Daily Current Affairs 18th December 2019 | Daily GK Update

Dear Aspirants,

General awareness section is the most important part of every competitive exam, it can help you score well in the exam if you are updated with all the current news. Banking Awareness, Static GK and the current news are the parts that make the GA section complete. It is important to know what is happening in and outside of India. GK updates are incorporated with the important news that made the headlines today. It is the complete bag of the important news that held all day long. One should have complete knowledge about the banking terms, current affairs news, etc. So, here is the GK update of 18th December to help you prepare the Current affairs part. After reading this section, you can successfully attempt Current Affairs Quiz.

National News

1. Union government launches National Broadband Mission

• The Union government has launched National Broadband Mission to provide Broadband access to all villages by 2022.
• The mission aims to connect 600,000 villages across India with an investment of Rs 7 lakh crore in the next 4 years from both government and private sector.
• The mission is a part of the National Digital Communications Policy, 2018.
• The mission will secure universal broadband access for implementation of broadband initiatives and aims to offer Internet speed upto 50 Mbps in a phased manner.
• According to the government, 10% of the funds will come from Universal Service Obligation (USO) Fund and the remaining will come from industry in the form of towers and other assets.

2. GEM launches national outreach programme ‘GeM Samvaad’

• Government e-commerce portal GeM has launched a national outreach programme, “GeM Samvaad”, to bring on-board more local sellers.
• The outreach programme will take place with stakeholders across the country and with local sellers to facilitate on-boarding of local sellers on the marketplace.
• GeM has more than 15 lakh products and around 20,000 services, more than 3 lakh registered sellers and service providers and more than 40 thousand government buyer organizations.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/SSC CGL:

• Commerce Secretary of India: Anup Wadhawan.

State News

3. Music festival ‘Tansen Samaroh’ begins in Gwalior

• In Madhya Pradesh, popular classical music festival ‘Tansen Samaroh’ began with traditional style in Gwalior with the recitations of Harikatha and Milad.
• The 5-day festival is celebrated every year in the memory of one of the most eminent singers of Indian history, ‘Mian Tansen’.
• Tansen Samaroh, 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 attracts thousands of musicians and aspiring singers from all over the country.
• It is the 95th year of the festival. Artistes from Greece, USA, Iran and Belgium will perform in different sessions of Tansen festival.
• Noted vocalist Pandit Vidyadhar Vyas will be presented the National Tansen Award for 2019 today on the first day of Tansen Festival.
• Instituted by the Madhya Pradesh government, Tansen award carries a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh and is given to outstanding exponents of Hindustani classical music.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS SO 2019:

• Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh: Kamal Nath.
• Governor of Madhya Pradesh: Lal Ji Tandon.

4. Orange festival begins in Manipur

• Chief Minister N. Biren Singh inaugurated the State-level Orange festival at district  Tamenglong in Manipur.
• Tamenglong district is largest producer of orange fruit in Manipur. The state government under the sponsorship of North Eastern Council organise the festival annually to promote the fruit and encourage its growers.
• ‘On day one, orange growers’ competition was held and prizes were distributed to top position holders.
• As part of the festival, cultural show, traditional games, orange queen completion, seminar for growers will be held.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/SSC CGL:

• Governor of Manipur: Najma Heptulla.

Awards

5. Gujarat police became 7th state police to get ‘President’s Colours’

• The state police of Gujarat were honoured with ‘President’s colours’. The Gujarat police were presented with the President’s colours by Vice President of India  Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
• They were presented the president’s colours for their outstanding services.
• It is the highest honour given to a police force in India.
• The previously awarded states were Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Tripura and Assam.
• The president’s colours is also known as ‘Nishaan’ which is an emblem that will be worn by all police officers on the left-hand sleeve of their uniform.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS SO 2019:

• Gujarat CM: Vijay Rupani; Governor: Acharya Dev Vrat.

6. Ben Stokes awarded with Sports Personality of the Year 2019 award

• England cricketer Ben Stokes has been voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2019.
• He has become the first cricketer since Andrew Flintoff in 2005 to win the prize.
• Ben Stokes was Man of the Match as England won the 2019 World Cup for the first time with a dramatic super over victory against New Zealand at Lord’s.
• He was presented with his award by the Princess Royal and former Manchester United and Scotland footballer Denis Law.

Appointments

7. British PM Boris Jhonson re-elected as Prime Minister of UK

• British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has won the historic UK General Election as his Conservative Party crossed the magic number of 326 required for a majority in the Parliament.
• He is re-elected as a Prime Minister of UK.
• Johnson won the historic election as his Conservative Party crossed the 326-mark required for a majority in Parliament.
• The latest projections put the Johnson-led Conservatives at around 365, but the party can safely celebrate its victory as it comfortably crossed over the half-way finish line for the 650-member House of Commons.
• The Opposition Labour party is projected to get 203 seats, a disastrous performance for the party which resulted in leader Jeremy Corbyn announced that he would be stepping down.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• United Kingdom Capital: London.
• United Kingdom Currency: Pound sterling.

