Daily Current Affairs 12 December 2014

1) CCEA approved creation of intra state transmission system in Tamil Nadu: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister has approved the creation of the intra state transmission system in Tamil Nadu. The total cost of the project is Rs 1593 crore. The activities envisaged in the Tamil Nadu project are establishment of 400 kV Grid Sub-Station at Thannampatty, augmentation of various 230 kV Grid Sub-Stations and associated transmission systems. The project is proposed to be completed within a period of three years. The cost on creating transmission infrastructure is proposed to be met through KfW loan (40%), NCEF grant (40% of the total project cost) and the remaining 20% of the total project cost as state contribution. 

2) Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge completed its 1,000 week: Nineteen long years after it was first screened, Hindi romantic-drama film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, or DDLJ as it popularly referred to, continues to win hearts. On 12 December 2014, the film completed its 1,000 week at the iconic Maratha Mandir cinema hall in South Mumbai. The film has been running uninterrupted at this single-theatre cinema hall at its usual playing time slot of 11:30 am for the last 19 years. Like the first show, the screening on Friday also went house-full as the faithful, mostly youngsters, flocked to the hall. The film, which went on to win a National and several Filmfare awards, was first screened at Maratha Mandir in October 1995, and is by far the longest running film in Indian cinema.

3) West Bengal transport minister Madan Mitra arrested in Saradha scam: West Bengal transport minister Madan Mitra has been arrested for his role in the Saradha scam. The minister was questioned by the CBI earlier on 12 Dec 2014 in connection with the multi-crore scam. The Trinamool leader has been booked for cheating, criminal conspiracy and misappropriation.

4) Pawan Kalyan’s Janasena gets Election Commission’s approval: The Janasena Party founded by popular Telugu actor Pawan Kalyan, who played a key role in campaign of BJP-TDP combine, is now registered with the Election Commission, paving the way for its foray into electoral politics. “The Election Commission of India has given registration to the ‘Janasena Party’ as a political party Under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act,1951 with effect from 24.11.2014 vide Registration Number 56/118/2014/PPS-I dated 28.11.2014,” the outfit said in a statement. Pawan Kalyan, younger brother of former Union Minister and actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi, is a top-ranking hero in the Telugu film industry.

5) Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the book “Born Again on the Mountain“: Prime Minister, Narendra Modi launched a book titled "Born Again on the Mountain" authored by Arunima Sinha, first female amputee to climb Mount Everest, in New Delhi on 12 December 2014. Arunima Sinha is the first female amputee and first Indian woman amputee to climb Mount Everest. The book describes her struggle to become mountaineer after starting her career as a volleyball player. She was a national level volleyball player who was pushed out of a running train by thieves on 11 April 2011 while resisting them. One of her legs had to be amputated below the knee as a result. But this never deterred her. Two years later, she retrained as a mountaineer and became the first female amputee to scale Mount Everest on 21 May 2013.

6) Sikkim CM Pawan Chamling completed 20 years in office: Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling, who is serving his fifth consecutive term, completed 20 years in office on 12 December 2014. 64-year-old Chamling first assumed office on December 12 in 1994 when his Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) won the Assembly elections. He won a fifth consecutive time in the state Assembly elections held in May 2014. Chamling is currently the longest serving Chief Minister in the country. He may break the 23-year-old record of Jyoti Basu, Chief Minister of West Bengal from June 21, 1977 to November 6, 2000, if he completes his present tenure in 2019.

7) 19th International Film Festival of Kerala begins: Kerala’s own annual celebration of cinema, the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), began at Thiruvananthapuram on 12 December 2014. At the inaugural function, the Lifetime Achievement Award was given to noted Italian filmmaker Marco Bellocchio. Bellocchio told the audience that he was happy to come to Kerala from the land of Fellini to understand the culture, tradition and enjoy the fascinating beauty of the capital city of Kerala. IFFK jury chairman and Chinese director Xie Fei said that Satyajit Ray, Raj Kapoor and Nargis had fascinated filmmakers of his generation in China. ‘Dancing Arabs’ by Eran Riklis was the inaugural film. The lead actor in the film Thoufeek was honoured at the inaugural ceremony. The seven-day festival would screen 140 films from 38 countries.