Daily updates 13 December 2019

National News

1. ISRO begins preparations for setting up 3rd rocket launchpad

• Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has begun preparatory works for setting up a 3rd rocket launchpad in the small coastal hamlet of Kulashekhrapattinam in the Thuthukudi district of Tamil Nadu.
• At present, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has two launch pads at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
• The demand for additional launch pads has arisen as a result of the increase in the number of satellite launches from India, both for domestic and international customers.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/SSC CGL:

• ISRO Director: K.Sivan; Headquarters: Bengaluru; Established: 1969.

2. National Tribal Dance Festival to be held in Raipur

• A National Tribal Dance Festival will be held in Chhattisgarh's capital Raipur from December 27 to 29. In the event, international folk artists from 23 states and six other countries are expected to take part and portray their respective tribal folk culture.
• Nearly 1,400 artists belonging to 151 art troupes from 23 states and guest artists from six countries including Sri Lanka, Belarus, Uganda and Bangladesh will participate in the three-day programme.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS SO 2019:

• CM of Chhattisgarh: Bhupesh Baghel; Governor of Chhattisgarh: Anusuiya Uikey.

International News

3. US, Mexico, Canada sign USMCA trade deal

• The representatives from the United States, Mexico and Canada inked a revamped version of their regional trade pact after months of negotiations.
• The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will now go to the countries' legislatures for final approval.
• The accord is meant to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), a deal in place since 1994.

State News

4. Andhra Pradesh Cabinet approves Disha Bill 2019

• The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet approves the A.P. Disha Bill, 2019 (A.P. Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2019) paving the way for awarding the death penalty for the offences of rape and gang-rape and expediting the verdict in trials of such cases to 21 days.
• The Cabinet also gave its nod for introduction of the A.P. Special Court for Specified Offences against Women and Children Bill, 2019, for dealing with offences against women and children, including rape and gang-rape, acid attacks, stalking, voyeurism, sexual harassment and cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/SSC CGL:

• CM of Andhra Pradesh: YS Jaganmohan Reddy.
• Governor of Andhra Pradesh: Biswa Bhusan Harichandan.

Awards

5. Greta Thunberg named Time Person of the Year for 2019

• Sweden's Greta Thunberg has been named as Time magazine's Person of the Year for 2019.
• Greta Thunberg is the Swedish schoolgirl who inspired a global movement to fight climate change and became popular with the "#FridaysForFuture".
• She is the youngest person to be chosen by the magazine in a tradition that started in 1927.
• TIME is also expanding Person of the Year to reflect the full range of subjects that TIME covers.
• For the first time, TIME has chosen the most influential person in a range of fields

S.No.	Name	Profession	Category
1	Greta Thunberg	Climate activist	Person of the Year
2	Bob Iger	Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company	Businessperson of the Year
3	The Public Servants	Federal workers of the US	Guardians of the Year
4	United States women's national soccer team	Women’s Soccer	Athlete of the Year
5	Melissa Jefferson (Lizzo)	Singer	Entertainer of the Year

6. Rani Rampal, Saurabh Chaudhary Win Top Honours at FICCI India Sports Awards

• Indian women's hockey team captain Rani Rampal and ace pistol shooter Saurabh Chaudhary won the Sports Person of the Year awards at the FICCI India Sports Awards 2019.
• The FICCI India Sports Awards are an attempt by FICCI to acknowledge and recognise the contribution of sportspersons and various stakeholders who deliver excellent results throughout the year.
• Rani played a crucial role in India's qualification for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, scoring the winning goal in the two-legged qualifier against the US in November.
• Saurabh, on the other hand, is touted as India's biggest hope for a medal in shooting in Tokyo. He won gold at the 2018 Asian Games and has since won a number of individual and team honours at shooting World Cups.

