Current Affairs 18 November 2021

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 18 November 2021, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2021 events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Standard and all Government official websites.

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

President Ram Nath Kovind Promulgates 2 Ordinances extending tenure of CBI and ED Directors for up to 5 yearsOn November 14, 2021, President Ram Nath Kovind signed two ordinances promulgated by the Ministry of Law and Justice amending the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946 with Delhi Special Police Establishment (Amendment) Ordinance 2021; and Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003 with Central Vigilance Commission (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021 to extend the tenure of Directors of probe agencies Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) up to five years from current 2 years. Both ordinances will come into effect immediately.

• With the above amendments, the Central government also amended the Rule 56(d) Fundamental Rules (FR), 1922 to bring them in sync with above amendments.
• It should be noted that the DSPE Act is the parent law for the CBI, and the Central Vigilance Act covers the appointment of the ED director.

What is in the ordinances?
As per the ordinances, the central Government can extend the Directors’ tenure of CBI and ED by a year for three consecutive years once they complete their fixed two year term.

• Means their tenures can now be up to a maximum of five years from the present two years.
• Note – Current ED Director is Sanjay Kumar Mishra(Set to Retire on November 17, 2021) & Current CBI Director – Subodh Kumar Jaiswal

Key Points:
i.No extension in tenure will be granted after the total 5 years.

• It should be noted that the initial fixed term of two years was aimed at ensuring the chiefs of CBI and ED work free from government interference without worrying about any adverse action by them.

ii.The original Rule 56(d) of FR 1922 pertained to top functionaries like home secretary, defence secretary, foreign secretary, and chiefs of the Intelligence Bureau(IB)  and Research & Analysis Wing (RAW), whose tenures could be extended by the government up to a maximum of two years and beyond as specified.

• The amended Rule 56(d) included directors of the ED and the CBI along with above.
• The Amended Fundamental Rules now allows the Centre to give extension in the public interest to the Defence Secretary, Home Secretary, Director of Intelligence Bureau (IB), Secretary of Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and directors of CBI and ED on a case-to-case basis, subject to the condition that the total term of such secretaries or directors, “does not exceed two years or the period provided in the respective Act or rules made thereunder”

iii.The ED Director is appointed by the central government on the recommendation of a committee chaired by the Central Vigilance Commissioner and members comprising of Vigilance Commissioners, Home Secretary, Secretary DOPT (Department of Personnel and Training) and Revenue Secretary.The ordinance shall be inserted in section 4B(1) of the DSPE Act, 1946.
iv.On the other hand, the Director CBI is selected on the basis of the recommendation of a committee consisting of the Prime Minister, the Chief of Justice of India and the Leader of Opposition.If there is no recognized leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, then the leader of the single largest opposition party in the Lok Sabha would be a member of that committee.

India’s 1st Fisheries Business Incubation Centre launched in Gurugram, HaryanaUnion Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (FAHD) Parshottam Rupala launched the India’s first-of-its kind, dedicated business incubator known as LINAC-NCDC Fisheries Business Incubation Centre (LlFlC) in Gurugram, Haryana.

• The LlFlC is built at a cost of 3.23 crore to nurture fisheries start-ups under real market-led conditions.
• National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) is an implementing agency for the LIFIC.

Note – Union Minister Rupala also inaugurated Sardar Patel Auditorium at the LINAC premises.
About Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (FAHD):
Union Minister – Parshottam Rupala (Constituency- Gujarat)
Minister of State – Sanjeev Kumar Balyan (Constituency – Muzaffarnagar, Uttarpradesh)
About National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC)
Established – 1963
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
Managing Director – Sundeep Kumar Nayak
>>Read Full News

MHA approves new Rajya Sainik Board for Ladakh for Sainik WelfareThe Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) approved the establishment of Rajya Sainik Board for the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh responsible for welfare and resettlement of 60,000 ex-servicemen, war widows, widows, non-combatants, serving personnel, including their dependents.

• It will be headed by a director.

