Daily GK Updates - 25th December, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Good Governance Day observed: Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birthday is being celebrated as Good Governance Day across the country. Good Governance Day was established in 2014 to honour Mr. Vajpayee by fostering awareness among the people of accountability in government. On December 23, 2014, Mr. Vajpayee was announced as the recipient of the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award.

2. PM Modi flags off Metro’s Magenta line: PM Modi will inaugurate the Magenta Line of Delhi Metro, which is expected to make commuting b/w South Delhi & Noida hassle-free. The 12.64-km stretch runs b/w Kalkaji & Botanical Garden and accounts for a travel time of 19 mins. The coaches will have LED display, power charging capacity and colourful seats, while the stations will portray themes of nature, yoga, and cultural landmarks.

3. Bengaluru to get its own logo: The Karnataka government has launched the Bengaluru city logo, the first Indian city to do so, in a bid to resurrect its image as a tourism destination. With this, it joins cities like Amsterdam in The Netherlands and New York in the US to have its own logo. The logo was designed by Nammur, a design start-up.

4. Jairam Thakur to be the CM of Himachal: Five-time legislator Jairam Thakur will be the new Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh. The decision was taken after Prem Kumar Dhumal, whom BJP had named as its prospective Chief Minister before the elections pulled out of the race.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Tunisia bans UAE Emirates airline: Tunisia has banned Emirates airline from landing in the capital Tunis after a number of Tunisian women were prevented from boarding its flights. The move comes amid widespread anger in Tunisia, with rights groups condemning “racist and discriminatory” measures. The measure will continue to be in place until Emirates operates flights in accordance with law and international agreements.

OTHER UPDATES

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. PSU Banks’ NPA hit Rs. 7.34 lakh crore: According to Reserve Bank data, Bad loans of Public sector banks stood at Rs 7.34 lakh crore by the end of second quarter this fiscal. Leading corporate houses & companies accounted for approximately 77% of the total gross NPAs from domestic operations for the banks. Among the major public sector banks, SBI had the highest amount of NPAs at over Rs 1.86 lakh crore followed by PNB.

2. Samsung, Axis Bank tie-up: Samsung has launched its ‘Bill Payments’ on its flagship payments service, Samsung Pay in partnership with Axis Bank. The new feature will enable users to pay their utility bills seamlessly via Samsung Pay’s secure and convenient platform.

3. IndiGo operates 1,000 flights in a day: IndiGo has become the first Indian airline to operate over 1,000 daily flights across its domestic and international network. The company reached the milestone with its Flight from Mumbai to Cochin. With the addition of the latest aircraft, Airbus A-320 Neo, under its wings, IndiGo now boasts a massive fleet of 150 Airbus and a ATR aircraft.

4. Amazon acquires Blink: Amazon has reached a deal to acquire Blink, a startup developing battery-powered home-automation devices, including a wireless security camera and doorbell. The acquisition positions Amazon to be more competitive against Google parent Alphabet’s Next subsidiary. Blink products are already compatible with Amazon’s Echo home assistant, which runs the Alexa voice service powered by Lex.

SPORTS:

1. India finish runners-up at SAFF U-15: India finished as runners-up after going down by 1-0 to Bangladesh in the final of the SAFF U-15 Women’s Championship in Dhaka. Shamsun Nahar’s strike in the 41st minute sealed the issue in Bangladesh’s favour. India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan participated in the tournament with India bagging impressive wins against Nepal and Bhutan.

Daily GK Updates - 24th December, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. India’s first AC local to start in Mumbai: India’s first air-conditioned local will ply between Churchgate and Virar from December 25. The first service of the 12-coach EMU will commence at 2:10 pm. The services will replace 12 existing non-air conditioned services. This will be the first train with automatic doors in the suburban system.

2. Uttarakhand CM launches his biography: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has launched his biography ‘Trivendra Ek Zindaginama – Khairasain ka Sooraj’. It has been written by Nandan Singh Bisht, a doctor.

3. Dhirendra Pal appointed as UGC chairman: Professor Dhirendra Pal Singh, director, National Assessment and Accreditation Council was appointed the chairperson of UGC. He has been serving as director of NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council) since August 2015.

