NATIONAL

India test Fires nuclear capable missile

• The Defence and Research Organisation has successfully test fired the new generation nuclear capable ballistic missile ‘Agni P’.
• The test was conducted from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam island off the coast of Odisha.
• Various telemetry, radar, electro-optical stations and down range ships positioned along the eastern coast tracked and monitored the missile trajectory and parameters.

About Agni P missile-

1. The Agni P is a two-stage canisterised solid propellant ballistic missile with dual redundant navigation and guidance system.
2. It is capable of traveling at a range of 1000-2000 km.
3. It was developed under Integrated Guided Missile development programme(IGMDP).

DRDO conducted demo of Controlled Aerial Delivery System

• Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE) has conducted a flight demonstration of Controlled Aerial Delivery System of 500 kg capacity (CADS-500) at Agra.
• System performance was demonstrated at Drop Zone at Malpura in Agra from an altitude of 5000m., The demo was organized as a part of celebrating Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav
• The CADS-500 is used for precise delivery of payload upto 500 kgs at predetermined location by making use of manoeuvrable capabilities of Ram Air Parachute.
• It uses Global Positioning System for the coordinates, altitude and heading sensors for the heading information during its flight.
• The CADS, with its onboard electronics unit, autonomously steers its flight path using waypoint navigation towards target location by operating controls.\

Villages declared as Sampoorna Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana

• The Ministry of state for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary has informed that the Sukanya Samriddhi Account (SSA) Scheme is being given due audio, video electronic and print media publicity.
• Campaigns to open accounts are also launched from time to time for information of the public by Department of Posts (DoP).
• As of now a total of 19,535 villages are declared as "Sampoorna Sukanya Gram".
• Sampoorna Sukanya Gram Campaign - To ensure the reach of SSA till last mile, a "Sampoorna Sukanya Gram Campaign" was launched during June 2019.
• In this campaign atleast 5 villages to be enmarking Sampoorna Sukanya Village (Gram).
• It covers opening of Sukanya Samriddhi Account for all eligible girl child in that village.

Mormugao begins its first sail

• Indian Navy’s Second indigenous stealth destroyer of the P15B class performed her first sea Sortie on the occasion of Goa’s Liberation day.
• It is built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDSL), and the ship is named after the port town in Goa.
• The Mormugao was launched in September 2016, and is planned to be commissioned by mid 2022.
• The ship incorporates several niche indigenous technologies and is a shining example of Atma Nirbhar Bharat. She has provided thrust and impetus to the 'Make in India' initiative and will add significantly to the Indian Navy’s combat capabilities.

India’s Biggest drone festival

• As a part of Amrit Mahotsav India’s biggest drone show was conducted in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, which displayed a series of events happened during the first war of Independence 1857.
• The big drone show took place at the Residency, which witnessed the first revolution of 1857 in Lucknow. More than 500 drones took part in this show.
• All programs under AKAM are guided by a whole of government approach that brings together multiple stakeholders within and outside the Government, working towards a common goal.

PM lays foundation to Ganga expressway

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid foundation stone of Ganga expressway in Shajahanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
• The 594 Km long six-lane Expressway will be built at a cost of over Rs 36,200 crore.
• The Expressway begins from Bijauli village in Meerut, and will extend till Judapur Dandu village in Prayagraj.
• It will pass through Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Amroha, Sambhal, Budaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, RaeBareli, Pratapgarh and Prayagraj.
• A 3.5 Km long air strip for assisting emergency take off and landing of Air Force planes will also be constructed on the Expressway in Shahjahanpur.
• An industrial corridor is also proposed to be built along the Expressway
• After its construction, it will become the longest Highway thata connects western and eastern UP.

Indian Coast Guard launches new website

• The Indian Coastal Guard has launched a new recruitment website to ensure computer-based screening examination and automation of selection process. (https://joinindiancoastguard.cdac.in),
• The website has been designed by C-DAC, Pune
• The digital recruitment process will cover around 100 cities spread throughout the country and would be conducted twice a year ensuring far wider reach, talent and also provide an unprecedented opportunity to the individuals aspiring to serve the Nation.
• The website will include features such as online filling of application, generation of personal login facility, details of CG training procedures and job profiles, pay & allowances with facilities in ICG along with notification about various processes of the recruitment procedures from time to time.

Government launches Good Governance week.

• Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh is set to inaugurate Good Governance Week, planned to commence from 20-25th December.
• It is observed as a part of Azadi  Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations.
• A Nationwide campaign for Redressal of Public Grievances and Improving Service Delivery will be held in all Districts, States, and Union Territories.
• The theme of Good Governance Week is given as  'Prashasan Gaon Ki Aur'.
• During the week-long event, more than 700 Districts Collectors will visit Tehsil and Panchayat Samiti Headquarters to provide timely grievance redressal and improve service deliver.
• The Minister will also inaugurate the Exhibition on Good Governance Practices.

