Daily Current affairs - December 9th and 10th, 2017 for all competitive exams
The International Anti-Corruption Day is observed annually on December 9.
- The day has been observed annually since the passage of the United Nations Convention against Corruption on October 31, 2003.
- On October 31, 2003, the General Assembly adopted the United Nations Convention against Corruption and requested that the Secretary-General to designate the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) as a secretariat for the Convention’s conference of state parties
December 10 - World Human Rights Day
World Human Rights Day is being observed on December 10.
- On this day in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at the Palais de Chaillot in Paris.
- It is a milestone document that proclaimed the inalienable rights which everyone is inherently entitled to as a human being. It establishes the equal dignity and worth of every person.
- This year, the Human Rights Day kicks off a year-long campaign to mark the upcoming 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Theme 2017
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Let’s stand up for equality, justice and human dignity
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India’s GDP growth to rise to 7.5% in 2018: Morgan Stanley
The Indian economy is expected to witness cyclical growth recovery, with real GDP growth likely to accelerate from 6.4 per cent this year to 7.5 per cent in 2018 and further to 7.7 per cent in 2019, says a report.
- According to global financial services Major Morgan Stanley, corporate return expectations and balance sheet fundamentals are improving, and a strengthening financial system should be able to meet investment credit demand.
India declared free from Trachoma Infection
Union Health and Family Welfare Minister JP Nadda declared that the country is free from the Trachoma Bacterial Infection.
- The bacteria is a leading cause of infectious blindness among children.
- Active trachoma is considered eliminated if the prevalence of active infection among children below 10 years is less than 5 per cent.
- India’s active trachoma infection has been eliminated among children in all the survey districts with overall prevalence of only 0.7 per cent.
Trachoma is a chronic infective disease of the eye and is the leading cause of infective blindness globally. Trachoma is a disease of poor environmental and personal hygiene and inadequate access to water and sanitation.
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Centre to issue universal ID cards to Persons with Disabilities
Union minister Krishan Pal Gurjar stated that Centre will soon issue universal ID cards to persons with disabilities which will be valid throughout India.
- At present, an identity card issued by a state is not considered valid in another state, which causes inconvenience to people with disabilities in availing benefits of various government schemes and reservation.
MSME Minister launches MSME Sambandh portal to monitor public procurement
MSME Sambandh, a public procurement portal was launched by Giriraj Singh,minister of Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises .
- The portal is developed to monitor the implementation of the public procurement from MSEs by Central public sector enterprises.
- The procurement policy instructs the Central government departments/CPSEs to procure 20 per cent of their total annual purchases from MSEs.
- With this app, the Micro and Small Enterprises would be able to access the information about the products being procured by CPSEs. Thus, it would help the MSEs in participating in the procurement process.
The Procurement Policy launched in 2012 mandates the Central Government Departments / CPSUs to procure necessarily from MSEs i.e. every Central Ministry / Department / PSU shall set an annual goal for procurement from the MSE sector at the beginning of the year, with the objective of achieving an overall procurement goal of minimum of 20% of the total annual purchases of the products or services produced or rendered by MSEs. By creating an online portal, the Ministries and the CPSEs can assess their performance.
MSME sector generates more employment next only to Agriculture sector. 80% of jobs in industry is given by MSME with just 20% of investment.
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Policy on methanol in petrol soon
Union Roads Minister Nitin Gadkari said that the government would soon announce a policy for 15% blending of methanol in petrol to make it cheaper and to reduce pollution.
- Methanol was made from coal and cost only Rs. 22 a litre as against the prevailing price of Rs. 80 a litre for petrol. China was making the coal byproduct for Rs. 17 a litre.
Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol among others, is a chemical with the formula CH3OH (often abbreviated MeOH). Methanol acquired the name wood alcohol because it was once produced chiefly as a byproduct of the destructive distillation of wood.
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Two-day Aadivasi Mahotsav starts in Raipur
The two-day Aadivasi Mahotsav is started in Chhattisgarh capital Raipur.
- The festival aimed at displaying the rich and diverse tribal traditions of the central state inaugurated by Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram and Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh.
- Tribal culture, literature and food festivals, tribal olympiad and hackathon will be held during the event.
- The festival has been organised in the memory of 1857 revolutionary from the region, Shaheed Veernarayan Singh on his martyrdom day.
