NATIONAL NEWS
India To Chair Kimberley Process From January 2019
India will chair the Kimberley Process (KP), a global initiative to remove conflict diamonds from the global supply chain, from January next year, the Commerce Ministry said.
- KP is a joint initiative of different countries, industry and civil societies to control flow of conflict diamonds.
- India is the founding member of Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) and is actively involved in KP activities to ensure that almost 99 per cent of the diamond trade in the world is conflict free. the KP has 54 participants, representing 81 countries.
IAF, US Air Force To Conduct Joint Exercise 'Cope India 2019' in West Bengal
The air forces of the United States and India are scheduled to participate in a 12-day- long joint exercise 'Cope India 2019' at two air force stations in West Bengal in December 2018.
- The exercise will be held from December 3-14 at Air Station Kalaikunda and Air Station Arjan Singh in Panagarh airbase. It showcases efforts and commitment of the two nations to build a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
- The Cope India exercise is being held after a gap of eight years, with the last one having taken place in 2010.
Govt approves construction of over 2 lakh affordable houses for poor
Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has approved the construction of over 2 lakh more affordable houses for the benefit of urban poor under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban).
- Now the cumulative number of houses sanctioned under the scheme has gone to over 65 lakh. The approval was given in the 40th meeting of the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee held in New Delhi.
Government plans to set up 'Ganga Museum'
The central ministry is planning to set up a Ganga Exhibition and a Ganga Museum to showcase the history and mythology and the importance of the sacred river in the livelihood of the people living around it.
- It was announced by National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), as part of the Ganga Rejuvenation programme. The central museum will be set up in Delhi and there will be regional museums in different states.
- Expert from India and the European Union has been meeting for a two-day workshop on “Developing a Ganga Museum Concept: Exchanging Experiences and Ideas between India and Europe” along with GIZ India as a part of Indo-German Development Co-operation to exchange ideas and experiences regarding various aspects of the proposed museum, knowledge center and exhibition.
Govt launches Bhasha Sangam to introduce school students to 22 Indian languages
The government has launched a unique initiative called Bhasha Sangam to introduce school students to 22 Indian languages. The initiative, under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, was launched on 22nd of November and will continue till the 21st of December.
- Bhasha Sangam is a programme for schools and educational institutions to provide multilingual exposure to students in Indian languages. Another objective of Bhasha Sangam is to enhance linguistic tolerance and respect and promote national integration.
India Rivers Week 2018
The India Rivers Week 2018 was held in New Delhi with 'Can India Rejuvenate Ganga' as the theme. During the event, environmentalists claimed that as many as 940 dams, barrages and weirs have been built on the Ganga river and these were restricting its flow and hindering its rejuvenation.
- This year at the India Rivers week, Arun Tiwari and Vishwanath Srikantaiah have won accolades for their exemplary work in the water sector.
- The government is addressing the issue of sewage waste in the river while there is a need to improve the river flow for its rejuvenation.
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS
EU Aims to Be First Carbon Neutral Economy By 2050
The European Union’s executive branch proposed that the bloc should cut its emissions of greenhouse gases to net zero by 2050, a measure scientists say needs to be adopted worldwide in order to avoid catastrophic global warming.
- The European Commission is the first major economy to set its sight on achieving climate neutrality in the next three decades.
UNESCO adds Jamaican reggae, Georgian wrestling and Japanese rituals in coveted list of intangible heritage
Jamaican reggae, Georgian wrestling and Japanese rituals are among the six new elements added by UN cultural agency UNESCO to its list of “intangible heritage” for the world to treasure, improving the visibility of often little-known and understood arts traditions.
- From the border between Asia and Europe, in Georgia, it added Chidaoba, which combines elements of wrestling, music, dance and special garments. Hurling, from Ireland, also made the grade. Practiced across many areas of Jordan, As-Samer, another new inscription, consists mainly of dancing and singing.
Port Blair to host India-Indonesia Business Forum
India and Indonesia will hold a business forum to facilitate the commercial and people-to-people linkages between the Andaman and Nicobar Islands with Aceh and North Sumatra Provinces of Indonesia in Port Blair. This edition of IIBF is a step forward in the continuing engagements between Aceh and Andaman.
- A team of 3 researchers from Aceh also visited Andaman recently to further explore the benefits and potential of enhancing physical connectivity between Andaman & Nicobar and Aceh.
