Current Affairs Today 12th to 14th November 2019-Download in PDF

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Current Affairs Today – 12th to 14th November2019 

IMPORTANT DAYS AND THEMES 

Public Service Broadcasting Day observed on 12 November 

  • Public Service Broadcasting Day is celebrated on 12 November every year. 
  • The day is celebrated every year to commemorate the first and last visit of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi to the studio of All India Radio, Delhi in 1947. 

World Pneumonia Day observed on 12 November 

  • World Pneumonia Day, marked every year on November 12.  
  • The year 2019 marked the 10 anniversary of World Pneumonia Day to fight against pneumonia.  
  • The theme for the year 2019 is “Healthy lungs for all”. 
  • It was organized by the Global Coalition against Child Pneumonia in 2009.  
  • This day makes awareness about pneumonia, how it is caused, treatment and prevention. Pneumonia is an infectious disease that causes infection in one or both lungs. 
  • It can be serious and life-threatening. 

World Kindness Day observed on 13 November 

  • November 13 is celebrated as the World Kindness Day.  
  • World Kindness Day is to highlight good deeds in the community focusing on the positive power and the common thread of kindness which binds us.  
  • Kindness is a fundamental part of the human circumstances which bridges the divides of race religion, politics, gender and zip codes.  
  • The Theme of 2019 for this World Kindness Day 2019 is empathy, encouraging people across the globe to better understand “the pains of others” and touch their lives “positively”. 
  • World Kindness Day was first introduced in 1998 by The World Kindness Movement, an organisation formed at a 1997 Tokyo conference by the like-minded kindness organisations from around the world. 

World Diabetes Day observed on 14 November 

  • The World Diabetes Day (WDD) was observed globally on 14 November. 
  •  The theme for diabetes awareness month and World Diabetes Day 2019 “Family and Diabetes”.  
  • World Diabetes Day (WDD) was created in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization in response to growing concerns about the escalating health threat posed by diabetes.  
  • World Diabetes Day became an official United Nations Day in 2006.  
  • It is marked every year on 14 November, the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, who co-discovered insulin along with Charles Best in 1922. 

Extra Shots: 

United Nations: It is an International Organization. Its Objective of UN is to not only maintain International Peace and Security but also to develop Friendly relations among nations. 

  • Founded – 24th October, 1945 
  • Headquarter- New York,United States 
  • Secretary General- Antonio Guterres (9th SG OF UN)  
  • He is from PORTUGAL  
  • Portugal (Capital/Currency) – Lisbon/ Euro 
  • United States (Capital/Currency) – Washington, D.C/ US Dollar 

Children’s Day observed on 14th November 

  • On 14th November, Children’s Day is celebrated every year to mark the birth anniversary of our first Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru. Pandit Nehru had a great love for children.  
  • He wanted to be among them, talk to them and play with them.  
  • The children also loved and respected him and called him CHACHA NEHRU.  
  • Children’s Day is celebrated across India to increase awareness of the rights, care and education of children. 

BANKING CURRENT AFFAIRS 

SBI’s economic research team revised India’s FY20 GDP forecast to 5% 

  • The economic research team from the State Bank of India (SBI) has revised India’s Gross Domestic Product(GDP) to 5% from its earlier estimate of 6.1% for the Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20).  
  • This downgrade was due to global slowdown in the index of industrial production (IIP).  
  • The SBI economic research team group has projected the second quarter (July-September) GDP growth at 4.2% in their report titled “EcoWrap”.  
  • It expects the growth rate to pick up in FY2021 to 6.2%. 

Extra Shots: 

State Bank of India: Founded on: As 2 June 1806 (Bank of Calcutta), 15 April 1840 (Bank of Bombay), 1 July 1843 (Bank of Madras), 27 January 1921 (Imperial Bank of India), 1 July 1955 (State Bank of India) 

  • Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra 
  • Chairman: Rajnish Kumar 
  • SBI is the largest commercial bank and the largest mortgage lender across the country.  
  • SBI has 22,010 branches and 58,000 ATM/CDM across India. 

HSBC and RBS to launch new digital banking platforms 

  • British Investment banking companies HSBC and RBS to launch new digital banking platforms.  
  • The launch comes to aid the customers digitally in the face of a wave of online startups. 
  • HSBC launched HSBC Kinetic, a new app-based business banking service. 
  •  It was previously known internally as Project Iceberg. HSBC Kinetic app will provide small businesses mobile-managed current accounts, overdrafts and spending, and cash flow insights that are generated by the app crunching data on a company’s spending habits. 
  • RBS is to launch its new digital bank Bo in the month of November 2019. The Bo app aims to encourage customers to budget and save better.  
  • It will alert the customers if they overspend. 

