current affairs capsule (december 2018) · “the republican ethic” and “loktantra ke swar”...

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CURRENT AFFAIRS CAPSULE (DECEMBER 2018)

India to host G-20 Summit in 2022 Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India will host the G20 Summit in 2022, when the country celebrates its 75 years of Independence.

UN conference on climate change begins in Poland The 24th meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP-24) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has begun at Katowice, Poland. The Conference will continue till 14th of this month.

G-20 nations except US agree to implement Paris agreement on climate change G20 signatories to the Paris Agreement on climate except the US have pledged to implement of the pact in full. In the final communique after the summit, G20 leaders said that the agreement is irreversible.

India, Japan & US agree on rules-based order to maintain peace and prosperity in Indo-Pacific region India, Japan and the US have agreed that a free, open, inclusive and rules based order is essential for the Indo-Pacific's peace and prosperity as the leaders from the three countries held a first ever trilateral meeting last night.

US-China pledge to continue negotiations to resolve trade disputes The US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, have agreed not to impose new tariffs from January 1, 2019, and pledged to continue negotiations to seek a way out of the ongoing trade war. Asia Pacific Summit-2018 begins in Kathmandu The Asia Pacific Summit-2018 has began in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. The theme of two-day Summit is "Addressing the Critical Challenges of Our Time: Interdependence, Mutual Prosperity, and Universal Values". World Bank unveils USD 200 bn in climate action investment for 2021-25 The World Bank has unveiled 200 billion US Dollars in climate action investment for 2021 to 2025. The move coincides with a UN climate summit in Katowice, Poland. Qatar to leave OPEC from January 2019 Qatar has announced its decision to leave the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) from January next year and focus more on the production of natural gas.

UN launches new framework to combat terrorism UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has launched a new framework by the name ''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.

Nearly 85 percent of UN nations back migration deal Nearly 85 per cent of UN member states has agreed on a sweeping yet non-binding accord to ensure safe, orderly and humane migration. A total of 164 countries among the 193 UN members approved the agreement in a two-day migration conference in Marrakech, Morocco.

British PM Theresa May wins vote of confidence in her leadership of Conservative party British Prime Minister Theresa May has won a vote of confidence in her leadership of the Conservative Party. She got the support of 200 MPs while 117 MPs voted against her. Dissolution of Parliament by President unconstitutional: Lankan SC Sri Lanka's Supreme Court has ruled that dissolution of Parliament on November 9 by President Sirisena was unconstitutional.

Swedish lawmakers reject PM as head of new government Sweden’s parliament has voted against outgoing Prime Minister Stefan Lofven as head of a new government, more than three months after an election that has spawned political stalemate. UN Climate conference finalises rules to implement Paris climate treaty After two weeks of intense negotiations at Katowice in Poland, ministers of 200 nations finally reached consensus on rules to implement the 2015 Paris climate agreement. The concerns of developing nations including India and least developed nations on funding for carbon credit were finally addressed.

India decides to extend 1.4 billion dollar aid to Maldives India has decided to extend 1.4 billion dollars financial assistance to the Maldives as budget support, currency swap and line of credit for the social and economic development of Maldives. New Zealand to phase out plastic shopping bags In New Zealand, regulations for mandatory phase-out of single-use plastic shopping bags will take effect from July 1, 2019. EU to reduce new car emissions by 37.5 per cent by 2030 The European Union (EU) forged ahead with plans to slash carbon dioxide emissions from new cars and vans by 2030.

The targets will require new cars sold in 2030 to emit 37.5 percent less carbon dioxide on average compared to 2021 levels. Emissions from new vans will have to be 31 percent lower. US confirms pullout from INF treaty The US has confirmed its decision to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty. US plans complete withdrawal of troops from Syria: officials The United States has started withdrawing its troops from Syria, after President Donald Trump declared that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also know as ISIS) group has been defeated in the country.

UN General Assembly adopts global framework on International migration The UN General Assembly has adopted the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, the first-ever negotiated global framework on a common approach to international migration in all its dimensions.


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India, China hold first People-to-People Exchanges meeting External Affair Minister Sushma and her Chinese counterpart will co-chair the first-ever meeting of India-China High-Level Mechanism on Cultural and People-to-People Exchanges in New Delhi.

U.S. to withdraw troops from Afghanistan U.S. President Donald Trump has decided to pull a significant number of troops from Afghanistan. With this decision, as many as half of the 14,000 troops in the war-torn country could be leaving.

Japan decides to withdraw from IWC Japan has decided to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and will resume commercial whaling July next year.

Israeli Parliament Passes Bill Allowing Export Of Medical Marijuana The Israeli Parliament (the "Knesset"), passed the 16th amendment to Dangerous Drugs Ordinance on December 25, which concerns the governance and regulatory aspects of exporting medical cannabis from Israel.

India announces Rs 4,500 crore assistance to Bhutan Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a Rs 4,500 crore financial assistance to Bhutan for its 12th five-year plan.

Pakistan Cabinet approves issuance of 'Panda bonds' in Chinese currency Pakistan's cabinet has approved the issuance of first-ever renminbi-denominated bonds to raise loans from China's capital markets, as the country moved a step forward to give the Chinese currency a status at par with the US dollar.

Bangladesh Elections: Awami League registers landslide victory Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League has registered a landslide victory in the Parliamentary elections. The ruling Awami League-led grand alliance bagged 266 seats and its ally Jatiya Party secured 21.

UAE to deposit $3 billion in Pakistan’s central bank The United Arab Emirates will soon deposit $3 billion in the central bank of Pakistan to help enhance liquidity as the country struggles with a balance of payments crisis.

28 Cabinet Ministers sworn in Sri Lanka In Sri Lanka, a total of 28 cabinet ministers were sworn as part of the new government. President Maithripala Sirisena has administered oath of office to the ministers.

China launches first satellite for space-based broadband to rival Google China launched its first communication satellite to provide broadband internet services worldwide in an apparent bid to rival Google and other international firms.

Gitega named as the new capital of Burundi The government of Burundi has declared Gitega as the country’s new political capital on 22nd December 2018. Bujumbura, the previous capital of Burundi will serve as the economic capital of the country.

Country’s first owl festival held in Pune The Indian Owl Festival, the country’s first owl fest, was held at Pingori village in Purandar taluka of Pune from November 29.

Union Home Minister inaugurates Hornbill Festival in Kohima The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh inaugurated the hugely popular Hornbill Festival 2018 in Kohima, coinciding with the Formation Day of Nagaland. India's first locomotive-less Train 18, breaches 180 kmph speed limit during test run India's first locomotive-less train, known as Train 18, has breached the 180 kilometres per hour speed limit during a test run at Kota-Sawai Madhopur section in Rajasthan. Government begins registration for drone operators in country Ministry of Civil Aviation has started the registration process for drone operators in the country. The registration will be done through a portal called Digital Sky platform. ADB, Centre sign 85 mn dollar loan to support Odisha skill development project The Centre and Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed an 85 million dollar loan to improve skill development eco-system in Odisha. Indian Navy to conduct TROPEX Exercise to test robustness of coastal security apparatus Indian Navy will conduct its flagship large-scale coastal defense exercise Theatre Level Operational Readiness Exercise (TROPEX) from January to March 2019 to test robustness of entire coastal security apparatus. Cabinet clears policy to double agriculture exports The Union Cabinet has approved the Agriculture Export Policy, aimed at increasing India’s exports to $60 billion by 2022 from the current $37 billion. Air pollution cause of 1 in 8 deaths in India One in every eight deaths in India is attributable to air pollution which now contributes to more disease burden than smoking. India's media consumption growth 9 times that of US, says BCG report According to areport from the Boston consulting Group (BCG), India’s media consumption has been growing at a compound annual rate (CAGR) of 9 per cent over the past six years. All New Vehicles to Come With Pre-Fitted High-Security Registration Plates From April 2019 According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, all new vehicles will be sold pre-fitted with High-Security Registration Plates - HSRP from the 1st of April, 2019. 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 containerized cargo movement on the National Waterway-1. Aero India, aviation expo to be merged For the first time, the country’s civil aviation exhibition will be subsumed into the upcoming edition of Aero India to be held from February 20 to 24, 2019.

