Daily Current affairs - December 2nd and 3rd, 2017 for all competitive exams
The National Pollution Control Day is celebrated every year on 2nd of December in India
- The day celebrated to give the honor and memorialize the thousands of human beings who had lost their existence because of the Bhopal gas calamity.
Bhopal gas tragedy was happened in the night of 2nd and 3rd December in the year 1984 because of the unintentional discharge of the poisonous chemical known as Methyl Isocyanate (also called MIC) as well as some other chemicals released from the Union Carbide Chemical Plant positioned in the city.
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December 2 - World Computer Literacy Day
World Computer Literacy Day which falls each year on December 2nd since 2001 aims to curb the digital divide that exists in the world today.
- The Day aims to increase awareness of this ‘divide’ and increase access to information technology for disadvantaged communities.
December 2 - International Day for the Abolition of Slavery
The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, 2 December, marks the date of the adoption, by the General Assembly, of the United Nations Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others
- The focus of this day is on eradicating contemporary forms of slavery, such as trafficking in persons, sexual exploitation, the worst forms of child labour, forced marriage, and the forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict.
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), there are currently an estimated 21 million forced labour victims worldwide, creating US$ 150 billion in illegal profits in the private economy each year.
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December 3 – International Day of Persons with Disabilities
International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 3) is an international observance promoted by the United Nations since 1992.
- The observance of the Day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities.
- It also seeks to increase awareness of gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life. It was originally called "International Day of Disabled Persons" until 2007.
In 1976, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 1981 as the International Year of Disabled Persons
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States’ views sought on triple talaq law
The Centre wrote to the States asking for their views on a draft law that imposes a maximum of three-year jail term on a Muslim man for giving instant triple talaq — or talaq e biddat — to his wife.
- The government was set to introduce the Bill in the winter session of Parliament, which starts on December 15.
- Once the proposed Muslim Women Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill is approved by Parliament, it will cover all cases of instant triple talaq across the country, except in Jammu and Kashmir.
- The draft has been prepared by a Group of Ministers, headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh. Other members are External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and his deputy P.P. Chaudhary, and the junior Minister in the PMO Jitender Singh.
- As per the provisions of the draft bill, a husband who resorts to instant triple talaq can be jailed up to three years and fined.
SC sought AG on Autonomy of Election Commission
The Supreme Court has sought the Attorney-General’s assistance on a PIL petition pointing out the vagueness in the procedure for removal of Election Commissioners, saying it affects the Election Commission’s autonomy.
- A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court arguing that though the provision to Article 324 (5) of the Constitution safeguards the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) from arbitrary removal, the same provision is silent about the procedure for removal of the two Election Commissioners.
- It only provides that they cannot be removed from office except on the recommendation of the CEC.
- The petition said the ambiguity about the removal procedure of the Election Commissioners may affect the functional independence of the Commission.
The CEC and the Election Commissioners have a tenure of six years, or up to the age of 65, whichever is earlier, and enjoy the same status and receive salary and perks as available to Supreme Court judges.
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Andhra Pradesh Assembly passes Kapu quota Bill
The Assembly unanimously passed the A.P. Kapu (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions and of Appointments or Posts in Services under the State) Bill on the last day of its winter session.
- After the Cabinet decision to provide 5% reservation for the Kapus, the draft bill was approved at a special Cabinet meeting.
- With the Assembly passing this long-pending piece of legislation, the Kapu, Telaga, Balija and Ontari communities would get the quota under the new category ‘F’ in government jobs and seats in educational institutions, which would take the total reservation for six categories of the BCs to 34% (A-7%, B-10%, C-1%, D-7%, E-4% and F-5%). The SCs and the STs have 15% and 6% reservations respectively.
BJP’s Rishikesh Upadhayay elected as the first mayor of Ayodhya
Rishikesh Upadhyay of the BJP won a tightly fought election in Ayodhya, becoming the first mayor to represent the temple town.
- The election for the Ayodhya mayor’s post seat witnessed a close fight between Mr Upadhyay and Gulshan Bindu of the Samajwadi Party.
The Adityanath government had decided to constitute municipal corporations for Ayodhya and Mathura-Vrindavan during its initial days in power.
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Online photography programme
Light and Life Academy has launched ‘LLAONLINE’, an online photography programme, in nine Indian languages and English, to cater to the needs of shutterbugs from across the country.
