Important Current Affairs

November 2017 Capsule with PDF

Awards & Honours

 Professor Hiroshi Marui gets award

o President Kovind conferred the 3rd Indian Council for Cultural
Relations, Distinguished Indologist Award on Professor Hiroshi Marui of
Japan at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
o Marui has spent over 40 years working on Indian philosophy and
Buddhist Studies.
o He is President of Japanese Association of Indian and Buddhist Studies
and has made significant contribution to Indology in Japan.
 120 BPM wins Best Film Award
o Robin Campillo’s French film 120 Beats Per Minute, won the prestigious
Golden Peacock award for best film at the controversy-ridden 48th
International Film Festival of India.
o This movie is about a passionate fight against indifference towards AIDS.
o The film’s actor Nahuel Perez Biscayart won the Silver Peacock in the best
actor male category.
 Water Resources pavilion bags Gold Medal
o Pol
o It won the prize for excellence in display in the IITF 2017, in New Delhi.
o Akhil Kumar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, received the
Gold Medal award from Union Minister of State for Commerce and
Industry CR Chaudhary.
 Bond gets Lifetime Achievement Award
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 o On 26th November 2017, the Chandigarh Literary Society awarded
children’s author Ruskin Bond its first Lifetime Achievement Award, at the
Chandigarh Lit Fest ‘Literati-2017’ at the Lake Club, in Chandigarh.
o The Lifetime Achievement Award given to Ruskin Bond consisted of a
citation and Rs 2 lakh cash.
o Ruskin Bond's first novel was “Room on the Roof” at 17 years.
 Ishaan Khatter wins Best Actor award
o Actor Ishaan Khattar has won the Best Actor award for his debut film
‘Beyond The Clouds’ at the International Bosphorus Film Festival in
Turkey.
o ‘Beyond The Clouds’ has been directed by Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi.
o It is a tale of a brother and sister, and how they find happiness in
separation and turbulent time.
o In India, ‘Beyond The Clouds’ is scheduled to release in early 2018.
 Health Ministry wins Medal at the ITTF
o Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has won Bronze Medal for
its creative and informative display at the 37th India International Trade
Fair 2017.
o 37th India International Trade Fair 2017 was held from 14th – 27th
November, 2017 in New Delhi.
o Health Ministry had also organised three Swasthya Chetna camps for
providing free of cost health check-up.
 Nayantara Sahgal gets Award
o Nayantara Sahgal was presented a Lifetime Achievement Award at Times
Lit Fest 2017.
o The writer of the immensely popular novel Rich Like Us, is the winner of
the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1986.
o When The Moon Shines By Day is her latest book.
 Newton wins Award
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 o Actor Rajkummar Rao was adjudged the best actor at the Asia Pacific
Screen Awards for his performance in Newton, which also won the best
screenplay award.
o Newton was produced by Drishyam Films and directed by Amit V.
Masurkar.
o India’s Lady of the Lake by director Haobam Paban Kumar won a special
mention in the Cultural Diversity Award under the Patronage of UNESCO
category.
 Nabaneeta gets Little Book Award 2017
o Sahitya Akademi awardee Bengali writer Nabaneeta Dev Sen has been
declared winner of the Big Little Book Award for year 2017 in the "Author
in Bengali Language" category.
o The award is given for her contribution to the children's literature.
o The award is given by Parag initiative of Tata Trusts to recognise and
honour authors and illustrators of children's literature.

Books & Authors

 Vice President launches book

o VP M Venkaiah Naidu received the first copy of the book ‘Journey of
Women Law Reforms and The Law Commission of India – Some Insights’.
o It is written by former Joint Secretary, Dr. Pavan Sharma.
o M Venkaiah Naidu said on the occasion that, we need to focus on women’s
issues in India. He hoped that the book would inspire many more experts
to focus on women’s issues in the next few years.
 Novel on Hitler’s rise wins award
o Eric Vuillard’s novel L’ordre du jour (in English ‘Agenda’), story of how
German industry and finance backed Adolf Hitler, won the top Goncourt
Prize 2017 award.
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 o L’ordre du jour has been among the favourites for the Goncourt prize.
o The Goncourt Prize is the most prestigious award in the French-speaking
world. L’ordre du jour is a 160-page book.

Days & Events

 48th Edition of IFFI Concluded

o International Film Festival of India concluded with the world premiere of
Indo-Argentinian co-production "Thinking of Him", directed by Pablo
Cesar.
o The closing ceremony was attended by Goa CM, Manohar Parikkar, Union
Minister Smriti Irani.
o The legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan was honoured with the Indian film
personality of the year Award at the glittering Closing Ceremony.
 National Milk Day
o India celebrates National Milk Day on November 26, the birthday of
Verghese Kurien, the Father of White Revolution in India.
o India credits Kurien for his billion-litre idea that made the country among
the large-scale producers of milk in the world.
o The Father of Milk Revolution is also the founder of the popular dairy
brand in India, Amul.
 26th November: Constitution Day
o 26th November is Constitution Day. On the day in 1949, the constitution
was adopted which came into force on January 26, 1950, marking the
beginning of a new era in the history of India.
o From 2015, the Government is observing 26th November as Constitution
Day.
o The HRD Ministry has launched a Digital Signature campaign to generate
awareness on fundamental duties enshrined in the Constitution.
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  Day for stopping violence against women
o The United Nations General Assembly has designated November 25 as the
International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
o The premise of the day is to raise awareness of the fact that women around
the world are subject to rape, domestic violence etc.
o The Mirabal sisters made the ultimate sacrifice to topple Dominican
despot Rafael Trujillo, triggering the advent of the day.
 Sangai Festival 2017
o The Sangai Festival 2017 was inaugurated by President Ram Nath Kovind
in Manipur.
o The Sangai Festival 2017 is held for 10 days. It is named after Manipur’s
state animal, the brow-antlered Sangai deer.
o Manipur Sangai Festival mobile application has been launched. Another
first-time feature is separate toilets for transgenders at the festival.
 Global Conference On Cyber Space
o Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the fifth edition of the
Global Conference on Cyber Space or GCCS in Delhi.
o The theme of the two-day conference is Cyber4All: A Secure and Inclusive
Cyberspace for Sustainable Development.
o GCCS 2017 will give the world's cyber community a unique opportunity to
learn from global experience and expert insight.
 World Television Day 21 November
o In December 1996 the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21
November as World Television Day.
o It commemorates the date on which the first World Television Forum was
held in 1996.
o The UN acknowledges that television can be used to educate many people
about the world, its issues and real stories that happen on the planet.
 World Fisheries Day Celebrations 2017
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 o On 21st November 1997, the working fishermen and women representing
World Forum of Fish Harvesters & Fish Workers from 18 countries met at
New Delhi and established the World Fisheries Forum.
o To commemorate this occasion, every year 21st November is celebrated all
over the world as World Fisheries Day.
o This years theme is 2022 Ka Hai Sapna Kisan Ki Aay Ho Dugna - Sankalp
Se Siddhi.
 World Toilet Day
o World Toilet Day is celebrated every year on 19 November. It is about
inspiring action to tackle the global sanitation crisis.
o Today, 4.5 billion people live without a household toilet.
o The SDGs, launched in 2015, include a target to ensure everyone has
access to a safely-managed household toilet by 2030.
o In 2013, the UN General Assembly officially designated November 19 as
World Toilet Day
 International Students Day – November 17
o On 17th November 2017, International Students Day was celebrated all
over the world.
o This day was first marked in 1941 in London by the International Students’
Council.
o Today, it is treated as an international observance of student activism.

