IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF DECEMBER 17 & 18, 2015
o
17th December has been
observed as the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers.
o
This day calls attention
to hate crimes committed against sex workers worldwide, as well as the need to
remove the social stigma and discrimination that have contributed to violence
against sex workers and indifference from the communities.
o
International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA) has ended its
12-year investigation into concerns that Iran might be developing nuclear
weapons.
o
In this regard, IAEA
Board of Governors have passed a resolution ending its long-running inquiry
against Ian but allowing inspectors to continue to police the country’s nuclear
programme.
- Saudi Arabia has
announced the formation of a 34-state Islamic military coalition to
combat terrorism.
- A long list of Arab countries
such as Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, together with Turkey,
Malaysia, Pakistan and African states were named in it.
o
President Pranab
Mukherjee has received Garwood Award for ‘Outstanding Global Leader in Open
Innovation’ from University of California, Berkeley
o
The University of
California, Berkeley, one of the most prestigious educational institutes in the
world, has established the Garwood Award to acknowledge individuals who have
embraced, supported and encouraged open innovation in a significant and
impactful way.
o
The award was presented
to the President for promoting open innovation; for taking initiative of
hosting and gathering global innovators at the first-ever Global Roundtable on
the Inclusive Innovations at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
o
French President of
France Francois Hollande will be
the Chief Guest at the upcoming Republic Day
celebrations 2016, it was officially announced today.
o
Important Points to Note
:
o
This will be the fifth
time that a French leader will be a Chief Guest at India's Republic
Day celebrations, the maximum number from any country so far.
o
Earlier leaders from that
country had presided in 1976, 1980, 1998 and 2008.
o
Bhutan has presided four times so far in 1954, 1984,
2005 and 2013.
- China has
successfully launched Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE)
Satellite, the country’s first space telescope in
search for signals of dark matter, an invisible material that makes up
most of the universes mass.
- The satellite, which has been
given the moniker "Wukong" after the Monkey King from
the Chinese classical fiction "Journey to the West," was
launched on a Long March 2-D rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre.
- It will enter a sun-synchronous
orbit at a height of 500 km to observe the direction, energy and electric
charge of high-energy particles in space.
o
India has ranked a low 97th out of 144 nations,
behind Kazakhstan and Ghana, on Forbes’ annual list of the best countries
for business in 2015, scoring poorly on metrics like trade and monetary
freedom and tackling challenges like corruption and violence.
o
Denmark topped the list on the Best Countries of Business in 2015 list by Forbes.
o
The US has dropped four
spots to number 22, continuing a six-year descent since 2009 when it had ranked
second overall.
o
The US Federal
Reserve has raised interest rates by 0.25 percent, its
first increase since 2006.
o
The rate, which stands at
0.5 percent after the increase, was kept the same through out the global credit
crunch so that financial institutions could borrow cheaply and in turn allow
them to lend at lower rates.
- Note :
Rates in the US have been at near-zero since 2008.
o
India Railways is building World's Highest Rail Bridge, which
is 35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower when completed by 2016.
o
The arch-shaped steel
structure is being constructed over the Chenab river to link
sections of the spectacular mountainous region of Jammu and Kashmir.
o
Andhra Pradesh government has decided to allow foreign institutions to
set up campuses in the state.
o
Maharashtra Government has announced drought relief measures worth 10,500
crore rupees for the benefit of distressed farmers.
o
Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) has successfully
placed 6 commercial satellites from Singapore in
their dedicated orbits.
o
These satellites were
launched using Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C29) from
the first launch pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra
Pradesh.
o
This successful launch
coincides with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic
relations between India and Singapore in year 2015.
o
Former Delhi high court
judge justice Reva Khetarpal took oath as the new Lokayukta
of Delhi today.
o
The post was vacant since
November 2013, when retired Justice Manmohan Sarin relinquished office.
o
Khetarpal will serve a
five-year term.
o
Union Government has
given in principle approval to work on Loon project of
internet search engine giant Google for providing Internet
connectivity by using large balloons.
o
The announcement was made
by Google CEO Sunder Pichai in New Delhi after meeting Union
Communication and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.
o
Mumbai-based start-up
accelerator VentureNursery has partnered with Paris&Co,
the economic development and innovation agency of the French capital city, to
help its graduating companies explore the French market.
o
The World Bank has
approved a $1.5 billion loan for the ambitious clean
India campaign to support the government in its efforts to ensure all
citizens in rural areas have access to improved sanitation and end the practice
of open defecation by 2019.
