NATIONAL NEWS
WHO Global Forum on Medical Devices held in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
Visakhapatnam is set to emerge as a major hub for manufacture of medical devices in the country, meeting the requirements of the domestic market as well as the export market, according to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. He was speaking at the inaugural session of the fourth WHO Global Forum on Medical Devices after dedicating the AP Medtech Zone to the nation.
- The park will give a tremendous boost to the medical devices segment in the healthcare industry. It was the first time the WHO Global Forum on Medical devices was being held in the country and he thanked the WHO representative Henk Bekedam for choosing Visakhapatnam and AP Medtech Zone for the purpose.
India's first drone manufacturing facility inaugurated in Hyderabad
India's first private Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) or drone manufacturing facility has been inaugurated in Hyderabad. The facility has been set up by Adani Defence & Aerospace, and Elbit Systems. The 50,000 square feet facility would also be the first facility outside Israel to manufacture Hermes 900 Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV. It was inaugurated by Telangana Home Minister Mohammad Mahmood Ali.
- Apart from the UAV Complex, the Adani Aerospace Park was also inaugurated by the Home Minister of Telangana.
Cyclonic storm Phethai to cause heavy rainfall in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu
A severe cyclone, Phethai, is likely to hit the Andhra Pradesh coast and north Tamil Nadu, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned in its latest weather forecast.
- This is the fourth cyclone to hit the eastern coast this season, and comes about a month after cyclone Gaja hit the Tamil Nadu coast on 16 November, causing massive destruction. Earlier, cyclone Daye and very severe cyclone Titli ravaged coastal areas in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
India's first rail university and world's third dedicated to the nation
Union Railways Minister Piyush Goyal has dedicated India’s first railway university to the Nation in Vadodara. The Railway University will be first of its kind institution in the nation and the third in the world after Russia and China.
- It will be a deemed university which will offer professional courses in technology and management of transportation networks. The chairman of Railways Board Sh. Ashok Lohani has been named the Vice Chancellor of the University.
- The National Rail and Transportation Institution (NRTI) started its operation on September 5 earlier this year. The Railways Ministry has sanctioned Rs 421 crore for the NRTI and its curriculum development for the next five years.
- A greenfield campus is also under development for the university. Indian Railways has identified a 110-acre plot of land for the NRTI campus at Pipaliya village in Waghodiya Taluka, District Vadodara.
Jammu and Kashmir becomes first state to bring law against 'sextortion'
Jammu and Kashmir has become the first state in the country to have a law banning sexual exploitation of women by those in positions of authority, having a fiduciary relationship or a public servant.
The State Administrative Council (SAC) under the chairmanship of Governor Satya Pal Malik approved the 'Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2018' and the 'Jammu and Kashmir Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018'.
- The Jammu and Kashmir Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018 seeks to amend the Ranbir Penal Code, whereby specific offence under section 354 E is being inserted to provide for the offence of 'Sextortion'.
- Extra info.:
Sextortion is a form of sexual exploitation that employs non-physical forms of coercion to extort sexual favors from the victim. Sextortion also refers to a form of blackmail in which sexual information or images are used to extort sexual favors from the victim. Social media and text messages are often the source of the sexual material and the threatened means of sharing it with others.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
UAE President declares 2019 as 'Year of Tolerance'
UAE President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has declared 2019 as the "Year of Tolerance", highlighting the country as a global capital for tolerance, through its goals to enhance the role of the country in instilling the values of co-existence and peace in local, regional and international communities. This is the fifth in theme-based observation of years in the United Arab Emirates.
- The President said the "Year of Tolerance" will be an extension of the "Year of Zayed", as it upholds the values of tolerance and coexistence that the late Sheikh Zayed established among the people of the UAE.
Sri Lanka's disputed PM Rajapaksa resigns
Sri Lanka's disputed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned from his post, signalling an end to nearly a two-month-long political crisis that has kept the island nation without a functional government.
- Rajapaksa's resignation came after the country's Supreme Court refused to stay a lower court order barring him and his Cabinet from functioning. The Parliament had already passed two no-trust motions against him.
- The President has agreed to swear in Ranil Wickremesinghe who leads the United National Party (UNP) as Prime Minister.
AWARDS
English author Amitav Ghosh honoured with Jnanpith Award 2018
In a first recognition for an English writer, Amitav Ghosh has been announced as 2018's Jnanpith Award winner for "outstanding contribution towards literature". The 1956, Kolkata-born author was described as a "path-breaking novelist" by Bharatiya Jnanpith. The awarding body said that Ghosh, in his novels, treads through historical settings to the modern era and weaves a space where the past connects with the present in relevant ways.
- Some of his celebrated works include "The Circle of Reason", "The Shadow Lines", "The Calcutta Chromosome", "The Glass Palace", "The Hungry Tide" and the Ibis trilogy that includes "Sea of Poppies", "River of Smoke", and "Flood of Fire".
- The decision was taken in a meeting of Jnanpith Selection Board chaired by eminent novelist and scholar Pratibha Ray.
Shaan, Arijit get Bengal government music award
Popular singers Shaan and Arijit Singh were handed over the 'Sangeet Mahasamman' award constituted by the West Bengal government at the inaugural session of the Bengal music and folk culture festival in Kolkata. Legendary singer Sandhya Mukhopadhyay gave away the awards.
- Besides the duo, leading Bengali singers like Rupankar Bagchi, Raghab Chattopadhyay, Manomoy Bhattacharya, Saikat Mitra, Pratik Chowdhury and music director Debojyoti Mishra were also given the 'Sangeet Mahasamman' awards.
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