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INDEX -INTERNATIONAL ( WORLD) NATIONAL NEWS -ECONOMY / FINANCE -APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS -AWARDS AND HONOURS -SPORTS/ GAMES -DEATHS / OBITUARIES -IMPORTANT DAYS -BOOKS AND AUTHORS -RANKING -SCIENCE AND TECH -DEFENCE -SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES



INTERNATIONAL NEWS / WORLD

1: Australia Become 1st Country To Recognise 'Orphanage Trafficking' As Slavery

- Children from smaller countries are recruited in orphanages in the West for the purpose of profit through

foreign aid.

2. Qatar has announced To Leave OPEC From January 2019 and focus more on the production of

natural gas. Qatar is the world’s largest exporter of LPG.

-The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is a permanent, intergovernmental

Organization, created at the Baghdad Conference on September 10–14, 1960, by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait,

Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. OPEC headquarters in Vienna, Capital of Austria. ( presently there are

15 countries in OPEC, as Qatar has decided to leave it by 1st January, the membership would reduce

to 14).

3. World's 1st 3D-Printed Functional e-Bike Made In Germany

- German firm BigRep claims it has produced the world's first fully functioning e-motorbike NERA using

a 3D printer. According to the company, NERA has groundbreaking features like airless tires, embedded

electronics, and forkless steering. The name is derived from the slogan "New Era".

- “3D printing” has applications in fields like Preparation of confectionery items, Manufacture of

bionic ears, Automotive industry, Reconstructive surgeries, Data processing technologies.

4: Luxembourg To Become First Country To Make Public Transport Free - implementing the move

in 2020. The move is aimed at addressing environmental issues and the problem of traffic congestion.

Earlier, Luxembourg introduced free transport for all people under the age of 20.

5: Second Largest Ebola Outbreak Spreads In Congo

- The second-largest Ebola outbreak in history has spread to a major city in eastern Congo. Butembo, with

more than one million residents, is now reporting cases of the deadly hemorrhagic fever.

- The outbreak declared in August is now second only to the devastating West Africa outbreak that killed

more than 11,300 people a few years ago. The Ebola virus spreads via bodily fluids of those infected,

including the dead.

6: UN Launches New Framework To Combat Terrorism

- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has launched a new framework, the UN Global Counter-

Terrorism Coordination Compact, to combat the scourge of international terrorism and coordinate efforts

across the peace and security, humanitarian, human rights and sustainable development sectors.

- The UN Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact Task Force will replace the Counter-Terrorism

Implementation Task Force, which was established in 2005 to strengthen UN system-wide coordination and

coherence of counter-terrorism efforts.

7. Israel Becomes Permanent Member of Financial Action Task Force

-The FATF is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 to combat money laundering, terrorist

financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system.

8. President Kovind Dedicates ACARE Project To People Of Myanmar

- The project focuses on Genetics, Post Harvest Technology, Participatory Knowledge Management and

capacity building for farmers in Myanmar.The President also dedicated the Rice Bio-Park to the people of

Myanmar.

9. Akademik Lomonosov -World's 1st Floating Nuclear Plant Operational In Russia

10. 39th Gulf Cooperation Council Summit Held In Riyadh, Soundi Arabia.

- it was inaugurated by the King Salman of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh.

At the end of the summit, the council issued the ‘Riyadh Declaration’, which included 72 items covering

matters related to the Gulf countries, the region and the world.


www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS 40th Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit will be held in the United Arab Emirates. - The presidency of GCC shifts among the six members based on the Arabic alphabet.

The Gulf Cooperation Council was established in 1981 in Abu Dhabi.it has 6 members- Bahrain,

Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

11. UN Climate Conference 2018 Held in Katowice, Poland

- In the meeting ministers of 200 nations finally reached consensus on rules to implement the 2015 Paris

climate agreement.The Paris accord aims to limit the rise in global atmospheric temperature to well below 2

degrees Celsius from pre-industrial revolution levels.

- For the first time, the climate summit took place in Katowice. This year's summit included: 24th

Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP24), 14th

Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 14) and the 1st Conference of Signatories to the Paris

Agreement (CMA 1).

12. UAE Declares 2019 As the Year Of Tolerance

- declared by UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

13. The UN States Adopt Global Compact On Refugees

- The U.N. General Assembly voted nearly unanimously to adopt a framework to strengthen the

international response to the global refugee crisis. The United States and Hungary were the only two nations

that voted against the Global Compact on Refugees, while 181 countries voted in favor. The Dominican

Republic, Eritrea, and Libya abstained.

14. UN General Assembly Adopts Global Framework on International Migration

- The compact was adopted by the General Assembly with 152 votes in favour in Marrakesh, Morocco. India

voted in favour of the resolution.

15. Burundi Names Gitega As New political Capital

- the previous capital Bujumbura, on the north-eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika, would in future function

solely as the country’s economic centre.

16.India Takes Over Operations Of Chabahar Port In Iran

- Indian firm India Ports Global Limited formally took over the operations of Chabahar's Shaheed Behesti

port in Iran, which opens a trade route between India and central Asia bypassing Pakistan.

- The company opened its office following the first meeting of the follow-up committee for implementation

of the trilateral Chabahar Agreement between India, Iran, and Afghanistan.

17. Japan Formally Announces IWC Withdrawal To Resume Commercial Whaling

-In a landmark policy shift, Japan formally announced that it would withdraw from the International

Whaling Commission (IWC) and resume commercial whaling in its territorial waters next year for the first

time in more than 30 years.

18. Turkmenistan Launches First Messaging App

- Turkmenistan has launched its first messaging app BizBarde. The privately developed BizBarde app will

allow the exchange of messages, files, photos and videos. One of the world's most isolated regimes, the ex-

Soviet republic ( Turkmenistan) has blocked Western services including Twitter, Facebook, Whatsapp, and

Viber, along with popular Russian networks Odnoklassniki and VKontakte.

19. Nepal Caps Expenditure Of Its Citizens In India

- A Nepali citizen would be unable to spend more than INR 1 lakh per month while paying for goods and

services in India.The decision was taken to address the country’s current account deficit. The policy

applicable to prepaid, credit and debit cards of Nepali banks came into effect.

20. US Adventurer Completes 1st Unaided Solo Trek Across Antarctica

- A 33-year-old man Colin O'Brady from the United States has become the first person to complete a solo

trek across Antarctica without any assistance. He finished the 1,500km journey across the frozen continent

in 54 days, lugging his supplies on a sledge as he skied in bone-chilling temperatures from north to south.



21: US, Mexico And Canada Sign USMCA To Replace NAFTA

- US President Donald Trump, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, and Canadian PM Justin

Trudeau signed the new US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) which will replace the North American

Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). USMCA will govern over a trillion dollars worth of trade between the

three countries.

22. Sheikh Hasina (Awami league )Wins 3rd Consecutive Term As PM of Bangladesh

- Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's alliance won Bangladesh's election with a thumping majority (won 287 of

the 298 seats). It gave her a third straight term following a vote that the opposition rejected as rigged. There

are 300 constituencies in the country. The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which

boycotted the last poll in 2014, won just six seats.

23. Pakistan Cabinet Approves Issuance Of 'Panda Bonds' In Chinese Currency

- Pakistan's cabinet has approved the issuance of first-ever renminbi-denominated 'Panda Bonds' to raise

loans from China's capital markets, as the country moved a step forward to give the Chinese currency status

at par with the US dollar.

24.US Defence Secretary James Mattis resigns from his post

His resignation came after his disagreement with the US President Donald Trump over the withdrawal of US

troops from Syria. James Mattis, however, will be occupying the position till February 28 so as to allow

sufficient time for his successor to be nominated.

25.Australia recognized West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. With this, Australia has become one of

the few countries that officially recognize West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and as the seat of the Knesset

(Israel’s parliament).

26. Merriam-Webster (the American dictionary-publishing company ) selects ‘Justice’ as its 2018

Word of the Year

27. USA pulls out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty

United States of America has decided to cancel the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty signed

between Russian and the USA in 1987 (between US President Ronald Reagan and USSR President Mikhail

Gorbachev). The treaty aimed to end arms race between USA and USSR during cold war and to ensure some

strategic stability in Europe. The INF treaty banned the development, testing and possession of short and

medium-range ground-launched nuclear missiles having ranged 'between' 500-5,000 km.

NATIONAL NEWS

1. South African President To be Chief Guest At Republic Day Celebrations 2019

- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will be the Chief Guest at the 2019 Republic Day celebrations

in New Delhi. .

2. India’s 1st Engine-Less 'Train 18' Breaches 180 kmph Speed Limit

- India’s first locomotive-less train, known as Train 18, has breached the 180 kilometers per hour speed

limit during a test run at Kota-Sawai Madhopur section in Rajasthan. When this indigenously designed train

is made operational, it will become the country’s fastest train. Train 18 is capable of touching 200 kilometers

per hour provided the rest of the Indian Railways’ system, such as tracks and signals, permit. With 16

coaches, the train will have the same passenger carrying capacity as that of the Shatabdi Express. Developed

by Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory in 18 months, the fully AC train is designed in such a way that

passengers can see the driver's cabin.

