AWARDS AND HONOURS
Danilo, Chapecoense goalkeeper killed in plane crash, is Brazil player of the year
Chapecoense goalkeeper Danilo, who was killed in the Colombian air crash last month, was posthumously named Brazil’s player of the year after a vote by fans. Danilo, whose last-gasp save in the semi-final against San Lorenzo helped his side into the Copa Sudamericana final, got 48% of the internet vote.
Andy Murray, Angelique Kerber named ITF players of the year
Britain’s Andy Murray and Germany’s Angelique Kerber were named ITF World Champion capping stellar years for the men’s and women’s world number ones. Murray, whose brother Jamie was named doubles World Champion along with Brazil’s Bruno Soares, won Wimbledon in July before becoming the first player to win two Olympic singles gold medals when he retained his crown in Rio de Janeiro in August.
PV Sindhu wins Most Improved Player of the Year award
Rio Olympic silver medallist PV Sindhu won Badminton World Federation (BWF) Most Improved Player of the Year award at the Players’ Reception and Gala Dinner in Dubai. Sindhu, who lost to Carolina Marin in the finals of the womens’ singles in the summer games, won her first Superseries title in China in November.
Saina named Integrity Ambassador by Badminton World Fed
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) yesterday (December 13) unveiled 5 top players as the first Integrity Ambassadors to promote clean, fair and honourable sport. India’s ace shuttler Saina Nehwal is one of them.
The launch of the Integrity Ambassadors’ campaign is the latest step in the BWF’s integrity programme which began last season. The ambassadors – more of whom will be introduced in 2017 – will represent and promote the campaign’s values, serving as role models for the badminton world.
INDIAN AFFAIRS
Karnataka to launch online portal for auctioning livestock
The Karnataka government is set to launch an online portal for trading livestock, beginning with the auction of cattle and sheep. The portal would allow buyers and sellers to make their choice based on online profiles of the cattle. The scheme is aimed at saving the dairy farmers from being “cheated” by brokers during the trade.
Kerala govt announces 70 acres of free land for IIT Palakkad
Kerala government decided to hand over 70 acres of land at zero cost in Palakkad district for setting up the permanent campus of Indian Institute of Technology. A cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan decided to assign 70.02 acres at Pithiest west village in the district.
Rajya Sabha passes Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill
A bill stipulating up to two- year jail term and a maximum fine of Rs 5 lakh for discriminating against differently-abled persons was passed by the Rajya Sabha. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014, which aims at securing and enhancing the rights and entitlements of disabled persons, was passed by a voice vote after rare unanimity was witnessed among the Opposition and Treasury benches in the House, which has seen acrimony and disruptions since the Winter Session began on November 16.
CAT, NEET, NET exams to be linked with Aadhaar
The Union government is planning to link entrance examinations, including the Common Admission Test (CAT) conducted by the Indian Institute of Management, the unified National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to medical colleges and the University Grants Commission’s National Eligibility Test (NET), with Aadhaar.
NGT bans sale, use of Chinese manjha in India
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has banned the sale and use of glass coated thread in the entire country, including Chinese Manjha. The Manjha Association will submit a report to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the CPCB will file the report before the NGT.
The Manjha Association said that Nylon Manjha is bio degradable but the NGT observed that this ban is an interim order and directed the effected parties to forward their grievances to CPCB.
Gujarat tops list of states in LED bulb distribution
Maharashtra has ranked second in the country in distribution of LED bulbs as part of country-wide campaign for reducing power consumption. “Gujarat tops the list followed by Maharashtra in LED bulb distribution. Gujarat has distributed 2.70 crore LED bulbs till December 12 this year from the date of its launch, earlier this year. On the other hand, Maharashtra has distributed 2,00,99,730 LED bulbs so far,” Deepak Kokate, Regional Manager of Maharashtra state unit of Energy Efficiency Services Limited.
India becomes world’s 4th largest defence spender
India has become the world’s fourth largest spender on defence, following a 13.1% increase in its 2016-17 defence budget, according to US research firm IHS Inc. India’s rise in the rankings from sixth position last year is a result of an increase in expenditure to $50.7 billion, combined with cuts to military spending by Russia and Saudi Arabia, where low oil prices have put considerable strain on their.
India is first country to give discounts on online payments
India has become the first nation to subsidize the use of digital cash after the government unveiled a raft of measures including discounts on online payments for insurance policies, rail tickets and highway toll charges. Union finance minister Arun Jaitley sought to draw Indians toward digital payments by offering up to 10% off on insurance policies, highway usage and concessions on train travel.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Apple may join SoftBank’s $100 bn technology fund
Softbank Group is looking for investing partners as it assembles the world’s largest private equity fund and may connect with Apple for a small portion of the $100 billion.
The Japanese tech conglomerate run by Masayoshi Son announced the Softbank Vision Fund in October in partnership with the Public Investment Fund of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The two founding partners agreed to contribute $70 billion over five years while seeking an additional $30 billion from outsiders.
SPORTS
Indian named in first-ever ICC Women’s Team of the Year
India batswoman Smriti Mandhana has been named in the Women’s Team of the Year 2016, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on 12 December 2016. The women’s team of the year, which will be captained by West Indies’ Stafanie Taylor, has been added to the list of awards to acknowledge and appreciate outstanding performances of women’s cricketers over a 12-month period.
Olympian Shiva Thapa wins gold in national boxing championships
India’s top amateur boxer Shiva Thapa to win his first lightweight (60kg) gold medal at the National Boxing Championships. On the other hand, Commonwealth Games silver-medallist L Devendro Singh (52kg) suffered a shock loss to settle for the silver medal.
19-yr-old racer sets record for most overtakes in F1 season
Max Verstappen capped off a remarkable 2016 by breaking the Formula 1 record for the most successful overtaking manoeuvres in a single season. The Dutch driver, who became the youngest ever F1 winner when he won the Spanish Grand Prix on his first appearance for Red Bull, made 78 passing moves during 2016, according to data calculated by Pirelli.
