1) World AIDS Day: 01st December
•World AIDS Day, designated on 01st December every year. World AIDS Day is an international day dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection and mourning those who have died of the disease. The theme of this year’s World AIDS Day is “Communities make the difference”.
2) Nagaland celebrates Statehood Day
•President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted the people of Nagaland on its 57th Statehood Day on 01st December 2019. Nagaland, a mountainous state in northeast India bordering Myanmar, became the 16th state of the country on 01st December 1963.
3) Govt launches drive to enroll 1 cr beneficiaries under two pension schemes
•The government has launched a drive to enroll one crore beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan (PM-SYM) and the National Pension Scheme for Traders and Self Employed Persons (NPS-Traders) by March next year.
•Labour and Employment Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar launched the drive to mark the celebrations of Pension week. Stating that both the schemes are simple and hassle-free, an Aadhaar card number along with a savings bank account or Jan-Dhan account are needed for enrollments.
4) Iraq Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi Resigns
•Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi has submitted his resignation to Parliament amid ongoing anti-government protests across the country. The formal resignation came after an emergency cabinet session in which ministers approved the document and the resignation of key staffers, including Abdul Mahdi’s chief of staff.
5) Awards given for short film competition on environment
•The Ministry of Environment gave away awards for a short film competition on the environment. Several school students and professionals were awarded prizes for their documentaries and films by Ravi Agrawal, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Environment at the ceremony organised by the ministry and Centre for Media Studies (CMS).
•Out of the 345 entries received, 90 films were nominated for screening before the Jury comprising film directors Ramesh Sippy, Rahul Rawail and Manju Borah, who selected the final awardees. The four-day green festival was inaugurated by Member of Parliament Suresh Prabhu, who chaired the Jury.
6) BSF Celebrated its Raising Day
•Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended greetings to Border Security Force (BSF) personnel on the organization’s 55th raising day (01st December 2019). The BSF was raised in 1965 with the specific purpose of manning Indian borders as the ‘First Line of Defence’ against infiltration, smuggling, and military assault.
7) 13th South Asian Games Kicked Off in Nepal
•The 13th edition of South Asian Games has officially kicked off after the opening ceremony at Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu, Nepal. The President of Nepal Bidhya Devi Bhandari declared the Games open at the three-hour programme, which showcases the rich culture and diversity of Nepal at the newly reconstructed stadium.
•Nepal is hosting the regional sporting extravaganza for the third time from 01st to 10th December 2019 in Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Janakpur.
