Daily Current Affairs and GK | 13 December 2024

Topic: Awards and Prizes

1. Donald Trump has been named ‘Person of the Year’ for 2024 by TIME magazine.

• U.S. President-elect Donald Trump became the ‘Person of the Year’ for 2024 by TIME magazine.
• He was also elected Time's Person of the Year in 2016 when he became President for the first time.
• Trump will be the first convicted criminal to take the presidential oath.
• Kamala Harris, Elon Musk, Benjamin Netanyahu and Kate, the Princess of Wales were also nominated for this honour.
• Taylor Swift was named Time Magazine's Person of the year in 2023.

Topic: State News/ Uttar Pradesh

2. PM Modi launched ‘Sahayak’ chatbot to assist visitors during the Mahakumbh.

• The chatbot is expected to make the event more organised and accessible.
• Kumbh Mela will be organized from 13th January to 26 February 2025.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi also inaugurated projects worth 7,000 crore rupees to bolster infrastructure in Prayagraj.
• It includes the construction of 10 new Road Bridges and flyovers, permanent ghats, and riverfront roads.
• He will also inaugurate projects for preventing untreated sewage from flowing into the Ganga.
• Mahakumbh exhibition site will also showcase preparations for the upcoming Kumbh Mela.

Topic: National News

3. 'Green Steel Taxonomy for India' unveiled by Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy.

• On 12 December, the Taxonomy of Green Steel for India unveiled by Union Minister of Steel and Heavy Industries, H D Kumaraswamy, in New Delhi.
• Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Kumaraswamy said India is committed to decarbonizing the steel sector by 2070 in line with the net-zero emission intensity target.
• India is the first country to release a Green Steel Taxonomy.
• He said this would be a historic milestone in India's journey towards low-emission steel.
• However, the Green Steel Taxonomy will be achieved by the Ministry with the help of all industry stakeholders to reduce emission intensity to 2.2 tCO2 per tonne by 2030, ensuring global competitiveness and sustainable growth.

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

4. 15th India-UAE Joint Commission Meeting co-chaired by EAM Jaishankar and his UAE counterpart.

• On 13 December, the 15th India-UAE Joint Commission Meeting was co-chaired by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in New Delhi.
• On 12 December, the fourth India-UAE Strategic Dialogue was also co-chaired by the two leaders in New Delhi.
• On December 11, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the UAE arrived in New Delhi to participate in the 4th Strategic Dialogue and the 15th India-UAE Joint Commission Meeting.
• India and the UAE have had trading relations for centuries, and the UAE was the fourth largest FDI investor in India in 2022-2023.
• An investment of $75 billion in India's infrastructure sector has been committed by the United Arab Emirates in the coming time.

Topic: MoUs/ Agreements

5. A deal worth Rs 13,500 Cr for 12 Su-30 fighters has been signed with HAL by the Defence Ministry.

• On December 12, a contract was signed between the Ministry of Defence and M/s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the procurement of 12 Su-30MKI aircraft along with associated equipment.
• The contract has been signed at an estimated cost of Rs 13,500 crore, including taxes and duties, giving a major boost to the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
• The aircraft will have 62.6% indigenous components and materials.
• These components will be manufactured by the Indian defense industry, promoting indigenization.
• These aircraft will be manufactured by HAL's Nashik division.
• The supply of these aircraft will enhance the operational capability of the Indian Air Force and strengthen the country's defence preparedness.

Topic: Sports

6. Indian Grandmaster Dommaraju Gukesh became the youngest chess champion in the world.

• Gukesh won 18th World Chess Championship by defeating China’s Ding Liren in final and 14th match of the FIDE World Chess Championship in Singapore.
• India’s 18-year-old prodigy scored 7.5 points while Ding got 6.5 points.
• In total 14 matches, Gukesh won three. Ding won in two. Rest nine matches were drawn.
• Gukesh beat the record previously held by Garry Kasparov.
• Garry Kasparov became the world chess champion at age of 22.
• Gukesh is the second world champion from India after Viswanathan Anand.