7. Gurgaon-based startup won ‘Space Oscar’ award

• The Gurugram-based startup blue Sky Analytics has created an application called ‘Zuri’ that won the Copernicus Masters Award also called Space Oscars, under the Social Entrepreneurship category.
• The award was given by the Earth observation program managed by the European Commission (EU) in partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA).
• The application uses satellite data to provide improved monitoring, supply chain and pricing analysis as well as the allocation of crop waste to be used as raw materials in other industries.
• The application includes an AI (Artificial Intelligence)- based tool to measure and monitor farm fires and stubble burning across India, million tons of crops are being burnt in India on farms to clear the field for new crops every winter, as a result releasing massive amounts of greenhouse gases which have led to increased level of pollution in New Delhi and other parts of the country.

8. FICCI India Sports Award 2019

• The FICCI India Sports Awards 2019 has been awarded to Railway Sports Promotion Board under the category of Best Company Promoting Sports.
• Railway Sports Promotion Board has been awarded for its immense contribution in the field of providing sports eco-system within the organization for the budding sports athletes to nurture and expose themselves to their optimum limits and bring laurels to the nation.
• The FICCI India Sports Awards 2019, an attempt by FICCI to acknowledge and recognize the contribution of sportspersons and various stakeholders who deliver excellent results during the year.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/SSC CGL:

• FICCI stands for Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
• Headquarters of FICCI: New Delhi; FICCI established: 1927.

Agreements

9. Mongla and Chattogram declared as Ports of Call under the “Coastal Shipping Agreement'

• The Ministry of Shipping (MoS) announced that Mongla and Chattogram (Both in Bangladesh) have been declared as Ports of Call under “Coastal Shipping Agreement” between India & Bangladesh.
• The Port of Mongla is declared as Port of Call under PIWT&T (Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade ) and Chattogram port is not part of PIWT&T.
• An MoU (Memorandum of Understanding), agreement and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on the use of Chattogram Port & Mongla Ports for goods movement between India and Bangladesh has been signed between both the nations.
• The Ports of Call in India are Kolkata (West Bengal), Haldia (West Bengal), Pandu, Karimganj (Assam), Silghat (Assam), Dhubri (Assam).

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/SSC CGL:

• Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Shipping: Mansukh L. Mandaviya.

Ranks and Reports

10. Nirmala Sitharaman 34th among world's 100 most powerful women: Forbes

• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has been ranked 34th by Forbes in ‘The World's 100 Most Powerful Women’. HCL Corporation CEO and Executive Director Roshni Nadar Malhotra and Biocon Founder Kiran Mazumdar Shaw are two other Indians who also featured in the above list.
• The Forbes 2019 list of ‘The World's 100 Most Powerful Women’ has been topped by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, followed by President of the European Central Bank Christine Lagarde in the 2nd spot and Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, ranked 3rd. Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also featured on the list on the 29th position.

S.No.	Name	Country
1	Angela Merkel	Germany
2	Christine Lagarde	France
3	Nancy Pelosi	United States
4	Ursula von der Leyen	Belgium
5	Mary Barra	United States
6	Melinda Gates	United States
7	Abigail Johnson	United States
8	Ana Patricia Botín	Spain
9	Ginni Rometty	United States
10	Marillyn Hewson	United States
34	Nirmala Sitharaman	India
54	Roshni Nadar Malhotra	India
65	Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw	India
100	Greta Thunberg	Sweden

Schemes and Committees

11. Puducherry government unveils start-up policy

• The Puducherry government unveiled a start-up policy. The policy, launched by Minister for Industries M.O.H.F Shahjahan, aims to create a corpus fund of ₹10 crores to support the setting up of start-up incubators and to develop co-working spaces.
• The department plans to provide a grant of ₹3 lakh to projects recommended by incubators established by the government/private sector/academic institutions as a start-up grant.
• The committee of experts constituted by the government under the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Committee will approve of the projects and monitor their progress.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS SO 2019:

• Lt. Governors Puducherry: Dr Kiran Bedi.

Summits and Conferences

12. International Seminar on Climate Smart Farming Systems begins in New Delhi

• The  ‘International Seminar on Climate Smart Farming Systems’ for BIMSTEC countries began in New Delhi.
• The objective of this International Seminar is to have experience sharing to enable improvement of tropical smallholder farming systems for greater productivity and resilience to climate change through ecological approaches.
• Some of the success stories shall be shared as case studies for the benefit of the BIMSTEC countries.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/SSC CGL:

• The BIMSTEC member states ‘Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan are among the countries dependent on the Bay of Bengal.
• The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).
• This sub-regional organisation came into being on June 6, 1997, through the Bangkok Declaration.