Committees & Recommendations

 Hill Area Development Committee formed

o The West Bengal government set up a four-member Hill Area
Development Committee that will oversee work in the Hills.
o The Hill Area Development Committee will be headed by Mann Ghising,
president of Gorkha National Liberation Front.
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 o This committee will start functioning from Pintail village on the outskirts
of Siliguri.
 Govt sets up Arbind Modi-led panel
o Govt has formed a task force to draft a new direct tax law to replace
existing Income Tax Act, which has been in force since 1961.
o Modi, Member of CBDT will steer a 6 member panel on the issue. Chief
Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian will be a permanent special
invitee on the panel.
o The move which is aimed to make direct taxes simple, comes ahead of
govt's last full Budget.
 Committee to curb custodial deaths
o Maharashtra set up a seven-member committee headed by Additional
Chief Secretary Sudhir Shrivastava to recommend ways to stop the
custodial deaths.
o Minister of State for Home Deepak Kesarkar informed that the committee
will recommend measures so that people get proper treatment at police
stations.
o He said that, the number of custodial deaths in Maharashtra has now
come down from 36 to 15-16.
 Second national judicial pay commission
o Union cabinet chaired by PM Modi approved the appointment of 2nd
national judicial pay commission for subordinate judiciary.
o Commission will decide on a salary hike for almost 21,000 judges of the
subordinate judiciary level.
o Commission is to be headed by retired justice of Supreme Court,
J.P.Venkatrama Reddi. R. Basant, a former judge of Kerala high court is
also a member of the commission
 Panel to study merger of weak DCCBs

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 o Maharashtra government has formed a committee to study the feasibility
of merging financially weak District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs)
with the Maharashtra State Cooperative (MSC) Bank.
o The panel, headed by former NABARD chairman Yashwant Thorat, is
expected to submit its report in a month’s time.
o DCCBs disburse crop loans to village level PACS, which in turn lend to the
farmers.
 Govt. sets panel on PSU bank mergers
o Union Government set up an alternative mechanism panel headed by
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, to consider and oversee mergers among
India’s public sector banks.
o Union Railway and Coal Minister, Piyush Goyal and Defence Minister,
Nirmala Sitharaman are also the members of the panel.
o It is set up to manage mergers more effectively. Banks will be able to
manage risks in a better way.

International Affairs

 Victoria legalises Euthanasia

o Victoria became the first Australian state to legalize assisted dying or
euthanasia.
o Lawmakers voted to allow terminally ill patients the right to request a
lethal drug to end their lives from June 2019.
o The legislation was passed in Victoria after 100 hours of debate, making it
the only place in Australia where the practice will be legal.
 Volcano erupts in Bali
o Mount Agung is erupting for the second time in less than a week in Bali.
o Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency said 40,000 people had been
evacuated from near Bali's erupting Mount Agung volcano.
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 o The volcano alert for Bali's Mount Agung has been raised to its the highest
level, prompting the closure of the tourist island's main airport amid fears
of an imminent major eruption.
 Guidelines on responding to child abuse
o In a first, the World Health Organisation has formulated clinical
guidelines on responding to children and adolescents who have been
sexually abused.
o WHO’s first of kind gender-sensitive guidelines provide first line support
to child or adolescent in response to the disclosure of sexual abuse.
o The guidelines are grounded in human rights standards and ethical
principles.
 Iran allows women to compete in sports
o Women weightlifters from Iran will be allowed to compete internationally
for the first time.
o Iran has one of the world's strongest weightlifting cultures, and its men
have won seven Olympic gold medals this century.
o The federation's chief also said that the women weightlifters can compete
wearing special clothes for Muslim athletes.
 Myanmar, Bangladesh sign deal
o Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a memorandum of understanding on the
return of Rohingya Muslims who fled the Rakhine state in Myanmar to
escape a military crackdown.
o The Rohingya are a stateless minority who have long experienced
persecution in Myanmar, also known as Burma.
o More than 600,000 have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh since deadly
Rohingya attacks in August.
 Air force drill “Vigilant Ace”
o The air forces of South Korea and the United States will hold ‘Vigilant Ace’
a joint drill from 4th – 8th December.
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 o ‘Vigilant Ace’ between air forces of United States and South Korea is held
at periodic intervals to simulate wartime defenses.
o The exercise comes as North Korea continues to press forward with
developing its nuclear and missile program.
 S&P retains India’s rating at ‘BBB-'
o Rating agency Standard & Poor’s (S&P) kept its sovereign rating for India
unchanged at ‘BBB-‘, with an outlook for the nation as ‘stable’.
o BBB- rating is the lowest investment grade and just one notch above junk
status.
o S&P stated that India’s sizable fiscal deficit, low per capita income, and
high government debt do not warrant a sovereign rating upgrade as of
now.
 Mount Agung erupts after 54 years
o Mount Agung, a volcano on the Indonesian island of Bali has erupted for
the first time in more than 54 years.
o Mount Agung last erupted in 1963, claiming 1600 lives.
o Due to increased volcanic activity in the recent months, more than 1.4 lakh
people have evacuated their homes.
 WTO sets up panel on Qatar-UAE crisis
o The World Trade Organization has established a panel to decide on Qatar’s
complaint against measures imposed on Doha by UAE for its alleged
financial support for militant groups.
o Qatar insists UAE’s actions violate its rights and those of other countries
by denying freedom of transit to Qatar.
o Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia & UAE launched an economic boycott of
Qatar in June 2017.
 Most violent region for women
o According to UN, Latin America and the Caribbean is the most violent
region in the world for women.
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 o Rate of sexual violence against women outside of relationships is the
highest in the world in the region & the 2nd-highest for those who are in,
or were in, a couple.
o UN Women and UNDP found out that assaults on women persisted in the
region despite severe laws aimed at curbing the phenomenon.

National Affairs

 Victoria legalises Euthanasia

o Victoria became the first Australian state to legalize assisted dying or
euthanasia.
o Lawmakers voted to allow terminally ill patients the right to request a
lethal drug to end their lives from June 2019.
o The legislation was passed in Victoria after 100 hours of debate, making it
the only place in Australia where the practice will be legal.
 Volcano erupts in Bali
o Mount Agung is erupting for the second time in less than a week in Bali.
o Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency said 40,000 people had been
evacuated from near Bali's erupting Mount Agung volcano.
o The volcano alert for Bali's Mount Agung has been raised to its the highest
level, prompting the closure of the tourist island's main airport amid fears
of an imminent major eruption.
 Guidelines on responding to child abuse
o In a first, the World Health Organisation has formulated clinical
guidelines on responding to children and adolescents who have been
sexually abused.
o WHO’s first of kind gender-sensitive guidelines provide first line support
to child or adolescent in response to the disclosure of sexual abuse.

