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Deaths
Important Days
December 2
December 3
o International Day of Persons with
Disabilities
Theme - sustainable development
o 30 Years of Bhopal gas tragedy
December 4 - 43rd Navy Day
December 5
o International Year of Soils
o International Volunteer Day
December 6 - Mahaparinirwan Diwas
December 7
o Armed Forces Flag Day
o International Civil Aviation Day
December 8 - submarine day
December 9 - International Anti-Corruption Day
o 2014 Theme: Break the corruption chain
December 10 - Human Rights Day
o Theme for 2014: Human Rights 365
December 11 o International Mountain Day
2014 Theme: Mountain Farming
December 12 - Jamhuri Day
December 14 - National Energy Conservation Day
December 16 - Vijay Diwas(Victory Day)
December 18 o International Migrants Day
o Minorities Rights Day
December 19 - Goa Liberation Day
December 20 - International Human Solidarity Day
December 22 - National Mathematics Day
December 23
o National Kisan Diwas (National Farmers
Day)
o National Day of Japan
December 24 - National Consumers Day
December 25 - Good Governance Day
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International Affairs
December 1
December 2
A court in Egypt has dropped charges against former President Hosni Mubarak over the killing of 239
protesters during the 2011 uprising against him.
o The Cairo court erupted in cheers when the judge said Mubarak should not have been a defendant in the
case as the charges against him were added late. Charges against seven senior ex-officials were also
dropped.
o The decision could be appealed. Victims' relatives waiting outside expressed dismay and frustration. And
later police fired tear gas to disperse a crowd of about 2,000 people who gathered near Tahrir Square to
voice their opposition to the decision.
India and France agreed to overcome differences and fast-track ongoing negotiations for the purchase of 126
Rafale fighter jets from France, a Defence Ministry spokesperson said.
o The decision came during discussions between visiting French Defence Minister Yves Le Drian and his Indian
counterpart, Manohar Parrikar. Both sides also decided to expand strategic cooperation, the official added.
o Negotiations have been going on since 2012 when India selected Dassault Rafale from among competing
medium multi-role combat aircraft. Differences cropped up between the two sides on delivery guarantees
and price.
China and Maldives a major element of the Beijing-sponsored Maritime Silk Road project have signed an
accord to conduct preliminary study on constructing a bridge that would connect capital Male with the citys
international airport.
o Xinhua is reporting that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a pre-feasibility study of the project
has been signed. This would be followed by a full-scale project feasibility study, yielding a design plan, which
would result in the two sides exploring possible funding options for the project.
o In September, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in Male that he hoped that the bridge would be named
''China-Maldives Friendship Bridge''. Analysts point out that the project underscores a deepening
engagement between China and Maldives, which is a major cog in the establishment of the 21st century
Maritime Silk Route visualised by China.
December 3
U.S. President Barack Obama praised Prime Minister Narendra Modis efforts to shake up the ''bureaucratic
inertia'' in India, less than a month after he described the Indian leader as a ''man of action''.
o However, Mr. Obama said that this was a long-term project and one would have to see how successful
Prime Minister Modi is in his efforts.
o ''Modi has impressed me so far with his willingness to shake up the bureaucratic inertia inside of India. But
that is a long-term project and well have to see how successful he is'', Mr. Obama told a business
roundtable, which was attended by top corporate leaders of the country. The roundtable was organised to
discuss the current economic condition of the US and across the globe.
India, backed by the United States, opposed a U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) resolution calling on New Delhi
to voluntarily abandon its nuclear weapons.
o The resolution, which also targeted Israel and Pakistan, was, however, passed overwhelmingly.
o The U.S. joined India to vote against a key part of the resolution on achieving a nuclear weapons-free world
that called on India, Israel and Pakistan to immediately and unconditionally accede to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and put all their nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards.
In a historic initiative to eradicate modern slavery and human trafficking, leaders of the Christian as well as
Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish and Muslim faiths jointly committed to stamp put slavery from all parts of the world.
o Indian spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi also joined hands with world faith leaders in meeting Pope
Francis at the Vatican , declaring her commitment to end the global scourge by 2020.
o The leaders signed the Joint Declaration of Religious Leaders against Modern Slavery to underline that
modern slavery, in terms of human trafficking, forced labour and prostitution, is a crime against humanity,
and must be recognised as such by everyone and by all nations. The declaration also affirmed that any
relationship that fails to respect the fundamental conviction that all people are equal and have the same
freedom and dignity, is a crime.
o With the ministerial-level talks to begin next week at the UN climate summit, India said its position remains
very strong on the need for a balanced inclusion of adaptation efforts in the 2015 Paris agreement and less
focus on mitigation.
o Sushil Kumar, interim head of the Indian delegation at the talks, said the first two days of the 12-day
conference are off to a good start with discussions on adaptation and finance underway.
o He said that countries participated in sessions for the adaptation and finance groups. ''Developing countries
are talking quite a bit about adaptation, but not developed countries'', he said.
December 4
Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Robin K. Dhowan said that all countries should respect freedom of navigation
in international waters in accordance with the principle of global commons. He was referring to the Chinese
claims in the South China Sea.
o Addressing the annual press conference on the eve of the Navy Day, he asserted that the Navys area of
operations extend to where Indias strategic interests take it.
o Commenting on the Sindhurakshak submarine tragedy in which an onboard explosion sank it, Admiral
Dhowan said that the board of inquiry has submitted its report and it was being evaluated.
o There are a series of issues that led to the accident. There are aspects related to handling equipment in
submarines. When procedures are not followed, there is room for error and accidents can happen. It is an
aspect related to handling of equipment, he said on the likely cause of the accident.
China is expected to build 8,500 km of subway systems by 2020, giving it the worlds longest metro rail
network, the government.
o Nineteen cities have recently extended their metro systems, with total mileage expected to hit 3,000 km by
the end of the year, Chinese Minister of Transport, Yang Chuantang was quoted as saying by staterun
China Daily.
o Public transit, especially the subway, has had a major effect on easing congestion in Beijing, and the
government will inject more funding to promote its development, Dai Junliang, deputy mayor of Beijing
said.
o Four new subway lines will open to the public this month, which will extend the capitals subway to 527
kms, the longest in the country.
