IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR TNPSC GROUP-1

DECEMBER  2016:

• UK scientists gave green signal to the use of “three-parent baby” fertility treatments, thus becoming the first in the world to officially introduce the procedures.

• Dec 03: International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

• Union Water Ministry has announced that birth day of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar (April 14) will be celebrated as “Water Day”.

• Justice JS Khehar to be 44th Chief Justice of India - Justice Khehar will be sworn-in as the Chief Justice of India on Jan 04, 2017.

• Maharashtra: Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), located in north Mumbai and southern Thane, declared an “Eco-Sensitive Zone”.

• Flipkart founders Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal have been chosen for the 2016 ‘Asian of the Year’ by Straits Times of Singapore.

• Indian e-commerce website Paytm launched it’s toll-free number 180018001234 to enable transaction through mobile phones without an internet connection [CEO of Paytm: Vijay Shekhar Sharma]

• Dec 10: World Human Rights Day.

• President, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee to flag off a ‘100 Million for 100. Million’ Campaign organized by the Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation in which about 5000 children will participate.

• Canada: Civil rights activist Ms. Viola Desmond has emerged as the first Canadian Woman to be featured on the nations $ 10 Currency note.

• 17th Sri Shanmukhananda National Eminence Award

- Ustad Amjad Ali Khan (Sarod)

- Rahul Deshpande (Hindustani vocal)

- K. Gayatri (Carnatic vocal)

- Sandeep Narayan (Carnatic vocal

• Switzerland: World’s longest rail tunnel, Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT), began operating on regular basis in Switzerland (on December 11, 2016), to provide service to the passengers.

• Book titled ‘Dipa Karmakar: The Small Wonder’ written by Vimal Mohan, Digvijay Singh Deo and her coach Bishweshwar Nandi (to be released on Aug 2017)

• Laysan albatross (known as wisdom) - a bird thought to be at least 66 years old – is incubating an egg once again, ptting her on track to become the oldest breeding wild bird in the world.

• PV Sindhu awarded with Badminton World Federation (BWF) Most Improved Player of the Year award at the Players’ Reception and Gala Dinner in Dubai - Male Player of the Year award: Lee Chong Wei from Malaysia - Female Player of the Year award: Misaki Matsutomo/Ayaka Takahashi from Japan

• Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid, beat rival Lionel Messi to win the prestigious Ballon d’Or award for a fourth time.

• Hindi Film Actress Ms. Priyanka Chopra is appointed as UNICEF Global GoodwillAmbassador for campaign “For Every Child.”

• Haryana: becomes first state to adopt Centre’s Mahila Police Volunteer scheme (Karnal and Mahendragarh districts); inducts 1000 women, who will work as a link between the people and the police.

• Music maestro A. R. Rahman in Oscar race again for his music in the sports biopic “Pele: Birth of a Legend”.

• Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad has become the first airport in Asia- Pacific region under the 5-15 Million Passengers Per Annum category and second among all categories in the Asia-Pacific region to achieve the Carbon Neutral status.

• India signs Open Skies Agreement with six countries (Jamaica, Guyana, Czech Republic, Finland, Spain and Sri Lanka) during ICAN 2016 (International Civil Aviation Negotiations) held in Nassau, Bahamas.

• Assam: government starts project to make Majuli river island the country’s first ever Carbon Neutral district by 2020; The aim of the project is to combat climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

• Rajasthan: The Desert National Park (DNP) in Jaisalmer has records the successful birth of 11 Great Indian Bustards or Godawan which is the state bird of Rajasthan.

• Mr. V. K. Sharma is appointed as Chairman of LIC.

• India's first Humsafar Express flagged off from Gorakhpur to Delhi (Anand ViharStation).

• Punjab: India’s first fully air-conditioned bus terminus (busopolis) inaugurated in Mohali town.

• USA: Indian-American Savita Vaidhyanathan elected mayor of Californian city Cupertino.

• Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2015’ presented to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in New Delhi.

• Lt. Gen. Bipin Rawat Army Chief.

• Air Marshal B. S. Dhanoa Air Chief.

• Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) has been selected for Digital India Silver Award instituted by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in the category of “Most Innovative Citizen Engagement”.

• A nationwide toll-free helpline number ‘14444’ will be launched soon to educate people and provide support related to cashless mode of transactions.

• International Press Institute’s (IPI) India award for excellence in journalism, 2016 has been awarded jointly to Varun Bhatt of “Rajasthan Patrika” and “The Week” for outstanding journalistic work done during 2015.

• Assam: roped Hindi film actress actor Priyanka Chopra as the brand ambassador of the state tourism.

• West Bengal: Chief Minister, Ms. Mamata Banerjee launched "Sabujsree" project; under this project, every family will be gifted a tree on the birth of a newborn.

• Andy Murray was honored with the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2016 for a record third time.

• Ms. Stephanie Del Valle from Puerto Rico was crowned the Miss World 2016.

• Book ‘Matn Shinasi’ authored by Prof. Abdul Haq was released by Vice President, Mr. Hamid Ansari.

• India has been ranked 4th in the Global Wind Power Installed Capacity index after China, USA and Germany with cumulative installed wind power generation capacity of 28,279 MW in 2016.

