1. IIT Professor awarded with the National Geospatial Award for Excellence
Jayanta Kumar Ghosh, a professor at the civil
engineering department of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Roorkee,
was conferred the National Geospatial Award for Excellence-2017 (Lifetime
Achievement Award) at the Space Application Centre in Ahmedabad. The Indian
Society for Remote Sensing is an organisation known in the area of space
science, remote sensing and geo-spatial technology.
2. Bill on Arunachals ST list approved by Union cabinet
The Union Cabinet approved the introduction of a
Bill to modify the list of Scheduled Tribes (ST) of Arunachal Pradesh. The bill
proposes deletion of the Abor tribe from the state's ST list 'as it is the same
as Adi' tribe. As there is no tribe called 'Khampti', the bill replaces it
with 'Tai Khamti' on the list. The bill seeks to include the Mishmi-Kaman
(Miju Mishmi), Idu (Mishmi) and Taraon (Digaru Mishmi) tribes in the list. It
also proposes inclusion of 'Monpa, Memba, Sartang, Sajolong in lieu of the
Momba' tribe. The Nocte, Tangsa, Tutsa and Wancho tribes would replace the
words 'any Naga tribe' in the state's ST list.
3. Haryana government approved 11 projects to resurrect Saraswati river
Haryana Saraswati Heritage Development Board (HSHDB)
met under the chairmanship of chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar and approved
11 major projects, including the restoration of heritage sites, along the
course of the river. These include the construction of Somb Saraswati barrage,
Saraswati reservoir and Adi Badri dam on Somb river, a tributary of the Yamuna
that originates in the Shivalik Hills.
4. Justice Asif Saeed Khosa appointed as the new Chief Justice of Pakistan
Justice Asif Saeed Khosa will take oath of his
office on January 18 a day after incumbent CJP Justice Saqib Nisar retires on
January 17. Justice Khosa has been a senior Justice of the Supreme Court of
Pakistan since 31 December 2016. He will remain as the top judge of Pakistan
till December 20, 2019.
5. CM N.Chandrababu Naidu launched Prana Raksha app of police
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu launched the
Prana Raksha web application developed by the Chittoor police at Kuppam, Andhra
Pradesh. The app has been designed to save the lives of road accident victims
and reach out to women in distress. The Prana Raksha app, which works on the
SoS and panic button features, would enable users to immediately contact the
police. Keeping in mind the 8 national highways and 26 State highways connected
to the neighbouring Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, while thousands of inter-State
pilgrims reach Tirumala daily, the app has been designed to view the alarming
rate of accidents on these roads.
6. Kerala State Cabinet approved Kerala Pravasi Welfare Act
The Kerala State Cabinet decided to recommend the
Governor to promulgate an Ordinance amending the Kerala Pravasi Welfare Act.
The Act aims at providing a regular income for Non-Resident Keralites (NoRKs)
returning home. The amount collected through the scheme will be used to fund
development activities taken up by Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board
(KIIFB) and other agencies. The Cabinet resolved to enhance the monthly
remuneration for special Government pleaders to Rs.1,20,000, senior government
pleaders to Rs.1,10,000 and that for government pleaders to Rs.1,00,000. The
proposed scheme will enable the Kerala Pravasi Welfare Board to receive
deposits from non-resident Malayalis and use it, along with a matching share
from the government, to provide a monthly dividend for investors.
7. HDFC Mutual Fund becomes the largest Asset Management Company in India
HDFC Mutual Fund has surpassed ICICI Prudential MF
to regain top position after two years as the largest asset management company
(AMC). While HDFC MF looks after assets worth Rs 3.35 lakh crore, ICICI
Prudential MF manages Rs 3.08 lakh crore. With AUM of Rs 2.64 lakh crore, SBI
MF stands at the third slot. Aditya Birla and Reliance MF follow next with Rs
2.42 lakh crore and Rs 2.36 lakh crore, respectively.
8. India floats mega tender of 7.5 GW for Jammu & Kashmir
Solar Energy Corporation of India has invited solar
power developers to construct 7.5 GW grid connected projects in Leh and Kargil
Districts in the state of Jammu & Kashmir under a competitive bidding
process. Out of the 7.5 GW capacity, 2.5 GW will be constructed in the Kargil
district and 5 GW in Leh district. The tender is part of Prime Minister
Narendra Modi’s goal of building 100 gigawatts of solar capacity in the country
by 2022.
9. Mysuru aims for 7 star rating under the Swachh Bharat Mission
The Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) aims for a 7-star
under the Swachh Bharat Mission 2019. Under this mission, the garbage-free
cities will be awarded star ratings as per the revised protocols of the
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). The new survey is launched
across the country from 4th January 2019. MoHUA has set various parameters such
as door-to-door garbage collection, waste disposal, scientific handling of
landfills, disposal of construction and demolition debris, and segregation of
waste at the source for the rankings. As per the vision enunciated under the
Swachh Bharat Mission, 100% of waste generated in a city should be
scientifically managed, and measures are taken for visible beautification of
the city.
