1 Khelo India Winter Games-2025 will be held in two different phases in Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir
Khelo India Winter Games-2025 will be held in Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir in two different phases. Ice sports competitions like ice hockey and ice skating will be held in the Union Territory of Ladakh from January 23 to 27. While ice sports competitions like alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, ski mountaineering and snowboarding will be held in Jammu and Kashmir from January 22 to 25. This will be the second consecutive year that Ladakh will host a part of the Khelo India Winter Games. Before 2024, Jammu and Kashmir hosted all the events. In February-2024, Leh successfully hosted competitions like skating and hockey, while Gulmarg hosted sports like skiing and snowboarding. Khelo India will kick off the Khelo India season with the Youth and Para-Games to be held in Bihar in April next year , which is a flagship program of the Government of India.
2 Sanjay Malhotra took charge as the 26th Governor of the Reserve Bank of India
Reserve Bank of India-RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra stressed the importance of maintaining stability in a global environment plagued by geopolitical tensions, the impact of climate change and political uncertainties. He said the RBI will continue to prioritise stability in policy matters. He said the bank will remain vigilant in responding to the current global economic and political scenario. The governor informed that the RBI will continue to collaborate with various stakeholders, including financial regulators and the central and state governments, to ensure that the benefits of formal financial inclusion reach everyone. He also highlighted the transformative role of technology in the financial sector. Earlier in the day, Sanjay Malhotra took charge as the 26th Governor of the Reserve Bank of India. He replaced Shaktikanta Das, who completed his six-year term.
3 Indian scientists develop first human gene therapy for haemophilia A
In a significant medical breakthrough, Indian scientists have developed the first human gene therapy using lentiviral vector for severe haemophilia A. Developed by the Centre for Stem Cell Research (CSCR) at Christian Medical College (CMC) Vellore and supported by the Department of Biotechnology, the therapy has shown transformative results. It is a translational unit of BRIC-inStem. Earlier this year, scientists at CMC Vellore successfully conducted the country’s first human clinical trial of gene therapy for haemophilia A (FVII deficiency). The study, involving five participants aged between 22 and 41 years, showed transformative results. In a paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine, scientists said the therapy successfully reduced the annual bleeding rate to zero in all five enrolled participants, while the production of Factor VIII continued for a longer period, eliminating the need for frequent injections.
4 Visit of Chief of Army Staff of Nepal Army to India
Nepal Army Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashok Raj Sigdel held several high-level meetings on Wednesday on the second day of his official visit to India. In an in-depth conversation with Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, he discussed various aspects of bilateral defence cooperation and regional security concerns. He paid tribute to the bravehearts by laying a wreath at the National War Memorial. He also inspected an impressive Guard of Honour at South Block.
5 Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated Smart India Hackathon
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on December 11 virtually inaugurated the grand finale of Smart India Hackathon (SIH 2024) . SIH is a nationwide initiative that gives students a platform to manage problems faced in daily life and for product innovations. Its software version will run non-stop for 36 hours, while the hardware version will continue from December 11 to 15, 2024. In Smart India Hackathon, teams of students work on problems given by various ministries, departments or industries. In Smart India Hackathon, teams of students give their ideas in the Student Innovation category on issues of national importance. More than 1300 student teams are participating in it.
6 Guinness record of Gita recitation made in MP
On the occasion of Gita Jayanti on 11 December in Bhopal , Madhya Pradesh, 7 thousand participants made a Guinness Book of World Record by collectively reciting Gita . These included 3,721 Acharyas and Batuks. In the state level program organized at Motilal Nehru Stadium, the recitation of the third chapter of Gita ‘ Karma Yoga ‘ started at around 11:30 am and lasted for 9 minutes. To create the world record, a band was worn on the hand of every Acharya and participant who came to the ground of Motilal Nehru Stadium. This band has a QR code, with this the participants reciting Gita were counted. Gita Jayanti is celebrated on the next day of Dashami Tithi of Shukla Paksha of Margashirsha month of Hindi calendar. Mokshada Ekadashi fast is also observed on this day.
