1 Smriti Mandhana sets a new record for most runs in a calendar year
India opener Smriti Mandhana scored 91 in the first ODI against West Indies in Vadodara and set a new record for most runs in a calendar year in women’s cricket . Mandhana has 1602 runs across all formats in the year 2024. She broke South Africa ‘s Laura Wolvaardt’s record of 1593 runs . Mandhana achieved this feat in just 36 matches, with her highest score of the year 2024 being 149 against South Africa in the Chennai Test. Mandhana had already broken the record for most runs in the T20 format in a calendar year with 763 runs earlier this month . She also achieved the record for most half-centuries in women’s T20 cricket on December 19.
2 President Draupadi Murmu appointed retired Supreme Court judge V. Ramasubramanian as the new chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission
President Draupadi Murmu has appointed retired Supreme Court judge V. Ramasubramanian as the new chairman of the National Human Rights Commission . Retired judges Priyank Kanungo and Dr. Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi have been made members of the commission. Justice Ramasubramanian retired as a Supreme Court judge on 29 June 2023. This appointment comes after the term of former judge Arun Kumar Mishra as the chairman of the commission ended on June 1 this year. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in India is a central human rights institution. It consists of a chairman and five members. The chairman of the commission should be a retired Chief Justice of India. One member should be a working or retired Justice in the Supreme Court and one should be a working or retired Chief Justice in the High Court. Two other members should have knowledge or experience of work related to human rights. There should also be a woman member in the commission. Apart from these members, the commission has four other ex-officio members. These are – Chairpersons of the National Commission for Minorities, National Commission for Scheduled Castes, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes and National Commission for Women.
3 Central Government and Asian Development Bank signed $500 million loan for green and sustainable infrastructure projects
The central government and the Asian Development Bank have signed a $500 million loan for green and sustainable infrastructure projects in line with the country’s climate commitments . In a statement, the Finance Ministry said that the loan will be given to India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited- IIFCL with a sovereign guarantee . The project will build the institutional capacity of IIFCL to integrate green and best practices in infrastructure projects.
4 Republic Day: The theme of tableaus for 2025 will be- ‘Golden India: Heritage and Development’
The Ministry of Defence has said that ‘ Golden India: Heritage and Development ‘ will be the theme of tableaux for Republic Day: 2025. 15 states and union territories have been selected to showcase their tableaux on the path of duty during the parade. These states include Andhra Pradesh , Bihar , Chandigarh , Dadra Nagar Haveli and Daman-Diu, Goa , Gujarat , Haryana , Jharkhand , Karnataka etc. Apart from these, 11 ministries and departments of the central government have also been selected. The ministry has said that the selected tableaux will showcase ‘Golden India – Heritage and Development’ to the world audience, showcasing India’s diverse strengths and its ever-evolving cultural inclusiveness leading towards a glorious future.
5 The government abolished the policy of promoting students who failed in the annual examination of class 5th and 8th to the next class
The central government has abolished the policy of promoting students who fail in the annual examination of class 5th and 8th to the next class . Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar said that students who fail in the annual examination of class 5th and 8th will get a chance to take the examination again within two months. If they fail again after the re-examination, they will not be promoted to the next class. He said that these students will not be expelled from school until their primary education is completed. This decision has been taken to improve the learning outcomes among children. The government has also added a provision in it that such children till class 8th will not be expelled from school .
6 Union Health Ministry signs tripartite MoU with BHU and Ministry of Education
The Union Health Ministry signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and the Ministry of Education on 22 December . Under this, more funding and technical support will be provided to the Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS) of BHU. This MoU will bring excellence in higher education standards and research . It also proposes student and faculty exchange between IMS, BHU and AIIMS. This will facilitate the sharing of knowledge and expertise. This will further strengthen the sectors of innovation of health facilities, robotics surgery, hospital administration. Also, this MoU will help in establishing IMS and BHU as world-class institutions. The Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS) is a prestigious institute of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) which has four parts – Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Ayurveda, Faculty of Dentistry and Nursing College.
7 Donald Trump appoints Indian-American entrepreneur Sriram Krishnan as senior AI policy advisor
The newly elected US President Donald Trump has appointed Indian -American entrepreneur Sriram Krishnan as a senior White House policy advisor on Artificial Intelligence (AI) . Krishnan will work closely with David Sachs , who has been appointed the White House’s AI and Crypto in-charge. David Sachs will work on AI policy during the Trump administration. Krishnan was born in Chennai. After completing his graduation, he moved to the US. He started his career in Microsoft as a founding member of Windows Azure. He is also a podcaster and writer.
