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Today Current Affairs for Competitive

Exams - Current Affairs 2018-2019

Online

If you are appearing for any Government Recruitment Exam, it is important that you are

familiar with the happenings around the world. Current Affairs is an important part of

your syllabus apart from English, Quantitative Aptitude or Logical Reasoning! Thus, we

bring you the Important General Awareness in PDF. Now, Banking, SSC and Insurance

aspirants can read the update containing all the Important Current Affairs 15th

December 2018. You can also attempt yesterday's current affairs quiz:

Current Affairs Quiz – 14th December 2018

Important Current Affairs 15th December 2018

Railways offers 25% discount

o The railways will give a discount of 25% on the extant haulage rate per

Twenty Feet Equivalent Unit (TEU) on the transport of empty containers

as well as empty flat container wagons.

o It is expected to enhance the efficient handling of traffic at ports and

attract a larger share of container traffic to rail.

o It will help to load more commodity at an economical rate.

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Source

Link: https://www.livemint.com/Politics/SMecazZhM9jeslMHNrCkRI/Railways-offers-

25-discount-on-transport-of-empty-container.html

Delhi Police launches 'Prahari' scheme

o Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik launched the 'Prahari' scheme

in the southwest district of Delhi on 14 December 2018.

o The aim of the scheme is to prevent crime and maintain law and order.

o Under the scheme, civic personnel such as chowkidars and security

guards, deployed in commercial and VIP areas, will act as the eyes and

ears of the police for prevention of crime.

Source Link: https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/delhi-police-

launches-community-policing-scheme-in-southwest-delhi-118121401238_1.html

Hubble discovers a vanishing planet

o Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have discovered a planet

roughly the size of Neptune, evaporating at a rate 100 times faster than a

previously identified exoplanet of similar size.

o The name of the planet is 'GJ 3470b'.

o GJ 3470b is 96 light-years away from earth and circles a red dwarf star in

the general direction of the constellation Cancer.

Source Link: https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/hubble-

discovers-a-planet-vanishing-at-record-speed-all-you-need-to-know-

118121400317_1.html

OBOPAY partners with Federal Bank & Mastercard

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o Global financial technology company, OBOPAY, announced the launch of

a new generation pre-payment instrument in partnership with Federal

Bank and Mastercard.

o The OBOPAY card can be availed by all the business entities including

corporate, distributor – retailer ecosystem, colleges, factories etc.

o The card includes 'Split transaction' feature which provides payment

flexibility to users.

Source Link: https://www.zeebiz.com/companies/news-obopay-partners-with-federal-

bank-mastercard-unveils-pre-payment-instrument-for-enterprise-customers-75542

CDAC & France's Atos signed Rs 4.5-bn deal

o India's Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) and

France's IT services company Atos signed a three-year industrial contract

for designing, building and installing the 'BullSequana'.

o 'BullSequana' is the high-performance supercomputer.

o This contract has been awarded to Atos under the National

Supercomputing Mission (NSM).

Source Link: https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/india-s-

cdac-france-s-atos-sign-rs-4-5-bn-deal-for-supercomputers-network-

118121500150_1.html

Indian currency banned by Nepal government

o The Nepal government banned the use of Indian currency notes of Rs

2,000, Rs 500 and Rs 200 denominations.

o The Indian currency is extensively used by Nepalese people and businesses

for their savings and transactions.

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o India is Nepal's largest trade partner and supplies the majority of its

consumer goods.

Source Link: https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/nepal-govt-bans-

use-of-indian-currency-notes-above-rs-100-118121400670_1.html

India Post introduces internet banking service

o India Post launched internet banking services for all the Post Office

Savings Bank (POSB) account holders on 14 December 2018.

o India Post has introduced the net banking facility to push the digital

payments.

o Under India Post internet banking facility, customers will be eligible to

transfer funds from one post office savings bank account to another POSB

account.

Source Link: https://www.timesnownews.com/business-

economy/industry/article/india-post-net-banking-india-post-introduces-internet-

banking-services-for-savings-account-holders/331264

SEBI eases norms for cyber security operations

o Market regulator SEBI relaxed guidelines pertaining to setting up cyber

security operations centre for small market intermediaries as they lack

knowledge in cyber security.

o Under the new framework, small intermediaries can utilise services of

market security operations center (SOC).

o The SOCs is proposed to be set up by Market Infrastructure Institutions

(MIIs).

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Source Link: https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/sebi-eases-norms-

around-cyber-security-operations-for-small-mkt-intermediaries-118121400880_1.html

1st state to have a law banning 'sextortion'

o Jammu and Kashmir have become the first state in the country to have a

law banning sexual exploitation of women by those in positions of

authority, having a fiduciary relationship or a public servant.

o The State Administrative Council approved the amendment of 'Prevention

of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2018'.

o It also approved the 'Jammu and Kashmir Criminal Laws (Amendment)

Bill, 2018'.

Source Link: https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/j-k-becomes-first-

state-to-have-a-law-banning-sextortion-118121400982_1.html

Women Transforming India Awards 2018

o Government think-tank NITI Aayog will organise the 3rd edition of the

'Women Transforming India Awards' 2018 on 16 December 2018.

o It will also launch the upgraded portal of the Women Entrepreneurship

Platform.

o Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu will present the awards and launch the

portal.

o The awards were instituted to recognise and celebrate stories of exemplary

women from across India.

