- Madhu Chitkara recognised as Visionary eduLEADER of India
Chitkara University Vice-Chancellor Dr. Madhu Chitkara has been recognised as a Visionary eduLEADER of India by Former President Pranab Mukherjee during the ReTHINK INDIA Fifth Estate Summit 2017 at Civil Services Officers’ Institute (CSOI), New Delhi on December 11.
ReTHINK INDIA was focussed on creating an Honor Roll Call of Visionary eduLEADERS for the Year 2017.
The Honor roll call was announced by Mukherjee during The Fifth Estate Summit of National Convention of eduLEADERS and eduPRENEURS in Higher Education.
- Haryana to set up organ, tissue transplant organisation
To promote organ donation in Haryana, the state government would establish a organ and tissue transplant organisation at the Pt. Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS) in Rohtak.
Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has approved a proposal to set up the state organ and tissue transplant organisation (SOTTO) and directed officers to establish it by January 31.
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Haryana |
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| Capital | Chandigarh |
| Chief Minister | Manohar Lal Khattar |
| Governor | Kaptan Singh Solanki |
| National Pars in Haryana | Kalesar National Park
Sultanpur National Park |
- UP Governor launches logo for Kumbh Mela 2019
Uttar Pradesh governor Ram Naik has unveiled a new logo for the Kumbh Mela that is scheduled to be held in Allahabad in January 2019.
The new Kumbh logo comprises temples, saints, rivers, kalash (pitcher) and the swastik among other things. The 2013 Kumbh logo featured kalash.
The UNESCO has declared the Kumbh as a world heritage, realising the importance of the event.
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Uttar Pradesh |
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| Capital | Lucknow |
| Chief Minister | yogi adityanath |
| Governor | Ram Naik |
| Tree | Ashoka tree |
- Chandigarh launches smart city cards to aid utility payments
Chandigarh administrator VP Singh Badnore has launched Chandigarh smart city cards. While registrations begin, the software launch will take place on Good Governance Day on December 25.
The Chandigarh smart city card is a personalised card with the photograph and other details of the user.
Launched by the UT administration in collaboration with the Bank of India, it can be used to make payments for various government and commercial utilities besides as a valid identity proof.
The card can be used to make various payments like power, water bills, taxes and challans, retail merchants, e-mandi, rent collection, liquor shops, CTU bus tickets and fuel stations.
| Wildlife Sanctuary in Chandigarh |
| City Birds Wildlife Sanctuary |
| Sukhna Lake Wildlife Sanctuary |
- Petition website for Aadhaar-linking complaints launched
Activists against the Aadhaar-linking drive have started a website called Speakforme.in to help frustrated citizens.
People can file complaints against being continuously pestered via calls and texts about linking their Aadhaar numbers with various services.
- INS Kalvari Inducted Into Indian Navy
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dedicated submarine INS Kalvari to the nation. The submarine was built in India with co-operation from France.
| Main facts about the submarine |
| INS Kalvari is named after Tiger Shark. |
| Kalvari underwent around 120 days of extensive sea trials and tests for various equipment before being commissioned. |
| It is a conventional submarine whose main power source is diesel and electricity. |
| The submarine is designed by French naval defence and energy company DCNS built by Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in Mumbai. |
| It is a part of Project 75 that delivers 6 such submarines in toto. Five other submarines will be delivered by 2020-21. |
| The Scorepene class submarine has stealth features such as advanced acoustic silencing techniques, low radiated noise levels, hydro-dynamically optimised shape and the ability to launch a crippling attack on the enemy using precision guided weapons. |
| The first Kalvari was commissioned on December 8, 1967. It was the first submarine of the Indian Navy. It was decommissioned on May 31, 1996. |
| Currently, Navy only has 13 conventional submarines and only six out of them are operational at a given point of time. |
- MIT engineers create plants that glow
Roads of the future could be lit by glowing trees instead of streetlamps, thanks to a breakthrough in creating bioluminescent plants.
