Current Affairs Weekly PDF

Current Affairs Weekly PDF – December Third Week

(15-21)

INDIAN AFFAIRS

• Union Water Resources Ministry is planning to merge phase-I and II of Ken-Betwa inter-linking of
rivers (ILR) project such as to link the rivers Ken in Madhya Pradesh and Betwa in Uttar Pradesh.
Estimated cost for the first phase was Rs 18000 crore while second phase would cost Rs 8000 crore.
• On December 12, 2017, Chandigarh Administrator, VP Singh Badnore in collaboration with the
Bank of India launched Chandigarh smart city cards which is a personalised card having a
photograph and other details of the cardholder.
• Indian Railways has formed a six-member committee to review the flexi-fare system in premium
trains.The committee comprises Ravinder Goyal, Adviser in Niti Ayog, Meenakshi Malik, Executive
Director for Revenue Management in Air India; Iti Mani, Director for Revenue, at Le Meridien,
Delhi, S Sriram, Professor of transport economics and railway board officials.
• On 14th – 17th December 2017, Subhash Ramrao Bhamre, Minister of State for Defence inaugurated
49th Annual Conference of the Society of Nuclear Medicine – India - SNMICON 2017 is held in
New Delhi.
• Maharashtra Government has started efforts to adopt Clinical establishment (Registration and
Regulation) Act with an aim to ensure the minimum standards of facilities and services provided by
them.
• On December 15, 2017, Government approved 'Muslim Women Protection of Rights on Marriage
Bill', under which, the practice of instant triple talaq will be made illegal and would attract a jail term
of three years. The draft 'Muslim Women Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill' has been prepared
by an inter-ministerial group headed by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh
• On 13th December 2017, On the occasion of the fourth anniversary of the BJP government in
Rajasthan ,Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje announced the increase in age limit while
applying for government jobs from 35 to 40 years.
• On 15th – 22nd December 2017, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar inaugurated the second
edition of the Serendipity Arts festival is held in Goa. The festival is hosted across 11 venues which
are a mix of indoor and outdoor locations.
• On 15th December 2017, Vice-President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the World
Conference on Vedas, “Vishwa Ved Sammelan”, at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts
(IGNCA) in New Delhi.
• On December 15, 2017,Union Cabinet has approved the continuation of the current Non Lapsable
Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR) scheme for North Eastern India.
• On December 15, 2017,Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved Capital Investment
Subsidy of Rs.264.67 crore to four industrial units located in North Eastern Region (NER) including
Sikkim.
• On December 15, 2017,special package for employment generation in leather and footwear sector
involves implementation of ‘Indian Footwear, Leather & Accessories Development Programme’.
• On December 15, 2017,Cabinet approves Agreement with UNESCO on establishment of
International Training Centre for Operational Oceanography in Hyderabad.
• On December 15, 2017 Union Cabinet has approved the continuation of Centrally Sponsored
Scheme of National Ayush Mission (NAM) for three year period from April 1, 2017 to March 31,
2020 with an outlay of Rs. 2400 crore.
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• On December 15, 2017, Union Cabinet approved creation of one circle office of Commissioner of
Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) to monitor rail safety, which includes inspecting new railway lines
and safety of passengers.
• On December 15, 2017 ,Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the second financial
restructuring proposal of Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL).
• On December 15, 2017, Union Cabinet approved the draft National Medical Commission Bill, which
seeks to replace Medical Council of India (MCI) with a new body, to ensure transparency.
• On December 15, 2017, Meghalaya Chief Minister, Mukul Sangma launched ‘The Meghalaya
Community Participation and Public Services Social Audit Act, 2017’ and become first state in India
to operationalise a law that integrates social audit of government programmes and schemes as part of
government practice.
• On December 15, 2017, India and Maldives commenced their 8th joint military exercise
"EKUVERIN" in Belagavi, Karnataka. This exercise is to familiarise both armies with each other's
operating methodology in context of counter-terrorist operations in an urban or semi-urban region.
• On 15th December 2017, Vice President M.Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the five-day World Telugu
Conference (WTC) hosted by Telangana, at Lal Bahadur Stadium, in Hyderabad.
• On 15th December 2017, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter
Kumar imposed a complete ban on plastic items like carry bags, plates and cutlery in towns located
on the banks of the River Ganga like Haridwar and Rishikesh.
• On 15th December 2017, the Nagaland Assembly passed a resolution unanimously revoking the
provisions of 33 % reservation for women in urban local bodies.
• On 16th December 2017, President Ram Nath Kovind, laid the foundation stone of the NYAYA
GRAM project of the High Court of Allahabad, in Allahabad.It is a model township of the Allahabad
High Court. Rs 395.10 crore has been sanctioned for the project.
• On 14th December 2017, Union Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Dr Harsh
Vardhan inaugurated the seven-day International Herbal Fair started in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
Delegations from Bhutan, Nepal, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and other countries attended the Fair.
• From 11th to 14th Dec.,In New Delhi India Center Foundation (ICF) was organised the Global
Partnership Summit (GPS) 2017 to bring about socio-economic development in India GPS has
evolved from the India Japan Global Partnership (IJGP) initiative.
• On December 16, 2017, PM Narendra Modi announced Central Government’s decision to invest Rs
90000 crore for building a network of highways and roads in the North Eastern region of India.
• On 16th December 2017, Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore announced a sports tie-up
between Lakshmi Bai University of Physical Education and a Japanese university at the
commemorative ceremony of the Japan-India sports exchange programme.
• Uttar Pradesh’s Minister for Religious Works and Culture, Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary has proposed
U.P Government will set up a research institute for the study of the 'Bhagavad Gita' in Mathura at
144th anniversary celebration of the Government Museum, Mathura.
• On December 16, 2017, Andhra Pradesh State Cabinet approved a scheme to provide a pension of Rs
1500 to transgenders for above 18 years of age in the state. Among other Indian states, Kerala and
Odisha have already introduced pension scheme for transgenders.
• Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has formed a 30-member central advisory panel, which
will advise government on implementation of the Real Estate Regulation Act (RERA) and will play
an important role to protect the interest of consumers(homebuyers’ interests).
• On December 16, 2017 , 24th Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council Meeting was held under the
chairmanship of Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley through video conferencing.
• On December 16, 2107, Union Petroleum Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated Eastern India's
first compressed natural gas (CNG) stations in Bhubaneswar, Odisha to supply CNG to vehicles. The
two CNG stations are located at Chandrasekharpur and Patia area in Bhubaneswar.
• Jokapatha village, a tribal village in Balrampur district of Chhattisgarh got electricity connection for
the first time since independence under Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana
'Saubhagya' scheme.

