Current Affairs - December 7, 2019 Current Affairs

Investor Education & Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) signs MOU with Bank of Baroda for information dissemination and reaching out to investors and stakeholders. The exercise aims to help various investors who often fall prey to tempting offers for investments and Ponzi schemes. The MoU will spread customer awareness and investor education by strengthening ties with IEPFA.

Punjab State government partnered with the World Economic Forum (WEF) to design a Public-Private pilot on shared, clean and electric mobility. The move aims to combat the growing problem of environmental pollution in the state. The state is preparing its own EV policy to support the adoption of e-vehicles.

Centre has introduced Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a subject in class IX from the session 2019-20 in the schools affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Centre has also launched a twelve hours Inspire module in which schools can take up with the students of class VIII.

The 3rd edition of National Public Procurement Conclave began held in New Delhi on December 5. The two-day conclave is organized by Government e-Marketplace (GeM) in association with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) signed an MoU with Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) on 5 December 2019. The MoU will be effective for five years' duration. MoU The MoU was aimed to cooperate, collaborate and pursue industrial application-oriented research programmes and its commercialization on a large scale.

Union Minister for Food Processing Harsimrat Kaur Badal inaugurated Steel Silo based Avantee Mega Food Park in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh. This is the first food park of central India. It is spread over 51 acres and has been constructed at a cost of about Rs.150 crore.

A report by Lancet Global Health said India recorded the highest estimated number of cervical cancer deaths in 2018. The report titles Estimates of incidence and mortality of cervical cancer in 2018: a worldwide analysis said that the global cervical cancer cases reported in India and China together contributed 35% of the global cases in 2018.

In 1996 the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed that 7 December was to be the International Civil Aviation Day. The day has been celebrated by the International Civil Aviation Organization since 7 December 1994, the 50th anniversary of the signing the Convention on International Civil Aviation.

HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company launched "myhealth Woman Suraksha policy" to address all health-related concerns. The policy has been designed to cover women against numerous illnesses and contingencies they may face during their lifetime. The policies aim to provide financial aid in case of medical contingencies.

India was the 5th most affected country due to climate change in 2018, as per the Global Climate Risk Index 2020. India was severely affected during the monsoon season, particularly Kerala which saw the worst floods in 2018.

Masatsugu Asakawa has been elected as the President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) by the Bank's Board of Governors. Mr. Asakawa is currently serving as the Special Advisor to Japan's Prime Minister and Minister of Finance. He will be assuming the office on 17 January 2020.

The Joint tri service exercise between India and Russia, INDRA 2019 is to be held between December 10-19, 2019 in Pune and Goa. The event is planned for 10 days between army, naval and air force forces of both the countries.The exercise is to be held in Pune and Goa simultaneously.

The 14 million litres per day (MLD) Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) Sarai in Haridwar, Uttarakhand started its functioning on 5 December 2019. The plant was completed before its scheduled timeline. It was inaugurated by their Majesties, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden. The Sarai 14 MLD Sewage Treatment Plant is the first STP that was completed under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) based Public-Private Partnership Model.

On December 4, 2019, the Cabinet approved the launch of Bharat Bond Exchange Traded Fund (BBETF) in order to allow the investors to buy government debts. The fund will allow easy and low-cost access with the smallest amount of Rs 1000.

International Volunteer Day is observed on 5 December every year. The day provides a unique chance for volunteers and organizations to celebrate their efforts, to share their values.

The Home Ministry has sanctioned Rs 100 crore from the Nirbhaya fund to set up women help desks in police stations across the country. A home ministry statement said the women help desks would focus on making police stations more women-friendly and approachable, as they would be the first and single point of contact for any woman walking into a police station.

Software major Wipro Ltd on December 5 announced the launch of its cyber defence centre in Melbourne, Australia. The Indian IT giant also has plans to come up with more such centres in other cities in Australia, which will offer resilience and digital protection to large government organizations.

Cipla Foundation has introduced a mobile science lab (MSL) under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) with its Agastya International Foundation. It implemented the Agastya International Foundation. It aims to provide quality education to the students in Sikkim.

National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), in collaboration with the Government of Karnataka, organized a two-day national workshop titled on Preparedness, Mitigation, and Management of Heat Wave in Bangalore, Karnataka. Events: The workshop is conducted to emphasize the importance of Climate Change that has led to the rise of average summer temperature by 0.5 deg C in the past five years.

The President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind presented the National Florence Nightingale Awards to nursing personnel in New Delhi on 5 December 2019. The event will be held from 5-6 December 2019. The nurses play a vital role in delivering quality and cost-effective healthcare, addressing multiple health challenges and responding to the health needs of individuals, families, and communities. The nurses are a symbol of seva, karuna, and shushrusha.