DECEMBER 2019 Current Affairs Monthly

2019 - 20 CURRENT AFFAIRS STRAIGHTZERO

India top performer in Paris agreement ...... 8 Contents India had successfully test-fired two missiles .. 8 A 2-day national conference held in MP ...... 9 International Affairs 1 Indian Science Congress to be held ...... 9 Ethiopia launched its first satellite ...... 1 Earliest Sanskrit inscription found ...... 9 IAU named new star 'Sharjah' ...... 1 Rabung bridge in Siang district inaugurated .... 9 Abdelmadjid Tebboune: President of Algeria ... 1 Vice President arrived in Kerala ...... 10 Thailand’s famous 2000-year-old massage, 2nd phase of farm loan waiver announced in MP Nuad Thai was added to UNESCO’s prestigious ...... 10 heritage list...... Error! Bookmark not defined. International workshop organised by BEE ..... 10 Google Earth covers 98% of entire population . 2 ISRO to set up third rocket launchpad ...... 10 Malaysia reported 1st polio case in 27 years ... 2 Rs 156-crore development plan for Worldwide arms sales rose by nearly 5% in 2018 Omkareshwar ...... 11 ...... 2 35th anniversary of Bhopal Gas Tragedy ...... 11 The World Anti-Doping Agency banned Russia ...... 3 Awards &Honours 12 UN Climate Change Conference being held .... 3 Deepak Punia named Jr Wrestler of the Year 12 Global Migration Film Festival held in Dhaka ... 3 Belgium crowned FIFA Team of the Year ...... 12 China, Russia, Iran began joint naval drills ...... 4 Ellyse Perry named 2019 Best cricketer ...... 12 China launched largest carrier rocket ...... 4 Ben Stokes awarded ...... 12 Russia: Only country with hypersonic weapons Sahitya Akademi announced its annual Award ...... 4 ...... 13 Sundar Pichai awarded $242 million pay Amitabha Bagchi won DSC ...... 13 package ...... 5 Krish Srikkanth, Anjum Chopra to be awarded Eight West African nations renamed currency . 5 ...... 13 NATO leaders met to mark 70th anniversary ... 5 Amitabh Bachchan honoured with an award . 13 SA takes over G20 presidency from Japan ...... 5 Kamareddy won UNICEF-2019 Award ...... 14 National Affairs 6 Malayali boy Aditya bagged top bravery award ...... 14 India's first Transgender University in UP ...... 6 Annual Akashvani awards presented ...... 14 India's 1st lignite based 500 MW thermal unit .. 6 66th National Film Awards presented ...... 15 125 crore residents of India have Aadhaar ...... 6 Toni-Ann Singh crowned Miss World 2019 .... 15 Govt proposed BS VI emission norms ...... 6 Odisha won ‘World Habitat Award’ ...... 15 NTPC to add 10GW solar capacity ...... 7 Greta named Time Person of the Year for 2019 Rohtang tunnel in Himachal Pradesh renamed 7 ...... 15 Govt approved conduct of Census 2021 ...... 7 Peter Handke received the Nobel Prize ...... 16 Cabinet Approvals ...... 8 Gurgaon-based startup won ‘Space Oscar’ CM Gehlot inaugurated first Janta clinic ...... 8 award ...... 16

Rani, Saurabh won FICCI Award 2019 ...... 16 Delhi govt launched a booklet ...... 25 Ethiopia's PM received Nobel Peace Prize .... 16 Tony Joseph won a Prize ...... 25 National Florence Nightingale awards 2019 ... 17 Book titled Politics of Opportunism released . 26 Lionel Messi was conferred an award ...... 17 Book to chronicle India’s Olympic journey ..... 26 Tony Joseph won a Prize ...... 17 Personalities in News 27 Days & Events 18 Person in News - Justice Gulzar Ahmed ...... 27 National Mathematics Day: 22 December ...... 18 Person in News - Abid Ali ...... 27 Minorities Rights Day: 18 December ...... 18 Person in News - Laura Alexandra Marsh ..... 27 International Migrants Day: 18 December ...... 18 Person in News - Australian pace bowler Peter Siddle ...... 27 Nation celebrated Vijay Diwas: 16 December 19 Astronaut Christina Koch created a record .... 28 National Energy Conservation Day: 14 December ...... 19 Vernon Philander announced retirement ...... 28 Human Rights Day: 10 December ...... 19 Person in News - Indian tennis ace Leander Paes ...... 28 International Anti-Corruption Day: 9 Dec ...... 19 Shaheed Udham Singh's 120th birth Person in News - Hindi author Ganga Prasad Vimal ...... 28 anniversary ...... 20 Appointments and Resignations 29 Good Governance Day: 25 December ...... 20 National Consumer Day: 24 December ...... 20 Greta named Time Person of the Year for 2019 ...... 29 National Farmers Day: December 23 ...... 21 FIA invited Anand Kumar for R'Day celebrations Civil Defence Day: 6 December ...... 21 ...... 29 Armed Forces Flag Day: 7 December ...... 21 Nagaland governor got additional charge ...... 30 International Civil Aviation Day: 7 December . 22 Abdelmadjid Tebboune: President of Algeria 30 Nagaland celebrated 2nd Honey Bee Day ..... 22 Nirmala Sitharaman in Forbes List...... 30 International Volunteer Day: 5 December ...... 22 GS Lakshmi first woman to oversee a men ODI World Soil Day: 5 December ...... 22 ...... 31 Navy Day celebrated on 4 December ...... 23 Roger Federer’s face to go on Swiss coin ..... 31 Pollution Control Day: 2 December ...... 23 ADB board elected Masatsugu Asakawa as its new President ...... 31 International Day for the Abolition of Slavery on 2 December ...... 23 Sundar Pichai promoted as Alphabet CEO ... 31 International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi resigned 3 December ...... 23 ...... 32 PM wishes people of Nagaland on Statehood Sub Lt Shivangi: 1st woman pilot of Navy ..... 32 Day ...... 24 Government Policies & Schemes Welfare 33 Books & Authors 25 National Broadband Mission launched ...... 33 Braille version of 'Exam Warriors' launched ... 25 India’s 1st corporate bond launched ...... 33 Viswanathan Anand Launched his Ministry of HRD implementing a scheme ...... 33 Autobiography...... 25

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Minority Affairs implementing various schemes Centre released 35,298 cr as GST ...... 33 compensation ...... 41 Odisha included a department under Mo Sarkar Adani Electricity to raise up to $1.5 bn ...... 41 ...... 34 SBI to deactivate magstripe debit cards ...... 41 1 cr houses sanctioned under PM Awas Yojana Moody's cuts India's GDP growth forecast .... 41 ...... 34 Economic census launched in Delhi ...... 42 35 lakh passengers have flown under UDAN: Govt ...... 34 National Stock Exchange launched interest rate ...... 42 Centre to extend 2 years for AMRUT scheme ...... 34 Nationwide Feedback Diwas: 7 December .... 42 Dept of Social Justice started a scheme ...... 35 Saudi Aramco announces biggest ever IPO .. 42 65 lakh people treated under PMJAY ...... 35 NSE, BSE suspend Karvy's trading license ... 43 Walmart to train 50,000 MSME entrepreneurs GST collection in Nov crosses Rs 1 lakh crore ...... 35 ...... 43 Loans worth Rs10 lakh cr sanctioned under FM: Pipeline of infra projects at ₹100 tn invt. . 43 PMMY ...... 36 Sports 44 799 Van Dhan Vikas Kendra opened in 24 states Koneru became Women's World Rapid Chess ...... 36 Champ ...... 44 New flight started under UDAN scheme ...... 36 Kohli among 5 Wisden cricketers of the decade Science & Technology 37 ...... 44 Star to be named after Indian Woman Scientist Manu Bhaker clinched gold at National C’ships ...... 37 ...... 44 ISRO launched RISAT-2BR1 ...... 37 Indian weightlifter Rakhi created 2 records .... 44 Bats may be well-adapted to forest fires ...... 37 Nadal and Barty named 2019 ITF World Champions ...... 45 Duchifat-3 satellite to be launched ...... 37 Harinder Pal Singh won in squash tournament ISRO to set up space technology cells ...... 38 ...... 45 China introduces mandatory face scans for Mob Maisnam won International Badminton Series ...... 38 ...... 45 Astronaut Christina Koch created a record .... 38 India beat West Indies by 4 wickets in 3rd ODI ISRO planning to launch satellite to study Sun ...... 45 ...... 38 6500 athletes taking part in Khelo India games Russia operationalised a new weapon ...... 39 ...... 46 Fish Species Discovered In Meghalaya ...... 39 Torch relay of Khelo India Games launched .. 46 Business & Economy 40 5 boxers booked place for Olympic Qualifiers 46 Finance Minister Sitharaman launched 'eBkray' Udayan Mane set new PGTI record...... 46 ...... 40 ICC T20I rankings: Radha retains 2nd position Airtel Payments Bank enabled NEFT facility .. 40 ...... 47 RBI to buy and sell govt bonds ...... 40 Mirabai Chanu bagged Gold ...... 47 28% uniform tax rate for lottery ...... 40 FIFA rankings: India static at 108 ...... 47

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Zeena Khitta emerged as the new national IAF to decommission last MiG-27 squadron .. 53 champion ...... 48 ‘Swachchh Samundra NW-2019’ conducted . 53 3rd Khelo India games to be held in Jan 2020 QRSAM successfully flight-tested ...... 53 ...... 48 Anti-hijacking exercise held off Cochin Port .. 54 Smriti Mandhana in T20 team of the year ...... 48 Navy Chief on four-day visit to Sri Lanka ...... 54 Virat Kohli retained top spot in ICC rankings .. 48 Indian Navy plans to build 24 submarines ..... 54 Rani, Saurabh won FICCI Award 2019 ...... 49 Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane: New Army Wasim Jaffer: 1st to play 150 Ranji matches . 49 Chief ...... 55 13th South Asian Games concluded ...... 49 Gen Bipin Rawat: India's first CDS ...... 55 Indian won 252 medals so far in S. Asian Games Exercise Surya Kiran-XIV concluded in Nepal ...... 50 ...... 55 GS Lakshmi first woman to oversee a men ODI Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane: Next Army ...... 50 Chief ...... 55 India won 34 Gold in South Asian Games ...... 50 Exercise Mitra Shakti VII culminated ...... 56 Lionel Messi was conferred an award ...... 50 Exercise INDRA 2019 to be held ...... 56 India bagged 10 Gold at South Asian Games 51 Ex HAND-IN-HAND 2019 to start from 7 Lewis Hamilton won Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ... 51 December ...... 56 Gurpreet Singh, Sunil Kumar clinch gold medals Navy Day celebrated on 4 December ...... 56 ...... 51 Prithvi-II missile successfully test fired...... 57 Senior Wrestling National C'ships in Jalandhar Sub Lt Shivangi: 1st woman pilot of Navy ..... 57 ...... 51 Exercise Mitra Shakti -VII:2019 ...... 57 Sports Events for Women ...... 52 India conducted the 1st night trial of nuclear . 58 13th South Asian Games in Kathmandu ...... 52 Japan Defence Minister visits Hindan air Base Defence 53 ...... 58 China, Russia, Iran began joint naval drills .... 53

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International Affairs

Ethiopia launched its first satellite • Ethiopia launched its first satellite on 20 Dec 2019, a landmark achievement for the country's space program. • The launch of the Ethiopian Remote Sensing Satellite (ETRSS) took place at a space station in China. • The launch makes Ethiopia the eleventh African country to put a satellite into space. • Egypt was the first in 1998. • This was the eighth launch of an African satellite in 2019.