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• In a bid to ensure overall development of tribal areas across India and for ensuring inclusive growth
of Scheduled Tribes (STs) including tribal women, Central Government has adopted Tribal Sub-
Plan which will now be referred to as ‘Scheduled Tribe Component’.
• On December 16, 2017, Election Commission (EC) decided to set up a panel to suggest amendments
to a provision in Representation of People Act and the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) will evaluate
the effectiveness of Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act of barring campaigning 48
hours ahead of polling in context of fast changing communication technologies.
• Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won Gujarat legislative assembly elections for the sixth straight
time in 182-member Gujarat assembly.BJP also won state assembly election in Himachal Pradesh. In
the 68–member Himachal Pradesh State Assembly.
• On December 19, 2017, Rajya Sabha passed the Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2017 by a voice
vote.This bill seeks to introduce major amendments in the Companies Act, 2013.
• On December 16, 2017, Assam State Government and Isha Foundation signed a memorandum of
understanding (MOU) for rejuvenation and conservation of rivers. Isha Foundation is led by spiritual
leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev
• On December 18, 2017, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Ashwini Kumar
Choubey informed Lok Sabha that Drugs Controller General of India has granted permission to an
Indian firm to conduct Phase-I clinical trials for a Zika vaccine. Zika virus infection is primarily
spread by the Aedes egypti mosquito.
• On December 18, 2017, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, inaugurated the first
national-level training of trainers programme for Sendai Framework in New Delhi. It has been
organised by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in collaboration with the United
Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction-Global Education and Training Institute (UNISDR-
GETI).
• Telangana State Government’s Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) has got environment
clearance from Union Ministry of Environment and Forest. However, the clearance came along with
certain conditions.
• On 19th December 2017, Losar Festival has started the celebration for 3 to 9 days in different parts of
Ladakh of Jammu and Kashmir.
• On 18th December 2017, the Punjab government announced a complete ban on the manufacturing,
sale, production, supply and use of kite string made of nylon, plastic or any other synthetic material.
Permission is given only for a cotton thread free from any sharp, metallic, glass component, adhesive
and thread strengthening material
• On 19th December 2017, Suresh Prabhu, Commerce and Industry Minister, announced that India will
host a mini-ministerial meeting of 40 WTO (World Trade Organisation) members in February 2018.
The 11th WTO meet collapsed recently in Buenos Aires. It ended without any ministerial declaration
or outcome.
• Andhra Pradesh Government along with the UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for
Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) is planning to set up a gaming for e-learning hub.It
will be the first of the its kind in India and Asia-Pacific region.
• NITI Aayog Vice Chairman, Rajiv Kumar has stated that Central Government should consider
setting up a labour utilisation fund in order to handle the challenge of growing redundancy of low-
skilled labour in India .
• Central Government has sanctioned 42 Mega Food Parks (MFPs) to be set up across India under
Mega Food Park Scheme, administered by Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries, is to
provide a mechanism for linking agricultural production to the market by bringing together farmers,
food processors and retailers.
• On December 19, 2017, Lok Sabha passed the Central Road Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2017, to
amend the Central Road Fund Act, 2000 which contains provision for distributing cess levied and

