Hello and welcome to exampundit. Here are the important Current Affairs Today 15th & 16th December 2019. These are important for the upcoming Exams. Candidates those who were preparing for the examination can use these current affairs and also you can download the same as PDF.
Current Affairs Today – 15th and 16th December 2019
IMPORTANT DAYS AND THEMES
India celebrates Vijay Diwas on 16 December
- The nation celebrates 16 December as Vijay Diwas to commemorate India’s victory over Pakistan in 1971 war.
- The Indo-Pakistan war of 1971 which began on December 3 lasted for 13 days and officially ended on December 16, after which Pakistan surrendered to India.
- It was on this day in 1971, the chief of the Pakistani forces, General AA Khan Niazi, along with 93 thousand troops, had surrendered unconditionally to the allied forces consisting of Indian Army and Mukti Bahini.
- The end of the war also resulted in subsequent secession of East Pakistan into Bangladesh.
Extra Shots:
Pakistan (Capital/Currency): Islamabad/Pakistani Rupee
- Prime Minister: Imran Khan
- President: Arif Alvi
Bangladesh (Capital/Currency): Dhaka/Taka
- Prime Minister: Sheikh Hasina
BANKING CURRENT AFFAIRS
Edelweiss AMC launches India’s 1st corporate bond ‘Bharat Bond ETF’
- Edelweiss Asset Management Company (AMC), a subsidiary of Edelweiss Capital Limited (ECL) has launched India’s 1st Corporate Bond ETF (exchange trade fund) called the Bharat Bond ETF.
- The ETF is a government initiative and Edelweiss AMC was given the mandate to design and manage the product.
- Edelweiss aims to raise an initial amount of Rs 3,000 crore through this bond from institutional players with a greenshoe option of Rs 2,000 crore in the 3-year maturity period (2023) and Rs 4,000 crore with a greenshoe option of Rs 6,000 crore in the 10-year maturity bucket (2030).
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Edelweiss Broking Limited is an Indian Financial services company based in Mumbai, India. The company is a subsidiary of Edelweiss Group which was founded by Rashesh Shah. The company is registered with National Stock Exchange of India, Bombay Stock Exchange and MCX Stock Exchange.
- Parent organization: Edelweiss Group
- Headquarters location: Mumbai
- Founded: 7 February 2008
FINANCE AND ECONOMY
I-T Department mandates linking of PAN with Aadhaar
- The Income Tax Department announced that it is mandatory to link the PAN with Aadhaar by the end of 2019 on 15 December.
- It announced that the deadline for the linking of the Permanent Account Number (PAN) with Aadhaar was extended till 31 December by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) through an order issued in September 2019.
- Earlier, the deadline for the linkage of PAN-Aadhaar was 30 September.
CBDT extended the date for advance tax payment till 31 December
- The Central Board of Direct Taxation (CBDT) extended the deadline to make advance tax payments for the northeastern states in view of the protests against the amended Citizenship Act till 31 December 2019.
- Earlier, the deadline for the third installment of the Advance Tax for the financial year 2019-20 was set by 15 December.
- The advance tax payments, under the direct taxes category, are made four times in a financial year.
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CBDT: The Chairperson, Central Board of Direct Taxes is the senior-most IRS civil servant in the Government of India. The Chairperson of CBDT is the ex officio Special Secretary to the Government of India and also cadre controlling authority of the Indian Revenue Service.
- Chairman: Pramod Chandra Mody
NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS
Ministry of Coal to establish “Sustainable Development Cell” to promote clean mining
- The Coal Ministry will establish ‘Sustainable Development Cell’ (SDC) for promoting sustainable coal mining in the country.
- It will address environmental concerns during the decommissioning or closure of mines.
- The Cell will advise, mentor, plan and monitor the mitigation measures taken by the coal companies for maximizing the utilization of available resources in a sustainable way, minimizing the adverse impact of mining and mitigating it for further eco-system services.
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- Minister of Coal: Piyush Goyal
Bureau of Energy Efficiency organises 29th National Energy Conservation Awards
- Bureau of Energy Efficiency has organised the “29th National Energy Conservation Awards” under the guidance of Ministry of Power, Government of India.
- India celebrates the National Energy Conservation Day every year on 14th December to recognise and celebrate the efforts towards energy conservation.
- The day highlights the importance of energy conservation in Country’s sustainable development approach.
