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We at Edusprint Academy are committed to bringing you the most relevant and updated 11th December current affairs 2024, curated from trusted and official sources. These updates are designed to keep you ahead in your exam preparation journey.
Our comprehensive Current Affairs December 2024 coverage aims to enhance your knowledge and boost your scores in Banking, Insurance, SSC, Railways, UPSC, and all State Government Exams. Explore our Current Affairs tailored to simplify your exam preparation.
National news
Flipkart and DPIIT Collaborate to Boost India’s Startup Ecosystem
Flipkart has partnered with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) to accelerate the growth of tech startups across India. This collaboration builds on Flipkart’s initiatives, including the Flipkart Leap and Ventures program, backed by a $100 million fund.
Support for Startups:
- Investment and mentorship for startups via Flipkart’s $100 million venture fund.
- Assistance in scaling operations, with resources and international expansion opportunities.
Access to Government Resources: Startups gain access to government market research, datasets, and fast-tracked patent applications.
Focus on Innovation:
- Accelerator program aids in prototype development.
- Supports the Startup India initiative.
Vision and Impact
- Strengthening India’s Global Position: Promotes a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem, turning ideas into impactful solutions and bolstering India’s innovation leadership globally.
- Flipkart’s Goals: Facilitates breakthrough innovations to enhance India’s business and technology sectors.
- Leadership Note: Rajneesh Kumar, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, highlighted the collaboration as a step toward unlocking opportunities for India’s global technology and business growth.
NOTE: Shri Amardeep Singh Bhatia is the Secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)
Gujarat CM Launches Mukhyamantri Paushtik Alpahar Yojana (Nutritious Snack Scheme)
On December , 2024, Bhupendra Patel, the Chief Minister (CM) of Gujarat, launched the Mukhyamantri Paushtik Alpahar Yojana, aimed at improving the health, nutrition, and educational outcomes of students. This scheme is in line with Gujarat’s vision of fostering a healthy, educated future generation and will officially begin on December 11, 2024.
Key Details:
- Objective: The initiative is part of the Suposhit Gujarat Mission and complements the ongoing Prime Minister Poshan Yojana (PM Midday Meal Scheme). It aligns with PM Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Padhai Bhi, Poshan Bhi’.
- Target Group: The scheme will provide nutritious breakfasts to students from Balvatika (pre-primary) to Grade 8, ensuring no child enters the classroom on an empty stomach.
- Operational Details: The nutritious snacks will be served immediately after the morning prayer before educational activities begin.
Financials:
The state government will incur an annual cost of Rs 617 crore for the implementation of the scheme.
- Rs 493 crore will be allocated for material costs.
- Rs 124 crore will be used to increase staff honorariums.
Additionally, the honorarium for staff working under the PM Poshan Yojana will also see a 50% increase as part of this initiative.
This scheme aims to support students’ well-being, ensuring they are well-nourished to perform better academically.
Gujarat:
- Capital: Gandhinagar
- Governor: Acharya Devvrat
- Chief minister: Bhupendra Patel
Economy news
S&P Global Maintains 6.8% Growth Forecast for FY25
S&P Global has maintained its projection for India’s GDP growth at 6.8% for FY25, despite a weaker-than-expected 5.4% growth in Q2FY25. This forecast comes in the wake of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) lowering its own growth estimate to 6.6%. The credit rating agency anticipates a modest monetary policy easing by the RBI in 2025, with a 50 basis points reduction in the repo rate. S&P’s optimistic outlook is driven by strong urban consumption, steady service sector growth, and infrastructure investments.
Growth Projections
- FY25: Maintains a GDP growth forecast of 6.8%, despite a slower Q2 growth of 5.4%.
- FY26: Anticipates a slight increase to 6.9%.
Key Factors
- Drivers: Strong urban consumption, robust service sector growth, and infrastructure investments.
- Comparison with RBI: Higher than the RBI’s revised estimate of 6.6% for FY25.
Monetary Policy Outlook
- RBI expected to ease monetary policy in 2025 with a 50 basis points repo rate cut.
- Retail inflation forecast: 4.5%, slightly below the RBI’s estimate.
Appointment news
Sanjay Malhotra Appointed as New RBI Governor
On December 9, 2024, the Government of India appointed Sanjay Malhotra, the Revenue Secretary in the Ministry of Finance (MOF), as the new Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). He takes over from Shaktikanta Das, the second longest-serving RBI Governor, and becomes the 26th Governor of the institution.
Key Details:
- Approval: The appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) and notified by the Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension (MOP).
- Tenure: Sanjay Malhotra’s tenure as RBI Governor begins on December 11, 2024, and will last for three years.
Roles and Responsibilities of the RBI Governor:
- Monetary Policy Formulation: The Governor is responsible for creating and executing policies that control inflation and foster economic growth, aiming to maintain monetary stability.
