Important Current Affairs 19th November 2017

Important Current Affairs 19th November 2017

Download Daily Gk and Current Affairs PDF (English)

Download Daily Gk and Current Affairs PDF (HINDI)

Current Affairs 19th November 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Swachh Bharat Mission celebrates World Toilet Day Countrywide for galvanising people's participation for an Open Defecation Free India. 

On the occasion of World Toilet Day, large number of behaviour change and toilet usage activities were undertaken by the States and districts around the country as part of Swachh Bharat Mission. 
●    Processions were taken out, discussions were held, and school children joined in large numbers in several innovative activities to highlight the importance of toilet access and usage. 
●    If Santa Claus was the flavour of toilet education in Jharkhand, Punjab launched Swachhta Raths. 
●    Noted Sand Artist Sudarsan Pattnaik crafted a swachhata message on sand and a group of Assamese women inspired 371 villagers to build toilets. 
●    Secretary, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Shri Parameswaran Iyer led centre- state team to complete the construction of twin pit toilets in Turkaulia village in East Champaran district of Bihar. 
●    The team had a three-day immersion exercise during which they extensively interacted with villagers directly, including women and students to generate demand for toilets. 
●    Village Mukhiyas from neighbouring GPs had a grand chaupal with the Secretary and his team. 
●    The Mukhiyas assured that they would help making the district ODF in six months of time. 

NCPCR celebrates ‘BAAL UTSAV’ as part of Hausla-2017, a festival for children living in CCIs across the country 

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) today celebrated Baal Utsav as part of Hausla-2017, a week long festival for children living in Child Care Institutions across the country being celebrated by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in New Delhi. 
●    About 1000 children from such institutions participated in today’s programme. 
●    The main objective of the programme was to promote child participation and showcase their talents in other creative activities. 
●    Non-Government Organizations from Delhi and NCR region also took part in the celebration. 
●    At the outset, Smt. Stuti Kacker, Chairperson, NCPCR, welcomed all the dignitaries and participants. 
●    Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Dr. Virendra Kumar expressed happiness at the celebration and felt delighted to see the presence of a large number of children. 
●    Dr. Virendra Kumar said that children are the key to success and development of the country. 
●    Justice M.B. Lokur, Hon’ble Judge, Supreme Court of India, expressed concern over the rise in crimes against children. 

vadilal ice cream ready to be sold, owners can get 600 crore

India's oldest ice cream brand is about to be sold. 
●    Ahmedabad’s 8 decades-old company vadilal has Gandhi’s family  ownership. 
●    Vadilals company is thinking about removing promoters completely.
●    In Frozen food segment, vadilals have the most market share. 
●    In Bombay stock Exchange’s listed company 64 percent share is with Vadilal.
●    Vadilals has chosen the Lincoln international as investment banker, which wi contact potential buyers .
●    Right now only one promoter wants to get out of company who has maximum shares
●    Virender Gandhi can sell their stock of the company.

Nilekani, will donate half the property

Infosys chairman Nandan Nilekani and his wife Rohini have signed 'Giving Pledge' with Bill Gates and Warren Buffett's initiative.
●    Those who sign on this, have to donate at least half the property for philanthropy during their lifetime or through will.
●    Before Nilekani couple in India, Wipro chairman Azim Premji, Kiran Majumdar Shaw of Biocon and promoter of Shobha Developers PNC Menon have signed this.
●    Nilekani couple told that they have been doing philanthropy for almost 20 years, but after signing the 'Giving Plays' they have joined the tribe of many such people who are thinking about solving the problems of the world. .
●    Gates said that philanthropy is a difficult task, it forces you to think about your own death.
 

