 Indian skipper Virat Kohli is one of the five players named in the Wisden Cricketers of the Decade. Kohli, who has scored 5,775 more international runs than anyone else in the last 10 years, has arguably been the best batsman over the last decade. Kohli joins Australian batsman Steve Smith, and South Africans, Dale Steyn, and AB de Villiers. Australian all-rounder Ellyse Perry is the only female cricketer in the list. |
| Source: The Hindu |
 Niranjan Hiranandani has taken over as the new president of The Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India (Assocham), the country’s apex organisation of industry and trade. He will succeed Balkrishan Goenka, the Welspun Group Chairman. Niranjan Hiranandani is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of the Hiranandani Group of Companies. |
| Source: The Business Standard |
 Abhinav Lohan has won the Bengaluru Open Golf Championship 2019 powered by Karnataka Tourism. This was Lohan’s first title on the TATA Steel PGTI. Karandeep Kochhar finished the championship as runner up. With the victory, Lohan has become the 4th Indian golfer to register his maiden title on the TATA Steel PGTI. Abhinav Lohan was part of the Indian team that won the silver medal at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou. |
| Source: The News On AIR |
 NITI Aayog, the policy think tank of Government will launch the second edition of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) India Index and Dashboard 2019–20 on 30 December 2019 at NITI Aayog, New Delhi. The first edition of SDG India Index was launched in December 2018. It was the first tool developed by any large country to monitor progress towards achieving SDGs at sub-national level. NITI Aayog has the mandate of overseeing adoption as well as monitoring of SDGs in India, at the national and sub-national level. |
| About SDG India Index and Dashboard 2019–20 The SDG India Index and Dashboard 2019 documents the progress made by India’s States and Union Territories (UTs) towards implementing the 2030 SDG targets. Besides indicating where the States and UTs currently are on SDG implementation, the Index and Dashboard also charts distance to be travelled to reach SDG targets. It has been developed by Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) in collaboration with United Nations in India, and Global Green Growth Institute. Index and Dashboard 2019 covers 16 out of 17 SDGs and a qualitative assessment on Goal 17. This marks an improvement over 2018 Index, which covered only 13 goals. On the basis of progress made, the Index ranks all States and UTs on 100 indicators drawn from MoSPI’s National Indicator Framework, comprising of 306 indicators. |
 The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the transfer of administrative control of Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL), the Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU) implementing Assam Gas Cracker Project (AGCP) from Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals (under Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers) to Union Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MOP&NG). |
| Other CCCEA Approval CCEA also approved feedstock subsidy to BCPL for 15 years of plant operation for maintaining minimum Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of 10% (after tax). To bring IRR to 10%, BCPL has estimated feedstock subsidy of approximately Rs.4600 crore for project for 15 years of plant operation. Therefore, BCPL will submit proposal on yearly basis from next financial year (2020-2021) onwards and administrative Ministry/ Department will devise a mechanism to examine proposal in consultation with Union Ministry of Finance. Union Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas will have to make firm arrangements through concerned PSUs for supply of committed quantity and quality of feedstock to AGC project as envisaged in earlier CCEA approval of 2006. |
| About Assam Gas Cracker Project (AGCP) The project came as part of historic Assam Accord signed on 15 August 1985, with a view to bring socioeconomic development of region, thus it is seen as a part of implementation of Assam accord. It and involves setting up of facilities for manufacture of 2 lakh tonnes of ethylene annually using gas as feedstock. It is the first petrochemical project in the northeastern region of country. The 1st phase of long-delayed project was commissioned in late 2015. The Rs.9,285-crore project is the first petrochemical project in the northeastern region of country and would give impetus to development of region as well as will improve the socio economic conditions of people of Assam through increased employment. |
 Union Cabinet has given its approval for signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Republic of India and Federative Republic of Brazil on Bioenergy Cooperation. |
| Background In 2016, during the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of Brazil in India, the two sides agreed to cooperate on research and development (R&D) of renewable energies, and in field of 2nd-generation biofuels. Therefore, in this regard, an MoU was also signed between two sides to provides a framework to cooperate as well as to promote investment in biofuel, bioelectricity and biogas supply-chains including industrial conversion, feedstock, distribution and end use sectors. |
