Current Affairs Current Affairs December 2018

  Prime Minister Narendra Modi releases a 100 rupees commemorative coin in honour of former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birth anniversary, which falls on 25th December, is celebrated as ‘Good Governance Day’. He was conferred with the Bharat Ratna was in 2014. PM Modi stated that the voice of Atal Ji was the voice of common people of India for four decades.
Source: DD News

  Indian firm India Ports Global Limited formally took over the operations of Chabahar’s Shaheed Behesti port in Iran, which opens a trade route between India and central Asia bypassing Pakistan. The company opened its office following the first meeting of the follow-up committee for implementation of the trilateral Chabahar Agreement between India, Iran, and Afghanistan.
Source: The Hindu

 The UN General Assembly has adopted the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, the first-ever negotiated global framework on a common approach to international migration in all its dimensions. It is meant to address issues that concern the world’s 258 million people on the move and countries of origin, transit and destination. The compact was adopted by the General Assembly with 152 votes in favour in Marrakesh, Morocco. India voted in favour of the resolution.
Source- Press Information Bureau (PIB)

  The 15th edition of a two day Global SME Business Summit was organised by the Ministry of MSME and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in association with Government e-marketplace in New Delhi. The theme of the event was ‘Building Partnerships through Global Value Chains.’ The agenda of the summit was to bring together renowned speakers with unbounded experience and expertise, a global audience, and various national and international SME stakeholders to integrate Indian MSMEs into the Global Value Chains (GVCs).
Source- Press Information Bureau (PIB)

 India and Japan have signed Exchange of Notes and Loan Agreements on Japan’s Official Development Assistance Loan to India. The Notes were exchanged between Dr. C.S. Mohapatra, Additional Secretary in Department of Economic Affairs, Union Ministry of Finance and Kenji Hiramatsu, Ambassador of Japan to India on Japanese official development assistance loan for three projects.
These 3 projects are: 
  • (i) Chennai Metro Project (Phase 2) (I) for Japanese Yen (JPY) 75.519 billion,
  • (ii) Program for Japan-India Cooperative Actions towards Sustainable Development Goals in India for JPY 15.000 billion,
  • (iii) Project for Dairy Development for JPY 14.978 billion.
Source- Press Information Bureau (PIB)

  In a relief to the common man, the GST Council cut rates on 23 commonly used goods and services, including TV screens, movie tickets and power banks. As per the announcement made by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, the annual revenue implication of the rate cuts would be ? 5,500 crore.  Now, the 28 per cent slab is restricted to only luxury and sin goods, apart from auto parts and cement — tax rates on which could not be cut due to the high revenue implication. GST on movie tickets costing up to ? 100 was cut to 12 per cent from 18 per cent, while tickets over ? 100 will attract 18 per cent tax, against 28 per cent earlier. This will have a revenue implication of ? 900 crore.
Source- the Hindu

 Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik announced a Rs10,000 crore scheme for the overall development of farmers. Named Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA), the scheme will provide farmers with ?10,000 a year at the rate of Rs5,000 each for Kharif and Rabi season. Additionally, crop loans of up to Rs50,000 will be interest-free under the scheme.
Source- Hindustan Times

  Every year, the country celebrates National Mathematics Day on December 22 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan. Born in 1887 in Erode, Tamil Nadu, the story of Ramanujan’s tryst with mathematics is one of the most engaging tales read, depicted and performed through various works of art. In his memory, the Government of India marked 2012, the 125th year of his birth, as National Mathematics Year and declared 22nd December as annual National Mathematics Day.
Source- The Firstpost

  The NITI Aayog released the Baseline Report of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) India Index, which comprehensively documents the progress made by India’s States and Union Territories towards implementing the 2030 SDG targets. The SDG India Index, which was developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Global Green Growth Institute and United Nations in India, was launched by NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Dr Rajiv Kumar.
Overall Findings:
Particular State UT
SDG India Index Score Range 42-69 57-68
Top Performer/s Himachal Pradesh & Kerala Chandigarh
Aspirant Uttar Pradesh Dadra & Nagar Haveli
  • 1. Himachal Pradesh ranks high on providing clean water & sanitation.
  • 2. Kerala’s top rank is attributed to its superior performance in providing good health, reducing hunger, achieving gender equality & providing quality education.
  • 3. Chandigarh leads because of its exemplary performance in providing clean water & sanitation, affordable & clean energy, generating decent work & economic growth, & providing quality education.
Source- Press Information Bureau (PIB)

 The Lok Sabha passed the Consumer Protection Bill, 2018 that seeks to replace the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. The Bill enforces consumer rights and provides a mechanism for redressal of complaints regarding deficiencies in goods and services. It seeks to establish Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions at District, State and National levels. The district Commissions are authorised to look into complaints involving claims worth one crore rupees, which was 20 lakh rupees earlier.
Source- DD News


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