DAILY GK 14, 15 and 16 DEC 2019

DAILY GK 14, 15 and 16 DEC 2019

1.      India & Vietnam signed MoU for cooperation in education, scientific research

Key Points:

i.MoU signing: MoU was signed by CP Ramnarayan, the Vice-Chancellor of Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT) and Lt General Nguyen Cong Dinh, the President of Vietnam’s Military Technical Academy. The signing was witnessed by defence minister of India and Vietnam’s Chief of the General Staff.

ii.Shri Rajnath Singh held talks with Phan Van Giang on issues related to defence cooperation between New Delhi and Hanoi(Vietnam).

iii.Bilateral discussion with Indian army chief:  Phan Van Giang met Chief of Army Staff(CoAS) General Bipin Rawat and held discussion over the issues of mutual and strategic concern.

iv.Other recent MoU by defence ministry: The other recent Mous signed by India with other countries are as follows:

·        MoU with Uzbekistan: Rajnath Singh signed 3 MoUs with Uzbekistan to enhance cooperation in military ties in November 2019 during his visit to Uzbekistan.

·        MoU with Myanmar:The Defence ministry signed MoU with Myanmar in July 2019, for defence co-operation in areas including reviewing joint exercises and training provided to Myanmar Defence Services in India, strengthening maritime security through joint surveillance and developing new infrastructure.

About the Ministry of Defence (MoD):
Founded- 15 August 1947.
Headquarters- New Delhi.
Minister of State (MoS-Independent charge)- Shri Shripad Yesso Naik.

2.      Mastercard joins hands with Federal bank for additional digital security called ‘Mastercard Identity Check’

On December 12, 2019, Mastercard,an American multinational financial services corporation has tied-up with Federal Bank, a Private Sector, scheduled commercial bank, to provide an additional layer of security function called ‘Mastercard Identity Check’ for digital transactions done by bank’s cardholders.

The new layer of security will be provided by using latest authentication standards of EMV (Europay, MasterCard, Visa) 3-D Secure.

Key Points:

i.The new layer of security will provide a safe and user-friendly way to authenticate cardholders without the use of passwords and also increase the approval rates.

ii.This will greatly benefit the Mastercard cardholders of the bank as they are affected by cart abandonment  while online shopping, fraud risk and conversion rates for e-commerce merchants.

iii.EMV 3-D Secure (3DS): It is a messaging protocol that promotes easy consumer authentication and allows consumers to authenticate themselves with their card issuer when making card-not-present (CNP) e-commerce purchases.

About Mastercard:

Founded– 1966 (as Interbank Card Association) &1979 (as Mastercard) Headquarters– New York, U.S.
President and CEO- Ajaypal Singh Banga

About Federal Bank:

Founded– 02 December 1949 (as Federal Bank)

Headquarters– Kochi, Kerala

MD & CEO– Shyam Srinivasan

Tagline– Your Perfect Banking Partner

3.      US replaced Kuwait as India’s 6th biggest oil supplier; Iraq remains on top

On December 11, 2019 according to the data furnished by the oil ministry of India to parliamentary committee, the United States(US) has surpassed Kuwait to become India’s 6th largest oil supplier. It supplied 70% more crude to India, the world’s third largest energy consumer during April-September 2019. It supplied 5.4 million tonnes of crude oil during the first six months of 2019-20. While US stands 6th, Iraq continues to be the top crude oil supplier to India.

Key Points:
i.Iraq’s oil supply to India: Iraq supplied 26 million tonnes of crude oil to India during April to September 2019.

ii.Crude oil import by India: India is 83% dependent on oil imports to meet its oil needs. It has bought 111.4 million tonnes of crude oil from overseas during April-September 2019.

·        Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia has traditionally been India’s top oil source.  For the 1st time, it was dethroned from its first position to the second spot by Iraq in the 2017-18 fiscal year. Saudi Arabia, exported 20.7 million tonnes of crude oil in the first six months.

·        Import from US: India imported crude oil from the US in 2017 inorder to diversify its import basket beyond the OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) nations. It bought 1.9 million tonnes of crude oil from the US in 2017-18. In 2018, US supplied 3.1 million tonnes of oil to India in the first 6 months in 2018.

