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Current Affairs Pocket PDF – December 2019

Table of Contents
NATIONAL NEWS........................................................................................................................................................................................................................4
CABINET APPROVALS .........................................................................................................................................................................................................4
PARLIAMENT NEWS ............................................................................................................................................................................................................5
STATE-WISE NATIONAL NEWS ......................................................................................................................................................................................6
LAUNCHES & INAUGURATION .....................................................................................................................................................................................15
FESTIVALS .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................18
OTHER NATIONAL NEWS ...............................................................................................................................................................................................20
GOVT SCHEMES ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................27
INTERNATIONAL NEWS .......................................................................................................................................................................................................30
VISITS ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................33
INDIA VISITS .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................33
BANKING & FINANCE NEWS ..............................................................................................................................................................................................33
RBI IN NEWS.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................33
BANKING TECHNOLOGY .................................................................................................................................................................................................36
LOANS ISSUED BY BANKS ..............................................................................................................................................................................................37
AGREEMENTS & MoUs SIGNED ...................................................................................................................................................................................38
OTHER BANKING & FINANCE NEWS ........................................................................................................................................................................39
ECONOMY & BUSINESS NEWS ...........................................................................................................................................................................................41
GDP & GROWTH RATE .....................................................................................................................................................................................................41
ECONOMY NEWS ................................................................................................................................................................................................................42
BUSINESS NEWS .................................................................................................................................................................................................................43
MoUs & AGREEMENTS ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................44
MoUs BETWEEN COUNTRIES .......................................................................................................................................................................................44
MoUs WITH STATES..........................................................................................................................................................................................................44
MoUs BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONS ............................................................................................................................................................................45
OTHER MoUs & AGREEMENTS ....................................................................................................................................................................................45
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS ................................................................................................................................................................................46
NATIONAL .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................46
INTERNATIONAL................................................................................................................................................................................................................48
RESIGNATIONS ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................49
BRAND & CAMPAIGN AMBASSADORS......................................................................................................................................................................50
OTHER APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS........................................................................................................................................................... 51
AWARDS.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................52
AWARDS IN THE FIELD OF LITERATURE & ACADEMICS ................................................................................................................................ 52
AWARDS IN THE FIELD OF SOCIAL SERVICE, SCIENCE & BRAVERY ......................................................................................................... 53
AWARDS IN THE FIELD OF ARTS & CULTURE FILMS ....................................................................................................................................... 55
AWARDS FOR STATES, COUNTRY, BANKS & ORGANIZATIONS ................................................................................................................... 56
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AWARDS IN THE FIELD OF SPORTS ..........................................................................................................................................................................57

AWARDS IN CONTENT FORMAT .................................................................................................................................................................................58
SUMMITS, EVENTS & CONFERENCE ...............................................................................................................................................................................60
SUMMITS ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................60
EVENTS ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................61
CONFERENCE .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................62
COMMITTEE & MEETING NEWS .......................................................................................................................................................................................64
COMMITTEE NEWS ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................64
MEETINGS NEWS ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................65
INDEX ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................66
RANKING ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................66
Human Development index 2019 .....................................................................................................................................................................................67
REPORTS ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................70
ACQUISITION & MERGERS ..................................................................................................................................................................................................72
DEFENCE .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................73
EXERCISES .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................73
TESTING..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................74
DEALS & MoUs .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................75
ARMY, NAVY & AIR FORCE NEWS ..............................................................................................................................................................................75
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY ....................................................................................................................................................................................................76
APPS & WEB PORTAL .......................................................................................................................................................................................................76
SATELLITE LAUNCHES ....................................................................................................................................................................................................76
OTHER SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY NEWS ................................................................................................................................................................77
ENVIRONMENT.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................80
SPORTS NEWS ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................81
BOOKS & AUTHOR...................................................................................................................................................................................................................88
OBITUARY ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................90
NATIONAL .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................90
INTERNATIONAL................................................................................................................................................................................................................92
IMPORTANT DAYS ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................94
AC BYTES .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................99
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NATIONAL NEWS
CABINET APPROVALS
Cabinet approvals with foreign countries on December 4 , 2019
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi
has approved the following pact with the foreign countries. The approvals are as follows:
 Cabinet approved pact with Germany on Railways
 Cabinet approved MoU between Election Commission of India and Election Commission of
Maldives for electoral management
Read full details here: Cabinet approvals with foreign countries on December 4 , 2019
Overview of Cabinet approvals on December 4, 2019

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) Chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi
has approved the following proposals on December 4, 2019. The approval details are as follows:
 Cabinet approved launch of Bharat Bond Exchange Traded Fund
 Approval for land monetisation at Pragati Maidan to build a five-star hotel
 Cabinet approved Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019
 Union Cabinet cleared Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019
 Cabinet approved SC/STs reservation in Lok Sabha & state assemblies for another 10 years
 Cabinet approved to withdraw J&K reservation Bill from Parliament
 Cabinet approved Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Bill, 2019
 Cabinet approved Central Sanskrit Universities Bill
 Cabinet approved 4th labour code on social security
Highlights of Cabinet approvals with foreign countries on December 11, 2019

The Union cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister (PM) Shri Narendra Modi has approved the following
pact with the foreign countries. The approval are as follows:
 Approval of MoC between India & Japan in Steel Sector
 Approval for MoU between India & Japan coal energy centre for cooperation in power supply
 Approval for social security agreement between India and Brazil
 Approval for MoU between CDSCO & Saudi Food and Drug Authority for cooperation in medical
products
Read full details here: Highlights of Cabinet approvals with foreign countries on December 11, 2019
Overview of cabinet approvals on December 11, 2019

has approved the following proposals on December 11, 2019. The approvals in detail are as follows:
 Cabinet approved “Partial Credit Guarantee Scheme” for purchase of high-rated pooled assets
 Cabinet approved the proposal for increase in authorised capital and equity support to IIFCL
 Cabinet authorised NHAI to set up Infrastructure Investment Trust and monetize National
Highway projects
 Cabinet approved Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Second Amendment) Bill, 2019
 Cabinet approves Aircraft (Amendment) Bill, 2019
 Cabinet approved revision in the Funding Pattern of Delhi Metro’s three Priority Corridors of
Phase – IV
 Cabinet approved revision of PM’s Development Package for Horticulture in UTs of J&K and
Ladakh
Read full details here: Overview of cabinet approvals on December 11, 2019
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Overview of cabinet approvals with foreign countries on December 24, 2019

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs(CCEA) chaired by the Prime Minister(PM) Shri Narendra
Modi approved the following agreements with the foreign countries on December 24, 2019:
 Approval for MoU between India & Brazil on Bioenergy Cooperation
 Approval for Security Cooperation between India & Saudi Arabia
 Approval for MoU between India & Bangladesh on cooperation in Youth matters
 Approval for agreement b/w India & Uzbekistan on cooperation in combating transnational
organized crime and International terrorism
 Approval for Signing of Protocol to amend the Air Services Agreement between India &
Switzerland
Read full details here: Overview of cabinet approvals with foreign countries on December 24, 2019
Overview of Cabinet approvals on December 24, 2019

has approved the following proposals on December 24, 2019. The approvals are as follows:
 Cabinet approved conducting Census of India 2021 and updating National Population Register
 Cabinet approved to create post of Chief of Defence Staff in the rank of four-star General
 Cabinet approved transformational Organisational Restructuring of Indian Railways
 Cabinet approved transfer of administrative control of Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Ltd
 Cabinet approved funds to the tune of Rs. 627.40 crore for 10 projects under Swadesh Darshan
Scheme
 Cabinet approved official amendments to the Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2019
 Cabinet approved Promulgation of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment)
Ordinance, 2019
 Cabinet granted Ex-post facto approval to amend the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations
Read full details here: Overview of Cabinet approvals on December 24, 2019
PARLIAMENT NEWS
Parliament passed The Recycling of Ships Bill 2019
The parliament has passed the “The Recycling of Ships Bill 2019’’ inorder to ensure environmentally
safe and sound recycling of Ships in India. Under the bill, the govt. will provide regulations of recycling
of ships by setting international standards. The already existing Shipbreaking Code (revised), 2013 and
the provisions of the Hong Kong Convention, 2009 will be dovetailed (joined together) in this bill. Read
full details here: Parliament passed The Recycling of Ships Bill 2019
Rajya Sabha passed International Financial Services Centres Authority Bill, 2019
Rajya Sabha (RS) passed the International Financial Services Centres (IFSCs) Authority Bill, 2019. The
bill was passed to set up a unified authority to regulate all financial services in IFSCs in India. Prior to
RS, the Lok Sabha(LS) passed the bill on December 11, 2019 and will become a law once the President
Shri Ram Nath Kovind gives his assent. Financial centres that cater to customers outside their own
jurisdiction are referred to as International Financial Centres (IFCs) or offshore Financial Centers
(OFCs). Read full details here: Rajya Sabha passed International Financial Services Centres Authority
Bill, 2019
SC orders judicial enquiry in Hyderabad Encounter; Panel to be headed by ex-judge VS Sirpurkar

Supreme Court (SC) has appointed a 3-member inquiry commission to be headed by former apex court
judge V S Sirpurkar to inquire into the encounter killing of the four accused involved in the Hyderabad
(Telangana) gang-rape and murder case of a veterinarian. The report has to be submitted to the SC
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within 6 months. The bench comprising of Justice S Abdul Nazeer and Justice Sanjiv Khanna, ordered
that security to the commission will be provided by the CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force).
President approved Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019

President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind approved the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019. After his
assent, the bill has changed into Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019. This act amended Citizenship Act,
1955 by granting citizenship to undocumented non-Muslims migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and
Afghanistan who came to India on or before December 31, 2014. The act will also relax the requirement
of residence in India for citizenship by naturalisation from 11 years to 5 years for these migrants. Read
full details here: President approved Citizenship Amendment Bill
President approved Arms (Amendment) Bill 2019

The president of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind approved the Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2019 stating
maximum punishment of life imprisonment for manufacturing and carrying illegal arms. After his
assent, the bill became an act with effect from December 14, 2019. The act has amended Arms Act
1959. The act was brought to check the acts of terrorism and insurgency and use of illegal arms, which
is in favour of the common people. The act aims to provide effective deterrence against violation of law.
Read full details here: President approved Arms (Amendment) Bill 2019
President approved Recycling of Ships Bill, 2019

President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind approved the Recycling of Ships Bill, 2019 by dovetailing the
existing Shipbreaking Code (revised), 2013 and the provisions of the Hong Kong International
Convention for Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, 2009. After his assent, the bill
became an act w.e.f. December 13, 2019, which provides recycling of ships by setting certain
international standards and laying down the statutory mechanism for enforcement of such standards.
The act prohibits the use or installation of hazardous materials in the ship and also made it mandatory
to obtain a ‘Ready for Recycling Certificate’ in accordance with the Hong Kong Convention. Read full
details here: President approved Recycling of Ships Bill, 2019
Supreme Court sets up two-Judge Committee to speed up the disposal of rape cases
The Supreme Court (SC) has formed two-Judge Committee to speed up the disposal process of rape
cases across the country, comprising Justice Subhash Reddy and Justice MR Shah. The cases will be
monitored by the panel to make the process fast and well organized. The panel was announced by
Sharad Arvind Bobde, Chief justice of India.
STATE-WISE NATIONAL NEWS

Andra Pradesh
Y.S Jaganmohan Reddy, Chief Minister (CM) of Andhra Pradesh (AP) launches the YSR Aasaraa
Scheme
Yeduguri Sandinti Jaganmohan Reddy, Chief Minister (CM) of Andhra Pradesh (AP) launched the YSR
Aasaraa Scheme in Guntur Medical College, Guntur Andhra Pradesh. he YSR Aasaraa scheme is
applicable for people whose annual income is not more than Rs.5 lakh per year. It provides
postoperative sustenance allowance of Rs.225 medical allocation for each person for a day or or Rs
5000 per month, who come under the Aarogyasri Scheme.
YSR Law Nestham scheme launched by Jagan Mohan Reddy, CM of Andhra Pradesh
On 3rd December 2019, which is also observed as the National lawyers day, Yeduguri Sandinti
Jaganmohan Reddy, Chief Minister (CM) of Andhra Pradesh launched the YSR (Yuvajana Sramika Rythu)
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Law Nestham scheme for lawyers at Tadepalli, Andhra Pradesh. CM granted Rs 100 crore to Lawyers'
Welfare Fund and also provided stipend of Rs 5,000 to junior lawyers.
Andhra Pradesh cabinet approves Disha bill, 2019 to dispose of crimes against women in 21 days
The Andhra Pradesh (AP) state Cabinet chaired by chief minister (CM), Yeduguri Sandinti (YS) Jagan
Mohan Reddy, has approved the A.P. Disha Bill, 2019 that makes it mandatory to settle cases of
atrocities against women in 21 days and punishment including a death penalty for the offences of rape
and gang-rape. The new bill, the Andhra Pradesh Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2019, called as
Andhra Pradesh Disha Act, 2019. The cabinet also approved to set up special courts under "Andhra
Pradesh Special Court for Specified Offences Against Women and Children Act, 2019" to prosecute cases
of atrocities against women and children under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences
(POCSO) Act, 2012.
CM Jaganmohan Reddy inaugurated first Virtual Police station at AU in Andhra Pradesh

Yeduguri Sandinti Jaganmohan Reddy, Chief Minister(CM) of Andhra Pradesh (AP) inaugurated the first
Virtual Police Station at the Andhra University (AU) in Visakhapatnam, AP. The concept of Virtual police
station was initiated by AU Vice-Chancellor Prasad Reddy with an aim to provide security to students.
Arunachal Pradesh
AP CM Jagan launched ‘Netanna Nestham’ welfare scheme for weavers
Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh (AP) Shri Yeduguri Sandinti Jagan Mohan Reddy launched a scheme
for weavers named “Nethanna Nestham” at Dharmavaram of Anantapur district. The aim of the scheme
is to provide Rs 24,000 per annum for each handloom weaver family. The scheme would provide
financial aid to about 85,000 families across the State for a period of 5 years. Thus, each family would
get Rs. 1.2 lakh at the end of 5 years. The CM also announced ex-gratia to all the families of the deceased
weavers who had committed suicide. Families of 57 weavers from Anantapur district, AP will be given a
financial assistance of Rs.3.5 crores.
Assam
Assam govt set up 15 Anti-depredation squads to tackle human-wildlife conflicts
Assam Chief Minister (CM) Sarbananda Sonowal has launched the 15 Anti- Depredation Squad of the
Forest Department. The Squads will be to deploy in 15 major human-wildlife conflict districts to ensure
the safety of both humans and wildlife.
Assam Govt launches ‘Abhinandan Scheme’ for students

Assam Chief Minister (CM) Sarbananda Sonowal has launched an Education Loan Subsidy scheme called
“Abhinandan”, during a programme held at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati. The scheme
will provide a one-time subsidy of up to Rs 50,000 to all educational loans that sanctioned till 31st
March, 2019.
Gujarat
Gujarat police became 7th state police to get 'President's Colours’ in Gandhinagar
The state police of Gujarat become the 7th state to honour with ‘President’s colours’ or ‘Nishaan’, a
highest honour given to a police force in India. The award was presented by Vice President of India Shri
Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu in Gandhinagar, Gujarat for their outstanding services. The previously
awarded states are Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Tripura and Assam.
7|Page
Haryana
EC announced Jannayak Janta Party as state party & alloted 'key' as poll symbol
Haryana’s Deputy Chief minister Dushyant Chautala led Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) has been recognised
as a 'state party' in Haryana by the Election Commission of India (ECI), headed by Chief Election
Commissioner (CEC), Sunil Arora. Key has been allocated as the party’s reserved symbol in the state.
1st Pashu Kisan Credit Cards of India, distributed in Bhiwani, Haryana

1st Pashu Kisan credit cards (Animal husbandry Credit Card) in India were distributed to 101 animal
farmers in Bhiwani district of Haryana. These credit cards were launched to promote animal husbandry
and agribusiness. The haryana govt has also set a target to issue 10 lakh Pashu Kisan Credit cards by
March 2021. Read full details here: 1st Pashu Kisan Credit Cards of India, distributed in Bhiwani,
Haryana
CM Khattar inaugurated Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) in Gurugram, Haryana
The Chief Minister (CM) of Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar has inaugurated the Integrated Command and
Control Centre (ICCC) in Gurugram, Haryana, built at a cost of Rs 38 crore. Through this, people will be
able to solve electricity, water, street lights, roads, and other problems.
Former SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar passed away at the age of 78
Former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee(SGPC) president Avtar Singh Makkar (39th
president) passed away at the age of 78 in Gurugram, Haryana due to brief illness. Avtar was the
founder president of Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha, which was then a hub for Akali politics. Born on
January 3, 1943 at Sargodha (now Pakistan), Avtar was elected as president of the district Akali jatha in
2002. He contested from Ludhiana North, Punjab before being elected to SGPC in 2005.
Haryana CM Khattar unveiled five e-initiatives, including Lokayukta portal

Chief Minister (CM) of Haryana Shri Manohar Lal Khattar launched 5 new e-initiatives, including
Lokayukta portal and 42 new schemes and services on the Saral portal, at the State-level Good
Governance programme marking the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister(PM) Late Atal Bihari
Vajpayee. The remaining 3 initiatives were websites of all 22 districts in the state, integration of 91
Tehsils (administrative areas) to Web Helris and digital map of village Sirsi (district Karnal) to make the
village free from Lal Dora. Read full details here: Haryana CM Khattar unveiled five e-initiatives,
including Lokayukta portal
CM Khattar inaugurates ‘Atal Kisan Mazdoor canteen’ in Haryana; farmers & labourers can get
food for Rs 10
Haryana Chief Minister (CM) Manohar Lal Khattar has inaugurated a “Atal Kisan Mazdoor canteen”
(named after former PM late Atal Bihari Vajpayee ) built by the Haryana State Agricultural Marketing
Board at a cost of Rs 4 lakh in Karnal's New Anaj Mandi, Haryana. This canteen will greatly benefit
farmers and labourers, who can get food for Rs 10. He also unveiled a 14-foot statue of Atal Bihari
Vajpayee at the Atal Park, built at a cost Rs 56 lakh.
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh cabinet gives nod to sell water of Yamuna
The Himachal Pradesh (HP) state Cabinet chaired by its Chief Minister (CM) Jai Ram Thakur, has
approved to sign the memorandum of understanding (MoU) to sell the water of River Yamuna from
states’s share at Tajewala corridor on payment basis. The state government would earn Rs 21 crore per
annum from this decision. The details of whom the water would be sold to and with whom this MoU
would be signed were not revealed by the State Government.
8|Page
Jammu and Kashmir

Lt Governor Girish Chandra Murmu inaugurated 72-metre all-weather bridge in Rajouri in J&K
Lt (Lieutenant) Governor of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Shri Girish Chandra Murmu inaugurated all-
weather 72-metre-long multi cell box type load class 70 bridge in Rajouri in the Union Territory (UT) of
J&K. The bridge which was built by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) under project sampark, spans
over Draj nallah and connected Draj Area to Tehsil Kotranka area of Rajouri district.
Karnataka
Heat Wave 2020: 4th Workshop on management of Heat Wave begun in Bengaluru, Karnataka
National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), in collaboration with Karnataka govt. has organised
a two-day national workshop “Heat Wave 2020” on preparedness, mitigation and management of Heat
Wave, in Bengaluru city of Karnataka. Climate change led to the rise of average summer temperature by
0.5°C in the past five years. This is the 4th annual workshop in a series that NDMA has been conducting
since 2017. Read full details here: Heat Wave 2020: 4th Workshop on management of Heat Wave begun
in Bengaluru, Karnataka
Kerala
Kerala launches ‘Vijayamritham’ & ‘Sahachari’ schemes to support differently-abled people
In order to provide motivation and to become the helping hand for differently-abled persons, the state
Government of Kerala has launched 2 social welfare schemes - ‘Vijayamritham’ and ‘Sahachari’.
 Vijayamritham’: It provides a one-time cash award to meritorious differently-abled persons
who have scored high marks in Degree/ Equivalent courses, Post Graduate (PG) & Professional
courses.
 Sahachari scheme: This scheme aims to provide encouragement to NCC/NSS/SPC units
functioning in schools who offer assistance to differently-abled students with over 40%
disability in their studies as well as other extra-curricular activities.
Read full details here: Kerala launches ‘Vijayamritham’ & ‘Sahachari’ schemes to support differently-
abled people
Kerala MLA Thomas Chandy passes away at 72

National Congress Party (NCP) State President and Kerala MLA, Thomas Chandy passed away due to
cancer at the age of 72 at his home in Kochi, Kerala. Born in Chenammkary, Kerala in 1947, he
represented the Kuttanad constituency in Alappuzha. He was closely associated with Kerala Student
Union (KSU) and later with the Congress. He also built a business empire in the Persian Gulf.
Kerala Sahitya Akademi Fellowships and Awards 2018 announced in Thrissur

Kerala Sahitya Akademi fellowships and awards 2018 were announced by Kerala Akademi President M
K Gopinathan Nair (Vaisakhan) in Thrissur Kerala. Novelist Maniyambath Mukundan and Poet K G
Sankara Pillai were selected for the Kerala Sahitya Akademi fellowships 2018. This fellowship is the
special membership of Kerala Sahitya Akademi, apart from the cash prize of Rs 50,000, a gold locket of
two sovereigns and a Citation each.
Key Winners:
 V M Girija- Best Poem for Budhha Pournami
 K V Mohankumar- Best Novel (Ushna Rashi)
 Rekha K- Best Short Story (Mananchira)
 Rajmohan Neeleswaram- Best Drama (Choottum Koottum)
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Madya Pradesh
Police launches “MP e-cop” an application to ensure women’s safety in Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh (MP) police have launched an application named ‘MP e-cop’ to ensure the safety of
women. The MP e-cop app includes SOS (an international code signal for extreme distress) facility
which will send an alert SMS (Short Message Service) to 100 and any five phone numbers fed in the app
as soon as the button is pressed.
Maharashtra
Tukaram Dighole, former Minister of Maharashtra dies at 77
Tukaram Sakharam Dighole, former Minister of Maharashtra died at a private hospital following a brief
illness at the age of 77 in Nashik. He was the Minister of State for Power and Rural Development in the
Shiv Sena-BJP government and Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in Maharashtra from 1995-
1999. He represented the Sinnar Assembly Constituency in Nashik from 1985-1999.
Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi expressway to be named after late Bal Thackeray

Mumbai state cabinet Maharashtra minister Eknath Shinde has approved to name the under-
construction Mumbai-Nagpur super communication Samruddhi expressway (Maharashtra Samruddhi
Mahamarg) after Shiv Sena party founder late Bal Thackeray. The cabinet also approved an additional
share capital of Rs 3,500 crores to reduce the burden of loan that will be raised for this project. This in
turn will bring down the interest amount by Rs 2,500 crores. Read full details here: Mumbai-Nagpur
Samruddhi expressway to be named after late Bal Thackeray
Popular Marathi actor Sharad Ponkshe wins Janakavi P Sawlaram memorial award 2019
Sharad Ponkshe (52), an Indian film actor and writer, mainly working in Hindi and Marathi cinema, was
awarded prestigious Janakavi P Sawlaram Memorial Award 2019 at Thane in Maharashtra for his
contribution in the field of cinema and theatre. The award consists a cash prize worth of Rs. 25,000, a
citation and shawl. Also, Marathi Actress, Usha Naik was also awarded the Ganga-Jamuna Award 2019.
These awards were presented by Thane Mayor Naresh Mhaske.
Nashik railway station in Maharashtra opens an 'Oxygen Parlour' to combat air pollution
‘Oxygen Parlour’ has been opened at Nashik Railway Station in Maharashtra by Indian Railways in
collaboration with Airo Guard to provide an experience of breathing clean air and to battle against
rising air pollution. The Oxygen Parlour is equipped with plants; based on the 1989 recommendation of
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which had identified some plants that can
absorb the harmful pollutants from air.
Maharashtra cabinet approved Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Farmer Loan Waiver & Shiv Bhojan
scheme
Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray approved the "Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Farmer Loan
Waiver Scheme" and subsidized meal scheme named "Shiv Bhojan" programme for the poor. Under
Farmer Loan Waiver Scheme short-term crop loan up to Rs 2 lakh taken by farmers between April 1,
2015-March 31, 2019, and short-term restructured crop loan arrears up to September 30, 2019, will be
waived. While Rs 6.4 crore Shiv Bhojan" programme will be started as pilot project for three months.
Under this, at least one 'Shiv Bhojan' canteen will be started at district headquarters. Each canteen will
serve 500 thalis (plates) which is available at Rs 10 each.
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Manipur
President Ram Nath Kovind extends ILP regime to Manipur
Ram Nath Kovind, President of India signed an order to extend the Inner Line Permit (ILP) regime to
Manipur. Manipur is the fourth state to have the ILP after Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram.
Other state citizens require ILP to visit these states in terms of Section 2 of the Bengal Eastern Frontier
Regulations, 1873. The extension will exclude the state from the provisions of the Citizenship
(Amendment) Bill, 2019.
Nagaland
Nagaland govt extends the Inner Line Permit (ILP) regime to Dimapur
In the midst of the uproar over the Citizenship Amendment Bill, the Nagaland state government
extended an Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Dimapur district of the state with immediate effect. The
provision of inner line permit in the state has been made under Section 2 of the Bengal Eastern Frontier
Regulation, 1873. Also, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has extended the Inner Line Permit (ILP) to
Manipur, making it the 4th state in the northeast after Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland. Read
full details here: Nagaland govt extends the Inner Line Permit (ILP) regime to Dimapur
Entire Nagaland declared ‘disturbed area’ for six more months under AFSPA
Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) has declared the entire region of “Nagaland” as a disturbed area under
section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 i.e. AFSPA Act 1958, for a further period of 6
more months with effect from 30th December 2019. The implementation of AFSPA has been active in
Nagaland for almost 6 decades (60 years) even after a framework agreement was signed on August 3,
2015. The act gives the military sweeping powers to search and arrest, and to open fire so as to keep
maintenance of public order. Read full details here: Entire Nagaland declared ‘disturbed area’ for six
more months under AFSPA
Odisha
President Ram Nath Kovind laid foundation stone for Paika Vidroh memorial at Khurda,
Odisha
President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind laid foundation stone of the Paika Vidroh Memorial at Barunei
foothills in Khurda, Odisha. It is a 10-acre memorial in remembrance of the paikas rebellion. The
construction of the memorial at Barunei, was announced by the govt. in 2017.
Odisha govt reduced subsidy to farmers under KALIA scheme to Rs 4,000 per annum from Rs
10,000
The Odisha government has reduced the amount of aid given to farmers under the KALIA (Krushak
Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation) scheme from Rs 10,000 to Rs 4000 per year. This
decision was taken by the state government after merging the KALIA scheme with Central
Government’s Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) yojana. Small farmers will be given Rs
6,000 rupees for 2019-20 from the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana and Rs 4,000 rupees
from 2020-21 under the KALIA Scheme, so that they can get ten thousand rupees annually. Read full
details here: Odisha govt reduced subsidy to farmers under KALIA scheme to Rs 4,000 per annum from
Rs 10,000
Govt of Odisha to set up 45 fast track courts

The govt of Odisha announced to set up 45 fast track courts for speedy disposal of rape cases registered
under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act 2012, in the state. It follows the central
govt’s decision to formulate a scheme for setting up 1,023 fast track special courts for trial and disposal
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of rape cases. Out of the 45 fast track courts in the state, 24 would deal with POCSO cases and the
remaining 21 courts would exclusively deal with cases of sexual offences against women.
Odisha government included its agriculture department in state's "Mo Sarkar" scheme
The Odisha Government included the department of agriculture and farmer’s empowerment in the “Mo
Sarkar” or "My Government" scheme as an expansion of the ‘5T’ (teamwork, technology, transparency,
time leading to transformation) initiative. It was launched on 2nd October 2019 to provide quality
governance to the people.
Odisha: “Jalsathi” initiative launched; “SAMRIDHI” agricultural policy-2020 approved

Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister (CM) of Odisha launched the “Jalsathi” program in Bhubaneswar, to
engage women from the self-help group (SHG) mission Shakti in water distribution and consumer
management. Also CM Patnaik approved ‘SAMRIDHI’, the new Agriculture Policy for the year 2020 for
Odisha on 17 December 2019. Under Jal Sathi program program women, volunteers will ensure the
supply of clean drinking water through piped water systems. SAMRIDHI will ensure consistent
sustainable growth in the income of farmers and also make sure that all policies reach small and
marginal farmers. Read full details here: Odisha: “Jalsathi” initiative launched; “SAMRIDHI” agricultural
policy-2020 approved
e-certificate portal and ePAUTI App were launched by Odisha Government

Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik has launched an e-certificate portal and ePAUTI App. Through
e-certificate portal, applicants can apply for various certificates like caste certificate and permanent
residence certificates through http://edistrict.odisha.gov.in/ without visiting Tehsil offices and once
application approved the certificate can be downloaded from the portal or from the mail. Even, no fees
will be charged for the certificates specifying these services as the rights of the people. While e-PAUTI
App is used for paying land revenue online with the help of smartphones without visiting a government
office.
Punjab
Punjab govt joins hands with WEF to design pilot on e-vehicles ecosystem
In a bid to tackle environmental pollution, the Punjab state government has partnered with the World
Economic Forum (WEF) to design a public-private pilot project on shared, clean and electric mobility
(e-mobility). This collaboration will be formulated at the WEF annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland in
January 2020.
Punjab Cabinet approves to create land banks in rural areas for industrial development
Punjab state Cabinet chaired by its Chief Minister (CM) Captain Amarinder Singh gave in-principle
approval to amend the Punjab Village Common Land (Regulation) Rules, 1964 to create land banks in
rural areas to promote industrial development. The cabinet decided to provide special provisions for
the transfer of Shamlat land (consolidation of landholdings for common use) for the development of
industrial infrastructure projects to Industry Department and Punjab Small Industries and Export
Corporation (PSIEC).
Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister of Punjab launched Enable Startup Track Acceleration
(ESTAC) program
Amarinder Singh, Punjab Chief Minister launched Enable Startup Track Acceleration (ESTAC) program
in the Progressive Punjab Investors Summit-2019 held in Mohali, Punjab. The goal of the summit is to
promote entrepreneurship and innovation in the state. ESTAC is a startup program started by the
partnership between the State Government and the AIC (Atal Incubation Centre) Indian School of
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Business, Mohali. ESTAC is a 6 month program starting from 1st March 2020. Ten startups will be
selected and will participate in the ESTAC program and will be given the opportunity to work on pilot
projects with the government of Punjab.
Rajasthan
New policies of renewable energy and investment promotion schemes launched in Rajasthan
The Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot, has launched new policies related to renewable energy
namely, Solar Energy Policy 2019, Wind and Hybrid Energy Policy 2019 along with Industrial
Development Policy 2019 at an event in Jaipur, Rajasthan. The state govt also launched two Investment
Promotion Schemes, those are, Rajasthan Investment Promotion Scheme 2019 and Chief Minister's
Small Scale Industries Promotion Scheme 2019.
Tamil Nadu
Madras Waste Exchange: Chennai Corporation of Tamil Nadu launches country’s first waste exchange
platform
Greater Chennai Corporation, Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN) launched country’s first waste exchange
platform namely "Madras Waste Exchange" (www.madraswasteexchange.com) to buy and sell
municipal solid waste online. It has been conceptualised by the Smart City Mission, with support from
the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
BHEL commissioned India’s 1st lignite-based 500 MW thermal unit in TN

