Current Affairs Update 15 December 2018
Current Affairs is an important part for many exams. Be prepared for this section with ByScoop which brings all the important Current Affairs in one place. 15 December 2018
President Kovind Lays Foundation Stone of Kevadia Railway Station in Narmada, Gujarat
- The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, laid the foundation stone of the new ultra modern Kevadia Railway Station in Narmada district of Gujarat on December 15, 2018.
- The state-of-the-art railway station, proposed to be built at a cost of Rs 20 crore, will connect the world’s tallest statue, Statue of Unity project, to the rest of India through broad gauge railway line.
- The 32 km broad gauge Chandod-Kevadiya section will connect Kevadiya with the Indian Railways network via Chandod, Moriya, Tilakwada and Garudeshwar.
- Kevadiya Railway Station building will be first in India to have Green Building Certification.
Ministry of Power Launches Energy Conservation Building Code “ECO Niwas Samhita 2018” for Residential Buildings
- Marking the National Energy Conservation Day 2018, the Ministry of Power has launched the ECO Niwas Samhita 2018,an Energy Conservation Building Code for Residential Buildings (ECBC-R) to boost India’s energy conservation efforts.
- The Code is expected to assist large number of architects and builders who are involved in design and construction of new residential complexes in different parts of the country by promoting energy efficiency in design and construction.
- Implementation of this Code will have potential for energy savings to the tune of 125 Billion Units of electricity per year by 2030, which is equivalent to about 100 million ton of Co2 emission.
8th World Ayurveda Congress Organised in Gujarat
- Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani inaugurated the 8th World Ayurveda Congress and AROGYA-Expo 2018 in Ahmedabad on December 14, 2018.
- Focal Theme – “Re-aligning the Focus on Health”
- The four-day summit (December 14-17) aims spread the awareness on the benefits of the ancient and herbal medicines.
- The event is likely to see over 4,000 delegates from 32 nations.
Zoramthanga takes oath as Mizoram CM
- Mizo National Front (MNF) president Zoramthanga has been sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Mizoram on December 16, 2018.
- The MNF came to power by winning 26 of the 40 assembly seats in the recently held elections.
- Along with Zoramthanga, 11 others — five cabinet ministers and six ministers of state — were also sworn in. Tawnluia has been sworn in as the deputy chief minister.
- The 74-year-old Zoramthanga has earlier served as the Chief Minister of Mizoram from December 1998 to December 2008, for two consecutive terms.
Govt forms 7-member panel under B P Sharma to select MD for State iInsurance Firms
- The government has constituted a seven-member panel to be headed by Banks Board Bureau (BBB) chairman B P Sharma to select Managing Directors of public sector insurance companies.
- The other members of the panel includes:
- Financial Services Secretary
- Department of Public Enterprises Secretary
- Chairman of Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India
- Three insurance sector experts namely G N Bajpai, Mathew Varghese and T Bhargava.
Mahinda Rajapaksa Steps Down as Sri Lankan PM
- Sri Lanka’s disputed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned from the post on December 15, 2018, nearly two-month after being into power.
- Rajapaksa was appointed as the Prime Minister on October 26 by President Sirisena in a controversial move after replacing Ranil Wickremesinghe, resulting in a constitutional crisis.
- On 3 December 2018, Supreme Court suspended Rajapaksa’s powers as Prime Minister and ruled that his cabinet could not function until its legitimacy was established.
UAE President declares 2019 as ‘Year of Tolerance’
- UAE President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has declared 2019 as the “Year of Tolerance”.
- This is the fifth in theme-based observation of years in the United Arab Emirates, starting with:
- 2015 being marked as the Year of Innovation;
- 2016 dedicated to reading initiatives;
- 2017 to giving drives and
- 2018 to commemorate the 100th birthday of the late founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.