Current Context : Devendra Fadnavis has been sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

• BJP-led Mahayuti alliance secured a decisive victory in the 2024 state elections.

About Maharashtra

1. Capital: Mumbai
2. Area: 307,713 km² (3rd largest state in India)
3. Population: Over 124 million (as per the 2021 census)
4. Legislature: Bicameral (Vidhan Sabha – 288 seats, Vidhan Parishad)
5. Official Language: Marathi
6. Major Rivers: Godavari, Krishna, Tapi, Mahi

Observed on 7 December

• Aim : to raise awareness about the importance of aviation for social and economic development and the role of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Observed annually on 7 December

• Objective : Honors martyrs and brave soldiers of India who safeguard the country’s borders.
• Established in 1949 by the Baldev Singh Committee.

Current Context : The government’s Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation (PRAGATI) platform has transformed the delivery of the country’s infrastructure projects, a report by Oxford University’s Saïd Business School and the Gates Foundation has said recently. 

About PRAGATI platform:

• It is a multi-purposeand multi-modal platform that is aimed at addressing common man’s grievances and simultaneously monitoring and reviewing important programmes and projects of the Government of India as well as projects flagged by State Governments.
• It is also a robust system for bringing e-transparency and e-accountability with real-time presence and exchange among the key stakeholders.
• The platform was launched on March 25, 2015.
• The PRAGATI platform uniquely bundles three latest technologies: Digital data management, video conferencing, and geospatial technology.
• Key Features:
  • It is a three-tier system(PMO, Union Government Secretaries, and Chief Secretaries of the States).

Current Context : Government abolishes windfall tax on crude oil, ATF, petrol, and diesel exports.

About Windfall Tax

• A windfall tax is a tax imposed by governments on certain industries that experience significantly above-average profits due to favorable economic conditions.
• g., India imposed windfall tax on domestic crude oil production in July 2022, following a sharp rise in global crude oil prices.
• These taxes are designed to capture a portion of these unexpected gains to fund public projects, reduce deficits, or redistribute wealth.

Current Context: India- Malaysia Joint Military Exercise ‘Harimau Shakti’ commenced in Malaysia.

About Harimau Shakti 2024

• It is annual training event conducted alternatively in India and Malaysia.
• Aim: To enhance joint military capability of both sides to undertake counter insurgency operations in jungle terrain.

Current Context : The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought a reply from the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and others over the deteriorating condition of Varkala cliff, a designated national geo-heritage site.

About Varkala cliff:

• Location: It is a natural formation located in Varkala, a coastal town in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala.
• Varkala was the only place in the west coast of the country where sediments in the Mio-Pliocene age (13 lakh to 2.5 crore years ago) had been exposed.
• The cliff, also known as the North Cliff, stretches along the coast for about one kilometre, towering up to 80 metres above the sea level at some points.
• It is the 27th national geological monument in the country and the second in the State after the Angadipuram Laterite.

Key facts about the Geological Survey of India

• It was set up in 1851 primarily to find coal deposits for the Railways.
• It is headquartered in Kolkata and has six regional offices located at Lucknow, Jaipur, Nagpur, Hyderabad, Shillong and Kolkata. Every state has a state unit.

It is an attached office to the Ministry of Mines.

Current Context : The Ashtalakshmi Mahotsav 2024, a grand three-day cultural festival, will be held at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, from December 6^th to 8^th, 2024.

• Organized by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER)
• Aim: Mahotsav aims to showcase the vibrant cultural and economic potential of Northeast India.
• The mascot, Purvi, a young girl symbolizing all eight northeastern states, was introduced during the curtain-raiser event.

Observed annually on 6th December.

Objective: The day is observed to commemorate his unforgettable contribution to society and his achievements.

Current Context : Vehicular movement has been halted beyond the Gulaba barrier towards Rohtang Pass following black ice formation and sub-zero temperatures.

About Rohtang Pass

• Location: Situated in the Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas, approximately 51 km from Manali, Himachal Pradesh.
• Altitude: 3,978 meters (13,050 feet) above sea level.
• Connectivity: Connects the Kullu Valley with the Lahaul and Spiti Valleys, serving as a crucial route for travelers heading to Leh-Ladakh.
• Infrastructure: Rohtang Tunnel (Atal Tunnel) provides an all-weather alternative route under the pass.