Gaofen-4

China has successfully launched its most sophisticated observation satellite Gaofen-4, as part of the country’s high-definition (HD) earth observation Gaofen project.It was launched aboard a Long March-3B carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in the southwestern province of Sichuan. It was the 222th space flight of the Long March rocket series and China’s 19th space mission in year 2015.Gaofen-4 is China’s first geosynchronous orbit high-definition optical imaging satellite and world’s most sophisticated HD geosynchronous orbit remote sensing satellite.

New Prime Minister of Georgia

Former Foreign Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili elected as the country’s new prime minister of Georgia.He was elected by the Parliament after then Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili had resigned from the post.Kvirikashvili’s new government has pledged to push ahead the ruling Georgian Dream coalition’s policy of seeking closer ties with the West by endorsing its full membership in the European Union (EU) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and pursuing a pragmatic and peaceful policy towards Russia which was shattered by a brief 2008 war.

51st Jnanpith Award

Jnanpith Selection Board has announced the recipient of the 51st Jnanpith Award for Eminent Gujarati litterateur Raghuveer Chaudhary. The decision was taken in a meeting of Jnanpith Selection Board chaired by noted scholar, writer and critic Prof. Namwar Singh.He also worked as a columnist for numerous newspapers such as Sandesh, Janmabhumi, Nirikshaka and Divya Bhaskar. He was a teacher at the Gujarat University until his retirement in 1998.

 About Award:

The Jnanpith Award is a literary award in India. Along with the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship,it is one of the two most prestigious literary honours in the country.The award was instituted in 1961. Eligibility is restricted to any Indian citizen who writes in one of the 22 languages listed in Schedule Eight of the Indian constitution. It is presented by the Bharatiya Jnanpith, a trust founded by the Sahu Jain family, the publishers of the newspaper The Times of India.

Vijay Hazare cricket Trophy 2015-16

Gujarat has won the 14th season of prestigious Vijay Hazare Cricket Trophy for season 2015–16 for first time in its history of championship.final match played at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru (Karnataka) they defeated Delhi by 139 runs.

 About Vijay Hazare Trophy:  

The Vijay Hazare Trophy, also known as the Ranji One Day Trophy, was started in 2002–03 as a limited-overs cricket domestic competition involving state teams from the Ranji Trophy plates. It is named after the famous Indian cricketer Vijay Hazare.Tamil Nadu have won the trophy 4 times. Jharkhand won the trophy in 2011, beating Gujarat in the finals at Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore. Bengal won it on 2011-12.Karnataka are the current champions of the trophy in 2013-14, beating Railways in the finals

18th Asian Luge Championship

Himachal born Shiva Keshavan captured the silver medal in the 18th Asian Luge Championship.The first place was claimed by defending champion Hidenari Kanayama of Japan, and third by South Korea’s Kim Dong-hyeon.Asian Luge Cup is annual luge competition for Asian countries, which held since 1998.

NITI Aayog CEO

Senior IAS officer Amitabh Kant has been given additional charge as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog.Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi was taken this decision.Presently, he is serving as Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).

Astra missile

The air-to-air missile ASTRA was once again successfully test-fired by the Indian Air Force off the coast of Odisha near the Integrated Test Range, BalasoreDefence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) have successfully tested crucial anti-jamming capability of the Astra missile.It is radar homing missile fuelled by single stage solid fuel and has payload capacity of 15 kg conventional explosives.It possesses Shot Kill Probability (SSKP) with range of 60-km plus that makes it one of the most reliable in its class of weapon systems.

CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award 2015

Former wicket-keeper batsman Syed Kirmani was today nominated for Col. C.K.Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award which comprises a trophy, citation and a cheque for Rs.25 lakhs.The award was instituted by the BCCI in 1994 to mark the birth centenary of Col. Cottari Kanakaiya Nayudu, India's first Test captain.Dilip Vengsarkar was the recipient of the award in 2014.

2015 National Medal of Science

Dr. Rakesh K. Jain, an Indian American professor at Harvard Medical School, will be presented with the National Medal of Science by President Barack Obama.He, along with 16 other winners will receive the honor at a White House ceremony early next month.National Medal of Science award, recognized since 1959, is given to individuals for their contribution to the field of science and engineering.

