1 PM Narendra Modi will launch Bima Sakhi Yojana in Panipat, Haryana
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the Bima Sakhi Yojana in Panipat , Haryana . Its objective is to promote financial literacy and insurance awareness among women . This initiative of Life Insurance Corporation of India -LIC has been started to empower women aged 18 to 70 years who have passed class 10. They will be given special training and allowance amount for the first three years. On this occasion, Mr. Modi will also distribute appointment certificates to potential Bima Sakhis. Apart from this, the Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone of the main campus of Maharana Pratap Horticultural University, Karnal . The construction of the main campus spread over 495 acres and six regional research centers will cost more than Rs 700 crore.
2 Union Home and Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah unveiled the 11 feet high statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Jodhpur, Rajasthan
Union Home and Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah unveiled the 11 feet high statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Jodhpur , Rajasthan . Many dignitaries including Union Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat were present on this occasion. Shri Amit Shah said that this 1100 kg and 11 feet high statue of Sardar Patel is made of many metals and it has been installed at a height of 8 feet. He said that even though the height of this statue is 11 feet, its fragrance will spread for ages. Shri Shah said that it was Sardar Saheb who convinced Maharaja Jodhpur to merge Jodhpur state with India. He said that it was Sardar Saheb who made India secure by making Jodhpur airbase a strategic airbase.
3 The civil war in Syria that has been going on since 2011 has ended, rebels have announced a new era
Nearly 50 years of Baath rule and 24 years of Bashar al-Assad rule in Syria ended on Sunday. Assad’s powerful government could not survive even for 10 days in front of the rebel coalition. With this, the civil war that had been going on since 2011 also ended. People are celebrating on the streets of the capital Damascus. Seeing the end of his rule near, Bashar al-Assad has already fled the country. The Syrian army confirmed this. With the capture of Syria’s public institutions, the rebel group on Sunday declared Syria free. The release of prisoners from jails was announced. The Islamic extremist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTAS) and the rebel coalition have said that now a new Syria will be formed, where everyone will live in peace. The rebels said that the country’s public institutions will remain under the supervision of the ‘former prime minister’ until the new government comes to power.
4 Union Minister Piyush Goyal proposed to start a startup bridge between Norway and India
Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal while discussing various ways to boost trade relations between Norway and India has proposed to launch a Startup Bridge between the two countries . He expressed his commitment to collectively address the concerns in collaboration with the concerned ministries to enhance bilateral trade and investment between the two countries. He was addressing the India-Norway Business Forum organised by Confederation of Indian Industry-CII in Mumbai in collaboration with Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade. The recent signing of Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement-TEPA between India and European Free Trade Association was hailed as a significant step towards strengthening economic cooperation. India signed the agreement with four developed countries Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein which are important economic regions in Europe.
5 World Bank approves $188.28 million loan for backward districts of Maharashtra
The World Bank has approved a $188.28 million loan to Maharashtra , aimed at stimulating economic development in the backward districts of the state. The loan has been provided by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) , with a maturity period of 15 years and a grace period of 5 years. The main focus of the project is to accelerate economic growth and employment generation by strengthening district-level governance, improving e-governance services and promoting private sector participation.
6 Adani Defence hands over second Drishti-10 drone to Indian Navy for maritime security
Adani Defence has delivered the second Drishti-10 Starliner surveillance drone to the Indian Navy , enhancing the country’s maritime capabilities. This is a significant milestone in India’s indigenous defence technology, underlining the country’s focus on self-reliance. The Drishti-10 drone is an advanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) platform designed to monitor vast maritime areas, deter piracy and provide beyond-the-horizon surveillance with unparalleled endurance. After the first Drishti-10 was delivered to the Indian Navy earlier this year, the process of inducting the second unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) into the Navy’s maritime operations was initiated at Porbandar , Gujarat . The Drishti 10 Starliner drone, manufactured by Adani Defence and Aerospace, a unit of the group led by billionaire Gautam Adani, at its Hyderabad plant , is an advanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) platform with a range of 36 hours and a payload capacity of 450 kg.
7 Tri Shakti Sappers of Eastern Command of Indian Army have developed Advanced Flood Surveillance System-AFMS System
Tri Shakti Sappers of Eastern Command in Indian Army have developed Advanced Flood Monitoring System-AFMS system . This work is being appreciated in the competition of Defence and Disaster Management Innovations- INNO YODHA. Inspired by the incident of glacial burst flood in Sikkim last year, AFMS led by Havildar Suresh PK of Engineer Regiment used advanced technology to monitor water levels in real time. This technology integrates a micro controller, ultraviolet sensor and GSM module using the principles of Sound Navigation and Ranging-SONAR to issue SMS warning in advance.
8 30th Kolkata International Film Festival-KIF
The 30th edition of the Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) began on Wednesday, with France being the ‘theme country’ this time . The festival will screen a number of films to highlight the rich cultural and cinematic heritage of the European nation.The Kolkata International Film Festival, which will continue till December 11, will showcase interesting films from across the world. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the festival along with other dignitaries.
9 Three-day Krishnaveni Sangeetha Neerajanam Festival begins in Vijayawada
A grand festival of Carnatic music, traditional crafts and culinary heritage, the second edition of Krishnaveni Sangeetha Neerajanam was held from 6th to 8th December, 2024 at Tummalapalli Kshetrayya Kalakshetra Auditorium, Vijayawada . Organised by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Textiles and Andhra Pradesh Tourism, the festival is a remarkable showcase of India’s cultural richness.
10 Morgan Stanley cuts India’s FY25 GDP growth forecast to 6.3%
Morgan Stanley has lowered its FY25 GDP growth forecast for India to 6.3% from 6.7% previously . The revision comes as India’s GDP growth in the July-September 2024 quarter was 5.4% (the lowest since March 2023). The decline is mainly a result of a slowdown in private consumption and capital expenditure (capex), although the services sector showed strength. Despite this, Morgan Stanley expects a recovery in the second half of FY25, when growth could reach 6.6% on average. This will be driven by government spending, improving rural demand and easing financial conditions.