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General Awareness Bullet- 2015

(Comprehensive summary of current affairs for December 2015)
Dear PaGaLGuY readers,
This General Awareness Bullet is a comprehensive summary of important news and events that occurred in
December 2015. This bullet is relevant for Banking, SSC, Insurance and UPSC Exams. We intend to release
monthly bullets for various exams.
Do print out a hard copy of this for your regular use. Our goal is to ensure that you have the necessary material
readily available to prepare thoroughly and perform well in your exams.
To access all of the material that we provide, log on to http://www.pagalguy.com
Prepared by - Shraddha Kakade
(http://www.pagalguy.com/@shraddha141)

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in News

Current Policy Rates and Reserve Ratios:
Repo Rate

6.75%

Reverse Repo Rate

5.75%

Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR)

4%

Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR)

21.5%

Marginal Standing Facility (MSF)

7.75%

Bank Rate

7.75%

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1. IDFC Bank included in the Second Schedule of RBI Act: The Reserve Bank of
India announced the inclusion of IDFC Bank in the Second Schedule of the RBI
Act. In October 2015, IDFC Bank started formal operations with a total of 23
branches across India. Of these, 15 branches are in rural Madhya Pradesh. With
major focus on technology, IDFC has begun operations in corporate and wholesale
banking, rural banking and treasury verticals.
2. RBI creates helpline to assist start-ups on forex: The RBI set up a helpline
email id to provide guidance to start-ups on issues related to foreign exchange
(forex) for conducting cross-border transaction within the regulatory framework.
Cross-border transactions of resident Indians have to be done as per regulations
stipulated in the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999.
3. RBI postpones deadline to exchange pre-2005 currency notes: The RBI has extended the date to exchange pre-2005 currency notes from December 31, 2015 to
June 30, 2016. The currency notes printed post 2005 have more security features
that help to counter the problem of fake currency. Thus, the RBI has urged people
to exchange pre-2005 notes at identified bank branches or issue offices of the central bank. As per official data, over 164 crore pre-2005 currency notes of various denominations were shredded in
RBI's regional offices in the past one year.
4. RBI releases Deepak Mohanty Committee report on Medium-term Path on Financial Inclusion: The 14member committee headed by RBI Executive Director Deepak Mohanty released the report on Medium-term
Path on Financial Inclusion. The committee was constituted in order to work out a medium-term (five year)
measurable action plan for financial inclusion. Some of the salient recommendations of the committee are: (a)
Banks have to make special efforts to step-up account opening for females, and the government may consider a
deposit scheme for the girl child - Sukanya Shiksha - as a welfare measure. (b) Given the majority of individual
account holdings (94% of total credit accounts), a unique biometric identifier such as Aadhaar number should be
linked to each individual credit account and the information should be shared with credit information companies
to enhance the stability of the credit system and improve access.
Several other recommendations on credit infrastructure and governance systems were made by the committee.

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Financial and Banking News

1. IMF enlists China's Yuan as elite reserve currency: Chinas national currency Yuan has been included in elite
currency basket by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). It is the fifth member of the special drawing rights
(SDR) currency basket alongside the dollar, the Japanese yen, Pound sterling and the euro. The new SDR basket
will be launched on 1st October, 2016. It will provide enough time to the IMF members and other SDR users to
adjust to these changes. This decision will pave the way for integration of Chinese economy into the global financial system and will drive a mild rise in the international demand for yuan.
2. Sri Lanka may approach IMF for a standby agreement: Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe
said that his government might have to approach the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a "standby agreement", which is an economic program involving financial aid to a member nation in need of financial assistance.
The PM added, "The ongoing war against the Islamic State in Syria and the inclusion of the Chinese currency in
the IMF's reserve currency basket are going to impact us and the rest of the world economically.
3.

IDFC Bank chooses TCS BaNCS for its core banking operations: IDFC Bank recently chose TCS BaNCS
for core banking in order to provide more individualised, quick and convenient banking services. IDFC Bank
started using TCS BaNCS solution from October 1, 2015 at 23 of its branches. N Ganapathy Subramaniam, president of TCS Financial Solutions, said, "We are pleased to report the going live of TCS BaNCS at IDFC Bank
within a year, laying the foundation for customer-centricity, business resiliency, and operational efficiency.

4. Yes Bank to mobilise $5 billion for climate action by 2020: YES Bank announced that it will mobilise $5billion by 2020 for climate action in India. The announcement came amid the 2015 Paris Climate Change Conference. The bank will also aid India to achieve its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs). The
bank has declared a target funding of 5,000 MW of clean energy, besides contributing towards creating a carbon
sink by planting two million trees, benefitting 100 million lives through its safe and clean drinking water program
and offsetting carbon emissions of its operations. This initiative will help India achieve its target of 175 GW renewable energy by 2022.
5. Sundaram PNB Paribas launches special loan scheme for Chennais flood-affected people: Sundaram PNB
Paribas, a joint venture between Sundaram Finance and France-based BNP Paribas announced a special loan
scheme to benefit customers affected by Chennai floods. As per the scheme, Sundaram BNP Paribas Home Finance will extend housing loans up to Rs.10 lakh at a fixed interest rate of 8.50% per annum. The company in its
statement clarified that the special scheme, valid for disbursements till June 30, 2016, would help customers reconstruct and renovate their housing units.
6. NCML signs MoU with SBI to provide financing services to farmers: The National Collateral Management
Services Ltd (NCML), a collateral service provider, signed an MoU with State Bank of India to provide finance
facility to farmers against warehouse receipts of their produce. The tie-up with SBI will help farmers to have
maximum reach with the bank to avail short-term finance against warehouse receipts. The arrangement with SBI
is expected to provide opportunity to finance against warehouse receipts issued by small-sized godowns of private licensed warehouses built under 'Gramin Bhandaran Yojana' of NABARD across the country.
7. Govt. may transfer IDBIs bad loans to a special entity: In order to get better valuation for IDBI Banks strategic stake sale, the government may transfer the bank's bad loans to a special entity. It is contemplating reducing
its stake in the bank well below 50% to transform it into another Axis Bank. Presently, the government holds
76.5% in IDBI and is considering several options, including stake sales, to privatise the bank. IDBI Bank's gross
NPA amounted to Rs.14,758 crore at the end of September 2015, an increase of Rs 3,199 crore since September
2014.
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Reports and Studies

1. World's richest 10% produce 50% of the global fossil fuel emissions-Report:
As per the British charity Oxfam's recent study, the world's richest 10% produce
50% of the global fossil fuel emissions, while the poorest contribute to only about
10%. An average person among the richest 1% emits 175 times more carbon than
his/her counterpart among the bottom 10%. The report was released at the Paris
Climate Change Conference 2015 (COP21), where 195 countries converged to
discuss ways to share responsibility for controlling greenhouse-gas emissions and
helping vulnerable countries.
2. WHO releases first-ever report on food borne diseases: The World Health Organisation (WHO) released a report on food borne diseases estimating the global
burden of food borne diseases caused by around 31 different agents like bacteria,
viruses, parasites, toxins & chemicals. Around 600 million people across the
globe fall ill post consumption of contaminated food. As per the report, among
total global deaths caused by such diseases, around one-third deaths are of children aged under five years. African & Southeast Asian regions have the highest
cases & deaths due to food borne diseases like typhoid fever, hepatitis A, Taenia
solium & aflatoxin.
3. India State of Forest Report 2015 released: The Union environment minister Prakash Javadekar released the
India State of Forest Report (ISFR), as per which, India's forest & tree cover has been increased by 5081sq km.
Total forest cover has increased by 3775 sq km & tree cover by 1306 sq km. The total forest and tree cover is
24.16% of India's total geographical area or 79.42 million hectares. The total carbon stock in forests is around
7,044 million tones, which has increased by 103 million tons. The maximum increase in the forest cover has been
observed in Tamil Nadu (2501 sq km). Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover at 77,462 sq km. Mizoram
has highest forest cover in percentage terms-88.93%.
4. Singapore replaces Mauritius as Indias top FDI source: During the first half of FY16, Singapore replaced
Mauritius as Indias top FDI source by providing $6.69 billion FDI to India. As per data from the Department of
Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP), India received only $3.66 billion FDI from Mauritius during the same period. This might be due to the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) with Singapore, which incorporates a Limit-of-Benefit clause (LoB). This has made Singapore-based investors comfortable to invest in India.
The major sectors that have attracted foreign investors are computer software & hardware, trading, services &
automobile and telecommunications. Overall, Singapore makes around 15% contribution to India's FDI whereas
Mauritius makes around 34%.
5. India ranks 3rd in corruption practices- EY report: As per an Ernst and Young (EY) report, India ranks third
in corruption practices, after Croatia and Kenya. India has lost around Rs.13,000 crore in top five scams. This
research was carried out in 1,067 cities and 66% of the respondents in India found it reasonable to offer gift/cash
payments or spend on entertainment to win or sustain the business. In many cases, middle or senior management
was directly involved in corrupt practices. Many companies have now established internal whistleblowing policies to unearth frauds. However, many feel low corruption could hamper the company's chances of winning or
retaining contracts.