4. Gujjars, 4 Others get 1% Reservation in Rajasthan: Rajasthan government announced 1% reservation within the 50% legal limit, for Gujjars and four other communities. The five communities that have been declared eligible for this reservation are: Gujjar, Banjara, Gadia-Lohar, Rebari and Gadaria These 5 communities were listed in the OBC category in 1994. The additional quota is given in the ‘More Backward Classes’ category.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Henrietta Fore appointed to head UNICEF: UN has appointed Henrietta Fore, a former head of the USAID as the new Executive Director of United Nations Childrens’ Fund. Henrietta Fore was the first woman to be appointed Administrator of the US Agency for International Development.

OTHER UPDATES

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. Govt. launches Gold Purity Standard – Bharatiya Nirdeshak Dravya: India’s first home-grown high purity gold reference standard – the Bharatiya Nirdeshak Dravya (BND-4201) - was launched at the India Government Mint, Mumbai. BND-4201, which is the reference material for gold of ‘9999’ fineness will ensure purity of gold.

2. India’s most trusted Brand: Patanjali: Patanjali has been ranked as India’s most trusted Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) Brand by the Brand Trust Report India Study 2017. SK Tijarawala, Spokesman, HH Swami Ramdev, took to his Twitter handle to announce this news, along with the picture of the certification.

Daily GK Updates - 23rd December, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. 7th International Coffee Festival to be held in Bengaluru: The seventh edition of the India International Coffee Festival (IICF) will be held in Bengaluru from January 16-19. The four-day IICF 2018 is being organized by the India Coffee Trust and State-run Coffee Board to promote the Indian coffees globally. IICF 2018 would be a precursor to the International Coffee Organisation’s World Coffee Conference being hosted by India in Bengaluru in 2020.

2. India to set up IT Centre of Excellence in Egypt: India will be establishing a Centre of Excellence in Information Technology (CEIT) at Al Azhar University. It is Egypt’s highest religious authority and one of the world’s most eminent seats of Sunni Muslim learning.

3. MEA Launches ‘SAMEEP’ Policy: With an aim to bring foreign policy to the masses the External Affairs Ministry has come up with an initiative called SAMEEP – ‘Students and MEA Engagement Programme’. Under this, MEA officials will talk to students to help them better understand foreign policy. The main objective of SAMEEP is to take Indian foreign policy and its global engagements to students across the country.

4. Kisan Diwas celebrated – 23rd December: Kisan Diwas (Farmer’s Day) is observed every year on 23 December to celebrate the birth anniversary of the fifth prime minister, Chaudhary Charan Singh. A kisan leader, Late Chaudhary Charan Singh belonged to a peasant family. He also served as the Deputy PM during the reign of Morarji Desai.

5. ‘Blue Flag’ Beach Project launched: Ministry of Environment and Forests has launched a pilot project named “Blue Flag” for beach cleanup and development. The objective of the project is to enhance standards of cleanliness and upkeep basic amenities at beaches. Under the pilot programme, each of the coastal State/UT has identified a beach, to be funded through the ongoing Integrated Coastal Management Programme.

6. Government Launched ‘Ganga Gram’ project: The government had formally launched the ‘Ganga Gram’ project at the Ganga Gram Swachata Sammelan in New Delhi. It is a part of clean Ganga mission. Namami Gange, the Ganga Gram project is an integrated approach for the holistic development of villages situated on the banks of the holy river with the active participation of villagers.

7. Vijay Rupani to continue as Gujarat’s CM: Vijay Rupani will continue as chief minister of Gujarat and Nitin Patel as his deputy chief minister. The BJP had won 99 seats, only seven more than it needed for a majority to form the government. The decision was taken at a meeting of all the newly-elected BJP MLAs and the announcement was made by union minister Arun Jaitley.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Kumi Naidoo is next Secretary General of Amnesty International: The human rights activist of South African Kumi Naidoo has been appointed as the next Secretary General of Amnesty International. In August 2018, he will take over from Indian activist Salil Shetty (since 2010).

