Smart Coaching Academy Belagavi

CURRENT AFFAIRS

NITI Aayog Launches ‘AI 4 All Global Hackathon’

• NITI Aayog organised ‘AI 4 All Global Hackathon’ to source sustainable, innovative and technologically-enabled solutions to address various challenges in the development space, with the vision of 'Artificial Intelligence, AI for All'.

• Static:

• NITI Aayog organized its first hackathon, ‘MoveHack’ in August, on the sidelines of the Global Mobility Summit 2018.

• NITI Ayoga Chairman – PM

• Vice Chairman – Rajiv Kumar

• CEO – Amitab Kant

• NITI- National Institution for Transforming India.

• HQ- New Dehli

Luxembourg To Become First Country To Make Public Transport Free

• Luxembourg is set to become the first country in the world to make all public transport free, implementing the move in 2020.

• The move is aimed at addressing environmental issues and the problem of traffic congestion. Earlier, Luxembourg introduced free transport for all people under the age of 20.

• Static :

• Luxembourg Capital: Luxembourg City,

• Currency: Euro.

Exim Bank Extends USD 500 mn Loan To Tanzania

• Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) has extended a credit facility of USD 500 million to Tanzania for water supply projects in the country.

• ii. Under this agreement, of the total credit by Exim Bank, goods and services of the value of at least 75% of the contract price shall be supplied by the seller from India.

• Static :

• Tanzania Capital: Dodoma,

• Currency: Tanzanian shilling.

Important Cabinet Approvals: 6th December 2018

• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the following set of approvals.

• The Cabinet has approved-

• MoC between India and Japan in the field of Environmental Cooperation.

• MoU between India and the USA concerning Scientific and Technical Cooperation in the Earth Sciences.

Government Appoints Krishnamurthy Subramanian As New Chief Economic Advisor

• The government appointed Dr. Krishnamurthy Subramanian as the new Chief Economic Advisor. Dr. Subramanian will have a tenure of three years.

• Subramanian is one of the world's leading experts in banking, corporate governance and economic policy.

Preeti Saran Elected To UN’s Socio-Economic Cultural Panel

• A former senior Indian diplomat, Preeti Saran, has been elected unopposed to an Asia Pacific seat on the UN’s Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR).

• ii. Saran was elected to the CESCR for a four-year term beginning on the 1st of January 2019.

HCL To Buy 7 IBM Products for $1.8 bn In Its Biggest Acquisition

• Noida-based IT major HCL Technologies will acquire seven IBM products by mid-2019 for $1.8 billion (over Rs 12,700 crore) in its biggest ever acquisition so far.

• Static :

• HCL – Hidustan Computers Limited

• HQ – Noida

• CEO – C.Vijayakumar

Italy Wins Admiral's Cup Sailing Regatta 2018

• Team Italy won the Admiral's Cup 2018. The ninth edition of ‘Admirals Cup’ Sailing Regatta (2018) concluded with a glittering closing ceremony at Ettikulam Beach at Indian Naval Academy (INA), Ezhimala.

• Team Singapore was the Runners-Up and Team USA came third. The host country team (Indian Naval Academy) finished fourth in the overall position of Admiral's Cup 2018.

Armed Forces Flag Day: 07 December

• Since 1949, 07 December is observed as Armed Forces Flag Day throughout India to honour the martyrs as well as men and women in uniform, who valiantly fight on our borders to safeguard the country’s honour.

• The ‘Armed forces Flag Day Fund’ (AFFDF) has been constituted by the Government of India for the welfare and rehabilitation of the Ex-Servicemen (ESM) community. The fund collection throughout the country is managed by local arms of the KendriyaSainik Board,which is part of the Ministry of Defence.

Ministry Of New and Renewable Energy Conferred Skoch Award

• Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India has been conferred the Skoch Award for National Significance at an event held recently in New Delhi.

• ii. The award has been conferred on the Ministry considering its purpose and critical role played in installing about 73 GW renewable energy capacity in the country.

• Static :

• India ranks 4th in the world in wind energy capacity and 5th in solar & total renewable energy capacity installed in the world.

• Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy – R.K.Singh

Annual Startup India Venture Capital Summit 2018 Held In Goa

• The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Government of Goa, hosted the annual Startup India Venture Capital Summit in Goa.

• The theme of the Summit was ‘Mobilizing Global Capital for Innovation in India.’

• Union Minister for Ministry of Commerce And Industry – Suresh Prabhu

Union Minister Gehlot Inaugurates Website of Media School ASME

• On the 62nd death anniversary of B R Ambedkar, Social Justice and Empowerment minister Thaawarchand Gehlot launched the website of a first-of-its-kind media school, Dr. Bhim Rao RamjiAmbedkar School Of Media Empowerment (ASME), to train Dalitand tribal youth in journalism.

• The media school, ASME supported by the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), will have its branches in Pune, Assam, Uttarakhand, and other regions. The Punebranch will begin shortly.

Kolkata-Patna Becomes India’s Second Container Cargo Sector On Inland Waterways

• Kolkata-Patna is India’s new Inland Water Transport (IWT) origin-destination pair for containerised cargo movement on the National Waterway-1.

• The Ministry of Shipping is developing NW-1 (River Ganga) under Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) from Haldia to Varanasi (1390 Km) with the technical and financial assistance of the World Bank at an estimated cost of Rs 5369 crore.

Cabinet Approves Agriculture Export Policy

• The Union cabinet approved an export policy for agriculture, lifting all restrictions on organic and processed food, to help the government’s efforts to double farmers’ income by 2022.

• The ‘Agriculture Export Policy, 2018’ seeks to double farm exports to $60 billion by 2022 from $30 billion currently and will invest 1,400 crore to set up specialised clusters in different states for different produce to push exports.

Second Largest Ebola Outbreak Spreads In Congo

• The second-largest Ebola outbreak in history has spread to a major city in eastern Congo. Butembo,Africa with more than one million residents, is now reporting cases of the deadly hemorrhagic fever.

• The outbreak declared in August is now second only to the devastating West Africa outbreak that killed more than 11,300 people a few years ago. The Ebola virus spreads via bodily fluids of those infected, including the dead.

UN Launches New Framework To Combat Terrorism

• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has launched a new framework, the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact, to combat the scourge of international terrorism and coordinate efforts across the peace and security, humanitarian, human rights and sustainable development sectors.

• Static :

• United Nations Headquarters: New York.

Trump Names Heather Nauert As US Ambassador To United Nation

• US President Donald Trump nominated State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauertas the US Ambassador to the United Nations. The former Fox News presenter's appointment to the UN role will have to be approved by the US Senate.

• Nauert will replace Nikki Haley, who will be leaving the post by the end of 2018.

Indian Coast Guard Conducts Exercise ‘Clean Sea-2018’ At Sea Off Port Blair

• The Indian Coast Guard has conducted the Regional Level Marine Oil Pollution Response Exercise titled ‘Clean Sea - 2018’ at sea off Port Blair.

• The preparedness of all agencies during the exercise was conducted under observation of Inspector General Maneesh V Pathak, Commander Coast Guard Region, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

CM Fadnavis Launches SMART Project

• The state government launched an ambitious project State of Maharashtra Agribusiness and Rural Transformation (SMART) in 10,000 villages with an objective to achieve sustainable farming within the next three years. The project SMART will be assisted by the World Bank.

• Chief Minister of Maharashtra DevendraFadnavis launched the project, which was followed by the signing of 50 memorandum of understandings (MoUs) between big corporates and farmers producer groups. The project will cover almost one-fourth of Maharashtra.

• Static :

• Maharashtra Governor: C. Vidyasagar Rao.

“The Republican Ethic” and “Loktantra ke Swar” Books Released

• The Vice President of India Shri M.VenkaiahNaidu released Compilation of Selected speeches of the President, Ram Nath Kovind titled, “The Republican Ethic” in English and “Loktantra ke Swar” in Hindi at a function in VigyanBhawan in New Delhi.

• The event has been organized by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.

Number of Patents Granted By India Shot Up By 50% In 2017: UN

• The number of patents granted by India shot up by 50% in 2017, keeping up a trend of steep increases, according to the UN's World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).

