Current Affairs December 4 2019

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 4 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 3 2019

INDIAN AFFAIRS

Vice president Venkaiah Naidu launched “Poshan Anthem” in New DelhiOn December 3, 2019 the 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.
Key Points:
i.POSHAN Abhiyan: The efforts made under the POSHAN Abhiyan (national nutrition mission) scheme that aims to achieve the target of govt. to eliminate malnutrition in the nation by 2022, was discussed. The scheme aims to improve nutritional outcomes for children, pregnant women and lactating mothers.
ii.Providing training and capacity building programme to the Anganwadi Workers, Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) and Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANMs) were insisted.
iii.Members preset: Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, MoWCD; Sushri Debasree Chaudhuri Minister of State(Mos-WCD); Vice Chairman of NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog, Dr. Rajiv Kumar; Secretary of MoWCD Shri Rabindra Panwar; Additional Secretary of MoWCD Shri Ajay Tirkey were present during the event.
About POSHAN Abhiyan:
POSHAN abbreviation- Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nutrition.
Launch year- 8 March, 2018.
First launched state- Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan.

Mumbai Central railway station-1st to receive FSSAI’s ‘Eat Right Station’ certification 
On December 3, 2019 the 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.
Key Points:
i.The certificate was conferred based on healthy diet, food handling at preparation, transhipment & retail/serving point, food waste management, promotion of local & seasonal food and creating awareness on food safety and healthy diet.
ii.Food handlers both in canteens and base kitchens were trained by FSSAI along with Western Railways (WR) and Indian Railways Catering Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).
iii. Eat Right India movement: The eat right India movement aims to improve the health and well-being of Indians by ensuring they eat healthy. It is built on two broad pillars. They are Eat Healthy’ and ‘Eat Safe’.
About Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI):
Founded- August 2011.
Act- Food and Standards Act, 2006.
Headquarters- New Delhi.
Chairperson- Rita Teaotia.
Chief Executive Officer- Shri Pawan Kumar Agarwal.

India’s 1^st National maritime heritage museum to be built in Lothal, Gujarat with the help of Portugal
On December 2, 2019,Government of  India (GoI) & Portugal has decided to cooperate in the setting up of a India’s 1^st 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.
Key Points:
i.Lothal (literally means the mound of dead) was selected as it has lots of archaeological remains, showcasing the trade route through water.It was considered a major center for maritime trade activities during the ancient Indus Valley (Harappan) Civilizations.
ii.The museum will run as an independent research centre of underwater archaeology for reconstruction of maritime history, archaeology of boat building and materials traded.
iii.For the museum, the government has appointed the first Director-General(DG), who will be attached to the Gujarat government’s Maritime Board.
iv.Museum project will be implemented by the Ministry of Shipping through its Sagarmala programme, with the involvement of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the State government and other stakeholders.
About Underwater archaeology :
 It is the study of archaeology that involves recovering submerged remains such as shipwrecks, ports, and studying proxy records of maritime activity from archaeological excavations, archival and historical records.
As per the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), there are an estimated 3 million undiscovered shipwrecks spread across ocean floors around the planet.

TRAI changes Rules related to Mobile number portability (MNP) & Unique Porting Code (UPC)
On December 3, 2019, 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.
TRAI has prescribed the port facility in the service area within 3 days. At the same time, 5 days time has been fixed for getting ported out of service area. The new rules will come into effect from December 16, 2019 .
i.In addition, the validity of the Unique Porting Code (UPC) has also been reduced to 4 days as against the fortnight earlier. It will be applicable to all circles except the areas of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), Assam and North East (NE), where the validity of the UPC code remains unchanged to 30 days….Click here to Read More

Election Commission to implement registration tracking system “PPRTMS”
On December 3, 2019 the 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.
Guidelines: The guidelines for this purpose are made available in the election commission’s website https://eci.gov.in.
Key Points:
  i.Features of PPRTMS: 

• The salient feature of the PPRTMS is that, an applicant (applying from 1st January, 2020 onwards) can track his/her application by getting status updates through SMS (Short Message Service) and email.
• An applicant should provide a contact number and email address of the party if the applicant needs to track the status of the application.

 ii.Political party registration: A party’s registration is governed by the provisions of section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. The party should submit the application within 30 days of the party formation.
About Election Commission of India(ECI):
Formed- 25 January 1950.
Headquarters- New Delhi.
Chief Election Commissioner(CEC)- Sunil Arora.
Election Commissioner- Ashok Lavasa and Sushil Chandra.