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6. GFI releases report on illicit financial flows: Global Financial Integrity (GFI), a US-based think tank, released
a report titled -'Illicit Financial Flows from Developing Countries 2004-2013", denoting loss of $7.8 trillion in
illicit financial flows during the time period. Five countries with highest illegal financial outflows are-China
($139 billion), Russia ($104 billion), Mexico ($52.8 billion), India ($51 billion) and Malaysia ($41 billion). The
reasons for the outflows are corruption, tax evasion, crime, etc. In 2013, money to the tune of $1.1 trillion flowed
illicitly in developing economies, a figure far greater than the combined FDI & official development assistance
(ODA) of the economies. Fraudulent mis-invoicing is the major reason (83.4%) behind illegal money outflows.
Asia has the highest volume (38.8%) of illicit finance in the world.

7. Tata is India's most-valued brand: Interbrand India ranked the nation's top 30 brands, wherein Tata came first,
followed by Reliance Industries, Airtel, Life Insurance Corp., State Bank of India and HDFC. Tata has topped the
list for the third time in a row and reported a 12% rise in brand value in 2015 with its value at Rs.669.4 billion.
The biggest gainers this year include software services provider HCL, followed by private lender Kotak Mahindra Bank, Tanishq, Infosys Ltd, Maruti Suzuki Ltd. and Asian Paints Ltd. All of these reported a 17% - 24% increase in brand value.
8. UNDP releases Human Development Report 2015: As per the United Nations Development Programme's latest Human Development Report (HDR) 2015, India ranks 130 among 155 countries on the Gender Inequality Index (GII). Among South Asian nations, India fares better than only Afghanistan, which has been ranked at 152
and lags behind Bangladesh and Pakistan, which have been ranked 111 and 121 respectively. The index considers
inequalities in gender specific indicators such as reproductive health measured by maternal mortality ratio and
adolescent birth rates, empowerment quantified by share of parliamentary seats and attainment in education, and
economic activity measured by labour market participation rate.
9. 76% of Indian adults not well-versed with basic financial concepts: As per findings of Standard & Poor's Ratings Services' recent survey, 76 % of Indian adults do not understand basic financial concepts. The survey was
based on understanding of four basic concepts, including numeracy, risk diversification, inflation, compound interest (saving and debt). The survey states that financial literacy among Indians is lower than the worldwide average, almost in line with BRICS and South Asian nations. In Asia, Singapore shows highest financial literacy at
59%, followed by Hong Kong and Japan at 43%. In the UK and US, 67% and 57% of adults are financially literate respectively.
10. World Bank releases Migration & Remittances Factbook 2016: World Bank Group's Global Knowledge Partnership on Migration & Development (KNOMAD) initiative recently released the Migration & Remittance
Factbook 2016. The report provides latest statistics on immigration, emigration, skilled emigration and remittance
flows for 214 countries & territories. It also updates the 2011 edition with further data on bilateral migration &
remittances and second generation diasporas and recent movement of refugees. As per the report, in 2016, the
number of international migrants might exceed 250 million, an unprecedented high. India was the largest remittance-receiving country, with around $72 billion in 2015 followed by China & Philippines. Fast-growing developing countries are increasingly becoming the destination for migrants from other developing countries. MexicoUnited States was the largest migration corridor accounting for 13 million migrants in 2013, followed by RussiaUkraine, Bangladesh-India & Ukraine-Russia.

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11. Union HRD Ministry launches 6th All-India Survey on Higher Education: The Union HRD launched the 6th
All-India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) in New Delhi. This survey covers all the higher educational institutions in country like universities, colleges and standalone institutions from 2010-11 to 2014-15. As per the survey, there has been an increase in overall enrolment from 27.5 million in 2010-11 to 33.3 million in 2014-15.
There has also been an improvement in gross enrolment ratio, which is a ratio of enrolment in higher education to
population in the eligible age group (18-23 years) from 19.4 % on 2010-11 to 23.6 % in 2014-15. A ratio of proportional representation of female and male, also known as Gender Parity Index (GPI), has increased from 0.86 to
0.93. The total number of universities has increased from 621 to 757 and colleges from 32,974 to 38,056 during
this period.
12. OPEC World Oil Outlook 2015 released: The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) released
the 2015 OPEC World Oil Outlook, which provides an extensive review of scenarios related to medium and longterm development of the oil industry. As per the report, by 2040, OPEC has predicted the overall demand to be
close to 110 million barrels a day, with price per barrel being around $95.The global demand for energy is likely
to increase by 50%. Long-term demand is dominated by developing Asian countries, which accounts for 70% for
the increase by 2040.
13. India is Asia's deadliest country for journalists: As per the report by media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF), India is Asia's deadliest country for journalists. Nine journalists were murdered in India in 2015.
While some were on assignments on organised crime and its links with politicians, others were covering illegal
mining. Globally 110 journalists were killed, of which 67 were killed in the line of duty and 43 died in undetermined circumstances. Even 27 non-professional "citizen-journalists" and seven media workers were killed and
"two-thirds were killed in countries 'at peace'.

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Important Committees
Committee/Panel head(s)

Objective of the committee

1. Arvind Subramanian

The Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian-led

committee has suggested a standard goods and services
tax (GST) rate of 17-18%. The standard rate is the rate at
which most of the goods and services will be taxed and
is based on revenue-neutral rate of 15-15.5%. The committee excluded real estate, electricity, alcohol & petroleum products while calculating the tax rates, but suggested to bring these products & services under GST
soon.

2. Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel,

Public Grievances, Law and Justice headed by E M Sudarsana Natchiappan

The committee headed by Congress MP EM Sudarsana

Natchiappan suggested that the anti-corruption wings of
the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) be brought under the
ambit of Lokpal. Natchiappan added that the present
overlap in the jurisdiction and certain functions of the
CVC, Lokpal and the CBI can create serious problems.

3. Judicial Committee headed by Justice L N Reddy

Justice (Retd) L Narasimha Reddy, former Chief Justice

of Patna High Court, will head the Judicial Committee
formed for the implementation of the One Rank One
Pension (OROP) scheme. The committee aims to examine and make recommendations on various issues concerning the scheme based on the Union government's
references.

4. A P Shah

The oil ministry has instituted a committee under (Retd.)

Justice A P Shah to study an oilfield consultant report on
the state-owned ONGC's charge of Reliance Industries
Ltd. siphoning gas from its adjoining block off the Andhra coast. The committee will investigate the acts of
commission & omission in order to recommend compensation to be paid by RIL due to the undue advantage it
has received as a result of the enrichment of its gas fields
from adjacent blocks belonging to ONGC.

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Committee/Panel head(s)

Objective of the committee

5. Gopal Subramanium

The Delhi government has instituted a commission under

former Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium to inquire
into the alleged financial irregularities of the Delhi &
District Cricket Association (DDCA) scam. A threemember group headed by Chetan Sanghi recommended
the establishment of a commission to investigate the
matter under the Commission of Enquiries Act, 1952.

Books and Authors

Title

Author

1. On My Terms - From the Grassroots to the Corridors of Power

Sharad Pawar

2. The Bose Brothers and Indian Independence: An

Insiders Account

Madhuri Bose

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New Appointments - India and Abroad

INDIA

1. M Rajeevan Nair - Earth Science Secretary

2. Ahmad Javed - Indian Envoy to Saudi Arabia
3. A K Jain - Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes
4. Retd. Justice. Virendra Singh - Lokayukta of Uttar Pradesh
5. Radha Krishna Mathur - Chief Information Commissioner of India
6. Pawan Kumar Agarwal - CEO, FSSAI
7. Gautam Bambawale - Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan
8. Vinay Mohan Kwatra - Joint Secretary in Prime Ministers Office
9. Amitabh Kant - Additional charge as NITI Aayog CEO
10. G D Bandgaiyan Director General of National Centre for Good Governance
11. Madhavan Menon - CMD, Thomas Cook
12. Sumi Ghosh - CEO of Tata Starbucks
13. Satyavati Berera - COO of PricewaterhouseCoopers
14. Akshay Kumar - Brand Ambassador of Premier Badminton League (PBL)
15. Karan Adani - CEO, Adani Ports
16. Amit Agarwal - CFO, Jet Airways
17. Dr Nagendra Swamy - Group Medical Director of Manipal Hospitals
18. Jetha Bharwad First Vice-Chairman of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation
19. Bjorn Isberg - Director, 2016 Hockey India League
ABROAD

1. Jeff Williams - COO, Apple Inc.

2. Jeffery Siminoff - Vice-President of diversity and inclusion, Twitter

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Summits/Conferences around the World

1. 21st Conference of the Parties on Climate Change: On December 12, 2015, the
Paris Agreement, touted as the "single most important collective action for addressing
climate change ever agreed upon", was adopted by 195 countries following the 21st
session of the Conference of Parties (COP21) in December 2015. After nearly two
weeks of negotiations on several contentious subjects, the final draft of the Paris Climate Change Accord was adopted on December 12, 2015.
As per the agreement, developed as well as developing countries have resolved to take
measures to tackle climate change. The 21st session of the Conference of the Parties
(COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was presided over by French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, and leaders from across the
world were present. From India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar attended COP21.
2. 18th India-Iran Joint Commission meeting: The 18th session of the India-Iran
Joint Commission was held in New Delhi in order to further economic and strategic
partnership. The session was co-chaired by Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma
Swaraj and Iranian Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance Ali Tayebnia. India
stressed on the efforts underway to enhance bilateral economic cooperation in energy, infrastructure - including shipping, ports and railways - and trade and commerce. India also emphasised that connectivity afforded by Indian participation in Chahbahar Port will facilitate the linking of Afghanistan and Central Asia with India. Iran discussed the
participation of India's public and private sectors in development of Chahbahar Port and Chahbahar Free Trade Zone
(FTZ) and in setting up industrial units in the FTZ.

