Current Affairs November 21 2018

We are here for you to provide the important Current Affairs November 21 2018, which have unique updates of all daily 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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 INDIAN AFFAIRS

Shri Manoj Sinha inaugurates the All India Heads of Police Communication Conference held in New Delhi
On 19th & 20th November 2018, the two day conference was inaugurated by the Minister of State for Communication (I/C) and Railways Shri Manoj Sinha. The motive behind the conference was to bring all the stakeholders together on one platform to address contemporary issues and exchange best practices in all domains of communication and to encourage innovative and modern police communication.

Key points:
i. The theme of the conference was “Modernization of Police Communication and challenges thereof.”
ii. Directorate of Coordination Police Wireless (DCPW), Anand Swaroop was the organiser of the event.
iii. Awards will be also be distributed in the different categories of excellence for Imparting Training in field of Communication, Implementing Innovation Solution, Crypto methods for Encryption & Performing State in implementing modern Technology in Police Communication Network .
iv. The valedictory function will be addressed by Shri Santosh Gangwar, Minister of State (I/C), Ministry of Labour and Employment.
About Delhi
♦ Chief Minister: Arvind Kejriwal,
♦ Lt. Governor: Anil Baijal.

36 Ekalavya model residential schools to be set up in Meghalaya: Tribal Affairs Minister Oram
On 17th November,2018,Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Shri Jual Oram announced setting up of 36 Ekalavya Model Residential Schools(EMRS) in Meghalaya at a cost of Rs.20 crore for each school in 36 Blocks of Meghalaya. “Every block with more than 50 per cent ST population and at least 20,000 tribal people, will have an Ekalavya Model Residential School by 2022,” the Minister said. The total project cost will be around Rs.720 crores.
Key points:
i. The central government plans to build over 500 such schools across India. At present, there are 192 such schools all over the country.
ii. These schools will be on par with Navodaya Vidyalayas and will have special facilities for preserving local art and culture besides providing training in sports and skill development.
About Meghalaya
♦ Capital: Shilong,
♦ Chief Minister: Conard Sangama,
♦ Governor: Tagatha Roy
♦ Tribal people : Garos, Khasis, and Jaintias

Indo-US joint military exercise ‘Vajra Prahar’ begin in Jaipur
On November 19 2018 ‘Vajra Prahar’,a 12-day long joint military exercise between India and the United States was started in Jaipur.

i. US contingent comprises of an United States Pacific Commander and 10 other ranks from the Special Forces Group arrived at Mahajan Field Firing Ranges on November 18 and informed Rajasthan Defence PRO Lt Col Sombhit Ghosh for undertaking Joint training with the Indian Special Forces.
ii. Both forces train on different aspects including hostage rescue, building intervention, desert survival, medical aid and combat firing and also undertake a three-day outdoor exercise to validate their practices.

P.M Modi laid foundation of India’s first Sri Vishwakarma Skill Development University in Palwal, Haryana
On 19^th November 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation of India’s first Sri Vishwakarma Skill Development University in Palwal district of Haryana.

Key Points:
i. Prime Minister also inaugurated two projects in Haryana:

• Western Peripheral Expressway (WPE), also known as the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal stretch.
• 3.2 km-long Escorts Mujesar-Ballabgarh corridor of Delhi Metro’s Violet Line

ii. WPE is expected to divert over 50,000 heavy vehicles away from Delhi. It is 136-kilometre long. It is a six-lane expressway. It has been built at a cost of over Rs 6,400 crore.
iii. It will offer high-speed link between northern and southern districts of Haryana.
iv. Escorts Mujesar-Ballabhgarh corridor of the Delhi Metro will make commuting easy for over 2 lakh people.
v. Ballabhgarh will be the fourth city in Haryana to be connected by metro. This makes the total length of Metro to 29 kilometres in Haryana.
Some National Parks in Haryana:
♦ Sultanpur National Park
♦ Kalesar National Park

27th BASIC Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change held in New Delhi
On 19^th and 20^th November 2018, the 27th BASIC (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change was held in New Delhi.
Key Points:
i. The meeting was chaired by Dr Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India.
ii. Ministers welcomed the 184 ratifications, till date, of the Paris Agreement adopted under the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change).
iii. Ministers listed their priorities under the Paris Agreement Work Programme to ensure implementation of the global climate deal after 2020.
iv. Negotiations were focused on finalising rules and guidelines for various elements of Paris Agreement including Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), adaptation, transparency framework, global stock-take (GST), compliance mechanism, climate finance, technology framework and capacity building at COP24 (December 2-14).
v. Brazil will host the 28th BASIC Ministerial Meeting in 2019.

