DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 5 DEC 2017

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 5 DEC 2017

(DAILY NEWS INDIA)

SHARED BY: WWW.DAILYGK.IN

1.      FIRST MEETING OF THE FIFTEENTH FINANCE COMMISSION HELD IN NEW DELHI

i. The first meeting of 15th Finance Commission was held at North Block in New Delhi. The Meeting was held under the Chairmanship of N.K. Singh and was attended by all the other Members of the Commission – Shaktikanta Das and Dr. Anoop Singh, and the part time Members Dr. Ashok Lahiri and Dr. Ramesh Chand.

ii. The 15th Finance Commission was constituted on 27th of November 2017. The Commission felt that wide-ranging consultations with all stake holders needed to be initiated.

iii. It was keen to seek academic inputs and inter-actions with leading Think Tanks and domain knowledge experts. It approved the setting-up of its office atJawahar Vyapar Bhawan on Janpath in New Delhi.

2.      INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CLIMATE CHANGE BEGINS IN NEPAL

i. Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari has inaugurated an international conference to draw attention towards the adverse effects of global warming in the Hindu Kush mountain range.

ii. The conference 'Resilient Hindu Kush Himalaya: Developing Solutions towards a Sustainable Future for Asia' is being organized by Nepal's Ministry for Environment in collaboration with International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development.

iii. The four-day conference is attended by more than 300 experts from different countries of Asia including India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Myanmar. V K Saraswat, member of India's Neeti foundation is leading the Indian delegation in the conference.

3.      PRESIDENT CONFERS 'NATIONAL AWARDS FOR DIVYANGJAN 2017'

i. President Ramnath Kovind confers 'National Awards for Divyangjan 2017' on the occasion of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, in New Delhi.

ii. The award distribution stresses on the generation of employment for Divyangjans. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu launched Deen Dayal Divyangjan Sahajya Yojana in Guwahati, Assam. The National Awards were presented in 14 main categories.

4.      CENTRE INCREASES AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION BUDGET BY 47.4 PERCENT

i. The government of India has increased the budget of Agricultural Education by 47.4% this year as compared to the financial year 2013-14.

ii. According to the Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh, in order to adopt quality and holistic approach to higher agricultural education, the Fifth Dean Committee Report has been implemented in all the Agricultural Universities. This is First-of-its-kind that all Graduate Level Courses of Agriculture

5.      PM MODI INAUGURATED UNIQUE WORLD-CLASS HOSPITAL IN AHMEDABAD

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a unique world-class hospital at the Swaminarayan Gurukul Vidyapeeth Pratisthanam in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The 200-bed hospital is an integration of Yoga, Ayurveda, and Allopathy.

ii. The hospital has world-class facilities in all the 3 streams offering the best possible care for any ailment. This world-class hospital aims at providing top of the line medical and health care on subsidized rates.

6.      CYCLONE OCKHI HITS SOUTHERN INDIA

i. Air Force and Coast Guard have launched a massive rescue operation off the Kerala coast to save hundreds of fishermen stranded in the rough sea hit by Cyclone Ockhi.

ii. The weather department of Kanyakumari stated that the cyclone has moved to the Arabian sea. The Navy is using Dornier and Advanced light helicopters with divers while looking for fishermen stranded at sea. The cyclone has now moved beyond Lakshadweep.

7.      INDIA'S FIRST MADAME TUSSAUDS WAX MUSEUM OPENED IN NEW DELHI

i. India's first Madame Tussauds wax museum has been opened in New Delhi with 50 life-like figures spanning across history, sports, music, films, and politics, for the public at the iconic Regal building in central Delhi.

ii. Madame Tussauds has been a successful tourist attraction in places like London, Las Vegas, New York, Orlando, San Francisco and Hong Kong. The Delhi facility is the 23rd edition of Madame Tussauds.

