DECEMBER 28 CURRENT AFFAIRS Appointments: 1. BJP leader Raghubar Das was sworn-in as tenth Chief Minister of Jharkhand . • 59-year-old Raghubar Das is the first non-tribal Chief Minister of Jharkhand since the state came into being on 15 November 2000. 2. Vrinda Sarup appointed as Secretary to Department of School Education and Literacy • Senior IAS officer Vrinda Sarup was appointed as Secretary to the Department of School Education and Literacy under Union Ministry of Human Resource Development • Her appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. • Vrinda Sarup is a 1981 batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre. She is presently working as Special Secretary to the Department of School Education and Literacy under the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development. Economy: 1. Sebi to set up panel to push MF sales via internet, mobiles • To re-energise the mutual fund industry, regulator Sebi plans to set up an expert panel to suggest measures for increasing distribution of MF products through digital modes such as internet and mobiles. • The panel, a sub-committee of Sebis Advisory Committee on Mutual Funds, will look into various options and steps required to boost the penetration of mutual fund products through use of digital channels for their sale. International: 1. AirAsia Flight 8501 carrying 162 lost over stormy Indonesian waters • An AirAsia plane with 162 people aboard lost contact with ground control after takeoff from Surabaya in Indonesia on the way to Singapore • Aircraft and ships that spent several hours searching Indonesian waters turned up no sign of an AirAsia plane 8501 • It is the third major aviation incident involving Malaysia this year. In March, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared with 239 people, and in July, a jet from the same airline was shot down over Ukraine, killing all 298 people aboard 2. Myanmar’s largest city Yangon holds first elections in 60 years • First Municipal Elections in 60 years were held in Myanmar for electing the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) • Until now, positions within the YCDC have been fully appointed by Yangon’s unelected mayor, and most major positions within the organization will remain that way after the vote • The ballot for the YCDC was the first chance to vote under the country’s quasi-civilian government, which replaced outright military rule in 2011 National: 1. MGNREGA to get a boost with new fund pattern • The rural development ministry will be dividing the funds for a range of schemes and programmes for villages under two heads material and wages • In a bid to optimise the quantum and outcome of public spending in rural India, the Narendra Modi government is planning an innovative synergy between the flagship rural employment guarantee scheme under MGNREGA and other rural development programmes. • MGNREGA: Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2. Sale of Acid will be monitored online soon • Voicing concern over increasing incidents of acid attacks on women, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said an online monitoring of sale of acid would be done to check such incidents. • An online monitoring of sale of acid would be done to put an effective check over such incidents, Singh said while addressing platinum jubilee function of Mahila College in Lucknow. • The system would be first launched in Delhi. 3. 16 States ratified National Judicial Appointments Commission Bill, 2014 • 16 States have ratified the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Bill, 2014. The information related to this was revealed by Union Ministry of Law and Justice on 28 December 2014. • The NJAC Bill, 2014 also called Constitution (121st Amendment) Bill 2014 seeks to replace the present collegiums system with National Judicial Appointments Commission to appoint the judges of higher judiciary. • Any constitutional amendment bill requires ratification by at least 50 per cent of the state legislatures. Although the names of all the states which have ratified the bill were immediately not known, however, Goa, Rajasthan, Tripura and Gujarat had ratified the bill in October 2014. Also, UP assembly had ratified the bill with an amendment. The NJAC Bill was ratified by Telangana in December 2014. • Chief Justice of India will head the NJAC. Besides the CJI, the judiciary would be represented by two senior judges of the Supreme Court. Two eminent personalities and the Law Minister will be the other members of the proposed body. Persons in News: 1. India asks Pakistan to hand over Dawood Ibrahim • India asked Pakistan to hand over underworld don Dawood Ibrahim saying enough evidence have been given to it on the prime accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts. • Dawood has been tracked in Karachi, alive and kicking, and is heard expanding his real estate business. • Pakistan was providing shelter to Dawood and the underworld don was staying along the Pak-Afghan border. 2. IIT Delhi director RK Shevgaonkar quits over demand for Subramanian Swamys dues • IIT Delhi director Raghunath K Shevgaonkar has quit more than two years before the end of his term. • Shevgaonkar has been under tremendous pressure from the ministry to reportedly release pay of nearly Rs 70 lakh to former IIT D faculty and now BJP functionary Subramanian Swamy as his salary dues between 1972 and 1991. State: 1. 4th International Kuchipudi Dance Convention held in Hyderabad. • SiliconAndhra is presenting the 4th International Kuchipudi Dance Convention from December 26-28, 2014 in Hyderabad, India. • Kuchipudi dance has its origins from a small village called Kuchipudi in Andhra Pradesh, India. Surveys: 1. India became second largest foreign trading partner of Dubai after China • India became second largest foreign trading partner of Dubai after China. This was revealed by the figures released by Dubai Customs that provides trade data for the first nine months of 2014. • The figures show that China was Dubai’s top foreign trade partner with a trade value of 34 billion US dollars. • India followed next with a trade value worth 21.78 billion US dollar. However, among the Arab nations, India was at the top with trade volume worth 10 billion US dollars.
Posted on: Sat, 03 Jan 2015 06:04:00 +0000
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