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Important Current Affairs 29th November 2020

INTERNATIONAL

Russia test-fired Tsirkon hypersonic missile in the Arctic

• Russia successfully test-fired a Tsirkon hypersonic cruise missile in the Arctic. the frigate Admiral Gorshkov in the White Sea fired a Tsirkon hypersonic cruise missile, hitting a naval target 450 km away in the Barents Sea at a speed of over Mach 8.

• In early January, the same frigate test-fired a Tsirkon missile for the first time, striking a ground target over 500 km away. Last month, the warship deployed in the White Sea destroyed a naval target in the Barents Sea with a Tsirkon missile.

NATIONAL

Bengaluru’s Bowring Medical College named after Atal Bihari Vajpayee

• The Bowring and Lady Curzon Medical College and Research Institute in Bengaluru have been named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The institute was set up in 2018-19 on the campus of Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital in Shivajinagar in the heart of Bengaluru.

• Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the first leader from the Bharatiya Janata Party to become the Prime Minister. He served as Prime Minister thrice — briefly in 1996, from 1998 to 1999, and then for a full five-year term between 1999 and 2004. Among his several portfolios, Vajpayee had also served as External Affairs Minister during PM Morarji Desai’s tenure during 1977 and 1979.

Indian Army launches cycling expedition in Gujarat & Rajasthan

• Konark Corps of Indian Army has launched a 1971 kilometres cycling expedition in Gujarat and Rajasthan to commemorate the commencement of the Golden Jubilee Victory Celebrations of Indian Armed Forces in the Indo-Pak War of 1971. 1971 Kilometers ‘Swarnim Vijay Varsh Cyclothon’ across Gujarat & Rajasthan has been joined by the relay teams of 20 participants each of the various Army Formations across the two states.

• The cycle expedition was flagged off from an outpost near Lakhpat in Kutch by Honorary Captain Gumansinh Jhala, an 87-year-old War Veteran who had participated in both Indo-Pak wars of 1965 & 1971 then serving with 7 Grenadiers.

Prakash Javadeker launches India Climate Change Knowledge Portal

• Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar has launched the “India Climate Change Knowledge Portal”.  According to Prakash Javadekar, India has practically achieved its pre-2020 climate action targets. He said, though India is not responsible for climate change it is taking responsible action to mitigate the challenge.

• The portal will have all the major steps the Government is taking at both national and international levels to address the climate change issues.

• Portal will be a single-point information resource that provides information on the different climate initiatives taken by various Line Ministries enabling users to access d status on these initiatives.

SPORTS

India rise four spots to 104th in latest FIFA rankings

• The Indian national team have moved up a spot to 104 in the latest FIFA Rankings. The Indian team were ranked 108th in the October 2020 rankings. In two months, India has climbed 5 spots after being 109th in September.

• Meanwhile, on the global scene, the top six remain unchanged. Belgium continues to lead the rankings followed by France, Brazil, England, Portugal and Spain. Argentina is seventh, having interchanged spots with eighth-placed Uruguay. Mexico and Italy complete the top 10.

SUMMITS AND MOU’S

L&T bags Rs 7,000-cr order to construct part of Bullet Train project

• Infrastructure major Larsen and Toubro (L&T) has bagged an order worth over Rs 7,000 crore to construct a part of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR), also known as the Bullet Train Project. The scope of the order includes the construction of viaducts, one station, major river bridges, maintenance depots, and other auxiliary works.

• The approximately 508 km Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project will cover Maharashtra, Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Gujarat, with 12 stations along the route. Upon completion, the high-speed rail will operate at a speed of 320 kmph, covering the entire distance in approximately 2 hours with limited stops and in 3 hours with all stops.

BANKING AND ECONOMY

India’s GDP Contracts 7.5% in September Quarter

• The National Statistical Office (NSO) has released the estimates of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the second quarter (July-September) Q2 of 2020-21.

• The GDP at Constant (2011-12) Prices in Q2 of 2020-21 is estimated at Rs 33.14 lakh crore, as against Rs 35.84 lakh crore in Q2 of 2019-20, showing a contraction of 7.5% as compared to 4.4% growth in Q2 2019-20.

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Important Current Affairs 26th November 2020

National

Centre, States can't have indefinite right over citizens' acquired properties: Supreme Court

• The Supreme Court on November 24, 2020 ruled that the central and state governments cannot be have an indefinite or overriding right over the acquired properties of citizens.

• The court ruled that though the right to properties is not a fundamental right, the governments cannot occupy citizens' properties.

• The ruling was made by a bench comprising Justices Indira Banerjee and S Ravindra Bhat.

Tenth edition of National Science Film Festival kicks off virtually

• The tenth edition of prestigious National science film festival kicked off on 24th November 2020 in a virtual mode.

• The four-day long film festival has been jointly organized by Vigyan Prasar, an autonomous agency under the Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India and the Tripura State Council of Science and Technology, Govt. of Tripura from 24 to 27 November 2020.

• A total of 372 films in different languages were received for participation, of which 115 films have been shortlisted by the ten-member jury to be screened during the festival.

Himachal Pradesh govt launches ‘Him Suraksha Abhiyan’

• Himachal Pradesh government has launched ‘Him Suraksha Abhiyan’ to sensitize the people regarding C-19 pandemic and also to collect information regarding symptoms of diseases like TB, Leprosy, sugar and blood pressure by the door to door campaign throughout the State.

• Under this Abhiyan about 8000 teams comprising of Health, Ayurveda, Women and Child Development, Panchayati Raj Departments, District Administration and NGOs would be involved in this campaign. It would ensure door to door data collection of health parameters of the people.

Narendra Singh Tomar virtually inaugurates Phagwara mega food park

• Union Food Processing Industries Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has virtually inaugurated the Rs 107.83 crore mega food park at Phagwara in Kapurthala district of Punjab.

• So far, 37 mega food parks have been sanctioned across the country, of which 20 have started functioning.

• The mega food park, spread over 55 acres of land and that will benefit 25,000 farmers, is equipped with warehouses in 3,944 square meters, silos with 20,000-tonne capacity, cold storage with 3,000-tonne capacity as well as individually quick-frozen and deep freezer units and other facilities.