8.      1ST INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION & CONFERENCE ON AYUSH & WELLNESS SECTOR BEGUN IN NEW DELHI

i. The first International exhibition and Conference on AYUSH and Wellness sector- AROGYA 2017 has begun in New Delhi. The four day event was inaugurated by Ayush Minister Shripad Yesso Naik.

ii. The theme of the conference is 'Enhancing the global potential of Ayush'. The objective of the event is to showcase the strength and scientific validation of Indian System of Medicine in the global context. The fair will give a boost to AYUSH Products in International Market.

9.      SOUTH KOREA, US LAUNCH LARGEST AIR EXERCISE

i. South Korea and the United States launched their largest-ever joint aerial drills. The annual US-South Korean drill, called Vigilant Ace, will run for 5-days, with six F-22 Raptor stealth fighters to be deployed among the more than 230 aircraft taking part.

ii. Around 12,000 US service members, including from the Marines and Navy, have joined South Korean troops.

10.  PAYTM PAYMENTS BANK UNVEILS PAYTM FASTAG ACROSS INDIA

i. Paytm Payments Bank rolled out Paytm FASTag to enable electronic toll fee collection on highways across the country, in line with the government's move to make FASTag mandatory on every new vehicle sold from December 1.

ii. The Paytm FASTag - which is a simple and reusable tag based on radio-frequency identification technology that can be placed on a vehicle's windscreen.

11.  PRITHVI SHAW NAMED INDIA'S CAPTAIN FOR 2018 U-19 WORLD CUP

i. Mumbai's 18-year-old batsman Prithvi Shaw has been named the captain of the Indian Under-19 team for the 2018 U-19 World Cup

ii. The tournament is scheduled to be held in New Zealand starting January 13, 2018. This comes after Shaw slammed three tons and two fifties in five Ranji Trophy matches this season. Punjab's Shubman Gill has been named as Shaw's deputy.

12.  DEEPIKA KUMARI WINS BRONZE AT INDOOR ARCHERY WORLD CUP

i. India’s Deepika Kumari has won bronze medal at the Indoor Archery World Cup Stage 2 that concluded in Bangkok, Thailand.

ii. Deepika, seeded third, defeated 13th seeded Sayana Tsyrempilova of Russia 7-3 in the women’s recurve bronze play-off.

13.  VETERAN ACTOR SHASHI KAPOOR PASSES AWAY

i. Veteran actor Shashi Kapoor died at the age of 79. Kapoor was unwell for quite some time. The actor was admitted to the Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai.

ii. Shashi Kapoor made his Bollywood debut in 1961, as the lead actor, in the film Dharmputra. Kapoor acted in more than a hundred films, of which he played the solo lead in 61.

14. INDIAN NAVY DAY: 4 DECEMBER

i. The Indian Navy Day is observed on 4th December every year to celebrate achievements and role of the naval force to the country.

ii. During the India-Pakistan war of 1971, the Indian Navy played a significant role in the bombing of the Karachi harbor and sank Pakistan Naval Ship PNS Ghazi.

OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS BASED ON TODAY’S NEWS

Q1. THE FIRST MEETING OF THE FIFTEENTH FINANCE COMMISSION WAS HELD AT?

a)  Mumbai

b)  New Delhi

c)  Kolkata

d)  Chennai

Q2. WHICH STATE INAUGURATED THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION & CONFERENCE ON AYUSH & WELLNESS SECTOR, AROGYA 2017?

a)  West Bengal

b)  Punjab

c)  New Delhi

d)  Uttarakhand

Q3. IN WHICH CITY OF GUJARAT, PM MODI INAUGURATED UNIQUE WORLD-CLASS HOSPITAL AT THE SWAMINARAYAN GURUKUL VIDYAPEETH PRATISTHANAM?

a)  Surat

b)  Vadodara 

c)  Gandhinagar

d)  Ahemdabad  

Q4. IN WHICH COUNTRY, THE 4-DAY INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CLIMATE CHANGE WAS HELD?

a)  Nepal

b)  Bhutan

c)  India 

d)  Bangladesh

ANSWERS: 

