Today CURRENT AFFAIRS 23rd DECEMBER 2013 jusy update For Bankers And Competitive exams
CURRENT AFFAIRS : 23rd DECEMBER 2013
1. AAP to form govt in Delhi; Arvind Kejriwal to be next CM
i. Putting an end to all speculations and rumours, the founder and chief of debutant AAP, Arvind Kejriwal said he will form the government in Delhi.
ii. Arvind Kejriwal to be next Delhi CM, will take oath on December 26
iii.Mr. Kejriwal handed over a formal letter to the Lt. Governor saying a majority of the people are in favour of Aam Aadmi Party forming a government in New Delhi.
iv. Kejriwal said, the swearing in ceremony of Aam Admi party will take place at the Ramleela Maidan. Kejriwal said, the Lt. Governor told him that the letter will be forwarded to the President for consideration.
v. AAP leaders said they will carry on the protests against corruption by both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party.
vi. The party maintained that the decision was taken as the people of Delhi did not opt for a re-election in the State.
2. Kisan Diwas observed across India on 23 December
i. Kisan Diwas was observed across the country on 23 December 2013 to celebrate the birthday of Chaudhary Charan Singh.
ii. On this occasion, farmer seminars were organised at the divisional, district and block levels. Political leaders cutting across party lines paid tributes to fifth PM of India on his 11th birth anniversary.
About Chaudhary Charan Singh
Chaudhary Charan Singh (23 Dec 1902 - 29 May 1987) was the fifth Prime Minister of India. He served as the Prime Minister from 28 July 1979 to 14 January 1980.
3. Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed approved as Prime Minister by Somalian Parliament
i. Abdiweli replaced outgoing Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon. Abdi was ousted in November 2013 by the Parliament following a rift with the Somali President over policy differences.
ii. In the voting held for the endorsement of the new Prime Minister in the Parliament, 239 votes out of total 243 were put in favour of Abdiweli. The result was announced by the Somali Parliament Speaker Mohamed Sheikh Osman Jawari on 21 December 2013.
iii. The endorsement of Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed as Prime Minister was welcomed by the head of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) Nicholas Kay.
About Somalia:
Somalia is a country located in the Horn of Africa and its capital is Mogadishu. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, the Gulf of Aden to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east, and Kenya to the southwest. Somalia has the longest coastline on the mainland.
4. RBI extends timeline for banks to adopt new messaging standards
i. The Reserve Bank of India has extended the timeline for banks till March 31 next year to adopt the new messaging standards in Real-time Gross Settlement, RTGS payment platform.
ii. A new RTGS system was put in place in October this year, requiring banks to adopt ISO 20022 standard messaging formats. Banks are still relying on temporary solution provided by their IT and service providers for conversion of messages.
iii. RTGS systems are funds transfer systems where transfer of money or securities takes place from one bank to another on a real time and on gross basis.
iv. RBI said that it has received requests from banks to allow them to continue with the present arrangement till the required modifications were made at the core banking solution at banks' end.
v. The apex bank said that the objective of introducing ISO 20022 standard message format for payment system is to bring about standardisation in the messaging formats for various payment systems in the country and to conform to international standards.
vi. The system is meant for large value transactions. The minimum amount to be remitted through RTGS is 2 lakh rupees, while there is no upper ceiling.
5. New Indian envoy to US to take charge
i. S. Jaishankar, the new Indian Ambassador to the US, will arrive here tomorrow to take charge amid a raging diplomatic row over the arrest and strip-search of senior diplomat Devyani Khobragade on visa fraud charges.
ii. Jaishankar, who till recently was India’s Ambassador to China, arrives in Washington at a time when bilateral ties threaten to hit a low in more than a decade now in the aftermath of the arrest of Khobragade.
iii. Known as one of the brightest foreign service officials of his generation, who played a key role in the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal, Jaishankar’s first task would be to prevent the relationship from getting derailed any further.
iv. Jaishankar, who is proficient in Russian and also knows Japanese and Hungarian, succeeds Nirupama Rao.
v. Born in New Delhi in 1955, Jaishankar is the son of prominent Indian strategic affairs analyst, commentator, and civil servant K. Subrahmanyam and brother of historian Sanjay Subrahmanyam.
6. Govt launches inflation indexed saving bonds
i. Government has launched inflation indexed saving bonds, which offer protection to retail investors from price rise.
ii. It is open for subscription between December 23-31.The minimum limit for investment is Rs 5,000 and the maximum is Rs 5 lakh per applicant per annum.
iii. Interest rate would be linked to Consumer Price Index (CPI).The same will be compounded in the principal on half-yearly basis and paid at the time of maturity.
iv. Besides, eligible investors can approach three private sector banks -- HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and Axis Bank -- and Stock Holding Corporation of India.
