December 2019 - AWS

DECEMBER 2019

Current Affairs Monthly

2019 - 20

CURRENT AFFAIRS STRAIGHTZERO

Contents International Affairs 1

Ethiopia launched its first satellite .................... 1

IAU named new star 'Sharjah' .......................... 1

Abdelmadjid Tebboune: President of Algeria ... 1

Thailand’s famous 2000-year-old massage,

Nuad Thai was added to UNESCO’s prestigious

heritage list. ..... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Google Earth covers 98% of entire population . 2

Malaysia reported 1st polio case in 27 years ... 2

Worldwide arms sales rose by nearly 5% in 2018

.......................................................................... 2

The World Anti-Doping Agency banned Russia

.......................................................................... 3

UN Climate Change Conference being held .... 3

Global Migration Film Festival held in Dhaka ... 3

China, Russia, Iran began joint naval drills ...... 4

China launched largest carrier rocket ............... 4

Russia: Only country with hypersonic weapons

.......................................................................... 4

Sundar Pichai awarded $242 million pay

package ............................................................ 5

Eight West African nations renamed currency . 5

NATO leaders met to mark 70th anniversary ... 5

SA takes over G20 presidency from Japan ...... 5

National Affairs 6

India's first Transgender University in UP ........ 6

India's 1st lignite based 500 MW thermal unit .. 6

125 crore residents of India have Aadhaar ...... 6

Govt proposed BS VI emission norms ............. 6

NTPC to add 10GW solar capacity .................. 7

Rohtang tunnel in Himachal Pradesh renamed 7

Govt approved conduct of Census 2021 .......... 7

Cabinet Approvals ............................................ 8

CM Gehlot inaugurated first Janta clinic ........... 8

India top performer in Paris agreement ........... 8

India had successfully test-fired two missiles .. 8

A 2-day national conference held in MP .......... 9

Indian Science Congress to be held ................ 9

Earliest Sanskrit inscription found .................... 9

Rabung bridge in Siang district inaugurated .... 9

Vice President arrived in Kerala ..................... 10

2nd phase of farm loan waiver announced in MP

....................................................................... 10

International workshop organised by BEE ..... 10

ISRO to set up third rocket launchpad ........... 10

Rs 156-crore development plan for

Omkareshwar ................................................. 11

35th anniversary of Bhopal Gas Tragedy ...... 11

Awards &Honours 12

Deepak Punia named Jr Wrestler of the Year 12

Belgium crowned FIFA Team of the Year ...... 12

Ellyse Perry named 2019 Best cricketer ........ 12

Ben Stokes awarded ...................................... 12

Sahitya Akademi announced its annual Award

....................................................................... 13

Amitabha Bagchi won DSC ............................ 13

Krish Srikkanth, Anjum Chopra to be awarded

....................................................................... 13

Amitabh Bachchan honoured with an award . 13

Kamareddy won UNICEF-2019 Award .......... 14

Malayali boy Aditya bagged top bravery award

....................................................................... 14

Annual Akashvani awards presented ............ 14

66th National Film Awards presented ............ 15

Toni-Ann Singh crowned Miss World 2019 .... 15

Odisha won ‘World Habitat Award’ ................ 15

Greta named Time Person of the Year for 2019

....................................................................... 15

Peter Handke received the Nobel Prize ......... 16

Gurgaon-based startup won ‘Space Oscar’

award ............................................................. 16

Contact No. +91 84470 22 777 www.straightzero.in [email protected]

Rani, Saurabh won FICCI Award 2019 .......... 16

Ethiopia's PM received Nobel Peace Prize .... 16

National Florence Nightingale awards 2019 ... 17

Lionel Messi was conferred an award ............ 17

Tony Joseph won a Prize ............................... 17

Days & Events 18

National Mathematics Day: 22 December ...... 18

Minorities Rights Day: 18 December .............. 18

International Migrants Day: 18 December ...... 18

Nation celebrated Vijay Diwas: 16 December 19

National Energy Conservation Day: 14

December ....................................................... 19

Human Rights Day: 10 December .................. 19

International Anti-Corruption Day: 9 Dec ........ 19

Shaheed Udham Singh's 120th birth

anniversary ..................................................... 20

Good Governance Day: 25 December ........... 20

National Consumer Day: 24 December .......... 20

National Farmers Day: December 23 ............. 21

Civil Defence Day: 6 December ..................... 21

Armed Forces Flag Day: 7 December ............ 21

International Civil Aviation Day: 7 December . 22

Nagaland celebrated 2nd Honey Bee Day ..... 22

International Volunteer Day: 5 December ...... 22

World Soil Day: 5 December .......................... 22

Navy Day celebrated on 4 December ............ 23

Pollution Control Day: 2 December ................ 23

International Day for the Abolition of Slavery on

2 December .................................................... 23

International Day of Persons with Disabilities on

3 December .................................................... 23

PM wishes people of Nagaland on Statehood

Day ................................................................. 24

Books & Authors 25

Braille version of 'Exam Warriors' launched ... 25

Viswanathan Anand Launched his

Autobiography................................................. 25

Delhi govt launched a booklet ........................ 25

Tony Joseph won a Prize ............................... 25

Book titled Politics of Opportunism released . 26

Book to chronicle India’s Olympic journey ..... 26

Personalities in News 27

Person in News - Justice Gulzar Ahmed ....... 27

Person in News - Abid Ali .............................. 27

Person in News - Laura Alexandra Marsh ..... 27

Person in News - Australian pace bowler Peter

Siddle ............................................................. 27

Astronaut Christina Koch created a record .... 28

Vernon Philander announced retirement ....... 28

Person in News - Indian tennis ace Leander

Paes ............................................................... 28

Person in News - Hindi author Ganga Prasad

Vimal .............................................................. 28

Appointments and Resignations 29

Greta named Time Person of the Year for 2019

....................................................................... 29

FIA invited Anand Kumar for R'Day celebrations

....................................................................... 29

Nagaland governor got additional charge ...... 30

Abdelmadjid Tebboune: President of Algeria 30

Nirmala Sitharaman in Forbes List................. 30

GS Lakshmi first woman to oversee a men ODI

....................................................................... 31

Roger Federer’s face to go on Swiss coin ..... 31

ADB board elected Masatsugu Asakawa as its

new President ................................................ 31

Sundar Pichai promoted as Alphabet CEO ... 31

Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi resigned

....................................................................... 32

Sub Lt Shivangi: 1st woman pilot of Navy ..... 32

Government Policies & Schemes Welfare 33

National Broadband Mission launched .......... 33

India’s 1st corporate bond launched .............. 33

Ministry of HRD implementing a scheme ....... 33

http://www.straightzero.in/


Minority Affairs implementing various schemes

........................................................................ 33

Odisha included a department under Mo Sarkar

........................................................................ 34

1 cr houses sanctioned under PM Awas Yojana

........................................................................ 34

35 lakh passengers have flown under UDAN:

Govt ................................................................ 34

Centre to extend 2 years for AMRUT scheme

........................................................................ 34

Dept of Social Justice started a scheme ........ 35

65 lakh people treated under PMJAY ............. 35

Walmart to train 50,000 MSME entrepreneurs

........................................................................ 35

Loans worth Rs10 lakh cr sanctioned under

PMMY ............................................................. 36

799 Van Dhan Vikas Kendra opened in 24 states

........................................................................ 36

New flight started under UDAN scheme ......... 36

Science & Technology 37

Star to be named after Indian Woman Scientist

........................................................................ 37

ISRO launched RISAT-2BR1 ......................... 37

Bats may be well-adapted to forest fires ........ 37

Duchifat-3 satellite to be launched ................. 37

ISRO to set up space technology cells ........... 38

China introduces mandatory face scans for Mob

........................................................................ 38

Astronaut Christina Koch created a record .... 38

ISRO planning to launch satellite to study Sun

........................................................................ 38

Russia operationalised a new weapon ........... 39

Fish Species Discovered In Meghalaya ......... 39

Business & Economy 40

Finance Minister Sitharaman launched 'eBkray'