• Static :

• HQ – Geneva, Switzerland

• CEO - Francis Gurry

Gender Wage Gap Highest In India, Women Are Paid 34% Less Than Men: ILO

• According to the Global Wage Report 2018-19 published by International Labour Organization (ILO), Women are paid the most unequally in India, compared to men, when it comes to hourly wages for labor.

• Static :

• The ILO is a United Nations agency dealing with labour issues, particularly international labour standards, social protection, and work opportunities for all.

• It was established in 1919 .headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

• India is a founder member of the ILO.

• At present, it has 187 members.

• Director General – Guy Ryder

Chang'e-4: China Launches 1st Mission to Land on the Far Side of the Moon

• China launched the first-ever spacecraft, Chang'e4, that will attempt landing on the far side of the Moon, which always shows the same face to Earth as it's close enough to be locked by the planet's gravitational field.

• The payload blasted off atop a Long March 3B rocket from Xichang Satellite Launch Center.

FAO Council Approves India’s Proposals

• Food and Agriculture organisation, FAO Council has approved India’s proposal to observe an International Year of Millets in 2023. Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singhstated that the 160th session of the FAO Council, in Rome approved the proposal.

• The FAO Council has also approved India’s membership to the Executive Board of the United Nations World Food Program for 2020 and 2021.

• Static :

• HQ – Rome,Italy

• Head – Jose Grazino da Silva

Kannur International Airport In Kerala Begins Operations

• The Kannur international Airport-KIAL in Kerala began its operations with Union minister for civil aviation Suresh Prabhu and Kerala Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan jointly lighting the lamp inside the terminal building, marking the inauguration of the airport.

• ii. Later the first flight from the Airport to Abu Dhabi was flagged off. With this, Kerala became the only state in the country with four international airports.

•

• Static :

• Kerala Governor: Palanisamy Sathasivam,

• Capital: Thiruvananthapuram.

1st International Conference on ‘Sustainable Water Management’ Held in Mohali

• The first International Conference on ‘Sustainable Water Management’ was held at Indian School of Business (ISB) in Mohali, Punjab.

• The theme of the international conference is ‘Sustainable Water Management’.

Myntra's CEO Ananth Narayanan Resigns

• Flipkart-owned Myntra's CEO Ananth Narayanan has resigned from his role with his position set to be abolished. Flipkart's AmarNagaram has been given the responsibility to head Myntra.

• ii. Key Myntra leaders such as Chief Revenue Officer MithunSundar and human resources head Manpreet Ratia have also resigned.

RLSP Chief Upendra Kushwaha Quits As Union Minister

• Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) Chief UpendraKushwaha resigned as Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

Atul Sahai Appointed CMD Of New India Assurance

• Atul Sahai has been appointed as the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the country’s largest general insurance company New India Assurance.

• The appointments committee of the cabinet announced that Sahaiwho is the General Manager at Oriental Insurance will be appointed for a period of five years.

Mexico's Vanessa Poncede Leon Wins Miss World 2018 Crown

• Mexico's Vanessa Ponce de Leon won the coveted Miss World 2018 crown at a grand event held in the Chinese city, Sanya. Thailand's Nicolene Pichapa Limsnukan was declared the runner-up.

• Former Miss World Manushi Chillar (India) presented the crown to the new winner during the pageant in which 118 contestants participated.

CAD Widened To 2.9 % Of GDP In Q2

• Current account deficit (CAD) widened to 2.9% of GDP for the July-September quarter due to higher trade deficit compared with 1.1% during the same period of the previous year, according to the Reserve Bank of India.

SEBI Renamed ITP as ‘Innovators Growth Platform’

• In a major push to kickstart listing of start-ups in India in a big way, capital markets regulator SEBI has lined up a slew of relaxations for new-age ventures.

• The proposed changes include renaming the Institutional Trading Platform (ITP) that the regulator had created for such listings as Innovators Growth Platform (IGP).

• Static :

• SEBI- Securities and Exchange Board of India.

• SEBI Chairman- Ajay Tyagi,

• Headquarters- Mumbai.

India To Retain Top Position In Remittances With USD 80 billion: World Bank

• India will retain its position as the world’s top recipient of remittances in 2018 with its diaspora sending a whopping USD 80 billion back home, according to the World Bank report.