IAU named new star 'Sharjah' • The International Astronomical Union (IAU) announced the names of the newly discovered stars and planets, where the name "Sharjah" was chosen for a star with "Barjeel" being the name of one of its planets. • The announcement was made on 18 Dec 2019 in Paris. • The organizers lauded the efforts and contributions of the Emirate of Sharjah to the global scientific community.

Abdelmadjid Tebboune: President of Algeria • Abdelmadjid Tebboune, former Prime Minister; of Algeria was elected as the President of Algeria succeeding Abdelkader Bensalah. • He served as the PM from May 2017 to August 2017, under the governance of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. • Capital of Algeria: Algiers • Prime Minister of Algeria: Noureddine Bedouia. • The currency of Algeria: Dinar

Nuad Thai massage in UNESCO. • Thailand’s famous 2000-year-old massage, Nuad Thai was added to UNESCO’s prestigious heritage list.

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• 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. • Thai massage originated in India and was brought to Thailand about 2,500 years ago by doctors and monks who carried its secrets for generations.

Google Earth covers 98% of entire population • Google has revealed that it's powerful mapping service, Google Earth now covers more than 98% of the world. • It has captured 10 million miles of Street View imagery, a distance that could circle the globe more than 400 times. • Google Earth offers 6 million square miles of high definition satellite images, covering more than 98 percent of the entire population. • The world's first fully-electric commercial aircraft took its inaugural test flight on 10 Dec 2019, in Vancouver, Canada. • The technology would mean significant cost savings for airlines and would lead to zero emissions. • The e-plane, a six-passenger DHC-2 de Havilland Beaver seaplane retrofitted with an electric motor, was piloted by Greg McDougall, founder and Chief Executive of Harbor Air.

Malaysia reported 1st polio case in 27 years • A three-month-old Malaysian infant has been diagnosed with polio, the first case reported in the Asia Pacific country in 27 years. • The baby boy from Tuaran in Malaysia's Sabah state on Borneo island tested positive for polio after being admitted to a hospital with fever and muscle weakness. • Malaysia was declared polio-free in 2000, after reporting its last known case of the disease in 1992.

Worldwide arms sales rose by nearly 5% in 2018 • Worldwide arms sales rose by nearly 5 per cent in 2018.

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• According to a new report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the market was dominated by the United States.

• The turnover of the 100 biggest arms manufacturers came to 420 billion dollars.

• Russia was second in the rankings, with 8.6% of the market, just ahead of the UK on 8.4% and France on 5.5%. WADA banned Russia for four years

The World Anti-Doping Agency banned Russia • WADA, banned Russia for four years, from participation in global sporting events.

• The decision came after it accused Moscow of falsifying data from an anti- doping laboratory.

• Russia's anti-doping agency can appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport within 21 days.

• The Russian flag and national anthem have also been banned in global events. Driverless vehicles being tested on 5G tech

UN Climate Change Conference being held • UN Climate Change Conference is being held from 2 to 13 Dec 2019 in Madrid, Spain. • The summit brought together over 25,000 delegates from around 200 countries and seeks to reach agreements to tackle the effects of global warming and keep it within manageable limits. • The conference will include various important events, such as the 25th Session of the Conference of the Parties.

Global Migration Film Festival held in Dhaka • The Global Migration Film Festival was organised in Dhaka, Bangladesh on 2 Dec 2019. • The day-long festival screened 15 films on the theme of migration and its various aspects.

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• The GMFF started in 2016 and this year it is being organised across many cities in the world between 28 November to 18 December 2019. • The festival was organised by the International Organisation of Migrants (IOM).

China, Russia, Iran began joint naval drills • China, Russia and Iran began a four-day joint military exercise in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman. • The exercise is being held from 27-30 December 2019. • Among the objectives of this exercise are improving the security of international maritime trade, countering maritime piracy and terrorism, exchanging information regarding rescue operations and operational and tactical experience.

China launched largest carrier rocket • China successfully launched the largest carrier rocket of the country, Long March-5, Hainan Province on 27 Dec 2019. • The rocket, also known as CZ-5, blasted off with more than 1,000 tonnes of thrust. • It is the country's third attempt to launch the rocket. • During the first attempt in 2016, the rocket failed to reach the speed required for the early phase of the flight.

Russia: Only country with hypersonic weapons • Russia is the only country in the world that has hypersonic weapons. • The first unit equipped with the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle is set to go on duty in Dec 2019, while that the air-launched Kinzhal hypersonic missiles already have entered service • The missile flies 10 times faster than the speed of sound, has a range of more than 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles).

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Sundar Pichai awarded $242 million pay package • Sundar Pichai, Alphabet Inc. CEO will receive $240 million in stock awards over the next three years if he hits all of his performance targets, as well as a $2 million annual salary beginning in 2020. • If Alphabet shares outperform the S&P 100 Index, Pichai could receive an additional $90 million in stock grants. • It’s the first time the company has bestowed performance-based stock awards.

Eight West African nations renamed currency • Eight West African countries agreed to change the name of their common currency to Eco and severed their earlier currency CFA Franc's links to former colonial ruler France. • The CFA Franc was initially pegged to the French franc and has been linked to the euro for about two decades. • Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo currently use the currency.

NATO leaders met to mark 70th anniversary • The leaders of North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO, met on 3 Dec 2019 to mark the 70th birthday of the organization in London. • NATO was founded in 1949 for the collective defence of its members, linking the security of the United States with its European allies against the Soviet Union. • The twenty-nine-member alliance is the world's biggest military alliance.

SA takes over G20 presidency from Japan • Saudi Arabia became the first Arab nation to take over the G20 presidency as it seeks to bounce back onto the world stage following global uproar over its human rights record. • G20, which SA takes over from Japan, will see it host world leaders for a global summit in its capital next Nov 21-22.

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• The G20 is an international forum for the govt and central bank governors from 19 countries and the EU.

National Affairs

India's first Transgender University in UP • India’s first university for the transgender community will be opened in Fazilnagar block of Kushinagar district in Uttar Pradesh. • It is the first of its kind University in the country, where transgender community members will be able to get the education. • The university is being built by Akhil Bhartiya Kinnar Siksha Seva Trust (All- India transgender education service trust).

India's 1st lignite based 500 MW thermal unit • Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has commissioned the first lignite- based 500 MW thermal unit of the 2x 500 MW Neyveli New Thermal Power Project in Tamil Nadu. • This is not only the country’s first lignite-fired 500 MW power plant but also its highest-rated pulverized lignite-fired thermal unit commissioned so far. • Located in Cuddalore district, the project is owned by NLC India Ltd.

125 crore residents of India have Aadhaar • The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) announced a new milestone achieved by the Aadhaar project – crossing the 125-crore mark. • This means that over 1.25 billion residents of India have the 12-digit unique identity. • At present UIDAI receives about 3 crore authentication requests every day. • UIDAI recorded close to 331 crores successful Aadhaar updates till date.

Govt proposed BS VI emission norms • The government has proposed to make BS VI emission norms mandatory for quadricycles from April 1, 2020.

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• The Road Transport and Highways Ministry in a draft notification has proposed amendment of Rule 115 to mandate the next level emission norms for quadricycles. • Currently, quadricycles are covered under Bharat Stage IV emission norms.

NTPC to add 10GW solar capacity • NTPC is planning to add 10GW of solar energy generation capacity by 2022, which entails an investment of around Rs 50,000 crore. • At present, NTPC has installed renewable energy capacity of 920 MW, which includes mainly solar energy. • It has formulated a long-term plan to become a 130 GW company by 2032 with 30 per cent non-fossil fuel or renewable energy capacity.

Rohtang tunnel in Himachal Pradesh renamed • PM Narendra Modi named Rohtang passageway in Himachal Pradesh as Atal Tunnel to mark the 95th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. • The tunnel has been named as a tribute to the former Prime Minister who took the historic decision of constructing this strategic tunnel. • It will provide all weather connectivity to remote areas of Lahaul and Spiti Valley.

Govt approved conduct of Census 2021 • Union Cabinet approved the conduct of Census of India 2021 and updation of National Population Register. • Cabinet approved expenditure of over 8 thousand 754 crore rupees for the exercise of Census of India 2021. • The House listing and Housing Census will be carried out from April to September, 2020 and Population Enumeration from 9th February to 28th February, 2021.

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Cabinet Approvals • The Cabinet approved the creation of post of Chief of the Defence Staff, CDS which was announced by PM Narendra Modi during his Independence Day address. • It also approved Atal Bhujal Yojana, a Central Sector Scheme with total outlay of six thousand crore rupees. • Cabinet also approved Promulgation of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019.

CM Gehlot inaugurated first Janta clinic • CM Gehlot inaugurated the first Janta clinic at Valmiki Basti to provide free primary health care to people living in slums. • In its first phase, 12 Janta Clinics will be opened in Jaipur where people would get free medicines, and free medical examination in some cases. • Later, in the second and third phases of this scheme, Janta Clinics will be opened in other areas.

India top performer in Paris agreement • India is a top performer in Paris agreement and will achieve the carbon emission target soon. • The emission intensity reduction target for India was 35 per cent and it has already achieved 21 per cent of it. • India's efforts to mitigate climate change was appreciated at the recently held 25th session of the Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate change.