........................................................................ 40

Airtel Payments Bank enabled NEFT facility .. 40

RBI to buy and sell govt bonds ....................... 40

28% uniform tax rate for lottery ...................... 40

Centre released 35,298 cr as GST

compensation ................................................. 41

Adani Electricity to raise up to $1.5 bn .......... 41

SBI to deactivate magstripe debit cards ........ 41

Moody's cuts India's GDP growth forecast .... 41

Economic census launched in Delhi .............. 42

National Stock Exchange launched interest rate

....................................................................... 42

Nationwide Feedback Diwas: 7 December .... 42

Saudi Aramco announces biggest ever IPO .. 42

NSE, BSE suspend Karvy's trading license ... 43

GST collection in Nov crosses Rs 1 lakh crore

....................................................................... 43

FM: Pipeline of infra projects at ₹100 tn invt. . 43

Sports 44

Koneru became Women's World Rapid Chess

Champ ............................................................ 44

Kohli among 5 Wisden cricketers of the decade

....................................................................... 44

Manu Bhaker clinched gold at National C’ships

....................................................................... 44

Indian weightlifter Rakhi created 2 records .... 44

Nadal and Barty named 2019 ITF World

Champions ..................................................... 45

Harinder Pal Singh won in squash tournament

....................................................................... 45

Maisnam won International Badminton Series

....................................................................... 45

India beat West Indies by 4 wickets in 3rd ODI

....................................................................... 45

6500 athletes taking part in Khelo India games

....................................................................... 46

Torch relay of Khelo India Games launched .. 46

5 boxers booked place for Olympic Qualifiers 46

Udayan Mane set new PGTI record............... 46

ICC T20I rankings: Radha retains 2nd position

....................................................................... 47

Mirabai Chanu bagged Gold .......................... 47

FIFA rankings: India static at 108 .................. 47



Zeena Khitta emerged as the new national

champion ........................................................ 48

3rd Khelo India games to be held in Jan 2020

........................................................................ 48

Smriti Mandhana in T20 team of the year ...... 48

Virat Kohli retained top spot in ICC rankings .. 48

Rani, Saurabh won FICCI Award 2019 .......... 49

Wasim Jaffer: 1st to play 150 Ranji matches . 49

13th South Asian Games concluded .............. 49

Indian won 252 medals so far in S. Asian Games

........................................................................ 50

GS Lakshmi first woman to oversee a men ODI

........................................................................ 50

India won 34 Gold in South Asian Games ...... 50

Lionel Messi was conferred an award ............ 50

India bagged 10 Gold at South Asian Games 51

Lewis Hamilton won Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ... 51

Gurpreet Singh, Sunil Kumar clinch gold medals

........................................................................ 51

Senior Wrestling National C'ships in Jalandhar

........................................................................ 51

Sports Events for Women ............................... 52

13th South Asian Games in Kathmandu ........ 52

Defence 53

China, Russia, Iran began joint naval drills .... 53

IAF to decommission last MiG-27 squadron .. 53

‘Swachchh Samundra NW-2019’ conducted . 53

QRSAM successfully flight-tested .................. 53

Anti-hijacking exercise held off Cochin Port .. 54

Navy Chief on four-day visit to Sri Lanka ....... 54

Indian Navy plans to build 24 submarines ..... 54

Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane: New Army

Chief ............................................................... 55

Gen Bipin Rawat: India's first CDS ................ 55

Exercise Surya Kiran-XIV concluded in Nepal

....................................................................... 55

Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane: Next Army

Chief ............................................................... 55

Exercise Mitra Shakti VII culminated ............. 56

Exercise INDRA 2019 to be held ................... 56

Ex HAND-IN-HAND 2019 to start from 7

December ....................................................... 56

Navy Day celebrated on 4 December ............ 56

Prithvi-II missile successfully test fired........... 57

Sub Lt Shivangi: 1st woman pilot of Navy ..... 57

Exercise Mitra Shakti -VII:2019 ...................... 57

India conducted the 1st night trial of nuclear . 58

Japan Defence Minister visits Hindan air Base

....................................................................... 58



International Affairs

Ethiopia launched its first satellite • Ethiopia launched its first satellite on 20 Dec 2019, a landmark achievement

for the country's space program.

• The launch of the Ethiopian Remote Sensing Satellite (ETRSS) took place

at a space station in China.

• The launch makes Ethiopia the eleventh African country to put a satellite into

space.

• Egypt was the first in 1998.

• This was the eighth launch of an African satellite in 2019.

IAU named new star 'Sharjah' • The International Astronomical Union (IAU) announced the names of the

newly discovered stars and planets, where the name "Sharjah" was chosen

for a star with "Barjeel" being the name of one of its planets.

• The announcement was made on 18 Dec 2019 in Paris.

• The organizers lauded the efforts and contributions of the Emirate of Sharjah

to the global scientific community.

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

President of Algeria succeeding Abdelkader Bensalah.

• He served as the PM from May 2017 to August 2017, under the governance

of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

• Capital of Algeria: Algiers

• Prime Minister of Algeria: Noureddine Bedouia.

• The currency of Algeria: Dinar

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

UNESCO’s prestigious heritage list.



• Nuad Thai is an intense form of massage in which the body is pulled and

rotated well with the help of the thumb, elbow, knees and feet.

• Thai massage originated in India and was brought to Thailand about 2,500

years ago by doctors and monks who carried its secrets for generations.

Google Earth covers 98% of entire population • Google has revealed that it's powerful mapping service, Google Earth now

covers more than 98% of the world.

• It has captured 10 million miles of Street View imagery, a distance that could

circle the globe more than 400 times.

• Google Earth offers 6 million square miles of high definition satellite images,

covering more than 98 percent of the entire population.

• The world's first fully-electric commercial aircraft took its inaugural test flight

on 10 Dec 2019, in Vancouver, Canada.

• The technology would mean significant cost savings for airlines and would

lead to zero emissions.

• The e-plane, a six-passenger DHC-2 de Havilland Beaver seaplane

retrofitted with an electric motor, was piloted by Greg McDougall, founder

and Chief Executive of Harbor Air.

Malaysia reported 1st polio case in 27 years • A three-month-old Malaysian infant has been diagnosed with polio, the first

case reported in the Asia Pacific country in 27 years.

• The baby boy from Tuaran in Malaysia's Sabah state on Borneo island tested

positive for polio after being admitted to a hospital with fever and muscle

weakness.

• Malaysia was declared polio-free in 2000, after reporting its last known case

of the disease in 1992.

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



• According to a new report by the Stockholm International Peace Research

Institute (SIPRI), the market was dominated by the United States.

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

dollars.

• Russia was second in the rankings, with 8.6% of the market, just ahead of

the UK on 8.4% and France on 5.5%. WADA banned Russia for four years

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

events.

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

doping laboratory.

• Russia's anti-doping agency can appeal the decision to the Court of

Arbitration for Sport within 21 days.

• The Russian flag and national anthem have also been banned in global

events. Driverless vehicles being tested on 5G tech

UN Climate Change Conference being held • UN Climate Change Conference is being held from 2 to 13 Dec 2019 in

Madrid, Spain.

• The summit brought together over 25,000 delegates from around 200

countries and seeks to reach agreements to tackle the effects of global

warming and keep it within manageable limits.

• The conference will include various important events, such as the 25th

Session of the Conference of the Parties.

Global Migration Film Festival held in Dhaka • The Global Migration Film Festival was organised in Dhaka, Bangladesh on

2 Dec 2019.

• The day-long festival screened 15 films on the theme of migration and its

various aspects.



• The GMFF started in 2016 and this year it is being organised across many

cities in the world between 28 November to 18 December 2019.

• The festival was organised by the International Organisation of Migrants

(IOM).

China, Russia, Iran began joint naval drills • China, Russia and Iran began a four-day joint military exercise in the Indian

Ocean and Gulf of Oman.

• The exercise is being held from 27-30 December 2019.

• Among the objectives of this exercise are improving the security of

international maritime trade, countering maritime piracy and terrorism,

exchanging information regarding rescue operations and operational and

tactical experience.

China launched largest carrier rocket • China successfully launched the largest carrier rocket of the country, Long

March-5, Hainan Province on 27 Dec 2019.

• The rocket, also known as CZ-5, blasted off with more than 1,000 tonnes of

thrust.

• It is the country's third attempt to launch the rocket.

• During the first attempt in 2016, the rocket failed to reach the speed required

for the early phase of the flight.

Russia: Only country with hypersonic weapons • Russia is the only country in the world that has hypersonic weapons.

• The first unit equipped with the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle is set to

go on duty in Dec 2019, while that the air-launched Kinzhal hypersonic

missiles already have entered service

• The missile flies 10 times faster than the speed of sound, has a range of

more than 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles).



Sundar Pichai awarded $242 million pay package • Sundar Pichai, Alphabet Inc. CEO will receive $240 million in stock awards

over the next three years if he hits all of his performance targets, as well as

a $2 million annual salary beginning in 2020.

• If Alphabet shares outperform the S&P 100 Index, Pichai could receive an

additional $90 million in stock grants.

• It’s the first time the company has bestowed performance-based stock

awards.

Eight West African nations renamed currency • Eight West African countries agreed to change the name of their common

currency to Eco and severed their earlier currency CFA Franc's links to

former colonial ruler France.

• The CFA Franc was initially pegged to the French franc and has been linked

to the euro for about two decades.

• Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Senegal and

Togo currently use the currency.

NATO leaders met to mark 70th anniversary • The leaders of North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO, met on 3 Dec 2019

to mark the 70th birthday of the organization in London.

• NATO was founded in 1949 for the collective defence of its members, linking

the security of the United States with its European allies against the Soviet

Union.

• The twenty-nine-member alliance is the world's biggest military alliance.

SA takes over G20 presidency from Japan • Saudi Arabia became the first Arab nation to take over the G20 presidency

as it seeks to bounce back onto the world stage following global uproar over

its human rights record.

• G20, which SA takes over from Japan, will see it host world leaders for a

global summit in its capital next Nov 21-22.



• The G20 is an international forum for the govt and central bank governors

from 19 countries and the EU.

National Affairs

India's first Transgender University in UP • India’s first university for the transgender community will be opened in

Fazilnagar block of Kushinagar district in Uttar Pradesh.

• It is the first of its kind University in the country, where transgender

community members will be able to get the education.

• The university is being built by Akhil Bhartiya Kinnar Siksha Seva Trust (All-

India transgender education service trust).

India's 1st lignite based 500 MW thermal unit • Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has commissioned the first lignite-

based 500 MW thermal unit of the 2x 500 MW Neyveli New Thermal Power

Project in Tamil Nadu.

• This is not only the country’s first lignite-fired 500 MW power plant but also

its highest-rated pulverized lignite-fired thermal unit commissioned so far.

• Located in Cuddalore district, the project is owned by NLC India Ltd.

125 crore residents of India have Aadhaar • The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) announced a new

milestone achieved by the Aadhaar project – crossing the 125-crore mark.

• This means that over 1.25 billion residents of India have the 12-digit unique

identity.

• At present UIDAI receives about 3 crore authentication requests every day.

• UIDAI recorded close to 331 crores successful Aadhaar updates till date.

Govt proposed BS VI emission norms • The government has proposed to make BS VI emission norms mandatory

for quadricycles from April 1, 2020.



• The Road Transport and Highways Ministry in a draft notification has

proposed amendment of Rule 115 to mandate the next level emission norms

for quadricycles.

• Currently, quadricycles are covered under Bharat Stage IV emission norms.

NTPC to add 10GW solar capacity • NTPC is planning to add 10GW of solar energy generation capacity by 2022,

which entails an investment of around Rs 50,000 crore.

• At present, NTPC has installed renewable energy capacity of 920 MW, which

includes mainly solar energy.

• It has formulated a long-term plan to become a 130 GW company by 2032

with 30 per cent non-fossil fuel or renewable energy capacity.

Rohtang tunnel in Himachal Pradesh renamed • PM Narendra Modi named Rohtang passageway in Himachal Pradesh as

Atal Tunnel to mark the 95th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal

Bihari Vajpayee.

• The tunnel has been named as a tribute to the former Prime Minister who

took the historic decision of constructing this strategic tunnel.

• It will provide all weather connectivity to remote areas of Lahaul and Spiti

Valley.

Govt approved conduct of Census 2021 • Union Cabinet approved the conduct of Census of India 2021 and updation

of National Population Register.

• Cabinet approved expenditure of over 8 thousand 754 crore rupees for the

exercise of Census of India 2021.

• The House listing and Housing Census will be carried out from April to

September, 2020 and Population Enumeration from 9th February to 28th

February, 2021.



Cabinet Approvals • The Cabinet approved the creation of post of Chief of the Defence Staff, CDS

which was announced by PM Narendra Modi during his Independence Day

address.

• It also approved Atal Bhujal Yojana, a Central Sector Scheme with total

outlay of six thousand crore rupees.

