Current Affairs Today December 1 2017

We are here for you to provide the important current affairs December 1 2017 which have unique updates of all daily events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, India Today, Indian Express, Business Standard, all Government official websites. Our complete current affairs helps you to get more marks in Banking, insurance, UPSC, SSC, CLAT, Railway and all other competitive Exams.

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INDIAN AFFAIRS

Rajnath Singh releases NCRB Publication Crime in India 2016- Statistics
On November 30, 2017, Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh released ‘Crime in India – 2016’ published by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
i. Number of Murder cases across India decreased by 5.2% from 2015-16. In 2015, 32127 cases were reported, which reduced to 30450 cases in 2016.
ii. Number of cases under Rioting decreased by 5% in 2015-16. In 2016, 61974 cases were reported as compared to 65255 cases in 2015……………………………………Click here to Read more

Cabinet Approvals on November 30, 2017
Cabinet approves MoU between India and Italy for cooperation in Agriculture and Phytosanitary issues
i. Cabinet approves investment cooperation and facilitation treaty between India and Brazil
ii. Cabinet approves transfer of landed assets owned by Hindustan Vegetable Oils Corporation Ltd. to Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
iii.  Union Cabinet approved setting up of National Nutrition Mission (NNM) with a three year financial outlay of Rs.9046.17 crore commencing from 2017-18………………………………………Click here to Read more

HUA approves construction of over 1 lakh more houses for urban Poor
Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (HUA) has approved the construction of additional 1.12 lakh affordable houses for urban poor under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban), PMAY (U)i. This decision was taken at the 28th meeting of the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee (CSMC), held in New Delhi on November 29, 2017.
ii. Construction of these additional houses will entail an investment of Rs 8105 crore, out of which, Central Government will provide an assistance of Rs 1681 crore.
iii. Including these 1.12 lakh houses, total number of houses sanctioned under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) has reached 30.52 lakh. 
iv. Under PMAY(U), the government has set a target to provide houses to all urban poor by 2022.
State wise allocation of additional houses approved under PMAY (U):

Indian Coast Guard conducts Marine Oil Pollution Response Exercise “Clean Sea-2017”
On November 29, 2017, Indian Coast Guard (ICG) conducted regional level Marine Oil Pollution Response Exercise titled ‘Clean Sea – 2017’ at sea off Port Blair, Andaman Nicobar Islands.
About “Clean Sea – 2017”: 
i. Objective of this exercise was to ascertain preparedness of the ICG in responding to a major oil spill in accordance with provisions of NOS-DCP (National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan).
ii. Participation of one ICG Pollution Control Vessel (PCV) and Indian Coast Guard Dornier/Chetak aircraft aircraft were the key highlights of this exercise.
iii. The exercise was conducted under observation of Coast Guard Regional Commander, KR Suresh.
iv. ICG has been entrusted with the responsibility to protect marine environment in the maritime zones of India and is also the coordinating authority for response to oil spills in Indian waters.
v. ICG has established three pollution response centres at Mumbai, Chennai and Port Blair.
Quick Facts about Indian Coast Guard:
♦ Established in – 1978
♦ Headquarters – New Delhi
♦ Current Director General – Rajendra Singh

PM Modi inaugurated HT Leadership Summit in New Delhi
On November 30, 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit (HTLS) 2017 in New Delhi.
About HT Leadership Summit:
i. The theme of this summit is “The Irreversible Rise of India”.
ii. During the summit, eminent world leaders like former US President Barack Obama and Afghanistan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah shared their perspectives on India’s rise in the world.
iii. Other speakers at the summit included, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Bollywood Actor Salman Khan and Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani.
iv. HT Leadership Summit is being held annually since last 14 years and has served as a platform for revolutionary ideas.