The 12th edition of the Aero India at Bengaluru next year will feature theme-based activities.


Guidelines issued for homestays With the aim of standardising facilities across homestays and bread & breakfasts in the country, the Tourism Ministry has issued new guidelines to such establishments.

“The Republican Ethic” and “Loktantra ke Swar” books released The Vice President of India Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu 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 Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.

India Water Summit concludes in Delhi The three days India Water Summit concluded in New Delhi. Key issues including afforestation, biodiversity, urban river management, innovation in sewage and sewerage management were discussed during the event.

NITI Aayog launches Global hackathon on Artificial Intelligence NITI Aayog has partnered with Perlin, a Singapore-based Artificial Intelligence (AI) firm, to launch a global hackathon for developing solutions aimed at creating social and economic impact in India.

Nabard signs $100-mn agreement with Green Climate Fund to boost solar power The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) signed an agreement with Green Climate Fund (GCF) to infuse $100 million into the project designed to unlock private sector initiatives for the creation of rooftop solar power capacity across India.

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.

Govt notifies commonly used medical devices as drugs The Union government has notified commonly used medical devices nebulizers, blood pressure monitors, digital thermometers and glucometers as drugs under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. This move will enable the government to ensure their quality and performance.

CBSE conduct's largest ever Central Teacher Eligibility Test The Central Board of Secondary Education, CBSE has conducted the largest ever Central Teacher Eligibility Test in 92 cities across the country

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.

Agni-5 can carry both nuclear and traditional weapons.

Opening Ceremony Sino-India Joint Exercise Hand-in-Hand 2018 Opening ceremony for the 7th Sino-India joint exercise Hand-in-Hand 2018, was held on at Chengdu, China.

Congress wrests Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan Assemblies from BJP; The Congress has wrested power from the BJP in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, while it emerged as a single largest party in Madhya Pradesh.

In Telangana, TRS has retained power after gaining two-third majority.

The Mizo National Front (MNF) has dethroned Congress in Mizoram.

SC bars media from revealing identities of victims of rape, sexual assault The Supreme Court directed that names and identities of victims of rape and sexual assault should not be disclosed or revealed.

UP Government decides to establish an umbrella university to be named after former PM late Atal Bihari Vajpayee The Uttar Pradesh Government has decided to establish an umbrella university to control all the medical and dental colleges and nursing institutions in the state. The university will be named after former Prime Minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

To connect with Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), an online portal “ENSURE” has been launched Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shri Radha Mohan Singh launched a portal ENSURE- National Livestock Mission-EDEG developed by NABARD and operated under the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries.

India gets submarine rescue system The Indian Navy joined a select group of naval forces in the world when it inducted its first non-tethered Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV) system at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai. The DSRV is used to rescue crew members from submarines stranded under water in the high seas.

Ministry of Tourism formulates guidelines for approval, reapproval of OTA The Ministry of Tourism have formulated the guidelines for approval and reapproval of Online Travel Aggregators, OTA to ensure adequate safeguards against deficiency of service, alternate arrangements and punitive deterrence.

From June, groundwater extraction will invite a fee In a bid to promote conservation of groundwater, the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) has notified a water conservation fee (WCF) that industries will need to pay on groundwater extraction starting from June. The guidelines would come into force with effect from June 2019 and would apply across the country.

Govt, ADB sign 60 mln loan pact to reduce floods, riverbank erosion in Assam The Centre and the Asian Development Bank, ADB signed a 60 Million dollar Loan Agreement in New Delhi to continue financing riverbank protection works, renovation of flood embankments, and community-based flood risk management activities in critically flood-prone areas along the Brahmaputra River in Assam.

India's first private UAV factory opened at Adani Aerospace Park in Hyderabad India' first private sector unit for manufacturing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) opened at Adani Aerospace Park in Hyderabad. Built by the Adani Group and Israel-based Elbit Systems,

Term of IB, RAW chiefs extended The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved a six-month extension in service to Intelligence Bureau


Director Rajiv Jain and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) Secretary A.K. Dhasmana.

J&K becomes first State to bring a law to prevent people in power from exploiting subordinates sexually Jammu & Kashmir has become the first State in the country to bring a law to prevent people in power from exploiting subordinates sexually.

Govt formulates Crisis Management Plan to counter cyber attacks The Union government has formulated a Crisis Management Plan to counter cyber attacks and cyber terrorism. It will be implemented by all Ministries and Departments of the Centre and the state governments in critical sectors.

Foundation Stone of Institute of High-Altitude Medicinal Plants (IHAMP) laid in J&K The foundation stone of Institute of High-Altitude Medicinal Plants (IHAMP) was laid by Union Ministers Jitendra Singh and Shripad Yesso Naik (Ayush Ministry).

The Institute of High-Altitude Medicinal Plants will be located in Bhaderwah in Doda district of Jammu & Kashmir.

NRTI: India’s first Railway University in Vadodara dedicated to Nation Union Railways Minister Piyush Goyal has dedicated India’s first railway university to the Nation in Vadodara. The Railway University will be first of its kind institution in the nation and the third in the world after Russia and China.

Cyclonic storm Phethai struck Andhra Pradesh coast The severe cyclonic storm PHETHAI struck Andhra coast near Kakinada with a wind speed of 70-90 km per hour.

Maharashtra to give leave to male staff for childcare Male employees of the Maharashtra government are now entitled to child care leave in case their wives are bed-ridden or incapacitated due to mental health problems and unable to take care of their children.

Centre suggests President’s rule in J&K The Union Cabinet has cleared the proposal to impose President’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir from December 19 after the expiry of six months of Governor’s rule.

Transgender Bill passed in Lok Sabha amid uproar Lok Sabha has passed the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill. This bill prohibits discrimination against a transgender person in areas such as education, employment and healthcare.

IAF plane takes to the air on blended bio-fuel For the first time, an An-32 transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) flew with blended bio-jet fuel produced from Jatropha oil, unlocking the possibility of gradually expanding it to the entire service at some point.

Centre drafts child protection policy The Ministry of Women and Child Development has placed the draft national child protection policy on its website and invited comments from stakeholders until January 4. This will be the first policy dedicated to the protection of children, an area that until now was only a part of the broader National Child Policy, 2013.

Country's largest cancer hospital comes up in NCR India’s largest cancer hospital — National Cancer Institute (NCI) at Badhsa village has started the trial run of its Outpatient Department.

India’s Kaiga nuclear power plant creates world record for continuous operation A 220 Megawatt (Mw) unit of India’s indigenously-developed Kaiga atomic power station in Karnataka has created a world record for continuous operation. The unit registered 941 days of continuous operation, surpassing the earlier world record of 940 days held by Heysham-Unit 2 of the United Kingdom.