• Cabinet also approved Promulgation of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code

(Amendment) Ordinance, 2019.

CM Gehlot inaugurated first Janta clinic • CM Gehlot inaugurated the first Janta clinic at Valmiki Basti to provide free

primary health care to people living in slums.

• In its first phase, 12 Janta Clinics will be opened in Jaipur where people

would get free medicines, and free medical examination in some cases.

• Later, in the second and third phases of this scheme, Janta Clinics will be

opened in other areas.

India top performer in Paris agreement • India is a top performer in Paris agreement and will achieve the carbon

emission target soon.

• The emission intensity reduction target for India was 35 per cent and it has

already achieved 21 per cent of it.

• India's efforts to mitigate climate change was appreciated at the recently held

25th session of the Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention

on Climate change.

India had successfully test-fired two missiles • India had successfully test-fired two missiles from Chandipur in Odisha on

19 Dec 2019.

• The missiles were the upgraded version of Pinaka guided rocket system and

the all-weather tracked-chassis Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile (QR-

SAM).



• Pinaka system has a maximum range of 75 km for Mark-II variant and can

fire a salvo of 12 rockets in less than 45 seconds.

A 2-day national conference held in MP • In Madhya Pradesh, a two-day National Conference on ‘Uniformed Women

in Prisons Administration’ begins a Central Academy for Police Training in

Bhopal began on 19 Dec 2019.

• For the first time, the conference is being held in Madhya Pradesh, outside

Delhi.

• At present, there are more than 900 uniformed women government servants

working in the state jail department.

Indian Science Congress to be held • The University of Agricultural Sciences in Bengaluru is gearing up to host the

107th Indian Science Congress from 3-7 Jan 2020.

• PM Narendra Modi will inaugurate the conference to be attended by over

15,000 delegates.

• The Pride of India exhibition will see over 130 participants exhibiting

technologies, machineries, equipments and science models.

Earliest Sanskrit inscription found • The Epigraphy Branch of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has

recently discovered earliest epigraphic evidence of the Saptamatrika cult.

• It is the earliest Sanskrit inscription discovered in South India as on date and

was discovered in Chebrolu village in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh (AP).

• This discovery predates the evolution of the language by almost 200 years.

Rabung bridge in Siang district inaugurated • The Rabung bridge in Arunachal Pradesh's Upper Siang district was

inaugurated by state Health and Family Welfare Minister Alo Libang.

• The bridge has been constructed by Border Road Task Force of Project

Brahmank under Border Roads Organisation (BRO).



• The bridge is strategically important for the Indian Army and ITBP-Indo-

Tibetan Border Police.

Vice President arrived in Kerala • Vice President Venkaiah Naidu arrived in Kerala on 30 Dec 2019 on a day-

long visit.

• He inaugurated the 87th Sivagiri pilgrimage meeting in Sivagiri

Theerthadana Mutt in Varkala.

• Later, he inaugurated the silver jubilee celebration of Sree Satyasai

Orphanage Trust, Saigramam in Thiruvananthapuram.

• He attended the valedictory function of National Children's Science

Congress in Nalanchira.

2nd phase of farm loan waiver announced in MP • Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath announced the second phase of farm loan

waiver which will benefit more than 12 lakh farmers by writing off debts of Rs

11,675 crore.

• The government claims that in the first phase, more than 20 lakh farmers

were benefitted with a loan waiver of Rs 7,154 crore.

• The first phase was over in March 2019.

International workshop organised by BEE • Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) conducted an International Workshop on

12-13 December 2019 on “Energy Efficient Cooling” in New Delhi.

• It was conducted as a part of Energy Conservation Week, being celebrated

from 9-14 Dec 2019.

• The objective of the workshop was to chart out steps towards accelerating

the development and deployment of efficient cooling appliances, equipment

and systems.

ISRO to set up third rocket launchpad • ISRO has begun preparatory works for setting up a 3rd rocket launchpad in

Kulashekhrapattinam in the Thuthukudi district of Tamil Nadu.



• At present, ISRO has two launch pads at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh

• The demand for additional launch pads arose as a result of the increase in

the number of satellites launches from India, both for domestic and

international customers.

Rs 156-crore development plan for Omkareshwar • MP government sanctioned a sum of 156 crore rupees for the development

of Omkareshwar, a famous pilgrimage centre which houses one of the 12

Jyotirlinga shrines of Lord Shiva.

• The government had earlier sanctioned 300 crore rupees for development of

Mahakaleshwar, also a Jyotirlinga shrine located in Ujjain.

• MP has the distinction of housing two of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines in the

country.

35th anniversary of Bhopal Gas Tragedy • In MP, several programmes were organized on 3 Dec 2019 in Bhopal to mark

the 35th anniversary of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, one of the worst industrial

disasters of the world.

• A large number of people were killed due to the leak of Methyl Isocyanate

gas from Union Carbide Plant in Bhopal on the intervening night of 2nd and

3rd December in 1984.

• Millions of people are still affected due to it.



Awards &Honours

Deepak Punia named Jr Wrestler of the Year • Deepak Punia has been named ‘Junior Wrestler of the Year’ by United World

Wrestling (UWW).

• Deepak had bagged the 86kg freestyle crown in Tallinn, Estonia, in August

2018 to become India’s first World junior champion in 18 years.

• He became the first Indian wrestler and second from the country to get the

international federation honour.

Belgium crowned FIFA Team of the Year • Belgium was crowned FIFA ‘Team of the Year’ for the second successive

time after a record-breaking year.

• World champions France remains in the second place ahead of Brazil in

third.

• Besides accumulating the biggest points haul, Qatar has also jumped a year-

high 38 places, followed closely by fellow climbers Algeria (up 32 ranks) and

Japan (up 22 places).

Ellyse Perry named 2019 Best cricketer • Ellyse Perry has been crowned the international women’s cricketer of the

year.

• Perry scored three hundred and an average of 73.50 from 12 ODIs.

• Perry claimed the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Award for the second time in three

years and was also named the ODI player of the year.

• Alyssa Healy claimed the Twenty 20 award, while Meg Lanning was named

the captain of both sides.

Ben Stokes awarded • England cricketer Ben Stokes has been voted BBC Sports Personality of the

Year 2019.

• He has become the first cricketer since Andrew Flintoff in 2005 to win the

prize.



• Ben Stokes was Man of the Match as England won the 2019 World Cup for

the first time with a dramatic super over victory against New Zealand at

Lord’s.

• He was presented with the award by Denis Law.

Sahitya Akademi announced its annual Award • Sahitya Akademi announced its annual Award- 2019 in 23 languages on 18

Dec 2019.

• In Hindi, Nand Kishore has been awarded for his Poetry ‘Chheelate Hue

Apne Ko’ and in English Dr Shashi Tharoor has been awarded for his Non-

Fiction ‘An Era of Darkness’.

• In Tamil, Cho Dharman has been awarded for his Novel ‘Sool’ and in

Gujarati, Ratilal Borisagar has awarded for his Essays ‘Mojama Revu Re’.

Amitabha Bagchi won DSC • Amitabha Bagchi’s new novel titled, Half the Night Is Gone was declared the

winner of the $25,000 DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2019.

• Pradeep Gyawali, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nepal presented the award

to Bagchi at the IME Nepal Literature Festival in Nepal.

• The novel topped among the chosen six works of fiction.

Krish Srikanth, Anjum Chopra to be awarded • Former India captain and member of the 1983 World Cup - winning team

Krishnamachari Srikanth will be the recipient of prestigious CK Nayudu

Lifetime Award 2019 given by the BCCI.

• Former India women’s captain Anjum Chopra is the co-recipient of the

lifetime achievement award for the year 2019.

• The BCCI Annual Award function will be held in Mumbai on January 12, 2020

Amitabh Bachchan honored with an award • Veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan received the Dadasaheb Phalke award for

his outstanding contribution to the film industry.



• President Ram Nath Kovind gave away the award in New Delhi on 29 Dec

2019.

• The award is conferred by the government for outstanding contribution to the

growth and development of Indian Cinema.

• It consists of a Swarn Kamal and a cash prize of ten lakh rupees.

Kamareddy won UNICEF-2019 Award • Kamareddy district of Telangana has secured the United Nations

International Children’s and Education Fund (UNICEF)-2019 Award.

• The district has won the award for effective implementation of Swachh

Bharat Mission in water sanitation and hygiene sectors.

• It topped in construction of individual sanitary lavatories, Swachh Darpan

wall paintings, Swachh survekshan, Swachh sundar shouchalay, etc.

Malayali boy Aditya bagged top bravery award • Aditya of Kozhikode, Kerala has become the first child from the State to bag

the Bharat Award for bravery.

• It is the most prestigious of the National Bravery Awards, given away by the

Indian Council for Child Welfare.

• He has been awarded for rescuing 20 people from a bus carrying members

of the Calicut University Pensioners’ Forum when it caught fire coming down

a steep mountain road.

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

• Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar will confer the

awards.

• The Akashvani awards were instituted in 1974 to promote professional

excellence and bring out the best from the staff working at various radio

stations and installations.



66th National Film Awards presented • 66th National Film Awards were presented at a function in New Delhi on 23

Dec 2019.

• Best Director award was given to Aditya Dhar for his debut film Uri: The

Surgical Strike.

• Akshay Kumar-starrer Padman has been named the best film on social

issues.

• Sanjay Leela Bhansali received best music director award.

• Arijit Singh was selected as the best male playback singer.

Toni-Ann Singh crowned Miss World 2019 • Toni-Ann Singh of Jamaica was announced as the winner of the Miss World

2019 beauty pageant held at the ExCeL London.

• She was crowned by her predecessor, Miss World 2018 Vanessa Ponce

from Mexico.

• Ophelia Mezino of France and Suman Rao of India were the first and second

runners up of the beauty pageant respectively.

• Miss World 2019 was the 69th edition of the contest.

Odisha won ‘World Habitat Award’ • Odisha won the 'World Habitat Award', global recognition for its ambitious

initiative -- Jaga Mission.

• This award is given by World Habitat, in partnership with UN-Habitat, every

year, in recognition of innovative, outstanding, and revolutionary ideas, and

projects from across the world.

• Jaga Mission is a slum land titling project, benefiting a million urban-poor

living in the slums.

Greta named Time Person of the Year for 2019 • Sweden’s Greta Thunberg has been named as Time magazine’s Person of

the Year for 2019.

• Greta Thunberg is the Swedish schoolgirl who inspired a global movement

to fight climate change and became popular with the “#FridaysForFuture “.



