Current Affairs December Monthly Capsule 2018 PDF

Monthly Current Affairs – December 2018
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Table of Content
S. No Content Page No
1 Important Days 03
2 Ranking 07
3 Summit / Conference 08
4 Appointments 14
5 Science and Technology 15
5.1 Inventions / Discover 15
5.2 Space Science 16
5.3 App/ Web Portal/ Toll Free 17
6 Schemes 20
7 Economic Affairs 25
7.1 Banking Affairs 30
8 MOU/Agreement 32
9 Indian Forces (Defence) 35
10 Awards and Achievement 39
11 National Affairs 40
12 State Wise Affairs 48
13 International Affairs 60
14 Sports 69
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1. Important Days
Date Day Details
December 01 World AIDS Day World AIDS Day takes place on the 1st December each
year. It‘s an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in
the fight against HIV, to show support for people living
with HIV, and to commemorate those who have died
from an AIDS-related illness. Founded in 1988, World
AIDS Day was the first ever global health day. The
theme for the 2018 World AIDS Day is “Know your
status”.
December 01 Nagaland Statehood Day 55th Nagaland Statehood Anniversary programme was
held at the Secretariat Plaza, Kohima on December 1,
2018. On this day, in 1963, Nagaland attains its
statehood and was declared as the 16th state of the
Indian Union.
December 2 International Day for the Abolition The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery is a
of Slavery yearly event on December 2, organized by the United
Nations General Assembly of the United Nations
Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons
and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others
(resolution 317(IV) of 2 December 1949). The Day was
first celebrated in 1986. First country to abolish slavery
– 1807, Britain passes Abolition of the Slave Trade Act.
December 3 International Day of Persons with International Day of Persons with Disabilities
Disabilities (December 3) is an international observance promoted
by the United Nations since 1992. It has been observed
with varying degrees of success around the planet.2018
Theme: Empowering persons with disabilities and
ensuring inclusiveness and equality
December 4 Navy Day Navy Day in India is observed on 4 December every
year to celebrate the achievements and role of the naval
force to the country. The Indian Navy is the marine
branch of the Indian Armed Forces and is led by the
President of India as Commander-in-Chief.
December 5 World Soil Day The International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS), in
2002, adopted a resolution proposing the 5th of
December as World Soil Day to celebrate the importance
of soil as a critical component of the natural system and
as a vital contributor to human wellbeing. 2018 Theme
– „Be the Solution to Soil Pollution‟.
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December 5 International Volunteer Day The International Volunteer Day for Economic and
Social Development (5 December), more commonly
referred to as International Volunteer Day (IVD), is an
international observance mandated by the UN General
Assembly in 1985.It is celebrated by many non-
governmental organizations, civil society, and the
private sector, among others. It is also marked and
supported by the United Nations Volunteers (UNV)
programme. Theme “Volunteers build Resilient
Communities”
December 6 63rd Mahaparinirvan Diwas of The President Shri Ram Nath Kovind led the nation in
Ambedkar paying homage to Bharat Ratna Baba Saheb Dr. B.R.
Ambedkar on his 63rd Mahaparinirvan Diwas.
December 7 Armed Forces Flag Day 7th December marks the Armed Forces Flag Day. It is a
day to express gratitude to the martyrs as well as the men
and women in uniform.
December 7 International Civil Aviation Day In 1996 the United Nations General Assembly
proclaimed that 7 December was to be the International
Civil Aviation Day. The day has been celebrated by the
International Civil Aviation Organization since 7
December 1994, the 50th anniversary of the signing the
Convention on International Civil Aviation.Theme –
Working Together to Ensure No Country is Left
Behind.
December 8 Submarine Day The Indian Navy is celebrating Submarine Day. The day
commemorates the induction of the first submarine, the
erstwhile INS Kalvari, into the Navy on this day in 1967.
December 8 34th SAARC Charter Day Prime Minister of Nepal K.P.Sharma Oli has greeted
member states of South Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation (SAARC) and people of South Asia on the
occasion of 34th SAARC Charter Day. SAARC was
established with the signing of the SAARC Charter in
Dhaka on 8 December 1985. SAARC comprises of eight
Member States- Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India,
Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
December 9 International Anti-Corruption Day International Anti-Corruption Day has been observed
annually, on 9 December, since the passage of the
United Nations Convention Against Corruption on 31
October 2003 to raise public awareness for anti-
corruption.
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December 10 Human Rights Day Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10
December, which is the anniversary of the day that the
United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In 2018,
Human Rights Day will mark the 70th anniversary of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
December 11 International Mountain Day International Mountain Day, held each year on 11
December, which was established by the UN General
Assembly in 2003 to encourage sustainable development
in mountains. 2018 theme: “#MountainsMatter”
December 11 Subramania Bharatiyar Birth Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu pay tributes to Tamil
Anniversary Poet, Subramania Bharatiyar on his Birth Anniversary
December 12 International Universal Health Universal Health Coverage Day is celebrated annually
Coverage Day on December 12 and is promoted by the World Health
Organization. December 12 is the anniversary of the first
unanimous United Nations resolution calling for all
nations to provide for their citizens affordable, quality
health care. 2018 theme UHC Day: “Unite for
Universal Health Coverage: Now is the Time for
Collective Action.”
December 16 International Day of Neutrality International Day of Neutrality is a United Nations
observance held on December 12 each year. It was
officially declared by a UN General Assembly resolution
adopted in February 2017 and first observed on
December 12 of the same year.
December 16 Vijay Diwas The nation celebrated Vijay Diwas on December 16 to
commemorate India‘s victory over Pakistan in 1971 war.
Rich tributes are being paid to the Martyrs who laid
down their lives during the war. This year‘s celebration
marks the 47th anniversary.
December 18 International Migrants Day International Migrants Day is observed on 18 December
in accordance with Resolution of the United Nations
General Assembly, adopted on 4 December 2000.On 18
December 1990, the General Assembly had adopted a
resolution on the International Convention on the
Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and
Members of Their Families (resolution).2018 theme:
Migration with Dignity
December 18 International Day of the Arabic UN Arabic Language Day is observed annually on
Language December 18. The event was established by the
UNESCO in 2010. It is ―the day in 1973 when the
General Assembly approved Arabic as an official UN
language ―.
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December 20 International Human Solidarity Day The United Nations‘ (UN) International Human
Solidarity Day is annually held on December 20 to
celebrate unity in diversity. It also aims to remind people
on the importance of solidarity in working towards
eradicating poverty.
December 23 National Farmers‘ Day (Kisan Kisan Diwas or National Farmers Day will be observed
Diwas) across the country on 23rd December to celebrate the
birthday of Chaudhary Charan Singh, who was the 5th
Prime Minister of India. During his tenure as the Prime
Minister, Singh introduced many policies to improve the
life of farmers in India.
December 24 National Consumer Day Every Year 24th December is observed as National
Consumer Day with a specific theme in India. On this
day the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 had received the
assent of the president. The enactment of this Act is
considered as a historic milestone in the consumer
movement in the country. Theme: “Timely Disposal
of Consumer Complaints”.
December 25 Good Governance Day In Uttar Pradesh, the 95th birth anniversary of former
prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is being observed
as Good Governance Day.
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2. Rankings
Reports India's Rank/State's Rank Top rank/Other ranks
Second Delta Ranking of Aspirational Virudhunagar district in Tamil Nadu has 2) Nuapada district in Odisha
districts,Niti Ayog CEO Amitabh Kant shown the most improvement overall, 3) Siddarthnagar in Uttar
releases Second Delta Ranking of Pradesh
Aspirational Districts Programme. 4) Bihar‘s Aurangabad
5) Koraput in Odisha
World Badminton Rankings PV Sindhu has climbed 3 spots to 1) TAI Tzu Ying
Number 3 in the latest world badminton 2) Akane YAMAGUCHI
rankings.
FIFA global rankings Belgium to end the year as No.1 in FIFA 2) France
global rankings
ICC Test Player Rankings Batsmen – 1) Virat Kohli 3) Brazil
Bowler – 1) Kagiso Rabada
Sixth National Report to the India submitted its Sixth National Report (NR6) to the Convention on
Convention of Biological Diversity Biological Diversity (CBD).India is among the first five countries in the
(CBD) world, the first in Asia and the first among the biodiversity rich mega
diverse countries to have submitted NR6 to the CBD Secretariat.
Best performing state in start-up Gujarat has emerged as the best performing state in the Startup Ranking
ranking 2018 2018. The National Report on States‘ Startup Ranking was unveiled by
Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Ministry of Commerce
and Industry in New Delhi.
SDG India Index – Baseline Report NITI Aayog to release the Sustainable Development Goal, SDG India
2018 Index: Baseline Report 2018 in New Delhi. The SDGs, which came into
being in September 2015, are in the Third year of global implementation.
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3. Summit / Conference
International Summit & Conference:
Summit/Conference Details
UN conference on climate change The 24th meeting of Conference of Parties (COP-24) to the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) has begun at Katowice, Poland.Theme – ‗One
World One Sun One Grid‘
Asia Pacific Summit-2018 The Asia Pacific Summit-2018 began in Kathmandu, the capital
of Nepal.Theme – ―Addressing the Critical Challenges of Our
Time: Interdependence, Mutual Prosperity, and Universal
Values‖.
Two-day conference on the partnership The two-day conference on the partnership between European
between EU and India Union and India for Cultural Heritage Conservation,
commenced in New Delhi.
International conference on bears In Uttar Pradesh, more than 80 delegates from 11 countries are
participating in an international conference on bears in
Agra. The conference has been Hosted by Wildlife SOS in
collaboration with Bear Care Group from the US and Canada.
5th Meeting of India-Russia The Chairman of ‗Duma‘ of the Russian Parliament called for
Parliamentary Commission an enabling legislative framework to fully tap the immense
potential of bilateral cooperation between India and Russia. It
also called for effective parliamentary exchanges for
strengthening convergence.
5th Enterprise India show President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the 5th Enterprise
India show in Yangon, Myanmar which was hosted by
Confederation of Indian Industry and the Union of Myanmar
Federation of Chambers of Commerce. The focus of the
conference was Small and Medium Enterprises.
4th WHO Global Forum on Medical 4th WHO Global Forum on Medical Devices held at Andhra
Devices Pradesh Medtech Zone, in Vishakhapatnam. Union Minister of
Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu,
announced setting up of a National Medical Devices Promotion
Council under the Department of Industrial Policy and
Promotion (DIPP) in the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
India-China High Level Mechanism Ist The first meeting of the newly constituted India-China High
meet Level Mechanism on Cultural and People-to-People Exchanges
will be held on 21st of this month.
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15th Global SME Business Summit Union Minister of Commerce &Industry and Civil Aviation,
Suresh Prabhu at the inaugural session of the 15th Global SME
Business Summit in New Delhi said that the Ministry is
examining the proposal to set up trade promotion bodies in 15
countries to promote exports of SMEs from India.
1st meeting of Follow-up Committee for The first meeting of the Follow-up Committee for
implementation of Trilateral Chabahar implementation of the Trilateral Chabahar Agreement between
Agreement India, Afghanistan and Iran was held in the port city of
Chabahar in Iran.
National Summit / Conference
13th Edition of CII Agro Tech India – 2018
 The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated the 13th edition of CII Agro Tech India-
2018 on December 1, 2018 in Chandigarh.
DGAFMS Military Medicine Conclave 2018
 The first Directorate General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS) Military Medicine
Conclave was in New Delhi. The aim of the conclave was to deliberate on issues and challenges
being faced by the AFMS today and to utilize the collective wisdom and experience of veteran
leaders of the Corps who have led the Corps to its glorious present status.
80th Session of Policy Commission
 Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Shri Arun Jaitley addressed the opening session of
the 80th Session of Policy Commission of World Customs Organization in Mumbai on December 3,
2018.
“Streamlining of India‟s Visa regime” conference
 The Union Home Secretary Shri Rajiv Gauba has said that creating a simple and hassle free Visa
regime is the government‘s objective to facilitate arrival and stay of foreign travelers into the
country.
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India Water Impact Summit-2018
 Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Nitin
Gadkari will inaugurate India Water Impact Summit 2018, being jointly organized by the National
Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and the Centre for Ganga River Basin Management and Studies
(cGanga) from 5-7 December 2018 in New Delhi.
Industry Engagement Programme
 Jharkhand Skill Development Mission Society and FICCI are jointly organising a day long Industry
Engagement Programme in New Delhi, Titled the ‗Employers Network for Generating Aspirational
and Gainful Employment‘, ENGAGE.
 Theme of the event is Skill in Jharkhand : Skilling for Future.
All-party meeting on December 11
 Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has convened an all-party meeting on 11th of December to
ensure smooth functioning proceedings in the Lower House.
Annual Startup India Venture Capital Summit 2018
 The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) in the Ministry of Commerce and
Industry and the Government of Goa, is hosting the annual Startup India Venture Capital Summit in
Goa on December 07, 2018.
 The theme of the Summit is ‗Mobilizing Global Capital for Innovation in India.‘
1st International Conference on Sustainable Water Management
 The first International Conference under the aegis of National Hydrology Project, Union Ministry of
Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation is being organised by Bhakra Beas
Management Board (BBMB) during 10-11 December, 2018 at Indian School of Business (ISB),
Mohali on the theme ‗Sustainable Water Management‘.
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18th All India Annual Conference of Heads of Science Centre‟s & Museums
 The 18th All India Annual Conference of the Heads of Science Centre‘s and Museums began at
Itanagar to tie up and collaborate with other scientific institutions across the country to promote
science and technology in the state.
 ―Innovation Hub and Space Education Centre―situated at Arunachal Pradesh Science Centre,
Itanagar also inaugurated.
Regional Conference on „Good Governance- Focus on Aspirational Districts‟
 The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Ministry of Personnel,
Public Grievances and Pensions, Government of India in association with Government of Kerala is
organizing a Regional Conference on December 10- 11, 2018 at Thiruvananthapuram on ‗Good
Governance – Focus on Aspirational Districts‘.
AYUSHCHARYA Conference
 All India Institute of Ayurveda, New Delhi organized a National conference ‗AYUSHCHARYA‘ on
Dinacharya (Daily Regimen) and Ritucharya (Seasonal Regimen) for public health promotion‖ on
10th and 11th of December, 2018.
Indian Defence University workshop
 Indian Defence University (IDU) organised a two-day workshop on ‗Ideas for Sustainability‘ for
senior and middle level officers from the three Services.
First National Workshop on Explosives Detection
 The first National Workshop on Explosives Detection was inaugurated at High Energy Materials
Research Laboratory Pune.
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91st Annual General Meeting of FICCI
 Electronics and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today said India will become a trillion dollar digital
economy in the next two to three years. Mr Prasad was addressing the 91st Annual General Meeting
of FICCI.
Third Road show on Competition Law
 The Third Roadshow on Competition Law was organised in Ahmedabad on 18th December, 2018 by
the Competition Commission of India with a thematic focus on Public Procurement, Trade
Associations, Cartels and Leniency.
 The Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA), a think tank under the aegis of Ministry of
Corporate Affairs, Government of India, was the Implementation Partner for the Roadshow.
55th Skoch Summit
 Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu has conferred the Skoch Golden Jubilee Challenger
Award at the 55th Skoch Summit in New Delhi.
 The Skoch Challenger Awards are the highest independently instituted civilian honours. The
Commerce and Industry Minister was awarded for his contribution to reforms, particularly in the
power sector reforms.
12th Global Healthcare Summit
 The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated the 12th Global Healthcare Summit
organized by the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin in Mumbai.
International Seminar to commemorate the 200th Birth Anniversary of Sri Satguru Ram Singhji
 To commemorate the 200th Birth Anniversary of Sikh philosopher, reformer and freedom fighter ,
Sri Satguru Ram Singhji, an International Seminar was inaugurated by the Minister of State for
Culture (I/c), Dr Mahesh Sharma in New Delhi.
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One District, One Product Regional Summit
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the One District, One Product Regional Summit in Varanasi.
Indian Science Congress-2019
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Indian Science Congress-2019 in Jalandhar, Punjab
on the third of next month.
 This will be the 106th edition of the event based on the theme „Future India: Science and
Technology‟.
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4. Appointments
National New Appointments:
S.No Name Designation

