Daily GK Updates - 23rd December, 2015

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Rajya Sabha passed Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Bill 2015: With this passage, the bill awaits the President’s nod to be qualified as an act as it was already passed in the Lok Sabha. Most importantly, the bill permits juveniles between the ages of 16-18 years to be tried as adults for heinous offences.  

2. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar approved Patna Metro Rail project: The state government will now send the proposal for the union government’s clearence.

3. Union Government approved Lucknow Metro Rail Project Phase-1A: The project will be implemented by the Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC), which will be reconstituted into a 50:50 jointly owned company of Union Government and Government of Uttar Pradesh.

4. CCEA approved 3000 crore rupees scheme for integrated development and management of fisheries: Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its approval for implementation of an umbrella scheme for integrated development and management of fisheries. It will cover development and management of inland fisheries, aquaculture, marine fisheries and all activities undertaken by the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) towards realizing Blue Revolution.

5. CCEA approved investment of 5000 crore rupees into ONGC Videsh.

6. Pawan Kumar Agarwal appointed as the CEO of FSSAI.

7. Jet Airways appointed Amit Agarwal as Chief Financial Officer.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Philippines became the first Asian country to approve world’s first ever dengue vaccine: The Philippines’ Food and Drug Administration approved the dengue vaccine, Dengvaxia for the prevention of disease.

2. Zimbabwe announced to adapt Chinese currency Yuan: Zimbabwe’s Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa announced that the country has planned to adopt the Chinese Yuan as legal tender. It will be done in return for debt cancellation worth 40 million dollars.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:

1. RBI created dedicated helpline for guiding Start-ups in India on Forex Matters: The Reserve Bank of India created a dedicated helpline (email) for start-ups in India in order to offer assistance on Forex Matters to them for undertaking cross border transactions within the ambit of the regulatory framework.

SPORTS:

2. Winners of the 2015 ICC Awards announced in Dubai, UAE: Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Cricketer of the Year-Steven Smith (Aus), ICC Test Cricketer of the Year-Steven Smith (Aus), and ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year-A B de Villiers.

3. FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee banned Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini from football for 8 years.

4. International Tennis Federation announced winners of 2015 World Champions: Men’s World Champion-Novak Djokivic, Women’s World Champion-Serena Williams.