1. City of Joy' author Dominique Lapierre dies at the age of 91
Tags: Books and Authors Person in news
The Author of the bestselling books on India like "Freedom at Midnight" and "City of Joy" Dominique Lapierre died on 4 December 2022. He was 91 years old.
The French author Dominique Lapierre in partnership with the American writer Larry Collins wrote six books which have sold more than 50 million copies worldwide.
Books co -authored by Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins
- Is Paris Burning?
- O Jerusalem,
- The Fifth Horseman,
- Is New York Burning?
- City of Joy and
- Freedom at Midnight.
Or I'll Dress You in Mourning", was authored by Dominique Lapierre only.
City of joy was about the hardships of a rickshaw puller in Kolkata. The book Freedom at Midnight was on the Independence movement in India.
2. Unnati Hooda settles for a silvers as India wins 5 medals at the Badminton Asia Junior Championships
Tags: place in news Sports Person in news
Top Seeded Unnati Hooda had to settle for a silver medal after she lost to Sarunrak Vitidsarn of Thailand in the final of the under 17 women's singles of the Badminton Asia Junior Championships held in Nonthaburi, Thailand on 4 December 2022.
Top Seeded Unnati Hooda lost to Sarunrak Vitidsarn of Thailand in the finals and had to settle for silver in the under 17 women's singles final of the Badminton Asia Junior Championships held in Nonthaburi, Thailand on 4 December 2022. Unnati Hooda earlier created history by becoming the first Indian to enter the U-17 women’s singles final at the Asia Junior Championships.
India finished the Badminton Asia Junior Championships 2022 with 5 medals -3 silver and 2 bronze medals.
On the last day of the championships India won two more silver medals.
Anish Thoppnai lost to Chung-Hsiang Yih of Chinese Taipei in the under -15 men’s singles to settle for a silver.
Arsh Mohammad and Sanskar Saraswat lost to Chinese Taipei’s Lai Po Yu and Yi-Hao Lin in the men’s under-17 doubles.
Bronze medal winner for India
India’s under-15 men’s doubles pair of Bjorn Jaison and Aathish Sreenivas PV also had to settle for a bronze medal after they lost their semi-final to top seeds Muhammad Mubarrok and Raihan Pramono of Indonesia.
India’s Gnana Datt lost to Chung-Hsiang Yih of Chinese Taipei in the -15 men’s semi-final to settle for a bronze medal.
At the last edition held in 2019 in Suzhou, China, India’s Tasnim Mir and Tara Shah clinched gold and silver medals, respectively, in the U-15 women’s singles event.
Badminton Asia Junior Championships 2022
The Badminton Asia Junior Championships 2022 was organised by Badminton Asia at Nonthaburi, Thailand from 29 November to 4 December 2022.
The championship was held for men’s and women’s under15 and under 17 categories. It involved singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles.
It was first held in 1997 and is being held every year. The 2020 and 2021 edition was not held due to covid pandemic.
3. World Champion Rudrankksh Patil wins ISSF President’s Cup held in Egypt
Tags: place in news Sports Person in news
The current world champion Rudrankksh Patil of India defeated world No. 1 Danilo Sollazzo of Italy in the men’s 10m air rifle final to win the gold medal at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) President’s Cup 2022 in Cairo, Egypt, 2 December 2022.
The ISSF Presidents Cup is the season finale of the International Shooting Sport Federation yearlong competition where top ranked shooters of the year are invited. It was held from 28 November -4 December 2022 in Cairo, Egypt.
Rudrankksh Patil was awarded the Golden Target award, given to the best athlete of the year in the category by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF).
Tokyo Olympian and world No. 4 Anjum Moudgil, had to settle for silver after narrowly losing to Anna Janssen of Germany in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions final.
India finished the ISSF President’s Cup 2022 with two medals - one gold and one silver.
At the 2021 edition of the ISSF President’s Cup, India won five medals - two golds, two silvers and one bronze.
International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF)
It is an international body which governs International shooting.
It was founded in 1907 as International Shooting Union and later renamed as ISSF in 1998.
Headquarters: Munich, Germany
President: Vladimir Lisin
4. International conference on “J C Bose: A Satyagrahi Scientist” organized in New Delhi
Tags: place in news National Summits Person in news
The Union Ministry of Culture organised an “International conference on the contributions of J C Bose: A Satyagrahi Scientist” at the Inter-University Accelerator Centre, New Delhi on 3 December 2022 on the occasion of 164th birth anniversary of legendary Indian scientist Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose.
