Piyush Goyal inaugurates third edition of National Public Procurement Conclave

• Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal inaugurated the third edition of National Public Procurement Conclave in New Delhi.

• The two-day conclave has been organized by Government e-Marketplace, GeM in association with Confederation of Indian Industry.

Avantee mega Food Park inaugurated in MP’s Dewas

• In Madhya Pradesh, Union Minister for food processing Harsimrat Kaur Badal inaugurated Avantee mega Food Park in Dewas.

• This first food park of central India is spread over 51 acres and has been constructed at a cost of about 150 crore rupees.

• About 5 thousand local people will get employment from this Mega Food Park.Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Rameshwar Teli was also present on the inaugural ceremony.

RBI to introduce new prepaid payment instrument

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will introduce a new type of prepaid payment instrument (PPI) which could be used only for purchase of goods and services up to a limit of Rs 10,000.

• Accordingly, the loading of such PPI will be only through a bank account and it could be used for making only digital payments such as bill payments and merchant payments, among others.

• “Such PPIs can be issued on the basis of essential minimum details sourced from the customer. Instructions in this regard will be issued by December 31, 2019,” the RBI said in a statement on developmental and regulatory policies.

• PPIs are financial instruments that facilitate the purchase of goods and services against the value stored on such instruments.

Mumbai Central Certified India’s first ‘Eat Right Station’ by FSSAI

• The Mumbai Central station of Railways was conferred with the ‘Eat Right Station’ certification with four stars rating by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), as a part of ‘Eat Right India’ movement launched last year.

• According to a press note, the Mumbai Central Railway Station is the country’s first “Eat Right Station.”

• FSSAI, along with Western Railways (WR) and Indian Railways Catering Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), has trained food handlers, both in canteens and base kitchens. They inspected catering establishments at the station and certified and

rated the standard of food.

• As part of efforts to help passengers make a healthy and right food choice, the Indian Railways launched the ‘Eat Right Station’ as part of the ‘Eat Right India’ initiative of the FSSAI started in 2018.

• Eat Right India’ built on two broad pillars — Eat Healthy and Eat Safe — aimed to engage, excite and enable people enhance their health and wellbeing

James Johnson appointed to run Australian football

• James Johnson, former FIFA head of football, has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Football Federation Australia (FFA). Johnson will commence in the role from January next year.

• Johnson arrives in the role with a wealth of experience under his belt having been the Senior Vice President of External Affairs with the City Football Group (CFG) most recently.

• He has previously held positions with FIFA — as head of professional football and senior manager member associations — and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) as director of international relations and development.

Former TT coach and Dronacharya awardee Bhawani Mukherji passes away

• Former India Table tennis head coach Bhawani Mukherji died at his residence.

• Mukherji, 68, is survived by his wife and a son.

• He was the head coach at NIS Patiala and became the head coach of the national team for a brief period after the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

• He was bestowed with the Dronacharya Award in 2012, thus becoming the first coach to earn the recognition in table tennis.

Priyanka Chopra tops IMDb 2019 list of Indian celebrities

• Actress Priyanka Chopra has been named as the top star of Indian cinema and television series in 2019, in a list released by the global film and TV website IMDb.

• Actress Disha Patani is on second spot, followed by Hrithik Roshan, Kiara Advani, Akshay Kumar,Salman, Alia Bhatt, Katrina Kaif, Rakul Preet Singh and Sobhita Dhulipala.

• IMDb determines the list using data from IMDbPro STARmeter rankings, which are based on the actual page views of the more than 200 million monthly IMDb visitors.

India ranks 5th in Global Climate Risk Index

• The Global Climate Risk Index 2020 released by environmental think tank Germanwatch ranked India the fifth most vulnerable nation to climate change.

• The report suggested that the 2018 monsoon led to India fall from the fourteenth position in 2017 to fifth in 2018.

• As per the study, the monsoon had forced over 220,000 people in Kerala to leave their homes.

Top ten most affected countries in 2018:

1.         Japan

2.         Philippines

3.         Germany

4.         Madagascar

5.         India

6.         Sri Lanka

7.         Kenya

8.         Rwanda

9.         Canada

10.       Fiji

Pritivirajsing Roopun elected as new President of Mauritius by parliament

• Pritivirajsing Roopun (also known as Pradeep Roopun) has been sworn in as the new and 7th President of the island nation Mauritius on December 2, 2019.

• The 61-year-old succeeds Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, who resigned in March 2018.

• Roopan was the former arts and culture minister of the country.

RBI 5th Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Review, 2019-20: Repo Rate unchanged at 5.15%

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released its fifth bi-monthly monetary policy statement for 2019-20 in which the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), led by Governor Shaktikanta Das, decided to keep the policy repo rate unchanged at 5.15%.

• In 2019, the RBI has cut repo rate by 135 basis points so far to a nine-year low of 5.15%.

• Analysts were expecting another 25 basis points cut.

• RBI has also lowered its GDP growth forecast to 5%

• Key Policy Rates & Reserve Ratios

Repo Rate       5.15%

Reverse Repo Rate     4.90%

Marginal Standing Facility Rate         5.40%

Bank Rate       5.40%

CRR    4%

SLR     18.5%

Joaquin Phoenix Named PETA’s 2019 Person of the Year

• ‘Joker’ star Joaquin Phoenix has been named 2019 Person of the Year by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

• Phoenix is vegan since the age of three and has been a longtime supporter of the animal rights organisation.

• He recently appeared in PETA’s “We Are All Animals” billboards in Times Square and on Sunset Billboard as he promoted legislation to ban travelling wild-animal circuses.

• Past recipients of the award have been Oprah Winfrey, Anjelica Huston and Pope Francis.

