DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS : December 3, 4 & 5, 2019

Dear Bankersdaily Aspirants,

Daily Current Affairs (December 3, 4 & 5, 2019) like many other sections is inevitable and this also helps to score in the Banking awareness, Static GK and Financial Awareness sections. Remember, Banking Awareness and Static Awareness Questions are asked from the General Awareness section. This will also help you to ride your preparations for the forthcoming exams.

Also Don’t forget to attend the Daily Current Affairs Quiz – December 3, 4 & 5, 2019 now @ our Bankersdaily Tests.

Check Daily CA from Race Youtube Channel

National News

PM Modi congratulates new President of European Commission

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated Ursula von der Leyen on taking over as the President of the European Commission.  
  • In a telephonic conversation with Ms Leyen, Modi said, that her leadership of the European Commission had special significance since she was its first woman President.
  • The Prime Minister pointed out that India-EU partnership is based on shared values like democracy, respect for rule of law, multilateralism, rules-based trade and rules-based international order.
  • Ms Leyen invited the Prime Minister to visit Brussels for the next India-EU Summit. Prime Minister Modi accepted the invitation.

Swedish King holds extensive talks with President, PM to expand bilateral cooperation

  • King Carl XVI Gustaf held extensive talks with President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to expand overall bilateral cooperation in diverse areas.
  • These included trade and investment, innovation and culture.
  • Welcoming King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia at Rashtrapati Bhawan at a banquet in their honour, President Ram Nath Kovind said that India-Sweden bilateral trade and investment relations are gaining strength.
  • He said that India sees Sweden as a key partner in its Make in India, Start-up India, Clean India, Digital India and Smart City programmes. He invited Sweden to join the International Solar Alliance.
  • The dialogue also aims to jointly formulate and implement short- and long-term projects in strategic areas such as circular economy, digital health, artificial intelligence, sustainable energy, and future mobility.
  • Later, the two sides inked three pacts providing for cooperation in polar science, innovation and research and in maritime spheres.

Govt’s decision to cut corporate tax rate taken in view of US-China trade war: Sitharaman

  • Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that the government’s decision to cut the corporate tax rate for domestic companies, including new manufacturers, was taken in view of US-China trade war.
  • Replying to the debate on the Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019 in the Lok Sabha, she said the move will help attract fresh investments, stimulate growth and generate employment.  
  • Later, the House passed the bill. It will replace an ordinance promulgated in this regard. The bill provides domestic companies with an option to pay tax at the rate of 22 per cent, provided that they do not claim certain deductions under the Income Tax Act.

Sub Lieutenant Shivangi becomes first woman pilot of Indian 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 last year.
  • Defence Ministry said, a batch of three trainee officers of the 7th Dornier Conversion Course including a lady officer qualified as Dornier pilots and were awarded at the coveted golden Wings ceremony held at INS Garuda.

Kiren Rijiju appeals Corporates, PSUs to supplement govt’s efforts to improve living standards of sports persons

  • Union Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju appealed to the Corporates and PSUs to supplement the Government’s efforts to improve the living standards of sports persons.
  • Replying to supplementary questions in Rajya Sabha, Mr Kiren Rijiju said, through Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay National Welfare Fund For Sportspersons (PDUNWFS), the Centre is assisting the outstanding sports persons of yesteryears living in indigent circumstances.
  • The Sports Minister said, as sports have also become a new economic activity, the corporates and PSUs should participate in the activity, as it will help sports persons benefit financially.

Parliament passes Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Bill, 2019

  • Parliament has passed the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Bill, 2019, with the Rajya Sabha approving it today after an elaborate discussion.
  • Lok Sabha has already passed the bill.
  • Minister for Health and Family Welfare- Dr Harsh Vardhan

Defence Minister addresses Armed Forces Flag Day-CSR Conclave

  • Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has expressed confidence that the corporate sector will contribute generously for the welfare of ex-servicemen.
  • Addressing the Armed Forces Flag Day-CSR Conclave in New Delhi to, Mr Singh said he is confident that the corporate sector and wealth creators in the country will contribute to the corpus of the Department of Ex-servicemen Welfare.
  • He said common people had generously contributed to Bharat Ke Veer Fund for the bereaved families of soldiers who laid down their lives in the line of duty.