Key Points:
i.The board is the apex body under which Zila Sainik Welfare Offices, Leh and Kargil will function on all matters related to the welfare and resettlement of ex-servicemen.
ii.It will also act as a bridge between the Centre and the UT administration for implementing various policies for Sainik welfare under the Raksha Mantri Ex-servicemen Welfare Fund or as laid down by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
iii.The Ladakh Scouts regiment will accrue maximum benefit from the welfare schemes as the majority of ex-servicemen availing benefits belongs to this regiment.
About Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA):
Union Minister– Amit Shah (Constituency- Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat)
Ministers of State– Nityanand Rai (Constituency- Ujiarpur, Bihar), Ajay Kumar Mishra (Constituency- Kheri, Uttar Pradesh)

Indian Army and IAF Conducts Joint Airlift Exercise – ‘Op Hercules’On 15^th November 2021, the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian Army conducted a joint airlift exercise, ‘Op Hercules’ to strengthen the logistics supply in the Northern sector and to augment winter stocking in the operational areas.

• The platforms utilised for the airlift were C-17, IL-76 and An-32 aircraft, which took off from one of the forward bases of Western Air Command.
• The airlift is a real-time demonstration of the Indian Air Force in ensuring the ability to quickly respond to any contingency during the past.

Note – In October 2021, India conducted its 1st Tri-Service Exercise with the United Kingdom, named as “Konkan Shakti 2021”.
About Indian Army
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
Commander-in-chief – President of India (Ram Nath Kovind)
Motto- “SEVA ASMAKAM DHARMA” or “Service is our Creed”
About India Air Force (IAF)
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
Chief of the Air Marshall – Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari
Motto (2021) – “Touch the Sky with Glory”

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

4th Edition of WHO Global Report on Trends in Prevalence of Tobacco use 2000–2025As per the 4th edition of the Global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000–2025 published by the World Health Organization (WHO) on November 16, 2021, the number of tobacco users (for both sexes combined) has decreased globally from 1.32 billion in 2015 to 1.30 billion in 2020 and is projected to further decline to 1.27 billion by 2025.

• Currently, tobacco use prevalence is defined as the proportion of the population aged 15 years and above who use one or more smoked or smokeless tobacco products on a daily or non-daily basis.
• According to the report, in 2020, 22.3 percent of the global population used tobacco, 36.7 percent of all men and 7.8 percent of the world’s women.

Global trends in the number of tobacco users aged 15 years and older:

Note – India is the second-largest consumer and producer of tobacco. Tobacco is the major cause of death and disease in India and accounts for nearly 1.35 million deaths every year.
About World Health Organization (WHO):
Establishment – 7 April 1948
Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland
Director General – Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Member Countries – 194 (including India)
>>Read Full News

Overview of MoS V. Muraleedharan’s 5 Day Visit to Uganda and Rwandai.On November 11-15, Minister of State (MoS) Vellamvelly Muraleedharan, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Ministry of External Affairs paid an Official Visit to Uganda and Rwanda
ii.He paid an official visit to the Republic of Uganda on November 11-13, 2021 to consolidate India-Uganda relations on the entire gamut of bilateral, regional and international issues, and set out a road map for future engagements.
iii.During visit to Rwanda, he co-chaired the first India-Rwanda Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) in Kigali, Rwanda along with Rwanda’s Foreign Affairs Minister Vincent Biruta.
About Uganda:
Capital– Kampala
Currency– Ugandan Shilling
About Rwanda:
Capital– Kigali
Currency– Rwandan franc
>>Read Full News

India Ranks 82 in 2021 TRACE global Bribery Risk Rankings; Denmark TopsIndia has slipped to 82nd position (drop by 5 slots from 2020) with a risk score of 44 in the global list of  2021 TRACE Bribery Risk Matrix (TRACE Matrix) that measures business bribery risks, which was released by TRACE International.

• In 2020, India ranked 77 with a score of 45.

2021 TRACE Bribery Risk Matrix Country Risk Scores:

About TRACE International:
Global Headquarters – United States
President and Founder – Alexandra Wrage
>>Read Full News

ISA, Elsevier Launched Journal ‘Solar Compass’ at COP26, Glasgow

The International Solar Alliance (ISA) an inter-governmental treaty-based international organisation and Elsevier, a Netherland based global information analytics company has launched the new journal, ‘Solar Compass’ during the United National Climate Change Conference COP26 held in Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom(UK).

• The journal will feature new technology, policy and economic developments to increase access to clean energy; successful case studies from across the globe which can be replicated elsewhere.
• All articles will be peer-reviewed before publication and an advisory board of visionary leaders will guide the directions of the journal.