Extra Shots: 

HSBC: HSBC Holdings plc is a British multinational investment bank and financial services holding company. It was the 7th largest bank in the world by 2018, and the largest in Europe. 

  • CEO: Noel Quinn  
  • Headquarters: London, United Kingdom 

RBS: The Royal Bank of Scotland, commonly abbreviated as RBS, is one of the retail banking subsidiaries of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc, together with NatWest and Ulster Bank. 

  • CEO: Alison Rose  
  • Headquarters: Edinburgh, United Kingdom 
  • Parent organization: Royal Bank of Scotland Group 

India, Russia, China to explore an alternative to SWIFT 

  • India, Russia, and China have partnered to explore an alternative to the US-dominated Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) payment mechanism. 
  • The move aims to smoothen trade with countries that face American sanctions. 
  • The countries have decided to link Russia’s Financial messaging system of the Bank of Russia (SPFS) with the Chinese cross-border interbank payment system Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS).  
  • As India does not have a domestic financial messaging system, it plans to link the Central Bank of Russia’s platform with a service that is being developed.  
  • The new payment system will work as a gateway model when messages on payments are transcoded in accordance with a certain financial system.  
  • It is expected that the proposed alternative to the SWIFT financial payment mechanism could be on the agenda of the BRICS Summit in Brasilia. 

Extra Shots: 

China (Capital/Currency): Beijing/Renminbi 

  • President: Xi Jinping 

Russia (Capital/Currency): Moscow/Ruble 

  • Prime Minister: Dmitry Medvedev 
  • President: Vladimir Putin 

NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS 

Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurates the India Pavilion at the ADIPEC 

  • Union Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Steel Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the India Pavilion at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC).  
  • The India Pavilion has been set up by 9 Indian Oil & Gas companies from the upstream, midstream, downstream and engineering segments, along with Federation of Indian Petroleum Industry (FIPI), Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). 

Extra Shots: 

  • Union Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Steel Dharmendra Pradhan 

Swachh-Nirmal Tat Abhiyaan 

  • Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is undertaking a mass cleanliness-cum-awareness drive in 50 identified beaches under the programme called ‘Swachh- Nirmal Tat Abhiyaan’, from 11 -17 November 2019. 
  • The Objective of Swachh-Nirmal Tat Abhiyaan to strive to make coastal areas across the country clean and to create awareness amongst citizens about the importance of coastal ecosystems so as to save marine creatures from plastic waste, industrial effluents and other harmful substances. 

Extra Shots: 

  • Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change: Prakash Javadekar 

Dr Harsh Vardhan inaugurates exhibition of Technologies in Food Processing 

  • Union Minister for Science and Technology Harsh Vardhan inaugurated an exhibition of Technologies in Food Processing developed by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. The exhibition organized in New Delhi showcases CSIR technologies in the food sector to the industries and MSMEs. 
  • It also highlights the latest research and development being done in the food processing sector in the country.  
  • The products developed through these technologies and innovations are cost-effective and healthier for people. 

Extra Shots: 

  • Union Minister for Science and Technology: Harsh Vardhan 

STATE CURRENT AFFAIRS 

Gujarat Govt gives approval to world’s first CNG terminal at Bhavnagar port 

  • Gujarat Government has given approval to the world’s first CNG terminal at Bhavnagar port, Gujarat.  
  • The joint venture of United Kingdom-based Foresight Group and Mumbai-based Padmanabh Mafatlal Group will invest 1,900 crore rupees to set up a CNG terminal at Bhavnagar port. 
  • For this, a Memorandum of Understanding between Gujarat Maritime Board and London-based Foresight Group was signed during the Vibrant Gujarat Summit earlier this year. 

Extra Shots: 

Gujarat: 

  • Capital: Gandhinagar 
  • Chief Minister: Vijay Rupani 
  • Governor: Acharya Devvrat 
  • National Park: Vansda NP, Blackbuck NP, Gir Forest NP,  Marine NP, Gulf of Kutch 

Dal Lake of J&K to be declared Eco-Sensitive Zone 

  • The Jammu and Kashmir government has set up a 10-member committee to declare Srinagar’s famous Dal Lake and its surrounding areas as an eco-sensitive zone (ESZ), following concerns over its shrinking size. 
  • The capacity of the lake has shrunk to 40%.  
  • The depth of the lake has reduced in many places due to the absence of desilting. 
  • The Eco-Sensitive Zone is called Ecologically Fragile Areas.  
  • A region or territory is notified as ESZ by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate change.  
  • In General, the regions are around wildlife sanctuaries, protected areas and National Parks. 

