Daily GK Updates - 8th December, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Krishnamurthy Subramanian Appointed Chief Economic Adviser : The Union government has appointed Dr Krishnamurthy Subramanian as the Chief Economic Adviser for three years.He is currently working as an Associate Professor at the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad.Mr Subramanian has a PhD from Chicago-Booth and IIT-IIM alumnus, is one of the world’s leading experts in banking, corporate governance and economic policy. In June 2018, Arvind Subramanian (Chief Economic Advisor of India) had resigned from the post.

2.Ministry of Shipping approves the development of freight village in Varanasi : Ministry of Shipping has approved the development of a freight village in Varanasi adjoining the Inland Waterways Terminal on River Ganga.It will be developed at a cost 156 crore rupees, serve as a cargo hub and a centre for aggregation.It will also provide support to stimulate the development of aprofessional logistics industry in Varanasi.

3. Kolkata-Patna becomes India’s 2nd container cargo sector on inland waterways : India’s new Inland Water Transport (IWT) Kolkata-Patna, an origin-destination pair for containerised cargo movement on the National Waterway-1.Patna will be witness to a new landmark in India’s IWT sector.The Ministry of Shipping is developing NW-1 (River Ganga) under Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) from Haldia to Varanasi (1390 Km) with the technical and financial assistance of the World Bank at an estimated cost of Rs 5369 crore.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.FAO Council approves 2023 as International Year of Millets : According to Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Council have approved India’s proposal to observe an International Year of Millets in 2023.The 160th session of the FAO Council, currently underway in Rome approved the proposal.This will enhance global awareness to bring back these nutri-cereals to the plate.Millets consist of Jowar, Bajra, Ragi and minor millets together termed as nutri-cereals.

2. Japan govt enacts a new law to accept foreign workers : Japanese government passed a new law to bring more blue-collar foreign workers into the country to address chronic labour shortages (from April 2019).The government plans to start the new scheme from April next year.Under the law, Japan plans to bring in 3 lakh 45 thousand foreign workers in construction, food services, nursing and other sectors for five years.

3. China launches the 1st mission to land on the far side of the moon : A Long March 3B rocket launches China’s first-ever spacecraft Chang'e 4 lunar probe from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center.The probe is expected to make the first-ever soft landing on the far side of the moon in early January 2019.The Chang’e-4 mission will see a static lander and rover touch down in Von Kármán crater, located on the side of the Moon which never faces Earth.

OTHER UPDATES:

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:

1. NASA's InSight lander 'hears' Martian winds : NASA's InSight lander has provided the first-ever ‘sounds’ of Martian wind on the Red Planet.According to NASA, InSight sensors captured a haunting low rumble caused by vibrations from the wind, estimated to be blowing between 10 to 15 miles per hour on 1^st December.Two very sensitive sensors on the spacecraft detected these wind vibrations. The seismometer recorded lander vibrations caused by the wind moving over the spacecraft's solar panels.

SPORTS :

1.  Italy wins Admiral’s cup Sailing Regatta 2018 : Italy won the Admiral’s Cup Sailing Regatta 2018 (ninth edition) at Indian Naval Academy (INA), Ezhimala. Team Singapore was the Runners-Up and Team USA came third. The host country team (Indian Naval Academy) finished fourth in the overall position of Admiral’s Cup 2018.