Miscellaneous Events
Word of the year: collins dictionary crowns ‘AI’ as the winner for 2023
Collins Dictionary has declared “AI,” the abbreviation for artificial intelligence, as the Word of the Year for 2023. Lexicographers at Collins Dictionary, who observed a significant increase in the usage of this term, making it the dominant conversation of the year, made the decision. Previously, “lockdown” was the Word of the Year in 2020, and “Brexit” held this title in 2016.
Binance CEO Zhao to step down, plead guilty to money laundering
Changpeng Zhao, the CEO of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange Binance, plans to step down and plead guilty to violating criminal US anti-money-laundering requirements. The deal may preserve the companys ability to continue operating, the report added Binance is also expected to pay fines of $4. 3 billion. Zhao informed that Binance’s Head of Regional Markets Richard Teng will replace him as the CEO of Binance. Binance has been under the Justice Department’s inspection since at least 2018, which is only one of a slew of legal issues it is dealing with in the United States.
Binance:
Binance, is a global company that operates the largest cryptocurrency exchange in terms of daily trading volume of cryptocurrencies.
- Founded: July 2017
- Founders: Changpeng Zhao, Yi He
- Area served: Global, except for the United States
- CEO: Richard Teng
Hyundai Group chief resigns as chair of board at elevator unit
Hyundai Group Chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun will step down as chair of the board of directors at the group’s elevator unit next month to help improve its governance structure. Hyundai Elevator will form a new board of directors at an extraordinary shareholders meeting on December 29, and the new board of directors will select a new chairperson.
Hyundai Group:
- Parent organization: Hyundai Motor Group
- Founder: Chung Ju-yung
- Headquarters: Seoul, South Korea
- Founded: 29 December 1967, Mugyo-dong, Seoul, South Korea
Portugal Prime Minister Antonio Costa resigns
Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa has resigned, just hours after prosecutors detained his chief of staff in a probe into alleged corruption in his administration’s handling of lithium mining and hydrogen projects in the country. The 62-year-old Costa, Portugal’s Socialist leader since 2015, defended his innocence. President de Sousa is expected to accept his resignation. Hours before the announcement, Portuguese police arrested Vitor Escaria, Costa’s chief of staff, during raids on several public buildings and additional properties as part of the corruption probe. Prosecutors named Infrastructure Minister Joao Galamba as a formal suspect and detained Costa’s chief of staff. The head of the country’s environmental agency was also named as a suspect.
Portugal:
- Capital: Lisbon
- Official language: Portuguese
- President: Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa
- Currency: Euro
Unacademy CFO quits in another top-level exit at Gaurav Munjal-run edtech firm
Unacademy chief financial officer (CFO) Subramanian Ramachandran has resigned from the test preparation startup. Ramachandran will serve his notice period till March 31, 2024. Ramachandran has been with the company since 2019. Prior to that, he was CFO at Medi Assist Healthcare Services. In August, Unacademy’s chief operating officer Vivek Sinha had resigned.
Unacademy:
- Founders: Roman Saini, Gaurav Munjal, Hemesh Singh
- CEO: Gaurav Munjal (2015–)
- Founded: 2015
- Headquarters: Bengaluru
Defence Exercise of the Month
AUSTRAHIND-23
The Indian Armed Forces contingent comprising 81 personnel departed for Australia to take part in the second edition of Joint Military Exercise AUSTRAHIND-23. The exercise will be conducted Perth in Australia till 6th of next month. The Indian Army contingent comprises 60 personnel from a Battalion of the GORKHA Rifles. The Australian Army contingent comprising 60 personnel will be from the 13th Brigade. Indian Navy and Indian Air Force personnel will also participate from the Indian side. The Australian contingent will include 20 personnel each from the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force. The exercise is aimed to foster collaborative partnership and share best practices between the two sides. The exercise will also promote interoperability while undertaking multi-domain operations. The joint exercise will promote the exchange of ideas and jointly rehearse tactics, techniques and procedures for conducting tactical operations.
