Introduction
The article Current Affairs One-Liners December 2019 includes One-Liners with an explanation, analysis, and issues of current events, including political or industrial controversy or public policy issues in the month of December.
Dec 2019
1. International News
- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for “positive and offensive measures” to ensure the country’s security before a year-end deadline he has set for denuclearization talks with the United States, state media KCNA said.
- U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the state of relations between their two countries in a phone call instigated by Putin, the White House said.
- As 2019 winds down, apprehensions remain that the “phase one” trade deal agreed to by the US and China earlier this month will not completely end the trade war between the two countries that had a massive impact on established global multi-lateral trade arrangements.
- Work began on the firm’s multibillion-dollar Shanghai “Gigafactory” in January, allowing the company to skirt trade tensions between China and the U.S.
- The hearing comes as Netanyahu appears poised to seek immunity from the corruption charges against him, delaying the prospect of a trial until the elections when he hopes to have a parliamentary majority coalition.
- A voter told Biden during an event Monday afternoon in Exeter, New Hampshire, that her son had wondered if the Democratic presidential contender would consider choosing a Republican as a running mate.
- The identification tags belonging to Roger Taylor came home to Beloit, where the artifact and its history could be maintained.
- In a statement, the 65-year-old tycoon said he would “no longer be held hostage by a rigged Japanese justice system, where guilt is presumed, discrimination is rampant, and basic human rights are denied.”
- US President Donald Trump’s “America first” policy was the precursor to the trade war, which led to both sides imposing tariffs worth hundreds of billions of dollars on each other’s exports.
- For many governments, from France to Bolivia, it was a year fraught with agitations. In many instances, the turmoil worsened already perilous economic situations.
- Gallup attributed Trump’s ascendance to the top spot to an improved job approval rating of 45%, his best yet as president, which pulled him from the second spot he was in in 2018 and 2017 with 13% and 11%.
- Wang Yi, a founding pastor of China’s Early Rain Covenant Church in the city of Chengdu in southwestern Sichuan province was among several church members picked up in overnight raids last year.
- The mishap took place when an employee of IMC and three labourers were conducting a routine inspection of the storage tank. The roof suddenly blew away with a blast due to the fire, as reported by the police.
- December 31 is no longer the last date to link your Aadhaar card with PAN or Permanent Account Number.
- The ministry of home affairs declared the entire state of Nagaland a “disturbed area” for six more months, till June, under the controversial Armed Forces Special Protection Act (Afspa), which empowers security forces to conduct operations anywhere and arrest anyone without any prior notice.
- In its first major anti-corruption operation in Jammu and Kashmir after the reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir as a Union Territory, the Central Bureau of Investigation raided 13 locations including premises of senior IAS officers Yasha Mudgal and Kumar Rajeev Ranjan.
- Before becoming the Army chief, Gen Bipin Rawat handled various operational responsibilities in many areas, including along the LoC with Pakistan, the LAC with China and in the northeast.
- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that a task force has identified Rs 102 lakh crore worth of projects after conducting 70 stakeholder consultations in a short period of four months.
- Bihar’s chief minister Nitish Kumar, in his succinct reply, has attempted to rest the ongoing verbal spat between his party JDU and his NDA-alliance partner BJP.
- Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief Ghulam Mir called it an arm-twisting tactic of the government to stifle the voice of Opposition.
- Apart from the BJP, the saints in Ayodhya have also reacted to Priyanka Gandhi’s remark about saffron. They said she could have targeted Yogi Aditanath but it was not fair to target saffron.
- Sonny Mehta, a husband of well-known writer Gita Mehta, was the editor-in-chief of publishing house Alfred A Knopf and chairman of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group in New York.
- The Department of Elementary Education, Assam, has released the result for Teachers’ Eligibility Test (TET) for Lower Primary and Upper Primary Level – 2019.
- UGC NET result for the December 2019 exam will be released today. National Testing Agency (NTA) Chairman Vineet Joshi, confirmed to NDTV that the result for December UGC NET exam will be released, December 31.
- The National Testing Agency will conduct Joint Entrance Examination (Main) – 2020 on January 6.
- Enthused by a record foreign investment inflow, India is optimistic of continuing to be one of the world’s favourite FDI destinations in 2020
- IndiGo and Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways have expressed interest in bidding for national carrier Air India, The Economic Times reported.
- The 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League is set to get underway on March 29 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai with Mumbai Indians kicking off the campaign on their home ground.
- Noted musician and composer Ilaiyaraja (born as Gnanathesikan) has been selected for 2019 Harivarasanam award.
- Christina Hammock Koch (40), an American engineer and the United States (US) Space agency-NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) astronaut has created history by becoming the longest-lived woman in space.
- Outgoing Army Chief General Bipin Rawat is set to take over as the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) today.
- West Ham United have reappointed David Moyes as head coach on an 18-month deal to replace the sacked Manuel Pellegrini.
1. International News
- Elon Musk, the founder of tunneling enterprise Boring Company, said in a tweet that a commercial tunnel in Las Vegas would “hopefully” be fully operational in 2020.
- More than 1,000 people rallied in the rain in a park in Hong Kong’s financial district on Sunday, chanting slogans for democracy as they huddled under a sea of umbrellas.
- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called at a ruling party meeting for “positive and offensive measures” to ensure security ahead of a year-end deadline he has set for denuclearisation talks with the United States, state media KCNA said.
- Iraqi anti-government protesters blockaded an oil field and rallied in southern cities Sunday while political factions remained paralyzed in their attempts to form a new government.
- The attack appeared to be the latest in a string targeting Jews in the region, including a massacre at a kosher grocery store in New Jersey earlier this month.
- Attorney Stephen Kohn, an expert in whistle-blower protection laws, told the Washington Post this was unprecedented as the president is duty-bound to protect the confidentiality of intelligence agency whistle-blowers.
- WWII began in 1939 when Poland was invaded by Germany, then by the Soviet Union. Putin has lashed out against a resolution adopted by the EU Parliament that says the Soviet Union bears responsibility for the war.
- New York City itself, police have received at least six reports — eight since Dec. 13 — of attacks possibly motivated by anti-Jewish bias.
- The Pakistan prime minister asked the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America to make efforts to counter the Indian lobby in the US.
- Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, the chief Pakistani military spokesman, received a hero’s welcome when he visited the notorious Jamia Rashidia madrassa in the southern port city of Karachi, which has ties with the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)
- Amid the largescale protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Union Home Minister Amit Shah will hold a public meeting in Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s home turf, Jodhpur, on January 3.
- Indian Ambassador to Austria, Renu Pall, who rented an apartment for herself at Rs 15 lakh per month, has been recalled by the Ministry of External Affairs for financial irregularities and misuse of government funds.
- Janata Dal (United) national vice president Prashant Kishor opened a new front by claiming that the party should get a larger share of seats in the 2020 assembly polls.
- Parliament and state assemblies may see a proposal to rejig legislative powers of speakers to better handle cases under the anti-defection law in the wake of recent controversies, according to people familiar with the matter.
- In a press conference, Priyanka Gandhi had pulled the Uttar Pradesh chief minister over his “revenge against protesters” remark.
- Forest Survey of India (FSI) report, said the mangrove cover in the Sunderbans has shrunk by more than two square kilometers – from 2214 sq km to 2112.11 sq km - between 2017 and 2019.
- Slamming the BJP and the party’s move on the recent citizenship row, CM Mamata Banerjee urged the people to drive the saffron party out ‘the moment they get the first opportunity’ at her first rally in Purulia town
- The due date for linking of PAN with Aadhaar has been extended from December 31, 2019 to March 31, 2020, according to CBDT.
- Guwahati recorded a low of 9 degree Celsius, in Shillong, it was 5 degrees Celsius and Nagaland’s commercial hub Dimapur recorded a minimum temperature of 8 degree Celsius.
- The BJP minister, who has previously waded into controversies by his remarks, said on Monday that those who live in India but abuse it and hail Pakistan have no right to stay in this country.
- The CRPF statement also rebutted Priyanka Gandhi who had accused Uttar Pradesh police officer Abhay Mishra of entering the place in Lucknow where she was staying without permission and alleged a breach in protocol.
- Central Selection Board of Constable (CSBC), Bihar has released the admit card for the constable recruitment exam on its official website.
- Agriculture Scientist Board has released the admit card for the ICAR NET 2019 on its official website.
- NEET PG 2020 admit card will be released tomorrow. A notice on the National Board of Examination (NBE) says that ‘Admit Cards for NEET PG 2020 shall be live on 31st December 2019’.
- The Centre will conduct negotiations on the Goods & Services Tax (GST) structure after presenting Budget 2020, reports Mint.
- India is expected to overtake Germany to become fourth-largest economy in 2026 and Japan to become third largest in 2034, according a recent report by the UK-based Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR).
- Liverpool needed the aid of VAR to re-establish their 13-point lead at the top of the Premier League with a 1-0 win over Wolves as a late Chelsea fightback inflicted a 2-1 defeat on Arsenal in Mikel Arteta’s first home game in charge.
- Modou Sougou’s brace helped 10-man Mumbai City FC to a 2-1 win over Hyderabad FC in a Indian Super League (ISL) tie at the Mumbai Football Arena.
- Indian Grandmaster Koneru Humpy claimed the World Women’s Rapid Chess Championship title after drawing the Armageddon game against Lei Tingjie of China in Moscow, Russia.
- Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) working president Hemant Soren was sworn-in as the 11th Chief Minister of Jharkhand here.
- Australian pacer Peter Siddle has announced his retirement from international cricket at the age of 35.
1. International News
- Both sides had said earlier this month they would carry out a prisoner exchange by the end of the year, following high-profile peace talks in Paris aimed at de-escalating Europe’s only active war.
- Echoing the cautionary words from her famous speech at the World Economic Forum earlier this year, Swedish Climate Change activist Greta Thunberg jumped on the bandwagon, to sum up 2019 in just five words.
- The blast occurred at a busy intersection southwest of Mogadishu where traffic is heavy because of a security checkpoint and a tax office.
- It was not clear if anyone was killed. The Ramapo Police Department did not immediately comment on the situation.
- The Korean Central News Agency reported that leader Kim Jong Un presided over a plenary meeting of the party’s Central Committee convened in Pyongyang.
- Video testimony provided to war crimes investigators and published by the newspaper showed former members of Eddie Gallagher’s elite commando unit accusing him of shooting at a 12-year-old and discussing the accusations that Gallagher targeted civilians.
- The siren at Camp Casey, which is near the border with North Korea, went off by “human error” at around 10 p.m. said Lt. Col. Martyn Crighton, a public affairs officer for the 2nd Infantry Division.
- More than anything else, year 2019 will be remembered by policy wonks and the public for a joint-outreach to the Indian diaspora by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Trump, with a crowd-size that the American leader continues to marvel at to this day, impressed and, perhaps, a little envious.
- An Indian national was among six people killed when two buses crashed into a truck in Egypt’s Suez governorate, according to a media report.
- The number of travelers from Bangladesh to India has dipped as protests erupted across the country against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
- PAN and Aadhaar card. While you might be busy preparing plans to celebrate the New Year, the Income Tax Department has made it mandatory for you to connect your Permanent Account Number (PAN) with Aadhaar before the end of this year.
- The Union cabinet approved fund allocation for updating NPR last week, putting the official stamp on a revised pan-India list of “usual residents”, but attempted to distance the exercise from the controversial National Register of Citizens (NRC).
- The NHRC has asked the government to respond within 6 weeks, failing which, it would start a coercive process under section 13 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993.
- Dharmendra Pradhan also criticized the protesters agitating against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and proposed the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
- Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) has released the admit card for the Grade I School Lecturer exam which is dues to be held from January 3 to January 13.
- Along with all other plans for the new year, the Indian Railways would carry forward pending recruitment exams for over 1 lakh posts.
- As economic slowdown continues to hurt sales, the Indian retail industry expects to bounce back in the second half of 2020 on the back of consumer demand revival and increased spending.
- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on November 28 said that Department of Revenue (DoR) will mandate all businesses having a turnover of above Rs 50 crore to provide payment modes UPI QR code or RuPay debit card to ensure they do not charge a merchant discount rate (MDR) fee from January onwards.
- England’s tour of South Africa didn’t get off to the best of starts with illness sweeping through the touring party.
- Peter Siddle, veteran Australian fast bowler, announced his retirement from international cricket after a 67-Test career, with national coach Justin Langer praising him as giving his “heart and soul” to the team.
- Krishnamachari Srikkanth (60), Former Indian cricket team captain and member of the 1983 World Cup winning team & former Indian women’s Cricket team captain Anjum Chopra (42) will be the recipient of prestigious Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s CK Nayudu Lifetime Award for the year 2019.
- Malala Yousafzai (also known as Malala), a Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest Nobel Peace Prize (2014) laureate,
- The head of the Sri Pejavara Adhokshaja Mutt, Vishwesha Teertha Swami, died on Sunday in Karnataka’s Udupi after battling ill health for the past few days. He was 88.
1. International News
- Russia formally contested a four-year ban from major sporting events over doping violations that President Vladimir Putin has condemned as “unjust,” the head of its RUSADA anti-doping agency said.
- ISIS released a video purporting to show its militants beheading 10 Christian men in Nigeria, saying it was part of a campaign to avenge the deaths of its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and its spokesman.
- The UN General Assembly approved a resolution strongly condemning human rights abuses against Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslims and other minorities, including arbitrary arrests, torture, rape and deaths in detention.
- The first red phone booth installed in 1924 in Piccadilly that became a prototype for thousands across London and elsewhere was listed as a Grade II* structure, which ensures special protection measures to retain its iconic status.
- The decade was marked by the US retreat from its traditional commitments; the rise of economic protectionism, nationalism, illiberalism.
- At least 14 people were killed, and 22 have been hospitalized in grave condition, the Almaty mayor’s office said.
- With all votes counted, Likud announced early Friday that Netanyahu had secured 72.5 percent, with Saar winning 27.5 percent.
- The petition, filed by Advocate Azhar Siddique in the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Musharraf’s behalf, named the federal government and others as respondents. The petition will be heard on Jan 9, 2020.
- De Lima, one of the highest-profile critics of Duterte’s controversial war on drugs, has been imprisoned since February 2017 over a drug charge but has claimed innocence, and accused him of persecuting political opponents.
- Israel’s attorney general indicted the prime minister for fraud, bribery, and breach of trust over a series of corruption allegations he denies.
- Japan and South Korea -- both key US allies and democracies have long been locked in a bitter row over historical issues that have spiraled into a fully-fledged trade dispute.
- The Fokker 100 aircraft, operated by Bek Air, got into trouble shortly after departing from Almaty, the Central Asian country’s commercial center, on a pre-dawn flight to the capital Nur-Sultan.
- Authorities in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya have extended prohibitory orders banning the assembly of more than four people in the district till February 25, 2020, in view of anti-Citizenship Amendment Act.
- Overseas Citizenship of India cardholders, in certain age groups, can travel to India even if they have not re-registered it after the issuance of their new passports, as the Home Ministry has relaxed travel conditions till June 30, 2020, an official said.
- Even as restrictions under section 144 of the CrPC are being imposed in several parts of the country, several protests have been planned against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act at Delhi’s Jamia University, Shaheen Bagh, India Gate and Zakir Nagar.
- Nepal has banned vehicles with Indian number plates from running in the tourist hub of Pokhara ahead of the new year, a move that has sparked an uproar among tourism entrepreneurs.
- Citing the data supplied by the defence ministry, the panel highlighted the worrying disparity in the funds sought by the military and the corresponding allocation.
- Naidu hailed the former finance minister as “brilliant” and said there was a need for an “enlightened debate” on larger issues and challenges faced by India.
- The issue has, however, caused controversy after the complaint mentioned the number of students as 10,000, which the SSP later clarified was a “typing error” and said the actual count was 1,000.
- Indian Meteorological Department said there was no respite in sight from the bitter cold till the arrival of the new year.
- Efforts were made to interrupt his speech on stage and from the audience during the Indian History Congress at Kannur, Khan said in a series of tweets with photographs.
- A 19-year-old Hyderabad girl has bagged ‘Change the World’ scholarship worth around Rs 60 lakh awarded by the University of Wollongong, Australia.
- The Central Board of Secondary Education has declared the result of Central Teachers’ Eligibility Test (CTET) December 2019 examination.
- The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has announced Deputy Central Intelligence Officer (DCIO) recruitment.
- Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) is expected to declare the clerk prelim exam result soon. Candidates can check their results at ibps.in.
- UCEED, CEED 2020 admit cards released. The entrance examination will be held on January 18, 2020. The schedule date for downloading the admit card for the examination is January 1, 2020.
- UPSSSC in its official notice has stated that the JA exam will be held on January 4. Earlier, the exam was supposed to be held on December 24 which was then postponed.
- Candidates can download their admit card online at csbc.bih.nic.in. The exam will be held on January 12 and 20 in two shifts. The morning shift will start at 10 am and afternoon shift will start at 2 pm.
- The health of scheduled urban cooperative banks (SUCBs) worsened in the second quarter with a fall in capital adequacy and a rise in gross non-performing assets (NPAs), the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said in a report.
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday cautioned that the asset quality of scheduled commercial banks (SCB) may worsen next year owing to changes in the macroeconomic scenario.
- Doubles coach Flandy Limpele said that the men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty “have the capability” to win India’s first-ever doubles Olympic medal.
- Australia captain Tim Paine blasted cricket’s Decision Review System (DRS), saying it left him “disappointed and angry” after he was dismissed controversially in the second Test against New Zealand.
- Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Narendra Singh Tomar, presented the Best Performing Award for Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETI) (2nd rank) to Andhra Bank for the financial year 2018-19.
1. International News
- The petition, filed by Advocate Azhar Siddique in the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Musharraf’s behalf, named the federal government and others as respondents. The petition will be heard on Jan 9, 2020.
- Turkey’s Constitutional Court ruled that a more than the two-year block on access to the online encyclopedia Wikipedia in the country is a violation of freedom of expression.
- Communities across Asia commemorated the more than 230,000 victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami, the 15th anniversary of one of the world’s most deadly disasters.
- US President Donald Trump said he and Chinese President Xi Jinping will have a signing ceremony to sign the first phase of the US-China trade deal agreed to this month.
