DAILY CURRENT
AFFAIRS: 19 DEC 2017
(DAILY NEWS INDIA)
SHARED BY: WWW.DAILYGK.IN
1. INDIA TO HOST MEETING OF WTO MEMBER COUNTRIES ON FOOD SECURITY
i. India will host a meeting of WTO member countries in February
2018 to muster support for food security and other issues. The announcement was
made by Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu in New Delhi.
ii. The proposed meeting would be in the backdrop of developed
nations forming groupings to prepare ground for pushing investment
facilitation, preparing rules for e-commerce, promoting gender equality and
reducing subsidy on fisheries.
2. GLOBAL INNOVATION INDEX- INDIA RANKED 60TH MOST INNOVATIVE COUNTRY,
SWITZERLAND TOPS
i. India currently ranks 60th out of 127 countries on the Global
Innovation Index 2017 as compared to 66th rank on GII 2016. The list was topped
by Switzerland. NITI Aayog, Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion and
Confederation of Indian Industry together launched a mega initiative “India
Innovation Index”.
ii. This Index will rank states on Innovations through country’s
first online innovation index portal that will capture data on innovation from
all Indian states on innovation and regularly update it in real time.
iii. The Top 3 Countries on Global Innovation Index 2017 are- Switzerland,
Sweden and Netherlands.
3. BENGALI POET JOY GOSWAMI TO GET 31ST MOORTIDEVI AWARD
i. Eminent Bengali poet Joy Goswami will be given the 31st
Moortidevi Award for the year 2017. The committee, headed by poet and scholar
Satya Vrat Shastri, unanimously decided to confer the award upon Goswami for
his poetry collection titled Du Dondo Phowara Matro.
ii. It is the first time the award will be given to a Bengali
poet. The award consists of a Saraswati Statue, a Citation Plaque and cash
award of Rupees 4 lakh.
4. GOA CELEBRATES 56TH LIBERATION DAY
i. Goa has celebrated its 56th Liberation Day. The state was
liberated on 19th December in 1961 from Portuguese control after almost 450
years of colonial rule.
ii. The main program was organized at the Sports Authority of Goa
Ground, Campal in state capital Panaji. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar
unfurled the national flag at the Goa Liberation Day celebrations in Panaji.
5. BJP WINS ABSOLUTE MAJORITY IN GUJARAT AND HIMACHAL PRADESH
i. The BJP has retained power in Gujarat for the 6th
time in a row and swept the polls in Himachal Pradesh finishing just short of
the two-third majority. The party romped home again in Gujarat by winning 99
seats, seven seats more than the mark of absolute majority in the 182-member
House. Congress won 77 seats and others 6.
ii. In Himachal Pradesh, BJP wrested power from Congress by
winning 44 seats, two seats short of two-third majority, in the 68 member
House. The Congress won 21 and others three. In Himachal Pradesh, Congress CM
Virbhadra Singh has won, while former BJP Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has
lost.
6. ICRA LAUNCHES FIXED INCOME INDICES FOR DEBT MARKETS
i. ICRA Management Consulting Services, an arm of ICRA, launched a
set of four fixed income indices including one on corporate bonds. It aims to
create more depth in the Indian debt market.
ii. ICRA Gilt Indices, ICRA Liquid Indices, ICRA Corporate Bond
Indices and ICRA Composite Debt Indices, the four indices launched, would help
asset managers and financial services companies make the objective analysis and
provide comprehensive benchmarking of debt portfolios.
7. OLA ACQUIRES FOODPANDA INDIA BUSINESS, TO FURTHER INVEST $200
MILLION
i. Ola, operated by ANI Technologies Pvt. Ltd has acquired food
delivery start-up Foodpanda India Pvt. Ltd from its German parent Delivery Hero
AG in an all-stock deal that will see the ride-hailing major infuse $200
million in Foodpanda’s India operations.
ii. Under the deal, Foodpanda’s India business will be transferred
to Ola in exchange for the latter’s stock. The share-swap arrangement and
details of the transaction are still not disclosed.