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has successfully commissioned 1st Lignite based 500 MW
thermal unit of 2x500 MW Neyveli New Thermal Power Project in Tamil Nadu (TN). This thermal unit
is also the highest rating pulverised lignite-fired thermal unit commissioned in India so far. This lignite
fired thermal power project is owned by NLC India ltd (NLCIL) and is based in cuddalore district of TN.
NLCIL was previously known as Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC).
Telagana
Telangana CM, K. Chandrashekar Rao releases book on Kaleshwaram project by Sridhar Rao
Deshpande
Kalvakuntla Chandrashekhar Rao, Chief Minister of Telangana released a book named "Kaleswaram
project: Telangana Pragathi Ratham" (Kaleswaram project: The Telangana Development Chariot) at
Pragati Bhavan. The book was authored by CM’s officer on special duty (OSD, Irrigation) Sridhar Rao
Deshpande.
Ex-HC judge CV Ramulu appointed as Telangana’s 1st Lok Ayukta; Chandraiah new SHRC chief
Former High Court Judge CV Ramulu has been appointed as the Lokayukta in Telangana. Apart from CV
Ramulu, Former law secretary V Niranjan Rao has been appointed as Upa Lokayukta. Apart from CV
Ramulu, Former law secretary V Niranjan Rao has been appointed as Upa Lokayukta. N. Anand Rao and
Mohammed Irfan Moinuddin were also appointed as members of the SHRC. It is the 1st time the state
government has constituted the Lokayukta and Human Rights Commission since the formation of the
state in 2014. Read full details here: Ex-HC judge CV Ramulu appointed as Telangana’s 1st Lok Ayukta;
Chandraiah new SHRC chief
WE Hub, Startup India DPIIT partnered for ‘Wing’ program for women entrepreneurs in
Telangana
WE hub (Women Entrepreneurs hub), announced its partnership with Start-up India, Department for
Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) to launch Startup India’s flagship program for women
entrepreneurs called WING (Women Rise Together) program in Telangana. The program will be
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launched in collaboration with KSUM (Kerala Startup Mission) and would provide the entrepreneurs
with knowledge on innovation and access to incubation, investors and business support.
Tripura
Commerce ministry set up Tripura’s 1st SEZ at Paschim Jalefa, Sabroom
Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) has announced the setting up of 1st Special Economic Zone
(SEZ) in Tripura at an estimated cost of Rs 1550 crores to boost Agro-Based Food Processing. The SEZ is
being set up in Paschim Jalefa, Sabroom of South Tripura District and is 130 kilometers away from
Agartala, the capital city, will be developed by Tripura Industrial Development Corporation (TIDC)
Ltd. The SEZ units will get 100% Income Tax (IT) exemption on export income under Section 10AA of
the Income Tax Act 1961 for the first 5 years. Read full details here: Commerce ministry set up
Tripura’s 1st SEZ at Paschim Jalefa, Sabroom
Uttarakhand
India’s 1st Ganga Centralised aqualab to be set up in Dehradun, Uttarakhand
The Uttarakhand state forest minister Shri Harak Singh Rawat laid foundation stone of India’s first
Ganga centralised aqualab at Wildlife Institute of India (WII) Dehradun, Uttarakhand. The aqualabs will
be set up under the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG). Various aquatic life forms found in the
2525-kilometer-long Ganga River would be preserved in the lab WII.
Uttrakhand hosted the 11th Regional Quality Conclave

Quality Council of India (QCI) along with PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) organised
the 11th edition of Regional Quality Conclave (RQC) at Rudrapur,Udham Singh Nagar of Uttarakhand.
The theme of the RQC was “Advance Manufacturing with Quality, Innovation & Technology
Interventions. It's objective was to create awareness about significance of quality culture in businesses.
Uttar Pradesh
UP govt announced 25% subsidy & 100% stamp duty waiver to set up defence industry
The govt. of Uttar Pradesh (UP) ahead of the 2020 biennial defence expo in the state, announced to
provide 25% subsidy and 100% stamp duty waiver for setting up of defence industry in the state. The
decision in this regard was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by UP Chief Minister(CM) Shri Yogi
Adityanath.
UP Cabinet gives nod to set up 218 Fast-Track Courts in Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh (UP) Cabinet clears a proposal to set up 218 new Fast-track courts in UP, accounting to
the increasing number of crimes against women and children. Out of which 144 courts will hear cases of
rape and 74 courts will hear cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Delhi
Delhi Cabinet approves Electric Vehicle Policy 2019 to tackle air pollution
In order to reduce air pollution, Delhi Cabinet led by Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal gave approval to an
Electric Vehicle (EV) policy 2019. It will be valid for three years. The Delhi government aims to make
25% of the registered vehicles in the state to be electric vehicles by the year 2024.(Aims to register 5
lakhs in 5 years).
'Mukhyamantri Aawas Yojana' – Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal launched the scheme for Jhuggi
Jhopri (JJ) clusters
Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal launched the scheme named 'Mukhyamantri Aawas Yojana' for
the residents of Jhuggi Jhopri (JJ) clusters & it will provide a pucca house to every citizen in Delhi. Delhi
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government has conducted the survey under Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) that
mandated to construct houses for the slum dwellers.
Puducherry
Puducherry Govt introduces Rs 10 crore Innovation & Startup Policy 2019
The Minister for Industries and Revenue, govt of Puducherry has launched an "Aspiring Puducherry-
Innovation & Startup Policy 2019" to create a corpus fund of Rs. 10 crores to support start-up
incubators and to develop co-working spaces. Puducherry Start-up Cell will be its nodal agency. Its
feature includes allocation of Rs.3 lakh as a start-up grant, Monthly allowance of Rs. 10,000 for a
maximum of 5 years for individuals, 35% subsidy for property assest, among others.
LAUNCHES & INAUGURATION

Nationwide vaccination drive under Intensified Mission Indradhanush 2.0 launched
Centre has launched nationwide vaccination drive under Intensified Mission Indradhanush 2.0 (IMI-
2.0) across the country. This flagship programme aims to immunize children under 2 years of age and
pregnant women against 8 vaccine preventable diseases such as diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus,
poliomyelitis, tuberculosis, measles, meningitis and Hepatitis B. Read full details here: Nationwide
vaccination drive under Intensified Mission Indradhanush 2.0 launched
Vice president Venkaiah Naidu launched “Poshan Anthem” in New Delhi

Vice President of India Shri Venkaiah Naidu launched the ‘POSHAN Anthem’ at an event organised by
the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) in New Delhi. The anthem was launched to
spread the message of the importance of nutrition. Anthem: The lyricist of the POSHAN anthem was
Shri Prasoon Joshi and its composer was singer Shri Shankar Mahadevan.
UNICEF in association with WCD ministry launched youth skilling initiative YuWaah-2019 in
India
Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) has joined hands with UNICEF ( United Nations
Children's Fund ) to launch “YuWaah- (Generation Unlimited India)” with the aim to transform the
countries involved into hubs of education, skilling and employment for its more than 300 million young
people aged 10-24 years.
Corporate ministry launched 1st of its kind independent director’s data bank; maintained by
IICA
The secretary of ministry of corporate affairs (MCA), Shri Injeti Srinivas launched Independent
Director’s Databank in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act, 2013 and the rules made
thereunder. Powered by integrated Learning Management System(LMS), the data bank was launched to
strengthen the institution of independent directors under the companies act. It has been developed and
will be maintained by Indian Institute for Corporate Affairs (IICA) and is a first of its kind by the
corporate affairs ministry. Read full details here: Corporate ministry launched 1st of its kind
independent director’s data bank; maintained by IICA
PM Modi & Maldivian President jointly inaugurated 4 key development projects

The prime minister of India Shri Narendra Modi and the president of Maldives Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
jointly inaugurated 4 key development projects in Maldives via video conference. The 4 projects are
gifting of Made in India Coast Guard Ship(CGS) Kaamiyaaba, which is a fast interceptor vessel, to
Maldives, launch of RuPay card, lighting up of Malé using LED (Light Emitting Diodes) lights, and launch
of 3 fish processing plants. India also plans to undertake several High impact community development
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projects implemented by the Addu City Council in Maldives. Read full details here: PM Modi & Maldivian
President jointly inaugurated 4 key development projects
Central India's 1st ‘Avantee mega food park’ inaugurated in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh
Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the Union Minister for Food Processing has inaugurated Central India's
1st Avantee mega Food Park spread over 51 acres in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh (MP).It was built with a
cost of about 150 crore rupees. Gram, wheat, soybean and other grains and vegetables will be Processed
in this park. Warehouses will also be opened in Agar, Indore, Dhar, Ujjain and in the next phases.
Defence ministry launched massive campaign against single-use plastic in New Delhi
Minister of Defence (MoD) Shri Rajnath Singh, flagged off the ‘Swachhta Day’ event, organised by the
Delhi Cantt in New Delhi. The aim of the day was to create awareness to people, collect plastic waste
and make the surrounding plastic free with participation from 50 lakh people. The cleanliness drive
was part of the activities of Swachhta Pakhwada. The slogan for the event was ‘Plastic Se Raksha –
Swachhata Hi Suraksha’. Read full details here: Defence ministry launched massive campaign against
single-use plastic in New Delhi
India Design Council launches 2 initiatives- CDI & DEQM in New Delhi
India Design Council (IDC), an autonomous body of Government of India (GoI) in association with and
National Institute of design, Ahmedabad, Gujarat have launched the 2 Initiatives namely Chartered
Designs of India (CDI) and the Design Education Quality Mark (DEQM) in New Delhi. The designs are
aimed to address 5 challenges of scale, quality of design, quality of education for design, raising the
priority for design in industry and design for a public purpose. Read full details here: India Design
Council launches 2 initiatives- CDI & DEQM in New Delhi
Haryana Police became the first to introduce ‘Trakea’ software in FSL; Inaugurated by CM
Manohar Khattar
Haryana police have introduced a software named “Trakea-barcoding system of Forensic Science
Laboratory (FSL)” to enable foolproof security of the samples collected in Forensic reports. Haryana
became the first state in the country to introduce this unique barcoding system. It was inaugurated
by Manohar Lal Khattar, Chief Minister (CM) of Haryana in Madhuban, Haryana. The software was
developed by Amit Mishra, a software engineer who was in Bhondsi jail for 13 months imprisoned on
the false dowry death case.
GeM launches national outreach programme called 'GeM Samvaad' in New Delhi
Anup Wadhawan, Secretary of Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry,
Government of India (GoI) and Chairman of Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has launched the
national outreach program ‘GeM Samvaad’ in New Delhi. It aims to get feedback from users which will
be used to improve the system. Read full details here: GeM launches national outreach programme
called 'GeM Samvaad' in New Delhi
IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad launched National Broadband Mission in New Delhi
The Minister for Communications, Law & Justice and Electronics and Information Technology (IT), Shri
Ravi Shankar Prasad launched National Broadband Mission (NBM) in New Delhi to provide broadband
access to all villages in the country by 2022. As a part of mission, an investment of $100 billion (Rs 7
Lakh Crore) from stakeholders including Rs 70,000 crore from Universal Service Obligation Fund
(USOF) will be done. There will also be Broadband Readiness Index (BRI), which measures the
availability of digital communications infrastructure and conducive policy ecosystem within a State/UT.
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Read full details here: IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad launched National Broadband Mission in New
Delhi
IIT-H fellow Jigneh Patel launches India’s 1st vaccination on Wheels (VOW) Clinic in Pune,
Maharashtra
In collaboration with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), Jigneh Patel, a fellow at the Center
for Healthcare Entrepreneurship (CfHE) at IIT(Indian Institutes of Technology) Hyderabad (Telangana),
has launched India’s 1st ‘Vaccination On Wheels’(VOW) Clinic in Pune, Maharashtra. VOW is actually a
vehicle-ready clinic with vaccines for children. This moving clinic will be sent to residential areas where
the vaccination rate is low. Similarly, this clinic will be easily accessible in schools and colleges in far-
flung areas.
Wipro & Nasscom jointly launches "Future Skills" platform to upskill 10,000 students
Software major Wipro has partnered with Indian IT (Information Technology) industry apex body,
NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Services Companies) to launch ‘Future Skills’ platform
to train 10,000 students from over 20 engineering colleges in India with new age technologies such as
artificial intelligence (AI), big data, cloud computing, cyber security and internet of things (IoT).
Principal Scientific Adviser launched “EChO Network” in New Delhi

Prof. Krishnasamy VijayRaghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Govt of India launched a national
program called “EChO Network” in New Delhi. The EChO network provides a template for cross-
disciplinary leadership in India. The purpose of this programme is to bring citizens, govt etc to solve
problems in the areas of research knowledge, and awareness of Indian ecology and the environment.
Read full details here: Principal Scientific Adviser launched “EChO Network” in New Delhi
Smartphone maker Realme launched financial services platform ‘realme Paysa’ in partnership
with FinShell
Smartphone manufacturer Realme launched its new financial services platform named ‘Realme Paysa‘
in partnership with Oppo-owned fintech startup FinShell. The platform will provide certain products
like loans, mutual funds and credit score reports to consumers. The beta version of the app which is
currently being used will offer digital personal loans of up to Rs 1 lakh and SME(Small and Medium
Enterprise) loans upto Rs 5 lakhs.
I&B minister at Akashvani awards in New Delhi: announced digital radio launch in 2024
Minister of Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar announced the launch of Digital Radio in
2024, with clearer audio, during the annual Akashvani awards function held in New Delhi.
FM released commemorative stamp on Directorate of Revenue Intelligence

Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs (MoFCA) Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman released a postage
stamp to commemorate the service and contribution by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in
protecting the nation by preventing smuggling activities across the country. DRI functions as an
intelligence agency Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC) to prevent smuggling.
5 documents developed by UGC launched by Union HRD Minister in New Delhi

Union Minister of Human Resource Development (MHRD) Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ has
launched 5 documents developed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) which covers 5 verticals
of Quality Mandate, in New Delhi. The areas covered in documents are: evaluation reforms, eco-friendly
and sustainable university campuses, human values & professional ethics, faculty induction and
academic research integrity. Read full details here: 5 documents developed by UGC launched by union
HRD Minister in New Delhi
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National outreach programme ‘GeM Samvaad' takes off in 4 States

A national outreach program ‘GeM Samvaad’, launched by Government e-Marketplace (GeM) platform
(https://gem.gov.in/), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, started in 4 States of Karnataka,
Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh (HP) and Andhra Pradesh (AP). GeM Samvaad aims to get feedback
from users, which is the first step towards GeM’s ‘Voice of Customer’ initiative and also to bring local
sellers across the country. GeM os one stop Government e-Market Place hosted by Directorate general
of supplies and goods (DGS&D) where common user goods and services can be procured.
Health Minister Harsh Vardhan inaugurated 2nd edition of Eat Right Mela in New Delhi
Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan has inaugurated the 4 days long, the
second edition of the ‘Eat Right Mela’ along with 11th National Street food festival at Jawahar Lal Nehru
Stadium in New Delhi. The event was organized by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
(FSSAI) in collaboration with the National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI) to encourage
people for having healthier diets to reduce disease burden in the country. The theme of the mela was
“Healthier Diets”.
Ravi Shankar Prasad launched a web portal to tracing of stolen mobiles in Delhi
Department of Telecom Minister Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad launched a web portal
http://www.ceir.gov.in to trace the stolen mobiles for Delhi subscribers. Already launched in Mumbai
in September 2019, it will be extended to other states too in 2020. The System has been developed by
Center for Development of Telematics (CDOT) under the Department of Telecom. This will be working
in collaboration with Delhi police and Telecom service providers.
Biometric enabled Centralised Access Control System & e-BCAS Module launched in New Delhi
Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Civil Aviation Shri Hardeep Singh Puri launched the
biometric-enabled Centralised Access Control System (CACS) and ‘e-BCAS Project Training Module’ in
New Delhi. These 2 projects were launched to enhance security and to improve ease of doing business
at airports.
 Centralised Access Control System project: The project covers 43 Airports of AAI (Airports
Authority of India) and 5 Joint Venture (JV) airports. It aims to digitize the employee movement
process at the airports.
 e-BCAS Project: The project is envisaged to achieve “paperless office” under e-Governance
initiative of Govt. of India and was approved by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) at an
estimated cost of Rs.21.69 crore.
Read full details here: Biometric enabled Centralised Access Control System & e-BCAS Module
launched in New Delhi
FESTIVALS
20th Edition of Hornbill festival began in Nagaland on December 1
On 1st December 2019, the 20th edition of the Hornbill festival began in Heritage Kisama, an
Amphitheatre in Kohima, Nagaland, it is also the 57th Statehood Day of Nagaland. The festival is
organized by Nagaland Government and is celebrated for the promotion of tourism and for the
exhibition of the state’s tradition and culture.
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Konark Festival & International Sand Art Festival 2019 begins in Odisha with colorful
presentations
Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal has inaugurated the 5-day long 30th edition of Konark festival, a showcase
of Odisha's art, culture and tradition has started in Odisha. The theme of the festival is based on eco-
tourism, culture, Fairs, women empowerment, and no to plastic and heritage.
Madhya Pradesh to host "Namaste Orchha" festival 2020 in Orchha

Madhya Pradesh (MP) Tourism Department is going to organize a 3-day Cultural Festival 'Namaste
Orchha 2020' in Orchha from March 6 - March 8, 2020 with the aim to promote MP Tourism through
Orchha. The information was provided by Mr. Sudhi Ranjan Mohanty, Chief Secretary, and Government
of Madhya Pradesh at a press conference in Bhopal. Orchha is a town in the Bundelkhand region and is
famous for unique Ram Raja Temple, Chaturbhuj Temple. Royal palaces- Raja Mahal and the Sheesh
Mahal. Jahangir Mahal built by Maharaja Bir Singh Deo in honour of a visit by the Mughal Emperor
Jahangir; and the Phool Bagh.
16th Orange Festival begun in Tamenglong, Manipur

The 16th edition of the State-level Orange Festival began at Manipur. The 3-day festival until 18, 2019
was inaugurated by Manipur’s Chief Minister (CM) Shri Nongthombam Biren Singh at district
headquarters Tamenglong. The festival is conducted annually by the Manipur govt under the
sponsorship of the North Eastern Council (NEC), to promote the fruit and encourage its growers.
National Tribal Dance Fest 2019 started in Raipur, Chhattisgarh

3 days long National Tribal Dance Festival namely “Tribal fest 2019” begun in Raipur, the capital of
Chhattisgarh, which was presided over by the state's Chief Minister (CM) Bhupesh Baghel. The festival
was inaugurated by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. It is for the first time that the festival is being
organized in Chhattisgarh.
A 5-day long 1st edition of Mandu festival 2019 commenced in Madhya Pradesh
A 5-day long 1st edition of Mandu festival 2019 has commenced in Mandu (City of Joy), a prominent
tourist destination in Madhya Pradesh (MP). This festival is being organized by Madhya Pradesh
Tourism Board as part of the government's efforts to promote Tribal Tourism.
Losar Festival (Ladakhi New Year) celebrated in UT of Ladakh

People of Union Territory (UT) of the Ladakh region celebrated Losar festival, the Ladakhi new year.
The Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA) and Leh Hill Council, Leh organised the celebrations in which
Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Radha Krishna Mathur participated. The year 2020 will mark the 1st Losar
festival celebrated in the Ladakh Region as a UT. Losar is Tibetan word for new year.
‘Dhanu Jatra’ the 11-day long festival begins at Bargarh in Western Odisha
‘Dhanu Jatra’ the famous 11-day long open-air theater festival begins on 31 December 2019 at Bargarh
in western Odisha. Jatra's drama is based on the story of Lord Krishna and his uncle Kansa. It is the
world's longest open-air drama named in the Guinness book of records. To celebrate Indian’s
Independence and to symbolize the victory of good over evil this festival was celebrated from 1947-
1948. Government of India gave the National Festival Status to Dhanu Jatra in November 2014.
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OTHER NATIONAL NEWS

Govt extended mandatory FASTag rollout deadline to December 15,2019
Government has extended the deadline for enrolling to the mandatory FASTag for toll payments on
national highways to December 15, 2019. Previously the Ministry of Road Transport and
Highways(MoRT&H) announced December 1, 2019 as the deadline for enrolment.
Election Commission to implement registration tracking system “PPRTMS”

Election Commission of India (ECI) reviewed the political parties’ registration process and decided to
implement new guidelines and “Political Parties Registration Tracking Management System” (PPRTMS),
related to the registration process effective from January 1, 2019. The PPRTMS will be implemented
through an online portal inorder to track the status of the applicants.
TRAI changes Rules related to Mobile number portability (MNP) & Unique Porting Code (UPC)
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), a statutory body set up by the Government of India
(GoI),has changed the rules related to Mobile Number Portability (MNP) by making the whole MNP
service time-saving and easier than before.
India's 1st National maritime heritage museum to be built in Lothal, Gujarat with the help of
Portugal
Government of India (GoI) & Portugal has decided to cooperate in the setting up of a India's 1st
National Maritime Heritage Museum at the ancient Indian site of Lothal in Gujarat with the aim to boost
the underwater or marine archaeology.. The Museum will showcase salvaged material from shipwreck
sites in the Indian Ocean waters.
Mumbai Central railway station-1st to receive FSSAI’s 'Eat Right Station' certification
Mumbai Central station of Western Railways was conferred with the ‘Eat Right Station' certification
with a 4-star rating by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). With this certification,
it became India's first “Eat right station”. The certification was done as part of the 'Eat Right India'
movement launched in 2018 by FSSAI.
18 projects worth Rs.1456 crore covering all the NE states sanctioned by tourism ministry
Ministry of Tourism with a focus to develop and promote tourism in the North Eastern (NE) region, has
sanctioned 18 projects under the Swadesh Darshan and PRASAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and
Spiritual Augmentation Drive) Schemes for the entire NE region for Rs 1456 crore. Read full details
here: 18 projects worth Rs.1456 crore covering all the NE states sanctioned by tourism ministry
India extends Line of Credits for water supply and solar projects in Guinea
India has extended Line of Credits (LOC’s) for one water supply and and two Solar projects in Guinea. S
Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister, India and Mamadi Toure, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Guinea were
both present during the exchange of the agreements. The total value of LOC’s extended by India for
projects in Guinea was USD 190 million.
Rajya Sabha instituted panel head by Jairam Ramesh to study issues related to online
pornographic content
Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President of India Shri Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu announced a 14-
member panel coordinated by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh to study the issues related to
pornographic content on the internet and social media platforms. The panel will prepare a report
regarding it within 1 month.
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Home Ministry sanctioned Rs 100 crore to set up women help desks in police stations
The Home Ministry has sanctioned Rs 100 crores from the Nirbhaya Fund for setting up women help
desks in police stations in all states and Union Territories (UT) across the country. The women help
desks will be focused on making police stations more women-friendly and approachable. Women police
officers will be deployed at the help desks which would be the first and single point of contact for any
woman walking into a police station. Read full details here: Home Ministry sanctioned Rs 100 crore to
set up women help desks in police stations
Only 3% target achieved under the PM-AASHA Scheme by the Government of India
Only 3% target of pulses and seeds achieved under the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan
Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) scheme according to the data released by the Agriculture Ministry in the Lok
Sabha on 3rd December 2019. The production of pulses has been only 1.08 lakh tons so far but the
target of the PM-AASHA scheme is to produce 37.59 lakh metric tons of crops. The crops started
arriving from October and will last till February. Read full details here: Only 3% target achieved under
the PM-AASHA Scheme by the Government of India
Prime Minister Modi addressed Ekal Vidyalaya Sangathan in New Delhi

Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi addressed Ekal Vidyalaya Sangathan in Gujarat through
Video message from New Delhi. The Ekal Vidyalaya Sangathan spearheads ‘Ekal School Abhiyan’ which
aims to promote the education among rural and tribal children. He announced to set up 400 new
‘Eklavya Model residential schools‘ by 2022 across the country. Read full details here: Prime Minister
Modi addressed Ekal Vidyalaya Sangathan in New Delhi
Govt amends Investor education & protection fund rules 2016 to simplify refund of claims
Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), Government of India (GoI), has amended the Investor Education &
Protection Fund (Accounting, Audit, Transfer and Refund) Rules 2016 in order to simplify the process
of refund of claims filed with The Investor Education & Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA). As per the
rule, Investors/Depositors, whose shares, dividends,matured deposits,or debentures,etc have been
transferred to Investor Education & Protection Fund under the companies act 2013 can claim the
refund online.
ASI recognizes 138 monuments as 'Must-see monuments': Ministry of Culture

As per the Minister of State (MoS) of Culture and Tourism, Shri Prahlad, Archaeological Survey of India
(ASI), an Indian government agency attached to the Culture Ministry ,has identified 138 numbers of
monuments as ‘Must See’ Monuments. A total of 38 World Heritage Sites currently present in India. Out
of this, ASI has protected 22 Cultural Sites including monuments/buildings and caves.
Indian Embassy signed pact to reconstruct Nepal's 11 heritage sites under INTACH
Indian embassy of the govt of India has deployed Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage
(INTACH) to provide consultancy services for Post-Earthquake reconstruction of 11 Cultural Heritage
sites in Nepal. The agreement was signed between Dr. Ajay Kumar, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of
India and Dr. C.T. Mishra, Member Secretary of INTACH in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Sushil Modi became the head of GoM on IGST replacing Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
Sushil Kumar Modi, Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar replaced Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of Finance
(MoF) as the head of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on the Integrated Goods and Service Tax (IGST),
stated by the GST (Goods and Services Tax) council. She could not head the GoM panel being the
Finance Minister and the chairperson of the GST council. The panel was set up to look into the issue of
splitting of the IGST between the centre and states.
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BPR&D organizes 37th National Symposium of Heads of Police Training Institutions

The 37th National Symposium of Heads of Police Training Institutions was organized by the Bureau of
Police Research and Development (BPR&D) in New Delhi. The theme of the symposium was ‘Optimal
Utilization of Resources-Through Sharing and Networking’. The event was inaugurated by the chief
guest, Archana Ramasundaram, Member of Lokpal, Government of India.
NPPA invoked on DPCO 2013: Ceiling price of 21 key medicines raised by 50%
The Government of India has invoked the Drug Price Control Order (DPCO) 2013, to increase the ceiling
price of 21 medicines that are under DPCO price regulation. The revision has been made under Para 19
of DPCO 2013. Since 2 years, National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has been receiving
applications regarding the increase in the price of the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs)
imported from China. After subsequent meetings, the Standing Committee on Affordable Medicines and
Health Products (SCAMHP), the NITI Aayog has granted a one-time increase of 50% above the current
ceiling price. Read full details here: NPPA invoked on DPCO 2013: Ceiling price of 21 key medicines
raised by 50%
Ministry of coal to establish SDC to promote environmentally sustainable coal mining

The Ministry of Coal has decided to create Sustainable Development Cell (SDC) with the aim to promote
coal mining in an environmentally sustainable manner in India & to address environmental concerns
during the decommissioning of mines. Functioning as a ministry-level nodal point, SDC will work on
beautification and creation of eco parks that will promote tourism for recreational purposes. At present,
India’s coal mining areas spread over 2,550 sq kms and plans are to extend these areas further. Read
full details here: Ministry of coal to establish SDC to promote environmentally sustainable coal mining
Govt extended deadline of Accessible India Campaign to March 2020

The ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) has announced to extend the deadline of
Accessible India Campaign to March 2020 due to its slowed progress. The decision in this regard was
taken by the Central Advisory Board (CAB) chaired by social justice and empowerment minister Shri
Thawar Chand Gehlot. Accessible India Campaign is a program that aims to make public spaces friendly
for persons with disabilities. Read full details here: Govt extended deadline of Accessible India
Campaign to March 2020
TRAI extends 6 paise per minute IUC charge to other mobile networks till Dec 2020
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has decided to make other telecom operators continue to
pay 6 paise per minute for every mobile call they receive on their networks or interconnect usage
charges (IUC) till 31 December, 2020. The rate was reduced from 14 paise to 6 paise from 1st October
2017 and was proposed to zero from 1st January 2020. Now after this extension, from 1st January
2021, the charges of wireless to wireless calls will be made zero as proposed by TRAI.
Union Minister Amit Shah lays foundation for Bharat Vandana Park in Dwarka, New Delhi
Amit Shah, Union Minister of Home Affairs (MHA) presided over in the ceremony to lay foundation
stone for the Bharat Vandana Park in Dwarka, New Delhi. The park will be a major tourist attraction
covering an area of 200 acres at a cost of Rs.550 crores. The park is to be developed by the Delhi
Development Authority (DDA) and will be completed by March 2022.
Government approves Rs.436 crore for Future Skills PRIME to skill IT professionals
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has approved Rs.436 crore for Future Skills
PRIME (Programme for Reskilling/Upskilling of IT Manpower for Employability) over a period of three
years. The program aims to skill 412,000 IT (Information Technology) professionals in new
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technologies. The training will be executed by the Ministry of Electronics, IT and Nasscom. Read full
details here: Government approves Rs.436 crore for Future Skills PRIME to skill IT professionals
External affairs ministry relaxed guidelines for reissuing of OCI card

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), relaxed certain guidelines for Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) as
some Indian overseas citizens faced issues in travelling to the home country. The relaxation is for
reissuing of passport for those people aged below 20 years and those aged above 50 years. The
relaxation which is temporary has been granted till June 30, 2020. Read full details here: External
affairs ministry relaxed guidelines for reissuing of OCI card
Girls' hostel for Nepal APF school built with Rs 2.2 crore Indian grant inaugurated in
Kathmandu
The Government of India (GoI) has granted Rs 2.2 crore (40.42 million Nepali Rupees) for construction
of Girls’ Hostel for Nepal Armed Police Force (APF) School in Kirtipur, Kathmandu. The construction
project was implemented by Nepal APF. The inaugural ceremony was attended by Dr Ajay Kumar,
Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India, Ramsharan Paudel, Assistant Inspector General, Armed
Police Force, Nepal, and others.
Govt approved projects worth Rs 7000 cr under Nirbhaya fund

Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoW&CD) has announced the approval of projects worth
Rs 7,000 crore including setting up of 1023 fast-track courts under Nirbhaya fund. These courts were
decided to be set up in order to provide speedy trials of over 1.66 lakh pending cases of crime against
women and children in India. The Nirbhaya fund was set up in 2013 by the Congress party-led govt. as a
tribute to a 23-year-old Delhi gang-rape victim. The Nirbhaya fund was set up in 2013 with Rs.1000
crores corpus by the Congress party-led govt. as a tribute to a 23-year-old Delhi gang-rape victim.
Government extends tenure of Harsh Kumar Bhanwala, chairman of NABARD by six months
Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), Government of India had extended the tenure of Harsh
Kumar Bhanwala, chairman of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) by
six months with effect from December 13, 2019.
Nagpur Resolution to empower citizens adopted at conference organized by DARPG in Nagpur

After the adoption of Shillong Declaration and the Jammu Resolution, now, the ‘Nagpur Resolution’, an
approach to empower citizens, was adopted during the Regional Conference on ‘Improving Public
Service Delivery – Role of Governments’, in Nagpur, Maharashtra. The conference was organised by the
Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) along with Maharashtra govt
and the Maharashtra State Commission for Right to Public Services’ collaboration. Apart from this, 20
states passed the Right to Services Act to provide corruption free services. Read full details here:
Nagpur Resolution to empower citizens adopted at conference organised by DARPG in Nagpur
Government approves Rs 56,443 cr Kerala semi-high speed rail project named “Silver line”
The Ministry of Railways, headed by Piyush Goyal, has gave its approval of Rs 56,443 crore for 532 km
Thiruvananthapuram – Kasaragod, Kerala semi-high speed rail (SHSR) corridor project, named “Silver
Line” which is to be completed by 2024. To be implemented by Kerala Rail Development Corporation
(KRDCL) in partnership with Ministry of Railways, this corridor will reduce the distance from 12 hours
to 4 hours. It will pass through 11 districts of Kerala. Read full details here: Government approves Rs
56,443 cr Kerala semi-high speed rail project named “Silver line”
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World’s longest Strategic mountain tunnel under Rohtang Pass in HP named after Vajpayee
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by the Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi
has approved to name the Strategic Tunnel under Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh (HP) after former
PM Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee as “Atal Tunnel”. The Rs 4000 crore tunnel which is to be world’s longest
will be completed by 2020. It will connect Manali, Himachal Pradesh with Leh, Ladakh and Jammu
Kashmir.
India's first university for transgender will open in Kushinagar, UP

India’s 1st transgender university will open in Fazilnagar block in UP's (Uttar Pradesh) Kushinagar
district. It is being constructed by Akhil Bhartiya Kinnar Siksha Seva Trust (All-India transgender
education service trust). The students of the transgender community will be able to complete their
studies from class 1 to post-graduation (PG). Even they can do research and get PhD (Doctor of
Philosophy) degree.
Bharatnet project: Centre to provide free wifi service to all villages by March 2020
To promote Digital India and make the internet accessible to the rural people, the Communication and
IT (Information Technology) ministry will provide free Wi-Fi to all villages across the country through
BharatNet project by March 2020. The internet facility will also lead to the availability of banking
services at Common Service Centers (CSCs) in rural areas. This project was earlier named OFC (Optical
Fiber Communication Network) which was launched in October 2011. In 2015, it was renamed
BharatNet.
For the 1st time, Indian Railways starts new Him Darshan express train between Kalka and
Shimla
In view of the increasing demand of tourists, for the 1st time, the Indian Railways has started the new
train “Him Darshan Express”, comprising all-new Vistadome coaches, which run between Kalka
(Haryana)-Shimla (Himachal Pradesh). Currently, this train (Number-52459/52460) will run for one
year i.e. till 24 December 2020.
Dharmendra Pradhan unveils India's First CNG Bus which can run 1000 Kms in one fill in New
Delhi
In order to make CNG as the eco-friendly option for long-distance transport in India and to promote
waste-to-wealth efforts, Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Steel has
unveiled India's first long-distance CNG bus fitted with composite CNG cylinders, which can travel
around 1000 km in a single fill. Developed by Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) in partnership with
Mahindra & Mahindra, & Agility Fuel Solutions of USA (United State of America) this newly launched
bus has replaced the traditional very heavy Type-I Carbon Steel cylinders with Type IV Composite
Cylinders.
India puts signboards in Chinese language at 5 ASI sites in Uttar Pradesh

