Current Affairs - December 31, 2017 Current Affairs

Om Prakash Singh, the 1983 batch IPS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, will be the new Director General of Police of Uttar Pradesh. He will succeed incumbent Sulkhan Singh, whose tenure ends on December 31, 2017. Presently, OP Singh is the Director General of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). Till the new appointee takes charge, Anand Kumar, Additional Director General (Law and Order) will look after the day-to-day affairs.

Odisha police will go digital from January 1, 2018, as routine work in police stations across the state will be computerised under the Criminal Tracking and Networking System (CCTNS). CCTNS project is being implemented under the national e-governance initiative at a cost of Rs. 61 crore. 589 out of 612 police stations across Odisha have been equipped with the necessary hardware and software for the implementation of CCTNS. All routine police station work including registering cases, maintaining of registers, station diaries, case diaries and charge sheets will be done online from January 2018.

Kolkata Police has issued a notification that imposes a ban on public display of weapons in Kolkata, effective from 2 January 2018 to 1 January 2019. This notification was issued by the Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar. It bans carrying of swords, spears, bludgeons, etc. in any public place in the Kolkata town or in its suburb regions. The ban excludes persons exempted from certain provisions of the Arms Act and Rules, person who has permit from Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, and weapons covered under the Arms Act, 1959.

N C Goel was made the new Chief Secretary of Rajasthan. N C Goel is an IAS officer of the 1982 batch. Previously, he was Additional Chief Secretary of Forest and Environment, Tourism, Art and Culture Department, Mines and Petroleum departments.

On December 30, 2017, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar laid foundation stones for more than 100 projects worth Rs 700 crore in Nalanda district. These projects were launched during the second phase of Nitish Kumar's state-wide "Vikas Samiksha Yatra" which began on December 28, 2017. During his visit to Chamera village, Mr. Kumar dedicated to the public 132 projects worth Rs 97.63 crore and laid foundation stones for 114 projects worth Rs 698.65 crore.

Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, the BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP from Maharashtra, has been appointed new President of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR). He will succeed Prof. Lokesh Chandra. Sahasrabuddhe is the vice-president of Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini which is South Asia's only training and research academy for elected representatives and voluntary social workers. ICCR was founded in 1950 by India's first Education Minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, who also served as its first President. The ICCR's main objectives are to actively participate in the formulation and implementation of policies and programmes pertaining to India's external cultural relations and to foster and strengthen cultural relations and mutual understanding between India and other countries.

The 74th anniversary of First Flag Hoisting Day has celebrated in Andaman and Nicobar Islands on December 30, 2017. Lieutenant Governor Admiral DK Joshi hoisted the National Flag at the main function held at the Gymkhana Ground in Port Blair. On the occasion, the Lieutenant Governor felicitated veteran Islanders who were members of Indian National Army and Indian Independence League. CK Bose, grandson of Netaji Subash Chandra Bose and Indresh Kumar, advisor to Forum for Awareness for National Security (FANS) and family members of veteran freedom fighter Veer Savarkar and others were present. A large number of FANS members attended the function. It was on this day, in 1943; Netaji Subash Chandra Bose had hoisted the National Tri-colour for the first time with the help of Japanese forces at the Gymkhana Ground in Port Blair and declared A & N Islands free from British Rule, four years before India's Independence.

Allahabad Bank entered into an agreement with National e-Governance Services Limited (NeSL) for utilizing its Information Utility Services envisaged under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016. State-owned NeSL is the first Information Utility entity registered by Insolvency and bankruptcy Board of India under IBBI (IU) Regulations, 2017. Information utility is an information network which procures and stores financial data like borrowings, default and security interests of various entities. Information stored by Information Utility Services can be accessed by concerned parties during insolvency resolution process under National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar launched Bhavantar Bharpayee Yojana from Karnal district. Under this scheme, farmers will be compensated by state government, whenever the market prices of the stipulated produce go below the mentioned prices. Haryana State Government will constitute a separate fund for this purpose. This scheme for compensation will also apply for tomato, onion, potato and cauliflower. In order to avail compensation under this scheme, farmers would have to get themselves registered on Bhavantar Bharpayee website or in the office of Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board.

Israel has has officially confirmed withdrawal from United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) over an anti-Israel bias. Audrey Azoulay, the UNESCO chief, stated that she had been officially notified that Israel would leave on December 31, 2018. Earlier in October 2017, the US formally notified the UNESCO that it would withdraw from the organization on December 31, 2018. The 195-member body is best known for producing a list of World Heritage sites that have become tourist favourites. UNESCO also runs science, educational and cultural programmes, including programmes to educate people about the Holocaust and promote intercultural dialogue.