1 Devendra Fadnavis became the Chief Minister of Maharashtra for the third time, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar took oath as Deputy Chief Ministers
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Legislature Party leader Devendra Fadnavis took oath as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra for the third time at Azad Maidan on Thursday . Governor CP Radhakrishnan administered him the oath of office and secrecy. Now Devendra Fadnavis has become the 21st Chief Minister of Maharashtra . Along with him, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar took oath as Deputy Chief Ministers. Ajit Pawar has taken oath as Deputy Chief Minister for the sixth time today. Devendra Fadnavis took oath as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra for the first time in 2014 and was the Chief Minister of the state for full five years. After this, he became the Chief Minister for the second time in 2019 but could remain Chief Minister for only three days.
2 Scottish artist Jasleen wins Turner Prize
Britain ‘s prestigious Turner Prize has been awarded to Glasgow -born Indian artist Jasleen Kaur this time . She received a prize of Rs 26.84 lakh for her exhibition ‘ Alter Alter ‘ at a ceremony on December 4. This award is named after the painter JMW Turner (1775-1851) . The Turner Prize was established in 1984. This award is given every year to a British artist for his work. British Indian sculptor Anish Kapoor is also among the previous winners of this award .
3 Centre and Asian Development Bank sign Rs 5 crore loan agreement for climate resilient water harvesting project in Meghalaya
The Centre and Asian Development Bank -ADB have signed a loan agreement of $50 million for a climate-resilient water storage project in Meghalaya . Juhi Mukherjee, Joint Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs , and Mio Oka, Country Director of the Indian Mission of ADB signed the loan agreement for the Climate-Resilient Community-Based Water Storage Project. The project will help in the construction of 532 small water storage facilities in 12 districts. These facilities will adopt climate-resilient designs to control heavy rainfall and flash floods. Under this project, three thousand hectares of command area will be developed for farmers. Apart from this, 50 weather stations and micro irrigation systems will also be set up to collect and monitor climate data in Garo, Jaintia and Khasi areas. The Asian Development Bank will help in strengthening the water management capacity of the Meghalaya State Watershed and Wasteland Development Agency and the Department of Soil and Water Conservation.
4 ISRO launches European Space Agency’s Proba-3, will explore the mysteries of the Sun
ISRO on Thursday successfully placed two satellites of the European Space Agency (ESA) ‘s Proba-3 (Project for Onboard Anatomy) mission in the predetermined orbit. ISRO’s PSLV C59 rocket took off with Proba 3 at 4:04 pm from Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh . ISRO said on its official X handle, “The PSLV-C59 / Proba-3 mission has successfully achieved its launch objectives by deploying ESA’s satellites in their designated orbit with precision. This is a testament to the reliable performance of PSLV, the collaboration of NSIL and ISRO, and the innovative goals of ESA.” The Proba-3 mission is the solar mission of the European Space Agency ESA , which will explore the mysteries of the Sun. It consists of two satellites which will be together at a distance of one millimeter. ESA said that one will study the Sun while the other will protect the first satellite from the Sun’s fairy disk. The objective of the mission is to study the sun’s atmosphere or corona and solar storms and space weather. Earlier, the first solar mission of this series was launched by ISRO in 2001. Proba-2 mission was launched in 2009.
5 The new ‘Indian Aircraft Act’ will replace the 90 year old Aircraft Act
The Indian Aircraft Bill-2024 was passed in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. The Rajya Sabha passed this important bill by voice vote. This bill passed by the Rajya Sabha will replace the nearly 90-year-old Aircraft Act after becoming a law. This bill deals with the design, manufacture, repair, operation, monitoring and sale and import-export of aircraft . In this regard, the bill provides extensive powers to the Central Government. This gives the Central Government extensive power to make rules for the design, manufacture, repair, operation, use, sale and import-export of aircraft. Once the bill becomes law, the government will have extensive power to make rules for the investigation of air accidents or other related incidents. The ‘Indian Aircraft Bill 2024’ has been passed to improve aviation rules in India and replace the British-era Aircraft Act, 1934. The objective of this bill is to increase security and monitoring in the aviation sector, meet developmental needs and provide necessary powers to the Central Government to make the provisions of international agreements effective. Before the Rajya Sabha, the Lok Sabha has passed this bill. This bill was passed in the Lok Sabha in August this year.
