• National

Commerce Ministry to set up trade promotion bodies in 15 countries

• The Union Commerce Ministry is examining the proposal to set up a trade promotion bodies in 15 countries to promote exports of SMEs from India.
• Suresh Prabhu Speaking at the two-day 15th Global SME Business Summit 2018, organized by the Ministry of MSME in partnership with CII.
• Global Value Chains (GVCs) are specifically significant for SMEs as they provide them with the opportunity to contribute to exports without bearing the setup costs.
• New Intellectual Property regime is being launched to strengthen the IPRs of Indian MSMEs as well as protecting IPRs of the other countries.

• National

Federal Aviation Administration has retained highest aviation safety ranking for India: DGCA

• According to Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has retained the highest aviation safety ranking for India.
• The US regulator FAA has carried out an audit in July 2018 to confirm India’s adherence to the standards laid down by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
• India is adhering to the safety standards of the ICAO and India’s International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) rating remains ‘Category 1’.
• India is the fastest growing domestic aviation market in the world and registered double-digit growth for the 50th consecutive month in October.

• National

India’s Largest Cancer Institute Launched At AIIMS’ Jhajjar Campus

• India’s largest cancer institute, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) has been soft launched at Haryana’s Jhajjar area.
• The institute was finalised at a cost of Rs 2,035 crore and the project was approved by the cabinet committee in 2013.
• The aim isto strengthen research and also bring down the patient load at All India Institute of Medical Sciences’ (AIIMS) cancer centre.
• The hospital will be fully functional by December 2020.

• International

UAE Declares 2019 as the Year of Tolerance

• Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan (UAE President) has declared 2019 as the Year of Tolerance, an extension of the Year of Zayed which has run this year.
• The year 2019 would highlight the UAE as a global capital for tolerance, instilling the values of co-existence and peace in local, regional and international communities.
• Earlier, (In 2016) the UAE Cabinet introduced the first post of the Minister of State for Tolerance and launched the National Tolerance Programme.

• Sports

WV Raman Appointed India Women’s Cricket Team Coach

• W V Raman has been appointed the new coach of the Indian women’s cricket team.
• Raman is a vastly-experienced coach having been in charge of Tamil Nadu and India U-19 teams in the past.
• W V Raman will have to now step down as coach of the Bengal Ranji Trophy team to take up the India job.
• Former India captain Kapil Dev and Anshuman Gaekwad, along with Shanthan Rangaswamy, who are all part of the three-member selection panel, had suggested the two names to the apex body of Indian cricket including that of former India men’s cricket team coach Gary Kirsten.

• Awards

Asma Jahangir posthumously awarded with 2018 UN Human Rights Prize

• Pakistan activist Asma Jahangir posthumously honoured with the United Nations Human Rights Prize 2018.
• Her daughter ‘Munizae Jahangir’ received the prestigious award on behalf of her mother at the UN Headquarters in New York.
• Jahangir was an outspoken critic of Pakistan’s powerful military establishment & fought against religious extremism and for the rights of oppressed minorities in Pakistan.
• The United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights is an honorary award given to individuals and organizations in recognition of outstanding achievement in human rights.

• Sports

Kabaddi Player Anup Kumar announces his retirement

• Renowned Kabaddi Player Arjuna awardee, ‘Anup Kumar’ (35-year) announced his retirement from Kabaddi.
• He had led India to a memorable Kabaddi World Cup title triumph in 2016.
• Anup began his international career in 2006 at the South Asian Games in Sri Lanka.
• He led India to the gold medal at the Asian Games and was also part of the team which repeated the feat in the 2014 edition.

• Appointments

Harsh Vardhan Shringla Appointed India’s Ambassador to The US

• The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) appointed Harsh Vardhan Shringla as the new Ambassador of India to the United States of America.
• Shringla is currently serving as the High Commissioner in Bangladesh. He would be succeeding Navtej Singh Sarna.

• Appointments

Pranab K Das Appointed New Chairman of CBIC

• Senior bureaucrat Pranab Kumar Das has been appointed as chairman of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), the apex policy-making body for indirect taxes.
• Das, special secretary and member (customs) at CBIC, will succeed S Ramesh.
• Das, a 1983-batch IRS officer of Customs and Central Excise Cadre was appointed as a member in the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) in 2017.

• Important Days

International Human Solidarity Day being observed today

• The United Nation (UN) International Human Solidarity Day is annually held on 20th December to celebrate unity in diversity.
• The Day aims to raise public awareness of the importance of solidarity and encourages debate on the ways to promote solidarity for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals including poverty eradication.
• The United Nations General Assembly established the World Solidarity Fund on 20th December 2002 as a trust fund of the United Nations Development Programme.

• States

President’s rule imposed in Jammu and Kashmir

• As Jammu and Kashmir completed six months under Governor’s rule, President Ram Nath Kovind imposed President’s rule in the state.
• After 1996, this is the first time the Central rule has been imposed in the militancy-hit state.
• Now, the powers of the state Legislature shall be exercised by or under the authority of Parliament and all decisions will be taken with the concurrence of the President with the Council of Ministers and the PM advising the President.