Former England captain Bob Willis dies aged 70

• Former England captain Bob Willis has died at the age of 70 after battle with cancer.

• The former fast bowler played in 90 Tests and 64 ODIs for England after his 1971 debut and retired in 1984.

• Finishing his Test career with 325 wickets, Willis stands at fourth on the all-time list of England wicket-takers.

World Soil Day: December 5

• The World Soil Day is celebrated every year on December 5 to raise awareness of the importance of soil quality for human well-being, food security and ecosystems

• The 2019 theme – ‘Stop Soil Erosion, Save our Future’!

• The day was first considered by the International Union of Soil Sciences in 2002.

India Ranks 73 in UNCTAD B2C E-Commerce Index 2019; Netherlands Tops

• The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has released Business-to-Consumer (B2C) E-commerce Index 2019, that measures an economy’s preparedness to support online shopping.

• India has moved seven places up in the list to be ranked 73rd out of 152 countries.

• The list has been topped by the Netherlands for the second consecutive year.

Mobile app namd Madhu App for e-learning launched in Odisha

• Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has launched Madhu App, an e-learning mobile phone app, for making classroom learning easier for students.

• Madhu App is named after noted freedom fighter and social reformer Madhusudan Das.

• Using the App, students will be able to download video lectures and exercises by qualified teachers in Odia language.

Masatsugu Asakawa elected ADB President

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said its board has unanimously elected Masatsugu Asakawa as its new president.

• Asakawa, 61, currently special advisor to Japan’s Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, will assume office as ADB’s 10th President on January 17, 2020.

• He will succeed Takehiko Nakao, who will leave office on January 16, 2020.

Sundar Pichai becomes Alphabet CEO as Google Co-founders step down

• Google Co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin have announced Google CEO Sundar Pichai is replacing Page as CEO of parent company Alphabet.

• Larry Page and Sergey Brin have decided to transition from their roles as CEO and President, respectively, of Alphabet.

• Page became CEO of Alphabet after Google restructured to form the parent company in 2015. He had previously been CEO of Google.

Govt launches 4th round of Regional Connectivity Scheme-UDAN

• Government has launched the 4th round of Regional Connectivity Scheme – UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) to further enhance the connectivity to remote and regional areas of the country.

• Civil Aviation Ministry said, the focus in this round will be North East Region, Hilly States, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Islands.

• The scheme was launched in October, 2016, which seeks to provide connectivity to un-served and under-served regions through revival of existing air strips and airports.

• In the last three years government has successfully completed three rounds of bidding under the Scheme and awarded about 700 routes. The Ministry aims to operationalize one thousand routes and more than 100 airports in the next five years.

New Zealand win MCC’s Spirit of Cricket award for 2019

• New Zealand cricket team has been awarded the MCC’s Christopher Martin-Jenkins (CMJ) Spirit of Cricket Award 2019 for their “sporting conduct” in ICC Men’s World Cup 2019 final.

• The Kane Williamson-led team had lost to England after a tied Super Over by the virtue of having scored fewer boundaries. “Their actions deserve this recognition,” said MCC President Kumar Sangakkara.

• 2018’s joint winners were Dan Bowser and Chris Edwards of the England Learning Disability team, who were recognised for their outstanding sporting actions during the team’s tour of the Netherlands.

• The CMJ Spirit of Cricket award was created in 2013 by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and the BBC in memory of former MCC President and BBC Test Match Special commentator Christopher Martin-Jenkins (“CMJ”), who was passionate about promoting the spirit of the game.

Cristiano Ronaldo named Serie A Player of the Year

• Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo has been named the Serie A Player of the Year.

• For the first time at the Italian ceremony, there were also awards for female players, with Roma and Italy forward Manuela Giugliano winning the top prize.

• Ronaldo signed for Juventus from Real Madrid in July 2018 and helped Juventus win their eighth successive Serie A title.

EU Commission begins new term under von der Leyen

• Ursula von der Leyen is the first woman to hold the EU’s top job as President of the European Commission, which has officially begun its new five-year term.

• Already, the 61-year-old former German defence minister, who succeeds Jean-Claude Juncker has a full intray.

• She has made the issue of climate change one of her top priorities – describing it as an existential crisis.

Govt appoints Soma Roy Burman as new Controller General of Accounts

• The government said it has appointed Soma Roy Burman, a 1986-batch Indian Civil Accounts Service Officer, as the new Controller General of Accounts (CGA). Burman is the 24th CGA and is the seventh woman to hold this position.

• During her 33-year long career, she has held cadre positions at different levels in ministries such as Home Affairs, Information & Broadcasting, Industry, Finance, Human Resource Development and Shipping, Road Transport & Highways.

• Prior to this, Burman served as the Additional Controller General of Accounts in the office of CGA, handling the critical areas of accounting rules, policy and reforms, financial reporting, data analytics, cash and budget management.

Lionel Messi and Megan Rapinoe win 2019 Ballon d’Or awards

• Barcelona forward Lionel Messi won this year’s Ballon d’Or award.

• The 32-year-old Argentine overtook Cristiano Ronaldo and took his tally of Ballon d’Or wins to six, the most by any player.

• Messi and Ronaldo have now won 11 of the past 12 Ballon d’Ors.

• 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup-winning US co-captain Megan Rapinoe won the women’s Ballon d’Or.

CRISIL cuts India’s GDP growth for FY20 to 5.1%

• Rating Agency CRISIL has reduced the GDP growth rate projection for India for 2019-20 (FY20) to 5.1% from its earlier prediction of 6.3%.

• This comes after the official data (Government of India) shows the second-quarter growth at 4.5%.

