Important Weekly Current Affairs PDF Download (14th to 21stDecember 2019)

Dear Readers, Here we have given the list of  Important Weekly Current Affairs of 3^rd week  December 2019. Candidates those who are preparing for Upcoming SBI Clerk 2020 and other competitive exams can make use of it.

INTERNATIONAL DAYS

National Energy Conservation Day

• Energy conservation day is celebrated on December 14 since 1991 every year
• National Energy Conservation Week from 9th to 14th December 2019

International tea day

• It is being observed every year on December 15
• The aim of International Tea Day is to raise awareness of tea trade

Vijay Diwas: 16 December

• The nation celebrates Vijay Diwas to commemorate India’s victory over Pakistan in 1971 war.
• Rich tributes are being paid to the martyrs who laid down their lives during the war

International Migrants Day

• International Migrants Day is celebrated on 18 December to raise awareness about the protection for migrants and refugees.

Minorities Right Day in India

• To protect the rights of the minority communities every year on 18 December Minorities Rights Day is observed in India.
• This day also focuses on bringing a better understanding and educating people about the issues related to minorities and their safety

Goa’s Liberation Day

• The Liberation Day of Goa is celebrated on 19 December
• On this date in 1961, Goa was released from the Portuguese dominion after army operation and extended freedom movement.

International Human Solidarity Day

• International Human Solidarity Day is observed on 20 December annually to highlight the importance of unity in diversity.
• This day also reminds people to work together in fighting against poverty, hunger, and disease.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL

Mandatory to link PAN Card-Aadhaar by December 31

• The deadline to link the permanent account number (PAN) with Aadhaar was extended till December 31 by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) through an order issued in September this year. Earlier, the deadline for this linkage was September 30.

BEL & HAL organise roadshow urging active participation in DefExpo 2020

• Defence PSUs Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL) organised a roadshow in the run up to the 11th edition of DefExpo scheduled to be held in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh from February 5-8, 2020.
• The roadshow was organised to urge vendors from the private sector, MSMEs and startups based in Delhi-NCR to actively participate in the upcoming Defence exhibition and take advantage of the potential business opportunities in the offing.
• The theme of DefExpo 2020 is ‘Digital Transformation of Defence’

Ministry of Coal to Establish Sustainable Development Cell for Environmental Mitigation Measures

• The Ministry of Coal has decided to establish a ‘Sustainable Development Cell’ in order to promote environmentally sustainable coal mining in the country and address environmental concerns during the decommissioning or closure of mines

India donates solar-powered lamps to marginalised Palestinian children

• India has donated solar powered study lamps to Palestinian elementary school children from a marginalised Bedouin community to spread the principles of self-sufficiency and raise awareness towards the adverse effects of climate change.

Government promises broadband access in all villages by 2022; launches National Broadband Mission

• The government promised broadband access in all villages by 2022, as it launched the ambitious National Broadband Mission entailing stakeholder investment of Rs 7 lakh crore in the coming years

Yashwant Sinha-led group suggests restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

• The Concerned Citizens’ Group (CCG) headed by former finance minister and BJP leader Yashwant Sinha on the Union government should restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir by reuniting the two union territories to bring back normalcy in the Valley.
• Based on the groups’ two visits to Kashmir in September and November this year, the CCG stated that the Centre should alleviate the fears of the Kashmiris about their future by starting a multi-level dialogue process with all those affected by the events following August 5 announcement.

GEM launches National Outreach Programme – GEM Samvaad.

• The outreach programme will take place with stakeholders across the country and with local sellers in order to facilitate on-boarding of local sellers on the marketplace while catering to specific requirements and procurement needs of buyers.

Indian Railways starts selling drinking water made from air, costs just ₹5 per litre

• The ‘atmospheric water generator’ is called ‘Meghdoot’
• ‘Meghdoot’ harvests water directly from air through a series of step
• In a first-of-its-kind initiative by Indian Railways, South Central Railway has installed an ‘atmospheric water generator’ kiosk at Secunderabad Railway Station

CPPIB to invest $225 million in Bain, Piramal-led India Resurgence Fund

• Canada Pension Plan Investment Board will invest $225 million in India Resurgence Fund (IndiaRF), a distressed asset buyout platform.
• CPPIB, through its wholly-owned subsidiary CPPIB Credit Investments Inc, will infuse money into the fund, which was set up by Piramal Enterprises and Bain Capital Credit.

136-km international rail link from Bihar to Kathmandu on track

• A direct rail ride to Nepal’s capital Kathmandu from India may become possible in the near future. Indian Railways has announced that the survey work on the 136-km international railway from Raxaulon the Bihar border has been completed and is targeted for completion by 2030.
• The project would cost Rs 16,550 crore excluding the cost of acquisition of land by Nepal.

President of India chairs the second meeting of the National Committee for Commemoration of 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi

• The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind chaired the second meeting of the National Committee for Commemoration of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, at Rashtrapati Bhavan .
• Prime Minister of Portugal HE Mr. Antonio Costa, the only foreign Prime Minister to be a member of the Committee, also participated in the meeting

Mission on urban renewal extended by 2 yrs to 2022

• The Centre has decided to extend the mission period of its flagship initiative Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) by two more years.
• The ministry of housing and urban affairs has now decided to extend the mission by two more years till March 2022.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan dedicates the CGHS Wellness Centre, Vikaspuri, New Delhi to the CGHS beneficiaries

• CGHS services shall be now be extended  to 100 cities”. This was stated by Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare as he inaugurated the new CGHS Wellness Centre at Vikaspuri, New Delhi, in the presence of Shri Parvesh Saheb Singh Verma, Member of Parliament, West Delhi.

Centre allots Rs 66,000 cr  to Kerala semi-high speed rail project

• Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan claimed  that the Centre had given in-principle approval to the ₹66,000 crore Thiruvananthapuram-Kasaragod semi-high speed rail (SHSR) corridor project.

