Daily GK Updates - 26th December, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Government approves Rameshwaram-Dhanushkodi project : The government has approved laying a new broad gauge railway line connecting Rameshwaram with Dhanushkodi, which is believed to be the starting point of Ram Sethu and a major pilgrim destination.The 17-km line will cost around Rs 208 crore and it has been included in the umbrella work for new lines in the current financial year.Dhanushkodi railway station was destroyed and abandoned after the 1964 Rameshwaram cyclone and it remains unattended. The new railway line will be a boon to pilgrims visiting the place. Hindu pilgrimage at Rameshwaram gets completed only after taking a dip in Dhanushkodi.

2.PM Modi innaugrates Paika Rebellion chair in Utkal university : The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, visited Odisha on 24th December, 2018.At the IIT Bhubaneswar campus, the Prime Minister released a commemorative stamp and coin on the Paika Rebellion.The Paika Rebellion, also called the Paika Bidroha, was an armed rebellion against British East India Company's rule in Odisha in 1817.The Paikas were the traditional militia of Odisha who served as warriors. The setting up of a Chair on the Paika Rebellion, in Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, was announced.

 3.UIDAI: Aadhaar not mandatory for admission in schools : The Unique Identification Authority of India has asserted that schools cannot make the 12-digit biometric identifier a pre-condition for student admission.UIDAI's clarification comes at a time when admissions to nursery and entry-level classes have begun in over 1,500 private schools in Delhi.UIDAI has asked schools to ensure that no child is denied admission for lack of Aadhaar.In September, the Supreme Court had upheld the constitutional validity of Aadhaar but clipped the scope of the biometric identity project

4.Atal Ayushman Uttarakhand Yojana launched in Uttarakhand : Atal Ayushman Uttarakhand Yojana' has been launched in Uttarakhand.Under the scheme, each household in the state will be able to avail medical treatment of up to 5 lakh rupees annually.The scheme will benefit 23 lakh households and cover 1,350 critical diseases. Launching the Yojna in Dehradun yesterday, Chief Ministe Trivendra Singh Rawat distributed scheme-related golden cards to beneficiaries. All the households have been included under the scheme.

5.CM Yogi Announces to Install 25-feet High Vajpayee's Statue in UP Secretariat : A 25-feet high statue of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will be installed in Lok Bhawan, the Uttar Pradesh government secretariat here, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on 25^th December 2018. Adityanath made the announcement at a ceremony held to celebrate Vajpayee's 94th birth anniversary. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, also the local MP, and Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik also attended the function.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

6.Japan decides to withdraw from IWC : Japan has decided to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and will resume commercial whaling July next year. However, Japan will not be able to continue the so-called scientific research hunts in the Antarctic that it has been exceptionally allowed as an IWC member under the Antarctic Treaty. The withdrawal also means Japan joins Iceland and Norway in openly defying the IWC's ban on commercial whale hunting.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1.RBI to soon release new Rs 20 note : The Reserve Bank of India will soon introduce Rs 20 notes with additional features. The reserve bank has already issued new-look currency notes in the denominations of Rs 10, Rs 50, Rs 100, and Rs 500, besides introducing Rs 200 and Rs 2000 notes after demonetisation.The new notes are being introduced under the Mahatma Gandhi series.The new currency notes are different in size and design compared to issued previously.

DEFENCE:

1.Indian Navy commissions Naval hospital INHS Sandhani : The Indian Navy has commissioned INHS Sandhani, its tenth Naval hospital, at the Naval station Karanja in Uran near Mumbai. Preeti Luthra, President of NWWA (Navy Wives Welfare Association), Western Region, unveiled the commissioning plaque of the hospital. Indian Naval Hospital Ship (INHS) Sandhani is the tenth naval hospital of the Indian Navy, said an official.

SPORTS :

1. International golfer Jyoti Randhawa arrested for poaching in Uttar Pradesh : International golfer Jyoti Randhawa has been arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department for poaching. Interrogation and further legal action is being carried out by the Divisional Forest Officer of Katarniaghat and his team. As per preliminary information received, Jyoti Singh Randhawa and Mahesh Virajdar have been arrested in a poaching case in Motipur Range of Katarniaghat. A vehicle, weapon and other equipment, along with wildlife articles, have been seized. A skin of wild boar, Range Finders, binoculars and a gun registered in Randhawa's name have also been recovered from his vehicle