Deaths
Name

Field of work

1. Eldar Ryazanov (Russian)

Veteran filmmaker

2. Sharad Joshi (Indian)

Founder of Shetkari Sanghatna, a pan Maharashtra

farmers organisation, noted economist, journalist, agriculturalist and leader of farmers movement in Maharashtra

3. Chatla Sriramulu (Indian)

Veteran theatre artist and writer from Andhra Pradesh

4. Peter Dickinson (British)

Noted British novelist

5. Sadhana (Indian)

Noted Bollywood actress

6. Dr Robert Spitzer (American)

Leading American psychiatrist, credited for establishing modern classification of mental disorders

7. Suprabhat Chakrabarty (Indian)

Former Olympic cyclist

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Name

Field of work

8. Justice V Malimath (Indian)

Former Chief Justice of Karnataka and Kerala High

Courts

9. George Clayton (American)

Popular Sci-Fi author

10. Haskel Wexler (American)

Oscar-winning cinematographer

11. Om Prakash Malhotra (Indian)

Former Army Chief

12. Subir Sen (Indian)

Veteran singer from Kolkata

Persons in News
1. Angela Merkel: TIME magazine named German Chancellor Angela Merkel as 2015 Person of the Year. She
was appreciated for her "steadfast moral leadership' in the face of challenges and her role in tackling the Syrian
refugee crisis, Greek debt crisis, among others. Merkel is just the fourth woman since 1927 to be chosen and the
first since 1986 when Philippines opposition leader Corazon C Aquino was given the title. ISIS leader Abu Bakr
al-Baghdadi was ranked second while US presidential candidate Donald Trump took the third spot.
2. Shah Rukh Khan: Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan topped the list of 2015 Forbes India Celebrity 100 list.
Shah Rukh, who stood in third position in 2014, wrestled Salman Khan to grab the top place on the list. His earnings, an estimated Rs.257.5 crore, is the highest-ever in the four-year history of the. Actor Salman Khan and
Amitabh Bachchan ranked second and third respectively. Cricketer M S Dhoni and Actor Aamir Khan were
ranked fourth and fifth respectively.
3. Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach: Miss Philippines Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach was crowned Miss Universe 2015 at the finale
of 64th edition of the contest held in Las Vegas, US. Wurtzbach is a Filipino-German actress, model and beauty
pageant title-holder.
4. Mireia Lalaguna Royo: Miss Spain Mireia Lalaguna Royo was crowned Miss World 2015 at the Crown of
Beauty theatre in Sanya, China. This is the first time a Spaniard won this title. Miss Russia Sofia Nikitchuk and
Miss Indonesia Maria Harfanti were declared first and second runners-up respectively. By winning the People's
Choice Award, India's Aditi Arya ensured her direct entry in the competition but failed to make it to the top 20
list.
5. Harpal Singh Kumar: Indian-origin cancer researcher Harpal Singh Kumar received a knighthood from Queen
Elizabeth II for his pathbreaking work on prevention and treatment of cancer. Presently, he is the chief executive
of Cancer Research UK (CRUK). A Cambridge and Harvard alumnus, Kumar is a trained chemical engineer,
who began as a healthcare consultant with McKinsey in 1992 and went on to work at senior positions in
healthcare. He has chaired the Independent Cancer Taskforce and authored the NHS Cancer Strategy 'Achieving
World Class Cancer Outcomes. A Strategy for England 2015-20', which was published in July 2015.He also
played a vital role to establish the Francis Crick Institute as a global centre of biomedical research and innovation.

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Science, Defence, Technology and Environment

1. India launches International Solar Alliance: At the CoP21 Summit in Paris, India launched an International
Solar Alliance (ISA), inviting all the countries located fully or partly between tropics of Cancer & Capricorn to
join. ISA will function to reduce the cost of finance & technology needed to deploy solar power widely. This alliance will also pursue cooperation in training, building institutions, regulatory issues, common standards and investments. ISA will function from the National Institute of Solar Energy in India at Gurgaon. Central government
will support ISA for five years and it will be co-chaired by Indian Prime minister Mr. Narendra Modi & French
President Francois Hollande.
2. Mission Innovation launched to drive clean energy revolution: Mission Innovation was launched at the
CoP21 Summit by leaders of 20 participating countries to accelerate clean energy revolution. Primary objective
of this mission is to double clean energy research and development funding by 2020 of member countries. Mission Innovation aims to provide affordable clean energy to the world. Participating countries pledged to work
with existing international institutions and to cooperate with each other to help governments, private investors,
and technology innovators in this regard. This mutual collaboration will cover areas such as data sharing, technology and analysis to promote commercialisation and propagate clean energy technology around the world.
3. First India International Science Festival held in IIT-Delhi: The first India International Science Festival
(IISF) was held in IIT-Delhi. The Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Dr. Harsh
Vardhan attended the event touted to be Indias biggest-ever technology expo. It aims to encourage youngsters to
inculcate scientific temperament. The festival also supported several of the Union Government's flagship programmes, including Make in India, Digital India, Start-Up India, Smart Villages, Smart Cities etc.
4. Vyachakurahalli village declared as India's first 'smokeless village: The Union Petroleum Ministry
officially declared Vyachakurahalli village in Karnataka's Chikkaballapur district as the nation's first smokeless
village after its complete conversion from conventional fuel to LPG. Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) steered the
'Mission Smokeless village' project in order to alleviate problems of women, who were prone to pneumonia due
to excessive inhalation of firewood fumes.
5. DAC approves purchase of Russian S-400 Triumf air defence missile system: The Defence Acquisition
Council (DAC) approved the purchase of five units of Russian S-400 Triumf air defence missile system for
approximately Rs.40,000 crore. After China, India is now the second nation to buy this missile system. It can de
stroy incoming hostile missiles (ballistic and hypersonic), aircrafts and drones within a range of 400 km. It has the
capacity to take on 36 targets at a range of over 150 km. Compared to the previous S-300 version, this system has
2.5 times greater firing rate.
6. Pandorum Technologies develops India's first artificial liver tissue: Bengaluru-based biotechnology
start-up Pandorum Technologies has developed India's first artificial liver tissue using 3D printing. The tissue can
perform vital functions of a human liver tissue, including metabolism, detoxification and secretion of biochemi
cals. The company has stated that the 3D bio-printed mini-livers will act as test platforms for the research and de
velopment of drugs that are more efficient, inexpensive, have less side effects. This innovation will also help to
reduce dependence on animal and human trials, thereby bringing down costs incurred in research. It will eventually
be used for full-scale liver transplants.
7. Scientists discover new contagious form of cancer: Researchers from the University of Tasmania, Australia,
and the University of Cambridge, UK, have discovered a second type of transmissible cancer among Tasmanian
devils-a dog-sized carnivorous animal found in Australia's island state of Tasmania. Contagious cancers can

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spread between individuals through transfer of living cancer cells. Until now researchers knew only of the Tasmanian devil facial tumor disease (DFT1). Since this was first detected in 1996, the infectious tumor has spread
across the island, causing Tasmanian devils to be listed as endangered in 2008. The newly-found second type of
infectious cancer, coined DFT2, is similar except that the cells are genetically distinct. This lowers the possibility
that it is an offshoot or hybrid version of the first. Research on the second transmissible cancer began in 2014,
when a devil with facial tumours was found in south-east Tasmania. So far, it has been detected in eight devils in
the region. Hitherto transmissible cancer was found only in dogs and soft-shell clams.
8. Cabinet approves signing of the Raptor MoU: The Union Cabinet presided over by PM Narendra Modi has
approved signing of the Raptor MoU for conservation of migratory birds of prey in Africa and Eurasia. It is a
global, legally non-binding agreement to protect migratory birds of prey. With this, India will become the 54th
signatory to the MoU, which will enable the nation to gather knowledge in efficiently managing the habitats of
raptors. The MoU covers 76 species of birds of prey, of which 46 species, including vultures, falcons, eagles,
owls, hawks, kites, harriers, etc are also found in India.

Awards
Award
1.

Award Winner

Details

ITC Sangeet Sammelan 2015 Sangeet Samman

L. Subramaniam

Renowned Indian violinist L Subramaniam was awarded the Sangeet

Samman. Subramaniam is the only
musician who has the credit of
having performed and recorded
Carnatic and Western classical
music, both orchestral and nonorchestral.