Banking and Economy

Merger of Lakshmi Vilas Bank & DBS Bank approved by Union Cabinet

• The Union Cabinet on November 25, 2020 approved the merger of Lakshmi Vilas Bank Limited (LVB) with Singapore-based DBS Bank India Limited. With this development, there will be no restrictions on the depositors for withdrawing money from their deposits from Lakshmi Vilas Bank.

• Under the ‘Scheme of Amalgamation of Lakshmi Vilas Bank with DBS Bank India Limited’, DBS would invest Rs 2,500 crore in the equity of the bank, to improve the capital position of the merged entity.

• DBIL is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Singapore based DBS Bank Ltd.The merger will increase the branches of DBIL to around 600 from the current 27 branches.

India Post Payments Bank launches PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana

• India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has launched a low-cost insurance scheme ‘Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY)’ for its customers to bring large sections of the underserved and unserved population into the financial mainstream.

• IPPB has collaborated with PNB MetLife India Insurance Company for this product.

Awards

Malayalam film Jallikattu is India’s official Oscar entry

• Malayalam film Jallikattu has been selected as India's official entry for Oscars in the foreign-language film category. The film was unanimously chosen among 27 entries across Hindi, Marathi and other languages.

• Directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery, Jallikattu revolves around a bull that escapes from a slaughterhouse in a hilly remote village on the eve of its scheduled slaughter and an entire tribe of men coming together to stop the bull.

Obituary

Football legend Diego Maradona passed away

• Football legend from Argentina, Diego Maradona passed away on November 25, 2020, after suffering a heart attack. He was 60-years old.

• The Footballer suffered cardiac arrest and paramedics failed to revive him.

• The star footballer had begun his professional career at the age of 16 with Argentinos Juniors and later he went on to become of the greatest players ever to play football.

• Maradona represented Boca Juniors, Napoli, Barcelona, Newell’s Old Boys as a player. He was also considered the main player in taking Argentina to the country’s second World Cup title in 1986.

Appointments and Resignations

Greg Barclay of New Zealand elected as ICC Chairman

• Greg Barclay of New Zealand was appointed as the Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC). Barclay, an Auckland-based commercial lawyer, will succeed Shashank Manohar, who resigned from the post earlier in 2020.

• Barclay is currently the representative of New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on the board of the ICC.

Days

Indian Constitution Day

• Constitution Day (National Law Day), also known as Samvidhan Divas, is celebrated in India on 26 November every year to commemorate the adoption of Constitution of India. Previously this day was celebrated as Law Day

• The Government of India under Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi declared 26 November as Constitution Day on 19 November 2015.

• On 26 November 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India adopted the Constitution of India, and it came into effect on 26 January 1950.

National Milk Day

• In India, November 26 is celebrated as National Milk Day, since 2014, to commemorate the birthday of the father of India’s White Revolution, Dr. Verghese Kurien (also nicknamed as Milkman of India).

• The day was fixed by all the dairy majors of the country including the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), the Indian Dairy Association (IDA), along with 22 state level milk federations.

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Important Current Affairs 25th November 2020

National

43 mobile apps banned by Indian Government for users

• The Union Electronics and Information Technology Ministry has banned 43 more mobile apps for the users. The Ministry issued an order on November 24, 2020, blocking access to 43 apps under section 69A of Information Technology Act.

• Earlier in September 2020, the Government had banned 118 mobile apps and banned 59 apps in June 2020.

IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad launches International version of UMANG to mark 3 years of App

• On November 23, 2020, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, the Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, Communications and Law & Justice launched the international version of the UMANG app, to mark the occasion of 3 years of UMANG and also celebrate over 2000 services milestone.

• The international app has been launched for select countries that include USA, UK, Canada, Australia, UAE, Netherlands, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.

• The UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance) was launched on 23 November 2017 by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the fifth edition of the Global Conference on Cyberspace in New Delhi.

First cow hospital of Northeast inaugurated in Assam’s Dibrugarh

• A cow shelter in Assam’s Dibrugarh inaugurated Northeast’s first-ever cow hospital, on the occasion of Gopashtami.

• The hospital, Surbhi Aarogyashala, is set up by Shree Gopal Gaushala at a cost of Rs 17 lakh.

• There are 368 cows in the shelter.The hospital will provide services in 30 km radius.

Banking and Economy

RBI imposes six-month ban on Manta Urban Cooperative Bank

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has banned the Manta Urban Cooperative Bank in Jalna district of Maharashtra for six months for payment of money and loan transactions.

• The central bank has given some instructions to this bank, which will be effective for six months since the bank closed on 17 November 2020.

Summits and Mou’s

SBI Signs Pact With Luxembourg Stock Exchange

• State Bank of India (SBI) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Luxembourg Stock Exchange (LuxSe).

• The MoU will help SBI and LuxSE set up a long-term cooperation mechanism, and promote ESG (Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance) and green finance.

• Through this MoU, the Luxembourg Stock Exchange would work towards creating a sustainable environment for issuers, asset managers, and investors in terms of ESG focused funds and bonds.

Awards

Delhi Crime bags Best Drama Series at the International Emmy Awards

• The Netflix show, Delhi Crime has won the Best Drama Series award at the 48th International Emmy Awards 2020. Delhi Crime is the first web-series from India to win an International Emmy Award.

• The show is written and directed by Richie Mehta and features actress Shefali Shah as the main character.

Pilibhit Tiger Reserve gets global award ‘TX2’ for doubling tiger population

• The Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR), situated in the Pilibhit district and Shahjahanpur District of Uttar Pradesh has won the first-ever international award, TX2, along with the state Forest department, for doubling the number of tigers.

• *TX2 stands for ‘Tigers times two’, signalling the goal to double wild tigers.

ISRO Chairman K Sivan Conferred with Doctor of Science honorary doctorate by Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala

• The Visvesvaraya Technological University, of the Government of Karnataka, has conferred the Doctor of Science honorary doctorate upon ISRO Chairman K Sivan.

• The doctorate was presented to the ISRO Chief by Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala on 21 November 2020.

Science and Technology

India test-fires land-attack version of BrahMos missile

• India successfully test-fired a land-attack version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands territory at 10 am on November 24, 2020.

