Hello and welcome to exampundit. Here are the important Current Affairs Today 25th and 26th December 2019. These are important for the upcoming Exams. Candidates who were preparing for the examination can use these current affairs and also you can download the same as PDF.
Current Affairs Today – 25th and 26th December 2019
IMPORTANT DAYS AND THEMES
National Consumer Day observed on 24th December
- Every Year 24th December is observed as National Consumer Day with a specific theme in India.
- The theme of this year is “ alternate consumer grievance/dispute redressal”.
- The objective is to highlight the importance of the consumer movement and the need to make every consumer more aware of their rights and responsibilities.
- On this day the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 was enacted.
- The Act aims to provide consumers with effective safeguards against different types of exploitation, such as defective goods, deficiency in services and unfair trade practices.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
NTPC to invest 50,000 crores for 10 GW solar capacity
- NTPC planning to add 10 GW of solar energy generation capacity by 2022.
- An investment of ₹50,000 crores to be funded mainly by green bonds.
- NTPC installed renewable energy capacity of 920 MW.
- It formulated a long-term plan to become a 130 GW company by 2032 with 30% non-fossil fuel or renewable energy capacity.
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NTPC:NTPC Limited, formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation Limited, is an Indian Public Sector Undertaking, engaged in the business of generation of electricity and allied activities. It is a company incorporated under the Companies Act 1956 and is promoted by the Government of India.
- Founded: 1975
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Owner: Government of India
- CMD: Gurdeep Singh
NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS
Petroleum Minister unveils India’s first long distance CNG bus
- Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister unveiled India’s first long-distance CNG bus fitted with CNG cylinders in New Delhi.
- It can travel around 1000 kilometres in a single fill.
- The first long-range interstate CNG bus will ply from Delhi to Dehradun.
- This type of buses will soon ply between Delhi to Jaipur, Chandigarh and Agra.
- The project has been executed by Indraprastha Gas Limited, the largest CNG distribution company in the country.
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- Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister: Dharmendra Pradhan
Rohtang tunnel in Himachal Pradesh named as Atal tunnel
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi named Rohtang passageway in Himachal Pradesh as Atal Tunnel to mark the 95th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
- The tunnel has been named as a tribute to the former Prime Minister who took the historic decision of constructing this strategic tunnel.
- It will provide all-weather connectivity to remote areas of Lahaul and Spiti Valley and also reduce the distance between Manali and Leh by 46 Kilometres.
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Himachal Pradesh:
- State formed on: 25 January 1971
- Governor: Bandaru Dattatreya
- Chief Justice: Lingappa Narayana Swamy
- Chief Minister: Jai Ram Thakur
- Official language: Hindi
PM Modi unveiled Atal Bihari Vajpayee statue in Lucknow
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a statue of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Lok Bhawan in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
- He also laid the foundation stone for the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical University in the Uttar Pradesh capital.
- The state government has given 50 acres of land for the varsity.
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Uttar Pradesh:
- Capital: Lucknow
- Chief Minister: Yogi Adityanath
- Governor: Anandiben Patel
- Nation Park: Dudhwa National Park
Atal Bhujal Yojana launched by Government of India
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched Atal Bhujal Yojana (ATAL JAL) which aims to improve groundwater management.
- The scheme has been designed with the principal objective of strengthening the institutional framework for participatory groundwater management.
- It aims to bring behavioral changes at the community level for sustainable groundwater resource management in seven States.
- The 7 states includes Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
- The scheme will promote panchayat led ground water management and behavioural change with primary focus on demand side management.
- The Government has outlaid Rs. 6000 crore for the scheme.
Centre Approves Rs 453 Crore Loan To Tamil Nadu For Building Fishing Harbours
- The central government approved a Rs 453-crore loan at a subsidized interest rate of five percent to the Tamil Nadu government for setting up three fishing harbors.
- The funds released from the Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) has a corpus of Rs 7,522 crore.
- An agreement signed between the Union fisheries ministry.
- Tamil Nadu government and the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) in the presence of Fishery Minister Giriraj Singh.
- Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Mizoram, Assam, and Kerala have submitted proposals seeking a total loan of Rs 2,751 crores.
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Tamilnadu
- Capital: Chennai
- Chief Minister: Edappadi K.Palanisamy
- Governor: Banwarilal Purohit
- Chief Justice of Madras High Court: Vijaya Kamlesh Tahilramani
- National Park: GuindyNP,Gulf of Mannar Marine NP,Indira Gandhi (Annamalai) NP, Mudumalai NP,Mukurthi NP.