India had successfully test-fired two missiles • India had successfully test-fired two missiles from Chandipur in Odisha on 19 Dec 2019. • The missiles were the upgraded version of Pinaka guided rocket system and the all-weather tracked-chassis Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile (QR- SAM).

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• Pinaka system has a maximum range of 75 km for Mark-II variant and can fire a salvo of 12 rockets in less than 45 seconds.

A 2-day national conference held in MP • In Madhya Pradesh, a two-day National Conference on ‘Uniformed Women in Prisons Administration’ begins a Central Academy for Police Training in Bhopal began on 19 Dec 2019. • For the first time, the conference is being held in Madhya Pradesh, outside Delhi. • At present, there are more than 900 uniformed women government servants working in the state jail department.

Indian Science Congress to be held • The University of Agricultural Sciences in Bengaluru is gearing up to host the 107th Indian Science Congress from 3-7 Jan 2020. • PM Narendra Modi will inaugurate the conference to be attended by over 15,000 delegates. • The Pride of India exhibition will see over 130 participants exhibiting technologies, machineries, equipments and science models.

Earliest Sanskrit inscription found • The Epigraphy Branch of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has recently discovered earliest epigraphic evidence of the Saptamatrika cult. • It is the earliest Sanskrit inscription discovered in South India as on date and was discovered in Chebrolu village in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh (AP). • This discovery predates the evolution of the language by almost 200 years.

Rabung bridge in Siang district inaugurated • The Rabung bridge in Arunachal Pradesh's Upper Siang district was inaugurated by state Health and Family Welfare Minister Alo Libang. • The bridge has been constructed by Border Road Task Force of Project Brahmank under Border Roads Organisation (BRO).

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• The bridge is strategically important for the Indian Army and ITBP-Indo- Tibetan Border Police.

Vice President arrived in Kerala • Vice President Venkaiah Naidu arrived in Kerala on 30 Dec 2019 on a day- long visit. • He inaugurated the 87th Sivagiri pilgrimage meeting in Sivagiri Theerthadana Mutt in Varkala. • Later, he inaugurated the silver jubilee celebration of Sree Satyasai Orphanage Trust, Saigramam in Thiruvananthapuram. • He attended the valedictory function of National Children's Science Congress in Nalanchira.

2nd phase of farm loan waiver announced in MP • Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath announced the second phase of farm loan waiver which will benefit more than 12 lakh farmers by writing off debts of Rs 11,675 crore. • The government claims that in the first phase, more than 20 lakh farmers were benefitted with a loan waiver of Rs 7,154 crore. • The first phase was over in March 2019.

International workshop organised by BEE • Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) conducted an International Workshop on 12-13 December 2019 on “Energy Efficient Cooling” in New Delhi. • It was conducted as a part of Energy Conservation Week, being celebrated from 9-14 Dec 2019. • The objective of the workshop was to chart out steps towards accelerating the development and deployment of efficient cooling appliances, equipment and systems.

ISRO to set up third rocket launchpad • ISRO has begun preparatory works for setting up a 3rd rocket launchpad in Kulashekhrapattinam in the Thuthukudi district of Tamil Nadu.

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• At present, ISRO has two launch pads at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh • The demand for additional launch pads arose as a result of the increase in the number of satellites launches from India, both for domestic and international customers.

Rs 156-crore development plan for Omkareshwar • MP government sanctioned a sum of 156 crore rupees for the development of Omkareshwar, a famous pilgrimage centre which houses one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines of Lord Shiva. • The government had earlier sanctioned 300 crore rupees for development of Mahakaleshwar, also a Jyotirlinga shrine located in Ujjain. • MP has the distinction of housing two of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines in the country.

35th anniversary of Bhopal Gas Tragedy • In MP, several programmes were organized on 3 Dec 2019 in Bhopal to mark the 35th anniversary of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, one of the worst industrial disasters of the world. • A large number of people were killed due to the leak of Methyl Isocyanate gas from Union Carbide Plant in Bhopal on the intervening night of 2nd and 3rd December in 1984. • Millions of people are still affected due to it.

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Awards &Honours

Deepak Punia named Jr Wrestler of the Year • Deepak Punia has been named ‘Junior Wrestler of the Year’ by United World Wrestling (UWW). • Deepak had bagged the 86kg freestyle crown in Tallinn, Estonia, in August 2018 to become India’s first World junior champion in 18 years. • He became the first Indian wrestler and second from the country to get the international federation honour.

Belgium crowned FIFA Team of the Year • Belgium was crowned FIFA ‘Team of the Year’ for the second successive time after a record-breaking year. • World champions France remains in the second place ahead of Brazil in third. • Besides accumulating the biggest points haul, Qatar has also jumped a year- high 38 places, followed closely by fellow climbers Algeria (up 32 ranks) and Japan (up 22 places).

Ellyse Perry named 2019 Best cricketer • Ellyse Perry has been crowned the international women’s cricketer of the year. • Perry scored three hundred and an average of 73.50 from 12 ODIs. • Perry claimed the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Award for the second time in three years and was also named the ODI player of the year. • Alyssa Healy claimed the Twenty 20 award, while Meg Lanning was named the captain of both sides.

Ben Stokes awarded • England cricketer Ben Stokes has been voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2019. • He has become the first cricketer since Andrew Flintoff in 2005 to win the prize.

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• Ben Stokes was Man of the Match as England won the 2019 World Cup for the first time with a dramatic super over victory against New Zealand at Lord’s. • He was presented with the award by Denis Law.

Sahitya Akademi announced its annual Award • Sahitya Akademi announced its annual Award- 2019 in 23 languages on 18 Dec 2019. • In Hindi, Nand Kishore has been awarded for his Poetry ‘Chheelate Hue Apne Ko’ and in English Dr Shashi Tharoor has been awarded for his Non- Fiction ‘An Era of Darkness’. • In Tamil, Cho Dharman has been awarded for his Novel ‘Sool’ and in Gujarati, Ratilal Borisagar has awarded for his Essays ‘Mojama Revu Re’.

Amitabha Bagchi won DSC • Amitabha Bagchi’s new novel titled, Half the Night Is Gone was declared the winner of the $25,000 DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2019. • Pradeep Gyawali, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nepal presented the award to Bagchi at the IME Nepal Literature Festival in Nepal. • The novel topped among the chosen six works of fiction.

Krish Srikanth, Anjum Chopra to be awarded • Former India captain and member of the 1983 World Cup - winning team Krishnamachari Srikanth will be the recipient of prestigious CK Nayudu Lifetime Award 2019 given by the BCCI. • Former India women’s captain Anjum Chopra is the co-recipient of the lifetime achievement award for the year 2019. • The BCCI Annual Award function will be held in Mumbai on January 12, 2020

Amitabh Bachchan honored with an award • Veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan received the Dadasaheb Phalke award for his outstanding contribution to the film industry.

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• President Ram Nath Kovind gave away the award in New Delhi on 29 Dec 2019. • The award is conferred by the government for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian Cinema. • It consists of a Swarn Kamal and a cash prize of ten lakh rupees.

Kamareddy won UNICEF-2019 Award • Kamareddy district of Telangana has secured the United Nations International Children’s and Education Fund (UNICEF)-2019 Award. • The district has won the award for effective implementation of Swachh Bharat Mission in water sanitation and hygiene sectors. • It topped in construction of individual sanitary lavatories, Swachh Darpan wall paintings, Swachh survekshan, Swachh sundar shouchalay, etc.

Malayali boy Aditya bagged top bravery award • Aditya of Kozhikode, Kerala has become the first child from the State to bag the Bharat Award for bravery. • It is the most prestigious of the National Bravery Awards, given away by the Indian Council for Child Welfare. • He has been awarded for rescuing 20 people from a bus carrying members of the Calicut University Pensioners’ Forum when it caught fire coming down a steep mountain road.

Annual Akashvani awards presented • The annual Akashvani awards were given in New Delhi on 24 Dec 2019.

• Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar will confer the awards.

• The Akashvani awards were instituted in 1974 to promote professional excellence and bring out the best from the staff working at various radio stations and installations.

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66th National Film Awards presented • 66th National Film Awards were presented at a function in New Delhi on 23 Dec 2019. • Best Director award was given to Aditya Dhar for his debut film Uri: The Surgical Strike. • Akshay Kumar-starrer Padman has been named the best film on social issues. • Sanjay Leela Bhansali received best music director award. • Arijit Singh was selected as the best male playback singer.

Toni-Ann Singh crowned Miss World 2019 • Toni-Ann Singh of Jamaica was announced as the winner of the Miss World 2019 beauty pageant held at the ExCeL London. • She was crowned by her predecessor, Miss World 2018 Vanessa Ponce from Mexico. • Ophelia Mezino of France and Suman Rao of India were the first and second runners up of the beauty pageant respectively. • Miss World 2019 was the 69th edition of the contest.

Odisha won ‘World Habitat Award’ • Odisha won the 'World Habitat Award', global recognition for its ambitious initiative -- Jaga Mission. • This award is given by World Habitat, in partnership with UN-Habitat, every year, in recognition of innovative, outstanding, and revolutionary ideas, and projects from across the world. • Jaga Mission is a slum land titling project, benefiting a million urban-poor living in the slums.

Greta named Time Person of the Year for 2019 • Sweden’s Greta Thunberg has been named as Time magazine’s Person of the Year for 2019. • Greta Thunberg is the Swedish schoolgirl who inspired a global movement to fight climate change and became popular with the “#FridaysForFuture “.

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• She is the youngest person to be chosen by the magazine in a tradition that started in 1927.

Peter Handke received the Nobel Prize • Author Peter Handke received his Nobel Literature Prize on 10 Dec 2019 amid criticism of him in Sweden and abroad as an apologist for Serb war crimes in the 1990s. • He received the 9 million-kronor ($948,000) award from King Carl XVI Gustaf at a ceremony in Stockholm. • Representatives of seven countries including Albania and Turkey boycotted the awards ceremony in protest.

Gurgaon-based startup won ‘Space Oscar’ award • The Gurgaon-based startup Blue Sky Analytics has created an application called ‘Zuri’ that won the Copernicus Masters Award also called Space Oscars. • It won it under the Social Entrepreneurship category.