To create their glowing plants, engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) turned to an enzyme called luciferase. Luciferase acts on a molecule called luciferin, causing it to emit light.
Another molecule called Co-enzyme A helps the process along by removing a reaction byproduct that can inhibit luciferase activity.
- India-assisted emergency ambulance service to expand in Lanka
The India-assisted emergency ambulance service in Sri Lanka would be further expanded in seven more provinces, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has proposed to the Cabinet.
India launched the emergency ambulance service in July, 2016 for western and southern provinces of Sri Lanka through an outright grant of USD 7.6 million to uplift and improve medical facilities in the island.
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Sri lanka |
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| Capita | Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte |
| Currency | Sri Lankan rupee |
| President | Maithripala Sirisena |
| Prime Minister | Ranil Wickremesinghe |
- Lanka becomes 163rd nation to accede to landmine ban treaty
Sri Lanka has become the 163rd nation to accede to the anti-personnel mine ban convention, fulfilling the pledge it made last year to join the international community in supporting the ongoing landmine clearance programme.
The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction, commonly referred to as the Mine Ban Treaty or Ottawa Treaty, was adopted on September 18, 1997 at the Diplomatic Conference on an International Total Ban on Anti-Personnel Land Mines at Oslo, Norway.
The treaty, which came into force on March 1, 1999, prohibits the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of antipersonnel mines.
- International herbal fair in Bhopal from Dec 14
Some rare medicinal herbs would be on display during the seven-day International Herbal Fair being organised in Bhopal from December 14.
Union Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Dr Harsh Vardhan will inaugurate this fair at the Lal Parade Ground.
About 300 stalls of rare herbs from various districts and other states would be available for sale during the fair. Workshops and Ayurveda medical camps would also be organised
- 14th December, 2017: National Energy Conservation Day
The Energy Conservation Day is organized on 14th December each year by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), under Ministry of Power, with an aim to demonstrate India’s achievements in energy efficiency and conservation, while working for its ambition of holistic development as part of the nation’s overall effort towards climate change mitigation.
As part of its awareness outreach, BEE recognizes and encourages endeavours of industries in reducing energy consumption by felicitating them with National Energy Conservation Awards. BEE also awards prizes to the national winners of the annual National Painting Competition on Energy Conservation.
- International cyber-security meet opens on December 14
The Global Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is going to be a key issue when global cyber security experts will gather here on December 14 and 15 for the Cyber Security Conference.
Besides GDPR compliance, the conference would also focus on protecting critical infrastructure and digital economy, cyber defence, capacity building and incident response.
- Indore to host Ranji Trophy finals 2017-18
The Holkar Stadium in Indore is all set to host the final of the Ranji Trophy of the 2017-18 season.
The final will be played between December 29 and January 2. The semi-final matches of the Paytm Ranji Trophy 2017-18 will be played from December 17-21.
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The Holkar Stadium |
| Holkar Cricket Stadium is located in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. It was earlier known as Maharani Usharaje Trust Cricket Ground. But in 2010, Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association renamed it after the Holkar dynasty of the Marathas that ruled Indore. |
- Indianapolis to host 2021 NBA All-Star game
The National Basketball Association has announced that Indianapolis has been selected to host NBA All-Star 2021.
The 70th NBA All-Star Game will take place at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, home of the Indiana Pacers, on February 14, 2021. This will mark the second NBA All-Star in Indianapolis, which hosted the midseason classic in 1985.
- Actor-writer Neeraj Vora dies at 54
Bollywood actor, writer and director, Neeraj Vora, known for films such as “Satya”, “Phir Hera Pheri” and “Daud”, passed away after being in coma for over a year. He was 54.
As a writer, Vora began working in late 80’s on TV shows, including superstar Shah Rukh Khan-starrer “Circus”, while his first professional acting assignment was filmmaker Ketan Mehta’s “Holi”, which also starred Aamir Khan and was shot as a part of a student project.
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