CURRENT AFFAIRS 08/12/2017

CURRENT  AFFAIRS  08/12/2017

1. Time Magazine Names #MeToo 'Silence Breakers' As Person Of The Year

i. “The Silence Breakers”, the vanguard of a global movement by millions of women to share their stories of sexual harassment and abuse, was revealed to be Time magazine’s Person of the Year.

ii. Time Magazine has recognized the women who came forward with sexual assault allegations as its 2017 Person of the Year, calling individuals such as Ashley Judd and Rose McGowan, “the voices that launched a movement.” 

2. 1st Intl. Conference on Sports Medicine & Sports Sciences SAICON 2017 Inaugurated in Delhi

i. The First International Conference on Sports Medicine and Sports Sciences SAICON 2017 was inaugurated in New Delhi by the Minister of State (I/C) Youth Affairs and Sports Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore.

ii. SAICON 2017 will promote scientific temperament in the country and inspire students, researchers and educationists alike to take up sports science and research to the next level.

3. International Conference on Groundwater Organized

i. An International conference is being organized on the Groundwater issues in the country with a theme of “Groundwater Vision 2030- Water Security, Challenges, and Climate Change Adaptation”. 

ii. The conference has been organized by the National Institute of Hydrology (NIH), Roorkee and Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) under the aegis of Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.

4. Kacheguda Becomes India’s First Energy-Efficient Railway Station

i. Kacheguda Railway Station in Hyderabad under the South Central Railway (SCR) has earned the unique distinction of being the first Energy Efficient ‘A1 Category’ Railway Station on Indian Railways.

ii. The station has achieved 100% energy efficiency by replacing 1,312 conventional lights with light-emitting diode (LED) lighting, among other steps.

5. Kerala to Raise Minimum Liquor Drinking Age from 21 to 23

i. The Kerala government lead by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) has decided to raise the legal drinking age from 21 to 23 years. The State Cabinet in a meeting decided to introduce a new ordinance raising the minimum age for liquor consumption from 21 to 23.

ii. The Ordinance will amend the Abkari Act. The previous UDF regime had adopted a policy in favour of prohibition by shutting down bars and closing doors on state-run liquor vending outlets.

6. Taj Mahal Named Second-Best UNESCO World Heritage Site

i. The Taj Mahal, India's iconic ivory-white marble mausoleum in Agra, is the second best UNESCO world heritage site in the world, according to a new survey by online travel portal TripAdvisor.

ii. The Taj Mahal is rated after Cambodia's Angkor Wat. Other popular heritage sites on the survey include the Great Wall of China (Third) built by Xu Da of Northern Qi Dynasty in 1368 AD. Machu Pichu in Peru in South America has bagged the fourth spot.

7. USA Now Recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's Capital

i. President of USA Donald Trump has announced that the US now recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital, overturning decades of official US policy.

ii. The fate of the ancient city is one of the thorniest issues between Israel and the Palestinians. Israel called Donald Trump's move "historic" but there has been sharp international criticism. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called Donald Trump's announcement "deplorable".

8. Wassenaar Arrangement Decides to Make India its Member

i. In a significant development, elite export control regime Wassenaar Arrangement (WA) decided to admit India as its new member. This would raise New Delhi’s stature in the field of non-proliferation besides helping it acquire critical technologies.

ii. The decision was taken at the two-day plenary meeting of the grouping in Vienna. India’s entry into the export control regime would enhance its credentials in the field of non-proliferation despite not being a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

About the Wassenaar Arrangement in Brief-

The Wassenaar Arrangement (WA), the first global multilateral arrangement on export controls for conventional weapons and sensitive dual-use goods and technologies, received final approval by 33 co-founding countries in July 1996 and began operations in September 1996.

9. Kerala's Alappuzha in Top 5 UN Clean City List

i. The waste management system being implemented in Kerala's coastal town of Alappuzha has been recognized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as one of the five models across the world for fighting the pollution menace.

ii. Alappuzha has been listed in the UNEP environment report entitled, 'Solid approach to waste: how five cities are beating pollution' alongside cities like Osaka in Japan, Ljubljana in Slovenia, Penang in Malaysia and Cajica in Colombia.

10. Axis Securities Gets NCDEX Membership

i. Axis Securities, a subsidiary of Axis Bank, has become the first-ever broking arm of a bank to take membership of a commodity exchange by registering itself with NCDEX.

ii. In September, Reserve Bank of India allowed banks wishing to undertake commodities derivatives clearing to set up a separate subsidiary for the purpose and adhere to the membership norms laid by market regulator Securities Exchange Board of India.

11. All About the Star Screen Awards 2017 Held in Mumbai

i. Star Screen Awards, the annual film awards recognises the best of talent in Hindi films. Vidya Balan bagged the award for Best Actress (Critics) for Tumhari Sulu, Irrfan won the Best Actor Award for his performance in Hindi Medium.
ii. Rajkummar Rao won the Best Actor Award (Critics) for Newton & Best Actor in a Supporting Role Award for Bareilly Ki Barfi as well.

12. Azar A.H.Khan Appointed Next Ambassador of India to Turkmenistan

i. Shri Azar A.H.Khan, presently Consul General in the Consulate General of India, Istanbul has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Turkmenistan.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

13. London Mayor Names Deepak Parekh as First International Ambassador

i. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has named noted Indian businessman, Deepak Parekh, as 'International Ambassador' who will be tasked with championing the UK capital across the globe.

ii. Parekh, is one of the first of a network of international ambassadors, that would include high-level business and cultural figures based in London or overseas. Parekh is the chairman of India's premier housing finance company HDFC Ltd.

14. Kanchanmala Pande Wins India’s 1st World Para Swimming Championship Gold

i. Nagpur’s Kanchanmala Pande created history as she became the first Indian to secure pole position at the World Para-Swimming Championship in Mexico.

ii. The 26-year-old Reserve Bank of India employee won gold in the 200 meter medley event in the S-11 category and was also the only Indian to qualify for the women’s category.

15. Cristiano Ronaldo Wins Ballon d'Or, Equals Lionel Messi's Record

i. Cristiano Ronaldo (from Portugal) has won the Ballon d'Or for a fifth time to move level with rival Lionel Messi. The Real Madrid forward was named the winner of France Football's prestigious award at a ceremony in Paris, France.

ii. The award caps a year in which Ronaldo has won LaLiga, the Champions League and the Spanish Super Cup with Real Madrid, as well as helping Portugal qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Messi, the only other player to have won the award since 2008, finished second.