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collected on high speed petrol and diesel for development of national highways, rural roads,
railways, state roads and border area roads.
• On December 19, 2017, Rajya Sabha unanimously passed Indian Institutes of Management
(IIM)Bill, 2017 which provides greater functional autonomy to Indian Institutes of Management
(IIMs) and confers powers to grant degrees instead of post-graduate diplomas.
• In a bid to cut power consumption, the Indian Railways has laid out plan to make all stations 100 per
cent LED lit by March 31, 2018.
• Indian Army’s Southern Command is conducting an exercise called 'Hamesha Vijayee' in Jaisalmer-
Barmer deserts of Rajasthan from 16th – 22nd December, 2017 with an objective to evaluate the
capability and preparedness of Indian armed forces to carry out strikes deep into enemy territory in
an integrated air-land battle.
• Uttar Pradesh State Government, under Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath has scrapped ‘Shravan
Yatra’, a scheme under which elderly citizens could undertake pilgrimage free of cost , entire
boarding and lodging expenses was borne by the state government.
• On 18th and 19th December 2017, the inaugural India-U.S. Counter-Terrorism Designations Dialogue
was held in New Delhi.
• On 20th December 2017, the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) held its
3rd meeting under the chairmanship of Dr Bibek Debroy, Chairman of EAC-PM & Member of NITI
Aayog in New Delhi.
• On 16th December 2017, Arun Jaitley, Union Finance Minsiter, stated that the Central Government
was committed to improve the purchasing power of farming community when he was addressing an
international forum on "Role of Rural and Agricultural Finance to Achieve Sustainable Development
Goals".
• On December 21, 2017, Union Minister of Communications, Manoj Sinha launched DARPAN –
“Digital Advancement of Rural Post Office for A New India”with financial outlay of Rs. 1400 Crore.
• On December 21, 2017 Cabinet approves by twelve weeks extension of term of the Commission to
examine the issue of sub-categorization of Other Backward Classes headed by Justice (Retd.) Smt.
G. Rohini.
• On December 21, Union Cabinet has approved Railway Ministry’s initiative to set up the first
ever National Rail and Transport University (NRTU) in Vadodara, Gujarat.
• On December 20, 2017, Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved "Scheme
for Capacity Building in Textile Sector (SCBTS)", a new skill development scheme, covering the
entire value chain of textile sector , will be implemented from 2017-18 to 2019-20 with financial
outlay of Rs 1300 crore.
• World University of Deisgn (WUD), India's first and only Design University opened its campus at
Sonipat, Haryana. The World University of Design is promoted by Om Parkash Bansal Educational
and Social Welfare Trust of Mandi Gobindgarh, Punjab.
• On 20th December 2017, the Indian Forest (Amendment) Bill, 2017 was passed in the Lok Sabha.
was introduced by Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan.As per the bill's Statement of Objects and
Reasons, section 2, the amended will exclude the word "bamboos" from the definition of tree and
will eliminate the need for permission to transport bamboos grown in non-forest area
• On 19th December 2017, Uttar Pradesh government announced the setting up of Cow Protection
Committees (Gau Sanrakshan Samitis) in all districts of Uttar Pradesh to make sure that cow sheds
(gaushalas) are operated efficiently.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

• According to World Inequality Report 2018 released by World Inequality Lab, deregulation and
related economic reforms since 1980s inequality in India increased to such an extent that top 0.1% of
earners have captured more growth than all those in the bottom 50% combined.