Vajra Prahar
The 14th edition of the Indo-US Joint Special Forces exercise “Vajra Prahar 2023” commenced at the Joint Training Node, Umroi. The US contingent is represented by personnel from the 1st Special ForcesGroup (SFG) of the US Special Forces. The Indian Army contingent is led by Special Forces personnel from the Eastern Command. Exercise Vajra Prahar is a joint exercise conducted between the Indian Army and US Army Special Forces, the ministry said in a press release. It aims at sharing best practices and experiences in areas such as joint mission planning and operational tactics. The first edition was conducted in 2010 in India and the 13th edition of the Indo-US Joint Special Forces exercise was conducted at the Special Forces Training School (SFTS), Bakloh (HP). The current edition is being conducted in Umroi Cantonment, Meghalaya, from November 21 to December 11.
Meghalaya:
- Governor: Phagu Chauhan
- Chief minister: Conrad Sangma
- Capital: Shillong
Mitra Shakti
Months after India and Sri Lanka agreed to increase the complexity of bilateral military exercises, the troops from the two sides are set to begin the joint exercise ‘Mitra Shakti’ at the Foreign Training Node in Pune. ‘Mitra Shakti’ which means ‘power of friendship’ is conducted under the United Nations’ (UN) mandate as both armies contribute to the UN Peacekeeping Forces deployed in the troubled areas across the world. The previous edition of Mitra Shakti was conducted in Sri Lanka in October 2021.
BONGOSAGAR-23 & CORPAT
The 4th edition of Bilateral Exercise between Indian Navy and Bangladesh Navy, BONGOSAGAR-23, and the 5th edition of Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) by the two navies was conducted in the Northern Bay of Bengal. Ships and aircraft from both navies undertook joint patrolling along the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL), and subsequently conducted maritime exercises to enhance interoperability. The ships undertook communication drills, surface gun-shoots, tactical manoeuvres and other exercises that culminated with a steam past. CORPAT-23 also included the maiden Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) drills conducted between the two navies wherein a Search and Rescue scenario at sea was exercised. Regular bilateral exercises and coordinated patrols have strengthened mutual understanding and cooperation between the two navies.
MARUEX
The first ever Myanmar- Russia Maritime Security Exercise (MARUEX) conducted in Andaman Sea concluded. The three-day joint drill involves aircraft and naval vessels and focuses on defending against threats from air, sea and land as well as other maritime security measures. The exercise aimed to strengthen naval cooperation between both the countries.
KAZIND-2023
Indian Army and Indian Air Force departed for Kazakhstan to take part in the 7th edition of Joint Military ‘Exercise KAZIND-2023’. The Exercise will be conducted at Otar, Kazakhstan from 30th October to 11th November 2023. The Joint Exercise between India and Kazakhstan was instituted as ‘Exercise PRABAL DOSTYK’ in the year 2016. After the second edition, the Exercise was upgraded to a company-level exercise and renamed as ‘Exercise KAZIND’. The Exercise has been further upgraded as a Bi-service Exercise this year by including the Air Force component. In this edition of the Exercise, both sides will practice conduct of Counter Terrorism operations in a sub-conventional environment under United Nations mandate. The scope of the Exercise also includes conduct of Counter Unmanned Aerial System Operations.
