NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Central Govt extends deadline for FASTags to
15th December: The Transport Ministry has extended the 01st
December deadline for 100% electronic toll collection across National Highways
in the country by two weeks (15th December). This comes as the government wants
to allow a 15 days’ breather for vehicle owners to switch to FASTags. FASTag is
a sticker that has to be put at the front windshield of your vehicle. This
sticker becomes the radio frequency identity of your car which is automatically
read by the sensors placed at the toll plazas. The Ministry also said NHAI
FASTag will continue to be provided free of cost till 15th December.
Note: Minister
for Road Transport & Highways and Shipping Ministry of Micro, Small and
Medium Enterprises: Nitin Jairam Gadkari
2. EC recognizes JJP as state party of Haryana: The Election Commission has recognized the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP)
as a State Party of Haryana. Currently, It was a registered unrecognized party
in the state. In a letter to the JJP, the Commission said, it has alloted Key
Symbol for the party. The decision in this regard was taken based on the poll
performance of the party in the recent Assembly elections in Haryana.
3. Hallmarking to be mandatory for gold jewellery
from 2021: According to Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas
Paswan, Hallmarking for Gold jewellery and artefacts will be mandatory from
15th January 2021. He said, Notification in this regard will be issued by 15 of
January next year Jewellers and Retailers will get one-year time for clearing
their old or existing stock. More than 26 thousand jewellers have taken the
Bureau of Indian Standards, BIS (Hallmarking) registration till now. If anyone
is found violating the set rules after 15th January 2021, they may attract a
fine of minimum one lakh rupees or five times the value of the items or a jail term
of one year.
4. UNDP launched Accelerator Lab in India to
tackle pollution: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
launched Accelerator Lab in India to address the pollution in the country
through innovation. The project was launched in collaboration with the
government’s Atal Innovation Mission and the laboratory will be housed in the
UNDP India office. Along with pollution other issues that the laboratory will
seek to address include sustainable water management and client-resilient
livelihoods. The UNDP India after the launch of the Accelerator Labs also
organised a #DateForDevelopment. It is one-of-a-kind "matchmaking
platform" aimed at connecting local innovators with development
practitioners.
Note: The
Accelerator Lab is an innovative new initiative by the UNDP, Germany and Qatar,
to find 21st-century solutions to today's complex new challenges. The
Accelerator Labs located in various developed countries, including Iraq,
Jordan, Argentina, Colombia, Serbia, Nepal, Mexico and Vietnam. The United
Nations Development Programme is the United Nations' global development
network.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. PM Modi announces 400 million-dollar line of
credit to Sri Lanka: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a 400
million-dollar Line of Credit of to Sri Lanka to boost the island nation's
development. PM Modi said India will also extend a 50 million dollars Line of
Credit to Sri Lanka to fight terrorism. India gives priority to its relations
with Sri Lanka under its Neighbourhood First' Policy. This is Mr Gotabaya's
first overseas visit since assuming office. The Sri Lankan President said in
his statement that the discussions were cordial and reassuring and a major
focus area of the deliberations was on security cooperation.
Note:
Capitals: Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte; Currency: Sri
Lankan rupee; Prime minister: Mahinda Rajapaksa
2. India to set up 12 hi-tech parks in
Bangladesh: India will set up 12 hi-tech parks in Bangladesh
at a cost of USD 193 million. According to High Commissioner of India to
Bangladesh Riva Ganguly Das, these hi-tech parks will provide training to
30,000 youth of Bangladesh as skilled IT professionals. She also inaugurated
Swami Vivekananda Bhawan at Rangpur which houses a Computer Center, Charitable
Medical Centre, Coaching centre and student's home.
3. Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical
Warfare: 30 November: The Conference of the
States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention decided that a memorial Day
of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare would be observed on 30
November each year. This commemoration provides an opportunity to pay tribute
to the victims of chemical warfare, as well as to reaffirm the commitment of
the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to the elimination
of the threat of chemical weapons.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. Australian Steve Smith becomes fastest
Cricketer to reach 7,000 Test runs: Steve Smith
became the fastest crickter to score 7,000 Test runs, shattering a record that
had stood since 1946, while moving past Donald Bradman to become Australia’s
11th highest scorer. The 30-year-old took a single off Muhammad Musa during the
second Test against Pakistan in Adelaide to reach the milestone and take
possession of a record held for 73 years by English great Wally Hammond.
Hammond reached the mark in 131 innings, while Smith, who played his first Test
nine years ago, made the grade in his 126th. India’s Virender Sehwag is the
third fastest in 134 innings.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. RBI Imposes Rs 1.50 crore penalty on
Corporation Bank: i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a
monetary penalty of ₹1.50 crore on Corporation Bank for non-compliance with
certain provisions of directions issued by RBI. The penalty has been imposed in
exercise of powers vested in the RBI under the provisions of Section 47 A (1)
(c) read with Section 46 (4) (i) and 51 (1) of the Banking Regulation Act,
1949. This action is based on the deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is
not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement
entered into by the bank with its customers.