25th December

                     

The nation is observing ‘Good Governance Day’ on the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna recipient Atal Bihari Vajpayee.on the 91st birth anniversary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee several programmes were organized nationwide and new initiatives were announced. It should be noted that this day is also being observed as Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) Divas.

North India’s first cable bridge

North India's first cable-stayed bridge--the fourth of its kind in the country--that will provide close connectivity among the three states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab was open to traffic.Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar inaugurated the bridge on river Ravi named 'Atal Setu' at Basholi Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh and Army Chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag were also present.Out of 592 metre span bridge, 350 metres is cable-stayed while rest is plain bridge.It is a joint venture (JV) of Indian Railway Construction Company Limited (IRCON) and SP Singla Construction group.

Three major cable-stayed bridges in the country are: 

(i) Vidyasagar Setu – Over the Hoogly River in Kolkata (West Bengal)

(ii) Bandra-Worli Sea Link (Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link) – Mumbai (Maharashtra) 

(iii) New Yamuna Bridge- Over Yamuna River in Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh)

India’s biggest wildlife rescue centre

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has dedicated India’s biggest wildlife rescue centre, spread in 30 hectares in Gorewada

near Nagpur, Maharashtra

, to wildlife lovers. This place will be a big asset for entire Vidarbha region where man-animal conflict is at its peak. The foundation stone for rescue centre was laid by former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on February 26, 2013, with August 10, 2104, as deadline.

December 24

National Consumer Day is observed on December 24 every year since 1986, as on this day the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 had received the assent of the President. This day provides an opportunity for individuals to highlight the importance of the consumer movement and the need to make every consumer more aware of their rights and responsibilities.World Consumer Rights Day is observed on 15th March every year.

Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Bill

Rajya Sabha passed the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Bill, 2015 on 22nd December 2015. Earlier, the bill passed by Lok Sabha on 07th May 2015.The Bill is founded on the recognition of the rights of the victims, which, it says, is equally important as the rights of juveniles. The government reasons that special provisions are the need of the hour to tackle the rising number of heinous crimes committed by juveniles between the age of 16 and 18, especially against women.This Bill is a product of a nation shocked by the brutality of the Nirbhaya case.The juveniles between the ages of 16-18 years to be tried as adults for heinous crimes.

22nd December

In India, the day December 22 has been declared as the National Mathematics Day. The declaration was made by Prime Minister of India, during the inaugural ceremony of the birth of Shaswat Mishra held at the Odisha University Centenary Auditorium on 26 February 2012. Dr Manmohan Singh also announced that the year 2012 CE would be celebrated as the National Mathematics Year.National Mathematics Day to celebrate birth anniversary of great Indian autodidact Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan. This year, it will be the 128th birth anniversary of Srinivasa Ramanujan.

AIFF Awards

Midfielder Eugeneson Lyngdoh ended Sunil Chettri’s two-year hold on the AIFF men’s Player of the Year trophy, while in-form striker Bala Devi was chosen for the women’s honour for a second successive time in the AIFF Annual General Body Meeting.Eugeneson Lyngdoh and Bala Devi awarded with AIFF Player of the Year and Woman Footballer of the Year respectively on 20th December 2015 while Pritam Kotal awarded with AIFF Emerging Player of the Year.

Indian Premier Tennis League (IPTL) 2015

OUE Singapore Slammers won Indian Premier Tennis League (IPTL) after defeating Micromax Indian Aces. Ivan Dodig and Belinda Bencic awarded with Most Valuable Player in men’s and women’s category respectively.The Micromax Indian Aces, with 8 eight wins out of 11 this season, and the OUE Singapore Slammers, last on the league table in first edition, but finishing a strong second this season, played out some exciting tennis as thousands of tennis fans cheered on. Ultimately, it was the home heroes, the OUE Singapore Slammers that came up tops 26-21 to win the coveted IPTL Championship Trophy and prize money of USD 1 million; the Micromax Indian Aces getting USD 500,000 as runners-up.

Garwood Award for Outstanding Global Leader

President Pranab Mukherjee has been awarded 2015 Garwood Award for Outstanding Global Leader in Open Innovation from UC Berkeley-Haas School of Business. The award was presented by Prof. Solomon Darwin, Executive Director Garwood Center for Corporate Innovation at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The University of California, Berkeley is one of the most prestigious educational institutes in the world. It has established Garwood Award to acknowledge individuals who have embraced, supported and encouraged open innovation in a significant and impactful way.  

