HEADLINES

❖ Legendary off-spinner R Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket

❖ The annual funding to the agricultural sector has increased nearly six times over the past decade
❖ SEBI tightens norms for Investment advisors
❖ Tulsi Gowda, the Encyclopaedia of Forest, passed away at the age of 86
❖ India has become the third-largest smartphone exporter in the world
❖ Giving alms to beggars will be a crime in Indore from January 1,2025
❖ In recognition of his Italian ancestry, the Italian government awarded citizenship to Argentine President Javier
Milei
❖ Ayodhya’s Ram Temple won the ‘Sword of Honour’ award for safety excellence
❖ First Ever Tagging of Gangetic Dolphin in Assam under Project Dolphin

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 ❖ India Moldova signs Migration and Mobility Partnership Pact
❖ Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in India became the first to connect 150 destinations
❖ Rama Mohan Rao Amara Appointed as SBI’s New Managing Director
❖ CBIC Launches New Initiatives to Enhance Taxpayer Services
❖ OPEC Fund Approves $1 Billion in Development Aid

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 Legendary off-spinner R Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket
➢ The 38-year-old veteran made the announcement soon after the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy ended in a draw.
➢ He played in only one of the first three Tests of the ongoing series against Australia, taking one for 53 in the day-night
match in Adelaide.
➢ On 6 November 2011, he made his Test debut for India against the West Indies in Delhi.
➢ Ashwin is India's second-highest wicket-taker in international or Test cricket.
➢ In his illustrious career, he has taken 537 wickets in 106 Test matches, making him second only to Anil Kumble, who has
taken 619 wickets.
➢ He has also scored six centuries and 14 half-centuries in Test
cricket.
➢ Ashwin has also played 116 ODIs and 65 T20 Internationals for
India, taking 156 and 72 wickets, respectively.
➢ Ashwin is set to continue playing in the T20 tournament and will
represent the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2025.

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 The annual funding to the agricultural sector has increased nearly six times over the past
decade
➢ The budget allocation for the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has increased six-fold, from around Rs 21
thousand crore in 2013-14 to Rs 1 lakh 22 thousand crore in 2024-25.
➢ The major schemes being implemented for the welfare of farmers include Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-
KISAN), Pradhan Mantri Kisan Mandhan Yojana (PM-KMY), Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), and
Agriculture Infrastructure Fund.
➢ The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has released a compilation of success stories of 75,000 farmers.
➢ They have more than doubled their income through the convergence of schemes run by the Ministry of Agriculture and
Farmers Welfare and allied ministries.
➢ Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ram Nath
Thakur said that farming is a state subject, hence, state governments
need to take appropriate steps for the development of agriculture.
➢ However, the Government of India supports these efforts through
appropriate policy measures, budgetary allocations, and various
schemes.

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 SEBI tightens norms for Investment advisors

➢ Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has mandated that a person giving investment advice must be
qualified and registered under the Investment Advisor Regulations (IA Regulations), 2013.
➢ The amendment also throws light on the use of AI in providing investment advice.
➢ It also gives responsibility to investment advisors for the security, confidentiality, and integrity of client data and the
accuracy of the advice generated.
➢ The proposed amendment also suggested key changes to the definition of ‘Investment Advice’.
➢ It also defined the qualifications for a person to be an investment advisor.

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 Tulsi Gowda, the Encyclopaedia of Forest, passed away at the age of 86

➢ Padma Shri awardee Tulsi Gowda, known as the “tree goddess” by the Halakki tribal community, passed away
from age-related ailments.
➢ She dedicated her life to nurturing nature, planting thousands of saplings, and conserving our environment.
➢ She was also known as the ‘encyclopedia of the forest’.
➢ She was an autodidact with extraordinary knowledge of forests.

➢ She directly supported afforestation efforts, preventing poaching, and mitigating forest fires
that threatened local wildlife.
➢ She has planted and nurtured over 1 lakh trees across Karnataka.
➢ Her contributions have strengthened one community reserve, five tiger reserves, and 15
conservation reserves.

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 India has become the third-largest smartphone exporter in the world.

