of adulterated food were reported, of which 246 cases were reported from Hyderabad alone. This disturbing trend highlights a serious concern for the city’s food security.
17 International Migrants Day 2023
International Migrants Day is celebrated globally on 18 December every year . This day is marked by the United Nations through the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a UN related agency. The day is celebrated to highlight the contributions made by 272 million migrants, including more than 41 million who are internally displaced persons, and the new challenges they face every day.