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

started in 1927.

Peter Handke received the Nobel Prize • Author Peter Handke received his Nobel Literature Prize on 10 Dec 2019

amid criticism of him in Sweden and abroad as an apologist for Serb war

crimes in the 1990s.

• He received the 9 million-kronor ($948,000) award from King Carl XVI Gustaf

at a ceremony in Stockholm.

• Representatives of seven countries including Albania and Turkey boycotted

the awards ceremony in protest.

Gurgaon-based startup won ‘Space Oscar’ award • The Gurgaon-based startup Blue Sky Analytics has created an application

called ‘Zuri’ that won the Copernicus Masters Award also called Space

Oscars.

• It won it under the Social Entrepreneurship category.

• The application uses satellite data to provide improved monitoring, supply

chain and pricing analysis as well as the allocation of crop waste to be used

as raw materials in other industries.

Rani, Saurabh won FICCI Award 2019 • Rani Rampal and pistol shooter Saurabh Chaudhary won the Sports Person

of the Year awards at the FICCI India Sports Awards 2019.

• Rani played a crucial role in India's qualification for the 2020 Tokyo

Olympics, scoring the winning goal against the US.

• Saurabh won gold at the 2018 Asian Games and has since won a number of

individual and team honours at shooting World Cups.

Ethiopia's PM received Nobel Peace Prize • Ethiopia's PM Abiy Ahmed received the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize for his

efforts to achieve international peace and cooperation.



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

• It consists of a diploma, a gold medal and a cheque for nine million Swedish

kronor (850,000 euros).

• Abiy Ahmed was awarded for his efforts to resolve the long-running conflict

with neighbouring foe Eritrea.

National Florence Nightingale awards 2019 • President of India conferred 36 awardees with the National Florence

Nightingale Awards 2019 in New Delhi on 5 Dec 2019.

• The award was given to Late Lini Sajeesh from Kozhikode, Kerala, who died

while on duty caring for a Nipah (NiV) virus-infected patient in Kerala.

• The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the year 2020 as the

Year of Nurse and Midwife.

Lionel Messi was conferred an award • Lionel Messi was named the best player and was awarded the 2019 Ballon

d'Or award in Paris.

• He created a world record by receiving the award for the sixth time.

• He broke the record set by Cristiano Ronaldo by winning the trophy five

times.

• Lionel Messi won the award earlier in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015.

• Virgil van Dijk was second.

Tony Joseph won a Prize • English author Tony Joseph won the 12th ‘Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize’.

• He was awarded for his 2018 book, “Early Indians: The Story of Our

Ancestors and Where We Came From“.

• The award was instituted in 2008 and it carries a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh

along with a trophy.

• The book tells the tale of the people of South Asia through research in six

disciplines.



Days & Events

National Mathematics Day: 22 December • National Mathematics Day is celebrated on 22nd December every year.

• The day marks the birth anniversary of legendary mathematician, Srinivasa

Ramanujan and his contributions in the development of modern

mathematics.

• The main objective behind the celebration of National Mathematics Day is to

make people aware of the development of mathematics and its importance

in the growth of humanity.

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

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

about it.

• It focuses on the religious harmony, respect, and better understanding of all

minorities' communities in India.

• The minorities in India include Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists,

Zoroastrians (Parsis) and Jains.

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

December.

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

of their families.

• In Dec 2000, the UN General Assembly proclaimed 18 Dec as International

Migrants Day after considering the large and increasing number of migrants

in the world.



Nation celebrated Vijay Diwas: 16 December • The nation celebrated Vijay Diwas on 16 December 2019 to commemorate

India’s victory over Pakistan in 1971 war.

• It was on this day in 1971, the chief of the Pakistani forces, along with 93,000

troops, had surrendered unconditionally to the allied forces consisting of

Indian Army and Mukti Bahini.

• The end of the war also resulted in subsequent secession of East Pakistan

into Bangladesh.

National Energy Conservation Day: 14 December • The National Energy Conservation Day is observed every year on 14

December by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE).

• The aim is to showcase India’s achievements in energy efficiency and

conservation, while working for its ambition of holistic development as part

of the nation’s overall effort towards climate change mitigation.

• BEE observed National Energy Conservation Week from 9-14 Dec 2019.

Human Rights Day: 10 December • Human Rights Day is celebrated on the 10th December every year to

commemorate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

• UDHR was adopted and proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United

Nations in 1948.

• The United Nations’ theme for the year 2019 is - Youth Standing up for

Human Rights.

• It is aimed at encouraging youth all over the world to stand up for human

rights.

International Anti-Corruption Day: 9 Dec • The United Nations’ (UN) International Anti-Corruption Day is observed

annually on 9 December.

• The day aims to raise public awareness of corruption and what people can

do to fight it.



The theme for 2019 is “United Against Corruption”.

• The day was first observed in the year 2003.

• The day also highlights the role of the UN Convention against Corruption in

combating and preventing it.

Shaheed Udham Singh's 120th birth anniversary • Nation paid homage to the great revolutionary, Shaheed Udham Singh on

his 120th birth anniversary on 26 Dec 2019.

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

• Udham Singh was present in the Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar on the fateful

Baisakhi Day of 13 April 1919.

• He avenged the massacre by killing General O'Dwyer in March 1940 and

was hanged by the British in London.

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

• On this day nation celebrates the birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna and

former-PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

• Good Governance Day was established in 2014 to honour Prime Minister

Vajpayee by fostering awareness among the Indian people of accountability

in government.

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

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

• The objective is to highlight the importance of the consumer movement and

the need to make every consumer more aware of their rights and

responsibilities.



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

redressal”.

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

National Farmers Day: December 23 • Every year India celebrates National Farmers Day on December 23 to mark

former PM of India Chaudhary Charan Singh’s birth anniversary.

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

• It is believed that ‘Zamindari Abolition Bill-1952’ was passed due to

Chaudhary Charan Singh’s hard work.

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

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

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

Civil Defence.

• Civil Defence being a voluntary organisation acts as a protector to the civilian

population during the crisis.

• The Civil Defence and Home Guards are the twin Voluntary organizations

for the cause of defence to the nation.

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

• This day is observed to honour the martyrs and the men in uniform who

valiantly fought on India’s borders.

• The day brings to the forefront the obligation of looking after disabled

comrades-in-arms, widows and dependents of those who have sacrificed

their lives for the country.



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

globally.

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

• The day was first celebrated on 7 December 1994 at the 50th anniversary of

the signing of the Convention on International Civil Aviation by the

International Civil Aviation Organization.

Nagaland celebrated 2nd Honey Bee Day • Nagaland celebrated 2nd Honey Bee Day under the theme 'Save Bees, Save

Life' at Kohima on 5 Dec 2019.

• The day has been declared in order to create community awareness on the

role of honeybees as a contributing factor in conservation of biodiversity as

an agent of food chain.

• So far Nagaland Beekeeping and Honey Mission has trained 15,450

beekeepers from the state.

International Volunteer Day: 5 December • The International Volunteer Day (IVD) is observed across the world on 5

December every year.

• The theme for 2019 is “Volunteer for an inclusive future”.

• The theme highlights Sustainable Development Goal 10 (SDG 10) and the

pursuit of equality including inclusion through volunteerism.

• In December 1985, The United Nations General Assembly first approved and

started the celebration of the day.

World Soil Day: 5 December • World Soil Day is celebrated annually on the 5th of December at the Food

and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) headquarters in

Rome, Italy.

• The theme for 2019 is “Stop soil erosion, Save our future”.



• The day aims to raise awareness of the importance of sustaining healthy

ecosystems and human wellbeing.

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

• The day is celebrated in honour of the maritime force's role during the war

with Pakistan in 1971 when Indian warships attacked Karachi port and

successfully thwarted Pakistani operations in the western coast.

• The Day is also celebrated to highlight the achievements and role the Navy

plays in securing the country's marine borders.

Pollution Control Day: 2 December • The National Pollution Control Day is observed on 2 December every year.

• The day is observed to honour the lives that were lost because of the Bhopal

Gas Tragedy.

• The day aims to spread awareness among the people about pollution and its

control measures.

• The day also creates awareness about the problem caused by increasing

pollution.

International Day for the Abolition of Slavery on 2 December • The UN observes International Day for the Abolition of Slavery on 2 Dec

every year.

• The day focuses on eradicating contemporary forms of slavery, such as

trafficking in persons, sexual exploitation, the worst forms of child labour,

forced marriage, etc.

• According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) more than 40

million people worldwide are victims of modern slavery.

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

December.



• This day promotes the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all

spheres of society and development and to increase awareness.

• The theme for 2019 is - Promoting the Participation of Persons with

Disabilities and their leadership: Taking Action on the 2030 Development

Agenda.

PM wishes people of Nagaland on Statehood Day • Nagaland people celebrates its 57th Statehood Day.

• On this day in 1963, the State of Nagaland came into existence as the 16th

State of the Union of India.

• In 1957, Naga leaders and the central government reached an agreement to

create a separate region of the Naga Hills. The State of Nagaland Act, 1962,

was enacted by the Parliament to give Nagaland statehood.



Books & Authors

Braille version of 'Exam Warriors' launched • Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawarchand Gehlot launched

Braille version of the book Exam Warriors written by PM Narendra Modi.

• The braille version in English and Hindi has been printed by Rajasthan

Netraheen Kalyan Sangh in Jaipur.

• The book contains animated pictures and various yoga asanas which will let

students imagine the pictorial graphics with ease.

Viswanathan Anand Launched his Autobiography • Viswanathan Anand has launched his autobiography ‘Mind Master’.

• Anand’s autobiography is co-authored by sports journalist Susan Ninann.

• It has been published by THG Publishing Private Limited.

• The book covers wonderful memories of Viswanathan Anand’s journey.

• The book offers an insight into Anand’s greatest clashes and worst losses.

Delhi govt launched a booklet • The Delhi government on 6 Dec 2019 launched a booklet on the life and

teachings of Dr B R Ambedkar for students of class 6-8 in government

schools.

• The book was launched on his 63rd death anniversary by CM Arvind

Kejriwal.

• The 3-part booklet will explore the life and education of Ambedkar, his social

reforms initiatives, contribution to women empowerment and writing the

Indian Constitution.

Tony Joseph won a Prize • English author Tony Joseph won the 12th ‘Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize’.

• He was awarded for his 2018 book, “Early Indians: The Story of Our

Ancestors and Where We Came From “.



