Important Current Affairs 19th DECEMBER 2017

Important Current Affairs 19th DECEMBER 2017

Current Affairs 19th DECEMBER 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Skill Development Ministry signed an agreement with Maruti Suzuki

In the presence of Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Mr. Anant Kumar Hegde, Director General Training (DGT) and Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India Today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), in order to provide the youth with higher employment prospects related to the automobile and manufacturing industry, under Skill India Mission.
●    The Flexi MOU was signed by Shri Vijay Kumar Dev, Director General, DGT (MSD) and Mr. Mukesh Kumar Gupta, Vice President (Maruti Suzuki India Limited).
●    On this occasion, Honorable Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Shri Anant Kumar Hegde said, "I am very pleased to come here and learn new things from you.
●    This is an extremely important initiative and I am very happy to be part of it.
●    Maruti has been providing basic training for the last two years and during our previous dialogue, the company expressed its intention to increase its reach.
●    I would like to suggest that along with basic training, Maruti should also provide advance level training to those students who are keen to increase their knowledge in this direction.
●    At the moment, this training caters to the needs of students passing the 10th and 12th grade. "
●    There are various companies employed in the subsidiary industries associated with Automation and Automobile Sector, which are being operated by entrepreneurs.
●    These entrepreneurs are in dire need of initial training to run their business successfully.

Revival of sick fertilizer units and introduction of new fertilizer units

In the reply to a written question in the Lok Sabha, Shri Rao Inderjit Singh, Minister of State for Planning and Chemicals and Fertilizers, Shri Rao Inderjit Singh said that Government is restarting 5 closed units of Fertilizer Corporation of India Limited and Hindustan Fertilizer Corporation Limited (HFCL). 
●    This unit is - Trailchar, Ramagundam, Gorakhpur and Sindri and Baroni.
●    Using new technology, 12.7 lakh MT of Ammonia-Urea will be produced every year in each unit.
●    In addition to the above, the Cabinet has approved the setting up of new ammonia-urea complex in Namhame on 21.05.2015 at the Brahmaputra Fertilizer Corporation Limited campus.
●    Its productive capacity will be 8.646 lakh metric tons per annum.
●    In addition to the introduction of the above new plants, the production of urea in the country will increase to 72.16 lakh metric tonnes per annum, resulting in a significant reduction in imports of urea.
●    Shri Singh informed that the implementation of the above proposals will reduce the gap between demand and supply of urea and improve the fertilizer sector.

Central Road Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2017 passed in Lok Sabha

The Central Road Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2017 has been passed in the Lok Sabha today.
●    The purpose of this Bill is to amend the Central Road Fund (CRF) Act, 2000, through which the high speed petrol and diesel collected and cess collected will be made available to the rural roads, national highways, railways, roads in the states and roads in the border areas Is distributed for development.
●    In the current bill, it has been mentioned that allocation of 2.5 percent of CRF generated for accelerating the development and maintenance of national waterways has been mentioned.
●    Under this, a two-percent reduction in the allocated portion for National Highways will be deducted.
●    This will generate an estimated revenue of about Rs 2300 crore for national waterways.
National waterways provide affordable, logistic, efficient, and environmentally friendly means of transportation, due to which being developed as a supplemental mode will lead to highly crowded roads and traffic from the railway to the waterways.
●    With the formation of the National Waterway Act, 2016, the total number of national waterways has gone up to 111 now.
●    This has paved the way for better regulation and development of national waterways in the country.

Under the Namami Ganges program, 32 projects have been laid out in Uttarakhand, two projects were inaugurated

In the presence of Central Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Conservation Minister Dr. Satyapal Singh and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Shri Trivandrum Singh Rawat, the foundation stones of 32 projects costing 905 crore rupees in Uttarakhand were laid on Tuesday.
●    On this occasion, M.J. Shri Pratip Pant, Minister of Drinking Water, Uttarakhand, Shri Satpal Maharaj, Irrigation Minister of Uttarakhand, Mr. Ramesh Pokhriyal (Haridwar), Member of Parliament, Mr. Madan Kaushik and MLA Mr. Surendra Singh Negi, Mr. Mandal Chauhan and Mr. Mahendra Bhatt were also present.
●    The program was inaugurated in two sewer refinements projects at a cost of Rs 12.83 crore (sewer scheme in Gandhidham and STP and 0.26 MLD capacity STP in Badrinath).
●    On this occasion Dr. Satyapal Singh said, "We have to make the Ganga Sanitation Mission a mass movement.
●    People need a change in mindset.
●    People should be told that they do not pollute the river in any way. '
●    He underlined the importance of people's involvement in Namami Ganges program.
●    'We conducted two successful roadshows in London and Mumbai, wherein representatives of the industry expressed their desire to become involved in the Ganga Sanitation Mission'.

