Current Affairs November 28 2018

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 INDIAN AFFAIRS

Union Commerce Minister revealed logo and brochure of 3-day Logix India 2019 which will be held in New Delhi in 2019
On November 27, 2018, the Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu, launched the logo and brochure of Logix India 2019 in New Delhi.

About Logix India 2019:
i. 3-day Logix India 2019 is scheduled to take place in New Delhi from 31^st January to 2^nd February 2019.
ii. It will be organized by the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) to improve logistics cost effectiveness and operational efficiencies for India’s global trade.
iii. FIEO will also focus on investment opportunities in infrastructure development, warehouse consolidation, technology integration and IT enablement and skilling of manpower.
Background:

• India ranked 44 in the World Bank Logistics Performance Index 2018.
• As per the Economic Survey 2017-18, India’s logistics industry which is worth around USD 160 billion is likely to touch USD 215 billion in the next two years.

Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO):
♦ President: Ganesh Kumar Gupta.

One of a kind world-class autism township, worth Rs. 500 crore, set to come up near Kolkata
On November 27, 2018,a non-profit organization named the India Autism Center (IAC) in association with the state government will build a world-class autism township near Kolkata at a cost of Rs 500 crore.
i. This is a one-of-its-kind initiative,IAC,a non-profit organization under Section 8 of Companies Act, 2013 -will come up over a 52-acre plot at Sirakol in South 24 Parganas in the next five years.
ii. The soft launch of the project has been scheduled for January, 2019 and is expected to come up by 2023.
iii. This will house facilities for 350 residents and daycare centre for over 200 children.

Odisha government launched a lexicon for 21 rare tribal languages
On November 27, 2018, Odisha government released lexicons of 21 tribal languages for multilingual education (MLE) purposes for elementary schools in tribal dominated districts.
Objective:
To bring back the tribal languages in circulation and prevent them from vanishing.
Key Points:
i. This initiative has been prepared by Special Development council which will further enhance proficiency in tribal languages.
ii. Thus, this step towards tribal proficiency will help in better connection between the government functionaries and the tribal communities.
iii. Furthermore, the CM of Odisha,Shri. Naveen Patnaik, announced upgradation of the tribal museum as the Odisha State Tribal Museum.
Background:
Odisha is home to the largest number of Scheduled Tribes communities amounting to 62 of different tribal communities including 13 vulnerable tribes. These tribes speak 21 languages and 74 dialects.
Odisha:
♦ Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik.
♦ Governor: Prof. Ganeshi Lal.
♦ Lakes : Chilika Lake, Kanjia Lake, Anshupa Lake, Balimela Reservoir.
♦ Dams: Rengali Dam, Kala dam, Pitamahal Dam, Kansbahal Dam, Tikhali Dam, Deras Dam, Salia Dam, Ghodahada Dam, Kuanria Dam.
♦ Festivals: Kalinga Mahotsav, Chandan Yatra, Durga Puja, Konark Dance Festival, Rath Yatra, Deepavali, Kumar Purnima.

3-day 7th International Tourism Mart held for the first time in Tripura
On 22nd to 24th November, 2018, the 3-day 7th International Tourism Mart (ITM) was held for the first time at the Pragna Bhawan in Agartala, Tripura. It was inaugurated by the Governor of Tripura, Prof. Kaptan Singh Solanki.

Objective:
To highlight the tourism potential of the North Eastern region in the domestic and international markets.
Key Points:
i. It was organized by:

• The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and
• The Department of Tourism, Government of Tripura and the North Eastern States.

ii. The theme for this year’s ITM is – “Adventure tourism”.
iii. The 3-day event was attended by a total of 41 foreign delegates from 18 countries and had an estimated budget of Rs 2.6 crore.
iv. The International Tourism Marts are organized in the North Eastern States and West Bengal on rotation basis. The earlier editions of this mart have been held in Guwahati , Tawang, Shillong, Gangtok and Imphal.
v.India attained 40th Rank in the index of Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index 2017.
Background:
♦ The North East Region of India comprises of 8 states, namely- Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim.
♦ The 1st ITM was held in January 2013 in Guwahati,Assam.
♦ For more information: Click Here
Tripura:
♦ Chief Minister: Biplab Kumar Deb.
♦ Governor: Kaptan Singh Solanki.
♦ National Parks: Clouded Leopard National Park, Rajbari National Park.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

2-day first Russia-India strategic dialogue held in St Petersburg, Russia
On November 26, 2018, the 2-day 1st Russia—India Strategic Dialogue concluded in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Objective:e
To have bilateral discussions dedicated to the priorities of the economic policy of the two countries
Key Points:
i. It was organized by:

• The Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation,
• The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog), and
• The Roscongress Foundation.

ii. From the Indian Side Vice Chairperson of NITI Aayog, Mr. Rajiv Kumar, joined the business meet.
iii. The programme included five thematic roundtables covering the following sectors:
transport, agriculture, support for small and medium-sized business, digital transformation, and industrial cooperation.
iv. The joint Russia—India Trade, Economic, and Investment Cooperation Development Strategy was also presented in the forum.
Russia:
♦ Capital: Moscow.
♦ Currency: Russian ruble.

BANKING & FINANCE

Mandatory Hedging cut to 70% from 100% for Foreign Loans: RBI
On November 27, 2018, central bank of India, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in consultation with the government of India, reduced the mandatory hedging provision to 70 per cent from 100 per cent.
Objective:
To ease the External Commercial Borrowing (ECB) norms
Key Points:
i. This move would enable Indian companies to borrow foreign currency-denominated ECBs for better liquidity as they don’t have to have a 100% hedge coverage.
ii. However, the ECBs thus raised should be under Track I, which refers to medium-term borrowings with average maturity between three and five years.
iii. Further, ECBs falling within the scope which were raised before have to roll over their existing hedge(s) only to the extent of 70 per cent of outstanding ECB exposure.
iv. The initiative was taken to lower hedging costs for foreign loans, especially at a time when the economy is facing liquidity issues, particularly the non-banking financial companies (NBFC).
Other moves taken by the RBI for easing hedging rules:
i. RBI earlier, reduced the minimum tenure for borrowing through the ECB route to three years from five years.
ii. It also reduced the tenure required for exemption from mandatory hedging to five years from 10 years.
What is Hedging?
♦ It is a risk management tool used for reducing probability of loss from changing price of commodity, stocks, securities, etc.
♦ So according to the RBI move, those who could not manage to do 100% risk coverage can also apply for ECBs from now on.

Government of India and Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed $200 Million Loan to improve State Highways in Bihar
On November 26, 2018, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India signed a $200 million loan in New Delhi to fund upgradation of 230 kilometers State Highways in Bihar under  Bihar State Highways III Project (BSHP-III).
i. The Signatories were:

• Mr. Sameer Kumar Khare, Additional Secretary (Fund Bank and ADB), Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance, GOI and
• Mr. Rajeev P. Singh, Officer in-Charge of ADB’s India Resident Mission.

ii. The loan agreement will help to upgrade all State Highways to meet the minimum two-lane standard with better surfaces and improved road safety leading to improved connectivity.
iii. Under the project,a State-level Road Research Institute will  also be established to improve technical and management capacity of the Road Agency Staff.
About Bihar State Highways III Project (BSHP-III):
i. It was approved by the ADB Board in October 2018.
ii. It will involve upgrading State Highways to standard two-lane width with road safety features and paved shoulders including reconstructing, widening, and strengthening culverts and bridges.
iii. The Project will also build institutional capacity of the State for road design and maintenance and incorporate appropriate new technologies in the State’s road sub-sector.
Background:
Since 2008, ADB has provided four loans to Bihar, amounting to $1.43 billion, to upgrade about 1,453 km of State Highways and to construct a New Bridge over the Ganga River near Patna.
Bihar:
♦ Chief Minister: Nitish Kumar.
♦ Governor: Lalji Tandon.
♦ National Parks: Valmiki Tiger Reserve, Pant (Rajgir)  Wild Life Sanctuary, Udaipur  Wild Life Sanctuary, Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin  Wild Life Sanctuary, Kaimur  Wild Life Sanctuary.
ADB:
♦ Headquarters: Manila, Philippines.
♦ President: Takehiko Nakao.
♦ Established in 1966.
♦ Members: 67 (48 regional members).

Government of India and Asian Development Bank (ADB) inked $75 Million loan to improve Urban Services in 4 coastal towns and Mangalore in Karnataka
On November 27, 2018, Government of India and the Asian Development Bank signed a $75 million loan in New Delhi to fund projects under Karnataka Integrated Urban Water Management Investment Program.