Extra Shots: 

Jammu & Kashmir: 

  • Capitals- Jammu (Winter), Srinagar (Summer) 
  •  Lt Governor- Girish Chandra Murmu 
  • National Parks: City Forest (Salim Ali) National Park, Dachigam National Park, Hemis National Park, Kishtwar National Park 
  • Wildlife Sanctuaries: Baltal-Thajwas WLS, Changthang Cold Desert WLS, Gulmarg WLS, Jasrota WLS, Karakoram (Nubra Shyok) WLS etc 

Sishu Suraksha APP to be launched in Assam 

  • The Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights is going to launch a mobile app Sishu Suraksha on the occasion of Children’s Day.  
  • The purpose of the app is to empower citizens to take moral responsibility for protecting future generations.  
  • The app can be used by anyone in the state to lodge a complaint which will be directly registered at Commission. 

Extra Shots: 

Assam: 

  • Capital: Dispur 
  • Chief Minister: Sarbananda Sonowal 
  • Governor: Jagdish Mukhi 
  • National Park: Dibru-Saikhowa NP, Kaziranga NP, Manas NP, Nameri NP, Rajiv Gandhi Orang NP 

 

Gujarat government approved CNG terminal in Bhavnagar 

  • The Gujarat government gave its approval for a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) terminal in Bhavnagar, Gujarat.  
  • The proposed investment for the CNG terminal project is Rs.1,900 crore.  
  • The approval for the facility was given by the Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board headed by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. 
  • It is expected that it would be the world’s first CNG port terminal. 
  • The Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) signed an MOU with Foresight Group for the setting up of the port terminal at Bhavnagar in the Vibrant Gujarat Summit.  
  • The summit was held in January 2019. 

Extra Shots: 

Gujarat: 

  • Capital: Gandhinagar 
  • Chief Minister: Vijay Rupani 
  • Governor: Acharya Devvrat 
  • National Park: Vansda NP, Blackbuck NP, Gir Forest NP,  Marine NP, Gulf of Kutch 

“Bali Yatra” festival begins in Cuttack, Odisha 

  • The festival ‘Bali Yatra’ which is organised every year in memory of the rich maritime history of the state, was inaugurated in Cuttack, Odisha.  
  • The festival is organised at the bank of Mahanadi River every year 

Extra Shots: 

Odisha: 

  • Capital: Bhubaneswar 
  • Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik 
  • Governor: Ganeshi Lal 
  • National Park: Bhitarkanika NP, Simlipal NP 

Goa to ban plastics and pet bottles from 2020 January 

  • In 2020, Goa has decided to impose a complete ban on the use of all plastics below 50 microns. 
  •  The state government will also ban all items that are sold in small quantities in plastic packaging.  
  • The ban will include sachets, soft drinks, water, and other drinks sold in pet bottles of volumes below 500ml. 
  • The move aims to eliminate the practice of smaller packaging.  
  • The first move of the policy will ban smaller packaging and pet bottles. 

Extra Shots: 

Goa: 

  • Capital: Panji 
  • Chief Minister: Pramod Sawant 
  • Governor: Satya Pal Malik 
  • National Park: Bhagwan Mahavir (Mollem) National Park 

Presidents rule imposed on Maharashtra 

  • President’s rule was imposed in Maharashtra on 12 November.  
  • The rule has been imposed due to the inability of political parties to form a government after an assembly election.  
  • This is the third time that Maharashtra has come under the central rule. 

Maharashtra: 

  • Capital: Mumbai 
  • Chief Minister: Vacant 
  • Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari 
  • National Parks: Chandoli National Park, Nawegaon National Park, Gugamal National Park, Pench National Park, Sanjay Gandhi (Borivilli) National Park, Tadoba National Park 
  • Wildlife Sanctuaries: Amba Barwa WLS, Bor WLS, Great Indian Bustard WLS, 
  • Lonar WLS, Melghat WLS, Gangewadi New Great Indian Bustard WLS, etc. 

INTERNATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS 

Iran discovers new oil field with 53 Bn barrels of reserves 

  • Iran has discovered a new oilfield with 53 billion barrels of crude oil in Khuzestan province, home to Iran’s Khuzestan’s crucial oil industry.  
  • The announcement, however, did not reveal how much oil could be produced from the reservoir but the find could boost the country’s battered economy amid stringent US sanctions. 
  • The new oil field discovered is 2,400 square kilometres (925 square miles), with the deposit some 80 metres (260 feet) deep. 

