Daily Current affairs - December 16th and 17th, 2017 for all competitive exams
Vijay Diwas is celebrated across the Nation on 16th December. The day marks the glorious victory over Pakistan in 1971 during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, in alliance with Bangladesh Mukti Bahini.
- The anniversary of Vijay Divas is observed across India by paying tributes to the martyrs who laid down their lives for the nation.
On December 16, 1971, chief of Pakistani forces Lieutenant General AAK Niazi, along with 93 thousand troops, surrendered to the allied forces, comprising the Indian Army and the Mukti Bahini, led by Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora, who was the Eastern Army Commander.
On the occasion, a wreath-laying ceremony was held at Colaba Military Station in Mumbai.
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Union cabinet cleared the National Commission bill
The Union Cabinet has cleared the National Medical Commission Bill, which does away with the Medical Council of India (MCI) and replaces it with a regulator that will do away with “heavy handed regulatory control” over medical institutions and will also bring in a national licentiate examination.
- The bill provides for the constitution of four autonomous boards entrusted with conducting undergraduate and postgraduate education, assessment and accreditation of medical institutions and registration of practitioners under the National Medical Commission.
- According to the draft bill, the commission will have government nominated chairman and members, and the board members will be selected by a search committee under the Cabinet Secretary. There will five elected and 12 ex-officio members in the commission.
- As per the Bill, the government, under the National Medical Commission (NMC), can dictate guidelines for fees up to 40% of seats in private medical colleges. This is aimed at giving students relief from the exorbitant fees charged by these colleges and is a standout feature of the bill.
- The bill also has a provision for a common entrance exam and licentiate (exit) exam that medical graduates have to pass before practising or pursuing PG courses. For MBBS, students have to clear NEET, and before they step into practice, they must pass the exit exam.
The Medical Council of India was first established in 1934 under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1933. This Act was repealed and replaced with a new Act in 1956.
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Union cabinet approved for Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety
The Union Cabinet has approved the creation of one circle office of Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS), along-with all supporting officers and staffs for carrying out the functions of Commission of Metro Railway Safety as envisaged in the “Metro Railways (Operations and Maintenance) Act, 2002”, in the Commission of Railway Safety under the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
- Creation of these posts will ensure focused attention on the passenger safety and metro rail operation related issues, in respect of existing, as well as upcoming various metro rail projects.
- The post of Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety shall be filled from the cadre of Indian Railway Engineering Services (IRSE, IRSEE, IRSSE, RSME) & IRTS by the Ministry of Civil Aviation through nomination from willing officers from Ministry of Railways in consultation with UPSC, initially according to Recruitment Rules for Commissioner of Railway Safety in the Commission of Railway Safety. The process to fill up the posts shall be initiated within two months.
The Commission of Railway Safety working under the administrative control of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (Govt. of India), deals with the matters pertaining to safety of rail travel and train operation and is charged with certain statutory functions laid down in the Railway Act’1989.
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Union cabinet approved the continuation of National Ayush Mission (NAM)
The Union Cabinet has approved the continuation of Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National Ayush Mission (NAM) from 01.04.2017 to 31.03.2020 with an outlay of Rs. 2400 crore over the 3 year period.
- National AYUSH mission was launched in September 2014 by the government of India.
- It is aimed at addressing the gaps in health services by supporting AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) care and education, particularly in vulnerable and far-flung areas.
Under the mission, special focus will be given to specific needs of vulnerable areas and allocation of higher resources in their annual plans.
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Cabinet nod for Bill making instant triple talaq a crime
The Union Cabinet approved a Bill that makes instant triple talaq, or talaq-e-biddat , a criminal offence. Under the Bill, a Muslim man resorting to instant talaq can be jailed for up to three years.
- The Union Cabinet approved a Bill that makes instant triple talaq, or talaq-e-biddat , a criminal offence. Under the Bill, a Muslim man resorting to instant talaq can be jailed for up to three years.
- Instant triple talaq in any form — oral, written or electronic — has been banned and made a cognisable offence.
