Current Affair of December 2019

National

1. National Mathematics Day is being celebrated on 22^nd December to commemorate the birth anniversary of Srinivasa Ramanujan. Ramanujan is remembered for his contributions to number theory, mathematical analysis, infinite series and continued fractions. This year, was his 132^nd birth anniversary.

2. Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik launched the 'Jalsathi' programme which will ensure supply of safe drinking water to all households in the state. During the programme launch, he distributed water quality testing kits and POS (point of sale) machines to women volunteers being called as- 'Jalasathis'.

3. National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), India's anti-doping body has selected Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty as its brand ambassador. NADA hopes that his celebrity status would help its efforts to clean up sports in the country from the menace.

4. The Ministry of Tourism on December 3, 2019 sanctioned 18 projects under the schemes PRASHAD and Swadesh Darshan. The Ministry has also allocated Rs 1456 crores for the projects.

5. On December 13, 2019, Poland left 2050 Climate Neutrality Agreement of European Union as the Union demanded for more funds to support nuclear power and for economic transition.

6. The 'Digital Exhibition on History of Constitution of India', was inaugurated in New Delhi by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (M/S) for Development of North Eastern Region (I/C), Prime Minister's Office, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space. It will be organised for two days from 9-10 December 2019.

7. On December 23, 2019, the Assam Cabinet nodded to make Assamese language the state language of Assam. This will exclude BTAD (Bodoland Territorial Administrative Districts), Barak Valley and Hill districts of Assam.

8. The farmlands in Gujarat border are in great threat from locust invasion. The insects were flying from Pakistan Sindh province and spread in the villages of Gujarat and Rajasthan. The locusts emerged from Sudan and Eritrea in the coast of Red Sea.

9. Scientists have discovered the remnants of world's oldest fossil forest- an extensive network of trees around 386 million years old in a sandstone quarry in United States (US). According to the researchers from Binghamton University, and New York State Museum in U.S., the fossil forest in Cairo would have spread from New York all the way into Pennsylvania and beyond. The finding were published in journal Current Biology.

10. The 2019 edition of National Tribal Dance Festival has begun in Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh. The three-day dance fest will be held from 27-29 December 2019. The festival was inaugurated by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the inaugural function was presided over by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.

11. The Government of India has halted online sales of drugs as it is working on framing rules to regulate the sector. This has hit the pharmacy sector greatly.

12. On December 15, 2019, the Coal Ministry announced that it is to establish "Sustainable Development Cell" (SDC) to promote environment friendly and sustainable coal mining. The main objective of the cell is to address environmental concerns that arise during closure of mines. The cell will mentor, advise, plan and monitor mitigation measures to provide better environment to the people residing near the mines.

13. The central and state authorities organised GST (Goods and Services Tax) Stakeholder Feedback Diwas on 7 December 2019. The aim of organizing this event was to get an on-the-spot response and suggestion to the new system for filing GST Returns to be introduced from next fiscal year. The new return form will be made mandatory from 1 April 2020. The programme was organised on the new system for filing returns across 125 cities to get on-the-spot response and suggestion.

14. The first meeting of Consultative Committee of Ministry of Petroleum was chaired by the Minister of Petroleum Shri Dharmendra Pradhan.

15. On December 28, 2019, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation constituted standing committee on statistics. The objective of the committee is to improve data of the government. The committee will be headed by Chief Statistician Pronab Sen.

16. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) will set up a task force on gene therapy in order to encourage research in the field. The purpose of setting up the task force is to explore gene editing based therapeutic approaches that will treat illness.

17. According to a latest report by US National Science Foundation (NSF), India has emerged as the world's third largest publisher of science and engineering articles. As per the statistics compiled in report, China has topped the list followed by US.

18. On December 23, 2019, Ministry of Railways announced that Indian Railways is set to receive modern signaling systems. According to the ministry, it is one of the most ambitious projects of Indian Railways. This is because the project improves safety, line capacity allowing trains to run at higher speeds.

19. The World Health Organization on December 19, 2019, released its report on Global Tobacco use trends. According to the report, number of males using tobacco has declined globally for the first time. The report says that the anti-smoking campaigns all over the world is the main reason for the number of tobacco users to reduce.

20. The 10^th Indian Organ Donation Day was celebrated on 30 November 2019. Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan presided over 10th Indian Organ Donation Day at a function held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The celebration was organised by NOTTO (National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organization.

21. On December 3, 2019, a 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.

22. On December 18, 2019, the FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) announced that the front of packet labeling will be delinked from its general labeling regulation. The move is being implemented in order to make the consumers aware of food products that are high in fat, salt and sugar content.

23. 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).

24. The Minister of State for Culture and Tourism Prahlad Patel, informed Parliament that Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has identified 138 monuments as 'Must See Monuments'. This information has been made available on 'Must See' portal of ASI.

25. The first fully electronic flight in the world completed its test flight successfully on December 10, 2019. The flight is to operate from Vancouver, Canada to the near by islands.

26. On December 10, 2019, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar introduced the Anti-Maritime bill in parliament. The bill was introduced in days after the kidnapping of 18 Indians aboard in Nigeria. It aims at ensuring safety and security of India's maritime trade and the crew members.

27. On December 13, 2019, Ministry of Coal initiated the auction process of 27 coal mines. Out of the 27 coal mines, applications were received for 6 mines. It includes mines at Bikram, Brahmapuri, Bhaskarpara, Jagannathpur and Jamkhani.

28. On December 9, 2019, the India Skills Report was released jointly by the CII (Confederation of Indian Industry), AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education), UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) and AIU (Association of Indian University). The report provides employability of citizens in the country across the states. The report also ranked the cities based on the availability of employment.

29. Government has appointed Soma Roy Burman, as 24^th Controller General of Accounts (CGA) of India with effect from 1 December 2019. With this appointment she has now become 7^th woman to hold this position.

30. Every year 10^th December is celebrated as International Human Rights Day across the world. The theme for 2019 Human Rights Day is: 'Youth Standing up for Human Rights.' The 2019 edition of day will celebrate the 'youth' as agents of change and will encourage them to amplify their voices against hate speech, discrimination, racism, bullying, and fight for climate justice, among other issues, as well as to engage a broad range of global audiences in promotion and protection of rights.

31. The BioAsia 2020 is scheduled to be held in Hyderabad in between February 17 and 19, 2020. On December 10, 2019, the Ministry of Industries and Commerce and IT informed that Switzerland will serve as India's partner at the conference.

32. The Railway board has now decided that all new recruits in railways will be inducted through UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) Civil Services Exams under five specialities. The decision comes days after the Union Cabinet approved big ticket reforms in the railways by merging its eight cadres and departments services into one single entity- the Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS). This decision to merge services was to ensure that officers put railways first instead of their service which had become the case under present system.

33. Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports (MYAS) Kiren Rijiju felicitated Ripu Daman Bevli, popularly known as Plogman of India and named him as Plogging Ambassador of India. Sports Minister also launched nation-wide Plogging Ambassador Mission under which, Indians who have been running and cleaning their cities/ towns/ districts, will be nominated as Plogging Ambassadors of their region.

34. The Cabinet on December 4, 2019 approved Data Protection bill to be tabled in Lok Sabha. The bill lays down legal framework to preserve sanctity in data sharing. The Draft of the bill was released by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in 2018.

35. India's first university for transgender community will be opened in Fazilnagar block of Kushinagar district in Uttar Pradesh. It is the first of its kind University in country, where transgender community members will be able to get education.

36. The Pakistan Government decided to import Polio markers from India recently. The Government had suspended the trade with New Delhi for months after abrogation of Article 370.

37. Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, inaugurated a State-of-the-Art DNA Analysis Centre at Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), Chandigarh. All States and Union Territories (UTs) will be utilizing this facility and will in future set up similar facilities in their respective States for quick disposal of forensic cases referred to them.

38. The National Capital has been witnessing soaring popularity and wellness tourism across the world. According to Euro Monitor International, Delhi currently ranks 11^th in the list of world's tops 100 destinations and is to gain 8^th rank in 2019. The ranking was released by the organization on December 3, 2019 under the title "Top 100 city destination ranking"

39. The GoI think tank Niti Aayog on December 18, 2019, announced that it is considering options to include fish, chicken and eggs in the PDS (Public Distribution System). The move is expected to be included in Niti Aayog's 15-year Vision Document to be published in 2020 and be effective from April 1, 2020.

40. On December 17, the World Economic Forum released its report according to which India ranked 112^th in terms of gender gap. The report said that the India was ranked in bottom-five in terms of survival and economic participation.

41. The Constitution (126^th amendment bill), 2019 was introduced in Lok Sabha on December 9, 2019. The bill seeks to extend the reservation provided to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes by 10 years.

42. UNESCO and Dell Technologies will launch a new education programme where they will train 4,000 Indian teachers in Artificial Technology. The programme will aid in GoI step of introducing Artificial Intelligence as a subject in school.

43. On December 11, 2019, the social security code bill was introduced in Lok Sabha. The bill paves way for universalization of social security of 50 crore workers in the country.

44. Every year 12 December is celebrated as International Universal Health Coverage Day across the world, as an annual rallying point for the growing movement for health for all. The day is promoted by World Health Organization (WHO).

45. In a unique initiative to battle rising air pollution in cities, Indian Railways has opened an 'Oxygen Parlour' at Nashik railway station in Maharashtra. The initiative seeks to provide an experience of breathing clean air to the commuters.

46. On December 16, 2019, India commemorated its victory over Pakistan in the war of 1971. India fought against Pakistan helping Bangladesh obtain its freedom and won the war. On the very same day, Bangladesh celebrates its independence.

47. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appointed Sridhar Patra as the new chairman-cum-managing director (CMD) of National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO). He has been appointed as CMD of NALCO till the date of his superannuation, i.e. on 31 October 2024 r until further orders, whichever is earlier. At present he is the Director (Finance) in NALCO.

48. On December 21, 2019, PM Modi chaired a meeting of his council of ministers. The works of the ministers in the past 6 months were reviewed by the PM at the meet.

