1) World Soil Day: 05 December
•The World Soil Day is celebrated on 5 December globally. It aims to communicate messages on the importance of soil quality for food security, healthy ecosystems and human well-being.
•The Theme for Soil Day 2017 is ‘Caring for the Planet starts from the Ground’. WSD is celebrated at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
2) Venezuela Launches New Virtual Currency Named Petro
•Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has announced the creation of a new virtual currency named 'Petro' in a bid to ease the country's economic crisis.
•The Petro would be backed by Venezuela's oil, gas, gold and diamond wealth.
3) 3rd DRC-NITI Aayog Dialogue Held in China
•The 3rd edition of the Dialogue between the NITI Aayog and the Development Research Council of China, theDRC- NITI Aayog Dialogue was held in Beijing. The meeting was co-chaired by Vice Chairman NITI Aayog, Dr. Rajiv Kumar, and Mr Li Wei, President (Minister), DRC.
•The two sides agreed that the 4th NITI Aayog - DRC Dialogue will be convened in India in 2018. The dialogue took place under the MOU between NITI Aayog and the Development Research Centre (DRC), State Council of the China.
4) India’s Largest Floating Solar Power Plant Opens in Kerala
•The largest-ever floating solar power plant in India inaugurated by state power minister MM Man at the Banasura Sagar dam in Wayanad. The solar power plant that floats on the surface of water has a capacity of 500 kilowatts (KW).
•The solar plant consists of 1,938 solar panels with a capacity of 260 watts, a 500 kilo volt ampere (KVA) transformer and 17 inverters. The unique feature of this plant is the anchoring mechanism used by the overwhelming technology to maintain the plant with the alteration of the water level. Constructed by the Thiruvananthapuram-based Ad tech Systems, the plant will generate seven lakh units of power in a year. The total cost of the project is Rs. 9.25 crore.
5) First Meeting of the Fifteenth Finance Commission Held
•The Fifteenth Finance Commission held its first meeting at North Block in New Delhi under the Chairmanship of Shri N.K. Singh and was attended by all the other Members of the Commission.
•The objective was to hold wide-ranging consultations with all stakeholders including various Ministries of the Union Government, all State Governments, Local Bodies, Panchayats and Political parties of each State Government needed to be expeditiously initiated. The Commission approved the setting-up of its office at Jawahar Vyapar Bhawan on Janpath in New Delhi.
6) India and Germany Sign Govt- to-Govt Umbrella Agreement
•The Government to Government Umbrella Agreement between India and Germany concerning Financial Cooperation in 2016 (II) under the Indo-German Development Cooperation was signed to formalize an amount up to Euro 200 million for the Financial Cooperation in form of loan for the project ‘Climate Friendly Urban Mobility III’ and Euro 11 million Accompanying measures in form of grant for four projects.
•The 4 projects under the Agreements signed are as follows-
i. Loan Agreement for the project “Community based sustainable Forest Management – Component I Manipur”was signed for a loan of Euro 15 million.
Objectives- Restoration of degraded forests, reclamation of abandoned shifting cultivation areas, biodiversity & water resources conservation.
ii. Loan Agreement for the project “Madhya Pradesh Urban Sanitation and Environment Programme” for Euro 50 million Reduced Interest Loan and Euro 2.5 million grant.
Objective - To improve facilities for water supply, sanitation and sewerage treatment plan.
iii. Loan Agreement for the project “Sustainable Urban Infrastructure Development Odisha – Phase II" for EUR 55 Million Reduced Interest Loan with EUR 2 Million as Grant.
Objective - To improve Urban Infrastructure by linking them with Government priority.
iv. Loan Agreement for the project “Green Energy Corridor – Intra-State Transmission System in Maharashtra” for EUR 12 million Reduced Interest loan.
Objective - To project is to put in place a transmission system for evacuating renewable energy.
7) UPs Shamli District Included in NCR
•Uttar Pradesh's Shamli district was included in the National Capital Region (NCR), taking the total number of districts in the NCR to 23.
•Cities in the NCR get funds at "attractive" interest rates from the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) for infrastructure development. The decision to include Shamli in the NCR was taken at the 37th meeting of the NCRPB.
8) Amitabh Bachchan Launches Book on Indian Cinema
•Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan launched a book based on Indian cinema in showbiz capital Mumbai. The book, titled 'Bollywood: The Films! The Songs! The Stars!', is a coffee table book, which provides historical insights, lesser-known facts and behind-the-scene exclusives of the most iconic movies made in the history of the Indian film industry.
•The book is co-authored by S.M.M. Ausaja, Karan Bali, Rajesh Devraj and Tanul Thakur, the book on India's tinsel town is published by British multinational publishing company Dorling Kindersley (DK).