- Exactly a century ago, in 1919, US President Woodrow Wilson, in the backdrop of the first World War, decided that there had to be a new way of governing the world.
- Malala became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her efforts for children’s rights which started even before she was shot in the head two years ago by Taliban.
- The rebels said he was killed in military attacks on Christmas day but the claim could not be verified; NLD spokesman Myo Nyunt said The Arakan Army bore responsibility.
- The year was full of tosses and turns for the tycoon turned president, with facing landmark accords such as his impeachment and dealing with the hornet’s nest of Afghanistan, North Korea, and Mexico.
- Two days after a German student was forced to leave the country for participating in an anti-citizenship act protest in Chennai, a Norwegian tourist in Kochi in Kerala may face a similar fate.
- Here are today’s top news, analysis and opinion curated for you at this hour. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times.
- Union Home Minister Amit Shah will address a public rally in Shimla to commemorate BJP’s second year in power in the state.
- Addressing a rally in Shimla, Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had ensured that CAA would not strip minorities of their citizenship.
- Much of the criticism around Bipin Rawat revolved around whether a serving army chief should wade into politically troubled waters.
- Amit Shah, ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in April, had reportedly said, “Aap chronology samajh lijiye (please understand the chronology)”. He had reportedly said first the CAB will come, then the NRC and not just for Bengal but for the entire country.
- The protesters, who were carrying placards that read ‘Save the Constitution, don’t divide India’, appealed to the people to remain non-violent.
- VK Singh’s defence of General Bipin Rawat came a day after the Army Chief’s remarks on CAA and NRC while addressing an event in the national capital.
- University students in the coming years may get to decide the time and place of when they sit for examinations as higher education sector regulator UGC has given a go-ahead to the concept of on-demand testing.
- UP Board secretary Neena Srivastava said that the new norm is aimed at cross-checking to confirm whether the leave is being requested on legitimate grounds or escape duty in the exams.
- The Delhi government indulged in propaganda and published full-page advertisements but did nothing on the ground, Sahasrabuddhe, a BJP member of the Rajya Sabha, claimed.
- The pink common will have three pink toilets attached to it and can accommodate over 100 students at a time. The hall is built over an area of 1,200 sq feet, adjacent to the music and performing arts department of the arts faculty.
- The RBI will conduct a second round of simultaneous bond buying and selling on Monday in an effort to lower long-term borrowing costs.
- Tickets on credit are not being issued to the government departments or agencies against whom the pending dues is Rs 10 lakh or more.
- The domestic currency opened weak at 71.22 and later kept fluctuating. The domestic unit finally settled at 71.27, showing a fall of 9 paise over its previous close of 71.18.
- Real Kashmir FC defeated defending champions Chennai City FC 2-1 in the ongoing I-League 2019-20 in their first home match since the abrogation of Article 370.
- Australia captain Tim Paine blasted cricket's Decision Review System, saying it left him "disappointed and angry" after he was dismissed controversially in the second Test against New Zealand.
- The surge in Ambani’s fortune this year was fueled by a 38% jump in the shares of his Reliance Industries Ltd., a conglomerate that’s pivoting more toward consumer offerings than its core oil refining and petrochemicals businesses.
1. International News
- President Vladimir Putin said that Russia has got a strong edge in designing new weapons and that it has become the only country in the world to deploy hypersonic weapons.
- The Philippines is the first major landmass facing the Pacific typhoon belt and is hit by an average of about 20 major storms a year.
- Arocket launched from the Gaza Strip at a southern Israeli city as it hosted a campaign rally by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prompted him to take shelter briefly before resuming the event, Israeli TV stations reported.
- The rector of Notre Dame Cathedral says the Paris landmark is still so fragile that there’s a “50% chance” the structure might not be saved because scaffolding installed before this year’s fire is threatening the vaults of the Gothic monument.
- While party leaders and analysts predict Netanyahu will win, it’s been a year of unwelcome surprises for the Israeli leader, whose weakened standing after a year of political and legal turmoil invites challenges.
- Unlike Bill Clinton’s impeachment, Trump is almost certain to lead the national Republican ticket again in 2020. Holding a firmer grasp over his party, Senate Republicans do not feel the need to stray away from the White House.
- Malala became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her efforts for children’s rights which started even before she was shot in the head two years ago by Taliban.
- The rebels said he was killed in military attacks on Christmas day but the claim could not be verified; NLD spokesman Myo Nyunt said The Arakan Army bore responsibility.
- With the internet and mobile phone networks still cut off, a full assessment of Phanfone’s damage was not immediately possible, but at least 16 people had been confirmed killed in villages and towns.
- Users could receive a warning alert with a ‘Hate O’Meter’ – the hate speech severity score – the sender’s name, and an option to view the content or delete it unseen, akin to spam and malware.
- Chinese foreign ministry’s latest attempt to counter demands from international governments and rights groups for a clear and transparent picture of minorities in the large and remote province, which Beijing says is at the forefront of its fight against terrorism.
- Donald Trump spoke with deployed members of the military on Tuesday, and one asked him about his appearance in the Christmas film.
- The Argentinian also emphasized “unconditional” love, in a year that has seen the Pope move to combat silence surrounding pedophilia in the Roman Catholic church.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a national plan involving an expenditure of Rs 6,000 crore to save groundwater.
- Solar eclipse (also known as Surya Grahan) is gracing the Indian skies. Instead of a more majestic total eclipse, it is an annular solar eclipse that is appearing as a “ring of fire” in the sky.
- The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has released the final list of applicants selected for the Prime Minister’s Research Fund (PMRF) for December 2019.
- Union Minister Harsh Vardhan said the Centre was planning to convert 75 hospitals in aspirational districts across the country into medical colleges in a phase-wise manner.
- General Rawat’s term as Army chief ends on December 31 and the government is likely to name the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) before that. He is widely believed to be the front-runner for the post.
- Banerjee also took out a protest march with a huge gathering from Rajabazar to Mallick Baazar against the CAA and NRC, in Kolkata.
- Many in Assam fear, CAA, which will help in giving citizenship to religious minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, is a threat to Assamese people, their language and culture.
- Gujarat State Eligibility Test (GSET) will be conducted on December 29. The Maharaja Sayahurao University of Baroda, Vadodara has released the admit card for the GSET 2019 at its official website gujaratset.in.
- Six persons including the principal and administrators of a school here were arrested in connection with the clerk exam paper leak, the police said.
- Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has released the admit card for combined geo- scientist prelims exam. Candidates can download UPSC geo- scientist admit card online at upsc.gov.in.
- NABARD Recruitment 2019: National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development (NABARD) has invited online application for the posts of office assistant in Group C level. There are a total of 73 posts.
- All government and private schools up to class 12 have been closed for the next two days in Ghaziabad due to the severe cold wave in the region.
- Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) has released the admit card for assistant mains re-exam to be held in Agra centre. LIC re-exam will be held on December 29.
- If AI is a simulation of human intelligence, who does it simulate and does it have a gender? Read on to know does the artificial intelligence have a gender
- Non-filing of Goods and Services Tax (GST) returns could result in attachment of bank accounts or cancellation of registration, the BusinessLine reported.
- The domestic currency opened weak at 71.22 and later kept fluctuating. The domestic unit finally settled at 71.27, showing a fall of 9 paise over its previous close of 71.18.
- The surge in Ambani’s fortune this year was fueled by a 38% jump in the shares of his Reliance Industries Ltd., a conglomerate that’s pivoting more toward consumer offerings than its core oil refining and petrochemicals businesses.
- On Day 1 of Delhi’s Ranji Trophy match against Hyderabad, Shikhar Dhawan scored his first hundred for the team since 2013 when he made Test debut for Team India.
- Steve Smith engaged in a heated exchange with on-field umpire Nigel Llong for making a controversial call during the first session on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
- Virat Kohli has been included in the list of five cricketers of the decade announced by Wisden. Along with Kohli, the other four cricketers are – Steve Smith, Dale Steyn, AB de Villiers and Ellyse Perry.
- Leander Paes has announced he would retire from professional tennis in 2020, saying the next year is going to be an “emotional one”.
- The Jannayak Janta Party (JJP)’s MLA from Haryana’s Narnaund constituency, Ram Kumar Gautam on Wednesday resigned from the party’s Vice President post.
1. International News
- China hosted the leaders of squabbling neighbors South Korea and Japan for their first meeting in over a year, flexing its diplomatic muscle with America’s two key military allies in Asia and seeking regional unity on how to deal with a belligerent North Korea.
- Clashes resumed in Hong Kong between police and anti-government protesters, some of them donned in Santa Claus hats, as the more than 6-month-long demonstrations look set to move into the new year.
- President Donald Trump said that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may be planning to give him “a nice present” such as a “beautiful vase” for Christmas rather than a missile launch.
- One by one, victims of the Maryland travel agent told the judge how they had been duped. Some paid thousands for tickets through the agent but could not board a plane when they arrived at the airport.
- Donald Trump spoke with deployed members of the military on Tuesday, and one asked him about his appearance in the Christmas film.
- The Argentinian also emphasized “unconditional” love, in a year that has seen the Pope move to combat silence surrounding pedophilia in the Roman Catholic church.
- Bolsonaro slipped and fell on his back in the bathroom, but a cranial CT scan detected no anomalies. His health has been a subject of concern ever since he became president on January 1.
- Trump, who is in Florida for the holidays, had just finished thanking service members from each branch of the military via satellite when he was asked about North Korea.
- Boeing has faced scrutiny over its decision to keep flying the plane after its first crash, brush off safety concerns of some employees, and sacrifice safety in the race to develop a plane to compete with an Airbus jet.
- The new group of Indian-origin MPs after the December 12 election is the latest example of the diaspora’s growing participation in politics in various countries.
- Natalia Escudero -- a staff of public broadcaster RTVE -- thought that she had bagged a fat sum of money in Spain’s El Gordo (The Fat One) Christmas lottery but it turned out to be a small win only.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his tribute to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his 95th birth anniversary said the three-time PM’s “silence held more power than his words”.
- President Ram Nath Kovind said the words and deeds of Jesus Christ have the power to heal wounds in today’s world which finds itself “tormented by strife, hatred, and violence”.
- The Centre has created a 7,522.48 crore package for infrastructure development of the fisheries sector, especially in coastal states, in line with the objective of doubling farmers’ incomes, Union fisheries and animal husbandry minister Giriraj Singh said.
- Over 3700 police and security personnel including quick response teams and a strike force of the Uttar Pradesh anti-terror squad have been deployed and internet mobile services suspension extended in Lucknow for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s
- Arkoprobho Das, another student of Jadavpur, said around 25 of his batchmates did not go to the podium to collect their degrees.
- This report card will be distributed among 3.5 million households in the city in the party’s door-to-door campaign that begins.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi was talking at the launch of Atal Bhujal Yojana, a scheme at panchayat level for groundwater management, named after India’s former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee
- The ammunition appears to have been dumped by the Arakan Liberation Army, a rebel group in the western state of Rakhine in Myanmar, the BSF said.
- The Congress is desperately seeking to tap the anger of the youth, especially the students, against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), -led government over the CAA and the proposed pan-India National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise.
- National Testing Agency (NTA) will release the GPAT 2020 admit card today on its official website. Candidates will be able to download the GPAT 2020 admit card at gpat.nta.nic.in.
- National Testing Agency (NTA) will release the CMAT 2020 admit card today on its official website. Candidates will be able to download the CMAT 2020 admit card at cmat.nta.nic.in.
- The rupee depreciated by 9 paise to close at 71.27 against the US dollar amid heavy selling in domestic equities and steady rise in crude oil prices.
- The Indian tycoon added almost $17 billion to his wealth as of Dec. 23, the most in Asia, taking his net worth to about $61 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
- The Reserve Bank of India has introduced a new type of prepaid payment instrument (PPI) which could be used only for purchase of goods and services up to a limit of Rs 10,000 per month.
- Willian’s performance at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last weekend highlighted just why Frank Lampard is keen to see the Brazilian’s future at Chelsea resolved.
- United Nations International Children’s and Education Fund (UNICEF) has awarded Kamareddy district of Telangana for effective implementation of Swachh Bharat Mission in water sanitation and hygiene sectors for the year 2019.
- The Vice President of India, Shri Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu has conferred the 66th National Film Awards for the year 2018 in 31 categories in New Delhi.
- JMM leader Hemant Soren will take the oath as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand for the second time at 1 pm on December 29.
1. International News
- The United States welcomed death sentences issued by Saudi Arabia against five people over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
- Boeing fired its chief executive officer in a move intended to bring to a close the most tumultuous period in its 103-year history, marked by a bungled response to two fatal airplane crashes blamed on a flawed software program and poor oversight.
- Hong Kong should “continue to be free and open”, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told the Chinese president, as the city is rocked by months of pro-democracy protests.
- The Boris Johnson government announced the expansion of the list of UK-based fellowships whose international holders such as scientists and experts will be extended a fast-track visa process so that they can begin work as soon as possible.
- China had 16.6 million rural poor (across the country) who were living on less than 2300 yuan (approximately Rs 23000) annually; as many as 400 counties were listed as impoverished.
- The Swedish teen-activist post on social media regarding the fires was retorted by Morrison who remained committed to his defence of balancing climate concerns with that of the national economy.
- Maryam would not be allowed to go abroad as she was placed under the no-fly list for being involved in the August 2018 corruption case and could not get permission to leave the country.
- Israel has repeatedly struck Iran-linked targets in Syria and has warned against any Iranian presence on the frontier. The former denied commenting on the airstrikes even after media reportage.
- The agenda includes economic matters, as well as tensions between Seoul and Tokyo - but N.Korea appears likely to dominate the agenda with its year-end deadline for the US to change its hostile policy.
- The ministry of railways will be notifying the amount to be charged for using the redeveloped stations, senior government officials said.
- The International Monetary Fund or IMF has said that India’s high growth rate in recent years did not lead to a matching increase in formal sector jobs and labor market participation has declined.
- The protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act will continue today as Yogendra Yadav to lead a march from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar around 12:30 pm.
- A Pakistani woman, who is married to an Indian man in Jammu and Kashmir’s border district Poonch, was granted Indian citizenship, officials said.
- Jharkhand Election Results will be announced by today evening where the ruling BJP is locked in a close fight with the rival JMM-Congress combine.
- Russia considers the Citizenship Amendment Act a domestic policy of India and if there are any issues it should be resolved through dialogue “without escalation”, senior Russian diplomat Roman Babushkin in New Delhi said.
- India has successfully test-fired its Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile (QRSAM) system, likely to be inducted into the armed forces by 2021, from a base off Odisha coast.
- People familiar with the development said the airline has been facing crew rostering issues which will continue for a few more days, leading to further flight cancellations and delays in the coming days.
- The BSP chief’s advice to the Muslim community mirrors the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s counter-attacks at the Congress-led opposition, accusing them of misleading and inciting people about changes to the citizenship law.
- Many Congress leaders pointed out that joining the hands of Shiv Sena to keep the BJP out of the government in Maharashtra was an extension of the same policy.
- RJD legislator Bhai Birendra, also the party spokesman, said that countdown of Nitish Kumar-led government in Bihar has started.
- New Bharat is all about unabashed and self-confident consumers, on the lookout for brands that can provide personalized messages, products, and solutions. In the 10th episode of HT Brand Studio Live, Season 2, four brand leaders shared their views.
- National Testing Agency (NTA) has released the final answer key for UGC National Eligibility Test (NET) December 2019 examination.
- The standing committee of West Bengal Cabinet approved five acres of land in New Town area for the second campus of IIM-Joka, state finance minister Amit Mitra said at the state secretariat.
- Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) started the application process for Multi Tasking Staff (MTS) yesterday on its official website.
- India is now in the middle of a significant economic slowdown, the International Monetary Fund has said, urging the government to take immediate policy actions to tackle the current prolonged downturn.
- Reserve Bank on December 23 said that on a peer-to-peer lending (P2P) platform the permissible exposure of a lender to all borrowers should not exceed Rs 50 lakh at any given point of time.
- The in-form Prithvi Shaw took another step towards an India comeback after being named in the A squad for the tour of New Zealand.
- International Cricket Council (ICC) T20I (Twenty twenty International) rankings for Women players were released.
- Virat Kohli has been named captain of Cricket Australia’s Test XI of the decade. In an eleven that consists of the biggest names to have made a mark in the longest format of the game in the last 10 years
- Dr Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director of Apollo Hospitals Group was appointed as the President of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) for the year 2019-20
- South African pacer Vernon Philander has announced that he will retire from international cricket following the Test series against England.
- Jharkhand CM Raghubar Das tendered his resignation to Governor Draupadi Murmu after conceding defeat in the assembly elections.
1. International News
- There are growing indications that the Islamic State (IS) group is re-organizing in Iraq, two years after losing the last of its territory in the country.
- The leaders of Japan and South Korea will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, amid heightened concern that North Korea may be about to return to confrontation with Washington.
- A US budget official told the Pentagon to “hold off” on military aid to Kyiv 90 minutes after a controversial phone call between President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, according to an internal email.
- President Donald Trump said the United States and China would “very shortly” sign their so-called Phase One trade pact.
- Beijing will lower import tariffs on over 850 products including frozen pork from January next year, the finance ministry said, which may help ease the pressure on the country’s depleted pork supply.
- Maryam would not be allowed to go abroad as she was placed under the no-fly list for being involved in the August 2018 corruption case and could not get permission to leave the country.
- Israel has repeatedly struck Iran-linked targets in Syria and has warned against any Iranian presence on the frontier. The former denied commenting on the airstrikes even after media reportage.
- The Space Force will be the sixth branch of US military after Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guards. The last branch, the Air Force, was created 70 years ago.
- The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Congress alliance is on way to form the government as the party is ahead in 40 seats in Jharkhand, early trends indicate.
- India and Iran today agreed to accelerate work on the strategic Chabahar project as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held wide-ranging talks with his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif on regional and global issues of mutual interest.
- The Fifteenth Finance Commission (FFC) has suggested the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council simplify tax rates by creating just three slabs, two officials with direct knowledge of the matter said.
- The tourism industry in Assam and Meghalaya has been adversely affected by protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), tour operators said.
- Tejashwi Yadav, responding to earlier reports of the alliance’s leads on 42 seats, had already gone ahead declare that the alliance had “swept” the elections.