- The Bill also provides for a subsistence allowance to a harassed Muslim woman and her dependent children and the custodial rights of minor children. In August, the Supreme Court had passed a landmark judgment terming instant triple talaq “llegal and unconstitutional.”
Mr. Modi set up an inter-ministerial group to examine the issue after the Supreme Court judgment and it included top Ministers such as Arun Jaitley (Finance), Rajnath Singh (Home), Sushma Swaraj (External Affairs), Ravi Shankar Prasad (Law), his deputy P.P. Chaudhary and the junior Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitender Singh.
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Union cabinet approved North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme” (NESIDS)
The Union Cabinet has approved the introduction of new Central Sector Scheme of “North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme” (NESIDS) from 2017-18 with 100% funding from the Central Government to fill up the gaps in creation of infrastructure in specified sectors till March, 2020.
The new scheme will broadly cover creation of infrastructure under following sectors:
- Physical infrastructure relating to water supply, power, connectivity and specially the projects promoting tourism;
- Infrastructure of social sectors of education and health.
Union cabinet approved the continuation of Non Lapsable Central Pool of Resources
The Union Cabinet has approved the continuation of the existing Non Lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR) scheme with funding pattern of 90:10 till March, 2020 with an outlay of Rs.5300.00 crore. It would enable completion of ongoing projects.
- The broad objective of the Non-lapsable Central Pool of Resources scheme is to ensure speedy development of infrastructure in the North Eastern Region by increasing the flow of budgetary financing for new infrastructure projects/schemes in the Region.
- Both physical and social infrastructure sectors such as Irrigation and Flood Control, Power, Roads and Bridges, Education, Health, Water Supply and Sanitation – are considered for providing support under the Central Pool, with projects in physical infrastructure sector receiving priority.
Union cabinet approved for International Training Centre for Operational Oceanography
The Union Cabinet has approved the establishment of International Training Centre for Operational Oceanography, as a Category-2 Centre (C2C) of UNESCO, in Hyderabad.
- The purpose of this Agreement is to establish a training centre towards development of capacity for the countries on the Indian Ocean Rim (IOR), African countries bordering the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, small island countries under the framework of UNESCO.
- The operational oceanography is an activity of conducting systematic oceanographic studies towards providing information services to various sectors viz. fisherman, disaster management, shipping, ports, coastal states, navy, coast guard, environment, offshore industries for conducting their day-to- day operations.
- The Centre will provide assistance in areas of capacity building and training, knowledge sharing and exchange of information, and hence could represent a valuable resource for UNESCO and its Intergovernmental Oceanography Commission (IOC) by enhancing the impact and visibility of UNESCO’s action.
Special package for employment generation in leather and footwear sector
The Union Cabinet has approved the special package for employment generation in leather and footwear sector. The package involves implementation of Central Sector Scheme “Indian Footwear, Leather & Accessories Development Programme” with an approved expenditure of Rs. 2600 Crore over the three financial years from 2017-18 to 2019-20.
The Indian Footwear, Leather & Accessories Development Programme has the following sub- schemes:
- Human Resource Development (HRD) sub-scheme.
- Integrated Development of Leather Sector (IDLS) sub-scheme.
- Establishment of Institutional Facilities sub-scheme.
- Mega Leather, Footwear and Accessories Cluster (MLFAC) sub-scheme.
- Leather Technology, Innovation and Environmental Issues sub-scheme.
- Promotion of Indian Brands in Leather, Footwear and Accessories Sector sub-scheme.
- Additional Employment Incentive for Leather, Footwear and Accessories Sector sub-scheme.
PM Dedicates Tuirial Hydropower Project to the Nation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 60-megawatt Tuirial hydroelectric power project from Aizawl, Mizoram. Mizoram had become the third power- surplus state in the north-east after Sikkim and Tripura.
- The Tuirial project was announced and cleared in 1998 by the then Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. It was the first major central project to be successfully commissioned in Mizoram. Prime Minister also inaugurated the Shillong - Nongstoin Rongjeng Tura road.
