Current Affairs November 21 2019

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 21 November 2019, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2019 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

Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2019 awards: Tamil Nadu tops State list, Peddapalli of Telangana tops in District list  
On the occasion of World Toilet Day (November 20, 2019), the Swachh Survekshan Grameen Awards 2019 were conferred upon top-ranked states, Union Territories (UTs), and districts in the various categories by Shri D.V. Sadananda Gowdaand,The Union Minister of the Ministry of Chemical and Fertilizers & Union Minister of State of the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Shri Rattan Lal Kataria at Pravasi Bhartiya Kendra, New Delhi.
The top ranked States and Districts which received awards are as below:
Overall Ranking:

i.Uttar Pradesh adjudged as the State with Maximum Citizen Participation.
Cement Manufacturers Association (CMA), Hindustan Unilever Limited and AMUL (Anand Milk Union Limited) has been felicitated for their great contribution under the Swachhta Hi Seva campaign-2019 towards effective plastic waste management.
ii. 5 of the top 10 cleanest districts in 2019 are from Haryana while 5 of the 10 dirtiest districts are from Odisha….Click here to Read More
 
Kolkata-1st city to install ‘Third Umpire’ RT-PCR machines to assess medical reports
On November 19,Kolkata has installed four Third Umpire Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction(RT-PCR) machines as an initiative of a project at Hatibagan in North Kolkata, Behala, Jadavpur and Haji Mohammad Mohsin square in central park of the city. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has taken a major step towards public health by installing the RT-PCR in India.
Key points:
i.Its a first kind of high end of machine in India used to detect diseases like dengue, tuberculosis and swine flu.
ii. The purpose of the machine is to act as a third umpire in assessing the medical reports and blood test to avoid medical errors and to provide accurate results on DNA reports, also the tests will be conducted free of cost.
iii.The ultimate aim of the machine is to recognize the root causes of the diseases like dengue as there are increased number of mosquito prone diseases in the city lately.
About KMC:
Headquarters – kolkata
Founded – 1876
Motto – Progress of the city

India announced visa exemption to foreigners on medical treatment
On November 19, 2019 the consulate general of India in Dubai in its notification announced exemption of getting primary Indian visa converted to Medical visa for foreigners (except Pakistani National) seeking medical treatment in India. This was announced after the implementation of liberalized medical visa policy. As per the notification, the exemption will be applicable to foreigners seeking indoor treatment of upto 180 days in a hospital due to illness.
Medical visa requirement: A medical visa is however required in case of treatment of disease which require organ transplant.
Key Points:
i.Primary visa alone is sufficient for obtaining minor medical treatment or for OPD (Outpatient Department) consultation.
ii.A foreigner undertaking treatment should be registered to the Foreigner Regional Registration Office (FRRO) concerned within 24 hours after admission to the hospital by the hospital/ treatment centre authorities.

29th RCP meeting of Asia Pacific region of World Customs Organization held in Puducherry
The 29th edition of the Regional Contact Points(RCP) meeting of the Asia Pacific(A/P) region of the World Customs Organisation(WCO) was held in Puducherry from November 18-20, 2019. The meeting was organised by Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) of India.The meeting was inaugurated and chaired by Shri Raj Kumar Barthwal, Member (Customs) CBIC.
Aim: The aim of the meeting is to address regional development and to discuss on various issues related to cross border trade procedures. It also aims to enhance communication and experience sharing between the member countries of the WCO.