Railway ministry signed MoU with UK’s Department for International Development 
On December 2, 2019 the Ministry of Railways(MoR) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department for International Development (DFID), United Kingdom(UK) for collaboration on energy and sustainability. The MoU was signed with the goal to transform Indian Railways’ into “Green Railways” by achieving complete complete electrification of Railway network.
MoU signing: The MoU was signed by Mr. Rajesh Kumar Jain, Executive Director(ED)/ Electrical Engineering (Development) of IR and by Mr. Gavin McGillivray, Head of DFID-India. The Mou was signed in presence of Mr. Rajesh Tiwari, Member (Traction) and other officials.
Key Points:
i.The MoU will also cover Electric Vehicle(EV) charging infrastructure deployment, battery-operated shunting locomotives, and capacity development like training programmes, industrial visits, and field visits.
ii.The complete electrification of Railway network was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA). The electrification would reduce the carbon footprint and reduce the fuel cost, thus improving the finances.
About Indian Railways(IR):
Founded- 16 April 1853.
Headquarters- New Delhi.
Union railway minister- Shri Piyush Goyal.
Minister of State(Mos) for railways- Shri Angadi Suresh Channabasappa.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

India stands 73^rd  in UNCTAD’s Business-to-Consumer (B2C) e-commerce Index 2019, Netherlands remains top
On December 3, 2019, According to the “Business-to-Consumer (B2C) E-commerce Index 2019”  released by UNCTAD’s (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development), India has moved seven places up and ranked 73^rd  out of 152 countries index that measures an economy’s preparedness to support online shopping with the Index score of 57.0. For the 2^nd consecutive year in a row, the Netherlands leads the Index with the score of 96.4, followed by Switzerland (2^nd  with 95.5) and Singapore(3^rd with 95.1).
i.Least ranked: Burundi (150^th ), Chad (151^st)and Niger(152^nd) are last in the index with the value of 9.0, 8.5, 5.4 respectively.
ii.The 10 developing countries with the highest scores are all from Asia and classified as high-income / upper middle-income economies, while least developed countries occupy 18 of the 20 bottom positions….Click here to Read More

World malaria report 2019: India reports 2.6 million fewer malaria cases in 2018
On December 4, 2019 the World Health Organization (WHO) released a report titled “World malaria report 2019”. The report was on Malarial cases and steps taken regarding the disease globally. The report in detail are as follows,
Report on India:
i.Malaria reduction: As per the report, India was one of the only two countries of the 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). Accordingly, India reported 2.6million fewer cases with 28% reduction in malaria cases. The country next to India was Uganda. It reported 1.5million fewer cases.
ii.India-only non-African country in top 11: The malarial reduction cases made India, a country that is no more with the world’s 4th highest malaria burden. But still, it was also the only non-African country among the top 11 countries with the most malaria globally….Click here to Read More

BANKING & FINANCE

KVGB inks MoU with Canara HSBC OBC for bancassurance
On December 2, 2019, Karnataka Vikas Grameen Bank (KVGB), an Indian Regional Rural Bank(RRB), has entered into an MoU (memorandum of understanding) with Canara HSBC OBC ( Oriental Bank of Commerce) Life Insurance Company Ltd for bancassurance (selling of life assurance and other insurance products and services by bank).
Key Points:
i.As per the pact, KVGB will market wide range insurance products of the Canara HSBC through its 636 branches in 9 districts of Karnataka.
ii.KVGB is focused to increase its portfolio through third party distribution and also aims to meet the diverse financial needs of its customers.
iii.The MoU was signed by I.G. Kumar Goud ,KVGB general manager and Anuj Mathur ,Canara HSBC CEO(Chief Executive Officer).
About KVGB:
Founded– September 12, 2005
Headquarters- Dharwad, Karnataka
Chairman– Puttaganti Gopi Krishna
Sponsored by– Syndicate Bank
About Canara HSBC OBC:
Headquarters- Gurugram ,Haryana
Founded- 2007
It is a Joint Venture between Canara Bank, HSBC-Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited Insurance (Asia Pacific) Holding Ltd and Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC). In this venture, Canara Bank owns 51% equity while HSBC Insurance and OBC own 26% and 23% equity respectively.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS   

ET Lifetime Achievement Award for Public Service 2019 presented to late Arun Jaitley, former Finance Minister of IndiaOn 1st December 2019, Arun Jaitley former Finance Minister of India was bestowed with the Economic Times (ET) Lifetime Achievement award for Public Service 2019. The award was received by Arun Jaitley’s spouse Sangeeta Jaitley.
Key Points:
i.Arun Jaitley was born in New Delhi, India and was the former Finance Minister of India, he was also the Minister of Corporate Affairs from May 2014 to May 2019, Minister of Defence from March 2017 to September 2017, Minister of Information and Broadcasting from November 2014 to July 2016, Minister of Law and Justice from July 2003 to May 2004 and Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting from October 1999 to September 2000.