India and ADB Sign USD 206 million loan to strengthen urban services in 5 Tamil Nadu cities

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India has signed $206 million loan on December 2, 2019 to develop water supply and sewerage infrastructure in 5 cities of Tamil Nadu.

• The loan amount will also be used to strengthen capacities of urban local bodies (ULBs) for improved service delivery.

VP Venkaiah Naidu launches 'Bharatiya Poshan Anthem'

• On December 3, 2019, Indian Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu launched the “Bharatiya Poshan Anthem”.

• The anthem has been conceptualised by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

• It has been written by noted lyricist Prasoon Joshi and sung by Shankar Mahadevan.

• The ‘Poshan Abhiyan or National Nutrition Mission’ was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March 2018 to make India malnutrition free by 2022 by ensuring holistic development and adequate nutrition for pregnant women, mothers and children.

Indo-Nepal joint military Exercise SURYA KIRAN 2019 Commences in Rupendehi

• The annual joint military exercise ‘SURYA KIRAN – XIV’ between India and Nepal began at Salijhandi, Rupendehi district of Nepal on 03 December 2019.

• The exercise will continue till December 16, 2019.

Author Tony Joseph wins 2019 Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize for ‘Early Indians’

• English author Tony Joseph has been awarded the 12th ‘Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize’ for his 2018 book, “Early Indians: The Story of Our Ancestors and Where We Came From”.

• Instituted in 2008, by the Shakti Bhatt Foundation, the award seeks to celebrate “extraordinary new writing in all genres” from South Asian countries.

Indian men’s volleyball team beat Pakistan to clinch Gold at 13th South Asian Games

• The Indian men’s volleyball team defeated Pakistan by 3-1 in finals at the South Asian Games 2019 to win gold.

• The bronze medal ent to Sri Lanka.

• Meanwhile, in the women’s final, Indian team beat hosts Nepal 3-2 to clinch the gold. Here also Sri Lanka won bronze.

• South Asian Games 2019 is being held in Kathmandu, Nepal from December 1-10, 2019.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities: 3 December

• The International Day of Persons with Disabilities was proclaimed in 1992 by United Nations General Assembly and is observed annually on December 3.

• Aim: to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development, and to increase awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.

• 2019 Theme: Promoting the participation of persons with disabilities and their leadership: taking action on the 2030 Development Agenda.

India becomes 1st country to make entire Haj process digital

• The Minister also informed that India has become the first country to make the entire Haj process completely digital for pilgrims going on Haj 2020.

• All the 2 lakh Indian Muslims going for Haj in 2020 will be provided with an online application, e-visa, Haj mobile app, ‘e-MASIHA’ health facility, and also the first ever “e-luggage pre-tagging” facility.

• They would also get information in India itself regarding accommodation and transportation in Mecca and Madina, like building and the room allotted to them.

RBI adds Debt ETFs as eligible securities for repo transactions

• The Reserve Bank of India has announced that the Units of Debt Exchange Traded Funds (Debt ETFs) shall henceforth be eligible securities for repo transactions.

• The securities eligible for repo under these Directions shall include:

1.         Government securities issued by the Central Government or a State Government.

2.         Listed corporate bonds and debentures, subject to the condition that no participant shall borrow against the collateral of its own securities, or securities issued by a related entity.

3.         Commercial Papers (CPs) and Certificate of Deposits (CDs).

4.         Units of Debt ETFs

5.         Any other security of a local authority as may be specified in this behalf by the Central Government.

Nationwide vaccination drive launched to prevent eight diseases under Mission Indradhanush 2.0

• Centre is launching nationwide vaccination drive to prevent eight diseases under Intensified Mission Indradhanush 2.0 across the country today.

• What is IMI 2.0: It is pan-India vaccination drive where children under the age of 2 years and pregnant women will be immunized against eight vaccine preventable diseases.

• Objective of IMI 2.0: Achieve targets of full immunization coverage in 272 districts in 27 States.

• Duration of the vaccination drive: December 2019 to March 2020.

Mandatory hallmarking for gold jewellery/artefacts from Jan 15, 2021

• The Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan has announced that the Hallmarking of gold jewellery and artefacts in India will be made mandatory from January 15, 2021, to ensure purity of the precious metal.

• The government notification in this regard will be issued on 15 January 2020 and the decision will come into effect after a period of one year.

• It will be now compulsory for all the jewellers to register with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and sell only hallmarked gold jewellery and artefacts.

• They have been given a period of one year time for clearing their old or existing stock.

Masatsugu Asakawa elected 10th President of ADB

• The Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has unanimously elected Masatsugu Asakawa as its new President.

• The 61-year-old Mr. Asakawa will assume office as ADB’s 10th President on 17 January 2020.

• ADB headquarter – Metro Manila, Philippines.

Saudi Arabia assumes G20 presidency

• Saudi Arabia assumed the G20 presidency on December 01, 2019 and will hold the G20 leaders’ summit in Riyadh on November 21 and 22, 2020. The G20 summit in 2019 was hosted by Japan.

• The theme of the event will be “Realising Opportunities of the 21st Century for All”.

• Saudi Arabia will focus on three aims – empowering people, safeguarding the planet, and shaping new frontiers.

UN Climate Change Conference - December 2019

• The 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP25 officially began in Madrid, Spain on 2 December 2019. It will continue till December 13.

• The conference was earlier planned to take place Chile, but due to social unrest in the country, the location changed to Spain. However Chile will remain the overall in charge of the event.

• The conference will include the following events:

• 25th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC),

• 15th meeting of the parties for the Kyoto Protocol (CMP15), and

• 2nd meeting of the parties for the Paris Agreement (CMA2)

• The main objective of the conference is to bring the world together to deal with several issues pertaining to the full operationalization of the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement.