Kiran Rijiju inaugurated the trainers' training program for the Sendai profiling

Union Minister of State for Home, Shri Kiren Rijiju today inaugurated the first nation level program for training of trainers to sensitize various Central Ministries and Departments on the use of Sendi Monitoring System for developing the work plan for disaster risk reduction in New Delhi
●    Describing the trainers' training program as highly vetted initiatives, Rijiju said that participants from this workshop will be sensitive and will be able to create capacity in the use of Sendi Monitoring System in developing the work plan for the reduction in disaster risk.
●    He said that similar training programs for the officers of the state government will be held later.
●    The three-day program was organized by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in collaboration with the United Nations Office (UNIDR-GETI) for the disaster risk reduction-global education and training institute.
●    On this occasion, Ms. Loretta Hibbert Ziraat of UNI-SDRD said that SFDRRR gives special emphasis on the development of national and local strategies.
●    This training workshop is important.
●    They strengthened India for developing the first national plan in line with SFDRR.
●    India's National Disaster Management Plan was released in June 2016 by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

Current Affairs 19th DECEMBER 2017: AWARDS

Presentation ceremony of 22nd Apparel Export Promotion Council Award 2016-17

The Union Minister of Textiles and Information & Broadcasting, Smt. Zubin Irani said that the Textile Ministry has knowledge management system for the exchange of knowledge related to the productivity of natural fiber and the diversification of its sub-products by the education sector, the farming community and the industry is implementing.
●    Textile India 2017 is a large textile business event.
●    The government has taken this decision in order to further its successes.
●    During the presentation of the 22nd Garment Export Promotion Council (AEPC) Export Awards 2016-17 held in New Delhi on 18th December, 2017, the Minister said that during the presentation ceremony.
●    The Textile Minister said that special attention is being given to increase the reach of the Indian exporters market and the government is looking for solutions in all parts of the region.
●    Mrs. Irani said that special attention is being given to skill development of the people of the textile sector.
●    He further said that the Ministry is in the process of formulating a policy which will strengthen the silk and jute sectors.
●    The Minister congratulated the award winners.
●    The Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Suresh Prabhu said that the Ministry is taking several measures to make use of its capacity by the textile industry.
●    He highlighted the importance of global trade, the role of market research in identifying new areas, and the importance of presentation of new products to increase development.

Current Affairs 19th DECEMBER 2017: DEFENSE

Annual Conference of Chief Engineers of Border Roads Organization 2017

Border Roads Organization (BRO) is organizing the Annual Conference 2017 of its Chief Engineers and Equipment Management at GREF Center in Pune.
●    The conference will be held from 18 to 20 December 2017.
●    The three-day conference will be attended by Director General of Border Roads and 18 Chief Engineers associated with various projects.
●    This conference provides a forum for discussions on several important issues, including the evaluation of future workings and current performance of BRO.
●    Minister of State for Defense Subhash Bhamre will address the conference on December 19, 2017.
●    The BRO plays an important role in meeting the essential needs of the Army's strategic and operational framework.
●    This organization also contributes to socio-economic development in areas adjacent to the border.
●    BRO has constructed about 52000 kilometers of roads.
●    Apart from this, 598 important permanent bridges have been constructed, whose length is 49200 meters.

Current Affairs 19th DECEMBER 2017: ECONOMY

Indian Railways will install 100% LED lights on all the stations by the end of the current financial year

The Ministry of Railways is actively working on arranging 100% LED lights for most of its non-traction power requirements like railway staff colonies, railway stations, railway platforms etc.
●    Under this 100% LED initiative, the Ministry of Railways has decided to illuminate all the railway stations with 100% LED lights at the end of the current financial year ie 31 March 2018.
●    This is a major initiative to provide less power consumption lighting system, which will further help in environmental protection further.
●    100% LED lights have been installed on nearly 3500 railway stations by November, 2017 and 100% LED lights will be completed in the remaining part of the railway stations and various railway buildings.
●    Under this program, about 20 lakh LED lights have been installed at various Zonal railway stations till date.
●    ESCO mode is also being adopted in this area to implement the provision of setting up of LED lights at all stations.
●    In this context, a policy document has been prepared and released by the Ministry of Railways.