Important Days of December 2024

World AIDS Day: 01 December 2024

Designated by: World Health Organisation

Theme: Take the rights path: My health, my right!

First Observed in: 1988

International Day of Persons with Disabilities: 03 December 2024

Designated by: United Nations General Assembly

Theme: Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future

First Observed in: 1992

International Volunteer Day: 05 December 2024

Designated by: United Nations General Assembly

First Observed in: 1986

World Soil Day: 05 December 2024

First launched by: International Union of Soil Sciences (2002)

Endorsed by: Food and Agricultural Organisation (Jun 2013)

Accepted by: United Nations General Assembly (Dec 2013)

Theme: Caring for soils: measure, monitor, manage

International Civil Aviation Day: 07 December 2024

Established by: International Civil Aviation Organisation (1994)

Adopted by: United Nations General Assembly (1996)

Theme: Safe Skies. Sustainable Future: Together for the next 80 years

International Anti-Corruption Day: 09 December 2024

Designated by: United Nations General Assembly

First Observed in: 2003

Theme: Uniting with Youth Against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow's Integrity

United Nations Human Rights Day: 10 December 2024

Designated by: United Nations General Assembly

Theme: Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now

First Observed in: 1948

International Mountains Day: 11 December 2024

Designated by: United Nations General Assembly

First Observed in: 2003

International Universal Health Coverage Day: 12 December 2024

Designated by: United Nations General Assembly

Theme: Health: It's on Government

First Observed in: 2017

International Migrants Day: 18 December 2024

Designated by: United Nations General Assembly

First Observed in: 2000

International Human Solidarity Day: 20 December 2024

Designated by: United Nations General Assembly

First Observed in: 2006

World Meditation Day: 21 December 2024

Designated by: United Nations General Assembly

First Observed in: 2024

Sahitya Akademi Awards 2024
 

SpaDeX Mission

Launched on: 30.12.2024

Launched from: Satish Dhawan Space Centre

Launch vehicle: PSLV-CA C60

SpaDeX mission is a cost-effective technology demonstrator mission for the demonstration of in-space docking using two small spacecraft launched by PSLV.

In-space docking technology is essential when multiple rocket launches are required to achieve common mission objectives.

Through this mission, India is on its way to becoming the fourth country in the world to have space docking technology.

Consists of: Two modified IMS-1 class (220 kg) satellites, named Chaser and Target.

Shyam Benegal

Born: 14 December 1934; Death: 23 December 2024

Specialization: Film director, screenwriter and documentary filmmaker.

Awards:

• Padma Shri (1976)
• Padma Bhushan (1991)
• Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2005)

Awards for films

• National Film Award for Best Feature Film: Samar (1999)
• National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi: Nishant (1976), Manthan (1977), Junoon (1979), Arohan (1982), Sooraj ka Satvan Ghoda (1993), Mammo (1995), Zubeida (2001)
• National Film Award for Best Feature Film in English: The Making of the Mahatma (1995)
• National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Urdu: Sardari Begum (1996)
• National Film Award for Second Best Feature Film: Ankur (1975)
• National Film Award for Best Screenplay: Bhumika, The Role (1978)
• Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration: Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero (2005)
• National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues: Well Done Abba (2009)

The Best FIFA Football Awards 2024

Awarded by: FIFA

The Best FIFA Men's Player: Vinicius Junior (Brazil) (Club: Real Madrid)

The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper: Emiliano Martínez (Argentina) (Club: Aston Villa)

The Best FIFA Women's Player: Aitana Bonmatí (Spain) (Club: Barcelona)

The Best FIFA Women's Goalkeeper: Alyssa Naeher (USA) (Club: Chicago Red Stars)

FIFA Puskas Award: Alejandro Garnacho (Argentina)

FIFA Marta Award: Marta Vieira de Silva (Brazil)

Zakir Hussain

Full name: Zakir Hussain Allarakha Qureshi

Born: 09 March 1951; Death: 15 December 2024

Specialization: Tabla player, composer, percussionist and music producer

Awards:

• Sangeet Natak Akademi Award: 1990
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, Ratna Sadasya: 2018
• Grammy Awards: 1 in 2009 and 3 in 2024
• Padma Shri (1988), Padma Bhushan (2002) and Padma Vibhushan (2023)

2024 Men's Hockey Junior Asia Cup

Held from: 26 November to 04 December 2024

Venue: Muscat (Oman)

Winners: India (5th title)

Runners-up: Pakistan

Top scorer: Sufyan Khan (12 goals) (Pakistan)

Best player: Araijeet Singh Hundal (India)

Best young player: Yamato Kawahara (Japan)

Best goalkeeper: Rafaizul Saini (Malaysia)

Awards

The country which has conferred its highest national award The Order of Mubarak Al- Kabeer upon the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi – Kuwait

