23 December 2014 Daily Current Affairs Updates

1) BJP becomes the single largest party in Jharkhand assembly election: Having secured a majority, the Bharatiya Janata Party, along with its ally, the All Jharkhand Students’ Union (AJSU), is all set to form a government in Jharkhand. Many political stalwarts, even former Chief Ministers, lost the election, in what political observers see as a shift from the politics of the past that has seen unstable regimes, five Chief Ministers and intermittent periods of President’s rule since the State was formed 14 years ago.

2) Hung Assembly in Jammu&Kashmir: The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), with 28 seats, has emerged as the single largest party in Jammu and Kashmir, but the hung Assembly formed by a four-cornered division of seats has made government-formation an uphill task. 

3) Filmmaker K Balachander died: Acclaimed filmmaker K Balachander, who brought in a new wave of filmmaking in Tamil cinema with bold themes and mentored talented actors like Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth and Sridevi, died on 23 December 2014. The 84-year-old Dadasaheb Phalke award winner, who carved out a niche for himself on the national stage with memorable films like 'Arangetram', 'Aval Oru Thodarkadhai', Rajini and Haasan-starrer 'Apoorva Raagangal', 'Avargal', 'Ek Duje Ke Liye' and 'Aaina', died of heart attack following a brief illness.

4) Deadline to exchange pre-2005 notes extended till June 30: The deadline for exchanging pre-2005 currency notes of various denominations, including Rs 500 and Rs 1,000, has been extended by another six months till June, 30, 2015. "The Reserve Bank of India has stated that the public can do so till June 30, 2015. Earlier in March 2014, it had set the last date for public to exchange these notes was January 1, 2015," the RBI said in a statement. The central bank clarified that all such notes will continue to remain a legal tender. These notes can be exchanged for their full value, it added. Currency notes issued before 2005 do not have the year of printing on the reverse side. In notes issued post 2005, the year of printing is visible at the bottom on the reverse.

5) Govt. sets up committee to form SIT to reinvestigate 1984 riot cases: Union Ministry of Home Affairs on 23 December 2014 set up Mathur committee to examine the possibility of constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for reinvestigation of the 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases. The Committee will be headed by former Supreme Court Judge Justice (retired) G.P. Mathur. It will submit its report till April 2015.

6) Kisan Diwas observed: Kisan Diwas was observed across the country on 23 December 2014 to celebrate the birthday of Chaudhary Charan Singh. Political leaders cutting across party lines paid tributes to fifth PM of India on his 11th birth anniversary. Leaders visited the former PM’s samadhi at Kisan Ghat in New Delhi. Government in 2001 had decided to observe 23 December every year as Kisan Diwas (Farmers Day).