• India is followed by China (USD 67 billion), Mexico and the Philippines (USD 34 billion each) and Egypt (USD 26 billion), according to the global lender.

• Static :

• In 2017, remittances constituted 2.7% of India’s GDP.

• World Bank President: Jim Yong Kim,

• Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States.

Human Rights Day: 10 December

• Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December. On this day, the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

• This year, Human Rights Day marks the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. #StandUp4HumanRights is the global campaign launched on for year 2018.

• Static :

• Antonio Guterres is the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

• The UN Headquarters in New York, United States.

• The UN was established on 24th October 1945.

Khelo India Youth Games To Be Held In Pune

• Khelo India Youth Games-2019 will be held in Pune of Maharashtra in January. Sports Minister Col Rajyavardhan Rathore announced that 9000 youth will participate in this edition of the game.

• ii. Under Khelo India programme, the government is providing scholarships to 1500 students from across the country.

Senior Journalist Jagdish Thakkar Passes Away

• Public Relations Officer (PRO) in the prime minister's office and senior journalist Jagdish Thakkar passed away in New Delhi.

India Successfully Test-Fires Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile Agni-5

• The indigenously built Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile Agni-5 has been test-fired successfully from Abdul Kalam island under Chandipur Interim Test Range,Odisha. It can carry both nuclear and traditional weapons.

India and ADB Sign $31 Million Loan Agreement For Tamil Nadu

• The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed in New Delhi a Loan Agreement for $31 million to build-up the State Tourism Industry and boost visitor arrivals in Tamil Nadu.

• Static :

• The Asian Development Bank is a regional development Bank established in 1966.

• Headquarters of ADB is in Manila, Philippines.

• Takehiko Nakao is Present President of the Asian Development Bank.

Centre’s Contribution To NPS Hiked To 14% of Basic Salary

• In a bid to make retirement income scheme more attractive for central government employees, the government has agreed to chip in a higher 14% of the basic salary of an individual as its contribution to the National Pension System (NPS).

• Currently, the minimum employee contribution in NPS is 10% of basic pay and an equal contribution is made by the government.

• Static : National Pension System (NPS) is a government-sponsored pension scheme that was launched in January 2004 for government employees.

• However, in 2009, it was opened to all sections.

Padma Shri Historian Mushirul Hasan Passes Away

• Professor Mushirul Hasan, a renowned historian, and former vice-chancellor Jamia Millia of Islamia, passed away at the age of 71. Hasan was also formerly the director general of the National Archives of India.

International Mountain Day: 11 December

• International Mountain Day is held every year on 11 December, which was established by the UN General Assembly in 2003 to encourage sustainable development in mountains.

• The theme for 2018 IMD is “Mountains Matter”.

India's Prathamesh Maulingkar Wins Mister Supranational 2018

• Goa's Prathamesh Maulingkar has created history by becoming the first Asian/Indian to win Mister Supranational title in a competition held at Krynica-Zdroj, Poland.

Asian Academy Creative Awards 2018 Announced: Complete List of Winners

• The Asian Academy Creative Awards (AAA’s) have been established to serve the creative industries as the pinnacle of their achievement in content creation and media production.

• The award ceremony was held in Singapore.

Air Force Chief On 5 Day Visit to Japan

• Air Force Chief Birender Singh Dhanoa left on a five-day goodwill visit to Japan.

• During his visit, Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa will call on Japanese Minister of Defence Takeshi Iwaya, Chief of Staff of Japan Air Self Defence Force General YoshinariMarumo, Chief of Staff, Joint Staff Admiral KatsutoshiKawano.

Sino-India Joint Exercise Hand-in-Hand 2018 Held in China

• The opening ceremony for the 7th Sino-India joint exercise Hand-in-Hand 2018, was held at Chengdu, China.

• Static :

• China Capital: Beijing,

• Currency: Renminbi.

PM Narendra Modi Inaugurates 4th Partners’ Forum in New Delhi

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the fourth Partners’ Forum in New Delhi.