Govt aims at generating five crore fresh employment in MSME sector: Gadkari

  • Union Minister for Micro, Medium and Small Enterprises Nitin Gadkari has said that the government is aiming at generating five crore fresh employment in the MSME sector.
  • The Government envisages a growth of the MSME sector by fifty per cent with more focus on agricultural and tribal regions. He said, the move is to check mass migration from hubs of agriculture and tribal regions to cities and towns.
  • Mr Gadkari also said, filing of patents by MSME units is being encouraged through a slew of measures by the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, as conversion of knowledge into wealth is very important for the economy.

International News

Global Migration Film Festival organised in Dhaka

  • The Global Migration Film Festival (GMFF) was organised in Dhaka. The day-long festival screened 15 films on the theme of migration and its various aspects.
  • The GMFF started in 2016 and this year it is being organised across many cities in the world between 28 November to 18 December.
  • The short films and documentaries shown during the festival were selected through a global competition for which 600 entries were received. The jury selected 30 best films out of which 15 were screened in Dhaka.
  • The Chief of International Organisation of Migrants (IOM) in Bangladesh Giorgi Gigouri said that the Global Migration Film Festival is a global initiative simultaneously being run in many countries of the world to draw attention to the issues of internal migration, forced migration and climate change-related migration to engage people in a conversation on the issue of migration.
  • The festival was organised by the International Organisation of Migrants (IOM) and Dhaka University Film Society with the support of the European Union.  

Bangladesh to start online news portal registration from next week: Govt

  • The process of registration of online news portal in Bangladesh will start next week.
  • Talking to media persons in Dhaka, Information Minister Hasan Mahmud said that the government has received a total of 3,595 application for registration and they were forwarded to the home ministry for verification.
  • The official news agency of Bangladesh BSS quoted the minister that home ministry has scrutinized the documents of several hundred online news portals.
  • He said in future, online media outlets will have to go through a proper registration process before launching operations.

NATO leaders to meet today to mark 70th birthday of alliance

  • The leaders of North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO, will meet today to mark the 70th birthday of the organization in London. 
  • NATO’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said, the alliance needs to address the challenges and opportunities posed by an increasingly powerful China, but added that the alliance does not want to make an enemy out of Beijing.
  • The twenty-nine member alliance is the world’s biggest military alliance.
  • 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. It witnessed the end of communism, defeating the Soviet Bloc without firing a shot.

About NATO 

  • Head Quarters : Brussels, Belgium
  • Secretary-General : Jens Stoltenberg 
  • Founded : 1949

Philippines: Typhoon Kammuri makes landfall at Luzon

 

  • Philippines, typhoon Kammuri has made landfall at Luzon, the country’s largest and most populous island.
  • Around two lakh residents have been evacuated from coastal and mountainous areas over fears of flooding, storm surges and landslides.
  • Kammuri is now expected pass to the south of the capital Manila, which is hosting thousands of athletes for the regional Southeast Asian Games.

 

State News

India’s first maritime museum coming up at Lothal in Gujarat

 

  • Underwater or marine archaeology in India is all set to get a boost with the government deciding to establish a National Maritime Heritage Museum at Lothal, a Harappan site on the Saurashtra coast in Gujarat.

 

  • The museum will also be an independent research centre of underwater archaeology for reconstruction of maritime history, archaeology of boat building and materials traded. It will have on display salvaged material from shipwreck sites in the Indian Ocean waters. 

 

  • The museum is being set up with technical help from the Portuguese Maritime Heritage Museum. The central government has appointed the first Director General for the museum which will be attached to the Maritime Board of the Gujarat government. Lothal is the site of one of the oldest ports in India dating to the Bronze Age.

 

  • Underwater archaeology is a specialized branch of archaeology that involves recovering submerged remains such as ports, shipwrecks and studying proxy records of maritime activity from archaeological excavations as well as archival and historical records. 

A new museum of antiquities proposed to be opened in Purana Quila by April 2020: Shri Prahlad Singh Patel

  • Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will set upanother museum to house objects excavated from across India which have been lying inthe Central Antiquities Collection (CAC) at Purana Quila,New Delhi.

 

  • The museum is proposed to be opened by April 2020.The estimated cost of the project is Rs.2 crore. Information was given by the Minister of State (I/c) of Culture and Tourism, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel.

 

Projects worth Rs 50,000 crore underway to decongest Delhi roads: Nitin Gadkari

  • Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said that 5,126 km highway has been constructed till October in 2019-20. Projects worth Rs 50,000 crore underway to decongest Delhi roads.
  • The Centre is developing Dwarka Expressway with a cost of Rs 10,000 crore and also a dedicated road to connect Delhi airport from Dhaula Kuan, he said, adding that more spots been identified for decongestion.
  • “Pollution will be less in Delhi in the coming years,” the road, transport and highways minister said.
  • “The revised normative costs for different categories of national highways were issued by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in 2018-19 according to which the cost of construction of 2-lane highways is Rs 3.71 crore/km for plain terrain and Rs 10.11crore/km for hilly terrain.