-‘Train 18’ will commence its commercial run from January 2019.

3. FSSAI Launches New Campaign To Eliminate Trans Fats By 2022


www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS - Called “Heart Attack Rewind”, the 30 second public service announcement (PSA) - the first mass media

campaign of its kind – will support FSSAI’s global target of eliminating trans fat in India by the year 2022, a

year ahead of the global target by the World Health Organization (WHO) for complete elimination of trans

fat. -Trans fat is largely present in Vanaspati, margarine and bakery shortenings, and can be found in

baked and fried foods.

4. 'PAiSA' Launched Under Day-NULM

- “PAiSA – Portal for Affordable Credit and Interest Subvention Access”, a centralized electronic platform

for processing interest subvention on bank loans to beneficiaries under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana –

National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) was launched by Sh. Durga Shankar Mishra,

Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

- The web platform has been designed and developed by Allahabad Bank which is the Nodal bank. All states

/ UTs & all scheduled commercial banks, RRBs, and Cooperative Banks are expected to be on board

the PAiSA portal soon.

5. 'SHOUT' Feature Introduced In The '112 India' Mobile App

- Home Minister Rajnath Singh announced a pan-India single-number emergency mobile app '112

India' and stated that it will have a special women safety feature 'SHOUT' to get immediate assistance from

police and volunteers. It is connected to the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS).

- Under the ERSS project, people will be able to receive immediate assistance from police, health and

fire departments as well as from other agencies using a pan-India single emergency number 112.

- Nagaland Becomes First North-Eastern State To Launch Single Emergency Number ‘112’

6. India, UAE Sign Currency Swap Agreement

- India and UAE have signed an agreement on Currency Swap. The two countries also signed a

Memorandum of Understanding for Development Cooperation in Africa.

7. India Water Impact Summit-2018 Held In New Delhi

- The India Water Impact Summit is an annual event where stakeholders get together to discuss, debate and

develop model solutions for some of the biggest water-related problems in the country.

8. PM Inaugurates India’s Longest Rail-Road Bridge: Bogibeel Bridge

- Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates the Bogibeel Bridge, on December 25. It is India’s longest rail-

road bridge, connecting the north and south banks of the Brahmaputra, falling in the eastern part of Assam

and Arunachal Pradesh. The bridge is 4.94 km long. While former prime minister HD Deve Gowda laid the

foundation stone for the Bogibeel bridge in January 1997, the work started only in April 2002when

former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee inaugurated the construction.

9. Gangotri, Yamunotri Included Under PRASAD Scheme

- The Centre included Gangotri and Yamunotri in Uttarakhand, Amarkantak in Madhya

Pradesh and Parasnath in Jharkhand under a central scheme to develop pilgrimage and heritage destinations

in the country, a tourism ministry statement stated.

- With the new additions, the number of sites under the Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage

Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) launched by the ministry in 2014-15 has now become 41 in 25 states.

10. Delhi Government Launches Free Pilgrimage Scheme For Senior Citizens

- Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched the 'Mukhyamantri Tirth Yatra Yojana 'which offers free

travel packages for senior citizens from Delhi to five religious circuits. 1,100 senior citizens from every

constituency of Delhi will be able to avail this facility at one go. Under this free pilgrimage scheme, a Delhi

resident above 60 years will be eligible to take free pilgrimage along with his or her spouse.

-Anil Baijal is the present Lt. Governor of Delhi.

11. Kannur International Airport In Kerala Begins Operations

-With this, Kerala became the only state in the country with four international airports.

12. 1st International Conference on ‘Sustainable Water Management’ Held in Mohali


www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS - The first International Conference on ‘Sustainable Water Management’ was held at Indian School of

Business (ISB) in Mohali, Punjab.

13. Centre’s Contribution To NPS Hiked To 14% of Basic Salary - Currently, the minimum employee contribution in NPS is 10% of basic pay and an equal contribution is

made by the government.

National Pension System (NPS) is a government-sponsored pension scheme that was launched in

January 2004 for government employees. However, in 2009, it was opened to all sections.

14. PM Narendra Modi Inaugurates 4th Partners’ Forum in New Delhi

-Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the fourth Partners’ Forum in New Delhi. The objective of the

conference is to improve knowledge, alignment and accountability to accelerate action on women’s,

children’s and adolescents health.

15. Portal ENSURE Launched by Agriculture Ministry

-The NABARD has developed an online portal “ENSURE” (ensure.nabard.org) so that the information

related to beneficiary and processing of the application can be made readily available.

NABARD Chairman- Harsh Kumar Bhanwala, Headquarters- Mumbai, Established on- 12 July

1982.

16. Home Ministry Launches Twitter Account '@CyberDost'

- Home Ministry has launched a Twitter account named '@CyberDost' to spread awareness about

cybercrimes and normal precautions to be taken.

17. EU Ambassador Opens India's 1st CoE at MAHE

- India's first Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence established by the European Union was inaugurated at

the Department of European Studies (DES) at Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal.

18. Delhi HC Bans Online Sale of Medicines Across India

The court directed both Central and state government to ensure immediate implementation of the order.

19. India Signs Ascension Pact To 30-Member Trans Regional Maritime Network

- signed an ascension pact to the 30-member Trans-Regional Maritime Network that will give it an access to

the information on ships passing through the Indian Ocean Region.

20. National Medical Devices Promotion Council To Be Set Up Under DIPP

- The Council will be headed by Secretary, DIPP (Department of Industrial Policy and).

21. India-Saudi Arabia Sign Bilateral Annual Haj 2019 Agreement

-India and Saudi Arabia signed the bilateral annual Haj 2019 agreement at Jeddah.

- The agreement is a part of strengthened bilateral relations of the two countries. Both India and Saudi

Arabia share strong cultural, historical, economic and political relations.

22. Government Sets Up GoM Headed By Arun Jaitley On Stressed Power Assets

- The government has constituted a Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to

vet the recommendations of a high-level panel on stressed power projects.

23. ECO Niwas Samhita 2018 Launched By Power Ministry

- Ministry of Power has launched the ECO Niwas Samhita 2018, an Energy Conservation Building Code for

Residential Buildings (ECBC-R). It aims to benefit the occupants and the environment by promoting energy

efficiency in design and construction of homes, apartments and townships.

24. Government Forms Panel Under BBB to Select MD for PSU Insurance Firms

- The government has constituted a seven-member panel to select managing directors of public sector

insurance companies. The panel would be headed by Banks Board Bureau (BBB) chairman B P Sharma.

25. India's 1st Private UAV Factory Comes Up in Hyderabad


www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS - India' first private sector unit for manufacturing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) opened at Adani

Aerospace Park in Hyderabad.

26. India Announces $1.4 billion Package for Maldives, Agreements Signed

- it aims to meet Maldives immediate budgetary as well as some medium-term requirements. Prime Minister

Narendra Modi announced the package that includes soft loans after talks with visiting Maldives President

Ibrahim Solih in New Delhi.

27. Denmark's Foreign Affairs Minister Anders Samuelsen Visits India and held discussions on various

aspects of bilateral ties as well as important regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest.

28. India Sets World Record In Nuclear Plant Operation

- The indigenously developed Kaiga Atomic Power Station in Karnataka has set a new world record, with

one of its units operating uninterrupted for more than 940 days. This is a record for all kinds of nuclear

power-generating units, including advanced gas-based reactors in the world.

- The record was earlier held by Unit 2 of Heysham of the United Kingdom, which operated non-stop

for 940 days.

Kaiga Generating Station is a nuclear power generating station situated at Kaiga, near the river

Kali, in Uttar Kannada district of Karnataka.The plant has been in operation since March 2000.

29. Jammu and Kashmir Becomes 1st State To Bring Law Against 'Sextortion'

- Jammu and Kashmir has become the first state in the country to enact a law banning sexual exploitation of

women “by those in positions of authority, having a fiduciary relationship or a public servant”, Under

Section 354E of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC).

- Any person committing the offence of sextortion shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term

not be less than three years, but may extend to five years and with fine. The offence is “non-

bailable” and “not compoundable”.

30. 9th India-Repblic of Korea (ROK) Joint Commission Meeting Held In New Delhi

- External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Foreign Affairs Minister of South Korea Kang Kyung

who co-chaired the 9th India-ROK Joint Commission meeting.

31. NITI Aayog Released Strategy Document For New India

- NITI Aayog unveiled its comprehensive national Strategy for New India titled ‘Strategy for New India

@75’, which defines clear objectives for 2022-23. The document was released by the Finance Minister of

India Mr Arun Jaitley. The Strategy Document advocates empowering and encouraging women to

participate across all sectors of the economy, to build a strong and inclusive New India.

32. Surrogacy Bill Passed In Lok Sabha

-Lok Sabha has passed the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016 which is aimed at prohibiting commercial

surrogacy and unethical practices relating to it. The Bill has provisions to constitute National Surrogacy

Board, State Surrogacy Boards, and appointment of appropriate authorities for regulation of surrogacy.

