Current Affairs Daily Digest – December 16 2019
1. Tahiti to host surfing events at the 2024 Paris Olympics
The Polynesian island of Tahiti will host the surfing events at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The events will take place at Teahupoo. It was chosen over beaches in southwest France and in Brittany. Tahiti is located in the southern part of the Pacific Ocean. It lies 15,000 kilometres from Paris.
2. WEF announced the winners for the WEFs Crystal Award
World Economic Forum (WEF) has announced 4 winners for the 26th Crystal Award. The winners will be awarded during the opening session of the WEF Annual Meeting 2020 at Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, on January 20, 2020. The chosen winners are Deepika Padukone, Jin Xing, Theaster Gates, and Lynette Wallworth.
3. Sethuraman appointed additional director on Reliance Capital board
Angarai Natarajan Sethuraman has been appointed as an additional director on the board of Reliance Capital.
Sethuraman, who is currently Group President of Reliance Group, and handles corporate and regulatory affairs, has been appointed an additional director with effect from December 13 and will hold office till the conclusion of the ensuing Annual General Meeting, Reliance Capital said in a regulatory filing.
4. Nation celebrates Vijay Diwas observed on December 16
The nation celebrates Vijay Diwas today to commemorate India’s victory over Pakistan in 1971 war. Rich tributes are being paid to the martyrs who laid down their lives during the war.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, he salutes the courage and valour of Indian soldiers. In a tweet today, Mr Modi said, the history created by Indian Army on this day in 1971 will always be engraved in the golden words.
5. Military Literature Festival in Chandigarh
Kickstarting the three-day festival from December 13 to 15 with a galaxy of military historians, serving and retired military officers, researchers, academicians, hundreds of schoolchildren, authors and delegates from across the country and foreign shores, the Governor paid tributes to the martyrs of Parliament attack in 2001.
6. Reliance Industries topples IOC to become India’s largest company
Boosted by its consumer-facing businesses like organised retail and telecom, Reliance Industries ended state-owned Indian Oil Corporation’s (IOC) 10-year reign as India’s largest company, topping the Fortune India 500 list.
With a revenue of ₹5.81 lakh crore in 2018-19, the Mukesh Ambani-led conglomerate also became the first privately-held and the only other company to become India’s largest corporation apart from IOC for the first time in 10 years, Fortune India said.
7. ArcelorMittal says it has completed acquisition of Essar Steel
Global steel giant ArcelorMittal on Monday said it has completed acquisition of Essar Steel and formed a joint venture with Nippon Steel (AM/NS India) to own and operate the debt-ridden firm.
The deck for acquisition of Essar Steel for ₹42,000 crore by L.N. Mittal-led company was cleared by the Supreme Court last month.
8. Air Marshal RJ Duckworth VSM took over as Senior Air Staff Officer , Western Air Command , IAF
Air Marshal RJ Duckworth Vishisht Seva Medal , took over as Senior Air Staff officer , Headquarters Western Air Command on 16 Dec 19.
An alumnus of National Defence Academy , he was commissioned In the fighter stream of IAF on 28th may 1983 . He has over 3000 hours of experience on various fighter and trainer aircraft and is a Qualified Flying Instructor . He is also an alumnus of Defence Services Staff College Wellington and the National Defence College.
9. India Among top 10 Improvers in EODB; India Ranks 63 RD Among 190 Countries
India ranks 63rd among 190 countries improving by 14 ranks from its rank of 77 in 2019. India has improved its rank in 7 out of 10 indicators and has moved closer to international best practices. The 2020 edition of the Report acknowledges India as one of the top 10 improvers, third time in a row, with an improvement of 67 ranks in 3 years. It is also the highest jump by any large country since 2011.
10. Southern Railway wins energy conservation awards
Southern Railway has won accolades at national level for its energy conservation efforts for the year 2018-19. The electrical department of Southern Railway had bagged three national energy conservation awards from Bureau of Energy Efficiency, an official release on Monday said.
