NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Uttar Pradesh govt to set up state's 1st
vulture conservation: The Uttar Pradesh
government will set up state's first vulture conservation and breeding centre
in farenda area of Maharajganj district. The new centre will be set up on the
lines of Jatayu Conservation Centre at Pinjore in Haryana (first in the
country). It would be set up in association with Bombay Natural History
Society, a wildlife research organization. It will be the first scientific
assessment of vultures in the state to find out which species is most
threatened and the locations where these natural scavengers are thriving.
Note: There
has been a sharp decline in the population of vultures in the country which has
come down from 40 million to 19,000 in a span of over three decades.
2. Chattisgarh declares Guru Ghasidas National
Park as tiger reserve: The Chhattisgarh
government has decided to declare Guru Ghasidas National Park in the state’s
Korea district as a tiger reserve. The decision was taken at a meeting of
Chhattisgarh State Wildlife Board chaired by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.
Presently the state has three tiger reserves, namely Indravati in Bijapur
district, Udanti-Sitanadi in Gariaband and Achanakmar in Bilaspur. The National
Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had approved to declare Guru Ghasidas
National Park as a tiger reserve in 2014.
Note: Governor
of Chhattisgarh: Anusuiya Uikey.
3. Seminar "DEFCOM INDIA 2019" underway
in New Delhi: Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik has
inaugurated a two-day seminar "DEFCOM INDIA 2019’ in New Delhi. The theme
of ‘DEFCOM INDIA 2019’ is ‘Communications: A Decisive Catalyst for Jointness’.
The seminar is devoted to the seminal theme of leveraging communications for
achieving jointness between the three services.
4. CCEA approves to increase authorized capital
of FCI: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs(CCEA)
chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved to increase the authorized
capital of Food Corporation of India (FCI) from existing 3,500 crore rupees to
10,000 crore rupees. With this, additional equity capital can be infused in FCI
through the Union Budget, to fund the foodgrains stock, perpetually held by
FCI. This will reduce the borrowings of FCI, save its interest cost and reduce
food subsidy in consequence.
5. Subhash Chandra resigned as Chairman of the
Zee Entertainment Enterprises' board: Media mogul
Subhash Chandra has resigned as Chairman of the Zee Entertainment Enterprises'
board with immediate effect. Mr. Chandra will continue as a non-executive
director, which he founded in 1992. Subhash Chandra resigns to comply with a
rule mandating that Chairman can’t be related to MD & CEO. Zee board
appoints six independent directors; all the appointments will have to be
approved by the shareholders.
Note: Zee
Entertainment Enterprises is an Indian mass media company owned by Essel Group.
Headquartered: Mumbai. ZEEL has reported revenue of Rs 6,857.86 crore for
2018-19.
6. Book titled “Hemant Karkare -A Daughter’s
Memoir” by Jui Karkare Navare released: On 11th
anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, a book titled “Hemant Karkare
-A Daughter’s Memoir” by his daughter Jui Karkare Navare was released in
Mumbai, Maharashtra. The book has been published by The Write Place. The book
portrays former Anti-Terrorism Squad(ATS) chief Hemant Karkare’s life as a
father to Jui Karkare Navare. 18 security personnel lost their lives in the
26/11 terror attacks, also known as the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The attack was
carried out by Lashkar-e-Taiba, an Islamic terrorist organisation based in
Pakistan, in 8 places of Mumbai.
7. ISRO launches India’s earth observation
satellite ‘Cartosat-3’: Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) has launched India’s most sophisticated Earth observation
satellite Cartosat-3 and 13 US nanosatellites from Sriharikota in Andhra
Pradesh. The launch enhanced India's ability in high-resolution imaging and
also reinforce India as a global launch destination for small satellites using
its workhorse rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. According to ISRO, the
1,625 kg Cartosat-3 is an advanced agile satellite to obtain panchromatic and
multispectral imagery with an operational life of five years. The advanced
earth observation and imaging satellite will be used for weather mapping,
cartography or army defence and other strategic applications.
