Daily Current Affairs, 13th December 2018

1) K Chandrasekhar Rao Sworn in As Telangana CM

•Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) Chief K Chandrasekhar Rao was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Telangana, for the second time. A few ministers will also swear-in on the occasion at a ceremonial programme to be held at the Raj Bhavan. The TRS leaders also submitted a letter about electing Mr. Rao as the party Legislature Party leader toGovernor ESL Narasimhan. 

2) Zoramthanga To Be Sworn In As Mizoram CM

•In Mizoram, the new government of Mizo National Front (MNF), headed by Mr. Zoramthanga will be sworn in on 15th December. It was decided at a meeting between Governor Kummanam Rajasekharan and a delegation of the MNF party led by Zoramthanga at Raj Bhavan in Aizawl.

•In the 40-seated Assembly, MNF has secured a landslide victory bagging 26 seats. The ruling Congress was reduced to 5 seats as per the poll results declared on 11th December.

3) President Kovind Dedicates ACARE Project To People Of Myanmar

•President Ram Nath Kovind is on a state visit to Myanmar. He dedicated – India assisted project ‘Advanced Centre for Agricultural Research & Education’ (ACARE) – to the people of Myanmar. The project focuses on Genetics, Post Harvest Technology, Participatory Knowledge Management and capacity building for farmers in Myanmar.

•Earlier, President Ram Nath Kovind dedicated the Advanced Centre for Agricultural Research and Education to the people of Myanmar. It was established as per an MOU between both the countries for research and capacity building of Myanmar students and scientists. The programme is run by IARI. The President also dedicated the Rice Bio-Park to the people of Myanmar. 

4) Delhi HC Bans Online Sale of Medicines Across India

•The Delhi High Court ordered a ban on the sale of online medicines by e-pharmacists across the country. The court directed both Central and state government to ensure immediate implementation of the order.

•The HC bench comprising Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao passed the judgment while hearing a PIL filed by Delhi-based dermatologist Zaheer Ahmed who complained that lakhs of medicines were being sold on the internet every day without much regulation, posing a huge risk to patients and doctors alike.

5) Russia Emerges As World’s No. 2 Arms Producer: SIPRI Report

•A Swedish think tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)announced that Russia has emerged as the world’s second-largest arms producer after the United States. Russia surpassed Britain, which had held that spot since 2002 and remains Western Europe’s No. 1 arms maker.

•SIPRI announced in its annual report on the world’s 100 biggest armaments groups that the combined arms sales of Russian companies amounted to $37.7 billion in 2017, an 8.5 percent rise from a year earlier. Russia’s sales accounted for 9.5 percent of a worldwide total of $398.2 billion.

6) India Signs Ascension Pact To 30-Member Trans Regional Maritime Network

•India signed an ascension pact to the 30-member Trans-Regional Maritime Network that will give it an access to the information on ships passing through the Indian Ocean Region.

•India already has bilateral White Shipping Agreements with 36 countries. The pact will give India the access to information on ships which pass through the Indian Ocean region that will greatly help the security forces in keeping a tab on any suspicious activity, an official said.

7) CAG Rajiv Mehrishi Appointed Vice-Chair of UN Panel of Auditors

•CAG has announced that Comptroller and Auditor General Rajiv Mehrishi has become the Vice-Chair of the UN Panel of Auditors. The United Nations Panel of Auditors consists of External Auditors of the United Nations and its agencies.

•Currently, the panel is chaired by the Comptroller and Auditor General of the UK, Sir Amyas Morse. The panel also elected the Comptroller and Auditor General of the UK as Chair of the Panel for another term (2019).

8) Climate Change Performance Index 2018: India Ranks 11th, Sweden Tops

•The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2018 was released on the sidelines of a UN summit on global warming. As per the Index, Sweden has topped the list while India was on 11th position. 

•The European Union as a whole rose from 21st to 16th place, but its biggest economy, Germany, fell from 22nd to 27th because of its reliance on lignite coal, a big source of greenhouse gas emissions. Saudi Arabia came last, in 60th place, partly due to its obstructive role during international climate negotiations.

9) Manika 1st Indian to Win ‘Breakthrough Table Tennis Star’ Award

•Manika Batra won the ‘Breakthrough Table Tennis Star’ award at the prestigious International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Star Awards in Incheon, South Korea. India coach Massimo Costantini won Table Tennis Star Coach award.

•Achievements of Manika Batra So Far:
In Gold Coast, Manika guided India to their first-ever gold medal in the Women’s Team event and then went on to win the first gold in women’s singles category. She even bagged a silver with Mouma Das in women’s doubles and a bronze with Sathiyan Gnanasekaran in the mixed doubles category.

10) Allan Border Medal Rebranded As Australian Cricket Awards

•Cricket Australia (CA) and the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) announced to rebrand its Allan Border Medal to Australian Cricket Awards from 2019 onwards. The change has been done in recognition of women’s cricket and the popularity of the T20 format.

•The event is held on an annual basis to celebrate the performances of Australian players across national and domestic cricket. The 2019 Australian Cricket Awards is slated to be held on February 11, 2019, at The Crown Palladium, Melbourne.