Current Affairs 7 November 2020

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 7 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 20 Current Affairs of 7 November 2020

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Virtual India CEO forum on Climate Change Chaired by Union Minister Prakash Javadekar

i.The India CEO Forum on Climate Change was held virtually on November 5 which was chaired by Union Minister Prakash Keshav Javadekar, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC). It focuses on sustainable partnership between the Government and private sector in the field of climate change.
ii.The forum saw the participation of key industry leaders from the steel, cement, power, pharmaceuticals etc. sectors who shared their vision for climate action in the post-2020 period.
iii.The private-sector companies pledged to work with the government by taking necessary actions to tackle climate change in order to achieve India’s targets under the Paris Agreement. In this regard, they issued a ‘Declaration of Private Sector on Climate Change’. Click Here for Declaration and for the Names of 24 Industries
About Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC):
Prakash Keshav Javadekar Constituency– Maharashtra
Minister of State (MoS)– Babul Supriyo
<<Read Full News>>

India Conducts Tri-Service Combat Exercise “Bull Strike” at Teressa Island 

Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) conducted a three-day Tri-Service Combat Exercise code named “Bull Strike” from November 3-5,2020 at Teressa Island in Nicobar Group of Islands.
i.The exercise saw participation from three service components of ANC, elements of Indian Army’s Parachute Brigade, MARCOS (Marine Commando Force) and Special Forces.
ii.The exercise focussed on interoperability and synergy among three services – Army, Navy and Air Force to maximise combat potential.
About Indian Army:
Chief of Defence Staff – General Bipin Rawat
Commander-in-Chief of Indian Armed Forces – President of India (Ram Nath Kovind)
<<Read Full News>>

PM Narendra Modi chaired Virtual Global Investor Roundtable 2020 conference

i.In order to attract investments in India, the Virtual Global Investor Roundtable (VGIR) 2020 conference was held virtually which was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It focuses on discussions around three important areas such as India’s economic and investment outlook, structural reforms and the government’s vision for making the country a $5 trillion economy.VGIR 2020 is organized by the Ministry of Finance, Government of India, and National Investment and Infrastructure Fund.
ii.The Indian side is being represented by business leaders, financial market regulators, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Shaktikanta Das.
iii.The conference was attended by the world’s 20 largest pension and sovereign wealth funds, which have around $6 trillion assets under their management.
About National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Limited:
Managing Director and CEO – Sujoy Bose
Headquarter – Mumbai, Maharashtra
<<Read Full News>>

AAI signed MoU with NVVN, subsidiary of NTPC to set up Solar Power Plants in Airports

i.On 5th November 2020, Airport Authority of India(AAI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN) Limited, a subsidiary of NTPC Limited, to set up solar power plants at the Airports under AAI and to promote the adoption of electrical vehicles at AAI Airports.
ii.In the identified AAI airports, required land and rooftop space to set up solar power plants will be provided to NVVN free of cost.
iii.As a part of the initial phase, NVVN will take up the projects at the airports of Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan.
AAI and NVVN will support the Government of India’s initiative to adopt e-vehicles by creating public charging infrastructure and promote its usage in airports.
About NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN) Limited:
CEO– Mohit Bhargava
Headquarters– New Delhi
About Airport Authority of India(AAI):
Chairman– Arvind Singh
Headquarters– New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

Kottoor Elephant Rehabilitation Centre in Kerala is Set to Become World’s Largest Care & Cure Centre 

i.Kottoor Elephant Rehabilitation Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala is being upgraded to international standard and is set to become the world’s largest care and cure center for elephants. The upgradation of the center is a part of the special program of the government of Kerala for the protection and conservation of elephants.
ii.The project is implemented at a cost of Rs.108 crore funded from the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board(KIIFB).
iii.Around Rs.71.9 crores was spent on the first phase of the center which will be commissioned in February 2021.
About Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board(KIIFB):
Chairman– Pinarayi Vijayan(Chief Minister of Kerala)
CEO & Member Secretary– Dr. K.M.Abraham
Headquarters– Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
<<Read Full News>>