President of India Lays Foundation Stone of ‘NYAYA GRAM’ Project
The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, laid the foundation stone of the 'Nyaya Gram project' of the High Court of Allahabad in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh.
- As per the President, the Nyaya Gram project would prove to be a milestone in fulfilling the requirements of the Allahabad High Court.
Rathore Announces Partnership with Japanese University
Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore announced a sports tie-up between Lakshmi Bai University of Physical Education and a Japanese university.
- A talk with Japan about the growth of sports in India is on.
- Lakshmi Bai University of Physical Education is now partnering with a university in Japan to promote sports, Rathore stated in the commemorative ceremony of the Japan-India sports exchange programme.
Railways to offer discounts like airlines
Just like the airlines and hotels, the railways could soon offer discounts on tickets if trains are not fully booked, indicating a complete revamp of the flexi-fare scheme.
- Remarks came days after the Railway Board formed a six-member committee to review the flexi-fare scheme.
The flexi-fare system, launched in September 2016, led to up to 50 per cent increase in fares. Under the formula, base fares increase from 10 per cent to 50 per cent with every 10 per cent of the berths booked.
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T.N. to oppose jail term for triple talaq
The AIADMK will oppose the proposed Bill on instant triple talaq at the introduction stage itself in Parliament .
- According to a letter sent to the Union Law and Justice Ministry, the State government favoured omission of the provision, which envisaged punishment with three years’ imprisonment and a fine in the event of any man pronouncing talaq-e-biddat.
State to bring ordinance to appoint DGP on its own
The A.P. Cabinet resolved to bring an ordinance to amend the A.P. Police Act for appointing the Director General of Police (DGP) on its own.
- The DGP appointment would be, however, subject to the All India Services Act, 1953.
- The Cabinet had also decided to bring about a comprehensive Police Act at that time for the welfare of the police forces.
Other cabinet decisions:
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Meghalaya launches India’s first social audit law
Meghalaya became the first state in India to operationalise a law that makes social audit of government programmes and schemes a part of government practice.
- Chief Minister Mukul Sangma launched ‘The Meghalaya Community Participation and Public Services Social Audit Act, 2017’, at a national convention in Shillong.
- The legislation — applicable to 11 departments and 21 schemes — was passed on April 4, and was followed by pilot social audits for 26 schemes in 18 villages of the northeastern state.
- So far, social audits of government programmes have been done at the initiative of civil society organisations
Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority ties up with Ford
Ford and Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to assess the feasibility of a common digital mobility solution for city commuters.
- Ford will collaborate and work with the civic authorities to analyse the capital’s existing transportation system and design tech-based mobility solutions to improve commuter experience by optimising efficiency for transport operators and reduce congestion.
- While different modes of public transport such as light rail, metro and buses co-exist in hyderabad, 800 vehicles are added to the city’s streets each day.
J&K Bank Launches ‘Sahafat Finance Scheme’
Jammu and Kashmir Bank launched a special financial scheme for journalists of the state. The scheme "J&K Bank Sahafat Finance Scheme" was launched by the bank's chairman and CEO Parvez Ahmad.
- The scheme will enable journalists to buy cameras, laptops, tablets, and books. The minimum loan amount for the purpose has been fixed at Rs 50,000 while as the maximum cap is Rs 3 lakh.
Jammu and Kashmir Bank
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Headquarters
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Sri Nagar
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CEO
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Mushtaq Ahmed
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Tagline
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Serving to empower
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Karnataka HC strikes down rule on stringent tobacco pack warnings
Karnataka High Court has declared as unconstitutional the Cigarette and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Amendment Rules, 2014, which had enhanced to 85% the area of pictorial warning on the principal area of packages of cigarette and other tobacco products.
- The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare unilaterally framed the Rules without concurrence of the other departments concerned, and this was a violation of the Article 77 (Conduct of Business of Government of India) and the Transaction of Business (ToB) rules framed under it as the subject of tobacco control and legislation was not attached to one department or Ministry.