Extra Shots: 

Iraq (Capital/Currency): Baghdad/ Iraqi dinar 

  • Prime Minister: Adil Abdul-Mahdi 

Pravind Jugnauth sworn in as Mauritius PM 

  • Mauritius’s incumbent Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth was sworn in for a five-year term after elections in which his coalition consolidated its grip on parliament. 
  • Jugnauth took over from his father in 2017 without going through a vote, and the decisive victory of his centre-right Morisian Alliance in the November 7 elections have strengthened his legitimacy. 
  • Since attaining independence from Britain in 1968, Mauritius has become one of the most stable democracies in Africa. 

Extra Shots: 

Mauritius (Capital/Currency): Port Louis/ Mauritian rupee 

Prime Minister: Pravind Jugnauth 

SpaceX launched a second set of mini satellites 

  • SpaceX, a private company, launched a second set of mini-satellites.  
  • The company is building a huge constellation of small orbiting devices with an aim to expand internet access around the globe. 
  • A Falcon-9 rocket launched 60 mini-satellites in orbit from Cape Canaveral, Florida.  
  • Theses satellites joined 60 other satellites that were launched in May 2019. 

Extra Shots: 

SpaceX: Space Exploration Technologies Corp., doing business as SpaceX, is a private American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation services company. 

  • Founder: Elon Musk 
  • Founded: 6 May 2002 
  • CEO: Elon Musk  
  • Headquarters: Hawthorne, California, United States 

The 2nd edition of the Paris Peace Forum was held in France 

  • The 2nd edition of the Paris Peace Forum was held at La Grande Halle de La Villette in Paris, France.  
  • The event was held from 11-13 November 2019.  
  • The forum is held to mobilize and bring together all stakeholders. 
  • The forum aims to confront the challenges of the organization of the world. 

Extra Shots: 

France (Capital/Currency): Paris/Euro 

  • Prime Minister: Édouard Philippe 
  • President: Emmanuel Macron 

SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES 

“National Capital Region -2041” conclave held in Delhi 

  • Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, chaired the inaugural conclave on “National Capital Region -2041” in Delhi.  
  • This conclave is organized by the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB).  
  • The theme of the conclave was “Planning for Tomorrow’s Greatest Capital Region”.  
  • The Regional Plan-2041 should be a citizen-centric plan, with liveability as the hallmark, to ensure ease of living. 

Extra Shots: 

Delhi: 

  • Chief Minister: Arvind Kejriwal 
  • Lt. Governor: Anil Baijal 

India to host 19th council of heads of government of SCO 2020 

  • India will host the 19th council of heads of government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation 2020.  
  • The first such high-level meeting of the 8-member grouping to be organised by New Delhi after its admission into the grouping in 2017. 
  • The SCO is a China-led eight-member economic and security bloc in which India and Pakistan were admitted as full members in 2017. 
  • Its founding members included China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.  
  • The latest Summit of heads of government was held in Tashkent in November 2019.  
  • It was proposed in Tashkent Summit that India would take the initiative to hold the 2020 meetings of the Heads of Government. 

Extra Shots: 

SCO: The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), or Shanghai Pact, is a Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance, the creation of which was announced on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai, China by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. 

  • Headquarters: Beijing, China 
  • Deputy Secretaries General: Sabyr Imandosov; Wang Kaiwen; Aziz Nosirov; Vladimir Potapenko 
  • Secretary General: Vladimir Norov 
  • Founded: 26 April 1996 

Air Chief to inaugurate ISAM Conference in Bengaluru 

  • Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria will inaugurate the 58th Indian Society of Aerospace Medicine (ISAM) Annual Conference.  
  • The aims of the conference to address contemporary issues and applications in the subject of aerospace medicine.  
  • The theme for this year’s conference is ‘Changing Paradigms in Aerospace Healthcare’.  
  • The event will take place at the Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Indian Air Force, Bengaluru from November 14-16. 

Extra Shots: 

Karnataka: 

  • Capital: Bengaluru 
  • Chief Minister: B. S. Yediyurappa 
  • Governor: Vajubhai Vala 
  • National Park: Anshi NP, Bandipur NP, Bannerghatta NP, Kudremukh NP, Rajiv Gandhi (Nagarahole) NP. 

 

Inaugural Conclave on NCR 2041 was held in Delhi 

  • The Inaugural Conclave on National Capital Region-2041 was held in Delhi on 11 November 2019.  
  • It was chaired by Shri Durga Shankar Mishra, Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.  
  • The conclave was organized by the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB). 
  • The theme of the conclave was Planning for Tomorrow’s Greatest Capital Region. 