- According to a release, the course will be available in Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Odiya, Tamil, Telugu and English. The programe follows a pedagogy that seeks to replicate classroom learning on the digital platform as closely as possible.
- As a part of LLAONLINE, a ‘Get creative with photography’ course, designed by Iqbal Mohamed, will have 10 sessions spread across 10 weeks.
Ajeya Warrior-2017
Ajeya Warrior is a fourteen days training exercise between the Indian Army and the British Army. It is being held in Rajasthan.
- It is the third joint military exercise between the two countries. The first exercise was conducted in 2013 at Belgaum, Karnataka, whereas for the second exercise in 2015, an Indian Army contingent had visited the United Kingdom.
- The aim of the exercise is to build and promote bilateral relations and enhance interoperability while sharing experiences between the Royal British Army and the Indian Army.
India awarded Certificate of Commendation to WCCB
India has been awarded with the Certificate of Commendation for its exemplary enforcement action in its regional and global effort to combat illegal wildlife trade.
The award has been given to Wildlife Crime Control Bureau by the Secretary General of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
- India was the only recipient of the Certificate of Commendation at the recently held 69th Standing Committee meeting of CITES at Geneva.
- The award has been presented to WCCB for its efforts in conducting and coordinating a species specific wildlife enforcement Operation, codenamed “Operation Save Kurma”.
“Operation Save Kurma” was conducted in the country by the WCCB to combat the proliferating illegal trade in live turtles and its parts from the country to destinations abroad.
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Wildlife Crime Control Bureau The Government of India constituted a statutory body, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) on 6 June 2007, by amending the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. It was established to combat organized wildlife crime in the country.
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India re-elected to International Maritime Organisation Council
India re-elected to the Council of the International Maritime Organisation under a category that represents nations with the largest interests in international seaborne trade.
- India was re-elected to the body under Category B at an assembly of the organisation at its headquarters.
- Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Y K Sinha, represented India at the assembly where India secured the second-highest number of votes (144) from member-countries, just after Germany’s 146 and ahead of Australia’s 143.
- The other countries to make the cut included France (140), Canada (138), Spain (137), Brazil (131), Sweden (129), The Netherlands (124) and the UAE (115).
- It has been one of the earliest members of the IMO, having ratified its convention and joined it as a member-state in the year 1959.
- India has been elected to the Council of the IMO ever since it started functioning, except for a two-year hiatus during 1983-1984.
Headquarters
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London, UK
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Head
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Kitack Lim
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BIMSTEC Coastal Shipping Agreement
Member States of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) recently met in New Delhi to discuss modalities for promoting coastal shipping in the region. In this first meeting of the Working Group member countries discussed the draft text of BIMSTEC Coastal Shipping Agreement drafted by the Ministry of Shipping, Government of India.
- The meeting of the Working Group is a follow up of the BIMSTEC leaders’ call at the Retreat hosted by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in Goa in October 2016, to enhance connectivity in the region.
- The objective of the above agreement is to facilitate coastal shipping in the region, thereby giving a boost to trade between the member countries.
- The agreement would apply to coastal shipping, that is shipping within 20 nautical miles of the coastline. The requirements for movement of vessels in this part of the sea are different from standard requirements of deep sea shipping.
BIMSTEC or the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation is a regional organisation which comprises of seven member states which lie near the Bay of Bengal.
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Xi backs China-Myanmar corridor
Beijing and Naypyidaw have moved a step closer to negotiating the China-Myanmar economic corridor, an initiative being given high priority on account of the stalled Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) connectivity proposal.
- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the Y-shaped corridor could start from China’s Yunnan province and head towards Mandalay in Myanmar. From there, it could extend towards the east and west to Yangon New City and Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone in the Rakhine province.
- Mr. Wang had also proposed a three-point plan to resolve the Rohingya refugee crisis, for which Ms. Suu Kyi has been widely criticised in the West.
The China-Myanmar corridor will enhance connectivity between the two countries. The existing highways, oil and gas pipelines, as well as the railroads and expressways under construction will give China the best access to the Indian Ocean
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US formally opposes granting market economy status to China at WTO
The United States has formally told the World Trade Organization (WTO) that it opposes granting China market economy status.
- China is fighting the EU for recognition as a market economy, a designation that would lead to dramatically lower anti-dumping duties on Chinese goods by prohibiting the use of third-country price comparisons.
- The European Union and Japan, among others, also reject China's bid for recognition as a market economy in the WTO.