Daily updates 12 December 2019

National News

1. Department of Social Justice started a scheme

• Department of Social Justice and Empowerment has started the scheme of National award for outstanding service in the field of Prevention of Alcoholism and Drug abuse.
• The scheme is applicable to institutions and individuals working in the field of prevention of alcoholism and drug abuse.
• The national award will be presented to the awardees on the occasion of International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on 26th of June 2020.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS SO 2019:

• Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment: Thaawar Chand Gehlot.

2. Workshop on Bamboo cultivation to be held in Jammu

• In Jammu and Kashmir, a first of its kind workshop on Bamboo cultivation will be held on 19th and 20 of this month in Jammu.
• Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh will inaugurate the exhibition.
• The workshop will focus on the promotion of Bamboo cultivation in the potential Kandi areas of Jammu and its value addition as an economic activity and generate entrepreneurship and employment opportunities.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/SSC CGL:

• Lieutenant (Lt) Governors of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K): Girish Chandra Murmu.

International News

3. World's First commercial electric plane takes flight in Canada

• The world's first fully-electric commercial aircraft took its inaugural test flight, taking off from the Canadian city of Vancouver and flying for 15 minutes.
• A 62-year-old six-passenger DHC-2 de Havilland Beaver seaplane re-fitted with a fully electric 750 horsepower motor was piloted by Greg McDougall, founder and chief executive of Harbour Air, a British Columbia-based charter airline that transport passengers between Vancouver.
• MagniX designed the motor and worked in partnership with Harbour Air which ferries thousands of people a year between Vancouver, Whistler ski resort and nearby islands.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/SSC CGL:

• Canada Capital: Ottawa; Currency: Canadian dollar.
• Prime Minister of Canada: Justin Trudeau.

Awards

4. Priyanka Chopra honoured at Marrakech Film Festival

• Indian actress Priyanka Chopra was honoured at the Marrakech Film Festival held at the famous Jemaa el Fna square.
• Priyanka Chopra was honoured for her 20 years of work and contribution in cinema.
• Hollywood actor Robert Redford, Moroccan actress Mouna Fettou and filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier were among other people who were honoured at the festival.

5. Odisha wins ‘World Habitat Award’ for OLHM- Jaga Mission

• Odisha won the bronze in ‘World Habitat Award’ for Jaga Mission also called Odisha Liveable Habitat Mission (OLHM), a slum land titling project executed for the benefit of millions of urban-poor people living in slums.
• The award was given by the World Habitat, a UK (United Kingdom) based organization which gives the award annually to recognize innovative housing projects around the world.
• The Jaga is a society under Housing and Urban Development Department (HUDD), Government of Odisha.
• The OLHM-JAGA aims at transforming the slums into livable habitats and under which 52,682 urban poor families living in the slums have been granted land rights certificate.
• The mission works under the Odisha Land Rights to Slum Dwellers Act passed in September 2017.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS SO 2019:

• Capital of Odisha: Bhubaneswar; Governor of Odisha: Ganeshi Lal.
• Chief Minister (CM) of Odisha: Naveen Patnaik.

Agreements

6. Dell Technologies, UNESCO tie up to boost quality of education

• Dell Technologies announced a new partnership with UNESCO MGIEP (Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace) to enable school teachers to adopt technology in classrooms by using ICT tools.
• The information and communication technology (ICT) tools have been developed by Dell Aarambh and FramerSpace platform.
• The partnership would enable achieving the UN Sustainable Goal 4.7 towards education for building peaceful and sustainable societies and also UNESCO MGIEP in its mission of building social and emotional learning, innovative digital pedagogies and empowering youth.
• The training would focus on teaching the teachers the use of ICT and frontier technologies with the objective of achieving quality education, as outlined under Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SGD 4) by the member-states of the United Nations.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/SSC CGL:

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

Business

7. Xiaomi launches service "Mi Credit" in India for Android phones

• Xiaomi has formally launched its lending platform "Mi Credit" in India for Android phones.
• According to platform "Mi Credit" individuals can avail up to Rs 1 lakh loan.
• The company is planning to introduce more financial products in India.
• The company has been operating Mi Credit platform on a pilot basis.
• Xiaomi has roped in Aditya Birla Finance Ltd, Money View, EarlySalary, Zestmoney and CreditVidya as the current lending partners for Mi Credit service.
• Mi Credit app will come pre-loaded on all MIUI phones, and can be downloaded from Google Play Store.