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BEE: The Bureau of Energy Efficiency is an agency of the Government of India, under the Ministry of Power created in March 2002 under the provisions of the nation’s 2001 Energy Conservation Act. The agency’s function is to develop programs which will increase the conservation and efficient use of energy in India.
- Official website: beeindia.gov.in
- Founded: 1 March 2002
- Headquarters: Delhi
Ministry of Coal to establish Sustainable Development Cell
- The Ministry of Coal announced that it is to establish a Sustainable Development Cell in the country.
- The cell will gain significance as the new private entities will form a significant part of the future.
- It also plans to set guidelines for proper rehabilitation of mines in tune with the global best practices.
- The aim of the cell is to promote environmentally sustainable coal mining in India.
- It will also address environmental concerns during the decommissioning or closure of mines.
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- Minister of Coal: Piyush Goyal
INTERNATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS
Nuad Thai massage included in UNESCO heritage list
- Thailand’s famous 2000-year-old massage, Nuad Thai was added to UNESCO’s (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) prestigious heritage list.
- Nuad Thai is an intense form of massage in which the body is pulled and rotated well with the help of the thumb, elbow, knees and feet.
- Thai massage originated in India and brought it to Thailand about 2,500 years ago by doctors and monks who carried its secrets for generations.
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Thailand (Capital/Currency): Bangkok/ Thai baht
- Prime Minister: Prayut Chan-o-cha
Former PM Abdelmadjid Tebboune elected as the President of Algeria
- Abdelmadjid Tebboune, former Prime Minister (PM) of Algeria was elected as the President of Algeria succeeding Abdelkader Bensalah.
- He served as the PM from May 2017 to August 2017, under the governance of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
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Algeria (Capital/Currency): Algiers/Dinar
- Prime Minister : Noureddine Bedouia
Lahore-Wagah shuttle train service resumed after 22 years
- The shuttle train service between Lahore and Wagah railway station resumed its operation on 15 December after a gap of 22 years.
- The service was inaugurated by Pakistan Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid.
- The train service was operated till 1997.
- It was closed due to certain operational and security.
- Pakistan aims to start or revive the connection of Lahore metropolitan city with its suburbs through rail routes.
- Lahore-Wagah is the first step taken by the Pakistan government.
- The shuttle train is expected to be followed by another train from Lahore to Raiwind within the next 15 days.
Extra Shots:
Pakistan (Capital/Currency): Islamabad/Pakistani Rupee
- Prime Minister: Imran Khan
- President: Arif Alvi
SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES
Rashtrapati Bhavan hosted university heads’ conference
- Rashtrapati Bhavan hosted a conference of 46 Heads of Central Universities and Institutes of Higher Learning in several fields including agriculture, pharmaceuticals, aviation, design, petroleum and energy.
- Each of these institutes will be instrumental to the realization of the country’s socio-economic goals.
- The Central Agricultural Universities can support the national goal of promoting sustainable agriculture, productivity and supporting farmers with useful research.
WDO to launch World Design Protopolis in Bengaluru
- The World Design Organization is all set to launch its new global programme World Design Protopolis in Bengaluru.
- It is aimed at implementing holistic progress in megacities across the world and thus making them sustainable.
- The project also aims to measure the progress of the city, attract investments and solve problems so that the city becomes a better place for citizens.
Extra Shots:
WDO: The World Design Organization (WDO), formerly known as the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid). The International Council of Societies of Industrial Design was founded in 1957 from a group of international organizations focused on industrial design. Today Icsid is a worldwide society that promotes better design around the world, and has since been renamed the World Design Organization in January 2017.
- Founded: 29 June 1957
Prime Minister chairs 1st meeting of National Ganga Council
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi has chaired the first meeting of the National Ganga Council.
- The meeting was held in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
- The first meeting of the Council aimed at reinforcing the importance of a ‘Ganga-centric’ approach in all departments of the concerned states as well as relevant Central Ministries.
- The Council has been given overall responsibility for superintendence of pollution prevention and rejuvenation of River Ganga Basin, including Ganga and its tributaries.
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Uttar Pradesh:
- Capital: Lucknow
- Chief Minister: Yogi Adityanath
- Governor: Anandiben Patel
- Nation Park: Dudhwa National Park
APPOINTMENT
Ankur Garg is appointed as chief commercial officer of AirAsia India
- AirAsia India appointed Ankur Garg as its chief commercial officer (CCO).
