GK & Current Affairs: December 26, 2014

Raghubar Das
Raghubar Das, a five-time Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator, has been announced as the first non-tribal chief minister of Jharkhand. Das, who served as the deputy chief minister in the BJP-led coalition government in Jharkhand from 30 December 2009 to 29 May 2010 where he handled the finance and urban development portfolios. Known to be an organization man, Das has also served as the BJP’s state president for Jharkhand.

Mumbai
Mumbai is the venue of the 102nd Indian Science Congress 2015. The event will be hosted by University of Mumbai.

Sachin Tendulkar
Former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar was selected as the goodwill ambassador for the 35th National games which will be held from 31 January 2015 to 14 February 2015 across seven districts in Kerala.

China
The JL-2 (“Giant Wave 2”) is a Chinese second-generation intercontinental-range submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). The JL-2 missile is expected to provide China with its first credible sea-based nuclear deterrent. The expected operational range of the missile (up to 14,000 km or 8,699 miles) will allow it to reach Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, Russia, and India and the continental United States from Chinese littoral waters.

Seven
The government has launched ‘Mission Indradhanush’ that aims to cover all un-vaccinated or partially vaccinated children by the year 2020, against seven vaccine preventable diseases including diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles and hepatitis B.. As per reports, four special vaccination campaigns will be conducted under the programme, between January and June next year. Around 201 districts will be covered in the first phase and 297 will be targeted for the second phase.

Black Holes
The Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array is an Explorer mission that will allow astronomers to study the universe in high energy X-rays. Launched in June of 2012, NuSTAR is the first focusing hard X-ray telescope to orbit Earth. NuSTAR’s primary science objectives include: Conducting a census for black holes on all scales using wide-field surveys of extragalactic fields and the Galactic center. Mapping radioactive material in young supernova remnants; studying the birth of the elements and to understand how stars explode.

Antarctica
Mount Vinson is the highest peak in Antarctica, with an elevation of 16,066 feet (4,897 meters). It is located on the southern part of the main ridge of the Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains.

Somalia
Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, has been elected as new Prime Minister of Somalia. Sharmarke, who served as prime minister between 2009-2010, becomes Somalia’s third premier in just over a year.

DRDO Nishant
DRDO has conducted the trials of Panchi, the wheeled version of Nishant UAV. This UAV is able to take off from small airstrips. It was developed by Bengaluru based DRDO facility Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE).

Snapdeal
Snapdeal has partnered with India Post to enable thousands of Banaras weavers and artisans to sell their product online. The pilot project has been launched recently. India Post and Snapdeal will be able to list their products on e-commerce platform and ship the products via India Post.

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