Accept vehicle documents, driving licence in electronic format: Centre asks states The Union Road Transport and Highways Ministry has asked states to facilitate acceptance of driving licence and other documents like vehicle registration certificates in electronic format by enforcement agencies. Surrogacy Bill passed in Lok Sabha Lok Sabha has passed the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016 which is aimed at prohibiting commercial surrogacy and unethical practices relating to it.

The Bill has provisions to constitute National Surrogacy Board, State Surrogacy Boards and appointment of appropriate authorities for regulation of surrogacy.

NITI Aayog releases Strategy Document for New India NITI Aayog has unveiled its comprehensive national Strategy for New India@75 document, which defines clear objectives for 2022-23. It recommends a number of steps, including increasing the investment rate, reforming agriculture, and codifying labour laws. Goa celebrates 57th Liberation Day India today celebrates the 57th Goa Liberation Day in commemoration of the Indian armed forces freeing Goa from Portuguese rule.

Govt to open Eklavya School in areas having significant tribal population Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram has said that every block with more than 50 per cent Schedule Tribe, ST population and at least 20 thousand tribal persons, will have an Eklavya Model Residential School by the year 2022. ISRO successfully launches GSAT-7A satellite The Indian space research Organisation ISRO has successfully launched geostationary communication satellite GSAT-7A onboard Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle GSLV-F11. GSAT 7A was the heaviest satellite carried by indigenous cryogenic stage.

Lok Sabha passes Consumer Protection Bill Lok Sabha passed the Consumer Protection Bill, 2018 that seeks to replace the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. The Bill enforces consumer rights and provides a mechanism for redressal of complaints regarding deficiencies in goods and services. It also seeks to establish Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions at District, State and National levels.

Gujarat emerges as best performing state in start-up ranking 2018 Gujarat has emerged as the best performing state in the Startup Ranking 2018. Gujarat, with 100 percentile, has performed better than all other states in all the seven areas including start up policy, incubation support, seeding innovation and scaling innovation.


All computers now under govt. watch The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued an order authorizing 10 Central agencies to intercept, monitor, and decrypt any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer.

Centre says, India on track for ODF by October 2019 Minister of State for Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ramesh Chandrappa Jigajinagi said the country is on track for Open Defecation free India by October next year.

Himachal, Kerala and T.N. top development index According to a first-of-its-kind index released by NITI Aayog, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu have been ranked highest in terms of being on track to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

Haryana CM inaugurates Patanjali's World Herbal Forest Project Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has inaugurated World Herbal Forest Project in Morni Hill, Chandigarh.

Government launches Asiatic Lion Conservation Project The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has launched the 'Asiatic Lion Conservation Project' with an aim to protect and conserve the world's last ranging free population of Asiatic Lion and its associated ecosystem.

CDSCO issues safety guidelines for Isotretinoin The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has issued safety guidelines for Isotretinoin, an oral drug, which is used in the treatment of severe acne.

Isotretinoin, can cause birth defects in progeny if not taken without proper guidance.

Defence ministry Inaugurates Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) Defence Minister Mrs. Nirmala Sitharaman launched the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) at Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) Gurugram.

PM Modi to released commemorative coin to honour Atal Bihari Vajpayee Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a commemorative coin in honour of former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee in New Delhi.

India successfully test-fires Agni-IV ICBM from Odisha coast India has successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable long-range Inter Continental Ballistic Missile Agni-IV, with a strike range of 4,000 km.

PM Modi announces new award for National Unity Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced the institution of a national unity award on the lines of the Padma awards. The annual award would be given to any Indian who has contributed to national unity in any manner.

Magistrate can’t order FIR on private complaint: SC The Supreme Court has ruled that an executive magistrate has no power under the Code of Criminal Procedure to direct the police to register an FIR on a private complaint filed before him.

India’s first music museum to be set up in Thiruvaiyaru Tamil Nadu has announced the setting up of country’s first music museum with assistance from the Central government in Thiruvaiyaru which is the birthplace of Saint Tyagaraja, one of the Trinities of Carnatic music.

3 States Among Best Performing States Under Maternity Benefit Programme: WCD Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh were the top three performing states under the maternity benefit programme Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY). Manipur Assembly Passes Anti-mob Violence Bill The Manipur Assembly has passed a bill which recommends life imprisonment for those involved in mob violence if it results in the death of a person. Govt extends ban on import of milk products from China for 4 months India which is the largest producer and consumer of milk has extended the ban on import of milk products from China for 4 months. PM Modi inaugurates Bogibeel Bridge, India's longest rail-cum-road bridge Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Bogibeel Bridge, India's longest rail-road bridge, The bridge connects the south bank of the Brahmaputra river in Assam’s Dibrugarh district with Silapathar in Dhemaji district, bordering Arunachal Pradesh. Aadhaar not mandatory for admission in schools: UIDAI The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has asserted that schools cannot make the 12-digit biometric identifier a pre-condition for student admission. Nepal caps expenditure of its citizens in India Nepal imposed a monthly limit on the amount of Indian currency its citizen can spend in India. The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) said a visiting Nepali citizen would not be able to spend more than Rs. 1 lakh every month while paying for goods and services in India. EC bans all kinds of tobacco in polling booths during-2019 Lok Sabha elections The Election Commission has banned all kinds of tobacco in polling booths during next year's general elections, in a bid to effectively implement tobacco control laws in the country. Andhra Pradesh gets new HC; to start functioning from Jan 1 The separate High Court for Andhra Pradesh will start functioning from January 1, 2019. With this, Andhra Pradesh High Court will be the 25th High Court in the country. Niti Aayog releases second Delta Ranking of Aspirational districts Niti Ayog CEO Amitabh Kant has released the Second Delta Ranking of the Aspirational Districts Programme. Virudhunagar district in Tamil Nadu has shown the most improvement overall, followed by Nuapada district in Odisha, Siddarthnagar in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar's Aurangabad and Koraput in Odisha.

Railways Develops Robot USTAAD, To Check For Faults In Trains To make trains more safe by eliminating human errors, the Central Railway has developed an AI-powered robot which would click pictures and record videos of the under-gears of trains and send them to engineers for repairs and maintenance.


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Cabinet approves Indian Human Spaceflight programme The Union Cabinet has approved the Gaganyaan Programme with a demonstration of Indian Human Spaceflight capability to low earth orbit for a mission duration ranging from one orbital period to a maximum of seven days.

MSP for Copra hiked by more than Rs.2000 per quintal The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, CCEA has approved hike in Minimum Support Price for Copra by more than two thousand rupees per quintal for 2019 season. The MSP of Copra has been increased to 9521 rupees per quintal from 7511 rupees.

PM inaugurates Rice Research Institute, to improve production of crop PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the IRRI South Asia Regional Centre (IRRI SARC) in Varanasi. This new Centre is expected to improve crop production, seed quality and the nutritional value of rice.

Cabinet approves submitting report on greenhouse gas inventory to UNFCCC The cabinet has approved the submission of second Biennial Update Report (BUR) to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), giving India's national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory of 2014. Odisha to host global aluminium meet in January 2019 for the first time Odisha, for the first time, will play host to the International Conference on Aluminium (INCAL) in January 2019.

PM to inaugurate Indian Science Congress-2019 in Punjab on Jan 3 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Indian Science Congress-2019 in Jalandhar, Punjab on the third of next month. This will be the 106th edition of the event based on the theme ‘Future India: Science and Technology’.