- Bank Licensing: The Governor oversees the issuance of licenses for new foreign and private banks, regulating the banking sector in India.
- Interest Rate Control: The Governor plays a key role in controlling interest rates, ensuring economic stability by managing minimum lending rates.
- Currency Management: The Governor is in charge of managing the issuance, circulation, and withdrawal of currency notes to maintain a stable supply of currency.
- Regulation of Co-operative Banks: The Governor ensures the stability and regulation of co-operative banks, regional rural banks, and local area banks across India.
Rbi:
- Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata
- Headquarters: Mumbai
Trump Picks Harmeet Dhillon As An Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights
Harmeet Kaur Dhillon, an Indian-American lawyer, has been nominated by US President-elect Donald Trump as the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the Department of Justice. She is known for her strong advocacy for civil liberties, making bold statements on various issues, and her legal career.
Position and Nomination:
- Nominated as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights.
- Recognized for her extensive experience in civil rights advocacy and legal career.
Rank and report news
QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2025 – IITs Lead the Charge in Sustainability
The third edition of the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2025 evaluates universities based on sustainability initiatives, including environmental impact, social responsibility, and governance.
India’s Notable Performance
IIT Delhi:
- Ranked 171st globally, up from 426th last year (a jump of 255 ranks).
- Recognized as the top Indian university in the sustainability rankings.
Key Factors for IIT Delhi’s Success
Sustainability Focus:
- Implementation of green campus initiatives.
- Cutting-edge research on sustainable development.
- Collaborative projects aimed at reducing carbon footprints and promoting clean energy.
Integration of Sustainability: Strong commitment to embedding sustainable practices within its academic programs and operational frameworks.
Kerala Ranks Among Top States for Employability in India
Kerala continues to excel in employability, ranking fifth among Indian states in the India Skills Report 2025, published by Wheebox in collaboration with AICTE, CII, and the Association of Indian Universities. With a strong employability rate of 71%, Kerala demonstrates exceptional talent, workplace inclusivity, and a balanced approach to education and skill development. The report also underscores India’s global leadership in AI skill penetration and highlights transformative trends in the workforce shaped by AI adoption.
Key Highlights for Kerala
- 18-21 Age Group Employability: Ranks 2nd nationally.
- B.E./BTech and Polytechnic Talent: Secures 3rd position in employable talent.
Top Cities: Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi excel in fostering computer and English skills and are preferred work locations.
India Skills Report 2025 Insights
State-wise Employability Leaders: Telangana (85.45%) tops the 18-21 age group, followed by Haryana and Maharashtra.
Skill Rankings: Kerala ranks 3rd in computer skills, with Telangana and Karnataka leading in critical thinking and numerical skills.
AI Skill Penetration: India leads globally in AI talent, with demand for 1 million AI professionals by 2026.
Kerala:
- Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
- Chief minister: Pinarayi Vijayan
- Governor: Arif Mohammed Khan
Defence news
India-Russia Defense Partnership Set to Sign $4B Radar System
India is set to finalize a significant USD 4 billion agreement with Russia to acquire an advanced long-range early warning radar system from Russia’s Voronezh radar series. This deal aims to enhance India’s air defence and missile detection capabilities, aligning with the “Make in India” initiative.
Technology:
Voronezh Series Radar:
- Tracks ballistic missiles and aircraft up to 8,000 kilometers.
- Extends India’s surveillance capabilities beyond its borders.
- Offers technology previously accessible only to global superpowers.
Location: The radar system will be installed in Chitradurga, Karnataka, known for its advanced defence and aerospace infrastructure.
Russia:
- Capital: Moscow
- Prime minister: Mikhail Mishustin
Science and tech news
IIT Madras Completes 410-Meter Hyperloop Test Track
IIT Madras has completed a 410-meter-long Hyperloop test track, a first-of-its-kind project in India. The achievement, announced by Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, is part of a collaborative effort involving the Indian Railways, IIT Madras’ Avishkar Hyperloop team, and TuTr, a startup incubated at IIT Madras.
What is Hyperloop Technology?
Concept Origin: Proposed by Elon Musk in 2012, Hyperloop is a revolutionary transportation system.
Working Mechanism:
- High-speed travel through low-pressure tubes with vacuum-sealed environments, reducing air resistance and friction.
- Speeds can exceed 1,000 km/h, drastically reducing travel time over long distances.
Benefits of Hyperloop
- High Speed and Efficiency: Faster travel times than traditional modes.
- Energy-Efficient: Combines high speed with low energy consumption.
- Environmentally Friendly: Sustainable alternative to conventional transportation.
- Cost-Effective: Designed for low operational costs.
- Urban and Corridor Connectivity: Addresses congestion in urban areas and busy transit routes.