Telling rich nations that they cannot be absolved of their past ''sins'', India said developed countries should
compensate developing nations for the effects their greenhouse gas emissions have had on climate.
o On the third day of the climate summit in the Peruvian capital, India said it was not equitable to talk about
what a country is emitting now because that country could be at present reducing their emissions.
o ''This fact does not absolve them [rich nations] of all [past] sins'', Additional Secretary in the Ministry of
Environment Susheel Kumar, who is the interim head of the Indian delegation, said.
o He said India believed that developed countries should be held responsible for their high levels of
emissions, which have caused harm to developing countries. That responsibility should come in the form of
compensation and a fair 2015 Paris agreement.
Further strengthening ties between India and Japan, the two countries will soon work together in areas of
cyber security and Green Information and Communication technology (ICT). The decision was taken at the
India-Japan Joint Working Group meeting on ICT that was held in the national capital Delhi.
o "Ministry for Communication and Information Technology (MCIT) in India and Ministry of Internal Affairs
and Communication (MIC), Japan will coordinate the activities for taking these projects forward by involving
industrial partners in both the countries. They will aim towards implementation of these joint projects by
early 2015'', said the MCIT in a statement.
o The two countries announced the decision to work on the following five areas which are to be implemented
as India-Japan joint projects.
o GreenICT - Green Mobile Base Station project.
o Cyber Security Cooperation - Japan-India Combat Spam project.
o Cooperative project for detecting symptoms and quick response to cyber attacks (PRACTICE).
o ICT for Disaster Management (ICT4DM)- ICT Use in disaster-affected areas project.
o ICT Application for Social and Economic Challenges- National ID Application and Utilization Platform project.
December 5
A 1962 Nobel Prize medal won by biologist James Watson for the discovery of the structure of DNA has
fetched more than USD 4.7 million, setting a world record for any Nobel Prize sold at auction.
o The medal was sold to an anonymous telephone bidder for a record-setting price of USD 4,757,000, marking
the first time a living Nobel laureate sold his gold medal.
o The amount fetched by the Nobel Prize medal at Christies New York auction surpassed the USD 2.2 million
prices that were paid last year for the medal once owned by Watsons late colleague, Francis Crick,
nbcnews.com reported.
Chinas anti-corruption campaign has targeted a former state security chief and a one-time Politburo member,
who is now facing arrest after being sacked from the Communist Party of China (CPC).
o The decision to expel Zhou Yongkang, a former member of the StandingCommittee of the Political Bureau
was taken on by the Politburo of the CPC. Zhou is the highest-ranking official probed for corruption since
1949.
o The daily said that the meeting also decided to transfer Zhous suspected criminal case to the judicial organs
for legal prosecution.The Supreme People's Procuratorate opened an investigation into Zhou's suspected
crimes and decided to arrest him.
The India-U.S. defense relationship may now get personal attention with strong India-backer Ashton Carter on
Friday nominated by President Barack Obama for the key post of the Defence Secretary.
o A close Obama confidant, Carter, 60, has served in his administration, in particular at the Pentagon, in
various capacities the last being that of the Deputy Secretary of Defence from October 2011 to December
2013.
o During that period he was also the Pentagons point person on India, launching the path-breaking Defence
Trade and Technology Initiative.
Air India signed a Memorandum of Understanding with NBCC towards implemetation of the monetisation of
assests of Air India.
o The MoU was signed at Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan by CMD Air India Shri Rohit Nandan and Dr. Anoop Kumar
Mittal, CMD, NBCC, in the presence of Minister for Civil Aviation Shri Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pusapati and
Minister for Urban Development Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu.
o Other dignitaries present were MoS for Civil Aviation Shri Mahesh Sharma, MoS for Urban Development
Shri Babul Supriyo.
December 6
For the first time in 18 years, India ranks as less corrupt than China in the Annual Corruption Survey by global
watchdog Transparency International.
o In its annual survey of 175 countries, India ranks 85th (improved by jumping 10 places).
o China, on the other hand has fallen 20 places to rank 100th
o This is the first time since the rankings started in 1996 that India is perceived to be less corrupt than China.
Members of parliament voted Somalia's prime minister out of office for the second time in a year; a move
Western donor warned would threaten the war-torn nation's fragile recovery.
o Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed had been embroiled in a row over a Cabinet reshuffle with President
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who had overruled the changes.
o The Prime Minister had been in office for just under a year after his predecessor, who also argued about the
composition of the cabinet and been accused of poor performance, was voted out.
Britain will broaden its military footprint in the Middle East with the establishment of a permanent military
base at the Mina Salman Port in Bahrain.
December 7
The Beijing-based China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) has launched another mega project in Sri
Lanka to construct a water supply system in Gampaha district.
o The US $230 million water supply project is the largest ever undertaken by the Sri Lankan government,
Xinhua reported quoting a government official.
o The CMEC in May 2013 entered into a master contract with the National Water Supply & Drainage Board of
Sri Lanka for the construction of Gampaha, Attanagalle and Minuwangoda Integrated Water Supply Scheme.
o The project was launched with the inaugural laying of pipe by Economic Development Minister Basil
Rajapaksa in the town of Mahara. We are doing this for the community. Its a very important project and we
are grateful for the Chinese government for supporting us in this. This is something that has great social
worth,` Rajapaksa was quoted as saying at the inauguration ceremony.
China launched a major scheme to expand its large network of nuclear power plants, brushing aside remarks
by its atomic regulator that the new Chinese technology is still not completely up to standards.
o The National Development and Reform Commission, China's top economic planner, announced plans to
develop offshore nuclear power projects. Its spokesman Li Pumin assured that all projects will comply with
the highest international security standards.
o Head of National Energy Administration's nuclear power department, Liu Baohua, said efforts to draft
administrative rules for nuclear power development have been heightened.