• The supersonic cruise missile successfully hit its target, which was on another island. The test-firing was conducted by the Indian Army.

• The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile is the world's fastest operational system in its class and recently DRDO has extended the range of the missile system from the existing 298 km to around 450 km.

Obituary

Congress veteran Ahmed Patel passes away

• Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP, Ahmed Patel passed away. He was Lok Sabha MP for three terms from 1977 to 1989 and Rajya Sabha MP since 1993 representing Gujarat.

•  He also served as the political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and was one of the party’s top negotiators during the UPA regime.

Veteran TV actor Ashiesh Roy passes away

• Television actor Ashiesh Roy has passed away, suffering from kidney ailment during the C-19. He was 55.

• Some of his famous television shows includes Movers & Shakers, Yes Boss, Remix, Baa Bahoo Aur Baby, Chaldi Da Naam Gaddi, Burey Bhi Hum Bhale Bhi Hum, Sasural Simar Ka, Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi, Mere Angne Mein, Aarambh.

Sports

Virat Kohli, R Ashwin nominated for ICC Player of the Decade Award

• India skipper Virat Kohli and spinner Ravichandran Ashwin have been nominated for the ICC Player of the Decade Award.

• Other cricketers nominated for the award include England’s Joe Root, New Zealand’s Kane Williamson, Australia’s Steve Smith, South Africa’s AB de Villiers and Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara.

• For the ODI Player of the Decade award, India’s MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga & Kumar Sangakkara, Australia’s Mitchell Starc and South Africa’s AB de Villiers have been nominated.

Days

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

• The United Nations designated International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is celebrated worldwide on November 25.

• Purpose: to raise awareness of the fact that women around the world are subject to various forms of violence and true nature of the issue is often hidden.

• 2020 Theme “Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!”.

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Important Current Affairs 22nd November 2020

National

PM lays the foundation stone of rural drinking water supply projects in Vindhyachal region of Uttar Pradesh

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of rural drinking water supply projects in Mirzapur and Sonbhadra districts of Vindhyachal region in Uttar Pradesh on 22 November 2020 via video conference.

• The total estimated cost of the projects is around Rs 5,555.38 Crore.

• The projects are planned to be completed in 24 months.

• It will provide household tap water connections in all rural households of 2,995 villages and will benefit about 42 lakh population of these districts.

Banking and Economy

Indian students contributed over $7 billion to US economy in 2019-20

• According to the report “Opens Doors 2020“, Indian students contributed USD 7.6 billion to the US economy in the academic year 2019-20, even though there was a 4.4 per cent drop in the total number of Indian students.

• China remained the largest source of international students in the US, with the number of Chinese students in the country increasing for the 16th consecutive year. There were over 372,000 Chinese students in the U.S. during 2019-20 year.

• According to the report, released by the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the Institute of International Education (IIE), for the fifth consecutive year the United States hosted more than 1 million international students (1,075,496) in an academic year.

Awards

Naseeruddin Shah honoured with Aditya Vikram Birla Kalashikhar Puraskar

• Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah has been honoured with the 2020 Aditya Vikram Birla Kalashikhar Puraskar at annual Sangit Kala Kendra Awards.

•  Alongside, two emerging stars, in the firmament of theatrics – Neel Choudhary and Irawati Karnik were awarded the Aditya Vikram Birla Kalakiran Puraskars. “Theatre” is the central theme, for this year’s awards.

Acquisitions and Mergers

RBL Bank selects Amazon Web Services to drive digital transformation

• RBL Bank has selected Amazon Web Services (AWS) as its preferred cloud service to drive digital transformation. At present, around 40 per cent of the bank’s mission-critical applications are on the cloud.

• The bank first migrated its corporate website to AWS cloud and with the experience gained initiated a 10-in-10 project (a complete migration of 10 applications in 10 days).

• The bank chose AWS for its commitment to security and highly reliable global infrastructure.

Ranking

Hong Kong, Zurich, and Paris most expensive cities in EIU’s Worldwide Cost of Living (WCOL) Index

• The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has released its biannual ‘Worldwide Cost of Living (WCOL)’ report of the World’s Most Expensive Cities in 2020, based on their cost of living.

• Hong Kong, Paris and Zurich shares the top spot as the most expensive cities in the list, which comprises of 133 cities.

• The report took into account the price of 138 items, used in every day for survival, and the falling or rising value of that country’s currency due to C-19 to rank the cities accordingly.

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Important Current Affairs 21st November 2020

NATIONAL

Mastercard & USAID Partners to launch “Project Kirana”

• Mastercard and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have collaborated under Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative (W-GDP) to launch ‘Project Kirana’ in India, to help women entrepreneurs grow and thrive.

• Project Kirana is a two-year programme, and initially, it will be rolled out in select cities of Uttar Pradesh, including Lucknow, Kanpur and Varanasi. The programme will be implemented by DAI Digital Frontiers and ACCESS Development Services.

• Build financial and digital literacy skills;

• Improve basic business management skills including inventory management, accounting, budget management and customer loyalty;

• Addressing cultural and other barriers to women becoming successful Kirana entrepreneurs;

• It will work to increase revenue streams, expand financial inclusion and digital payments adoption of Kirana shops that are owned or operated by women.

Ravi Shankar Prasad releases “My Stamp on Chhath Puja”

• Union Minister of Communications, Electronics & Information Technology and Law and Justice, Ravi Shankar Prasad has released a “My Stamp on Chhath Puja”. My Stamp is an innovative concept initiated by the Department of Posts. Any common person or corporate organisation can now book order and get a personalised photograph or an image of a Postage Stamp.

• My Stamp is one of the unique products being offered by India Post, which has gained its popularity in the customised gifting category. My Stamp on Chhath Puja is available in all Philatelic bureaus and major post offices across the country. A special cover on the theme “Chhath-A symbol of Simplicity and Cleanliness” was also released.

CBIC Chairman Ajit Kumar inaugurates GST Bhawan

• Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) Chairman M. Ajit Kumar, along with members of the Board inaugurated the GST Bhawan, Panchkula,  Haryana. The state of the art building will house the offices of Central GST at Panchkula. It has been built at a cost of about 31 crores rupees.