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 o The guidelines are grounded in human rights standards and ethical
principles.
 Iran allows women to compete in sports
o Women weightlifters from Iran will be allowed to compete internationally
for the first time.
o Iran has one of the world's strongest weightlifting cultures, and its men
have won seven Olympic gold medals this century.
o The federation's chief also said that the women weightlifters can compete
wearing special clothes for Muslim athletes.
 Myanmar, Bangladesh sign deal
o Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a memorandum of understanding on the
return of Rohingya Muslims who fled the Rakhine state in Myanmar to
escape a military crackdown.
o The Rohingya are a stateless minority who have long experienced
persecution in Myanmar, also known as Burma.
o More than 600,000 have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh since deadly
Rohingya attacks in August.
 Air force drill “Vigilant Ace”
o The air forces of South Korea and the United States will hold ‘Vigilant Ace’
a joint drill from 4th – 8th December.
o ‘Vigilant Ace’ between air forces of United States and South Korea is held
at periodic intervals to simulate wartime defenses.
o The exercise comes as North Korea continues to press forward with
developing its nuclear and missile program.
 S&P retains India’s rating at ‘BBB-'
o Rating agency Standard & Poor’s (S&P) kept its sovereign rating for India
unchanged at ‘BBB-‘, with an outlook for the nation as ‘stable’.
o BBB- rating is the lowest investment grade and just one notch above junk
status.
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 o S&P stated that India’s sizable fiscal deficit, low per capita income, and
high government debt do not warrant a sovereign rating upgrade as of
now.
 Mount Agung erupts after 54 years
o Mount Agung, a volcano on the Indonesian island of Bali has erupted for
the first time in more than 54 years.
o Mount Agung last erupted in 1963, claiming 1600 lives.
o Due to increased volcanic activity in the recent months, more than 1.4 lakh
people have evacuated their homes.
 WTO sets up panel on Qatar-UAE crisis
o The World Trade Organization has established a panel to decide on Qatar’s
complaint against measures imposed on Doha by UAE for its alleged
financial support for militant groups.
o Qatar insists UAE’s actions violate its rights and those of other countries
by denying freedom of transit to Qatar.
o Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia & UAE launched an economic boycott of
Qatar in June 2017.
 Most violent region for women
o According to UN, Latin America and the Caribbean is the most violent
region in the world for women.
o Rate of sexual violence against women outside of relationships is the
highest in the world in the region & the 2nd-highest for those who are in,
or were in, a couple.
o UN Women and UNDP found out that assaults on women persisted in the
region despite severe laws aimed at curbing the phenomenon.

Business & Economy

 Kerala govt inks MOU with Intel

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 o The Kerala government inked an MOU with Intel and UST Global for
exploring the possibility of transforming the state into an electronic
hardware manufacturing hub.
o The MoU was signed by the state IT department, Intel and UST Global in
the presence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
o Besides, Kerala government has taken an important policy initiative to
achieve this goal.
 Ola inks partnership with Microsoft
o Ola announced its strategic partnership with Microsoft company and
thereby choose the Microsoft as its preferred cloud provider.
o It is aimed at providing improved in-car productivity, advanced navigation
etc.
o The advanced telematics platform will transform the car into a high-
performing, intelligent vehicle, capable of assessing fuel efficiency, engine
performance, and driver performance.
 Paytm introduces BHIM UPI
o Paytm introduced payments using BHIM UPI through which users can
create their own Paytm BHIM UPI ID on the app, using which customers
can transfer money.
o Using BHIM UPI users can create their own Paytm BHIM UPI ID on the
app.
o With Paytm BHIM UPI, users can make instant money transfers directly
between two bank accounts, with no waiting time to add the beneficiary.
 HDFC makes RTGS, NEFT transactions free
o HDFC Bank Ltd has made online transactions through RTGS and NEFT
free of cost from 1st November 2017, with an aim to promote a digital
economy.

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 o According to the revised fees and charges for savings and salary accounts,
customers will not have to pay any charge for doing online transactions
through RTGS and NEFT from 1st November 2017.
o Also,customer can avail one chequebook of 25 leaves free.
 India’s first co-working space launched
o Independent workplace provider WorkoLab unveiled its first co-working
space in Gurgaon, Haryana and in Pusa Road, New Delhi.
o Co-working spaces offered by WorkoLab also provide research guidance by
India’s youngest scientific minds with an aim to infuse innovation into the
start-up idea .
o WorkoLab is planning to launch 100+ centres in next three years across
the globe.
 MoU Signed Between GoI & Patanjali
o A memorandum of understanding (MoU) of Rs 10000 Crore was signed
between the Government of India (GoI) and Patanjali at the World Food
India 2017.
o The MoU was signed by Managing Director of Patanjali, Acharya
Balkrishna and Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the Union Cabinet Minister of Food
Processing in the Government of India.
o The World Food India 2017 was organised at Delhi's Vigyan Bhawan.
 HSBC to finance for climate change
o HSBC pledged to provide $100 billion in financing and investment by
2025 to help combat climate change.
o It is a part of its commitment to tackling climate change and other “green”
goals.
o It has also committed that all electricity used by HSBC would come from
renewable sources by 2030.
o It would also adopt recommendations made by the Task Force on Climate-
Related Financial Disclosures.
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  Investment worth 19 billion dollars
o Investment of around 19 billion dollars were committed during the three
day mega food event- World Food India.
o The event achieved a resounding success and saw participation from 60
countries and over 50 global CEOs.
o This was the first time that India hosted such an event for the food
processing sector to strengthen its position as a global food factory.
 India’s largest CDQ facility
o Tata Steel has established India’s largest Coke Dry Quenching facility,
capable of handling 200 metric tonnes per hour, at its state-of-the-art steel
plant at Kalinganagar Industrial Complex.
o This environment-friendly technology would help in abating climate
change by reduction in the emission of carbon dioxide.
o CDQ is a heat recovery system to cool hot coke from coke ovens.
 Tata Power Solar bags award
o Tata Power Solar has won ‘Dun & Bradstreet - Everest Infra Awards 2017’.
o The prize was given for commissioning India's largest solar project under
Domestic Content Requirement for NTPC at Anantapur in Andhra
Pradesh.
o The 100-MW project is expected to generate nearly 160 million units of
energy per year and help offset approximately 110,000 tonnes of CO2 in
the first year.

Science & Technology

 China launches remote sensing satellites

o China successfully launched remote sensing satellites designed to conduct
electromagnetic probes and other experiments.