Topic: Indian Economy

7. A growth of 3.5% have been recorded in India’s industrial output in October 2024.

• India’s industrial output grew from 3.1% in September 2024 to three-month high level of 3.5% in October 2024.
• India’s Index of Industrial Production increased by 3.5% in October 2024.
• In October 2024, manufacturing output grew 4.1% year-on-year.
• Electricity generation grew 2% and mining output grew 0.9%.
• In the April-October 2024, industrial output (IIP) grew 4%.
• Within manufacturing sector, 18 of 23 industry groups recorded growth as against October 2023.
• “Manufacture of basic metals” (3.5%), “Manufacture of electrical equipment” (33.1%) and “Manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products” (5.6%) were largest contributors.
• Top 3 sectors contributing to overall IIP growth in October 2024 are primary goods, intermediate goods and consumer durables.
• Infrastructure/Construction goods grew by 4.0% in October 2024 over October 2023.
• Intermediate goods grew at 3.7% in October 2024 over October 2023. Consumer durables grew at 5.9% in October 2024 over October 2023.
• Capital goods grew at 3.1% in October 2024 over October 2023.
• Primary goods grew at 2.6% in October 2024 over October 2023.
• Consumer non-durables grew at 2.7% in October 2024.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

8. 9th India-Thailand Defence Dialogue held in New Delhi.

• It is co-chaired by Joint Secretary of International Cooperation Amitabh Prasad and Thailand’s Deputy Permanent Secretary for Defence Gen Tharapong Malakam.
• Both sides also agreed on the establishment of a Joint Working Group to effectively steer and monitor the cooperation in the areas of the defence industry.
• Both sides also agreed to exchange subject matter experts between the Indian and the Thai Armed Forces.
• They also proposed exploring possibilities for co-design, co-production, and co-development in the defence industry.
• Thailand is India’s maritime neighbour and an important partner in India’s Act East Policy and the Indo-Pacific region.
• Thailand appreciated the capability of the Indian defence industry ecosystem
• Thailand’s ‘Act West’ Policy support India’s ‘Act East’ Policy for enhancing cooperation in bilateral relations.

Topic: Sports

9. Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.

• Saudi Arabia will be the host nation for the 2034 men's football World Cup.
• Saudi Arabia will become the second nation from the Middle East to host this football event.
• Matches will be held across 15 stadiums in five host cities in Saudi Arabia: Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Khobar, Abha, and Neom.
• Spain, Portugal and Morocco were named as co-hosts for the 2030 edition.
• The 2030 and 2034 World Cups each had only a single bid and both were confirmed by acclamation.

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

10. World Ayurveda Congress and Ayurveda Expo started in Dehradun from 12 December.

• This prestigious event will provide an important platform for research, development and breakthroughs in the field of Ayurveda.
• The theme of this year's event is “Digital Health, Ayurvedic Approach,” which focuses on the integration of traditional Ayurveda with modern technological advancements.
• Over 5,500 Indian delegates and over 350 international participants are attending the four-day conference, who will discuss the latest technologies and research related to Ayurveda and healthcare.
• Special emphasis will be laid on incorporating cutting-edge technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality and Blockchain in the field of Ayurveda.
• The exhibition will showcase products and services of leading Ayurvedic institutions from India and abroad.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Sports

11. India finished at sixth in the Asian Women's Handball Championship after losing to China.

• On December 10, India finished sixth at the Asian Women's Handball Championship (AWHC) after losing 30-41 to 10-time silver medallists China, their best-ever performance.
• India gave a tough fight to China in the fifth-sixth place playoff match but lost the match.
• Japan won 25-24 after beating defending and record champions South Korea in a thrilling final.
• Japan won their second title, breaking South Korea's streak of winning seven consecutive championships.
• Earlier, Kazakhstan defeated Iran 28–22 in the third-place play-off match to win their second bronze medal of the tournament.
• The 20th edition of the Asian Women's Handball Championship was held from December 3 to December 10, 2024, in New Delhi, India.
• This was the first time that India hosted the event.

Topic: State News/ Delhi

12. Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Scheme has been launched by the Delhi Government.

• Under this scheme, a monthly assistance of ₹1,000 to women in Delhi.
• This amount would be raised to ₹2,100 after the elections.
• The scheme was announced in the 2024-25 budget with an allocation of ₹2,000 crore.
• It is expected to benefit approximately 38 lakh women out of the 67 lakh women voters in the city.
• The criteria of the scheme are as follows:
  • Permanent resident of Delhi.
  • Annual family income should not exceed ₹3 lakh.
  • The applicant must be female and 18 years or older.
  • Must not be government employment or taxpayer, and pensions.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

13. President Droupadi Murmu conferred an honorary General Rank to Nepali Army Chief Ashok Raj Sigdel.

• Ashok Raj Sigdel has received the award for his military prowess and contribution to fostering Nepal’s long and friendly association with India.
• Since 1950, there has been a tradition of conferring the title of Honorary General to the Army Chiefs of Nepal and India.
• He also visited Defence Industries in Pune and the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun.
• Nepali Army Chief Ashok Raj Sigdel will be in India from December 11-14.

(Source: News on AIR)