7. Rashtrakavi G.S. Shivarudrappa no more
i. Distinguished Kannada poet, writer and researcher G.S. Shivarudrappa (87) passed away on Monday morning at his residence in Bangalore.
ii. The writer, who was awarded title of Rashtrakavi by the Government of Karnataka in 2006, November 1, was ailing for some time.
iii. He received the Central Sahitya Akademi Award in 1984 for his literary contribution. He has also bagged several awards including the Karnataka State Sahitya Academy and Soviet Land Nehru Award. He presided over the Akhila Bharatiya Kannada Sahitya Sammelana held in Davanagere in 1992.
8. Michiaki Takahashi who developed Chickenpox vaccine died
i. Dr. Michiaki Takahashi who developed a vaccine for the chicken pox virus died at the age of 85 due to heart failure on 23 December 2013 in Osaka, Japan.
ii. Takahashi developed the vaccine for the chicken pox in 1972, within few years Japan and some other countries had begun vaccination programs. The vaccine did not treat the disease, but it prompted immune systems to produce antibodies.
iii. In 1964 Takahashi had spent several years in studying the measles and polio viruses as research fellowship at Baylor Medical College in Houston, US.
iv. In 1972 he developed the early version of the chicken pox vaccine in Japan. The Food and Drug Administration, United Stated approved the first chickenpox vaccine in 1995.
About Chicken Pox:
• Chickenpox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus which is a form of herpes.
• Chickenpox is highly contagious disease that is spread via contact with infected person.
• Chickenpox symptoms are rashes in the body, fever, loss of appetite, headache and tiredness.
9. Apple signs iPhone deal with China Mobile
i. US computer giant Apple has signed a deal to bring its iPhone to China Mobile the world's largest carrier. Chine Mobile, which has 760 million customers will make the two largest iPhone models the 5s and 5c available from next month.
ii. Last month China Mobile was one of three network to be awarded China's first 4G licences.
10. Veteran journalist Pran Chopra died
i. Born in 1921 in Lahore, Pran began his journalism in 1941 in civil and military gazette. In 1940s he served All India Radio as a War Correspondent in China and Vietnam. He wrote the foreword of the book If I’m Assassinated a book of former Pakistan Prime Minister, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.
11. Zaheer fourth Indian bowler to claim 300 wickets in Test cricket
i. Zaheer Khan on 22 December 2013 became the fourth IndiaCURRENT AFFAIRS : 23rd DECEMBER 2013
--------------------------------------------------
1. AAP to form govt in Delhi; Arvind Kejriwal to be next CM
i. Putting an end to all speculations and rumours, the founder and chief of debutant AAP, Arvind Kejriwal said he will form the government in Delhi.
ii. Arvind Kejriwal to be next Delhi CM, will take oath on December 26
iii.Mr. Kejriwal handed over a formal letter to the Lt. Governor saying a majority of the people are in favour of Aam Aadmi Party forming a government in New Delhi.
iv. Kejriwal said, the swearing in ceremony of Aam Admi party will take place at the Ramleela Maidan. Kejriwal said, the Lt. Governor told him that the letter will be forwarded to the President for consideration.
v. AAP leaders said they will carry on the protests against corruption by both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party.
vi. The party maintained that the decision was taken as the people of Delhi did not opt for a re-election in the State.
2. Kisan Diwas observed across India on 23 December
i. Kisan Diwas was observed across the country on 23 December 2013 to celebrate the birthday of Chaudhary Charan Singh.
ii. On this occasion, farmer seminars were organised at the divisional, district and block levels. Political leaders cutting across party lines paid tributes to fifth PM of India on his 11th birth anniversary.
About Chaudhary Charan Singh
Chaudhary Charan Singh (23 Dec 1902 - 29 May 1987) was the fifth Prime Minister of India. He served as the Prime Minister from 28 July 1979 to 14 January 1980.
3. Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed approved as Prime Minister by Somalian Parliament
i. Abdiweli replaced outgoing Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon. Abdi was ousted in November 2013 by the Parliament following a rift with the Somali President over policy differences.
ii. In the voting held for the endorsement of the new Prime Minister in the Parliament, 239 votes out of total 243 were put in favour of Abdiweli. The result was announced by the Somali Parliament Speaker Mohamed Sheikh Osman Jawari on 21 December 2013.
iii. The endorsement of Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed as Prime Minister was welcomed by the head of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) Nicholas Kay.