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 o The satellites were carried by Long March-6 rocket, a new generation of
liquid-fuelled carrier rocket developed by China Aerospace Science and
Technology Corporation.
o The launch was the 256th mission of the Long March rocket family.
 SAM: World’s first AI politician
o Scientists have developed the world's first artificial intelligence politician,
that can answer a person's queries regarding local issues such as policies
around housing, education etc.
o The virtual politician, called SAM, was created by Nick Gerritsen,
a entrepreneur in New Zealand.
o Artificial intelligence is a branch of computer science concerned with
making intelligent machines.
 How life evolved on earth
o A boost in levels of oxygen may have caused a three-fold increase in
biodiversity during between 445 and 485 million years ago, a study has
found.
o The explosion of diversity, recognised as the Great Ordovician
Biodiversification Event, brought about the rise of various marine life.
o The study was carried out by the Washington University in the U.S.
 Tape recorder created from bacteria
o Columbia University researchers have converted a bacterial immune
system into the world’s smallest data recorder.
o Using CRISPR gene-editing method, the team modified the human gut
microbe E. coli, enabling the bacteria to record their interactions with the
environment and also time-stamp the events.
o It could be used for disease diagnosis and environmental monitoring.
 New species of Gecko found
o A new species of gecko was found in the Eastern Ghats in northern Andhra
Pradesh.
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 o Named after eminent herpetologist Sushil Kumar Dutta from Odisha,
Hemidactylus sushilduttai or Dutta’s Mahendragiri gecko is the 32nd
species of house geckos in India.
o The discovery, report of which was published earlier this month in the
taxonomy journal Zootaxa.
 First supersonic parachute test
o NASA has completed the first test of its Mars 2020 mission’s parachute-
testing series, the Advanced Supersonic Parachute Inflation Research
Experiment.
o The mission will rely on a special parachute to slow the spacecraft down as
it enters the Martian atmosphere at over 5.4 km per second.
o The payload is a bullet-nosed, cylindrical structure.
 First mission to study the Sun
o ISRO plans to launch ‘Aditya-L1’, the first Indian mission to study the
Sun, by the year 2019 – 2020.
o The Aditya-1 mission was conceived as a 400kg class satellite carrying one
payload, the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) and was planned
to launch in an 800 km low earth orbit.
o The satellite will be launched from Sriharikota
 NASA Launches NOAA Weather Satellite
o NASA has successfully launched for the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration the first in a series of four highly advanced
polar-orbiting satellites.
o JPSS-1 lifted off on a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from
Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.
o Satellite will provide meteorologists with observations of atmospheric
temperature and moisture, clouds, sea-surface temperature
 First Pill with Digital Tracking Device

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 o The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first drug in the
United States with a digital ingestion tracking system.
o This will ensure that patients with mental illness take the medicine
prescribed for them.
o The drug Abilify MyCite, developed by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd,
was first approved by the FDA in 2002 to treat schizophrenia.
 Asgardia launched Asgardia-1 into space
o The Space Kingdom of Asgardia (virtual nation) launched its first satellite
‘Asgardia-1’ into space from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
o The Asgardia – so-called ‘virtual nation’ is the project of Russian scientist
and billionaire Igor Ashurbeyli.
o The Asgardia-1 satellite, which is about the size of a loaf of bread, contains
half a terabyte of data

Sports

 Sathiyan wins gold in 2017 ITTF

o Indian paddler G Sathiyan defeated Japan’s Kazuhiro Yoshimura 4-2 to
clinch the men’s singles gold medal at the 2017 ITTF Challenge Spanish
Open in Almeria, Spain.
o Sathiyan beats Kazuhiro Yoshimura 11-7, 3-11, 11-6, 6-11, 13-11, 11-7 in the
men singles final.
o This was Sathiyan’s second major title after the single gold he had won two
years ago in the ITTF World Tour Belgium Open.
 5 Russians banned for Doping
o 5 more Russian competitors from the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics have
been banned for life over anti-doping rule violations by IOC.

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 o Dmitrii Trunenkov and Aleksei Negodailo, both in the gold-medal winning
four-man bobsleigh team, plus biathlon relay silver medalists Yana
Romanova and Olga Vilukhina, who also won silver in the 7.5 km event.
o Sergei Chudinov was also disqualified for doping.
 Kohli makes 10 int. hundreds in an year
o Virat Kohli has become the first captain to score 10 international hundreds
in a calendar year.
o On 26th November 2017, Virat Kohli struck his 19th hundred in Test as
India played against Sri Lanka at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur.
o It was also his fifth double hundred in Test cricket.
o Virat Kohli reached his fourth Test hundred in 2017 in just 130 balls.
 India won Asian Kabaddi Championship
o Indian men’s and women’s kabaddi teams were both crowned the
champions of Asia at the 2017 Asian Kabaddi Championship, in Gorgan,
Iran.
o In the men’s finals, star raider Ajay Thakur led from the front, and India
beat Pakistan36-22. India won the match by a 14-point margin.
o The Indian women’s team beat South Korea 42-20 in their final.
 7th IMG to be held in China
o The 7th international military games will be held in Wuhan city in the
central China‘s Hubei Province.
o The International Military Sports Council (CISM)’s Military World Games
is a top sports event for military personnel.
o It comprises 329 competitions in 27 categories and is expected to attract
around 8,000 participants from more than 100 countries and regions.
 India won 10 medals in Para-Badminton WC
o Indian contingent to BWF Para-Badminton World Championships in
Ulsan, South Korea has clinched 10 medals, including two golds.

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 o India’s Parul Parmar defeated Thailand’s Wannaphatdee Kamtam in the
finals of the women’s singles Standing Lower.
o Other gold was also won by Parul Parmar, who paired with Japan’s Akiko
Sugino in women’s doubles (SL 3-4) final.
 2017 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
o Valtteri Bottas survived several laps of high-speed pressure from his
Mercedes team-mate and world champion Lewis Hamilton to claim a
memorable victory.
o It was Bottas' third career victory, all of them recorded since he joined
Mercedes to partner the 32-year-old Hamilton in January.
o The 2017 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was held at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu
Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
 India defeats Sri Lanka
o India bowled Sri Lanka out for 166, winning the Nagpur Test by an innings
and 239 runs.
o R Ashwin became the quickest bowler to 300 Test wickets.
o The third and final Test begins in New Delhi on December 2.
o India has taken a 1-0 lead.
 India wins 5 medals
o It was a gold rush for India at the AIBA World Women’s Youth Boxing
Championships with the country’s pugilists grabbing five top positions to
finish overall champions for the first time.
o The country had won just one bronze medal at the previous edition of the
event and had not won a gold since 2011.
o The tournament was held in Assam.
 Gopi Thonakal wins Asian Marathon
o Gopi Thonakal became the first Indian to win Asian Marathon
Championships.

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 o He achieved the feat in the 16th edition of the prestigious event held at
Dongguan in China.
o Andrey Petrov of Uzbekistan bagged the silver with a timing of while
Byambalev Tseveenravdan of Mongolia won the bronze.

Defence

 IMMSAREX-17 begins in Cox’s Bazar

o Indian Ocean Naval Symposium Multilateral Maritime Search and Rescue
Exercise-2017 started in Bay of Bengal on November 27, 2017.
o The exercise was inaugurated by Bangladesh President Md Abdul Hamid
near Inani Beach at Cox’s Bazar.
o Objective for conducting this exercise is to increase regional cooperation
between IONS member states. First edition of IONS was held in 2008 in
New Delhi.
 India-UK to conduct military exercise
o The third India-United Kingdom joint army training exercise 'Ajeya
Warrior' will be conducted in Rajasthan from Dec 1-14.
o The first exercise was conducted in 2013 at Belgaum, Karnataka, whereas
for the second exercise in 2015, an Indian Army contingent had visited the
United Kingdom.
o Approximately 120 personnel will participate in the exercise
 India conducts exercise in Andamans
o India has conducted a major military exercise in the strategically-located
Andaman and Nicobar Island archipelago.
o This is expected to help to counter China’s strategic moves in the Indian
Ocean Region (IOR) and ensure the security of sea lanes converging
towards the Malacca Strait.