Defence

8. International Seminar cum Exhibition on Naval weapon Systems : NAVARMS-19

• The 4th edition of International Seminar cum Exhibition on Naval Weapon Systems ‘NAVARMS-19’ begins in Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis, Development Enclave, New Delhi.
• The theme of the Exhibition is “Make in India - Fight Category: Opportunities and Imperatives”.
• NAVARMS is the only international seminar and exhibition on Naval Weapon Systems conducted in the country.
• It invites all the stakeholders in the life cycle management of Naval Weapons and provides a common platform to share their views and concerns.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS SO 2019:

• Chief of the Naval Staff: Karambir Singh.

Economy

9. ADB lowers India's GDP growth forecast to 5.1% in FY20

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has lowered its forecast for India's economic growth in fiscal year 2019-20 to 5.1%.
• ADB has stated that the consumption was affected by slow job growth and rural distress was aggravated by poor harvest.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For LIC Assistant Mains:

• Asian Development Bank Headquarters: Manila, Philippines; President: Takehiko Nakao.

Summit and Conferences

10. Switzerland to be the country partner of BioAsia 2020

• Switzerland will be the country partner at the 17th edition of BioAsia2020 scheduled to be held from February 17-19, 2020 with the theme “Today For Tomorrow” in Hyderabad, Telangana.
• Switzerland is making innovations in the world of medical healthcare and that many pharmaceutical companies have emerged as the center of Switzerland.
• While the city of Hyderabad has become a hub in the field of health tech and will be introduced to the Switzerland Health Tech Ecosystem through the Bio Asia Summit.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS SO 2019:

• Capital of Switzerland: Bern; Currency of Switzerland: Swiss franc.

Sports News

11. GS Lakshmi to become 1st Woman Match Referee to officiate men’s ODI match

• Indian match referee GS Lakshmi is set to become the first woman match referee to officiate a men’s ODI match.
• She will oversee the third series of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2.
• The opening match of the competition will take place between the United Arab Emirates and the United States of America at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
• Earlier in May 2019, she also became the first woman to get appointed onto the ICC International Panel of Match Referees.
• Lakshmi has the experience of officiating in three women's ODI matches, 16 men's T20Is and seven women's T20Is.

Obituaries

12. Former US Federal Reserve chief Paul Volcker passes away

• The former US Federal Reserve chief Paul Volcker passed away. He was appointed as the chief of the US Federal Reserve in 1979.
• He was popularly known for fighting inflation by raising interest rates. He was a legendary figure in American finance.

Important Days

13. International Day of Neutrality: 12 December

• International Day of Neutrality is a United Nations observance held on December 12 each year.
• It was officially declared by a UN General Assembly resolution adopted in February 2017 and first observed on December 12 of the same year.
• In international law, a neutral country is a sovereign state that abstains from all participation in a war between other states and maintains an attitude of impartiality toward the belligerents.
• The belligerents, in their turn, recognize this abstention and impartiality.
• A permanently neutral power is bound to be neutral in all future wars.
• The rights and duties of a neutral country are defined in the Hague Convention of 1907.

14. International Universal Health Coverage Day: 12 December

• International Universal Health Coverage Day (UHC Day) is celebrated globally on 12 December.
• International Universal Health Coverage Day aims to raise awareness of the need for strong and resilient health systems and universal health coverage with multi-stakeholder partners.
• The theme for the 2019 UHC Day is "Keep the promise"
• In 2017 the United Nations proclaimed 12 December as International Universal Health Coverage Day by resolution 72/138.
• Each year on 12 December, UHC advocates raise their voices to share the stories of the millions of people still waiting for health, champion what we have achieved so far, call on leaders to make bigger and smarter investments in health, and encourage diverse groups to make commitments to help move the world closer to UHC by 2030.