American actor Joaquin Phoenix named 2019 ‘Person of the Year’ by PETAOn 3rd December 2019, Joaquin Rafael Phoenix, American actor from California, United States (US) has been bestowed with the PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) ‘Person of the Year’ Award 2019. Joaquin Phoenix has been a vegan since the age of three and has been a supporter of PETA for a long time.
Key Points:
i.He has recently appeared in an advertisement of PETA titled “We are all animals”, which was displayed in the Times Square and Sunset billboards to promote the prohibition of travelling wild-animal circuses.
ii.Previous year winners of PETA ‘Person of the Year’ are Pope Francis, Oprah Winfrey, Anjelica Huston, Olivia Mun, Eva Mendes and Alicia Silverstone.
About PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals):
Founded- March 22, 1980
President- Ingrid Newkirk
Location- Norfolk, Virginia, United States (US)

Venkaiah Naidu honours Uttar Pradesh with the National award for Excellence for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs, Divyangjan)On 3rd December 2019, Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu, Vice President of India presents Uttar Pradesh (UP) the National award for Excellence for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs,Divyangjan) on behalf of the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. The award was received by Mahesh Kumar Gupta, additional Chief Secretary of UP on behalf of the State Government. The event was organized by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disability (DEPwD).
Key Points:
i.Other honourees in the occasion include Thawar Chand Gehlot, Union Minister for social justice and empowerment, Krishnapal Gurjar, Union Minister of state for social justice and empowerment, public representatives, Ramdas Athawale, Ratanlal Kataria and senior officers of the ministry were also present….Click here to Read More

Ministry of environment presents awards for a short film competition on environment in New Delhi
On November 30, 2019, Shri Ravi Agrawal, Additional Secretary of  Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has presented the 1^st 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 for their documentaries and films in a ceremony held in New Delhi.
Key Points:
i.The jury, which selected the winners from 345 entries, chaired by Union Minister Suresh Prabhu including Shri Ramesh Sippy, Shri Rahul Rawail, Ms. Manju Borah and Ms. Agnimitra Paul.
The details of the category–wise winners are as follows:

ii.Earlier on June 6, 2019  Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, ShriPrakash Javadekar had announced the green festival, which was inaugurated on 27^th  November,2019 by Shri Suresh Prabhu, Member of Parliament.

     APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATION     

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google named as the CEO of AlphabetOn 4th December 2019, Sundar Pichai, 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.
Key Points:
i.Sundar Pichai will now act as the CEO of Google and Alphabet while Larry Page and Sergey Brin will act as the Board members, shareholders and co-founders of Alphabet.
ii.Sundar Pichai is from Madurai, Tamil Nadu and is now residing in the United States (US).
About Alphabet:
Founded- October 2, 2015
Founders- Larry Page and Sergey Brin
Headquarters- California, United States (US)

Antii Rinne, Prime Minister (PM) of Finland resigns after losing the support of coalition partnerOn 3rd December 2019, Antii Rinne, Prime Minister (PM) of Finland resigned after losing support from the coalition partner. Rinne has been heading the Government since June 2019. He handed his resignation to Sauli Vainamo Niinisto, President of Finland.
Key Points:
i.Rinne’s resignation was followed by the plan of moving off 700 employees of Finland post, the calamity increased during November 2019, leading to a large strike by employees from other industries expressing their support to the employees of Finland post. Rhinne was accused of lying about the State’s approval of the Finland post leading to his resignation on 3rd December 2019.
About Finland:
Capital- Helsinki
Currency- Euro
Official Languages- Finnish, Swedish

Upender Singh Rawat has been appointed as the Indian Ambassador to the Republic of Costa Rica On 3rd December 2019, Upender Singh Rawat, IFS (Indian Foreign Service) officer and the current Indian Ambassador to the Republic of Panama has been appointed as the Indian Ambassador to the Republic of Costa Rica with a residence in Panama City. He succeeded Ravi Thapar.
About Costa Rica:
Capital- San Jose
President- Carlos Alvarado
Vice President- Epsy Campbell Barr
Official Language- Spanish
Panama:
Capital- Panama City
President- Laurentino Cortizo
Vice President- Jose Gabriel Carrizo
Official Language- Spanish

          SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

India successfully conducted night trial of indigenously made Prithvi-2 missileOn December 3, 2019 India has successfully conducted night trial of the indigenously developed nuclear-capable Prithvi-2 surface-to-surface missile as part of a user trial for the armed forces from Integrated Test 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.
Launch activities: The launch activities were carried out by the Strategic Force Command (SFC) of the armed forces and was monitored by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) scientists.
Key Points:
i.The test was carried a fortnight after two back to back trials of the Prithvi 2 missile were conducted from the same base on November 20, 2019.
ii.The missile is powered by liquid propulsion twin engines. It uses advanced inertial guidance system with manoeuvring trajectory to hit the target.
iii.Prithvi, which is nine-metre-tall and is single-stage liquid- fuelled, is the first missile to have been developed by DRDO under Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) and is already inducted into the defence forces.
About Defence Research and Development organisation(DRDO):
Headquarters- New Delhi.
Founded- 1958.
Chairman- Dr G. Satheesh Reddy,
Motto- “Strength’s Origin is in Science”.

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launched Mobile app “Madhu” for e-learning
On December 3, 2019, the Chief Minister of Odisha Shri Naveen Patnaik launched an e-learning mobile phone app named “MadhuApp” for 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.
Key Points:
i.The app is available for Android devices and can be downloaded from the play store. It was launched by the District Administration of Ganjam, Odisha. The app features interactive question-answer sessions.
ii.As of now the app contains videos and exercises in maths and science subjects for class students from 5th-8th. Other classes and more subjects will be included later.
About Odisha:
Capital- Bhubaneswar.
Governor- Ganeshi Lal.
Lake- Chilika lake, Kanjia lake.
Rivers- Mahanadi river, Brahmani river, Subarnarekha river, Ib river.

World’s lowest dose-volume Rotavirus vaccine ‘ROTAVAC 5D’ by Bharat Biotech launched in New Delhi
On December 4, 2019, the Vice President of India Shri Venkaiah Naidu launched world’s lowest dose-volume vaccine for Rotavirus at a 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. It is also cost effective due to its efficacy and low cold chain footprint.
Key Points:
i.The first generation of the vaccine prior to ROTAVAC 5D was ROTAVAC. It was developed by the Bharat Biotech under a public-private partnership with the govt’s department of biotechnology(DoB) and other international partners. It also required much lower temperature for storage and in higher doses for full efficacy (efficiency). 
ii.Rotavirus deaths: As per World Health Organisation(WHO), 3.3 lakh annual deaths in India were attributable to diarrhoeal diseases. Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe diarrhoea in children in several developing countries mainly India.
iii.The project was supported in part by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation.
About Bharat Biotech:
Headquarters- Hyderabad.
Founder, Chairman and Managing Director- Krishna Ella.

SPORTS

New Zealand cricket team won MCC’s Spirit of Cricket award 2019
On December 2, 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.
Key Points: 
i.The award was presented during the second test match against England at Hamilton’s Seddon Park stadium in New Zealand. 
ii.In July 2019, the New Zealand cricket team led by Kane Williamson lost in the finals following controversial overthrow that allowed England to take the final to the super over and eventually won their maiden world cup title on boundary count. 
iii.Spirit of cricket award: The spirit of cricket award was created in 2013 in memory of Christopher Martin-Jenkins, the former MCC president and BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) Test Match Special commentator. The award was the brainchild of MCC and BBC to honour Jenkins’ desire to see the game played in the right spirit. 
iv.Previous awardees: In 2018 the award was given jointly to Dan Bowser and Chris Edwards of England Learning Disability team, for their outstanding sporting actions during the team’s tour of the Netherlands.
About Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC):
Founded- 1787.
Home ground- Lord’s Cricket Ground, London, England.
President- Kumar Chokshanada Sangakkara (Former Srilankan cricketer).
Fact- Sangakkara is the first non British person to have been appointed as the president of MCC in 2019.

Sourabh Verma at 29th spot in BWF Ranking 2019; becomes 6th Indian inside top 30; Japan’s Kento Momota topsOn 3rd December 2019, 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.
Key Points:
i.Sourabh Verma has previously reached the top 30 in the year 2012 by taking the 30th place, he has also won the BWF super 100 titles in Hyderabad and Vietnam and he is the Runner-up of Syed Modi International (Super 300) in the year 2019. In May 2012, he won the Slovenia International Series. Entering the top 30 list is the highest rank of Sourabh Verma….Click here to Read More

Team India skipper Virat Kohli regained the No.1 spot, Bumrah best-placed Indian bowler at 5^th rank: ICC test ranking 2019As 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.
Key Points:
i.Among the bowlers, Australia’s Pat Cummins ranks first, Jasprit Bumrah is the highest-placed Indian at the 5^th  position & Ravichandran Ashwin is at the 9th position.
ii.West Indies ‘Jason Holder is number one in the all-rounders’ rankings.