Banking and Business Economy

Nearly 78% PMC bank depositors allowed to withdraw entire balance: Sitharaman

  • Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that nearly 78 per cent depositors of the scam-hit Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative Bank, PMC, have been allowed to withdraw their entire deposits.
  • In reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Sitharaman said, however, the ceiling of 50 thousand rupees withdrawal will continue. She also said in case of medical emergencies, marriages and other crisis situations, a depositor of the PMC Bank can withdraw up to one lakh rupees by invoking the ‘hardship provisions’ of the RBI.
  • The Minister also said, steps are being taken to seize properties of promoters of the PMC Bank and to auction such properties and repay depositors with the money obtained.

ADB to provide $206 mn credit for Tamil Nadu water supply and sewerage infrastructure

  • The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Centre signed a $206 million loan to develop water supply and sewerage infrastructure in five cities of Tamil Nadu and strengthen capacities of urban local bodies for improved service delivery.
  • This is the second project loan for the ADB-supported $500 million multi-tranche financing for Tamil Nadu Urban Flagship Investment Programme, which was approved in September 2018. 
  • The programme will overall develop climate-resilient water supply, sewerage, and drainage infrastructure in ten cities of the State. The first project under the programme with $169 million financing is currently under implementation.
  • The project will target four cities – Ambur, Tiruchirappalli, Tiruppur, and Vellore – for developing sewage collection and treatment and drainage systems by setting up or rehabilitating sewage treatment plants, pumping stations, and connecting all households in the project area to the sewerage network, including below poverty line households.
  • The signatories to the loan agreement were Sameer Kumar Khare, Additional Secretary (Fund Bank and ADB), Department of Economic Affairs in India’s Ministry of Finance, and Kenichi Yokoyama.

Masatsugu Asakawa elected as the 10th President of Asian Development Bank (ADB)    

  • Masatsugu Asakawa elected as ADB President On 2nd December 2019, Masatsugu Asakawa was elected as the 10th President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) by the Board of Governors of the ADB. Asakawa will be assuming office on January 17, 2020, after the resignation of Takehiko Nakao, the current President of ADB. Asakawa will finish the term of Nakao on November 23, 2021.
  • Asakawa is the current Special Advisor to Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister (PM) of Japan and Taro Aso, the Minister of Finance, Japan.
  • He has also worked in the Ministry of Finance of Japan, as the Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs, Chair of the Committee on fiscal affairs from 2011-2016 and visiting professor at the University of Tokyo from 2012-2015 and in Saitama University from 2006-2009.

Asian Development Bank (ADB):

  • Headquarters- Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong
  • President- Takehiko Nakao

NCLT admits RBI petition for DHFL bankruptcy proceeding

  • DHFL owes close to Rs 1 lakh crore to the system, mostly to banks and retail investors of its debt instruments
  • The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on December 2 admitted the Reserve Bank’s petition to initiate insolvency proceedings against mortgage player DHFL, making it the first financial services firm to be resolved through the bankruptcy code.
  • The move came in after the Reserve Bank  referred DHFL to the NCLT Mumbai to resolve the debt crisis at the third largest pure-play mortgage player, which owes close to Rs 1 lakh crore to the system, mostly to banks and retail investors of its debt instruments.

NCLT :

Headquarters: New Delhi

Founded: 1 June 2016

Obituary News

Freedom Fighter, Former MP Laxminarayan Nayak Dies at 101

  • He had represented Khajuraho Lok Sabha seat from 1997 -1980. Before that, he was elected as MLA from Niwari assembly seat in 1957.
  • Laxminarayan Nayak, centenarian freedom fighter and former MP, died at Niwari town in Madhya Pradesh due to age-related illness on Saturday.
  • Nayak (101) was ill for some time, his family said. He had represented Khajuraho Lok Sabha seat from 1997 -1980.

Paramananda Sahu, theatre artist from Odisha dies at 72

  • Renowned Theatre artist Paramananda Sahu died at 72 in Balasore, Odisha. He died due to old-age related illness and was confined to bed for a long time.
  • Paramananda Sahu has acted in more than hundred dramas and was an artist in the All India Radio (AIR) also known as Akashvani, and Doordarshan.

