Daily Current Affairs 18 December 2019: We have collected the latest current affairs for 18 December 2019 that are important for all competitive exams like Bank, SSC, IBPS, SBI exams. The GK current affairs will help you score more in these competitive exams. Improve your general knowledge with our daily online current affairs. You can also read the daily current affairs on our mobile app.

Current Affairs 18 December 2019

Govt launches National Broadband Mission, aims to provide broadband for all by 2022

• The Government of India has launched the National Broadband Mission (NBM) to fast track growth of digital communications infrastructure, bridge the digital divide and provide affordable and universal access of broadband for all.
• The main objective of the NBM is to provide broadband access to all villages by 2022.
• The mission is part of the National Digital Communications Policy, 2018.
• The mission envisages
  • Rs 7 lakh crore investment in next 3 to 4 years.
  • Taking optical fibre connectivity to 50 lakh kilometres from the current 22 lakh kilometres.
  • Deploy 10 lakh mobile towers from the present 5.65 lakh sites in next 3-4 years
  • 10% of the funds would come from the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) and the balance will come from industry in the form of towers and other assets

India’s first waste exchange platform launched in Chennai

• The Greater Chennai Corporation has launched a website which allows the buying and selling of waste and recycled products.
• The website ‘www.madraswasteexchange.com’ is India’s first waste exchange platform for vendors and buyers of waste to connect.
• The website will be run as a pilot for the next three months, after which more features will be added to the platform.
• It is part of the initiative of the Chennai Corporation towards achieving its target of generating zero waste.

Govt Extends AMRUT Mission by 2 yrs to 2022

• The Government of India has decided to extend the mission period of its flagship initiative Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) by two more years till March 2022, due to its inability to fulfill the set targets for urban renewal in 500 cities by March 2020.
• AMRUT Mission was launched on June 25, 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• The government’s flagship initiative targetted 139 lakh water connections by March 2020, 145 lakh sewer connections, storm water drainage projects, parks and green spaces and LED streetlights with a total outlay of Rs 77,640 crore, including central assistance of Rs 35,990.

Home Minister Amit Shah Lays Foundation Stone of Bharat Vandana Park in Dwarka, New Delhi

• The Union Home Minister Amit Shah laid the foundation stone of Bharat Vandana Park at Sector 20, Dwarka in New Delhi.
• The Bharat Vandana Park is built over 200 acres with an investment of INR 524 crore.
• The project is expected to be completed by March 2022, the year marking 75 years of independence.
• The park will be one of its kind, having different zones, and each zone having different themes.
• The most attractive feature of the park will be ‘Mini India’ will be the depiction of various famous monuments of different Indian states to showcase the cultural and natural heritage of all the states in India.

Five-day Annual Music Festival ‘Tansen Samaroh’ Begins in Gwalior

• The annual classical music festival ‘Tansen Samaroh’ began in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh on December 17, 2019.
• It is the 95th year of the festival.
• The five-day festival is celebrated every year in the memory of one of the most eminent singers of Indian history, ‘Mian Tansen’.
• Tansen Samaroh is the oldest and esteemed classical music festival in India is organised by Ustad Alauddin Khan Kala Evam Sangeet Academy, under the Madhya Pradesh culture department.
• Noted vocalist Pandit Vidyadhar Vyas was presented the National Tansen Award for 2019. It is instituted by the Madhya Pradesh government, carrying a cash prize of Rs two lakh and is given to outstanding exponents of Hindustani classical music.

Three-day state-level orange festival held in Manipur

• In Manipur, a three-day State-level Orange Festival was held from December 16-18, 2019.
• The festival was inaugurated by Chief Minister N. Biren Singh at district headquarters Tamenglong.
• Tamenglong district is largest producer of orange fruit in Manipur.
• The annual festival was organised by the state government under the sponsorship of North Eastern Council to promote the fruit and encourage its growers.

Gujarat Police Becomes Seventh State Police Force to be Bestowed with ‘President’s Colours’

ADB & India Signs USD 250 million loan to expand energy efficiency investments

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India has signed a $250 million loan to Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) on 16 December 2019 to expand energy efficiency investments in India.
• In addition to the above, USD 46 million financing will be provided from the Clean Technology Fund (CTF), to be administered by ADB.
• ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty.

Moody’s Further Lowers India’s FY20 growth forecast to 4.9%

• Moody’s Investors Service has lowered its GDP growth projection for India for the fiscal year 2019-20 to 4.9 percent from 5.8 percent.
• The major factors responsible for weakening economic growth are rural financial stress, low job creation and liquidity constraints.
• The US ratings multinational has also lowered the growth forecast for FY 2020-21 to 6.3 percent from an earlier prediction of 6.6 percent.

International Migrants Day: December 18

• The International Migrants Day is observed on 18 December every year to commemorate the benefits migrants offer their host communities; as well as drawing attention to the particular challenges they face and to the need to promote and protect the rights of all migrants.
• On 18 December 1990, the United Nations (UN) adopted its International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
• The theme of International Migrants Day 2019 is Social Cohesion: Recognizing Migration is a Benefit that Works for All

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Nagaland Governor R N Ravi to hold additional charge of Meghalaya

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Minorities Right Day in India: December 18

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UN Arabic Language Day: December 18

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Veteran actor Shriram Lagoo, a stalwart in Marathi theatre personality, movie and film actor, passed away. He was 92. 

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Former Union Minister ID Swami has passed away at the age of 90. He served as Union Minister of State for Home Affairs in 1999 in former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government.

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