Wednesday 11 November 2020

Current Affairs 11 November 2020

                

 BITA(Banking Institute  & TNPSC  Academy)

Current Affairs

                                                                                                                                                                        11 November 2020

National News

1. Digital/Online media now under govt regulation

·         Digital/Online media has been brought under the purview of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Currently, there is no law or autonomous body governing digital content.

·   The 2nd Schedule of the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules 1961 has been amended to include following entries viz. Films and Audio-Visual programmes, News and current affairs content.

·   This means that digital content providers such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hotstar will now be regulated by the Union ministry headed by Prakash Javadekar.

·   The  I&B ministry will also regulate online audio-visual programmes and current affairs content, according to the amendment order signed by President Ram Nath Kovind. The decision has been taken in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (3) of Article 77 of the Constitution, by amending the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961 and it will come into effect immediately.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

·   Minister of Information and Broadcasting: Prakash Javadekar.

International

2. China launches ‘world’s first 6G experiment satellite’

·         China has sent into space the world’s first 6G experiment satellite.

·         The 6G satellite was among three Chinese satellites successfully launched into orbit, along with 10 commercial remote sensing satellites developed by Argentinian company Satellogic.

·         This was the 351st rocket of China’s Long March series.

·         As per the reports, the technology is expected to be over 100 times faster than 5G.

·         The 6G communications test satellite was launched into the orbit along with 12 other satellites.

·         The satellite also carries technology which will be used for crop disaster monitoring and forest fire prevention.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams: 

·   China Capital: Beijing.

·   China Currency: Renminbi.

·   China President: Xi Jinping.

Agreements News

3. India and Maldives sign four agreements

·         India and the Maldives have signed four agreements, during the visit of Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla to the Maldives. Shringla is on a two-day visit to the Indian Ocean archipelago.

·   These MOUs will help to improve the relations between the two countries. Maldives tourism industry has been greatly affected by COVID-19 and because of this India provided a loan of $250 million to the country in September 2020.

·   The Indian foreign secretary appreciated the “India First” policy of Maldives and also said that it is strongly reciprocated by India through “Neighborhood First” policy.

·   Grant of $100 million by India, which is part of India’s “$500 million packages” for the Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP), that will link capital Male with three islands. India will also provide a $400-million line of credit for the project through EXIM, the largest such infrastructure venture undertaken in the Maldives.

·   The second agreement signed between the two countries is to set up a plant and soil testing laboratory with a grant of 1.71 million Maldivian rufiyaas.

·   The third agreement has been signed for the establishment of a drug detox facility with another grant of 7.7 million Maldivian rufiyaas.

·   The fourth MOU was signed to increase cooperation in the field of sports and youth affairs between both the countries.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

·   President of the Maldives: Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

·   Capital of Maldives: Male; Currency of the Maldives: Maldivian Rufiyaa.

4. Australia-India Water Centre inaugurated virtually

·   Australia-India Water Centre (AIWC) has been inaugurated in a virtual event to promote water-related research, teaching, and training between the two countries.

·   This Water Centre is led by IIT Guwahati from the Indian side and the University of Western Sydney from the Australian side. Along with this, the centre has 21 partners from India and Australia.

·   The 5-year MoU has been signed to establish an understanding of cooperation for the Australia India Water Centre (AIWC) between the parties.

·   The agreement will bring collaboration in capacity building, technology transfer focusing on water security, river health, safe drinking water, etc.

·   The agreement signed on this occasion tries to explain the cooperation between all the parties.

·   All the included parties will work closely for collaboration in the field of water research, student and staff exchanges, for a joint Master’s level course in water futures, workshops, short-term training, conferences, etc.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

·   Prime Minister of Australia: Scott Morrison.

·   The currency of Australia: Australian dollar.

·   Capital of Australia: Canberra.

Defence News

5. Rajnath Singh unveils model of Anti-Satellite Missile at DRDO Bhawan

·         A model of Anti Satellite (A-SAT) Missile installed inside DRDO Bhawan was unveiled by Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The installation of the A-SAT model will inspire the DRDO fraternity to take up many more such challenging missions in future.

·   ‘Mission Shakti’ was the country’s first-ever Anti-Satellite (A-SAT) Missile Test successfully conducted on 27th March 2019 from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha, where a fast-moving Indian orbiting target satellite in Low Earth Orbit was neutralised with pinpoint accuracy.

·   This made India 4th nation in the world with the capability to defend its assets in outer space.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams: 

·   DRDO Chairman: Dr G. Satheesh Reddy.

·   DRDO Headquarters: New Delhi.

Ranks and Reports

6. Azim Premji tops Edelgive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2020

·         The founder-chairman of Wipro Ltd, Azim Premji has topped the EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2020.