- The announcement was made by the company on 15 December.
- Before this appointment, Garg worked as the vice-president of revenue management at IndiGO. He quit the job recently.
- Ankur Garg will replace Mr. Sanjay Kumar, AirAsia India’s Chief Operation Officer (COO).
- He will be in charge of areas such as marketing and sales, network and revenue management, and cargo.
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AirAsia India:
- Founded on: 28 March 2013
- Parent company: Tata Group
- Headquarters: Bangalore, India
- Chairman: S. Ramadorai
- CEO: Sunil Bhaskaran
DEFENCE CURRENT AFFAIRS
Exercise Mitra Shakti VII culminated on Pune
- The seventh edition of Exercise Mitra Shakti-VII 2019 concluded on 14 December 2019 at Aundh Military Station, Pune.
- The exercise was held between the Indian Army and the Sri Lankan Army.
- The exercise is a part of the United Nations peacekeeping forces.
- The exercise was held from 1-14 December 2019.
Extra Shots:
Sri Lanka(Capitals/Currency): Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte/Sri Lankan rupee.
- Prime minister: Ranil Wickremesinghe
- President: Maithripala Sirisena
BOOKS & AUTHORS
Viswanathan Anand launches his autobiography ‘Mind Master’
- Viswanathan Anand has launched his autobiography ‘Mind Master’.
- Anand’s autobiography is co-authored by sports journalist Susan Ninann.
- It has been published by THG Publishing Private Limited.
- The book covers wonderful memories of Viswanathan Anand’s journey.
AWARDS
Gujarat police was honoured with the Presidents Colours award on 15 December
- Gujarat police was honoured with the President’s Colours award on 15 December 2019.
- Gujarat became the seventh state police force in India to be bestowed with the honour of the President’s Colours.
- It was presented by the Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu.
- He paid homage martyrs of Gujarat Police.
- President’s Colours is also called NISHAAN.
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President’s Colours:
The President’s Colour is the highest honour bestowed upon a police force in India. The honour recognizes the invaluable contribution of the police force to society. Earlier, it was awarded to states of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Tripura and Assam.
Gujarat:
- Capital: Gandhinagar
- Chief Minister: Vijay Rupani
- Governor: Acharya Devvrat
- National Park: Vansda NP, Blackbuck NP, Gir Forest NP, Marine NP, Gulf of Kutch
Toni-Ann Singh was crowned Miss World on 14 December
- Jamaica’s Toni-Ann Singh was crowned Miss World at an annual beauty pageant held at the 69th annual beauty pageant held in ExceL London, UK on 14 December.
- She was crowned by the 2018 winner Vanessa Ponce de Leon of Mexico.
- She became the fourth Jamaican woman to win Miss World.
- India’s Suman Rao became the second runners-up.
- She was crowned as Miss World Asia.
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Jamaica (Capital/Currency): Kingston/ Jamaican dollar
- Prime Minister: Andrew Holness
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Google Earth covers 98 percent of entire population
- Search engine giant Google has revealed that its powerful mapping service, Google Earth now covers more than 98 per cent of the world, and has captured 10 million miles of Street View imagery, a distance that could circle the globe more than 400 times.
- Google Earth, the software that lets you browse the globe with 3D representation, right from the comfort of your couch, offers 6 million square miles of high definition satellite images, covering more than 98 per cent of the entire population.
Extra Shots:
Google LLC is an American multinational technology company that specializes in Internet-related services and products, which include online advertising technologies, search engine, cloud computing, software, and hardware. It is considered one of the Big Four technology companies, alongside Amazon, Apple, and Facebook.
- CEO: Sundar Pichai
- Founded: 4 September 1998, Menlo Park, California, United States
- Parent organization: Alphabet Inc.
- Headquarters: Mountain View, California, United States
- Founders: Larry Page, Sergey Brin
OBITUARIES
New Zealand three-time Olympic champion Peter Snell passes away
- New Zealand’s 3-times Olympic middle-distance champion Peter Snell passed away.
- He was the last male athlete to have completed the 800m and 1500m double at an Olympic Games, which he achieved in Tokyo in 1964.
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New Zealand (Capital/Currency): Wellington/ New Zealand dollar
- Prime Minister: Jacinda Ardern
