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INDIAN AFFAIRS
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.
- India signed 3 agreements with Sweden on Science and Technology, polar science, climate change, and maritime issues.
- Sewage plant at Haridwar’s Sarai village in Uttarakhand inaugurated.
- India & Sweden to set up healthcare centre.
- Sweden to help India in building a climate-neutral smart city in Haryana.
- Rs. 1 lakh crore investment in the infrastructure sector in five years planned….Click here to Read More
India’s top 10 Police Stations for 2019 announced: Andaman tops the list
On 6th December 2019, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has released the list of best performing Police Stations across the country for the year 2019. Aberdeen police station from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Balasinor police station from Gujarat and Ajk Burhanpur from Madhya Pradesh take the 1st, 2nd and 3rd places respectively. The grading system of the police stations comes after the directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the DsGP (State Police Chief) during the 2015 Conference held in Kutch, Gujarat.
Top 5 Police Stations from the list:
| Ranking | Police Station | State |
| 1 | Aberdeen | Andaman and Nicobar Islands |
| 2 | Balasinor | Gujarat |
| 3 | Ajk Burhanpur | Madhya Pradesh |
| 4 | AWPS Theni | Tamil Nadu |
| 5 | Anini | Arunachal Pradesh |
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.
About Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA):
i.The aim of the PM-AASHA scheme is to safeguard the income of farmers by increasing the MSP (Minimum Support Price) of the Kharif crops with the principle of 1.5 times the cost of production. The scheme includes three main sections the Price Support Scheme (PSS), the Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS) and the Pilot of Private Procurement and Stocklist Scheme (PPPS)
ii.For oil seeds the scheme will be implemented under Private Procurement Stocklist Scheme (PPSS) in the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) of the pilot districts. The scheme also involves the participation of private sectors and the selected APMC(s) will cover one or more type of oilseeds for which the MSP has been notified. Since the notified commodity involves physical procurement the PSS and PDPS will also be involved as substitutes….Click here to Read More
15th Finance commission headed by N K Singh submits its 1st report for the FY 2020-21 to President Ram Nath Kovind
On December 5, 2019, The 15th Finance Commission headed by economist & former Indian Administrative Service officer (IAS) Shri Nand Kishore (NK) Singh and its members S/Shri Ajay Narayan Jha, Ashok Lahiri, Ramesh Chand, Anoop Singh and Secretary Shri Arvind Mehta has submitted its report for the financial year (FY) 2020-21 to President Ram Nath Kovind.
The Commission sets the formula for sharing of tax and other resources between the Center and the States.
i.President of India constituted the 15th Finance Commission on 27 November 2017 under Article 280 of the Constitution.
ii.On 27 November,2019, the government had issued a notification to give the first report for the financial year 2020-21 by 30 November 2019…Click here to Read More
Centre approves 7 projects to set up FM transmitters in the premises of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB)
On December 6, 2019, 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.
Key Points:
i.These 7 projects will set up in Bihar (Bathnaha village of Araria district, Narkatiaganj town in West Champaran district, and Sitamarhi district), Uttar Pradesh-UP (Gadaniya village in Lakhimpur Kheri district , Nanpara town in Bahraich district ,and Maharajganj district) , Uttarakhand (Champawat district).
About Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB):
Founded– 1963
Headquarters– New Delhi
Motto– Service, Security and Brotherhood
It is one of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in India and is currently under administrative control of Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Prior to 2001, SSB was known as Special Service Bureau (SSB).
About Indo-Nepal border:
It is a 1,758 km long open international border running between India and Nepal.It also includes the Himalayan territories as well as Indo-Gangetic Plain.
Jal shakti minister Gajendra singh addresses 4th India water impact summit 2019 held in New Delhi
The Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has addressed the 4th India Water Impact Summit 2019 with the theme “Valuing Water | Transforming Ganga” held with the focus on integrated water resources management in urban and rural areas at the Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi from 5-7 December 2019. On this occasion, Shekhawat also released the report on River Restoration and Conservation – A Concise Manual and Guide, and Documents on “cGanga Hubs”.
Key Points:
i.The summit was organized by Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India (GoI) and the Centre for Ganga River Basin Management and Studies (cGanga) led by IIT Kanpur.
ii.The summit hosted the 2nd Water Finance Forum that aims to gathers the global financial institutions and investors on investing in the rejuvenation of the largest environmental programme.
iii.As per Shekhawat recently, a massive 34-day journey river rafting expedition covered around 2,500 km length called ‘Ganga Aamantran Abhiyan’ was launched from Devprayag on 10th October, 2019 till Ganga Sagar in West Bengal.
