GK and Current Affairs Updates

Amitabh Kant is appointed as the NITI Aayog CEO. He is an IAS officer of 1980 batch of Kerala Cadre.
About NITI Aayog(NATIONAL INSTITUTION FOR TRANSFORMING INDIA)
It is the successor of Planning Commission.
Functions:
a. To evolve a shared vision of national development priorities sectors and strategies with the active involvement of States in the light of national objectives
b. To foster cooperative federalism through structured support initiatives and mechanisms with the States on a continuous basis, recognizing that strong States make a strong nation
c. To develop mechanisms to formulate credible plans at the village level and aggregate these progressively at higher levels of government 
d. To ensure, on areas that are specifically referred to it, that the interests of national security are incorporated in economic strategy and policy
e. To pay special attention to the sections of our society that may be at risk of not benefitting adequately from economic progress
f. To design strategic and long term policy and programme frameworks and initiatives, and monitor their progress and their efficacy. The lessons learnt through monitoring and feedback will be used for making innovative improvements, including necessary mid-course corrections
g. To provide advice and encourage partnerships between key stakeholders and national and international like-minded Think tanks, as well as educational and policy research institutions. 
h. To create a knowledge, innovation and entrepreneurial support system through a collaborative community of national and international experts, practitioners and other partners.
i. To offer a platform for resolution of inter-sectoral and inter­ departmental issues in order to accelerate the implementation of the development agenda.
j. To maintain a state-of-the-art Resource Centre, be a repository of research on good governance and best practices in sustainable and equitable development as well as help their dissemination to stake-holders
k. To actively monitor and evaluate the implementation of programmes and initiatives, including the identification of the needed resources so as to strengthen the probability of success and scope of delivery
l. To focus on technology upgradation and capacity building for implementation of programmes and initiatives
m. To undertake other activities as may be necessary in order to further the execution of the national development agenda, and the objectives mentioned above.

About Atal Setu

- It is the fourth cable stayed bridge in the country.
- It is built on the Ravi river.
- It will serve as an alternate connectivity to the landlocked Basohli town.
- It could revive the dying art form of Basohli painting.
About Basohli Painting
Basohli painting, belongs to the school of Pahari miniature painting that flourished in the Indian hill states during the late 17th and the 18th centuries, known for its bold vitality of colour and line.The colours are always brilliant, with ochre yellow, brown, and green grounds predominating. A distinctive technique is the depiction of jewelry by thick, raised drops of white paint, with particles of green beetles’ wings used to represent emeralds.

Mumbai Garuda became the winner of the first Pro Wrestling League championship. They had beaten harayana to get to the first place.
About Pro Wrestling League
- An initiative of ProSportify and Wrestling Federation of India.
- It is owned by Kartikeya Sharma and Wrestling Federation of India.
- It was the richest wrestling event ever. 
- Each team had 9 players – 5 Indians, 4 foreigners, 5 men, 4 women.
History of Wrestling in India 
- First contested at the ancient Olympic Games in 708 BC.
- Since 1900, it became an integral part of Olympic Games.
- K D Jadhav secured a bronze in wrestling in Helsinki Games – India’s first individual Olympic medal.
- Next, Sushil Kumar won bronze at 2008 Beijing Games and silver in London Games.

NHRC opposed the new Juvenile Justice Bill which has lowered the age of juvenile from 18years to 16 years.
Statements of NHRC opposing the bill
- Most teenagers below 16 years are still in learning stage and are unware of the crime being done by them. If such teens are sent to jail, their entire lives will be stuck in this viscous cycle.
- Teens belonging to poor family are much innocent than those belongs to rich families. But some cities can be excluded from this.

About Juvenile Justice Bill
1. The Bill replaces the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000.  It addresses children in conflict with law and children in need of care and protection. 
2. The Bill permits juveniles between the ages of 16-18 years to be tried as adults for heinous offences.  Also, any 16-18 year old, who commits a lesser, i.e., serious offence, may be tried as an adult only if he is apprehended after the age of 21 years. 
3. Juvenile Justice Boards (JJB) and Child Welfare Committees (CWC) will be constituted in each district.  The JJB will conduct a preliminary inquiry to determine whether a juvenile offender is to be sent for rehabilitation or be tried as an adult.  The CWC will determine institutional care for children in need of care and protection.
4. Eligibility of adoptive parents and the procedure for adoption have been included in the Bill. 
5. Penalties for cruelty against a child, offering a narcotic substance to a child, and abduction or selling a child have been prescribed. 

