Current Affairs Update 18 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. 18 December 2018

Important Cabinet Approvals : 17 December 2018

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has been apprised of the following Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) on December 17, 2018.

Country	MoU
France	In the field of New and Renewable energy
Afghanistan	In the field of Human Resource Development
South Africa	Joint Issue of Postage Stamps by India and South Africa on the theme “125^th Year of Mahatma Gandhi’s Pietermaritzburg Station Incident & Birth Centenary of Nelson Mandela”
Australia	Cooperation in the Disability Sector

The Cabinet approval also includes the following:

Establishment of two new All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) under Pradhan MantriSwasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) at Madurai, Tamil Nadu at a cost of Rs 1,264 crore and Bibinagar, Telangana at a cost of Rs 1,028 crore.
Expansion of beneficiaries list under Pradhan Mantri Ujjawala Yojana to release deposit-free LPG connections to poor families so far uncovered.
Setting up of Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) in every block with more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons at a financial cost of Rs. 2242.03 crore during 2018-19 and 2019-20 (462 new EMRSs).
Construction of a 5.634 km long new 4 – lane bridge across river Ganga (Parallel to the Existing MG Setu) with its approaches from km 0/0 to km 14/500 across river Ganga on NH-19 at Patna in the State of Bihar on EPC Mode

India ranks 108th in WEF gender gap index 2018; Top- Iceland

India has been ranked at 108th in World Economic Forum (WEF) gender gap index out of 149 countries as per the WEF’s Global Gender Gap Report 2018.
Iceland (85.8%) has topped the overall list followed by Norway (2nd, 83.5%), Sweden (3rd, 82.2%).
In 2017 also India was on 108th rank.
India’s rank in sub index of WEF’s Global Gender Gap Report 2018:
- Economic opportunity and participation subindex- 142nd
- WEF’s wage equality for similar work indicator – 72

PM Modi Launches Infrastructure and Housing Projects worth Rs. 41,000 crore in Maharashtra

The Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi was on a day long visit to Maharashtra on December 18, 2018 where he unveiled important projects related to housing and urban transportation worth Rs. 41,000 crore.
PM laid the Foundation Stone of two important metro corridors – Thane-Bhiwandi-Kalyan Metro and the Dahisar-Mira-Bhayander Metro.- during a public meeting in Kalyan.
He launched the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra’s (CIDCO) mass housing scheme worth Rs. 18,000 crore.
He launched 90,000 units under the EWS (Economically Weaker Section) and LIG (Low Income Group) housing scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
The total worth of projects for which the Foundation Stone was laid in Kalyan was about Rs. 33,000 crore.
In Pune, the PM laid the Foundation Stone for Rs. 8,313-crore 23-km long third metro line between Hinjewadi and Shivajinagar (Pune Metro Phase-3).
Shri Narendra Modi also released the coffee table book “Timeless Laxman”, based on the famous cartoonist RK Laxman.
In addition to this, the Prime Minister addressed the Republic TV Summit organised in Mumbai on the theme Surging India.

Farm Loan Waiver For 16 Lakh Farmers Announced in Chhattisgarh

The newly appointed Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Bhupesh Baghel on 17^th December announced to waive off short-term agricultural loans to the tune Rs. 6100 crore of more than 16 lakh farmers.
The farm loans taken from cooperative banks and Chhattisgarh Gramin Banks, as on 30^th November 2018 will be totally waived.
The state government has also decided to hike the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of paddy to Rs. 2500/quintal

Assam Announces 25% Loan Waiver Scheme for Farmers

The Assam Cabinet, under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Sarbanand Sonowal, has approved a debt relief scheme for farmers of the State.
Under the scheme, 25 percent waive of loan amount will be given to the farmers. However the maximum relief per farmer would be capped at Rs 25 thousand.
In order to provide an interest relief scheme for farmers, the state government would give a subsidy of 4 percent on KCC loans, so that farmers can avail the loan at zero interest.
The Cabinet also approved a farmers incentive scheme, under which Rs 10,000 subsidy will be given to farmers having bad debts for taking loan under KCC while Rs 25,000 would be given to ‘smart farmers’ who have repaid their loans.

Overview: State Visit of the President of the Republic of Maldives to India

The President of the Republic of Maldives, H.E. Mr Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, was on a State Visit to India from 16-18 December 2018 accompanied by his wife First Lady Fazna Ahmed and a high level delegation.

List of MoUs Signed: 4

During the visit, the following Agreements/MoUs/Joint Declaration of Intent were signed
- Agreement on the Facilitation of Visa Arrangements
- Memorandum of Understanding on Cultural Cooperation
- Memorandum of Understanding for Establishing Mutual Cooperation to Improve the Ecosystem for Agribusiness;
- Joint Declaration of Intent on Cooperation in the field of Information & Communications Technology and Electronics.

Bilateral Cooperation

The two sides also agreed for bilateral cooperation in the following areas:
- Health cooperation issues particularly cancer treatment
- Mutual Legal Assistance on Criminal Matters
- Investment promotion
- Human Resource Development
- Tourism

India Extends 1.4 billion dollar aid to Maldives

The Prime Minister of India announced provision of financial assistance up to US$ 1.4 billion in the form of budgetary support, currency swap and concessional lines of credit to fulfil the socio-economic development programmes of the Maldives.

Justice Declared Merriam-Webster’s 2018 Word of the Year

US based publishing company Merriam-Webster has chosen “Justice” as its Word of the Year 2018.
Other front-runners for Merriam-Webster, renowned for dictionaries, were “nationalism,” “pansexual,” “lodestar,” “epiphany,” “feckless,” “laurel,” “pissant,” “respect,” “maverick,” and “excelsior.”
“Justice” joined Dictionary.com’s “misinformation” and the Oxford English Dictionary’s “toxic” as top words of the year. UK’s Cambridge Dictionary declared ‘Nomophobia’ as the UK People’s Word of 2018

Advocate Madhavi Divan Appointed Additional Solicitor General (ASG) for India

The Central Government has appointed Advocate Madhavi Goradia Divan as Additional Solicitor General of India (ASGI).
Divan will represent the government in the Supreme Court and will assume charge of the post till June 30,.2020 or until further orders
She is the third woman law officer to be appointed by the NDA government as ASG.
Before this senior woman advocates Pinky Anand and Maninder Acharya also held the post as ASGs.
The Additional Solicitor General of India (ASG) is a law officer of India and is the third ranking lawyer of the Government of India.

Pranab K. Das Appointed New Chairman of CBIC

The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has appointed Pranab Kumar Das as its new Chairman.
Das will succeed current Chairman S. Ramesh, who superannuates on December 31.
He is currently Special Secretary and Member (Customs) at CBIC
CBIC is the apex policy-making body for indirect taxes.
Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) was rechristened as the CBIC in March 2017.

Sonam Kapoor named PETA India’s 2018 Person of the Year

Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor, a vegan, has been named People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India’s Person of the Year for 2018.
Past recipients of PETA India’s Person of the Year Award include Anushka Sharma, Sunny Leone, Shashi Tharoor, Kapil Sharma, Hema Malini, R. Madhavan and Jacqueline Fernandez.

International Migrants Day: December 18

International Migrants Day (IMD): 18 December
2018 IMD Theme: Migration with Dignity
Purpose: to recognize the efforts, contributions, and rights of migrants worldwide.

Former Nepal PM Tulsi Giri Passes Away

Former Nepalese Prime Minister Tulsi Giri passes away in his residence at Budhanilkantha after suffering from liver cancer. He was 92.
Giri was politically active from 1960 to 2005.

Current Affairs Update – 18 December 2018