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• Norway has become the first country in the world to shut down national broadcasts of its frequency
modulation (FM) network and switchover to Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) which has begun in
January 2017.
• Oxford Dictionaries has declared "Youthquake" as 2017's Word of the Year, reflecting what it calls a
political awakening among millennial voters.
• ‘Dubai Camel Hospital’, world’s first hospital at a cost of $10.9 million for camels, opened in Dubai
. It is to be noted that Camels are an important part of United Arab Emirates (UAE’s) heritage.
• As per a report by United Nations, nearly 15.6 million people from India live overseas, thus making
Indian Diaspora, the largest in the world. In 2015, total number of international migrants was
estimated at 243 million. With 15.6 million, Indians constituted 6% of this global figure.
• On December 15, 2017, Iran opened its first ‘Monir Museum’, which opened in Tehran dedicated to
Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, a solo female artist who has garnered widespread international
attention during decades of exile.
• On December 16, 2017, World Health Organization (WHO) declared Gabon as a "polio-free
country" was based on the facts that no new cases of polio have been reported from Gabon in recent
times. Currently polio is endemic, only in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
• On December 17, 2017, Switzerland unveiled world’s steepest funicular railway link to the alpine
resort of Stoos. Funicular is a type of cable railway (a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles
on rails) on an inclined pane of cliff.
• On 19th December 2017, the Indian and Sri Lankan navies completed the 2nd phase of the joint
oceanographic survey conducted off the South Western Coast of Sri Lanka. Indian Naval Ship (INS)
Sutlej went to Sri Lanka for this survey.
• On December 19, 2017, France's parliament approved a law banning all exploration and production
of oil and natural gas by 2040. French Government has also decided that no new exploration licenses
will be granted and existing drilling permits will not be renewed.
• On 17th December 2017, the 11th edition of 'Naseem Al Bahr' or 'Sea Breeze' a biennial exercise was
conducted off the coast of Oman. Indian Naval ships - INS Trikand and INS Teg participated in the
exercise. P8I – a versatile, long-range maritime aircraft also participated from Indian Navy.
• On 19th December 2017, China announced its plan for a national carbon market that would be the
world’s biggest trading system for climate-warming emissions. China’s National Development and
Reform Commission vice-chairman Zhang Yong said, this national carbon market will initially
include only the power sector.
• According to Expedia Vacation Deprivation Report 2017, India is the fifth most vacation deprived
country. This report has been compiled on basis of an online survey conducted by Northstar
Research Partners on behalf of Expedia, an international travel company.

BANKING & FINANCE

• Danny Alexander, Vice-President and Corporate Secretary of the Asian Infrastructure Investment
Bank (AIIB) has stated that India is the first country where AIIB has approved more than $1 billion
of financing which includes funding support primarily for energy, transport and broader
infrastructure projects.
• On December 14, 2017, Jammu and Kashmir Bank launched "J&K Bank Sahafat Finance Scheme”
for journalists of the state for buying cameras, laptops, tablets and books. Loan under this schemes is
being offered at J&K Bank’s Marginal Cost of Funds Based Lending Rate(MCLR) plus 3.4 per cent
interest rate.
• India’s largest bank, State Bank of India (SBI) has launched ‘State Bank Rewardz’, under this
scheme, SBI customers will get reward points for various transactions across many banking services
offer by SBI.
• On 15th December 2017, the Cabinet approved an amendment to a current law to allow for payment
of an interim compensation in cheque dishonour cases with a view not to allow unscrupulous
elements holding payments.