·        Oil import stopped from Iran: India stopped importing crude oil from Iran following the reimposition of economic sanctions in May 2019 by the US. Iran supplied 23.9 million tonnes in fully 2018-19 fiscal.it was India’s second-biggest supplier of crude oil after Saudi Arabia till 2010-11.

iii.Other top suppliers: Nigeria ranks third in crude oil supply to India. It supplied 9.9 million tonnes of crude oil in April-September. It was followed by United Arab Emirates(UAE) (8.9million tonnes supply) and Venezuela (8 million tonnes supply) at the fourth and 5th place respectively

About Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC):
Founded- September 1960.
Headquarters- Vienna, Austria.
Secretary General- Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo.
Member countries- 14 counties.

4.      16th Forbes powerful women list 2019: Nirmala Sitharaman ranked 34th & Germany’s Merkel topped the list

On December 13, 2019 the 16th annual ranking of ‘The Forbes 2019 list of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women’ list was released. Union Finance Minister of India Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman (60 years) ranked 34th in the list. The list was topped by German Chancellor Angela Dorothea Merkel, 65-year old, for the 9th consecutive year.Merkel was followed by European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Madeleine Odette Lagarde and Speaker of the US (United States) House of Representatives Nancy Patricia Pelosi in the second and third rank respectively.

Report on Indians:

i.Nirmala Sitharaman: Nirmala Sitharaman is the first female finance minister of India. Sitharaman has also served as the country’s second female defence minister after former Prime Minister(PM) Indira Gandhi. However, she held the defence minister portfolio full time. Indira Gandhi briefly took the additional charge of the ministry.

ii.Other Indians in the list: Other Indians in the list were HCL (Hindustan Computers Limited) Corporation Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and Executive Director(ED) Roshni Nadar Malhotra ranked at 54th place and Biocon Founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, 66 years ranked 65 on the list.

5.       “International changemaker olympiad” founded by Rahul Adhikari wins “Oscars” of education 2019 in London

On December 12, 2019, “International Changemaker Olympiad (ICO)”, an annual international competition program founded by Rahul Adhikari,a Gold-Medalist from Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT-R) has won the Wharton-QS Stars Reimagine Education Award 2019, popularly known as the “Oscars” of education under “Sustainability” category at the 2019 Reimagine Education Conference & Awards ceremony held in London, UK (United Kingdom), from December 8 -10,2019.

The event was co-organized by QS Quacquarelli Symonds ,The Wharton School of Business & Wharton’s Alfred West Jr. Learning Lab.

Key Points:

i.The ICO (www.ico-official.org) gives a platform to young students ‍in schools from all over the world to solve a real-world problems. Rahul was conferred with the award for his work under this program to empower the children to become changemakers. His work was also named the top innovation from the entire Asia-Pacific region. It was the only nomination from India that made it to the final shortlist.

ii.Over 20,000 students have attended in ICO till now. The program also launched initiatives to solve problems including saving 5,000 Kg of food monthly from hostel canteens, conducting over 100 menstrual hygiene awareness sessions in low-income communities, rescuing 200 injured animals from the streets, and saving three million plus litres of water in public washrooms.

iii.The next Reimagine Education Conference and Award Ceremony 2020 will be held at the San Francisco Hyatt Regency, on the 10th-11th December 2020.

6.      2019 WTA Player Award winners announced: Australia’s Ashleigh Barty named Player of the year

On 12th December 2019, the 2019 WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) Player Awards were announced by the WTA. The winners were voted by the members of the International media in addition to the WTA Jerry Diamond ACES (Asia Corporate Excellence & Sustainability) Award. The winners were announced in 5 categories which are as follows:

List of 2019 WTA Player Award Winners:

Winners	Country	Category
Ashleigh Barty	Australia	Player of the year
Bianca Vanessa Andreescu	Canada	Newcomer of the year
Sofia Anna Kenin	United States (US)	Most Improved Player of the year
Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic	Hungary and France	Doubles Team of the Year
Belinda Bencic	Switzerland	Comeback player of the year