The aim of the conference was to acknowledge and popularize the contributions of Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose.
Jagdish Chandra Bose
JC Bose was born on 30 November 1858 in Mymensingh (Bangladesh) and died on 23 November 1937 at Giridih, Jharkhand.
He was a Plant Physiologist and physicist who invented the crescograph, a device for measuring the growth of plants. He for the first time demonstrated that plants have feelings.
He discovered wireless communication and was named the Father of Radio Science by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering.
A crater on the moon is named in his honour.
He established Bose Institute in Kolkata in 1917 which is the first interdisciplinary research centre in Asia.
5. 3 Indian-Origin Women Scientists Among Australia's "Superstars of STEM"
Tags: Person in news International News
Three Indian-origin women among 60 scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians have been selected as Australia's 'STEM Superstars'.
Important facts
It is an initiative aimed at breaking the gendered perceptions of society about scientists.
In 2022, three Indian-origin women to be recognized as STEM superstars are Neelima Kadiala, Dr. Ana Baburamani and Dr. Indrani Mukherjee.
Apart from Indians, women scientists of Sri Lankan origin have also been selected in this.
About Australia’s ‘Superstars of STEM'
Each year Science and Technology Australia (STA), the country's apex body in this field and representing more than 105,000 scientists and technologists, selects 60 Australian experts working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Neelima Kadiyala
Kadiala is an IT Program Manager at Challenger Limited and has 15 years of experience across multiple industries including Financial Services, Telco and FMCG.
She moved to Australia in 2003 as an international student to pursue a Master of Business in Information Systems.
Dr. Ana Baburamani
Baburamani is Scientific Adviser in the Department of Defense - Science and Technology Group and has always been fascinated by how the brain develops and functions.
Baburamani completed her PhD at Monash University and has spent 10 years as a post-doctoral researcher in Europe.
Dr. Indrani Mukherjee
Ms Mukherjee is a geologist at the University of Tasmania and focuses on what drove the biological transition.
She is working as a postdoctoral researcher in Tasmania, as well as in the areas of public outreach, geoscience communication and diversity initiatives.
6. The 138th birth anniversary of the country's first President Dr. Rajendra Prasad was celebrated
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President Droupadi Murmu has paid floral tributes to the first President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad on his 138th birth anniversary at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 3 December.
Important facts
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also paid tribute to former President Dr. Rajendra Prasad on his birth anniversary.
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar also remembered Dr. Rajendra Prasad on his birth anniversary.
About Dr. Rajendra Prasad
Dr. Rajendra Prasad was the first President of independent India. He was one of the prominent leaders of the Indian National Movement.
He left his legal profession for the freedom struggle. He was also an Indian independence activist, lawyer and scholar.
He also served as the Food and Agriculture Minister in the central government after the 1946 elections.
He also served as the President of the Constituent Assembly of India.
He was born on 3rd December 1884 in Zeradai, District Siwan in Bihar.
He did his MA (Economics) from the University of Calcutta in 1907 and joined the Dawn Society and the Servants of India Society.
He won a doctorate in law from Allahabad University.
He started practice in the Patna High Court in 1916 and founded the Bihar Law Weekly.
He joined the Indian National Congress in 1911 and was later elected to the All India Congress Committee after which he met Mahatma Gandhi.
He jumped into the Freedom Struggle Movement and participated in the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1920.
7. Hansraj Gangaram Ahir assumed charge as Chairperson, National Commission for Backward Classes
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Hansraj Gangaram Ahir assumed charge as Chairperson, National Commission for Backward Classes on 2 December 2022. He belongs to Maharashtra and is an Agriculturist by profession.
Hansraj Gangaram Ahir has been elected four times Member of Parliament and also has been the member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council.
He has also been the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs and Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers.
National Commission for Backward Classes
The National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) was set up by the Government of India in 1993 under the National Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993.
The commission was accorded a constitutional status by the One Hundred and Second Amendment Act, 2018 which inserted a new article 338 B in the constitution.
Functions of the Commission
The commission recommends the inclusion of any communities in the backward class list to the central government.
It investigates and monitors all matters relating to the safeguards provided for the socially and educationally backward classes under the Constitution or under any other law.
It advises the government on the socio-economic development of the socially and educationally backward classes and to evaluate the progress of their development under the Union and any State.
Composition and qualification of the members of the NCBC
The NCBC consists of 5 members; Chairperson, Vice Chairperson and three members.