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• On December 15, 2017, Union Cabinet decided to waive the merchant discount rate (MDR)
applicable on all debit cards, Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) and Unified Payment Interface
(UPI) transactions up to Rs 2000.
• On December 12, 2017, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed a penalty of Rs 5 crore
on Syndicate Bank for non-compliance with its directions on Know Your Customer (KYC)" norms
Cheque Purchase or Discounting and Bill Discounting.
• A panel formed by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has
recommended easing of norms that require 50 per cent of the funds mobilized from traditional life
insurance policies to be invested in government securities.
• YES Bank and the European Investment Bank (EIB) have released a joint statement announcing a
co-finance programme of $400-million renewable power generation projects being built and operated
by leading Indian companies and private sector developers in India.
AU Small Finance Bank has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Sahaj e-Village
for providing its banking service in remote areas of India under the flagship of National e-
Governance Plan (NeGP) of Central Government.
• Central Government has infused capital of Rs. 51858 crore in public sector banks (PSBs) under the
Indradhanush Plan to resolve issues faced by Public Sector banks and make them capable to compete
with Private Sector banks.
• On December 19, 2017, Indian Government signed a Financing Agreement for International
Development Association, IDA (member of the World Bank Group) credit of USD 125 million for
the “Skills Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement Operation (STRIVE) Project”.
• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has initiated prompt corrective action (PCA) against Bank of India
owing to its high non-performing loans, negative return on assets for two consequent years and
insufficient capital.
• Airtel has deposited an interim penalty of Rs 2.5 crore with UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority
of India) after action was taken against it for allegedly opening payments bank accounts of its mobile
subscribers without their consent.
• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has initiated prompt corrective action (PCA) against United Bank of
India owing to its high net non-performing loans, low leverage ratio and requirement to raise capital.
World Bank has granted USD 825 million loan Pakistan for upgrading its energy and public finance
sectors. World Bank has stated that, USD 425 million out of the total loan would be used to
modernise Pakistan’s national power grid.

BUSINESS

• Tata Sons has announced that GE Aviation and Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) have entered
into a partnership to manufacture, assemble, integrate and test aircraft components and will jointly
manufacture CFM International LEAP engine components in India.
• On December 16, 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 60 MW Tuirial hydropower
project in Aizawl, Mizoram on Tuirial River which is the first large hydropower project
in Mizoram.It was executed by North Eastern Electric Power Corporation( NEEPCO) under Union
Ministry of Power.
• On Dec.16, 2017 Samsung India has partnered with UNESCO MGIEP (Mahatma Gandhi Institute of
Education for Peace and Sustainable Development) to launch first 360-degree video and Virtual
Reality (VR) content of Sun Temple in Konark and Taj Mahal at the Transforming Education
Conference for Humanity (TECH) 2017 in Visakhapatnam.

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• Online cab aggregator, Ola entered into an agreement with Bajaj Allianz to offer a comprehensive
insurance programme named ‘Chalo Befikar' for its driver partners. Under this programme, Ola’s
driver partners can avail an insurance cover of up to Rs 5 lakh.
• Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has temporarily barred Bharti Airtel from
conducting Aadhaar-based SIM verification of mobile customers using eKYC process due to Airtel
has been using Aadhaar-eKYC based SIM verification process to open payments bank accounts of
without subscribers consent.
• Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Radha Mohan Singh has announced that India is
the second largest producer (after China) of horticultural crops and fruits in the world at the World
Orange Day 2017 event in Nagpur on December 17, 2017.
• On December 18, 2017, Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister, Dharmendra
Pradhan stated that Iraq has overtaken Saudi Arabia to become India's top crude oil supplier in 2017-
18.
• Andhra Pradesh State Fibernet Limited (APSFL) has signed an agreement with Alphabet Inc's X to
bring high speed internet to about 12 million households and free space optical communication
(FSOC) technology to improve digital infrastructure in the state by March 2019.
• On December 18, 2017, Directorate General of Training (DGT) under Ministry of Skill Development
& Entrepreneurship and automobile manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki India Limited signed a
Memorandum of Understanding under Skill India Mission to develop specific training modules
relevant to the automobile industry.
• On 19th December 2017, the Konkan Railway and IIT Bombay signed a MoU to transform George
Fernandes Institute of Tunnel Technology in Goa to a world-class centre of knowledge in tunnel and
underground structure technologies.
• On 20th December 2017, National Association of Software and Services Companies
(NASSCOM) and Dalian Municipal People's Government signed a joint investment agreement to
create a platform called the Sino-Indian Digital Collaboration Plaza (SIDCOP) in Dalian.
• On 20th December 2017, representatives of the German Development Bank (KfW) and North Eastern
Electric Power Corporation Ltd. (NEEPCO) signed a loan agreement for additional funding of 20
million Euro for Pare Hydro Electric Plant (Pare HEP).