- It permits surrogacy only for couples who cannot conceive a child. The intending couple must be Indian

citizens and married for at least five years with at least one of them being infertile. The surrogate mother has

to be a close relative who has been married and has a child of her own.

33. Mord Signs MoU With Maruti Suzuki India Ltd for Training Rural Youth for Skill Development

34. India’s Largest Cancer Institute Launched At AIIMS’ Jhajjar Campus

- India’s largest cancer institute, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) has been soft launched at Haryana’s

Jhajjar area. The institute was finalised at a cost of Rs 2,035 crore and the project was approved by the

cabinet committee in 2013. The hospital will be fully functional by December 2020.

35. Lok Sabha Passes Consumer Protection Bill

- The Lok Sabha passed the Consumer Protection Bill, 2018 that seeks to replace the Consumer Protection

Act, 1986. The Bill enforces consumer rights and provides a mechanism for redressal of complaints

regarding deficiencies in goods and services. It seeks to establish Consumer Disputes Redressal


www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS Commissions at District, State and National levels. The district Commissions are authorised to look into

complaints involving claims worth one crore rupees, which was 20 lakh rupees earlier.

36. Government Launches Asiatic Lion Conservation Project

- The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change launched the “Asiatic Lion Conservation

Project” to protect and conserve the population of Asiatic Lion and its associated ecosystem.

37. Mobile App For Global Aviation Summit 2019 Launched - The Global Aviation Summit (GAS) 2019

is scheduled to be held in January 2019 in Mumbai.

38. Odisha CM Announces Rs10,000 cr KALIA Scheme For Farmers

- Named Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA), the scheme will provide

farmers with Rs10,000 a year at the rate of Rs5,000 each for Kharif and Rabi season. Additionally, crop

loans of up to Rs50,000 will be interest-free under the scheme.

39. India's Vedangi Kulkarni Becomes Fastest Asian to Cycle The Globe

-The 20-year old Indian woman Vedangi Kulkarni (Pune) becomes the fastest Asian to cycle the globe.

- She had completed 29,000 kilometres' distance required to qualify as bicycling across the globe. Vedangi

spent 159 days peddling up to 300 kilometers a day in 14 countries.

40. PM Releases Commemorative Rs 100 Coin In Honour Of Atal Bihari Vajpayee - Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birth anniversary, which falls on 25th December, is celebrated as 'Good

Governance Day'. He was conferred with the Bharat Ratna was in 2014.

41. Manipur Assembly Passes Anti-mob Violence Bill

- The Manipur Assembly has passed a bill which recommends life imprisonment for those involved in mob

violence if it results in the death of a person.

42. 3 States Among Best Performing States Under Maternity Benefit Programme

- Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh were the top three performing states under the

maternity benefit programme Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY).

PMMVY is a centrally-sponsored scheme under which the cost-sharing ratio between the Centre,

states and the Union Territories with the legislation is 60:40.

43. HM Rajnath Singh Releases The List Of Best Performing Police Stations

On the top of the rank-list stands Kalu police station of Rajasthan.

44. Bhutanese PM Dr. Lotay Tshering On 3-day Visit To India

- The visit of the Bhutanese Prime Minister is taking place during the Golden Jubilee year of the

establishment of formal diplomatic relations between the two countries.

45. Madhya Pradesh Declares Kuno As National Park

- Madhya Pradesh State government has declared Kuno wildlife sanctuary as a national park in compliance

with the last condition imposed by a Supreme Court-appointed committee for the much

awaited ‘translocation of Asiatic lions from Gir in Gujarat.’ The move is expected to pave way for

translocation of lions from Gir in Gujarat to Kuno. It is spread over 750 sq km area.

46. Andhra Pradesh Gets New High Court in Amaravati

- The separate High Court for Andhra Pradesh will start functioning from January 1.

- Andhra Pradesh High Court will be the 25th High Court in the country. The Hyderabad High Court has

been functioning as common high court till now after bifurcation of undivided Andhra Pradesh.

47. Dwijing Festival Begins in Assam

-In Assam, the third Dwijing Festival has begun on the bank of Aye river at Chirang district.

48. India Announces INR 4,500 Crore Assistance To Bhutan


www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS - Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Rs. 4,500 crore financial assistance to Bhutanfor its 12th five-

year plan after holding wide-ranging talks with his Bhutanese counterpart Lotay Tshering.

- The new five-year plan of Bhutan began in 2018 and will continue till 2022.

49. National Children’s Science Congress Begins In Bhubaneswar

- Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik inaugurated 26th edition of National Children’s Science Congress in

Bhubaneswar in which 800 students from 10 Asian and 7 Gulf countries are participating. This year’s theme

is ‘Science, Technology and Innovations: For clean, green and healthy nation’.

50. Maharashtra Launches Vajpayee International Schools For Rural Students

- Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has launched the ‘Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee

International Schools’ for students in rural areas.

51. PM Modi UP Visit: 6th International Rice Research Institute Inaugurated

The Institute is built at the campus of National Seed Research and Training Center (NSRTC) in Varanasi.

52. Cabinet Approves Amendment in POSCO Act, 2012

- The Union Cabinet approved amendments to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO)

Act, 2012. The changes prescribe stringent punishment, including the death penalty for aggravated

penetrative sexual assault of children. Further, hefty fine would be imposed for not deleting, not destroying

child pornographic material or not reporting child pornography. Attempt to inject hormones in children to

make them major has been made an aggravated offence under Section 9 of the POCSO Act.

53. 10 Monuments Adopted Under ‘Adopt A Heritage’ Project

The ‘Adopt A Heritage: Apni Dharohar, Apni Pehchaan’, scheme is a collaborative effort by Ministry of

Tourism, Ministry of Culture and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), to enhance tourism potential and

cultural importance in a planned and phased manner.

-The ‘Adopt A Heritage: Apni Dharohar, Apni Pehchaan’ scheme was launched on 27th September 2017.

No fund is given by Ministry of Tourism. The list of monuments/sites identified and adopted by companies

(monument-wise, company-wise and state-wise) under the adopt a heritage scheme are:

Sl.

No. Agency/Monument Mitras

Sl.

No. Name of Monument State

1. Dalmia Bharat Ltd. 1. Red Fort Delhi

2. Gandikota Fort Andhra Pradesh

2. Adventure Tour Operators Association of

India

3.

Area surrounding Gangotri

Temple and Trail to

Gaumukh

Uttrakhand

4. Mt. Stok Kangri Trek,

Lakakh Jammu and Kashmir

3. Apeejay Park Hotels 5. Jantar Mantar Delhi

4. Bliss Inns

(V-Resorts) 6. Surajkund Haryana

5. Yatra Online

7. Qutub Minar Delhi

8. Ajanta Caves Maharashtra

9. Leh Palace, Leh Jammu & Kashmir

10. Hampi (Hazara Rama

Temple) Karnataka

54. 42nd Indian Social Science Congress Inaugurated in Odisha

- it was inaugurated by Manipur governor DrNajma Heptulla at KIIT University campus in Bhubaneswar,

Odisha. The theme of the Congress was ‘Human Future in Digital Era.’


www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS 55. Centre Declares Khalistan Liberation Force a Banned Organisation

- A Home Ministry order stated the decision was taken under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act

1967 for the outfit’s alleged involvement in the killing of innocent people and police officers and several

bombings on civilian targets in India.

56: HM Rajnath Singh Inaugurated 19th Hornbill Festival In Nagaland

- Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated 19th Hornbill Festival in Nagaland on 55th Nagaland Statehood

Day. On 1 Dec 1963, Nagaland attains its statehood and was declared as the 16th state of the Indian Union,

by Dr. Sarvapelli Radhakrishnana, the then President of India.

- The fest aims to display the rich traditions and the vibrant culture of Nagaland through

colourful performances, crafts, sports, food fairs, games, and ceremonies. US Ambassador to India Kenneth

I Juster was invited as the guest of honour.

57: Union Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot Inaugurates Website of Media School ASME

- On the 62nd death anniversary of B R Ambedkar, Social Justice and Empowerment minister

Gehlot launched the website of a first-of-its-kind media school, Dr. Bhim Rao Ramji Ambedkar School Of

Media Empowerment (ASME), to train Dalit and tribal youth in journalism.

58: Maharashtra CM Fadnavis Launches SMART Project

- The state government launched an ambitious project State of Maharashtra Agribusiness and Rural

Transformation (SMART) in 10,000 villages with an objective to achieve sustainable farming within

the next three years. The project SMART will be assisted by the World Bank.

59. FAO Council Approves India’s Proposals

- Food and Agriculture organisation, FAO Council has approved India’s proposal to observe an International

Year of Millets in 2023. The 160th session of the FAO Council, in Rome approved the proposal. The FAO

Council has also approved India’s membership to the Executive Board of the United Nations World Food

Program for 2020 and 2021.

60. India Signs An Agreement With Peru For Co-operation In Customs Matters

- India signed an agreement with Peru for co-operation and mutual assistance in Customs Matters. It

provides a legal framework for the sharing of information and intelligence between the Customs

authorities of the two countries.

