Daily GK Updates : 7th January, 2019

         NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.WCD minister Maneka Gandhi confers National Anganwadi Awards : The Union Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi has conferred National Awards to 97 Anganwadi workers for their exceptional achievements for the year 2017-18 in New Delhi.The award is given to motivate the Anganwadi workers and recognize their exemplary services in the field of child development and related areas under the Integrated Child Development Services Scheme.The annual award was given in two levels .From this year, the cash prize of the national level has been increased from Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 50,000.State level award comprises of a cash prize of 10,000 rupees .

2.Vice President gives away Textiles Awards : The Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has given Textiles Awards to Seventeen persons for their outstanding contribution in different fields of textiles sector in New Delhi.Mr Naidu also stressed on improving the quality of products to become competitive in international markets and called upon the textiles industry to create brand for Indian textiles products.Earlier in the day, the national conclave was inaugurated by the Union Textiles Minister, Smriti Zubin Irani.He also presented commemorative stamps on GI registered handicrafts.For the first time, The Textiles Ministry is giving awards to people who have made a significant contribution to the textiles sector.

3. NCR launches a mobile app to help people navigate through Prayagraj city during Kumbh Mela : The North Central Railway (NCR) has launched a mobile application 'Rail Kumbh Seva Mobile App' to help people navigate through Prayagraj city during Kumbh Mela (from 15 th January).It will also provide information regarding all the 'Mela special' trains that will be run during the period.The app will provide a link to the user to buy both unreserved and reserved train tickets.Through this app, the users will not only get to know their current location but will also be able to reach to all railway stations, the mela zone, major hotels, bus stations and other facilities within Prayagraj.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Bohemian Rhapsody’ wins Golden Globe 2019 for best motion picture drama :Bohemian Rhapsody and its lead star Rami Malek were declared as the Best Motion Picture (Drama) and theBest Actor, respectively in the 76th Golden Globe Awards 2019.Bohemian Rhapsody is a 2018 biographical film about the British rock band Queen .Green Book won the most awards for the ceremony with three, including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy .Jeff Bridges was honoured with the Cecil B. DeMille Award for career achievement.

2.Norwegian Prime Minister arrives in New Delhi : Prime Minister of Norway Erna Solberg has arrived in New Delhi on a three-day state visit to India.She will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi , President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu.The Norwegian Prime Minister will participate in the Indo-Norwegian Business Conference.The visit of the Prime Minister of Norway will provide an opportunity to review the progress in bilateral cooperation between the two countries.India and Norway enjoy close & multifaceted ties and economic, technical cooperation are important facets of the bilateral relation.

3.Sheikh Hasina takes oath as PM of Bangladesh : Awami League President Sheikh Hasina (71-years) took oath as Prime Minister of Bangladesh for the third consecutive term.President Mohammad Abdul Hamid has administered the oath of office to the Ministers at Bangabhaban.Recently, Awami League and its allies secured 288 seats (Awami League -266 seats & Jatiya Party-21 ) out of elections held for 299-member Parliament.The opposition N ational Unity Front (UNF) with BNP being its key partner got only seven seats and Independent candidates won in two seats.

               OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY :

1.Govt allocates Rs 10,900 cr for development of 40 satellite launch vehicles in next 4-years : According to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman Dr K Sivan , the Union Government has allocated 10,900 crore rupees for the development of 40 satellite launch vehicles in the next four years.Chandrayan Mission will be launched within three months.It will land in one part of the Moon which is still unexplored.The human space flight Gaganyaan is planned to be launched by 2022 (the 75th anniversary of Independence).

BANKING/FINANCE :

1.Direct Tax Collections for F.Y. 2018-19 up to December 2018 : According to the provisional figures of Direct Tax collections 2018 , The gross collections are at Rs. 8.74 lakh crore which is 14.1% higher than the gross collections for the corresponding period of last year.Refunds amounting to Rs.1.30 lakh crore have been issued during April to December 2018, (17.0% higher) than refunds issued during the same period in the preceding year.Net collections (after adjusting for refunds) have increased by 13.6% to Rs. 7.43 lakh crore during April - December 2018.The net Direct Tax collections represent 64.7% of the total Budget Estimates of Direct Taxes for F.Y. 2018-19 (Rs. 11.50 lakh crore).So far as the growth rate for Corporate Income Tax (CIT) and Personal Income Tax (PIT) is concerned, the growth rate of gross collections for CIT is 14.8% while that for PIT (including STT) is 17.2%.

