Current Affairs 28th December 2018

Current Affairs 28th December 2018 - Important Points

• CA Kuttappa takes over as India's new chief boxing coach on - 10th December 2018
• Palestine to apply for complete UN membership in January 2019 on - 26th December 2018
• ‘Made in India’ e-dumper put into trial by - Coal India
• PM Modi to rename three islands in Andaman and Nicobar after Netaji Subash Chandra Bose on - 30th December 2018
• EC prohibits tobacco use in polling booths during  - 2019 Lok Sabha elections
• Who has conferred Tansen Samman, 2018 ? - Eminent Sitar Player Manju Mehta
• Bahuda Rookery: Another Olive Ridley Nesting Site in - Odisha

Current Affairs 28th December 2018 - Details

CA Kuttappa takes over as India's new chief boxing coach on - 10th December 2018

Dhronacharya awardee, CA Kuttappa has taken over as India’s new chief boxing coach during the starting of the ongoing national camp, on  10th December, 2018. He is replaced after veteran boxing coach SR Singh, is retired.

He was working as an assistant coach earlier,and is also credited with shaping some of the country's most successful boxers such as Vijender Singh, Shiva Thapa and M Suranjoy Singh. The Army man also stated that his elevation was High-Performance Director Santiago Nieva's idea.

Key Highlights

• Star pugilist Vikas Krishan (75kg), a Commonwealth Games gold-medalist and Asian Games bronze-winner, was left out of the national camp following his decision to sign up with American promoter Bob Arum.
• Kuttappa is just one of the two coaches from the reigning national champions, the SSCB ( Services Sports Control Board ), in the camp.
• The line-up of coaches at the camp was mostly dominated by coaches from the Railways Sports Promotion Board. RSPB's representation in the coaches' list was five including the long-serving Jaydev Bisht,  Jitender Kumar,Jai Singh Patil, Lalit Prasad and Jagdip Hooda.
• Another CWG-medallist, Manoj Kumar, who is currently undergoing rehabilitation for a few long-standing niggles, was also absent from the same camp.
• The current set of boxers in the camp also barring the national champions, will also be giving trials in the January second week, which will be leading to pruning and form the basis of selection for the India Open and the prestigious Strandja Memorial in Bulgaria as well.

Palestine to apply for complete UN membership in January 2019 on - 26th December 2018

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki announced on December 26th, 2018 that Palestine would start an application to gain complete state membership at the UN in January 2019.
The application to change Palestine's status from an observer state to a complete-member state will be filed to the United Nations Security Council during the state Foreign Minister’s visit to New York coming month. The conclusion has been taken upon Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas instructions.
To safeguard complete state membership, the Palestinians would need the support from minimum 9 out of the United Nations Security Council's 15 members states. Also, the Palestinian Minister informed that he would demand the United Nations Security Council implementation of Resolution 2334 and ask the International Criminal Court to open a formal inquiry into Israeli settlement construction.
Procedure to become a complete member of the UN

• The membership in the UN is open to all peace allowing states which receive the obligations contained in the current Charter and, in the judgement of the group, are able and willing to carry-out these obligations.
• The entrance of any state to membership in the UN is affected by a decision of the General Assembly upon the sanction of the United Nations Security Council.
• A sanction for admission from the Security Council needs affirmative votes from minimum 9 of the council's 15 members, with none of the 5 permanent members using their veto power.
• The Security Council's sanction must then be agreed in the General Assembly by a 2/3 majority vote.

PM Modi to rename three islands in Andaman and Nicobar after Netaji Subash Chandra Bose on - 30th December 2018

PM Narendra Modi will rename 3 islands of Andaman & Nicobar following Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on December 30th, 2018. These 3 islands are- Ross Island, Neil Island and Havelock Island.
These islands will be retitled during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Port Blair to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of hoisting of the National Flag at Port Blair by freedom fighter Subhash Chandra Bose.
Renaming of islands
1. Ross Island will be renamed as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Island
2. Neil Island will be renamed as Shaheed Dweep
3. Havelock Island will be renamed as Swaraj Dweep
Bose had hoisted the flag at Port Blair on December 30th, 1943, as he alleged that Port Blair was the 1st
territory to be freed from British regulation. This was done following the Japanese captured that area during the time of the 2nd World War.

EC prohibits tobacco use in polling booths during  - 2019 Lok Sabha elections

The Election Commission of India, for the 1st time, has restricted all kinds of tobacco in polling booths during the general elections 2019. The initiative is focused at effectively implementing tobacco control laws nationwide.
The Commission has asked all states and Union Territories to release instructions to all the district electoral officers-cum-district magistrates to make sure ban of not just smoking but also the usage of chewable tobacco in all polling booths in the nation.
Key Highlights

• As per to the norms issued by the Election Commission of India, all polling booths in the nation are to be announced tobacco-free and not just smoke-free.
• Hence, the usage of bidi, cigarette, gutkha, chewable tobacco will be banned. Each polling booth will be needed to have a banner, stating the same.
• The presiding officer of each polling booth will be declared as the nodal officer for making sure tobacco-free status at their booths.
• All district tobacco control cells will oversee and monitor this campaign to sensitise people on ill effects of tobacco.