About Somalia:
Somalia is a country located in the Horn of Africa and its capital is Mogadishu. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, the Gulf of Aden to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east, and Kenya to the southwest. Somalia has the longest coastline on the mainland.
4. RBI extends timeline for banks to adopt new messaging standards
i. The Reserve Bank of India has extended the timeline for banks till March 31 next year to adopt the new messaging standards in Real-time Gross Settlement, RTGS payment platform.
ii. A new RTGS system was put in place in October this year, requiring banks to adopt ISO 20022 standard messaging formats. Banks are still relying on temporary solution provided by their IT and service providers for conversion of messages.
iii. RTGS systems are funds transfer systems where transfer of money or securities takes place from one bank to another on a real time and on gross basis.
iv. RBI said that it has received requests from banks to allow them to continue with the present arrangement till the required modifications were made at the core banking solution at banks' end.
v. The apex bank said that the objective of introducing ISO 20022 standard message format for payment system is to bring about standardisation in the messaging formats for various payment systems in the country and to conform to international standards.
vi. The system is meant for large value transactions. The minimum amount to be remitted through RTGS is 2 lakh rupees, while there is no upper ceiling.
5. New Indian envoy to US to take charge
i. S. Jaishankar, the new Indian Ambassador to the US, will arrive here tomorrow to take charge amid a raging diplomatic row over the arrest and strip-search of senior diplomat Devyani Khobragade on visa fraud charges.
ii. Jaishankar, who till recently was India’s Ambassador to China, arrives in Washington at a time when bilateral ties threaten to hit a low in more than a decade now in the aftermath of the arrest of Khobragade.
iii. Known as one of the brightest foreign service officials of his generation, who played a key role in the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal, Jaishankar’s first task would be to prevent the relationship from getting derailed any further.
iv. Jaishankar, who is proficient in Russian and also knows Japanese and Hungarian, succeeds Nirupama Rao.
v. Born in New Delhi in 1955, Jaishankar is the son of prominent Indian strategic affairs analyst, commentator, and civil servant K. Subrahmanyam and brother of historian Sanjay Subrahmanyam.
6. Govt launches inflation indexed saving bonds
i. Government has launched inflation indexed saving bonds, which offer protection to retail investors from price rise.
ii. It is open for subscription between December 23-31.The minimum limit for investment is Rs 5,000 and the maximum is Rs 5 lakh per applicant per annum.
iii. Interest rate would be linked to Consumer Price Index (CPI).The same will be compounded in the principal on half-yearly basis and paid at the time of maturity.
iv. Besides, eligible investors can approach three private sector banks -- HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and Axis Bank -- and Stock Holding Corporation of India.
7. Rashtrakavi G.S. Shivarudrappa no more
i. Distinguished Kannada poet, writer and researcher G.S. Shivarudrappa (87) passed away on Monday morning at his residence in Bangalore.
ii. The writer, who was awarded title of Rashtrakavi by the Government of Karnataka in 2006, November 1, was ailing for some time.
iii. He received the Central Sahitya Akademi Award in 1984 for his literary contribution. He has also bagged several awards including the Karnataka State Sahitya Academy and Soviet Land Nehru Award. He presided over the Akhila Bharatiya Kannada Sahitya Sammelana held in Davanagere in 1992.
8. Michiaki Takahashi who developed Chickenpox vaccine died
i. Dr. Michiaki Takahashi who developed a vaccine for the chicken pox virus died at the age of 85 due to heart failure on 23 December 2013 in Osaka, Japan.
ii. Takahashi developed the vaccine for the chicken pox in 1972, within few years Japan and some other countries had begun vaccination programs. The vaccine did not treat the disease, but it prompted immune systems to produce antibodies.
iii. In 1964 Takahashi had spent several years in studying the measles and polio viruses as research fellowship at Baylor Medical College in Houston, US.
iv. In 1972 he developed the early version of the chicken pox vaccine in Japan. The Food and Drug Administration, United Stated approved the first chickenpox vaccine in 1995.
About Chicken Pox:
• Chickenpox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus which is a form of herpes.
• Chickenpox is highly contagious disease that is spread via contact with infected person.
• Chickenpox symptoms are rashes in the body, fever, loss of appetite, headache and tiredness.
9. Apple signs iPhone deal with China Mobile
i. US computer giant Apple has signed a deal to bring its iPhone to China Mobile the world's largest carrier. Chine Mobile, which has 760 million customers will make the two largest iPhone models the 5s and 5c available from next month.
ii. Last month China Mobile was one of three network to be awarded China's first 4G licences.
