Morning Current Affairs: 14 December 2017

President Ram Nath Kovind to confer National Energy Conservation Awards

President Ram Nath Kovind would be presenting the National Energy Conservation Awards in New Delhi on 14 December 2017, on the occasion of National Energy Conservation day.

The awards would be conferred to Industries that have demonstrated measurable reductions in their energy use. The President will also be presenting the National Painting Competition Prizes. This year, over 1 crore 22 lakh children across India between 4th and 9th standards participated in the National Painting Competition.

MoS for Railways inaugurates new passenger amenities at several stations

The Minister of State for Railways, Rajen Gohain inaugurated new passenger amenities at several stations across Central and Western Railway on 13 December 2017.

The amenities include Foot-Over-bridges at Currey Road, Nahur and Virar, an escalator at Titwala and lifts at Reay Road, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Chembur, Virar and Vasai Road. He also inaugurated five solar power plants at the passenger reservation buildings at Mumbai Central and Dadar, the Headquarters building at Churchgate and at station buildings at Andheri and Bandra Terminus.

INS Kalvari, first of Scorpene-class submarines, commissioned

INS Kalvari, the first of the Scorpene-class submarines, was commissioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 14 December 2017.

The war ship is the first of six such submarines that are being indigenously built at Mazgaon Dock Limited in Mumbai. It is touted as India’s deadliest submarine and is expected to bolster India’s maritime prowess.  The vessel has undergone extensive trials and tests in the last 120 days.