- GoAir has reported a series of incidents involving engine glitches, mainly in its A320 Neo planes, which has resulted in the non-availability of some of such planes for operations, the source said.
- The BJP is leading on 29 seats at 12.15 pm, according to data provided by C-Voter. In contrast, the JMM-led alliance that comprises Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal is leading on 39 seats.
- Sixty-three people have been arrested in the last 10 days in connection with clashes with security personnel during the ongoing protests against the amended citizenship law in Delhi.
- Based on the recommendation by NASA, plants that better absorb the five most harmful pollutants from the air have been planted effectively bring down the pollution in the air at the railway station.
- Om Prakash Mathur reached Ranchi on Sunday and held parleys with chief minister Raghubar Das and other senior party leaders at BJP state headquarters. The congress office too buzzed with enthusiasm
- Article 14 of the Constitution is not limited only to reasonable [actually rational] classification.
- The highway had opened for a few hours, a day after authorities closed it owing to landslides.
- Uttar Pradesh Subordinate service selection commission has postponed the exam date of Computer operator and junior assistant recruitment exam.
- Assam and Meghalaya, who had registered for the CSIR-UGC NET but could not appear for the exam on December 15, the exam will be held on December 27.
- The Assistant Engineer recruitment exam in Assam that was scheduled to be held on December 22 would now be held on January 12, as per a notice released by the exam conducting body, Assam Public Service Commission (APSC).
- Federal Bank pays interest rates to the tune of 3.5-6.7 per cent to customers on fixed deposits up to Rs 2 crore.
- DFC First Bank pays interest rates to the tune of 4-7.5 per cent to customers on fixed deposits up to Rs 2 crore.
- Virat Kohli finished 2019 on a high, leading India’s chase in the series-decider against the West Indies with a fine knock of 85 runs off 81 deliveries.
- R. Nagaswamy was honoured at the Silver Jubilee International Conference of Art in Dhaka by Bangladesh culture minister K.M.Khalid for his contribution to art, archaeology, history and culture.
- Bharat award for bravery was announced. Aditya K. of Ramanattukara, Kozhikode, Kerala became the first child from the State to receive the highest honour award for bravery, the Bharat award.
- The United States (US) President Donald Trump has chosen Indian-American computer scientist, Sethuraman Panchanathan (58) as director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) of America.
- Sahitya Akademi award winner G Nanjundan was found dead at his residence in Bengaluru today, the police said.
1. International News
- President Donald Trump said the United States and China would “very shortly” sign their so-called Phase One trade pact.
- The United States lifted fast-changing Sudan from a blacklist for religious freedom violations as it issued warnings to Nigeria, Cuba and Nicaragua.
- Germany’s parliament passed a resolution calling for a national ban on the activities of Hezbollah and for the Lebanese militant group to be put on the European Union’s terrorist list.
- The Space Force will be the sixth branch of US military after Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guards. The last branch, the Air Force, was created 70 years ago.
- Jayapal, who was born in Chennai, has been extremely and publicly critical of the restrictions in Kashmir since the August 5 abrogation of Article 370 and rights of religious minorities in India generally.
- U.S. President Donald Trump signed a bill on Friday that included legislation imposing sanctions on firms laying pipe for Nord Stream 2, which seeks to double gas capacity along the northern Nord Stream pipeline route to Germany.
- The case of Anna Sacoolas has been a thorn in London’s close relations with Washington, stirring up debates over the limits of diplomatic immunity in cases unrelated to national security.
- A move by the court’s chief prosecutor to open a full investigation into alleged war crimes in the Palestinian territories has sparked a furious reaction from Israel, Washington’s top ally in the region.
- Talking to reporters on the margins of the Kuala Lumpur Summit, Mahathir questioned the “necessity” of the CAA when people of different faiths have “lived together for 70 years” in India.
- India and China resolved to intensify efforts to achieve a “fair”, “reasonable” and mutually acceptable solution to the vexed boundary issue and agreed that its early settlement will serve the fundamental interests of both countries.
- Section 144 has been imposed in Haridwar in view of the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, scheduled to be held in the city.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the BJP’s assembly election campaign in Delhi with a mega rally at Ramlila Maidan.
- The Jamia Millia Islamia has submitted a fresh report to the HRD Ministry requesting a judicial inquiry into the entry of police on the university premises last.
- More than a dozen people have died and many have been injured during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests, which have spread across the country.
- Local Congress leaders said she visited Nahtaur area of the district to meet families of the two persons, who died in the recent violence over the new provisions in the law.
- Mamata Banerjee had demanded a referendum under the supervision of the global body to find out if people wanted the Citizenship Amendment Act.
- The state’s police chief said police has not opened fire during the large-scale anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests and suggested that those who died were caught in cross-firing between protesters.
- The armed forces owe intelligence agencies for their contribution to the nation’s security, said Army chief-designate Lieutenant General Manoj Naravane.
- The date of online written examination (CBT mode) earlier scheduled on January 13, 2020, has also been postponed.
- Till, around 70,000 registered candidates in the state had not been able to download their admit cards, mainly owing to suspended internet services in various districts.
- The preliminary examination will be conducted on December 29, 2019. Candidates are advised to bring a copy of their admit card to their allotted examination centre or else they won’t be allowed to appear for the examination.
- For the students of Assam and Meghalaya, who had registered for the CSIR-UGC NET but could not appear for the exam on December 15, the exam will be held on December 27.
- India’s foreign exchange reserves continued their upward trajectory during the week ended December 13 to touch new record highs.
- The government has sought to restrain the two companies from disposing of their assets as they have allegedly failed to pay it USD 3,856,734,582 as per an arbitral award in favor of the Centre in relation to the Panna-Mukta and Tapti (PMT) production-sharing contracts.
- HT has a copy of, the evidence came after nine of Nirav’s employees submitted details to CBI of how Nirav and Nehal, along with associates, took them to Egypt against their will and coerced them into signing documents that would establish the nine as owners of dummy companies Nirav had floated.
- The Telecom ministry has reduced the requirement for an upfront payment to 10 % from the existing norm of 25% for sub-gigahertz and the upfront payment for the gigahertz and above frequencies have been reduced to 20 % from 50 %.
- Jurgen Klopp described winning the Club World Cup as “absolutely sensational” after Roberto Firmino’s extra-time goal allowed Liverpool to beat Flamengo 1-0 in the final in Doha and lift the trophy for the first time.
- Barcelona go into the brief Spanish winter break on top of La Liga after a glittering show from Lionel Messi helped the defending champions beat Alaves 4-1.
- Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been re-elected as the president of the ruling Awami League while the country’s transport minister Obaidul Quader will continue to be the party’s general secretary.
- Indian-American Dr Monisha Ghosh has been appointed as the first woman Chief Technology Officer at the US government’s powerful Federal Communications Commission.
- Cuba’s first prime minister in more than four decades long-serving tourism minister Manuel Marrero took office as the country resurrected a post last held by Fidel Castro.
1. International News
- Moscow and Kiev have signed a preliminary deal on the transit of Russian gas to Europe via Ukraine, after months of difficult talks but ahead of the looming New Year deadline.
- Chinese President Xi Jinping told his US counterpart, Donald Trump, that US comments and actions regarding Taiwan, Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet are harming ties between the two economic giants, state media reported.
- Russia and China used their veto to block a UN Security Council resolution that would have extended for a year cross-border humanitarian aid to four million Syrians.
- The United States has placed China, Pakistan and a few other countries on a special watch list for ”severe violations of religious freedom,” saying that the protection of religious freedom has been a top foreign policy priority of the Trump administration.
- A move by the court’s chief prosecutor to open a full investigation into alleged war crimes in the Palestinian territories has sparked a furious reaction from Israel, Washington’s top ally in the region.
- Talking to reporters on the margins of the Kuala Lumpur Summit, Mahathir questioned the “necessity” of the CAA when people of different faiths have “lived together for 70 years” in India.
- The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the other issue that has received a lot of attention in the US, came up at the external affairs minister’s meeting with the leadership of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Chairman Jim Risch (Republican) and Ranking Member Robert Menendez (Democrat).
- Earlier this month, the North conducted what U.S. officials say was an engine test. North Korea described it as “crucial” and experts believe that it may have involved an engine for a space launch vehicle or long-range missile.
- Gathered in the city centre, some share their experiences of discrimination in a country where women are paid 15 percent less than men on average and pay up to two-thirds more for private health insurance.
- Protests which erupted across the country against the Citizenship Amendment Act have led to the death of nine protestors in Uttar Pradesh, while in the national capital, a number of protesters gathered around Delhi Police headquarters to demand the release of around 40 people who were detained in clashes which broke out in Delhi’s Daryaganj area.
- Indian-Americans and Indian students held peaceful protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act in the US cities of Chicago and Boston, saying this is a step towards rupturing India’s social fabric.
- Polling for 151 urban bodies 10 municipal corporation, 38 municipal councils, and 103 Nagar panchayats will be held in Chhattisgarh.
- External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that the situation in Kashmir was briefly discussed during his bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and American lawmakers in separate meetings inquired about the amended Citizenship Act.
- Sources said, while the meeting with the Senate Foreign Relation Committee members, took place “as envisaged in a very open conversation,” the HFAC invited others “without seeking consent” of New Delhi.
- Officials said the minors, between the age of 15 and 16 years, were handed over to their families who came to take their custody.
- The families of the complainant and the accused have a long-standing issue over the use of space between their respective rented houses, according to the complaint in the matter.
- The protests have intensified after CAA was enacted on December 12 and more than a dozen people have been killed during the agitations.
- A division bench of the high court comprising chief justice JK Maheshwari and justice Venkata Ramana issued interim orders on a petition filed by various renewable energy developers.
- Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which is working under Ministry of Defence, Government of India, has invited online applications from the desirous and eligible candidates to fill up the vacant posts of Multi Tasking Staff (MTS),
- UPTET exam has been postponed, reported PTI Hindi. The Uttar Pradesh Teacher Eligibility Test or (UPTET), which is being held as an eligibility test for teaching positions in the state schools, was earlier scheduled for December 22, 2019.
- Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has notified 1817 vacancies of multi-tasking staff (MTS).
- The Central government had 310.03 billion rupees ($4.36 billion) outstanding loans with the central bank under ways and means advances in the week ended Dec. 13, according to the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) weekly statistical supplement released.
- There is little doubt that India is one of the biggest economies in the world, and with the ambitious target of becoming a $5 trillion economy by 2025, it’s set to grow even bigger.
- Sergis Adamyan and Andrej Kramaric scored late goals as Hoffenheim fought back for a 2-1 win to stop Borussia Dortmund from moving within a point of Bundesliga leaders RB Leipzig.
- Rafael Nadal has a shorter than usual off-season this year but he believes he can work it to his advantage as he looks to carry his Davis Cup-winning form into 2020.
- Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai would receive a hefty $240 million (£184.40 million) in performance-based stock awards over the next three years, the highest ever promised to any executive of the search giant.
- Mikel Arteta has been given the job of reviving the fortunes of Arsenal after he was appointed head coach of the Premier League side.
- Mahindra Group said Anand Mahindra will step down as Executive Chairman from April 1, 2020.
1. International News
- The US House of Representatives impeached President Donald Trump on charges of abusing the powers of his office and obstructing Congress. He is the third American president to be impeached.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin dropped a cryptic hint seen by some as a sign he may not serve another term while also staunchly defending his Kremlin policies in a marathon news conference.
- Christianity Today, a leading US evangelical Christian publication, said that President Donald Trump is “morally lost and confused” and should be removed from office.
- Russia and Japan’s foreign ministers met to try and find a solution to a territorial dispute that has prevented them from signing a formal WWII peace treaty.
- US lawmakers in the House of Representatives approved a new continental trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, a victory for President Donald Trump even as he faces impeachment.
- As the lights stay dim in the 855 year old Paris landmark, officials are trying hard to focus on the immediate task of keeping burnt-out Notre Dame’s spirit alive through service, song and prayer.
- Sethuraman Panchanathan, 58, is currently the Executive Vice President of Arizona State University (ASU) and would succeed France Cordova as the Senate-confirmed position of NSF Director.
- The US should not obstruct the flow of talent from India as it is an important part of the economic cooperation and almost acts as a strategic bridge between the two countries,
- Voting has begun for the fifth and final phase of the Jharkhand Assembly election. Polling is being done for the last 16 constituencies in the 81-seat Assembly.
- India and the US asked Pakistan to take “immediate and irreversible action” to ensure that no territory under its control is used for terrorism against other countries and to prosecute the perpetrators of cross-border terror attacks, including Mumbai and Pathankot strikes.
- Internet services in Mangaluru and Dakshina Kannada districts have been suspended for two days after two people were killed in police firing during violent protests in Mangaluru against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
- Jamia Masjid or the Grand Mosque is one of the biggest mosques in Kashmir; Friday sermons delivered by the Mirwaiz- e –Kashmir hold major political significance in Kashmir.
- The National Center for Seismology said the 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck at 5.09 pm with its epicenter 250 km from Afghanistan capital Kabul.
- Chandy, who had been undergoing treatment for cancer for quite some time, died at his home here on Friday afternoon.
- Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Staff Selection Commission (UPSSSC) has released the admit card for junior assistant exam 2019. Candidates can download the JA admit card online at upsssc.gov.in.
- Himachal Pradesh to pursue the company secretaries course, the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) has announced 50% fee wavier scheme for students from the hill state.
- IDBI Bank pays interest rates to the tune of 3.5-6.95 per cent to customers on fixed deposits up to Rs 2 crore.
- Bandhan Bank pays interest rates to the tune of 3.5-8.15 per cent to customers on fixed deposits up to Rs 2 crore.
- IndusInd Bank pays interest rates to the tune of 4-7.75 per cent to customers on fixed deposits up to Rs 2 crore.
- State Bank of India (SBI) pays interest rates to the tune of 4.5-6.75 per cent to customers on fixed deposits up to Rs 2 crore.
- Himachal Pradesh’s Zeena Khitta upset a world-class field to win her maiden gold in the senior category in women’s air rifle at the National Championships in Bhopal.
- Ashleigh Barty and Rafa Nadal were named International Tennis Federation’s (ITF) World Champions for 2019, rewarding them for stellar seasons in which they finished at the top of women’s and men’s rankings respectively.
- Manipur has won the Best Performing State award from the State Institute of Rural Development in the North East and Himalayan Region for imparting the highest number of training programmes as well as training the highest number of personnel,official sources said.
- The awards were recommended by the jury members representing 23 Indian languages under the Chairmanship of Dr. Chandrashekhar Kambar, President of SahityaAkademi.
- Mallika Srinivasan, Chairman of Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited (TAFE) was appointed as one of the board members of the United States (US)- India Business Council (USIBC), a global board of the US Chamber of Commerce.
- National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has restored former Tata group Chairman Cyrus Mistry as executive chairman of Tata Group who was ousted from his position citing nonperformance in work.
1. International News
- The US House of Representatives is set to take a momentous and deeply polarizing vote when it is likely to impeach President Donald Trump on charges of abusing his office and obstructing a congressional probe.
- South Korea and the United States failed to reach an agreement over Seoul’s contribution towards hosting some 28,500 US troops, ending two days of talks that were the last before their existing deal expires on December 31.
- A Chinese news website has praised the internet ban ordered in multiple Indian states to quell protests against the citizenship law.
- President Donald Trump was impeached over the charges that he abused the power of his office by enlisting a foreign government to investigate a political rival ahead of the 2020 election.
- “Trump to Jesus” was soon trending on Twitter, but Loudermilk was hardly the only lawmaker to reference Jesus’ crucifixion during the day’s proceedings.
- The world body also aligned itself with the “strong words” used by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet’s office last week.
- The vote in the Democratic-controlled House is expected to fall almost entirely along party lines, underscoring the deep divide in Congress over Trump’s conduct - and the larger political schism within the nation itself.
- Seeking to retain the support of voters who voted to leave and remain in the EU, Corbyn consistently refused to say which side he favors during the election campaign.
- Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh announced precautionary measures by imposing Section 144 ahead of call given for protests against Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.
- The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed second supplementary chargesheet in its probe related to arms and ammunition theft from Second Manipur Rifles Battalion.
- The protests against the citizenship act, which came into existence last week, have refused to die down.
- H-1B visa holders, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar reiterated the significant contribution made by movement of persons in a fair and non-discriminatory manner to the deepening of bilateral ties between India and the United States.
- At least 19 flights were cancelled and 16 more delayed because the airline crews were also stuck in the traffic jams that stretched up to seven kilometres on the national highway from Gurugram.
- Delhi Police initiated strict checking and placed barricades on Gurugram-Delhi borders in order to clamp down on the movement of anti-citizenship act protesters from entering into Delhi.
- Following an hour long arguments, the court issued notice to the authorities and posted the matter for February 4 even as slogans of ‘shame shame broke’ out in the court.
- After candidates raised queries regarding filling up of choice under “State of Eligibility (for 15% All India Quota)” column in the NEET application form, the National Testing Agency or NTA has released a clarification to allay the fears.
- In an all-time high record for the number of students being placed during phase 1 of placements at IIT Bombay, the Institute secured 1,172 selections (including Pre-Placement Offers or PPOs) from 265 companies.
- The growth in states’ goods and services tax (GST) revenue could be reduced to 10 or 12 percent from the promised 14 percent starting FY20-21, Business Standard has reported.
- Amid rising inward shipments of gold, the government imposed restrictions on import of precious metals.
- Holders Manchester City will face Manchester United in the semi-finals of the League Cup after both sides saw off lower league opposition to make the last four.
- Barcelona and Real Madrid could not be separated in a Clasico that was overshadowed by violent clashes between Catalan independence protestors and police outside Camp Nou.
- Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul starred with the bat, scoring centuries, while Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Shami led with the ball which helped India beat the West Indies by 107 runs in the second ODI in Vizag.
- CBI officer BP Raju has won the India Cyber Cop of the Year 2019 award by the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM)-Data Security Council of India (DSCI).
- World Championships silver medallist Deepak Punia added yet another feather to his cap after being named the ‘Junior Freestyle Wrestler of the Year by United World Wrestling (UWW).
- Nagaland governor and Centre’s interlocutor for Naga talks, RN Ravi, has been assigned the additional responsibility as the Governor of Meghalaya.