Tukaram Dighole, former Minister of Maharashtra dies at 77

  • Ex-Maharashtra minister Tukaram Dighole On 30th November 2019, Tukaram Dighole former Minister of Maharashtra died at a private hospital following a brief illness.He was the Minister of State for Power and Rural Development in the Shiv Sena-BJP government and Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in Maharashtra from 1995-1999.
  • Tukaram Dighole was also the Director of Nashik District Central Co-operative Bank (NDCC) and the Chairman of Co-operative sugar factory, he also represented the Sinnar Assembly Constituency in Nashik from 1985-1999.

Sports News

Lionel Messi claims record sixth men’s Ballon d’Or, Rapinoe wins women’s award

  • Barcelona’s soccer player Lionel Messi holds the trophy of the Golden Ball award ceremony in Paris.

 

  • Lionel Messi beat Virgil van Dijk, the runner-up, and third-placed Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal, who has won the Ballon d’Or award five times.

 

  • Lionel Messi claimed a record sixth men’s Ballon d’Or award beating Liverpool’s four leading nominees to claim soccer’s most prestigious individual trophy.
  • United States Megan Rapinoe earlier won the women’s Ballon d’Or after leading the United States to a record-extending fourth World Cup title in France this year as they retained the trophy.

India defeated Pakistan in Davis Cup tie for 2020 held in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan

 

  • India defeated Pakistan in Davis Cup tie for 2020.The tie match between India and Pakistan for the International Tennis Federation’s (ITF’s) Davis cup 2020, was held at the National Tennis Center, in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan from November 29-30,2019.  India defeated Pakistan in the tie match.
  • Indian tennis player Leander Paes bettered his own Davis Cup record which he created in 2018 by winning 43rd doubles match. He became the most successful doubles player in Davis Cup history after his 43rd win, surpassing Italian Nicola Pietrangeli. This year he has extended the record by winning his 44th doubles match along with debutant Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan.

 

International medal-winning boxer Neeraj Phogat suspended for failing dope test

  • As part of its pre-Olympic testing drive, the National Anti-Doping Agency collected her sample during an out-of-competition test at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in Delhi.

 

  • Neeraj, an India Open champion in women’s 57kg, has been provisionally suspended for testing positive for anabolic agent LGD-4033 (ligandrol).

 

  • “Neeraj was notified by NADA about the violation of anti-doping rules 2015 of NADA and suspended provisionally,”
  • Twenty-four-year-old Neeraj, who secured a bronze in the prestigious Strandja memorial event in Bulgaria in February and participated in the World championships in Ulan-Ude, Russia, in October, was among the core probables for the Tokyo Olympics.

Important Days

5 December – World Soil Day

  • World Soil Day is observed on 5 December to raise awareness about the importance of soil, healthy ecosystems and human well-being.

 

  • World Soil Day theme is “Stop soil erosion, Save our future” 

 

International Volunteer Day

  • International Volunteer Day (IVD), is an opportunity for us all to promote volunteerism, encourage governments to support volunteer efforts and recognize volunteer contributions to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at local, national and international levels. 
  • The theme is “Volunteer for an inclusive future”, highlighting SDG 10 and the pursuit of equality  including inclusion through volunteerism.

Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) celebrating its 62nd Founding Day on Dec 4

  • The two-day event was inaugurated by Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs Anurag Thakur.
  • DRI has played a tremendous role in safeguarding country’s economic frontier and has made large seizures of drugs, gold, foreign currency and fake Indian currency.
  • DRI also has expertise in unearthing commercial frauds, plugging leakage of Government’s tax revenue and countering trade-based money laundering and black money.

National News

India gifts patrol vessel to Maldives, launches RuPay card

  • India gifted a ‘Made in India’ patrol vessel named “KAAMIYAAB” to the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF).
  • The two sides exchanged MoUs for three grant projects for setting up neighbourhood fish plants in the southernmost atoll of Addu.
  • Both sides exchanged an MoU between the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and the Bank of Maldives (BML) to launch the RuPay Card in the Maldives.
  • Taking forward its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, India on Wednesday handed over a patrol vessel to the Maldives and launched the RuPay card, during a video conference between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

Defence Ministry to mobilise 50 lakh people for Swachhta Pakhwada             

  • Ministry of Defence will mobilise 50 lakh people from its own ranks and the local communities to participate in plogging throughout the country on Saturday as part of the activities of Swachhta Pakhwada.
  • Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will lead the Swachhta Day event, being organised at Delhi Cantt. The aim of this Pakhwada is to raise awareness among the community, collect plastic waste and make the surroundings plastic-free.
  • Swachh Bharat Mission is one of the flagship programmes of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi throughout the country on the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi in 2014 to realise his dream of Clean India.