• This is the first major infrastructure project of CBIC completed in these times of C-19. The building is a fully air-conditioned three-storied building built on a plot of about 1.4 acres with 7600 square metres covered area and seating capacity of about 200 persons.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Television Day: 21 November

• World Television Day is observed on 21 November every year. The day is observed to acknowledge the role of broadcast media. On this day, the journalists, writers, bloggers, and others who are associated with the medium promote the role of television in communication and globalization.

• The 21 November was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in December 1996, because the first World Television Forum was held in 1996.

World Fisheries Day: 21 November

• World Fisheries Day is celebrated on 21 November every year throughout the world by the fisherfolk communities. It highlights the importance of healthy oceans ecosystems and to ensure sustainable stocks of fisheries in the world. 2020 is the fourth World Fisheries Day.

• The World Fisheries Day helps in highlighting the critical importance to human lives, of water and the lives it sustains, both in and out of water. Water forms a continuum, whether contained in rivers, lakes, and ocean. Fishing communities worldwide celebrate this day through rallies, workshops, public meetings, cultural programs, dramas, exhibition, music show, and demonstrations to highlight the importance of maintaining the world’s fisheries.

Africa Industrialization Day: 20 November

• Africa Industrialization Day is celebrated on November 20 each year. It is a time when governments and other organizations in many African countries examine ways to stimulate Africa’s industrialization process. It is also an occasion to draw worldwide media attention to the problems and challenges of industrialization in Africa.

• Theme 2020: “Inclusive and sustainable industrialisation in the AfCFTA era”.

World Children’s Day is celebrated on 20 November

• World Children’s Day is observed globally on 20 November every year. The day is celebrated to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improving children’s welfare. November 20th is an important date as it is the date in 1959 when the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child.

• World Children’s Day was first established in 1954 as Universal Children’s Day and is celebrated on 20 November each year.  It is also the date in 1989 when the UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

SUMMITS AND MOU’S

World Bank Signs $120 Million Project to Improve Connectivity in Meghalaya

• The Government of India, the Government of Meghalaya and the World Bank has signed a $120-million project to improve and modernize the transport sector of Meghalaya. This will help Meghalaya to harness its vast growth potential for high-value agriculture and tourism. The $120 million loans from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), has a maturity of 14 years including a grace period of six years. The International Bank of Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) is a development bank administered by the World Bank.

• The Meghalaya Integrated Transport Project (MITP) will improve about 300 km of strategic road segments and stand-alone bridges by using innovative, climate-resilient, and nature-based solutions.

• The segments will serve major agriculture areas, important tourist destinations, small-scale industries, major towns and underserved populations by linking them to markets, health and education centres, and national and international corridors.

• It will also support innovative solutions such as precast bridges to reduce both time and cost of construction.

• This operation will also support the state’s government “Restart Meghalaya Mission” to revive and boost development activities affected due to C-19 pandemic.

• It will help restore transport services for the movement of agricultural produce, improve access to health facilities during C-19 type medical emergencies, benefit about 500,000 inhabitants, and generate direct employment of about 8 million person-days.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

Scottish Author Douglas Stuart wins 2020 Booker Prize

• Scottish writer Douglas Stuart has won the 2020 Booker Prize for Fiction. He has been awarded for his debut novel, “Shuggie Bain”. The 44-year-old Stuart is only the second Scot to have won the prestigious literary prize.

• The Booker Prize for Fiction, (formerly known as the Booker–McConnell Prize (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019)), is a literary prize awarded each year for the best original novel written in the English language and published in the United Kingdom. It carries £50,000 prize ($66,000).

Dr Pokhriyal to be conferred with Vatayan Lifetime Achievement Award

• Union Education Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ will be conferred with the Vatayan Lifetime Achievement Award. This award will be conferred to the Minister for writing, poetry and other literary works. The Minister has penned more than 75 books on wide-ranging issues, which have also been translated into many national and foreign languages. Vatayan International Awards given by the Vatayan-UK organization in London honours poets, writers and artists for their exemplary work in their respective fields.

• Mr Pokhriyal has earlier received several awards in the field of literature and administration including Sahitya Bharati Award by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Sahitya Gaurav Samman by Former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Bharat Gaurav Samman, Good Governance Award by Dubai Government, outstanding Achievement Award by Global Organization of Person of Indian Origin by Mauritius, awarded in Ukraine in the area of environmental protection, among others. Mr Nishank is also honoured with “Himal Gaurav Samman” by Nepal.

RANKING

India Ranks 77 in TRACE Bribery Risk Matrix 2020

• India is placed at 77th position in the TRACE Bribery Risk Matrix 2020. India has achieved a score of 45 in a global list that measures business bribery risks of 2020. India’s rank stood 78 positions in 2019. It was a better performance than neighbouring nations such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and China. But, Bhutan scored better than India and got 48th place in the list.

• North Korea, Turkmenistan, South Sudan, Venezuela and Eritrea had the highest commercial bribery risk. Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden and New Zealand showed the lowest bribery risk.

• The TRACE Matrix list is released by TRACE International, an anti-bribery standard-setting organisation, which measures business bribery risk in 194 countries, territories, and autonomous and semi-autonomous regions.

BOOKS AND AUTHORS

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh unveils two books

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has unveiled two books ‘The Republican Ethic Volume III’ and ‘Loktantra Ke Swar’ which are a collection of selected speeches of President Ram Nath Kovind during the third year of his presidency. Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar unveiled the e-book versions of the two books.

• Mr Rajnath Singh stated that the President’s speeches depict his concern towards issues such as girls education, empowerment of women, and welfare of the weaker sections.  All the speeches in this book reflect on the self-confidence in this country. This book comprises speeches on the country’s efforts to fight C-19, where India is faring much better than other countries, to bravely defending its borders. This compilation of speeches of President Kovind presents a comprehensive picture of his work, personality and values.

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Important Current Affairs 20th November 2020

INTERNATIONAL

Maia Sandu Wins Moldova Presidential Election

• Maia Sandu has won Moldova’s presidential election after a run-off vote against the incumbent Igor Dodon. Ms Sandu has won 57.7% of the vote compared to Mr Dodon’s 42.2%.

