Daily GK Updates - 11th December, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Union Govt. sanctions Rs. 75 crores for setting up LPG bottling plant in Meghalaya: The union govt. has sanctioned Rs. 75 crores for setting up a Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) bottling plant in Meghalaya. The new bottling plant will be constructed at an existing site located in Shillong itself. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and the state government in the presence of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma.

2. Govt. launches door-to-door campaign against TB: The union health ministry Jagat Prakash Nadda has launched a door-to-door campaign for early diagnosis, detection and treatment of tuberculosis (TB) in the country. Through this campaign, health department workers, ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists) and TB supervisors will make door-to-door visits to find TB patients and give them free medical treatment till they are cured.Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but can also affect other parts of the body.

3. Giriraj Singh launches Public Procurement Portal MSME SAMBANDH: The Minister of State for MSME Shri Giriraj Singh has launched Public Procurement Portal ‘MSME Sambandh’ for Public Procurement Portal for MSMEs (Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises).The objective of the portal is to monitor the implementation of the Public Procurement from MSEs by Central Public-Sector Enterprises (CPSEs).It will help MSMEs in participating in the procurement process.

4. Alappuzha has been included in top 5 global cities by the UNEP list: Alappuzha, the coastal town of Kerala, has been recognised by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as one of the five models across the world for fighting the pollution menace. It has been recognized for its decentralised waste management system. Alappuzha, often called “the Venice of East”, has been listed in the UNEP environment report entitled, ‘Solid approach to waste: how five cities are beating pollution’ alongside cities like Osaka in Japan, Ljubljana in Slovenia, Penang in Malaysia and Cajica in Colombia.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. The 11th Ministerial conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO): The 11th Ministerial conference of the 164-member World Trade Organization (WTO) has started in Buenos Aires, Argentina on December 10, 2017. At the meeting, India is represented by Union Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu who will be pushing for a permanent solution to the public food stock-holding issue which is crucial for operating the food security programme. In it, he will not only have to safeguard the interests of Indian farmers, but will also have to put his foot down on blocking introduction of new issues such as e-commerce. During the course of the 4-day deliberations, the developing nations will resist the efforts by the developed nations to formally set aside the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) and place new issues including e-commerce on the negotiating table.

2. Melbourne to test terrorism alarm system: Melbourne will test a terrorism alarm system this month after police thwarted two alleged plots targeting Christmas-New Year crowds and a lone driver killed six pedestrians in the last year in Australia’s second-largest city. Loudspeakers are being installed at more than 90 sites across downtown Melbourne as part of the alarm system that will be tested on December 28.

       OTHER UPDATES

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Pradeep Singh Kharola takes over as Air India CMD: Senior IAS officer Pradeep Singh Kharola on Monday took charge as the Chairman and Managing Director of Air India. Kharola assumed charge from Rajiv Bansal. A 1985-batch Karnataka cadre officer, Kharola would be steering the national carrier at a time when the government has started the process for its strategic disinvestment.

SPORTS:

1. FIFA lifts ban on Kuwaiti football: The international football federation (FIFA) has officially lifted a two-year ban on Kuwait's football federation. In 2015, FIFA banned Kuwait's national football federation over alleged government interference in the running of the country's football governing body.

2.Jitu Rai, Heena Sidhu win medals at 10th Asian Championship in Japan: Pistol aces Jitu Rai and Heena Sidhu bagged a bronze each at the 10th Asian Championship 10m Rifle/Pistol in Wako City, Japan.Jitu won an individual bronze in the men's 10m Air Pistol and Heena claimed an individual bronze in the women's 10m Air Pistol. India won individual bronze through Anmol Jain in the junior men's 10m Air Pistol as well as the Team silver in the event.