December 8
The US and NATO ceremonially ended their combat mission in Afghanistan, 13 years after the September 11
terror attacks sparked their invasion of the country to topple the Taliban-led government.
o NATOs International Security Assistance Force Joint Command, which was in charge of combat operations,
lowered its flag, formally ending its deployment.
o US Gen. John F. Campbell, commander of NATO and US forces, said that the mission now would transition
to a training and support role for Afghanistans own security forces, which have led the fight against the
Taliban insurgents since mid-2013.
A Boeing aircraft has completed the worlds first flight using green diesel, a sustainable biofuel made from
vegetable oils, waste cooking oil and animal fats.
o The company powered its ecoDemonstrator 787 flight test airplane with a blend of 15 per cent green diesel
and 85 per cent petroleum jet fuel in the left engine.
o ''Green diesel offers a tremendous opportunity to make sustainable aviation biofuel more available and
more affordable for our customers'', said Julie Felgar, managing director of Environmental Strategy and
Integration, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
December 9
China rejected UN arbitration to resolve the South China Sea (SCS) maritime dispute with its neighbors,
asserting that it should be settled through direct bilateral negotiations.
o As the deadline to respond to UN mediation sought by the Philippines to arbitrate its maritime dispute with
China over the South China Sea inched close, Beijing issued a lengthy explanation rejecting international
arbitration asserting that it should be settled through direct bilateral negotiations.
o The Philippines had approached the UN body last year questioning China's claims to the Spratly islands,
called Nansha islands by Beijing, and the waters around them.
The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), the political risk insurance and credit enhancement
arm of the World Bank Group, announced that Bhutan has fulfilled all of its membership requirements to
become MIGAs 181st member.
o Bhutans membership in MIGA means that direct foreign investment into the country is eligible for the
Agencys investment guarantees. Investors from Bhutan going into MIGAs other developing member
countries may also receive coverage for their investments.
France has signed an agreement with the United States under which it will compensate Nazi Holocaust
survivors who are Americans or others and were deported from France from a fund totaling $60 million.
o The agreement was signed on and will come into effect following approval by the French parliament,
according to the U.S. Department of State which defined the terms of the deal last week.
o According to the agreement, $60 million will be used by the U.S. to create a fund to compensate those
Holocaust survivors, their spouses and children who claim it and fulfill the requirements.
o The agreement aims to pay those people who were deported from France to Nazi concentration camps
through the French rail company SNCF during the country's occupation by the Germans between 1940 and
1944.
December 10
After successfully competing for high-speed rail links abroad, China now wants to develop world class nuclear
technology a move that would not only lighten its carbon footprint, but also help it emerge as a major
exporter of atomic power.
o Last week, China decided to set up an undisclosed number of shore-based nuclear power plants, lifting the
ban on new ventures that was imposed in the aftermath of the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in
Japan.
o The London-based World Nuclear News website reported that days after the Fukushima accident, Chinas
State Council decided to halt approvals and licensing for new reactors until a safety plan was in place.
o Currently, China runs 21 nuclear power reactors, generating 19,095 MW of power. An additional 27 units
are under construction, which would yield around 30,000 MW of electricity, when completed.
Zimbabwe's vice president, once seen as Robert Mugabe's heir apparent, has been fired along with eight
Cabinet allies, the government said as the veteran leader purged his foes.
o As the elderly head of state sought to quell infighting over his successor, the chief secretary to the Cabinet,
Misheck Sibanda, said in a terse statement that Joice Mujuru had been fired.
o Also sacked were her allies in the ministries of energy, public service, and half a dozen other departments,
he said.
o The move caps a long campaign by Mugabe and his closest lieutenants to isolate the 59-year-old Mujuru
and her supporters.
December 11
Google said it plans to close its news-linking service in Spain in response to legislation under which publishers
will soon be able to force Internet sites to pay for re-publishing headlines or snippets of news.
o In a statement, the search giant said the new law makes the Google News service unsustainable and that it
will remove Spanish publishers from Google News sites worldwide and shut down this service in Spain on 16
December.
o The move also means readers in Latin America and around the globe will no longer find links to articles from
any Spanish news publishers on Google News.
o The change to the copyright law, which is set to take effect in January, only applies to news aggregation
sites such as Google News or domestic rival Meneame.
The Prime Minister of Crimea, the former Ukrainian territory annexed by Russia, arrived for unofficial talks in
New Delhi as President Vladimir Putin met Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a summit.
o Sergey Aksyonov met a Mumbai businessman to discuss boosting trade with the Black Sea region. India
does not support Western sanctions against Russia, but the meeting may prove an irritant before President
Barack Obama visits India in January 2015.
o Russian officials declined to comment, but a senior diplomat arrived with Mr. Aksyonov at an upscale New
Delhi hotel for the meeting to sign a memorandum with a business group called the Indian-Crimean
Partnership.
Russia's state-owned Rosatom said it would supply 12 nuclear energy reactors for India over 20 years, under
an agreement aimed at boosting nuclear energy cooperation signed by the two countries during a summit in
New Delhi.
o A 1,000-megawatt reactor is operating at the Russian-built Kudankulam power station in Tamil Nadu, with a
second due to come onstream in 2015.
o Russian President Vladimir Putin had been pushing for Rosatom to increase the number of reactors it could
supply to as many as 25.
o Indian officials say that a total of six reactors will be built at Kudankulam, with a further six to follow at a
site that has not yet been determined.
December 12
US passes bill to use force against Integrated Scientific Information System (ISIS).
o A key US Congressional committee has passed a bill authorising use of military force against the dreaded
Islamist State militant group that has seized swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria.
o The Authorisation for Use of Military Force (AUMF) bill allows the President to use military force against ISIS
for up to three years.
US court jails Indian for running Ponzi scheme.
