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INDIAN AFFAIRS
Indian Embassy signed pact to reconstruct Nepal’s 11 heritage sites under INTACH
On December 12, 2019, the 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.
Agreement signing: 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.
Key Points:
i.INTACH: INTACH is one of the largest heritage organizations of the world and has 190 chapters across India. It was awarded a special consultative status for the United Nations(UN) Economic and Social Council(ECOSOC) in 2007.
- Functions: INTACH will provide project management assistance in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur and Solukhumbhu districts of Nepal. It will work with Nepal’s Department of Archeology(DoA), Civil Aviation to reconstruct/ conserve Cultural Heritage sites as per the Nepal govt’s guidelines.
About Nepal:
Capital- Kathmandu.
Currency- Nepalese rupees.
Prime minister- Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli.
President- Bidhya Devi Bhandari.
Indian Ambassador to Nepal- Manjeev Singh Puri.
President approved Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019
On December 12, 2019 the President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind approved the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019. After his assent, the bill comes to be known as 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 naturalization from 11 years to 5 years for these migrants.
- The act will not be applicable to tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura as included in the sixth schedule of the Constitution and States of Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland and Maniour that are protected by the Inner Line Permit (ILP)….Click here to Read More
36th International Geological Congress 2020: To be hosted by India in New Delhi
India is to host the 36th International Geological Congress (IGC) in New Delhi on the first week of March 2020 (2-8 March 2020). The theme of the conference is ‘Geosciences: The Basic Science for Sustainable Development’. The event is to be organized by the Ministry of Mines.
- As an initiative of the event a half-day interactive workshop was held in New Delhi. The event was inaugurated by M. Rajeevan, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences and Anil Kumar Jain, Secretary Coal & Mines.
- India is the only Asian country that is to host the IGC for the second time, it hosted the 22nd IGC for the first time in 1964, the event was inaugurated by the then President of India Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan….Click here to Read More
7th Economic Census: India’s 1st digital census launched in New Delhi
On December 13, 2019 7th edition of the Economic Census was launched in New Delhi. To carry out the economic census, the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation (MoSPI) tied up with Common Service Centres Network (CSCN). CSC is an SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle) under the Ministry of Electronics and IT(MeitY). It is for the first time the census is being conducted in a digital platform named ICT (Information and Communication Technology).
- Delhi is the 26th state where the survey has been launched. The survey process is already on in 20 states and 5 UTs (Union Territories).
- ICT: The digital platform ICT which is used for the first time will provide high accuracy and data security. The ICT is being used for data capture, validation, report generation and dissemination. It will also help in faster analysis of the data….Click here to Read More
Vice Prez Venkaiah Naidu inaugurates FICCI ARISE conference 2019 in New Delhi
On December 9, 2019, Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has inaugurated the 2-day FICCI ARISE Conference 2019 based on the theme ‘Future Ready Learners and Schools’ held at Dr. Ambedkar International center in New Delhi. 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.
Key Points:
i.A number of special sessions & open discussions on macro policy issues were held with the focus on preparing students for an exponential change in knowledge, skills and abilities that will be required in the next 10-15 years .
ii.The conference saw the participation of over 700 delegates including state and central government officials, regulators, prominent educators, think tanks, consulting firms and institutions from across India and the world.
iii.Shri Sandip Somany, President of FICCI, Shri Naga Prasad Tummala, Chairman, FICCI ARISE & Chairman, People Combine Initiatives, Shri Prabhat Jain, Founding Chairman, FICCI ARISE were also present during the event.
About FICCI:
Formation– 1927
Headquarters– New Delhi
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
NAVIC satellites of India to join allied system of USA
On December 11, 2019, 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.
Key Points:
i.At the same time, it has designated Russia’ GLONASS and Chinese Beidou as a “non-allied system”. This means the US satellite navigation system of GPS (Global Positioning System) will not co-operate or exchange data with these two satellite navigation systems.
ii.The designation given to NAVIC is part of the American effort to develop a prototype program for multi-global navigation satellite system receiver development.
