Current Affairs Daily Digest – December 22 2019

1. Justice Gulzar Ahmed sworn-in as 27th Pak Chief Justice

Justice Gulzar Ahmed appointed as the 27th Chief Justice of Pakistan. He takes over from Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, whose tenure came to an end after serving the country’s top judge from January this year. The new Chief Justice will remain in office till February 21, 2022.

2. India-China discuss border issues in New Delhi

On December 21, 2019, Indian and Chinese representatives met in New Delhi for the 22nd time to discuss the border issued between the countries. This is the first meeting of the representatives since the second informal summit between PM Modi and President Xi Jingping that was held at Chennai in October 2019.

3. Scientists find World’s oldest Fossil forest

Scientists have discovered the remnants of world’s oldest fossil forest- an extensive network of trees around 386 million years old in a sandstone quarry in United States (US). According to the researchers from Binghamton University, and New York State Museum in U.S., the fossil forest in Cairo would have spread from New York all the way into Pennsylvania and beyond. The finding were published in journal Current Biology.

4. National Mathematics Day (India) observed on December 22

The Indian government declared 22 December to be National Mathematics Day. This was announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 26 February 2012 at Madras University, during the inaugural ceremony of the celebrations to mark the 125th anniversary of the birth of the Indian mathematical genius Srinivasa Ramanujan (22 Dec 1887- 26 Apr 1920). On this occasion Singh also announced that 2012 would be celebrated as the National Mathematics Year.

5. Indian-American Monisha Ghosh appointed 1st female CTO at US FCC

Indian-American Dr Monisha Ghosh has become the first woman to be appointed as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at US’ Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and will take charge on January 13. She will advise the Commission and its Indian-American Chairman Ajit Pai on engineering and technology issues. Ghosh has been the Program Director at the National Science Foundation since 2017.

6. China-Brazil Satellite Launched Into Space to Monitor Amazon Rainforest

An Earth observation satellite jointly developed by China and Brazil was launched into space under a bilateral programme seen as a template for broader cooperation among BRICS nations.

The China-Brazil Earth Resource Satellite-4A was launched on a Long March-4B rocket in the northern Chinese province of Shanxi, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

7. RBI to buy, sell govt bonds worth Rs 10,000 crore

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will simultaneously purchase and sell government securities worth Rs 10,000 crore under a special Open Market Operation (OMO).

Such exercises are done by the central bank when the proceeds from sale of short-term securities are used to buy long-term government securities or bonds in a bid to bring down interest rates on long-term securities.

8. Govt has approved projects worth Rs 7000 cr under Nirbhaya fund: Smriti

Under the NIRBHAYA Fund, projects of Rs 7,000 crore, including setting up of 1,023 fast-track courts, have been approved by the Modi government, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani said.

In a tribute to the 23-year-old Delhi gangrape victim, then Congress-led government had announced setting up ‘Nirbhaya Fund’ of Rs 1,000 crore for safety and empowerment of women in the Budget presented in February 2013.

9.Centre launches EChO Network to catalyze cross-disciplinary leadership in India

Government of India launched EChO Network, a national program to provide a template for cross-disciplinary leadership in India. The network specifically focuses on increasing research, knowledge, and awareness of Indian ecology and the environment.

It was launched in New Delhi by Prof. K Vijay Raghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser to Centre. Currently, no such network is present anywhere in world, thereby, EChO Network establishes a new platform to change how science is embedded in our modern society.

10. Amazon to host SMBhav Conclave on January 15-16

Amazon India has conceptualized SMBhav, a first-of-its-kind mega summit for Small and Medium Businesses at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi on January 15 and 16.

Industry experts, policy makers, solution providers and Amazon leadership are expected to share their views and experience on areas that are most relevant for SMBs today, including e-commerce, logistics, payments, digitization, global trade and web services.

11. Amitabh Bachchan to be honoured with Dadasaheb Phalke award

Veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan will receive the Dadasaheb Phalke award for his outstanding contribution to the film industry.

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu will give away the award in New Delhi. The award, named after the father of Indian cinema, Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, was instituted in 1969. The award is conferred by the government for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian Cinema. It consists of a Swarn Kamal and a cash prize of ten lakh rupees.

12. L S Sheshagiri Rao passes away

Veteran Kannada writer and critic Prof L S Sheshagiri Rao passed away at his residence here due to illness. He was 94. Prof LSS, as he was popular in literary circles, was widely known for his English-Kannada dictionary and critical works, both in Kannada and English.

13. Savita Devi, Indian Classical Music Pioneer Passes Away

Famed classical music vocalist, Savita Devi breathed her last at the Fortis Memorial Research Institute in Gurugram. She was 80. Her son, Ajey Maharaj informed sources, “Her condition was quite critical when we brought her to the hospital.

She had to be ventilated and kept in the ICU and was under constant watch. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of the doctors, she passed away at around 10.52 am.” She was admitted to the hospital on Thursday on account of being unwell for the past few days.

14. Manuel Marrero Cruz appointed as Cuba’s first PM in more than 40 years

In Cuba, President Miguel Díaz-Canel has appointed Manuel Marrero Cruz as the country’s first prime minister in more than 40 years. It was reinstated under the rules of a new constitution for the communist-run island passed earlier this year.

15. Maisnam Meiraba Luwang wins Bangladesh Junior International Badminton Series

India’s shuttler Maisnam Meiraba Luwang has won the Men’s singles Bangladesh Junior International Badminton Series 2019 in Dhaka. Top-seeded Meiraba, who hails from Manipur, beat Ken Yong Ong 21, 14, 21-18 in the final lasting 38 minutes.

16. Harinder Pal Singh wins men’s title in 3rd leg of HCL-SRFI India Tour

Indian squash player Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu clinched the men’s title while Hana Ramadan of Egypt won the women’s crown in the third leg of the HCL-SRFI India Tour Squash Tournament in Mumbai.

Harinder defeated Tomotaka Endo of Japan 3-0 in a match that lasted for 30 minutes, while Hana beat England’s Lucy Turmel 3-1 in the women’s final.