GK and Current Affairs Updates

 The Home Ministries of India and China have agreed to be only a phone call away from each other, by deciding to establish missing telecom links, as part of a broader security engagement between the two neighbours. The bridging of the communication divide is part of a major effort, undertaken during the visit of Home Minister Rajnath Singh, to forge institutional linkages between the Ministry of Home Affairs and China’s Ministry of Public Security. A flurry of proposed high-level visits also signals that the process of top level interaction between the two powerful security establishments has finally commenced.
Other recent important agreements between India and China
1. In the field of Vocational Education and Skill Development.
2. for Cooperation in Trade Negotiations
3. Space Cooperation Outline (2015-2020)
4. Memorandum of Understanding between Doordarshan and China Central Television on cooperation in the field of Broadcasting
5. On Cooperation in the field of Tourism
6. In the Field of Earthquake Sciences and Earthquake Engineering
7. In the field of Ocean Sciences, Ocean Technology, Climate Change, Polar Science and Cryosphere.
8. Agreement on the Establishment of Sister-State/Province Relations between Karnataka and Sichuan.
9. Agreement on the Establishment of Sister City Relations between Chennai and Chongqing, Hyderabad and Qingdao, Aurangabad and Dunhuang. 
10.On the Establishment of a Yoga College. 

Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation(APEC) summit was held at Manila. This was their 23^rd Summit.It was presided by Philippines President Benigno Aquino III.
- This year's theme was “Building Inclusive Economies, Building a Better World.”
- They collectively committed:
1. To support comprehensive and ambitious structural reforms; achieve positive economic, social, and environmental outcomes; and promote good governance.
2. To deepen financial markets and mitigate risks.
3. To foster an enabling trading environment that is responsive to new ways in which goods and services are produced and delivered and that promotes inclusiveness, especially for MSMEs.
4. To build sustainable and disaster-resilient economies.
5. To make urbanization work for growth.
6. To redouble our efforts to empower our people with the tools to benefit from and participate in economic growth.
7. To achieve our vision for an integrated community in a comprehensive and systematic manner.
8. To develop the services sector as an enabler of economic growth and inclusion.
Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation(APEC)
- Established in 1989.
- Headquaters: Singapore
- 2015 Summit was hosted by Phillipines.
- Members: 21 members
- 3 official observers: ASEAN, the Pacific Islands Forum and the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council.
- It is an economic forum  that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region. 

commitment by all nations: “ASEAN 2025: Forging Ahead Together” that means, the focus of ASEAN 2025 will be on strengthening the community on political, economic and socio-cultural fronts, the grouping stated.  
- Benefits of the declaration:
1. increased economic opportunities 
2. access to quality jobs, wider choices and better quality products and services
3. region would benefit from enhanced sustainable environmental governance and practices
4. ease of intra-ASEAN travel 
5. ease of doing business and mobility of skilled labour.
About ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)
- Established: 1967 by Bangkok Declaration.
- Setretariat: Jakata, Indonesia.
- political and economic organization of ten Southeast Asian countries.
- 10 members are: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Phillipines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.2 observers: Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea.
- Main Objectives:
1. To accelerate economic growth, social progress, and cultural development in the region.
2. To promote regional peace and stability.
3. To promote collaboration and mutual assistance on matters of common interest.
4. To provide assistance to each other in the form of training and research facilities.
5. To collaborate for the better utilisation of agriculture and industry to raise the living standards of the people.
6. To promote Southeast Asian studies.

Uttar pradesh is registered in Guiness Book of world record for the plantation drive under which 10 lakh saplings were planted in one day within a span of eight hours. On November 7, the state government's has launched  'Clean UP, Green UP' initiative. Under this over 10 lakh saplings were planted at 10 locations in the state in eight hours. Major Initiatives of ministry of Environment,Forest and Climate Change for green cover and plantation
1. National Mission for a Green India 
- It is one of the eight Missions outlined under the National Action Plan on Climate Change.
- Aim: protecting; restoring and enhancing India’s diminishing forest cover and responding to climate change.
- Goals: 
1. To increase forest/tree cover to the extent of 5 million hectares and inmprove there quality.
2. To improve/enhance eco-system services like carbon sequestration etc.
3. To increase forest based livelihood income of about 3 million households.

2. Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA)
Government established the fund to finance all the the plantation and other environment projects.

India's Prime Minister unvield the statue of Swami Vivekananda in the Malaysia. This statue is a gift from a Belur Math devotee in India, was installed at the Ramakrishna Mission Ashram in the suburb of Petaling Jaya near here. He praised Vivekananda by quoting "Swami Vivekananda is not the name of a person, nor the identity of any system but he personifies the thousands of years-old India's soul,".
About Swami Vivekananda
- born in an affluent family in Kolkata on 12 January 1863.
- in his pre-monastic life named as Narendranath Datta.
- he graduated from Calcutta University, he had acquired a vast knowledge of different subjects, especially Western philosophy and history. 
- Sri Ramakrishna was his teacher.
-  Swamiji founded the Ramakrishna Mission.
- Vivekananda’s contributions to World Culture:
1.  New Understanding of Religion that is a ‘science of consciousness’.
2. concept of ‘potential divinity of the soul’ gives a new, ennobling concept of man. 
3. He tried to build a bridge between Indian culture and Western culture.
National Youth Day
1. In 1984, the Government of India declared and decided to observe the Birthday of Swami Vivekananda.
2. Aim: to inspire all the youths of country towards the philosophy of Swami Vivekananda and his ideals. 
3. Actvities on this day: It is celebrated by the youths at all the schools, colleges by performing the parade, speech on Swami Vivekananda, recitations, music, songs, conventions, Yogasanas, presentations, competition for essay-writing, seminar, sports and etc. Lectures and writings related to the ideas of Swami Vivekananda are also performed by the students to inspire the Indian youths.
Ram Krishna Mission
- Founded by the Swami Vivekananda in 1897.
- Aim: to carry out human relief and social work.
- This mission laid emphasis not on personal salvation but on social good or service.
- Many social services are carried out by this mission such as opening of schools,hospitals,etc.

