Current Affairs 04/12/2017

Current Affairs 04/12/2017

1. Indian Navy Day: 4 December

i. The Indian Navy Day is observed on 4th December every year to celebrate achievements and role of the naval force to the country.

ii. During the India-Pakistan war of 1971, the Indian Navy played a significant role in the bombing of the Karachi harbor and sank Pakistan Naval Ship PNS Ghazi.

2. International Conference on Climate Change Begins in Nepal

i. Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari has inaugurated an international conference to draw attention towards the adverse effects of global warming in the Hindu Kush mountain range.

ii. The conference 'Resilient Hindu Kush Himalaya: Developing Solutions towards a Sustainable Future for Asia' is being organized by Nepal's Ministry for Environment in collaboration with International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).

iii. The four-day conference is attended by more than 300 experts from different countries of Asia including India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Myanmar. V K Saraswat, member of India's Neeti foundation is leading the Indian delegation in the conference.

3. President Confers 'National Awards for Divyangjan 2017'

i. President Ramnath Kovind confers 'National Awards for Divyangjan 2017' on the occasion of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, in New Delhi.
ii. The award distribution stresses on the generation of employment for Divyangjans. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu launched Deen Dayal Divyangjan Sahajya Yojana in Guwahati, Assam. The National Awards were presented in 14 main categories.

4. PM Modi Inaugurated Unique World-Class Hospital in Ahmedabad

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a unique world-class hospital at the Swaminarayan Gurukul Vidyapeeth Pratisthanam in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The 200-bed hospital is an integration of Yoga, Ayurveda, and Allopathy.

ii. The hospital has world-class facilities in all the 3 streams offering the best possible care for any ailment. This world-class hospital aims at providing top of the line medical and health care on subsidized rates.

5. Centre Increases Agricultural Education Budget by 47.4 Percent

i. The government of India has increased the budget of Agricultural Education by 47.4% this year as compared to the financial year 2013-14.
ii. According to the Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh, in order to adopt quality and holistic approach to higher agricultural education, the Fifth Dean Committee Report has been implemented in all the Agricultural Universities. This is First-of-its-kind that all Graduate Level Courses of Agriculture

6. Cyclone Ockhi Hits Southern India

i. Air Force and Coast Guard have launched a massive rescue operation off the Kerala coast to save hundreds of fishermen stranded in the rough sea hit by Cyclone Ockhi.

ii. The weather department of Kanyakumari stated that the cyclone has moved to the Arabian sea. The Navy is using Dornier and Advanced light helicopters with divers while looking for fishermen stranded at sea. The cyclone has now moved beyond Lakshadweep.

7. Kapu Reservation Bill Passed in Andhra Pradesh

i. The Andhra Pradesh assembly unanimously passed the Kapu reservation bill which will provide the community with a 5 percent quota in education and employment in the state.

ii. However, Kapu quota if issued, one of the ruling Telugu Desam Party’s electoral promises in 2014, will take the total quota in the state to 55 percent, which is more than 50 percent limit restricted by the Supreme Court. 

                                                                                        

8. India's First Madame Tussauds Wax Museum Opened in New Delhi

i. India's first Madame Tussauds wax museum has been opened in New Delhi with 50 life-like figures spanning across history, sports, music, films, and politics, for the public at the iconic Regal building in central Delhi.

ii. Madame Tussauds has been a successful tourist attraction in places like London, Las Vegas, New York, Orlando, San Francisco and Hong Kong. The Delhi facility is the 23rd edition of Madame Tussauds.

           

9. HDFC Bank’s Aditya Puri Only Indian on Fortune’s Businessperson of the Year Top 20 List

i. Aditya Puri, the Managing Director of HDFC Bank, is the only Indian on Fortune’s ‘Businessperson of the Year’ list. The Businessperson of the Year list is an annual ranking of world’s top 20 heads of companies.

ii. At the 18th position, Aditya Puri is the only head of an Indian company on the list.

10. First Sikh Woman Elected as Mayor in the US

i. Preet Didbal has been elected as the mayor of Yuba city in California, becoming the first Sikh woman to hold the position in the United States.

ii. Ms. Didbal was appointed by the California city council and will be sworn in on December 5. However, Ms. Didbal is the first Sikh woman to be elected as mayor in the country.

11. South Korea, US Launch Largest Air Exercise

i. South Korea and the United States launched their largest-ever joint aerial drills. The annual US-South Korean drill, called Vigilant Ace, will run for 5-days, with six F-22 Raptor stealth fighters to be deployed among the more than 230 aircraft taking part.

ii. Around 12,000 US service members, including from the Marines and Navy, have joined South Korean troops.

12. 1st International exhibition & Conference on AYUSH & Wellness Sector Begun in New Delhi

i. The first International exhibition and Conference on AYUSH and Wellness sector- AROGYA 2017 has begun in New Delhi. The four day event was inaugurated by Ayush Minister Shripad Yesso Naik.

ii. The theme of the conference is 'Enhancing the global potential of Ayush'. The objective of the event is to showcase the strength and scientific validation of Indian System of Medicine in the global context. The fair will give a boost to AYUSH Products in International Market.

                                           

13. Paytm Payments Bank Unveils Paytm FASTag Across India

i. Paytm Payments Bank rolled out Paytm FASTag to enable electronic toll fee collection on highways across the country, in line with the government's move to make FASTag mandatory on every new vehicle sold from December 1.

ii. The Paytm FASTag - which is a simple and reusable tag based on radio-frequency identification technology (RFID) that can be placed on a vehicle's windscreen.

14. Rahul Singh, New President of the National Restaurant Association of India

i. Rahul Singh, founder and CEO of The Beer Café, has taken over as the new President of the National Restaurant Association of India.

ii. The appointment was made unanimously after Riyaaz Amlani, CEO & MD, Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality resigned from his duties due to health reasons.

15. Prithvi Shaw Named India's Captain for 2018 U-19 World Cup

i. Mumbai's 18-year-old batsman Prithvi Shaw has been named the captain of the Indian Under-19 team for the 2018 U-19 World Cup 

ii. The tournament is scheduled to be held in New Zealand starting January 13, 2018. This comes after Shaw slammed three tons and two fifties in five Ranji Trophy matches this season. Punjab's Shubman Gill has been named as Shaw's deputy.

16. Deepika Kumari Wins Bronze at Indoor Archery World Cup

i. India’s Deepika Kumari has won bronze medal at the Indoor Archery World Cup Stage 2 that concluded in Bangkok, Thailand.

ii. Deepika, seeded third, defeated 13th seeded Sayana Tsyrempilova of Russia 7-3 in the women’s recurve bronze play-off..

17. Final Draw for 2018 World Cup Held in Moscow

i. The national football teams from 32 countries found out their fates as the final draw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup was held in the Russian capital of Moscow.

ii. The ceremony was held at the State Kremlin Palace, in Moscow, Russia. Russia, the host country for the World Cup, was placed in Group A with Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Uruguay.

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18. Veteran Actor Shashi Kapoor Passes Away

i. Veteran actor Shashi Kapoor died at the age of 79. Kapoor was unwell for quite some time. The actor was admitted to the Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai.

ii. Shashi Kapoor made his Bollywood debut in 1961, as the lead actor, in the film Dharmputra. Kapoor acted in more than a hundred films, of which he played the solo lead in 61.