PM Modi renames Ross, Neil & Havelock Islands in Andaman and Nicobar Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced the renaming of three islands of Andaman and Nicobar on the occasion of 75th anniversary of Tricolour hoisting by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in Port Blair.

The Ross Island has been renamed as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep, the Neil Island would now be known as Shaheed Dweep and the Havelock Island as Swaraj Dweep.

CIC gets four Information Commissioners The Union government has appointed four new Information Commissioners in the Central Information Commission.

Meanwhile, the union government has appointed Sudhir Bhargava as new Chief Information Commissioner.

India's economy grows at 7.1 per cent for 2nd part of 2018-19 According to data released by Central Statistics Office, India's economy grew at 7.1 per cent for the second quarter of 2018-19.

India's Fiscal deficit exceeds full-year target in just seven months According to government data, India’s fiscal deficit in the first seven months of the financial year is at Rs. 6.49 lakh crore, exceeded the budgeted target for the entire year, coming in at 103.9% of that target. New North American Trade Pact Signed The leaders of the United States, Mexico and Canada have signed a new North American trade deal, strengthening a $1.2 trillion in annual commerce among the three countries. Microsoft Tops Apple To Become Most Valuable US Firm, Amazon Close Third Microsoft’s big bet on cloud computing is paying off as the company has surpassed Apple as the world’s most valuable publicly traded company. Microsoft surpassed Apple with a market value of $851 billion to Apple’s $847 billion. Commodity trading time extended for exchanges The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has allowed exchanges to extend the trading hours for commodity derivatives segment, especially for agricultural and agri-processed commodities. The segment for agricultural and agri-processed commodities can be kept open from 9 a.m. till 9 p.m., as per a SEBI circular. Panel to look at selling OIL, ONGC fields The Union government has constituted a six-member committee to look at selling as many as 149 small and marginal oil and gas fields of state-owned ONGC and Oil India to private and foreign companies to boost domestic output.

The panel is headed by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar and includes Cabinet Secretary P. K. Sinha and Oil Secretary M. M. Kutty. WhatsApp seeks RBI nod to expand its payment services The chief of WhatsApp Chris Daniels has written to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), seeking a formal nod to expand payments services to all its 200 million users in India. Expect India’s real GDP to grow 7.2% in FY 18-19, says Moody’s Moody’s Investors Service expects the real gross domestic product (GDP) in India to grow 7.2 per cent in the year ending March 2019 and 7.4 per cent in the following year, driven by investment growth and strong consumption. Yes Bank appoints Vijayan to board Yes Bank has appointed former Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) chairman T.S Vijayan as an independent director on the board of the private sector bank with immediate effect.

Unilever buys GSK's Indian Horlicks business for 3.3 billion Euros Unilever Plc agreed to take over GlaxoSmithKline Plc’s nutrition business and then merge their Indian units in a deal worth £3.1 billion or $3.8 billion. The deal involves the merger of GSK Consumer Healthcare Ltd. with Hindustan Unilever Ltd also adding India’s No. 1 malted-milk drink Horlicks to HUL’s portfolio.


ICICI Securities, BSE launch ‘instant payout’ facility ICICI Securities, along with the BSE, has launched a facility wherein clients of the domestic brokerage entity would be able to receive the pay-out within 30 minutes of selling the shares. State Bank of India ropes in Swapna Barman as brand ambassador for YONO State Bank of India has roped in Asian Games gold medalist Swapna Barman as brand ambassador for its digital app YONO.

Cabinet approves strategic sale of the Government of India’s existing 52.63% of total paid up equity shareholding in Rural Electrification Corporation The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs,has given its ‘In Principle’approval for strategic sale of the Government of India’s existing 52.63% of total paid up equity shareholding in Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) to Power Finance Corporation (PFC) along with transfer of management control.

India to import Iranian crude oil using rupee payment mechanism India has signed an agreement with Iran to pay for crude oil it imports from Iran in rupees. Indian refiners will make rupee payments in a UCO Bank account of the National Iranian Oil Co (NIOC).

Current account deficit widens to 2.9% in Q2 The Reserve Bank of India has said that the Current account deficit (CA) 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.

HCL to buy select IBM products for $1.8 bn HCL Technologies will acquire select software products from IBM in areas such as security and marketing, for $1.8 billion which is one of the biggest acquisitions by an Indian IT firm.

Tata Nexon gets 5 stars for safety from NCAP Tata Motors’ compact SUV, Tata Nexon, has been awarded a full 5-star adult occupant safety rating by Global NCAP, an internationally-renowned safety accreditation body. The rating is for all variants of Nexon, the first and only car in India to achieve a full 5 stars adult safety rating from Global NCAP.

No GST on sale of complexes and flats having completion certificate: Govt Center has clarified that there is no GST on sale of complexes, buildings and ready to move-in flats where sale takes place after issue of completion certificate. GST is applicable on sale of under construction property or ready to move-in flats where completion certificate has not been issued at the time of sale.

IMF Chief Economist praises India's economic reforms during past 4 years International Monetary Fund's Chief Economist Maurice Obstfeld has said that India's growth has been very strong over the past four years. He praised the fundamental economic reforms like the GST and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code carried out by the Modi government.

Ex-SBI chief is SWIFT India chairman SWIFT India had appointed ex-SBI chief Arundhati Bhattacharya as the new chairman of its board.

Myntra CEO Ananth Narayanan Quits Myntra’s chief executive officer (CEO) Ananth Narayanan has resigned from his role with his position set to be abolished, and Flipkart executive Amar Nagaram has been tasked with heading Myntra.

Govt contribution to NPS raised to 14 per cent The Union Cabinet had decided to make some changes in National Pension Scheme, NPS on 6th of this month. The Government contribution will be raised to 14 per cent from existing 10 per cent in NPS.

Direct tax collections surge 15.7% in Apr.-Nov. Gross direct tax collections surged 15.7% to Rs. 6.75 lakh crore for April-November. The net direct tax collections represent 48% of the total budget estimates of direct taxes for financial year 2018-19 (Rs. 11.50 lakh crore).

Retail inflation hits 17-month low at 2.33% in November According to the provisional data of Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation released, retail inflation eased to a 17-month low in November this year at 2.33 per cent from 3.38% in the previous month.

ADB retains India FY19 growth forecast at 7.3% despite downside risks Asian Development Bank has retained its India growth forecast at 7.3 per cent for current fiscal and 7.6 per cent in the following financial year,

IIP rises to 11-month high in October Index of industrial production (IIP) grew at an 11-month high of 8.1 per cent in October this year on the back of mining, power, manufacturing sectors and higher offtake of capital and consumer durable goods.

Tata trusts induct Venu Srinivasan Venu Srinivasan, chairman, Sundaram Clayton and Former Defence Secretary Vijay Singh have been appointed as vice-chairmen of seven Tata trusts.

RBI grants 40 branch licenses to Bandhan Bank The Reserve Bank of India has allowed Bandhan Bank to open as many as 40 more branches, first time after it put a restriction on the bank's branch opening spree three months back.

Global debt hits all-time high of USD 184 trillion: IMF The International Monetary Fund said that global debt has reached an all-time high of 184 trillion US dollars with the United States, China and Japan accounting for more than half of it.

On average, the world's debt now exceeds 86,000 dollars per person, which is more than two and half times the average income per-capita.

PSU Banks recover Rs 2.33 lakh cr worth of bad loans during 4 years Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla informed Parliament that Public Sector Banks (PSBs) have recovered 2.33 lakh crore rupees worth of bad loans during the four years from financial year 2014-15 to fiscal 2017-18.