10. Veteran journalist Pran Chopra died
i. Born in 1921 in Lahore, Pran began his journalism in 1941 in civil and military gazette. In 1940s he served All India Radio as a War Correspondent in China and Vietnam. He wrote the foreword of the book If I’m Assassinated a book of former Pakistan Prime Minister, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.
11. Zaheer fourth Indian bowler to claim 300 wickets in Test cricket
i. Zaheer Khan on 22 December 2013 became the fourth Indian bowler to claim 300 wickets in Test Cricket. Jacques Kallis was his 300th wicket in international test cricket on the fifth day of the first cricket test match against South Africa in Johannesburg at the Wanderers Stadium.
ii. With the 300 wickets, Zaheer joined the club of bowlers of India, who has taken 300 wickets namely Kapil Dev (434 wickets), Anil Kumble (619 wickets) and Harbhajan Singh (413 wickets). He also became the most successful left arm fast bowler after Wasim Akram of Pakistan (414 wickets) and Chaminda Vaas of Sri Lanka (355 Wickets).
12. India-South Africa first cricket test ends in thrilling draw
i. The first cricket Test of the 2-match series between India and South Africa ended in a nail-biting draw at Johannesburg on Sunday night.
ii. Chasing a mammoth 458 runs, the hosts managed to score 450 runs for the loss of 7 wickets at the close of play. Superb centuries by Faf Du Plessis and AB de Villiers helped South Africa pull off nearly world record run chase. Du Plessis made 134, while De Villiers scored 103.
iii. But after the wicket of De Villiers, the Proteas lost some quick wickets, including that of Du Plessis, and the nerve-wrecking match ended in a draw. For India, Mohammed Shami bagged 3 wickets, while Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma took one each. Virat Kohli, who scored 119 in the first innings and 96 in the second, was adjudged man of the match.
iv. The second and final test of the series will be played at Durban from Thursday.
13. England's Graeme Swann announced retirement from International Cricket
i. England spinner Graeme Swann announced his retirement from international and first-class cricket midway through the Ashes Series on 22 December 2013.
ii. The surprise announcement came days after England lost the coveted Ashes in the third Test in Perth to fall 3-0 behind in the five-test series.Swann had long been Australia's Ashes tormentor. He played a key role in England's run of three successive series wins against their arch-rivals Australia.
About Swann : Swann made his test debut against India at Chennai in 2008 wherein he took four wickets. He retired as the sixth highest Test wicket-takers of England. He took 255 wickets from his 60 matches at an average of 29.96.
n bowler to claim 300 wickets in Test Cricket. Jacques Kallis was his 300th wicket in international test cricket on the fifth day of the first cricket test match against South Africa in Johannesburg at the Wanderers Stadium.
ii. With the 300 wickets, Zaheer joined the club of bowlers of India, who has taken 300 wickets namely Kapil Dev (434 wickets), Anil Kumble (619 wickets) and Harbhajan Singh (413 wickets). He also became the most successful left arm fast bowler after Wasim Akram of Pakistan (414 wickets) and Chaminda Vaas of Sri Lanka (355 Wickets).
12. India-South Africa first cricket test ends in thrilling draw
i. The first cricket Test of the 2-match series between India and South Africa ended in a nail-biting draw at Johannesburg on Sunday night.
ii. Chasing a mammoth 458 runs, the hosts managed to score 450 runs for the loss of 7 wickets at the close of play. Superb centuries by Faf Du Plessis and AB de Villiers helped South Africa pull off nearly world record run chase. Du Plessis made 134, while De Villiers scored 103.
iii. But after the wicket of De Villiers, the Proteas lost some quick wickets, including that of Du Plessis, and the nerve-wrecking match ended in a draw. For India, Mohammed Shami bagged 3 wickets, while Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma took one each. Virat Kohli, who scored 119 in the first innings and 96 in the second, was adjudged man of the match.
iv. The second and final test of the series will be played at Durban from Thursday.
13. England's Graeme Swann announced retirement from International Cricket
i. England spinner Graeme Swann announced his retirement from international and first-class cricket midway through the Ashes Series on 22 December 2013.
ii. The surprise announcement came days after England lost the coveted Ashes in the third Test in Perth to fall 3-0 behind in the five-test series.Swann had long been Australia's Ashes tormentor. He played a key role in England's run of three successive series wins against their arch-rivals Australia.
About Swann : Swann made his test debut against India at Chennai in 2008 wherein he took four wickets. He retired as the sixth highest Test wicket-takers of England. He took 255 wickets from his 60 matches at an average of 29.96.