• India is the member as A/P region of WCO and also the vice chair since 2018.
• The last RCP meeting was held in Jaipur, Rajasthan in 2018….Click here to Read More

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan inaugurates world conference on access to medical products 2019 in New DelhiOn November 19, 2019,The Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW), Dr. Harsh Vardhan has inaugurated 3-day long World Conference on Access to Medical Products 2019 based on the theme “Achieving the SDGs (sustainable development goals) 2030” held in New Delhi from November 19- 21, 2019.
The Conference was organized with the aim to boost innovative thinking around issues surrounding provisioning of affordable, quality medical products as part of public health care delivery systems.
Key Points:
i.The Conference was jointly organized by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the World Health Organization, in association with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR); Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC); and Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI).
ii.Launched in November 2017 followed by October 2018, the conference specifically aims to explore new approaches in the innovation landscape in medical products for achieving Universal Health Coverage and the SDG 2030 goal(Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages).
iii. It has also been designed to take the discussions on accessing to medical products on the themes of UHC(Universal Health Coverage) and innovation, Regulation of medical products and access and Legal landscape, and trade-related aspects in the context of access to medical products.
iv. Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Mr. Zahid Maleque, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, among others present during the event.

Cabinet approvals on November 20, 2019The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) Chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the following proposals on November 20, 2019.
Establishment of the National Institute of Sowa Rigpa (NISR) at Leh:
CCEA has approved establishment of National Institute for Sowa-Rigpa (NISR) in Leh as an autonomous organization at an estimated cost of Rs 47.25 crore under the Ministry of AYUSH (Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa and Homoeopathy).
Key Points:
i.A post of Director will be created to oversee the implementation and construction of the project. The institute was decided to be set up with the main focus of reviving the Sowa-Rigpa in the Indian Sub-continent.
ii.After setting up of NISR, cooperation among the existing Sowa Rigpa Institutions – Central University of Tibetan Studies (CIHTS). Sarnath, Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) and Central Institute of Buddhist Studies, Leh, Union Territory of Ladakh. which are under the administrative control of Ministry of Culture and NISR will be established.
iii.Sowa Rigpa: Sowa Rigpa is a traditional medicine system practised in the Himalayan belt in India. The areas were the system is specially followed includes Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Darjeeling (West Bengal), Himachal Pradesh, Union Territory of Ladakh.
Cabinet approves strategic disinvestment of CPSEs:
CCEA has given ‘In-principle’ approval for strategic disinvestment in 5 Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs). The 5 CPSEs are as follows,
i.Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL),

• The sale of stake in BPCL would exclude the company’s Numaligarh Refinery Ltd(NRL) in Assam. The 61% stake of BPCL in NRL will be moved to another govt. entity operating in the oil and natural gas sector.

ii.Shipping Corporation of India Ltd. (SCI)
iii.Container Corporation of India Ltd. (CONCOR)
iv.Tehri Hydro Development Corporation India Limited (THDCIL) and
v.North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO)….Click here to Read More

Overview of Cabinet Approvals with foreign countries on November 20, 2019The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) Chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the following proposals on November 20, 2019.
i.The CCEA has approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between India and Finland for strengthening the cooperation in the field of tourism.

• Objective of the MoU: Under the MoU both the nations will cooperate together in making policy regulation, sharing data, knowledge, expertise in the field of tourism.

ii.The CCEA has approved the MoU signed between India and Comoros in the field of health and medicine. The MoU was signed by both the nations on October 11, 2019 in Moroni, Comoros during Vice President Shri Venkaiah Naidu’s visit to the country.

• Objective under MoU:  Under the MoU, both the nations will cooperate to provide training and capacity building, strengthen hospital management, focus on Oncology (branch of medicine dealing with prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer) and palliative care (relieving pain without dealing with the cause of the condition) areas etc….Click here to Read More

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Overview of  Defence minister Rajnath Singh’s 2- day visit to Singapore from November 19-20, 2019The Defence Minister of India, Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh paid a 2-day (November 19-20, 2019) official bilateral visit to Singapore to attend 4^th edition of annual India-Singapore Defence Ministers’ Dialogue 2019.
i.Rajnath Singh held talks with his Singaporean counterpart Dr NG Eng Hen,Defence Minister of Singapore & both the leaders co-chaired the 4^th  Singapore-India Defence Ministers’ Dialogue 2019 in Singapore.
ii.They also agreed to conduct the trilateral maritime exercise involving Singapore, India and Thailand annually from 2020.
In September 2019, The 1^st  Singapore-India-Thailand maritime exercise (SITMEX) was held in the Andaman Sea as part of the security and safety of Indo-Pacific sea lines.
iii. India and Singapore signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) that will open the way for Singapore to launch missiles like the Spider Air Defense System at the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, Odisha.
iv. Mr. Singh held talks with Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat and they agreed to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation.
v. Rajnath visited Singapore’s Kranji War Memorial and paid tributes to the martyrs of World War-II….Click here to Read More