• The application uses satellite data to provide improved monitoring, supply chain and pricing analysis as well as the allocation of crop waste to be used as raw materials in other industries.

Rani, Saurabh won FICCI Award 2019 • Rani Rampal and pistol shooter Saurabh Chaudhary won the Sports Person of the Year awards at the FICCI India Sports Awards 2019.

• Rani played a crucial role in India's qualification for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, scoring the winning goal against the US.

• Saurabh won gold at the 2018 Asian Games and has since won a number of individual and team honours at shooting World Cups.

Ethiopia's PM received Nobel Peace Prize • Ethiopia's PM Abiy Ahmed received the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to achieve international peace and cooperation.

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• Nobel Peace Prize for 2019 was the 100th to be awarded.

• It consists of a diploma, a gold medal and a cheque for nine million Swedish kronor (850,000 euros). • Abiy Ahmed was awarded for his efforts to resolve the long-running conflict with neighbouring foe Eritrea.

National Florence Nightingale awards 2019 • President of India conferred 36 awardees with the National Florence Nightingale Awards 2019 in New Delhi on 5 Dec 2019. • The award was given to Late Lini Sajeesh from Kozhikode, Kerala, who died while on duty caring for a Nipah (NiV) virus-infected patient in Kerala. • The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the year 2020 as the Year of Nurse and Midwife.

Lionel Messi was conferred an award • Lionel Messi was named the best player and was awarded the 2019 Ballon d'Or award in Paris. • He created a world record by receiving the award for the sixth time. • He broke the record set by Cristiano Ronaldo by winning the trophy five times. • Lionel Messi won the award earlier in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015. • Virgil van Dijk was second.

Tony Joseph won a Prize • English author Tony Joseph won the 12th ‘Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize’. • He was awarded for his 2018 book, “Early Indians: The Story of Our Ancestors and Where We Came From“. • The award was instituted in 2008 and it carries a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh along with a trophy. • The book tells the tale of the people of South Asia through research in six disciplines.

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Days & Events

National Mathematics Day: 22 December • National Mathematics Day is celebrated on 22nd December every year. • The day marks the birth anniversary of legendary mathematician, Srinivasa Ramanujan and his contributions in the development of modern mathematics. • The main objective behind the celebration of National Mathematics Day is to make people aware of the development of mathematics and its importance in the growth of humanity.

Minorities Rights Day: 18 December • Minorities Rights Day is observed on 18 December in India.

• The day aims to remind about the rights of minorities and to educate people about it.

• It focuses on the religious harmony, respect, and better understanding of all minorities' communities in India.

• The minorities in India include Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Zoroastrians (Parsis) and Jains.

International Migrants Day: 18 December • The International Migrants Day is organized across the world on 18th December.

• The day is observed to protect the rights of migrant workers and members of their families.

• In Dec 2000, the UN General Assembly proclaimed 18 Dec as International Migrants Day after considering the large and increasing number of migrants in the world.

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Nation celebrated Vijay Diwas: 16 December • The nation celebrated Vijay Diwas on 16 December 2019 to commemorate India’s victory over Pakistan in 1971 war. • It was on this day in 1971, the chief of the Pakistani forces, along with 93,000 troops, had surrendered unconditionally to the allied forces consisting of Indian Army and Mukti Bahini. • The end of the war also resulted in subsequent secession of East Pakistan into Bangladesh.

National Energy Conservation Day: 14 December • The National Energy Conservation Day is observed every year on 14 December by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE). • The aim is to showcase India’s achievements in energy efficiency and conservation, while working for its ambition of holistic development as part of the nation’s overall effort towards climate change mitigation. • BEE observed National Energy Conservation Week from 9-14 Dec 2019.

Human Rights Day: 10 December • Human Rights Day is celebrated on the 10th December every year to commemorate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). • UDHR was adopted and proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1948. • The United Nations’ theme for the year 2019 is - Youth Standing up for Human Rights. • It is aimed at encouraging youth all over the world to stand up for human rights.

International Anti-Corruption Day: 9 Dec • The United Nations’ (UN) International Anti-Corruption Day is observed annually on 9 December. • The day aims to raise public awareness of corruption and what people can do to fight it.

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The theme for 2019 is “United Against Corruption”.

• The day was first observed in the year 2003.

• The day also highlights the role of the UN Convention against Corruption in combating and preventing it.

Shaheed Udham Singh's 120th birth anniversary • Nation paid homage to the great revolutionary, Shaheed Udham Singh on his 120th birth anniversary on 26 Dec 2019.

• He was born on this day in 1899 in Sangrur district of Punjab.

• Udham Singh was present in the Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar on the fateful Baisakhi Day of 13 April 1919.

• He avenged the massacre by killing General O'Dwyer in March 1940 and was hanged by the British in London.

Good Governance Day: 25 December • Good Governance Day is observed in India annually on the 25 December.

• On this day nation celebrates the birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna and former-PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

• Good Governance Day was established in 2014 to honour Prime Minister Vajpayee by fostering awareness among the Indian people of accountability in government.

• He served as the Prime Minister of India for three times.

National Consumer Day: 24 December • National Consumer Day is observed on 24 December every year.

• The objective is to highlight the importance of the consumer movement and the need to make every consumer more aware of their rights and responsibilities.

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• The theme of the year 2019 is “alternate consumer grievance/dispute redressal”.

• On this day the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 was enacted.

National Farmers Day: December 23 • Every year India celebrates National Farmers Day on December 23 to mark former PM of India Chaudhary Charan Singh’s birth anniversary.

• It was decided by the government of India to celebrate Farmers Day in 2001.

• It is believed that ‘Zamindari Abolition Bill-1952’ was passed due to Chaudhary Charan Singh’s hard work.

• He was the Prime Minister of India from 28 July 1979 to 14 January 1980.

Civil Defence Day: 6 December • Civil Defence Day is celebrated on 6 December 2019 in India every year.

• The day aims to make aware of the citizens and highlight the importance of Civil Defence.

• Civil Defence being a voluntary organisation acts as a protector to the civilian population during the crisis.

• The Civil Defence and Home Guards are the twin Voluntary organizations for the cause of defence to the nation.

Armed Forces Flag Day: 7 December • Armed Forces Flag Day is observed on 7th December since the year 1949.

• This day is observed to honour the martyrs and the men in uniform who valiantly fought on India’s borders.

• The day brings to the forefront the obligation of looking after disabled comrades-in-arms, widows and dependents of those who have sacrificed their lives for the country.

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International Civil Aviation Day: 7 December • International Civil Aviation Day is observed every year on 7 December globally.

• The theme for 2019 is “75 Years of Connecting the World”.

• The day was first celebrated on 7 December 1994 at the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Convention on International Civil Aviation by the International Civil Aviation Organization.

Nagaland celebrated 2nd Honey Bee Day • Nagaland celebrated 2nd Honey Bee Day under the theme 'Save Bees, Save Life' at Kohima on 5 Dec 2019. • The day has been declared in order to create community awareness on the role of honeybees as a contributing factor in conservation of biodiversity as an agent of food chain. • So far Nagaland Beekeeping and Honey Mission has trained 15,450 beekeepers from the state.

International Volunteer Day: 5 December • The International Volunteer Day (IVD) is observed across the world on 5 December every year. • The theme for 2019 is “Volunteer for an inclusive future”. • The theme highlights Sustainable Development Goal 10 (SDG 10) and the pursuit of equality including inclusion through volunteerism. • In December 1985, The United Nations General Assembly first approved and started the celebration of the day.

World Soil Day: 5 December • World Soil Day is celebrated annually on the 5th of December at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) headquarters in Rome, Italy. • The theme for 2019 is “Stop soil erosion, Save our future”.

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• The day aims to raise awareness of the importance of sustaining healthy ecosystems and human wellbeing.

Navy Day celebrated on 4 December • Navy Day was celebrated on 4 December 2019. • The day is celebrated in honour of the maritime force's role during the war with Pakistan in 1971 when Indian warships attacked Karachi port and successfully thwarted Pakistani operations in the western coast. • The Day is also celebrated to highlight the achievements and role the Navy plays in securing the country's marine borders.

Pollution Control Day: 2 December • The National Pollution Control Day is observed on 2 December every year. • The day is observed to honour the lives that were lost because of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy. • The day aims to spread awareness among the people about pollution and its control measures. • The day also creates awareness about the problem caused by increasing pollution.

International Day for the Abolition of Slavery on 2 December • The UN observes International Day for the Abolition of Slavery on 2 Dec every year. • The day focuses on eradicating contemporary forms of slavery, such as trafficking in persons, sexual exploitation, the worst forms of child labour, forced marriage, etc. • According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) more than 40 million people worldwide are victims of modern slavery.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December • International Day of Persons with Disabilities is observed every year on 3 December.

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• This day promotes the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development and to increase awareness. • The theme for 2019 is - Promoting the Participation of Persons with Disabilities and their leadership: Taking Action on the 2030 Development Agenda.

PM wishes people of Nagaland on Statehood Day • Nagaland people celebrates its 57th Statehood Day. • On this day in 1963, the State of Nagaland came into existence as the 16th State of the Union of India. • In 1957, Naga leaders and the central government reached an agreement to create a separate region of the Naga Hills. The State of Nagaland Act, 1962, was enacted by the Parliament to give Nagaland statehood.

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Books & Authors

Braille version of 'Exam Warriors' launched • Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawarchand Gehlot launched Braille version of the book Exam Warriors written by PM Narendra Modi. • The braille version in English and Hindi has been printed by Rajasthan Netraheen Kalyan Sangh in Jaipur. • The book contains animated pictures and various yoga asanas which will let students imagine the pictorial graphics with ease.

Viswanathan Anand Launched his Autobiography • Viswanathan Anand has launched his autobiography ‘Mind Master’. • Anand’s autobiography is co-authored by sports journalist Susan Ninann. • It has been published by THG Publishing Private Limited. • The book covers wonderful memories of Viswanathan Anand’s journey. • The book offers an insight into Anand’s greatest clashes and worst losses.

Delhi govt launched a booklet • The Delhi government on 6 Dec 2019 launched a booklet on the life and teachings of Dr B R Ambedkar for students of class 6-8 in government schools. • The book was launched on his 63rd death anniversary by CM Arvind Kejriwal. • The 3-part booklet will explore the life and education of Ambedkar, his social reforms initiatives, contribution to women empowerment and writing the Indian Constitution.