BANKING & FINANCE

SBI & Tata Steel signs Agreement to Jamshedpur Football ClubThe State Bank of India (SBI) signed a strategic agreement with Jamshedpur Football Club (JFB), a fully owned subsidiary of Tata Steel, to promote and support football in India.

• This is the first of its kind of agreement by SBI in the game of football.

Key points
i.Through this agreement, the SBI will become one of the principal sponsors of the JFC, thereby having the SBI logo on the Jersey.
ii.Tata Football Academy, owned by Tata Steel has been promoting football for 30 years. While JFC is the extension in the same line.

• The ‘JRD Tata Sports Complex was set up in Jharkhand by Tata Steels, to conduct ISL(Indian Super League) and promote the sport of Football in India.

iii.JFC provides training to the young football players and also educates football coaches.
About State Bank of India (SBI):
Chairperson- Dinesh Kumar Khara
Founded– 1 July 1955
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra
About Tata Steels:
Tata Steels is known for developing India’s first industrial city at Jamshedpur, Jharkhand.
CEO- T. V. Narendran
Founded- 25 August 1907
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra

SBI signs Co-lending Agreement with U Gro Capital to finance MSMEsIn November 2021, the State Bank of India (SBI) signed a Co-lending agreement in line with RBI (Reserve Bank of India) guidelines with the U GRO Capital, the Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC).

• Through this collaboration, SBI and U GRO Capital will disburse up to Rs 500 crore loans to MSME sector by March 2022.

Objective:
It aims to offer strategic financing solutions to the unserved and underserved (Micro Small and Medium Enterprises) MSMEs of the country.
Key points
i.The SBI assigned U GRO Capital as its first co-lending partner for its ‘Sanjeevani programme’ to finance MSMEs. It will offer loans up to INR 3 crore at a competitive rate of interest.

• The Sanjeevani programme was launched by U GRO in 2020 to provide credit to the pandemic impacted MSME sector.

ii.The agreement has been signed in accordance with the alternative option of the RBIs revised co-lending guidelines, which involve post-disbursal takeover of the bank’s share in the loan on a back-to-back basis.
iii.Previously, U GRO has entered into similar co-lending partnerships with Bank of Baroda and IDBI Bank.
About State Bank of India (SBI):
Chairperson- Dinesh Kumar Khara
Motto – Pure Banking Nothing Else
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra
About  U GRO Capital 
Chairman and Managing Director- Shachindra Nath
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra

IndusInd Bank Launches Mobile App for Merchants – ‘Indus Merchant Solutions’IndusInd Bank has launched a comprehensive mobile application (app), named the ‘Indus Merchant Solutions’ to enable merchants, retailers, and professionals to carry out banking transactions digitally, on a single platform.

• The Indus Merchant Solutions app currently has English as its default language and very soon the app will be available in multiple languages including Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Punjabi and more.

Who can avail:
Any current account holder of IndusInd Bank can instantly download the ‘Indus Merchant Solutions’ app and even a non-customer can open a current account with the Bank through a fully digitised process to get themselves registered as a merchant.
Features:
i.Tracking Payments: The app will enable merchants or retailers to view, collect and reconcile payments on a single platform
ii.Payments at ease: Merchants can accept digital payments through multiple modes at any time, from anywhere.
iii.Exclusive Point-of-Sale (Pos): Merchants can collect payment from the buyer during home deliveries, as well as payment-on-delivery instances where the seller and buyer may not be physically present at the same location.
iv.Paperless Transactions: Merchants can also apply as well as avail small ticket business loans and also provides a consolidated view of all banking relationships across deposits and loans held by the merchant
v.Banking Services Online: Merchants can even place service requests including, cheque book requests, reset debit card pins, report discrepancies among others.
About IndusInd Bank
MD & CEO – Sumant Kathpalia
Established – 1994
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Tagline – We Make You Feel Richer

