Current Affairs Study PDF - December 2016 by AffairsCloud

Current Affairs December 2016
PDF Capsule
Current Affairs PDF: December 2016
Contents
Current Affairs for Competitive Exam
INDIAN AFFAIRS............................................................................................................................................. 3
PLACES IN NEWS.......................................................................................................................................... 34
FOREIGN VISITS ........................................................................................................................................... 42
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS ....................................................................................................................... 46
SUMMITS & CONFERENCES ..................................................................................................................... 55
RANKING & REPORTS ................................................................................................................................ 61
BANKING & FINANCE ................................................................................................................................. 68
BUSINESS ........................................................................................................................................................ 89
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS ..................................................................................................................... 97
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS .................................................................................................................. 107
ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS .................................................................................................................. 117
MoUs ............................................................................................................................................................... 118
SCHEMES ...................................................................................................................................................... 123
COMMITTEE ................................................................................................................................................ 127
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY ..................................................................................................................... 129
DEFENCE ...................................................................................................................................................... 140
ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................................................................................... 144
SPORTS .......................................................................................................................................................... 147
OBITUARY .................................................................................................................................................... 157
BOOKS & AUTHORS .................................................................................................................................. 162
IMPORTANT DAYS ..................................................................................................................................... 164
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INDIAN AFFAIRS
Cabinet approves Indias negotiating position adopted at Kigali conference to Montreal
Protocol
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the negotiating
position adopted by the Government of India at the 28th Meeting of Parties(MoP) to the Montreal
Protocol of the Vienna Convention for Protection of Ozone Layer that took place during 6-14
October, 2016, in Kigali, Rwanda.
The negotiations at Kigali were aimed at including Hydrofluoro Carbons (HFCs) in the
list of chemicals under the Montreal Protocol to regulate their production and consumption
and phase them down over a period of time with financial assistance from the Multilateral
Fund created under the Montreal Protocol.
Cabinet approves rehabilitation package for displaced families from PoKJ, Chhamb
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has approved a Central
Assistance of Rs. 2000 crore for 36,384 displaced families from Pakistan occupied areas of
Jammu & Kashmir (POJK) and Chhamb based on an announcement of Prime Ministers
Development Package for Jammu & Kashmir-2015 in November, 2015.
As per the package, Rs. 5.5 lakh cash benefit per family will be disbursed to the
displaced families to enable them to earn an income and live their livelihood. The amount
will be released to the State Government of J&K to be disbursed to eligible families
through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
Union Cabinet approves rationalisation of visa regime

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on November 30, 2016, approved
the liberalisation, simplification and rationalisation of the countrys visa regime to stimulate
economic growth and ease travel for foreigners.
The Cabinet also approved incremental changes in the visa policy decided by the Ministry
of Home Affairs in consultation with various stakeholders and with the approval of the
Home Minister.
Union Cabinet approves inclusion of 15 new castes in Central OBC list

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 30, 2016,
approved inclusion of 15 new castes and modification in 13 other castes in the Central list
of Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
The National Commission of Backward Classes (NCBC) had recommended a total

of 28 changes in respect of 8 states Assam, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand,
Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Uttarakhand.
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Out of these 28, 15 were new entries, 9 were synonyms or sub-castes of the castes which
were already in the list and 4 were corrections.
UP Government Flags off Trial Run of Lucknow Metro Service

i. The opening ceremony of the Uttar Pradesh governments Lucknow Metro Service was held
at Transport Nagar Metro depot, near Amausi airport in Lucknow, on December 1, 2016.
ii. The trial run of the metro was flagged off up to 8.5 km stretch Charbagh station by Chief
Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his father Mulayam Singh Yadav.
iii. Top Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC) officers were closely monitoring the test runs of the
newly-acquired gleaming silver and red-ribbon coaches on the 700-metre track inside its state-ofDelhi HC sets aside Centres ban on 344 drugs
i. The Delhi High Court on December 1, 2016 agreed with pharmaceutical companies to set aside
the ban on 344 fixed dose combination (FDC) drugs like Corex cough syrup, Vicks Action 500
extra and DCold.
ii. The FDC is banned under Section 26A (Power to Prohibit Manufacture of Drugs and
Cosmetics in Public Interest) of Drugs and Cosmetics Act,
Union HRD Ministry Launched Vittiya Saksharata Abhiyan for Cashless Economy.
Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Shri Prakash Javadekar launched a
campaignVittiya Saksharata Abhiyan (VISAKA) in New Delhi on December 1, 2016
The Campagin was launched through a Video Conference with all Higher Education
Institutions at National Informatics Centre (NIC) to make people aware about the cashless
economic system.
Highlights of Conference
i. Union Minister appealed to the faculty and students to come forward and join Vittiya
Saksharata Abhiyan to encourage, create awareness and motivate all people around them to use
a digitally enabled cashless economic system for transfer of fund. He called upon young students to
educate at home and in their surroundings to create digital financial literacy.
ii. HRD Minister launched a webpage where students can register themselves, give continuous
feedback and suggestions on the initiative as well as upload the progress of their work.
Indian Railway give green light to go cashless
i. Indian Railways has taken steps to make railway travel bookings digital and asked the State
Bank of India and ICICI Bank among others to provide around 15,000 point of sale (PoS)
machines at reservation counters.
ii. About a thousand of these machines is supposed to be made available by Dec 31. Currently, the
Railways do not provide POS service for debit and credit card payments at its ticket counters.
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Supreme Court Sanctions Centres Graded Response Action Plan to Tackle Pollution
i. The Supreme Court on December 2, 2016, given its approval to the Centres Graded
Response Action Plan to tackle different levels of pollution in Delhi-NCR.
ii. A bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justice A K Sikri & Justice S A Bobde has
also directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to upgrade its existing infrastructure
and set up additional monitoring stations in Delhi-NCR within six months.
iii. The action plan proposes common pollution code for Delhi. The code categorises the severity
of the pollutants present in the air into four categories depending upon the level of pollutants in
air: Moderate To Poor, Very Poor, Severe, Emergency
Shri Dharmendra Pradhan Launched Campaign to Promote Cashless Transaction
i. Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas Shri Dharmendra Pradhan on December 3, 2016,
launched the Customer Awareness Campaigns at Auto Care Centre, a flagship HPCL Retail
Outlet at Niti Marg, New Delhi and also at BPCL Outlet at Moti Bagh, New Delhi to promote digital
transactions.
ii. The Customer Awareness Campaign focuses at spreading digital awareness and facilitating the
common man to use Cashless payment options during day to day transactions instead of cash.
Finance Ministry Mandates All Government Departments to Make Electronic Payments
above Rs 5000
i. The Finance Ministry made it mandatory on December 5, 2016 for all Government
Departments to make Electronic Payments to suppliers, contractors or institutions if the order
value exceeds Rs 5,000, to give a boost to Digital Payment System.
ii. To attain the goal of complete digitization of government payments, the ministry has lowered the
amount for making such payments from Rs 10,000 to Rs 5,000..
NITI Aayog to Provide Rs. 5 Lakh to each district to Promote Digital Payment
i. To encourage each district in the country to encourage digital payments for day to day financial
transactions without fear, the NITI Aayog has taken an initiative to transfer Rs.5 lakh to
each district to implement the move.
ii. Aim: to give a boost to cashless digital payment systems across districts, talukas and
panchayats.
iii. The central government has taken number of measures such as incentives for digital
payments for day to day financial transactions like buying or selling goods/services, and
transferring money to promote the transition to the cashless digital payment systems.
Haryana CM approves implementation of Rs. 50-crore National Hydrology Project
i. Chief Minister of Haryana Manohar Lal Khattar has given administrative approval for
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implementation of the Rs 50-crore National Hydrology Project to be set up in the state
with 100 per cent assistance from the Centre.
ii. The project aimed at improving the extent, quality and accessibility of information about water
resources, and strengthening the capacity of water resource management institutions in the
country.
Haryana Government Announces Ban on Carrying Arms At Wedding Function
i. The Haryana government made an official announcement on December 5, 2016 to ban carrying
of arms at wedding functions.
ii. The ban was announced after several incidents of celebratory firing were reported, including the
death of an orchestra dancer in Bhatinda.
iii. The ban was imposed under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code and as per an
official release firing in the air is also an offence, which is punishable by six months
imprisonment.
Railway Ministry Mandates Aadhaar-based ticketing system for senior citizensfrom April
1
i. Railway Ministry has come up with a decison to implement Aadhaar-based ticketing system
for senior citizens.The programme will be implemented in a two-phased manner.
ii. Phase 1: From January 1 to March 31, 2017, requirement of Aadhaar verification for getting
concessional tickets for senior citizens will be on a voluntary basis.
iii. Phase 2: From April 1, 2017, reservation of rail tickets for senior citizens will be directly linked
to Aadhaar or Unique Identification (UID) cards on a mandatory basis for availing concessions at
both counter and e-tickets.
Horse racing not cruelty, but tonga races on metal roads are: SC
i. The Supreme Court has ruled that horse racing as such is not animal cruelty.A Bench of
Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud, issued a notice to the Rajasthan government
on a petition challenging a High Court order banning Tonga Races in the State, observing
that Horse racing as such is not cruelty, but tonga races on metal roads are.
ii. Supreme Court judgment clearly differentiated bulls as bovine animals which are unfit for
running, while horses as solid-hoofed quadruped, domesticated for riding.
Chandrababu Naidu Launched AP Purse Mobile App in Vijayawada
i. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu launched AP Purse mobile app in
Vijayawada on December 6, 2016.
Aim: To promote digital transaction among people.
ii. The application has 13 mobile banking and 10 mobile wallet options. The application can be
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used to pay bills and carry out cashless transactions.
iii. Government has also decided to introduce agents named Marpu Nestam to impart training to
people to improve digital financial literacy. These agents will be provided with incentives for
imparting training.
Union Cabinet approved Development of Pune Metro Rail Project Phase 1
The Cabinet Committee headed by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on December 7, 2016,
gave the approval for the development of the Phase-I of the Rs 11,420 crore Pune metro rail
project.
The project will cover a length of 31.254 km and consist of two corridors.
Corridor-1: It will cover a length of 16.589 km of which h11.57 km elevated and 5.019
km underground and connect Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation to Swargate.
Corriodor-2: It will cover a length of 14.665 km which will be completely elevated and
connect Vanaz to Ramwadi.
Union Cabinet approved Reforms to boost employment generation and exports in Madeups Sector
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on December 7, 2016 gave the
approval to the reforms to boost employment generation and exports in the Made-ups
Sector.
Aim: To improve competitiveness and generate large scale dirct and indirect jobs in
the textile sector through labour reforms employing upto 11 lakh persons over the next three years
in the made-ups sector.
Important Approvals Made
The government approved provision of additional subsidyof 10 per cent to be given for
made-up garments through the Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS).
The Pradhan Mantri Paridhan Rozgar Protsahan Yojana (PMPRPY) scheme has been
extended in the made-ups sector that will require additional 3.67 per cent share of
employers contribution along with earlier 8.33 per cent of the employers contribution for
the first three years to every employee.
Training on Election Management for SAARC Nations Organized at IIIDEM

i. A training program has been organized by Election Commission of India on Election
Management of SAARC Countries, at the India International Institute of Democracy and
Election Management (IIIDEM) under the sponsorship of Union Ministry of External Affairs,
Government of India.
ii. Aim: to conduct free, fair, peaceful and inclusive elections in the country.
iii. The training program started on December 5, 2016 and will continue till December 15, 2016.
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iv. The training program is being attended by 28 delegates of Election Management Bodies (EMBs)
from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives, Bhutan and Afghanistan.
Triple Talaq is unconstitutional and no personal law board is above the Constitution:
Allahabad High Court
i. The Allahabad high court on December 7, 2016, passed an order, over the Islamic practice of
divorcing a woman by saying the word talaq three successive times, that it is completely
unconstitutional and violates the rights of Muslim Women.
ii. The High Court Judge, Justice Suneet Kumar gave the judgment while hearing a petition filed
by a woman who claimed that her husband divorced her without mutual consent.
Haritha Keralam Mission launched by Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan
i. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on launched Haritha Keralam Mission
in Thiruvananthapuram on December 8, 2016.
ii. Aim: To clear and remove waste from all the water bodies in the state, ensure disposal of solid
waste and removal of waste water and measures to increase the area of land under cultivation
iii. Renowned singer KJ Yesudas and actor Manju Warrier are brand ambassadors of this
proeject
Lifeline Express gets two new Coaches cancer, family health services
i. The Lifeline Express, worlds first hospital train was equipped with two new coaches in
addition to the existing five on December 8, 2016.
ii. The new coaches were inaugurated by the Union health minister JP Nadda and railways
minister Suresh Prabhu.
iii. One coach will be used for detecting and controlling oral, breast and cervical cancer while other
will be used for preventing stroked and providing family health services.
iv. With the installment of the new coaches, Lifeline Express will start its operation at Satna in
Madhya Pradesh from December 15, 2016 to January 5, 2017.
Minister of Railways Launched Website of National Rail Plan, 2030
i. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu launched a website of National Rail Plan, 2030
(NRP-2030) on December 8, 2016 Rail Bhawan, New Delhi.
ii. Aim: to develop the Indian Railways in terms of service in travelling and freight across the
country.
iii. The website is available for access at http://www.nationalrailplan.in.
iv. Ministry of Railways have decided to develop National Rail Plan (NRP 2030) to have a concrete
strategic planning for Railway, in consultation with all the stakeholders including State
Governments, public representatives and other relevant Central Ministries.
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Govt announces several incentives on payments through digital modes
To promote digital transaction in the country, Union Government announced various incentives on
December 8, 2016, in New Delhi which will be effective from January 1, 2017.
The incentives which was announced by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley were related
mostly with the services provided by the Central public sector undertakings and the
Railways.
Aim: to lower cash transactions in the economy and promote digital economy.
Following 11 incentive measures were announced by the Finance Minister

Consumers who will make digital payment at the petrol pumps would be given a discount of 0.75
% on petrol and diesel by the petroleum companies.
A discount of 0.5 percent will be given to them who will buy monthly seasonal tickets in
the Suburban railway networks through digital payment mode. This will be effective
from January 1, 2016 and will start with the Mumbai suburban railways.
Booking Railway Ticket through online mode will enable the passenger to get free
accident insurance cover of Rs. 10 lakh.
Digital payment for railways catering, accommodation and retiring room will also
attract 5 percent discount.
Online purchase of new insurance policy of PSUs will deliver 10 percent discount on
General Insurance and 8 percent discount on life Insurance policies.
A discount of 10 per cent will be given to users who pay toll at Toll Plazas on National
Highways using RFID card and Fast Tags.
Government will expand digital payment infrastructure in rural areas through NABARD
that will extend financial support to eligible banks to install two Point of Sale (PoS)
machine in each of the 1 Lakh villages with population of less than 10,000.
The Government through NABARD will also support Rural Regional Banks and Cooperative
Banks to issue Rupay Kisan Cards to over 4 crore 32 lakh Kisan Credit Card
holders to enable them to make digital transactions at POS machines and ATMs.
Public sector banks are advised that merchant should not be required to pay more
than 100 rupees per month as monthly rental for PoS terminals, Micro ATMs and mobile
POS.
Public dealings with (central) government departments and PSUs through digital mode
will be free of transaction fees and Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) charges.
Credit and Debit card transactions worth up to Rs 2,000 will be exempt from any
service tax.
Uttarakhnad High Court to Ban Liquor in State from next Fiscal Year
i. Uttarakhand High Court on December 8, 2016 directed the State Government to impose
complete ban on liquor in three districts namely, Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, where
Chardham is located, from next financial year.
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ii. Aim: to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living in the society
iii. A bench of Judges, Justice Rajiv Sharma and Justice Alok Singh gave these orders after a
petion was signed against a bar which was operating without licence in Haridwar district.
Gita Jayanti Express Train inaugurated at Kurukshetra Railway Station
i. Union Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal
Khattar flagged off a special train, Gita Jayanti train from Kurukshetra Railway Station as a
part of Gita Mahotsav which is being held in the state.
ii. The is scheduled to run five days in week except Saturday and Sunday between Kurukshetra and
Mathura.
iii. Kurukshetra-Mathura Express Train would depart Mathura at 6 am and reach Kurukshetra
at 12pm from where it would leave Kurukshetra at 2pm and reach Mathura at 8 pm via Delhi.
FSSAI bans use of newspapers for Packing and Wrapping food items
i. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on December 7, 2016 announced
its decision to ban the use of newspapers for wrapping or packing of food items.
ii. Printing inks used in newspaper contains bioactive materials, harmful colors and other hazardous
items that may affect the health of common people.
iii. FSSAI has directed the commissioners of food safety of all states and Union territories to
take necessary steps regarding the order to restrict the use of newspapers for packing, serving
and storing of food items.
Samata Express renamed to promote brand Vizag Steel
i. The Hazrat Nizamuddin-Visakhapatnam train is renamed as Vizag Steel Samta Express to
promote its brand Vizag Steel which was flagged off at Nizamuddin station by Mr. Prabhu and Mr.
Singh in the presence of RINL Chairman-cum-Managing Director P. Madhusudan.
ii. The Samata Express or Samta Express is a Super Fast Express train plying between
Visakhapatnamand Hazrat Nizamuddin near New Delhi
SC Modifies is National Anthem Order to Exempt Differently Abled
i. The Supreme Court on December 9, 2016, modified its order of November 30to exempt
physically handicapped persons from standing up in cinema halls when the national anthem is
played before film screenings
ii. The SC had on Nov 30 ordered cinema halls to play the anthem on compulsory basis and
directed all present in the hall to stand up to show respect to instill a sense of patriotism and
nationalism.
iii. However, the order passed by a bench comprising of Justices Dipak Misra and Amitava
Roy did not specified any exemption for disabled people.
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Ministry of Electronics and IT Launched Digi Dhan Abhiyan to Promote Cashless
Transaction in Rural India
i. The Ministry of Electronics and IT, lead by Shri Ravishankar Prasad, launched a
campaign, Digi Dhan Abhiyan, on December 9, 2016, to promote awareness about cashless
transactions.
ii. As a part of the campaign, the IT Minister also launched a free to air TV Channel
named DigiShala that will educate the rural people about digital payment by demonstrating the
various payment mode such as UPI, USSD, Aadhar Enabled Payment System, E-Wallets, Card, etc.
iii. The ministry has also launched a new website cashlessindia.gov.in to promote awareness
about digital transactions.
Rajasthan High Court Strucks SBCs 5% quota.
i. The Rajasthan High Court on December 9, 2016, cancelled the Rajasthan Special Backward
Classes (SBC) reservation Act 2015 that allowed for 5% quota to Gujjars and five other
communities of the state.
ii. A division bench of justices M N Bhandari and J K Ranka struck down the notification of
October 2015 saying that it was in violation with the 50% limit set by the Supreme Court.
iii. According to the Act 5% reservation in jobs and educational institutes were given to five
communities namely, Gujjars (Gurjars), Banjara (Baldia, Labana), Gadia-Lohar (Gadolia), Raika
(Rebari, Debasi), Gadaria (Gaadri, Gayari).
First India China Think-Tanks Forum held in New Delhi
i. The First India-China Think-Tanks Forum which started on December 9, 2016, concluded in
New Delhi on December 10, 2016.
ii. The two day forum was jointly organized by the Institute of Chinese Studies, the Indian
Council of World Affairs, and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
iii. The forum was based on the theme Towards a Closer India-China Developmental
Partnership,
iv. Strategic thinkers, economists, academics, and social scientists from both countries participated
in the forum.The second Forum will be held in Beijing in 2017.
India International Science festival -2016 held in New Delhi
i. The 2016 India International Science festival (IISF) was organized at CSIR-National
Physical Laboratory (NPL) Campus in New Delhi from December 7 to December 11, 2016 by the
Department of Biotechnology and Ministry of Science & Technology.
ii. The event was inaugurated by the Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh.The theme of the festival
was Science for the masses.
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Railway Starts Giving Free Accidental Insurance Cover for Booking Railway Ticket Online
i. In order to promote Digital Transaction after demonetization of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 currency
note, the Indian Railways has started to give free accidental insurance coverto the
passengers who booked their tickets through online mode, from December 10, 2016.
ii. The move was implemented after, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced a free accident
insurance cover of Rs 10 lakh for passengers who buy railway tickets online, to promote the
cashless transaction.
iii. Under the scheme, Rs. 10 lakh was given to beneficiary in case of the death of the passenger,
along with Rs 10,000 for transportation of mortal remains.Passenger was entitled to get Rs. 10 lakh
in case he gets permanently disabled, Rs 7.5 lakh in case of partial disability, while Rs 2 lakh for
the hospitalization expense.
Madhya Pradesh CM Launches Five Months Long Narmada Seva Yatra at Amarkantak
i. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched Narmada Seva Yatra at
Amarkantak on December 11, 2016.
ii. The five months long Yatra which will continue till May 11, 2017 aims to turn the Narmada
river pollution free.
iii. The Narmada Sewa Yatra will cover more than 1,900 kilometres in 16 districts and create
awareness about the conservation of the river.
President Pranab Mukherjee Inaugurates Vintage Tapestries and Carpets Museum
i. President Pranab Mukherjee on the occasion of his 81st birthday on December 11, 2016
inaugurated a museum for vintage tapestries and carpets in the Marble Hall of Rashtrapati
Bhavan, New Delhi.
ii. The museum will showcase Zardozi canopiesfrom the early 1900s, red embroidered
canopyprepared for the 1911 Delhi Durbar of King George VI, collection of Buddhist
art, paintings, carvings and miscellaneous gifts presented to different Presidents.
iii. Besides the museum, the President also launched a campaign 100 Million for 100 Million to
protect child rights, release books on Rashtrapati Bhavan: From Raj to Swaraj; Life at
Rashtrapati Bhavan and Indradhanush Volume II.
Uttar Pradesh Government Approves Recommendation of Seventh Pay Commission
i. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav led Uttar Pradesh Cabinet approved the recommendations of
the Seventh Pay Commission on December 13, 2016.The pay hike will be applicable from
January 1, 2017.
Cabinet approves Indias Climate Change Negotiation at COP
The Union Cabinet on December 14, 2016, gave its ex-post facto approval to Indias approach
to Climate Change Negotiations at the Conference of Parties (COP) to the United Nations
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Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), held in Marrakesh, Morocco on
November 7-18, 2016.
The aim of approving the Climate Change Negotiations at the COP is to safeguard the
interest of poor and vulnerable groups of the society in the country.
Growth and development of a country is based on the Greenhouse Gas emissions. Thus
development space for India needs to be preserved of loss and damage, while combating
the ill-effects of the climate change along with addressing the adaptation needs of the
country.
Cabinet Approves Replacing Major Port Trusts Act, 1963 by the Major Port Authorities
Bill, 2016.
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi approved the proposal of
Ministry of Shipping to replace the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963 by the Major Port Authorities
Bill, 2016.
The new Act will empower the Major Ports full autonomy in decision making enabling them to
perform with greater efficiency and modernize the Institutional structure of Major Ports.
The new Major Ports Authority Bill, 2016 would help to impart faster and transparent decision
making that will help in better project execution capability.
The features of new Major Ports Authority Bill
The number of sections in the new Bill has been reduced to 65 from 134 by eliminating
overlapping and obsolete Sections compared to the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963
According to the new Bill, Board of Port Authority will comprise of 11 members from
the present 17 to 19 Members.
Port Authority has been given powers to fix tariff which will act as a reference tariff for
purposes of bidding for PPP projects. The Board of the Port Authority has also been
delegated the power to fix the scale of rates for other port services and assets including
land.
An independent Review Board has been proposed to look into disputes between ports
and PPP concessionaires, to review stressed PPP projects and suggest measures to revive
such projects and to look into complaints regarding services rendered by the ports/private
operators operating within the ports would be constituted.
Rajya Sabha Clears Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014

The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014, which aims at securing and enhancing the
rights and entitlements of disabled persons was passed with amendments in the Rajya Sabha on
December 14, 2016.
The bill will replace the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights
and Full Participation) Act, 1995.
The legislation was drafted on the basis of the recommendations of the Sudha Kaul
Committee, under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the Bill was
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introduced by the Union minister for social justice and empowerment Mallikarjun
Kharge.
Important Features of the Bill
Bill will benefit larger group of disabled people
19 disabilities recognized against previous 7
Allows 5% reservation from earlier 3% - The Bill provides for all the establishments (Public
and Private) to ensure that persons with disabilities are provided with barrier-free access in
buildings, transport systems and all kinds of public infrastructure including hospitals and
polling booths.
According to the Bill, the District courts may provide two types of guardianship for mentally
ill persons.
Legal action for violating the Act
The Bill also includes penalty for violating the rules of the Act which was not present in 1995
Act.
Interim Nationwide Ban Imposed On Manja For Flying Kites By NGT

i. A ban was imposed by the National Green Tribunal on December 14, 2016 on the
procurement, sale and use of glass powder coated manja and other dangerous strings for flying
kites.
ii. The order was passed by the NGT bench, headed by Chairman Justice Swatanter Kumar who
said that the sharp string poses a danger to humans, animals and birds as well as causes harm to
environment.
iii. The ban would apply on the use of nylon, Chinese and cotton manja coated with glassuntil
the next hearing on February 1, 2017. The tribunal also directed Manja Association of India to
submit report to Central Pollution Control Board on harmful effects of kite strings.
Assam Launches Solar battery station & Community development centre
i. Chief Minister of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal, on December 14, 2016, inaugurated a solar
battery station and a community development centre at Bindhakata Tengapukhuri village
in Dibrugarh.
ii. The project implemented by Sri Sri Rural Development Programme (SSRDP) Trust of Art of
Living Foundation in collaboration with Cooper Foundation has installed two solar battery charging
stations of 6 kilowatt capacity, one of the biggest project in Assam.
Centre sanctions Rs 30 crore for 21 states and union territories under the Solar Cities
Development Programme.
i. The Government of India on December 15, 2016, announced that funds worth over Rs 30
crore have been sanctioned for 21 states and union territories under the Solar Cities
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Development Programme.
ii. The funds were sanctioned since last three years till November 30 2016.Power and Renewable
Energy Minister Piyush Goyal announced in Lok Sabha that out of the total sanctioned amount of Rs
30.36 crore, around Rs 12.98 crore have been released.
iii. 60 places have been included in the solar cities programme including Gaya (Bihar), Mysore
(Karnataka), Kochi (Kerala), Pune (Maharashtra), Panaji City (Goa), Howrah (West Bengal), Imphal
(Manipur), Aizawl (Mizoram), Kohima (Nagaland), Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) and Moradabad (Uttar
Pradesh).
Center to Extend e-TV to 161 Countries
i. The Government on December 14, 2016, announced that it has extended the facility of e-Tourist
Visa for citizens of 161 countries.
ii. The number of foreign tourist arrivals on e-Tourist Visa (e-TV) during January to November
2016 was 9,17,446, registering a growth of 168.5 per cent over same period of 2015.
iii. The Government of India has extended the facility of e-Tourist Visa for the citizens of 161
countries including Japan for which facility of Visa on Arrival is also available.
Supreme Court Bans Liquor Shops on National & State Highways
i. The Supreme Court on December 15, 2016, passed an order to ban all liquor
shops on national as well as state highways across the country as a measure to control the road
mishaps that takes place every year.
ii. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice T. S. Thakur and comprising of
Justices D.Y.Chandrachud and L. Nageswara Rao directed that the licenses of exsisting liquor
shops across the highways will not be renewed after March 31, 2017.
Cabinet Approves 100% Disinvestment of Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd
i. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on
December 15, 2016, announced the approval of the recommendation for the disinvestment of 100
percent stake of state-owned helicopter services provider Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd., based in
New Delhi.
ii. CCEA has approved the recommendation for disinvestment of 100 percent shareholding of
Government of India to strategic buyer identified through two-stage auction process in the central
public sector enterprises (CPSEs).
Gujarat Directs Ban on Hookah Bars
i. The Gujarat government on December 15, 2016, approved an order to ban hookah
bars across the state. The decision was taken at a meeting of the State Cabinet chaired by Chief
Minister Vijay Rupani.
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ii .The state Home Minister, Pradipsinh Jadeja informed that the penalty for running the bar
would be imprisonment of 1-3 years and fine between Rs Rs. 20,000 and Rs. 50,000.
Gujarat Approves Making Liquor Law Tougher
i. Gujarat government on December 15, 2016, proposed an order to take more strict action
against bootleggers, tipplers and unscrupulous officials who help criminals in escaping from
situations of raids on liquor dens in the prohibited area.
ii. The ordinance, that seeks to make necessary amendments in the current Gujarat Prohibition
Act, was approved at a Cabinet.
iii. Some of the key provisions include: penalty of 5 Lakh Rupees instead of 3 Lakh Rupees as
under the current Act. along with jail term of upto 10 years for those involved in the purchase,
sale and transportation of liquor.
Suresh Prabhu Flagged off First Humsafar Express from Gorakhpur via Video conference
i. Indian Railways new train, Humsafar Express, was flagged off from Gorakhpur in eastern
Uttar Pradesh by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu via video conferencing in Rail Bhawan, New
Delhi on December 16, 2016.
ii. The first Humsafar Express, with 16 AC III tier coaches and two power cars, would run
between Anand Vihar in Ghaziabad to Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.
Center Plans to Deploy Zila Swachh Bharat Preraks to Boost Swachh Bharat mission
i. In a move to boost Swachh Bharat mission started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
the Central government has planned to deploy around 600 young professionals in each
district of India.
ii. The professionals will be called Zila Swachh Bharat Preraks (ZSBPs). They will be
responsible to provide their technical and management support to the respective districts
collectors among other authorities to implement the goals by coordinating the various sanitationrelated activities in the district.
iii. The ZSBPs would also ensure integration of the youth in the mission to bring in fresh ideas,
energy and enthusiasm to the Mission and hence accelerate the progress of achieving an Open
Defecation Free (ODF) India.
Manipur Chief Minsiter inaugurates two new districts amid Naga protests
i. Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh inaugurated two new
districts Pherzawl and Noney on December 16, 2016.
ii. Pherzawl carved out of Churachandpur district, and Noney from Tamenglong district in
Manipur.Now, the total number of district is 11.
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Environment Ministry Notifies Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Pet Shop) Rules, 2016
i. The Union Environment minister, Anil Madhav Dave, on December 16, 2016, announced the
notification of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Pet Shop) Rules, 2016.
ii. Aim: To regulate the pet shops across the country and prevent cruelty against animals kept in
such pet shops.
iii. As per the rules, it will be mandatory for all pet shop owners to register themselves with
the State Animal Welfare Board of the respective State Government. Such a registration will
only happen after inspection by the representatives of State Board, a veterinary practitioner and a
representative of Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Supreme Court Validates State Government Imposing Tax on Mobile Towers
i. The Supreme Court on December 16, 2016, passed an order that stated that the state
governments can impose property tax on mobile towers as the tax was not on the use of the plant
and machinery but on the land and building.
ii. A Bench comprising Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice P C Pant made the provision to
impose tax on mobile towers after setting aside the 2013 verdict of the Gujarat High Court
holding that the levy of property tax on mobile towers by state government was beyond its
competence.
iii. The apex court notified that though a mobile tower was certainly not a building but under Entry
49 List II of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, it can be considered as a building to
levy tax.
Government Soon to launch toll free number 1955 to Report call drops
i. The Union government has decided to launch a toll-free number 1955 in order to take a
feedback from the telecom subscribers on call drop issue. The code has been allotted for
Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) on call drops.
ii. According to the Department Of Telecom (DoT), the provisioning of the new number would be
mandatory for all telecom operators along with making the number accessible for local and STD
calling.
iii. State-run telecom operator Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) has been
directed to configure the short code.
Union Government announces Rs 207 crore project for Majuli
i. Centre has announced Rs 207 crore project for protection and development of worlds
biggest river island Majuli, located aong river Brahmaputra in Assam.
ii. The announcement was made by Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region
(DoNER) Jitendra Singh.
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Union Cabinet Approves Ordinance to amend Payment of Wages Act, 1936
The Centre approved a draft ordinance on December 21, 2016, to empower states and enable
industries to pay wages by cheque or by direct credit into bank accounts of workers earning up
to Rs. 18,000 a month, without taking their explicit consent.
The Union Cabinet approved the ordinance to amend the Payment of Wages Act,
1936, to allow employers of certain industries to make payment through the electronic
mode and cheques.
The aim of the move is to enable companies to ensure timely payment of wages to
workers at a time when there is cash crunch due to demonetisation of Rs. 1,000 and old
Rs. 500 and reduce the complaints regarding non-payment or less payment of
minimum wages
CCEA approves doubling of Rajpura-Bhatinda railway line

The cabinet committee on economic affairs (CCEA) gave its approval for doubling of RajpuraBhatinda railway line at an estimated cost of Rs. 1,251.25 crore.
The doubling of railway line is expected to be completed in five years. The 172.64km long
railway line will benefit the districts of Patiala, Sangrur, Barnala and Bathinda.
It would also ease the traffic bottlenecks and bring more revenue to Indian railways by
capacity enhancement of the route.
The expected completion cost of the project is Rs. 1,465.59 crore.
Union Cabinet approves sale of part of HALs surplus, vacant land

The Union Cabinet on December 21, approved the sale of part of surplus and vacant land of
87.70 acres at Pimpri in Pune, Maharashtra to meet Rs. 821.17 crore net liabilities
of Hindustan Antibiotics Ltd (HAL).
The approval will help the government in optimum utilization of the assets of the
company and will facilitate mitigation of sufferings and critical condition of the employees.
It will also help the government to take decisions in respect of rehabilitation, strategic
sale or closure of the company.
For the first time NSG may participate in Republic Day Parade
The elite counter-terror force, National Security guard (NSG) may participate in the Republic
Day celebrations on January 26, 2017 at Rajpath for the first time in the history.
Decision in this regard was taken after a meeting between the Union Home and
Defence Ministries following which the National Security Guard (NSG) began
preparations to choose a contingent of about 60 commandos to showcase its prowess and
commando-style fast march past.
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Till now the troops of Armys Special Forces were the only commando force to take part in
the Rajpath during January 26 celebrations.
The NSG contingent is expected to include commandos from both the army and
paramilitary-based units of the force.
Cabinet To Launch toll-free number 10588 for pregnant women

The union government will soon set up a toll-free number 10588 to provide relevant information
and guidance directly to the pregnant women.
This toll-free number will be functional at Mother and Child Tracking Facilitation
Centre (MCTFC) in New Delhi.
The caller can give a missed call at this number and the operator will call back within 90
seconds to address their queries.
Gujarat govt announces Aerospace and Defence Policy-2016

Vijay Rupani lead Gujarat government announced Aerospace and Defence Policy-2016 on December
21, 2016.
Aim: To attract investment into fields of aerospace and defence design, development and
manufacturing in Gujarat.
About Aerospace and Defence Policy-2016
i. Investors entitled to get 100 per cent reimbursement on stamp duty and registration charges
paid for purchase, lease or mortgage of land meant for setting up the facility in the areas of
Aerospace and Defence(A&D) as per the policy
ii. All A&D units would be provided 100 per cent exemption on electricity duty for a period of five
years from the date of commencement of production.
iii. Cash subsidy of 25 per cent on capital investment made by MSME units to set up their facility
in the A&D sector
iv. Large A&D projects will be entitled to get 2 per cent interest subsidy on external borrowings.
CBSE Class X board exams to be made mandatory from 2018
i. CBSEs governing body has unanimously approved a proposal on December 20, 2016, to make
Board exams for Class X compulsory for all CBSE schools from the academic session 2017-18.
ii. Currently, it is optional for CBSE students to choose either the Board exam or a school-based
examination.
Maharashtra Government announces Separate Ministry for OBC
i. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis while addressing the concluding-session
of Kunbi Mahotsav at Shahapur in the Thane district of the state on December 20, announced
that a separate ministry would be created for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) which would be
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headed by an independent minister.
ii. CM also announced to allocate Rs 200 crore funds for gravity-based water supply
projects to fulfil the need of the town and surrounding areas.
Haryana Issues Petro Card to Drivers for Cashless Payment of Fuel
i. To promote cashless transaction in the state, the Haryana government on December 21, 2016,
issued petro cards to drivers working with the state government for cashless payments of fuel.
ii. The government has shortlisted two companies for this purpose: Indian Oil Corporation and
Bharat Petroleum.
iii. Further to educate the citizens about digital payments, banks have organised camps in their
branches at many locations. Nearly 932 such camps have been organised in 4648 bank branches
where 21083 persons participated.
v. The State Bank of India has also signed an agreement to install 3000 Point of Sale (POS)
machines at various state government offices across the state without any charges.
Textile Ministry to launch Bunkar Mitra-Handloom Helpline Centre for weavers
i. The Ministry of Textiles has planned to set up a Bunkar Mitra-Handloom Helpline
Centre where professional experts would solve the queries of the weavers.
ii. The helpline center would function from 10.00 a.m. to 6 p.m. and initially it will be provided
in 7 languages including Hindi, English, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada Bengali & Assamese.
Indo Tibetan Border Police to procure local yaks and ponies to sustain troops at IndoChina Frontier
i. To strengthen Indias positions along the Indo-China frontier, the Indo Tibetan Border
Police (ITBP) has launched a drive to procure local varieties of tough mules and yak to carry
supplies for the troops at snow-hit posts.
ii. The border guarding force, which secures 3,488 km of this icy frontier from the Karakoram Pass
in Ladakh to Jachep La in Arunachal Pradesh, has launched an aggressive drive to purchase sturdy
livestock like horses, mules, ponies, yak and dogs from the locals living in these areas.
UP Government to include 17 sub-castes of OBCs into SC category
i. In an attempt to seek the favour of the backward castes ahead of Assembly polls in 2017, the
Uttar Pradesh state cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav passed a resolution to
include 17 sub-castes of Other Backward Castes (OBCs) into the Scheduled Castes (SC)
category.
ii. These sub-castes include Kahaar, Kashyap, Kewat, Nishad, Bind, Bhar, Prajapati, Rajbhar,
Batham, Gaur, Tura, Majhi, Mallah, Kumhar, Dheemar and Machua.
iii. However, the final decision to declare any caste as Scheduled Caste rests with the Centre.
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Primary Drafts of CGST and SGST law Approved by GST Council
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, approved
the primary drafts of Central GST and State GST laws on December 23 at the 7th meeting of
GST Council in New Delhi.
With this the council moved a step closer to bring the GST into implementation. However, the
issues related to IGST and dual control remained to be sorted out.
Issues Agreed Upon in the Meeting
The primary drafts of CGST and SGST laws have been approved. The legally vetted copy of the
drafts will be circulated to all the states.
Under GST, the states and the Centre will collect identical rates of taxes on goods and
services. For instance, if 18 percent is the GST rate on a good, the states and the Centre
will get 9 percent each called the CGST and SGST rates.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley stated that a total of 197 provisions and five
schedules have been approved for the CGST and GST draft laws. CGST is to be approved
by Parliament while the SGST to be approved by States legislative Assemblies.
The centre estimates total compensation to states for losses arising from a transition to
GST to be around Rs. 50,000 crore in the first year. The compensation to the states will
be paid in every two month from revenues raised through a cess on luxury and sin
goods, such as tobacco.
President Pranab Mukherjee gives fifth assent to amend Enemy Property Ordinance
i. President Pranab Mukherjee on December 22 approved re-promulgation of The Enemy
Property (Amendment) Fifth Ordinance for the fifth time in a year but at the same time
expressed his displeasure to the centre over using this route repeatedly for promulgating law.
ii. The ordinance was re-promulgated after the government failed to get a bill passed in the Winter
Session of Parliament to amend the 50-year-old Enemy Property Act, which guards
against succession claims or transfer of properties left by people who migrated to Pakistan
and China after 1965 and 1968 wars.
iii. The Enemy property refers to any property belonging to, held or managed on behalf of an
enemy, an enemy subject or an enemy firm. There are 16,547 enemy properties worth Rs 1
lakh crore across India. The Union Home Ministry acts as the custodian of the enemy properties.
MEA Announces New Rules to Apply For Passport
i. A new set of rules were announced by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on December
23, 2016, to streamline, liberalise and ease the process of issue of passport to benefit the
citizens of India applying for a passport.
ii. The total number of Annexes prescribed in the Passport Rule, 1980, has been reduced to 9 from
the present 15. Besides, some Annexes have been removed and certain Annexes have been
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merged.
iii. As per the new rules, applicants born after January 26, 1989 are not required to submit
a proof of date of birth (DOB) which was mandatory till now.
iv. Another key step aimed at simplifying the process is that attestation by a magistrate or
notary will no longer be necessary. Self-declaration on plain paper will do.
v. It is no more compulsory to provide the name of both father and mother while applying for the
passport. Besides, single parents can also apply for passports of their children.
vi .Married applicants do not need to provide any marriage certificate. The applicant need not
provide the name of her/his spouse in case of separated or divorced persons.
NITI Aayog Launches National Performance on Health Outcomes index
i. Performance on Health Outcomes index has been launched by the government thinktank NITI Aayog along with Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on December 23, 2016 to
encourage states to take transformative action in the Health sector. The index will rank the states
on the basis of their performance on measurable health indicators.
ii. The guidebook for the index was released by CK Mishra, Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare, and Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog at the first of a series of regional workshops.
iii. The index has been developed over several months with inputs from domestic and
international experts in coordination with States through multiple iterations and pre-testing the
indicators in two States prior to its finalization.
Karnataka Government has removed restriction on night shift for women
i. The state government of Karnataka has removed restrictions on allowing women to work in
night shifts in all sectors in a move to provide equal opportunities for women in all sectors.
ii. Currently, women are allowed to be employed in night shifts only in IT and ITES sectors. The
present labour regulations dont allow employers to deploy women on work between 8 pm and 6
am. However, the government made an exemption to IT and ITES companies in 2003 responding
to a demand from the IT sector.
iii. The Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961 and the Factories Act 1948 have
been amended to make provision for women to work in night shift.
MEA Launches Twitter Seva for speedy redressal of citizens querry
i. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on December 23 launched a live customer service
resolution platform, Twitter Seva, to provide speedy resolution to visa and passport
queries of the customers.
ii. The service launched by the Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh will
enable timely, transparent and large scale response to citizens Tweets in real-time and
enhance scalability and speed the process of dealing with requests by Indian and global citizens.
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iii. The Seva service will be supported by 198 Twitter accounts of Missions and High
Commissions across the world and 29 Regional Passport Offices (RPOs) in India and eight
other handles such as @MEAIndia, @Indiandiplomacy and @MEAQuery.
Govt launch mobile App Smart Consumer & OCMC to provide speedy redressal of
consumer grievances
i. The Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan launched a mobile App Smart
Consumer and an Online Consumer Mediation Centre (OCMC) to provide speedy redressal of
consumer grievances in New Delhi on the occasion of National Consumer Day on December 24,
2016
ii. He also launched the Microsite based on the theme Digitally Safe Consumer Campaign to
help consumers for being vigilant and not falling prey to cyber frauds.
Centre gives Rs 1,982 crore for Andhra Pradeshs Polavaram project through NABARD
i. The Centre released Rs 1,982 crore for the multipurpose Polavaram irrigation project in
Andhra Pradesh on December 26, 2016.The funding is being done through NABARD, which has
now started funding irrigation projects. NABARD sanctioned the long term irrigation fund
under Prime Minister Krishi Sinchayee Yojana.
ii. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley handed over the cheque to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister
Chandrababu Naidu at a function in New Delhi. Mr Jaitley also handed over cheques for Rs 463
crore rupees to Gujarat and Rs 756 crore rupees to Maharashtra for state projects.
iii. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) on December 26
revealed that so far it has sanctioned loans worth Rs 35,322 crore under Long Term Irrigation
Fund (LTIF)
iv. LITF initiative would ensure doubling of farmers income by 2022 under the ambitious
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY).
Centre releases special stamp on freedom fighters & Hardayal Municipal Heritage Public
Library
Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare Smt Anupriya Patel released the few new postage
stamps in New Delhi on December 26, 2016
The New Postage stamps were
i. Special Cover on freedom fighter Shri Gaya Prasad Katiyar
ii. A set of eight Commemorative Postage Stamps on Personalities Series: Bihar . The eight
personalities are Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha, Karpoori Thakur, Dashrath Manjhi, Vidyapati ,
Kailashpati Mishra, Kunwar Singh, Phanishwar Nath Renu and Sri Krishna Sinha
iii. Stamp on Hardayal Municipal Heritage Public Library.
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Registration of Pakistani Hindus as Indian Citizen reduced from Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 100
i. The registration fees for Hindus and other minority community people from three
neighboring countries comprising Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, to register as Indian
citizens have been reduced drastically to Rs 100 from Rs 15,000.
ii. The changes have been made after amending various provisions of the Citizenship Rules 2009.
iii. The new rules will be applicable to minority communities including Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists,
Jains, Parsis and Christians from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and living in India on
long term visa.
iv. But for minority community people from countries other than the three, the fees will be Rs
10,000 for registration in India and Rs 15,000 if registered elsewhere.
Odisha Governemnt Launches Malaria control programme DAMAN
i. The State Government of Odisha has decided to launch a new malaria control
programme, Durgama Anchalare Malaria Nirakaran (DAMAN), to control malaria in
inaccessible areas, with a total spending of 120 crore rupees for five years.
ii. The programme will be implemented in 8000 villages of all 79 blocks of eight high malaria
endemic southern districts Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangapur, Kalahandi, Rayagada, Gajapati,
Nuapada and Kandhamal with an annual expenditure of 24 crore rupees.
iii. These districts contributed around 60% cases and 56% death to the state malaria burden in
2015 16.
PM Modi Lays the Foundation Stone of Char Dham Highway Development Project
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the Char Dham Mahamarg
Vikas Pariyojna in Uttarakhands Dehradun on December 27, 2016. The Prime Minister also
addressed a public rally at the citys Parade Ground.
The Chardham Mahamarg Vikas Pariyojna, or the Chardham Highway Development