Indo – UK Joint Army Exercise Ajeya Warrior 2017 begins in Bikaner
Joint Indo-United Kingdom (UK) army training exercise ‘Ajeya Warrior 2017’ begun at Mahajan Field Firing Ranges, Bikaner, Rajasthan on December 1, 2017.About Indo – UK Joint Army Exercise ‘Ajeya Warrior 2017’:
i. Ajeya Warrior 2017′ will be the third joint military exercise between India and UK. First exercise was conducted in 2013 in Belgaum, Karnataka and second exercise was conducted in 2015 in UK.
ii. In the last few year, Mahajan Field Firing Ranges in Bikaner has been developed into a world-class training node and is being used by Indian Army for joint exercises with friendly foreign countries.
iii. Approximately 120 army personnel from India and UK are participating in ‘Ajeya Warrior 2017’ exercise. Objective of this exercise is to build and promote bilateral army to army coordination and enhance interoperability. The exercise also involves skill and experience sharing activities.
iv. ’Ajeya Warrior 2017’ will conclude on December 14, 2017.

West Bengal becomes first state in India to setup green university
On November 30 2017, A bill named ‘West Bengal Green University Bill 2017’ has been passed in West Bengal Assembly to set up an environmental studies university at Hooghly district.
i. State Education Minister Partha Chatterjee tabled the Bill in Assembly and West Bengal becomes the first state to have a university dedicated to environmental studies.
ii. Two other bills were also passed to establish the Purba Medinipur University and the Jhargram University .
Other Important Bills passed in2017 Assembly
♦ Mar 2017 passed three Bills  – West Bengal Schools (Control of Expenditure) (Amendment) Bill, 2017, The West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (Amendment) Bill, 2017 and West Bengal School Service Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2017
♦  Aug 9 – the State Goods and Services Tax (SGST) Bill
♦  Aug 18 – West Bengal Panchayat Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2017
♦ Governor of West Bengal – Keshari Nath Tripathi

Telangana announces WE-Hub for women entrepreneurs, Rs. 15-cr fund for women
On November 30 2017 during the end of 3-day mega Global Entrepreneurship Summit – 2017, Telangana Minister for IT and Industries KT Rama Rao stated that 3 initiatives for women entrepreneurs including setting up ‘We-Hub’ on the lines of T-Hub and also to create Rs 15 crore fund.
i. CEO of NITI Aayog Amitabh Kant along with Telangana Government announced it will back the proposed WE-Hub with funds under the Atal Innovation Mission.
ii. Minister also informed about a plan to change in procurement policy of the mandated 20 percent purchases from SME (small amd medium-sized enterprises) sector.
What is T-Hub?
♦ T-Hub is a partnership between the government of Telangana with three of India’s premier academic institutes (International Institute of Information Technology-Hyderabad, Indian School of Business and the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research) and key private sector leaders.It is simply called as Public-Private partnership.
♦ Governor of Telengana & Andhrapradesh – E. S. L. Narasimhan

President of India inaugurates Hornbill Festival and State Formation Day celebrations of Nagaland – Dec. 1
On Dec.1 2017, Shri Ram Nath Kovind , the President of India inaugurated the Hornbill Festival and State Formation Day celebrations of Nagaland in Kisama. The Hornbill Festival at Kisama and the International Music Festival represent the diversity of Naga society.i. Hornbill Festival will be celebrated every year from 1 – 10 December, in Nagaland, Northeast India. It is also called the ‘Festival of Festivals’. The aim of the festival is to revive and protect the rich culture of Nagaland and display its extravaganza and traditions.
ii. Festival includes an important event, traditional Naga Morungs exhibition and the sale of arts and crafts, food stalls, herbal medicine stalls, flower shows and sales, cultural medley – songs and dances, fashion shows, the Miss Nagaland beauty contest, traditional archery, Naga wrestling, indigenous games, and musical conce
ii.Some facts about Nagaland from our President’s speech:-
President has praised the people and their activities towards the country. Nagaland is offering a unique blend of heritage and culture and spectacular natural beauty.
1.Dr T. Ao, the doctor-sportsperson was the first captain of India national football team in the 1948 London Summer Olympics.
2.Temsutula , remarkable worker in cleaning the ghats of the river Ganga in Varanasi.
3.Naga jolokia, called King Chilli one of the hottest chilli peppers of the world.
4.Governor of Nagaland – Padmanabha Acharya