BANKING & FINANCE

RBI dissolves the board of troubled mortgage lender DHFL 
On November 20, 2019, In exercise of the powers conferred under Section 45-IE (I) of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has superseded the board of deposit-taking housing finance company- Dewan Housing Finance Limited (DHFL), which is struggling with difficulties due to administrative concerns and default of several loans.
Along with this, RBI has appointed R Subramaniakumar, former managing director (MD) & chief executive of Indian Overseas Bank (IOB), as the administrator of DHFL under Section 45-IE (2) of the Act.
Key Points:
i.With this move, DHFL is become the first non-bank lender to be referred to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) under new rules issued by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, by amending section 227 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC),2016 stating that now NBFC companies with a value of at least Rs 500 crore can be taken for debt resolution & liquidation proceedings.
ii.The insolvency process will soon be initiated under the IBC, 2016 read with the Insolvency and Bankruptcy (Insolvency and Liquidation Proceedings of Financial Service Providers and Application to Adjudicating Authority) Rules, 2019 by a new administrator appointed by the RBI.
iii.DHFL has a total debt of Rs 83,873 crore, of which Rs 38,342 crore was owed to banks.
About DHFL:
Founded -11 April 1984
Headquarters –Mumbai
Chairman & Managing director -Kapil Wadhawan
About RBI:
Headquarters -Mumbai, Maharashtra
Established -1 April 1935
Governor– Shaktikanta Das

IBBI notifies Regulations for Insolvency Resolution and Bankruptcy Proceedings of Personal Guarantors to Corporate Debtors
On November 20, 2019, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) has notified Regulations for Insolvency Resolution and Bankruptcy Proceedings of Personal Guarantors to Corporate Debtors (CDs). This has been done on the sidelines of the notification by Central Government on proceedings of Personal Debtors to Corporate Debtors. These provisions would be effective from December 1.
Key Points:

• Title of Regulations:

i.These regulations called as the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (Insolvency Resolution Process for Personal Guarantors to Corporate Debtors) Regulations, 2019….Click here to Read More

SEBI tightens loan default disclosure norms for listed companies
On November 20, 2019, The Regulator for the Securities market in India, SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) has approved strict provision criteria for listed companies on debt default.
As per new rules, the listed company will have to inform SEBI within 24 hours after the completion of the 30-day period for any loan default. This rule will come into effect from January 1, 2020. This means that if a listed company is unable to repay the principal or interest of the loan taken from the bank on the due date, it will have to make this information public within the next 24 hours after the completion of 30 days.
Key Points:
i.It has increased the requirement of Business Responsibility Report (BRR) for the top 1000 companies to 500 & doubled the minimum investment norm for clients of portfolio management services (PMS) to Rs 50 lakh.
ii.It has also enhanced the networth requirement for PMS from Rs 2 crore to Rs 5 crore & changed the norms for issuing shares on the basis of right for existing shareholders. Its time period will be reduced from 55 days to the current 31 days.
iii.Further, ASBA (Applications Supported by Blocked Amount) facility will be mandatory for all investors applying to a rights issue. In ASBA, an applicant’s bank account doesn’t get debited until shares are allotted to investors.
iv. This step will increase transparency & will help investors as they are troubled due to a lack of information about loan default at the right time.
About SEBI:
Formation– April 12, 1988
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Chairman– Ajay Tyagi