Project, is an ambitious initiative to improve connectivity to the Char
Dham (Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath) pilgrimage centres in the
Himalayas.
The total cost of the project is estimated to be Rs. 12000. The entire project is likely to
be completed by 2018.
Gujarat Government Announces Biotechnology Policy

Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel announced the Biotechnology Policy-2016 in the
state legisalative assembly on December 26, 2016
About Biotechnology Policy 2016 :
i. Under this policy, state government would provide capital subsidy up to Rs 25 crore on the total
investment for developing a Biotechnology (BT) Park.
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ii. The developer of such park will be eligible for 100 per cent reimbursement of stamp duty paid
on sale or lease of the land for setting such park.
iii. BT Park developer will be given 100 per cent reimbursement for electricity duty paid for a
period of five years.
iv. For individual BT manufacturing units having gross fixed capital investment(GFCI) up to Rs 50
crore, government would give capital subsidy up to Rs 10 per cent of the GFCI with a ceiling of
Rs 5 crore.
v. BT units with borrowings up to Rs 50 crore shall be entitled to an interest subsidy at the rate of
5 per cent with a ceiling of 2.5 crore per annum
Ministry of Shipping Inaugurates Sagarmala Development Companys office in New Delhi
i. The Union Minister for Road Transport and Shipping, Nitin Gadkari,
inaugurated the Sagarmala Development Companys office in New Delhi on December 26,
2016 to promote port-led development.
ii. The SDC has been incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013. The Cabinet in July
had approved the formation of the SDC under the administrative control of the Ministry of Shipping.
iii .The main objective of the company is to identify port-led development projects under the
Sagarmala programme and provide equity support for the project special purpose vehicles set up
by the Ports, State, Central Ministries and funding window.
iv. The Sagarmala Development Company will be provided financial assistance of Rs 50,000
crore at 2 percent interest rate. The project would boost export by about 50 per cent and
generate two crore jobs.
NBWL gives Green signal for the Ken-Betwa Inter-Linking of Rivers Project
i. The National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) on December 26 gave its approval for the KenBetwa inter-linking of rivers (ILR) project which will benefit Uttar Pradesh and Madhya
Pradesh in terms of meeting irrigation, drinking water and electricity needs of people across
six districts in the two states.
ii. The project worth Rs 9,000 crore had got the Cabinet clearance in July 2014 but work could
not begin since it required clearance from the NBWL who were opposing the project citing its
impact on tiger reserve and wildlife sanctuaries.
iii. The Ken-Betwa ILR project will transfer surplus water from the Ken river to the Betwa basin
through a 221-km canal. The concrete canal will pass through Jhansi, Banda and
Mahoba districts of UP and Chhatarpur, Panna and Tikamgarh districts of MP.
Cabinet Approves Ordinance to Penalize Person with Scrapped Notes Post March 31
The Cabinet on December 28, approved promulgation of an ordinance to make possession of a
large number of scrapped banknotes a penal offence beyond March 31, imposing a penalty
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and a possible jail term.
As per the ordinance holding of old Rs. 1,000 and 500 notes in excess of 10 notes after
March 31st will attract suitable monetary fine along with a jail term of up to 4 years in
certain cases. However, the detail of the penal provision is still awaited.
The Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also approved Specified Bank
Notes Cessation of Liabilities Ordinance that provides for amending the Reserve
Bank of India Act to provide legislative support for scrapping the demonetised
banknotes that are not returned.
The government had set December 30, 2016 as the deadline for depositing the junked
currency in banks, following which those still holding such notes would be able to deposit
them at the Reserve Bank of India up to March 31, 2017 after an explanation as to why
they failed to deposit the notes before December 30.
Cabinet Approves Road Connectivity Project for LWE Affected Areas

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi on December 28, 2016, approved a Centrally Sponsored Scheme namely Road
Connectivity Project for Left Wing Extremism (LWE) Affected Areas to improve the rural
road connectivity in the worst LWE affected districts from security angle.
The project will be implemented under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
(PMGSY) to provide connectivity with necessary tunnels and cross-drainage structures in
44 worst affected LWE districts and adjoining districts, critical from security and
communication point of view.
The roads will be operable throughout the year irrespective of all weather conditions.
Centre gives ex post facto approval for ratification of ISAs Framework Agreement
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi on December 28, gave its ex
post facto approval to the proposal of Ministry of New & Renewable Energy for ratification of
the International Solar Alliances (ISA) Framework Agreement by India.
About International Solar Alliances (ISA)
ISA was launched jointly by the Prime Minister of India and the President of France on
30th November, 2015 at Paris on the side-lines of the 21st CoP meeting of the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The United Nations Development Programme and World Bank have already announced their
partnership with the ISA. Till now, 25 nations have signed the Framework Agreement.
Centre Gives Green Signal for Apex Corridor Development Body

The Centre has approved the re-designation of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor Project
Implementation Trust Fund as National Industrial Corridor Development &
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Implementation Trust (NICDIT).
NICDIT would serve as the apex body to oversee development of all industrial corridors
across the country. Alkesh Kumar Sharma, the CEO of the DMIC Development
Corporation (DMICDC), will take additional charge as the Member Secretary and CEO of
the new NICDIT.
The NICDIT has been sanctioned an additional Rs. 1,584 crore besides the balance
available from Rs. 18,500 crore already sanctioned to the DMIC-Project Implementation
Trust Fund for project activities.
Centre Approves Rs 266 crore investment for Delhi under AMRUT

The Ministry of Urban Development has approved the Annual Action Plan of Delhi for 201617 under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme. It has
approved an investment of Rs 266 crore for improving water supply and sewerage networks.
A similar Action Plan for 2015-16 of Delhi was approved earlier in January with an
investment of Rs 223 crore. With this, the total investment approved for Delhi under
AMRUT for improving basic urban infrastructure is Rs 489 crore.
Of this, Rs 215 crore will be invested in improving water supply and Rs 254 crore for
improving sewerage networks and septage management, while Rs 8 crore would be spend
for drainage networks and Rs 12 crore for developing open and green spaces.
As per AMRUT guidelines, the Centre will provide a total of Rs 804 crore to Delhi for
the five-year mission period.
Maharashtra Approves Proposal to Create New Ministry for VJNT OBCs & Special
Backward classes
i. The State Government of Maharashtra on December 27, 2016, decided to create a new
ministry for welfare of Vimukta Jati and Nomadic Tribes (VJNT) OBCs and Special Backward
classes.
ii. The proposal to create the new ministry was approved by the cabinet which was presided over
by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The separate ministry would be headed by an
independent minister.
Kerala Government Seeks Centres approval to Use Antlers for Ayurveda Medicine
i. The Kerala State Board for Wildlife (SBWL) under chairmanship of CM Pinarayi Vijayan held a
meeting on December 27 to decide over a proposal of using antlers of spotted deer and sambar
for Ayurveda medicines.
ii. The State Government decided to approach the Union Government to get the proposal approved
as it requires clearance by the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) and Ministry of Environment and
Forests.
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iii. SBWL seeks to get the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 amended to get the permission for
using the antlers for medicinal purposes.
Uttar Pradesh CM lays the Foundation Stone of Film Television and Liberal Arts Institute
i. Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav, laid the foundation stone for Film Television
and Liberal Arts Institute on December 27 in Lucknow.
ii. A token amount of Rs 10 crore has been allotted by the state government for the institute and
14 acres has been allotted for the institute under Awadh Vihar Yojna near Lucknow Haat on
Shaheed Path.
iii. To promote the shooting of films in the state, the Chief Minister also distributed Rs 9.41
crore to film industry people.
HRD Ministry Sets up a new Regional Institute of Education at Nellore
The Ministry of Human Resource Development is setting up a new Regional Institute of
Education (NIE) at Nellore, Andhra Pradesh. HRD Minister, Shri Prakash Javadekar laid
down the foundation stone on December 27 jointly with Shri. M. Venkaiah Naidu, the Union
Urban Development Minister.
The State Government has allotted 50 acres of land free of cost on the National Highway at
Kanupuru Bit-II, near NH-16 Venkatachalm Mandal, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh for the institute.
Government launches Swachh Swasth Sarvatra Initiative
i. The Union Government launched an initiative, Swachh Swasth Sarvatra, on December 29,
2016, to strengthen health centers in open defecation-free blocks.
ii. The initiative was launched by the Union Health Ministry in collaboration with the Ministry of
Drinking Water and Sanitation and Human Resource Development.
iii. The Swachh Swasth Sarvatra initiative aims to meet the requirements of two
complementary programmes namely, Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) of the Ministry of Drinking
Water and Sanitation and Kayakalp of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Bihar Government approves 50% reservation of Backward Class in judicial services
i. Bihar government led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, on December 27 approved an
overall reservation of 50% in both, subordinate and superior judicial services, in the state after
consulting with Bihar Public Service Commission and Patna High Court.
ii. Currently, there was a provision of only 27 percent overall reservations in subordinate services
while no quota in superior services. Out of which the Extremely Backward Class (EBC) was getting
10 percent and Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribe were getting 16% and 1% respectively
and zero percent for OBC.
iii. But after the decision, 50% posts would be filled through reservation in both services
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with 21% posts reserved for Extremely Backward Class (EBC), 12% for Other Backward
Class (OBC), 16% for Scheduled Castes (SC) and 1% for Scheduled Tribe (ST).
iv. The 50 percent quota will be reserved in appointment of both services conducted by the BPSC to
fill the posts of Judicial Magistrates and Munsif Magistrates along with appointments conducted by
the Patna HC to fill the posts of Additional District and Sessions Judges.
v. Besides, the cabinet also decided 35 percent reservation for women in each category,
besides one percent post would be reserved for ortho-physically differently-abled persons.
Suresh Prabhu Inaugurates Series of Railway Projects in Andhra Pradesh
i. The State Government of Andhra Pradesh signed a Memorandum of Understanding with
the Indian Railways on December 30, 2016, for setting up a Joint Venture for taking up major
Rail Projects in the state.
ii. The programme was attended by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu through a video link from
New Delhi while Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Union Civil Aviation Minister P Ashok Gajapati
Raju and others.
iii. As a part of the occasion, the Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu laid the foundation stone for the
railway project Nadikudi-Srikalahasti line via Video conference.
Centre Sanctions Rs 200 crore for Tirupur Dyeing Industry
i. The Centre has sanctioned Rs. 200 crores to the Tirupur Dyeing Industry in Tamil Nadu on
December 28, 2016, which was on the verge of closure due to severe financial crisis as a result of
their huge investments in the first ever Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) projects in the country.
ii. The Ministry of Finance decided to grant Rs. 200 crore as an interest free loan to the state
Government of Tamil Nadu on recommendation of the Ministry of Textiles for the 18 Common
Effluent Treatment Plant (CETPs).
iii. The move will help the suffering CETPs and 450 dyeing units to recover from the financial
crisis and help them to a complete the project to achieve 100 percent capacity utilization.
iv. More than 450 dyeing units in Tirupur Dyeing Industry had collectively set up 18 ZLD enabled
Common Effluent plants with a total cost of Rs 1013.00 cr.
Tuting Advanced Landing Ground Becomes Operational After 54 years
i. The Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) of IAF at Tuting, which had been abandoned after
the 1962-India-China war has once again become operational.
ii. The ALG at Tuting, a small town in the Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh, was
inaugurated by Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu in the presence of Air Marshal C
Hari Kumar, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command (EAC) on December 28,
2016.
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Government to set up Financial Data Management Centre
i. A Committee appointed by the Government has suggested the Union Government to set up
a Financial Data Management Centre (FDMC) for managing the repository of financial
regulatory data to ensure stability in the economy.
ii. The head of the Committee, Ajay Tyagi (additional secretary in finance ministry), submitted the
report and a draft bill titled The Financial Data Management Centre Bill 2016 in this regard.
iii. Finance minister Arun Jaitley in budget speech 2016-17 had announced setting up of Financial
Data Management Centre under the aegis of the Financial Stability And Development Council
(FSDC) to facilitate integrated data aggregation and analysis in the financial sector.
Mehbooba Mufti launches IT-Enabled Systems to Boost Education System of the State
i. Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti launched School Management
Information System (SMIS) on December 30, 2016, to provide a complete database of all
the government schools spread across the state.
ii. SMIS been developed by the J&K Education Department in collaboration with National
Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), ISRO, Digital India and
MHRD.
iii. It is a comprehensive IT-enabled Database System to highlight important features of all
Government Schools such as Staff strength, Student-Teacher ratio among others.
iv. Besides, the chief minister also launched a Unified Data Information System for Education
(U-DISE) to provide the details about the enrolments and pupil-to-teacher ratios from school to
school.
v. Mehbooba also inaugurated the GIS (Geographic Information System) mapping of schools,
in which the geographical locations and 3D structures of the schools have been distinctly marked. It
also informs about the school infrastructure and school cluster structure zone-wise in a district. As
many as 28,000 schools are being taken up under GIS mapping in the state.
vi. The chief minister also launched, Vocational Monitoring Details, an online portal for
monitoring the implementation of various vocational courses in the state.
vii .The Minister also launched an e-Office for online management of files in the school education
department to address the critical infrastructure gap and ensure time management.
President Pranab Mukherjee Approves Promulgation of Specified Bank Notes Ordinance
2016
i .The President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee approved the promulgation of the Specified
Bank Notes (Cessation of Liabilities) Ordinance, 2016 on 30th December, 2016.
ii. Aim: The Ordinance aims to extinguish the liability of the Reserve Bank of India and the
Government of India towards the demonetized Bank Notes, provide an opportunity to those
persons who were unable to deposit the SBNs within the time provided and declare holding,
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transferring or receiving SBNs as illegal with provisions for penalty for violating any provisions
of the Ordinance.
iii. The ordinance provides for amending the Reserve Bank of India Act to provide legislative
support for extinguishing the demonetized banknotes that are not returned.
iv .According to the Ordinance, holding of old 1,000 and 500 rupee notes after 31st of March 2017
will considered as an offence and attract a fine of Rs. 10,000 or 5 times the cash held, whichever
is higher. Also not more than 10 notes of demonetized currency can be held after December 30.
Madhya Pradesh plans to develop 1,100 climate-smart villages
Madhya Pradesh has plan to develop 1,100 climate-smart villages n a period of next 6
years to prepare farmers to manage the climate change risks timely and ensure good productivity
said by state Farmer Welfare & Agriculture Development Department Principal Secretary Dr Rajesh
Rajora
Highlights of the plan:
i. According to the plan, 100 villages in each of the 11 agro-climatic zones of the state would be
taken up under the National Agriculture Development Programme (NADP) and Indian National
Mission on Sustainable Agriculture with a cost about Rs 150 crore every year.
ii. Farmers would be encouraged to go for short duration variety of crops and Agro-forestry also
would be adopted by them.
Union Cabinet Approves Rs 40 Crore Drinking Water Project in Puducherry
i. Union Environment Ministry has approved Rs. 40 crore proposal of Puducherry government,
to treat water from Ousteri lake, a major water body in puducherry, and supply it to meet the
water requirements in Puducherry and Oulgaret Municipal limits.
ii. Informing about the approval of the proposal on December 17, the Chief Minister of
Puducherry, V Narayanasamy said that the project to utilise the water from the Ousteri was
developed five years ago but the Union Environment Ministry disapproved it on the ground that the
scheme would disturb the bird sanctuary in the lake.
Supreme Court Rejects J&Ks Claim, Says no vestige of sovereignty outside the
Constitution of India
i .The Supreme Court on December 16, 2016, rejected the Jammu and Kashmir High Courts
claim that the states sovereignty cannot be challenged or altered, stating that the state has no
vestige of sovereignty outside the Constitution of India.
ii. A bench of Justices Kurian Joseph and Rohinton Nariman also rejected the J&K High Courts
view that the J&K Constitution was equal to the Constitution of India.
iii. The bench pointed the Section 3 of the Constitution of Jammu & Kashmir, which stated
that the State of Jammu & Kashmir is and shall be an integral part of the Union of India and
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the residents of Jammu & Kashmir are governed first by the Constitution of India. The court stated
that there is no dual citizenship and it was completely incorrect to describe the state as being
sovereign and distinct class itself.
Government to Lauch Toll-Free Helpline Number 14444 for digital literacy
i. After launching free-to-air channel DigiShala and CashlessIndia website, the government is
now set to launch a Cash Mukt Bharat Abhiyan Helpine number to educate people about digital
transactions.
ii. A nationwide toll-free helpline number 14444 will be launched soon to educate people and
provide support related to cashless mode of transactions.
iii. Government had sought the help of NASSCOM in providing support for implementing the
service on a mass scale to people.
Swasthya Raksha Programme launched by the AYUSH Ministry
AYUSH Ministry headed by Shripad Yasso Naik has launched Swasthya Rakshan Program to
promote health and health education in villages
The Programme has been initiated through Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences
(CCRAS), Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM), Central Council for Research in
Homoeopathy (CCRH) and Central Council for Research in Siddha (CCRS)
Objectives of Swasthya Rakshan Program:
i. To organize Swasthya Rakshan OPDs, Swasthya Parikshan Camps and Health/Hygiene awareness
programme
ii. Awareness about cleanliness of domestic surroundings and environment.
iii. Provide medical aid/incidental support in the adopted Colonies/villages.
iv. Documentation of demographic information, food habits, hygiene conditions, seasons, lifestyle
etc., incidence/prevalence of disease and their relation to the incidence of disease..
PM Modi Launched Major Skill Development Projects at Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh
To conform with the concept of Skill India Campaign, and make India the Skill Capital of the
World, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid down the foundation stone of the first ever Indian
Institute of Skills at Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh on December 19, 2016, which would empower the
youths to be more employable and self-sustainable.
Besides, the PM also launched a number of programmes for promoting skill development
among the youths of the country, ahead of the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh in
2017.
As a part of the programme, the PM distributed skill certificates to Street Food Vendors,
Leather industry Workers and felicitated skilled candidates trained under Pradhan Mantri
Kaushal Vikas Yojana.
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PM Modi also addressed his sixth Parivartan Rally in Kanpur as a part of BJPs election
campaign for the ensuing assembly elections in the state.
The event also witnessed joint partnerships with various industries that will train and
employ nearly four lakh youths over the next 3 years.
National Apprentice Promotion Scheme

PM Modi announced the National Apprentice Promotion Scheme in Uttar Pradesh. The state
government will have a major role in the successful implementation of the scheme.
In the financial year target for 2016-17, the government wants to ensure enrollment of at
least 5 lakh apprentices across the country.
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras (PMKKs) and Drivers Training Institutes

The Prime Minister also announced the launch of 31 Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras
(PMKKs).
MSDE plans to open one Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK) in each district of the
country to create career opportunities for the youth.
Kaushal Pradarshini (Skill Exhibition)
PM Modi inaugurated the Kaushal Pradarshini (Skill Exhibition) for the youth of Uttar
Pradesh.
The exhibition showcased vocational training practices across different sectors. It will be open
for public at Railway Grounds, Kanpur between December 19-22.
Centre Plans Setting up Single Tribunal to Adjudicate Inter-state Water Disputes

i. The Centre has planned to set up a single, permanent Tribunal to adjudicate all Inter-State
River Water Disputes, subsuming existing tribunals, to resolve grievances of states in a speedy
manner.
ii. A retired Supreme Court judge will act as the chairperson of the Tribunal. The government
has also proposed to amend the Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956. It directs to form
benches to look into disputes as and when required which would cease to exist once the disputes
are resolved.
Government Considers Merging Cyber and Telecom Appellate Tribunal
i. The Center is planning to merge Cyber Appellate Tribunal (CyAT) with the Telecom Disputes
Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) to avoid identical functions.
ii. There are 36 tribunals functioning in the country dealing with subjects such as income tax,
electricity, consumer protection, company laws and railway accidents. The government is seeking
to reduce the number of tribunals from 36 to 18 as most of these bodies perform identical
functions.
Madras High Court Bans Sharia Courts Functioning in Tamil Nadu
i. The Madras High Court on December 19, 2016 declared a ban on all unauthorised Sharia
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courts functioning on premises of mosques in Tamil Nadu, to safeguard the interests of a large
number of innocent Muslims whose fate was being decided by such illegal Sharia courts and
councils in the state.
ii. A two bench of Chief Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M Sundar ordered the ban of
all such unauthorised courts in the state and asked for a status report from the police within four
weeks.
iii. The Sharia court on the premises of Makka Masjid Shariat Council was dealing with
matrimonial disputes, summoning parties and passing divorce orders like a regular court.
World Confluence of Humanity, Power and Spirituality Held in New Delhi
i. The ninth edition of World Confluence of Humanity, Power and Spirituality,organised
by ASSOCHAM in association with Srei Foundation and Times Foundationwas held in New
Delhi from December 16- December 17, 2016.
ii. The theme of the convention was Sach Bharat: Spirituality at Work
iii. Aim of the confluence was to spread an idea and principles of Humanity, Power and
Spirituality among the people to inculcate the right sense of attitude, devotion to work, unified
cooperation in work, faith in self and others, peace and harmony, fearlessness.
iv. The Confluence was inaugurated in the presence of Honble President of India Shri Pranab
Mukherjee, ASSOCHAM President Mr. Sunil Kanoria, Srei Foundation Chairman Dr. Hari Prasad
Kanoria and Chairman, Times Foundation, Smt. Indu Jain,.
PLACES IN NEWS
First Cyber Crime Police Station inaugurated in Himachal Pradesh
i. Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh inaugurated the states first Cyber Crime Police
Station was inaugurated at the state police headquarters, Shimla.
ii. Objective: To deal with increasing incidents of crime in cyberspace.
iii. It will register and probe cyber crimes such as hacking of government web sites and its data,
online fraud and cyber terrorism.
Himachal Pradesh Raj Bhawan adopts cashless system for all kinds of Transactions
i. Himachal Pradesh, Governor Acharya Devvrat has directed the Raj Bhawan staff in
Shimla to adopt cashless system or cheque in all kind of payments to ensure that all transactions
are made online.
ii. Governor has also appealed students, teachers and NGOs to make common people aware about
cashless system
iii. Himachal Rajbhawan is the first in country to adopt these cashless techniques so promptly.
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Hornbill Festival Kicks Off In Naga Heritage Village Of Kisama
i. The 10-day long Hornbill Festival began at the Naga Heritage village Kisama on December 1,
2016, which is coinciding with the Statehood Day of Nagaland.
ii. Objective: To revive, protect and preserve the richness and uniqueness of the Naga heritage.
iii. The festival was inaugurated by Guru Sangyusang Pongener of Ungma village under
Mokokchung district while the inaugural celebrations of Unity in Culture was presented by Sky
Entertainment.
iv. The festival is a tribute to the revered bird for the Nagas Hornbill for its qualities of
alertness and grandeur
Dhasi Becomes The First Cashless Village In Maharshtra
i. Dhasai village in Thane district of Maharashtra has become the first cashless villagein the
state on December 2, 2016 following Prime Minister Narendra Modis appeal for cashless
transaction.
ii. State finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar distributed 150 Point of Sale (PoS) machines to
the local traders. Maharashtra Government has planned to transform the state into a cashless state
by the end of March 2017.
iii. The initiative to make this village cashless was taken by Bank of Baroda in collaboration
with NGO Veer Savarkar Pratishthan. The NGO trained the villagers in using digital methods of
transactions.
iv. Mungantiwar marked the beginning of the cashless transaction in the village by using his debit
card to purchase rice.
2016 Tripitak Sutrapath Mahotasava begin in Bihar
i. The 10-days Tripitak Sutrapath Mahotasava has begin at Bodhgaya in Bihar on December 2,
2016. It will end on December 11, 2016.
ii. Over three thousand Buddhist from many countries are participating in this festival.
Worlds largest bird festival organized in Agra to promote Eco-tourism
In order to promote eco-tourism in Uttar Pradesh and to declare it as an international bird watching
destination, UP Eco-tourism has organized a three-day international festival on birds from
2nd to 4th December 2016 at the National Chambal Sanctuary in the Bah tehsil , Agra.
About International Bird Festival 2016
i. The festival has been organized to encourage bird conservation and eco-tourism in a backward
area of the state and concentrates on the discussion of States extinct bird species along with their
conservation.
ii. The festival also organized on an exhibition with pictures of 350 birds.
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Hailakandi District in Assam becomes first to Pay Wages to Tea workers via Bank Account
i. Hailakandi has become the first district in Assam to pay wages to Tea Garden Workersthrough
individual bank accounts before the December 15 deadline set by the state government for cashless
transactions to the plantation workers.
ii. Following demonetisation of Rs 500 and 1000 currency notes from November 9, Assam
government had set December 15 as the deadline for cashless transactions to tea plantation
workers.
iii. At least 504 workers of Burnie Braes Tea Estate received their wages through bank accounts
and the payment was made through five Banking Correspondents (CSPs) of Assam Gramin
Vikash Bank.
President Pranab Mukherjee to Inaugurate International Gita Mahotsav in Kurukshetra
President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate the first ever International Gita
Mahotsav at The Brahma Sarovar in Kurukshetra, Haryana on December 6, 2016.
The festival which is scheduled to be held from December 6 to December 10 will focus on
spreading the message of Gita to the world community.
L&T bags contract to convert Sardar Patel Stadium to worlds biggest cricket stadium
i. Larsen & Turbo (L&T) has bagged a contract from Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) to
make Sardar Patel Cricket Stadium of Gujarat the worlds biggest cricket stadium in terms of
seating capacity.
ii. Sardar Patel Cricket Stadium is situated in Motera, Ahmadabad in Gujarat. After the renovation
it will take over the Melbourne Cricket Ground of Australia in terms of seating capacity.
Madhya Pradesh Inaugurates First Crop Insurance Claim Distribution Programme
i. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan on December 10, 2016,
inaugurated the programme to distribute Pradhan Mantri Fasal Beema Yojna claim worth 4
thousand 416 crore rupees to 20 lakh 46 thousand farmers of the state from Ujjain district.
ii. Madhya Pradesh is the first Indian state to start the biggest and first ever crop insurance claim
distribution programme worth Rupees 4 thousand 416 crore.
Mehbooba Mufti Flags off First Children Special Train in Kashmir
i. Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti flagged off fortnightly special train Vaadi ki sair
(Tour of the Valley) on December 11, 2016, for children that will run between Banihal to
Baramulla.
ii. The Chief Minister also boarded the train at Quazigund station and travelled upto Baramula. 610
children boarded the train from various stations of valley to enjoy the ride.
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PM Modi Inaugurates Cheese Plant at Palanpur, Gujarat
i. The Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, attended a programme organized by
the Banaskantha Cooperative Milk Producers Union (Banas Dairy) at Deesa in Gujarat on
December 10, 2016 to celebrate the Golden Jubilee year of the Dairy.
ii. On this occasion, the Prime Minister unveiled a plaque by remote control, to mark
the inauguration of a cheese plant and whey drying plant at Palanpur.
Punjab Launches its Ambitious Amphibian Bus Harike Cruise
i. The Punjab government launched first of its kind, amphibious bus project Harike Cruise at the
Harike wetland near Amritsar on December 12, 2016, almost after two years of announcing the
launch.
ii. The bus was launched by the Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal who took the
inaugural ride with sister Praneet Kaur Kairon and other officials including media.
iii. The vehicle, which can run both on land and water, was imported from Swedish automobile
company Scania and was reassembled in Goa before being brought to Harike.
iv. The overall cost of the bus has is about Rs 11 crore.
Assam to Make Majuli Countrys First Carbon Neutral District
i. Assam government has initiated a project on December 14, 2016, to make river island Majuli the
countrys first ever Carbon Neutral district by 2020.
ii.The project titled Sustainable Action for Climate Resilient Development in
Majuli(SACReD, Majuli) was initiated by Assams department of Environment and Forest and was
launched by Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Biodiversity and Climate) A K Johari at
Majuli.
Indias first interdisciplinary arts festival Serendipity begins in Goa
i. Serendipity, Indias first interdisciplinary arts festival, kicked off in the capital of Goa, Panaji on
December 16, 2016.
ii. The eight day multi-disciplinary arts and culture festival will be held across seven
landmark venues along the Mandovi River from December 16 to 23, 2016.
iii. The Festival aims at celebrating the diversity in art with a special focus on music, dance,
theater, crafts, visual arts, culinary arts and photography.
Haryana becomes First State to adopt Mahila Police volunteer scheme
i. Haryana on December 14, 2016 adopted the Mahila Police Volunteer initiative which is a
joint initiative with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. It became the first state to adopt the
scheme in two of its districts namely Karnal and Mahindergarh.
ii. The aim of the scheme is to have a gender responsive police service with increased presence
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of female personnel within the police force and in community outreach.
iii. The first batch of 1000 Mahila Police Volunteers were inducted at the induction ceremony of
these women volunteers in Karnal in the presence of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar
and Secretary, Union Ministry of Women and Child Development, Leena Nair.
Indias first transgender school to be inaugurated on Dec 30 in Kochi
i .Sahaj International School will be the first residential transgender school in the country.
The school to be inaugurated with 10 transgenders by transgender rights activist and artist Kalki
Subramaniam in Kochi on December 30, 2016
ii. Christian organisation pro-life sector and National Open School have provided their support for
the this initiative.
Post-Harvest Festival Thal Favang Kut Celebrated in Mizoram
i. The Thal Favang Kut festival of Mizoram, which marks the completion of weeding of the
farmland by cultivators in the state, was held in Aizawl with enthusiasm and fervor from December
15-17, 2016
ii. The three-day festival was organized by the Department of Tourism, Government of
Mizoram, and was inaugurated by the Mizoram minister for environment, forest and climate
change Lalrinmawia Ralte, at Tuirial airfield in Aizawl.
iii .It is a post-harvest festival which is celebrated after harvesting the paddy. It is celebrated
every year to thank the almighty as well as to promote tourism in the state.
Karnataka CM inaugurates first air ambulance service in Bengaluru
i. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah formally launched the state's first air ambulance H130
helicopters at HAL Airport in Bengaluru on December 16, 2016.
ii. The air ambulance service will start its operation from January 2017.The emergency number of
air ambulance service is 155350.
Cost of the Service:
Individual subscription - Rs 9,000 per Year
Family subscription - Rs 18,000 per Year
Individuals without subscription - Rs 1.75 lakh per hour.
PM Narendra Modi lays foundation stone of Pt Mohan Malviya Cancer Centre in Varanasi
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid foundation stone for Pt Mohan Malviya Cancer Centre and a
150-bed ESIC super speciality hospital in his Lok Sabha constituency, Varanasi on December
22, 2016
ii. He visits Kabir Nagar area to inspect laying of underground cables, installation of heritage
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streetlights and lighting of heritage buildings
iii. He also Inaugurated new Trade Facilitation Centre and Crafts Museum
PM Modi Visits Maharashtra, lays foundation stone of Shivaji Memorial
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a-day-long visit to Maharashtra on December 24, 2016,
where he laid the foundation stone of Shiv Smarak, the grand memorial of Maratha warrior
king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the Arabian Sea off Mumbai coast.
Modi took a hovercraft from Girgaum Chowpatty to the island and performed Bhoomi
poojan and Jal poojan for the ambitious sea memorial dedicated to the great warrior in
the Arabian Sea, around 1.5 km from Mumbai shoreline at Marine Drive.
Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who assured them that their concerns will be addressed.
The PM also inspected a float depicting Shivaji Maharajs coronation.
Features of the Shivaji Memorial

The Shivaji memorial is proposed to be build on around 15-hectare Island with as high as 192
metres tall statue of the iconic Maratha king.
The statue will be more than twice the height of the Statue of Liberty once completed and is
expected to be the worlds tallest statue.
The total outlay of the project is Rs. 3,600 Crore.The project is expected to be completed by
2019.
PM Laid the foundation stone of Mumbai Metro Projects & Pune Metro Rail Project
The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stones for two Mumbai Metro projects.
1. The Elevated Railway Corridors Project and
2. The Mumbai Trans Harbour Link project (MTHL)
Later, the PM headed to Pune, where he laid the foundation stone of the Pune Metro Rail project
at the Agriculture College ground. He was accompanied by the NCP leader Sharad Pawar.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates National Institute of Securities Markets
(NISM) in Mumbai
During his visit to Mumbai, PM Modi laid the foundation stone of a new campus of SEBIs National
Institute of Securities Markets (NISM) at Patalganga in Mumbai.
Indias first 2G Ethanol Bio-refinery set up in Punjab
i. The Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), a Central Government Public Sector
Undertaking, is setting up Indias first 2G (Second Generation) ethanol bio-refinery at
village Tarkhanwala in Bathinda, Punjab.
ii. The foundation stone laying ceremony for the project was held on December 25, 2016 by the
Minister of Food Processing Industries, Smt. Harsimarat Kaur Badal jointly with the Minister of
State (I/C) Petroleum & Natural Gas, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, and Deputy Chief Minister of
Punjab, Sardar Sukhbir Singh Badal.
iii. The approximate investment of the project is estimated to be Rs 600 Crores.
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Sikkim Adjudged Indias First Fully Organic State In 2016
i. Sikkim has emerges as the Indias first fully organic state by converting around 75,000
hectares of agricultural land into sustainable cultivation.
ii. Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally certified Fully Organic State Status to
Sikkim at a sustainable agriculture conference in Gangtok earlier in 2016.
iii. Around 75,000 hectares of agricultural land has been gradually converted to certified organic
land by implementing organic practices and principles as per guidelines laid down in National
Programme for Organic Production.
Mori village in Andhra gets Smart Digital village tag
Mori village under Sakhinetipalli mandal in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh placed on
Indias digital map by transforming completely into a Smart Digital Village said by Andhra Pradesh
CM Chandrababu Naidu
Mori has bagged the Swachh Village award recently at the national level.
State Gov Initiatives :
i. AP FiberNet project that will provide internet for a total price of Rs 149 per month.
ii. Rs 4000 worth set-top box is being provided for a monthly installment of Rs 99.
iii. People transacts digitally through e-Banking, RuPay cards or SBI Buddy
Karnataka Flags Off 25 Bio-Diesel Buses
i. The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has launched 25 bio-diesel
buses on December 25, to reduce pollution level emitted by diesel buses. 25 luxury multiaxle Scania buses were flagged off by the state Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy at the
KSRTC depot.
ii.The 25 new buses will be deployed on the Bengaluru-Kundapur, Bengaluru-Bidar,
Bengaluru-Tirupati and Bengaluru-Chennai routes, with no changes in the prices.
iii. Costing around Rs. 90 lakh these buses would be the countrys first bio-diesel buses and
would save about Rs. 80 lakh each year.
Haryana Organises Countrys First Digi Dhan Mela to spread digital literacy
i .In order to promote cashless economy, the state government of Haryana organized the
countrys first Digi Dhan Mela in the Gurugram, Haryana on December 26, 2016 post
demonitization.
ii. The centre has planned to organise as many as 100 such melas throughout the country up to
April 14, 2017 for educating the people.
iii .The mela inspired the people to go for digital and cashless transactions. Everything in the mela
was cashless, ranging from food courts, E-Thelas, cultural events among others.
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Haryana Government to set up countrys first Caterpillar Train
i. Haryana Government has decided to set up a pilot corridor for an innovative concept
of Caterpillar Train that will fly over citys traffic, in Gurgaon city.
ii. The concept of Caterpillar Train, also known as C-Train, was co-developed by an Indian
Railways engineer Ashwani Kumar Upadhyaya along with Emil Jacob, both PhD scholars at
MIT, for which they won a global award at the MIT in the United States earlier in 2016 for this
innovative idea.
iii. The cost estimate is about $3 million for a pilot system and about $20 million for a fullfledged automated system.
Haryana Government inaugurates the first digital investigation centre
i. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar inaugurated the Digital Investigation, Training
and Analysis Centre (DIATC) on December 28 at a function at Gurugram to boost the state
polices capabilities to solve cyber crime cases.
ii. The centre has been set up in collaboration with the National Technical Research
Organisation (NTRO) of Government of India.
Himachal Pradesh achieves 100% Aadhaar, becomes sixth state to do so
i. Himachal Pradesh has become the sixth state in the country to achieve 100 percent Aadhar
saturation based on population data collected till 2015 in the state. The Aadhar number was
generated for 72, 52,880 residents in the state. An official of IT department informed on
December 17, 2016.
ii. The five states which already have achieved 100 percent Aadhar saturation are Delhi,
Telangana, Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh.
Judima Festival begins in Assam
i. The three-day Judima Festival begin at Haflong in Assam on December 18, 2016.The festival
seeks to establish the only hill station of Assam, Haflong into the tourism map of the Northeast.
ii. Aim : To promote and nurturing of ethnic culture, music, dance, craft and folk-art of Dimasa
tribals living in Dima Hasao district of the state
Chhattisgarh CM dedicates countrys first cashless bazaar to people in Raipur
i. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh launched Indias first cashless bazaar in Raipuron
December 19, 2016
ii. This Smart bazaar consist of nearly Over 900 shops which are providing the facilities of cashless
payments using POS, UPI and other digital systems to its customers.
iii. Chhattisgarh is currently leading in the nation in training its people in digital transactions.
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Tamil poet-saint Thiruvalluvar Statue gets Place at Haridwars Mela Bhawan
i. The 12-foot-tall stone statue of renowned Tamil poet and philosophersaint Thiruvalluvar was inaugurated at Mela Bhawan premises in Haridwar, Uttarakhand by
Chief minister Harish Rawat on December 19, 2016.
ii. Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Uttarakhand Tarun Vijay had initiated the process
of introducing Thiruvalluvar in Uttarakhand which was initially decided to be installated on the
banks of the Ganga in Haridwar in June 2016.
FOREIGN VISITS
Prime Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Abdullah on His Two Day Visit to India
Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani arrived in New Delhi on
December 2, 2016 on a two day visit to India to hold discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi
on bilateral, regional and multilateral issues of common interest.
This is the first visit of Sheikh Abdullah to India and the third high-level bilateral
engagement between the two countries in the past two years, which underlines Indias
growing ties with Qatar.
During the visit, India and Qatar signed 5 agreements in areas such as
visas, cyberspace and investments.
About the Agreements
1.Visa :An agreement was signed that allows holders of diplomatic, special and official passports of
the two countries, visa-free travel between the two countries.
2.Cyberspace: A protocol on technical cooperation in cyber space and combating cyber crime
was signed between the Ministry of Home Affairs of India and the Ministry of Interior of Qatar.
3.Investment: A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was also signed between Supreme
Committee for Delivery and Legacy of Qatar and Confederation of Indian Industry.
The MoU will provide a framework for project experts for Indian companies in Qatar, including
participation in infrastructure projects in Qatar undertaken for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
4.Another MoU was signed for encouraging greater collaboration and exchange in the field
of national ports management.
Manohar Parikar Arrived Bangladesh on Two-Day Visit for Defence Ties
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on November 30, 2016 arrived in Dhaka on a two-day visit
to Bangladesh to meet the top civil and military leadership to strengthen defence ties between the
two countries.
Parrikar is the first Indian defence minister to Bangladesh in the last 45 years, was greeted by
Bangladesh Defence Forces Principal Staff Officer Lt Gen Md Mahfuzur Rahman and other
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government officials.
Aim: To deepen security ties and Boost up a Defence Cooperation Agreement that is likely to be
signed when Hasina visits India in December.
Important Highlights of the visit
i. The minister met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who also holds defence portfolio, on
December 1, 2016 and discussed measures to strengthen military and security ties between the
two countries.
ii. Parrikar, was accompanied by 11-member high-powered delegations and met President Abdul
Hamid who assured India that it has zero tolerance policy against terrorism and sought expanded
military ties.
iii.The Defence Minister also met Hasinas security adviser Major General (Retd) Tariq
Ahmed and discussed bilateral military and security cooperation.
President of Indonesia, Joko Widodoi Visits India to Enhance Strategic Partnership
President of Indonesia, Mr. Joko Widodoi was on a three day visit to India from December 11December 13, 2016, at the invitation of Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi.
Jokowi was accompanied by his spouse, Iriana Widodo, several cabinet ministers, senior
officials and a 22-member very high level business delegation from Indonesia.
This was the first visit of President Joko Widodo to India after coming to power in October
2014.
Arriving to India on December 11, 2016, Mr. Widodo was received at the Air Force
Station, Palam, New Delhi by the central Minister of State for Environment, Forest and
Climate Change (Independent Charge), Anil Madhav Dave.
India and Indonesia has been sharing historical harmony and close cultural ties since
long. Indonesia is a strategic partner of India since 2005 and an important trade partner
in ASEAN.
Indonesia is the largest direct trade partner of India in the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN) (about US$ 16 billion two way trade).
President Widodo invited Prime Minister Modi to visit Indonesia as soon as possible, which
the Indian Prime Minister readily accepted.
India and Indonesia signs Three Agreements to enhance Strategic Partnership

After delegation level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting President of
Indonesia Joko Widodo in New Delhi, on December 12, 2016, India and Indonesia signed three
agreements in various areas to enhance strategic partnership.
The Agreements Signed Includes:
i.MoU on Youth Affairs and Sports Cooperation.
ii.MoU on Standardization Cooperation.
iii.Joint Communiqu on on Ilegal and Unauthorised Fishing.
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The agreement aimed to build a strong economic and development partnership to strengthen the
flow of trade, capital and people between the two countries.
Apart from the three agreements, both the countries also agreed to cooperate in defence
and maritime security to ensure safety and security of sea lanes, disaster response and
environmental protection
The two countries agreed to increase the partnership for combating terrorism, organized
crime, drugs and human trafficking.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on 3 Day Visit to Mauritius

i. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar was on a three days visit to Mauritius from December 10
to December 12, 2016 to strengthen close political and bilateral strategic ties between the two
countries.
ii. This was the first ever visit by a Defence Minister of India to Mauritius. He was accompanied by
senior officers of the Indian Navy, Indian Air Force and Ministry of Defence.
iii. During the visit Defence Minister will commission a fast patrol vessel, CGS Victory,for the
Coast Guard of Mauritius and hand over two upgraded Cheetah helicopters to the local police of
the country.
iv. CGS Victory, a Water Jet Fast Attack Craft (WFAC), was manufactured by the Goa Shipyard
Limited and funded by a Government of India Line of Credit that will enable the National Coast
Guard of Mauritius to tackle transnational crimes such as drug and human trafficking, piracy,
smuggling and terrorism.
v. The two Chetak helicopters build by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), have an operational
life of 15 years and enhance for Search and Rescue operations, emergency evacuations and AntiCannabis cultivation operations in Mauritius.
vi .Indian Minister will meet with the President of Mauritius on December 11, 2016 and on board
the offshore patrol vessel Barracuda, the first warship to be exported by India that was
commissioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mauritius in 2015.
vii. Parrikar will also board INS Darshak which is a hydrographic survey ship of the Indian navy
and at present is in Mauritian waters.
Kyrgyzstan Presidents Almazbek Sharshenovich Atambayev 4-day visit to India from
December 18-21, 2016
President of Kyrgyzstan, Almazbek Sharshenovich Atambayev, was on a four-day official visit
to India from December 18-21, 2016. This was Atambayevs first visit to India after being
appointed as the President.
During his visit, he was accompanied by his spouse Raisa Atambaeva along with a highlevel delegation comprising of Ministers, senior officials and business leaders.
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President Atambayev arrived in New Delhi on December 20 and was accorded a

ceremonial reception at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan by President Pranab
Mukherjee who also hosted a dinner banquet in his honour.
The visiting President had official engagements on December 20 to discuss bilateral

issues. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also hosted a lunch for him.
Besides, President Atambayev also attended a Joint Business Forum as a part of his
visit.
The Kyrgyzstans Presidents visit comes right after a very successful visit of Prime
Minister Narendra Modi to Kyrgyzstan in July 2015, which is expected to strengthen the
traditionally cordial and close ties between the two sides.
India and Kyrgyzstan signs six Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs)

After delegation level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting President of
Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Sharshenovich Atambayev in New Delhi on December 20, 2016, India and
Kyrgyzstan signed six Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) in areas including tourism,
agriculture and food industry and Youth Affairs.
The two sides encouraged engagement in capacity building and training, healthcare, tourism,
IT, agriculture, mining and energy. Kyrgyz Republic is regarded as a valuable partner in
common pursuit of making Central Asia a region of sustainable peace,
stability and prosperity.
6 MoUs signed includes:
1. Cooperation in the field of Tourism
2. Cooperation in the field of Youth exchange
3. Cooperation in the field of Youth development
4. Cooperation between the Foreign Service Institute and the Diplomatic Academy of the
Kyrgyz Republic for exchange of information on training programmes of diplomats.
5. Cooperation in the field of Agriculture and Food Industry
6. Cooperation in the field of Broadcasting and exchange of audiovisual programmes.
India and Kyrgyzstan share common concerns on the threat of terrorism, extremism and
drug-trafficking
President Pranab Mukherjee, on December 20, 2016, while delivering a banquet speech said that
India and Kyrgyzstan share common concerns on the threat of terrorism and extremism and drugtrafficking President.
India shares a long-standing friendly relation with Kyrgyzstan. India and Kyrgyzstan will
celebrate the 25th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations in 2017.
India has always considered the Kyrgyz Republic to be an important part of its extended
neighbourhood not only geographically but also historically and civilisationally. Both the
countries shares past, reflected in many elements of the culture.
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Mukherjee also complimented the Kyrgyzstan President on the successful conduct of the
parliamentary elections in October last year and for successfully steering a referendum on
constitutional amendments earlier this month.
Tajikistan Presidents 5 Day Visit to India to Strengthen bilateral relation.