• Sandu is a former World Bank economist who favours closer ties with the European Union. Mr Dodon, meanwhile, is openly backed by Russia.

NATIONAL

Dr Harsh Vardhan addresses 33rd Stop TB Partnership Board meet

• The Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has addressed the 33rd Stop TB Partnership Board meeting in New Delhi through Video Conference. During the meet, the minister has stressed on the need to create a mass movement for the elimination of TB with strategized advocacy, thought leadership, disruptive social entrepreneurship, powerful, societal and political commitment.

• It must be noted that India is running the “TB Harega, Desh Jeetega” campaign that targets to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal target related to TB by 2025, five years ahead of the global target of 2030.

Vijayanagara becomes 31st District of Karnataka

• The world heritage site of Hampi, the erstwhile capital of the Vijayanagar empire, will soon be part of a new district. The Karnataka Government has approved to carve out Vijayanagara as a new district of the state.

• Vijayanagara will be the 31st district of the State. The new district would be carved out of Ballari and named after the Vijayanagara empire that ruled from this region.

Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurates capacity building component of PM-FME

• Union Minister for Food Processing Industries, Narendra Singh Tomar has virtually inaugurated the capacity building component of the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises scheme (PM-FME Scheme). PM-FME Scheme has been launched with an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore for a period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25. He also launched the GIS One District One Product (ODOP) digital map of India.

• The component envisages imparting training to food processing entrepreneurs, various groups, viz., self-help groups (SHGs), Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), Co-operatives, workers, and other stakeholders associated with the implementation of the PM-FME scheme.

• Training would be given to the master trainers through online mode, classroom lecture and demonstration, and self-paced online learning material.

• The master trainers will then train the district-level trainers, who will eventually train the beneficiaries.

SPORTS

BCCI announces MPL Sports as Official Kit Sponsor

• The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced its partnership with Mobile Premier League (MPL) Sports, the athleisure wear and sports merchandise brand from Mobile Premier League, India’s largest esports platform, as the new kit sponsor and official merchandise partner for the Indian Cricket Team.

• MPL Sports has entered into a three-year agreement from November 2020 to December 2023.

• MPL Sports’ association with the BCCI begins with upcoming India’s tour of Australia, 2020-21, which will see Team India sporting the new jerseys.

• The senior men and women and the Under-19 teams are also a part of the deal for the new kits.

• Apart from Team India jerseys, MPL Sports will also sell licensed Team India merchandise.

• MPL Sports will offer the jerseys and its wide range of Team India merchandise to fans at affordable prices.

FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup 2021 cancelled

• The 2021 U-17 Women’s World Cup, which was scheduled to be held in India, has been cancelled due to the C-19 pandemic. It has also been decided that India will host the 2022 edition of the World Cup. The tournament was supposed to be held in November 2020 initially, only for the pandemic to force a postponement.

• FIFA then revised the schedule and the tournament was to be held in February and March in 2021 in India. The 2020 U20 Women’s World Cup has also been cancelled along with the U17 edition. While Costa Rica will get the chance to host the 2022 U20 Women’s World Cup.

• Five venues had been selected as host cities for the tournament – the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) in Kolkata, Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati, EKA Arena in Ahmedabad and the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

SUMMITS AND MOU’S

DIPAM inks agreement with World Bank

• Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) has signed an agreement with the World Bank, to provide advisory services to DIPAM for asset monetization. DIPAM is mandated with facilitating monetization of non-core assets of government CPSEs under strategic disinvestment or closure and enemy property of the value of 100 crore and above. DIPAM has a framework for monetizing non-core assets.

• The World Bank advisory project, approved by the Finance Minister, is aimed at analyzing public asset monetization in India and benchmarking its institutional and business models against international best practices as well as supporting the development of operational guidelines and capacity building for their implementation.

RANKING

India’s Param Siddhi ranked 63rd in most powerful supercomputers

• According to the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Indian supercomputer, Param Siddhi has achieved 63rd rank in the list of 500 most powerful supercomputers in the world. Param Siddhi is the high-performance computing-artificial intelligence (HPC-AI) supercomputer established under National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) at C-DAC. The Top 500 project which ranks the top 500 non-distributed computer systems in the world is published twice a year.

• The first of these updates always coincides with the International Supercomputing Conference in June, and the second is presented at the ACM/IEEE Supercomputing Conference in November.

• The AI system will strengthen application development of packages in areas such as advanced materials, computational chemistry & astrophysics, and several packages being developed under the mission on the platform for drug design and preventive health care system, flood forecasting package for flood-prone metro cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Patna and Guwahati.

BANKING AND ECONOMY

Barclays Projects India’s GDP at -6.4% in FY21

• Barclays has revised down its GDP forecast for India in the current fiscal year 2020-21 (FY21) to – 6.4% from its earlier estimate of – 6%.

• However, Barclays has raised its FY22 (2021-22) growth forecast to 8.5 per cent from 7 per cent.

Karnataka Bank launches CASA campaign

• Karnataka Bank launched CASA (current account, savings account) mobilisation campaign which will run from November 17 to March 4, 2021. The bank stated that it intends to mobilise over 4.10 lakh current and savings accounts with an accretion of 650 crores of business. With this campaign, the bank intends to introduce its attractive and superior line of digitally powered savings and current account products to its customers.

• To enable the basic banking services to the unbanked(not use banks or banking institutions) sections of the society.

• To popularize bank’s digitally powered CASA products to the next level of customers on the basis of their requirements.

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Important Current Affairs 19th November 2020

INTERNATIONAL

Japan & Australia signs defence deal to counter China

• Japan and Australia have signed a ‘landmark’ defence pact in a bid to counter China’s growing influence in the South China Sea and over the Pacific island nations. The deal called Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) was signed between Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison.

• RAA will allow Japanese and Australian troops to visit each other’s countries and conduct training and joint operations. The treaty will strengthen its security ties and facilitate cooperation between defence forces.

NATIONAL

Madhya Pradesh govt announces ‘Gau Cabinet’ for protection of cows

• The Madhya Pradesh government, led by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, has decided to set up a ‘Gau Cabinet’ for the protection, conservation and promotion of cows in the state. The Cabinet will comprise of the departments of animal husbandry, forests, panchayat and rural development, revenue, home and farmers welfare.