Extra Shots: 

Delhi: 

  • Chief Minister: Arvind Kejriwal 
  • Lt. Governor: Anil Baijal 

The 6th World Congress on Rural and Agriculture Finance was held in New Delhi 

  • The sixth World Congress on Rural and Agriculture Finance was held on 12 November 2019 in New Delhi.  
  • It was inaugurated by the Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman. 
  •  The meeting was jointly organized by Asia-Pacific Rural Agricultural and Credit Association (APRACA) and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). 

Extra Shots: 

Delhi: 

  • Chief Minister: Arvind Kejriwal 
  • Lt. Governor: Anil Baijal 

The 7th edition of the North East Festival was held in New Delhi 

  • The 7th edition of the North East Festival concluded at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) in New Delhi on 11 November 2019.  
  • The festival is celebrated every year.  
  • The festival showcased the northeast culture, fashion, food, music, and art.  
  • The Northeast festival was inaugurated by the Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports  Kiren Rijiju.  
  • The event was organized by Shyamkanu Mahanta. 

Extra Shots: 

Delhi: 

  • Chief Minister: Arvind Kejriwal 
  • Lt. Governor: Anil Baijal 

India-ASEAN Business Summit 2019 

  • The Union Minister of State (I/C) Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), has addressed the India-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Business Summit 2019 in New Delhi.  
  • The India- ASEAN Business Summit on the theme: “Today, Tomorrow, Together” is being organised to strengthen trade & investment flows with ASEAN Economies.  
  • The objective of the conference is to enhance the trade trajectory between India and ASEAN nations to new highs. 

Extra Shots: 

Delhi: 

  • Chief Minister: Arvind Kejriwal 
  • Lt. Governor: Anil Baijal 

ASEAN: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is a regional intergovernmental organization comprising ten countries in Southeast Asia. 

  • Headquarters: Jakarta, Indonesia 
  • Founded: 8 August 1967 
  • Members: Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Cambodia, Myanmar (Burma), Laos 
  • Founders: Adam Malik, Abdul Razak Hussein, Narciso Ramos, S. Rajaratnam, Thanat Khoman 

27th Conference of COCSSO inaugurated at Kolkata, West Bengal 

  • National Statistical Commission inaugurated the 27th Conference of Central and State Statistical Organizations (COCSSO) at Kolkata, West Bengal.  
  • 27th COCSSO is a Conference organized by MoSPI, Government of India every year. 
  • COCSSO is a major national forum for coordination between the Central and State Statistical Agencies with the objectives of putting in coordinated efforts for making available reliable and timely statistics to planners and policymakers.  
  • The theme of this conference was “Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”. 

Extra Shots: 

West Bengal: 

  • Capital: Kolkata 
  • Chief Minister: Mamata Banerjee 
  • Governor: Jagdeep Dhankhar 
  • National Park: Buxa NP, Gorumara NP, Neora Valley NP, Singalila NP, Sunderban NP, JaldaparaNP 

International Conference on Yoga for Heart care to be organised at Karnataka 

  • Ministry of AYUSH is organizing the International Conference on Yoga on 15-16 November 2019 at Mysuru, Karnataka.  
  • The theme of the conference is ‘Yoga for Heart Care’.  
  • This conference is 5th in the series to commemorate the unanimous adoption of Resolution by the United Nations General Assembly during its 69th Session for observing 21st June as International Day of Yoga.  
  • After the UN declaration of International Day of Yoga since 2014, overwhelming interest towards Yoga has been witnessed from the international communities across the globe. 

Extra Shots: 

Karnataka: 

  • Capital: Bengaluru 
  • Chief Minister: B. S. Yediyurappa 
  • Governor: Vajubhai Vala 
  • National Park: Anshi NP, Bandipur NP, Bannerghatta NP, Kudremukh NP, Rajiv Gandhi (Nagarahole) NP. 

India International Trade Fair to begin on 14 November 

  • The India International Trade Fair (IITF) 2019 is to begin in New Delhi on 14 November 2019.  
  • The 14-day fair is the 39th edition of IITF.  
  • The fair will be inaugurated by the Union Minister of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Nitin Gadkari. 
  • The multi-product exhibition aims to offer an equal opportunity for large corporations, MSMEs, non-government agencies, artisans, self-help groups (SHGs).  
  • It ensures to promote their products and services to a very large sample of potential customers. 
  • The theme for the 39th edition of IITF is Ease of Doing Business. 
  • Partner Country for the year 2019 – Islamic Republic of Afghanistan 
  • Focus Country for the year 2019 – Republic of Korea. 
  • Focus States – Bihar and Jharkhand 

AGREEMENTS AND MOU SIGNED 

FICCI signed MoU with Singapore Fintech Association 

  • Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) signed a memorandum of understanding with Singapore Fintech Association (SFA) as part of the growing Singapore-India fintech ecosystems. 
  • The MoU was signed during the Fourth edition of Singapore Fintech Festival, the world’s largest financial technology platform along with Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology conducted from November 11-13, 2019. 