o
As per World Bank
statistics, of the 2.4 billion people who lack access to improved sanitation
globally, more than 750 million live in India, with 80 per cent living in rural
areas.
o
The loan will be used for Swachh
Bharat Mission (SBM) Support Operation Project.
o
16th December 2015 has
been observed as ijay Diwas (Victory
Day).
o
We observe this day to
remember the martyrs who laid down their lives for the nation during 1971
India-Pakistan war.
o
16th December
2015 was the 46th anniversary of the 1971 India–Pakistan war.
o
This is the first
war after World War-II that the Indian Army won conclusively.
o
This is the only war that
the independent Indian Army planned, executed and carried out with precision
and captured 93,000 prisoners.
o
16th December
2015 has marked the 3rd anniversary of brutal Nirbhaya gang rape case.
o
3 years have passed since
a young student in New Delhi died after she was gang raped on a moving bus by 6
men, including a minor.
o
Note : The juvenile convict is all set to walk free by 20th of this
month, but the parents of the victim say they feel no sense of closure.
o
Supreme Court on 16th
December 2015 ordered banning of registration of diesel-run SUVs andcars
having engines beyond 2000 cc in Delhi and National Capital Region
from first of March next year.
o
Giving its decision,
Supreme Court said only CNG-run taxis will be allowed to ply in Delhi and NCR.
o
The apex court also raised
the Green cess by 100% being levied on commercial vehicles entering
Delhi.
o
It also said commercial
vehicles registered before 2005 cannot enter Delhi and those
commercial vehicles, which are not Delhi bound, will not be allowed to enter
national capital through entry points NH-8 and NH-1.
o
India’s second lunar
probe Chandrayaan II will land on moon in 2017 and the
country’s first solar mission Aditya L1 is likely to be launched in
2019.
o
About Chandrayaan II :
o
This will land on the
surface of moon in 2017 and this second lunar mission will help explore the
possibilities of signs of extra-terrestrial life.
o
About Aditya L1 mission :
o
This is aimed at studying
the sun from an orbit around the sun-earth lagrangian point (L-1) which is
about 1.5 million km from earth.
o
It will carry seven
payloads including a coronagraph to observe the outermost layers of the sun,
the corona.
o
Aditya L1 will be
launched during 2019-20 timeframe.
o
Pakistan has successfully test-fired Shaheen-1A, a
nuclear-capable ballistic missile with a range of 900 kilometres, days after
testing a similar missile capable of hitting targets as far as 2,750 kilometres
away, bringing many Indian cities under its range.
o
Google CEO Sundar Pichai is on a visit to India.
o
During this visit, he will
hold sessions with media, developers, entrepreneurs and marketers.
o
He is also scheduled to
meet President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
o
He announced that Google
will build new campus and ramp up engineering presence in Hyderabad to make
products for India.
o
He said Google's rail
wi-fi is coming up at at Mumbai Central in January.
o
In a bid to check
generation of domestic black money, the government will soon issue a
notification making quoting of PAN mandatory for all cash transactionsbeyond
Rs. 2 lakh.
o
Life Insurance
Corporation of India (LIC) has
launched an immediate annuity plan, Jeevan Akshay IV, for
post-retirement planning.
o
According to the plan, an
individual aged between 30 years and 85 years can make a lump sum investment of
minimum Rs.1 lakh.
o
Senior revenue service
officer Arun Kumar Jain was appointed Chairman of
Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).
o
Supreme Court appoints
retired justice Virender Singh as Uttar Pradesh
Lokayukta saying the state government and the opposition has failed in
their constitutional duty to appoint Lokayukta .
o
59th National shooting
championships
o
10-metre Air Rifle event
o
Gold - Apurvi Chandela
o
Silver - Geetakshi Dixit
o
Bronze - Anjum Moudgil
o
Men’s 50-metre Rifle 3
Positions event:
o
Gold - Chain Singh
o
Silver - Gagan Narang
o
Junior men’s 25m sports
pistol event :
o
Gold - Achal Pratap Singh Grewal
o
Silver - Gurmeet Singh
o
Bronze - Aadeithya Johal
o
Junior women’s 10m air
rifle :
o
Gold - Geetakshi Dixit
o
Silver - Prachi Pramod
Gadkari
o
Bronze - Nupur Hagawane
Patil
o
Youth :
o
Gold - Nupur Hagawane
Patil
o
Silver - Ayushi
Podder
o
Bronze - Manini Kaushik
o
Northern Ireland's Golfer Rory
McIlroy has been named as the 2015 European Tour Golfer of the
Year.
o
He is receiving this
prestigious award for the third time in four years.
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