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), an Indian government agency attached to the Ministry of Culture,
has set up sign boards in Chinese language at 5 ASI protected archaeological sites located in Uttar
Pradesh (UP) including sites in Sarnath, the Buddhist relics at Chaukhandi Stupa, Mahaparinirvana
Temple in Kushinagar, Piparahwa and Shravasti for the benefit of foreign travelers. In November 2019,
the sign boards in Sinhali language were installed due to large number of Sri Lankan tourists visiting
Sanchi, Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh.
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Mumbai's CSMT railway station becomes 1st to get "Eat Right Station" certification from FSSAI
The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) railway station of Mumbai, Maharashtra has been
conferred with 'Eat Right Station' certification with the four-star rating by the Food Safety and
Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for food safety and hygiene. With this, CSMT becomes the first
Central Railway station to get this certification.
Odisha governor Ganeshi lal dedicated BPCL LPG bottling plant at Balangir, Odisha
Governor of Odisha, Shri Ganeshi Lal dedicated the BPCL (Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited) LPG
(Liquefied Petroleum Gas) bottling plant at Balangir city in Odisha. This state-of-the-art LPG plant was
built within record 19 months which is 3 months ahead of schedule.The foundation stone for the plant
was laid on May 21, 2018 and is set up at a cost of Rs 103 crores. Read full details here: Odisha governor
Ganeshi lal dedicated BPCL LPG bottling plant at Balangir, Odisha
NTPC add 10GW solar energy capacity by 2022 with Rs 50,000 crore investment
NTPC ltd (formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation Limited) is in the plan of adding
10GW (GigaWatt) energy generation capacity by 2022, with an additional investment of around Rs
50,000 crores. The investment will mainly be funded by green bonds. This move will support India’s
ambitious target of generating 175GW by 2022. It has also planned to generate 130GW in the country
by 2032 with 30% non fossil fuel or renewable energy capacity. Read full details here: NTPC add 10GW
solar energy capacity by 2022 with Rs 50,000 crore investment
India to cross 100-GW renewable energy capacity mark in 2020

Union Minister of Power and New & Renewable Energy (MoP,NRE) Shri Raj Kumar Singh has
announced that India is likely to cross its 100 GigaWatt (GW) energy capacity mark in 2020. However
the govt also needed to promote storage to ensure 24×7 clean energy supply as coal fired thermal
power still remains as the basic use in the country. By November 2019 end around 86 GW of installed
renewable energy generation capacity was made. The energy generation includes the field of solar,
wind, small hydro, biomass, waste to energy and others. Read full details here: India to cross 100-GW
renewable energy capacity mark in 2020
Home ministry laid India’s 1st transit oriented project; Delhi to get tallest tower
Home minister Shri Amit Shah laid the foundation stone of India’s first transit-oriented development
(TOD) project, on the land owned by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), which has selected
National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) to implement it’s 1st phase. Under this project
state of the art infrastructure zone including Delhi’s tallest tower (161 m) will be built. The tower will
be built in eastern part of Delhi at Karkardooma and is named as ‘East Delhi Hub’. The hub has been
designed by C P Kukreja Architects with an organic growth design that will give the appearance of
lotus. Read full details here: Home ministry laid India’s 1st transit oriented project; Delhi to get tallest
tower
1st trial run of double-stack train conducted on Rewari (Haryana) - Madar (Rajasthan ) section
An inaugural trial run of double-stack freight train was conducted on newly built Rewari (Haryana) -
Madar (Rajasthan ) section on the 306 km long Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC). This move
will not only make the freight cheaper but also give the passenger trains free space to run and the trains
will be able to run on time. Japan has funding for the Western Corridor of the DFC, which has been
installed at a height of 7.4 meters from the track.
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Aadhaar crosses 125 crore mark, used 37000 crore times since inception
Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) announced that the Aadhaar project crossed 125 crore
mark of registration. Thus as of now, over 1.25 billion residents of India hold Aadhar card. This
milestone was reached because of rapidly increasing use of Aadhaar as the primary identity document
by the Aadhaar holders. The Aadhaar-based authentication services have been used close to 37,000
crore times since inception.
Rabung bridge in Upper Siang district of AR inaugurated

The state Health and Family Welfare minister Alo Libang of Arunachal Pradesh (AR) inaugurated the
Rabung bridge on the Migging-Tuting road in Arunachal Pradesh's(AR) Upper Siang district. The bridge
was constructed by Project Brahmank of the Border Road Organisation(BRO).
7-member GoM constituted for effective implementation of BSNL, MTNL revival plan
In order to track the implementation of the Rs 69,000 crore revival plan (approved in Oct 2019) for
state-owned telecom corporations Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam
Ltd (MTNL), a seven-member Group of Ministers (GoM) has been constituted. The revival includes
crucial elements like allocation of 4G spectrum and asset monetization worth Rs 37,500 crore.
Railways rename Railway Protection Force as Indian Railway Protection Service

The Ministry of Railway (MoR) has accorded Organised Group 'A' status (OGAS) to Railway Protection
Force (RPF) and also renamed RPF as Indian Railway Protection Service (IRPS).The notice of renaming
was issued by the Joint Director of Railway Board Amitabh Joshi. Apart from this, the Indian Railways
(IR) has also introduced new Passenger Information System (PIS) at Anakapalle Railway Station of
Vijayawada Division of Andhra Pradesh (AP) in South Central Railway (SCR) to provide better features
and an easy guidane to the passengers. Read full details here: Railways renames Railway Protection
Force as Indian Railway Protection Service
MyGov platform reached 1 crore registered users

On December 29, 2019, Central government's citizen engagement platform, MyGov
(https://www.mygov.in/) has reached the milestone of having 1 crore registered users. The platform
was founded by the Govt.of India to promote active participation of Indian citizens in their country's
governance and development. It was designed, developed and hosted by National Informatics Centre
(NIC) underMinistry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY). It was launched on July 26, 2014
by Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi.
HM Amit Shah lays foundation stone of Directorate General building of CRPF in New Delhi
Union Minister of Home Affairs, Shri.Amitabh Anilchandra Shah has laid the Foundation stone of the
Directorate General Building of CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) built with a cost of Rs 280 crore in
New Delhi. He also launched a new logo with a "Garuda”, sword and shield, for security branch of CRPF
that will give a new identity them, who provides security to common man and VIP’s (very important
person).The insignia bears the motto of the force - "Always, Aware, Alert".
MEA included Madagascar & Comoros in Indian Ocean Region Division

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has included Madagascar and Comoros in the Indian Ocean Region
(IOR) Division. The IOR division looks after India's maritime neighbours such as Sri Lanka, Maldives,
Mauritius and the Seychelles. Previously these two nations were looked after by East and South Africa
Division of the MEA. Read full details here: MEA included Madagascar & Comoros in Indian Ocean
Region Division
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FM launched ‘eBkray’ platform in Delhi; No MDR charges on payment via RuPay, UPI from Jan 1
2020
Union Finance Minister (FM) Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman launched an online auction platform named
“eBkray” in New Delhi to increase transparency in auctioning of assets attached by banks. e-Bkray
platform is linked with the Indian Banks Auctions Mortgaged Properties Information (IBAPI) portal
(https://ibapi.in/). Also, there will be no MDR (merchant discount rate) charges on transactions done
via RuPay and UPI (Unified Payments Interface) platforms from January 1, 2020. Accordingly, all
companies with a turnover of Rs 50 crore or more will be mandated by Department of Revenue (DoR)
to provide the facility of payment through RuPay Debit card and UPI QR code to their customers. Read
full details here: FM launched ‘eBkray’ platform in Delhi; No MDR charges on payment via RuPay, UPI
from Jan 1 2020
Earliest Sanskrit inscription in South India found in Andhra Pradesh

Epigraphy Branch of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has recently discovered earliest
epigraphic evidence of the Saptamatrika cult in Chebrolu village in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh
(AP). This discovery predates the evolution of the language by almost 200 years.
Saptamatrikas: They are 7 female deities worshipped in Hinduism. The discovered inscription is in
Sanskrit and in Brahmi characters issued by Satavahana dynasty king Vijaya in 207 A.D. Read full details
here: Earliest Sanskrit inscription in South India found in Andhra Pradesh
GOVT SCHEMES
Govt. launched a scheme for promotion of endangered languages
Govt. has launched a scheme for the promotion of endangered languages in central and state
universities. The scheme has been launched following recommendations of an expert committee
constituted by the University Grants Commission (UGC) to look into the issues related to preservation
and promotion of endangered languages.
Govt has disbursed Rs 36,000 crore to farmers under PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi yojana
As on November 30, 2019 the govt. has disbursed Rs. 36,000 crores under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan
Samman Nidhi Yojana (PM-KISAN) to the farmers. The announcement was made by Minister for
Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar. Over 60 lakh farmers have been benefited
under the scheme.
Only Aadhar linked bank accounts to get PM-Kisan payments: Agriculture department
According to the Agriculture Department, Government of India (GoI), the 4th instalment of the PM-
KISAN (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi) finance support scheme due between December 2019
and March 2020 will be transferred only to Aadhar-linked bank accounts of more than 50 million
beneficiaries. This was the 1st time the central government has insisted on the mandatory condition of
Aadhar seeding since the launch of PM-KISAN scheme in February 2019. Read full details here: Only
Aadhar linked bank accounts to get PM-Kisan payments: Agriculture department
3 more airports in Odisha included in UDAN scheme

The central government has agreed to include three airports one each at Jeypore in Koraput, Rourkela
in Sundergarh & Utkela in Kalahandi district of Odisha under the regional connectivity scheme UDAN
(Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik). The decision was taken in a meeting between Civil Aviation Secretary
Pradeep Singh Kharola and Odishas Chief Secretary A K Tripathy at the state secretariat. Read full
details here: 3 more airports in Odisha included in UDAN scheme
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Ayushman Bharat scheme: 65 lakh patients availed treatment worth Rs 9,549 crore
Health ministry announced that over 65 lakh patients were treated under the Centre's flagship
Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) ever since its launch till December 5,
2019. The treatment costs were worth Rs. 9,549 crore. Out of the total 65,45,733 patients, treatment
amounting to Rs 6,133 crore was provided to 35,34,695 patients through private hospitals. Read full
details here: Ayushman Bharat scheme:65 lakh patients availed treatment worth Rs 9,549 crore
Loans sanctioned under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana crossed Rs10-lakh cr value
An amount of Rs. 10.24 lakh crore have been disbursed under the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA
Yojana(PMMY) as on November 1, 2019 as per the ministry of Labour and Employment. The loans
under PMMY were sanctioned to 20.84 crore account holders. PMMY provides loan up-to 10 lakhs to
the non-corporate, non-farm small/micro enterprises. Read full details here: Loans sanctioned under
Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana crossed Rs10-lakh cr value
Air India’s Alliance Air flagged off Guwahati-Dimapur-Imphal flight under UDAN-RCS
Alliance Air, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Air India, flagged of its flight operations to
Guwahati-Dimapur-Imphal of Assam, Nagaland, and Manipur respectively. The regional connectivity
was provided under RCS (Regional Connectivity Scheme) named ‘UDAN’ (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) as
its 236th route. The flight connectivity marks the inception of 1st ever alternative option of connectivity
to Imphal which is not even connected with the railway network of India.
Govt approves changes in interest subvention scheme to give fillip to the MSME Sector
In a bid to boost the productivity of small enterprises, Shri Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Micro, Small and
Medium Enterprises (MSME) & Road Transport & Highways, has approved changes to operational
guidelines of the interest subvention scheme for MSMEs. The move comes after the suggestions made
by various stakeholders, including banks & lending institutions who had faced operational difficulties to
rollout of the scheme smoothly. Read full details here: Govt approves changes in interest subvention
scheme to give fillip to the MSME Sector
AMRUT mission flagship on urban renewal extended by 2 yrs to 2022 from 2020
The centre has decided to extend the mission period of its flagship initiative Atal Mission for
Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) for urban renewal from 2020 to 2022. The extension
was made, as the previously set targets were unable to be met in 500 cities of the country. It is for the
1st time the govt. has initiated projects on such a large scale, thus there has been a need to complete all
the projects with an extended time. Hence, AMRUT Mission would require three additional years upto
2022-23 to complete all projects. Read full details here: AMRUT mission flagship on urban renewal
extended by 2 yrs to 2022 from 2020
Rural development ministry launches 3rd phase of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Rural Development, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare &
Panchayati Raj, has launched Phase III of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in New Delhi.The
launching event was held on the side lines of the National Workshop on PMGSY organised by the
Ministry of Rural Development. Under this phase, the central Government aims to construct 1,25,000
km of roads with an estimated cost of about 80,250 crores rupees (Central Share of Rs. 53,800 crores)
for the period 2019-20 – 2024-25. Read full details here: Rural development ministry launches 3rd
phase of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
Prime Minister Modi Launched Atal Bhujal Yojana

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched Rs 6000 crores Atal Bhujal Yojana (ATAL JAL), a central
sector scheme in New Delhi which will be implemented for a 5-year period (2020-21 till 2024-2025).
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The aim of the scheme is to improve ground water management. The improvement will be done
through community participation in identified priority areas of 7 states; they are Gujarat, Haryana,
Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh (MP), Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh (UP). Read full details
here: Prime Minister Modi Launched Atal Bhujal Yojana
MoHUA data: India, except Bengal, declared open defecation-free under SBM-U
Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) announced that the Swachh Bharat Mission-
Urban (SBM-U) has achieved the national target of becoming Open Defecation Free (ODF) in urban
areas of all 35 states / UTs (Union Territories), except urban local bodies in West Bengal. Out of 4372
cities, 4320 were declared as ODF. This achievement was due to construction of around 65.81 lakh
individual household toilets and 5.89 lakh seats of public toilets, and also mapping of all public toilets
on Google maps. Read full details here: MoHUA data: India, except Bengal, declared open defecation-free
under SBM-U
Operational Guidelines Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) released by PM Narendra Modi in New Delhi
On the occasion of Good Governance Day i.e. on December 25, 2019, Indian Prime Minister, Narendra
Modi has released the Operational Guidelines for the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), during
an event organized at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The guidelines including project financing, states that
centre will provide Rs.2.08 lakh crore while the fund sharing pattern to be 90:10 for Himalayan and
North-Eastern States; 50:50 for other States and 100% for UTs. Apart from guidelines, the following
Institutional arrangements are also proposed for JJM Implementation:
 National Jal Jeevan Mission at the Central level
 State Water and Sanitation Mission (SWSM) at State level
 District Water and Sanitation Mission (DWSM) at district level
 Gram Panchayat and/ or its sub-committees i.e. Village Water Sanitation Committee (VWSC)/
Paani Samiti at village Level
Get full details about guidelines here: Operational Guidelines Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) released by PM
Narendra Modi in New Delhi
More than 1 crore houses sanctioned under PMAY(U): Hardeep Singh Puri
As per the Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Housing and
Urban Affairs, the Centre has approved construction of 6.5 lakh houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas
Yojana-PMAY (Urban). Under this scheme, 1.12 crore houses are to be built with the total investment of
about 7 lakh crore rupees & will be delivered to the beneficiaries by target year 2022. So far, Rs 60,000
crore has been released under central Government. Read full details here: More than 1 crore houses
sanctioned under PMAY(U): Hardeep Singh Puri
Finance Ministry announced mandatory linkage of Aadhar for PMVVY

Union Ministry of Finance (MoF) in its latest notification has made it mandatory to submit the proof of
Aadhaar number of senior citizens who have invested in the Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana
(PMVVY). This move was done to bring transparency to financial processes and to reduce the incidence
of frauds. PMVVY is a pension scheme for senior citizens implemented through Life Insurance
Corporation (LIC) of India. Read full details here: Finance Ministry announced mandatory linkage of
Aadhar for PMVVY
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Saudi Arabia becomes 1st Arab nation to assume the G20 presidency
Saudi Arabia became the first country in the Arab world to head G20 (Group of 20) after it took over
from Japan. The G20 summit for 2020 will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia under the theme of "Realising
Opportunities of the 21st Century for All", from 21-22 November 2020. It will also focus on three aims
namely, empowering people, safeguarding the planet, and shaping new frontiers.
India ranks 5th and China tops the list of invasive use of Biometrics: Comparitech
A study done by Comparitech, Britain-based tech research firm, states that India ranks 5th along with
Taiwan, Indonesia and the Philippines in the list of invasive use of Biometrics while China, Malaysia and
Pakistan come before India in the list. India’s performance could have been worse if the Aadhar, India’s
national biometric database had been under the access of Police and other investigation agencies. Read
full details here: India ranks 5th and China tops the list of invasive use of Biometrics: Comparitech
Switzerland to be the partner country for 17th edition of BioAsia 2020 hosted by Hyderabad,
Telangana
Switzerland will be the country partner at the 17th edition of BioAsia2020 scheduled to be held from
February 17-19, 2020 with the theme “Today For Tomorrow” in Hyderabad, Telangana.This
information was provided by Jayesh Ranjan, Telangana Principal Secretary of Industries and Commerce
and Information Technology(IT) at a press conference in Hyderabad on December 11, 2019.
United States shuts down World Trade Organisation appeal court

The United States (US) decided to shut down the appeal court of WTO (World Trade Organisation) in
response to WTOs decisions against the federal trade rules imposed by the US administration. WTO’s
appeal court acts as a trade dispute settlement body for its member countries. The appeal court which
consisted of 7-member body was then cut down to a 3-member body in 2018. Recently, the terms of
two of the last three judges on the WTO’s appellate body ended on December 10,2019. Without the
WTO’s appellate body, the dispute settlement will return to pre-1995 GATT (General Agreement on
Tariffs and Trade) status quo. As a result, the WTO’s appeal court cannot function and will be unable to
issue rulings. Read full details here: United States shuts down World Trade Organisation appeal court
Bougainville: World’s newest nation after voted for independence from Papua New Guinea
The South Pacific region of Bougainville got 98% votes to become the world’s newest nation by gaining
independence from Papua New Guinea (PNG). Bougainville is an island in Papua New Guinea. There
was a civil war between PNG and Bougainville which was ended through 2001 peace agreement. After
the war ended, Bougainville was granted limited autonomy. It had its own parliament, president, and
legislative powers before independence from Papua New Guinea.
NAVIC satellites of India to join allied system of USA

The US (United States) Congress has approved to designate India’s Indigenously developed satellite
navigation system, NAVIC (NAVigation with Indian Constellation) as “allied” navigational satellite
system along with the Galileo of the European Union and QZSS(Quasi-Zenith Satellite System) of Japan.
The tag has been given as part of the conference report under National Defense Authorization Act
(NDAA) 2020. The designation of the allied system would mean that the Indian Space Research
Organisation's (ISRO) regional navigation system- NAVIC will be treated at par with the European
Union's(EU) Galileo and Japan's QZSS.
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2019 UK general elections: British PM Boris Johnson attains historic victory; 15 Indian Origins
elected
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson won the United Kingdom (UK) general election after his
Conservative Party crossed the required majority of 326 votes of the 650 seats in the House of
Commons. The 15 Indian origin politicians also included in the House of Commons in UK comprising of
both, the ruling Conservative and Opposition Labour parties. Their names are: Gagan Mohindra, Claire
Coutinho, Navendru Mishra, Munira Wilson, Priti Patel (former UK Home Secretary), Rishi Sunak, Alok
Sharma ( former International Development Minister), Shailesh Vara, Suella Braverman, Navendru
Mishra, Preet Kaur Gill, Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, Virendra Sharma, Lisa Nandy and Seema Malhotra.
India expanded areas covered by Indo-Pacific policy

India has increased the area covered by its Indo-Pacific policy. It was announced by Minister of External
Affairs (MEA) in his address at the 6th Indian Ocean Dialogue (IOD) held in New Delhi. This has been
done to include the western Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea. With this, the Indian partnership in the
Indo-Pacific region which includes the Quad, ASEAN, and Western Indian Ocean, will additionally
include Gulf States and Africa.
Afghanistan becomes the 1st nation to recognize Indian Pharmacopoeia

The National Department of Regulation of Medicines and Health Products of the Ministry of Public
Health of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan has formally recognized Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP), an official
book of standards for drugs manufactured & marketed in India in terms of their identity, purity and
strength. With this, Afghanistan has become the 1st nation to recognize IP, which is published by the
Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) on behalf of the Department of Commerce, and Ministry of
Health & Family Welfare.
Poland leaves European Union's 2050 climate neutrality agreement

Poland, a country located in Central Europe, has left European Union’s (EU) 2050 Climate Neutrality
Agreement as it demanded more funds for economic transition and support for nuclear power. Poland's
economy relies heavily on coal for some 80 % of its energy needs. It resisted the plan & asked for an
extension of the period to 2070 to cut emissions. The other countries refused to go along with the terms
of Poland. So, Poland is expected to reach climate neutrality on its own path. Read full details here:
Poland leaves European Union's 2050 climate neutrality agreement
US President Trump officially launches space force, the 1st US military service in over 70 yrs
The United States (US) President Donald Trump has officially launched “US space force (USSF)”, the 1st
new US military service in more than 70 years focusing on warfare in space, by signing the 2020
National Defense Authorization Act. The space force will be the 6th official force of the US military,
including the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard.The purpose of the US to establish space
forces is to prove small space forces of China and Russia along with the establishment of American
capability and dominance in space.
8 West African nations rename common currency to Eco from CFA Franc
8 West African Nations agreed to rename their common currency known as “CFA Franc” to “Eco” to
severe the CFA franc's links to former colonial ruler France. This announcement of change to a new
currency was made during French President Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron’s visit to Ivory
Coast, which is France’s former main colony in West Africa and also the world's top cocoa producer. The
8 countries are Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo. The
Economic Community of West African States regional bloc, which is known as ECOWAS, urged its
member countries to establish a common currency, slated to launch next year i.e., 2020. Read full
details here: 8 West African nations rename common currency to Eco from CFA Franc
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UNESCO removes ‘Carnival of Aalst’ from Intangible Cultural Heritage List

UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), has removed the ‘Carnival
of Aalst’ of Belgium from its Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity List. The 2019 carnival featured a
parade float that included racist and anti-Semitic representations that mocked the Orthodox Jews. The
carnival was added to the Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2010. The carnival of Aalst is a three-day
festival that is held annually in the Belgium city of Aalst.
Japan launches world's 1st liquid hydrogen transport ship, ‘Suiso frontier’
Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd,a Japanese public multinational corporation has launched the world’s
1st ocean-going liquid hydrogen carrier ship named as' Suiso Frontier'at a ceremony held at Kobe
Works yard, Japan. It is designed to carry liquid hydrogen at minus 253° C produced in south coast of
Australia to unload in Kobe, Japan. Measuring a total length of 116 m, width 19 m, depth 4.5 m at full
load, gross tonnage 8,000 t. propulsion by Diesel engine electric power generation, and voyage speed of
13 knots, it is scheduled to be completed in late 2020.
Russia, the only nation in the world owns hypersonic weapons: Prez Putin
According to the Russian President, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, Russia is the only country in the
world that has hypersonic weapons. He revealed the new zircon missile at a meeting of senior military
officials in Moscow. As per Putin ,the Zircon missile, which can fly from land to land in 10 times faster
than the speed of sound, has a range of more than 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles) and can carry a
nuclear or conventional warhead.
The Netherlands scrapping its nickname ‘Holland’ from January 2020

As a part of €200,000 tourism rebranding, the Netherlands has officially announced to drop the
nickname 'Holland' from January 2020. Even the Netherlands’ Board of Tourism and Conventions is
also scrapping its symbol featuring a tulip, the national flower, and the word “Holland” and replacing it
with a new logo that has an orange tulip and the initials “NL.”
UNGA approved resolution to draft treaty to combat cybercrime

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has given its approval for a new Russian resolution which
will draft a new international treaty to combat cyber-crime. The Russian draft resolution was approved
by the 193-member world body of UNGA by a vote of 79-60 with 33 abstentions (declining to vote).
 Resolution condemning abuse against Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslims & minorities approved
 UN increased budget for 2020 to $3.07 billion; also includes funds for war crime probes
 UN extends investigation of secretary-general Dag’s mysterious 1961 death
Read full details here: UNGA approved resolution to draft treaty to combat cybercrime
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VISITS
INDIA VISITS
Overview of Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's visit to India
The president of Sri Lanka Shri Gotabaya Rajapaksa paid a 3-day official visit to India from November
28-30, 2019. It is to be noted that this was his first overseas visit after becoming President. PM Modi
offers $450 million LoC to Sri Lanka. Read full details here: Overview of Sri Lankan President Gotabaya
Rajapaksa’s visit to India
Overview of Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf Folke and Queen Silvia Renate to India
King Carl XVI Gustaf Folke Hubertus and Queen Silvia Renate Sommerlath of Sweden paid a 5-day
official visit to India from December 2-6,2019 at the invitation of President Ram Nath Kovind. They
were received by Member of Parliament (MP) Babul Supriyo at the New Delhi airport. This is the 3rd
time they both have visited India. Earlier they visited in the year 1993 and 2005. Read full details here:
Overview of Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf Folke and Queen Silvia Renate to India
Overview of visit by Mauritius PM Pravind Jugnauth to India

Prime Minister(PM) of Mauritius Mr. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth along with his wife Mrs Kobita Jugnauth
visited India and met the Indian PM shri Narendra Modi in New Delhi. During the visit, both leaders
agreed to work together to build up bilateral relations and to deepen the fraternal and enduring ties,
based on mutual interest and priorities. Recent development projects in Mauritius such as Metro
Express Project, ENT (Ear Nose Throat) Hospital, Social Housing Project by the Indian govt. were
reiterated.
BANKING & FINANCE NEWS

RBI IN NEWS
Overview of 5th Bi-monthly monetary policy 2019 released by RBI
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced its 5th Bi-Monthly Monetary Policy Rates for 2019-20 in
Mumbai, Maharashtra. The three-day (December 3 – 5, 2019) policy review meeting by the 6 members
of Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) was headed by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das. The next meeting
of the MPC is scheduled during February 4-6, 2020. The rates remain unchanged while GDP growth
forecast lowered to 5% from 6.1%for the current financial year –FY 20 (or 2019). Read full details here:
Overview of 5th Bi-monthly monetary policy 2019 released by RBI
RBI increases aggregate lending limits imposed on peer-to-peer (P2P) lenders to Rs 50 lakh
from 10 lakh
India’s Central Bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has taken a big step to promote the peer-2-peer
(P2P) sector by increasing the total loan limit among such lenders by five times to Rs 50 lakh. Right now
the aggregate limit is 10 lakh rupees for all borrowers and lenders on all P2P platforms.
RBI offers final guidelines for on-tap licence to small finance banks(SFB)
India’s central Bank, the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has released the final guidelines on the facility to
apply ‘on- tap’ for licenses to Small Finance Banks (SFBs). Under the decree, the minimum paid-up
voting equity capital limit has been doubled to Rs 200 crore from Rs 100 crore. Read full details here:
RBI issues final guidelines for on-tap licence to small finance banks (SFB)
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RBI tightens norms for acquisition of financial assets by ARCs from sponsors and lenders
India’s central Bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has tightened norms for Asset reconstruction
companies (ARCs) by barring them to bilaterally buy assets from banks /financial institutions (FIs)
which is its sponsor, lender or has subscribed to the fund raised by the ARC for its operations or an
entity in the group to which the ARC belongs. Read full details here: RBI tightens norms for acquisition
of financial assets by ARCs from sponsors and lenders
NEFT transaction facility to be available 24×7 for customers from December, 16, 2019: RBI
With a view to promote digital transactions, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed the round-the-
clock (24×7) transactions facility under the National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) system to
customers on all days including weekends and holidays from December 16,2019. This direction was
issued by RBI under Section 10(2) read with Section 18 of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act,
2007 (Act 51 of 2007). Read full details here: NEFT transaction facility to be available 24×7 for
customers from December, 16, 2019: RBI
Canada's CPPIB commits to invest up to $600 million in National Investment and Infrastructure
Fund (NIIF) of India
CPP Investment Board, officially the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) has agreed to
invest up to $600 million in the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) of India through
the NIIF Master Fund. CPPIB’s commitment includes a $150 million in the NIIF Master Fund and co-
investment rights of up to $450 million in future opportunities to invest alongside the NIIF Master
Fund.
RBI provided intraday liquidity window to make NEFT system operational on 24x7 basis
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced to provide an additional collateralized intra-day liquidity
(IDL) facility for the smooth operation of National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) transactions on a
24X7 basis. This facility is called Liquidity Support (LS) and it became operational from December 16,
2019. It is a firm's ability to match its day-to-day credit requirements on a real-time basis.
NPIC sets up subsidiary to take UPI to the international level: RBI governor
According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Shaktikanta Das, the National Payments
Corporation of India (NPCI), an umbrella organisation works under RBI for operating retail payments,
has set up a subsidiary to take the Unified Payment Interface (UPI) model to other countries. The move
comes after American multinational technology company Google had requested US (United States)
Federal Reserve to create a similar model of open-payments like UPI, where private firms are enabled
to collaborate to find unique solutions to serve users.
RBI releases annual report of ombudsman Schemes for the year 2018-19; complaints to BO up
20% in FY19
According to the annual Report of Ombudsman Schemes for 2018-19,released by Reserve Bank of
India(RBI),the volume of complaints received by its 21 Offices of Banking Ombudsman (OBOs) has
increased to 1,95,901 complaints in 2018-19 (Fiscal year-FY 19), up by 19.75% (or 32,311 complaints)
from the previous year (2017-18), that accounted 1,63,590. Read full details here: RBI releases annual
report of ombudsman Schemes for the year 2018-19; complaints to BO up 20% in FY19
In a first, RBI brings US-style 'operation twist' to reduce long-term interest rates
India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to conduct simultaneous sale and
purchase of government bonds under the Open Market Operations (OMO) mechanism, a concept similar
to “Operation Twist” that was last adopted by the US (United States) Federal Reserve in 2013. So, the
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RBI will buy bonds worth Rs 10,000 crore of 6.45% maturing in the year 2029 and issuing bonds worth
Rs 10,000 crore maturing in the year 2020. Read full details here: In a first, RBI brings US-style
‘operation twist’ to reduce long-term interest rates
RBI limits lending on P2P platforms at Rs 50 lakh

In a bid to protect the interest of consumers, India’s Central Bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has
set a Rs 50-lakh limit on the aggregate lending to all borrowers across all Non-Banking Financial
Company – Peer to Peer (NBFC-P2P) lending platforms at a determined time. Further, lender investing
over Rs 10 lakh across P2P platforms should get a practising chartered accountant (CA) certifying a
minimum net-worth of Rs 50 lakh. RBI also decided to remove the current requirement of escrow
accounts, operated by bank promoted trustee, for transfer of funds having to be necessarily opened
with the concerned bank. Read full details here: RBI limits lending on P2P platforms at Rs 50 lakh
RBI releases report on ‘Trend and Progress of Banking in India 2018-19

India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released the report on “Trend and Progress of
Banking in India 2018-19”, a publication in compliance with Section 36 (2) of the Banking Regulation
Act, 1949, records the performance of the banking sector, including co-operative banks, and non-
banking financial institutions during 2018-19 & 2019-20 till now.
 Gross NPAs of SCBs declined to 9.1 % in 2019 from 11.2 % in 2018
 Due to resolutions under the IBC (Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016), recovery of stressed
assets (NPAs + Restructured loans + Written off assets) has shown improvement during 2018-
19.
 Bank fraud rise 74% to Rs 71,543 cr in 2018-19
 Development of Green finance may face challenges such as ‘greenwashing’
 Cooperative banks’ assets nearly halve to 10.6% in FY19 from 19.4% FY 05
Read full details here: RBI releases report on ‘Trend and Progress of Banking in India 2018-19
RBI launches new PPI for digital transactions up to Rs 10,000/month

In order to boost small value digital transactions, the apex bank Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has
launched semi-closed prepaid payment instrument (PPI) for transaction of goods and services up to a
limit of Rs 10,000. This direction has made under Section 18 read with Section 10(2) of Payment and
Settlement Systems Act, 2007. The amount loaded in such PPIs shall not exceed Rs 10,000 per month
and the total amount loaded during the financial year shall not exceed Rs 1,20,000. The amount
outstanding at any point of time in such PPIs should not exceed Rs 10,000. Read full details here: RBI
launches new PPI for digital transactions up to Rs 10,000/month
RBI appointed J&K Bank and SBI as lead bankers for J&K and Ladakh respectively
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed Jammu & Kashmir Bank(J&K Bank) as the UTLBC (Union
Territory Lead Bank Convenor) of the newly formed Union Territory(UT) of Jammu & Kashmir(J&K).
Similarly, the State Bank of India (SBI) will be the lead banking convenor of the UT Ladakh. No change
in the SLBC (State Lead Bank Convenor)/ UTLBC convenorship of other states and UTs were made.
RBI releases 20th Financial Stability Report (FSR): Bank’s gross NPA ratio to be 9.9 % in
September 2020
According to the 20th issue of the Financial Stability Report (FSR) 2019 released by Reserve Bank of
India (RBI), the gross non-performing assets (GNPA) ratio of all scheduled commercial banks (SCBs)
can increase from 9.3 % in September 2019 to 9.9 % in September 2020 due to changes in
macroeconomic conditions, modest growth in new NPAs and the impact of declining credit growth rate.
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The GNPA ratio of SCB’s was 9.3 % between March and September 2019. Read full details here: RBI
releases 20th Financial Stability Report (FSR): Bank’s gross NPA ratio to be 9.9 % in September
Large co-op banks to report exposures above Rs 5 cr to CRILC: RBI

