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- The shuttle train service between Lahore and Wagah resumed operations after 22 years on December 15, 2019. The train will complete three round trips daily and enable over 1000 passengers to commute between the stations in three trips. The Lahore-Wagah train service was operational till 1997, after which it was suspended due to certain operational and security reasons.
- The Union Ministry of Coal has decided to establish a ‘Sustainable Development Cell’ in order to promote environmentally sustainable coal mining in the country and address environmental concerns during the decommissioning or closure of mines. The Sustainable Development Cell (SDC) will plan, advise, mentor and monitor the mitigation measures that are taken by the coal companies to maximize the utilization of available resources in a sustainable way.
- The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), in association with the International Energy Agency (IEA) under the SEAD initiative of the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM), organised an International Workshop on “Energy Efficient Cooling” on 12th December and 13th December 2019 in New Delhi as a part of the “Energy Conservation Week”, being celebrated from 9th December to 14th December 2019. The objective of the workshop was to chart out steps towards accelerating the development and deployment of efficient cooling appliances, equipment and systems.
- The World Economic Forum (WEF) named Theaster Gates, Jin Xing, Deepika Padukone and Lynette Wallworth as the winners of the 26th Annual Crystal Award. The award celebrates the achievements of leading artists and cultural figures whose leadership inspires inclusive and sustainable change. Deepika Padukone won the award for her leadership in raising mental health awareness.
- The World Design Organization is going to launch its new global programme “World Design Protopolis” in Bengaluru, which is aimed at implementing holistic progress in megacities across the world and thus making them sustainable. The project also aims to measure the progress of the city, attract investments and solve problems so that the city becomes a better place for citizens. The World Design Organization was founded in 1957 as the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design.
- Punjab Governor and UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore inaugurated the 3rd edition of the coveted Military Literature Festival (MLF), which was held from 13th December to 15th December, 2019 in Chandigarh. The festival would bring together the finest men from battle grounds and literary fields to discuss a watershed of information on defence issues.
Angela Merkel - German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been named first in the Forbes’ 2019 edition of 100 World’s Most Powerful Women for the ninth consecutive year. She has made 14 appearances in the list’s 16-year history. Christine Lagarde moved up one place this year to second position after taking over as the President of the European Central Bank (ECB) this year. Speaker of the U.S. House of Representative, Nancy Pelosi, took the third place and Ursula Von Der Leyen, President of the European Commission, fourth. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was ranked 34 in the list.
- National Energy Conservation Day is observed every year on 14th December to showcase India’s achievements in energy efficiency and conservation. Being organised every year by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) under the Ministry of Power since 1991, the day aims to drive mass awareness about the importance of energy efficiency and conservation.
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