President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon was on a five-day visit to India from December 14-18,
2016 to hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mr Rahmon landed in Cochin, Kerala
on December 14. He arrived New Delhi on December 16, 2016.
4 agreements signed between India and Tajikistan
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon witnessed
the exchange of 4 MoUs in New Delhi on December 17, following delegation level talks.
The MoU was exchanged between MoS for External Affairs M J Akbar and Minister of Foreign
Affairs of Tajikistan Sirojiddin Aslov.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on cooperation in the exchange

of financial intelligence related to money laundering, related crimes and financing of
terrorism.
The two sides signed a protocol amending avoidance of double taxation and prevention
of fiscal evasion.
Another MoU was signed regarding cooperation on broadcasting in exchange of audiovisual programmes.The two sides also signed a document on bilateral investment
treaty.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Pakistan-China start direct rail and freight service
i. China and Pakistan launched the direct rail & sea freight service between Kunming and
Karachi as a part of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project (CPEC) which was launched in 2015
ii. The first cargo train loaded with 500 tonnes of commodities left Kunming, capital of Yunnan,
an inland province in south-west China departed for Karachi
iii. It will reduce the transport cost by over 50 per cent
British Scientists Gives Green Signal to the use of Three Parent Baby
i. British scientists on December 1, 2016, gave green signal to the use of three-parent
baby fertility treatments, thus becoming the first in the world to officially introduce the
procedures.
ii. The treatment will involve the embryo to receive the usual nuclear DNA from the mother and
father, as well as a small amount of healthy mitochondrial DNA (mDNA) from a female donor
iii. An independent panel of experts were tasked to review the safety of mitochondrial gene therapy
who recommended that the practice should be cautiously adopted only in specific
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circumstances where inheritance is likely to cause death or serious disease and where there is no
other alternatives.
Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn appointed new Thai King
i. 64 year old Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn has become the king of Thailand, on
December 1, 2016, 50 days after the death of his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
ii. He will succeed his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who reigned for 70 years, from 1946,
through 10 military coups and dozens of prime ministers, until his death Oct. 13 at 88.
iii. The new king, Bhumibols only son, will be called His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn
Bodindradebayavarangkun, but as the 10th king of the 234-year-old Chakri dynasty, he can also
be called King Maha X.
Emirates launched worlds shortest service on largest plane Airbus A380
i. Emirates on December 1, 2016, launched the worlds shortest scheduled service on
an Airbus A380, flying it from Dubai to Doha within 80 minutes and 70 minutes in return
journey.
ii. The A380 flight landed at Hamad International Airport in Doha covering a total of 379 km
route, the shortest on which the worlds largest passenger aircraft is used.
Venezuela Suspended from Mercosur Trade Bloc
i .The South American nations has suspended Venezuela on December 2, 2016 from
the Mercosur trade bloc for violating the blocs democratic principles and failing to meet its basic
standards.
ii. The Foreign Ministers of the four founding members of Mercosur-Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay
and Uruguay- reached the decision to revoke the Mercosur membership of Venezuela, which is in
the mid of an economic collapse despite holding the worlds largest oil reserves.
India to Contribute USD 1.25 mn to UN relief for Palestinian refugees
i. India on December 7, 2016, has pledged to contribute USD 1.25 million to the United Nations
Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
ii. 20 donors have come up with the intention to donate to the budget of UNRWA
iii. The agency reported a funding gap of USD 74 million in September 2016 after which the UN
Member States made contributions which has reduced the gap to USD 37 million.
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK-661 crashed
i. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), PK-661 flight which was carrying 48
passengers including 5 crew member and one ground engineer, crashed on the way
to Islamabad from Chitral on December 7, 2016.
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ii. According to the report of the Civil Aviation Authority confirmed there are no survivorsfrom
crash. 46 bodies out of 48 have been recovered.
Worlds longest Rail Tunnel Starts Operating in Switzerland
i. The worlds longest rail tunnel, Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT), began operating on regular basis
in Switzerland, on December 11, 2016, to provide service to the passengers.
ii. The GBT Tunnel had an opening ceremony in June which was accompanied by European leaders
like German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande for its maiden ride.
iii. The 57 km GBT took 17 years to build at a cost of over 12 billion Swiss francs ($11.8
billion, 11.2 billion euros).
iv. The first regular passenger train which used the GBT departed from Zurich at 6:09 am and
arrived in Lugano at 8:17 am, saving about 30 minutes of previous travel time.
India to offer Tsunami Early Warning-System to SCS Countries
i. India is looking forward to provide Tsunami Early Warning-System to South China Sea (SCS)
countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia and Philippines as a part of a soft-diplomacy effort.
ii. The warning system has been developed by the scientists at Indian National Centre for
Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) and uses mathematical modelling to estimate if an
earthquake, in Indias oceanic neighbourhood, will result in a tsunami.
India to contribute $500,000 to UN emergency response fund
i. India will contribute $500,000 to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) for the
year 2016-17 announced by Indian diplomat Anjani Kumar a counsellor at Indias UN Mission at
the pledging session held at UN.
ii. 29 countries promised contributions totalling $273 million to the CERF and till now 50 countries
provided its fund to CREF
Rio Gets UNESCO World Heritage Status
i. The Marvelous City or Rio de Janeiro officially entered into the UNs list of world heritage
sites while UNESCO status was announced in 2012 in recognition of its soaring granite cliffs, urban
rainforest and beaches.
ii. The UN cultural body, UNESCO given this status to Rio to highlighted the extraordinary fusion
of man-made and natural beauty.
Qatar Ends Controversial kafala labour system
i. Labour Minister of Qatar, Issa bin Saad al-Jafali al-Nuaimi on December 13, 2016, formally
announced the end of its controversial kafala system, which was the biggest ever labour reform
in Qatar.
ii. Kafala System is a system used to monitor migrant laborers, working primarily in the
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construction and domestic sectors of Qatar and other gulf countries. The system requires a local
sponsor -individual or company- and need their permission to switch jobs or leave the country.
Indus Waters Treaty processes between India & Pakistan paused by World Bank
i. The World Bank has paused the Indus Waters Treaty processes initiated
by India and Pakistan to allow the two countries to consider alternative ways to resolve their
disagreements.It was announced by Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon.
ii. It was paused to resolve conflicting interests under the Treaty and its application to two
hydroelectric power plants
Work Bank cancelled $100 million loan to Pakistan
The World Bank has cancelled a $100 million loan to Pakistan for a natural gas efficiency project
which to be carried out by Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC)
Chinese Navy seizes Underwater drone of US Navy in South China Sea
i. Navy of China has seized an Underwater drone of US Navy on 15 December 2016 from
northwest of Subic Bay which is an extension of South China Sea.
ii. The unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) drone that the Chinese Navy has seized had to
return to USNS Bowditch (an oceanographic survey ship). But before that it was seized.
iii. As per US Navy official the UUV drone was conducting lawful military survey in the South
China Sea. The drone was used to collect oceanographic data, including salinity, temperature and
clarity of the water.
UNSC gives 1 year extension to Peacekeeping mission in South Sudan
i. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has given one year extension to the
Peacekeeping mission of South Sudan. The UN adopted Resolution 2326 (2016) unanimously.
ii. Known as the United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS)
has been extended till 15 December 2017. UNMISS can now continue to include a Regional
Protection Force and authorized the Mission to use all necessary means to carry out its tasks.
iii. The Peacekeeping mission aims at ending the political crisis of South Sudan which started
in December 2013, when the President of South Sudan accused his vice president of an
attempted military coup.
Government of Iran Unveils Bill of Right
i. President of Iran, Hassan Rouhani on December 19, 2016, unveiled a landmark bill of
rights, guaranteeing freedom of speech, protest, fair trials and privacy for the citizens of the
nation.
ii. During his 2013 election campaign, Rouhani had promised a bill of rights for citizens.
iii. Though many of the rights are already enshrined in Irans constitution written after the 1979
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Islamic revolution, the new bill offered the first clear list of principles that could be used to check
the performance of state institutions.
iv. Rouhani said the authorities should respect limits on their powers, accusing them of
ignoring human rights.
UNSC approves Resolution to deploy UN observers in Aleppo
i. The United Nations Security Council on December 19, 2016, unanimously approved a
resolution to deploy UN observers to the Syrian city of Aleppo.
ii. The resolution taken during a session at the councils headquarters in New York, stated that UN
monitors sent to Aleppo would be carrying out adequate, neutral monitoring and direct
observation on evacuations from eastern Aleppo and the safety of civilians who remain in the
Syrian city.
iii. The 15-member body unanimously approved a resolution drafted by France that urged all
parties to provide monitors with safe, immediate and unimpeded access.
Hong Kong to withdraw visa-free facility for Indians post January 23
i. Hong Kong has decided to withdraw visa-free facility for Indians. Indians can enter with a
valid passport for a period up to 14 days without a visa.
ii. From January 23, 2017, Indian nationals must apply for and successfully complete pre-arrival
registration online before they can visit Hong Kong Special Administrative Region HKSAR visafree.
iii. The pre-arrival registration is valid for six months, during which the applicant can visit Hong
Kong multiple times. Indian nationals must furnish an approval slip before boarding a plane or
ship to the city.
Japan Approves Record $43.6 billion Increase in Military Spending to Counter North
Korea and China
i. The government of Japan headed by Shinzo Abe approved a 1.4 percent increase in military
spending on December 22, 2016 in order to counter the military power of North Korea and
China. With this the total military budget of Japan has now reached a record level of $43.6
billion or 5.13 trillion Japanese Yen for the year starting April 1.
ii. Japan is planning to strengthen its presence in the East China Sea along with making
preparations to improve its ballistic missile defense.
iii. The military might of China and North Koreas progress in its missile and nuclear program has
created great concerns for Japan. Large military budget will help Japan to counter other regional
military powers.
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France launches worlds first road made of solar panels
i. The worlds first solar panel road was inaugurated in a small town of Normandy village of
France on December 22, 2016 by the French Environment Minister, Segolene Royal.
ii. The 1-km (0.6 mile) project was funded by the French Ministry of the Environment to test
whether solar panels can be implemented effectively at a large scale.
iii. The project aims to power the streetlights in the French town of Tourouvre-au-Perche.
France to launched first drone based postal service
i .Frances airspace regulator, General Directorate for Civil Aviation, has approved the plan to
launch drone delivery program, making France the worlds first national postal service to use
drones regularly.
ii. The French postal service announced that France is setting up a drone delivery program
to deliver parcels on a nine-mile route once a week.
WHO Says New Ebola vaccine may be up to 100% effective
i. The World Health Organization (WHO) on December 23, 2016 informed that a prototype
vaccine for Ebola may be up to 100 percent effective in protecting against the deadly virus.
ii. The new vaccine was initially developed in Canada by public health authorities before being
taken over by pharmaceutical giant Merck.
iii. The vaccine is yet to get the approval and is expected to be made available by 2018.
iv. In a major clinical trial of the vaccine, nearly 6,000 people in Guinea were given the test vaccine
in 2015. It was found that none of the 6,000 contracted the disease.
UNSC passes resolution to end Israeli settlement on occupied Palestinian territory
i. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on December 23, 2016, passed a resolution
demanding Israel to stop building settlements on occupied Palestinian territory.
ii. It states that Israeli settlements have no legal validity and are dangerously imperiling
the viability of the two-state solution.
iii. It is the first resolution adopted by the Security Council on Israel and the Palestinians in
nearly eight years.
China Passes Environment Tax Law to Curb Pollution
China on December 25, 2016, passed a new law to levy environment tax on polluters, especially on
heavy industries.
The environment tax law was adopted by the legislature, the National Peoples Congress
(NPC) standing committee at a meeting in Beijing. The law will be implemented on January 1,
2018.
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Russian Plane Tu-154 Crashes into Black Sea
i. A Russian plane on its way to Syria with 92 people onboard, including members of the worldfamous Russian army choir, crashed into the Black Sea on December 25, minutes after taking off.
There appeared to be no survivors
ii. The Tu-154 plane crashed shortly after taking off from the southern city of Adler, south of the
Black Sea resort city of Sochi. The plane was conducting a routine flight to Russias Hmeimim
airbase outside the coastal Syrian city of Latakia.
Report finds India as second largest arms purchaser after Saudi Arabia
i. As per the report of Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations 20082015 released by Congressional Research Service (CRS), India has emerged as the second
largest purchaser of arms among developing nations after Saudi Arabia.
ii. According to the report, between 2008 and 2015, India purchased defence equipment worth $34
billion while in the same period, Saudi Arabias purchase was worth $93.5 billion.
China operationalises worlds longest bullet train line
i. China has started the operations of the longest east-west high-speed railway, which
connects eastern coast to the less-developed southwestern part of the country.It is one of the
worlds longest high-speed railways.
ii. The Shanghai-Kunming line is 2,252 km in length with the maximum speed of 330 kmph and
traverses the five provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guizhou and Yunnan and cuts travel time
from Shanghai to Kunming from 34 to 11 hours.
iii. China has built more than 20,000 km of high-speed rail lines.It also planned to increase the
mileage to 45,000 km by 2030.
India eases Visa Procurement Process for Bangladesh
i. In an effort to ease the process of securing Indian Visas for Bangladesh visitors, the High
Commission of India will now allow all Bangladesh travelers with confirmed air, train or bus travel
tickets to submit their tourist visa applications directly without prior appointments from January 1,
2017.
ii. The initiative also includes that the date of journey should be after 7 days but within one month
of submission of the visa application form.
Pakitan PM Inaugrates Chinese-Assisted Nuclear Power Plant Chashma-III
i. Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif inaugurated the Chinese-Assisted 340 MegaWatt
Chashma-III nuclear power plant in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on December 29, 2016
ii. This nuclear power project is a joint collaboration between the Pakistan Atomic Energy
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Commission (PAEC) and China National Nuclear Corporation.
iv. Under this project Chashma-IV, is expected to be completed in 2017.
Worlds highest bridge in China opens for traffic.
i. The Beipanjiang Bridge of China is now open for public travel. The height of the bridge
is 1,854 feet(565 metres) above the sea level. It overtook the Si Du River Bridge of Hubei to
become the worlds highest bridge.
ii. The Beipanjiang Bridge connects the two mountainous provinces of Yunnan and Guizhou in
China and has tremendously reduced the travel time between the two places.
iii. The cost involved in the building of the bridge is about 1 billion yuan ($144 million).
Colombia Congress Amnesty Law for FARC Rebels
i. The Colombias Congress headed by President Juan Manuel Santos, in an historical move,
passed a law on December 28 to grant amnesty to FARC rebels as part of the countrys peace
deal.
ii. The Senate passed the bill 69-0, after the House of Representatives approved it 121-0. The
amnesty bill is part of the November 24 pact aimed at ending five decades of conflict.
France Levies terror tax On Insurance Policies to support victims of attacks
i. France Government has raised a terror tax on property insurance policies after a series of
terror attacks in 2015 and 2016. The French government requires insurers to help finance a fund
for victims of the extremist attacks that have recently hit the country.
ii. The Scheme would come into effect from January 1, 2017 and will require the policy holders to
contribute 5.90 euros ($6.18) instead of 4.30 euros ($4.51).
Russian Government Plans to Expel 35 American Diplomats
i .The Russian Foreign Ministry has announced plans to expel 35 US diplomats from
the country in a tit-for-tat response to a similar act by United States of America.
ii. President Barack Obama earlier had ordered to expel 35 Russian diplomats, suspecting case
spies and sanctioned two Russian intelligence agency believing them to be involved in cyber
hacking and alleging Moscow to interfere with the US presidential election.
Worlds Largest Ice Rink inaugurated in Paris
i. A 2,700-square-meter skating space has recently opened at the Grand Palais in Paris,
France. It is the worlds largest non-permanent indoor ice rink.
ii. The rink was inaugurated at the third edition of the Grand Palais des Glaces festival which
was held on December 15, 2016 featuring skating stunts and acrobatics.
iii. Over 100 workers constructed the ice rink, which will remain open until January 2, 2017.
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India-Nepal Folk Crafts Festival kicks off in Kathmandu
i. The five day India-Nepal Folk Crafts Festival (INCF-2016) begins in Kathmandu, Nepal on
December 19, 2016 to promote cultural exchanges between the two countries
ii. Aim: To promote crafts based bilateral relations and enhance cultural exchanges between the
artisans of India and Nepal
iii. The INCF-2016 will highlights more than 70 theme based pavilion with focus on folk crafts of
India and Nepal, cultural events, live demonstration by crafts-persons and design workshops to be
conducted as a part of this festival.
4000 early printed Bengali books to be Digitized by the British Library
i. The British Library is set to digitise 4,000 early printed Bengali books amounting to more
than 800,000 pages as a part of a project under the UK India Year of Culture plans for 2017.
ii. The digitisation project is part of Two Centuries of Indian Print project, an international
partnership between India and UK, led by the British Library to digitize unique material from
its South Asian printed books collection. The books are in high demand and span at least 22 South
Asian languages. The project has received an additional funding of nearly 500,000 pounds from the
Newton Fund.
WHO Finds African Nations More Prone To Develop Lifestyle Diseases:
As per a study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) survey of 33 countries,
the developing African nation is developing a deadly lifestyle disease owing to modern city life
and bad habits.
Important Highlights of the study
i. The study showed that African nations will see more die of chronic illness than infectious
diseases by 2030 since most adults in Africa have at least one risk factor such as heart disease,
cancer and diabetes, increasing their chance of developing deadly lifestyle diseases.
ii. The survey showed an average of 35 per cent of people were overweight and that the
average time spent in moderate or high intensity physical activity ranged from 21 minutes per day
in Mauritania to 386 minutes per day in Mozambique. Women were more likely to be inactive and
overweight.
iii. The report showed that some four million people will die from non-communicable
diseases (NCDs) in Africa by 2020, and the figure will surpass those of infectious diseases by
2030.
iv. The WHO study found that daily tobacco use ranges from 5 to 26 per cent in Africa, and is
only growing.
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SUMMITS & CONFERENCES

7th World Ayurveda Meet Opens in Kolkata
i. The 7th World Ayurveda Congress (WAC) has been organized at Science City, Kolkata from
December 1 to December 4, 2016 by the World Ayurveda Foundation with support of Ministry of
AYUSH, and the State Government of West Bengal.
ii. The focus of this 7th World Ayurveda Congress is Strengthening the Ayurveda
Ecosystem.
iii. There are three major components of the program this year:
Public Outreach session comprising of the Ayurveda Expo, the Ayurveda Clinics for the general
public and Public Lectures.
Influencing Policy and Promoting Science
6th Heart of Asia Ministerial Conference held in Amristar
The 6th Heart of Asia Ministerial Conference was jointly inaugurated by the Prime
Minister Narendra Modiand Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Amritsar, Punjab on December 4,
2016.
The theme for this years conference is Addressing Challenges, Achieving

Prosperity.
Sixth Ministerial Conference of the Heart of Asia Istanbul Process (HoA-IP) was
attended by 14 partner countries and more than 30 supporting countries and international
organisations.
The main focus of the conference was peace, cooperation and economic
development in Afghanistan.
Heart of Asia conference adopts Amritsar Declaration

The Sixth Ministerial Conference on Heart of Asia- Istanbul process of Afghanistan adopted
the Amritsar declaration, on December 4, 2016, which puts focus on the concerned countries to
address terrorism and enhancing regional economic cooperation.
Important Highlights of the Declaration
The declaration recognizes terrorism as the biggest threat to peace and security and
demands immediate end to all forms of terrorism and all kinds of financial and security
support given to terrorists.
The conference expressed concern over violence caused in Afghanistan and the region by
terrorists groups like Al Qaeda,Daesh, Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed and the
Haqqani Network.
The Amritsar declaration also demanded early Finalisation of the draft comprehensive
convention on international terrorism.
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The declaration states the welcoming of the agreements between the international
community and Afghanistan for continued financial support to the Afghanistan National
Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) until 2020.
The declaration welcomes the MOU on Jointly Building the Silk Road Economic Belt and
the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road between China and Afghanistan.
BRICS Heads of Revenue and Experts on Tax Matters, Meet held in Mumbai
The BRICS countries Heads of Revenue, namely the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Russian
Federation, the Republic of India, the Peoples Republic of China and the Republic of South Africa
held a meeting on December 5-6, 2016 in Mumbai.
The meeting aimed to discuss the potential areas of cooperation and exchange opinions and views
based on their existing commitment to openness, solidarity, equality, mutual understanding,
inclusiveness and mutually beneficial cooperation.
The BRICS Experts discussed matters such as:
i. Sharing of best practices in BRICS countries on improving compliance through non intrusive
means
ii. Progress and issues arising out of implementation of BEPS action point 13 relating to Country
by Country reporting and
iii. The Heads of Revenue expressed their continued support to all international initiatives towards
reaching a globally fair and universally transparent tax system.
PETROTECH 2016 Conference Inaugurated by PM Modi in New Delhi
PETROTECH-2016, the 12th International Oil & Gas Conference & Exhibition was held at
Pragati Maidan in New Delhi from December 4 to 7, 2016.
PETROTECH-2016 Exhibition
Minister of State (I/C) for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Dharmendra Pradhaninaugurated
the Petrotech 2016 Exhibition at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi on December 4, 2016.
The Petrotech -2016 Exhibition, one of the biggest oil & gas exhibitions was held with
participation of top oil & gas companies from across the world and nearly 600 exhibitors from
over 50 countries covering 15,000 square metres of exhibition area.
Exclusive pavilions were set up to showcase initiatives like Make in India and Renewable
Energy and several other focus areas of Government policy.
PETROTECH-2016 Conference
The Petrotech 2016 main Conference was inaugurated by Honble Prime Minister of
India, Shri Narendra Modi at Vigyan Bhawan on December 5, 2016.
Theme
of
the
conference: Hydrocarbons
to
fuel
the
future
Choices
&
Challenges.
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List of MoUs Signed
1.IOCL, BPCL and HPCL
The three Firms signed a pact to build Indias biggest oil refinery and mega petrochemical complex
at a cost of $30 billion on the west coast of India in the State of Maharashtra.
ii.The total capacity of the project will be 60-million tonne a year.
2.MoU between OIL and Technology Incubation Centre, IIT Guwahati
Under this MoU, Technology Incubation Centre (TIC), IIT-Guwahati will serve as an incubator for
mentoring start-ups set up under OIL Start-Up Initiative.
3.MoU between ONGC and IIT Mumbai: Under this MoU, IIT, Mumbai would support ONGCs
Start-Up Initiative,
4.MoU between ONGC and Halliburton: The MoU was signed for Production Enhancement
Contract in Kalol field in Gujarat.
5.MoU between ONGC and Schlumberger: The purpose of this MoU is for Production
Enhancement Contract in Geleki field in Assam.
6.MoU between IOCL and M/s Praj Industries Ltd: This MoU is Cost Sharing MoU between the
two firms to enable IOCL to set up 2G Ligno-Cellulosic Ethanol Plants which is biomass to
ethanol plant at Dahej, Gujarat with a capacity of 100 KL / day.
7.MoU between IOCL and M/s Praj Industries Ltd: This MoU is also a Cost Sharing MoU
between the two firms as IOCL is planning to set up a 2G Biomass to Ethanol plant at Panipat,
Haryana of 100 KL per day capacity.
8.MoU between BPCL and Institute of Chemical Technology: This MoU requires Institute of
Chemical Technology to Transfer Technology to enable BPCL to set up 2G Biomass Ethanol Biorefinery at Bina, M.P, with a capacity to process 400 tonnes/day of Biomass.
9.MoU between BPCL and M/s Praj Industries Ltd: This MoU requires M/s Praj Industries Ltd
to Transfer Technology to BPCL to enable the firm to set up 2G Biomass Ethanol Bio-refinery at
Bargarh, Odisha with a capacity to process 400 tonnes/day of Biomass. The plant is expected to be
commissioned in December, 2018.
10.MoU between HPCL and Department of Investment Promotion, Govt. of Punjab: This
MoU aims at setting 100 KL per day capacity Second Generation Ethanol plant by HPCL in Bhatinda,
Punjab.
11.MoU between HPCL and Institute of Chemical Technology: The purpose of this MoU is
technology tie-up to provide technology assistance for the proposed Second Generation Ethanol
plant at Bhatinda.
Apart from MoUs Books and knowledge papers were also launched on the concluding day of
PETROTECH-2016.
1.EYE ON INDIA ENERGY 2016.
Eye On India Energy 2016 report is produced in cooperation with MoP&NG, MEA, PetroFed, Invest
India, and FICCI which showcases policies like HELP, the opportunities of developing a gas-based
economy and the nations commitment to source 40% of its energy from non-fossil fuels.
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2.McKinneys Knowledge Paper
McKinney released a knowledge paper Transforming energy to transform India that highlights the
most potential energy scenario for India.
3.First 100 days by Ms. Shuva Raha
This is a book written by Ms. Shuva Raha on Mr Subir Rahas First 100 Days in ONGC, which were
drastic, sweeping and relentless.
4.Oil: Lighting up our lives by D.K. Taknet
The book Oil: Lighting up our lives focuses on discovery, development and uses of oil and its
availability that transformed the fate of nations.
Web Portal Launched
ONGC, OIL and IOCL also launched Web Portals under Start-Up India.
The India-UK Conference on Ease of Doing Business inaugurated in New Delhi
i. Two days meet of The India-UK Conference on Ease of Doing Business began at New Delhi on 8
December 2016.
ii. The conference was jointly inaugurated by Shri Ramesh Abhishek(Secretary, Department of
Industrial Policy and Promotion) , Sir Dominic Asquith(British High Commissioner).
iii. The conference will act as a platform for experts from both the country to meet and share best
practices that will increase and foster collaboration between the two countries.
iv. The conference will allow India to learn from the UK as UK ranks 7th in Doing Business Report,
2017 while India ranks 130th in the same ranking.
28th Edition of SIMCON 2016, chaired by I&B Minister, M. Venkaiah Naidu
i. The 28th State Information Ministers Conference (SIMCON), 2016, was organised by the
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting from December 9 to December 10, 2016 at Vigyan Bhawan,
New Delhi.
ii. The two day conference was chaired by Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Shri M.
Venkaiah Naidu.
iii. Aim: promote partnership among Centre and State, to discuss key issues in the films &
broadcasting sector and new initiatives undertaken in the information domain.
iv. Theme: Reform, Perform & Transform A New Dimension of Communication.
Laureates and Leaders Summit for Children Held in New Delhi
i. Kailash Satyarthi Childrens Foundation organized a Laureates and Leaders Summit for
Children from December 10 to 11 at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi which was inaugurated by
President Pranab Mukherjee.
ii. Aim: The summit aimed to fight against child labour, child slavery and violence against children
to build a strong moral platform for protecting children from violence, and bringing forward a world
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where children are free to be just children.
iii. Concluding the event, President Pranab Mukherjee launched a campaign named 100 Million
for 100 Million on December 11, 2016 involving participation of about 5000 children.Aim of the
campaign to deploy 100 million youth and children each for 100 million underprivileged
children across the world to end child labour, child slavery, violence against children
5th Edition of India-Arab partnership conference held in Muscat, Oman
i. The 5th India-Arab Partnership Conference was held on December 14-15 2016 in in Muscat,
Oman.
ii. The Conference was organized in collaboration with the Oman Foreign Ministry, Arab League
Secretariat, the Ministry of External Affairs in India, the General Union of Chambers of Commerce
and Industry in the Arab Countries (GUCCIAC) and Federation of the Arab Business (FAB).
iii. Theme of the conference: Partnership towards innovation and cooperation in IT.
Sixth Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development Held in New
Delhi
i. The sixth edition of Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development
(APMCHUD) was held in New Delhi from December 14-December 16, 2016.The conference was
inaugurated by Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu.
ii. Aim: The aim of the conference was to address issues ranging from crowded city centres to
peripheral expansion, metropolitan based urban population growth, megacities and urban corridors
among others.
iii. Theme of the conference: Emerging Urban Forms Policy Responses
and Government Structures.
6th BRICS Health Ministers Meeting concluded in New Delhi
The two-day 6th BRICS Health Ministers Meet was held from December 16- December 17, 2017
in New Delhi.The meeting was attended by the health delegates of BRICS nation-Brazil, Russia,
India, China, South Africa along with other Senior Officers of representative department.
Addressing the meeting, the Union Health Minister Shri J P Nadda highlighted
the gains made by India in healthcare sector. He said India has achieved substantial improvements
in human development index and impressive gains in health in the past several years.
Basic Features of the Conference
i. Health Minister stressed on adopting innovative strategies to resolve Non-Communicable
Diseases that pose danger to our country. A high level meeting on traditional medicinal knowledge
was also held.
ii. BRICS countries agreed to cooperate for combating mental disorders, including autism and
neuro-development disorders.
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iii. They agreed to enhance cooperation amongst the BRICS countries for capacity development
of human resources in public health and clinical medicine.
iv. The BRICS also agreed to adopt the TB cooperation plan to create a research consortium on
TB, HIV/AIDS and Malaria.
v. The 7thBRICS Health Ministers meeting and Meeting of Senior Health Officials will be held in
China in 2017.
The fifth edition of the Global Conference on Cyber Space (GCSS) to be hosted by India in
2017.
i. IT and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on December 20, 2016, informed that India has
been selected to host the fifth edition of the Global Conference on Cyber Space (GCSS) in
2017.
ii. The conference is likely to be held in last quarter of 2017. Over 100 countries are expected
to participate in it with ministerial level delegations.
iii. The opportunity to host the conference comes as a recognition to Indias emerging role as big
cyber power accelerated by Digital India which has gained international fame.
iv. GCCS will deliberate on issues related to promotion of cooperation in cyberspace, norms for
responsible behavior in cyberspace and to enhance cyber capacity building.
President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurates Indian History Congress in Kerala
i. The 77th Indian History Congress was inaugurated by President Pranab
Mukherjee at Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala on December 29, 2016 at the Kerala
University Golden Jubilee Auditorium at Kariavattom campus.
ii. Kerala Governor P Sathasivam was the chief guest of the function while Chief Minister Pinarayi
Vijayan launched the agenda of the History Congress by handing it over to the President.
iii .The three-day event which began on December 28 was held across 11 venues on the campus.
Education Minister of the state, C Ravindranath addressed the conluding function of the congress on
December 30.
iv. The President also gave away the Rajwade Award for the best historian.
24th National Childrens Science Congress inaugurated in Pune by Harsh Vardhan
i. The Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan inaugurated the 24thNational
Childrens Science Congress (NCSC) at Vidyapratisthans Institute of Information
Technology in Baramati, Pune on December 27, 2016.
ii .The five-day congress was jointly organised by Vidya Pratishthan and Environmental Forum
of India. It is organised every year.
iii. The focal theme for 2016 NCSC is Science, Technology and Innovation for Sustainable
Development, with special emphasis on Accessibility for Persons with Disability.
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4-Day World Bhojpuri Conference begins in Varanasi
i. The four-day World Bhojpuri Conference began in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh on December 29,
2016 and will continue till January 1, 2017. High Commissioner of Mauritius to India, Jagdishwar
Goburdhun informed that participants from over 18 countries are participating in the conference.
ii. The Conference has been organised at a private school in Badalalpur where a large number
of Bhojpuri speakers residing in different parts of the world will deliberate over culture, religion,
language and business among other issues.
iii. Aim: To strengthen the links of the people of Indian-origin, who once belonged to the
Bhojpuri-speaking belt in India and had migrated to different parts of the world.
iv. During the conference, a Bhojpuri Ratna award and World Bhojpuri Karmayogi
award will be conferred on over 25 people including Mauritius Prime Minister Anerood Jugnauth,
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, Chhattisgarh CM Raman
Singh, Jharkhand CM Raghubar Das, BJP MP and Bhojpuri actor Manoj Tiwari, Bollywod
actors Amitabh Bachchan and Shatrughan Sinha and other personalities.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh chairs Southern Zonal Council meet at Thiruvananthapuram
i. The 27th meeting of the Southern Zonal Council was chaired by the Union Home
Minister Shri Rajnath Singh at Thiruvananthapuram on December 28, 2016.
ii. The conclusion of the meeting marks the end of the three Zonal Councils (Eastern, Western and
Southern) meeting. The meetings of the remaining two Zonal Councils (Central and Northern) are
also expected to be held soon with the next meet to be held in Karnataka.
iii. The aim of the Zonal Councils is to provide a common meeting ground for the States
to promote and facilitate coordinated efforts for fostering economic and social development.
RANKING & REPORTS

IISc First Indian Institue to break into top 15 in Times varsity rankings of 2017
i. The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has become the first Indian institute to be placed in
the top 15 universities among top 300 universities in the latest Times Higher
Educations (THE) BRICS and Emerging Economies University Rankings 2017.
ii. With this India is the second-most represented country with 27 universities represented among
the top 300 universities.
Indian institutes in the top 100 rank include:
The Indian Institute of Science (IISc)
IIT Bombay
IIT Delhi and IIT Kanpur both ranked
IIT Madras
IIT Roorkee
IIT Kharagpur
Jadavpur University
14
26
32
35
62
71
99
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Hindi Among Top 10 Languages on Planet
i. Hindi language has been listed at the 10th position in the Power Language Index
Ranking by The World Economic Forum (WEF).
ii. English was placed at the 1st position and Mandarin at 2nd position followed by French
iii. The WEF also forecasted the list for the year 2050, in which Hindi climbing one spot up to be
placed at ninth spot.
India ranked 7 in the Global terrorism Index 2016
i. According to the Global Terrorism Index (GTI), 2016,released by a Sydney-based thinktank, Institute for Economics & Peace, India has been
ranked 7th among top 10 countries which were most impacted by
terrorism in 2015.The 2016 index features top 50 countries ranked
by the global terrorism index.
ii. India experienced about 797 terrorist attacks in 2015 which
1
2
3
4
5
Top 5
Iraq
Afghanistan
Nigeria
Pakistan
Syria
was almost 4% higher as compared to 2014. 80% of 2015 attacks were non-lethal (death causing
purpose). India recorded 289 terrorism-related deaths in 2015, which was 45 per cent less than in
2014.
9 Indian Companies listed in least empathetic companies in the world
The latest 2016 Empathy Global Index lists nine Indian companies at the bottom 10 among 170
companies of the world.None of the Indian companies were ever listed in the least empathetic
companies till date.
The list of Least Empathetic Companies of India
1.Bharat Petroleum
6.Larsen & Toubro
2.Sun Pharma
7.Indian Oil
3.ICICI Bank
11.State Bank of India
5.Bharti Airtel,
13.Reliance Industries
24.Aditya Birla Group
The List of top Most Empathetic Companies of the World