• Ms. Carolina Schmidt, Minister of the Environment in Chile, is the President of COP 25.

‘Ek Bharat Shreshta Bharat’ conference inaugurated in Jammu

• Union Minister of State (PP), Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurated a two day Conference on ‘Ek Bharat Shreshta Bharat’ in Jammu on November 30, 2019. The conference focusses on ‘Jal Shakti’ and ‘Disaster Management’.

• The conference was organised by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) in association with Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and Governments of Tamil Nadu.

India-Japan Foreign and Defence Ministerial Dialogue (2+2) held in New Delhi

• The India-Japan Foreign and Defence Ministerial Dialogue (2+2) was held on 30th November 2019 in New Delhi. 2 participants participated from both the sides in the meet.

• The Indian side was represented by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar while foreign Affairs Minister Mr. Toshimitsu Motegi and Minister of Defence Mr. Taro Kono represented Japan.

• The next 2+2 Ministerial Meeting will be held in Tokyo.

Armed Forces Flag Day-CSR Conclave 2019 Held in New Delhi

• The Armed Forces Flag Day (AFFD) Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Conclave 2019 was held in New Delhi on December 2, 2019.

• Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh addressed the conclave and urged the people of the country to contribute generously to the Armed Forces Flag Day (AFFD) Fund for the welfare of the Ex-Servicemen who have selflessly served the nation.

Labour Ministry to celebrate Pension Week from 30th Nov, 2019 to 6th Dec 2019

• Labour Ministry has decided to celebrate Pension Week from November 30, 210 to December 06, 2019.

• The aims of the Pension Week is to increase enrollments under:

• Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan (PM-SYM) – aim to enroll one crore beneficiaries by March 2020 and

• National Pension Scheme for Traders and Self-Employed Persons (NPS-Traders) 50 lakhs beneficiaries for NPS-Traders by March 2020

• For this, Minister of State(I/C) for Labour and Employment Shri Santosh Gangwar inaugurated a function in New Delhi.

10th Indian Organ Donation Day Held in New Delhi

• The Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, presided over the 10th Indian Organ Donation Day in New Delhi on November 30, 2019.

• The event was organised by the National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO).

• The Minister also informed that India performs the second largest number of transplants in the world, next only to USA as per data available on the Global Observatory on Donation and Transplantation.

Nuclear Capable surface-to-surface Agni-III Missile Fails in Maiden Night Trial

• The maiden night trial of the nuclear capable Agni-III surface-to-surface ballistic missile was conducted from a mobile launcher at the Integrated Test Range at the APJ Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha coast on 30 November 2019.

• However, the test reportedly failed due to manufacturing defect.

• Agni III is designed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)

13th South Asian Games Kicked Off in Nepal

• President of Nepal, Bidya Devi Bhandari declared the 2019 South Asian Games 2019 open. The inauguration ceremony was held at Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu, Nepal.

• The XIII South Asian Games will be held from December 1 to 10 in Kathmandu, Pokhara and Janakpur cities of Nepal and will see the participation of around 2700 athletes from seven countries. (Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Maldives, Bhutan and Sri Lanka).

• Mascot of 2019 SAG: Krishnasar (the blackbuck antelope) is the official mascot.

• Tajinder Pal Singh Toor (shot putter) was the flag-bearer of India in the opening ceremony at South Asian Games.

National Pollution Control Day: December 2

The National Pollution Control Day is observed every year on December 2 in India to commemorate the life of people lost in the unfortunate incident of Bhopal Gas Tragedy that occurred in the year 1984 on the night of 2–3 December.

BSF Celebrated its Raising Day

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended greetings to Border Security Force (BSF) personnel on the organization’s 55th raising day (01st December 2019).

• The BSF was raised in 1965 with the specific purpose of manning Indian borders as the ‘First Line of Defence’ against infiltration, smuggling, and military assault.

Govt launches drive to enroll 1 cr beneficiaries under two pension schemes

• The government has launched a drive to enroll one crore beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan (PM-SYM) and the National Pension Scheme for Traders and Self Employed Persons (NPS-Traders) by March next year.

• Labour and Employment Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar launched the drive to mark the celebrations of Pension week. Stating that both the schemes are simple and hassle-free, an Aadhaar card number along with a savings bank account or Jan-Dhan account are needed for enrollments.

Exercise Mitra Shakti – VII Between India and Sri Lanka Commences in Pune

• The seventh edition of Exercise MITRA SHAKTI- 2019 amongst the armies of India and Sri Lanka commenced at Aundh Military Station, Pune on 01 December.

• The exercise is aimed at enhancing interoperability and operational efficiency as well as build and promote positive relations between both the armies in the field of military cooperation and engagement for refining the interoperability and operational preparedness.

Soma Roy Burman Takes charge as new Controller General of Accounts (CGA)

• A 1986-batch Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS) Officer, Smt Soma Roy Burman has been appointed as the new Controller General of Accounts (CGA), Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure with effect from December 1, 2019.

• Smt. Burman is the 24th CGA and 7th woman to hold the position.

• Prior to this, she served as Additional Controller General of Accounts in the office of CGA

Shri Hari Mohan Appointed as Chairman of Ordnance Factory Board

• Shri Hari Mohan, a 1982-batch Indian Ordnance Factories’ Service (I.O.F.S.) officer, has taken over the charge as Chairman of Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) on December 01, 2019.

• He succeeds Shri Saurabh Kumar who superannuated from the services.

Iraqi PM Adel Abdul Mahdi resigns amid anti-government protests

• Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi has submitted his resignation to Parliament amid ongoing anti-government protests across the country. The formal resignation came after an emergency cabinet session in which ministers approved the document and the resignation of key staffers, including Abdul Mahdi’s chief of staff.