A notification by the health ministry on 24 September 2015 for implementation of the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labeling) Amendment Rules, 2014 came into force on 1 April. It prescribed larger pictorial petitions, covering 85% of the size of the packets of tobacco products, including cigarettes and beedis.
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Sri Lanka urged to repeal Prevention of Terror Act
Reiterating a long-pending demand from human rights activists and some politicians in Sri Lanka, visiting UN experts urged the government to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).
- Following a 10-day visit to the island, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention pointed to “significant challenges” to Sri Lankans enjoying the right to personal liberty, resulting in “arbitrary detention across the country”.
- The PTA of 1979, they observed, was one of the key enablers of arbitrary detention for over four decades. “Any new legislation must be in accordance with international human rights law and best practices,” the experts said in a statement issued here.
While the Sri Lankan government maintains that no arrests have been made under the PTA after 2015 — when the President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe combine rose to power — the UN Working Group said it was “gravely concerned about the numerous severe restrictions to fair trial guarantees that the application of the PTA entails”.
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GMR consortium set to bag Philippines airport project
A consortium of GMR and Philippines Megawide Construction Corporation is poised to bag its second airport project in the Southeast Asian country — the $250 million new terminal project of Clark International Airport.
- The consortium has emerged “the preferred bidder for the EPC tender having submitted the most competitive financial bid,” GMR said in a release on Friday. Sources said the consortium’s bid was about $185 million or 25% less than the government set ceiling.
- This will be the consortium’s second airport in the Philippines. GMR and Megawide are already working on the Mactan Cebu International airport
The consortium will construct the integrated terminal, with a capacity to handle eight million passengers per annum, along with specified land-side facilities such as car parks. GMR said it expected the consortium to receive the notice of award within a week.
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Iran opens first museum dedicated to female artist exiled for decades
Iran has opened its first museum dedicated to a solo female artist — Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, who has received widespread international attention during decades of exile.
- The nonagenarian doyenne of Iranian art and friend of Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning, had her first US solo museum exhibition at the Guggenheim in New York in 2015.
- The Monir Museum opened in Tehran at the historic Negarestan park gardens. It displays 51 works, including her signature mirror mosaics, abstract monotypes and reverse glass paintings, inspired by geometric patterns germane to ancient Iranian architecture, particularly those seen in mosques.
- Many of Farmanfarmaian’s works were confiscated and destroyed after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. She spent most of her career in the US, only permanently returning in 2004.
Iran
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Capital
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Tehran
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Currency
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Iranian rial
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President
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Hassan Rouhani
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US lab makes the world’s strongest superconducting magnet
US-based MagLab has successfully tested the world’s strongest superconducting magnet, producing 32 teslas (a unit of magnetic field strength), 33% stronger than the previous record.
- Superconductors conduct electricity with high efficiency unlike copper, in which electrons encounter a lot of friction.
- They usually work in extremely cold environments and stop working in fields over 25 tesla.
World’s steepest funicular railway line opens in Switzerland
The world’s steepest funicular railway line opened 1,300 metres above sea level in Switzerland.
- The $52.6 million train climbs 743 metres over a span of 1,738 metres along gradients as steep as 47.7º.
- Its barrel-shaped carriages can adjust their floors so passengers can stand upright along steep gradients.
Switzerland
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Capital
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Bern
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Currency
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Swiss Franc
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No transaction fees on debit card payments of up to Rs.2,000
The government has waived the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on all debit card, UPI, and Aadhaar-based transactions of up to Rs.2,000 for the next two years, starting January 1, 2018.
- The charges will be reimbursed by the government to the banks.
MDR is the rate charged to a merchant by a bank for providing debit and credit card services.
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Customs duty on smartphones, TVs hiked
The government raised the customs duty on television sets, mobile phones to 15% from the existing 10%.
- Similarly, the duty on monitors, projectors, water heaters and hair dressing instruments has been doubled to 20%.
- Earlier in October, the government had increased the customs duty on polyester fabric to 20% from the existing 10%.
- The rise in tax from 10 percent to 15 percent on handsets will make imports of phones – including most of Apple’s iPhone models.
