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• On 15th December 2018, International Tea Day aimed to draw global attention of governments and citizens to the impact of global tea trade on workers and growers was observed in Tea Producing countries.


• Indian Tea Association (ITA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China Tea Marketing Association (CTMA) in a meeting held in Kolkata between Vivek Goenka, Chairman ITA and Wang Qing, President CTMA.
  
• ITA Expects to double the export to China in next one year.


• The MoU aims to collaborate towards ensuring sustainability of the industry globally and promoting black and green tea in International Markets.

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• UAE President bin Zayed Al has declared 2019 as the “Year of Tolerance”, highlighting the country as a global capital for tolerance, through its goals to enhance the role of the country in instilling the values of co-existence and peace in local, regional and international communities. This is the fifth in theme-based observation of years in the United Arab Emirates.


• The President said the “Year of Tolerance” will be an extension of the “Year of Zayed”, as it upholds the values of tolerance and coexistence that the late Sheikh Zayed established among the people of the UAE.

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• Haj agreement 2019 was signed between India and Saudi Arabia by Union Minister for Minority Affairs, Mukhtar Abbas, and Haj and Umrah Minister of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Dr Mohammad Saleh bin Taher Benten at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.


• This year more than 2,100 women have already applied to go to Haj without ‘Mehram’ (male companion) after the Modi Government had lifted the ban on women going to Haj without Mehram last year and they had also been exempted from the lottery system.

• Union Railways Minister Piyush Goyal and Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani dedicated the nation’s first National Rail and Transportation Institute (NRTI) in Vadodara, Gujarat.


• It is India’s first and world’s 3rd railway university after Russia and China.


• The Vice-Chancellor of the university is Ashwani Lohani who is the Chairman of the Railway Board of India.


• The Minstry of Railways had sanctioned Rs. 421 crore for the upcoming 5 years for the operation of the project.


• It has been built on 110 acres of land at Pipaliya village in Waghodiya Taluka, District Vadodara.


• The railway university began its operations on September 5 this year to mark Teacher’s Day.


• The building’s construction of the university has been designed on the lines of Pratap Vilas Palace of the erstwhile Gaekwad state.

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• Visakhapatnam is set to emerge as a major hub for manufacture of medical devices in the country, meeting the requirements of the domestic market as well as the export market, according to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.


• He was speaking at the inaugural session of the fourth WHO Global Forum on Medical Devices after dedicating the AP Medtech Zone to the nation.


• The park will give a tremendous boost to the medical devices segment in the healthcare industry. It was the first time the WHO Global Forum on Medical devices was being held in the country and he thanked the WHO representative Henk Bekedam for choosing Visakhapatnam and AP Medtech Zone for the purpose.

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• India’s first private Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) or drone manufacturing facility has been inaugurated in Hyderabad.


• The facility has been set up by Adani Defence & Aerospace, and Elbit Systems. The 50,000 square feet facility would also be the first facility outside Israel to manufacture Hermes 900 Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV. It was inaugurated by Telangana Home Minister Mohammad Mahmood Ali.


• Apart from the UAV Complex, the Adani Aerospace Park was also inaugurated by the Home Minister of Telangana.

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• Union Railways Minister Goyal has dedicated India’s first railway university to the Nation in Vadodara. The Railway University will be first of its kind institution in the nation and the third in the world after Russia and China.


• It will be a deemed university which will offer professional courses in technology and management of transportation networks. The chairman of Railways Board Sh. Ashok Lohani has been named the Vice Chancellor of the University.


• The National Rail and Transportation Institution (NRTI) started its operation on September 5 earlier this year. The Railways Ministry has sanctioned Rs 421 crore for the NRTI and its curriculum development for the next five years.


• A greenfield campus is also under development for the university. Indian Railways has identified a 110-acre plot of land for the NRTI campus at Pipaliya village in Waghodiya Taluka, District Vadodara.

• On December 14, 2018, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for communications, Manoj Sinha launched India Post’s Internet banking facility for post office savings bank (POSB) customers, at the National Media Centre in New Delhi.


• Under this new facility, customers will be able to Transfer funds from one post office savings bank account to another POSB account.


• Make online deposits from savings bank account to recurring deposit (RD) account and public provident fund (PPF) account of post office.


• A POSB customer can access the internet banking facility at ebanking.indiapost.gov.in.


• Additionally, the revamped India Post website and e-commerce portal for rural entrepreneurs were launched as well.


• Also, the event witnessed Disbursement of scholarship under Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana & Conferment of Meghdoot award by the minister.

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• On December 13, 2018, as per notification of Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), customers would be covered under standalone compulsory personal accident (CPA) from January 1, 2019.


• IRDAI introduced standalone PA cover where a single PA cover can be taken for multiple vehicles.


• Additionally, if an owner-driver has a 24 hour personal accident cover against Death and Permanent Disability (Total and Partial) for CSI of at least Rs 15 lakh, no separate CPA is necessary.

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• The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) awarded the hosting rights of the 2020 Asia cup to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in a meeting held in Bangladesh Capital Dhaka.


• The Decision was taken by ACC President Nazmul Hassan Papon but the final venue of the event is still unclear over whether it will be played in UAE or Pakistan.

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• Jnanpith Selection Board chaired by eminent novelist, scholar and Jnanpith laureate Pratibha Ray selected Renowned English writer Amitav Ghosh for the prestigious Jnanpith Award 2018.


• Ghosh is one of the most prominent contemporary Writer who is famous connecting past with present in relevant ways in his novels.


• Shadow Lines, The Glass Palace, The Hunger Tide, River of smoke, Flood of Fire are some of the greatest novels of Amitav Ghosh.


• Amitav Ghosh is also recipient of the Padma Shri and Sahitya Akademi Awards.

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• MNF dethroned Congress by winning 26 seats in the 40 member legislative assembly. Congress bagged 5 seats whereas BJP won just 1 seat.


• Mr Tawnluia sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister of Mizoram.

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• Sri Lanka’s disputed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned from his post, signalling an end to nearly a two-month-long political crisis that has kept the island nation without a functional government.


• Rajapaksa’s resignation came after the country’s Supreme Court refused to stay a lower court order barring him and his Cabinet from functioning. The Parliament had already passed two no-trust motions against him.


• The President has agreed to swear in Ranil Wickremesinghe who leads the United National Party (UNP) as Prime Minister.

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• Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning to reuse PSLV rocket's last stage, which becomes "dead" after it releases the primary satellite in orbit.


• The new technology will use the dead rocket as a satellite and will be demonstrated during PSLV-C44 launch in January 2019. Notably, ISRO will be the first-ever space agency to achieve the feat.