Key Points:

i.Ashleigh Barty, Australia was bestowed with the 2019 WTA Player of the year award with 82% vote, she became the first Australian to be named WTA No.1 since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1976. She has recorded 57 matches, the most matches won in the 2019 tour, and won 4 titles from 6 finals. She advanced to the quarter finals at the Australian open and the round 16 of Wimbledon and U.S open becoming the 1^st player to reach the 2^nd week at all four Grand Slams in 2019.

ii.Bianca Andreescu, Canada won 2019 WTA Newcomer of the year award with 67% vote. She became the WTA world No.5 after defeating Serena Williams at the finals held in New York, accounting to this she became the first Canadian player male/female to lift this Prestigious title. She has played only 13 tournaments this season because of an injury.

iii. Sofia Kenin, United States (US) won 2019 WTA Most Improved Player of the year award with 39% vote, the award is given to players in the top 50 who show improved results throughout the year. She is now the World No.14 by moving forward from the 56^th place at the beginning of the year, she reached the 1^st four tour finals with a win in Hobart, and titles from matches held in Mallorca and Guangzhou and defeating Belinda Bencic in the finals held in Spain.

iv.Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic, from Hungary and France, won the 2019 WTA Doubles Team of the year with 44% vote. The doubles team had an extraordinary year with a win in the major events held in Roland Garros, reaching the finals in the Australian Open and playing in the Wimbledon and United States (US) open. They also won the doubles title at the Shiseido WTA finals in Shenzhen.

v.Belinda Bencic, Switzerland won the 2019 WTA Comeback Player of the Year award with 80% vote, she The player struggled after a wrist surgery in the year 2016 that pushed her out of the top 300, she has regained her position in the year 2019 as the WTA World No.8, after her first grand semifinal, and success in Dubai and Moscow with a score of 49 wins in the WTA tour 2019.

About Women’s Tennis Association (WTA):

Headquarters- St. Petersburg, Florida, United States (US)
Chairman- Steve Simon
President- Micky Lawler

7.      Indian Cricketer Rohit Sharma (32), becomes the First Indian Brand Ambassador of La Liga

On 12th December 2019, Rohit Gurunath Sharma (32), Indian International Cricketer, was named the first ever Indian brand ambassador of La Liga, a professional football division of the Spanish football league system for men. He is also the first ever non-footballer to be in that position. The announcement was made by Jose Antonio Cachaza, Managing Director of La Liga.

Key Points:

i.Rohit Sharma was born in Maharashtra, India, he is the captain of the Mumbai Indians team in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the vice-captain of the Indian national team in limited-overs formats and the only cricketer to score more than one ODI (One Day International) double-hundred and three ODI double-hundred in the history of cricket.

ii.He is also the official Rhino Ambassador for World Wildlife Fund (WWF)- India and a member of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

About La Liga:

Founded- 1929
Country- Spain
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Javier Gomez Molina

8.      CM Jaganmohan Reddy inaugurated first Virtual Police station at AU in Andhra Pradesh 

On 13th December 2019, Yeduguri Sandinti Jaganmohan Reddy, Chief Minister(CM) of Andhra Pradesh (AP) inaugurated the first Virtual Police Station at the Andhra University (AU) in Visakhapatnam, AP. The concept of Virtual police station was initiated by AU Vice-Chancellor Prasad Reddy with an aim to provide security to students.

Key Points:

i.The AU facility is focused as a Pilot Project and will, later on, be implemented in other educational institutions. By using these facilities students can file their complaints easily which will be forwarded to police officials after being inspected by the control room.

ii.The system includes an inbuilt complaint monitoring and action-taken mechanism which will make it easy for the students to get their complaints answered.

About Andhra Pradesh (AP):

Capital city- Amaravati

Largest city- Hyderabad

Governor- Biswabhushan Harichandan

9.      President approved Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019

Citizenship Amendment Act 2019:

·        Act purpose: The act would enable acquisition of Indian citizenship by persons who were forced to seek shelter in India due to fear of on grounds of religion. The act will provide ease in obtaining citizenship.