Parliament passes bill to merge UTs Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli

• The Parliament passed a bill which seeks to merge two Union Territories — Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli — into one unit
• The country currently has nine Union Territories after the creation of the UTs of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
• However, with the merger of Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, the number of UTs will come down to

Govt plans host of measures to control population growth

• The government is set to adopt a host of measures to control population growth, including offering family planning support and investing in the behavioural change of people and making family planning a national priority
• Federal policy think tank NITI Aayog will consult subject specialists and officials to find ways of strengthening the country’s population policy and family planning programmes

IIT Hyderabad CfHE Fellow launches India’s first ‘Vaccination Clinic’ in Pune in collaboration with Gates Foundation.

• Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad’s Center for Healthcare Entrepreneurship (CfHE) Fellow Mr. Jignesh Patel has launched in Pune a Vaccination on Wheels Clinic, a first-of-its-kind service in India. This is being done in collaboration with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which provided a grant to Mr. Jignesh Patel under its Grand Challenges Explorations.
• Called ‘com’ as they have adopted VOW (Vaccination On Wheels) concept, this clinic will go to schools, colleges and corporates to conduct vaccination camps at their doorsteps.

Skill Development Ministry to set up 500 skill hubs and labs in govt schools

• Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Ministry has finalized a plan for setting up 500 skill hubs and labs in government schools. It has taken several initiatives to impart skill training to the youth of the country.
• The Ministry aims to Skill on a large scale with high Standards in order to achieve its vision of a Skilled India.

Govt proposes to invest 50 lakh crore rupees for modernisation of Railways

• Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has stated that Railways is looking at a 50 lakh crore rupees investment over the next 12 years.

PM Modi addresses ASSOCHAM Annual Conference

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the annual general meeting of Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India in New Delhi.
• The theme of the event was ‘New India Aspiring for a USD 5 trillion economy’. The event was organised on the completion of 100 years of ASSOCHAM.

Static Part:

• Minister of Coal and Minister of Mines: Pralhad Joshi.

Edelweiss Capital Limited

• Headquarters:Mumbai;
• Founder: Rashesh Shah; Edelweiss
• Capital Limited founded: 1995
• BEL Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka , Chairman: M.V.Gowtama
• Hal Headquarters: Bangalore, India, Chairman: Madhavan

About Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB):

• Founded– December 31, 1997
• Headquarters– Ontario, Canada
• President & CEO– Mark Machin

About  skill  development  ministry:

• The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship is a Ministry of Government of India set up on 9 November 2014 to coordinate all skill development efforts across the country.
• Union minister: Mahendra Nath Pandey

About ASSOCHAM:

• The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India is one of the apex trade associations of India. The organisation represents the interests of trade and commerce in India, and acts as an interface between issues and initiatives.
• Headquarters location: New Delhi
• Founded: 1921
• Number of locations: 3 (Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata)
• President: Balkrishan Goenka

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL

UNESCO removes ‘anti-Semitic’ Belgian carnival from heritage list

• Belgian carnival has been removed from UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list after officials found the “recurrence of racist and anti-Semitic representations” to be incompatible with its principles

World’s first liquid hydrogen carrier ship launches in Japan

• Japan’s Kawasaki Heavy Industries debuted the world’s first marine carrier that transports liquefied hydrogen, using technology that will vastly expand cargo capacity of the green energy source

China Launches Second Aircraft Carrier, to be Deployed in South China Sea.

• China launched its second aircraft carrier from a key base in the South China Sea, boosting its military ambition in the region where Beijing’s claims of sovereignty is challenged by the US and other nations.
• The ship named after Shandong Province in east China was launched from Sanya, located in the South China Sea coast by President Xi Jinping, who is also the General Secretary of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) and head of the country’s military. The aircraft carrier is China first domestically-built ship.

Germany moves to ban gay ‘conversion therapy’

• The German government signed off on a new law banning “conversion therapies” designed to force heterosexuality on homosexuals.
• The legislation, set to be introduced next year, would see the practice made punishable with up to a year in prison and fines of up to 30,000 euros ($33,000).

India is world’s third-largest producer of scientific articles.

• With over 1.35 lakh scientific papers published, India has become the world’s third largest publisher of science and engineering articles, according to a US government agency data, topped by China
• China, which accounts for 20.67 per cent of all global publications in scientific articles, is at the top position, followed by the US at 16.54 per cent.

Google settles USD 327 million tax bill in Australia

• Google agreed to pay Australian tax authorities 482 million Australian dollars (USD 327 million) to settle a long-running dispute over the tech giant’s multibillion-dollar business in the country

Cuba to name first prime minister in 40 years

• Cuba is to resurrect the position of prime minister in a parliamentary session , with President Miguel Diaz-Canel nominating a candidate to the post which has remained dormant for more than 40 years.
• The last time Cuba had a prime minister, it was revolutionary hero Fidel Castro. However, the position was abolished in 1976 when Castro transitioned to the presidency, taking over from Osvaldo Dorticos after the country’s constitution was restructured.

Eight-year-old becomes highest-paid YouTuber, earns 26 million dollars in year

• Eight-year-old Ryan Kaji earned $26 million in 2019 on his YouTube channel, making him the highest-paid creator on the platform, according to a list published by Forbes magazine.
• Kaji, whose real name is Ryan Guan, was already the video platform’s highest earner in 2018, with $22 million, according to Forbes.

Afghanistan first country to recognize Indian Pharmacopoeia

• The Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) has been recognised formally by the National Department of Regulation of Medicines and Health Products of the Ministry of Public Health of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
• It will also be used based on the requirement as reputable pharmacopoeia in the laboratory of medicines and health products quality.

Ethiopia launches its first satellite

• Ethiopia launched its first satellite , a landmark achievement for the country’s space program that caps a banner year for the African space industry.
• The launch of the Ethiopian Remote Sensing Satellite (ETRSS) took place at a space station in China.