61. PM Modi Renames 3 Islands of Andaman & Nicobar

- Prime Minister Narendra Modi unfurled 150-feet tall tricolor to mark Netaji's hoisting of the national flag

75 years ago in Port Blair. The Prime Minister also released a commemorative stamp, its first-day cover

and a Rs-75 coin on this special day.

-The three renamed islands of Andaman and Nicobar are:

1. Ross renamed as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep

2. Neil renamed as Shaheed Dweep

3. Havelock renamed as Swaraj Dweep.

62. Centre Approves Rs 1,146.12 cr Cyclone 'Gaja' Assistance for Tamil Nadu

- The High-Level Committee (HLC) chaired by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singhapproved additional

assistance of Rs 1,146.12 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to Tamil Nadu, which

was affected by cyclone 'Gaja' recently.

63. eDrishti software launched to help Railways Minister keep track of punctuality of trains as well as

freight and passenger earnings and much more from anywhere in the country.

64. Government forms Rajiv Kumar Committee to look at selling of OIL, ONGC fields to private

companies

65. Ministry of Railways Signs a MoU with Madame Tussauds Wax Museum to foster tourism

in Delhi NCR - As a part of the collaboration, a special discount of 35% on ticket prices will be

offered to NRM ( National Railway Museum) visitors when they visit Madame Tussauds Museum.



Similarly, Madame Tussauds Wax Museum visitors will be getting an attractive discount of 30%

on combo packages of NRM.

66. Cabinet approves implementation of Shahpurkandi Dam (National Project) on river Ravi in

Punjab - For this, Central Assistance of Rs. 485.38 cr (for irrigation component) would be provided over

five years from 2018-19 to 2022-23.

67. Exim Bank extends USD 500 mn loan to Tanzania for water supply projects

68. Shi Yomi becomes 23rd district of Arunachal Pradesh

69. 6. Global Nutrition Report, 2018

India has the highest number of ‘stunted’ children in the world and nearly a third of all stunted children

worldwide are to be found in India as per the recently released WHO’s Global Nutrition Report, 2018.

70.Prime Minister Narendra Modi handed over the tricolour flag to Arunima Sinha, marking the

beginning of her expedition to Mount Vinson, Antarctica

Arunima Sinha is the first female Divyang to climb Mount Everest. She called on the Prime Minister at New

Delhi, and apprised him of her upcoming mountaineering expedition to Antarctica. Arunima Sinha had earlier conquered the highest peaks in five continents, becoming the first female

Divyang to achieve the feat.

71. Shripad Yesso Naik and Dr. Jitendra Singh lay foundation stone of Institute of High Altitude

Medicinal Plants (IHAMP) at Bhaderwah in in District Doda in J&K.

72. India’s first Railway University in Vadodara dedicated to Nation

The Railway University will be first of its kind institution in the nation and the third in the world after

Russia and China.

73. Punjab Assembly passed resolution to seek 33% reservation for women in Parliament

74. Cyclonic Storm Phethai

Cyclonic Storm Phethai is the sixth named cyclone of 2018 North Indian Ocean Cyclone season.

The previous five named cyclones are Sagar, Mekunu, Luban, Titli and Gaza.

Cyclone Pethai has emerged as a deep depression in the Bay of Bengal around 900 kms off

Chennai on 15 December 2018.

75. Issue of commemorative Postage Stamp on Rajkumar Shukla

Shukla invited M Gandhi to champaran Bihar where Bapu launched Champaran satyagraha in 1917

against Tinkathia system of Indigo cultivation.

76. ‘Shiksha Setu’ Mobile App launched by Haryana Government

Haryana Government has launched a mobile app named as ‘Shiksha Setu’ with an aim to help the students

of the state.

77. Logistics Development Committee constituted under the Chairmanship of Dr. Bibek Debroy

78. Tamil Nadu: India’s first music museum to be set up in Thiruvaiyaru

The country’s first music museum will be set up with assistance from the Central government in

Thiruvaiyaru, Tamilnadu, and the birth place of Saint Tyagaraja, one of the Trinities of Carnatic music.

Tyagaraja saw the reigns of four kings of Maratha dynasty — Tulaja II (1763-1787), Amarasimha

(1787-1798), Serfoji II (1798-1832) and Sivaji II (1832-1855), although he served none of them.

79. Patna Zoo closed after deaths of peacocks due to H5N1 Virus Patna Zoo has been closed for an indefinite period following the confirmation of H5NI virus killing six

peacocks in the zoo.



80. EC bans all kinds of tobacco in polling booths during 2019 Lok Sabha elections

81. Lok Sabha passes Triple Talaq bill

The Lok Sabha has passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill.

The Bill makes all declarations of instant triple talaq void and illegal. It seeks to make the practice a

punishable offence with imprisonment of up to three years.

The Bill will replace the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Ordinance-2018.

The bill states that the offence will be cognizable only if information relating to the offence is given by

the married woman (against whom talaq has been declared), or any person related to her by blood or

marriage.

82. Postal Stamp dedicated to Nabin Chandra Das, inventor of Rosogolla launched in West Bengal

83. Bahuda Rookery: Another Olive Ridley Nesting Site in Odisha

Gahirmatha marine sanctuary and Rushikulya rookery coast in Ganjam district are main Olive Ridley

Nesting sites in Odisha. Of these sites, Gahirmatha marine sanctuary is largest rookery (mass nesting site) of

Olive Ridley turtles.

Odisha is home to 50% of the total world’s population of Olive Ridley and about 90% of Indian

population of sea turtles. Recently, Odisha forest department added another olive ridley mass nesting site Bahuda Rookery at beach

on Bahuda river mouth in Ganjam district.

It is located around 20 km to south of Rushikulya rookery coast.

Imp fact : Olive Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) is smallest and most abundant of all sea turtle found

in world. It is found in warm waters of Pacific and Indian oceans. They are found along both-eastern and

western coasts of India. It is included in vulnerable category by the IUCN Red list. In India, it is protected

under Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

BANKING AND BUSINESS NEWS

( Bank related news are imp for banking exams)

1. Mauritius’ SBM Gets RBI Approval To Merge Operations With Its Indian Subsidiary

- The Reserve Bank of India has approved the merger of SBM (Mauritius), India with SBM Bank (India).

SBM Bank is the first foreign bank to set up a wholly owned subsidiary (WOS), to provide universal

banking service with a focus on wholesale banking, trade finance, capital market and retail banking.

2. Hindustan Unilever Board Approves Merger with GSKCH (GlaxoSmithKline Consumer) India

3. ECB Launched TIPS Instant Payment System

-The ECB's TARGET Instant Payment Settlement (TIPS)system will let people and companies in Europe

transfer euros to each other within seconds and regardless of the opening hours of their local bank.

4: Fitch Ratings revised Cuts India’s Growth Forecast To 7.2% In FY19

5. RBI Governor Urjit Patel Resigns

- Patel, who cited “personal reasons” behind his decision, was in a conflict with the Union finance ministry

over matters related to the monetary policy.

6. Myntra's CEO Ananth Narayanan Resigns

-(Myntra's is owned by Flipkart).

7. RLSP Chief Upendra Kushwaha Quits As Union Minister

- Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) Chief Upendra Kushwaha resigned as Union Minister of State in the

Ministry of Human Resource Development.



8. Atul Sahai Appointed CMD Of New India Assurance

9. CAD Widened To 2.9 % Of GDP In Q2

- Current account deficit (CAD) widened to 2.9% of GDP for the July-September quarter due to higher trade

deficit compared with 1.1% during the same period of the previous year, according to the Reserve Bank of

India.

10. SEBI Renamed ITP as ‘Innovators Growth Platform’

- In a major push to kickstart listing of start-ups in India in a big way, capital markets regulator SEBI has

lined up a slew of relaxations for new-age ventures.

- The proposed changes include renaming the Institutional Trading Platform (ITP) that the regulator had

created for such listings as Innovators Growth Platform (IGP).

11. Karnataka Bank Partners With Paisabazaar.com For Home Loans

12. GST Council Cuts Rates on 23 items, Rationalises 28% Slab

- In a relief to the common man, the GST Council cut rates on 23 commonly used goods and services,

including TV screens, movie tickets and power banks.

- Now, the 28% slab is restricted to only luxury and sin goods, apart from auto parts and cement — tax rates

on which could not be cut due to the high revenue implication.

- GST on movie tickets costing up to Rs100 was cut to 12% from 18%, while tickets over Rs100 will attract

18% tax, against 28% earlier.

13. RBI To Soon Release New Rs 20 Note

- The Reserve Bank of India will soon introduce Rs 20 notes with additional features.

- The new notes are being introduced under the Mahatma Gandhi series.

14. ICICI Topped List Of Banks Penalising Staff For Fraud in 2015-2017: RBI data

- It is followed by State Bank of India and Punjab National Bank.

-In all, banks took action against a staggering 13,949 officials, of which 16%, or 2,236, belonged to ICICI.