10. Saurabh Kumar appointed as Chairman Of Ordnance Factory Board
Saurabh Kumar appointed as the Director General of
Ordnance Factories (DGOF) and chairman of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB).
Kumar, a 1982-batch Indian Ordnance Factory Service officer, is an M-Tech in
mechanical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur.
11. PM stressed the State universities to focus on research
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that research
should expand beyond the Central institutes of national importance such as the
IITs and the IISERs and branch out into the State universities across the
country at the 106th edition of the Indian Science Congress, Punjab. The theme
is FUTURE INDIA – Science and Technology. In India, 95% of our students go to
State universities and colleges and hence it is necessary to have a strong
research ecosystem in these places. Mr. Modi while addressing called on the
Prime Minister’s Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council to
formulate a plan to implement such a scheme. He also added that more technology
is needed as the majority of farmers possess less than 2 hectares of land.
12. Virat Kohli fastest to 19000 international runs, breaks Sachins record
Indian cricket team captain, Virat Kohli beats
Cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar’s to become the fastest batsman to score
19000 international runs on the 1st day of 4th Test Match in Sydney against
Australia. Virat Kohli crossed 19000 runs mark in 399 innings whereas Sachin
Tendulkar took 432 innings to score 19000 runs
13. Improved LCA Tejas gets approved for production
Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas progressed towards
manufacture in an enhanced, battle standard format on December 31. The LCA is
being designed and developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) in
Bengaluru. A new limited clearance from military airworthiness certifier
CEMILAC for the Indian fighter green-lights its production in a superior lethal
version. HAL aims to get the first aircraft out in late 2019. The Indian Air
Force (IAF) has asked Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to make 40 LCA
aircraft. Of this, 20 will be in the advanced Final Operational Clearance (FOC)
format. Another 20 are in the earlier Initial Operational Clearance (IOC)
version. The IAF has modified and upgraded its trainer requirement in its old
package order of 40 LCA aircraft.
14. Bancassurance pact was signed between Syndicate Bank and SBI Life Insurance
Syndicate Bank and SBI Life Insurance signed a
bancassurance pact aiming to offer a comprehensive financial planning solution
to its customers. This was signed between Syndicate Bank MD & CEO,
Mrutyunjay Mahapatra and MD and CEO of SBI Life, Sanjeev Nautiyal through the
pact.
15. Bharti AXA Life Insurance uses WhatsApp to deliver policy, renewal premium
Bharti AXA Life Insurance started delivering policies
and renewal premium receipt to customers via instant messaging platform
WhatsApp as a part of its alternative service option to the policyholders.
Bharti AXA Life Insurance, a joint venture between Bharti Enterprises and
French Insurance major AXA is one of the first few insurers to provide the
option of policy contract, renewal premium receipts and claim intimation
through WhatsApp.
16. Kaiga Atomic power station sets new world record
Karnataka’s Kaiga Atomic power station created a
world record for the longest uninterrupted operation for 962 days on December
10. It had earlier set a record of 941 days. The earlier record of 940 days by
Heysham-2 unit 2 was set by the United Kingdom. Generating Station-1
(KGS-1) at Kaiga in Uttara Kannada, Karnataka has now been shut down for
maintenance after 962 days of operation. It will be commissioned again after
the maintenance activities. Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) said
that during its continuous operation of 962 days KGS-1 had produced 5 billion
units of electricity at a plant load factor of 99.3%. Kaiga has four indigenously
developed Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors of 220 MW each fuelled by domestic
fuel. Of them, KGS-2 has been operating since the last 661 days.
17. Chang e 4 lunar probe landed on far side of the moon
Chang’e-4 lunar probe, a Chinese space probe,
touched down on the far side of the moon. The probe, which has a lander and a
rover, that was launched in December made the soft landing and transmitted the
first-ever close-range image of the far side of the moon. It touched down at a targeted
area near the moon’s south pole in the Von Karman Crater. The purpose of the
Chang’e-4 includes astronomical observation, surveying the moon’s terrain,
landform, and mineral makeup, and measuring the neutron radiation and neutral
atoms to study the environment of its far side. The moon is tidally locked to
Earth, rotating at the same rate as it orbits our planet, so most of the far
side or dark side is never visible to us. Previous spacecraft have seen the far
side, but none has landed on it. China’s space agency hailed the event as a
historic first and a major achievement for the country’s space programme.
18. Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair declared as an authorized Immigration Check post
Information, Public Relations and Tourism Division
of Andaman and Nicobar Administration announced that the Veer Savarkar
International Airport in Port Blair will be an authorized Immigration Check
post. Superintendent of Police (CID), Andaman and Nicobar Police has been
appointed as the ‘Civil Authority’ for the purpose of the immigration check
post. This would work as an entry into/exit point from India with valid travel
documents for all classes of passengers.
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