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Current Affairs December 10 2019

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We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 10 December 2019, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2019 events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Standard and all Government official websites.

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Click here for Current Affairs December 8 & 9 2019Current Affairs Today December 10 2019

INDIAN AFFAIRS

Parliament passed The Recycling of Ships Bill 2019
On December 9, 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 bill feature in detail are as follows:
The Recycling of Ships Bill 2019:
i.The already existing Shipbreaking Code (revised),2013 and the provisions of the Hong Kong Convention, 2009 will be dovetailed (joined together) in this Bill.
ii.The bill is expected to bring reaching effects in Indian Ship Recycling industry. It would ensure environment friendly recycling process of ships and adequate safety of the workers in the shipyard. The bill is mainly focused with the workers’ safety concerns….Click here to Read More

3 more airports in Odisha included in UDAN scheme
On December 7, 2019, 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).
Ministry of Civil Aviation launches 4th Phase of UDAN scheme
On December 3, 2019, Ministry of Civil Aviation(MCA), Government of India (GoI) has launched the 4th phase of regional connectivity scheme UDAN (4.0)to connect small and medium cities to the air network.
This phase will focus areas like NER(North East Region), Hilly States, Jammu and Kashmir( J&K), Ladakh and Islands….Click here to Read More

Govt amends Investor education & protection fund rules 2016 to simplify refund of claims
On December 9, 2019, 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).
Key Points:
i.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.
About IEPFA:
It has been established with the aim of promoting investor education, protection and also to make refund of claims to the investors as per provision of Section 125 of the Companies Act, 2013.
Over 35,000 Investor Awareness Programmes (IAPs) have been organised during the last 3 years in rural and urban areas in India through the Professional Institutes under MCA and Common Service Centers (CSCs) e-Governance Services India Limited.
About Ministry of Corporate Affairs:
Headquarters
– New Delhi
Minister responsible– Nirmala Sitharaman
Secretary– Shri Injeti Srinivas

Prime Minister Modi addressed Ekal Vidyalaya Sangathan in New Delhi Prime Minister addresses Ekal Vidyalaya SangathanOn December 6, 2019 the 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.  The key speeches during the meeting are as follows:
Key Speeches & Highlights:

  • PM Modi announced to set up 400 new ‘Eklavya Model residential schools‘ by 2022 across the country, so as to ensure that children in tribal areas are not deprived of quality education.
  • The sangathan(organisation) volunteers were appreciated for their role for creating awareness on education to more than 2.8 million rural and tribal children residing in the remotest locations across India and Nepal.
  • The sangathan has crossed 1 lakhs schools across India. The Ekal abhiyan trust was also awarded with the Gandhi Peace Prize in 2017 due to its commitment towards social service and for being an inspiration and role model for the whole country….Click here to Read More

Defence ministry launched massive campaign against single-use plastic in New Delhi
On December 7, 2019 the 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’.
Key Points:
i.All the 3 service of the indian armed forces which are Indian Navy, Air Force and Army along with other defence establishments indulged in huge plugging programme in more than 400 locations throughout the country….Click here to Read More

Only Aadhar linked bank accounts to get PM-Kisan payments: Agriculture department
On December 9, 2019, 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.
i.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.
ii.As on November 30, 2019 the government has disbursed Rs. 36,000 crores under PM-KISAN….Click here to Read More

20th edition of GeoSmart India Conference 2019 in Hyderabad, Telangana
20th edition of GeoSmart India conference 2019, was held in Hyderabad, Telangana from December 3-5, 2019.  It was the largest 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”.
NMCG conferred with Leadership in Rejuvenation and Protection of Fresh Water Systems in India award:
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 held at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre(HICC) in Hyderabad, Telangana. The award was given to NMCG for its transformative initiatives in the water sector.
Key Points:
i.Namami Gange Pavilion at conference: NMCG has set up the Namami Gange Pavilion at the conference, inaugurated by Executive Director (Technical) of NMCG, DP Mathuria. He also chaired the plenary session panel discussion at the GeoSmart India Conference, on the topic ‘Vision New India’.
ii.River cleaning work by NMCG: The NMCG is recognised as India’s leading initiative in using geospatial technologies for its river cleaning work. It also regulates the proposed protected and regulatory zone along the banks of river and monitors pollu-organisation using cutting edge technologies like LiDAR to attain high-resolution maps and data for the entire Ganga river basin.