• Barham Salih is the current President of Iraq.

Baghdad is the capital of Iraq.

The Iraqi dinar is the currency of Iraq.

Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju Launch 3rd Khelo India Youth Games in Guwahati

• The launching ceremony of the Composite Logo, Mascot, Jersey and Theme song of the third edition of Khelo India Youth Games 2020 took place at Karmabir Nabin Chandra Bordoloi Indoor Stadium, Sarusajai, Guwahti, Assam on November 30, 2019.

• The event was jointly inaugurated by Assam Chief Minister Sarbanada Sonowal in the presence of Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of State (I/C) for Youth Affairs and Sports.

• The 2020 Games will be held from 10 January 2020 to 22 January 2020.

• It will be conducted in partnership with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), School Games Federation of India (SGFI), and Assam as the host State.

• The event will be held in 20 disciplines with the participation of 37 States and Union Territories.

Lewis Hamilton wins Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to Clinch 11th Title of the Season

• The Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton has won the 2019 Formula 1 season finale Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, held on December 1, 2019, to end the season with 11th title.

• With this Lewis Hamilton successfully defended the World Drivers’ Championship title for the second year running and sixth world drivers’ title overall.

• Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finished runner-up while Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc came third.

World AIDS Day: December 1

• The World AIDS Day is observed across the globe on 1 December every year since 1988 to raise awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection

• The theme for the World Aids Day 2019 is “Communities make the difference”.

India Ranks 12th among 61 nations in 2019 Global Diplomacy Index, China Tops

• China has overtaken United States in 2019 Global Diplomacy Index, for having more diplomatic posts across the world than any other country, as per the Australian think tank Lowy Institute.

• According to the Sydney-based Lowy Institute, China has 276 embassies and consulates worldwide, which is three more than the US.

• India is 12th among the 61 countries with 186 embassies and consulates worldwide.

• United States (273), France (267), Japan (247), and Russia (242) makes the top five nations in the index.

Government appoints Deloitte as advisor for BPCL stake sale

 • The Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) has appointed Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd as advisor for the strategic sale of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL).

• Completion of the stake sale in India’s second-largest state-owned oil refiner by March 2020 could help the government mobilise more than Rs 60,000 crore, or $8.4 billion, and narrow the fiscal deficit.

Mukesh Ambani becomes 9th richest person in the world with net worth of $60.6 bn

• As per the Forbes ‘The Real-Time Billionaires List’ released on November 28, 2019, Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani has become the 9th richest person across the globe, having net worth of $60.6 billion.

• He was ranked at 13th position with $50 billion wealth in March 2019 and made a gain of over $10 billion in just eight months to be placed at 9th position.

• This progress comes as Reliance Industries, the country’s most valued firm, became the first Indian company to touch Rs 10 lakh crore market capitalisation (m-cap).

• Ambani has overtaken Google’s Larry Page ($59.6 bn), Michael Bloomberg ($54.7 bn), Charles Koch ($42.8 bn) and David Koch ($42.8 bn).

• Top 5 wealthiest person in the list are:

1.         Jeff Bezos – Amazon ($112 billion)

2.         Bernard Arnault & family – LVMH ($107.2 billion)

3.         Bill Gates – Microsoft ($107.1 bn)

4.         Warren Buffett –  Berkshire Hathaway ($86.9 billion)

5.         Mark Zuckerberg – Facebook ($74.9 billion)

Former RBI deputy governor H R Khan to head micro-finance panel CRL

• Shri. H R Khan has been appointed as the first chairman of the steering committee of the Code for Responsible Lending (CRL) in micro-credit. HR Khan is a Former deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

• Microfinance Institutions Network (MFIN) and Sa-Dhan had jointly unveiled the ‘Code for Responsible Lending’ (CRL) for the micro-credit industry in September 2019.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to inaugurate 3rd Military Literature Festival

 • Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate the third edition of the three-day Military Literature Festival (MLF) in Chandigarh from December 13-15, 2019.

• The MLF is a joint initiative of the Indian Army with the Punjab government and the Chandigarh administration.

• It will present an international-level forum to foster exchange of knowledge about military literature and associated works, besides acquainting youths with the glorious military heritage.

Ben Stokes, Dina Asher-Smith win top SJA British Sports awards

• England’s all-rounder Ben Stokes and 200m World Champion Dina Asher-Smith were voted as sportsman and sportswoman of the year at the Sports Journalists’ Association (SJA) British Sports Awards.

• While Stokes secured more votes than six-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton, Smith received more votes than a fellow athlete and Heptathlon World Champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson.

Full list of winners:

• Sportsman of the Year: Ben Stokes (cricket)

• Sportswoman of the Year: Dina Asher-Smith (athletics)

• Team of the Year: England men’s cricket

• JL Manning Award for Services Off the Field of Play: Tracey Neville MBE (netball)

• SJA Bill McGowran Trophy for Achievement in Para Sport: Aled Davies MBE (para athletics) and Alice Tai MBE (para swimming)

• SJA Chairman’s Award: Ellen White (football)

• SJA Committee Award: John Gosden OBE (horse racing)

• SJA Pat Besford Award for Outstanding Performance of the Year: Katarina Johnson-Thompson (athletics)

• SJA Peter Wilson Trophy for International Newcomer: Jofra Archer (cricket)

• SJA President’s Award: John Blackie (athletics)

• World Sport Achievement Award for an Outstanding Achievement Competing Internationally: Josh Warrington (boxing)

Malayalam poet Akkitham wins Jnanpith Award 2019

• Malayalam poet Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri has won the Jnanpith Award 2019. He is popularly known by the name “Akkitham”.

• He is the sixth literary personality from Kerala to achieve the Jnanpith Award. This was the 55th edition of the award.