1 - B    2 - C    3 - D    4 - A

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 4 DEC 2017

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 4 DEC 2017

(DAILY NEWS INDIA)

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1.      VICE PRESIDENT NAIDU LAUNCHES DEEN DAYAL DIVYANGAJAN SAHAJYA SCHEME IN ASSAM

i. On the occasion of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu launched Deen Dayal Divyangajan Sahajya Scheme in Guwahati, Assam. Under this scheme, every differently abled person in Assam would be entitled to aone-time grant of Rs 5000 for their treatment.

ii. The launch function was attended by Assam Governor, Jagadish Mukhi and Assam Chief Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal. At the launch function, Vice President Naidu praised Assam Government for introducing ‘Pranam Act’ under which, all government employees can make contributions from their salaries for the welfare of elderly and differently abled family members.

iii. According to 2011 census, India is home to 2.21 per cent of the total 15 per cent of differently abled population in the world.

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 3 DEC 2017

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 3 DEC 2017

(DAILY NEWS INDIA)

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1.      22ND SMALL FARMERS’ AGRI-BUSINESS CONSORTIUM HELD IN NEW DELHI

i. 22nd meeting of Board of Mangement of Small Farmers’ Agri-Business Consortium was held in New Delhi. This meeting was chaired by Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Radha Mohan Singh.

ii. During this meeting, Mr. Singh was briefed about ongoing activities of SFAC. Mr. Singh was also brief about SFAC’s new initiatives such as Advance Training Programme for Board of Directors and CEOs of Farmer Producer Company, Fertilizer Dealership for the FPCs and Promotion of Fish Farmers Producer Organizations.

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 2 DEC 2017

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 2 DEC 2017

(DAILY NEWS INDIA)

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1.      CABINET APPROVALS ON DECEMBER 1, 2017

i. Cabinet approves MoU between India and Italy for cooperation in Agriculture and Phytosanitary issues. Cabinet approves investment cooperation and facilitation treaty between India and Brazil.

ii. Cabinet approves transfer of landed assets owned by Hindustan Vegetable Oils Corporation Ltd. to Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs

iii.  Union Cabinet approved setting up of National Nutrition Mission with a three year financial outlay of Rs.9046.17 crore commencing from 2017-18

2.      INDIAN COAST GUARD CONDUCTS MARINE OIL POLLUTION RESPONSE EXERCISE “CLEAN SEA-2017”

i. Indian Coast Guard conducted regional level Marine Oil Pollution Response Exercise titled ‘Clean Sea – 2017’ at sea off Port Blair, Andaman Nicobar Islands.

ii. Objective of this exercise was to ascertain preparedness of the ICG in responding to a major oil spill in accordance with provisions of National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan. Particiopation of one ICG Pollution Control Vessel and Indian Coast Guard Dornier/Chetak aircraft aircraft were the key highlights of this exercise.

iii. The exercise was conducted under observation of Coast Guard Regional Commander, KR Suresh. ICG has been entrusted with the responsibility to protect marine environment in the maritime zones of India and is also the coordinating authority for response to oil spills in Indian waters.

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 1 DEC 2017

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 1 DEC 2017

(DAILY NEWS INDIA)

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1.      GLOBAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUMMIT 2017 HELD IN HYDERABAD, INDIA

i. Eighth edition of Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017 was held in Hyderabad from 28th – 30th November 2017. GES 2017 was hosted by NITI Aayog in partnership with Government of the United States of America.

ii. Theme of GES 2017 was “Women First, Prosperity for All”. The US delegation to GES 2017 was head by Ivanka Trump, daughter and advisor of US President, Donald Trump.

iii. United States Agency for International Development Administrator, Mark Andrew Green announced several initiatives aimed to empower women entrepreneurs for attaining their full potential

2.      INDIA-NEW ZEALAND CYBER DIALOGUE HELD IN NEW DELHI

i. The first India-New Zealand Cyber Dialogue was held in New Delhi. The Indian Delegation was led by Mr. Sanjay Kumar Verma, Additional Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs. The New Zealand delegation was led by Mr. Paul Ash, Director of the National Cyber Policy Office, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

ii. Areas of discussion included domestic cyber policy landscape, cyber threats and mitigation, new technologies, mechanism on bilateral cooperation and possible cooperation at various international fora and regional fora. Both sides agreed to hold the next India-New Zealand Cyber dialogue in New Zealand in 2018.

