Current Affairs Updates - 29 December 2017

Current Affairs Updates - 29 December 2017

Today we have updated important current affairs updates for 29 december 2017. Each news have been categorized separately. Candidates should follow the updates regularly for better performance in the upcoming exams of BANK and SSC. Also, we provide you with one liner updates and important note down points at the end of the day.  

New Appointments: National

IPS officer Abhay appointed Director General of Narcotics Control Bureau.

• He is at present working in Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved his appointment to the post till November 18, 2019, the order issued by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said.

Five-time legislator and former Bharatiya Janata Party Cabinet Minister Rajeev Bindal named the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly Speaker. 

• "The BJP has decided to appoint Rajeev Bindal, who is a legislator from Nahan, as the Vidhan Sabha Speaker," a statement by BJP state President Satpal Satti said. 

Banking/Economic Affairs

The government cut the interest rate on small savings schemes, including public provident fund (PPF), national savings certificate (NSC) and Kisan Vikas Patra, by 0.2 percentage points for the January-March quarter.

• Interest rates in the five-year Senior Citizens Savings Scheme, however, has been retained at 8.3%. The interest rate on the senior citizens’ scheme is paid quarterly.
• A finance ministry notification said interest rates have been reduced across several small savings schemes but that for savings deposits has been retained at 4% annually.

National Affairs

Paytm becomes India's first payments app to cross 100 millionn downloads on Play Store.

• India's largest mobile-first financial services platform, Paytm on Wednesday announced that its app has crossed the 100 million milestone on Google Play Store in the second week of December 2017.

Radha Mohan Singh launched  Livestock Disease Forewarning -Mobile Application (LDF-Mobile App), developed by ICAR-National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics (ICAR-NIVEDI), Bengaluru, in New Delhi.

• At the launch, Union Agriculture Minister informed that dreaded Rinderpest disease has been eradicated from India and stressed that similar efforts are needed to control and eradicate diseases like FMD, PPR, Brucellosis, CSF, BT, HS etc.

Bollywood superstar Anushka Sharma named PETA 2017 Person of the Year for initiatives in animal welfare

• "Anushka Sharma is a proud animal rights proponent whose kindness and initiative know no bounds," said People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Associate Director Sachin Bangera in a statement on 27 December

The second India-Afghanistan air cargo route linking Kabul to Mumbai is expected to boost the export of fresh fruits and medicinal plants from Afghanistan.

• Afghan officials told the media that 10,640 tons of fresh produce, fresh and dried fruits, medicinal plants and handicrafts worth more than $20 million had been exported to India since the launch of the first corridor.
• The second corridor was formally inaugurated by Afghan and Indian officials at the Hamid Karzai international airport in Kabul.

Infants and minor children up to the age of five years have been exempted by the Ministry of External Affairs from giving biometrics to the passport issuing authority

• "The ministry has exempted infants/minor children up to the age of five years from giving biometrics (10 fingerprints) to the passport issuing authority for processing their applications related to passport services," he said.

10 Most Trending Twitter Hashtags of 2017: 'Mann ki Baat' Tops The Chart

• Following the #Mannkibaat, #jallikattu and #GST came out to be the most trending hashtags on Twitter in India in the year 2017, as per the micro-blogging platform. Twitter also added "#MumbaiRains and #TripleTalaq emerged as some of the top trending hashtags of the year". Jallikattu, a traditional Tamilian bull-taming sport, was in the spotlight earlier in 2017.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development has launched a contest inviting people to share photographs of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao logo that they spot at unique locations and send it with a tagline.

•  The Government’s flagship programme - ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ has been successful in bringing about a tremendous mindset change, ever since it was launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, on January 22, 2015.

International Affairs

China, Pakistan want Afghanistan to join CPEC.

• China and Pakistan want Afghanistan to join their multi-billion dollar economic corridor, a key component of Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative which India has spurned over sovereignty issues.

New Western Wall Train Station To be named after Trump

• 'The Western Wall is the holiest place for the Jewish people, and I decided to call the train station that leads to it after President Trump' said katzh.

Vin Diesel Is The Top-Grossing Actor Of 2017.

• Superheroes and jedis might appear to rule the box office, but action stars still pack a punch: Vin Diesel is this year's top-grossing actor with 1.6 billion dollar in global ticketing receipts, thanks largely to the mammoth success of Fate of the Furious.

Awards & Honours

Veteran singer K S Chitra has been selected for this year's prestigious 'Harivarasanam' award, instituted by the Kerala government. 

• Chitra has been selected for the award in recognition of her contribution to propagate the spirit of secularism, equanimity and universal brotherhood, State Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran said. 

 Anjuli Shukla wins best award in the field of cinematography

• Anjuli Shukla became the first lady to win the award for Malayalam film industry. It has come up like a challenge for her to shoot a film which she is quite unknown and oblivion of. Acing her skills in this profession the female has proved herself in a male-dominated industry.

Sports: Awards & Honours

Haryana shooter Anisa Sayyed won the women’s 25m pistol gold with a new record at the 61st National Shooting Championship Competitions (61st NSCC), in Trivandrum

• Anisa shot a new finals national record score of 33 to prevail over the Maharashtra duo of Shital Shivaji Thorat and Rahi Sarnobat, who won the silver and bronze medals respectively at the National Games Shooting Range.

Obituary 

Bob Givens, one of the animators behind designing the iconic characters Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd, died at the age of 99.

• His daughter, Mariana Givens, President of 'Platinum Pathways' in California, confirmed the news on her Facebook page. 

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