‘Made in India’ e-dumper put into trial by - Coal India

Coal India for the 1st time, has initiated using an indigenously-made, 205-tonne electric dumper which is a critical piece of tool in mining. This indigenously developed dumper has been produced by state-owned BEML. Coal India has put this electric dumper on an experiment in Northern Coalfields’ Amlohri coal mine. This indigenously developed dumper is the biggest of all placed by Northern Coalfields limited.
This indigenously developed dumper is expected to raise competition among suppliers, bringing down
costs and progress the availability of spares.
More about successful trail

• The effective trial will enable BEML to take part in tenders for higher capacity dumpers drifted by Coal India.
• Northern Coalfields limited has already drifted one such tender & the Eastern Coalfield limited is in the process of moving tender for ten dumpers.
• The dumper market in India is led by Russia’s Belaz, Tata Hitachi & Caterpillar. But these dumpers have at prices upwards of Rupees 15 crore.
• If the BEML increases an opportunity to enter the e-dumper market, it will work as a disruptor in the market and give violent competition to the big market players.
• It can initiate a plethora of chances for BEML and give a boost to Make in India together with slashing the costs for Coal India.

Who has conferred Tansen Samman, 2018 ? - Eminent Sitar Player Manju Mehta

The MP Government has deliberated the annual Tansen Samman upon renowned Sitar Player Manju
Mehta for her contribution in the area of Hindustani Classical Music. The award was given by Union
Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on opening function of Tansen Music Festival at Gwalior.
Tansen
Tansen, earlier terms as Ramtanu Pande or Mohammad Ata Ali Khan, was the legendary court musician
of Akbar. His initial music training was completed in music school of Gwalior’s Raja Mansingh Tomar. He
was a follower of Swami Haridas. 
Tansen Samaroh (Tansen Music Festival)

• The department of culture, MP government arranges yearly 4 days Tansen Samaroh, also know as
  Tansen Music Festival, near the tomb of Tansen in Gwalior every year in December. The vocal &
  instrumental artists from around Indian continent come and give their performances.
  Tansen Award
• Tansen Award was introduced by MP government to honour the individual artists with momentous
  contribution to Hindustani Classical Music.
• This award encompasses a cash prize of Rupees 2 Lakh along with a memento. The 1st Tansen Samman was conferred upon Sitar maestro Ustad Abdul Haleem Jafar Khan in 2000.
  Manju Mehta
• Veteran Sitar master Manju Mehta belongs to Bhatt family of Jaipur, which other renowned musicians Shashimohan Bhatt and Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt belongs to.
• She has been a top artist at All Indian Radio and has cofounded the Saptak School of Music in Gujarat.

Bahuda Rookery: Another Olive Ridley Nesting Site in - Odisha

Gahirmatha marine sanctuary and Rushikulya rookery coast in Ganjam district are chief Olive Ridley
Nesting sites in Odisha. Of these sites, Gahirmatha marine sanctuary is biggest mass nesting site of Olive Ridley turtles. Odisha is home to 50 percent of the total world’s population of Olive Ridley’s and about 90 percent of Indian population of sea turtles. Freshly, Odisha forest department added another Olive Ridley mass nesting site Bahuda Rookery at beach on Bahuda river mouth, Ganjam district. It is situated about 20 kilometres to south of Rushikulya rookery coast.
More about Olive Ridley

• Olive Ridley turtle is smallest & most abundant of all sea turtle present in world. It gets its name from its olive-colour carapace, which is of heart & rounded shape.
• It is best known for their exclusive mass nesting known as Arribada, where thousands of female turtles come together on the same beach every year to lay their eggs.
• It is originated in warm waters of Pacific & Indian oceans.
• They are located along both, Eastern & Western coasts of India. It devotes entire lives in ocean & moves thousands of kms between feeding & mating grounds in course of a year.
  Breeding season
• Olive Ridley turtles starts their journey from Indian Ocean towards Bay of Bengal during their mating period in October & November every year.
• A single female can lay about 100-150 eggs in a pit dug on beaches. 6 weeks later these eggs hatches & newly hatched turtles initiate journey to their Indian Ocean locale.
• However, accidental killing of adult turtles via entanglement in trawl nets & gill nets due to abandoned fishing during their mating season near nesting beaches. Poaching for meat, shell as well as leather, & their eggs.