Digital Radio to be launched in 2024
- Centre government planning to revamp All India Radio officially known as Akashvani by introducing Digital Radio in India by 2024.
- The country will be technologically-equipped for it.
- The announcement in this regard was made by Union Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Minister Prakash Javadekar at the 2019 Akashvani Annual Awards in New Delhi.Digital Radio launched by the year 2024, there will be more clarity as the audio of digital radio.
- There will be four times radio stations.
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- Union Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Minister: Prakash Javadekar
STATE CURRENT AFFAIRS
Hemant Soren to take oath as Jharkhand CM on Dec 29
- In Jharkhand, Grand Alliance leader Hemant Soren will take oath as Chief Minister on the 29th of this month.
- He was formally elected the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) legislature party leader.
- He was projected as the chief ministerial candidate by the JMM, Congress and RJD Alliance that gained the majority in the recently concluded Assembly polls.
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Jharkhand
- Capital: Ranchi
- Chief Minister: Hemant Soren
- Governor: Draupadi Murmu
Andhra Pradesh government proposes seaport worth Rs 10k cr at Ramayapatnam
- Andhra Pradesh government proposed to set up a Greenfield seaport at Ramayapatnam in Prakasam district.
- It is an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore.
- They plan to develop a greenfield port at Ramayapatnam in Andhra Pradesh to meet the ever-increasing cargo demand in the State.
- They planned to develop the port as an all-weather port with world-class terminal facilities to meet the present and future needs of the trades and also suitable to develop as a major port.
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Andhra Pradesh:
- Capital: Amravati
- Chief Minister: Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy
- Governor: Biswabhusan Harichandan
India first Transgender University to come up in Uttar Pradesh
- India’s first university for the transgender community will be opened in the Fazilnagar block of the Kushinagar district in Uttar Pradesh.
- The transgender community members will be able to get an education.
- The university is being built by Akhil Bhartiya Kinnar Siksha Seva Trust (All-India transgender education service trust).
- The university will facilitate its members to study right from class 1 to Post Graduate (PG) and even do research and get a PhD degree.
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Uttar Pradesh:
- Capital: Lucknow
- Chief Minister: Yogi Adityanath
- Governor: Anandiben Patel
- Nation Park: Dudhwa National Park
RANKS AND INDICES
Tamil Nadu tops ‘Good Governance Index’ launched by GoI
- The Central Government has released the “Good Governance Index” on the occasion of Good Governance Day.
- The “Good Governance Index” was launched to assess the state of governance in Indian States and Union Territories.
- The prime objective of the GGI is to provide quantifiable data to compare the state of governance in all states and Union Territories, enable them to formulate and implement suitable strategies for improving governance and shift to result oriented approaches and administration.
- The Index was launched by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, and the Centre for Good Governance.
- The states and UTs are divided into three groups:
- Big States
- North-East & Hill States
- Union Territories
- Among the “Big States“, Tamil Nadu topped the Good Governance Index. The poor performers are Odisha, Bihar, Goa, and Uttar Pradesh with Jharkhand finishing last in the group.
- Among the “North-East and Hill States“, Himachal Pradesh topped the index, followed by Uttarakhand, Tripura, Mizoram and Sikkim. The worst performers in this group are Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, with Arunachal Pradesh finishing last in the group.
- Among the “Union Territories“, Puducherry topped the index followed by Chandigarh and Delhi. Lakshwadeep is the worst performing UT.
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Tamilnadu
- Capital: Chennai
- Chief Minister: Edappadi K.Palanisamy
- Governor: Banwarilal Purohit
- Chief Justice of Madras High Court: Vijaya Kamlesh Tahilramani
- National Park: GuindyNP,Gulf of Mannar Marine NP,Indira Gandhi (Annamalai) NP, Mudumalai NP,Mukurthi NP.
APPOINTMENT
Niranjan Hiranandani takes over as Assocham president
- Niranjan Hiranandani has taken over as the new president of The Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India (Assocham), the country’s apex organisation of industry and trade.
- He will succeed Balkrishan Goenka, the Welspun Group Chairman.
- Niranjan Hiranandani is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of the Hiranandani Group of Companies.
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ASSOCHAM:The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India is one of the apex trade associations of India. The organisation represents the interests of trade and commerce in India, and acts as an interface between issues and initiatives.
- Headquarters location: New Delhi
- Founded: 1921
- Members: 4,50,000
- Number of locations: 3 (Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata)
- President: Balkrishan Goenka
- Type of business: Trade Association
SPORTS CURRENT AFFAIRS
Leander Paes to retire from Tennis in 2020
- Indian tennis ace Leander Paes has announced that 2020 will be his last year as a professional tennis player.