India, Afghanistan, Iran meet to monitor implementation of Chabahar pact

• The second meeting between officials of India, Afghanistan and Iran took place to monitor implementation of the 2016 agreement regarding development and management of the Chabahar port in Iran

Country	Capital	Currency
China	Beijing	Renminbi	President :  xi jinping
Germany	Berlin	Euro	Chancellor : Angela merkel
Cuba	Havana	Cuban peso	President: Miguel Díaz-Canel
Japan	Tokoyo	Yen	Prime minister: shinzo abe
Australia	Canberra	Dollar	Prime minister: Scott  Morrison
Afghanistan	Kabul	Afghan afghani	President: Ashraf Ghani
Ethiopia	Addis ababa	Birr	Prime minister: Abiy Ahmed
Iran	Tehran	Iranian rial	President: Hassan Rouhani
Belgium	Brussels	Euro	Prime minister: Sophie Wilmès

GOOGLE

• CEO: SundarPichai
• Founded: 4 September 1998, Menlo Park, California, United States
• Parent organization: Alphabet Inc.
• Headquarters: Mountain View, California, United States
• Founders: Larry Page, Sergey Brin

About WADA:

• Headquarters: Montreal, Quebec Canada
• President: Sir Craig Reedie
• Purpose: anti doping in sports

UNESCO

• formation: 4 November 1946;
• UNESCO headquarters: Paris, France;
• UNESCO Director-General: Audrey Azoulay.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATES

Kerala launches two welfare schemes to support differently-abled persons

• The state government unveiled two social welfare schemes – ‘Vijayamritham’ and ‘Sahachari’ to honour differently-abled people as well as NSS, NCC and Student Police Cadet (SPC) units working for their care and welfare

West Bengal tops in a 100-day work programme for promoting livelihoods

• West Bengal has been selected for the 1st prize in 100-Day Work Programme for Promoting Livelihoods.
• The Rural Development Ministry has selected Bankura and Cooch Behar Districts of the state for 1st and 2nd positions among districts in the country in implementation of rural job scheme.
• Baburmahal Gram Panchayat of Kulpi in South 24 Parganas District has also bagged best performance award from the Centre.

Uttarakhand to get a ‘Centre of Excellence for Skilling’ in Uttarkashi

• Uttarakhand will soon get a ‘Centre of Excellence for Skilling’ in Uttarkashi district.
• A skill university will also come up to train youths of the hill state

Mysuru Winter Festival from Dec. 24.

• It will be a “December to remember’’ as the district administration is braving for the 10–day Mysuru Winter Festival from December 24 to January 2, 2020

Five-day music festival ‘Tansen Samaroh’ begins in Gwalior

• Popular classical music festival ‘Tansen Samaroh’ is beginning in Gwalior.
• The five-day festival is celebrated every year in the memory of one of the most eminent singers of Indian history, ‘Mian Tansen’.
• Pandit Vidyadhar Vyas will be honoured with this year’s prestigious Tansen Samman

16th Orange Festival begins in Tamenglong

• The State-level Orange Festival began in Manipur.
• The 3-day festival was inaugurated by Chief Minister Biren Singh at district headquarters Tamenglong

Rajasthan government sets up Rs 1,000 crore Farmers Welfare Fund

• The Rajasthan government has constituted Rs 1,000 crore Farmers Welfare Fund to provide them a reasonable price for agricultural produce and boost their income.
• On completion of one year of the present state government, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot launched the fund at ‘Kisan Sammelan’.

Tripura gets its firstAgro Based SEZ to come up in Sabroom.

• Tripura SEZ to open Avenues for Investment and Connectivity
• The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has notified the setting up of the first ever Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Tripura on December 16, 2019.
• The SEZ is being set-up at PaschimJalefa, Sabroom, South Tripura District, which is 130 km away from It will be a Sector Specific Economic Zone for Agro-Based Food Processing

MP police launch e-cop app for women’s safety

• The Madhya Pradesh police have launched ‘MP e-Cop’, a mobile app to facilitate girls to get immediate back-up just by the push of a button.
• The MP e-cop app has been introduced amid national debates over women’s safety triggered by a spate of crimes against women all over the country.

Chennai first city in India to get online portal to exchange reusable products

• Chennai residents can now buy and sell reusable and recycled products online as the Greater Chennai Corporation launched a new website that facilitates waste-trading.
• The first-of-its-kind website in India, madraswasteexchange.com, has a variety of products made from dry and wet waste such as school bags, slippers, vermi-compost, manure, coconut powder, lemon dishwash among other products.

CM Kamal Nath inaugurates 5th Khajuraho International Film Festival

• Shri Kamal Nath was inaugurating the 5th International Film Festival in Khajuraho.
• The theme of the Film Festival is ‘Comedy’. In this 7-Day festival, films will be screened and the comedians will also give their performances

Odisha CM launches ‘Jalsathi’ programme

• Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has launched the ‘Jalsathi’ programme to ensure supply of safe drinking water to all households in the state.
• The inclusion of woman volunteers from Mission Shakti for piped water supply will boost their economic empowerment.
• Patnaik also distributed water quality testing kits and POS (point of sale) machines to the women volunteers – ‘Jalasathis’.

Gehlot Government starts first Janta Clinic in Rajasthan to treat the needy

• Chief Minister Gehlot inaugurated the first Janta clinic at ValmikiBasti in the Malviya Nagar area 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.

Concept of 3 capitals to be considered in Andhra Pradesh

• Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy indicated that the state could have three capitals like South Africa.
• Coastal city Visakhapatnam, which has the infrastructure, could be considered for being the executive capital and Kurnool can be considered as the judicial capital.
• Amaravati can be retained as Legislative capital.

State	Capital	Chief minister	Governor
Rajasthan	Jaipur	Ashok Gehlot	Kalraj Mishra
Tripura	Agartala	Biplab Kumar Deb	Ramesh Bais
Uttarakhand	Dehradun	Trivendra singh rawat	Baby Rani Maurya
Madhya pradesh	Bhopal	Kamal Nath	Lalji Tandon
Tamil Nadu	Chennai	Edappadi K. Palaniswami	Banwarilal Purohit
Odisha	Bhubaneshwar	Naveen patnaik	GaneshiLal
J& k	Jammu (Winter) and Srinagar (Summer)		Girish Chandra Murmu
Telangana:	Hyderabad		Tamilisai Soundararajan.
Andhra pradesh	Amaravathi	YSR Jagan Mohan Reddy	Biswabhusan Harichandan
Kerala	Thiruvananthapuram	Pinarayi Vijayan	Arif Mohammad Khan
Manipur	Imphal	Biren singh	Najma heptulla
West Bengal	Kolkatta	Mamata Banerjee	Jagdeep Dhankhar
Karnataka	Bengaluru	B. S. Yediyurappa	Vajubhai Vala

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND FINANCE

Edelweiss AMC launches India’s 1st corporate bond ‘Bharat Bond ETF’

• Edelweiss Asset Management Company (AMC), a subsidiary of Edelweiss Capital Limited (ECL) has launched India’s 1st Corporate Bond ETF (exchange trade fund) called the Bharat Bond ETF.

