NATIONAL NEWS
Bhutan PM Lotay Tshering visits India
Prime Minister of Bhutan Lotay Tshering reached New Delhi on a three-day official visit to India. The visit takes place during the Golden Jubilee year of the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between the two countries.
- Dr Tshering will be accorded ceremonial reception at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan. He will also pay homage to Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi and hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
- Extra info.:
Bhutan Capital: Thimphu
Currencies: Bhutanese ngultrum
King: Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck
Train 18 becomes India's fastest train
Railway minister Piyush Goyal, announced that Train 18 is now the fastest train in India. India's first indigenously built engine-less train, meant for intra-day travel, can cut down travel time by 10 to 15 per cent compared to the Shatabdi. It is developed by Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory (ICF) at a cost of Rs 100 crore.
- Train 18 will replace the current Shatabdi Express. The train is capable of touching 200 kmph provided the other systems like tracks and signals support the speed. The ICF plans to roll out one more Train 18 this fiscal and four by the next fiscal.
Railways develops AI-powered robot 'USTAAD' to check for faults in trains
To make trains more safe by eliminating human errors, Central Railway has developed an AI-powered robot which would click pictures and record videos of the under-gears of trains and send them to engineers for repairs and maintenance.
- The mechanical branch of Central Railway's Nagpur division has developed the robot named USTAAD (Undergear Surveillance Through Artificial Intelligence Assisted Droid), which examines parts of the coach in real time with a HD camera and transmits them over WiFi.
- With the help of USTAAD, engineers can easily see and examine areas which are hard to see and hard to approach such as cramped or narrow spaces between under-gear parts.
Jharkhand's Pakur ranked worst, TN's Virudhunagar best among aspirational districts
The NITI Aayog ranked Jharkhand's Pakur district the worst and Tamil Nadu's Virudhunagar the best among the nation's 111 backward districts.
- The second "delta ranking" of backward districts which the NITI Aayog has dubbed as aspirational districts was released by its CEO Amitabh Kant, reflecting the incremental progress made by the districts between June and October.
- Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January, the "Transformation of Aspirational Districts" programme aims to quickly and effectively transform some of the most underdeveloped districts of the country.
3rd Dwijing Festival begins in Chirang
In Assam, the third Dwijing Festival has begun on the bank of Aye river at Chirang district. Around 15 lakh tourists are expected to participate in the festival. Assam Public Health Engineering (PHE) minister Rihon Daimary inaugurated the festival in presence of several dignitaries.
- Adventure sports, food mart, cultural events, traditional games are being organized in the 12 day long event. Participants from Thailand, Bhutan and Bangladesh are also taken part in the festival.
26th National Childres's Science Congress inaugurated in Bhubaneswar
The 26th National Childres's Science Congress has been inaugurated by the Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik in Bhubaneswar. Inaugurating the Congress session, Shri Patnaik has said that the progress of science is essential for the National growth and healthy Nation. Odisha government is organizing various programmes for the development of scientific temper among students.
- He further said that Bhubaneswar is going to be the Knowledge Hub of east India with IIT, NISER, AIIMS, Institute of Physics like scientific institutions in the state.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Thailand Becomes First Country in Southeast Asia to Legalise Medical Marijuana
Thailand has approved the use of medical marijuana, making it the first country in southeast Asia to do so. The country's interim parliament voted on the amendment in the Narcotics Bill. The measure is expected to take effect in 2019.
- Although the drug will be legalized for medical purposes, it is still outlawed for recreational use. The penalty for recreational use of the drug is up to five years in prison for the possession of 10 kilograms or less. Marijuana can be helpful in easing symptoms of many medical conditions, including chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, glaucoma, epilepsy and nausea.
- Extra info.:
Thailand Capital: Bangkok
Currency: Thai baht
American adventurer Colin O'Brady completes world's first solo trek across Antarctica without aid
An American adventurer has become the first person to complete a solo trek across Antarctica without assistance of any kind. Mr Colin O'Brady, 33, took 54 days to complete the nearly 1,600km crossing of the frozen continent from north to south.
- Mr O'Brady and an Englishman, Army Captain Louis Rudd, 49, set off individually from Union Glacier in a bid to be the first to complete a solo, unassisted crossing of Antarctica.
