• National

CCEA approves setting up of tribal schools

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) gave its in-principle approval for setting up of Eklavya Model Residential Schools for tribals.
• The schools will be set up in every block with more than 50% Scheduled Tribes population and at least 20,000 tribal persons.
• It has also approved the constitution of an autonomous society under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to run the schools.

• National

Transgender bill passed in Lok Sabha

• On 17 December 2018, the Lok Sabha passed the ‘Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill’, 2016.
• The bill seeks to empower the transgender community by providing them with a separate identity.
• The bill also seeks to define transgenders and prohibit discrimination against them.
• The bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha in 2016.

• National

Shri Prakash Javadekar inaugurates Sangeet Kala Sangam in New Delhi

• The Human Resource Development Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar has inaugurated ‘Sangeet Kala Sangam’, at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi.
• It has been organized under the aegis of Human Resource Ministry, to provide a National Platform to the Art and Music Teachers of KVS.
• Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan and Navoday Vidyalaya Samiti are two sister organizations of HRD Ministry.

• International

Nigerian military lifts ban on UNICEF operations in ravaged northeast

• The Nigerian military has lifted a ban on UNICEF operations in the ravaged northeast.
• Earlier, it had suspended the aid agency and accusing it of training spies supporting Boko Haram jihadists.
• The ban was revoked following an intervention by well-meaning and concerned Nigerians.
• Boko Haram’s insurgency has killed more than 27,000 people since in 2009 in the country.
• The Nigerian army has accused UNICEF of ‘aiding Boko Haram’.

• Sports

Zaheer is Mumbai Indians’ Director of Cricket

• On 18 December 2018, Mumbai Indians appointed former Indian bowler Zaheer Khan as their director of cricket operations.
• He represented Mumbai Indians in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2009, 2010 and 2014.
• He took 29 wickets in 30 matches for the franchise.
• The Mumbai Indians is a franchise cricket team based in Mumbai and it is owned by Reliance Industries.

• Awards

Jeff Bridges will be awarded ‘Cecil B deMille’

• Veteran actor Jeff Bridges will receive the ‘Cecil B DeMille’ award 2018 at the 76th annual Golden Globe Awards.
• The ‘Cecil B DeMille’ award is given annually to a talented individual who has made a lasting impact on the world of entertainment.
• Bridges’ first Golden Globe nomination came in 1984 for best actor in ‘Starman’.

• Important Days

International Migrants Day 2018 observed globally

• The UN’s (United Nation) International Migration Day (IMD) is being observed every year on 18th December to protect the rights of migrant workers and members of their families.
• The theme of this year is ‘Migration with Dignity’.
• In 2018, close to 3,400 migrants and refugees already have lost their lives worldwide.

• Science and Tech

Most-distant object ever discovered

• Scientists have discovered the most-distant body ever observed in our solar system.
• The new object was given the provisional designation of ‘2018 VG18’ and nicknamed ‘Farout’.
• It is located over 100 times farther than Earth is from the Sun.
• ‘2018 VG18’ is located about 120 astronomical units (AU) from earth.
• 1 AU is defined as the distance between the Earth and the Sun.

• States

Cabinet approves construction of new 4- lane bridge across river Ganga at Patna in Bihar

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved a new bridge across the Ganga river at Patna (Bihar).
• The project for construction of 5.634 km long new 4 lane bridge parallel to the existing Mahatma Gandhi Setu on NH-19.
• The project is likely to be completed by January 2023.
• The bridge is proposed to be built by the Union ministry of road, transport and highways utilizing an estimated outlay of Rs 2,961 crore.

• Miscellaneous

PM releases the book ‘Timeless Laxman’

• The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, released the coffee table book ‘Timeless Laxman’ on 18 December 2018.
• The book is based on the famous cartoonist RK Laxman.
• RK Laxman was an Indian cartoonist, illustrator, and humorist.
• He was best known for his creation ‘The Common Man’ and for his daily cartoon strip, ‘You Said It’ in The Times of India.

• Miscellaneous

‘Period. End of Sentence’ in Oscars

• ‘Period. End of Sentence’ has made it to the Oscar shortlist in the Documentary Short Subject category.
• The film is about women in India fighting against the deeply rooted stigma of menstruation and delving upon the work of real-life ‘Pad Man’ Arunachalam Muruganantham.
• India’s entry for the Foreign Language Film Category, ‘Village Rockstars’ is out of the Oscar list.