Miscellaneous National and International Current Affairs 2018

 Nokia signed world’s first big 5G deal worth $3.5 billion.
 India has been designated as a nodal centre for preparing flash-flood forecasts to Asian nations by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
 Egypt won the WSF-World junior squash team championship 2018.
 Prabhat Koli has become the first Asian to swim UK-France channel.
 Andhra Pradesh state government announced to up ‘iHub’ (the intelligent hub) for research and scientific learning.
 Facebook has announced that it is to introduce a time management tool which will be like a daily reminder.
 Indian-origin prison guard, who won Master Chef Australia 2018 is Sashi Cheliah.
 Telangana state government will setup a state of the art “B-Hub” for biotech and biopharma sector.
 Netherlands Women’s Hockey team won the gold medal in the Women’s Hockey World Cup 2018.
 123rd Constitutional Amendment Bill has passed by the Parliament to grant constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC).
 Axis Bank becomes the first bank in the country to introduce Iris Scan Authentication feature for Aadhaar -based transactions through its micro ATM tablets.
 Indian Government extended e-visa facility for citizens of 165 countries.
 According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Macau would become World’s richest place by 2020.
 Birgunj, Nepal hosted the Nepal-India Literature Festival 2018.
 Michelle Bachelet, the former two-time President of Chile has been appointed as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
 Apollo Hospitals and Microsoft jointly introduce an AI-powered Cardiovascular Disease risk.
 India’s first Humboldt penguin was born in Mumbai’s Veer Jijamata Udyan
 Indian Army officer Dalbir Singh Suhag conferred with the US ‘Legion Of Merit’ 2018.
 Raveena Tandon has become the new brand ambassador of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP).
 International water colour festival was held in Ranchi.
 India’s largest Business Incubator Bhamashah Techno Hub launched in Jaipur.
 India’s first interstate connected wind power project commissioned in Bhuj, Gujarat.
 Facebook planned to build its first data centre in Singapore.
 Bengaluru International airport is the first international airport that roll out facial recognition facility for the passengers from 2019
 United States host the 2018 Global Summit on Climate Action.
 Goa prepares draft employment policy aims to ensure zero unemployment.
 The first Indian woman IAS officer who passed away recently is Anna Rajam Malhotra.
 The Government of India (GoI) has proposed to merge Vijaya Bank, Dena Bank and Bank of Baroda to create India’s third largest lender.
 Indian Air Force plans to set up a ‘strategic base’ in Andhra Pradesh.
 Cyclone-30, the biggest cyclotron in India for medical application became operational in Kolkata.
 Saudi Arabia is the third strategic partner of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
 BSNL signs a deal with Softbank and NTT Communications to roll out 5G and internet of things (IoT) technology in India.
 India will organise ‘Gandhi March’ in Netherlands.
 China will hold the fifth World Internet Conference (WIC) 2019.
 Haryana was ranked as the best State based on the National Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2018.
 Dr. Evan Atar Adaha was conferred with the 2018 Nansen Refugee Award.
 India has launched Operation Samudra Maitri to provide assistance to the earthquake and tsunami victims in Indonesia.
 India and Australia held their 2nd edition of ‘2+2’ secretary-level dialogue in Canberra, Australia.
 Mumbai won 2018 Vijay Hazare Trophy title.
 The Supreme Court banned the sale and registration of BS-IV vehicles from April 1, 2020
 China will build its first permanent airport in the South Pole.
 India-UAE Partnership Summit 2018 was held in Abu Dhabi.
 Odisha state government launched the Mo Bus services.
 The Bihar cabinet gave its nod for the redevelopment of Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) into a world’s largest 5462-bed hospital at an estimated cost of Rs 5540.07 crore.
 Goa bans importing of fish officially for 6 months.
 India become the world’s second-biggest emitter of carbon dioxide from the power sector after China.
 India’s first specialised hospital for elephants will be opened in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh
 Magnus Carlsen bagged the 2018 World Chess Championship.