Income Inequality Highest in India Since 1980s
Since 1980 India has led to substantial increase in inequality so much that top 0.1% of earners has continued to capture more growth than all those in the bottom 50% combined, according to the World Inequality Lab in its World Inequality Report 2018.
- In 2014, the share of national income captured by India's top 1% of earners was 22%, while the share of top 10% of earners was around 56%.
World Inequality Report is a report by the World Inequality Lab at the Paris School of Economics that provides estimates of global income and wealth inequality based on the most recent findings complied by the World Wealth and Income Database (WID).
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'Youthquake' Named Word of the Year by Oxford Dictionaries
Oxford Dictionaries has crowned "youthquake" as its word of 2017 in a nod to the unexpected level of youth engagement in this summer's election in the United Kingdom.
- An amalgamation of "youth" and "earthquake", the noun is defined as "a significant cultural, political, or social change arising from the actions or influence of young people."
Wajib won the Suvarna Chakoram award at the 22nd International Film Festival of Kerala
Palestinian film Wajib, directed by Annemarie Jacir, won the Suvarna Chakoram (Golden Crow Pheasant) award at the 22nd International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) which concluded in Thiruvananthapuram.
- The movie told the story of the fragile relationship between an estranged father and son, The jury chose the film for the subtle ways in which it paints a compelling portrait of contemporary Palestinian society.
- Thai filmmaker Anucha Boonyawatana won the Rajatha Chakoram (Silver Crow Pheasant) award for the best director for the film Malila – The Farewell Flower.
The International Film Festival of Kerala (abbreviated as IFFK) is a film festival held annually in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, India.
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Interpol cancels RCN against Naik
Interpol has cancelled the Red Corner Notice (RCN) it issued against controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik earlier this month
- The request of the National Investigation Agency for a fresh RCN was not accepted by the Interpol as the charge sheet had not been filed when the request was submitted. Now the NIA will submit a fresh request as the charge sheet has been filed in the NIA court in Mumbai.
The International Criminal Police Organization, more commonly known as Interpol, is an international organization facilitating international police cooperation.
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Vodafone India names Manish Dawar new CFO
Vodafone India has appointed Manish Dawar as its Chief Financial Officer with effect from January 1, 2018.
- Based in Mumbai, he will report to Sunil Sood, Managing Director and CEO, Vodafone India.
- Dawar will replace Thomas Reisten, who after completing a four-year stint with Vodafone India, will be moving to a new senior role within the Vodafone Group.
R Hemalatha Takes Charge as Director, National Institute of Nutrition
R Hemalatha has been appointed as the new Director of the country’s premier National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Hyderabad. Hemalatha is a medical graduate of Gandhi Medical College, Hyderabad.
- She assumes office at a historic moment as the institute enters its centenary year.
The National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) is an Indian Public health, Biotechnology and Translational research center located in Hyderabad, India
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Official emblems for Beijing 2022 Winter Games unveiled
The emblems of the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games have been named “Winter Dream” and “Flight,” respectively.
- The emblem launching ceremony was held at the National Aquatic Center, which staged the swimming events during the Beijing 2008 Games.
- In 2022, this venue will be transformed into an ice rink for curling games.
- At the launch ceremony, a series of performances were staged with a theme of Winter Olympic Dream.
- The chief designer of the two emblems is Lin Cunzhen, deputy dean of China Central Academy of Fine Arts’ Design School.
- She started her work in the field of Olympic emblem design back in 2003.
Chhetri and Aditi SWAB Sportspersons-of-the-Year
Sunil Chhetri and Aditi Ashok bagged top honours at the ACT Fibernet-SWAB awards
- The pair claimed the Best Sportsperson-of-the-Year awards in the senior category, while Anil Kumble was declared Coach-of-the-Year.
- Former India hockey captain M.P. Ganesh was presented Lifetime Achievement award.
- Bengaluru FC was adjudged Team-of-the-Year, while racing driver Arjun Maini and swimmer Damini K. Gowda emerged Best Sportspersons-of-the-Year in the junior section.
