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Important Current Affairs 11th November 2019

NATIONAL NEWS

Gujarat All Set to Get World’s First CNG Terminal at Bhavnagar Port

• Gujarat Government has given its nod for the establishment of the world’s first CNG port terminal at Bhavnagar.

• The proposal has also been approved by the Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board (GIDB) under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

• The proposed investment in the CNG port terminal project is Rs 1900 crore which will be invested by the U.K. based Foresight group and Mumbai based Padmanabh Mafatlal group joint venture.

Defence innovations conference showcasing accomplishments of iDEX to be held in Delhi

• The Ministry of Defence (MoD) organised the conference ‘Def-Connect’ in New Delhi on November 11, 2019 to showcase the accomplishments of the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) initiative and growth of the defence ecosystem in the country.

• Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh was the Chief Guest of the event.

• The conference was attended by all stakeholders of the iDEX ecosystem i.e. MoD, iDEX selected startups, Partner Incubators, Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO), Nodal agencies (Indian Army, Navy, Airforce), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), Indian Ordnance Factories (IOFs), MSMEs and Industry associations.

• Rajnath Singh informed that Prime Minister has set a target of becoming five trillion dollar economy by 2024 and a 10 trillion dollar economy within 10 to 15 years.

Swachh – Nirmal Tat Abhiyaan” week-long intensive Beach Cleaning Drive in 50 identified beaches of India begin

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has started a mass cleanliness-cum-awareness drive in 50 identified beaches under the “Swachh – Nirmal Tat Abhiyaan” from 11th -17th November, 2019.

• This is being done to make our beaches clean and create awareness amongst citizens about the importance of coastal ecosystems.

• The identified beaches are in 10 coastal States/Union Territories (UTs) namely Gujarat, Daman & Diu, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha.

• On completion of the drive, best three beaches will be suitably awarded along with a Certificate of Appreciation for all the participating Eco-clubs.

IAF conducts Air-Fest 2019 in Nagpur

• The ‘Air Fest-2019’ was held in Nagpur, Maharashtra. It was a part of the 87th anniversary celebrations of the Indian Air Force and the 65th anniversary of the eadquarters maintenance command (HQMC).

• The objective of the Air Fest was to showcase the IAF with a view to instill a sense of patriotism and motivate the younger generation to join the IAF.

 IOCL gets environmental clearance to set up 2G ethanol plant in Panipat

• Furthering government’s commitment in promoting the use of environmentally friendly products, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has given environment clearance to Indian Oil Corporation Limited to set up new 2G Ethanol plant at Panipat.

• The IOCL had submitted a proposal seeking environment clearance for its proposed 100 KLPD Ligno-Cellulosic 2G ethanol plant at Baholi in Panipat district of Haryana.

• The estimated investment in setting up the plant is Rs 766 crore.

About IOCL:

o          Industry: Oil and Gas

o          Predecessor: Indian Refineries Ltd. (1958), Indian Oil Company (1959)

o          Founded: 30 June 1959

o          Headquarters: New Delhi (headquarters), Mumbai (registered office)

o          Area served: India, Sri Lanka, Middle East, Mauritius

o          Chairman: Sanjiv Singh

BANKING AND ECONOMICS

RBI instructs banks not to charge for online transactions in the NEFT from January 2020.

The Reserve Bank of India has taken the following steps to promote digital payments:

• Mandate banks not to charge savings bank account customers for online transactions in the NEFT system with effect from January 2020.

• Operationalise the Acceptance Development Fund to increase acceptance infrastructure with effect from January 1, 2020.

• Constitute a Committee to assess the need for plurality of QR codes and merits of their co-existence or convergence from both systemic and consumer viewpoints.

• Permit all authorised payment systems and instruments (non-bank PPIs, cards and UPI) for linking with National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) FASTags. Going forward, this will facilitate the use of FASTags for parking, fuel, etc., payments in an interoperable environment.

• Enable processing of e-mandates for transactions through UPI.

PayNearby partners with Equitas Small Finance Bank for launching micro ATMs at retail shops

• PayNearby, the hyperlocal fintech network builder, has partnered with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and Equitas Small Finance Bank for launching its own mirco ATMs at retail shops.

• This has been done to address the issue of money dispensing machines running dry, and PayNearby aims to deploy 1 lakh terminals in the first year.

• PayNearby’s micro ATM is a cost effective and a smart cash management tool for small retail stores and traders who deal in large chunks of cash on a daily basis.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

A New Spider Species Named After Sachin Tendulkar

• A research scholar, Dhruv Prajapati, who is pursuing a Ph. D in spider taxonomy at the Gujarat Ecological Education & Research (GEER) Foundation has discovered two new species of spiders.

• Of the two, he has named one spider species after Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar, as Marengo sachintendulkar, to show his love towards his favourite cricketer.

• The other discovered species has been named as Indomarengo chavarapater after Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara, who played a key role in creating awareness on education in Kerala.

• The two new spider species are a part of the Indomarengo and Marengo genus of Asian jumping spiders.

OBITUARY

Former CEC TN Seshan Passes Away at 86

• Former chief election commissioner (CEC), TN Seshan passed away in Chennai of cardiac arrest. He was 86-year old.

• Seshan was a 1955 batch IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre.

• He was the 10th Chief Election Commissioner of India who had led the Election Commission from 1990 to 1996.

Dhrupad maestro and Padma Shri awardee Ramakant Gundecha passes away at 56

• Dhrupad maestro Ramakant Gundecha passed away due to a heart attack. He was 56.

• He was the younger of the Gundecha brothers duo (Umakant Gundecha and Ramakant Gundecha) who are well known singers of Dagarvani style of dhrupad.

• The brothers were together awarded the Padma Shri in 2012 in the field of Art – Indian Classical Music – Vocal – Madhya Pradesh.

• The Gundecha brothers were founders of Bhopal’s Gurukul Drupad Sansthan and are known for reviving and performing the dhrupad, one of the oldest forms of Hindustani music.

DAYS

November 10, World Science Day for Peace and Development

• The World Science Day for Peace and Development is celebrated each year on November 10 to highlight the important role that science play in society and the need to engage the wider public in debates on emerging scientific issues.

• World Science Day was proclaimed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2001 and celebrated for the first time in 2002.

• 2019 Theme: “Open science, leaving no one behind”

November 11, National Education Day: National Education Day

• In India the National Education Day is celebrated on 11 November every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the first education minister of independent India.

• The day was announced by the Ministry of Human Resource Development on 11 September 2008.

• Maulana Abul Kalam Azad served as education minister from 15 August 1947 to 2 February 1958.

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