Portal ENSURE Launched by Agriculture Ministry

• Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare RadhaMohan Singh launched a portal 'ENSURE'- National Livestock Mission-EDEG developed by NABARD and operated under the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries.

• NABARD Chairman- Harsh Kumar Bhanwala,

• Headquarters- Mumbai,

• Established on- 12 July 1982.

• NABARD – National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development

Home Ministry Launches Twitter Account '@CyberDost'

• Home Ministry has launched a Twitter account named '@CyberDost' to spread awareness about cybercrimes and normal precautions to be taken.

• Static :

• Rajnath Singh is the Home Minister of India.

EU Ambassador Opens India's 1st CoE at MAHE

• India's first Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence established by the European Union was inaugurated at the Department of European Studies (DES) at Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal by Ambassador of the European Union (EU) to India and Bhutan, Tomasz Kozlowski.

Israel Becomes Permanent Member of Financial Action Task Force

• Israel became a full member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international body set up to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and other threats to the international financial system.

• Static :

• Israel Capital: Jerusalem,

• Currency: Israeli new shekel.

Naomi Osaka's Coach Sascha Bajin Becomes 1st Ever WTA Coach Of The Year

• Sascha Bajin, coach of the world number five Naomi Osaka, has become the first-ever recipient of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Coach of the Year Award.

Mary Kom Honoured With 'Meethoileima' Title

• Manipur Government honored AIBA World Women Boxing Gold medalist MC Mary Kom with the title “Meethoileima” (par excellent queen) at a function in Imphal, Manipur.

• ii. On the occasion, State Chief Minister N. Biren Singh handed over a cheque of ten lakh rupees to her. The Chief Minister also declared that the Imphal West DC Road towards Game Village will be named as MC Mary Kom Road.

Slain Journalist Khashoggi Named Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year”

• Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered in October 2018 at his country’s Istanbul consulate, has been named Time magazine’s “Person of the Year” alongside several other journalists.

RBI Appoints Shaktikanta Das As New Governor

• The government has appointed Shaktikanta Das as the new RBI governor, a day after Urjit Patel resigned as RBI Governor. He is the 25th Governor of the Reserve Bank of India.

International Universal Health Coverage Day: 12 December

• International Universal Health Coverage Day (UHC Day) is celebrated globally on 12 December. In 2017 the United Nations proclaimed 12 December as International Universal Health Coverage Day by resolution 72/138.

• ii. The theme for the 2018 UHC Day is- "Unite for Universal Health Coverage: Now is the Time for Collective Action".

RBI Slaps Rs 1 crore Fine on Indian Bank For Violating Cybersecurity norms

• The Reserve Bank of India has imposed a fine of Rs 1 crore on Indian Bank for violating cybersecurity norms.

Route Mobile Collaborates With Oracle Marketing Cloud

• Route Mobile Limited (Route Mobile), a cloud-communication platform service provider and a member of Oracle Partner Network (OPN) announced the collaboration with Oracle Marketing Cloud, part of Oracle Customer Experience (CX) Cloud Suite, which empowers organizations to take a smarter approach to customer experience management and business transformation initiatives.

Former Kerala Minister CN Balakrishnan Passes Away

• Senior Congress leader and former Kerala minister CN Balakrishnan passed away in Kochi due to pneumonia. He was 87.

Delhi HC Bans Online Sale of Medicines Across India

• The Delhi High Court ordered a ban on the sale of online medicines by e-pharmacists across the country. The court directed both Central and state government to ensure immediate implementation of the order.

• Static :Jagat Prakash Nadda is the present Minister of Health and Family Welfare.

India Signs Ascension Pact To 30-Member Trans Regional Maritime Network

• India signed an ascension pact to the 30-member Trans-Regional Maritime Network that will give it an access to the information on ships passing through the Indian Ocean Region.

• S tatic :Nitin Jairam Gadkari is the present Minister of Shipping.

President Kovind Dedicates ACARE Project To People Of Myanmar

• President Ram Nath Kovind is on a state visit to Myanmar. He dedicated - India assisted project 'Advanced Centre for Agricultural Research & Education' (ACARE) - to the people of Myanmar.

• Static :

• Myanmar (Burma) Capital: Naypyidaw,

• Currency: Burmese kyat.