Miscellaneous

15. ASI has identified 138 monuments as "Must See" monuments in country

• Archaeological Survey of India has identified 138 numbers of monuments as Must-See Monuments and information thereof is made available on “Must See” portal of Archaeological Survey of India.
• There are 38 World Heritage Sites in India, out of which 22 Cultural Sites including monuments/ buildings and caves are under the protection of Archaeological Survey of India.
• The ‘Must See’ list of ASI features first-class Indian monuments and archaeological sites including those that feature on UNESCO’s (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)World Heritage List.
• Such monuments and sites showcase exceptionality in terms of art and architecture, planning and design.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/SSC CGL:

• Archaeological Survey of India founder: Alexander Cunningham.
• Archaeological Survey of IndiaFounded: 1871.
• Archaeological Survey of India Headquarters: New Delhi.

16. PUMA signs Sunil Chhetri as brand ambassador

• Indian men's football team captain Sunil Chhetri has signed a 3-year deal with PUMA.
• The Bengaluru FC skipper is currently the second-highest goal-scorer in international football after Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo.
• He is the most-capped Indian player and is also the all-time top goal scorer for the Indian team.
• He has been named as the AIFF Player of the Year six times.
• He was also conferred with the Arjuna award in 2011 and Padma Shri in 2019.

17. Pepsico appoints Salman Khan as Pepsi’s new brand ambassador

• PepsiCo has appointed actor Salman Khan as the new brand ambassador of its flagship Pepsi brand of carbonated beverage in India.
• Brand Pepsi will base its summer 2020 campaign on Salman Khan’s upcoming movie "Dabangg-3".
• PepsiCo India will launch a 360 degree campaign to leverage the new association.
• Salman Khan has also represented the Pepsico's product "Thums Up" three years ago.

Daily updates 11 December 2019

National News

1. Delhi will host 6th Indian Ocean Dialogue and Delhi Dialogue XI

• The external affairs ministry is organising the 6th Indian Ocean Dialogue and Delhi Dialogue XI in New Delhi during December 13-14. For the first time, these two events will be held consecutively.
• The theme for the Indian Ocean Dialogue is “Indo-Pacific: Re-imagining the Indian Ocean through an Expanded Geography”, while the theme for the Delhi Dialogue is “Advancing Partnership in Indo-Pacific”.
• The themes are intended to build on the ‘growing recognition of the Indo-Pacific concept in strategic and academic circles within the region and beyond.

State News

2. Odisha to set up 45 new fast track courts

• 45 new fast track courts will be set up in Odisha. The 21 courts would be dedicated to cases of rape and sexual harassment of women.
• The remaining 24 fast track courts will specifically deal with Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) cases.
• The State government's action comes after Centre's decision to formulate a scheme for setting up 1,023 fast track special courts for expeditious trial and disposal of rape cases.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/SSC CGL:

• Utkal Divas or Odisha Day falls every year on 01st April.
• Odisha CM: Naveen Patnaik; Governor: Ganeshi Lal.

Awards

3. Gulu Mirchandani bags CEAMA Lifetime Achievement Award

• Gulu Mirchandani has been conferred with "Lifetime Achievement Award" by the Consumer Electronics and Appliances Manufacturers Association.
• Gulu Mirchandani is the founder chairman of Mirc Electronics Ltd. (Onida).
• He has been awarded for his extensive contribution to the consumer electronics industry.
• He has been associated with consumer electronics industry for more than 3 decades.
• Consumer Electronics and Appliances Manufacturers Association (CEAMA) is an all-India organisation in the consumer electronics and durables sector. It has been in existence for over three decades.