• The first meeting of the Cabinet will be held at 12 pm on ‘Gopashtami’ on November 22 at the Cow Sanctuary in Agar-Malwa district named ‘Kamdhenu Gau Abhyaranya ‘. It is India’s first cow sanctuary which was set up by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Madhya Pradesh government in September 2017.

PM Modi addresses 3rd Annual Bloomberg New Economy Forum

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has addressed the 3rd Annual Bloomberg New Economy Forum through video-conferencing. The forum witnessed discussions on refuelling the economy and charting a course for the future, as the world economy is grappling with the C-19-19 pandemic.

• Some other Speakers of the forum included Director-general of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, former US President Bill Clinton, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, and Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres.

• The Bloomberg New Economy Forum was established in 2018 by Michael Bloomberg, to build a community of leaders to engage in real conversations leading to actionable solutions about the critical challenges facing a world economy in the throes of a historic transition. The inaugural Forum was held in Singapore and the Second Annual Forum was hosted in Beijing.

Asia’s 1st solar power-enabled Textile Mill to be unveiled in Maharashtra

• The first solar power-enabled Textile Mill in Asia is set to be set up in Parbhani district, Maharashtra. Spread across 30 acres of land, the Jai Bhawani women’s cooperative textile mill will be first in Asia that will operate entirely on solar power. The overall cost of setting up the project is around Rs. 100 crore.

• Once functional, the mill will process cotton to cloth and would provide jobs to many women in the district. Parbhani is the leading cotton-producing district in Maharashtra and with the operationalization of the mill, it will give momentum to the industrial sector in the district.

SPORTS

Sudeep Tyagi announces retirement from all forms of cricket

• Indian cricketer, Sudeep Tyagi has announced his retirement from all forms of the cricket. The 33-year-old had played for the Indian national cricket team in four ODIs and a lone T20I as a fast bowler.

• Apart from this, the right-arm medium-fast bowler had also featured in 14 games in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).

OBITUARY

Former Goa Governor Mridula Sinha passes away

• Former Governor of Goa and veteran BJP leader, Mridula Sinha passed away. She was the first woman Governor of Goa. She was also a proficient writer, making extensive contributions to the world of literature as well as culture. She has served as the head of the BJP’s women’s wing and Chairperson of Central Social Welfare Board in the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

• A native of Muzaffarpur, Sinha will be remembered for starting cultural events called ‘Chaand ke Saath’ in the lawns of Governor House. She had also opened a cattle shed inside the Raj Bhawan.

Rajasthan Minister Bhanwarlal Meghwal passes away

• Rajasthan Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Bhanwarlal Meghwal passed away. The five-time MLA represented the Sujangarh assembly constituency of Churu district of the state.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Toilet Day: 19 November

• World Toilet Day (WTD) is observed globally on 19 November to inspire action to tackle the global sanitation crisis. World Toilet Day celebrates toilets and raises awareness of the 4.2 billion people living without access to safely managed sanitation. It is about taking action to tackle the global sanitation crisis and achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030.

• The day was established by the World Toilet Organization in 2001 and officially declared by the UN General Assembly in 2013. This year the theme remarks on the importance of "Sustainable sanitation and climate change".

World Philosophy Day: 19 November

• World Philosophy Day is observed on the third Thursday of November every year. This year World Philosophy Day falls on 19 November 2020. The Day encourages academic exchange and highlights the contribution of philosophical knowledge in addressing global issues. The 2020 edition invites the world to reflect on the meaning of the current pandemic, underlining the need, more than ever before, to resort to philosophical reflection in order to face the multiple crises we are going through.

• In 2005 the UNESCO General Conference proclaimed that World Philosophy Day would be celebrated every third Thursday of November. In establishing World Philosophy Day UNESCO strives to promote an international culture of philosophical debate that respects human dignity and diversity.

World COPD Day 2020: 18 November

• World COPD Day is observed on the third Wednesday of November every year to raise awareness about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and improve COPD care throughout the world. World COPD Day 2020 falls on 18 November 2020.

• The 2020 theme: Living Well with COPD-Everybody, Everywhere.

• The day is organized by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) in collaboration with health care professionals and COPD patient groups throughout the world. The first World COPD Day was held in 2002. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a lung disease that blocks airflow and makes it difficult to breathe.

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Important Current Affairs 17th November 2020

National

PM Narendra Modi unveils ‘Statue of Peace’

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually unveiled the ‘Statue of Peace’ on November 16, 2020 to mark the 151st birth anniversary celebrations of a Jain saint - Shree Vijay Vallabh Surishwer Ji Maharaj.

• The 151-inch tall statue has been built from eight metals (Ashtadhatu) with Copper as the major constituent. It has been installed at Vijay Vallabh Sadhana Kendra, Jetpura in Pali, Rajasthan.

• Jainacharya Shree Vijay Vallabh Surishwer Ji Maharaj had lived during 1870-1954 and had led an austere life as a Jain Saint, working selflessly and dedicatedly to spread the message of Lord Mahavira.

Nitish Kumar sworn-in as Chief Minister of Bihar for 7th term

• The Chief of Janata Dal (United), Nitish Kumar has taken an oath as the Chief Minister of Bihar and he will begin his 7th term on 16th November 2020.

• Bihar Governor Phagu Chauhan administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mr Kumar at Raj Bhavan in Patna.

• BJP legislature party leader Tarkishore Prasad and Deputy leader Renu Devi have been made the new Deputy Chief Ministers.

International

RCEP: 15 Asia-Pacific countries form world’s largest trading bloc

• 15 Asia Pacific countries have signed the world’s biggest free trade deal, led by China, on 15 November 2020, on the sidelines of the 37th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit.

• The deal called as ‘Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)’, is the world’s largest trading bloc, comprising of 10 Southeast Asian countries, as well as South Korea, China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

• Members of the RCEP accounts for nearly a third of the world’s population and around 29% of global gross domestic product (GDP).

Banking and Economy

SBM Bank India set to launch a neo banking platform

• SBM Bank India, the wholly-owned subsidiary of State Bank of Mauritius has partnered with Fintech PayNearby to launch a neo banking platform.