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

• On 15th December 2017, Jitesh Singh Deo bagged the title of Peter England Mr India 2017. He will
now represent India at Mr World 2020.
• Roger Federer has been voted BBC overseas sports personality of the year for a record fourth
time.Roger Federer and the other award winners will be honoured during Sunday's BBC Sports
Personality of the Year ceremony in Liverpool.
• On 15th December 2017, Selection committee headed by poet and scholar Satya Vrat Shastri was
announced that Bengali poet Joy Goswami will be honoured with the Moortidevi Award for the year
2017 for his poetry collection named 'Du Dondo Phowara Matro'.
• During the Indian Engineering Congress held on 21st December 2017 at Chennai., Scientific Advisor
to the Defence Minister G Satheesh Reddy will be awarded the National Design Award. Satheesh
Reddy heads Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex.
• The England’s women cricket team has won the BBC Team of the Year Award 2017.
after it won against India in the World Cup.
• Tata Steel’s Joda East Iron Mine (JEIM) in Kendujhar district of Odisha has been honoured with
Golden Peacock Innovation Management Award for the year 2017 for driving innovation in mines.
The award was presented to Debashis Jena, Chief of JEIM at Institute of Directors (IOD) India’s 2nd
Global Convention, which was recently held at Singapore.
• On 17th December 2017, Shree Saini was crowned ‘Miss India USA 2017’ at the pageant held at
Royal Alberts Palace in Edison, New Jersey.
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• On December 19, 2017 Zee Cine Awards 2018, honouring excellence in Indian Film industry was
held in Mumbai . The award ceremony was hosted by comedian Sunil Grover, and Director Rohit
Shetty. Best Actor (Male) award went to Varun Dhawan for movie ‘Badrinath Ki Dulhania’, while
Sridevi was conferred Best Actor (Female) award for movie ‘Mom’.
• Lionel Messi received the Pichichi award and the Alfredo Di Stefano award instituted by Marca
Sports Journal for La Liga 2016-2017 season. He also won the Alfredo Di Stefano award for the best
player in La Liga 2016-2017 season.
• Cricketer Virat Kohli has replaced actor Shah Rukh Khan as India's top-ranking celebrity brand
according to The 'Rise of the Millennials: India's Most Valuable Celebrity Brands' report for 2017
was published by Duff & Phelps.
• The United Kingdom has scored the top spot in Forbes' rankings of best countries in the world for
business in 2018 for the first time. India has been ranked 62nd on the list.
• On 21st December 2017, Authors Mamang Dai and Ramesh Kuntal Megh were announced Sahitya
Akademi award winners for 2017 in 24 languages.
• Mamang Dai has been awarded Sahitya Akademi award 2017 for his novel, The Black Hill, in
English.
• Ramesh Kuntal Megh has been awarded Sahitya Akademi award 2017 for his literary
criticism Vishw Mithak Sarit Sagar, in Hindi.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

• International Hockey Federation (FIH) chief Narinder Batra has been elected as president of the
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) for a four-year term at its Annual General Meeting. Anandeshwar
Pandey was elected as treasurer. R K Anand was elected as senior vice president.
• R Hemalatha has been appointed the new Director of National Institute of Nutrition (NIN),
Hyderabad.
• On 13th December 2017, Czech President Milos Zeman appointed billionaire businessman Andrej
Babis Czech prime minister.
• On 15th December 2017, Ravindra Jaiswal , a Deputy Chief of Mission, Berne was appointed the
next Ambassador of India to Sudan.
• On 1st December 2017, Ms. Smita Nagaraj took the oath of office and secrecy as Member, Union
Public Service Commission (UPSC).
• On 15th December 2017, Pradeep Kumar Gupta , Counsellor who was High Commission of India,
Accra was appointed to the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Mali.
• Conservative leader and billionaire, Mr.Sebastián Piñera, has won Chile's presidential election.
• On 19th December 2017, Justice Swatanter Kumar, chief of National Green Tribunal (NGT) retired
from the post.He was appointed the NGT chairperson on December 20, 2012.
• Michel Coulomb replaces Sanjay Kaul as the Apple’s head of sales for its operations in India.He was
Managing Director (South Asia).
• On 20th December 2017, Justice Umesh Dattatraya Salvi assumed office as the acting Chairperson of
the National Green Tribunal (NGT).Justice Salvi has replaced Justice Swatanter Kumar, who retired
recently.
• On 19th December 2017, Dr Samiran Panda was appointed as director of National AIDS Research
Institute (NARI), Pune. Dr Samiran Panda replaces Dr R R Gangakhedkar, as the full time director
of NRAI.