About NavIC :
It is also known as Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) developed by ISRO. It is a constellation of total 7 satellite distributed in geostationary and geosynchronous orbits to cover the whole of the subcontinent and a distance of 1,500km from the Indian border.
The main objective of IRNSS is to provide reliable position, navigation and timing services over India and its neighbourhood.
Highlights of 25th UN Climate Change Conference held in Madrid, Spain
The 25th United Nations(UN) Climate Change Conference held in Madrid, Spain from December 2-13, 2019. The conference featured 25th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 25) to the United Nations Framework Convention to Combat Climate Change (UNFCCC). The highlights of the conference are as follows:
- India ranked 9th among countries in CCPI with higher 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.
- IREDA to Create a Green Window for Green Energy Finance…Click here to Read More
India, Bangladesh, Nepal contributes global progress in infant birth registration: UNICEF report
On December 11, 2019, According to the new report, ‘Birth Registration for Every Child by 2030: Are we on track?’ released by UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund), the number of childbirth registrations has increased significantly over the past decade & 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.
i.As per the report,the proportion of infants under the age of 5 registered globally is around 20 % of the last 10 years. This figure has increased from 63 % to 75%.
ii.India’s registration: The number of registered children increased from 41 % in 2005–2006 to 80 % in India….Click here to Read More
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Edelweiss AMC launches India’s 1st corporate bond called ‘Bharat Bond ETF’
On December 12, 2019, Edelweiss Asset Management Company (AMC), a subsidiary of Edelweiss Capital Limited (ECL) has launched the India’s 1st Corporate Bond ETF (exchange trade fund) called the Bharat Bond ETF.
This bond will invest only in bonds rated AAA bonds of Public Sector companies.
i.Edelweiss aims to raise an initial amount of Rs 3,000 crore through this bond from institutional players.
ii.Small retail investors will have to invest at least Rs 1,000 in this fund. After this, there is a facility for multiple investment. Here they can invest up to 2 lakhs. At the same time, the minimum amount for anchor investors has been fixed at Rs 10 crore….Click here to Read More
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
2019 World Habitat Awards for project that secured land for indigenous people in Karnataka
On 12th December 2019, the 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.
Key Points:
i.The ActionAid India has been working with the Koraga people and nine other tribal communities in Karnataka. It aims at supporting the indigenous communities to obtain government schemes.
ii.Under the initiatives taken by the project thousand acres of land have been secured by the tribal communities and 19,000 people have obtained access to build new homes. The project has also helped the people to lead a healthy and secured life by implementing various programs.
iii.Odisha also won the ‘World Habitat Award 2019’ for Jaga Mission also called Odisha Livable Habitat Mission (OLHM). Click here for OLHM
About Karnataka:
Capital- Bangalore
Governor- Vajubhai Vala
Chief Minister (CM)- B. S. Yediyurappa
26th Annual Crystal Award 2020: Winners Deepika Padukone, Theaster Gates, Jin Xing, and Lynette Wallworth
On 14th December 2019, the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) 26th Annual Crystal Awards 2020 announced its winners to celebrate the enduring contributions of exceptional artists to the society. The winners will be honoured in the World Economic Forum at its 50th Annual Meeting 2020 to be held on 20th January in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland.
Winners of 26th Annual Crystal Award 2020 are as follows:
- Deepika Padukone, India, for her leadership in raising mental health awareness
- Theaster Gates, United States (US), for his leadership in creating sustainable communities
- Jin Xing, China, for her leadership in shaping inclusive cultural norms
- Lynette Wallworth, Australia, for her leadership in creating inclusive narratives
About World Economic Forum (WEF):
Founded- January 1971
Headquarters- Cologny, Switzerland
Chairman- Klaus Schwab
24th IFFK 2019 concludes in Thiruvananthapuram; Japanese film wins Suvarna chakoram award
Kerala State Chalachitra Academy (KSCA), an a Kerala Government Institution to promote cinema has organized the 24th edition of International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) 2019 in Nishagandhi Auditorium, Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) from December 6- 13, 2019.Chief Minister (CM) Pinarayi Vijayan presented awards during the event.
i.Japanese film, ‘They Say Nothing Stays the Same’, directed by Joe Odagiri, has won the prestigious Suvarna Chakoram award 2019 (Golden Crow Pheasant) for the best film screened in the competition section. It award carries a cash prize Rs 20,00,000 (approximately $28,000) for the best feature film to be shared equally between the director and the producer.