6 Navy showcased maritime power in operational demo at Blue Flag Beach, Puri
The Indian Navy on Wednesday showcased its operational might through an Operational Demonstration (Op Demo) at Blue Flag Beach, Puri in Odisha on Navy Day . Over 3,500 personnel were deployed on platforms at sea and 350 personnel were involved in coordination on the shore for the Operation Demo which was witnessed by President Draupadi Murmu, the supreme commander of the Indian Armed Forces. This is the second time that Navy Day is being celebrated at a seaport other than a major naval station. Last year on Navy Day , India’s operational prowess and capabilities were showcased by ships and aircraft through an ‘Operational Demonstration’ at Sindhudurg Fort on India’s western seaboard .
7 Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite was launched via Vega-C rocket
The third Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite was launched by a Vega-C rocket from Europe ‘s Spaceport in French Guiana . With this, the Italian -built Vega-C launcher was successful in launching after two years. Sentinel-1C builds on the success of its predecessors, providing high-resolution radar images to monitor Earth’s changing environment . They will be used for scientific research and tracking maritime traffic, among other purposes.
8 Agreement reached between Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan on signing of Memorandum of Agreement for Parvati-Kalisindh-Chambal river linking project
After the ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ of Parvati-Kalisindh-Chambal river linking project between Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan , now it has been agreed to sign its ‘Memorandum of Agreement’. Along with this, maximum use of water of Parvati, Kuno, Kalisindh, Chambal, Kshipra and tributary rivers originating from Madhya Pradesh will be made in the revised Parvati-Kalisindh-Chambal project. The work of this project, which is being built with the support of the central government, will be completed in the next 5 years.
9 Viacom18 gets Jio-Hotstar domain
Reliance Industries subsidiary Viacom18 Media Private Limited has now officially become the owner of jiohotstar.com domain. Viacom18 has got this domain after the merger of telecom company Reliance Jio and Disney+Hotstar . Last month, Disney Star India and Viacom18 merged, which also includes Disney Hotstar and Jio Cinema. After this merger, it has become the country’s largest entertainment network . Disney-Reliance Entertainment now has a total of 75 crore viewers with 2 over the top i.e. OTT platforms and 120 channels. The merger deal has been done for Rs 70,352 crore. Now Reliance has 63.16% stake in the company and Disney has 36.84% stake. The chairperson of this new company is Nita Ambani .
10 Delhi Assembly Speaker announces retirement from politics
Delhi Assembly Speaker and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Ram Niwas Goyal announced his retirement from politics on 5 December . 76-year-old Goyal is an MLA from Shahdara assembly seat in Delhi. Citing his age, the Assembly Speaker said that he will no longer contest assembly elections. He joined the Aam Aadmi Party in 2015, the party fielded him from Shahdara seat. Goyal won from this seat both times, in 2015 and 2020. Before joining Aam Aadmi Party, Ram Niwas Goyal was also an MLA from BJP in 1993.
11 World Soil Day 2024
World Soil Day is observed annually on 05 December . WSD is a unique platform that celebrates soil and engages citizens to improve soil health across the world. Earth’s survival depends on the precious relationship with the soil. More than 95 percent of our food comes from soils. In addition, they supply 15 of the 18 naturally occurring chemical elements essential for plants. Due to climate change and human activity, our soils are being eroded. Erosion disrupts the natural balance and the level of vitamins and nutrients in food decreases. Considering the importance of fertile soil in India for the farmers of the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Soil Health Card Scheme on February 19, 2015 in Suratgarh , Rajasthan . So far 24.17 crore soil health cards have been distributed to farmers across the country. According to the UN website, the theme of WSD celebration this year is “ Caring for Soils: Measurement, Monitoring, Management ”, which underlines the importance of accurate soil data and information in understanding soil characteristics and making informed decisions on sustainable soil management for food security.