Election Commission to implement registration tracking system “PPRTMS”

  • Election Commission of India (ECI) reviewed the political parties’ registration process and decided to implement new guidelines and “Political Parties Registration Tracking Management System” (PPRTMS), related to the registration process effective from January 1, 2019. The PPRTMS will be implemented through an online portal inorder to track the status of the applicants.  
  • The salient feature of the PPRTMS is that, an applicant (applying from 1st January, 2020 onwards) can track his/her application by getting status updates through SMS (Short Message Service) and email.
  • An applicant should provide a contact number and email address of the party if the applicant needs to track the status of the application.

Vice president Venkaiah Naidu launched “Poshan Anthem” in New Delhi

  • Vice President launches ‘POSHAN Anthem’ the Vice President of India Shri Venkaiah Naidu launched the ‘POSHAN Anthem’ at an event organised by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) in New Delhi. The anthem was launched to spread the message of the importance of nutrition.
  • Anthem: The lyricist of the POSHAN anthem was Shri Pasoon Joshi and its composer was singer Shri Shankar Mahadevan.
  • POSHAN Abhiyan: The efforts made under the POSHAN Abhiyan (national nutrition mission) scheme that aims to achieve the target of govt. to eliminate malnutrition in the nation by 2022, was discussed. The scheme aims to improve nutritional outcomes for children, pregnant women and lactating mothers.

About POSHAN Abhiyan:

  • POSHAN abbreviation- Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nutrition.
  • Launch year- 8 March, 2018.
  • First launched state- Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan.

100th birth anniversary of former PM Inder Kumar Gujral                       

  • Former President Pranab Mukherjee, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former Vice-President Hamid Ansari, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and veteran parliamentarian Karan Singh got together on one platform for an event to commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of Inder Kumar Gujral, India’s 12th Prime Minister.
  • Former HRD Minister Murli Manohar Joshi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar and former Vice-President Hamid Ansari at the event in Delhi.

State News

Mumbai Central railway station certified as country’s first ‘Eat Right’

  • The Mumbai Central Terminus of Western Railway has been certified as India’s first ‘Eat Right Station’ with a 4-Star rating awarded by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), as a part of ‘Eat Right India’ movement launched in 2018. FSSAI is an autonomous body under Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW).
  • Food quality regulator FSSAI, Western Railways (WR), and Indian Railways Catering Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) trained food handlers, both in canteens and base kitchens, who inspected catering establishments at station and certified and rated standard of food.
  • The Indian Railways as part of its efforts to help passengers make a healthy and right food choice, launched ‘Eat Right Station’ as part of ‘Eat Right India’ initiative of FSSAI started in 2018. ‘Eat Right India’ built on 2 broad pillars- ‘Eat Healthy and Eat Safe’.

Delhi enters list of top 10 most popular destinations in the world

  • The National Capital has been witnessing soaring popularity and wellness tourism across the world. According to Euro Monitor International, Delhi in the list of world’s tops 100 destinations and is to gain 8th rank in 2019. The ranking was released by the organization under the title “Top 100 city destination ranking”
  • The report says that various cultural traditions and enriching history makes Delhi the most favorite places among international tourists. Also, air connectivity and world class airports have helped the city to increase its position in the ranking. India is also gaining attention for its Ayurvedic and Yoga practices.
  • Hong Kong has remained the topmost for three consecutive years (2017, 2018 and 2019). Followed by Hong Kong, Bangkok, London, Macau, Singapore were at the second, third, fourth and fifth ranks respectively. Around 43 cities from Asia were among the top 100 City Destination ranking.

Obituary News

Former England cricket captain Bob Willis dies aged 70 

  • Bob Willis captained England between 1982 and 1984, played in 90 Test matches Willis’ most memorable performance (8/43) came in the Australian 2nd innings of the third Ashes Test in 1981.

 

  • Former England captain and fearsome pace bowler Bob Willis has died aged 70.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS   

Organ Donation Awards given by NOTTO

  • The autonomous organisation National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) of Union Health & Family Welfare Ministry (MoHFW) conferred, Organ Donation Awards on the occasion of 10th National Organ Donation Day in a programme held at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.
  • Tamil Nadu bagged- Best State Award in cadaveric organ donation. The state won the award for the fifth consecutive year.
  • Madhya Pradesh won- Best SOTTO (State Organ Tissue Transplant Organisation) award.
  • Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) in Chennai won Best Performing Hospital Award.
  • Gujarat bagged 3 awards of central government including Best SOTTO (State Organ Tissue Transplant Organisation), Best Hospital and Best Coordinator in field of organ donation activities.
  • Arun Jaitley former Finance Minister of India was bestowed with the Economic Times (ET) Lifetime Achievement award for Public Service 2019. 

