current affairs weekly capsule i 23 to 29 december 2018 · current affairs weekly capsule i 23rd to...

Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I

23rd to 29th December 2018

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Table of Contents Awards & Honours ............................................................................................................................................ 3

Days & Events ................................................................................................................................................... 4

International Affairs .......................................................................................................................................... 4

National Affairs ................................................................................................................................................. 5

India & World .................................................................................................................................................... 6

Personalities in News ........................................................................................................................................ 7

Environment ..................................................................................................................................................... 7

Government Policies & Schemes ....................................................................................................................... 8

Science & Technology ....................................................................................................................................... 9

Books & Authors ............................................................................................................................................... 9

Committees & Recommendations ..................................................................................................................... 9

Business & Economy ......................................................................................................................................... 9

Sports ............................................................................................................................................................. 11

Defence .......................................................................................................................................................... 12

Polity............................................................................................................................................................... 13



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Awards & Honours

Documentary wins award at a film festival

'Finding Beauty in Garbage' received the Best Short documentary film award in 'Asia South East

International Short Film Festival' in Cambodia on 28

December 2018.

The Film which is based on the garbage of Dibrugarh town in upper Assam.

The seven-minute film was produced, directed, and scripted by Satyamam Dutta who is an Indian

Revenue Service (IRS) Officer presently posted in

Dibrugarh.

Chamba SP conferred 'Champion of Change' award

Chamba's Superintendent of Police Monika Bhutunguru was conferred with the 'Champion of

Change' award by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on 27 December 2018.

She was awarded for her immense contribution, exemplary work and bringing a significant change in

the Chamba district.

The award selection jury was led by former Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishna.

Govt institutes 'Aapda Prabandhan Puraskaar'

The government of India has instituted the 'Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskaar'.

The award will be given to recognise the excellent work done by individuals and institutions in the field

of disaster management.

If the awardee is an institution, it will be given a cash prize of Rs 51 lakh.

If the awardee is an individual, the person will receive a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh.

Champions of Change award given to Manipur CM

Manipur's Chief Minister N Biren Singh was conferred with the 'Champions of Change' award by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on 26 December

2018.

He was awarded for his exemplary leadership in bringing about transformation in governance in the

northeastern state.

The award selection jury was led by former Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishna and former Supreme

Court judge Sudha Mishra.

Swachch Bharat Grand Challenge Award announced

As part of the Swachhta Pakhwada held from 1 to 15

November 2018, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) organised a 'Swachch Bharat Grand

Challenge'.

This was organised to reward innovative solutions by DIPP recognized Start-ups in the country.

Four areas of sanitation, waste management, water and wastewater management, and air management

were selected for the grand challenge.

Sitarist Manju Mehta gets 'Tansen Samman'

Sitar player Manju Mehta was conferred with the 'Tansen Samman' for 2018 by the Madhya Pradesh

government

The award was given for her contribution in the field of music.

She was given a cash award of Rs 2 lakh and a memento.

She was presented with the award at the inaugural ceremony of the Tansen Music Festival on 25

December 2018.

'Rafi Award' conferred to Laxmikant & Usha

The 'Mohammed Rafi Award 2018' was given to late music composer Laxmikant Shantaram Kudalkar and

playback singer Usha Timothy.

Laxmikant was given the Mohammed Rafi Lifetime Achievement Award consisting of 1 lakh rupees and a trophy.

Usha Timothy was honoured with the award and 51,000 rupees.

The awards were instituted by the NGO Spandan Arts.

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Railways bags Energy Conservation Awards

Energy Conservation awards 2018' on 14 December

2018.

It participated in three categories: Railway stations, hospitals, and institutions.

awards for the sub-sector railway station.

sub-sector Railway hospitals.

Days & Events

Indian Social Science Congress inaugurated

The 42nd Indian Social Science Congress was inaugurated by Manipur Governor Dr. Najma

Heptulla in Bhubaneswar on 27 December 2018.

Indian Social Science Congress is the annual meet of social scientists organized by Indian Social Science

Academy (ISSA).

Childres's Science Congress inaugurated

The 26th National Childres's Science Congress was inaugurated by the Odisha's Chief Minister Naveen

Patnaik in Bhubaneswar on 27 December 2018.

The event will provide a platform for children to showcase their creativity and ability in science

innovation.

The event is supported by the National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC).

Indian Science Congress to be held on 3 Jan 19

The 106th Indian Science Congress will be held on 3 January 2019 at Lovely Professional University in

Punjab.

The theme of the four-day event is 'Future India: Science and Technology'.

The aim of the event is to bring together science fraternity from across the world to discuss

innovations and researches.

It is organised by the Indian Science Congress

Association.

Good Governance Day: 25 December

Good Governance Day is observed annually on 25th December, the birth anniversary of former Prime

Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Good Governance Day was established by the government of India in 2014.

The aim of the day is to make people aware of the government's commitment to providing a transparent

and accountable administration in the country.

National Consumer Day: 24 December

National Consumer Day is observed in India every year on 24 December.

The theme for 2018 National Consumer Day is 'Timely Disposal of Consumer Complaints'.

On this day the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 had

received the assent of the President.

The Consumer Protection Act aims to provide consumers with effective safeguards against

different types of exploitation.

International Affairs

Pakistan to issue 'Panda bonds'

Pakistan's cabinet has approved the issuance of first-ever renminbi-denominated 'Panda Bonds'.

It will issue the bonds to raise loans from China's capital markets.

It expects to raise $500 million to $1 billion in different tranches.

The interest rate may be over 5.5% but the final price will be determined at the time of launching the bond.

Russia successfully tests hypersonic missile

Russia's Defence Ministry successfully conducted the final tests of the 'Avangard' hypersonic missile system on 26 December 2018.

The intercontinental 'Avangard' system would be ready for use from 2019.

It can fly at 20 times the speed of sound and can be maneuvered up and down.

It is designed using new composite materials to withstand temperatures of up to 2,000 degrees Celsius.

Nepal caps expenditure of its citizens

On 25 December 2018, Nepal imposed a monthly limit on the amount of Indian currency its citizen can

spend in India.

Nepali citizen would not be able to spend more than Rs. 1 lakh every month while paying for goods and

services in India.

The policy is applicable to prepaid, credit, and debit cards of Nepali banks.

The decision was taken to deal with the current account deficit of Nepal.

Italy's Mount Etna erupts

Italy's Mount Etna erupted on 24 December 2018, causing a magnitude 3.3 earthquake and the closure

of Sicily's Catania Airport.

The Mount Etna observatory said lava had spewed from a new fracture near its south-eastern crater.



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Mount Etna is Europe's highest and most active volcano.

In June 2013, it was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Japan announces withdrawal from IWC

Japan has announced its withdrawal from the

International Whaling Commission (IWC)in 2019.

It will resume commercial hunting of whales in its territorial waters and exclusive economic zone from

July 2019.

Japan will not be able to continue hunting of whale for the scientific research in the Antarctic.

Japan joins Iceland and Norway which defies the

IWC's ban on commercial whale hunting.

Thailand approves medical use of marijuana

On 25 December 2018, Thailand approved the licensed use of marijuana for medical use and

research.

The changes will legalize the production, import, export, possession, and use of marijuana products

for medical purposes.

Thailand became the first country in Southeast Asia to allow the use of medical marijuana.

Recreational use of the drugs remains still illegal in Thailand.

SpaceX launches new GPS satellite

Global Positioning System (GPS) III satellite,

nicknamed 'Vespucci', on 23 December 2018.

The new GPS satellites, built by Lockheed Martin, will provide three-times better accuracy than the current system of GPS and will be eight times better

at anti-jamming.

The GPS is owned by the U.S. military and operated by the U.S. Air Force.

Turkmenistan launches first messaging app

Turkmenistan launched its first messaging app on 24 December 2018.

The name of the messaging app is 'BizBarde'.

The app will allow the exchange of messages, files, photos, and videos.

The application is available via the Google Android platform as well as Apple's iOS and Microsoft

Windows.

Tsunami strucked Indonesia's Sunda Strait

Tsunami strucked coastal towns of Indonesia's Sunda Strait on 22 December 2018.

It is thought undersea landslides from the Anak Krakatau volcano caused them.

The Sunda Strait, between the islands of Java and Sumatra, connects the Java Sea to the Indian Ocean.

Indonesia is prone to tsunamis because it lies on the Ring of Fire, the line of frequent earthquakes and

volcanic eruptions.

Patrick to be acting Defence Secretary

US President Donald Trump appointed Patrick Shanahan as acting Defence Secretary on 23

December 2018.

He will take the post from 1 January 2019.

He will replace Defence Secretary Jim Mattis.

At present, he is the Deputy Defence Secretary.

He was a former executive at the aerospace giant Boeing.

Burundi names Gitega as new capital

Burundi government declared the small central city of Gitega as the country's new political capital on 22 December 2018.

Burundi's previous capital Bujumbura will function as the country's economic centre.

Cabinet meetings will henceforth be held in Gitega, where five ministries will also be established from the

start of 2019.

Pierre Nkurunziza is the President of Burundi.

National Affairs

Delhi Police digitised all malkhanas

The Delhi Police became the first police force in the

country to digitise all malkhanas.

Malkhanas are rooms for keeping seized arms and ammunition, across every police station in the state.

The digitisation of case properties would give a boost to the prosecution and the judicial system by

making it easier to maintain, locate, and retrieve case properties.

NHRC launches toll-free helpline

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) launched a toll-free number and also a facility to file

complaints through Common Service Centre (CSC).

The toll-free number is '14433'.

These steps had been taken by the NHRC to expand its outreach.

Justice (retd) H L Dattu is the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission.

Foundation stone of 11 projects for laid

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari laid the foundation stone of 11 projects for Yamuna Rejuvenation under Namami Gange Programme in New Delhi.

The projects have been taken up under 'Namami Gange Programme' by 'National Mission for Clean

Ganga' to conserve river Yamuna in Delhi.



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Most of the projects are for the sewerage infrastructure and are at various stages of

implementation.

Telangana & AP to get separate High Courts

President Ramnath Kovind issued orders constituting a separate High Court for Andhra Pradesh with effect

from January 1, 2019.

The High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad will now become the High Court for Telangana.

With the creation of the new High Court for Andhra Pradesh, the country now has 25 High Courts.

The High Court for Andhra Pradesh will function from Amravati.

Photography Awards to be held in Feb 2019

The photo division of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting will organise the 7th National

Photography Awards in February 2019.

The photographers will be awarded in mainly three categories - lifetime achievement award, awards for

professional photographers, and the awards for the

amateur photographers.

The Life Time Achievement award carries a cash prize of three lakh rupees.

Maha launches Vajpayee international schools

Maharashtra government launched Atal Bihari Vajpayee International Schools in Mumbai on 25

December 2018.

The schools are affiliated to the newly formed

Maharashtra International Education Board (MIEB).

The State aims to introduce international curriculum in 100 schools run by civic bodies, the tribal

development department, the social justice

department, and the education department.

Rs 100 coin in memory of Vajpayee launched

A commemorative coin worth Rs 100 in honour of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was

launched on 24 December 2018.

The coin features the Emblem of India on the front side.

The reverse side of the coin features a portrait of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The years 1924 and 2018 are inscribed below Vajpayee's portrait to mark the year of his birth and

death respectively.

Stamp to commemorate Paika rebellion released

On 24 December 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a stamp and a coin to commemorate

the Paika rebellion of 1817 in Odisha.

The Paika Rebellion was the first war of Independence against the British.

In the early 1800s, the farming community of Odisha had risen in rebellion against British's revenue model.

The rebellion of 1817 came to be known as Paika Bidroh.

PM announces Sardar Patel Award

Prime Minister, Narendra Modi announced annual

'Sardar Patel Award for National Integration' on 22 December 2018.

The award was announced by him while addressing the conference of DGPs/IGPs in Gujarat's Kevadia.

The award will be given every year for 'outstanding efforts' in the field of furthering national integration.

NGT bans mining close to Sariska reserve

On 22 December 2018, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) banned all mining activities within 10 km

radius of the Sariska Tiger Reserve.

It also said that any further mining activity is subject to the clearance of leases by the National Board of Wildlife.

The Supreme Court had in 2006, prohibited any mining activity within 1 km of national parks and

sanctuaries.

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India & World

India to provide Bhutan Rs 400 Cr

India will provide Bhutan a transitional trade support facility of Rs 400 crore over a period of five years.