Joint coastal security exercise, “Sagar Kavach” held at Paradip Coast, Odisha

i.A two-day joint coastal security annual exercise “Sagar Kavach” was held on November 5-6 at Paradip Coast, Odisha.
ii.It was carried out by the state governments of Odisha and West Bengal.
iii.More than 10 such departments, including the Indian Navy, the Indian Coast Guard, the Odisha Police, the local fishermen, the forest department, and the port marine department, have joined the joint exercise.
About Odisha:
Chief Minister (CM)– Naveen Patnaik
Capital– Bhubaneswar
About West Bengal:
Chief Minister (CM)– Mamata Banerjee  
Capital-Kolkata
<<Read Full News>>

Overview of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Two-day visit to Gujarat from October 30-31, 2020

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a two-day visit to Gujarat from October 30-31, 2020. He inaugurated 17 projects around the Statue of Unity in Kevadia, Gujarat laid the foundation stone for 4 new projects.
He paid homage to Sardar Vallabhai Patel at the Statue of Unity in Kevadia, Gujarat on National Unity Day (Rashtriya Ekta Diwas) i.e October 31, 2020. National Unity Day is celebrated to commemorate the Birth Anniversary of Sardar Vallabhai Patel.
About Gujarat:
Governor – Acharya Devvrat
Chief Minister – Vijay Rupani
<<Read Full News>>

NSDC Launched ”Project Future Ready” to Impart Career Skills to 1 lakh students

i.The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) in partnership with American India Foundation, Dell Technologies and University of Mumbai has launched ”Project Future Ready” to equip students with career skills.
ii.The project will cover over 1 lakh students in Mumbai and Delhi-NCR, of which 60 per cent are females.
iii.Aim: To provide skills development for these students through career mentoring, leveraging online skilling platforms and providing market aligned skills training for employability and inculcating entrepreneurial mind-set.
About NSDC:
Headquarter– New Delhi
Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Manish Kumar
<<Read Full News>>

Govt of Bangladesh Signed MoU with BPL & SII to buy 3 crore Doses of AZD1222 – COVID-19 Vaccine

i.On 5th November 2020, the Government of Bangladesh signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Beximco Pharmaceutical Limited (BPL), Bangladesh drug maker and the Serum Institute of India (SII) for the supply and distribution of 3 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccine AZD1222 in Bangladesh.
ii.The AZD1222 vaccine is at the final stage of development at the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca.
iii.Initially 1.5 crore people of Bangladesh will be vaccinated, each person requires two doses of vaccine.
iv.SII, licensed by AstraZeneca to manufacture AZD1222 and the entire quantity of vaccines will be delivered within 6 months.
About SII:
Chairman and Managing Director–  Cyrus S. Poonawalla
CEO– Adar C. Poonawalla
Headquarters– Pune, Maharashtra
About Bangladesh:
Prime Minister– Sheikh Hasina
President– Abdul Hamid
Capital– Dhaka
Currency– Bangladeshi Taka
<<Read Full News>>

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

5th Joint Working Group on Coal held virtually between India and Indonesia

On November 5, 2020, India successfully hosted the 5th Joint Working Group (JWG) on Coal between India and Indonesia via Video conference from New Delhi due to Pandemic.
Chair of JWG:
The JWG was co-chaired from Indian side by Vinod Kumar Tiwari, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Coal, Government of India and by Jonson Pakpahan, Director for Mineral and Coal, Non Tax State Revenue of Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Republic of Indonesia.
About Indonesia:
President – Joko Widodo
Capital – Jakarta
Currency – Indonesian Rupiah (Rp) (IDR)
<<Read Full News>>

