22nd December 2014 - Important Current Affairs updates

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International Affairs

• Anti-Islamist politician Beji Caid Essebsi won Tunisia`s presidential election with 55.68 percent of the vote, beating incumbent Moncef Marzouki.
• He becomes the first president freely elected by Tunisians since independence from France in 1956.
• China is formulating a new national security law to safeguard security in the backdrop of a spurt in terrorist attacks in the Muslim-majority Xinjiang province.
• A draft legislation which aims to be a “comprehensive and fundamental piece of legislation” was tabled today in the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) for its first reading.

National Affairs

• The Modi Government's key programmes, including Make in India, would be highlighted during Pravasi Bharatiya Divas being held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, from 7th January to 9th January 2015  that is expected to see around 3,000 Indian diaspora attending.
• The chief guest of this function would be Guyana President Donald Ramotar.
• In a major setback to the Shiromani Akali Dal-led Punjab government, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned state Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia to probe his alleged role in the Rs 6,000-crore international synthetic drug case.
• Majithia is the younger brother of Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the wife of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.
• The 127th birthday of great Indian Mathematician ‎Srinivasa Ramanujan‬ was observed as ‎National Mathematics Day‬ today.
  
• The mathematical genius compiled more than 3900 mathematical results and equations.
• Ramanujan and British Mathematician Hardy discovered the smallest number represented as sum of two cubes 1729 which came to be known as Hardy-Ramanujan number.
• Four strategic places along the India-China border have been identified by the Defence Ministry for rail connectivity in the first phase.
• They are
1. Missamari-Tenga-Tawang (378 km),
2. Bilaspur-Manali- Leh (498 km),
3. Pasighat-Tezu-Rupai (227 km) and
4. North Lakhimpur-Bame-Silapathar (249km)
• Minister of State for Railways - Manoj Sinha
• The festival of Losar is being celebrated today with traditional and religious fervor in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir.
• The festival marks the beginning of New Year in Ladakh and it is an important social and religious celebration in Ladakh.
• The Centre would soon launch National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY), a Rs. 500 crore scheme for conservation of heritage and development of 12 cities across the country.
• This scheme is likely to be rolled out next month.
• The 12 cities are Amritsar, Varanasi, Gaya, Puri, Ajmer, Mathura, Dwarka, Badami, Velankanni, Kanchipuram, Warangal and Amaravati.

New Appointments

• Senior IPS officer Prakash Mishra takes over as the new chief of country's largest paramilitary & lead anti-Naxal operations force CRPF.

Sports

• Sachin Tendulkar named as brand ambassador for ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.
• It will be the second successive time that the India maestro will be the Ambassador of ICC's pinnacle tournament, after he fulfilled the role in the previous event in 2011 
• Arjun Atwal wins the Inaugural edition of Dubai Open Golf Championship title.
• 37th Sub-junior National Volleyball Championships will be held in New Delhi from December 26-31.
• West Bengal government will felicitate Atletico de Kolkata (ATK) team for winning the first edition of Indian Super League on Wednesday.

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