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

TPCI signs MoU with Spain’s Navarra for Trade Promotion

On 16th November 2021, the Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Economy and Business Development of the Government of Navarra, Spain towards mutual promotion of trade and investments, thereby enhancing the country’s commercial relationship.
Key Points:
i.MoU was signed by Sandip Das, Deputy Director General, TPCI and Izaskun Goñi, General Director of Business, Internationalization and Work Policies, Gobierno de Navarra.
ii.Under the MoU, both countries will promote trade & investment with main focus on the Food & Food Processing sector.
iii.With USD 4.7 billion bilateral trade in 2020-21, Spain is India’s 7th largest trade partner in the European Union, which carries major trade in Organic Chemicals, Textile and Garments.
About Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI):
TPCI is India’s apex trade and investment promotion organization, supported by the Department of Commerce, Govt. of India.
Objective – To facilitate Global investment & trade opportunities for the growth of Indian Industries.
Founder Chairman – Mohit Singla
Headquarters – Pragati Maidan, New Delhi
About Spain:
Capital – Madrid
Prime Minister – Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón
Strait of Gibraltar, that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean Sea, is located in Spain.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS  

Pochampally of Telangana Selected as One of the UNWTO Best Tourism VillagesThe Pochampally village in the Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district of Telangana has been selected as one of the Best Tourism Villages by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). 

Pochampally village located around 50 km away from Hyderabad which is well known for its handloom waved Ikat sarees is often referred to as the Silk City of India. 

• The award will be presented during the 24th session of the UNWTO General Assembly which will be held in Madrid, Spain, from 30 November to 3 December 2021.

Note:
Three Indian villages, namely Ladhpura Khas, Madhya Pradesh; Kongthong village, Meghalaya; and Pochampally village, Telangana, were nominated for UNWTO’s “Best Tourism Villages.”
About United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO):
UNWTO is responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.
Secretary-General– Zurab Pololikashvili
Headquarters– Madrid, Spain
>>Read Full News

BRO Bags Guinness Record for World’s Highest Altitude Road – Umling La Pass

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has received the Guinness World Record(GWR) for constructing & blacktopping the world highest motorable road passing through the 19,024 feet 0.73 inches (5798.251m) high Umlingla Pass in the Union Territory(UT) of Ladakh.

• The 52-kilometre long Chisumle to Demchok tarmac road was developed under Project HIMANK (93RCC/753 BRTF) of BRO.
• The Umlingla Pass road is another landmark in resurgent India’s achievement as it has been constructed at an altitude higher than the North and South Base Camps of Mount Everest which are at an altitude of 16,900 feet and 17,598 feet respectively.
• Lieutenant General Rajeev Chaudhry, Director General Border Roads (DGBR), received the Guinness World Records certificate on 16th November 2021.

Previously the record was held by the road in Bolivia, which connects volcano Uturuncu at 18,953 feet.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS  

Boxer Padma Vibhushan MC Marry Kom becomes Brand Ambassador of TRIFED Aadi MahotsavOn 16^th November 2021, The Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda inaugurated TRIFED (Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation Ltd) Aadi Mahotsav at Dilli Haat in New Delhi, in the presence of Sukhram Munda, Grandson of Bhagwan Birsa Munda.

• On the occasion Olympic medalist and boxer Padma Vibhushan MC Marry Kom was declared as brand ambassador of the TRIFED Aadi Mahotsav.

TRIFED Aadi Mahotsav
i.It is a national tribal festival and a joint initiative of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and the TRIFED. It commenced in 2017 and is held annually in Dilli Haat, New Delhi.
ii.Aadi Mahotsav is being held in the memory of the great tribal freedom fighter Bhagwan Birsa Munda.
iii.The Objective is to preserve and promote the wide range of handicrafts which include hand-woven cotton, silk fabrics, wool, metal craft, terracotta, bead-work.
iv.The 15 days Aadi Mahotsav will be held from November 16 to 30, 2021 in which One Thousand tribal artisans from 26 states will participate and showcase their products.
Note – Recently, the central government declared the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas.
About MC Marry Kom
i.Mary Kom became the first Indian woman boxer to win a Gold Medal in the Asian Games in 2014 in South Korea and in the Commonwealth Games in 2018.
ii.The Government of Manipur honoured Mary Kom with the title “Meethoi Leima”.
iii.She has also been felicitated with the following awards:

• Arjuna Award (2003) and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award (2009) for exceptional achievements in Boxing.
• Padma awards for decorative career, Padma Shri (2006), Padma Bhushan (2013), Padma Vibhushan (2020).

iv.A Hindi Biopic film ‘Mary Kom’ has also been made about her life which was released in 2014.   