·        Act excluded regions: The act will not be applicable to tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura as included in the sixth schedule of the Constitution and States of Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland that are protected by the Inner Line Permit (ILP).

o   Citizens of other states should possess ILP to visit the three States (Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland) as per the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873.

·        Religional exemption: Illegal migrants other than the 6 communities which are Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Parsi, Jain and Sikh from the three neighbouring countries (Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan) will not be able to take up jobs, purchase land or settle down in these areas.

·        Citizenship: The Act will enable a person belonging to the above mentioned six religious communities who do not have proof of birth of his parents in support of his being Indian origin, to apply for citizenship by completing six years of residency period in India.

·        Citizenship acquirement: The Act specifies that citizenship may be acquired in India through five methods – by birth in India, by descent, through registration, by naturalisation (extended residence in India), and by incorporation of territory into India.

·        Illegal migrants: Illegal migrants in the country will be prisoned or deported under the Foreigners Act, 1946 and the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920.In 2015 and 2016, the government exempted specified groups of illegal migrants from provisions of these two acts.

Bill background:
During the 2014 elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) had promised to grant citizenship to Hindu refugees from Bangladesh and Pakistan as part of its election manifesto.Thus, the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 was introduced.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016: 

·        Bill introduced in 2016: The citizenship amendment Bill 2016 was introduced in Lok Sabha on July 2016 to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955.

o   There was political opposition and protests in the northeast India over this bill as the people’s chief concern was that the demography of Northeast India would change with the influx of migrants from Bangladesh. The Bill lapsed with the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha.

·        Bill reintroduced: In the 2019 election campaign, the BJP’s manifesto reiterated its commitment to bring in the Bill. The National Register of Citizens (NRC) was updated in Assam state in 2019, leaving out 1.9 million residents, a majority of whom were Hindus, without citizenship. This matter brought urgency to bring in the Bill.

o   Later, the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was introduced in Lok Sabha in December 2019.

10.   36th International Geological Congress 2020: To be hosted by India in New Delhi

India is to host the 36^th International Geological Congress (IGC) in New Delhi on the first week of March 2020 (2-8 March 2020). The theme of the conference is ‘Geosciences: The Basic Science for Sustainable Development’. The event is to be organized by the Ministry of Mines.

·        As an initiative of the event a half-day interactive workshop was held in New Delhi. The event was inaugurated by M. Rajeevan, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences and Anil Kumar Jain, Secretary Coal & Mines.

11.   7th Economic Census: India’s 1st digital census launched in New Delhi

On December 13, 2019 7th edition of the Economic Census was launched in New Delhi. To carry out the economic census, the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation (MoSPI) tied up with Common Service Centres Network (CSCN). CSC is an SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle) under the Ministry of Electronics and IT(MeitY). It is for the first time the census is being conducted in a digital platform named ICT (Information and Communication Technology).

·        Delhi is the 26th state where the survey has been launched. The survey process is already on in 20 states and 5 UTs (Union Territories).

·        ICT: The digital platform ICT which is used for the first time will provide high accuracy and data security. The ICT is being used for data capture, validation, report generation and dissemination.

12.   Highlights of 25th UN Climate Change Conference held in Madrid, Spain

The 25th United Nations(UN) Climate Change Conference held in Madrid, Spain from December 2-13, 2019. The conference featured 25th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 25) to the United Nations Framework Convention to Combat Climate Change (UNFCCC). The highlights of the conference are as follows:

·        India ranked 9th among countries in CCPI with higher climate performance.

·        India reduced emission intensity of its GDP by 21%.

·        Infosys, 1st Indian corporate to be awarded UN award in ‘climate neutral now’ category.

·        73 Countries joined Climate Ambition Alliance at COP25.