15: HCL To Buy 7 IBM Products for $1.8 bn In Its Biggest Acquisition

-Noida-based IT major HCL Technologies will acquire seven IBM products by mid-2019 for $1.8

billion (over Rs 12,700 crore) in its biggest ever acquisition so far.

- The all-cash deal entails software in areas including security, marketing, collaboration solutions, and

represents a total addressable market of over $50 billion. The deal includes the transfer of some IBM

employees as well.

16. ESAF SFB Gets RBI Nod To Operate As Scheduled Bank

-. ESAF small finance bank has got RBI approval to operate as a scheduled bank. This makes ESAF small

finance bank (SFB) the fifth scheduled bank from Kerala. ESAF microfinance institution, started in 1992,

was one among the ten applicants to receive approval from RBI to start banking operations in 2016.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

1. Siddhartha Bhattacharya Joins NATHEALTH as Secretary-General

2. Raninder Singh Becomes 1st Indian to Be Elected ISSF's Vice-president

- ISSF- International Shooting Sport Federation.

3. Jon Ridgeon Appointed CEO of IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations )

4. Pawan Singh First Indian To Be Elected In ISSF's Judges Committee of 7 members.

5. AN Jha Appointed New Finance Secretary


www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS - Ajay Narayan Jha, the Secretary of Department of Expenditure, has been appointed as new Finance

Secretary to succeed Hasmukh Adhia who retired on November 30. Fifty-nine-year-old Jha is a 1982-batch

IAS officer of Manipur Tripura cadre.

6. State Bank of India Ropes in Swapna Barman As Brand Ambassador For its digital app YONO

- Swapna won Gold medal in Heptathlon in Jakarta Asian Games with a score of 6026 and is looking to

break the 6200 score barrier to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

7. Dr. Ajay Bhushan Pandey takes over as Revenue Secretary

8: Government Appoints Krishnamurthy Subramanian As New Chief Economic Advisor

- Dr. Subramanian will have a tenure of three years. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has

cleared his name. He is currently working as an Associate Professor at the Indian School of Business,

Hyderabad. A Ph.D. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a top-ranking IIT-IIM

alumnus, Subramanian is one of the world's leading experts in banking, corporate governance and economic

policy.

9:Preeti Saran Elected To UN’s Socio-Economic Cultural Panel

- A former senior Indian diplomat, Preeti Saran, has been elected unopposed to an Asia Pacific seat on

the UN’s Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR).

10: Trump Names Heather Nauert As US Ambassador To United Nation

- Nauert will replace Nikki Haley, who will be leaving the post by the end of 2018.

11. RBI Appoints Shaktikanta Das As New Governor (25th)

- The government has appointed Shaktikanta Das as the new RBI governor, a day after Urjit Patel

resigned as RBI Governor. He is the 25th Governor of the Reserve Bank of India.

- A former economic affairs secretary from 2015 to 2017, Das worked closely with the central bank. He is

currently a member of the Finance Commission of India, and the government’s representative at the Group

of 20 summits.

12. K Chandrasekhar Rao Sworn in As Telangana CM

- Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) Chief K Chandrasekhar Rao was sworn in as the Chief Minister of

Telangana, for the second time.

13. Zoramthanga Sworn in As Mizoram CM

-In Mizoram, the new government of Mizo National Front (MNF), headed by Mr. Zoramthanga sworn in on

15th December. Mr. Zoramthanga replace Lal Tanhawla.

He was the state chief minister for two terms earlier from 1998 to 2008.

14. CAG Rajiv Mehrishi Appointed Vice-Chair of UN Panel of Auditors

Currently, the panel is chaired by the Comptroller and Auditor General of the UK, Sir Amyas Morse.

Presently, the UN Panel of Auditors consists of 11 countries - India, Germany, Chile, Canada, France, Italy,

Philippines, Ghana, Indonesia, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

15. Brijendra Pal Singh Appointed New FTII (Film and Television Institute of India )Chairman

-He succeeds veteran actor Anupam Kher.

16. Ashok Kumar Singh Appointed Secretary of NCST (National Commission for Scheduled Tribes)

17. Ranil Wickremesinghe Sworn In As PM Of Sri Lanka

- Mr. Ranil Wickremsinghe was sworn in as Prime minister of Sri Lanka by President Maithripala

Sirisena thus bringing an end to the weeks-long political crisis in the country.

- Mr. Wickremsinghe was removed as Prime minister in October and was replaced by Mahinda

Rajapaksa who resigned after failing to garner a majority in Parliament.

18. Kamal Nath, Ashok Gehlot & Bhupesh Baghel Took Oath As New CMs:


www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS - Congress’ Ashok Gehlot sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, while party leader Kamal Nath took

oath as the CM of Madhya Pradesh, and Bhupesh Baghel as the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh.

- In Rajasthan, Governor Kalyan Singh administered the oath of the office and secrecy to Mr Gehlot

and deputy CM Sachin Pilot in Jaipur. This was Mr Gehlot’s third term as the Chief Minister.

- In Madhya Pradesh, Governor Anandiben Patel administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mr Kamal

Nath. The 72-year-old Kamal Nath was sworn in as the 18th chief minister of Madhya Pradesh. Kamal Nath

is currently Lok Sabha member from Chhindwara Lok Sabha constituency.

- In Chhattisgarh, Governor Anandiben Patel administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mr Baghel, the

State Congress President, in Raipur. Bhupesh Baghel is the third chief minister of the state.

19. Shri Sunil Arora takes over as new Chief Election Commissioner of India

Shri Sunil Arora assumed charge as the 23rd Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India succeeding Shri

O.P.Rawat. Shri Rawat who demitted the office on 1st December, 2018 after completing his tenure.

20. Madhavi Divan Appointed As Additional Solicitor General

- The Central government has appointed advocate Madhavi Divan as the Additional Solicitor General

(ASG) to represent it in the Supreme Court. Divan is the third woman to be appointed as ASG in the top

court. She has represented two state governments, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, in the apex court. She will

hold the office till June 30, 2020. Senior advocate Indira Jaising was the first woman to be appointed as

the ASG.

21. Uday Shankar Elected As Vice President Of FICCI

- Star India's Chairman and CEO Uday Shankar has been elected Vice President of Federation of Indian

Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) for 2018-19.

22. Government Appoints Interim CBI Head Nageswara Rao As Additional Director

-CBI's Joint Director M Nageswara Rao, who is currently the interim CBI Director, was promoted to the

rank of Additional Director by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.

23. Belgium Prime Minister Charles Michel Resigns

- Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel has resigned amid pressure on his government over his support for

the UN global compact on migration.

24. Pranab K Das Appointed New Chairman of CBIC (Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs)

- He, will succeed S Ramesh.

25. Harsh Vardhan Shringla Appointed India's Ambassador to The US

Shringla is currently serving as the High Commissioner in Bangladesh. He would be succeeding Navtej

Singh Sarna.

26. WV Raman Appointed India Women’s Cricket Team Coach

Raman is a vastly-experienced coach having been in charge of Tamil Nadu and India U-19 teams in the

past.

27. Trump Replaces Defence Head Mattis With Deputy Patrick Shanahan

- US President Donald Trump announced that he would replace Defence Secretary Jim Mattis with his

deputy Patrick Shanahan as acting Pentagon chief. Shanahan will assume charge of Acting Secretary of

Defense from 1 January, 2019.

- Mattis resigned in protest after Trump announced the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria over the strong

objections of Mattis and others on the national security team.

28. BVP Rao Elected Archery Association of India President

29. CA Kuttappa Appointed As India's Chief Boxing Coach

30. Bimal Jalan to Lead Panel on RBI’s Excess Reserves


www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS - The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) appointed former governor Bimal Jalan as the chairman of the

Economic Capital Framework (ECF) committee formed to address the issue of excess reserves with the

central bank. Former RBI deputy governor Rakesh Mohan has been appointed the vice-chairman of the

committee.

- The committee will decide whether RBI is holding provisions, reserves, and buffers in the surplus or

deficit of the required levels. It will submit its report within 90 days of the first meeting.

31. Ramphal Pawar Appointed Director of NCRB

- An IPS officer from the West Bengal cadre, Mr Pawar was Joint Secretary in NATGRID.

-NCRB was set-up in 1986 to function as a repository of information on crime and criminals.

32. Mohammad Azharuddin appointed working president of Telangana Congress

33. P.V. Bharathi Appointed MD and CEO of Corporation Bank

34. Axis Capital CEO Dharmesh Mehta Resigns.

35. Yes Bank Appoints Ex-IRDAI Chief Vijayan As Additional Director

36.AS Rajeev Appointed MD & CEO of Bank of Maharashtra

37. Economist Surjit S Bhalla has resigned from his position as the part-time Member of the

Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister.

38. Shri Bharat Bhushan Vyas takes Oath of Office and Secrecy as Member, UPSC

39.Sudhir Bhargava Appointed New Chief Information Commissioner

-The government has appointed Sudhir Bhargava as Chief Information Commissioner (CIC), along with four

information commissioners. Mr. Bhargava was Information Commissioner in the CIC.