2. The 6th Asian Business Leader

ship Forum - Lifetime
Achievement Award

Hinduja brothers

The Hinduja brothers were honoured

with Lifetime Achievement award at
the 6th Asian Business Leadership
Forum, held in November 2015 in
Dubai. It was awarded to GP Hinduja, co-chairman of the Hinduja
Group of Companies. The award recognises the most powerful and influential business leader.

3. The 17th Platts Global Energy

Awards 2015

Reliance Industries Limited

RIL bagged the Platts Global Energy

Award in the CSR category. The
awards are often described as the
Academy Awards of the energy sector.

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Award
4. The Mailer Prize for Lifetime
Achievement

5. Padma Vibhushan

6. 2015 Aegis Graham Bell Award

7. The 2016 Genesis Prize

8. Southeast Asia Write award

2015

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Award Winner

Details

Salman Rushdie

Author Salman Rushdie was awarded

the Mailer Prize for Lifetime
Achievement. The award is named
after noted 20th century American
writer Norman Mailer and recognises
writers who fiercely use their freedom of creativity through dialogue
and debate.

Dilip Kumar

Veteran Bollywood actor Dilip Kumar won the Padma Vibhushan, in

recognition of his contribution to
Hindi cinema over the last 60 years.
Padma Vibhushan is the second
highest civilian award in India.

Wipro

IT major Wipro won the 2015 Aegis

Graham Bell Award for 'Innovation
in IoT' (Internet of Things). Aegis
Graham Bell Award is India's only
innovation award in the field of Telecom, Internet, Media and Entertainment (TIME) and Social, Mobility
Analytics and Cloud (SMAC).

Itzhak Perlman

Noted Israeli-American violinist

Itzhak Perlman has been awarded the
2016 Genesis Prize, also known as
the "Jewish Nobel", for his accomplishments as a musician, teacher and
advocate for the disabled. The Genesis Prize is annually conferred on an
individual, who has achieved professional success, benefitted mankind
and shown commitment towards Israel and Jewish causes.

Jamaludeen Mohamed Sali

Indian-origin writer Jamaludeen Mohamed Sali was declared the winner

of the 2015 Southeast Asian Write
award. The author has written 57
books, 80 plays and over 400 short
stories, which are now studied by
Tamil literature students in Singapore and Indian universities.

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Award
9. 2016 Queen's Young Leader
award.

Award Winner

Details

Kartik Sawhney and Neha Swain

The 2016 Queen's Young Leader

award recognises leadership qualities, community building efforts of
young people in the age group of 1829 from across the 53 Commonwealth countries.
Sawhney, who is visually impaired,
has been honoured for his work in
highlighting access to education for
all through his Project STEMAccess,
which offers hands-on science workshops in India, besides virtual training sessions.
Swain founded Rubaroo, an NGO
which conducts workshops to bring
out the leadership qualities in youngsters coming from different socioeconomic backgrounds.

10. The National Medal of Science

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Dr. Rakesh Jain

The National Medal of Science was

instituted in 1959 and is administered
for the White House by the National
Science Foundation. It annually honours individuals for their significant
contributions in science and engineering.

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Important News - India and Abroad

1. Bharti Airtel to invest Rs.60,000 crore in 'Project Leap: India's foremost telecom service provider Bharti Airtel has announced to invest Rs.60,000 crore under its
ambitious programme called 'Project Leap', which aims to provide good quality
voice and data services. Airtel will deploy over 70,000 base stations under this programme. Over the next three years, more than 1,60,000 base stations will be set up
nationwide.
2. Snapdeal launches mobile website in Hindi and Telugu: In order to attract wider
customer base, e-commerce marketplace Snapdeal recently launched its mobile
website in Hindi and Telugu and further added that the platform will be available in
all 11 regional languages by January 2016. The objective is to reach to an additional
130 million smartphone users in India with languages such as Hindi, Telugu, Gujarati, Tamil, Marathi, Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Oriya, Assamese and Punjabi.
As per the co-founder of Snapdeal, Rohit Bansal, "Everyone is now targeting the
140 million users in the country. Over 90% of the users in India speak languages
other than English. With this announcement, we will cater to 270 million users in
the country.
3. India's Mahindra Group acquires Pininfarina: Indias Mahindra group is set to
acquire Italian car-designing firm Pininfarina in an all-cash deal for about 33 million euros ($36 million). The
Italian auto company is known for designing cars for Ferrari, Maserati, Rolls-Royce and Cadillac, among others.
As per the statement issued by the company, Mahindra will do the deal via a new unit in which automaker
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd will hold 40% and its IT arm Tech Mahindra Ltd will own the remaining 60%.
4. Tata Sons forges partnership with Industrial & Commercial Bank of China: Tata Sons announced a longterm partnership with the world's largest lender Industrial & Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), declaring it as
strategic banking partner. ICBC would provide Tata Group with financing products, global cash management,
consulting, international trade finance business, investment banking, foreign exchange, derivatives trading, and
other global financial services. The partnership will cover Tata Groups operations in India, China, Singapore,
Europe, US, and South America, since close to 70% of its $109-billion revenue is from international operations.
5. Child-friendly TB drugs launched in South Africa: In a first, child-friendly tuberculosis (TB) drugs were
launched by the TB Alliance, UNITAID and WHO at the 46th Union World Conference on Lung Health in Cape
Town, South Africa. These drugs are meant for children who weigh less than 25 kg. The availability of such
drugs of correct dosages is likely to increase drug adherence and reduce acquired drug resistance. Mumbai-based
Macleods Pharmaceuticals is the only company manufacturing these drugs that cost about $15.54 for a six-month
course of treatment.
6. China's first electricity-powered aircraft approved: China developed its first electricity-powered aircraft
called RX1E, which has been approved for production by the nation's civil aviation ministry. The light aircraft
was developed by Shenyang Aerospace University. It is a two-seater, which is powered by lithium batteries. It is
capable of flying at 3000 meters. The aircraft are can primarily be used for pilot training, sightseeing & experimental flying.
7. China officially ends one-child policy: The 159-member National People's Congress Standing Committee, the
top body of Chinese parliament, approved the amendment of the one-child policy, thereby allowing couples to
have a second child. It will come to effect on January 1, 2016. Decreasing workforce and a rapidly aging populace forced lawmakers to amend the archaic policy, which was enforced in the 1970s and is believed to have prevented around 400 million births over the last three decades.