December 13
December 14
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December 16
December 17
U.N. Security Council renews cross-border Aid Delivery to Syria for a Year.
o The U.N. Security Council renewed for 12 months its authorization for humanitarian access without Syrian
government consent into rebel-held areas of Syria at four border crossings from Turkey, Iraq and Jordan.
o The resolutions authorized aid deliveries across Al Yarubiyah on the Iraq border, Al-Ramtha from Jordan and
Bab al-Salam and Bab al-Hawa from Turkey.
o The UN says some 12.2 million Syrians now need humanitarian aid, an increase of 2.9 million people in just
10 months. Nearly half of the Syrian population is displaced with more than 7.6 million internally displaced
and over 3 million refugees in neighbouring states.
U.S. slaps Sanctions on oil trading firms of Switzerland, Netherlands Companies over Syria.
o The United States slapped sanctions on Dutch and Swiss oil trading firms for their dealings with the Syrian
government, which has been engaged in bloody civil war with rebel forces
o The U.S. Treasury put Netherlands-based Staroil B.V. as well as two Swiss-based firms, Rixo International
Trading Ltd and Bluemarine SA, on its list of sanctioned entities, which effectively cuts them off from the
U.S. financial system.
o The US Treasury also put sanctions on several officials from the firms, as well as on a Company based in
Syria and another from the United Arab Emirates
December 18
UN General Assembly wants to refer North Korea to ICC for human right abuses.
11
The U.N. General Assembly formally adopted a landmark resolution calling for referring North Korea to the
International Criminal Court for human rights violations.
The resolution has drawn keen attention because it would be the first-ever U.N. resolution calling for the
North's referral to the ICC.
The UNGA adopted the resolution with 116 accepted votes to 20 rejected votes. More than 50 countries
abstained from voting
The resolution also called UNGA to consider targeted sanctions against the Pyongyang leadership for the
repression of civilians in North Korea.
December 19
December 20
12
December 21
Arrest warrant issued against Pakistan Taliban chief Fazlullah for attack on Karachi airport.
o Anti-terrorism court (ATC) issued non-bailable arrest warrants against TTP (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan)
chief Mullah Fazlullah, spokesman Shahidullah Shahid and six other as the main accused in the terrorist
attack on the Karachi airport in June.
o ATC judge in Karachi, Bashir Ahmed Khoso issued the warrants for the absconders and asked the
investigating officer to arrest and produce them in court by January 8 after the inquiry team submitted its
investigation report before the court.
o About ATC:
Anti Terrorism Court was established in Pakistan, under Nawaz Sharifs government, to deal with
terrorism cases.
It has been created by the 1997 Anti-Terrorist Act, amended on 24 October 1998.
India exports first warship CGS Barracuda to Mauritius.
o The warship, christened CGS Barracuda, will be handed over to the Mauritius coast guard, and is expected
to cost $50 million ( Rs. 300 crore).
o CGS Barracuda built by defence PSU Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE) in Kolkata,
the $58.5 million CGS Barracuda measures 74.10m in length.
o It is capable of moving at a maximum speed of 22 knots with an approximate displacement of 1350 tonnes.
o It has been designed for the usual OPV tasks - anti-piracy, anti-smuggling, anti-poaching and search and
rescue. The additional capabilities include: pollution response, external fire fighting, and the movement by
sea of troops.
o About :
GRSE (Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd).
Established: 1884.
Nationalized: 1960.
Headquarters: Kolkata.
Chairman and managing director: Rear Admiral A.K. Verma.
December 22
Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany agreed to hold new round of peace talks on Ukraine.
o The negotiations talks will be held in Belarusian capital, Minsk on 24 December and 26 December 2014.
o The talks will involve Ukraine, Russia, pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, and the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe.
o The agreement to hold a new peace talks was reached during a conference call between Ukrainian
President Petro Poroshenko, Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Francois Hollande and
German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
o The conflict in eastern Ukraine between government forces and pro-Russia separatists has killed more than
4,700 people, according to the United Nations.
WTCIS signs agreement with NIESBUD to promote small businesses.
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The World Trade Center India Services Council (WTCIS) has signed an agreement with National Institute for
Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD) to promote and develop small businesses in
the country.
NIESBUD is an organisation under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, which is engaged in
training, consultancy as well as research, to promote entrepreneurship.
WTCIS would assist NIESBUD in promotion and development of entrepreneurial environment through
training, research and consultancy, besides assisting organisations in developing and promoting
entrepreneurship and self-employment.
WTCIS Director : Khair Ull Nissa.
Director General, NIESBUD : Mr. Arun Kumar Jha.
December 24
December 26
World's biggest software maker Microsoft's chief executive officer Satya Nadella met Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi at Delhi.
o He is the third major tech executive to meet PM Modi, after Amazon's Jeff Bezos and Facebook's Mark
Zuckerberg.
o He said the company is looking forward to partner with the Digital India and Make in India programmes of
the government.
December 27
India has announced one million US dollar contribution to United Nation (UN) fund and Social Commission for
Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) for strengthening early warning systems for natural disasters.
o The decision comes ten years after a massive Tsunami triggered by an earthquake smashed the coastline of
around 14 nations.
December 28
The NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) formally ended its war in Afghanistan, holding a low-key
ceremony in Kabul after 13 years of conflict that have left the country in the grip of worsening insurgent
violence.
o US General John Campbell, who is the commander of US-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)
led the ceremony
December 29
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National Affairs
December 1
December 2
15
Mr. Doval earlier had bilateral meetings with Sri Lankas Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris and Defence Secretary
Gotabaya Rajapaksa, according to a press release from the Indian High Commission in Colombo.
According to a statement from the Presidents office, Mr. Doval expressed ''much satisfaction on the quality
and range of relations between Sri Lanka and India''. Mr. Rajapaksa and the NSA also discussed ways of
strengthening ties further, it said. Indian High Commissioner Sri Lanka Y.K. Sinha was among those present
at the meeting.
Mr. Doval was in Sri Lanka on a two-day visit to participate in Galle Dialogue, organised by the Ministry of
Defence.