4. Ethiopia's PM receives Nobel Peace Prize

• Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has received the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to achieve international peace and co-operation.
• This year's Nobel Peace Prize was the 100th to be awarded. The Nobel Peace Prize consists of a diploma, a gold medal and a cheque for 9 million Swedish kronor (850,000 euros).
• The Nobel Committee announced in October it was honouring Abiy Ahmed for his efforts to resolve the long-running conflict with neighbouring foe Eritrea.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS SO 2019:

• Ethiopia capital: Addis Ababa; Currency: Ethiopian birr.

Appointments

5. C. Sugandh Rajaram appointed as India's next envoy to the Republic of Ghana

• C. Sugandh Rajaram has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Ghana.
• He will replace Birender Singh Yadav as the next High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Ghana.
• C. Sugandh Rajaram is presently the Consul General, Consulate General of India to Southern Germany.

Ranks and Reports

6. India among top 10 countries with higher climate performance

• India, for the first time, ranks among the top 10 in this year's Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) at the COP25 climate summit in the Spanish capital Madrid.
• The current levels of per capita emissions and energy use in India ranked 9th in the high category showing that emissions are still comparatively low.
• However, despite a high rating for its Climate Policy performance, experts point out that India has yet to develop a roadmap to phase-out fossil fuel subsidies and reduce the country's high dependence on coal.
• The authors of the report noted that while the country receives an overall medium rating in the renewable energy category, India's 2030 renewable energy target is rated very high for its well-below 2 degrees Celsius compatibility.
• They noted that as none of the countries assessed is already on a path compatible with the Paris climate targets, the first three places of the ranking remain unoccupied.
• While some EU countries such as Sweden (4th) and Denmark (5th), one of the best climbers, achieve overall high or very high ratings, the performance of EU countries varies largely.
• While only two G20 countries, the UK (7th) and India (9th), are ranked in the high category, eight G20 countries are remaining in the worst category of the index.
• Australia (56th out of 61), Saudi Arabia and above all the US perform particularly poor.
• The index is jointly presented by Germanwatch, NewClimate Institute and Climate Action Network.
• China, the largest global emitter slightly improves its ranking in the index to 30th place.

7. India ranks 129th in Human Development Index 2019

• India has been ranked 129th among 189 countries in the Human Development Index 2019 released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
• India was ranked 130th last year in the index. Norway, Switzerland, Ireland occupied the top three positions in the index.
• According to the report, South Asia was the fastest growing region in human development progress showing a 46% growth over 1990-2018, followed by East Asia and the Pacific at 43%.

Facts related to India:

• India's HDI value increased from 0.431 to 0.647, which places it above the average for countries in the medium human development group (0.634) and above the average for other South Asian countries (0.642).
• In the Inequality-adjusted HDI (IHDI), India was ranked 130th, losing nearly half the progress (0.647 to 0.477) made in the past 30 years.
• The IHDI indicates percentage loss in HDI due to inequalities. In the Gender Inequality Index (GII), India is at 122 out of 162 countries.
• The Human Development Index measures average achievement of the countries in 3 basic dimensions of human development i.e. life expectancy, education and per capita income.

Science and Technology

8. ISRO to launch earth observation satellite, RISAT-2BR1

• The ISRO(Indian Space Research Organisation) will launch its earth observation satellite, RISAT-2BR1 on PSLV-C48 from the First Launch Pad (FLP) of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
• RISAT-2BR1, a Radar imaging earth observation satellite weighing about 628 kg, will be placed into an orbit of 576 km at an inclination of 37 degrees.
• PSLV-C48, which is the 50th mission of PSLV, will also carry 9 customer satellites of Israel, Italy, Japan and USA as co-passengers.
• These international customer satellites are being launched under a commercial arrangement with NewSpace India Limited.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/SSC CGL:

• ISRO Director: Sivan, Headquarters: Bengaluru, Established: 1969.

Sports News

9. India's R. Praggnanandhaa wins London Chess Classic

• R. Praggnanandhaa from India has won the FIDE Open category of the London Chess Classic held in London.
• He won the tournament with a tally of 7.5 points out of nine rounds.
• The 14-year-old Indian chess player finished joint first with Anton Smirnov of Australia both scoring 7.5 points.