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Reliance Industries becomes 6th largest oil company in the world, Exxon Mobil topped
On November 20, 2019, Mukesh Ambani-led Indian multinational conglomerate Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has joined the elite club of leading companies in the energy supermajors by becoming the 6^th largest listed oil company in the world with a market cap of $ 133.21 billion. Reliance overtook British company, BP plc, which has the market cap of $131.53 billion.
Top 3: The top spot has been secured by American multinational oil and gas corporation, Exxon Mobil with its market cap of $ 286.95 billion.It was followed by Netherlands based Royal Dutch Shell PLC (2nd with $233.07 bn) and Chevron Corporation of US (3rd with $220.19bn).
Key Points:
i.The valuation of the RIL is increasing due to the rise in shares following an announcement by Ambani to make the company debt-free in 18 months.
ii. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Ambani’s net worth is $ 58 billion, making him Asia’s richest person, above Alibaba Group’s Jack Ma ($42.8 bn).He was also the world’s 12^th richest person on a list topped by Microsoft’s Bill Gates ($ 110 bn).
About RIL:
Founded -8 May 1973
Founder -Dhirubhai Ambani
Headquarters -Mumbai, Maharashtra

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS        

Fortune’s businessperson of the year 2019 – Topper Satya Nadella
Satya Nadela, the CEO of Microsoft corporation tops the list of fortune’s businessperson of the year 2019. Fortune is an American multinational business magazine. Fortune’s businessperson of the year 2019 includes 20 business leaders who have excelled in the business world, the list also includes three other business personalities of Indian origin.
List of fortune’s businessperson of the year 2019:

Fortune Magazine:
Headquarters – New York, U.S
Founded – 1929
Founder – Henry Luce
Satya Nadela:
Born – 1967, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
Nationality – American
Known for – CEO of Microsoft

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATION   

Mahinda Rajapaksa appointed as the 23rd Prime Minister of Sri LankaOn November 21, 2019, Percy Mahinda Rajapaksa, 74 has been pledged as the 23rd Prime Minister of Sri Lanka by the president of Sri Lanka Gotabaya Rajapaksa for a 5-year term. He succeeded Ranil Wickremesinghe. Mahinda Rajapaksa is the elder brother of President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. He is the leader of the Sri Lanka People’s Front or Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party.
Key points :-
i.He joined politics at the age of 24 in 1970, thus becoming Sri Lanka’s youngest ever parliamentarian. He is named as “a man with a midas touch” by political analysts.
ii. Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa was the president of Sri Lanka two times in a row from 2005 to 2015, becoming South Asia’s longest-serving leader. Then he was barred due to the two-term limit.
iv.United National Party (UNP) has requested the speaker to name Mr. Wickremsinghe as the leader of the opposite party.
About Sri Lanka:
Capital – Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Currency – Sri Lankan Rupee
Speaker of the Parliament – Karu Jayasuriya
UNP (United National Party ):
Leader – Mr. Ranil Wickremsinghe
Headquarters – Sirikotha, 400 Kotte Road, Pitakotte, Sri Jayawardenapura
Founded – 6th September 1946   

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Prithvi-2 missile successfully test-fired from mobile launcher in Odisha
On November 20 2019, indigenously developed nuclear-capable surface-to-surface Prithvi-2 missile has been successfully test-fired in night from complex-3 of Interim Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, Odisha. The test was a part of a user trial by an Indian Army. The trial was carried out from a mobile launcher by Strategic Force Command (SFC) of the Army and monitored by scientists of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), off Odisha coast. This was 2nd night trial of this missile after February 21, 2018.
Specifications of Prithvi-2 missile:

• This nine-metre tall has a strike range of 350 km.
• It is capable of carrying 500-1,000 kg of warheads and is powered by liquid propulsion twin engines.
• It uses an advanced inertial guidance system with manoeuvring trajectory to hit its target.

