Current Affairs December 9, 2017
Current Affairs December 9, 2017
NATIONAL
India declared free from Trachoma, a bacterial infection of eye:
India has been declared free from infectious Trachoma which is a contagious bacterial infection of the eye.It causes inflamed granulation on the inner surface of the lids. Releasing the National Trachoma Survey Report (2014-17) in New Delhi, said by Health Minister J P Nadda and termed it as a momentous achievement.
MoHUA inks agreement with German firm GIZ for technical cooperation in transport projects:
Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has signed an agreement with German firm GIZ for technical cooperation in the implementation of transport projects in Coimbatore, Bhubaneshwar and Kochi. The agreement has been signed by the ministry’s officer on special duty Mukund Kumar Sinha, and GIZ Country Director Wolfgang Hanning in the presence of Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.
An amount of around 29 crore rupees through GIZ is envisaged for this purpose over a period of three years. The main objective of the agreement is to improve planning and implementation of sustainable urban transport.
1st Intl. Conference on Sports Medicine & Sports Sciences SAICON 2017 Inaugurated in Delhi
The First International Conference on Sports Medicine and Sports Sciences SAICON 2017 was inaugurated by the Minister of State (I/C) Youth Affairs and Sports Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore.Additionally,‘Khelo India’ programme has been chalked out to tap talent at the school and college level.
SAICON 2017 aims to promotescientific temperament in the country and inspire students, researchers and educationists alike to take up sports science and research to the next level.Under the Khelo India national school games would be organised from January 31 to February 8 next year for the under 17 age group.
International conference on Ground water:
An International conference is being organized on the Ground water issues in the country with a theme of “Ground water Vision 2030- Water Security,Challenges and Climate Change Adaptation” from December 11 to 13, 2017. The conference has been organized by the National Institute of Hydrology (NIH), Roorkee and Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) under the aegis of Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Government of India.The conference will be inaugurated by Shri Nitin Gadkari.
Kacheguda Becomes India’s First Energy-Efficient Railway Station:
Kacheguda Railway Station under the South-Central Railway (SCR) has earned the unique distinction of being the first Energy Efficient ‘A1 Category’ Railway Station on Indian Railways.
The station has achieved 100% energy efficiency by replacing 1,312 conventional lights with light-emitting diode (LED) lighting, among other steps. All these measures would save about 1.76 lakh units and Rs.14.08 lakh per annum with reduction of the connected load by 46.18 kW for Railways, said General Manager Vinod Kumar Yadav.
Telangana
- Capital: Hyderabad
- Chief Minister: Chandrasekhar rao
- Governor:E. S. L. Narasimhan(Additional charge)
India to achieve ‘electricity for all’ by early 2020s: IEA
Half a billion people have gained access to electricity in India since 2000, almost doubling the country’s electrification rate, according to the World Energy Access report released by the International Energy Agency (IEA). This “remarkable” growth puts India on course to achieving access to electricity for all in the early 2020s.
Kerala to Raise Minimum Liquor Drinking Age from 21 to 23:
The CPI(M)-led Kerala government decided to raise the minimum age for consuming liquor from 21 to 23. The government will make suitable amendments to the existing liquor policy and bring an ordinance for this.Kerala has the second highest level of per capita liquor consumption for any Indian state following Andhra Pradesh.
- Capital: Tiruvanantapuram
- Chief Minister: Pinarayi Vijayan
- Governor: Sathasivam
BANKING & BUSINESS
Govt extends date for linking Aadhaar with PAN till March 31, 2018:
The government extended the deadline for mandatory linking of PAN with Aadhaar by three months to March 31, 2018. This is the third extension given by the government to individuals to link the Permanent Account Number (PAN) with the biometric ID.As of November, 13.28 crore out of 33 crore PANs have been linked to the 12-digit biometric identifier Aadhaar.
Taj Mahal Named Second-Best UNESCO World Heritage Site:
The Taj Mahal, India’s iconic ivory-white marble mausoleum in Agra, is the second-best UNESCO world heritage site in the world, according to a new survey.
With over 8 million visitors per year, the monument of love built by mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, is rated after Cambodia’s Angkor Wat.Conducted by online travel portal TripAdvisor, the survey lists the UNESCO Cultural and Natural heritage sites best rated by travellers around the globe.
APPOINTMENTS
Azar A.H.Khan Appointed Next Ambassador of India to Turkmenistan:
Shri Azar A.H.Khan, presently Consul General in the Consulate General of India, Istanbul has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Turkmenistan.
London Mayor Names Deepak Parekh as First International Ambassador:
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has named noted Indian businessman, Deepak Parekh, as International Ambassador who will be tasked with championing the UK capital across the globe.
Parekh is the chairman of India’s premier housing finance company HDFC Ltd, a financial conglomerate. He also sits on the boards of a number of companies across diverse sectors.
Bergamasco appointed Performance Director for women’s boxing:
The man behind India’s best ever medal haul at the recently-concluded AIBA Women’s Youth Boxing Championship, Italian coach Raffaele Bergamasco, has been elevated to the position of Performance Director for senior women pugilists.A BFI official said this during a felicitation function for the medal winners of theWorld Championships in New Delhi.
SPORTS
Kanchanmala Pande Wins India’s 1st World Para Swimming Championship Gold:
Visually impaired swimmer Kanchanmala Pande scripted history becoming the first Indian to win gold at the World Para Swimming Championship in Mexico.Pande, who works with Reserve Bank of India (RBI), stood first in the in 200 meters medley event in S-11 category.
MEXICO
- Capital: Mexico City
- Currency: Mexican peso
- President: Enrique Peña Nieto
India wins five medals at 10th Asian Airgun Shooting Championships:
India started with a bang at the 10th Asian Airgun Shooting Championships, collecting five medals on the event’s opening day in Wako City, Japan.
Ravi Kumar won an individual bronze in the men’s 10m air rifle while Arjun Babuta won individual silver in the junior men’s10m air rifle event.India also bagged three team silver medals in each of the three air rifle events.
Japan
- Capital: Tokyo
- Currency: Yen
- Prime minister: Shinzō Abe