• India and Kyrgyzstan signed 7 MoUs on various fields; planned to hold annual joint military exercise named “KHANJAR-IV” in Feb 2017.

• Chhattisgarh: Chief Minister Mr. Raman Singh launched India’s first cashless bazaar in Raipur.

• Turkey: first ever road tunnel underneath the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul connecting Europe to Asia inaugurated.

• A free instant messaging service for work and business environments, Flock has launched world’s first chat operating system”FlockOS”.

• Tamil novelist and short – story writer Vannadasan (S. Kalayanasundaram), has been selected for this year’s Sahitya Akademi award for his short story collection “Oru Siru Isai”.

• Bank of Baroda has become the first Indian company to sign up as a National Supporter for the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017, which will be held from Oct 06-28, 2017 across 6 cities.

• Dec 22: National Mathematics Day.

• 2016 SASTRA – Ramanujan award for mathematics was presented to Maksym Radizwill (Canada) ; joint winner is Kaisa Matomaki (Finland).

• Closing Ceremony of International Year of Pulses, 2016 held in Agra.

• India’s R. Ashwin was named ICC Cricketer of the Year 2016 (Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy) and also won the Test Cricketer of the Year.

• Dec 23: National Farmer's Day (Kisan Diwas).

• Odisha: Chief Minister Mr. Naveen Patnaik launched “Biju Sishu Surakshya Yojana” for care and protection of HIV positive orphan children in the state.

• Chief Minister, Mr. O. Panneerselvam handed over a cash of Rs. 2 crore to the Para Olympic gold medal winner Mariappan.

• Ms. Girija Vaidyanathan appointed as 45th Chief Secretary of the State.

• France: world’s first solar panel road was inaugurated in a small town of Normandy village.

• France: becomes the first country in the world to use drones for postal works.

• Dec 24: National Consumer Day.

• Modern Bengali poet Shankha Ghosh was chosen for the 52nd Jnanpith Award for 2016.

• World Health Organization (WHO) informed that a prototype vaccine for Ebola may be up to 100% effective in protecting against the deadly virus.

• To promote Digital transactions, Government launched Lucky Grahak Yojana for Consumers and Digi-Dhan Vyapar Yojana for Merchants.

• India's second Humsafar Express flagged off between Guwahati and Bengaluru stations.

• Bihar: “Prakash Parv” to be held in Patna on Jan 1 – 5, 2017 to commemorate the 350th birth anniversary of the 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh.

• Maharashtra: becomes first state in India to have 24x7 helpline for forests.

• 2018 Women’s Hockey World Cup will be held between July 7–21, 2018 in London, England.

• Actor Hirthik Roshan launched book series "Tactabet" for visually impaired children.

• Lt Gen Vinod Vashisht took over the Director General of the National Cadet Corps (NCC).

• The registration fees for Hindus and other minority community people from three neighboring countries comprising Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, to register as Indian citizens have been reduced drastically to Rs 100 from Rs 15,000.

• Assam: Government launched an ambitious health insurance scheme ‘Atal-Amrit Abhiyan’ which will provide coverage against several critical illnesses.

• Odisha: Government has decided to launch a new malaria control programme, Durgama Anchalare Malaria Nirakaran (DAMAN).

• Vatican: Dr. Barbara Jatta was appointed as the first female director of Vatican Museums by Pope Francis.

• Karnataka Vikas Grameen Bank (KVGB) has launched a scheme named ‘Bank Sakhi’to employ women in villages to promote and popularize cashless transaction.

• ICHR Journal claims that, Mohenjo-daro's 'Dancing Girl' is Hindu goddess Parvati.

• Nepal rejects India’s “Open Sky” offer to allow unlimited flights between the two countries.

• Karnataka: Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has launched 25 bio-diesel buses to reduce pollution level emitted by diesel buses.

• Japan: Prime Minister, Mr. Shinzo Abe made historic visit to Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor, the site of a sneak attack by his country that provoked USA into entering the World War II; Mr. Abewas the first Japanese Premier to visit the wreckage of the USS Arizona; earlier in May 2016, US President, Mr. Barack Obama visited Hiroshima to pay his respects.

• IOA decided to hold National Games in Goa (Nov 2017) and in Chhattisgarh (in 2019).

• Eminent Rajasthani writer Satya Narayan has been chosen for the 26th Bihari Puraskar, 2016 by the K K Birla Foundation.

• 24th National Children’s Science Congress inaugurated in Pune.

• Kerala: Nedumkayam tribal colony in Malappuram district has become the first fully-digital tribal colony in the country.

• Kanthalavadi village near to Ulunderpet in Vizhupuram Dt becomes first to be “cashless village” of Tamil Nadu (with effort of State Bank of India).

• World's First Underwater Tennis Court to be opened in Dubai.

• Book "August Voices" written by Sudheendra Kulkarni.

• Varanasi to host the World Bhojpuri Conference from Dec 29 - Jan 01.

• ICGS AYUSH, was dedicated to the nation; ICGS AYUSH will be operated from the Coast Guard Station at Krishnapatanam.

• India's first transgender college principal Dr ManabiBandopadhyay has submitted her resignation after about one-and-a-half years in office, expressing frustration at "non-cooperation" of a section of teachers and students of her institution.

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