• The award was instituted in 2008 and it carries a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh

along with a trophy.

• The book tells the tale of the people of South Asia through research in six

disciplines.

Book titled Politics of Opportunism released • Noted Economist S Gurumurthy released a book titled Politics of

Opportunism in New Delhi on 27 Dec 2019.

• The book has been written by R P N Singh.

• It throws light on the subject related to the rise of regional parties and Centre

-States relation.

• Political opportunism refers to the attempt to maintain political support, in a

way which disregards relevant ethical or political principles.

Book to chronicle India’s Olympic journey • A book titled “Dreams of a Billion: India and the Olympic Games” authored

by Boria Majumdar with Nalin Mehta will be released soon.

• The book will be published by HarperCollins India in January 2020.

• The book comprises of all the wins, the misses, the star sportspersons, their

stories, and the challenges and possibilities that lie ahead of India to make

its mark in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.



Personalities in News

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

Dec 2019.

• He took over from Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, who served as the

country's top judge from January 2019.

Person in News - Abid Ali • Abid Ali became the first Pakistan cricketer to score centuries in his first two

Test matches. He achieved the feat against Sri Lanka in the ongoing second

Test of the two-match Test series in Karachi.

Person in News - Laura Alexandra Marsh • Laura Alexandra Marsh, England cricketer announced her retirement. She

has represented England in 103 ODI’s, and 67 T20’s. She is also England’s

3rd highest wicket-taker in ODI cricket.

Shipping Corporation of India appointed H.K. Joshi

• Shipping Corporation of India appointed H.K. Joshi as Chairperson &

Managing Director (CMD).

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

• She will also hold the additional charge of the post of Director (Finance) of

the company for a period of 3 months with effect from 19 December 2019.

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

International Cricket.

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

2 Twenty 20 matches.



• He took 221 wickets in 67 Test matches.

Astronaut Christina Koch created a record • NASA Astronaut Christina Koch created a record for the longest single

spaceflight by a woman, surpassing the earlier record of 288 days in space.

• When she arrives back on Earth in February 2020, she will have spent more

than 300 days in space.

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

Vernon Philander announced retirement • Vernon Philander announced international retirement from all forms of

cricket after the conclusion of the upcoming Test series against England.

• He has played 97 matches across all three formats, taking a combined 261

wickets with 1784 runs in his international career.

• He also took 51 wickets in his first seven Test matches which earned him

the 2012 SA Cricketer of the Year award.

Person in News - Indian tennis ace Leander Paes • Indian tennis ace Leander Paes has announced that 2020 will be his last

year as a professional tennis player. Paes has won eight doubles and ten

mixed doubles Grand Slam titles.

Person in News - Hindi author Ganga Prasad Vimal • Renowned Hindi author Ganga Prasad Vimal was killed in a road accident in

Sri Lanka in Dec 2019. Born in 1939 in Uttarkashi, Vimal wrote more than a

dozen poetry collections, short story collections and novels.



Appointments and Resignations

Greta named Time Person of the Year for 2019 • Sweden’s Greta Thunberg has been named as Time magazine’s Person of

the Year for 2019.

• Greta Thunberg is the Swedish schoolgirl who inspired a global movement

to fight climate change and became popular with the “#FridaysForFuture “.

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

started in 1927.

FIA invited Anand Kumar for R'Day celebrations • The Federation of Indian Association (FIA) has invited Super 30 founder

Anand Kumar to a function on the eve of India’s Republic Day celebrations

in New York.

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

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

• Anand Kumar has been invited for his contribution in the field of education

through his programme ‘Super 30’.

NSE has appointed Girish Chandra Chaturvedi

• The National Stock Exchange of India Ltd (NSE) has appointed Girish

Chandra Chaturvedi as its new chairman. Girish Chandra Chaturvedi is the

former Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

• Congress leader and former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah announced his

resignation as the Legislature Party Leader in the State Assembly.

Former England captain Bob Willis passed away

• Former England captain Bob Willis passed away in December 2019. He

captained England in 18 Tests and 29 one-day internationals before his

retirement from all forms of cricket in 1984.



• South Africa's Zozibini Tunzi is the Miss Universe 2019. Miss Universe

Mexico is the second-runner up. Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray crowned

Zozibini Tunzi at an event held in Atlanta on 8 December 2019.

Nagaland governor got additional charge • Nagaland governor and Centre’s interlocutor for Naga talks, RN Ravi, has

been assigned the additional responsibility as the Governor of Meghalaya.

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

• He was responsible for the framework agreement signed between the

government of India and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isaak-

Muivah) in 2014.

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

President of Algeria succeeding Abdelkader Bensalah.

• He served as the PM from May 2017 to August 2017, under the governance

of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

• Capital of Algeria: Algiers

• Prime Minister of Algeria: Noureddine Bedouia.

• The currency of Algeria: Dinar

Nirmala Sitharaman in Forbes List • Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, HCL Corporation CEO and Executive

Director Roshni Nadar Malhotra and Biocon Founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw

have been named among the world's 100 most powerful women by Forbes.

• The Forbes 2019 list of ‘The World's 100 Most Powerful Women’ has been

topped by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, followed by President of the

European Central Bank Christine Lagarde.



GS Lakshmi first woman to oversee a men ODI • India’s GS Lakshmi created history as the first female match referee to

oversee a men’s ODI in the opening match of the third series of the ICC

Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 in the UAE.

• She oversaw the match on December 8, 2019 at the Sharjah Cricket

Stadium.

• She was earlier appointed as the first woman onto the ICC International

Panel of Match Referees in May 2019.

Roger Federer’s face to go on Swiss coin • Tennis legend Roger Federer will become the first living person in

Switzerland to have a coin minted in his honour.

• The Federal Mint, Swiss mint, has created a 20-franc silver coin bearing

Federer’s image.

• It’s the first time in its history that Swiss mint has created a commemorative

coin to honour a living person.

• In May 2020, Swiss mint plans to issue a Federer 50-franc gold coin.

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

Masatsugu Asakawa as its new President. He is currently a special advisor

to Japan’s Prime Minister and Minister of Finance.

• Bhaskar Menon, Veteran Journalist in the Press Trust of India (PTI) passed

away in Dec 2019. He has handled many crucial news like the assassination

of former PM Rajiv Gandhi in the year 1991.

Sundar Pichai promoted as Alphabet CEO • Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin announced that they are

stepping down from the leadership role of the parent company Alphabet.

• Google CEO Indian-American Sundar Pichai will be assuming the role of

Alphabet CEO, making him one of the most powerful corporate leaders of

the world.

• Sundar Pichai will be the CEO of both Google and Alphabet.



Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi resigned • Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi has submitted his resignation to

Parliament amid ongoing antigovernment protests across the country.

Sub Lt Shivangi: 1st woman pilot of Navy • Sub Lieutenant Shivangi has created history to become the first woman pilot

of the Navy.

• A native of Muzaffarpur, Bihar, Shivangi was inducted into the Indian Navy

under the Short Service Commission Pilot entry scheme.

• She was commissioned into the Navy in June 2018.

• A batch of three trainee officers of the 7th Dornier Conversion Course

including a lady officer qualified as Dornier pilots.



Government Policies & Schemes Welfare

National Broadband Mission launched • The Union government has launched National Broadband Mission to provide

Broadband access to all villages by 2022.

• The mission aims to connect 600,000 villages across India with an

investment of Rs 7 lakh crore in the next 4 years from both government and

private sector.

• The mission is a part of the National Digital

India’s 1st corporate bond launched • Edelweiss Asset Management Company (AMC), has launched India’s 1st

Corporate Bond ETF (exchange trade fund) called the Bharat Bond ETF.

• The ETF is a government initiative and Edelweiss AMC was given the

mandate to design and manage the product.

• The scheme will have two variants - one maturing in three-years (2023) and

the other in 10 years (2030).

Ministry of HRD implementing a scheme • Ministry of HRD is implementing the Scheme of Vocationalisation of School

Education under ‘Samagra Shiksha – an integrated scheme for school

education’.

• Under the scheme, a vocational subject is offered for Classes IX to XII along

with the general education.

• Till 2018-19, the scheme has been implemented in 8654 schools, with a

reported enrolment of more than 10 lakhs students.

Minority Affairs implementing various schemes • Under Skill India Mission, the Ministry of Minority Affairs is implementing

various schemes namely Seekho aur Kamao, USTTAD, and Nai Manzil.

• Seekho aur Kamao is a placement linked Skill Development scheme for

minorities.



• Upgrading the Skills and Training in Traditional Arts/ Crafts for Development

(USTTAD) is for the preservation of traditional crafts/arts.

Odisha included a department under Mo Sarkar • The Odisha government has brought Agriculture and Farmers

Empowerment Department under its flagship initiative 'Mo Sarkar'.

• 'Mo Sarkar', which means 'My Government' in Odia, is a transformative

initiative of 5-T programme, which was introduced by CM Naveen Patnaik.

• Odisha is the third-largest contributor to the country's Public Distribution

System (PDS).

1 cr houses sanctioned under PM Awas Yojana • More than one crore houses have been sanctioned under Pradhan Mantri

Awas Yojana (Urban).

• A total of 57 lakh houses are in various stages of construction of which,

nearly 30 Lakh houses have been completed.

• PMAY (U) is one of the largest affordable housing programmes in the world.

• The houses sanctioned so far under the Mission involve an investment of

about 5.70

35 lakh passengers have flown under UDAN: Govt • About 35 Lakh passengers have flown under the regional air connectivity

scheme - Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) till date.

• The scheme was launched in October 2016, to provide connectivity to un-

served and under-served regions through the revival of existing airstrips and

airports.

• The travelling time has reduced drastically and the public at large is benefited

for different purposes.

Centre to extend 2 years for AMRUT scheme • The Centre has decided to extend the mission period of the flagship initiative

Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) by 2

more years.



• The government was unable to meet the set targets for urban renewal in 500

cities.

• AMRUT was launched on 25 June 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

• The initiative aimed to provide 139 lakh water connections by March 2020.

Dept of Social Justice started a scheme • Dept of Social Justice and Empowerment has started the scheme of National

award for outstanding services in the field of Prevention of Alcoholism and

Drug abuse.

• The scheme is applicable to institutions and individuals working in the field

of prevention of alcoholism and drug abuse.

• The award will be presented on the Int. Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit

Trafficking on 26 June 2020.

65 lakh people treated under PMJAY • More than 65 lakh persons have been treated under the Ayushman Bharat-

Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana since the launch of the scheme.