1. AAP to form govt in Delhi; Arvind Kejriwal to be next CM
i. Putting an end to all speculations and rumours, the founder and chief of debutant AAP, Arvind Kejriwal said he will form the government in Delhi.
ii. Arvind Kejriwal to be next Delhi CM, will take oath on December 26
iii.Mr. Kejriwal handed over a formal letter to the Lt. Governor saying a majority of the people are in favour of Aam Aadmi Party forming a government in New Delhi.
iv. Kejriwal said, the swearing in ceremony of Aam Admi party will take place at the Ramleela Maidan. Kejriwal said, the Lt. Governor told him that the letter will be forwarded to the President for consideration.
v. AAP leaders said they will carry on the protests against corruption by both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party.
vi. The party maintained that the decision was taken as the people of Delhi did not opt for a re-election in the State.
2. Kisan Diwas observed across India on 23 December
i. Kisan Diwas was observed across the country on 23 December 2013 to celebrate the birthday of Chaudhary Charan Singh.
ii. On this occasion, farmer seminars were organised at the divisional, district and block levels. Political leaders cutting across party lines paid tributes to fifth PM of India on his 11th birth anniversary.
About Chaudhary Charan Singh
Chaudhary Charan Singh (23 Dec 1902 - 29 May 1987) was the fifth Prime Minister of India. He served as the Prime Minister from 28 July 1979 to 14 January 1980.
3. Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed approved as Prime Minister by Somalian Parliament
i. Abdiweli replaced outgoing Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon. Abdi was ousted in November 2013 by the Parliament following a rift with the Somali President over policy differences.
ii. In the voting held for the endorsement of the new Prime Minister in the Parliament, 239 votes out of total 243 were put in favour of Abdiweli. The result was announced by the Somali Parliament Speaker Mohamed Sheikh Osman Jawari on 21 December 2013.
iii. The endorsement of Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed as Prime Minister was welcomed by the head of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) Nicholas Kay.
About Somalia:
Somalia is a country located in the Horn of Africa and its capital is Mogadishu. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, the Gulf of Aden to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east, and Kenya to the southwest. Somalia has the longest coastline on the mainland.
4. RBI extends timeline for banks to adopt new messaging standards
i. The Reserve Bank of India has extended the timeline for banks till March 31 next year to adopt the new messaging standards in Real-time Gross Settlement, RTGS payment platform.
ii. A new RTGS system was put in place in October this year, requiring banks to adopt ISO 20022 standard messaging formats. Banks are still relying on temporary solution provided by their IT and service providers for conversion of messages.
iii. RTGS systems are funds transfer systems where transfer of money or securities takes place from one bank to another on a real time and on gross basis.
iv. RBI said that it has received requests from banks to allow them to continue with the present arrangement till the required modifications were made at the core banking solution at banks' end.
v. The apex bank said that the objective of introducing ISO 20022 standard message format for payment system is to bring about standardisation in the messaging formats for various payment systems in the country and to conform to international standards.
vi. The system is meant for large value transactions. The minimum amount to be remitted through RTGS is 2 lakh rupees, while there is no upper ceiling.
5. New Indian envoy to US to take charge
i. S. Jaishankar, the new Indian Ambassador to the US, will arrive here tomorrow to take charge amid a raging diplomatic row over the arrest and strip-search of senior diplomat Devyani Khobragade on visa fraud charges.
ii. Jaishankar, who till recently was India’s Ambassador to China, arrives in Washington at a time when bilateral ties threaten to hit a low in more than a decade now in the aftermath of the arrest of Khobragade.
iii. Known as one of the brightest foreign service officials of his generation, who played a key role in the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal, Jaishankar’s first task would be to prevent the relationship from getting derailed any further.
iv. Jaishankar, who is proficient in Russian and also knows Japanese and Hungarian, succeeds Nirupama Rao.
v. Born in New Delhi in 1955, Jaishankar is the son of prominent Indian strategic affairs analyst, commentator, and civil servant K. Subrahmanyam and brother of historian Sanjay Subrahmanyam.
6. Govt launches inflation indexed saving bonds
i. Government has launched inflation indexed saving bonds, which offer protection to retail investors from price rise.
ii. It is open for subscription between December 23-31.The minimum limit for investment is Rs 5,000 and the maximum is Rs 5 lakh per applicant per annum.
iii. Interest rate would be linked to Consumer Price Index (CPI).The same will be compounded in the principal on half-yearly basis and paid at the time of maturity.
iv. Besides, eligible investors can approach three private sector banks -- HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and Axis Bank -- and Stock Holding Corporation of India.
