Current Affairs 22nd December 2018

Current Affairs 22nd December 2018 - Important Points

• US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis resigns, cites differences with Trump on - 20th December 2018
• WV Raman appointed new head coach of Indian national women’s cricket team on - 20th December 2018
• Government launches Asiatic Lion Conservation Project to conserve their population on - 20th December 2018
• Who has been awarded the Skoch CM of the Year Award  ? - Mamata Banerjee 
• 40 workers conferred Prime Minister Shram Awards 2017 declared by - The Union Government 

Current Affairs 22nd December 2018 - Details

US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis resigns, cites differences with Trump on - 20th December 2018

The US Defence Secretary, Jim Mattis, snappishly declared his resignation on December 20th, 2018, mentioning policy differences with President Donald Trump as the main reason behind the resignation.  The resignation comes a day afterward President Donald Trump declared that all United States troops would be withdrawn from Syria. Defending his announcement, Trump had tweeted that the United States does not want to be the policeman of West Asia.
Crucial Highlights

• In his resignation, Mattis informed Trump he had the right to have a Secretary of Defence whose ideas are better aligned with that of his.
• As per to reports, Mattis had tried to convince President Trump to maintain United States troops in
  Syria.
•  However, as per analysts, the withdrawal of United States troops from Syria will clear the way for Syria's Bashar al-Assad regime, Russia & Iran.
• Mattis had warned that withdrawing ground forces from the Middle Eastern nation would be a strategic blunder.
•  Presently, there are around 2,000 US troops in Syria.
• A career Marine, Mattis gained a reputation for intellectualism & ultimately advanced to the rank of general and he has worked in the Persian Gulf War, Afghanistan & Iraq.
• He commanded the US Joint Forces Command from 2007-2010 and parallelly worked as the NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Transformation.
• He was also the Commander of US Central Command from 2010-2013, which focused military operations as well as oversaw the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan.
• After retiring from the military, he worked in several private sector roles, including as a board member of Theranos and was also designated as Secretary of Défense by President-elect Trump & assured by the Senate on January 20th, 2017.

WV Raman appointed new head coach of Indian national women’s cricket team on - 20th December 2018

Former India opener Woorkeri Venkat Raman was on December 20th, 2018 chosen as the new Head coach of the Indian women's National Cricket team. The declaration was done by the BCCI.
The 53 years old WV Raman will take over the role from Ramesh Powar, whose bond was not renewed after the controversies and fall-out with senior women's cricket team player Mithali Raj. WV Raman’s 1st assignment in his new position would be the tour of New Zealand, which starts on January 24th, 2019. He has been brought on with a 2 years contract.
Important Highlights

• WV Raman was among one of the 3 candidates shortlisted for the post by an ad-hoc panel to select the coach.
• The panel included veteran cricketers Kapil Dev, Anshuman Gaekwad and Shanta Rangaswamy.
  Besides Raman, the list had the names of former India coach Gary Kirsten and Venkatesh Prasad.
• The committee had presented their order of preference as Kirsten, WV Raman & Venkatesh Prasad and the shortlisted names were then forwarded to the Committee of Administrators and the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
• Venkat Raman is a former Indian cricketer. His 1st-class career spanned from 1982-1999, where he represented Tamil Nadu, mainly as a left-handed batsman and a part-time left-arm spinner.
• Raman made his Test entry in his hometown Chennai against West Indies in 1987–88, top scoring in the 2nd innings with 83 and taking a wicket in his 1st over itself.
• In total, Raman played 11 Tests & 27 One-Day Internationals. However, he was relatively unsuccessful in One-Day Internationals on the international stage. His only international century with 113 scores, was against South Africa in 1992–93.
• Though he started his 1st-class career as a left-arm spinner, he eventually transformed into a batsman.
• He was a effective batsman in domestic cricket scoring 3 double centuries, including 313 against Goa, in the 1988–89 season of the Ranji Trophy.