SPORTS:

1.Head Constable Rani wins gold medal in Senior National's Judo C'Ship : Lady head constable Rani of 5th Indian Reserve Battalion of Himachal Pradesh Police has won the Gold medal in the Senior National Women's Judo Championship at Visakhapatnam.She claimed top honours in the 78 kg category .Rani was also declared the best Judoka at the Championship.

2.India win their maiden series in Australia : India has won the first ever series (ending a 71-year wait) on Australian soil beating the home team 2-1 after the fourth and final Test ended in a draw due to inclement weather . India scored 622 for 7 in their first innings and then bowled out Australia for 300 thereby enforcing the follow-on.However persistent drizzle washed out day five thereby keeping the victory margin down to 2-1 and retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with the series win.It is the first time India managed the feat since they began touring Australia in 1947-48 .Now, Virat Kohli has become the first Indian as well as the first Asian captain to win a Test series in Australia.

Daily GK Updates - 6th January, 2019

          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.

Daily GK Updates - 5th January, 2019

          NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.World Book Fair begins in the national capital : The Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar has inaugurated the nine-day World Bookfair (27th) at Pragati Maidan New Delhi (5-13th Jan 2019).This year’s theme is ‘Books for Readers with Special Needs ’ and Sharjah is the guest of honours’ country.To mark Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary , there will be a special book exhibition of books on and by Mahatma Gandhi.More than 600 publishers will display books at more than 1350 stalls at the fair.Over 20 countries will participate in the fair.

2.FSSAI asks food businesses to comply with new packaging norms by 1 st July : According to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), The food businesses need to comply with new packaging regulations that bar use of recycled plastics and newspapers to wrap food articles by 1 st July 2019 .The new packaging regulations would raise the bar of food safety in India to the next level.The new regulations prohibit packaging material made of recycled plastics including carrying bags for packaging, storing, carrying or dispensing articles of food.

3.Government launches nationwide : cleanliness survey ‘Swachh Survekshan 2019’ The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has launched the ‘Swachh Survekshan 2019’ , the fourth edition of the annual nationwide cleanliness survey of urban India in New Delhi.It is a part of the ‘ Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ , the Swachh Survekshan 2019 aims to evaluate the achievements in the cleanliness level in urban areas of the country.It will encourage large-scale citizen participation, ensure sustainability of initiatives taken towards garbage free and open defecation free cities, and will provide credible outcomes.The survey will cover 40 crore people across over four thousand towns and cities.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.India to host a two-day meeting of Arab League : India will host a two-day meet of foreign ministers of 22 Arab League nations in Delhi from 31st January 2019.If Syria is admitted to the grouping in the intervening period it could be among the participants at the meet.The Arab League is a regional organization of Arab states in and around North Africa, the Horn of Africa and Arabia.

2.Pakistan abolishes visa on arrival for Afghans : Pakistan abolished the long-standing facility of visa on arrival for Afghan nationals.The Immigration Wing of the Federal Investigation Agency cited increased security risks from the western border as a reason for the move.Earlier, Afghan nationals were granted a 30-day visa on arrival at the entry points but now they will be required to apply for a visa from Pakistani missions in Afghanistan.The move to restrict Afghans came as Pakistan has already decided to issue 'on-arrival' visas to citizens of 24 other countries to increase tourism and investments.

3.Five nations assume charge as Non-Permanent Members of UN Security Council : Five nations (Belgium, Dominican Republic, Germany, Indonesia and South Africa) assumed the charge as the Non-Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).These five countries will hold a two-year term in the Council with effect from 1 st January 2019.This will be the Dominican Republic’s first time on the Security Council.They will fill the seats vacated by Bolivia, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands and Sweden on December 31, 2018, after serving a two-year term on the 15-member Security Council.

4.Arunima Sinha is world's 1st female amputee to scale Antarctica's highest peak : Arunima Sinha has become the World's 1st woman amputee to climb Mount Vinson , the highest peak in Antarctica.She has already done six peaks: Everest in Asia, Kilimanjaro in Africa, Elbrus (Europe), Kosciuszko (Australia), Aconcagua (Argentina) and Carstensz Pyramid (Puncak Jaya) in Indonesia.

               OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS :

1.80th National Table Tennis Championship begins in Cuttack : The 80th National Table Tennis Championship began at Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Cuttack (Odisha).As many as 35 teams, including 550 players from different parts of the country are participating in the mega championship.Odisha State Table Tennis Association (OSTTA) is hosting the championships after a gap of 18 years.The event will conclude on 9 th January.

