Daily Current Affairs, 15th December 2018

1) ECO Niwas Samhita 2018 Launched By Power Ministry

•Ministry of Power has launched the ECO Niwas Samhita 2018, an Energy Conservation Building Code for Residential Buildings (ECBC-R). The Code was launched on the occasion of National Energy ConservationDay 2018 (14th December) in the presence of Chief Guest Smt. Sumitra Mahajan, Hon’ble Speaker, Lok Sabha.

•It aims to benefit the occupants and the environment by promoting energy efficiency in design and construction of homes, apartments and townships.

2) Jharkhand Gets ‘Krishi Karman’ Award In Rice Category

•Jharkhand has been selected for “Krishi Karman” award in the rice category from theUnion Ministry of Agriculture. The award to be given away in February 2019 carries a cash prize of Rs 2 crore and a citation.

3) India’s 1st Private UAV Factory Comes Up in Hyderabad

•India’ first private sector unit for manufacturing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)opened at Adani Aerospace Park in Hyderabad. Built by the Adani Group and Israel-based Elbit Systems, the 50,000 square feet facility will develop Hermes 900 medium altitude long-endurance UAVs for the Indian and global markets.

•The unit will begin with the manufacture of complete carbon composite aerostructures for Hermes 900, followed by Hermes 480, catering to global markets.

4) Sri Lankan PM Rajapaksa Resigned

•In Sri Lanka, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned to pave the way for the formation of new government under ousted Prime Minister Ranil Wickremsinghe. 

•Earlier, the Supreme Court had refused to vacate interim order of lower court restraining Rajapaksa and his Cabinet from functioning. The political crisis began in the country on October 26 when the President appointed Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Prime Minister replacing Wickremsinghe.

5) Government Forms Panel Under BBB to Select MD for PSU Insurance Firms

•The government has constituted a seven-member panel to select managing directors of public sector insurance companies. The panel would be headed by Banks Board Bureau (BBB) chairman B P Sharma.

•The other members of the panel are Financial Services Secretary, Department of Public Enterprises Secretary and Chairman of Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India. Besides, three insurance sector experts G N Bajpai, Mathew Varghese and T Bhargava — have been appointed on the selection panel.

6) Ashok Kumar Singh Appointed Secretary of NCST

•Ashok Kumar Singh, Lok Sabha Secretariat Service, Additional Secretary, Lok Sabha Secretariat has assumed charge as Secretary, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST).

7) Author Amitav Ghosh Honoured With 54th Jnanpith Award

•Noted English author Amitav Ghosh has been honoured with Jnanpith Award for 2018, an award for outstanding contribution to literature. The decision was taken in a meeting of Jnanpith Selection Board chaired by eminent novelist, scholar and Jnanpith laureate Pratibha Ray.

•Ghosh, one of the most prominent contemporary Indian writers, is known for a series of novels such as “Shadow Lines”, “The Glass Palace”, “The Hungry Tide”, and Ibis Trilogy — “Sea of Poppies”, and  “River of Smoke”. He has become the first English author to be honoured with the award.