Current Affairs Dec 2017 - Miscellaneous

• Sachin Tendulkar has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to include all international medalists in Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS).
• Pistol aces Jitu Rai and Heena Sidhu bagged a bronze each at the 10^th Asian Championship 10m Rifle/Pistol in Wako City, Japan.
• India has reclaimed the bronze medal at the Hockey World League (HWL) Final tournament after they defeated Germany 2-1.
• Foreign Ministers of Russia, India, and China (RIC) held a trilateral meeting in New Delhi.
• OBOPAY has secured a license for Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI) from the Reserve Bank of India to operate a semi-closed loop wallet.
• The Vice-President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the World Conference on Vedas, “Vishwa Ved Sammelan”.
• The State Bank of India has introduced a loyalty program called as State Bank Rewardz, for its valued customers.
• As per information extracted from MCA21 Registry, as on 31.03.2017, 25.01% of the directors on the boards of companies are women directors.
• Companies spent Rs 176.59 Crores in the Northeast states towards corporate social responsibility (CSR) works in 2015-16.
• The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet approved a scheme to provide a pension of Rs 1500 to transgenders above 18 years of age in the state.
• India will host a meeting of WTO member countries in February 2018 to muster support for food security and other issues.
• Goa has celebrated its 56^th Liberation Day. The state was liberated on 19^th December in 1961 from Portuguese control after almost 450 years of colonial rule.
• The BJP has retained power in Gujarat for the 6^th time in a row and swept the polls in Himachal Pradesh finishing just short of the two-third majority.
• India’s top-ranked junior shuttler Aakarshi Kashyap won U-17 and U-19 singles titles at Badminton Junior Nationals in Guwahati, Assam.
• SEBI hiked FPI investment limit from 1.89 lakh crore rupees to 1.91 lakh crore.
• The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, inaugurated the centenary celebrations of Yoga Institute, in Mumbai.
• India's first and only design university, 'World University of Design' opened its campus at Sonipat, Haryana.
• The Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, H.E. Mr. Dmitry Rogozin, visited India on December 23, 2017 to participate in the Co-Chairs meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC).
• Shri M. Subbarayudu, (IFS: 1994), presently Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Peru.
• SBI Card and Bharat Petroleum announced the launch of the BPCL SBI Card – the most rewarding fuel cobranded credit card in the country
• India's first ever AC local train to be commenced at Mumbai.
• Government is considering the recommendations of Inter-Ministerial Committee on Lokpal and Lokayuktas and other related law (Amendment) Bill, 2014 for the establishment of Lokpal in the country.
• Actress Anushka Sharma has been named PETA's Person of the Year by animal rights organisation People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
• Saudi Arabia is hosting a world chess tournament for the first time, nearly two years after the country’s top cleric issued a religious edict against playing the board game.
• Minister of State (IC) for Power and New & Renewable Energy, Shri Raj Kumar Singh, informed that 1085 small hydro power projects with aggregate capacity of 4399.355 MW capacity have been set up upto November 2017.
• Markets regulator SEBI stated that cross-holding in credit rating agencies (CRAs) will be capped at 10% and also decided to raise the minimum net worth requirement to Rs 25 crore from the current Rs 5 crore.
• Cryptocurrency dealer 'Pluto Exchange' announced the launch of India’s first mobile application for transacting in virtual currencies.
• India will host the 46^th Congress of the International Hockey Federation.
• China has temporarily halted funding of road projects in Pakistan.
• Uttarakhand state government has signed a MoU with IT giant Hewlett Packard to provide tele-medicine facilities in the remote areas of the state.
• The 6^th ‘International Tourism Mart’ (ITM) was inaugurated in Assam.
• The International conference on climate change was held in Nepal.
• Chhattisgarh received the Award for Best State in Promoting Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities for the year 2017.
• United States of America has withdrawn itself from United Nations’ refugee and migrant pact.
• The United States recently launched the largest-ever air exercise along with South Korea.
• The 7^th edition of the three-day ‘Kathakar: International Storytellers Festival’ was inaugurated in New Delhi.
• Uhuru Kenyatta was sworn-in as the President of Kenya.
• Salil S Parekh has been appointed as the CEO and MD of Infosys.
• Rafaele Bergamasco has been appointed as the new Performance Director for women's boxing.
• The Union government has sanctioned Rs 75 crore for setting up a LPG bottling plant in Meghalaya.
• Assam has generated 40 thousand direct employments.
• Alappuzha has been included in top 5 global cities list by UNEP to successfully manage solid waste.
• The Indian men’s hockey team has been ranked 6^th in the latest listings released by the International Hockey Federation (FIH).
• The Indian women’s hockey team has been ranked 10^th in the latest listings released by the International Hockey Federation (FIH).
• Feminism was named as the word of the year 2017 by Merriam-Webster.
• Nakul Chopra has been elected as BARC India Chairman.
• The Union government has imposed a 30% import duty Chana and Masoor.
• The lawmakers of Uganda voted to remove presidential age limits, paving way for their current President to serve a sixth term in office.
• Indian navy completed the 2^nd phase of joint oceanographic survey along with the naval force of Sri Lanka.
• The Losar Festival celebrations were organised at Ladakh.
• Juan Orlando Hernandez won the presidential election in Honduras.
• Sumita Misra has been appointed as Joint Secretary in Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council.
• The parliament of Israel passed a law limiting the powers of its police.
• The Indian Science Congress 2018 will be hosted by Imphal.