Current Affairs 21 November 2020

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 21 November 2020, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2020 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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Top 25 Current Affairs of 21 November 2020

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

PM Modi, Bhutan PM Tshering e-launched RuPay card Phase-II;MoU signed for cooperation in space sector

On November 20, 2020 Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi and Bhutan Prime Minister Lotay Tshering jointly e-launched RuPay card Phase-II which will allow Bhutanese card holders to access RuPay network in India.
i.In August, 2019 Prime Ministers of two countries jointly launched RuPay card Phase-I which enabled India’s RuPay card holders to access ATMs and PoS terminals across Bhutan.
ii.A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between India and Bhutan for cooperation in the space sector to instill the knowledge of space, science and technology in children.
About Bhutan:
Capital – Thimphu
Currency – Bhutanese Ngultrum (BTN)
<<Read Full News>>

OshoCorp Global becomes 1st Private firm to Receive Indian Army’s Approval for Manufacturing Specialised Tank Ammunition

For the First Time, Indian Army has given Project sanction order to Private Firm OshoCorp Global for development and supply of Specialised ammunition for its Main Battle Tanks T-72 and T-90.
The Project’s cost is over INR 2, 300 Crores and it has a potential for future domestic and export orders.
About Ammunition Production:
i.125 mm APFSDS (Armour Piercing Fin Stabilised Discarding-Sabot) ammunition is the primary ammunition used by the battle tanks.
ii.OshoCorp Global will be required to develop 250 rounds each for T-72, T-90 tank platforms for the trial and approval.  After which they will produce 85, 000 rounds of ammunition.
iii.In order to enhance the lethality of the ammunition, OshoCorp Global will develop and manufacture ammunition with a minimum Depth of Penetration (DoP) of 530 mm and higher.
Other Approvals:
OshoCorp received Army’s Approval for development and supply of Auxiliary Power Units (APU) for the T-72 and T-90 tanks. They will develop four APUs, two each for T-90 and T-72 Tanks, for trial and approval and subsequently produce 3,257 APU’s with a project cost of over ₹1325 crore.
What is APU?
APU is an alternate source of power for the fire control system of the tank and ancillaries while deployed in surveillance mode.
Selection Process:
The project is being executed as per Make-II guidelines of Defence Procurement Procedure 2020 after a selection process of over 3 years.
About OshoCorp Global:
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Ashutosh Khate
Head quarter – New Delhi
About Indian Army:
Chiefs of Army Staff – General Major Mukund Naravane
Headquarters – New Delhi

Hardeep Singh Puri Launched Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge; Conferral of Swachhata Awards 2020 held on World Toilet Day

i.The occasion of World Toilet Day i.e. on November 19, 2020, was observed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and Ministry of Jal Shakti with a launch of Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge and conferring of Swachhata Awards 2020 on the 20 best performing districts, respectively.  Both events are detailed as below:

• Minister of State (MoS), Independent Charge (I/C) Hardeep Singh Puri, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) launched a Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge at a webinar in New Delhi where pledge has been taken by senior officials representing 243 cities to mechanize all sewer and septic tank cleaning operations by 30th April 2021.
• Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat along with the Minister of State (MoS) Rattan Lal Kataria felicitated top districts with ‘Swachhata Puraskar’ through a virtual event from New Delhi amid COVID-19. The awards recognized their significant contribution towards Open Defecation Free (ODF) Sustainability and ODF Plus goals.

About Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation (CPHEEO):
Advisor– Dr. M. Dhinadhayalan
Parent Ministry– Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA)
<<Read Full News>>

NASSCOM Launched FutureSkills PRIME Beta Platform to Enhance India’s Digital Talent

On 18th November 2020, Ajay Prakash Sawhney, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), and Debjani Ghosh, President of National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) unveiled the FutureSkills PRIME Beta Platform, a digital learning platform to enhance India’s digital talents.
NASSCOM launched this Beta Platform, as a part of its endeavours to create an ecosystem to enhance the digital talents of India with required skill sets.
Aim of the platform:
To benefit the aspirants from Tier II and Tier III cities.
About FutureSkills PRIME Beta Platform:
i.The platform is launched under the partnership of MeitY, NASSCOM and Information Technology (IT) industry.
ii.FutureSkills PRIME, a robust online platform will encourage remote and self-paced online learning.
Features:
i.Under this initiative, around 4.12 lakh learners will be offered subsidised access to certified courses in 10 emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Internet of things, Big Data Analytics, Robotic Process Automation, Additive Manufacturing/3D Printing, Cloud Computing, Social & Mobile, Cyber Security, Augmented/Virtual Reality and Blockchain.
Learning content on professional skills will also be provided through this platform.
ii.The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing(C-DAC) and National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology (NIELIT) Centres across the country will be leveraged for the training of Government officers.
iii.The platform enables free access to many awareness building modules, which allows maximum number of participants.
iv.The contents will be created by the IT industry to ensure job market relevance, and it will be aligned to the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) approved National Occupational Standard & Job Roles (level 5 and above).
About NASSCOM:
NASSCOM – National Association of Software and Services Companies
Chairman– UB Pravin Rao
Headquarters– Noida, Uttar Pradesh

ISB Signed MoU with ICWA for Collaborative Research in the Areas of International Relation

i.On 17th November 2020, Indian School of Business (ISB), premier Business school in India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) to enable collaborative research in the areas of international relations and to promote cooperation between India and global partners on various issues.
ii.Prof Rajendra Srivastava, dean of ISB and TCA Raghavan director general of ICWA signed the MoU.
iii.The MoU is aimed to promote and support the activities that provide better understanding and relation between India and global partners.
About Indian School of Business (ISB):
Dean– Rajendra Srivastava
Location– Hyderabad, Telangana and Mohali, Punjab
About Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA):
President- M. Venkaiah Naidu(Vice President of India)
Director General– Dr. T C A Raghavan
Headquarters– New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad releases “My Stamp on Chhath Puja” virtually

On November 19, 2020, Union Minister of Communications, Ravi Shankar Prasad released a “My Stamp on Chhath Puja”. He also released a Special cover on the theme ‘Chhath – A symbol of Simplicity and Cleanliness’.
i.My Stamp is a new concept initiated by the Department of Posts where common persons or corporate organisations can now book orders and get personalised photographs or images of a Postage Stamp.
ii.The My Stamp oh Chhath Puja will be available in all Philatelic Bureaux and major post offices across India for purchase.
‘Chhath Puja’:
i.On Chhath Puja, devotees offer prayers to the God of Light i.e Sun as he is considered the life force that binds the universe and gives energy to all living things.
ii.Also known as Sun Shashthi it is celebrated after 6 days of Diwali and is celebrated mainly in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand.
iii.The Chhath Puja for 2020 falls on November 20, 2020.

Govt Provide 50% Subsidy for Air Transportation of Fruits, Vegetables from NE, Himalayan states

i.As a part of “Operation Green Scheme TOP to TOTAL”, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has announced a 50% air transportation subsidy for 41 notified fruits and vegetables from North East and Himalayan states to any place in the country.
ii.In this regard, Airlines will provide the transport subsidy directly to the supplier/ consignor/ consignee/ agent by charging only 50% of the freight charges and will claim the balance 50% from MoFPI as subsidy.
iii.Apart from above relaxation, all consignment of notified fruits and vegetables irrespective of quantity and price would be eligible for 50% freight subsidy for air transportation from eligible airports.
About Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI):
Union Minister– Narendra Singh Tomar
Minister of State (MoS)– Rameswar Teli
<<Read Full News>>

