Notes:
International Mountain Day is observed on 11 December. The day aims to raise awareness about conserving the mountains. A report says that 15% of the world’s population lives in the mountains. It is necessary to conserve the mountains. Mountain conservation is a crucial factor for sustainable development Goal 15 (SDG-15).  The theme of the 2019 International Mountain Day is Mountains Matter for Youth.

Notes:
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has identified 138 monuments as ‘Must See Monuments’. This information has been made available on ‘Must See’ portal of ASI. There are 38 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India, which includes 30 cultural sites, 7 natural sites and 1 mixed-criteria site. India has the 6th largest number of sites in the world. Out of 38, the 22 cultural sites including monuments, buildings and caves are under the protection of ASI. Therefore, the ‘Must See’ list features outstanding Indian monuments and archaeological sites, under the protection of ASI, including those that feature on World Heritage List of UNESCO.

Notes:
National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), India’s anti-doping body has selected Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty as its brand ambassador. NADA hopes that his celebrity status would help its efforts to clean up sports in the country from the menace.

Notes:
India has ranked 9th in the high category of 2019 Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) presented on 10 December at the COP25 climate summit in Madrid, Spain. This is the first time India has ranked among the top 10 among the list. The current levels of per capita emissions and energy used in India are still comparatively low for the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy use categories. The report suggest the Indian government to develop a roadmap for the phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies that would consequently reduce the country’s high dependence on coal.

Notes:
‘Iron Union 12’, a joint military exercise between ground forces of United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United States, commenced on 10 December 2019 in presence of UAE Commander of Land Forces Major General Saleh Mohamed Saleh Al Amiri and Commander of US Army Central (USARCENT) Lieutenant General Terry Ferrell. It is aimed at enhancing combat efficiency and tactical expertise between two countries.

Notes:
The first fully electronic flight in the world completed its test flight successfully on December 10, 2019. The flight is to operate from Vancouver, Canada to the nearby islands.The zero emission completely electronic flight proved that all-electric commercial aviation is possible. The electrical aircraft designed was a 6-seater seaplane that was retrofitted with an electric motor. The first flight lasted for 15 minutes. The electrical flight was designed by the company Harbor Air. India also promotes and incentivizes the use of electric vehicles.

Notes:
South Asian Games 2019 concluded on 10 December,2019 in Nepal, with India finishing on top with a best-ever medal haul of 312 medals comprising of 174 gold, 93 silver and 45 bronze. Host Nepal remained second and Sri Lanka got third place in the regional multi-sporting. The year 2019 marks the 13th edition of South Asian Games.
India finished on top, continuing its undisputed domination in regional multi-sporting event by finishing on top for the 13th time-in-a-row. India has topped the medal tally of every South Asian Games since its establishment in 1984.

Notes:
The BioAsia 2020 is scheduled to be held in Hyderabad in between February 17 and 19, 2020. On December 10, 2019, the Ministry of Industries and Commerce and IT informed that Switzerland will serve as India’s partner at the conference.
India is Switzerland’s 8th largest trading partner. The trade between the countries amount to 19.7 billion USD. Also, India is one of the eight non-EU countries with which Switzerland intends to deepen its scientific relations.

Notes:
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) added about 1,840 new species to its updated “Red List of Threatened Species”, a catalogue of plants and animals that risk extinction. The list now contains over 30,000 species under threat of disappearing. The group released its Red List update in the middle of COP25 climate talks in Madrid, Spain. The year 2020 will see two global IUCN gatherings, first in June in Marseille, France and another in Kunming, China, in October.

Notes:
To ensure the benefits of FASTag beyond tolling, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has launched a pilot project for using FASTags for parking purposes at Hyderabad Airport. Conceptualised as FASTag 2.0, the tag would cover parking payments, fuel payments, etc. After the success of project in Hyderabad, it will be launched at Delhi airport.