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

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• The award was instituted in 2008 and it carries a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh along with a trophy. • The book tells the tale of the people of South Asia through research in six disciplines.

Book titled Politics of Opportunism released • Noted Economist S Gurumurthy released a book titled Politics of Opportunism in New Delhi on 27 Dec 2019. • The book has been written by R P N Singh. • It throws light on the subject related to the rise of regional parties and Centre -States relation. • Political opportunism refers to the attempt to maintain political support, in a way which disregards relevant ethical or political principles.

Book to chronicle India’s Olympic journey • A book titled “Dreams of a Billion: India and the Olympic Games” authored by Boria Majumdar with Nalin Mehta will be released soon. • The book will be published by HarperCollins India in January 2020. • The book comprises of all the wins, the misses, the star sportspersons, their stories, and the challenges and possibilities that lie ahead of India to make its mark in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

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Personalities in News

Person in News - Justice Gulzar Ahmed • Justice Gulzar Ahmed took oath as the 27th Chief Justice of Pakistan on 21 Dec 2019.

• He took over from Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, who served as the country's top judge from January 2019.

Person in News - Abid Ali • Abid Ali became the first Pakistan cricketer to score centuries in his first two Test matches. He achieved the feat against Sri Lanka in the ongoing second Test of the two-match Test series in Karachi.

Person in News - Laura Alexandra Marsh • Laura Alexandra Marsh, England cricketer announced her retirement. She has represented England in 103 ODI’s, and 67 T20’s. She is also England’s 3rd highest wicket-taker in ODI cricket.

Shipping Corporation of India appointed H.K. Joshi

• Shipping Corporation of India appointed H.K. Joshi as Chairperson & Managing Director (CMD).

• It is a Govt of India Public Sector Enterprise with its HQs in Mumbai.

• She will also hold the additional charge of the post of Director (Finance) of the company for a period of 3 months with effect from 19 December 2019.

Person in News - Australian pace bowler Peter Siddle • Australian pace bowler Peter Siddle announced his retirement from International Cricket.

• In his career of 11 years, he represented Australia in 67 Tests, 20 ODIs and 2 Twenty 20 matches.

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• He took 221 wickets in 67 Test matches.

Astronaut Christina Koch created a record • NASA Astronaut Christina Koch created a record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, surpassing the earlier record of 288 days in space.

• When she arrives back on Earth in February 2020, she will have spent more than 300 days in space.

• She is onboard the International Space Station since 14th March 2019.

Vernon Philander announced retirement • Vernon Philander announced international retirement from all forms of cricket after the conclusion of the upcoming Test series against England.

• He has played 97 matches across all three formats, taking a combined 261 wickets with 1784 runs in his international career.

• He also took 51 wickets in his first seven Test matches which earned him the 2012 SA Cricketer of the Year award.

Person in News - Indian tennis ace Leander Paes • Indian tennis ace Leander Paes has announced that 2020 will be his last year as a professional tennis player. Paes has won eight doubles and ten mixed doubles Grand Slam titles.

Person in News - Hindi author Ganga Prasad Vimal • Renowned Hindi author Ganga Prasad Vimal was killed in a road accident in Sri Lanka in Dec 2019. Born in 1939 in Uttarkashi, Vimal wrote more than a dozen poetry collections, short story collections and novels.

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Appointments and Resignations

Greta named Time Person of the Year for 2019 • Sweden’s Greta Thunberg has been named as Time magazine’s Person of the Year for 2019. • Greta Thunberg is the Swedish schoolgirl who inspired a global movement to fight climate change and became popular with the “#FridaysForFuture “. • She is the youngest person to be chosen by the magazine in a tradition that started in 1927.

FIA invited Anand Kumar for R'Day celebrations • The Federation of Indian Association (FIA) has invited Super 30 founder Anand Kumar to a function on the eve of India’s Republic Day celebrations in New York.

• It is the oldest organisation of the non-resident Indians.

• Year “2020” also marks the 50th anniversary of FIA.

• Anand Kumar has been invited for his contribution in the field of education through his programme ‘Super 30’.

NSE has appointed Girish Chandra Chaturvedi

• The National Stock Exchange of India Ltd (NSE) has appointed Girish Chandra Chaturvedi as its new chairman. Girish Chandra Chaturvedi is the former Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. • Congress leader and former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah announced his resignation as the Legislature Party Leader in the State Assembly.

Former England captain Bob Willis passed away

• Former England captain Bob Willis passed away in December 2019. He captained England in 18 Tests and 29 one-day internationals before his retirement from all forms of cricket in 1984.

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• South Africa's Zozibini Tunzi is the Miss Universe 2019. Miss Universe Mexico is the second-runner up. Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray crowned Zozibini Tunzi at an event held in Atlanta on 8 December 2019.

Nagaland governor got additional charge • Nagaland governor and Centre’s interlocutor for Naga talks, RN Ravi, has been assigned the additional responsibility as the Governor of Meghalaya.

• Ravi is a former intelligence official who has specialised in the Northeast.

• He was responsible for the framework agreement signed between the government of India and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isaak- Muivah) in 2014.

Abdelmadjid Tebboune: President of Algeria • Abdelmadjid Tebboune, former Prime Minister; of Algeria was elected as the President of Algeria succeeding Abdelkader Bensalah.

• He served as the PM from May 2017 to August 2017, under the governance of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

• Capital of Algeria: Algiers

• Prime Minister of Algeria: Noureddine Bedouia.

• The currency of Algeria: Dinar

Nirmala Sitharaman in Forbes List • Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, HCL Corporation CEO and Executive Director Roshni Nadar Malhotra and Biocon Founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw have been named among the world's 100 most powerful women by Forbes.

• The Forbes 2019 list of ‘The World's 100 Most Powerful Women’ has been topped by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, followed by President of the European Central Bank Christine Lagarde.

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GS Lakshmi first woman to oversee a men ODI • India’s GS Lakshmi created history as the first female match referee to oversee a men’s ODI in the opening match of the third series of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 in the UAE. • She oversaw the match on December 8, 2019 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. • She was earlier appointed as the first woman onto the ICC International Panel of Match Referees in May 2019.

Roger Federer’s face to go on Swiss coin • Tennis legend Roger Federer will become the first living person in Switzerland to have a coin minted in his honour. • The Federal Mint, Swiss mint, has created a 20-franc silver coin bearing Federer’s image. • It’s the first time in its history that Swiss mint has created a commemorative coin to honour a living person. • In May 2020, Swiss mint plans to issue a Federer 50-franc gold coin.

ADB board elected Masatsugu Asakawa as its new President • The Asian Development Bank (ADB) board has unanimously elected Masatsugu Asakawa as its new President. He is currently a special advisor to Japan’s Prime Minister and Minister of Finance. • Bhaskar Menon, Veteran Journalist in the Press Trust of India (PTI) passed away in Dec 2019. He has handled many crucial news like the assassination of former PM Rajiv Gandhi in the year 1991.

Sundar Pichai promoted as Alphabet CEO • Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin announced that they are stepping down from the leadership role of the parent company Alphabet. • Google CEO Indian-American Sundar Pichai will be assuming the role of Alphabet CEO, making him one of the most powerful corporate leaders of the world. • Sundar Pichai will be the CEO of both Google and Alphabet.

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Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi resigned • Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi has submitted his resignation to Parliament amid ongoing antigovernment protests across the country.

Sub Lt Shivangi: 1st woman pilot of Navy • Sub Lieutenant Shivangi has created history to become the first woman pilot of the Navy. • A native of Muzaffarpur, Bihar, Shivangi was inducted into the Indian Navy under the Short Service Commission Pilot entry scheme. • She was commissioned into the Navy in June 2018. • A batch of three trainee officers of the 7th Dornier Conversion Course including a lady officer qualified as Dornier pilots.

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Government Policies & Schemes Welfare

National Broadband Mission launched • The Union government has launched National Broadband Mission to provide Broadband access to all villages by 2022. • The mission aims to connect 600,000 villages across India with an investment of Rs 7 lakh crore in the next 4 years from both government and private sector. • The mission is a part of the National Digital

India’s 1st corporate bond launched • Edelweiss Asset Management Company (AMC), has launched India’s 1st Corporate Bond ETF (exchange trade fund) called the Bharat Bond ETF. • The ETF is a government initiative and Edelweiss AMC was given the mandate to design and manage the product. • The scheme will have two variants - one maturing in three-years (2023) and the other in 10 years (2030).

Ministry of HRD implementing a scheme • Ministry of HRD is implementing the Scheme of Vocationalisation of School Education under ‘Samagra Shiksha – an integrated scheme for school education’. • Under the scheme, a vocational subject is offered for Classes IX to XII along with the general education. • Till 2018-19, the scheme has been implemented in 8654 schools, with a reported enrolment of more than 10 lakhs students.

Minority Affairs implementing various schemes • Under Skill India Mission, the Ministry of Minority Affairs is implementing various schemes namely Seekho aur Kamao, USTTAD, and Nai Manzil. • Seekho aur Kamao is a placement linked Skill Development scheme for minorities.

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• Upgrading the Skills and Training in Traditional Arts/ Crafts for Development (USTTAD) is for the preservation of traditional crafts/arts.

Odisha included a department under Mo Sarkar • The Odisha government has brought Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment Department under its flagship initiative 'Mo Sarkar'. • 'Mo Sarkar', which means 'My Government' in Odia, is a transformative initiative of 5-T programme, which was introduced by CM Naveen Patnaik. • Odisha is the third-largest contributor to the country's Public Distribution System (PDS).

1 cr houses sanctioned under PM Awas Yojana • More than one crore houses have been sanctioned under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban). • A total of 57 lakh houses are in various stages of construction of which, nearly 30 Lakh houses have been completed. • PMAY (U) is one of the largest affordable housing programmes in the world. • The houses sanctioned so far under the Mission involve an investment of about 5.70

35 lakh passengers have flown under UDAN: Govt • About 35 Lakh passengers have flown under the regional air connectivity scheme - Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) till date. • The scheme was launched in October 2016, to provide connectivity to un- served and under-served regions through the revival of existing airstrips and airports. • The travelling time has reduced drastically and the public at large is benefited for different purposes.

Centre to extend 2 years for AMRUT scheme • The Centre has decided to extend the mission period of the flagship initiative Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) by 2 more years.

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• The government was unable to meet the set targets for urban renewal in 500 cities. • AMRUT was launched on 25 June 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. • The initiative aimed to provide 139 lakh water connections by March 2020.