2. New species of scorpions discovered: Tripura has identified a new species of scorpions in Tripura’s Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary. The Schaller’s wood scorpion has large and powerful pincers. The study was published in Zootaxa, an international journal devoted to new species descriptions. Mr. Mirza discovered them. He named the new species Liocheles schalleri in honour of celebrated wildlife biologist George Schaller.

3. Jerusalem no longer Israel’s capital: The U.N. General Assembly denounced President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The resolution reaffirmed what has been the United Nations’ stand on the divided holy city since 1967- that Jerusalem’s final status must be decided in direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

OTHER UPDATES

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. Quikr acquires HDFC’s Realty arms: HDFC has sold its realty brokerage business HDFC Realty and its digital real estate business HDFC Developers to Quikr. The all-stock deal will see HDFC pick up around 3.5% stake in Quikr for the two businesses, which have collectively been valued at about Rs 357 crore.

2. The Way I See It  - Book on Gauri Lankesh’s writings: A book containing selected writings by late journalist Gauri Lankesh was launched at the Mumbai Press Club. The book named “The Way I See It” has been edited by writer and sociologist Chandan Gowda. The six sections of the book comprise Lankesh’s early reportage in various publications and selected articles.

OBITUARIES:

1. Bengali Singer Jatileswar passes away: Acclaimed Bengali singer Jatileswar Mukhopadhyay passed away in Kolkata following a prolonged illness. The West Bengal government had conferred him with the Sangeet Samman award in 2012. Among his popular numbers were E kon sakal, Tomar Sange Dekha Na Hole, Aamar Swapan Kinte Paare and Bondhuya Amar Chokhe Jal Enechhe.

Daily GK Updates - 22nd December, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. National Mathematics Day- 22nd December: Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan’s birth anniversary on December 22 is celebrated as National Mathematics Day. It was in 2012 that then PM Manmohan Singh declared December 22 as National Mathematics Day. In 1917, Ramanujan was elected to be a member of the London Mathematical Society. In 1918 he also became a Fellow of the Royal Society, becoming the youngest person to achieve the feat.

2. Mamang Dai wins Sahitya Akademi Award: Authors Mamang Dai & Ramesh Kuntal Megh have won this year’s Sahitya Akademi award for their work The Black Hill, a novel, and Vishw Mithak Sarit Sagar, a literary criticism, in English and Hindi respectively. Sahitya Akademi announced its annual Sahitya Akademi Awards in 24 languages.

3. Kohli becomes India’s most valued celebrity (in terms of brand value): For the first time, a cricketer, Virat Kohli has emerged as the top-ranked celeb with a brand value of $144 million. In 2016, SRK was on the top spot with $131.2m brand value. He has slipped to the second rank this year, with a brand value of $106m.

4. Salman Khan tops Forbes India Celebrity List: With earnings of Rs232.83 crore, actor Salman Khan has topped the Forbes India Celebrity 100 list 2017 for the second consecutive year. While Shah Rukh Khan featured in the second spot with earnings of Rs170.50 crore, Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli came third with Rs100.72 crore earnings. Akshay Kumar and Sachin Tendulkar featured in the fourth and fifth spots respectively.

5. India’s first design university starts its operations: India’s first and only design university, World University of Design opened its campus at Sonipat, Haryana. WUD offers country’s largest creative course catalog – 23 specialized UG and PG programs in various design arenas.

6. Offshore Patrol Vessel ICGS ‘Sujay’ commissed: Indian Coast Guard Ship “Sujay”, the sixth in the series of six 105m Offshore Patrol Vessel was commissioned at Goa. ‘Sujay’ meaning ‘Great Victory’ is projection of Indian Coast Guard’s will and commitment “To serve and Protect” the maritime interest of the nation. This 105 meter OPV has been designed and built indigenously by Goa Shipyard Ltd.

7. NHAI creates Highways Investment Promotion Cell created: The NHAI has created a National Highways Investment Promotion Cell for attracting domestic & foreign investment for highways projects. The cell will focus on engaging with global institution investors, construction companies for building investor participation in road infrastructure projects. The primary focus of NHIPC will be to promote foreign and domestic investment in road infrastructure

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Scientists discover new frog species: Scientists have discovered a new frog species from its home in the fast flowing streams in Arunachal Pradesh’s Lower Subansiri district. The new species discovered from Talle Valley Wildlife Sanctuary has been named as Odorrana arunachalensis, after the state where it was discovered.

