India becomes first country to make entire Haj process digital

NATIONAL DAY

India becomes first country to make entire Haj process digital

• India has become the first country to make the entire process for pilgrims going on Haj completely digital.
• Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi signing the bilateral agreement for next year's pilgrimage with the Saudi Haj Minister in Jeddah. 
• 0nline application, e-visa, Haj mobile app, 'e-MASIHA' health facility, "e-luggage pre-tagging" providing all information in India itself regarding accommodation and transportation in Mecca and Madina will be provided to 2 lakh Indian Muslims going for Haj in 2020.
• This year, a 100-line information centre has been established at the Haj House, Mumbai for providing information regarding the entire Haj process.
• E-MASIHA (E-Medical Assistance System for Indian Pilgrims Abroad), an online system to create and maintain the complete health database of Indian pilgrims along with doctors' preions, medical treatment as well as medicine disbursal, has been developed to deal with any emergency in Mecca and Madina.

Intensified Mission Indradhanush 2.0 to be launched across the country today

• Centre will launch the Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 2.0 across the country
• The government's flagship scheme is aimed at immunizing children under the age of 2 years and pregnant women against eight vaccine preventable diseases.
• The IMI covers vaccines for diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, poliomyelitis, tuberculosis, measles, meningitis and Hepatitis B.
• Vaccines for Japanese encephalitis and hemophilus influenzal are also being provided in selected areas.
• The IMI 2.0 aims to achieve targets of full immunization coverage in 272 districts spread over 27 States. The IMI 2.0 will be carried out between December 2019 and March 2020.

Nagaland CM inaugurates Multi Media Exhibition at World War II museum

• For the first time in the history of Hornbill festival, Bureau of Outreach & Communication, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting is organising a Multi Media Exhibition commemorating the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
• Nagaland Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio officially inaugurated the Multi Media Exhibition yesterday at World War II museum, Kisama in Nagaland.
• The focus of the event is to present Gandhian values and principles both to the people and through the people in contemporary idiom.
• The 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi is more than a celebration of a great life and a remembrance of history.
• It is a moment of renewal, of making a fresh commitment to the goals of a just, honest and fair society- at home and abroad.

FESTIVAL

20th Edition of Hornbill Festival begins in Nagaland

• The much-awaited festival, the Hornbill Festival began with a colourful blend of culture and tradition with a modern twist at Naga Heritage Kisama in Nagaland this evening. This is the 20th edition of Hornbill Festival.
• The festival organised by Nagaland Government is an annual tourism promotional event to showcase the state’s traditional and rich cultural heritage in all its ethnicity, diversity and grandeur.

FACTS

Nagaland Chief Minister-Neiphiu Rio

Governor-RN Ravi

INTERNATIONAL DAY

Saudi Arabia takes over G20 Presidency from Japan

• Saudi Arabia has taken over the G20 Presidency from Japan. It is the first Arab nation to assume the G20 presidency.
• "The kingdom of Saudi Arabia assumes the G20 Presidency, leading up to the summit in Riyadh".
• "The Saudi G20 presidency is committed to continuing the work from Osaka and promoting multilateral consensus."
• Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler, hailed it as a "unique opportunity" to shape international consensus.
• The G20 presidency, which Saudi Arabia has taken over from Japan, will host world leaders for a global summit in its capital on 21-22 November in 2020.

Saudhi Arabia Capital -Riyadh

Currency-Rial

UN Climate Change Conference to be held in Spain from Dec 2 – 13

• UN Climate Change Conference, known as COP25 gets underway in the Spanish capital, Madrid, under the Presidency of Chile from 2-13 December 2019.
• COP 25 is an important conference as countries prepare to move from pre-2020 period under Kyoto Protocol to post-2020 period under Paris Agreement.
• India's approach will be guided by principles and provisions of UNFCCC and Paris Agreement particularly the principles of Equity and Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capability (CBDR-RC).
• The Indian delegation will be led by Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar.

APPOINTMENT

Soma Roy Burman takes charge as new Controller General of Accounts

• Soma Roy Burman took charge as the new Controller General of Accounts, CGA.
• She is the 24th CGA and the seventh woman to hold this coveted position. She took over from J P S Chawla.
• Burman, a 1986-batch Indian Civil Accounts Service officer has held cadre positions at different levels in Central government Ministries during her 33-year long career. Prior to assuming the charge of CGA, Burman served as Additional Controller General of Accounts in the office of the CGA.
• She handled the critical areas of accounting rules, policy and reforms, financial reporting, data analytics, cash and budget management.

RESIGNS

Iraq-PM 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.
• Iraqi Parliament is scheduled to meet today where lawmakers will vote on whether to accept Abdul Mahdi's resignation or not.
• The resignation came after Iraq's top Shia religious leader withdrew his support to the government in a weekly sermon.

IMPORTANT DAY

Indigenous Faith Day celebrated in Arunachal Pradesh-December 1

• Donyi Polo Cultural & Charitable Trust and Indigenous Faith & Cultural Society of Arunachal Pradesh today celebrated ‘Indigenous Faith Day’ at Pasighat with religious fervour.
• Buddha guru seventh Kyabje Yongzin Ling Rinpoche of Himachal Pradesh Dharamsala, accompanied by Secretary General of International Buddhist Confederation Ven Dr Dhammapiya and several other dignitaries and foreign delegates graced the programme at Central Donyi Polo Central Gangging Pasighat.

SPORTS

Gurpreet Singh, Sunil Kumar clinch gold medals in Senior National C'ships

• In wrestling, Asian Championships silver medallists Gurpreet Singh and Sunil Kumar clinched gold medals on the final day of the senior national championships in Jalandhar.
• Gurpreet defeated two-time world junior championships medallist Sajan Bhanwal, who was representing the Railways, by a 3-1 margin, in the 77-kilogram category. This was Punjab grappler’s fourth senior national title.
• Sunil also managed an easy win over Punjab’s Prabhal. The Railway’s grappler used all his experience to crush the Punjab wrestler 5-1 in the 87 kg final.

13^th South Asian Games formally begins in Kathmandu

• 13th South Asian Games have formally begun in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.
• President of Nepal Bidya Devi Bhandari declared games open in a glittering ceremony at Dasaratha Rangshala in Kathmandu.
• Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun, Chairman of National Assembly Ganesh Timilsina, Deputy Prime Minister Ishwor Pokharel, Ministers from South Asian countries and a large number of other dignitaries also graced the opening ceremony.
• Over 2700 athletes from seven South Asian Countries participated in the march past.
• Nepali Cricketer Paras Khadka took oath representing players while Nepal’s Badminton Referee Deepak Thapa took oath on behalf of referees and judges of the games.