1 Shaktikanta Das New RBI Governor
2 Shri Sunil Arora New Chief Election Commissioner of India [23rd
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC)]
3 Shri A. N. Jha Finance Secretary
4 Krishnamurthy Subramanian New Chief Economic Advisor
5 Kamal Nath Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh
6 Ashok Gehlot Chief Minister of Rajasthan
7 Bhupesh Baghe Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh
8 Shri Bharat Bhushan Vyas Member of UPSC
9 Shri Ramphal Pawar Director, National Crime Records Bureau [NCRB]
10 Harsh Vardhan Shringla New Indian Ambassador to US
11 Shri Ashok Kumar Singh Assumes charge of secretary, National Commission
for Scheduled Tribes (NCST)
12 Brijendra Pal Singh New president of Film and Television Institute of
India (FTII) Society and Chairman of Governing
Council.
13 Shri Ravindra Kumar Verma Technical Member in the Appellate Tribunal for
Electricity.
14 B.V.P Rao Archery association president
15 CA Kuttappa India‘s chief boxing coach
International Appointments:
S.No Name Designation

1 Andres Manuel Lopez Mexico president
Obrador
2 Patrick Shanahan US Defense Secretary
3 Preeti Saran Asia Pacific seat on the UN‘s Committee
on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
(CESCR).

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5. Science and Technology
Google announces „Journalism AI‟ project
 To help news industry use Artificial Intelligence (AI) in more innovative ways, Google has
announced a partnership with Polis, the international journalism think-tank at London School of
Economics and Political Science, to create ―Journalism AI‖.
Cyclone Phethai
 Cyclone Phethai to hit Andhra Pradesh coastal belt and is likely to cross between MachiliPatnam and
Kakinada in the coming 24 hours.
UN Climate conference finalises rules to implement Paris climate treaty
 Ministers of 200 nations finally reached consensus on rules to implement the 2015 Paris climate
agreement. The Paris accord aims to limit rise in global atmospheric temperature to well below 2
degrees Celsius from pre-industrial revolution levels.
5.1 Inventions / Discover
Step closer to detecting krait venom
 Researchers have found a DNA aptamer (a small, single-stranded DNA molecule that binds to a
specific target molecule) originally developed against alpha toxin of Bungarus multicinctus krait
snake can be used for reliable detection of another krait snake species — Bungarus caeruleus.
 multicinctus snake is found in China and Taiwan while B. caeruleus snake is found in the Indian
subcontinent. Of five krait species found in India, B. caeruleus is the most common one. There are
about 50,000 deaths a year in India due to snakebites.
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5.2 Space Science
Three astronauts set to launch to ISS
 Three space travellers, including two astronauts on their first flight, are scheduled to launch to the
International Space Station (ISS) for a six-and-a-half month mission.
 The three new space travellers – Anne McClain of NASA, David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian
Space Agency and Oleg Kononenko of Russian space agency Roscosmos are preparing to launch
aboard the Soyuz MS-11 spacecraft in Kazakhstan.
„Sun in a box‟ system to store renewable energy
 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) scientists in the U.S. have designed a system that could
store renewable energy, such as solar and wind power, and deliver it back into an electric grid on
demand.
 The new design stores heat generated by excess electricity from solar or wind power in large tanks of
white-hot molten silicon, and then converts the light from the glowing metal back into electricity
when it‘s needed.
NASA‟s InSight lander „hears‟ Martian winds
 NASA‘s InSight lander, which touched down on Mars last month, has provided the first-ever
―sounds‖ of Martian wind on the Red Planet. InSight sensors captured a haunting low rumble caused
by vibrations from the wind, estimated to be blowing between 10 to 15 miles per hour.
ISRO all set for GSLV-F11/GSAT-7A mission
 The Indian Space Research Organisation is all set to launch communication satellite GSAT-7A from
Sriharikota on December 19.
 GSAT-7A is the 35th Indian Communication satellite built by the ISRO.
 GSAT 7A , a geo stationary communication satellite weighing 2250 kilogram is all set to provide
communication services in Ku band over the Indian region.
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3 astronauts return from International Space Station
 Three astronauts returned to Earth after more than six months aboard the International Space Station.
A Russian Soyuz capsule with NASA‘s Serena Aunon-Chancellor, Russian Sergey Prokopyev and
German astronaut Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency landed on the snow-covered
steppes in Kazakhstan.
China launches first satellite for space-based broadband
 China launched its first communication satellite to provide broadband internet services worldwide in
an apparent bid to rival Google and other international firms.
 The satellite is the first in the Hongyun project planned by China Aerospace Science and Industry
Corp (CASIC).
India will see two eclipses in 2019
 Astronomy enthusiasts and skygazers will be able to experience five eclipses in 2019, two of which
will be visible in India.
 A partial lunar eclipse set to take place on July 16-17 will be visible in India and so will an annular
(ring-shaped) solar eclipse on December 26
5.3 App/ Web Portal/ Toll Free
Twitter account to spread awareness about cybercrimes
 Home Ministry has launched a Twitter account to spread awareness about cybercrimes and normal
precautions to be taken.
 The Twitter handles – @CyberDost – is aimed at enhancing people‘s basic knowledge about
cybercrimes and precautions to be taken for prevention.
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ECO Niwas Samhita 2018
 ECO Niwas Samhita 2018 – an Energy Conservation Building Code for Residential Buildings
launched
 Implementation of this Code expected to save 125 Billion Units of electricity per year by 2030,
which is equivalent to 100 million ton of CO2 emission
E-Drishti Software
 An ‗e-Drishti‘ interface has been unveiled for the Union Railway Minister. This software includes an
interface which provides summary information on punctuality of trains for the previous day. There is
also an interface which provides information on current train running on the Indian Railway network.
Cyber coordination center Portal
 A portal of cyber coordination center launched on the last day of three-day Conference of IGPs and
state police chiefs.
Website of Cyber Coordination Centre
 The Prime Minister launched the website of the Cyber Coordination Centre. This is a one stop shop
on all cyber related issues, whether it is cyber crime or cyber security. It would also act as bridge
between law enforcement agencies on the one hand, and academia and private cyber security
professionals on the other.
„Drone Olympics‟
 Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched a newly designed web page for ‗Drone Olympics‘
(https://aeroindia.gov.in/Drone), scheduled to be held at Aero India – 2019 at Air Force Station,
Yelahanka, Bengaluru.
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SAMPANN software
 PM Modi dedicated SAMPANN software to the nation which is a Comprehensive pension

management system developed by telecom department to help lakhs of pensioners.
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6. Schemes
Livelihood programmes in Northeast
 National Commission for Women (NCW) will support Northeast livelihood programmes for women,
particularly for those in younger age group, through Skill development and specialized training,
which can enable them to earn their living and also empower them as individuals.
Swadesh Darshan Project
 ―Development of Tribal Circuit: Peren-Kohima-Wokha Project‖ will be inaugurated by the Chief