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

India Ranked 77 in 2020 Global Bribery Risk Matrix by TRACE; Denmark Topped with Lowest Risk

i.A global list of measuring business bribery risks “The 2020 TRACE Bribery Risk Matrix” was released by an anti-bribery standard setting organisation TRACE International, featuring 194 countries, territories, and autonomous and semi-autonomous regions.
ii.In accordance with the Matrix, India is at 77^th position with a total risk score of 45 as compared to the 78^th position in 2019 with a score of 48.
iii.The list has been topped by Denmark for lowest bribery risk which is followed by Norway and Finland.
iv.On the other hand the North Korea ranked last i.e. at 194^th position with a total highest risk score of 93.
About TRAC International:
President and Founder– Alexandra Wrage
Headquarter– Maryland, United States (US)
<<Read Full News>>

PM Narendra Modi holds India-Luxembourg Virtual Summit with Luxembourg PM Xavier Bettel

i.On November 19, 2020, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi holds a virtual India-Luxembourg Bilateral Summit with Xavier Bettel, Prime Minister of Grand Duchy of Luxembourg for strengthening the relation between both nations in the post-COVID times.
ii.The key focus areas of the association include financial technology, green financing, space applications, digital innovations and start-ups, among others.
iii.Both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation on realizing effective multilateralism and combating global challenges like the Covid-19 pandemic, terrorism and climate change.
iv.During the summit, both sides inked 3 agreements.They are, MoU between India International Exchange and Luxembourg Stock Exchange,MoU between SBI and Luxembourg Stock Exchange,MoU between Invest India and Luxinnovation.
About Luxembourg Stock Exchange:
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Robert Scharfe
Headquarter- Luxembourg
<<Read Full News>>

BANKING & FINANCE

GoI, NCRTC & NDB sign Agreement for USD 500 Million for Delhi-Meerut RRTS Project

On November 19, 2020, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Govt of India, National Capital Region Transport Corporation Limited (NCRTC) and New Development Bank (NDB) of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China & South Africa) signed a loan agreement for lending USD 500 Million (~ INR 3708 Crores) for the ‘Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System Project (RRTS)’ in the National Capital Region (NCR).
Objective:
To Develop an efficient and sustainable regional transport system to reduce traffic congestion in NCR.
Key Points:
i.Loan from NDB has a tenor of 25 years with an 8-year Grace period.
ii.The MoHUA,Government of India is the Executing Agency & NCRTC will be the Implementing Agency.
iii.Length of RRTS Project 82.15 kms length (68.03 kms elevated and 14.12 km underground)
iv.Total cost of the project is USD 3, 759 Million.
About New Development Bank (NDB):
President – Marcos Troyjo (Brazil)
Headquarters – Shanghai, China
<<Read Full News>>

ICICI Bank in Partnership with Pine Labs Launches ‘ICICI Bank Cardless EMI’, a 1st of its kind fully digital, cardless EMI facility at retail stores 

i.On November 19, 2020 ICICI Bank Ltd  in partnership with Pine Labs launched ‘ICICI Bank Cardless EMI’(Equated Monthly Instalments).
ii.ICICI Bank becomes India’s first bank and first in industry to launch a fully digital payment mode, a cardless EMI facility at retail stores.
Purpose- The facility allows the bank’s  pre-approved customers to use their mobile phone and PAN(Permanent Account Number)instead of wallet or cards, to purchase their gadgets or home appliances at retail stores across PAN India.
About ICICI Bank Ltd:
Formed– 1955(incorporated in 1994)
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO)–  Sandeep Bakhshi
Tagline– Hum Hai Na, Khayal Apka
About PineLabs:
HeadQuarters– Noida, Uttar Pradesh
CEO– B. Amrish Rau
Founder & Chairman– Lokvir Kapoor
Founded– 1998
<<Read Full News>>

Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company Launches ‘Kotak ESG Opportunities Fund’; Managed by Harsha Upadhyaya

i.On November 19, 2020 Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company Limited (KMAMC) launched ‘Kotak ESG Opportunities Fund’, an open ended equity scheme that focuses on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors and the Principles for Responsible Investing (PRI).
ii.The Kotak ESG Opportunities Fund, will be managed by Harsha Upadhyaya, Chief Investment Officer(CIO) – Equity & President, KMAMC.
About Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company Limited (KMAMC):
Managing Director(MD)– Mr. Nilesh Shah
Commenced operations– December 1998
HeadOffice- Mumbai, Maharashtra
<<Read Full News>>

Govt of India, Govt of Meghalaya and World Bank Signs a $120 Million  Meghalaya Integrated Transport Project to Improve Connectivity in Meghalaya

i.On November 19, 2020 The Government of India, the Government of Meghalaya and the World Bank(WB)  signed a $120-million (~INR 890 Crore)Meghalaya Integrated Transport Project(MITP) to improve and modernize the transport sector of Meghalaya.
ii.The agreement was signed by C S Mohapatra, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance(MoF), on behalf of the Government of India; Rajeev Arora, Additional Development Commissioner, on behalf of the Government of Meghalaya; and Hideki Mori, Acting Country Director, on behalf of the World Bank.
About World Bank:
HeadQuarters– Washington, DC, New York
President – David Malpass
Founded– 1944
Member Countries– 189(including India)
<<Read Full News>>

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS        

Dr. Adam Yao Liu Won the Exim Bank’s BRICS Economic Research Award 2020 for his PhD Dissertation

On 16th November 2020, Dr. Adam Yao Liu, a political scientist trained at Stanford University, won the Export-Import Bank of India’s (India Exim Bank’s) BRICS Economic Research Award 2020 for his for his Ph.D. dissertation, “Building Markets within Authoritarian Institutions: The Political Economy of Banking Development in China.”

• The award was announced by David Rasquinha, Managing Director(MD) of India Exim Bank, during the 10th Annual BRICS Financial Forum over a virtual platform, organised by VEB.RF Russian National Development Corporation.

Note:
An occasional paper of Exim Bank based on the award winning thesis of Dr. Adam Yao Liu was also released during the forum.
About Adam Yao Liu:
i.Adam Yao Liu is a former doctoral student of Jean Oi, Director of China Program Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC) at Stanford.
ii.He is an assistant professor at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
iii.He worked as a Teaching Assistant at the Department of Political Science, Stanford University.
About BRICS Economic Research Award:
i.BRICS Economic Research Award was instituted by the India Exim Bank in March 2016, during the BRICS Forum 2016 under the chairmanship of India and under India Exim Bank’s Presidency of the BRICS Interbank Cooperation Mechanism, the BRICS Economic Research
ii.Award was instituted by India Exim Bank in March 2016.
iii.The award represents the efforts of India Exim Bank to promote research in the areas like international economics, trade & development and related financing.
The award comprises a medal, citation and a cash award of Rs. 15 lakhs (around 20000 USD).
Objective:
To stimulate and encourage advanced doctoral research on economics related topics of contemporary relevance to the member nations of BRICS.
About BRICS:
Members- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa
Presidency 2020– Russia (India will assume the Presidency of BRICS in 2021)
President– Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin(President of Russia )

Scottish Writer Douglas Stuart Won Booker Prize 2020 for his debut Novel “Shuggie Bain”