• 9,549 crore rupees were spent on the treatment of the patients till 5th

November 2019.

• Delhi, Telangana, Odisha and West Bengal have not adopted this scheme.

• This scheme provides health cover of five lakh rupee per family per year.

Walmart to train 50,000 MSME entrepreneurs • Walmart will train 50,000 entrepreneurs from the micro, small & medium

enterprises (MSME) sector.

• 25 institute hubs will be opened in India in next five years which would train

the MSME entrepreneurs.

• The institutes will be opened under the ‘Walmart Vriddhi Supplier

Development Program’ across the nation.

• The first Walmart Vriddhi training hub is scheduled to be opened in March

2020.



Loans worth Rs 10 lakh cr sanctioned under PMMY • Loans worth over 10 lakh crore rupees have been sanctioned till 1st

November 2019 under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, PMMY.

• As per the findings of the PMMY survey, around 5 crore persons were

working in the establishments for which MUDRA loans were availed between

April 2015 to March 2018.

• These loans enabled beneficiaries to sustain the economic activities they

were engaged in.

799 Van Dhan Vikas Kendra opened in 24 states • A total of 799 Van Dhan Vikas Kendra in the 24 states have been opened

since the launch of Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana.

• These Kendra are benefiting 12 lakh tribals across India.

• Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited

(TRIFED) has collaborated with the renowned fashion designer Ritu Beri to

promote tribal crafts and culture across the country and the world.

New flight started under UDAN scheme • Alliance Air formally commenced its maiden flight operation, connecting

Guwahati, Dimapur and Imphal on 7 Dec 19.

• The initiative is being done under the regional connectivity scheme, Ude

Desh ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN).

• It will operate between Guwahati, Dimapur and Imphal, three times a week

on both routes.

• UDAN scheme was launched in Oct 2016 with the objective of making air

travel



Science & Technology

Star to be named after Indian Woman Scientist • The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has accepted to name a white-

yellow star in Sextans constellation and its Jupiter-like exoplanets.

• Until now, the stars were called HD 86081 and 86081b.

• The star will be named Bibha and the orbiting exoplanet will be named

Santamasa, a Sanskrit term for clouded.

• Bibha Chowdhuri is a 20th-century Indian woman physicist.

ISRO launched RISAT-2BR1 • ISRO launched its earth observation satellite, RISAT-2BR1 on PSLV-C48

from the First Launch Pad (FLP) of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota

on 11 Dec 2019.

• RISAT-2BR1, a Radar imaging earth observation satellite weighing about

628 kg, will be placed into an orbit of 576 km at an inclination of 37 degrees.

• PSLV-C48 is the 50th mission of PSLV.

Bats may be well-adapted to forest fires • According to a study, bats may be well adapted to wildfire.

• The study surveyed the effects of burn severity of 17 species of the flying

mammal in forests that experienced fires.

• To understand how wildfire was affecting bat habitat, the researchers used

an acoustic surveying technology with microphones that emitted very high-

frequency sound and tracked patterns in the way bats communicated.

Duchifat-3 satellite to be launched • The “Duchifat-3”, a satellite made by Israeli students will be launched on 11

Dec 2019 from ISRO's Sriharikota launch site.

• “Duchifat-3” is a satellite jointly built by Herzliya Science Center and Sha’ar

Hanegev High School students of Israel.

• It is the 3rd in the series of Israeli student-made satellites.



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

ISRO to set up space technology cells • ISRO announced the setting up of five space technology cells (STCs) at

India’s premier engineering and science colleges.

• This would be done to conduct space research, build new applications and

high-end technology.

• STCs have been installed at IIT- Bombay, Kanpur, Madras and Kharagpur,

Bengaluru’s IISc and at the Joint Research Programme with Savitribai Phule

Pune University (SPPU).

China introduces mandatory face scans for Mob • China will require telecom operators to collect face scans when registering

new phone users at offline outlets.

• Though the Chinese government has pushed for real-name registration for

phone users since at least 2013, meaning ID cards are linked to new phone

numbers

• Researchers have warned of the privacy risks associated with gathering

facial recognition data.

Astronaut Christina Koch created a record • NASA Astronaut Christina Koch created a record for the longest single

spaceflight by a woman, surpassing the earlier record of 288 days in space.

• When she arrives back on Earth in February 2020, she will have spent more

than 300 days in space.

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

ISRO planning to launch satellite to study Sun • ISRO is planning to launch a satellite called Aditya to study the sun.

• This was said by PM Narendra Modi in his 'Mann ki Baat' programme of AIR.

• He said that India has many powerful telescopes around the country

including a giant meter-wave telescope near Pune and other powerful



telescopes located in Kodaikkaanal, Udagamandala, Guru Shikhar and

Hanle Ladakh.

Russia operationalized a new weapon • A new intercontinental weapon that can fly 27 times the speed of sound

became operational in Russia on 27 Dec 2019.

• The Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle is a technological breakthrough

comparable to the 1957 Soviet launch of the first satellite.

• Avangard is designed using new composite materials to withstand

temperatures of up to

Fish Species Discovered in Meghalaya • A fish species, that has a scientific name Schistura syngkai was discovered

in Meghalaya's West Khasi Hills district.

• Prof. Mukhim said both sexes of the fish have golden-brown bodies with

blackish lateral stripes and slightly emarginate tail fins.

• The specimens of the fish have been sent to Zoological Survey of India in

Kolkata and Gauhati University Museum of Fishes in Guwahati.



Business & Economy

Finance Minister Sitharaman launched 'eBkray' • Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched eBkray on 28 Dec 2019.

• It is an e-auction platform to enable online auction of attached assets by

banks.

• The eBkray platform provides navigational links to all PSB e-auction sites,

property search feature and presents single-window access to information

on properties up for e-auction, comparison of similar properties, etc.

Airtel Payments Bank enabled NEFT facility • The customers of Airtel Payments Bank will now be able to use the National

Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) facility at any time of the day, in-line with

the RBI guidelines.

• The facility will be available to customers on 24x7 basis even on holidays,

enabling them to receive or send funds to any bank from anywhere, anytime.

RBI to buy and sell govt bonds • The RBI will simultaneously purchase and sell government securities worth

Rs 10,000 crore under a special Open Market Operation (OMO).

• It has decided to conduct simultaneous purchase and sale of government

securities on December 23, 2019.

• The purchase will be for government securities worth Rs 10,000 crore for the

instrument ‘6.45 per cent GS 2029’

28% uniform tax rate for lottery • The Goods and Services Tax or GST Council has fixed a uniform tax rate of

28% on both state-run and private lottery.

• It also decided to rationalize the GST rate on woven and non-woven bags to

18%.

• It also decided to exempt upfront amount payable for long term lease of

industrial and financial infrastructure plots by an entity having 20% or more

ownership of Central or State Government.



Centre released 35,298 cr as GST compensation • The Centre released the GST compensation of Rs 35,298 crore to States

and Union Territories on 16 December 2019.

• GST revenue collection witnessed an impressive recovery with a positive

growth of 6% in November 2019 as compared to the collections of the same

month in 2018.

• The gross GST revenue collected in November 2019 is one lakh three

thousand 492 crore rupees.

Adani Electricity to raise up to $1.5 bn • Adani Electricity Mumbai Ltd is set to raise up to $1.5 billion in what could be

one of the largest overseas borrowing exercises by an Indian company in

the New Year.

• The company, a subsidiary of Adani Transmission Ltd, is expected to raise

about $1 billion via bonds and $400-500 million through syndicated loans.

SBI to deactivate magstripe debit cards • SBI has announced that magstripe debit card will be deactivated by 31

December 2019.

• With effect from 1 January 2020, SBI customers will not be able to use their

old magnetic stripe debit cards even if the validity of the card has not expired.

• Chip-based cards, also called chip and PIN cards, use higher standards of

data encryption and storage technology compared to magnetic stripe cards.

Moody's cuts India's GDP growth forecast • Moody's Investors Service has lowered its 2019 GDP growth forecast for

India to 5.6% as slow employment growth weighs on consumption.

• It expects economic growth to pick up in 2020 and 2021 to 6.6% and 6.7%

respectively.

• India's economic growth has decelerated since mid-2018, with real GDP

growth slipping from nearly 8% to 5 in the second quarter (April-June) of

2019.



Economic census launched in Delhi • The Seventh Economic Census was launched in the National Capital

Territory of Delhi on 13 Dec 2019.

• For the first time the entire census is being conducted on a digital platform

by the use of an application which will ensure high accuracy and data

security.

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

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

National Stock Exchange launched interest rate • National Stock Exchange launched interest rate options on 10-year

Government bonds. These are based on the 10-year govt bonds, which are

7.26% 2029 bond and 6.45% 2029 bond.

• State Bank of India announced the reduction in its marginal cost of fund-

based lending rate (MCLR) by 10 basis points across all one-year products.

It will be effective from 10 December 2019.

Nationwide Feedback Diwas: 7 December • Nationwide GST Stakeholder Feedback Diwas for new GST returns was

observed on 7 Dec 2019.

• The aim of organizing this event was to get an on-the-spot response to the

new GST Returns to be introduced from the 1st of April 2020.

• The focus will be on assessing the ease of compliance and uploading of

these new returns.

Saudi Aramco announces biggest ever IPO • Saudi Arabia, state oil company Aramco has set a share price for its much-

anticipated initial public offering.

• Aramco has set a share price that will value the company's initial public

offering (IPO) at 25.6 billion Dollar, making it the largest ever seen.



• The IPO will consist of 3 billion shares, or 1.5% of the company, offered for

8.00 to 8.53 Dollar per share.

NSE, BSE suspend Karvy's trading license • The NSE suspended Karvy Stock Broking Ltd.’s trading licence for all

segments due to non-compliance with exchange and Securities and

Exchange Board of India (SEBI) norms.

• The BSE, MCX and MSEI have also suspended the licence of the brokerage

firm.

• The markets regulator estimates the misuse of client securities by the broker

at ₹2,800 crore, 40% more than the ₹2,000 crore it determined

GST collection in Nov crosses Rs 1 lakh crore • The Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection in November crossed Rs 1

lakh crore

• After dropping below the Rs 1 lakh crore level for three consecutive months

amid a deceleration of economic growth.

• November's GST collection stood at Rs 1,03,492 crore, of which CGST was

Rs 19,592 crore, SGST Rs 27,144 crore, IGST collections stood at Rs

49,028 crore, according to a Finance Ministry statement

FM: Pipeline of infra projects at ₹100 trillion investment. • FM Nirmala Sitharaman said that the govt will soon announce a set of

projects as part of the government’s plan to invest ₹100 trillion in

infrastructure over the next five years.