- BMW India has appointed Kathrin Frauscher as the new Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BMW Financial Services India.
1. International News
- Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn will be sentenced next month for lying to federal agents after a judge rejected his request to throw out his case.
- President Donald Trump on the eve of his expected impeachment lit into congressional Democrats for what he deemed a “perversion of justice” and an “attempted coup,” predicting in a rambling and rageful letter that voters would punish Democrats and history would vindicate him.
- The US Senate approved a massive defense spending bill, sending Donald Trump a $738 billion package that creates a new space force, fulfilling a presidential priority, and seeks to curb Russia’s sprawling energy ambitions.
- President Donald Trump supports massive US government spending plans hammered out by Congress this week and plans to sign the $1.4 trillion budget bill into law, White House adviser Kellyanne Conway said.
- China urged the UN Security Council to unanimously back its joint proposal with Russia to ease sanctions on North Korea, warning that dialogue to resolve nuclear tensions must not regress.
- Reaching an average maximum of 40.9 Celsius, a heat wave spreads across the country as conditions are expected to become worse. The city is choked under the worst haze in decades because of bushfires.
- The sanctions on industries that Russia and China have proposed lifting earned North Korea hundreds of millions of dollars and were put in place to try to cut off funding for Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs.
- The UK is due to symbolically leave the European Union on January 31 but will move into a ‘transition’ phase, when nothing will change in practice, with the UK remaining in the EU single market and the customs union until December 31, 2020.
- Before Donald Trump, three other US presidents faced impeachment proceedings. None were ousted by impeachment, although Richard Nixon resigned rather than be impeached.
- Rajnath Singh and Foreign Minister S Jaishankar will meet with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defence Secretary Mark Esper in Washington as India and the US work to ramp up defence and political ties.
- An estimated 800,000 immigrants who are working legally in the United States are waiting for a green card, an unprecedented backlog in employment-based immigration that has fueled a bitter policy debate but has been largely overshadowed by President Donald Trump’s border wall and the administration’s focus on migrant crossings from Mexico.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a meeting of his Council of Ministers on December 21 at Pravasi Bhartiya Kendra Auditorium instead of Garvi Gujarat Bhavan in Delhi.
- The ”disturbed area” status in Manipur has been extended for another six months from, said Th Radheshyam Singh, the state’s Education Minister, at a press conference in Imphal.
- India strongly rejected a resolution adopted by Pakistan national assembly on the amended citizenship law, calling it a poorly disguised effort to divert attention from Islamabad’s “appalling treatment” and “persecution” of its own religious minorities.
- Naveen Patnaik, who is headed to national capital Delhi on a four-day visit, asserted that the Biju Janata Dal had already made it clear that it would not support the Centre on its citizens’ register, or NRC plan.
- Addressing an election rally at Pakur, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said when it comes to real issues, Prime Minister Narendra Modi makes ‘excuses’ like a schoolchild who has failed in the examination.
- Speaking to the media, he made a veiled attack on the BJP, saying the “Opposition” has realized that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was winning the upcoming Assembly elections here.
- The tribunal said the restoration order will be operational only after four weeks, the time allowed to Tatas to file an appeal.
- Country’s largest education board, CBSE has released the class 10 and 12 board exam date sheet exactly 60 days before the exam.
- Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students, the administration has been sending question papers to them on e-mail and asking them to submit the answer script through e-mail or WhatsApp.
- Karnataka State Police (KSP) has released the final answer key for Civil Police Constable (CPC) Exam 2019. Candidates can download the answer keys online from the official website of Karnataka State Police.
- California has settled with an India-based technology company that it accuses of misclassifying foreign workers and related tax fraud, the state attorney general’s office said.
- From corporate tax rate cut and bank recapitalization, to ‘the big bank merger’, here’s a quick look at some of the key policy decisions taken by the government in 2019.
- The South African Cricketers’ Association rejected a move by the embattled board of Cricket South Africa to find a solution to an issue which is the subject of ongoing legal action.
- India men’s hockey team will open their 2020 Olympics campaign against New Zealand and the women’s team against the Netherlands on July 25, as per the International Hockey Federation.
- Australian all-rounder Ellyse Perry has been named ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year for the second time in three years.
- Amitabha Bagchi’s book “Half The Night Is Gone” won the 9th edition of DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2019.
- Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has revealed shortlisted contenders in nine categories, including Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject and International Feature Film.
- Charl Langeveldt is all set to work with the South Africa men’s team after his resignation as the fast bowling coach of Bangladesh was accepted by the country’s cricket board.
- Sridhar Patra was appointed as the Chief Managing Director(CMD) of the National Aluminium Company Ltd (NALCO).
- Veteran actor Shriram Lagoo died of age-related issues at a private hospital in Pune, reported news agency ANI.
1. International News
- US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said he wants an explanation from Ankara over threats to close two strategic military bases used by the United States in Turkey.
- ArcelorMittal SA said it had formed a joint venture with Nippon Steel Corp to run Essar Steel, the bankrupt steel company that ArcelorMittal has taken over.
- A University of Massachusetts accounting professor was removed from the classroom by school officials just weeks before the end of the semester after she showed students a parody of Adolf Hitler’s rant from the 2004 movie “Downfall.”
- Women may have to wait more than two centuries for equality at work, according to a report showing gender inequality growing in workplaces worldwide despite increasing demands for equal treatment.
- Cuba’s Communist government is prepared if the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump decides to sever diplomatic relations although it hopes that does not come to pass, a top Cuban diplomat said.
- Somkid Pumpuang was sentenced to life in 2005 for the killing of 5 women, leading the media to dub him Thailand’s “Jack the Ripper”. The 55-year-old was deemed an “excellent prisoner” and let free in May.
- Musharraf, who had left Pakistan soon after he stepped down as President in 2008, exited the country a second time in March 2016 for “medical treatment”. He was declared an absconder in this case.
- The US Senate will hold a trial subsequently, in January, to remove Trump from office or acquit him, and let him continue.
- The announcement came as Johnson begins a new week with a fresh mandate to fulfill his promise to push through his election promise to “Get Brexit Done” on January 31.
- The incident is the latest spat between the world’s two biggest economies and comes days after they announced a truce in the form of a mini-deal to reduce tariffs in a bruising trade war weighing on both sides.
- Authorities in the Japanese city of Hiroshima have planned to demolish two buildings that survived the 1945 atomic bomb. As a historical landmark, some locals want them preserved.
- Saudi households typically serve large oval-shaped platters piled high with rice, a daily staple, but a lot goes to waste as many just nibbles on the sides and rarely even reach the middle.
- President Donald Trump’s top envoy to North Korea countered Kim Jong Un’s “Christmas gift” threat with a call for more nuclear talks to usher in a “season of peace,” for achieving lasting peace.
- The incident comes as the United States and China, the world’s two biggest economies, wrangle over trade. The two sides announced a mini-deal on Friday to reduce some tariffs.
- India has slipped four places to rank 112th globally in terms of gender gap amid widening disparity in terms of women’s health and survival, and economic participation – the two areas where the country is now ranked in the bottom-five, an annual survey shows.
- Activists Harsh Mander, Aruna Roy, Nikhil Dey, historian Irfan Habib, economist Prabhat Patnaik and some organizations approached the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 and sought direction to strike it down.
- The Supreme Court said it will hear on December 18 a batch of pleas, including those by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh and royal scion of Tripura Pradyot Kishore Deb Barman, challenging the constitutional validity of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
- Former President Pranab Mukherjee has called for almost doubling the strength of Parliament’s lower House or Lok Sabha to 1,000 lawmakers from the current 545 keeping in view the increase in population since 1977 when an embargo on increasing the number of seats in legislative bodies was imposed.
- The United Nations Security Council will meet at China’s request to discuss the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, diplomats said.
- The Uttarakhand state commercial tax department has unearthed what it suspects to be a financial fraud to the tune of Rs 8,500 crore under Goods and Services Tax (GST) in Uttarakhand and six other states, commercial tax department officials said.
- Amit Shah, who also doubles up as BJP boss, alleged that the opposition is trying to “mislead” the people about the intent of the act. He again spotlighted that the act will not take away anyone’s rights.
- Trinamool Congress chief had addressed a similar rally at the end of her first roadshow against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) where she declared that the mass agitation would continue till the Union government scraps it and idea for a nationwide National Register of Citizens (NRC).
- The constable wasn’t in his uniform because he was attached with a team of detectives at the district’s Anti Auto Theft Squad, or AATS.
- Except for stray incidents of stone-pelting, the shutdown has been reported to be peaceful so far. Government vehicles plied normally but attendance was poor in many government offices and educational institutions.
- The Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) is scheduled to release the admit cards for Punjab State Teacher Eligibility Test (PSTET) 2018 examination, December 16.
- The Uttar Pradesh Exam Regulatory Authority will conduct UPTET 2019 examination on December 22, 2019. The examination will be held in two shifts 10 to 12:30 pm and 2:30 to 5 pm.
- UP Board schools will receive admit cards for the forthcoming High School and Intermediate examinations 2020 by January 31, 2020.
- The Congress made the demand a day after the state government announced that it was cancelling the exam held on November 17 for recruitment of clerks due to the question paper leak.
- Cold wave conditions have intensified in several parts of Uttar Pradesh, including Prayagraj, following last weeks’ heavy rainfall in several parts of the state.
- The online letter, signed and endorsed by as many as 1,053 students and teachers, says: “As citizens and members of the academic community, we write to register our protest at the recent enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019.”
- The Indian authorities are proactively establishing institutional checks to empower citizens rather than allowing big techs to control customer data for their own ends, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) said in its latest report.
- Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman invited ideas and suggestions for the Budget 2020-21 from citizens through the website mygov.in to make the budget-making process “participative and inclusive”.
- The All India Football Federation (AIFF) tasked its disciplinary committee to investigate the allegedly racist remarks made against Mumbai City FC’s Serge Kevyn Angoue by Saudi Arabian referee Turki Mohammed Al Khudayr in an Indian Super League match.
- Rafael Nadal finished the season on top of the world to give the men’s rankings a familiar look but a new crop of women is showing the old guard can be overthrown.
- UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), has removed the ‘Carnival of Aalst’ of Belgium from its Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity List.
- English cricket player Benjamin Andrew Stokes (Ben Stokes), was named as the BBC’s (British Broadcasting Corporation) Sports Personality of the Year 2019.
- Lieutenant General Manoj Mukund Naravane will take the reins of the Indian Army after current chief General Bipin Rawat’s term ends on December 31, two senior officers aware of the developments said.
1. International News
- A minute’s silence has been observed in New Zealand, marking one week since the deadly eruption of White Island volcano.
- The United States quietly expelled two Chinese embassy officials in September after they drove onto a sensitive military base in Virginia, The New York Times reported.
- Prime Minister Boris Johnson will unveil a new government that wields a sweeping mandate to take Britain out of the European Union after years of acrimonious debate.
- A major climate summit wrapped up in Madrid with a compromise deal that left little to show, prompting UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to lament a “lost opportunity” to act.
- A powerful earthquake struck near the southern Philippines city of Davao, the U.S. Geological Survey said, but there was no threat of a tsunami.
- The incident is the latest spat between the world’s two biggest economies and comes days after they announced a truce in the form of a mini-deal to reduce tariffs in a bruising trade war weighing on both sides.
- President Donald Trump’s top envoy to North Korea countered Kim Jong Un’s “Christmas gift” threat with a call for more nuclear talks to usher in a “season of peace,” for achieving lasting peace.
- A land search early failed to find any sign of the missing pair and a sea search resumed in the afternoon amid increasing speculation both could be in the water.
- A 70-year-old man died in the Pyrenees-Atlantique in the Basque Country when his vehicle struck a fallen tree.
- Trump Jr has been an active and popular surrogate for the president on the campaign trail and at rallies and events, triggering speculation that he might be weighing a political future for himself.
- The US government has not endorsed a call issued last week by an autonomous body — the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) — for sanctioning Indian leadership responsible for the legislation if it was also passed in the Rajya Sabha. It did and has been signed into a new law.
- Delhi police headquarters against alleged atrocities on Jamia university students and the Citizenship Amendment Act has spilled into early hours of with the demonstrating groups, including students from Jawaharlal Nehru University, refusing to vacate the busy traffic intersection.
- As polling for the fourth phase of Assembly elections began in Jharkhand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged voters to be a part of the festival of democracy by coming out to vote in maximum numbers.
- China has said that positive effects of the second informal summit between its President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are gradually showing, and the country is keen to promote defence and security cooperation with India for regional peace and stability.
- New Arms (Amendment) Act has come into force with President Ram Nath Kovind giving his assent to a Bill cleared by Parliament earlier this week to help the government in controlling the proliferation of illegal arms and ammunition in the country.
- Railway stations across the country are required to obtain necessary environmental permissions as several polluting activities take place there, the National Green Tribunal has said.
- As tension continued in areas around Jamia Milia Islamia university, there is growing anger against the BJP for pushing its “communal agenda”.
- As the protesters increase in numbers, at around 3 pm they decided to march towards the New Delhi area. Many students say they do not want to participate in the protests and return to the campus.
- Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the two-hour protest, which began at 4 pm, is to express solidarity with students from Jamia University and other places.
- Citizenship Amendment Act protests: Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked people to maintain peace and appealed to people to “stay away from any sort of rumor-mongering and falsehoods”
- Former Assam chief minister and AGP leader Prafulla Kr Mahanta said the Citizenship (Amendment) Act ‘will violate Assam Accord and make indigenous people of Assam, a minority here”.
- An immediate trigger for this round of milk price hike is an increase in animal fodder prices, which has become scarce following heavy rains during the August-September period, said an official of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, which markets the brand Amul.
- Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) has announced jobs for its unit “Kaiga site” in Karnataka.
- Madhya Pradesh Medical Science University has introduced a novel idea, as per which PhD researchers and post-graduate students can now submit their thesis in digital formats.
- The Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) is scheduled to release the admit cards for Punjab State Teacher Eligibility Test (PSTET) 2018 examination, December 16.
- OSSSC has scheduled to conduct the written examination for the posts of Junior clerk and assistant on December 22, 2019.
- Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) boycotted classes and field work and staged a process inside their campus.
- Out of 1492 vacancies, 929 posts are for regular non-executive posts, 398 for contractual non executive posts, 105 contractual executive posts, and 60 regular executive posts.
- Inqualabi Chhatra Morcha (ICM), a students’ organization had urged students and others to gather at the AU Union Hall to protest the Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens.
- For SoftBank Group, financial technology firm OneConnect’s IPO should have been a vindication of an aggressive China investing strategy.
- The S&P BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty 50 indexes opened higher in trade tracking positive Asian cues as investors welcomed a trade agreement between Beijing and Washington.
- Kotak Bank was the top gainer in the Sensex pack rising up to 2.01 per cent, followed by HCL Tech, Tech Mahirdra, TCS, Bajaj Auto and SBI.
- The Indian rupee appreciated by 8 paise to 70.75 against the US dollar in early trade as easing crude oil prices and positive developments on the US-China trade talks.
- Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had told Parliament that the preparation of Preliminary Information Memorandum (PIM) for inviting Expression of Interest (EoI) for Air India disinvestment is in process.
- Man Utd nearly fell to their fifth loss of the Premier League season but were rescued by teenager Mason Greenwood who came off the bench to score the equaliser against Everton 13 minutes from full-time.
- Real Madrid missed the chance to replace Barcelona at the top of La Liga ahead of Clasico but salvaged a 1-1 draw against Valencia as Karim Benzema scored a dramatic injury-time equaliser.
- Kevin De Bruyne scored twice and teed up Raheem Sterling for Manchester City’s other goal as Arsenal crumbled to another humiliating 3-0 home defeat.
- Jamaica’s Toni-Ann Singh, who was crowned as Miss World 2019, dedicated her win to the girls around the world.
- Rajasthan’s Suman Rao, who had represented India at the Miss World 2019 beauty pageant held, was crowned Miss World Asia.
- AirAsia India has appointed Ankur Garg as its Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) to manage operations related to network and revenue management, marketing and sales, and cargo.
- Former Union Minister ID Swami died at the age of 90 today in Faridabad, Haryana.
1. International News
- Saudi Aramco’s market value briefly hit the $2 trillion valuation target sought by the kingdom’s de facto ruler as the energy giant’s share price surged again on its second day of trading.
- North Korea said that it successfully performed another “crucial test” at its long-range rocket launch site that will further strengthen its nuclear deterrent.
- Scott Lang, the new chief executive officer of Turvo Inc., wants to emphasize an important corporate policy at his startup: Employees may not entertain clients at strip clubs and certainly not bill those trips to the business.
- A US state department representative for religious freedoms globally has expressed concern over the Citizenship Amendment Act and the US embassy in New Delhi has urged its citizens in northeast India to “exercise caution” in view of protests and disturbances in relation to the legislation.
- There was also a possibility of mechanical failure and it appeared the bus was not from the area and the driver might not be familiar with the road conditions.
- A land search early failed to find any sign of the missing pair and a sea search resumed in the afternoon amid increasing speculation both could be in the water.
- After flatly rejecting the idea early this year, Pompeo, who turns 56 on Dec. 30, has recently dodged questions about whether he’ll run for the seat being vacated by Republican Senator Pat Roberts in 2020.
- The statement came hours after North Korea said it had conducted a second test at a satellite and rocket-engine facility.
- Terming his new government as ‘the people’s government’, Johnson said he and his party would “work round the clock to repay your trust and to deliver on your priorities”.
- A key BJP ally in the northeast, which had supported the amended Citizenship Act, has now decided to oppose it.
- The curfew imposed in the wake of protests over amended Citizenship Act in Guwahati has been relaxed from 9 am to 6 pm.
- The Meghalaya government will pass a resolution during a special session of the Legislative Assembly on December 19 seeking implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the state, officials said.
- CM Devendra Fadnavis also took a dig at the Shiv Sena over its Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut’s remark that his party respects Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru and the Congress should not insult Savarkar.
- Assam’s chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal tried to allay fears and appealed for peace as he said that his government was committed to protecting the rights of the people of the state.
- Explaining the rationale behind bringing in the law, the PM said it was necessary to improve the lives and provide respect to those people who have suffered because they were a minority in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh.