Dept of Social Justice started a scheme • Dept of Social Justice and Empowerment has started the scheme of National award for outstanding services in the field of Prevention of Alcoholism and Drug abuse. • The scheme is applicable to institutions and individuals working in the field of prevention of alcoholism and drug abuse. • The award will be presented on the Int. Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on 26 June 2020.

65 lakh people treated under PMJAY • More than 65 lakh persons have been treated under the Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana since the launch of the scheme. • 9,549 crore rupees were spent on the treatment of the patients till 5th November 2019. • Delhi, Telangana, Odisha and West Bengal have not adopted this scheme. • This scheme provides health cover of five lakh rupee per family per year.

Walmart to train 50,000 MSME entrepreneurs • Walmart will train 50,000 entrepreneurs from the micro, small & medium enterprises (MSME) sector. • 25 institute hubs will be opened in India in next five years which would train the MSME entrepreneurs. • The institutes will be opened under the ‘Walmart Vriddhi Supplier Development Program’ across the nation. • The first Walmart Vriddhi training hub is scheduled to be opened in March 2020.

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Loans worth Rs 10 lakh cr sanctioned under PMMY • Loans worth over 10 lakh crore rupees have been sanctioned till 1st November 2019 under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, PMMY. • As per the findings of the PMMY survey, around 5 crore persons were working in the establishments for which MUDRA loans were availed between April 2015 to March 2018. • These loans enabled beneficiaries to sustain the economic activities they were engaged in.

799 Van Dhan Vikas Kendra opened in 24 states • A total of 799 Van Dhan Vikas Kendra in the 24 states have been opened since the launch of Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana. • These Kendra are benefiting 12 lakh tribals across India. • Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED) has collaborated with the renowned fashion designer Ritu Beri to promote tribal crafts and culture across the country and the world.

New flight started under UDAN scheme • Alliance Air formally commenced its maiden flight operation, connecting Guwahati, Dimapur and Imphal on 7 Dec 19. • The initiative is being done under the regional connectivity scheme, Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN). • It will operate between Guwahati, Dimapur and Imphal, three times a week on both routes. • UDAN scheme was launched in Oct 2016 with the objective of making air travel

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Science & Technology

Star to be named after Indian Woman Scientist • The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has accepted to name a white- yellow star in Sextans constellation and its Jupiter-like exoplanets. • Until now, the stars were called HD 86081 and 86081b. • The star will be named Bibha and the orbiting exoplanet will be named Santamasa, a Sanskrit term for clouded. • Bibha Chowdhuri is a 20th-century Indian woman physicist.

ISRO launched RISAT-2BR1 • ISRO launched its earth observation satellite, RISAT-2BR1 on PSLV-C48 from the First Launch Pad (FLP) of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota on 11 Dec 2019. • RISAT-2BR1, a Radar imaging earth observation satellite weighing about 628 kg, will be placed into an orbit of 576 km at an inclination of 37 degrees. • PSLV-C48 is the 50th mission of PSLV.

Bats may be well-adapted to forest fires • According to a study, bats may be well adapted to wildfire. • The study surveyed the effects of burn severity of 17 species of the flying mammal in forests that experienced fires. • To understand how wildfire was affecting bat habitat, the researchers used an acoustic surveying technology with microphones that emitted very high- frequency sound and tracked patterns in the way bats communicated.

Duchifat-3 satellite to be launched • The “Duchifat-3”, a satellite made by Israeli students will be launched on 11 Dec 2019 from ISRO's Sriharikota launch site. • “Duchifat-3” is a satellite jointly built by Herzliya Science Center and Sha’ar Hanegev High School students of Israel. • It is the 3rd in the series of Israeli student-made satellites.

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• It is a photo satellite to be used for ecological research of Earth from space.

ISRO to set up space technology cells • ISRO announced the setting up of five space technology cells (STCs) at India’s premier engineering and science colleges. • This would be done to conduct space research, build new applications and high-end technology. • STCs have been installed at IIT- Bombay, Kanpur, Madras and Kharagpur, Bengaluru’s IISc and at the Joint Research Programme with Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU).

China introduces mandatory face scans for Mob • China will require telecom operators to collect face scans when registering new phone users at offline outlets. • Though the Chinese government has pushed for real-name registration for phone users since at least 2013, meaning ID cards are linked to new phone numbers • Researchers have warned of the privacy risks associated with gathering facial recognition data.

Astronaut Christina Koch created a record • NASA Astronaut Christina Koch created a record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, surpassing the earlier record of 288 days in space. • When she arrives back on Earth in February 2020, she will have spent more than 300 days in space. • She is onboard the International Space Station since 14th March 2019.

ISRO planning to launch satellite to study Sun • ISRO is planning to launch a satellite called Aditya to study the sun. • This was said by PM Narendra Modi in his 'Mann ki Baat' programme of AIR. • He said that India has many powerful telescopes around the country including a giant meter-wave telescope near Pune and other powerful

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telescopes located in Kodaikkaanal, Udagamandala, Guru Shikhar and Hanle Ladakh.

Russia operationalized a new weapon • A new intercontinental weapon that can fly 27 times the speed of sound became operational in Russia on 27 Dec 2019. • The Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle is a technological breakthrough comparable to the 1957 Soviet launch of the first satellite. • Avangard is designed using new composite materials to withstand temperatures of up to

Fish Species Discovered in Meghalaya • A fish species, that has a scientific name Schistura syngkai was discovered in Meghalaya's West Khasi Hills district. • Prof. Mukhim said both sexes of the fish have golden-brown bodies with blackish lateral stripes and slightly emarginate tail fins. • The specimens of the fish have been sent to Zoological Survey of India in Kolkata and Gauhati University Museum of Fishes in Guwahati.

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Business & Economy

Finance Minister Sitharaman launched 'eBkray' • Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched eBkray on 28 Dec 2019. • It is an e-auction platform to enable online auction of attached assets by banks. • The eBkray platform provides navigational links to all PSB e-auction sites, property search feature and presents single-window access to information on properties up for e-auction, comparison of similar properties, etc.

Airtel Payments Bank enabled NEFT facility • The customers of Airtel Payments Bank will now be able to use the National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) facility at any time of the day, in-line with the RBI guidelines. • The facility will be available to customers on 24x7 basis even on holidays, enabling them to receive or send funds to any bank from anywhere, anytime.

RBI to buy and sell govt bonds • The RBI will simultaneously purchase and sell government securities worth Rs 10,000 crore under a special Open Market Operation (OMO). • It has decided to conduct simultaneous purchase and sale of government securities on December 23, 2019. • The purchase will be for government securities worth Rs 10,000 crore for the instrument ‘6.45 per cent GS 2029’

28% uniform tax rate for lottery • The Goods and Services Tax or GST Council has fixed a uniform tax rate of 28% on both state-run and private lottery. • It also decided to rationalize the GST rate on woven and non-woven bags to 18%. • It also decided to exempt upfront amount payable for long term lease of industrial and financial infrastructure plots by an entity having 20% or more ownership of Central or State Government.

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Centre released 35,298 cr as GST compensation • The Centre released the GST compensation of Rs 35,298 crore to States and Union Territories on 16 December 2019. • GST revenue collection witnessed an impressive recovery with a positive growth of 6% in November 2019 as compared to the collections of the same month in 2018. • The gross GST revenue collected in November 2019 is one lakh three thousand 492 crore rupees.

Adani Electricity to raise up to $1.5 bn • Adani Electricity Mumbai Ltd is set to raise up to $1.5 billion in what could be one of the largest overseas borrowing exercises by an Indian company in the New Year. • The company, a subsidiary of Adani Transmission Ltd, is expected to raise about $1 billion via bonds and $400-500 million through syndicated loans.

SBI to deactivate magstripe debit cards • SBI has announced that magstripe debit card will be deactivated by 31 December 2019. • With effect from 1 January 2020, SBI customers will not be able to use their old magnetic stripe debit cards even if the validity of the card has not expired. • Chip-based cards, also called chip and PIN cards, use higher standards of data encryption and storage technology compared to magnetic stripe cards.

Moody's cuts India's GDP growth forecast • Moody's Investors Service has lowered its 2019 GDP growth forecast for India to 5.6% as slow employment growth weighs on consumption. • It expects economic growth to pick up in 2020 and 2021 to 6.6% and 6.7% respectively. • India's economic growth has decelerated since mid-2018, with real GDP growth slipping from nearly 8% to 5 in the second quarter (April-June) of 2019.

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Economic census launched in Delhi • The Seventh Economic Census was launched in the National Capital Territory of Delhi on 13 Dec 2019.

• For the first time the entire census is being conducted on a digital platform by the use of an application which will ensure high accuracy and data security.

• Delhi is the 26th State where the survey has been launched.

• The process is already on in 20 States and five Union Territories.

National Stock Exchange launched interest rate • National Stock Exchange launched interest rate options on 10-year Government bonds. These are based on the 10-year govt bonds, which are 7.26% 2029 bond and 6.45% 2029 bond. • State Bank of India announced the reduction in its marginal cost of fund- based lending rate (MCLR) by 10 basis points across all one-year products. It will be effective from 10 December 2019.

Nationwide Feedback Diwas: 7 December • Nationwide GST Stakeholder Feedback Diwas for new GST returns was observed on 7 Dec 2019. • The aim of organizing this event was to get an on-the-spot response to the new GST Returns to be introduced from the 1st of April 2020. • The focus will be on assessing the ease of compliance and uploading of these new returns.

Saudi Aramco announces biggest ever IPO • Saudi Arabia, state oil company Aramco has set a share price for its much- anticipated initial public offering. • Aramco has set a share price that will value the company's initial public offering (IPO) at 25.6 billion Dollar, making it the largest ever seen.

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• The IPO will consist of 3 billion shares, or 1.5% of the company, offered for 8.00 to 8.53 Dollar per share.