Extra Shots: 

FICCI: The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry is an association of business organisations in India. Established in 1927, on the advice of Mahatma Gandhi by GD Birla and Purushottam Das Thakurdas, it is the largest, oldest and the apex business organisation in India.  

  • Headquarters location: New Delhi 
  • Founded: 1927 

India pledged USD5 mn to the UN Palestine refugee agency 

  • India has announced that it is to contribute $5 million in 2020 to the UN Palestine refugee agency.  
  • It aims to provide services to refugees in the fields of education and health.  
  • The move is to mark solidarity with the Palestine refugees. 
  • Indian government increased its annual financial contribution to the core budget of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) from $1.25 million in 2016 to $5 million in 2018. 
  • In 2019, India pledged $5 million.  
  • The country has decided to contribute $5 million in 2020. 

Extra Shots: 

Palestine (Capital/Currency): Ramallah, East Jerusalem/ Israeli new shekel, Jordanian dinar 

  • Prime Minister: Mohammad Shtayyeh 

India and Russia to set up cyber security 

  • India and Russia are to set up cybersecurity cooperation in the backdrop of cyber-attack on the Kudankulam nuclear power plant.  
  • The plant was built by a global nuclear major, Rosatom. 

Extra Shots: 

Russia (Capital/Currency): Moscow/Ruble 

  • Prime Minister: Dmitry Medvedev 
  • President: Vladimir Putin 

CSIR IMTECH signs MoU with IIT Bombay to promote collaborative research 

  • CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research)-Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Chandigarh signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay to promote collaborative research on 13 November. 
  • The MoU will allow the institutes to exchange ideas, development of new knowledge, and enhance high-quality research acumen between the researchers and faculty of both the institutes. 

Extra Shots: 

IIT Bombay: The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay is a public engineering institution located in Powai, Mumbai, India. IIT Bombay was founded in 1958. In 1961, the Parliament decreed IITs as Institutes of National Importance. 

  • Director: Subhasis Chaudhuri 

APPOINTMENT 

Mohammad Imran appointed Bangladesh High Commissioner to India 

  • Mohammad Imran has been appointed as the new High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India. He is currently Bangladesh’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates.  
  • He succeeds Syed Muazzem Ali.  
  • The announcement was made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh. 

Extra Shots: 

Bangladesh (Capital/Currency): Dhaka/Taka 

  • Prime Minister: Sheikh Hasina 

Justice AP Sahi sworn-in as Chief Justice of Madras High Court 

  • Justice Amreshwar Pratap Sahi was sworn-in as Chief Justice of the Madras High Court.  
  • Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit administered the oath of office to Justice Sahi.  
  • Justice Sahi replaces Justice VK Tahilramani, who quit on September 6.  
  • Prior to this appointment, Justice Sahi was Chief Justice of the Patna High Court from November 17, 2018. 

Extra Shots: 

Tamilnadu 

  • Capital: Chennai 
  • Chief Minister: Edappadi K.Palanisamy 
  • Governor: Banwarilal Purohit 
  • Chief Justice of Madras High Court: Vijaya Kamlesh Tahilramani 
  • National Park: Guindy  NP,Gulf of Mannar Marine NP, Indira Gandhi (Annamalai) NP, Mudumalai NP, Mukurthi NP. 

 Justice Muhammad Raffiq was sworn in as the Chief Justice of Meghalaya HC 

  • Justice Muhammad Raffiq was sworn in as the Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court. 
  • The oath of office and secrecy was administered by Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy at Raj Bhavan in Shillong, Meghalaya. 
  • He will be the eighth Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court. 

Extra Shots: 

Meghalaya: 

  • Capital: Shillong 
  • Chief Minister: Conrad Kongkal Sangma 
  • Governor: Tathagata Roy 

Unilever appoints Nils Andersen as new Chairman 

  • British-Dutch consumer goods company Unilever named non-executive director Nils Andersen as its new chairman to utilise his deep experience across consumer goods and logistics industries. Andersen will replace Marijn Dekkers. 

Extra Shots: 

Unilever is a British-Dutch transnational consumer goods company co-headquartered in London, United Kingdom, and Rotterdam, Netherlands. Its products include food and beverages, cleaning agents, beauty products, and personal care products. It is Europe’s seventh most valuable company.  