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 o The “Defence of A&N Islands Exercise” (DANX), was conducted from
November 20 to 24, 2017.
 DANX-2017
o The Defence of Andaman and Nicobar Islands Exercise was conducted
under the aegis of Andaman & Nicobar Command from 20-24 November.
o The main objective of the exercise was to practice & validate procedures
and drills of all the Command forces aimed at defending Andaman &
Nicobar Islands.
o The exercise is critical against the increased Chinese footprint in Indian
Ocean Region.
 BrahMos test-fired from Sukhoi Jet
o World's fastest supersonic cruise missile, BrahMos, has been successfully
flight-tested for the 1st time from Indian Sukhoi-30MKI.
o The latest test completes the tactical cruise missile triad for India, as it is
now capable of being launched from land, sea and air.
o The BrahMos ALCM weighing 2.5 tonnes is the heaviest weapon to be
deployed on Su-30, modified by HAL to carry weapons.
 Conf. of Commanders of Eastern Command
o A two-day conference of all Commanders of Eastern Air Command
commenced at Shillong in Meghalaya, where issues pertaining to security
are being discussed.
o The conference is being hosted by Air Marshal Anil Khosla AVSM VM, Air
Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command.
o Air Force Station, Chabua was awarded the 'Pride of EAC' Trophy, for
standing best in overall performance.
 1st Indo-Myanmar joint military exercise
o A group of 15 officers from the Myanmarese army started a 6 day bilateral
military exercise with their counterparts from the Indian Army in

23 | P a g e
 Meghalaya in the first ever joint training of the troops from the
2 neighboring countries.
o IMBAX-2017 will take place at the recently created Joint Training Node of
the Indian Army at Umroi.
o The IMBAX-2017 would conclude on November 25.
 Sampriti 2017 ends
o Joint Indo-Bangladesh Training Exercise SAMPRITI 2017, which was
being conducted in Mizoram culminated.
o It is the seventh such exercise in the SAMPRITI series.
o The exercise has been aimed to strengthen and broaden the aspects of
interoperability and cooperation between the Indian and Bangladesh
Armies.
o The 13-day long field training exercise commenced on 06 November.
 Joint training of 3 services
o Indian armed forces released ‘Joint Training Doctrine Indian Armed
Forces – 2017’, aimed at ensuring integration amongst the three defence
services and optimum utilisation of resources.
o This training document flows from ‘Joint Doctrine Indian Armed Forces -
2017’ which was released in April 2017.
o It brings out Indian Armed Forces’ approach to Joint training at macro-
level.
 India's 1st Military Literature Festival
o India's first Military Literature Festival (MLF) will be held in Chandigarh,
in December.
o It is a tribute to the armed forces, whose contributions to the nation
remain etched in history as iconic events.
o The MLF will be held here from December 7 to 9.
o It will be jointly promoted by the Punjab government and Chandigarh
Administration.
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India & the World

 India and UK to sign a MoU

o India and UK will soon sign a MoU in the urban transport sector for
cooperation in policy planning, technology transfer and institutional
organisation.
o It seeks to facilitate cooperation in the transport sector and enable the
sharing of expertise and latest technology to promote efficient mobility
solutions.
o It will also establish the terms on which such assistance can be provided.
 India to assist Kabul in Renovation
o India will provide USD 2.87 million to Afghanistan for refurbishment
(renovation) of 350 buses that will help in strengthening the public
transport system of Kabul.
o The Indian Embassy in Kabul said that an MoU in this regard was signed
by Manpreet Vohra, Indian ambassador to Afghanistan, and Afghan
Transport Minister Hameed Tahmasi.
o The buses are expected to be operational by end of 2018.
 National Crisis Management Centre
o India and Russia have entered into an agreement under which,
EMERCOM of Russia would cooperate with India in the establishment of
the National Crisis Management Centre in India.
o It's objective is to handle disaster and other emergency situations.
o This cooperation was agreed during a meeting between Union Home
Minister Rajnath Singh and Russian Minister, Vladimir Puchkov in
Moscow, Russia.
 India, Greece sign agreement
o India and Greece signed an air services agreement in New Delhi.

25 | P a g e
 o The agreement was signed between Union External Affairs Minister
Sushma Swaraj and Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias.
o This air services agreement will allow Indian airlines to operate to Athens,
Thessaloniki and Heraklion and accordingly Greek airlines will be able to
start services to major Indian cities.
 2 day Korea Tourism Festival in Haryana
o A two-day ‘Korea Culture and Tourism Festival’ showcasing Korea’s rich
art, culture and heritage was inaugurated in Gurugram, Haryana.
o Representatives from the regional tourism boards and tourism related
organisations of South Korea were present at the inauguration event.
o The festival showcased famous tourist destinations, delicacies, art, culture
and heritage of South Korea.
 Memorial to honour Indian soldiers
o On December 2, a unique Indian Armed Forces Memorial will be
inaugurated at Villiers Guislain, right at the spot where the Indian cavalry
had resisted a German counterattack in 1917 at Cambrai.
o The Indian Tricolour will be hoisted and French children will sing Jana
Gana Mana.
o Cambrai was the world's first "all-arms" battle where infantry, artillery,
cavalry, tanks and aircraft participated.
 Ind to help Mauritius on digital locker
o The Government of India will assist Mauritius to develop and set up digital
locker services.
o DigiLocker is a key initiative of the Indian government under its flagship
Digital India program.
o The free service provides citizens a shareable private space on a public
cloud wherein they can store their documents. The service is aimed at
paperless governance.
 2018 as International Year of Millets
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 o India has sent a proposal to the United Nations for declaring the year 2018
as 'International Year of Millets'.
o The proposal, if agreed, will raise awareness about millets among
consumers, policymakers, industry and R&D sector.
o Millet is a common term to categorise small-seeded grasses that are often
termed nutri-cereals or dryland-cereals.
 Brics Bank approves $400 million loans
o Brics New Development Bank has approved 2 infrastructure & sustainable
development projects in India & Russia with loans of $400 mn.
o The loans will be used to rehabilitate Indira Gandhi canal system in India
& to build a toll transport corridor connecting Ufa city centre to M-5
federal highway in Russia.
o The NDB was set up with an initial authorized capital of $100 billion in
2014.

Resignation & Appointments

 Snehlata appointed as Secretary General

o Snehlata Shrivastava, a 1982-batch retired IAS officer of the Madhya
Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as the first woman Secretary General of
the Lok Sabha.
o Her appointment to this post was made by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra
Mahajan.
o She will replace Anoop Mishra, who is retiring on November 30, 2017.
o She will have the rank and status of Cabinet Secretary with effect from
December 1.
 Badri appointed as first chairman of NAA

27 | P a g e
 o Badri Narain Sharma, a Rajasthan cadre IAS officer of 1985 batch, has
been appointed the first chairman of the National Anti-profiteering
Authority.
o This body was set up under the goods and services tax to ensure that the
benefits of lower taxes under the new regime are shared with consumers.
o Sharma, at present is an additional secretary in the department of revenue
in the finance ministry
 NK Singh as Chairman of Fin. Commission
o The Central government has appointed NK Singh as chairman of 15th
Finance Commission.
o The commission will make recommendations after reviewing several
important aspects of federal fiscal finance including the deficit, cash
balances, debt levels, and fiscal discipline efforts of the Union and the
states.
o It will make recommendations, by October 2019, for five years
commencing April 1, 2020.
 Das appointed as India’s G20 Sherpa
o Union Ministry of Finance has appointed Shaktikanta Das, former
secretary of Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), as India’s G20
(Group of Twenty) Sherpa till December 31, 2018 for the Development
Track.
o Role of a Sherpa is to coordinate on the agenda for the upcoming G20
summit.
o Position of India’s G20 Sherpa fell vacant in August 2017, when Mr.
Panagariya left NITI Aayog.
 Pradeep appointed as Air India CMD
o Senior IAS officer Pradeep Singh Kharola was appointed as the Chairman
and Managing Director (CMD) of Air India.