40. Air Marshal Rajeev Sachdeva Takes Over as DCIDS (Operations) Air Marshal Rajeev Sachdeva took over as Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Operations) (DCIDS)

AWARDS

1: Myanmar Leader Suu Kyi To Be Stripped Of Freedom Of Paris Award over her failure to speak out

against a crackdown on Rohingya Muslims. She has already been stripped of her honorary Canadian

citizenship and her Amnesty International's "Ambassador of Conscience Award".

2: Abhinav Bindra Conferred With Shooting’s Highest Honour By ISSF -The 36-year-old Bindra, who

remains India’s lone individual Olympic gold medallist, has been bestowed with the Blue Cross, the ISSF’s

highest award.

3. Luka Modric Wins Ballon d’Or 2018

- Real Madrid and Croatia midfielder Luka Modric won Ballon d’Or 2018 in Paris. In the process, he broke

the decade-long duopoly over the award held by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The last player to win

the award outside of Ronaldo and Messi was Brazilian great Kaka in 2007.

4. Delhi Minister Imran Hussain Gets PETA 'Hero to Animals' Award for banning the Chinese Manjha,

or the glass-coated kite strings, across Delhi.

5: Ministry Of New and Renewable Energy Conferred Skoch Award

- The award has been conferred on the Ministry considering its purpose and critical role played in installing

about 73 GW renewable energy capacity in the country. India ranks 4th in the world in wind energy

capacity and 5th in solar & total renewable energy capacity installed in the world.


www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS 6. Mexico's Vanessa Poncede Leon Wins Miss World 2018 Crown at a grand event held in the Chinese

city, Sanya. Thailand's Nicolene Pichapa Limsnukan was declared the runner-up.

7. India's Prathamesh Maulingkar Wins Mister Supranational 2018 held in Poland

8. world number five Naomi Osaka's Coach Sascha Bajin Becomes 1st Ever WTA Coach Of The

Year.

9. Mary Kom Honoured With 'Meethoileima'(par excellent queen) Title by Manipur Govt.

10. Slain Journalist Khashoggi Named Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year”

- Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered in October 2018 at his country’s Istanbul consulate,

has been named Time magazine’s “Person of the Year” alongside several other journalists.

11. Manika 1st Indian to Win 'Breakthrough Table Tennis Star' Award

- Manika Batra won the 'Breakthrough Table Tennis Star' award at the prestigious International Table Tennis

Federation (ITTF) Star Awards in Incheon, South Korea.

- India coach Massimo Costantini won Table Tennis Star Coach award.

12. Author Amitav Ghosh Honoured With 54th Jnanpith Award

- Noted English author Amitav Ghosh has been honoured with Jnanpith Award for 2018,an award for

outstanding contribution to literature. The decision was taken in a meeting of Jnanpith Selection Board

chaired by eminent novelist, scholar and Jnanpith laureate Pratibha Ray.

- Ghosh, one of the most prominent contemporary Indian writers, is known for a series of novels such

as "Shadow Lines", "The Glass Palace", "The Hungry Tide", and Ibis Trilogy -- "Sea of Poppies", and

"River of Smoke". Amitav Ghosh has become the first English author to be honoured with the award.

13. Jharkhand Gets 'Krishi Karman' Award In Rice Category

- Jharkhand has been selected for "Krishi Karman" award in the rice category from the Union Ministry of

Agriculture. The award to be given away in February 2019 carries a cash prize of Rs 2 crore and a citation.

14. French Government Honours Producer Ashok Amritraj

- Producer Ashok Amritraj was honoured with the French Knight of the National Order of Merit.

15. Shree Saini From USA Crowned Miss India Worldwide 2018

16. Philippines' Catriona Gray Crowned Miss Universe 2018

17. Indian Film ‘Period. End of Sentence’ Made It To Oscars Shortlist

- 'Period. End of Sentence' has made it to the Oscar shortlist in the Documentary Short Subject category.

- This is a film about women in India fighting against the deeply rooted stigma of menstruation and delving

upon the work of real-life ‘Pad Man’ Arunachalam Muruganantham.

18. Sonam Kapoor Named PETA India's 2018 Person of the Year

19. Novak Djokovic and Simona Halep Announced As 2018 ITF World Champions

- The International Tennis Federation (ITF) announced that Serbia’s Novak Djokovic and Romania’s

Simona Halep have been named the 2018 ITF World Champions. Djokovic receives the honour for the sixth

time, while it is the first year Halep has been recognised.

20. PM Modi Announces New Award For National Integration

- PM Narendra Modi announced the institution of 'Sardar Patel Award for National Integration', which

would be given for "outstanding efforts to further national integration".

21.Rafi Award Conferred To Laxmikant And Usha Timothy

- The Mohammed Rafi Award has been bestowed upon late music composer Laxmikant Shantaram

Kudalkar and playback singer Usha Timothy.



22. Sitarist Manju Mehta Gets 'Tansen Samman' for 2018by the Madhya Pradesh government for her

contribution in the field of music.

23. Aadi Sai Vijaykaran Wins 'Top Debater In The World' Title

- Aadi Sai Vijaykaran created history by winning the Junior Debate Championship at the World Scholar’s

Cup held at Yale University, the USA.

- The theme for the cup was ‘An Entangled World: diplomacy, human relationships, the science of memory,

and literature, art'. It is the first time an individual from India has won the coveted title.

24. Madhya Pradesh’s Divya Patidar Joshi Crowned Mrs. India 2018 Title

25. Luka Modric Wins Balkan Athlete of The Year Award 2018

26. Swachh Surveksahan Award For GHMC

- The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation was awarded Best Capital City in the Solid Waste

Management in the Swachh Survekshan 2018 rankings.

27. Prominent Kashmiri short-story writer and eminent broadcaster Mushtaq Ahmad Tantray bags

Sahitya Academy Award

28. Shri Shyam Sundar Besra- Indian Railway employee conferred with prestigious Sahitya Akademi

Award for his novel “Marom” in Santhali language

29.Uttar Pradesh based startup ‘HelpUsGreen’ has been honored by UN for its works to clean River

Ganga by recycling tones of floral waste

The startup collects the floral waste daily from the temples. These flowers are then recycled to produce

charcoal free incense, organic vermicomposting and biodegradable packaging material through Flower

cycling technology.

30. Mamata Banerjee awarded the Skoch CM of the Year

SPORTS NEWS

1. Atlawim Debebe of Ethiopia Wins Pune International Marathon 2018 with the timing of 2 hours 17

minutes 17 seconds. In women’s Full Marathon Pascalia Chepkogei from Kenya stood first with the timing

of 2 hour 50 minutes 27 seconds.

2. Ullas Narayan Wins India's 1st International Medal in Ultra Running in Taipei.

3. Gautam Gambhir Announces Retirement From All Forms Of Cricket

4. Eliud Kipchoge And Caterine Ibarguen Named IAAF Athletes Of The Year

- Kenyan distance runner Eliud Kipchoge and Colombian long and triple jumper Caterine Ibarguen have

been named male and female world athletes of the year.

5: Italy Wins Admiral's Cup Sailing Regatta 2018 at Ettikulam Beach Indian Naval Academy (INA),

Ezhimala. Team Singapore was the Runners-Up and Team USA came third. The host country team (Indian

Naval Academy) finished fourth in the overall position of Admiral's Cup 2018.

6. Khelo India Youth Games 2019 To Be Held In Pune ( jan 2019)

- Under Khelo India programme, the government is providing scholarships to 1500 students from across the

country. Last year around 3500 school children had participated in the event. In this edition of Khelo India

Youth Games university players will also take part.


www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS 7. SAIL Hockey Academy Wins Aga Khan Gold Cup Tournament

- Steel Authority of India's Hockey Academy beat Army XI Danapur to clinch the 115th All India Aga Khan

Gold Cup hockey tournament held at Major Dhyan Chand hockey stadium in New Delhi.

8. Allan Border Medal Rebranded As Australian Cricket Awards

- Cricket Australia (CA) and the Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) announced to rebrand its Allan

Border Medal to Australian Cricket Awards from 2019 onwards.

9. Belgium Beat Netherlands to Win FIH Hockey World Cup 2018 at Bhubaneswar, Odisha

- This is Belgium's first ever World Cup title.

10. PV Sindhu Becomes 1st Indian To Win BWF World Tour Finals

11. Kabaddi Player Anup Kumar Announces His Retirement

12. Real Madrid Beats Al Ain 4-1 To Win Club World Cup

-Spain's Real Madrid won the Club World Cup for a third consecutive year, and record fourth in total, by

beating Abu Dhabi’s Al Ain in the final.

13. Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting Inducted into ICC Hall of Fame

- Ponting was named in the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame along with former India captain Rahul Dravid and

England woman wicketkeeper-batter Claire Taylor during the ICC Annual Conference in Dublin.

14. 3rd Edition of Women’s National Boxing Championships Begins

- The third edition of women’s national boxing championships begins in Vijayanagara, Karnataka.