- Malda, Murshidabad, Uttar Dinajpur, Howrah and some areas in South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas are the affected areas where Internet services have been shut down.
- The two men who died over the weekend were among 27 injured protesters who were admitted to the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH).
- Senior TMC leader and state education minister Partha Chatterjee appealed for peace and assured the protesters that the amended Act would not be implemented in the state.
- The tweet also came amid reports that the BJP-led Assam government’s coalition partner, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has decided to approach the Supreme Court against the contentious Act.
- Central Selection Board of Constable (CSBC) has released the admit card for the Bihar Home Guards recruitment 2019 on December 13, 2019.
- Amid the ongoing protests in the northeast, the Joint CSIR-UGC NET examination, scheduled to be held on 15 December, has been postponed until further notification.
- Edelweiss Asset Management Company (AMC), a subsidiary of Edelweiss Capital Limited (ECL) has launched the India’s 1st Corporate Bond ETF (exchange trade fund) called the Bharat Bond ETF.
- India have been hit with yet another injury going into the ODI series. Pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar is out with a groin problem and that paves the way for Mumbai’s Shardul Thakur who also plays for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL and could use his experience of bowling at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
- World Economic Forum’s (WEF) 26th Annual Crystal Awards 2020 announced its winners to celebrate the enduring contributions of exceptional artists to the society.
- Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson won the United Kingdom (UK) general election after his Conservative Party crossed the required majority of 326 votes of the 650 seats in the House of Commons.
- Abdelmadjid Tebboune, (74) former Prime Minister (PM) of Algeria was elected as the President of Algeria succeeding Abdelkader Bensalah.
1. International News
- Boris Johnson is to visit the north of England later, hours after celebrating his party’s biggest election win for 30 years by sweeping aside Labour in its traditional heartlands.
- The US Supreme Court agreed to hear cases next year involving the release of President Donald Trump’s tax returns and financial records, setting the stage for a potential blockbuster ruling during the presidential election campaign.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin called for “constructive dialogue” with Britain’s Boris Johnson as he congratulated him on a decisive general election victory.
- US President Donald Trump stood on the verge of impeachment after a House panel approved charges he abused his power and obstructed Congress, setting up a historic vote in the chamber next week.
- The announcement comes as North Korea continues to pressure the Trump administration for major concessions as it approaches an end-of-year deadline set by leader Kim Jong Un to salvage faltering nuclear negotiations.
- Military specialists recovered six bodies from the island in a carefully planned but risky operation. Two more bodies of victims known to have been on the island could not be located during the four-hour operation, carried out by bomb disposal experts.
- The board of Turvo Inc accused the co-founder, Eric Gilmore, of expensing $76,120 at strip clubs over a three-year span and removed him as CEO in May, according to legal filings.
- Donald Trump Jr, the eldest son of US President Donald Trump, addressed members of the Indian-American community during a special event in Long Island, New York.
- Deforestation usually slows around November and December during the Amazon region’s rainy season. The number for last month was unusually high.
- Speaking after meeting Queen Elizabeth in Buckingham Palace for permission to form the new government, Johnson sounded a conciliatory note on Brexit, assuring closure to a public weary of seemingly unending Brexit-related debates.
- The administration has relaxed the curfew from 9 am to 4 pm in Assam’s Guwahati today. The curfew was put in place in parts of Assam and Meghalaya to avoid any untoward incident in wake of the violent protests against the citizenship law.
- The Gujarat government has transferred 24 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, including principal secretary with the ports and transport department, Sunaina Tomar.
- Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was among the 15 Bills passed by the two Houses of Parliament during the winter session with the Lok Sabha registering productivity of 116 percent and Rajya Sabha of about 100 percent.
- The Union Budget for next fiscal is likely to be presented on February 1, despite it being a Saturday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said. “At this moment, I can say that tradition will continue,” Mr Joshi said.
- Earlier, India skipper Virat Kohli had lent his support to Pant, saying the team has belief in the young wicketkeeper’s ability and therefore he will be given all the support by the management to perform.
- Billed as eastern India’s first ‘Glamping’ festival or Glamorous Camping, the Marine Drive-Eco Retreat on a kilometer-long stretch of Ramchandi Beach will be inaugurated by chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday evening.
- The new law will grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim immigrants from the three neighboring countries on the ground that they came to India due to religious persecution because they are minorities.
- The case was registered on a complaint filed by the chief vigilance officer of the ministry of culture in May 2017 in which it was alleged that there was an “unfruitful expenditure” of Rs 7.02 crore on the renovation
- UGC NET 2019: Considering the complaints of Kashmir Valley candidates regarding the difficulty they are facing in challenging the answer keys online, NTA has made a provision for them to challenge the answer keys offline. Check details here.
- In addition to this, the varsity also rescheduled its winter vacation to begin nearly 10 days before. “Winter vacation declared from December 16 to January 5. University to open on January 6, 2020,” university’s media coordinator Ahmad Azeem said in a statement.
- The RBI central board discussed policy framework for cooperative banks, NBFCs, current economic situation, and domestic and global challenges.
- India’s foreign exchange reserves continued their upward trajectory during the week ended December 6 and touched new record highs.
- There was no shortage of entertainment as Kerala Blasters FC and Jamshedpur played out a 2-2 draw in a Hero Indian Super League clash at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
- The 16th annual ranking of ‘The Forbes 2019 list of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women’ list was released. Union Finance Minister of India Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman (60 years) ranked 34th in the list.
- Shireen Dalvi (Shirin Dalvi), Mumbai based Urdu Journalist returned the 2011 Special Prize given by the Maharashtra State Urdu Sahitya Akademi to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB).
- Rohit Gurunath Sharma (32), Indian International Cricketer, was named the first ever brand ambassador from India of La Liga, professional football division of the Spanish football league system for men.
- Congressman Ami Bera, the longest-serving Indian American lawmaker, was named the chairman of a key Congressional sub-committee that has jurisdiction over India.
1. International News
- The Conservatives have taken a string of former Labour strongholds, with the party forecast to win the general election with a comfortable majority.
- Thousands of people have taken to the streets of the Algerian capital, Algiers, to protest against presidential election.
- The US Congress formally recognized the 1915-1917 murder of up to 1.5 million Armenians as genocide.
- European leaders will charge EU negotiator Michel Barnier with negotiating a close trade deal with Britain after Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s apparent election win set the stage for an orderly Brexit.
- The SNP won another 13 seats in the House of Commons in election, taking the party’s tally up to 48 of the total of 59 in Scotland.
- House votes pose potentially serious political consequences for both parties ahead of the 2020 elections, with Americans deeply divided over whether the president indeed conducted impeachable acts and if it should be up to Congress, or the voters, to decide whether he should remain in office.
- The Conservative party won 364 of the 649 seats declared (the House of Commons’ strength is 650), comfortably passing the 326 majority mark that had eluded it in the 2017 mid-term election, sending the pound north against the dollar.
- US President Donald Trump congratulated UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on his election victory, saying their two countries were now free to strike a “massive” new trade deal.
- Speaking after meeting Queen Elizabeth in Buckingham Palace for permission to form the new government, Johnson sounded a conciliatory note on Brexit, assuring closure to a public weary of seemingly unending Brexit-related debates.
- The Conservative Party won 365 of the 649 seats declared (the House of Commons’ strength is 650), comfortably passing the 326 majority mark that had eluded it in the 2017 midterm election, sending the pound north against the dollar.
- The snap election had been called by Johnson in a bid to win a majority for his Conservative Party and break the Commons deadlock over Brexit.
- The UN climate forum tasked with saving the world from runaway global warming has become an “opportunity for countries to negotiate loopholes and avoid raising their ambition” to act on climate, the 16-year-old told delegates and observers to vigorous.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi tried to allay concerns raised by northeast protesters on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, saying they can rest assured that all their rights will be protected under “Clause 6” of the Assam Accord-1985.
- Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe may cancel his visit to India for an annual summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi that was to be held in Guwahati over the weekend against the backdrop of violent protests in Assam’s main city over changes to the country’s citizenship law, news agency Reuters has said, quoting Japan’s Jiji Press.
- In those days, the Opposition was up in arms over alleged nepotism in the allocation of petrol pump dealerships.
- President Ram Nath Kovind gave his nod to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, turning it into an Act.
- The counsel for the convicts of the gang-rape, torture and killing of a young girl in Delhi seven years ago has said that until all the legal remedies are exhausted, the execution cannot take place.
- Abdullah, a five-time Parliamentarian, has been under detention since August 5 when the Centre abrogated special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the state.
- Odisha has registered 49,661 HIV positive cases from 2005 to October 2019 and 30,914 of those patients are on antiretroviral therapy (ART).
- The four convicts facing death in the 2012 Nirbhaya rape and murder case — Akshay, Mukesh, Pawan Gupta, and Vinay Sharma — have also reduced their food intake, according to the jail authorities.
- Muslim organizations have taken out processions in various parts of the state against the legislation. Big rallies were held in Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, and Kasargode.
- The CAA grants citizenship to persecuted religious minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who sought refugee before 2015.
- A Bhopal based journalist has accused Thakur of winning the polls by inciting communal passion and sought that her election is declared null and void.
- India’s high commissioner Riva Ganguly Das was called in by Bangladesh’s acting foreign secretary Kamrul Ahsan over the matter.
- The Jawaharlal Nehru University students boycotted the exams over the hostel fee hike issue, even as the School of Sanskrit and Indic Studies (SSIS) saw students appearing for their papers.
- Bank of Maharashtra has announced recruitment of Specialist Officers in scale II. There are 50 vacancies available.
- The Maharashtra government will take up concerns of the troubled Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank’s depositors with the RBI in a couple of days, state minister Jayant Patil said.
- The central government should consider creating a brand for the northeast to better leverage the potential of the region, the World Bank said.
- The CBI carried out searches at 13 places in Mumbai and Lonavala after registering a case in a bank loan fraud worth Rs 568.52 crore by P&S Jewellery Limited, officials said.
- Australia and New Zealand launched a joint bid to host the 2023 Women’s World Cup, which officials said would help supercharge female sport in the region.
- The world’s biggest cricket stadium, with space for 110,000 spectators, is taking shape in India and is likely to host its first international match early next year.
- The Gurugram- based startup program has created an application called ‘Zuri’ that won the Copernicus Masters Award also called Space Oscars, under the social Entrepreneurship category.
- Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he would stand down as his party faced its worst electoral defeat in 84 years, but he did not set a date for his departure and added he would remain in charge during a period of reflection.
1. International News
- The UK will go to the polls for the country’s third general election in less than five years.
- Israel will hold its third general election in less than a year after a deadline was missed for any lawmaker to form a majority coalition.
- The United Kingdom goes to the polls to decide the fate of vexatious, divisive, gridlocked Brexit.
- President Donald Trump warned Moscow against meddling in next year’s election, the White House, but Russia’s foreign minister denied the issue came up in a Washington meeting that drew controversy for occurring at all.
- Hafiz Saeed was indicted by a Pakistani anti-terrorism court along with three of his close aides on terror financing charges.
- The Indian citizens (not British citizens of Indian origin) include students, professionals, others and their family members who are resident in the UK for more than six months, and also those who have permanent residency but have chosen to retain Indian citizenship.
- Speaking at the COP25 climate conference here, the young activist from Manipur who has already spoken in 21 countries on climate change, gave the world a glimpse of her resolve as she urged global leaders to “act now against climate change”.
- The third general election in five years, edition was preceded by rare assertion by sections of the 1.5 million-strong Indian community upset with the Labour party for its stand on Kashmir.
- Noting that the bilateral trade between India-US grew to USD 142 billion, Wells said that the two countries are doing well and increasing the amount of trade, with the deficit decreasing largely due to strategic investments by India in energy imports.
- Asserting that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is against the basic structure of the Constitution, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind said it will challenge the legislation in the Supreme Court.
- The Chhattisgarh government has decided to withdraw over 300 cases pending in different courts against tribals in the Maoist-affected areas of the state, an official statement issued said.
- Two weeks after the gang-rape and murder of a woman veterinarian in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh cabinet decided to table a Bill in the Assembly to punish perpetrators of heinous crimes against women and children within 21 days.
- “India’s strength has been a secular democracy. And being a secular democracy means protecting the rights of the minorities.
- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will introduce Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (2nd Amendment) Bill, 2019 in the Lok Sabha today.
- UNICEF representative in India Yasmin Ali Haque said the country has to do more on protecting children from violence and create a society where every girl child is able to realize her rights equally with boys.
- BJP’s internal rebellion out in open as Munde and Khadse slam state leadership at Beed rally, state chief promises to resolve their grievances.
- Imran Khan targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over CAB by saying that India has been “moving systematically with its Hindu Supremacist agenda” under Modi.
- The BJP in Maharashtra is grappling with internal feud where Munde, the party’s Other Backward Class (OBC) leader, has made her unhappiness with the functioning of state unit clear.
- Central Selection Board of Constable (CSBC) will release the admit card for Bihar Home Guard constable recruitment 2019 on December 15, 2019.
- Top recruiters include companies such as Microsoft, Goldman Sachs, Jaguar Land Rover, Eaton, BNY Mellon, Bajaj Auto & TSMC; Phase 2 to begin during January 2020.
- JNU fee-hike row: The HRD Ministry has called for a “foolproof” system to prevent recurrence of issues like the ongoing standoff between the JNU administration and students over the hostel fee hike, according to officials.
- The recruitment drive is being conducted to fill 61 vacancies of professor, assistant professor and associate professor in various departments at the Central University of South Bihar.
- Uttar Pradesh Teachers’ Eligibility Test (UPTET) admit card 2019 will be released today, on December 12, 2019.
- West Bengal Public Service Commission (WBPSC) is expected to release the admit card for industrial development officer (IDO) prelims exam 2019 today. The exam will be conducted on December 22.
- IDBI Bank share price rose 3 percent intraday on December 11, a day after the board approved the sale of up to 49 percent stake in two subsidiaries.
- Shares of State Bank of India (SBI) traded in the negative territory on December 11 and looked on course to extend the losing run into the fifth consecutive session.
- Reserve Bank of India rate cut is on a knife’s edge, with just under half of economists polled expecting easing at that meeting, and is highly likely by the middle of next year, according to a Reuters poll.
- Gandikota Sarva Lakshmi, 51, former Indian Cricketer became the first woman referee in the Men’s ODI (One Day International) match after overseeing the opening match of the third series of the World Cup League 2
- Madrid claimed the final spot in the Champions League last 16 with a 2-0 win over Lokomotiv Moscow, after Atalanta completed an impressive comeback in Group C to qualify.
- KL Rahul was determined, Rohit Sharma elegance personified and Virat Kohli at his brutal best in India’s series-winning 67-run victory over the West Indies in the third T20 International in Mumbai.
- Odisha won the ‘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.
- PUMA,a German multinational company that designs and manufactures athletic and casual footwear has appointed Indian men’s football team captain Sunil Chhetri as its brand ambassador for 3 years.
- Food and beverage company PepsiCo has appointed Bollywood actor Salman Khan (born as Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan) as brand ambassador for its flagship Pepsi brand of carbonated beverage in India.
- Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty was appointed as the brand ambassador for the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), India’s top badminton player Jwala Gutta and boxer Vijendra Singh have expressed disappointment.
1. International News
- Carlo Ancelotti’s reign at feuding Napoli came to an abrupt end as the veteran coach was sacked despite a 4-0 win over Genk sealing their spot in the Champions League last 16.
- Teenage activist Greta Thunberg has called upon world leaders to stop using “clever accounting and creative PR” to avoid real action on climate change.
- Myanmar’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi has defended her country against allegations of genocide at the UN International Court of Justice (ICJ).
- The Pentagon announced it was halting operational training of all Saudi Arabian military personnel in the United States until further notice after a Saudi Air Force lieutenant shot and killed three people last week at a base in Florida.
- Union Cabinet has given its approval for signing the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between Government of India and Government of Japan to constitute the ‘India-Japan Steel Dialogue’ to strengthen cooperation in steel sector.
- A bill to set up central Sanskrit universities was introduced in Lok Sabha. The bill, moved by Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ”Nishank”, seeks to convert three Sanskrit deemed universities presently functioning in the country into central universities.
- As Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh seat prepares to go to polls in the third phase, elaborate security arrangements have been kept in place for polling parties to be dispatched from the district headquarters to the respective booths of five constituencies in the district.
- The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), which conducts the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE or Class 10) and the Indian School Certificate (ISC or Class 12) examinations has released the date sheet for annual examinations officially today.
- State Bank of India or SBI, the country’s largest lender, has reduced its benchmark lending rates by 10 basis points or 0.10 percentage points across all tenors. The new rates mark the eight reduction by SBI in this financial year.
- A dedicated team of experts bring you live score, live cricket score, live match update on Sports.NDTV.com. After 5.3 overs, India are 72/0.
- Rohit Sharma reached the milestone of 400 international sixes across all formats during the third and final Twenty20 International (T20I) between India and the West Indies in Mumbai.
- As we inch closer to 2020, companies are wrapping up the year that was by revealing the most-searched, most-tweeted, most-liked and most popular posts on their platform.
- Climate activist Greta Thunberg was named Time Magazine’s person of the year 2019 on Wednesday. Over the past year, the teen activist has come a long way.
1. International News
- Ukraine and Russia have agreed to implement a “full and comprehensive” ceasefire in eastern Ukraine by the end of 2019, after top-level talks.
- Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives were expected to unveil two articles of impeachment against Republican President Donald Trump, a senior Democratic aide said, setting the stage for a possible vote this week on impeachment.
- The Chinese government is taking further steps to remove foreign technology from state agencies and other organisations, a clear sign of determination for more independence amid escalating tensions with the US Beijing will likely replace as many as 20 million computers at government.
- The World Anti-Doping Agency banned Russia for four years from major global sporting events including the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar over manipulated doping data, prompting an angry response from President Vladimir Putin.
- The US Army is planning its biggest deployment of troops to Europe in 25 years, with 20,000 troops slated to take part in a massive force projection exercise at a time of increasingly adversarial relations with Russia.
- The 11-hour shutdown called by an umbrella body of students’ organisations in the northeast to protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill began at 5 am today.