➢ India, which was ranked 23rd in 2019, has now become the 3rd largest exporter of smartphones in the world.
➢ According to data submitted by companies and data compiled from industry associations, the country's smartphone
exports have also crossed the Rs 20 thousand crore mark in a single month in November 2024.
➢ The country's smartphone exports reached 20,395 crore rupees last month, marking an impressive 92% increase compared
to the same month last year, when the exports were 10,634 crore rupees.
➢ This achievement is much more than the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme’s commitment to export 70-75% of the
production value in FY 2024-25.
➢ In November, Apple emerged as the leader with exports worth Rs 14,000 crore,
the highest ever for the company in India.

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 Giving alms to beggars will be a crime in Indore from January 1,2025

➢ Indore District Administration has announced that from January 1, 2025, FIR will be registered if anyone is caught giving
alms to beggars.
➢ This rule was initially implemented only for child beggars. This approach has now been extended to include the elderly as
well.
➢ This initiative is part of the administration's broader goal of making Indore a beggar-free city.
➢ The administration will launch a public awareness campaign this month about the disadvantages of donating to beggars.
➢ From January 1, the government will take strict action against those who continue to give alms.
➢ Officials believe that discouraging the giving of money will help break the cycle of begging.
➢ The city is working to identify beggars and help them find other
ways to support themselves.
➢ Ongoing efforts include rescuing child beggars and placing
them in government shelters, with over 35 children rescued
since July.

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 In recognition of his Italian ancestry, the Italian government awarded citizenship to
Argentine President Javier Milei
➢ Because of his ancestry, Javier Milei, whose grandparents immigrated to Argentina from Italy, was awarded Italian
citizenship.
➢ The ruling has drawn criticism, especially from those who oppose Italy's citizenship policy.
➢ The contradiction of awarding citizenship to people with distant Italian heritage but refusing it to children of immigrants
born in Italy is cited by critics.
➢ In contrast to the US, Italy does not immediately award citizenship to children born within its boundaries, regardless of
whether the parents are lawfully present.

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 Ayodhya’s Ram Temple won the ‘Sword of Honour’ award for safety excellence
➢ The Ram temple project in Ayodhya received the prestigious ‘Sword of Honour’ award from the British Safety Council.
➢ The award recognises the Ram temple project’s commitment to maintaining stringent safety protocols during its
construction.
➢ The construction of the first and second floors, including the temple's “Shikhar”.
➢ The Ram temple has been constructed by using about 15 lakh cubic feet of Bansi Paharpur stone sourced from Rajasthan.
➢ The British Safety Council conducts a comprehensive audit of processes and practices.
➢ The Sword of Honour award is one of the highest accolades in safety management.
➢ This firm had earlier received the ‘Golden Trophy’ from the National Safety Council for its exemplary safety measures at
the temple site.

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 First Ever Tagging of Gangetic Dolphin in Assam under Project Dolphin
➢ In a landmark effort in wildlife conservation, a male Gangetic Dolphin has been satellite tagged at Kulsi, a tributary of the
Brahmaputra River in Assam. It was for the first time in India and the world that the Gangetic River Dolphin was tagged.
➢ The tagging of India’s national aquatic animal, the Gangetic River Dolphin, is part of Project Dolphin of the Union
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to track the movement pattern of the highly endangered species.
➢ The data collected from the tagged dolphin will help conservationists better understand the species' movement range and
habitat, which will help them devise a more robust conservation plan.

➢ The tagging of the dolphin was an initiative of the Union Ministry of

Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
➢ It was implemented by the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, in
collaboration with the Assam Forest Department and Aaranyak, a
prominent biodiversity conservation group in Assam.
➢ The funding for the initiative came from the National CAMPA
(Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority).
➢ The Gangetic River Dolphin (scientific name Platanista gangetica) is also
known as the blind dolphin, Ganges susu or Hihu’s.
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➢ According to the Wildlife Institute of India, there are around 4000 River Dolphins in India, of which around 2000 are found
in Uttar Pradesh.
➢ The River Dolphin is not a fish but a mammal.
➢ They are found in certain stretches of India’s Ganga-Brahmaputra-Barak river system, Nepal’s Karnali, Sapta Koshi, and
Narayani rivers, and Bangladesh’s Meghna, Karnaphuli, and Sangu Rivers.
➢ The Gangetic River Dolphins are mainly found in the mainstream of the Ganga River and its tributaries, Ghaghra, Kosi,
Gandak, Chambal, Rupnarayan, and Yamuna.
➢ National Dolphin Day is celebrated annually on October 5th

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 India Moldova signs Migration and Mobility Partnership Pact
➢ The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Moldova, Mihail Popsoi, was on an official visit to India in
December 2024.
➢ During his visit, India and Moldova signed three agreements, including a Migration and Mobility Partnership
agreement, to strengthen the bilateral ties.
➢ Moldova, a small European country, was earlier a part of the Soviet Union. It gained its independence in August 1991
after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
➢ During his visit to India, he met External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar.