• Both firms signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to build an “open banking” network towards delivering basic banking solutions as well as advanced financial services, to their customers.

•  SBM Bank India was the first foreign bank in India to obtain a banking licence from the Reserve Bank of India to operate as a Wholly Owned Subsidiary in January 2019.

Acquisitions and Mergers

Reliance Retail Ventures acquires 96% holding in Urban Ladder

• Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL), a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has acquired equity shares of Urban Ladder Home Decor Solutions Private Limited (UrbanLadder) for a cash consideration of Rs 182.12 crore.

• The investment represents 96 per cent holding in the equity share capital of UrbanLadder. RRVL has a further option of acquiring the balance stake, taking its shareholding to 100 per cent of the equity share capital of UrbanLadder.

• UrbanLadder was incorporated in India on February 17, 2012. UrbanLadder is in the business of operating a digital platform for home furniture and decor products.

Science and Technology

SpaceX, Nasa launches 4 astronauts on first operational mission in space

• A SpaceX spacecraft carried four astronauts into outer space on November 15, 2020. With this kick-off, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) hopes that SpaceX will be helping in keeping the International Space Station (ISS) fully staffed.

• NASA astronauts, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker, Michael Hopkins, and Soichi Noguchi, who is an astronaut with a space agency of Japan, are now in the orbit. They are riding aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon Capsule that has been expected to dock with ISS on November 16, 2020, at 11 pm ET (9.30 am IST).

• As it is the first fully operational crewed mission for SpaceX, it is for sure a landmark one for NASA and the company. It follows up a test mission that carried NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, both the test pilots to the space station.

Sports

Lewis Hamilton wins F1 Turkish Grand Prix 2020

• Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-Great Britain) has won the Turkish Grand Prix 2020, held on 15 November 2020.

• This was his 10th victory of the season, and 94th F1 win of his career.

• Also, with this win, he claimed the seventh Formula One championships title of his career to equal the record of Michael Schumacher.

• Sergio Perez (Racing Point-BWT- Mexico) secured second position and Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari finished third.

Days

International Day for Tolerance

• The International Day for Tolerance is observed annually on 16 November.

• The day was declared by UNESCO in 1995, on its fiftieth anniversary, to generate public awareness of the dangers of intolerance.

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Important Current Affairs 16th November 2020

INTERNATIONAL

Aung San Sui Kyi Party claims to win Myanmar Elections

• Myanmar’s ruling party led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi claimed a resounding victory.

• National League for Democracy (NLD) party has won close to 400 seats while the opposition Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) has secured only 21 seats.

• Around 38 million voted to select the National League of Democracy (NLD) Party for a second term. NLD was required to win at least 2/3rd of the elected seats to win.

NATIONAL

Dr Harsh Vardhan attends 8th BRICS STI Ministerial Meet

• The 8th BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Ministerial Meeting was held through a virtual platform for Science and Technology cooperation among the member countries, which are Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

• The meeting was held under the Chairmanship of the Russian Federation. (Russia is the Chair for 12th BRICS Summit).

 S. Jaishankar Represents India at 15th East Asia Summit 2020

• The External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar has represented India at the 15th East Asia Summit (EAS) on behalf of PM Modi. The Summit was chaired by the Prime Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc because Vietnam is ASEAN Chair in 2020 (ASEAN holds the central role and leadership in the forum). All the 18 EAS countries participated in the virtual Summit.

• Jaishankar underlined the key role played by the East Asia Summit (EAS) as a leading mechanism of the Indo-Pacific region and reiterated India’s support to make it stronger and more responsive. He also re-affirmed the importance of EAS as the Leaders-led forum to exchange views on strategic issues. On C-19, he briefed the EAS leaders about India’s response to the pandemic and highlighted India’s efforts to support the international community.

India Extends USD1 Million Aid For C-19 ASEAN Response Fund

• India has extended financial contribution of USD 1 million to the C-19 ASEAN Response Fund. This was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 17th ASEAN-India Summit, which was held virtually.

• Leaders from the 10 ASEAN countries welcomed the adoption of the new ASEAN-India Plan of Action for 2021-2025, at the conclusion of the Summit. PM Modi, participated in the 17th ASEAN-India Summit at the invitation of the Prime Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who is the current chair of ASEAN.

Ministry of Textiles launches “Local4Diwali” campaign

• The Union Ministry of Textiles has launched a campaign for Diwali- “Local4Diwali”.

• The campaign has been launched to promote the Indian handicraft which is the cultural heritage of the country and also a source of livelihood for many.

• As per the available data, the handicrafts sector is a major sector of women empowerment as almost 55% of the workers and artisans are women.

• The main aim of the #Local4Diwali campaign is to urge people to buy and gift Indian handicraft products on this Diwali.

• The basic aim of the campaign is to give a boost to Indian handicrafts and artisans.

• This campaign will help the handicraft artisans and workers in increasing their sales and promoting their business.

• After the promotion of the idea of “Vocal for Local” by PM Modi, every sector is working towards promoting local businesses and strengthening Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.

IRCTC to start ‘Bharat Darshan Yatra’ on December

• Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) will be starting ‘Bharat Darshan–Dakshin Bharat Yatra’ from December 12.

• The Bharat Darshan Yatra will start from Hyderabad and Secunderabad from December 12 to 18. The theme of this yatra will be ‘Show India to Indians’.

• The facility of boarding and de-boarding this tourist train will be available at Secunderabad, Khammam, Nellore, Vijayawada, Warangal, Ongole, and Renigunta.

• The train will have 12 sleeper coaches, one 3-tier AC coach and a pantry car.

• The standard fare for sleeper coaches will be Rs 7,140 and that for three-tier AC will be Rs 8,610.

• The facility of night stays for all the tourists will be made at dormitories or dharmasalas.

• Tourists will also be provided with the morning tea, breakfast, lunch, dinner and a water bottle per day.

• The authorities will arrange non-AC bus transportation on sharing basis and tour escort and security on the train.

• In January 2019, IRCTC also started booking for Shirdi Sai Baba darshan tickets on its website.

OBITUARY

Veteran Bengali Actor Soumitra Chatterjee passes away

• The legendary Bengali actor and Dadasaheb Phalke award recipient Soumitra Chatterjee passed away. He became famously known after his collaborations with Oscar-winning film director Satyajit Ray, with whom he worked in fourteen films. He had won a number of awards in home and abroad.