MoS Home Shri Kiren Rijiju inaugurates 7th edition of three-day Kathakar: International Storytellers Festival
On December 1 2017, Minister of State for Home Affairs Shri Kiren Rijiju inaugurated the 7th edition of three day ‘Kathakar: International Storytellers Festival’ at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts ( IGNCA), New Delhi. This festival will be hosted in the cities of Delhi, Gurugram, Noida and Mumbai.
i. Members participated – Member of Parliament, Shri Manoj Tiwari, Film maker and composer Shri Vishal Bhardwaj, singer and musician Shri Mohit Chauhan, Australian High Commissioner to India Mr Harinder Sidhu and Member Secretary, IGNCA, Dr Sachchidanand Joshi
ii. ‘Curious Tales from the Himalayas’ co-authored by Shaguna Gahilote and Prarthana Gahilote was launched during this event.
iii. Kathakar- is the oral storytelling festival in India and is a part of Ghummakkad Narain- the Travelling Literature Festival which was started under the sponsorship of UNESCO in 2010.
♦  Partners of this year’s festival – IGNCA of Union Ministry of Culture in Delhi, Heritage Transport Museum in Gurugram and the NCPA in Mumbai.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Sushma Swaraj attends SCO summit in Russia
On November 30, 2017, Union External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj visited Russian city of Sochi to attend the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.i. SCO Summit 2017 was held on November 30 and December 1, 2017.
ii. Discussions at the SCO Summit focused on regional security scenario including the situation in the Gulf and Afghanistan.
iii. At the summit, India pressed for concerted regional and global efforts to contain terrorism.
iv. Ms Sushma Swaraj also held bilateral meetings with several leaders on the sidelines of the summit.
v. It is to be noted that India had been an observer at the SCO since 2005. India along with Pakistan, became full members of SCO in June 2017.
About Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO):
♦ Formed in – 2001
♦ Headquarters – Beijing, China
♦ Current Secretary General – Rashid Alimov

USAID launches `Rajasthan Development Impact Bond
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced its first impact bond across the globe by launching ‘Rajasthan Development Impact Bond’.
i. Mark Green, administrator of USAID stated that this aim of bond is to reduce the number of mother and baby deaths by improving the quality of maternal care in Rajasthan’s health infrastructure.
ii. `Utkrisht Impact Bond ‘- Utkrisht is the world’s first health impact bond, developed by partners including USAID, Merck for Mothers, the UBS Optimus Foundation, HLFPPT and PSI.
About United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
♦ It is the United States Government agency which is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid.
♦ Headquarters   –  Washington,  D.C.
♦ Agency executive  –  Mark Andrew Green, Administrator

BANKING & FINANCE

Market regulator SEBI enhances governance for Mutual Funds
In a bid to strengthen the governance structure for mutual funds, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has introduced a framework for the tenure of independent trustees as well as directors.Norms to enhance governance for Mutual Funds:
i. An independent trustee and independent director of MF (mutual fund), AMC (asset management company) will hold office for a maximum of two terms. Each term should not exceed a period of five consecutive years.
ii. Such individuals will be eligible for re-appointment only after a cooling-off period of three years, during which, such individuals should not be associated with the concerned mutual fund, asset management company (AMC) in any manner.
iii. Existing independent trustees and independent directors have been permitted to hold office for a maximum of 10 years.
iv. Mutual fund should not appoint an auditor for more than two terms of maximum five consecutive years. Such auditor may be re-appointed after a cooling-off period of five years.

