News on 5-12-2016

1. International Volunteer Day: 5 December

i. The International Volunteer Day (IVD) is observed across the world on 5 December every year.
ii. This year theme is " Global Applause – give volunteers a hand".
iii. This year's theme recognises the volunteers worldwide and their efforts in making peace and sustainable development a reality.


2. World Soil Day: 5 December

i. The World Soil Day 2016 is observed on 5 December annually.
ii. The theme for this year is “Soils and pulses, a symbiosis for life”.
iii. The theme for the 2016 WSD focuses on the positive contributions of pulses to soil properties, such as fixing the atmosphere nitrogen and improving its biodiversity, fertility and structure.


3. Star Screen Awards 2016

i. The 23rd edition of the annual film awards show, Star Screen Awards, was held at Mumbai on 4th December 2016.
ii. The main attraction of the awards show was Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan hosting the event.
iii. Shoojit Sircar's critically-acclaimed Pink bagged as many as four awards, including for the Best Film, at the 23rd Star Screen Awards 2016.
iv. While megastar Amitabh Bachchan received the Best Actor award for the film, Aditya Bannerji got the Best Editing award and Ritesh Shah got the Best Dialogue award for Pink.


4. Web site to educate women on their legal rights launched

i. Tasmania-based Women's Legal Service in collaboration with TRS Law Offices (India) has launched a website (www.Girlsgottaknow.In) for women in the country to educate them about their legal rights.


5. MSS limit raised to Rs 6 lakh crore to manage liquidity

i. In order to mop up extra liquidity from the system in view of demonetisation, government and the Reserve Bank on 03rd December sharply raised the Market Stabilisation Scheme (MSS) ceiling to Rs 6 lakh crore from Rs 30,000 crore.
ii. Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das said RBI will operate within that limit as per requirement, not as if the entire quantum of MSS would be utilised overnight.


6. Praful Patel appointed as AFC senior VP

i. All India Football Federation President Praful Patel has been appointed as a Senior Vice-President of Asian Football Confederation.
ii. Under Patel's tutelage, India won the rights to host the Fifa U-17 World Cup India 2017 and hosted the AFC U-16 Championship in September 2016.


7. Crown prince Maha Vajiralongkorn becomes Thailand's new king

i. Thailand named its crown prince Maha Vajiralongkorn as its new king on 1 December 2016, 50 days after the passing of King Bhumibol Adulyadei.
ii. Dressed in white, prince Vajiralongkorn ascended the throne and accepted his new responsibilities at the invitation of the National Legislative Assembly’s (NLA) President in his Bangkok Palace amidst the whole of Thai media.


8. Mukesh Kumar makes history in Golf Asia Tour

i. Indian Golfer Mukesh Kumar became the oldest golfer to win an Asian Tour title on December 4, 2016 at Delhi Golf Club (DGC) after winning the Panasonic Open India.
ii. The 51-year-old Mukesh, who has won 123 PGTI titles, scored two-under 70 in the final round which made his total to 10-under 206 to claim the trophy.


9. Flipkart's Binny Bansal, Sachin Bansal named Asians of the Year

i. Flipkart founders Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal have been jointly named "Asian of the Year 2016" by Singapore-based newspaper The Straits Times.
ii. The "Asian of the Year 2016" award recognises entrepreneurs operating at the frontiers of technology's interface with business.


10. KPMG and Microsoft partner to help grow India’s digital transformation

i. KPMG in India and Microsoft India have established a strategic IoT Advisory partnership.
ii. This will enable them to combine their advanced technologies, industry insights, and creative thinking to accelerate the digital transformation of large and mid-market Indian enterprises.


11. Airtel appoints Sunil Taldar as CEO, Director of Digital TV arm

i. Telecom operator Bharti Airtel  announced top level changes by appointing Sunil Taldar as CEO & Director of its DTH arm Airtel Digital TV and moving incumbent Shashi Arora as MD & CEO of Airtel Payments Bank.
ii. He takes over from Shastri Arora who, after a stint of around five years as CEO & DTH, has moved as MD & CEO, Airtel Payments Bank.