10. Wasim Jaffer becomes first Indian to play 150 Ranji matches

• Veteran opener Wasim Jaffer became the first player in Indian cricket to feature in 150 Ranji matches.
• The former India opener is now just 853 runs away from completing 20,000 runs in first-class cricket.
• Jaffer is followed by Madhya Pradesh batsman Devendra Bundela (145 matches) and Amol Muzumdar (136 matches), who have played for Mumbai and Assam.
• Jaffer has played 253 first-class games, scoring 19,147 runs at an average of 51.19.
• He has scored 57 hundred and 88 fifties with 314 being his highest score.
• He also has a double hundred to his name — the highest score of 212 against West Indies in 2006 at St John’s.

11. Suniel Shetty signed as anti-doping brand ambassador NADA

• Actor Suniel Shetty has been selected as the brand ambassador of National Anti-Doping Agency NADA.
• The country's anti-doping body is hoping that his celebrity status helps its efforts to clean up sports in the country from the menace.
• More than 150 athletes have failed dope tests this year though bodybuilders make up more than one-third of these offenders.
• This is not a welcome sign with less than eight months to go for the Tokyo Olympic Games.
• The suspension of National Anti-Doping Laboratory by the WADA earlier this year is another issue facing the country now that dope samples collected by the National Anti-Doping Agency from the athletes will have to be tested outside India.

12. 13th South Asian Games concluded in Nepal

• The 13th South Asian Games concluded in Nepal. India finished on top with 312 medals comprising 174 gold, 93 silver and 45 bronze.
• Host Nepal remained second and Sri Lanka got third place. During the 10 days long biggest sporting event of South Asia, over 2700 athletes from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Maldives competed for 1119 medals.
• Sporting events in 26 games were held at Kathmandu, Pokhara and Janakpur.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/SSC CGL:

• Nepal Prime Minister: K P Sharma Oli; Capital: Kathmandu.
• President of Nepal: Bidhya Devi Bhandari; Currency of Nepal: Nepalese rupee.

Obituaries

13. ICSSR Chairman Braj Bihari Kumar passes away

• Braj Bihari Kumar, the Chairman of Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) passed away.
• He was appointed as the chairman of the ICSSR in May 2017.
• Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) was established in the year of 1969 by the Government of India to promote research in social sciences in the country.
• provide grants for projects, fellowships, international collaboration, capacity building, survey, publications etc. to promote research in social sciences in India.

14. George Laurer, inventor of the barcode passes away

• The inventor of Universal Product Code(UPC) or Barcode, George Joseph Laurer, passed away.
• His barcode invention at IBM (International Business Machines) corporation, transformed the retail industries as well as other industries across the world.
• He worked as an electrical engineer with IBM in North Carolina’s research triangle park in the early 1970s.
• Barcode is a ubiquitous marking, composed of unique black bars and a 12-digit number, that allows retailers to identify products by means of scanning the code.

Important Days

15. International Mountain Day: 11 December

• International Mountain Day is held every year on 11 December globally.
• This day was established by the UN General Assembly in 2003 to encourage sustainable development in mountains.
• The theme for 2019 IMD is "Mountains Matter for Youth".
• International Mountain Day is a chance to highlight that for rural youth, living in the mountains can be hard.
• Migration from the mountains leads to abandoned agriculture, land degradation and a loss of ancient cultural traditions. Education and training, market access, diverse employment opportunities and good public services can ensure a brighter future for young people in the mountains.
• This year, youth will take the lead and demand that mountains and mountain peoples become central in the national and international development agendas; receive more attention, investments and tailored research.

Miscellaneous

16. Multi Cell Box Type Load Class 70 bridge inaugurated in Rajouri

• Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Girish Chandra Murmu inaugurated the 72-metre long Multi Cell Box Type Load Class 70 bridge to the Nation in Rajouri.
• The bridge spans over Draj nallah and connects Draj Area to Tehsil Kotranka area under District Rajouri.
• The bridge has been built by Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
• The Draj bridge is an important bridge for military as well as for socio-economic development of the Rajouri District as a whole.
• This bridge will facilitate all weather and speedy movement of Army troops as well as locals.