Current Affairs November 6 2018

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 INDIAN AFFAIRS

Ministry of Food Processing Industries issued guidelines for ‘Operation Greens’
On November 5, 2018, Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) under Union Minister Smt Harsimrat Kaur Badal approved the strategy for operationalisation of Operation Greens.
i. The strategy consists of the following:

• Short term Price Stabilisation Measures,
• Long Term Integrated value chain development projects.

ii. The Short term Price Stabilisation measures would be implemented by the Nodal agency NAFED and MoFPI will provide 50% of the subsidy for transport and storage of TOP (Tomato, Onion, Potato).
iii. The Long Term Integrated value chain development projects would include:

• Capacity Building of FPOs & their consortium
• Quality production
• Post-harvest processing facilities
• Agri-Logistics
• Marketing / Consumption Points
• Creation and Management of e-platform for demand and supply management of TOP Crops.

iv. According to this, grants-in-aid at the rate of 50% of the eligible project would be given to maximum Rs. 50 crores per project. And the aid would be increased to 70% for Farmer Producer Organizations (FPO).
v. For the completion of the application, applicants would need to submit their application on the SAMPADA portal of the ministry (https://sampada.gov.in/)
vi. The Ministry also has produced a list of clusters where the TOP would be produces. For more information: Click Here
Background:
In the budget speech of 2018-19, a new Scheme “Operation Greens” was announced on the line of “Operation Flood”, with an outlay of Rs.500 crore to promote Farmer Producers Organizations, agri-logistics, processing facilities and professional management.
Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI):
♦ Union Minister: Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal.
♦ Minister of State: Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti.

NMCG & HCL foundation to engage in Afforestation and Public outreach activities through “Bal Ganga Mela”
On November 5, 2018, National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) partnered up with HCL Foundation and German development agency GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) to organize “Bal Ganga Mela” at HCL’s Noida campus.
Objective:
To encourage students to become ambassadors of change.
Important achievements in the “Bal Ganga Mela”:
i. NMCG signed an MoU with the HCL Foundation for the following:

• To work on tributaries of Ganga, – Hindon and Yamunaand
• Increase  forest cover in parts of UP and Uttarakhand.

ii. The MOU consists of:

• Sensitization/awareness programs on Forest and Environment Conservation.

About the “Bal Ganga Mela”:
i. The day marks the declaration of Ganga as the National River of India in 2008 and is dedicated to raising awareness to become environmentally aware.
ii. The Bal Ganga Mela was inaugurated by Shri U. P. Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation.
iii. More than 500 children from HCL Foundation-supported government schools in Noida participated in activities like Water Quality Testing, Waste Segregation, Interactive Games, Street Play, Rangoli, Painting, etc.
NMCG:
♦ Director General: Shri Rajiv Ranjan Mishra.
♦ Headquarters: New Delhi.

PMCH to be redeveloped into world’s largest 5462 bed hospital: Bihar Cabinet
On November 4, 2018, the Bihar cabinet, chaired by CM Nitish Kumar, approved redevelopment of Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) into world’s largest 5462-bed hospital. It also took 33 more decisions in the cabinet.

i. The estimated cost for the project is: Rs. 5540.07 crore.
ii. Established in 1925, the hospital would be redeveloped by Bihar Medical Services & Infrastructure Corporation Ltd (BMSICL) and would be redeveloped in three phases in seven years.
iii. It would be world’s largest hospital having 5462 bed, as against the present 1754 bed, with 36 super speciality departments against the present eight super speciality department.
iv. Also, the number of MBBS seats would be increased to 250 against the existing 150.
v. Additionally, it would be a “green building” which will have its connectivity with “Loknayak Ganga Path”.
vi. Presently, the world’s largest hospital currently is in Belgrade with 3500 bed.
Other Approvals:
i. It approved home department’s proposal to increase daily/training allowance for home guard jawans to Rs 774 per working day from existing Rs 400 per working day.
ii. It also sanctioned Rs 3031.03 crore for carrying out maintenance of 5331.65 km of roads in south Bihar and Rs 3623.27 crore sanctioned for maintenance of 7731.61 km roads in north Bihar under “Long Term Output and Performance Based Road Asset Maintenance Contract”.
iii. It also also sanctioned Rs 1450 crore from Bihar Contingency Fund (BCF) for providing assistance to the drought hit 275 blocks of 23 districts in the state.
iv. Furthermore, it also sanctioned Rs 392 crore for disbursement of loans in 2018-19 under Student Credit Card scheme to be given by Bihar State Educational Finance Corporation Ltd.
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.
♦ Festivals: Chatth Puja, Sama-Chakeva, Ramnavami, Makar-Sankranti, Bihula, Madhushravani, Basant Panchami, Shivratri, Raksha Bandhan, Holi, Durga Puja, Deepawali, Id.

