NATIONAL UPDATES:
1.NGT imposes Rs 100 Cr fine on Meghalaya govt : National Green Tribunal imposed a fine of 100 crore rupees on Meghalaya government for its failure to curb illegal coal mining in the state. The amount of the fine has to be deposited with the Central Pollution Control Board within two months. The action comes after a high-level committee submitted an adverse report to a bench headed by NGT chairperson AK Goel. The report stated that the majority of the mines in the state are operating without a lease or license.
2.Karnataka MP Pratap Simha demands change in IBPS recruitment pattern : Karnataka MP Pratap Simha on Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and requested him to review the existing recruitment policy of Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) In an official communication Simha urged Jaitley to reinstate the provision of ‘Local language’ which was dropped in 2015 notification of the Central recruitment agency IBPS. Referring to the language barriers in the banking sector, the Mysuru-Kodagu MP observed that officers from other states who are not well-versed with Kannada are facing trouble in daily business.
3.Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to address IIT Bombay event : Union Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari will participate in IIT Bombay’s prestigious event Pre-Summit 2019. The Union Minister will share his ideas on flagship programmes like Start-up India, Mudra, and Skill India Mission. Veteran Industrialist and BJP Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar will moderate the interactive session.
4.LS passed a Bill to amend the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill : The Lok Sabha passed a Bill to amend the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018. The amendment will allow individuals to offer voluntarily biometric ID as a means of identity verification for obtaining services such as opening a bank account and getting a mobile phone connection. The Bill also gives a minor the option to opt out of the 12-digit identity scheme on attaining the age of 18. It provides for stiff penalties for violation of norms set for the use of Aadhaar and bans service providers from storing core biometric information and Aadhaar number of individuals who voluntarily offer it as a means of authentication.
5.Sudhir Bhargava apppointed as the new CIC : Centre has appointed Sudhir Bhargava as the new Chief Information Commissioner (CIC). Four new members have also been appointed to CIC, taking its strength to seven. Four vacancies still remain. Mr. Bhargava, a former Secretary to the Social Justice Ministry, has been a Commissioner since June 2015. He will be the ninth chief of the CIC. The CIC is the highest appeal body under the Right to Information Act. It has been functioning with just three members since the former chief and several members completed their tenure last month.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1.Donald Trump Signs Asia Reassurance Initiative Act Into Law : U.S. President Donald J. Trump signed into law the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act (ARIA), which passed the U.S. Senate earlier in December. According to the White House, the act establishes a multifaceted U.S. strategy to increase U.S. security, economic interests, and values in the Indo-Pacific region.
2.China named its lunar rover as Yutu 2 : China successfully deployed Chang’e-4 lunar probe to carry out a string of experiments on the unexplored far side of the moon. It has named the lunar rover as ‘Yutu 2’. The Lunar rover Yutu 2 touched the lunar surface and left a trace on the loose lunar soil. The rover’s touchdown is part of China Chang’e-4 lunar probe. Analysts say that China’s lunar probe is part of its Made in China-2025 project. It will be focusing on advanced technology, including space applications.
3.China successfully tested its Mother of All Bombs : China successfully tested its most powerful non-nuclear weapon, dubbed as the Mother of All Bombs. The bomb, whose strength is only second to that of a nuclear weapon, was dropped by a Chinese H-6K bomber. The bomb is five to six metres long (16 to 20 feet), but weighs less than the American version. In a short video published on the website of state arms manufacturer Norinco, the massive bomb drops on to a plain and produces a gigantic ball of fire and black smoke.
OTHER UPDATES:
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY :
1.Chandrayaan-2 mission launch most likely in Feb : Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will most likely launch Chandrayaan-2, the country’s second mission to the Moon. The features of the Chandrayaan-2 mission are: Chandrayaan-2 mission is a totally indigenous venture comprising of an orbiter, a lander, and a rover. There would be a controlled descent and the lander would soft-land on the lunar surface at a specified site and deploy a rover.
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