On 19th November 2020, New York based Scottish writer Douglas Stuart (44 years) won the Booker Prize 2020 for his debut novel “Shuggie Bain” published by Grove Atlantic in the United States and Picador in the United Kingdom. Shuggie Bain is a story of a boy from 1980’s Glasgow with a mother with alcohol addiction.
He is the second Scottish writer to win the award after James Kelman who won the Booker Prize in 1994 for his book titled “’How Late It Was, How Late”.
Prize Money – 50,000 pound.
Note:
i.He won the award defeating Burnt Sugar by dubai based Indian origin author, Avni Doshi.
ii.The Booker prize 2019 was won jointly by Atwood for The Testaments and Evaristo for Girl, Woman, Other.
About “Shuggie bain”:
i.The subjects covered in Shuggie bain include poverty, alcoholism and neglect with love and compassion.
ii.The book portrays the life of the working class during the 1980s in Glasgow.
iii.The book is about a family which is struggling to survive and the life of the patents who love their children amid all the difficulties.
About Douglas Stuart:
i.Douglas Stuart hails from Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.
ii.He moved to New York and started his career in Fashion design.
iii.He has worked with popular brands like Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Gap.
Shortlist of Booker Prize 2020:
Along with Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart, Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi(published in India as Girl In White Cotton), The New Wilderness by Diane Cook, This Mournable Body by Tsitsi Dangarembga, The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste and Real Life by Brandon Taylor were on the shortlist of the Booker Prize 2020.
Jury-2020 Booker Prize judging panel was chaired by Margaret Busby, editor, literary critic and former publisher, and consists of author Lee Child; author and critic Sameer Rahim; writer and broadcaster Lemn Sissay; and classicist and translator Emily Wilson.
About Booker Prize:
i.The Booker Prize is an annual award presented to the best novel written in English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland.
ii.This booker prize was founded by publisher Tom Maschler and Campbell and the first prize was awarded in 1969.
iii.In 2002, Booker ceased to fund the Booker prize and the current Booker Prize foundation, an independent charity was established and the Man Group became the sponsor for the prize.

Dr. Bish Agrawal, Chairman of Accord Group India Won AESC Lifetime Achievement Award 2020; Becomes 1st Asian to Receive 

On November 17, 2020 Dr. Bish Agrawal, Chairman of Accord India and Founding Partner of AltoPartners won 2020 AESC (Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants) Lifetime Achievement Award. He is the first Asian to receive this recognition. He was honoured during the week’s(November 17to November 19, 2020) AESC Global Conference that was held virtually.

• In addition to him, Willie E. Carrington, Principal and Founder of Carrington & Carrington and Kevin M. Connelly, CEO of Kincentric, A Spencer Stuart Company also won the 2020 AESC Lifetime Achievement Award.

About Dr. Bish Agrawal
i.Dr. Bish Agrawal, known as Doc, is a pioneer of executive search in India, with 5 decades of experience as a leader in the profession.
ii.He has played a vital role in the development of the recruitment and executive search profession in India.
iii.He founded ABC Consultants, the first professional recruitment firm in India in 1969.
iv.He founded Accord India in 1990s, one of the first retained executive search firms in India, that focus on C suite hiring and advisory
Awards

• He received the Shiromani Award from former President of India, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma.
• He also received Rajiv Gandhi Excellence Award from former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.

Gist about AESC Lifetime Achievement Award:
i.The award was first given in 1982. It honours the lifetime achievement and recognizes the highest standards of work.
ii.AESC Lifetime Achievement Award is bestowed to individuals who have demonstrated a lifelong commitment to the profession of executive search and leadership consulting. Recipients of this award are considered as the icons in the profession.
About Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants(AESC)
Established– 1959
President & CEO– Karen Greenbaum
HeadQuarters– New York, USA(United States of America)

  ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS        

DEA Approves Swap of Mitsui Sumitomo’s Max Life Stake of 20.57% with  21.87%stake in Max Financial Services

i.On November 19, 2020 Department of Economic Affairs(DEA), Ministry of Finance(MoF) gives approval for a swap of 20.57% stake by Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance (MSI) Company Ltd that it holds in Max Life with a 21.87% stake in Max Financial Services Ltd(MFSL).
ii.Presently MFSL holds 72.5% stake in Max Life and MSI owns 25.5% stake.
iii.The share swap transaction will result in MFSL’s stake in Max Life increasing to 93.10%.
About Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance (MSI) Company Ltd:
President, Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– Noriyuki Hara
Head Office– Tokyo, Japan
Established– October 21, 1918
About Max Financial Services Ltd(MFSL) 
MFSL is a part of the Max Group and is the holding company for Max Life.
MD– Mr. Mohit Talwar(Vice Chairman of the Max Group)
Headquarters– New Delhi, India
<<Read Full News>>