Manipur government declares war on drugs
Manipur government has declared a war on drugs. Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh announced that the state government and the security forces have initiated projects to eliminate drug addiction and take strict action against drug dealers.
i. Fast track courts have been set up to try the offenders. Manipur is close to the Golden Triangle in Southeast Asia, which is heavily affected by drug trafficking.
ii. Manipur government along with the Army and Assam Rifles is eliminating poppy cultivation. Poppy cultivators are rehabilitated with lemongrass cultivation.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Korea Marine Exercise Program (KMEP): South Korea & US resume military drills
On 5^th November 2018, South Korea and the United States resumed their battalion-level marine exercises “Korea Marine Exercise Program (KMEP)”, in Pohang, South Korea.

i. KMEP was suspended in May 2018 for 6 months in the middle of peace efforts with North Korea by South Korea and United States.
ii. US and South Korea were supposed to conduct 19 rounds of training as part of the exercise in fiscal 2018 (from October 2017 to September 2018). So far only 11 rounds have been performed.
iii.500 troops from the South Korean Marine Corps and the US III Marine Expeditionary Force are participating.
About South Korea:
♦ Capital – Seoul
♦ Currency – South Korean won
♦ Official languages – Korean, Korean Sign Language
♦ President – Moon Jae-in
♦ Prime Minister – Lee Nak-yeon

India & Sharjah to boost economic ties: ‘Sharjah-India Business Roundtable’
On November 5, 2018, India and Sharjah decided to boost economic ties at The ‘Sharjah-India Business Roundtable’, that was held in Sharjah, UAE.

i. It was organized by Sharjah FDI Office, Invest in Sharjah.
ii. It was held on the sidelines of the Indian-UAE Partnership Summit that was held in October 30-31, 2018 in Dubai.
iii. The conference focused on addressing the investment opportunities spanning across emerging sectors such as technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and renewable energy, in a bid to expand the number of businesses in Sharjah.
iv. Sudesh K. Aggarwal, chairman of the Indian Business and Professional Council in Sharjah senior representatives from the Business Leaders Forum, and more than 100 Indian investors participated in the roundtable.
Background:
Sharjah is one the key drivers for Indian outbound investment into the Gulf region, valued at more than USD 137 billion and a primary non-oil trade partner.
United Arab Emirates (UAE):
♦ Capital: Abu Dhabi.
♦ Currency: UAE dirham.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

HSBC-ING completed industry’s first blockchain-based transaction for Reliance Industries
On November 5, 2018, HSBC India and ING Bank Brussels finished executing a blockchain enabled, live trade finance transaction jointly with Reliance Industries and Tricon Energy.

i. The letter of credit (LC) was issued by ING Bank on behalf of the importer Tricon Energy (USA) with HSBC India acting as the advisory bank for RIL.
ii. The end-to-end transaction was executed on R3’s Corda blockchain platform which is a single shared application which brings all the parties in one single platform.
iii. It is an industry first Blockchain platform that is integrated with Bolero’s electronic Bill of Lading (eBL) platform to issue and manage an electronic Bill of Lading.
iv. This would reduce the timelines involved in exchange of export documentation from the extant 7 to 10 days to less than a day.
v. It also enhances transparency, security and synergy across all the parties and stakeholders involved.
vi. This would act as an alternative to conventional exchanges for paper-based documentation.
HSBC:
♦ Group Chairman: Mark E Tucker.
♦ Full Form: Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation.
♦ CEO: John Flint.
♦ Headquarters: London, UK

ICICI Bank launched co-branded credit card with Amazon pay
On October 30, 2018, ICICI Bank announced partnership with ‘Amazon Pay’ to launch a co-branded credit card, ‘Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card’.

i. This co-branded card is available on Visa platform.
ii. This move is expected to help significantly expand the credit card customer base for the bank.
iii. This will make online shopping more affordable and provide the best value to Amazon Pay customers.
iv. The features of the card are:

• Would enable Amazon Prime members earn 5 per cent reward points on shopping on Amazon.in.
• Other customers to get 3 per cent reward points.
• Additional 2 per cent reward points on spends at Amazon Pay partner merchants across categories such as food delivery, utility payments, movie ticketing etc.
• The reward points are equivalent to same number of rupees.
• Also, they are uncapped, non-expiring and can be redeemed for millions of products on Amazon.in.

