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Current Affairs Today – 4th December 2019
IMPORTANT DAYS AND THEMES
Indian Navy Day observed on 4 December
- Navy Day is being celebrated in India on 4th December.
- 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 hurt Pakistani operations in the western coast.
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The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy.
- Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS): Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar, AVSM, VSM
- Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (DCNS): Vice Admiral M. S. Pawar, AVSM, VSM
- Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS): Admiral Karambir Singh, PVSM, AVSM
- Headquarters location: New Delhi
- Founded: 5 September 1612
FINANCE AND ECONOMY
ADB provides $206m loan to finance Tamil Nadu Urban Investment Programme
- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has agreed to advance a loan of US $206 million to develop water supply and sewerage infrastructure in Tiruchi and other cities in Tamil Nadu.
- It will also strengthen the capacities of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) for improved service delivery.
- The project initiatives are also expected to help the state develop the requisite ecosystem for economic growth.
- The project will target cities namely Ambur, Tiruchirappalli, Tiruppur, and Vellore for developing sewage collection and treatment and drainage systems.
- Improvement to water supply systems would be targeted in the cities of Madurai and Tiruppur.
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ADB: The Asian Development Bank is a regional development bank established on 19 December 1966, which is headquartered in the Ortigas Center located in the city of Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines. The company also maintains 31 field offices around the world to promote social and economic development in Asia.
- Headquarters: Mandaluyong, Philippines
- President: Currently Vacant
- Founded: 19 December 1966
- Membership: 68 countries
- Purpose: Economic development
NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS
Govt launches 4th round of Regional Connectivity Scheme-UDAN
- The government has launched the 4th round of Regional Connectivity Scheme – UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) to further enhance the connectivity to remote and regional areas of the country.
- The focus in this round will be North East Region, Hilly States, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Islands.
- The scheme was launched in October 2016, which seeks to provide connectivity to un-served and under-served regions through the revival of existing airstrips and airports.
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UDAN: UDAN-RCS, UDAN is a regional airport development and “Regional Connectivity Scheme” of Government of India, with the objective of “letting the common citizen of the country fly”, aimed at making air.
- Start date: 27 April 2017
- Launched: 27 April 2017; 2 years ago; Delhi
- Country: India
- Ministry: Ministry of Civil Aviation (India)
EC to implement Political Parties RTMS
- The Election Commission of India will implement the political parties Registration Tracking Management System (RTMS).
- It will be implemented through an online portal to facilitate tracking of the status of the application by applicants.
- The Commission said, the applicant who is applying for party registration from 1st January 2020 onwards will be able to track the progress of his or her application and will get status through SMS and email.
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ECI: The Election Commission of India is an autonomous constitutional authority responsible for administering election processes in India at national, state and district level.
- Formed: 25 January 1950
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- First executive: Sukumar Sen
- Preceding executive: Om Prakash Rawat
Vice Prez M Venkaiah Naidu launches Bharatiya POSHAN Anthem
- Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu launched the ‘Bharatiya Poshan Anthem’ in New Delhi.
- The aims towards taking the message of making India malnutrition free to all corners of the country.
- The anthem was conceptualised by Union Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) and has been penned by noted lyricist Prasoon Joshi and sung by Shankar Mahadevan.
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Delhi:
- Chief Minister: Arvind Kejriwal
- Governor: Anil Baijal
Government to establish first maritime museum at Lothal
- The government is to establish a National Maritime Heritage Museum, at Lothal, a Harappan site on the Saurashtra coast in Gujarat.
- The move aims to boost the underwater or marine archaeology.
- Lothal site is one of the oldest ports in India dating to the Bronze Age.
- The Maritime Museum is being set up with technical help from the Portuguese Maritime Heritage Museum.
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Gujarat:
- Capital: Gandhinagar
- Chief Minister: Vijay Rupani
- Governor: Acharya Devvrat
- National Park: Vansda NP, Blackbuck NP, Gir Forest NP, Marine NP, Gulf of Kutch
Government launched the Operation Clean Art
- Government launched the Operation Clean Art across India.
- The operation aimed to crackdown illegal trade in the mongoose hair.
- This is the first time such an operation is happening in India.
- It was initiated by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB).
- The mongoose is a small carnivoran found in southern Eurasia and mainland Africa.
- It is listed in Schedule II (Part II) of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
STATE CURRENT AFFAIRS
UP govt announces 25% subsidy & full stamp duty waiver for defence industry
- Uttar Pradesh government has decided to provide 25 per cent subsidy and 100 per cent stamp duty waiver for setting up the defence industry in the state.
- The state government will also provide all facilities including power, road and fencing of land to the companies that will set up defence industries.
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Uttar Pradesh:
- Capital: Lucknow
- Chief Minister: Yogi Adityanath
- Governor: Anandiben Patel
- Nation Park: Dudhwa National Park
Himachal Pradesh approved to sell Yamuna water
- The Himachal Pradesh State Cabinet approved to sign the memorandum of understanding (MoU) to sell the water of River Yamuna from Maharashtra’s share at Tajewala corridor.