Shiva Keshavan won a silver medal at the Asian Championship.
Top 3 champions are:
1. Hidenari Kanayama, Japan
2. Shiva Keshavan, India
3. Dong Hyeon Kim, Korea
About AFC Champions League
- It is commonly known as the Asian Champions League.
- The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is the governing body of Asian football and one of the six Confederations making up FIFA.
- It is the premier club tournament in Asia, equivalent to the CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores, and the UEFA, CAF, CONCACAF and OFC Champions League competitions.
- The winner of the AFC Champions League qualifies for the FIFA Club World Cup.
About Asian Football Confederation (AFC)
- Formed in 1954 in Manila on the sidelines of the second Asian Games.
- Headquarters- Kuala Lumpur
- Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain is the AFC President.
- The AFC is responsible for running football in Asia. Among its various responsibilities are: regulating the game, drafting new laws to improve the sport, implementing the law, boosting grassroots and youth football, and conducting major competitions.

Aim: To address rising terror threats at home (China) and boost international security.People of China and International community are protesting against it by calling it a human right violation legislation.
About Anti terrorism laws in India
1.Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967:  designed to deal with associations and activities that questioned the territorial integrity of India.
2.The Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999 (MCOCA): law was specifically made to deal with rising organized crime in Maharashtra and especially in Mumbai due to the underworld.
3. Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act, 2004: amended version of POTA (Prevention of Terrorism activities)
4.Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA): It allows the government to define, at its discretion and without judicial review, an area as ‘disturbed’ and give enormous power to military.

Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare announced four new IT-based initiatives on Good Governance Day (25th December, 2015), to mark the birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Shri Madan Mohan Malaviya and birthday of Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
4 initiatives are:
1. Kilkar
- It is an audio-based mobile service that delivers weekly audio messages to families about pregnancy, child birth and child care.
- Aim: to empower and educate women and parents to help create a better environment in maternal and child health. 
- Details: Each pregnant woman and infant’s mother, registered in Mother and Child Tracking System (MCTS), a web- enabled name-based system to monitor and ensure delivery of full spectrum of services to all pregnant women and children, would receive weekly voice messages relevant to the stage of pregnancy or age of the infant. 
- In the first phase,implementation will be in six States in Jharkhand, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and HPDs of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan and being developed in Hindi, English and Odiya languages.

2. Mobile Academy
- It is a mobile app through which  9000,000 ASHAs will be trained using mobile services. 
- This will aid in enhancing their inter-personal skills. 
- Details of the app: 
a. Once registered, ASHAs can access the 240-minute course via their mobile phones. They can then complete the standardized course at their convenience. 
b. Digital bookmarking technology enables ASHAs to complete the course at their own pace. 
c. The course is divided into eleven chapters each containing four lessons. There is a quiz at the end of each chapter. 
d. ASHAs successfully completing the course by securing more than minimum prescribed marks will receive a Certificate of completion from the Government. 
    
3.  Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP)
- It is more patient-centric.
- A dedicated toll free number, 1 8 0 0 - 1 1 – 6 6 6 6, with a call centre is being started to provide round the clock support for patient counselling and treatment support services.
- Under this initiative, callers can give a missed call or call to get complete support for diagnosis, treatment and support for the completion of treatment on the national toll free number, the Minister informed. This initiative is being started in the States of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi. 

4. M-Cessation
 This will be an IT-enabled tool to help tobacco users to quit tobacco. Built on a helpline concept, it will register beneficiaries on the basis of a missed call. The counselling would be done through a two-way SMS process.

About Good Governance Day
This day was announced by the Union government to hounour former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Bharat Ratna Shri Madan Mohan Malaviya. It coincides with their birth anniversaries.

The National Green Tribunal has directed the environment ministry and the ministry of railways to fix emission standards for diesel locomotive engines in India. This is done to reduce the pollution through railway locomotive emission.
About National Green Tribunal
The National Green Tribunal has been established in 2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010 for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources including enforcement of any legal right relating to environment and giving relief and compensation for damages to persons and property and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. It is a specialized body equipped with the necessary expertise to handle environmental disputes involving multi-disciplinary issues.   

Chattisgarh secured second position for its exemplary work in the field of information technology during the 'Digital India Week 2015'.The state will receive the award from Communication and IT Minister
Some of the initiatives of Chattisgarh government:
1. Wi-Fi city scheme to ensure free high speed internet facility to the people, especially students, in public places.
2. Mobiles app for e-district services
3. Online facility for five pension schemes of social welfare department and six of revenue department.
4. Integrated Chhattisgarh mobile app.
5. Chhattisgarh campus connect portal, 
6. Lok Seva Kendra and Common Service Centres in villages.
Top 3 states are:
1. Chattisgarh
2. Himachal Pradesh
3. Meghalaya

The country’s first indigenously designed and built warship, INS Godavari has now been Decommissioned after serving for 32 years.
About INS Godavari
- Built by Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai.
- Godavari class frigates were armed with surface to surface and surface to air guided missiles. INS Godavari is also among the first frigates in the world capable of carrying two Sea King helicopters.
- Different Successful operations in which INS Godavari was deployed:
1. Operation Jupiter – 1988 (Sri Lanka), 
2. Operation Shield and Operation Bolster – 1994 (de-induction of Indian Army from Somalia)
3. Patrol of Gulf of Aden (PoG) – 2009 and 2011 (anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden).