NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Chandrayaan-3: Second bid to land on Moon by
November 2020: The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO),
which failed to land a probe on Moon in its first attempt in September 2019
(Chandrayaan-2), has begun work on Chandrayaan-3 with a deadline of November
2020. ISRO has formed multiple committees- an overall panel and three
sub-committees- and held at least four high-level meetings since October. The
new mission will include only a lander and rover, as the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter
is functioning well. So far ISRO has looked at 10 specific aspects of the
mission, including landing site selection, absolute navigation, and local
navigation. The top priority for the new mission is “strengthening the legs of
the lander”, so that it allows landing even with a high velocity. ISRO will be
building a new lander and a rover.
Note: It is to
be noted that India has launched Chandrayaan-2 in July 2019, with three
modules- Orbiter, Lander (Vikram) & Rover (Pragyan).
2. National Tribal Festival Aadi Mahotsav to
begin in New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate the
National Tribal Festival “Aadi Mahotsav” in New Delhi. The theme of the 15-day
Mahotsav is celebration of the Spirit of Tribal Culture, Craft, Cuisine and
Commerce. It will be held at Dilli Haat in INA, New Delhi. The tribal textiles
manufactured by master tribal craftsmen from Jammu & Kashmir in the North
to Tamil Nadu in the South and from Gujarat in the West to Nagaland/Sikkim in
the East will be the main attractions.
3. Conference on “Replication of Good Governance
Practices in Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh” begins: Two- day Regional Conference on the theme “Replication of Good
Governance Practices in Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh” begins in
Jammu. The Conference is being organised by the Department of Administrative
Reforms and Public Grievances, Government of India in collaboration with the
Government of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. The Conference aims to bring
national and state-level organizations on a common platform and to share
experiences in Digital Governance, Citizen-Centric Governance, and Capacity
Building and Personnel Administration etc. Delegates from 19 states and 4 Union
Territories are participating in the Conference.
4. National Mission ‘NISHTHA’ launched in
J&K: National Initiative for School Heads’ and
Teachers’ Holistic Advancement (NISHTHA) has been launched in the Union
Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. NISHTHA is aimed at improving learning outcomes
at Elementary level through integrated Teacher Trainings. NISHTHA is a pioneer
scheme being launched across the country, with a total of 86000 Elementary
teachers of Government Schools being trained in J&K under the programme.
5. CSIR-IMTECH signs MOU with IIT Bombay for
collaborative research: CSIR-Institute of
Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Chandigarh signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay to promote
collaborative research. The MoU will facilitate the exchange of ideas,
development of new knowledge and enhance high-quality research acumen between
the researchers and faculty of both the institutes. The objective of this
collaboration is to carry out state of the art research in areas of healthcare
especially in projects and missions where both the institutes can significantly
complement each other. This MoU is in line with the circular issued by MHRD in
2018 paving way for all IITs to sign MoUs with National Research Laboratories
affiliated to CSIR to start new collaborations and to deepen, broaden
interactions where such collaborations already exist.
Note:
CSIR-IMTECH is a national center for excellence in microbial sciences and was
established in 1984. IMTECH’s vision is to discover and develop translational
products and new drugs to address key unmet societal and medical needs.
6. National Press Day: 16th November: India celebrates “National Press Day” on 16th November every year. The
day is symbolic of a free and responsible press. 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. On
the occasion, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar
said the media should guard against “fake news” and desist from providing any
“disinformation and misinformation”. To celebrate the day, Vice President M.
Venkaiah Naidu will confer excellence in journalism awards.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. India to contribute $13.5 mn for UN
development activities for 2020: India has
pledged to contribute USD 13.5 million for various operational activities of
development across the UN agencies for the year 2020. Counsellor at India’s
Permanent Mission to the UN Anjani Kumar announced India’s pledges at the UN
General Assembly Pledging Conference for Development Activities. India will
contribute USD 5 million to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees in the Near East, USD 4.5 million to the UN Development Programme. The
World Food Programme will get USD 1.92 million, USD 900,000 to the UN
Children’s Fund, USD 500,000 to the UN Population Fund, USD 200,000 dollars to
the UN Voluntary Fund for Technical Co-operation and USD 150,000 dollars to the
UN Commission on Human Settlements Programme. About 16 countries pledged a
total of USD 516 million at the 2019 United Nations Pledging Conference for
Development Activities. The contribution is in line with the country’s
long-standing tradition of supporting development activities across the UN
system.
2. International Day for Tolerance: 16 November: The United Nations observes “International Day for Tolerance” on 16th
November every year. The United Nations is committed to strengthening tolerance
by fostering mutual understanding among cultures and peoples. In 1996, the UN
General Assembly by a resolution invited UN Member States to observe the
International Day for Tolerance on 16 November. The Day is observed to educate
the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to
address global problems and to celebrate and reinforce the achievements of
humanity. In 1995, to mark the United Nations Year for Tolerance and the 125th
anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi, UNESCO created a prize for the
promotion of tolerance and non-violence. The UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for
the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence rewards significant activities in
the scientific, artistic, cultural or communication fields aimed at the
promotion of a spirit of tolerance and non-violence. The prize is awarded every
two years on the International Day for Tolerance, 16 November.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. Dutee Chand named in TIME 100 Next list: India sprinter Dutee Chand has been named in the TIME 100 Next, an
expansion of the TIME 100 list of the most influential persons in the world.
The list, an initiative of TIME magazine, highlights 100 rising stars who are
shaping the future of business, entertainment, sports, politics, health,
science, activism, etc. Dutee Chand from Odisha won two silver medals — 100m,
200m — at the Jakarta Asian Games and had become the first Indian woman
sprinter to win gold in 100m at the 31st Summer Universiade Competition in
Naples, Italy in 2019.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. CCI approves merger of the BNP Paribas (BNPP)
and the Baroda (BOB) Mutual Fund: The
Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves the merger of the BNP Paribas
(BNPP) Mutual Fund and the Baroda (BOB) Mutual Fund, under Section 31(1) of the
Competition Act, 2002. The Proposed Combination relates to the merger of the
BNP Paribas Mutual Fund and the BOB Mutual Fund. The Parties propose to
amalgamate (i) BOB Asset Management Company (AMC) into BNPP AMC; (ii) BNPP
Trustee Company (TC) into BOB TC; (iii) After the merger, BNPP AMC and BOB TC
will be the surviving entities.
Note: Chairman
of CCI: Ashok Kumar Gupta; Headquarters of CCI: New Delhi; Founded: 14 October
2003.
MD and CEO of
BNP Paribas Mutual Fund: Mr. Sharad Sharma; BNP Paribas Mutual Fund
Headquarter: New Delhi
AWARDS AND HONOUR
1. Movie “Bhonsle” Wins awards at Asian Film
Festival Barcelona: Manoj Bajpayee-starrer and critically acclaimed
movie "Bhonsle" has won the ‘Best Screenplay’ and ‘Best Director’
awards at the ‘Asian Film Festival’ in Barcelona, Spain. The movie was directed
by Devashish Makhija. The movie "Bhonsle" revolves around a police
constable played by Manoj Bajpayee, who tries to help in the struggles of
migrants and their battles with the local politicians. It also addresses the
concerns of various ethnic groups and highlights the issues that they face in
order to survive in a city like Mumbai, away from their home.
"Bhonsle" was premiered in the 'A Window on Asian Cinema' section of
the 2018 Busan International Film Festival. It was also screened at renowned
film festivals including the MAMI Film Festival, 2018 Dharamshala Film
Festival, the 2019 International Film Festival Rotterdam, the Bengaluru
International Film Festival and the Singapore South Asian International film
festival.
2. Tobacco Board of India wins Golden Leaf Award:
The Tobacco Board of India, Guntur, has been awarded
the Golden Leaf Award at Tab Expo 2019 event in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Executive Director of Tobacco Board, K. Sunitha, was presented the award. The
award was presented to the board for its efforts to initiate various
sustainability (green) initiatives in Flue-Cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco
cultivation in India. The award was given in the most impressive public service
initiative category for the year 2019. This is the 2nd time the board has
bagged the award. In the year 2014, the board bagged the award for its
implementation of an electronic auction system, which has made the marketing of
flue-cured tobacco in India more transparent and accountable.
Note: The
Golden Leaf Awards was created by Tobacco Reporter, an international magazine
in 2006 to recognize professional excellence and dedication in the tobacco
industry. Tobacco Board works under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry
Chairman: Shri
Raghunadha Babu Yadlapati; Headquarters- Guntur, Andhra Pradesh
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