Railways to offer rewards for cashless booking of tickets
The Indian Railways is planning to offer rewards for cashless booking of unreserved tickets in a bid to promote digitalization.
- Some of the incentives include offering a discount and free passenger insurance for cashless ticket purchases.
- The Railways currently offers a 0.5% discount on the purchase of monthly travel pass if the payment is made through debit and credit cards.
Loan app for SC, ST, OBC applicants
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched the app and announced a new scheme for giving coaching to SC and ST category students appearing for competitive exams.
- The government’s SC/ST Department had a scheme for conducting coaching classes, but now the government would pay the students’ fee at private coaching centres.
- The app for the Delhi SC/ST/OBC/Minority and Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation (DSFDC), which offers loans to help set up small businesses, would have provisions for applications as well as complaints.
Meghalaya to get its first LPG bottling facility
The Centre has sanctioned Rs.75crore for setting up a Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) bottling plant in Meghalaya which will help increase the clean fuel’s penetration, especially in the rural areas of the state.
- A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was inked between the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and the state government in the presence of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma in the city.
Kacheguda Railway station is India’s ‘First’ Energy-Efficient Railway Station
Kacheguda railway station in Hyderabad has been named the first energy-efficient ‘A1 Category’ railway station in the country.
- South Central Railway (SCR) said Kacheguda railway station in Hyderabad division of the SCR, has achieved 100 per cent energy efficiency by replacing 1,312 conventional lights with LED lighting.
- 370 ceiling fans with Brushless DC Electrical (BLDC) motors energy-efficient fans and 12 air conditioners with energy efficient inverter type ACs, have been added.
VVIP cars should display registration number: plea
Delhi HC seeks details of rules on use of State Emblem on vehicles of constitutional authorities
- The Delhi High Court asked the Centre and the city government to place before it the rules on the use of the State Emblem of India on cars of constitutional authorities and dignitaries, such as the President, instead of registration numbers.
- NGO Nyayabhoomi claimed that the practice of displaying the State Emblem, instead of the registration numbers, makes the cars conspicuous and the dignitaries become easy targets for terrorists and anyone with malicious intent.
- It further sought directions to the Delhi government and the Delhi Police to seize the cars used by the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Vice-President, Raj Niwas and Protocol Division of the Ministry of External Affairs for not being registered under the Motor Vehicles Act. The NGO referred to an RTI response by the Ministry of External Affairs saying that none of the 14 cars maintained by its Protocol Division was registered.
National conference on E-Courts Project held in New Delhi
The e Committee, of the Supreme Court of India in association with the Department of Justice (DoJ) of the Government of India recently held a National Conference on e- courts project in New Delhi. The Conference focused on the progress, sharing of best practices, experiences, important issues and emerging challenges under the Project.
- The eCourts Mission Mode Project (Phase I 2010-15; Phase II 2015-19) is a national eGovernance project for ICT enablement of district and subordinate courts of the country.
- It is being implemented by the Government of India with a total outlay of 1670 crores (Phase II).
- The major objectives of the Project are to make whole judicial system ICT enabled by putting in place adequate and modern hardware and connectivity; automation of workflow management in all courts; electronic movement of records from taluka/trial to appeal courts; installation of video conferencing (VC) facility and recording of witness through Video Conferencing.
India to host Southeast Asia connectivity summit
Keeping with India’s initiative of connectivity with Southeast Asia under its Act East Policy, New Delhi will host an ASEAN-India Connectivity Summit (AICS) on December 11-12.
- The event comes ahead of the visit of the leaders of the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) here next month for the commemorative summit of 25 years of the India-ASEAN dialogue partnership.
- In a historic first, the 10 leaders will collectively be the chief guests at next year’s Republic Day celebrations in India.
Theme
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Powering Digital and Physical Linkages for Asia in the 21st Century
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The Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) comprises of Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam. India’s focus on a strengthened and multi-faceted relationship with ASEAN is an outcome of the significant changes in the world’s political and economic scenario since the early 1990s and India’s own march towards economic liberalisation. India’s search for economic space resulted in the ‘Look East Policy’.
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World’s oldest eye
Researchers have unearthed what they believe to be the “oldest eye” in a 530-million-year-old fossil of an extinct sea creature.
- The fossil of Schmidtiellus reetae, which includes an early form of the eye seen in many of modern animals, including crabs, bees and dragonflies, was discovered in Estonia.
Schmidtiellus reetae had a primitive form of compound eye — an optical organ that consists of arrays of tiny visual cells, called ommatidia, similar to those of present-day bees. Although the species had poor vision compared with many modern animals, it could identify predators and obstacles in its path. Its eye consisted of approximately 100 ommatidia, and did not have a lens, like the modern compound eyes, probably because the primitive species lacked parts of the shell needed for lens formation.
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Sri Lanka formally hands over Hambantota port to China
Sri Lanka formally handed over the strategic southern port of Hambantota to China on a 99- year lease, in a deal dubbed by the Opposition as a sell-out
- Two Chinese firms — Hambantota International Port Group and Hambantota International Port Services managed by the China Merchants Port Holdings Company and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority — will own the port and the investment zone around it.
- Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe during a visit to China in April had agreed to swap equity in Chinese infrastructure projects launched by former President Mahinda Rajapakse in his home district.
The Hambantota Port is a maritime port in Hambantota, Sri Lanka. The first phase of the port was opened on 18 November 2010, with the first ceremonial berthing of the naval ship "Jetliner" to use the port facilities. It is named after former President Mahinda Rajapaksa
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Srilanka
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China
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Capital
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Colombo
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Beijing
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Currency
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Srilankan Rupee
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Renminbi
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President
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Maithripala Sirisena
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XI Jinping
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UN rejects US recognition of Jerusalem as Israeli capital
UN has rejected US recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.
- The decision was taken at a special United Nations Security Council meeting.
- The UN move is expected to set off alarms about the risk of escalating conflict in the West Asia.
- Eight of the 15 members of the UN Security Council, the organization that looks out for peace and security around the world, had called for an urgent meeting to analyze the decision taken by Washington
- The UN in a statement, at the end of the meeting, the status of Jerusalem must be determined through negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians to reach at a final status agreement.
UN
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Founded
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October 24, 1945
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Secretary General
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Antoris Guttoris
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Maldives signs trade pact with China
The Maldives signed a crucial free trade deal with China, while endorsing its Maritime Silk Road project shunned by India for its strategic implications in the Indian Ocean.
- The China-backed multi-billion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) — of which the MSR is a part — is similar to Maldives’ strategy of achieving economic progress by making use of its geographic advantages, Mr. Xi told Mr. Yameen while expressing appreciation for the Maldives’ proactive participation in the BRI.
- After acquiring Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port on a 99-year lease in a $1.1 billion debt swap deal, China has now roped in the Indian Ocean archipelago nation, located strategically in India’s backyard, to implement the MSR.
- China has also set up a ‘logistics base’ for its navy in Djibouti, also located in the Indian Ocean region in the Horn of Africa.
Maldives
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Capital
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Male
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Currency
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Maldivian rufiyaa
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President
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Abdulla Yameen
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French President Emmanuel Macron has been awarded the prestigious International Charlemagne Prize
- French President Emmanuel Macron has been awarded a prestigious German prize for his contributions to European unity in recognition of his ‘vision of a new Europe’.
- International Charlemagne Prize is awarded annually by the city of Aachen, near the Belgian and Dutch borders.
- Previous winners include former US President Bill Clinton and Pope Francis and John Paul II.
- The prize ceremony is held in May in Aachen, from where the Holy Roman emperor Charlemagne once ruled Western Europe.
The Charlemagne Prize is a European prize. It has been awarded annually since 1950 by the German city of Aachen to people who contributed to the unity of Europe. It commemorates Charlemagne, ruler of the Frankish Empire and founder of what became the Holy Roman Empire, who resided and is buried at Aachen.
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Iraq declares war with Islamic State is over
Iraq has announced that its war against Islamic State is over.
- Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi told a conference in Baghdad that Iraqi troops are now in complete control of the Iraqi-Syrian border.
- The border zone contained the last few areas IS held, following its loss of the town of Rawa last month.
- The Iraqi announcement comes two days after the Russian military declared it had accomplished its mission of defeating IS in neighbouring Syria.
- The militant group had seized large swathes of Syria and Iraq in 2014, when it proclaimed a “caliphate” and imposed its rule over some 10 million people.