  • CEO: Alan Jope 
  • Chairman: Nils Andersen 
  • Headquarters: London, United Kingdom 

Prakash Javadekar takes charge as Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises 

  • Prakash Javadekar took charge as the Union Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises. This decision was taken after Shiv Sena leader Arvind Sawant resigned from the Union Cabinet. Javadekar also holds information & broadcasting, and environment, forest and climate change portfolios. 
  • ITDC appoints Kamala Vardhana Rao as its new Chairman and MD 
  • India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) has appointed G Kamala Vardhana Rao as the new Chairman and Managing Director.  
  • Prior to this, an IAS officer 1990 batch from Kerala Cadre, was the Principal Secretary, Kerala government.  
  • He has also served as the Secretary of Kerala Tourism in 2014-15.  
  • He has also served multiple positions including Chairman of Indian Tobacco Board, Director of Fisheries Department, Director, Department of Tourism and Culture, Andhra Pradesh government. 

Extra Shots: 

  • Union Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises: Prakash Javadekar 

Nita Ambani to be an honorary trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art 

  • Nita Ambani has been named as an honorary trustee of The Metropolitan Museum of Art on 12 November.  
  • The announcement was made by Daniel Brodsky, the chairman of the museum.  
  • She is the first Indian to be honoured so.  
  • She was elected at a meeting of the Board. 

Extra Shots: 

The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially “the Met”, is the largest art museum in the United States. 

  • Director: Max Hollein 

Andhra Pradesh government appointed Nilam Sawhney as Chief Secretary of the State 

  • The Andhra Pradesh government appointed IAS officer Nilam Sawhney as Chief Secretary of the State on 13 November 2019.  
  • She became the first woman chief secretary of bifurcated Andhra Pradesh.  
  • She will replace the senior IAS officer LV Subrahmanyam as Chief Secretary, who was recently removed by the State government. 

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Andhra Pradesh: 

  • Capital: Amravati 
  • Chief Minister: Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy 
  • Governor:  Biswabhusan Harichandan 

SPORTS CURRENT AFFAIRS 

Javelin thrower Sundar Singh wins gold in World Para Athletics Championships 

  • Javelin thrower Sundar Singh Gurjar has won India’s second gold and defending his World Para Athletics Championships title in the men’s F46 javelin throw event in Dubai.  
  • With this, India has secured three Tokyo Paralympic Games quota, along with the bronze winner Ajeet Singh and Rinku. 

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UAE (Capital/Currency): Abu Dhabi/Dirham 

  • President: Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan 

Saurabh Chaudhary wins silver medal in Men’s 10m air pistol event at Asian Championship 

  • Saurabh Chaudhary claimed the silver medal in men’s 10m air pistol event at the 14th Asian Championship in Doha, Qatar.  
  • World Cup and Asian Games gold-medallist shot 244.5 to finish second on the podium behind North Korea’s Kim Song Guk, who won the top prize with a world record 246.5.  
  • Iran’s Foroughi Javed bagged the bronze. 

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Qatar (Capital/Currency): Doha/ Qatari riyal 

  • Prime Minister: Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani 

Thomas Dennerby takes charge as Indian Head Coach in FIFA U-17 Women’s WC 

  • All India Football Federation (AIFF) has announced the appointment of Thomas Dennerby (Sweden) as the Indian head coach of the Women’s U-17 football team.  
  • The FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) U-17(under 17) women’s football World Cup 2020 will be hosted by India.  
  • Thomas led the Sweden Women’s national team to finish third in the FIFA World Cup in 2011. 

Extra Shots: 

FIFA: The Fédération Internationale de Football Association is a non-profit organization which describes itself as an international governing body of association football, fútsal, beach soccer, and efootball. It is the highest governing body of football. 

  • President: Gianni Infantino 
  • Headquarters: Zürich, Switzerland 
  • Founded at: Paris, France 
  • Founded: 21 May 1904, Rue Saint-Honoré, Paris, France 
  • Senior Vice-President: Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa (AFC) 

India ranked fourth in the 14th Asian Championship Shooting 

  • Indian teen shooter Saurabh Chaudhary won the silver medal in men’s 10m air pistol event at the 14th Asian Shooting Championship in Qatar.  
  • He shot 244.5 to claim the silver medal.  
  • The gold was won by North Korea’s Kim Song Guk. He won the top prize with a world record of 246.5.  
  • India won fourth in the championship with a medal tally of 26 out of which, five gold, ten silver, and 11 bronze. 
  • China secured the first rank, followed by South Korea and North Korea. 