Country's largest lender SBI, stood on a gross bad loans of 2.02 lakh crore rupees as on September 30, 2018.

Government forms panel under BBB to select MD for PSU insurance firms The Union 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.


Amazon India signs MoU with FISME to empower MSME sector Amazon India has announced a partnership with FISME (The Federation of Indian Micro and Small & Medium Enterprises) to empower Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to leverage growth opportunities in the e-commerce sector. OBOPAY launches a new generation pre-payment instrument for enterprise customers OBOPAY, the global financial technology company, announced the launch of a new generation pre-payment instrument in partnership with Federal Bank and Mastercard.

SEBI eyes Nasdaq model for platform The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is trying to create a platform like Nasdaq for technology start-up firms in India by tweaking the norms for the Institutional Trading Platform (ITP).

Innovators Growth Platform (IGP), will also act as the main board for such firms thereby creating a separate and dedicated platform for sectors like technology, intellectual property, data analytics, biotech or nanotech.

LIC makes open offer to acquire 26% stake in IDBI Bank State-owned IDBI Bank has received the final letter from Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) for an open offer to acquire additional 26% in the lender.

Capgemini names Srinivas Kandula as Chairman, Ashwin Yardi as CEO of India operations French technology major Capgemini has appointed Srinivas Kandula as Chairman of the company in India. Besides, Ashwin Yardi, former India COO, has been named as the CEO of Capgemini India. Govt. unearths GST evasions of Rs. 12,766 cr. According to the Finance Ministry, the union government has detected 3,196 cases of Goods and Services Tax evasion amounting to Rs. 12,766.85 crore in this financial year up to November 2018. IDFC Bank, Capital First complete merger Private sector lender IDFC Bank has completed the merger process with non-banking financial company Capital First following all the requisite approvals. US Federal Reserve raises key interest rate for 4th time this year The US Federal Reserve has raised its key interest rate from 2.25 per cent to 2.5 per cent for the fourth time this year. The quarter-point increase lifted the Fed's benchmark rate to its highest point since 2008. Govt to infuse Rs 83,000 crore in PSBs in next few months The Union government will infuse 83000 crore in Public Sector Banks in next few months in the current fiscal. The recapitalisation will enhance the lending capacity of state-owned banks and help them come out of the RBI's Prompt Corrective Action, PCA framework. RBI caps outstanding ECBs at 6.5% of GDP The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced a cap for funds raised via external commercial borrowing (ECB) at 6.5% of the country’s GDP.

Start-up Swiggy gets $1 bn fresh funds Food delivery start-up Swiggy had raised $1 billion in a funding round led by existing investor Naspers, a South African conglomerate. Govt introduces Bill to amend Companies Act The Union Government has introduced a bill to amend the Companies Act to further improve the ease of doing business and ensure better compliance levels. The amendments will help reduce the burden on special courts and bring down applicable penalties for small companies, among others. Forex reserves decline by USD 613.9 mn to USD 393.12 bn According to the RBI data, India's foreign exchange reserves declined by USD 613.9 million to USD 393.12 billion in the week to December 14, on account of a fall in foreign currency assets. GST cut on 17 items, 6 services The Goods and Services Tax Council cut rates on 17 items and six types of services. India's stock market is 7th biggest in the world with m-cap of $2.1 trn India’s ranking has improved two notches in the league table of the world’s biggest stock markets. Currently, India ranks seventh with a market cap of $2.1 trillion. P. V. Bharathi appointed as MD and CEO of Corporation Bank P.V Bharathi has been appointed as managing director and chief executive officer of the Corporation Bank. P.V. NCLT helps recover over Rs. 80,000 cr. in 2018 The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has helped resolve insolvency and bankruptcy proceedings involving more than Rs. 80,000 crore in 2018 and is expected to swell beyond Rs. 1 lakh crore in 2019 with several big-ticket default cases pending. Number of Japanese firms in India rises to 1,441: Japan’s envoy The number of Japanese firms operating in India has gone up by 72 to 1,441 till October this year, compared to the previous year, due to the improving business environment in the country.

There was a significant rise in the number of firms in mental manufacturing and services. Government reviews guidelines for FDI in E- commerce The Union government has reviewed guidelines for Foreign Direct Investment in E- commerce companies to protect the interests of domestic players. It has taken host of steps and barred e-commerce companies from selling products of the companies in which they have stake.

RBI launches survey to capture retail payment habits in 6 cities The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will capture payment habits of individuals in six cities, including four metropolitan towns. For the purpose, the central bank has launched a 'Survey on Retail Payment Habits of Individuals (SRPHi)'.


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Bimal Jalan to head panel on RBI reserve; Rakesh Mohan to be vice chairman Reserve Bank of India has named former Governor Bimal Jalan as the head of the expert panel that will decide on the appropriate size of reserves that the central bank should maintain and the dividend it should give to the government.

Investment through P-notes rises to Rs 79247 crore in November According to SEBI data, investments in the Indian capital market through participatory notes climbed to Rs 79,247 crore in November.

The total value of P-note investments in Indian markets - equity, debt, and derivatives - rose to 79,247 crore rupees till November-end, from 66,587 crore rupees at October-end.

Fiscal deficit touches 115% of target According to government data, India’s fiscal deficit touched 114.8% of the full-year target of Rs. 6.24 lakh crore at the end of November on account of lower revenue collection. The fiscal deficit stood at Rs. 7.16 lakh crore during April-November of the current financial year.

Seven PSBs to receive Rs. 28,615 crore from Centre The Union government is likely to infuse Rs. 28,615 crore into seven public sector banks (PSBs) through recapitalisation bonds by the end of this month.

United Bank to receive Rs. 2,159 crore The Union government will infuse Rs. 2,159 crore capital through preferential allotment in State-run United Bank of India.

ICRA downgrades NIC rating ICRA has downgraded the long-term rating for National Insurance Company Limited’s (NIC) subordinated debt programme to AA from AA+ due to weak underwriting performance.

India pips China in FDI inflows for the first time in 20 years According to data from Dealogic, for the first time in two decades, India has been getting more foreign investment than its neighbour China. In 2018, India saw more than $38 billion of inbound deals compared with China’s $32 billion, buoyed by stable fundamentals, a bankruptcy code and fresh opportunities in sunrise sectors.

HDFC Group pipped Tata Group as Indias largest business house worth Rs. 10.40 lakh crore According to Bloomberg, HDFC group overtook Tata Group become the country’s largest conglomerate in terms of market capitalization. The total market capitalization (MACP) of the group’s five listed companies is currently valued at Rs 10.40 lakh crore, which is Rs 1,185 crore more than that of Tata Group.

PSBs approve loans worth over Rs 37,400 cr for MSME sector Public sector banks have approved more than 1.12 lakh loan applications of MSMEs worth of 37,412 crore rupees under the '59 minutes' loan scheme launched by the union government last month.

Public Enterprises Survey 2017-18: Indian Oil, ONGC, NTPC most profitable PSUs in FY18 According to a survey tabled in Parliament, Indian Oil Corporation, ONGC and NTPC emerged as the top three most profitable PSUs in 2017-18, while BSNL, Air India and MTNL incurred the highest losses for the second consecutive year.

State-run bank NPAs decline by Rs. 23,860 cr. According to the latest Finance Ministry data, various initiatives taken by the union government have yielded results, with the bad loans of public sector banks declining by over Rs. 23,000 crore from a peak of Rs. 9.62 lakh crore in March 2018.

