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Click here to Download GK Eduwrap Weekly (5th December to 10th December 2016) in PDF FormatNational – Across the India:
1. The 7th World Ayurveda Congress (WAC) was held from 2nd – 4th December 2016 at Science City in Kolkata, West Bengal.
It was organized by the World Ayurveda Foundation with the support of the Union Ministry of AYUSH to facilitate development and growth of AYUSH system of medicine comprising Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy.
2. India has agreed to train Vietnam’s Sukhoi-30 fighter pilots, boosting growing defence ties between both countries.
In this regard agreement was signed during bilateral discussions between Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and his Vietnamese counterpart, General Ngo Xuan Lich in New Delhi.
3. E-commerce giant Amazon has launched its global startup program ‘Launchpad’ in India.
The program will enable Indian startups to sell their products overseas.
In this regard, Amazon India has tied up with Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP)’s Start Up India and NASSCOM.
4. The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee was on a visit to Haryana on 6th December 2016, where
He inaugurated the International Gita Mahotsav-2016 at Kurukshetra.
The event showcases the importance of Gita in modern time.
5. The Supreme Court has ruled that Horse Racing is not animal cruelty, whereas Jallikattu (Bull Racing) has been ruled out as illegal because it involves torture to bulls.
6. NITI Aayog has launched a series of incentives for encouraging digital payments for day to day financial transactions like buying or selling goods/services, transferring money etc., at the district, taluk, and panchayat level.
This will include providing a fund of Rs 5 lakh per district administration.
7. The world’s first hospital train, Lifeline Express has got two additional coaches for cancer treatment.
These coaches will be used for detecting and controlling oral, breast and cervical cancer, preventing stroked and providing family health services.
8. The Allahabad High Court has ruled that the practice of triple talaq (Talaq-e-bidat) among Muslims is unconstitutional and violates the rights of women enshrined in the constitution.
The order was passed by HC Justice Suneet Kumar while hearing a petition filed by a woman who claimed her husband arbitrarily divorced her.
9. The Union Cabinet has approved the development of Phase – 1 of the Pune Metro Rail Corridor Project.
It comprises two corridors: Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC)-Swargate covering a length of 16.589 km and Vanaz to Ramwadi with a length of 14.665 km.
10. Paytm had Launched Offline Money Transfer with Toll Free Number 180018001234.
Through this number, non-smart phone users can make transactions through their Paytm wallets.
11. Kerala Government has launched Haritha Keralam Mission, a comprehensive programme for creating new sustainable development perspectives in the state.
It was launched by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the state capital Thiruvananthapuram.
Singer K.J. Yesudas and actor Manju Warrier were the mission ambassador.
12. The 2016 India International Science festival (IISF) has been started at CSIR-National Physical Laboratory (NPL) Campus in New Delhi.
It was inaugurated by the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
The theme of the science festival was “Science for the masses”.
13. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has banned the use of newspapers for wrapping and packing of food items.
FSSAI had issued an advisory to all states and Union territories and asked commissioners of food safety to restrict the use of newspapers for packing, serving and storing of food items.
14. The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has organized the 28th State Information Ministers Conference on 9th and 10th December 2016 at Vigyan Bhawan.
Venkaiah Naidu, Minister for I&B will chair the conference on 10th Dec, 2016.
15. To enhance cooperation in education between the two countries, India will establish a center of excellence in information technology at Egypt’s oldest and most prestigious Al-Azhar University.
India’s leading computer IT organization, the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) had discussed the establishment of the centre with Al-Azhar University’s department of IT and department of engineering.
16. The ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) launched a TV channel named ‘DigiShala’ to push digital transactions.
The channel would be managed by Doordarshan (DD) and piggyback on its infrastructure.
International – Across the Globe:
1. The sixth edition of ‘Heart of Asia- Istanbul Process of Afghanistan’s conference, an annual regional gathering of Asian and other countries was held in Amritsar, Punjab (India).
It was inaugurated jointly by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
It concluded with adaptation of Amritsar Declaration with its prime focus on terrorism.
2. The annual bilateral maritime exercise Konkan 16 between the Indian Navy and the Royal Navy (British Navy) started in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
The 2016 edition of the exercise (from 5th to 16th December 2016) will play an important chapter in the maritime interactions.
3. The BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) countries have agreed to share tax information to ensure the fairness of the international tax system.
They had reaffirmed their commitment to prevent base erosion and shifting of profits (BEPS), exchange of tax information and capacity building of developing countries.