49. India celebrates National Farmers Day on 23^rd December to commemorate the birth anniversary of the 5th Prime Minister of India, Choudhary Charan Singh. He was a farmer's leader and he had introduced many policies to improve the lives of the Indian farmers. The day is being observed since 2001.

50. Human Library, a concept which seeks to replace books with humans, was held in the City of Palaces, Mysuru, Karnataka. It was organized by international non-profit organization- Human Library for first time in Mysuru. The objective of this event was to break past long-standing prejudices and stereotypes by creating a safe framework for conservation by using a library analogy of lending people rather than books. It also intended to generate greater human cohesion across various social, religious and ethnic diversities. This event provides readers of human library opportunity to borrow Human Books and to engage in conversation with the books. It also helps them to acknowledge the need for a change in societal attitudes and encourage social reforms.

51. Two laboratories confirmed illegal Bt brinjal cultivation in Haryana recently. The samples have also been sent by the Haryana Government to National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR).

52. The Government of India on December 30, 2019, launched "Central Equipment Identify Register" portal to block and trace mobile phones. The web portal will operate under Department of Telecom.

53. On December 26, 2019, Union Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitaraman released postage stamps to commemorate the services of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in order to protect the nation.

54. On December 13. 2019, the International Financial Services Centre Authority bill was passed by Rajya Sabha. It proposes to set up an authority to regulate financial services in the International Financial Services Centres in India.

55. The Indian Council on Medical Research has issued guidelines on Gene Therapy. The aim of the guideline is to enable the stakeholders comply with the R&D of Gene Therapeutic Products being produced and tested inside the country.

56. On December 2, 2019, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs provided financial assistance for the upgradation and modernization of the Ekalavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS). Each school is to be provided with a net amount of Rs 5 crores.

57. Union Home Ministry has sanctioned Rs.100 crore from Nirbhaya fund for setting up and strengthening of women help desks in police stations across country. The move came a fortnight after a young veterinarian was gang-raped and murdered near Hyderabad, leading to protests in different parts of country.

58. Every year 2 December is observed as International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, across the world. The yearly event is organized by United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and was first celebrated in 1986.

59. On December 6, 2019, MP Sarojni Hembram from Odisha for the first time spoke in a tribal language called Santhali. She raised the matter of public importance during the zero hour. Also, Srimati Sarojini demanded Bharat Ratna for Pundit Raghunath Murmu, the Santhali scholar who introduced Ol Chiki script for the language in 1925.

60. On December 23, 2019, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) organized an annual meeting of state nodal agencies implementing the Ecoclub programme for the first time. The event was organized in collaboration with GEER foundation, Gujarat.

61. The Government of India is planning to integrate largest lenders to the power sector in order to help clean energy firms clear their dues. It includes Rural Electrification Corporation (REC), Power Finance Corporation (PFC) and Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA). The integration will help resolve growing crisis in the clean energy sector and also aid India achieve its ambitious targets in renewable energy.

62. On December 9, 2019, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute published a report according to which arms sales rose by 5% through out the world in 2018.

63. NITI Aayog, the policy think tank of Government will launch the second edition of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) India Index and Dashboard 2019–20 on 30 December 2019 at NITI Aayog, New Delhi. The first edition of SDG India Index was launched in December 2018. It was the first tool developed by any large country to monitor progress towards achieving SDGs at sub-national level.

64. Government of India has approved seven projects for setting up of FM transmitters in premises of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) for strengthening FM coverage along Indo-Nepal border. The information in this regard was presented by Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar to Lok Sabha.

65. The 'India Water Impact Summit' is an annual event where problems and solutions for the biggest water related issues in the country are discussed.

66. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was introduced in the Lok Sabha by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah on December 9, 2019. It was passed on the same day in Lok Sabha.

67. The Labor Ministry is celebrating pension week from November 30, 2019 to December 6, 2019 in order to increase enrolments under National Pension Scheme (NPS) for traders and Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PM-SYM). The aim of the celebration is to enroll 1 crore beneficiaries under PMSYM and 50 lakh beneficiaries under NPS-traders.

68. The National Energy Conservation Day is celebrated every year on 14 December. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), under Union Ministry of Power spearheads the celebrations of the day every year since 1991. BEE is also observing National Energy Conservation Week from 9-14 December 2019, in order to drive mass awareness about importance of energy efficiency and conservation.

69. World AIDS Day was observed on 1 December 2019, to raise public awareness about Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), a pandemic disease caused due to infection of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) which affects the human immune system. The day also provides an opportunity for people to unite in fight against HIV and to show support for those living with HIV. The theme for year 2019 is "Communities Make the Difference."

70. On December 24, 2019, CM of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal introduced a new policy to make Delhi the capital of Electric vehicles. Under the policy, the government has planned to provide subsidies to electric vehicles.

71. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued a draft notification on December 15, 2019, to regulate the registration of old vintage vehicles. The ministry has planned to provide a special number plate with letters VA to signify the vintage vehicles.

72. The Gujarat police was presented the 'President's Colours' by Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu at a ceremony held in Karai Police Academy in Gandhi Nagar on 15 December 2019. Gujarat now becomes the seventh state to receive the prestigious President's Colours, also called as Nishaan, an emblem which all police officers of Gujarat would wear on left-hand sleeve of their uniform. A new logo of Gujarat Police was also unveiled and the force was also awarded a specially designed flag and an emblem.

73. On December 25, 2019, Government of India launched Good Governance Index. Tamil Nadu topped in Good Governance Index.

74. Nation is paying homage to great revolutionary, Shaheed Udham Singh, a well-known freedom fighter from Punjab on his 120th birth anniversary being celebrated on 26 December 2019. He was born on this day in 1899 in Sangrur district of Punjab. He belonged to Ghadar party and was best known for avenging the Jallianwala Bagh massacre by assassinating Michael O' Dwyer.

75. On December 16, 2019, the Confederation of Indian Industry organized "Steeling India 2019" conference, a drive to increase metal intensity in key sectors. Union Minister for Steel, Petroleum and Natural Gas Shri Dharmendra Pradhan participated in the conference.

76. On December 20, 2019, PM Modi addressed the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry in New Delhi. The event was organized to commemorate 100 years of ASSOCHAM. The event was organized under the Theme: New India Aspiring for 5 trillion USD.

77. The Ministry of Home Affairs along with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) will investigate illegal plantations of marijuana plantations and destroy them deploying drones before the plants are harvested. The ministry is to use the help of satellites to detect the crops.

78. Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given in principal approval to clear budgetary allocation of Rs.8,754.23 crore for conducting Census of India, 2021, a Decennial Census (recurring every 10 years) exercise along with Rs.3,941.35 crore for updating National Population Register (NPR) across the country (barring Assam),which is a list of 'usual residents' of India. Both the exercises will be conducted simultaneously through door-to-door enumeration, with commencing from April 2020 to September 2020.

79. The Minorities Rights Day was celebrated by the National Commission for Minorities in India in order to focus religious harmony and better understanding of the minority communities in the country. On December 18, 1992, the United Nations adopted the Individual's rights belonging to religious, linguistic and religious minorities. The organization also stated that it is the responsibility of the state to improve minority conditions and create awareness about their linguistic, national, cultural and religious identity.

80. The traditional 40-day period of harshest winter in Kashmir known in the local parlance as 'Chillai-Kalan' began on 21 December 2019, with the upper reaches of valley receiving snowfall. Chillai-Kalan period which is known for sub-zero temperatures, frozen lakes and river, will end on 31 January 2020.

81. On December 2, 2019, the Ministry of Human Resource Development informed Lok Sabha that the "Indian Ranking Society" was approved by the ministry in August 2019. The aim of the society is to develop methodologies and systems to rank higher educational institutions in the country. The proposal was approved in the 127^th meeting of the AICTE Executive Council.

82. The International Day of Persons with Disabilities is being observed on 3^rd december by the United Nations since 1992. The aim of the day is to promote well-being of the persons with disabilities and to increase awareness of their situation in social, political cultural and economic ways.

83. CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) has developed a new low-cost technology to produce Geranium saplings. Geranium acts as an anti-inflammatory and anti-septic agent. It has several medicinal values. The development has been made under Aroma Mission.

84. The third edition of coveted Military Literature Festival (MLF) is being held from 13 to 15 December at UT Lake Club, Chandigarh. The military literature extravaganza was inaugurated by Punjab Governor and UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore. The festival would bring together the finest men from battle grounds and literary fields to discuss watershed of information on defence issues.

85. On December 23, 2019, the department of fisheries (GoI), NABARD and Tamil Nadu Government signed an agreement to implement Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Fund (FIDF). The tripartite agreement set a total of Rs 7522 crores to address the infrastructure requirement of fisheries sector.

86. The Union Minister of Jal Shakti inaugurated the fourth water impact summit in New Delhi. In 2019, the summit is to focus on integrated management of water resources in rural and urban areas. At the summit, the experts from various fields discuss the biggest problems associated with water.

87. Parliament has passed the Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2019, which seeks to amend the Arms Act, 1959. Apart from introducing new categories of offences, the Bill also seeks to decrease number of licensed firearms allowed per person and increase penalties for certain offences under the Act.

88. The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly has recently passed the Andhra Pradesh Disha Bill, 2019 (now, Andhra Pradesh Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2019). Disha is the name given to the veterinarian who was raped and murdered in Hyderabad on 27 November and sparked an outrage across country.

89. Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Puri formally launched DDA Portal 2 in New Delhi. Now, the residents of 1,731 unauthorised colonies can register their details and upload their documents for verification in the given portal to apply for ownership rights. About 8,268 citizens have already registered on Portal 2 ever since it became operational a fortnight ago. Government notified that out of 1,731 unauthorised colonies, 1,500 have already been demarcated and maps of more than 1,100 have been uploaded on the portal.

90. The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet on December 11, 2019 cleared the Disha Bill that proposed harsh punishment for crimes against women. Disha bill is also known as the Andhra Pradesh Criminal Law (Amendment) bill.