• Arkham has published more than 45 books based on poetry, anthologies, plays and short stories.

• The Jnanpith Award is an Indian literary award presented annually by the Bharatiya Jnanpith to an author for their “outstanding contribution towards literature”.

Joint Military Training (JMT) between India and Singapore held in West Bengal

• The 10th edition of joint military training (JMT) between Indian Air Force (IAF) and Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) is being held at Kalaikunda Air Force Station, West Bengal from Oct 31 to Dec 12.

• Sea training component has been introduced for the first time in the joint military training (JMT).

Renowned Freedom fighter & former MP Laxminarayan Nayak passes away

• Laxminarayan Nayak, a centenarian freedom fighter and former MP, passed away in Niwari town in Madhya Pradesh due to age-related illness. He was 101.

• Nayak represented Khajuraho Lok Sabha seat from 1997 -1980.

United Nations Development Programme launches Accelerator Lab in India to work on tackling pollution

• The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has launched the India chapter of its new initiative, Accelerator Labs, to address major issues facing India, including air pollution.

• The Indian lab has been housed at UNDP India office in New Delhi on November 28, 2019.

• It will be among the 60 global labs that will find, test and try to scale up innovative solutions that can help combat both climate change and social inequity.

• The aim of the initiative is faster progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the UN with 2030 as the deadline.

• The Accelerator laboratory has partnered with the Indian government’s Atal Innovation Mission to achieve its objectives.

Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare: 30 November

• The United Nation recognised Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare is held every year on November 30 since 2005.

• The day marks tribute to the victims of chemical warfare, as well as to reaffirm the commitment of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to the elimination of the threat of chemical weapons, thereby promoting the goals of peace, security, and multilateralism.

First International Conference on “Landslides Risk Reduction and Resilience-2019” Held in New Delhi

• Minister of State for Home Affairs, G Kishan Reddy inaugurated the 1st International Conference on “Landslides Risk Reduction and Resilience” in New Delhi.

• While addressing the Conference, Mr Reddy called for developing technology to anticipate disasters like landslides and develop infrastructure to quickly respond to minimise the damage.

• The Minister said that landslides have attracted global attention as they may cause huge havoc on communities, live stock, environment leading to huge loss of lives.

National University of Singapore tops QS World University Asia Rankings 2020; IIT Bombay top Indian

• The National University of Singapore has been named Asia’s best university in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Asia Rankings 2020.

• From India, IIT Bombay is the top-ranked institute at 34th rank. IIT-Delhi (IIT-D) dis ranked at 43. India has 96 universities ranked.

• Nanyang Technological University is on second and the University of Hong Kong is on third.

Uddhav Thackeray takes oath as Chief Minister of Maharashtra

• Uddhav Bal Thackeray has sworn-in as the 19th chief minister of Maharashtra.

• He is the president of Shiv Sena. He was sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at a grand ceremony held at the Shivaji Park.

• Uddhav Thackeray is the first member from Thackeray family to become the Chief Minister and the third Shiv Sena leader to hold the top post after Manohar Joshi and Narayan Rane.

• Thackeray had been unanimously elected as the leader of the tri-party alliance — Maha Vikas Aghadi.

India successfully test fires Spike anti-tank missiles in MP

• In Madhya Pradesh, the Indian Army has successfully test fired two Spike long-range anti-tank missiles at Mhow.

• Army Chief General Bipin Rawat and several commanders witnessed the firing of the newly acquired missiles.

• Spike is a fourth generation missile which can engage any target with precision at ranges up to 4 kilo metres.

• The Spike long-range anti-tank missiles will bolster the Army’s fire power capability.

PM Modi announces $400-mn line of credit to Sri Lanka to boost development

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced Line of Credit (LoC) worth USD 400 million to Sri Lanka to boost the island nation’s development.

• Beside this, India will also extend 50 million dollars Line of Credit to Sri Lanka to fight terrorism.

IFFI awards 2019: Complete list of winners:

• Golden Peacock Award: Particles

• Best Director Award: Lijo Jose Pellissery (Jallikattu)

• Best Actor (Male) Award: Seu Jorge (Marighella)

• Best Actor (Female) Award: Usha Jadhav (Mai Ghatt: Crime No. 103/2005)

• Special Jury Award: Balloon by Pema Tseden

• Best Debut Feature Film of a Director: Amin Sidi Boumediene for Abou Leila, Marius Olteanu for Monsters

• ICFT –UNESCO Gandhi Medal: Rwanda

• Special mention: Hellaro

Government to Merge 3 UP RRBs to form Baroda UP Bank

• The Ministry of Finance has decided to amalgamate three regional rural public sector banks  of Uttar Pradesh namely Baroda Uttar Pradesh Grameen Bank, Kashi Gomti Samyut Gramin Bank and Purvanchal Bank into a single regional rural bank.

• These banks will be amalgamated on April 1, 2020 and will be called Baroda UP Bank.

• The Bank of Baroda will sponsor the new Baroda UP Bank and will be headquartered at Gorakhpur.

• Currently, Bank of Baroda is the sponsor of Baroda Uttar Pradesh Grameen Bank,

Union Bank of India is the sponsor of Kashi Gomti Samyut Gramin Bank and

State Bank of India is the sponsor of Purvanchal Bank.

HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Launches three books for children authored by Dr. Anita Bhatnagar Jain

• The Union HRD Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ launched three books namely Kumbh, Garam Pahad and Dilli ki Bulbul (Sindhi edition)in New Delhi on November 27, 2019.

• These three books are a collection of stories for children and has been authored by popular writer of children’s books and travelogues and 1985 batch IAS, Dr. Anita Bhatnagar Jain.