NSE group firm launches Nifty LargeMidcap 250 index
On November 30, 2017, India Index Services and Products Ltd (IISL) launched the Nifty LargeMidcap 250 Index. IISL is a subsidiary of National Stock Exchange (NSE).
About Nifty LargeMidcap 250 Index:
i. This index will track the performance of 100 large-cap and 150 mid-cap companies listed on National Stock Exchange (NSE).
ii. It is a diversified index in which equal aggregate weight has been assigned to large and midcap stocks.
iii. The base date for the index is April 1, 2005 and base value is 1000. Its composition will be reconstituted on a semi-annual basis.
iv. This index will be useful for investment community for tracking specific investable large and mid-cap category stocks.
Quick Facts about India Index Services and Products Ltd (IISL):
♦ Founded in – 1998
♦ Headquarters – Mumbai
♦ Owned by – National Stock Exchange (NSE)

Rs 1 currency note completes 100 years
On November 30, 2017, India’s 1 Rupee currency note completed 100 years.More Information about 1 Rupee Currency Note:
i. First Rupee 1 note was printed in England and was issued in India on November 30, 1917.
ii. It had an image of King George V (the then British monarch) imprinted on the left corner.
iii. During British Rule, currency notes were being issued in India since 1861. However, the Rupee 1 note was issued much later in 1917 to replace the silver coin that was used as Re1 coin. This change was implemented to use silver for making weaponry components during World War.
iv .In 1917, Rupee 1 was equal to 10.7 gms of silver.
v. Until 1970, India’s Rupee 1 note was also used as currency in Persian and Gulf countries.
vi. Since its introduction in 1917, the Rupee 1 note has undergone 28 design changes.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Lipstick Under My Burkha wins tve’s Global Sustainability Film award in London
On November 30 2017, In London “Lipstick Under My Burkha”, which explores womens sexuality, has bagged a top prize at the tve Global Sustainability Film Awards 2017.”Lipstick Under My Burkha” is produced by Prakash Jha and directed by Alankrita Shrivastava and stars Konkona SenSharma and Ratna Pathak Shah.i. Actor Gabriella Wright, also a film producer and philanthropist working for womens rights, received the award from Narula, on behalf of the filmmakers.
ii.The Founders Award for Sustainability on the Big Screen was introduced this year and sponsored by philanthropist Surina Narula.
♦ The tve Global Sustainability Film Awards  was launched in 2012. It is an annual film competition for companies and institutions, recognising those whose films most powerfully portray solutions for sustainability.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

Mary Kom resigns as boxing’s national observer
On December 1 2017, Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore had cleared that active sportspersons will not be considered for the boxing’s national observer position. Due to this, 35-year-old Olympic bronze-medallist and five-time world champion MC Mary Kom has resigned as the national observer for Indian boxing.
i. In March 2017, Mary was among 12 national observers appointed by the former Sports Minister Vijay Goel.
ii. Olympic gold-medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra, double Olympic-medallist Sushil Kumar and former Commonwealth Games gold-medallist Akhil Kumar was also included in this list among others. 

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Google introduces ‘Datally’ app for quick data usage in real time
On November 30, Google launched Datally App to understand,control and save users mobile data themselves.♦  Datally App available on the Google Play Store, will enable users to track their data usage in real time, and get personalized recommendations on saving data along with notifications of nearby available public Wi-Fi spots.
Three things of Datally helps users:
i. Understand your data: See your usage on an hourly, daily, weekly or monthly basis and get personalized recommendations for how you can save more.
ii. Control your data: Turn on the Data Saver bubble to block background data usage and track real-time data usage .You can also block data with one tap if an app’s data usage gets out of control.
iii. Save your data: Datally will tell you if you’re near public Wi-Fi and help you connect.

SPORTS

Ankushita wins the ‘Best Boxer’ title in AIBA Women’s Youth World Championship
Ankushita Boro 17-year-old girl from Assam won ‘The Best Boxer title’ in AIBA World Youth Women’s Boxing Championship held in Guwahati.
i. Ankushita Boro won the fifth gold with her bout against Russia’s Ekaterina Dynnik in the 64kg final.
ii.Four boxers from Haryana – Nitu in light flyweight (45-48 kg), Jyoti in flyweight (51 kg), Sakshi in bantamweight (54 kg) and Shashi Chopra in featherweight (57 kg) – won gold in the first four final bouts. Assam’s Ankushita Boro added the fifth in welterweight (64 kg) category.
iii. India also secured two bronze medals through Neha Yadav and Anupama in 81 kg weight category in this championship.
♦  AIBA Youth World Championships, is a boxing championship event organised by the AIBA for “Youth” competitors who are between the age of 17-19 years old.Nearly 200 players from over 30 countries took part in the championship which was held for the first time in India.