Wholesale Price Index inflation rises to 0.58 per cent in November amid rising food prices

• Wholesale prices based inflation rose to 58 per cent in November, as against 0.16 per cent in October due to increasing in prices of food articles.
• The annual inflation, based on the monthly wholesale price index (WPI), was at 47 per cent during the same month a year ago (November 2018).

Moody’s slashes FY20 growth forecast to 4.9% on weak household consumption

• Moody’s Investors Service has lowered India’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth projection for the 2019-20 fiscal year to 9 per cent from 5.8 per cent, citing weak household consumption.

India joins elite club to enable free 24×7 NEFT funds transfer facility

• The RBI joins an elite club of countries having payment systems which enable round the clock funds transfer and settlement of any value .
• So far, Australia, Hong Kong, Mexico, Sweden, Turkey, the UK, South Korea, Singapore, South Africa, and China have such payment system after midnight.

Fifth EAC meeting of 15th Finance Commission held in New Delhi

• The fifth meeting of the Economic Advisory Council (EAC) of the Fifteenth Finance Commission was held in New Delhi. After the meeting, Chairman NK Singh stated that future revenue is the most critical issue for the Finance Commission.
• He futher stated that tax regime needs predictability and certainty

Centre releases Rs. 35,298 cr GST compensation to states and UTs

• The Centre has released about Rs. 35,000 crore to states and Union Territories as pending compensation.
• Most of the states rued that the delay in payment has put pressure on their finances affecting many development work.

ADB, India sign $250 million loan to expand energy efficiency investments in India.

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India on 16th December 2019 signed a $250 million loan to Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) to expand energy efficiency investments in India that will benefit agricultural, residential and institutional consumers.
• In addition, $46 million financing will be provided from the Clean Technology Fund (CTF), to be administered by ADB

Axis Bank, Indian Oil launch co-branded credit card for cashless payments.

• Axis Bank announced the launch of co-branded credit card in partnership with Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL)
• The co-branded card is for customers who prefer cashless and hassle-free payments

Gem Partners with UCO Bank and Bank of Maharashtra for Payment Related Services

• The Government e- Marketplace signed two MoUs with Bank of Maharashtra and UCO Bank on 16 Dec 2019 to offer a number of services including transfer of funds through GeM Pool Accounts (GPA), advising of Performance Bank Guarantees (e-PBG) and Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) to the registered users on the portal

GST Council’s decisions On Rate Changes

• The 38th meeting of the GST Council met under the Chairmanship of the Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman has decided to keep the tax slabs untouched for the time being and has fixed a uniform tax rate of 28 per cent on both state and private lotteries, effective from March 1, 2020.

Government approves Rs 436 crore outlay for skilling 4 lakh persons.

• The government announced Rs 436 crore outlay for skilling 4 lakh professionals in futuristic areas such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and cybersecurity over the next three years.
• The ‘Future Skills PRIME’ programme will be jointly rolled out by the information technology ministry and industry body Nasscom, and will seek to position the initiative as India stack for digital talent.

HDFC Bank crosses $100 billion in market cap

• HDFC Bank Ltd crossed the $100 billion market capitalisation, becoming only the third firm in the country to achieve this milestone.
• The lender is now in the league of Reliance Industries Ltd, which has a market cap of $140.74 billion, and Tata Consultancy Services that has a market cap of $114.60 billion

RBI plans local version of ‘Operation Twist’ to lower long-term yields

• The Reserve Bank of India will conduct a simultaneous sale and purchase of bonds, in a move seen by market participants as an attempt to bring longer-term yields lower.
• It is the first time the RBI has conducted a special open market operation (OMO) of this kind, similar to the ‘Operation Twist’ carried out in the United States near the start of the decade.

ADB, India Sign $ 490 Million Loan for PPP to Upgrade Madhya Pradesh Roads

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India signed a $490 million loan for public-private partnership (PPP) project to upgrade about 1,600 km of state highways and major district roads (MDRs) from single-lane to two-lane widths in the state of Madhya Pradesh.
• An additional $286 million investment will be mobilised through private sector participation under the PPP modality.

Wipro and Nasscom to upskill 10,000 engineering students in India

• Bengaluru-based Wipro Ltd has partnered with the National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) to train 10,000 students from over 20 engineering colleges in India as part of the ‘Future Skills’ platform

Fitch cuts India’s GDP growth forecast to 4.6% in FY20

• Fitch Ratings cut India’s GDP growth forecast for 2019-20 fiscal year to 6 per cent on deterioration in business and consumer confidence.
• It affirmed India’s Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at ‘BBB-‘ with a Stable Outlook

Debt-ridden Air India receives Rs 500-crore guarantee from Centre

• The debt-ridden Air India received a guarantee worth Rs 500 crore from the government to secure fresh funds for operational requirements.

AIIB announces USD 210 million loan for irrigation & solar energy projects in India

• The Beijing-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) announced a total loan of USD 210 million for irrigation and solar energy projects in India.

RBI to buy, sell govt bonds worth Rs 10,000 crore

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will simultaneously purchase and sell government securities worth 10,000 crore rupees under a special Open Market Operation (OMO).
• Such exercises are done by the central bank when the proceeds from the sale of short-term securities are used to buy long-term government securities or bonds in a bid to bring down interest rates on long-term securities

STATIC GK:

 ADB

• The bank was established in 1966.
• The headquarters of the bank is located in Philippines.