Note: SLV-C47
is the 21st flight of PSLV in the ‘XL’ configuration (with 6 solid strap-on
motors). This will be the 74th launch vehicle mission from Sriharikota.
Cartosat-3 satellite is a third-generation agile advanced satellite having
high-resolution imaging capability. The satellite will be placed in an orbit of
509 km at an inclination of 97.5 degrees.
Headquarters
of ISRO: Bengaluru; Chairperson of ISRO: Kailasavadivoo Sivan.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. India-Uzbekistan sign pact on counter-terror
cooperation: India and Uzbekistan have signed a pact for
further strengthening of cooperation in the fields of counter-terrorism and
organised crime. The agreement was signed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and
his Uzbekistan counterpart Pulat Bobojonov here to further increase cooperation
between India and Uzbekistan in diverse fields including counter-terrorism,
organized crime and human trafficking.
The two sides
discussed issues of mutual interest including bilateral counter-terrorism
cooperation, capacity building and training for Uzbek security personnel in
Indian institutions, border guarding and disaster management.
Note: Capital
of Uzbekistan: Tashkent; Currency: Uzbekistani soʻm.
OTHER UPDATES:
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. SBI & U GRO ink loan co-origination
agreement: NewQuest-backed U GRO Capital inked an SME loan
co-origination agreement with State Bank of India to facilitate broader credit
outreach and faster disbursal. The alliance to leverage U GRO Capital’s
proprietary technology platform ‘GRO-Xstream’ to provide in-principle loan
approval within 60 minutes. U GRO Capital, a BSE listed, technology-enabled
small business lending platform entered into a loan co-origination.
Note: Chief
Executive Officer(CEO) of U GRO Capital: Abhijit Ghosh; U GRO Capital Launch:
December 2017.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
1. RIL market cap hits ₹9.5 lakh crore, a first
for an Indian company: Reliance Industries
Limited (RIL) is the first Indian company to cross Rs.9.5 lakh in market
capitalization (m-cap). Recently Vodafone India and Bharti Airtel had announced
their tariff hike which will be implemented from December 2019. This has
increased the share price of RIL in the market and is believed to attract more
subscribers for Reliance Jio. On 26 Nov 2019, its m-cap touched Rs 9,99,045
crore nearing the Rs 10 lakh crore mark. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), RIL’s
closest rival in market capital had a share price of Rs.2,110, 2% lower on BSE
and m-cap of Rs.7,71,996.87 crore.
Note: Reliance
Industries Limited Founded: 8 May 1973; Founder (Reliance Industries Limited):
Dhirubhai Ambani; CEO: Mukesh Ambani; Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. Manisha Kulshreshtha wins 28th Bihari
Puraskar: Noted writer from Rajasthan, Manisha
Kulshreshtha, was awarded the 28th Bihari Puraskar for 2018 for her novel
‘Swapnapash’. The award is presented by the KK Birla Foundation and is for
writers of Rajasthani origin. It is given annually to an outstanding work in
Hindi or Rajasthani published in the past 10 years. Named after famous Hindi
poet Bihari, the award carries a cash prize of 2.5 lakh, a citation, and a
plaque.
Note: The K.K
Birla foundation is named after Krishna Kumar Birla, famous Indian
industrialist. Established: 1991, Delhi.
2. Indian journalist Neha Dixit recipients of
International Press Freedom Award: Indian
journalist Neha Dixit has receipt 2019 International Press Freedom Awards. This
award is awarded by Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a non-profit
organization whose aim is to enable journalists to work without the fear of
reprisal. Dixit received the award for her reports on sex trafficking scandals in
India by Investigative reporter in Miami Herald, Julie k.Brown.
Note:
Committee to Protect Journalist (CPJ) formation: 1981; Headquarters: New York,
United States.