• Myanmar is the only ASEAN member state that is both a land and maritime neighbour of India.

Kamal Nath To Be New CM of Madhya Pradesh

• Congress party has chosen MP statue unit president KamalNath as the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh. He will replace outgoing Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

K Chandrasekhar Rao Sworn in As Telangana CM

• Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) Chief K Chandrasekhar Rao was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Telangana, for the second time.

Zoramthanga To Be Sworn In As Mizoram CM

• In Mizoram, the new government of Mizo National Front (MNF), headed by Mr. Zoramthanga will be sworn in on 15th December.

• Mr. Zoramthanga will replace Lal Tanhawla.

CAG Rajiv Mehrishi Appointed Vice-Chair of UN Panel of Auditors

• CAG has announced that Comptroller and Auditor General Rajiv Mehrishi has become the Vice-Chair of the UN Panel of Auditors.

• Currently, the panel is chaired by the Comptroller and Auditor General of the UK, Sir Amyas Morse.

• Static :

• Presently, the UN Panel of Auditors consists of 11 countries -India, Germany, Chile, Canada, France, Italy, Philippines, Ghana, Indonesia, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Russia Emerges As World's No. 2 Arms Producer: SIPRI Report

• A Swedish think tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)announced that Russia has emerged as the world's second-largest arms producer after the United States.

• Russia surpassed Britain, which had held that spot since 2002 and remains Western Europe's No. 1 arms maker.

• Static :

• Russia Capital: Moscow,

• Currency: Russian ruble.

Climate Change Performance Index 2019: India Ranks 11th, Sweden Tops

• The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2019 was released on the sidelines of a UN summit on global warming. As per the Index, Sweden has topped the list while India was on 11th position.

• Static :

• Sweden Capital: Stockholm,

• Currency: Swedish krona.

Manika 1st Indian to Win 'Breakthrough Table Tennis Star' Award

• Manika Batra won the 'Breakthrough Table Tennis Star' award at the prestigious

International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Star Awards in Incheon, South Korea.

• India coach Massimo Costantini won Table Tennis Star Coach award.

SAIL Hockey Academy Wins Aga Khan Gold Cup Tournament

• Steel Authority of India's Hockey Academy beat Army XI Danapur to clinch the 115th All India Aga Khan Gold Cup hockey tournament held at Major Dhyan Chand hockey stadium in New Delhi.

• Jay Prakash Patel scored the match-winning goal for the SAIL Hockey Academy (SHA) in the final match. SHA is SAIL's Rourkela Steel Plant.

Allan Border Medal Rebranded As Australian Cricket Awards

• Cricket Australia (CA) and the Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) announced to rebrand its Allan Border Medal to Australian Cricket Awards from 2019 onwards.

• Static :

• Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) CEO: Alistair Nicholson.

• The 2019 Australian Cricket Awards is slated to be held on February 11, 2019, at The Crown Palladium, Melbourne.

National Medical Devices Promotion Council To Be Set Up Under DIPP

• To give a fillip to the medical device sector, which is a sunrise sector, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu, announced setting up of a National Medical Devices Promotion Council under the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) in the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.

• The Council will be headed by Secretary, DIPP. The announcement was made at the occasion of the 4th WHO Global Forum on Medical Devices, at Andhra Pradesh Medtech Zone, in Vishakhapatnam.

• Static :

• Saurabh Gaur is the present Private Secretary of Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion.

ECO Niwas Samhita 2018 Launched By Power Ministry

• Ministry of Power has launched the ECO Niwas Samhita 2018, an Energy Conservation Building Code for Residential Buildings (ECBC-R).

• Static :

• National Energy Conservation Day is celebrated every year on 14th December by Ministry of Power in association with Bureau of Energy Efficiency.

• R.K. Singh, Minister of State (IC) for Power and New &Renewable Energy.

Government Forms Panel Under BBB to Select MD for PSU Insurance Firms

• The government has constituted a seven-member panel to select managing directors of public sector insurance companies. The panel would be headed by Banks Board Bureau (BBB) chairman B P Sharma.