  • The NMCG has built key platforms and solutions needed to support a robust resources management system.
  • The NMCG also strives to achieve GIS (Geographic Information System) mapping of the entire Ganga river basin for effective execution and decision-making.
  • Current GIS project: GIS Project on ‘Generation of high-resolution DEM and GIS-ready database for part of River Ganga for NMCG’ is currently being executed by Survey of India(SoI), Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
  • The datasets of GIS would provide major support to Ganga river basin management by embedding GIS in different aspects of planning and implementation at National/State/Local level.

iii.NRSC support to NMCG: Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO), National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), supports NMCG in using geospatial technology for various activities to achieve the objective of monitoring of pollution in river Ganga.
iv.Lidar: Lidar is a surveying method that measures distance to a target by illuminating the target with laser light and measuring the reflected light with a sensor. Lidar is sometimes called 3D laser scanning.
About National Mission for Clean Ganga(NMCG):
Registered year- 12th August 2011
Act- Societies Registration Act 1860.
Director General- Shri Rajiv Ranjan Mishra.
Agency responsible- Ministry of Jal Shakthi.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

UNDP 2019 human development index: India ranked 129th & Norway topped the list
On December 8, 2019, the United Nations Development Programme(UNDP) released its report titled “Human Development Report 2019– Beyond income, beyond averages, beyond today: Inequalities in human development in the 21st century”. The report was based on the human development of a changing world. As per the report India ranked 129th out of 189 countries in the list which is up by 1 rank of 130 from 2017. The list was topped by Norway. The report in detail are as follows:
Report on India:
i.27.1 crore people in India were lifted out of poverty from 2005-06 to 2015-16. The improvement was due to reduction in poverty along with improvement in life expectancy, education and access to healthcare.

  • According to HDI (Human Development Index), no other region experienced such rapid development progress. However, Despite India’s significant progress, it accounts for 28% of the total 1.3 billion multidimensional poor….Click here to Read More

SIPRI’s Arms Industry Database report: global arms sales up by 4.6%; India ranked 10th and US topped 
On December 9, 2019 the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released a report on worldwide arms sales titled “The SIPRI Top 100 Arms Producing and Military Services Companies, 2018”. As per the report, arms sales rose up by 4.6% in 2018. India ranked 10th in the overall country ranking while, United States(US) topped the list. The report in detail are as follows:
Key Points:
i.3 Indian defence companies (all state-owned) were ranked in the top 100 list. They were

  • Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)- rank 38
  • Indian Ordnance Factories-  rank 56 and
  • Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL)- rank 62.

ii.The world’s largest arms maker remains the U.S. firm Lockheed Martin, since 2009. It ranked 1st in the list with turnover of $47.3 billion….Click here to Read More

India has the 2nd -highest population of unvaccinated children for measles in 2018, Nigeria tops: MMWR report
On December 6, 2019, According to the joint report of World Health Organization(WHO) and UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), India has the 2nd highest number of children who are not vaccinated against measles with 2.3 million in 2018 (2.9 million in 2017) . Nigeria,an African country tops the list with 2.4 million unvaccinated children (4 million unvaccinated children in 2017).
i.As per the report, Globally in 2018, there were at least 10 million cases of measles and 140,000 deaths. The major casualties from measles are children under the age of 5.
ii. Despite being preventable by two doses of vaccination, which is part of India’s routine immunisation programme, there were nearly 70,000 cases of measles reported in India in 2018….Click here to Read More

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) inks MoU with Suadi ARAMCO for development in oil & gas sectors
On December 9, 2019, 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.
i.The MoU was signed by Sh. P. Udayakumar, Director (P&M) from NSIC and Mr. Mohammed Al Mughirah, President, Aramco Asia….Click here to Read More