Minister of Nagaland, Shri Neiphiu Rio at Kisama Heritage Village in Nagaland.
 This is the first project to be implemented in the state under Swadesh Darshan Scheme of Ministry of
Tourism, Government of India.
Guidelines for children‟s hostels
 Women and Child Development Ministry is formulating guidelines for children‘s hostels, prescribing
the minimum standards of care that should be provided to children.
National Pension Scheme
 Cabinet had decided to make some changes in National Pension Scheme, NPS. Central Government
contribution will be raised to 14 per cent from existing 10 per cent in NPS. The entire withdrawal
will now be exempted from income tax.
FAME-India Scheme
 In order to promote manufacturing of electric and hybrid vehicle technology and to ensure
sustainable growth of the same, Department of Heavy Industry is implementing FAME-India
Scheme- Phase-I [Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India] from
1st April 2015. This scheme has been extended upto 31st March, 2019.
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Crisis Management Plan
 The government has formulated a Crisis Management Plan to counter cyber attacks and cyber
terrorism.
 It will be implemented by all Ministries and Departments of the Centre and the state governments in
critical sectors.
Pratibha Parva
 In Madhya Pradesh, three days Pratibha Parva, a programme to nurture talent in school children is
being organized in all primary and secondary schools.
 ―Pratibha Parva‖ is an important programme of the School Education Department to improve the
quality of elementary education.
Mahila Kisan Awards programme
 The Mahila Kisan Award is an effort to bring the stories of struggle and success of women farmers in
front of the country.
 Prasar Bharati Chairman Dr A Surya Prakash launched Doordarshan Mahila Kisan Awards
programme on DD Kisan Channel in New Delhi.
 The women farmers have been selected by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, ICAR.
Highway nests at toll plazas
 The National Highways Authority of India, NHAI, is constructing highway nests at toll plazas for a
safe and comfortable journey for passengers.
„Watan ko Jano‟ programme
 The Ministry of Home Affairs has been organising „Watan ko Jano‟ programme to give exposure to
the youth and children of Jammu and Kashmir about the cultural and socio-economic development
taking place in other parts of the country.
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“Monitoring of Pesticide Residues at National Level” (MPRNL) scheme
 The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is implementing ―Monitoring of Pesticide Residues
at National Level‖ (MPRNL) scheme, under which food commodities are collected and analyzed for
the presence of pesticide residues.
“Powering India through Innovation and Technology in Railways”
 Minister of State of Railways & Minister of State (IC) of Communications, Shri Manoj Sinha
inaugurated curtain raiser event on ―Powering India through Innovation and Technology in
Railways‖ organised by Ministry of Railways in association with ―The Institution of Engineers
(India)‖.
Strategy Document for New India
 NITI Aayog unveiled its comprehensive national Strategy for New India, which defines clear
objectives for 2022-23.
3 schemes for farmer‟s welfare
 Assam government has announced three schemes for the welfare of farmers. The schemes are the
Assam Farmers‘ Credit Subsidy Scheme (AFCSS), Assam Farmers‘ Interest Relief Scheme (AFIRS)
and Assam Farmers‘ Incentive Scheme (AFIS).
CNG Queue Management System (QMS) and Social CRM of IGL
 Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Skill development and Entrepreneurship Shri Dharmendra
Pradhan launched various Digital Customer initiatives of Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL). These
included CNG Queue Management System (QMS) and Social CRM. CNG operated buses will be
launched on green corridors soon.
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Nutritional Rehabilitation Centres
 Under National Health Mission (NHM) 1151 NRCs have been established all across the country to
provide facility based care for children with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and medical
complications.
Kala Utsav
 Kala Utsav is an initiative of the Government to promote artistic talent among secondary school
students from all over the country in the field of Dance, Music, Theater and Visual Arts & Crafts
through competitions.
President emphasizes on extending advanced medical services to rural India at par with urban areas
 President Ramnath Kovind emphasized the need for extending advanced medical services to rural
India at par with urban areas at the inauguration of an auditorium at the Centre for excellent in Sickle
Cell, Thalassemia and Other Genetic Blood Disorders in Rural Telangana.
Atal Ayushman Uttarakhand Yojana
 ‗Atal Ayushman Uttarakhand Yojana‘ has been launched in the hill state. Under the scheme, each
household in the state will be able to avail medical treatment of up to 5 lakh rupees annually.
Foundation stone of 11 projects for Yamuna rejuvenation
 Union Minister Nitin Gadkari laid the foundation stone of 11 projects for Yamuna Rejuvenation
under Namami Gange Programme in New Delhi.
Honeybee plan
 Railway minister Piyush Goel announced that the Honey Bee plan in Assam that kept elephants away
from the tracks will be expanded to other areas of the country.
 It is a simple device that amplifies the recorded sound of honey bees to keep elephants away from the
rail track.
23
Kala Utsav
 HRD Ministry has launched national level Kala Utsav to promote arts in schools.
Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat
 HRD Ministry has taken several initiatives to promote National Integration under Ek Bharat Shrestha
Bharat.
24
7. Economic Affairs
India‟s economy grows at 7.1 per cent
 India‘s economy grew at 7.1 per cent for the second quarter of 2018-19 according to data released by
Central Statistics Office.
New simplified GST return from April 1st next year
 The new simplified GST return forms will be rolled out from April 1st next year.
 This was stated by Revenue Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey on the sidelines of the Directorate of
Revenue Intelligence (DRI) Foundation Day function in New Delhi.
No change in Direct Benefit Transfer of LPG subsidy
 The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas clarified that there is no proposal to alter the DBT
mechanism for subsidy transfer to domestic LPG consumers.
 Currently, cash subsidy is transferred into the bank account of LPG consumers under the PAHAL
Scheme.
Reduction of the statutory liquidity ratio by 0.25 percent
 The Reserve Bank said that it will reduce the statutory liquidity ratio by 0.25 percent every quarter
beginning January next year.
 Statutory Liquidity Ratio – SLR – is the portion of funds which banks are required to maintain in the
form of cash, gold reserves, the government approved securities before providing credit to the
customers.
Direct Tax Gross collections for 2018-19
 Direct Tax collections for 2018-19 up to November this year show that Gross Collections are at 6.75
lakh crore rupees. This is 15.7 percent higher than the Gross Collections for the corresponding period
of last year.
25
OPEC & its allies agree to cut oil output
 The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) [the group of 14 nations] and its
allies agreed to cut oil output by 12 lakh barrels a day to boost global oil markets.
No GST on sale of complexes and flats having completion certificate
 Center clarified that there is no GST on sale of complexes, buildings and ready to move-in flats
where sale takes place after issue of completion certificate.
Sebi to relax listing norms for start-ups, rename it Innovators Growth Platform
 The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) had set up an expert group in June this year to
review the start-up platform.
Sebi initiates adjudication against NSE
 Markets regulator SEBI has initiated adjudication proceedings against NSE as well as around 30
entities in the exchange‘s co-location matter.
Global debt hits all-time high of USD 184 trillion
 The International Monetary Fund said that global debt has reached an all-time high of 184 trillion US
dollars with the United States, China and Japan accounting for more than half of it.
 According to the IMF report, the amount in nominal terms, is the equivalent of 225 per cent of the
world GDP in 2017.
Interpol issues Red Corner Notice against Mehul Choksi
 The Interpol has issued a Red Corner Notice (RCN) against absconding billionaire Mehul Choksi,
who is accused of cheating state-run Punjab National Bank to the tune of over 13,000 crore rupees.
26
Oil prices slip after China reports slower economic growth
 Oil prices slipped after China reported slower economic growth, pointing to lower fuel demand in the
world‘s biggest oil importer.
PSU Banks recover Rs 2.33 lakh cr worth of bad loans during 4 years
 Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla informed Parliament that Public Sector Banks
(PSBs) have recovered 33 lakh crore rupees worth of bad loans during the four years from financial
year 2014-15 to fiscal 2017-18.
India becoming world‟s fastest growing economy
 Indian economy is projected to be the fastest growing major economy in 2018-19 and 2019-20. The
government has said the share of the Indian economy in the world increased from 2.6 percent in 2014
to 3.2 percent in 2017 as per the World Development Indicators database.
India, S Korea to raise bilateral trade
 India reiterated its continued support to usher in a new era of peace and stability in the Korean
peninsula. Both sides agreed to raise the quantum of the bilateral trade to 50 billion dollars by the
year 2030.
Govt to infuse Rs 83,000 crore in PSBs
 The government will infuse 83000 crore in Public Sector Banks in next few months in the current
fiscal.
Panel to look into tax issues faced by startups
 The government has decided to set up an expert committee to look into all the taxation issues being
faced by startups and angel investors.
27
GST of 6 items reduced from 28 percent to 18 percent slab
 Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said GST of 6 items reduced from 28 percent to 18 percent slab. These
items include TV, tyre, power bank and video games.
 28 percent slab rate is applicable only on 28 items, which are luxury items like cement, auto parts,
AC and dishwasher.
GST reduced on 23 items and services
 The GST Council has reduced tax rates on 23 goods and services, including movie tickets, TV and
monitor screens and power banks. With this, only 28 goods are left in the highest 28 per cent tax
bracket. Monitors and TV screens up to 32-inches and power banks will attract 18 per cent GST, as
against 28 per cent earlier.
Investment through P-notes rises
 Investments in the Indian capital market through participatory notes climbed to Rs 79,247 crore in
November after hitting a nine-and-a-half year low at the end of October.
 P-notes are issued by registered foreign portfolio investors to overseas investors who wish to be part
of the Indian stock market without registering themselves directly.
Government reviews guidelines for FDI in E- commerce
 Government has reviewed guidelines for Foreign Direct Investment in E- commerce companies to
protect the interests of domestic players.
MSP for Copra hiked by more than Rs.2000 per quintal
 The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, CCEA has approved hike in Minimum Support Price
for Copra by more than two thousand rupees per quintal for 2019 season.
28
India announces Rs 4,500 crore assistance to Bhutan
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a Rs 4,500 crore financial assistance to Bhutan for its
12th five-year plan after holding wide-ranging talks with his Bhutanese counterpart Dr. Lotay
Tshering. The new five-year plan of Bhutan began this year and will continue till 2022.
Traders welcome new e-commerce rules
 A day after the government issued a clarification, tightening the norms for e-commerce players, the
Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) welcomed the decision and demanded that the rules be
implemented with retrospective effect from April 1, 2018 so as to void the Walmart acquisition of
Flipkart.
MSP for Copra hiked by more than Rs.2000 per quintal
 The Minimum Support Price [MSP] of Ball Copra will now be 9920 rupees per quintal which was
earlier 7750 rupees.
PSBs approve loans worth over Rs 37,400 cr for MSME sector
 Public sector banks have approved more than 1.12 lakh loan applications of MSMEs worth of 37,412
crore rupees under the ‘59 minutes‘ loan scheme launched by the government last month.
 GST-registered Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) can take loan up to one crore in just
59 minutes through ‗psbloansin59minutes.com‘ portal.
Centre doubles export incentives for onion farmers to 10%
 Government has doubled the export incentives for onionfarmers from existing 5 per cent to 10 per
cent.
Loan subsidy for middle-income group extended till March 2020
 Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri said that the Pradhan Mantri Awas
Yojana, PMAY loan subsidy for middle-income group has been extended till 31st March 2020.
29
Mobile phone-based solution to help visually impaired identify banknotes
 The Reserve Bank of India is exploring the possibility of mobile phone-based solution to help
visually-impaired people easily identify the currency notes. Currently, intaglio printing-based
identification marks are present in the banknotes of Rs 100 and above for helping the visually
challenged.
7.1 Banking Affairs
RBI to announce its fifth bi-monthly monetary policy review
 The Reserve Bank of India will announce the fifth bi-monthly monetary policy statement for 2018-19
this afternoon. The three-day policy review meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)
headed by Governor Urjit Patel began in Mumbai.
RBI proposes new method to benchmark floating rate of loans for MSMEs
 In a bid to ensure greater transparency, Reserve Bank has proposed that floating interest rates on
personal, home, auto and MSMEs loans be linked to external benchmarks like repo rate or treasury
yields.
 The new system is likely to become operational by 1st April 2019.
Exim Bank extends USD 500 mn loan to Tanzania
 Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) has extended a credit facility of USD 500 million to
Tanzania for water supply projects in the country.
RBI slaps Rs.1 crore fine on Indian Bank for violating cyber security norms
 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed a fine of Rs.1 crore on Indian Bank for violating cyber
security norms. The contravention is with regard to RBI‘s directions on Frauds- Classification and
Reporting by Commercial Banks.
30
RBI launches survey to capture retail payment habits in 6 cities
 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will capture payment habits of individuals in six cities, including
four metropolitan towns. For the purpose, the central bank has launched a ‗Survey on Retail Payment
Habits of Individuals (SRPHi)‘.
 The survey will cover a sample of 6,000 individuals from various socio-economic backgrounds
across six cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and Guwahati.
Panel on RBI reserve
 Reserve Bank of India has named former Governor Bimal Jalan as the head of the expert panel that
will decide on the appropriate size of reserves that the central bank should maintain and the dividend
it should give to the government. Rakesh Mohan to be vice chairman.
31
8. Mou /Agreement
International MoUs and Agreements:
S. No Mou Between Fields Country Details