Indian Super Football League

Chennaiyin FC stunned FC Goa 3-2 to emerge winners in the second edition in Fatorda.It was a shocking end to the match where Goa seemed to have done enough to steal the winner.Chennaiyin FC celebrated their win in front of a near empty stadium.John Stiven Mendoza Valencia awarded with Golden Boot Award and Hero of the League Award also while Apoula Edima Edel Bete awarded with Golden Glove Award.

FIFA Club World Cup

Barcelona FC won FIFA Club World Cup for 3rd time success against River Plate FC in the FIFA Club World Cup 2015 Final.This will be the third time the Catalan club will display th e badge, which recognises them as the World Champion in their competition. FC Barcelona will take over the honour from La Liga rivals Real Madrid, who were presented with the FIFA World Champions Badge after their victory in Morocco in 2014.

The competition was first contested as the 2000 FIFA Club World Championship. It was not held between 2001 and 2004 due to a combination of factors, most importantly the collapse of FIFA's marketing partner International Sport and Leisure. Since 2005, the competition has been held every year, and has been hosted by Brazil, Japan, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco.

18th December

International Migrants Day is an international day observed on 18 December as International Migrants Day appointed by the General Assembly of United Nations on 4 December 2000 taking into account the large and increasing number of migrants in the world. On 18 December 1990, the General Assembly adopted the international convention on the protection of the rights of migrant workers and members of their families.

Chief Guest of 67th Republic Day Parade

French President Francois Hollande will be the Chief Guest at the Republic Day celebrations next month and his visit is expected to further strengthen the robust strategic partnership between the two countries, as announced by Union Ministry of External Affairs.France was the first country with which India established a Strategic Partnership in 1998 after New Delhi did nuclear tests. The two countries have close cooperation in defence, space, civil-nuclear and security issues along with strong trade and investment and cultural ties.France is also the first country with which India entered into a civil nuclear energy cooperation in 2008 after obtaining the NSG waiver.

RTI Act

According to the decision of Supreme Court of India RBI should take rigid action against those banks and financial institutions which have been indulging in "disreputable business practices" and said it cannot withhold information on defaulters and other issues covered under the RTI Act. It is the responsibility of the RBI to take rigid action against those banks which have been practicing disreputable business practices a bench comprising Justices M Y Eqbal and C Nagappan.RBI liable to disclose information about the banks under the Right to Information (RTI) Act,according to decision of RBI.RBI liable to disclose information under denying informations about the banks and financial institutions for their action against the loan defaulters including industrialists under the RTI Act.

BWF World Junior Badminton Championship

Young Indian shuttler Siril Verma clinched a silver medal at the BWF World Junior Championships after suffering a narrow defeat against Chinese Taipei's Chia Hung Lu. Siril could not cross the final hurdle as his fight ended with a 21-17, 10-21, 7-21 loss to Chia in a 50-minute battle at the Centro de Alto Rendimiento (CAR).

Shaheen-IA

Pakistan successfully test fired nuclear capable ballistic missile ‘Shaheen-IA’ having range of about 900 km. ‘Shaheen-IA’ also known as ‘Falcon’. Shaheen-I is a land-based supersonic and short-to-intermediate range surface-to-surface guided ballistic missile jointly designed and developed by the joint venture of NESCOM and the National Defence Complex (NDC).It is dedicated and named after a species of Falcon found in the mountains of Pakistan. The Shaheen I is also designated Hatf IV. Both the Shaheen I and Shaheen IA are Pakistan's equivalent to the United States Pershing 1 and Pershing 1a missiles.

6 satellites of Singapore into Space

 

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched 6 satellites of Singapore into Space. The satellites were launched using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C29 from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) at Sriharikotta in Andhra Pradesh.ISRO has put into orbits 57 foreign satellites belonging to 20 countries successfully. Significantly, the list of countries includes scientifically advacned countries like the USA, the UK, France and Germany among others.The national space agency also tested the fourth stage of its PSLV rocket. ISRO’s PSLV C-29 rocket lifted off from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre here and in about 21 minutes, it placed all six Singapore satellites in the intended orbit before it commenced its ‘coasting’ to prepare for the test.And some 50 minutes later, ISRO scientists at the Mission Control Centre here fired the fourth stage of the rocket for a few seconds as a test.

