DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 17 NOV 2017

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 17 NOV 2017

(DAILY NEWS INDIA)

SHARED BY: WWW.DAILYGK.IN

1.      PRESIDENT RAM NATH KOVIND LAUNCHES SCHEMES WORTH RS 3,455 CRORE IN JHARKHAND

i. President Ram Nath Kovind launched various schemes and laid the foundation stones of infrastructure projects in Jharkhand. These schemes and projects are to be carried out at an expenditure of Rs 3455 cr.

ii.nFirstly, he launched Rs 290-crore ‘108 Ambulance’ service in the state. This service will have 329 life support system equipped ambulances which will provide free round the clock service across the state.

ii. Thereafter, President Kovind launched Jharkhand State Government’s JOHAR (Jharkhand’s Opportunities for Harnessing Rural Development) scheme.

2.      VENKAIAH NAIDU INAUGURATES AP AGTECH SUMMIT 2017 IN VISAKHAPATNAM

i. Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the 3-day Andhra Pradesh AgTech Summit 2017 in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

ii. The summit will discuss on innovative ideas, technologies and global best practices to push agricultural transformation in Andhra Pradesh. More than 50 stalls have been set up to showcase latest agriculture technologies and products of companies.

iii. Chief Guest for the Valedictory session on 17 November will be Bill Gates. This summit is organised by the Andhra Pradesh Government in association with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Confederation of Indian Industry and Dalberg Advisors.

iv. More than 1,500 global leaders from 61 countries including business heads, start-up founders, leading policymakers, progressive farmers, non-governmental organisation, agriculture and technology experts attended the summit.

3.      5TH BIENNIAL HOTELIVATE STATE RANKING SURVEY FOR TOURISM – DELHI TOPS THE LIST

i. According to the 5th biennial Hotelivate State Ranking Survey for Tourism, Delhi is the top tourist destination of India. This survey was conducted by hospitality consulting firm, Hotelivate in association with World Travel & Tourism Council-India Initiative.

ii. States were assessed on eleven parameters, which included state expenditure on tourism, number of branded hotel rooms, aircraft movement, road and rail network and other intangible aspects. As per the finding of the survey, Delhi, Goa, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat are the top five tourism destination states.

iii. Being a capital city, Delhi scored extremely high on parameters of aircraft movement and hotel rooms, which contributed to its overall top rank.

iv. Survey findings revealed that none of the Indian states spent more than 1% of Gross State Domestic Product on tourism.

4.      12TH NORTH EAST BUSINESS SUMMIT INAUGURATED IN NEW DELHI

i. 12th North East Business Summit, a two day event, was inaugurated in New Delhi. The summit aims to explore the scope for business opportunities in the North-Eastern region of India. Focus areas are Infrastructure and Connectivity with Public Private Partnerships, Skill Development, Financial Inclusion, Services Sector Development- Particularly in Tourism, Hospitality & Food Processing.

ii. The Summit is being organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce. Manipur is the state partner for this event. The conference includes technical sessions on development of infrastructure and connectivity in North East: Focus on Regional Air Connectivity, Skill development in NE & Financing the services sector, Roads & Highways, Development of Food Processing Industry in NE with focus on Natural Organic and Super Foods from NE and Promotion of Tourism & Hospitality Sector in NE.

5.      NAGALAND BECOMES FIRST NORTH EAST STATE TO LAUNCH POS FOR ELECTRICITY BILL PAYMENTS

i. Nagaland became the first among the North Eastern states to launch Point of Sale for electricity bill payment. The PoS facility was formally launched by State Chief Secretary, Pankaj Kumar, at Kohima Electrical Sub-division-1 in Kohima.

ii. He said that, the department has been losing around Rs 150 cr annually due to non-payment of bills by consumers and asked the citizens to pay sincerely. Through the PoS, a consumer can make cashless payment of the electricity bills, which is in line with India’s digitisation. Chief Engineer of Power Department, Khose Sale said that, PoS services will be extended to other major cities and districts of Nagaland.

6.      MUKHTAR ABBAS NAQVI INAUGURATES “HUNAR HAAT” IN NEW DELHI

i. Union Minister of Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi inaugurated the 4th edition of ‘Hunar Haat’ at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

ii. ‘Hunar (skill) Haat’ is a platform created by the Minority Affairs Ministry to offer employment and market opportunities to artisans and craftsmen from minority communities. At the 4th edition of Hunar Haat works of artisans belonging to minority communities and Tihar Jail inmates are kept on display. This will continue till 27 November 2017.