- The Cabinet meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur.
- With this decision, the State would earn Rs.21 crore per annum.
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Himachal Pradesh:
- State formed on: 25 January 1971
- Governor: Bandaru Dattatreya
- Chief Justice: Lingappa Narayana Swamy
- Chief Minister: Jai Ram Thakur
- Official language: Hindi
INTERNATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS
Japan to invest Rs.13,000 crore to North Eastern state project of India
- Japan has decided to invest an amount of Rs.13,000 crore in several ongoing and new projects in the North-Eastern states of India.
- India-Japan collaborated Project:
- Japan is to collaborate on some of the Indian Projects including Northeast Road Network Connectivity Improvement Project spread over Assam and Meghalaya, Sustainable Forest Management Project in Tripura, Guwahati Water Supply Project and Guwahati Sewage Project in Assam, Bio-diversity Conservation and Forest Management Project in Sikkim, Bamboo-related collaboration, Technical Cooperation Project for Sustainable Agriculture & Irrigation in Mizoram, Forest Management Project in Nagaland, etc.
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Japan (Capital/Currency): Tokyo/Yen
- Prime Minister: Shinzo Abe
AGREEMENTS AND MOU SIGNED
Walmart launches credit card in partnership with HDFC Bank
- Walmart India, in partnership with HDFC Bank, launched a co-branded credit card exclusively for members of its Best Price Modern Wholesale “B2B Cash & Carry” stores, offering “free credit up to 50 days.
- The card is being supported by Diners Club International which has acceptance of its own membership card in 185 countries.
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HDFC: HDFC Bank Ltd. is an Indian banking and financial services company headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
- CEO: Aditya Puri
- Headquarters: Mumbai
- Founded: August 1994, India
Walmart Inc. is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets, discount department stores, and grocery stores, headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas. The company was founded by Sam Walton in 1962 and incorporated on October 31, 1969.
- Owner: Walton family
- CEO: Doug McMillon
World Bank arm IFC invests $200 million in Mahindra Finance
- The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a unit of the World Bank Group, has anchored an investment round of $200million in Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Limited (MMFSL).
- Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Limited (MMFSL) is a Rural NBFC (Non-Banking Financial Company) with the objective to create a ‘pool’ specifically for financing micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in low-income states.
- IFC is investing $75 million from its own account and mobilizing another $125 million as parallel loans.
- At the same time, Mahindra Finance has committed to invest $225 million in this fund.
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The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of poorer countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. It comprises two institutions: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the International Development Association.
- Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
- Membership: 189 countries (IBRD); 173 countries (IDA)
- Parent organization: World Bank Group
- Founded: 1944
India, Sweden signed MoU for Healthcare Innovation Centre
- India and Sweden have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for India-Sweden Healthcare Innovation Centre in New Delhi.
- The MoU aims to deepen the collaboration in the field of innovation through the strategic innovation partnership.
MoU:
♦ The innovation Centre aims to develop an ecosystem of open innovation.
♦ Also, the start-ups and the healthcare delivery stakeholders can collaborate and address current and future challenges in the healthcare sector.
♦ The MOU focuses on creating new partnerships within the public, private and academic sectors.
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Sweden (Capital/Currency): Stockholm/ Swedish krona
- Prime Minister: Stefan Löfven
Cabinet approved JDI signed between India and Germany to strengthen Indian railways
- The Union Cabinet assessed and approved the Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) between India and Germany.
- The JDI was aimed at strengthening the cooperation on strategic projects in the field of Railways.
- The Joint Declaration of Intent was signed in the month of November 2019.
- Under the agreement, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy of Germany will provide a platform to Indian Railways to interact and share the latest developments and knowledge in the field of Railways.
- The agreement will conduct the exchange of information expert meetings, seminars, technical visits and implementation of jointly agreed cooperation projects.
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Germany (Capital/Currency): Berlin/Euro
- President: Frank-Walter Steinmeier
Cabinet approved ECIs proposal to sign MoU with the Election Commission of Maldives
- The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the proposal of the Election Commission to enter into the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Election Commission of Maldives on cooperation in the area of electoral management and administration.
- The proposal includes the exchange of knowledge and experience in the field of organizational and technical development of the electoral process.
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ECI: The Election Commission of India is an autonomous constitutional authority responsible for administering election processes in India at national, state and district level.
Objectives: Constitutional Autonomous Body conducts the elections to the offices of the President and Vice-President of India,Parliament,State Legislative assemblies and Legislative councils.