Current Affairs 19th November 2017: DAYS AND DATES

237th Corps of Engineers Day 

237th Corps of Engineers Day was celebrated on 18 Nov 2017. 
●    In a solemn Ceremony organised at ‘Amar Jawan Jyoti’, Lt Gen Suresh Sharma, Engineer-in-Chief along with other serving and retired officers & men laid wreaths and paid homage to the brave soldiers who sacrificed their life for the country. 
●    The Corps of Engineers provides combat engineering support, develops infrastructure for armed forces and other defence organisations, and maintains connectivity along our vast borders besides providing succor to populace during natural disasters. 
●    These tasks are executed through four pillars of the Corps - Combat Engineers, Military Engineering Service, Border Roads Organisation and Military Survey.
●    The raising day is celebrated to commemorate raising of first Engineer Company in 1780. 
●    The modern day Corps of Engineers has three groups i.e, Madras Sappers, Bengal Sappers and Bombay Sappers which were amalgamated into the Corps on 18 Nov 1932. 
●    Since its inception, history is replete with colossal exemplary contributions of the Corps of Engineers both in war and peace. 
●    As part of celebrations, a function was also organised at E-in-C’s Branch, Kashmir House, New Delhi to honour the achievers of the Corps in the fields of technical competence, professional excellence, sports and adventures. 

Current Affairs 19th November 2017: ECONOMY

Foreign investors invested $ 2 billion in shares in November

Foreign investors have pumped in a whopping over USD 2 billion in the Indian equity markets this month so far, enthused by government’s announcement of recapitalising PSU banks, improvement in global sentiment and stable currency.
●    This follows a net inflow of over ₹3,000 crore in stock markets last month. 
●    Prior to that, FPIs had pulled out more than ₹24,000 crore in the previous two months (August and September).
●    According to depository data, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) infused a net sum of ₹14,348 crore (USD 2.2 billion) in equities during November 1-17.
●    However, they pulled out ₹1,287 crore from the debt market during the period under review.
●    The inflow was further triggered with the news of India faring well in the World Bank’s ease of doing business index and a jump in core sector growth, he added.
●    Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on October 24 announced the PSU bank recapitalisation programme of ₹2.11 lakh crore, out of which ₹1.35 lakh crore will come from recap bonds, and the rest from markets and budgetary support.

Narayana Hrudayalaya plans Rs500 crore expansion, to enter Africa

Leading private sector hospital chain Narayana Hrudayalaya has chalked out a Rs500 crore expansion plan, which will see it entering high-value markets in the country over next three years as well as making a foray into Africa.
●    For overseas expansion, Raghuvanshi said, they have signed agreements with local partners in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, for which they have also signed an agreement with an international financial institution for funding. This will be a greenfield project.
●    The domestic expansion will be in Delhi-NCR and Narayana will be commissioning a 200-bed hospital in Gurugram in January, he said, adding the capacity will be ramped up to 350 beds over next one-and-a-half years. 
●    Narayana recently opened its first hospital in Mumbai—the SRCC Children’s Hospital, which is the only paediatric hospital in its portfolio. 
●    The super-speciality tertiary care for children has already completed 300 surgeries and screened 5,000 children in the outpatient department.
●    Narayana has invested Rs55 crore in Mumbai hospital in the first phase and an additional Rs25 crore will be invested to increase capacity to 380 beds in the second phase, said Raghuvanshi. 
●    The company had picked up 71% stake in Health City Cayman Islands for $32 million in 2015. 

Swiss parliamentary panel okays auto info exchange with India

Paving the way for India to get instant access to details on Indians with Swiss accounts, a key parliamentary panel in Switzerland has approved an automatic information exchange pact between the two countries.
●    The Commission for Economic Affairs and Taxes of the Council of States — a key panel of the Swiss Parliament’s Upper House — approved the proposed pact with India as also with 40 other countries, but suggested strengthening the provisions for individual legal claims.
●    It has asked the Swiss government to submit to Parliament an amendment “to strengthen concrete individual legal protection and to ensure that no exchange of information can take place for individual cases where a violation of essential legal claims is likely”, as per the minutes of its last meeting on November 2.
●    The proposal will now be submitted for approval from the upper chamber of Swiss Parliament, the Council of States, in the winter session beginning November 27.
●    The pact will help provide a continuous access to details about alleged black money hoarders in once-all-secret Swiss banks.