4. Singapore has the highest achieving students in international education rankings, with its teenagers coming top in tests in maths, reading and science.
5. The Russian-Indian- Indra NAVY-2016 Naval Exercise has started from 14th December and will be held till 21st December.
The exercise will be held in the city of Visakhapatnam and in the Bay of Bengal.
6. Venezuela will launch a new 20,000-bolivar banknote to help people struggling with large bundles of currency notes during the country’s economic crisis.
The biggest denomination banknote currently in circulation is 100 bolivars.
7. According to a report, as many, as 797 terrorist attacks were recorded in India in 2015, up 4% since 2014.
India was ranked seventh in the list of countries most impacted by terrorism in 2015, according to the Global Terrorism Index (GTI), 2016, released by the Institute for Economics & Peace, a think-tank based in Sydney, Australia.
Sports:
1. India’s Mukesh Kumar has become the oldest golfer to win an Asian Tour title when he lifted the Panasonic Open after it was curtailed to 54 holes due to fog.
The 51-year-old Mukesh, who has 123 PGTI titles under his belt, turned in a two-under 70 in the final round to total 10-under 206 to claim the trophy, his first on the Asian Tour.
2. Argentina won the Women’s Hockey Junior World Cup 2016.
They won the trophy by defeating Netherlands.
Awards & Recognition:
1. Usain Bolt and Almaz Ayana were crowned 2016 IAAF World Athlete of the year award.
Sprint king Usain Bolt from Jamaica has been awarded the 2016 IAAF World Athlete of the Year award in the male category for the sixth time.
Earlier he had won it in 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013.
Almaz Ayana of Ethiopia won the award in women’s award category.
2. Hailakandi district of Assam has become the first district to pay wages to tea garden workers through individual bank accounts.
The task was completed before the 15th December 2016, the deadline set by the state government for cashless transactions of salary payments to the plantation workers.
3. Prime Minister Narendra Modi won the reader’s poll for TIME ‘Person of the Year 2016’.
Modi won 18 percent of the vote, significantly more than his closest rivals, including U.S. President Barack Obama, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Wikileaks Founder Julian Assange.
4. The Straits Times of Singapore has chosen Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal for the prestigious “2016 Asian of the Year” as part of a group called the “The Disruptors”.
5. Indo-U.S. Relations in an Age of Uncertainty, the book by longtime America-watcher B.M. Jain was released.
The book narrates the India-America relations and their future in the Trump-Modi era
6. The list of ‘Top 10 Indian Movies in 2016′ based on the IMDb Users Ratings has been released.
Amitabh Bachchan starrer movie ‘Pink’ has been ranked first.
Akshay Kumar’s ‘Airlift’ has been ranked second.
‘Dear Zindagi’ has been ranked third.
7. Nickelodeon’s Kids Choice Awards were declared as-
Icon of the Year – Shah Rukh Khan
Best Actor – Salman Khan for ‘Sultan’
Best Actress – Deepika Padukone for ‘Bajirao Mastani’.
8. Corporation Bank has bagged the ‘Best MSME Bank Award 2016’ instituted by Assocham.
Similarly, Vijaya Bank has been adjudged ‘Best Bank for SME Lending award’.
9. Bharat Earth Movers Limited Ltd (BEML) has bagged the ‘CII National Quality 2016 Award’.
10. Multimedia artist Helen Marten won the Turner Prize, which is Britain’s top award for contemporary art.
Marten was selected from a shortlist including Michael Dean, Josephine Pryde, and Anthea Hamilton.
11. US President-elect Donald Trump has been named as the Time magazine’s Person of the Year for 2016.
He won the award for his stunning victory in the US Presidential election.
12. The 2016 World Power Language Index (PLI) announced that English language is the most powerful language in the world.
The index was published by World Economic Forum (WEF).
Hindi language was ranked 10th in the 2016 PLI.
Mergers & Acquisitions:
1. Public sector company, MMTC has tied-up with the State Bank of India (SBI) to sell government minted “Indian Gold Coin”.
2. The Women and Child Development Ministry has tied up with India Post and State Bank of India.
The agreement was to offer more payment options to buyers and simplify shipping of products bought from “Mahila Ehaat”, an online marketing platform for women entrepreneurs.
Appointments & Resignations:
1. AIADMK leader O. Panneerselvam sworn in as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu following the death of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.
This is for the third time he has sworn in as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
2. Justice Jagdish Singh (JS) Khehar will be the next Chief Justice of India based on the recommendations by present Chief Justice of India Mr. T.S. Thakur.