- In 2016, an English army officer, Lieutenant Colonel Henry Worsley, a friend of Capt Rudd's, died while trying to complete an unassisted solo crossing of Antarctica.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
India's April-November fiscal deficit crosses 115% of target
India's budgetary fiscal deficit for the April-November period at Rs 7.17 lakh crore has exceeded the target for the full fiscal, accounting for 114.8 per cent of the budgeted target of Rs 6.24 lakh crore, mainly owing to slow revenue growth during the period.
- The data furnished by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) showed that the fiscal deficit during the corresponding eight months of the previous fiscal was 112 per cent.
Bimal Jalan to head six-member panel on RBI’s economic capital framework
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in consultation with the government, has set up a six-member committee to review the economic capital framework of the central bank. Former RBI Governor Bimal Jalan will be the committee’s chairman and former Deputy Governor Rakesh Mohan deputy chairman.
- The other members are Economic Affairs Secretary Subash Chandra Garg, RBI Deputy Governor N.S. Vishwanathan and two board members of the RBI Bharat Doshi and Sudhir Mankad.
- The terms of reference of the committee would be to review status, need and justification of various provisions, reserves and buffers presently provided for by the RBI, keeping in mind ‘public policy mandate of the RBI, including financial stability considerations.’
RBI launches survey on people's retail payment habits
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has launched a survey to understand the "Retail Payment Habits of Individuals" (SRPHi). According to the central bank, the survey will cover a sample of 6,000 individuals from different socio-economic background across six cities, viz., Delhi, Mumbai Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and Guwahati.
- The survey seeks qualitative responses from individuals on their payment habits.
Centre tighten norms for e-commerce companies for sale of products
Tightening norms for e-commerce firms having foreign investment, the government barred online marketplaces like Flipkart and Amazon from selling products of companies where they hold stakes and banned exclusive marketing arrangements that could influence product price.
- The revised policy on foreign direct investment in online retail, issued by the Commerce and Industry Ministry, also said that these firms have to offer equal services or facilities to all its vendors without discrimination. The policy would be effective from February 2019.
- The policy says a vendor will not be permitted to sell more than 25% of its products on an online platform of a single e-marketplace firm. The decision comes against the backdrop of several complaints being flagged by domestic traders on heavy discounts being given by e-commerce players to consumers.
Manufacturing sector clocked 5.6 pc growth during April-Oct
India's manufacturing sector growth as measured by the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) with the base year 2011-12 has been consistently increasing over the past three years.
- During 2015-16, growth rate in manufacturing sector as per IIP was 2.8 per cent, 4.4 per cent in 2016-17, 4.6 per cent in 2017-18, while 5.6 per cent (provisional) during April-October in the current fiscal, as per the information given by Minister of State for Commerce an Industry CR Chaudhary.
AWARDS
Manipur CM Biren Singh gets 'Champions of Change' award
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh was conferred the “Champions of Change” award by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu for exemplary leadership in bringing about transformation in governance.
- The other awardees included Union Minister of State for Food Processing Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Sudarshan and Member of Parliament Nishikant Dubey.
- The award was instituted by the Centre to identify remarkable progress made in 115 “aspirational” districts whose development is being monitored by NITI Aayog.
Manipur was chosen for its all-round development on various parameters in all its “aspirational” districts.
Aadi Sai Vijaykaran Wins ‘Top Debater In The World’ Title
Aadi Sai Vijaykaran created history by winning the Junior Debate Championship at the World Scholar’s Cup held at Yale University, the USA.
- The theme for the cup was ‘An Entangled World: diplomacy, human relationships, the science of memory, and literature, art’. It is the first time an individual from India has won the coveted title.
- The Tournament of Champions of World Scholar’s Cup is a competition for young debaters from around the world in which only 2000 participants out of 40,000 qualified for the final of “The tournament of Champions”.
OBITUARIES
Prof Hamidi Kashmiri passes away
Dr. Hamidi Kashmiri, the tallest literary figure in the world of Urdu anguage, literature and literary criticism passed away. He was a prolific creative writer, an acclaimed critic and propounder of “Iktishaafi Tanqueed”.
- He has also been the Vice Chancellor of University of Kashmir for years during the most difficult times of militant unrest.
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