12. Amazon launches global startup program 'Launchpad' in India

i. E-commerce major Amazon has launched its global startup program 'Launchpad' in India, an online portal featuring over 400 products from different startups including 25 Indian startups.
ii. The program will also help Indian startups to sell their products overseas. First started in 2015, Amazon Launchpad is now available in seven regions.


13. India's internet population to touch 600 mn by 2020: Study

i. Driven by increased 4G and 3G penetration, India's internet population is likely to increase from current 343 million users to 600 million by 2020, according to a study by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) and Deloitte.
ii. India is the world's second largest mobile phone market with over a billion mobile phone connections. Among these, 240 million mobile connections belong to smartphones.


14. Former international hockey umpire Phulel Singh Sujlana passed away

i. Former international hockey umpire and veteran administrator, Phulel Singh Sujlana, passed away due to old age.
ii. The jovial Sujlana, who was also secretary of the Mumbai Hockey Association Limited (MHAL) for four years from 2000-2004 after being its vice president from 1997, donned quite a few hats in hockey, officiating first at the international level as an umpire at the 1978 Asian Games in Bangkok

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News on 3-12-2016

1. Nation pays tribute to Rajendra Prasad on his 131st birth anniversary

I. Remembering  Rajendra Prasad, the first President of Independent India on the 131st birth anniversary on 03rd December 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the nation bow to him for
his inspirational guidance in the time when India was getting freedom.

II. Dr.Rajendra Prasad was an eminent freedom fighter, a renowned jurist, an eloquent parliamentarian, an able administrator, a statesman par excellence and above all, a humanist to the core. Dr.Rajendra Prasad, affectionately addressed as ‘Rajen Babu’, was born at Village Ziradei in Saran district (now in Siwan) of Bihar on 03 December 1884.


2. International Day of Persons with Disabilities being observed on 03rd December 2016

I. International Day of Persons with Disabilities being observed on 03rd December 2016.Disability Day is a day that has been promoted by the United Nations since 1992. The aim of Disability Day is to encourage a better understanding of people affected by a disability, together with helping to make people more aware of the rights, dignity and welfare of disabled people, as well as raise awareness about the benefits of integrating disabled persons into every aspect of life.

II. The theme of World Disability Day for 2016 is: Achieving 17 Goals for the Future We Want, which draws attention to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and how these goals can create a more inclusive and equitable world for persons with disabilities.


3. RBI defers Aadhaar-enabled devices

I. RBI defers mandatory implementation of Aadhar-enabled  PoS (Point of Sale) devices till June
30,2017. The RBI said banks, authorised card payment networks and white-label ATM operators have time till June 30, 2017, for deployment of Aadhaar-enabled devices. The central bank said the rate of deployment of acceptance infrastructure has slowed owing to the mismatch between demand and supply of such Aadhaar-enabled devices. As there is currently a limited capacity to produce such devices.


4. Airtel Payments Bank to offer talk-time on new savings account

I. Airtel Payments Bank, the first payments bank in India introduce that any customer opening a savings account with it will get one minute of talk time on his/her Airtel mobile for every rupee
deposited.
II. If a customer opens an account with a deposit of Rs1,000 then he/she will get 1,000 minutes of free talk time on his/her Airtel mobile number. The talk time can be used for calling all over India. This benefit is applicable on first time deposits only.The offer will be valid from Airtel to Airtel mobile minutes with a validity period of 30 days.


5. Ruchi Soya to provide banking assistance to farmers

I. Edible oil firm Ruchi Soya Industries in association with State Bank of India (SBI)  launched an initiative to provide banking assistance to farmers.

II. To start off, banking assistance will be provided to soybean farmers in Indore, Samwer, Manglia and Ujjain mandis in Madhya Pradesh.The company will further plans to expand this initiative across the country in states like Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.

III. Under the initiative ‘Kisan Kalyan Ayojan’, the company will help farmers to open bank accounts, procure the produce directly from farmers at the right price and ensure farmers get their payment immediately through internet banking.