The amount will help in strengthening the bilateral trade & economic linkages between India and

Bhutan.

India and Bhutan reiterated their commitment to jointly develop 10,000 MWs of hydropower

generating capacity in Bhutan and in this regard

discussed the 'Sankosh Hydropower' Project.

India announced financial assistance to Bhutan

India announced Rs. 4,500 crore financial assistance to Bhutan for its 12th five-year plan.

The announcement was made after the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Lotay Tshering, Prime

Minister of Bhutan.

The new five-year plan of Bhutan began this year and will continue till 2022.

PM Tshering arrived in New Delhi on his first foreign visit on 27 December 2018.

1st meeting of the Follow-up Committee held

The first meeting of the Follow-up Committee for implementation of the Trilateral Chabahar

Agreement between India, Afghanistan, and Iran was held in Chabahar in Iran on 24 December 2018.

They agreed on the routes for the trade and transit corridors between the three countries.

'India Ports Global Limited' company opened its office and took over operations of Chabahar port on this occasion.

Personalities in News

Colin completed Solo trek across Antarctica

the first person to complete a solo trek across

Antarctica without the assistance of any kind.

He took 54 days to complete the nearly 1,000-mile (1,600-km) crossing Antartica.

He arrived at the finish point on the Ross Ice Shelf on the Pacific Ocean.

In 1996-97, a Norwegian explorer, Borge Ousland, made the first solo crossing of Antarctica.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee's memorial inaugurated

'Sadaiv Atal', the memorial of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was inaugurated in Delhi on 25

December 2018.

He passed away on 16 August 2018 after a prolonged illness.

The memorial project was funded by the Atal Smriti Nyas Society.

'Sadaiv Atal' memorial will be managed by a trust headed by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.

Vedangi: Fastest Asian to cycle the globe

Indian woman Vedangi Kulkarni has become the fastest Asian to cycle the globe.

She completed the 29,000 kilometers' distance required to qualify as bicycling across the globe.

She spent 159 days peddling up to 300 kilometers a day in 14 countries.

British adventurer Jenny Graham is the fastest woman to have cycled the globe in 124 days in 2018.

Environment

Cabinet approves submission of BUR to UNFCCC.

The Union Cabinet approved the submission of

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate

Change (UNFCCC).

As per the report, India emitted around 2.607 billion

tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent of Green House Gases in 2014.

India had submitted its first BUR in 2016.

The scope of BUR is to provide an update to India's 1st BUR to UNFCCC.

Government Policies & Schemes

Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

December 2018.

-24 February 2019 at Air Force Station,

Yelahanka, Bengaluru.

The web page is open for registration of UAV players interested in taking part in the maiden event of Aero India.

Cabinet approves a hike in MSP for Copra

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its approval for an increase in the Minimum Support

It has been increased to Rs.9521/- per quintal for 2019 season from Rs. 7511/-per quintal in 2018.

The approval is based on recommendations of Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices

(CACP).



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Export incentives for onion farmers doubled

The government of India has doubled the export incentives for onion farmers from the existing 5% to

10%.

The export incentive for fresh Onions was zero before July,2018.

During July 2018, the incentives were introduced at the rate of 5%.

The export incentive programme allows farmers to get a credit from the government, which can be used

to pay various taxes.

Booklet on cyber safety released

Home Ministry has brought out a booklet on cyber safety for school children to inform them about

different aspects of cyber safety.

The title of the booklet is 'A Handbook for Students on cyber Safety'.

It also deals with the problems of cyberbullying, cyber grooming, and email fraud.

It advises teenagers against accepting friend requests from unknown people on social media.

Cabinet approves 10,000 cr Gaganyaan project

The Union Cabinet approved the Gaganyaan project under which a three-member crew will be sent to space for at least seven days.

The project will cost Rs 10,000 crore.

India has already inked agreements with Russia and France for assistance in the ambitious project.

Gaganyaan will help India become the fourth nation to send humans to space.

The mission will be undertaken by 2022.

Handbook of Ministry of I&B released

The 'Administrative Handbook' of Ministry of Information & Broadcasting was launched on 27 December 2018.

The handbook is a mix of a telephone directory and a diary and displays contact details of all officers of the

Ministry and Media Units.