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➢ During the visit of the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Moldova, Mihail Popsoi, to India, three agreements
were signed between the two countries.
➢ Declaration of Intent on a Migration and Mobility Partnership.
➢ Moldova signed a Framework Agreement to join the International Solar Alliance.
➢ Memorandum of Understanding between the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service, Ministry of External Affairs of
India, and the Diplomatic Institute, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Moldova, to enhance cooperation in diplomatic training.
About the Republic of Moldova
➢ Capital: Chisinau
➢ Currency: Moldovan leu
➢ Prime Minister: Dorin Recean

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Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in India became the first to connect 150 destinations
➢ Delhi airport becomes India’s first airport to connect 150 destinations
➢ The New Delhi airport has become the first airport in India to connect 150 destinations.
➢ Notably, DIAL, operates and manages the IGI Airport in New Delhi.
➢ As per DIAL, Thai AirAsia X launched direct flights between Delhi and Bangkok-Don Mueang (DMK),
➢ Marking the 150th destination connected to Delhi Airport.
➢ The ongoing induction of wide-body aircraft by Indian carriers is set to transform Delhi Airport into a super-connector hub,
reinforcing its position as a leading choice for international and long-haul travel.

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 Rama Mohan Rao Amara Appointed as SBI’s New Managing Director
➢ The Indian government has appointed Rama Mohan Rao Amara as the new Managing Director (MD) of State Bank of
India (SBI) for a period of three years.
➢ His appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) and follows a recommendation by
the Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB).
➢ Amara takes over the position previously held by CS Setty, who assumed charge as Chairman of SBI in August.
➢ With his extensive experience in various roles within SBI, Amara is set to lead the bank through crucial phases of growth
and development.
About SBI
➢ Founded: 1st May 1955
➢ Chairmen: Challa sreenivasulu Shetty
➢ Location: Mumbai

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 CBIC Launches New Initiatives to Enhance Taxpayer Services
➢ The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has recently implemented several initiatives aimed at improving
the taxpayer experience and enhancing transparency.
➢ These changes reflect the government’s commitment to streamlining business processes and making tax compliance easier
for citizens.
➢ The CBIC has introduced an updated Citizen’s Charter, which outlines clearer timelines and service standards for
critical taxpayer services.
➢ It encompasses areas such as Drawbacks and the Import and
Export of Air Cargo. The initiative aims to increase transparency
and accountability in taxpayer services
➢ A new feature called the ‘Ease of Doing Business’ tab has been
launched.
➢ This allows taxpayers to submit suggestions directly to the CBIC.
➢ The idea originated from discussions held at Chintan Shivir
2023. This feature encourages taxpayer participation in
improving tax procedures, encouraging a more business-friendly
environment.
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 OPEC Fund Approves $1 Billion in Development Aid
➢ The OPEC Fund for International Development has recently approved nearly $1 billion in funding to support various
development projects worldwide.
➢ This decision was made during the 190th Governing Board meeting held in Vienna and aims to address critical areas
such as infrastructure, food security, renewable energy, and economic resilience.
➢ The approved funds will benefit twenty-two countries across four continents.
➢ Notable beneficiaries include Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Türkiye in Asia; Burkina Faso, Chad, and Kenya in Africa;
Montenegro in Europe; and El Salvador, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic in Latin America.
➢ The projects funded will primarily concentrate on sustainable development. The emphasis will be on enhancing
infrastructure, ensuring food security, promoting renewable energy, and strengthening economic resilience in the targeted
regions. This aligns with global efforts to combat climate change.
About OPEC
➢ Headquarters: Vienna, Austria
➢ Founded: 14 September 1960
➢ Secretary General: Haitham al-Ghais

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