13.   India, Bangladesh, Nepal contributes global progress in infant birth registration: UNICEF report

On December 11, 2019, According to the new report, ‘Birth Registration for Every Child by 2030: Are we on track?’ released by UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund), the number of childbirth registrations has increased significantly over the past decade & the great efforts of South Asian countries like India, Bangladesh and Nepal have contributed to the global progress in this field. The birth registration level in these regions has almost tripled from 23% in the last two decades to 70%. This improvement followed SDG 16.9, which calls for providing legal identity to everyone by 2030. The report analyzed the data from 174 countries.Key Points:

i.In the year 2000, 6 out of 10 infants under the age of five were registered. The number has increased to 3 out of 4 infants in the last 10 years.

ii.As per the report,the proportion of infants under the age of 5 registered globally is around 20 % of the last 10 years. This figure has increased from 63 % to 75%.

iii.India’s registration: The number of registered children increased from 41 % in 2005–2006 to 80 % in India.

iv.In some parts of South Asia, equitable gaps between rich and poor people have begun to close. The level of registration of births in India has increased for both the richest and poorer sections of the population as now the difference between these two classes has reduced.

v.The report also stressed the governments to take action, in line with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda which call for all people to be provided a legal identity, including birth registration.

14.   26th Annual Crystal Award 2020: winners Deepika Padukone, Theaster Gates, Jin Xing, and Lynette Wallworth

On 14th December 2019, the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) 26th Annual Crystal Awards 2020 announced its winners to celebrate the enduring contributions of exceptional artists to the society. The winners will be honoured in the World Economic Forum at its 50th Annual Meeting 2020 to be held on 20th January in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland.
Winners of 26th Annual Crystal Award 2020 are as follows:

·        Deepika Padukone, India, for her leadership in raising mental health awareness

·        Theaster Gates, United States (US), for his leadership in creating sustainable communities

·        Jin Xing, China, for her leadership in shaping inclusive cultural norms

·        Lynette Wallworth, Australia, for her leadership in creating inclusive narratives

About World Economic Forum (WEF):
Founded- January 1971
Headquarters- Cologny, Switzerland
Chairman- Klaus Schwab

15.   2019 UK general elections: British PM Boris Johnson attains historic victory

On 13^th December 2019, Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson won the United Kingdom (UK) general election after his Conservative Party crossed the required majority of 326 votes of the 650 seats in the House of Commons.

Key Points:

i.The Labour party headed by Jeremy Bernard Corbyn and the Scottish National Party headed by Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon gained 203 and 43 votes respectively.

ii.15 Indian-origin politicians entered the UK’s House of Commons and the UK will be removed from the European Union (EU) in January marking Johnson’s win in the general election.

iii.The 15 Indian origin politicians also included in the House of Commons in UK comprising of both, the ruling Conservative and Opposition Labour parties. Their names are: Gagan Mohindra, Claire Coutinho, Navendru Mishra, Munira Wilson, Priti Patel (former UK Home Secretary), Rishi Sunak, Alok Sharma ( former International Development Minister), Shailesh Vara, Suella Braverman, Navendru Mishra, Preet Kaur Gill, Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, Virendra Sharma, Lisa Nandy and Seema Malhotra.

About United Kingdom(UK):

Capital- London
Monarch- Elizabeth II

Currency- Pound sterling

16.   Former PM Abdelmadjid Tebboune (74) elected as the President of Algeria

On 13^th December 2019, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, (74) former Prime Minister (PM) of Algeria was elected as the President of Algeria succeeding Abdelkader Bensalah. Tebboune served as the PM from May 2017 to August 2017, under the governance of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

Key Points:

i.He was voted by members of a nationwide protest movement and received 58.15% of votes. The turnout of the election was only 41% as stated by Mohamed Charfi, head of the National Independent Electoral Authority (NIEC).

About Algeria:

Capital- Algiers
Prime Minister (PM)- Noureddine Bedouia

Currency- Dinar

17.   NASA to launch rover ‘MARS 2020’ in the year 2020 

On december 11,2019 NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) announced to launch its rover ‘MARS 2020’ in the year 2020. The rover will land on Mars, the 4th closest planet to the sun. it is also known as the red planet. The rover is built and managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory(JPL) in Pasadena, California,United States(US).Mars 2020: 

·        Mission: The mission will be launched on date between July 17 – August 5, 2020 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station(CCAFS), Florida, US. The duration of the mission will be about 687 Earth days.

