 The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has announced a loan of $210 million for irrigation and solar energy projects in India. The bank will lend $145 million to improve irrigation services and strengthen flood risk management in West Bengal. The irrigation project in West Bengal is co-financed by the World Bank and is expected to strengthen the management of the Damodar Valley Command Area irrigation scheme. The bank will also lend $65 million for a 250-megawatt (MW) solar project in Rajasthan. |
| Source: The Business Standard |
 The American songwriter Allee Willis passed away recently. She penned the iconic “I’ll Be There For You” track for the long-running television show “Friends”. She has several other hits under her name like Earth, Wind and Fire, which was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018. She won a Grammy in 1985 for her work on the soundtrack for “Beverly Hills Cop“. |
| Source: The Hindu |
 China’s brilliant storyteller, Da Chen, who created the critically acclaimed memoir “Colours of the Mountain” passed away recently. In “Colours of the Mountain” he recounted the abuses he and his family suffered during the latter years of the country’s Cultural Revolution. The book was published in seven languages. His last book which was published recently was “Girl Under a Red Moon”. |
| Source: The Hindu |
 In Jharkhand, Grand Alliance leader Hemant Soren will take oath as Chief Minister on the 29th of this month. He was formally elected the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) legislature party leader. He was projected as the chief ministerial candidate by the JMM, Congress and RJD Alliance that gained the majority in the recently concluded Assembly polls. |
| Source: The News on AIR |
 Good Governance Day is observed in India annually on the 25th of December. In this day nation celebrates the birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna and former-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Good Governance Day was established in 2014 to honour Prime Minister Vajpayee by fostering awareness among the Indian people of accountability in government. In keeping with this principle, the Good Governance Day has been declared to be a working day for the government. Atal Bihari Vajpayee served as the Prime Minister of India for three times. His first term was for only 13 days in 1996. He served his second term for a period of thirteen months from March 1998 to April 1999 and then a full term from 1999 to 2004. His first entry into parliament was in 1962 through the Rajya Sabha. He was elected to the Lok Sabha seven times. In 2015, Mr Vajpayee was conferred the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award. |
| Source: The News on AIR |
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched Atal Bhujal Yojana (ATAL JAL) which aims to improve groundwater management. During the launch, the strategic tunnel under Rohtang Pass was renamed after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The 8.8 km long tunnel is the world’s longest tunnel above an altitude of 3,000 metres. |
| Atal Bhujal Yojana (ATAL JAL) has been designed with the principal objective of strengthening the institutional framework for participatory groundwater management. It aims to bring behavioral changes at the community level for sustainable groundwater resource management in seven States. The 7 states includes Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The scheme will promote panchayat led ground water management and behavioural change with primary focus on demand side management. The Government has outlaid Rs. 6000 crore for the scheme. Out of the total outlay of Rs. 6000 crore to be implemented over a period of 5 years (2020-21 to 2024-25), 50% shall be in the form of World Bank loan, and to be repaid by the Central Government. The remaining 50% shall be through Central Assistance from regular budgetary support. The entire World Bank’s loan component and Central Assistance will be passed on to the States as Grants. |
| Source: The Press Information Bureau |
 Former West Ham and Tottenham midfielder Martin Peters, who scored England’s second goal in the 1966 World Cup final against West Germany, passed away. He joined West Ham in 1959 as a 15-year-old, made his debut in 1962 and was a key player in the side who won the 1965 Cup Winners Cup final at Wembley. |
| Source: The Hindu |
 Former India skipper and wicket-keeper batsman MS Dhoni been named captain of Cricket Australia’s (CA) ODI team of the decade and the line-up features three Indian players. Apart from Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have made the cut in CA’s team. CA’s ODI team of the decade: Rohit Sharma, Hashim Amla, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Shakib Al Hasan, Jos Buttler, MS Dhoni (c), Mitchell Starc, Trent Boult, Lasith Malinga, Rashid Khan. |
| Source: The Times of India |
 Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg has stepped down as the company is facing tough period following two fatal crashes. He will be replaced by Chairman David Calhoun effective January 13, 2020. He became the CEO of the world’s largest aerospace company in July 2015. The company’s best selling commercial jet was grounded worldwide in March 2019 after two fatal crashes killed 346 people. |
| Source: The Times of India |
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a statue of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Lok Bhawan in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. He also laid the foundation stone for the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical University in the Uttar Pradesh capital. The state government has given 50 acres of land for the varsity. |
| Source: The Economic Times |
You need to login to perform this action.
You will be redirected in
3 sec
