1) India Successfully Test-Fires AAD Supersonic Interceptor Missile
•India successfully test-fired its indigenously developed Advanced Air Defence (AAD) supersonic interceptor missile, capable of destroying any incoming ballistic missile at low altitude, from a test range in Odisha.
•This was the third supersonic interceptor test carried out this year in which an incoming ballistic missile target was successfully intercepted, within a 30km altitude of the earth’s atmosphere by an interceptor. The interceptor is a 7.5-meter long single stage solid rocket propelled guided missile equipped with a navigation system.
2) India to Overtake UK, France to Become 5th-Largest Economy in 2018
•India is set to leapfrog Britain and France in 2018 to become the world’s fifth-largest economy in dollar terms.
•The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) consultancy’s 2018 World Economic League Tablepainted an upbeat view of the global economy, boosted by cheap energy and technology prices. India is currently in seventh place in the top world economies with $2 trillion.
3) President Inaugurated 100th Indian Economic Association Conference
•President Ramnath Kovind inaugurated the 100th Annual Conference of the Indian Economic Association at Acharya Nagarjuna University in Guntur of Andhra Pradesh. The event will be held for four days.
•Indian Economic Association is a registered body of Indian economic professionals with an objective of providing a forum for debate and discussion of policy-oriented issues. The Association currently has 5000 plus members, both individual and institutional.
4) Agriculture Minister Launches Livestock Disease Forewarning (LDF) Mobile App
•Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister, Shri Radha Mohan Singh has launched Livestock Disease Forewarning –Mobile Application (LDF-Mobile App). The app is developed by ICAR-National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics (ICAR-NIVEDI), Bengaluru.
•Apart from early warning, the app will also provide information about clinical samples for the diagnosis in case of the epidemic so that immediate action can be taken in case of the epidemic.
5) Abhay Appointed Director General of Narcotics Control Bureau
•Senior IPS officer Abhay was appointed Director General of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). He is at present working in Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
•The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved his appointment to the post till November 18, 2019. The post was lying vacant after R R Bhatnagar took over as DG of CRPF in April 2017.
6) K S Chitra bags 'Harivarasanam' Award
•Veteran singer K S Chitra has been selected for prestigious 'Harivarasanam' award 2017, instituted by the Kerala government.
•The award carrying a cash prize of Rs one lakh, citation and plaque would be presented to the veteran playback singer at a function on January 14, 2018.