1 India and World Bank The World Bank has unveiled 200 billion US President - Jim Yong Kim
Dollars in climate action investment for 2021 Headquarters -Washington,
to 2025, adding that this amounts to a D.C., United States
doubling of its current five-year funding.The CEO - Kristalina Georgieva
move coincides with a UN climate summit in Membership -189 countries
Katowice. (IBRD); 173 countries (IDA)
2 ADB and India The Centre and Asian Development Bank President - Takehiko Nakao
(ADB) have signed an 85 million dollar loan Formation -19 December 1966
to improve skill development eco-system in Head Quarters -
Odisha.Centre and the Asian Development Manila,Philippines
Bank signed a loan agreement of 31 million Membership -67 countries
dollars in New Delhi to develop Tourism and
boost Jobs in Tamil Nadu.
3 India and UAE India and UAE signed an agreement on President - Khalifa bin Zayed Al
Currency Swap and MoU for Development Nahyan
Cooperation in Africa. Prime Minister - Mohammed
bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Capital - Abu Dhabi
Currency - UAE dirham
4 India and Japan Cabinet approves MoC between India and Crown Prince -Naruhito
Japan for Cooperation in the Postal field and Prime Minister - Shinzō Abe
in the field of Environmental Cooperation & Capital - Tokyo
Healthcare and Wellness.Director General of
Currency -Yen
Sports Authority of India, Neelam Kapur said
that the sports ministry has earmarked Rs.100
crore for funding the athletes under the
(TOPS) Target Olympic Podium Scheme
ahead of 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
SPORTS
5 India and USA Cabinet approves MoU between India and the President - Donald Trump
USA concerning Scientific and Technical Vice President - Mike Pence
Cooperation in the Earth Sciences Capital - Washington, D.C.
Currency - US dollar
6 India and France Cabinet approves MoU between India and President - Emmanuel Macron
France in the field of energy efficiency / Prime Minister - Edouard
energy conservation.India and France have Philippe
agreed on deepening their strategic Capital - Paris
32
partnership through cooperation in the Indo- Currency - Euro, CFP franc

Pacific, civil nuclear, defence and security,
space, trade and economic sectors
7 India and Russia Cabinet approves MoU between India and President - Vladimir Putin
Russia on Joint Activities under Human Prime Minister - Dmitry
Spaceflight Programme. Medvedev
Capital - Moscow
Currency - Russian ruble
8 ISRO and ISRO and ROSCOSMOS have signed a President - Vladimir Putin
ROSCOSMOS Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Prime Minister - Dmitry
5th October 2018 on ‗Joint Activities in the Medvedev
field of Human Spaceflight Programme‘ Capital - Moscow
Currency - Russian ruble
9 India and Saudi India has requested Saudi Arabia to increase King - Salman
Arabia its annual Haj quota in 2019. Minister for Crown Prince - Mohammad
Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi made Capital - Riyadh
this request to Saudi Arabia Haj and Umrah
Currency - Saudi riyal
Minister. Both the leaders also signed the
bilateral annual Haj 2019 agreement.
Other MOU / Agreements:
S. No Mou Between Fields Country Details

1 India and Tajkistan Cabinet approves MoU between India and President -Emomali Rahmon
Tajkistan on Cooperation on Peaceful uses of Prime Minister - Abdulla Aripov
Space Technology for Development. Capital - Dushanbe
Currency - Somoni
2 India and Uzbekistan Cabinet approves Agreement between India President -Shavkat Mirziyoyev
and Uzbekistan on Cooperation in the Prime Minister - Abdulla Aripov
exploration and uses of Outer Space for Capital - Tashkent
peaceful purposes
Currency - Uzbek som
3 India and Zimbabwe Cabinet approves MoU between India and President -Emmerson
Zimbabwe for cooperation in the field of Mnangagwa
geology, mining and mineral resources Vice President - Constantino
Chiwenga Kembo Mohadi
Capital - Harare
Currency - United States dollar
4 India and Morocco Cabinet approves MoU between India and President - Mohammed VI
Morocco for Cooperation in the Peaceful Prime Minister - Saadeddine
Uses of Outer Space. Othmani
Capital - Rabat
33
Currency - Moroccan dirham

5 India and Algeria Cabinet approves Agreement between India President -Abdelaziz
and Algeria on Cooperation in the field of Bouteflika
Space Sciences, Technologies and Prime Minister - Ahmed
Applications Ouyahia
Capital -Algiers
Currency - Dinar
National Agreements:
MoRD Signs MoU with Maruti Suzuki India Ltd
 Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) is the flagship placement linked
skill-training programme under the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD).
 MoRD signed MOU with Maruti Suzuki India Ltd for training rural youth for skill development in
presence of Hon‘ble Minister Shri. Narendra Singh Tomar.
Cabinet apprised of Framework Agreement between India and Sao Tome & Principe
 The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has been apprised of Framework
Agreement between India and Sao Tome & Principe on Cooperation in the Exploration and Uses of
Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes. The Framework Agreement was signed in New Delhi, on 7th
September 2018.

34
9. Indian Forces (Defence)
Border Security Force celebrating its 54th Raising Day
 The Border Security Force, BSF, the sentinels of Indian borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh is
celebrating its 54th Raising Day. Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju attended the main
ceremony at Chhawla Camp in New Delhi.
Armed Forces Week being celebrated from Dec 1 to Dec 7
 Armed Forces Week 2018 is beginning from Dec 1 and will conclude on 7th of December.
Exercise Cope India 2018
 Exercise Cope India-18 is the fourth edition in the series of Bilateral Joint exercise held between IAF
and USAF, which is conducted in India.
 The aim of exercise is to provide operational exposure and undertake mutual exchange of best
practices towards enhancing operational capability.
Defence Minister on a Five-Day Official visit to US
 Defence Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman is on an official visit to the United States of America
from December 02-07, 2018.
Hand-in-Hand 2018
 Exercise Hand-in-Hand is conducted annually as part of military diplomacy and interaction between
armies of India and China. The joint exercise for the year 2018 will be conducted from 10 to 23
December 2018 at Chengdu, China.
Exercise „Clean Sea-2018‟
 The Indian Coast Guard has conducted the Regional Level Marine Oil Pollution Response Exercise
titled ‗Clean Sea – 2018‘ at sea off Port Blair.
35
Cycle expedition to enhance public awareness on importance of Coastal Security
 Gujarat, Daman and Diu Naval Area headquarters has organized a cycle expedition from INS
Dwarka- Okha to Khukri Memorial in Diu.
 394 kilometers long cycle expedition has been organized on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of the
Western Naval Command and Navy Week 2018.
Aero India, aviation expo to be merged
 For the first time, the country‘s civil aviation exhibition will be subsumed into the upcoming edition
of Aero India to be held from February 20 to 24, 2019.
Successful Test Firing of Agni V
 Agni V, a long-range surface-to-surface Nuclear Capable Ballistic missile, was successfully launched
from a canister on a road mobile launcher at the Dr Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha.
INDRA NAVY 2018
 Russian Federation Navy Ships arrived Visakhapatnam to participate in the 10th edition of INDRA
NAVY 2018.
Exercise Aviaindra 2018
 Exercise AVIAINDRA, a service specific exercise between Indian Air Force and Russian Federation
Aerospace Force (RFSAF), is planned at Air Force Station Jodhpur from 10-21 Dec 2018.
Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel (DSRV) submarine rescue system
 Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba today inducted the first state-of-the-art Deep
Submergence Rescue Vessel (DSRV) submarine rescue system into the Indian Navy.
 With the induction of the DSRV, it has further enhanced the Indian Navy‘s capability to undertake
submarine rescue operations in the high seas.
36
Special marathon „Soldierathon‟
 On the occasion of Vijay Diwas, Sports Minister Col Rajyavardhan Rathore flagged off a special
marathon ‗Soldierathon‘ at JLN Stadium in New Delhi. The marathon was organised in the honour of
Martyrs and wounded Soldiers.
Commissioning of Fifth Ship of Landing Craft Utility Mk-IV „IN LCU L55‟
 Vice Admiral Ajit Kumar P & Vice Chief of Naval Staff, commissioned IN LCU L55 into the Indian
Navy at Port Blair. IN LCU L55 is the fifth ship of Landing Craft Utility (LCU) Mk-IV class to be
inducted into the Indian Navy.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launches IFC-IOR at IMAC in Gurugram
 Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean
Region, IFC-IOR at the Information Management and Analysis Centre, IMAC in Gurugram. The
objective of having an IFC-IOR is more for partners, equals to work towards keeping the global
commons safe and democratically available for all.
India successfully test-fires Agni-IV ICBM
 India successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable long-range Inter Continental Ballistic Missile Agni-
IV, with a strike range of 4,000 km. Agni-IV missile is equipped with advanced Avionics, 5th
generation On Board Computer and distributed architecture. It has the latest features to correct and
guide itself for in-flight disturbances.
Sino-India joint exercise Hand-in-Hand 2018
 The seventh edition of joint Sino-India military exercise Hand–in–Hand 2018 concluded on 23
December 2018. The exercise included lectures and discussions on various counter terrorism aspects
like cordon and search operations, raid on terrorist hideouts, intelligence collection and joint
operations.
37
Cabinet approves Indian Human Spaceflight programme
 Union Cabinet has approved the Gaganyaan Programme with a demonstration of Indian Human
Spaceflight capability to low earth orbit for a mission duration ranging from one orbital period to a
maximum of seven days.
 Two unmanned flights and one manned flight will be undertaken as part of Gaganyaan Programme.
Army rescues over 2,500 stranded tourists in Sikkim
 In Sikkim, the Indian Army has rescued more than 2,500 tourists stranded due to heavy snowfall
close to the Nathu La pass and Tsomgo (Changu) Lake in India-China border.
38
10. Awards and Achievement