In a bid to find out early recognition of financial crisis, India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) has asked all primary urban cooperative banks (UCBs) to report all exposures (including all fund-
based and non-fund-based exposure on the borrower) of Rs 5 crore and above to the Central Repository
of Information on Large Credits (CRILC), maintained by RBI These will also include special mention
accounts (SMA)- those assets/accounts that shows traits of bad asset quality in the first 90 days itself or
before it being identified as NPA(Non-Performing assets).
India’s financial system remains stable despite recession: RBI’s 20th FSR report
According to the 20th edition of the Financial Stability Report (FSR) 2019 released by Reserve Bank of
India(RBI), India’s financial system remains stable despite the recession (a period of temporary
economic decline). The demand on the domestic front has been weak in the second quarter of Fiscal
year FY 2019-20. According to the report, frauds worth Rs 1.13 lakh crore have been registered in
banks in the 1st half of the current financial year 2019-20 (H1 FY20), which is the highest amount of
bank fraud so far. It has reached record levels due to delays in fraud detection by banks. Read full
details here: India’s financial system remains stable despite recession: RBI’s 20th FSR report
Reserve Bank releases draft circular on loan exposure limits & PSL threshold for UCBs
In an effort to avoid frauds, India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released draft
circular on limits, on exposure to single and group borrowers/parties, large exposures and revision in
priority sector lending (PSL) targets for primary (urban) co-operative banks (UCBs). RBI has decided to
restrict Primary (urban) cooperative banks (UCBs) exposure to a single borrower & a group of
connected borrowers at 10% and 25%, respectively, of their tier-I capital, which comprises
shareholders’ equity and retained earnings. Till now, the limits are 15% and 40%, respectively. UCBs
also required to have at least 50% of their portfolio should comprise advances of not more than Rs 25
lakh per borrower. RBI has also hiked the priority sector lending (PSL) target for UCBs to 75% of
adjusted net bank credit (ANBC) Read full details here: Reserve Bank releases daft circular on loan
exposure limits & PSL threshold for UCBs
BANKING TECHNOLOGY
APP NAME LAUNCHED BY KEY NOTES
Co-branded credit Walmart India, wholly-owned The new co-branded credit card is available
card subsidiary of Walmart Inc has exclusively for members of Best Price Modern
joined hands with HDFC Wholesale B2B (business to business) cash & carry
(Housing Development Finance Stores, owned and operated by Walmart India. In
Corporation )Bank this, the facility of free credit will be available for
up to 50 days without any interest.
My:health Woman HDFC ERGO General Insurance It is India’s third-largest non-life insurance
Suraksha policy Company provider in the private sector. A comprehensive
medical insurance scheme specially designed for
women. Women aged 18–65 years are eligible for
the policy & they offered a sum insured ranging
from Rs. 1 lakh to 1 crore.
MiCredit ZestMoney & Xiaomi ZestMoney, an AI (Artificial Intelligence) -driven
EMI (Equated Monthly Instalment) financing
platform based in Bengaluru, Karnataka, has
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partnered with Chinese smartphone company,

Xiaomi, to launch new loan service app called
“MiCredit” in the Indian market. Through this,
customers can get an instant loan ranging from Rs
7,000 - Rs 1,00,000.
Co-branded credit Axis Bank and Indian Oil The card will be useful for customers preferring
cards Corporation Ltd (IOCL) cashless and hassle-free payments. The
partnership also aims to offer rewards and benefits
for its customers. Under the partnership,
customers will receive a cashback of upto Rs 250
on fuel purchases within the first 30 days of card
issuance, 20 times accelerated reward points on
fuel spends at IOCL outlets as well as the waiver of
fuel surcharge.
KBL Xpress SB ‘A’ Class Scheduled Commercial A digitized version for opening Savings Bank (SB)
Accounts Bank, Karnataka Bank account through TAB (tablet) Banking facility on
the spot. The sales staff of Karnataka Bank will visit
the customers at their home and with the use of
the tablets to get the formalities completed within
10 minutes.
LOANS ISSUED BY BANKS

LOANS ISSUED BY RECEIVED BY AMOUNT KEY NOTES
Asian Development Government of $206 million To develop water supply, sewerage
Bank (ADB) India (GoI) infrastructure in 5 cities
(Ambur,Tiruchirappalli, Tiruppur, Madurai and
Vellore) of Tamil Nadu (TN) and also enhances
capacities of urban local bodies (ULBs) for
improved service delivery.
India’s Exim bank Bangladesh $500 For defence-related procurement in the
(Export-Import million (Rs neighbouring country. The Exim bank
Bank of India) 3561 entered into an agreement with
crore) Bangladesh's Armed Forces Division (AFD)
in this regard on April 11, 2019. The
agreement became effective from
November 7, 2019 and the utilisation
period of the loan is 10 years from the date
of signing the agreement.
KfW (formerly KfW- State Bank of $277 million A German state-owned development bank for
Kreditanstalt für India (SBI) (about Rs establishing an energy-efficient housing
Wiederaufbau 1,958 crore) programme in India. SBI Capital Markets Ltd.,
Bankengruppe) a wholly owned investment banking subsidiary
of State Bank of India will arrange the loan and
grant facilities under this programme. Click
here
Asian Development Energy Efficiency $250 million In a bid to support agricultural, residential and
Bank (ADB) Services Limited (about Rs institutional consumers, Asian Development
(EESL) 1,775 crore) Bank (ADB), an international development
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finance institution & and the Government of

India (GoI), loan to Energy Efficiency Services
Limited (EESL) to expand energy efficiency
investments in India by way of identifying new
business opportunities, a gender action plan,
mobilising private sector participation in
energy efficiency services,etc.
Asian Development Madhya $490 million For upgrade about 1,600 km of Madhya
Bank (ADB) Pradesh(MP) Pradesh(MP) state highways (750km) & major
district roads- MDRs (850km) from single-lane
to two-lane widths in the state. This public-
private partnership (PPP) project through the
hybrid-annuity model (HAM), got an additional
$286 million investment that will be mobilized
by the state.
Click here
Asian Infrastructure India $210 million A multilateral financial institution, has decided
Investment Bank to grant a loan worth of $210 million for
(AIIB) irrigation ($145-mn) & solar energy projects
($65-mn) in India. Under this loan, $145-
million will be given to improve irrigation
service delivery and strengthen flood risk
management in West Bengal (WB). While,
remaining $65-million has given for 250-
megawatt (MW) solar power project in
Jodhpur, Rajasthan; promoted by Hero Future
Energies. Click here
AGREEMENTS & MoUs SIGNED

BANKS SIGNED WITH KEY NOTES
Karnataka Vikas Canara HSBC OBC ( Oriental For bancassurance (selling of life assurance and
Grameen Bank Bank of Commerce) Life other insurance products and services by bank). As
(KVGB) Insurance Company Ltd per the pact, KVGB will market wide range
insurance products of the Canara HSBC through its
636 branches in 9 districts of Karnataka.
Investor Education & Bank of Baroda (BoB) (IEPFA) works under the Ministry of Corporate
Protection Fund Affairs. To spread customer awareness and
Authority (IEPFA) investor education and reaching out to investors
and stakeholders. As per the agreement, 9,456 BoB
branches will exhibit IEPFA posters on investor
protection & 3,115 ATMs (Automated Teller
Machine) and Cash Recyclers supported by self-
service channels will feature digital banners on
IEPFA.
Bank of Baroda (BoB) Gujarat government In order to facilitate the flow of credit in the Micro,
Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sector. As
per the agreement, the credit will be provided to the
MSME for greenfield projects, startups, women
entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs from backward
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areas under the Gujarat Single Window Clearance

Act 2017 & Ordinance Number 1 of 2019 dated
October 24, 2019.
Karnataka Vikas Social enterprise Selco Karnataka Vikas Grameen Bank (KVGB) which
Grameen Bank Solar Light Pvt Ltd is a regional rural bank (RRB). MoUs for solar
(KVGB) lighting and livelihood solutions. Under this
MoU, finance livelihood solutions that are
backed by solar power will be provided by the
bank. This is done to improve the quality of life
of micro and small entrepreneurs, economically
weaker sections (EWS), sustainable agriculture
and for women’s empowerment.
OTHER BANKING & FINANCE NEWS

78% account holders withdraw all their money from PMC Bank: Nirmala Sitharaman
As per the Union Finance Minister (FM) Nirmala Sitharaman, nearly 78 % depositors of the scam-hit
Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative (PMC) Bank have been allowed to withdraw their entire deposits
even though the ceiling of Rs 50,000 on withdrawal continues. Also account holders are allowed to
withdraw up to Rs 1 lakh in case of medical emergency, marriage and other serious situations.
Aditya Birla health insurance teams up with MobiKwik to offer affordable health insurance
plans
Aditya Birla Health Insurance Co. Limited (ABHICL), a subsidiary of Aditya Birla Capital Ltd has
partnered with MobiKwik, a fin-tech platform to offer affordable health insurance plans to mobile-first
middle-class Indian consumers who have previously never had access to insurance solutions. They have
jointly launched the first product called “Cancer Protect Cover” Plan as part of their contract.
BlackBuck joins hands with IDFC &Yes Bank to provide free FASTags to truckers
BlackBuck, India's largest online trucking platform has partnered with leading private sector lenders
IDFC (Infrastructure Development Finance Company) Bank and Yes Bank to offer FASTags to truck fleet
owners free of cost. With this partnership, truck owners can order FASTags on Blackbuck's Boss app. It
will be given free at their doorstep till 31st December 2019.
India’s forex reserves crossed $450 billion for the first time
Indian foreign exchange (forex) reserve for the first time crossed $450-billion mark. This was mainly
due to strong inflows which enabled the central bank to buy dollars from the market. The forex reserves
were at $451.7billion on December 3, 2019, which is an increase of $38.8 billion compared to that of
March 2019.
Mastercard joins hands with Thailand Tourism Authority (TAT) to tap more tourists from
India
Mastercard, an American multinational financial services corporation has partnered with Thailand
Tourism Authority (TAT) to tap more tourists from India & enable digital payments for a more
experiential visit for them. Bangkok (Thailand’s capital) has ranked No.1 in Mastercard’s Global
Destination Cities Index 2019 as the world’s best travel destination.
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Vakrangee join hands with Union Bank of India(UBI) for 20,000 Banking BC Points
Vakrangee Finserve Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vakrangee Limited (VL) has partnered with
Union Bank of India (UBI), one of the largest government-owned banks of India for 20,000 Banking
Business Correspondent (BC) points for Nextgen Vakrangee Kendra.
Mastercard joins hands with Federal bank for additional digital security called ‘Mastercard
Identity Check'
Mastercard,an American multinational financial services corporation has tied-up with Federal Bank, a
Private Sector, scheduled commercial bank, to provide an additional layer of security function called
‘Mastercard Identity Check’ for digital transactions done by bank's cardholders. The new layer of
security will be provided by using latest authentication standards of EMV (Europay, MasterCard, Visa)
3-D Secure.
BRICS’ NDB commits $100 million to India's NIIF

New Development Bank (NDB), formerly referred to as the BRICS Development Bank, has agreed to
provide $100 million to India’s National Investment and Infrastructure Fund’s (NIIF) Fund of
Funds(FoF), that aims to raise about $1 billion to invest in up to 10 private equity funds managed by
fund managers in India. ADB (Asian Development Bank) already in August 2019, granted Rs 667 crore
(close to $100 million) to NIIF-FoF. Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in June 2018, had
approved an equity investment of $100 million as part of FoF’s initial closing, committing a further
investment of $100 million as part of phase II for the final closing.
HDFC Bank becomes 3rd Indian company to cross m-cap of $ 100 billion
India's leading private sector bank, HDFC (Housing Development Finance Corporation) Bank Ltd, has
become the 3rd company to cross market capitalization (m-cap) of $ 100 billion (over Rs 7 lakh crore)
after Reliance Industries Ltd- RIL ($140.74 billion) & Tata Consultancy Services - TCS ($114.60 billion).
However, it closed below the $100 billion mark at roughly $99.5 billion. With this increase in m-cap,
HDFC Bank is now ranked 110th on the list of most valuable companies in the world.
Kotak Mahindra Bank & Pine Labs tie up to facilitate EMIs on debit cards
Kotak Mahindra Bank has tied up with Pine Labs to enable debit card facility for their debit cardholders
across point-of-sale terminals by Pine Labs. Its aim is to provide affordable, flexible and easy EMI
options with a minimum purchase of Rs 8,000 and repay over 3 months to 12 months. With this,
bank’s customers can break their high-value purchases into affordable installments at no extra cost.
Federal Bank, Magicbricks tie up for disposal of repossessed properties

Federal Bank has joined hands with online real estate platform Magicbricks for listing and e-auctioning
of immovable properties repossessed by bank through recovery proceedings. The reason behind this
partnership is the speedy recovery of impaired assets of the bank as the portal offered by Magicbricks
provides a wide and direct reach among prospective buyers across various locations. It also helps the
customers in getting the best rate in the market for their properties.
NPCI newly offers recharge option for FASTag through BHIM UPI
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has announced a new recharge option for National
Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) FASTags through BHIM UPI (Bharat Interface for Money- Unified
Payments Interface). Accordingly, any BHIM UPI enabled mobile app users cane recharge their FASTags
which would ease the traffic at toll plazas. FASTags which are based on RFID (Radio-Frequency
Identification) technology has been made mandatory on national highways(NH) across the country
from December 15, 2019, onwards.
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Ashok Leyland ink pact with Yes bank for commercial vehicle financing
Ashok Leyland (ALL), an Indian automobile company has entered into the memorandum of
understanding (MoU) with Yes Bank, an Indian private sector bank (PVB) for vehicle loans for a period
of 2 years. Earlier in November 2019, ALL has also signed a 2 year MoU with ICICI (Industrial Credit
and Investment Corporation of India) Bank & Axis bank for vehicle financing.
Digit launched health insurance product named Digit Health Care Plus
Digit Insurance has launched Digit Health Care Plus, a retail health insurance product, that has been
customized for different age groups and their health needs, along with the help & approval of an Ex-
AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) Director. Digit even collaborated with 15-year old kids to
simplify the health insurance documents.
SBI to bring new OTP-based cash withdrawal system for above Rs 10,000 from January 1, 2020
State Bank of India (SBI), an Indian multinational, public sector bank, has taken a big step to curb bank
fraud and provide secure banking to its customers by launching new OTP (one-time-password ) based
ATM (Automated Teller Machine) withdrawal of above Rs 10,000 during 8 PM to 8 AM. The new
system will be implemented across the country from 1 January 2020.
HDFC Life joins hand with Paytm to expand its distribution

HDFC Life Insurance, a long-term life insurance provider has entered into the partnership with Paytm,
an Indian e-commerce payment system to allow the latter's 450 million registered customers to
purchase insurance products from HDFC Life. HDFC Life had already tied up with India’s 2nd largest
telecom company – Airtel to issue product portfolio within seconds.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS NEWS

GDP & GROWTH RATE
ORGANIZATION YEAR RATE
CRISIL (Formerly Credit FY20(or 2019 ) India’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate to
Rating Information Services of 5.1 %
India Limited) Key Points:
5.1 % From an earlier estimate of 6.3 %. Growth in the
second half of 2019-20 will go up to 5.5%, up from
4.75% in the first half.
Asian Development Bank FY 20(or 2019) India's GDP growth forecast to 5.1%
(ADB) Key Points:
Consumption has been affected due to slowing
employment growth and delayed harvesting. In
September 2019, ADB had projected India's economic
growth rate to be 6.5 percent for 2019-20 and 7.2 %
for FY 2020-21.
Moody's Investors Service 2019 India’s GDP growth forecast for 2019 to 5.6.
Key Points:
which is less than 7.4 % in 2018. It cuts the forecast
due to the slow growth rate of employment is
impacting consumption. It also expects that the growth
rate will improve after that and it can be 6.6 % and 6.7
% in 2020 and 2021 respectively.
41 | P a g e
American business, financial FY20 (Fiscal Year GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth projection to
company & rating agency 2019-20) 4.9% from its earlier estimate of 5.8%. The revision in
Moody’s the growth projection was due to weak household
consumption.
Fitch Ratings Inc., an American FY20 (or 2019) Has lowered to 4.6 % from the earlier estimate of
credit rating agency 5.6%.Fitch made this deduction due to declining trade
&consumer confidence. Also, it has placed India's
Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating
(IDR) at 'BBB-' with a Stable Outlook. With the help of
easy monetary and fiscal policy and structural
measures, India's growth rate will be 5.6 % in FY 2020-
21 and 6.5 % in FY2021-22.
The International Monetary FY20 On India has retained India’s economic growth forecast
Fund (IMF) in its Article IV at 6.1% for FY20. The report was released in
consultation report Washington, United States (US). The forecast is much
higher than by most agencies. For example, the
Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) latest projection pegged
the growth at 5%, Standard & Poor’s at 5.1%, Moody’s
at 4.9% and Fitch’ at 4.6% for the current financial
year.
ECONOMY NEWS
Dupont partners with Central govt initiative-"AGNIi" to support India’s innovation ecosystem
DuPont de Nemours,Inc (commonly known as DuPont), an American company with technology-based
materials, ingredients and solutions has partnered with AGNIi (Accelerated Growth of New India’s
Innovations), an initiative of the office of the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of
India(GoI), executed by Invest India (the national investment promotion and facilitation agency of
India), to support the development of sustainable innovations and technologies across industries. Read
full details here: Dupont partners with Central govt initiative-“AGNIi” to support India’s innovation
ecosystem
Finance Ministry has set Rs 1.1 lakh crore monthly GST collection target
Ministry of Finance (MoF) has set Rs 1.1 trillion monthly GST (Goods and Services Tax) target for the
remaining four months of the fiscal year (FY 2019-20) and asked tax officials to step up efforts to
achieve the goal. The announcement was made in a meeting amid government may fall short of tax
collection target in a slowing economy. For 2019-20, the Union government is targeting Rs 6.63 trillion
from its share of GST revenues. Read full details here: Finance Ministry has set Rs 1.1 lakh crore
monthly GST collection target
CPPIB to invest $225 million in India resurgence fund paltform

CPPIB (Canada Pension Plan Investment Board ) Credit Investments Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of
CPPIB, has agreed to invest US$225 million in the India Resurgence Fund platform (IndiaRF), a
distressed assets buyout platform set up by Piramal Enterprises Ltd and Bain Capital Credit. In
2018,World Bank (WB) arm International Finance Corporation (IFC) had also committed to invest
US$100 million in the fund.
SEBI reshuffles 8-member Abraham koshy committee on Investor Protection & Education Fund
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI),a Regulator for the Securities market in India owned by
Government, has made extensive changes to the 8-member advisory committee on Investor Protection
42 | P a g e
and Education Fund (IPEF), advising on issues related to investor education and protection activities.
The chairman of this committee is former Professor, Abraham Koshy of IIM(Indian Institutes of
Management) Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Now,the panel additionally includes 3 Sebi officers -government
administrators Nagendraa Parakh and V S Sundaresan & chief general manager N Hariharan. Read full
details here: SEBI reshuffles 8-member Abraham koshy committee on Investor Protection & Education
Fund
28 members MOSPI constituted economic statistics committee headed by Pronab Sen

Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation(MOSPI) has set up a standing committee on
economic statistics (SCES) in order to develop methodologies in conducting surveys on the industry,
services sector and employment in place of multiple panels on these issues. The committee which
consists of 28 members will be headed by India’s first chief statistician Pronab Sen. The first meeting of
the SCES is scheduled on January 6, 2020.
BUSINESS NEWS
Stock exchange major NSE launches interest rate options on 10-year government bonds
With the aim to provide institutional investors ability to manage risk through a non-linear product,
National Stock Exchange (NSE), the leading stock exchange of India has launched interest rate options
(financial derivative contracts whose values are based on an underlying interest rate) on 10-year
Government securities (G-secs). These interest rate options are based on 10-year government bonds
maturing in the year 2029 with coupon rate of 7.26% and 6.45 %.
National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) inks MoU with Suadi ARAMCO for development in
oil & gas sectors
National Small Industries Corporation Limited(NSIC ), a Mini Ratna PSU (public sector undertaking )
works under the Ministry of MSME, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Saudi
Aramco (Asia), a Saudi Arabian national petroleum and natural gas company for the development of
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector in India in Oil & Gas Sector. Read full details here:
National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) inks MoU with Suadi ARAMCO for development in oil &
gas sectors https://affairscloud.com/national-small-industries-corporation-nsic-inks-mou-with-suadi-
aramco-for-development-in-oil-gas-sectors/
IRDAI frames 10-member group headed by T. L. Alamelu to study loss prevention

IRDAI (Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India), an autonomous body constituted to
regulate and develop insurance business in India, has constituted a 10-member working group (WG)
headed by IRDAI member (non-life) T. L. Alamelu to make recommendations for loss prevention &
minimization in the general insurance industry. It should submit its report within 12 weeks.
US replaced Kuwait as India's 6th biggest oil supplier; Iraq remains on top
According to the data furnished by the oil ministry of India to parliamentary committee, the United
States(US) has surpassed Kuwait to become India's 6th largest oil supplier. It supplied 70% more crude
to India, the world's third largest energy consumer during April-September 2019. While US stands 6th,
Iraq continues to be the top crude oil supplier to India. Read full details here: US replaced Kuwait as
India's 6th biggest oil supplier; Iraq remains on top
Edelweiss AMC launches India’s 1st corporate bond called ‘Bharat Bond ETF’
Edelweiss Asset Management Company (AMC), a subsidiary of Edelweiss Capital Limited (ECL) has
launched India’s 1st Corporate Bond ETF (exchange trade fund) called the Bharat Bond ETF. It will
43 | P a g e
invest only in AAA-rated bonds of Public Sector companies. Edelweiss AMC proposes to raise a total of
up to Rs 15,000 crore through the offer.
Bengaluru-based PhonePe clocks 5 Bn transactions

PhonePe Private Limited (PhonePe) ,an Indian e-commerce payment system and digital wallet
company, has crossed 5 billion transactions on its app. In November 2018, PhonePe had touched the
milestone of a billion transactions and achieved 5 times more unprecedented success in a year. It has
over 175 million registered users in India.
SEBI inks pact with Kazakhstan-based AFSA for mutual, technical cooperation
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the Regulator for the Securities market in India, has
entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Astana Financial Services Authority
(AFSA), a financial hub in Kazakhstan, for mutual cooperation and technical assistance in areas such as
securities and to improve the efficiency of monitoring operations. The MoU was signed by SEBI
Chairman- Ajay Tyagi and the acting chief executive officer (CEO) of AFSA -Mukhtar Bubeyev.
MoUs & AGREEMENTS

MoUs BETWEEN COUNTRIES
COUNTRIES MoUs WITH FIELD / PURPOSE
India Mongla and Ministry of Shipping (MoS) announced that Mongla and
Chattogram, Chattogram (Both in Bangladesh) have been declared as Ports
Bangladesh of Call under “Coastal Shipping Agreement” between India &
Bangladesh. A MoU (Memorandum of Understanding),
agreement and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on the
use of Chattogram Port & Mongla Ports for goods movement
between India and Bangladesh has been signed between both
the nations.
India Vietnam Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) for cooperation in the
field of education and scientific research. The MoU was signed
following a meeting between Indian Defence Minister Rajnath
Singh and Vietnam People's Army’s (VPA) Chief of the General
Staff General Phan Van Giang. The signing was done on Van
Giang’s 5-day official visit to India from November 24-28,
2019.
MoUs WITH STATES

STATES MoUs WITH FIELD / PURPOSE
Jammu and United Nations India to strengthen the immunization supply chain
Kashmir Development system in the Union territory. The eVIN is carried out by
Programme the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and
(UNDP) supported by UNDP. It aims to support the Centre’s
Universal Immunization Programme by providing
information about vaccine stocks and flows and storage
temperatures across all cold chain points.
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MoUs BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONS

ORGANIZATIONS MoUs WITH FIELD / PURPOSE
Ministry of Railways Department for For collaboration on energy and sustainability. The MoU
(MoR) International was signed with the goal to transform Indian Railways’
Development (DFID) , into “Green Railways” by achieving complete
United Kingdom(UK) electrification of Railway network.
National Bank of Indian Council of To carry on research on agriculture & farming systems
Agriculture and Agricultural Research with active participation from farmers. The research will
Rural Development (ICAR) be of active participation on climate resilient practices,
(NABARD) models and integrated and hi-tech farming practices in a
participatory model through adoptive research on the
watershed platform. Click here
Council of Scientific National Centre for To establish a framework for promoting and supporting
& Industrial Scientific Research scientific and technological research by cooperation. The
Research (CSIR), (CNRS), France MoU was signed by Director General (DG) of CSIR,
India Dr.Shekhar C Mande and President and CEO of CNRS
France, Prof Antoine Petit.
The National Rail University of (NRTI), Deemed to be a university under the Ministry of
Transport Institute Birmingham, (England) Railways (MoR). to set up NRTI's 1st Centre of Excellence
(NRTI) in New Delhi for Next Generation Transportation Systems. The MoU
was signed by Mr. Vinod Kumar Yadav, Chairman of the
Railway Board and Chancellor of NRTI and Professor
Clive Roberts, Head of the Birmingham Centre for Railway
Research and Education (BCRRE) at the University of
Birmingham.
Government of India Flipkart For selling the products made by women self-help groups
under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban
Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) on the e-commerce
platform. DAY-NULM consists of 44 lakh women across
the country which aims to make women financially
independent. Government is likely to sign MoU with
Amazon on January 7, 2020, for the same purpose.
OTHER MoUs & AGREEMENTS

Fisheries dept, NABARD & TN govt sign 1st tripartite MoA for fisheries development fund
The Department of fisheries of govt. of India, NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
Development) and the govt. of Tamil Nadu (TN) has signed the 1st tripartite Memorandum of
Agreement (MoA) for implementation of Rs.7522.48 crores Fisheries and Aquaculture Development
Fund (FIDF) to provide finance to entities and individuals for fisheries infrastructure. NABARD,
National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) and all scheduled banks will act as the Nodal
Loaning entities (NLEs). As a part of agreement, initial concessional finance of Rs 420 crore from
NABARD will be availed by the TN govt. Read full details here: Fisheries dept, NABARD & TN govt sign
1st tripartite MoA for fisheries development fund
CSIR's CDRI signs agreement with Cipla to develop drugs

Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI), a premier Research & Development (R&D) Institute under the
aegis of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), has signed an agreement with private
45 | P a g e
multinational pharma company Cipla Ltd for improvement in health services & development of new
and improved drugs.
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

NATIONAL
PERSON APPOINTED ENTITY / KEY NOTES
NAME AS PLACE
Masatsugu 10th President By The Board Asakawa will be assuming office on January 17,
Asakawa of the Asian of Governors of 2020, after the resignation of Takehiko Nakao, the
Development the ADB current President of ADB. Asakawa is the current
Bank (ADB) Special Advisor to Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister (PM)
of Japan and Taro Aso, the Minister of Finance of
Japan.
Soma Roy 24th By Ministry of Before taking charge as the CGA, Soma Burman
Burman Controller Finance, worked as Additional Controller General of Accounts
General of Department of in the office of CGA (Accounting and Finance). Soma
Accounts Expenditure Burman is also the 7th woman to be in that post. She
(CGA) succeeds J. P. S. Chawla.
Rajendran Managing Catholic Syrian Rajendran Chinna Veerappan appointed by the
Chinna Director (MD) Bank (CSB) Board of Directors of CSB bank in the Board meeting
Veerappan and Chief Thrissur, held on 2nd December 2019 for a three year term
Executive Kerala effective from 9th December 2019 to 8th December
Officer (CEO) 2022.
C. Sugandh High Ministry of He is the current Consul General, Consulate General
Rajaram Commissioner External Affairs of India, Munich, Germany. Birender Singh Yadav,
IFS:2001(Indian of India to the IFS: 1997 was the previous High Commissioner of
Foreign Republic of India to the Republic of Ghana.
Service) Ghana
Arnab Goswami president of Journalism Previously he was Editor-in-chief and Managing
governing Director(MD) of Republic TV. The new self-
board News regulatory organization in order to bring in
Broadcasters transparent self-regulation on content will be
Federation announced by the end of January 2020.
(NBF)
V Viswanathan Additional Dhanlaxmi The Board of Directors of Dhanlaxmi Bank, an old
Director Bank private sector bank headquartered in Thrissur City
of Kerala, with effect from December 09, 2019. He
will hold the post up to the date of the next Annual
General Meeting.
Shrikant Chairman of Indian Oil He was selected for the post by government
Madhav Vaidya, IOC Corporation headhunter Public Enterprise Selection Board
Director of (IOC) (PESB). He will replace Sanjiv Singh who is the
Refineries current chairman of IOC. The term of office for the
post is three years.
Manoj Mukund 28th Chief of Army For a period of 3 years. He is currently the Vice Chief
Naravane, Army Staff of the Army Staff and will replace Army Chief General
(COAS) Bipin Rawat who is set to retire on 31st December
46 | P a g e
Lieutenant 2019 after a three-year term. He is a recipient of the

General "Sena Medal", "Vishisht Seva Medal" (VSM) and the
Ati Vishisht Seva Medal" (AVSM).
Ravindra Additional Meghalaya By the President of India. Ravi will act as the
Narayana Ravi, charge as governor in the absence of leave of Tathagata Roy
Governor of Governor of who was the previous Governor of Meghalaya. Ravi
Nagaland Meghalaya was the former intelligence official, specialized in the
Northeast.
Mr Uday Senior Vice Federation of Mr Uday Shankar worked as President of the Walt
Shankar President of Indian Disney Company APAC & Chairman of Star & Disney
FICCI Chambers of India.
Mr Sanjiv Mehta Vice President Commerce and Mr Sanjiv Mehta worked as Chairman and Managing
of FICCI Industry Director (CMD) of Hindustan Unilever Limited
(FICCI) (HUL).
Mr. Harsh Foreign United States The Government of India as appointed the Senior
Vardhan Secretary Diplomat and Indian ambassador to the United
Shringla States, Mr. Harsh Vardhan Shringla as the next
Foreign Secretary. He is the 33rd foreign secretary of
the country. He replaces Vijay Gokhale. Shringla will
take charge after the completion of VIjay Gokhale’s
two-year term on January 29, 2020.
Ajit Anantrao Deputy Chief Maharashtra For the fourth time. Earlier he had sworn-in as
Pawar Minister deputy CM on November 23 along with BJP's
Devendra Fadnavis but had resigned in less than 80
hours. This time as part of the Shiv Sena-NCP-
Congress coalition government in the state.He is the
present MLA from the Baramati constituency of the
Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.A total of 26
cabinet ministers and 10 ministers of state (MoS)
swored in.
Hemant Soren 11th Chief Jharkhand Oath-taking ceremony took place at Morabadi
Minister Ground in Ranchi for the second term. He is
succeeding Mr. Raghubar Das who served for the
period of 28th December 2014 – 29th December
2019. He is the president of the Jharkhand Mukti
Morcha (JMM), a political party in Jharkhand.
Bipin Rawat India’s 1st Defence The CDS is a 4-star single-point military adviser to
Chief of the government’s defence ministry as suggested by
Defence the Kargil Review Committee in 1999 headed by K.
Staff(CDS) Subrahmanyam. According to the existing rules, an
Army Chief has a tenure of 3 years or upto the
retirement age of 62 years, whichever is earlier. Click
here
Rohan Shah, India’s Economic For ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) for a period of 3
practicing Representative years. The ERIA board meets once every 6 months in
counsel at the and Governor Jakarta (Indonesia) & in Japan. Shah, won the Tax
Supreme Court on the board of lawyer of the year 2019 by Legal Era.
(SC) and Economic
various (HC)
47 | P a g e
Research
Institute
INTERNATIONAL
PERSON APPOINTED AS ENTITY / KEY NOTES
NAME PLACE
Prithiviraj Singh President Prithiviraj Roopun was the former Minister of
Roopun Arts and Culture of Mauritius. He preceded
Mauritius Ammenah Gurib-Fakim who resigned in March
Mr. Marie Cyril Vice-President
2018.
Eddy Boissezon
Upender Singh Indian Republic of Costa He succeeded Ravi Thapar.
Rawat Ambassador Rica with a
IFS (Indian residence in
Foreign Service) Panama City
officer
Hage Gottfried President Namibia Third leader since the country freed itself from
Geingob South Africa in 1990, has been named as
President of Namibia for the second term with
56.3% votes.
Sanna Mirella Prime Minister Finland She was transport & communications minister
Marin (PM) of Finland became the world’s youngest
serving Prime Minister (PM) at the age of 34.
which is the largest 5-member coalition party
of Finland. Sanna is also the 3rd female govt.
leader of Finland. She replaced Antti Juhani
Rinne, who resigned from the post.
Abdelmadjid President Algeria By succeeding Abdelkader Bensalah. Tebboune
Tebboune, served as the PM from May 2017 to August
former Prime 2017, under the governance of President
Minister (PM) Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
Mallika Board members Global board of The appointment is to take immediate effect as
Srinivasan, of the United the US Chamber of she joins a prestigious list of Chief Executive
Chairman of States (US)- India Commerce. Officers (CEO) and executives on the USIBC 35-
Tractors and Business Council member board.
Farm (USIBC),
Equipment
Limited (TAFE)
Sethuraman Director of the America Chosen by The United States (US) President
Panchanathan, National Science Donald Trump, He will succeed France Anne-
Indian- Foundation (NSF) Dominic Cordova, who retires in 2020 after
American completing her 6-year term as director of the
computer institution. He is currently serving as the
scientist Executive Vice President and Chief Research
and Innovation Officer at Arizona State
University (ASU).
Dr Monisha 1st woman Chief US government’s She will take charge on January 13, 2020. She
Ghosh, Indian- Technology powerful Federal replaces Dr Eric Burger. Dr Ghosh will advise
American Officer (CTO) Indian-American Chairman of the FCC Ajit Pai
48 | P a g e
Communications and the agency on technology and engineering