·        The body of the Mars 2020 rover weighs 2,260 pounds (1,025 kilograms), compared with CURIOSITY, the previous rover launched by NASA in 2011. Curiosity’s weighed 1,982 pounds (899 kilograms).

·        The rover will also explore a landscape shaped by water which is called the ‘Jezero Crater’, the site of an ancient delta. The rover will also look for actual signs of past life, or biosignatures, capturing samples of rocks and soil.

·        New Technology Introduced: Mars 2020 will feature an important new technology i.e., Terrain Relative Navigation(TRN).

·        Capturing features: ‘Mars 2020’ has 23 cameras, most of them are colour cameras. The rover also two microphones to capture not only the first sounds of a Mars landing but also Martian wind and the rover’s chemical-analyzing laser zaps.

·        Other test to be carried: ‘Mars 2020’ will carry spacesuit samples, allowing scientists to study how the samples degrade. Making up of own rocket fuel technology by the astronauts using oxygen generator will be tested from the Martian atmosphere.

About National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA):
Founded- 29 July 1958.
Founder- Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Headquarters- Washington, D.C., United States(US).
Administrator- Jim Bridenstine (born as James Frederick Bridenstine)

18.   Viswanathan Anand’s autobiography ‘Mind Master: Winning Lessons from a Champion’s Life’ launched in Chennai

On 13th December 2019, Indian chess Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand’s autobiography ‘Mind Master: Winning Lessons from a Champion’s Life’ was released in Chennai. The book was authored by Viswanathan Anand and Susan Ninan and published by Hachette India.

Key Points:

i.It is an inspirational book that shares Anand’s experience on how to navigate life. In this book he revisits the ups and downs he faced in the games played against the best minds, and the methods he used to win the games.

ii.Anand was born in Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu and is a former World Chess Champion. He became the first grandmaster from India in 1988.

iii.He held the FIDE World Chess Championship from 2000 to 2002 and became the First Asian to be in that place. He won the World Rapid Chess Championship in 2003 and 2017.

iv.He became the 4^th player in history to pass the 2800 Elo mark on the FIDE rating list in 2006. He occupied the No.1 position for 21 months, which is the sixth longest in the record.

v.He is the first recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, India’s highest sporting honour between 1991-1992, he was awarded Padma Vibhushan in 2007, becoming the first sportsmen to receive the award.

19.   National Energy Conservation Day observed on December 14 2019

The National Energy Conservation Day is observed annually on 14 December by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), under the Ministry of Power. The day which was first implemented in 2001, aims to showcase India’s achievements in energy efficiency and conservation. It also works on the nation’s overall effort towards climate change mitigation. Minister of State (IC) for Power, New & Renewable Energy and Minister of State (MoS) for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Shri Raj Kumar Singh was the chief guest of National Energy Conservation Day celebrations in New Delhi.National Energy Conservation Week: In order to create mass awareness on the importance of conservation and efficiency of energy, BEE observed National Energy Conservation Week from 9th to 14th December 2019.

i.Events:

·        The ministry distributed National Energy Conservation Awards 2019 to various organizations that have achieved efficient utilization and conservation of energy.

·        Exhibition: Exhibition on energy efficiency endeavors, showcasing Energy Profile of India, roadmap to achieve national energy efficiency, usage of energy-efficient appliances, etc were conducted.

ii.National Energy Conservation Awards 2019:
Various events were held for which National Energy Conservation Awards were given. The awards programme recognizes the energy efficiency achievements in 56 sub-sectors across industry, establishments and institutions. Also, for creating awareness to school children on energy conservation, painting competitions were conducted. The winners were awarded by Shri RK Singh as part of the National Energy Conservation Awards.

iii.Initiatives launched: Various policies and schemes are being implemented such as  PAT(Perform Achieve and Trade) scheme, standard & labelling, energy conservation building codes and demand side management. These programmes are helpful in achieving significant energy savings.

iv.India’s energy demand: India’s energy demand is expected to double between 2013 and 2030, to approximately 1500 million tons of oil equivalent.

About Bureau of Energy Efficiency(BEE):
Founded- 1 March 2002.
Headquarters- New Delhi.
Act- Energy Conservation Act, 2001