7.      CLIMATE CHANGE PERFORMANCE INDEX 2018 – INDIA RANKS 14TH, SWEDEN RANKS HIGHEST

i. India has ranked 14th out of 56 nations and European Union on Climate Change Performance Index 2018 released by environmental organisation Germanwatch.  This marks an improvement from its 20th rank in CCPI 2017

ii. China, which is one of the highest GHG emitting country, ranks 41st. Similar to last year’s rankings, top three rankings are still unoccupied  as no country has adhered to commitments made in 2015 Paris Climate Accord that aims to keep the average global temperature rise below two degrees Celsius and as close as possible to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

iii. The bottom three countries in the index are Korea (58), Iran (59) and Saudi Arabia (60).

8.      4TH GLOBAL CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINED ERADICATION OF CHILD LABOUR, ARGENTINA

i. Plenary session of 4th Global Conference on Sustained Eradication of Child Labour was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This Conference was jointly organised by Government of Argentina and International Labour Organization.

ii. While delivering the country statement at this conference, Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Maneka Gandhi stated that Indian Government is fully committed to continue working to eliminate child labour.

iii. Ms. Gandhi highlighted the specific provisions of amendment in the Child Labour Act of 1986, provisions of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, National Food Security Act 2013 and Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guaranty Act 2005 which are direct and indirect steps taken by Indian Government in this direction.

9.      RBI GOVERNOR URJIT PATEL APPOINTED TO BIS ADVISORY BOARD

i. RBI Governor Urjit Patel was appointed to the Financial Stability Institute Advisory Board of the Bank of International Settlement.

ii. Bank of International Settlement is a global financial organisation owned by major central banks from across the world. The Financial Stability Institute of the BIS assists financial sector authorities worldwide in strengthening their financial systems.

iii. The Advisory Board will provide strategic advice to help the FSI continue to meet its mandate in a way that is responsive to the changing needs of its key stakeholders around the world. Members of the FSI Advisory Board would include Urjit Patel, William Dudley, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, central bank governors in Brazil, South Africa, Japan, and other top bankers from across the world.

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 16 NOV 2017

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 16 NOV 2017

(DAILY NEWS INDIA)

SHARED BY: WWW.DAILYGK.IN

1.      IMPORTANT CABINET APPROVALS- 16TH NOVEMBER 2017

i. The Union Cabinet chaired by PM Shri Narendra Modi has given the following set of approvals. The full list of Cabinet Approvals is given as follows.

ii. The Cabinet has approved-

1. The establishment of the National Anti-profiteering Authority under GST.

2. Resolution for adoption of the recommendations of the Railway Convention Committee (2014) as contained in their 6th Report on "Rate of Dividend payable by the Railways to the General Revenues for the year 2016-17 and other ancillary matters".

3. Agreement between India and Belarus on Scientific and Technological Cooperation for mutual benefit in the areas of science, technology, agriculture, etc.

4. MoU between India and Poland for the promotion of Civil Aviation Cooperation.

5. Continuation of sub-schemes under Umbrella Scheme “Integrated Child Development Services” for the period till November 2018.

2.      GOVERNMENT LAUNCHED BHARAT 22 ETF

i. The government launched the ‘Bharat 22’ exchange traded fund managed by ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund, targeting an initial amount of about Rs8,000 cr.

ii. The ETF is part of the government’s overall disinvestment programme and mirrors the S&P BSE Bharat 22 Index, which comprises select companies from the central public sector enterprises universe, stakes held under the Specified Undertaking of the Unit Trust of India, and state-run banks.

3.      US CONSULATE GENERAL LAUNCHES FOR YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS

i. The US Consulate General, Kolkata launched ‘Youth for Business-Y4BIZ’, a support programme for young entrepreneurs in the eastern region of India.

ii. Under ‘Youth for Business-Y4BIZ’ programme, a group of 50 young entrepreneurs will be supported to transform their business ideas from the initial stage to a sustainable business model.

iii. This programme will be launched soon in three other cities of eastern India – Guwahati (Assam), Patna (Bihar), Ranchi (Jharkhand). The 50 entrepreneurs will be selected through a screening process after the programme is launched in all four cities.

iv. This programme is an initiative undertaken by US Consulate General in collaboration with social enterprise Contact Base and is part of a series of activities in the run up to the upcoming 8th Global Entrepreneurship Summit which will be held in Hyderabad from 28th – 30th November, 2017.