 Korean wrestling has been approved under UNESCO’s world’s most treasured cultural practices,
 The “rakhi with khaki” initiative of Bilaspur Police Station holds the Guinness World Records.
 Swapna Barman was named as the brand ambassador of SBI’s YONO?
 Scientists from China developed a “rewritable” paper.
 Mary Kom has been honoured with the title “Meethoileima” by the Manipur Government.
 The world’s largest Arabic audio library launched in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
 India achieved another milestone when Indian Stock market overtakes Germany for the first time in seven years to become the world’s seventh largest stock market.
 Assamese singer Dipali Borthakur Passes Away on Dec 24. She was popularly known as Nightingale of Assam.
 Ruchi Ghanashyam has been appointed India’s new High Commissioner to United Kingdom (UK).
 India has appointed Riva Ganguly Das as the High Commissioner to Bangladesh.
 Harsh Vardhan Shringla has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the United State of America.
 Suchitra Durai has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Thailand.
 Saurabh Kumar has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Myanmar.
 Vikram Mishra has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to China.
 Maryse Conde has been announced as the winner of alternative Nobel Prize in literature, she was born in Guadelouope.
 Priyank Kanoongo has been appointed as the Chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights(NCPCR).
 Shekhar Mande has been appointed as the Director General of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) .
 India-Bangladesh Friendship Product Pipeline project will connect with Siliguri of West Bengal with the Parbatipur of Bangladesh.
 Jaya Prada has been appointed as goodwill ambassador for Nepal tourism.
 The world’s largest dome inaugurated in Pune.
 In a report issued by UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), it stated that the planet will reach the threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius in 2030.
 Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony 2014 – Rajkumar Singhajit Singh
 Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony 2015 – Chhayanaut (A cultural organization of Bangladesh)
 Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony 2016 – Ram Vanji Surar
 Scientists have discovered a new shape from human cells is named Scutoid.
 The United Nations has recognized Forest Green rovers as the first Certified Carbon Neutral Football Club.
 Indian-Australian Mathematician Akshay Venkatesh received mathematics’ prestigious Field medal. Know as the Nobel Prize for maths.
 Google officially launched Android 9.0 named ‘PIE’.
 Indore has been ranked India’s first cleanest city, as per latest survey report “Swachh Survekshan-2018.
 Rogar Federer has been honoured with Sportsman of the Year at the Laureus World Sports Awards 2018.
 Serena Williams has been honoured with Sportswoman of the Year at the Laureus World Sports Awards 2018.
 Viswanathan Anand won the Tal Memorial rapid chess title held in Moscow.
 Shatrughan Sinha has been awarded lifetime achievement honour at London’s House of Commons.
 Australia team won the 10th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup title held in Ipoh, Malaysia.
 Aishwarya Tipnis has been conferred the top French cultural award ‘Chevalier de L’Ordre des Arts et Lettres’.
 Indian peacekeepers from the UN mission have rebuilt the Akoka bridge in the record time of 10 days. It is located in South Sudan.
 Iceland becomes first country to legalise equal pay.
 World‘s smallest medical robot sets Guinness record. It was created by Soutik Betal in the United States.
 India has won Under-19 Asia Cup title.
 The world‘s longest sea bridge ‘Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge’ open for traffic on October 24, 2018.
 World‘s largest ice festival celebrated in China.
 Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain appointed new chief justice of Bangladesh.
 World‘s first robot ski competition held in South Korea.
 Stevan Smith wins Australia‘s Border Medal.
 Marshall Islands becomes 1st country to launch own crypto currency as legal tender.
 World Ocean Summit 2018 held in Mexico.
 Bolivia unveiled its 200 km long flag, which it claims to be the world’s biggest flag.
 Sierra Leone becomes first country to run a block-chain-powered election.
 World‘s First Intertidal Art Gallery Opened in Maldives.
 European wind survey satellite ―Aeolus‖ (rocket) launched from French Guyana.
 Google is shutting down its Google+ social network after it covered up a gaping security hole that exposed the personal data of half a million internet users.