Objective:
To provide 24 x7 water supply in 4 coastal towns of Karnataka and improve sanitation infrastructure for Mangalore town.
Key Points:
i. The 4 towns of Karnataka to have 24×7 water supply are: Kundapura, Mangalore Puttur and Udupi.
ii. The signatories to the tranche 2 loan agreement of were

• Mr. Sameer Kumar Khare, Additional Secretary (Fund Bank and ADB), Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, who signed for the Government of India, and
• Mr. Sabyasachi Mitra,Deputy Country Director of ADB’s India Resident Mission.

iii. Approved in 2014, the tranche 1 of the $75 million loan is currently helping strengthen urban water supply and sanitation services in three other towns of the State – Byadagi, Davangere, and Harihar.
iv. Under the project the following will happen:

• Augmentation of water treatment production capacity by about 16 MLD,
• Laying of 90 kilometers of new water transmission lines and feeder mains,
• Construction 29 overhead tanks and four ground-level service reservoirs and
• Establishment of town level supervisory control and data acquisition system.

v. Also, In Mangalore, about 11 km of pumping mains will be installed to rehabilitate the sewerage system.
Karnataka:
♦ Chief Minister: H D Kumaraswamy.
♦  Governor: Shri Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala.
♦ National parks: Anshi National Park, Bandipur National Park, Bannerghatta National Park, Kudremukh National Park.

World Bank signs Sh327m science training deal
On 23^rd November 2018, The World bank signed a Sh327m ($3.8 million) deal with International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) which will be used to fund training in Science and Innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa.
i. It is a part of a larger Sh922.1 million ($9 million) grant by Korean government to support Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF) to create a competent pool of researchers in Applied Sciences Engineering and Technology.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

India and China signed protocol to Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement to prevent tax evasion
On November 26, 2018, the Government of India and the People’s Republic of China signed a protocol to amend the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) for the avoidance of double taxation and prevention of tax evasion through exchange of information.
i. According to the amended treaty,

• The existing provisions for exchange of information to the latest international standards have been updated,
• Changes have been made related to minimum standard of implementation of treaty under the Action reports of Base Erosion & Profit Shifting (BEPS) Project.

Background:
Under Section 90 of the Income-tax Act, 1961, India can enter into an agreement with a foreign country or specified territory for the avoidance of double taxation of income, for the exchange of information for the prevention of evasion.
About Base Erosion & Profit Shifting (BEPS):
BEPS are tax avoidance strategies that exploit gaps and mismatches in tax rules to artificially shift profits to low or no-tax locations.
China:
♦ Capital: Beijing.
♦ Currency: Renminbi.

India recorded highest average real wage growth in South Asia during 2008-17: ILO report
On November 27, 2018, according to an annual report named- “Global Wage Report 2018/19: What Lies behind Gender pay gaps”, released by International Labour Organisation (ILO).India recorded the highest average real wage growth in South Asia during 2008-17.
Highlights:
i. The Global wage growth in 2017 was not only lower than in 2016, but fell to its lowest growth rate since 2008.
ii. In the advanced G20 countries, real wage growth declined drastically especially in Europe (excluding Eastern Europe) countries like France, Germany, Italy and Spain.
iii. In emerging and developing countries of the G20, real wage growth has fluctuated in recent years, rising from 2.9 per cent in 2015 to 4.9 per cent in 2016, and then falling back to 4.3 per cent in 2017.
iv. Workers in Asia and the Pacific have enjoyed the highest real wage growth among all regions over the period 2006–17 led by countries such as China, India, Thailand and Vietnam.
v. Taking a longer perspective,real wages between 1999 and 2017 have almost tripled in the emerging and developing countries of the G20,while in advanced G20 countries they have increased by a much lower total of 9 per cent.
vi. The countries with the lowest levels of wage inequality are found among the high-income group, whereas countries with the highest levels of wage inequality are found in the low- and middle-income groups.
vii. Among high-income countries, wage inequality is lowest in Sweden and highest in Chile.
viii. Among low-income and middle-income countries, South Africa and Namibia have the highest inequality, Armenia and Mongolia the lowest.
ix. The (weighted) global gender pay gap stands at around 16 per cent for average (mean) hourly wages.
For more information:Click here
About the report:
i. The survey data on wages was taken from 64 countries which, together, reflects the wage distribution of about 75 per cent of the world’s wage employees.
ii. The data on average (mean) hourly wages was taken from 73 countries that cover about 80 per cent of the world’s employees.
ILO:
♦ Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.
♦ Director-General:  Guy Ryder.
♦ Member states: 187 countries.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

14 Scientist awarded with Swarnajayanti Fellowships 2017-18 award: Dept. of Science and Technology (DST)
On November 27, 2018, 14 scientists have been selected for the prestigious Swarnajayanti fellowship award instituted by the Department of Science and Technology, for the year 2017-18.
i. The awards were given in the areas of: Chemical Sciences, Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, Engineering Sciences, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, and Mathematical Sciences.
ii. Following shows the list of awardees:

• Sripada S V Rama Sastry, Sebastian C Peter in Chemical Sciences
• KG Arun, GV Pavan Kumar in Physical Science
• Girdhari Lal, Chandrima Das, Arun Kumar Shukla in Life Sciences.
• Mayank Vatsa, Yogesh Singh Chauhan and Ashish Kumar Sen in Engineering Sciences
• Saket Saurabh and Parthanil Roy in Mathematical Sciences.
• Ramananda Chakrabarti and Punyasloke Bhadury in Earth and atmospheric sciences.

About the Award:
i. It was instituted on the 50th Independence day of India.
ii. The support will cover all the requirements for performing the research and will include a fellowship of Rs.25,000/- per month for five years.
Department of Science and Techonology:
♦ Union Minister: Dr. Harsh Vardhan.

Indian Social Entrepreneur Sanjay Kumar won the First UN Geospatial Ambassador Award
On November 19, 2018, Sanjay Kumar, Founder and CEO of Geospatial Media & Communications, was conferred the ‘Global Geospatial Industry Ambassador’ Award at the United Nations World Geospatial Information Congress held at Deqing city in China.The Theme of the Congress is “The Geospatial Way to a Better World”.

i. This was given by the UN-GGIM (United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management).
ii.UN award recognizes Kumar’s perseverance to create awareness about geospatial technologies, to connect communities and build networks.
iii. He has an experience of 20 years working as a geospatial evangelist.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

President Kovind appoints Sunil Arora as new Chief Election Commissioner
On 26^th November, 2018 Sunil Arora, who is the senior-most commissioner in the poll panel, has been appointed as the new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) by President Ram Nath Kovind. Arora will take charge as the CEC on December 2 by replacing current CEC OP Rawat, who retires on December 1.

Key points:
i. Mr Arora was appointed to the election body in September last year.
ii. A 1980-batch IAS officer of the Rajasthan cadre, Arora was the skill development secretary before he was appointed as the top bureaucrat in the I&B Ministry. He has also worked in ministries and departments such as Finance, Textiles and Planning Commission and was also CMD of Indian Airlines for five years besides working as the principal secretary to the CM of Rajasthan from 2005-2008.
iii. Arora retired in April 2016, following which he was appointed as an advisor to Prasar Bharti and then as director general and CEO of the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs.
iv. He will have nearly two-and-a-half-year tenure as CEC, with the general election 2019 to be conducted under his administration.
About Chief Election Commissioner (CEC):
♦ Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners appointed by: President
♦ Tenure of CEC: six years or hold the office till the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.

CBDT appoints Akhilesh Ranjan as Head of Convenor of Task Force
On 26^th November, 2018 the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) member Akhilesh Ranjan was appointed as convenor of New Direct Tax Law Task Force, the committee which is drafting a new tax law and was constituted by the Government of India in November, 2017. He will replace former CBDT member Arbind Modi who retired in September this year.
Key points:
i. The appointment was made by CBDT with the approval of the Finance Minister.
ii. The six member task force will review the Income-tax Act, 1961 and draft a new direct tax law in line with the norms prevalent in other countries, incorporating international best practices and in consonance with the economic needs of the country.
iii. The Task Force shall submit its report to the Government by February 28, 2019.
iv.Girish Ahuja, Rajiv Memani, Mukesh Patel, Mansi Kedia and G C Srivastava were the other members of the Committee.
Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT):
♦ CBDT Chairman: Sushil Chandra
♦ CBDT Headquarters: New Delhi

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Paisa – Portal for Affordable Credit & Interest Subvention Access launched by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
On 26^th November 2018, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launched a portal called ‘PaiSA’- a centralised electronic platform for processing interest subvention on bank loans to beneficiaries under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM). The portal will help the government to connect directly with the beneficiaries, ensuring that there is greater transparency and efficiency in delivery of services.
Key points:
i. ‘PaiSA’ stands for “Portal for Affordable Credit and Interest Subvention Access”.
ii. The web platform has been designed and developed by Allahabad Bank which is also the Nodal bank.
iii. The portal was launched during the course of a daylong National Workshop on Municipal Finance and Urban Planning organised by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in New Delhi.
iv. All 35 states / UT’s & all scheduled commercial banks, RRBs and Cooperative Banks are expected to be on board the PAiSA portal the year end.
About Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA):
♦ Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs: Hardeep Singh Puri.