- The Lok Sabha yesterday passed the bill that provides a maximum punishment of life imprisonment for manufacturing and carrying illegal arms, and which also seeks to rationalise and facilitate licensing procedures for the use of firearms by individuals.
- Russian Federation Ambassador to India Nikolay Rishatovich Kudashev said his country was well-prepared to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indian troops at the 75th anniversary of the “victory in the great patriotic war” parade in Moscow on May 9, 2020.
- India and Australia have almost concluded negotiations on an agreement for reciprocal access to military facilities for logistics support that is expected to be signed during Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s visit in January, people familiar with the matter said.
- The Lok Sabha passed a bill providing a maximum punishment of life imprisonment for manufacturing and carrying illegal arms, and which also seeks to rationalise and facilitate licensing procedures for the use of firearms by individuals.
- The Himachal Pradesh government has received only one complaint against sub-standard school uniform, state Education Minister Suresh Bhardwaj informed the Assembly here.
- National Testing Agency (NTA) is expected to release the result for IIFT MBA 2020 exam tomorrow. This was NTA’s maiden year for conducting IIFT MBA exam.
- Yes Bank share price declined 5 percent in the early trade on December 10 on the back of the report stating that the Rakesh Jhunjhunwala was likely to withdraw the plan to invest in the private lender.
- Public sector banks (PSBs) returned to profitability in 2019-20, posting an aggregate profit of Rs 3,221 crore in the first half ending September, Minister of State for Finance Anurag Singh Thakur said in Parliament.
- Enduring a rough patch since claiming the world championship gold, ace Indian shuttler PV Sindhu would be eager to turn her fortunes around when she begins her title defence at the season-ending BWF World Tour Finals.
- Arsenal caretaker manager Freddie Ljungberg believes a weight has been lifted off his players’ shoulders after a three-goal blitz in nine second-half minutes beat West Ham 3-1 to end the Gunners’ worst winless run in 42 years.
- The nominees for Best Actress (Drama) at the 77th Golden Globes include actresses Charlize Theron, Renee Zellweger, Cynthia Erivo, Scarlett Johansson and Saoirse Ronan.
- Finland’s new prime minister – about to become the world’s youngest serving premier – will have a finance minister two years her junior in a new women-led coalition cabinet, party officials said.
1. International News
- Russia could face an unprecedented four-year ban from major international sporting events over accusations that it manipulated laboratory doping data.
- Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu touted his plan to annex a swathe of the occupied West Bank and Israeli settlements in a last-ditch effort to prevent another general election.
- Iran’s president said his country will depend less on oil revenue next year, in a new budget that is designed to resist crippling U.S. trade embargoes.
- President Donald Trump warned that North Korea’s Kim Jong Un had “everything” to lose through hostility towards the United States after Pyongyang said it had carried out a major new weapons test.
- Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan urged the Pakistanis living abroad to emulate overseas Indians and Chinese who have invested heavily in their motherland while assuring them a corruption-free environment to boost the cash-strapped country's economy.
- The head of a U.S. congressional panel leading the impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump accused the Republican president of putting himself before his country and violating his oath of office.
- Iraq's foreign ministry summoned four Western envoys for their statements condemning a weekend attack in Baghdad that left 20 anti-government demonstrators and four police officers dead.
- Iran said it was open to more prisoner swaps with the US while stressing an exchange at the weekend was not the result of formal negotiations with its arch-foe.
- North Korea slammed US President Trump for "bluffing" and called him "an old man bereft of patience" as Pyongyang ramps up pressure on Washington over stalled nuclear talks.
- New Zealand's White Island volcano minutes before it erupted and shared his terrifying experience in a series of messages and videos posted on social media.
- New Zealand police have said no more survivors were expected to be rescued from an island volcano that erupted suddenly, suggesting as many as two dozen people could have died.
- Bangkok's Reclining Buddha temple Krairath Chantrasri says he is a proud custodian of a 2,000-year-old skill - the body-folding, sharp-elbowed techniques of Thai massage, which this week could be added to UNESCO's prestigious heritage list.
- Indonesian authorities have found four fetuses of the protected Sumatran tiger as well as the hide of the endangered species in two police raids carried out against suspected animal poachers and traffickers, the Environment Ministry said
- Karnataka’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leading in 10 of the 15 seats where by-elections were held on December 5.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed the role of effective policing in ensuring that women feel safe and secure, remarks that came against the backdrop of a nationwide outrage over several cases of crimes against women.
- Guwahati is decking up for what a minister called a “high-level visit” amidst a buzz that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe could hold talks in this city in Assam mid-December.
- The Telangana High Court directed authorities to preserve the bodies of the four accused in the woman veterinarian case, who was killed in an alleged encounter with police, till December 13.
- The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet gave its nod for expanding the municipal limits of Ayodhya, Gorakhpur, and Firozabad, state minister Siddharth Nath Singh said.
- West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee made a surprise visit to a market in south Kolkata's Bhawanipore area and enquired about supplies of vegetables and their prices, amid the ongoing onion crisis.
- Citizenship Amendment Bill was "worse than Hitler's laws", Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi tore a copy of the legislation in the midst of a heated debate in the Lok Sabha."It is an attempt to divide the nation.
- The foundation for the two-nation theory was laid by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and not the Congress, senior party leader Manish Tewari said in parliament today amid a debate over the contentious issue of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB).
- Union Home minister Amit Shah placed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in Lok Sabha, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee gave a clarion call to oppose the "divisive" bill "at any cost" and said not a single citizen of the country will be allowed to turn a refugee.
- Two Delhi Fire Service personnel, who were injured while carrying out the rescue work at a four-storeyed building where a massive fire broke out, were discharged from a city hospital, doctors said.
- Assam protest against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill: Shops, markets, and financial institutions kept their shutters down, while schools and colleges were closed in many areas.
- India as an Indo-Pacific power, a top Australian Opposition politician backed further strengthening of relations between New Delhi and Canberra by doing more than simply navigating the "slipstream of great power competition" to shape the region's future.
- Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) conducted CTET (Central Teacher Eligibility Test) on 8th December.
- Mizoram school education board has released the examination schedule of class 10th and 12th 2020 on its official website. Students appearing in the examination can check the date sheet online at mseb.edu.in.
- National Testing Agency (NTA) concluded the UGC NET December 2019 exam on December 6 and now candidates are awaiting the preliminary answer key for the exam.
- Domestic stock markets gave up early gains in a volatile session. The S&P BSE Sensex index fell as much as 108.59 points to hit 40,336.56 on the downside, and the broader NSE Nifty benchmark declined to as low as 11,888.05, down 33.45 points from the previous close.
- SEBI has started scanning matrimonial websites to look for profiles of suspected persons to find links with family members in front-running cases.
- Bajaj Finance was the biggest loser in the Sensex pack with a decline by 1.28 per cent in morning deals, followed by HUL, ITC, SBI, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Tech Mahindra, TCS and Axis Bank.
- Reliance Jio, however, claimed that free-call limit under its plans are five times more than normal usage and its mobile service remains cheaper than rivals by up to 25 per cent.
- India Women’s junior hockey team lost their first match of the Tri-Nation tournament after going down 1-2 to hosts Australia but won the tournament after finishing at the top of the table on goal difference.
- Leicester closed the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool as Jamie Vardy extended his red-hot streak with a brace in record-breaking 4-1 rout of Aston Villa.
- Indian team’s frailties while batting first were thoroughly exposed by a disciplined West Indies, which kept the three-match T20 series alive with a comfortable eight-wicket victory in the second game in Thiruvananthapuram.
- Miss South Africa was crowned Miss Universe 2019 in Atlanta, US in a glitzy ceremony hosted by popular TV personality Steve Harvey.
1. International News
- North Korea says it has carried out a “very important test” at a satellite-launching site.
- US President Donald Trump continued to lash out against the impeachment inquiry that’s rapidly moving towards a vote, he took time out to question why China, which has “plenty of money”, continues to get World Bank loans meant for less developed economies.
- Former democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi is set to make legal history when she defends Myanmar in The Hague this week against charges of genocide targeting the Buddhist state’s minority Rohingya Muslims.
- Israeli aircraft carried out attacks in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip early, Palestinian security officials said, hours after militants in the enclave launched three rockets at the Jewish state.
- Trump’s remarks came in response to a question after North Korea’s ambassador to the UN Kim Song said that denuclearization is off the table in talks with the US.
- Trump criticized WB loans to China but remained focussed mainly on the impeachment inquiry, tweeting and retweeting its criticism and of Democratic leaders behind it.
- Iran's President Hassan Rouhani presented to parliament what he called a "budget of resistance" against crippling sanctions imposed by arch-enemy the United States.
- US President Donald Trump aimed to make inroads in the politically important Jewish-American vote with a Florida speech where he declared himself the best friend Israel has ever had.
- The Saudi military student who carried out a deadly shooting spree at a US naval base showed videos of mass shootings at a dinner party the night before the attack,
- North Korea has conducted a "very important test" at its Sohae satellite launch site, state media reported, as nuclear negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington remain deadlocked.
- India has hired a second lobbying firm to negotiate the complex US decision-making system and to influence outcomes, filling a void left two years ago by a firm that had collapsed under scrutiny of a special counsel’s investigation into Russian meddling in American elections in 2016.
- The National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a charge sheet against two suspected Islamic State operatives — Mohammed Azarudeen believed to be the outfit’s Coimbatore module, and his associate Sheikh Hidayatullah.
- The Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has addressed the 4th India Water Impact Summit 2019 with the theme “Valuing Water Transforming Ganga” held with the focus on integrated water resources management in urban and rural areas at the Vigyan Bhawan.
- Faced with stray cattle menace, the Uttar Pradesh government plans to set up ''cow safaris'' in the state for better safety and upkeep of the animal.
- In terms of macroeconomic data, investors will look forward to the release of industrial production, retail and wholesale inflation figures next week.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with scientists at the prestigious Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) and visited the supercomputer facility "Param Brahma", an official said.
- The Delhi Police said the owner of the factory in Anaj Mandi, where a fire killed 43 workers, is currently missing and a first information report has been registered against him.
- Admission to BSc and MSc courses in the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) would be through entrance examinations, details of which have been announced.
- One of the biggest teacher recruitment exam, CTET, begins today. The Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) is conducted by the CBSE for recruitment of teachers for class 1 to class 8.
- State Bank of India (SBI), HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank and Axis Bank today provide a range of maturity options for retail fixed deposits.
- HDFC Bank FD Interest Rate: HDFC Bank offers 13 maturity options for retail fixed deposits (FDs). HDFC Bank pays an 6.8% interest to senior citizens on one-year fixed deposits (FDs) up to Rs. 2 crore.
- Kotak Mahindra Bank FD Rates: Kotak Mahindra Bank offers 20 maturity options for retail fixed deposits (FDs). Kotak Mahindra Bank pays a 6.8% interest to senior citizens on one-year FDs up to R
- Axis Bank FD Interest Rates: Axis Bank offers 29 maturity options for retail fixed deposits (FDs). Axis Bank pays an 7.05 per cent interest to senior citizens on one-year FDs up to Rs. 2 crore.
- Italian champions Juventus suffered their first defeat of the season in all competitions with a 3-1 Serie A loss against Lazio in Rome.
- Lionel Messi broke yet another record by hitting his 35th La Liga hat-trick as Barcelona thrashed Real Mallorca 5-2 to keep pace with Real Madrid at the top of the table.
- The president of the Rwanda Cycling Federation has resigned after allegations of corruption and sexual abuse were made against the organisation.
1. International News
- Elon Musk did not defame a British caver who helped in last year’s rescue of trapped Thai schoolboys by calling him a “pedo guy”, a US jury has found.
- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has formally unveiled his government’s legislative agenda for the coming parliamentary session – an early test for his minority government.
- It is a tradition, and not a very pretty one, for candidates for high office in Britain to submit themselves to a grueling, often excruciating, one-on-one interview with BBC presenter Andrew Neil.
- China said its research ship sailed through India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) near Andaman Islands in September, but it did not conduct any experiment.
- The US has completed implementation of H-1B electronic registration process for the 2021 cap season and the petitions for the most sought after work visa among Indian IT professionals will be accepted from April 1, 2020, the country’s immigration agency has announced.
- Tehran announced the release of Iranian scientist Massoud Soleimani from the United States shortly before Washington declared American researcher Xiyue Wang was returning home.
- The Chinese foreign ministry said the fact that the ship Shiyan-1 or Experiment-1 was working in international waters was supported by operational logbooks and GPS tracking records.
- In a brief morning address to television cameras, Pelosi said Trump “abused his power for his own personal, political benefit at the expense of our national security.”
- It is the first time that Uber has released the figures, as the company and rival Lyft are under increasing pressure to cope with the growing number of complaints of abuse.
- The country’s foreign exchange reserves rose by $2.48 billion during the week ended November 29, official data showed.
- A 139-member contingent of China’s People’s Liberation Army arrived in Meghalaya for the joint military exercise with India, officials said.
- Soon the ongoing Jharkhand Assembly election ends with the counting of votes on December 23, the Election Commission plans to set in motion the process for the Delhi Assembly elections, slated for early next year.
- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman invited those who are interested in providing suggestions on simplifying and easing the Goods and Services Tax (GST) filing process.
- The science behind it is based on the concept of the circadian rhythm, which is the 24-hour cycle of living beings.
- The fact has emerged at a time when there has been a spurt in cases of rape and sexual offenses against children, notably the rape and murder of a 26-year-old veterinary doctor, who was burned to death last week on the outskirts Hyderabad by her attackers
- The Judge said the extreme step of sealing the service apartment of a popular chain of budget hotels appeared to have been taken following news circulated on social media that the apartment complex was being used for short stays.
- The police officer said the matter came to light after the minor was found to be three months pregnant a few days ago. Rath had threatened the girl to stay mum about the abuse.
- The banking personnel selection body, IBPS, would conduct preliminary exam for Specialist Officer (SO) selection on December 28 and December 29.
- Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) conducted the Civil Judge recruitment exam on November 24.
- The Reserve Bank of India announced that it has decided to make the National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) system available on a round-the-clock basis from December 16.
- NEFT is used to electronically transfer funds from one account to another of banks which are members of this system.
- Six-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton rates the 2019 season as “the best” of his decorated career, on and off the circuit.
- Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Indian actress tops the list of IMDb (Internet Movies Database) 2019 top 10 Indian Celebrities.
- Rajendran Chinna Veerappan was appointed as the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Catholic Syrian Bank (CSB) bank, Thrissur, Kerala by the Board of Directors of CSB bank in the Board meeting held on 2nd December 2019 for a three year term effective from 9th December 2019 to 8th December 2022.
- Robert George Dylan Willis, former cricket captain of England dies at the age of 70 after prolonged illness.
1. International News
- The Bangladesh Bank was criticized for a "sexist" job circular, where it asked married female applicants to mention their husbands' permanent address as their own, it was reported.
- Angela Merkel will make her first visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial after 14 years as German chancellor, bringing a 60 million euro donation to help conserve the site where the Nazis ran their largest death camp, the museum said.
- A nationwide strike brought much of France to a standstill to protest the government's planned overhaul of the pension system, one of President Emmanuel Macron's most ambitious reforms.
- One of Moscow's top diplomats joked to President Donald Trump after touring the White House that he was disappointed not to have seen the "secret" Russia room.
- Asians and black employees working in certain roles at its Silicon Valley headquarters by $401 million over the course of four years, one of the largest federal anti-discrimination cases to go before a judge.
- Nearly 6,000 instances of sexual assault, including more than 450 cases of rape, were reported to Uber in the United States in 2017 and 2018, the ride-sharing company said in a report on safety released Thursday.
- The last thing you'd expect to see on an idyllic beach on the coast of Queensland, Australia, is hundreds of gray stones on the sand spelling out people's names and phrases such as "send nudes," but that's exactly what locals had to clean up after tourists left their mark.
- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that Democrats will begin drafting articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, setting up a constitutional clash that Trump now says he embraces and is eager to frame on his terms when it moves to an expected Senate trial next month.
- China's defense budget has grown 850 percent in the last 20 years from $20 billion to $170 billion in 2018, a top Pentagon official told lawmakers.
- The verdict in the high treason case against former Pakistan dictator General (retd) Pervez Musharraf would be pronounced on December 17, a special court announced.
- Parents from around the globe said governments locked in negotiations at UN talks in Madrid must beat back the threat of global warming to "give our children the future that they deserve".
- A man was burnt to death after a pastor mistook petrol for water during a healing service in Lagos, the emergency services said.
- US President Donald Trump is likely to face at least three articles of impeachment in the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives.
- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the possibility of not reaching a post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union by the end of 2020 "simply will not happen".
- The White House said that Democrats should be "ashamed" after their leader in the lower house of Congress pulled the trigger on impeaching President Donald Trump.
- US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she has directed a House committee to draft articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump over his effort to pressure Ukraine to investigate a political rival, a historic step that sets up a fight over whether to oust him from office.
- An Uber driver in the US today tweeted a photo of the company's office in Rhode Island, showing two bathrooms side-by-side, classified not as 'Male' and 'Female', but 'Partner' and 'Employee', prompting outrage on Twitter.
- Former advisor to the Governor of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, K Vijay Kumar, has been appointed as a senior security advisor in the Union Home Ministry headed by Amit Shah, an official order said.
- Anyone convicted under the stringent POCSO Act that seeks to protect minors from sexual abuse should not be allowed to file mercy plea if they face the gallows, President Ram Nath Kovind said today.
- The concept of STEAM learning focuses on encouraging rational, analytical, logical, and quantitative reasoning by incorporating scientific temper and evidence-based thinking throughout the curriculum in science as well as in traditionally 'non-science' subjects.
- The Supreme Court decided to put on hold the elections for the local bodies in nine new districts, carved out of four existing ones, in Tamil Nadu for complying with legal formalities such as delimitation and reservation in four months.
- West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar said he is ready to talk to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on "topics at her chosen time and place."
- The killing of four accused in the Telangana rape and murder by the police and a more recent case of a woman burnt in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao by her alleged rapists set up a fiery debate in parliament.
- Santhali language made its debut in Rajya Sabha when a lawmaker from Odisha used it to raise a matter of urgent public importance during the Zero Hour.
- Union minister Prakash Javadekar said that no Indian study has shown any correlation between pollution and the shortening of lifespan.