1.Facebook 2. Alphabet (Google) and 3.LinkedIn
PM Modi wins readers poll for TIMEs Person of the Year
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has won the Online Readers Poll for TIME Person of the
Year 2016, beating off other world leaders like US President-elect Donald Trump, incumbent US
leader Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
ii. Modi won with 18% of the vote when the poll closed midnight December 4, 2016, which was
significantly more than his closest contenders.
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iii. Obama, Trump and Wikileaks Founder Julian Assange, received 7% of the vote while Facebook
founder Mark Zuckerberg got 2% vote and US Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton got 4% vote.
Sachin and Binny Bansal co-Founders of Flipkart named Asians of the Year
i. Flipkart founders Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal have been chosen for the 2016 Asian of
the Year by Straits Times of Singapore as part of a group called the The Disruptors.
ii. The other names included in the disruptors group are the founders of Tencent, Go-Jek, Razer
and Grab.
Donald Trump Named as TIMEs Person of the Year 2016
i. US President elect Donald Trump was chosen as the TIMEs Person of the Year 2016on
December 7, 2016, for his outstanding victory in the US election.
ii. According to the Time magazines editors, the Republican president-elect had more global
impact, for better or worse, than any other individual across the past 12 months.
Alphabet Named Company of the year by Fortune
Google parent Company, Alphabet has been named as the Company Of The Year by Fortune
magazine in its annual Blue Ribbon ranking.
Blue Ribbon List
i. The list recognizes the best among the best companies that have been appeared on four or
more out of the seven Fortune lists including Fortune 500, Global 500, Best Companies to Work
For, Change the World list, Worlds Most Admired Companies, 100 Fastest-Growing Companies, and
Businessperson of the Year in a particular year.
ii. For the year 2016, Alphabet has topped the Blue Ribbon List by appearing on 5 of these lists.
1.Fortune 500: 36
2.Global 500: 94
3.Best Companies to Work For: 100
4.Businessperson of the Year: 100
Rank
2
3
4
5
Company
Gilead Sciences
Nike
Accenture
Amazon
Number of List
5
5
4
4
Michael Jordan Ranked Top among Highest Paid Athletes by Forbes

i. Michael Jordan, former basketball player, has been named as the highest-paid athlete of all
times by Forbes, with $1.7 billion total wealth.
ii. His overall salary over the 15 seasons was counted to
be $93 million, while the earning from endorsing
various brands also paid him huge sum.
iii. Jordan was paid about $100 million from Nike for
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
Name
Michael Jordan
Tiger Woods
Arnold Palmer
Jack Nicklaus
Michael Schumacher
endorsing the Jordan brand in 2016. Apart from this Jordan also endorsed Coca-Cola, Gatorade,
McDonalds, Hanes among others.
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Social Development Report Finds Disabled Children Miss Out Due to Lack of Support
Services
i. According to the Social Development Report (SDR) 2016, in India, 45 percent of Persons with
Disability (PWD) are illiterate.
ii. The theme of the report for 2016 is Disabilities Rights Perspectives
iii. The report revealed that 38 percent of PWD males were illiterate while 55 percent of
female PWD.Even in Kerala, which is known as a state associated with complete literacy, 33.1
percent of PWDs were illiterate.
iv. In India, Sikkim, Odisha, Jammu and Kashmir and Lakshadweep had the highest incidence of
disability, while Tamil Nadu, Assam and Delhi had the lowest proportions of the PWDs.
v. Kerala performed the worst in giving employment to the PWDs, with a non-worker rate of
74.52 per cent, worst than national average.
India Achieves 4th rank in Global Wind Power Installed Capacity Index
i. India has been ranked 4th in the Global Wind Power Installed Capacity index after China,
USA and Germany with cumulative installed wind power generation capacity of 28,279 MW in
2016.
ii. The Government is aiming to increase share of clean energy through massive development and
deployment of new and renewable energy in India to meet Energy security, Electricity
shortages, Energy access and Climate change among others.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj Named in Top 100 Global Thinkers 2016 list
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has been named among the top 100 global
thinker by the US based Foreign Policy magazine.
Swaraj was named in the Global Thinkers of 2016 List under the Decision-makers
category along with the Democratic nominee for US President Hillary Clinton, UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US Attorney
General Loretta Lynch among others.
She was favored for her Twitter diplomacyand evacuating Indians from Yemen as well
as helping to replace lost passports.
Apart from Swaraj, the magazine also listed the co-founders of Sampark
Foundation, Anupama Nayar and Vineet Nayar, under the the Moguls category for
transforming learning techniques in Schools.
Other Indians who were listed in the Global Thinkers Of 2016 List includes:
Nitesh Kadyan, Nikhil Kaushik, and Anirudh Sharma of Graviky Labs, which is an Indian firm
that uses polluted air to create art supplies were named under the Stewards
Category.Immunologist Gursaran Prasad Talwar was named under the Healers category for
the vaccine developedby him that could decrease leprosy rates by 65 per cent over three years.
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India Surpasses Saudi Arabia and Russia to become Fourth Largest Defence Spender
i. According to the 2016 Janes Defence Budgets Report, released by research firm IHS
Markit on December 12, 2016, India has become the fourth largest defence spender in the
world, after US, China, and the UK.
ii. India, which is Asias third-largest economy spent $50.6 billion in 2016, from previous $46.6
billion in 2015.
iii. The US, China, and the UK remained the top three defence spenders respectively.India was
followed by Saudi Arabia and Russia at fifth and sixth positions respectively. Russia, which was at
the fourth place in 2015, slipped to the sixth spot in 2016.
India Tops Asia, Third in the World as Innovation Destination
i. India has emerged as the tops most country in Asia for innovation while third biggest country
globally according to a research done by Capgemini Consultings Digital Transformation Institute in
collaboration with Fahrenheit 212 and in partnership with Brian Solis of Altimeter.
ii. The Silicon Valley of the east, Bengaluru, which is 5th largest hub at global level, saw most of
the innovations in 2016 including opening of 3 new centres between March and October 2016, apart
from setting up of startup accelerator by Apple.
iii. Jaipur, Pune and Hyderabad each experienced opening of two new centres. The four cities
accounts for 27% of Asias new innovation centres.
iv. 9 new innovation centres were opened in India in 2016, leading the total number of innovation
centres to 25.
v. The US leads the list of global innovators with 146 centres, followed by Britain with 29 and
India is at third place with 24 centres.
Indian Origin Apoorva Mehta, Vivek Ramaswamy Listed In Forbes List Of US Richest
Entrepreneurs Under 40
i. Two Indians have been listed in Forbes magazines second annual list of wealthiest entrepreneurs
under the age of 40.
ii. Vivek Ramaswamy, a successful biotech entrepreneur has been ranked 24th on Americas
Richest Entrepreneurs Under 40 2016 list having a networth of 600 milliondollars while Apoorva
Mehta stands at 31st spot with a 360 million dollars networth.
iii. Ramaswamy, 31, a Harvard University and Yale School of Management alumnus, is in the
biotech business along with deals and drug development plans.
iv. Apoorva Mehta after engineering from University of Waterloo worked at Blackberry, Qualcomm,
and then Amazon. In 2012, he cofounded Instacart, a grocery delivery service that partners with
grocery chains.
v. The list has been topped by Zuckerberg, whose Facebook shares and net worth is now worth
USD 50 billion.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ranks among Forbes Top 10 Worlds Most Powerful People
Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi has been ranked among the top 10 most powerful
people in the world by Forbes. Modi ranked 9th on the Forbes list of 74 Most Powerful People in
the World. Forbes said that Indias populist prime minister is hugely popular in his country of 1.3
billion people.
Top 5 Most Popular People List
Rank
Name
Country
Vladimir Putin
Russia
Donald Trump
United States
Angela Merkel
Germany
Xi Jinping
China
Pope Francis
Roman Catholic Church
Gujarat-born activist, Jayaben Desai on BBCs most influential women of the past 70
years list
i. Jayaben Desai, a Gujarat-born activist, who led a campaign against low pay for women workers
at a UK factory in the 1970s, has been named in the BBCs most influential women of the past
70 years list which was released on December 14, 2016.
ii. She was a prominent leader of the two-year industrial dispute against the Grunwick Film
Processing Laboratories in North London in 1976.
iii. The seven women list was topped by Margaret Thatcher, Britains first female Prime Minister.
iv. The seven women listed was chosen to mark the 70th anniversary of BBC Radio 4
Womans Hour.
Amazon India Report Indicates Delhi as most well-read city in India.
i. As per a survey conducted by Amazon India the national capital, Delhi, has emerged as the
most well-read city in India for the fourth consecutive year followed by Bengaluru and
Mumbai taking the second and third spot, respectively.
ii. According to the Annual Reading Trends Report for 2016 conducted by Amazon.in, Karnal,
Vadodara and Patna are first-time entrants in the Top 20 list having bought more books than
cities like Coimbatore, Visakhapatnam and Lucknow in 2016.
iii. Among the most sold books, Chetan Bhagats One Indian Girl emerged as the highest selling
book of 2016 followed by JK Rowlings Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts I and
II. The third spot was taken by exam preparation book Word Power Made Easy written by
Norman Lewis.
Global Wage Report shows India to be among the worst levels of gender wage disparity
According to the Global Wage Report 2016-17 released by the International Labour
Organisation (ILO), India is among one of the Worlds worst gender gaps in wages.The
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report showed that men earned more than women in similar jobs, with the gap exceeding 30
percent. Women are paid 33% less than men in hourly wages in India.
Important points of the report
The report showed that, in India, women represented 63 percent of the lowest paid wage
labor while only 15 percent of the highest wage-earners were female.
Not only were women paid less with wide gender gap at bottom level but there were
fewer women in highly paid occupations.
Among the major economies, Singapore had among the lowest, at 3 per cent
while South Korea fared worse than India, with a gap of 37 per cent.
The report also found that the share of women among wage earners was among
the lowest in South Asia. Compared to a global average of 40 per cent, and an AsiaPacific average of 38 per cent, in South Asia (whose dominant economy is India), only 20
per cent of wage earners were women.
Based on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and

Development (OECD) studies, the report found that strong labour market
institutions and policies such as collective bargaining and minimum
wages lowered the pay gap.
The gender pay gap was found to be smallest (8 per cent) in the group of countries where
the collective bargaining rate is at least 80 per cent, and widest in countries with weak
collective bargaining and no or very low minimum wages.
In India, in the area of high income inequality, the top one percent earned 33
times what the bottom 10 per cent did. The top 10 per cent also earned 43 per
cent of all wages.
However, the report also highlighted a positive aspect that average wages
grew by 60% in India since 2006 and wage inequality decreased. The average wage
more than doubled in China in last decade.
Salman Khan Ranks Top in 2016 Forbes India Celebrity 100 List
i. Based on the 2016 Forbes India Celebrity 100 list released by Forbes, Salman Khan has
bagged the top position in the coveted list leaving behind Shah
Rukh Khan at second place. Player Virat Kohli was placed third.
ii. The ranking was based on two parameters: estimates of
entertainment related earnings and estimates of fame. The
period under consideration was 1 October 2015 to 30
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
Name
Salman Khan
Shah Rukh Khan
Virat Kohli
Akshay Kumar
M.S Dhoni
September 2016.
Report Finds Tribal Community to Lag in Various Social Parameters than other Groups
According to latest released annual report of the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs, the tribal
population in India lags behind other social groups on various social parameters such as child
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mortality and infant mortality and womens health, education, poverty etc.
Findings of the Report
i .As per the report a vast majority of tribal population is engaged in agricultural labour and women
face higher incidence of Anaemia when compared to other social groups.
ii. The community also had the highest child mortality and infant mortality rates, when
compared to other social groups.
iii. Though the educational achievements on the whole has improved but the data showed that
the gross enrolment ratio among tribal students in the primary school level has declined from 113.2
in 2013-14 to 109.4 in 2015-16 along with high dropout rate.
iv. The overall poverty rates among the tribal population was found to be low when compared to
previous years but still they remained relatively poorer when weighed against other social groups.
v. The report found that the health infrastructure experienced vast shortage in tribal areas. At an
all-India level, there is a shortfall of 6,796 Sub Centres, 1267 Primary Health Centres and 309
Community Health Centres in tribal areas as on March 31, 2015.
BANKING & FINANCE

Yes Bank launches new product SIMsePAY for money transfer through feature phones
i. Private sector lender Yes Bank has launched a new digital transaction service through mobile
phones named SIMsePAY, that allows any account holder to do money transfers, pay utility bills
and other mobile banking services, without the need for smart phones or internet.
ii. The technology is based on wafer-thin sticker attached to any SIM card of a telecom provider
that sources information from a co-branded prepaid wallet linked to it.
iii. The service is based on a sim-sleeve technology, in association with Taisys Technologies,
who holds global patent for the same, and has implemented the same successfully in other
countries including Kenya and China.
The Competition Commission of India approves SBI-Bharatiya Mahila Bank Merger
i. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the merger of Bharatiya Mahila
Bank Ltd (BMBL) with the countrys largest lender State Bank of India.
ii. The SBI board in August confirmed the merger of Bharatiya Mahila Bank Ltd (BMBL) and that of
five associate lenders with itself.
iii. The merger is in the form of an amalgamation where the business of BMBL, including its
assets and liabilities, will be acquired by the SBI.
iv. After the merger of the six entities, including BMBL with SBI, about Rs 8 lakh crore(about
$120 billion) would be added to SBIs assets. The banking organisation will have a network of more
than 24,000 branches, 2,70,000 employees and total assets of Rs 30 lakh crore.
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RBL Bank Launches Aadhaar Payment Bridge System for cashless loan disbursements
i. Maharashtra based private sector lender RBL Bank has launched Aadhaar Payment Bridge
System (APBS) on November 30, 2016, for small ticket micro-finance loan disbursements.
ii. According to bank Head Rajeev Ahuja, it is the first bank to launch the APBS on its platform to
implement the governments idea of digital banking.
iii. APBS system aims towards cashless loan disbursements, which otherwise is dominated by
physical cash.
Indias GDP Rises 7.3% in Q2 FY17 : CSO
i. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Indian economy has grown at the rate of 7.3% in the
second quarter of 2016-2017, which is up from the 7.1% recorded in the previous three months.
ii. The GDP was 7.6% in the second quarter of last fiscal.
iii. The Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
estimated the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the second quarter (July-September) of 2016-17.
iv. The improvement in performance is due to improved performance of manufacturing, services
and trade sectors.
India projected to grow 7.6 per cent in 2017: UN report
i. According to a UN report, Indias economy is slowly gaining momentum and is projected to
grow by 7.3 per cent in 2017.
ii. According to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the
Pacifics (ESCAP) year-end Report Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific
2016, which was released on December 1, 2016
iii. Indias economic growth is expected to remain at 7.6 per cent in 2017 as investment regains
momentum and the manufacturing base strengthens on the back of structural reforms.
Federal Bank ties up with Spice Digital
i. Kochi based Federal Bank has tied up with Spice Digital for cash management services through
the banks e-collection facility.
ii. From now Spice Digital can remit its cash collection at the Federal Bank branches.
iii. This helps the outlets to get replenished its running limits on the spot enabling them to continue
to serve the customers hassle-free.
Aditya Birla Financial Services Group launches health insurance arm
i. Aditya Birla Financial Services Group (ABFSG) launched new insurance arm under Aditya Birla
Health Insurance (ABHICL)
ii. Aim: To be the most preferred customer partner by 2020
iii.The health insurer has two type of insurance
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1.Retail offering with multiple variations catering to different needs,
2.Fixed benefit retail product
RBI extends deadline for deployment of Aadhaar based PoS terminals till June of next
year
i. The Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has been decided to extend the time for deployment of Aadhaarenabled devices till June 30, 2017.
ii. The time was extended by six months because of the rate of deployment of acceptance
infrastructure has slowed down owing to the mismatch between demand and supply of such
Aadhaar-enabled devices.
iii. RBI had informed that Aadhaar enabled PoS terminals were to be mandatorily installed
by January, 2017
DCB Bank Launches Cippy Wallet for Online Transaction
i. Private sector lender DCB Bank launched its own mobile and tab based digital wallet Cippy
Wallet app on December 2, 2016 in New Delhi to encourage consumers to experience cash free
purchases from the mobile phone for day-to-day needs.
ii. The app offers a Split-Bill feature which anables any payment made using Cippy Wallet or
other modes such as card or cash can be easily split between users to share it with friends and
family with a single click on the mobile phone.
RBI to Issue new Rs. 20 and Rs. 50 notes Soon
i. The Reserve Bank of India made an announcement on December 4, 2016 that it will shortly
issue new Rs 50 and Rs 20 notes bearing the signature of new Governor Urjit Patel, however,
existing banknotes of both denominations will continue to be legal tender.
ii. The year 2016 will be printed on the reverse of the banknotes.
iii. The new Rs 50 notes wont have inset letters in the number panels and the new Rs 20
notes will have the inset letter L in both the number panels.
MSS Limit Raised To Rs. 6 Lakh Crore To Manage Liquidity
i. In order to manage the extra liquidity from the system after the demonetisation, government and
the Reserve Bank of India has sharply raised the Market Stabilisation Scheme (MSS) ceiling
to Rs. 6 lakh crore from Rs. 30,000 crore on December 2, 2016.
ii. MSS Bonds issued by the government are aimed at providing the central bank with a stock of
securities to intervene in the market for managing liquidity. Money raised via these bonds are not
used for government spending and are sequestered and maintained in a separate account.
iii. The RBI also auctioned the 28-day Cash Management Bills (CMB) of Government of India
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worth Rs. 20,000 crore using Multiple Price Auction method. CMBs will have the generic
character of Treasury Bills.
Centre to Implement Public Financial Management System to Cut Cost
i. The Central Government is planning for the speedy implementation of Public Financial
Management System (PFMS) in the country.
ii. There are about Rs.1-1.5 lakh crore of idle funds lying with the government.
iii. The system will enable the government to monitor and access the more than Rs.1 lakh crore of
idle funds lying with it under various heads.
iv. This will save the government from borrowing money from external source thus saving interest
costs of at least Rs.7,000 crore at 7% interest.
India crosses $300 billion FDI, becomes safe investment destination
i. India has achieved the status of being a safe and dynamic investment destination in the
world after it crossed the $ 300 billion Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) between April 2000
and September 2016
ii. 33% of the FDI came through the Mauritius route, because the investors wanted to take
advantage of Indias double taxation avoidance treaty with the island nation.
iii. India received $101.76 billion from Mauritius between April 2000 and September 2016. The
cumulative FDI inflows during the period amounted to $310.26 billion.
iv. According to data compiled by the Department of Industrial Policyand Promotion, the
inflows in the first half of the FY17 was $21.62 billion.
v. The other big investors have been from Singapore, the US, UK and the Netherlands.
MMTC to tie-up with SBI to sell govt minted Indian Gold Coin
i. Indias largest public sector trading body MMTC(Metals and Minerals Trading Corporation )
tie-up with the State Bank of India (SBI) to sell government-minted Indian Gold Coin(24
Karat)which will be available in denominations of 5gm, 10gm and 20 gm bar.
ii. It has set a target of selling 5 lakhs units in the next few years under Gold Monetisation Scheme
which was launched in 2015 by PM Modi
iii. The coin will be manufactured by Security Printing and Minting Corp and it is made from the
yellow metal under Gold Monetisation Scheme of the Central government.
Yes Bank Partners Ola To Set Up 30 Mobile ATMs In 10 Cities
i. Maharashtra based Yes Bank has partnered with Indias smartest cab service Ola to set
up mobile ATMs across 30 locations across 10 cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore,
Chennai, Pune, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Jaipur.
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ii. The Point of Sale (PoS) enabled ATMs will be stationed in Ola cabs from where customers of any
bank can withdraw up to Rs 2,000 per card.
RBI Authorize RXIL for 1st trade receivables exchange platform
i.The Reserve Bank of India, on December 1, 2016, authorised the Receivables Exchange of
India (RXIL), promoted by SIDBI and NSE, to launch the countrys first trade receivables
exchange platform, TReDS, for MSMEs, buyers and financiers.
ii. The trade receivables discounting systems (TReDS), an automated system driven platform
is expected to benefit MSMEs by facilitating them to auction their trade receivables at competitive
market rates through transparent bidding process on the platform by multiple financiers.
iii. The TReDS will be the first attempt in the country to introduce factoring without recourse and
will help not only in quick realisation of receivables but also in appropriate price discovery.
iv. Promoted by SIDBI, the apex financial institution for promotion and financing of MSMEs and the
National Stock Exchange,RXILhas SBI, ICICI Bank, Yes Bank, SBI Caps, and ICIC Securities as
other investors.
HDFC Life launched two micro insurance products, Jeevan Suraksha and Credit Suraksha
i. Life insurance provider HDFC Life has launched two micro-insurance scheme named Jeevan
Suraksha and Credit Suraksha to provide financial security to its customers
ii. Aim : To address the needs of the Employees of Micro Finance Institutions, Co-operatives and
Members / Employees of other homogenous groups to provide financial security at a nominal cost
in the event of unfortunate death of a Member / Employee.
iii. Jeevan Suraksha :
It will provides insurance cover maximum 2 lakhs against untimely death.
3 premium payment options Yearly renewable, Single pay & Regular pay.
iv. Credit Suraksha :
It will provides insurance protection against outstanding loan liability up to Rs 2 lakhs in the
event of untimely demise of the insured member.
5% discount on premium of the younger life assured.
Vijayawada Parliamentary constituency becomes first to have health insurance for all
i. AP government with Tata Trusts has launched a health insurance scheme, Swatha
Kutumbam in Vijayawada which became Indias first constituency to have health insurance for all
people include new born for a year from December 1, 2016 to November 30, 2017.
ii. Under this insurance scheme every individual has to pay Rs 1 per day or Rs 120 per month per
family as premium.
iii. It covered medicines, diagnostics, and post-surgery care will be covered.
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RBI announces its first policy review post-demonetisation
The RBI Governor Urjit Patel led six-member MonetaryPolicy Committee (MPC) on December
7, 2016, announced the fifth bi-monthly monetary policy statement of 2016-2017, which is
also the first policy after the implementation of the demonetization decision of Government.
Major highlights of the RBI Monetary Policy Statement
1.Repo rate remained unchanged at 6.25%
2.Reverse Repo at 5.75%
3.Cash reserve ratio or CRR unchanged at 4%
4.Due to demonetization, the central bank has lowered the GDP growth forecast from 7.6 per
cent to 7.1 per cent for the current fiscal.Inflation target remains 5 percent for March 2017 with
risks tilted to the upside.
5.Demonetisation to lower prices of perishables and could reduce inflation by 10-15 basis points
by December.
6.It may also interrupt some part of industrial activity in November-December due to delays in
payments of wages and purchases of inputs.
7.Demonetisation to result in short-run disruptions in cash-intensive sectors like retail trade, hotels,
restaurants and transportation, and the unorganised sector.
8.RBI has also withdrawn 100 per cent incremental Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) from December 10,
that would allow banks to retain the deposits coming to them as part of demonetisation.
9.The central bank also said that almost Rs 12 lakh crore out of total Rs 14.5 lakh crore in scrapped
notes have already been deposited in banks.
10.Crude price volatility, surge in financial market turbulence could put March end inflation
target at risk
11.Foreign exchange reserve was raised to USD 364 billion on December 2.
12.RBI injected Rs 1.1 lakh crore liquidity through OMO purchases this fiscal year.
13.Next monetary policy to be reviewed on February 8, 2017.
Bank to Bear Full Liability of Authentication Breach
In order to protect the customer from any breach of identity, RBI has notified the banks that
the banks and authorised card networks offering such authentication solutions will bear the
full liability in case of any security breach or compromise in the authorised card network.
RBI says Bank will have to bear full liability in case of online security breach
i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has relaxed the Additional Factor Authentication(AFA)
norms for online transactions up to Rs. 2,000 to save time transaction time of customers and also
promote governments digital payment program.
ii. However, RBI has also notified that the banks will have to bear the full liability in case of any
security breach in the authorised card network information.
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iii. To avail the AFA facility, banks which will issue the cards will also offer the payment
authentication solutions of the respective card networks to the customers on an optional basis.
Paytm launched Toll Free Number 180018001234 for Transactions Without Internet
connection
i. Indian e-commerce website Paytm launched its toll-free number 180018001234 to enable
transaction through mobile phones without an internet connection on December 7, 2016.
ii. Customers can use basic mobile phones to transact money using this service, before that they
need to register with Paytm their mobile number and set a four digit paytm PIN.
iii. Paytm is one of the 11 entities have obtained payment bank license from RBI in August
2015.Ahead of the launch of its Payments Bank, merging One97 Communications owns wallet
business with payments bank operation.
100 banks join National Financial Switch network as direct members
i. 100 banks have joined the National Financial Switch (NFS) network as direct members
established ATM networks, now NFS network comprise of 745 members said by Maharashtra
based National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) on December 7, 2016
ii. The network has established 2,30,000 ATMs till date.
BSEs INDIAINx Ties Up With DGCX
i. INDIAINx has signed an agreement with largest Rupee-Dollar (INR-USD) market Dubai Gold
and Commodity Exchange (DGCX) on December 6, 2016 to reach out to the global traders in a
wide range of products including the trading in INR-USD contract.
ii. India International Exchange being set up by the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on January 9
during Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit-2017.
iii. INDIAINx will offer derivative exchange in rupee-dollar contracts, products on gold, silver,
copper and crude oil such as the West Texas Intermediate and Brent contracts, two of the leading
contracts in oil trading.
Mahila E-haat ties up with India Post, State Bank of India for Wider Payment Option
i. The Women and Child Development Ministry has tied up with India Post and State Bank of
India to offer more payment options to buyers and simplify shipping of products bought
from Mahila E-haat.
ii. SBI users can use various options for making payments such as draft, cheque, e-banking and ewallet through SBI Buddy application while SBI customers abroad can make use of SBI
Global.
iii. One can also take the advantage of options like general insurance for insuring the item being
couriered.
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Two Banks of Abu Dhabi to Merge as the Biggest Bank in Gulf Nation
i. Stockholders of the National Bank of Abu Dhabi and First Gulf Bank on December 7, 2016,
approved to merge into the biggest bank of all Gulf Countries with an asset of $ 178 billion.
ii. After the merger the combined company will be named as NBAD.
iii. The FGB shareholders will receive 1.254 NBAD shares for each FGB share they hold and FGB
stockholders will own 52% of the new bank.
iv. According to Moody, this merger would make the new NBAD the largest bank across Gulf Arab
nations, with some $170 billion in assets.
Coverfox inks pact with Uber for car insurance
i. An online insurance broking portal Coverfox.com has inked an partnership with Uber in India to
facilitate car insurance solutions for the latters driver partners on December 8, 2016
ii. Under this partnership, Coverfox car insurance services will be available to Uber cars
across 11 cities in India includes Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Pune,
Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kochi, Guwahati and Coimbatore.
iii. The insurance cover is offered as part of UberCLUBs rewards programme.
iv. Recently Uber launches app UberFLEET to help drivers achieve maximum performance and run
fleets more efficiently
NABARD to spend Rs 228 Crore to encourage digital transaction in rural area
i. To promote digital transaction in rural areas of the country, National Bank for Agriculture and
Rural Development (NABARD) made an announcement on December 8, 2016 to provide
monetary support of Rs 228 Crore to the responsible banks to install PoS Machines and EMV based
Debit Cards for Farmers.
ii. The move is aimed at encouraging rural India to moe towards cashless payment systems
iii. Nabard will grant a support of Rs. 120 Crore to banks for deployment of two Point of Sales
(PoS) devices per village in one lakh villages having a population of up to 10,000.
iv. Besides, Nabard will provide Rs 108 crore to Rural Regional Banks and Cooperative Banks to
issue enable the EMV chip and PIN-based RuPay Kisan Cards to about 4.32 lakh farmers who are
already on Rupay Kisan Cedit Card platform to enable them in carrying out digital transaction.
Viola Desmond Becomes First Canadian Woman to be Featured on Banknote
i. Civil rights activist Viola Desmond has emerged as the first Canadian Woman to be featured on
the nations $ 10 Currency note.
ii. Canadas Governor Stephen S. Poloz, Minister of Finance Bill Morneau and Minister of Status of
Women Patty Hajdu on December 8, 2016, made the announcement at theCanadian Museum of
History in Gatineau, Que.
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iii. She would replace Canadas first Prime Minister, Sir John A Macdonald, on the $10 bill coming
into effect in 2018.
Government to Introduce Plastic Currency Notes
i. Government on December 9, 2016, informed the Parliament about its decision to print plastic
currency notes for which the process of procurement of material has been initiated.
ii. The introduction of plastic notes has been decided by Reserve Bank of India quite long before
for which it had also launched field trials.
iii .In February 2014, the government informed about introduction of one billion plastic notes of Rs
10 denomination for field trial in five cities. The selected cities were Kochi, Mysore, Jaipur,
Shimla and Bhubaneswar.
iv. Plastic notes were first introduced in Australia.Plastic notes have an average life span of about
five years and are difficult to imitate, while currency notes made of plastic are cleaner than paper
ones.
Currency Worth Rs 4.27 lakh crore issued post demonetization: RBI
i. The Reserve Bank of India made an announcement on December 9, 2016 that the currency
notes worth over Rs 4.27 lakh crore have been issued to public through banks and ATMs after the
demonetisation Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes.
ii. The Apex Court also announced that about Rs.11.85 lakh crore demonetized notes have
already been returned in the banking system.
iii. The central bank will shortly issue Rs 500 denomination banknotes in the Mahatma Gandhi
(New) Series, without any inset letter, bearing signature of Governor Urjit R Patel.
UBI adopts two villages in Tripura to implement schemes in line of digital India
programme
i. Kolkata based United Bank of India has adopted Patunagar and Sachindranagar Colony in
the state of Tripura to implement schemes in the line of digital India program.UBI will make
necessary steps to change the villages into truly cashless villages.
ii. To implement this initiative, the bank has begun campaign to empower villagers to use various
mobile applications like Mobile banking, United UPI, e-Passbook etc to facilitate their everyday
banking operations.
LIC MF & Standard Chartered Bank to Partner for UPI
i. LIC Mutual Fund Asset Management Company on December 12, 2016, announced its
readiness on Unified Payment Interface (UPI) in partnership with Standard Chartered
Bank as mode of payment for its investors to invest in its schemes.
ii. UPI is a payment mechanism which allows instant money transfer without bank details.
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Instead of bank account number and IFSC code, the virtual payment address is used to pay
through the UPI.
Yes Bank ties with Grofers to deliver cash at doorstep
i. Yes Bank has tied-up with e-grocer Grofers to deliver cash at doorstep, allowing customers to
get cash of up to Rs 2,000 when they order grocery online.
ii. The cash delivery service started operating from December 12, 2016, to all customers of bank
across Mumbai, Gurgaon and Bengaluru. Other cities will be added to the list gradually.
iii. Customers who wish to get the money will have to buy grocery of minimum of Rs 2,000 and
pair it with a special code.
Venezuela bans 100 bolivars banknote to fight black money
i. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has signed an emergency order to ban countrys largest
banknote 100 bolivars banknote to be taken out of circulation in the next 72 hours
ii. The decision was taken by Venezuelan government to fight smuggling and food scarcity
iii. Venezuela also shutting down its western border with Colombia for 72 hours in order to combat
currency smuggling
ADB Trims 2016 Indias Growth Estimate to 7%
i. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) lowered the 2016 growth estimate for India to 7 per
cent from the previous 7.4 per cent on December 13, 2016, due to demonetisation, weak
investment and agricultural slowdown. However, Indias growth forecast for 2017 remained
unchanged at 7.8 per cent.
ii. Besides, ADB also downgraded 2016 growth for Asia to 5.6 per cent, from the previous 5.7
per cent while for 2017, growth was kept same at 5.7 per cent
iii. The growth estimate for Southeast Asia was kept at 4.5 percent for 2016 and 4.6 percent in
2017
iv. Chinas was projected to grow 6.6 per cent in 2016 and 6.4 per cent in 2017
India and IBRD signs Grant Agreement for Additional Financing in MSME Project.
i. India on December 13, 2016, signed a Grant Agreement of USD 5.19
million with International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) for Additional
Financing for Financing Energy Efficiency at MSMEs Project- Programmatic Framework for Energy
Efficiency.
ii. The agreement was signed by Raj Kumar, Joint Secretary at Department of Economic Affairs on
behalf of the Union Government and Junaid Ali Ahmad, Country Director of World Bank (India) on
behalf of IBRD.
iii. The agreement signed was a part of the parent project India: Financing Energy Efficiency
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at MSME Project (FEEMP) that was initiated from September 29, 2010 with Grant amount of US$
11.3 million.
India, ASEAN set target of $100 billion trade to be achieved by 2020
i. India and ASEAN have set a target of trading at 100 billion dollar to be achieved
by 2020 while current trading between India and ASEAN is 57 billion dollars.
ii. It was announced by Mr. AKP Mochtan,the Deputy Secretary-General, ASEAN ahead of its 25th
anniversary in 2017
iii. India and ASEAN countries are planning to enhance people to people contact.
Number of E-Governance transaction in India crosses 1000 crore in 2016
i. The Electronics and IT Ministry, on December 16, 2016, informed that electronic transactions
for availing government service increased by 33 per cent in 2016, crossing over Rs. 1000 crore.
ii. It indicates the adoption of digital medium of transaction by the citizens for easy and
convenient method of consuming e-Governance services and also indicates the speed
of digital transformation in the Government.
iii. The data was based on the information by ETaal, the web portal for circulating the information
about e-Transactions statistics of National and State level e-Governance Projects, indicated the
total number of e-Governance transactions in India for the year 2016 has crossed 1000 crores.
iv. The top five States that contributed to the e-Transactions in 2016 are Telangana, Gujarat,
Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
RBI Slashes Charges on Debit Card Payment and MDR to Boost Digital Transaction
i. To encourage digital transactions, the Reserve Bank on December 16, 2016, has announced
several measures that would come into effect from January 1 to March 31, 2017.
ii. RBI has directed the banks to cut MDR charges on payments made through debit card. The
Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) for debit card payments, including for payments made to
government, will be capped at 0.25 per cent for transactions up to Rs 1,000 and 0.5 per
cent between Rs 1,000-2,000.
iii. The existing MDR cap is 0.75 per cent for transactions up to Rs 2,000 and 1 per cent for over Rs
2,000. However, there is no RBI cap on MDR on credit card payments.
iv. RBI has also asked banks and prepaid payment instrument issuers not to levy any charges for
transactions up to Rs 1,000 using Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), USSD-based *99# and
Unified Payment Interface (UPI) systems from January 1 to March 31, 2017.However, these
measures will not apply to ATM transactions.
RBI Imposes Restriction on Withdrawal and Deposit in Certain Bank Account
i. The Reserve Bank of India has imposed certain restriction on deposits and withdrawal made
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after November 9 to stop the misuse of banking channels to deposit unaccounted money.
ii. RBI on December 15, 2016, imposed restrictions on withdrawal & deposit if more than Rs 2
lakh has been deposited after November 9 in an account which has a balance of over Rs 5 lakh.
iii. As per a RBI notification, withdrawal or transfer of funds will not be permitted in accounts
without giving PAN number or submission of Form 60 for those persons who do not have PAN.
iv. Besides, the RBI said the monthly limit for withdrawal and transfer from a small accountwill
remain Rs 10,000. Basic Savings Bank Deposit Accounts which are not KYC compliant accounts will
be treated as small accounts.
RBI to Shortly Issue Rs. 500 Banknote in New Series
i. The Reserve Bank of India on December 19, 2016, announced that it is issuing a new batch
of Rs 500 notes in Mahatma Gandhi (New) series with the inset letter R in both the number
panels bearing the signature of Dr Urjit R Patel Governor, Reserve Bank of India, with the year of
printing 2016.
ii. Earlier, the Reserve Bank had also informed to issue Rs 500 notes in Mahatma Gandhi (New)
series with the inset letter E having star mark in both the number panels and Swachh Bharat
logo printed on the reverse of the banknote.
Bank of Baroda, First Indian Company to Support FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017
i. Bank of Baroda has become the first Indian company to sign up as a National Supporter for the
FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017, which will be held from 6 to 28 October 2017.
ii. This will be the first time that India will be hosting FIFA international football competition. FIFA
U-17 World Cup India 2017 will see participation from 24 countries including India and matches will
be played at six different venues.
iii. With the signing of the agreement, Bank of Baroda has claimed the first out of six National
Supporter slots for the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017. The tournament FIFA will be signing 5
more national supporters ahead of the tournament.
BRICS bank approves USD 75 million loan for Shanghai Solar Power Project
i. The New Development Bank, jointly found by the BRICS countries approved USD 75
million (525 million yuan) loan for a solar power project in Shanghai, China on December 20,
2016.
ii. The power project Shanghai Lingang Distributed Solar Power Project is being developed
by Shanghai Lingang Hongbo New Energy Development Co.
iii. The loan with a maturity period of 17 years was approved under an agreement signed
between New Development Bank (NDB), the Ministry of Finance and the Shanghai municipal
government.
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Centre extends time period for farm loan dues by 60 days
i. The Union Government on December 19, 2016, decided to provide additional grace period
of 60 days to farmers, whose crop loan dues fall between November 1 and December 31,
2016.
ii. This decision was taken in view of constraints faced by the farming community in repayment of
loans due to demonetization of high value notes.
iii. If such farmers repay the loan within 60 days with effect from the date on which the repayment
was due, they will be eligible for prompt repayment incentives.
iv. The prompt payee farmers can avail short term crop loans at 4% per annum. This prompt
repayment incentive however does not accrue to those farmers who repay after one year of availing
such loans.
v. The Union Government provides crop loans at 7% per annum to provide stimulation to rural
sector and farming community. The added incentive of 3% per annum is provided to farmers for
prompt repayment of loans within due date and upto a maximum period of one year.
Government reduces transaction fee on IMPS, NEFT transfer of over Rs 1,000
i. The Finance Ministry on December 21, 2016 directed the state-owned banks to reduce fees on
payments made through Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) and Unified Payments
Interface (UPI) in order to further promote digital and card payments.
ii. Transaction fee on these payment modes would be restricted to the extent that is applicable for
NEFT fund transfer of over Rs 1,000. This direction will apply for all transactions made up to March
31, 2017.
iii. As per RBI norms, NEFT transfers of up to Rs 10,000 charge Rs 2.5 fee. From Rs 10,000-1 lakh
the fee is Rs 5; on Rs 1-2 lakh it is Rs 15, and beyond Rs 2 lakh it is Rs 25. Service tax is charged
in addition to this.
iv. For Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) transactions above Rs 1,000 a
further discount of 50 paise on these rates shall apply. The USSD fee is Rs 1.50, which has been
waived till December 30, 2016.
RBI imposes penalty on 5 foreign banks for violating FEMA rules
i. The Reserve Bank of India imposed penalty on five foreign banks on December 21, 2016, for
violating the instructions of RBI on reporting requirements of the Foreign Exchange
Management Act, 1999 (FEMA).
ii. The bank including Deutsche Bank has been imposed a fine of Rs. 20,000 while other banks
including Standard Chartered Bank, Bank of America, Bank of Tokyo
Mitsubishi and The Royal Bank of Scotland have been fined Rs. 10,000 each.
iii. The penalties have been imposed by RBI by exercising its powers under the provisions
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of Section 11(3) of FEMA 1999, taking into account, the violations of the
instructions/directions/guidelines issued by the Reserve Bank of India, from time to time.
ICICI Bank Launches EazyPay app for Merchants
i. ICICI Bank has launched a mobile application, eazypay, for merchants, which includes all
modes of payments, including digital wallets, Unified Payments Interface (UPI), QR code, and credit
& debit cards.
ii. The app is first of its kind that introduces an all-in-one acceptance platform for merchants.
Eazypay is a one-stop solution for all merchants to collect payments from their customers.
Allahabad Bank Merges its subsidiary AllBank Finance with Itself
i. Public sector Allahabad Bank has merged its wholly owned subsidiary AllBank
Finance(ABFL) with itself on December 23, 2016.
ii. The merger was finalized at the Board of Directors meeting who gave the in-principle approval
for merger of loss making AllBank Finance with the bank.
RBI opens banking ombudsman office in Dehradun
i. Indias central banking institution, Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has opened its 17th banking
ombudsman office in Dehradun, Uttarakhand on December 23, 2016.It is the third such office in
North India after Kanpur and Chandigarh.
ii. RBI also announced that ombudsman office opens in Ranchi, Jharkhand on the same day.
iii. With this, the total number of RBI ombudsman offices have increased to 18 in India.
SBI adopts a village Shirki in Maharashtra to make it cashless
i. Indias public sector banking and financial services company State Bank of India(SBI) has
adopted a village Shirki in Maharashtra to make the entire village will turn cashless within 30
days said by SBI deputy managing director and CIO Mrutyunjay Mahapatra.
ii. SBI will promote Aadhaar number-based merchant payments in the light of demonetisation,
the governments pet scheme to weed out the evil of black money
Indias GVA is likely to grow at 6.6 per cent in 2016-17: ICRA
i. The domestic rating agency ICRA has forecasted Indias gross value added (GVA) growth to
be at 6.6 per cent in 2016-17. This is because the economic activity would take more time to
normalise due to the governments move to demonetise high-value notes.
ii. The report said that the currency liquidity is likely to improve significantly by the end of
January 2017, however, the economic activity may take longer to normalize.
iii. According to the report, the loss of income in some sectors and deferral of consumption is likely
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to weigh on capacity utilisation in the second half of 2016-17, delaying capacity expansion plans of
the private sector.
IRDAI grants final license to 5 global reinsurers, including RGA, Swiss Re
i. The insurance regulator IRDAI has approved the R3 application and granted certificate of
registration to five global reinsurers to opens shops in India.
ii. The R3 is the final approval from the regulator to begin branch operations.
iii. The five global reinsurers that were granted final approval by the regulator are:
1.US-based reinsurer Reinsurance Group of America (RGA)
2.Munich Re from Germany
3.Hannover Germany
4.Swiss Re from Switzerland and
5.French reinsurance major Scor
Karnataka Vikas Grameen Bank Launches Bank Sakhi Scheme
i. To ensure greater participation in financial inclusion in rural areas, the Karnataka Vikas
Grameen Bank (KVGB) has come out with an innovative method of employing women in villages
to promote and popularize cashless transaction.
ii. The bank launched a scheme named Bank Sakhi at a programme held at Adavi Somapura
village in Gadag district of Karanataka. Under the initiative, the bank would appoint women
business correspondents called Bank Sakhi in select villages where this scheme would be
implemented.
iii. Bank chairman S. Ravindran said that the bank has already hired 11 Bank Sakhis and had
plans to appoint a minimum of 50 such women in different districts.
Bank of Maharashtra Adopts Village in Sangli for Digital Transactions
i. Pune based public sector lender Bank of Maharashtra, has adopted the village of Malangaon,
in Sangli district, Maharashtra, with the help of District Collector and several government officials
to make it a completely cashless village.
ii. The bank Business Correspondents did door to door campaigns across the village to enroll
the people through Aadhaar linked bank accounts to enable them to make payments digitally
instead of cash.
iii. The bank also conducted various educational initiatives in the village to ensure that people
got more aware of the various channels of digital payments.
15,000 Lucky Winners of Digital Payment Announced
i. With an aim of launching a cashless economy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had unveiled two
schemes, Lucky Grahak Yojana and Digi Dhan Vyapaar Yojana, for customers and traders to
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promote mobile banking and e-payments.
ii. The Government of India announced the first set of Lucky Grahak Yojana and Digi-Dhan
Vyapar Yojana awards at the Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi on December 25.
iii. A total of 15000 winners were selected under 4 broad categories (USSD, UPI, AEPS,
RuPay) from the 8 crore digital transactions that took place between 9th November 2016 to
21st December 2016.
Twitter partners with ICICI Bank for advanced customer care
i. Social Networking Service Twitter and Mumbai based ICICI Bank announced a partnership to
enable customers with direct online response to their queries and feedback in real-time.
ii. With this ICICI Bank become the first bank in India to implement the Twitter based customer
serives @ICICIBank_Care.
Keralas Nedumkayam tribal colony becomes countrys first digital colony
i. The Nedumkayam tribal colony in Malappuram district of Kerala has become the first fullydigital tribal colony in the country. The district collector, Amit Meena on December 27 officially
declared the colony as the first digital and cashless colony at a function held in the colony.
ii. In an attempt to go completely cashless, Malappuram district had launched a digital initiative to
train the people of the village on digital transaction.
iii. Adequate training was imparted to the entire tribal people of the colony in cashless
transaction and digital literacy. The training was completed with the support of National Service
Scheme, volunteers of an Arts and Science College at Kondotty and Jan Sikshan Sansthan, of
Malappuram district.
AU Financiers (India) gets RBIs final approval to start Small Finance Bank
i. Jaipur-based Non-Banking Finance Company (NBFC), Au Financiers (India), received final
approval of the Reserve Bank of India on December 27 to start operations as Small Finance
Bank in India.
ii. The company was among the 10 entities that received in-principle approval of RBI in September
2015 to set up small finance banks.
MobiKwik gets in-principle approval of RBI to set up Payment System
i. MobiKwik, a mobile wallet firm has received an in-principle approval from the RBI on December
28 to set up a Bharat Bill Payments Operating Unit (BBPOU).
ii. The company will now be integrated in Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS), a bill payment
system by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), to offer interoperable and accessible bill
payment service to customers through a network of agents.
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RBI allows FPIs to invest directly in NCDs/bonds issued by Indian companies
i. Reserve Bank of India has issued notification allowed foreign portfolio investors to transact in
non-convertible debentures/bonds issued by Indian companies either directly or in any manner as
per the prevalent/approved market practice.
ii. Aim: Toproviding flexibility in regard to the manner in which such instruments issued by Indian
companies can be acquired by FPIs
South Indian Bank Introduces SIB Mirror+ App for NRIs
i. Kerala headquartered South Indian Bank has launched a full-fledged NRI-focused mobile
banking application called SIB Mirror+ across major mobile platforms.
ii. SIB Mirror+ enables the customers to perform almost all banking transactions from their smart
phones.
iii. The app has self-registration facility for ease of activation and uses NEFT facility for
interbank fund transfers. It also provides bill payment facility, instant mobile/DTH recharge, cheque
book request and 247 within bank fund transfer.
RBI Extends the Loan Repayment Period by 30 days
i. To further provide some relief to people hit by demonetisation, the Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) on December 28 gave borrowers another 30 days in addition to 60 days for repayment of
housing, car, farm and other loans worth up to Rs 1 crore.
ii. RBI had provided additional 60 days for repayment of loans worth up to Rs 1 crore in November.
So, borrowers together get 90 days to get relief from getting the account classified under nonperforming asset (NPA) category.
iii. According to the notification, the exemption will apply to dues payable between 1st November
and 31st December and the running working capital accounts or crop loans with the
sanctioned limit of Rs 1 crore or less would be eligible for the benefit.
World Bank approved USD 235 Million Credit for Bihar Rural Roads Project
i. World Bank has approved a USD 235 million credit for the Bihar Rural Roads Project to upport
the construction of about 2,500 km of rural roads in Bihar under the Mukhiya Mantri Gram
Sampark Yojana (MMGSY)
ii. The fund is allocated from the International Development Association (IDA) with a maturity
of 25 years, including a 5-year grace period.
BoB Signs MoU With HFL To Provide Dairy Loans To Farmers
i. Vadodara based Bank of Baroda signed Memorandum of Understanding(MoU)
with Heritage Foods Ltd (HFL) to provide dairy loans to farmers through the lenders branches
across the country on December 29, 2016
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ii. Aim : To increase formers productivity and earnings
iii. Heritage Foods is in the business of procurement, processing and sale of milk and milk products.
State bank of India ties up with Magicbricks.com
i. State Bank of India and real estate portal magicbricks.com on 29 December 2016 entered
into a tie-up.
ii. According to the tie-up the projects of those 500 real estate builders whose projects
are approved and rated by State Bank of India, will be available for buyer on the portal of
magicbricks.com.
iii. The buyers using the portal to buy these properties will get SBIs end-to-end online home
loan-approval solutions.
CBDT signs 2 unilateral unilateral advance pricing agreements (APAs) with Indian
taxpayers
i. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has signed two new unilateral advance pricing
agreements (APAs) with Indian taxpayers on 29 December 2016. With this the total number of
APAs entered into by CBDT has increased two 117. This includes 110 unilateral APAs and 7 bilateral
APAs.
ii. The two unilateral APAs signed on 29 December includes Information
Technology and automobile sectors. The international transactions which are covered under the
agreements include software development services, IT enabled services, manufacturing and
business support services.
Central Government invites views of general public and stakeholders on the Report of the
Financial Redressal Agency
i. Central Government has invited the views of general public and stakeholders on the report on the
Report of the Financial Redressal Agency latest by 31st January 2017.
ii. The concept of Financial Redressal Agency (FRA) was introduced in the Budget Speech of
2015-16 by Shri Arun Jaitley from the recommendations of the Financial Sector Legislative
Reforms Commission (FSLRC)of 2013. The role defined for FRA is to address the grievances of
retail consumers against all Financial Service Providers (FSPs).
iii. As per the Task Force under the present system customer has to undergo unnecessary stress as
they have to visit various redressal agency. FRA simplifies this process. The Task Force has
recommended an initial budget of about Rs.100 crore to operationalise the FRA.
Delhis per capita income 3 times national average and highest among all states
i. As per a Statistical Handbook released by Deputy Chief Minister of New Delhi Manish Sisodia,
New Delhi registered the highest increase in per capita income among all the states and Union
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territory of India.
ii. The per capita income of New Delhi is Rs 2,80,142 during 2015-16. The figure is
approximately 3 times the national average per capita income for 2015-16 which stands at Rs
93,293 during 2015-16 as per the official statement.
iii. The second position was occupied by Chandigarh, with a per capita income of
Rs 2,42,386 while Sikkim with per capita income of Rs 2,27,465 was on the third spot.
NPCIs RuPay Card usage at Merchant Terminals Increases 7 times after demonetisation
i. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has informed that post demonetization,
the usage of RuPay Card has been increased to over 2.1 million from 3 lakh per day, at the PoS
terminals, which is seven times more since the announcement of the demonitization.
ii .The payment retail payment gateway is targeting a daily volume of 5 million transactions
through RuPay cards by next December.
Lakshmi Vilas Bank launches QIP to raise about Rs 600 crore
i. Private sector lender Lakshmi Vilas Bank has launched Qualified Institutional Placement
(QIP) to raise over Rs. 599.88 Crore by issuing 4.25 crore shares in domestic or international
markets.
ii. During a meeting of the committee of directors for capital raising of the bank, on December 28,
2016, approved the floor price for the QIP issue at Rs. 141.15 per equity share. The bank may
offer a discount of not more than 5% on the floor price calculated on the QIP.
BoB launches agriculture investment credit scheme in Rajasthan
Indian state-owned banking and financial services company Bank of Baroda has launched an
agricultural investment credit for the farmers in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan on December 31, 2016
Aim :To help the farmers in doubling their income by the year 2022
i. Farmers can avail of loan from the banks branches for construction of farm ponds, installation of
solar pumps, installation of micro irrigation and allied activities under this scheme.
ii. Farmers will be incentivise for timely repayment of loan under the scheme.
RBI Extends Period of Enhanced Payment Instruments (PPI) limit
i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended the period of enhanced Prepaid Payment
Instruments (PPI) limit of Rs 20,000 to meet the needs of people to perform digital payments.
ii. The Bank is undertaking a comprehensive review of the guidelines and framework for Prepaid
Payment Instruments (PPI) issuance in the country, and so it has been decided to extend the
measures till the completion of review of the PPI guidelines.
iii. While the balance in such PPIs cannot exceed Rs 20,000 at any point of time and the merchants
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can transfer funds from such PPIs to their own linked bank accounts up to Rs 50,000 per month,
without any limit per transaction.
RBI Relaxes ATM Withdrawal from Rs. 2500 to Rs. 4500
i. The Reserve Bank of India has relaxed the daily ATM withdrawal limit to Rs 4500 from the
limit of Rs 2500. The new limit would be applicable from January 1, 2017.
ii. However, the weekly withdrawal limit of Rs 24,000 remains unchanged.
iii. The Reserve Bank of India has also asked banks to ensure that disbursals on ATMs should
predominantly be in the denomination of Rs 500.
Centre extends deadline for Direct Tax Dispute Resolution Scheme
i. The Centre on December 30 announced that it has extended the last date for availing the Direct
Tax Dispute Resolution Scheme to January 31, 2017 from the earlier deadline of December
31, 2016.
ii. The scheme aims to settle the retrospective tax disputes with the Government.
iii. The Direct Tax Dispute Resolution scheme, announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the
budget for 2016-17, came into force on June 1, 2016..
EPFO Cuts Interest Rate from 8.8 percent to 8.65 percent
i. Retirement fund body, Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) on December 19,
2016, reduced interest rate on employee provident fund (EPF) deposits to 8.65 per cent for
2016-17 from the current 8.8 per cent.
ii. EPFOs apex decision making body, the Central Board of Trustees (CBT), headed by the Labour
Minister took the decision to reduce the interest rate by 0.15 per cent.
iii. As per the EPFO, retaining 8.8 per cent rate of interest for the current fiscal would have left
a deficit of Rs. 383 crore on projected income. EPFO has projected income of Rs. 39,084
crore for the current fiscal.
YES Bank, Ola tie up to provide cash at your doorstep
i. Maharashtra based YES Bank has partnered with Indian online transportation network company
Ola to provide cash-on-demand at customers doorstep.
ii. Customers can use the Ola app to book a cab for cash at their doorsteps. A special YES
Bank icon will be visible on the Ola App from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
iii. Customers can swipe their debit cards to withdraw an amount of up to Rs.2,000 per
card.Customers no need to book the cab ride to avail this service.
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India Surpasses United Kingdom to become Fifth Largest Economy
i. According to a report published in Forbes magazine, India has overtaken United
Kingdom in terms of the size of the economy, first time in 150 years.
ii. With this major shift in world economy, India has now become the fifth largest country in
terms of the size of the economy after the United States, China, Japan and Germany.
iii. The recent shift took place because of Indias continuous economic growth in the last 25
years as well as Britains recent economic issues after the Brexit decision over the last 12
months.
iv. India was expected to overtake UK GDP in 2020, but the almost 20% drop in the value of the
pound in the last one year made it possible in 2017.
v. Economic think-tank Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) in December
2011, forecasted that India would become the fifth largest by 2020.
Ukraine Nationalized Nations Largest Private Bank PrivateBank
i. PrivatBank, Ukraines largest private bank, was nationalized by the Government of Ukriane
on December 18, after being declared insolvent by the National Bank of Ukraine.
ii. The Ukrainian government will now acquire the 100 per cent ownership of PrivatBank and
will allocate funds to stabilise the bank to guarante uninterrupted functioning of the institution and
the safety of its clients money.
iii. Ukraines former finance minister Oleksandr Shlapak will take over as president of the
bank.
Pakistan Resolves to Demonitize high denomination Rs 5,000 currency notes
i. Weeks after demonetization of high currency notes in India, Pakistans Senate on December
19, 2016, passed a resolution to withdraw high denomination Rs 5,000 currency
notes to curb the flow of black money in the country.
ii. The Senator Usman Saif Ullah Khan of the Pakistan Muslim League tabled the resolution that
was endorsed by the majority of law makers in the upper house of Parliament.
iii. According to the resolution, the currency ban will be implemented in phased manner over the
next three to five years to clean the market of this high-value note.
No political party can accept donations in Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes: FM Arun Jaitley
i. At the 2016 Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence, Mumbai, on December 17, 2016,
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley clarified that no political party can accept donations in Rs 500
and Rs 1,000 notes since they have been rendered illegal tender. Any party doing so would be in
violation of law.
ii. He declared that the government has not granted any new exemption to registered political
parties either after 8th November demonetization or with the introduction of the Taxation
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Amendment Act, 2016. He said income and donations of political parties fall in the purview of
Section 13A of the Income Tax Act 1961 and there is no change in its provisions.
RBI opposes Digital Payment Committee proposal to set up separate payments regulator
i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has opposed the view of Digital Payment Committee to
establish a separate entity to regulate payments and settlements.
ii. In September, the Centre had set up a 11-member committee on Digital Payments headed by
Finance Secretary Ratan Watal, and including the RBIs former deputy governor H.R. Khan and
Executive Director Chandan Sinha as its members.
SBI Launches State Bank MobiCash App
i. The State Bank of India (SBI), countrys largest lender, has launched its mobile wallet
application State Bank MobiCash in partnership with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited
(BSNL) on December 17, 2016.
ii. The app was jointly launched by the Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Arun Jaitley and
Minister of State for Communications (Independent charge) and Minster of State for
Railways Manoj Sinha.
Foreign Exchange Reserve of India Declines by 887.2 million dollars to 362.987 billion
dollars
i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on December 16, 2016, announced that the Foreign
exchange reserves of India has declined by 887.2 million dollars to 362.987 billion
dollars in a week from December 9 due to fall in foreign currency assets.
ii. In the previous week, the reserves had declined by $1.431 billion to $363.874 billion.
BUSINESS
BHEL commissions first unit of Pulichintala hydro power plant in Andhra Pradesh
i. New Delhi based BHEL has commissioned the first unit of the 430 MW Pulichintala
Hydroelectric project (HEP) on December 1, 2016 in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh on the
river Krishna.
ii. The greenfield project is being set up by TSGENCO and the project design, manufacture, supply,
supervision of erection, testing and commissioning of Electrical & Mechanical (E&M) package work is
undertake by BHEL.
Ola Partners HPCL, IOCL For Payments Through Mobile Wallet
i. Indian online transportation network company Ola has partnered Hindustan Petroleum
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Corporation (HPCL) and Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) to accept payment through Ola Money in
petrol pumps
ii. Ola driver-partners and Ola customers can now pay for their fuel with Ola on Verifone-enabled
PoS devices in any of these fuel stations without having to use cash or their cards for payments.
Yappily, Indias First Social Aided Ecommerce Platform
i.India has come up with its first online flea market, Yappily.Bangalore based start-up Yappily was
co-founded by Rohit Kumar, Kamonasish Aayush Mazumdar and Rashmi Ranjan Padhy in
2016.
ii. It is Indias first social aided ecommerce platform, for both new unique products as well as preloved used products, which is available both offline and online and lets a buyer and seller interact
and transacts in 10 seconds literally and over 17,000 users are already using it.
KPMG, Microsoft join hands to boost digital transformation
i. Netherland based KPMG and US based Microsoft announced a strategic Internet of Things
(IoT) Advisory partnership to accelerate the digital transformation of large and mid-market
enterprises in the country on December 5, 2016
ii. IoT Advisory will help enterprises deploy solutions that can drive Cloud-based automation,
generate operational insights
Amazon Launches Its Startup Program Launchpad In India
i. An electronic commerce company Amazon launched its startup programme Launchpad in
India to support Indian startups and scale up their business.
ii. Launchpad will help startups launch, market, and distribute their products to Amazon customers
across India and around the world via a dedicated store.
iii. It will be an exclusive corner for Indian Startups to get access to big consumer
markets nationally and internationally.
Drug Technical Advisory Panel suggests one-time licensing for drugs
i. The drugs technical advisory board has recently recommended one-time licensing for
manufacture and sales of drugs, with a condition that there should be at least one annual
inspection and in cases where risk is high, more inspection should be conducted.
ii. At present, the renewal of licenses is controlled by state regulators and is around three years.
iii. The board has also asked for separate rules for manufacturing, import, sale and distribution of
cosmetics. It has suggested the European Unions model.
iv. It has proposed making influenza drugs Oseltamivir and Zanamvir available widely at all
pharmacies, by putting it in the Schedule H1 list. The two drugs have been treated as Schedule
X drugs, available at select pharmacies.
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Government Further extends MIP on select steel products till February 4
i. To protect Domestic Steel Industry from cheaper imports, the government on December 4,
2016 extended the Minimum Import Price (MIP) on 19 products further for two months, till
February 4, 2017.
ii. The MIP ranges between USD $643-$752 per tonne.The 19 products include semi-finished
products of iron or non-alloyed steel, flat-rolled products of different widths, bars and rods.
Pakistan Lifts Undeclared Ban on Import of Ginned Cotton from India
i. Pakistan has removed an undeclared ban on import of ginned cotton from India.
ii. Earlier from November 23, The Department of Plant Protection (DPP) of the Ministry of
National Food Security and Research had banned the cotton imports from India through Wagah
and Karachi port as the shipments did not fulfil phyto- sanitary conditions.
India to set up center of excellence at Al-Azhar University, Egypt
i. In order to enhance cooperation in education sector between India and Egypt, Center has decided
to set up a center of Excellence in Information Technology at the Al-Azhar University which
is the oldest and most prestigious University of Egypt.
ii. Regarding the establishment of the excellence Center, a meeting was held between Indian
ambassador to Cairo, Sanjay Bhattacharyya and Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar, Ahmed el-Tayeb, on
December 5, 2016 to discuss various ways to enhance cooperation.
Government of India and Intel ties up for Water and Air Quality Monitoring systems.
i. The Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, haspartnered
with the US Technology Giant Intel on December 8, 2016, to conduct research on water and air
quality monitoring.
ii. Aim: to develop key technologies for sensing, communication and analysis of large-scale data
collected from autonomous networks of sensor nodes and acting accordingly for water and air
quality monitoring in real-time.
iii. The monitoring program will be administered by the Indo-US Science and Technology
Forum (IUSSTF).
OPEC, non-OPEC Agree to Cut Oil Output to Boost Oil Prices
i. The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC
Russia, on December 10, 2016, reached a mutual agreement on their first deal since 2001, to
jointly restrict oil production to control the excess global availability of the oil and thus boost oil
prices.
ii. It is the first time in 15 years that a global pact has been struck.
iii. The decision between the two organizations was taken as the prices of the oil went down to very
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low for more than two years disturbing the budgets and creating unrest in some countries.
iv. OPEC has agreed to put down the oil production 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd) from
January 1, with top exporter Saudi Arabia cutting as much as 486,000 bpd.
Uttar Pradesh and Tata Trust Ties to Strengthen Public Distribution System
i. Akhilesh Yadav lead Uttar Pradesh Government has tied up with Tata Trusts to
acquire digital platforms to strengthen the public distribution system (PDS) in the state.
ii. Under the Agreement, Tata Trusts have installed electronic Point of Sale devices(ePOS) in
various urban region shops of Lucknow, to ensure operation of an Aadhaar-enabled Public
Distribution System (AePDS) at fair price.
Government Scraps 10 percent Import Duty on Wheat to improve Domestic Availibilty
i. The government on December 8, 2016, scrapped the 10 percent import duty on wheatdue to
the rising domestic prices and shortage in the buffer stocks arising out of the consecutive
drought in the years 2014 and 2015.
ii .Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced the scrapping of import duty on wheat from 10 per
cent to nil with immediate effect under section 159 of the Customs Act 1962.
ONGC to Set Up New Basin in Agartala
i. ONGC is setting up a new basin in Agartala which would be completed by the end of the
year 2017.
ii. Aim: to increase focus on exploration of oil and gas in the North-East region.
iii. The construction work of the basin is currently going on and will take around a year to prepare
the facility.
iv. North East operations of ONGC are divided into two areas: Assam Shelf from Jorhat to
Duliajan and Assam Fold Belt from Silchar to Agartala. Assam Fold Belt has mainly gas, while
there are both oil and gas in Assam Shelf.
DGAD suggests imposing anti-dumping duty on China
i. The Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD) has recommended
imposing definitive anti-dumping duty on China for imports of steel tubes and pipes from the
country.
ii. The product under consideration has been exported by China to India under its normal value
which has resulted in dumping. As a result the domestic manufacturing has suffered material
injury due to dumping.
Microsoft Launches First Cybersecurity Engagement Centre in India
i. Technology giant Microsoft has launched its first full-scale Cybersecurity Engagement Centre
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(CSEC) in Delhi.
ii. It is the first such cyber security center of Microsoft to be bulid in India.The centre will
offer Microsoft capabilities to promote deeper cybersecurity collaborations with public and private
sector organizations in India.
Paytm partners with NHAI for digital payments at toll plazas
i. Indian e-commerce website Paytm has announced partnership with National Highways Authority
of India (NHAI) to enable cashless payments at all national and city toll plazas.
ii. Travellers can pay their toll charges instantly with Paytm app by scanning the QR codeplaced at
toll payment counters.
Vodafone launches e-wallet M Pesa Pay for retailers
i. Vodafone India launched Vodafone M Pesa Pay to enable merchants and retailers to receive
payments from their customers on December 13, 2016. It will also enable to M Pesa customers.
ii. M Pesa Pay replaces the need for point of sale (PoS) machine.
RBI Limits :
e-wallets to Rs20,000
Merchants the limit stands at Rs50,000.
Consumers Rs1 lakh(With KYC)
Journalist Arnab Goswami launched a new venture called Republic
i. Noted television journalist and talk show host Arnab Goswami announced the launch of
his 'new venture' called Republic, on December 15, 2016, a month after resigning as editor-inchief of Times Now.
ii. At a conference held at the 10th anniversary of IEEMA ( Indian Electronic Equipment
Manufacturer's Association), the apex body for the power equipment industry, Swamy informed
that Republic will be launched on 26 January, 2017.
NALCO and NTPC Signs MoU to set Power Plant in Odisha
i. Central PSUs, National Aluminium Company Limited (Nalco) and NTPC Limited signed a
MoU in New Delhi on December 16, 2017, to set up a 2400 MW (8x300 MW) power plant at
Gajmara in Dhenkanal district, Odisha.
ii. The pact was inked in the presence of Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Power
Minister Piyush Goyal.
iii. The estimated investment in all these projects will be approximately Rs 36,000 crores.
Paytm launches campaign Each one, teach one to increase digital inclusion
i. To increase the digital inclusion in India, Paytm, a digital wallet, has announced a
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campaign, Each one, teach one, under which consumers and merchants across the country with
Paytm knowledge will be required to teach others to use Paytm.
ii. Aim: The aim of the campaign is to increase the use of digital wallet and shift the users from
cash to digital payments mode.
iii. Paytm has announced a grand prize of Rs. 1 core and many other prizes such as Motorcycles,
smartphones, laptops for the users as the part of the programme.
Cabinet Approves Creation of Indian Enterprise Development Service (IEDS)
i. The Government on December 21, 2016, approved the cadre review and formation of
the Indian Enterprise Development Service (IEDS) in the Office of the
Development Commissioner, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
ii. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi in New Delhi.
iii. The Indian Enterprise Development Service, to start with, will have a cadre strength of 617
officers, 6 of which will be at the level of joint secretaries.
Bengaluru to get Indias second sericulture centre
i. Union government plans to launch its second centre of excellence for sericulture in
Bengaluru.
ii. The first such centre was set up in Ranchi, Jharkhand
iii. The Central Silk Board has set up the centre to boost the silk industry.
Amul to set up Rs 200 crore milk processing plant in West Bengal
i. Gujarat based Indian dairy cooperative comapnay, Amul to set up its Centralised Milk Processing
Plant at Sankrail Food Park in Howrah, West Bengal
Outlay: Rs.200 Cr
ii. The plant work will be started in 2017 and is expected to be completed by 2018-end.
iii. The proposed plant will manufacture UHT milk, yoghurt and ghee besides normal milk.
Japan drags India to WTO against steps on iron, steel imports
i. India has imposed minimum import price (MIP) on imports of certain iron and steel
products.
ii. The country has also imposed anti-dumping duties on certain steel products to guard domestic
players from cheap imports.
iii. Japan has dragged India to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against certain measures
taken by New Delhi on imports of iron and steel products.
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India to give Nepal additional 240 MW electricity
i. India has agreed to give Nepal additional 240 MW of electricity.
ii. An agreement has been signed between Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) and stateowned NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN).
iii. The import of power 80 MW immediately from January and 160 MW from February, will be
made through Dhalkebar- Mujjafpur Cross Border Transmission line
Google India Collaborates Ministry of Consumer Affairs for Online Consumer Protection
i. Google India in collaboration with Ministry of Consumer Affairs has announced a
nationwide Digitally Safe Consumer campaign on December 24, 2016.
ii. Aim: the main aim of the campaign is to raise awareness about online safety and protect
the interest of the consumers against online fraud.
Prices of essential drugs including HIV, diabetes, anxiety disorders lowered
i. To make essential drugs more affordable for the public, prices of over 50 essential drugs has
been lowered by NPPA, leading to a price cut in the range of 5 per cent to 44 per cent.
ii. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) under Ministry of Chemicals and
Fertilisers has also fixed the retail prices of 29 formulations.
iii. The essential drugs for which the prices have been capped include those used for treatment of
HIV infection, diabetes, anxiety disorders, bacterial infections, angina and acid reflux.
Paytm Announces 100 Member Merchant Helpdesk
i. Digital payments platform, Paytm, has launched a 100 member Merchant Helpdesk to educate
merchants across India on digital literacy.
ii. The E-Commerce Company has also announced that it will invest Rs 50 crore towards educating
merchants.
iii. The company has also launched a toll-free number 1800 1800 1234 to help the nonsmartphone and non-internet users to pay or receive money using Paytm.
Center cancels licences of 20,000 NGOs for violating FCRA
i. Home Minister Rajnath Singh on December 27 announced that the Centre has cancelled the
licences of nearly 20,000 NGOs since 2015 for violating various provisions of Foreign
Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).
ii. These NGOs have been barred from receiving any foreign funds. Of the 33,000 such registered
organisations in the country, only 13,000 NGOs are now legally valid to receive foreign funds.
BHEL Commissions 600 MW Coal Based Thermal Power Plant in Telangana
i. Indias second largest coal mining company Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (Bhel) on
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December 29 informed that it has successfully commissioned second 600 MW coal-based
thermal power plant in Telangana. The first unit of the project was commissioned in March
2016.
ii. The project has been developed by Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) and the
unit has been commissioned at the 2600 Mw Singareni Thermal Power Project (TPP) located
in Adilabad district in Telangana.
Government removes minimum export price on potato
The central government removed the minimum export price (MEP) of potato from December 29,
2016.MEP of USD 360 per tonne on potato had imposed to increase domestic availability and cool
prices in July 2016
Chinese E-Commerce Firm Alibaba To set up Office in Mumbai
i. Chinese major e-commerce entity, Alibaba is to set up its first Indian office at Bandra-Kurla
Complex (BKC) in Mumbai, to take the advantage of the growing e-commerce market in the city.
ii. The company has rented 3,221 sq ft of office space at Platina building owned by the
The Wadhwa Group and would pay Rs 275 per sq ft on a monthly basis. The rent of the building is
expected to be a little over Rs 1 crore per month.
iii. Alibabas biggest rival Amazon India too has a 30,000 sq ft head office in the same BKC area.
FIPB clears Six FDI proposals worth Rs 1200 crore
i .Inter-ministerial body Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approved six investment
proposals out of 17 Foreign Direct Investment(FDI) proposals.
ii. It includes Sanofi Synthelabo India, Star Den Media Services and Idea Cellular Infrastructure
Services, envisaging foreign investment of Rs 1,200 crore.
Mother Dairy launches Aadhar-enabled payment system at booths
i. Mother Dairy Fruit & Vegetable Pvt Ltd was introduced Aadhar enabled payment system in its
booths and Safal retail stores.
ii. The new payment system was commissioned in association with CSC e-Governance Service
India Ltd under the aegis of Department of Electronics and Information Technology (Deity).
Amazon launches e-wallet Amazon Pay Balance
i. US based Amazon India launched the wallet Amazon Pay Balance in a bid to increase cashless
orders and it is limited to Amazon-based transactions.
ii. Amazon Pay Balance will helps customers store balances for essential items and solves the pain
point of tendering exact amount of cash at the time of delivery.
iii. The balance amount will be refunds to the users bank account or credit card.
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Government revises North East Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy (NEIIP),
2007
i. The Government has revised North East Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy
(NEIIP), 2007 to stipulate mandatory disbursal of subsidies to all industrial units in northeast
through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanism by Chief Controller of Accounts
(Industry).
ii. The Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) said that the Industrial units
which had commenced production on or after December 1, 2014 and on or before March 31, 2017
as well as existing units which go in for substantial expansion and commence commercial
production on or before March 2017 will be eligible for incentives as per the revised norms of
subsidy.
iii. The subsidy for the existing and new industrial units going for substantial expansion will be
limited Rs 3 crore per industrial unit operating in services sector and Rs 5 crore per industrial unit
operating in manufacturing sector.
iv. The limit for automatic approval of subsidy at the rate of 30% of the investment in plant and
machinery will continue to be upto Rs 1.5 crore per unit. In case of grant for capital investment
subsidy higher than Rs 1.5 crore and upto a maximum of Rs 5 crore will be approved by
empowered committee, chaired by Ramesh Abhishek, Secretary, Department of Industrial
Policy and Promotion (DIPP).
Iran Finalizes 100-jet deal with Airbus with first delivery in January
i. Iran has finalized an agreement with Airbus to acquire 100 jetliners. The timing of the first
delivery of the Airbus A321 is expected to arrive before the January 20.
ii. Under the agreement, Airbus will supply four types of aircraft including both narrow-body and
wide-body aircraft: its medium-haul A320 and A321 aircraft and the long-haul A330 and A350.
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