Daily GK Updates - 4th January, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Indian Panorama Film Festival begins in New Delhi : The Information and Broadcasting Secretary Amit Khare has inaugurated the ten-days Indian Panorama Film Festival at Siri Fort Auditorium in New Delhi.A total of 26 Feature Films and 21 Non-Feature Films will be screened during the festival.The film festival is being organized by the Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.Directors of the opening feature film - Olu, Shaji N Karun and non-feature film Kharvas, Aditya Suhas Jambhale will be present on the occasion.All the films selected under the Indian Panorama section in the 49th International Film Festival of India will be screened during the Festival.

2 .HRD Ministry constitutes a task force to look into suicides of JNV students : The Union Human Resource Development Ministry has constituted a task force to look into the issues of suicides of the students in Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNV) residential schools.The task force has been constituted under the Chairmanship of Psychiatrist, Dr Jitendra Nagpal .It will also suggest ways and means arrest the trend of suicides by students .According to the report, around 49 students of the residential Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas committed suicide between 2013 and 2017

3.Arunachal Pradesh’s East Siang District achieves 100% electrification : East Siang District (in Arunachal Pradesh) has achieved 100% electrification under the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana - Saubhagya Scheme.Pasighat Electrical division has electrified 2,662 households which were earlier left out till the end of December last year.The power department has electrified 1,483 villages under Deen Dayal Upadhyaya-Gram Jyoti Yojana in the state so far.

4.V K Yadav takes charge as Chairman, Railway Board : General Manager of South-Central Railway (SCR) Vinod K. Yadav (1980 batch of the Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers) has been appointed as the Chairman of Railway Board.Yadav succeeds Ashwani Lohani (retired on 31st Jan 2018)The Railway Board is the apex body of the Indian Railways.It reports to the Parliament of India through the Ministry of Railways headed by the Railway Minister of India.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.4th January-World Braille Day : The World Braille Day is observed across the world every year on 4th January to mark the birth anniversary of Louis Braille.He was the inventor of Braille script or Braille code .Braille is a tactile writing system used by people who are visually impaired.

2.Indian-American takes oath as Fort Bend County Judge in Texas : Indian-American K P George (53-years) has been sworn in as the Fort Bend County Judge, becoming the first person from the community to hold the office of one of America's most diverse counties.In the US, county judges' duties vary from state to state.Depending upon the size of the county, they perform a wide range of judicial and administrative duties.The Fort Bend County in Texas has a sizeable population of Indian-Americans.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1.Allahabad Bank & SBI Life join hand for bancassurance partnership : Allahabad Bank and SBI Life Insurance came together and signed a bancassurance pact to sell the policies of the insurer from over 3,200 branches of Allahabad Bank across the country.This will empower the consumer to address theircomplete financial needs under one roof.The agreement was signed in the presence of Allahabad Bank Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mallikarjuna Rao and Sanjeev Nautiyal.

Daily GK Updates - 3rd January, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.PM Modi inaugurates Indian Science Congress-2019 in Jalandhar : Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Indian Science Congress-2019 (106th edition) in Jalandhar, Punjab. The theme of this five-day mega event is ‘Future India: Science and Technology’. This meet brings together leaders in science and technology from the country and abroad every year. The Prime Minister addressed about 30,000 delegates, including Nobel laureates, eminent scientists, policymakers, young researchers and school children, from across the country and abroad. Eminent personalities from DRDO, ISRO, AIIMS, UGC, AICTE and many elite universities of the country, USA, UK, and other countries are participating.

2.Entire Nagaland declared ‘disturbed area’ under AFSPA  : According to Home Ministry notification, Entire state of Nagaland has been declared ‘disturbed area’ for six (June-2019) more months, under the black law Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).AFSPA gives armed forces the power to maintain public order in “disturbed areas”. They have the authority to prohibit a gathering of five or more persons in an area, can use force or even open fire after giving due warning if they feel a person is in contravention of the law

3.West Bengal Govt. announced two Initiatives for farmers : The West Bengal government has announced two welfare initiatives for farmers, part of the ‘Krishi Krishak Bondhu’ scheme.The first of the two initiatives will provide Rs 2 lakh to the family of a deceased farmer.Under the second initiative, farmers would get Rs 2,500 twice a year for growing a single crop on one acre of land.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Qatar will cease to be a member of OPEC : Qatar will cease to be a member of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries(OPEC). The country had sent an official notification to the OPEC expressing its wish to pull out and to focus on its liquefied natural gas production in December. The decision came amid the ongoing diplomatic and economic blockade imposed on the country by its Persian Gulf neighbours and several Arab states. These countries accuse Doha of supporting terrorism and interfering in their internal affairs. Qatar has strongly refuted these allegations.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. Govt appoints Hemant Bhargava interim chairman of LIC : The Union government has appointed Life Insurance Corporation's (LIC) senior-most Managing Director (MD) Hemant Bhargava as the interim chairman.He replaced V K Sharma who retired on 31^st Dec 2018. The government has also initiated a process to select the regular chairman and managing director of LIC. Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) is an Indian state-owned insurance group and investment company headquartered in Mumbai.