Venkaiah Naidu honours Uttar Pradesh with the National award for Excellence for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs, Divyangjan)

  • Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu, Vice President of India presents Uttar Pradesh (UP) the National award for Excellence for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs,Divyangjan) on behalf of the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. 
  • The award was received by Mahesh Kumar Gupta, additional Chief Secretary of UP on behalf of the State Government. The event was organized by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disability (DEPwD).
  • Thawar Chand Gehlot, Union Minister for social justice and empowerment, Krishnapal Gurjar, Union Minister of state for social justice and empowerment, public representatives, Ramdas Athawale, Ratanlal Kataria and senior officers of the ministry were also present.

Sports News

New Zealand win 2019 Christopher Martin-Jenkins Spirit of Cricket award

  • The national cricket team of New Zealand was awarded the Christopher Martin-Jenkins Spirit of Cricket award for the year 2019. New Zealand’s team captain Kane Williamson was presented with the award during the drawn second Test between his team and England.
  • Kumar Sangakkara, the president of the Marylebone Cricket Club (one of the creators of award) also described New Zealand team are worthy winners of this award.
  • Christopher Martin-Jenkins Spirit of Cricket award created in 2013, in memory of Martin-Jenkins, the former MCC president and BBC Test Match Special commentator, to honour his longstanding passion and desire to see the game played in the right spirit. It was the brainchild of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

Meghalaya Won Sub Junior National Football Championship title      

  • Meghalaya clinched the Sub Junior National Football Championship 2019-20 title after defeating Arunachal Pradesh by 3-0 in the final played at the Kalyani Stadium in West Bengal
  • Samcharphrang Lato opened the scoring for Meghalaya in the 52nd minute before Samlang Rympei (90’+4′) and Teibok Nongrum (90’+5′) extended the lead in the dying embers to seal the match.

Ronaldo named as ‘Serie A player of the year’

  • Juventus striker Cristiano Ronaldo was named as the ‘Serie A player of the year’ following his debut season at Juventus. Ronaldo signed for Juventus from Real Madrid in July 2018 and helped the Bianconeri to their eighth successive Serie A title
  • Gian Piero Gasperini won the award for best coach after leading Atalanta to third place and a Champions League berth.

Roger Federer becomes first living Swiss to get ‘coin’ minted in his honour

  • Swiss mint announced that they would be honouring the Veteran tennis star Roger Federer. It will release a 20 Swiss francs silver commemorative coin in January 2020.
  • The 38-year-old Roger Federer is to become the first living person in Switzerland to have a coin minted in his honour

National news

Prahlad Singh Patel unveils Kalash containing soil of Jalianwalla Bagh at National Museum

  • Tourism Minister Prahlad Singh Patel today unveiled the Kalash containing soil of Jalianwalla Bagh, the soil of martyr at National Museum in New Delhi. 
  • Mr Patel said the main idea behind displaying the Kalash containing soil of Jalianwalla Bagh in National Museum is to inspire the youth of the country especially children and pay tribute to the martyrs of freedom struggle. He further said that it is not just a regular soil, it is the part of one of the greatest sacrifices and government want to honour their sacrifices.
  • The holy soil was brought by Mr Patel when he visited the Jalianwalla Bagh National Memorial. The soil from the land of sacrifice has reached the National Museum after 100 years.

Kharif crop production to dip by 12%

  • Private weather monitoring company, Skymet released a report on Kharif Crop outlook. According to the report, barring cotton the Kharif crops are expected to witness a drop-in production by 4.5% to 12% as compared to 2018-19.
  • Several crops such as groundnut, soybean, cotton, tur and urad were adversely affected all over the country and especially in Maharashtra. This was mainly due to excess rainfall in some areas, rainfall deficit in other areas and delayed monsoon in certain other regions.
  • The crops that are grown in the months of south west monsoon are called Kharif crops. It includes rice, jowar, maize, moong, bajra, cotton, groundnut, jute. In India coastal regions bring highest yield of Kharif crops. It includes millets in Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, paddy in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, pulses in Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

ISRO workhorse PSLV set to make history with 50th launch on December 11

  • The Indian space agency’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle has proved itself time and again, launching 50 Indian satellites and 222 foreign satellites over the years.
  • December 11 will be a historic day for the Indian space programme when the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) ‘workhorse’, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), roars into the sky carrying satellites, in what will be its fiftieth launch.