• The book brings out environmental issues and topics like socio-cultural unity & cultural heritage in a very simple and interesting manner.

International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People: November 29

• The International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People is a UN-organized day held every year on November 29.

• It is observed to mark the anniversary of resolution 181, wherein the Assembly adopted the resolution on the partition of Palestine on November 29, 1947.

Renowned US rock climber, Brad Gobright, passes away after fall in Mexico

• One of the world’s most renowned rock climbers, Brad Gobright, passed away after falling off a mountain in Mexico.

• The 31-year-old from California, fell about 300 meters to his death on the El Sendero Luminoso climb at El Potrero Chico peak in northern Mexico.

Yasuhiro Nakasone, one of Japan’s longest-reigning Prime Ministers, has passed away at the age of 101.

• Former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone has passed away. He was 101.

• Yasuhiro Nakasone was the longest-reigning prime ministers of the country.

• He served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party from 1982 to 1987.

Uddhav Thackeray takes oath as Maharashtra CM

• Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray was sworn-in as Chief Minister of Maharashtra at Shivaji Park in Mumbai after he was named as the leader of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance called the ‘Maha Vikas Aghadi’.

• Uddhav is the first Thackeray family member to become Maharashtra’s CM. Governor BD Koshyari will administer oath to Uddhav

47th All India Police Science Congress Organised in Lucknow

• The All India Police Science Congress (AIPSC) began at DGP headquarter in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh on November 28, 2019.

• The two-day 47th AIPSC was inaugurated by Puducherry Lieutenant Governor and retired IPS officer Kiran Bedi.

• The event has been organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD).

• Lucknow is hosting the event for the second time, since the inception of the Annual Mind Churning exercise in 1960. It last hosted the AIPSC in 1997

LS passes Bill to merge Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu UTs

• The Lok Sabha passed the Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (Merger of Union Territories) Bill, 2019.

• The Bill was introduced in Lower House of the Parliament by Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy.

• Merger of the two Union Territories (UTs) located along western coast, was proposed for better administration.

DEFCOM INDIA 2019 seminar commences on 26 Nov

• A two-day seminar “DEFCOM INDIA 2019” took place in New Delhi on November 26-27, 2019.

• The theme of the seminar was “Communications: A Decisive Catalyst for Jointness”.

• It was jointly organized by Corps of Signals, Indian Army and Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) / Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

WATEC 2019 Conference Held at Tel Aviv in Israel

• The 8th edition of the World Water Technology and Environmental Control (WATEC) Conference and Exhibition 2019 was held at David InterContinental, Tel Aviv, Israel from November 18-21, 2019.

• The focus of WATEC 2019 was “Water Stewardship and Innovation – driving global leadership in the responsible planning management, and protection of water”.

• The Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat represented India at the WATEC Conference.

• WATEC 2019 provided a comprehensive forum where water industry executives, academia, institutional investors, venture capitalists, analysts, and other experts have the opportunity to shape the future collaboration of the water technology arena.

ISRO has built ‘Vikram’ processor to guide future rockets

• ISRO has designed and built a processor named “Vikram”, which will be used in all future Indian rockets to guide and control them.

• The Vikram Processor guided the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C47 (PSLV-C47) rocket, which carried India’s Earth-imaging satellite ‘Cartosat-3’.

• It was the first time the indigenously designed processor was used in PSLV-C47 rocket.

• India has two family of rockets — PSLV and Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV). The ISRO is also developing a Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) with a capacity to carry 500 kg satellites.

• The Vikram Processor is used for rocket’s navigation, guidance and control and also for general processing applications.

RBI announces the Framework on Currency Swap Arrangement for SAARC countries

The Reserve Bank of India has announced the revised Framework on Currency Swap Arrangement for SAARC countries 2019-2022 to improve financial stability and economic cooperation within the SAARC region.

• The Framework is valid from November 14, 2019 to November 13, 2022. Based on the terms and conditions of the Framework, the RBI would enter into bilateral swap agreements with SAARC central banks, who want to avail swap facility.

• SAARC Currency Swap Facility came into operation on November 15, 2012. SAARC has 8 member countries.

Odisha to host Men’s Hockey World Cup in 2023

• The Men’s Hockey World Cup in 2023 will be played in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela city of Odisha.

• The announcement regarding this was made during a ceremony conducted by Hockey India and the Department of Sports, Government of Odisha at the Kalinga stadium.

• This comes after the Executive Board of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) on November 8 announced that India will be hosting the Men’s Hockey World Cup in 2023.

Former Navy Chief Admiral Sushil Kumar passes away at 79

• Former Navy Chief Admiral Sushil Kumar passed away at the age of 79 years due to illness.

• Sushil Kumar led the Indian navy during the Kargil War, was a specialist in hydrography and amphibious warfare.

ISRO successfully launches India’s Earth imaging satellite Cartosat-3

• ISRO successfully launched India’s Earth imaging satellite ‘Cartosat-3’ from SatishDhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

• The Cartosat-3, India’s third-generation agile advanced satellite with high-resolution imaging and mapping abilities, has also been successfully injected at an orbit of 509 km.

• ISRO’s PSLV-C47 rocket also carried 13 nanosatellites of the US.

India Ratings projects India’s GDP growth for FY20 at 5.6%

• Fitch group firm India Ratings and Research has projected India’s GDP Growth rate for FY20 (2019-20) at 5.6%. Earlier this prediction was 6.1%.

• The new projection suggests that 2QFY20 (second quarter of 2019-20) GDP growth is likely to be 4.7 percent.

India to host naval drill Milan 2020 in March

• The Indian Navy will host military drill ‘Milan 2020’ in March which will witness the participation of several countries, Minister of State for Defence ShripadNaik said.