December 3
December 4
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Govt officials, HDIL chairman booked for irregularities in Bandra slum rehabilitation project.
o An FIR has been registered against principle secretaries of Maharashtras housing and woman and child
development departments, HDIL Group chairman and the companys ten directors in connection with
alleged irregularities in Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) project in suburban Bandra, the Anti-Corruption
Bureau.
o The accused were booked following a sessions court order which directed the ACB to probe the matter
brought before it by a complainant.
o The FIR was filed against Principle Secretary (Housing) Debashish Chakrabarty, Principal Secretary (Woman
and Child Development) Ujjwal Uke, HDIL Group Chairman and the companys ten directors.
o They have been charged under relevant IPC sections including 166 (public servant disobeying law, with
intent to cause injury to any person), 167 (public servant framing incorrect document with intent to cause
injury), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 465 (forgery), 467 (forgery of valuable
security, will, etc), 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record), 409 (criminal breach of
trust by public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent) and 34 (acts done by several persons in
furtherance of common intention) and sections pertaining to the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Union Finance Ministry constituted High Level Committee to hear industry's tax issues.
o The Union Finance Ministry on constituted a High Level Committee (HLC) to interact with trade and industry
on tax-related issues on a regular basis. The high level committee will be headed by former Chief Economic
Advisor (CEA) Ashok Lahiri.
o Other two members of the committee are Sidhartha Pradhan, retired member of the Settlement
Commission (Income Tax and Wealth Tax) and Gautam Ray, retired DG (Audit) of the Customs and Central
Excise.
o In 2014-15 Budget speech, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had announced the government's intention
to set up a high level committee to interact with trade and industry on a regular basis and ascertain areas
where clarity in tax laws was required.
o This was among several measures that the NDA government had unveiled to boost the confidence of tax
payers and provide certainty and clarity in tax laws. December 5
E-rickshaws to be back soon; govt approves changes in law.
o Paving the way for return of e-rickshaws on roads of the National Capital, the Cabinet approved
amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act that will ease the norms for obtaining a licence to drive the battery
operated vehicles.
o The e-rickshaws had gone off road after the Delhi High Court banned plying of these vehicles on safety
concerns. The approved changes, which also include adding definition of e-rickshaws and e-carts to the Act,
will help these vehicles get the legal status.
Private entity cannot hold more than 26% in coal venture.
o A private sector entity cannot own more than 26 per cent stake in public-private joint ventures for coal
block allocations. However, if it is more than one private sector entity, the structure should be such that its
stake does not exceed 49 per cent.
o ''This will ensure that the private party cannot veto board decisions'', a senior Coal Ministry official said.
o This will also enable Government entities to retain the majority stake. In seeking the Cabinets nod for the
Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Bill, 2014 to replace the ordinance, the Government has proposed this
change.
o A total of 92 blocks are being offered under the first round.
HDFC Bank rules out a JV for payment ban.
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HDFC Bank has become the first in the sector to rule out a joint venture partnership with any applicant for
one of the proposed Payment banks.
''We will not do a joint venture for this. We are a full bank ourselves and dont need to form an alliance'',
said Aditya Puri, managing director.
In final guidelines issued last week, the Reserve Bank of India has allowed entities to form an alliance with a
lender to form a PB. The idea is that PBs would tap unbanked areas and such an alliance would help.
December 5
Singapore daily, The Straits Times chooses PM NarendraModi as Asian of the Year 2014.
December 6
Shiv Sena joins BJP govt in Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis ministry expanded.
o Weeks after squabbling over allocation of portfolios, the Shiv Sena finally joined the BJP-led government in
Maharashtra, when Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expanded his 34-day-old cabinet.
o Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao administered the oath of office to 20 ministers, including 10 from BJP. Ten
cabinet ministers, five each from BJP and Sena, were sworn in.
o Cabinet ministers who took the oath were Girish Bapat (BJP), Girish Mahajan (BJP), Diwakar Raote (Shiv
Sena), Subhash Desai (SS), Ramdas Kadam (SS), Eknath Shinde (SS), Chandrashekhar Bawankule (BJP),
Babanrao Lonikar (BJP), Dr. Deepak Sawant (SS) and Rajkumar Badole (BJP).
o Ministers of state sworn in were Ram Shinde (BJP), Vijay Deshmukh (BJP), Sanjay Rathod (Shiv Sena), Dada
Bhuse (SS), Vijay Shivtare (SS), Deepak Kesarkar (SS), Raje Amrish Atram (BJP), Ravindra Waikar (SS), Dr.
Ranjit Patil (BJP) and Pravin Pote (BJP).
December 7
December 8
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Subramanian Committee on Leveraging the Post Office Network submitted report to Union government.
o Subramanian Committee on Leveraging the Post Office Network on 4 December 2014 submitted its report
to the Union Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.
o The objective of the Committee was to transform the Post Office Network in keeping with changing market
trends and competition.
o The committee has made around 181 recommendations to make the post office competitive and efficient.
These recommendations ranges from formulation of a New Postal Law to New Organisational design of
India Post to Extension of Post Office network in rural areas.
December 10
December 11
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December 12
December 13
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December 15
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Union Government banned ISIS -Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in India.
o The Union Government banned Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) under Unlawful Activities (Prevention)
Act. The action came few days after an engineer was detained for running a popular Twitter account that
praised the militant groups military campaign.
o The aim of the ban is to limit the activities of the West Asia group which has carved out swathes of territory
in Iraq and Syria.
o Until now, India had held off on a ban on Islamic State, because of the groups lack of activity in the country
and worries over the fate of 39 Indian construction workers missing in Iraq this year, who are believed to be
held by the group.
National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Amendment Bill, 2014 passed by the Lok Sabha.
o The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Amendment Bill, 2014 was introduced in
the Lok Sabha by the Minister of Urban Development, Mr. Venkaiah Naidu. The Bill seeks to amend the
National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second Act, 2011.
o The Bill seeks to amend the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second Act, 2011 as
the deadlines provided under the 2011 Act expires on 31 December 2014.
