Current affairs : December 12, 2016 for all competitive exams
PM inaugurates India’s largest cheese plant in Banaskantha district
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a
cheese plant of Banaskantha Cooperative Milk Producers Union (Banas Dairy) at
Deesa in Gujarat.
- The event marked the launch of the celebration of
the Golden Jubilee year of Banas Dairy (part of AMUL brand).
Cancel illegal salt pans in Sambhar Lake: NGT
The central zonal bench of the National Green
Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Rajasthan government to cancel allotments of
salt pans in the Sambhar Salt Lake that fall within the wetland and run
contrary to the mandate of Wetland Rules, 2010.
- NGT has also directed the State government to not to
make any further allotments or permit new salt pans within the wetland
areas or in the ‘no construction zone’ identified for the said purpose in
accordance with the Wetland Rules, 2010.
Parliamentary panel says SC showing a ‘zeal for
primacy’
A Parliamentary Standing Committee report
accusing the Supreme Court of distorting the original constitutional mandate
and showing an “unnecessary zeal” for primacy in judicial appointments has been
tabled in the parliament.
- The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel,
Public Grievance, Law and Justice has directly contradicted the Supreme
Court’s judgment on the National Judicial Appointments Committee (NJAC)
law, which upheld the concept of judicial primacy.
3 books released by President, Vice President
and PM of India on Rashtrapati Bhavan
Three books on Rashtrapati Bhavan ‘Life at Rashtrapati Bhavan’; ‘Indradhanush
– Volume II’ and ‘Rashtrapati
Bhavan: From Raj to Swaraj’ were released at a function held at
Rashtrapati Bhavan on December 11, 2016 by the President of India, Shri Pranab
Mukherjee, Vice President of India, Mohd. Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister, Shri
Narendra Modi respectively.
‘100 Million for 100 Million’ Campaign:
‘100 Million for 100 Million’ Campaign was
recently launched by President Pranab Mukherjee.
- It was organized by the Kailash Satyarthi Children’s
Foundation.
- The ‘100 Million for 100 Million’ Campaign aims to
mobilise 100 million youth and children for 100 million underprivileged
children across the world, to end child labour, child slavery, violence
against children and promote the right of every child to be safe, free,
and educated, over the next 5 years.
Government to give 90% subsidy for starting
community radio stations in northeast
The Union government is planning to provide
90% subsidy for starting community radio stations in the northeastern states
and 75% in other states.
- As per the present rules, Government gives a subsidy
of 50% up to a limit of Rs 7.5 lakh for starting community radio
stations.
- Besides, Government is also planning to start new
dedicated Doordarshan channel for the northeastern states from January
2017.
India, Indonesia sign three agreements to
enhance strategic partnership
India and Indonesia have signed three
agreements in various areas including fishing, standardization and youth
affairs and sports to enhance strategic partnership.
- These agreements were signed after delegation level
talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting President of
Indonesia Joko Widodo in New Delhi.
Kolkata-Mizoram trade route to open via Myanmar
A deep water port built in Myanmar’s Sittwe
on the Bay of Bengal by India is ready to be commissioned.
- An inauguration ceremony for this strategically
important facility will be held soon.
- Construction of the sea port is the first phase of an integrated $500-million project being funded by a long-term interest-free loan provided by India.
MP organises India’s biggest and first ever
crop insurance claim distribution programme
Madhya Pradesh had organised country’s
biggest and first ever crop insurance claim distribution programme under Prime
Minister Crop Insurance Scheme in Ujjain district.
- In this programme, insurance claims worth Rs 4,416
crore were distributed to 20.4 lakh farmers of the state.
- Farmers who had lost kharif crop in 2015 due to natural calamities are benefited under PM Crop Insurance Scheme.
Madhya Pradesh Government launches Narmada Seva
Yatra
Madhya Pradesh Government has launched five
months long Narmada Seva Yatra to turn the Narmada river pollution free.
- It was launched by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh
Chouhan at Amarkantak.
- The Narmada Sewa Yatra aims to create awareness
about the conservation of the river. It is one of the biggest public
campaign of the world to conserve river and environment.