91. The National Stock Exchange(NSE) has appointed Girish Chandra Chaturvedi as its new chairman. His appointment comes following the approval of markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). The NSE chairman was lying vacant since January 2019 when then incumbent Chairman of NSE Ashok Chawla resigned in the middle of charges of corruption in Aircel-Maxis case. The Aircel-Maxis is a case of alleged corruption in grant of Foreign Investment and Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance in Aircel-Maxis deal.

92. International Mountain Day predominantly refers to the day, the United Nations marks on December 11 every year since 2003. The same day is celebrated in US and Japan as National Mountain Day. The US began to mark mountain day even before the UN since 1877. However, in Japan it is being celebrated since 2014 and is a national holiday.

93. Union Ministry of Shipping (MoS) has approved long pending demand of Government of Manipur for development of Loktak Inland Waterways Project in the north eastern state. The request for development of this project was made by L Susindro Meitei, Chairman of Loktak Development Authority and MLA Khurai in Manipur.

94. The National Assembly of Republic of Mauritius has unanimously elected Prithvirajsing Roopun, as new President of the island nation, a largely ceremonial post. He was former arts and culture minister of country. The motion for his election as new President was presented by Prime Minister, Home Affairs and External Communications, Minister of Defence, Minister for Rodrigues, Outer Islands and Territorial Integrity.

95. International Tea Day is observed every year on 16 December since 2005. The day is celebrated in tea producing nations such as India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Vietnam, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi and Malaysia.

96. The International Day of Anti-Corruption is marked by the United Nations every year on December 9 since 2003. This year the day is being marked by the organization all over the world on the following Theme: United Against Corruption.

97. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) added about 1,840 new species to its updated "Red List of Threatened Species", a catalogue of plants and animals that risk extinction. The list now contains over 30,000 species under threat of disappearing. The group released its Red List update in the middle of COP25 climate talks in Madrid, Spain. The year 2020 will see two global IUCN gatherings, first in June in Marseille, France and another in Kunming, China, in October.

98. Centre government is planning to revamp 'All India Radio' officially known as 'Akashvani' by introducing Digital Radio in India by 2024, when the country will be technologically-equipped for it. The announcement in this regard was made by Union Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Minister Prakash Javadekar at the 2019 Akashvani Annual Awards in New Delhi.

99. On December 27, 2019, GoI constituted a 7-member group of ministers to fast track the implementation of revival plan of BSNL and MTNL. The revival plan includes allocation of 4G spectrum and asset monetization. Earlier, GoI approved the revival plan of merging BSNL and MTNL.

100. On December 22, 2019, "Nagpur Resolution" was adopted during a Valedictory session of a regional conference organized by DARPG (Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances). The conference was on "Improving Public Service Delivery" and was attended by officials from the Ministries of MSME, Road transport, north east development and officials from prime minister office.

101. The Indian Railways has introduced an environment friendly and energy efficient solution in passenger trains to address noise and air pollution. The technology changes the locomotives and coaches and makes them suitable for Head On Generation. The Railways has developed and improvised converter that are to be fitted in electric locomotives. These converters can replace diesel generators as well. The converters make the locomotives suitable to run-on head-on generation technology.

102. On December 28, 2019, a trial run of the first freight train was conducted in the western dedicated freight corridor. The train was flagged off by Dedicated Freight Corporation India Limited (DFCIL).

103. The SPG amendment bill says that when the SPG cover is withdrawn from a former Prime Minister, the cover also stands withdrawn from his or her family members. The bill was passed in the parliament on December 3, 2019. The bill aimed at amending the Special Protection Group act, 1988.

104. On December 30, 2019, NITI Aayog released Sustainable Development Goals Index 2019-20. According to the report, the overall composite score of India improved from 60 in 2018 to 57 in 2019. India succeeded in the areas of power and industry, water and sanitation, nutrition and gender equality. The index covered 16 out of 17 SDGs.

105. On December 16, 2019, the Supreme Court of India ordered the Centre and the Delhi Governments to hasten the pilot project of setting up smog towers at Connaught place.

106. The Minister of Environment Shri Prakash Javadekar represented India at the Madrid Climate Conference. The United Nations Climate Change Conference is being held in Madrid between 2^nd December, 2019 and 13^th December 2019.

107. NITI Aayog is currently working on a draft roadmap that aims at creating a vision for the country to help stabilize population, birth rate and family planning. In order to achieve this, on December 20, 2019, NITI Aayog along with Population Foundation of India organized a consultative meeting with senior officials, subject matter experts. The meeting discussed ways and means to strengthen India's family planning programmes and population policy. It will also contribute to NITI Aayog's working paper on India's vision on attaining population stabilization.

108. On December 2, 2019, the Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change provided the details of tiger corridor mapping in Rajya Sabha. The corridors were mapped by the National Tiger Conservation Authority and Wildlife Institute of India. The institutes have mapped 32 corridors in all.

109. The National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI) and food regulator FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) are jointly organising National Street Food Festival (NSFF) at Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi during 25-29 December 2019. This year is the 11^th edition of National Street Food Festival. Ever since its inception in 2009, this festival, has helped mainstream various street vending communities.

110. CSC e-Governance Services India Ltd, a special purpose vehicle (SPV) under Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) restarted Aadhaar registration and other related works which it plans to expand across the country next week. Aadhaar is now being used as primary identity document.

111. The Epigraphy Branch of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has discovered the earliest Sanskrit inscription to have been discovered in South India as on date. This significant finding is also the earliest epigraphic evidence for 'Saptamatrika' cult so far. The discovery was made in Chebrolu village in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. The inscription came to light when some local villagers informed ASI authorities about a pillar with some engravings when they were restoring and repairing local

112. Every year 2 December is observed as National Pollution Control Day to commemorate the people who lost their lives in the unfortunate incident of Bhopal Gas Tragedy that occurred on this day in 1984.

113. Fausta, a female black rhino, who was believed to be the world's oldest rhino has died at the age of 57 in a Tanzanian conservation area.  Fausta died of natural causes in captivity in Ngorongoro Craterg, which lies in Ngorongoro Conservation Area of Tanzania.

114. Every Year India dedicates December 7 to the Armed Forces Flag Day. The day is dedicated towards fund collection from people of India for the welfare of Indian Armed Forces. The day is being observed annually since 1949.

115. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Harsh Vardhan Shringla, currently serving as India's ambassador to United States (US), as the next foreign secretary. He is likely to take over as next Foreign Secretary soon after Republic Day, 2020 i.e. on 29 January for a two-year tenure.

116. The International Migrants Day is observed on 18^th December by the United Nations since 1990 in order to protect the rights of the migrants. The day was adopted after the organization passed a resolution at the International Convention on the Protection of the rights of all migrant workers. According to the UN, one-seventh of the world population which is 1 billion are migrants.

117. On December 10, 2019, at the COP25, the Climate Change Performance Index was presented. The Index measures renewable energy share, emissions and climate policies of 57 countries and the European Union.

118. The state government of Assam has set up 15 Anti-Depredation Squads of Forest department to deal with human-wildlife conflicts in state. The squads would help Forest Department to reduce casualties in conflict situations.

119. The longest climate talks in the history of United Nations that was held in Madrid, Spain, ended on December 15, 2019. The climate summit ended without crucial agreement on carbon market rules of the Paris Agreement.

120. National Energy Conservation Week is celebrated all over India from December 14 to December 20. Various Government enterprises and Public Sector Undertakings celebrate the week by organizing energy conservation message-oriented activities.

121. The Ministry of Culture on December 10, 2019 approved Rs 2.95 crores financial assistance for the development of Gandhi Paedia. The project is to be implemented by National Council of Science Museums, Kolkata.

122. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar inaugurated the ambitious Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) in Gurgaon, Millennium City of the country. The ICCC has been developed as nerve centre to provide multifaceted online smart services to people.

123. Around 73 countries have joined the Climate Ambition Alliance (CAA) at the COP25. The alliance is led by Chile and was launched at the Climate Action Summit, New York in 2019.

124. On December 2, 2019, Lok Sabha passed the Taxation Laws (Amendment) bill, 2019. The main objective of the bill is to provide an option for the domestic companies to pay taxes at the rate of 22%.

125. All India Radio (AIR) organized the National Symposium of Poets 2020 on 27 December 2019. This edition of poet symposium was attended by select poets from all corners of country, who gave their presentations and captivated the hearts of people.

126. On December 4, 2019, the Union Cabinet cleared the Citizenship (Amendment) bill, for the bill to be tabled in Lok Sabha. The bill is being tabled amidst widespread protests in the north eastern states.

127. The state government of Nagaland has extended Inner Line Permit (ILP) regime to Dimapur district, which is the commercial hub of the state. Dimapur was the only district that was not under ILP regime unlike the rest of Nagaland, which came into being in 1963. The ILP regime was also extended to neighbouring Manipur with President Ram Nath Kovind signing the order in this effect.

128. The Quality Council of India (QCI) recently released its survey on imported toys. According to the report, 66.9% of the toys failed the test.

129. On December 23, 2019, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs announced that urban areas of 35 states have been declared Open Defecation Free. It includes 4,167 cities. The target has been achieved through third party verification.

130. The Union Cabinet on December 11, 2019 approved Aircraft (Amendment) bill, 2019 to amend the Aircrafts act, 1934. The main objective of the bill is to fulfill the safety requirements of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

131. The Nagaland Hornbill Festival began at Naga Heritage Village at Kisama in Nagaland on 1 December 2019. The year 2019 celebrates the 20th edition of Hornbill Festival and the festival this year coincides with Nagaland Statehood Day. The much-awaited festival began with a colourful blend of culture and tradition with a modern twist.

132. The World Soil Day was endorsed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 2013. It was officially adopted through a resolution at the 68^th UN General Assembly. Since then every year, the World Soil Day is marked on December 5 by the United Nations all over the world.

133. The data from the High Courts across the country say that more than 96% of 1,66,882 rape trials registered under POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) are pending. After receiving the data, law ministry has drawn comprehensive plans to fast track disposal of pending rape cases within a year. The plan is to set up fast track courts to hasten the process.