Centre doubles export incentives for onion farmers to 10% The Union government has doubled the export incentives for onion farmers from existing 5 per cent to 10 per cent. RBI exploring mobile phone-based solution to help visually impaired identify banknotes The Reserve Bank of India is exploring the possibility of mobile phone-based solution to help visually-impaired people easily identify the currency notes. India, UAE sign two agreements, including one on currency swap India and the United Arab Emirates have signed two agreements, including one on currency swap, during visit of the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to Abu Dhabi. Exim Bank extends USD 500 mn loan to Tanzania for water projects 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.

Delhi Minister Imran Hussain Awarded By PETA For Ban On Chinese Manjha Delhi environment minister Imran Hussain was awarded Hero to Animals Award by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)-India for banning the Chinese manjha, or the glass-coated kite strings, across Delhi.

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy conferred Skoch Award for National Significance 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.

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

Renowned English writer Amitav Ghosh selected for Jnanpith Award, 2018 Renowned English fiction writer Amitav Ghosh has been selected for Jnanpith award, 2018.

Mamata Banerjee is the Skoch Chief Minister of the Year West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been conferred the Skoch Chief Minister of the Year Award for her contribution in the overall development of the state and emerging as the best chief minister in the country.

C.R.I. Pumps Wins the Prestigious National Energy Conservation NEC Award 2018 C.R.I. Pumps won the National Energy Conservation Award 2018 in producing energy efficient pumps Pumps category for the 4th time.


PERSONS IN NEWS

NATIONAL

Rafi Award conferred to late music composer Laxmikant and singer Usha Timothy The Mohammed Rafi Award has been bestowed upon late music composer Laxmikant Shantaram Kudalkar and playback singer Usha Timothy.

VC confers ‘Champions of Change’ award to Manipur CM Biren Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh has been conferred the ‘Champions of Change’ award by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu for exemplary leadership in bringing about transformation in governance in the Northeastern state.

Suresh Prabhu conferred Skoch Golden Jubilee Challenger Award at the 55th Skoch Summit in New Delhi Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu has conferred the Skoch Golden Jubilee Challenger Award at the 55th Skoch Summit in New Delhi.

World Gold Council appoints David Tait as CEO The World Gold Council, the market development organisation for the gold industry, has announced the appointment of David Tait as incoming chief executive officer.

Former US President George HW Bush Passes Away The 41st President of the US, George HW Bush has passed away on at the age of 94.

Leftist leader Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador sworn in as Mexico president Andrés Manuel López Obrador - Mexico's first leftist president in seven decades has been sworn in at a ceremony in the country's parliament.

Pawan Singh first Indian to be elected in ISSF's judges committee Pawan Singh has become the first Indian to be elected one of seven member's of the Judges Committee of the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF).

Shri A. N. Jha appointed as Finance Secretary Prime Minister Narendra Modi led Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has cleared Jha’s appointment to the post of Finance secretory

Preeti Saran Elected To UN’s Socio-Economic Cultural Panel Former senior Indian diplomat Preeti Saran has been elected unopposed to an Asia Pacific seat on the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) of the UN.

Merkel bids emotional farewell to her ruling Christian Democrats German Chancellor Angela Merkel has given an emotional farewell speech to her ruling Christian Democrats (CDU), as she steps down as party leader.

ISB Hyderabad’s Krishnamurthy Subramanian appointed new chief economic adviser for 3 years The Union government has named Krishnamurthy Subramanian, as its next chief economic advisor (CEA) ahead of its final budget to be presented early next year.

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.

Trump names Heather Nauert as US ambassador to UN US President Donald Trump nominated State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauertas the US Ambassador to the United Nations.

PRO in PMO, 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.

Historian Mushirul Hasan no more Eminent historian and former Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Milia Islamia Mushirul Hasan passed away, aged 71.

RBI Governor Urjit Patel resigns Reserve Bank Governor Urjit Patel has stepped down from his post citing personal reasons.

Former Finance Secretary Shaktikanta Das appointed new RBI Governor A Former Finance Secretary Shaktikanta Das has been appointed as the new Governor of the apex bank RBI.

Mr. Das will have a tenure of three years.

Economist Surjit Bhalla resigns from EAC-PM Economist Surjit S Bhalla has resigned from his position as the part-time Member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister.

Slain journalist Khashoggi named Time magazine's "Person of the Year" Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered in October at his country's Istanbul consulate, has been named Time magazine's "Person of the Year" alongside several other journalists.

CAG Rajiv Mehrishi appointed as Vice-Chair of UN Panel of Auditors Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Rajiv Mehrishi was elected as Vice-Chair of United Nations (UN) Panel of Auditors at its annual meeting held in New York.

TRS leader K. Chandrashekhar Rao sworn in as Telangana CM for second straight term Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K. Chandrashekhar Rao has been sworn in as the Chief Minister of Telangana for the second term by Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan. Congress picks Kamal Nath as the new chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath has been chosen as the new Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh. The National Congress party came up with the name of Kamal Nath.

Brijendra Pal Singh nominated as new president of FTII The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has nominated Brijendra Pal Singh as the new president of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) Society and Chairman of Governing Council.

PNB fraud case: Interpol issues Red Corner Notice against Mehul Choksi The Interpol has issued a Red Corner Notice (RCN) against absconding billionaire Mehul Choksi, who is accused of cheating state-run Punjab National Bank to the tune of over 13,000 crore rupees.


MNF Chief Zoramthanga to be sworn in as Mizoram CM Mizo National Front (MNF) President Zoramthanga will be sworn in as the Chief Minister of Mizoram.

Governor invites Ashok Gehlot to be sworn-in as CM of Rajasthan In Rajasthan, Governor Kalyan Singh has invited senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot to be sworn-in as the Chief Minister.

Shree Saini wins Miss India Worldwide, 2018 Indian-American Shree Saini has won Miss India Worldwide 2018 title at a pageant held in the Fords City of New Jersey.

Sri Lankan president re-appoints PM Ranil Wickremesinghe Sri Lanka’s president Maithirpala Sirisena has re-appointed Ranil Wickremesinghe as prime minister, nearly two months after firing him and setting off a long political stalemate in the South Asian island nation.

Renowned yoga exponent Geeta S. Iyengar passes away Geeta S. Iyengar, the eldest daughter of legendary yoga guru B.K.S. Iyengar and a noted yoga exponent in her own right, passed away, aged 74.

Philippines' Catriona Elisa Gray Crowned Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Elisa Gray from Philippines has been crowned Miss Universe 2018 at a gala ceremony, where representatives from South Africa and Venezuela secured the first runner-up and second runner-up spots.

Sandip Somany takes over as new FICCI President Sanitary ware firm HSIL's CMD Sandip Somany has been elected as the new President of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

Belgium Prime Minister Charles Michel resigns over migration spat Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel has resigned amid pressure on his government over his support for the UN global compact on migration.

Madhavi Divan appointed as Additional Solicitor General The Union government has cleared the name of advocate Madhavi Goradia Divan as an Additional Solicitor General for India

Classical Singer Arun Bhaduri Passes Away

Renowned classical singer Pandit Arun Bhaduri passed

away. Pandit Bhaduri, considered to be one of the masters

of Bengali songs and Bhajans.

