Important Current Affairs 3rd November 2019

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

-Kartarpur ready to welcome Sikh pilgrims for 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, says Pak PM Imran Khan

The two countries have decided that 5,000 pilgrims can visit the shrine everyday and that additional pilgrims will be allowed on special occasions, subject to capacity expansion of facilities by the Pakistani side.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday shared some of the dazzling pictures of the Kartarpur complex and Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, saying the revered venue is ready to welcome the Sikh pilgrims for the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev.

Inauguration of the Kartarpur corridor on November 9.

-PM Modi attends India-Asean Summit; meets Thai, Indonesian leaders

PM Modi is in Thailand on a three-day visit during which he will participate in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), East Asia, and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) summits.

The PM arrived in the Thai capital Bangkok on Saturday on a on a three-day visit during which he will also attend the 14th East Asia Summit, the third summit meeting of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and hold bilateral meetings with various world leaders.

The prime minister’s visit comes in the midst of renewed diplomatic efforts to convince New Delhi to support signing of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a mega trade deal involving 16 Asia-Pacific nations to facilitate creation of the biggest free-trade region in the world.

-Odisha plans social registry to weed out ghost beneficiaries of social welfare schemes

Officials said the idea behind the social registry is to improve the coverage, adequacy, effectiveness and efficiency of government schemes in the state as the current mix of social protection schemes remain fragmented.

- Odisha lokayukta serves notice to 6 officials for misappropriation of fund for Nagada

Nagada, a group of three villages, was in news in 2016 when the tribal children died of malnourishment and diseases prompting chief minister Naveen Patnaik to form a task force for the development of the area.

The Odisha Lokayukta has served notice to six government officials in Jajpur district over allegations of misappropriation of government funds meant for hunger hotspot Nagada, where 19 tribal children had died of malnutrition and other diseases in 2016.

Sources in the Lokayukta office said notices have been served to project director of Jajpur District Rural Development Agency, block development officer of Sukinda, Jajpur town executive engineer (Rural Development-1), executive engineer (electrical) Dhabalgiri, executive engineer (rural water supply and sanitation) and Jajpur district social welfare officer.

 Women Help Desks (WHDs)

-Centre is to set up Women Help Desks (WHDs) in ten thousand police stations and for Anti-Human-Trafficking-Units (AHTUs) in the remaining districts of India. The cost to be allocated for the implementation is Rs.100 crores each. The funding out will be of the Nirbhaya Fund.

Proposal: The proposal for the implementation of the project was initiated by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. It pursued the project with the Ministry of Home AffairS.

Safdarjang Hospital

-Safdarjang Hospital (SJH) is one of the biggest tertiary care referral centre of India. It functions under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. SJH caters to all poor patients of uro-oncological cancers like kidney, bladder cancers, prostate, and kidney failures across India. SJH is the first Central Government hospital in India to start this latest Robot Surgery facility. The hospital provides treatment for all poor patients for free.

- India, Uzbekistan to sign MoUs for military medicine and military education

India and Uzbekistan are planning to sign two memorandum of understanding (MOUs) concerning military medicine and military education. The 2 MoUs were signed during the three-day visit of the Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to Uzbekistan, the Central Asian nation.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

-N.Korea test fired new multiple rocket launcher

North Korea conducted its third test-firing of a new super-large multiple rocket launcher. It has the ability to destroy enemy targets in surprise attacks. The North previously tested the system in August and September 2019. The two projectiles were launched from an area near Pyongyang, the North Korean capital. The missiles travelled more than 321 kilometers cross-country and landed in the waters of the North’s eastern coast. It is expected that North Korea will continue to ramp up weapons demonstrations before the deadline set by N.Korean leader Kim Jong Un for the US. Kim Jong Un offered the US a mutually acceptable terms to salvage fragile diplomacy strained by disagreements over exchanging sanctions relief and disarmament steps.

The 8th meeting of the Indo-German Energy Forum (IGEF) was concluded on 1 November 2019 in New Delhi

- The 8th meeting of the Indo-German Energy Forum (IGEF) was concluded on 1 November 2019 in New Delhi. IGEF was co-chaired by Mr. Sanjiv Nandan Sahai, Secretary of Ministry of Power from the Indian side and Mr. Christian Hirte, Secretary of State, Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy, Germany. The Forum finalized the roadmap for future collaboration between the two countries, including the Flexibilisation of existing coal-fired power plants.

IMPORTANT EVENTS

1957 - Space -- Dog In Space

1957 : A dog was launched into orbit today as the first animal in space on board Sputnik 2, a Russian spacecraft, and became the first living animal to enter the Earth's orbit.

1957 - Space -- Dog In Space

1957 : A dog was launched into orbit today as the first animal in space on board Sputnik 2, a Russian spacecraft, and became the first living animal to enter the Earth's orbit.

1913 U.S.A. -- First Income Tax

The first American citizens receive information over the new national income tax. A married man living with his wife, who is in receipt of an income of $5,000 pays $10 a year and if his income is $10,000 he pays $60 per year.

2004 - U.S.A. - - George W Bush

2004 : George W Bush is elected president of the United States for a second term of office.

2011 - Cuba - - Cuba Allows Private Home Sales

2011 : The Cuban government has passed a law that allows citizens and permanent residents to buy and sell homes privately for the first time since 1959, marking an important milestone in free-market reform.