OTHER UPDATES

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. DARPAN Project launched for financial inclusion: Manoj Sinha launched DARPAN- “Digital Advancement of Rural Post Office for A New India”. It is a project to improve the quality of service, add value to services and achieve ‘financial inclusion’ of the unbanked rural population. The goal of the IT modernization project with an outlay of Rs. 1400 Crore is to provide a low power technology solution to each Branch Postmaster.

SPORTS:

1. Shooting excluded from 2022 Commonwealth Games: Shooting has been excluded from the Commonwealth Games 2022 edition. At the same time, the push to bring cricket back into the fold has gathered momentum, with Commonwealth Games Federation. The CGF declared Birmingham as the host city on Thursday after Durban, the original pick, had pulled out earlier this year due to financial constraints.

2. International Youth Sailing Competition to be held in Nellore: Krishnapatnam Port in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, is hosting the 9th edition of International Youth Sailing Competition of India from December 27th to December 31st 2017. The event is the largest sailing competition in the country and is organised by the Navayuga Sailing Academy.

3. Birmingham to Host Commonwealth Games: The central English city of Birmingham will host the Commonwealth Games in 2022. The 2022 Commonwealth Games were originally given to Durban in 2015, but the South African city was stripped of the event this year because of financial difficulties. The multisports event was last in Britain in 2014 when it was held in Glasgow.

Daily GK Updates - 21st December, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Modi’s approval to India’s first Rail and Transportation University: The Union Cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi has approved the Ministry of Railways’ initiative to set up India’s first ever National Rail and Transport University. The university set up in Vadodara, Gujarat will skill its human resources and build capability. The University will be set up as a Deemed to Be University under de novo category as per the UGC Regulations, 2016.

2. Laser fences to be set up in poorly inhabited areas: Laser fence will be installed at certain points along India’s open borders with Nepal and Bhutan to prevent infiltration. Laser fence would be put up at one location each along the 1,751-km Indo-Nepal & 699-km Indo-Bhutan boundaries. The laser fences will be deployed in areas that are “uninhabited” due to difficult geographical terrain and are prone to smuggling and other terror activities.

3. Justice Umesh Salvi takes charge as acting NGT Chairman: Justice Umesh Dattatraya Salvi (Judicial Member, NGT) took charge as the acting Chairperson of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) following the retirement of Justice Swatanter Kumar. He will continue in office until the date a new chairperson is appointed or the date of his superannuation.

4. ‘R-MITRA’ app for security of passengers: Eastern Railway has launched a mobile application “R-MITRA” (Railway Mobile Instant Tracking Response & Assistance) for security of passengers. It is launched especially for the safety of women passengers. It is an attempt to prevent and detect crime against passengers during travel.

5. ‘Chillai Kalan’ – harsh winter season, begins in Kashmir Valley:  the traditional 40-day long period of harsh winter known as the ‘Chillai Kalan’ has begun in the Kashmir Valley. Chillai Kalan is a period of forty extremely cold days starting from 21st of December. This is the date on which Winter Solstice is observed in the Northern Hemisphere. Chillai Kalan is followed by a period of another 20 days of Chillai Khurd and 10 days of Chillai Bacha.

6. Indian Navy conducts naval exercise with Oman Navy – Naseem Al Bahr: Indian Naval Ships Trikand and Teg are deployed to Oman for bilateral exercise ‘Naseem Al Bahr’ or ‘Sea Breeze’. The first exercise Indian Navy with Royal Navy of Oman was conducted in 1993 and this year marks 24 years of Indian Navy -Royal Navy of Oman bilateral exercises.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. A first in the world - France bans all gas and oil production by 2040: France’s parliament has approved a law banning all exploration and production of oil and natural gas by 2040. Under the law, existing drilling permits will not be renewed and no new exploration licenses will be granted in France or its overseas territories. The French government claims the ban is a world first.