NSE, BSE suspend Karvy's trading license • The NSE suspended Karvy Stock Broking Ltd.’s trading licence for all segments due to non-compliance with exchange and Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) norms. • The BSE, MCX and MSEI have also suspended the licence of the brokerage firm. • The markets regulator estimates the misuse of client securities by the broker at ₹2,800 crore, 40% more than the ₹2,000 crore it determined

GST collection in Nov crosses Rs 1 lakh crore • The Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection in November crossed Rs 1 lakh crore • After dropping below the Rs 1 lakh crore level for three consecutive months amid a deceleration of economic growth. • November's GST collection stood at Rs 1,03,492 crore, of which CGST was Rs 19,592 crore, SGST Rs 27,144 crore, IGST collections stood at Rs 49,028 crore, according to a Finance Ministry statement

FM: Pipeline of infra projects at ₹100 trillion investment. • FM Nirmala Sitharaman said that the govt will soon announce a set of projects as part of the government’s plan to invest ₹100 trillion in infrastructure over the next five years. • The minister said officers have almost completed the task of identifying big projects. • ₹2.5 lakh crore worth of loans has been disbursed in loan outreach programmes held during the weeks of Navratras and Diwali.

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Sports

Koneru became Women's World Rapid Chess Champ • Indian grandmaster Koneru Humpy has become the 2019 Women's World Rapid Champion. • She defeated China's Lei Tingjie in a dramatic final in Moscow, Russia. • Tingjie finished with a silver, while Turkey's Ekaterina Atalik won bronze. • This is a significant triumph for Humpy who is India’s best-ever women’s chess player.

Kohli among 5 Wisden cricketers of the decade • Indian skipper Virat Kohli is one of the five players named in the Wisden Cricketers of the Decade. • Kohli joins Australian batsman Steve Smith, and South Africans, Dale Steyn, and AB de Villiers. • He also finds a spot in the Wisden ODI team of the decade alongside MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma and others. • Australian all-rounder Ellyse Perry is the only female cricketer in the list.

Manu Bhaker clinched gold at National C’ships • Manu Bhaker and Anish Bhanwala clinched gold medals at the 63rd National Shooting Championships in Bhopal on 24 Dec 2019. • Bhaker, representing Haryana, clinched four gold medals (individual and team events in senior and junior) in the women's 10-meter air pistol. • Devanshi Dhama won silver in the senior women's 10 m air pistol event while Yashaswini Singh Deshwal won the bronze medal.

Indian weightlifter Rakhi created 2 records • Indian weightlifter Rakhi Halder created two new national records and clinched a bronze medal in the women's 64kg weight category at the Qatar International Cup in Doha.

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• She superseded the senior national record in both snatch and total lift with her personal best effort of 218kg, 95kg in the snatch with 123 kg in clean and jerk on 23 Dec 2019.

Nadal and Barty named 2019 ITF World Champions • Ash Barty and Rafael Nadal were named International Tennis Federation’s (ITF) World Champions for 2019. • Barty became the first Australian to win the French Open since Margaret Court in 1973 when she beat Czech Marketa Vondrousova in June 2019. • Nadal claimed the ITF world title for the fourth time after sealing a historic 12th French Open and a fourth U.S. Open.

Harinder Pal Singh won in squash tournament • Indian squash player Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu clinched the men's title while Hana Ramadan of Egypt won the women's crown in the third leg of the HCL-SRFI India Tour Squash Tournament in Mumbai on 21 Dec 2019. • Harinder defeated Tomotaka Endo of Japan 3-0 in a match that lasted for 30 minutes, while Hana beat England's Lucy Turmel 3-1 in the women's final.

Maisnam won International Badminton Series • India's shuttler Maisnam Meiraba Luwang has won the Men's singles Bangladesh Junior International Badminton Series 2019 in Dhaka. • Meiraba beat Ken Yong Ong 21, 14, 21-18 in the final lasting 38 minutes on 22 Dec 2019. • Meiraba had also clinched the boys' singles U-19 title at the Woncheon Yonex Korea Junior Open International Challenge in November 2019.

India beat West Indies by 4 wickets in 3rd ODI • In Cricket, India defeated West Indies by 4 wickets in the 3rd and final ODI of the three-match series at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on 22 Dec 2019. • With this win, India won the series 2-1. • This is India's tenth consecutive series win over the West Indies.

• Skipper Virat Kohli who scored 85, was declared Man of the Match.

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• Rohit Sharma was declared Man of the Series.

6500 athletes taking part in Khelo India games • 6500 athletes from 37 teams will take part in the 3rd Khelo India youth games in Guwahati beginning from 10th of January. • Lawn ball and cycling will be included in the Khelo India for the first time.

• A total of 20 competitions will be held at 11 venues in and around Guwahati.

• The Assam govt will give Rs 1 lakh for Gold, Rs 75,000 for silver and Rs 50,000 for bronze medalist Assam players.

Torch relay of Khelo India Games launched • Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has launched the torch relay of the Third Khelo India Youth Games. • The games will be held in Guwahati from 10-22 Jan 2020. • The officials of the competition are preparing a total of eight venues for the tournament and they are on track to make the Games one of the largest sporting spectacles of the country.

5 boxers booked place for Olympic Qualifiers • Five Indian women boxers booked their place for the Olympic Qualifiers at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi. • Mary Kom defeated Nikhat Zareen 9-1 in 51kg category while in 57kg Sakshi Chaudhary outclassed her opponent. • In the 60kg event, Simranjit Kaur won her bout. • In the 69kg and 75kg category, Lovlina Borgohain and Pooja Rani won their respective matches.

Udayan Mane set new PGTI record • In Golf, Udayan Mane claimed a one-shot win at the season-ending TATA Steel Tour Championship in Jamshedpur on 29 Dec 2019.

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• His 67-66-64-65 determined final round effort saw him establish a new PGTI record for the lowest tournament total as he closed the week with a 26-under- 262 at the Golmuri Golf Course. • It was his 8th professional title and his 2nd win on the PGTI this season.

ICC T20I rankings: Radha retains 2nd position • Left-arm Indian spinner Radha Yadav remained at the second spot in the latest ICC Women's T20I players rankings. • Deepti Sharma and Poonam Yadav slipped a place each to the fifth and sixth positions. • Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur remained static at the seventh and ninth positions. • India continued to hold on to the fourth position in the ICC Women's T20 Team Ranking.

Mirabai Chanu bagged Gold • Saikhom Mirabai Chanu won the women's 49kg category gold medal to open India's account at the 6th Qatar International Cup in Doha on 20 Dec 2019. • She bagged gold with an effort of 194kg in the Olympic qualifying event. • She lifted 83kg in snatch and 111kg in clean and jerk to finish on top of the podium. • However, it was a performance way below her personal best of 201 kg.

FIFA rankings: India static at 108 • The Indian men’s football team remained static at 108th spot in the year- ending FIFA rankings issued on 19 Dec 2019. • With 1187 total points, India is placed at 19th spot among Asian countries headed by Japan (28th). • India was placed at 97th in the December FIFA rankings of 2018. • In the Asian rankings, Japan is followed by Iran (33), Korea (40), Australia (42) and Qatar (55).

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Zeena Khitta emerged as the new national champion • Zeena Khitta emerged as the new national champion in the Women's 10 metres Air Rifle event at the ongoing 63rd National Shooting Championship Competitions Rifle/Pistol in Bhopal on 19 Dec 2019. • Pat Cummins, with a base price of Rs 2 crore, became the most expensive overseas buy of IPL as he was sold to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for a whopping 15.50 crore rupees.

3rd Khelo India games to be held in Jan 2020 • The 3rd edition of the Khelo India Games will be held in Guwahati as per schedule from 10 Jan 2020. • All preparations are being taken to make the event successful.

• Over 10 thousand players and officials are expected to take part in the event that will be held at different venues in Guwahati.

• There would be a total of 20 events in this edition of the Khelo India.

Smriti Mandhana in T20 team of the year • Smriti Mandhana was named in both the ICC's ODI and T20 teams of the year, capping off a memorable season. • Mandhana has Jhulan Goswami, Poonam Yadav and Shikha Pandey for company in the ODI team of the year and all-rounder Deepti Sharma in the T20 side. • Australia's Alyssa Healy was chosen as the T20 cricketer of the year following her record-breaking 148 against Sri Lanka earlier this year.

Virat Kohli retained top spot in ICC rankings • Virat Kohli retained his top spot among batsmen with 928 points in the latest ICC Test rankings issued on 16 Dec 2019. • Cheteshwar Pujara with 791 and Ajinkya Rahane 759 held on to their 4th and 6th spots respectively. • Among the bowlers, Bumrah slipped to the 6th spot.

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• Ravindra Jadeja remained at number two, behind Jason Holder, among Test all-rounders.

Rani, Saurabh won FICCI Award 2019 • Rani Rampal and pistol shooter Saurabh Chaudhary won the Sports Person of the Year awards at the FICCI India Sports Awards 2019. • Rani played a crucial role in India's qualification for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, scoring the winning goal against the US. • Saurabh won gold at the 2018 Asian Games and has since won a number of individual and team honours at shooting World Cups. • In the ninth and final round that stretched to the next day, Praggnanandhaa drew with his compatriot Sahaj.

Wasim Jaffer: 1st to play 150 Ranji matches • Wasim Jaffer became the first player in Indian cricket to feature in 150 Ranji matches. • He is now just 853 runs away from completing 20,000 runs in first-class cricket. • He is followed by Madhya Pradesh batsman Devendra Bundela (145 matches) and Amol Muzumdar (136 matches), who have played for Mumbai and Assam. • He has played 253 first-class games, scoring 19,147 runs at an average of 51.19.

13th South Asian Games concluded • 13th South Asian Games came a close in Nepal on 10 Dec 2019. • Indian athletes dominated the medals tally on 9 Dec 2019. • India consolidated its top position with 294 medals comprising 159 gold, 91 silver and 44 bronze medals. • Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal Ishwar Pokharel graced the occasion as Chief Guest at the closing ceremony of the event.

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Indian won 252 medals so far in S. Asian Games • Indian athletes are continuing their outstanding performance at 13th South Asian Games in Nepal. • Consolidating its top position India has clinched 252 medals comprising 132 gold, 79 silver and 41 bronze so far. • Sushila Devi brought first gold in women's 48 kg. • Later Vijay Kumar Yadav won gold in men's 60kg and Jasleen Singh Saini clinched gold in 66 kg.

GS Lakshmi first woman to oversee a men ODI • India’s GS Lakshmi created history as the first female match referee to oversee a men’s ODI in the opening match of the third series of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 in the UAE. • She oversaw the match on December 8, 2019 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. • She was earlier appointed as the first woman onto the ICC International Panel of Match Referees in May 2019.

