Daily Current Affairs Notes for 26 December 2022

Good Governance Day 2022: Every year, in honour of former Indian Prime Minister Atal Vihari Vajpayee’s birthday, India observes "Good Governance Day".

Overview

Good Governance Day 2022:

Good Governance Day is being celebrated on the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today. 25th December is celebrated as Good Governance Day every year to create awareness of accountability in government among the people. Several programmes are being organised to mark the occasion.

President Droupadi Murmu, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid floral tribute to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at his memorial 'Sadaiv Atal'  on his 98th  birth anniversary this morning.

Good Governance Day History

• Good Governance Day 2022 is observed for the birth anniversary of Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

• Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a former prime minister, and Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya were both named as recipients of the Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian honor, on December 23, 2014. Following the declaration, the newly-elected Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that December 25 would be observed as Good Governance Day.

• Three times, Atal Bihari Vajpayee led India as prime minister. In 1996, his first term lasted just 13 days. He completed his second term from 1999 to 2004 after serving it for a total of thirteen months from March 1998 to April 1999. In 1962, he made his debut appearance in the Rajya Sabha. He won seven elections for the Lok Sabha. Mr. Vajpayee received the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian honor in India, in 2015.

Good Governance Day 2022 Significance

• The aim of Good Governance Day 2022 is to let the students and citizens of the country know about the duties and responsibilities of the government they need to fulfill. 

• On Good governance Day 2022, quizzes, conversations, live programs, orientations, seminars, and other activities will be conducted to honor the day.

• Good governance day 2022 acts as a reminder to the government about its responsibilities, and the government should be unbiased, transparent, and development-oriented.

• The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions developed the Good Government Index (GGI) to rate the effectiveness of the nation's governance. It assesses the results of numerous state and municipal government projects.

• The Right to Information Act of 2005 significantly contributes to the promotion of governance transparency.

• National e-Government Strategy will be implemented in each local area so that the common people can easily access all government services at low cost. It will be more transparent and efficient for the common people.

CPN-Maoist Centre chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Prachanda, clearing the way for his third stint in the Nepal Prime Minister’s Office in the last 14 years.

Overview

In a swift move, CPN-Maoist Centre chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Prachanda, mustered the support of 168 parliamentarians, way above the magic mark of 138 in the House of Representatives, clearing the way for his third stint in the Nepal Prime Minister’s Office in the last 14 years. President Bidya Devi Bhandari appointed Prachanda as the prime minister as per Article 76 (2) of the constitution.

More About This Transition:

After he snapped ties with the ruling coalition led by Sher Bahadur Deuba, Prachanda went to the President’s office in the company of KP Sharma Oli, chief of the Communist Party of Nepal – Unified Marxist Leninist (UML), with a list of supporters from seven political parties.

Nepal has seen 10 government changes since 2008 when the 239-year-old monarchy was abolished.

Supporters of Prachanda:

The parties supporting Prachanda include pro-monarchy Rastriya Prajatantra Party, newly born Rastriya Swatantra Party, Janata Samajbadi Party, regional outfits like Jamat Party and Nagarik besides the UML and the CPN-Maoist Centre. The list was submitted well within the deadline President Bidhya Devi Bhandari had set for claimants to form the government.

Prachanda has support of 165 lawmakers in the 275-member House of Representatives which includes CPN-UML with 78, CPN-MC with 32, RSP with 20, RPP with 14, JSP with 12, Janamat with 6 and Nagarik Unmukti Party with 3.

About PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda:

Born in Dhikurpokhari of Kaski district near Pokhara on December 11, 1954, Prachanda remained underground for almost 13 years. He joined mainstream politics when the CPN-Maoist adopted peaceful politics, ending decade long armed insurgency. He led the decade-long armed struggle from 1996 to 2006 that ultimately ended with signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in November 2006.

Merry Christmas 2022: The 25 Dec is here, and we are all looking forward to it. Merry Christmas 2022 decorations are already up everywhere we can see them.

Overview

MERRY CHRISTMAS! Christmas is an annual festival which commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ. It is observed as a religious and cultural celebration among millions of people in the world. It is known as one of the merriest festival of the year and begins with a holiday season. Christmas is the joining of two words 'Christ' and 'mass' which means the holy mass (celebration or festival) of Christ. According to Christians, the true meaning of Christmas is 'love and warmth'. 

The celebrations of Christmas include exhanging gitfs with loved ones, decorating Christmas tree, deocrating homes, lighting, playing in the snow, making a snowman, santa claus, making traditional Christmas desserts, baking Christmas cakes and cookies, hosting parties, family get-togethers and many more. On the joyous occasion of Christmas, we bring you amazing wishes and quotes to share with your loved ones to uplift the festive mood. 

Why no more Merry Christmas 2022?

Not that anyone ever wishes someone a Merry Christmas. In Britain, the greeting is frequently used. Since the late Queen Elizabeth used to wish her subjects a “Happy Christmas” in her yearly broadcasts, this could be linked to her influence.

Why is Happy Christmas 2022 used more than Merry Christmas 2022?

