Weekly Current Affairs Update 1 Weekly Current Affairs Update For the Week: December 17 to 23, 2019 HEADLINES Section A: INDIA • Two trials of supersonic cruise missile BrahMos conducted • DRDO flight-tests Pinaka Missile System • Soldiers posted in remote locations can now use satellite phones to connect with families • Vijay Diwas celebrated to mark India’s victory in 1971 Bangladesh liberation war • Army Technology Seminar ‘ARTECH’ organised in New Delhi • SSB starts laser fencing along Indo-Nepal border • Foundation stone of Bharat Vandana Park laid in New Delhi • Manthan-Impeccable Academia organised by HRD Ministry in New Delhi • Minorities Rights Day observed in India on December 18 • India celebrated National Mathematics Day on December 22 • CEC Sunil Arora releases booklet ‘Crossing the Barriers…I Got Inked’ • Braille edition of ‘Exam Warriors’, a book authored by PM Modi, released • Vice Chief Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane appointed next chief of the Indian Army • Atul Karwal appointed Director of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy • Urdu writer Mujtaba Hussain to return his Padma Shri award Section B: INDIA & THE WORLD • India-US 2+2 dialogue held in Washington • India-China boundary talks held in New Delhi • India and Iran agree to accelerate work on the strategic Chabahar port project • Girls’ hostel building in Nepal, built with Indian assistance, inaugurated • Ministry of Railways signs MoU with University of Birmingham • PM Modi meets Portuguese counterpart Antonio Costa in New Delhi • Indian Navy Chief meets Sri Lankan Defence Secretary in Colombo • Rajnath Singh visits Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana and Naval Station Norfolk in US • India secures USD 277 million loan from Germany for energy-efficient housing programme Section C: WORLD • US House impeaches Trump for abuse of power, obstructing Congress • WEF’s Global Gender Gap Report 2020 launched • FATF seeks more clarifications from Pakistan on action taken against terror • US censures Pakistan and China for violation of religious freedom • US imposes sanctions on companies building Russian natural gas pipeline to Germany • US President Trump officially launches US military ‘Space Force’ • European Parliament calls for sanctions against Chinese officials over treatment of Uighurs • Russia, China veto UNSC resolution on extending Syria cross-border humanitarian aid • Bangladesh releases list of collaborators who helped Pakistan during 1971 Liberation War • Govt. buyback of guns following ban on assault weapons concludes in NZ • International Criminal Court to probe alleged war crimes by Israel in Palestine • Eight West African countries change their common currency’s name to Eco • China launches its second aircraft carrier ‘Shandong’ in South China Sea • 49 journalists murdered worldwide in 2019: Reporters Without Borders • Global Refugee Forum held in Geneva • Bangladesh celebrates its 49th ‘Victory Day’ November 26 to December 2, 2019 Weekly Current Affairs Update 2 • International Migrants Day celebrated on December 18 • Arabic Language Day celebrated on December 18 • UN observes International Human Solidarity Day on December 20 • Pakistan’s former dictator Gen. Pervez Musharraf sentenced to death in high treason case • Manuel Marrero Cruz appointed Cuba’s first Prime Minister since 1976 • Charles Michel takes charge as European Council President • BRAC founder Fazle Hasan Abed dies in Dhaka at 83 • Noted American vibraphonist and percussionist Emil Richards dies at 87 Section D: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY • India was third largest publisher of science and engineering articles in 2018 • European Space Agency (ESA) launches Characterising ExOPlanets Satellite (CHEOPS) • EChO Network launched to boost research on Indian ecology and environment • International Astronomical Union names star after former Indian scientist Bibha Chowdhuri • International Astronomical Union names newly discovered star ‘Sharjah’ • Ethiopia’s first satellite ETRSS launched from China Section E: AWARDS • Winners of 2019 Sahitya Akademi Awards announced • JSPL Foundation presents Rashtriya Swayamsiddh Samman • Amitabha Bagchi wins DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2019 • National Awards function Rural Development Ministry organised • CBI officer wins ‘India Cyber Cop of the Year 2019’ award given by NASSCOM-DSCI • Noted archaeologist R. Nagaswamy honoured in Bangladesh Section F: BANKING & FINANCE • Complaints to banking ombudsman rise 20% in FY’19: RBI • RBI to conduct ‘Operation Twist’ on December 23 • RBI asks banks to waive NEFT charges • SBI withdraws charges levied on the issuance of e-BRC for the export of shipments • Bharat Bond ETF subscribed 1.7 times Section G: ECONOMY • National Broadband Mission announced • GST council announces single rate of 28% on state-run