DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 6 DEC 2017

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 6 DEC 2017

(DAILY NEWS INDIA)

SHARED BY: WWW.DAILYGK.IN

1.      3RD DRC-NITI AAYOG DIALOGUE HELD IN CHINA

i. The 3rd edition of the Dialogue between the NITI Aayog and the Development Research Council of China, the DRC- NITI Aayog Dialogue was held in Beijing. The meeting was co-chaired by Vice Chairman NITI Aayog, Dr. Rajiv Kumar, and Mr Li Wei, President (Minister), DRC.

ii. The two sides agreed that the 4th NITI Aayog - DRC Dialogue will be convened in India in 2018.  The dialogue took place under the MOU between NITI Aayog and the Development Research Centre, State Council of the China.

2.      INDIA AND GERMANY SIGN GOVT- TO-GOVT UMBRELLA AGREEMENT

i. The Government to Government Umbrella Agreement between India and Germany concerning Financial Cooperation in 2016 (II) under the Indo-German Development Cooperation was signed to formalize an amount up to Euro 200 million for the Financial Cooperation in form of loan for the project ‘Climate Friendly Urban Mobility III’ and Euro 11 million Accompanying measures in form of grant for four projects.

ii. The 4 projects under the Agreements signed are as follows- a. Loan Agreement for the project “Community based sustainable Forest Management – Component I Manipur” was signed for a loan of Euro  15 million. Its Objectives is to Restoration of degraded forests, reclamation of abandoned shifting cultivation areas, biodiversity & water resources conservation.

b. Loan Agreement for the project “Madhya Pradesh Urban Sanitation and Environment Programme” for Euro 50 million Reduced Interest Loan and Euro 2.5 million grant. Its Objective is to improve facilities for water supply, sanitation and sewerage treatment plan.

c. Loan Agreement for the project “Sustainable Urban Infrastructure Development Odisha – Phase II" for EUR 55 Million Reduced Interest Loan with EUR 2 Million as Grant. Its Objective is to improve Urban Infrastructure by linking them with Government priority.

d. Loan Agreement for the project “Green Energy Corridor – Intra-State Transmission System in Maharashtra” for EUR 12 million Reduced Interest loan. Its Objective is to project is to put in place a transmission system for evacuating renewable energy.

3.      UPS SHAMLI DISTRICT INCLUDED IN NCR

i. Uttar Pradesh's Shamli district was included in the National Capital Region, taking the total number of districts in the NCR to 23.

ii. Cities in the NCR get funds at "attractive" interest rates from the National Capital Region Planning Board for infrastructure development. The decision to include Shamli in the NCR was taken at the 37th meeting of the NCRPB.

4.      ADB FUNDS $583 MILLION FOR RELIANCE’S BANGLADESH POWER PLANT PROJECT

i. The Asian Development Bank’s Board of Directors has approved debt financing and partial risk guarantees totaling $583 million to develop the Reliance Bangladesh Liquefied Natural Gas and Power Project.

ii. The financing package of ADB includes loans and partial risk guarantees for the power generation facility, as well as for the LNG terminal and the power project, being set up for $1 billion.

5.      ELLIE GOULDING HONORED AS UN ENVIRONMENT GLOBAL GOODWILL AMBASSADOR

i. British singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding signed as a Global Goodwill Ambassador for UN Environment, joining the fight to save the lives and habitats of people and animals by cleaning up our air and seas, fighting climate change and protecting species.

ii. Ellie is also backing UN Environment’s #CleanSeas campaign.

6.      INDIA’S LARGEST FLOATING SOLAR POWER PLANT OPENS IN KERALA

i. The largest-ever floating solar power plant in India inaugurated by state power minister MM Man at the Banasura Sagar dam in Wayanad. The solar power plant that floats on the surface of the water has a capacity of 500 kilowatts.

ii. The solar plant consists of 1,938 solar panels with a capacity of 260 watts, a 500 kilovolt-ampere transformer, and 17 inverters.

iii. Constructed by the Thiruvananthapuram-based Ad tech Systems, the plant will generate seven lakh units of power in a year. The total cost of the project is Rs. 9.25 cr.

7.      INDIAN-AMERICAN SENATOR HARRIS TOPS GLOBAL THINKERS LIST

i. Indian-American California senator Kamala Harris has topped the prestigious Foreign Policy magazine's 2017 list of '50 Leading Global Thinkers' which also features US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley.

ii. Besides Harris and Haley, Indian-origin stand-up comedian Hasan Minhaj has also made it to the list. South Korean President Moon Jae-in is ranked second in the list for trying to rebuild decent democratic leadership in South Korea.

iii. Popular comedian Minhaj is placed third in the ranking for defining the narrative of a "New Brown America".

8.      AMITABH BACHCHAN LAUNCHES BOOK ON INDIAN CINEMA

i. Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan launched a book based on Indian cinema in showbiz capital Mumbai. The book, titled 'Bollywood: The Films! The Songs! The Stars!', is a coffee table book, which provides historical insights, lesser-known facts and behind-the-scenes exclusives of the most iconic movies made in the history of the Indian film industry.

ii. The book is co-authored by S.M.M. Ausaja, Karan Bali, Rajesh Devraj and Tanul Thakur, the book on India's tinsel town is published by British multinational publishing company Dorling Kindersley.

9.      VENEZUELA LAUNCHES NEW VIRTUAL CURRENCY NAMED PETRO

i. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has announced the creation of a new virtual currency named 'Petro' in a bid to ease the country's economic crisis.

ii. The Petro would be backed by Venezuela's oil, gas, gold and diamond wealth.

10.  UAE, UK, US AND FRENCH ARMIES HOLD JOINT EXERCISES IN ABU DHABI

i. UAE Armed Forces along with the UK, US and French armies are participating in joint exercises in Abu Dhabi. The drill code is named as “Flag4”.

ii. The two-week long joint exercise aims to increase combat efficiency, gain more field expertise, and work to unify military concepts among participating parties.

11.  WORLD SOIL DAY: 05 DECEMBER

i. The World Soil Day is celebrated on 5 December globally. It aims to communicate messages on the importance of soil quality for food security, healthy ecosystems and human well-being.

ii. The Theme for Soil Day 2017 was ‘Caring for the Planet starts from the Ground’. WSD is celebrated at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS BASED ON TODAY’S NEWS

Q1.  WHICH STATE LAUNCHED INDIA'S LARGEST FLOATING SOLAR POWER PLANT?

a)  Kerala  

b)  Andhra Pradesh

c)  Telangana

d)  West Bengal

Q2. THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK HAS APPROVED HOW MUCH FUND FOR RELIANCE BANGLADESH LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS?

a)  $783 million

b)  $583 million

c)  $483 million

d)  $683 million

Q3. WHICH COUNTRY RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THE LAUNCH OF A NEW CRYPTOCURRENCY TO COMBAT ITS ECONOMIC CRISIS?

a)  Greece

b)  Egypt

c)  Venezuela

d)  Chile

Q4.  WHICH DISTRICT OF UTTAR PRADESH HAS BEEN INCLUDED IN THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION?

a)  Bijnor district

b)  Saharanpur district

c)  Shamli district

d)  Jaunpur district

Q5. WHAT IS THE THEME OF THE 2017 WORLD SOIL DAY?

a)  Caring for the Planet starts from the Ground

b)  Soil day for future life

c)  Soils & Pulses: Symbiosis for life

d)  Healthy soils for a healthy life

ANSWERS: 

1 - A    2 - B    3 - C    4 - D    5 - A

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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)

SHARED BY: WWW.DAILYGK.IN

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)

SHARED BY: WWW.DAILYGK.IN

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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