15. Smriti Mandhana Named ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year

- India's stylish opener Smriti Mandhana has been named as the International Cricket Council (ICC)

Women's Cricketer of the Year. The 22-year-old, who has also been named as the ICC Women's ODI Player

of the Year, achieved the feat by giving some exceptional performances throughout the year.

The left-hand batter becomes only the second India woman player to win an ICC award after fast

bowler Jhulan Goswami, who was named the ICC Women's Player of the Year in 2007.

16.Norwegian Magnus Carlsen has retained his World Chess Championship title, beating US

opponent Fabiano Caruana in a tie-breaker event.

17.Rajasthan's Maheshwari Chauhan retained her women's skeet title at the 62nd National Shooting

Championship Competitions (NSCC) for shotgun events in Jaipur.

18.Madhya Pradesh opener Ajay Rohera etched his name in the record books by slamming the

highest first-class score on debut He remained unbeaten on 267 against Hyderabad in their Ranji Trophy Elite Group-B Cricket in Indore. 21-

year-old Rohera's 267 not out is a world record. The record was earlier held by former Mumbai stalwart Amol Mazumdar, who had hit 260 versus Haryana

at Faridabad in 1994.

19. Virat Kohli hits 25th Test ton /century; Second fastest to achieve feat after Sir Don Bradman

He achieved the feat when he scored 123 on the third day of the Perth Test against Australia.

It was also India's first Test ton in Perth since Sachin Tendulkar’s famous knock in 1992. Kohli also

equalled Tendulkar's record of most Test tons by an Indian - that is six - in Australia.

20. Joshna Chinappa wins National Squash Women’s Singles Title, 2018



OBITUARIES

1: Former US President George HW Bush Passes Away

- The 41st President of the US, George HW Bush has passed away on at the age of 94. His son, George W

Bush also served as 43rd US President. HW Bush had also served as the US Vice President for 8years.

2. Senior Journalist Jagdish Thakkar Passes Away

- He was Public Relations Officer (PRO) in the prime minister's office

3. Padma Shri Historian Mushirul Hasan Passes Away

- he was former vice-chancellor Jamia Millia of Islamia university.

4. Former Kerala Minister CN Balakrishnan Passes Away

5. Former Prime Minister of Nepal Tulsi Giri Passes Away

- He twice served as the prime minister of Nepal first from 1962 to 1964 and again from 1975 to 1977.

5. ‘Nightingale of Assam’ Dipali Borthakur Passes Away

- Legendary Assamese singer Dipali Borthakur popularly referred to as the “Nightingale of Assam” passed

away. She was 77. She got Padma Shri award in 1998.

6. Social worker and Padma Shri Awardee Sulagitti Narasamma Passes Away - Narasamma had helped deliver more than 15,000 babies, free of charge, in Krishnapura, a remote village in

Pavagada Taluk in Karnataka.

7. Prof Hamidi Kashmiri Passes Away

- He was a famous figure in the world of Urdu language, literature and literary criticism.

- He was a prolific creative writer, an acclaimed critic and propounder of “Iktishaafi Tanqueed”.

8. Veteran Filmmaker Mrinal Sen Passes Away

- He was a Padma Bhushan and Dada Saheb Phalke awardee.

9. Norman Gimbel- Grammy and Oscar Winning Lyricist Passes Away

10.Maulana Asrar-ul-Haque Qasmi, noted Islamic scholar and Congress Lok Sabha MP from Bihar’s

Kishanganj constituency, passed away recently.

11. Famous classical singer Pandit Arun Bhaduri passed away

IMPORTANT DAYS

1: World AIDS Day: 1 December

- The theme for the World AIDS Day 2018 is “Know Your Status”.

2. International Day of Persons with Disabilities (ISPD) : 3 December

- The theme for this year’s IDPD is “Empowering persons with disabilities and ensuring inclusiveness and

equality”.

3. Indian Navy Day: 4 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.

4. World Soil Day: 5 December

- #StopSoilPollution is the objective of this World Soil Day on 5 December and throughout the year.


www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS 5: Armed Forces Flag Day: 07 December

6.International Anti-Corruption Day: December 9

7.. Human Rights Day: 10 December

- Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December. On this day, the United Nations General

Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

- This year, Human Rights Day marks the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human

Rights. #StandUp4HumanRights is the global campaign launched on for year 2018.

Antonio Guterres is the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The UN Headquarters in New York,

United States. The UN was established on 24th October 1945.

8. International Mountain Day: 11 December

- The theme for 2018 IMD is “Mountains Matter”.

9. International Universal Health Coverage Day: 12 December

- The theme for the 2018 UHC Day is- "Unite for Universal Health Coverage: Now is the Time for

Collective Action".

International Day of Neutrality is also organized on 12 December.

10. National Energy Conservation Day: 14th December

11. 47th Anniversary of Vijay Diwas -16 DEC

India celebrated Vijay Diwas on 16th December 2018 marking the 47th anniversary of its victory over

Pakistan in the 1971 war.

At the end of the 1971 war, the Pakistani Army unilaterally and unconditionally surrendered resulting in the

independence of East Pakistan, which was called as Bangladesh.

12. International Migrants Day:18 December

- The theme for this year's IMD is ‘Migration with Dignity’.

13. International Human Solidarity Day: 20 December

14. National Mathematics Day: 22nd December

- Every year, the country celebrates National Mathematics Day on December 22 to commemorate the birth

anniversary of Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan.

15. National Farmers' Day: 23rd December

-National Farmers’ Day (Kisan Diwas) 2018 was celebrated all over India on 23rd of December. It is

celebrated in the honour of the former Prime Minister of India Chaudhary Charan Singh with the focus on

the upliftment of the status of farmers.

16. National Consumer Day: 24th December

- theme “Timely Disposal of Consumer Complaints”.

17. Good Governance Day: 25 December

- Bharat Ratna and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birthday is celebrated as Good

Governance Day across the country on 25 December.

18. National Mathematics Day: 22nd December

- Every year, the country celebrates National Mathematics Day on December 22 to commemorate the birth

anniversary of Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan.



BOOK AND AUTHOR

1. Admiral Sunil Lanba Released Book Titled ‘Blue Waters Ahoy!’

- The book has been authored by Vice Admiral Anup Singh, who retired as the Flag Officer Commanding-

in-Chief of Eastern Naval Command in 2011.

2. Book ‘Changing India’ By Manmohan Singh Released

3. 'Early Indians: The Story of Our Ancestors and Where We Came From' - Tony Joseph

- The book talks about the migration of the First Indians also known as ‘Aryans’ who arrived here 65,000

years ago.

RANKS & REPORTS

1: Indian-Origin Women (technology executives ) in Forbes US Top 50 Females In Tech

- The list includes Neha Narkhede, chief technology officer and co-founder of streaming platform

Confluent; Kamakshi Sivaramakrishnan, CEO, and founder of identity-management company

Drawbridge; Padmasree Warrior, former chief technology officer (CTO) of Cisco, and Komal

Mangtani, senior director at Uber.

2. Moody's Estimates India's Real GDP to Grow at 7.2% in FY 2018-19

3. Salman Khan Tops Forbes’ Richest Indian Celebrity List 2018

- He has topped for the third consecutive year. Shah Rukh Khan has fallen out of the top 10 list.

- Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli jumped one spot to the second rank.

4. Number of Patents Granted By India Shot Up By 50% In 2017: UN

5: Gender Wage Gap Highest In India, Women Are Paid 34% Less Than Men: ILO

- International Labour Organization (ILO was established in 1919 as an agency of the League of Nations and

is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. India is a founder member of the ILO. At present, it

has 187 members.

6. India To Retain Top Position In Remittances With USD 80 billion: World Bank

- India is followed by China (USD 67 billion), Mexico and the Philippines (USD 34 billion each) and Egypt

(USD 26 billion). In 2017, remittances constituted 2.7% of India’s GDP.

7. Russia Emerges As World's No. 2 Arms Producer: SIPRI Report

- A Swedish think tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)announced that Russia has

emerged as the world's second-largest arms producer after the United States. Russia surpassed Britain, which

had held that spot since 2002 and remains Western Europe's No. 1 arms maker.

8. Climate Change Performance Index 2019: India Ranks 11th, Sweden Tops

- The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2019 was released on the sidelines of a UN summit on

global warming. As per the Index, Sweden has topped the list while India was on 11th position.

9. FDI Inflows To South, South West Asia Down by 6% in 2017: UN Report

- As per the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) report, FDI inflows to

South and South-West Asia decreased by 6% in 2017 due to a drop in foreign funding flow to countries like

India and Turkey.

10. Global Debt Hits All-Time High Of USD 184 Trillion: IMF

- The International Monetary Fund has announced that the global debt has reached an all-time high of 184

trillion US dollars with the United States, China and Japan accounting for more than half of it.


www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS 11. WEF Gender Gap Index 2018: Iceland Tops, India Ranks 108th

- India has been ranked 108th in World Economic Forum (WEF) gender gap index 2018, same as 2017.