International:
S. No Awards Awardees
1 Miss World 2018 Mexico‘s Vanessa Poncede Leon. Thailand‘s Nicolene
Pichapa Limsnukan was declared the runner-up.
2 Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray of Philippines [4th Filipina to be named
Miss Universe.]
3 Time magazine‘s ―Person of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Year‖
4 Men‘s 2018 Ballon d‘Or Award Croatian midfielder Luka Modric
5 Women‘s Ballon d‘Or Award Norwegian striker Ada Hegerberg [Named for the first
time]
National Awards:
S. No Awards Awardees
1 Sahitya Akademi Award Shri Shyam Sundar Besra, Chief Inspector of
Ticket [Novel ―Marom‖ in Santhali language]
2 Sahitya Akademi Award for Malayalam Ramesan Nair
3 ―Meethoileima‖ (par excellent queen) MC Mary Kom [By Manipur Government]
4 Jnanpith Award Amitav Ghosh
5 3rd edition of Women Transforming India NITI Aayog is organising the third edition of the Women
awards 2018 Transforming India Awards 2018 tomorrow. The event
will also mark launching of the upgraded portal of the
Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP). 2018 theme
is ―Women and Entrepreneurship‖
6 Sardar Patel Award for National Integration Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi announced annual
Sardar Patel Award for National Integration at the
DGPs/IGPs Conference at Kevadia. This award would be
given for outstanding efforts to further national
integration.
39
11. National Affairs
Dr Rajendra Prasad birth anniversary
 The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, paid floral tributes to Dr Rajendra Prasad, the first
President of India, on his birth anniversary at Rashtrapati Bhavan on December 3, 2018.
19th Hornbill Festival
 Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate the 19th Hornbill Festival at Kisama village
near state capital Kohima in Nagaland.
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar School of Media Empowerment to train Dalit and Tribal youths
 Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot opened nationwide admissions
to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar School of Media Empowerment, New Delhi, to train Dalit and Tribal youths
in media studies.
Cabinet approves Agriculture Export Policy, 2018
 The Government has come out with a comprehensive ―Agriculture Export Policy‖ aimed at doubling
the agricultural exports and integrating Indian farmers and agricultural products with the global value
chains.
National Challenge „Ideate for India – creative solutions using technology‟
 Minister for Electronics and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad today launched National Challenge – ‗Ideate for
India – creative solutions using technology‘ for school students in New Delhi.
 The challenge will help empower the youth to become the next generation of innovators and
technology creators.
40
Former President Shri R. Venkataraman birth anniversary
 The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, paid floral tributes to Shri R. Venkataraman, former
President of India, on his birth anniversary at Rashtrapati Bhavan on December 4, 2018.
Ministry of Shipping approves development of freight village in Varanasi
 Ministry of Shipping has approved development of a freight village in Varanasi adjoining the Inland
Waterways Terminal on River Ganga. It will be developed at a cost 156 crore rupees.
India opposes move to declare Gilgit-Baltistan as fifth province
 India has voiced strong opposition to Pakistan‘s reported move to declare Gilgit-Baltistan as its fifth
province.
Guidelines for approval and reapproval of Online Travel Aggregators
 The Ministry of Tourism have formulated the guidelines for approval and reapproval of Online
Travel Aggregators, OTA to ensure adequate safeguards against deficiency of service, alternate
arrangements and punitive deterrence.
Centre approves Shahpurkandi Dam project in Punjab
 The Union Cabinet gave its nod to the implementation of Shahpurkandi Dam project in Punjab on the
river Ravi in an attempt to minimise wastage of water of the river.
Partners „Forum 2018
 Preeti Sudan, Secretary (HFW) inaugurated the ‗India Day‘, an official side event organized jointly
by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and the development partners in the run up to the
Partners‘ Forum 2018.
41
FAO Council approves to observe International Year of Millets in 2023
 Food and Agriculture organisation, FAO Council has approved India‘s proposal to observe an
International Year of Millets in 2023.
Winter Session of Parliament begins
 Winter Session of Parliament begins. Three Bills to replace Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on
Marriage) Ordinance, Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Ordinance and Companies
(Amendment) Ordinance are slated to be passed. Some important pending legislation like Consumer
Protection Bill, Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill and Trafficking
of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill are also expected to be considered during
the session.
Mizo National Front chief Zoramthanga stakes claim to form government
 In Mizoram, chief of Mizo National Front (MNF) Zoramthanga is likely to become the next chief
minister after the newly elected legislators of the party elected him as leader of the legislature party.
Registration of record 15 new breeds of livestock and poultry
 Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has approved registration of record 15 new breeds
of livestock and poultry this year.
President Ram Nath Kovind arrives in Yangon
 President Ram Nath Kovind has arrived in Yangon on the final leg of his state visit to Myanmar.
Myanmar has also announced a visa-on-arrival facility for Indian tourists entering the country
through the international airports of Nay Pyi Taw, Yangon and Mandalay, to further people-to-people
relations.
42
Dam Safety Bill, 2018
 The Dam Safety Bill, 2018 was introduced in the Lok Sabha. The bill provides for the surveillance,
inspection, operation and maintenance of specified dams for prevention of dam failure related
disasters.
Expedition to Mount Vinson, Antarctica
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi handed over the tricolour flag to Arunima Sinha, marking the
beginning of her expedition to Mount Vinson, Antarctica. Arunima Sinha is the first female Divyang
to climb Mount Everest.
 Arunima Sinha had earlier conquered the highest peaks in five continents, becoming the first female
Divyang to achieve the feat.
Revised Guidelines for Ground Water Extraction
 Revised Guidelines for Ground Water Extraction Notified, to be Effective From 1st June 2019. The
revised guidelines aim to ensure a more robust ground water regulatory mechanism in the country.
 Water Conservation Fee Introduced for the First Time
Auction of 683 private FM Radio channels
 The government has approved the auction of 683 private FM Radio channels in 236 cities, some of
them in remote areas.
Ministry of Railways has decided to give 25 % discount in haulage rate
 Ministry of Railways has decided to give 25 % discount in haulage rate on transport of empty
containers and empty flat wagons.
43
Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill introduced amid din in Lok Sabha
 The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill was introduced amid din in the Lok
Sabha . The Bill makes all declarations of instant triple talaq void and illegal. It seeks to make the
practice a punishable offence with imprisonment of up to three years.
Transgender Bill passed in Lok Sabha
 Lok Sabha passed the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill after rejecting the opposition
amendments. The Bill prohibits discrimination against a transgender person in areas such as
education, employment and healthcare. It also directs the central and state governments to provide
welfare schemes for them.
Farm loans of over 16 lakh farmers waived
 Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has announced to waive off farm loans to the tune of
6,100 crore rupees of more than 16 lakh farmers.
 Chhattisgarh cabinet also decided to provide 2,500 rupees per quintal to farmers for their paddy
being sold under Minimum support price scheme.
Issue of commemorative Postage Stamp on Rajkumar Shukla
 Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Communications and Minister of State for
Railways Shri Manoj Sinha released a Commemorative Postage Stamp on Rajkumar Shukla at New
Delhi.
 In drawing the attention of Mahatma Gandhi to the plight of peasants suffering under an oppressive
system established by European indigo planters in Champaran, Bihar, Rajkumar Shukla made a
seminal contribution culminating in the launch of the Champaran Satyagraha in 1917 by Mahatma
Gandhi.
44
Goa Liberation Day celebration
 Goa Liberation Day is being celebrated. Goa was liberated on 19th December1961, from around 450
years of Portuguese rule.
Surrogacy Bill passed
 Lok Sabha has passed the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016 aimed at prohibiting commercial
surrogacy and unethical practices relating to it. The Bill has provisions to constitute National
Surrogacy Board, State Surrogacy Boards and appointment of appropriate authorities for regulation
of surrogacy.
 It permits surrogacy only for couples who cannot conceive a child.
Rajasthan announces loan waiver for farmers
 In Rajasthan, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has announced that short term crop loans from
cooperative banks and loans of up to two lakh rupees from nationalised and other banks will be
waived.
Lok Sabha passes Consumer Protection Bill
 Lok Sabha passed the Consumer Protection Bill, 2018 which seeks to replace the Consumer
Protection Act, 1986. It seeks to establish Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions at District,
State and National levels.
Commemorative stamp on National Police Memorial
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release a commemorative stamp on the National Police Memorial
and launch a portal of cyber coordination center on the last day of three-day Conference of IGPs and
state police chiefs.
45
Commemorative coin in honour of Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee
 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, released a commemorative coin in honour of former Prime
Minister, Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Centre increased allocation of annual budget
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the Centre has increased allocation of annual budget of
Himachal to Rs 72 thousand crores from 21 thousand crores.
Cabinet approves amendment to POCSO Act
 The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the proposal for
Amendment in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 to make
punishment more stringent for committing sexual crimes against children.
Listing of certain unlisted CPSEs on Stock Exchange
 The government has approved the listing of seven Central Public Sector Enterprises on the Stock
Exchange.
Cabinet approves setting up of the National Commission for Homoeopathy (NCH) Bill, 2018
 The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the draft National
Commission for Homoeopathy, Bill, 2018, which seeks to replace the existing regulator Central
Council for Homoeopathy (CCH) with a new body to ensure transparency.
Cabinet approves setting up of the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Bill, 2018
 The Cabinet approved the draft National Commission for Indian Systems of Medicine (NCIM) Bill,
2018, which seeks to replace the existing regulator Central Council for Indian Medicine (CCIM) with
a new body to ensure transparency.
46
„Bhoomi Pujan‟ Ceremony of Alimco‟s Auxiliary Production unit and Limb Fitting Center
 Shri Krishan Pal Gurjar, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment attended the
‗BhoomiPujan‘ ceremony function of ALIMCO‘s Auxiliary Production Unit and State-of-the-Art
Limb Fitting Center in Ballabhgarh, Faridabad.
75th anniversary of Tricolour hoisting by Netaji
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the renaming of three islands of Andaman and Nicobar on
the occasion of 75th anniversary of Tricolour hoisting by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose[on Dec 30,
1943] in Port Blair.
 1) The Ross Island renamed – Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep, 2) The Neil Island renamed –
Shaheed Dweep and 3) The Havelock Island renamed – Swaraj Dweep.
Books & Authors:
 ―The Republican Ethic‖ and ―Loktantra Ke Swar‖ (Selected Speeches of President Shri Ram Nath
Kovind) books would be launched by Shri Venkaiah Naidu, Vice President of India.
 “Timeless Laxman” – The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today released the coffee table book
―Timeless Laxman‖, based on the famous cartoonist RK Laxman.
„A Handbook for Students on cyber Safety‟ Booklet
 Home Ministry has brought out a booklet on cyber safety for school children to inform them about
different aspects of cyber safety.
 The booklet explains various kinds of cyber crimes like identity theft, job fraud, email spoofing and
how children can overcome them.
Administrative handbook of Information and Broadcasting Ministry
 Information and Broadcasting Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore released the administrative handbook
of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry in New Delhi.
47
12. State Wise Affairs
 Andhra Pradesh  Madhya Pradesh

