Current affairs : December 10, 2016 for all competitive exams
Human Rights Day: 10 December
The Human Rights Day is
observed across the world on 10 December every year.
The day aims at promoting
and raising awareness of the two Covenants of Human Rights Day.
- Human Rights Day was established in 1948, and ever
since that auspicious day it has stood as the first major stride forward
in ensuring that the rights of every human across the globe are
protected.
- Theme: Stand up for
someone's rights today!
Channel DigiShala Launched to
Educate Rural India about Cashless Transaction
Union government has
launched TV
channel on Dec 9, DigiShala, to educate people on various modes of electronic
payments, including e-wallets and mobile banking.
- DigiShala is a free-to-air channel and would be broadcast nationally on DD Free Dish DTH service. The potential viewership of the channel was more than 2 crore people across the country.
SC clarifies national anthem mandate, gives relief to
disabled people
The Supreme Court modified
its order to exempt physically challenged persons from standing up in cinema
halls when the national anthem is played before film screenings.
- On November 30, the Supreme Court had ordered cinema halls to play the anthem and directed all those present in the audience to stand up as a mark of respect.
SECI to Launch 1000 MW Rooftop Solar PV Scheme for
Government Sector
As a step towards fulfilment of the Government of India’s target for
installation of 40 GW rooftop solar power plants by the year 2022, Solar Energy
Corporation of India (SECI) has launched a tender of 1000 MW capacity for
development of grid-connected rooftop solar capacity for Central Government
Ministries/Departments.
- This would be the largest rooftop tender to be
launched by SECI, and is expected to give a big boost to the hugely potent
rooftop solar power generation segment.
- Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) is a company of the Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, established to facilitate the implementation of Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission.
Plastic notes will help beat counterfeiting
The government has decided to print banknotes based on a plastic or polymer
substrate in order to make counterfeiting them more difficult.
- Such notes were first introduced in Australia to
safeguard against counterfeiting.
- In February 2014, the government had informed
Parliament that one billion plastic notes of Rs 10 denomination would be
introduced in a field trial in five cities selected for their geographical
and climatic diversity.
- The selected cities were Kochi, Mysore, Jaipur,
Shimla and Bhubaneswar.
Disabled children miss out due to lack of support
services: Report
The 2016 India Social Development Report (SDR) has been published. Theme
this year is ‘Disabilities Rights Perspectives’.
- About 45% of all persons with disabilities (PWD) in India are illiterate. While 38% of all male PWDs were illiterate, the illiteracy rate was 55% for female PWDs.
Kerala launches mobile apps to
fight corruption
The Kerala government has
launched two mobile applications which can be used to upload information
regarding graft.
- Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched the
applications - 'ArisingKerala' and 'Whistle Now - at a function here on the
occasion of International Anti-Corruption Day.
- Using the apps, people can upload videos and audios
related to corruption around them.
Rajasthan High Court Strucks
SBCs 5% quota.
The Rajasthan High Court on
December 9, 2016, cancelled the Rajasthan Special Backward Classes (SBC)
reservation Act 2015 that allowed for 5% quota to Gujjars and five other
communities of the state.
- A division bench of justices M N Bhandari and J K Ranka struck down the notification of October 2015 saying that it was in violation with the 50% limit set by the Supreme Court.
21st International Film
Festival of Kerala begins
The 21st International Film
Festival of Kerala began in Thiruvananthapuram on 09 December 2016.
- It opened with Navid Mahmoudi's directorial debut
'Raftan,' which narrates the story of a couple attempting to migrate from
Iran to Europe.
- The eight-day festival, hosted by the Kerala State
Chalachitra Academy on behalf of the Kerala Cultural Affairs Department,
is set to showcase 184 films from 62 countries.
Japan launches Kounotori 6
cargo spaceship to ISS
Japan has successfully
launched a rocket carrying the unmanned cargo spaceship Kounotori 6 to deliver
supplies for astronauts living in the International Space Station (ISS).
- The H-2B rocket carrying the spaceship lifted off
from the Tanegashima Space Centre in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern
Japan.
- The spaceship, sixth of its kind, carries some 5.9
tonnes of supplies, including food, drinking water and other necessities,
as well as some batteries and ultrasmall satellites.
South korean president
impeached
South Korean President Park
Geun-hye's powers were suspended after parliament voted to impeach her over a
corruption scandal.
- Park, South Korea’s first female president, would be
the country’s second leader to face an impeachment vote. In 2004,
lawmakers impeached then President Roh Moo—hyun on allegations of
incompetence and election law violations.
- Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn took over as acting president .
Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent to
step down
Muhtar Kent has announced
that he will step down as the CEO of Coca-Cola in May 2017 and will be
succeeded by company President and COO James Quincey.
- Kent, who has been CEO since 2008, will continue as
Chairman.
Onir’s documentary on
Down Syndrome wins international award
Indian filmmaker Onir's
documentary, 'Raising The Bar' has won the 'Award of Recognition' at the
'Hollywood International Independent Documentary Awards'.
- The documentary is about six Indian and Australian youth with Down Syndrome. "I have always celebrated human rights and diversity.
Aachi CMD
honoured for empowering disabled
Aachi group of Companies
Chairman and Managing Director A.D. Padmasingh Isaac was presented the National
Award for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) 2016 under
“The Best employer’ category.
- The award was conferred by President Pranab Mukherjee on December 3, 2016 on the occasion of International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
L&T bags contract to
convert Sardar Patel Stadium to world’s biggest cricket stadium
Larsen & Turbo (L&T)
has bagged a contract from the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) to make Sardar
Patel Cricket Stadium of Gujarat the world’s biggest cricket stadium in terms
of seating capacity.
- Sardar Patel Cricket Stadium is situated in Motera,
Ahmadabad in Gujarat.
- After the renovation, it will take over the Melbourne Cricket Ground of Australia in terms of seating capacity. Melbourne Cricket Ground has a seating capacity of 100,024 people while the renovated Sardar Patel Stadium will have 1,10,000 seats as against 54,000 seats.
John Glenn,
first American to orbit Earth, passes away at 95
John Glenn, whose 1962
flight as the first U.S. astronaut to orbit the Earth made him an all-American
hero and propelled him to a long career in the U.S. Senate, died.
- The last survivor of the original Mercury 7 astronauts was 95.