2. UK Tops Forbes’ List of Best Countries: The United Kingdom has topped Forbes’ rankings of best countries in the world for business in 2018. The list ranks 153 countries on 15 factors including property rights, innovation, taxes and red tape. The UK is followed by New Zealand and the Netherlands, while India was ranked 62nd on the list. The UK’s $2.6 trillion economy is the fifth largest in the world.

OTHER UPDATES

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. ‘World’s smallest’ DRAM chip by Samsung: Samsung Electronics developed the world’s smallest DRAM chip. The “2nd-generation” 8-gigabit DRAM chips with improved energy efficiency and data processing performance will be used in mobile devices and high-speed graphics cards. The advantage of DRAM is the structural simplicity of its memory cells. Only 1 transistor and a capacitor are required per bit, compared to 4 to 6 in SRAM.

2. IGNOU to offer World’s first Sand Art certificate course: The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) will launch world’s first online certificate course in sand art in March 2018. It will help sand artist Sudarshan Pattnaik’s dream come true. Pattnaik said he wanted India to become the first country across the globe to offer such training to sand artists. The course will provide desired skills to the persons.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. RBI puts Bank of India under PCA: After an on-site inspection, RBI has put Bank of India under the PCA framework. This action will contribute to the overall improvement in risk management, asset quality, profitability, efficiency, etc of the bank. To ensure that banks don’t go bust, RBI puts in place some trigger points to assess, monitor, control and take corrective actions. These are known as Prompt Corrective Action.

SPORTS:

1. Lionel Messi wins La Liga Best Player Award: Lionel Messi, the star forward of Barcelona, has received La Liga’s top scorer and best player awards for the 2016-2017 football season. Messi scored 37 goals in league action last season to earn his fourth Pichichi award.

Daily GK Updates - 20th December, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. NITI Aayog seeks methanol economy fund: NITI Aayog, the government’s policy-making body, will soon move a Cabinet note outlining the roadmap for a methanol mission for India through a Rs 5,000-crore methanol economy fund. It will kickstart generation of this alternative energy source from January 1, 2018. The Aayog will hold a high-level meeting of its task force on methanol economy following which a roadmap will be laid out.

2. ‘HAMESHA VIJAYEE’ exercise in Rajasthan being conducted: In a significant show of strength, formations of Southern Command are conducting a major exercise called ‘HAMESHA VIJAYEE’ in the deserts of Rajasthan. The exercise being conducted from 16 to 22 December 2017 is to evaluate the capability of the armed forces to strike deep into enemy territory in an integrated air-land battle.

3. LED Lights at all Railway Stations in India: Ministry of Railways is actively working to provide 100% LED lighting for its most of the Non-traction Energy needs. Under this 100% LED initiative, Ministry of Railways has decided to make all railway stations 100% LED lit by the end of current financial year i.e. by 31 March 2018.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Shree Saini crowned Miss India USA 2017: Shree Saini, a resident of Washington state, was crowned Miss India USA 2017. The 21-year-old, who is a student at the University of Washington, said she wants to lead a life dedicated to service. Shree, who had a pacemaker implanted at the age of 12 is an inspiration for all. Cancer surgeon Kavita Malhotra from Florida was declared Mrs India USA 2017.

2. International Human Solidarity Day: The United Nations’ (UN) International Human Solidarity Day is annually held on December 20 to celebrate unity in diversity.

It also aims to remind people of the importance of solidarity in working towards eradicating poverty. It is a day to encourage debate on the ways to promote solidarity for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

OTHER UPDATES

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Apple appoints Michel Coulomb as India head: Apple has named Michel Coulomb as the head of sales for its operations in India, a key market for the iconic iPhone maker. He succeeds Sanjay Kaul, who has stepped down from the post.

2. Ola acquires foodpanda India: Germany’s Delivery Hero sold its foodpanda India business to Ola in return for shares in the Indian ride-hailing firm. Under the agreement, Ola will also commit to investing $200 million in foodpanda India. The partnership with Ola will allow Delivery Hero to further consolidate markets where it strategically makes sense to collaborate with leading local players.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. AU Bank joins hands with Sahaj e-Village: AU Small Finance Bank has announced signing a MoU with Sahaj e-Village. MoU is signed for extending its banking service in remote areas through Business Correspondent Agent model. With this MoU, AU Bank will be able to further foster its mission of financial inclusion and greater customer outreach. The Sahaj Agents will gather information, counsel, and services to these customers.