India's 1st Private UAV Factory Comes Up in Hyderabad

• India' first private sector unit for manufacturing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)opened at Adani Aerospace Park in Hyderabad.

Author Amitav Ghosh Honoured With 54th Jnanpith Award

• Noted English author Amitav Ghosh has been honoured with Jnanpith Award for 2018,an award for outstanding contribution to literature. The decision was taken in a meeting of Jnanpith Selection Board chaired by eminent novelist, scholar and Jnanpith laureate Pratibha Ray.

• Ghosh, one of the most prominent contemporary Indian writers, is known for a series of novels such as "Shadow Lines", "The Glass Palace", "The Hungry Tide", and Ibis Trilogy -- "Sea of Poppies", and "River of Smoke".

• Static :

• The first President of India Dr. Rajendra Prasad was the first Chairman of the Jnanpith Selection Board.

• Krishna Sobti was awarded the 53rd Jnanpith award in Hindi Language.

• Amitav Ghosh has become the first English author to be honoured with the award.

Jharkhand Gets 'Krishi Karman' Award In Rice Category

• Jharkhand has been selected for "Krishi Karman" award in the rice category from theUnion Ministry of Agriculture.

• The award to be given away in February 2019 carries a cash prize of Rs 2 crore and a citation.

• Static :

• Jharkhand CM: Raghubar Das,

• Governor: Draupadi Murmu.

Sri Lankan PM Rajapaksa Resigned

• In Sri Lanka, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned to pave the way for the formation of new government under ousted Prime Minister Ranil Wickremsinghe.

• Static :

• Sri Lanka Capitals: Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte,

• Currency: Sri Lankan rupee,

• President: Maithripala Sirisena.

Ashok Kumar Singh Appointed Secretary of NCST

• Ashok Kumar Singh, Lok Sabha Secretariat Service, Additional Secretary, Lok Sabha Secretariat has assumed charge as Secretary, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST).

• Static :

• The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) was established by amending Article 338 and inserting a new Article 338A in the Constitution through the Constitution (89th Amendment) Act, 2003.

• The first National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) was constituted in March, 2004.

Quiz

1. _________________ is observed as Armed Forces Flag Day throughout India to honour the martyrs as well as men and women in uniform, who valiantly fight on our borders to safeguard the country’s honour.

(a) 06th December

(b) 03rd December

(c) 05th December

(d) 07th December

(e) 04th December

(d) 07th December

2. Name the team, which has won the Admiral’s Cup 2018?

(a) Team Italy

(b) Team Singapore

(c) Team USA

(d) Team India

(e) Team China

(a) Team Italy

3. The ninth edition of ‘Admirals Cup’ Sailing Regatta (2018) was concluded in-

(a) USA

(b) Sri Lanka

(c) India

(d) Russia

(e) Italy

(c) India

4. Which country is set to become the first country in the world to make all public transport free, implementing the move in 2020?

(a) Poland

(b) Luxembourg

(c) Switzerland

(d) Brazil

(e) Norway

(b) Luxembourg

5. The Union cabinet approved an export policy for agriculture, lifting all restrictions on organic and processed food, to help the government’s efforts to double farmers’ income by-

(a)2021

(b) 2020

(c) 2022

(d) 2024

(e) 2023

(c) 2022

6.Which country has launched the first-ever spacecraft, Chang’e 4, that will attempt landing on the far side of the Moon?

(a) India

(b) China

(c) Thailand

(d) Chile

(e) Singapore

(b) China

7. Skoch Award for National Significance was received by Secretary, Ministry of New Renewable Energy recently. Who is the present in Ministry of New Renewable Energy?

(a) Anand Kumar

(b) Sarad Saxena

(c) R.K.Singh

(d) Preeti Saran

(e) TS Vijayan

(c) R.K.Singh

8.The second-largest Ebola outbreak in history has spread to a major city in eastern Congo. Congo located in-

(a) Europe

(b) Africa

(c) Asia

(d) America

(e) Australia

(b) Africa

9.Maharashtra Government has launched ___________ assisted State of Maharashtra's Agribusiness and Rural Transformation (SMART) Project.

