Footnotes:
About Ladakh:
Union territory: 31 October 2019
Capitals: Leh, Kargil
Lt. Governor: R. K. Mathur

• The United Arab Emirates recently became the first and probably the last Arab country to generate electricity from coal. The coal plant, Hassyan is to be set up in Dubai at 3.4 billion USD. The capacity of the plant will be 600 MW. Later, the capacity of the plant is to be increased to 2,400 MW by 2023.
• UAE is opting for coal-based power plant because the Hassyan standards for pollution is to be based on guidelines for Natural Gas Power Plant. This way the new coal-based power plant will emit less

• The US has imposed sanctions on four companies from China and Russia for supporting Iran's missile programme that remains a "significant proliferation concern," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said.
• The announcement was made on Friday as the US continues to take tough measures against Iran for continuing their activities related to nuclear arms.
• President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the landmark Iran nuclear deal in 2018.

• Punjab has become the latest state to choose Rs 1.1 lakh crore option to meet the shortfall from goods and service tax (GST) implementation, and will get Rs 8,359 crore through special borrowing window, the finance ministry said Saturday.
• "On receipt of the choice of Option-1 from Punjab, the Government of India has granted additional borrowing permission of Rs.3,033 crore, 0.5% of Punjab’s gross state domestic product (GSDP).

• The West Bengal government has decided to construct a park themed on legendary actor Soumitra Chatterjee’s debut film ‘Apur Sansar’ in New Town area on the northeastern fringes of Kolkata, a senior official said on Saturday.
• The West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (HIDCO) has invited an expression of interest (EOI) from bidders for deciding on how to execute the theme by retaining the flavour of the film, its Chairman cum Managing Director Debashis Sen said.

• Retirement fund body EPFO has extended the deadline for submission of life certificates by pensioners till February 28, a move which would benefit over 35 lakh persons who could not submit the document by November due to coronavirus pandemic.
• The pensioners who could not submit their life certificates till November 30 deadline, would get pension every month till February.

• The elite football body, FIFA, has released the international rankings for November 2020, and Indian fans will be pleased with their team's new position. India has moved up to 104, a significant rise of four spots, in the recent FIFA rankings. The country was placed at 108 when the governing body previously released the rankings in October.

• Eminent Bangladeshi actor and cultural personality Aly Zaker passed away in Dhaka on Friday. He was 76. He had been fighting cancer for the last several years. He tested COVID 19 positive two days back in a Dhaka hospital where he was undergoing treatment.
• Aly Zaker was a towering figure of Bangladesh in theatre, Television and films. 
• President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued condolence messages to pay tribute to the departed cultural personality of Bangladesh. State Minister for Cultural Affairs K.M. Khalid also expressed grief over the demise of Aly Zaker.