Axis bank 

• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra ,
• Chairman: Shri Rakesh Makhija
• MD & CEO: Amitabh Chaudhry ,
• Tag line: Badhti Ka naam Zindagi

HDFC

• CEO: AdityaPuri
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Tag line:We understand your world

NASSCOM: is a non-profit organisation.

• Chairperson: Rishad Premji
• Headquarters: New Delhi

Wipro

• CEO: Abidali Neemuchwala
• Founder: M.H. HashamPremji
• Headquarters: Bengaluru

AIIB 

• Formation :16 January 2016
• Headquarters:Beijing, China
• President :Jin Liqun

RBI

• 25th Governor: Shaktikant Das,
• Headquarters: Mumbai,
• Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata

SBI

• Chairperson: Rajnish Kumar;
• Headquarters: Mumbai;
• Founded: 1 July 1955.
• The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is being implemented in the country since 1 July 2017.
• Minister of Finance and Minister of Corporate Affairs: Nirmala Sitharaman.
• Railway Minister: Piyush Goyal.
• Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs: Hardeep Singh Puri.
• Minister of Defence: Raj Nath Singh;

 

• Minister of External Affairs: Subrahmanyam

UCO bank

• Headquarters:Kolkata, West Bengal, India
• (MD & CEO) Shri. Atul Kumar Goel
• Tag line: honours your trust

Bank of maharastra :

• Headquarters: Pune
• CEO: A. S. Rajeev
• Tag line: One Family One Bank

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU

Indian Embassy signs agreement for reconstruction of Nepal’s 11 cultural heritage sites

• Indian Embassy signed an agreement with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), India for the post-earthquake reconstruction of 11 Cultural Heritage sites in Nepa

CSIR and the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), France ink MoU for Promotion and Support of Scientific and Technological Research

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

J-K inks MoU with UNDP to strengthen immunization supply chain system

• The Jammu and Kashmir administration signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the UNDP India to strengthen immunization supply chain system in the union territory.
• It aims to implement Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network (eVIN).

STATIC GK

CNRS is the largest fundamental research organization in Europe. CNRS is an interdisciplinary public research organisation under the administrative supervision of the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research. Founded in 1939

CSIR is the largest publically funded multi-disciplinary industrial R&D organization in India under the administrative supervision of Ministry of Science and Technology, GOI. Founded in 1942

Lt. Governor of Jammu and Kashmir: Girish Chandra Murmu

UNDP :

• The United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations’ global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life for themselves.
• Headquarters: New York, United States
• Head: Achim Steiner

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MERGERS AND ACQUITIONS

Ramco enters into agreement with China Aircraft Services.

• RAMCO Systems, aviation software provider has signed an agreement with China Aircraft Services Limited (CASL) to manage its end-to-end line and base maintenance operations.

Arcerlormittal, Nippon steel complete acquisition of essar steel.

• Arcelor Mittal forms joint venture with Nippon Steel to operate Essar Steel; Aditya Mittal to be chairman of JV
• The deckS for acquisition of Essar Steel for Rs. 42,000 crore by L.N. Mittal-led company was cleared by the Supreme Court.

Patanjali Ayurved completes acquisition of bankrupt Ruchi Soya for ₹4,350 crore

• Yoga guru Baba Ramdev’sPatanjaliAyurved on made its first big acquisition when it paid ₹4,350 crore to take over soya food brand Nutrela-maker Ruchi Soya through an insolvency process.
• The acquisition will help Patanjali acquire edible oil plants as also soyabean oil brands such as Mahakosh and Ruchi Gold.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATION

Former PM Abdelmadjid Tebboune declared as the President of Algeria

• Former Prime Minister Abdelmadjid Tebboune was declared the winner of Algeria’s presidential election.
• Tebboune – who also served as housing minister under Abdelaziz Bouteflika – the former president forced to step down in April following mass protests.

Nagaland governor R.N RAVI to hold additional charge of Meghalaya

• Nagaland Governor citizenship to N. Ravi was given additional charge of Meghalaya
• Ravi is also the Centre’s interlocutor for talks with Naga insurgents.

Lieutenant General Manoj Mukund Naravane to be next Indian Army Chief

• Lieutenant General Manoj Mukund Naravane, who is currently Vice Chief of Army Staff, has been named as next Indian Army Chief.
• He is also the Colonel of the Regiment of the Sikh Light Infantry

Vistara CCO Sanjiv Kapoor resigns, Vinod Kannan to take over

• Vistara’s Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) Sanjiv Kapoor has resigned from his position over ‘personal reasons’.
• The airline’s Chief Strategy Officer, Vinod Kannan, will take over as the new CCO

Sridhar Patra appointed NALCO CMD

• Sridhar Patra was appointed as the chairman-cum-managing director of
• Patra is at present Director (Finance) in the National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO

Devesh Srivastava elevated to CMD’s position of GIC Re

• Devesh Srivastava has been elevated to the position of Chairman and Managing Director at General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re).
• He was managing the departments of human resource and training, ReInsurance Worldwide (RIWW), corporate communications, CMD’s secretariat and innovation centre.

TAFE Chairman Mallika Srinivasan appointed to US India Business Council board

• Mallika Srinivasan, Chairman – Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited(TAFE), is appointed to global board of the US Chamber of Commerce’s U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC).
• This appointment takes immediate effect as she joins a prestigious list of CEOs and executives on USIBC’s 35-member board.

NCLAT restores Cyrus Mistry as chairman of Tata Sons

• The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) restored former Tata group Chairman Cyrus Mistry as executive chairman of Tata Group.
• The tribunal has also held the appointment of Natarajan Chandrasekaran as executive chairman illegal.

Retired HC judge CV Ramulu named Telangana Lokayukta

• Retired high court judge CV Ramulu will be Telangana Lokayukta and V Niranjan Rao will be the Upa-Lokayukta. Retired HC judge G Chandraiah will be the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) chairman.

OYO appoints Ankit Gupta as Chief Operating Officer

• OYO Hotels & Homes stated that it has appointed Ankit Gupta as chief operating officer and senior vice president for its co living, rental homes and self-operated hotel businesses in Indian and South Asia.