1st State to submit smart city plan

Rajasthan has become the first state to submit Smart City plan to the Urban Development Ministry. Manjit Singh, Principal Secretary (urban development) of Rajasthan submitted Smart City proposals of three cities - Udaipur, Kota and Ajmer to UD Additional Secretary Samir Sharma at Nirman Bhawan here today.

59th National Shooting Championship

Apurvi Chandela from Rajasthan has won a Gold medal in the 59th National Shooting Championship in Delhi.She won the gold medal in 10-metre Air Rifle event in women’s category by shooting 207.8 score in the finals. She was followed by Geetakshi Dixit (Rajasthan) at second spot and Anjum Moudgil (Haryana) at third spot.

other Winners

Men’s 50-metre Rifle 3 Positions event: Chain Singh (Indian Army) won the gold medal. Gagan Narang (Air India) won the Silver medal.

Junior men’s 25m sports pistol: Achal Pratap Singh Grewal (Gold), Gurmeet Singh (Silver), Aadeithya Johal (Bronze).

Junior women’s 10m air rifle: Geetakshi Dixit (Gold), Prachi Pramod Gadkari (Silver) and Nupur Hagawane Patil (Bronze).

Youth: Nupur Hagawane Patil (Gold), Ayushi Podder (Silver) and Manini Kaushik (Bronze).

BWF World Superseries Finals

Japanese shuttlers Kento Momota and Nozomi Okuhara won Men's singles and Women’s singles title respectively at the BWF World Superseries finals held at the Hamdan Sports Complex, Dubai.

Kento Momota was the first Japanese player to win a medal in BWF World Championships 2015 held in Jakarta.Nozomi Okuhara in 2011,became the youngest women's singles champion ever at the Japanese National Badminton Championships. In 2012, she won her first Grand Prix title at the 2012 Canada Open Grand Prix. 

59th National shooting championship

Olympic medallist Vijay Kumar of Indian Army has won gold medal at the 59th National Shooting Championship held in New Delhi.He won the gold medal in the men’s 25-metre centre fire pistol category.To win the gold, Vijay Kumar scored 588 points to pip Gurpreet Singh by two points. Vijay Kumar won the silver medal in the 25m rapid fire pistol event in 2012 Olympics held in London.

World No. 4 Cyclist

Indian cyclist Deborah Herold on 11 December 2015 became the first Indian female cyclist to be ranked fourth in the World Elite Women Ranking for the 500m time trial event. The ranking was issued by cycling world body International Cycling Union (UCI).The Indian team also improved its world ranking to 13th. India is the highest ranking Asian country in 500m time trial. China fetched the 15th spot in the ranking. Deborah became the first ever Indian to win five medals at the Taiwan Cup Track International Classic, including a gold, three silver and a bronze. In November 2014, the Indian cyclist had won four gold medals at the Track Asia Cup Cycling Championship 2014.

59th National Shooting Championships

Kerala’s Elizabeth Susan Koshy on 11 December 2015 won the Women's 50m Rifle 3 Positions Gold at the 59th National Shooting Championships held at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting range in New Delhi. Haryana’s Anjum Moudgil won the silver medal and Gaayathri N of Tamil Nadu fetched the bronze in the championship.She won silver in the Asian Shooting Championships and represented India in the 2013 and 2014 World Cups. She won gold in the 2015 National Games women's 50m Rifle Prone event, the first for Kerala.

Padma Vibhushan award

Legendary actor Dilip Kumar was today presented the Padma Vibhushan by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh at the thespian’s residence in suburban Bandra.Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, were among other dignitaries present at the actor’s home when he received the award.The announcement to honour Bollywood veterans Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan and a few others with the prestigious Padma Vibhushan award was made by the government on the eve of Republic Day on January 25, 2015.

About Award

The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is announced on the occasion of Republic Day of India every year.

Queen's Young Leaders award winners

Two Indians have won the Queen's Young Leaders award in the UK for their exceptional work in transforming the lives of others and making a lasting difference in their communities. Kartik Sawhney, 21, and Neha Swain, 28 from India are among 60 others who won the Queen's Young Leaders award 2016 which will be presented by the British monarch at a gala ceremony in Buckingham Palace.