Health Ministry launches a new state-of-the art Information Platform to monitor public health surveillance
On 26^th November, 2018 Union Health Secretary, Preeti Sudan launched a new state-of-the-art information platform to monitor public health surveillance in seven states.
Key points:
i. The Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) segment of Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) will provide near-real-time data to policy makers for detecting outbreaks, reducing the morbidity and mortality and lessening disease burden in the populations and better health systems.
ii. For effective implementation of the platform, 32,000 people at the block level, 13,000 at the district level and 900 at the state level have been trained.
iii. The Union Secretary of Health also launched the IHIP vision and a ready-reckoner developed to navigate the platform.
iv. The Platform has been developed by collaboration of World Health Organisation (WHO) with numerous government stakeholders.
About Health Ministry:
♦ Minister of Health and Family Welfare: Jagat Prakash Nadda
♦ Minister of State for Health:  Ashwini Kumar Choubey and Anupriya Patel

Nasa’s InSight probe lands on Mars for unprecedented seismic exploration
On 26^th November, 2018 National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA’s) InSight spacecraft, the first robotic lander designed to study the deep interior of a distant world, touched down safely on the surface of Mars after a six-month long and about 300 million-mile (548 million-kilometre) journey.
Key points:
i. It was NASA’s ninth attempt to land at Mars since the 1976 Viking probes with 8 of them successfully landing on the Mars.The last landed spacecraft on Mars by NASA was on the year 2012
ii. InSight will spend 24 months – about one Martian year.
iii. The InSight has carried with itself, the instruments that detect planetary heat and seismic rumblings never measured anywhere else but Earth.
iv. The study will unlock mysteries about how Mars was formed and, by extension, the origins of the Earth and other rocky planets of the inner solar system will be identified.
v. The 360kg InSight – is short form for Interior Exploration Using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport.

ENVIRONMENT

Sashastra Seema Bal to patrol Dudhwa tiger reserve
Sashastra Seema Bal(SSB) and Dudhwa Tiger Reserve of Uttar Pradesh have decided to work together for the security of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve and its rich flora and fauna. As per the agreement, security of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve will be handed over to Sashastra Seema Bal.
Key Points
i. A Common consensus was reached among various security agencies including Special Tiger Protection Force, Custom and excise officials, Sashastra Seema Bal, Central and local intelligence officers and local DTR staffs.
ii. Information about the activities of wildlife and forest criminals will be shared among various security agencies in order to prevent illegal poaching in the forest.
About Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR)
♦ State: Uttar Pradesh
♦ Area: 1284.3 sq. km
About Uttar Pradesh
♦ Chief Minister: Yogi Adityanath
♦ Governor: Ram Naik

Scientists designed stratospheric barrier to curb warming
On November 24, 2018, scientists at the Harvard University designed a geo- engineering technique known as Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI)which might half the rate of global warming.
i. This would consist of spraying sulphate particles above the earth at an altitude of 20km creating a shield against sunlight.
ii. The hypothetical process can be deployed with estimated cost of $2.25 billion a year over a 15-year period.
iii. The report was published in the journal Environmental Research Letters.

Pygmy false catshark: New deep sea shark species found, first in India since 2011
On November 24, 2018, a new deep-sea shark species named Pygmy false catshark, was discovered in the northern Indian Ocean.
This is the first such discovery in India since the Mangalore hound shark in 2011.
i. The scientific name of the species is Planonasus indicus – ‘planus’ meaning flat and ‘nasus’ meaning nose.
ii. Its physical features are: 65cm long, dark brown in colour without any prominent pattern.
iii. This was discovered by scientists from the US and Germany in association with the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI).

SPORTS

Dipa Karmakar grabs bronze in vault event at Artistic Gymnastics World Cup held in Cottbus, Germany
On 24^th November 2018, India’s 25 year old Dipa Karmakar won Bronze medal in the Vault event of Artistic Gymnastics World Cup organized by Federation Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) held in Cottbus, Germany after returning from an injury she suffered in the 2018 Asian Games. With this performance, she comes a step closer towards qualifying for 2020 Olympics.