- Hours after all four accused in Telangana veterinarian's gang rape and murder were shot dead by the police this morning, BJP's Maneka Gandhi cautioned that the incident may set a "dangerous" precedent.
- All the four accused in the rape-and-murder case of a 25-year-old woman Hyderabad veterinarian last month were killed in an exchange of fire with police.
- Fondly called Baba Saheb, BR Ambedkar campaigned against social discrimination against untouchables and also supported the rights of women and laborers.
- After four men accused of raping and killing a young veterinarian in Telangana was shot dead earlier this morning, the incident has triggered an uproar in parliament amid a difference of opinion.
- Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati today praised the Hyderabad Police for its action against the accused in the gang rape and murder of a 25-year-old veterinarian and asked the Uttar Pradesh Police to take inspiration from them.
- The BJP in Telangana has said it will "as a responsible party" ask the state government and the police to address the media on the killing of four men accused of raping and murdering a 26-year-old veterinarian.
- Maharashtra's Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has given a clean chit to NCP leader and former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar in the multi-crore Vidarbha irrigation scam.
- Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has shared a letter by former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah, who criticized the center for not allowing him to attend the winter session of parliament.
- After the exam, the answer keys would be released online. Candidates can challenge the official answer key. The final results will be announced by January 31.
- Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Vice-Chancellor Professor Tariq Mansoor welcomed the Central government's recent move to sanction a grant of over Rs. 100 crore for the construction of hostels at the varsity's off-campus centers in Kerala and West Bengal.
- The concept of STEAM learning focuses on encouraging rational, analytical, logical, and quantitative reasoning by incorporating scientific temper and evidence-based thinking throughout the curriculum in science as well as in traditionally 'non-science' subjects.
- Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), conducts the exams for admission to the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of the NDA and the Indian Naval Academy course.
- The previous edition of the OSSTET was held in December last year. The result was declared on January 7, 2019.
- Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) has released the admit card for Physical Education and Health Instructor Ability Test 2019.
- Reliance Jio now offers 11 recharge plans priced from Rs. 129 to Rs. 2,199 with a validity period ranging from 28 days to 365 days.
- RBL Bank said it has raised Rs 2,025.27 crore from institutional investors through a qualified institutional placement offering (QIP) and will utilise the proceeds to fund business growth.
- Domestic stock markets are likely to start Friday’s session on a higher note, tracking gains in Asian peers.
- The celebrated Mary Kom won her bout in a dominating fashion as Punjab Panthers notched up their second successive victory in the Big Bout Indian Boxing League by beating Bombay Bullets 5-2 in Greater Noida.
- Caretaker manager Freddie Ljungberg said Arsenal “did not show up” for the first 45 minutes as the Gunners’ winless streak reached nine games in a 2-1 home defeat to Brighton.
- Sajith Premadasa, the United National Party (UNP) leader who lost to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in the presidential election, was named as the Leader of the Opposition in the Sri Lankan Parliament.
1. International News
- An unnamed witness told Hawaii News Now in an on-air interview that he had seen the gunman put a gun to his head and shoot himself.
- At least 58 migrants drowned as their boat sank near the Mauritanian coast, the International Organization for Migration said.
- The White House signaled that it will aggressively defend President Donald Trump in a near-certain Senate impeachment trial in the coming weeks, as legal experts called by House Democrats testified in a contentious hearing that Trump's Ukraine dealings constitute an impeachable offense.
- Veronica Hilda Theriault used a photo of American supermodel Kate Upton on her LinkedIn profile, lied about her education and work history, among other things.
- The White House has said that the first day of impeachment hearing by the House Judiciary Committee was a good day for President Donald Trump and a bad day for the Democrats.
- The White House signaled that it will aggressively defend President Donald Trump in a near-certain Senate impeachment trial in the coming weeks, as legal experts called by House Democrats testified in a contentious hearing that Trump's Ukraine dealings constitute an impeachable offense.
- Europe's oldest functioning nuclear reactor, at Switzerland's Beznau plant, will turn 50 next week -- a lifespan deemed dangerously long by environmentalists who are demanding that it be shut down immediately.
- Twenty more women have come forward alleging they were raped or sexually assaulted while using Lyft, adding to a growing list of legal complaints against the ride-hailing company from passengers who say they were targeted by drivers on the app.
- President who abuses power would set a wrong precedent, and that is not good for the future of the United States, Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal said while strongly supporting the impeachment moves against President Donald Trump.
- Forget NATO. Brits were obsessing a viral snip of video that appeared - appeared, mind you - to show Queen Elizabeth II seems to chastise her daughter, Princess Anne, at the moment the monarch was greeting President Donald Trump and the first lady at a reception at Buckingham Palace.
- A US sailor fatally shot two people and wounded a third at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard in Hawaii before committing suicide, an official said.
- His wealth came up in the second day of his testimony before a federal jury in Los Angeles, where the Tesla and SpaceX chief executive is on trial over a tweet in which he referred to a British cave expert as a "pedo guy."
- Three constitutional scholars bolstered Democrats' case for impeaching Donald Trump by saying the president's actions seeking foreign interference in US elections were clear grounds for removal, as the inquiry kicked into high gear in Congress.
- The US negotiator on Afghanistan will shortly resume talks with the Taliban and seek efforts toward a ceasefire, officials said, three months after President Donald Trump abruptly halted diplomatic efforts that could end America's longest war.
- Union Minister Nitin Gadkari expressed regret in the Lok Sabha today over hurdles like land acquisition and environment clearance faced by various road projects, saying the country must have a positive approach towards development.
- Former finance minister P Chidambaram, who walked out of Tihar Jail last night, today opened his first press conference after 105 days in prison with a note of solidarity for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, one of the country's two newest Union Territories.
- The Supreme Court today said its 2018 verdict allowing entry of girls and women of all ages into the Ayyappa temple at Kerala's Sabarimala was not the "final word" as the matter was referred to a larger bench. Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu pulled up MPs of both Houses for their low attendance in parliamentary standing committees' meetings and urged the leaders of all political parties to ensure "quantitative and qualitative functioning" of these panels.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also launched a contest for the students of Classes 9 to 12 and its winners will get an opportunity to attend the event and ask him questions.
- An estimated 6.06 percent of voting took place during the first two hours since polling began in 15 assembly constituencies going to by-polls in Karnataka.
- P Chidambaram struck a defiant note at his first press conference since walking out of Delhi's Tihar Jail late, saying "my neck is stronger, my spine is stronger, my head is stronger after sleeping on a wooden board (in jail)"
- "Petrol prices, diesel prices, onion prices all have hit the roof", said Senior Karnataka Congress leader Dinesh Gundu Rao.
- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's "I-don't-eat-onions" comment in parliament was attacked by opposition parties today with the Congress calling it her "Marie Antoinette moment" and wondering whether she preferred avocado.
- Nirav Modi has been declared a fugitive economic offender by a Mumbai court, becoming the second person, after Vijay Mallya, to be charged under the law.
- The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which is to be tabled in parliament, includes provisions like one that allows cancellation of registrations of Overseas Citizen of India who violate provisions of the Act "or any other notified law"
- Blamed for an unprecedented two-day adjournment of the Bengal assembly by the state government, Governor Jagdeep Dhankar drove to the assembly building to make a point, only to find the gates locked. "As constitutional head, my heart is bleeding".
- A DJ has been arrested for kidnapping, raping and killing a homeless four-year-old girl in Indore's Mhow, the Madhya Pradesh Police have said. The police said they analyzed footage from over 50 CCTV cameras to zero in on the accused, whose wife is pregnant with their first child.
- Congress leader P Chidambaram has reached parliament a day after he was granted bail by the Supreme Court in the INX Media money-laundering case.
- Uttar Pradesh's Unnao district, who had filed a rape case against two men from her village in March this year, is critical after she was set on fire this morning outside her village when she was headed to a local court for hearing in the case.
- The Indore Municipal Corporation demolished the three properties of the absconding owner of Sanjha Lokswami newspaper Jitu Soni for his alleged involvement in the honey-trap case
- SSC has released revised tentative vacancies for Junior Hindi Translator, Junior Translator, and Senior Hindi Translator to be filled through the JHT exam 2018.
- Tamil Nadu Open University (TNOU) has released admit cards for the December 2019 Term End Examination (TEE).
- National Testing Agency (NTA) will release JEE Main 2020 admit cards for the January exam tomorrow. President Kovind also asked states that they are yet to implement the Ayushman Bharat program to do so at the earliest.
- State CET Cell, Maharashtra has released the tentative schedule for the various Common Entrance Tests (CETs) it would be conducting in the academic year 2020-21.
- National Testing Agency (NTA) will release JEE Main 2020 admit cards for the January exam tomorrow.
- The teachers under the banner of DUTA raised slogans through the day and occupied the Council Hall where Academic Council and Executive Council meetings are held, a statement from the Association said.
- The rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee noted that economic activity has weakened further and the output gap remains negative.
- Reserve Bank Governor Shaktikanta Das further said that monetary transmission, which was bothering the central bank for a long time, is expected to improve with the introduction of linking loan pricing to the external benchmark system, which has been adopted by banks now.
- The central bank had earlier estimated headline inflation at 3.5-3.7 percent for the second half of the ongoing fiscal.
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cut its key interest rate by 135 basis points so far this year to support a slowing economy. The year ahead outlook was the most pessimistic for the rupee since October.
- Shikhar Dhawan turned 34 and birthday wishes poured in from all parts of the globe for the India opener.
- Tabraiz Shamsi has been doing some noticeable things in the Mzansi Super League being played in his home country.
- Kylian Mbappe's smart finish shortly after half-time and Neymar's late penalty saw PSG ease to victory at the Parc des Princes.
- A statue to honor the role of thousands of Sikh soldiers who fought along with British forces in the two World Wars has been unveiled in the West Yorkshire town of Huddersfield, which has a sizeable Sikh community described as ‘vibrant’.
- The UK has made “positive” progress in international school rankings, based on tests taken by 15-year-olds in 79 countries and regions.
1. International News
- The Democratic-led House Intelligence Committee, which has spearheaded the impeachment probe that formally began in September, also said in a report that the Republican president had obstructed the investigation.
- House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, who has led the 10-week-old investigation, said it was important to move quickly because the evidence of Trump’s wrongdoing is “overwhelming.”
- “It’s a tough statement, though, when you make a statement like that, that is a very, very nasty statement to essentially 28, including them, 28 countries,” Trump told reporters as he met the head of NATO in London.
- Thick plumes of black smoke billowed into the sky after the blaze broke out at a tile manufacturing unit in an industrial zone in north Khartoum.
- Kaur, who was in touch with the man through Facebook, met him at the gurdwara and attempted to go along with him to Faisalabad by showing a Pakistani woman’s permit.
- Three Russian sisters -- Kristina, Angelina, and Maria Khachaturyan -- stabbed their father Mikhail to death in July 2018 after suffering years of beatings and sexual assault.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a controversial law allowing independent journalists and bloggers to be labeled as “foreign agents”, a move that critics say will violate media freedom.
- Kamala Harris, the first Indian American woman to run for the White House, has said she quit the race because she does not have the financial resources needed to continue and she is “not a billionaire” who can fund her own campaign.
- Climate change is harming human health as more people suffer from heat stress, extreme weather and mosquito-borne diseases including malaria, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.
- Democrats want to see him impeached, most Republicans do not. And the televised hearings last month that were meant to build public support for impeachment appear to have pushed the two sides further apart.
- President Donald Trump said a trade deal with China might have to wait until after the U.S. presidential election in November 2020, denting hopes that the two largest economies would soon reach an initial deal to ease their damaging trade war.
- “That’s why I call him Rocket Man,” Trump told reporters during a meeting with the head of NATO in London He said he hoped Kim would denuclearise, but added: “we’ll find out.”
- Brad Parscale, the Trump 2020 campaign manager, said the decision was made after Bloomberg News announced it would not investigate the company boss or his Democrat competitors.
- It was not immediately clear if the blast was the result of a sectarian attack, but Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, has suffered a resurgence in homegrown militancy in recent years.
- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would press ahead with new taxes on U.S internet giants like Facebook and Google, putting him at odds with U.S. President Trump who has threatened retaliation against France over its digital tax plans.
- President Hassan Rouhani said that Iran is still ready for nuclear talks on condition the United States first lifts "unlawful" sanctions.
- Britain, Canada, France, and the Netherlands have been caught on camera at a Buckingham Palace reception mocking US President Donald Trump's lengthy media appearances ahead of NATO summit.
- Indian-American Peter Mathews, also a political analyst on CNN television, will be running for Congress.
- The BJP leadership underscored the significance of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill by equating its importance with the move to nullify Article 370 provisions, with senior leader Rajnath Singh asking party MPs to be present in large numbers when Home Minister Amit Shah tables it in Parliament.
- Nirbhaya Fund was constituted to help government agencies combat cases of violence against women, utilization of funds by states still remains low across the country, according to data presented by the government in Parliament.
- Parliament passed a bill to merge two Union territories Daman & Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli into one unit.
- India and Sweden have put in place a roadmap to drive collaboration in research and innovation, including partnerships and funding for projects focused on smart cities and clean technologies.
- Defence minister Rajnath Singh informed his party colleagues in Parliament that the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) 2019, which seeks to fast-track grant of Indian citizenship to members of minority communities from three Muslim-majority nations in India’s neighborhood, will be placed before the house soon.
- India and Australia are set to hold their third combined dialogue of the defence and foreign secretaries on December 9, with the Indo-Pacific and preparations for Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s visit next year expected to top the agenda.
- Bokaro Steel City was a once-booming industrial township which developed around the Bokaro Steel Plant, one of the largest and oldest in the country, owned by the Steel Authority of India Ltd, a state-run company.
- The southwest monsoon in 2018 severely affected India, the analysis said adding that Kerala was especially impacted where 324 people died because of drowning or being buried in the landslides set off by the flooding—the worst in hundred years.
- A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, led by Justice R Banumathi, granted 74-year-old P Chidambaram bail in the INX Media case.
- A bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar disposed of the plea stating that the government should take action as per law. The plea was filed by BJP leader and former MLA Nand Kishore Garg.
- Rajasthan’s chief minister Ashok Gehlot said that in a male-dominated society, the role of men was important in doing away with such customs that had no logical ground in today’s world.
- The Law Minister said there is a process while appointing judges of high courts and the Supreme Court and a collegium of senior judges recommends names to the government for appointment of judges.
- Puri said the BJP will highlight a list of projects where the Delhi government had allegedly created hurdles in providing the state’s share of funds which eventually had to be funded by the urban development ministry, he said.
- The JEE Main 2020 will be conducted by The National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission to Undergraduate Programs in NITs, IIITs and other Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs), etc. in the next academic year (2020-2021) in two phases, the first phase for Admissions to B.E./ B.Tech(Paper-1) & B. Arch/ B.
- Reserve Bank of India has released the RBI Grade B Phase 1 marks sheet and cut off marks 2019, December 2, 2019. Candidates who have appeared in the examination can check their marks sheet online at rbi.org.in.
- The Viceregal Lodge Estate houses the office of the DU vice-chancellor. Initially, teachers gheraoed the office and then entered its premises. They chanted slogans against the administration in the Council Hall of the office.
- The high-powered committee, constituted by the Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry to restore normal functioning of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), had submitted its report last week.
- India Post GDS recruitment results 2019 for Karnataka and Gujarat circles have been declared. Check the details here.
- Law graduates can apply for the posts of assistant managers- legal. The last date to apply is December 16, 2019. The exam will be conducted on January 27, 2020.
- One must not start any new books at this stage. However, one can still refer to standard books for concept clearing. This stage should be utilized more for problem-solving, developing short cuts, and memorizing formulae, understanding one’s strengths & weaknesses.
- Domestic stock markets rebounded from the day’s lows despite weakness in Asian peers amid waning optimism about US-China trade talks.
- Kerala-based private sector lender CSB Bank had a bumper listing. The stock debuted on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) at Rs 275, which marked a premium of 41 per cent over the issue price of Rs 195.
- Australia have by and large gone with the same squad that beat Pakistan convincingly in the two-Test series.
- Gabriel Jesus scored twice as Manchester City showed no signs of giving up their Premier League title without a fight as a 4-1 victory at Burnley cut the gap on unbeaten leaders Liverpool to eight points.
- Currently, foreign airlines are barred from buying more than 49% in a local carrier, and foreign investors, other than airlines, need government approval to buy a stake bigger than 49%.
- In the Sensex pack, Tata Steel emerged as the biggest loser with a slide of 1.95 per cent, followed by Vedanta, IndusInd Bank, Bharti Airtel, ONGC and Axis Bank.
- English author Tony Joseph has won 12th ‘Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize’ for his 2018 book, ‘Early Indians – The Story of Our Ancestors and Where We Came’.
- The National Assembly of Republic of Mauritius has unanimously elected Prithvirajsing Roopun, as new President of the island nation, a largely ceremonial post.
- Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin are stepping down from their roles at the helm of parent firm Alphabet and handing the reins to current Google CEO Sundar Pichai, the company said.
1. International News
- Five women who accuse Jeffrey Epstein of abusing them say Prince Andrew witnessed how people were given massages at the sex offender’s homes.
- The US is preparing tariffs on $2.4bn (£1.85bn) worth of French exports as retaliation against the country’s new digital services tax.
- UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to call for Nato unity amid growing tensions within the military bloc.
- US warships and military aircraft visits to Hong Kong and sanctioned American NGOs including Human Rights Watch in retaliation against Washington passing two bills supporting pro-democracy protests in the city last week
- US President Donald Trump landed in Britain ahead of the NATO summit, arriving in London just 10 days before a crucial general election.
- The United States threatened to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on $2.4 billion in French goods in retaliation for a digital services tax it says is discriminatory.
- British election are not fit for purpose and steps by Facebook and Google to increase transparency around digital adverts are not a substitute for reform, the Electoral Commission said.
- Called the “Power of Siberia”, the cross-border gas pipeline, according to the official news agency, Xinhua, is over 8000 km long with a 3,000-km section in Russia and a 5,111-km stretch in China.
- Brad Parscale, the Trump 2020 campaign manager, said the decision was made after Bloomberg News announced it would not investigate the company boss or his Democrat competitors.