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ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

• The Walt Disney Co. has set a $52.4 billion, all-stock deal to acquire 20th Century Fox and other
entertainment and sports assets from Rupert Murdoch’s empire. The deal values the 21st Century
Fox assets in the transaction at $66.1 billion, including $13.7 billion in 21st Century Fox debt, or $28
a share.
• On 15th December 2017, State Bank of India said the Carlyle Group has completed the acquisition of
GE Capitals entire 26 per cent stake in SBI Card. SBI Card is operated through two joint ventures -
SBI Cards & Payment Services and GE Capital Business Process Management Services.
• On December 15, 2017, Direct-to-home (DTH) operator Dish TV India Ltd (owned by Zee Group)
announced that the company has received the final approval from Union Information and
Broadcasting Ministry for completing its merger with Videocon d2h, the DTH arm of Videocon
Industries Ltd. The new merged entity will be called Dish TV Videocon Limited.
• Bharti Airtel made an agreement with international telecom company, Millicom International
Cellular ’s subsidiary Tigo Rwanda Limited for acquiring 100% stake.Stake in Tigo Rwanda Limited
is to be acquired by Airtel Rwanda Ltd.
• Ola, run by ANI Technologies Pvt. Ltd has acquired online food delivery firm Foodpanda
India from its German parent Delivery Hero AG in an all-stock deal. Ola would invest $200 million
into Foodpanda India.
• On 20th December 2017, the Edelweiss Group announced its acquisition of Religare Enterprises
Ltd’s securities business, including securities and commodities broking, and depository participant
services.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• SpaceX has launched a used spacecraft with a used rocket for the first time ever. It launched 2 pre-
flown rocket parts together for the first time, a used Dragon spacecraft riding on top of a used Falcon
9 rocket.
• On 16th December 2017, Google announced the shutting down of its high-end smartphone
Augmented Reality (AR) platform, Tango. Google wants to shift focus to its mass market product,
ARCore. Tango support will stop on March 1, 2018.
• US-based National High Magnetic Field Laboratory has successfully tested the world's strongest
superconducting magnet ‘32 T’, producing 32 teslas (a unit of magnetic field strength), 33% stronger
than the previous record.
• Phasing out ceremony of MI-8 “PRATAP” helicopter was held at the Air Force Station, Yelahanka
in Bengaluru on December 17, 2017. The ceremony was attended by several Indian Air Force (IAF)
veterans.
• Eastern Railway has launched a mobile application named “R-MITRA” (Railway Mobile Instant
Tracking Response & Assistance) for security of passengers, especially women, in Kolkata and
suburban areas of Eastern Railway Zone.

ENVIRONMENT

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) engineers used an enzyme called luciferase which
helps to create bioluminescent trees that glow like fireflies.

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• On 14th December 2017, NASA revealed the discovery of Kepler-90i planet which is the eighth
planet discovered in the Kepler-90 system using a Google neural network trained to identify planets
from the NASA Kepler space telescope's data.It is a sun-like star located around 2,545 light-years
from us.
• For the first time, Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has compiled a list of 157 alien invasive animal
species which pose a threat to biodiversity and human well-being. This conference was organised by
the ZSI and the Botanical Survey of India (BSI).
• On December 21, 2017, Director General of Indian Coast Guard, Rajendra Singh commissioned
Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) ‘Sujay’ in Goa. ICGS ‘Sujay’ is an Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV)
that has been designed and built indigenously by Goa Shipyard Ltd.
• On 21st December 2017, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh launched PUDA-UCIC app to
check unauthorised construction and a new web portal of the housing department for online issue of
change of land use.
• Scientists have discovered a new frog species "Odorrana arunachalensis" in Talle Valley Wildlife
Sanctuary (WLS) at Lower Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh.Odorrana arunachalensis species
is seen only during the wet season, from April to September.