Stock exchange major NSE launches interest rate options on 10-year government bonds
On December 9, 2019, 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 %.
Key Points:
i.
At present, the interest rate options are available on 7 government bonds for a maturity period ranging from 4 years -15 years.
ii.The unit of trading is Rs 2 lakh face value of government bonds, corresponding to 2,000 units. European Call & Put Options with minimum 8 in-the-money, 8 out-of-the-money and 1 near-the-money strike prices and a strike interval of Rs 0.25 are the options contracts available on NSE.
iii.The contracts are available for 3 Serial months followed by 3 quarterly contracts of the cycle March/June/September/December.
About NSE:
Headquarters
– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Founded– 1992
Chairman– Girish Chandra Chaturvedi
MD & CEO– Vikram Limaye.
It witnessed turnover of 5,926 contracts with the first day of the launch on December 9, 2019.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS      

WTA 2019 selects Abu Dhabi as World’s Leading Sports Tourism Destinationworld’s leading sports tourism destinationOn 10th December 2019, Abu Dhabi, capital of UAE (United Arab Emirates) has been selected as the World’s Leading Sports Tourism Destination by the 26th Edition of the World Travel Awards (WTA) 2019 held in Muscat, Oman. Abu Dhabi has been selected for the award for the 7th time in a row.
Key Points:

i.Abu Dhabi has also been selected as the West Asia’s Leading Business Tourism Destination at the West Asia edition of WTA and Best City Break at the UK’s (United Kingdom) Selling Travel Agents’ Choice Awards. It became the top destination of sports tourism after hosting the FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) Club World Cup 2017 and 2018 the UAE (United Arab Emirates) Tour, the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Asian Cup 2019, the Special Olympics World Games 2019, the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) 242 showdown and the Brazil vs South Korea international friendly match.
ii.It is set to host the FINA (International Swimming Federation) Short Course World Championship in 2020.
iii. Sports Tourism has been marked as one of the fastest-growing sectors of tourism all over the world by the United Nations World Travel Organization (UNWTO).
About World Travel Awards (WTA):
Country- United Kingdom (UK)
Location- Berkeley Square House, UK
First Awarded- 1993

Right Livelihood Award 2019 honours activists Davi Kopenawa, Greta Thunberg, Guo Jianmei and Aminatou HaidarRight Livelihood Award 2019On December 4, 2019, Activists Davi Kopenawa, Greta Thunberg, Guo Jianmei and Aminatou Haidar received the Right Livelihood Award 2019, also known as the ‘Alternative Nobel Prize’. The award ceremony took place in Stockholm, Sweden at the end of a Final event of ten day-long programs held in Germany, Switzerland, and Sweden.
Key Points:

i.Davi Kopenawa Yanomami from Brazil also called the ‘Dalai Lama of the Rainforest’ received the award for his effort taken in the protection of the Amazon Rainforest, he has led a 20-year campaign to protect their amazon territory and has always fought for the people of Yanomami and Yakwana and the Yanomami territory in Venezuela, which is the largest area of rainforest in the world under the control of indigenous people in Spite of receiving threat from gold miners and politicians.
ii.Guo Jianmei, a lawyer from China has been honoured with the award for her efforts taken in protecting Women’s rights in China, and for helping in the establishment of new laws against domestic violence in her country.
iii.Aminatou Haidar, from Western Sahara, a Human Rights Activist for fighting to attain justice and self-determination for the people of Western Sahara in a campaign for more than 30 years, she is also known as the ‘Gandhi of Western Sahara’. Greta Thunberg, from Sweden, a climate activist was selected for inspiring “Fridays for Future”, a global youth-led movement protesting climate change.
iv.The Right Livelihood Award is awarded to honour people who have answered the urgent challenges faced by today’s world. The prize was established in the year 1980 and is presented annually in early December. The prize money is 2,00,000 Euros which is shared among the four winners. The award is also called as the ‘Alternative Nobel Prize’ but it does not have any ties with the organization awarding the Nobel prize nor it is similar to the Nobel prize in any way.
About Sweden:
Capital- Stockholm
Monarch- Carl XVI Gustaf
Prime Minister- Stefan Löfven

  APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATION  

V Viswanathan appointed as additional director of Dhanlaxmi Bank
On December 9, 2019,The Board of Directors of Dhanlaxmi Bank, an old private sector bank headquartered in Thrissur City of Kerala, has appointed V Viswanathan as an Additional Director of the bank with effect from December 09, 2019.He will hold the post up to the date of the next Annual General Meeting.
Key Points:
i.Priorly, Viswanathan served as the Chief General Manager (Retail Banking) of State Bank of Hyderabad (SBH).
ii.Recently on October 30, 2019, T Latha had resigned as MD & CEO and Director of Dhanlaxmi Bank due to personal reasons.The Board has accepted her resignation with effect from October 31, 2019.
About Dhanlaxmi Bank:
Founded
– 1927
Chairman (Part-time)– Mr. Sajeev Krishnan
Tagline– Tann. Mann. Dhan

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

NASA satellite found India’s Chandrayaan-2 Moon lander Vikram on lunar surface
On December 2,2019 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.
Key Points:
i.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 and the first piece of the debris found about 750 metres northwest of the main crash site. NASA credited Subramanian for his findings.
ii.The debris parts are scattered over almost 2 dozen locations spanning several kilometers.
About National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA):
Founded- 29 July 1958.
Founder- Dwight D. Eisenhower
Headquarters- Washington, D.C., United States(US).
Administrator- Jim Bridenstine (born as James Frederick Bridenstine).

SPORTS

WADA Executive Committee bans Russia for 4 years from Olympics and World Championships
On 9th December 2019, WADA’s (World Anti-Doping Agency) Executive 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 the Russian anti-doping agency (RUSADA) which was reinstated in the year 2018.
Key Points:
i.Russia has been banned from 2020 Summer Olympics to be held in Tokyo, Japan, 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China, and Major International Competition like 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Youth Olympic Games, Paralympics, World Championships and other games subject to the Anti-Doping Code. Similar to the case of Winter Olympics 2018 held in PyeongChang, South Korea
ii.In the Winter Olympics 2018, 168 Russian Athletes participated as ‘Olympic Athletes from Russia’. Russians who have not been incriminated in Russia’s State-sponsored doping scheme will be allowed to participate in the Tokyo and Beijing games to be held in 2020.
iii.The country will also be banned from hosting matches in the UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) Euro Football Championships and to host any major championships during the four year ban which extends to include the 2032 Olympics.
iv.The Russian Government Officials and Representatives have also been banned from attending major events or from serving as the board members of any organization that has signed the anti-doping code.
About Russia:
Capital- Moscow
President- Vladimir Putin
Prime Minister- Dmitry Medvedev

Wasim Jaffer, (41) from Maharashtra becomes the first Indian Cricketer to play 150 Ranji MatchesWasim JafferOn 9th December 2019, 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.
Key Points:

i.Jaffer has played 253 First-Class games with a score of 19,147 runs and an average of 51.19, he has scored 57 hundred’s, 88 fifties and with a high score of 314 runs. He has represented India in 31 test matches between 2000-2008 with a score of 1944 runs including 5 hundred’s and 11 fifties, and a high score of 212 in a match played against West Indies at St. John’s. He has also played 2 ODI (One Day International) for India.
About Ranji Trophy:
Named after- Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji
Format- First-class cricket (Domestic)
First edition- 1934( Initiation took place between 1934-1935)
Current champion- Vidarbha, Maharashtra(2nd title)

OBITUARY

Inventor of the bar code, George Laurer passed away at the age of 94GeorgeLaurer_IHOF_WhiteSymposiumOn December 9, 2019, the inventor of Universal Product Code(UPC) or Barcode, George Joseph Laurer, passed away at the age of 94 due to old age ailments in Wendell, North Carolina in the US (United States). His barcode invention in 1973 at IBM (International Business Machines) corporation, transformed the retail industries as well as other industries across the world.
Key Points:

i.Born in September 23, 1925 in New York, US, Laurer worked as an electrical engineer with IBM in North Carolina’s research triangle park in the early 1970s. It is where he founded the UPC or bar code.
ii.Barcode: It is a ubiquitous marking, composed of unique black bars and a 12-digit number, that allows retailers to identify products by means of scanning the code.
About United States(US):
Capital- Washington, D.C.
Currency- US dollar.
President- Donald Trump.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Abanindranath Tagore’s Book ‘Nalak’, translated to English by Urbi Bhaduri
On 8th December 2019, Abanindranath Tagore’s Book ‘Nalak’ featuring 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.
Key Points:
i.Rabindranath Tagore’s nephew, Abanindranath Tagore was born in Kolkata, West Bengal and was a famous artist of India well known for his painting and writing, he was also the principal innovator of the Bengal school of art. Some of his famous works in Bengali Children’s literature were Rajkahini, Budo Angla, Nalak, and Khirer Putul.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Human Rights Day observed on 10 December 2019human-rights-dayOn 10th December 2019, the Human Rights Day is 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) on 10 December 1948. A campaign “Stand Up for Human rights” was also held by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
Key Points:

