1) Vice President inaugurates Centenary Celebrations of Yoga Institute in Mumbai
•Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has inaugurated the Centenary celebrations of the Yoga Institute in Mumbai. The institute was founded by Shree Yogendraji Mani Haribhai Desai, the disciple of Paramahans Madhavadasji in 1918. It helps spread yoga practices.
•According to Naidu practice of Yoga as a holistic way of life leading to physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.
2) Jairam Thakur will be Himachal Pradesh’s new CM
•The Bharatiya Janata Party has named Jairam Thakur as legislature party leader in Himachal Pradesh, effectively making him the state’s next chief minister.
•The BJP’s central observer Narendra Singh Tomar announced Thakur’s name after a meeting of BJP MLAs was convened, with all unanimously deciding in his favour.
3) Govt Mint Launches First Home-Grown High Purity Gold Reference Standard
•India’s first home-grown high purity gold reference standard - the Bharatiya Nirdeshak Dravya (BND-4201) - was launched at the India Government Mint, Mumbai. BND-4201, which is the reference material for gold of ‘9999’ fineness (gold that is 99.99 per cent pure), will be beneficial to the consumers and public at large to ensure purity of gold.
•Gold reference standard is indispensable in gold and jewellery hall marking. This will also be useful for Collection and Purity Testing Centres to certify the purity of gold deposits under the gold monetisation scheme.
4) US President Signs $1.5 Trillion Tax Overhaul Law
•US President Donald Trump has signed into law a sweeping overhaul of the US tax code, two days after the Republican plan was adopted by Congress in a major political victory.
•Trump this week celebrated his first major legislative victory since taking office a year ago as Congress passed the 1.5 trillion dollars overhaul, set to impact every corner of the economy through dramatic tax cuts for corporations and temporary reductions for individuals.
5) Boxer Vijender Singh retains WBO Oriental and Asia Pacific Super Middleweight titles
•Vijender Singh defended his WBO Oriental and Asia Pacific super middleweight titles against Ghana’s Ernest Amuzu at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. The 32-year-old Haryana pugilist, who is currently sixth in WBO rankings, fought in the mega show called ‘Rajasthan Rumble’.
•It wasn’t a technical knockout and Vijender Singh had to fight out all 10 rounds to earn the victory. This was his 10th straight win in his pro boxing career.
6) BCCI Appoints Saba Karim as General Manager
•Former India wicketkeeper Saba Karim has appointed as General Manager (Cricket Operations) of the BCCI. Karim will assume office from 01st January and he will report to CEO Rahul Johri. He will assist Johri in meeting the Board’s vision and strategy.
•The General Manager’s post has been lying vacant since the resignation of MV Sridhar in September over the issue of conflict of interest. Sridhar passed away on October 30th, 2017.
