DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 15 NOV 2017

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 15 NOV 2017

(DAILY NEWS INDIA)

SHARED BY: WWW.DAILYGK.IN

1.      FIRST EVER APCERT CONFERENCE IN NEW DELHI

i. The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team under the aegis of Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology organized the Asia Pacific Computer Emergency Response Team Conference in New Delhi.

ii. This is the 15th Conference of APCERT and first ever conference in India and South Asia. The conference theme is "Building Trust in the Digital Economy". This was inaugurated by Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Hon'ble Minister of Electronics & Information Technology.

2.      INTERNATIONAL LAVI FAIR BEGINS IN HIMACHAL PRADESH

i. Traditional International ‘Lavi fair’ was held from 11th -14th November, 2017 in Rampur, Himachal Pradesh.

ii. The fair was inaugurated by Himachal Pradesh Governor, Acharya Dev Vrat. The governor also inaugurated the ‘Kinnauri market’ and exhibition put up by various Government departments.

iii. Lavi Fair has been an important point of trade between India and Tibet for centuries. The fair is visited by tourist and traders from distant places. It provides a good opportunity for promotion and sale of woolens, dry fruits and other traditional crafts and products.

iv. Currently, it also provides a platform for social and cultural events.

3.      VIJAY PRASAD DIMRI APPOINTED PRESIDENT OF 36TH INTL GEOLOGICAL CONGRESS

i. Scientist Vijay Prasad Dimri has been appointed as the president of the 36th International Geological Congress, a global platform for the advancement of earth science, to be held in 2020.

ii. He has replaced Shailesh Nayak. India, along with its co-host neighboring countries Bangladesh, Nepal, Srilanka, and Pakistan won the bid to host the 36th IGC in the National Capital Region from March 2 -8, 2020.

4.      4TH INDIA-CANADA ANNUAL MINISTERIAL DIALOGUE IN NEW DELHI

i. 4th India-Canada Annual Ministerial Dialogue begun in New Delhi. Canadian delegation was led by the Canadian International Trade Minister, François-Philippe Champagne, whereas Union Commerce and Industry Minister, Suresh Prabhu led the Indian side.

ii. Discussions at the Dialogue focused on some of the key commercial drivers to enhance the India-Canada partnership. Considering the high potential for bilateral trade between India and Canada, efforts were made to work towards the expeditious conclusion of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement.

iii. Besides, both the sides also explored options to address India’s concerns for Temporary Foreign Workers Programme of Canada, which is affecting the movement of Indian professionals seeking short term visas to Canada.

5.      INDIA’S 1ST TRIBAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUMMIT BEGINS IN CHHATTISGARH

i. India’s first Tribal Entrepreneurship Summit began in Dantewada, Chhattisgarh. The event has been organized by NITI Aayog in partnership with the government of United States of America.

ii. The event is a part of 8th Global Entrepreneurship Summit being held in India.

6.      INDIA TO BECOME 3RD LARGEST ECONOMY BY 2028- BOFA ML REPORT

i. A report by Bank of America-Merrill Lynch has stated that in the next decade, India will overtake Japan to become the third-largest economy.

ii. The report also adds that India is likely to become the world’s fifth largest economy by 2019. As per data available in the report, India is likely to cross Germany and Japan in nominal GDP by 2028, assuming that the nation witnesses a 10% growth every year for the next 10 years.

iii. There are three factors that will enable India to achieve this goal-

1. Reduced dependency ratios are expected to raise saving and investment rates. This is likely to fund 7% real growth.

2. Financial maturity, due to financial liberalization and inclusion, should continue to lower lending rates structurally.

3. Increasing incomes and affordability will likely underpin the emergence of mass markets, supporting an expected 7% real GDP growth.

7.      FOUNDING CEREMONY OF INTERNATIONAL SOLAR ALLIANCE HELD IN GERMANY

i. A Curtain Raiser Event for the Founding Ceremony of the International Solar Alliance was held in Bonn, Germany.

ii. Shri Anand Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy was present at the event from the Indian side. The ISA was jointly launched by PM of India, Narendra Modi, and then-President of France, H.E. Francois Hollande, on the sidelines of the UNFCCC Conference of Parties 21 at Paris, France. The ISA is a treaty-based alliance of 121 prospective solar-rich Member Nations.

8.      INDIA, US, JAPAN, AUSTRALIA HOLD FIRST QUAD TALKS ON INDO-PACIFIC COOPERATION

i. India, the United States, Japan and Australia held their first official-level talks in Manila, Philippines with a focus on keeping the India-Pacific region "free and open".

ii. After the meeting, India, Australia and Japan issued separate statements listing the Indo-Pacific as the major area of the deliberations and resolved to expand cooperation to uphold a rules-based order and respect for international law in the strategically important region.

9.      CHINA LAUNCHES WORLD'S FIRST ALL-ELECTRIC SHIP

i. China has launched world's first all-electric ship that can travel up to 80 km with 2000-tonnes cargo after a two-hour charge.

ii. The 70.5-metre-long ship, which weighs about 600 tonnes, was launched in Guangzhou in South China's Guangdong Province. The vessel, manufactured by the Guangzhou Shipyard International Company Ltd, is powered by a 26-tonne lithium battery.

iii. It can cruise at the top speed of 12.8 km per hour.

10.  INDIA'S FIRST WAVE-POWERED NAVIGATIONAL BUOY LAUNCHED IN CHENNAI

i. India's first wave-powered navigational buoy, developed by the National Institute of Ocean Technology, to guide ships in and out of ports, was launched in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The buoy, deployed at Ennore Kamarajar Port, will help ships, moving in and out of the harbour, navigate through a designated channel.

ii. According to the NIOT, the buoy's beacon, for guiding ships, is powered by wave energy while conventional ones use solar power. The buoy stores energy generated by waves in a battery.

11.  VIRTUAL NATION ASGARDIA LAUNCHED ITS FIRST SATELLITE ‘ASGARDIA-1’ INTO SPACE

i. The Space Kingdom of Asgardia has launched its first satellite. This so-called ‘virtual nation’ is the pet project of Russian scientist and billionaire Igor Ashurbeyli.

ii. The Asgardia-1 satellite, which is about the size of a loaf of bread, and contains half a terabyte of data. It was launched from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia aboard a Cygnus spacecraft on an Orbital ATK Antares rocket.

12.  ADITI, FIRST INDIAN TO QUALIFY FOR LPGA TOUR CHAMPIONSHIPS

i. Aditi Ashok has qualified for the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship on the LPGA, becoming the first from the country to play in the prestigious meet.

ii. The 19-year-old prodigy from Bengaluru is one of the eight rookies to make it to the Tour Championships in what is one of the strongest fields in women's golf.

13.  SEBASTIAN VETTEL WINS BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX

i. Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel took his first victory since July at the Brazilian Grand Prix, where Lewis Hamilton battled from the back to finish fourth.

ii. Vettel controlled the race after taking the lead from pole position man Valtteri Bottas' Mercedes at the start.