Here’s the full list of winners:…Click here to Read More
2000 years old famous Thai massage included in UNESCO heritage list
On December 13, 2019, Thailand’s famous 2000-year-old massage, Nuad Thai was added to UNESCO’s (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) prestigious heritage list.
Key Points:
i.Thai massage originated in India and brought it to Thailand about 2,500 years ago by doctors and monks who carried its secrets for generations. Under King Rama III of Thailand in the nineteenth century, scholars carved their knowledge on the stones of Wat Pho (a Buddhist temple complex).
ii.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 feet. This massage targets many acupuncture points of the body, which improves blood circulation. It also aims to cure muscle pain.
iii.A Thai massage training has helped many people fight the shortage of jobs in Thailand. The Buddha School is inside the complex of the Wotfo Temple, trained more than two lakh massage specialists.
iv.This recognition will help promote the practice of Nuad Thai locally and internationally.
About UNESCO:
Formation– 4 November 1946
Headquarters– Paris, France
Director General– Audrey Azoulay
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATION
2019 UK general elections: British PM Boris Johnson attains historic victory; 15 Indian Origins elected
On 13th December 2019, 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.
Key Points:
i.The Labour party headed by Jeremy Bernard Corbyn and the Scottish National Party headed by Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon gained 203 and 43 votes respectively.
ii.15 Indian-origin politicians entered the UK’s House of Commons and the UK will be removed from the European Union (EU) in January marking Johnson’s win in the general election.
iii.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.
About United Kingdom(UK):
Capital- London
Monarch- Elizabeth II
Currency- Pound sterling
Former PM Abdelmadjid Tebboune (74) elected as the President of Algeria
On 13th December 2019, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, (74) former Prime Minister (PM) of Algeria was elected as the President of Algeria succeeding Abdelkader Bensalah. Tebboune served as the PM from May 2017 to August 2017, under the governance of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
Key Points:
i.He was voted by members of a nationwide protest movement and received 58.15% of votes. The turnout of the election was only 41% as stated by Mohamed Charfi, head of the National Independent Electoral Authority (NIEC).
About Algeria:
Capital- Algiers
Prime Minister (PM)- Noureddine Bedouia
Currency- Dinar
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
NASA to launch rover ‘MARS 2020’ in the year 2020
On December 11, 2019, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) announced to launch its rover ‘MARS 2020’ in the year 2020. The rover will land on Mars, the 4th closest planet to the sun. it is also known as the red planet. The rover is built and managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory(JPL) in Pasadena, California,United States(US).
- Weight: The body of the Mars 2020 rover weighs 2,260 pounds (1,025 kilograms),
- New Technology Introduced: Mars 2020 will feature an important new technology i.e., Terrain Relative Navigation(TRN).
- Exploration: The rover will also explore a landscape shaped by water which is called the ‘Jezero Crater’, the site of an ancient delta….Click here to Read More
SPORTS
International Hockey Federation (FIH) reveals new world ranking system for 2020
On 13th December 2019, The International Hockey Federation/Fédération Internationale de Hockey (FIH) revealed a new World Ranking System (WRS) for the year 2020, in Lausanne, Switzerland. The ranking system will be made effective from 1st January 2020.
Key Points:
i.The system will be a reflection of current performances and will be match-based instead of tournament-based calculation. It has been launched after 12 months of research, analysis and tests using every official international match played since the end of Rio 2016.
ii.The points obtained in the new system depend on three factors namely the result of the match, the relative ranks of the team and the significance of the match.
iii.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.
iv.The current WRS existed since 2003, it was originally introduced to allocate teams into pools at tournaments and allows countries to earn two to three rankings in a year.