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Qatar (Capital/Currency): Doha/ Qatari riyal 

  • Prime Minister: Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani 

DEFENCE CURRENT AFFAIRS 

Exercise Tiger Triumph commenced in Visakhapatnam 

  • Exercise Tiger Triumph, a joint tri-services Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) between India and the US, commenced at Visakhapatnam on 13 November.  
  • The exercise will be held from 13-21 November 2019. 
  • The aim of the exercise is to grow the partnership between India and the US. It also is aimed to develop interoperability for conducting HADR operations. 
  • HADR exercise: 
  • Harbour Phase:The Harbour Phase of the exercise commenced at Visakhapatnam. It will be held on 13-16 November 2019. 
  • Sea Phase:In the sea phase, the troops will undertake maritime, amphibious, and HADR operations. In the HADR area at Kakinada, the exercise will undertake the landing of Relief Forces. 

Extra Shots: 

USA (Capital/Currency): Washington, D.C./ United States Dollar 

  • President: Donald Trump 

AWARDS 

George Schaller lifetime award for wildlife biologist K. Ullas Karanth 

  • Wildlife biologist K. Ullas Karanth, Director, Centre for Wildlife Studies, Bengaluru, was awarded the George Schaller Lifetime Award in Wildlife Conservation Science for his contribution to the field of conservation.  
  • He is the first recipient of the award instituted by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), New York, in honour of Dr George Schaller, who is considered one of the greatest wildlife scientists and conservationists globally. 
  • K. Ullas Karanth was honoured with various awards, which includes Padma Shri award (2012), Karnataka Government’s Rajyothsava Award (2010) etc. 
  • WCS George Schaller Lifetime Award has been created to honour members of WCS for their outstanding contributions in conserving wildlife and wild places. 

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Karnataka: 

  • Capital: Bengaluru 
  • Chief Minister: B. S. Yediyurappa 
  • Governor: Vajubhai Vala 
  • National Park: Anshi NP, Bandipur NP, Bannerghatta NP, Kudremukh NP, Rajiv Gandhi (Nagarahole) NP. 

Ravi Prakash was awarded BRICS Young Innovator Prize 

  • Ravi Prakash, Ph.D. scholar of ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Bangalore won the BRICS Young Innovator Prize in the fourth BRICS-Young Scientist Forum (YSF)-2019 held from November 6-8 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  
  • The award carried a cash prize of $25,000 (Rs.18 lakh). He was awarded for inventing an affordable, indigenously designed milk chilling unit for small to marginal rural dairy farmers. 

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Brazil (Capital/Currency): Brasilia/Brazilian real 

  • President: Jair Bolsonaro 

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 

NASA unveils its first electric airplane 

  • NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) has launched its 1st all-electric experimental aircraft named the X-57 “Maxwell”. 
  • It is NASA’s 1st crewed X-plane (experimental plane) in nearly 2 decades adapted from Italian Tecnam P2006T aircraft.  
  • The first delivery of the all-electric experimental aircraft was taken from Empirical Systems Aerospace (ESAero) in California, United States(US).  
  • The aircraft is expected to be operational by late 2020. 

Extra Shots: 

NASA: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics.  

  • Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States 
  • Preceding agency: NACA (1915–1958); 
  • Founder: Dwight D. Eisenhower 
  • Founded: 29 July 1958, United States 
  • Administered by: Jim Bridenstine 

Newly discovered species of spider named after Sachin Tendulkar 

  • Dhruv Prajapati, a research scholar from the Gujarat Ecological Education & Research (GEER) Foundation, has discovered two new spider species in Kerala, TamilNadu and Gujarat.  
  • One spider species was named after Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar as “Marengo Sachin Tendulkar”. 
  • The other was named as “Indomarengo chavarapater” after Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara, who played a key role in creating awareness on education in the state of Kerala. 

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Gujarat: 

  • Capital: Gandhinagar 
  • Chief Minister: Vijay Rupni 
  • Governor: Acharya Devvrat 

NASA detects huge X-ray burst from outer space 

  • NASA has detected a massive thermonuclear explosion coming from outer space, caused by a massive thermonuclear flash on the surface of a pulsar. 
  • The explosion released as much energy in 20 seconds as the Sun does in nearly 10 days. 
  • NASA’s Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) telescope on the International Space Station (ISS) detected a sudden spike of X-rays on August 20, reports the US space agency.  
  • The X-ray burst, the brightest seen by NICER so far, came from an object named “J1808”.  
  • The observations reveal many phenomena that have never been seen together in a single burst. 

Extra Shots: 

NASA: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics.  

  • Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States 
  • Preceding agency: NACA (1915–1958); 
  • Founder: Dwight D. Eisenhower 
  • Founded: 29 July 1958, United States 
  • Administered by: Jim Bridenstine 

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