28 | P a g e
 o Pradeep, a Karnataka cadre IAS officer, would replace Rajiv Bansal, who
has been serving as the interim CMD for a little over three months.
o Currently, Pradeep Singh Kharola is the Managing Director of Bangalore
Metro Rail Corporation Ltd.
 Aegon appoints Vineet Arora as MD & CEO
o Aegon Life Insurance has appointed Vineet Arora as the Managing
Director & Chief Executive Officer, effective from January 2018.
o Vineet Arora will replace K S Gopalakrishnan who had left the company on
November 17, 2017.
o Chief People Officer of Aegon Life Insurance, Saba Adil, will serve as the
interim In-charge and Principal Officer.
 Nirmala Sitharaman elected IDSA Prez
o Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has been elected President of the
Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA).
o IDSA was set up in 1965 by the Ministry of Defence as an autonomous
think tank, and it is customary to have the Defence Minister as its
President.
o The Minister chairs the Executive Council which governs the Institute.
 WHO Deputy DG appointed
o Soumya Swaminathan is set to assume the charge of deputy director-
general of the WHO in Geneva.
o Her appointment as the Deputy Director-General for Programmes,
announced early last month by the World Health Organisation, elevates
India's stature globally.
o Swaminathan is the daughter of agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan
who is hailed as the father of the 'Green Revolution'.
 Madras High Court judge sworn in
o Justice Satrughana Pujahari has been sworn in as Madras High Court
judge.
29 | P a g e
 o Justice Satrughana Pujahari had been transferred from the High Court of
Orissa to the Madras High Court by a notification dated November 14,
2017.
o With his appointment, the total number of judges has gone up to 54 as
against the sanctioned strength of 75.
 N Sambasiva Rao appointed as A.P. DGP
o Andhra Pradesh government appointed 1984-batch IPS officer N
Sambasiva Rao as Andhra Pradesh DGP.
o N Sambasiva Rao has been holding the DGPs post as “full additional
charge” since July 23, 2016, while his actual position was DGP
(Coordination).
o Dinesh Kumar is Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh.

Person In News

 Snehlata appointed as Secretary General

o Snehlata Shrivastava, a 1982-batch retired IAS officer of the Madhya
Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as the first woman Secretary General of
the Lok Sabha.
o Her appointment to this post was made by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra
Mahajan.
o She will replace Anoop Mishra, who is retiring on November 30, 2017.
o She will have the rank and status of Cabinet Secretary with effect from
December 1.
 Badri appointed as first chairman of NAA
o Badri Narain Sharma, a Rajasthan cadre IAS officer of 1985 batch, has
been appointed the first chairman of the National Anti-profiteering
Authority.

30 | P a g e
 o This body was set up under the goods and services tax to ensure that the
benefits of lower taxes under the new regime are shared with consumers.
o Sharma, at present is an additional secretary in the department of revenue
in the finance ministry
 Suu Kyi stripped of Oxford Award
o Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been stripped of the
Freedom of Oxford award.
o It is done due to her "inaction" in handling the raging Rohingya refugee
crisis and turning a "blind eye to violence" in the country that forced over
600,000 people to flee to Bangladesh.
o Oxford City Council in London voted unanimously to permanently remove
the honour given to her in 1997.
 Thodupuzha Vasanthi passes away
o Popular Malayalam stage, movie and television actor Thodupuzha
Vasanthi passed away at a private hospital in Thodupuzha, Kerala.
o Thodupuzha Vasanthi was 65 years old. She was battling cancer.
o Her film career began in 1975. She had acted in over 450 films.
o She had won the state government award for theatre acting.
 NK Singh as Chairman of Fin. Commission
o The Central government has appointed NK Singh as chairman of 15th
Finance Commission.
o The commission will make recommendations after reviewing several
important aspects of federal fiscal finance including the deficit, cash
balances, debt levels, and fiscal discipline efforts of the Union and the
states.
o It will make recommendations, by October 2019, for five years
commencing April 1, 2020.
 Pradeep appointed as Air India CMD

31 | P a g e
 o Senior IAS officer Pradeep Singh Kharola was appointed as the Chairman
and Managing Director (CMD) of Air India.
o Pradeep, a Karnataka cadre IAS officer, would replace Rajiv Bansal, who
has been serving as the interim CMD for a little over three months.
o Currently, Pradeep Singh Kharola is the Managing Director of Bangalore
Metro Rail Corporation Ltd.
 5 Russians banned for Doping
o 5 more Russian competitors from the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics have
been banned for life over anti-doping rule violations by IOC.
o Dmitrii Trunenkov and Aleksei Negodailo, both in the gold-medal winning
four-man bobsleigh team, plus biathlon relay silver medalists Yana
Romanova and Olga Vilukhina, who also won silver in the 7.5 km event.
o Sergei Chudinov was also disqualified for doping.
 Kohli makes 10 int. hundreds in an year
o Virat Kohli has become the first captain to score 10 international hundreds
in a calendar year.
o On 26th November 2017, Virat Kohli struck his 19th hundred in Test as
India played against Sri Lanka at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur.
o It was also his fifth double hundred in Test cricket.
o Virat Kohli reached his fourth Test hundred in 2017 in just 130 balls.
 Om Prakash Saraf passes away at 95
o Om Prakash Saraf, former MLA of Jammu Kashmir, passed away in
Jammu Kashmir.
o Om Prakash Saraf, former MLA from Jammu Kashmir, passes away at 95.
o He has become the first person in Jammu Kashmir, who in his lifetime
had decided to donate his body to the medical college.
o There was no cremation of his body. Instead, his body was handed over to
the Government Medical College, Jammu.
 2017 Miss Universe
32 | P a g e
 o South Africa's Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters has won Miss Universe 2017 crown.
o The 66th annual Miss Universe pageant had 92 contestants vying for the
crown, which is the largest number since Miss Universe 2011 and 2012
when 82 contestants fought for the title.
o Miss Colombia Laura Gonzalez was adjudged the first runner up while
Miss Jamaica Davina Bennett became the second runner-up.

Environment

 Mock exercise on tsunami preparedness

o National Disaster Management Authority & Indian National Centre for
Ocean Information Services will conduct a multi-State mega mock exercise
on tsunami preparedness.
o Exercise will be conducted in 31 coastal districts across 4 States &
Puducherry along the East Coast.
o It is one of the various activities planned on the occasion of 2nd World
Tsunami Awareness Day held on November 5 this year.
 New species of parasitic flowering plant
o Scientists have discovered a new species of parasitic flowering plant that
has no chlorophyll, and survives by feeding on another species of plant.
o The species, named Gleadovia konyakianorum, in honour of the Konyak
tribe of Nagas, was identified this year near Tobu town of Mon district in
eastern Nagaland.
o The plant was found in the semi-evergreen forest at an altitude of 1,500-
1,600 metres
 Road-map for 'Talanoa Dialogue'
o The UN climate conference concluded with countries putting in place a
road-map for 'Talanoa Dialogue'.