Macedonian, Greek PMs get nominated for 2019 Nobel Peace Prize The Prime Ministers of Macedonia and Greece, Zoran Zaev and Alexis Tsipras, have been nominated for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize. They have been nominated for signing the Prespa Agreement between the two countries.

Harsh Vardhan Shringla appointed new Indian Ambassador to US Harsh Vardhan Shringla of 1984 Indian Foreign Service officer batch, has been appointed as the new Ambassador of India to the United States of America.

Nawaz Sharif gets 7-year jail term in Al-Azizia graft

case

An anti-corruption court in Pakistan has sentenced ousted

prime minister Nawaz Sharif to seven years in jail and

imposed 2.5 million US Dollars fine in the Al-Azizia Steel

Mills graft case.

Sulagitti Narasamma, Padma Shri awardee midwife

who delivered 15,000 babies, dies at 98 Sulagitti’ Narasamma, the traditional midwife who helped deliver over 15,000 babies free of charge in rural Karnataka, breathed her last in Bengaluru. Bengali poet Nirendranath passes away

Famous Bengali poet Nirendranath Chakraborty died

following a massive cardiac arrest. He won the prestigious

Sahitya Academy prize for Ulongo Raja. Indian-American Rajesh Subramaniam Named FedEx President Indian-American Rajesh Subramaniam has been named as the president and chief executive officer of US multinational courier delivery giant FedEx Express. 13-year-old Aadi Sai Vijaykaran touted as the world's best debater

Aadi Sai Vijaykaran, a 13-year-old boy from Chennai has

been labeled as the best debater globally after

participating in a worldwide competition for young orators. Madhya Pradesh’s Divya Patidar Joshi crowned Mrs. India 2018 title Divya Patidar Joshi from Madhya Pradesh has been crowned with Mrs. India 2018 title at the Mrs. India My Identity Beauty Pageant 2018 finale held in New Delhi.

Former KU VC and Padma Shri awardee Prof Hamidi

Kashmiri passes away Former vice chancellor of the University of Kashmir Professor Hamidi Kashmiri passed away. Kashmiri was also a noted Urdu and Kashmiri poet and writer.

Hamidi Kashmiri is a recipient of the Ghalib Award and

Sahitya Akademi Award (2005).

The Government of India honored him in 2010, with the

third highest civilian award of Padma Shri. Madagascar ex-leader Andry Rajoelina wins presidential run-off vote Former Madagascan president Andry Rajoelina has beaten his rival and predecessor Marc Ravalomanana in the presidential election. American adventurer O’Brady First Person to complete solo trek across Antarctica

An American adventurer by name Colin O'Brady has

become the first person to complete a solo trek across

Antarctica without assistance of any kind. Justice Chagari Praveen Kumar appointed Acting Chief Justice for Andhra Pradesh High Court

The Central Government has notified the appointment of

Justice Chagari Praveen Kumar as the Acting Chief

Justice of the newly created Andhra Pradesh High Court

at Amaravati.


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Wrestling Federation of India rolls out contracts system for wrestlers The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has rolled out its revolutionary contracts system for the grapplers. The contracts will be reviewed after one year.

Abhinav Bindra Conferred with Shooting’s Highest Honour by ISSF India’s Olympic and world champion shooter Abhinav Bindra has been conferred the sport’s highest honour for his outstanding services as the chairman of the International Shooting Sport Federation’s Athletes Committee.

Tata Badminton Open: Lakshya Sen, Ashmita Chaliha emerged winners Lakshya Sen took apart highly-rated Kunlavut Vitidsarn 21-15, 21-10 to take the Tata Open men's crown. Ashmita Chaliha took down G. Vrushali in the women’s singles final of the Tata Open India International Challenge.

India wins first international medal in Ultra Running Ullas Narayan bagged the third position completing 250 Km at the 2018 International Association of Ultra Running (IAU) 24 Hour Asia & Oceania Championships, Taipei.

Croatia’s Luka Modric wins Men’s Ballon d’Or award 2018 Croatia’s midfielder Luca Modrich (33) has won prestigious honor of football, Ballon d’Or. Norway’s Ada Hegerberg (23) wins Women’s Ballon d’Or.

Jon Ridgeon appointed as CEO of IAAF The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) announced the appointment of Jon Ridgeon as its new CEO following approval by the IAAF Council IPL: Delhi Daredevils renamed as Delhi Capitals Delhi Daredevils was renamed as Delhi Capitals with a hope that it would bring a change in fortunes of the franchise after a poor track record over the past 11 IPL seasons.

Gautam Gambhir announces retirement from all forms of cricket Gautam Gambhir has announced his retirement from all forms of Cricket.

New Zealand beat Pakistan in 3rd Test to win first away series over Pakistan in 49 years New Zealand won its first away series win over Pakistan in 49 years with a crushing 123-run win in the third and final Test.

Ranji Trophy: Ajay Rohera creates world record for highest first-class debut score Madhya Pradesh opener Ajay Rohera etched his name in the record books by slamming the highest first-class score of 267 on debut.

Khelo India Youth Games to start from January 9 Khelo India Youth Games-2019 will be held in Pune of Maharashtra from the 9th to 20th of January.

ICC ropes in Royal Stag as official sponsor for next five years The International Cricket Council (ICC) has roped in Indian alcohol beverages brand Royal Stag as official sponsor for the next five years.

Belgium beat Netherlands in shootout to win Men's Hockey World Cup 2018 Belgium defeated former champions the Netherlands in a thrilling summit clash to win their maiden men's hockey World Cup title at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.

Indian shuttler P V Sindhu lifts World Tour Finals trophy in China Indian shuttler P. V Sindhu lifted the prestigious season-ending World Tour Finals trophy at Guangzhou, China.

Virat Kohli hits 25th Test ton; Second fastest to achieve feat after Sir Don Bradman Indian captain Virat Kohli has became the second fastest person to score 25 Test centuries, only behind Sir Don Bradman.

Kohli also equalled Tendulkar's record of most Test tons by an Indian - that is six - in Australia.

37th Senior National Rowing Championship begins in Pune The 37th Senior National Rowing Championship will start in the Army Rowing Node in Pune.

Joshna Bags Record-equalling 16th National Title, Mahesh Wins Maiden Crown Squash star Joshna Chinappa equalled Bhuvneshwari Kumari's record of 16 national titles

Kabaddi Player Anup Kumar announces his retirement Renowned Kabaddi Player, Anup Kumar has announced his retirement from Kabaddi, ending a 15-year iconic career. Anup had led India to a memorable Kabaddi World Cup title triumph in 2016.

ICC orders PCB to pay 60% of compensation claim to BCCI The International Cricket Council's (ICC) Dispute Resolution Panel has ordered Pakistan to pay 60 per cent of the cost demanded by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

WV Raman appointed India women's team coach Former India opener, W. V. Raman has been appointed the new coach of the Indian women's cricket team.

Belgium to end the year as No.1 in FIFA global rankings Belgium will end the year as No. 1 ahead of world champions France in the global rankings released by FIFA.

India's Vedangi Kulkarni becomes fastest Asian to cycle the globe Indian woman Vedangi Kulkarni has become the fastest Asian to cycle the globe. She spent 159 days peddling up to 300 kilometers a day in 14 countries completing the 29,000 kilometers' distance required to qualify as bicycling across the globe.

BVP Rao Elected Archery Association of India President BVP Rao has been elected as the president of the Archery Association of India in the polls held under a High Court-appointed administrator.

Former Australia captain Ponting inducted into ICC Hall of Fame Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting was formally inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.


