By: D.K Chaudhary
1. Bengali Poet Joy Goswami to Get 31st Moortidevi Award
i. Eminent Bengali poet Joy Goswami will be given the 31st Moortidevi Award for the year 2017. The committee, headed by poet and scholar Satya Vrat Shastri, unanimously decided to confer the award upon Goswami for his poetry collection titled Du Dondo Phowara Matro.
ii. It is the first time the award will be given to a Bengali poet. The award consists of a Saraswati Statue, a Citation Plaque and cash award of Rupees 4 lakh.
- The First Moortidevi Award winner was C. K. Nagaraja Rao.
2. India to Host Meeting of WTO Member Countries on Food Security
i. India will host a meeting of WTO member countries in February 2018 to muster support for food security and other issues. The announcement was made by Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu in New Delhi.
ii. The proposed meeting would be in the backdrop of developed nations forming groupings to prepare ground for pushing investment facilitation, preparing rules for e-commerce, promoting gender equality and reducing subsidy on fisheries.
- 11th World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference (MC11) took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
3. Goa Celebrates 56th Liberation Day
i. Goa has celebrated its 56th Liberation Day. The state was liberated on 19th December in 1961 from Portuguese control after almost 450 years of colonial rule.
ii. The main program was organized at the Sports Authority of Goa Ground, Campal in state capital Panaji. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar unfurled the national flag at the Goa Liberation Day celebrations in Panaji.
ii. The main program was organized at the Sports Authority of Goa Ground, Campal in state capital Panaji. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar unfurled the national flag at the Goa Liberation Day celebrations in Panaji.
- Goa CM- Manohar Parrikar, Governor- Mridula Sinha.
4. Global Innovation Index- India Ranked 60th Most Innovative Country, Switzerland Tops
i. India currently ranks 60th out of 127 countries on the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2017 as compared to 66th rank on GII 2016. The list was topped by Switzerland. NITI Aayog, Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) together launched a mega initiative “India Innovation Index”.
ii. This Index will rank states on Innovations through country’s first online innovation index portal that will capture data on innovation from all Indian states on innovation and regularly update it in real time.
ii. This Index will rank states on Innovations through country’s first online innovation index portal that will capture data on innovation from all Indian states on innovation and regularly update it in real time.
The Top 3 Countries on Global Innovation Index 2017 are–
- Switzerland,
- Sweden,
- Netherlands.
The Global Innovation Index provides detailed metrics about the innovation performance of 127 countries and economies around the world.
5. International Migrants Day- 18 December
i. The International Migrants Day is organized across the world on 18th December. The theme for IMD 2017 is ‘Safe Migration in a World on the Move.’ On 4 December 2000, the General Assembly proclaimed 18 December as International Migrants Day.
ii. On that day, in 1990, the Assembly adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.
6. ICRA Launches Fixed Income Indices for Debt Markets
i. ICRA Management Consulting Services (IMaCS), an arm of ICRA, launched a set of four fixed income indices including one on corporate bonds. It aims to create more depth in the Indian debt market.
ii. ICRA Gilt Indices, ICRA Liquid Indices, ICRA Corporate Bond Indices and ICRA Composite Debt Indices, the four indices launched, would help asset managers and financial services companies make the objective analysis and provide comprehensive benchmarking of debt portfolios.
- Non-Executive Chairman & an Independent Director of ICRA– Arun Duggal,
- ICRA Limited (formerly Investment Information and Credit Rating Agency of India Limited) was set up in 1991.