About ICC:
Formation– 15 June 1909
Headquarters– Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Chairman– Shashank Manohar
CEO– Manu Sawhney

IMPORTANT DAYS

Indian Navy Day observed on Dec 4 2019The Indian Navy Day is observed annually on December 4 to celebrate the achievements and role of the naval force to the country. 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.
The navy day is also celebrated annually to work towards securing marine borders and bolstering relationships with other countries through joint exercises, humanitarian missions and relief operations.
Key Points:
i.Many Indian Navy personnel who were part of the successful operation were honoured with gallantry awards.3 warships of the IN namely INS (Indian Naval Ship) Nipat, INS Nirghat and INS Veer played an important role in the attack.
ii.Maratha emperor, Chhatrapati Shivaji Bhosle, is considered as ‘Father of the Indian Navy’.
About the Indian Navy:
Founded- 5 September 1612.
Headquarters- New Delhi.
Chief of Naval Staff(CNS)- Admiral Karambir Singh.

STATE NEWS

UP govt announced 25% subsidy & 100% stamp duty waiver to set up defence industry
On December 2, 2019, the govt. of Uttar Pradesh(UP) ahead of the 2020 biennial defence expo in Lucknow, 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.
Key Points:
i.The cabinet has amended the UP Defence, Aerospace Unit and Employment Promotion Policy-2018 for setting up the defence corridor. The companies that will set up defence industries will be provided all facilities including power, road and fencing of land.
ii.2018 defence expo: Defence expo provides the defence industries to showcase its capabilities and promote its export potential. The Defence expo 2018 was conducted in Tamil Nadu.
About Uttar Pradesh:
Capital- Lucknow.
Governor- Anandiben Patel.
Deputy Chief Minister- Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma.
WildLife Sanctuary(WLS)- Bakhira Sanctuary, Chandra Prabha WLS, Hastinapur WLS, Kishanpur WLS.

Punjab govt joins hands with WEF to design pilot on e-vehicles ecosystem
On December 4, 2019, 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.
Key Points:
i.The project will look into the role of public and private sectors that can interplay to offer the most robust and successful EV (Electric Vehicle) ecosystem & will form a blueprint for EV implementation across cities and countries worldwide.
ii.Punjab has already restricted new registrations of diesel and petrol three-wheelers in Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Mohali and Fatehgarh Sahib districts & also formulating its own EV Policy to support the adoption of e-vehicles.
iii.The state has EV battery units in the new industrial park spread over 380 acres in the Dhanansu village in Ludhiana district & also set to get India’s first auto shredding plant, with a capacity to handle 2 lakh cars per annum in an eight-hour shift. The plant has been installed in technical collaboration with German technology.
iv. A 2-day Progressive Punjab Investors Summit (PPIS) 2019 to be held Mohali, Punjab will see the discussion over e-mobility as a key subject, with famous dignitaries from automobile, e-mobility and research institutions.
About Punjab:
Capital– Chandigarh
Governor– V.P. Singh Badnore
Chief minister– Amarinder Singh
About WEF:
Headquarters– Cologny, Switzerland
Founder– Klaus Schwab
Founded– January 1971

EC announced Jannayak Janta Party of Haryana as state party & alloted ‘key’ as poll symbol
On November 29, 2019, the 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.
Key Points: 
i.The party was granted recognition under the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968. The JJP shot to prominence when it won 10 out of 90 assembly seats in October 2019 after its formation in 2018. 
ii.State party recognition: To be recognised as a state party by the ECI,

• Party should win 3% of total seats or a minimum of 3 seats in the legislative assembly. It should win at least 1 Lok sabha seats for every 25 seats allotted to the state.
• The party should secure 6% of total valid votes to a Lok Sabha or State Legislative Assembly and should, in addition, win at least one Lok Sabha, and two Legislative Assembly seats in that election.
• Under liberalised criteria, it will be eligible for the state party recognition if it wins 8% or more of the total valid votes polled in the state.

About Haryana:
Capital- Chandigarh.
Chief Minister- Manohar Lal Khattar.
Governor- Satyadev Narayan Arya.
Largest city- Faridabad.

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