7. Rashtrakavi G.S. Shivarudrappa no more
i. Distinguished Kannada poet, writer and researcher G.S. Shivarudrappa (87) passed away on Monday morning at his residence in Bangalore.
ii. The writer, who was awarded title of Rashtrakavi by the Government of Karnataka in 2006, November 1, was ailing for some time.
iii. He received the Central Sahitya Akademi Award in 1984 for his literary contribution. He has also bagged several awards including the Karnataka State Sahitya Academy and Soviet Land Nehru Award. He presided over the Akhila Bharatiya Kannada Sahitya Sammelana held in Davanagere in 1992.
8. Michiaki Takahashi who developed Chickenpox vaccine died
i. Dr. Michiaki Takahashi who developed a vaccine for the chicken pox virus died at the age of 85 due to heart failure on 23 December 2013 in Osaka, Japan.
ii. Takahashi developed the vaccine for the chicken pox in 1972, within few years Japan and some other countries had begun vaccination programs. The vaccine did not treat the disease, but it prompted immune systems to produce antibodies.
iii. In 1964 Takahashi had spent several years in studying the measles and polio viruses as research fellowship at Baylor Medical College in Houston, US.
iv. In 1972 he developed the early version of the chicken pox vaccine in Japan. The Food and Drug Administration, United Stated approved the first chickenpox vaccine in 1995.
About Chicken Pox:
• Chickenpox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus which is a form of herpes.
• Chickenpox is highly contagious disease that is spread via contact with infected person.
• Chickenpox symptoms are rashes in the body, fever, loss of appetite, headache and tiredness.
9. Apple signs iPhone deal with China Mobile
i. US computer giant Apple has signed a deal to bring its iPhone to China Mobile the world's largest carrier. Chine Mobile, which has 760 million customers will make the two largest iPhone models the 5s and 5c available from next month.
ii. Last month China Mobile was one of three network to be awarded China's first 4G licences.
10. Veteran journalist Pran Chopra died
i. Born in 1921 in Lahore, Pran began his journalism in 1941 in civil and military gazette. In 1940s he served All India Radio as a War Correspondent in China and Vietnam. He wrote the foreword of the book If I’m Assassinated a book of former Pakistan Prime Minister, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.
11. Zaheer fourth Indian bowler to claim 300 wickets in Test cricket
i. Zaheer Khan on 22 December 2013 became the fourth IndiaCURRENT AFFAIRS : 23rd DECEMBER 2013
--------------------------------------------------
1. AAP to form govt in Delhi; Arvind Kejriwal to be next CM
i. Putting an end to all speculations and rumours, the founder and chief of debutant AAP, Arvind Kejriwal said he will form the government in Delhi.
ii. Arvind Kejriwal to be next Delhi CM, will take oath on December 26
iii.Mr. Kejriwal handed over a formal letter to the Lt. Governor saying a majority of the people are in favour of Aam Aadmi Party forming a government in New Delhi.
iv. Kejriwal said, the swearing in ceremony of Aam Admi party will take place at the Ramleela Maidan. Kejriwal said, the Lt. Governor told him that the letter will be forwarded to the President for consideration.
v. AAP leaders said they will carry on the protests against corruption by both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party.
vi. The party maintained that the decision was taken as the people of Delhi did not opt for a re-election in the State.
2. Kisan Diwas observed across India on 23 December
i. Kisan Diwas was observed across the country on 23 December 2013 to celebrate the birthday of Chaudhary Charan Singh.
ii. On this occasion, farmer seminars were organised at the divisional, district and block levels. Political leaders cutting across party lines paid tributes to fifth PM of India on his 11th birth anniversary.
About Chaudhary Charan Singh
Chaudhary Charan Singh (23 Dec 1902 - 29 May 1987) was the fifth Prime Minister of India. He served as the Prime Minister from 28 July 1979 to 14 January 1980.
3. Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed approved as Prime Minister by Somalian Parliament
i. Abdiweli replaced outgoing Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon. Abdi was ousted in November 2013 by the Parliament following a rift with the Somali President over policy differences.
ii. In the voting held for the endorsement of the new Prime Minister in the Parliament, 239 votes out of total 243 were put in favour of Abdiweli. The result was announced by the Somali Parliament Speaker Mohamed Sheikh Osman Jawari on 21 December 2013.
iii. The endorsement of Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed as Prime Minister was welcomed by the head of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) Nicholas Kay.