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh Launched 1st of its kind ‘Land Management System’ for Managing Defence Land

On November 19, 2020 Union Minister for Defence, Rajnath Singh virtually launched a Portal “Land Management System (LMS)”, it is the First LMS portal developed by the Department of Defence in association with Directorate General Defence Estates (DGDE) and Armed forces.
i.The portal will help in improving the overall management of defence land.
ii.The portal will digitize all the requests of Defence Land Management received by the Defence Department in the future.
Objective:
The portal will bring greater speed, transparency and efficiency into the Defence Department, reducing encroachments on Defence lands and to help in improving the decision making process.
Key Points:
i.It has been developed by the Department of Defence in association with Director General Defence Estates (DGDE) and Armed forces.
ii.It is integrated with GIS (Geographic Information System) tools, with technical support provided by BISAG (Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geoinformatics, Gujarat).
About Ministry of Defence:
Union Minister – Rajnath Singh
Minister of State – Shripad Yesso Naik
<<Read Full News>>

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Day 2020 – November 18

i.The World Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease(COPD) day is annually observed across the globe on 3rd Wednesday of November to create awareness and educate the general public about the chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and to advocate for better care for COPD patients. The 2020 World COPD day falls on 18th November 2020.
ii.The theme of 2020 World COPD day is “Living Well with COPD – Everybody, Everywhere”, which is aimed to spread a positive message to the patients and care providers.
iii.The World COPD Day is organised by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) in collaboration with healthcare professionals and COPD patient groups across the globe. The first World COPD Day was first observed in 2002.
<<Read Full News>>

World Children’s Day 2020: November 20

i.United Nations(UN) World Children’s Day is observed annually on November 20 to promote international togetherness and awareness among children globally.
ii.The day also aims to improve the welfare of children. This day is UNICEF(United Nations Children’s Fund)’s annual day of action for children, by children.
iii.Since 1990, the World Children’s Day commemorates the anniversary of the date when the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, in 1959 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, in 1989.
<<Read Full News>>

Africa Industrialization Day 2020 & Week 2020 celebrated on November 20 & 16th to 20th November 2020

The United Nations (UN)’s Africa Industrialization Day is annually observed across the globe on 20th November to create and raise awareness about the importance of the industrialization of Africa and the difficulties faced by Africa.
The Africa Industrialization Day has been commemorated as the Weeklong events since 2018.
the Africa Union Commission hosted the Africa Industrialization Week 2020 (#AIW2020) celebrations from 16th – 20th November 2020.
The theme of 2020 is “Inclusive and sustainable industrialisation in the AfCFTA era”.
Objectives of AIW2020:

• To bring together various stakeholders involved in Industrialisation in Africa.
• To raise awareness on the efforts made to industrialize Africa.
• To highlight the challenges faced to advance the structural transformation in Africa.

Background:
The United Nations General Assembly adopted the resolution A/RES/44/237 in 1989 and proclaimed the 20th November of every year as “Africa Industrialization Day”, within the framework of the Second Industrial Development Decade for Africa (1991-2000).
African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA):
i.The Agreement to establish the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) was signed on 21st March 2018 in Kigali, Rwanda.
ii.This created a single African market for goods and services and the world largest free trade area by number of countries.
iii.It is expected to become operational by January 2021.
28 countries have signed the ratification and 54 countries have signed to the agreement.
Impacts of COVID-19:
The covid-19 pandemic has impacted the economic activities and the growth is expected to fall to -3.3% in 2020, forcing the region into its first recession in 25 years.
Note:
In the first quarter of Africa represented 1.4% of the World MVA (Manufacturing value added).