7. UAE-based Indian wins International Children's Peace Prize

I. A 16-year-old Indian girl based in the UAE has won this year's International Children's Peace Prizevfor her fight for climate justice and combating environmental degradation. Kehkashan Basu waspresented the award by Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus at The Hague. At the age of 12, Kehkashan founded her organisation Green Hope, which now has operations in over 10 countries.


8. Delhi Airport world's 22nd most connected

I. The Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi is the 22nd most connected airport in the world, according to air travel intelligence company OAG. Mumbai Airport has been ranked 28th,
while OAG's 2016 Megahubs Index has been topped by Chicago Airport in the United States. Meanwhile, the Atlanta and Dallas Airports, also in the US, have ranked second and third.


9. LeBron named Sports Ilustrated's Sportsperson of the Year

I. Basketball player LeBron James has been chosen as the Sports Illustrated's Sportsperson of the Year, becoming the second athlete ever to win the award twice. James edged out Usain Bolt, Phelps, Premier League champions Leicester City, among others. James had led his team Cleveland Cavaliers to the 2016 NBA title and was named NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP).


10. Spanish city changes name for third time in a decade

I. A Spanish city has changed its name for the third time in a
decade, renaming itself Palma from Palma de Mallorca. The regional government voted for the name change, claiming the "de Mallorca" tag to be a leftover from Spain’s centralist past. The city was renamed Palma in 2008, but its name was changed to Palma de Mallorca in 2012.


11. Usain Bolt wins a record sixth 'Athlete of the Year' award

I. Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt won the International Association of Athletics Federations' award for male athlete of the year for a record sixth time on Friday. He last won the award in 2013, while his first win came in 2008. Bolt, who is undefeated this season in all distances, completed his 'triple-triple' of 100-metres, 200-metres and 4x100-metres Olympic golds in August.


12. Kolkata gets best cities award for tackling climate change

I. Kolkata, along with 10 other cities from across the globe, has been honoured with the best cities of 2016 award in recognition of its programme on solid waste
management. Kolkata, the only Indian city to win the honour, received the award during the C40 Mayors Summit held in Mexico. Other cities which won the award include Copenhagen, Sydney, and Paris.


13. Chitra Ramkrishna Quits NSE, J Ravichandran Interim Chief

I. Ramkrishna unexpectedly quit as chief executive officer of National Stock Exchange (NSE) , ending her 24-year career at the country’s largest bourse that she helped found. Ramkrishna, who took over as head of the exchange in 2013, quit due to personal reasons, J Ravichandran, group president, will be in charge till the board appoints a new CEO.

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News on 4-12-2016

1. Hailakhandi first in Assam to pay tea workers via bank account

I. Hailakandi has become the first district in Assam to pay wages to tea garden workers through individual bank accounts before the December 15 deadline set by the state government for cashless transactions to the plantation workers.

II. At least 504 workers of Burnie Braes tea estate received their wages through bank accounts and the payment was made through five Banking Correspondents (CSPs) of Assam.


2. India to train Qatar police to host FIFA World Cup 2022

I. India will train Qatar police for handling the security during the FIFA World Cup 2022 scheduled to be held in that country.
          
II. The training arrangement was agreed upon during a meeting between Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Bin Khalifa Al Thani and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi.


3. India, Qatar ink pacts on visas, cyberspace, investments

I. India and Qatar has signed four agreements on visas, cyberspace and investments following delegation-level talks led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani on key issues of energy, trade and security.

II. Modi and the Qatari Prime Minister, who is in New Delhi on his first visit, discussed enhancing cooperation in defence and security, in particular in cybersecurity and agreed on joint action to tackle money laundering and terrorist financing. The two sides inked five pacts including in the field of visas, cyberspace and investments.


4. Indian contestant Srinidhi Shetty wins Miss Supranational

I. India's representative Srinidhi Shetty has been crowned Miss Supranational 2016, an international beauty pageant. This marks the second time that India has won the pageant following the win by Asha Bhat in 2014.

II. Srinidhi Shetty qualified for the competition after becoming the first runner-up at the Miss India Universe pageant earlier this year, where she won the title 'Miss Diva Supranational'.