UNESCO Includes Cubas rumba, Belgian beer into its Intangible Cultural Heritage List
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) added Cubas rumba dance and Belgian beer to its coveted list of intangible
cultural heritage at the meeting held in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on November 30,
2016.
The Cuban delegation dedicated the rumbas selection for the list to its long time leader Fidel
Castro, who passed away recently at the age of 90.
The UN body also included Portuguese pottery and Ugandan traditional music into
the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.
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The UNESCO stated that the rumba brings a sense grace, sensuality and joy in mind and
since the rumba existed from poor communities in Cuba, the dance is an
enduring expression of resistance and self-esteem.
Yoga inscribed in UNESCOs representative list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of

Humanity
Yoga, one of the ancient practices of India, has now been included as an element in the UNESCOs
List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity during the 11th session of the
Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage held in Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia.
Pranab Mukherjee conferred Chinese Professor with 2nd ICCR Distinguished Indologist
Award
i. The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presented the second ICCR Distinguished
Indologist Award to Prof. Yu Long Yu of the Peoples Republic of China on December 1, 2016 at a
function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
ii. The President said that the contribution of foreign scholars to the development of
Indology has been critical and their efforts have led to the worldwide awareness of Indias rich
cultural and civilizational past.
Forbes Asia Names Cheng Wei As Businessman Of The Year In 2016
i. Cheng Wei, Co-founder and Chief Executive of Chinas largest ride-sharing service provider Didi
Chuxing (Didi) is Forbes Asias Businessman of the Year for 2016.
ii. 33-year-old Cheng is also featured on the cover of the December issue of Forbes Asia Magazine.
iii. According to Forbes Asia, Didi has attracted 300 million users in 400 Chinese cities in just four
years. The service, which lets consumers digitally hail and pay for taxis, private cars, limousines
and commuter buses commands 85% of Chinas ride-sharing market, which Beijing research
firm Analysis International estimates will reach 122 billion yuan ($17.7 billion) by end of 2016
and 286 billion yuan in 2018.
Katy Perry honoured with humanitarian award at UNICEF event
i. UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Katy Perry and Philanthropist Moll Anderson were honoured for
their extraordinary commitment to put children first at the 12th Annual UNICEF Snowflake
Ball in New York, USA
ii. The event commemorated New York headquartered UNICEFs 70th anniversary
iii. Hillary Clinton honoured singer Katy Perry with an Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian for her work
as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
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AIFF Conferred with AFC Developing Member Association of the Year Award
All India Football Federation (AIFF) has won the AFC Developing Member Association of
the Year Award at the Asian Football Confederations (AFC) Annual Awards held in Abu
Dhabi on December 1, 2016.
AIFF President Praful Patel received the Award from AFC Vice-President Ali Kafashian at a
glittering ceremony.In 2014, AIFF had won the AFC Presidents Recognition Award for grassroots
football.
Kolkata Awarded Best Cities Award at C40 Mayors Summit
Kolkata and 10 other cities from across the globe, has been honoured with the Best Cities Of
2016 Award in recognition of its inspiring and innovative programme with regard to solid waste
management during the C40 Mayors Summit held in Mexico City from November 30 to December
2, 2016.
From India, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai and New Delhi are the members of The International
Summit of Mayors of millions plus cities.
Kolkata is the only Indian city to receive the prestigious award.
Dilip Yadav, chairman of the Uttarpara Municipality, told PTI over phone from Mexico City after
receiving the prestigious award from C40 Chair and Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes.
C40 Chair and Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes congratulated all the winning cities for their
commitment to their citizens and their dedication to tackling climate change.
Other Winner
Other cities that won the award are Addis Adaba, Copenhagen, Curitiba, Sydney and Malborne,
Paris, Portland, Seoul Shenzhen, and Yokohama.
Usain Bolt & Almaz Ayana Named World Athletes of the Year 2016
Jamaicas Usain Bolt and Ethiopias Almaz Ayana have been named the male and female World
Athletes of the Year at the IAAF Athletics Awards 2016, held at Sporting Monte Carlo on
December 2, 2016.
OTHER AWARDS
1.MALE RISING STAR: Andre De Grasse - At the age of 21, the Canadian sprinter earned the
Olympic 200m silver medal in Rio.
2.FEMALE RISING STAR: Nafissatou Thiam - The 21 year old Belgian all-round talent won gold
in the heptathlon at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
3.COACHING ACHIEVEMENT: Harry Marra - The US coach guided Ashton Eaton to his second
successive decathlon gold medal at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
4.PRESIDENTS AWARD:Tegla Loroupe - Loroupe was the Chef de Mission for the Refugee
Olympic Team in Rio.
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5.WOMEN IN ATHLETICS: Polyxeni Argeitaki- This award recognises outstanding achievements
and contributions made to develop, encourage and strengthen the participation of women and girls
at all levels of the sport.
Indias Srinidhi Shetty Won Miss Supranational 2016
i. Mangaluru girl, Srinidhi Shetty , was crowned Miss Supranational 2016 at a grand ceremony
in Krynica Zdroj, Poland on December 2, 2016 . She also won the title of Miss Asia-Oceania.
ii. Srinidhi became the second Indian to win the title after Asha Bhat in 2014.India is the first
country to win Miss Supranational twice in three years.
iii. Miss Supranational along with Miss World and Miss Universe is among the top three beauty
pageants on the planet.
Hindi poet Leeladhar Jagoori to be honored Gangadhar National Award
i. Eminent Hindi poet Leeladhar Jagoori will be honoured with the prestigious Gangadhar
National Award for the year 2015 by the Sambalpur University on the occasion of
the foundation day of the University in January 2017.
ii. Jagoori will be the 25th recipient of the the award which carries a cash prize of Rs 50,000, a
shawl and a citation.
Vijaya Bank & Corporation Bank Wins Awards at the 4th SMEs Excellence Award-2016
i. Vijaya Bank has been honored with Best Bank for SME Lending award at the fourth SMEs
Excellence Award function held in New Delhi.
ii. The Best MSME Bank Award 2016 was given to The Corporation Bank by the Associated
Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM)
ii. The award was received by the Vijaya Bank Managing Director & CEO of the bank, Kishore
Sansi and Managing Director and CEO of Corporation Bank , Jai Kumar Garg from the Minister of
State for MSME Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary
Helen Marten wins UKs Turner prize
i. 31 year old UK artist Helen Marten was named as the winner of the 2016 Turner prize. He
received award with 25,000 prize by the writer Ben Okri at a ceremony at Londons Tate Britain
gallery
ii. Marten recently won the Hepworth prize, for baffling sculptural work. It is his second award in
this month.
BEML Honored with CII National Quality Award
i. Bharat Earth Movers Limited Ltd (BEML) Ltd has been awarded the CII National Quality 2016
Award for practicing various EFQM Models (European Foundation for Quality Management).
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ii. The award was received by Deepak Kumar Hota, Chairman & Managing Director, BEML, at a
function held at Bengaluru.
iii. The award is jointly instituted by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and Export
Import Bank (EXIM).
Indian Filmmaker Onirs Indo-Australian Documentary Wins Hollywood Independent
Documentary Award
i. The Indian filmmaker Onir won the Hollywood Independent Documentary Awards for his IndoAustralian documentary, Raising the Bar which was selected as the Best Foreign Documentary
Feature.
ii. The film was premiered at Indian Film Festival Melbourne in August 2016..
John Kerry conferred with French Highest Civilian Award
i. US Secretary of State John Kerry was honored with the highest French civilian award, Legion
of Honor ,on December 11, 2016 for his contribution in the favor of peace.
ii. He received the award from the French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault in Paris.
iii. Kerry has visited Paris countless times as secretary of state for high-level diplomatic meetings
on Syria, Ukraine and other hotspots.
Cristiano Ronaldo defeats Lionel Messi to win Ballon dOr 2016
i. Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid, beat rival Lionel Messi to win the prestigious Ballon dOr award
for a fourth time.
ii. Ronaldo, 31, previously won the award in 2008 as well as in 2013 and 2014.
iii. Lionel Messi took the honour for a fifth time last year. Atletico Madrids French forward Antoine
Griezmann finished third in the vote.
PV Sindhu wins BWF Most Improved Player award
Rio Olympic silver medallist PV Sindhu awarded with Badminton World Federation (BWF) Most
Improved Player of the Year award at the Players Reception and Gala Dinner in Dubai on
December 12, 2016
Other Winners :
Male Player of the Year award Lee Chong Wei from Malaysia
Female Player of the Year award Misaki Matsutomo/Ayaka Takahashi from Japan
Rajiv Gandhi International Airport Achieves Carbon Neutral Status
i. The Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), Hyderabad operated by GMR Hyderabad
International Airport Ltd (GHIAL), has achieved neutral status with regards to carbon emission.
ii. Hyderabad Airport has become the first airport in Asia-Pacific region under the 5-15 Million
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Passengers Per Annum category and second among all categories in the Asia-Pacific region to
achieve the Carbon Neutral status.
Madonnas biopic, Blond Ambition, voted as best unproduced script of 2016
i. Madonnas biopic, titled Blond Ambition, has been named the most admired unproduced film
script of 2016 in the Hollywood system by Black List.
ii. Blond Ambition, written by Elyse Hollander topped the list of 73 scripts with 48 votes. The
biopic describes the struggle of Madonna of 1980s to get her first album released.
19 Metre Highest Ever Wave Sets World Record
i. The United Nations World Meteorological Organization on December 13, 2016, announced
that a 19-metre-high (62.3 ft) wave in the North Atlantic Ocean has set a world record for
being the highest-ever measured by a buoy.
Maharashtra Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, Selected for SIES- Kanchi Seer Award
Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, UK-based scholar John Ralston Marr, ISRO
chairman A S Kiran Kumar and Hari Katha exponent Kamala Murthy has been selected for the
SIES-Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswati National Eminence Award and will be presented the award
at a function at the Shanmukhananda auditorium in Mumbai on December 18, 2016.
VIT University, First Indian University to be accredited with QS 4-star rating
i. VIT University, Vellore, has become India's first academic institution to be certified with QS
4-star rating due to its excellence in fields of teaching, innovation and employability.
ii. The Regional director of Quacqarelli Symonds(QS) Ashwin Fernandes handed over the QS 4
Star Rating Certificate to the founding Chancellor of VIT University G Viswanathan in presence
of Union Minister of State for Finance Santosh Gangwar.
Coimbatore City Municipal corporation to receive Digital India Silver Award
i. The Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation(CCMC) in Tamil Nadu has been selected for
Digital India Silver Award instituted by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in the
category of "Most Innovative Citizen Engagement"
ii. The corporation was chosen for installing and implementing free WiFi Scheme in its
various offices.
iii. The award will be received Corporation Commissioner and Special Officer, Dr Vijay
Karthikeyan from Union I& T minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on December 19, 2016
ICFA presents `Global Agriculture Leadership Award 2016` to Ratan Tata
i. The Global Agriculture Leadership Award 2016 was awarded to Tata Sons interim
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Chairman Ratan Tata by pioneer of Indias Green Revolution M.S. Swaminathan in Mumbai
by Indian Council of Food and Agriculture (ICFA) on December 15, 2016
ii. The award was presented for his transformational role in scaling Tata Group as the globally
admired group during his stint of two decades as Chairman.
Jerry Pinto, Nasira Sharma and Vannadhasan among 2016 Sahitya Akademi Award
winners
Mumbai-based writer Jerry Pinto, Tamil author Vannadhasan, Hindi writer Nasira Sharma are
among 24 writers named for the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Awards 2016.
Winners for Novels
1. Nasira Sharma: Hindi novel Paarijat
2. Jerry Pinto: English novel Em and the Big Hoom
3. Gita Upadhyay: Nepali novel Janmabhumi Mero Swadesh
4. Boluwaru Mohammad Kunhi: Kannada novel Swatantryada Ota
5. Edwin JF Dsouza: Konkani novel Kale Bhangar.
Winners for Poetry
Jnan Pujari (Assamese), Anju (Bodo), Kamal Vora (Gujarati), Prabha Varma (Malayalam), Sitanath
Acharya (Sanskrit), Gobinda Chandra Majhi (Santali), Nand Javeri (Sindhi) and Papini Svasankar
(Telugu).
Winners for Short Stories
Chhatrapal (Dongri language), Shyam Darihare (Maithili), Moirangthem Rajen (Manipuri), Asaram
Lomate (Marathi), Paramamita Satpathy (Odia), Bulaki Sharma (Rajasthani) and Vannadhasan
(Tamil).
Winners for Books on Criticism: Aziz Hajini (Kashmiri) and Nizam Siddiqui (Urdu)
Winner for Essay: Nrisinghaprasad Bhaduri (Bengali)
Winner for Play: Swarajbir (Punjabi)
Ravichandran Ashwin wins Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy after being named ICC Cricketer of
the Year and Test cricketer of the Year
i. Ravichandran Ashwin, the Indian offspinner, was named the Cricketer of the Year and
the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year 2016 by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on December
22.
ii. Ashwin has become the third India player after Rahul Dravid (2004) and Sachin Tendulkar
(2010) and 12th player overall to win the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy.
List of Awards by ICC
ICC Cricketer of the Year (Sir Garfield Sobers
Trophy)
ICC Test Cricketer of the Year
ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year
Ravichandran Ashwin (India).