• Soumitra Chatterjee was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 2004, Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India’s highest award for cinema, in 2012. In 1999 Soumitra Chattopadhyay became the first Indian film personality to be conferred with the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France’s highest award for artists.

Noted journalist and writer Ravi Belagere passes away

• Noted journalist and writer Ravi Belagere passed away. He was from Karnataka. He was famous for writings on the crime world and his column ‘Paapigala Lokadalli’ was very popular.

• Belagere was honoured with many awards, including the Karnataka Sahitya Academy award, Kannada Rajyotsava awar, Karnataka Media Academy award and many more. Also an educationist, Belagere started Prarthana School, where his mortal remains were kept for the public to view, before being taken to the crematorium. He penned a book on the real-life story of the gangsters, titled Bheema Theerada Hanthakaru, which was published in 2001, and turned into a bestseller.

IMPORTANT DAYS

National Press Day: 16 November

• National Press Day is observed on 16th November every year to celebrate free and responsible press in India. On this day the Press Council of India started functioning as a moral watchdog to ensure that the press maintains high standards and is not constrained by any influence or threats. It also commemorates the day when the Press Council of India started functioning.

• In 1956, the First Press Commission was planned to form a Press Council to protect freedom of the press in India. On 4 July 1966, the Press Council was established in India. It came into effect from 16 November 1966. Therefore, 16 November is celebrated as National Press Day every year.

BANKING AND ECONOMY

IFSCA approves draft banking regulations at IFSC

• International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) has conducted a meeting in New Delhi.

• The IFSC Authority approved the International Financial Services Centres Authority (Banking) Regulations, 2020 in the meeting.

• The draft banking regulations approved at the meeting opens the way for making rules for the various aspects of banking operations that would be permissible at the IFSC.

• As banking plays an important role at IFSC, banking regulations will help it in reaching its desired potential.

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Important Current Affairs 14th November 2020

National

Atmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana: Government launches new employment scheme

• The Government has launched a new employment scheme Atmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana to incentivise the creation of new employment opportunities during the C-19 recovery phase.

• The scheme was launched as a part of a fresh stimulus worth Rs 2.65 lakh crore announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on November 12, 2020 to boost the C-19-hit Indian economy.

• The Finance Minister had announced 12 new measures under Atmanirbhar Bharat 3.0 during her press conference. She had announced the launch of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana’ alongside other key announcements to revive employment opportunities in India. 

Government expands credit guarantee scheme to include 26 stressed sectors

• The Government has decided to expand the scope of emergency credit guarantees to include 26 sectors that are stressed due to the C-19 pandemic.

• This was announced during Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s press conference on November 12, 2020 when she had announced few new measures as a part of the new stimulus package worth Rs 2.65 lakh crore to boost the recovery of the Indian economy.

• Under the expansion of the credit guarantee scheme, the entities will get additional credit up to 20 percent of outstanding credit. The repayment can be done in five years, which includes 1-year moratorium and 4 years of repayment.

India’s First Sandalwood Museum to come up in Mysuru, Karnataka

• The Mysuru Forest Divison has set up India’s first Sandalwood Museum at its premises at the Sandalwood Depot in Aranya Bhavan, Mysuru, Karnataka.

• The museum has been conceptualised to spread awareness about the history and cultivation of sandalwood products as well as behold their awe-inspiring variety in the display.

• The Sandalwood museum will be inaugurated after November 25 and the state government will make efforts to shift the museum to the luxurious Mysuru Palace.

Obituary

Former CM of Sikkim Sanchaman Limboo passes away

• Former Sikkim chief minister Sanchaman Limboo passed away. He was 73.

• He was the fourth Chief Minister of Sikkim from 17 June 1994 – 12 December 1994 from Sikkim Sangram Parishad Party.

Bollywood actor Asif Basra passes away

• Bollywood actor Asif Basra, who was known for his role in the recent thriller series Paatal Lok, has passed away. Apart from this, Basra had appeared in a number of Bollywood films, including a movie on the 1993 Mumbai blasts Black Friday, the 2002 Gujarat riots Parzania and Kai Po Che.

•  He had also starred in several plays in India and abroad, performing in English, Hindi and Urdu theatre productions.

Days

Children’s Day

• On 14th November, Children’s Day is celebrated every year to mark the birth anniversary of India’s first Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru. Children’s Day is popularly known as ‘Baal Diwas’ in India.

• The day aims at increasing the awareness of the rights, care and education of children. On this day, many educational and motivational programs are organised across the country, by and for children.

•  Notably, Children’s Day was celebrated in India first on November 20, 1956, along with the Universal Children’s Day.

World Diabetes Day

• World Diabetes Day is observed on 14th November every year. The campaign aims to raise awareness around the crucial role that nurses play in supporting people living with diabetes.

• The theme for World Diabetes Day 2020 is “The Nurse and Diabetes.”

• In 2007 General Assembly adopted resolution 61/225 designating 14 November as World Diabetes Day.

• The document recognized “the urgent need to pursue multilateral efforts to promote and improve human health, and provide access to treatment and health-care education.”

India Ayurveda Day

• In India, the ‘Ayurveda Day’ is observed every year on the occasion of Dhanwantari Jayanti (Dhanteras). Dhanvantari is the Hindu god of medicine

• The day was declared by the Ministry of AYUSH, in 2016, to focus on the strengths of Ayurveda and its unique treatment principles.

• In 2020, India is observing the 5th National Ayurveda Day on 13 November 2020.

• The theme of the 2020 National Ayurveda Day is — Ayurveda for C-19 pandemic.

Books and Authors

Sonu Sood’s autobiography to be titled ‘I Am No Messiah’

• Actor Sonu Sood, is all set to bring out his autobiography titled ‘I Am No Messiah’, which is set to be out in mid-December 2020.

• In the book, the Dabanng actor, who is often dubbed as the ‘Messiah of migrants’ for his philanthropic work during the on-going C-19pandemic, has revealed the emotional challenges faced by him while extending help.

• The book will be published by Penguin Random House India.

• It is co-written by Meena Iyer.

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