International News

Iraq Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi Resigns

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

State News

Cochin International Boat show 

  • The 2nd edition of Cochin International Boat Show 2019 will be held from December 6 to 8 at Samudrika Convention Centre, Willingdon Island, Kochi.
  • CIBS 2019 is currently the only event happening in India for the leisure, rescue, maritime and boating sectors and will attract buyers from the leisure, marine, tourism, fishing and other related industries.
  • The event is endorsed and supported by MSME Department. Southern Naval Command, Kochi and Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, Kerala Chapter.

Over 93 lakh houses sanctioned at various stages of construction under PMAY (Urban)

  • Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri has informed that over 93 lakh houses have been sanctioned and over 55 lakh are at various stages of construction under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban). Over 28 lakh houses have been completed and delivered to the allottees.

Obituary

Renowned cartoonist Sudhir Dar passes away

  • Renowned cartoonist Sudhir Dar whose works graced several newspapers in a career spanning 58 years, passed away after suffering a cardiac arrest. He was 87.

American musician & songwriter Irving Burgie passes away at the age of 95irving-burgie-billboard

  • Irving Louis Burgie (also known as Lord Burgess), an American musician & songwriter , was best known for popularise Caribbean music with hit songs like Day-O (The Banana Boat Song-1952), has passed away due to heart failure, at his home in Queens, US (United States). He was 95.
  • Born on July 28, 1924, in New York, Burgie composed 34 songs for singer Harry Belafonte, including 8 of the 11 songs on the Belafonte album Calypso (1956), the first album of any kind to sell one million copies.He also wrote songs for the Kingston Trio (“The Seine,” “El Matador,” and “The Wanderer”) and for other groups.
  • Burgie described himself as “a folklorist”  and performed in the stages between New York and Chicago,US.

Veteran actress Shelley Morrison passes away

  • Former Hollywood actress Shelley Morrison (83-years) passed away at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
  • Morrison played Rosario Salazar, a maid from El Salvador, in the original run of ‘Will & Grace’ from 1999 to 2006, becoming part of a cast that won a Screen Actors Guild award for best ensemble in a comedy series.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS    

Indian journalist-author Tony joseph’s Early Indians wins 12th Shakti bhatt first book prize 2019

  • Author Tony Joseph’s Early Indians On December 2, 2019, English author Tony Joseph (56) based in New Delhi has won the prestigious 12th ‘Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize 2019’ for his 2018 book, ‘Early Indians: The Story of Our Ancestors and Where We Came From’ published by Juggernaut Books. Authors Prayaag Akbar and Sonia Faleiro were the jury for the prize.
  • Mr. Tony (Born in Cornwall, Canada) is also a journalist and former editor of Business world magazine .He won this award by beating out four other budding writers (Goodbye, Freddie Mercury” by Pakistani author Nadia Akbar, “Babu Bangladesh” by Bangladeshi author Numair Atif Chowdhury, Roshan Ali’s debut novel “Ib’s Endless Search for Satisfaction”, “No Nation for Women” by Priyanka Dubey).
  • In 2018, Sujatha Gidla for Ants Among Elephants: An Untouchable Family And The Making Of Modern India won this award.

48 Universities and HEIs awarded at 3rd Swachhata Ranking Awards

  • 48 Universities and Higher Educational Institutions have been given the 3rd Swachhata Ranking Awards at a function in New Delhi. The awards were given in various categories like Residential Universities, Non-residential Universities, Technical Universities, Residential Colleges and Government Universities.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATION   

Prithiviraj Roopan, former Minister of Arts and Culture elected as the President of Mauritius

  • Ex-culture minister Prithiviraj Singh Roopun was elected as the President of Mauritius by the Lawmakers of Mauritius. Prithiviraj Roopun was the former Minister of Arts and Culture of Mauritius. He preceded Ammenah Gurib-Fakim who resigned in March 2018.
  • Also, Mr Marie Cyril Eddy Boissezon appointed as the new Vice-President of the Republic of Mauritius.
  • Roopun was a lawyer and was first elected to the National Assembly in the year 2000, he has also been the Minister of Regional Administration, Social Integration and Arts and Culture.
  • In November 2019, Pravind Jugnauth was elected as the Prime Minister (PM) of Mauritius with a new 5 year term. In Mauritius the PM is the head of the Government while the President acts as the head of the State and has no executive power.