134. A three day "International Seminar on Climate Smart Farming systems" is being held in New Delhi. It was inaugurated on December 11, 2019. The seminar is being organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

135. On December 26, 2019, the Union Human Resource Development Ministry released five documents that were developed by UGC covering five verticals of quality mandate. The documents covered eco-friendly and sustainable university campuses, evaluation reforms, human values and professional ethics, academic research integrity and faculty induction.

136. Odisha Government has decided to set up 45 fast track courts in the State, to expedite the trial of cases relating to women and children. The State government's action comes after Centre has decided to formulate a scheme for setting up 1,023 fast track special courts for expeditious trial and disposal of rape cases. For this purpose, the Union Law and Justice Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has asked States and Chief Justices of High Courts to expedite investigation in cases of rape and those registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

137. Every year the "Hornbill Festival" is celebrated between December 1 and December 10. It is also called Festival of Festivals. The festival is organized by the State Tourism and art and culture department in Kohima.

138. Every year 24 December is observed as National Consumer Day, to highlight the importance of consumer movement as well as the need to make every consumer more aware of their rights and responsibilities. Theme of National Consumer Day 2019 is- 'Alternate Consumer Grievance/Dispute Redressal'.

139. According to a new report from Comparitech, a Britain-based tech research firm, India is fifth worst country after China, Malaysia, Pakistan and United States in terms of extensive and invasive use of biometric data.

140. Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister of Odisha has launched a smart learning phone application 'MadhuApp' for school children. This app is aims to help school students in learning their lessons via videos and tutorials.

141. On December 25, 2019, Union Minister of Communication and IT Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad inaugurated "Digital Village Guruwara". During the launch, it was announced that the Government has planned to offer free Wi-Fi services to all villages till March 2020.

142. On December 13, 2019, the Government of India for the first-time invoked Drug Price Control Order, 2013 in order to increase the prices of 21 medicines to ensure their availability. The prices were increased by 50%. These medicines were under price regulation as majority of their ingredients were imported from China.

143. On December 14, 2019, PM Modi reviewed the Namami Gange Project at Kanpur Atal Ghat. He was accompanied by UP CM Yogi Adityanath. He also visited the recently closed Sisamau Nala. PM Modi also chaired the first meeting of National Ganga Council with the Union Ministers.

144. Union Territory of Ladakh is celebrating Losar Festival on 27 December 2019, to mark the Ladakhi or Tibetan New Year. Until 2018, Losar gathering use to have 'UT Status for Ladakh' as a resolution for New Year. This year, it will be joyous Losar festival celebrations in newly born Union Territory Ladakh. Losar festival, which has its origin in 15th century, is also observed in all Himalayan states of country but in different times.

International

1. China has successfully launched its largest carrier rocket, Long March-5, carrying the Shijian-20 satellite, from Wenchang Space Launch Center (WSLC) in south China's Hainan Province. China's most powerful rocket is a critical ingredient in nation's ambitious space programme.

2. The United Nations has adopted 3.07 billion USD budget on December 27, 2019. The organization for the first time included investigation of war crimes in Myanmar and Syria in its fund allocation

3. The United Nations on December 27, 2019, approved a new resolution in order to draft an international treaty to combat cyber crime.

4. Union Cabinet has given its approval for signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Republic of India and Federative Republic of Brazil on Bioenergy Cooperation.

5. Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the signing of Protocol to amend the Agreement between Swiss Federal Council, the highest executive authority of Swiss Confederation and Government of India related to air services, as well as to exchange diplomatic notes with Switzerland for bringing amendments in air services agreement into force. The protocol will allow more number of airlines to start flight operations between two countries.

6. External Affairs Minister was on a two-day visit to Iran between December 22-23, 2019. During his visit he chaired the 19^th Joint Commission Meeting with his Iranian Counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif.

7. Health officials in Eastern Congo recently documented the first relapse of current Ebola epidemic. The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has so far infected more than 3,300 people and killed more than 2,200 since the middle of 2018, making it the second-worst on record.

8. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has appointed Manuel Marrero Cruz as the country's first prime minister in more than four decades (40 years). Marrero Cruz who was named prime minister for a five-year term, has served as Cuban tourism minister for 16 years. He is an architect by trade and has helped boost Cuba's economy by making tourism one of the engines of growth.

9. The eight West African nations have agreed to change the name of their common currency from 'CFA franc' to 'Eco', after they jointly severed the CFA franc's links to former colonial ruler France. The announcement was made during a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to Ivory Coast, who hailed the decision as a historic reform. Even though the deal took six months in making, common currency Eco will see the light of day in 2020.

10. Describing space as the world's newest war-fighting domain, US President Donald Trump officially launched US military 'Space Force' at an army base near Washington. Trump highlighted that the Space Force will help to deter aggression and control ultimate high ground.

11. On December 21, 2019, the EU President called on PM Modi to discuss regarding an early India-EU summit 2020. It is expected that the leaders will discuss on making progress on the issues related to Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA), Europol, counter-terrorism, Euroatom, climate change, etc. The summit is to be held in Brussels.

12. On December 22, 2019, the World Economic Forum said that around 3,000 world leaders will meet at its 50^th annual meeting to discuss on actions that are required to make "cohesive and sustainable world".

13. The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan has become the first country to recognize Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) pursuant to the efforts of Department of Commerce and Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The formal recognistion came from Afghanistan's National Department of Regulation of Medicines and Health Products of Ministry of Public Health.

14. On December 18, 2019, the World Health Organization launched its first biosimilar medicine to treat breast cancer. The WHO intends to make the expensive, life-saving treatment affordable for women all over the world.

15. On December 18, 2019, Donald Trump became the third President to be impeached by the US House. He was accused of enlisting foreign government to investigate political rival before 2020 election.

16. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between India's Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), and France's National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) to establish a framework for cooperation between two institutes towards promotion and support of scientific and technological research.

17. The United Nations Security Council meet was sought by China on December 17, 2019. The meeting was sought after India decided to end special status of Jammu and Kashmir by abrogating Article 370. However, the meeting was cancelled with the French supporting India. All over the world Pakistan is supported only by China, Turkey and Malaysia over the Kashmir issue.

18. The first ever Global Refugee Forum is being held in Geneva, Switzerland from 17-18 December 2019. It is being jointly hosted by United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) along with Government of Switzerland. At GRF the international community will showcase and exchange good practices at national, regional or global levels.

19. India is set to host the 36th International Geological Congress (IGC) in New Delhi during the first week of March 2020. The theme for next year conference is 'Geosciences: The Basic Science for a Sustainable Development'.

20. The shuttle train service between Lahore and Wagah railway station resumed operation on 15 December 2019 after a gap of 22 years. The train would complete three round trips daily as well as will provide the travelling facility to over 1,000 passengers in three trips. The train service was operational between Wagah to Lahore since the partition of India in 1947 till 1997 but was closed due to certain operational and security reasons.

21. At the end of the joint Indian Ocean Dialogue held in New Delhi, External Affairs Minister officially announced that India is planning to expand its Indo-Pacific policy. So far, the Indo-Pacific covered Indian Ocean and the Arabian sea. With the expansion, the region will now include Gulf states and Africa.

22. World Design Organization (WDO) will be launching its new global programme 'World Design Protopolis' in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The announcement regarding World Design Protopolis was made at ongoing 3-day Kochi Design Week (KDW), India's largest design conclave that kicked off at Bolgatty Island in Kerala. The mega event, which concluded on 14 December 2019, witnessed convergence of policymakers and government officials, design professionals from India and abroad, architects, interior designers, heads of various companies, thought leaders, besides general public.

23. On December 14, 2019, India and Maldives agreed to expand their maritime security and boost their anti-terror cooperation in order to deal with the common challenges in Indian Ocean Region where China is expanding its military presence. The countries also held the 6^th Joint Commission Meeting. It was co-chaired by the External Affairs ministers of the countries.

24. Union Ministry of External Affairs will be hosting 6th Indian Ocean Dialogue (IOD) and Delhi Dialogue XI at Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra in New Delhi on 13 December 2019. This is for the first time that these two dialogues, which are key elements of Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), and India-ASEAN calendars will be held consecutively and on similar Indo-Pacific themes.

25. On December 11, 2019, the Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi gave its approval for signing Agreement on Social Security between India and Brazil. The Social Security Agreement is being signed by India with several other countries in order to protect the interests of the professionals and skilled workers living abroad.

26. Abu Dhabi has been selected as the World's leading Sports Tourism Destination for seventh time in a row. This time the coveted award was conferred at 26^th edition of World Travel Awards (WTA), being held in Muscat, Oman.

27. At a Paris Summit mediated by Germany and France, Russia and Ukraine agreed to restore peace by implementing cease fire. Both the countries also agreed on prisoner exchanges.

28. The third India-Australia Secretary-level 2+2 dialogue was held on 9 December 2019 in New Delhi. The Indian side was led by Defense Secretary Ajay Kumar and Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, while its counterpart delegation was led by Australia's Defense Secretary Greg Moriarty and Foreign Secretary Frances Adamson.

29. Malaysia has reported the first case of Polio in 27 years, when a three-month-old Malaysian infant boy was diagnosed with polio. The last polio case in Asia-Pacific country occurred in 1992, and in 2000, after which the country was declared polio-free. In this recent case, the child was confirmed to be infected with vaccine-derived poliovirus Type 1 (VDPV1) on 6 December 2019.

30. Recently the Indian Representative to Palestine, Sunil Kumar released the third tranche of funding for the construction of India-Palestine techno park in Palestine. India had committed to invest 12 million USD as a part of capacity building in Palestine. India currently pays 3 million USD on half yearly basis.

31. Oxford Dictionaries has named 'Climate Emergency' as its 2019 Word of the Year. It has been chosen from an all-environmental shortlist that also included 'climate denial,' 'climate action,' 'eco-anxiety,' 'flight shame' and 'extinction.' Being chosen as Word of the Year, reflects that 'Climate Emergency' was a real preoccupation of the English-speaking world in 2019.