DGAD recommends anti-dumping duty on steel
pipes from China
The Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and
Allied Duties (DGAD) has recommended imposition of definitive anti-dumping duty
on imports of steel tubes and pipes from China in an attempt to safeguard the
domestic industry from cheap imports.
- These pipers are used in oil and gas exploration.
ISRO signs deal for first privately built
satellite:
The Indian Space Research Organisation has
roped in a consortium of six companies to deliver the country’s first
industry-built spacecraft by late 2017.
- In this regard, ISRO recently signed an agreement.
The contract includes assembly, integration and testing (AIT) of two spare
navigation satellites consecutively in around 18 months.
- The contract was signed between SRO Satellite Centre
(ISAC) and the consortium lead, Alpha Design Technologies P Ltd.
Japan Launches Magnetic Tether To Clean Up
Space Junk
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
launched a spacecraft from the Tanegashima Space Center that carried a magnetic
tether designed to move vast amounts of space junk from the Earth’s orbit.
- The automated cargo ship – called Stork or Kounotori
in Japanese – which is carrying the junk collector is bound for the
International Space Station and blasted off from Tanegashima Space Center
in the North Pacific.
Longest rail tunnel opens in Switzerland:
The famed 57km Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT) has
been opened for passengers.
The 57-kilometre (35-mile) Gotthard Base
Tunnel (GBT) is longest tunnel now.
- It runs from Erstfeld in the central canton of Uri, to Bodio in the southern Ticino canton.
EU, Mali sign agreement to return migrants
The European Union signed agreement with the
Mali to return of migrants who have reached Europe’s shores, and whose asylum
requests have been refused.
- It seeks to address root causes of illegal migration
and to enable the return from Europe of Malian migrants.
- The agreement came after EU agreed to set up a 1.8-billion-euro fund to help address the root causes of migration.
China provides Rs 15.80 billion to Nepal for
reconstruction
China has provided 15.80 billion Rupees to
Nepal for post-quake reconstruction activities.
- The Nepali Cabinet has decided to accept the grants provided by China.
China launches Fengyun-4 satellite
China has successfully launched Fengyun-4
satellite, first of its new generation advance weather forecasting satellites
into geostationary orbit.
- It was launched onboard of Long March-3B carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province.
Oxford University students have been urged
to refer to each other using gender
neutral pronouns such as “ze”
Oxford University students
have been urged to refer to each other using gender neutral pronouns such
as “ze” instead of “he” or “she”, it has been reported.
- A leaflet distributed by the student union reportedly said they hoped the move would prevent transgender students feeling offended by the use of incorrect pronouns and cut down on discrimination.
Paolo Gentiloni named as Italy’s new Prime
Minister
Paolo Gentiloni has been named as Italy’s new
Prime Minister.
- His appointment comes after reformist leader and
former PM Matteo Renzi resigned in wake of the referendum defeat.
- Earlier, Gentiloni had served as the Foreign Minister under Renzi. His new government will guide Italy to elections due by February 2018.
Bill English sworn in as New Zealand Prime
Minister
Governing National Party’s Bill English sworn
in as new Prime Minister of New Zeland.
- He succeeded John Key who had resigned citing personal reasons. Prior to this, he is Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister. Besides, Social housing Minister Paula Bennett sworn in as Deputy Prime Minister.
Pulkit Trivedi Facebook India’s new Industry
Director
Pulkit Trivedi was appointed as industry
director of Facebook’s-commerce, retail, travel and financial services
verticals.
- Previously, he was working for
Google India as Head of Industry, eCommerce since April 2012.
- He has rich experience of 18 years and has worked with Microsoft, IBM and HCL in past.
Gymnast Dipa Karmakar’s coach Bishweshwar is
going to co-author her memoir titled: “Dipa
Karmakar: The Small Wonder”.
- Dipa Karmakar had made India proud
at the Rio Olympics with her performance in the field of gymnastics.
- Her autobiography will have many
untold stories of struggle and triumph.
- It will also have archival photos from her private album as well as competition photos from the Olympics and Commonwealth Games.