33 | P a g e
 o The Conference also made progress on framing rules for implementing the
Paris Agreement and brought the rich nations on board to walk the talk on
their pre-2020 commitments.
o It is an effort to achieve the climate goal of keeping the global average
temperature rise within 2 degree Celsius.
 Climate Change Performance Index 2018
o India has ranked 14th out of 56 nations and European Union on Climate
Change Performance Index 2018 released by environmental organisation
Germanwatch.
o This marks an improvement from its 20th rank in CCPI 2017. CCPI keeps
track of countries’ efforts in combating climate change.
o CCPI 2018 report was released on November 15, 2017, on the sidelines of
the UN COP23 in Bonn, Germany.
 Syria signs up Paris Agreement
o On 14th November 2017, United Nations announced that Syria has
officially signed the Paris Agreement on climate change.
o Syria has become the 169th of 196 countries that are members of the UN
climate convention to take the legal step of ratification.
o Paris agreement on climate change is an agreement within the
UNFCCC dealing with greenhouse gas emissions mitigation, adaptation
and finance.
 Founding Ceremony of ISA in Bonn
o A Curtain Raiser Event for the Founding Ceremony of the International
Solar Alliance was held in Bonn, Germany.
o The ISA was jointly launched in 2015 by Modi & then-President of France
during UNFCCC Conference.
o The ISA is a treaty-based alliance of 121 prospective solar-rich Member
Nations situated fully or partially between the Tropics & aims at the
development of solar energy globally.
34 | P a g e
  Global climate risk Index
o India is the sixth most vulnerable country in the world in terms of facing
extreme weather events, according to global climate risk index.
o Haiti, Zimbabwe, Fiji, Sri Lanka and Vietnam are at top five positions in
the fresh list of nations facing climate risk.
o The ranking was released here by the Germanwatch, an independent
Berlin-based development and environmental organisation.
 Gurugram to have butterfly park
o Forests Minister Rao Narbir Singh laid the foundation stone for Butterfly
Conservatory Park.
o It will be developed on 15 acres in Sector 52 of Gurugram and will be the
biggest butterfly park in North India.
o The park is to conserve the species of butterflies that are near extinction
because of the massive urbanisation in the area.
o The park will be developed in association with Uthaan, an NGO.
 Varanasi is the most polluted city
o A report by the Central Pollution Control Board has found that the air
quality of holy city Varanasi is most polluted among the 42 cities
monitored recently.
o Varanasi’s Air Quality Index was at an alarming 491, followed by
Gurugram at 480, and Delhi at 468.
o Stubble burning by farmers in Punjab & Haryana are speculated to have
added to the factors causing pollution in northern belt of India.
 Delhi govt 'defers' odd-even
o Delhi govt has called off the odd-even scheme, which was to be
implemented from 13th Nov, after the National Green Tribunal ordered
withdrawal of exemptions under it.

35 | P a g e
 o The decision came in view of the directive by NGT, which
ordered withdrawal of all exemptions, including to two-wheeler riders
& woman-only vehicles.
o Trucks and two- wheelers are the major polluters in Delhi.

Obituaries

 E Chandrasekharan Nair passes away

o Veteran Communist Party of India leader and former Minister E.
Chandrasekharan Nair, died following a chest congestion
inThiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
o He was admitted to Sree Chitra Institute of Medical Sciences.
o He died on 29th November 2017.
o He was elected to Assembly six times in 1957, 1967, 1977, 1980, 1987 and
1996. He had served as Minister thrice under the Late E.K.Nayanar.
 Thodupuzha Vasanthi passes away
o Popular Malayalam stage, movie and television actor Thodupuzha
Vasanthi passed away at a private hospital in Thodupuzha, Kerala.
o Thodupuzha Vasanthi was 65 years old. She was battling cancer.
o Her film career began in 1975. She had acted in over 450 films.
o She had won the state government award for theatre acting.
 Om Prakash Saraf passes away at 95
o Om Prakash Saraf, former MLA of Jammu Kashmir, passed away in
Jammu Kashmir.
o Om Prakash Saraf, former MLA from Jammu Kashmir, passes away at 95.
o He has become the first person in Jammu Kashmir, who in his lifetime
had decided to donate his body to the medical college.
o There was no cremation of his body. Instead, his body was handed over to
the Government Medical College, Jammu.
36 | P a g e
  Rajasthani singer Mangi Arya passes away
o Rajasthani Maand folk singer Mangi Bai Arya passed away following a
heart attack in Udaipur. Mangi Bai Arya was 88 years old.
o She had learnt singing from her father Kamlaram Arya, an eminent
classical singer of his times.
o She had contributed significantly in taking Maand to the national and
international levels.
o She has won several awards, including the Kendriya Sangeet Natak
Akademy Award.
 Daniel dies after crashing in Macau GP
o Daniel Hegarty, a British motorcycle racer, was killed after hitting the
barriers on the outside of the circuit and losing his crash helmet, at the
Macau Grand Prix, in Macau.
o The race was immediately stopped as Daniel Hegarty crashed on a part of
the track known as Fishermen’s Bend.
o He is the first rider to die at Macau since Portugal’s Luis Carreira was
killed in qualifying in 2012.
 Wimbledon champion Jana Novotna dies
o Former World No 2 Jana Novotna died peacefully in her sleep, surrounded
by her family, at 49.
o She had been battling cancer for a long time. The player from the Czech
Republic won 17 Grand Slam titles through her career.
o Novotna totaled 24 titles through her 14-year career along with 76 titles in
doubles.
 Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi dies
o Prime Minister Narendra Modi has condoled the demise of veteran
Congress leader and former Union minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi.
o Dasmunsi was a popular leader with rich political and administrative
experience.
37 | P a g e
 o 72 year old Dasmunsi, who was in coma since 2008, passed away at a
hospital.
 Hindi Poet Kunwar Narayan passes away
o Eminent Hindi poet and Jnanpith awardee Kunwar Narayan passed away
at his home in New Delhi.
o Kunwar Narayan was in coma since July 4 after suffering from brain
haemorrhage.
o He was born on 9 September 1927 in UP’s Faizabad. Kunwar Narayan was
known for his poetry, stories, and critiques.
o His first poetry collection was “Chakravyuh”. It is considered as a
landmark in Hindi literature.
 Former SC Judge V Khalid Passes Away
o Retired Supreme Court judge V. Khalid died in Kannur. Justice Khalid was
95 years old.
o He had served as the judge in the Kerala High Court and as Chief Justice
of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.
o He began his career as a lawyer at the Kannur munsiff court in 1948 and
moved to the Thalassery bar in 1949.
 Abdul Mannan Hossain passed away
o Former Murshidabad MP and senior Trinamool Congress leader Abdul
Mannan Hossain died at Belle vue clinic due to age-related problems, in
Kolkata.
o He was 65 years old. He was a Congress leader and a two-term MP of the
party from 2004-2014.
o Earlier he was an MLA of Congress from 1987. He joined All India
Trinamool Congress in 2014 after he had differences with the Congress’
state leadership.

