NATIONAL NEWS

Delhi Government Launched Motor Vehicle Aggregator Scheme

· Delhi Government has introduced the Delhi Motor Vehicle Aggregator and Delivery Service Provider Scheme.

· The scheme mandates a complete transition to electric vehicles (EVs) for all cab aggregators and delivery service providers by 2030.

· The policy applies to all aggregators offering passenger transport services in Delhi.

· It also includes those engaged in delivery services, including e-commerce vehicles.·

· Interested parties must register with the government within 90 days from the date of notification.

· The licence will be valid for 5 years.

· Violations of the policy will result in fines, with a penalty of ₹5,000 for each instance.

· Multiple violations may incur fines of up to ₹100,000 per instance.

Tamil Nadu Government to Setup Footwear Park

· The Tamil Nadu (TN) government has planned to set up a footwear manufacturing park at an outlay of Rs 400 crore on a 250-acre land.

· The industrial project would generate 20,000 new jobs in Ranipet district.

· Chief Minister Stalin announced this after virtually inaugurating a footwear manufacturing facility set up at an investment of Rs 400 crore by JR One Footwear Pvt Ltd at Eraiyur in Perambalur district, about 250-km south of Chennai.

· Through public-private partnerships, Stalin stated that the government also planned to set up industrial parks on 50-acre land for the leather and footwear industries in TamilNadu.

Ministry of Tourism Launches National Best Tourism Village

· Ministry of Tourism has launched National Best Tourism Village Competition 2024 and the National Best Rural Homestay Competition 2024 to strengthen the promotion and development of Rural Tourism in the country.

· The earlier version of the National Best Tourism Village Competition 2023 recognized 35 villages all over India in the Gold, Silver and Bronze categories.

· For the enhancement of Rural Tourism in India the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India launched the comprehensive National Strategy and Roadmap for the Development of Rural Tourism in India, along with the National Strategy for the Promotion of Rural Homestays.

· The Ministry has initiated the implementation of the National strategies in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management.

· The competition was launched on World Tourism Day and the applications for the competitions are open from 15 November to 31 December, 2023.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India joins Executive Committee of Codex Alimentarius Commission

· India has been unanimously elected as a member representing Asian region in the Executive Committee of Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) during its 46th meeting being held at FAO Headquarters at Rome.

· Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), is the food safety and quality standard-setting body created by the UN.

· Executive Committee is an important arm of the CAC and the member countries have a considerable interest in getting its membership.

· India would not only get an opportunity to contribute substantially in the International standard setting process for different food product categories but will also be involved in the decision making process.

· The Executive Committee comprises of the Chair, three vice Chairs, six regional coordinators and seven elected representatives from the various geographical regions of Codex.

· India had proposed for setting up the global standards for millets under the Additional Agendas category on the first day of the CAC meeting.

Pakistan Secures Vice Chair Post at UNESCO

· Pakistan secured a significant victory over India in the UNESCO executive board election for the post of vice-chair.

· The Pakistani candidate received 38 votes, while the Indian candidate received only 18.

· Pakistan’s victory of being elected as vice chair of the UNESCO Executive Board for 2023-2025 from the Asia Pacific Group, is being seen as a major setback for Indian diplomats in the UN.

· The elected Pakistani vice chair expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support from the executive board members and all UNESCO member states.

 

BANKING

Amazon Pay Introduces Video KYC Service in Sign Language

· Amazon Pay has launched a video sign language Know Your Customer (KYC) service for hearing and speech impaired customers, which involves communication through sign languages, a pioneering initiative in the digital payments sector in India.

· The company has rolled out the initiative that enables two-way video communication in sign-language between Amazon Pay employees and customers.

· The goal is to make the KYC process effortless for those who rely on sign language, and making digital payments more inclusive.

· The initiative aligns with Amazon’s commitment to Digital Bharat, ensuring that its services are inclusive and accessible to all, in line with the broader vision for a digitally empowered India.

· Amazon Pay has provided Indian sign language training to over 120 employees to provide video-based KYC services to customers across India.

· The interactive training module, focused on equipping employees with the ability to effectively communicate with hearing and speech-impaired customers, is developed by the in-house team.

 

SPORTS

3rd ITF Title by Winning Kalaburagi Open Tennis 2023

· India's Ramkumar Ramanathan won his third ITF title by defeating Austria's David Pichler in straight sets in a one-sided men's singles final at the Kalaburagi Open tennis tournament.

· Ramkumar, who won the ITF Mumbai Open title in early December 2023, defeated Pichler 6-2, 6-1 in just 64 minutes to clinch his third ITF title.

· Ramkumar, who was a member of the Indian Davis Cup team, received a check of US $ 3200 and 25 ATP points for this victory.

 

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

India set to Launch its First X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite

· India is preparing to launch its inaugural X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

· XPoSat is designed to investigate the polarization of intense X-Ray sources through space-based X-Ray astronomy.

· The spacecraft is designated for observation from a Low Earth Orbit (650 km altitude, low inclination of approximately 6 degrees).

· Two scientific payloads onboard will observe X-Ray sources during the spacecraft's transit through Earth's shadow (eclipse period).

· The mission life is expected to be approximately 5 years.

· The POLIX payload was developed by the Raman Research Institute (RRI), Bengaluru, with support from various ISRO centers.

 

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Volunteer Day

· International Volunteer Day  is observed every year on 05 December.

· The theme for the year 2023 is "If everyone did..."

· Volunteerism started in Europe to support elderly people within the community by carrying out Church-related work and helping the poor.

· Organized Volunteering was started in the 18th Century and mainly to carry out military services rather than give back to society.

· Organizations like the Red Cross, Lions Club, Rotary Club, and the Y.M.C.A. started collecting donations, mobilizing volunteers, and doing charity work and community service.

· In 1985, the United Nations Volunteers Programme coordinated International Volunteer Day on December 5.

World Soil Day

· World Soil Day is observed on 05 December.

· It’s the source of food, medicine, and naturally filters water through its layers and making it pure water to drink.

· In 2002, the International Union of Soil Sciences recommended creating an international day to celebrate and generate awareness about soil.

· The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United States supported the formal establishment of World Soil Day

· In 2014, the U.N. General Assembly designated December 5 as the first official World Soil Day at the 68th UN General Assembly.

 

OBITUTARY

American Diplomat and Nobel Winner Henry Kissinger

· American diplomat and Nobel winner Henry Kissinger passed away at the age of 100 years.

· He was a German-born American diplomat, political scientist, geopolitical consultant, and politician.

· He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, and, after the war, was educated at Harvard University, where he became a professor of government and earned an international reputation as an expert on nuclear weapons and foreign policy.

· He served as United States secretary of state and national security advisor in the presidential administrations of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford between 1969 and 1977.

· On January 13, 1977, Kissinger received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Gerald Ford.