The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second Act, 2011 seeks to do the following :
Relocate slum dwellers and Jhuggi-Jhompri clusters in accordance with the provisions of the Delhi Shelter
Improvement Board Act, 2010 and the Master Plan for Delhi, 2021.
Regulate street vendors in accordance with the policy for street vendors outlined in the Master Plan for Delhi,
2021.
Regularise unauthorised colonies, village abadi areas (and their extensions).
Create a policy for farm houses constructed beyond permissible limits.
Create a policy or plan for all other areas of the National Capital Territory of Delhi in keeping with the Master
Plan for Delhi, 2021.
Union government announced to give 5 year visa to minorities from neighboring countries.
o Union Government announced that members of the minority communities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and
Bangladesh will be given five years visa as part of government's effort to address their grievances and
accord citizenship in future. Earlier, they were granted one-year visa.
o The long-term visa for five years will be issued initially by the Home Ministry on the specific
recommendation of the state government or union territory administration.
December 17
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The calendar combines the conventional and technological modes of communicating the initiatives of the
government and while the theme of Swachh Bharat was portrayed visually in the conventional mode, the
mobile application of the calendar reiterated the governments vision of taking the idea of Digital India
forward
Theme of this calendar is : Clean India Green India.
December 18
The Lok Sabha passed the Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill, 2014 by voice vote.
o The bill intends to regularise e-rickshaws and provide driving licenses for battery-operated vehicles to ply in
the national capital and other places of the country.
o Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said now an e-rickshaw having capacity of 2000 watt will be allowed to ply
on city roads. He said, a loan at a rate of 4 per cent interest will be given to the driver for purchasing the erickshaw so that he or she can become the owner.
o Voice vote : A voice vote is used in Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and state assemblies to vote for certain
resolutions. It is used when there is a wide agreement on issues and in some cases where the house is not in
order.
SC directed Union government to complete fencing along Indo-Bangladesh border in 3 months.
o The Supreme Court asked the central government to complete the fencing of the India-Bangladesh border
where it has not been done to check illegal immigration.
o The Union (central government) will take all effective steps to complete the fencing (double coiled wire
fencing) in such parts/ portions of the Indo-Bangla border (including the state of Assam) where presently
fencing is yet to be completed.
December 19
Union Government introduced Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill to facilitate introduction of GST.
o Union Government introduced the Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill, 2014 in the Lok Sabha. The
introduction of this Bill will facilitate the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime in India.
o About Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill :
It provides for constitution of a Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council to recommend to the Union and
States on the inclusion and exclusion of goods and services.
It brings petroleum crude, high speed diesel, motor spirit, natural gas, aviation turbine fuel and tobacco
and tobacco products within the purview of Union List and State list.
It proposes an additional tax on supply of goods, not exceeding one percent, in the course of interState trade will be levied and collected by the Union for a period of two years and apportioned to the
States.
December 20
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December 21
December 22
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December 23
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December 26
December 28
December 29
SMART Policing
o Taking cue from Prime Minister Narendra Modis pitch for SMART Policing, the Home Ministry has decided
to establish one such model police station in each state and has asked the state governments to submit
their proposal by January 31, 2015.
o The Prime Minister had said at a meeting of the countrys top police brass in Guwahati last month that he
wanted a force which takes care of the countrys law and order in an efficient and SMART manner.
o SMART Policing
o S for Strict but Sensitive
o M for Modern and Mobile
o A for Alert and Accountable
o R for Reliable and Responsive and
o T for Techno-savvy and Trained
December 31
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First 1,000 MW unit of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project begins commercial power generation, after getting
approval from the following permission by NPCIL (Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd).
President Pranab Mukherjee gives nod to the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) bill that seeks
to scrap the collegium system of appointing judges to higher judiciary.
The Uttar Pradesh government has declared the Amir Khan starrer film 'PK' tax free in the state.
December 9
December 10
December 12
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Germany drug maker Bayer fails to block generic version of cancer drug Nexavar in India.
o German drug maker Bayer has failed in a last-ditch attempt to block the sale of a cheap generic version of
its cancer drug Nexavar in India, after the country's Supreme Court ruled against it.
o Natco was first given permission by the Indian patents office in 2012 to sell generic Nexavar at 8,800 rupees
($141) for a month's dose, a fraction of Bayer's price of 280,000 rupees. Bayer challenged this decision in
the long-running case.
o Indian generics group Natco Pharma said the highest court had dismissed Bayer's challenge to a compulsory
licence allowing it to sell a copycat version of the medicine, which is used to treat kidney and liver cancer.
December 13
December 14
December 16
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Ancient DNA discovered by researchers revealing the history of horse domestication for the first time.
A team of researchers examined the DNA of 29 horse bones, which were found in the Siberian permafrost dating from 16,000 and 43,000 years ago.
Genes active in the cerebrum likewise experienced assortment. Variations connected to social conduct,
learning, terror reaction, and friendliness are all more profuse in domesticated horses.
December 17
December 18
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ISRO:
Head quarters : Bangalore, India.
Established: 15-August-1969.
Chairman : Dr. K. Radhakrishnan.
December 19
December 21
December 23
Taiwan launched its First Domestically Built Missile warship Tuo Chiang.
o Taiwan launched its largest ever missile ship as the island strives to modernise its armed forces in response
to a perceived threat from China.
o The 500-tonne corvette named Tuo Chiang (Tuo River) is the first of its kind ever produced by Taiwan.
o The ship is scheduled to be deployed in Taiwan waters after further tests in March 2015.
o The ship is armed with 16 missiles including eight supersonic Hsiung-feng III (Brave Wind) anti-ship missiles.
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The sleek twin-hulled ship uses stealth technology to reduce the reflection of radar waves, making it harder
to detect.
About Tuo Chiang
Taiwan Defense minister : Yen Ming.