2.Cabinet approves the merger of Vijaya Bank & Dena Bank with Bank of Baroda : The Union cabinet has approved the merger of Vijaya Bank & Dena Bank with Bank of Baroda. The merger will be effective from April 2019. The decision was in a bid to create a stronger and sustainable global-sized lender. After the merger, Bank of Baroda will become the third biggest public sector bank, behind State Bank of India and HDFC Bank (in terms of assets).

SPORTS :

1. Sachin Tendulkar's coach Ramakant Achrekar passes away : Sachin Tendulkar's childhood coach cricket coach Ramakant Achrekar (87-years) passed away due to age-related ailments in Mumbai. Besides Tendulkar, he also coached some prominent players in Vinod Kambli, Pravin Amre, Sameer Dighe and Balwinder Singh Sandhu. He was bestowed with country's fourth highest civilian award Padma Shri (in 2010) and Dronacharya Award (for Outstanding Coaches in Sports and Games) in 1990.

2. ICC announces women's ODI and T20I teams of the year :  International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced women's ODI and T20I teamsof the year 2018. Suzie Bates (New Zealand) was named as captain of the 50-over side and Harmanpreet Kaur (India) appointed the captain of the T20 team. Smriti Mandhana & Poonam Yadav (India) are the two other players Healy (Australia)and Bates (New Zealand) featured in both the ODI and T20I squads. ICC T20 Women's team of the year includes three Indians Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur and Poonam Yadav.

Daily GK Updates - 2nd January, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Justice AK Sikri nominated as EC of NALSA : President Ram Nath Kovind nominated Justice AK Sikri as the Executive Chairman (EC) of National Legal Services Authority (NALSA). The post got vacant after the retirement of Justice Madan B Lokur.The NALSA was constituted under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 to provide free legal services to the weaker sections of the society and to organise the Lok Adalats.

2. Anti-Dumping duty imposed on chemical : The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) has recommended anti-dumping duty on a chemical used in paint and printing industries, imported from Brazil, Indonesia, and Thailand. The name of the chemical is ‘non-plasticised industrial grade nitrocellulose damped in isopropyl alcohol having nitrogen content in the range of 10.7-12.2%’. The duties have been imposed for three years.

3.Govt releases 6-crore LPG connection : The government of India gave 6-crore free cooking gas (LPG) connections under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) on 2 January 2019. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu handed over the 6 croreth LPG connection under PMUY to Jasmina Khatoon from Delhi. The PMUY was launched on 1 May 2016, with a target to give 5 crore connections by March 2019.

4. Aadhaar Amendment Bill introduced in Lok Sabha : On 2 December 2018, the government of India introduced the Aadhar amendment bill in Lok Sabha. The bill seeks to provide legal backing for voluntary seeding of biometric Aadhaar ID with mobile numbers and bank accounts after the Supreme Court barred mandatory use of the Aadhar by private firms. In December 2018, the Union Cabinet approved amending the existing Aadhaar law.

5. Global advertising meet in Kochi : The 44th Global Summit of the International Advertising Association (IAA) will be held in Kochi from February 20 to 22, 2019.

The theme of the summit is ‘Brand Dharma’.It is for the first time an Indian city is hosting the summit. The last three summits were held in Washington DC, Moscow and Beijing.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Brazil’s Bolsonaro takes oath as President : Former Army captain, Jair Bolsonaro was sworn in as Brazil’s President on 1 January 2019. He won the Presidential election of Brazil on 28 October 2018. He defeated leftist opponent Fernando Haddad. He was declared the winner by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal after 94% of the votes were counted.

2. Justice Rana takes over as Nepal’s new CJ : Justice Cholendra Shamsher J B Rana took over as the new Chief Justice of Nepal’s Supreme Court on 2 January 2019.President Bidya Devi Bhandari administered the oath to Justice Rana. He will have a tenure of four years. He succeeded Chief Justice Om Prakash Mishra, who retired on 1st January 2019. He was appointed as the permanent judge of the Supreme Court on May 27, 2014.