| India-Brazil Energy Demand Brazil is one of the most important trading partners of India in entire Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region. Both countries are also major consumers of energy in world. Brazil is currently world’s 2nd largest producer and consumer of biofuels. Moreover, biofuels and bioelectricity accounts for 18% of Brazil’s energy mix. India having strong focus in area of bio-fuels, has set a target to achieve 20% blending of ethanol in petrol and 5% blending of biodiesel in diesel by 2030. For this purpose India has also announced new policy on Biofuels in 2018. |
 The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI) signed an agreement to develop new drugs and repurposing of drugs for India and for global markets. The team research work is also joined by Cipla. |
| What is Drug Repurposing? Drug repurposing is identifying new uses of approved or investigational drugs. It is used to treat common and rare diseases. The main advantage of using repurposing drugs is its reduced development cost, shortened development timings and increased use of de-risked compounds. |
| Cipla association with the institutes The association of Cipla with the institutes has its origin in 1942. Cipla has also worked with the institutes in formulating the famous drugs called chandonium iodide in 1995. The drug is used against neuro muscular blockers. The drug was a huge hit in Indian and global markets. The gugulipid drug used for treating hypolipidemic was also developed under such venture. |
| CSIR The CSIR having a pan-India presence is known for its research and development in S&T areas. It includes oceanography, space physics, drugs, biotechnology, etc. CSIR is currently implementing a mission “New CSIR for New India” to be completed by 2022. The vision of the mission is to enable innovation-driven industry and catalyze inclusive economic development. The institute holds 84th rank among 4851 institutions in the world according to the Scimago institutions ranking world report. |
 The Cabinet Committee On Security (CCS) chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the creation of a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) post that will function as a single point of contact for different branches of armed forces. CCS also approved the report of a high-level committee headed by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, which finalised responsibilities and framework for operation of CDS. In the present structure, the Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee (CSC) is Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) Bipin Rawat. However, he does not function in capacity of a CDS. |
About Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)
A CDS would be a four-star general- from either of the Indian Armed Forces- the Army, the Air Force or the Navy and will be payable to a salary equal to a service chief. The CDS post will have a fixed term, that is yet to be determined. [All five permanent members (P-5 nations) of United Nations Security Council (UNSC)- have equivalent posts].
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 The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and National Physical Laboratory (NPL) developed an ink to combat the problem of fake printing of passports and counterfeiting of currency notes. The ink has a new security feature o protecting itself against duplicity |
| Key facts of the discovery The ink was produced based on single excitable dual emissive luminescent pigment. It was developed based on the concept of fluorescence and phosphorescence phenomena. Currently, the currency notes display only one color with the emission of wavelength. However, in the ink developed by the scientists features changes in pigment color after the notes are printed. In ambient light the ink shows white color. When the ink is exposed to UV light, it turns red and when the UV source is switched OFF it turns green. |
| Why the new ink? According to the annual report of RBI (2018-19), the risk of duplication of Rs 500 and Rs 2000 notes are higher. The report says that recently launched 500 rupees notes are accounted to 121% of duplication and Rs 2000 notes are accounted to 21.9% duplication. |
| Fluorescence and Phosphorescence Both in phosphorescence and fluorescence the radiation is electromagnetic and is spontaneous. In case of fluorescence, the radiation stops after the source is switched off. On the other hand, in phosphorescence, the glow continues for few hours. |
 President Ram Nath Kovind released the mobile app of the Red Cross Society of India in Hyderabad. This app is developed by the Telangana Centre for Good Governance in less than three months, the mobile app is accessible in all languages. The developers informed that the access to blood bank and Red Cross membership will become easy with the launching of the mobile app. |
| Source: The News on AIR |
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