The Tuo Chiangs first captain : Lt. Commander Wang Te-chien.
Costs : 66.2 million US.
Speed : 38 knots per hour.
Measures : 198 feet long and 46 feet wide.
It can carry a crew of 4.
December 23
Russia successfully test-launched its newest heavy-class Angara rocket, which has been developed with a view
to launching manned spacecraft, the defence ministry said.
December 29
The Yahoo Directory, the core part of how Yahoo itself began in 1994, officially closed, five days ahead of
when Yahoo had said the end would come.
December 31
Sports
December 1
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ICC ODI rankings : Virat Kohli retains 2nd spot; Dhoni slips to 9th.
o In the latest ICC ODI rankings, India's Virat Kohli remain at the second spot in the batsmen rankings while
captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has slipped a place to be at the ninth position.
o In the team rankings, India has held on to their position and continues to occupy second spot in the team
standings.
o Medium pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has dropped a place to be eighth in the bowlers' rankings while left-arm
spinner Ravindra Jadeja is sitting on ninth.
December 3
December 4
December 5
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India beat Pakistan to win cricket World Cup for the Blind 2014.
o India defeated defending champions Pakistan to win the 4th Cricket World Cup for the Blind. The Indian
visually impaired cricket team won the Cricket World Cup for the Blind in Cape Town.
Kenyan Amos Meindi wins 29th Pune International full Marathon.
o Kenyan Amos Meindi won the 29th Pune International full Marathon. African runners continued to imprint
their stealth and stamina on the 42.175 Km annual marathon event. Ethiopian Regassa Bezida was the
runner up and compatriot Teresse stood third.
o Nancy Wambua won the women's half marathon in 71 minutes and 55 seconds. Kenyan Herlen Musyoka
and Ethiopian Timbit won the second and third title. Twenty five thousand runners including 150 from the
foreign countries ran in the marathon this year.
December 8
Gwladys Nocera of France won Hero Women's Indian Golf Open 2014.
o Gwladys Nocera of France won the Hero Women's Indian Golf Open 2014 at the Delhi Golf Club. She
received the prize money of 300000 US dollars.
o She won her first title of the 2014 season with a score 11 under par total of 208.
o Hannah Burke of England, Fabienne In-Albon of Switzerland and Hyeon Seo Kang of South Korea tied for
second position while Vaishavi Sinha of India finished at fifth position.
Mumbai lad Dev Shah wins Under-7 World Schools Chess Championships in Brazil
o Dev, a trainee of South Mumbai Chess Academy and student of Dhrubhai Ambani School, was among three
boys who scored the highest score, 7.5 points out of 9, to tie with Ochirbat Lkhahvajamts of Mongolia and
Sindarov Islombek of Uzbekistan.
o The youngest Indian to become a rated chess player, seven-year-old Dev Shah, has become the world
champion in the Under-7 category in the World Schools Chess Championships that concluded at Juiz de Fora
in Brazil.
December 9
December 10
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December 11
December 12
December 13
December 14
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December 15
December 16
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December 18
December 20
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December 21
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December 22
Abhinav Bindra has won a gold medal in 58th National shooting Championship
o Olympic medalists Abhinav Bindra and Vijay Kumar clinched a gold medal each in 10-metre air rifle and 25metre standard pistol events respectively at the 58th National Shooting Championship.
o 10 meters air rifle:
Gold: Abhinav Bindra.
Silver: Satyendra Singh.
Bronze: Sanjeev Rajput.
o 25 meters standard:
Gold: Vijay kumar.
Silver: Gurpreet singh.
Bronze: Omkar singh.
58th National shooting Championship:
o Venue: Pune, Maharashtra
Holder appointed as West indies ODI Captain.
o Johnson Holder replaced the former captain Dwayne Bravo as West Indies ODI Captain.
o He will lead the team in ODI Series against South Africa.
Sachin Tendulkar named as Cricket World Cup 2015 Ambassador.
o The International Cricket Council announced Sachin Tendulkar as the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015
ambassador.
o The 11th edition of cricket world cup hosted Australia and Newzeland.
o Sachin played 6 editions in his career.
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December 23
December 27
Ankita Raina wins the 25,000 US dollar ITF singles Tennis title at Pune.
o The 21-year old Ahmedabad-born player defeated British teenager Katy Dunne in straight sets 6-2, 6-2 in
the final.
o She became the first Indian to clinch the title in the tournament after 14 years.
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Radhika Tulpule, the then national women's champion, had won it in the inaugural year of the tournament.
December 28
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The BCCI has banned discarded India left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha from bowling in competitive matches
due to suspect action as he will be heading to Chennai for taking corrective measures.
December 30
Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has decided to retire from Test cricket, citing strain of playing all
formats.
o The 33-year-old, who made his debut in 2005 and was captain for 60 of his 90 Tests, quit after India drew
the third Test against Australia.
o In 60 matches as captain, Dhoni had a decent 27 wins, 18 losses and 15 draws to show.
o In the 90 Tests that he was part of, Dhoni scored 4876 runs at an average of 38.09 with six hundreds and 33
50s to his credit.
o The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) called Dhoni "one of India's greatest Test captains".
o Virat Kohli will be the captain of the Indian Team for the Fourth and Final Test against Australia to be played
in Sydney from the 6th of January 2015
December 31
Portuguese football phenomenon Cristiano Ronaldo was voted by European sports reporters Europes best
football player of the year 2014 (for the second year in a row).
Banking Awareness
December 1
December 2
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In a statement, the bank said it has raised unsecured non-convertible reedemable 10 year Basel III
compliant Tier II bond of Rs. 750 crore at 8.95 per cent on a private placement basis. The bond issue was
closed.
Syndicate Bank's bond issue was assigned AA+ rating both by ICRA and CARE.
December 3
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o Thus, the bank would raise Rs. 626.23 crore by allotting shares on preferential basis to LIC.