Ravichandran Ashwin (India).
Quinton de Kock (South Africa).
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ICC
ICC
ICC
ICC
ICC
ICC
ICC
Womens ODI Cricketer of the Year

Womens T20I Cricketer of the Year
T20I Performance of the Year
Emerging Cricketer of the Year
Associate/Affiliate Cricketer of the Year
Spirit of Cricket Award
Umpire of the Year (David Shepherd Trophy)
Suzie Bates (New Zealand)

Suzie Bates (New Zealand)
Carlos Brathwaite (West Indies )
Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh)
Mohammad Shahzad (Afghanistan)
Misbah-ul-Haq (Pakistan)
Marais Erasmus
2016 SASTRA-Ramanujan award jointly shared by Radziwill & Matomaki

i. The 2016 SASTRA-Ramanujan award for mathematics was presented jointly to Maksym
Radziwill of McGill University, Canada and Kaisa Matomaki of University of Turku, Finland at the
inauguration of the International Conference on Number Theory at SASTRA University at
Kumbakonam.
ii. The two were facilitated for their revolutionary collaborative work on short intervals in
number theory.
iii. The shared award comprising of a citation and prize money of $5,000 to each was presented
by Prof. Steven Weintraub from Lehigh University who is also the Associate Secretary of the
American Mathematical Society.
Renowned Bengali Poet Shankha Ghosh selected for Jnanpith Award
i. The Jnanpith Selection Board named the eminent modern Bengali poet Shankha Ghosh for
the 52nd Jnanpith Award for 2016 on December 23, 2016.His nomination was decided at a
meeting of the Jnanpith selection board chaired by writer and scholar Namwar Singh.
ii. Shankha Ghosh is a Bengali Indian poet and critic.He is regarded a leading authority on Nobel
Laureate Rabindranath Tagore in addition to being one of the most prolific poet, critic and
academician.
Andhra Pradesh Finds Place in Guinness World Records for Largest Kuchipudi Dance
Performance
i. The state dance of Andhra Pradesh, Kuchipudi has found a place in the Guinness World
Records once again when a record 6,117 dancers came together to present a show at the IGMC
Stadium in Vijaywada on December 25, 2016.
ii. Guinness judge Rishinath declared Jayamu Jayamu presented in unison by the participants
created a new record and handed over a certificate to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N
Chandrababu Naidu.
Shah Rukh Khan Conferred with Honorary Doctorate for promoting Urdu Language
i. Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad, conferred the Bollywood superstar Shah
Rukh Khan with the honorary doctorate on December 26, 2016, for his contribution towards
promotion of Urdu culture.
ii. Shahrukh Khan was awarded the honorius causa (doctor of letters) at the 6th
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Convocation of the University by the Chancellor, Zafar Sareshwala.
iii .Besides, Shah Rukh Khan, Sanjiv Saraf founder of Rekhta Foundation was also conferred
the honorary doctorate for the contribution in the promotion of Urdu language and culture.
iv. The convocation saw about 2,885 graduates and post-graduates and 276 MPhil and PhD
scholars from various disciplines in regular courses to be awarded degrees.
Rajasthani writer Satya Narayan chosen for Bihari Puraskar
i. Eminent Rajasthani writer Satya Narayan has been chosen for the 26th Bihari Puraskar, 2016 by
the K K Birla Foundation. He will be awarded a cash prize of Rs 2 lakhs, besides a citation and a
plaque.
ii. Narayan selected for his Hindi book titled Yeh Ek Dunia which was published in 2010.The book
is a meticulous depiction of various circumstances of life in the contemporary world.
iii. Books: Phati Jeb Se Ek Din, Ret Ki Kokh Mein, Yahin Kahin Neend Thi and Yeh Ek Dunia.
iv. Awards: Kanhaiyaa Laal Sahal Award and Acharya Niranjannath Samman
Real Madrids Ronaldo honoured at Globe Soccer Awards
i. Real Madrids Cristiano Ronaldo won the Best Player of the Year along with Goodwill Award
at the seventh edition of the 2016 Globe Soccer Awards held in Dubai on December 27, 2016.
ii. Besides, Clubs president Florentino Prez was named as the Best President and the coach of
the club, Fernando Santos, won the Best Coach of the Year while Real Madrid Club received
the Best Club of the Year.
British-Indian Shankar Balasubramanian Felicitated at New Year Honours
i. An Indian-origin British professor of chemistry, Shankar Balasubramanian, received
a Knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II for his contribution to the field of science and
medicine at the New Year Honours announced on December 30, 2016.
Awardees of Rio Olympics and Paralympics
Knighthoods to Mo Farah for services to athletics
Knighthoods to Andy Murray for services to tennis and charity
Damehood to Jessica Ennis-Hill for services to athletics
A R Rahman Nominated for Double Oscar with Sports Biopic on Pele

i. Academy award winning musician A R Rahman has been nominated for the 89th Academy
Awards and once again stands a chance to win the double Oscar for his work on sports
biopic Pele: Birth of a Legend.
ii. The Indian musician has been nominated for the 89th Academy Awards under both Best Original
Score and Best Original Song category.
iii. Rahmans name has been listed among 145 original scores list, as the music composer for the
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biographical film of Brazilian footballer Pele, directed by Jeff Zimbalist and Michael
Zimbalist.
Colombian president receives Catholic Nobel for FARC deal
i. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos honoured with the Lampara peace prize or
Catholic Nobel for his efforts to reach the FARC deal on December 18, 2016 in Assisi, Italy.
ii. The award recognize his work to end the half-century conflict that has claimed more than
260,000 lives.
Andy Murray Retains BBC Sports Personality of the Year for Record Third Time
i. Andy Murray was honored with the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2016 for a record
third time on December 18, 2016. The award was presented by Jessica Ennis Hill and Prince William
at a ceremony in Birmingham.
ii. Murray became the first British tennis player to reach No 1 in the world by winning Sports
Personality of the Year for a record third time along with Wimbledon in June 2016, the Olympics in
August 2016 and replacing Novak Djokovic as Tennis world number one in November 2016.
Puerto Ricos Stephanie Del Valle Crowned Miss World 2016
i. Stephanie Del Valle from Puerto Rico was crowned the Miss World 2016 at the events
grand finale held at the MGM National Harbor near Washington DC on December 18, 2016.
ii. Miss World 2015 Mireia Lalaguna Royo crowned the 19-year-old Stephanie. She is the
second winner from Puerto Rican to hold the title after Wilnelia Merced who won it in 1975.
iii. The first runner-up was Yaritza Miguelina Reyes Ramirez of the Dominican Republic, while
Indonesias Natasha Mannuela took third place. Kenya and the Philippines were among the top
five.
Varun Bhatt of Rajasthan Patrika and The Week wins IPI-India Award 2016
i. The weekly magazine The Week and Varun Bhatt of daily hindi magazine Rajasthan
Patrika have been named for the International Press Institutes (IPI) India Award for
Excellence in Journalism, 2016, for outstanding journalistic work done during 2015.
ii. Bhatt has been awarded for his investigative report exposing the apathy and negligence of the
authorities in fulfilling promises to build a memorial for 1500 tribals, killed during freedom struggle
in Mangadh, which is called the Jalianwalabagh of Rajasthan.
iii. The Week was selected for an exclusive interview and article by Rabi Banerjee which explained
the unknown life and struggles of human rights activist Irom Sharmila. The interview also gave out
for the first time the fact that she wanted to give up her prolonged fast and take to political work.
iv. The award comprises a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh, a trophy and a citation, to each winner.
The award will be presented at a function in New Delhi by the end of January 2017.
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Healthy Ministry wins gold in the Web Ratna Category
i. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare lead by Jagat Prakash Nadda has won gold in the
Web Ratna category in the Digital India awards 2016.
ii. Jitendra Arora, Director, e-Governance, at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare received
the award from the Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology and Law & Justice,
Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad.
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

Former CBEC head Praveen Mahajan is new AITA President
i. Senior bureaucrat Praveen Mahajan is appointed as the President of the All India Tennis
Association on December 1, 2016. She will replace Anil Khanna.
ii Mahajan became the second woman preseident of AITA after Rajkumari Amrit Kaur.
Chitra Ramkrishna quits as CEO & MD of NSE, J Ravichandran to take charge for interim
period
i. Chitra Ramkrishna, Managing Director (MD) and chief executive of the National Stock
Exchange of India (NSE) has resigned from her post, even as the countrys largest bourse is set
to go public.
ii. The NSE board met on December 2, 2016 and accepted her resignation.
iii. The board has set up a selection committee to find a replacement for Ramkrishna and has
appointed group president J Ravichandran as interim chief executive officer (CEO).
Asthana takes charge as new CBI Director
Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana elevated as the interim chief of the Central Bureau of
Investigation(CBI) on December 3, 2016. He will replace Anil Sinha who retired from the post.
Salman appointed ambassador of BMCs Swachh Bharat Mission
i. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation(BMC) has roped actor Salman Khan for its drive
against open defecation and litter said by Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta
ii. Salmans Being Human Foundation decided donate five mobile toilets to the BMC to be placed
at Bandstand
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi Resigns after losing referendum on constitutional
reform
i. Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has resigned on December 5, 2016, after being defeated
in a referendum on constitutional reform over his plan to reform the constitution, throwing the
country and the euro zone into confusion.
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ii. A constitutional referendum was held in Italy on Sunday December 4, 2016. Voters were asked
whether they approve a constitutional law that amends the Italian Constitution to reform the
composition and powers of the Parliament of Italy, as well as the division of powers between the
State, the Regions, and administrative entities.
New Zealand Prime Minister and National party leader John Key resigns Unexpectedly
i. John Key, the New Zealand Prime Minister and leader of the National party, resigned from
the post, ahead of next years general election.
ii. Mr Key told he resigned due to a combination of factors, including a desire to spend more time
with his family and the need to make room for new political talent.
iii. His resignation will be effective from 12 December, when National MPs will meet to select a
new leader.
Airtel appoints Sunil Taldar as CEO & Director of DTH arm
i. Sunil Taldar, member of the Airtel Management Board is appointed as CEO & Director of Airtels
DTH arm on December 5, 2016.
ii. Taldar was replaced Shashi Arora who is moved as MD & CEO of Airtel Payments Bank.
Justice TS Thakur Recommends Justice JS Khehar as 44th Chief Justice of India
i. Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar has been recommended as the 44th Chief Justice of India
(CJI) and shall succeed Chief Justice TS Thakur who will retire on January 3, 2017.
ii. 64 years old Justice Khehar will be sworn in as CJI by the President Pranab Mukherjee
on January 4, 2017 and will hold the tenure for over seven months till August 27, 2017.
iii. He will be the first Chief Justice of India from the Sikh community.His name for appointment
as the next CJI was recommended by Chief Justice of India TS Thakur on December 6, 2016.
Bernard Cazeneuve appointed as the New French PM
i. The French president, Franois Hollande, has named Bernard Cazeneuve as the new prime
minister of France until a presidential election next May.
ii. Cazeneuve, who was interior minister, will replace Manuel Valls, who resigned on December 6,
2016, in a bid to become Frances next president.
O Panneerselvam sworn in as new Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
i. AIADMK leader O. Panneerselvam was sworn in as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadufollowing
death of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.
ii. 65 year old Panneerselvam was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Ch.
Vidyasagar Rao at a solemn ceremony held in the Raj Bhavan, Chennai. He will have
remaining four years term of the Jayalalithaa Government
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Shavkat Mirziyoyev Wins Uzbekistan Presidential Election, replaces Islam Karimov
i. Interim leader Shavkat Mirziyoyev become the new President of Uzbekistan after he has
secured 88.6 percent of the votes in the presidential election.
ii. Shavkat will replace Islam Karimov who became Uzbekistans Communist party chief in 1989
and ruled as President after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, tolerated little dissent and
eliminated almost all political opposition.
AirAsia India appoints Amar Abrol as Managing Director
i. Amar Abrol was Managing Director of Chennai based AirAsia India during the companys
board meeting held on 29 November 2016
ii. Abrol was appointed as CEO of the airline in April 2016.
Alexander Van Der Bellen Sworn in as Austrian president
i. Ex-leader of the Greens, Alexander Van Der Bellen has won the Austrian presidential
election, gaining 7.6 percent of votes more than his opponent Norbert Hofer.
ii. On December 4, 2016, Austria held a presidential re-run between Green candidate Van der
Bellen and far-right Freedom Party (FPO) candidate Norbert Hofer in which Bellen was declared a
winner with 60.4 percent of ballots against 39.6 percent received by his rival.
iii. The Austrian Election Commission finished counting the votes on December 6, 2016 and
confirmed Van der Bellens victory.
BS Bhullar appointed chief of aviation regulator DGCA
i. Senior bureaucrat BS Bhullar has been appointed as the chief of aviation regulator Directorate
General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on December 5, 2016. He is the succeedor
of M Sathiyavathy, first woman chief of the aviation regulator.
ii. Prior to this, Bhullar is working as additional secretary in civil aviation ministry and was also
holding additional charge of the DGCA.
Vistaar appoints ex-Sebi chief C B Bhave as non-exec Chairman
i. Former Sebi chairman C B Bhave was appointed as non-executive Chairman and Independent
Director of Vistaar Financial Services on December 8, 2016
ii. Prior to SEBI, he has worked as the Chairman and Managing Director of National Securities
Depositories Ltd (NSDL).
Adwaita Gadanayak to head National Gallery of Modern Art
i. Odisha-based acclaimed sculptor Adwaita Gadanayak has been appointed as the new director
of National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA). He will replace Rajeev Lochan.
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ii. Prior o this, Adwaita is working as the director of the Bhubaneshwar-based KIIT School of Fine
Art.
IDFC Bank appoints Veena Mankar as Non-Executive Chairperson
i. Veena Mankar was appointed as Non-Executive Chairperson of Mumbai based IDFC Bank with
effect from December 9, 2016 up to July 26, 2018.
ii. She replaced Anil Baijal who is retired from the board on December 8, 2016.
Coca-Cola Names Quincey As Next CEO, Kent Stays As Chairman
i. US based carbonated soft drink producer Coca-Cola named James Quincey as new CEO of the
company on December 10, 2016. He will replace Muhtar Kent who will be the chairman of the
board.
ii. Quincey is currently working as Chief Operating Officer of Coca Cola.He worked at the
beverage maker for about two decades, has led the companys drive to cut down sugar in its drinks
Nana Akufo-Addo Wins Presidential Election of Ghana
i. Opposition leader of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, won the countrys national election, to become
president elect, defeating President John Mahama.
ii. Nana Akufo-Addo leader of New Patriotic Party (NPP) won the election with majority vote
of 53.8% while President John Mahama got 44.4%.
Rajendar Kumar Appointed New CBDT Member
Senior Indian Revenue Service officer Rajendra Kumar has been appointed as the new Member of
the Central Board of Direct Taxes(CBDT) by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet
Central Board of Direct Taxes(CBDT) :
i. The Central Board of Direct Taxes is a statutory authority functioning under the Central Board of
Revenue Act, 1963
ii. The CBDT is headed by a chairman and can has six members. It is headquartered at New Delhi
Gentiloni Named As Italys New Prime Minister
i. Paolo Gentiloni was appointed as Prime minister of Italy on December 11, 2016. He
replaces Matteo Renzi who resigned after losing a referendum on plans to reform Italys
constitution.
ii. Gentiloni was served as foreign minister under Renzi. He will lead the Italy government
till February 2018.
29-year-old Rafia Qaseem Baig becomes first Pak woman to join Bomb Disposal Unit
i. Rafia Qaseem Baig(29) become the first Pakistani woman to join the Bomb Disposal Unit
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(BDU) in the restive province that frequently witnesses terror attacks.
ii. She was also the only female member of an investigation team that rescued Lady Reading
Hospital physician Dr Intikhab Alam 48 hours after his abduction in 2010.
Cyrus Mistry removed as Director of Tata Industries
i. Cyrus Mistry was removed as director of Tata Industries during extraordinary general meeting
of Tata Industries held on December 12, 2016. The decision was made by shareholders of Tata
Industries.
ii. Recently he removed from Tata Group as chairman.
Akshaykumar Kale elected President of 90th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan
i. Marathi Writer and scholar Akshaykumar M Kale was elected as the President of the 90th Akhil
Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan which is scheduled to be held from February 3 to 5, 2017
at Dombivili in Maharashtra.
ii. The three-day annual conference is expected to be attended by Marathi litterateursfrom
Maharashtra and other parts of the country.
Bill English Sworn in as New Prime Minister of New Zealand
i. New Zealands Minister of Finance and leader of National Party Bill English was sworn in as the
countrys new Prime Minister on December 12, 2016 after John Key announced his intention to
resign as prime minister last week.
ii. The ruling National Party voted Mr. English at the Government House in Wellington.
iii. Mr. English (54) has served as Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister for eight years.
Googles Pulkit Trivedi joins Facebook India as new Industry Director
i. Googles former Head of Industry, e-commerce Pulkit Trivedi was appointed as Industry
Director for e-commerce, retail, travel and financial services verticals of Facebook on December
12, 2016
ii. Pulkit has 18 years of extensive industry experience covering sales, business development and
partnerships. He has worked in Google, Intel, Microsoft, IBM and HCL.
Priyanka Chopra is UNICEF global ambassador, joins David Beckham and Jackie Chan.
i. Bollywood Actress Priyanka Chopra is appointed as UNICEF Global Goodwill Ambassador for
campaign For Every Child.
ii. Chopra would be joined with Jackie Chan, Orlando Bloom and David Beckham to works towards
protecting childrens rights around the world.
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Akbar Ebrahim elected as the president of FMSCI
i. Veteran Akbar Ebrahim has been elected as the president of Chennai based Federation of Motor
Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) at the FMSCI Annual General Meeting, which was held in Chennai on
December 12, 2016. He will replace Zayn Khan.
ii. J Prithiviraj was elected as the vice-president and also councillors were elected for various
motor clubs.
Malaysia enthrones 15th king, Sultan Muhammad V
i. Malaysia government has been installed its 15th king Sultan Muhammad V in the Istana Negara
in Kuala Lumpur(KL) on December 14, 2016.
ii. Muhammad succeeds Sultan Abdul Halim of Kedah who was king previously in the 1970s and
he was the first person to hold the position twice.
Kannan takes charge as new Indian Banks Association (IBA) chief
i. V G Kannan took charge as Chief Executive of the Indian Banks Association (IBA) on December
14, 2016. He replaced M V Tanksale.
ii. Kannan had working as Managing Director & Group Executive (Associates & Subsidiaries) of
State Bank of India till July 31, 2016.
VK Sharma Appointed Chairman of LIC
i. Managing Director of state-owned Life Insurance Corporation (LIC), V K Sharma was on
December 14, 2016, appointed as the Chairman (LIC) for five years by the Government of India.
ii. Sharma was already acting as chairman since September 16 when the then chairman S K Roy
was relieved of his duties after he resigned in June, nearly two years ahead of his retirement.
Audi India appoints Rahil Ansari as India head
i. German automobile manufacture company Audi appointed Rahil Ansari is appointed as Head of
Indian Operation. It will effect from February 1, 2017.
ii. Ansari succeeds Joe King, who will move back to Germany. He has a broad range of experience
in finance, sales, network development, retail operations and after sales business.
Sunil Arora Appointed as Director General and CEO of IICA
i. Former Information and Broadcasting Secretary Sunil Arora has been appointed
as the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Indian Institute of Corporate
Affairs (IICA), a think tank that comes under the Corporate Affairs Ministry.
ii. IICA focuses on matters related with the functioning of corporates and works towards
the capacity building with various stakeholders including regulators and professionals, among other
activities.
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Savita Vaidhyanathan elected as Mayor of Californian city
i. For the first time, an Indian-American woman, Savita Vaidhyanathan, on December 16, 2016
was elected the new mayor of Californian city Cupertino, globally famous for
its Apple headquarters.
ii. She will replace Barry Chang who had served as mayor from 2015.
Indian Vijay Sazawal Appointed To Civil Nuclear Trade Advisory Committee
i. Indian-American Vijay Sazawal along with 38 members were appointed to the Civil Nuclear
Trade Advisory Committee of the US Department of Commerce by US Secretary of
Commerce Penny Pritzker on December 16, 2016
ii. Sazawal is the only Indian-American in the advisory committee. He is an expert in India-US
civil nuclear deal.
Amina Mohammed appointed as UN Deputy Secretary-General
i. Nigerias Environment minister, Amina Mohammed, was appointed as the UN Deputy
Secretary-General by the new UN Secretary-General Antnio Guterres on December 15, 2016.
ii. Guterres also announced Brazilian Diplomat Maria Luzia Ribeiro Viotti as Chief de
Cabinet and South Koreas Kyung-wha Kang as special advisor.
Kate Succeeds as Queen Steps down as Wimbledon Patron
i. Queen Elizabeth II , queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, is
stepping down as patron of Wimbledon.
ii. The 90-year-old queen has been patron of the All England Club since 1952, and last made an
appearance at the Wimbledon tournament in 2010.
iii. She will be succeeded by Prince Williams wife, Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge.
Deepak Agarwal appointed Noida CEO Authority
i. IAS officer Deepak Agarwal, CEO of Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA)
was appointed as the CEO of Noida Authority by the Uttar Pradesh government. He succeeds P K
Agarwal who will be the additional CEO of Noida Authority.
ii. Deepak is familiar with Gautam Buddh Nagar district. He has been the GNIDA chief since
September 2015.
Girija Vaidyanathan appointed as new Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu
i. Senior IAS Officer Girija Vaidyanathan was appointed as the new Chief Secretary of Tamil
Nadu.She replaced P. Rama Mohana Rao
ii. Vaidyanathan is curently working as the Additional Chief Secretary and Commissioner of Land
Reforms.
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APIS India ropes in badminton sensation PV Sindhu as its brand ambassador
Indian professional badminton player PV Sindhu is roped as brand ambassador of leading
producer, distributor and exporter of honey APIS India on December 23, 2016
Najeeb Jung Resigns as Lieutenant Governor of Delhi
i. The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Najeeb Jung, gave a surprise resignation on December 22,
2016, one-and-a-half years before his tenure ends in 2018.
Mahinder Pal Singh becomes first Sikh cricketer in Pakistan to join national cricket
academy
i. For the first time, a Pakistani Sikh, Mahinder Pal Singh, has secured a place at
Pakistans National Cricket Academy.
ii. Mahinder Pal Singh, who hails from Nankana Sahib in Lahore, is among the list of top 30
emerging cricketers in the country.
American Tourister appoints Virat Kohli as brand ambassador
i. Indian international cricketer Virat Kohli was appointed as first Indian brand ambassador
of Luggage maker American Tourister owned by Samsonite
ii. American Tourister has signed the ace cricketer to feature in a new integrated
marketing communications campaign from March 2017, which will be publicised in India, UAE,
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Tata Motors shareholders remove Nusli Wadia from Board of Directors
i. Indian multinational automotive manufacturing company Tata Motors shareholders are voted to
remove Industrialist Nusli Wadia as an Independent Director of the company at an extra-ordinary
general meeting (EGM)
ii. Tata Sons board recently removed Cyrus Mistry and appointed Ratan Tata as the Interim
Chairman
Dr Barbara Jatta becomes first ever female director of Vatican Museums
i. Dr Barbara Jatta(54) was appointed as the first female director of Vatican Museums by Pope
Francis. It will be effective from January 1, 2017
ii. Jatta is currently working as the Deputy Director of the museums Since June 2016
Actor Mithun Chakraborty resigns from Rajya Sabha citing health reasons
i. West Bengal hailed Mithun Chakraborty has resigned from Rajya Sabha due to his health
problems.He has submitted his resignation to Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari on
December 26, 2016
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ii. Mithus is an Indian actor, singer, producer, writer, social worker, entrepreneur and Politician
iii. He was elected to the West Bengal Rajya Sabha Assembly by Trinamool Congress(TMC) in
2014
Tata Motors roped Akshay Kumar As Brand Ambassador For Commerical Vehicles
i. Bollywood star Akshay Kumar is appointed as brand ambassador for Tata Motors commercial
vehicle (CV) business unit on December 27, 2016
ii. Akshay will start his role as ambassador for commercial vehicles will be supported by a multimedia campaign which will begin from January 2017.
Viral V. Acharya Appointed as the Fourth Deputy Governor of RBI
i. Government has appointed Viral V. Acharya, a professor of economics at New York University,
as one of the Reserve Bank of Indias four deputy governors for a term of three years on
December 28, 2016.
ii. The RBI had a vacancy for deputy governor after Urjit Patel was made RBI Governor to succeed
Rajan with effect from September 4. The existing three Deputy Governors of RBI are S S Mundra,
N S Vishwanathan and R Gandhi.
Soli Sorabjee re-elected IIC president
i. Former attorney general Soli J Sorabjee was elected president of the India International
Centre (IIC) for a second consecutive term by the board of directors of IIC on December 26, 2016
ii. Sorabjee has been working for IIC for the last two decades.He is well known to have given up
cases in the Supreme Court and Delhi High Court to be able to devote time for IIC affairs.
Anil Bajaj Takesover Najeeb Jung to become Delhis Lieutenant Governor
i. Former home secretary Anil Baijal was appointed as the new Lieutenant Governor of Delhi by
the President Pranab Mukherjee on December 29, replacing Najeeb Jung who resigned on
December 23.
ii. The new Lieutenant Governor is likely to take oath on December 31.
Thomas Bossert appointed as top Counterterrorism adviser by Donald Trump
i. USs next president Donald Trump appointed Thomas Bossert to his national security circle and
a figure from the Trump Organization to make international deals.
ii. Bossert will work as an assistant to the president for homeland security and
counterterrorism
Ranveer Singh becomes new ambassador of Thums Up campaign
i. Coca-Cola India has roped Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh as brand ambassador for its new
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thematic campaign Thums Up campaign Toofani series
ii. Ranveer replaced Salman Khan who existing relationship with Coca Cola.
Suresh Kalmadi Declines IOAs Life Time Presidency Proposal
i. Suresh Kalmadi has refused to accept the post of life president with the Indian Olympic
Association following a notice from the Sports Ministry to the IOA.
ii. The former IOA presidents Suresh Kalmadi and Abhay Singh Chautala were
unanimously appointed IOA life presidents on December 27 by 150 members.
Arunachal CM Pema Khandu suspended from PPA
i. Incumbent Chief Minister and former Congress rebel Pema Khandu and six other lawmakers were
suspended from the Peoples Party of Arunachal (PPA).
ii. The five other MLAs are Zingnu Namchom (Namsai), Passang Dorjee Sona (Mechuka), Chow
Tewa Mein (Chowkham), Jambey Tashi (Lumla)and Kamlung Mossang (Miao).
Romanian president designates Grindeanu new prime minister
i. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has designated veteran leftist Sorin Grindeanu as the new
Romanian head of government.
ii. The 43-year-old Grindeanu is a mathematician who has served as deputy mayor of the western
city of Timisoara.
SP Vaid appointed Jammu and Kashmir Police Chief
i. J & K State Cabinet lead by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti appointed senior Indian Police
Services (IPS) officer S.P. Vaid as new Director General of Police (DGP) of Jammu and Kashmir. He
will replace K. Rajendra.
ii. Vaid is a 1986 IPS batch and has immense experience in operations against the militants.
Lt. Gen Bipin Rawat to serve as next chief of Army Staff while Air Marshal B.S. Dhanoa as
chief of Air Staff
i. Government on December 17, 2016, decided to appoint Lieutenant general Bipin Rawatas the
new chief of Army Staff while Air Marshal B.S. Dhanoa as the new chief of Air Staff.
ii. Rawat will succeed General Dalbir Singh, while Dhanoa will replace Arup Raha both of whom
are retiring on December 31. The two new chiefs will take charge on January 1, 2017.
Rajiv Jain appointed new IB chief while Anil Dhasmana to head RAW
Jharkhand cadre IPS officer Rajiv Jain has been appointed as the new chief of Intelligence
Bureau (IB) while Anil Dhasmana has been appointed as the next chief ofthe countrys external
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intelligence agency RAW. Both the officers will take over on January 1 and will have a tenure of
two years.
Actor Priyanka Chopra to be brand ambassador for Assam tourism
i. Sarbananda Sonowal led assam government has roped Bollywood actor Priyanka Chopra as the
brand ambassador of the state tourism.
ii. She will be responsible for the campaign, Awesome Assam for a period of two years.
ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

Strides Shasun to acquire Perrigo API India for Rs 100 crore
Bengaluru based Strides Shasun Ltd has announced to acquire the US-based Perrigos APIs
manufacturing facility in Ambernath, Maharashtra for Rs 100 crore.
Mahindra to acquire Netherlandss OFD Holding for 5 mn euro
i. Mahindra Agri Solutions Ltd (MASL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company acquired
Netherlands-based OFD Holding BV for 5 million euros .
ii. According to the agreement, MASL holds 60 per cent of the equity share capital of OFD Holding
BV.
Delivery Hero acquires Rocket Internet-backed start-up Foodpanda
i. Berlin-based Delivery Hero signed an agreement on December 10, 2016 to acquire
competitor Foodpanda for an undisclosed amount.
ii. The acquisition will strengthens Delivery Heros global leadership position in online food ordering
and delivery, with the combined group processing over 20 million orders per month across 47
countries.
Tata Steel to Acquire 100% equity share of BRPL
i. Tata Steel has announced an agreement on December 23, 2016 to acquire 100 % equity
shares of the Brahmani River Pellets Limited (BRPL) from Aryan Mining and Trading
Corporation Private Limited (AMTC) and other companies associated with the Moorgate Industries
Group (MIG).
ii. Tata steel also announced that the funding for acquiring the complete equity shares in BRPL will
be done from Tata Steels internal cash flows.
Facebooks Oculus has acquired an eye-tracking startup called The Eye Tribe
The virtual reality company of Facebook, Oculus has acquired eye-tracking software company The
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Eye Tribe for an undisclosed amount on December 29, 2016
MoUs
India and Vietnam Signs Civil Nuclear Pact Along With Three Other Agreements
i. India and Vietnam signed a Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement (N-Pact) in New Delhi
on December 9, 2016, in the presence of Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and President of
Vietnams National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.
ii. The MoU was signed by Sekhar Basu, Secretary of Department of Atomic Energy and Pham
Cong Tac, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology of Vietnam to strengthen the bi-lateral
cooperation between the two countries.
iii. Three other agreements were also signed between the two countries.
1.Enhance aviation links,
2.Jointly work in the area of energy efficiency
3.Promotion of parliamentary cooperation.
ICMR and ICAR inks MoU to Strengthen Mutual Cooperation
i. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) signed a MoU with Indian Council of Agricultural
Research (ICAR) on December 1, 2016, for cooperation in the area of zoonoses, anti-microbial
resistance, nutrition and pesticide residues.
ii. The MoU was signed by Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Secretary (DHR) & Director General
(ICMR) and Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary (DARE) & Director General (ICAR) to strengthen
the ties between the two organizations and energize environment of mutual cooperation and
collaboration.
India Agrees to train Vietnams Sukhoi fighter pilots
i. In order to further boost to its growing defence ties with Vietnam, India has agreed to train the
southeast nations Sukhoi-30 fighter pilots.
ii. The agreement regarding the same was signed during bilateral discussions between Defence
Minister Manohar Parrikar and his Vietnamese counterpart, General Ngo Xuan Lich, in New
Delhi on December 5, 2016.
iii. During the discussion an MoU was also signed for cooperation between the Air Forces
covering including training of pilots and exchange of experts.
Cabinet approved MoU between India and Vietnam on Cooperation in IT
The Union Cabinet on December 7, 2016, approved MoU between India and Vietnam on
Cooperation in the field of IT.
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Aim: to develop a long-term sustainable cooperation in the areas of IT between the two
countries following each countrys laws and regulations.
Unoin Cabinet approved MoU between India and Afghanistan on Cooperation in the
Peaceful Uses of Outer Space
The Union Cabinet approved the MoU between India and Afghanistan on cooperation in the
peaceful uses of outer space.
Aim: cooperation between the two countries for application of space technologies in education,
agriculture, weather forecasting, telecommunications, rural health, sanitation, urban development,
resource mapping navigation, remote sensing etc.
Union Cabinet approved MoU between India and UK to support Ease of Doing Business in
India
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on December 7, 2016,
approved the MoU signed between India and United Kingdom (UK) in area of Ease of Doing
Business in India.
The MoU allows exchange of officials from both the countries to share best practises, offer
technical assistance and enhanced implementation of reforms.
TeamIndus signs Launch Contract with ISRO

i. Bangalore-based space tech firm TeamIndus on December 1, 2016 signed a verified commercial
launch contract with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for its mission to land a
spacecraft on the moon.
ii. The move is an attempt to win Google Lunar XPRIZE, a competition to challenge and inspire
engineers and entrepreneurs from around the world to develop low-cost methods of robotic space
exploration.
iii. TeamIndus is the only Indian team competing for the $30 million Google Lunar XPRIZE. This
will be the first time ISRO has given a dedicated PSLV to any private entity. TeamIndus will launch
its Moon-bound spacecraft aboard ISROs Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in late 2017.
iv. The total cost of the venture is expected to be around USD 60 million. The company has so far
raised USD 15 million and is in talks with investors to raise more funding.
India-US inks Rs 5000 Crore deal for 145 M777 howitzers
i. India and United States (US) has signed a deal to buy 145 M-777 Ultra-Light
Howitzers worth $750 million (Rs 5,000 crore) under the Foreign Military Sales programme that
will be deployed in high-altitude areas in Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh, bordering China.
ii. The deal was signed at the two-day meeting of the 15th India-US Military Cooperation
Group (MCG) held in New Delhi on November 30, 2016.
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iii. India-US MCG is a forum established to promote Defence Cooperation between HQ Integrated
Defence Staff (India) and US Pacific Command at the strategic and operational levels.
India Signs Open Skies Agreement with Six Countries at ICAN 2016
i. India has signed an Open Skies Agreement with six countries at the International Civil
Aviation Negotiations (ICAN), 2016 which were held in Nassau, Bahamas from December 59, 2016.
ii. Open Skies Agreement was signed with Jamaica, Guyana, Czech Republic, Finland, Spain and Sri
Lanka to allows unlimited number of flights to six metro airports namely Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad,
Kolkata, Bengaluru and Chennai.
iii. The Conference was attended by 106 countriesout of ICAO membership of 191 countries.
India held negotiations with 17 countries and Memorandum of Understanding was signed
with 12 countries.
iv. Shri R.N. Choubey, Secretary, Civil Aviation led the Indian Delegations at the negotiation.
Cabinet approves MoU between ISRO and USGS for cooperation in the exchange and use
of U.S. Land Remote Sensing Satellite Data
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on December 14, 2016,
approved the Memorandum of Understanding signed between Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) and United States Geological Survey (USGS) that was signed on July 9,
2016 at Bengaluru, for cooperation in the exchange and use of U.S. Land Remote Sensing
Satellite Data.
According to the MoU ISRO will receive data from USGSs satellite, Landsat-7 & 8 in
India while USGS will receive data from ISROs RESOURCESAT-2 (AWiFS and LISS III)
satellite in US.
The MoU was signed with the mutual interest of both organizations in each others
satellites.
Cabinet Approves Signing MoU between India and Kyrgyzstan to Strengthen cooperation
in Tourism
The Union Cabinet, headed by Shri Narendra Modi also gave its approval for signing Memorandum
of Understanding between the Ministry of Tourism, Government of the Republic of India and
Ministry of Cultural, Information & Tourism of the Government of the Kyrgyzstan Republic for
strengthening cooperation in the field of Tourism.
The MoU will mutually benefit both the countries as each country will frame development
and promotion policies for tourism for the economic development of two nations. Besides,
the MoU will also increase the number of tourists of both the countries travelling in each
others nation.
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Cabinet gave Ex-Post Facto Approval & Renewal of MoU between ICAI and CBFS
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its ex-post facto
approval of the MoUs signed between the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI)
and College of Banking and Financial Studies (CBFS), Oman in 2008 and 2011 as well as the
renewal of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
ICAI has a strong membership base of over 6000 members in the Middle East region and
the MOU aims at providing assistance to CBFS by admitting Omani Nationals to the
membership of ICAI.
The aim is to work together to develop a mutually beneficial relationship in the best
interests of members, students and the institutes.
Cabinet Approves Signing Revised Air Services Agreement between India and Nigeria
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for
signing of the revised Air Services Agreement (ASA) between India and Nigeriawhich was
signed on 31th January, 1978.
The revised version of the Agreement will be as per latest International Civil Aviation
Organisation (ICAO) pattern, based on the latest developments in civil aviation sector
and with an objective to improve the air connectivity between the two countries.
The revised Agreement with strengthen the civil aviation relations between India and
Nigeria and has the potential to encourage greater trade, investment, tourism and
cultural exchanges between the two countries.
European Union signs Agreement with Mali to return migrants

i. The European Union has signed an agreement with the Malian government on December 11,
2016, to enable the return of strucked Malian migrants who have reached Europes shores
and whose asylum requests have been refused.
ii. The deal was signed on behalf of the EU by Dutch foreign minister Bert Koenders.
iii. The aim of the agreement is to fight the root causes of illegal migration and to enable the return
from Europe of Malian migrants.
iv. The agreement states that EU will support Mali in development, biometric passports and
improving security.
v. The deal will form the basis for setting up various schemes to help young people of Mali in
finding work and thus strengthen the countrys security forces.
European Union Signs Deal with Cuba to Normalize Relations
i. The European Union (EU) and Cuba signed a deal in Brussels on December 12, 2016,
to normalize relations, change interaction on human rights issues and increase already existing
business ties between Europe and Cuba.
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ii. Cuba was the only Latin American country that had no dialogue and cooperation deal with the
28-nation EU covering issues such as trade, human rights and migration.
iii. The deal was signed to end a 20-year policy, which stated that Cuba first had to improve its
human rights record before getting closer links with the bloc
Cuba signs deal with Google for faster internet access
i. Google and the government of Cuba signed a deal on December 12, 2016, that will enable Cuba
to have faster access to internet content from the US technology giant. Google had no direct data
link to the Cuba island.
ii. The deal was signed between Mayra Arevich, head of Cuban state telecommunications
company Etecsa and executive chairman of Google parent company Alphabet, Eric Schmidt.
iii. Under the deal, the internet giant will install servers called Google Global Cache, on the island
that will store companys most popular content from sites like Gmail and Youtube on the local
servers to provide faster access to its data.
Centre & Maharashtra Inked Agreements For New Railway Projects
i. The union government and Devendra Fadnavis lead Maharashtra government signed
agreement for new railway projects worth Rs 45,000 crore in Maharashtra said by Railway
Minister Suresh Prabhu
ii. The ministry of railway planning to increasing connectivity in Maharashtra with an outlay of Rs
22,000 crore.
UK and Argentina Signs Deal to Identify 123 Argentine soldiers buried on the Falkland
Islands.
i. The UK and Argentina have signed a deal to identify 123 Argentine soldiers buried on
the Falkland Islands.
ii. Britain and Argentina have signed an agreement on December 20, 2016, to identify the bodies of
more than 100 unknown Argentinian soldiers buried on the Falklands Islands after the 1982 war.
The move will strengthen the relation between the two countries.
iii. The 74-day war began when Argentina seized the islands and Britain sent a taskforce to retake
them. In the war 649 Argentinian and 255 British soldiers as well as three Falkland islanders lost
their lives.
India Signs Agreement with Bhutan for green and sustainable construction
i. India and Bhutan has signed an agreement for bilateral technical
cooperation in infrastructure engineering.
ii. The MoU was signed between Central Public Works Department (CPWD), under Indias
Ministry of Urban Development and the Department of Engineering Services, under Bhutans
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Ministry of Works and Human Settlements.
iii.The MoU was signed by Abhay Sinha, Director General of CPWD in the presence of Zhabtog
Lyonpo DorjiChoden, Minister of Works and Human Settlements of Bhutan.
Haryana Signs MoU with Andhra Pradesh to Prepare Citizens Database
i. The state Government of Haryana signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Andhra
Pradeshon December 29 to assist the state in compiling a centralised databaseof its population
to ensure efficient and effective implementation of welfare programmes.
ii. The MoU for State Resident Data Base (SRDB) was signed by Haryana Principal
Secretary, Information Technology Devender Singh and Secretary Andhra Pradesh, Information
Technology, Vijayen in the presence of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Andhras N
Chandra Babu Naidu in Andhra Pradesh.
Indian Army partners with IIT Gandhinagar for critical technology requirements
i. Indian Army has inked an agreement with IIT Gandhinagar to set up a research and
development (R&D) cell at the IIT campus to identify problems and possible solutions for the
Indian Army.
ii. The agreement also enable the IIT and Indian Army to collaborate in areas including critical
technology requirements of Indian Army, sharing of professional and technical knowledge.
India and Singapore Signs Third Protocol for Amending Double Taxation Avoidance
Agreement (DTAA)
India and Singapore signed a Third Protocol on December 30, 2016, for amending the Double
Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) for the avoidance of double taxation and prevention of
fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income.
The decision follows Indias treaty policy to prevent double non-taxation, curb revenue loss
and check the menace of black money through automatic exchange of information.
India signed a similar Pact with Mauritius in 10th May, 2016 and Cyprus on 18th
November, 2016 to stop round-tripping of black money via the three countries, Mauritius,
Cyprus and Singapore, which earlier had no cap on capital gains.
SCHEMES
Goa Launches Yuva Sanchar Yojana for Free Internet data, talktime for Goa Youth
i. The Government of Goa is set to launch its ambitious scheme Goa Yuva Sanchar Yojana on
December 5, 2016, providing Limited Free Talktime and Internet Data to the youth in the state
to comply with the central governments Digital India initiative.
ii. The scheme will provide free 100 minutes talk time and 3 GB Internet data with a SIM card
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(every month) for youths aged between 16-30 years.
iii. The state government has tied up with private mobile services provider Vodafone for the
scheme which will benefit nearly 1.25 lakh youth.
Himachal become 18th State To Join UDAY(Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana)
i. Virbhadra Singh lead Himachal Pradesh government signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with Government of India for operational and financial turnaround of the DISCOM under
the Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY)
ii. HP has become the 18th state to join UDAY, a central scheme for revival of debt stressed power
distribution companies, availing a net benefit of about Rs 823 crore.
Lt. Governor Puducherry, Kiran Bedi Launched Model Scheme
i. Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, Kiran Bedi on December 11, 2016 announced the decision
about the selection of Thimmanaicken Palayam village in the Manaveli Assembly constituency
under Model Village Scheme.
ii. After conducting the survey of the village along with officials of various departments and local
legislator R K R Anandaraman the former IPS officer decided that Raj Nivas (official residence of
Lt Governor of Puducherry) would adopt the village in association with the National Cadet Corps
(NCC).
NITI Aayog Launches Two Schemes for Customers and Merchants to Boost Digital
Transaction
NITI Aayog, a Government of India policy think-tank on December 15, 2016, announced the
launch of two schemes, Lucky Grahak Yojna and Digi Dhan Vyapar Yojna, to give cash
awards to for consumers and merchants who use digital payment instruments for any transaction.
Aim: the main aim of the scheme is to incentivize digital transaction so that all sections of the
society, especially the poor, lower middle class and small businesses adopt digital payment mode.
The scheme comprise of two major components, one for the Consumers and the other for the
Merchants:
Lucky Grahak Yojana (Consumers)
This scheme is for the consumers who will conduct daily transaction using electronic medium.
As per the lucky draw scheme, daily reward of Rs 1000 will be given to 15,000 lucky
consumers for a period of 100 days.
Besides, weekly prizes worth Rs 1 lakh, Rs 10,000 and Rs. 5000 will be given to
consumers who use the alternate modes of digital Payments
This will include all forms of transactions viz. UPI, USSD, AEPS and RuPay Cards but will
for the time being exclude transactions through Private Credit Cards and Digital Wallets.
3 Mega Prizes for consumers worth Rs 1 cr, 50 lakh, 25 lakh for digital transactions
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conducted between 8th November, 2016 to 13th April, 2017 to be announced
on 14th April, 2017
Digi-Dhan Vyapar Yojana (Merchants)
This scheme is applicable for those merchants who make digital transaction at merchant
establishments.
Under the scheme, merchants will get weekly prizes worth Rs. 50,000, Rs 5,000 and Rs.
2,500
3 Mega Prizes for merchants worth Rs 50 lakhs, 25 lakh, 12 lakh for digital transactions
conducted between 8th November, 2016 to 13th April, 2017 to be announced
on 14th April, 2017.
Government announces Second Income Declaration Scheme PM Garib Kalyan Yojana