Col.Rajyavardhan Rathore (Retd.) is the Minister of

State (Independent Charge) for Information & Broadcasting.

Haryana to rename CCIs as 'Jagannath Ashrams'

Haryana's Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced to name all the Child Care Institutes (CCIs) being run in the state as 'Jagannath Ashrams.'

The Chief Minister made the announcement during an event in Karnal.

A child care institution as defined under the JJ Act,2015, is a facility recognized under the Act for

providing care and protection to children, who are in need of such services.

485 schemes launched under 'Digital Haryana'

Haryana government launched 485 schemes under the 'Digital Haryana' initiative on 25 December 2018.

Haryana became the first state in India, where 4000 'Atal Seva Kendras' in rural areas, 22 at district headquarters, 51 at the sub-divisional level, & 20

'Antyodya Saral Kendras' at Tehsil level, has been

launched simultaneously.

A toll-free Antyodaya Helpline number was also inaugurated.

'Atal Ayushman Uttarakhand Yojana'launched

'Atal Ayushman Uttarakhand Yojana' was launched in Uttarakhand on 25 December 2018.

Under the scheme, each household in the state will be able to avail medical treatment of up to Rs 5 lakh

annually.

The scheme will benefit 23 lakh households and cover 1,350 critical diseases.

A total of 99 government and 66 private hospitals have been selected under the scheme.

MSMEs Ministry to establish governing council

The Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) has proposed to establish a governing council to ensure the efficient delivery of

all export-related interventions.

The step is a part of its action plan to boost shipments from micro, small and medium enterprises.

The governing council shall be chaired by Secretary, MSME and co-chaired by Development

Commissioner in MSME Ministry.

MSAMB appoints officers to facilitate trade

Maharashtra has become the first state in the country to appoint out-of-state trade

representatives.

The Maharashtra State Agriculture Marketing Board (MSAMB) appointed six trade representatives to

promote trade in semi-perishable commodities.

They will also collect relevant market information.

They have been posted in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Assam, and Tamil Nadu.

UP approves setting up of 2 development boards

The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet gave its approval for setting up of development boards for Bundelkhand

and Purvanchal.

It will be chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Both boards will be formed for 3 years.

The Chairperson of the board will select two Vice-Chairmen, 11 non-government members and two

experts for each board.

Government to make all meters smart prepaid



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Ministry of Power, Government of India has decided to make all meters smart prepaid in 3 years from 1st

April 2019.

Advantages of this step: Reduction of AT&C losses, better health of Discoms, energy conservation, ease of bill payments, and doing away with the paper bills.

Consumers need not to pay the whole month's bill in one go instead they can pay as per their

requirements.

Science & Technology

SpaceX launches new GPS satellite

SpaceX successfully launched the US Air FGlobal Positioning System (GPS) III satellite,

nicknamed 'Vespucci', on 23 December 2018.

The new GPS satellites, built by Lockheed Martin, will provide three-times better accuracy than the

current system of GPS and will be eight times better at anti-jamming.

The GPS is owned by the U.S. military and operated by the U.S. Air Force.

'Super-

Researchers have discovered a new exotic planet outside the solar system in the constellation 'Cassiopeia'.

The planet has been named 'HD219134 b'.

It is located 21 light years away from earth.

It has a mass of almost five times that of Earth, which is considered a so-called 'super-Earth'.

It is rich in calcium and aluminum alongside magnesium and silicon.

World's smallest tic-tac-toe game board made

Researchers from the California Institute of Technology have developed the world's smallest tic-

tac-toe game board by using dynamic DNA origami

tiles.

DNA origami tiles are microscopic organic structures that can be programmed to transform into predesigned patterns.

Earlier, scientists had developed the world's smallest version of the iconic Mona Lisa using the same

technique.

Books and Authors

Book on Maharaja Jagatjit Singh launched

Punjab's Chief Minister Amarinder Singh released a book on former ruler Maharaja Jagatjit Singh of

Kapurthala on 24 December 2018.

The title of the book is 'Prince, Patron, and Patriarch - Maharaja Jagatjit Singh of Kapurthala'.

It is co-authored by Brigadier (Retd) Sukhjit Singh and Cynthia Meera Frederick.

Committees & Recommendations

'Economic capital framework' committee formed

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in consultation with the government of India, has set up a six-member

committee to review the 'Economic Capital

Framework' of the central bank.