8. BHARTI AIRTEL TO BUY MILLICOM’S OPERATIONS IN RWANDA
i. Bharti Airtel Ltd has entered into a definitive agreement with
Millicom International Cellular S.A., under which Airtel Rwanda Ltd will
acquire 100% equity in Tigo Rwanda Ltd.
ii. This comes after Airtel’s announcement to merge with Millicom,
which operates the brand Tigo, in another African nation Ghana.
9. NGT CHAIRPERSON JUSTICE SWATANTER KUMAR RETIRES
i. National Green Tribunal Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar
retired from the post after completing his 5-year tenure.
ii. His successor is yet to be appointed. Justice Kumar resigned
as Supreme Court judge after he was appointed NGT chairperson on December 20,
2012.
10. IRAQ OVERTAKES SAUDI ARABIA AS TOP OIL SUPPLIER TO INDIA
i. Iraq has overtaken Saudi Arabia for the 1st time to become
India's top crude oil supplier in the current fiscal, according to the Oil
Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
ii. Saudi Arabia traditionally has been India's top oil source but
in the April-October period of 2017-18, Iraq dethroned it, supplying 25.8
million tonnes of oil.
11. TATA STEEL JODA MINE GETS GOLDEN PEACOCK INNOVATION AWARD
i. Joda East Iron Mine of Tata Steel has been honored with the
prestigious Golden Peacock Innovation Management Award for the year 2017 for
driving innovation in mines.
ii. The award was given at Institute of Directors India’s 2nd
Global Convention held at Singapore. Golden Peacock Awards Secretariat receives
over 1,000 entries per year for various awards, from over 25 countries
worldwide.
12. INDIA FINISHES 1ST AT JUNIOR BOXING CHAMPIONSHIP IN GERMANY
i. Indian junior boxers had clinched total 11 Medals (six gold,
four silver and a bronze medal) at the 5th International Sven Lange
Memorial Tournament, to finish as overall champions in the German city of
Schwerin.
ii. Bhavesh Kattamani (52kg) picked up the best boxer trophy along
with his gold medal. In the 3-day tournament, the other gold-medallists for India
were Vijeydeep (63kg), Akshay (60kg), Ish Pannu (70kg), Lakshay Chahar (80kg)
and Vinit (75kg). India was named the tournament's best team.
13. BADMINTON JR. NATIONALS: AAKARSHI KASHYAP WINS U-17 & U-19
SINGLES TITLES
i. India’s top-ranked junior shuttler Aakarshi Kashyap won U-17
and U-19 singles titles at Badminton junior Nationals in Guwahati, Assam.
ii. In Under-17 category, 16-year-old from Bhilai defeated Malvika
Bansod in the final. In under 19 categories final, Kashyap has beaten Vaidehi
Choudhari.
OBJECTIVE
QUESTIONS BASED ON TODAY’S NEWS
Q1. WHICH PARTY FORMED MAJORITY GOVERNMENT FOR THE
SIXTH-STRAIGHT TERM IN GUJARAT?
a) INC
b) BJP
c) AAP
d) NCP
Q2. WHO HAS BEEN CHOSEN FOR THE 31ST MOORTIDEVI AWARD
– 2017?
a) Joy Goswami
b) Vishwanath Tripathi
c) Kolakaluri Enoch
d) M. P. Veerendra Kumar
Q3. WHICH COUNTRY TO HOST MEETING OF WTO MEMBER COUNTRIES IN
FEBRUARY ON FOOD SECURITY AND OTHER ISSUES?
a) United States
b) Japan
c) Argentina
d) India
Q4. THE 56TH LIBERATION DAY OF GOA IS CELEBRATED ON WHICH DATE
IN INDIA?
a) December 21
b) December 20
c) December 19
d) December 18
Q5. INDIA RANKS 60TH ON THE GLOBAL INNOVATION INDEX
2017. THE LIST WAS TOPPED BY WHICH COUNTRY?
a) Sweden
b) Netherlands
C) Denmark
d) Switzerland
ANSWERS:
1 - B 2 - A 3 - D 4
- C 5 - D