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8. Democratic Unity Roundtable wins parliamentary elections in Venezuela: The Venezuelan opposition coalition Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD), won the National Assembly elections. This victory dealt a blow to the
ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV, which was founded by late president Hugo Chavez), as it has
been defeated for the first time in 16 years. In total, the MUD won 99 of the 167 seats while PSUV garnered only
46 votes.
9. Storm Desmond ravages parts of UK: Storm Desmond devastated parts of the UK, including Northern Ireland,
Wales and southern Scotland. North-western part of England was majorly hit as homes flooded and the whole
region suffered massive power outage. While 5,200 homes were flooded, over 60,000 bore the brunt of power
cuts in Cumbria and Lancashire. Honister Pass in Cumbria recorded 341.4 mm rainfall, the highest in a 24-hour
time frame. For north-west England, 16 severe flood warnings were issued.
10. DGCI approves Hepatitis drug developed by Hetero: Hyderabad-based Hetero Drugs became the first Indian
company to get the Drug Controller General of India's approval (DCGI) to launch the fixed-dose anti Hepatitis-C
combination drug Ledipasvir-Sofosbuvir. It will launch the medicines for Indian patients under the brand name
Ledisof. Hetero had signed licence agreement with US-based Gilead Sciences in September, 2014 to manufacture
and market chronic hepatitis medicines. Hepatitis C is a major disease in developing countries. In India, around
12-18 million people are infected with Hepatitis C, which is many times greater than the total number of
HIV/AIDS patients.
11. 2016: UK-India Year of Education, Research & Innovation launched: India & the UK launched a joint initiative called the '2016: UK-India Year of Education, Research & Innovation to boost collaborative research work
across 10 priority areas under IMPRINT (Impacting Research Innovation & Technology) and strengthen the relationship in the education sector. The partnership between UK academicians and the Indian community & polytechnic colleges in India will be improved, courses will be developed to increase employability of students, especially in the manufacture & service sectors.
12. UNSC adopts resolution on youth, peace & security: The United Nations Security Council has approved the
first-ever resolution on youth, peace & security for higher participation of youth (aged 18-29) across the world in
the prevention of conflicts. The resolution urges member states to set up mechanisms to increase participation of
the youth in peace-building. It also focusses on protection of civilians, especially the youth, during armed conflicts. It also urges member states to increase their political, financial & technical support during and after an
armed conflict.
13. Luxembourg ratifies AoA of AIIB: Luxembourg became the 10th country to ratify Articles of Agreement
(AoA) of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). Other countries to have ratified the AoA include Australia, Austria, Brunei, Darussalam, China, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Singapore & UK. In 2014, 21 Asian
countries established th Beijing-headquartered AIIB, which has been established to finance infrastructure building in Asia.
14. UNCTAD releases Handbook of Statistics 2015: The United Nations Conference on Trade & Development
(UNCTAD) released Handbook of Statistics 2015, which will provide statistical data related to international
trade, investment & development for the year 2014. The total exports from developed economies were around
55% ($13.2 trillion) of the total global trade, while emerging economies accounted for 41% ($10 trillion). Total
global exports were pegged at $24 trillion, a 1.2% increase vis--vis 2013. International service exports were
21% of the total global exports, a 5% growth as compared to 2013. Total merchandise exports were valued at
around $19 trillion and increased by only 0.3%. The total value of export of mineral, fuel, ores, metals etc. declined sharply. The total FDI also declined by 16% vis--vis 2013.
15. UN concerned over use of torture in Chinese prisons: In its latest report, the UN Committee Against Torture,
responsible for monitoring compliance with the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, urged China to stop use of torture, prolonged detention, and ill-treatment of
lawyers. The UN committee ordered Chinese authorities to halt the crack down on social activists and lawyers. It
has given China one year to report back on the progress made in key areas of the convention. China was one of
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the six countries whose state reports were considered by the CAT. The other five include Liechtenstein, Azerbaijan, Austria, Denmark, and Jordan.
16. Myanmar opens new stock exchange: Myanmar recently inaugurated its new Yangon Stock Exchange, with
plans for six companies to start trading. Though the nation had a stock exchange during its military rule, trading
was almost non-existent there. The stock exchange, which is being set up with Japanese assistance will initially
be open only to Myanmar companies and investors, while foreign investors will eventually be allowed to invest.
17. Mauricio Macri elected as President of Argentina: After the presidential elections held in Argentina, centreright Mauricio Macri was appointed as the President. In his presidential speech Macri promised to tackle corruption, poverty and drug trafficking. His predecessor Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner boycotted the oath taking ceremony. It is the first time since 1983 a predecessor missed a successor's inauguration. Macri intends to move
away from the state-controlled economy and open up market, ease trading and currency control. He has also
promised to improve relations with the US.
18. EU to take legal action against Greece, Italy and Croatia: The European Union (EU) announced that it will
take legal action against Greece, Croatia and Italy for failing to correctly register migrants. The EU said that the
three nations failed to implement the Eurodac Regulation, which necessitates fingerprinting of asylum seekers
and registering their data within 72 hours. Further, the EU also launched an infringement case against Hungary
over its asylum legislation.
19. Canada welcomes first batch of Syrian refugees: Canada recently welcomed 25,000 refugees who escaped war
and poverty from Syria. The refugees arrived in Canada in few weeks after the announcement that Canada would
pull its fighter jets from a US-led coalition targeting Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria.
20. Pakistan test fires nuclear capable Shaheen III missile: Pakistan successfully test fired Shaheen -III missile, a
surface-to-surface medium range missile capable of carrying conventional and nuclear war-heads within the
range of 2,750kms. Pakistan had test-fired Shaheen I and Shaheen II missiles in 2014, of which Shaheen I was
capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads within a range of 900 kms and Shaheen II is capable
of carrying both nuclear and conventional warheads upto a range of 1500kms.
21. Inle Lake marked as Myanmar's first biosphere reserve: Myanmar launched its country's first biosphere reserve-Inle lake in Shan state. The lake, which is about 89,721 hectares, was given the designation under
UNESCOs Man and the Biosphere programme in Paris, France. This marked the beginning of Myanmars commitment to ecosystem conservation and bio-diversity.
22. E-commerce giant Alibaba signs deal to acquire South China Morning Post: China's largest e-commerce
firm Alibaba Group Holdings recently signed a $266 million deal to acquire the South China Morning Post and
other media assets of SCMP Group Ltd in an all-cash transfer. The Alibaba Group is headed by Chinese billionaire Jack Ma. SCMP, a 112-year-old English newspaper, cited the 'uncertain' future for traditional publishing as
the main reason for the sale and added that Alibaba would likely be able to "unlock greater value" from the business. However, some raised doubts over the editorial independence of the newspaper post the deal.

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23. Japan's SoftBank wins India's first solar power project: Japan's SoftBank recently won its first 350 MW solar
power project in Andhra Pradesh through its joint venture firm - SBG Cleantech, which bid the lowest tariff of
Rs.4.63 per unit to win the project. In November 2015, US-based SunEdison Inc. won 500 MW solar power park
in Andhra Pradesh at the same tariff rate. In June 2015, SoftBank tied up with Foxconn and Bharti Enterprises in
order to invest in India's solar energy sector, committing $20 billion.
24. German cabinet approves plans to aid Syria to fight ISIS militants: The German cabinet recently decided to
support Syria in its fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Resultantly, Germany plans to send a
Tornado reconnaissance aircraft, a naval frigate and a 1,200-strong force to the region. This mission will be the
nation's biggest military operation abroad. German forces will, however, not engage in combat.
25. Typhoon Melor strikes Philippines: Philippines was recently struck by Typhoon Melor, locally known as Typhoon Nona, which resulted in heavy rains and strong winds that left close to seven provinces of the nation without power. People from coastal regions could not reach evacuation centres due to the weather, which also resulted
in cancellation of flights.
26. UNSC adopts resolution of Syria peace plan: All 15 members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC)
unanimously agreed to draft a resolution for peace talks in Syria and a ceasefire to end the five-year long civil
war. The resolution will internationalise efforts to seek a political solution in Syria. It endorses the 17-member
International Syria Support Group as the central institution to deal with Syria's problem. It agrees to bring ceasefire between the regime & opposition in six months. It also gives the UN a leading role in working with the regime.
27. UN launches 2016 International Year of Pulses: Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh announced to
take necessary steps to improve production of pulses to reduce India's dependence on imports. These steps have
been undertaken as part of the 2016 International Year of Pulses, an initiative launched by the UN on November
10, 2015 in Rome. The theme of this year is 'Nutritious Seeds for a Sustainable Future. The objective of launching this year is to raise awareness of the varied benefits of pulses, boost their production and trade and encourage
novel and smarter uses across the food chain.
28. EU extends economic sanctions against Russia for 6 months: The 28-member European Union extended economic sanctions against Russia for six months for its involvement in the Ukraine crisis. The sanctions are on Russia's financial, energy & defence sectors and some dual-use goods. The EU extended sanctions after assessing
Russia's attachment to the Minsk peace deal in eastern Ukraine. Over 8,000 civilians were killed in this conflict
as per UN's statistics. Not only are Russian rebels flouting ceasefire agreements, as per Ukraine, even after signing the peace treaty, they have not got the control of the region from Russia. EU has also imposed visa bans and
asset freezes to target associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin and others involved in the annexation of
Crimea.
29. Philippines first the Asian country to approve Dengvaxia: Philippines became the first Asian country to approve world's first dengue vaccine Dengvaxia. This drug has been approved for prevention of all four types of the
disease in individuals in the age group of 9-45 years. Dengvaxia also got approval in Mexico on December 9,
2015. As per the Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks (COFEPRIS) Dengvaxia, developed by French firm Sanofi SA, can be administered on preadolescents, adolescents and adults. As per the World
Health Organisation (WHO), the vaccine had an average rate of effectiveness of about 60.8% in protecting
against all the four strains of dengue.
30. Zimbabwe to make Yuan legal tender: Zimbabwe has announced to adopt the Chinese Yuan as legal tender in
lieu of debt cancellation worth over $40 million. After the implementation of this new change, Yuan will be a
function of trade between China and Zimbabwe and acceptabile with customers in Zimbabwe. China is the largest investor for Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe has received more than one billion dollars in low-interest loans from China
which is its second largest trading partner after South Africa.
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31. Fortune 500 India - IOC and RIL seize top 2 spots: As per the list of Fortune 500 Indian Companies 2015,
state-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Mukesh Ambani's RIL retained first and second spots respectively
for the sixth consecutive year. The list ranks companies across sectors based on their annual revenue. While IOC
tops with an annual revenue of Rs.4,51,911 crore, RIL comes second with a revenue of Rs.3,82,565 crore. Tata
Motors secured the third spot followed by, SBI, BPCL, Hindustan Petroleum, ONGC, Tata Steel, Hindalco Industries and TCS. The international magazine's Indian edition stated that the total revenue of firms has grown
only 2.7% and profits have reduced by 5.9% as compared to 2014. However, individual companies are beating all
odds to deliver value to customers and shareholders. While the ranking is based on total revenues, other parameters like profits, net operating income, assets, etc are also considered.
32. Wipro to buy Viteos Group for $130 million: Indian IT giant Wipro is set to acquire US outsourcing firm
Viteos Group for $130 million in an all-cash deal to be finalised in March 2016. Founded in 2003, Viteos also has
presence in India, Europe, Singapore and Cayman Islands. With over 400 employees, the company will help
Wipro enhance presence in the banking and financial services sector.
33. Uber to set up its 1st engineering centre in India: Uber will set up its first engineering centre in Bengaluru to
customise solutions for the local market. Uber India will hire software engineers and products managers in Bengaluru, who will work closely with its operations and product engineering teams in San Francisco. Uber plans to
invest $1 billion in India as it aims to expand services in its second-biggest market.
34. Tech Mahindra launches NFC-based digital wallet: IT giant Tech Mahindra has launched an NFC-based (near
field communication) digital wallet called MoboMoney. The firm claims that it is India's first contactless wallet,
which works online as well as at physical stores. MoboMoney is a prepaid wallet issued in the form of an NFC
Contactless Tag, which can be used to pay through an NFC-enabled mobile phone. The money recharged into
customers' digital wallets can be used to make over-the-counter payments, recharges, as well as online payments.
35. China passes its first anti-terrorism law: Chinas National People's Congress Standing Committee approved
the Anti-Terrorism Bill, 2015, in order to tackle terror threats and help strengthen global security. It is China's
first anti-terrorism law, which will come into effect from January 2016.The law will legally back China's counterterrorism initiatives and its collaboration with the international society. However, experts have raised concerns
about violation of human rights of Chinese citizens. Other countries also spoke against the provision that requires
technology companies to submit technical information when the police/state security officials demand it for investigating or thwarting terrorist attacks. The US expressed concern that this may be used to force foreign technology companies to assist Chinese authorities in espionage.