- Leander, who made his Olympic debut in 1992, will look for one final flourish at Tokyo Olympics next year.
- He has won eight doubles and ten mixed doubles Grand Slam titles.
South African seamer Vernon Philander announces retirement
- South African all-rounder Vernon Philander announced international retirement from all forms of cricket after the conclusion of the upcoming Test series against England.
- He has played 97 matches across all three formats, taking a combined 261 wickets with 1784 runs in his international career.
- He also took 51 wickets in his first seven Test matches which earned him the 2012 SA Cricketer of the Year award.
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South Africa (Capital/Currency):Cape Town, Pretoria, Bloemfontein/South African rand
- President: Cyril Ramaphosa
MS Dhoni named captain of CA’s ODI team of the decade
- Former India skipper and wicket-keeper batsman MS Dhoni been named captain of Cricket Australia’s (CA) ODI team of the decade and the line-up features three Indian players.
- Apart from Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have made the cut in CA’s team.
- CA’s ODI team of the decade: Rohit Sharma, Hashim Amla, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Shakib Al Hasan, Jos Buttler, MS Dhoni (c), Mitchell Starc, Trent Boult, Lasith Malinga, Rashid Khan.
AWARDS
Kamareddy wins Unicef-2019 Award for Swachh Bharat implementation
- Kamareddy district of Telangana has secured the United Nations International Children’s and Education Fund (Unicef)-2019 Award.
- The district has won the award for the effective implementation of Swachh Bharat Mission in water sanitation and hygiene sectors.
- Kamareddy district was on top in the country among other districts in construction of individual sanitary lavatories, swachh darpan wall paintings, swachh survekshan, swachh sundar shouchalay, and many other activities.
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UNICEF:The United Nations Children’s Fund is a United Nations agency responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children around the world.
- Headquarters: New York, New York, United States
- Head: Henrietta H. Fore
- Founded: 11 December 1946, New York, New York, United States
- Founders: United Nations General Assembly, Ludwik Rajchman
Vasu bagged Young Scientist Awards and Best Research Paper award in ISSAR National Conference
- KVASU bagged Young Scientist Awards and Best Research Paper award in XXXV ISSAR National Conference held at VCRI, Namakkal, Tamil Nadu.
- Different talents and young scientists participated in the event.
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Tamilnadu
- Capital: Chennai
- Chief Minister: Edappadi K.Palanisamy
- Governor: Banwarilal Purohit
- Chief Justice of Madras High Court: Vijaya Kamlesh Tahilramani
- National Park: GuindyNP, Gulf of Mannar Marine NP, Indira Gandhi (Annamalai) NP, Mudumalai NP, Mukurthi NP.
Major Anoop Mishra awarded Army Design Bureau Excellence Award
- Major Anoop Mishra developed bullet-proof jacket Sarvatra to develop his bulletproof jacket the day hit by a stray bullet during an operation. Mishra hit by a ball on his coat during deployment in Jammu and Kashmir.
- The officer awarded the Army Design Bureau Excellence Award by Army Chief General Bipin Rawat at the Army Technology Seminar for indigenously developing the bullet-proof jacket.
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Jammu & Kashmir:
- Capitals- Jammu (Winter), Srinagar (Summer)
- Lt Governor- Girish Chandra Murmu
- National Parks: City Forest (Salim Ali) National Park, Dachigam National Park, Hemis National Park, Kishtwar National Park
- Wildlife Sanctuaries: Baltal-Thajwas WLS, Changthang Cold Desert WLS, Gulmarg WLS, Jasrota WLS, Karakoram (Nubra Shyok) WLS etc
OBITUARIES
Renowned Hindi author Ganga Prasad passes away
- Renowned Hindi author Ganga Prasad Vimal passed away in a road accident in Sri Lanka.
- He was born in 1939 in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand.
- He wrote more than a dozen poetry collections, short story collections, and novels.
- His last novel, Manushkhor, was published in 2013.
- He received several Hindi literary awards.
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Sri Lanka(Capital/Currency): Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte/Sri Lankan rupee
- President: Gotabaya Rajapaksa
England World Cup winner Martin Peters passes away
- Former West Ham and Tottenham midfielder Martin Peters, who scored England’s second goal in the 1966 World Cup final against West Germany, passed away.
- He joined West Ham in 1959 as a 15-year-old, made his debut in 1962 and was a key player in the side who won the 1965 Cup Winners Cup final at Wembley.
