Current Affairs December 29, 2017

NATIONAL

Gujarat CM inaugurates 25th National Children Science Congress in Ahmedabad

The 25th National Children Science Congress was held in Ahmedabad.The Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijay Rupani inaugurated the Congress. It mainly focuses on persons with disabilities.

Theme: ‘Science and Innovation for Sustainable Development’

It was attended by 900 children from 30 states and six Asian countries, scientists, educationists and others. The aim of the Congress is to bring India in top-three position in the world in the field of science technology by year 2030.

India Successfully Test-Fires AAD Supersonic Interceptor Missile

India successfully test-fired its indigenously developed Advanced Air Defence (AAD) supersonic interceptor missile. It is capable of destroying any incoming ballistic missile at low altitude. It is launched from Odisha.

The interceptor missile successfully hit an incoming ballistic missile head-on at an altitude of 35 km. This was the third supersonic interceptor test carried out this year.It was a part of efforts to have a full-fledged multi-layer Ballistic Missile Defence system.

President Inaugurated 100th Indian Economic Association Conference

President Ramnath Kovind inaugurated the Four-day 100th Annual Conference of the Indian Economic Association at Acharya Nagarjuna University in Guntur of Andhra Pradesh.

The President will also inaugurate fibernet at the temporary Secretariat in Velagapudi.

Indian Economic Association meeting is to focus on economic growth of the country and growth in agriculture, industry and service sectors.

Indian Economic Association is a registered body of Indian economic professionals with an objective of providing a forum for debate and discussion of policy-oriented issues. The Association currently has 5000 plus members, both individual and institutional which is established in 1917.

Association of Indian Football Coaches launched in Mumbai

The Association of Indian Football Coaches (AIFC)to provide a platform for the coaches in Mumbai.

It has been launched with the recognition of the All India Football Association (AIFA) and the objective of the AIFC is to make it 65,000 coaches in the next five years.

The board of directors of the newly floated coaches body comprises former India captain, M Vijayan, former international players Derrick Pereira, Sanjoy Sen and Thangboi Singto.

INTERNATIONAL

India inks pact with Yemen to provide medical assistance

India provided medical assistance worth about $1 million to Yemen. It was signed in response to a request from the Yemeni government.

Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar presented a box of anti-cholera medicines to Yemeni Ambassador Abdulmalik Abdullah Al-Eryani.

India has earlier extended medical assistance to Yemen in April 2015. Additionally, India provided food assistance in the form of rice and wheat, each worth $2 million in August 2012 and March 2013.

Yemen

Capital: Sana’a

Currency: Yemeni Rial

President: Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi

India Signs Loan Agreement with World Bank for UP Tourism Project

India signed a loan agreement worth $40 million with the World Bank for UP Pro-Poor Tourism Development Project. It is aimed at increasing tourism-related benefits for local communities in Uttar Pradesh.

The total project cost is around $57.14 million, out of which $40 million will be financed by the World Bank, and the remaining amount will be funded out of the state budget.

The major districts under attractions in Uttar Pradesh are Agra, Mathura, Vrindavan, Barsana and Govardhan in the Braj region.

World Bank

Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States

President: Jim Yong Kim

APPOINTMENTS

George Weah to Become Liberia’s president

The former football star George Weah has won Liberia’s presidential election, defeating the vice-president, Joseph Boakai.

He will succeed Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first elected female president, in Liberia’s first democratic handover in decades.

He entered politics after his retirement from the game in 2002 and is currently a senator in Liberia’s parliament. He is the only African footballer to have won both Fifa World Player of the Year and the prestigious Ballon D’Or.

Liberia

Capital: Monrovia

Currency: Liberian dollar

President: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

Shri Radha Mohan Singh launches Livestock Disease Forewarning –Mobile Application (LtDF-Mobile App)

Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister, Shri Radha Mohan Singh launched Livestock Disease Forewarning –Mobile Application (LDF-Mobile App). It is developed by ICAR-National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics (ICAR-NIVEDI), Bengaluru.

ICAR-NIVEDI used Monthly Bulletin system to send out early warning and apart from early warning, the app will also provide information about clinical samples for the diagnosis in case of the epidemic so that immediate action in case of the epidemic.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

SBI Gets Board Approval to Raise Rs 8,000 crore to Comply Basel III

The country’s largest lender SBI gets board approval for raising Rs 8,000 crore through various sources, including masala bonds, to meet Basel III capital norms.

Masala bonds are rupee- denominated specialised debt instruments that can be floated in overseas markets only to raise capital.

State Bank of India (SBI) said it had time till March 2018 to raise the funds.

Banks in India have to comply with the global capital norms under Basel III by March 2019, three months later than the internationally-agreed time frame, by January 2019.

Basel III reforms are the response of Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) to improve the banking sectors ability to absorb shocks arising from financial and economic stress, whatever the source, thus reducing the risk of spill over from the financial sector to the real economy.

SBI

Chairman: Rajnish Kumar

Headquarters: Mumbai

Tagline: Pure Banking, Nothing Else

Pluto Exchange launches India’s first bitcoin trading app

The Cryptocurrency dealer Pluto Exchange announced the launch of India’s first mobile application for transacting in virtual currencies.

The country’s first app-based wallet will enable bitcoin transactions using a mobile number. By using a four-digit personal identification number (PIN), users can now buy, sell, store and spend bitcoins via a mobile number.

The app would also permit a range of transactions, including payments, remittances, business-to-business commerce, supply chain finance, asset management and trading.

SPORTS

Viswanathan Anand wins World Rapid Chess Championship

Indian chess ace Viswanathan Anand has won the World Rapid Chess Championship in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.The 48-year-old Anand has thus claimed his first rapid world title since 2003.

In the final, Anand beat Russia’s Vladimir Fedoseev to reclaim the title.

OBITUARY           

“Bugs Bunny” Creator Bob Givens passes away

Bob Givens, the original creator of one animation’s most iconic cartoon characters, Bugs Bunny, has passed away. He worked on some of your favourite childhood TV shows such as He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe, Ghostbusters and Tom & Jerry.