3. Sundram Fasteners’ Suresh Krishna gets
‘Quality Ratna’ award: India’s first ‘Quality Ratna’
award to Suresh Krishna, Chairman, Sundram Fasteners Ltd. He has been a role
model for society in embracing the principles of quality in both personal and
professional life. He pioneered the constitution of the TPM Club of India in
collaboration with the Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance in 1998 and was its
first Chairman. This award was awarded by trade body Confederation of Indian
Industry (CII) Institute of Quality, in its 27th Quality Summit held in
Bengaluru.
Note: CII
Formation: 1895; Headquarters: New Delhi, India.
4. Ekalabya award 2019 for Odia weightlifter
Jhilli Dalabehera: Odia women weightlifter Jhilli Dalabehera, who
has brought laurels for both the State and the country in several national and
international events, will receive the 27th Ekalabya Award for 2019. The annual
award instituted by Indian Metals Public Charitable Trust (IMPaCT) comprises a
cash prize of Rs 5 lakh along with a citation. She has won two gold, three
silver and a bronze medal in different International weightlifting events held
between April 1, 2017, and March 31, 2019.
Note: The
annual award instituted in 1993 by Indian Metals Public Charitable Trust
(IMPaCT) comprises a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh along with a citation. Ekalabya
Award instituted to encourage and inspire young sportspersons to perform at the
national and international arena.
5. Billie Eilish is Billboard’s 2019 ‘Woman of
the Year’: Singer Billie Eilish will be honoured as
Billboard’s 2019 Woman of the Year. Billie Eilish is the youngest artist ever
to be named Billboard’s Woman of the Year. Pop star Taylor Swift will be
honoured at Billboard’s event, receiving the inaugural Woman of the Decade
award. Billie has disrupted the entertainment industry through her music and
social media platforms, leaving an indelible impact on the global cultural
zeitgeist. Eilish gets her crown during the Billboard Women in Music event on
12th December this year.
DEFENCE
1. India to host naval drill Milan 2020: The Indian Navy will host military drill ‘Milan 2020’ in March which
will witness the participation of several countries. 41 nations from South
Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa and Europe that share defence cooperation with
India have been invited for the drill. MILAN stands for ‘Multilateral Naval
Exercise’. The government pursues cooperation initiatives with friendly foreign
countries, including in the Indian Ocean Region, through structured
interactions like Staff Talks, Empowered Steering Group. The areas of
cooperation include capacity building, marine domain awareness, training,
hydrography, technical assistance, operational exercise.
Note: Chief of
the Naval Staff: Admiral Karambir Singh.
OBITUARIES
1. Tamil television and film actor Bala Singh
passes away: Tamil television and film actor Bala Singh
(67-years) passed away in a private hospital in Chennai. Bala Singh was known
for playing villainous roles with much aplomb. He played notable characters in
Kamal Haasan's Indian, Ullaasam, Simmarasi, Dheena, Virumaandi, Saamy,
Kannathil Muthamittal, Pudhupettai and many more films. Bala was last seen in
the serial Aathira as Rajarajan in the year 2016.
2. Cartoonist Sudhir Dar passes away: Cartoonist Sudhir Dar (87-years) passed away due to cardiac arrest in
Noida. Sudhir Dar began his career with The Statesman (in 1961), after which he
moved to the Hindustan Times. Dar’s cartoons were often political in nature,
often taking direct shots at the bureaucracy and the general corruption in
Indian politics
3. Former Indian Navy chief Sushil Kumar passes
away: Former Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sushil Kumar
(79-years)passed away at a military hospital in New Delhi. Sushil Kumar was
Navy Chief from 1998-2001. He authored a book named "A Prime Minister to
Remember- Memories of a Military Chief" which highlighted the key defence-related
decisions taken by late former Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Kumar had credited Vajpayee for turning the strategic tactical loss into a
massive victory.
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