and state-authorised lotteries • Import of gold and silver placed in ‘restricted’ category • Fitch Ratings cuts its growth forecast for India to 4.6% for the 2019-20 fiscal • Wholesale price index (WPI) based inflation rises to 0.58% in November • India’s foreign exchange reserves rise to US$ 454.49 billion • TRAI extends IUC (interconnection usage charges) to other networks till Dec 31, 2020 • ADB to provide USD 250 million loan to EESL Section H: CORPORATE • ArcelorMittal forms JV with Nippon Steel • Patanjali Ayurved completes acquisition of bankrupt Ruchi Soya • Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) tops Fortune India 500 list • 92nd Annual Convention of FICCI held in New Delhi • Steeling India 2019 conference organised by CII • FICCI organises Smart Border Management-2019 Conference December 17 to 23, 2019 Weekly Current Affairs Update 3 • PM participates in the Hundred Years of ASSOCHAM in New Delhi • CII organises 15th Annual Tourism Summit in New Delhi • Wipro, NASSCOM launch ‘Future Skills’ platform for engineering students • Tata Consultancy Services launches Quartz DevKit for blockchain applications • Acer India launches ConceptD series • NHAI launches TV commercial featuring Akshay Kumar • Smartphone maker realme launches its financial services platform ‘realme Paysa’ • Zee Group launches 4 new regional channels • Hyundai Motor India unveils compact sedan Aura • Tata Motors unveils electric SUV Nexon with a range of 300 km per charge • Yamaha Motor India launches scooters Fascino 125 and Ray ZR 125 • Hero MotoCorp’s XPulse 200 named 2020 Indian Motorcycle of the Year • Piaggio launches electric three-wheeler Ape E-City at Rs 1.97 lakh • Reliance Jio tower assets sold to Canada’s Brookfield for Rs 25,000 crore • Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Peugeot announce merger deal • Tata Motors owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) acquires Bowler • Michelin signs MoU with ARAI to work together on auto tech in India • Finland launches free online AI course for everyone • Olympic document hits USD 8.8M auction record for sports item • Collins Dictionary names ‘climate strike’ as its word of the year • NCLAT orders reinstatement of Cyrus Mistry as Chairman of Tata Sons • Virat Kohli tops Forbes India’s 2019 Celebrity 100 list • Anand Mahindra to step down as Mahindra Group Executive Chairman • CARE Ratings Managing Director Rajesh Mokashi resigns • Sridhar Patra appointed new CMD of National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) • Devesh Srivastava appointed new CMD of General Insurance Corporation of India Section I: STATES • Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy moots the idea of three capitals for Andhra Pradesh • Nethanna Nestham scheme of providing aid for handloom weavers launched in AP • Anti-hijacking ‘Exercise Apharan’ conducted in Kochi, Kerala • Odisha Govt. launches ‘Jalsathi’ programme to ensure supply of safe drinking water • Greater Chennai Corporation launches www.madraswasteexchange.com • Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Farmer Loan Waiver scheme launched in Maharashtra • Regional Conference on ‘Improving Public Service Delivery’ organised in Nagpur • Rajasthan Govt. launches Janta clinic in Jaipur to provide free primary healthcare • 79th Conference of Presiding Officers of Legislative Bodies organised in Dehradun • MSME Minister Nitin Gadkari launches sale of ‘Khadi Rumal’ • DDA portal for registration of properties in unauthorised colonies in Delhi launched • MP Assembly passes resolution to declare assets of MLAs and their dependents • ADB to provide $490 million loan to upgrade roads in MP • Four sentenced to death for complicity in Jaipur serial blasts of May 13, 2008 • Kolkata Police launches revamped Bondhu mobile phone app • Arunachal Pradesh to categorise schools based on accessibility for teachers • Meghalaya Assembly adopts resolution to implement Inner Line Permit in the state • First Special Economic Zone (SEZ) set up in Tripura • Kerala NCP MLA Thomas Chandy dies at the age of 72 • MP Congress MLA Banwari Lal Sharma dies at the age of 71 • Eminent actor Shriram Lagoo dies at the age of 92 in Pune • Sahitya Akademi award winner G. Nanjundan, 58, found dead in Bengaluru • Eminent cinematographer Ramachandra Babu dies at 72 December 17 to 23, 2019 Weekly Current Affairs Update 4 • Renowned Hindustani classical vocalist Vidushi Savita Devi dies at 80 • Former actress Gita Siddharth dies • Court annuls election of SP’s Mohammad Abdullah Azam Khan as MLA in UP Section J: SPORTS • Andhra Pradesh tops in organizing Fit India School Week • Australia’s Ellyse Perry Smriti is Women’s Cricketer and ODI Player of the Year • India beat West Indies in 3rd ODI at Cuttack; win 3-match series 2-1 • Former West Indies batsman Basil Butcher passes away at 86 • England cricketer Ben Stokes named BBC Sports Personality