Commission (FCC) issues. She will also work with the Office of
Engineering and Technology.
Manuel Marrero First PM Cuba since 1976 He has been the Tourism Minister of Cuba for
Cruz the last 16 years. He was appointed by the
Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel. Fidel
Castro (Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz) was the
Prime Minister from 1959 to 1976, when a new
constitution changed his title to President and
the post of the PM was eliminated.
Niranjan President Assocham’s Replacing Welspun Group Chairman
Hiranandani, (Associated Balkrishan Goenka. Assocham has celebrated
Managing Chambers of its centenary meet in New Delhi recently. PM
Director of Commerce and Modi was the chief guest for the event and
Hiranandani Industry of India) spoke about the economic challenges and the
Groups preparations to achieve the target of $5 trillion
economy.
Abdelaziz Prime Algeria Announced by Algeria’s President Abdelmadjid
Djerad Minister (PM) Tebboune. He is a university professor and
former diplomat, served under former
President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who was
ousted in April 2019. Djerad succeeds
Noureddine Bedouia as the new PM. After
Noureddine Bedoui, Sabri Boukadoum served
as the interim PM for few days (around 10
days) until Djerad’s appointment.
RESIGNATIONS
PERSON NAME RESIGNED AS ENTITY / PLACE
Abdul Mahdi Iraq's Prime Prime Minister (PM) He has taken this decision after more than 40
Minister people were killed by security forces in
Baghdad and Iraq's mainly Shia southern
cities of Nasiriya and Najaf in anti-government
protests.
Antii Rinne Prime Minister (PM) Finland. after losing support from the
coalition partner. He handed his resignation to
Sauli Vainamo Niinisto, President of Finland.
Rghubar Das Chief minister (CM) of Submitted his resignation to governor
Jharkhand Draupadi Murmu at Raj Bhavan in Ranchi
after being ousted from power due to the
Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) election defeat.
On the other hand, Hemant Soren, the working
president of the JMM (Jharkhand Mukti
Morcha) is set to take oath as 11th CM of
Jharkhand on 29th December 2019.
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BRAND & CAMPAIGN AMBASSADORS

PERSON NAME BRAND / KEY NOTES
CAMPAIGN
Shri Hari Mohan Chairman of Ordnance He succeeds Shri Saurabh Kumar who has
Factory Board (OFB) superannuated from the services.
Sundar Pichai CEO of Alphabet Current CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of Google has been
made the CEO of Alphabet, the parent organization of
Google, followed by the resignation of Larry Page and
Sergey Brin, CEO and President of Alphabet and the
founders of Google.
Girish Chandra Chairman India’s leading stock exchange the National Stock
Chaturvedi Exchange(NSE) has appointed public interest Director
Girish Chandra Chaturvedi as its new chairman. The
appointment was done after the market regulator
Securities and Exchange Board of India’s (SEBI)
approval.
Suniel Shetty, Brand Ambassador of The appointment took place in the presence of Kiren
Bollywood actor National Anti-Doping Rijiju, Minister of State (MoS) for Youth Affairs and
Agency (NADA) Sports.
Salman Khan, Brand Ambassador To Food and beverage company PepsiCo. For its flagship
Bollywood actor Pepsi brand of carbonated beverage in India. The
commercial will be launched in 2020 and will take up the
“SWAG" themed campaign which was launched in the
summer of 2019.
Sunil Chhetri, football Brand Ambassador To PUMA, a German multinational company. For 3 years.
team captain Bengaluru FC captain Chhetri is the highest international
goalscorer in current football after Portugal's Cristiano
Ronaldo.
Rohit Gurunath Indian brand To La Liga. A professional football division of the Spanish
Sharma, Indian Ambassador football league system for men. He is also the first ever
International Cricketer non-footballer to be in that position. He is also the
official Rhino Ambassador for World Wildlife Fund
(WWF)- India and a member of People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals (PETA).
Sridhar Patra Additional charge of The Ministry of Mines (Minister: Pralhad Joshi) has
Chief Managing named Sridhar Patra to assume charge of CMD, w.e.f.
Director (CMD) of the December 1, 2019. Currently he is serving as the
National Aluminium Director of Finance in NALCO. Sridhar Patra succeeded
Company Ltd Shri Tapan Kumar Chand.
(NALCO)
Cyrus Mistry, Former Executive Chairman of Who was ousted from his position citing
Tata group Chairman Tata Group nonperformance in work. He was then replaced by
Natarajan Chandrasekaran. NCLAT has now held
Natarajan Chandrasekaran appointment as illegal after
Mistry’s restoration.
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Devesh Srivastava Chairman and He succeeded Alice G. Vaidyan, first lady CMD of GIC Re.
Managing Director Priorly, Devesh was managing the departments of
(MD), General human resource and training, ReInsurance Worldwide
Insurance (RIWW), corporate communications, CMD’s Secretariat
Corporation of India and innovation centre
(GIC Re)
PR Ravi Mohan Chairman of ESAF Replacing R Prabha, whose tenure as chairman has
Small Finance Bank ended. ESAF Stands for Evangelical Social Action Forum.
(SFB) Ravi previously worked as chief general manager
Department of Banking Operations and Development
(DBoD) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
OTHER APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Dennis Muilenburg, CEO of Boeing steps down; David Calhoun succeeds
Dennis Muilenburg, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of American Aerospace firm, Boeing has stepped
down after MAX 737 crashes. He will be succeeded by its Chairman David L. Calhoun. But, he will not
take charge as CEO until January 13, 2020.Untill he joins, Boeing’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Greg
Smith will serve as interim CEO.
Harjeet Kaur appointed as 13th & 1st-ever woman CMD of SCI; Govt to sell 63.75% stake in SCI
Harjeet Kaur Joshi has been appointed as the full-time Chairperson and Managing Director (CMD) of
privatization-bound Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) till her superannuation on May 31, 2022 or
until further orders. With this appointment, she became the 13th CMD and also the 1st ever woman
CMD of SCI. Joshi has replaced Capt. Anoop Kumar Sharma. Meanwhile, the government has also
decided to sell its 63.75% stake in SCI, to a private strategic buyer and the stake sale is in process.
ITBP chief SS Deswal given additional charge of CRPF DG as RR Bhatnagar retired

ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police) Director General (DG) Surjeet Singh Deswal has been given
“additional” charge to head India’s as well as the World's largest paramilitary force, the CRPF (Central
Reserve Police Force) as notified by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA). The additional charge has
been given immediately after CRPF’s DG, Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar’s retirement.
SPG Director, IPS Arun Kumar Sinha gets 1-year tenure extension
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), Government of India (GoI), has approved the
extension in the deputation tenure of Special Protection Group (SPG) director, Arun Kumar Sinha. His
term of deputation ended on 19 March 2020,which has been increased to 30 July 2021. He has been
serving as the chief of the SPG since March 2016.His deputation was extended for 2- years previously in
the year 2018.
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AWARDS
AWARDS IN THE FIELD OF LITERATURE & ACADEMICS
NAME OF AWARD FIELD KEY NOTES
AWARD WINNER
Sahitya Akademi Shashi Tharoor Novel Won the award for his book “An Era of Darkness:
Awards 2019 The British Empire in India”. The book was 1st
published in 2016.Sahitya Akademi announced
its annual Sahitya Akademi Awards in 23
languages for the year 2019. Click here
9th Edition of DSC Amitabha Bagchi Literature For his book “Half The Night Is Gone”. The award
Prize for South ceremony was held in the 8th edition of IME
Asian Literature (International Money Express) Nepal Literature
2019 Festival 2019 held in Pokhara, Nepal. The award
was presented by Pradeep Gyawali, Minister for
Foreign Affairs, Nepal and Surina Narula, co-
founder of the DSC Prize. Click here
National Florence 36 Awardees, Enthusiasm, Ram Nath Kovind President of India bestowed 36
Nightingale One of the compassion awardees with the National Florence Nightingale
Awards 2019 awardee Late in health Awards 2019. The award was given to Late Lini
Lini Sajeesh centres Sajeesh from Kozhikode, Kerala, who died while
on duty caring for a Nipah (NiV) virus infected
patient in Kerala. The award was received by her
spouse Sajeesh. Click here
12th ‘Shakti Bhatt Tony joseph, Novelist For his 2018 book, ‘Early Indians: The Story of
First Book Prize Indian Journalist- Our Ancestors and Where We Came
2019’ Author From’ published by Juggernaut Books. Authors
Prayaag Akbar and Sonia Faleiro was the jury for
the prize.
Akashdeep Bhalchandra literary Noted Marathi writer Bhalchandra Vanaji
Sanman award Vanaji Nemade Nemade, and Hindi writer Gynanranjan were
conferred with Akashdeep Sanman awards, the
highest literary award for their lifetime
contribution, by noted lyricist-filmmaker Gulzar
(Sampooran Singh Kalra) during an event in YB
Chavan Centre, Mumbai in Maharashtra.
VATAVARAN - Documentari Shri Ravi Agrawal, Additional Secretary
2019 Short Film es and Films of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate
Competition and Change (MoEF&CC) has presented the 1st
Festival awards ever MoEF&CC and Centre for Media Studies
(CMS) VATAVARAN - 2019 Short Film
Competition and Festival awards on
- Environment to several school students and
professionals.
Diwali - Power of 4 diplomats Secure and At the United Nations(UN) Headquarters in New
One award 2019 Peace York, United States (US) in recognition and
celebration of their work, especially at the
52 | P a g e
United Nations(UN), for a secure and peaceful

world.
Click here
1st Siu-Ka-Pha Padmeswar Botany and Organized by the Central Committee of Different
award 2019 Gogoi, Science Ethnic Groups and the organizations of the
educationist Golaghat district at the Siu-Ka-Pha Samannay
Kshetra in Golaghat, Assam. The award was
presented by Dhiren Hazarika, Deputy
Commissioner (DC) of Golaghat, and includes a
citation, a memento, a cheleng chador and cash
prize of Rs. 10,000.
Youngest TIME’s Greta Thunberg, Environment She began a global movement in August 2018
Person of the Year Stockholm, creating a campaign outside the Parliament of
2019 Sweden. Sweden called ‘Fridays for Future’, a global
student movement pushing the government to
take immediate action on climate change, by her
active involvement she became the most
compelling voice on the significant issue of
Global Warming faced by today’s world.
Other 4 Awardees: Click here
Wharton-QS Stars Rahul Adhikari, Education International Changemaker Olympiad (ICO), an
Reimagine Gold-Medalist annual international competition program
Education Award from (IIT-R) founded by Rahul Adhikari. This Award
2019 popularly known as the "Oscars" of education
under “Sustainability" category at the 2019
Reimagine Education Conference & Awards
ceremony held in London, UK (United Kingdom).
Gangadhar Vishwanath Hindi Poet To be honoured with the Gangadhar National
National Award Prasad Tiwari Award, during the 53rd Foundation Day
celebration of Sambalpur University, Odisha.
Viswanath was the former President of the
Sahitya Akademi between 2013-2014 and was
born in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh (UP). The
award includes a cash prize of Rs.50,000, a shawl
and citation.
India Cyber Cop of B.P Raju, Dy. SP Education Award given by NASSCOM (National Association
the Year 2019 (Deputy of Software and Services Companies)-DSCI (Data
superintendent ), Security Council of India) in the Annual
CBI Information Security Summit (AISS) held at
Gurugram. He received the award for cracking a
fraud case in an online entrance exam conducted
by an engineering college in Rajasthan.
AWARDS IN THE FIELD OF SOCIAL SERVICE, SCIENCE & BRAVERY

NAME OF AWARD FIELD KEY NOTES
AWARD WINNER
National award Uttar Pradesh Excellence for Awards presented by Muppavarapu Venkaiah
(UP) Rehabilitation of Naidu Vice President of India. On behalf of the
Persons with Union Ministry of Social Justice and
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Disabilities Empowerment. The award was received by

(PwDs, Mahesh Kumar Gupta, additional Chief
Divyangjan) Secretary of UP on behalf of the State
Government.
15th Mother 12 Member Social Justice Harmony Foundation has presented MTMA.
Teresa Memorial awardees To noble reformists at the MTMA ceremony
Award (MTMA) held with the theme ‘Combating
Contemporary Forms of Slavery’ at the Taj
Lands End, Mumbai, Maharashtra. click here
NOTTO (National Tamil Nadu, Organ Donation Tamil Nadu (TN) was bestowed with Best
Organ and Tissue Gujarat and State award in cadaveric organ donation for
Transplant Madhya Pradesh the fifth time, Gujarat won three awards for
Organization) the Best SOTTO, Madhya Pradesh (MP) won
award 2019 the Best SOTTO award. Organized by NOTTO
of Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry
(MoHFW) headed by Harsh Vardhan, Union
Minister for Health and Family Welfare at
Vigyan Bhavan. Click here
Right Livelihood 4 Member Social Activities The Award is also called ‘Alternative Nobel
Award 2019 Awardees: Prize’. The award ceremony took place in
1. Davi Stockholm, Sweden at the end of a Final event
Kopenawa of ten day-long programs held in Germany,
2. Greta Switzerland and Sweden. The Right Livelihood
Thunberg Award is awarded to honour people who have
3. Guo Jianmei answered the urgent challenges faced by
4. Aminatou today’s world.
Haidar
26th Annual 4 Awardees: Social Activities World Economic Forum’s (WEF). To celebrate
Crystal Awards 1. Deepika the enduring contributions of exceptional
2020 Padukone, India artists to the society. The winners will be
2. Theaster honoured in the World Economic Forum at its
Gates, (US) 50th Annual Meeting 2020 to be held on 20th
3. Jin Xing, China January in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland.
4. Lynette
Wallworth,
Australia
Bharat award Aditya K. of Bravery First child from the State to receive the
2019 Ramanattukara, highest honour award for bravery, the Bharat
Kozhikode, award. He was awarded for saving 20 people
Kerala from a burning bus on the move. The awards
will be presented by Prime Minister Shri
Narendra Modi at the Republic Day event in
New Delhi on January 26,2020.
Army Design Major Anoop Indigenously Award was given by Indian Army Chief
Bureau Mishra developing the General Bipin Rawat, The award was
Excellence Award bullet-proof presented during the Army Technology
2019 jacket Seminar (ARTECH) that held in New Delhi
named ‘Sarvatra with the theme ‘Technologies for Non –
Kawach’ Contact Warfare’.
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Life Achievement Dr Santosh An Indian ophthalmologist from Pune

Honor Award Gajanan (Maharashtra) & director of the Department
2019 Honavar of Ocular Oncology and Oculoplasty at Centre
for Sight, Hyderabad, Telangana, has become
- the 1st Indian Ophthalmologist (doctor who
specializes in eye and vision care) to won the
Life Achievement Honor Award 2019, the
highest award of the American Academy of
Ophthalmology (AAO) conferred to its
members.
50th Dadasaheb Amitabh Film industry Award given by President Ram Nath Kovind in
Phalke Award Bachchan Delhi, for his outstanding contribution to the
2018 received film industry. He failed to receive the award at
the 66th National Awards ceremony held on
23rd December at Vigyan Bhawan in New
Delhi due to serious illness.
AWARDS IN THE FIELD OF ARTS & CULTURE FILMS

NAME OF AWARD AWARD FIELD KEY NOTES
WINNER
Person of the Year 2019 Joaquin Rafael PETA (People American actor from California, United States
Phoenix for the Ethical (US) has been bestowed with the PETA.
Treatment of Joaquin Phoenix has been a vegan since the
Animals) age of three and has been a supporter of PETA
for a long time.
Economic Times (ET) Arun Jaitley Public Service The award was received by Arun Jaitley’s
Lifetime Achievement former Finance spouse Sangeeta Jaitley.
award 2019 Minister of
India
IMDb (Internet Movies Priyanka Celebrity TOP 3 INDIAN CELEBRITIES:
Database) 2019 Chopra Jonas 1. Priyanka Chopra Jonas
2. Disha Patani
3. Hrithik Roshan
Festival International Priyanka Celebrity Held in Jemaa el Fna square, Marrakesh,
Du Film De Marrakech Chopra Jonas Morocco for completing 20 years in Cinema.
(FIFM) 2019 She has also received the Danny Kaye
Humanitarian Award at the UNICEF (United
Nations International Children's Emergency
Fund) Snowflake Ball in December 2019.
Miss Universe 2019 Zozibini Tunzi, The award was given by Catriona Gray, Miss
South Africa Universe 2018 during the 68th edition of the
Miss Universe Pageant held in Atlanta,
- Georgia. The two runners-up were Miss
Mexico (Ashley Alvidrez) and Miss Puerto Rico
(Madison Anderson).
Suvarna Chakoram “They Say Film Industry Kerala State Chalachitra Academy (KSCA), an a
award 2019 (Golden Nothing Stays Kerala Government Institution to promote
Crow Pheasant) the Same”, cinema has organized the 24th International
Japanese film Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) 2019 in
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Nishagandhi Auditorium,
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) from December
6- 13, 2019. Chief Minister (CM) Pinarayi
Vijayan presented awards during the event.
Click here
Miss World 2019 Toni-Ann At 69th Miss World competition 2019 held at
Singh,Jamaica the ExCeL London international centre in
London, United Kingdom(UK). She was
crowned Miss World title by Miss World 2018-
Vanessa Ponce of Mexico. Miss France, Ophely
- Mezino was the first runner-up, while Miss
India 2019, Suman Ratan Singh Rao, who hails
from Rajasthan, finished 3rd in the contest.
66th National film Awards were Film Industry The Vice President Venkaiah Naidu presented
awards for 2018 given to 31 the 66th National film awards for 2018 at
categories Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. The awards
were announced by jury heads Rahul Rawail,
AS Kanal and Utpal Bhorpujari. This year, a
total of 419 films competed for the awards.
Click here
Harivarasanam Award Ilaiyaraja (born Music The award has been instituted by the
2019 as Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) of the
Gnanathesikan), govt. since 2012 and comprises of a cash prize
Musician and of Rs 1 lakh, a citation, and a plaque. It is given
Composer to persons who have contributed to
secularism and universal brotherhood through
music. Ilaiyaraja will be conferred with the
award on January 9, 2020, at a function at
Sabarimala Sannidhanam (main temple) in
Kerala.
Lokmanya Tilak Sanjay Gupta, Journalism The award was instituted by the Kesari-
National Journalism Editor-in-chief Maratha Trust and it will be conferred to
Award of 'Jagran' Gupta on 4th January 2020 during the 139th
foundation ceremony of 'kesari' newspaper
started by Lokmanya Tilak.
AWARDS FOR STATES, COUNTRY, BANKS & ORGANIZATIONS

WINNER
26th World Travel Abu Dhabi, World’s Leading Held in Muscat, Oman. Abu Dhabi has been
Awards (WTA) 2019 UAE (United Sports Tourism selected for the award for the 7th time in a
Arab Destination row.
Emirates)
World Habitat Award Odisha Jaga Mission A slum land project executed for the benefit of
2019 also called millions of urban-poor people living in slums.
Odisha Liveable The award was given by the World Habitat, a
Habitat Mission UK (United Kingdom) based organization, in
(OLHM) association with the United Nations (UN)-
Habitat, which gives the award annually to
56 | P a g e
recognize innovative housing projects around

the world.
Copernicus Masters Application Social The Gurugram- based startup, Blue Sky
Award also called ‘Zuri’ Entrepreneur Analytics, has created an application called
Space Oscars 2019 ‘Zuri’. The award was given by the Earth
observation program managed by the
European Commission (EU) in partnership
with the European Space Agency (ESA). The
aim of the app to use crop waste as raw
materials in other industries.
Maharashtra Rajya Shireen Dalvi Social Activities Special Prize given by the Maharashtra State
Sahitya Akademi (Shirin Dalvi) Urdu Sahitya Akademi namely “Maharashtra
Award 2019 Urdu Rajya Sahitya Akademi Award” to protest
Journalist, against the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB).
Mumbai The Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019,
amends the Citizenship Act of 1995 to provide
Indian citizenship to illegal migrants who
entered India on or before 31st December
2014. But it has no mention of the Muslim
community.
Best Performing Award Andhra Bank Rural Self Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers
2018-19 Employment Welfare, Rural Development and Panchayati
Training Raj Narendra Singh Tomar, presented the Best
Institutes Performing Award for Rural Self Employment
(RSETI) Training Institutes (RSETI) (2nd rank) to
Andhra Bank for the financial year 2018-
19.The Award was received by Executive
Director of Andhra Bank, Kul Bhushan Jain. A
RSETIs sponsored by Andhra Bank which is
situated at Rajam in Srikakulam District,
Andhra Pradesh also received Best
performing RSETI award.
AWARDS IN THE FIELD OF SPORTS

WINNER
Golden Target Award 3 Member Sports Received the Golden Target Award from
Awardees: (Shooter) International Shooting Sport Federation
1. Divyansh, (ISSF) at its headquarters in Munich,
Rajasthan Germany.
2. Elavenil
Valarivan, Tamil
Nadu
3. Saurabh
Chaudhary, Uttar
Pradesh
Sports Person of the 2 Awardees: Sports Odisha’s Sports Minister Tusharkanti Behera
Year 2019 1. Rani Rampal, and Sports Secretary Vishal Kumar Dev
Indian women's presented the awards to the winners at the
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hockey team ceremony. Were honored with the 'Sports

captain. Person of the Year 2019' award at the FICCI
2. Saurabh (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce
Chaudhary, Asian and Industry) India Sports Awards-2019 held
Games gold at FICCI Federation House in New Delhi.
medalist shooter
WTA (Women's Tennis Ashleigh Barty, Sports She became the first Australian to be named
Association) Player of Australia WTA No.1 since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in
the year Awards 2019 1976. She has recorded 57 matches, the most
matches won in the 2019 tour, and won 4
titles from 6 finals.
Other 5 Awardees: Click here
BBC's (British Benjamin Andrew Sports He also became the 5th cricketer to bag the
Broadcasting Stokes (Ben coveted trophy and the first England cricketer
Corporation) Sports Stokes), English after Andrew Flintoff(Cricketer) who won in
Personality of the Year cricket player 2005. Ben Stokes was awarded for his key
2019 role in England's win in the 2019 cricket
World Cup which was held in England and
Wales in the United Kingdom(UK). Click here
ICC awards 2019 Smriti Mandana Sports It is a set of sports awards for cricket
recognising and honoring the best
international cricket players of the previous
12 months. Indian women’s cricket player
Smriti Mandana was named in both ICC
women’s ODI (One Day International) and T20
(twenty twenty) teams of the year. Other
Awards Click here
Junior Freestyle Deepak Punia, Sports By United World Wrestling (UWW). Punia is
Wrestler of the Year World the first Indian wrestler in 18 years to win a
2019 Championships junior world title at the Junior World
silver medallist Championships held in Tallinn, Estonia in
August 2019. Other awards Click here
CK Nayudu Lifetime Krishnamachari Sports Former Indian cricket team captain and
Award for the year Srikkanth member of the 1983 World Cup-winning team
2019 & former Indian women’s Cricket team
captain Anjum Chopra (42) will be the
recipient of prestigious Board of Control for
Cricket in India (BCCI)’s CK Nayudu Lifetime
Award for the year 2019. The award will be
presented on January 12 during the BCCI
Annual Award function in Mumbai,
Maharashtra.
AWARDS IN CONTENT FORMAT

2000 years old famous Thai massage included in UNESCO heritage list
Thailand's famous 2000-year-old massage, Nuad Thai was added to UNESCO's (United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) prestigious heritage list. Nuad Thai is an intense form
of massage in which the body is pulled and rotated well with the help of the thumb, elbow, knees and
58 | P a g e
feet. This massage targets many acupuncture points of the body, which improves blood circulation. It
also aims to cure muscle pain.
2019 World Habitat Awards for project that secured land for indigenous people in Karnataka
Restoration of Dignity and Human Rights of Indigenous Tribal Community in Karnataka project was
bestowed with a gold prize in the 2019 World Habitat Award. The project started in the year 2000 and
is executed by ActionAid India with Koraga Federation and Samagra Grameena Ashrama. The award
was given by the World Habitat, a UK (United Kingdom) based organization, in association with the
United Nations (UN)-Habitat.
Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad presented Rashtriya Swayamsiddh Samman 2019 by JSPL
Foundation in New Delhi
The JSPL Foundation, the CSR (Corporate social responsibility) arm of Jindal Steel & Power Ltd. has
conferred Rashtriya Swayamsiddh Samman 2019 to recognize and honour social innovators and
Change Agents in India. The awards were presented by Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister of Law & Justice
and Electronics and Information Technology upon 17 individuals and 10 organisations at a function
held in New Delhi. Rashtriya Swayamsiddh Jeevan Samman for lifetime achievement was conferred
upon Seturam Gopalrao Neginhal (SG Neginhal), a pioneer of urban forestry.
Urdu author Mujtaba Hussain to return Padma Shri award

The 86-year-old Urdu author Mujtaba Hussain from Hyderabad, Telangana had said he will return his
Padma Shri award to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). He stated due to the
current situation in the country, he did not want to keep the award anymore. The Government of India
awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of Padma Shri 2007, for his contributions to Urdu
literature.
Rafael Nadal, Ashleigh Barty named ITF World Champions for 2019
International Tennis Federation (ITF) honoured eleven players in its annual awards 2019 including
Singles, Doubles, Wheelchair, and Juniors. The ITF has announced that Rafael Nadal of Spain and
Ashleigh Barty of Australia have been named 2019 ITF World Champions in Singles. This award’s will
be given at the 2020 ITF world champions Dinner on Tuesday 2nd June, in Paris.
Archaeologist R. Nagaswamy was honoured at the Silver Jubilee International Conference of

Art in Dhaka
Archaeologist R. Nagaswamy was honoured at the Silver Jubilee International Conference of Art in
Dhaka by Bangladesh culture minister K.M.Khalid for his contribution to art, archaeology, history and
culture. In 2018 he was awarded India’s third highest civilian award Padma Bhushan.
Telangana’s Kamareddy district was awarded by UNICEF for effective implementation of

Swachh Bharat Mission 2019
United Nations International Children's and Education Fund (UNICEF) has awarded the Kamareddy
district of Telangana for effective implementation of Swachh Bharat Mission in water sanitation and
hygiene sectors for the year 2019. This award was given under the categories like the construction of
individual sanitary lavatories, swachh darpan wall paintings, swachh survekshan, swachh sundar
shouchalay and other activities.
UN declares Pakistani activist Malala yousafzai as the most famous teenager of the decade
Malala Yousafzai (also known as Malala), a Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest
Nobel Peace Prize (2014) laureate, was named as "the most famous teenager in the world" by the
United Nations (UN) in its 'Decade in Review' report. The report covers a decade of major events
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happened between 2010 and the end of 2013. Teen Vogue, a former US print magazine, has also chosen
Malala as its cover person for its last issue of the decade.
SUMMITS, EVENTS & CONFERENCE