8th 2- day National Conference of Women in Police held in Ranchi
On 19^th & 20th November 2018, Bureau of Police Research & Development in collaboration with Jharkhand Police organised the two days National Conference of Women in Police (NCWP) in the state capital of Jharkhand, Ranchi.
Around 150 women police personnel from across the country are expected to participate in the event. It is the only national level platform to address the issues of Women Police and create an enabling atmosphere for them to maximize and optimize their professional potential.

24th edition of Kolkata International Film Festival
From 10^th to 17^th November 2018, 24th edition of Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF 2018) was held in Kolkata, West Bengal.

Key Points:
i. KIFF 2018 was inaugurated at Netaji Indoor Stadium, in Kolkata, by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. A Bengali film directory with the movies from 1917 to 2017 was launched.
ii. Highlight of the festival was 100 years of Bengali cinema. Australia was the focus country for KIFF 2018.
iii. Nearly 171 movies and 150 short films from 70 countries were screened in 16 screens.
iv. A centenary tribute was given to French film critic André Bazin and Swedish director Ingmar Bergman.
v. ‘Antony Phiringi’ was the inaugural movie. A special theatre play named ‘Hirala Bioscope’ was staged.
Award winners:

• Vietnamese film The Third Wife – Best Film award (Rs 51 lakh)
• Abu Bakr Shawky – Best Director award (Rs 21 lakh)
• Widow of Silence – Hiralal Sen Memorial Award for Best Film in Indian Language category
• Arijit Biswas – Hiralal Sen Memorial Award for Best Director (5 lakh)
• The Sweet Requiem – Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) Asian Select Award.Click here to read the entire winners of 24th edition of Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF 2018)

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

India slips two places to 53^rd Position on Global talent ranking; Switzerland on top
On 20th November 2018,India has slipped two places to rank 53^rd Position in Global Annual talent ranking released by renowned IMD Business School, Switzerland on 20 November 2018.Switzerland retained the top Position for the fifth consecutive year.Denmark attained 2nd rank,while Norway attained 3rd Rank.

Key Points:
i. India ranked at 51^st Position in 2017.
ii. Singapore also topped the Asia region with 13^th Rank while China is ranked 39^th.
iii. India ranked 30^th Position in Readiness factor but lags in Investment and Development factor in which it ranked below average 63^rd rank.
Switzerland
♦ Capital: Bern
♦ Currency: Swiss franc

Maldives Cabinet approves to rejoin Commonwealth, 2 year after withdrawing from 53-nation grouping
On 19^th November 2018, Maldives new President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih made the announcement that Maldives Cabinet approves re-joining of Commonwealth after 2 year of withdrawal.

i. Maldives had left commonwealth in 2016 under the leadership of former President Abdulla Yameen amid speculations of corruption and fraud.
ii. The Proposal has been sent to the Maldives parliament for ratification.
About Maldives
♦ Capital: Male
♦ Currency: Maldivian rufiyaa
♦ President: Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
About Commonwealth of Nations
♦ Head: Elizabeth II
♦ Chair-in-Office: Theresa May
♦ Headquarter: London, United Kingdom

4th edition of Intex South Asia held in Colombo
On 14^th November 2018, 4th edition of Intex South Asia was inaugurated by Indian high commissioner to Sri Lanka Taranjit Singh Sandhu, in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Key Points:
i. Intex South Asia is the largest international textile sourcing show in South Asia.
ii. It was organized by Worldex India Exhibition and Promotion Pvt. Ltd in partnership with Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL), Retailers Association of India, Clothing Manufacturers Association of India, Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) etc.
iii. More than 200 suppliers from around 15 countries participated. They displayed a huge variety of innovative textiles products like yarns, apparels, denim clothing, accessories etc.
About Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI):
♦ Chairman – Mr. Sanjay K Jain
♦ Corporate Office – New Delhi

BANKING & FINANCE

Government of India and World Bank signed $310 million loan Agreement for Jharkhand Power System Improvement to provide reliable, quality and affordable electricity to the citizens of Jharkhand
On 20^th November 2018, Government of India along with Government of Jharkhand signed a $310 million Loan Agreement for Jharkhand Power Improvement Project aimed to provide affordable and reliable electricity supply to citizens of Jharkhand.
Key Points
i. This project is a part of Government of India’s Power for All program launched in 2014.The plans aims addition of over 4.5 GW electricity generation capacity by 2022.
ii. The Agreement was signed by Mr. Sameer Kumar Khare, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of finance, Government of India, Ms Vandana Dadel, secretary, Energy department, Government of Jharkhand and Mr. Junaid Ahmad, country Director, World Bank India.
iii. The Agreement will help building new power transmission infrastructure and improves the technical efficiency and commercial performance of the state power corporation.
About Jharkhand
♦ Chief Minister: Raghubar Das
♦ Governor: Draupadi Murmu
World Bank
♦ Headquarter: Washington D.C. USA
♦ President: Jim Yong Kim
♦ CEO: Kristalina Georgieva