MISCELLANEOUS

Steyn surpasses Pollock to become South Africa's top wicket-taker Dale Steyn has become South Africa's leading wicket-taker in Test cricket, after claiming his 422nd wicket in Centurion. He overtook Shaun Pollock, whose record of 421 wickets had stood for over 10 years.

Knighthood for Cook and Beaumont Former England cricket and rugby captains Alastair Cook and Bill Beaumont headlined sporting personalities in the New Year’s Honours List with both men receiving knighthoods from Queen Elizabeth II.

Sports Ministry embarks Rs 100 Cr for funding athletes under TOPS: DGSAI Director General of Sports Authority of India, Neelam Kapur said that the sports ministry has earmarked Rs. 100 crore for funding the athletes under the (TOPS) Target Olympic Podium Scheme ahead of 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

UK amends weapons bill to ensure right to possession of kirpans by Sikhs The UK government has confirmed an amendment to a new weapons bill going through the Parliament to ensure that it would not impact the right of the British Sikh community to possess and supply kirpans, or religious swords.

UNESCO lists wrestling, reggae and raiho-shin rituals as global treasures to be preserved The UN cultural agency, UNESCO, added six new elements to its list of “intangible heritage” for the world to treasure further improving the visibility of often little-known and understood arts traditions. These include Jamaican reggae to Georgian wrestling and Japanese rituals.

Australia become 1st country to recognize ‘Orphanage Trafficking’ as slavery Australia has become the first country in the world to recognize ‘orphanage trafficking ‘as a form of modern slavery.

December 1st: World AIDS Day Every year December 1st is observed as World AIDS day.

4 Indian-Origin Women in Forbes US top 50 Females in Tech Four Indian-origin technology executives have made it to the Forbes’ list of America’s 50 women in technology space in 2018.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities observed on December 3 International Day of Persons with Disabilities is observed on December 3 every year. The theme for this year is “Empowering persons with disabilities and ensuring inclusiveness and equality”.

International conference on bears starts in Agra More than 80 delegates from 11 countries are participating in an international conference on bears being organised in the Taj city for the first time.

Indian Navy Day is being celebrated on December 4 Indian Navy Day is being celebrated on December 4. This day is celebrated in honour of the maritime force's role during the war with Pakistan in 1971 when Indian warships attacked Karachi port and successfully hurt Pakistani operations in the western coast.

December 5th: World Soil Day World Soil Day is observed annually on 5th December to focus attention on the importance of healthy soil and advocating for the sustainable management of soil resources. The theme for this year's World Soil Day is - 'Be the Solution to Soil Pollution'.

SpaceX launches 64 satellites aboard reusable rocket SpaceX has successfully launched 64 small satellites, including India’s ExseedSAT-1 in the company’s largest-ever “rideshare” mission on a twice-reused Falcon 9 rocket.

Luxembourg To Become First Country To Make Public Transport Free Luxembourg is set to become the first country in the world to make all its public transport free.

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

Japan govt enacts new law to accept foreign workers Japanese government has enacted a new law to bring more blue-collar foreign workers into the country to address chronic labour shortages.

December 8th: Indian Navy celebrating Submarine Day The Indian Navy is celebrating Submarine Day on 8th December. The day commemorates the induction of the first submarine, the erstwhile INS Kalvari, into the Navy on this day in 1967.

China Launches 1st Mission to Land on the Far Side of the Moon China launched the first-ever spacecraft, Chang’e 4, 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.

FAO Council approves India’s proposal to observe International Year of Millets in 2023 Food and Agriculture organization, FAO Council has approved India’s proposal to observe an International Year of Millets in 2023.

December 10 celebrated annually as International Day of Human Rights Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December – the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The theme of the 2018 Human Rights Day is: #StandUp4HumanRights.

Dracula Ant Crowned Fastest Animal on Earth Researchers from the University of Illinois have concluded that a type of the Dracula ant, named Mystrium camillae, can move at 90 metres per second, or 200 miles per hour, which makes it the fastest animal on the planet.

Sweden moves to ban outdoor smoking Sweden is banning outdoor smoking in certain public places including playgrounds and train station platforms.

Akademik Lomonosov: World’s first floating nuclear plant installed in Russia Akademik Lomonosov, the world’s first “floating” nuclear power plant (FNPP) for installation in remote areas, has been started and brought to 10 per cent of its capacity,


Nepal to create awareness not to use Indian currency The Nepal government has decided to issue a notice to create awareness among the people not to use, keep and carry Indian currency notes of Rs 200, Rs 500 and Rs 2000 denominations. National Energy Conservation Day 2018-December 14 National energy conservation day is celebrated every year by the people all over the India on 14th of December. December 16: Nation celebrates Vijay Diwas The nation celebrated Vijay Diwas on December 16th to commemorate India's victory over Pakistan in 1971 war. Merriam-Webster picks "justice" as its 2018 word of the year Merriam-Webster has chosen "justice" as its 2018 word of the year, driven by the churning news cycle over months and months. India ranks 108th in WEF gender gap index 2018 India has been ranked 108th in World Economic Forum (WEF) gender gap index. The global list was topped by Iceland having closed more than 85.8 per cent of its overall gender gap. India fifth-most deadliest place to be a journalist, Afghanistan worst: Reporters without Borders (RSF) According to a report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), India has emerged among the world’s top five deadliest countries for journalists alongside the United States, which has entered the list for the first time. Indian aviation sector retains highest safety audit standard in 2018 Indian aviation sector maintained the highest safety audit rating in 2018 from global auditors, International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). India perceives poorly, 12th on ‘misperception index According to the MORI Perils of Perception Survey 2018, done by Ipsos India, Indians stood at 12th rank in the “misperception index”, behind several countries like, Italy, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Chile and Argentina, among others. NABCB Accreditation Secures Recognition in Asia- Pacific Region The National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB), India’s national accreditation body, has secured equivalence for its accreditation programme for Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSMS) Certification Bodies in Asia- Pacific region.

Thailand approves medical use of marijuana Thailand has approved the licensed use of marijuana for medical use and research. The changes will legalize the production, import, export, possession and use of marijuana products for medical purposes. Death toll in Indonesia tsunami rises to 420 The death toll from the tsunami that hit Indonesian islands has crossed 420 with more than 1,400 people injured. Researchers made world's smallest tic-tac-toe game board with DNA Researchers from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have developed the world's smallest tic-tac-toe game board with DNA. Russia successfully tests hypersonic missile Russia has conducted a final test of a nuclear-capable glider that flies at 20 times the speed of sound. The new weapon, dubbed the Avangard, that can manoeuvre easily and travel far faster than the speed of sound. Indian-American teenager wins the inaugural "Digital Transformation Hackathon" An Indian-American teenager Mahum Siddiqi has won the inaugural "Digital Transformation Hackathon" at Cornell University for designing a device to detect the actual pain level of a patient during a diagnosis. National Mathematics Day- December 22 Every year, the country celebrates National Mathematics Day on December 22 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan. December 23rd: National Farmers Day India celebrates National Farmers Day on 23rd December to commemorate the birth anniversary of the 5th Prime Minister of India, Choudhary Charan Singh. December 24th: National Consumer Day National Consumer Day observed on December 24. The theme this year is “Timely Disposal of Consumer Complaints”. December 25th: Good Governance Day Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's birthday which is on December 25th is being celebrated as Good Governance Day across the country.

current affairs capsule (december 2018) · “the republican ethic” and “loktantra ke swar”...

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