 Pune has been selected as India’s first Lighthouse City for an urban mobility lab, in a program led by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and NITI Aayog.
 Sonakshi Sinha joins hands with UNESCO to promote safe cyberspace for children.
 Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das announced that Jharkhand will have the first ‘Khadi Mall’ of the country.
 Justice Gitta Mittal became the first woman Chief Justice of J&K High Court.
 Ministry of Tourism launches PRASAD Scheme(Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive).
 Eight States achieve 100% household electrification under Saubhagya Scheme – Madhya Pradesh, Tripura, Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, Mizoram, Sikkim, Telangana and West Bengal.
 Olympian Dipa Karmakar to be named Tripura‘s brand ambassador.
 Elphinstone station of Mumbai renamed as Prabhadevi by Western Railways
 Country‘s first e-waste recycling unit to come up in Bengaluru.
 Ayushman Bharat Program‘s first workshop held in Shimla.
 Tamil Nadu wins maiden senior national football championship in 23rd Senior Women’s National Football Championship
 India‘s first Radio Festival held in Delhi.
 Gujarat tops implementing Ayushman Bharat follow by Tamil Nadu and Chattisgarh.
 Tamil Nadu Government announces scheme for protection of exotic Neela Kurinji plants
 The Government has revised the PMJDY scheme: Overdraft facility – Rs 5000 to Rs 10000, Age limit – from 18-60 to 18-65 and Accidental insurance – from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 Lakh
 Food Safety and Standards Authority launches Project Dhoop for rising incidence of Vitamin ‘D’ deficiencies.
 Agartala Airport to be named after Maharaja Bir Bikram Manikya Kishore.
 Swachh Bharat Sanitation Park‖ inaugurated in Delhi.
 India‘s first defence industrial corridor will connect Chennai and Bengaluru.
 Uttar Pradesh gets its first butterfly park in Kanpur.
 Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel appointed Chairperson of National Green Tribunal.
 Asha Bhosle to receive Yash Chopra Memorial Award.
 First ever Khaadi Haat inaugurated in Delhi.
 India defeats Pakistan to win Blind Cricket World Cup 2018.
 National Banana Festival 2018, held in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
 Railways to set up coach factory at Latur, Maharashtra.
 Airtel, Huawei conduct India‘s first 5G trial.
 63rd Filmfare Awards 2018:
          o Best Film : Hindi Medium
          o Critics Award for Best Film : Newton
          o Best Actor In A Leading Role (Female) :VidyaBalan for Tumhari Sulu
          o Best Actor In A Leading Role (Male) :Irrfan Khan for Hindi Medium
          o Critics Award for Best Actor (Male) :Rajkummar Rao for Trapped
         o Critics Award for Best Actor (Female) :ZairaWasim for Secret Superstar
         o Best Director :AshwinyIyer Tiwari for Bareilly Ki Barfi
 Navy‘s first all-women team of INSV Tarini crosses Cape Horn.
 Chilika Lake becomes largest habitat of Irrawaddy dolphins globally.
 Huawei unveils world‘s first 5G commercial chip.
 RBI implemented the ‘Internal Ombudsman Scheme, 2018’ directed banks with over 10 branches to have IO.
 NOTA option removed from Rajya Sabha, Legislative Council polls by Election Commission.
 Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) was held in Houston, Texas, United States.
 Assam Government has become the first Indian state to offer a Wage Compensation Scheme for pregnant women working in the tea gardens of the state.
 Twitter has unveiled a ‘Gandhi Emoji’ which users around the world can use in their tweets to celebrate Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birthday.
 West Bengal government has decided to set up development boards for the Matua and Namasudra communities.
 The cyclonic storm ‘Gaja’ over interior Tamilnadu moved nearly westwards, weakened into a deep depression.
 Cabinet approves Commemoration of the 550th Birth Anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Devji.
 Government of India has decided to mark the remembrance of 100 years of the historical Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre next year.
 The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has appointed U C Dhyani as head of the three-member committee to oversee rejuvenation work of the Ganga River.