Current Affairs Daily Digest – December 26 2019
1. Abhinav Lohan wins Bengaluru Open Golf Championship
Abhinav Lohan lifted PGTI title securing a narrow one-shot triumph at the Bengaluru Open golf championship. Lohan shot four-under 68 his four-day total to 13-under-275 with seven birdies. It was Lohan’s first title on the TATA Steel PGTI and his second win of the year emerged victorious at the PGTI Feeder Tour event in Lucknow.
2. Virat Kohli named in Wisden cricketers of the decade list
Indian captain Virat Kohli named in the Cricketers of the decade list along side four others by the Wisden Cricketers Almanac. South African duo of Dale Steyn and AB de Villiers, Australia’s Steve Smith and women’s all-rounder Ellyse Perry added in the list. Kohli scored 5,775 more international runs than anyone else in the last 10 years, has arguably been the best batsman over the last decade.
3. Dr. Harsh Vardhan inaugurates second edition of Eat Right Mela
Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare inaugurated the second edition of the Eat Right Mela at Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium. The Eat Right Mela of FSSAI is a commendable effort and outreach activity for citizens towards eating right.
The under-nourishment resulting in infirmities such as wasting and stunting and on the other side, there is another critical area of concern to be addressed i.e. obesity, which is apparently the result of excessive consumption of junk food, wrong choices of food, overeating, and lack of exercise.
The rise of diet-related diseases suggests that people are eating less healthy food than they were eating a decade ago. In this context, the movement of ‘Eat Right India’ started by FSSAI is a timely initiative”.
4. Cabinet approves transfer of Assam Gas Cracker Project to oil ministry
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the transfer of administrative control of Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL), the Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU) implementing Assam Gas Cracker Project (AGCP) from Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals (under Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers) to Union Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MOP&NG).
5. Cabinet approves funds to update National Population Register
Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given in principal approval to clear budgetary allocation of Rs.8,754.23 crore for conducting Census of India, 2021, a Decennial Census (recurring every 10 years) exercise along with Rs.3,941.35 crore for updating National Population Register (NPR) across the country (barring Assam),which is a list of ‘usual residents’ of India. Both the exercises will be conducted simultaneously through door-to-door enumeration, with commencing from April 2020 to September 2020.
6. Sign boards in Chinese language put up at 5 ASI sites
Union Tourism Minister Prahlad Singh Patel informed that sign boards in Chinese language have been put up at five Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) protected Archaeological Sites located in Uttar Pradesh (UP). ASI Sites Include- Sarnath, the Buddhist relics at Chaukhandi Stupa, Kushinagar and the Mahaparinirvana Temple, Piparahwa and Shravasti.
7. WCD Ministry invites application for Nari Shakti Puraskar for 2019
Ministry of Women and Child Development has invited applications for Nari Shakti Puraskar for the year 2019.
The National Award is given annually to individuals, groups, institutions in recognition of their exceptional work towards the cause of women empowerment, especially for vulnerable and marginalized women.
8. Health Minister inaugurates second edition of Eat Right Mela in New Delhi
Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has said, the right kind of diet will help to reduce the disease burden in the country. Inaugurating the second edition of Eat Right Mela in New Delhi, the Minister said, healthy eating should become a people’s movement.
He stressed upon the importance of having a people’s movement, encouraging people to have healthier diets which will help in reduction of the disease burden in the country.
9. Good Governance Index launched
The Good Governance Day is observed on the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Singh said that Good Governance Index has been scientifically designed on various parameters of governance.
He said, it has been designed keeping in mind the citizen-centricity, which is the prime mantra of Government.
10. Ashok Leyland joins hands with Yes Bank for vehicle financing
Hinduja group flagship firm Ashok Leyland said it has inked a pact with Yes Bank for vehicle finance for a period of two years. The companies have inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) regarding the partnership.
11. Saudi-Kuwait to resume oil output at border
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have agreed to resume oil production in a shared border region more than four years after halting output.
The agreement allows “the resumption of oil production from the joint fields,” the Saudi energy ministry said on Twitter. The oil fields at the so-called “neutral zone” can produce as much as 500,000 barrels a day – more than each of Opec’s three smallest members pumped last month.
12. ICC Test rankings: Kohli finishes 2019 as top ranked batsman; Rahane slips to seventh
Indian skipper Virat Kohli will end the year as the top ranked batsman in the latest ICC Test rankings issued today. With 928 points, Kohli is 17 points ahead of Australia’s Steve Smith who occupies the second spot.
New Zealand skipper Kane Willamson ends the year at number three with 864 points. Cheteshwar Pujara retained his fourth place but Rahane slipped to seventh. He was replaced by Pakistan’s Babar Azam. India’s Mayank Agarwal occupies the 12th position while limited overs Vice Captain Rohit Sharma occupies the 15th spot.
13. Renowned Hindi author Ganga Prasad Vimal dies
Famous Hindi author Ganga Prasad Vimal was recently killed in a road accident in Sri Lanka. He was 80. Vimal was traveling along with his daughter and granddaughter who were also killed in the same road accident.
Ganga Prasad was an author, translator, and professor at Jawahar Lal Nehru University. According to the media reports, Ganga Prasad Vimal was going with his family in a van from South Galle Town towards Colombo.
14. FSSAI, NASVI to organize street food festival in Delhi from Dec 25-29
National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI) and Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) will jointly organize national street food festival in the national capital from December 25-29.
The 11th National Street Food Festival will be organised at Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium here. It will have master street food vendors from different regions of India with their signature dishes.