- Iceland topped the list , Norway and Sweden were on 2nd and 3rd position, respectively.

12. FAA Retains Highest Aviation Safety Ranking For India

- The US regulator Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has retained the highest aviation safety ranking

('Category 1'. ) for India.

13. Gujarat Emerges As Best Performing State In Start-Up Ranking 2018

- National Report on States' Startup Ranking was unveiled by Department of Industrial Policy and

Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and Industry in New Delhi.

SCI-TECH NEWS

1. SpaceX Launches 64 Satellites Aboard Reusable Rocket

- SpaceX successfully launched 64 small satellites, including India’s ExseedSAT-1 in the company’s

largest-ever “rideshare” mission on a twice-reused Falcon 9 rocket that lifted off from a California

launchpad. The Falcon 9 rocket carried 15 micro-satellites and 49 CubeSats belonging to 34 different

clients including public, private and university sources from 17 different countries across the world

including South Korea, France and Kazakhstan.

-Space Exploration Technologies Corp., doing business as SpaceX, is a private American aerospace

manufacturer and space transportation services company headquartered in Hawthorne, California.

-Elon Musk is the founder of SpaceX.

2. India’s Heaviest Satellite GSAT-11 Successfully Launched

-India’s heaviest, largest and most powerful satellite GSAT-11 was successfully launched by an Arianespace

rocket from the French Guiana ( south America ).

-The satellite will play a vital role in providing broadband services across the country and also be a platform

to demonstrate new generation applications.

3: Chang'e-4: China Launches 1st Mission to Land on the Far Side of the Moon

- China launched the first-ever spacecraft, Chang'e 4, that will attempt landing on the far side of the

Moon, which always shows the same face to Earth as it's close enough to be locked by the planet's

gravitational field.

4: NITI Aayog Launches ‘AI 4 All Global Hackathon’

- NITI Aayog organised ‘AI 4 All Global Hackathon’ to source sustainable, innovative and technologically-

enabled solutions to address various challenges in the development space, with the vision of 'Artificial

Intelligence, AI for All'.

- Taking the initiative forward, NITI Aayog is now partnering with Perlin – a Singapore-based AI start up -

to launch the ‘AI 4 All Global Hackathon’, and is inviting developers, students, start-ups and companies to

develop AI applications to make significant positive social and economic impact for India.

5. ISRO Launched GSAT- 7A Communication Satellite

- The GSLV F 11 carrying GSAT 7A was successfully launched from the Space research Centre Sriharikota

by ISRO. This last launch of the year is a dedicated mission for updating and increasing the capability of the

Country's defence forces. GSLV F 11 carries the 2250 kilogram GSAT 7A from Sriharikota.

6. Hubble Space Telescope discovers planet vanishing at record speed

Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have discovered a planet GJ 3470b roughly the

size of Neptune, evaporating at a rate 100 times faster than a previously identified exoplanet of

similar size. Hubble found that exoplanet GJ 3470b had lost significantly more mass.

7. China’s navigation satellite system BeiDou starts providing global service


www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS China’s BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) has started offering global service. It is touted as a rival

to America’s Global Positioning System (GPS). Pakistan has become the first foreign nation to use the

BeiDou system ending its reliance on GPS.

China has named its navigation satellite system after the Chinese term (BeiDou )which means ‘Big Dipper’.

The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) named NAVIC is a regional satellite

navigation system that provides accurate real-time positioning and timing services covering India and

a region extending 1,500 km around it.

8. Union Cabinet approves budget for Gaganyaan project

The Union Cabinet has approved a budget of Rs 10,000 crore for India’s Gaganyaan project. The allocation

of the budget comes after the announcement of Prime Minister that, an Indian would travel to space in an

Indian spacecraft by 2022 in his 2018 Independence Day speech.

India will launch two unmanned missions before the final mission. The first unmanned test-flight will be

launched in December 2020. The second unmanned test will be conducted in July 2021 and the human space

flight will be launched in December 2021.

DEFENCE NEWS

1: Indian Coast Guard Conducts Exercise ‘Clean Sea-2018’ At Sea Off Port Blair

- The Indian Coast Guard has conducted the Regional Level Marine Oil Pollution Response

Exercise titled ‘Clean Sea - 2018’ at sea off Port Blair.

2. 7th edition of Sino-India Joint Exercise “Hand-in-Hand” 2018 Held in Chengdu, China

3. 4th Ex Cope India-2018 Starts In West Bengal

- Ex Cope India-18 is the fourth edition in the series of Bilateral Joint exercise held between IAF (Indian Air

force ) and USAF (US air force ), which is conducted in India. This is the first time, the exercise is being

planned at two Air Force bases, Kalaikunda, and Panagarh (West Bengal).

4. Bilateral Air Exercise SHINYUU Maitri-18 Held In Agra

- The Japanese Air Self Defence Force (JASDF) held a bilateral air exercise SHINYUU Maitri-

18 with Indian Air Force at A F Station Agra. The theme of the exercise is joint Mobility/Humanitarian

Assistance & Disaster Relief (HADR) on Transport aircraft.

5. India Successfully Test-Fires Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile Agni-5

-The indigenously built Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile Agni-5 has been test-fired successfully from

Abdul Kalam island under Chandipur Interim Test Range ( Odisha). It can carry both nuclear and traditional

weapons. This is the fourth successful test of this missile. Previously the test of Agni 4 was

unsuccessful. Having 17 meters length and 2 meters diameter the missile can hit the target from a

distance of 5 thousand kilometers.

6. India Successfully Test-Fires Nuclear-Capable Agni-IV Missile

- India successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable long-range ballistic missile Agni-IV,with a strike range

of 4,000 km, as part of a user trial by the Army.

- The strategic surface-to-surface Agni-IV missile was flight tested from launch complex-4 of the Integrated

Test Range (ITR) at Dr Abdul Kalam Island, earlier known as Wheeler Island.

7. Defence Minister Inaugurates Information Fusion Centre in Gurugram

- Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the Indian Navy's Information Fusion Centre (IFC) in

Gurugram that aims to collaborate with partner countries and multi-national agencies to develop maritime

awareness and share information on vessels.

8.The 10th edition of exercise INDRA NAVY will be conducted at/off Visakhapatnam from 09 to 16

December 2018

9.Ex AVIAINDRA, a service specific exercise between Indian Air Force and Russian Federation

Aerospace Force (RFSAF), is planned at Air Force Station Jodhpur from 10-21 Dec 2018..



10. Indian Coast Guard (ICG) conducted Clean Sea- 2018 exercise

It is a Regional Level Marine Oil Pollution Response Exercise conducted by Indian Coast Guard (ICG)

recently at sea off Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar (A&B) Islands.

11.The Indian Navy inducted the 'Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle' into service at the Western

Naval Command in Mumbai- The DSRV has the capability to rescue personnel from a distressed

submarine up to a depth of 650 metre and it is the latest in terms of technology and capabilities.

The vehicle can rescue as many as 14 people in one dive.

12. Indian Navy commissions Naval hospital INHS Sandhani

The Indian Navy has been commissioned a naval hospital ship, the INHS Sandhani at Naval station Karanja

in the Raigad district of Maharashtra INHS Sandhani is the tenth one commissioned by the Indian Navy.

SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES

1: 13th Edition Of CII Agro Tech India - 2018 Inaugurated in Chandigarh

- The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated the 13th edition of CII Agro Tech India-

2018 in Chandigarh.

2. Asia Pacific Summit-2018 Begins in Kathmandu

-Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli is the current Prime Minister of Nepal.

-Bidya Devi Bhandari is the current President of Nepal and commander in chief of Nepalese Army.

3. G-20 Summit - Buenos Aires 2018

-The G-20 Summit 2018 was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina This year, the theme of the summit

was 'Building Consensus for Fair and Sustainable Development'.

4. Sushma Swaraj Co-Chairs 12 session of India-UAE Joint Commission Meeting in Abu Dhabi.

- Mrs Swaraj also inaugurated a Gandhi – Zayed Digital Museum in Abu Dhabi to mark the celebrations of

150 years of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth and centenary celebrations of the birth of Shaikh Zayed, founder of

the modern UAE.

5. Global Agriculture & Food Summit 2018 Held in Jharkhand

6:Annual Startup India Venture Capital Summit 2018 Held In Goa

- The theme of the Summit was ‘Mobilizing Global Capital for Innovation in India.’ The event showcased

the Indian startup opportunity for funds from around the world.

7. India-Russia Mark 18th IRIGC-MTC Meeting

- India's Minister of Defense Nirmala Sitharaman met with Russian Federation General Sergei Shoigu in

New Delhi, marking the 18th meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military

Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC).

8. 1st India-ASEAN InnoTech Summit Held in New Delhi

- The first India-ASEAN InnoTech Summit was held in New Delhi. It was organized by Federation of

Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) in association with the Department of Science &

Technology (DST) and Ministry of External Affairs.

9.India to host G20 summit in 2022, 75th year of Independence

The G20 economies account for nearly 90% of the gross world product, 80% of world trade, two-thirds of

the world population, and approximately half of the world land area.


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