The term “happy” is often thought to have a higher socioeconomic level connotation than the word “merry,” which was frequently associated with the raucousness of the lower classes. Since then, “Happy Christmas” has become the royal family’s go-to greeting, and it is now widely used throughout Britain. According to linguists, the term “merry” better captures the holiday atmosphere than the word “happy.”

Merry Christmas 2022: “Merry Christmas” Origination

Merry Christmas has been a common greeting since the 14th century. This is stated in a letter that was written by the bishop and addressed to Thomas Cromwell, who served as Henry VIII’s prime minister at the time. The phrase was also used in the English carol “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” from the 1500s.

With the publication of Charles Dickens’ book “A Christmas Carol” in 1843, the salutation gained popularity. The novel by Charles Dickens greatly influenced contemporary English and elevated the greeting in terms of usage.

Around the 18th century, there was a fall in the use of the term “merry,” but expressions like “the more the merrier,” Christmas carols, and songs persisted, and “Merry Christmas” overtook it as the most often used greeting. Many of the Christmas customs we observe today have their roots in Victorian Christmas. In the United States and Great Britain, Merry Christmas is now a common way to wish people a happy holiday.

History

Jesus Christ was born on December 25, in Bethlehem to Joseph and Mother Mary. It is believed that Jesus was conceived through the holy spirit and was born when Mary was engaged to Joseph. Considered the son of God, Jesus is known for his priceless teachings that have formed the foundation of Christianity over time. Though the holy Bible does not provide a specific date for Jesus’ birth, Emperor Constantine declared December 25 as “Christmas” to acknowledge Christ’s birth every year. It traces its origins to Constantine, the first Christian Roman emperor. Various countries call this festival by different names. It is addressed as Yuletide in Germany, Natale in Italian, Navidad in Spanish, etc.

Christmas 2022: Wishes

"May the Christmas Season bring only happiness and joy to you and your family. Merry Christmas!"

"Wishing you Happy Holidays and a New Year that makes you smile every day. Merry Christmas 2023! "

"The gift of love. The gift of peace. The gift of happiness. May all these be yours at Christmas. Merry Christmas!"

"May all that is beautiful, meaningful and brings you joy be yours this holiday season and throughout the coming year. Merry Christmas!"

"For you, at Christmas time: a wish for happiness, warmth, and love. Merry Christmas!"

"May your heart be lifted in praise this Christmas for the wonderful gift of Jesus and the joy He brings to our lives. Merry Christmas!"

Christmas 2022: Messages

"Sending prayers and hearty Christmas greetings to you. May you receive the most special of God’s blessings during this amazing Christmas season!"

"May you have the gift of faith, the blessing of hope and the peace of His love at Christmas and always. Merry Christmas!"

"The bells are jingling. The balls are rolling. The stars shine bright on the Christmas tree. May this sparkle always brighten your life. Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas to someone who’s sweeter than a candy cane warms me up more than a cup of hot cocoa and fills my heart with joy more than the biggest present under the tree!"

"My love and thoughts are with you during the Christmas season and the promise of hope it brings."

India's badminton star, PV Sindhu is the only Indian sportsperson to feature in the top 25 of Forbes' annual list of the world's highest-paid female athletes.

Overview

Forbes annual list highest-paid female athletes: 

Forbes annual list: India’s badminton star, PV Sindhu is the only Indian sportsperson to feature in the top 25 of Forbes’ annual list of the world’s highest-paid female athletes. Sindhu, the 2016 Tokyo Olympics silver medallist, occupies the 12th spot in the list. Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka tops the list. For the third straight year, Osaka tops Forbes’ annual list of the World’s highest-paid female athletes. The list is dominated by tennis players once again.

List of 15 highest paid female athletes of the year:

1. Naomi Osaka (Japan) – Tennis – $51.1 million
2. Serena Williams (USA) – Tennis – $41.3 million
3. Elieen Gu (China) – Skiing – $20.1 million
4. Emma Raducanu (UK) – Tennis – $18.7 million
5. Iga Swiatek (Poland) – Tennis – $14.9 million
6. Venus Williams (USA) – Tennis – $12.1 million
7. Coco Gauff (USA) – Tennis – $11.1 million
8. Simone Biles (USA) – Gymnastics – $10 million
9. Jessica Pegula (USA) – Tennis – $7.6 million
10. Minjee Lee (Australia) – Golf – $7.3 million
11. Candace Parker (USA) – Basketball – $7.2 million
12. P.V. Sindhu (India) – Badminton – $7.1 million
13. Leylah Fernandez (Canada) – Tennis -$7 million
14. Lydia Ko (New Zealand) – Golf – $6.9 million
15. Ons Jabeur (Tunisia) – Tennis – $6.5 million

Important facts:

• Sindhu, the 2016 Tokyo Olympics silver medalist, is ranked 12th in the list, which is topped by Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka.
• The 27-year-old Sindhu, who won the singles gold and doubles silver at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham earlier this year, earned $7 million out of her total earnings of $7.1 million.
• For the third year in a row, Osaka topped Forbes’ annual list of the world’s highest-paid female athletes. The list is once again dominated by tennis players.
• Naomi Osaka, the world number 42, topped the list with a total annual earning of $51.1 million, while Serena Williams is a distant second with $41.3 million and Eileen Gu, the freestyle skier, third with a total coffer of $20.1 million.