Kazakhstan:
- Capital: Astana
- Currency: Kazakhstani Tenge
- Prime minister: Alikhan Smailov
- Official languages: Kazakh, Russian
- Continent: Asia, Europe
Important Days of the Month
| Day | Observed/Celebrated As | Motto/Importance |
|---|---|---|
| 1 December | World AIDS Day | Let Communities Lead |
| 2 December | National Pollution Control Day | To control the Industrial disaster and to reduce the level of pollution. |
| 3 December | World Day of the Handicapped | Transformative solutions for inclusive development |
| 4 December | Indian Navy Day | To recognize the achievements and role of the Indian Navy to the country |
| 5 December | World Soil Day | Soil and Water: A source of Life |
| 7 December | Armed Forces Flag Day | To honor the martyrs and the men in uniform who valiantly fought on our borders to safeguard the country’s honor. |
| 9 December | International Anti-Corruption Day | UNCAC at 20: Uniting the World Against Corruption. |
| 10 December | Human Rights Day | Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for All |
| 11 December | International Mountain Day | Restoring mountain ecosystems |
| 14 December | World/National Energy | Conservation Day To drive mass awareness about importance of energy efficiency and conservation |
| 16 December | Vijay Diwas | To commemorate India’s victory over Pakistan in IndoPakistani War of 1971 for the liberation of Bangladesh from Pakistan |
| 18 December | International Migrants Day | HARNESSING THE POTENTIAL OF HUMAN MOBILITY |
| 19 December | Goa’s Liberation Day | It commemorates the freeing of Goa from Portuguese rule by the Indian Armed Forces on 19 December 1961 |
| 20 December | International Human Solidarity Day | To commemorate the day on which UNGA identifies solidarity as one of the fundamental and universal values in 20 Dec 2005 |
| 22 December | National Mathematics Day | To mark the birth anniversary of legendary mathematician,Srinivasa Ramanujan |
| 23 December | Kisan Diwas | To mark the birth anniversary of Chaudharicharan singh on 23 Dec 1902, Who was the 5th PM of India. |
| 25 December | Good Governance Day (India) | To Mark the birth anniversary of former-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. |
Obituary
Veteran film director Raj Kumar Kohli passes away
Veteran film director Raj Kumar Kohli passed away in Mumbai. He was 93 years old. Rajkumar Kohli (born 14 September 1930) is an Indian film director. He was famous for directing several popular Bollywood films such as the 1966 Dulla Bhatti and the 1970s Lootera starring Dara Singh and Nishi (Nishi later married Kohli). Other notable films included films with ensemble cast such as Nagin (1976), Jaani Dushman (1979), Badle Ki Aag, Naukar Biwi Ka and Raaj Tilak (1984). His films frequently featured actors like Sunil Dutt, Dharmendra, Jeetendra, Shatrughan Sinha and actresses Reena Roy and Anita Raj.
PRS Oberoi, The Oberoi Group Chairman Emeritus passes away
Prithvi Raj Singh Oberoi aka ‘Biki’, the doyen of Indian hospitality and Chairman Emeritus of the Oberoi Group passed away. He was 94 years old. PRS Oberoi was the Executive Chairman of EIH Limited, the Flagship Company of The Oberoi Group,and the Chairman of Oberoi Hotels Private Limited, the major shareholder of EIH Limited. Popularly known as the man who changed the outlook of the hotel business in India, PRS Oberoi is credited with placing Oberoi hotels on the international luxury travelers map with the opening of several luxury hotels in important cities.
PRS Oberoi received numerous awards including:
- Padma Vibhushan (2008)
- Lifetime Achievement Award at ILTM
- ‘2010 Corporate Hotelier of the World award
- Lifetime Achievement Award
- Businessman of the Year 2008
- Lifetime Achievement Award at the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards
India’s first woman SC judge, Justice Fathima Beevi, dies at 96
Justice Fathima Beevi, India’s first woman judge of the Supreme Court, died in Kerala’s Kollam. She was 96. She was also the first Muslim woman judge to be appointed to any higher judiciary. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court, which came into being on January 26, 1950, also very few women judges since its inception, and in over 71 years, appointed only eight lady judges, starting from M Fathima Beevi in 1989. M. Fathima Beevi was born on April 30, 1927 in Kerala and her father encouraged her to study law. In 1950, she topped the Bar Council exam, becoming the first woman to receive a Bar Council gold medal. In 1989, she scripted history by becoming the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court, a position she held till her retirement on April 29, 1992. Upon her retirement, she first served as a member of the National Human Rights Commission, before being appointed as Governor of Tamil Nadu.
Founder of Sankara Netralaya Padma Shri awardee Dr. S. S Badrinath passes away
The founder of Sankara Netralaya Dr. S. S Badrinath passed away in Chennai today. He was 83 due to illness. Dr. S. S. Badrinath graduated from Madras Medical College in 1962. He pursued his postgraduation in the United States. After returning to India in 1970, he worked with the Voluntary Health Services in Adyar. He was closely associated with the Sankara Mutt as he performed a cataract surgery on his spiritual guru Chandrasekara Saraswathi Swamigal. He founded the Sankara Nethralaya as a unit of the Medical Research Foundation in 1978. He was a recipient of the Padma Shri in 1983 and Padma Bhushan in 1999. The institution which he founded has become iconic, a symbol of the progress of modern medicine.