• The minister said officers have almost completed the task of identifying big

projects.

• ₹2.5 lakh crore worth of loans has been disbursed in loan outreach

programmes held during the weeks of Navratras and Diwali.



Sports

Koneru became Women's World Rapid Chess Champ • Indian grandmaster Koneru Humpy has become the 2019 Women's World

Rapid Champion.

• She defeated China's Lei Tingjie in a dramatic final in Moscow, Russia.

• Tingjie finished with a silver, while Turkey's Ekaterina Atalik won bronze.

• This is a significant triumph for Humpy who is India’s best-ever women’s

chess player.

Kohli among 5 Wisden cricketers of the decade • Indian skipper Virat Kohli is one of the five players named in the Wisden

Cricketers of the Decade.

• Kohli joins Australian batsman Steve Smith, and South Africans, Dale Steyn,

and AB de Villiers.

• He also finds a spot in the Wisden ODI team of the decade alongside MS

Dhoni, Rohit Sharma and others.

• Australian all-rounder Ellyse Perry is the only female cricketer in the list.

Manu Bhaker clinched gold at National C’ships • Manu Bhaker and Anish Bhanwala clinched gold medals at the 63rd National

Shooting Championships in Bhopal on 24 Dec 2019.

• Bhaker, representing Haryana, clinched four gold medals (individual and

team events in senior and junior) in the women's 10-meter air pistol.

• Devanshi Dhama won silver in the senior women's 10 m air pistol event while

Yashaswini Singh Deshwal won the bronze medal.

Indian weightlifter Rakhi created 2 records • Indian weightlifter Rakhi Halder created two new national records and

clinched a bronze medal in the women's 64kg weight category at the Qatar

International Cup in Doha.



• She superseded the senior national record in both snatch and total lift with

her personal best effort of 218kg, 95kg in the snatch with 123 kg in clean and

jerk on 23 Dec 2019.

Nadal and Barty named 2019 ITF World Champions • Ash Barty and Rafael Nadal were named International Tennis Federation’s

(ITF) World Champions for 2019.

• Barty became the first Australian to win the French Open since Margaret

Court in 1973 when she beat Czech Marketa Vondrousova in June 2019.

• Nadal claimed the ITF world title for the fourth time after sealing a historic

12th French Open and a fourth U.S. Open.

Harinder Pal Singh won in squash tournament • Indian squash player Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu clinched the men's title

while Hana Ramadan of Egypt won the women's crown in the third leg of the

HCL-SRFI India Tour Squash Tournament in Mumbai on 21 Dec 2019.

• Harinder defeated Tomotaka Endo of Japan 3-0 in a match that lasted for 30

minutes, while Hana beat England's Lucy Turmel 3-1 in the women's final.

Maisnam won International Badminton Series • India's shuttler Maisnam Meiraba Luwang has won the Men's singles

Bangladesh Junior International Badminton Series 2019 in Dhaka.

• Meiraba beat Ken Yong Ong 21, 14, 21-18 in the final lasting 38 minutes on

22 Dec 2019.

• Meiraba had also clinched the boys' singles U-19 title at the Woncheon

Yonex Korea Junior Open International Challenge in November 2019.

India beat West Indies by 4 wickets in 3rd ODI • In Cricket, India defeated West Indies by 4 wickets in the 3rd and final ODI

of the three-match series at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on 22 Dec 2019.

• With this win, India won the series 2-1.

• This is India's tenth consecutive series win over the West Indies.

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



• Rohit Sharma was declared Man of the Series.

6500 athletes taking part in Khelo India games • 6500 athletes from 37 teams will take part in the 3rd Khelo India youth games

in Guwahati beginning from 10th of January.

• Lawn ball and cycling will be included in the Khelo India for the first time.

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

• The Assam govt will give Rs 1 lakh for Gold, Rs 75,000 for silver and Rs

50,000 for bronze medalist Assam players.

Torch relay of Khelo India Games launched • Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has launched the torch relay of

the Third Khelo India Youth Games.

• The games will be held in Guwahati from 10-22 Jan 2020.

• The officials of the competition are preparing a total of eight venues for the

tournament and they are on track to make the Games one of the largest

sporting spectacles of the country.

5 boxers booked place for Olympic Qualifiers • Five Indian women boxers booked their place for the Olympic Qualifiers at

the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi.

• Mary Kom defeated Nikhat Zareen 9-1 in 51kg category while in 57kg Sakshi

Chaudhary outclassed her opponent.

• In the 60kg event, Simranjit Kaur won her bout.

• In the 69kg and 75kg category, Lovlina Borgohain and Pooja Rani won their

respective matches.

Udayan Mane set new PGTI record • In Golf, Udayan Mane claimed a one-shot win at the season-ending TATA

Steel Tour Championship in Jamshedpur on 29 Dec 2019.



• His 67-66-64-65 determined final round effort saw him establish a new PGTI

record for the lowest tournament total as he closed the week with a 26-under-

262 at the Golmuri Golf Course.

• It was his 8th professional title and his 2nd win on the PGTI this season.

ICC T20I rankings: Radha retains 2nd position • Left-arm Indian spinner Radha Yadav remained at the second spot in the

latest ICC Women's T20I players rankings.

• Deepti Sharma and Poonam Yadav slipped a place each to the fifth and sixth

positions.

• Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur remained static at the seventh and

ninth positions.

• India continued to hold on to the fourth position in the ICC Women's T20

Team Ranking.

Mirabai Chanu bagged Gold • Saikhom Mirabai Chanu won the women's 49kg category gold medal to open

India's account at the 6th Qatar International Cup in Doha on 20 Dec 2019.

• She bagged gold with an effort of 194kg in the Olympic qualifying event.

• She lifted 83kg in snatch and 111kg in clean and jerk to finish on top of the

podium.

• However, it was a performance way below her personal best of 201 kg.

FIFA rankings: India static at 108 • The Indian men’s football team remained static at 108th spot in the year-

ending FIFA rankings issued on 19 Dec 2019.

• With 1187 total points, India is placed at 19th spot among Asian countries

headed by Japan (28th).

• India was placed at 97th in the December FIFA rankings of 2018. • In the

Asian rankings, Japan is followed by Iran (33), Korea (40), Australia (42) and

Qatar (55).



Zeena Khitta emerged as the new national champion • Zeena Khitta emerged as the new national champion in the Women's 10

metres Air Rifle event at the ongoing 63rd National Shooting Championship

Competitions Rifle/Pistol in Bhopal on 19 Dec 2019.

• Pat Cummins, with a base price of Rs 2 crore, became the most expensive

overseas buy of IPL as he was sold to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for a

whopping 15.50 crore rupees.

3rd Khelo India games to be held in Jan 2020 • The 3rd edition of the Khelo India Games will be held in Guwahati as per

schedule from 10 Jan 2020.

• All preparations are being taken to make the event successful.

• Over 10 thousand players and officials are expected to take part in the event

that will be held at different venues in Guwahati.

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

Smriti Mandhana in T20 team of the year • Smriti Mandhana was named in both the ICC's ODI and T20 teams of the

year, capping off a memorable season.

• Mandhana has Jhulan Goswami, Poonam Yadav and Shikha Pandey for

company in the ODI team of the year and all-rounder Deepti Sharma in the

T20 side.

• Australia's Alyssa Healy was chosen as the T20 cricketer of the year

following her record-breaking 148 against Sri Lanka earlier this year.

Virat Kohli retained top spot in ICC rankings • Virat Kohli retained his top spot among batsmen with 928 points in the latest

ICC Test rankings issued on 16 Dec 2019.

• Cheteshwar Pujara with 791 and Ajinkya Rahane 759 held on to their 4th

and 6th spots respectively.

• Among the bowlers, Bumrah slipped to the 6th spot.



• Ravindra Jadeja remained at number two, behind Jason Holder, among Test

all-rounders.

Rani, Saurabh won FICCI Award 2019 • Rani Rampal and pistol shooter Saurabh Chaudhary won the Sports Person

of the Year awards at the FICCI India Sports Awards 2019.

• Rani played a crucial role in India's qualification for the 2020 Tokyo

Olympics, scoring the winning goal against the US.

• Saurabh won gold at the 2018 Asian Games and has since won a number of

individual and team honours at shooting World Cups.

• In the ninth and final round that stretched to the next day, Praggnanandhaa

drew with his compatriot Sahaj.

Wasim Jaffer: 1st to play 150 Ranji matches • Wasim Jaffer became the first player in Indian cricket to feature in 150 Ranji

matches.

• He is now just 853 runs away from completing 20,000 runs in first-class

cricket.

• He is followed by Madhya Pradesh batsman Devendra Bundela (145

matches) and Amol Muzumdar (136 matches), who have played for Mumbai

and Assam.

• He has played 253 first-class games, scoring 19,147 runs at an average of

51.19.

13th South Asian Games concluded • 13th South Asian Games came a close in Nepal on 10 Dec 2019.

• Indian athletes dominated the medals tally on 9 Dec 2019.

• India consolidated its top position with 294 medals comprising 159 gold, 91

silver and 44 bronze medals.

• Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal Ishwar Pokharel graced the occasion as

Chief Guest at the closing ceremony of the event.



Indian won 252 medals so far in S. Asian Games • Indian athletes are continuing their outstanding performance at 13th South

Asian Games in Nepal.

• Consolidating its top position India has clinched 252 medals comprising 132

gold, 79 silver and 41 bronze so far.

• Sushila Devi brought first gold in women's 48 kg.

• Later Vijay Kumar Yadav won gold in men's 60kg and Jasleen Singh Saini

clinched gold in 66 kg.

GS Lakshmi first woman to oversee a men ODI • India’s GS Lakshmi created history as the first female match referee to

oversee a men’s ODI in the opening match of the third series of the ICC

Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 in the UAE.

• She oversaw the match on December 8, 2019 at the Sharjah Cricket

Stadium.

• She was earlier appointed as the first woman onto the ICC International

Panel of Match Referees in May 2019.

India won 34 Gold in South Asian Games • At the 13th South Asian Games in Nepal, India topped the medals tally on

the fourth day with 70 medals comprising 34 gold, 23 silver and 13 bronze.

• On the fourth day of games, India clinched 28 medals including 17 gold.

• Athletics grabbed maximum 10 medals including 5 Gold.

• In Tennis, Table Tennis, Kho-Kho, Indian men's and women’s teams won

gold each.