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36. WHO declares Guinea Ebola-free: The WHO declared the Republic of Guinea
as Ebola-free, two years after the outbreak of the epidemic, due to absence of new
cases for 42 days. The country will observe a 90-day period of heightened surveillance to identify new cases before they spread to other people. Ebola killed over
2,500 Guineans, and another 9,000 in the neighbouring Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Liberia and Sierra Leone were declared Ebola free in September and November
respectively. However, Liberia has had new cases since the WHO's announcement.
37. Turkish military forces asked to withdraw fight against ISIS in Iraq: Turkish
forces were asked to withdraw as the Iraqi government asserted that the troops entered the country without its permission. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said that
in the absence of the withdrawal of these forces within 48 hours, Iraq has the right
to use all available options, including recourse to the UN Security Council. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu downplayed the engagement of troops as
"routine rotation activity" associated with that effort, and as "reinforcement
against security risks.

Important Agreements and Deals: National & International

1.

Union Cabinet approves Double Taxation Avoidance Convention (DTAC) MoU with Japan: The Union
Cabinet approved signing and ratification of protocol between India and Japan for amending the Double Taxation Avoidance Convention (DTAC). The first DTAC was signed between Japan and India in 1989 in order to
avoid double taxation and prevent fiscal evasion. This protocol will facilitate exchange of information, as per
accepted international standards on tax matters.

2.

India and Israel sign MoU in the field of water resources management: The Union Cabinet chaired by
Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the signing of a MoU between India and Israel in the field of water
resources management and development cooperation. The agreement aims to strengthen techniques for efficient use and re-use of water, desalination, aquifer recharge, micro-irrigation and in-situ water conservation
techniques, among others. India has already signed agreements in this area with countries like Australia,
Rwanda, Cambodia, Iran, Iraq, Fiji, China and Bahrain.

3.

India set to launch India Business Card for business community of SAARC countries: India recently
announced that it will launch an 'India Business Card' for the business community in all the eight SAARC nations. The card will be launched to ensure ease of business and concur with the government's Make in India
policy. Pakistan had till date hindered the issuance of the card, however, it was resolved when India renewed
ties with Pakistan.

4.

Saudi Arabia establishes a coalition of 34 countries to fight terrorism: Saudi Arabia announced the establishment of a 34-state Islamic military coalition to combat terrorism. The coalition includes Arab countries
including Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, along with Islamic countries like Turkey, Malaysia, Pakistan, among others. A joint operations centre will be based in Riyadh to coordinate and support military operations. The announcement cited "a duty to protect the Islamic nation from the evils of all terrorist groups and
organisations whatever their sect and name which wreak death and corruption on earth and aim to terrorise the
innocent.

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5.

IRCTC ties-up with Paytm to facilitate e-catering payment: Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) recently tied-up with mobile commerce platform Paytm to let passengers use the latter to pay for
e-catering services, in addition to the existing online payment and cash-on-delivery mediums. IRCTC clocks
around 5.5-6 lakh e-ticketing bookings daily. This is Paytm's second tie up with IRCTC as it initially partnered
to let IRCTC users pay for tickets booked online through Paytm.

6.

India, Russia sign 16 bilateral agreements: India and Russia signed 16 pacts in Moscow to bolster bilateral
ties after the conclusion of the 16th annual India-Russia Summit in Moscow. Deals have been signed in fields
like defence, hydrocarbon, space, investments, etc. It includes the manufacture of Russian Kamov 226 choppers in India and the joint exploration of oil assets in Russia. Further, Russia agreed to help built 12 nuclear
reactors. Modi invited Russian CEOs to invest in Indian infrastructure and aerospace sectors, stressing that
India now has favourable environment for growth and development. The countries have committed to
strengthen cultural cooperation, as part of which a festival on Russian culture will be organised in India in
2016. Russia also endorsed India's bid for a permanent UNSC seat.

7.

Reliance Defence signs pact with Russia's Almaz-Antey: Reliance Defence, the defence arm of Reliance
Infrastructure Ltd, has entered into a partnership with Russian state-owned Almaz-Antey. The two firms will
work together on air defence missile systems, (including the TOR-1M missile programme) radars and automated control systems under the Make in India initiative and offset policies. The partnership also aims at enhanced R&D cooperation, joint implementation of modernisation, repair and complete refits of Almaz-Antey
systems already in service with the Indian Armed Forces. Reliance Group also signed a deal with Russian
United Shipbuilding Company for warships.

8.

IOC, OIL sign MoU with Rosneft: The Indian Oil Corporation and Oil India Limited have signed a MoU
with Russian national oil company Rosneft. The MoU is for long-term cooperation in geologic survey, explo
ration and production of hydrocarbons in select onshore assets in the Russian Federation. As per an official
statement, the terms of the agreement will give additional impetus to the development of one of the largest oil
assets in East Siberia.

9.

CCEA approves ONGCs conversion of Rs.5000 crore loan into equity: The Cabinet Committee on Eco
nomic Affairs (CCEA) recently approved Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) converting its Rs.5000 crore loan
to subsidiary ONGC Videsh Ltd. (its overseas investment arm), into equivalent amount of equity. ONGC had
initially extended a loan of Rs.6000 crore to OVL to meet its acquisition requirements, of which Rs.5000 crore
will be converted. With this, OVL's capital base will increase to Rs.15,000 crore.

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Important News - India and the States

1. Centre launches IPV injection: The Union Government launched the injectable Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV)
as a part of its global commitment to end polio. The Union Health & Family Welfare Minister JP Nadda launched
the IPV injection in New Delhi. This launch is a part of India's inversion immunisation programme to fight polio
in the country. The first phase will be introduced in six states. They are Assam, Gujarat, Punjab, Bihar, Madhya
Pradesh & Uttar Pradesh. This injection will be given to children below one year of age with the third dose of the
Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV). Both IPV & OPV will strengthen children's immune system and will provide double
protection against polio.
2. Pranab Mukherjee gives assent to Labour Laws Bill of Gujarat: President Pranab Mukherjee recently approved the debatable Labour Laws Bill of Gujarat, which has anti-labour provisions, including the ban on strikes
in public utility services for upto a year. Also, the time limit for workers to object to industry decisions has been
reduced to one year from three years. The proposed bills of only those laws that deviate from the Centres policies are sent for the president's assent. When this bill was passed in the state assembly in February 2015, the opposition termed it "anti-labour" and "pro-private industries." However, the state government stated that this bill
was introduced to drive industrialisation and relax labour laws.
3. Himachal Pradesh first to launch Rotavirus vaccination project: Himachal Pradesh recently became the first
state to launch the rotavirus vaccination, which will also be launched in Vellore, Tamil Nadu and Pune, Maharastra. The vaccine drops will be administered to the children at six, ten and fourteen weeks after birth. Rotavirus
infects the cell line in the small intestine and causes stomach flu. It's the most common cause of severe diarrhoea
among infants and children. It accounts for about 13% deaths of children under five years of age. The International Clinical Epidemiological Network would not only provide technical assistance but also bear the total cost
of the vaccines.
4. UP hosts Indias first International Bird Festival: Uttar Pradesh hosted the first-ever International Bird Festival in order to promote the state as a global birdwatching destination. The three-day festival was held at the National Chambal Sanctuary, jointly conducted by the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department and the Federation of Indian
Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Over 80 Indian ornithologists and 25 international bird experts were invited to the event, including Tim and Carol Inskipp, Pamela Rasmussen, Tim Appleton, Per Alstrom, Bano Haralu, etc. During the event, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav also launched a book titled Birds of UP. National
Chambal Sanctuary was established as a riverine sanctuary along the Chambal River in 1979. It is famous for its
largest ghariyal (Gavealis Gangeticus) population.
5. Delhi Jan Lokpal Bill 2015 passed: Delhi Legislative Assembly recently passed the Delhi Jan Lokpal Bill 2015
unanimously in order to establish a statutory anti-corruption ombudsman. This bill empowers Lokpal to take action to curb corruption against any government functionary through its own investigation wing. Jan Lokpal will
be a three-member body including one chairperson & two members. All of them will be appointed by a selection
committee comprising the Chief Minister, Leader of Opposition & Speaker of Delhi's Legislative Assembly. Jan
Lokpal has all the rights to investigate matters in New Delhi and it can be removed only after a High Court probe
against it.
6. SC upholds law banning illiterates from contesting Panchayat polls: The Supreme Court upheld the law enacted by the Haryana government, which bars illiterate persons from contesting Panchayat polls in the state. This
decision has received mixed reactions. Most educated Indians argue that to run a panchayat or any office of responsibility, one needs intelligence which can be developed through either formal education or through exposure
to everyday ground realities. As per reports, following this judgement, around 68% of scheduled caste women
and 41% of scheduled caste men will not be eligible to contest panchayat polls.

