Daily Current Affairs 24th December, 2017

Daily Current Affairs 24 December 2017 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

NATIONAL NEWS

Gravitational wave detector to be built in India by 2025

A new LIGO gravitational wave detector to measure ripples in the fabric of space and time is set to be built in India by 2025, in collaboration with universities from across the globe.

• The LIGO detectors discovered the first gravitational waves produced by two giant merging blackholes last year. The research won a Nobel Prize in Physics this year.

Govt extends deadline for pasting stickers reflecting new MRP after GST on unsold packaged products

The government has allowed companies, till March 2018, to paste price stickers on unsold packaged products to reflect new MRP post GST. After Goods and Services Tax (GST) became effective from July 1, companies were asked to use stickers on unsold packaged commodities to display new maximum retail price (MRP) till September, which was later extended till December, 2017.

Russia’s Deputy PM Dmitry Rogozin Visits India

Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin arrived in New Delhi. He will co-chair the meeting of India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC).

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

WHO to add ‘gaming disorder’ as a mental condition in 2018

For the first time, WHO will add gaming disorder to its International Classification of Diseases (ICD).  The ICD — a diagnostic manual that’s published by the WHO — was last updated 27 years ago, in 1990.

• The 11th edition of the manual is due in 2018, and will include gaming disorder as a serious health condition to be monitored.

World’s largest amphibious aircraft makes maiden flight in China

China’s domestically developed AG600, the world’s largest amphibious aircraft, performed its maiden flight on 24th December.

World’s longest glass bridge in China opens for public

The world’s longest glass bridge, located in China’s Hebei province, was opened for the public. The bridge can support up to 2,000 people and is designed such that it swings a little when visitors walk to its centre.

BANKING & FINANCE

Public sector banks’ NPA hits Rs 7.34 lakh crore at September-end

According to Reserve Bank data, bad loans of Public sector banks (PSBs) stood at Rs 7.34 lakh crore by the end of second quarter (September 30) this fiscal, a bulk of which came from corporate defaulters.

• However, on the other hand private sector banks’ non- performing assets (NPAs) were considerably low at Rs 1.03 lakh crore by September 30.
• Among the major public sector banks and among private sector lenders , State Bank of India (SBI) (at over Rs 1.86 lakh crore) and ICICI Bank (at Rs 44,237 crore) respectively had the highest amount of NPAs.

Yes Bank sets up MTN programme to raise $1 bn

Private sector lender Yes Bank has established a Medium Term Note (MTN) programme to raise USD 1 billion (over 6,400 crore) by issuing debt securities on private placement basis. The programme is in order to enable the bank to issue debt instruments in the international capital markets, to eligible investors, from time to time, in one or more tranches and/or series.

Govt Mint launches first home-grown high purity gold reference standard

India’s first home-grown high purity gold reference standard – the Bharatiya Nirdeshak Dravya (BND-4201) – was launched at the India Government Mint, Mumbai. BND-4201, which is the reference material for gold of ‘9999’ fineness (gold that is 99.99 per cent pure), will be beneficial to the consumers and public at large to ensure purity of gold.

• The high purity gold reference standard has been developed through a collaboration between IGM, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre — National Centre for Compositional Characterisation of Materials (Hyderabad), and Council of Scientific & Industrial Research-National Physical Laboratory (New Delhi).

SPORTS

BCCI appoint Saba Karim as General Manager, Cricket Operations

BCCI has appointed former India wicketkeeper Saba Karim as General Manager, Cricket Operations. He will succeed Dr MV Sridhar who stepped down from position.

Ranveer Singh appointed Premier League’s ambassador in India

To promote football in India, the Premier League has forged a partnership with Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh.  Premier Skills is a global coaching and referee development programme which uses football as a tool to engage and develop the skills of young people.

APPOINTMENTS

Jairam Thakur set to be next Himachal CM

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jairam Thakur has been announced as the next Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh. He will succeed Virbhadra Singh, who is serving as the Chief Minister of Himachal since 2012.

• Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Five-time legislator Jairam Thakur, who rose through the ranks and is known for his humble, clean and low-profile nature, will be the 14th Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh.

UN appoints Henrietta Fore as UNICEF head

United Nations (UN) has appointed former senior US government official Henrietta H Fore as the new executive director of UNICEF. She will succeed William Anthony Kirsopp Lake who assumed office in 2010.

Kumi Naidoo appointed next Secretary General of Amnesty International

South African human rights activist Kumi Naidoo has been appointed as the next Secretary General of Amnesty International. He will take over from Indian activist Salil Shetty in August 2018.

Airtel Payments Bank CEO quits after controversy over Aadhaar e-KYC

Airtel Payments Bank chief executive Shashi Arora has quit the company after a recent controversy surrounding India’s largest telecom operator and its payment bank’s alleged violation of rules on using Aadhaar for its electronic know-your-customer (e-KYC) verification process.

BOOK LAUNCH

Uttarakhand CM launches his biography

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has launched a biography based on chronicles of his early struggle and lesser known aspects of his life.

• Titled ‘Trivendra Ek Zindaginama – Khairasain ka Sooraj’, the book is written by a doctor named Nandan Singh Bisht.

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