i. The government on December 16, 2017, announced a second income disclosure scheme
named The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana to give another chance to tax evaders to
come clean after paying 50% tax on depositing junk currencies in bank account.
ii. Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia informed that the new scheme includes stricter rules and will
start from December 17 and will run till March 31, 2017.
iii. The scheme will allow people to deposit money in their accounts by paying 50 per centof the
total amount. Out of the 50% tax paid, 30 per cent will be used as tax, 10 per cent as penalty and
33 per cent of the taxed amount that is 10 per cent as Garib Kalyan Cess.
Feature of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana
The scheme will allow people to deposit money in their accounts by paying 50 per cent of the total
amount. Out of the 50% tax paid, 30 per cent will be used as tax, 10 per cent as penalty and 33
per cent of the taxed amount that is 10 per cent as Garib Kalyan Cess.
In addition, the declarant will have to deposit 25% of the undisclosed income in a zerointerest deposit scheme that will be called Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Deposit
Scheme, 2016. This money will be utilized for developmental activities such as irrigation,
housing, construction of toilets and infrastructure, primary education and primary health.
The scheme is a part of the Taxation Laws (Second Amendment) Bill, 2016, passed
by the Parliament on November 29 to amend the income tax laws to provide more strict
penal tax after demonetization announced on November 8.
Odisha Government launches Biju Sishu Surakshya Yojana for HIV+ orphan children
i. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on December 22, launched Biju Sishu Surakshya
Yojana for care and protection of HIV positive orphan children in the state.
Important aspects of the scheme
ii. Under the scheme, the children would get financial support from the state
government for their studies till higher secondary along with Rs. 20,000 reward after passing
higher secondary.
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iii. State government would provide Rs. 7,000 to Rs 40,000 for technical education to the
beneficiary to meet the expenses like admission and tution fee, study material and other related
expenses
Odisha CM Adds 25 Lakh new Beneficiaries under the Mamata Yojana
i. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, on December 22, addressed a meeting at the Jayadev Bhawan
to mark five years of completion of the Mamata Yojana.
ii. The state government added 25 lakh new beneficiaries under the Mamata Yojana
and electronically transferred Rs 1,100 crore to the bank accounts of these beneficiaries.
iii. The Chief Minister also announced a onetime incentive of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 for Anganwadi
workers, Anganwadi assistants and Asha workers respectively to promote the scheme.
Assam Launches Health Insurance Scheme Atal-Amrit Abhiyan
i. The state government of Assam on December 25 launched an ambitious health insurance
scheme Atal-Amrit Abhiyan which will provide coverage against several critical illnesses.
ii. The scheme was launched by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal at a function in
Guwahati, to mark the 92nd birthday of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
iii. Both Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Above Poverty Line (APL) families, with annual income
below Rs 5 lakh, are eligible for the scheme.
iv. The total financial outlay of the scheme is around Rs 200 crore and would entitle the poor to
receive coverage of Rs. 2 Lakh annually. In order to avail the facilities, a laminated health card
with unique identification number will be given to all the members of an eligible family and the
assurance will be cashless at the point of delivery..
Odisha Names Mega Lift Irrigation Scheme after the freedom fighter Parbati Giri
i. The State Cabinet of Odisha on December 24 named the Mega Lift Irrigation Scheme worth
Rs. 7,600 crore, after the noted freedom fighter and social reformer Parbati Giri as a mark of
respect for her immense contribution to the freedom movement and service to the poor and needy.
ii. The scheme was named after Parbati Giri by the Chief Minister of state, Naveen Patnaik at a
cabinet meeting.
iii. The State Cabinet has approved tender for 13 mega lift irrigation schemes with a total
command area of 19,400 hectares in Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar districts.
iv.The Cabinet meeting approved the lowest bid of Rs. 517.77 crore by GVPR Engineers Limited.
Nagar Uday Abhiyan launched in Madhya Pradesh
i. The three-phase campaign Nagar Uday Abhiyan has been launched in all 378 urban bodies of
Madhya Pradesh on December 25, the birthday of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
ii. Aim :To assess services being provided to citizens and bring them at standard live
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iii. The first phase will be held between December 25 to 28, the second phase will be conducted
between January 3 and 15 and the third phase will take place between January 20 and
February 5.
iv. Teams of officers and employees of departments would be constituted in the first phase of the
campaign.
v. Ward Sabha will be held in the second phase. Status of infrastructure development and
beneficiaries oriented schemes will be assessed.
Government achieves target of distributing 1.5 Crore LPG Connection within 8 months to
BPL Families
i. According to data released by the Ministry for Petroleum & Natural Gas on December 29,
2016, Government has achieved its target of providing 1.5 crore free LPG connections under
the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) to the BPL households in less than 8 months.
ii. The Government had made a provision of Rs 2,000 crore in the Budget for providing LPG
connection free of cost to Rs. 1.5 crore poor BPL households in 2016-17. However, the Ministry of
Petroleum & Natural Gas informed that the effort to provide clean energy was met within 8 months.
iii. The top five states which experienced the maximum LPG connections are UP (46 lakh), West
Bengal (19 lakh), Bihar (19 lakh), Madhya Pradesh (17 lakh) and Rajasthan (14 lakh). These states
constituted nearly 75% of the total connections
COMMITTEE
Committee headed by Ratan P. Watal submitted its report to Finance Minster to boost
Digital Payment
i. The committee formed by Finance Ministry to boost Digital Payment system in India that was
headed by Shri. Ratan P. Watal submitted its report to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on 09
December 2016.
ii. The committee has recommended to bridge the gaps between those are digitally active and
those are not, by promoting competition, open access & interoperability in payments.
iii. The report also recommended including those group of citizens into the digital payment system
who are not well versed with it so that they can use it for their benefit and reduce dependence on
cash. Safeguarding of the digital security system should also be maintained.
IAMAI Constitutes Ajit Mohan Committee to Fight Online Piracy
i. Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) has constituted a committee to
fight against the problem of online piracy and develop suitable business standards and best
practices for the digital entertainment industry.
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ii. Ajit Mohan of Hotstar will be the chairman of the committee while it will be co-chaired
by Uday Sodhi of SET India and Salil Kapoor of HOOQ. Other member of the committee
includes Star Plus, Digivive, Radio Mirchi, Shemaroo, Viacom 18, Netflix, Arre, Eros, among others.
iii. The aim of the committee is to safeguard the interest of the digital entertainment industry.
iv. The committee will take necessary steps to create a self regulatory code of conduct, measures
for standard and good business practices, create public awareness measures to minimize online
piracy and also take regulatory and legal actions as per requirement.
Government forms high-level task force on Indus Water Treaty headed by Nripendra
Mishra
i. The Central Government has formed an inter- ministerial task force to look into all the strategic
aspects of Indus Water Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan on December 17, 2016
ii. The Task force will be headed by PM Narendra Modi's Principal Secretary Nripendra Mishra.
Other team members included NSA Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and Secretaries in
ministries of Finance, Environment, Power and Water Resource.
Center reconstitutes Committee assisting Krishna River Management Board
i. The Centre has reconstituted a committee that was tasked with assisting the Krishna River
Management Board (KRMB).
ii. The new committee will be headed by A.K. Bajaj, former chairman of the Central Water
Commission. Other board members include Gopala Krishnan, R.P. Pandey, Pradeep Kumar Shukla
and N.N. Rai.
iii. The objective of the committee will be to assist the Krishna River Management Board
in preparing a manual on how projects, common to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, needs to be
handled.
Cetral government forms 10 member committee to review Institutionalization of
Arbitration Mechanism in India
i. Central government has formed a high level committee under the Ministry of Law and
Justice to make arbitration a preferred mode for settlement of commercial disputes and review
the present system of arbitration mechanism in India and make it strong.
ii. The 10 member committee includes Justice BN Srikrishna, Justice RV Raveendran , retired
Delhi High Court Judge S Ravindra Bhatt senior lawyer Indu Malhotra and eminent senior lawyer KK
Venugopal.
iii. The aim of this arbitration system is to ensure speedy redressal of commercial disputes and
to facilitate international and domestic arbitrations raised under various agreements..
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

ISROs drones to help North Eastern States map disasters
i. Indian Space Research Organisations (ISRO) Shillong-based North-Eastern Space
Applications Centre (NE-SAC) has tested Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVS) to map various
problems and disasters ranging from measuring diseased paddy fields to damage caused by
frequent landslides in the north eastern region of the country.
ii. NE-SAC has taken the initiative for design and assembling of drones (UAVs) for various
applications. UAVs can perform efficient surveys for disaster-prone or physically inaccessible areas,
quick damage assessment of landslides, floods and earthquakes and enable timely relief measures.
iii. Using the drones, NE-SAC mapped the area affected by landslides along the North eastern State
of Meghalayas life line, NH40. It gave the extent of damage caused to pest-infested paddy
fields in Naramari village of Assam.
Periodic Table Expands With 4 Elements Named After Japan, Moscow, Tennessee
i. On November 30, 2016, the periodic table got larger after four new elements were officially
named and added to the chart, including nihonium which is the first ever element to be
discovered by Japanese scientists.
ii. Newly included elements are: nihonium, moscovium, tennessine and oganesson.
iii. The new name for element 113, nihonium, symbol Nh, a highly radioactive element with an
extremely short half-life, comes from Japans name in Japanese nihon, literally the land of the
rising sun.
Russias Spacecraft Progress MS-04 Crashed Seconds After Takeoff
i. The Russian Space Agency reported that Unmanned cargo spacecraft Progress MS-04, which
was delivering 2.6 tonnes of supplies to the International Space Station crashed shortly after
takeoff on December 1, 2016 due to a malfunction.
ii. Progress MS-04 was launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and lost
contact 383 seconds after the launch. Most of the debris burnt up in the atmosphere.
Tribal Affairs Minister launched Stanpan Suraksha App to Promote Breast Feeding
i. A mobile application, Stanpan Suraksha, developed by an NGO Breastfeeding Promotion
Network of India (BPNI) to promote breast feeding and check on inappropriate promotion of
baby food items, was launched by Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram on December 2, 2016 in
New Delhi.
ii. The App has a feature to enable people report the inappropriate promotion of marketed baby
food around them, by enabling them to click pictures of advertisements, displays of such products
and send them to an NGO which then may take required legal action.
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Scientists in Russia Proposes Low Cost Method for Fuel Production
i. Russian Scientists have developed a unique, low-cost method of producing highquality nuclear fuel by using electricity.
ii. Main type of fuel required by Nuclear Power Reactors is the uranium oxide pellet
composition. It is produced from a powder by granulation, pressing, and sintering with proper
control over the quality and size of the pellets.
iii. The researchers have proposed an alternative mode of production: electric pulse sintering
under pressure which forms the basis of powder metallurgy.
www.girlsgottaknow.in Website Launched To Educate Indian Women On Their Legal
Rights.
i. Tasmania-based Womens Legal Service in collaboration with TRS Law
Offices, India has launched a website, www.Girlsgottaknow.in, for women in India to educate them
about their legal rights.
ii. The project has been supported by the Australian Government.
iii. The website has different heads such as Relationship, Employment, Partying and Trouble,
Housing and Renting, Employment, Money and others. Under every section a brief description
American Scientists Successfully Mapps Human Thought
i. A study published in the journal PNAS revealed that American scientists of US National
Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, for the first time have successfully
tracked human thought by imaging rapidly fluctuating brain activity.
ii. The scientists made use of fast functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI), which
measures changes in blood oxygenation associated with higher order brain functions.
iii. The new discovery is a significant step towards mapping human cognitive functions such
as perception, attention, and awareness.
Google launches app Trusted Contacts
i. Search engine giant Google has launched a personal safety app Trusted Contacts to give your
nearest location to your selected contacts
ii. Concerned contacts can request location data to the users. Users can respond to the request
and signal that they are safe to their contacts by denying the location data request.
iii. If there is no response, then the location is shared automatically even if the phone is offline,
the last known location is shared with the contact.
Researchers Found Novel Route to Drug Discovery
i. According to a report published in the journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Researchers
from the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Delhi
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have found a novel route to discover new drug targets and potential drugs for parasites that cause
several diseases such as Loa loa nematode (roundworm) and Schistosoma mansoni platyhelminths
(flatworm).
ii. Both these parasites cause a major health burden particularly in African countries.
iii. The novel approach of looking at the conserved region of the parasites is direct, quicker and
cheaper.
ISROs PSLV-C36 Successfully Launched Resourcesat-2A from Sriharikota
The Indian Space Research Organisation successfully launched the Remote Sensing
Satellite, Resourcesat-2AonDecember 7, 2016 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at
Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
A Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C36, in its 38th flight, successfully launched the 1235
kg RESOURCESAT-2A Satellite from the first launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre
in Sriharikota, situated around 100km from Chennai, at 10.25am..
About RESOURCESAT-2A
RESOURCESAT-2A, intended for resource monitoring, is a follow on mission to RESOURCESAT-1
and RESOURCESAT-2, launched in 2003 and 2011 respectively. It is intended to continue
the Remote Sensing Data Services to global users provided by RESOURCESAT-1 and 2.
The satellite has three payloads which are similar to those of Resourcesat-1 and
Resourcesat-2.
The first payload is a high resolution Linear Imaging Self Scanner (LISS-4) camera
operating in three spectral bands in the Visible And Near Infrared Region (VNIR) with
a 5.8m spatial resolution.
The second payload is the medium resolution LISS-3 camera operating in three-spectral
bands in VNIR and one in Short Wave Infrared (SWIR) band with 23.5m spatial
resolution.
The third payload is a coarse resolution Advanced Wide Field Sensor camera operating
in three spectral bands in VNIR and one band in SWIR with 56m spatial resolution.
RESOURCESAT-2A also carries two Solid State Recorders with a capacity of 200 Giga
Bits each to store the images taken by its cameras which can be later accessed by the
ground stations.
The spacecraft mass is around 1,200 kg with a Power Generation Capacity of 1,250
W.
The mission life of RESOURCESAT-2A is five years. The satellite was earlier planned for
launch on 28 November.
Researchers at TIFR made discovery that challenges theory of superconductivity

i. A team of researchers at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai, have
discovered that bismuth semi-metal in bulk form becomes a superconductor when the
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temperature is lowered to 530 microKelvin (about -273 degree C).
ii. With this discovery, the researchers team, lead by Dr. S. Ramakrishnan of the Department of
Condensed Matter Physics and Material Sciences at TIFR have challenged the conventional
understanding of superconductivity.
iii. A superconductor is a material that can conduct electricity with no resistance. This means no
heat, sound or any other form of energy would be released from the material when it has reached
critical temperature (Tc), or the temperature at which the material becomes superconductive.
Veterans Outreach App Launched by Dalbir Singh for Army Veterans
General Dalbir Singh, Chief of the Army Staff, launched a mobile app called Veterans
Outreach App on December 6, 2016, at Manekshaw Centre, to connect with all Army veterans,
and create an interactive mechanism
Objective: to provide certain specific facilities to Army Veterans & Veer Naris on their android
based mobiles.
The app was prepared under the guidance of Directorate of Indian Army Veterans (DIAV),
which functions under the Adjutant General Branch and runs a web portal specifically meant for
veterans and Veer Naris called Indian Army Veterans Portal (www.
indianarmyveterans.gov.in ).
Channel DigiShala Launched to Educate Rural India about Cashless Transaction
i. Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Ravi Shankar Prasad,
launched a TV channel named DigiShala on December 9, 2016 to promote cashless transaction in
rural areas.
ii. Apart from the channel, the government also initiated Digi Dhan Abhiyan to achieve the
objective of educating, enabling and informing citizens about cashless economy.
Researchers Finds Hot Atomic Hydrogen in Earths Thermosphere
i. Researchers from University of Illinois, US have discovered the presence of hot atomic
hydrogen (H) atoms in the second-highest layer of Earths atmosphere known
as thermosphere.
ii. Researchers used the data from NASAs TIMED (Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere
Energetics and Dynamics) satellite to discover the hot atomic H atom.
iii. The result was published in the journal Nature Communications .Theoretically hot hydrogen
atoms are considered to exist at very high altitudes (more than thousands of miles). But the new
study shows that they exist at around 155 miles in the thermosphere.
JAXA Launches Space Junk Collector for ISS
i. Japans space agency, JAXA, on December 9, 2016, successfully launched a spacecraft for
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the International Space Station (ISS), carrying a large magnetic space junk collector to divert
the space junk toward Earths atmosphere.
ii. JAXA designed the space junk collector with the help of a fishnet company.
iii. The cargo ship, Kounotori, Japanese Name for White Stork, was launched from
Japans Tanegashima Space Center on December 9, 2016. 15 minutes after the liftoff, the
satellite was removed from the rocket and put into the planned orbit successfully.
Kerala govt launches mobile apps ArisingKerala and Whistle Now to fight corruption
i. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched the mobile applications ArisingKerala and
Whistle Now on the occasion of International Anti-Corruption Day.
ii. Aim : To end corruption in the government and semi-government institutions as part of the
proactive policy of zero tolerance
iii. The mobile applications were developed by the state Vigilance and Anti-Corruption
Bureau as part of its series of innovative initiatives to fight graft.
Nanoceramic material material for safer, economical nuclear reactors created
i. Scientists have created a nanoceramic material which will be used to produce safer and
economical nuclear reactors.
ii. This can be used at higher temperatures and radiation fields, producing energy
efficiently and the material becomes tougher under radiation.
iii. Generally, water has been used as the primary coolant in reactors, absorbing the heat released
from fission reactions.
China Launches First, Second Generation Weather Satellite Fengyun-4
i. China launched a new weather satellite, Fengyun-4 satellite, in the geostationary orbit, on
December 11, 2016, from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in southwest
Chinas Sichuan Province . Long March-3B carrier rocket took the satellite into orbit.
ii. It was Chinas First second-generation weather satellites launched as well as the countrys
first quantitative remote-sensing satellite in the geostationary orbit..
ISRO Ties with Private Firms to Built First Joint Navigation Satellite
i. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) signed a contract with a consortium of six
companies on December 9, 2016, to build two navigation satellite jointly with private firms by
March 2017.
ii. The contract was signed between M. Annadurai, Director of ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC), and
the consortium lead Alpha Design Technologies P Ltd.
iii. The work will start around January 2017 and the first spacecraft will be brought out in around
nine months.
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iv. The contract includes assembly, integration and testing (AIT) of two spare navigation satellites
consecutively in around 18 months.
Scientists Identifies Protein Called CD36 Responsible for Spreading Cancer
i. Scientists at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), identified a specific
protein called CD36 which is responsible for spreading cancer.
ii. CD36 is found in the cell membranes of tumour cells and are dependent on fatty acids.
iii. The researchers found that the protein was present on metastatic (spread) cancer cells from
patients with a range of different tumours including oral tumours, melanoma skin cancer, ovarian,
bladder, lung and breast cancer.
First Time Ammonia Has Been Detected in Earths Lower Atmosphere
i. German scientists have detected ammonia in the upper troposphere layers for the first time
above India and China.
ii. Researchers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology analysed satellite data collected between
June 2002 to April 2012 and calculated the three-month averages.
iii. They identified atmospheric ammonia a chemical compound of nitrogen and hydrogen
some 12 to 15 km (7.5 to 9.3 miles) above sea level in the area of the Asian monsoon.
iv. This accumulation of ammonia was found at a concentration of up to 33 pptv (33 ammonia
molecules per trillion air molecules) above North India and Southeast China.
Andhra Pradesh CM launches website of APEDB
i. Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N Chandababu Naidu launched the website of
the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board (AP-EDB), on December 10, 2016.
ii. The website, apedb.gov.in will provide the information about the policies of various sectors of
the state, help to track the areas of investment in Andhra Pradesh and enable investor to
determine various investment opportunities available in the state.
iii. The website will act as a single point of reference about investment in the state of Andhra
Pradesh.
China Launches 1st fully-owned overseas satellite ground station
i. China on December 15, 2016, launched its first fully-owned satellite ground station abroad
near the North Pole.
ii. The facility, located in Sweden about 200 kms north of the Arctic Circle, would allow China to
collect satellite data anywhere on Earth at speeds that was fastest in the world.
iii. Domestic ground stations in China needed up to seven hours to download the data from
satellites orbiting the Earth in the past, but with the facility in Sweden the maximum delay for
downloading data would be less than 3.5 hours.
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8 mini-satellites launched by NASA for hurricane forecasting
i. Eight mini-satellites were launched by NASA on December 15, 2016 to measure the surface
wind deep in the heart of hurricanes.
ii. The $157 million Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS), is meant to
improve hurricane forecasting.
iii. The plane carrying the satellites took off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The
satellite was released on Pegasus rocket
iv. The satellites have GPS navigation receivers to frequently measure the surface roughness of
oceans, enabling scientists to calculate wind speed and storm intensity. Unlike weather satellites
already in orbit, these spacecraft can also see through rain circulating in a hurricane.
Researchers Develop Vaccine for Chikungunya fever
i. A team of researchers from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston have
developed a safe and effective vaccine for Chikungunya fever made from an insect-specific virus.
ii. The research team at The University of Texas Medical Branch used the Eilat virus as a vaccine
platform. The Eilat virus only infects insects and has no effect on people. An Eilat virus
clone was used to design a hybrid virus-based vaccine containing Chikungunya structural proteins.
iii. The researchers tested the safety and efficacy of the newly developed Chikungunya virus
in mice and non-human primates.
iv. The researchers found that the vaccine strengthened the immune system and protected
mice and non-human primates from disease when exposed to the Chikungunya virus.
Scientists Discovers Molten Jet Stream Deep Inside Earth
i. According to a new study, published in the journal Nature Geoscience, scientists for the first time
have discovered a huge jet stream of molten iron deep within the Earths core, around 1,860
miles (3,000km) below the surface.
ii. Researchers believe the jet is likely to be caused by liquid in the core moving towards a
boundary from both sides, causing it to be squeezed out sideways.
iii. The discovery could shed light on how Earth protective, magnetic shield works. According to
scientists, the stream is moving at about 40km per year and is roughly 420km wide.
iv. The discovery was made by the researchers from the University of Leeds, using the European
Space Agency (ESAs) trio satellite known as Swarm satellites which map the Earths
magnetic field to better understand its workings.
Ministry of Minority affairs Launches website for Haj Pilgrims
i. Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on December 20, 2016,
launched the tri-lingual website www.haj.gov.in relating to Haj matters. The website is
in Hindi, Urdu and English languages.
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ii. The website www.haj.gov.in is a one stop facility to provide all necessary information relating
to Haj management in one place. It provides link for the prospective applicants to enable them to
apply online for Haj.
Satellite TanSat launched by China to monitor global carbon emission
i. A global carbon dioxide monitoring satellite, TanSat, was launched by China on December
22, 2016, to understand climate change in the country.
ii. The 620-kg satellite TanSat was put into orbit by Long March-2D rocket from Jiuquan
Satellite Launch Centre in northwest Chinas Gobi Desert.
iii. This was the 243rd mission of the Long March series rockets. Besides TanSat, the rocket also
carried a high-resolution micro-nano satellite and two spectrum micro-nano satellites for
agricultural and forestry monitoring.
iv. The satellite was sent into a sun synchronous orbit about 700 kms above the earth and will
monitor the concentration, distribution and flow of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere.
Birth of atmospheric ice clouds observed for the first time
i. US-based scientists for the first time have witnessed at the sub-micrometer scale, the birth of
crystals that come up together to form atmospheric ice clouds in the laboratory.
ii. The researchers replicated the stages of ice formation in the lab to show what happens moment
by moment.
iii. For recreation of ice nucleation, researchers used extremely small particles of a clay mineral
called kaolinite. These particles were just 23 microns in size, or less than one-tenth width of a
human hair.
iv. The work was funded by the Department of Energy Office of Science and PNNLs Laboratory
Directed Research and Development program.
Venkaiah Naidu launch Google toilet locator
Information and Broadcasting Minister Venkaiah Naidu launched google map toilet locator on
December 22, 2016 to help people find access to clean public restrooms in New Delhi.
Google toilet locator will providing access to a toilet facility every 500 meters in cities.
Other Initiatives :
i. Venkaiah Naidu released the Government of India calendar 2017 with the theme theme of this
calendar is Mera Desh Badal Raha Hai, Aage Badh Raha Hai
ii. He also released the annual report on Print Media Press in India 2015-16.
Researchers uses Pregnancy Fluid to strengthen ageing Bones
i. UK-based researchers have found that stem cells harvested from pregnant
womans amniotic fluid can be used to strengthen weak bones.
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ii. Researchers collected stem cells from human amniotic fluid, which is a protective fluid that
surrounds the baby in the uterus and helps it to develop inside the mothers womb, and used them
to treat mice with brittle bone disease.
iii. The study showed that stem cell infusions led to 78% fewer fractures in mice with a brittle
bone disease along with actively increasing the strength, plasticity, and structure of the animals
bones.
Shri Piyush Goyal launches Coal Mitra portal to facilitate flexibility in utilization of
domestic coal
i. Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines, Shri Piyush
Goyal launched a web portal Coal Mitra on December 21, in New Delhi for allowing flexibility in
utilization of domestic Coal.
ii. The Coal Mitra Web Portal aims at optimum utilisation of coal by private as well as public
power companies.
iii. It facilitates transfer of the coal reserves to more cost efficient State/Centre owned or Private
sector generating stations, leading to lower generation costs and ultimately lesser cost of electricity
for the consumers.
iv. The portal allows coal swapping in transparent manner and also helps to reduce operational and
logistic costs, bringing power tariffs down for the consumers.
Japan successfully launches solid fuel rocket Epsilon-2
i. Japans space agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) successfully launched
a solid fuel rocket named Epsilon-2 on December 20, 2016 from the Uchinoura Space
Centre in southern Japan.
ii. The 26-meter-long rocket released Exploration of energization and Radiation in
Geospace (ERG) satellite for studying radiation belts around the earth soon after the lift-off.
Govt to launch Aadaar Payment App to simplify digital transactions
The Aadhaar Payment App is all set to launch on December 25, 2016 to eliminate the fee
payments for service providers like card companies such as Mastercard, Visa etc.
The app was developed by IDFC Bank along with UIDAI and National Payments Corporation of
India(NPCI). With this app, people can make payments without any phone.
Scientists discovers worlds most heat resistant material
i. Scientists from Imperial College London, UK have identified materials that can
withstand temperatures of nearly 4,000 degrees Celsius.
ii. The two materials, Tantalum carbide (TaC) and hafnium carbide (HfC) are refractory
ceramics, meaning they are extraordinarily resistant to heat.
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Scientists develops First Biological Pacemaker using Human Stem Cells
i. Scientists from the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine, at Toronto, Canada have
developed the very first functional pacemaker cells using human stem cells.
ii. As per the findings published in the Nature Biotechnology, the scientists generated sinoatrial
node (SAN) cardiomyocytes, the biological pacemaker from human pluripotent cells.
TeamIndus to Carry Along Japans Rover for Google Lunar XPRIZE Competition
i. Bengaluru-based TeamIndus has announced an agreement to carry Japanese team Hakutos
robotic rover in the Google Lunar XPRIZE, to the moon aboard TeamInduss spacecraft in late
2017.
ii. This is a first-of-its-kind collaboration of two private space enterprises competing in the Google
Lunar XPRIZE. The TeamIndus spacecraft, in addition to the Japanese rover, will also be carrying its
own indigenously designed and developed robotic rover, ECA (Ek Chhoti si Asha).
iii. TeamIndus can carry up to 20kg of payload of which the Japanese rover weighs four kg.
Team of Astronomers Discovers Universes Biggest Galaxy Supercluster Vela near the
Milky Way
i. A research team of astronomers from Australia, South Africa, and Europe has discovered one
of the universes biggest super clusters of galaxies, Vela super cluster, near the Milky Way. It
was undetected for long as it was hidden by stars and dust in the Milky Way.
ii. The study was published in the journal Monthly Notices Letters of the Royal Astronomical
Society.
iii. The Vela is massive and is at a distance of 840 million light-years from Earth. It is
estimated to carry 100,000 galaxies with trillions of stars.
China Successfully Tests Fifth Generation Stealth Fighter FC-31 Gyrfalcon
i. China successfully tested the Fifth Generation twin-engine radar-evading stealth fighter, FC31 Gyrfalcon, on December 23, 2016.
ii. FC-31 Gyrfalcon, an upgraded version of the J-31 stealth fighter, made its maiden flight in the
northeastern city of Shenyang.
iii. The FC-31 Gyrfalcon is said to be worth about $70 million and can easily carry 8 tons of
weapons, holding six missiles in its internal weapons bay along with another six under its wings.
iv. It also has a maximum take-off weight of 28 metric tons, a flight radius of 1,250km, and a
top speed of Mach 1.8 (or 1.8 times the speed of sound) and has been equipped with an electrooptical targeting system and helmet-mounted display.
Centre launches IVRS platform to address the problem of call drops
i. Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has launched an Integrated Voice Response
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System (IVRS) system in Delhi, Mumbai, Punjab, UP, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra and Goa. It will
be extended to others states.
ii. Aim : To obtain direct feedback from subscribers and use that feedback to solve the problem of
call drops.
iii. Subscribers will receive an IVRS call from the short code 1955. They will be asked a few
questions on the subject of call drops. The feedback of the subscribers will be shared with the
Telecom Service Providers.
2 high-resolution remote sensing satellites successfully launched by China
i. China successfully launched two High-Resolution Remote Sensing Satellites on December
28, 2016 from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in Shanxi Province to get commercial
images.
ii. The satellites, SuperView-1 01/02, blasted off on Long March 2D rocket. They are able to
provide commercial images at 0.5-meter resolution.
iii. Before the launch of the satellite, a white paper was released on December 27 which included
the report about the proposal of the nations government.
PM Narendra Modi launches UPI based mobile payment app called BHIM
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched UPI based mobile payment application called BHIM
(Bharat Interface for Money)
ii. BHIM a rebranded version of UPI (Unified Payment Interface) and USSD
(Unstructured Supplementary Service Data), at the Digi Dhan Mela event in Talkatora stadium
in New Delhi.
iii. The app can be downloaded from Android app store. It can be used by a smart phone or feature
phone of Rs 1,000-1,200 and there is no need to have Internet connectivity.
iv. PM dedicated the new app to Dr B.R. Ambedkar and at the event Tihar Jail was announced a
cashless society.
v. PM also made payment to Khadi using the Bhim mobile application.
Power Ministry to Launch GARV-II Mobile App to Monitor electrification Programme in
Villages
The Power Ministry is set to launch a new app, GARV-II, to provide real time data of all six lakh
villages of the country to ensure transparency in implementation of rural electrification
programme in the villages. The Power Minister Piyush Goyal informed that the app will be
launched on December 20, 2016.
Telecom Ministry to Launch Portal Tarang Sanchar to test Towers radiation Level
i. Department of Telecom (DoT) is set to launch a website portal Tarang Sanchar that will help
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users get checked the radiation level of mobile towers and transmitters across the country.
ii. In order to get radiation of a particular tower tested, the applicant will have to pay a fee of Rs
5,000.
iii. The status of the towers will be available on the portal and those who want to get the radiation
level checked of towers will be done by the government and he will be informed.
Harvard researchers create worlds smallest radio reciever
i. Scientists from US based Harvard Universitys John A Paulson School of Engineering and
Applied Sciences (SEAS) have developed the worlds smallest radio receiver using atomic-scale
defects in pink diamonds.The study was published in the journal Physical Review Applied.
ii. This tiny radio would be able to operate in space, in harsh environments and even the human
body and is biocompatible. It uses tiny imperfections in diamonds called nitrogen-vacancy (NV)
centres by replace one carbon atom with a nitrogen atom
Flock launches worlds first chat operating system
i. A free instant messaging service for work and business environments, Flock has launched
worlds first chat operating systemFlockOS by Bhavin Turakhia, Flock CEO on December 20,
2016
ii. Developers can build apps by using Flock OS that provide a tightly integrated experience by
using widgets.
China Commissions its first 7-tonne Helicopter
i. China on December 20, 2016, commissioned its first seven-tonne helicopter, to mark a new
development in the Chinas helicopter industry, the Aviation Industry Corporation of China
(AVIC).
ii. The new Chinese AC352 civil helicopter is a multi-purpose twin-engine helicopter with a 7.5tonne maximum take-off weight, and is capable of carrying up to 16 passengers.
iii. The new Chinese helicopter can be used in fields including offshore transportation, search and
rescue, law enforcement, general transport and medical assistance.
DEFENCE
British and Indian Navy Exercise KONKAN-2016 begin at Mumbai
The 12 day annual bilateral maritime exercise between the Indian Navy and the Royal
Navy KONKAN 16 began on December 5, 2016 at Mumbai. The exercise will be conducted in two
phases at Mumbai and Goa.
i. Phase 1 : 05 09 Dec 16 at Mumbai
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It would be a Command Planning exercise involving the two navies
ii. Phase 2:12 16 Dec 16 at Goa
India steps closer to become the Major Defence Partner of US
i. US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter along with Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar
finalised the Major Defence Partner status to India.
ii. The Major Defence Partner status will allow India to buy more advanced and sensitive
technologies from the U.S. This was Parrikars 7th meeting with Carter since the fromer became
the Defence Minister.
9th Edition of INDRA NAVY Military Exercise Begins in Visakhapatnam
i. The 9th edition of the annual bilateral maritime exercise between Indian Navy and Russian
Navy, INDRA NAVY, started off in the Bay of Bengal on December 14 and will continue till 21
December 2016.
ii. Aim: to increase inter-operability among the two navies and develop common understanding
and procedures for maritime security operations.
iii. The exercise will be progressed in two phases:
1.Harbour Phase at Visakhapatnam from 14 to 18 December 2016
2.Sea Phase off Visakhapatnam from 19 to 21 December 2016
Indian Air Force personnel cannot keep beard: SC
i. The Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India T S Thakur informed that Indian Air
Force(IAF) officers do not carry beard.
ii. The regulations do not interfere with religious rights of individuals and that they have the
sanctity of ensuring discipline.
Seventh Edition of bilateral Exercise EKUVERIN commences in Maldives
i. Seventh edition of India and Maldives bilateral Exercise EKUVERIN began at Kadhdhoo,
Laamu Atoll, Maldives on December 15, 2016.
ii. The 14 day platoon level joint military exercise will conclude on December 28, 2016. The
exercise is conducted between the Indian Army & the Maldives National Defence Force on a yearly
basis.
iii. Aim: to enhance interoperability between the two armies by conducting military training with
emphasis on amphibious & counter insurgency and counter terrorism operations.
Pakistan Successfully Test Fires Babur Cruise Missile
i. The Pakistan Army successfully test-fired an enhanced version of an indigenously-designed
cruise missile Babur on December 14, 2016. The missile is named after the first Mughal emperor
and founder of Mughal dynasty.
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ii. The missile is part of Babur Weapon System version- 2. It incorporates advanced
aerodynamics and avionics that can hit targets at 700 kms both at land and sea with high
accuracy.
India and Russia Agree to Extend Brahmos Range Beyond 300 KM
i. India and Russia have agreed to undertake joint technical development work to extend the
range of Brahmos supersonic cruise missiles beyond the range of current 300 km.
ii. The agreement was reached after India joined the Missile Technology Control Regime MTCR in
June as a full member.
iii. Brahmos is a short-range ramjet supersonic cruise missile that travels at speeds of up to Mach
3.0. India and Russia are also planning to develop a new generation of these missiles that could
likely have an ability to hit protected targets with pinpoint accuracy.
Landing Craft Utility LCU 58 launched at GRSE, Kolkata

i. The eighth and the last ship of LCU MK IV project, an amphibious ship, was launched at a
ceremony at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE), Kolkata on December 16,
2016.
ii. The chief guest for the occasion was Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Honble Union Minister of State
Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (Independent Charge), Government of India.
iii. The ship was named LCU-L58 after performing the rituals and was finally launched for its first
contact with water by Smt Neelam Pratap Singh Rudy, wife of Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy.
Defence Ministry Approves Defence Projects over Rs. 7000 Crore
i. The Defence Ministry led by Manohar Parrikar approved four defence proposals worth
over Rs 7,000 crore in a meeting on December 23, 2016.
ii. The Defence Acquisition Council approved purchasing six multi-mission maritime aircraft for
the Indian Coast Guard to keep an eye on the 7,500 km-long coastline worth Rs 5,500 crore.
Nepal to hold first ever military exercise with China
i. Nepal has announced to hold its first ever joint military exercise with China on February 10, 2017
to begin a new level of bilateral military engagement with China.
ii. The focus of the military exercise, named Pratikar-1, will be on training Nepali forces in dealing
with hostage scenarios involving international terror groups.
iii. Nepals Chief of Army Staff General Rajendra Chhetri visited Beijing in March when both sides
had resolved to strengthen military ties.
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Barack Obama signs $618 billion defence budget for 2017 to boosts security cooperation
with India
i. US President Barack Obama has signed a $618 billion defence policy bill for 2017 on
December 23, 2016, in Honolulu, Hawaii, to enhance security cooperation with India.
ii. The National Defence Authorization Act (NDAA), which was passed by both the House and the
Senate with veto-proof majorities earlier in December.
Warangal Cops Set World Record In Biggest Self-Defence Class
i. Telanganas Warangal police have set world record by conducting the largest self-defence class
at a single venue earlier this week said by Warangal police commissioner G Sudheer Babu
ii. Objective: Safety of women employees
iii. In this class 21,276 college girls, working women and some from foreign countries were took
part at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
Long range nuclear-capable subsonic cruise missile Nirbhay fails Test for fourth Time
i. India successfully test-fired its long range subsonic cruise missile, Nirbhay, from the launch
complex 3 of Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, Odisha coast at 11: 56 hours on
December 21, 2016.
ii. The state-of-the-art surface-to-surface missile is developed by the Defence Research and
Development Organisation.
iii. It was fourth test of Nirbhay missile and out of four, three have ended in failure. The maiden
launch was conducted in March 2013 but it was failure, the second test was conducted in October
2014 was a big success while the third mission on October 16, 2015 was again a failure.
DRDO successfully tests smart anti-airfield weapon SAAW
i. The Defence and Research Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully tested an
indigenous Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW) from an Indian Air Force aircraft on December
24, 2016.
ii. Weight: 120 kg, Range: 100km & Project Outlay: Rs.56.58 Cr
iii. The smart weapon is used to destroy runways, bunkers, aircraft hangers and other reinforced
structures. It is one of the world class weapons systems.
iv. The captive and release trials were tracked by radar and telemetry ground stations at the
Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Odisha during the entire duration of the flight.
India Successfully Test-Fired ICBM Missile Agni V in Odisha
India successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable, Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM),
the Agni V, on December 26, from Dr Abdul Kalam island, formerly known as Wheeler Island, off
the coast of Odisha.
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The three-stage, solid propellant surface-to-surface missile was test-fired from a mobile
launcher from launch complex-4 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at 11:05 am in
Balasore district.
This was the fourth and final test of the missile. With the success of the final development
test, Agni-V is now ready for the induction into the strategic arsenal (collection of weapons) of
India.
The successful induction of Agni V will give India long-range strike capability.
20th fast patrol vessel delivered to Coast Guard