BOOKS & AUTHORS
Book on 'anti-farmer policies' of Modi government launched
A book detailing how Modi government's policies have led to a drop in farmers' income and caused rural distress across the country was launched in New Delhi. The book 'Modiraj Main Kisan, Double Aamad Ya Double afat' is authored by Swaraj India President Yogendra Yadav.
- It was launched by agricultural economist Ashok Gulati and the Punjab State Farmers' and Farm Workers' Commission Chairman Ajay Vir Jakhar among others.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
Non-food credit grows at Rs 97.32 trn, highest since demonetisation: RBI
Total credit flow from banks to the commercial sector grew at 15.6 per cent year-on-year at Rs 97.32 trillion, the highest growth since demonetisation, according to an RBI data. The adjusted non-food bank credit stood at Rs 84.22 trillion in the year-ago fortnight.
- Adjusted non-food bank credit includes non-food bank credit and total non-statutory liquidity ratio (SLR) investments of banks in commercial papers, shares and bonds/debentures.
India's GDP rate down from 8.2% in Q1 to 7.1% in Q2
India's latest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth figures came as a disappointment after it came down from 8.2%, registered in the first quarter (April-June) of the year 2018, to 7.1% in the second quarter (July-September).
- "The growth rate estimates of GDP at Constant Prices for July-September 2018 stand at 7.1%. These estimates represent a sizable jump from last year's Q2 growth rate estimates of 6.3%, indicating sustained acceleration in India's economic growth," the Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation said.
Indian economy likely to grow at 7-7.4 per cent in FY19: NCAER
Indian economy is projected to grow at 7-7.4 per cent in the current fiscal, economic policy think-tank NCAER said. According to a report by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), the real agriculture Gross Value Added (GVA) is envisaged to grow at 3 per cent and real industry GVA at 7 per cent in 2018-19.
- The forecast for Gross Value Added (GVA) at basic prices is 7.0-7.4 per cent. These forecasts at constant (2011-12) prices are based on NCAER's annual GDP macro model, NCAER's Mid-Year Review of the Economy said.
SPORTS
National Shooting Championship: Esha Singh Wins 3 Gold Medals
Telangana teenager Esha Singh prevailed over big names such as Manu Bhaker and Heena Sidhu to win 3 gold at the 62nd National Shooting Championships in Thiruvananthapuram.
- Esha shot 241.0 in the Women’s final to leave behind Youth Olympic games champion Manu who finished with 238.9. Shweta, representing ONGC, won bronze with a score of 217.2.
Table Tennis: Manav Thakkar bags double crown in Portugal Open
Top-seed Manav Thakkar finished the ITTF World Junior Circuit on a high as he claimed the Junior Boys Singles and doubles gold at the 2018 Portugal Junior and Cadet Open in Guimaraes, Portugal. In what was an all-Indian final, Manav defeated Jeet Chandra in a tough match which went down to the wire.
APPOINTMENTS
Georgia elects Salome Zurabishvili as first woman president
Georgia has elected ruling party candidate Salome Zurabishvili as its first woman president. The French-born ex-diplomat had taken 59.61 per cent of the vote while her rival Grigol Vashadze, from an alliance of 11 opposition parties led by exiled ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili's United National Movement (UNM), was on 40.46 per cent.
- Extra info.:
Georgia Capital: Tbilisi
Currency: Georgian lari
Ajay Bhushan Pandey takes over as Revenue Secretary
Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) CEO Ajay Bhushan Pandey took over as the Union Revenue Secretary. He will continue to head the UIDAI as its CEO and will also hold his position as the Chairman of Goods and Services Tax Network.
AWARDS
Nandita Das, Nawazuddin awarded at ASPA
Indian actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui and filmmaker Nandita Das have been awarded at the 12th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) in Brisbane, Australia. Nawazuddin was given the award for the Best Performance By An Actor for his film "Manto".
Das received the FIAPF award for achievement in films in the Asia Pacific region.
OBITUARIES
Senior AIR broadcaster Ashutosh Jain passes away
Senior Hindi News Reader of All India Radio, Ashutosh Jain passed away in New Delhi. He was 60. Ashutosh Jain, who joined the AIR in 1989 in Chandigarh retired from Delhi in April this year.
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