India holds only about 4% of global freshwater compared to around 18% of its population and an equivalent percentage of livestock population & Urban population in India growing at a rapid pace as by 2030, urban India is likely to have about 600 million people.
iv.The summit focused to achieve the government’s goal to provide water to every household in the next 5 years & to create new methods and innovative ideas for the significant policy and behavioral shift in managing water resources.
v.Shri Rajiv RanjanMishra, Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), Prof.Vinod Tare, founding head c-Ganga were also present during the event.
Ministry of Jal Shakti:
Founded– September 1985
Headquarters– New Delhi
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
7th OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting held in Vienna, Austria
On December 6, 2019 the 7th edition of the OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting was held in Vienna, Austria. The meeting was held under the Co-Chairmanship of OPEC’s President, Manuel Salvador Quevedo Fernandez, People’s Minister of Petroleum of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, and Alexander Novak, Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation.
Cut in oil production: During the meeting, the oil producing countries decided to cut oil production by 500,000 barrels per day with effect from January 1, 2020. This has been done to stem the pressure on prices from abundant reserves and weak global economic growth.
Key Points:
i.The oil producers from various countries discussed to work on a new agreement for oil production as the existing deal will expire at the end of March 2020.
ii.The reduction in oil production by 5lakhs would bring production 1.7 million barrels per day below October 2018 level. It will lead to an overall production cut to 2.1 million barrels per day.
About OPEC:
Headquarters- Vienna, Austria; Members- 14 (Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Libya, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Algeria, Nigeria, Ecuador, Angola, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and Congo.)
Founded- September 1960.
About Austria:
Capital- Vienna.
Currency- Euro.
President- Alexander Van der Bellen.
BANKING & FINANCE
Canada’s CPPIB commits to invest up to $600 million in National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) of India
On December 5, 2019, 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.
Key Points:
i.Other investors such as Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Australia’s largest superannuation fund- AustralianSuper, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, Temasek, Axis Bank HDFC (Housing Development Finance Corporation )Group, ICICI(Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India) Bank and Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance, central Government have also committed to invest in NIIF Master Fund.
ii.With this investment, NIIF Master Fund has become one of the largest infrastructure funds in India & has $2.1 billion in commitments which invests in sectors such as energy, transport and urban infrastructure.
iii.The co-investment rights of NIIF Master Fund investors in this agreement has been pegged at $3 billion .This will help to increase the investments in India’s large infrastructure requirements to a new scale.
iv.In April 2019, NIIF partnered with ROADIS, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the PSP (Public Sector Pension) Investments launched a platform that will invest $2 billion in road projects in India .
About NIIF:
MD & CEO– Sujoy Bose
Headquarters– Mumbai,Maharashtra
It was India’s first sovereign wealth fund established in February 2015, with the objective of promoting investment in the infrastructure sector in India.This will also boost the economic development of the country. It manages over $4 billion of capital commitments across three funds.
About Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB):
Founded– December 31, 1997
Headquarters– Ontario, Canada
President & CEO– Mark Machin
NEFT transaction facility to be available 24×7 for customers from December, 16, 2019: RBI
On December 7, 2019, 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).
Key Points:
i.Under the current system, funds can be transferred through NEFT from 8 am to 7 pm from Monday to Friday (except on Holidays). On the 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month, NEFT can be done from 8 am to 1 pm in the afternoon….Click here to Read More
RBI tightens norms for acquisition of financial assets by ARCs from sponsors and lenders
On December 6, 2019, 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.
Key Points:
i.However, RBI allowed ARCs to participate in auctions of the financial assets, that should be conducted in a transparent manner, on arm’s length basis and the prices are set by market forces only….Click here to Read More
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATION
Girish Chandra Chaturvedi appointed as chairman of National Stock Exchange
On December 6, 2019, India’s leading stock exchange the National Stock 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. Chaturvedi replaced Ashok Chawla, who resigned as a chairman in January 2019.
Key Points:
i.Shri Chaturvedi who is a retired IAS (Indian Administrative Service) officer has previously served as Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoP&NG).
ii.He also serves as a non-executive chairman of the ICICI (Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India) Bank.
About National Stock Exchange(NSE):
Founded- 1992.
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Managing Director(MD) & Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- Vikram Limaye.
SPORTS
Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki, former World No.1 Tennis Player announced her retirement at 29
On 6th December 2019, 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.
