DECEMBER 13TH CURRENT AFFAIRS: Appointments 1. Shriti Vadera Set to Become First Woman to Head Major British Bank • Indian-origin Shriti Vadera has been appointed as chairman of Santander UK, becoming the first woman to head a major British bank. • 52-year-old Vadera, former minister in the UKs finance ministry, will join the board of Santander UK as joint deputy chairman in January, before succeeding Terence Burns in March next year. 2. Dineshwar Sharma to succeed Syed Asif Ibrahim as new IB chief • Dineshwar Sharma has been appointed as the next chief of Intelligence Bureau (IB). Committees 1. Set up vigilance panels to supervise MNREGA works • The Legislature Committee on Local Bodies and Panchayat Raj Institutions has recommended setting up of vigilance committees headed by the legislators concerned for supervising and inspecting the works taken up under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. Economy 1. India’s foreign exchange reserves fell by massive • India’s foreign exchange reserves fell by a massive $1.64 billion to $314.66 billion for the week ended Dec 5, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data showed. 2. Three new discoveries notified by ONGC • The Board was notified of the three discoveries made recently; one in deepwater Krishna Godavari Basin, off the east coast of the country, one in Mumbai offshore Basin, off the west coast of the country and one in Cauvery basin in the southern onland part of the country. • In KG Basin offshore, ONGC has made a significant gas discovery from its nomination deep water block, KG-OS-DW-III 3. Oil India Ltd, the second largest state explorer, has signed contract for two offshore oil and gas blocks it had bagged in Myanmar • Oil India Ltd, the second largest state explorer, has signed a contract for two offshore oil and gas blocks it had bagged in Myanmar. • OIL along with its consortium partners signed Production Sharing Contract (PSC) with Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) for two offshore blocks M4 and YEB at Nay Pyi Taw, the company said. International 1. Talk, or the whole region will suffer: Pakistan delegation • Mr. Leghari is leading a 12-member Pakistani Parliamentary delegation to India for the sixth round of Pakistan-India Parliamentary Dialogue, an initiative by the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency • The Dialogue was co-chaired by Mr. Leghari, from the Pakistani side and Mr. Mani Shankar Aiyar, senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member, from India. The Indian side had 25 participants. 2. Lima talks: New draft text introduced without consultation • Former Vice President of the Unites States Al Gore, former President of Mexico Felipe Calderon, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Perus President Ollanta Humala, and Perus Environment Minister and President of the COP, Manuel Pulgar Vidal, gathered at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Lima, Peru. • Delegates from more than 190 countries are meeting in Lima, to work on drafts for a global climate deal that is supposed to be adopted next year in Paris. 3.Islamic State Twitter account handler arrested • Mehdi Masroor Biswas, the handler of a pro-Islamic State twitter account @ShamiWitness, was apprehended in Jalahalli, Bengaluru. • The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) also translated as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is known for killing dozens of people at a time and carrying out public executions, crucifixions and other acts. It has taken over large swaths of northern and western Iraq. National 1.Three-day wine festival will begin in the city from December 26 • The second edition of the three-day wine festival, jointly organized by the Karnataka Wine Board, Bengaluru, and Department of Horticulture, will be held in the city from December 26. 2. National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) is ready to take off • Nearly a year after it was launched and funds were released by the Centre, the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) is yet to take off. • The Centre had on January 17 approved the State’s NUHM Program Implementation Plan (PIP) of Rs. 138.9 crore. • This scheme was launched to provide primary healthcare for the poor in cities and towns with a population of over 50,000 NUHM was one of the flagship programs of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. Persons in News 1.A.R.Rahman in contention for Oscar again • Double Oscar winning Indian composer A.R. Rahman is once again in the race for an Academy Award. • The works of Rahman Million Dollar Arm, The Hundred-Foot Journey and Indian film Kochadaiiyaan are part of the long list released by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. • The final nominations shortlist for the prestigious awards will be announced Jan 15, 2015, while the presentation ceremony will be held Feb 22, 2015. Science and Technology 1.Astrobotic, promises to send mementos to moon • A US company, Astrobotic, promises to make this a reality with its postal service called “MoonMail”. Major life events like graduations, weddings, birthdays and indeed a loved ones memory can be commemorated on the moon • With Moon Mail, people from around the world can send a memento on Astrobotics lunar lander was said by company CEO John Thornton. • With its partner, the Carnegie Mellon University, Astrobotic is pursuing the Google Lunar XPRIZE and is scheduled to launch the first mission within the next two years. About “MoonMail: • After the lunar landing, Moon Mail participants will receive images and videos of the moon pod on the moon, attached to Astrobotics lander, the company said on its website, adding that these photos will be the official record of permanent commemoration on the moon. • The Google Lunar XPRIZE is a $30 million competition to land a privately-funded robot on the moon. Seminars and Meetings 1. Right time to adopt mechanization, CREDAI advises builders • A two-day international seminar on ‘Industrialization in construction’ organized by the Mysuru chapter of CREDAI and Builders’ Association of India (BAI) • CREDAI: Confederation of real estate developers association of india. • R. Nagaraj, president of the State unit of Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Association of India (CREDAI). Sports 1. Virat Kohlis Career-Best Goes in Vain • Kohli becomes the second player to score twin centuries on his captaincy against Australia. • The first player to do so was former Australian Captain “Greg Chappel” against West Indies in 1975. • India virtually snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, slumping to an agonising 48-run loss in the pulsating first Test against Australia despite captain Virat Kohlis gallant second successive hundred in the match. State 1. Tamil Nadu Power Transmission Project Approved By CCEA • The Union Cabinet approved setting up an inter-state power transmission system in Tamil Nadu with an investment of Rs 1,593 crore. • The power transmission project was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, and will be completed within three years. Surveys 1. A University of Pittsburgh study has found that women are more “election averse” than men. • Jonathan Woon, associate professor of political science, Pittsburgh University, U.S. said that Past research had shown that women seem to be under confident of their ability to hold office • He also said that they tried to examine scientifically what the factors were in the decision making process. .
Posted on: Wed, 17 Dec 2014 15:41:11 +0000
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