Former RBI Governor Bimal Jalan will be the

The other members are Economic Affairs Secretary Subash Chandra Garg, RBI Deputy Governor N.S.

Vishwanathan and two board members of the RBI.

Business & Economy

PSBs approve loans worth over Rs 37,400 cr

Public Sector Banks (PSBs) approved more than 1.12 lakh loan applications of MSMEs worth of 37,412

crore rupees under the '59 minutes' loan scheme.

The scheme was launched by the government of India in November 2018.

GST-registered Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) can take the loan up to one

crore in just 59 minutes through

'psbloansin59minutes.com' portal.

RBI enhances single borrower limit facility

The Reserve Bank of India extended the enhanced single borrower limit facility for Non-Banking Finance

Company (NBFC) sector by 3 months.

It has now been extended up to March 31, 2019

This will provide much-needed liquidity support to

NBFCs.

In October 2018, RBI increased the single borrower limit for NBFCs from 10% to 15% of capital funds.

Cabinet approves listing of 7 unlisted CPSEs

6 Central Public Sector Enterprises will be listed on the stock exchange.

Telecommunication Consultants Ltd, RailTel

Corporation India Ltd, National Seed Corporation India Ltd, Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Ltd,

Water & Power Consultancy Services Ltd, & Aravali

Gypsum and Minerals Ltd will be listed on the exchange.

The government will dilute the stake in Kudremukh Iron Ore Company.

RBI relaxes withdrawal limit for depositors



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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) relaxed the restrictions placed on the City Co-operative Bank

Ltd., by allowing the depositors to withdraw ₹5,000.

In April 2018, the RBI barred the bank from extending fresh loans or making a new investment without prior approval and depositors were allowed to withdraw

₹1,000.

City Co-operative Bank Ltd. is based in Mumbai and its Chairman is Anandrao Adsul

HDFC group surpasses Tatas in m-cap

HDFC group has become the most valuable business house in the country.

It has surpassed the Tatas in terms of Market capitalisation.

The cumulative market valuation of HDFC group surged to Rs 10.40 trillion on 27 December 2018.

HDFC group has five listed firms - HDFC Ltd, HDFC Bank, HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company, Gruh

Finance Ltd and HDFC Asset Management Company.

7th tranche of electoral bonds sale from 1 Jan

The seventh tranche of electoral bonds sale will take place from 1 to 10 January 2019.

The State Bank of India has been authorised to issue and encash Electoral Bonds through its 29 Authorised Branches.

A person can buy electoral bonds, either singly or jointly, with other individuals.

An electoral bond will be valid for 15 days from the date of issue.

Seven PSBs to receive Rs. 28,615 crore

The government will infuse Rs. 28,615 crore into seven public sector banks (PSBs) through

recapitalisation bonds by the end of December 2018.

The amount infused will help the banks meet regulatory capital requirement.

Out of these seven PSBs, Bank of India is likely to get the highest amount of Rs. 10,086 crore, followed by Oriental Bank of Commerce which might get Rs.

5,500 crore.

Fiscal deficit touches 115% of target

fiscal deficit touched 114.8% of the full-year target of Rs. 6.24 lakh crore at the end of November

2018 on account of lower revenue collection.

The fiscal deficit stood at Rs. 7.16 lakh crore during April-November of the current financial year.

The government has budgeted to cut the fiscal deficit to 3.3% of GDP in 2018-19, from 3.53% in 2017-

18.

Investment through P-notes rises in November

Investments in the Indian capital market through Participatory notes (P-notes) increased to Rs 79,247

crore in November 2018.

P-notes are issued by registered foreign portfolio investors to overseas investors who wish to be part

of the Indian stock market without registering

themselves directly.

The funds' inflow through P-notes in October 2018 was 69,445 crore rupees.

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Survey launched to capture the payment habits

The Reserve Bank of India launched a 'Survey on Retail Payment Habits of Individuals (SRPHi)' on 26

December 2018.

The survey will cover a sample of 6,000 individuals from various socio-economic backgrounds.

The survey will be conducted in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Guwahati.

The purpose of the survey is to capture the payment habits of individuals.

Centre tightens rules for selling online

The government of India said that e-commerce companies would be barred from selling products

sourced from firms in which they have the stake in or

control over.