This milestone highlights India’s growing focus on advanced transportation technologies, paving the way for innovative, eco-friendly, and high-speed travel solutions.
Aditya L1 and Proba-3 to Unite for Solar Research in 2025
India’s Aditya L1 and the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Proba-3 missions are set to revolutionize solar research with joint observations starting in 2025. Aditya L1, operational since January 2024 from the Lagrange point (L1) 1.5 million km from Earth, launched in September 2023. Meanwhile, Proba-3, launched on December 5, 2024, is the first mission involving two satellites flying in formation to simulate a solar eclipse, facilitating detailed studies of the Sun’s corona.
Key Instruments
VELC (Aditya L1) and ASPIICS (Proba-3) utilize coronagraphs to study the Sun’s corona, ranging from 1.08 to 3 solar radii.
Collaborative Campaigns: Indian and ESA scientists planned synchronized observations in Chennai to enhance scientific output.
Proba-3 Progress
- Commissioning Phase: Initial calibrations underway in Belgium.
- March 2025: Observations start with the Digital Absolute Radiometer (DARA) for solar irradiance measurements.
- Early 2025: Satellites will separate for formation flying and advanced corona studies.
- Significance: These missions highlight international collaboration to advance solar research and provide unprecedented insights into the Sun’s corona.
European space agency:
- Headquarters: Paris, France
- Founded: 30 May 1975, Europe
Launch of Anna Chakra and SCAN Portals to Modernize India’s Public Distribution System (PDS) and Enhance Food Security
On December, 2024, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi launched two important initiatives aimed at modernizing India’s Public Distribution System (PDS) and improving the efficiency of food security mechanisms. These initiatives are part of the government’s broader strategy to enhance food security and streamline processes under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (MoCAF&PD) and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
Anna Chakra Portal
- Objective: Optimize PDS logistics and supply chain.
- Purpose: ‘Anna Chakra’ is designed to optimize the logistics network of the PDS, which supports over 81 crore beneficiaries across India. The tool employs advanced algorithms to determine the most efficient routes for food grain distribution within the PDS network.
- Development: This portal was created in collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP), Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT), and Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Delhi.
- Key Feature: The portal’s core function is based on the QKM (Quantity in Quintal x Distance in Kilometers) model, which has successfully reduced costs by 58 crores by optimizing food grain transport across the supply chain.
2. SCAN (Subsidy Claim Application for National Food Security Act) Portal
- Objective: Simplify and streamline subsidy claims under NFSA.
- Purpose: The SCAN portal is a single window platform that automates the process of subsidy claim submission, scrutiny, and approval under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013.
- Functionality: It ensures a timely disbursement of subsidy funds to the state governments, reducing delays in subsidy release. The Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD) processes and pays the subsidy amounts through this platform.
- Benefits: By automating the end-to-end workflow, the SCAN portal helps improve transparency, minimize delays, and ensure more efficient processing of claims.
Summit news
“GI & Beyond 2024” Summit Showcases India’s Handloom and Handicraft Products on Global Stage
On November 25, 2024, the “GI & Beyond 2024” Summit was organized by the Office of the Development Commissioner for Handlooms and the Handloom Export Promotion Council (HEPC) in New Delhi. The summit aimed to showcase India’s Geographical Indication (GI) tagged handloom and handicraft products to a global audience. Union Minister Giriraj Singh inaugurated the event and distributed GI certificates to 10 artisans from various parts of India.
Earlier, on November 22, 2024, Union Minister of State Pabitra Margherita inaugurated the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of the World Crafts Forum (WCF) in New Delhi, paying tribute to Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay’s contributions to the formation of the World Crafts Council. The celebrations were held from November 22-24 in New Delhi and from November 25-27 in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir.
Ministry of Textiles (MoT) Leadership:
- Union Minister: Giriraj Singh (Constituency: Begusarai, Bihar)
- Minister of State (MoS): Pabitra Margherita (Rajya Sabha, Assam)
Important days
International Mountain Day 2024, Celebrating the Importance of Mountains on December 11
Every year on December 11, the world comes together to observe International Mountain Day, an initiative established by the United Nations (UN) in 2003. This day aims to promote awareness about the critical role mountains play in our environment and to emphasize the importance of sustainable mountain development across the globe. Mountains are not just geological formations; they are lifelines that sustain biodiversity, regulate the climate, and serve as a source of livelihood and spiritual solace for millions.
History
- Originated from Chapter 13 of Agenda 21 during the Earth Summit in 1992, titled “Managing Fragile Ecosystems: Sustainable Mountain Development.”
- Officially designated as International Mountain Day in 2003 by the UN to highlight the importance of safeguarding mountain ecosystems.
Theme for International Mountain Day 2024: “Mountain Solutions for a Sustainable Future – Innovation, Adaptation, and Youth”