The Chairperson must be an eminent socio-political worker belonging to the socially and educationally backward classes.
The Vice-Chairperson and all other Members out of whom, at least two shall be appointed from amongst persons belonging to the socially and educationally backward classes
At least one other member shall be a women.
Term of the members
They are appointed by the President of India and have a 3 year term. They are not eligible for appointment for more than two terms.
8. Sanjay Malhotra assume charge as Revenue Secretary
Tags: Economy/Finance Person in news
Senior bureaucrat Sanjay Malhotra assumed the charge as the secretary in the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance on 1 December 2022. Sanjay Malhotra replaced Tarun Bajaj, who retired on 30 November 2022.
A 1990-batch IAS officer of the Rajasthan cadre, Malhotra was working as an officer on special duty (OSD) in the revenue department since October this year.
Malhotra takes over as the top bureaucrat in the revenue department at a time when the government is preparing for the Union Budget 2023-24 to be tabled in Parliament on1 February 2023.
Departments under the Union Ministry of Finance
There are 6 departments under the Union Ministry of Finance. Each department performs specific functions. These departments are as follows:
Department of Expenditure
It is responsible for the implementation of the recommendations of the Finance Commission and Central Pay Commission, monitoring of audit comments/ observations, and preparation of Central Government Accounts.
Secretary: Dr. T. V. Somanathan (He is also currently the Finance Secretary.)
Department of Economic Affairs
The Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Ministry of Finance, assists the Central Government in maintaining sound public finances developing sound economic policies and preparing for future economic challenges and opportunities, and leading India's bilateral and multilateral and financial engagements.
Secretary: Ajay Seth
Department of Revenue
It exercises control in respect of matters relating to all the Direct and Indirect Union Taxes through two statutory Boards namely, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC).
Secretary :Sanjay Malhotra
Department of Financial Services
The mandate of the Department of Financial Services covers the functioning of Banks, Financial Institutions, Insurance Companies and the National Pension System.
Secretary: Vivek Joshi
DIPAM (Department of Investment and Public Asset Management)
It deals with all matters relating to management of Central Government investments in equity including disinvestment of equity in Central Public Sector Undertakings.
Secretary: Tuhin Kanta Pandey
Department of Public Enterprises
The Department of Public Enterprises is the nodal department for all the Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) and formulates policy pertaining to CPSEs.
Secretary: Ali Raza Rizvi
Union Finance Minister: Nirmala Sitharaman
9. Legendary Odia actress Jharna Das passed away
Tags: Person in news
Legendary Odia actress Jharana Das passed away aged 77 on 2 December. She was suffering from old age-related illnesses.
Important facts
President Draupadi Murmu has expressed deep sorrow over his demise.
Das, a winner of the state government’s prestigious 'Jaydev Puraskar' for her lifetime contribution to Odia film industry.
Born in 1945, Jharana Das started her acting career in the 60s and had won several accolades for her brilliant performance in landmark films like 'Shree Jagannath', 'Nari', 'Adinamegha', 'Hisabnikas', 'Pujafula', 'Amadabata', 'Abhinetri', 'Malajanha' and 'Heera Nella'.
Das had also worked as a child artist and announcer with the All India Radio (AIR), Cuttack.
She had also worked as an assistant station director of Doordarshan in Cuttack.
Her direction in the biographical documentary on former Odisha chief minister Harekrushna Mahtab was lauded by many.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has decided to conduct his last rites with full state honours.
10. Government of India set up a panel to set a timeline for adoption of common standard charger in India
Tags: committee Person in news
The Department of Consumer Affairs under the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has formed a committee to set a timeline for the adoption of USB Type-C as the standard charging port for electronic products, including smartphones, tablets and laptops.
The committee will be headed by the Additional Secretary in the Department of Consumer Affairs, Nidhi Khare.
Why need a single charger?
A customer has to buy different types of charger for different electronic products like feature phones, smart phones, laptops, tablets etc. A lot of e-waste is generated when the customer buys a new model of phone or laptop because they have to buy a new charger.
To reduce the e waste the government wants a single charger so that customers do not have to change chargers every time they buy a new electronic product.
Why USB type C charger
USB (Universal Serial Bus) type C charger has a faster charging capability and also it can be used for multiple electronic products which require chagrin capability of 65 watts or less.
Recently the European Union has announced adoption of a common charger for small electronic devices by 2024.
India is one of the largest manufacturers and exporters of chargers in the world.