Government launches Asiatic Lion Conservation Project to conserve their population on - 20th December 2018

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change on December 20th, 2018 released the “Asiatic Lion Conservation Project” to guard and conserve the population of Asiatic Lion & its associated ecosystem.
The project actions are planned in such a manner that will result into habitat improvement, scientific intrusions, disease control & veterinary care, accompanied with satisfactory eco development works for the fringe population in order to make sure a stable & viable Lion population in the nation.
Objective
The Asiatic Lion Conservation Project is intended at conservation & recovery of Asiatic Lion with the aid of up to date techniques, tools, regular scientific research, disease management, modern surveillance & patrolling techniques.
Asiatic Lions 

• Asiatic lion are cousins of the African lion and it is supposed that both got separated 100000 years ago. 
• Asiatic lions are somewhat smaller and have a distinctive fold of skin sideways their bellies.
• Asiatic lion once occupied complete southwest Asia, but, in last few years, it got limited to the 1400 sq.km Gir Sanctuary in Gujarat, resulting in to its listing as critically endangered in the year 2000. 
• Asiatic lions that once extended from Persia (Iran) to Palamau in Eastern India, were almost pushed to extinction due to hunting and loss of habitat.
• A single population of at least 50 lions persevered in the Gir forests of Gujarat by late 1890's. However, Asiatic lions have amplified to the present population of more than 500 due to stringent protection offered by the Government. 
• The past census of the year 2015 highlighted the population of 523 Asiatic Lions in Gir Protected Area Network of 1648.79 sq.km. including Gir National Park, Gir Sanctuary, Pania Sanctuary, Mitiyala Sanctuary touching reserved forests, Protected Forests, and Unclassed Forests.

Who has been awarded the Skoch CM of the Year Award  ? - Mamata Banerjee 

The CM of West Bengal has been presented with the ‘Skoch Chief Minister of the Year Award’ for the year 2017. The reward was given to Mamta Banerjee for highlighting her contribution in the general development of West Bengal because West Bengal developed as the best-performing state in the field of Governance.
Skoch Award

• West Bengal has secured 31 Skoch Awards this year for its performance in various fields and for
  executing unique projects.
• As per to Skoch Group, Mamta Banerjee was nominated for the prestigious prize keeping in mind the West Bengal’s performance in governance, culture, finance, urban and rural development.
• West Bengal’s Kanyashree has already gained much critical praise. The scheme also secured the highest public service award from the UN.
• Kanyashree scheme is a unique creativity of the West Bengal government to progress the status as well as wellbeing of teenagers belonging to socially & economically backward families.
• It supports such families by conditional cash transfers to avoid the families from arranging the marriage of girl child before the age of 18 years due of some economic reasons.
• West Bengal has also secured the leading Skoch Award for making the maximum number of man-days and for the maximum amount paid in paying people for their labour under the 100-days work scheme.
• The state of West Bengal has also secured the IPPAI Award for rural electrification in the state. The state has also been bestowed with 5 consecutive Krishi Karman awards in the field of Agriculture.
  More about Skoch Group
• The Skoch Group is a think tank since 1997 that tackles socio-economic issues in the nation while
  concentrating on inclusive growth.
• Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was also presented by the Skoch Group with “SKOCH Sprinter of the Year” Award. 
• Commerce & and Industry and civil aviation minister Suresh Prabhu secured the “Steady Reformer” Award.

40 workers conferred Prime Minister Shram Awards 2017 declared by - The Union Government 

The Union Government has declared to confer the Prime Minister’s Shram Awards 2017 to 40 workers across the nation. These awardees have been chosen among the workers of Departmental Undertakings and Central & State Government PSUs and Private Sector organisations having 500 or above workers.
The Prime Minister Shram Awards pursues to recognise the distinguished performances & innovative abilities presented by the workers. Also, these awards regard their outstanding contribution in the field of productivity and exhibition of exceptional courage & presence of mind.
More about Prime Minister Shram Awards 2017

• This year, no one was bestowed the prestigious Shram Ratna Award.
• 3 awardees were selected for the Shram Bhushan Award which carries a cash prize of Rupees 100000/- and a ‘Sanad’. Smt. Myneni Sharada from BEL, Shri B.B.V.Prasada Rao from Naval Dockyard and Sh.Sudip Pachhal from Tata Steels have been nominated under this category.
• 12 awardees were selected for the Shram Vir/Shram Veerangana which carries a cash prize of Rupees 60000/- and a ‘Sanad’.
• 16 awardees have selected for the Shram Shree/Shram Devi Awards which carries a cash prize of Rupees 40000/- and a ‘Sanad’.
• 23 nominations are from the public sector and 17 awardees from the private sector.