About International Hockey Federation(FIH):
Founded- 7 January 1924
Headquarters- Lausanne, Switzerland
President- Narinder Batra
OBITUARY
New Zealand Olympic athletic champion Peter Snell passes away at the age of 80
On December 14, 2019, New Zealand middle-distance runner, Sir Peter George Snell, who had won the 3 Olympic gold medals & and made the world mile record-holder has passed away in Dallas, U.S(United States). He was 80.
i.Born 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. He was successful in winning the double title of 800 meters and 1500 meters at the Tokyo 1964 Games. Since 1920, he is the first male player to win the 800 m and 1500 m titles at the same Olympics. After him, no male runner has repeated this feat.
ii.He also won 2 gold medals at the Commonwealth Games in 1962 in the 880 yard and one mile run in Perth.
BOOKS & AUTHORS
Viswanathan Anand’s autobiography ‘Mind Master: Winning Lessons from a Champion’s Life’ launched in Chennai
On 13th December 2019, Indian chess Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand’s autobiography ‘Mind Master: Winning Lessons from a Champion’s Life’ was released in Chennai. The book was authored by Viswanathan Anand and Susan Ninan and published by Hachette India.
Key Points:
i.It is an inspirational book that shares Anand’s experience on how to navigate life. In this book he revisits the ups and downs he faced in the games played against the best minds, and the methods he used to win the games.
ii.Anand was born in Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu and is a former World Chess Champion. He became the first grandmaster from India in 1988.
iii.He held the FIDE World Chess Championship from 2000 to 2002 and became the First Asian to be in that place. He won the World Rapid Chess Championship in 2003 and 2017.
iv.He became the 4th player in history to pass the 2800 Elo mark on the FIDE rating list in 2006. He occupied the No.1 position for 21 months, which is the sixth longest in the record.
v.He is the first recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, India’s highest sporting honour between 1991-1992, he was awarded Padma Vibhushan in 2007, becoming the first sportsmen to receive the award.
IMPORTANT DAYS
National Energy Conservation Day observed on December 14 2019
The National Energy Conservation Day is observed annually on 14 December by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), under the Ministry of Power. The day which was first implemented in 2001, aims to showcase India’s achievements in energy efficiency and conservation. It also works on the nation’s overall effort towards climate change mitigation. 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.
- National Energy Conservation Week: In order to create mass awareness on the importance of conservation and efficiency of energy, BEE observed National Energy Conservation Week from 9th to 14th December 2019….Click here to Read More
STATE NEWS
Kerala launches ‘Vijayamritham’ & ‘Sahachari’ schemes to support differently-abled people
On December 13, 2019, 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’. These schemes are also applicable to NSS(National Service Scheme), NCC(National Cadet Corps) and Student Police Cadet (SPC) units working for their care and welfare.
i.Vijayamritham’: It provides a one-time cash award to meritorious differently-abled people who have scored high marks in Degree/ Equivalent courses, Post Graduate (PG) & Professional courses.
ii.Sahachari scheme: This scheme aims to provide encouragement to NCC/NSS/SPC units functioning in schools that offer assistance to differently-abled students with over 40% disability in their studies as well as other extra-curricular activities….Click here to Read More
Odisha government included its agriculture department in state’s “Mo Sarkar” scheme
On 12th December, The Odisha Government included the department of agriculture and farmer’s empowerment in the “Mo Sarkar” scheme as an expansion of the ‘5T’ initiative. The plan will also be implemented by the Department of Higher Education (DHE).
Key Points:
i.The ‘Mo Sarkar program’ also called ‘My Government’ was launched on 2nd October 2019, it was first implemented in the department of Home and Health. The aim of the program is to provide service with dignity to people who are coming to government offices for different purposes. The process will be done by collecting feedback on the behavior and professionalism of government officers.
ii.The aim of the ‘5T’ (teamwork, technology, transparency, time leading to transformation) is to provide quality governance to the people.
About Odisha:
Capital- Bhubaneswar
Governor- Ganeshi Lal
Chief Minister (CM)- Naveen Patnaik
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