        About Queen's Young Leaders award:
Queen's Young Leader Award is an annual award given in recognition of leadership skills by young persons between the ages of 18 and 29. The award is open to selected Commonwealth of Nations to recognize exceptional people or organizations who are making a difference in improving other citizen's lives. The program was established by the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust, in partnership with Comic Relief and the Royal Commonwealth Society.

Human Rights Day

                         

Human Rights Day is celebrated across the world on 10 December.Human Rights Day observed under the theme ‘Our Righs. Our Freedoms. Always'Date was chosen to honour the United Nations General Assembly's adoption and proclamation, on 10 December 1948, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the first global enunciation of human rights and one of the first major achievements of the new United Nations. The formal establishment of Human Rights Day occurred at the 317th Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly on 4 December 1950.

International Anti-Corruption Day

International Anti-Corruption Day is being observed on December 09 under the auspices of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to raise awareness about corruption across the world. Corruption is a serious offense that can undermine social and economic development in society. Theme of the day is "Break the Corruption Chain". International Anti-Corruption Day to raise awareness against corruption and for the role of the convention in combating and preventing it. 

Uttar Pradesh Ratna Award 2015

Indian-American entrepreneur and philanthropist Frank Islam  will be conferred with Uttar Pradesh Ratna Award to recognise his achievements and outstanding contributions in a foreign country.Frank Islam will be honoured by UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav at the inaugural UP Pravasi Diwas in Agra.He was also awarded with ‘Martin Luther King Jr. Award’ in 2015. 

       About UP Ratna Award

The award is conferred by the Uttar Pradesh Government on the NRI who hails from state.  It is bestowed on NRI for making significant contribution to the field of science, technology, medicine, culture, education, public service and commerce in foreign countries.  The award carries shawl, citation certificate and memento.

Female Badminton Player of the Year award

World number one women shuttler Carolina Marin from Spain has won the 2015 Female Badminton Player of the Year award.Carolina Marín is currently ranked No. 1 in the world by Badminton World Federation Women’s Singles 2015 rankings. She has won in World Championships in women’s single category two times in 2014 and 2015 respectively. She also has won five World Superseries titles.

Other winners:
Male Player of the Year award: Chen Long (China)
Most Promising Player of the Year: Zheng Si Wei (China)
Male Para-Badminton Player of the Year award: Lee Sam Seop (South Korea).
Female Para-Badminton Player of the Year award: Helle Sofie Sagoy (Norway).

TIME Person of the Year

Time magazine has named German Chancellor Angela Merkel its “Person of the Year” for 2015.Merkel recently observed the 10th anniversary of being leader of Europe’s largest economy.She was named for her role in Europe’s crises over migration and Greek debt as she had provided steadfast moral leadership in a world where it is in short supply.Angela Merkel (full name- Angela Dorothea Kasner) was born on 17 July 1954 in Hamburg, West Germany.She is trained as a physicist and had entered politics after the 1989 fall of the Berlin WallIn 2005 national elections, Merkel became Germany’s first female chancellor, and one of the leading figures of the European Union.

First international film festival for the persons with disabilities (IFFPD)

First international film festival for the persons with disabilities (IFFPD) will be held in New Delhi. The festival will be organized to recognise the spirit of the persons with disabilities. The film festival would be organized by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment along-with National Films Development Corporation (NFDC).

World Soil Day

                             
World Soil Day(WSD) celebrated on 5th of december 2015 at FAO headquarters in Rome and FAO regional offices.Soils have been neglected for too long. We fail to connect soil with our food, water, climate, biodiversity and life. We must invert this tendency and take up some preserving and restoring actions. The World Soil Day campaign aims to connect people with soils and raise awareness on their critical importance in our lives.The International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS), in 2002, made 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. In December 2013, the 68th UN General Assembly declared 5th of December as the World Soil Day.

Yonex Indonesian Masters BWF Grand Prix Gold tournament

                          

Tommy Sugiarto of Indonesia won Yonex Indonesian Masters BWF Grand Prix Gold tournament on 06th December 2015 after defeating Kidambi Srikant of India.Indian ace Kidambi Srikanth’s gallant fight ended with a narrow three-game loss against home favourite Tommy Sugiarto in the men’s singles finals of the $120,000 Indonesian Masters Grand Prix Gold badminton tournament in Malang on Sunday.The World No. 9 Indian, who won the Swiss Open and India Super Series early in the season, had come into the match with a 1-2 win-loss record against Sugiarto.