Sundar Pichai promoted as Alphabet CEO

  • Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin have 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. 
  • Alphabet and Google no longer need two CEOs and a President and Sundar Pichai will be the CEO of both Google and Alphabet. Endorsing the leadership role played by Pichai ever since he was made Google CEO, Page and Brin said the Indian-American brings humility and a deep passion for technology to their users, partners, and employees every day.

 

BANKING & BUISNESS ECONOMY

Walmart India ties-up with HDFC to launch co-branded credit card for Best price store                 

  • In a first, Walmart India,a wholly owned subsidiary of Walmart Inc has joined hands with HDFC (Housing Development Finance Corporation)Bank to launch a co-branded credit card.
  • The new co-branded credit card is available exclusively for members of Best Price Modern Wholesale B2B (business to business) cash & carry Stores, owned and operated by Walmart India . In this, the facility of free credit will be available for up to 50 days without any interest.
  • The registered members of Walmart India’s ‘Best Price’ will now be able to make payments with the exclusive card in store, as well as via the Best Price online platform www.best price.in.
  • The card is being supported by Diners Club International which has acceptance of its own membership card in 185 countries.

Aditya Birla Finance Ltd (ABFL)-1st company to list commercial papers (CPS) on exchanges       

  • Aditya Birla Finance Ltd (ABFL), the NBFC arm of Aditya Birla Capital became the first company to list its commercial papers on the stock exchanges with value date of November 28 and maturity date on February 7, 2020. The move followed the new framework of Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) for listing of commercial papers (CPs) to broaden the investors’ participation in such securities.
  • Companies, NBFCs (Non-Banking Financial Company), other entities with a net worth of at least Rs 100 crore and any other security specifically allowed by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) are eligible to list commercial papers.
  • Commercial papers are unsecured money market instrument issued in the form of a promissory note and transferable between Primary Dealers (PDs) and the All-India Financial Institutions (FIs). They are issued at a high value. These can be issued for maturities ranging from minimum of seven days and a maximum of one year from the date of issue.

World Bank arm IFC to invest $ 200 million in Mahindra finance 

  • The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a unit of the World Bank Group, has anchored an investment round of $ 200 million in Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Limited (MMFSL), a Rural NBFC (Non Banking Financial Company) with the objective to create a ‘pool’ specifically for financing micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in low income states.
  • In a regulatory filing, IFC has invested $ 75 million out of this in its account. The remaining $ 125 million is being raised in parallel loans. At the same time, Mahindra Finance has committed to invest $225 million in this fund.
  • At least $ 100 million of this would be for women-owned MSMEs & it will be supported by blended finance from the IFC-Goldman Sachs’ Women Entrepreneurs Opportunity Facility.
  • Earlier in 2018, IFC has invested about $100 million in Mahindra Finance to increase loans to farmers to buy tractors, commercial vehicles, and other equipment for modern farming. It also invested about $25 million in Mahindra Rural Housing Finance for housing loans to the rural poor.

Sports News

India bag ten Gold medals at 13th South Asian Games in Kathmandu

  • The Indians have so far claimed 48 medals, including 20 gold, 19 silver and nine bronze. The country is currently second in the medals tally behind hosts Nepal with 44 medals.
  • 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 100 metre, M.Jashna in women’s high jump, Sarvesh Anil Kushare in men’s high jump and Ajay Kumar Saroj in men’s 1500 metres won a gold each to begin India’s athletics campaign on an impressive note. Overall, in Athletics India won four gold, four silver and two bronze on the opening day today. 
  • In Volleyball, Indian men’s and women’s team won gold. Men’s team defeated Pakistan 3-1. India won by 29-27 and lifted the title.
  • Indian women’s volleyball team defeated host Nepal by 3-2 in the final at Kathmandu this evening. Mr Pun gave away medals to the winning Indian team.
  • In Shooting, India swept all the medals on offer in the women’s 10 metres air rifle event with Mehuli Ghosh winning the gold. India also won the team gold in the 10 metres air rifle event.
  • In Table Tennis, Indian men’s and women’s teams claimed gold medals defeating Nepal and Sri Lanka in the finals. India beat hosts Nepal 3-0 in the men’s final, while their women’s counterparts defeated Sri Lanka by an identical 3-0 margin to win a gold each.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Indian Navy Day is being celebrated on December 4

 

  • Indian Navy Day is being celebrated today. 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.

 

Tweet
Pin
Share
+1
0 Shares