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 30 NOV 2017

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 30 NOV 2017

(DAILY NEWS INDIA)

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1.      ARUN JAITLEY LAUNCHES PAYTM PAYMENTS BANK

i. A new Payments Bank 'Paytm Payments Bank' was formally launched at the hands of the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. Currently, India has four Payments Bank including Paytm Payments Bank. The other three operational ones are Airtel Payments Bank, India Post Payments Bank and Fino Payments Bank.

ii. A payments bank is a differentiated bank. A customer can open a savings bank account in them and have deposits of upto Rs. 1 lakh. These banks cannot however lend money to their customers.

2.      48TH EDITION OF INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL OF INDIA CONCLUDES

i. The festival concluded with the world premiere of Indo-Argentinian co-production "Thinking of Him", directed by Pablo Cesar. The closing ceremony was attended by Goa Chief Minister, Manohar Parikkar, Union Minister Smriti Irani.

ii. The legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan was honoured with the Indian film personality of the year Award at the glittering Closing Ceremony. The award was presented by Union Minister Smirit Irani and Akshay Kumar.

3.      SAUBHAGYA SCHEME LAUNCHED IN MANIPUR

i. Union Minister of State (I/C) for Power and New & Renewable Energy, R.K. Singh and N. Biren Singh, CM of Manipur, launched Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana in Manipur. 1.62 lakh rural households and 13 thousand urban households (total 1.75 lakh households) in Manipur will be included under this scheme.

ii. Mr. Singh also announced that Government of India would provide necessary financial assistance for strengthening the infrastructure in the power sector in Manipur. SAUBHAGYA scheme was launched by PM Narendra Modi in September 2017. Objective of this scheme is to achieve universal household electrification in all parts India.

iii. SAUBHAGYA scheme will be implemented across India at a cost of Rs. 16320 cr. Rural Electrification Corporation Limited, is the nodal agency for coordinating the implementation of SAUBHAGYA scheme.

4.      RUSSIA TO HELP INDIA TO SET UP NATIONAL CRISIS RESPONSE CENTRE

i. Russia will assist India to set up a national crisis management centre in the country to handle disaster and other emergency situations.

ii. This was agreed during a meeting between Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Russian Minister for Emergency Situations Vladimir Puchkov in Moscow. Both sides agreed that EMERCOM of Russia would cooperate with India in the establishment of the National Crisis Management Centre in India.

5.      INDIA AND UK TO SIGN AN MOU IN THE URBAN TRANSPORT SECTOR

i. India and United Kingdom will soon sign an memorandum of understanding in the urban transport sector for cooperation in policy planning, technology transfer and institutional organisation.

ii. Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari and Chris Grayling, Secretary of State for Transport in the Government of UK discussed a draft MoU in this regard in London. The draft MoU includes the scope of cooperation between India and UK in the transport sector and enables the sharing of expertise and latest technology to promote efficient mobility solutions.

iii. Possibilities for introducing policy reforms aimed at transforming the transport sector through improved customer service/data analysis and better use of IT systems have also been stated in the MoU. The draft MoU also seeks cooperation in promoting digital transactions and induction of high capacity diesel/electric vehicles in India.

6.      FSSAI ISSUES DETAILED GUIDELINES ON RECALL OF FOOD PRODUCTS

i. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has asked companies to put in place a proper plan to recall food products from markets, if found unsafe.

ii. FSSAI has issued detailed guidelines on recall of food products and stated that the purpose is to help food business operators frame a proper recall plan and implement them when the situation demand.