5. La La Land named best film by New York Film Critics Circle

I. Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling starrer romantic drama La La Land has been chosen as the best film of 2016 by the New York Film Critics Circle. The film, directed by Damien Chazelle, is widely tipped to be an Oscar frontrunner. The top award was the only win for the musical drama where Manchester by the Sea and Moonlight won three trophies each.

II. Manchester won the best actor award for Casey Affleck, best screenplay for Kenneth Lonergan and best-supporting actress for Michelle Williams, who also was recognised for her work in Certain Women. Barry Jenkins was recognised as the best director for Moonlight, which also won best supporting actor for Mahershala Ali and best cinematography (James Laxton). The best actress trophy went to Isabelle Huppert for her work in both Elle and Things to Come.


6. PM Modi extends his greetings to Indian Navy on Navy Day

I. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended his greetings to all members of the Indian Navy and their families on the occasion of Navy Day.

II. The day is observed on 4th of December every year to celebrate the magnificence, achievements and role of the naval force to the country. During the India-Pakistan war of 1971, the Indian Navy played a significant role in the bombing of the Karachi harbor. The name of the operation was Operation Trident and it was launched on 4 December.


7. PV Sindhu jumps 2 places in latest Badminton World Federation rankings

I. Olympic silver medallist PV Sindhu jumped two places to achieve her career-best ranking of seven in the latest BWF World Ranking, while Saina Nehwal is also back in the top 10.

II. Sindhu, who clinched the China Open and then reached the finals at the Hong Open, has 68,699 ranking points. She will carry India hopes at the Dubai Super Series Final, a prestigious tournament she qualified for the first time.


8. Elon Musk named most admired leader in technology

I. Tesla and SpaceX Founder Elon Musk has been named the most admired leader in the technology space, in a survey conducted by VC firm First Round Capital involving over 700 startup founders.

II. Amazon's Jeff Bezos emerged as the second most admired technology leader, followed by Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Apple's Steve Jobs.


9. Heart of Asia' conference has kicked off in Amritsar

I. The sixth 'Heart of Asia' ministerial conference has kicked off in Amritsar, Punjab from 03rd December 2016 to discuss peace, cooperation and economic development in Afghanistan.

II. Delegates from nearly 40 countries will participate in the conference organised on the theme 'Addressing Challenges, Achieving Prosperity'. The main conference has been inaugurated jointly by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has lead the Indian delegation in place of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who is unwell.


10. India women’s team beat Pakistan by 17 runs to win Asia Cup

I. India women’s cricket team won the Asia Cup T20 after beating arch-rivals Pakistan in the final of the regional tournament by 17 runs. Played in Bangkok, India had beaten Pakistan in the group stages too and made it two-in-two in the final on 04th December 2016.

II. The win stretches India’s unbeaten run in the Asia Cup to 32 matches and it is their sixth Asia Cup crown. Mithali Raj top scored for India in the Asia Cup final against Pakistan, she scored 73 runs and remained not out till the end.


11. Donald Trump names General Motors CEO to his advisory panel

I. US President-elect Donald Trump has named General Motors CEO Mary Barra to his economic and job-creation panel. The panel, set to meet for the first time in February, consists of CEOs from JPMorgan Chase, Walt Disney, Boeing, and other companies.

II. Barra is one of the only two women on the panel, the other being IBM CEO Ginni Rometty.


12. Universal Studios Hollywood named World's Best Attraction

I. Universal Studios Hollywood has been named the Best Attraction in the World by ticket selling site 'AttractionTix'. The winners of the 2016 'Worldwide Attraction Awards' were announced across 19 different categories.

II. Warner Brothers Studio Tour was voted the best attraction in the UK while Magic Kingdom Park in Walt Disney World Resort was named the Best Family Attraction.


13. Smith registers joint-highest score by an Aussie captain

I. Australian captain Steven Smith smashed a career-best 164(157) in the first ODI against New Zealand on Sunday, to equal Ricky Ponting's record for the highest individual score by an Aussie skipper.

II. In the process, he also became the second batsman to score 1,000 ODI runs this year. Smith is the third Australian captain to score 150+ in an ODI innings.

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