About Somalia:
Somalia is a country located in the Horn of Africa and its capital is Mogadishu. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, the Gulf of Aden to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east, and Kenya to the southwest. Somalia has the longest coastline on the mainland.
4. RBI extends timeline for banks to adopt new messaging standards
i. The Reserve Bank of India has extended the timeline for banks till March 31 next year to adopt the new messaging standards in Real-time Gross Settlement, RTGS payment platform.
ii. A new RTGS system was put in place in October this year, requiring banks to adopt ISO 20022 standard messaging formats. Banks are still relying on temporary solution provided by their IT and service providers for conversion of messages.
iii. RTGS systems are funds transfer systems where transfer of money or securities takes place from one bank to another on a real time and on gross basis.
iv. RBI said that it has received requests from banks to allow them to continue with the present arrangement till the required modifications were made at the core banking solution at banks' end.
v. The apex bank said that the objective of introducing ISO 20022 standard message format for payment system is to bring about standardisation in the messaging formats for various payment systems in the country and to conform to international standards.
vi. The system is meant for large value transactions. The minimum amount to be remitted through RTGS is 2 lakh rupees, while there is no upper ceiling.
5. New Indian envoy to US to take charge
i. S. Jaishankar, the new Indian Ambassador to the US, will arrive here tomorrow to take charge amid a raging diplomatic row over the arrest and strip-search of senior diplomat Devyani Khobragade on visa fraud charges.
ii. Jaishankar, who till recently was India’s Ambassador to China, arrives in Washington at a time when bilateral ties threaten to hit a low in more than a decade now in the aftermath of the arrest of Khobragade.
iii. Known as one of the brightest foreign service officials of his generation, who played a key role in the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal, Jaishankar’s first task would be to prevent the relationship from getting derailed any further.
iv. Jaishankar, who is proficient in Russian and also knows Japanese and Hungarian, succeeds Nirupama Rao.
v. Born in New Delhi in 1955, Jaishankar is the son of prominent Indian strategic affairs analyst, commentator, and civil servant K. Subrahmanyam and brother of historian Sanjay Subrahmanyam.
6. Govt launches inflation indexed saving bonds
i. Government has launched inflation indexed saving bonds, which offer protection to retail investors from price rise.
ii. It is open for subscription between December 23-31.The minimum limit for investment is Rs 5,000 and the maximum is Rs 5 lakh per applicant per annum.
iii. Interest rate would be linked to Consumer Price Index (CPI).The same will be compounded in the principal on half-yearly basis and paid at the time of maturity.
iv. Besides, eligible investors can approach three private sector banks -- HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and Axis Bank -- and Stock Holding Corporation of India.
7. Rashtrakavi G.S. Shivarudrappa no more
i. Distinguished Kannada poet, writer and researcher G.S. Shivarudrappa (87) passed away on Monday morning at his residence in Bangalore.
ii. The writer, who was awarded title of Rashtrakavi by the Government of Karnataka in 2006, November 1, was ailing for some time.
iii. He received the Central Sahitya Akademi Award in 1984 for his literary contribution. He has also bagged several awards including the Karnataka State Sahitya Academy and Soviet Land Nehru Award. He presided over the Akhila Bharatiya Kannada Sahitya Sammelana held in Davanagere in 1992.
8. Michiaki Takahashi who developed Chickenpox vaccine died
i. Dr. Michiaki Takahashi who developed a vaccine for the chicken pox virus died at the age of 85 due to heart failure on 23 December 2013 in Osaka, Japan.
ii. Takahashi developed the vaccine for the chicken pox in 1972, within few years Japan and some other countries had begun vaccination programs. The vaccine did not treat the disease, but it prompted immune systems to produce antibodies.
iii. In 1964 Takahashi had spent several years in studying the measles and polio viruses as research fellowship at Baylor Medical College in Houston, US.
iv. In 1972 he developed the early version of the chicken pox vaccine in Japan. The Food and Drug Administration, United Stated approved the first chickenpox vaccine in 1995.
About Chicken Pox:
• Chickenpox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus which is a form of herpes.
• Chickenpox is highly contagious disease that is spread via contact with infected person.
• Chickenpox symptoms are rashes in the body, fever, loss of appetite, headache and tiredness.
9. Apple signs iPhone deal with China Mobile
i. US computer giant Apple has signed a deal to bring its iPhone to China Mobile the world's largest carrier. Chine Mobile, which has 760 million customers will make the two largest iPhone models the 5s and 5c available from next month.
ii. Last month China Mobile was one of three network to be awarded China's first 4G licences.