Note: Chief
Executive Officer of Corporation Bank: PV Bharathi; Headquarter: Mangalore.
2. Aditya Birla Finance becomes first NBFC to
list commercial paper on bourses: Non-bank
lender Aditya Birla Finance became the first company to list its commercial
papers borrowing of Rs 100 crore on the bourses. The Kumarmangalam Birla-led
company listed its CPs on NSE with a value date of November 28, 2019 and
maturity date on February 7, 2020 on BSE and NSE, both the bourses. ABFL is a
diversified non-banking finance company (NBFC) with a long-term credit rating
of AAA (Stable) from both Icra as well as India Ratings.
Note: CP is an
unsecured money market instrument issued in the form of promissory notes. It
can be issued for maturities between a minimum of 7 days and a maximum of up to
one year from the date of issue. CP is usually issued at a discount from face
value and reflects prevailing market interest rates.
3. India’s GDP growth further dips to 4.5% in
July-Sept: India’s GDP growth hit an over six-year low of
4.5 percent in July-September 2019, dragged mainly by deceleration in
manufacturing output and subdued farm sector activity. The Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) growth was recorded at 7 percent in the corresponding quarter of
FY 2018-19. In the previous quarter of the ongoing fiscal, the economic growth
was 5 percent. This GDP growth data for the September 2019 quarter is the
lowest since January-March of 2012-13, when it was registered at 4.3 per cent.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. Noted Malayalam poet Akkitham wins Jnanpith
Award 2019: Noted Malayalam poet Akkitham Achuthan Namboodiri
(known as ‘Akkitham’- 93 years) has been declared the recipient of the 55th
Jnanpith Award (country’s highest literary honour) for the year 2019. His work
includes Irupatham Noottandinte Ithihasam, or the legend of the 20th century,
which is considered to have brought modernism into Malayalam poetry. Akkitham
is the 6th Malayalam writer to be conferred this award. Akkitham Achuthan
Namboodiri is the recipient of the Padma Shri (in 2017), Kerala Sahitya Academy
Award (in 1971), the Sahitya Academy Award (in 1973), and the Vayalar Award i(n
2012). Writer Amitav Ghosh was the recipient of Jnanpith Award in 2018.
Note: The
Jnanpith Award is an Indian literary award presented annually by the Bharatiya
Jnanpith to an author for their 'outstanding contribution towards literature'.
The award was given to the authors for their most outstanding work and consisted
of a citation plaque, a cash prize of Rs 1.5 lakh and a bronze replica of
‘Saraswati’.
DEFENCE
1. Indian Navy commissions’ sixth Dornier
aircraft squadron: The sixth Dornier aircraft squadron ‘Indian
Naval Air Squadron 314’ has been commissioned at Naval Air Enclave- Porbandar
on Gujarat coast. Deputy Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral M S Pawar was the
chief guest on this occasion. According to Defense Sources, the INAS 314
derives its name Raptors from the Bird of Prey family. This squadron will
operate the Dornier aircraft, a multi-role SRMR aircraft, with twin turboprop
engine manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautical Limited, Kanpur. The aircraft can
be used for electronic warfare missions, maritime surveillance, search and
rescue and to provide targeting data to weapon platform.
2. India, Japan hold Foreign and Defence
Ministerial Dialogue in New Delhi: India-Japan
Foreign and Defence Ministerial Dialogue started in New Delhi. Rajnath Singh
(Defence Minister) and Dr. S. Jaishankar (External Affairs Minister) will head
the Indian delegation, while the Japanese delegation will be led by Toshimitsu
Motegi (Foreign Affairs Minister) and Mr. Taro K (Minister of Defence). The
meeting would provide an opportunity for the two sides to further strengthening
defence and security cooperation to provide greater depth to the ‘India-Japan
Special Strategic and Global Partnership’. The two sides will also exchange
views on the situation in the Indo-Pacific region and their efforts for
achieving their shared objective of peace, prosperity and progress for a better
future for the people of the two countries and the region.
OBITUARIES
1. Japan Former PM Yasuhiro Nakasone passes away: Yasuhiro Nakasone (101-years), one of the longest-reigning Prime
Ministers and known for his friendship with Ronald Reagan passed away at a
Tokyo hospital. Nakasone (Prime Minister from 1982 to 1987) shared the world
stage with Reagan and Margaret Thatcher while battling with bureaucrats over
domestic reforms. Nakasone also broke an unwritten rule on limiting the annual
defence budget to 1% of Gross National Product. In 1983, he became the first
Japanese Premier to officially visit South Korea, mending fences with a country
that Japan had brutally colonized from 1910 to 1945.
Note: Shinzo
Abe is the Current Prime Minister of Japan: Shinzo Abe; Currency: Yen.
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