INTERNATIONAL

New youngest President for Chile

• Gabriel Boric was elected as the new President of Chile, after winning the Presidential runoff election.
• Leftist party, Gabriel Boric won with 55.87% of the vote out of the 99.95% ballot counted, securing victory over his right-wing opponent, Jose Antonio Kast.
• The new President is 35 years old, thus becoming the youngest president of Chile and will be sworn in as President by March 2022.

Additional Fact-

Chile Capital-Santiago

Chile’s president- Sebastian Pinera

New Brexit Negotiator for Britain

• British Prime Minister Boris Johnson appointed Foreign Minister Liz Truss as the new negotiator for Brexit.
• She was appointed as the negotiator after the resignation of former negotiator David Frost.
• Liz Truss has been provided with ministerial responsibility with EU and will lead negotiations to problems araising from Brexit agreement covering trade with Northern Ireland.

BANKING, FINANCE AND ECONOMICS

India Signs loan for skill universities in Assam

• The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $112 million loan to set up a skill university in Assam, that will strengthen industry-aligned and flexible skills education and training system in the state.
• Ministry of Finance, signed for Government of India the agreement for the Assam Skill University (ASU) Project, while Takeo Konishi, Country Director of ADB’s India Resident Mission signed for ADB.
• The project will support the design and construction of environmentally sustainable and climate-resilient ASU campus and facilities equipped with state-of-the-art technologies.
• It will also develop the ASU’s management and operating systems, business models, and promote professional development of faculty members.
• The project will enhance collaboration between the ASU and technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions and higher education institutions within the state and in neighboring countries to establish programs for common strategic industries.
• The loan is supplemented by a $1 million grant from the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction to support introduction of technologies for smart campus management and integrated teaching, learning, and career development management.

Loans Disbursed under PM SVANidhi Scheme

• The Centre has informed that loan worth Rs 2,714 Crore has been disbursed to over 27 lakh beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Street Vendors, Atma Nirbhar Nidhi Scheme - PM SVANidhi.
• The scheme was launched on 1st June last year, with the objective to facilitate collateral-free working capital loan up to ten thousand rupees, to about 50 lakh street vendors across the country whose businesses had been adversely affected due to lockdown.

EPFO releases its Provisonal payroll data

• Employees Provident Fund Organization EPFO today released its provisional payroll data which showed that the EPFO has added 12,73,000 net subscribers during October this year.
• The year-on-year comparison shows an increase of around 10.22% in net payroll additions in October this year as compared to 11.55 lakh net subscribers added during previous year in October.
• A total 12,73,000 net subscribers was added, 7,57,000 new members have been enrolled under Employees Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act-1952, for the first time.
• Nearly 5 thousand16 lakh net subscribers excited but rejoined EPFO by opting to continue their membership with EPFO by transferring their Provident Fund accumulations from previous to present Provident Fund account instead of opting for final withdrawal.

Additional Fact-

EPFO is a Statutory body under Minister of Labour and Employment established under Employees' Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952.

Central Provident Fund Commissioner- Neelam Shammi Rao.

India Signs loan for Sustainable Urban Services in India

• The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank signed a $ 350 million policy-based loan to improve access to urban services in India by accelerating policy actions and reforms to enhance service delivery and promote performance-based central fiscal transfers to urban local bodies (ULBs).
• The program is aligned with the Government of India’s national flagship programs that promote cities as engines of economic growth by improving the quality of urban life through the creation of high-quality urban infrastructure, assured service provisions, and efficient governance.
• The outcomes of the loan will be achieved with support to India’s recently launched national flagship missions, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0.

SPORTS AND AWARDS

India Bags Silver at BWF World championship

• India’s Kidamni Srikanth wins historic silver in the BWF World Championship after losing with Loh Kean Yew of Singapore, held at Huelva in Spain.
• He is the first Indian ever to enter the world championship finals under the single men’s badminton.
• This is the first time that India got two medal in the men’s singles in the same edition.

SAIL gets Golden Peacock Environment Management Award

• The Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL), under the Ministry of Steel has been awarded with the prestigious Golden Peacock Environment Management Award for the year 2021 in the Steel Sector by the Institute of Directors.
• SAIL has been the winner of this award for successive three years. This bears testimony to the efforts made by the Company for sustainable and environmentally responsible steel making.

MISCELLANEOUS

• Dec 19^th is observed as the Goa Liberation Day, It is celebrated to to commemorate the day when Indian Army freed Goa from Portuguese on 19 Dec, 1961.