 Arunachal Pradesh  Maharashtra
 Assam  Meghalaya
 Bihar  Odisha
 Delhi  Punjab
 Gujarat  Tamil Nadu
 Himachal Pradesh  Telangana
 Jammu & Kashmir  Uttar Pradesh
 Kerala
ANDHRA PRADESH
Capital Chief Minister Governor

Hyderabad (Amaravati) N. Chandrababu Naidu E. S. L. Narasimhan
Andhra Pradesh gets new High Court
 The separate High Court for Andhra Pradesh will start functioning from January 1.
 Ministry of Law and Justice notified the constitution of the High Court in Amaravati.
 Andhra Pradesh High Court will be the 25th High Court in the country.
ARUNACHAL PRADESH

Itanagar Pema Khandu B. D. Mishra
Gadkari lays foundation for several NH projects in Arunachal
 Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari inaugurated and laid the foundation
stone for several national highway projects at Roing in Lower Dibang Valley District. He also
inaugurated two bridges over the Lohit and Dibang River.
48
ASSAM

Dispur Sarbananda Sonowal Jagdish Mukhi
Second meeting of the NITI Forum for the North East
 The second meeting of the NITI Forum for the North East is being held in Guwahati. NITI Forum for
North East was constituted this year to periodically review the development status in the region.
Government to publish book on Assam Movement
 Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal announced one-time financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh to
each of the victims who suffered bullet injuries during the Assam Movement.
 Assam Movement was held in the 80s against illegal citizens staying in Assam. A book of this
movement to be published by the State Government.
Debt relief scheme for farmers
 The Assam government has approved debt relief scheme for the farmers of the state. The state
cabinet decided to waive 25 percent of loan amount to the farmers.
No proposal to extend NRC to other States
 The government said that there is no proposal to extend the National Register of Citizens, NRC to
States other than Assam.
Assam approves release of Chah Bahgicha Dhan Puraskar Mela
 The Assam government has approved the release of second instalment of the Chah Bagicha (tea
estate) Dhan Puraskar Mela. Assam Finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that all the
beneficiaries will get 2,500 rs in their bank accounts by 15th of the next month.
49
3rd Dwijing Festival begins
 In Assam, the third Dwijing Festival has begun today on the bank of Aye river at Chirang district.
 Adventure sports, food mart, cultural events, traditional games are being organized in the 12 daylong
event. Participants from Thailand, Bhutan and Bangladesh are also taken part in the festival.
BIHAR

Patna Nitish Kumar Lalji Tandon
Bihar sets Rs 100 fee for family property split
 Bihar government has fixed 100 rupees as the charge for people to get their property registered after
division of family‘s immovable assets. This decision was taken at cabinet meeting which was chaired
by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
India‟s second container cargo sector on Inland Waterways
 Kolkata-Patna becomes India‘s second container cargo sector on Inland Waterways. IWAI vessel
MV RN Tagore sails from Kolkata with PepsiCo, Emami cargo on board to Bihar.
Construction of new 4- lane bridge across River Ganga
 The Union Cabinet has approved a new bridge across the Ganga river at Patna in Bihar. Cabinet
Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved
the project for construction of 5.634 km long new 4 lane bridge parallel to the existing MG Setu on
NH-19.
Patna Zoo closed
 Patna Zoo has been closed for an indefinite period following the confirmation of H5NI virus killing
six peacocks in the zoo.
50
DELHI
Chief Minister Lieutenant Governor
Arvind Kejriwal Anil Baijal
National Rail Museum & Madame Tussauds Wax Museum
 National Rail Museum and Madame Tussauds Wax Museum have joined hands to provide combo
offer to Delhi NCR tourists.
Foundation stone of “Pusa Kisan Haat”
 Union Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Minister Shri Radha Mohan Singh Minister laid the
foundation stone of Pusa Kisan Haat in ICAR‘s Agricultural Technology Information Centre (ATIC)
in New Delhi.
 Pusa Kisan Haat will be built across 2.5 acres in which 60 stalls measuring 3m x 3m will be erected
in which farmers can sell their agricultural produce and value-added products.
Delhi Assembly passes resolution
 Delhi Assembly has passed a resolution demanding that Bharat Ratna awarded to former Prime
Minister Rajiv Gandhi be withdrawn over the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
 The resolution moved by AAP MLA Jarnail Singh was passed by a voice vote in the House. It
termed the anti-Sikh riots as a genocide.
Delhi‟s air quality deteriorates to severe category
 National Capital Delhi‘s air quality has deteriorated to the severe category as a thick smog engulfed
the national capital and prevented dispersion of pollutants.
Flight operations disrupted at Delhi airport
 Flight operations disrupted and departures were put on hold for two hours at Delhi airport due to low
visibility conditions.
 The minimum visibility required for takeoff is 125 metres.
51
EC bans all kinds of tobacco in polling booths
 The Election Commission has banned all kinds of tobacco in polling booths during next year‘s
general elections, in a bid to effectively implement tobacco control laws in the country.
„Dandi Yatra‟
 An exhibition ‗Dandi Yatra‘, which is a part of the celebrations of the 150th birth anniversary of
father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi, was inaugurated in New Delhi.It has been organised by the
National Gallery of Modern Art(NGMA).
GUJARAT

Gandhinagar Vijay Rupani Om Prakash Kohli
Gujarat approves Rs 50 crore SIT fund
 Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has approved 50-crore rupees to Science & Technology
Innovation (STI) Fund to provide assistance up to Rs. 50-lakh to UGC and AICTE recognized central
and state universities and colleges.
Foundation stone of Railway Station at Kevadia
 President Ramnath Kovind today laid the foundation stone of new ultra modern Railway Station at
Kevadia in Narmada district of Gujarat. The station will connect the Statue of Unity project to the
rest of India through broad gauge railway line.
Railway Minister dedicates first Railway University to nation
 Railway Minister Piyush Goyal dedicated India‘s first Railway University to the nation in Vadodara.
Ministry of Railways has sanctioned 421 crores rupees for this university and its curriculum
development for the next five years.
52
Annual conference of DGPs, IGs
 Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated All-India annual conference of the State Directors General
and Inspectors General of Police near the Statue of Unity located in Narmada district of Gujarat.
HIMACHAL PRADESH

Shimla Jai Ram Thakur Acharya Dev Vrat
Roerich Art Gallery
 International Roerich Memorial Trust is playing a pivotal role in fortifying the trust and peaceful
relations being enjoyed by the Russia and India. The state government would provide all possible
help to develop the Roerich Art Gallery as the major centre of art and culture.
JAMMU & KASHMIR

Jammu (Winter) - Satya Pal Malik
Srinagar (Summer)
Panel to identify new tourism projects in J-K
 The Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered to constitute an official panel to screen and
identify new tourism projects in the state under the Prime Minister‘s Development Package. (PMDP).
Jammu and Kashmir Governor recommending imposition of President‟s rule
 Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik has sent a report to the central government
recommending imposition of President‘s rule in the state after expiry of six month Governor‘s rule
there on December 19.
53
Lok Sabha passes Statutory Resolution approving proclamation of President‟s Rule in J&K
 The Lok Sabha passed, amid din, a Statutory Resolution approving the proclamation of President‘s
Rule in Jammu and Kashmir. However, some of the opposition members later objected to it.
Freezing temperature in Ladakh promoting winter sports and tourism
 The freezing temperature in Ladakh region is making favourable environment to promote winter
sports as well as winter tourism in the region.
KERALA

Thiruvananthapuram Pinarayi Vijayan P. Sathasivam
International Film Festival of Kerala begins
 The 23rd International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) 2018 will begin at Thiruvananthapuram.
Kannur International Airport begins operations
 The Kannur international Airport-KIAL in Kerala began its operations with Union minister for civil
aviation Suresh Prabhu and Kerala Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan jointly inaugurated the airport.
MADHYA PRADESH

Bhopal Kamal Nath Anandiben Patel
34th Anniversary of Bhopal Gas Tragedy
 In Madhya Pradesh, a prayer meeting is being organized on the 34th anniversary of Bhopal Gas
Tragedy.
 One of the World‘s worst industrial disasters, over 15,000 people was killed after methyl isocyanate
leaked on December 2-3, 1984 from the pesticide plant of Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL).
54
New Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh
 Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath will be the new Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh.
New Spiritual Department
 The state government has decided to form a new Spiritual Department. The Religious Trust and
Endowments and Happiness Department will be merged in the new department.
MAHARASHTRA

Mumbai Devendra Fadnavis Chennamaneni Vidyasagar Rao
Khasdar Mahotsav in Nagpur
 Union Minister for Shipping, Surface Transport and Ganga Rejuvenation Nitin Gadkari inaugurated
the second edition of Khasdar Mahotsav in presence of Bollywood actors Anil Kapoor and Jackie
Shroff, at the Ishwar Deshmukh College of Physical Education in Nagpur.
Maharashtra govt to implement Seventh Pay Commission from January 1
 Maharashtra government will implement the Seventh Pay Commission from January 1, 2019. The
state treasury will have to bear an additional burden of 40,000 crore rupees for implementing the 7th
pay commission.
SMART initiative launched
 CM Devendra Fadnavis has launched a unique initiative called ―SMART‖, which stands for State of
Maharashtra‘s Agribusiness and Rural Transformation.
 This World Bank assisted project aims to revamp agricultural value chains, with special focus on
marginal farmers across 1,000 villages.
55
Petroleum Minister inaugurates piped gas connection near Mumbai
 Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated piped gas connection near Mumbai.
Rs 150 cr relief to onion growers
 The Maharashtra cabinet approved an ex-gratia payment of Rs.200 per quintal rate for onions sold
between November 1 to December 15.
 Rs 150 crore compensation comes as a big relief to the onion producing farmers who had to sell their
produce at low prices.
Vajpayee International Schools launched
 Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis launched Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee
International Schools in Mumbai on the occasion of 94th birth anniversary of the late Prime Minister.
Maharashtra government implements 7th Pay Commission recommendation
 The Maharashtra government implemented the recommendations of the 7th pay commission to its
employees which will benefit the officers, employees, teachers from the unaided schools and those
from Zilla Parishad institutions.
MEGHALAYA
Shillong Conrad Sangma Tathagata Roy
Rescue operation by Indian Navy and NDRF begins
 In Meghalaya, a joint operation by the Indian Navy and the NDRF to rescue the trapped miners
began.
ODISHA

