• National

Transgenders can file sexual harassment case under IPC: HC

• Delhi High Court has allowed that Section 354A of Indian Penal Code can be used by transgenders to register complaints of sexual harassment.
• The court was hearing a plea by a Delhi University’s transgender student, who had approached the police over sexual harassment by male students but couldn’t file a complaint due to lack of appropriate IPC sections.

• National

Union Cabinet approves Homoeopathy Bill, 2018

• On 28 December 2018, the Union Cabinet approved the draft National Commission for Homoeopathy, Bill, 2018.
• The bill seeks to replace the existing regulator Central Council for Homoeopathy (CCH) with a new body to ensure transparency.
• It also proposes a common entrance exam and an exit exam which all graduates will have to clear to get practicing licenses.

• National

President Ramnath Kovind launch 'Sadbhaav Utsav' in Mumbai

• President Ramnath Kovind launched ‘Sadbhaav Utsav’ in Mumbai.
• He participated in the Wellness festival organized on the occasion of 100 year anniversary of the Yoga Institute.
• The programme is organized at Bandra Kurla Complex’s MMRDA ground.
• Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and Yoga Institute Director Dr Hansaji Jaidev were present at the event.

• International

Michelle Obama, America’s most admired woman

• After Hillary Clinton, US former first lady Michelle Obama tops the list of America’s most admired woman.
• Former President Barack Obama was the most admired man for the 11th year in a row while President Donald Trump finished second for the fourth consecutive year.
• According to Gallup’s report of the most admired man and woman in the world, Barack Obama and Michelle Obama hold the topmost positions.
• Renowned US talk show host Oprah Winfrey holds the second position.

• Economy and Business

PSBs approve loans worth over Rs 37,400 cr

• Public Sector Banks (PSBs) approved more than 1.12 lakh loan applications of MSMEs worth of 37,412 crore rupees under the ’59 minutes’ loan scheme.
• The scheme was launched by the government of India in November 2018.
• GST-registered Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) can take the loan up to one crore in just 59 minutes through ‘psbloansin59minutes.com’ portal.
• Public Sector Banks (PSBs) approved more than 1.12 lakh loan applications of MSMEs worth of 37,412 crore rupees under the ’59 minutes’ loan scheme.
• The scheme was launched by the government of India in November 2018.
• GST-registered Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) can take the loan up to one crore in just 59 minutes through ‘psbloansin59minutes.com’ portal.

• Economy and Business

ICICI tops list of banks penalising staff

• As per the RBI Data, ICICI bank topped the list of those taking action against staff for their involvement in frauds during the three years through 2015 to 2017.
• SBI was at the second position in terms of action initiated against employees involved in frauds, followed by Punjab National Bank.
• In all, banks took action against 13,949 officials, of which 16 %, or 2,236, belonged to ICICI.

• Economy and Business

Bank-led resolution of NPAs set to begin

• Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) has set up an oversight committee with a former deputy governor from Reserve Bank of India to kick-start bank-led resolution of stressed assets under the inter-creditor agreement.
• The association has now asked the 34 lenders to initiate and send the resolution proposals under the scheme.
• A senior IBA official said banks have been told to provide forensic reports and credit rating of the borrower along with the resolution plan “Under Project Sashakt, an overseeing committee (OC) is to be set up to look into these resolutions.
• We will have six members,” he said, adding that former RBI deputy governor HR Khan, former Canara Bank chairman MBN Rao, former SEBI chief M Damodaran and former State Bank of India chairman Janki Ballabh will be part of the overseeing committee.

• Sports

Luka Modric Wins Balkan Athlete of The Year Award 2018

• Croatia captain Luka Modric was named Balkan Athlete of the Year, becoming only the second soccer player to scoop the prize after Bulgaria’s former European Footballer of the Year Hristo Stoichkov in 1994.
• Ballon d’Or winner Modric won the Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup with his Spanish club Real Madrid as well as being instrumental in helping Croatia reach the World Cup final in Russia.
• He was awarded the tournament’s Golden Ball Award.

• Appointments

Chagari Praveen Kumar appointed as Chief Justice of new Andhra HC

• He will become acting Chief Justice of AP High Court, with effect from Jan 1, 2019.
• Earlier, the Union Law Ministry issued an order signed by President Ram Nath Kovind, which said Andhra Pradesh will have its own High Court at its capital Amaravati and the Hyderabad High Court shall become High Court for Telangana.

• States

Arunachal touches record high revenue generation

• The Arunachal Pradesh government has created a record of a total revenue generation of Rs 1,598.49 crore in 2017-18, reaching a new high in the last 30 years.
• The revenue generation had crossed the Rs 1,000 cr mark for two consecutive years since Arunachal Pradesh attained statehood in 1987.
• The source of revenue generation by the state government includes share of central taxes, state taxes among others.
• Chief Minister Pema Khandu had said at a recent meeting, “The state has witnessed faster change, greater transparency and unprecedented development in all sectors.

• Miscellaneous

All Indian airports set to install body scanners from 2019

• Airports in India will be able to use body scanners from next year and spare “clean” passengers physical frisking.
• The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) is soon going to come out with technical specifications of these scanners and then airports can install and machines meeting those norms.
• The scanners to be used in India will need to be customized for Indian ‘conditions’ so that it can penetrate the layers of clothes unique to the country — like chunnat (front fold) of a sari, lungiand pallus.