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7. Odisha Government signs MoU with Wildlife Trust of India: In order to address the increasing number of
elephants killed by train accidents Odisha government signed a MoU with the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) to
develop a mitigation plan. The WTI will be tasked with identifying and mapping accident-prone sites and habitats
of elephants. It will also identify factors - ecological, physical and man-made- responsible for accidental deaths
of elephants. Forest and Environment minister Bijayshree Routray, on signing the MoU informed, "WTI will prepare a detailed report on mitigation plan and implement the Rs.9.9 lakh project over a period of 12 months.
8. Losoong festival celebrated to mark New Year in Sikkim: The Sikkimese New Year, Lossong, also called
Namsoong or the Sonam Losar, was recently celebrated in Sikkim. It marks the end of the harvest season. The
festival sees participation by various ethnic groups of the state, the Bhutia and Lepcha communities that converge
to welcome the New Year.
9. Varanasi and Jaipur make it to UNESCO's Creative City Network: In a first, two Indian cities Varanasi
and Jaipur have made it to UNESCO's Creative City Network. The creative city initiative was launched in 2004
and aims to strengthen cooperation with and among cities that have creativity as a strategic factor to ensure sustainable development in economic, social, cultural and environmental spheres. Varanasi was included in this network as the City of Craft whereas Jaipur was recognised as the City of Music.
10. International Financial Services Centre to come up in Mumbai: The Maharashtra government recently constituted a task force under the chairmanship of Union Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha for the establishment of an International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) in Mumbai. The IFSC is expected to come up in
Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), a prominent business location in the city. The task force comprises Lok Sabha
MP from Mumbai North Central Poonam Mahajan (deputy chairman), Maharashtra Chief Secretary Swadheen
Kshtriya, MMRDA Commissioner U P S Madan, Principal Secretary Urban Development Nitin Kareer and a representative from the government's Department of Economic Affairs.
11. India's biggest wildlife rescue centre commissioned in Nagpur: Indias biggest wildlife rescue centre was
commissioned in Nagpur and inaugurated by Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis. The centre spreads across 30
hectares in Gorewada, Nagpur. It will house sick, injured and rescued animals besides having a burial ground.
The Gir Park was the inspiration for this centre. It will be run by the Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FCDA) in collaboration with MAFSU.
12. West Bengal government to form 5 new districts: West Bengal government has approved a proposal for formation of five new districts in the state, namely Kalimpong, Sundarbans, Basirhat, Burdwan & Jhargram. This
takes the total count of districts in the state to 25.
13. Cochin Shipyard is India's first licensed shipyard to make LNG ships: Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) became the first Indian Shipyard to build LNG transporting ships for clients worldwide. Using its patented membrane containment system known as the Mark-III Technology, CSL can build LNG ships for any client. CSL has
partnered with Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI), Korea, to upgrade existing facilities and systems in the yard and
implement requisite protocols while building the LNG ships.
14. Government launches two mobile applications for farmers: The Union Agriculture Ministry has launched two
mobile apps for farmers, namely Crop Insurance and AgriMarket Mobile. The apps have been launched to mark
the birth anniversary of former Prime Ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Choudhary Charan Singh. The applications are available on the mKisan portal and Google Store and are currently available in English and Hindi. Crop
Insurance will help farmers to know about insurance cover, calculate the premium for notified crops based on the
area, coverage and loan amount, among other things. AgriMarket will provide farmers with the correct market
price of crops that are being sold within a 50 km-radius with the aim of discouraging distress sale. The app can be
used with or without mobile GPS facility.

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15. North India's first cable bridge thrown open in J&K: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar recently inaugurated north India's first cable-stayed bridge in Basohali
town in Jammu & Kashmir's Kathua district. The bridge will provide connectivity
between J&K, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. The cable bridge was inaugurated on
River Ravi and has been named 'Atal Setu' after former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
It is 592 metres long and was constructed by Border Roads Organisation
(BRO).This is the fourth cable-stayed bridge in India, the other three are in Kolkata, Allahabad and Mumbai.
16. UP Indias most affordable and safe tourist destination: According to a recent
survey by ASSOCHAM (Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India), Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the most affordable and safe destinations for
both domestic as well as foreign tourists. This is due to improved air connectivity,
proper care and management of heritage sites and pilgrimage spots. Tourist attractions such as Fatehpur Sikri, Ayodhya, Mathura-Vrindavan and Agra, among others are the new favourites. As per data, tourist spots in the state might attract about
three lakh travellers.
17. Andhra Pradesh signs MoU with Microsoft: Andhra Pradesh signed a Memorandum of Understanding with
Microsoft in December 2015, in order to increase use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT),
drive digital inclusion and improve citizen-centric services. The government will make use of Microsoft's Azure
Machine Learning and Advanced Visualisation method in education, agriculture and e-citizen services. Nadella
has also agreed to set up a Centre for Excellence in Visakhapatnam. Microsoft also reaffirmed its commitment to
support the government's initiatives for cloud adoption.
18. Supertech Ltd. ties up with top sportspersons to establish 'Sports Village: Realty firm Supertech Limited
tied up with five Indian sportspersons to open academies in 'Sports Village'-one of its upcoming housing projects
in Greater Noida. The project will have a tennis academy by Sania Mirza, cricket academy by Shikhar Dhawan,
badminton academy by Pullela Gopichand, golf academy by Jyoti Randhawa, and 'Guns of Glory' by shooter Gagan Narang. The realty firm has been allocated land under the Uttar Pradesh government's scheme to develop
sports-centric projects in the state.
19. Taxpayers with over 10 lakh annual income not eligible for subsidised LPG: In a move to curtail the supply
of subsidised cooking gas, the government has announced that taxpayers with an annual income of more than
Rs.10 lakh will not get subsidised LPG cylinders starting 2016. The government started the 'Give It Up' campaign
appealing people who can afford the market price to give up using subsidised LPG. All domestic households are
entitled to 12 cylinders of 14.2 kg each at subsidised rate of Rs.419.26, while the market price of each cylinder is
Rs.608. According to statistics, over 52 lakh consumers have reportedly stopped using subsidised LPG.

Important Schemes/ CampaignsUnion Government and State Governments

1. Govt. launches Accessible India Campaign: On the occasion of International Day of Persons with Disabilities
on December 3, 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 'Accessible India Campaign' in New Delhi. It
is also called Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan. This campaign aims to highlight the need for creating a barrier-free environment so that PwDs can easily access government buildings and public transportation, airports and railway stations, information and technology, with greater ease. It aims to create mass awareness, capacity-building, technology solutions, resource generation, etc in order to generate private sector efforts including CSR resources &
leadership endorsements.

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2. Centre to support rural entrepreneurs under MUDRA: The Union government has decided to support rural
entrepreneurs under the Micro Units Development & Refinance Agency (MUDRA). Under the Pradhan Mantri
MUDRA Yojana, which was launched in April 2015. The overall loan disbursement target was set at Rs.1.22
lakh crore. Communications & IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad asserted that enhancing rural entrepreneurship
through common services centres (CSC) is essential to make the Digital India campaign successful.
3. Andhra Pradesh becomes the first state to join UDAY Scheme: Andhra Pradesh government gave its in-principle decision to join the UDAY (Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana) scheme, which was launched to enhance the
financial and operational efficacy of power distribution companies. Minister of State for Power, Coal and New &
Renewable Energy Piyush Goyal congratulated Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu for joining UDAY.
4. Odisha government launches Anwesha scheme: Odisha government has launched Anwesha scheme to provide
free education to SC and ST students. Under this, around 5,000 SC/ST students will annually be enrolled into
Standard I across leading private schools in urban areas and the government will bear the education costs. Over 2
lakh SC/ST students will avail this scheme.
5. Scheme for integrated development and management of fisheries approved: Cabinet Committee on Economics Affairs (CCEA) has approved an umbrella scheme for integrated development and management of fisheries. It
will be implemented for a period of five years. This scheme will be implemented for management of inland fisheries, aquaculture, marine fisheries and all activities undertaken by the National Fisheries Development Board
(NFDB) towards realising Blue Revolution. This is to ensure that the aquaculture sector witnesses an annual
growth rate of 6% - 8% as against an overall annual growth rate of about 4% during the 11th Five Year Plan period.
6. Start-Up India campaign to be launched in January 2016: In the latest edition of 'Mann Ki Baat', PM Narendra Modi announced that the 'Start-Up India, Stand Up India' campaign will be formally launched in January
2016. Stressing on innovation, the PM stated that the campaign will not be limited to the IT or digital sector but
will focus on holistically benefitting the youth from the lowest strata of society. The aim will be to bring in opportunities across manufacturing, service or agriculture sector. The programme also aims to provide bank financing for start-ups and offer incentives to bolster entrepreneurship and job creation. Premier institutes like the IITs,
NITs, IIMs and Central Universities will be connected online during the campaign's launch.
7. Ministry of Women and Child Development launches e-office: The Union Ministry of Women and Child
Development (WCD) launched the e- office, an initiative to provide efficient services to people by digitising over
12,000 files. Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi launched the 'e-office' to increase
efficiency, transparency and accountability. Various modules of this e-office are Knowledge Management System, File Management System, Leave Management System and Tour Management System.