First U.S. baby from womb transplant
The first birth as a result of a womb transplant in the United States has occurred in Texas, a milestone for the U.S.
- A woman who had been born without a uterus gave birth to the baby at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas.
- Women who participate in the trial have what’s called absolute uterine factor infertility (AUI), which means their uterus is nonfunctioning or nonexistent. Most of the women in the trial have a condition called Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome — and have lived their entire lives under the assumption that they would never be able to be pregnant or give birth to a baby. The procedure could also work for women with other medical issues, such as certain cancers.
Several years ago in Sweden by Dr Mats Brannstrom who has, as of last year delivered five babies from women with donated wombs.
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China’s DAMPE probe
A Chinese satellite which was sent to the skies to look for evidence of the annihilation or decay of dark matter particles in space has detected unexpected and mysterious signals in its measurement of high-energy cosmic rays, bringing scientists closer to proving the existence of the invisible matter. The mysterious dark matter is believed to comprise a quarter of universe.
- The satellite, Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE), also called Wukong or “Monkey King”, has measured more than 3.5 billion cosmic ray particles with the highest energy up to 100 tera-electron-volts (TeV), including 20 million electrons and positrons, with unprecedented high energy resolution.
Dark matter is one of the great riddles of physics. While normal matter – making up the stars and planets and so on – is understood to account for just four percent of the mass-energy density of the universe, dark matter is believed to make up a quarter, yet its nature is unknown and yet to be detected.
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DAMPE, short for DArk Matter Particle Explorer, was designed to look for clues to support one hypothesis for dark matter, which claims it consists of weakly interacting massive particles, or WIMPs. The idea for DAMPE was to collect the high energy cosmic ray electrons and anti-matter counterpart positrons, which are emitted by phenomena such as supernovae and pulsars.
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Bitcoin keeps enforcers on edge
Bitcoin, dubbed a bubble by economist Joseph Stiglitz, has been implicated in several crimes being investigated by police, the Narcotics Control Bureau and the Enforcement Directorate. The value of the cryptocurrency soared from $1,000 a unit to $10,000 last week, before dipping.
India’s policy on Bitcoin regulation is still evolving and no legal framework exists.
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cautioned against its use, informing users, holders, investors and traders dealing with virtual currencies that they are doing so at their own risk.
- Investigating agencies worry about the absence of controls. They see any transaction using cryptocurrency and involving foreign exchange as a contravention of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and the FEM (Manner of Receipt & Payment) Regulations.
- The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance (2016-17) report submitted earlier this year says, “On being asked about the legality of Bitcoin, representative of Ministry of Finance submitted while deposing before the Committee that it is illegal.”
- The role played by such virtual currency payments in crime has been recorded by the global Financial Action Task Force, an inter-governmental body. It says these are potential modes for money laundering and funding of terrorist activities.
Samsung demonstrates 5G network on a high-speed train
Samsung Electronics said that it demonstrated the fifth-generation network on a high-speed train travelling over 100 kmph under a joint project with Japanese telecommunications operator KDDI.
- The test is the way for faster onboard Wi-Fi services that offer stronger security as well.
- The two companies, which have been rolling out joint projects in the field since 2015, said they successfully observed data transmission speed of 1.7 Gbps.
Qualcomm seeks a ban on sales of iPhones running Intel chips in the US
Qualcomm said it has filed three new patent infringement complaints against Apple.
- The chipset company alleged that Apple was using 16 more of its patents on iPhones.
- Qualcomm in July accused Apple of infringing several patents related to helping mobile phones get better battery life.
Google introduces Datally app for quick data usage in real time
Google launched Datally App to understand, control and save users mobile data themselves. Datally App available on the Google Play Store will enable users to track their data usage in real time and get personalized recommendations on saving data along with notifications of nearby available public Wi-Fi spots.
- Turn on the Data Saver bubble to block background data usage and track real-time data usage.
- You can also block data with one tap if an app’s data usage gets out of control.
Microsoft Edge browser rolled out for Android and iOS
Microsoft rolled out the final version of its Edge browser for Android and iOS devices.
- The company had launched a beta version of the application last month.
- The browser includes access to favourites, history, reading list, and e-books.
Corporation Bank launches RuPay credit cards:
Corporation Bank has launched its RuPay Select and RuPay Platinum credit cards.