8 Donald Trump said his administration would try to regain control of the Panama Canal
US President-elect Donald Trump has said his administration may try to regain control of the Panama Canal . He said the decision could be because of the arbitrary fees being levied on ships using the vital waterway. The Panama Canal, which links the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, was handed over to Panama on December 31, 1999 under a treaty signed by US President Jimmy Carter in 1977. Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino has rejected Trump’s proposal, calling it a disrespect to Panama’s sovereignty. The canal contributes one-fifth of Panama’s annual revenue and is vital to the country’s economy.
9 India’s Sairaj Pardeshi won one gold and two silver medals in the Asia Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championship
India’s Sairaj Pardeshi won one gold and two silver medals at the Asia Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships in Doha , the capital of Qatar . He won these medals in the snatch, clean and jerk categories. He bettered his own national record while winning the title in the men’s 81 kg category . Sairaj won the gold medal by lifting a total weight of 310 kg and also set a national youth record. This is India’s first gold medal in the men’s category. He created a national record by lifting 139 kg in the snatch category and won the silver medal in this category. He won the second silver medal by lifting 171 kg in the clean and jerk category, which is also a national record in the clean and jerk category. Amirmohammad Rahmati of Iran won the silver medal by lifting a total weight of 307 kg while Aljawari Mohammad Ali of Saudi Arabia won the bronze medal by lifting 306 kg. Meanwhile, Sanjana won a total of five silver medals in the women’s 76 kg category . She won three medals in the youth and two medals in the junior category. Ms. Sanjana lifted a total of 120 kg. She lifted 90 kg in snatch and 120 kg in clean and jerk.
10 ‘Rugby India’ announces launch of Rugby Premier League with 6 franchise-based teams from next year
‘ Rugby India ‘ announced the launch of the Rugby Premier League – RPL with 6 franchise-based teams from next year . The governing body of rugby in the country has entered into a 10-year strategic partnership with GMR Sports for this league. This will be the world’s first franchise-based rugby league.
11 India shines in the Junior World Pencak Silat Championship, Nusrat Fatima wins silver medal for the country
Nusrat Fatima of Sanku , Kargil , representing India, won a silver medal at the 5th Junior World Pencak Silat Championships held in Abu Dhabi from 18 to 22 December . Competing in the 58 kg junior category, her outstanding performance underlines India’s growing stature in global combat sports. Her silver medal draws attention to the potential of youth from border areas, contributing to the nation’s aspirations in international sporting competitions.
12 National Farmers Day
Every year 23 December is celebrated as ‘ National Farmers Day ‘ or ‘ Farmers Day ‘. On this day , Chaudhary Charan Singh, the fifth Prime Minister of India , was born. His birthday is celebrated as Farmers Day. He is called the greatest leader of farmers. Bharat Ratna Chaudhary Charan Singh was born in 1902 in Noorpur village of Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh . Born in a farmer family, Charan Singh participated in India’s freedom struggle and even after this he remained continuously active for the issues of farmers. His works and policies established him as the messiah of farmers. For the first time, Charan Singh became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in 1967. Earlier, he had handled many departments while being a minister. Charan Singh once again became the Chief Minister of UP in 1970. Chaudhary Charan Singh served as the Prime Minister of India from 1979 to 1980. His tenure may have been short, but he made many important schemes for the welfare of farmers. His policies were helpful in bringing stability in the agricultural sector and solving the problems of farmers. In the year 2001, the Government of India declared 23 December as National Farmers Day in honor of former PM Chaudhary Charan Singh.
13 Famous film director Shyam Benegal died in Mumbai
Renowned Hindi film director Shyam Benegal died today at the age of 90 after a prolonged illness. Mr. Benegal is considered one of the leading directors of parallel cinema. Mr. Benegal gave films like Ankur, Mandi, Nishant, Junoon, Manthan, Bhumika, Welcome to Sajjanpur, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Zubeida, Sardari Begum, Mammo and Suraj Ka Satvaan Ghoda. The Doordarshan serial Bharat Ek Khoj directed by him is an unforgettable presentation in television history. Mr. Benegal was born on 14 December 1934. Mr. Benegal was awarded the Padma Shri in 1976. He was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest award of Indian cinema, for his contribution . He is the only film director to have won the National Film Award for Best Hindi Feature Film five times . Shyam Benegal was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 1991 for his contribution in the field of art .
