DECEMBER 18th CURRENT AFFAIRS: Awards & Honours: 1. TVS Chairman confers honorary citizen ship of Busan • TVS chairman Venu Srinivasan was made Honorary Citizen of Busan, Korea. • He is the first Indian industrialist to be granted honorary citizen ship. Banking: 1. Swiss National Bank imposes negative interest rates • The Swiss National Bank (SNB) said it would impose negative interest rates on cash held by other banks at the central bank. • The SNB said it would impose an interest rate of -0.25 per cent on sight deposit account balances of over 10 million Swiss francs. • It would like to expand its three-month Libor target range to -0.75 per cent to -0.25 per cent. The measures will take effect from January 2022. Deaths: 1. Italian film actress Virna Lisi died • Italian screen actress Virna Lisi, famed in the 1960s for appearing opposite stars including Frank Sinatra, has died at the age of 78. • Lisi, feted for her beauty and blonde locks, carved out a successful career in Hollywood, starring in films such as ‘ How to Murder Your Wife’. • She was a force in European cinema, winning best actress at Cannes for 1994 French historical epic La Reine Margot. Economy: 1. IRDA imposes penalty on Canara, HSBC, OBC life insurance and Anand Rathi Insurance • IRDA imposes monetary penalty on Canara, HSBC, OBC life insurance and Anand Rathi Insurance brokers for violating regulatory norms. • The imposed penalty was 31 lakh rupees for Canara, HSBC and OBC life insurance, 5lakh rupees for Anand Rathi Insurance brokers under section 102, clause C-7 of IRDA act 1999. Back Ground • Clause (7-C) of section 102 deals about to maintain solvency margin & Penalty for not maintaining of solvency margin • IRDA Chair Person – T S Vijayan. International: 1. UN General Assembly wants to refer North Korea to ICC for human right abuses • The U.N. General Assembly formally adopted a landmark resolution calling for referring North Korea to the International Criminal Court for human rights violations. • The resolution has drawn keen attention because it would be the first-ever U.N. resolution calling for the Norths referral to the ICC. • The UNGA adopted the resolution with 116 accepted votes to 20 rejected votes. More than 50 countries abstained from voting National: 1. The Lok Sabha passed the Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill, 2014 by voice vote. • bill intends to regularise e-rickshaws and provide driving licenses for battery-operated vehicles to ply in the national capital and other places of the country. • Voice vote: A voice vote is used in Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and state assemblies to vote for certain resolutions. It is used when there is a wide agreement on issues and in some cases where the house is not in order. 2. SC directed Union government to complete fencing along Indo-Bangladesh border in 3 months • The Supreme Court asked the central government to complete the fencing of the India-Bangladesh border where it has not been done to check illegal immigration. Persons in News: 1. Vasan Srinivasan inducts into the Australian Multicultural Council • Indian-origin Vasan Srinivasan was inducted into an Australian national body Australian Multicultural Council (AMC). • Vasan is the Founder, Member, Chairman of the Multicultural Liberal Business Club (MLBC). • AMC is a six-member council that advices the Australian government on multicultural affairs and policy programmes. Places in News: 1. Maharashtra to launch web portal, app for e-governance. • The Maharashtra government will launch a web portal and a mobile application called Aaple Sarkar (our government) to encourage people to participate in e-governance and address public grievances. 2. Satyarthi’s school to be named after him • The government school in Vidisha, in which Kailash Satyarthi, winner of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize had his primary education, is set to be named after him an announced made by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. 3. Goa airport to further strengthen e-visa and VoA facilities • The Goa Tourism reviewed the on-going E-Visa and Visa-on-Arrival (VoA) facility launched at the Goa Airport at Dabolim, and sought to implement measures to strengthen the mechanisms and simplify the processes. About e-visa and VoA : • For e-visa, they will have to apply online from their country and they will get the visa within 96 hours of applying. • The process of applying for e-visa is very much similar to buying e-tickets for travel. If e-visa is simple, VoA is even simpler as the traveller just have to take a flight to Goa and should carry a photograph, a return ticket, his passport and fees for visa. Science and Technology: 1. ISRO launches India’s biggest rocket GSLV Mark III • The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched India’s heaviest rocket Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III carrying Crew module Atmospheric Reentry Experiment (CARE) from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. GSLV Mark III: Project director: S Somanath Budget: 155 crore Background: ISRO: Head quarters: Bangalore, India Established: 15-August-1969 Chairman: Dr. K. Radhakrishnan Special Days: 1. December 18th observed as International Migrants Day. • International Migrants Day appointed by the General Assembly of United Nations on December 4, 2000 taking into account the large and increasing number of migrants in the world. 2. Minorities Rights Day observed on December 18. • Minorities Rights Day is celebrated on 18th December every year. The day is celebrated to protect rights of the minority communities as well as bringing the better understanding among religious minorities in India. • On 18th December 1992 the United Nations promulgated the “Declaration on the Rights of Persons belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities” to strengthen the cause of the minorities. Since then, International Minority Rights Day is observed to create awareness on rights of minorities. Sports: 1. AIBA bans Saritha Devi • Indian women boxer L. Saritha Devi was handed a one-year ban by the International Boxing Association (AIBA) for refusing to accept her bronze medal at the Asian Games. • But the punishment is unlikely to hurt her career too badly as she would be available to compete in the 2016 Olympic qualifiers. • Saritha, who had refused to accept the medal to protest her controversial semifinal bout loss, has been banned retrospectively from October 1, 2014 to October 1, 2015 and fined 1000 Swiss francs. 2. Djokovic and Serena bag ITF awards • Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams were named the Men’s and Women’s world champions for 2014 respectively by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) 3. National Shooting Championship • Shital Thorat won the Women’s 10m air pistol title in the 58th National Shooting Championship. Winner – Shital Thorat – Maharashtra Runner ¬– Harveen Sarao – Punjab •Junior Women: Winner – Yashaswini Deswal – Haryana Runner – Nayani Bharaswaj – Haryana 4. Steeve Guenot, a wrestler suspended for one year • Former Olympic Champion Steeve Guenot was suspended for one year by French anti-doping agency for missing doping tests. • Guenot, who has been suspended until July 30, 2015 will not appeal the decision, meaning that he won’t be able to compete at the European Games in Baku next June. 5FIFA releases Year-end Rankings 1. Germany 2. Argentina 3. Colombia 4. Belgium 5. The Netherlands States: 1. Karnataka to buy solar power from Sun Edison’s 150-MW plant. • Karnataka’s solar energy sector got a boost with the signing of an agreement with the U.S.-based Sun Edison to buy power from its proposed 150-MW solar power plant being set up in the State at a cost of Rs. 1,500 crore.
Posted on: Mon, 22 Dec 2014 15:43:03 +0000
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