SPORTS

• On 15th December 2017, the emblems of the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games,
respectively named "Winter Dream" and "Flight," were unveiled at the National Aquatic Center,
Beijing, China.
• On 15th December 2017, the first ever International Wheelchair Cricket Tournament was organised
in Kathmandu, Nepal. It has participation of teams from Nepal, India and Bangladesh.
• Indian Junior Girls have claimed four gold, three silver and a bronze medal at the Valeria
Demyanova Memorial International Boxing Tournament in Ukraine. Arundhati Choudhury won
a gold medal in the 60 kg , Raj Sahiba won gold medal in the 70 kg ,
and Mitika Sanjay won gold medal in the 66 kg
• On 16th December 2017, India won 10 gold and 10 silver medals on the first day of the
Commonwealth Wrestling Championship in South Africa’s Johannesburg.
• On 16th December 2017, Spain’s Georgina Garcia-Perez won the singles title in the NECC-ITF
women’s tennis championship in Pune. Georgina has become the first Spaniard to win the ITF title in
Pune.
Real Madrid won the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2017 and claimed the FIFA Club World Cup UAE
2017. Real Madrid has became the first side in the history of the FIFA Club World Cup to retain the
trophy.
• Francois Gabart, a French sailor, has broken the record for sailing around the world alone by
circumnavigating the world in 42 days and 16 hours which is more than 6 days faster than the
previous record, created by France’s Thomas Coville in 2016.
• On 17th December 2017, former Brazilian World Cup champion Ricardo Kaka made the
announcement of his retirement as a football player.
• On 17th December 2017, PV Sindhu won silver medal at the Dubai World Badminton Superseries
Finals 2017. Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi won gold .
• On 17th December 2017, Sushil Kumar and Sakshi Malik won gold medals at the Commonwealth
Wrestling Championships in Johannesburg, South Africa.
• On 18th December 2017, International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced a life ban for Russia’s
Alexey Voevoda from the Olympics for anti-doping violations in the 2014 Sochi Winter Games.
Two gold medals in the two-man and four-man bobsled events were cancelled.
Indian junior boxers won 6 gold, 4 silver and 1 bronze medals and finished overall champions at the
fifth International Sven Lange Memorial Tournament, Schwerin, Germany. The Indian team won

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the ‘Best Team’ of the tournament award. Also, Bhavesh Kattamani (52kg) who won a gold medal,
was awarded the ‘best boxer trophy’.

• On 18th December 2017, Aakarshi Kashyap won both Under-17 and Under-19 singles titles at the
Junior National Badminton Championships in Guwahati.
• Kerala Kings became the first-ever T10 Cricket League champion at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, in
Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
• On 19th December 2017, India defeated Nepal in the ongoing SAFF U-15 Women's Championship at
Dhaka, Bangladesh.
• The 9th edition of International Youth Sailing Competition of India is held in Krishnapatnam Port in
Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, from December 27th to December 31st 2017. This is the largest sailing
competition in India
• On 21st December 2017, Louise Martin, president of the Commonwealth
Games Federation announced Birmingham as host city of the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

OBITUARY

• Keely Smith, a pop and jazz singer, died due to heart failure in Palm Springs, California, US.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

• On 15th December 2017, Vikas Khanna launched his coffee table book "Poeatry" at the Times Litfest
in Mumbai. It is a collection of over 100 poems related to food and life. It is conceptualised and
designed by Kumar Chiplunkar at Chap & Chapette.

IMPORTANT DAYS

• On December 15, 2017, Amitabh Kant,CEO of NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission launched Atal
Tinkering Lab’s Community Day in New Delhi to provide these children with educational tools and
encourage them to become problem solvers.
• On 16th December 2017, Vijay Diwas was observed in India and Bangladesh.It marks India’s
military victory over Pakistan in 1971 during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, in alliance with
Bangladesh.
• On 18th December National Minority Rights Day was observed all over India every year since 2013.
It is celebrated in India by the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) which was set up by the
central government under the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992.
• On 18th December 2017, International Migrants Day was celebrated all over the world. The theme
for International Migrants Day 2017 is: Safe Migration in a World on the Move.
• On 19th December 2017, 56th Goa Liberation Day was celebrated in Goa.Goa Liberation Day marks
the day on which Goa was released from Portuguese dominance with assistance from the Indian
Navy in 1961.
• On 20th December 2017, International Human Solidarity Day was observed all over the world.

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• The UN General Assembly declared 20th December as International Human Solidarity Day to
promote solidarity and the spirit of sharing.To promote solidarity, World Solidarity Fund was
established

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