Anand Mahindra to step down as Mahindra Group executive chairman from April 2020

• Anand Mahindra will step down as Executive Chairman from April 1, 2020.
• Pawan Goenka will be re-designated as Managing Director and Chief Executive from April 1.

STATIC GK:

• The U.S.-India Business Council was formed in 1975
• Headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States.

NCLT:

• The National Company Law Tribunal is a quasi-judicial body in India that adjudicates issues relating to Indian companies.
• It is founded in 2016 and headquartered in New Delhi.
• Chairperson :M.M Kumae

Algeria

• Capital: Algiers;
• Algeria Prime Minister (PM): Noureddine Bedouia;
• Algeria Currency: Dinar

 

• NALCO is a Navratna Public Sector Enterprise under ministry of mines;
• NALCO Established: 7 January 1981;
• NALCO Headquarters: Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

GIC

• General Insurance Corporation India founded: 22 November 1972.
• General Insurance Corporation India Headquarters: Mumbai, India.

Telangana:

• CM of Telangana: K Chandrashekhar Rao;
• Capital of Telangana: Hyderabad;
• Governor of Telangana: Tamilisai Soundararajan.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

Thai massage could get UNESCO status as 2,000-year-old skill goes global

• 2,000-year-old skill – the body-folding, sharp-elbowed techniques of Thai massage, which could be added to UNESCO’s prestigious heritage list.

Jamaican’s  TONI ANN SINGH takes the crown of miss world 2019

• Jamaican TONI ANN SINGH was crowned as miss world 2019 and  she wanted to use her title to work for sustainable change for women and their children.
• The 23 year old was declared as he 23-year-old Jamaican was declared the winner at a televised event, hosted by British television personality Piers Morgan, held at ExceL London

Deepika Padukone receives the Crystal Award 2020 for its awareness of mental health

• Deepika Padukone has been very active on mental health issues and her own battle with clinical depression for the past two years.
• The Bollywood actress launched the Live Love Laugh Foundation in 2015 to reduce the stigma around mental health and raise awareness of mental illnesses such as depression

England cricketer Ben Stokes has been voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2019.

• The all-rounder was man of the match as England won the World Cup for the first time with a dramatic super over victory against New Zealand at Lord’s

Gujarat police to get ‘President’s Colours’

• The Gujarat Police will become the seventh state police force in the country to be bestowed with the honour of the President’s Colours, after Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Tripura and Assam

National Safety Awards presented by Vice President Naidu

• The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu asserted that Mining Industry must accord top priority to the safety, health and life of all the workers by developing the ‘culture of prevention’ across the industry.
• Provisions for occupational safety of persons employed in mines are contained in the Mines Act, 1952, and the Rules and Regulations framed there under

Amitabha Bagchi wins 2019 DSC Prize

• The 8th edition of the IME Nepal Literature Festival, at Pokhara, concluded with the announcement of the winner of DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2019.
• The $25,000 award went to Amitabha Bagchi for his 2018 novel, Half the Night is Gone.

CBI officer wins ”India Cyber Cop of the Year” award

• CBI officer B P Raju has won the ”India Cyber Cop of the Year 2019” award by NASSCOM-DSCI for cracking a fraud case in an online entrance exam conducted by an engineering college in Rajasthan

Sahitya Akademi announces annual Sahitya Akademi Awards in 23 languages

• Sahitya Akademi announced its annual Sahitya Akademi Awards in 23 languages.
• Seven books of poetry, four of novel, six of short stories, three of essays and one each of non-fiction, autobiography and biography have won the Sahitya Akademi Awards 2019

Indian-American scientist Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan to lead National Science Foundation in US

• S. President Donald Trump has picked Indian-American computer scientist Sethuraman Panchanathan to lead the prestigious National Science Foundation.

Belgium crowned FIFA Team of the Year, Qatar biggest climber

• Belgium have been crowned FIFA ‘Team of the Year’ for the second successive time after a record-breaking year for the global ladder.
• World champions France remains in the second place ahead of Brazil in third, the positions Qatar has also jumped a year-high 38 places.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SUMMITS AND CONFERENCE

3 days“International Seminar on Climate Smart Farming Systems” for BIMSTEC countries held in New Delhi

• International Seminar on Climate Smart Farming Systems’ for BIMSTEC countries is being held in Delhi.
• It has been organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare

Steeling India 2019

• The Confederation of Indian Industry organized “Steeling India 2019” conference, a drive to increase metal intensity in key sectors. Union Minister for Steel, Petroleum and Natural Gas Shri Dharmendra Pradhan participated in the conference.

QCI Conclave in Uttarakhand

• Quality Council of India (QCI) along with PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) is organizing its 11th Regional Quality Conclave (RQC) on 20th December 2019 at, Rudrapur, district Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand.
• The theme of the Rudrapur RQC is “Advance Manufacturing with Quality, Innovation & Technology Interventions.”

Dehradun: LS Speaker Om Birla inaugurates 79th Conference of Presiding Officers of Legislative Bodies.

• Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla in Dehradun inaugurated the 79th Conference of Presiding Officers of Legislative Bodies.
• The presiding officers of all state legislatures are participating in the two-day conference. Among the items on the agenda is the ‘Tenth Schedule to the Constitution and the role of the Speaker’.

Geneva hosts first Global Refugee Forum

• The first ever Global Refugee Forum is being held in Geneva, Switzerland. It is being jointly hosted by United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) along with Government of Switzerland.

Second national conference on ‘Uniformed Women in Prison Administration’

• Union Minister of State for Home affairs inaugurated a National Conference on ‘Uniformed Women in Prisons Administration’ begins in Central Academy for Police Training in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

STATIC GK

BIMSTEC:

• The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is an international organizationIt was founded in 1997.It is headquartered in Dhaka, Bangladesh

CII:

• The Confederation of Indian Industry is an industry association in India. It was founded in 1895. It is headquartered in New Delhi.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING

Mukesh Ambani’s RIL replaces Indian Oil at top of Fortune India 500 list

• Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries (RIL) ended Indian Oil Corporation Limited’s 10-year reign as India’s largest company on Fortune India 500 list.
• With revenue of ₹81 lakh crore in 2018-19, the MukeshAmbani-led conglomerate also became the first privately-held company to become India’s largest corporation.