2. Yes Bank-EIB invest $400 million: Indian private sector lender Yes Bank has jointly invested $400 million with European Investment Bank (EIB) in new solar and wind projects in the country. The bank is also exploring investments in the electric vehicle segment. The new financing programme will streamline financing for a range of renewable energy projects being built and operated.

Daily GK Updates - 19th December, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. India tops list of migrants living abroad at 17 million: According to the International Migration Report of the UN, India has topped the list of people living abroad at 17 million with about 5 million Indians residing in the Gulf region alone. The number of migrants from India now reside in multiple destination countries, including the UAE at 3 million, the US and Saudi Arabia at 2 million each. Mexico(2nd), Russia(3rd), China(4th), Bangladesh(5th), Pakistan Syria(6th), and Ukraine also have large migrant populations living abroad (around 6 to 11 million each).International migration makes an important contribution to population growth in many parts of the world and even reverses population decline in some countries or areas.

2. Construction activities to be prohibited within 50 meters from river Ganga in hilly areas-NGT: According to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) revised order, Construction activities will be prohibited within 50 metres from the edge of river Ganga in hilly areas. It will now be treated as No Development Zone where no construction including commercial or residential buildings can come up. The area falling between 50-100 meters will be considered as "regulatory" zone and ban on construction activity in this area till the state comes with a specific policy.

3. Goa celebrating 56th Liberation day today: Goa is celebrating its 56th Liberation Day. The state was liberated on this day in 1961 from Portuguese control after almost 450 years of colonial rule. The Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar unfurled the national flag and took a salute at the Goa Liberation Day celebrations in state capital Panaji.

4. Losar Festival being celebrated in Ladakh: The Losar festival being celebrated in Ladakh region to mark the new year, the celebrations continue for three days to nine days in the different parts of Ladakh region of Jammu Kashmir. Prayer flags are hoisted in important religious places to welcome the new year. Losar Festival is celebrated by making symbolic meals and offerings.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. UK govt extends pilot student visa scheme to 23 more universities: Britain's Immigration Minister Brandon Lewis has announced extending a pilot student visa scheme to 23 more universities. Now, Indian and other non-EU students will get six-month time to find a job after finishing their course. Last year, the scheme was introduced on a pilot basis in four British varsities Oxford, Bath, Cambridge and Imperial College London.

2. India to host meeting of WTO member countries on food security: According to the Union Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu, India will host a meeting of WTO member countries in February to muster support for food security and other issues. The union govt is trying to call a meeting of almost 30 to 40 countries in Delhi to help the multi-lateral process. India has been keenly pushing agriculture issues at the World Trade Organisation.

OTHER UPDATES

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Bharti Airtel to acquire Millicom’s operations in Rwanda: Telecom operator Bharti Airtel Limited has signed an agreement with Millicom International Cellular S.A. to acquire its Rwanda’s operation ‘Tigo Rwanda’. Tigo’s 370 million customers will join the network of Airtel Rwanda. Now, Airtel Rwanda will be the second largest operator in the country with revenues of over USD 80 million and a revenue market share of over 40%. At present, Airtel operates in 15 African countries apart from India and South Asia.

2. Skill Development Ministry & Maruti Suzuki sign Mou to impart skill training: The Skill Development Ministry & Maruti Suzuki have signed an agreement to impart training to youth and enhance their employment potential in New Delhi. As part of the agreement, Maruti Suzuki will ensure that not less than 80% of trainees are placed with Maruti Suzuki or its business partner. Maruti Suzuki will develop specific training module as per the need of the automobile industry in consultation with DGT.

SPORTS:

1.  Mo Farah wins BBC's sports personality of the year award: Four-time Olympic champion Sir Mo Farah (World 10,000m champion) has been voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2017.He won his third successive world 10,000m gold medal in London in August. Farah becomes the first long-distance runner to win the Sports Personality award since Paula Radcliffe in 2002.