Daily Current affairs - December 26th, 2017 for all competitive exams
electronic-Human Resource Management System (e-HRMS)
Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh launched the electronic-Human Resource Management System (e-HRMS) as the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions observed Good Governance Day.
- It is an online platform for central government employees to apply for leave and access their service-related information.
- With launch of e-HRMS, employees will be able to not only see all their details with respect to service book, leave, GPF, salary, etc. but also apply for different kind of claims/reimbursements, loan/advances, leave, leave encashment, LTC advances, tour etc. on a single platform. They will also be able to track status and match details instantly.
Bharatiya Nirdeshak Dravya (BND-4201) high purity gold reference started
Bharatiya Nirdeshak Dravya is India’s first home-grown high purity gold reference standard. It was launched recently.
- It is the reference material for gold of ‘9999’ fineness (gold that is 99.99% pure). It will be beneficial to the consumers and public at large to ensure purity of gold.
Gold reference standard is indispensable in gold and jewellery hall marking. This will also be useful for Collection and Purity Testing Centres to certify the purity of gold deposits under the gold monetisation scheme.
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Centre moves SC against fixed term for police chiefs
The Union government has filed an interlocutory application in the Supreme Court to amend a 2006 order of the court that is being used by the States to appoint “favourites” as Directors-General of Police.
- The Ministry is planning to lay down guidelines to ensure that only those who had a minimum of one-and-a-half to two years to retire were included in the panel.
A 2006 court order ensured a two-year fixed term for the DGPs. The court issued the order for a fixed two-year term for the DGPs after Prakash Singh, former DGP of Uttar Pradesh, filed a petition on police reforms.
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Government directs NGOs to open account in any designated bank within month for transparency
Union Home Ministry has directed all NGOs, business entities and individuals who receive funds from abroad to open accounts in any of the 32 designated banks, within a month for higher level of transparency.
- According to the ministry order, the directive to the NGOs, companies and individuals to open foreign contribution accounts in banks, which are integrated with the central government’s Public Financial Management System (PFMS), came for providing a higher level of transparency and hassle-free reporting compliance.
The central government has already decided that all banks where the FCRA registered persons and organisations have opened their foreign contribution accounts will be integrated with the PFMS for providing a higher level of transparency and hassle-free reporting compliance.
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Haryana govt. launches e-services
In a bid to push digital governance, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar kicked off six electronic services bringing as many as 100 citizen-centric services pertaining to 12 departments on a single platform.
- The platform will play host to 380 services pertaining to 30 departments through digital medium by April 14, 2018.
Good Governance Day is being celebrated in Haryana for the past four years
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Uttar Pradesh government launches free household power connection scheme ‘Prakash hai to vikas hai’
Uttar Pradesh government has launched a free household power connection scheme ‘Prakash hai to vikas hai’ for the poor in the state to mark former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birthday.
- Initially the two villages Lohban and Gausana of Mathura district have been covered for 100 per cent electrification.
- Under the news scheme the government has a target of covering 16 million by the end of 2018.
- As against the target of 4 crore under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Saubhagy scheme, the state so far has provided 25 lakh household connections.
The government has also introduced Kisan Uday Yojana, scheme for farmers in which existing 5 HP/7.5 HP submersible and coupling sets of farmers will be replaced free of cost.
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10-day Harissa Festival begins in Jammu
The Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation (JKTDC) organised a 10-day ‘Harissa Festival’ here to give the tourists and the local populace a taste of traditional Kashmiri cuisine.
- At the event, harissa, a winter cuisine of Kashmir, is being served with traditional Kashmiri bread and noon chai (salt pink tea).
The corporation had also organised ‘Dogra Food Festival’ last month.
The corporation would also organise a multi-course Kashmiri Wazwan festival in Jammu.
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Udvada festival celebrates Parsi tradition, religion
Nearly 2,000 people from around the world had gathered in Udvada, a town in Gujarat, to celebrate the three-day Iranshah Udvada Utsav.
- The festival, which had everything from a fashion show of traditional Parsi attire to a thought-provoking speech by Farokh Udwadia about that past, present and future of the community
- Dinshaw Tamboly, managing trustee of the Foundation for Development of Udvada, which organises the festival
Trilateral talks of Foreign Ministers of China, Afghanistan & Pakistan start in Beijing
Pakistan, China and Afghanistan have agreed to strengthen cooperation in counter-terrorism at the first trilateral dialogue.
- The first Trilateral China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Minister’s Dialogue was held in Beijing to discuss development, connectivity, security and counter-terrorism.
- Chinese Foreign Minister stated that Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to increase cooperation and address their differences appropriately.
- The dialogue is part of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s initiative for strengthening of relations and developing cooperation between the three countries.