(a) AIIB

(b) IMF

(c) World Bank

(d) ADB

(e) WTO

(c) World Bank

10.According to the Global Wage Report 2018-19 published by International Labour Organization (ILO), Women are paid the most unequally in-

(a) India

(b) China

(c) USA

(d) Germany

(e) France

(a) India

11. This year (2018), Human Rights Day marks the ________________ anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

(a) 68th

(b) 70th

(c) 72nd

(d) 69th

(e) 71st

(b) 70th

12.Human Rights Day is observed every year on-

(a) 08th December

(b) 11th December

(c) 13th December

(d) 10th December

(e) 12th December

(d) 10th December

13. Ananth Narayanan has resigned from his role. He was the CEO of ________.

(a) Jabong

(b) Flipkart

(c) Snapdeal

(d) Myntra

(e) Walmart

(d) Myntra

14. Which of the following city will host KheloIndia Youth Games-2019 games?

(a) Mohali

(b) Pune

(c) Kochi

(d) New Delhi

(e) Panaji

(b) Pune

15. Jagdish Thakkar recently passed away. He was a _______.

(a) Poet

(b) Politician

(c) Activist

(d) Scholar

(e) Journalist

(e) Journalist

16.Which of the following state has recently become the state with four international airports?

(a) Madhya Pradesh

(b) Karnataka

(c) Kerala

(d) Maharashtra

(e) Gujarat

(c) Kerala

17.Who among the following has been appointed as the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of New India Assurance?

(a) Urjit Patel

(b) Parnab Kumar

(c) Anil Sahani

(d) Atul Sahai

(e) Kamal Kant Sahai

(d) Atul Sahai

18. The first International Conference on ‘Sustainable Water Management’ was held at ______.

(a) Chandigarh

(b) Mohali

(c) Dehradun

(d) New Delhi

(e) Chennai

(b) Mohali

19. The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed in New Delhi a Loan Agreement for $31 million to build-up the State Tourism Industry and boost visitor arrivals in ______________.

(a) Goa

(b) Tamil Nadu

(c) Uttarakhand

(d) Himachal Pradesh

(e) Assam

(b) Tamil Nadu

20.The indigenously built Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile Agni-5 has been test-fired successfully from Abdul Kalam Island under Chandipur Interim Test Range in ______.

(a) Odisha

(b) Tamil Nadu

(c) Karnataka

(d) Telangana

(e) Andhra Pradesh

(a) Odisha

21. In a bid to make retirement income scheme more attractive for central government employees, the government has agreed to chip in a higher _________ of the basic salary of an individual as its contribution to the National Pension System (NPS).

(a) 12%

(b) 20%

(c) 10%

(d) 14%

(e) 25%

(d) 14%

22. The Reserve Bank of India has imposed a fine of Rs 1 crore on _______________ for violating cybersecurity norms recently.

(a) State Bank of India

(b) Bank of Baroda

(c) Indian Bank

(d) Punjab National Bank

(e) United Bank of India

(c) Indian Bank

23.Name the acclaimed English author who has been honoured with Jnanpith Award for 2018?

(a) Krishna Sobti

(b) Amitav Ghosh

(c) Arundhati Roy

(d) Shankha Ghosh

(e) Gopal Sinha

(b) Amitav Ghosh

24. Name the Lok Sabha Secretariat Service, Additional Secretary, Lok Sabha Secretariat who has assumed charge as Secretary, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST).

(a) Sunil Mehta

(b) Sushil Kumar

(c) Ashok Kumar Singh

(d) Anubhav Gupta

(e) Mehrishi Chowksi

(c) Ashok Kumar Singh

25. Which of the following ministries has launched the ECO Niwas Samhita 2018, recently?

(a) Ministry of Civil Aviation

(b) Ministry of Atomic Energy

(c) Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

(d) Ministry of Power

(e) Ministry of Steel

(d) Ministry of Power

26. The government has constituted a seven-member panel to select managing directors of public sector insurance companies. The panel would be headed by

Banks Board Bureau (BBB) chairman ____________.

(a) B P Sharma

(b) KM Kamtah

(c) Sunol Kanoongo

(d) KP Shukla

(e) Rati Nath Narayan

(a) B P Sharma

Thank You