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Sports News
Tennis
1. Tommy Sugiarto wins the men's singles title at the Indonesia Masters Grand
Prix Gold: The Indonesian shuttler Tommy Sugiarto defeated Indian player Kidambi Srikanth to win the men's singles title at the Indonesia Masters Grand Prix
Gold. Sugiatro prevailed over Srikanth 17-21, 21-13, 24-22. In 2015, Srikanth entered four final series and won two events, namely the Indian Open Superseries and
Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold.
2. BWF best player awards conferred on Carolina Marin & Chen Long: Spaniard
Carolina Marin recently won the Badminton World Federation's (BWF) Female
Player of the Year' award. Carolina Marin is currently the world number one as per
BWF's latest rankings. Chen Long, a two-time world champion & two-time All-England Champion has retained the Male Player of the Year award he bagged in 2014.
At the award ceremony that was held in Dubai, Eddy Choong Award for the Most
Promising Player of the Year was received by world junior champion in mixed doubles & men's doubles Zheng Si Wei. For the first time ever, BWF has honoured
para-badminton players with year-end awards. Lee Sam Seop (Korea) & Helle Sofie
Sagoy won the Male & Female Para-Badminton Player of the Year awards respectively.
3. Saina defeats Carolina Marin at the BWF Badminton Superseries finals: Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal defeated world champion Carolina Marin at the BWF Badminton Superseries finals in Dubai. In a match that lasted
an hour and 15 minutes, Saina achieved a 23-21, 9-21, 21-12 win over Marin.
4. Rafael Nadal wins the Indian leg of the International Premier Tennis League: In December 2015, in the Indian leg of the International Premier Tennis League, which was held at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium. Rafael Nadal defeated Roger Federer 6-5 in a shoot-out. Further, Nadal-led defending champions Indian
Aces maintained their winning streak by scoring 30-19 over Federer's UAE Royals.
5. Andy Murray is 2015 BBC Sports Personality of the Year: Legendary Scottish tennis player Andy Murray
won the 2015 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. He was chosen for the honour after receiving highest
public votes for his performance in 2015. This is the second time he has been honoured with the title; first in
2013. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) annually presents this award to either British sportspersons or
reside and play a significant amount of their sport in the UK. The award was established by Paul Fox in 1954.
6. International Tennis Federation announces 2015 World Champions: International Tennis Federation (ITF)
has released names of 2015 world champions considering the performances of tennis players in the 2015 season.
The awards are as follows* Mens World Champion - Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
* Womens World Champion - Serena Williams (the USA)
* Mens Doubles World Champions - Jean-Julien Rojer (Netherlands) & Horia Tecau (Romania)
* Womens Doubles World Champions - Martina Hingis (Switzerland) & Sania Mirza (India)
* ITF Junior World Champions - Dalma Galfi (Hungary) & Taylor Fritz (the USA)
* ITF Wheelchair World Champions - Jiske Griffioen (Netherlands) & Shingo Kunieda (Japan)

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Cricket
1. IPL gets two new teams from Pune and Rajkot: Two new teams from Pune and Rajkot became part of the Indian Premier League (IPL), replacing the suspended teams Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals for the
next two years. The Pune franchise was bought by Kolkata-based business tycoon Sanjiv Goenka and the Rajkot
bid was won by Intex Mobiles. While Goenka will shell out Rs.10 crore annually to the BCCI, Intex Mobiles will
pay Rs.16 crore for the two-year deal.
2. Winners of 2015 ICC awards announced: The International Council of Cricket (ICC) announced the winners of
the 2015 ICC awards. The awards have been decided based on the performance of individuals and teams, both
men and women, between September 18, 2014 and September 13, 2015.
* Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Cricketer of the Year and Test Cricketer of the Year: Steve Smith (Australia)
* ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year: AB de Villiers (South Africa)
* ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year: Meg Lanning (Australia)
* ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year: Josh Hazlewood (Australia)
* ICC Associate and Affiliate Cricketer of the Year: Khurram Khan (UAE)
* ICC Twenty20 International Performance of the Year: Faf du Plessis (South Africa)
* ICC Women's T20I Cricketer of the Year: Stafanie Taylor (West Indies)
* David Shepherd Trophy for ICC Umpire of the Year: Richard Kettleborough
* ICC Spirit of Cricket Award: Brendon McCullum (New Zealand)
Football
1. FIFA announces World Rankings: In FIFA's end-of-the-year standings Belgium retained its top position, which
the team bagged in November 2015. Argentina, Spain and Germany were ranked second, third and fourth respectively. After losing five consecutive qualifying matches for the 2018 World Cup, India was earlier placed in the
172th spot. However, in this list India jumped up six places to 166th rank.
2. FC Barcelona wins the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup: FC Barcelona won the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup by
defeating Argentina's River Plate 3-0. The final match was held at the International Stadium in Yokohoma, Japan.
By scoring a goal in the final match, Lionel Messi became the first player to score in three finals after leading
Barcelona to victory in 2009 and 2011. Uruguay's Luis Suarez received the Player of the Match award and the
Golden Boot.
3. Globe Soccer Awards 2015 announced: The Globe Soccer Awards 2015 were conferred in Dubai. It was instituted by BC Bendoni Consulting and is the first and only award ceremony for the Best Club Director and the Best
Agent of the Year. Following are the winners across different categoriesAward

Winner

Best Player of the Year

Best President of the Year

Josep Maria Bartomeu

Best Club of the Year

F.C. Barcelona

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Lionel Messi

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Best Media Attraction in Football

F.C. Barcelona

Best Coach of the Year

Marc Wilmots

* Best Agent of the Year

Jorge Mendes

* Best Referee of the Year

Ravshan Irmatov

* Best Academy of the Year

Benfica

Hockey
1. India bags bronze at the Hockey World League Final: India thrashed defending champions Netherlands in a
penalty shoot-out to win a bronze medal in the Hockey World League Final. The Indian team prevailed over the
Dutch 3-2 (5-5) in the shoot-out. This is the first time in 33 years that India has won a medal in an international
tournament, the last was in 1982 when they defeated Pakistan in the Champions Trophy in Amsterdam.
Other Sports
1. Vijay Kumar bags gold at the 59th National Shooting Championship in New Delhi: At the 59th National
Shooting Championship in New Delhi, Olympic medalist Vijay Kumar bagged a gold medal in the men's 25-metre centre fire pistol category. Vijay is yet to secure a quota in the Rio Olympics, however, this performance gives
him a much-needed boost before the final Olympic qualifying event begins in January 2016. Gurpreet Singh of
the Army won the silver and national rapid fire pistol champion Pemba Tamang bagged the bronze medal.
2. Rory Mcllroy bags the European Tour Golfer of the Year award: Rory Mcllroy, the 26-year-old golfer from
Northern Ireland, recently lifted the European Tour Golfer of the Year award. In 2015, the world number three
secured three victories, including the Dubai Desert Classic, WGC-Cadillac Match Play in May and the World
Tour Championship in November. With his victory in the latter, McIlroy won the Race to Dubai title for a third
time in four years.
3. Anirban Lahiri awarded the 2015 Asian Tour's Order of Merit crown: Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri was
awarded the 2015 Asian Tour's Order of Merit crown. With this, Lahiri becomes the fourth Indian to win this
honour, others being Jeev Milkha Singh (2006, 2008), Arjun Atwal (2003) and Jyoti Randhawa (2002). Lahiri
won the Maybank Malaysian Open and Hero Indian Open within just three weeks in February 2015 and went on
to record five other top-10s around the world. Another achievement was when he finished fifth at the PGA
Championship and became known as the best Indian finisher at a major championship.
4. Apurvi Chandela clinches gold at the 59th National Shooting Championship: In the 59th National Shooting
Championship, Apurvi Chandela clinched a gold medal in the women's air rifle event, while Geetakshi Dixit and
Anjum Moudgil bagged silver and bronze medals respectively. In the men's rifle 3-position event, Chain Singh
bagged gold while Gagan Narang and Swapnil Kusale won silver and bronze medals respectively.

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Important Days of the Month

Day

Event

1. December 2

International Day for the Abolition of Slavery

2. December 3

International Day for the Abolition of Persons with

Disability

3. December 4

44th Indian Navy Day

4. December 5

International Volunteer Day

5. December 9

International Anti-corruption Day

6. December 10

Human Rights Day

7. December 14

National Energy Conservation Day

8. December 18

International Migrants Day

9. December 22

National Mathematics Day

10. December 24

National Consumer Rights Day

11. December 25

Good Governance Day

ALL THE BEST!

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