50% increase in number of Indians getting Canadian citizenship

  • A total number of 15,016 Indians were granted Canadian citizenship till October 2018 compared to 9,992 in October 2017.
  • Indians accounted for 10.7% of the total permanent citizenship granted from January 2018 to October 2018.
  • India was next only to Philippines (15,642) in the total number citizens getting Canadian citizenship.

Electricity metering to be made smart and prepaid within the next 3 years: R.K. Singh

  • The Minister of Power and New & Renewable Energy said that the move will make utilities more efficient and cut down on losses.
  • The government has plans to make prepaid and smart metering mandatory beyond a certain date.
  • The prepaid meters will be first deployed in Uttar Pradesh under the Saubhagya Scheme.

IT (Intermediate Guidelines Amendment Rules), 2018 draft released

  • The social media platforms or intermediaries are supposed to not provide end-to-end encryption and remove any unlawful content from their platform.
  • Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, and Instagram are some of the platforms that would be affected by the draft provision.
  • The intermediaries are supposed to keep a record of unlawful content for 180 days.
  • The government is facing criticism and there are concerns over curbing of free speech.

Sadaiv Atal, Vajpayee’s samadhi, dedicated to the nation

  • The Sadaiv Atal samadhi is constructed near Raj Ghat, New Delhi.
  • The samadhi comprises of nine square blocks with a diya (oil lamp) at the centre.
  • December 25th is also the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.