• In a written response to a question in the RajyaSabha, Naik said 41 nations from South Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa and Europe that share defence cooperation with India have been invited for the drill.

• The countries to whom invitations have been sent are Indonesia, France, Mozambique, Sudan, Israel, Qatar, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, Somalia, Kenya, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Myanmar, New Zealand, USA, Tanzania, Comoros, Maldives, Brunei, Philippines, Japan, UK, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Mauritius, Cambodia, Singapore, South Korea, South Africa, Kuwait, Iran, Madagascar, Bangladesh, Russia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Bahrain, UAE and Seychelles

RBI imposes penalty on three co-operative banks

• The Reserve Bank of India penalised three cooperative banks — Nesargi Urban Co-operative Bank Limited, Krishna PattanaSahakar Bank Niyamitha and Ron Taluka Primary Teachers’ Cooperative Credit Bank Limited — for non-submission of returns under Section 27 (2) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

• Krishna PattanaSahakar Bank Niyamitha was fined Rs 40,000 while Nesargi Urban Co-operative Bank Limited and Ron Taluka Primary Teachers’ Cooperative Credit Bank was fined Rs 20,000 each.

• RBI said this action was in exercise of the powers vested in it under the provisions of Section 47 A (1) (c) read with Section 46 (4) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (as applicable to cooperative societies) for non-submission of the returns under Section 27 (2) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (AACS).

• The Reserve Bank of India said it had issued a show-cause notice to the banks, in response to which the bank sought personal hearing.

Odia Weightlifter JhiliDalabehera Bags Prestigious EkalabyaPuraskar 2019

• Odisha-based globally acclaimed weightlifter Jhilli Dalabehera has been named for the prestigious Ekalabya Award 2019.

• JhilliDalabehera has won two gold, three silver and one bronze medals in international weightlifting events between April 1, 2017 and March 31, 2019 to emerge as the clear winner for the 27th Ekalabya Award.

• The annual award is instituted by Indian Metals Public Charitable Trust (IMPaCT) and comprises a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh along with a citation.

Cartoonist Sudhir Dhar passes away at 87

• Renowned cartoonist Sudhir Dhar passed away at the age of 87 years.

• He had worked with several newspapers in his career spanning 58 years. Dhar began his career with The Statesman in 1961 after which he moved to Hindustan Times.

• Cartoons by SudhirDhar have also appeared in The Independent, The Pioneer, Delhi Times, New York Times, Washington Post and Saturday Review among others.

Arun Kumar Shukla appointed CMD of Hindustan Copper Ltd

• Arun Kumar Shukla has been appointed as chairman and managing director (CMD) of Hindustan Copper Ltd, a Personnel Ministry order said.

• Shukla is at present director (operations) in the state-owned firm.

• He has been appointed to the post till the date of his superannuation,i.e. July 31, 2023, the order said.

• Hindustan Copper Ltd is the vertically integrated copper producing company that manufactures copper right from the stage of mining to beneficiation, smelting, refining and casting of refined copper metal into downstream saleable products.

Romania president Klaus Iohannis wins second term

• Klaus Iohannis was elected for a second term in Romania’s presidential election on 24 November, giving the executive power to the country’s center-right.

• According to partial results, he won with more than 66% of the vote, defeating his rival, former Prime Minister VioricaDancila from the Social Democratic Party (PSD), who had 34%.

• Iohannis, former physics teacher and mayor of Sibiu, became president in 2014 and has been credited by the EU with trying to protect the rule of law.

• Romania’s president is elected every five years, with a maximum of two consecutive terms.

SpiceJet, Emirates sign codeshare agreement

• SpiceJet said it has signed a codeshare agreement with Emirates that will allow passengers of the Dubai-based airline to book tickets on the Indian budget carrier using Emirates’ ticketing system from early 2020.

• While passengers of Emirates will be able to access the SpiceJet network from early 2020, SpiceJet passengers travelling from India to Dubai can take benefit of Emirates’ expansive network later, opening up multiple international connections

for them.

• The codeshare agreement means travellers from across the globe can book a single ticket with attractive fares to any of Emirates’ nine points across India and connect onwards to 172 domestic routes that are part of SpiceJet’s network.

• The codeshare agreement follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by both airlines in April this year.

Atanu Das wins men’s recurve bronze at Asian Archery Championships

• Archer Atanu Das won bronze in men’s recurve individual event at the Asian Archery Championships.

• Das defeated Jin Hayek Oh of South Korea 6-5 to bag the medal.

• He had also won a bronze in the recurve mixed team event with DeepikaKumari

• Indian archers are competing as neutral athletes due to suspension of the Indian federation over the election of two presidents of the Archery Association of India in June this year.

CII bestows India’s first Quality Ratna award on Chairman of Sundram Fasteners’, Mr Suresh Krishna

• The Chairman of Sundram Fasteners Ltd Suresh Krishna has been awarded the ‘Quality Ratna’ award by trade body Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

• The award was given by the CII Institute of Quality during its 27th Quality Summit held in Bengaluru.

• The Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers D.V. SadanandaGowda presented the award to Mr. Krishna.

American singer Billie Eilish named Billboard’s 2019 Woman of the Year; Taylor Swift named inaugural ‘Woman of the Decade’ award.

• The famous American singer and songwriter Billie Eilish has been named as Billboard’s 2019 Woman of the Year.

• She is the youngest artist ever to be named Billboard’s Woman of the Year.

• Apart from this, pop star Taylor Swift will also be honoured with the inaugural ‘Woman of the Decade’ award.

• She will be honored for being “one of the most accomplished musical artists of all time over the course of the 2010s”

• Both of them will receive the award on December 12, 2019 at the Billboard Women in Music event in Los Angeles.