Country
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China
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Afghanistan
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Pakistan
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Capital
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Beijing
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Kabul
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Islamabad
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Currency
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Renminbi
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Afghan Afghani
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Pakistani rupee
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President
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Xi Jinping
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Ashraf Ghani
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Mamnoon Hussain
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Ramdev’s Patanjali signs Rs 671 crore pact for Chhattisgarh food unit
The Chhattisgarh government has signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with three food processing firms.
- The agreement includes Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali Ayurved, to set up processing units at an estimated investment of Rs 762.80 crore.
- The pacts were signed with Patanjali Ayurved Limited, Manorama Industries Private Ltd and Aakriti Snacks Private Limited during a meeting held in Raipur at the official residence of chief minister Raman Singh.
UNESCO has recognised Ecuadorian artisans for their skill
Cultural authorities at UNESCO have recognised the skill of Ecuadorian artisans who make woven hats.
- The widely known “Panama hat” is a brimmed hat traditionally made in Ecuador from the straw of the South American toquilla palm plant.
- The hats are thought to have earned their misleading name because many were sold in nearby Panama to prospectors travelling through that country to California during the Gold Rush.
China successfully launches remote sensing satellites to conduct electromagnetic environmental probes
China successfully launched remote sensing satellites to conduct electromagnetic environmental probes.
- The satellites were launched on a Long March-2C carrier rocket from Xichang Satellite launch center in the southwest Sichuan province.
- The satellites have entered its preset orbit and the launch was proclaimed a success, without disclosing the number of satellites launched.
- The launch was the 260th mission of the Long March rocket family.
Country
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China
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Capital
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Beijing
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Currency
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Renminbi
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President
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Xi Jinping
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Amazon Acquires Connected Security Camera Maker 'Blink'
Amazon has bought an Andover, Massachusetts-based company 'Blink' that makes Internet-connected doorbells and security cameras.
- The move could help Amazon compete in the fast-growing home security camera market and against similar devices made by Nest, a subsidiary of Google parent company Alphabet.
Reliance Jio now has 160 million subscribers
The customer base of Reliance Jio has touched 160 million, a little over a year after the newcomer stormed into the telecom market with aggressive voice and data offerings.
- According to recent TRAI data, the subscriber base in October for Bharti Airtel stood at 285 million followed by Vodafone (208 million), Idea Cellular (191 million), and Jio (145.9 million).
- The mobile subscriber base of India, the second largest market after China,
Samsung, Axis Bank Tie-up to Offer 'Bill Payments' on Samsung Pay
Smartphone manufacturer Samsung launched its 'Bill Payments' on its flagship payments service, Samsung Pay in partnership with Axis Bank.
- With the introduction of 'Bill Payments', consumers will be able to pay their utility bills seamlessly through Samsung Pay, set reminders and search favourite biller based on their current location.
Axis Bank
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Headquarters
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Mumbai
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Tagline
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Badhti ka naam zindagi
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CEO
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Shikha Sharma
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New India Assurance bags insurance cover mandate for Air Deccan
New India Assurance Company Ltd bagged the insurance cover mandate for Air Deccan.
- Nearly 10 years after pioneering low cost air travel model Air Deccan has come back to the sector under regional connectivity scheme.
- The airline has ambitious plans of expanding in this segment in a big way by riding on the economic boom in smaller cities pan-India.
- New India Assurance provides aviation insurance cover to all major airlines of India like Air India, Indigo, Spice Jet, Vistara and Go Air.
New India Assurance Company
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Headquarters
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Mumbai
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CEO
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Shri G Srinivasan
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The Sound of Music” actor Heather Menzies-Urich dies
Actor Heather Menzies-Urich, best known for her role of Louisa von Trapp in the 1965 Oscar-winning film “The Sound of Music” has passed away. She was 68.
- Urich was born in 1949 in Toronto. Her first acting credit was on the TV series “My Three Sons” at the age of 13.
- She then auditioned and got the part of Louisa the third-oldest von Trapp sibling in ‘The Sound of Music’, which also starred Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer.
- The film went on to become a beloved classic and won five Oscars, including best picture. Her other acting credits included “Hawaii”, “Dragnet 1967”, “The Bob Newhart Show”, and “Logan’s Run”.
The creator of Bugs Bunny, Bob Givens, passes away
Bob Givens, one of the animators behind designing the iconic characters Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd, died at the age of 99.
- Givens put his illustrator stamp on characters like Tom and Jerry, Daffy Duck, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and Popeye.
- He also brought his skills to TV advertising, animating cartoon insects for Raid bug-killer commercials.
- Givens served in the US army during the Second World War, before returning to the animation industry.
- He’s also known for his work as a storyboard artist on the TV series Linus! The Lion Hearted and as a graphic designer on the show Baggy Pants and the Nitwits
India rise to second place, Kohli slips to third in T20I rankings
India went past England, New Zealand and the West Indies to move from fifth to the second position in the latest ICC T20 rankings.
- Virat Kohli is now behind Australia’s Aaron Finch (784) and West Indies opener Evin Lewis (780).
- Pakistan is in the first position in ICC T20 rankings with 124 points.