32. The International Civil Aviation Day is observed every year on 7 December across the world to generate and reinforce worldwide awareness of importance of international civil aviation to social and economic development.

33. The Chief of Indian Air Force (IAF) Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria is set to participate in Pacific Air Chiefs Symposium 2019 (PACS 2019) being held at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii (a state of USA). Theme for 2019's symposium is: 'A Collaborative Approach to Regional Security'.

34. India and Sweden has joined hands to set up a healthcare innovation centre to promote research, broadly in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and help scale-up Indian start-ups in the sector. Later, AIIMS, Delhi; AIIMS, Jodhpur, and Swedish Trade Commissioner's Office in New Delhi signed a Memorandum of Intent (MoI) to cement cooperation, to set up a healthcare innovation centre. The signing of MoI marks 10 years of India-Sweden health cooperation.

35. India and Sweden are to sign their first maritime cooperation agreement during the Swedish Royal couple visit. The agreement includes cooperation between the countries in both Arctic and Antarctic regions and hence the name Polar Science.

36. India and Japan held their first ever Foreign and Defence Ministerial Dialogue (2+2) in New Delhi. During the meet the two sides discussed about boosting defence and security ties besides other issues of mutual interest. This India-Japan ministerial meeting comes ahead of annual summit of two prime ministers scheduled to be held in Guwahati, Assam in December 2019. India has a similar 'ministerial level 2+2' dialogue with the USA as well.

Business, Economy & Banking

1. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has launched eBkray or eB????, an common e-auction platform to enable online auction of attached assets transparently and cleanly for the improved realization of value by banks. The e-auction platform is now linked on Indian Banks Auctions Mortgaged Properties Information (IBAPI) portal and guidelines have been made available.

2. On December 27, 2019, RBI released Financial Stability Report. The report is biennial and reflects the collective assessment of the Sub-committee of Financial Stability and Development Council. The report said that the non-performing asset ratio of banks is increasing. It was 9.9% in September 2019 and may rise to 9.9% in September 2020.

3. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has directed large cooperative banks to report all aggregate exposures of Rs.5 crores and more to Central Repository of Information on Large Credits (CRILC). The move is aimed at early recognition of financial distress.

4. The Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) has set up the new state-of-the-art LPG Bottling Plant at Village Barkani in Bolangir district of Odisha. The LPG bottling plant with an annual capacity of filling 42 lakh cylinders has been developed by state-run BPCL.

5. Union Home Minister Amit Shah laid the foundation stone for country's first transit-oriented development (TOD) project in New Delhi. Under the TOD project a state-of-the-art infrastructure zone, including national capital's tallest tower, will be built in east Delhi.

6. State-owned power giant NTPC Ltd. is planning to add 10 GW (gigawatt) of solar energy generation capacity by 2022. The project would entail an investment of around Rs.50,000 crore which will be funded mainly by green bonds. NTPC's plans to add 10GW solar energy capacity assumes significance in view of country's ambitious target of having 175GW of clean energy by 2022.

7. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the transfer of administrative control of Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL), the Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU) implementing Assam Gas Cracker Project (AGCP) from Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals (under Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers) to Union Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MOP&NG).

8. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI) signed an agreement to develop new drugs and repurposing of drugs for India and for global markets. The team research work is also joined by Cipla.

9. Markets regulator SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) has signed a bilateral memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Kazakhstan-based Astana Financial Services Authority (AFSA) for mutual co-operation and technical assistance. The MoU was signed by SEBI Chairman Ajay Tyagi and the acting chief executive officer (CEO) of AFSA Mukhtar Bubeyev.

10. The Ministry of Minority Affairs will organize more than 100 Hunar Haat in the next five years. The move aims to increase employment opportunities to craftsmen, artisans and culinary experts and also to increase their market exposure.

11. On December 23, 2019, the Reserve Bank of India will buy and sell government securities of Rs 10,000 crores under a special Open Market Operation. Such moves are implemented by the federal bank in order to bring down the interest rates of long-term securities. This time RBI has named its move as "Operation Twist".

12. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Government of India has signed a $490 million loan for public-private partnership (PPP) project for upgradation of about 1,600 km of state highways and major district roads (MDRs) from single-lane to two-lane widths, with road safety features and all-weather standards in state of Madhya Pradesh. An additional $286 million investment will be mobilised via private sector participation under PPP modality.

13. On December 20, 2019, India, Afghanistan and Iran met at New Delhi to discuss the issues in the implementation of Chabahar port in Iran. The port is considered as a gateway of opportunities with Central Asian Nations by all the three countries.

14. The Punjab cabinet on December 2, 2019, approved the amendment of Punjab Village Common Land (Regulation) rules, 1964. It aims at creating land banks in rural areas to boost industrial development in the state.

15. The Thiruvananthapuram–Kasargode Semi High Speed Rail Corridor (SHSR), a proposed high-speed rail corridor in India that would connect Thiruvananthapuram with Kasaragod in Kerala is expected to be completed by 2024. Recently, centre had also given in-principle approval to the Rs.56,000 crore Thiruvananthapuram-Kasaragod SHSR corridor project. The order was issued by Union Ministry of Railways.

16. HDFC Bank Ltd has crossed the $100 billion market capitalization (M-Cap) in intraday trading, thus becoming only the third company in India to achieve this milestone. However, it closed below $100 billion mark at $99.5 billion. HDFC is one of India's largest private-sector lenders.

17. On December 20, 2019, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) sent its first trial shipment of fresh vegetables from Varanasi to Dubai by sea route. APEDA is the organization under Ministry of Commerce and Industry that promotes export of agricultural and processed food products from India.

18. National Rail Transport Institute (NRTI) signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with University of Birmingham in Rail Bhawan, New Delhi to set up its first Centre of Excellence for Next Generation Transportation Systems. NRTI is a deemed to be university under Union Ministry of Railways.

19. In a first, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council meeting resorted to voting to decide on an issue, as all the earlier decisions by GST Council had been taken through consensus. The controversial issue of GST rate for lotteries was decided on basis of voting, with the GST Council headed by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman fixing a uniform tax rate of 28% on both state and private lotteries with effect from 1 March 2020. The voting move was taken on insistence of Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac's proposal.

20. The 11^th Regional Quality Conclave (RQC) is being organized on 20 December 2019 at Rudrapur, district Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand.  The is being organized by Quality Council of India (QCI) along with PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI). Through this Conclave the Quality Council of India (QCI) hopes to reach out to industries in the hilly regions of the country.

21. Infosys announced the launch of three blockchain-powered distributed applications for government services, supply chain management and insurance domains. These applications are equipped with predictive return on investment (ROI) analytics for business investments that can be tailored to meet numerous industry-specific needs.

22. On December 18, 2019, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman chaired the GST Council Meeting in New Delhi. The meeting was held to address the backdrop of falling collections for the current fiscal.

23. Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed a US $250 million loan agreement with Government of India to provide loan to public sector company Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) so as to expand energy efficiency investments in India that will benefit agricultural, institutional and residential consumers.

24. India has secured a US $277 million (about Rs.1,900 crore) loan from Germany to establish an energy-efficient housing programme in the country. The loan agreement was signed between State Bank of India (SBI) and Germany's KfW Development Bank for US $277 million to establish an energy-efficient housing programme in India.

25. The Unified Payment Interface was introduced in India in 2016. Based on its performance, Google has recommended similar service called FedNow to the US Federal Reserve Board. With its growing popularity, the RBI on December 16, 2019 announced that NPCI will set up a subsidiary to export UPI. India is already extending the app to other countries. Recently, PM Modi launched the service in Singapore during his visit to the country.

26. On December 14, 2019, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (Amul) and Mother Dairy (owned by National Diary Development Board) increased MRP (Maximum Retail Prices) of their pouched milk by Rs 2 per litre.

27. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), a statuary body under Union Ministry of Power, conducted an International Workshop on 12-13 December 2019 on 'Energy Efficient Cooling' at Scope Convention Centre in New Delhi. The two-day international workshop was organised as part of 'Energy Conservation Week' being celebrated from 9- 14 December 2019.

28. The Seventh Economic Census is being conducted nationwide through Common Service Centres (CSC) and is expected to be completed by March 2020. This is the first time the census is being conducted digitally.

29. The National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) issued its first audit report of IL&FS Financial Services Limited for the year 2017-18. It is the first report submitted by the authority since its constitution in October 2018. The audit was conducted abiding Section 13(2) of the companies act, 2013 and NFRA rules, 2018.

30. The Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh chaired the Parliamentary Consultative Committee meeting of the North Eastern Region on December 12, 2019. The issues of development of North East was discussed at the meeting.

31. Union Cabinet approved the proposal of Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), which authorizes National Highways Authority of India(NHAI) to set up Infrastructure Investment Trust(s) (InvIT) as per InvIT Guidelines issued by Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). This will enable NHAI to monetize completed National Highways that have a toll collection track record of atleast 1 year and the NHAI reserves the right to levy toll on identified highway.

32. Union Cabinet approved the 'Partial Credit Guarantee Scheme' that allows public sector banks (PSBs) to purchase high-rated pooled assets from financially sound non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) and housing finance companies (HFCs). However, the amount of overall guarantee has been limited to first loss of up to 10% of fair value of assets (FAV) being purchased by banks under the scheme or Rs.10,000 crore, whichever is lower, as agreed by department of economic affairs (DEA), Union Ministry of Finance.

33. Union Cabinet has approved certain amendments in Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (code), through Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Second Amendment) Bill, 2019. The amendments aim to remove certain difficulties being faced during insolvency resolution process to realise objects of code, protect corporate debtors, prevent ill-thought-out triggering of bankruptcy proceedings and to further ease doing of business (ADB).

34. Union Cabinet has given ex-post facto approval to Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) and Saudi Food and Drug Authority in field of Medical Products Regulation. The MoU was signed on 29 October 2019 during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

35. Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its approval for signing Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between Government of India and Government of Japan to constitute 'India-Japan Steel Dialogue' to strengthen cooperation in steel sector. MoC will help in capacity building for high grade steel manufacturing in India.