Prithvi-2 missile has been developed by DRDO under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP). It is serving the Indian defence forces since 2003.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Pakistani writer Intizar husain’s Urdu novel, ‘Tazkirah’ to be translated into English as ‘The Chronicle’
On November 19, 2019,As per the Publishers Penguin Random House, Booker-prize shortlisted 1987 Urdu novel “Tazkirah” penned by Late Pakistani writer Intizar Husain has been translated into English as “The Chronicle” by American writer Matt Reeck.
Key Points:
i.Tazkirah was initially published by Lahore (Pakistan)-based Sang-e-Meel publications.
ii.The book documents Pakistan’s former president Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq rule & chronicles the story of a family and its illustrious homes.
iii.Reeck has published translations and poetry in the United States and India, and is the recipient of a Fullbright and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the PEN Foundation.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World fisheries day observed on 21st November 2019
The world fisheries day is celebrated every year on the 21st of November. The day is celebrated to intimate people about the importance of water and the lives it supports, the consequence of overfishing, ocean and coastal pollution and the ill treatment of fishermen.
Key points:
i.This year the FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization), the Holy See (the jurisdiction of the bishop of Rome) and ILO (International Labour Organization) and its partners celebrate the 3rd world fisheries day.
ii.The history of the celebration is unknown yet the day plays a vital role in the development of fishing trade among different countries and also to sign new treaties and agreements to promote the growth of fishing.

World Philosophy day observed on 21st of November in 2019The world philosophy day is being observed on the 21 November 2019.It is celebrated every year on the 3rd Thursday of November. This day is celebrated to persist the value of philosophy in shaping minds and culture of people. This day was officially announced by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).
The goals of Philosophy Day:
i.To rejuvenate the involvement of people around the world in Philosophy.
ii.To surrogate the analysis of philosophy in the field of research, education and to confront the people about the challenges they face in life.
iii.To improve the awareness in the significance of philosophy among people and its uses.
iv.To assess the state of philosophy in teaching throughout the world.
v.To intimate the importance of socialization of philosophy teaching to future generations….Click here to Read More

World Television Day observed on November 21, 2019The World Television Day is observed annually on November 21 by the United Nations(UN) under the resolution (A/RES/51/205) to highlight the importance of television in generating communication and globalisation. In december 17 1996 in the UN General Assembly (UNGA), the day was decided to be celebrated, to commemorate the day (Nov 21, 1996) on which the World Television Forum was held.
Key Points:
i.In 1927, Philo Taylor Farnsworth invented the world’s first electronic television.
ii.The World Television Forum was conducted by the UN on November 21 and 22, 1996
iii.As per the United Nations, the number of TV households across the world will rise from 1.63 million of 2017 to 1.74 billion by 2023.
About United Nations General Assembly:
Founded- 1945.
Headquarters- New York, United States(US).
President- Tijjani Muhammad-Bande.

STATE NEWS

Assam govt approved 1 tola gold to brides free of cost under Arundhati gold scheme
On November 20, 2019, the Assam cabinet has given its approval to the Arundhati scheme to provide Rs 30,000 for 1 tola of gold (11.66 grams) at free of cost to brides belonging to economically weaker sections of the society with less than Rs 5 lakh annual income. The scheme can be availed by registering the marriages under Special Marriage (Assam) Rules, 1954 and will reach the beneficiaries at the time of marriage.
Key Points:
i.Scheme benefits: By the launch of this scheme, it is expected to reduce child marriages in the state, as the Minimum age to avail this benefit is 18 years for women and 21 years for male. The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, prevents/prohibits a girl in India getting married before 18 years of age, whereas for a boy it is 21 years of age.
ii.The figure of providing Rs 30,000 for 1 tola of gold has been arrived at after taking its average price for the entire year and it will be revised during the presentation of every budget.
About Arundhati scheme:
Scheme launch- January 1, 2020.
Allocation- Govt has allocated Rs 300 crores for implementing the Arundhati scheme and will spend Rs 800 crore per year.
Registration period- 1 month before from the date of Marriage.
Avail of benefit- The benefit can be availed within one year from the date of marriage. Minimum age to avail this benefit is 18 years for women and 21 years for male and should have completed matriculation (Class 10 pass).
About Assam:
Capital- Dispur
Chief Minister(CM)- Sarbananda Sonowal.
Governor- Jagdish Mukhi.

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