For Further information: Click Here
ICICI Bank:
♦ Headquarters: Mumbai.
♦ MD& CEO: Mr. Sandeep Bakshi.
♦ Chairman: Mr. Girish Chandra Chaturvedi.
♦ Tagline: Hum Hain Na!

No anti-dumping duty on PTFE resin from India, China: USITC
On November 5, 2018, the US International Trade Commission (USITC) ruled against anti-dumping duty on the imports of a synthetic fluoropolymer, a key ingredient in non-stick coating for pans and other cookware, from India and China.
i. PTFE has a variety of end-use applications including gaskets, seals, linings, packing materials, tubing, pipe liners, and pipe coatings due to its chemical inertness, heat resistance, electrical insulation properties and functionality over a wide temperature range (-40C to 260C).
Background:
PTFE imports from India would have been subject to an anti-dumping duty of 22.78 per cent if not for this ruling.
US International Trade Commission (USITC):
♦ Headquarters: Washington D.C.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

“Mere Pyaare Prime Minister” is the only Asian Film screened at Rome Film Festival
“Mere Pyaare Prime Minister” was the only Asian film that was screened at the 13^th Rome Film Festival held from 18^th to 28^th October 2018 in Rome.

Key Points:
i. On 23 October 2018, the Official Selection of the Rome Film Fest presented 3 productions from 3 different continents.
ii. From Asia, filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s upcoming film “Mere Pyaare Prime Minister” was screened.
iii. The film is produced by Bharathi Mehra. The film speaks about the social issue of open defecation.
iv. The film focuses on four children living in a slum in Mumbai. One of the kids wants to build a toilet for his single mother and makes an appeal to the Prime Minister.

Namrata Ahuja bags IPI-India Award for excellence in journalism 2018
Namrata Biji Ahuja of The Week magazine has been awarded the IPI (International Press Institute) India Award for excellence in journalism 2018.
Key Points:
i. Namrata Biji Ahuja is a senior special correspondent with The Week magazine. She has received this award for her exclusive story on Nagaland underground camps.
ii. The award consisted of a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh, a trophy and a citation. The jury was headed by former Attorney-General of India Soli Sorabjee.
iii. IPI India had instituted the award in 2003. It is awarded annually to honour the best work done by an Indian media organisation or journalist working in print, radio, television and internet mediums.
iv. Work done in public interest, safeguarding of freedom of the press and other freedoms like human rights are recognized.
About IPI (International Press Institute):
♦ Chairperson – Markus Spillmann
♦ Based in – Vienna, Austria
♦ Objective – promotion of free exchange of accurate and balanced news among countries

Dr. Ramdas M Pai, MAHE Chancellor, conferred ‘Lifetime Achievement Award 2018’ by FICCI
On 30^th October 2018, Dr. Ramdas M Pai, Chancellor and President of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), was awarded ‘Lifetime Achievement Award 2018’ by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), in New Delhi.
i. Dr. Ramdas M Pai is also Chairman Emeritus, Manipal Education and Medical Group. He has been awarded for his contributions in the fields of education and healthcare.
ii. The award was received by Dr. H Vinod Bhat, Vice Chancellor, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, from Secretary, Ministry of Human Resources Development (HRD) as Dr. Ramdas M Pai was unable to attend the function.

FIH Honorary Awards 2018 in New Delhi
On 1^st November 2018, International Hockey Federation (FIH) Honorary Awards 2018 ceremony was held at the Lalit Hotel in New Delhi.
Key Points:
i. The FIH Honorary Awards honours individuals or National Associations who have made an outstanding contribution to the sport of hockey.
ii. The award winners are listed below:
Order of Merit:

• Sue Catton
• Alain Renaud
• Yoshida Motohito
• Peter Wefers-Bettink

Diploma of Merit:

• Nii Quay Kumar
• Brigadier Mussarat Ullah Khan
• Choi-Cho Yoon

President’s Award:

• Dr Thomas Bach (International Olympic Committee (IOC) President)
• Marijke Fleuren
• Pam Elgar
• Alberto Budeisky
• Marc Coudron
• Yokoyama Hide
• Sheikh Al-Fahad Al-Sabah Ahmad
• Naveen Patnaik
• Raj Kumar Singh
• HRH Prince Abdullah Shah
• The Hockey Museum
• Germany Men’s U21 Hockey Team

Pablo Negre Trophy: Koninklijke Nederlandse Hockey Bond
Super Fair Play Trophy Rene G. Frank: China Women’s Hockey Team
Guust Lathouwers Memorial Trophy: Harchan Singh Dillon
Theo Ykema Award: Federation Deportiva Peruana de Hockey
Etienne Glichitch Award:  Herman Kruis
Sultan Azlan Shah Award: Chaiyapak Siriwat

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

IESA announced appointment of Rajesh Ram Mishra as the New President
On November 5, 2018, India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA), announced appointment of Rajesh Ram Mishra as its new President.
i. The appointment is effective from October 29, 2018.
ii.IESA is the trade body representing the Indian Electronic System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) industry.
IESA:
♦ Headquarters: Bangalore.
♦ Chairman: Anilkumar Muniswamy.

Gafur Rakhimov elected as AIBA president
On November 5, 2018, Gafur Rakhimov , an Uzbek businessman, was elected president of International Boxing Association (AIBA) , the amateur boxing federation.

i. He replaced previous president CK Wu.
ii. He won 86 out of 134 second-round votes against his only opponent, former boxer Serik Konakbayev.
iii. He was a former boxer and coach and has been involved in AIBA since 1995.
iv. In January 2018, he became AIBA Interim President.
v. Rahimov was awarded with the Honorary Order of the Olympic Council of Asia in 2003, after being a member of its Council since 1999.
vi. In 2008, he also won the ANOC Merit Award for his involvement in the Olympic Family.
International Boxing Association (AIBA):
♦ Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland.

Nina Tshering La : the next Ambassador of India to the Democratic Republic of Congo
On November 5, 2018, Ms Nina Tshering La, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Congo.
i. She is currently the Ambassador of India to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
ii. She will be provided with residence in Kinshasa.
Democratic republic of congo:
♦ Capital: Kinhasa.
♦ Currency: Congolese franc, Zairean zaire.
Republic of Congo:
♦ Capital: Brazzaville.
♦ Currency: CFA franc, Central African CFA franc.

Sanjay Kumar Verma appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Japan
On November 2, 2018, Shri Sanjay Kumar Verma (IFS: 1988) was appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Japan.
i. He is presently the Additional Secretary at Headquarter of Foreign Affairs Ministry.
Japan:
♦ Capital: Tokyo.
♦ Currency: Japanese yen

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Nuclear sub INS Arihant successfully completed its first deterrence patrol
On November 5, 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced successful completion of first deterrence patrol of the Indian nuclear submarine INS Arihant.

i. INS Arihant, is a 6,000-tonne ship that comes under the direct control of the Nuclear Command Authority headed by PM Modi.
ii. It has been under development for three decades.
iii. It will now act as a fully functional underwater ballistic missile delivery platform.
iv. It now has a maritime strike capability to land- and air-based delivery platforms thus completing India’s nuclear triad.
v. All the big five nuclear nations — the US, Russia, France, China and the UK — are already full-fledged nuclear triad powers.
vi. Thus the success of INS Arihant places India in the league of the few countries that can design, construct and operate Strategic Strike Nuclear Submarines (SSBN).
Indian Navy:
♦ Chief of Naval Staff: Admiral Sunil Lanba.
♦ Vice-Chief of Naval Staff: Vice Admiral Ajit Kumar.
♦ Headquarters: New Delhi.

SPORTS

SaarLorLux Open 2018 (badminton tournament)
From 30^th October to 4^th November 2018, SaarLorLux Open 2018 badminton tournament, was held in Saarbrücken, Germany.
i. 2018 SaarLorLux Open was the 10^th Super 100 tournament of the 2018 BWF World Tour.
ii. The tournament was organized by German Badminton Association and was sanctioned by the BWF (Badminton World Federation).
iii. Total prize money for the tournament was $75,000.
Winners:

Rolex Paris Masters 2018 (Tennis Tournament)
From 27^th October to 4^th November 2018, Rolex Paris Masters 2018 was held on the hard surfaces of AccorHotels Arena in Paris, France.

i. Paris Masters is an annual tennis tournament for male tennis players held in Paris, France. It is a part of the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) World Tour Masters 1000 on the ATP Tour.
ii. 2018 Paris Masters is the 47th edition of the tournament.
Winners:

Marc Marquez clinches MotoGP Malaysian Grand Prix 2018
On 4^th November 2018, world champion Marc Marquez won the MotoGP Malaysian Grand Prix 2018 at Sepang, Malaysia.
Key Points:
i. Honda’s Marc Marquez won the race inspite of starting in seventh position.
ii. Suzuki’s Alex Rins finished second in the race. Yamaha’s Johann Zarco finished in third spot.