BANKING & FINANCE

RBI Announced “Co-Lending Model (CLM)” for Banks, NBFCs for Priority Sector Lending

i.On November 5, 2020, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has revised the loan scheme of the Co-origination Model between Banks and Non-Banking Financial Companies – Non-Deposit taking – Systemically Important (NBFC-ND-SIs) launched in September 2018 with the improved”Co-Lending Model (CLM)”.
The Scheme CLM helps banks to provide loans along with NBFCs (Non-Banking Financial Companies) including HFCs (Housing Finance Companies) for priority sector borrowers based on a prior agreement.
ii.This revision has been made to provide greater operational flexibility to the lending institutions in order to improve credit flow to the unserved and underserved sector of the economy.
iii.The CLM will not be applicable to foreign banks (including WOS) with less than 20 branches.
About Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
Formation– 1 April 1935
Governor– Shaktikanta Das
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Deputy Governors– 4 (Bibhu Prasad Kanungo, Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra, and M Rajeswar Rao)
<<Read Full News>>

NPCI Gives Approval to ‘WhatsApp Pay’ to start UPI in India;UPI closes 30% of TPAPs transaction volume

i.On November 5, 2020 The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)  gave approval for ‘WhatsApp Pay’, a payment system of Whatsapp to go live on Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in the multi-bank model in India.
ii.NPCI has issued a cap of 30% on the total transaction volume on the UPI network of all Third Party App Providers (TPAPs). This will be effective from January 1, 2021.
About National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI):
Founded – 2008, an initiative of RBI and Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) under the provisions of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
Head Office– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Managing Director(MD) & Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– Dilip Asbe
<<Read Full News>>

SEBI Enhances Foreign Investment Cap limit of Mutual Funds from $300 million to $600 million

i.On November 5, 2020, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) issued a circular on “Enhancement of overseas investment limits for mutual funds” under which the foreign investment limit per mutual fund (MF) house has been doubled to $600 million, from the existing $300 million, within the overall industry limit of US $ 7 billion.
ii.SEBI has reserved an amount of $50 million per fund house.
iii.Mutual Funds can invest in overseas Exchange Traded Fund (ETFs) subject to a maximum of US $ 200 million per mutual fund, within the overall industry limit of US $ 1 billion.
About Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI):
Establishment– April 12, 1992
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Chairman– Ajay Tyagi
<<Read Full News>>

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS          

Priyanca Radhakrishnan becomes New Zealand’s first-ever Indian-origin Minister 

On November 2, 2020, 41-year old Priyanca Radhakrishnan became New Zealand’s first-ever Indian-origin Minister as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern unveiled her new cabinet after her victory in the 2020 General Elections of New Zealand.
i.Priyanca was appointed as Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector, Minister for Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities, Minister for Youth. She was also appointed as Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment.
ii.Priyanca hails from Paravur in Ernakulam district of Kerala. She was born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
iii.She belongs to the New Zealand Labour Party.
iv.She was elected first as a Member of Parliament in September 2017. In 2019, She was appointed the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister for Ethnic Communities.
v.Priyanca Radhakrishnan and other Ministers will take charge on November 6, 2020.
About New Zealand:
Prime Minister – Jacinda Ardern
Capital – Wellington
Currency – New Zealand Dollar (NZD)

M M Kutty Appointed as the 1st Chairperson of the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas

On November 5, 2020 Appointments Committee of the Cabinet(ACC) approved the appointment of M M Kutty as the 1st Chairperson of the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas. The center has also appointed members of the commission for 3 year term, with effective from the date of assumption of charge of the post or until the attainment of age of 70 years.

• M M Kutty is a former secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

Members:
Arvind Kumar Nautiyal, joint secretary,  Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change will serve as the full-time member of the commission.
Full-time technical members
Professor Mukesh Khare of Indian Institute of Technology(IIT), Delhi and KJ Ramesh, former director-general of India Meteorological Department(IMD) , will be the full-time technical members of the commission.
Non-government members
Ajay Mathur, the director-general of The Energy and Resources Institute, and Ashish Dhawan of Air Pollution Action Group appointed as the non-government members of the commission.
9 ex-officio members
9 ex-officio members of the commission will be appointed by the respective state governments.
Selection Panel:
A selection panel under Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), in the exercise of its powers under the ‘Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Ordinance, 2020’ selected MM Kutty to the post.
About M M Kutty:
i.M M Kutty is  a 1985 batch IAS(Indian Administrative Service) officer of Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram-Union Territories(AGMUT) cadre.
ii.He retired from the post of secretary of Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry, Government of India in 2020.He has also served as the Chief Secretary of Delhi.
Key Info

• The rules for the functioning of the commission is yet to be formulated
• As per the ordinance, the members of the commission have to be selected from  Union ministries, non-governmental organisations and the five states of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

About the Ordinance:
In October 2020, President Ram Nath Kovind promulgated the ‘Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Ordinance, 2020’ for Air Quality Management in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) and adjoining areas.