Transformative Carbon Asset Facility

The World Bank has launched a $500 million dollars Transformative Carbon Asset Facility (TCAF) to help developing countries pay for emission reductions and combat climate change.The scheme will reward countries for reducing emissions by paying a fee for each tonne of carbon dioxide (CO2) reduced. The facility will help countries implement their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs).Of the total 500 million dollars, Germany, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland have jointly pledged an initial 250 million dollars investment. The scheme would support renewable energy, energy efficiency and waste management projects as well to cut emissions in cities and from the transport sector.

Men’s Hockey World League Final

Australia has won the 2014-15 Men’s Hockey World League Final by defeating Belgium.Belgium’s national men’s hockey team, the Red Lions have been beaten 2-1 by Australia in the final of the Hockey World League in the Indian city of Raipur. A late goal by Simon Gougnard in the final minute of the match wasn’t enough to prevent the Australians winning the final.India was placed at third place in this league after defeating world number two and defending champions Netherlands by 3-2 goals in the                                                                                                 penalty shoot-out.

First consignment of Uranium to India

Canada has successfully sent the first consignment of 250 tonnes of uranium to India as part of bilateral civil nuclear cooperation between both countries.The India-Canada civil nuclear contract was signed in line with the Canada-India Nuclear Cooperation Agreement that took effect in 2013. The agreement was signed after the Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG) had granted its waiver for use of atomic power for civilian purposes in 2008 ending India’s 3 decade long isolation from international nuclear trade.Canada had completely banned exports of uranium and nuclear hardware to India after it had conducted first nuclear test on 18 May 1974. It was alleged that India had used Canadian technology to develop a nuclear bomb for this test.

commemorative coins on Dr B R Ambedkar

                            

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today released two commemorative coins, as part of the 125th birth anniversary year celebrations of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. The coins, which are of "ten-rupee" and "one hundred and twenty-five rupee" denomination, were issued on the Mahaparinirvan Divas of Babasaheb Ambedkar.In July 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had chaired the first meeting of the National Committee on Nationwide Celebration of 125th Birth Anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. In September 2015, Union Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had released a commemorative postal stamp on Dr. Ambedkar.

International Volunteer Day

The International Volunteer Day (IVD) was on 5 December 2015 observed across the world with the theme The world is changing.This year's theme challenges everyone to be a part of implementing the newly launched Global Goals, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Through volunteerism the person can impact the sustainable development agenda by mobilizing and engaging governments and communities.The day is viewed as a unique chance for volunteers and organizations to celebrate their efforts, to share their values and to promote their work among their communities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), United Nations agencies, government authorities and the private sector.The day also pays special tribute to volunteers working to implement the new global goals. The International Volunteer Day (IVD) was established by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly through its Resolution 40/212 on 17 December 1985.

Navy Day

44th Navy Day was observed on 4 December 2015. On this occasion, Chief of Naval staff Robin K Dhowan along with Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha and Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag paid tributes to martyrs at the Amar Jawan Jyoti in New Delhi. President Pranab Mukherjee extended his greetings and felicitations to all members of the Indian Navy and their families on this occasion. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also extended his greetings to Indian Navy personnel and saluted their impregnable spirit and utmost devotion with which they protect our Motherland. 

First International festival on Birds

                              

Uttar Pradesh Government has launched International festival on Birds in a bid to promote state as an international bird-watching destination. The first-of-its-kind festival was inaugurated by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav at the National Chambal Sanctuary (NCS). It has been jointly organised by the State Forest department in collaboration with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI). The three-day international festival (from 4 to 6 December 2015) on birds will be held the National Chambal Sanctuary (NCS) in Agra.

First State to launch Rotavirus vaccination project

Himachal Pradesh has become the first state in the country to start Rotavirus vaccination project under the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP). The project was launched by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh from Dharamsala in district Kangra by administering the Rotavirus vaccine drops to the children aged less than 5 years.The vaccine will help in controlling the deaths amongst small children due to diarrhea

5th bi-monthly monetary policy review

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its fifth bi-monthly monetary policy review has maintained status quo in key policy interest rate. The key policy interest rates were kept unchanged on the basis of an assessment of the current and evolving macroeconomic situation in the country.

Repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF): unchanged at 6.75 per cent.

Reverse repo rate under the LAF: unchanged at 5.75 per cent

Marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate has unchanged at 7.75 per cent.

Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) of scheduled banks: Unchanged at 4.0 per cent of net demand and time liability (NDTL).

International Day of Persons with Disabilities

December 3 is annually observed as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Global observance day of this day was declared in 1992 in order to promote understanding of issues faced by disabled persons and garner support for their rights and holistic well-being.On this occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 'Accessible India Campaign' in New Delhi.This campaign aims to highlight the need for creating a barrier-free environment so that PwDs can easily access government buildings and public transportation, airports and railway stations, information and technology, with greater ease.

International Day for the Abolition of Slavery

The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery was observed on December 2, 2015. As per the International Labour Organisation (ILO), there are an estimated 21 million forced labour victims worldwide, annually creating $150 billion in illegal profits in the private economy.ILO has adopted a new legally-binding protocol to eliminate forced labour, which will be implemented in November 2016. The '50 for Freedom' campaign has been initiated to persuade at least 50 countries to ratify the Forced Labour Protocol by 2018.

Lifetime Achievement award at the 6th Asian Business Leadership Forum

The Hinduja Brothers have been honoured with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award for their influential leadership in business sector.It was awarded to G P Hinduja, co-chairman of the Hinduja Group of Companies.

1st BRICS media summit

                             

China has taken the initiative for creating an alternative media platform for the emerging economies by hosting the first media summit of countries belonging to the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) grouping.25 media organisations participated in the 2 day summit which aimed to create a new institutional framework to benefit the media of five emerging economies of BRICS grouping.In the first summit, leaders of 25 Media organisations from the 5 BRICS countries pitched for building consensus to deal with climate change, terrorism,and other key global issues.

Biggest state economy

Maharashtra is the biggest economy among the states in India as latest report published by credit rating agency Brickwork Ratings.

Fastest-growing states: Bihar (17.06%), Madhya Pradesh (16.86%) and Goa (16.43%).

Slowest-growing states: Telangana (5.3%), Punjab (10.16%), Rajasthan (11%).

Brickwork Ratings report is based on multi-state research analysis of finances of all the states. It looks into state government’s willingness and ability to honour debt obligations along with analysis of political, economic, financial, budgetary and institutional parameters.

Elite Reserve Currency

International Monetary Fund (IMF) included China's Yuan into its elite reserve currency basket.Yuan also known as the Chinese Renminbi (RMB) was included in the basket after it met the existing criteria for its inclusion. The action was taken after the executive board at IMF completed the regular five-yearly review of the basket of currencies that make up the Special Drawing Right (SDR).Yuan will be a freely usable currency and will be included in the SDR basket as a fifth currency, along with the US Dollar, Euro, Japanese Yen and British Pound.

PRESIDENT OF ASIAN TENNIS FEDERATION

Anil Khanna who is presently the president of All India Tennis Federation was re-elected as the President of Asian Tennis Federation.

 He was elected for four years in the Annual General Meeting held in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Global ICT Development Index : MISR Report 2015

 India has been ranked 131 out of 167 nations on a global index that measures the level of information and communication technology access, even as the number of households with Internet and computer has increased in the country over the last five years.It was revealed in UN International Telecommunications Union’s (ITU) flagship annual Measuring the Information Society (MISR) Report. The ITU's information and communication technology (ICT) Development Index (IDI) improved their IDI values between 2010 and 2015 - meaning that levels of ICT access, use and skills continue to improve all around the world.

chief mentor of Mumbai Indians resigns

Former Indian Test Captain and ace spinner Anil Kumble has resigned as the Chief Mentor of Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Mumbai Indians with an immediate effect.Kumble picked out the team's title winning run at the IPL and Champions League in 2013 as the team's biggest achievement. Mumbai also went on win their second IPL title in 2015, when they beat Chennai Super Kings in Kolkata.The Reliance Group which owns Mumbai Indians had earlier this month appointed Sundar Raman, the former chief operating officer of the IPL, as their chief executive for their sporting operations.

India's best private bank

ICICI Bank, was recently named India's best private sector bank by the Global Finance magazine.At the global level it is JP Morgan Private Banking which has been nominated as the best private bank.In the Asia Pacific region DBS Private Bank takes the top spot.