- The escalation of the China-US diplomatic tussle comes in the backdrop of the two largest economies in the world trying to reach a “phase 1” deal to resolve the ongoing trade war.
- Convinced that he could no longer ignore the apostrophe’s misuse, he set up the Apostrophe Protection Society in 2001. He found hundreds of supporters from across the globe, but has now decided to close the society
- Foreign agents, defined as involved in politics and receiving money from abroad, must register with the justice ministry, label publications with the tag and submit detailed paperwork or face fines.
- Australia would cease all bilateral aid to Pakistan, including support to programmes helping poor women and girls, as the funds were being redirected to meet new commitments in the Pacific, according to the latest Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) report.
- World's worst industrial disasters, more than 20,000 people were choked to death in Bhopal on this day in 1984 after toxic gas leaked from the now-defunct Union Carbide factory.
- The 80-feet-long granite compound wall of Sivasubramanian’s bungalow collapsed early in Nadur Adi Dravidar (Dalit) Colony in Mettupalayam, Coimbatore.
- According to the police, around 1.15 pm, when Rajnath Singh’s convoy was passing through Vijay Chowk, the man, who was standing on the roadside, rushed towards the minister’s car.
- The Chinese vessel, Shi Yan 1, was found carrying out some activities near Port Blair in September when it was asked to go away.
- This year is expected to be the second or third warmest year on record while 2016, which had strong El Niño conditions is the warmest year on record.
- Rajnath Singh told the lawmakers that the Prime Minister is “dissatisfied that situation hasn’t changed despite his repeated advice”.
- Lok Sabha on the Taxation Law Amendment Bill and a statutory resolution disapproving the ordinance on the same legislation, Dubey had said that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has no relevance and it should not be treated as ‘Bible, Ramayan, and Mahabharat’.
- The Congress general secretary’s office has taken up the issue of the security breach that occurred on November 26 with the Central Reserve Police Force.
- The government has taken various steps, including reduction of corporate tax, she said at India-Sweden Business Summit in New Delhi.
- Nasa made the announcement of the Vikram lander discovery and released an image taken by it is Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) on November 11 showing the landing site.
- Justice P D Naik then posted the matter for hearing on December 6, and extended interim relief granted to Navlakha till the next date of hearing.
- Baghel tabled the judicial probe report in the state Assembly, senior BJP MLA and former chief minister Raman Singh said the findings of the panel were already “leaked” in the media.
- India’s growth and potential in defence sector present significant opportunities for Swedish companies to manufacture in India for the domestic market and for exports, President Ram Nath Kovind said.
- Union Home Minister Amit Shah will today move the Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill, 2019 in Rajya Sabha.
- The Rajya Sabha passed the bill that seeks to prohibit the production, trade, transport, storage and advertisement of electronic cigarettes in the country, with a voice vote.
- The Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched a yearlong program to make citizens aware of their fundamental duties.
- SSC had conducted a written test for the recruitment of SI in Delhi Police, CAPF and ASI in CISF of which the result was declared on May 25, 2019.
- The paper based test of the MAT 2019 will be conducted on December 8, 2019, across different centres from 10 am to 12:30 pm.
- Issac Paullungmuan, a student of Mount Olive School in Churachandpur district, would be sitting for his High School Leaving Certificate Examination (HSLC) in 2020.
- Staff Selection Commission (SSC) is expected to commence online application process for Combined Higher Secondary Level (CHSL) exam 2019. The Commission will release recruitment notification today and begin the application process.
- Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA) has released the board exam time table for class 10 board exam.
- BPSSC has released the admit card for preliminary exam which will be conducted for recruitment of SI in Bihar Police.
- Union minister Ramesh Pokhriyal appealed to the students to pledge for saving a liter of water every day and encourage their near and dears ones also to do so.
- The protesters, who reached the national capital from different states on November 26, are staging a sit-in at Bhagwan Das Road which has been closed for traffic, a senior police officer said.
- Currently, foreign airlines are barred from buying more than 49% in a local carrier, and foreign investors, other than airlines, need government approval to buy a stake bigger than 49%.
- In NITI Aayog’s Innovation Index all states are ranked on innovation and competitive parameters. Kapoor said the idea behind the index is to propel the country towards innovation.
- Annual retail inflation rose to 4.62% last month, climbing above 4% for the first time in 15 months and up from 3.99% in September.
- HDFC Bank is the country's largest lender by market capitalisation, the bank has a total market capitalization of Rs. 6.92 lakh crore.
- For HDFC Bank, the weaker economy had led to a slowdown in loan growth, which eased to 15 per cent in the September quarter from 23 per cent a year earlier.
- New Zealand won MCC's Spirit of Cricket award for their sporting conduct in the aftermath of the World Cup final against England.
- Sourav Ganguly said he was encouraged by the success of India's first day-night Test at the Eden Gardens against Bangladesh.
- Ricky Ponting reckons Australia's bowling attack is better than the current Indian bowling as Australians are better suited in different conditions.
- Suryakumar Yadav will lead Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy, with Aditya Tare appointed vice-captain ahead of their first match against Baroda.
- Ross Taylor joined Stephen Fleming as only the second New Zealand player to go past 7,000 runs as he scored a century against England in Hamilton.
- Tennis great Roger Federer is to become the first living Swiss to have a coin minted in their honour, with a commemorative 20 franc ($20.06) silver piece bearing his image being issued in January.
- United States World Cup icon Megan Rapinoe won the women’s Ballon d’Or prize at an awards ceremony in Paris.
- Lionel Messi won a record sixth men’s Ballon d’Or award at a ceremony in Paris on Monday, beating Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk to take the honours.
- Soma Roy Burman was appointed as the 24th Controller General of Accounts (CGA), Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure, Soma Burman is also the 7th woman to be in that post.
- Masatsugu Asakawa was elected as the 10th President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) by the Board of Governors of the ADB.
- Nasa says one of its satellites has found the debris of India’s Moon rover which crashed on the lunar surface in September.
1. International News
- The White House has said US President Donald Trump and his lawyers will not attend an impeachment hearing in the House of Representatives.
- Namibia’s President Hage Geingob has been re-elected for a second term, the country’s electoral commission says.
- Hong Kong as tens of thousands of black-clad protesters flooded into the streets, a week after pro-democracy candidates scored a landslide local election victory.
- China will require telecom operators to collect face scans when registering new phone users at offline outlets starting, according to the country’s information technology authority, as Beijing continues to tighten cyberspace controls.
- Global talks tasked with neutralizing the threat of global warming get underway in Madrid, but their narrow focus on rules and procedures remains out of sync with the world's climate-addled future.
- U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about Iran and other issues, the White House said.
- The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the London Bridge terror attack in which two people were killed, saying the UK-born attacker, who wanted to set up a terrorist training camp in the garb of a madrassa in his ancestral region of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, was one of its fighters.
- Mexican town killed 20 people this weekend, authorities said, putting more pressure on Mexico's president to curb gang violence after the United States vowed to label the gangs' terrorists.
- Police are still looking for the lone suspect in the attack, which briefly sent a shiver of panic through part of The Hague.
- The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) has extended Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa's tenure till May 2020.
- The Netherlands launched a similar system in October, fining drivers 240 euros ($265) for illegal use of mobile phones, according to a statement on a Dutch police website.
- After the post went viral, Daniel said in a later update, “I’m not mad but I am sad and I will take reparations in free chicken sandwiches.”
- Home Minister Amit Shah’s emphasis on rolling out the National Citizens’ Register for the entire country comes amid a continuing back-and-forth between his party and Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee over implementing the citizens’ list.
- Opposition TDP, BJP, and Jana Sena have found fault with Jagan’s recent visit to famous Lord Venkateswara temple near Tirupati, claiming he had not followed the procedures of the hill shrine for non-Hindus entering it.
- This is the first review petition filed by a Muslim party against the verdict that had ordered a 5-acre plot be given to the Sunni Board by the government because the community had been wronged more than once.
- The young veterinarian was gang-raped, strangled and then set on fire by four men near Hyderabad on. The charred body of the woman was found on Thursday morning.
- The Congress said that they would wind up the proposed Kerala Bank after coming to power.
- After earning her wings two days before the Navy Day on Wednesday, Shivangi said she was happy with her achievement.
- Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury today claimed in the Lok Sabha that the BJP-led government's lack of long-term vision was to blame for the slowdown in the country's growth, and wondered if it wouldn't be more apt to address Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman as "Nirbala" Sitharaman.
- Industrialist Kiran Mazumdar Shaw has backed fellow industrialist Rahul Bajaj after he urged the Narendra Modi government to be more open to criticisms of its policies and decisions
- West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said that the state was yet to receive a single penny as financial help from the Centre for cyclone ''Bulbul''-affected areas despite PM Narendra Modi's assurance.
- As the winter session of the parliament enters the third week, the Rajya Sabha discussed the gang-rape and murder of the 26-year-old veterinarian near Hyderabad today.
- Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said he has ordered a review of all on-going development projects in the state, including the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train.
- King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden arrived in the national capital today on a five-day India visit.
- As many as 16 permanent government school teachers were given forced retirement from their services for failing to score 33% marks in the efficiency test conducted twice by the school education department to test their knowledge, minister of school education Prabhuram Chaudhary said.
- Chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao announced a slew of benefits for the Telangana Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) employees and assured to pay them salaries for the 55 days when they had struck work, an increment and increased their retirement age from 58 to 60.
- The last date of submission of online and offline re-registration form for all IGNOU programmes for January, 2020 session has been further extended up to December 31, 2019.
- Placement season at IIT Delhi started on a good note on December 1, 2019. Over 400 organisations are participating to recruit the students from India and abroad.
- The changes will be effected for class X and XII exams which will be held in 2020.
- Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad (IIT Hyderabad) started the placement season for 2019-20 Academic Year yesterday.
- Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT Guwahati) started the placement season for 2019-20 on a strong note with 80 offers received.
- Collections from the Goods and Services Tax (GST) rebounded above the Rs 1 lakh crore benchmark in November, government officials said on Sunday, attributing an increase in voluntary compliance and a government stimulus package for an increase in receipts that had contracted for two consecutive months.
- The RBI will deliver its rate decision on December 5, days after a report showed growth collapsed to 4.5 percent in the July-September quarter, the first time it’s been below 5 percent since 2013.
- Employees in India are expected to see 9.2 per cent salary growth in 2020, highest in Asia, but inflation may play a spoiler as real-wage salaries in the country is anticipated to be just 5 per cent, a report said.
- Uttar Pradesh batsman Priyam Garg will lead defending champions India in next year’s Under-19 ICC Cricket World Cup after the BCCI named him captain of a 15-member squad for the tournament to be held in South Africa.
- Lionel Messi delivered a major boost to Barcelona’s La Liga title hopes by scoring a late winner in a 1-0 victory at Atletico Madrid.
- Akkitham Achuthan Namboodri, a renowned Malayalam poet has been chosen for the 55th Jnanpith Award 2019 in accordance to the Jnanpith Selection Board.
- Sub-lieutenant Shivangi became the first woman pilot for the Indian Navy. Shivangi was born in the city of Muzaffarpur in Bihar.
- Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has announced on national TV that he will step down in the new year, amid a crisis over a murdered journalist.
1. International News
- The Netherlands launched a similar system in October, fining drivers 240 euros ($265) for illegal use of mobile phones, according to a statement on a Dutch police website.
- Waving American flags, with some donning Donald Trump logo hats and t-shirts, protesters unfurled a banner depicting the U.S. president standing astride a tank with a U.S. flag behind him.
- After the post went viral, Daniel said in a later update, “I’m not mad but I am sad and I will take reparations in free chicken sandwiches.”
- Media reports say Chamberlain and central south-central South Dakota were under a winter storm warning at the time of the plane crash.
- An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore held a hearing against Saeed and his accomplices on terror financing. The court fixed December 7 as the date for an indictment of the JuD chief and others.
- Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who visited the scene of the attack, said he wanted to “toughen up sentences” so that those convicted of terrorism offenses are not released early.
- India and China should seek common development, vice foreign minister Luo Zhaohui said this week at a high-profile bilateral thing-tank held in Beijing.
- The Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for the terror attack at London Bridge where two people were killed and three others injured.
- Russia’s MiG-31K interceptor jet carried out a test of the Kinjal (Dagger) hypersonic missile in Russia’s part of Arctic earlier this month, TASS news agency reported, citing two military sources.
- UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet of “inappropriate” interference in the country’s affairs after she called for investigations into alleged excessive use of force by police in Hong Kong.
- The future of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition was thrown into question as her deputy chancellor and finance minister lost the leadership race of his center-left party SPD.
- Usman Khan, 28, was convicted and jailed in 2012 for being part of a network of plots to assassinate Boris Johnson, who was then the mayor of London
- An area on the main shopping street near the town’s historic center was cordoned off, and dozens of police and ambulances were on the scene.
- Videos and photographs on Twitter showed several police cars and buses on the bridge and a truck straddling several lanes.
- The HL-2M Tokamak, China’s next-generation “artificial sun,” is expected to be operational in 2020 as installation work has gone smoothly since the delivery of the coil system in June.
- The Supreme Court in October ruled for the building of the Ram Temple at a 2.77-acre disputed site in Ayodya, directing the Centre to set up a trust to complete the task.
- Union Cabinet approved importing 1.2 lakh tonnes of onion to improve the domestic supply and control prices that have skyrocketed to Rs 75-120 per kg across major cities now.
- The heavy rain has left several places in Tamil Nadu waterlogged and forced authorities to evacuate about 1000 people in the Cuddalore district.
- The four men, all lorry workers, were booked under Sections 376D (gangrape), 302 (murder),201 (destroying evidence) of the Indian Penal Code.
- Places like Ramanathapuram, Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, Vellore, Tiruvallur, Thiruvannamalai districts may receive very heavy rainfall in the next 24 hours,” an official from Regional Meteorological Centre said.
- Thackeray was speaking after Fadnavis, leader of state BJP legislature unit, was named the new Leader of Opposition in the House by Speaker Nana Patole.
- Captain Amarinder also urged former Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu to be more cautious in his dealings with the Imran Khan government and not allow his personal friendship with the Pakistan Prime Minister cloud his judgment.
- MPs across party lines came up with the suggestions during a special debate to mark the 250th session of the Rajya Sabha November 18, at a time when the House is already looking at possible changes in rules and procedures to improve its functioning.
- Senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut pointed out the irony of Devendra Fadnavis becoming the leader of the opposition after claiming that Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi would be the main opposition in Maharashtra.
- Devendra Fadnavis, 49, had resigned, three days after taking oath as chief minister. His resignation came a day before a trust vote ordered by the Supreme Court.
- BSF Director General V K Johri also said that the force has expanded its “strategic capabilities” by using new technology and intelligence to guard the over 6,386 km long borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh.
- GST has been one of the major tax reforms in the history of independent India which subsumed 17 different taxes and multiple cesses that were levied by different states, revenue secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey said.
- The policemen were suspended after a detailed inquiry found that they delayed the registration of an FIR relating to the missing woman on the intervening night of November 27 and 28, according to a statement from the commissioner’s office.
- The first phase of polling in 13 of 81 seats assembly seats in Jharkhand passed off peacefully on Saturday with 62.87% voting concluded at 3 pm, election officials said.
- Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government comfortably won a floor test, Shiv Sena-Congress-NCP coalition will face off with the opposition BJP on Sunday for the election of the Assembly Speaker.
- Home minister Amit Shah met chief ministers and other prominent leaders of three northeastern states on Saturday to discuss the proposed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, aimed at fast-tracking the grant of Indian citizenship to members of religious minorities from Muslim-majority Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
- India and Japan described terror networks based in Pakistan as a threat to regional security and called on the country to take “irreversible action” against such groups.
- Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said the entire world is looking towards India with great interest today and urged universities to reorient their academic strategies to produce “future-ready” professionals.
- BSF Director General V K Johri also said that the force has expanded its “strategic capabilities” by using new technology and intelligence to guard the over 6,386 km long borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh.
- GST has been one of the major tax reforms in the history of independent India which subsumed 17 different taxes and multiple cesses that were levied by different states, revenue secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey said.
- The UGC had notified Open and Distance Learning Regulations in 2017, according to which professional programmes such as medicine, engineering, and architecture, are not permitted to be offered in distance mode.
- A mistake in the module book prepared for Class 10 students by the Madhya Pradesh Education Department has come to light in which Mahatma Gandhi has been depicted negatively.
- The University Grants Commission (UGC) has prohibited distance education programmes in Hotel Management and Real Estate.
- Punjab Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa urged the Union minister to take immediate action to add Punjabi in the list of languages of the JEE (Main) entrance test.
- The findings of the CAG says that the oldest university of the northeast had submitted multiple false affidavits to the UGC, assuring the commission that it will not start any new distance course without approval
- 51-year-old Naveen Toshniwal, a Jaipur-based businessman uses centuries-old graphic analysis to train management students and other professionals in helping them improve their personality traits.
- The state government has decided to train around 200 officers and principals on ways to improve their efficiency and capacity during 2019-20 at Korea Development Institute, Seoul.
- Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi also said the school dropout rate among girl students from minority communities has plunged to 35 percent now from 70 percent in 2014.
- 51,047 youths have applied in Jammu zone which included 9,752 applicants for 224 posts in Jammu district and 4,406 youth for 84 posts in Samba district.
- Sitharaman said she has travelled across the country, meeting officers and discussing taxation related issues to ensure their actions do not amount to any perception of harassment.
- Here are today’s top news, analysis and opinion at 9 AM. Know all about the latest news and other news updates.
- India’s premier medical institute AIIMS fell prey to a banking fraud as over Rs 12 crore has been stolen from its two bank accounts with the State Bank of India by allegedly using “cloned cheques” over the past one month, official sources said.
- G Sathiyan crashed out of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Men’s World Cup after losing in the pre-quarters.
- India have qualified for the Davis Cup 2020 Qualifiers after defeating Pakistan 4-0 in Nur-Sultan.
- The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), alongside Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and IIM Ahmedabad’s CIIE.CO, has launched a $50,000 challenge for startups and individuals to build secure payment solutions for feature phones.
- The Assam government has appointed Babulal Sharma, Secretary of Home and Political Department, as temporary coordinator of the NRC, which has been without an in-charge for weeks now.
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