Daily Current Affairs 1st December, 2019

Daily Current Affairs 1 December 2019 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

NATIONAL NEWS

Hallmarking to be mandatory for gold jewellery from 2021

Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan announced that Hallmarking of gold jewellery and artefacts will be made mandatory across the country from January 15, 2021.

• A notification in this regard will be issued on January 15, 2020 and the decision will come into effect after a year, making it compulsory for all the jewellers to register with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and sell only hallmarked gold jewellery and artefacts.

Labour minister Santosh Gangwar inaugurates Pension Week

Labour and Employment Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar inaugurated Pension Week (30th Nov, 2019 – 6th Dec 2019) to enroll one crore beneficiaries for PM-SYM (Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan) and 50 lakh beneficiaries for NPS-traders by March 2020

• Both the pension schemes are simple and hassle free as only Aadhar and savings bank/Jan Dhan accounts are required for enrolment.
• The monthly contribution has been kept at the lowest level that ranges from Rs 55 to Rs 200 per month depending upon the entry ages of the subscriber.
• During the pension week, they will organize awareness campaign among 10 crore Ayushman beneficiaries, 11 crore MGNREGA workers, 2.5 crore Self Help Group members, 40 lakh Anganwadi workers and 10 lakh ASHA workers about the benefits of these pension schemes.

PM Narendra Modi addresses Republic Summit in New Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a keynote address an the Republic Summit in New Delhi . The Theme of this year’s summit is “India’s Moment Nation First.”

• Modi said, India has transformed to Nation First. This happened due to two reasons – 130 Crore people’s thinking that India’s Moment and Nation First.

Indian Navy commissions sixth Dornier aircraft squadron (INAS) 314

Indian Naval Air Squadron 314, the sixth Dornier aircraft squadron was commissioned by Deputy Chief of Naval Staff Vice-Admiral M S Pawarat Naval Air Enclave, Porbandar town of Gujarat, giving a fillip to coastal security near the sea border with Pakistan.

• The Indian Naval Air Squadron 314, called Raptors, which will operate with four newly-inducted, next generation Dornier aircraft.
• The squadron, owing to its strategic location, will act as the first responder in this crucial region.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

40th UNESCO General Conference held in Paris, France

40th Session of the UNESCO General Conference was held in Paris, France. It meets every two years, and is attended by Member States and Associate Members, together with observers for non-Member States, intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Each country has one vote, irrespective of its size or the extent of its contribution to the budget.

China overtakes US in global diplomatic heft in terms of missions, India ranked 12th

According to the report from the Lowy Institute, China now has 276 diplomatic posts globally, three more than the US. India is ranked 12th in terms of such diplomatic heft, with 123 embassies and high commissions, and 54 consulates, across the world. France, Japan, and Russia are ranked at 3rd,4th, and 5th, after China and the United States.

• Countries that ranked above India, which has also been criticized at home for not putting money behind the influence it ought to have, includes Turkey (6th place), Germany (7th), Brazil (8th), Spain (9th), Italy (10th) UK (11th).
• Rwanda, Somalia, Sierre Leone in Africa and Uruguay in South America are among the countries where China has an embassy and India does not.

Saudi Arabia elected to UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, member state of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), was elected to the World Heritage Committee for the first time.

• The Kingdom was elected recently to the UN heritage body’s executive board for the term 2019-2023.
• Five sites in Saudi Arabia are on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. They are Al-Ahsa Oasis, Al-Hijr Archaeological Site in AlUla, Al-Turaif district in Diriyah, Historic Jeddah, and rock art in the Hail region.

BANKING & FINANCE

Vijaya Bank, Dena bank removed from second schedule of RBI Act

The Reserve Bank of India announced that it has excluded Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank from the second schedule of the RBI Act, with effect from April 1, 2019.

• The public sector lenders were merged into Bank of Baroda at the beginning of the current financial year and, hence, ceased to operate as banking companies separately.

APPOINTMENTS/RESIGNS

Iraq Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi announces resignation from his post

Iraq Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi submitted his resignation to parliament after more than 40 demonstrators were killed by security forces.

• The formal resignation came after an emergency cabinet session on December 2, 2019, in which ministers approved the document and the resignation of key staffers, including Abdul Mahdi’s chief of staff.

About Iraq:
Capital: Baghdad
Currency: Iraqi dinar
President: Barham Salih

OBITUARIES

Brad Gobright, renowned US rock climber passes away

A world-renowned rock climber, US national Brad Gobright (31) has passed away after fall from a rock known as El Sendero Luminoso, or the Shining Path, in the Potrero Chico national park in northern Mexico. 

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