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Kerala government signs MoU with Airbus BizLab
On 17^th November 2018, Kerala government sign MoU with airbus bizlab, a global aerospace accelerator which is part of Airbus.The MoU was exchanged between Siddharth Balachandran, Leader, Airbus Bizlab India and Dr Saji Gopinath, CEO, Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), in the presence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Key Points
i. Under the MoU, an Innovation Centre will be set up in Thiruvanthapuram,which will be the nodal body for planning and executing all the activities to help the startups.
ii. Airbus BizLab will also provide support and mentoring for Startups in Kerela and conduct regular workshops and discussions with experts from aerospace and defence sectors.
iii. The company will also identify opportunities for Kerala to adapt aerospace technologies across sectors and bring all the relevant Airbus teams and startups to demonstrate technologies.
About Airbus BizLab
♦ Headquarter: France
About Kerala
♦ Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
♦ Chief Minister: Pinarayi vijayan
♦ Governor:-P.Sathasivam

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen in Fortune Business Person of the Year 2018 list
Indian-American Shantanu Narayen, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Adobe, has been named by Fortune in its 2018 Business Person of the Year list.

i. The list ranks 20 business executives delivering on the bottom line and beyond. Fifty six year old Shantanu Narayen ranks 12^th on the list.
ii. The list is topped by Tricia Griffith, CEO of insurance company Progressive.  Second and third ranks are occupied by software company VMware CEO Pat Gelsinger, and graphics chipmaker Nvidia CEO, Jensen Huang, respectively.

Shubhankar Sharma became the first Indian to win Sir Henry Cotton Rookie Of the year
On 18^th November 2018, Chandigarh based Young Indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma became the first Indian to win Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the year in DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP held in Dubai.
He is the First Indian to win the award in European Tour,While Arjun Atwal (1995), Shiv Kapur (2005) and C Muniyappa (2009) had won the Rookie of the Year in the Asian Tour.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

Yes Bank Director R. Chandrashekhar Resigns
On 19^th November 2018, R. Chandrashekhar, an independent director at Yes Bank, resigned from his position.
Key Points:
i. R. Chandrashekhar is the third person to resign from Yes Bank, in the recent time.
ii. Non-executive Chairman Ashok Chawla resigned on November 14, 2018. O.P. Bhatt, resigned from the panel set up to find a new CEO, on 15^th November 2018.
iii. Yes Bank is in the process of finding a new CEO to replace the incumbent CEO, Rana Kapoor.
About Yes Bank:
♦ Tagline – Experience our Expertise
♦ Headquarters – Mumbai

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

BlackBerry to buy cybersecurity firm cylance for $1.4 billion
BlackBerry will wholly acquire Cylance, an artificial intelligence and cybersecurity company for $1.4 billion. The deal is expected to close before the end of Blackberry’s current fiscal year in February 2019.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Union Minister Suresh Prabhu launches AirSewa 2.0 web portal and mobile app
On 19^th November 2018, Union Minister of Civil Aviation and Commerce & Industry, Suresh Prabhu, and Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Jayant Sinha launched the upgraded version of AirSewa 2.0 web portal and mobile app, in New Delhi.

Key Points:
i. AirSewa 2.0 will address air passengers’ grievances like flight delays, problem in a refund, long queues and complaints of lost baggage.
ii. Features included are: secure sign-up and log-in with social media, chatbot for travelers support, improved grievance management including social media grievances, real-time flight status and flight schedule, etc.
iii. AirSewa 2.0 operates through an interactive web portal and a mobile app for both Android and iOS platforms.
iv. The web portal and application will receive air travelers’ feedback for policy interventions. Ministry of Civil Aviation launched AirSewa web portal and mobile app in November 2016.
v. Suresh Prabhu and Jayant Sinha presented the champion award to Chennai airport which achieved 100 % timely closure of grievances in one year.

IIT Kharagpur researchers devise Decision Support System (DSS) to help maximise LPG connections in BPL households
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur, have devised ‘Decision Support System’ (DSS), a computer programme that will help maximise LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) connections in BPL (Below Poverty Line) households in the ‘Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana’.
i. The researchers were led by Prof Manoj Kumar Tiwari of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering.
ii. DSS has found the optimum number of total (BPL) connections required in a region and the number of dealerships that need to be commissioned in a region over the policy time frame.
iii. It can predict how the number of household connections can be increased and the region that contributes most in each zone of LPG distribution.