World Philosophy Day 2020 – November 19

i.The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO)’s World Philosophy Day is annually celebrated across the globe on 3rd Thursday of November to promote the international culture of philosophical debate that respects human dignity and diversity and celebrates the importance of philosophical reflection and provides an opportunity for the people across the globe to share their philosophical heritage.
ii.The 2020 World Philosophy Day falls on 19th November 2020.
The theme of World Philosophy Day 2020 is  “The importance of philosophy in times of crisis”.
iii.The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO) introduced the World Philosophy Day in 2002.
iv.The UNESCO General Assembly proclaimed that every 3rd Thursday of November as the World Philosophy Day in 2005.
About UNESCO’s (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization):
Director-General– Audrey Azoulay
Headquarters– Paris, France
<<Read Full News>>

STATE NEWS

Delhi Govt, CEGIS sign MoU to carry out Detailed Study of measures for State Revenue

On November 18, 2020, Delhi Government and the Centre for Effective Governance of Indian States (CEGIS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for carrying out detailed study of measures for state revenue.
The study will provide comprehensive data analysis related to GST (Goods & Services Tax), vehicle tax, stamp duty, excise duty, and a comparative state analysis to improve the tax revenue capacity of Delhi.
Delhi to reduce Yamuna’s Pollution by 90% by March 2023
The Delhi Government is planning to reduce the pollution load in the Yamuna river by 90% by March 2023.
About Delhi:
Wildlife Sanctuary – Indira Priyadarshini (Asola)
Governor – Anil Baijal
<<Read Full News>>

Delhi, UNICEF’s “YuWaah” sign MoU to empower youth with Skills & Job Opportunities 

On November 19, 2020, Delhi Government’s Dialogue and Development Commission and UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) initiated multi-stakeholder global platform – YuWaah (Generation Unlimited India) signed an Memorandum of Agreement (MoU) to empower youth with Skills and Job Opportunities.
The MoU was signed by Jasmine Shah, Vice Chairperson, Dialogue and Development Commission and Yasmin Ali Haque, UNICEF India Representative in the presence of Manish Sisodia, Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi.
i.The MoU will strengthen the Rozgaar Bazaar Portal which was launched in July, 2020 by Delhi Government for job seekers, employers.
ii.It will address the challenges of Joblessness and COVID-19.
iii.According to the Center for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), India’s unemployment rate was at 8.35% in August, 2020.
iv.It had also stated that Urban unemployment is 9.83% while Rural unemployment is at 7.65%.
YuWaah:
YuWaah is aimed at imparting skills & providing employment to young people in India in the age bracket of 10-24 years.

MP CM launches 3-year roadmap for Aatmanirbhar MP;Becomes first state to release roadmap for Self-Reliance

Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh (MP), Shivraj Singh Chouhan virtually launched a Three-year roadmap “Aatma Nirbhar Madhya Pradesh 2023” to make MP self-reliant.  MP became the first state to release a roadmap for self-reliance under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
The roadmap focuses on Transparent governance, farm welfare, job creation and booster shots for industry and healthcare.
Dignitaries present during the Launch:
It was launched by CM Shivraj Chouhan in the presence of State BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) President V D Sharma and NITI Aayog Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Amitabh Kant.
Key Points:
i.The plan seeks to achieve self-reliance through

• MSME (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises) Corridor along Chambal Expressway & Narmada Expressway
• Ensuring 100% domestic tap water connection
• Going local in purchase of goods and equipment
• Setting up Green Energy Corridor
• Ramping up energy and tourism infrastructure

iii.It also aims to bring transparency and have a dashboard to monitor the progress of various schemes.
iv.The blueprint was prepared after consulting about 635 delegates and 70 institutions.
v.It is also based on inputs received from four seminars conducted by the MP Government on Physical infrastructure, good governance, health and education.

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