Novak Djokovic beat Roger Federer to win the ATP World Tour Finals.
About Novak Djokovic
- He is a Sieberian national.
- professional tennis player who is currently ranked world No. 1 in men's singles tennis by the Association of Tennis Professionals.
- He has won 10 Grand Slam singles titles till now.
- he won the ATP World Tour Finals five times.

chairman of Ambuja Neotia Group,Harshavardhan Neotia elected as FICCI's president for 2016.
About Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)
- Established in 1927
- It is a non-government, not-for-profit organisation.
- Its founder in Ghanshyam Das Birla.
- FICCI provides a platform for networking and consensus building within and across sectors and is the first port of call for Indian industry, policy makers and the international business community.
- FICCI draws its membership from the corporate sector, both private and public, including SMEs and MNCs. 
- It is headquartered in the national capital New Delhi and has presence in 12 states in India and 8 countries across the world.

\The Union Minister of Railways, Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu, flagged off the First BG Fast Passenger Train from Silchar to Guwahati via Lumding.
Advantage- This will fulfill the long cherished demand of the people of Barak Valley to have a seamless connectivity but would also lead to opening of new vistas in connection to the hitherto isolated states of Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur..  
Earlier Project connecting East with national capital: Earlier this year Itanagar, the State Capital of Arunachal Pradesh was provided connectivity with the National Capital through a direct train.
Some advantages of this connectivety are : will provide better marketing facilities. Railways have been playing a major role in serving the infrastructural needs of the Northeast and will continue to contribute to the socio-economical development of this region.
Some facts about Indian Railway 
- First train was  from Mumbai to Thane.
- Indian Railways is the largest rail network in Asia and the world’s second largest. 
- Indian Railways is ranks 7^th according to economic magizine in  employers.
- The Fairy Queen train, that runs between New Delhi and Rajasthan, is the oldest working steam locomotive in the world.
-  The under-construction Chenab railway bridge, in Reasi district, J&K, is expected to be one of the highest rail bridges in the world, when completed.
- The slowest train in India is the Metupalayam Ooty Nilgiri passenger train.
- 'Ib' in Odisha is the shortest name of a railway station In India.
- Red Ribbon Express is an AIDS/HIV awareness campaign train by the Indian Railways, launched in India on World AIDS Day, December 1, 2007.

The Indian panorama Section at 46th International Film festival of India opened with the screening of ‘Goonga Pehelwan’ (non feature film) and feature film ‘Priyamanasam’ (Sanskrit).The Film ‘Priyamanasam’ (Sanskrit) directed by Vinod Mankara has been chosen as the Opening Film by the Feature Film Jury of Indian Panorama 2015. 
The Best Feature Film of 62nd National Film Awards 2014, titled “COURT” directed by Chaitanya Tamhane and the Best Non Feature Film “TENDER IS THE SIGHT” directed by Torsha Banerjee have been automatically included in the Indian Panorama 2015, by virtue of direct entry.
About IFFI (International Film festival of India)
- The IFFI, in collaboration with the International Council for Film, Television and Audiovisual Communication, Paris, and UNESCO.
- For the first time, the festival will recognise young talent from the world of cinema under its new segment.
- Has  a special section, “Restored Classics”, to highlight the National Film Heritage Mission (NFHM). The section will showcase world-class restorations of some landmark films.

On this occasion Agriculture minister has taken the resolution Promoting sustainable fishery on the Ganges basin, one of the largest in the world.
Other important views:
1. Shifting the focus from fishery in coastal states to inland resources in order to increase India's overall fish production.India is second after China in fish production in the world. 
According to the National Fisheries Development Board, inland fishery is growing in a big way in Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Assam and Meghalaya. 
2. To increase the production Centre has merged all the existing schemes and has proposed to formulate an umbrella one called 'Blue Revolution.This umbrella scheme will cover inland fisheries, aquaculture, marine fisheries including deep sea fishing, mari-culture and all activities undertaken by the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) towards realizing “Blue Revolution”.  

Blue Revolution in India 
-  started in 1970 during the Fifth Five-Year Plan
- Aim: to increase the production of fish and marine products.
- Achievements: a.  brought improvement in aquaculture by adopting new techniques of fish breeding, fish rearing, fish marketing, and fish export. b.  there had been a tremendous increase in the production of shrimp. The Nellore District of Andhra Pradesh is known as the 'Shrimp Capital of India'.