Pankaj Advani secures IBSF World Snooker C’ship title
Ace Indian cueist Pankaj Advani grabbed the title of IBSF World Snooker Championship at Al-Arabi Sports Club in Doha,Qatar.i. He defeated Iran’s Amir Sarkhosh in the finals and secured his 18th World Championship title.

OBITUARY

Malayalam actor and mimicry artist Abi passes away
On November 30 2017, Popular Malayalam actor and mimicry artist Abi, 52 passed away at a Kochi hospital. Abi’s real name is Habeeb Ahamed, is survived by wife Sunila and children Ahana, Aleena and Shane Nigam. His son Shane Nigam is also a popular film actor.

He acted in many films but he well known in films like Mazhavil Koodaram, Kireedamillatha Rajakkanmar, Mimics Action 500, Aniyathipraavu and Rasikan. He gave voice of Amitabh Bachchan in Malayalam ads.

Freedom fighter Saraswati Tripathy passes away
On November 30 2017, Prominent Gandhian and freedom fighter Saraswati Tripathy , 89 passed away at Bhubaneswar ,Odisha.
i.She was a wife of late freedom fighter Brundaban Tripathy is survived by four sons and a daughter. Saraswati Tripathy had met Mahatma Gandhi at Beraboi Ashram in Puri district and joined the freedom struggle.
ii.She was spending her lifetime by supervising the activities at Thakar Bapa Ashram at Balipadia village in Jajpur district . 

Former India woman cricketer Sreerupa Mukherjee passes away
Former Indian women’s cricket team player and coach Sreerupa Mukherjee who was 65 years old had passed away.She was the first woman cricket selector from Bengal.She was also a well-known sports commentator for Doordarshan and All India Radio through mid 1980’s and till late 90’s.
Sreerupa had played two One Day Internationals for India against New Zealand and was along time Bengal captain. She was also the cricket manager of the Indian women’s team during three World Cups — 1993, 1997 and 2000. 

IMPORTANT DAYS

World AIDS Day 2017 – December 1
World AIDS Day is observed on December 1 every year. This day is dedicated to spreading awareness about AIDS, which spreads due to infection from the virus called HIV. World Health Organization has marked this day as global public health campaign.
i.The Theme of World AIDS Day 2017 is “My Health, My Right ”.
ii.According to CDC, in 2016, an estimated 36.7 million people worldwide were living with HIV, about 1 million people died from AIDS-related illnesses, and 1.8 million people become newly infected with HIV.
iii.UNAIDS has launched a new report showing in 2000, just 685 000 people living with HIV had access to antiretroviral therapy. By June 2017, around 20.9 million people had access to the life-saving medicines.
iv.World Bank reveals that nations in the African cape have the highest prevalence of HIV as a percentage of the population. South Africa and Botswana have 18.9% and 21.9% of their respective populations infected with HIV. The corresponding value for India is 0.1%.

Border Security Force (BSF) celebrated 52nd Raising Day
On December 1 2017 , The Border Security Force (BSF) celebrated its 52nd Raising Day.It was established on December 1,1965.BSF stand as the world’s largest border security force.
It is one of five Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and currently headed by Director General KK Sharma.
Some facts about BSF:-
The BSF is a paramilitary force responsible for guarding India’s land border during peacetime and preventing transnational crime. BSF is termed ‘India’s first line of defence’ and guard a border that runs through creeks, deserts, farmlands and mountains to swamps, rivers and seas.
The BSF covers of over 6,000 km of border from Pakistan to Bangladesh, across which it has 656 border outposts.