NATIONAL NEWS
Rs 1 lakh 60 thousand crore transferred to farmers directly under PM- KISAN scheme, informs Union Agriculture MinisterUnion Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has informed that one lakh 60 thousand crore rupees has been transferred to the farmers in their bank accounts directly under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme so far.
- In reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Mr Tomar said that the amount has been transferred to the 11 crore 50 lakh eligible beneficiaries covered under the scheme.
- The Agriculture Minister informed the House that as per data there are 12 crore 50 lakh farmers in the country out of which 11 crore 50 lakh are registered to get the benefits of the scheme.
Minister of State for Communications, Devusinh Chauhan released a commemorative postage stamp on the Mahindra group to mark 75 years of the company.
- Chauhan urged the group to collaborate with the postal department to improve the delivery of social services in rural areas.
The union housing & urban affairs ministry has extended the timeline for the implementation of the Smart Cities Mission to June 2023 due to the Covid pandemic and other reasons.
- According to an earlier deadline, the cities were expected to complete their projects within five years of being selected under the Smart Cities Mission.
- The official said all the 100 smart cities selected under the mission will now have to complete their projects by June 2023.
- One hundred smart cities had been selected through four rounds of competition from January 2016 to June 2018. The ministry had launched the Smart Cities Mission on 25 June, 2015.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov arrives in New Delhi for his official visit.
- He is scheduled to meet external affairs minister S Jaishankar Later in the day, the two ministers will address a joint press conference.
- According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the visit will be a unique opportunity to discuss important aspects of bilateral ties, also to review preparations for the next India Russia annual summit and also perhaps discuss regional and international issues of mutual interest.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said that the government's aim is to achieve the defence export target of 35,000 crore rupees by 2024-25.
- Mr Singh said, promoting Indian exports is the topmost priority of the Government. He said, India should become a net exporter instead of a net importer.
- Mr Singh said, Defence Ministry has approved a central sector scheme for iDEX with a 500 crore rupees budget for the next five years from 2021-22 to 2025-26, which will provide financial aid to 300 start-ups, MSMEs and individual innovators and 20 partner incubators.
The government has set a target to open about ten thousand five hundred Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendras (PMBJK’s), by March 2025 across the country.
- In a written reply in Lok Sabha, Chemical and Fertilizers Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya said, about eight thousand 533 PMBJKs are functioning till 28th of last month. It covers all districts in the States and Union Territories of the country.
- The Minister said, the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Bureau of India, the implementing agency of PMBJP makes regular efforts for making all the drugs of its product basket available to the consumers.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
EAM S Jaishankar addresses 5th Indian Ocean Conference in Abu DhabiExternal Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has stressed on the importance of respecting and facilitating freedom of navigation and overflight and unimpeded commerce in a globalised world. He said this while addressing the fifth Indian Ocean Conference in Abu Dhabi,UAE.
- The theme of the Indian Ocean Conference 2021 is "Indian Ocean: Ecology, Economy, Epidemic". Over two days, senior leaders from Indian Ocean littoral countries will cover the issues related to the region in the pre-conference workshops and plenary sessions, the India Foundation said.
- The conferences is being organised in collaboration with the RSIS Singapore, Institute of National Security Studies, Sri Lanka, and the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research, UAE.
BANKING & FINANCE
KreditBee partners with Mswipe to offer ‘cardless EMI’ at retail storesFintech lending platform KreditBee announced its partnership with Mswipe to offer fully digital ‘cardless EMI’ at leading retail stores. Through this partnership, KreditBee aims to expand its offline presence and enable purchases of more than ₹5 crore per month.
- Under ‘cardless EMI’, KreditBee will provide ‘pay later’ options for purchases of up to ₹100,000, which can be converted into EMI ranging from 3 to 12 months. Customers can shop at over two lakh merchant stores associated with Mswipe.
- Additionally, KreditBee aims to partner with over five lakh retail stores across India by the end of financial year 2022.
Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company Ltd has launched India’s first exchange-traded fund (ETF) based on the Nifty Alpha 50 Index, which tracks the performance of 50 stocks with high alphas in the past one year.
- Alpha, also referred to as ‘excess return’, is a term that measures the return earned by a stock above or below demanded by market for its risk class.
- The new fund offer for the Kotak Nifty Alpha 50 ETF will remain open for subscription till 15 December.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
Gujarat overtakes Maharashtra to become India's leading manufacturing hubGujarat has pipped Maharashtra to emerge the largest manufacturing hub in the country, with the former’s Gross Value Addition (GVA) in manufacturing growing 15.9 per cent annually on average between FY12 and FY20 to touch Rs 5.11 lakh crore, according to the data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
- Maharashtra’s annual growth rate during the period was 7.5 per cent per annum, taking the state’s total manufacturing GVA to Rs 4.34 lakh crore in FY20. It continues to lead as the nation’s biggest services hub.
- The worst performers among states, which were already among the top 10 manufacturing ones during the period, were Rajasthan, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, with average annual growth rates of 3.8 per cent, 5.5 per cent and 6.9 per cent, respectively.