- But it suffered a series of defeats over the past two years, losing Iraq’s second city of Mosul this July and its de facto capital of Raqqa in northern Syria last month.
Iraq
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Capital
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Baghdad
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Currency
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Iraqi Dinar
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President
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Fuad Masum
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HP to sell 3D printers in India by early 2018
Technology major HP said it would introduce its range of 3D printers in the Indian market in the first quarter of 2018.
- HP sells 3D printers in Japan and China in Asia.
- HP India MD Sumeer Chandra
Tata Consultancy Services tops wealth creation list in India
Tata Consultancy Services retained its top slot in Motilal Oswal’s 22nd Annual Wealth Creation Study for the fifth time in a row.
- It created investor wealth worth Rs 2.5 lakh crore between 2012 and 2017.
- Private-sector lender HDFC Bank with Rs 2.31 lakh crore is at the second spot.
- Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries is at the third spot with a wealth of Rs 1.89 lakh crore.
- ITC (Rs 1.59 lakh crore) and Maruti Suzuki (Rs 1.41 lakh crore) took the fourth and fifth places, respectively.
FE Best Banks Awards: SBI bags best Nationalised Bank award
India’s most coveted banking awards i.e Financial Express Best Banks Awards ceremony is taking place in New delhi.
- The chief guest for this prestigious FE Best Bank Awards was Nitin Gadkari, who is Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport & Highways, Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.
FE Best Bank Awards 2015-16
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Nationalised Bank
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State Bank of India
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Savings Bank Product
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Kotak Mahindra Bank
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Mobile Banking Application
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ICICI Bank
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Non- Banking Financial Institution
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Ujjivan Financial Services
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Special Initiative Award
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Shriram Transport Finance
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Banker of the Year
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Arundhati Bhattacharya
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Lifetime Achievement Award
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Uday Kotak
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New Private Sector Bank award
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HDFC Bank
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Old Private Sector Bank award
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City Union Bank
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Azar Khan has been appointed as the ambassador of India to Turkmenistan
Azar A.H.Khan has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Turkmenistan.
- He is presently working as the Consul General in the Consulate General of India in Istanbul.
Shah Rukh Khan named top Indian actor of 2017 by IMDb
Actor Shah Rukh Khan has been named the top Indian actor of 2017 by Internet Movie Data Base (IMDb).
- The list is based on IMDb’s Star Meter stats and page views, and also takes into consideration which actor stayed at the top and for how long.
- Aamir Khan and Salman Khan occupied the second and third spots respectively.
IMDb is an online database of information related to films, television programs and video games, including cast, production crew, fictional characters, biographies, plot summaries, trivia and reviews, operated by IMDb.com, Inc., a subsidiary of Amazon.
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India beat Germany to win bronze in Hockey World League
India won the Bronze medal in the Hockey World League Final tournament.
In the third-place playoff match at Bhubaneswar, they beat Germany 2-1.
- SV Sunil and Harmenpreet Singh scored for India, while Mark Appel scored for Germany.
- In the pool stage, India had lost to Germany.
Air Quality Index likely to be added to ‘playing conditions’
The ICC might incorporate air pollution in its ‘playing conditions’ clause after taking a serious note of the plight of the Sri Lankan cricketers during the third and final Test against India recently.
- The ICC has decided to refer the matter to its medical committee, which has been provided the relevant reports as well as data of the prevailing air quality in Delhi.
- Since the ‘playing conditions’ never had any specific mention of air pollution, it is expected that the permissible AQI (Air Quality Index) limit to play competitive cricket will be added.
Sri Lanka names new coach
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) named Chandika Hathurusingha as the new head coach.
- The Sri Lankan had resigned as Bangladesh’s coach in October after guiding the side to its most successful period during his three years in charge, masterminding Test wins over England and Australia.
- The Sri Lanka post has been vacant since South African Graham Ford quit in June. Nic Pothas has been the interim coach.
Gautam Singhania elected to the FIA World Motor Sports Council
The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India’s (FMSCI) nominee Gautam Singhania won the seat in the FIA World Motor Sports Council.
- The post was previously held by former UB Group boss Vijay Mallya.
- Singhania, chairman and MD of Raymond Group, was one of the 14 members who were elected from 22 nominees.
- He took part in Ferari Challenge in Europe, apart from participating in various drag racing competitions.