SUMMITS
NAME OF SUMMIT VENUE KEY NOTES
4th India Water Impact Vigyan Bhawan, The Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri Gajendra Singh
Summit 2019 New Delhi Shekhawat has addressed the Summit 2019 with the
theme “Valuing Water | Transforming Ganga”. On this
occasion, Shekhawat also released the report on River
Restoration and Conservation – A Concise Manual and
Guide, and Documents on “cGanga Hubs”.
NATO Summit 2019 London It was attended by NATO leaders and chaired by NATO
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. The United Kingdom
(UK) hosted two day long 2019 NATO (North Atlantic
Treaty Organization) Summit in London from December 3-
4, 2019. The purpose of the summit was to make the heads
of state and heads of government of NATO member
countries to evaluate and provide strategic direction for
Alliance activities.
2nd Startup India Global Goa Organised by the Department for Promotion of Industry
Venture Capital Summit and Internal Trade (DPIIT), in partnership with Govt of
2019 Goa, from December 6-7, 2019. The summit was organised
for fund managers and limited partners of top global
venture capital firms. The theme for the 2019 summit was
“India Opportunity – Investing in tomorrow together”.
Click here
9th Global Sports Summit FICCI Federation FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and
'TURF 2019' & India house, New Delhi Industry), an association of business organizations in
sports awards 2019 India, in collaboration with FIT India & Ministry of Youth
Affairs and Sports has organized the 9th Summit. The
partner state was Odisha. Minister of State (Independent
Charge) of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Kiran
Rijiju was the chief guest of the event.
17th India-EU (European Brussels, Belgium The President of European Council Charles Michel invited
Union) summit 2019 Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to attend
summit, It is aimed at expanding strategic partnerships
with Europe. The summit will focus on areas such as
Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA),
Europol, counter-terrorism, Euroatom, climate change, etc.
It is to be noted that on 1 December 2019 Ursula Gertrud
von der Leyen officially appointed as EU's first female
President.
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EVENTS
NAME OF EVENTS VENUE KEY NOTES
33rd International Book Guadalajara, Mexico Minister of State(MoS) for Human Resource and
Fair 2019 Development(HRD) Shri Sanjay Dhotre inaugurated the
India Pavilion at the 33rd International Book Fair 2019,
India is the “guest of honour” for the 2019 book fair and
is also the first Asia country to have received this
honour. In Mexico, this book fair called “Feria
Internacional del Libro de Guadalajara”. Theme of India
Pavilion at the fair: Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy “Let
Our Lives Be Open Books”
1st Ever Human Library Mysore Institute of A concept that seeked to replace books with humans.
Chapter 2, 2019 Commerce and Arts The aim of the human library was to create a safe
(MICA), Mysuru. framework for conversation by using a library analogy
of lending people rather than books.
“DefExpo 2020” 11th Lucknow, The webinars (web seminars) will focus on topics
Biennial flagship event Uttar Pradesh(UP) related to defence, aerospace and security industry,
academia and student fraternity. The seminars will be
conducted by the Secretary of the Department of
Defence(DoD) R&D (Research & Development) and
Defence Research and Development Organisation
(DRDO) Chairman Dr G Satheesh Reddy; Shri Baba
Kalyani, Founder & President of Synergia Foundation
and other officials. The theme of the DefExpo 2020 is
‘India – The Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub’ and
‘Digital Transformation of Defence’.
6th Indian Ocean Hosted by The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). It was
Dialogue for the 1st time these two Track 1.5 dialogue were held
consecutively and on similar Indo-Pacific themes.
Indian Ocean Dialogue Theme: The 2019 theme for 6th
11th Edition of the Delhi New Delhi Indian Ocean Dialogue was “Indo-Pacific: Re-imagining
dialogue (or) Delhi the Indian Ocean through an Expanded Geography”.
Dialogue XI Delhi Dialogue Theme: The 2019 theme for the 11th
Delhi Dialogue was "Advancing Partnership in Indo-
Pacific”. Click here
3 day International National Agricultural On Climate Smart Farming Systems’ for BIMSTEC (Bay
Seminar Science Centre (NASM) of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and
complex, New Delhi Economic Cooperation) countries. The seminar is
organized as a Government of India initiative which was
earlier announced by Narendra Modi, Prime Minister
(PM) of India at the 4th BIMSTEC summit held in
Kathmandu between 30-31st August, 2019. Click here
95th Popular classical Gwalior, Madhya This Music festival with Harikatha and Milad. The
music festival ‘Tansen Pradesh(MP) festival is an annual celebration (started in 1924) in
Samaroh 2019’ memory of Mian Tansen, a prominent 16-century Indian
classical music composer, musician, and vocalist. The
event was jointly hosted by Ustad Alauddin Khan Kala
Evam Sangeet Academy and the Department Of Culture,
Government of Madhya Pradesh.
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Steeling India- 2019: New Delhi Organized by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
Driving metal intensity Which was attended by Dharmendra Pradhan, Union
in key sectors Minister for Steel and Petroleum & Natural Gas. Its aims
was to expand the economic activity in the
implementation of government schemes and to promote
drive steel usage in rural areas. There was also a
discussion about “ISAPTI IRADA” Click here
2nd session of the 2+2 Washington DC, US Dialogue between India & the United States (US), The
Ministerial Dialogue meeting was hosted by the Department of State at Foggy
Bottom headquarters in Washington DC. The focus of
the meeting was on deepening bilateral strategic and
defence cooperation. Union Minister of Defence (MoD)
Shri Rajnath Singh and Minister of External
Affairs(MEA) Shri Subrahmanyam Jaishankar led the
Indian delegation. Click here
1st ever Global Refugee Geneva, Switzerland The forum was co-hosted by United Nations Refugee
Forum Agency (UNHCR) and co-convened (brought together)
by Turkey, Germany, Ethiopia and Costa Rica. The forum
provided an opportunity to people to strengthen the
international response against war, conflict and
persecution that displaced people and left them with
refugee status. Click here
27th National Children’s Mar Ivanios College in The Vice President of India, Shri Muppavarapu Venkaiah
Science Congress Thiruvananthapuram, Naidu has attended Congress, the theme “Science,
(NCSC) 2019 Kerala Technology and Innovation for a clean, green and
healthy nation”. The Chief Minister (CM) of Kerala,
Pinarayi Vijayan has inaugurated the congress,which
was Jointly organized by Kerala state council for science,
technology and environment (KSCSTE) and Department
of Science and Technology, government of India(GoI).
5th Round of India-Japan Tokyo, Japan During this dialogue, India and Japan agreed to deepen
Maritime Affairs their maritime cooperation. Apart from the dialogue, the
Dialogue 8th Round of India-Japan bilateral consultations on
disarmament, non-proliferation and export control was
also held in Tokyo. The Indian delegation was led
by Indra Mani Pandey, Additional Secretary in
Disarmament and International Security Affairs under
the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
CONFERENCE
NAME OF CONFERENCE VENUE KEY NOTES
Ek Bharat Shreshta Bharat Jammu Dr Jitendra Singh, the Minister of State (MoS) for
Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, has
inaugurated the 2-day Regional Conference on ‘Ek
Bharat Shreshta Bharat’. Focus on ‘Jal Shakti and
Disaster Management’, organized by the Department of
Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG)
in association with Governments of Tamil Nadu and
Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir
62 | P a g e
2nd Annual India-Bhutan New Delhi The Indian delegation was led by secretary of Ministry
Development Cooperation of External Affairs (MEA) T. S Tirumurti. The delegation
Talks from Bhutan side was led by Mr. Kinga Singye, Foreign
Secretary of Bhutan. Mrs. Ruchira Kamboj, Indian
ambassador to the Royal Kingdom of Bhutan was also
present during the talks. It was conducted to boost
cooperation between both the nations in areas that
need development and also to review India's
development partnership with Bhutan. it was also
decided next Development Cooperation Talks for the
year 2020 in Thimphu, Bhutan.
Pacific Air Force Chiefs American military Representing India, Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar
Conference (PACS-2019) base Pearl Singh Bhadauria participated in the conference. Air
Harbour in chiefs of the Air forces of various countries participated
Hawaii, United in the conference. Theme of the conference:
States(US) 'Collaborative approach towards Regional Security'.
20th GeoSmart India Hyderabad, Held from December 3-5, 2019. It was the largest
conference 2019 Telangana geospatial event of India with the aim of bringing the
geospatial and emerging technologies together. The
theme of the 2019 conference was “Ignite – Innovate –
Integrate”. The National Mission for Clean Ganga
(NMCG) was conferred with 'Leadership in
Rejuvenation and Protection of Fresh Water Systems in
India' award during the conference.
Transforming Education Novotel hotel, A 3-day Conference from December 10-12 was jointly
Conference for Humanity Visakhapatnam, organized by United Nations Educational, Scientific and
(TECH) 2019 Andhra Pradesh Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Mahatma Gandhi
(AP) Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable
Development (MGIEP), in partnership with the State
Government of Andhra Pradesh and the Ministry of
Human Resources Development, Government of
India(GoI).
FICCI ARISE Conference Dr. Ambedkar Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has
2019 International inaugurated the 2-day Conference. Theme of the
center, New Delhi Conference ‘Future Ready Learners and Schools’. It was
organized by Federation of Indian Chambers of
Commerce and Industry (FICCI) with the aim to
collaborate the views from key stakeholders on
achieving India’s vision of becoming a knowledge and
human resource hub.
36th International Geological New Delhi On the first week of March 2020 (2-8 March 2020). The
Congress (IGC) theme of the conference is ‘Geosciences: The Basic
Science for Sustainable Development’. The 2020 IGC is
financed by the Ministry of Mines (MoM) and Ministry
of Earth Sciences (MoES) with the scientific support of
the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) and the
National Science Academies of Bangladesh, Pakistan,
Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The Geological Survey of India
(GSI) is the nodal agency of the event.
63 | P a g e
25th United Nations(UN) Madrid, India ranked 9th among countries in CCPI with higher
Climate Change Conference Spain climate performance. India reduced emission intensity
of its GDP by 21%.
Infosys, 1st Indian corporate to be awarded UN award
in 'climate neutral now' category.
73 Countries joined Climate Ambition Alliance at
COP25. Click here
92nd Annual Convention New Delhi The Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas
(FICCI) and Steel, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan addressed the
92nd convention. The theme for the year 2019 was
“India: Roadmap to a $5 trillion economy”.
2nd National Conference Bhopal, Madhya Held at Central Academy for Police Training on 19-
on Uniformed Women in Pradesh 20 December 2019. The conference was
Prisons Administration inaugurated by the Union Minister of State for
Home Nityanand Rai.
Annual meeting of the New Delhi PM Modi addressed the annual meeting, This is to
Associated Chambers of celebrate the 100 years of ASSOCHAM. Theme: New
Commerce and Industry of India Aspiring for 5 trillion USD. As per PM, To achieve
India (ASSOCHAM) 5 Trillion Dollar Economy by 2024 it is required to
boost digital transactions of GST.
A 2-day conference on ‘Ek Bharat Shreshta Bharat’ with a focus on ‘Jal shakti’ and ‘Disaster
management’ held in Jammu
Dr Jitendra Singh, the Minister of State (MoS) for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, has
inaugurated the 2-day Regional Conference on ‘Ek Bharat Shreshta Bharat’ with focus on ‘Jal Shakti and
Disaster Management’, organized by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances
(DARPG) in association with Governments of Tamil Nadu and Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir,
held in Jammu.
1st 'two-plus-two' dialogue between India & Japan held in New Delhi
An inaugural meeting of India-Japan Foreign and Defence Ministerial Dialogue, which is the “two-plus-
two” (2+2) dialogue between India and Japan, was held in New Delhi. The dialogue was held with the
aim of boosting bilateral security and defence cooperation and is expected to strengthen “India-Japan
Special Strategic and Global Partnership”.
COMMITTEE & MEETING NEWS

COMMITTEE NEWS
COMMITTEE NAME HEAD KEY NOTES
WADA Executive Sir Craig Reedie, WADA’s (World Anti-Doping Agency) Executive
Committee president Committee has banned Russia from the Olympics and
World Championships for 4 years. Russia has been
banned, after it’s capital Moscow trying to manipulate
laboratory data by deleting and planting fake evidence to
help them in their drug test. The WADA has first
commissioned a report after finding evidence on mass
doping in Russian athletics in the year 2015 and banned
64 | P a g e
the Russian anti-doping agency (RUSADA) which was

reinstated in the year 2018.
MEETINGS NEWS
MEETING NAME VENUE KEY NOTES
7th OPEC (Organization of the Vienna, Austria The meeting was held under the Co-Chairmanship of
Petroleum Exporting OPEC’s President, Manuel Salvador Quevedo
Countries) and non-OPEC Fernandez, People's Minister of Petroleum of the
Ministerial Meeting 2019 Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, and Alexander
Novak, Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation.
During the meeting, the oil producing countries
decided to cut oil production by 500,000 barrels per
day with effect from January 1, 2020.
1st National Ganga Council Kanpur, Uttar Chaired by Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra
(National Council for Pradesh (UP) Modi, The aim of the council was to reinforce the
Rejuvenation, Protection and importance of a ‘Ganga-centric’ approach in all
Management of River Ganga) departments of the concerned states as well as
2019 relevant Central Ministries. The council was
responsible for superintendence of pollution
prevention and rejuvenation of River Ganga Basin,
including Ganga and its tributaries. Click here
6th Joint Commission Meeting New Delhi Minister of External Affairs (MEA) Dr. Subrahmanyam
(JCM) 2019 Jaishankar and Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla
Shahid co-chaired the Meeting between India and
Maldives. The meeting was held on part of Abdulla
Shahid’s 5 day (December 10-14) official visit to India.
The meeting was held after a gap of 4 years. 3 MoUs
signed during JCM.
Click here
38th Goods and Services Tax New Delhi Chaired by Union Minister for Finance & Corporate
(GST) Council Meeting 2019 Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi, where
it was decided to levy uniform tax on lottery w.e.f
from March 01, 2020 at 28%. There will be 18 % tax
on woven and non-woven bags from 1 March 2020.
The Council also decided to give exemption from
penalty on those who do not fill GSTR-1 from July
2017 till 10th January 2020 through GST amnesty
scheme.
Click here
18th National Maritime Search New Delhi Organized by Indian Coast Guard (ICG), an armed
and Rescue Board (NMSARB) force that protects India's maritime interests. The
meeting 2019 meet was chaired by K Natarajan -Director General
(DG) of Indian Coast Guard and Chairman NMSARB,
The list of awards for 2019 is as follows:
1. SAR Award for Merchant Vessel (MV) for the year
2018-19- MV Asia Emerald III,
2. SAR Award for Fisherman- Anand A Ambhire from
Maharashtra,
65 | P a g e
3. SAR Award for Government-Owned SAR Unit- ICG

Ships (ICGS) Sujoy & ICGS Vikram
2nd meeting of the Follow-up New Delhi For implementing trilateral Chabahar Agreement
Committee 2019 between India, Afghanistan and Iran. The meeting
was held at the level of Joint Secretary/ Director-
General.
Click here
2nd meeting of National New Delhi President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind presided the
Committee 2019 meeting, For Commemoration of the 150th Birth
anniversary (October 2) of Mahatma Gandhi
‘Gandhi@150’ which was held in New Delhi. A short
film on commemorative activities undertaken by the
govt. Click here
1st Annual Meet of the State Kevadia, The Environment Education Division of Ministry of
Nodal Agencies 2019 Gujarat Environment, Forest and Climate Change
(MoEF&CC) & GEER (Gujarat Ecological Education
and Research) Foundation, have jointly organized the
2 days long Annual Meet, Implementing the National
Green Corps (NGC) ‘Ecoclub’ programme of MoEF&CC.
Click here
19th Joint Commission Meeting Tehran, Iran Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who was on a 2-day visit
2019 to Iran, co-chaired Meeting with his Iranian
counterpart Javad Zarif, During the meet, 2 sides
agreed to speed up the work on the strategic
Chabahar project, which is being jointly developed by
India, Iran and Afghanistan. Both sides also agreed to
celebrate their 70th anniversary of bilateral treaty of
friendship in 2020.
INDEX
RANKING
INDEX NAME RELEASED BY / KEY NOTES
CONDUCTED BY
India’s top 10 Police Stations Ministry of Home Top 3 Police Stations
for 2019 Affairs (MHA) 1. Aberdeen police station from the Andaman
and Nicobar Islands
2. Balasinor police station from Gujarat
3. Ajk Burhanpur from Madhya Pradesh
Business-to-Consumer (B2C) UNCTAD’s (United India ranked 73rd out of 152 countries index and
E-commerce Index 2019 Nations Conference on has moved seven places up, that measures an
Trade and economy’s preparedness to support online
Development) shopping with the Index score of 57.0
Click here
15th Global Climate Risk Germanwatch (a non- India ranked 5th in the global list of most
Index (CRI) 2020 profit, non- climate-affected country in 2018 with the CRI
governmental
66 | P a g e
organization based in score of 18.17. India’s rank has worsened from

Bonn, Germany) the 14th position in 2017
Click here
7th India Skills Report 2020 Wheebox (global TOP 3 STATES IN EMPLOYABILITY:
(2019-20) talent-assessment 1. Maharashtra
company), 2. Tamil Nadu
PeopleStrong and 3. Uttar Pradesh(UP)
Confederation of Indian Click here
Industry (CII) in
collaboration with
UNDP (United Nations
Development
Programme), AICTE
(All India Council for
Technical Education)
and AIU (Association of
Indian Universities).
Worldwide Arms Sales Stockholm India ranked 10th in the overall country ranking.
Report 2018 International Peace Report titled “The SIPRI Top 100 Arms
Research Institute Producing and Military Services Companies,
(SIPRI) 2018”
TOP 3 COUNTRIES:
1. United States.
2. Russia.
3. United Kingdom.
Click here
Human Development index United Nations India ranked 129th out of 189 countries in the
2019 Development list which is up by 1 rank of 130 from 2017. Niger
Programme(UNDP) ranked last.
TOP 3 COUNTRIES:
1. Norway.
2. Switzerland.
3. Ireland.
Click here
Top 100 City Destinations’ of UK based market 7 cities in India are included in the list including
2019 research company the capital Delhi 11th position.
Euromonitor TOP 3 COUNTRIES:
International 1. Hong Kong, China.
2. Bangkok, Thailand.
3. Macau, Southern China.
Click here
16th Annual Ranking of ‘The American business List of The World's 100 Most Powerful Women'
Forbes 2019 magazine list was released. Union Finance Minister of India
Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman (60 years) ranked 34th
in the list. 100th is the youngest Swedish teenage
climate activist Greta Thunberg.
TOP 3 PERSON:
1. Angela Merkel, Germany
2. Christine Lagarde, France
67 | P a g e
3. Nancy Pelosi, United States(US).

Click here
2019 Rankings on gram Mission Antyodaya On implementation of development and
panchayats in the country scheme infrastructure programmes.
TOP RANKS:
1. Molugamboondi gram panchayat, Tamil Nadu.
2. Bambhaniya GP of Bhavnagar, Gujarat.
While four more Gujarat panchayats were tied
for third ranks. Click here
Digital States of India – A Coeus Age Consulting, The report which is a 2nd in series with the first
Comparative Analysis (Research and report launched in 2017, is about mapping all the
Report 2019 Consulting States and Union Territories(UT) of India on
organization) their policy and infrastructure readiness and
mission mode project’s performance.
TOP 3 STATES:
1. Chhattisgarh,
2. Maharashtra,
3. Haryana,
Click here
Fit India school grading PM of India Shri Andhra Pradesh (AP) topped the list
system in schools 2019 Narendra Modi for organising Fit India Week in schools. It has
organised the Fit India Week in 13,839 schools.
Top 3 Ranks:
1. Andhra Pradesh
2. Karnataka
3. Uttar Pradesh
Click here
Gender Gap Index 2019 World Economic India slipped four places and is in the 112th
Forum (WEF) place in the Gender Gap Index, and ranks in the
bottom-five in terms of women’s health and
survival and in the economic participation of
women.
Top 3 Country:
1. Iceland
2. Norway
3. Finland.
Click here
Science and Engineering The United States (US) The number of scientific papers published
Indicators 2019 Report govt agency National worldwide for the year 2019. India was ranked
Science Foundation as the world’s 3rd largest publisher of science
(NSF) and engineering(S&E) articles.
Top 3 Country:
1. China
2. United States
3. India.
Click here
2019 Pollution and Health Global Alliance on India leads the world with about 2.3 million
Metrics: Global, Regional and Health and Pollution (23,26,771 deaths) in 2017 in terms of
Country Analysis (GAHP) premature deaths due to pollution.
68 | P a g e
Top 3 Country:
1. India
2. China (18,65,566 deaths)
3. Nigeria (2,79,318 deaths)
Click here
Annual Fortune India 500 Fortune magazine Indian multinational conglomerate, Reliance
list 2019 Industries Limited (RIL) led by Mukesh
Dhirubhai Ambani topped the list surpassing
Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), which ranked
as India’s largest company to top Fortune
India 500 list for 10 years.
Top 3 company:
1. Reliance Industries Limited(RIL)
2. Indian Oil Corporation (IOC)
3. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation(ONGC)
Click here
List of celebrity 100, The Forbes India Indian Cricket team captain Virat Kohli has
2019 Magazine become the first sportsman to gain the top spot
for the first time with the annual earnings of Rs.
252.72 crore.
Top 3 Ranks:
1. Virat kohli
2. Akshay kumar
3. Salman khan
Pradhan Mantri Krishi The website of The data on states with coverage of area under
Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) the(PMKSY) micro-irrigation (MI) for 2019. As per the data,
(https://pmksy.gov.in) Tamil Nadu (TN) topped the list in coverage
under micro-irrigation. Out of the 3.64 lakh
hectares brought under MI, TN accounts for
around 1.39 lakh hectares, i.e., 38% of the total
coverage in the country.
Top 3 states:
1. Tamil Nadu (TN)
2. Gujarat
3. Andhra Pradesh (AP)
Click here
Good Governance Index Minister of State (MoS- Held in New Delhi, In the 1st GGI released, Tamil
(GGI) 2019 Independent Charge) Nadu won the big states category while North-
for the Ministry of east and hill category topped by Himachal
Development of North Pradesh & Puducherry topped the category of
Eastern Region Union Territories. The GGI also provided sector
(DoNER) and MoS for wise rankings on 10 sectors, Click here
Prime Minister's Office;
Personnel, Public
Grievances and
Pensions; Department
of Atomic Energy and
Department of Space
Dr Jitendra Singh
69 | P a g e
2nd Sustainable Development NITI (National The index gives a brief analysis on the progress
Goals (SDG) India Index and Institution for made by states and union territories (UTs)
dashboard 2019 Transforming India) Awards achieving the 2030 SDG targets.
Aayog Vice-Chairman Top 3 states:
Rajiv Kumar in New 1. Kerala topped the index with a score of 70.
Delhi 2. Himachal Pradesh with a score of 69.
3. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu
together ranked at the third position with a score
of 67.
Click here
Global House Price Index Q3 Global property The report was about housing prices in a
2019 consultant Knight particular quarter of the financial year, India was
Frank ranked at 47th place out of 56 countries. While
Hungary topped the list. The rank of India was in
terms of appreciation in housing prices as the
housing rates grew by only 0.6% year-on-year
(YoY) rise during July-September quarter
(quarter 2/Q2) over the year-ago period on slow
demand.
Click here
REPORTS
REPORT NAME SUBMITTED / RELEASED KEY NOTES
BY
India Corruption Survey Transparency International As per the report the Corruption rate in India
2019 India (TII) and LocalCircles fell by 10% in 2019. Rajasthan ranked as
the most corrupt state having 78% citizens
indulged in bribery.
Click here
15th Finance Commission Headed by - Economist & Its report for the financial year (FY) 2020-
Report 2019 former Indian Administrative 21 to President Ram Nath Kovind. The
Service officer (IAS) Shri Commission sets the formula for sharing of
.Nand Kishore (NK) Singh tax and other resources between the Center
and the States.
World malaria report World Health Organization India was one of the only two countries of the
2019 (WHO) 11 high- burden- to- high -impact (HBHI)
countries that achieved a significant
reduction in the number of malaria cases in
2018 compared to previous year (2017).
India reported 2.6million fewer cases with
28% reduction in malaria cases. Click here
7th Economic Census 2019 Ministry of Statistics and Delhi is the 26th state where the survey has
Program Implementation been launched. CSC is an SPV (Special
(MoSPI) tied up with Purpose Vehicle) under Ministry of
Common Service Centres Electronics and IT(MeitY). It is for the first
Network (CSCN or CSC) time the census is being conducted on digital
platform named ICT (Information and
Communication Technology). Digital
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platform has reduced time of survey to 6

months from 2 years earlier.
Morbidity and Mortality The joint report of World India has the 2nd highest number of children
Weekly Report (MMWR) Health Organization(WHO) who are not vaccinated against measles with
2019 and UNICEF (United Nations 2.3 million in 2018 (2.9 million in 2017).
Children’s Fund) Nigeria, an African country tops the list with
2.4 million unvaccinated children (4 million
unvaccinated children in 2017). Click here
Birth Registration for UNICEF (United Nations The number of childbirth registrations has
Every Child by 2030: Are International Children's increased significantly over the past decade
we on track? 2019 Emergency Fund) & the great efforts of South Asian countries
like India, Bangladesh and Nepal have
contributed to the global progress in this
field. The birth registration level in these
regions has almost tripled from 23% in the
last two decades to 70%. The report analyzed
the data from 174 countries. Click here
Jal Ministry Report 2019 Ministry of Jal Shakti Water supply and usage by the people in the
country. As per the data, nearly 3 lakh rural
habitations in the country were deprived of
the govt’s minimum prescribed provision of
40 litre per capita per day (lpcd) of potable
quality drinking water. Click here
Birth Registration for UNICEF (United Nations As per the report, India alone accounted for a
Every Child by 2030: Are International Children’s huge rise in birth registration gap, from 41%
we on track? Emergency Fund) in 2005-06 to 80%. This publication is about
the latest data on global and regional
estimates of the number of unregistered
children worldwide. Click here
India State of Forest Union Minister for Held in New Delhi, The report assesses forest
Report (ISFR)-2019 Environment, Forest and and tree resources in India biennially and is
Climate Change (MoEFCC), published by the Forest Survey of India (FSI).
Shri Prakash Javadekar The ISFR-2019 is the 16th report in the
series since 1987. Click here
3rd Edition of global The World Health On trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000-
report 2019 Organisation (WHO) 2025. As per the report despite decline in
tobacco usage, India is off track to achieve
30% reduction in tobacco use by 2025 when
compared to its 2010 levels. 163 nations
besides India are also not on track in this
regard. America is the only region that is
expected to achieve 30% reduction in the
prevalence of tobacco use by 2025. Click here
11th Annual report World United Kingdom (UK)-based The Indian govt. has set a target to become a
Economic League Table Centre for Economics and 5 trillion-dollar economy by 2024-25.
2020 Business Research (CEBR) However, the report has estimated that, this
target will be achieved in 2026, two years
later than the fixed target year. According to
the report, India is expected to overtake
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Germany as the fourth-largest economy in

the world by 2026 and will overtake Japan as
the third-largest economy by 2034. Click here
India becomes the 1st country in the world to make Haj 2020 process completely digital
As per the Union Minister of Minority Affairs Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, India has become the 1st
country where the entire process of Haj 2020 has gone 100% digital after he signed a bilateral
agreement for the pilgrimage with the Saudi Haj Minister Dr Mohammad Saleh bin Taher Benten in
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on December 1, 2019.
ACQUISITION & MERGERS

RIL’s unit RSBVL acquires 51.78% stake in Asteria aerospace for Rs 23.12 crore
Reliance Strategic Business Ventures Ltd (RSBVL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries
Limited (RIL), has acquired a 51.78 % stake in Asteria Aerospace for Rs 23,12,49,584. RSBVL also
acquired 85 % stake in a homegrown start-up NowFloats Technologies for Rs 141.63 crore.
Patanjali Ayurved completes acquisition of debt-ridden Ruchi Soya

Patanjali Ayurved made its first big acquisition to take over soya food brand Nutrela maker Ruchi Soya
for Rs.4,350 crore through an insolvency process. Patanjali has settled Rs 4,350 crore of dues debt-
ridden Ruchi Soya towards financial creditors by infusing Rs 1,100 crore equity and arranging another
Rs 3,250 crore via debt.The acquisition will help Patanjali to acquire edible oil plants and soyabean oil
brands such as Mahakosh and Ruchi Gold.
Three proposals got automatic approval under CCI Green Channel

The Competition Commission of India (CCI), obtained 3 Green Channel Combinations under automatic
approval. The approval was done under the sub-section (2) of Section 6 of the Competition Act, 2002
(Act) read with regulation 5A of the Competition Commission of India, Regulations, 2011.
 Combination 1: 100% acquisition of both IDBI (Industrial Development Bank of India) Asset
Management Ltd (IAML) and IDBI MF Trustee Company Ltd (IMTL) by Muthoot Finance Ltd
(MFL).
 Combination 2: 25.1% Acquisition of Adani Electricity Mumbai Ltd (AEML) and Adani Electricity
Mumbai Services Ltd (AEMSL) by Qatar Holding LLC (QH) from ATL (Adani Transmission Ltd).
The stake was sold for around Rs 3,200 crore
 Combination 3: Acquisition and control of GVK Airport Holdings Ltd(GVKAHL) and its
subsidiaries. The subsidiaries of GVKAHL are Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) and
Navi Mumbai International Airport Private Ltd(NMIA) by Green Rock, NIIF and Indo-Infra.
Read full details here: Three proposals got automatic approval under CCI Green Channel
CCI gives nod for acquisition of shares in SBI general insurance by Napean opportunities &
Honey wheat
Competition Commission of India (CCI), a statutory body of the Government of India(GoI) has gave its
nod for the acquisition of 16.01% paid-up share capital of SBI (State Bank of India) General Insurance
by Napean Opportunities and 9.99 % by Warburg Pincus Group-owned Honey Wheat Investment Ltd.
CCI has also approved $44-m investments by Sanaka Growth SPV I Limited (Sanaka) investment in
Edelweiss Securities Limited (ESL) under sub-section (1) of Section 31 of the Act.
72 | P a g e
DEFENCE
EXERCISES
EXERCISE NAME VENUE / PARTICIPATING KEY NOTES
COUNTRIES
MITRA SHAKTI–VII: Pune, Maharashtra Aim to build and promote positive relations
2019 India-Sri Lanka joint Military & between the armies of India and Sri Lanka.
Army Exercise The exercise will be conducted for 14 days
upto 14 December 2019 & will involve
sharing and learning from each others
experiences.
HAND-IN-HAND Umroi, Meghalaya 8th edition of the joint training exercise
2019 India and China between India and China. The aim of this
exercise is to practice joint planning and
conduct of counter-terrorist operation in the
semi-urban terrain. The theme for the
exercise will be ’counter-terrorism under
United Nations mandate'.
INDRA 2019 Babina (near Jhansi in Uttar 11th “INDRA 2019”. Both the nation’s armed
Pradesh(UP)), simultaneously forces will jointly evolve drills to defeat the
Pune and Goa. India and Russia scourge of terror under the United
joint tri-services exercise Nations(UN) mandate. Esprit-de-corps and
goodwill will be the key areas during the
exercise which will facilitate the further
strengthening of bonds between the defence
forces of India and Russia.
NAVARMS-19 Institute for Defence Studies and A two day event of 4th edition of
Analysis (IDSA), Development International Seminar cum Exhibition on
Enclave, in New Delhi Naval weapon Systems – NAVARMS-19 with
the theme “Make in India – Fight Category:
Opportunities and Imperatives”. It was
organized by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
NAVARMS is the only international seminar
and exhibition on Naval Arms System in
India. This seminar provides a common
platform for all stakeholders to express their
views.
Swachchh Samundra Sea off Vadinar in Gulf of Kutch The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) conducted a 2-
NW-2019 (GoK), Gujarat day regional level pollution response
exercise. The exercise was conducted from
December 17-18, 2019. The aim of the
exercise was to create a response mechanism
by ICG, by taking actions for oil pollution
incidents.
Apharan 2019 Kochi coast of Kerala, Indian IN, ICG, and Cochin port trust conducted
Navy (IN), Indian Coast Guard large scale anti-hijacking exercise, More than
(ICG) and the Cochin Port Trust 12 ships and helicopters of IN, ICG, and
Cochin port trust participated in the exercise.
The aim of the exercise was to provide a
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response mechanism/preparedness to
thwart any attempt by rogue elements to
hijack a vessel or attempted forced entry into
the Kochi harbour.
TESTING
MISSILES NAME TESTING LOCATION FEATURES
Nuclear-capable Prithvi-2 Chandipur, Odisha. For the armed forces from Integrated Test
surface-to-surface missile Night trial Range (ITR) at Chandipur in the coast of
Odisha. The missile has a strike range of 350
kilometres with warheads carrying capacity
of 500-1,000 kilograms. The missile is
powered by liquid propulsion twin engines.
Nuclear-capable Agni-III APJ Abdul Kalam Island, Carried out from a mobile launcher at the
surface-to-surface ballistic Odisha. 1st Night trial Integrated Test Range(ITR) at APJ Abdul
missile Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha. The
night trial was conducted by the Strategic
Forces Command of the Indian Army(IA)
with logistic support from the Defence
Research and Development Organisation
(DRDO). The maiden night trial, however,
was a failure, due to some manufacturing
defect.
Electric commercial Aircraft Vancouver, Canada World’s first fully electric commercial
namely DHC-2 de Havilland aircraft. Manufactured by Harbour Air and
Beaver Magnix, the six-passenger e-plane's first
flight involved 750-horsepower (560 kW)
magni500 propulsion system, and was
piloted by Greg McDougall, founder and Chief
Executive of Harbour Air.
Pinaka rocket Mark-II in DRDO’s Proof and Defence Research and Development
salvo mode Experimental Organisation (DRDO), the premier Research
Establishment firing test and development (R&D) organization of the
range, Chandipur testing country, has successfully flight tested the
center, Odisha upgraded version. These were tracked by
multiple range systems viz. telemetry, radars,
Electro-Optical Tracking System (EOTS).
Click here
Quick Reaction Surface to Chandipur district of Flight-tested by Defence Research and
Air Missile (QRSAM) Odisha Development Organisation (DRDO), This
missile was tested with the full configuration
in deployment mode intercepting the target
in mid-air and meeting mission objectives.
This missile is developed by DRDO in
association with Bharat Electronics Limited
(BEL) and Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL)
for the Indian Army.
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DEALS & MoUs

UKIBC launched Aerospace and Defence Industry Group
The UK (United Kingdom) India Business Council (UKIBC) announced the establishment of Aerospace
and Defence Industry Group in order to boost bilateral cooperation in the field of aerospace and defence
between both the nations. It will advance India’s defence acquisition process and also foster long-term
technology and hardware transfers.
ARMY, NAVY & AIR FORCE NEWS

Centre approves 7 projects to set up FM transmitters in the premises of Sashastra Seema Bal
(SSB)
As per the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar, the central Government
has approved seven projects for setting up FM (Frequency modulation ) transmitters in the premises of
Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) to strengthen FM coverage along the Indo-Nepal border.
Warship builder GRSE delivers 103rd LCU amphibious ship LCU L-57 to Indian Navy
Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE), one of India's leading shipyards, has delivered a
103rd Landing Craft Utility 57(LCU L-57 (Yard 2098) Mark-IV vessels to the Indian Navy(IN), that can
be used for beaching operations, search and rescue, disaster relief operations, supply and
replenishment and evacuation from distant islands. It was the 7th in the series of 8th such vessels being
made by GRSE for the Navy. These amphibious Ships are based at the Andaman and Nicobar Command,
measuring 62.8 metres long, 11 metres wide and has a displacement of 830 tonnes, with a low draught
of 1.7 metres.
China launched its first indigenously-produced aircraft carrier named "Shandong"

In order to further strengthen the military ambitions, China has launched its 1st indigenously built
aircraft carrier "Shandong", named after the Shandong province, from Sanya, an important
establishment in the South China Sea. It is 2nd aircraft carrier of China after Liaoning. Both are
conventionally powered ships with ski jump-assisted short take-off-barrier-arrested-recovery
(STOBAR) launch systems.
Indian Air Force decommissioned its last MiG-27 squadron

The last of the iconic MiG-27 (Mikoyan MiG-27) fighter jet aircraft was decommissioned from the Indian
Air Force (IAF) at Jodhpur base in Rajasthan, after serving for over 3 decades (30 years). Known as
'Bahadur', the aircraft served during the 1999 Kargil War. It was procured in the 1980s from the then
Soviet Union (SU) with the single most powerful engine in the world. Currently No. 29 Squadron
(Scorpion 29) is the only unit in the IAF which has been operating MiG 27 Upgrades.
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

