Important Current Affairs 15th November 2018 English

(International News)

7th RCEP Inter-Sessional Ministerial Meeting concludes in Singapore
•    The Minister for Trade and Industry of Singapore Mr. Chan Chun Sing was the Chair of the meeting as Singapore is currently the Chair of ASEAN this year. 
•    The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a mega regional free trade agreement being negotiated amongst 16 countries, comprising 10 ASEAN countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam) plus six ASEAN FTA partners, namely Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea and New Zealand.

‘DHARMA GUARDIAN’ – 2018 
•    Between Indian Army and Japanese Army
•    It is a significant step towards fostering military and diplomatic ties between the two courtiers.
The primary focus of the exercise was to train and equip the contingents to undertake joint counter insurgency and counter terrorist operations in urban and semi urban terrain. 

(National News)

Hima Das appointed first youth ambassador of UNICEF India
Asian Games gold-medallist sprinter Hima Das has been appointed as the first ever youth ambassador of United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) India.
Das, a native of Assam's Nagaon district, had clinched a gold medal in Women's 4 x 400 m Relay event at the 2018 Asian Games.
She had also won a silver medal in Women's 400m Race event with a clock timing of 50.59 seconds.
Hima Das became the first Indian to win a gold medal at the IAAF World Junior championships
UNICEF
Headquarters: New York City, New York, United States
Head: Henrietta H. Fore
Executive director: Henrietta H. Fore
Founded: 11 December 1946, New York City, New York, United States

Manipur: Home ministry extends ban on eight extremist groups for five years
•    The Ministry of Home Affairs Tuesday extended the ban on eight Meitei extremist organisations active in Manipur for five more years for their continued involvement in unlawful and violent activities.
•    The organisations banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act are, Peoples’ Liberation Army generally known as PLA and its political wing, Revolutionary Peoples’ Front (RPF), United National Liberation Front (UNLF) and its armed wing Manipur Peoples’ Army (MPA), Peoples’ Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) and its armed wing, ‘Red Army’, Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) and its armed wing, also called ‘Red Army’, Kanglei Yaol Kanba Lup (KYKL), the Coordination Committee (CorCom) and Alliance for Socialist Unity Kangleipak (ASUK).

Union Agriculture Minister launches NCDC’s new scheme to promote young entrepreneurs in cooperatives 
To cater to the needs and aspirations of the youth, the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) has come up with a youth-friendly scheme ‘Yuva Sahakar-Cooperative Enterprise Support and Innovation Scheme” for attracting them to cooperative business ventures.
The scheme will be linked to Rs 1000 crore ‘Cooperative Start-up and Innovation Fund (CSIF)’ created by the NCDC. It would have more incentives for cooperatives of North Eastern region, Aspirational Districts and cooperatives with women or SC or ST or PwD members.
The funding for the project will be up to 80% of the project cost for these special categories as against 70% for others
NCDC, being the most preferred financial institution in the world of cooperatives, has embarked on Sahakar 22, a Mission for Doubling Farmers’ Income by 2022.
NCDC

National Cooperative Development Corporation 

Formed - 1963 

Headquarter - New Delhi 

Minister - Radha Mohan Singh, Minister of Agriculture

Managing Director - Shri Sundeep Kumar Nayak, IAS 

Ministry - Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare 

(Space News)

ISRO successfully launches its heaviest satellite GSAT-29 from Sriharikota
•     This is India's heaviest satellite. It is boosted by two powerful strap-on solid rocket motors, the nearly 143-foot-tall (43.5-meter) Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk.3 (GSLV Mk.3). 
•    Marks the completion of the development stage of India’s heaviest launch vehicle, GSLV Mark III, referred to as ‘Bahubali’ because it has double the carrying capacity of its predecessor, GSLV Mark II.
•    This is the second development flight of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III, which will be used for India’s human space flight programme scheduled for 2022 and Chandrayaan-2 in January 2019.
•    It will improve access to communication networks, specifically in the Jammu and Kashmir and North East.

(Sports News)

Former World no. 2 Agnieszka Radwanska announces retirement 
Polish tennis player Agnieszka Radwanska said on Wednesday that she has decided to end her 13 year-long career due to health reasons.Radwanska reached a career high world singles ranking of number two in 2012 after finishing as runner-up at Wimbledon. She won the season ending WTA Finals in 2015.