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Secretary of DoT K. Rajaraman Inaugurated Public Procurement Policy Portal for Telecom ProductK. Rajaraman, Secretary, Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and Chairman, Digital Communication Commission (DCC), inaugurated the Public Procurement Policy (Make In India) portal for Telecom Product.

• The portal will enable the manufacturers/vendors and other stakeholders to register their grievances and track the status of their complaints.

Other Inaugurations:
i.He released the technical report on ‘Emerging Communication Technologies and Use Cases in the Internet of Things (IoT) Domain’, Concept paper on ‘Optical Fibre & Cable in Indian Telecom Network’, and the ‘TEC (Telecommunication Engineering Centre) Handbook-2021’ documented by IoT, Regional TECs and Regional Coordination (RC) Division of TEC respectively.
ii.He inaugurated the Nationwide Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecom Equipment (MTCTE) Helpdesk and Evaluation Centre infrastructure and Control Lab, situated in TEC premises.
iii.K. Rajaraman along with DCC Member Deepak  Chaturvedi, Member ( Services) and other senior officers of DoT visited the TEC labs such as IoT Experience Centre, IPV6 (Internet Protocol version 6), and Green Passport lab.
About Ministry of Communications:
Union Minister –  Ashwini Vaishnaw (Constituency – Odisha)
Minister of State – Devusinh Chauhan (Constituency – Kheda, Gujarat)

SPORTS

India to Host 2029 ICC Men’s Champions Trophy and Co-Host 2026 ICC T20 WC & 2031 50-over WCThe International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the 14 host countries of the ICC men’s white-ball events from 2024-2031.  India is set to host the 2029 Champions Trophy and co-host the 2026 ICC Men’s Twenty20(T20) World Cup(WC) with Sri Lanka and 2031 ICC Men’s 50-over World Cup with Bangladesh.

• Pakistan is set to host the 2025 ICC Men’s Champions Trophy. This will be the first major global cricket tournament played in Pakistan since 1996.
• The ICC has named the United States of America(USA) the co-host of the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with West Indies and Namibia as the co-host of 2027 Men’s 50 over the World Cup with South Africa and Zimbabwe. This is the first time for the USA and Namibia to host an ICC World Cup event.

Host countries of ICC Events 2024-2031:
Highlights:
i.11 Full Members and 3 Associate Members of ICC have been selected to host 8 ICC events.

• 2 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cups.
• 4 ICC Men’s T20 World Cups.
• 2 ICC Men’s Champions Trophy.

ii.The hosts were selected through a competitive bidding process overseen by an ICC Hosting Sub-Committee chaired by Martin Snedden, New Zealand Cricket Chairman along with Sourav Ganguly, President of Board of Control for Cricket in India(BCCI) and Ricky Skerritt, President of Cricket West Indies.
iii.The selection process to choose the hosts for ICC Women’s and U19s events for the next cycle will also be undertaken in 2022.
Hosts & Events:

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Students’ Day 2021 – November 17International Students’ Day is annually observed on 17th November by the student’s community across the globe. The day aims to ensure that every student across the globe has access to education.

• The day commemorates the anniversary of the 1939 Nazi attack on the University of Prague during World War II.
• At present, the day is observed as a nonpolitical celebration of the multiculturalism of international students.

Background:
i.In 1939 Nazis attacked the University of Prague following the demonstration against the killing of Jan Opletal and worker Václav Sedláček and the German occupation of Czechoslovakia.
ii.The Nazis closed all the Czech higher education institutions and imprisoned more than 1200 students and sent them to concentration camps.
iii.On 17th November 1939, 9 students and professors were executed without trial.

National Epilepsy Day 2021 – November 17 National Epilepsy Day is annually observed across India on November 17th to create awareness about Epilepsy, a neurological disorder in which brain activity becomes abnormal, causing seizures or fits and loss of awareness.
The day aims to educate people about epilepsy, its symptoms and treatment.

• The day is observed by the Epilepsy Foundation India.

Symbol:
lavender or purple is the official colour of epilepsy and lavender or purple colour ribbon is recognized for those who suffer from epilepsy.
Why lavender? 
Linalool, floral and spicy terpene alcohol most prominent in lavender helps to relax the brain and nervous system.
>>Read Full News

STATE NEWS

West Bengal launches ‘Duare Ration’ scheme for Doorstep Delivery of RationOn November 16, 2021, the West Bengal (WB) government launched the ‘Duare Ration’ (ration at doorstep) scheme which will benefit around 10 crores of people of the state.For this scheme, government will be spending Rs160 crore.