India is 112th in WEF rankings on gender gap, Bangladesh does better

• India is 112th among nations ranked in terms of the gap between genders, and it was among the bottom five for women’s health and survival and economic participation
• Iceland remained the world’s most gender-neutral country
• Yemen is ranked the worst (153rd), while Iraq is 152nd and Pakistan 151^st.

India in 7th position on World Anti-Doping Agency list for violations

• The World Anti-Doping Agency consisting of dope infractions recorded in 2017 across the world has revealed that india was fifth-highest when it came to total number of positive dope tests in Adverse Analytical Findings (AAF), while it was seventh-highest in the list of Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRV) .

Virat Kohli, Akshay, Salman Khan top Forbes India’s 2019 Celebrity 100 list.

• Bollywood superstars Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan are among the top paid celebrities of India, Forbes India has announced.
• The magazine has published its list of Celebrity 100 for the year 2019 which has been topped by Indian cricket captain ViratKohli with the earning of Rs 252.72 crore

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE

IAF Phase of Indo – Russian Tri- Services Exercise Indra 2019 in Pune, Gwalior, Babina and Goa

• Exercise INDRA – 2019 is the second edition of Joint Tri Services Exercise between Indian and Russian Armed Forces which is being conducted from 10-20 December 2019 simultaneously at Pune and Gwalior for Air Force elements.
• IAF is undertaking service specific and joint missions during the exercise. Russian Federation Air Force (RFAF) element is participating in the exercise along with IAF counterparts

Kargil to Kohima Ultra Marathon- ‘Glory Run’

• Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, Chief of the Air Staff Indian Air Force felicitated a team of 25 Air Warriors at Air Force Station, New Delhi for a unique achievement – a running expedition from Kargil to Kohima- aptly named as K2K Ultra Marathon-Glory Run.
• The event commemorating the 20th year of Kargil Victory was flagged off from the Kargil War Memorial at Drass on 21 Sep 19.

BrahMos Missile Successfully Test-fired from Odisha’s Chandipur

• Supersonic cruise missile BrahMos was successfully test-fired from a base in Odisha’s Chandipur.
• The land-attack version of the missile was test-fired from a mobile autonomous launcher at Launch Complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur.
• The BrahMos missile is a medium-range ramjet supersonic cruise missile capable of being launched from submarines, ships, fighter jets or land.

Indian peacekeepers in South Sudan receive prestigious UN medal

• India is among the largest troop contributing countries to UN peacekeeping operations.
• Currently, 2,342 Indian troops and 25 police personnel are deployed with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
• About 850 Indian peacekeepers serving in South Sudan have been awarded the prestigious UN medal for their service and contribution to building peace in the strife-torn nation and supporting the local communities.

Indian Navy conducts anti-hijacking exercise Apharan at Kochi coast

• A dramatic sight unfurl near the Kochi Port—Marine Commandos descending onto a ship from a helicopter.
• Exercise Apharan—a large scale anti-hijacking exercise conducted by the Indian Navy in collaboration with the Indian Coast Guard, Cochin Port Trust and other stakeholders

DRDO successfully flight-tests Pinaka Missile System off Odisha coast

• Pinaka Missile System developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) was successfully flight-tested from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur off the Odisha coast.
• Pinaka is an Artillery Missile System capable of striking into enemy territory up to a range of 75 kilometres with high precision.

Indian Air Force planning ‘swift trials’ in Rs.1.5 lakh crore 114 fighter jet deal

• In the over RS. 5 lakh crore deal for manufacturing 114 multirole fighter aircraft, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is planning to compress the time taken for carrying out trials of all the participants to less than a year to ensure that the force gets its new combat aircraft at a faster rate.

STATIC GK

DRDO:

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation is an agency of the Government of India, charged with the military’s research and development, headquartered in New Delhi, India.
• Founded in Chairman of DRDO Dr G. Satheesh Reddy

INDIAN ARMY :

• The motto of Indian Army: “Service Before Self”;
• Headquarters: New Delhi; Commander-in-Chief: President Ram Nath Kovind.

South sudan:

• Capital: Juba
• Currency: South Sudanese pound

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS

Virat Kohli retains top spot in ICC Test rankings

• Indian skipper ViratKohli retained his top spot among batsmen in the latest ICC Test rankings With 928 points, Kohli is 17 points clear of Australia’s Steve Smith who scored 43 and 16 in the first Test against New Zealand which Australia won by 296 runs

Smriti Mandhana in ICC women’s ODI and T20 teams of the year

• India opener Smriti Mandhana was named in both the International Cricket Council’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.

ICC opens anti-corruption investigations into Qatar T10 League

• The International Cricket Council is investigating the Qatar T10 league after intercepting “a number of known corruptors” in the event, which it sanctioned a year ago and featured some prominent retired players such as South Africa’s Hashim Amla

England off-spinner Laura Marsh announces international retirement

• England off-spinner Laura Marsh has ended her international career in a 13-year span that included three World Cup wins, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) .

84-year-old Canadian becomes oldest to complete Antarctic Ice Marathon

• An 84-year-old Canadian national named Roy Jorgen Svenningsen has become the oldest person ever to complete the Antarctic Ice Marathon.
• The winner of this year’s race was William Hafferty of the US, who set an event record time of 3 hours, 34 minutes and 12 seconds.

FIFA rankings: India static at 108

• The Indian men’s football team remained static at 108th spot in the year-ending FIFA rankings .
• India, however, lost 11 places throughout the year. With 1187 total points, India is placed at 19th spot among Asian countries headed by Japan 28th.

Zeena Khitta wins women’s national 10m Air Rifle

• Himachal’s Zeena Khitta stunned West Bengal’s Mehuli Ghosh and World No.3 Apurvi Chandela to emerge as the new national champion in the Women’s 10 metres Air Rifle event at the ongoing 63rd National Shooting Championship Competitions Rifle and Pistol in Bhopal .
• Mehuli had to settle for the silver  while Apurvi won the bronze.