It also said that an e-commerce marketplace will not force any seller to sell any product exclusively on its platform.

The norms will come into effect from February 1, 2019.

PNB launches special card for Kumbh Mela

Punjab National Bank (PNB) has launched a special card for Kumbh Mela 2019.

The bank has partnered with the Uttar Pradesh government to create a model for digitization at

Kumbh Mela 2019.

For convenient and hassle-free transactions at these shops, the bank has created the 'PNB Rupay' card

which works even without the internet.

RBI shortlists Wipro, TCS, 4 others for PCR

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) shortlisted six major IT companies to set up a digital Public Credit

Registry (PCR)

The IT companies are TCS, Wipro, IBM India, Capgemini Technology Services India, Dun &

Bradstreet Information Services India, and Mindtree

Ltd.

PCR will be capturing details of all borrowers and wilful defaulters.

It will strengthen the credit culture in the economy.

GST Council cuts rates on 17 items, 6 services

The Goods and Services Tax Council has cut rates on 17 items and six types of services during its 31st

meeting on 22 December 2018.

The GST rate on cinema tickets above ₹100 was cut from 28% to 18% and on tickets up to ₹100 from 18% to 12%.

The Council decided that 5% GST would be levied on renewable energy devices and parts for their

manufacture.

Sports

Croatia football captain Luka Modric was named

He is the second football player to win the prize.

player to win t

1994.

Women Boxing Championship to begin from 31 Dec

The National Women's Boxing Championships will be held in Karnataka from 31 December 2018 to 6

January 2019.

The tournament will be held at the JSW Sports' Inspire Institute of Sports.

This will be the first time that the Boxing Federation

of India (BFI) will be hosting the national championship at the privately-run institute.

Ricky Ponting inducted into ICC Hall of Fame

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting was formally inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame on 26 December 2018.

He was named in the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame along with former India captain Rahul Dravid in July 2018.

He is the 25th Australia cricketer to be formally inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.

He is a three-time ICC Cricket World Cup winner including two times as captain.

Weightlifters banned after 2012 Olympic tests

The International Weightlifting Federation announced that five weightlifters have been

provisionally suspended after reanalysis of their urine

samples provided during the 2012 London Olympics.

They include two Olympic champions, Ukrainian Oleksiy Torokhtiy, and Uzbekistan's' Ruslan

Nurudinov.

The other weightlifters are from Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Belarus.

Youngest woman to have 50 World Cup wins

America's Mikaela Shiffrin became the youngest woman to win 50 World Cup ski races with victory in

the slalom in the French Alps on 22 December 2018.

Slovakia's Petra Vlhova got the second position while Sweden's Frida Hansdotter was in third place in slalom championship.

Slalom is an alpine skiing and alpine snowboarding discipline, involving skiing between poles or gates.

Kuttappa new chief coach for men's boxing

CA Kuttappa has taken over as India's Chief boxing coach on 26 December 2018.



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He took over from veteran coach SR Singh, who has now retired.

His first major assignment would be the second edition of the India Open scheduled in January 2019

in Guwahati.

He is credited with shaping some of the country's

most successful boxers such as Vijender Singh, M Suranjoy Singh, among others.

Hamilton awarded Drivers' Driver of the Year

On 22 December 2018, Lewis Hamilton won the 'Drivers' Driver of the Year' award.

For the first time, voting was done to determine the winner of the award.

He won the award after he claimed the 5th World Drivers' Championship.

Lewis Hamilton is the third man in history to secure the 5th world title.

Max Verstappen was placed in the 2nd position and Fernando Alonso got the 3rd place.

Belgium tops FIFA rankings

Belgium ended the year at the top of the FIFA rankings for December released on 20 December

2018.

They are one point ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup champions France.

Belgium has 1,727 points by FIFA's calculations and France has 1,726 points.

France was ranked second.

France is followed by Brazil, Croatia, and England.

Mahesh & Yash clinch squash tournament titles

Squash players Mahesh Mangaonkar of Maharashtra and Yash Fadte of Goa clinched the men's and under

19 boys titles respectively in the 'CCI Western India Squash Championship' on 23 December 2018.

Yash defeated Veer Chotrani of Maharashtra in the under 19 boys final.