38 | P a g e
Government Policies & Schemes

 Odisha launches Fish Pond Yojana

o Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the ‘Fish Pond Yojana’.
o Aim of this scheme is to boost fish production in Odisha. The scheme has
been launched with a budgetary provision of Rs 96 crore.
o Under the scheme, additional 2200 hectare of freshwater aquaculture
farming will be created, for which farmers will be given 50% financial
assistance from state government.
 Training program for EWRs of Panchayats
o Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Maneka Gandhi
launched an intensive training program for Capacity Building of Elected
Women Representatives (EWRs) of Panchayati Raj Institutions in New
Delhi.
o This program is being organized by NIPCCD under Ministry of WCD.
o The training programme will focus on women’s issues and will provide
information on education and financial matters.
 Govt doubles incentive rates of garments
o Under Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS), Central
Government has doubled incentive rates for export of readymade
garments and made-ups to 4 % from 2 % earlier.
o This decision has been taken to boost shipments of readymade garments
and made-ups.
o Encouraging readymade exports through incentives would lead to more
production, which would eventually generate employment opportunities.
 Bamboo Not A Tree Anymore

39 | P a g e
 o President Ram Nath Kovind has promulgated an ordinance under Article
123 of Constitute to amend Indian Forest Act, 1927 to encourage bamboo
plantation.
o The amendment to Section 2(7) of Indian Forest Act, 1927 will encourage
bamboo plantation by farmers, which will contribute to doubling farmers
income by 2022.
o India is the 2nd largest producer of bamboo after China.
 Samsung partners with UP govt
o Samsung India announced a partnership with Uttar Pradesh State
Government for ‘Smart Healthcare Programme’.
o Under this programme, Samsung India will set-up 20 new smart
healthcare centres across Uttar Pradesh to offer affordable and quality
healthcare.
o It will also provide advanced equipments such as ultrasound and digital
radiology (x-ray) machines
 FOGSI launches ‘Manyata’ movement
o Federation of Obstetric and Gynecological Societies of India (FOGSI)
launched ‘Manyata’, a nationwide movement emphasising the need for
quality care for mothers during and immediately after childbirth.
o FOGSI has launched ‘Manyata’ in partnership with MSD for Mothers,
MacArthur Foundation and Jhpiego.
o The movement was flagged off by Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty.
 Haryana to offer power Connection on EMI
o Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar announced a new scheme offering
Domestic Power Connections in rural areas on EMI.
o Currently it costs between Rs. 3000/- to Rs. 4000/- to get a domestic
power connection.
o Under this new scheme, households in rural areas can pay just Rs. 200
and get a domestic power connection.
40 | P a g e
 o The remaining amount can be paid in easy installments of Rs. 100 to Rs.
200.
 Karnataka passes SC/ST promotions bill
o Karnataka passed ‘Karnataka Extension of Consequential Seniority to
Government Servants Promoted on the Basis of Reservation Bill 2017’.
o Prior to introduction of this bill, SC had struck down Karnataka Govt.’s
provision for providing reservation in promotion for SC/ST employees.
o Karnataka had formed a committee led by Additional Chief Secretary
Ratnaprabha to study the above issues.
 Daily Drug Regimen for treatment of TB
o Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has recently announced the launch of
daily regimen for TB patients across the country under the Revised
National TB Control Programme.
o The daily FDC anti-TB drugs will be made available to private pharmacy or
at private practitioners.
o It will be provided free of cost. Ministry will take this forward to all major
hospitals.
 Punjab to compensate acid attack victims
o Punjab State Cabinet approved ‘Punjab Victim or Their Dependents
Compensation Scheme.
o It will provide minimum compensation of Rs three lakh to an acid attack
victim.
o Every year, Punjab State Government’s department of home affairs and
justice, will allocate a separate budget to the department of legal and
legislative affairs to provide compensation under this scheme.

Art & Culture

 World’s First 3D Sanskrit Film Anurakthi

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 o World's first Sanskrit 3D film 'Anurakthi was among the main attraction in
3D category at the International Film Festival of India in Panaji in Goa.
o The motto of making the film is to make the Sanskrit language relevant
even for today.
o The movie directed by Asokan PK revolves around the traditional art form
of Kerala, Koodiyattam.
 Assam to celebrate ‘Lachit Divas’
o Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said the Assam government
would celebrate ‘Lachit Divas’ at various state capitals in India from next
year.
o ‘Lachit Divas’ is celebrated to promote the ideals of Lachit Borphukan –
the legendary general of Assam’s history.
o Sarbananda Sonowal took part in the Lachit Divas celebration at the statue
of Lachit Borphukan at Brahmaputra riverfront.
 Parab Fest takes off in Koraput, Odisha
o 'Parab-2017', the annual cultural festival of Odisha’s Koraput district,
showcasing the tribal art and culture, started.
o Parab 2017 started from the shrine of goddess Sankulai Devi of B Singhpur
under Borigumma block, with a tribal dance.
o The objective of this festival is to protect & promote the region’s rich
cultural heritage.
o A 5-day Pallishree Mela will be organised on 21 December 2017
 Balijatra Festival Begins In Cuttack
o The annual ‘Balijatra’ festival was inaugurated by Health and Law Minister
Pratap Jena at Gadagadia ghat in Odisha on the banks of river Mahanadi.
o The week-long famous fair on an area of 30 acres on the river bank will
continue till November 10.
o It got the nod from east zone bench of National Green Tribunal for the
second time this year.
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  Dialogue of Civilizations IV begins
o 4th Dialogue of Civilizations is being jointly organized by the
Archaeological Survey of India, Ministry of Culture and National
Geographic in New Delhi from 8th to 15th October, 2017.
o It will be inaugurated by the Minister of State (Independent charge) for
Culture Dr. Mahesh Sharma on 8th October, 2017 (Sunday).
o The theme of the Conference is "Technology and Civilization".
 Baahubali first to gross 1000 crores
o 'Baahubali 2: The Conclusion' has become the first Indian movie to earn
Rs 1000 crore worldwide.
o Going by the latest figures, the film has minted Rs 800 crore at the Indian
box office and Rs 200 crore at the overseas market.
o The movie collected $13.1 million in US and beat previous record-holder
'Dangal's $12.4 million total haul in the territory.
 10 heritage sites to be developed
o The government announced 10 new iconic places which would be
developed as cleanliness role models under the “Swachh Bharat Mission”.
o The decision to choose new places was taken at the second quarterly
review meeting of the swachh iconic places, an initiative of the ministry of
drinking water and sanitation under Swachh Bharat Mission.
 Cultural programme held at Kathmandu
o Indian Ambassador to Nepal Manjeev Singh Puri inaugurated cultural
programme "Colours of the Northern and Southern States of India" at
Kathmandu on April 12.
o The two day event is organised by Indian Cultural Centre (ICC), Embassy
of India on the occasion of Baisakhi and Nepali New Year 2074.
 India's first micro-drama festival held

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 o With the longest play running for not more than 10 minutes to the shortest
one ending in 42 seconds, India's first ever micro-drama festival was held
in New Delhi.
o Named after Thespis of Icaria, believed to be the first actor in Greek drama
(6th century BC), the day-long event 'Thespis' saw screening of 28
independent plays at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Art.
 Tibetan medi system for Unesco honour
o INDIA has nominated the Tibetan medicine system of Sowa-Rigpa for
inclusion on Unesco’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
o The dossier was submitted in late March and India’s bid will be considered
during Unesco’s session in 2018.
o Sowa-Rigpa, commonly known as the Amchi system of medicine, is among
the oldest documented medical traditions in the world.

Important Current Affairs Capsule August 2017

Important Current Affairs Capsule September 2017

Important Current Affairs Capsule October 2017

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