ICC extends partnership with UNICEF for 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup

• The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced it has extended its partnership with UNICEF through to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 with the focus on empowering women and girls through cricket
• During the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, UNICEF raised USD 180,000 as part of One Day 4 Children and this money will go directly to fund a girls’ cricket project in Afghanistan.

Mirabai Chanu bags Gold in 6th Qatar International Cup in Doha

• Former world champion, weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu won the women’s 49kg category gold medal to open India’s account at the 6th Qatar International Cup in Doha.

Abhinav Lohan wins Bengaluru Open Golf Championship

• Abhinav Lohan lifted PGTI title securing a narrow one-shot triumph at the Bengaluru Open golf championship

Pat Cummins becomes most expensive overseas IPL player

• Pat Cummins (Australian cricketer), with a base price of two crore rupees, became the most expensive overseasbuy as he was sold to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for a whopping 15.50 crore rupees.
• Glenn Maxwell was sold to Kings XI Punjab for 10.75 crore rupees while Aaron Finch was picked up by Royal Challengers Bangalore for 4.4 crore rupees in the Indian Premier League auction at Kolkata.

STATIC GK:

ICC

• Headquarters– Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
• Chairman– Shashank Manohar
• CEO– Manu Sawhney

England:

• Capital- London
• Currency- Pound sterling

ABOUT FIFA

• President of FIFA: gianni infantino
• Founded: 21st may 1904
• Headquaters: zurich, Switzerland

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

A star & planet get Indian names: ‘Bibha’ after woman scientist & ‘Santamasa’ in Sanskrit

• A white yellow star in Sextans constellation and its Jupiter like exo-planets, which were hitherto named HD 86081 and 86081b, will now have Indian names.
• The International Astronomical Union announced that the star will be called Bibhā, the planet will be called Santamasa.

Apple, Amazon, Google partner to make smart devices compatible with each other.

• Apple Inc., Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Amazon.com Inc. — three of the biggest smart-home and voice-assistant providers — are joining forces to make internet-connected homes easier to set up and safer to use

International Astronomical Union names 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 during a press conference of the IAU in the French capital, Paris, celebrating the centennial of the union.

world’s oldest fossil trees uncovered in New York

• Fossilized trees dating back 386 million years have been discovered at an abandoned quarry in New York.
• Scientists believe they’ve found a forest so gigantic that it once stretched beyond Pennsylvania from the quarry in Cairo, New York ,nestled in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains.

Infosys launched 3 blockchain-powered distributed applications

• The launch of three blockchain-powered distributed applications for government services, insurance, and supplychain management domains.
• They are equipped with predictive return on investment (ROI) analytics for business investments that can be tailored to meet numerous industry-specific needs.
• The company stated that enterprises can capitalise on blockchain’s benefits of trust, immutability, and transparency

STATIC GK:

About International Astronomical Union

• Headquarters: Paris, France
• Founded: 28 July 1919
• Membership: 82 national members; 13,701 individual members
• President: Ewine van Dishoeck
• General Secretary: Maria Teresa Lago

Infosys:

• Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Infosys: Salil Parekh;
• Headquarters: Bengaluru.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BOOKS AND AUTHORS

Viswanathan Anand launches autobiography ‘Mind Master’

• Indian chess Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand’s autobiography ‘Mind Master: Winning Lessons from a Champion’s Life’ was released in Chennai.
• The book was co-authored by sports journalist Susan Ninan.

A Dominant Character captures the thoughts of British-Indian scientist JBS Haldane

• Samanth subramanian’s latest biography, A dominant character, captures the british-indian scientist’s thoughts on how science and politics play off each other

Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot releases Braille Edition of Book “Exam Warriors” written by Prime Minister

• Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot released the Braille Edition of the book “Exam Warriors” authored by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi .
• The Braille Edition in Hindi and English has been prepared in the Braille Press of Rajasthan Netraheen Kalyan Sangh

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARY

Veteran Bollywood actress Gita Siddharth passes away

• Actress Gita Siddharth Kak passed away in Mumbai.
• The actress is best known for her role in M.S. Sathyu’s 1973 classic ‘GarmHava’

Former Union Minister ID Swami passes away

• Former Minister of State for Home Affairs ID Swami passed away due to a heart ailment. He was 90.
• Swami, a two-time parliamentarian from Karnal, Haryana was given the charge of the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs

Three-time Olympic champion and mile record holder Peter Snell passes away

• Famed New Zealand Olympic middle distance runner Peter Snell has passed away in Dallas at age 80.
• He won three Olympic gold medals. He took the 800 metres at the 1960 Rome Games and won both the 800 and 1,500 metres at the 1964 Tokyo Games

Eminent theatre and film actor Shriram Lagoo passes away

• Eminent theatre and film actor Shriram Lagoo, who played an important role in the growth of theatre passed away following a cardiac arrest.
• Lagoo’s roles in Marathi plays such as “Natsamrat” and “HimalayachiSaoli“, and films like “Pinjra” made him popular.

Mohun Bagan president Gitanath Ganguly passes away

• Mohun Bagan president and retired Justice Gitanath Ganguly passed away, following a cardiac arrest.
• Ganguly took over as the club president after the Swapan Sadhan Bose-led panel swept the elections in November last year.

Former Kerala Minister Thomas Chandy passes away

• Nationalist Congress Party’s Kerala State President and former Minister Thomas Chandy passed away in Kochi
• The Kuttanad MLA was undergoing treatment for cancer past few years. He was 72.

Former SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar passes away at 78

• Former president of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) Avtar Singh Makkar died at a private hospital in Gurugram .

Bengaluru: Kannada writer, lexicographer Prof LS Sheshagiri Rao dies at 94

• Kannada writer, critic and lexicographer L S Sheshagiri Rao breathed his last at his residence in the city.
• An English professor at Bangalore University, most of his literary output was in Kannada.
• His English – Kannada dictionary has been very popular.

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