SBI Card launches co-branded card with Future Group.
o SBI Card launched a co-branded credit card with Fashion at Big Bazaar (fbb), the fashion destination of the
Future Group, offering 10 per cent discount on fashion apparel.
o The co-branded Styleup Card will come with Rs. 500 joining gift and will offer a lifetime flat 10 per cent
discount on fashion apparel, footwear at all fbb and Big Bazaar stores, a joint statement said.
o Banks will also be held accountable to facilitate the redress of grievances stemming from its sale of thirdparty products.
RBI issues norms for trading platform for MSME receivables.
o To help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Wednesday
permitted setting up of an exchange-based trading platform to facilitate financing of bills raised by such
small entities to corporate and other buyers, including government departments and PSUs.
o Issuing detailed guidelines in this regard, RBI said the Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) should
have a minimum paid up equity capital of Rs. 25 crore and non-promoters would not hold over 10 per cent
of the equity capital of TReDS.
o Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), despite the important role played by them in the economic
fabric of the country, continue to face constraints in obtaining adequate finance, particularly in terms of
their ability to convert their trade receivables into liquid funds.
o TReDS will facilitate financing of invoices. bills of MSMEs drawn on corporate and other buyers, including
government departments and PSUs by way of discounting.
Union Cabinet approved Regional Rural Banks (Amendment) Bill, 2013.
o The Bill seeks to amend the Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) Act, 1976.
o The cabinet also decided that the term of the non-official directors appointed by the Union Government will
be fixed and should not exceed three years.
o Highlights
The Bill removes the five year upper limit mandated for Sponsor Banks to subscribe to the share capital
of RRBs, train their personnel and provide managerial and financial assistance, thus allowing such
assistance to continue beyond this duration.
It increases the authorized capital of RRBs from 5 crore rupees to 500 crore rupees and the threshold
limit from 25 lakh rupees to 1 crore rupees.
It increases the ability of Union government to specify the capital issued by an RRB from earlier 25 lakh
rupees 1 crore rupees to 1 crore rupees and beyond.
At present the shareholding pattern of RRB is 50 percent is subscribed to by the Union government, 15
percent by the concerned state government and 35 percent by the Sponsor Bank. The Bill permits an
RRB to raise capital from other sources in addition to Union government, concerned State government
and Sponsor Bank. In such case, however, the combined shareholding of the Union government and
the Sponsor Bank shall not be less than 51 percent.
It requires Union government to consult the concerned state government if the latters level of
shareholding falls below 15 percent.
The Bill provides for the appointment of Board of Directors by other entities also in addition to the
nominations made by the Union government, the concerned state government, the Reserve Bank of
India, NABARD and the Sponsor Bank. However, such nomination by other entities shall be in
proportion to the share held by such entities.
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The Bill removes the specification that the term of a director shall not exceed two years and that he
shall be eligible for re-nomination. However, this is only for directors other than those appointed by
the central government.
It retains the two year maximum term for directors appointed by the central government. Further, it
states that such a director shall be eligible for re-nomination provided that he does not hold office for
more than four years.
As per the Act, the books of an RRB should be closed and balanced as on December 31 every year. The Bill
changes the above date to March 31.
December 4
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o
o
According to the notification, ''The customer should not be unfairly discriminated against on grounds such
as gender, age, religion, caste and physical ability when offering and delivering financial products''.
In case of a violation of the charter, the affected customer can escalate the matter through the chief
customer relations officer of the service provider concerned, which can be further escalated to the banking
ombudsman, if necessary.
If a problem is systemic or if the sums of money involved are large, the regulator could step in.
It has also been communicated to the banks that the customers personal information should be kept
confidential unless the customer gives a go ahead for it to be shared. Customers have the right to
protection from all kinds of communications, electronic or otherwise, which infringe upon their privacy, said
the charter.
December 5
December 6
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After the completion of age of 10 years of the child, the child can herself operate the account. The scheme
is aimed at garnering small savings and channelising them for development of infrastructure.
Minimum & Maximum Limits:
An account can be opened with Rs. 1,000. It is required to deposit at least Rs. 1,000 or more in
multiples of Rs. 100 every year. If the minimum amount is not deposited, there will be a fine of Rs. 50
for every year of defaults.
One can deposit maximum of Rs. 1.5 lakh in one financial year. This is the same amount on which tax
benefit is available under Section 80C of Income Tax.
Withdrawal norms:
The deposit is required to be made for 14 years from the date of opening of account, which will be
operated by the parents or legal guardian till the girl child attains the age of 10 years, after which she
can operate the account while parents can deposit the money.
Though the account will mature in 21 years from the date of opening of account, one can withdraw half
of the balance (at the end of preceding financial year) for higher education and marriage, but only after
the girl attains the age of 18 years. The account will be closed if the girl marries before the maturity
period.
December 7
December 8
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December 10
Axis Bank starts 20-year home loan scheme at fixed rate of 10.4 per cent for loans of up to Rs. 50 lakh.
o The limited period offer is only for affordable housing segment for loan size of up to Rs. 50 lakh.
o The new offer is 25 bps, or 0.25 per cent, above its base rate (below which it cannot lend), currently pegged
at 10.15 per cent.
December 11
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State Bank of India (SBI) launched a tool that will primarily track manufacturing activity to offer a forwardlooking economic trends, giving the country another monthly economic index.
December 16
December 17
Existing account enough to avail Pradhan Manthri Jan Dhan Yojana benefits.
o A person who is already having a bank account with any bank, will just have to get issued a RuPay card in his
existing account to get benefit of accidental insurance
o Accidental insurance of Rs. 1 lakh will be available to all RuPay card holders between 18-70 years. They will
need to use their RuPay card once in 45 days of receipt of the card to get the benefit.
o The accidental claim intimation should be given to bank within 30 days from the date of accident.
December 18
December 22
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December 23
December 29
Delhi has become the First City to achieve 100 per cent enrolment under Prime Minister Jan Dhan Yojana
(PMJDY).
Bank accounts of more than 31.63 lakh families have been opened under the scheme in the national
capital.
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