4.      RBI REJECTS HDFC BANK'S REQUEST TO DECLASSIFY HDFC AS FII

i. The Reserve Bank of India has reportedly rejected HDFC Bank's plea to declassify its parent Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited as a foreign institutional investor.

ii. The RBI has rejected the request citing current rules which require HDFC to be classified as FII. The move will have an impact on HDFC Bank's fundraising program from qualified institutional placement.

5.      SYRIA SIGNS UP PARIS AGREEMENT ON CLIMATE CHANGE

i. According to the UN report, Syria has officially signed up to the Paris Agreement, leaving the United States as the only country to reject the global climate-rescue pact.

ii. Syria became the 169th of 196 countries that are members of the UN climate convention to take the legal step of ratification. After Nicaragua signed up in October 2017, Syria and USA were the only countries not to have adopted the pact.

6.      INTERNATIONAL SOLAR ALLIANCE ANNOUNCES SETTING UP 1000 GW OF SOLAR ENERGY BY 2030

i. The International Solar Alliance has announced a target to support setting up 1000GW of solar energy capacity by 2030 across its member countries. It will be met through projects that ISA will support under its various work programmes.

ii. This target does not take into account renewable energy targets or projects that countries are pursuing on their own as part of their national efforts.

iii. This initiative by India to harness the untapped resource of sunshine-rich countries between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn was backed by France, and was launched at the Paris climate talks in 2015. 16 countries have ratified the framework agreement of the International Solar Alliance and it will come into force on 6 December 2017.

7.      AMBANIS TOP FORBES LIST OF ASIA'S RICHEST FAMILIES

i. India’s Ambani family has topped the Forbes list of Asia’s Richest Families for the first time with a net worth of $44.8 billion, up $19 billion from the previous year. The collective wealth of Asia’s 50 richest families on the list is a record $699 billion, according to the Forbes.

ii. Top 3 Families in Asia- India's Ambani Family- $44.8 billion, Korea’s Lee family- $40.8 billion and Hong Kong’s Kwok family- ($40.4 billion).

iii. Top 3 Families in India- India's Ambani Family- $44.8 billion, Premji family (Rank 11; $19.2 billion, Mittal family $17.2 billion.

8.      UN PEACEKEEPING DEFENCE MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 2017 HELD IN CANADA

i. Canada hosted the 2017 UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial Conference in Vancouver, Canada. This conference is the largest gathering of Defence ministers dedicated to UN Peacekeeping.

ii. The goals of this conference are- to measure the progress made since the 2016 UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial;

iii. To encourage new pledges from the Member States, particularly in areas where the UN faces gaps, such as rapid deployment, helicopters, and francophone units.

9.      US APPROVES FIRST PILL WITH DIGITAL TRACKING DEVICE

i. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first drug in the United States with a digital ingestion tracking system, in an unprecedented move to ensure that patients with mental illness take the medicine prescribed for them.

ii. The drug Abilify MyCite, developed by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, was first approved by the FDA in 2002 to treat schizophrenia.

10.  R.K. SINGH LAUNCHES ‘SAUBHAGYA’ WEB-PORTAL

i. Shri R.K. Singh, Minister of State (I/C) for Power and New & Renewable Energy, launched the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana – ‘Saubhagya’ Web Portal.

ii. The portal can be accessed at http://saubhagya.gov.in. ‘Saubhagya’ scheme was launched by PM of India, Shri Narendra Modi on 25th September 2017 with an outlay of Rs. 16,320 Crores including Budgetary Support of Rs. 12,320 Crores.

11.  ABU DHABI AWARD FOR APMDC

i. The Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation has bagged an international award from Abu Dhabi.

ii. The ADI PEC (Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference) Excellence in Energy Awards 2017 had adjudged the APMDC as the winner for the second position in the category of “social contribution in country value.”

12.  BSE APPOINTS S RAVI AS ITS NEW CHAIRMAN

i. Eminent chartered accountant Sethurathnam Ravi has been appointed as the chairman of the leading Bombay Stock Exchange.

ii. Ravi, who was a public interest director at the BSE, replaced Dhirendra Swarup.

13.  NATIONAL PRESS DAY: 16 NOVEMBER

i. National Press Day is celebrated on November 16 to commemorate the establishment of the Press Council of India.

ii. Formed in 1966, the Press Council keeps a check on the quality of reportage provided by the Indian press.

14.  VETERAN VOCALIST JAGDISH MOHAN PASSES AWAY

i. Renowned Hindustani vocalist of Kirana Gharana, Jagdish Mohan has passed away. He aged 87. He was from Haridwar.

ii. Mohan was honored with the Sangeet Sartaj award by Pracheen Kala Kendra, Chandigarh for his vast contribution to Indian classical music.

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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.

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