Daily Current Affairs 20 December 2017

Daily Current Affairs 20 December 2017: Your guide for daily General Knowledge Preparation

Dear Readers,

This post contains important current affairs of 20 December 2017. It includes all Major National, International, Business and Sports related current affairs of 20 December 2017. A brief explanation of every current affair is provided to further enhance your general knowledge. Once you have gone through these current affairs we would recommend to you to try 20 December 2017 Current affairs test.

National News

1.Niti Aayog is evaluating ₹5,000 crore Methanol Economy Fund

Speaking to reporters at a press conference, Member, Niti Aayog, VK Saraswat said: “We are evaluating a ₹4,000 crore to ₹5,000 crore Fund for developing Methanol as a fuel in India.
The Niti Aayog is going to propose a road map to achieve its target of increasing the penetration of Methanol as an alternative fuel to petrol and diesel by December end

2. Bombay HC stays tree authority’s decision to cut 5000 trees

The court was hearing a petition which said the authority was wrongly constituted and gave permission to cut the trees in its very first meeting.
The court’s decision will save at least 1,500 trees.

3. Work on Mahabharata museum in Kurukshetra begins

The Union govt allocated Rs.31 crore for the project under Swadesh Darshan Scheme.
The museum, spread across 19 acres of land in Jyotisar village, is expected to be completed within a year.

4.Army conducting ‘Hamesha Vijayee’ exercise in Rajasthan to test deep strike capability

In a significant show of strength, the army’s Southern Command is conducting a major exercise called ‘Hamesha Vijayee’ in the deserts of Rajasthan to evaluate the capability of the armed forces to strike deep into enemy territory.
The exercise is being conducted in an integrated air-land battle scenario.
Units of the formations have been undergoing training for the past two months to hone their skills and tactics, said the army.

International News

1. Saudi Arabia unveils record $261 bn budget for 2018

This is the largest ever budget of the country, higher than its 2017 budget of $250 bn.
The kingdom’s budget is 1/15 the size of the US budget even though its population is 1/10 the size of the US population.

2. Palestine asks China, Russia to support Israel peace talks

Palestininan President Mahmoud Abbas has sent delegations to China and Russia to accomplish the task.
This comes after Abbas said that US can no longer be a mediator in the talks.

3.France passes law to ban all oil and gas production by 2040

France’s parliament has approved a law banning all exploration and production of oil and natural gas by 2040 within the country and its overseas territories.
The French government claims the ban is a world first.Environment Minister Nicolas Hulot says the law shows “current generations can take care of future generations.’’

4.India, Sri Lanka complete 2nd phase of joint oceanographic survey

Indian Navy in collaboration with Sri Lankan counterpart has successfully completed second phase of joint oceanographic survey conducted off the South Western Coast of Sri Lanka
The Indian side has handed over the survey charts to the Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy.

Business News

1. Edelweiss to acquire Religare’s securities business

Edelweiss said it will take on the Religare’s pan-India distribution of around 1,250 points of presence including over 90 branches and over 10 lakh clients.
Religare Securities offers securities and commodities broking as well as depository participant services.

2. Maruti first Indian automaker to cross Rs.3 lakh cr market cap

This comes after its shares hit Rs.10,000 mark during intraday trade.
Maruti’s market cap is 44% higher than that of its parent Japan’s Suzuki Motor Corporation .

3.Apple appoints Michel Coulomb as India head

Apple has named Michel Coulomb as the head of sales for its operations in India, a key market for the iconic iPhone maker.
He succeeds Sanjay Kaul, who has stepped down from the post. When contacted, the company confirmed the development.

4.Ola acquires FoodPanda India business

Ride-hailing player Ola is making an entry into the food delivery space again, this time by acquiring Foodpanda India from Germany based Delivery Hero Group.
The move will also see Ola invest another $200 million, as it takes on rival UberEats and incumbents like Zomato and Swiggy.

Sports News
1. 2 teams from India to take part in Junior NBA World Championships

The championships will feature boys and girls divisions, each comprising 16 regional champions.
The two teams from India will be selected through the Reliance Foundation Junior NBA program.

2. IPL 2018 auction to take place on Jan 27,28

The auction will see teams operate at an increased budget of Rs.80 cr from the previous Rs.66 cr.
In all, 5 players can be retained by a franchise, which includes two players retained Right to Match cards.

3.Russian Bobsledder Gets Lifetime Olympic Ban

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) says Russian bobsledder Aleksei Voyevoda has been banned for life from the Olympics after being found guilty of violating anti-doping rules at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.
The decision announced by the IOC came two weeks after the Olympic movement’s governing body banned Russia from the Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in February over what it called “unprecedented systematic manipulation” of the anti-doping system.

Try some Quiz Questions now: Current Affairs Quiz, 20 December