7 Mithali Express train which was standing in Dhaka since 17th July returned to India
The Mithali Express, connecting Bangladesh ‘s capital Dhaka and India’s New Jalpaiguri, returned to India after almost five months. According to Western Railways, the train entered India through the Chilahati-Haldibari border on Wednesday morning amid tight security measures . It was sent to India with the help of a Bangladesh railway engine. According to the Dhaka Tribune, this train (number 13132/31) reached Dhaka on July 17 from New Jalpaiguri. It remained standing in Dhaka since then due to the anti-discrimination student movement in Bangladesh. In the changed circumstances, it is still uncertain when this train service will start operating between the two countries. This train service between the two countries was started on June 1, 2022 after a gap of 57 years.
8 Bauma Conexpo India inaugurated by Union Minister
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated ‘ Bauma Conexpo India ‘ at the Expo Mart in Greater Noida on Wednesday . Industry stalwarts were present on this occasion. Many big companies from India and abroad related to construction, mining, infrastructure and construction line participated in it. On this occasion, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said that I congratulate all the people associated with the industry present in this fair and want to say that you have adopted the government’s policy. This exhibition will run from 11-14 December at India Expo Center, Greater Noida. More than one thousand brands from about 100 countries are participating in the four-day exhibition. 75 thousand visitors are expected to come to it. The theme of the exhibition is ‘Developed India’. Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra has been made its face.
9 Industrial design of solar powered water hyacinth harvester approved for the first time in India
India’s first industrial design of solar powered water hyacinth harvester developed by scientists of International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has been approved. According to ICRISAT, this harvester is simple and cheap. It can be easily operated by semi-skilled or unskilled workers. This solar energy device has been designed and manufactured in the country itself. In the context of giving priority to clean energy, this device saves 50 to 60 percent in time and labor. Interim Director General of ICRISAT, Dr. Stanford Blade has said that the low cost harvester is an environmentally friendly solution to the needs of rural communities. Research Program Director of Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems, Dr. M. L. Jat said that ICRISAT has the capacity to mechanically collect 72 thousand kilograms of water hyacinth biomass from a 3-acre pond in two-three days by two or three people.
10 First India-Nepal Tourism Conference held in Kathmandu
The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu in collaboration with Nepal Tourism Board organized the first India-Nepal Tourism Conference . During this, discussions were held on promoting Maha Kumbh next year in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh . B2B connectivity was also discussed to speed up the process of implementing tourism circuits between India and Nepal. Arun Kumar Choudhary, Minister of State for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Nepal inaugurated the session. Deepak Raj Joshi, CEO of Nepal Tourism Board, in his opening address praised India and said that it is the largest source of foreign tourists coming to Nepal. Mr. Choudhary said that cross-border tourism through road is making a big contribution to Nepal.
11 FIFA has announced that Saudi Arabia will host the Men’s Football World Cup in the year 2034
The International Football Federation-FIFA has announced that Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 Men’s Football World Cup , while Spain, Portugal and Morocco will jointly host the 2030 World Cup . The host countries for both the World Cups were confirmed after voting in a FIFA meeting. Representatives from all 211 FIFA member countries attended the meeting held via video link. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the World Cup, three matches of the 2030 World Cup will also be held in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. The decision for both the World Cups as well as the 2030 centenary celebrations was made through two separate votings. In the first voting, Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina were chosen to host the centenary celebrations, while in the second, Spain, Portugal and Morocco were confirmed as hosts for the 2030 World Cup and Saudi Arabia was chosen to host the 2034 World Cup. FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom said all 211 members had effectively cast their votes before the meeting. This will be the first time Saudi Arabia will host the Football World Cup. While it will be the second time it will be held in West Asia.
12 Venues selected for FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 playoff tournament
The venue for the playoff tournament of the FIFA Football Women’s World Cup 2027 has been decided. This decision was taken in a virtual seminar. The competition will be held in Brazil from 24 June to 25 July 2027. This decision has been taken after discussions with the Brazilian Football Association and confederations. The FIFA Council said that the first edition of the FIFA U-19 World Cup in 2025 will feature 48 teams and will be played in Qatar from November 5 to 27 annually .