36. On December 10, 2019, a Japanese delegation led by Japanese Minister Mr Hiroshi Kajiyama visited Minister of North Eastern Region Development. The ministers discussed different areas of cooperation that included nuclear power, technology and infrastructure. The Countries also renewed their Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.

37. To ensure the benefits of FASTag beyond tolling, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has launched a pilot project for using FASTags for parking purposes at Hyderabad Airport. Conceptualised as FASTag 2.0, the tag would cover parking payments, fuel payments, etc. After the success of project in Hyderabad, it will be launched at Delhi airport.

38. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) and Suadi Aramco (Asia) for the development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Ecosystem in India in Oil & Gas Sector. The MoU will pave a way for accredited Indian MSMEs to carve out a space as vendors in Global space.

39. The Appeal Court of the World Trade Organization that acts as trade dispute settlement body for the members was shut down by the United States on December 9, 2019. The seven-member body that was cut down to a 3-member body in 2018 is now completely blocked by the United States.

40. Alliance Air has flagged-off its first flight operations between Guwahati in Assam to Dimapur (largest city of Nagaland) and Imphal (capital of Manipur), under the Regional Connectivity Scheme – Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (RCS-UDAN). This direct 50 minute-long flights connecting Guwahati-Dimapur-Imphal is under a Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), part of government's Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) programme.

41. Jharkhand's Mahuamilan station which comes under East Central Railway (ECZ) zone has become 5500th station to get free wifi facility. The RailTel Corporation of India Ltd. (RCIL), the digital arm of Indian Railways, has thus provided free WiFi at 5,500 stations across country. RailTel is a 'Miniratna' enterprise that focuses on providing broadband and VPN services.

42. According to the weekly data released by the Reserve Bank of India, the foreign exchange reserve touched a new high of 451.08 billion USD. The foreign exchange currency assets include the depreciation or appreciation of the non-US currency like pound, Euro and Yen as well.

43. On December 6, 2019, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries reached a deal deepening their output cuts. They have set the target as 500,000 barrels a day. The action is being implemented in order to eliminate surplus and bolster crude prices.

44. The Ministry of Human Resource and Development has introduced Artificial Intelligence in classes VIII, IX and X in CBSE schools. The study materials have already been provided to the schools through official CBSE website.

45. The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) on promotion of honey production Khadi outlets to also display CSIR products.

46. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released 'Guidelines for 'on tap' Licensing of Small Finance Banks (SFB) in the Private Sector'. With these new guidelines, RBI has introduced major changes from earlier Guidelines issued by the apex bank on 27 November 2014, for licensing of Small Finance Banks in private sector.

47. King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden inaugurated Sarai Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) in Uttarakhand. The Swedish King and Queen are on a five-day visit to India to strengthen bilateral ties.

48. On December 4, 2019, the Cabinet approved the launch of Bharat Bond Exchange Traded Fund (BBETF) in order to allow the investors to buy government debts. The fund will allow easy and low-cost access with the smallest amount of Rs 1000.

49. Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal inaugurated the 3rd edition of National Public Procurement Conclave (NPPC) in New Delhi. The two-day conclave was organized by Government e-Marketplace (GeM) in association with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). NPCC will be held from 5-6 December 2019.

50. The Reserve Bank of India on December 5, 2019, released its fifth bi-monthly monetary policy statement for the year 2019-20.

51. The 2^nd edition of Startup India Global Venture Capital Summit is being organized in Goa on 6-7 December 2019 for Fund Managers and Limited Partners of Top Global Venture Capital (VC) Firms. The summit is being organized by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in partnership with Goa Government. Theme for Startup India Global Venture Capital Summit 2019 is- 'India Opportunity- Investing in tomorrow together'.

52. Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was notified of Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) between India and Germany regarding strategic cooperation on Railways projects. The Joint Declaration of Intent was signed by Union Ministry of Railways with Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy of Federal Republic of Germany in November 2019.

53. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for online ticketing of National Museum of Indian Cinema (NMIC) was inked between Films Division and BookMyShow (BMS) in New Delhi. With this MoU, booking a ticket to visit NMIC will be a click away as it will now be available on BookMyShow, thus benefiting film lovers in India and abroad. The MoU has been part of Museum outreach initiatives aimed at increasing footfalls to NMIC.

54. The Punjab cabinet on December 2, 2019, approved the amendment of Punjab Village Common Land (Regulation) rules, 1964. It aims at creating land banks in rural areas to boost industrial development in the state.

Science & Technology

1. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and National Physical Laboratory (NPL) developed an ink to combat the problem of fake printing of passports and counterfeiting of currency notes. The ink has a new security feature o protecting itself against duplicity.

2. The China-Brazil Earth Resource Satellite-4A (CBERS-4A), a new satellite jointly developed by China and Brazil as part of a bilateral programme, was recently sent into space, thus further pushes forward the aerospace cooperation between two countries. It was launched on a Long March-4B carrier from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi Province of China. The same rocket also put into orbits another 8 satellites, including a wide-range multispectral remote-sensing microsatellite donated to Ethiopia (which is also Ethiopia's first satellite).

3. Ethiopia launched its first satellite, 'Ethiopian Remote Sensing Satellite' (ETRSS) from China. ERSS is a remote-sensing microsatellite, that was launched in order to help African country's research into climate change. It was sent into space together with 8 other satellites by a Long March-4B carrier rocket from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center (TSLC) in Shanxi Province of north China.

4. Information Technology firm Wipro has partnered with IT body NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Services Companies) to launch a skilling platform called 'Future Skills' for new age technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) that will reach 10,000 students from over 20 engineering colleges in India.

5. The study of DBT and NII have found that women having chickenpox infection may transmit their infection to babies during their pregnancy. This stimulates babies' immunity and protects them. A person being infected by the virus and treated gains immunity lifelong. This immunity is transferred to babies during pregnancy. Also, if a mother was vaccinated in her childhood, she is said to be immune to the disease. Research says that this immunity is transferred to the child as well.

6. The 5G (the fifth generation of wireless technology) trials are expected to begin in the last quarter of current fiscal (2019-2020). The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has received 12 applications for 5G trials and it has neither approved nor rejected any applicant's proposal so far. However, it is still unknown that whether the government has taken a decision on Huawei's participation.

7. Directorate General of Civil Aviation's (DGCA), India's civil aviation authority has given approval to the applications of Google-backed hyperlocal delivery startup Dunzo and Bengaluru-based drone maker Throttle Aerospace Systems to test long-range and autonomous drone use. The long range drones can significantly enhance logistic services in Indian hinterland and may become a significant multiplier to the economy. Although DGCA is still in process of approving BVLOS experiments, but these two companies have been selected and are awaiting signed letters.

8. Jigneh Patel, a fellow at Center for Healthcare Entrepreneurship (CfHE) at Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad has launched a 'Vaccination on Wheels Clinic' in Pune city's PCMC area, Maharashtra. The one of its kind service has been started in collaboration with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He had received a grant for the service under the Foundation's 'Grand Challenges Explorations'. He then founded Jivika Healthcare to provide this vaccination service.

9. The Centre Government is testing a prototype of an Indian equivalent of popular messaging application platforms, such as WhatsApp and Telegram, for secure internal use. This secure messaging app is codenamed as 'Government Instant Messaging System (GIMS)'. It is being packaged for employees of Central government as well as state government departments and organisations for intra and inter organisation communications.

10. On December 17, 2019, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) named a white yellow star in Sextans Constellation as "Bhibha" and its planet as "Santamasa"

11. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sent an alert to all States warning them about the vulnerability of Android operating system to a bug called 'StrandHogg', which allows real-time malware applications to pose as genuine applications and are able to access user data of all kind. The information was shared by Threat Analytical Unit, Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (ICCCC) so as to take steps to create awareness among public on vulnerability of Android to 'StrandHogg'.

12. The Haryana Police Department has adopted a unique barcoding software. The software is used to ensure that 1000s of digital forensic reports are stored safe and secure. It offers a foolproof security to the samples collected from the crime scene.

13. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and National Board of Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) signed Memorandum of Understanding on December 13, 2019. The agreement was signed to facilitate the research and technologies to develop climate resilient practices in the agriculture sector and hi-tech farming practices.

14. Food regulator FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) and Nasscom Foundation, a trade association of Indian IT and Business Process Outsourcing industry, have signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly build a technology platform to prevent food wastage and encouraging food donation by developing an app for the purpose. The collaboration is a significant step in the direction of leveraging technology for solutions of social problems.

15. The second phase of Russia's SIRIUS Deep Technology Learning and NITI Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission ended on December 9, 2019. The joint programme was conducted based on a Memorandum of Understanding between SIRIUS and AIM.

16. Three youngsters Alon Abramovich, Meitav Assulin and Shmuel Aviv Levi, all 17 to 18 years old from Sha'ar HaNegev High school in Israel's southern region will be traveling to India to launch a satellite dubbed as- 'Duchifat 3', designed and built by them aboard PSLV C48 from Sriharikota launch site of ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) on 11 December 2019.

17. The Indian Space Research Organization is gearing to launch RISAT-2BR1 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on December 11, 2019. It is the second satellite in the RISAT series. The first satellite RISAT-2B was launched earlier this year.

18. The Indian Space Research Organization will set up five Space Technology Cells at the premier institutes in order to carry out research activities. It includes IISc, IITs in Kharagpur, Bombay, Madras and Kanpur.

19. The CSIR-IICT, Hyderabad on December 3, 2019, announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) cleared the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Test facility at the centre. The inspection was conducted between August 21, 2019 and August 22, 2019 with regard to Current Good Manufacturing Practices and was certified "No Action Initiated".

Government Schemes

1. Centre government has made Aadhaar (the unique 12-digit biometric identity number) mandatory for subscribers of Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY) which is a pension scheme for senior citizens. Finance Ministry notified that an individual eligible for receiving benefit under PMVVY scheme shall now be required to furnish proof of possession of Aadhaar number or else undergo Aadhaar authentication.