Bhubaneswar Naveen Patnaik Ganeshi Lal
56
Projects worth around 15K cr rupees
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated projects worth around 15,000 crore rupees in Odisha.
The projects are related to health, road and highways, higher education and culture.
 Among the projects, the Prime Minister dedicated the new campus of IIT-Bhubaneswar at Aragul
built at a cost of 1,660 crore rupees. He also inaugurated ESIC hospital in Bhubaneshwar costing
over 73 crores.
26th National Children‟s Science Congress inaugurated
 The 26th National Children‘s Science Congress has been inaugurated by the Chief Minister Shri
Naveen Patnaik in Bhubaneswar.
PUNJAB

Chandigarh Amarinder Singh V. P. Singh Badnore
Punjab Assembly passes resolution urging Centre to hasten enactment of Women‟s Reservation Bill
 Punjab Assembly unanimously passed the resolution moved by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder
Singh urging Central government to hasten enactment of Women‘s Reservation Bill providing for the
reservation of one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies for women.
 Punjab has already reserved 50 per cent seats in Urban Local Bodies and Panchayati Raj institutions
for women.
TAMIL NADU

Chennai Edappadi K. Palaniswami Banwarilal Purohit
57
Tamil Nadu government announces hike of health insurance coverage
 Tamil Nadu government has announced the hike of health insurance coverage from the existing two
lakh rupees to 5 lakh rupees a year, at par with the Centre‘s Ayushman Bharat scheme.
NGT set aside Tamil Nadu Government order to close down copper smelter plant Sterlite
 The National Green Tribunal, NGT has set aside the Tamil Nadu Government order to close down
the copper smelter plant Sterlite in Tuticorin. The Vedanta Group plant has been shut down
following agitations on charges of pollution.
India‟s first music museum to be set up in Thiruvaiyaru
 The country‘s first music museum will be set up with assistance from the Central government in
Thiruvaiyaru, Tamilnadu, the birth place of Saint Tyagaraja, one of the Trinities of Carnatic music.
Tribal community Baduga celebrates annual Heddaiyamman festival
 The tribal Baduga community in the Nilgiris district of Tamil nadu is celebrating their annual
Heddaiyamman festival. The Badagas are an indigenous tribal group in the Nilgiris.
Chariot festival being celebrated in Madurai Meenakshi temple
 The unique Chapparam (Chariot) festival, that symbolizes the importance of preserving all kinds of
food and fodder, was celebrated with traditional rituals and festivities in the famous Madurai
Meenakshi temple, in Tamil Nadu.
 Specialty of the festival is that the chariot of Goddess Meenakshi is pulled by lady devotees alone.
Tuticorin Airport to be 5th International airport in 4 years
 Thoothukkudi (Tuticorin) Airport to be declared as the fifth international airport in Tamil Nadu.
58
TELANGANA

Hyderabad K. Chandrashekar Rao Narasimhan
K Chandrasekhar Rao likely to take oath as Chief Minister
 Telangana Rashtra Samiti Chief K Chandrasekhar Rao is likely to take the oath of Telangana Chief
Minister for the second time at the Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad.
UTTAR PRADESH