- Corporation Bank’s RuPay credit cards are accepted at all RuPay-enabled 1.5 million plus PoS terminals and 80,000 plus e-commerce merchants in India and all ICS Partner acceptance points (POS, e-commerce merchants) globally.
- Personal accident insurance of Rs.10 lakh and Rs.2 lakh is offered on RuPay Select Credit Card and RuPay Platinum Credit Card
Corporation Bank
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Head quarters
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Mangalore
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Tagline
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A Premier Public Sector Bank
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MD and CEO
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Jai Kumar Garg
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Shared Value Summit Held in New Delhi
The Minister of Industry and Commerce, Suresh Prabhu was the chief guest for the Shared Value Summit 2017.
- The summit was held in New Delhi.
- The theme for this summit was “Equity and Empowerment”.
- Mr Prabhu will unveil the Inclusive Business List and Emerging Social Enterprise List for the year 2017.
Japan to host ministerial meeting of UNSC on 15th December
Japan announced that it will host a ministerial meeting of the UN Security Council on the 15th of this month.
- The meeting will focus on finding peaceful ways to pressure North Korea to halt its nuclear and ballistic missile tests and denuclearise the Korean peninsula.
- Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is expected to brief the council.
Japan
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Capital
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Tokyo
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Currency
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Japanese Yen
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Prime Minister
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Shinzo Abe
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Japan’s Emperor Akihito to abdicate in 2019, will be succeeded by Prince Naruhito
Emperor Akihito, who has spent much of his nearly three decades on Japan’s throne will step down on April 30, 2019.
- Akihito, who turns 84 on Dec. 23 and has had heart surgery and treatment for prostate cancer.
- He will be succeeded by his heir, 57-year-old Crown Prince Naruhito.
Manushi Chhillar awarded Indian of the year special achievement award
Miss World 2017, Manushi Chhillar was awarded the Indian of the year special achievement award by Minister of Finance and corporate affairs, Arun Jaitley at a recent event at New Delhi.
- The beauty queen was given the award for her historic win at the Miss World pageant.
Miss Korea Jenny Kim crowned Miss Supranational 2017
Miss Korea Jenny Kim was crowned Miss Supranational 2017 in Poland.
- Tica Martinez of Colombia and Bianca Tirsin of Romania were named the first runner-up and second runner-up respectively.
Populism Named Cambridge Dictionary's Word of the Year
The word 'populism' has been announced as Cambridge Dictionary's Word of the Year 2017.
- The dictionary defined populism as "political ideas and activities that are intended to get the support of ordinary people by giving them what they want".
It said searches for 'populism' rose when Pope Francis made statements warning against its rising tide.
Mayweather adopts baby panda in China
American boxing star Floyd Mayweather has adopted a baby giant panda in China and renamed it “TMT FLoyd Mayweather”.
- TMT stands for his brand “The Money Team”.
- The panda will remain in China and Mayweather will visit it. The adoption fee of 100,000 yuan (Rs. 9.75 lakh) will go the research centre in south west China where the panda lives.
Gauri Lankesh Book Launch: A Call for Unity
A book launch was organised by Navayana, for ‘The Way I See It — A Gauri Lankesh Reader’.
- The book is a collection of essays and editorials written by the Bengaluru-based journalist, who was shot dead on September 5.
- JNU scholars Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid, Lawyer Karuna Nundy and Dr. Manisha Sethi were among the speakers at the launch.
Suryaprakash is re-appointed as Prasar Bharati Chairman
Prasar Bharati Board Chairman A Suryaprakash was on Friday re-appointed to the post till February 2020.
- Suryaprakash takes the appointment as the chairman of the Prasar Bharati after the BJP came to power in 2014.
Mary Kom resigns as boxing’s observer
Sports Minister cleared that active sportspersons will not be considered for the boxing’s national observer position.
Due to this, MC Mary Kom has resigned as the national observer for Indian boxing.
- Olympic gold-medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra, double Olympic-medallist Sushil Kumar and former Commonwealth Games gold medallist Akhil Kumar was also included in this list among others.
Shiva Keshavan Wins Gold in Asian Luge Championships
The sole Indian participant and defending Asian champion Shiva Keshavan retained his title with a time of 55.60 seconds.
- India's veteran Winter Olympian Shiva Keshavan won a gold medal at the Asian Luge Championships at Altenberg, Germany.
- Due to technical reasons, the Asian Luge Championships took place at Altenberg in Germany.