SPORTS

WTA Taipei Open(Tennis)
From 10th to 18th November 2018,WTA Taipei Open Championship held in Taipei City in Taiwan.Total Prize money of the Event is USD125,000.
Key points:
i.Luksika Kumkhum from Thailand won women singles by defeating Sabine Lisicki of Germany.
ii.Ankita Raina and Karman Kaur Thandi, the unseeded Indian Tennis pair, teamed together to clinch the women double’s trophy at the WTA Taipei Open.
iii.They paired together for the first time and clinched their maiden WTA title against the fourth seeded Natela Dzalamidze and Olga Doroshina of Russia.
iv. The title was worth 160 WTA points and $5,500. The runners-up collected 95 points and $2,700.
v. The 25 year old Ankita Raina also won the Asian games 2018 Tennis singles bronze medal.
Women’s Tennis Association(WTA)
♦ President: Mickey Lawler
♦ Chairman: Steve Simon.

Yonex-Sunrise Hong Kong Open 2018
From 13^th to 18^th November 2018, Yonex-Sunrise Hong Kong Open 2018 was held at Hong Kong Coliseum, in Kowloon, Hong Kong.
i. Total Prize Money for the tournament was USD 400,000.
Winners:

Bulgaria’s Petkov becomes oldest European international goalkeeper (football)
On 16^th November 2018, Bulgarian Georgi Petkov became the oldest European international goalkeeper as Bulgaria played a Nations League draw with Cyprus.
Key Points:
i. Georgi Petkov is 42 years and eight months old. He had also become Bulgaria’s oldest player in their Nations League match in Nicosia.
ii. He beat the record of former Liverpool goalkeeper Elisha Scott, who was 42 years and six months old when he last played for Ireland in 1936.
iii. Georgi Petkov made his debut for the Bulgarian national team in 1998. He is the goalkeeper of Slavia Sofia club.
iv. Giorgos Koudas is the oldest player to have represented a European nation when he played for Greece at the age of 48 in 1995.
About Bulgaria:
♦ Capital – Sofia
♦ Currency – Lev
♦ Official language – Bulgarian
♦ President – Rumen Radev
♦ Prime Minister – Boyko Borisov

OBITUARY

Oscar-winning screenwriter and best-selling author William Goldman passed away
On 16^th November 2018, Oscar-winning screenwriter and best-selling author William Goldman, passed away at his residence due to complications from colon cancer and pneumonia, in Manhattan, United States.

i. He was 87 years old. He wrote novels and screenplays. Some of his popular works are: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All The President’s Men, 1990’s Hype and Glory, Which Lie Did I Tell?, etc.
ii. He had written screenplays for Marathon Man (1976), Magic (1978) and The Princess Bride (1987).
iii. A documentary was made on him titled “Nobody Knows Anything (Except William Goldman)”.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Dr Jitendra Singh releases book ‘Radio Kashmir – In Times of Peace & War’ written by Dr Rajesh Bhat
On 20^th November 2018, Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (I/C), Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh released a book named ‘Radio Kashmir – In Times of Peace & War’ written by Dr Rajesh Bhat in New Delhi.

i. The book has been published by Stellar Publishers. The book explains the role played by Radio Kashmir in serving the people of Kashmir and strengthening democratic institutions in Kashmir, since the inception of Radio Kashmir in 1947.
ii. Dr Rajesh Bhat serves in the Policy Division of Directorate General, All India Radio, New Delhi. He has written over 250 academic research papers and articles.

Maharashtra DGP Launches Novel “THE VELVET GLOVES”, a novel written by former Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Balakrishna Kamath
On 17^th November 2018, Maharashtra Director General of Police Datta Padsalgikar unveiled “THE VELEVT GLOVES” a novel written by former Intelligence Bureau (IB) Officer Balakrishna Kamath in Mumbai.
Key Points:
i. Dedicated to the memory of Mr.Kamath’s wife Rema, the novels revolves around a retired intelligence officer who finds himself in the midst of a sinister plot that begins the same day he retires.
ii. The story unravels in India and abroad with Indian intelligence agencies locking horns with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation.
About Intelligence Bureau (IB)
♦ Headquarter: New Delhi
♦ Director: Rajiv Jain
About Mahrashtra
♦ Chief Minister: Devandra Fradnavis
♦ Governor: C Vidyasagar Rao

IMPORTANT DAYS

Universal Children’s Day – 20 November
Universal Children’s Day is celebrated on 20^th November every year to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improving children’s welfare.
2018 theme  : Children are taking over and turning the world blue
When : –November 20th is an important date which marks the day on which 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.