- National:
- The 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 28) took place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from 30 November until 12 December 2023. The conference is the world’s only multilateral decision-making forum on climate change with almost complete membership of every country in the world.
- State-owned RITES Ltd has signed an agreement with CFM Mozambique for the supply of ten diesel locomotives and incidental services, with a total cost of USD 37,680,080 (Rs 314.1 crore).
- On 12th December 2023, Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced redrafted criminal Bills in the Lok Sabha. He withdrew three Bills and introduced fresh draft legislations incorporating recommendations of a Parliamentary panel.
- The Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023 has been passed by the Rajya Sabha. This was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on 10 August, 2023. This bill aims to regulate the appointment, conditions of service, and term of office of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and other Election Commissioners (ECs).
- The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced that Bhajanlal Sharma, a first-time MLA from Sanganer, will be the new Chief Minister of Rajasthan. He will take the oath of office on Friday, December 15.
- According to the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, India received 6.43 million foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) from January to September 2023, which is a 9.8% increase compared to the same period in 2022. The top five source countries for FTAs in India were Bangladesh, USA, UK, Canada and Sri Lanka.
- Under R&D project, India's first six lane steel slag based road connecting NH-6 to Hazira port was constructed in May, 2022 at Surat Hazira using processed steel slag aggregates as substitute of natural aggregates in all layers of bituminous pavement.
- Two endangered Siberian tigers have arrived at Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park in West Bengal's Darjeeling years after the last such big cat died in India at the Nainital Zoo in November 2011 due to age-related problems.
- International:
- The Global River Cities Alliance (GRCA) is a network of river cities from different countries that aims to promote integrated river management and address climate change impacts on the ecosystem. The GRCA was officially launched on December 10, 2023, at the COP28 in Dubai, with the participation of 267 river cities from India, the USA, and Denmark.
- Donald Tusk has been elected as the new Prime Minister of Poland. He and his Cabinet members took office on December 13, 2023, marking the end of eight years of rule by the National Conservative Party.
- Banking:
- Intellect Design Arena Ltd, the Chennai-based FinTech company for financial and insurance clients, has signed a Rs.80 crore, five-year deal with Indian Bank to deploy Intellect's eMACH.ai powered Cash Management System.
- ACKO General Insurance and PhonePe have indeed partnered to offer a variety of comprehensive car and bike insurance products directly to users on the PhonePe platform. This partnership combines ACKO’s customer-first approach with PhonePe’s massive distribution network, making insurance a readily accessible financial category for its users.
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has authorised Bandhan Bank to disburse pensions on behalf of the Ministry of Railways. This permission enables the bank to provide pensions to ex-Ministry of Railways employees.
- Economy:
- India’s industrial production growth accelerated to a 16-month high of 11.7% in October 2023. This was mainly due to double-digit growth in manufacturing, power, and mining sectors’ output. The Quick Estimates of Index of Industrial Production (IIP) with base 2011-12 stands at 144.7.
- Defence:
- The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a contract worth Rs 588.68 crore with Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL) for the Digital Coast Guard (DCG) project. This contract, signed on 8th December 2023, is in alignment with the Government of India’s strategic vision for Digital Armed Forces.
- Important Days:
- International Mountain Day is observed every year on December 11. The theme for International Mountain Day 2023 is "Restoring mountain ecosystems". This theme was selected to fully include mountains in the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021–2030.
- The International Day of Neutrality is observed every year on December 12. This day was officially declared by a UN General Assembly resolution adopted in February 2017. The theme for the International Day of Neutrality 2023 is "Promote peace and avoid violence: war is not the answer to any challenging situation”.
- Awards & Honors:
- Writer Pushpa Bharati’s memoir has indeed been selected for the Vyas Samman award. The Vyas Samman is a prestigious literary award in India, first awarded in 1991. It is given annually by the K.K. Birla Foundation to an outstanding Hindi literary work by an Indian citizen published during the last 10 years.
- The veteran actor Kabir Bedi was indeed awarded the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (Merito della Repubblica Italiana), which is the highest civilian award in Italy. The award ceremony took place at a private event overlooking the Gateway of India in Mumbai.
- Books:
- The former President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, launched a book titled “Naye Bharat ka Samveda” in New Delhi on Thursday, 7th December 2023. The book is a compilation of speeches by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Indian Constitution.
Questions:
Q.1 Who launched the book “Naye Bharat ka Samveda”?a. Narendra Modi
b. Ram Nath Kovind
c. Rajnath Singh
d. Amit Shah
Q.2 When is the International Day of Neutrality observed?
a. December 10
b. December 12
c. December 14
d. December 16