India won 34 Gold in South Asian Games • At the 13th South Asian Games in Nepal, India topped the medals tally on the fourth day with 70 medals comprising 34 gold, 23 silver and 13 bronze. • On the fourth day of games, India clinched 28 medals including 17 gold. • Athletics grabbed maximum 10 medals including 5 Gold. • In Tennis, Table Tennis, Kho-Kho, Indian men's and women’s teams won gold each.

Lionel Messi was conferred an award • Lionel Messi was named the best player and was awarded the 2019 Ballon d'Or award in Paris. • He created a world record by receiving the award for the sixth time. • He broke the record set by Cristiano Ronaldo by winning the trophy five times. • Lionel Messi won the award earlier in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015.

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• Virgil van Dijk was second.

India bagged 10 Gold at South Asian Games • India dominated the 13th South Asian Games in Nepal by clinching 10 Gold in Athletics, Volleyball, Shooting and Table Tennis. • In track and field events Archana Suseendran in women's 100m, M. Jashna in high jump, Sarvesh Anil Kushare in men's high jump and Ajay Kumar Saroj in 1500m won a gold each. • Overall, in Athletics India won four gold, four silver and two bronze on the opening day.

Lewis Hamilton won Abu Dhabi Grand Prix • Mercedes racer Lewis Hamilton has won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix held in Abu Dhabi, UAE. • He has claimed his 84th career victory. • Hamilton's victory was his 11th of the 21 races that have been held this season. • Max Verstappen of Red Bull finished 2nd in the race while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished 3rd in the race.

Gurpreet Singh, Sunil Kumar clinch gold medals • In wrestling, Asian Championships silver medalists Gurpreet Singh and Sunil Kumar clinched gold medals on the final day of the senior national championships in Jalandhar on 1 Dec 2019. • Gurpreet defeated Sajan Bhanwal, who was representing the Railways, by a 3-1 margin, in the 77-kilogram category. • Sunil also managed an easy win over Punjab's Prabhal.

Senior Wrestling National C'ships in Jalandhar • Star wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik registered convincing wins in the finals to claim gold medals at the Senior Wrestling National Championships in Jalandhar. • Phogat beat 20-year-old Haryana’s Anju 7-3 in the 55kg category

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• Olympic bronze medalist Malik defeated Radhika of Haryana 4-2 in the 62 kg category.

Sports Events for Women • All sports promotional schemes and facilities of Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports are equally available and accessible to women athletes. • Under the “Sports for Women” vertical of Khelo India Scheme, this Ministry has decided to launch “Khelo India Football Girls League” in Under-17 age group. • Khelo India is National programme for development of sports.

13th South Asian Games in Kathmandu • President of Nepal Bidya Devi Bhandari declared games open in a glittering ceremony at Dasaratha Rangshala in Kathmandu. • Over 2700 athletes from seven South Asian Countries participated in the march • past. • 2715 athletes will compete for 1119 medals including 319 Gold in 26 game categories. • India is represented by 487 athletes. The closing ceremony will be held on 10th December.

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Defence

China, Russia, Iran began joint naval drills • China, Russia and Iran began a four-day joint military exercise in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman. • The exercise is being held from 27-30 December 2019. • Among the objectives of this exercise are improving the security of international maritime trade, countering maritime piracy and terrorism, exchanging information regarding rescue operations and operational and tactical experience.

IAF to decommission last MiG-27 squadron • The Indian Air Force (IAF) has decided to finally decommission its MiG-27s. • The squadron of the seven MiG-27 fighters will have its last sortie from Jodhpur Air Base on December 27, 2019 and all the planes will thereafter be decommissioned. • It will be history as no other country operates MiG-27 now. • The MiG-27 ground strike aircraft was procured in the 1980s from the then Soviet Union.

‘Swachh Samundra NW-2019’ conducted • The Indian Coast Guard conducted a two-day regional level pollution response exercise named ‘Swachh Samundra NW-2019’ at sea off Vadinar in Gulf of Kutch from 17-18 Dec 2019. • The exercise was conducted to validate and reinforce the response mechanism for oil pollution incidents and enable ICG to fine-tune the actions required in such eventualities. • The exercise was conducted in two phases.

QRSAM successfully flight-tested • Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile, QRSAM system developed by DRDO was successfully flight-tested from Odisha coast on 23 Dec 2019.

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• The QRSAM weapon system comprises of fully automated Command and Control System and Active Array Battery Surveillance Radar. • The entire event was monitored by Ground Telemetry Systems, Range Radar Systems, Electro-Optical Tracking

Anti-hijacking exercise held off Cochin Port • The Indian Navy, in collaboration with Indian Coast Guard, Cochin Port Trust, conducted a large-scale antihijacking exercise off the Port of Kochi on 17 Dec 2019. • The Exercise code-named “Apharan” saw the participation of multiple agencies, including more than 12 ships and helicopters of the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard and Cochin Port Trust.

Navy Chief on four-day visit to Sri Lanka • Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh embarked on a four-day visit to Sri Lanka on 19 Dec 2019. • The visit is intended to consolidate and enhance bilateral maritime relations between the two countries. • During the visit, Admiral Singh will hold bilateral discussions with Commander of Sri Lanka Navy Vice Admiral KKVPH De Silva, the Services Chiefs and other senior Government officials.

Indian Navy plans to build 24 submarines • The Indian Navy is planning to build 24 submarines, including six nuclear attack submarines. • There are presently 15 conventional submarines and two nuclear submarines in its fleet. • The Indian Navy has two nuclear submarines INS Arihant and INS Chakra, with the latter being leased from Russia. • Majority of the conventional submarines are over 25 years old.

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Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane: New Army Chief • Vice Chief of the Army Staff, Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane took over as the new Army Chief on 31 Dec 2019. • He will succeed Gen Bipin Rawat, who retired after a three-year stint as Army chief. • Before taking charge as Vice-Chief of the Army Staff, Lt Gen Naravane was heading the Eastern Command of the Army which takes care of India's nearly 4,000-km border with China.

Gen Bipin Rawat: India's first CDS • General Bipin Rawat has been named the country's first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). • He is the first officer to hold the post of the Chief of Defence Staff, which was set up recently. • CDS will function as a single-point advisor to the government on matters related to the military and will focus on the better synergy between the Indian Army, Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy.

Exercise Surya Kiran-XIV concluded in Nepal • Joint military exercise ‘SURYA KIRAN – XIV' between India and Nepal was conducted at Salijhandi of Rupendehi district of Nepal from December 3-16, 2019. • During the training programme, Nepalese and Indian Army personnel exchanged theoretical, practical and special experiences with each other. • Exercise SURYA KIRAN - XIV is an annual event which is conducted alternatively in Nepal and India.

Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane: Next Army Chief • Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane will be the next Chief of Army Staff. • He is currently serving as Vice Chief of the Army. • He will succeed Gen Bipin Rawat, who will retire on the 31 December 2019. • He has been awarded the Sena Medal (Distinguished) for effectively commanding his battalion in Jammu and Kashmir.

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• He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy.

Exercise Mitra Shakti VII culminated • The seventh edition of the joint training exercise between the Indian Army and the Sri Lankan Army, Exercise Mitra Shakti concluded on 14 Dec 2019 at Aundh Military Station, Pune. • A Contingent comprising of 120 personnel each from Sri Lankan and Indian Army participated in the exercise. • The two-week-long exercise had commenced on 1 Dec 2019.

Exercise INDRA 2019 to be held • Exercise INDRA 2019 a joint tri-services exercise between India and Russia will be conducted in India from 10-19 December 2019 simultaneously at Babina, Pune, and Goa. • The INDRA series of exercise began in 2003 and the First joint Tri Services Exercise was conducted in 2017. • The exercise will consist of a five-day training phase consisting of a comprehensive training curriculum.

Ex HAND-IN-HAND 2019 to start from 7 December • India and China will conduct a joint training exercise ‘Hand-in-Hand 2019’ (HiH). • This will be the 8th edition of the joint exercise. • The joint drill will take place in Umroi, Meghalaya from December 7-20 2019 and around 100-200 troops from both countries will be participating. • The whole drill will focus on joint planning and conducting counter terrorist operations in semi-urban terrain.

Navy Day celebrated on 4 December • Navy Day was celebrated on 4 December 2019.

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• The day is celebrated in honour of the maritime force's role during the war with Pakistan in 1971 when Indian warships attacked Karachi port and successfully thwarted Pakistani operations in the western coast. • The Day is also celebrated to highlight the achievements and role the Navy plays in securing the country's marine borders.

Prithvi-II missile successfully test fired • India successfully test-fired its indigenously developed surface-to-surface nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missile off Odisha coast on 3 Dec 2019. • The Strategic Forces Command of the Indian Army conducted the user trial of the 350 km range missile. • The missile weighs about 4,600 kg, is capable of carrying 500 to one thousand kilograms of warheads and is thrust by liquid propulsion twin engines.

Sub Lt Shivangi: 1st woman pilot of Navy • Sub Lieutenant Shivangi has created history to become the first woman pilot of the Navy. • A native of Muzaffarpur, Bihar, Shivangi was inducted into the Indian Navy under the Short Service Commission Pilot entry scheme. • She was commissioned into the Navy in June 2018. • A batch of three trainee officers of the 7th Dornier Conversion Course including a lady officer qualified as Dornier pilots.

Exercise Mitra Shakti -VII: 2019 • The 7th edition of Ex MITRA SHAKTI- 2019 aimed at enhancing interoperability and operational efficiency amongst the armies of both India and SL • It is deployed as part of UN peacekeeping forces commenced on 01 Dec at Aundh Military Station, Pune. • The objective of the Ex is to build and promote positive relations and sub- unit-level training on counterinsurgency and counter-terrorism operations

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India conducted the 1st night trial of nuclear • India conducted the first night trial of nuclear-capable long-range ballistic missile Agni-III from the Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha coast. • Agni-III is the mainstay of India's nuclear arsenal. • The missile has a strike range of 3,000 km to 5,000 km and is capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads weighing up to 1.5 tonnes.

Japan Defence Minister visits Hindan air Base • Japanese Defence Minister Taro Kono visited Indian Air Force (IAF) Base at Hindan UP • Kono, who is on a two-day bilateral visit to India was received by Air Marshal D Choudhury, Senior Air Staff Officer of Western Air Command and Air Commodore R Talwar, Air Officer Commanding of Hindan Air Force Station. • During his visit to IAF station, the Minister was given an overview of IAF station.

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