Hashim Thaçi, President of Kosovo Stepped Down to Face Charges of War Crime

On 4th November 2020, Hashim Thaçi, President of Kosovo, resigned to face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. He announced his retirement at a news conference in Pristina, Kosovo. He was indicted at a special court of Kosovo in The Hague, Netherlands which was set up to try the alleged crimes of former ethnic Albanian rebel leaders.
Note:
Vjosa Osmani, parliamentary speaker will act as the President of Kosovo until the new leader is elected.
Charges against Hashim Thaçi:
i.Hashim Thaçi, the former commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army(KLA) during Kosova’s war for independence against Serbia from 1998-1999 was charged with murder, enforced disappearances, persecution and torture by the court which is mandated to investigate the alleged war crimes in Kosova from 1998-2000.
ii.Along with Hashim, Kadri Veseli, former parliament speaker and leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo has been issued an indictment by a pre-trial judge.
iii.3 other former commanders of KLA have also been charged with war crimes by the court.
About Hashim Thaçi:
i.Hashim Thaçi is a member of Democratic Party of Kosovo party, has been in power since the independence of Kosovo from Siberia.
ii.He served as the Prime Minister of Kosova when Kosovo declared independence in 2008.
iii.He also served as the foreign minister later he was elected as the President of Kosovo in 2016.
Note:
The independence of Kosovo was recognised by the United States of America(USA) and major European Union(EU) countries.
About Kosovo:
Capital– Pristina
Currency– Euro

Gyanendro Ningombam Becomes 1st President of Hockey India from the North East region; Replaces Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad

On November 6, 2020 Gyanendro Ningombam from Manipur was appointed as the  President of Hockey India(HI). He is the 1st  president of HI from the North East region. He will serve for a term of two years. He replaces Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad who was appointed as the Senior Vice President.

• Gyanendro Ningombam held the position of officiating President after Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad had submitted his resignation in July, 2020.

Note

• Gyanendro Ningombam and Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad was elected unopposed
• In HI’s 10th Hockey India Congress & Elections held on November 6, 2020 they officially took charge.

About Gyanendro Ningombam:
i.Between 2009-2014, he served as the CEO(Chief Executive Officer)  of Manipur Hockey.
ii.He has been  associated with Manipur Hockey for over a decade
iii.He has also been actively involved to develop the hockey at the grassroots in the NorthEast region
About Mohd. Mushtaque Ahmad:
i.Mohd. Mushtaque Ahmad  is a veteran in sports administration with decades of experience.
ii.It is to be noted that, under his leadership Hockey India went on to host several major International tournaments that includes the International Hockey Federation (FIH) Men’s World Cup in 2018.
iii.He has been involved with Hockey India in different capacities.
About Hockey India(HI):
HeadQuarters– New Delhi, India
President- Gyanendro Ningombam
Formed– May 20, 2009
Affiliated to–  The International Hockey Federation (FIH), The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and Asian Hockey Federation (AHF).