3. US, Israel quit UNESCO citing bias :  The US and Israel had quit the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) with the close of 2018.The countries had announced their decisions in 2017 of withdrawing from the agency, accusing it of bias against Israel. Israel joined the agency in 1949.UNESCO is best known for its work to preserve heritage, including maintaining a list of World Heritage sites.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Direct tax-GDP ratio in FY18 best in 10 years : The Ministry of Finance said that the direct tax-to-GDP ratio of 5.98% achieved during 2017-18 fiscal is the best in the last 10 years. It was 5.57% in 2016-17 and 5.47% in 2015-16.The growth rate for corporate income tax (CIT) and personal income tax (PIT) stood at 17.7% and 18.3% respectively. The number of individuals filing return of income has also increased by about 65% in 2017-18.

Daily GK Updates - 1st January, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Justice T B N Radhakrishnan sworn in as Chief Justice of Telangana HC : Justice T B N Radhakrishnan was sworn in as the first Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court. Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Governor E.S.L. Narasimhanadministered the oath of office to him. As per the notification, 12 judges, over 360 district and civil judges have been allotted to the new Telangana state. Andhra Pradesh High Court got over 500 district and civil judges as the two high courts began functioning as separate entities today onwards.

2. 1^st January: DRDO day : The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) day celebrated on 1^st January every year. The DRDO was established in 1958 with just 10 laboratories to enhance the research work in the defence sector. According to DRDO Chairman Dr G Satheesh Reddy, the country is self-reliant in areas of missiles, radars, sonars and torpedoes and many other systems. The Organisation has been working over the years to develop state of the art weapon system for the country's armed forces.

3.ISRO launches Samwad with students to engage them in space science activities :  Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched Samwad with Students as part of its outreach programme in Bengaluru. 40 students and 10 teachers from select schools interacted with ISRO Chairman Dr. K Sivan about the Indian Space Programme and their benefits to the common man. During the three-hour stay at ISRO Head office, the students and teachers also interacted with scientists and engineers.

4.Govt approves additional assistance of over Rs 1,146 cr to Tamil Nadu : The Union Government has approved the additional assistance of over 1146 crore rupees to Tamil Nadu (affected by the cyclone - Gaja) from National Disaster Response Fund. The approval was given by a High-Level Committee chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi. Cyclone 'Gaja' had crossed the Tamil Nadu coast early on 16^th November 2018.

5.Lok Sabha passes the Indian Medical Council (Amendment), Bill : The Lok Sabha has passed the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill. It amends the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 and replaces the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018. The Bill is aimed at revamping medical education regulatory system in the country. The 1956 Act provides for supersession of the MCI and its reconstitution within a period of three years.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.US and Israel quit UNESCO citing bias : The United States (US) and Israel officially quit the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) with the close of 2018.In 2017, The countries had announced their decisions in of withdrawing from the agency, accusing it of bias against Israel. It is best known for its World Heritage program, which designates cultural sites and aims to preserve traditions.UNESCO also works to improve education for girls, promote understanding of the Holocaust's horrors, and to defend media freedom.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1.RBI offers relief to MSMEs : allows restructuring of debt up to Rs 25 crore The Reserve Bank has allowed a one-time restructuring of existing debt of up to 25 crore rupees for the companies which have defaulted on payment but the loans given to them have continued to be classified as standard assets. The decision will help the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) which are facing a cash crunch in the wake of demonetisation and GST implementation. Earlier, The RBI's board had advised the central bank to examine a scheme for the restructuring of stressed standard assets of MSME borrowers with aggregate credit facilities of up to 25 crore rupees.

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. 23 goods and services become cheaper with reduced GST rates : The Union government has notified reduction in Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates on twenty-three goods and services, including movie tickets, TV, monitor screen and power banks On 22nd December 2018, The GST Council had decided to cut tax rates on these goods and services and exempted music books, preserved vegetables and savings bank accounts under the Jan Dhan Yojana from the Tax.

OBITUARIES:

1.  Veteran actor-writer Kader Khan passes away in Canada : Veteran actor-writer Kader Khan (81-year) passed away in Canada due to prolonged illness. Khan made his acting debut in 1973 with Rajesh Khanna's "Daag" and has featured in over 300 films. He wrote dialogues for over 250 movies. Before becoming actor he had written dialogues for Randhir Kapoor-Jaya Bachchan's "Jawani Diwani"