Current Affairs December 18, 2017
Current Affairs December 18, 2017
NATIONAL
Prime Minister announces 90000 crore for improving Roads, Highways in Northeast Region
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Rs 90,000 crore for improving roads and national highways in the Northeast in the next two to three years to facilitate better connectivity.
The prime minister dedicated to the nation a 271-km two-lane national highway connecting Tura in western Meghalaya and Shillong.
Of the amount, Rs 60,000 crore would be spent under Special Accelerated Road Development Programme and Rs 30,000 crore under Bharatmala. This is above Rs 32,000 cr that has already been sanctioned for building over 3,800 kilometers of national highway, of which nearly 1200 kilometers of road has already been constructed in last three years.
The centre is executing 15 New Rail Line projects of 1385 kilometers length, at a cost of over Rs.47,000 crore.
Union Govt approves Capital Investment Subsidy of Rs.264.67 cr for NorthEast Industrial Units
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved Capital Investment Subsidy amounting to Rs.264.67 crore to four industrial units located in North Eastern Region (NER).
It includes Sikkim under Central Capital Investment Subsidy Scheme (CCISS), 2007 of North East Industrial Investment and Promotion Policy (NEIIPP), 2007. The four industrial units are located in North East including Sikkim.
The union government of India has been implementing this scheme to promote industrialization in the North East.
Bhagavad Gita Research Institute to be set up in Mathura
A research institute for the study of the ‘Bhagavad Gita’ will be set up by the Uttar Pradesh government in Mathura.
For research on Gayan (singing), Vadan (the art of music) and Nratya (dance) of the Krishna age, the government is setting up the institute.
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.
With the help of this law, implementation of the schemes would be easier and people will get to know how much money will be spent.
Meghalaya
Capital: Shillong
Chief Minister: Mukul Sangma
Governor: Ganga Prasad
Cabinet approves Agreement with UNESCO on establishment of International Training Centre for Operational Oceanography in Hyderabad
Cabinet approves Agreement with UNESCO on establishment of International Training Centre for Operational Oceanography, as a Category-2 Centre (C2C) of UNESCO, in Hyderabad.
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.
UNESCO
Union Cabinet approves National AYUSH Mission for 2017-2020
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the continuation of Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National Ayush Mission (NAM) from 2017-2020. It has been approved with an outlay of Rs. 2400 crore over the 3 year period.
The NAM is being implemented by Ministry of AYUSH with the objectives of providing cost effective AYUSH Services.
The National AYUSH Mission intends to build on India’s unmatched heritage represented by its ancient systems of medicine like Ayurveda, Sidhha, Unani & Homeopathy (ASU&H) which are a treasure house of knowledge for preventive and promotive healthcare.
GST Council clears e-way bill mechanism for movement of goods
The GST Council has approved mandatory compliance of e-way bill for intra-state movement of goods from June 1, 2018.These decisions were taken at the 24th meeting of the GST Council headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
An e-way bill is required for movement of goods worth more than Rs 50,000. When an e-way bill is generated a unique e-way bill number (EBN) is allocated and is available to the supplier, recipient, and the transporter.
When goods are transported for less than 10 km within a state, the supplier or the transporter need not furnish details on the GST portal.The e-way bill mechanism has been introduced in the GST regime to plug tax evasion loopholes.
INTERNATIONAL
Sebastian Pinera wins Chile’s presidential election
Conservative Sebastian Pinera wins Chile’s Presidential election. Alejandro Guillier came second with 22.7 percent. Pinera will replace incumbent Michelle Bachelet, a socialist who is Chile’s first female president.
Chile
Capital: Santigo
Currency: Chilean Peso
Prime Minister: Michelle Bachelet
WHO Certifies Gabon as Polio free
The World Health Organisation has declared Gabon a “polio-free country”. Gabon’s Health Minister Denise Mekam’ne Edzidzie also urged families to “continue to immunise children and prevent a resurgence of this disease”.
Now the disease is endemic only in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Polio is a highly-infectious viral disease which mainly affects young children and can result in permanent paralysis. There is no cure and it can only be prevented through immunisation.
WHO
Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
Director General: Tedros Adhanom
SPORTS
Sushil Kumar clinches gold at Commonwealth Wrestling Championships in South Africa
Double Olympic medalist Sushil Kumar clinched a gold medal at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championships in South Africa. Sushil defeated New Zealand Akash Khullar in the final of the 74kg freestyle category to clinch the Gold medal.
It was his first medal in international wrestling since his gold medal in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Parveen Rana also won a bronze medal in the same category.
Another Olympic medalist, Sakshi Malik, who won a bronze in the 2016 Rio Games, also clinched a gold medal in the championships. Sakshi defeated New Zealand’s Tayla Tuahine Ford by a score of 13-2 in the final of the 62kg women’s freestyle category.
PV Sindhu Clinched Silver Medal in Dubai World Super Series
PV Sindhu defeated Akane Yamaguchi of Japan to clinch Silver medalin Dubai. TheRecently, Sindhu won Silver at the Olympics 2016 and World Championship 2017.
Brazilian Footballar Kaka announces retirement from football
The former Milan and Real Madrid midfielder Kaka announced his retirement as a player. He is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He is also a 2002 World Cup winner with Brazil.
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