• The scheme was launched by the WB Chief Minister (CM) Mamata Banerjee by flagging off vehicles that will deliver the ration.
• She also inaugurated a WhatsApp chatbot for the Food and Supplies Department of the state government and a mobile application, ‘Khadya Sathi: Amar Ration Mobile App’ to help people apply for ration cards.

Key Points:
i.Under the Duare Ration scheme, the state government will provide a subsidy of Rs1 lakh to 21000 rational dealers to purchase a delivery vehicle.

• Each vehicle will be parked at a convenient location in a neighbourhood so that residents need not walk more than 500 metres to avail the ration.

ii.The government also allowed ration dealers to recruit two assistants. They will also pay half of their salaries.

iii.Mamata Banerjee has also decided to enhance the commission for ration dealers from ₹ 75 to ₹ 150 per quintal of food grains.
About West Bengal:
Capital– Kolkata
National Parks– Jaldapara National Park, Sunderban National Park (also a Tiger Reserve), Singalila National Park
Elephant Reserves– Mayurjharna Elephant Reserve, and Eastern Dooars Elephant Reserve

Nagaland Election Dept signs MoU with DoP to deliver ‘Elector Photo Identity Cards’ 

On November 16, 2021 The Chief Electoral Officer of Nagaland, V. Shashank Shekhar signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Post (DoP) for the effective delivery of Elector Photo Identity Cards (EPICs) and significant notices through Speed Post services in a time bound manner.

• The MoU was signed based on directions received from the Election Commission of India (ECI)

Key points:
i.Under the agreement, the Post Master General (PMG) will provide all facilities available through the Speed Post services including booking, transmission and door-to-door delivery of Speed Post articles incorporating EPICs and Notices to the concerned voter.
ii.The MoU will be valid for five years from the date of signing and it will be extended based on terms and conditions, which will be mutually agreed upon by both the parties.
Signatories – V. Shashank Shekhar, Chief Electoral Officer of Nagaland & Som Kamei, Postmaster General (PMG) of NE-II Region in Dimapur.
About Nagaland:
Zoological park– Nagaland Zoological Park
Airport- Dimapur Airport

MP Govt Approves Mukhya Mantri Udyam Kranti YojanaOn 16th November 2021, Madhya Pradesh government cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan approved the Mukhya Mantri Udyam Kranti Yojana  to connect educated youths of the State with self-employment.

• The benefit of the scheme will be available to the minimum 12th class pass youths of the State between the ages of 18 to 40 years.
• Youths can set up industry, service or business by the loans under the scheme at low interest rates through banks.

Features:
i.Projects ranging from Rs.1 Lakh to Rs.50 Lakh for manufacturing units and Rs.1 Lakh to Rs.25 Lakh for service units or retail businesses will be approved under the scheme.
ii.Interest subsidy at 3 percent per annum and loan guarantee shall be provided to the beneficiary at the prevailing rate for the maximum of 7 years on the credit dispersed by the state government.
iii.No collateral security is required.
iv.The scheme will be implemented through the online portal.
Other Approvals:
i.The cabinet decided to reduce the current rate of Value Added Tax (VAT) on Air Turbine Fuel (ATF) from 25 percent to 4 percent in Bhopal and Indore, similar to the rates in Gwalior, Khajuraho and Jabalpur.
ii.The increase in air services, attracts the aeronautical institutions in the state to operate air services from the and make available to the common people at concessional rates.
iii.The Council of Ministers has decided the approval of exemption to the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) from the prescribed procedure of tender method on turnkey basis for the construction work of the memorial and museum of Raja Shankar Shah and Kunwar Ragunath Shah in Jabalpur.
iv.The cabinet sanctioned a plantation policy using Non- government funds through joint or community forest management committees.
About Madhya Pradesh
Governor – Mangubhai C.Patel
Wildlife sanctuaries – Kheoni Wildlife Sanctuary, Kuno Palpur wildlife sanctuary, National Chambal Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary
Tiger reserves – Screw Tiger reserve, Sanjay Tiger Reserve, Satpura Tiger Reserve.

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