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS        

Public Investment Fund to buy 2.04% stake in Reliance Retail for Rs 9,555 crore

i.Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund(PIF) will buy 2.04% equity stake in Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL),  a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited(RIL) for Rs 9,555 crore(about USD1.3 billion).
ii.This is the largest investment made by any fund so far in RRVL.
iii.This marks the 9th investment by global investors in RRVL, since September 9, 2020.
iv.This investment values RRVL at a pre-money equity value of Rs 4.587 lakh crore (approximately $62.4 billion).
About Reliance Industries Limited (RIL):
Chairman & Managing Director(CMD) –  Mukesh Ambani
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
About Public Investment Fund(PIF):
Headquarters– Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Chairman– His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia)
<<Read Full News>>

Axis Bank Acquires 57,743 shares in CSC e-Governance Services India Ltd for Rs 36.38 crore

On November 5, 2020 Axis Bank Ltd acquired 57,743 shares in CSC e-Governance Services India Ltd for Rs 36.38 crore. The transaction is for 9.91% equity stake in CSC e-Governance as a strategic investment by the bank. The transaction is likely to be completed by December 2020.
Key Info:
i.The bank has entered into an agreement for subscribing to  57,743 equity shares of a face value of Rs 1,000 each.
ii.These shares are to be issued by CSC e-Governance Services India Ltd at Rs 6,300 per equity share.
About CSC e-Governance Services India Ltd:
It is a Special Purpose Vehicle(SPV), set up by the Ministry of Electronics & Information technology (MeitY) under the Companies Act, 1956 to oversee implementation of the CSC(Common Services Centre)scheme.
HeadQuarters– New Delhi, India
About Axis Bank Ltd:
Founded– 1993
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO)–  Amitabh Chaudhry
Tagline– Badhti Ka naam Zindagi

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict 2020 – November 6

i.United Nations(UN)’s International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict is annually observed across the globe on 6th November to create and raise awareness on the need to protect the environment during armed conflicts.
ii.The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/56/4 on 5th November 2001, and proclaimed the 6th November of every year as the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict to safeguard nature for the sake of future generation and protect the environment.
iii.UNEP noted that around 40% of all the internal conflicts in the past 60 years are associated with the exploitation of natural resources.
About United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP):
Executive Director– Inger Andersen
Headquarter– Nairobi, Kenya
<<Read Full News>>

STATE NEWS

Karnataka Government signs Agreement with Tata Technology to upgrade 150 Government ITIs

The Government of Karnataka entered into an agreement with Tata Technologies to upgrade and modernize 150 Government ITIs (Industrial Training Institute) at a cost of INR 4, 636.50 Crores to create increased employment opportunities to youth of the state.
i.Each ITI will be upgraded at the cost of INR 30 Crore and duration of agreement is ten years and nine months.
ii.More than One Lakh Youth are expected to benefit each year.
iii.Tata Technologies will modernise 150 ITIs with new infrastructure, industry-oriented courseware, training and support for advanced equipment and software to benefit the students for better employment opportunities.
About Karnataka:
Folk Dances – Yakshagana, Dollu Kunitha, Gaarudi Gombe, Nagamandala, Goravara Kunita, Togalu Gombeyaata
Festivals – Hampi Festival/Vijaya Utsava, Karaga Festival, Kambala Festival, Karnataka Rajyotsava, Dussehra
<<Read Full News>>

Dr. Thomas Isaac Launches ‘Green Innovation Fund’, Accelerator Program for Social Impact Startups in Kerala

i.On November 5, 2020 Dr. Thomas Isaac, Kerala Finance Minister launched Green Innovation Fund(GIF), a six-month-long, cohort-based fund -linked accelerator program for social impact startups.
ii.The fund is a joint initiative of Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), Haritha Keralam Mission and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), India.
iii.GIF is part of the GoI(Government of India)-GEF(Global Environmental Facility)-UNDP India High Range Mountain Landscape project (IHRML).
About Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM):
Headquarters– Trivandrum, Kerala
CEO– Sasi Pilacheri Meethal(PM)
Founded– 2006
<<Read Full News>>

AC GAZE

UP’s Chandauli Tops NITI Aayog’s Aspirational Districts of September 2020

The Chandauli district of Uttar Pradesh(UP) tops the NITI Aayog’s ranking of Aspiration districts of September 2020. Bokaro and Purbi Singhbhum of Jharkhand secured 2nd and 3rd position followed by Sonbhadra of UP at 4th position. The ranking accounted for the progress made by 112 districts across 6 development areas during September 2020. The Aspirational Districts Programme was launched in January 2018 with an aim to transform the underdeveloped districts.

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