i. The Cochin Shipyard delivered ICGS AYUSH, the 20th Fast Patrol Vessel, to the Indian Coast
Guard.
ii. With this, it has completed construction of 20 Fast Patrol Vessel series for the Coast Guard.
iii. ICGS Ayush will be operated from the Coast Guard Station at Krishnapatanam During the
current financial year.
ENVIRONMENT
Cyclone Nada Passed off Peacefully through the Karaikal coast.
i. Cyclone Nada passed off peacefully through the Karaikal coast of Puducherry at 5 am on
December 2,2016.
ii. Later it made landfall near Nagapattinam at a speed of 50 km per hour, after weakening into a
deep depression in the early hours.
10,500 years old ancient camping site discovered in Ladakh
i. A release issued by the culture ministry states that an ancient camping site has been found
near Saser La in the Nubra Valley, Ladakh at an altitude of about 4,200 metresthat was used
by pre-historic man and belonged to circa 8500 BCE.
ii. The site indicates that humans were camping in that area about 10,500 years ago and
its 14,000 feet above the sea level.
MoES Conducts Winter Fog Campaign WIFEX 2016-17 in New Delhi
i. To better understand the science of fog formation over New Delhi, the Ministry of Earth Sciences
inaugurated the Winter Fog Campaign at the New Delhi Airport.
ii. The Ministry Of Earth Sciences (MoES) launched an observational campaign at Indira
Gandhi International Airport on December 6, 2016 to conduct an intensive ground-based
measurement campaign in Delhi to understand different physical and chemical features of fog and
factors responsible for its genesis, intensity and duration.
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Magnitude-6.5 earthquake hits Indonesias Aceh province
i. A strong 6.5 magnitude earthquake hits Aceh province on Indonesias Sumatra island on
December 7, 2016 said by the US Geological Survey(USGS).
ii. At least 97 persons were killed and over 500 injured based on data from the hospital. Mosques,
homes and shops were flattened in the quake
NGT bench Directs Rajasthan Government to Cancel illegal salt pans in Sambhar Lake
i. The central zonal bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Rajasthan
government to cancel allotments of salt pans in Sambhar Salt Lake that fall within the wetland
and run against to the order of Wetland Rules, 2010.
ii. The bench has given six months time to implement the recommendations which should not
exceed 2017 monsoon.
iii. A bench headed by Justice Dalip Singh and expert Satyawan Singh Garbyal gave the order
after a petition filed by Ajay Dubey, claiming that commercial and other activities harming the ecosystem of the wetland in and around the Sambhar Lake, were being carried out contrary to the
provisions of the Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules framed under the Environment
Protection Acts of 1986 and 2010.
Cyclone Vardah Hits Tamil Nadu, Kills Seven People
i. The very severe cyclonic storm, Vardah made landfall in Chennai about 3 pm on December 12,
2016, killing seven people in the state.
ii. According to the Regional Meterological Centre, the storm after crossing Chennai and coastal
districts of north Tamil Nadu, will move westward and is likely to emerge in Arabian Sea on
December 14.
iii. The cyclone caused severe destruction by uprooting trees, damaging houses, disrupting power
services, land and air transport as heavy rains, strong winds hit the city.
Mutated fish becomes 8,000 times more resistant to toxic waste discovered in US
i. US Scientists have discovered a Mutated fish in the east coast of the US, which has evolved to
be 8,000 times more resilient to toxic waste.
ii. The small striped mud minnow, or killifish, is known for living in heavily polluted estuaries
such as New Jerseys Newark Bay and Virginias Elizabeth River.
Desert National Park records 11 Great Indian Bustard in Rajasthan
i. The Desert National Park (DNP) in Jaisalmer has records the successful birth of 11 Great Indian
Bustards or Godawn which is the state bird of Rajasthan
ii. Rajasthan government has started Project Godawan for its conservation.
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NGT Imposes fine of Rs. 50,000 on aircrafts empting Human Wastes in Air
i. National Green Tribunal (NGT) passed an order on December 20, 2016, directing the
countrys aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), to issue instructions
to all airlines, whose aircraft empties toilet tanks on air, to pay Rs 50,000 as environmental
compensation.
ii. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Swatanter Kumar passed a slew of directions while
hearing a plea of a retired army officer, Lt Gen (Retd) Satwant Singh Dahiya , alleging dumping of
human excreta by aircraft over residential areas near the IGI Airport.
Too hot to handle alarming rise in forest fires this year:Parliamentary committee
report
Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology headed by Rajya Sabha MP Renuka
Choudhary, submitted its report recently to Parliament.
Highlights of Report :
i. Focus: Prevent the fires in the Himalayan forests spread across Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh,
and Jammu and Kashmir.
ii. Fires raging across forests has risen by a drastic 55 per cent in the past year.The number has
increased to 24,817 from around 15,937 fires in 2015.
iii. Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh contribute a third of the total forest fires.
Super Typhoon Nock-ten (Nina) Makes Landfall in Philippines
i. Super Typhoon Nock-ten made landfall on the eastern province of Philippines on Christmas
Day.
ii. Known in the Philippine as Nina, Nock-Ten hit the coast near Catanduanes island at 18:30
local time with wind speed up to 255km/h (158mph). But there are no reports of damage or
casualties yet.
Whale Call, Western Pacific Biotwang, Dubbed in Mariana Trench
i. Scientists at the OSUs Hatfield Marine Science Center have discovered the source of a
strange sound recorded near the Mariana Trench. The metallic sound has been dubbed
as Western Pacific Biotwang.
ii. The recording released has an unusual booming sound, with deep moans at low frequencies
and a metallic finale at extremely high frequencies.
China Clones Worlds first Goat with superfine wool
i. The worlds first cloned goat with superfine Cashmere wool was born in north Chinas Inner
Mongolia Autonomous Region.
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ii. The goat will be raised in a center for animal husbandry research conducted by experts from
agricultural universities and academies in southwest Chinas Yunnan Province and Inner Mongolia.
163 New Species Discovered in Greater Mekong
According to a World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature report published on December 19, 2016,
scientists have discovered 163 new species in the Greater Mekong.
Of the 163 species discovered, 126 were plants, 14 reptile, 11 fish, nine amphibian and 3
mammal species.
The new species discovered includes:
i. Lizard with dragon-like horns Acanthosaura phuketensis discovered at the Thai tourist island of
Phuket.
ii. New frog species Leptolalax isos which can fit on a fingertip was discovered in Cambodia and
Vietnam.
iii. Parafimbrios lao, a snake with rainbow-like scale colours around its head found in the limestone
karsts region of northern Laos.
iv. A gecko in Laoswith pale blue skin
v. A rare banana species discovered in northern Thailand that is critically endangered because of
increasing deforestation.
Huge dead zone found in Bay of Bengal
i. A 60,000 square kilometres dead zone was founded in the Bay of Bengal by Researchers
from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Researchs National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) in
Goa
ii. This zone contains little or no oxygen and supports microbial processes that remove vast
amounts of nitrogen from the ocean.
SPORTS
Magnus Carlsen defeats Sergey Karjakin to Win World Chess Championship
i. World champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway won the world Chess championship which was
played in New York City, USA between 11 and 30 November, 2016 by defeating Russian
challenger Sergey Karjakin.
ii. This was his third win of the world championship match. Carlsen found the moves of Russias
Karjakin, extremely difficult to break down and had played a brilliant queen sacrifice to force a
checkmate for the win.
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Pakistan to host first Davis Cup match in 12 years
International Tennis Federation (ITF) has given its approval to host a Davis Cup tie against Iran
in Islamabad in February 3-5, 2017 announced by Pakistan Tennis Federation secretary Khalid..
F1 Champion Nico Roseberg Announces Retirement
Formula One champion Nico Rosberg announced his shocking retirement from racing on
December 2, 2016, five days after earning his first world championship.
PV Sindhu Ranks 7 in BWF World Ranking
i. Olympic silver medallist PV Sindhu, has jumped two places to achieve her career-best ranking
of Seven in the latest BWF World Ranking. Sindhu, has a total of 68,699 ranking points.
ii. She won China Open and reached the finals at the Hong Open. She has also qualified for the
Dubai Super Series Final.
iii. Former World Number one player Saina Nehwal who is on a comeback trail after recovering
from a serious injury, improved to World Number 10 after slipping five places to 11th place last
week.
Indian defeats Pakistan to win Womens Twenty20 Asia Cup
i. Indian women cricket team lead by Harmanpreet Kaur defeated rivals Pakistan by 17 runs in
the Asia Cup Twenty20 final tournament held at the Asian Institute of Technology Ground
in Bangkok on December 4, 2016.
ii. With this victory, India clinched their sixth Asia Cup title.
Indian Golfer Mukesh Kumar Wins Asian Tour Title
Indian Golfer Mukesh Kumar became the oldest golfer to win an Asian Tour title on December
4, 2016 at Delhi Golf Club (DGC) after winning the Panasonic Open India.
Top 5 Players on the Leaderboard
1
Mukesh Kumar
2
Jyoti Randhawa
2
Rashid Khan
4
Mithun Perera
5
Honey Baisoya
India
India
India
Srilanka
India
Steven Smith registers joint-highest score by an Aussie captain

i. Australian captain Steven Smith smashed a career-best 164 (157) in the first
ODI against New Zealand on 04th December 2016, to equal Ricky Pontings record for the
highest individual score by an Aussie skipper.
ii. Ricky Ponting had made 164, against South Africa in the famous ODI at Wanderers in 200506. George Bailey is the only other Australia captain to score 150 or more; he struck 156 against
India in Nagpurin 2013-14.
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Former Spain defender Dominguez announces retirement
i. Former Spain international footballer Alvaro Dominguez Soto announced his retirement due to
health problems on December 7, 2016
ii. 27 year old Dominguez has started his career in 2007. He played mainly a central defender
but also as a left back.
Argentina win womens Hockey Junior World Cup 2016
i. Argentina womens hockey team defeated Netherlands womens team to win the womens
Hockey Junior World Cup 2016 in Santiago, Chile.
ii. For the first time Argentina team win the gold medal in 23 years
Final Result :
1.Argentina 2.Netherlands 3.Australia
Peter Gilchrist wins the Long Up title of 2016 IBSF World Billiards
Peter Gilchrist of Singapore defeated Sourav Kothari to win the 2016 IBSF World Billiards
Long Up title on 8 December 2016.
Chad le Clos broke his own world record in the 100 meter swimming
South African swimmer Chad le Clos broke his own world record in the mens 100m butterfly
final of FINA short course world swimming championships held at Windsor, Ontario.
Virat Kohli Completes 4,000 Test Runs and 1,000 run in 2016.
i. Indian Cricketer, Virat Kohli completed his careers 4,000 Test runs on December 10, 2016, at
the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai.
ii. Kohli completed 4,000 runs in 89 innings batting against England during the third day of the
fourth match and became sixth fastest Indian batsman to do so. Virendra Sehwag was the first
Indian to do so.
Cheerleading and martial art of muaythai Becomes Provisional Olympic Sport
i. The International Olympic Committees executive board on December 6, 2016, has granted
provisional recognition to cheerleading and the martial art of muaythai as Olympic sports.
ii. The governing body for each sport will now be entitled to receive at least $25,000annually from
the committee along with the opportunity to apply for additional grants and take part in a number
of programs, including athlete development and anti-doping.
Iqbal Sayed Becomes First Indian to Win Medal at Mr. Olympia Amateur Event
i. Iqbal Sayed of Mumbai won the silver medal at the Mr Olympia amateur event held in Hong
Kong, beating participants from 20 countries under the Olympia Amateur Asia 2016s Classic
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Bodybuilding category.
ii. 27-year old Iqbal, who works as a civil engineer with Reliance Infrastructure and Mumbai
Metro, has become the first Indian to win a medal at the Mr. Olympia amateur event.
Faf du Plessis the new test captain of South Africa as AB de Villiers steps down
Faf du Plessis is the new full time Test captain of South Africa after AB de Villiers voluntarily
stepped down from captaincy. The decision taken by deVilliers was to focus more on his fitness as
he has undergone an elbow surgery recently.
Indias Pankaj Advani beats Singapores Peter Gilchrist to clinch his 11th World Billiards
Championship
i. Indian snooker player Pankaj Advani won the IBSF World Billiards Championship in
Bengaluru on December 12, 2016.
ii. The Indian cueist, Advani beat multiple world champion, Peter Gilchrist of Singapore by 6-3
in the final match to claim his 11th World Billiards Championship and 16th overall world title.
Adelaide Oval, Australia to host first ever Day and Night Ashes
Cricket Australia (CA) has announced that the first ever Day and Night Ashes test match will be
played at Adelaide Oval from 2-6 December 2017. Out of the 5 match test series this will be
the 2nd test match which will be the first day and night Ashes.
Sochi, Russia wont host 2017 Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Championships
The International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) announced that Russia will not
host the 2017 Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Championships. The reason cited by IBSF for
this was that Russia is accused of state-sponsored doping and IBSF wants to focus on sport rather
than accusations.
Shiva Thapa and Manoj Kumar wins gold in 1st Elite Senior Mens Nationals held in
guwahati
i. Shiva Thapa won Gold Medal in lightweight (60kg) National Boxing Championships held
on 13 December 2016 in Guwahati. He defeated Ankush Dahiya. Manoj Kumar also won a Gold
medal in 69 Kg category. He represented Railways Sports Promotion Board (RSPB)
ii. This was the 1st Elite Senior Mens Nationals Boxing Championship and was held at the Nabin
Chandra Bordoloi Indoor Stadium, Sarusajai in Guwahati. The event organized by Boxing
Federation of India (BFI) saw the participants of more than 300 boxers.
Andy Murray and Angelique Kerber named 2016 ITF World Champions
i. The International Tennis Federation(ITF) named Andy Murray of Great Britain and Angelique
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Kerber of Germany as the 2016 ITF World Champions. They will receive the award at the 2017 ITF
World Champions Dinner on 6 June 2017 in Paris.
ii. This is for the first time that either of them has received this award. Gordon Reid of Britain has
been named as the 2016 ITF Wheelchair World Champion.
Smriti Mandhana Named in first-ever ICC Womens Team of the Year
i. Indian batswoman Smriti Mandhana has been named in the Womens Team of the Year
2016 by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on December 14, 2016 in Dubai.
ii. The Womens Team of the Year is a new and novel award by ICC to acknowledge and
appreciate the top performers in cricket in a 12-month period starting from September 2015. This
twelve month period included the ICC Womens World Twenty20 and the ICC Womens
Championship.
Suzie Bates 1st woman to win ICC ODI and T20I Player of Year
New Zealand cricketer Suzannah Wilson Bates became the first woman cricketer to win both
the ICC Womens ODI and T20I Player of the Year awards.
AIBA grants full membership to Boxing Federation of India
AIBA has voted unanimously to grant full membership to the recently-formed Boxing Federation
of India (BFI) at a meeting on the sidelines of its 70th anniversary gala in Montreux, Switzerland.
Arjun Bhati wins in Kids Golf World Championship
i. Arjun Bhati bagged the first position in the Kids Golf World Championship after defeating
South Africas Methu Denish during the three-level final match in Malaysia.
ii. Out of the 21 counties that participated in the tournament, Arjun secured the first position
scoring 2 extra shots.
India beats Korea 3-0 to clinch bronze at 4th Womens U-18 Hockey Asia Cup
i. India surpassed South Korea 3-0 to finish with the bronze medal at the 4th Womens U18
Asia Cup 2016 hockey tournament in Bangkok on December 22, 2016
ii. The two teams played out a goalless first half, however, India finally managed to break the tie
via defender Ritu, who put India ahead in the bronze medal clash by converting a penalty corner in
the 45th minute while Sangita Kumari scored a couple of field goals later on.
iii. Hockey India announced cash rewards of Rs.1 lakh for each player, and Rs.50,000 for each
Argentina wins FIFA Team of the 2016 Year title
Argentina topped in the FIFAs Team of the 2016 Year title with 1634 points.
Indias position:
India jumped two places to finish 2016 at 135.This is Indias six-year highest annual ranking after
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2009 when India finished at 134.
Top 5 teams :
Top
1
2
3
4
5
Country
Argentina
Brazil
Germany
Copa America
Belgium
Shiva Keshavan wins Gold at Asian Luge Championship in Japan

i. Shiva Keshavan, the only professional luger from India, won his third gold in Asian Luge
Championship at Nagano, Japan, on December 23, 2016.
ii. The 35-year-old Shiva Keshavan finished the Asian Luge Championship race with a time
of 99.962 seconds and top speed of 130.4 km/h to clinch the title.
iii. First Indian to qualify for the Winter Olympic Games, Shiva, is a five-time Olympian and twotime Asian champion. Earlier he won gold in Asian Championship in 2011 and 2012.
iv. Tanaka Shohei of Japan won the silver medal, taking time of 104.874 seconds with help of
top speed of 124.6km/h.
Jeje Lalpekhlua nominated 2016 AIFF Player of the Year
i. Mohun Bagan and Chennaiyin FC striker Jeje Lalpekhlua was nominated as the 2016 All
India Football Federation (AIFF) Player of the Year on December 21.
ii. The 25-year-old Indian professional footballer from Mizoram will be presented a prize of Rs. 2.5
lakh along with the glittering trophy.
iii. Besides, Sasmita Malik was conferred the 2016 AIFF Woman Footballer of the Year award. The
Odisha-based footballer will get Rs. 2 lakh in cash and a trophy.
India Defeats Sri Lanka to clinch Asia Cup under-19 title
i. India beat hosts Sri Lanka by 34 runs in the finals and cinched the Under-19s Asia Cup title
on December 23, 2016 at the R Premadasa Stadium, Srilanka.
ii. India under-19s team, coached by Rahul Dravid, opted to bat first after winning the toss and
posted 273/8 in their 50 overs to which Sri Lanka could score 239 all out in 48.4 overs.
iii. Himanshu Rana and Shubhman Gill were the leading run-scorers for India in the tournament
while Chahar was the leading wicket-taker.
Man of the Match: Captain Abhishek Sharma
Man of the Series award: Opener Himanshu Rana.
Pankaj Advani wins National title in 6-red Snooker
i. Sixteen-time world champion, Pankaj Advani bagged the National title in 6-red Snooker, the
shorter format of the game.
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ii. Advani is the only player in the world to win all titles National, Continental and World in
6-red Snooker.
Virat Kohli topped the Lords Cricket Ground 20 best players of 2016 list
i. Lords Cricket Ground has released its top 20 players for this calendar year. Indian test
skipper Virat Kohli got the number 1 spot in the ranking owing to his marvelous performance in all
format of the game.
ii. 4 Indians got place in the ranking. Apart from Virat the other 3 are off spinner Ravichandran
Ashwin at 3rd spot, Ajinkya Rahane at 13th and Cheteshwar Pujara at 18th spot.
iii. The top 5 cricketers are :
1.Virat Kohli (India)
2.Jonny Bairstow (England)
3.Ravichandran Ashwin (India)
4.Rangana Herath (Sri Lanka)
5.Chris Woakes (England)
iv. Lords Cricket Ground is located in London and is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).
SVSP sports stadium of Greater Noida gets ICC accreditation
i. ICC has granted Shaheed Vijay Singh Parthik(SVSP) Sports Stadium in Greater
Noida approval for conducting International cricket matches between full time member countries of
the game.
ii. The approval came two weeks after officials from ICC and BCCI inspected the stadium..
Indias Yuki Bhambri clinches ITF Hong Kong F4 Futures title
i. Indian Tennis Player Yuki Bhambri, clinched $10000 ITF Hong Kong F4 Futures title on 25
December 2016. It was his 11th title on the ITF Pro Circuit.
ii. He defeated Shintaro Imai of Japan 6-4, 7-5 who has been placed at second position.
iii. Bhambri won 75% of his first service points and broke serve three times to lock victory in one
hour and 54 minutes. With the win, the world number 534 takes away $1440 in prize money along
with 18 ATP ranking points.
Sports Ministry derecognizes Yoga 15 months after being declared a sport
i. 15 months after Yoga was declared as a sport in India in September 2015 with the approval
from the Prime Ministers Office (PMO), the decision has been reversed and has been once
again derecognized as a sport.
ii. The sports ministry communicated to all the National Sports Federations and the Sports
Authority of India (SAI) that Yoga cant be termed as a sport.
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Virat Kohli named captain of Cricket Australias ODI team of the year
i. Indian Test cricket captain Virat Kohli has been named as the captain of Cricket Australias
ODI team of the year. He was preferred over Australian captain Steve Smith. Recently he was
also named the captain of ICCs ODI team of the year
ii. Out of 10 ODI matches played by Virat Kohli in 2016, he scored a score of 45+ in 8 matches and
has an average of greater than 90 in successful run chase for India.
iii. Another Indian cricketer who got place in the Cricket Australias ODI team is Jasprit Bumrah.
The unorthodox pace bowler had a great first year in international cricket.
Gujarats Samit Gohel Creates World Record Score of 359
i. Gujarats opening batsman Samit Gohel made history on December 27 by scoring 359
runs not out during his teams Ranji Trophy quarter-final against Odisha being played in Jaipur
and thus taking his teams total to 641.
ii. Gohel is also the first opener to remain unbeaten after crossing the 300-run-mark in 81 years in
first class cricket. He is also the fifth batsman to score a triple-century in 2016 Ranji.
Meghalaya to host National Games 2022
Meghalaya CM Mukul Sangma handed over the documents to the Meghalaya State Olympic
Association (MSOA) to begin the bidding process for hosting the National Games 2022.
Azhar Ali rewrites record books with historic double ton vs Australia
i. Azhar Ali became the first Pakistan batsman to score a double century in a Test in Australia
and also became the fourth batsman to score a double ton at the MCG.
ii. Mr.Ali also became the fifth Pakistan batsman to score a double century in Tests against
Australia.iii. He joined Saleem Malik, Younis Khan, Javed Miandad and Taslim Arif as the other
players to have smashed a double ton.
Serbian Tennis Player Ana Ivanovic Announces Retirement at 29
i. Former Serbian professional tennis player Ana Ivanovic announced her retirement
from Tennis at the age of 29, on December 28. As of 2016, she has career earnings of over $15
million.
ii. Ivanovic became the first Serbian woman to win a grand slam tournament when she beat
Russian Dinara Safina in the 2008 French Open final. The victory made her World No. 1
Player for a period of Nine Weeks.
Gujarats Pruthviraj Ayachi equals the score of Olympic Gold Medalist to win
Championship
i. Gujarat based Pruthviraj Ayachi, won the gold medal in the finals of junior mens 50M Rifle
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Prone event at the National Shooting Championship in Pune.
ii. A 16-year-old shooter shot 209.5 in the finals, equaling the score of the Olympic champion H
Junghaenel of Germany who shot the same score by virtue of which he won the gold medal in
the mens 50m Rifle Prone event at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Bradley Wiggins professional cyclist announces retirement
i. Sir Bradley Wiggins a professional road and track racing cyclist has announced retirement
from cycling on 27 December 2016.
ii. With this his 16 years of professional career in which he won Tour de France 2012 and total 8
Olympic medals came to an end.
iii. 36 year old Wiggins is from Britain and out of 8 Olympic medal that he has won, 5 are gold, 1
silver, 2 bronze. Apart from this he has won 7 world titles.
Sports Ministry Suspends IOA for violating Order
i. The Union Ministry of Sports has suspended the Indian Olympic Association until it quits its
decision to make politicians Suresh Kalmadi and Abhay Chautala life presidents.
ii. Suresh Kalmadi and Abhay Chautala both are suspected of having been involved in corruption
scandals in the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games
Sivalingam Sathish Kumar of Railways clinches gold for Sixth Time
i. Olympian Sivalingam Sathish Kumar of Railways won the gold for the sixth consecutive year
in the mens 77kg category at the 69th men and 32nd women senior National weightlifting
championships at Nagercoil in Tamalinadu.
ii. Sathish lifted total of 317kg with 141kg in snatch and 176kg in clean & jerk.
iii. Ajay Singh of Services, who won the clean & jerk gold with a lift of 177kg, lifted 137kg in
snatch to finish second while Papul Changmai of Assam stood Third with 313Kg (138in snatch and
175 in clean & jerk).
iv. In the womens 69kg category, Lalchhanhimi of Mizoram took the gold with a total lift of
241kg leading Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Punam Yadav of Railways to the second
spot and Rakhi Halder at Third.
v. In the 85kg mens category Kojum Taba from Services clinched the gold medal by lifting
328 kg, R.V. Rahul of Railways won Silver with 317kg while D.R. Harshad Wadekar of Maharashtra
won Bronze lifting 317 kg.
7 Year Old Kush Bhagat Creates History at Asia Youth Chess Championship
i. Mumbais Kush Bhagat made history on December 29 after winning three gold medals in the
1st Western Asia Youth Chess Championship held in Al Ain Chess Club, UAE.
ii. The second standard student of the NSS Hill Spring International achieved the feat in all the
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three categories, rapid, blitz and standard, and became the only Indian in the world to bag all
the crowns in the competition.
Vijendra singh Defeats Francis Cheka to Retain WBO-Asia Pacific Super Middleweight
Title
i. Indian boxing star Vijender Singh defeated former world champion Tanzanias Francis
Cheka to retain WBO-Asia Pacific Super Middleweight title in New Delhi on December 17,
2016.
ii. Vijender took less than 10 minutes to beat Tanzanian boxer to defend his title at theThyagraj
Stadium. Vijender ended the game by playing the winning blow in the third round which was
scheduled to be a 10-round contest.
Atletico de Kolkata wins 2016 Hero Indian Super League beating Kerala Blasters 5-4
i. Atletico de Kolkata wins 2016 Hero Indian Super League trophy by beating Kerala
Blasters in the finals by 5-4. The final match was held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadiumin Kochi
on 18 December 2016.
ii. This is the second time Kolkata has won the league. Atltico de Kolkata was also the winner of
the 1st season of ISL when it was started in 2014.
India Beat Belgium 2-1 to Win 2016 FIH Junior Hockey World Cup
i. India beat Belgium 2-1 in the final of the 2016 Junior Hockey World Cup on December 18,
2016, at Lucknows Major Dhyan Chand Stadium and reclaimed the crown after 15 long years.
ii. India has become the first nation to win the hockey junior World Cup at home ground.
iii. India won their first title in 2001 in Hobart, Australia. In 1997, India won silver after losing to
Australia in the final in Milton Keynes, England.
iv. The team lead by captain Harjeet singh, scored two goals in the first half through Gurjant
Singh and Simranjeet Singh.
Karun Nair scores triple century in test, 2nd Indian to do so
i. Indian cricketer Karun Nair scored a triple century in the 5th Test match against England held in
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, and became the second Indian cricketer to score triple
century in Test Cricket after Virendra Sehwag. This was his 3rd test match.
ii. He scored 303 not out in 381 balls when the Indian captain declared the innings on 759-7. This
score of 759 is also the highest total of that India has ever made in a single inning in test Cricket.
iii. He became the first Indian cricketer to convert his maiden century into a triple century.
The 25 years and 13 days old Nair also became the youngest Indian to make a triple century
overtaking Virendra Sehwag who was 25 years and 160 days when he made his 309 against
Pakistan.
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India Ends 2016 with No 1 Ranked Test Team
i. India has been ranked as the No.1 team in the ICC Test Championship after posting a 4-0
wins over England in the five-match series, which ended with an innings and 75 runs victory in
Chennai on December 20, 2016.
ii. Top 5 countries on the ICC Test Championship Ranking
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
Country
India
Australia
Pakistan
South Africa
England
Rating
120
105
102
102
101
OBITUARY
Marathi cinema veteran Shriram Gojamgunde no more
i. Noted Marathi film maker and actor Shriram Gojamgunde passed away in Mumbai on
December 1, 2016. He was 71.
ii. Gojamgunde well known for the movie Zatpat Karu De Khatpat, which led to other film
makers from the region take up producing films.
Tamil poet Inkulab passes away
i. Legendary poet and activist Makkal Pavalar Inkulab passed away in Chennai on December 1,
2016. He was a rationalist writer and professor of Tamil literature.
ii. His original name was Shahul Hameed . He was known for his poems like Naanga
Manushangada (We are human beings) and Avvai, a drama.
Former Hockey Umpire Phulel Singh Sujlana Died
i. Former international hockey umpire and veteran administrator, Phulel Singh Sujlana,passed
away on December 2, 2016 in Mumbai due to old age.
ii. Sujlana has served various positions in his long career. He was vice president of the Mumbai
Hockey Association Limited MHAL from 1997 and secretary for four years from 2000-200.
Former MP governor Bhai Mahavir passed away
i. Former Madhya Pradesh governor Bhai Mahavir passed away in Delhi on December 3, 2016.He
was 94.
ii. Mahavir has served as the governor of Madhya Pradesh from April 1998 to May 2003.
Renowned Poet and former Rajya Sabha MP Bekal Utsahi passes at 88
i. Veteran poet and former Congress Rajya Sabha MP Bekal Utsahi passed away at Delhis Ram
Manohar Lohia Hospital on December 3, 2016 at 88.
ii. He was admitted in the hospital on December 1 following brain haemmorhage.
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Sammy Lee, First Asian-American Man to Win Olympic Gold, Die at 96
i. Two-time Olympic Gold Medal Winning Diver, Sammy Lee died of pneumonia on December 2,
2016 in Newport Beach. He was 96.
ii. He was the first Asian-American to win an Olympic gold medal for the U.S.
Tamil Nadu CM and AIADMK Supremo Jayalalithaa Passed Away at 68
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK)
Supremo J Jayalalithaa passed away at Apollo Hospital in Chennai on December 5, 2016 at
11:30 pm following cardiac arrest . She was 68.
About J Jayalalithaa
Jayalalitha was born on 24 February 1948 at Melukote, Pandavapura taluka, Mandya district
in Karnataka to Jayaram and Vedavalli in a Tamil Brahmin (Iyengar) family.
She completed her childhood education at Sacred Heart Matriculation School in

Chennai. She excelled at school and was offered a government scholarship to pursue further
education which she refused. She won Gold State Award for coming first in 10th standard in
not just her school but also in Tamil Nadu.
Jayalalithaa was one of the countrys most articulate and determined political personalities and
a top film actress of the 1960s and 1970s. She was famously known as Puratchi Thalaivi
Amma (revolutionary leader) or Amma.
About her Political Life

She was the general secretary of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and
was popularly referred as Amma, Puratchi Thalaivi, Thanga Gopuram, Thanga Chillaiand Thanga
Tharagai (Golden Maiden) by her followers.
As an actress, she frequently worked with another actor-turned-politician, M. G.

Ramachandran (MGR). This led to wide speculation that Jayalalitha was introduced to politics
by MGR.
She was a member of the Rajya Sabha, nominated from Tamil Nadu, from 1984 to 1989.
She served as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for six times: 1991 to 1996, in 2001, from 2002 to
2006, from 2011 to 2014, 2015 to 2016 and May 2016 to December 2016 (sixth time).
On 11 May 2015, the Karnataka High Court acquitted Jayalalithaa in the disproportionate
assets case, and she resumed office as Chief Minister on 23 May.
She was subsequently re-elected by the electorate of the Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar
constituency of North Chennai in a by-election held on 27 June 2015.
She was re-elected as Chief Minister on 19 May 2016 and took the oath as Chief Minister for
the sixth time on 23 May 2016.
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Journalist, Political Analyst, Actor Cho Ramaswamy Dies
i. Journalist, political analyst and comedian Cho Ramaswamy passed away on December 7, 2016
in Chennai. He was 82.
ii. Ramaswamy was former BJP Rajya Sabha member.He was the founded and editor of the
political magazine Thuglak magazine and was fearless in criticising the ruling government in the
state or at the centre.
Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL player Rashaan Salaam dies
i. US National Football Player Rashaan Salaam found dead in Colorado, US on December 6,
2016. He was 42.
ii. Salaam has won the U.S. college footballs highest honor Heisman Trophy in 1994.
Famous Astronaut John Glenn Died at 95
i. Famous American astronaut John Glenn, who became the first American to orbit the Earth,
passed away on December 8, 2016 at the age of 95.
ii. Glenn served as a fighter pilot in World War II and the Korean War before becoming an
astronaut.
iii. He has spent 24 years in the Senate from Ohio.After 36 years he returned to flight in 1998 at
the age of 77, to orbit around Space Shuttle Discovery and became the oldest person to fly in the
space.
Legendary Horse Trainer and Jockey Swinburn dies at 55
i. Renowned English jockey and horse trainer Walter Swinburn, passed away on December 12,
2016, in London suffering from epilepsy at the age of 55.
ii. Swinburn won the Britains richest horse race Epsom Derby three times in his career including
the legendary Shergar Derby at the age of 19 in 1981.
Eminent Economists Thomas Schelling Dies in Maryland at 95
i. Thomas Schelling, an economist who won a Nobel Prize for using game theory to explain
nuclear strategy, died on December 14, 2016 at his home in Bethesda, Maryland. He was 95.
ii. Schelling, was former Harvard University professor as well as University of Maryland professor
iii. Schelling was awarded the Nobel Prize in economics in 2005.
Bewitched and Titanic actor, Bernard Fox dies at 89
i. Bernard Fox, known for playing Dr. Bombay in Bewitched died of heart failure at Valley
Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys, California on December 14, 2016. He was 89.
ii. He was famous for his roles in The Mummy and Titanic among others.
iii.He appeared in about 100 television and film during the course of his career.
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Russian ambassador to Turkey Shot Dead in Ankara
i. Russias ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Gennadyevich Karlov, was shot dead in front of a
crowd at a posh art gallery exhibition in Ankara, Turkey on December 19, 2016. He was 62.
ii. Police later killed the assailant on December 20. The assailant, Mevlut Mert Altintas, was a
22-year-old off-duty police officer who worked in Turkeys capital.
iii. Karlov, Russian career diplomat served as nations ambassador to North Korea before serving
as Russian Ambassador to Turkey.
Former Bihar Minister S P Tarun Passes Away
i. Former Bihar Minister and veteran Congress leader Surendra Prasad Tarun passed away in
Patna on December 21, 2016. He was 88.
ii. Tarun was a former MLA from Atri in Gaya and Hilsa in Nalanda district and he was the minister
of state for education from 1985-1988.
British-born NASA astronaut Piers Sellers dies at 61
i. British-born astronaut Piers Sellers died of pancreatic cancer in Houston, Texas at the age of
61 on December 23, 2016.
ii. Sellers, a climate scientist and former astronaut flew on three space shuttle missions
between 2002 and 2010 and gained fame late in life for his eloquent commentary about the earths
fragility.
Co-Artist of national emblem Dinanath Bhargava dies at 89 in Indore
i. Dinanath Bhargava, a co-artist in the team that sketched the national emblem Lion Capital of
Ashoka and decorated the pages of the Constitutions manuscript, died at the age of 89 in
Indore on December 24, 2016
ii. Bhargava was suffering from cardiac ailments since past decade.
iii. He was born on November 1, 1927 at Multai in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh and was chosen
by noted painter Nandlal Bose in the group for designing the pages of the Indian Constitutions
Renowned Kannada Actor Chetan Ramarao dies at 76
i. Veteran Kannada film actor Chetan Ramarao died on December 23, 2016, at a private hospital
in Mysuru due to prolonged illness.
ii. The 76-year old actor had acted in more than 350 films in his career spanning almost five
decades.
iii. Some of his leading movies include Rajkumar, Vishnuvardhan and Ambarish.
Imtiaz, Pakistans First Test Team Member Dies At 88
i .Pakistans First Test Team member, Imtiaz Ahmed, died on December 31, 2016 in a Lahore
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hospital after a brief illness. He was 88.
ii. Ahmed featured in Pakistans first Test played in Delhi against India in October 1952 and went
on to play 41 matches as a wicketkeeper-batsman.
Ex-Union Minister Balasaheb Vikhe Patil passed away
Former Union Minister and Congress leader Eknathrao alias Balasaheb Vikhe Patil passed away in
Maharashtra. He was 84.
About Balasaheb Vikhe Patil :
Balasaheb Vikhe Patil was first elected into the Lok Sabha in 1971 from Ahmednagar district and
continued to represent Kopargaon Lok Sabha constituency for the next 20 years.He was a president
of Maharashtra Samajwadi Congress during 1977-79.
English Pop superstar George Michael dies at 53
i. The famous pop superstar George Michael, died on December 25, 2016, at the age of 53 at his
home in Goring, Oxfordshire, England.
ii. He became famous in the 1980s and 1990s with his style of post-disco dance-pop and his bestselling songs such as Last Christmas and Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.
Sri Lankan Politician and Two Time Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake Passes
Away
Veteran Sri Lankan politician Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, who served twice as Prime
Minister, passed away after a brief illness on December 27, 2016.The 83-year-old leader was
admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of a leading private hospital on December 21.
About Ratnasiri Wickremanayake
Wickremanayake first served as Prime Minister from August 2000 to December 2001. He
succeeded Sirimavo Bandaranaikeafter she resigned from the position at the age of 84.
In 2004, after the SLFP won the parliamentary elections, Wickremanayake was appointed
Minister of BuddhistAffairs, Public Security, and Law and Order, and Deputy Minister for
Defence.
He was sworn in for a second time as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka by President Mahinda
Rajapaksaon 21 November 2005.
American Astronomer Vera Rubin Dies at 88

i. Vera Rubin, a U.S. astronomer who pioneered work on invisible dark matter in the
universe died on December 25, 2016 in Princeton, New Jersey at the age of 88.
ii. Her studies earned her numerous honours, including being the second female astronomer to be
elected to the US National Academy of Sciences.
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Iconic Star Wars Actress Carrie Fisher Dies at 60
i. Carrie Fisher, the actress best known as Star Wars Princess Leia Organa, has died after
suffering a heart attack. She was 60.
ii. She had recently been undertaking a book tour for her autobiography, The Princess
Diarist, making headlines with her mischievous confessions about her youthful affair with
Harrison Ford.
BJP Leader and Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Sunderlal Patwa Dies at 92
i. Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and two-times Madhya Pradesh chief
minister Sunderlal Patwa passed away at Bansal Private Hospital in Bhopal on December 28 after
suffering a severe heart attack. He was 92.
ii. He was appointed chief minister for a brief period of two months in the year 1980 and again
from 1990 to 1992.
Former Planning Commission Member and noted Economist Saumitra Chaudhuri Passed
away at 63.
i. Noted economist and former Planning Commission member Saumitra Chaudhuri passed away
on December 18, 2016, at New Delhis Sir Gangaram Hospital, following a brief illness. He was
63.
ii. Saumitra Chaudhuri was born on January 11, 1954. He was a member of the Planning
Commission of India from 2009. Before that, he had been a member of the Prime Ministers
Economic Advisory Council from 2005onwards.
Veteran Malayalam Actor Jagannatha Varma Passes Away
i. Veteran Malayalam Film and Television actor K N Jagannatha Varma passed away
at Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala on December 20, 2016. He was 77.
ii. Varma was well known for his Malayalam films in 1978 with Mattoly and had acted memorable
roles in over 500 films.
BOOKS & AUTHORS

Dipa Karmakars biography to be co-authored by her coach Bishweshwar Nandi
i. The biography of Dipa Karmakar who is the first Indian female gymnast ever to compete in the
Olympics to be written by Vimal Mohan, Digvijay Singh Deo and her coach Bishweshwar
Nandi.
ii. The book titled Dipa Karmakar: The Small Wonder which will be published by Fingerprint!
in August 2017.
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President Pranab Mukherjee Releases Three Books Based on Rashtrapati Bhavan
i. President Pranab Mukherjee on December 11, 2016, released three books at Rashtrapati
Bhavan in New Delhi on the occasion of his 81st birthday.
ii. The three books include: Life at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Indradhanush-2 and Rashtrapati
Bhavan From Raj to Swaraj.
iii. The book Rashtrapati Bhavan: From Raj to Swaraj, is a book for children which narrates
the story of Rashtrapati Bhavan from its establishment as Government House to the present
day.
Ravindra Kumar, First IAS Officer To Scale Mt Everest Pens Motivational Book
i. Ravindra Kumar, the first IAS officer as well as the first Seafarer of India, to climb the
Mount Everest has written a motivational book for students, which was released by the Cabinet
Secretary P K Sinha on December 12, 2016 in New Delhi
ii. The book titled Many Everests: An Inspiring Journey of Transforming Dream into
Reality is penned by Ravindra Kumar, a 2011 batch IAS officer.
Courts of India Past to Present by Supreme Court of India Bar & Bench
i. The book titled Courts of India Past to Present released by the Supreme Court of India.
ii. The book is a comprehensive history of courts and judicial system in India. It was authored
by the Editorial Board comprises members of both the Bench and the Bar.
iii. This board includes Justices SA Bobde, Rohinton Fali Nariman and UU Lalit and one judge from
the Delhi High Court, Justice Ravindra S Bhat. There are five members from the Bar Senior
Advocates Raju Ramachandran, Indu Malhotra and Sanjay Hegde and advocates K Parameshwar
and Gautam Bhatia.
First issue of a National Newspaper Saanjhi Saanjh Released by Shri Thaawarchand
Gehlot
i. Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment released the first
issue of a National Newspaper Saanjhi Saanjh, dedicated to Senior Citizen, in the National
Capital on December 19, 2016.
ii. The Newspaper is edited by Ms. J.V Manisha Bajaj, Secretary, Harikrit, an NGO for elderly
people.
iii. This bilingual newspaper has got 8 pages which will be published from Delhi by Harikrit
publishers.
Amuls India 3.0 book launched
i. Gujarat based dairy cooperative company Amul launched the updated edition of Amuls India
3.0 covering topical grounds and popular incidents from the contemporary context and the
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book takes on fifty years of Indias history.
ii. The book was unveiled by social commentator Santosh Desai, Amuls Managing Director R.S.
Sodhi, and journalists Indrajit Hazra, Rahul Da Cunha and Jai Arjun Singh.
iii. The book has written by Santosh Desai, Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi Tharoor, Jug Suraiya,
Indrajit Hazra, Jai Arjun Singh, Naresh Fernandes, Agnello Dias, Arnab Goswami and Karan Johar.
IMPORTANT DAYS
Dec 1 2016
Remember Day: World AIDS Day
Purpose : To raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection
Organization:UN, WHO
Theme: Hands up for #HIVprevention
Remember Day: 51st Raising Day of BSF
Purpose : GOI
Dec 2 2016
Remember Day: International Day for the Abolition of Slavery
Purpose : To raise awareness of the atrocities of modern slavery.
Organization: UN
Remember Day: National Pollution Control
Purpose : To spread awareness among people and industries about paying attention towards the
need of adhere to Pollution Control Acts.
Organization: GOI
Dec 3 2016
Remember Day: International Day of Persons with Disabilities
Purpose : To enable governments and organizations to implement measures to improve the life of
disabled persons all over the world.
Organization: GOI
Theme: Achieving 17 Goals for the Future We Want
Dec 4 2016
Remember Day: Navy Day
Purpose : To celebrate the magnificence, achievements and role of the naval force to the country.
Organization: GOI
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Dec 5 2016
Remember Day: International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development
Purpose : To show volunteers contributions at the international, national and local levels in order
to get the Millennium Development Goals
Organization: UN
Theme: Global Applause give volunteers a hand.
Remember Day: World Soil Day
Purpose : To celebrate the importance of soil as a critical component of the natural system
Organization: FAO
Theme: Soils and pulses, a symbiosis for life
Dec 7 2016
Remember Day: International Civil Aviation Day
Purpose : To promote safety, efficiency of air transport
Organization: UN
Theme: Working together to ensure no country is left behind
Dec 8 2016
Remember Day: Plastic Free Day
Organization: Kerala Gov
Dec 9 2016
Remember Day: International Anti-Corruption
Purpose : To engage the general public to effectively fight against corruption and fraud in
communities
Organization:UN
Theme: United against corruption for development, peace and security
Dec 10 2016
Remember Day: Human Rights Day
Purpose : To improve the physical, social, cultural and spiritual well being and welfare of the
vulnerable group of people globally
Organization: UN
Theme: Stand up for someones rights today!
Dec 11 2016
Remember Day: International Mountain Day
Purpose : To create awareness about the importance of mountains to life.
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Organization: UN, FAO
Theme: Mountain Cultures: Celebrating diversity and strengthening identity
Dec 12 2016
Remember Day: Universal Health Coverage Day
Purpose : To promote the human right to health
Organization: WHO
Dec 14 2016
Remember Day: World Energy Conservation Day
Purpose : To highlight the importance of energy consumption and its use in our day-to-day life.
Dec 16 2016
Remember Day: Vijay Diwas
Purpose ; 45th Anniversary of the win of the Indian Army in the Indo-Pak war on December 16,
1971.
Organization: GOI
Dec 18 2016
Remember Day: International Migrants Day
Purpose : To recognizes and celebrates the rights of migrants around the world.
Organization: UN
Dec 20 2016
Remember Day: International Human Solidarity Day
Purpose : To remind people on the importance of solidarity in working towards eradicating
poverty.
Organization: UN
Dec 22 2016
Remember Day: National Mathematics Day
Purpose : To mark the birth anniversary of Srinivasa Ramanujan.
Organization: GOI
Dec 23 2016
Remember Day: Kisan Diwas (Farmers Day)
Purpose : To celebrate the birth anniversary of the fifth prime minister and kisan
leader,Ch. Charan Singh
Organization: India
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Dec 24 2016
Remember Day: National Consumer Day
Purpose : To promote the basic rights of all consumers
Organization: GOI
Dec 25 2016
Remember Day: Good Governance Day
Purpose : To honor Prime Minister Vajpayee by fostering awareness among the Indian people of
accountability in government.
Organization: GOI
April 14 2017
Remember Day: Water Day(Birthday of Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar)
Purpose : To commemorate the great contribution of the Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar towards the
country
Organization: GOI
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Current Affairs PDF: December 2016

Union Cabinet approves rationalisation of visa regime

Union Cabinet approves inclusion of 15 new castes in Central OBC list

The National Commission of Backward Classes (NCBC) had recommended a total

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UP Government Flags off Trial Run of Lucknow Metro Service

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Training on Election Management for SAARC Nations Organized at IIIDEM

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Following 11 incentive measures were announced by the Finance Minister

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The features of new Major Ports Authority Bill

Rajya Sabha Clears Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014

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Bill will benefit larger group of disabled people

19 disabilities recognized against previous 7

Legal action for violating the Act

Interim Nationwide Ban Imposed On Manja For Flying Kites By NGT

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CCEA approves doubling of Rajpura-Bhatinda railway line

The expected completion cost of the project is Rs. 1,465.59 crore.

Union Cabinet approves sale of part of HALs surplus, vacant land

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Cabinet To Launch toll-free number 10588 for pregnant women

Gujarat govt announces Aerospace and Defence Policy-2016

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The Chardham Mahamarg Vikas Pariyojna, or the Chardham Highway Development

Gujarat Government Announces Biotechnology Policy

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Cabinet Approves Road Connectivity Project for LWE Affected Areas

Centre Gives Green Signal for Apex Corridor Development Body

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Centre Approves Rs 266 crore investment for Delhi under AMRUT

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National Apprentice Promotion Scheme

Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras (PMKKs) and Drivers Training Institutes

Kaushal Pradarshini (Skill Exhibition)

Centre Plans Setting up Single Tribunal to Adjudicate Inter-state Water Disputes

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