KARNATAKA

Only 5% of funds spent under Smart Cities project in two years

Just about 5% of the total allocation for the Smart Cities project has been spent in Karnataka over the last two years. While ₹1,772 crore has been allocated for the project being implemented in seven cities, only ₹91.34 crore has been spent so far.

Seven cities — Belagavi, Davangere, Hubballi–Dharwad, Mangaluru, Shivamogga, Tumakuru, and Bengaluru — have been selected to implement the project, which receives equal funding from both the Centre and the State. They have been selected in phases, starting from January 2016. Bengaluru was selected in June 2017.

The Smart Cities project, according to the government, is a special project that requires framing of new rules, which has taken time.

INTERNATIONAL

· Belgium wins Hockey World Cup 2018 Title

Belgium Hockey team won their first ever Word cup title on 16th December 2018 after they defeated The Netherlands.

The Hockey World Cup 2018 was held at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha from 28 November to 16 December 2018.

It was the 14th edition of the cup.

Australia defeated England by 8-1 to secure third place.

India came at sixth place in the Hockey World Cup 2018.

· Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray (Philippines)

Catriona Elisa Gray from the Philippines was crowned as the Miss Universe 2018

The countries of Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia participated for the first time in the Miss Universe competition.

This was the 67th edition of the Miss Universe pageant. Miss Universe 2018 was held at in Nonthaburi Province, Thailand on 17th December 2018. For the first time, the competition was judged by an all-women jury.

· Global debt reached all-time high of USD 184 trillion, says IMF

Debt worldwide reached a record-high of $184 trillionin nominal terms, a nearly 222 per cent of the GDP in 2017, according to a report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
On average, the world’s debt now exceeds $ 86,000 per person more than 2 times the average income per-capita.
The world’s top three borrowers – the US, China and Japan accounted for more than half the debt.

· Google developed a new AI model to help detect diabetic retinopathy

Googledeveloped an Artificial Intelligence (AI) model that can detect diabetic retinopathy with a level of accuracy on par with human retinal specialists. Verily, an Alphabet-owned company is working on rolling out the diabetic retinopathy initiative in clinics in India.
Using the new assistive technology, doctors and staff can screen more patients in less time, sparing people from blindness through a more timely diagnosis. While the blindness can be prevented, diabetic retinopathy often goes undetected because people do not always get screenings.

NATIONAL

Milk output up 28% in last 4 yrs; farmers earning Rs 7 per litre more: Agri Min

The country’s milk production has risen by 28 per cent in the past four years to 176.35 million tonne, while farmers are getting an average Rs 7 per litre higher price for their milk.

There is a need to boost milk demand and stressed on raising milk processing level to 30 per cent, from the current 20 per cent.

The country’s milk production stood at 137.7 million tonne in 2013-14 and now it has risen to 176.35 million tonne in the previous financial year.

The annual growth in milk production stood at 6.5 per cent during 2014-18, against 4.29 per cent during 2010-14.

The average price that farmers are getting has also risen to Rs 29 per litre from Rs 22 per litre.

20 embryo transfer technology centres are being established in the country and proposals for 19 of them have been approved so far. These centres are producing 3,000 high genetic merit bulls of indigenous bovine breeds.

Animal Husbandry ministry expressed confidence that the country’s milk production would touch 250 million tonne by 2022.

· 47th Anniversary of Vijay Diwas celebrated

India celebrated Vijay Diwas on 16th December 2018 marking the 47th anniversary of its victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war.

At the end of the 1971 war, the Pakistani Army unilaterally and unconditionally surrendered resulting in the independence of East Pakistan, which was called as Bangladesh.

Every year on Vijay Diwas, the Indian Defence Minister along with heads of armed forces of India pay their tributes to the martyrs at Amar Jawan Jyoti at the India Gate in New Delhi and at the National Military Memorial, Bangalore.

· PV Sindhu 1st Indian to win gold at BWF World Tour Finals

PV Sindhu defeated world number five Nozomi Okuharaof Japan to record her 300th career match victory across categories and clinch the BWF World Tour Finals women’s singles title.
Sindhu, who is ranked sixth worldwide, won the final with scoreline of 21-19, 21-17.
It was the 23-year-old shuttler’s first titlevictory in 2018, after having lost five finals this year.

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