2. On December 27, 2019, Union Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan inaugurated the second edition of eat right mela in New Delhi. The mela is an effort to encourage citizens on having a healthy diet and reduce the disease burden in the country. The theme of the event is "Healthier Diets"

3. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABY), a scheme for sustainable management of ground water resources, in New Delhi. The scheme was launched on the occasion of 95th birth anniversary former Prime Minister Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee. On the occasion, the 8.8-kilometre long Strategic Tunnel under Rohtang Pass was also named after late Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

4. The Government of India has constructed Girls' Hostel for Nepal Armed Police Force (APF) School in Kirtipur, Kathmandu. The hostel building built with Indian assistance was formally handed over to the school by by Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India, Dr. Ajay Kumar. The project was implemented by Nepal Armed Police Force (APF). The project compliments effort of Government of Nepal in augmenting infrastructure in the field of education.

5. Government of India launched 'EChO Network', a national program to provide a template for cross-disciplinary leadership in India. The network specifically focuses on increasing research, knowledge, and awareness of Indian ecology and the environment. It was launched in New Delhi by Prof. K Vijay Raghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser to Centre. Currently, no such network is present anywhere in world, thereby, EChO Network establishes a new platform to change how science is embedded in our modern society.

6. Centre Government launched the National Broadband Mission (NBM) to provide broadband access to all villages by 2022. It was launched by Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in New Delhi. NBM is part of government's National Digital Communications Policy, 2018.

7. Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik launched the 'Jalsathi' programme which will ensure supply of safe drinking water to all households in the state. During the programme launch, he distributed water quality testing kits and POS (point of sale) machines to women volunteers being called as- 'Jalasathis'.

8. Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot released Braille Edition of 'Exam Warriors', a book authored by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. The release of Braille version of 'Exam Warriors' took place at a time when Exams of Secondary and Higher Secondary Standards are fast approaching.

9. On December 18, 2019, Union Minister of Rural Development, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar launched the third phase of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.

10. Government e-commerce portal GeM has launched a national outreach programme called 'GeM Samvaad', to bring on-board more local sellers. The outreach programme will take place from 19 Dec 2019 to 17 Feb 2020 and will cover all States and Union Territories (UTs) of the country. It was launched by Commerce Secretary Anup Wadhawan in New Delhi.

11. On December 18, 2019, the Government of India extended the deadline of its flagship scheme AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) by two more years. The mission was launched in 2015 by PM Modi promising 139 lakh water connections and 145 lakh sewer connections by March 2020. The expenditure of the mission was estimated as Rs 77,640 crores.

12. Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Nitin Gadkari launched the sale of 'Khadi Rumal' stitched by militancy affected women of Nagrota town of Jammu and Kashmir. The aim is to provide employment to the women in the terrorist affected areas as well as create employment opportunities for militancy affected families of J&K.

13. Recently GoI extended the deadline for Accessible India Campaign to March 2020. The main objective of the campaign is to make public spaces friendly for persons with disabilities.

14. India Design Council (IDC) launched two initiatives, called Design Education Quality Mark (DEQM) and Chartered Designs of India (CDI), with the objective to support and set standards for design profession. The initiatives will harmonise the different education systems whilst taking into account their great diversity.

15. Lt Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Girish Chandra Murmu, inaugurated Draj Bridge in Rajouri, J&K. It is an important bridge for the military as well as for socio-economic development of J&K's Rajouri District as a whole. This bridge will facilitate all-weather and speedy movement of Army troops and locals.

16. The Government of India has notified that the fourth instalment of the PM-KISAN (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi) income support scheme due in December 2019 will be transferred only to Aadhar-authenticated bank accounts of more than 50 million beneficiaries. This will be the first time since the launch of this scheme on 24 February 2019, that the government is insisting on mandatory condition of Aadhar seeding.

17. The National programme driven by TRIFED (Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India), Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana (PMVDY), completed 100 days under Ministry of Tribal Affairs on December 7, 2019. The programme aims at empowering the tribal community.

18. Union Minister for Food Processing Harsimrat Kaur Badal inaugurated Steel Silo based Avantee Mega Food Park in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh. This is the first food park of central India.

19. The Union Government of India has launched the fourth round of UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) to enhance the connectivity to regional areas of the country. This phase is to focus on Hilly states, North East Region, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir and Islands.

20. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu launched the 'Bharatiya Poshan Anthem' in New Delhi, which aims towrads taking message of making India malnutrition free to all corners of country. While launching, Vice president hoped that the 'poshan anthem' will lead to a nutrition revolution to transform India into a malnutrition-free country by 2022.

21. Government has launched its flagship scheme 'Intensified Mission Indradhanush 2.0' to focus on full immunization coverage of 272 districts spread over 27 states and 652 blocks of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar among hard-to-reach and tribal populations. The Mission Indradhanush 2.0 will be carried out between December 2019 and March 2020.

Awards & Honours

1. Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa announced the setting up of a Gandhi Citizenship Education Prize in order to help promote Mahatma Gandhi's ideals. The announcement was made while he was addressing the second meeting of National Committee for Commemoration Mahatma Gandhi's 150th Birth Anniversary chaired by President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

2. On December 18, 2019, Sahitya Akademi announced its awardees for this year. It announced seven books of poetry, six short stories, four novels, three non-fiction books and three essays.

3. Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officer B P Raju was awarded the 'India Cyber Cop of the Year 2019' during the Annual Information Security Summit held at Gurgaon, Haryana. He won the award for investigating and cracking a fraud case in an online entrance exam conducted by an engineering college in Rajasthan.

4. Author Amitabha Bagchi has won DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2019, for his novel 'Half the Night is Gone'. It is Bagchi's third novel. A major part of Half The Night Is Gone, is based in old-forgotten world of scheming zamindars, dubious morals and a man lamenting lost opportunities. His attention to detail ensures the readers are transported to that time, smelling the grime and listening to creaking sound made by rusted doors.

5. Jamaica's Toni-Ann Singh was crowned as Miss World 2019 at a beauty pageant held in London, UK. She won the coveted Miss World title for the year 2019 after beating her contenders, Ophely Mezino from France and Suman Rao from India. She received her crown from Mexico's Vanessa Ponce de Leon, the winner of Miss World 2018. The event was hosted by British television personality Piers Morgan, who was also the head judge of the event.

6. The World Economic Forum (WEF) announced the Winners of 26th Annual Crystal Award for the year 2020. The Crystal Awards recognises as well as celebrates the achievements of leading artists and cultural figures whose leadership inspires inclusive and sustainable change. The annual awards are hosted by World Economic Forum's World Arts Forum.

7. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has topped the Forbes' 2019 edition of 100 World's Most Powerful Women for the ninth consecutive year. She was joined in top spots by fellow prominent female political leaders. The 65-year-old German leader has made 14 appearances in list's 16-year history of Forbes magazine which releases a wide-ranging list intended to celebrate 100 most influential females. She was praised for standing up to US President Donald Trump and for allowing over a million Syrian refugees into Germany.

8. The Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg, who became voice of a generation facing climate change emergency was named as Time magazine's 2019 Person of the Year. The magazine announced 16-year old Thunberg as its choice among other 2019 finalists, which included The Hong Kong Protesters, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, President Donald Trump, and anonymous whistleblower whose memo on Trump's dealings with Ukraine triggered impeachment inquiry.

9. Lok Sabha passed the Central Sanskrit University Bill 2019, which seeks to convert three deemed Sanskrit universities, presently functioning in the country, into central universities. The bill was piloted by Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank'.

10. Four eminent diplomats have been honoured with the 'Diwali – Power of One' award in recognition and of their work, especially at United Nations (UN), for a secure and peaceful world. The Winner were honoured with the 'Power of One' awards during a ceremony at UN Headquarters in New York, United States. The award annually honours those who have made exemplary contributions in upholding the values that the United Nations stands for.

11. President of India, Ram Nath Kovind conferred the National Florence Nightingale Awards to 36 awardees, on 5 December 2019 on the occasion of International Nurses Day, at a ceremony in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. It was conferred in presence of Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) and Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Union Minister of State, Health & Family Welfare.

12. Winners of 2019 Ballon d'Or awards ("Golden Ball") which recognises the best footballer in world for 2019, were announced by France Football magazine in Paris on 2 December 2019. This year was the 64th annual ceremony of Ballon d'Or, presented by France Football. The nominees for awards were announced on 6 November 2019.

13. 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.

14. 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 10^th National Organ Donation Day in a programme held at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi. During the programme, the organs donor families were honoured and Best SOTTO (State Organ Tissue Transplant Organisation), Best Hospital and Best Transplant Co-ordinator awards were presented for outstanding activities in field of organ donation at national and state level.

15. English author Tony Joseph has won 12^th 'Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize' for his 2018 book, 'Early Indians: The Story of Our Ancestors and Where We Came'. Tony Joseph, a journalist-author won against four other debut writers and the award was announced Shakti Bhatt Foundation.

16. Vice President of India M. Venkiah Naidu conferred 'National Awards for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities 2019' at a function organized by Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Union Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment to celebrate 'International Day of Persons with Disabilities' celebrated on 3 December 2019 in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. Vice President was the Chief Guest of the function while Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot presided over the function.

17. The Awards for first-ever MoEF&CC and CMS VATAVARAN-2019 Short Film Competition and Festival on Environment was presented in New Delhi. The awards were presented by Ravi Agrawal, Additional Secretary, Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) at culmination of four-day festival where all shortlisted films were showcased.

18. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry has announced institution of first ever National Startup Awards. The award was launched by Piyush Goyal, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry and Railways. The applications for the awards are open till 31 December 2019.

Defence

1. On December 31, 2019, General Bipin Rawat was appointed as the Chief of Defence Staff. He recently retired as Chief of Army Staff and was succeeded by General Manoj Mukund.

2. The MiG-27, which is known to NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) as the 'Flogger' and to Indian Air Force (IAF) as 'Bahadur', flew its last sortie in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. After this flight, IAF bid adieu to its squadron of seven aircraft as all were decommissioned. The last MiG-27 unit to operate the jet, Number 29 Squadron, bid farewell to jet in Jodhpur Air Base where the aircraft participated in a flypast.