Sanjay Gadhvi, director of Dhoom franchise, dies
Filmmaker Sanjay Gadhvi, renowned for directing Dhoom and its sequel Dhoom 2, passed away at the age of 57. His last directorial venture was Operation Parindey, an action film featuring Amit Sadh in the lead role. Sanjay had made his directorial debut with 2000 film Tere Liye.
Renowned art historian BN Goswamy passed away at 90
Renowned art historian and writer Brijender Nath Goswamy died at 90. Born on August 15, 1933, the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awardee was bestknown for his works on the Pahari style of paintings. Goswamy quit the prestigious civil services in 1958 to follo. Goswamy quit the prestigious civil services in 1958 to follow a career in academics and research. Fondly known as BNG in art circles, Goswamy authored more than 26 books on the subjects of Pahari paintings, miniature paintings, court painters, and masters of Indian paintings among others.
S. Venkitaramanan, former RBI Gov, died
S Venkitaramanan, the 18th Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, passed away at the age of 92. He held
the position from December 1990 to December 1992. Before his tenure as RBI governor, Venkitaramanan served as the finance secretary in the Ministry of
Finance from 1985 to 1989 and was also advisor to the government of Karnataka. As a finance secretary in 1989, he was the one who advised the Rajiv
Gandhi-led government at the Centre to consider loans from multilateral agencies like the International Monetary Fund to tide over the worsening economic
situation.
His term also saw India adopt the IMF’s stabilisation programme where the rupee underwent a devaluation and the launch of the programme of economic
reforms. Following his retirement, Venkitaramanan took on key roles as the chairman of Ashok Leyland Investment Services Ltd. , New Tirupur Area
Development Corporation Ltd. and Ashok Leyland Finance Ltd. He contributed to various corporate boards, including Reliance Industries Limited, SPIC,
Piramal Healthcare Ltd, Tamil Nadu Water Investment Co. Ltd, and Housing Development Finance Corp Ltd.
Kedarnath Aggarwal, chairman of Bikanervala, dies at 86
Lala Kedarnath Aggarwal, who once sold bhujia and rasgullas in buckets on the streets of old Delhi before establishing sweets and snacks brand Bikanervala, passed away. Kedarnath Aggarwal started his entrepreneurial journey in Delhi. Hailing from Bikaner, his family owned a sweet shop in the bylanes of the city since 1905. The shop was named as Bikaner Namkeen Bhandar and used to sell a few varieties of sweets and snacks. Aggarwal, who had larger ambitions, migrated to Delhi in the early 50s along with his brother Satyanarayan Aggarwal, bringing his family recipe to the city. Initially, both struggled with carrying buckets filled with bhujia and rasgulla, selling in the streets of old Delhi. However, the Aggarwal brothers’ hard work and the unique taste of Bikaner soon gained recognition and acceptance among the people of Delhi. Later Aggarwal brothers set up a shop in Delhi’s Chandini Chowk, where they used their family recipes which were handed down from generation to generation.
Subrata Roy, Founder of Sahara Group, Passes Away
Sahara India Group Founder Subrata Roy died at the age of 75 in Mumbai after a prolonged illness. Hailing from Bihar’s Araria, Subrata Roy, founded an extensive business conglomerate that extended across diverse industries, encompassing finance, real estate, media, and hospitality. Born on June 10, 1948, Roy pursued mechanical engineering at the Government Technical Institute in Gorakhpur. He assumed control of Sahara Finance, a chit-fund company, in 1976. Within two years, by 1978, Sahara India Pariwar evolved into one of India’s most extensive conglomerates. In 2014, Roy encountered legal difficulties, grappling with concerns over financial irregularities and adherence to regulatory requirements. Subsequently, he underwent a period of over a year in jail following Sahara’s non-compliance with a court directive to reimburse billions of dollars to investors involved in a bond program deemed “illegal”.