10. Veteran journalist Pran Chopra died
i. Born in 1921 in Lahore, Pran began his journalism in 1941 in civil and military gazette. In 1940s he served All India Radio as a War Correspondent in China and Vietnam. He wrote the foreword of the book If I’m Assassinated a book of former Pakistan Prime Minister, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.
11. Zaheer fourth Indian bowler to claim 300 wickets in Test cricket
i. Zaheer Khan on 22 December 2013 became the fourth Indian bowler to claim 300 wickets in Test Cricket. Jacques Kallis was his 300th wicket in international test cricket on the fifth day of the first cricket test match against South Africa in Johannesburg at the Wanderers Stadium.
ii. With the 300 wickets, Zaheer joined the club of bowlers of India, who has taken 300 wickets namely Kapil Dev (434 wickets), Anil Kumble (619 wickets) and Harbhajan Singh (413 wickets). He also became the most successful left arm fast bowler after Wasim Akram of Pakistan (414 wickets) and Chaminda Vaas of Sri Lanka (355 Wickets).
12. India-South Africa first cricket test ends in thrilling draw
i. The first cricket Test of the 2-match series between India and South Africa ended in a nail-biting draw at Johannesburg on Sunday night.
ii. Chasing a mammoth 458 runs, the hosts managed to score 450 runs for the loss of 7 wickets at the close of play. Superb centuries by Faf Du Plessis and AB de Villiers helped South Africa pull off nearly world record run chase. Du Plessis made 134, while De Villiers scored 103.
iii. But after the wicket of De Villiers, the Proteas lost some quick wickets, including that of Du Plessis, and the nerve-wrecking match ended in a draw. For India, Mohammed Shami bagged 3 wickets, while Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma took one each. Virat Kohli, who scored 119 in the first innings and 96 in the second, was adjudged man of the match.
iv. The second and final test of the series will be played at Durban from Thursday.
13. England's Graeme Swann announced retirement from International Cricket
i. England spinner Graeme Swann announced his retirement from international and first-class cricket midway through the Ashes Series on 22 December 2013.
ii. The surprise announcement came days after England lost the coveted Ashes in the third Test in Perth to fall 3-0 behind in the five-test series.Swann had long been Australia's Ashes tormentor. He played a key role in England's run of three successive series wins against their arch-rivals Australia.
About Swann : Swann made his test debut against India at Chennai in 2008 wherein he took four wickets. He retired as the sixth highest Test wicket-takers of England. He took 255 wickets from his 60 matches at an average of 29.96.
n bowler to claim 300 wickets in Test Cricket. Jacques Kallis was his 300th wicket in international test cricket on the fifth day of the first cricket test match against South Africa in Johannesburg at the Wanderers Stadium.
ii. With the 300 wickets, Zaheer joined the club of bowlers of India, who has taken 300 wickets namely Kapil Dev (434 wickets), Anil Kumble (619 wickets) and Harbhajan Singh (413 wickets). He also became the most successful left arm fast bowler after Wasim Akram of Pakistan (414 wickets) and Chaminda Vaas of Sri Lanka (355 Wickets).
12. India-South Africa first cricket test ends in thrilling draw
i. The first cricket Test of the 2-match series between India and South Africa ended in a nail-biting draw at Johannesburg on Sunday night.
ii. Chasing a mammoth 458 runs, the hosts managed to score 450 runs for the loss of 7 wickets at the close of play. Superb centuries by Faf Du Plessis and AB de Villiers helped South Africa pull off nearly world record run chase. Du Plessis made 134, while De Villiers scored 103.
iii. But after the wicket of De Villiers, the Proteas lost some quick wickets, including that of Du Plessis, and the nerve-wrecking match ended in a draw. For India, Mohammed Shami bagged 3 wickets, while Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma took one each. Virat Kohli, who scored 119 in the first innings and 96 in the second, was adjudged man of the match.
iv. The second and final test of the series will be played at Durban from Thursday.
13. England's Graeme Swann announced retirement from International Cricket
i. England spinner Graeme Swann announced his retirement from international and first-class cricket midway through the Ashes Series on 22 December 2013.
ii. The surprise announcement came days after England lost the coveted Ashes in the third Test in Perth to fall 3-0 behind in the five-test series.Swann had long been Australia's Ashes tormentor. He played a key role in England's run of three successive series wins against their arch-rivals Australia.
About Swann : Swann made his test debut against India at Chennai in 2008 wherein he took four wickets. He retired as the sixth highest Test wicket-takers of England. He took 255 wickets from his 60 matches at an average of 29.96.
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