3. On December 26, 2019, India and Japan held the 5^th round of maritime affairs Dialogue in Tokyo. The countries agreed to deepen their maritime cooperation during the dialogue. Alongside, the countries also held their 8^th round of bilateral consultations on disarmament and non-proliferation. The countries agreed to deepen their mutual interests in maritime affairs.

4. The Cabinet Committee On Security (CCS) chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the creation of a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) post that will function as a single point of contact for different branches of armed forces. CCS also approved the report of a high-level committee headed by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, which finalised responsibilities and framework for operation of CDS.

5. Indian Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat felicitated Major Anoop Mishra with prestigious Army Design Bureau (ADB) Excellence Award for indigenously developing 'Sarvatra Kavach', a bulletproof jacket that can provide protection against various ammunition including that from sniper steel bullets. Maj. Anoop is presently posted as Instructor at College of Military Engineering, Pune and was among the four awardees felicitated by Gen. Rawat.

6. The Indian Air Force Chief RKS Bhaduria will embark a four-day visit to Egypt starting on December 24, 2019. The aim of the visit is to strengthen long-standing relations between India and Egypt.

7. On December 23, 2019, the Defence Research Development Organization (DRDO) test fired the Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile (QRSAM) successfully. The test was conducted at the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, Odisha.

8. On December 21, 2019, Indian and Chinese representatives met in New Delhi for the 22^nd time to discuss the border issued between the countries. This is the first meeting of the representatives since the second informal summit between PM Modi and President Xi Jingping that was held at Chennai in October 2019.

9. Ministry of Defence is to hold ARTECH seminar in New Delhi on 23^rd December, 2019. ARTEC is Army Technology Seminar that is being held since 2016.

10. The Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) test fired Pinaka missile system successfully for the second day on December 20, 2019 at Chandipur, Odisha. The first trial that was conducted on Dec 19, 2019, was also done at the Integrated Test range, Chandipur, Odisha.

11. On Decebmer 18, 2019, the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard at Cochin port conducted large scale anti-hijacking exercise. The exercise was called Apharan.

12. The Pinaka missile was successfully test fired from Odisha coast on December 19, 2019 from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur.

13. The Chief of Naval Forces Admiral Karabir Singh is to visit Sri Lanka between December 19 and December 22, 2019. The visit is aimed to strengthen bilateral maritime relations between the countries.

14. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) organised 18th National Maritime Search and Rescue Board (NMSARB) meeting in New Delhi. The annual meeting was held to discuss policy issues, formulate guidelines & procedures as well as assess the efficacy of National Search and Rescue Plan (NSRP).

15. On December 18, 2019 India and United States held security dialogue in Washington. This was their second 2+2 dialogue.

16. The DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organization) test fired the supersonic Cruise missile Brahmos successfully from Odisha's Chandipur on December 17, 2019. The medium range missile is capable of being launched from warships, submarines, land or fighter jets.

17. Lt General Manoj Mukund Naravane is set to become the next chief of the Indian army. The three-year tenure of the current Army Chief Bipin Rawat ends on December 31 as he retires. However, GoI is yet to announce the name of the first Chief of Defence Staff as announced by PM Modi in his Independence Day address. The CDS is considered as one of the biggest reforms of Indian military as he will be the head of all three services and will possess nuclear arsenal powers.

18. Air Marshal D Choudhury took charge as new Commandant of National Defence College. He took over the charge from Vice Admiral Srikant. Prior to this appointment Air Marshal Choudhury was senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters of Western Air Command in New Delhi.

19. In a first of its kind move, the border guarding paramilitary force of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has started a dedicated matrimonial site for its staff. This is the first -ever dedicated and well-managed matrimony portal among Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF). A link for the unique portal was launched on 9 December on the official website of ITBP. The website will be managed by ITBP and only the staff will be able to access it.

20. Warship builder Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE) has delivered a Landing Craft Utility (LCU) to Indian Navy. The LCU delivered is 7^th out of eight such vessels being built for Indian Navy by GRSE, will add to India's maritime security prowess.

21. The fourth edition of International Seminar cum Exhibition on Naval Weapon Systems 'NAVARMS-19' is scheduled to be held on 12-13 December 2019 at Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA), Development Enclave, New Delhi. The theme for 2019 edition is: "Make in India – Fight Category: Opportunities and Imperatives"

22. 'Iron Union 12', a joint military exercise between ground forces of United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United States, commenced on 10 December 2019 in presence of UAE Commander of Land Forces Major General Saleh Mohamed Saleh Al Amiri and Commander of US Army Central (USARCENT) Lieutenant General Terry Ferrell. It is aimed at enhancing combat efficiency and tactical expertise between two countries.

23. In order to secure the CPEC sea route, China and Pakistan have signed a deal to build drones with maximum payload of 480 kg, with top speed of 370 km per hour and can fly up to 20 hours. The drones are called Loong II. These drones are similar to the MQ-9 Reaper drones developed by the US.

24. India and France are to launch joint naval patrolling mission after the Varuna Naval Exercise that was held in May, 2019. The joint mission is to be executed in the Indian Ocean Region to protect the strategic interests of the countries and to check large scale illegal fishing.

25. The Indian Rafale Fighter Jets are to fly with tail sign BS. BS stands for retired Chief Birender Singh Dhanoa. The tail number initials are unique.

26. The 8^th India-China joint training exercise Hand-In-Hand 2019 is being conducted at Umroi, Meghalaya from 7 to 20 December 2019. The exercise is being conducted under the theme of counter terrorism under United Nations mandate.

27. Union Ministry of Defence has authorized every member of Coast Guard under Coast Guard Act 1978, to visit, board, search and seize any suspicious vessel and arrest people for offences within Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and continental shelf of country. The permission also includes seizing of any artificial island/ any floating or moored object/ any underwater object including any maritime property involved or suspected to be used in the commission of any offence. Therefore, empowering Indian Coast Guard will now enhance coastal security.

28. The Joint tri service exercise between India and Russia, INDRA 2019 is to be held between December 10-19, 2019 in Pune. The event is planned for 10 days between army, naval and air force forces of both the countries.

29. India has requested for an early delivery of Meteor air-to-air missiles from France. These missiles will provide India the power to take on US supplied AMRAAM missiles possessed by the Pakistan Air Force.

30. India has successfully conducted another night trial of its indigenously developed nuclear capable Prithvi-2 missile from a mobile launcher of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in Odisha coast. The successful test fires were part of a routine user trial for armed forces and met all parameters. Earlier, the flight test of surface-to-surface missile was carried out barely a 15 days after two back-to-back trials of Prithvi-2 were conducted successfully at night from same base on 20 November.

31. The Indian Navy got its first woman pilot (a front-line combat role) as 'Sub-Lieutenant Shivangi' completed her operational training in Kochi, Kerala. She received her 'golden wings' from Vice Admiral AK Chawla, and will fly the Naval Dornier surveillance aircraft.

32. The 2019 edition of Joint military exercise between India and Nepal called 'SURYA KIRAN – XIV', will be conducted at Salijhandi, Rupendehi district of Nepal from 3 to 16 December 2019. It is an annual event which is conducted alternatively in Nepal and India.

33. The first night trial of long-range nuclear capable Agni-III surface-to-surface Ballistic Missile was carried out at Integrated Test Range (ITR) at APJ Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha coast. However, the Agni-III missile's maiden night trial ended in 'failure'. It is not the first failure of Agni series missile as in the past, two other variants of missile, Agni-I and Agni-II, have failed during both development and user trials.

34. The seventh Indo-Sri Lanka joint military exercise was held on December 1, 2019 at Aundh military station. The main objective of the exercise is to build and promote positive relations between the countries.

Sports

1. Indian Grandmaster Koneru Humpy claimed the 2019 Women's World Rapid Chess Champion tiltle. The winner of Women's World Rapid Championship was decided in a playoff that ended with Humpy beating China's Lei Tingjie in a dramatic final in Moscow, Russia.

2. Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (24), the Former world champion weightlifter won the women's 49kg category gold medal to open India's account at 6th Qatar International Cup being held in Doha. Chanu lifted 83kg in snatch and 111kg in clean and jerk to finish on top of podium. However, her performance was way below her personal best of 201 kg which she lifted during this year's World Championships in Thailand.

3. The Australian pacer Pat Cummins, with a base price of Rs.2 crore, became the most expensive overseas player in Indian Premier League (IPL) as he was sold to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for a whopping Rs.15.50 crore($2.2 million).

4. The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the Australian all-rounder Ellyse Perry as the winner of Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Award for ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year. The 29-year-old has also been named as ICC Women's ODI Player of Year.

5. The coveted FICCI India Sports Awards 2019 were presented to the winners on 11 December 2019 at New Delhi. The awards are an attempt by FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry) to acknowledge and recognize contribution of sports persons and various stakeholders who deliver excellent results during the year.

6. South Asian Games 2019 concluded on 10 December in Nepal, with India finishing on top with a best-ever medal haul of 312 medals comprising of 174 gold, 93 silver and 45 bronze. Host Nepal remained second and Sri Lanka got third place in the regional multi-sporting. The year 2019 marks the 13^th edition of South Asian Games.

7. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has slapped Russia with a four-year ban from international sports events, over longstanding doping scandal. The ban includes next summer's Tokyo Olympics (which opens 24 July 2020) and 2022 Beijing Winter Games. However, Russia's anti-doping agency can appeal decision to Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) within 21 days.

8. India has won 110 gold, 69 silver and 35 bronze at the South Asian Games, 2019. On the whole India won 214 medals. The event was held in Nepal.

9. Winners of 2019 Ballon d'Or awards ("Golden Ball") which recognises the best footballer in world for 2019, were announced by France Football magazine in Paris on 2 December 2019. This year was the 64th annual ceremony of Ballon d'Or, presented by France Football. The nominees for awards were announced on 6 November 2019.

10. On December 1, 2019, the President of Nepal Bidya Devi Bhandari opened the South Asian Games in Kathmandu. The event is scheduled to be conducted for 10 days. Around 487 athletes are participating from India.

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References:
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