Source Link: https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/3rd-edition-of-

women-transforming-india-awards-on-sunday-niti-aayog-118121401224_1.html

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1st Workshop on Explosives Detection held

o The first National Workshop on Explosives Detection was inaugurated at

High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) in Pune on 14

December 2018.

o A trace explosive detection device, 'OPX-Revelator', developed by HEMRL

was also unveiled during the workshop.

o The OPX Revelator is a portable, miniaturised, an electronic detector

capable of detecting almost all the explosives.

Source Link: https://www.apnnews.com/first-national-workshop-on-explosives-

detection-inaugurated-at-pune/

Chiefs of IB and RAW gets six months extension

o The Chiefs of Intelligence Bureau and Research and Analysis Wing Rajiv

Jain and Anil K Dhasmana respectively got extensions of six months each

on 14 December 2018.

o The decision to extend the tenure of the two intelligence chiefs by six

months was taken due to the forthcoming general elections.

o Rajiv Jain, 1980-batch IPS officer from Jharkhand, was appointed IB

Director on December 30, 2016.

Source Link: https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/ib-chief-rajiv-

jain-raw-s-anil-dhasmana-get-six-months-extension-118121400681_1.html

Ashok Kumar Singh assumes charge of secretary

o Ashok Kumar Singh has assumed charge as Secretary of National

Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) on 14 December 2018.

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o Dr Nand Kumar Sai is the chairperson of NCST.

o He is the former Additional Secretary of Lok Sabha Secretariat.

o NCST investigates and monitors all matters relating to the safeguards

provided for the Scheduled Tribes under the Constitution or under any

other law.

Source Link: http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1555990

India's first private UAV factory inaugurated

o India' first private sector unit for manufacturing unmanned aerial vehicles

(UAVs) opened at Adani Aerospace Park in Hyderabad.

o The Adani Aerospace Park facility has been built by the Adani Group and

Israel-based Elbit Systems.

o The facility will develop 'Hermes 900' medium altitude long-endurance

UAVs for the Indian and global markets.

Source Link: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/indias-first-private-

uav-factory-comes-up-in-hyderabad/articleshow/67090788.cms

Amitav Ghosh honoured with 'Jnanpith Award'

o Noted English writer Amitav Ghosh has been honoured with the 'Jnanpith

Award' 2018 for outstanding contribution towards literature.

o The decision was taken in a meeting of Jnanpith Selection Board chaired

by eminent novelist, scholar and Jnanpith laureate Pratibha Ray.

o He is known for a series of novels such as 'The Shadow Lines', 'The Glass

Palace', and 'The Hungry Tide'.

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Source Link: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/amitav-ghosh-honoured-with-54th-

jnanpith-award-says-honoured-humbled-1962813

ICC ropes in Royal Stag as official sponsor

o The International Cricket Council (ICC) has roped in Royal Stag as the

official sponsor for the next five years.

o The partnership, which runs through 2023, will cover international events,

including the ICC Cricket World Cup, ICC T20 World Cup and ICC World

Test Championship.

o ICC currently also has Nissan, Oppo, MRF Tyres and Emirates as global

partners.

Source Link: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/services/advertising/icc-

ropes-in-royal-stag-as-official-sponsor/articleshow/67058800.cms

Ashok Gehlot will be the CM of Rajasthan

o Ashok Gehlot will be the new Chief Minister of Rajasthan while Sachin

Pilot will be Deputy Chief Minister.

o Ashok Gehlot will be the fourth leader to become chief minister of

Rajasthan for the third time.

o He has been the Chief Minister of the state from 1998-2003 and 2008-

2013.

Source Link: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/ashok-gehlot-fourth-to-be-rajasthan-

chief-minister-for-at-least-3-terms-1962835

Ramphal Pawar appointed as Director of NCRB

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o The government of India appointed Ramphal Pawar as Director of

National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

o He is the former Joint Secretary of NATGRID.

o He is the Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from West Bengal cadre.

o NCRB is an Indian government agency responsible for collecting and

analysing crime data as defined by the Indian Penal Code.

Source Link: http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1555951

'ECO Niwas Samhita 2018' launched

o The Ministry of Power launched 'ECO Niwas Samhita 2018' on 14

December 2018.

o It is an Energy Conservation Building Code for Residential Buildings

(ECBC-R).

o The objective is to benefit the occupants and environment by promoting

energy efficiency in the design and construction of homes, apartments and

townships.

o The Code is expected to assist a large number of architects and builders.

Source Link: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/initiative-to-promote-

energy-efficiency-in-home-construction/article25744353.ece

Loan agreement signed between India and ADB

o India and Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $60 million loan

agreement on 13 December 2018.

o The loan aims to continue financing riverbank protection works,

renovation of flood embankments and community-based flood risk

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management activities in critically flood-prone areas along the

Brahmaputra river in Assam.

o The loan is part of the $120 million multi-tranche financing facility.

Source Link: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/assam-gets-60-million-loan-to-

reduce-floods-1962411

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