Key Points:
i.Caroline turned a professional tennis player in the age of 15 in the year 2005, she was in the top of the WTA rankings for 71 weeks, after which she became the world’s best player in October 2010, she has won 30 WTA titles including the 2017 Tour Finals in Singapore and finished 11 straight seasons in the world top 20, she is currently in 37th place after her poor form in 2019.
About WTA (Women’s Tennis Association):
Founded- June 1973
Headquarters- St. Petersburg, Florida, United States
President- Micky Lawler
CEO (Chief Executive Officer)- Steve Simon
OBITUARY
Ex table tennis coaches, Bhawani Mukherji and Tapan Bose died at 68 & 78 respectively
On 6th December 2019, Bhawani Mukherji, former Table Tennis (TT) head coach dies at 68 in Zirakpur, Chandigarh after suffering from a stomach ailment. While Tapan Bose, 78, suffered a heart attack at his residence in Chandigarh. Bhawani Mukherji was the first person to receive the Dronacharya Award in TT in the year 2012.
It is to be noted that Mukhe0rji served as an assistant to Bose before taking over the reign as head coach at the National Institute of Sports (NIS), Patiala after the latter’s retirement in 1974.
Key Points:
i.Bhawani Mukherji became the head coach of National team after the 2010 Commonwealth Games, he has assisted Indian paddlers, Soumyajit Ghosh and Ankita Das in the London Olympics. He retired from Sports Authority of India (SAI) after serving for 34 years in the Table Tennis field.
ii.Bose, who led the Uttar Pradesh team in nationals, the state champion in the seventies. Bose belonged to Lucknow Bengali Club. He was also the national coach.
About Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI):
Formed- 1926
Headquarters- New Delhi
President- Dushyant Chautala
Tony & Emmy award-winning American actor Ron Leibman passes away at the age of 82
On December 7, 2019, American actor Ron Leibman, who won a Tony Award in 1993 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. He was 82.
i.Born on October 11, 1937in New York City of U.S.(United States), Leibman was best known for playing Dr. Leonard Green, the father of Jennifer Aniston’s Rachel Green, on TV’s Friends.
iii.In his long career of 6 decades, Ron has appeared in a variety of dramas and comic roles. He received Drama Desk Awards for his work in‘We Bombed in New Haven’ & ‘Transfers ‘ between 1969 and 1970.
IMPORTANT DAYS
International Civil Aviation Day (ICAD) observed on 7th December 2019
On 7th December 2019, the International Civil Aviation Day (ICAD) is observed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The theme of ICAD for 2019-2023 is “75 years of connecting the world”. The theme of ICAD is valid for a 5-year term coinciding with the anniversary of ICAO (2014/2019/2024/2029/etc.). After the completion of the term, a new theme will be declared by the ICAO for the next four-year intervening period.
Key Points:
i.ICAD is observed since 7 December 1994 to mark the 50th anniversary of the signing of the 1994 Convention on International Civil Aviation. ICAD is observed to acknowledge the significance of aviation, mainly the International Air Travel, and also to create awareness about the significance of International Civil Aviation and its role in the economic and social development of aviation around the world.
About International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO):
Formation- 4 April 1947
Headquarters- Montreal, Canada
Head- Secretary-General, Fang Liu
Parent Organization- United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
Armed Forces Flag Day observed on 7 December 2019
On 7th December 2019, Armed Forces Flag Day or Flag Day India is observed by the Ministry of Defence. This national day is observed every year on 7th December in India since 1949 to remember the sacrifices of soldiers and their families to safeguard the country.
Key Points:
i.Narendra Modi, Prime Minister (PM) of India extended his appreciation to the armed forces on the occasion of the Armed Forces Flag Day.
ii.Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister of India addressed the Armed Forces Flag Day-CSR Conclave on 2nd December 2019 in New Delhi. The day was observed to encourage contribution to the corpus of the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare (Poorva Senani Kalyan Vibhag), Ministry of Defence.
About Ministry of Defence:
Founded- 15 August 1947
Headquarters- New Delhi
Ministers- Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman
STATE NEWS
CM Amarinder Singh launched Enable Startup Track Acceleration (ESTAC) program in Punjab
On 6th December 2019, 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.
Key Points:
i.ESTAC is a startup program started by the partnership between the State Government and the AIC (Atal Incubation Centre) Indian School of Business, Mohali. The goal of the program is to support the technology-led, scalable and investible growth stage startups in the areas of government and private sectors.
ii.The first series of the startup program focuses on agricultural startups and the next series will focus on innovation in agriculture, e-mobility, procurement of crops and electric metering. 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.
About Punjab:
Capital- Chandigarh
Governor- V.P. Singh Badnore
Chief Minister (CM)- Amarinder Singh
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