- Formed: 25 January 1950
- Jurisdiction: Government of India
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- First executive: Sukumar Sen
- Preceding executive: Om Prakash Rawat
Maldives (Capital/Currency): Male/ Maldivian rufiyaa
- President: Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
APPOINTMENT
Sundar Pichai promoted as Alphabet Inc. CEO
- Sundar Pichai promoted as Alphabet Inc. CEO after Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin have announced that they are stepping down from the leadership role of the parent company Alphabet.
- Google CEO Indian-American Sundar Pichai will be assuming the role of Alphabet Inc CEO, making him one of the most powerful corporate leaders of the world.
- Alphabet and Google no longer need two CEOs and a President and Sundar Pichai will be the CEO of both Google and Alphabet.
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Google LLC is an American multinational technology company that specializes in Internet-related services and products, which include online advertising technologies, search engine, cloud computing, software, and hardware. It is considered one of the Big Four technology companies, alongside Amazon, Apple, and Facebook.
- CEO: Sundar Pichai (2 Oct 2015–)
- Founded: 4 September 1998, Menlo Park, California, United States
- Parent organization: Alphabet Inc.
- Headquarters: Mountain View, California, United States
Masatsugu Asakawa elected ADB 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, will assume office as ADB’s 10th President on January 17, 2020.
- He will succeed Takehiko Nakao, who will leave office on January 16, 2020.
- He served as a Visiting Professor at the University of Tokyo from 2012 to 2015 and at Saitama University from 2006 to 2009.
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ADB: The Asian Development Bank is a regional development bank established on 19 December 1966, which is headquartered in the Ortigas Center located in the city of Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines. The company also maintains 31 field offices around the world to promote social and economic development in Asia.
- Headquarters: Mandaluyong, Philippines
- President: Currently Vacant
- Founded: 19 December 1966
- Membership: 68 countries
- Purpose: Economic development
Roopun selected as the President of Mauritius
- Mauritius Lawmakers selected former arts and culture minister Pritivirajsing Roopun as the President of the country.
- He will take over the position which was lying vacant since March 2018.
- Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, the former President of Mauritius, resigned in March 2018 after the scandal over her use of a credit card to buy luxury personal items.
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Mauritius (Capital/Currency): Port Louis/ Mauritian rupee
- Prime Minister: Pravind Jugnauth
DEFENCE CURRENT AFFAIRS
India successfully test-fires indigenously developed nuke-capable Prithvi-II missile
- India successfully test-fired its indigenously developed surface-to-surface nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missile off Odisha coast.
- The Strategic Forces Command of the Indian Army conducted the user trial of the 350 km range missile from a mobile launcher from launch complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur.
- The missile weighs about 4,600 kg, is capable of carrying 500 to 1000 kilograms of warheads and is thrust by liquid propulsion twin engines.
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Odisha:
- Capital: Bhubaneswar
- Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik
- Governor: Ganeshi Lal
- National Park: Bhitarkanika NP, Simlipal NP
ISRO to launch RISAT 2BR1 on 11 December
- ISRO has planned to launch sharp-eyed surveillance satellite RISAT-2BR1 (Radar Imaging Satellite-2) with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) on 11 December 2019.
RISAT-2BR1:
♦ RISAT-2BR1 is a radar imaging satellite.
♦ It is dubbed as a spy satellite.
♦ It can take pictures of the earth during day and night even under cloudy conditions.
♦ The satellites will help 24/7 border surveillance along with checking infiltration
♦ It will keep an eye on terror or anti-national activities across the borders
♦ ISRO also plans to launch radar imaging satellite 2BR2 with synthetic aperture radar after the launch.
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ISRO: The Indian Space Research Organisation is the space agency of the Government of India.
- Founded: 15 August 1969
- Headquarters: Bengaluru
- Founder: Vikram Sarabhai
- Director: Kailasavadivoo Sivan
- Subsidiary: Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
AICTE approves IRS to rank higher educational institutions
- The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) Executive Committee approved the India Rankings Society (IRS) to develop and evolve methodologies and systems to rank higher educational institutions.
- The decision was made at the 127th meeting of the AICTE Executive Committee.
- The announcement was made by the HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishaank’.
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AICTE: The All India Council for Technical Education is the statutory body and a national-level council for technical education, under Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development.
- Website: aicte-india.org
- Founded: November 1945
- Sector: Technology education
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Chairperson: Anil Sahasrabudhe
OBITUARIES
Veteran journalist Bhaskar Menon passes away
- Baskar Menon, Veteran Journalist in the Press Trust of India (PTI) passes away.
- He was the Regional Manager in the south division of the PTI.
- He has also handled many crucial news like the assassination of former Prime Minister (PM) of India, Rajiv Gandhi in the year 1991.
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PTI: The Press Trust of India Ltd., commonly known as PTI, is the largest news agency in India. It is headquartered in New Delhi and is a nonprofit cooperative among more than 500 Indian newspapers and has more than 1,000 full-time employees, as of 22 January 2016.
- Headquarters location: New Delhi
- Founded: 27 August 1947