Lionel Messi was conferred an award • Lionel Messi was named the best player and was awarded the 2019 Ballon

d'Or award in Paris.

• He created a world record by receiving the award for the sixth time.

• He broke the record set by Cristiano Ronaldo by winning the trophy five

times.

• Lionel Messi won the award earlier in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015.



• Virgil van Dijk was second.

India bagged 10 Gold at South Asian Games • India dominated the 13th South Asian Games in Nepal by clinching 10 Gold

in Athletics, Volleyball, Shooting and Table Tennis.

• In track and field events Archana Suseendran in women's 100m, M. Jashna

in high jump, Sarvesh Anil Kushare in men's high jump and Ajay Kumar Saroj

in 1500m won a gold each.

• Overall, in Athletics India won four gold, four silver and two bronze on the

opening day.

Lewis Hamilton won Abu Dhabi Grand Prix • Mercedes racer Lewis Hamilton has won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix held in

Abu Dhabi, UAE.

• He has claimed his 84th career victory.

• Hamilton's victory was his 11th of the 21 races that have been held this

season.

• Max Verstappen of Red Bull finished 2nd in the race while Ferrari’s Charles

Leclerc finished 3rd in the race.

Gurpreet Singh, Sunil Kumar clinch gold medals • In wrestling, Asian Championships silver medalists Gurpreet Singh and Sunil

Kumar clinched gold medals on the final day of the senior national

championships in Jalandhar on 1 Dec 2019.

• Gurpreet defeated Sajan Bhanwal, who was representing the Railways, by

a 3-1 margin, in the 77-kilogram category.

• Sunil also managed an easy win over Punjab's Prabhal.

Senior Wrestling National C'ships in Jalandhar • Star wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik registered convincing wins in

the finals to claim gold medals at the Senior Wrestling National

Championships in Jalandhar.

• Phogat beat 20-year-old Haryana’s Anju 7-3 in the 55kg category



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

kg category.

Sports Events for Women • All sports promotional schemes and facilities of Ministry of Youth Affairs and

Sports are equally available and accessible to women athletes.

• Under the “Sports for Women” vertical of Khelo India Scheme, this Ministry

has decided to launch “Khelo India Football Girls League” in Under-17 age

group.

• Khelo India is National programme for development of sports.

13th South Asian Games in Kathmandu • President of Nepal Bidya Devi Bhandari declared games open in a glittering

ceremony at Dasaratha Rangshala in Kathmandu.

• Over 2700 athletes from seven South Asian Countries participated in the

march

• past.

• 2715 athletes will compete for 1119 medals including 319 Gold in 26 game

categories.

• India is represented by 487 athletes. The closing ceremony will be held on

10th December.



Defence

China, Russia, Iran began joint naval drills • China, Russia and Iran began a four-day joint military exercise in the Indian

Ocean and Gulf of Oman.

• The exercise is being held from 27-30 December 2019.

• Among the objectives of this exercise are improving the security of

international maritime trade, countering maritime piracy and terrorism,

exchanging information regarding rescue operations and operational and

tactical experience.

IAF to decommission last MiG-27 squadron • The Indian Air Force (IAF) has decided to finally decommission its MiG-27s.

• The squadron of the seven MiG-27 fighters will have its last sortie from

Jodhpur Air Base on December 27, 2019 and all the planes will thereafter be

decommissioned.

• It will be history as no other country operates MiG-27 now.

• The MiG-27 ground strike aircraft was procured in the 1980s from the then

Soviet Union.

‘Swachh Samundra NW-2019’ conducted • The Indian Coast Guard conducted a two-day regional level pollution

response exercise named ‘Swachh Samundra NW-2019’ at sea off Vadinar

in Gulf of Kutch from 17-18 Dec 2019.

• The exercise was conducted to validate and reinforce the response

mechanism for oil pollution incidents and enable ICG to fine-tune the actions

required in such eventualities.

• The exercise was conducted in two phases.

QRSAM successfully flight-tested • Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile, QRSAM system developed by DRDO

was successfully flight-tested from Odisha coast on 23 Dec 2019.



• The QRSAM weapon system comprises of fully automated Command and

Control System and Active Array Battery Surveillance Radar.

• The entire event was monitored by Ground Telemetry Systems, Range

Radar Systems, Electro-Optical Tracking

Anti-hijacking exercise held off Cochin Port • The Indian Navy, in collaboration with Indian Coast Guard, Cochin Port Trust,

conducted a large-scale antihijacking exercise off the Port of Kochi on 17

Dec 2019.

• The Exercise code-named “Apharan” saw the participation of multiple

agencies, including more than 12 ships and helicopters of the Indian Navy,

Indian Coast Guard and Cochin Port Trust.

Navy Chief on four-day visit to Sri Lanka • Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh embarked on a four-day visit to Sri Lanka

on 19 Dec 2019.

• The visit is intended to consolidate and enhance bilateral maritime relations

between the two countries.

• During the visit, Admiral Singh will hold bilateral discussions with

Commander of Sri Lanka Navy Vice Admiral KKVPH De Silva, the Services

Chiefs and other senior Government officials.

Indian Navy plans to build 24 submarines • The Indian Navy is planning to build 24 submarines, including six nuclear

attack submarines.

• There are presently 15 conventional submarines and two nuclear

submarines in its fleet.

• The Indian Navy has two nuclear submarines INS Arihant and INS Chakra,

with the latter being leased from Russia.

• Majority of the conventional submarines are over 25 years old.



Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane: New Army Chief • Vice Chief of the Army Staff, Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane took over as

the new Army Chief on 31 Dec 2019.

• He will succeed Gen Bipin Rawat, who retired after a three-year stint as Army

chief.

• Before taking charge as Vice-Chief of the Army Staff, Lt Gen Naravane was

heading the Eastern Command of the Army which takes care of India's nearly

4,000-km border with China.

Gen Bipin Rawat: India's first CDS • General Bipin Rawat has been named the country's first Chief of Defence

Staff (CDS).

• He is the first officer to hold the post of the Chief of Defence Staff, which was

set up recently.

• CDS will function as a single-point advisor to the government on matters

related to the military and will focus on the better synergy between the Indian

Army, Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy.

Exercise Surya Kiran-XIV concluded in Nepal • Joint military exercise ‘SURYA KIRAN – XIV' between India and Nepal was

conducted at Salijhandi of Rupendehi district of Nepal from December 3-16,

2019.

• During the training programme, Nepalese and Indian Army personnel

exchanged theoretical, practical and special experiences with each other.

• Exercise SURYA KIRAN - XIV is an annual event which is conducted

alternatively in Nepal and India.

Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane: Next Army Chief • Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane will be the next Chief of Army Staff.

• He is currently serving as Vice Chief of the Army.

• He will succeed Gen Bipin Rawat, who will retire on the 31 December 2019.

• He has been awarded the Sena Medal (Distinguished) for effectively

commanding his battalion in Jammu and Kashmir.



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

Academy.

Exercise Mitra Shakti VII culminated • The seventh edition of the joint training exercise between the Indian Army

and the Sri Lankan Army, Exercise Mitra Shakti concluded on 14 Dec 2019

at Aundh Military Station, Pune.

• A Contingent comprising of 120 personnel each from Sri Lankan and Indian

Army participated in the exercise.

• The two-week-long exercise had commenced on 1 Dec 2019.

Exercise INDRA 2019 to be held • Exercise INDRA 2019 a joint tri-services exercise between India and Russia

will be conducted in India from 10-19 December 2019 simultaneously at

Babina, Pune, and Goa.

• The INDRA series of exercise began in 2003 and the First joint Tri Services

Exercise was conducted in 2017.

• The exercise will consist of a five-day training phase consisting of a

comprehensive training curriculum.

Ex HAND-IN-HAND 2019 to start from 7 December • India and China will conduct a joint training exercise ‘Hand-in-Hand 2019’

(HiH).

• This will be the 8th edition of the joint exercise.

• The joint drill will take place in Umroi, Meghalaya from December 7-20 2019

and around 100-200 troops from both countries will be participating.

• The whole drill will focus on joint planning and conducting counter terrorist

operations in semi-urban terrain.

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



• The day is celebrated in honour of the maritime force's role during the war

with Pakistan in 1971 when Indian warships attacked Karachi port and

successfully thwarted Pakistani operations in the western coast.

• The Day is also celebrated to highlight the achievements and role the Navy

plays in securing the country's marine borders.

Prithvi-II missile successfully test fired • India successfully test-fired its indigenously developed surface-to-surface

nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missile off Odisha coast on 3 Dec 2019.

• The Strategic Forces Command of the Indian Army conducted the user trial

of the 350 km range missile.

• The missile weighs about 4,600 kg, is capable of carrying 500 to one

thousand kilograms of warheads and is thrust by liquid propulsion twin

engines.

Sub Lt Shivangi: 1st woman pilot of Navy • Sub Lieutenant Shivangi has created history to become the first woman pilot

of the Navy.

• A native of Muzaffarpur, Bihar, Shivangi was inducted into the Indian Navy

under the Short Service Commission Pilot entry scheme.

• She was commissioned into the Navy in June 2018.

• A batch of three trainee officers of the 7th Dornier Conversion Course

including a lady officer qualified as Dornier pilots.

Exercise Mitra Shakti -VII: 2019 • The 7th edition of Ex MITRA SHAKTI- 2019 aimed at enhancing

interoperability and operational efficiency amongst the armies of both India

and SL

• It is deployed as part of UN peacekeeping forces commenced on 01 Dec at

Aundh Military Station, Pune.

• The objective of the Ex is to build and promote positive relations and sub-

unit-level training on counterinsurgency and counter-terrorism operations



India conducted the 1st night trial of nuclear • India conducted the first night trial of nuclear-capable long-range ballistic

missile Agni-III from the Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha coast.

• Agni-III is the mainstay of India's nuclear arsenal.

• The missile has a strike range of 3,000 km to 5,000 km and is capable of

carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads weighing up to 1.5 tonnes.

Japan Defence Minister visits Hindan air Base • Japanese Defence Minister Taro Kono visited Indian Air Force (IAF) Base at

Hindan UP

• Kono, who is on a two-day bilateral visit to India was received by Air Marshal

D Choudhury, Senior Air Staff Officer of Western Air Command and Air

Commodore R Talwar, Air Officer Commanding of Hindan Air Force Station.

• During his visit to IAF station, the Minister was given an overview of IAF

station.


December 2019 - AWS

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