7.      OLYMPICS: IOC BANS FIVE MORE RUSSIANS FOR LIFE OVER SOCHI DOPING

i. Five more Russian competitors from the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, including two gold medallists, have been banned for life over anti-doping rule violations by International Olympic Committee.

ii. Dmitrii Trunenkov and Aleksei Negodailo, both in the gold-medal winning four-man bobsleigh team, plus biathlon relay silver medalists Yana Romanova and Olga Vilukhina, who also won silver in the 7.5 kilometers event. Sergei Chudinov, who came fifth in the men's individual skeleton, was also disqualified for doping breaches.

8.      KARNATAKA BANK TIES UP WITH BCG FOR TRANSFORMATION INITIATIVES

i. Karnataka Bank Ltd has partnered with the Boston Consulting Group (India) Pvt Ltd for its transformation initiatives and the transformation project ‘KBL Vikaas’ was launched in Mangaluru.

ii. The transformation project is aimed at total transformation of the bank by re-positioning it as a relevant and significant bank by focusing on technology and by keeping intact its core values and identity.

iii. The bank has identified seven major intervention areas for this project. They are: growth aspiration and strategies to achieve growth; rationalisation of service outlets, including digital channels; human resource management structure and strategy; stakeholders’ value enhancement initiatives; efficiency enhancement strategy; corporate branding and repositioning; and partnering and collaborating with Fintech companies, startups etc.

9.      JET AIRWAYS, AIR FRANCE-KLM TIE UP TO BOOST TRAFFIC

i. Jet Airways and Air France-KLM announced a partnership to route more traffic through Europe and on to North America, in a potential challenge to Gulf carrier Etihad Airways that is a shareholder in Jet.

ii. The agreement also includes Delta Air Lines, with which Air France KLM has an existing partnership.

10.  FRENCH FILM ON AIDS WINS BEST FILM AWARD AT IFFI 2017

i. Robin Campillo’s French film 120 Beats Per Minute, about a passionate fight against indifference towards AIDS, won the prestigious Golden Peacock award for best film at the controversy-ridden 48th International Film Festival of India. The film’s actor Nahuel Perez Biscayart won the Silver Peacock in the best actor male category.

ii. Malayalam film Take Off, which is loosely based on the evacuation of nurses from Kerala, who were stranded in Iraq’s Tikrit in 2014, won two awards at the festival’s Indian Panorama section, winning Silver Peacocks for best direction (Mahesh Narayanan) and best actor female (Parvathy). Actor Amitabh Bachchan was also presented the Indian film personality of the year award.

11.  AUNG SAN SUU KYI STRIPPED OF FREEDOM OF OXFORD AWARD

i. Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been stripped of the Freedom of Oxford award over her "inaction" in handling the raging Rohingya refugee crisis and turning a "blind eye to violence" in the country that forced over 600,000 people to flee to Bangladesh.

ii. Oxford City Council in London voted unanimously to permanently remove the honour given to 72-year-old Suu Kyi in 1997.

12.  HYDERABAD METRO RAIL OPENS TO PUBLIC

i. The Hyderabad Metro Rail opened for public with the passengers describing their first-time travel by it as a “convenient, comfortable and awesome experience“. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the first phase of the elevated Hyderabad Metro Rail project at the Miyapur station.

ii. The metro rail commenced its operations between Miyapur and Nagole, having a total distance of 30 kms and 24 stations, the concessionaire, L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Ltd.

13.  CHHATTISGARH GOVT BANS BURSTING OF FIRECRACKERS IN SIX OF ITS CITIES

i. The Chhattisgarh Government has imposed a ban on the bursting of firecrackers in six of its cities, including the state capital Raipur, ahead of the wedding season from December 1st to January 31st. According to the statement issued by the State Environment Conservation Board, the decision has been taken to control the pollution, which increases during winters due to the direction of the wind.

ii. Besides Raipur, other cities, which have been banned from bursting firecrackers, include Bilaspur, Bhilai, Durg, Raigarh and Korba.

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