Mahesh defeated Vikram Malhotra in the Men's final.

The 75th CCI Western India Squash Championship was held in Mumbai.

Real Madrid won the 'Club World Cup 2018'

Real Madrid won the 'FIFA Club World Cup 2018' in United Arab Emirates (UAE) on 23 December 2018.

They defeated Al Ain in the final match.

With this win, Real Madrid becomes the first ever to claim three straight Club World Cup or

Intercontinental Cup.

They also became the first to win four Club World Cup titles.

It won the world cup in 2014,2016 and 2017.

Bala Rafique won the 'Maharashtra Kesari'

Wrestler Bala Rafique Shaikh won the 'Maharashtra Kesari' title on 23 December 2018.

He defeated Abhijeet Katke of Pune in the final round.

He was honoured with a silver mace and cash prize of Rs 1 lakh.

Maharashtra Kesari is an Indian-style prestigious wrestling championship, established in 1961.

Defence

India successfully test-fires Agni-IV missile

India successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable long-

range 'Agni-IV' on 23 December 2018.

It has a strike range of 4,000 km.

The strategic surface-to-surface missile was flight tested from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Dr.

Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha coast.

Agni-IV missile is equipped with advanced Avionics, 5th generation On Board Computer and distributed

architecture.

IFC-IOR inaugurated in Gurugram

India inaugurated an Information Fusion Centre - Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) on 22 December

2018.

Information Management and Analysis Centre

(IMAC) at Gurugram.

It will work closely with countries in the India ocean region and will be manned by the Indian Navy.

It will track and monitor 75,000 to 1.5 lakh shipping traffic in the IOR in real time.

Polity

Cabinet approves amendments to POCSO Act

On 28 December 2018, the Union Cabinet approved amendments to strengthen the Protection of

Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The new amendment includes the death penalty for sexual assault on children.

It provides for punishments for other crimes against those below 18 years of age.

The Act defines a child as any person below the age of 18 years.

It is gender-neutral legislation.

Union Cabinet approved the Medicine Bill, 2018

On 28 December 2018, the Union Cabinet approved the draft National Commission for Indian Systems of Medicine (NCIM) Bill, 2018.



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The bill seeks to replace the existing regulator Central Council for Indian Medicine (CCIM) with a

new body to ensure transparency.

The draft bill provides for the constitution of the Board of Ayurveda and Board of Unani, Siddha, and Sowarigpa.

Cabinet nod for easing CRZ norms

The Union Cabinet approved the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2018 on 28 December 2018.

The new notification will allow the greater use of coastal areas for tourism and industrial growth.

Temporary tourism facilities such as shacks, toilet blocks, drinking water facilities etc. have now been

permitted in Beaches.

Union Cabinet approves Homoeopathy Bill, 2018

On 28 December 2018, the Union Cabinet approved the draft National Commission for Homoeopathy, Bill, 2018.

The bill seeks to replace the existing regulator Central Council for Homoeopathy (CCH) with a new

body to ensure transparency.

It also proposes a common entrance exam and an exit exam which all graduates will have to clear to get practicing licenses.

Triple Talaq bill passed in Lok Sabha

The Lok Sabha passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2018 on 27 December 2018.

The Bill makes all declarations of instant triple talaq void and illegal.

It seeks to make the practice a punishable offense with imprisonment of up to three years.

The Bill will replace the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Ordinance-2018.

President gives assent to two bills

President Ram Nath Kovind has given assent to two bills from Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh.

The 'Himachal Pradesh Early Childhood Care and Education Centers Bill, 2017' aims to ensure quality

education to children.

The 'Tamil Nadu Vanniyakula Kshatriya Public Charitable Trusts and Endowments Bill, 2018' aims to create a board to maintain and administer public

charitable trusts.

Manipur passes 'Anti-mob Violence Bill'

Manipur's Chief Minister N Biren Singh, who also holds charge of the Home Department, moved the

'The Manipur Protection from Mob Violence Bill,

2018' in the state Assembly.

The bill was passed by the Assembly unanimously on 21 December 2018.

It recommends a rigorous life imprisonment term if the crime results in the death of a victim.

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current affairs weekly capsule i 23 to 29 december 2018 · current affairs weekly capsule i 23rd to...

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