Daily Current Affairs : 10th December 2013

1. Human Rights Day was observed across the world on 10 December 2013 to bring to light the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 2013. Theme of the day is 20 Years Working for Your Rights. In his message, Chairperson of National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, Justice K G Balakrishnan asked people to resolve to help maintain a value-based society and stand up for the promotion and protection of human rights. NHRC is observing the day by organising a programme in New Delhi which was addressed by Vice President Hamid Ansari. The UN Human Rights Prize is given on 10 December to the individuals and organizations in recognition of outstanding achievement in human rights. Pakistani teenage activist Malala Yousafzai has been awarded the 2013 UN Human Rights Prize.

2. The World Innovation Summit for Health, WISH-2013 began in Qatar capital Doha today with a call for practical, innovative and sustainable health solutions. More than 500 global health leaders, policy makers and analysts from 67 countries will over the next two days discuss ways and means to provide better health, better care and better value for health care services. Union Health and Family Welfare Secretary Kesav Desikaraju is representing India at the Conference.

3. Ranjan Mathai, the former Foreign Secretary of India took over as the India's High Commissioner to the UK. He has succeeded Jaimini Bhagwati, who retired recently from the post. Born on 24 May 1952, the 61-year old Mathai joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1974.

4. Sumit Bose appointed as Finance Secretary. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet has appointed Sumit Bose, a 1976 batch Madhya Pradesh cadre IAS officer, as Finance Secretary. Bose would replace R S Gujral (1976, Haryana cadre), who superannuated recently. The country top Finance man brings with him, not only the seniority but variegated experience in his chequered career spanning above 37 years.

5. A remote region in East Antarctica has set a new record for the coldest place on Earth, with temperatures dipping to a bone-chilling minus 93.2 degrees Celsius, NASA scientists say. The temperatures in several hollows of a high ridge in Antarctica on the East Antarctic Plateau can dip below minus 92 degrees Celsius on a clear winter night. The new record of minus 136 Fahrenheit (minus 93.2 C) was set on August 10, 2010, NASA said. That is several degrees colder than the previous low of minus 128.6 F (minus 89.2 C), set in 1983 at the Russian Vostok Research Station in East Antarctica.

6. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has decided to contest all 90 seats in the Haryana Assembly polls next year. AAP state spokesman Rajiv Godara said that they will start preparing for the polls within a week, but will not ally with any party. AAP leaders are confident the party's performance in Delhi would have a positive impact on their performance in Haryana.

7. Veteran activist Anna Hazare launched an indefinite hunger strike at his village to press for the passage of the Jan Lokpal Bill. In the chilly 6 degrees Celsius temperature sweeping Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district, Hazare went on his usual morning walk and then started his hunger strike near the Yadavbaba temple in the village, under the banner of his new organization, Jantantra Morcha. The Jan Lokpal Bill, also referred to as the Citizen's Ombudsman Bill, is an anti-corruption legislation drafted by civil society activists, seeking appointment of an independent panel to investigate cases of corruption.

8. Vasundhara Raje, the BJP's chief minister-elect in Rajasthan, will be sworn-in Dec 13. She met Governor Margaret Alva Tuesday and staked claim to form the government in the state. This would be second time that Raje is to be the chief minister of the state. Her first chief ministerial stint in the desert state was from 2003 to 2008. The BJP legislature party Monday unanimously elected Vasundhara Raje as its leader. She is also the president of the party's state unit.

9. The country's fair trade regulator has imposed a penalty of Rs 1,773 crore on Coal India for abusing its dominant position. Sources said the Competition Commission of India issued the order after investigating two complaints filed by customers of CIL and its subsidiaries. The first is by Maharashtra State Power Generation Company (Mahagenco) against CIL and Mahanadi Coalfields and Western Coalfields against abuse of their dominant market position. The other complaint was by the Gujarat State Electricity Corporation. Coal India accounts for over 80 per cent of the 530 million tonnes of coal produced in the country.

10. India on Monday handed over Rs 374.68 million to Nepal to build embankments on three border rivers to control floods affecting both neighbours. The constructions along the Lalbakeya, Bagmati and Kamla rivers in southern Nepal are being undertaken in accordance with the decisions taken by the India-Nepal Joint Committee on Inundation and Flood Management. Indian Ambassador Ranjit Rae, handed over a cheque in Kathmandu on Monday to Umakant Jha, Minister for Energy, Irrigation and Science and Technology. 

11. Mid-day meal scheme of India at 12th rank among lower-middle-income countries. A report released by the World Food Project (WFP) for 2013 on 169 countries has said that India’s midday meal programme stands 12th among 35 lower middle income countries. The report has been titled State of School Feeding Worldwide, 2013 has based its conclusions on a global survey conducted by the World Food Programme in 2012. The report shows praise for India’s mid-day meal scheme as a good example of a mixed implementation approach. The Budget 2013 has allocated 13215 crore rupees for the school feeding programme. It is 80% of total elementary education budget.

Note : if any important news left, you may add on in comment :)