K’taka BJP leader D. B. Chandre Gowda passes away at 87
Senior BJP leader and former minister D. B. Chandre Gowda passed away at his residence in Daradahalli village in Mudigere taluk in Chikkamagaluru district of Karnataka, family sources said. He was 87. He started his political career with the Congress and was identified as one of the top leaders. During his second term as a MP, he resigned from his post to facilitate late PM Indira Gandhi to contest from Chikkamagaluru Lok Sabha seat in 1978. Gowda joined BJP in 2009 and represented Bengaluru North Lok Sabha seat.
Karnataka:
- Capital: Bengaluru
- Chief minister: Siddaramaiah
- Governor: Thawar Chand Gehlot
Bengali filmmaker Goutam Halder dies at 67
Renowned Bengali filmmaker and theatre personality Goutam Halder died of cardiac arrest in Kolkata. He was 67. He had directed around 80 stage plays, including Rabindranath Tagore’s Rakta Karabi recently. Halder had made his first Bengali film Bhalo Theko in 2003, with actor Vidya Balan in the lead role. He also directed Nirvana with Rakhi Gulzar in the lead role in 2019. Halder had also made a documentary, Strings for Freedom, on Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan in 1999.
- Awards: National Film Award – Special Jury Award
- Education: Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Centenary College, Rahara
- Occupation: Actor Director
- Organization: Naye Natua
Climate scientist Saleemul Huq, who emphasized helping poor nations adapt to warming, dies at 71
Saleemul Huq, a pioneering climate scientist from Bangladesh who pushed to get the world to understand, pay for and adapt to worsening warming impacts on poorer nations, died. Huq, who died in Dhaka, directed and helped found the International Centre for Climate Change and Development there. He was also a senior associate and program founder at the International Institute for Environment and Development in London and taught at universities in England and Bangladesh. He was an early force for community-based efforts to adapt to what climate change did to poor nations. Queen Elizabeth II bestowed the Order of the British Empire on him in 2022 for his efforts.
Former Assam minister Sarat Barkataki passes away
Former Congress Minister in Assam and senior party leader Sarat Barkataki passed away at the age of 86. The senior leader represented the Sonari Assembly constituency in the Jorhat district as an MLA for 25 years. During the last term of late Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, Barkataki also held the position of Minister of Education.
Assam:
- Capital: Dispur
- Governor: Gulab Chand Kataria
- Chief minister: Himanta Biswa Sarma
Veteran RSS leader ideologue R Hari dies
Veteran RSS leader and former Boudhik Pramukh of the organisation R Hari died following age-related ailments. The 93-year-old RSS pracharak was also an ideologue, a prolific author and a social activist. Ranga Hari, popularly known as Hari ‘Eattan’ (elder brother) or Hariji among Sangh workers, was a revered leader and thinker who had dedicated his life to the Sangh Parivar and the propagation of its ideology. He was the first pracharak from the state to assume the top leadership position in the RSS. Hari, who hailed from Ernakulam district in the state, had been an active participant of RSS programmes and activities since his college days. He also helmed the publication ‘Kurukshetra’, a prominent Sangh journal.He served as the Akhila Bharatiya Boudhik Pramukh of the organisation for 15 years from 1990. He also supervised the activities of the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh in Asia and Australia. An author of 43 books in Malayalam, he also penned 11 books in Hindi and 2 books in English.
Friends actor Matthew Perry dead at 54
Friends star Matthew Perry, the Emmy-nominated actor whose sarcastic, but lovable Chandler Bing was among television’s most famous and most quotable characters, has died at 54. The actor was found dead of an apparent drowning at his Los Angeles home. Matthew Perry’s 10 seasons on Friends made him one of Hollywood’s most recognizable actors, starring opposite Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer as a friend group in New York. Friends was one of television’s biggest hits and has taken on a new life — and found surprising popularity with younger fans —in recent years on streaming services. Perry also had several notable film roles, starring opposite Salma Hayek in the rom-com Fools Rush In and Bruce Willis in the the crime comedy The Whole Nine Yards.
