25th December 2015 - Important Current Affairs updates

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International Affairs

• Christmas being celebrated across the world with traditional fervour and gaiety.
• After wrapping up his two-day visit to Russia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his way back home reached Kabul this morning.
• There, he held a meeting with Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul.
• Modi inaugurated the new building of Afghan Parliament which has been constructed by India at a cost of about 90 million US dollars.
• Note : The Parliament building has a block named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

MOUs

• India and Russia today signed 16 agreements, including those relating to cooperation in helicopter engineering and constructing solar plants.
• The agreements were signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Russia.
• Check complete list of 16 agreements signed between India and Russia from here.

National Affairs

• "2nd Good Governance Day" is being observed today.
  
• India observes this day to celebrate the 91st birthday of former Prime Minister Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
• Today is 154th birth anniversary of social reformer (Bharat Ratna) Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya.
• Great Independence Activist, politician and Statesman Bharat Ratna C Rajagopalachary's Death Anniversary today.
• Health Minister J P Nadda announced 4 new IT-based initiatives for citizen-centric health services.
• Kilkari : 
• This is an audio-based mobile service that delivers weekly audio messages to families about pregnancy, child birth and child care.
• Mobile Academy :  
• This is a mobile-based application.
• This will aid in enhancing their inter-personal skills.
• About 9000,000 ASHAs will be trained using this service.
• Once registered, ASHAs can access the 240-minute course via their mobile phones.
• RNTCP : 
• Mr Nadda informed about making the Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP) more patient-centric. 
• A dedicated toll free number, 1 8 0 0 - 1 1 6 6 6 6, with a call centre is being started to provide round the clock support for patient counselling and treatment support services.
• M-Cessation : 
• This will be an IT-enabled tool to help tobacco users to quit tobacco. 
• Built on a helpline concept, it will register beneficiaries on the basis of a missed call. 
• The counselling would be done through a two-way SMS process.
• For the benefit of farmers, Union Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh has launched two mobile apps namely Crop Insurance and AgriMarket Mobile.
• The apps were launched to celebrate the birth anniversary of former Prime Ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Choudhary Charan Singh.
• Their birthday will be celebrated by organising Kishan Jai Vigyan Week.

New Appointments

• Direct-selling FMCG firm Amway India today announced Bollywood actor Farhan Akhtar as its brand ambassador to promote Nutrilite range of the products.

Deaths

• Veteran Actress and Bollywood Style Icon Sadhana Shivdasani (74) passed away.
• Sadhana was known for films like Love in Simla, Parakh, Hum Dono, Waqt, Woh Kaun Thi.
• The actress who famously introduced the fringe hairstyle also known as Sadhana cut.
• She was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by IIFA in 2002.

People in News

• 4,030 People of Chengannur (a villiage in Kerala) have set a new Guinness World Record by forming the Largest Human ‎Christmas‬ Tree.

Sports

• South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Suzuki Cup
• India defeated Sri Lanka 2-0.
• Sri Lanka's Kusal Perera faces a four-year ban after the country's sports minister said the wicketkeeper-batsman's 'B' sample has also tested positive for a prohibited substance.
• Note : The International Cricket Council (ICC) provisionally suspended the 25-year-old after he failed an out-of-competition anti-doping test in October.

Read more Daily Current Affairs updates from here

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