3. The President of Pakistan has appointed Justice Mian Saqib Nisar as the 25th head of the Supreme Court with effect from Dec 31.
He will replace Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali.
4. Senior bureaucrat B S Bhullar was appointed as the Chief of Aviation Regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
5. Bernard Cazeneuve was appointed as the French Prime Minister on 4th December 2016 after PM Manuel Valls resigned to seek the Socialist Party’s ticket in 2017 presidential elections.
6. Uzbekistan’s interim leader, Shavkat Mirziyoyev has won a crushing presidential election victory to succeed the late Islam Karimov.
7. The Board of Directors of IDFC Bank has approved the appointment of Ms. Veena Mankar as the Non-Executive Chairperson, up to July 26, 2018.
The appointment is subject to approval of the RBI.
8. Ghana’s main opposition leader Nana Akufo-Addo has won the presidency in his third run for the office.
The country’s election commission said Akufo-Addo received 53.8% of the vote, with John Mahama on 44.4%
9. Vistaar Financial Services Private Limited, a leading NBFC (Non-banking Financial Company), announced the appointment of Mr. C.B. Bhave as the Non-Executive Chairman and Independent Director of the Company.
His appointment will be effective from November 17, 2016.
Bhave served as the Chairman of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) from February 2008 for a period of three years.
Economics & Banking GK:
1. The premier cyber security agency CERT-In has cautioned bankers, customers, and traders against skimming and malware attacks on micro ATMs and Point of Sale (POS) terminals.
The move comes as usage of POS and micro-ATMs counters have witnessed a sharp surge post demonetization.
2. RBI is going to issue new currency notes of Twenty and Fifty Rupees’ denomination in the Mahatma Gandhi Series-2005.
The old currency notes of Rs. 20 and Rs. 50 denomination issued by the Bank will continue to be legal tender.
3. The Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) has recommended one-time licensing for manufacture and sales of drugs.
If the recommendation is approved, it will change the renewal of licenses for each formulation which rests with state regulators and takes around three years.
4. India has received over US $300 billion US Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) between April 2000 and September 2016.
The cumulative FDI inflows during the period amounted to the US $310.26 billion.
5. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has declared that the banks must bear the full losses in the event of any security breach or compromise in the authorized card network.
Banks issuing the cards will offer the ‘payment authentication solutions’ of the respective card networks on an optional basis to their customers.
6. The Reserve Bank of India has withdrawn the incremental cash reserve ratio (CRR) by 100%.
7. The Reserve Bank of India authorized the Receivables Exchange of India (RXIL), promoted by Sidbi and NSE to launch the country’s first trade receivables exchange platform for MSMEs, buyers, and financiers.
8. The Reserve bank of India (RBI) in its fifth bi-monthly monetary policy review for year 2016-17 kept the key rates unchanged.
Read the complete detail at “https://scoop.eduncle.com/rbi-5th-bi-monthly-monetary-policy-statement”
9. 100 banks joined National Financial Switch network as direct members.
Direct members are those banks that directly participate in clearing and settlement with NPCI and they can also act as a sponsor bank.
10. NABARD is going to support banks for deployment of two PoS (Point of Sales) devices per village in one lakh villages having a population of up to 10,000 to facilitate more cashless transactions in rural India.
The effort is going to cost NABARD an estimated Rs 120 crore.
11. The Union Government has announced package of incentives and measures for promotion of digital and cashless economy in the country.
It was announced to supplement the surge in the digital transactions aftermath demonetization of old Rs.500 and Rs. 1,000 notes for promotion of digital cashless economy and cutting out cash transactions.
12. Pakistan had lifted an “undeclared” ban on import of ginned cotton from India, days after rejecting a consignment of 10,000 bales of cotton from India citing violation of plant quarantine rules by importers.
Earlier, the Department of Plant Protection (DPP) of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research put cotton imports from India on hold through Wagah and Karachi port from November 23, saying the shipments did not fulfil phyto- sanitary conditions, Dawn newspaper reported.
13. State Bank of India will divest 3.9 per cent of its stake in SBI Life Insurance Company to global investment firms KKR and Temasek for Rs. 1,794 crore.
14. Canara Bank has launched a prepaid card as part of efforts to attract more and more people towards cashless transactions.
Prepaid card lets the cardholders use the same for cash withdrawal, purchases at point of sale or internet.