The Hindi writer who has been awarded the 2024 Vyas Samman for her novel Kaun Des Ko Vasi: Venu Ki Diary – Ms. Suryabala

Defence

The 18th edition of Battalion Level Joint Military Exercise of Indian Army and the Nepal Army conducted in Saljhandi, Nepal from 31st December 2024 to 13th January 2025 is named – Exercise Surya Kiran

The bilateral naval exercise by the navies of India and Sri Lanka held from 17 to 20 December 2024 at Visakhapatnam was named – SLINEX-2024

The latest multi-role stealth-guided missile frigate (formerly named Admiral Butakov) commissioned into the Indian Navy at the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad, Russia on December 09, 2024 is named – INS Tushil (F 70)

The 4th edition of India-Malaysia Joint Military Exercise conducted at Bentong camp, Pahang district, Malaysia from 2nd to 15th December 2024 is named – Exercise HARIMAU SHAKTI

The 1st edition of Joint Table Top Exercise between the Indian Army and the Cambodian Army conducted at Foreign Training Node, Pune from 1st to 8th December 2024 is named – Exercise CINBAX

Persons

The former President of USA from 1977 to 1981 who passed away on 29 December 2024 – James Earl Carter Jr (Jimmy Carter)

The Indian author, screenplay writer and film director, winner of several National Film Awards and also Jnanpith Award (1995) and Sahitya Akademi Award (1970), who passed away on 25 December 2024 – Shri MT Vasudevan Nair

The former Prime Minister to mark whose 100th birth anniversary a commemorative stamp and coin were released by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi – Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee

The former Chief Minister of Haryana (for 5 terms) from Indian National Lok Dal party who passed away on 20 December 2023 – Shri Om Prakash Chautala

The Indian environmentalist from Honnali village also known as the Encyclopedia of the Forest who passed away on 16 December 2024 – Smt Tulsi Gowda

The former Chief Minister of Karnataka (1999-2004), Governor of Maharashtra (2004-2008) and Union External Affairs Minister (2009-2012) who passed away on 10 December 2024 – Shri SM Krishna

The two-time former Chief Minister who has been chosen to be the new Chief Minister of Maharashtra – Shri Devendra Fadnavis

Sports

The Indian Chess Grandmaster who has become the second woman to win the World Rapid Chess Championship by the winning the title in New York in 2024 – Koneru Humpy

The Indian chess Grandmaster who has become the youngest World Chess Champion (at the age of 18 years) in the history of the game by defeating Chinese player Ding Liren in the last game in Singapore (former youngest World Chess Champion was held by Garry Kasporov) – Gukesh Dommaraju

The former Indian squash player, winner of six straight National Squash Championships from 1977 to 1982 who passed away on 01 December 2024 – Shri Raj Manchanda

Places

The country in which Embraer aircraft of Azerbaijan Airlines crashed on its way from Baku (Azerbaijan) to Grozny (Russia), killing 38 out of 67 people on board – Kazakhstan

The place in Madhya Pradesh at which the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of Ken-Betwa River Linking National Project – Khajuraho

The place in Rajasthan on Jaipur-Ajmer highway (NH48) where a collision between a LPG tanker and another vehicle resulted in a devastating fire accident causing death of 14 persons and burning of over 30 vehicles – Bhankrota

Miscellaneous

The lake in Ladakh at which a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was installed by the Indian Army – Pangong Tso

The bird which has been officially recognized as the National Bird of United States of America after the US President Joe Biden signed a law to that effect – Bald Eagle

The country which has suspended the Most Favoured Nation clause in its Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) with India with effect from 01 January 2025 – Switzerland

The strong tropical cyclone which struck the French overseas territory Mayotte near Mozambique in Africa and cause substantial damage of life and property was named – Cyclone Chido

The word meaning division into two sharply distinct opposites, which has been chosen to be the Word of the Year 2024 by Merriam-Webster Dictionary – Polarization

India's first indigenously developed antibiotic with the support of Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), brought to market under the trade name Miqnaf by pharma company Wolkardt is named – Nafithromycin

The forest reserve in Madhya Pradesh which has been named as India's 57th Tiger Reserve by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change – Ratapani Tiger Reserve

The word meaning the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state which has been chosen as the 2024 Word of the Year – Brain rot

Dr. Manmohan Singh

Born: 26 September 1932; Death: 26 December 2024

Birth place: Gah village in Chakwal district of Punjab province of Pakistan

Positions held

• Chief Economic Advisor (1972–1976)
• Governor of the Reserve Bank (1982–1985)
• Head of the Planning Commission (1985–1987)
• Finance Minister (1991–1996)
• Prime Minister of India (2004–2014)

Education

• Panjab University (BA, MA)
• St John's College, Cambridge (BA)
• Nuffield College, Oxford (DPhil)

He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1987.