APPS & WEB PORTAL
APP & WEB LAUNCHED BY PURPOSE
NAME
ROTAVAC 5D Shri Venkaiah Naidu World’s lowest dose-volume vaccine for Rotavirus at a
President of India function in New Delhi. The oral rotavirus vaccine called
“ROTAVAC 5D” is developed by Indian manufacturer
Bharat Biotech. The vaccine prevents rotavirus
diarrhoea in young children and can be stored at 2-8 °C
(degree celsius). It can be administered in just 5 drops.
Madhu Shri Naveen Patnaik An e-learning mobile phone app named “MadhuApp” for
Chief Minister of Odisha students by providing video lectures and exercise in
Odia language prepared by highly qualified
educationists and teachers. This is named after freedom
fighter, social reformer Madhusudan Das.
Indian Culture Prahlad Singh Patel, The main aim of the portal is to promote awareness
Union Minister of State among the citizens of India about the diverse heritage of
(MOS) for Culture and the country. The content of the portal includes rare
Tourism IC (Independent books, e-books, manuscripts, artefacts from museums,
Charge) archives, Indian National Bibliography, anecdotes and
detailed accounts of Indian UNESCO (United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World
Heritage Site, Musical Instruments of India and more.
Food Donation in FSSAI (Food Safety and Signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) to
India Standards Authority of develop an application namely "Food Donation in India"
India) and NASSCOM to prevent the wastage of food. Thre will also be a
(National Association of helpline number to connect donors who are ready to
Software and Services donate food to the needy.
Companies) Foundation
SATELLITE LAUNCHES
SATELLITE NAME COUNTRY PURPOSE
RISAT-2BR1 on board The Indian Space Successfully launched India’s radar imaging earth
PSLV-C48 Research Organisation observation satellite RISAT-2BR1 on board PSLV-C48
(ISRO) (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-48) from its spaceport of
Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. This is the 50th mission of
PSLV and also the 75th vehicle mission from
Sriharikota. 9 other customer satellites which
comprises of 6 United States(US) satellites and one each
from Israel, Italy, Japan were also launched from
Sriharikota.
Rover ‘MARS 2020’ NASA (National The mission will be launched on date between July 17 –
Aeronautics and Space August 5, 2020 from Cape Canaveral Air Force
Administration), Station(CCAFS), Florida, US. NASA launch its rover
United States(US) ‘MARS 2020’ in the year 2020.
The rover will also explore a landscape shaped by water
which is called the ‘Jezero Crater’. The rover will also
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look for actual signs of past life, or biosignatures,

capturing samples of rocks and soil. Click here
Ethiopian Remote Ethiopia It was sent into space by a Chinese Long March 4B
Sensing Satellite-1 carrier rocket (CZ-4B) from the Taiyuan Satellite
or ETRSS-1 Launch Center in North China. ETRSS-1 is Africa’s
41st satellite in space and the third East African
satellite. Ethiopia is now the 11th African nation to
launch a satellite into space by joining the ranks of
Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco,
Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Sudan.
China-Brazil Earth China and Brazil’s Launched from Long March-4B rocket in the northern
Resources Satellite- jointly developed Chinese province of Shanxi along with 8 other satellites
4A (CBERS-4A) earth observation under a bilateral programme to enhance cooperation
satellite among the BRICS (5 members- Brazil, Russia, India,
China, and South Africa) nations. The satellite was the
6th developed under CBERS programme which began in
1988. Currently, South Africa is the only country from
the BRICS nations that does not have satellites of its
own.
Shijian-20 (means China Launched its heaviest and most advanced
"Practice") communications satellite, by its largest new carrier
rocket Long March-5 (also known as CZ-5) from
Wenchang Space Launch Center (WSLC) in south
China’s Hainan Province. A new technology test and
verification satellite, Shijian-20 weighs more than eight
tonnes was developed by China Academy of Space
Technology (CAST) under the China Aerospace Science
and Technology Corporation (CASC).
OTHER SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY NEWS

IIT Hyderabad partnered with 4 Japanese institutions for research in Earthquake Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT-H) will collaborate with 4 Japanese institutions for
research purpose in areas which includes earthquake engineering, and doctoral programs. The
Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) in this regard was signed by IIT-H director Budaraju Srinivasa
Murty. The institutes are:
 National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience(NIED)
 National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS)
 Saitama University
 Shizuoka University
NASA satellite found India’s Chandrayaan-2 Moon lander Vikram on lunar surface
The independent American space agency NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) found
India’s Chandrayaan-2 Vikram lander that crashed on the lunar surface in September 2019. NASA
released the image of the site of spacecraft’s impact that was taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance
Orbiter (LRO) of NASA. In September 26,2019 NASA released a mosaic image and invited the public to
find signs of the lander in the image. Shanmuga Subramanian from Chennai, Tamil Nadu located the
crashed site of Vikram Lander.
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Dell Technologies partners with UNESCO MGIEP to improve educational quality

Dell technologies announced a partnership with UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization) MGIEP (Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace) to improve
educational quality in classrooms by using ICT (Information and Communication Technology) tools and
enabling teachers to adopt new technologies in classrooms as mentioned under Sustainable
Development Goal 4 (SGD 4-Education) by the member-states of the United Nations (UN). Read full
details here: Dell Technologies partners with UNESCO MGIEP to improve educational quality
NASA scientists mapped wind flow pattern on Mars, first for any planet
The scientists of NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) have mapped global wind
circulation patterns in the upper atmosphere of Mars (red planet). The circulation patterns were
mapped 120 to 300 kilometers above the red planet's surface showing "ripple effects". The study in this
regard was published in the journal Science with the data collected by Natural Gas and Ion Mass
Spectrometer (NGIMS) on the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) orbiter for two days
per month from 2016 to 2018.
Central Government has decided to deploy drones to destroy hidden Marijuana plants
The Central Government has decided to deploy drones to destroy marijuana (or Cannabis, psychoactive
drug) plantations before it reaches the hands of the drug cartels. The decision has been taken by the
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). The Centre has planned to use
satellites to detect marijuana crops and then the crops will be destroyed by the drones by spraying
chemicals.
IAU names a star and a planet with Indian names: Bibha and Santamasa
A white yellow dwarf star in Sextans constellation and its Jupiter-like exoplanet with hitherto name HD
86081 has been given Indian names by International Astronomical Union (IAU) through a global contest
called “NameExoWorlds”. The star is named Bibha while its planet christened as Santamasa, a Sanskrit
word that means “clouded”. The star has been named in the honour of an Indian woman scientist Bibha
Choudhury who has discovered subatomic particles (pi-meson), the name also means “a bright beam of
light” in Bengali. The planet has been given a Sanskrit name ‘Santamasa’ which means ‘clouded’ in order
to reflect the cloudy nature of the planet’s atmosphere. Read full details here: IAU names a star and a
planet with Indian names: Bibha and Santamasa
Infosys launched 3 blockchain-powered distributed applications

Indian multinational corporation Infosys launched 3 blockchain-powered distributed applications for
domains of government services, insurance, and supply chain distributed management namely Infosys
Supply Chain Distributed Application, Infosys Government Services Distributed Application, and Infosys
Insurance Distributed Application. The applications were designed as ready-to-subscribe business
networks.
Home ministry alerts on Android bug ‘StrandHogg' vulnerable to cyberattack

Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) sent an alert to all States warning about a bug in Android
operating system (OS) called ‘StrandHogg’. It is a real-time malware application which would pose as
genuine applications and access all the users’ data. Promon, a Norwegian firm specialising in In-App
protection, found proof of this android vulnerability which they call it as 'StrandHogg'.
IAU named new star as 'Sharjah' and its planet as 'Barajeel'

International Astronomical Union (IAU) has announced new names of its newly discovered star and its
planet. The star ‘HIP 7943’ was named as "Sharjah" and one of its planet (exoplanet) was named as
“Barjeel”. Appreciating the achievements of Sharjah city, which is the Capital of Arab Culture, Capital of
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Islamic Culture and also has the name of World Book Capital, the star was named as “Sharjah”. The
announcement for the selection of name was made during a press conference of IAU in Paris, France
during the centenary celebration of the union (IAU) on July 28, 2019. Read full details here: IAU named
new star as 'Sharjah' and its planet as 'Barajeel'
WHO 1st time approved Biosimilar of Trastuzumab ‘Ontruzant’ as cheaper breast cancer
medicine
World Health Organization (WHO) announced that for the 1st time it had approved a "biosimilar"
medicine of Trastuzumab named “Ontruzant” to make cheaper breast cancer treatment at an affordable
rate to women globally. The medicine is derived from living sources rather than chemicals. The
biosimilar medicine of the Trastuzumab drug was supplied by Samsung Bioepis co Ltd. It will be used
for the treatment of HER2 (Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2)-positive breast cancer and
HER2 overexpressing gastric cancer. The medicine, supplied by Samsung Bioepis co Ltd (Netherlands).
NASA astronaut Christina Koch sets new record for longest single space mission by a woman
Christina Hammock Koch (40), an American engineer and the United States (US) Space agency-NASA
(National Aeronautics and Space Administration) astronaut has created history by becoming the
longest-lived woman in space. She overtook the record of NASA’s astronaut Peggy Whitson of 289 days,
5 hours and 1 minute in 2017at the International Space Station (ISS). Koch, who arrived at the space
station March 14, 2019, will return from ISS on February 6, 2020 after spending 328 days / nearly 11
months in space. The record for the longest (340 days) stay in the ISS was held by Scott Kelly, who was
in space during 2015-16.
Researchers from Council of Scientific and Industrial Research- National Physical Laboratory
(CSIR-NPL) have developed counterfeiting, unclonable security ink
An ink for combating the problem of counterfeiting of currency notes, fake printing of passports and
pharmaceuticals was developed by the Researchers from Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-
National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL). It was published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry C.
(India Science Wire). It is a single excitable dual emissive luminescent pigment developed based on the
unexplored combinatory concept of the fluorescence and phosphorescence phenomenon, which emits
two colours on the excitation of a single wavelength for the formulation of unclonable security ink.
IIT Guwahati researchers developed materials to produce energy from water on a small scale
Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati (IIT-G) have developed materials that
can produce energy from water to decentralizing energy generation for every household. A nanoscale
phenomenon which is called “‘Electrokinetic streaming potential” is being used by the researchers of
IIT-G, to harvest energy from flowing water. The findings were recently published in ACS Applied
Nanomaterials.
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ENVIRONMENT
New fish species “Schistura syngkai”, discovered in Meghalaya
A team of scientists led by Prof Khlur Mukhim of Lady Keane College, Shillong, Meghalaya have
discovered a new fish species in West Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya. The fish which has the scientific
name “Schistura syngkai” was found at the Twahdidoh stream, a tributary of Wah Blei river. The details
of the discovery has been published in the journal “zootaxa”.
Typhoon Tisoy (Kammuri) hits the Philippines, disrupting everyday life

Typhoon Kammuri hits Philippines disrupting people’s daily routine. Over three lakh people were
moved out from their homes and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport was shut down and about 500
flights were cancelled. The storm also affected the South part of Manila where thousands of athletes
were gathered for the regional South Asian Games (SEA).
Operation Clean Art: operation to crackdown illegal trade in mongoose hair launched
Operation “Clean Art” which is the 1st pan India operation to crack down the illegal trade for mongoose
hair was launched by the govt. Operation Clean Art was conceived by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau
(WCCB). Its aim is to ensure the shutting down of mongoose hair brush trade across the country.
Mongooses are listed in Schedule II Part 2 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. As per this act, any
smuggling or possession of its body part is a non-bailable offence.
‘Polypedates bengalensis’, found in West Bengal recorded as 26th species of polypedates frog
A new species of frog named ‘Polypedates bengalensis’, commonly called Brown Blotched Bengal tree
frog was recorded as the 26th species of Polypedates frog found in two districts of West Bengal. The
new species was found by 6 herpetologists Jayaditya Purkayastha, Madhurima Das, Kingshuk Mondal,
Shibajee Mitra, Anirban Chaudhri and Indraneil Das from Assam, West Bengal and Malaysia.
World’s Deepest land canyon discovered under Denman glacier in Antarctica

The deepest canyon on land on earth is found in the Denman glacier in East Antarctica. The discovery
was done by Glaciologists at the University of California Irvine (UCI), California and was presented at the
American Geophysical Union's Fall Meeting held in San Francisco. The project is led by Mathieu
Morlighem, an associate professor in the Department of Earth System Science at UCI.
386 million years old World's oldest fossil forest discovered in the US
Scientists from Cardiff University in the United Kingdom(UK), Binghamton University in the United States
(US) and the New York State Museum have recently discovered remnants of a 386-million-year old
world's oldest fossil forest in a sandstone quarry in Cairo, New York, United States(US). This forest is
around 2 or 3 million years older than the current world's oldest forest at Gilboa, also in New York State.
The research showed that the forest was home to at least two types of trees Cladoxylopsids and
Archaeopteris.
Central Philippines was battered with the “Typhoon Phanfone” also known as “Ursula” in
Philippines.
Central Philippines was battered with the “Typhoon Phanfone” also known as “Ursula” in Philippines.
Typhoon Phanfone traversed west province of Palawan with the wind speed of 155 kilometres, with
maximum winds of up to 130 kilometres per hour and gustiness of up to 160 kilometres per hour.
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SPORTS NEWS
13th South Asian Games (SAG) 2019 begins in Kathmandu, Nepal
The 13th South Asian Games (SAG) or XIII South Asian Games began in Kathmandu, Nepal. The event
takes place for ten days between 1-10 December 2019 in Kathmandu, Pokhara and Janakpur cities in
Nepal. Bidya Devi Bhandari, President of Nepal attended SAG's opening ceremony held in the Dasharath
Stadium. Krishnasar, a blackbuck antelope is the official mascot of the SAG. India is represented by 487
athletes and India’s flag-bearer at the SAG will be Tejinder Pal Singh, a Short put player.
India defeated Pakistan in Davis Cup tie for 2020 held in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
The tie match between India and Pakistan for the International Tennis Federation’s (ITF’s) Davis cup
2020, was held at the National Tennis Center, in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan from November 29-
30,2019. India defeated Pakistan in the tie match. Also, Leander Paes extends Davis Cup record by
winning his 44th doubles match along with debutant Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan.
Sports ministry launched logo, jersey & mascots of 3rd Khelo India Youth Games 2020 in
Guwahati, Assam
The union sports minister Shri Kiren Rijiju launched the 3rd edition of the Khelo India Youth
Games(KIYG) at Karmabir Nabin Chandra Bordoloi Indoor Stadium in Guwahati, Assam. The games are
scheduled to be held from January 10-22, 2019.Composite logo, players jersey, mascots and theme song
of the 3rd edition of the games was launched during the launch. Over 10,000 students will be
participating in a total of 451 medal events. Read full details here: Sports ministry launched logo, jersey
& mascots of 3rd Khelo India Youth Games 2020 in Guwahati, Assam
Highlights of 21st Asian Archery Championship 2019 held in Bangkok, Thailand

The 21st Asian Archery Championship for the year 2019 was held in Bangkok, Thailand from November
21-29, 2019 organized by World Archery Asia. India secured the second position in the overall medal
tally while South Korea topped the list. The third position was obtained by China. India’s medal count:
India obtained 1 gold, 2 silver and 4 bronze medals totaling the medal count to 7. Abhishek Verma-
Jyothi Surekha claimed compound mixed pair gold. Read full details here: Highlights of 21st Asian
Archery Championship 2019 held in Bangkok, Thailand
Steve Smith, Australian cricketer breaks 73-year-old record by becoming the fastest man to
score 7000 test runs
Steven Peter Devereux Smith (30), Australian cricketer became the fastest man to score 7000 runs in
test matches by breaking a 73-year old record which was held by English cricketer Wally Hammond in
the year 1946. Steve also became Australia’s highest scorer by beating Donald George Bradman, an
Australian cricketer. He reached the mark in his 126th inning, while the previous record-holder Wally
Hammond reached it in his 131st inning.
Ballon d’Or award 2019: Messi wins 6th Ballon d’Or, Rapinoe wins in women’s category
Ballon d’Or awards for the year were announced in Paris, France. Argentina’s professional football
player Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini won his record 6th Ballon d’Or award.
S.No Award Awardee

1 Men’s Ballon d’Or award Lionel Messi.
2 Women’s Ballon d’Or award Megan Rapinoe.
3 Yashin Trophy Alisson Becker
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4 Kopa Trophy 2019 Matthijs de Ligt.

The award was given after Messi scored 54 times for his Barcelona club and country in 2018-19, in
which Barcelona won La Liga title. It is also to be noted that Messi has most no. of Ballon d’Or awards
under his name. On the other hand, the Women’s Ballon d’Or award was given to Megan Anna Rapinoe,
American football player. Read full details here: Ballon d’Or award 2019: Messi wins 6th Ballon d’Or,
Rapinoe wins in women’s category
Team India skipper Virat Kohli regained the No.1 spot, Bumrah best-placed Indian bowler at
5th place: ICC test ranking 2019
As per the ICC (International Cricket Council) Test Rankings released on December 4,2019, Indian
cricket team captain Virat Kohli (31) has once again reached the top of the batsmen rankings with 928
rating points beating Australia's Steve Smith , who is now in second place (923 points) because he ran
out of form in the ongoing series against Pakistan at home. Among the bowlers, Australia's Pat
Cummins ranks first, Jasprit Bumrah is the highest-placed Indian at the 5th position & Ravichandran
Ashwin is at the 9th position.
Sourabh Verma at 29th spot in BWF Ranking 2019; becomes 6th Indian inside top 30; Japan’s
Kento Momota tops
Sourabh Verma enters the top 30 list of the BWF (Badminton World Federation) 2019 and takes the
29th place, he is also the 6th Indian to be in the list, making India the first country to have six players in
the top 30 list, China is the second country to have five players on the list. Sourabh Verma is from
Madhya Pradesh (MP) and resides in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. Read full details here: Sourabh
Verma at 29th spot in BWF Ranking 2019; becomes 6th Indian inside top 30; Japan’s Kento Momota
tops
New Zealand cricket team won MCC’s Spirit of Cricket award 2019
The New Zealand cricket team was awarded 2019 Marylebone Cricket Club’s(MCCs) Christopher
Martin-Jenkins Spirit of Cricket award for the sportsmanship it showed during the finals of the ICC
(International Cricket Council) World Cup at Lord's Cricket Ground, London, England, that was held in
July 2019.
Swiss player Roger Federer becomes the 1st living Swiss to have his image engraved in the
Swiss coin
Roger Federer (38), from Basel Switzerland becomes the first ever living Swiss to have his face
engraved in the Swiss coin. Roger’s image was engraved in a 20-Franc silver coin by the Swissmint,
official mint of the Swiss Confederation. Roger Federer is a well known tennis player of Switzerland
who has won 103 tour level titles, 20 Grand slam crowns and 28 ATP (Association of Tennis
Professionals) Masters 1000.
Highlights of 63rd National Shooting Championship Competitions held in New Delhi

The 63rd edition of the National Shooting Championship Competitions (NSCC) in shotgun events
organized by the National Rifle Association of India(NRAI) was held at Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Ranges
in New Delhi from November 16-30, 2019.
 Angad Bajwa & Mairaj unofficially hit world record score in skeet final
 Saniya Sheikh won third national title in Women’s skeet
 Sangram Dahiya, Varsha Varman win double trap national titles
Read full details here: Highlights of 63rd National Shooting Championship Competitions held in New
Delhi
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Ripu Daman Bevli appointed as Plogging Ambassador of India by Kiren Rijiju

Ripu Daman Bevli, also known as, 'Plogman of India' was appointed as Plogging Ambassador of India by
Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) on the concluding day of 50th Fit
India Plogging Run in Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. The minister also launched the Plogging
Ambassador Mission to nominate Indians who have been running and cleaning their cities, towns or
districts as Plogging Ambassadors of their region.
Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki, former World No.1 Tennis Player announced her retirement at
29
Caroline Wozniacki (29) from Denmark, former World No.1 tennis player announced her retirement
from tennis after next month's Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year 2019 and
WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) event in Auckland. Caroline Wozniacki was born in Odense,
Denmark. She is the first woman from a Scandinavian country to hold the top-ranking position.
"Scandinavia" refers to Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
Manav Thakkar: India's TT player won 2019 ITTF Challenge Series U-21 title in Markham,
Canada
19-year old Indian table tennis (TT) player Manav Thakkar won U-21 men's singles title, in ITTF
(International Table Tennis Federation) Challenge Plus Benemax-Virgo North American Open Series
held in Markham, Canada. He defeated Argentina's Martin Bentancor. It was India’s 1st win in the U-21
men's singles title after 2017.
India's Praggnanandhaa won the FIDE Open category of London Chess Classic 2019 held in
London, UK
Indian young grandmaster, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa (14) was crowned the winner of the London
chess classic 2019 in the FIDE Open category with 7.5 points from 9 rounds & shared the title with
Anton Smirnov of Australia, who also scored 7.5 points. The tournament, organized by the World Chess
Federation (FIDE), was held at Olympia London in London, United Kingdom (UK) from 29 November
2019 – 8 December 2019.
Wasim Jaffer, (41) from Maharashtra becomes the first Indian Cricketer to play 150 Ranji
Matches
Wasim Jaffer, (41) from Mumbai, Maharashtra and former Indian Cricketer becomes the first Indian to
play 150 Ranji Matches. Jaffer is only 853 runs away from completing 20,000 runs in 150 matches,
followed by Devendra Bundela, Madhya Pradesh and Amol Muzumdar, Maharashtra who have played in
145 and 136 matches respectively. Jaffer played his 150th Ranji Game for Vidarbha against Andhra
Pradesh (AP) the match was held in Devineni Venkata Ramana Praneetha Ground, Northern side of
ACA-KDCA (Andhra Cricket Association–Krishna District Cricket Association) Ground in AP.
Highlights of 13th South Asian Games held in Kathmandu & Pokhara, Nepal
The 13th edition of the South Asian Games, officially known as XIII South Asian Games held in
Kathmandu and Pokhara in Nepal. India topped the medal tally winning a total of 311 medals
comprising 173 gold, 93 silver and 45 bronze medals. India was followed Nepal and sri Lanka in the
second and third rank respectively. Blackbuck (Krishnashar), is the official mascot for the 13th South
Asian Games.Read full details here: Highlights of 13th South Asian Games held in Kathmandu &
Pokhara, Nepal
G S Lakshmi (51) becomes first woman Referee in Men’s ODI match

Gandikota Sarva Lakshmi, 51, former Indian Cricketer became the first woman referee in the Men’s ODI
(One Day International) match after overseeing the opening match of the third series of the World Cup
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League 2 held in Sharjah Cricket Stadium, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The match is between the
UAE and the United States of America (USA). Lakshmi was born in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh.
Highlights of India Vs West Indies T20I series held in Maharashtra, Telangana & Kerala
The Indian men’s cricket team played T20I (Twenty Twenty International) against West Indies from
December 6-11, 2019. The 3 T20I matches were held in Maharashtra, Telangana & Kerala. The Indian
team defeated West Indies to win the T20I series for 2-1. Following records were made during the
series:
 Virat Kohli becomes leading run scorer in T20I
 Virat Kohli becomes 1st Indian batsman to score 1,000 T20I runs in home ground
 Rohit Sharma became the fastest batsman to 400 international sixes
 K L Rahul completes 1,000 T20I runs, becomes joint third-fastest to do so
Read full details here: Highlights of India Vs West Indies T20I series held in Maharashtra, Telangana &
Kerala
Indian shooter Ravi Kumar & Boxer Sumit Sangwan fail dope tests
World Cup medal-winning rifle shooter Ravi Kumar (29) who failed the dope test conducted on July 19,
2019, has been banned for 2 years by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA). Indian boxer Sumit
Sangwan (26) was also found positive in the dope test on the consumption of banned substance,
Acetazolamide.
International Hockey Federation (FIH) reveals new world ranking system for 2020
The International Hockey Federation/Fédération Internationale de Hockey (FIH) revealed a new World
Ranking System (WRS) for the year 2020, in Lausanne, Switzerland, which will replacing the
tournament-based calculation into match-based calculation. The new system will not affect the current
placements and each country will start 2020 with the same ranking position with the points obtained in
2019.
Overview of 2nd edition of BWF World tour finals 2019 held in Guangzhou, China
The BWF (Badminton World Federation) World Tour Finals 2019 (officially known as the HSBC – Hong
Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation BWF World Tour Finals 2019) was the 2nd edition of final
tournament of the 2019 BWF World Tour. It took place at Tianhe Gymnasium in Guangzhou, China from
December 11 – 15 2019 and with a total prize of $1,500,000.
 Men’s Singles Kento Momota(Japan)
 Women’s Singles Chen Yufei (China)
 Men’s Doubles Mohammad Ahsan(Indonesia)& Hendra Setiawan (Indonesia)
 Women’s Doubles Chen Qingchen (China) & Jia Yifan (China)
 Mixed Doubles Zheng Siwei (China) & Huang Yaqiong (China)
Read full details here: Overview of 2nd edition of BWF World tour finals 2019 held in Guangzhou,
China
Pakistan Cricketer Abid Ali became the first to score hundreds on both test and ODI debut
Abid Ali (32), Pakistani cricket player became the first batsman to score hundreds on both Test and
One-Day International (ODI) on his debut. His match was against Sri Lanka which was held in
Rawalpindi stadium in Pakistan. Abid was born in Lahore, Pakistan. Abid is the only male player in
cricket history to score a hundred on both his ODI and test debuts.
England off-spinner Laura Marsh (33) announces her retirement

Laura Alexandra Marsh (33), England cricketer announced her retirement. Laura has won three World
Cups in her 13-year career, she made her debut in 2006 as a seamer later on she switched to spin. Laura
was born in Pembury, United Kingdom (UK).
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Kohli continues at No.1, Bumrah 6th among bowlers: ICC test rankings 2019
As per the ICC (International Cricket Council) test ranking 2019 released on December 16, 2019, Indian
cricket team captain Virat Kohli has retained his top position with 928 points in the list of batsmen,
while injured bowler Jasprit Bumrah has dropped one place to 6th place in the bowlers' rankings.
Talking of bowlers, Pat Cummins and Kagiso Rabada are at the 1st and 2nd position.
India's Koneru humpy finished 2nd in women’s FIDE Grand prix 2019 held in Monaco;
Alexandra Kosteniuk (Russia) won
Indian chess grandmaster(GM),Koneru Humpy (32) from Andhra Pradesh, has finished 2nd in the FIDE
(Fédération Internationale des Échecs) women's Grand Prix (WGP) 2019 which concluded at the Yacht
Club de in Monaco.She also retained the World No. 3 (Elo 2580) position. Alexandra Kosteniuk (Russia)
won the title at the event.
Antarctic Ice Marathon 2019: Roy Jorgen (84) oldest person to complete; US' William Hafferty
won
Roy Jorgen Svenningsen became the oldest person to complete the Antarctic Ice marathon 2019. Roy
Jorgen is from Edmonton,Canada. He completed the marathon in 11 hours and 41minutes. Roy has been
running since 1964 and has spent a year training for the 42km Antarctic marathon. The winner of the
Antarctic ice marathon 2019 is William Hafferty from the United States (US). He completed the
marathon in a record time of 3 hours, 34 minutes and 12 seconds.
ICC continues partnership with UNICEF for ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020
The International cricket council (ICC) has extended its partnership with UNICEF (United Nations
Children’s Fund) for ICC Women’s T20 World cup 2020 to be held in Australia from rom 21 February to
8 March, 2020. The main focus of this partnership is empowering women and girls in cricket. The
money raised will go towards an innovative programme to promote girls’ participation in cricket in Sri
Lanka and build peace in communities.
India slipped 11 places to number 108th in FIFA rankings in a year; Belgium tops
According to the FIFA’s(Federation Internationale de Football Association) year-ending ranking
released on December 19, 2019, Indian men's football team remains at number 108 with 1187 points.
The Indian team, however, slipped 11 places throughout the year (In December 2018, India was ranked
97 in the FIFA rankings). Belgium, the runners-up of the World Cup 2018, topped their second
consecutive year with 1765 points. World champions France remained at 2nd (1733 points) and Brazil
in 3rd (1712 points) place.
Highlights of India vs West Indies ODI series held in Vizag, Chennai & Cuttack
The Indian men’s cricket team played 3 ODIs (One Day Internationals) against West Indies from
December 15-22, 2019. The ODI was part of the West Indies tour of India, 2019 that consists of 3 ODIs
(One Day Internationals) and 3 T20Is (Twenty Twenty Internationals). The 3 ODI matches were held in
Chennai, Andhra Pradesh(AP) and Odisha. The Indian team defeated West Indies(Windies) to win the
ODI series for 2-1. It is also to be noted that, earlier the Indian team defeated the West Indies team in
the T20I also with a 2-1 win. Following records were made during ODI:
 Kuldeep Yadav becomes 1st Indian bowler to take two ODI hat-tricks
 Rohit Sharma became leading run-scorer in ODIs in 2019:
 Rohit scores most International runs
 Rohit breaks his own world record for most international 6s in a calendar year
 Rohit hit 18th ODI since 2017 century surpassing Virat
 Rohit and Virat top ODI batting rankings
 KL Rahul smashes his third hundred in ODI cricket, first in India
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 Shai Hope Becomes Second-Fastest Batsman To Score 3,000 ODI Runs

Read full details here: Highlights of India vs West Indies ODI series held in Vizag, Chennai & Cuttack
TransStadia arena in Ahmedabad (Gujarat) may host FIFA U-17 women’s world cup 2020
As per the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football
Association), Ahmedabad, a city in Gujarat, has received the provisional clearance for hosting the U-17
(Under-17) women's world cup 2020 tournament at its TransStadia arena.The tournament will be held
from November 2 - 21, 2020. It will mark the first time that India may host a FIFA women's football
tournament.
ICC women’s T20I rankings: India’s Radha retained 2nd position in bowlers’ list
International Cricket Council (ICC) T20I (Twenty-twenty International) rankings for Women players
were released. Spinner Radha Yadav remained in the second position in the Bowler rankings which is
the highest of all category rankings by an Indian Women’s cricketer in the recently released T20I
women’s rankings. Read full details here: ICC women’sT20I rankings: India’s Radha retained 2nd
position in bowlers’ list
Liverpool wins 16th FIFA club world cup 2019 final for the 1st time in Doha, Qatar
England's football club (FC) Liverpool has won the 16th edition of Club World Cup (WC) title 2019 for
the 1st time, after beating Flamengo (Brazilian sports club) with 1-0 scores in Khalifa International
stadium, Doha, Qatar. The only goal was scored by Roberto Firmino in the 99th minute.
Belgium retained FIFA Team of the Year title for 2019 for 2nd successive time
For the second year in a row, Belgium was announced as the FIFA's (Fédération Internationale de
Football Association) Team of the Year as it reached the top of the world rankings for the year
2019. Belgium was followed by France, Brazil, England and Uruguay in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th spots
respectively. The mover of the accolade went to Qatar as it gained 138 ranking points in 2019.
Overview of 6th International Cup (Weightlifting) 2019 held in Doha, Qatar

The 6th edition of Qatar Weightlifting International Cup 2019, a qualification event for the Tokyo
Olympics 2020 (Host city- Tokyo, Japan) , held in Radisson Blu Hotel in Doha, Qatar from December 19 -
24,2019. The event, hosted by the Qatar Weightlifting Federation (QWF) under the aegis International
Weightlifting Federation (IWF), saw over 150 lifters representing 44 countries. The tournament
comprises women’s 49kg , 64kg and men’s 61kg &67kg event.
List of Indian winner:
 Saikhom Mirabai Chanu- women’s 49 kg- Gold
 Jeremy Lalrinnunga- men’s 67 kg- Silver
 Rakhi Halder- women’s 64kg- Bronze
Read full details here: Overview of 6th International Cup (Weightlifting) 2019 held in Doha, Qatar
Padma Bhushan awardee Leander Paes to retire from Professional Tennis in 2020
The 46-year old, Indian professional tennis player, Leander Adrian Paes has announced his retirement
in the year 2020. He is a winner of 18 Grand Slam titles consisting of eight in men's doubles and 10 in
mixed doubles. He has won a total of 66 professional titles and a bronze in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics in
men's singles. He was born in Kolkata, West Bengal, now he is resident in Mumbai. He is also the first
Indian and the only tennis player to have participated in the seven Olympic Games.
Cricket captain Virat Kohli only Indian named in Wisden’s Five cricketers of the decade list
Wisden Cricketers'Almanack (Wisden) 2019 colloquially the “Bible of Cricket”, has named the
“Wisden’s Five cricketers of the decade list”. Indian skipper & Present Captain, Virat Kohli was the only
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Indian to be named in the Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the decade. Four other cricketers who made into
the list were as follows:
 Steve Smith (Australia)
 Ellyse Perry (Australia)
 Dale Steyn (South Africa)
 AB de Villiers (South Africa)
ICC Men’s Test rankings: Virat Kohli finishes 2019 as top-ranked batsman
Indian skipper Virat Kohli with 928 points, has topped the batting ranking in the International Cricket
Council (ICC) Test ranking format that was released on 24th December, 2019 .He is 17 points ahead of
Australia's Steve Smith. In bowling Jasprit Bumrah with 794 Points ranked in 6th Position.He was the
only Indian Player to be ranked in top 10. In team ranking of Test Cricket Format also Indian topped the
list.
Shadab Bashir Jakati, Former CSK spinner quits from all forms of cricket
Indian Cricketer, Shadab Bashir Jakati(39) announced his retirement from all forms of Cricket.He hails
from Vasco da Gama, Goa. He represents Chennai Super Kings in the year 2009, Royal Challengers
Bangalore in the year 2014 & Gujarat Lions in the year 2017 in Indian Premier League (IPL).He
represents Goa in first class cricket.
Koneru Humpy won 2019 FIDE Women's World Rapid Chess Championship title
Indian Grandmaster Koneru Humpy (32 years) from Andhra Pradesh, became FIDE Women's World
Rapid Champion for the year 2019 by defeating China's Lei Tingjie in Armageddon (chess penalty
shoot-out) in the finals held at Luzhniki football stadium in Moscow, Russia which was held from
December 26-28, 2019. Tingjie finished with a silver, while Turkey's Ekaterina Atalik won the bronze
medal. It is also to be noted that after India's grandmaster Vishwanathan Anand, who won this title in
the open section in 2017, Humpy is only the second Indian to win gold in the current format.
India weightlifter Seema banned by NADA for 4 years for doping