- Tamil Nadu, UP and West Bengal were third, fourth and fifth largest service economies in FY20.
SPORTS
New Zealand's Ajaz Patel creates history; Becomes 3rd bowler in Test cricket to claim all 10 wickets in an inningsIn the 2nd Test between India and New Zealand, left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel created history by taking all 10 wickets in an innings and became the third bowler after Jim Laker and Anil Kumble to achieve the feat.
- He dismissed all 10 Indian batsmen in the first innings at the Wankhede Stadium. Patel finished with figures of 10/119 as India were bowled out for 325.
India's Ananya Bansal won the country's first silver medal in shotput in the F-20 category at the Asia Youth Paralympic Games in Manama, Bahrain.
- Ananya Bansal is an athlete with an intellectual impairment. Deepa Malik, the President of the Paralympic Committee of India lauded Ananya for her performance in the showpiece event.
APPOINTMENTS
Kinara Capital appoints Ravindra Jadeja as brand ambassadorKinara Capital, an innovative fast-growing fintech serving India's MSMEs, today announced that it has signed the Indian cricket team's shining star, Ravindra Jadeja, as its official brand ambassador on the occasion of the company's 10th anniversary.
- With this partnership, Kinara aims to boost its outreach in financing the MSME sector in the country. With a current AUM of INR 1000 crores, Kinara Capital plans to grow 500 per cent by the year 2025.
AWARDS
ESAF Bank Gets Recognition in Global SME Finance Awards 2021Kerala based ESAF Small Finance Bank Limited has received an Honorable mention in the constituted by the US-based SME Finance Forum. ESAF Small Finance Bank has received an Honorable mention in the Best Bank for Women Entrepreneurs category.
- The Global SME Finance Awards 2021 recognise financial institutions and fintech companies for their outstanding achievements in delivering exceptional services to small and medium enterprises.
Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen and Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Tai Tzu Ying were named the Badminton World Federation's (BWF) Male and Female Player of the Year respectively in recognition of their stellar runs this season.
- It was the first season-ending award in this category for both Axelsen and Tai Tzu Ying -- the All England champions of 2020.
In double joy for India, a project on holistic urban revitalisation of the historic Nizamuddin Basti community in Delhi, has brought laurels for the country in two categories in this year's UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.
- The project has won the prestigious Award of Excellence, and another award in the Special Recognition for Sustainable Development category, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) said.
- Nine projects from six countries Bangladesh, China, India, Japan, Malaysia, and Thailand have been honoured by a jury of heritage experts. Jurors met online in November to review a total of 39 entries from 12 countries across the Asia-Pacific, UNESCO Bangkok said.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Union Minister Giriraj Singh inaugurates National Generic Document Registration System and Banadhikar mobile app in TripuraIn Tripura, Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Giriraj Singh along with Minister of State Faggan Singh Kulaste inaugurated the National Generic Document Registration System and Banadhikar mobile application through virtual mode.
- On the occasion, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb said, through these new schemes, each and every plot in the state will get a unique ID and the registration process will become very easy.
- People will get a single stop centre for all their queries and the whole land registration system will be made online with zero space for corrupt practices.
ENVIRONMENT
Cyclone Jawad: IMD predicts 'very heavy' rains in 3 statesThe India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Cyclone Jawad will further weaken to depression from deep depression.
- It is likely to reach Odisha coast near Puri. Some districts in Odisha and West Bengal are likely to witness heavy to very heavy rainfall.
OBITUARIES
Pulitzer-Winning American Scholar Martin J Sherwin passes awayMartin J Sherwin, a leading scholar of atomic weapons who in A World Destroyed challenged support for the U.S. bombing of Japan and spent more than two decades researching the pioneering physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer for the Pulitzer Prize-winning American Prometheus has died. He was 84.
- He was best known for American Prometheus published in 2005 and winner of the Pulitzer for biography.
- Sherwin was also a popular teacher and lecturer who taught at Princeton University, George Mason University and for much of his career, Tufts University, where he founded the Nuclear Age History Center.
Former Governor of Tamil Nadu and former Chief Minister of the unified State of Andhra Pradesh Konijeti Rosaiah passed away in Hyderabad after a brief illness.
- He served as the 15th chief minister of Andhra Pradesh from 2009 to 2010. Rosaiah became Chief Minister on September 3, 2009, following the death of incumbent Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.
- He was first time elected as MLC to AP Legislative Council in 1968.Rosaiah also served as the Governor of Karnataka for two months and the Governor of Tamil Nadu from 2011 to 2016. He was previously a Congress MLC, MLA and MP numerous times and handled many ministerial posts over his long political career spanning over half a century.
Veteran journalist Vinod Dua passed away. He was 67.
- Vinod Dua, one of the pioneers in Hindi broadcast journalism, worked with Doordarshan to present youth programme Yuva Manch in the mid-'70s and later with several other television news channels. He was awarded Padma Shri in 2008.
IMPORTANT DAYS
World Soil DayWorld Soil Day is observed every year on December 5 to raise awareness of the importance of soil to the sustenance of life on earth.
- The theme for World Soil Day 2021 is “Halt soil salinization, enhance soil production”.
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