Key Points:
i. She scored 14.316 in the final of vault event of the Artistic Gymnastics World cup which is also a part of eight-event qualifying system for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
ii. Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade won the Gold Medal with a score of 14.728 whereas USA’s Jade Carey won silver with a score of 14.516.
iii. She qualified for the Finals with the score of 14.100 on 23^rd November, She ranked at sixth place out of 16 gymnasts in the qualification.
Federation Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG)
♦ Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland
♦ President: Morinari Watanabe
About Germany
♦ Capital: Berlin
♦ Currency: Euro

Croatia wins the 2018 Davis Cup, beating France 3-1
On 25^th November 2018, Croatia defeated the defending champion France in the final of 2018 Davis Cup organized by BNP Paribas (Banque Nationale de Paris) for securing the title second time after 13 years.

Key Points
i. Marin Cilic of Croatia defeated France’s Lucas Pouille by 7-6, 6-3 and 6-3 in the final of Davis Cup and sealed the title for france.
ii. Croatia wins the title for the second time after 2005.
iii. From the next year the format of Davis Cup will be changed. There will be a qualification tournament from next year which sort out the 12 team along the 4 semi-finalists of previous year and two wild cards.
About Croatia
♦ Capital: Zagreb
♦ Currency: Croatian Kuna
About France
♦ Capital: Paris
♦ Currency: Euro and CFP Franc

Netherlands win FIH Women’s Hockey Champions Trophy
 On 25^th November, 2018 the Netherlands took a decisive seventh title at the International Hockey Federation (FIH) Women’s Hockey Champions Trophy event with a 5-1 victory over Australia in Changzhou Wujin, China.

Key points:
i. This is Netherland’s 43rd consecutive win in the tournament’s final and thus Netherlands remain the world’s number one women’s team in the FIH Hero World Rankings, a position they have held since October 2011.
ii. The Dutch players also reaped three individual awards of the tournament. Eva de Goede was crowned Best Player; Marijn Veen won two awards, as Best Scorer with five goals in the tournament and also as the Rising Player.
iii. The Best Goalkeeper award went to China’s Ye Jiao.
iv. Australia finished second, followed by Argentina which stood third.
v. The tournament featured only six teams: Netherlands, Britain, Australia, Argentina, Asian Games champion Japan and host China.
About Netherlands:
♦ Netherlands Capital: Amsterdam
♦ Netherlands Currency: Euro, United States Dollar

OBITUARY

Oscar-winning director Bernardo Bertolucci passes away
On 26^th November 2018, 77 year old multi award winner Italian Director Bernardo Bertolucci died after Cancer. He had won Oscar for the best director for the Movie “The Last Emperor”.

The Italian director had directed various award winning movies like The Conformist and Last Tango in Paris.

Iravatham Mahadevan, leading scholar on the Indus Valley and Tamil Brahmi scripts, passes away
On 26^th November 2018, 88 years old One of the world’s leading Scholar on Indus Valley and Tamil Brahmi scripts, Iravatham Mahadevan passed away after a brief illness in Chennai.
The Former Member of Indian Administrative Services (IAS) and Padma Shri-awardee devoted himself to the study of India’s early writing systems.
i.He was awarded the Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship in 1970 for his research on the Indus script and the National Fellowship of the Indian Council of Historical Research in 1992 for his work on the Tamil Brahmi inscriptions.
ii.‘The Indus Script – Texts, Concordance and Tables,’ compiled by Iravatham Mahadevan was published by the Archaeological survey of India in 1977.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Congress MP Rajeev Gowda released book on Telengana CM titled ‘The Betrayer of Telangana’
On November 26, 2018, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Gowda released a book on Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao titled ‘The Betrayer of Telangana’.
i. The book focuses on the failure of the CM to provide jobs, better education and health facility to the people of the state.
ii. He released a report card of the work done by Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government in past four years.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Shri Kiren Rijiju inaugurated NDMA’s 14th Formation Day
On 27 November 2018, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju inaugurated the 14^th Formation day of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). This Year’s theme was “Early Warning for Disasters”.
Key Points
i. NDMA released a training manual for masons on Hazard-Resistant Construction and a study report on “Gujarat Floods 2017”a case study released.
ii. The Economic impact and loss of lives after a  Disaster can be minimized by Early Warning. So NDMA aims to prepare a strong early warning system so as to make the country disaster resilient.
About National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)
♦ Headquarters: New Delhi
♦ Parent Department: Ministry of Home Affairs
♦ Agency Executive: Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India

Indian Organ Donation Day: 27 November
On 27 November 2018, National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) organized 9^th Indian Organ Donation Day in Delhi.
Various Awards in the area of Organ Donation and Transplant were distributed in the event:

About National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO)
♦ Headquarters: New Delhi
♦ Parent Department: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
♦ Minister of Health and Family Welfare: Jagat Prakash Nadda