Indian Weightlifter Seema, who won a silver medal in the Commonwealth Games 2017, has been
banned for 4-years by National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), the national organization responsible for
monitoring the doping control program in sports, for a doping violation. She was found guilty of
violating the anti-doping rule due to the banned substances being found in her sample. She finished
sixth in the women's 75kg category at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Earlier in December
2019, Indian shooter Ravi kumar & Boxer Sumit sangwan were also found positive in the dope test.
Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah placed in Wisden’s T20I team of the decade
Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli and star bowler Jasprit Bumrah were only two Indians in
Wisden’s T20I team of the decade. Kohli has found a place in Wisden's Test and ODI team of the decade.
Bumrah, who is the second-best in the world among quick bowlers also took place in Wisden’s T20I
team of the decade.
Players in Wisden’s T20I team of the decade:

Aaron Finch of Australia (Captain), Colin Munro (New Zealand), Virat Kohli (India), Shane Robert
Watson (Australia), Glenn James Maxwell (Australia), Joseph Charles Buttler (England), Mohammad
Nabi (Afghanistan), David Jonathan Willey (England), Rashid Khan Arman (Afghanistan), Jasprit
Jasbirsingh Bumrah (India), Separamadu Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka).
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Australia’s Peter Siddle has announced his retirement from international cricket
Australian pacer Peter Siddle has announced his retirement from international cricket on December 29,
2019, after 11 years in the game. He is 34-years-old. He will continue to play domestic cricket for
Victoria State and Twenty20 side Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League, along with English country
cricket for Essex.
BOOKS & AUTHOR

BOOK NAME AUTHOR KEY NOTES
The Legacy of Militancy in Inderjit Singh Jaijee The book is about how Punjab’s militancy affected
Punjab: Long Road to Civil rights activist and judiciary by delaying trials, how the popular culture
Normalcy Dona Suri journalist has been influenced and how the youth today are
still responding to conditions in the northern state.
The book is published by ‘SAGE’.
The Vault of Vishnu Ashwin Sanghi, Indian Released in the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) by
writer Westland publications. The Jaipur Literature
Festival is the World’s largest free literature festival
and takes place between 23rd to 27th January 2020
in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
“Gandhipedia” or “Gandhi Mohandas The National Council of Science Museums (NCSM)
Encyclopedia” Karamchand Gandhi and IIT (Indian Institutes of Technology)
Gandhinagar and Kharagpur, join hands to create
“Gandhipedia” or “Gandhi Encyclopedia”, an online
repository holding the Books, Letters and Speeches.
To celebrate his 150th birth anniversary.
Borderman, yearly Nityanand Rai Minister of State for Home Affairs on the occasion
magazine of 55th raising day of BSF (Border Security Force)
organized by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Nalak Abanindranath Tagore The journey of life of Gautama Buddha, was
translated to English by Urbi Bhaduri and was
published by Niyogi Books. The English translation
of the book has no chapters and has been featured
in pen and ink style including a theme inspired by
Buddhist tankha paintings.
Women of Prey (Shikari Saadat Hasan Manto, Translated to English by Indian author Saba
Auratein): Stories Urdu author Mahmood Bashir as "Women of Prey (Shikari
Auratein): Stories’"published by Speaking Tiger.
The book was originally published in the year 1955.
Mind Master: Winning Viswanathan Anand Published by Hachette India. He was also the first
Lessons from a and Susan Ninan recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award,
Champion’s Life India’s highest sporting honour between 1991-
1992, he was awarded Padma Vibhushan in 2007,
becoming the first sportsmen to receive the award.
Exam Warriors Prime Minister (PM) Thaawarchand Gehlot, Union Minister for Social
Narendra Modi Justice and Empowerment launched the Braille
Edition of the book“Exam Warriors”. The book was
prepared by Braille Press of Rajasthan Netraheen
Kalyan Sangh, Jaipur, India.
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Crossing the Barriers – I Shri Sunil Arora, Chief Election Commission of India (ECI), an autonomous
Got Inked Election Commissioner constitutional authority responsible for
(CEC) administering election process, has organized
National Workshop on Accessible Elections 2019 in
New Delhi to review the steps taken by ECI to make
Elections Public Works Department (PwD) and
Senior Citizens friendly.
Turbulence and Triumph: Rahul Agarwal and Vice President of India Shri Venkaiah Naidu
The Modi Years Bharathi S Pradhan released a book titled 'Turbulence and Triumph:
The Modi Years’ in New Delhi. Published by Om
Books International. The book is about life journey
of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi from his days
as a young boy in Gujarat till becoming the Prime
Minister of India.
Dreams of a Billion: India Boria Majumdar with That describes about the chronicle India's journey
and the Olympic Games Nalin Mehta in the global sports arena of Olympics. The book will
be published by HarperCollins India in January
2020.
Politics of Opportunism R P N (Ratanjit Pratap Released by Noted Economist, Columnist &Political
Narain) Singh analyst Swaminathan Gurumurthy, at a function
held in New Delhi. The book, published by Vitasta
Publishing Pvt. Ltd, talks about the relation between
the centre and states & the growth of regional
parties in India.
Diamond In My Palm Sanjay Dharwadker That describes, how the world's 12 greatest
diamonds originated from Golconda and Kollur
mines in Andhra Pradesh & later took away by
Mughals, Persians, Brits, French, Turks and
Russians after centuries of bloody wars,
conspiracies and million-dollar deals, and now
ensconced in their national treasures. The book has
been published by Stellar Publishers.
The Renaissance Man-The Vice President Mr. With the Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla on the 67th
Many Facets of Arun Venkaiah Naidu birth anniversary of the former finance minister
Jaitley Arun Jaitley at a ceremony held in New Delhi. This
book which describes about Arun Jaitley was
compiled by Deepa Venkat, and Muppavarapu
Harshavardhan who are the daughter and son
of Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu.
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OBITUARY
NATIONAL
PERSON NAME FIELD BORN KEY POINTS
PLACE
Paramananda Theatre artist Balasore, He died due to old-age related illness and was
Sahu Odisha confined to bed for a long time. Paramananda Sahu
has acted in more than hundred dramas and was an
artist in the All India Radio (AIR) also known as
Akashvani, and Doordarshan, a television network.
Laxminarayan Freedom fighter Niwari town, Due to old age ailments. Born in 1918 at Nimchauni
Nayak and former Madhya in Tikamgarh of Madhya Pradesh, Nayak
Member of Pradesh represented Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh) Lok
Parliament (MP) Sabha seat as Member of Parliament (MP) from
1977 -1980.
Baskar Menon Veteran Kerala Died at Chennai following a cardiac arrest. He was
Journalist, Press well known for his use of the English language and
Trust of India his editing skills. He has also handled many crucial
(PTI) news like the assassination of former Prime
Minister (PM) of India, Rajiv Gandhi in the year
1991.
Robert George Former cricket Sunderland, After a prolonged illness. captain of the England
Dylan Willis captain England cricket team from 1982 to 1984.
Bhawani Table Tennis Chandigarh Suffered a heart attack at his residence in
Mukherji (TT) head coach Chandigarh. Bhawani Mukherji was the first person
to receive the Dronacharya Award in TT in the year
2012.
Braj Bihari Indian Council New Delhi He was appointed as the chairman of the ICSSR in
Kumar of Social Science May 2017. He also had degrees in Hindi and
Research anthropology and has written, bilingual and
(ICSSR), trilingual dictionaries, books on tribal identities, on
Chairman caste, and on the demarcation of states.
Bhagabat Prasad Former Higher Bhubaneswar He died due to old age-related ailments. He was
Mohanty Education born in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Bhagabat Mohanty
Minister of was an Indian politician and Lawyer and was
Odisha elected to the State Assembly from Kendrapara in
the year 1971 as a candidate from Praja Socialist
Party (PSP).
Tara Sinha Tara Sinha India Passed away at the age of 87 due to old age
Associates ailments. She was also the founder of ad agency
(TSA), National Clarion. She worked for companies such as Coca
advertising Cola and others. She had over 50 years of work
agency experience in England, India and the USA.
Gollapudi Maruti Telugu Actor Hyderabad Dies at 80 while undergoing treatment at a hospital
Rao and writer in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Gollapudi was born in
Vijayanagaram, Andhra Pradesh (AP), he was
named as the best writer for his film ‘Doctor
Chakravarthy’ in the Nandi Award in 1989.
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Gita Siddharth Actress Mumbai, Who made her Bollywood debut with Gulzar's 1972
Kak Maharashtra film, Parichay. She starred in the 1975 superhit
movie Sholay. Apart from Sholay, she has worked in
the National Award winning films. Apart from
acting, She was best known for her social work.
Ishwar Dayal Former Union Ambala He died due to heart disease. He ID Swami, Former
Swami Minister of State district, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs died at 90
for Home Affairs Haryana in Faridabad, Haryana. He died due to heart
disease.
Gitanath Ganguly President of West Bengal Ganguly suffered from a leg injury after an accident.
Mohun Bagan He was appointed as the President of the club in
Athletic Club November 2018, after the Swapan Sadhan Bose- led
(AC) and retired panel moved the election and was the legal
Justice consultant of the club when Anjan Mitra was the
General Secretary.
Sreeram Lagoo Actor Satara, He played a significant role in the development of
Maharashtra theatre movement in Maharashtra in the post-
independence era. In 1978 he won the Filmfare
best-supporting actor award for the film Gharonda.
L.S. Sheshagiri Kannada writer Bengaluru, Sheshagiri is famous for his critical works and also
Rao and critic Karnataka for and an English-Kannada dictionary he compiled.
Chandrakanth children’s book Bengaluru, He was a awardee of Karnataka Rajyotsava award
Karadalli writer Karnataka in 2019 and Bala Sahitya Akademi award from the
union government. He also received ‘Good Teacher’
award from both State and Nation Government.
Dr. G. Nanjundan Translator and Bengaluru, He was well known for translating Kannada
professor, Karnataka literature into tamil and received many accolades
Sahitya for his work. He received the Sahitya Akademi prize
Akademi for translation 2012 in Tamil for translation for his
Awardee work "Akkaa".
K. Ramachandra Cinematographe Kozhikode, He worked as a cinematographer in 1970s and 80s
Babu r Kerala for films in Malayalam and in other Indian cinemas.
He passed away before the release of his maiden
film as a director, for the Malayalam film Professor
Dinkan. Babu was the founder of Indian Society of
Cinematographers. His latest book Celluloid
Swapnatakan released in December 2019.
Savita Devi Indian classical Varanasi, She was known for her thumirs. She was the
vocalist Uttar daughter of Padma Shree awardee Late
Pradesh Siddheshwari Devi who was the recipient of the
Padma Shri award. She was also the head of the
music department at Daulat Ram College under
Delhi University for many years.
Ganga Prasad Eminent Hindi Himalayan Ganga Prasad Vimal, an eminent Hindi author, poet,
Vimal Author, Poet, town, story writer, novelist, and translator passed away
Story Writer, Uttarakhand at the age of 80 due to a road accident in Sri Lanka.
Novelist, and He hailed from Uttarkashi, a Himalayan town in
Translator Uttarakhand.
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B.V. Katti Former Kadrolli Passed away in Belagavi, Karnataka at the age of 86
president of village, due to old age ailments. Born in Kadrolli village of
district unit of Karnataka Karnataka, BV Katti served as an Indian
All-India Administrative Service(IAS) officer and retired
Veerashaiva as Divisional Commissioner in Belagavi. He joined
Mahasabha revenue service dept. as an Assistant
community Commissioner.
Vikas Sabnis Legendary Mumbai, Passed away in Mumbai, Maharashtra due to
Political Maharashtra cardiac arrest. He was 69. He considered the
cartoonist famous cartoonist Description Rasipuram
Krishnaswami Iyer Laxman & Shiv Sena founder
Bal Thackeray as his role models. After working in
Thackeray’s weekly magazine 'Marmik', for 12
years, Sabnis joined the Marathi daily newspaper
'Loksatta'.
Dr S Mohan former Chief Tamil Nadu Passed away in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.He was born
Justice of on 11th February, 1930 in Tamil Nadu. He was
Karnataka High born on 11th February, 1930 in Tamil Nadu. He
Court served as the Judge of Supreme Court between the
years 1991 and 1995 & also served as the acting
Governor of Karnataka between February 5, 1990
and May 8, 1990.
Vishwesha Tirtha Head of the Ramakunja Passed away in Udupi due to multiple organ failure.
Swami Pejawar Mutt village, He was 88. Born on 27 April 1931 in Ramakunja
located in Udupi Karnataka village of Karnataka, Vishwesha Swami was
(Karnataka) ordained into Sanyasa at the young age of 7 in
1938. As a 32nd Mahant of Pejawar Math, he had
created history by becoming the only seer among
the seers of the Ashta Mutts (eight mutts) of Udupi,
which propagate the Dwaita philosophy.
Shiv Sharma Former Gurugram, Passed away in Gurugram in Haryana at the age of
Director- Haryana 85. He had also supervised reportage of various
General of national and international events.He also served in
Doordarshan All India Radio.
Mr. Vikho-o The Assembly Nagaland Passed away, at a hospital in Mumbai after battling
Yhoshu speaker of with lung cancer for several months. He was the
Nagaland leader of The Nationalist Democratic Progressive
Party (NDPP) and he was elected to the state
Assembly thrice from Southern Angami-1
constituency in Kohima district.
INTERNATIONAL
PERSON NAME FIELD BORN PLACE KEY POINTS
Irving Louis Musician & America Best known for popularise Caribbean music with hit
Burgie Songwriter songs like Day-O (The Banana Boat Song-1952), has
passed away due to heart failure, at his home in
Queens, US. He was 95. He described himself as "a
folklorist” and performed in the stages between
New York and Chicago,US.
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Shelly Morrison Theater and America Died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles
television (LA) due to Heart Failure. Shelly Morrison was born
actress in New York, United States.
Ronald Leibman Actor America For his performance in the Broadway’s Angels in
America & an Emmy Award (1979) on the short-
lived CBS show Kaz, passed away due to
complications of pneumonia.
Caroll Edwin American America Best known for playing Big Bird and Oscar the
Spinney puppeteer & Grouch on children's TV show Sesame Street, has
cartoonist passed away at his home in Connecticut, US after
battling with dystonia (a movement disorder in
which a person's muscles contract uncontrollably).
He was honored with 4 Daytime Emmy Awards and
two Grammy Awards for his work on the children's
programme.
George Joseph Inventor of Wendell, North Passed away at the age of 94 due to old age ailments
Laurer Universal Carolina, in Wendell, North Carolina in the US (United States).
Product US(United His barcode invention in 1973 at IBM (International
Code(UPC) or States) Business Machines) corporation, transformed the
Barcode retail industries as well as other industries across
the world.
Paul Adolph Former New York Volcker was diagnosed with prostate cancer in the
Volcker Chairman of year 2018, he was born in Cape May, New Jersey
the Federal and was educated at Princeton, Harvard and the
Reserve of London School of Economics. Volcker was the
the United chairman of the Federal Reserve from 1979 to 1987
States (US) and was an undersecretary at the Treasury
Department, to the President's Richard Nixon’s
administration.
Sir Peter George Middle- New Zealand Who had won the 3 Olympic gold medals & and
Snell distance made the world mile record-holder has passed
runner, New away in Dallas, U.S(United States). He was 80. Born
Zealand on 17 December 1938 in Opunake, New Zealand, he
was considered as one of the greatest medium-
distance runners. Snell won the 800-meter race at
the 1960 Rome Olympics at the age of 21.
Daniel Louis Actor American At the age of 86 due to old age ailments in New
Aiello Jr. Jersey, United States(US). He was best known for
featuring in films such as "The Godfather",
"Moonstruck" and "Do The Right Thing". Born on
June 20, 1933 in New York,US, Daniel broke into
Hollywood in the 1970s.
Elmore Rual Actor American Best known for starring in Men in Black franchise,
"Rip" Torn Jr. died in July 2019 at the age of 88. As per the copy of
his death certificate, obtained by TMZ (a tabloid
news website), Torn died "due to" Alzheimer's
dementia in Los Angeles. Torn is best known for
HBO's (Home Box Office) show "The Larry Sanders
Show", which scored him an Emmy award in 1966.
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Chuy Bravo Actor Mexican Chuy was best known for working with Chelsea
Handler on her show “Chelsea Lately” from 2007 to
2014.
Anna Karina New Wave France She was diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing
Actress treatment. Anna was born in Denmark as Hanne
Karin Bayer.
Basil Fitzherbert Former British Guiana He was the first person of Amerindian (indigenous
Butcher Guyana and American) descent to represent the West Indies.
West Indies Born on 3 September 1933 in British Guiana,
(Windies) Butcher made his debut in 1958 against India.
batsman
Sir Fazle Hasan Founder & Bangladesh Abed has won the prestigious Yidan Prize, the
Abed Chair largest international prize in education, for his path-
Emeritus of breaking work on education development.
BRAC( Professor Usha Goswami was also awarded Yidan
Bangladesh Prize for Education Research Laureate 2019.
Rural
Advancement
Committee)
Martin Peter Football and England The midfielder scored against West Germany in the
the World 1966 World Cup final and won 67 caps. He was the
Cup winner legend of West Ham United Football Club. He joined
West Ham in 1959 at the age of 15. He also won the
UEFA Cup and two League Cups with Tottenham.
Da Chen Chinese China Who is best known for his works of bestselling
Author “Colors of the Mountain”& Brothers, has passed
away at his home in Temecula, California ,US
(United States) due to lung cancer.He was 57. His
book –‘Brothers’ was awarded the best book of
2006 by The Washington Post, San Francisco
Chronicle, Miami Herald and Publishers Weekly.
IMPORTANT DAYS
OBSERVED DATE / DAYS KEY NOTES
WEEK
December 2, 2019 World Computer The day is observed to mark the significance of
Literacy Day computers and to promote awareness about computers
and other electronic devices.
December 2, 2019 National Pollution To create awareness on controlling and managing
Control Day pollution produced by industrial processes or human
negligence. The day is observed in remembrance of the
innocent lives that were lost in the Bhopal gas tragedy in
1984. The year 2019 marks the 35th anniversary of the
Bhopal gas tragedy.
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December 2, 2019 International Day Observed annually by the United Nations(UN) on

for the Abolition of December 2nd under the resolution (A/RES/317(IV)).
Slavery The day was adopted by the UN General
Assembly(UNGA) in the year 1949 based on the
convention of suppression of the trafficking in persons
and of the exploitation of the prostitution of others.
December 1, 2019 World AIDS The theme of the event was ‘Communities make
(Acquired Difference’. The event was organized by the National
immunodeficiency AIDS Control Organization (NACO). In India, Andhra
syndrome) day Pradesh has the highest number of AIDS/HIV patients
with a total of 2.7 lakh AIDS/HIV infected people.
November 30, 2019 10th Indian Organ To create awareness on organ donation and to motivate
Donation Day people in donating organs after their death. Maharashtra
(IODD) surpassed Telangana & TN in deceased organ donation
list.
November 30, 2019 Remembrance for The day is observed as a tribute to the victims of
all Victims of chemical warfare and also aims to reaffirm its
Chemical Warfare commitment to the Organisation for the Prohibition of
Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to eliminate the threat of
chemical weapons.
November-30 to Pension week The Pension week aims at enrolling 1 crore recipients
December-6, 2019 under the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PM-
SYM) and 50 lakh recipients under National Pension
Scheme for traders and self-employees (NPS-Traders) by
March 2020.
December 3, 2019 International Day of The theme of the day was ‘Promoting the participation of
Persons with persons with disabilities and their leadership: taking
Disabilities (IDPD) action on the 2030 Development Agenda’.
December 4, 2019 Indian Navy Day The day is celebrated in memory of the Operation
Trident that was launched by the Indian Navy(IN) in
Pakistan’s Karachi harbour during the 1971 Indo-
Pakistan war. An anti-ship missile was used for the first
time in the operation. The operation was launched on
december 4-5 causing heavy damage to the Pakistani
vessels.
December 5, 2019 World Soil Day Celebrated by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
of United Nations (UN) with the aim to raise awareness
and call people to Stop Soil Pollution.The theme for the
year 2019 is “Stop Soil Erosion, Save our Future”.
December 5, 2019 International The theme of IVD 2019 is “Volunteer for an inclusive
Volunteer Day (IVD) future”. The goal of IVD 2019 is the implementation of
for Economic and SDG 10 (Sustainable Development Goal-Reduced
Social Development inequalities) and to promote equality and inclusion
through volunteerism.
December 7, 2019 Armed Forces Flag Observed by the Ministry of Defence. This national day is
Day or Flag Day observed every year on 7th December in India since
India 1949 to remember the sacrifices of soldiers and their
families to safeguard the country.
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December 7, 2019 International Civil Observed by the International Civil Aviation

Aviation Day (ICAD) Organization (ICAO) proclaimed by the United Nations
General Assembly (UNGA). The theme of ICAD for 2019-
2023 is “75 years of connecting the world”.
December 8, 2019 (SAARC) Charter SAARC was established on the 8th of December in 1985
Day by the members of the 7 South Asian Countries
(Maldives, India, Bhutan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh,
and Sri Lanka) Through SAARC charter, with the aim to
promote economic and cultural ties amongst its member
states.
December 9, 2019 Genocide International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the
Convention Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of
this Crime is observed by the United Nations (UN). The
day is observed to raise awareness of the Genocide
Convention and its role in the prevention of the crime of
genocide and to honour its victims. This year marks the
70th anniversary of the Genocide Convention.
December 9, 2019 The International Under the United Nations(UN) resolution (A/RES/58/4).
Anti-Corruption Day On 31 October 2003, the UN General Assembly(UNGA)
adopted the UN Convention against corruption and
requested to designate the UN Office on Drugs and Crime
(UNODC) as secretariat for the Convention’s Conference
of States Parties.
December 1, 2019 Indigenous Faith Donyi Polo Cultural and Charitable trust (DPCCT) of
Day (IFD) Arunachal Pradesh (AP) and IFCSAP (Indigenous Faith
and Cultural Society of AP) celebrated the 20th edition of
Indigenous Faith Day (IFD) at Pasighat, Arunachal
Pradesh. The day is celebrated to preserve the culture
and heritage of AP.
December 10, 2019 Human Rights Day Observed for the empowerment and recognition of
Human Rights across the World, the theme of Human
Rights day 2019 is “Youth Standing Up for Human
Rights”. The day is observed to remember the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) adopted by the
United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
December 11, 2019 UNICEF (United UNICEF was created by the United Nations General
Nations Children's Assembly(UNGA) on December 11, 1946, as the United
Fund) day Nations International Children's Emergency Fund to
provide emergency food, nutrition, education to
children, devastated due to World War II.
December11, 2019 International Observed by the United Nations (UN). The theme of IMD
Mountain Day (IMD) 2019 is “Mountains Matter for Youth”. The day aims to
conserve freshwater obtained from mountains which is
also a part of Goal 15 of the SDGs (Sustainable
Development Goals).
December 12, 2019 The International Under the resolution (A/RES/71/275) by the United
Day of Neutrality Nations (UN).The day was adopted on 2 February 2017,
at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) and first observed
on December 12 of the same year. Neutrality is a legal
96 | P a g e
status of a country which refrains from joining either

side of the conflict and adheres to the principle of the
Law of Neutrality under International Law.
December 12, 2019 The International Under the resolution (A/RES/72/138) by the United
Universal Health Nations (UN). The day was adopted on December 12,
Coverage Day (UHC) 2017 at the UN General Assembly (UNGA). The theme
for the UHC Day 2019 campaign is: "Keep the promise.”
The day aims to provide access to quality and affordable
health care for all.
December 14, 2019 The National Energy Observed by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), under
Conservation Day the Ministry of Power. The day which was first
implemented in 2001, aims to showcase India’s
achievements in energy efficiency and conservation.
Minister of State (IC) for Power, New & Renewable
Energy and Minister of State (MoS) for Skill
Development & Entrepreneurship Shri Raj Kumar Singh
was the chief guest of National Energy Conservation Day
celebrations in New Delhi.
December 15, 2019 International Tea The United Nations (UN) has designated May 21 as
Day International Tea Day after accepting the proposal
moved by India at the FAO (Food and Agriculture
Organization) Intergovernmental Group (IGG) on Tea in
October 2015. Currently, the day is observed every year
on the 15th of December. The day aims to provide
improved conditions for tea producers and workers
and will also promote and encourage actions to be taken
in favour of the sustainable production and consumption
of tea.
December 16, 2019 Vijay Diwas India's victory over Pakistan in 1971 Indo-Pakistan war.
The year 2019 marks the 48th anniversary of the victory
against the war. The martyrs of the war were paid
tributes on this day. Various leaders paid tribute at the
National War Memorial in New Delhi. On this day in
1971, the chief of the Pakistani forces, General Amir
Abdullah Khan Niazi, along with 93000 troops,
surrendered Indian Army and Mukti Bahini led by
Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora in
Dhaka(Bangladesh) after their defeat in the Liberation
war.
December 18, 2019 World Arabic By the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Language Day Cultural Organization (UNESCO) since 2012. The theme
for the year 2019 is “Arabic Language and Artificial
Intelligence (AI)”. UN languages and days: Arabic (18
December), Chinese (12 November), English (23). April),
French (20 March), Russian (6 June) and Spanish (12
October).
December 18, 2019 Minorities Rights The day aims to enlighten people about the problems
Day related to minorities and their safety. It is observed by
the National Commission of Minorities (NCM). On 18th
97 | P a g e
December 1922 the United Nations (UN) promulgated

the “Declaration on the Rights of Persons belonging to
National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities”
that demanded the state government to improve the
conditions of minorities and to spread awareness about
their identity in the national, linguistic, religious, and
cultural backgrounds.
December 18, 2019 International Observed across the world with the aim to raise
Migrants Day (IMD) awareness about the challenges and difficulties that are
faced by international migrants. The theme for the year
2019 "We Together." In 2019, the number of migrants
globally reached an estimated 272 million, 51 million
more than in 2010.
December 20, 2019 International By the United Nations(UN) under the resolution
Human Solidarity (A/RES/60/209). On December 22, 2005, the UN
Day General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed to observe the
solidarity day on December 20, to promote the culture of
solidarity and the spirit of sharing to combat poverty.
December 22, 2019 National Birth anniversary of legendary Indian mathematician
Mathematics Day Srinivasa Ramanujan and his contributions in the field of
mathematics. The former Prime Minister of India, Dr.
Manmohan Singh, on December 22, 2012, paid tribute to
Srinivasa Ramanujan on the occasion of his 125th birth
anniversary (Born Dec 22, 1887) and declared 22nd of
December as National Mathematics Day. The 2019
SASTRA Ramanujan Prize was presented to Adam
Harper of the University of Warwick, England for his
outstanding contributions to probabilistic number
theory.
December 23, 2019 National Farmers Across the Nation to mark the birth anniversary of
Day / Kisan Divas Chaudhary Charan Singh, the 5th Prime Minister (PM) of
India (from July 1979 to January 1980). The day
celebrated every year to raise awareness among people
about the importance of the farmers to the society and
overall economic and social development of the country.
In 2001, the government of India (GoI) has decided to
celebrate National Farmers Day. He followed the slogan
of 2nd Prime Minister of India, Lal Bahadur Shashtri’s ‘Jai
Jawan Jai Kisan’. He framed several policies to improve
the condition of farmers during his tenure.
December 24, 2019 The National The Consumer Protection Act, 1986 received the
Consumer Rights President’s approval on December 24, 1986, which is
Day now replaced by the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. The
main objective of the Consumer Protection Act is to
provide consumers with effective safeguards against
different types of exploitation such as defective goods,
unsatisfactory services and unfair trade practices.
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December 25, 2019 The National Good Since 2014 to create awareness and promote good
Governance Day governance in the country and its citizens. This year, the
(GGD) date December 25th marked the 95th birth anniversary
of former Prime Minister Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Click
here
AC BYTES
33rd National Conference of the All India Induction Furnace Association of India (AIIFA) held
in New Delhi
Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Steel, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan participated in the 33rd
National Conference of the All India Induction Furnace Association of India (AIIFA) on Secondary Steel
Sector in New Delhi. Theme of the Conference was “Most advantageous route of Environment friendly
steel making through Electric Induction Furnace (EIF) and its global acceptance”.
CFSL gets advanced DNA analysis centre in Chandigarh

Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Nityanand Rai, inaugurated a State-of-the-Art DNA (Deoxyribo
nucleic Acid) Analysis Centre at Central Forensic Science Laboratory(CFSL), Chandigarh, which has
been set up under the Nirbhaya Fund scheme, with an allocation of Rs.99.76 crores.
Aayushi Dholakia become the first Indian after 27 years to win the Miss Teen International
2019
A 16-year old Vadodara based Aayushi Dholakia won the crown Miss Teen International 2019 held in
Kingdom of Dreams (Gurugram, Haryana), which is the oldest running teen pageant in the world.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh launches app to assist visitors heading for DefExpo 2020
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched a mobile application named "DEFEXPO 2020", developed by
Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence (MoD), to assist visitors of DefExpo 2020, the
11th edition of biennial mega defence exhibition to be organized in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh from 5th to
8th February 2020.
Tropical Cyclone Sarai lashed Coastal area of Fiji

Tropical Cyclone Sarai has lashed the Pacific island nation Fiji, with 140km/h winds forcing hundreds of
people to evacuate to higher ground ahead of possible flooding.
Airtel Payments Bank enables 24×7 NEFT money transfer

As per the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) new guidelines, Airtel Payments Bank announced its customers
now be able to use the National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) facility at any time of the day.
Afghanishtan’s Mujeeb Ur Rahman becomes the youngest bowler to take 100 T20 wickets
Afghan right arm off break spinner, Mujeeb Ur Rahman has broken his compatriot Rashid Khan’s record
of being the youngest bowler to reach the tally of 100 wickets in T20 cricket.
ISRO planning to launch satellite Aditya to study sun: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his 60th episode of 'Mann ki Baat' programme mentioned that the
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning to launch a satellite called Aditya to study the
sun in 2020.
99 | P a g e
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AWARDS IN THE FIELD OF SPORTS ..........................................................................................................................................................................57

Overview of Cabinet approvals on December 4, 2019

Highlights of Cabinet approvals with foreign countries on December 11, 2019

Overview of cabinet approvals on December 11, 2019

Overview of cabinet approvals with foreign countries on December 24, 2019

Overview of Cabinet approvals on December 24, 2019

SC orders judicial enquiry in Hyderabad Encounter; Panel to be headed by ex-judge VS Sirpurkar

President approved Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019

President approved Arms (Amendment) Bill 2019

President approved Recycling of Ships Bill, 2019

STATE-WISE NATIONAL NEWS

CM Jaganmohan Reddy inaugurated first Virtual Police station at AU in Andhra Pradesh

Assam Govt launches ‘Abhinandan Scheme’ for students

1st Pashu Kisan Credit Cards of India, distributed in Bhiwani, Haryana

Haryana CM Khattar unveiled five e-initiatives, including Lokayukta portal

Jammu and Kashmir

Kerala MLA Thomas Chandy passes away at 72

Kerala Sahitya Akademi Fellowships and Awards 2018 announced in Thrissur

Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi expressway to be named after late Bal Thackeray

Govt of Odisha to set up 45 fast track courts

Odisha: “Jalsathi” initiative launched; “SAMRIDHI” agricultural policy-2020 approved

e-certificate portal and ePAUTI App were launched by Odisha Government

BHEL commissioned India’s 1st lignite-based 500 MW thermal unit in TN

Uttrakhand hosted the 11th Regional Quality Conclave

UP Cabinet gives nod to set up 218 Fast-Track Courts in Uttar Pradesh

LAUNCHES & INAUGURATION

Vice president Venkaiah Naidu launched “Poshan Anthem” in New Delhi

PM Modi & Maldivian President jointly inaugurated 4 key development projects

Principal Scientific Adviser launched “EChO Network” in New Delhi

FM released commemorative stamp on Directorate of Revenue Intelligence

5 documents developed by UGC launched by Union HRD Minister in New Delhi

National outreach programme ‘GeM Samvaad' takes off in 4 States

Madhya Pradesh to host "Namaste Orchha" festival 2020 in Orchha

16th Orange Festival begun in Tamenglong, Manipur

National Tribal Dance Fest 2019 started in Raipur, Chhattisgarh

Losar Festival (Ladakhi New Year) celebrated in UT of Ladakh

OTHER NATIONAL NEWS

Election Commission to implement registration tracking system “PPRTMS”

Prime Minister Modi addressed Ekal Vidyalaya Sangathan in New Delhi

ASI recognizes 138 monuments as 'Must-see monuments': Ministry of Culture

BPR&D organizes 37th National Symposium of Heads of Police Training Institutions

Ministry of coal to establish SDC to promote environmentally sustainable coal mining

Govt extended deadline of Accessible India Campaign to March 2020

External affairs ministry relaxed guidelines for reissuing of OCI card

Govt approved projects worth Rs 7000 cr under Nirbhaya fund

Nagpur Resolution to empower citizens adopted at conference organized by DARPG in Nagpur

India's first university for transgender will open in Kushinagar, UP

India puts signboards in Chinese language at 5 ASI sites in Uttar Pradesh

India to cross 100-GW renewable energy capacity mark in 2020

Rabung bridge in Upper Siang district of AR inaugurated

Railways rename Railway Protection Force as Indian Railway Protection Service

MyGov platform reached 1 crore registered users

MEA included Madagascar & Comoros in Indian Ocean Region Division