Lucknow Yogi Adityanath Ram Naik
Government decides to establish an umbrella university
 The Uttar Pradesh Government has decided to establish an umbrella university to control all the
medical and dental colleges and nursing institutions in the state. The university will be named after
former Prime Minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Railways commissions 41 projects for Kumbh Mela
 Railways has commissioned 41 projects at a cost of 700 crore rupees for the Kumbh Mela that will
begin in Allahabad from January next year.
59
13. International Affairs
Romania celebrates 100th birthday
 Romanians turned out to celebrate 100 years since Romania became a modern-day state, amid
concerns about rule of law and the state of democracy.
Former US President George H.W. Bush dead
 Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush, who helped steer America through the end of the Cold
War, died at age 94.
 The war pilot and former CIA chief was a one-term President; he was denied a second term over a
weak economy when he lost the 1992 election to upstart Democrat Bill Clinton.
U.S. proposes changes in H-1B application process
 The United States administration proposed major changes in the H-1B application process, including
a new rule requiring companies to electronically register their petitions in advance, aimed at
awarding this popular American work visa to the most skilled and highest paid foreign workers.
Qatar to leave OPEC from January 2019
 Qatar has announced its decision to leave the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
(OPEC) from January next year and focus more on the production of natural gas.
 Qatar is the world‘s largest exporter of LPG.
UNSC to meet on Iran missile launch issue
 The UN Security Council to meet on Iran missile launch issue. The world body is meeting at the
request of France and Britain after they accused Iran of test-firing a medium-range missile at the
weekend.
60
Earthquake in Pacific near New Caledonia
 A powerful undersea earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 struck off the east coast of New Caledonia
in the South Pacific.
US gives Russia 60 days to comply with nuclear treaty
 United States has warned Russia that it will withdraw from a major Cold War treaty limiting mid-
range nuclear arms, if Moscow does not dismantle missiles within 60 days.
US re-establishes permanent diplomatic mission in Somalia
 The United States has reestablished a ―permanent diplomatic presence‖ in Somalia for the first time
in 27 years.
S.Korea, DPRK agree to verify withdrawal of guard posts
 South Korea and the Democratic People‘s Republic of Korea (DPRK) have agreed to verify the pilot
withdrawal of guard posts in the inter-Korean border area.
US Congress passes bill to avoid government shutdown
 The US Senate and House of Representatives have passed legislation that would allow continuing
funding the government for the next two weeks in order to avert a shutdown.
Trump agrees to reach trade deal with China
 Trump agreed to suspend plans to raise tariffs on 200 billion Dollars worth of Chinese products from
10 per cent to 25 per cent within the next 90 days.
61
UN launches new framework to combat terrorism
 UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has launched a new framework to combat the scourge of
international terrorism and coordinate efforts across the peace and security, humanitarian, human
rights and sustainable development sectors.
President seeks martial law extension in southern Philippines
 President Rodrigo Duterte asked legislators to extend martial law across the southern Philippines
until the end of next year in order to quell continuing violence in the restive region.
Japan government enacts new law to accept foreign workers
 Japanese government enacted a new law to bring more blue-collar foreign workers into the country to
address chronic labour shortages.
 Under the new law, Japan plans to bring in 3 lakh 45 thousand foreign workers in construction, food
services, nursing and other sectors for five years.
Women‟s representation in UAE‟s Federal National Council to be doubled
 A decree passed by the UAE President has directed the doubling of the current percentage of
women‘s representation in the Federal National Council from 22.5 per cent to 50 per cent in the
coming parliamentary term.
Nearly 85 percent of UN nations back migration deal
 Nearly 85 per cent of UN member states has agreed on a sweeping yet non-binding accord to ensure
safe, orderly and humane migration.
 A total of 164 countries among the 193 UN members approved the agreement in a two-day migration
conference in Marrakech, Morocco.
62
Increase in minimum wages and tax concessions in France
 French President Emmanuel Macron has promised an increase in minimum wages and tax
concessions in response to weeks of violent protests.
Sweden to ban outdoor smoking
 Sweden is banning outdoor smoking in certain public places including playgrounds and train station
platforms. According to the new law, the goal is to make the Scandinavian country smoke-free by
2025.
British PM wins vote of confidence in her leadership of Conservative party
 British Prime Minister Theresa May has won a vote of confidence in her leadership of the
Conservative Party. She got the support of 200 MPs while 117 MPs voted against her.
Mahinda Rajapaksa resigns as Sri Lankan PM
 In Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned from the post of Prime minister.
Trump names budget director as acting chief of staff
 US President Donald Trump has named budget director Mick Mulvaney as the acting chief of staff.
Nigerian military lifts ban on UNICEF operations
 The Nigerian military has lifted a ban on UNICEF operations in the ravaged northeast.
 Earlier it had suspended the aid agency and accusing it of training spies supporting Boko Haram
jihadists.
 The Nigerian army has accused UNICEF of ‗aiding Boko Haram‘
63
Germany to compensate hundreds who fled Nazis as children
 Germany has agreed to one-time payments for survivors, primarily Jews, who were evacuated from
Nazi Germany as children, many of whom never saw their parents again.
 The New York-based Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany said the German
government has agreed to payments of 2,800 US Dollars to those still alive from among the 10,000
people who fled on the Kinder transport.
Phasing out of Plastic shopping bags
 In New Zealand, regulations for mandatory phase-out of single-use plastic shopping bags will take
effect from July 1, 2019. Retailers will no longer be able to sell or give away single-use plastic
shopping bags from July next year.
Macedonian, Greek PMs get nominated for 2019 Nobel Peace Prize
 The Prime Ministers of Macedonia and Greece, Zoran Zaev and Alexis Tsipras, have been nominated
for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize. They have been nominated for signing the Prespa Agreement
between the two countries.
EU to reduce new car emissions
 The European Union (EU) forged ahead with plans to slash carbon dioxide emissions from new cars
and vans by 2030. The targets will require new cars sold in 2030 to emit 37.5 percent less carbon
dioxide on average compared to 2021 levels. Emissions from new vans will have to be 31 percent
lower.
France fines Uber 400000 euros
 France‘s data protection agency had fined the US ride-hailing group Uber 400,000 euros over a 2016
data breach that exposed the personal data of some 57 million clients and drivers worldwide.
64
US Senate approves legislation to fund government
 The US Senate has approved a legislation to temporarily fund the government in an effort to avoid
partial shutdown over President Donald Trump‘s insistence on setting up border wall with Mexico.
UNGA adopts global framework on International migration
 The UN General Assembly has adopted the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular
Migration, the first-ever negotiated global framework on a common approach to international
migration in all its dimensions.
 India voted in favour of the resolution while, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Israel, Poland, and US
voted against it.
US starts withdrawing troops from Syria
 United States has started to withdraw its troops from Syria. United States has about 2,000 troops on
the ground in Syria.
UN Security Council to vote on sending observers to Yemen
 The United Nations Security Council will vote to endorse the ceasefire agreed by the warring parties
in Yemen‘s Hodeidah region and authorise an advance UN team to begin monitoring the deal.
US govt shutdown begins
 The US government began a Christmas shutdown early, after Congress adjourned without passing a
federal spending bill or addressing President Donald Trump‘s demand for money to build a border
wall.
 Trump has dug in on his demand for 5 billion dollars for construction of a wall on the US border with
Mexico.
65
U.S. plans to withdraw troops from Afghanistan
 President Donald Trump is planning to withdraw more than 5,000 of the 14,000 U.S. troops in
Afghanistan.
Lankan parliament passes vote of account to meet govt expenditure
 Sri Lankan parliament passed the vote of account to meet government expenditure for the first four
months of New Year.
Volcano-triggered tsunami in Indonesia
 A tsunami killed at least 280 people and injured hundreds on the Indonesian islands of Java and
Sumatra following an underwater landslide believed caused by the erupting Anak Krakatau volcano.
 Anak Krakatau, roughly halfway between Java and Sumatra, has been spewing ash and lava for
months. It erupted again just after 9 p.m. on December 22 and the tsunami struck about 30 minutes
later, according to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).
Soviet-built nuclear reactor has been shut down after 45 years of service
 Russia‘s nuclear power company said that a Soviet-built nuclear reactor has been shut down after 45
years of service.Launched in 1973, the reactor became the first unit of the RBMK-1000 type to be
built in the Soviet Union. A reactor of the same type exploded in Chernobyl in April 1986 in the
world‘s worst nuclear accident.
Norway to build wind farm amid concerns about reindeer
 Norway has said it would build a wind park in an area used for reindeer grazing despite UN calls to
suspend the project to study the impact on the indigenous herders‘ livelihoods. UN wanted the
project suspended to study if it would disturb the animals
Iraq declares Christmas Day a public holiday
 Iraq has declared Christmas an official holiday across the country.
66
Thailand approves medical use of marijuana
 Thailand approved the licensed use of marijuana for medical use and research.
 The changes will legalize the production, import, export, possession and use of marijuana products
for medical purposes.
 Thailand has become the first country in Southeast Asia to take such action.
UK ministers warn drone users of severe punishment
 Britain‘s security minister said that those who use drones either recklessly or for criminal purposes
would face severe punishment.
North and South Korea to hold groundbreaking ceremony
 A South Korean delegation left for North Korea to attend a groundbreaking ceremony for
reconnecting roads and railways across the divided peninsula despite stalled denuclearisation talks.
Russia expands economic sanctions on Ukraine
 Russia has expanded its economic sanctions on Ukraine, adding more than 250 people and businesses
to a blacklist first announced at the start of November.
Japan decides to withdraw from IWC
 Japan has decided to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and will resume
commercial whaling July next year.
 The IWC, established in 1946 to conserve and manage the world‘s whale and cetacean population,
introduced a moratorium on commercial whaling in 1986.
Indonesia raises danger level for Anak Krakatoa volcano
 Indonesia raised the danger level for Anak Krakatoa volcano that triggered a tsunami killing nearly
430 people last weekend. The authorities have also widened a no-go zone around the volcano to five
kilometres, up from a previous two kilometres.
67
Palestine to apply for full UN membership
 Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Malki declared that Palestine would apply for full state
membership at the United Nations in January.
 To secure full state membership, the Palestinians need support from at least nine out of the UNSC‘s
15 member states.
4.8-magnitude earthquake hits Sicily
 A 4.8-magnitude earthquake has hit Sicily near Europe‘s most active volcano, Mount Etna, injuring
at least 28 people. The epicentre was located north of Catania.
UAE resumes Damascus embassy in Syria
 United Arab Emirates has resumed its diplomatic service at Damascus in Syria after six years of
suspension signaling a thaw in the relations between the two countries, as also with the Arab world.
India sends poll observers to Bangladesh
 India has sent observers to Bangladesh to witness the elections to be held. Three officials were
designated from India to observe the elections in that country.
6.9 Magnitude earthquake strikes off Mindanao
 A 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck off the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. The Pacific
Tsunami Warning Centre said, hazardous tsunami waves from this earthquake are possible along the
coasts of Indonesia and the Philippines.
Storm Usman
 Storm Usman that resulted in heavy rain and triggered deadly landslides hit the Bicol region in
Manila, Philippines.
68
14.Sports
 Cricket
 Hockey
 Shooting
 Other Sports
CRICKET
IPL: Delhi Daredevils renamed
 Delhi Daredevils was renamed as Delhi Capitals.
Gautam Gambhir announces retirement
 Former India opening batsman Gautam Gambhir has announced his retirement from all forms of
Cricket.
Rishabh Pant equals Dhoni‟s record in Test Cricket
 Indian wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant created history on day 3 of the first Test against Australia in
Adelaide. Rishabh Pant took six catches in the Australian first innings thus equalling M.S. Dhoni‘s
record.
 Pakistan‘s Wasim Bari holds the record of most dismissals by a wicket-keeper in an innings with 7
catches.
Ranji Trophy Cricket
 Madhya Pradesh opener Ajay Rohera creates world record for highest first-class debut score 267 not
out, a world record.
 The record was earlier held by former Mumbai stalwart Amol Mazumdar, who had hit 260 in 1994.
69
Second fastest to score 25 Test centuries in Cricket
 Indian skipper Virat Kohli has became the second fastest to score 25 Test centuries, only behind Sir
Don Bradman. Kohli also equalled Tendulkar‘s record of most Test tons by an Indian – that is six –
in Australia.
IPL 2019 auction
 IPL 2019 auction takes place in Jaipur.
BCCI to expand ACU
 The BCCI is all set to expand its Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU).
Indian Women‟s ODI and T20 team captains announced for the New Zealand tour
 Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur were retained as captains for the Indian Women‘s ODI and T20
team for the New Zealand tour beginning next month.
Seven year old to co-captain Australia
 Archie Schiller, the seven-year-old leg-spinner inducted into the Australian team earlier this month,
is set to co-captain the side alongside Tim Paine in the in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne
Cricket Ground.
Ponting inducted into ICC Hall of Fame
 Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting was formally inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.
ICC announces women‟s ODI and T20I teams of the year
 International Cricket Council, ICC, announced women‘s ODI and T20I teams of the year 2018.
 New Zealand‘s Suzie Bates was named as captain of the one day team and Harmanpreet Kaur of
India appointed captain of the T20 team.
70
HOCKEY
Men‟s Hockey World Cup
 India, Australia, Argentina and Germany have made it to the last-8 stage after topping their
respective groups.
 India lost to Netherlands 2-1 in a quarter-final encounter at Bhubaneswar. In another quarterfinal,
Belgium defeated Germany 2-1.
 Belgium has claimed their first ever World Cup title defeating Netherlands 3-2 in a dramatic shoot-
out in the final of the Men‘s World Cup in Bhubaneswar. Belgium has won the trophy after sixteen
years.
SHOOTING
National Shooting Championship Competitions
 Rajasthan‘s Maheshwari Chauhan retained her women‘s skeet title at the 62nd National Shooting
Championship Competitions (NSCC) for shotgun events in Jaipur.
First Indian to be elected in ISSF‟s judges committee
 Pawan Singh has become the first Indian to be elected one of seven members of the Judges
Committee of the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF).
Other Sports
World chess championship 2018
 Magnus Carlsen beats caruana in tie-breaker to retain the world Champion title.
Tata Motors Senior National Championship
 In Wrestling, Vinesh Phogat won the 57-kilogram national title at the Tata Motors Senior National
Championship in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh. Sakshi Malik won in the 62 kilogram.
71
Tata Open India International Challenge
 In Badminton, young shuttler Lakshya Sen stormed into the finals of the men‘s singles of the 11th
Tata Open India International Challenge in Mumbai.
Pune International Marathon
 Atlawim Debebe of Ethiopia won the Full Marathon with the timing of 2 hours 17 minutes 17
seconds. Teshome Getachew claimed second and Bekele Asefa third position.
 In women‘s Full Marathon Pascalia Chepkogei from Kenya stood first with the timing of 2 hour 50
minutes 27 seconds. Belew Mekonnen and Fekede Tilahun of Ethiopia claimed second and third
position.
Khelo India Youth Games
 Khelo India Youth Games to be held in Pune from 9th to 20th of January.
Badminton World Tour Finals
 PV Sindhu has stormed into the summit clash of Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour
Finals at Guangzhou in China.
 Ace Indian shuttler P V Sindhu lifted the prestigious season-ending World Tour Finals trophy at
Guangzhou, China. The Olympic silver medallist defeated Japan‘s Nozomi Okuhara 21-19, 21-17 in
the summit clash.
37th Senior National Rowing Championship
 The 37th Senior National Rowing Championship will start in the Army Rowing Node in Pune.
Kabaddi Player announces his retirement
 Renowned Kabaddi Player, Anup Kumar announced his retirement from Kabaddi, ending a 15-year
iconic career.
72
Premier Badminton League
 The Premier Badminton League begins in Mumbai.
Indian woman becomes the fastest Asian to cycle the globe
 Vedangi, who hails from a suburb of Pune, cycled into Kolkata in the wee hours of December 23,
completing the 29,000 km distance required to qualify as bicycling across the globe.
16th Mumbai Marathon
 The 16th Mumbai Marathon will be held on January 20 next year and around 50,000 participants are
expected to participate in the run.
Five weightlifters banned
 The International Weightlifting Federation announced in Paris that five weightlifters have been
provisionally suspended after reanalysis of their urine samples provided during the 2012 London
Olympics.
10th R R Lakshya Cup
 The 10th R R Lakshya Cup, an international shooting competition, will be held at Karnala.
3rd Edition of Women‟s national boxing championships
 Third edition of women‘s national boxing championships begins in Vijayanagara, Karnataka.
Andhra pradesh https://goo.gl/4T3djL
Assam http://bit.ly/2ywvF3z
73
Bihar http://bit.ly/2Qc4B5h
Chhattisgarh http://bit.ly/2Puhd3a
Delhi http://bit.ly/2LFbTcc
Gujarat https://goo.gl/QCMkJa
Haryana http://bit.ly/2BEe10v
Himachal Pradesh https://goo.gl/s67AgK
Karnataka http://bit.ly/2Pfw7Jz
Kerala http://bit.ly/2NOfOru
Madhya Pradesh http://bit.ly/2QQp6RC
Maharastra https://goo.gl/1yfZKS
Odisha http://bit.ly/2NCGkis
Punjab http://bit.ly/2Azgc3F
Rajasthan http://bit.ly/2xRyz2m
Tamil Nadu http://bit.ly/2AsPNpn
Telangana http://bit.ly/2PwcQUm
Uttar Pradesh https://goo.gl/Poa9P2
West Bengal http://bit.ly/2OSa907
74

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Monthly Current Affairs – December 2018

5 Science and Technology 15

5.1 Inventions / Discover 15

5.2 Space Science 16

5.3 App/ Web Portal/ Toll Free 17

7.1 Banking Affairs 30

9 Indian Forces (Defence) 35

10 Awards and Achievement 39

12 State Wise Affairs 48

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General Knowledge Study Materials Click Here for Download

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National Summit / Conference

13th Edition of CII Agro Tech India – 2018

DGAFMS Military Medicine Conclave 2018

80th Session of Policy Commission

“Streamlining of India‟s Visa regime” conference

India Water Impact Summit-2018

Industry Engagement Programme

All-party meeting on December 11

Annual Startup India Venture Capital Summit 2018

1st International Conference on Sustainable Water Management

Regional Conference on „Good Governance- Focus on Aspirational Districts‟

Indian Defence University workshop

First National Workshop on Explosives Detection

91st Annual General Meeting of FICCI

Third Road show on Competition Law

55th Skoch Summit

12th Global Healthcare Summit

One District, One Product Regional Summit

Indian Science Congress-2019

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S.No Name Designation

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5. Science and Technology

Google announces „Journalism AI‟ project

UN Climate conference finalises rules to implement Paris climate treaty

5.1 Inventions / Discover

Step closer to detecting krait venom

5.2 Space Science

Three astronauts set to launch to ISS

„Sun in a box‟ system to store renewable energy

NASA‟s InSight lander „hears‟ Martian winds

ISRO all set for GSLV-F11/GSAT-7A mission

3 astronauts return from International Space Station

China launches first satellite for space-based broadband

India will see two eclipses in 2019

5.3 App/ Web Portal/ Toll Free