i.The goal of Human Rights Day 2019 is to spotlight the participation of youth in the development of the society to attain political, economic and social transformation and to acknowledge and claim their rights to generate global benefits.
About United Nations(UN):
Headquarters- New York, United States (US)
Founded- 24 October 1945
Secretary-General- Antonio Guterres

DPCCT and IFCSAP celebrated Indigenous Faith Day in Arunachal Pradesh on December 1, 2019
On December 1, 2019, Donyi Polo Cultural and Charitable trust (DPCCT) of 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.
Key Points:
i.The day is celebrated to preserve the culture and heritage of AP. The celebration was honoured by Buddha guru seventh Kyabje Yongzin Ling Rinpoche from Himachal Pradesh Dharamsala, Ven Dr Dhammapiya, Secretary-General of International Buddhist Confederation and Pema Khandu, Chief Minister (CM) of AP. Talom Rukbo is the pioneer of the indigenous faith movement.
About Arunachal Pradesh (AP):
Capital- Itanagar
Governor- B. D. Mishra
Chief Minister- Pema Khandu

STATE NEWS

UP Cabinet gives nod to set up 218 Fast-Track Courts
On 9th December 2019, 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.
Key Points:
i. In this regard, 218 posts of additional session judges have been formed for the newly formed fast-track courts. The estimated expenditure is Rs. 75 lakhs for each court while the total expenditure is expected at Rs 1,635 crore. 60% of the total cost will be borne by the Central Government and 40% by the State Government.
ii.These special courts will be part of the total 1,023 Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) which were proposed to be set up under the POCSO Amendment Act 2019. It is an initiative of the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development to expedite trials of rape cases.
About Uttar Pradesh (UP):
Capital- Lucknow
Governor- Anandiben Patel
Chief Minister- Yogi Adityanath

Himachal Pradesh cabinet gives nod to sell water of Yamuna
On December 3, 2019, 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.
Key Points:
i.
The Cabinet also decided to fill 3,636 posts of JBT(Junior Basic Training), classical and vernacular (C&V) and TGT teacher in the elementary education department. As per the Recruitment and Promotion Rules,2003, these posts will be filled up on contract basis.
ii.In addition, the Cabinet approved the draft MoU for the development of greenfield airport at Nagchala near Mandi between the state government and the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
iii.For the purpose of setting up a cement plant in Shimla in HP, the Cabinet also gave its assent to a letter of intent (LoI) for 3 years in favour of M/S Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Limited to extract limestone and shale minerals.
Yamuna river:
It is the longest tributary in India. It originates from the Yamunotri Glacier. It is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges. The rivers cross several states namely Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh(HP), Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh (UP).
About Himachal Pradesh:
Capital
– Shimla
Governor– Bandaru Dattatreya
National Parks– Great Himalayan National Park , Pin Valley National Park, Inderkilla National Park ,Khirganga National Park ,Simbalbara National Park.

Lt Governor Girish Chandra Murmu inaugurated 72-metre all-weather bridge in Rajouri in J&K
On December 9, 2019, 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.
Key Points:
i.This bridge will facilitate all weather and speedy movement of Army troops as well as locals thus it will also lead to socio-economic development of Rajouri district.
ii.Members present: General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Northern Command Lt Gen Ranbir Singh; General Officer Commanding of the 16 Corps Lt Gen Harsha Gupta;Chief engineer of Project Sampark Brigadier Y K Ahuja and divisional commissioner of  Jammu etc were also present during the occasion.
About Border Roads Organisation:
Founded- 7 May 1960
Founder- Jawaharlal Nehru.
Headquarters- New Delhi
Director General(DG)- Lt. Gen.Harpal Singh.
Motto- Everything is achievable through hard work.

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