OBITUARY

1971 war hero Vice Admiral (retd) Manohar Pralhad Awati Passed Away
On 4^th November 2018, Vice Admiral (retd) Manohar Pralhad Awati, a veteran of the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war, died due to old age related ailments, at Vinchurni village in Satara district, Maharashtra.

Key Points:
i. Manohar Pralhad Awati was 91 years old. He had joined the Royal Indian Navy in 1945.
ii. He was an expert in signal communication. He had commanded Indian naval ships: “Ranjit”, “Vendurthy”, “Betwa”, “Tir”, “Mysore”, etc.
iii. He was awarded the Vir Chakra for his service as the commanding officer of “INS Kamorta” during the 1971 India-Pakistan war.

IMPORTANT DAYS

3^rd Ayurveda Day celebrated throughout the Country on 5th November
On November 5, 2018, Ministry of AYUSH observed the 3^rd Ayurveda Day.

i. The theme of 2018 Ayurveda Day was:  “Ayurveda for Public health”.
ii. It is annually celebrated on the eve of on Dhanawantari Jayanti (Dhanteras).
2-day “National Seminar on Entrepreneurship and Business Development in Ayurveda” inaugurated at Delhi
On November 4, 2018, the Ministry, on this occasion to celebrate Ayurveda Day, organized a “National Seminar on Entrepreneurship and Business Development in Ayurveda” at  Dr. Ambedkar International centre, Janapth, New Delhi.
i. It was organized in association with NITI Aayog on 4^th & 5^th November 2018.
ii. The objective of the event was to encourage entrepreneurs and Ayurveda stakeholders towards businesses opportunities in the sector.
iii. Nearly 800 participants from across the country are expected to participate in the main function of 3^rd Ayurveda day.
iv. Ministry of AYUSH also conferred “National Dhanwantari Ayurveda Award” to eminent personalities in the Ayurveda world.
v. The award comprises of Citation, Trophy (Dhanwantari Statue) and Cash reward of Rupees five lakh.
vi. The 3 Awardees selected by the ministry for the award were:

• Vaidya Shiv Kumar Mishra,
• Vaidya Madhav Singh Bhagel and
• Vaidya Itoozhi Bhavadasan Namboothiri.

vii. Also, the AYUSH-Health Management Information System (A-HMIS), a dedicated software application for Electronic Health Record (EHR) for the AYUSH systems of Healthcare, was launched on November 5, 2018 by the ministry.
viii. Under this, 15 AYUSH units in different parts of the country in the first phase was launched that would induct modern IT-solutions into the practice of Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) systems.
ix. The Ayurveda half marathon was launched that took place in 100 cities through the following:

• All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi,
• Research Councils, Institute for Postgraduate Teaching & Research in Ayurveda (IPGTRA) Gujarat, and
• National Institute of Ayurveda (NIA) Jaipur.

x. Additionally, Central Council of Research in Ayurveda (CCRAS) organized many activities such as Public Lectures, Exhibitions, Distribution of Medicinal plants, Patient-education drives and Social Media campaigns etc.
Ministry of AYUSH:
Minister of State (I/C) : Shri. Shripad Yesso Naik.

World Tsunami Awareness Day – November 5
On 5^th November 2018, World Tsunami Awareness Day was observed all over the world.

Key Points:
i. When: In 2015, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly declared November 5 as World Tsunami Awareness Day.
ii. This date was chosen in honour of the Japanese story of “Inamura-no-hi”, which means the “burning of the rice sheaves”. In 1854, during an earthquake, a farmer set fire to his entire harvest to warn villagers about Tsunami.
iii. Why: This day aims to create awareness about tsunami and share innovative approaches to risk reduction.
iv. World Tsunami Awareness Day 2018 aligns with the International Day for Disaster Reduction and the “Sendai Seven Campaign”. It will focus on Target “C” of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction which aims to reduce direct disaster economic loss in relation to Gross Domestic Product (GDP).