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU):
1. KPMG and Microsoft India has announced a strategic Internet of Things (IoT) Advisory partnership to accelerate the digital transformation of large and mid-market enterprises in the country.
The IoT Advisory will help enterprises deploy solutions that can drive Cloud-based automation, generate operational insights through IoT, provide better customer relationship management and analytics, improve organizational agility and increase workforce mobility.
2. Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation, and Hindustan Petroleum Corp have signed a pact to build India’s biggest oil refinery at a cost of $30 billion on the west coast.
3. The Union Cabinet has approved Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Vietnam on Cooperation in the field of Information Technology.
The MoU aims to develop sustainable and a long-term cooperation between both countries based on the equality and mutual interest in the areas of IT.
4. The Union Cabinet has approved Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Afghanistan on cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space.
The MoU envisaged cooperation between both countries for application of space technologies in various sectors like – Agriculture, Education, Weather Forecasting, Rural Health, Telecommunications, Urban Development, Sanitation, Resource Mapping Navigation and Remote Sensing etc.
5. The Union Cabinet has given its approval to Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and United Kingdom (UK) to support Ease of Doing Business in India.
6. India has been designated as a major defence partner of the United States.
It puts India on a par with the closest allies and partners of the US.
The agreement in this regard was reached between Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and US Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter in New Delhi.
Science & Technology:
1. The Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram launched ‘Stanpan Suraksha’ mobile application to promote breastfeeding and keep a tab on “inappropriate” promotion of baby food items.
The mobile application has been developed by the Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India (BPNI).
2. Maharashtra has launched its own mobile wallet named “Mahawallet”.
With the launch, Maharashtra will become the first state to have its own mobile wallet.
It will allow users to transfer funds to or from other mobile wallets such as Paytm and Mobikwik.
3. Researchers from the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Delhi has found a novel route to discover new drug targets and potential drugs.
These new drug targets route and potential drugs are mainly for parasites such as Loa loa nematode (roundworm) and Schistosoma mansoni platyhelminths (flatworm) that cause several diseases.
4. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has successfully launched remote sensing Satellite Resourcesat-2A into its dedicated orbit.
5. Andhra Pradesh Government has launched AP Purse mobile application.
It will promote digital transactions among the people.
6. The Union Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) launched Winter Fog Experiment (WIFEX 2016-17).
It will study the presence of extended periods of fog in northern parts of the country.
Important Dates:
1. The Indian Navy Day was observed annually on 4th December 2016 to celebrate the magnificence, achievements, and role of the naval force of the country.
The observance of the day commemorates the launch of Operation Trident by the Indian Navy against Pakistan on 4th December 1971.
2. The International Anti-Corruption Day 2016 was observed across the world on 9th December 2016.
This year’s theme is ‘United against corruption for development, peace, and security’.
3. The Human Rights Day 2016 was on 10th December 2016 observed across the world.
This year’s theme is “Stand up for someone’s rights today”.
4. The Union Government is going to observe the birth anniversary of the father of Indian Constitution B. R. Ambedkar 14th April as “Water Day” in the country.
The idea behind observing Water Day on the birth anniversary of Dr. Ambedkar is to sensitize people about managing precious water resources.
Death:
1. Former international hockey umpire and veteran administrator, Phulel Singh Sujlana, passed away in Mumbai.
He has officiated some matches first at the international level as an umpire at the 1978 Asian Games in Bangkok.
2. Former Indian defender and Coach Syed Abdus Salam, the best defender at the 1956 Melbourne Games, passed away in Hyderabad.
3. Cho Ramaswamy, Actor, political commentator, theatre personality and editor of Thuglak (Tamil Magazine) passed away.
4. Former US aviator, astronaut John Glenn passed away in Columbus, Ohio, US. He was 95.
He was the last surviving member of the Mercury Seven Mission.
He was first American to orbit Earth and had circled three times earth in 1962 aboard Friendship 7 space capsule.
5. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa passed away after suffering a cardiac arrest. She was 68.
Jayalalithaa was one of the country’s most articulate and determined political personalities and a top film actress of the 1960s and 1970s.
She was famously known as Puratchi Thalaivi Amma (revolutionary leader) or Amma.
Important Abbreviations used in this Article
| Abbreviation | Full Form |
| WAC | World Ayurveda Congress |
| DIPP | Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion |
| IISF | India International Science Festival |
| MeitY | Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology |
| BEML | Bharat Earth Movers Limited Ltd |
| DTAB | Drugs Technical Advisory Board |
| MoES | Union Ministry of Earth Sciences |
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