8. Sridhar Patra appointed NALCO CMD

• Sridhar Patra was appointed as the chairman-cum-managing director of National Aluminium Company Ltd (NALCO).
• He is at present Director (Finance) in NALCO.
• He has been appointed as the CMD of NALCO till the date on October 31, 2024. Sridhar Patra replaced Tapan Kumar Chand from the post.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• NALCO is a Navratna Public Sector Enterprise under ministry of mines.
• NALCO Established: 7 January 1981.
• NALCO Headquarters: Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

9. England Cricketer Laura Marsh announces retirement

• The Laura Alexandra Marsh, England cricketer announced her retirement.
• Laura has won three World Cups in her 13-year career, she made her debut in 2006 as a seamer, later on, she switched to spin.
• She has represented England in 103 ODI’s (One Day International), 67 T20’s and 9 Tests and has taken 217 wickets in her career.
• She is also England’s 3rd highest wicket-taker in ODI cricket.
• Laura Marsh was awarded a full central contract by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in February 2019.
• She played in her 100th women’s One Day International (WODI) match against West Indies in June 2019.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/SSC CGL:

• England Capital: London; Currency: Pound sterling.

Defence

11. Land-attack version of BrahMos missile successfully test-fired from Odisha’s Chandipur

• India successfully conducted a developmental trial of the land-attack version of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from Chandipur Integrated Test Range, off Odisha coast.
• The 9-meter long missile can travel at thrice the speed of sound and carry a conventional warhead weighing up to 300 kg.
• The BrahMos missile is a medium-range ramjet supersonic cruise missile capable of being launched from submarines, ships, fighter jets or land.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS SO 2019:

• DRDO Chairman:G Satheesh Reddy, in: 1958, Headquarters in: New Delhi.

Banking

12. RBI waives NEFT, RTGS transfer charges for savings account holders

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has waived NEFT, RTGS transfer charges for savings account holders.
• In an order, RBI instructed banks to make all online payments done through RTGS and NEFT free of cost for savings account holders.
• The new rule will be effective from January 1, 2020.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• RBI 25th Governor: Shaktikant Das, Headquarters: Mumbai, Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata.

Economy

13. GoI signs $250 Mn loan with ADB to expand energy efficiency investments

• The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed a $250 million loan for Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL).
• The loan aims to expand energy efficiency investments in India that will benefit agricultural, residential and institutional consumers. Additionally, $46 million financing will be provided from the Clean Technology Fund (CTF), to be administered by ADB.
• The project is expected to contribute to the mission of Government of India to promote energy efficiency and meet Government’s commitments to reduce energy intensity of the economy.
• Introduction of energy-efficient technologies in eligible states including smart meters, distributed solar photovoltaic systems and electric vehicles will help reduce electricity network losses and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Obituaries

14. Veteran actor Shriram Lagoo passes away

• Veteran actor Shriram Lagoo passed away. He played important role in the growth of theatre movement in Maharashtra in the post-Independence era.
• His roles in Marathi plays such as “Natsamrat” and “Himalayachi Saoli”, and films such as “Pinjra” made him popular.
• In Hindi, he essayed memorable roles in films such as “Ek Din Achanak”, “Gharonda” and “Lawaris”, to name a few.

15. Bollywood actress Gita Siddharth Kak passes away

• Bollywood actress Gita Siddharth Kak passed away.
• Her most well-known movies include Garm Hava (1973), Parichay (1972), Gaman (1978) among others.
• Her Garam Hava won the Best Feature Film at the 21st National Film Awards. The film was also critically acclaimed.

16. Former Union Minister ID Swami passes away

• Former Union Minister ID Swami passed away.
• He served as the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs in 1999 in former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government.
• He was also two times Lok Sabha member from Karnal in Haryana.

Miscellaneous

17. International Migrants Day: 18 December

• The International Migrants Day is organized across the world on 18th December to protect the rights of migrant workers and members of their families.
• In Dec 2000, the UN General Assembly proclaimed 18 Dec as International Migrants Day after considering the large and increasing number of migrants in the world.
• The International Organization for Migration salutes migrants and the communities they join, the communities they remake through their mutual effort.
• We salute them and we support them, and pledge to make the future we believe is arriving for all of us. #WeTogether.

18. Turkey historic mosque moved before dam waters rise

• In Turkey, the main body of the 610-year-old Er-Rızk mosque was removed from the town of Hasankeyf ahead of its submergence as part of a Ilisu dam project.
• The Ilisu Dam will generate 1,200 megawatts of electricity, making it Turkey’s fourth-largest dam in terms of energy production.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS SO 2019:

• Capital of Turkey: Ankara; Currency of Turkey: The Turkish lira.

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