·   The 75-year-old made the highest contribution of Rs 7,904 crore between April 2019 and March 2020 towards philanthropic causes.

·   It ranks individuals from India who donated Rs 5 crore and above between April 1, 2019, and March 31, 2020, towards philanthropic contributions.

·   Shiv Nadar, founder and chairman of HCL Technologies, ranked second (Rs 795 crore) on the list.

·   He topped the list in 2019. India’s richest man and the chairman of Reliance Industries, Mukesh Ambani stood at the third spot (Rs 458 crore). 7 women found a place in the list with Rohini Nilekani (donating Rs 47 crore) being India’s most generous woman; followed by Anu Aga & family of Thermax (Rs 36 crore), and Biocon’s Kiran Mazumdar Shaw (Rs 34 crore).

Awards

7. Ruskin Bond conferred with Tata Literature Lifetime Achievement Award

·         Ruskin Bond, one of India’s most cherished authors was conferred Tata Literature Live! Lifetime Achievement Award for 2020.

·   He has a substantial body of work, close to 100 books – across genres for children and adults.

·   Bond writing has charmed both categories of readers into lifelong love and admiration.

·   He has been recognised by the Indian Council of Child Education for his contribution to the growth of children’s literature in India.

·   His famous works: Room on the roof, Blue Umbrella, etc. He was conferred the Padma Shri & Padma Bhushan.

Summits and Conferences

8. PM Modi Leads Indian delegation at 20th SCO Council of Heads of State Summit

·         The 20th Summit of SCO Council of Heads of State was held on November 10, 2020, in Video Conference Format.

·   The Meeting was chaired by the Russian President Vladimir Putin. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi led the Indian delegation.

·   11 SCO Member States were represented by their Presidents, while India and Pakistan were represented at the level of Prime Minister.

·   The Secretary-General of the SCO Secretariat, Executive Director of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, the Presidents of the four Observers (Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, Mongolia) of the SCO also attended the meeting.

·   This was the third meeting that India participated after becoming a full member in 2017.

·   India will host the next regular meeting of SCO Council of Heads of Government on November 30, 2020, in virtual format.

Science and Technology

9. Indian Astronomers collaborate with 2020 Nobel Physics Nobel Laureate

·         Indian astronomers have collaborated with the 2020 Physics Nobel Laureate Prof. Andrea Ghez for the design of back-end instruments and possible science prospects of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project.

·   The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) is a proposed extremely large telescope (ELT) which is planned to be installed at Maunakea on the island of Hawaii.

·   The TMT project is an international partnership between CalTech, Universities of California, Canada, Japan, China, and India, to revolutionize the understanding of the universe and the enigmas in it.

·   Some of the Indian astronomers like Dr Annapurni Subramanium, Director of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) and Dr Shashi Bhushan Pandey, a scientist at Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) along with many others collaborated with Prof. Ghez in the ongoing research and developmental activities of the TMT project.

Books and Authors

10. Thavaasmi book launched by Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu

·         Vice President of India, Venkaiah Naidu has launched the book titled “Thavaasmi: Life and Skills through the lens of Ramayana”.

·   The book was authored by Rallabandi Srirama Chakradhar and co-author by Amara Sarada Deepthi.

·   Thavaasmi is in 4 volumes prepared by a team of young professionals.

·   The book presents the story of Ramayana as a dialogue between a father and daughter with a number of exercises making it an interesting learning experience.

Sports News

11. Mumbai Indians wins IPL 2020 trophy

·         Mumbai Indians defeated Delhi Capitals in the final of Dream11 Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 to lift their fifth IPL trophy.

·   Chasing 157 runs for victory, Mumbai were helped by their captain Rohit Sharma, who hit 68 runs off 51 balls.

·   Mumbai had defeated Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2019 final. They have now become the only side after Chennai Super Kings to defend the title.

·   Rohit Sharma adjudged Game Changer of the Match in the final of IPL 2020.

·   Trent Boult named the Player of the Match in the final of IPL 2020.

·   Kings XI Punjab skipper KL Rahul bags the Orange Cap.

·   Game Changer of the Season: KL Rahul.

·   Delhi Capitals’ Kagiso Rabada wins the Purple Cap.

·   Emerging Player of the season: Devdutt Padikkal (RCB).

·   Rajasthan Royals speedster Jofra Archer emerges as the Most Valuable Player.

Important Days

12. National Education Day: 11 November

·         In India, the National Education Day or Rashtriya Shiksha Diwas is celebrated on 11 November every year.

·   The day is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the first education minister of independent India.

·   According to Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, schools are the laboratories that produce future citizens of the country. He is the person behind IITs and various other institutes in India.

·   On 11 September 2008, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) has announced to commemorate the birthday of the great person by recalling the contribution of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad in the field of education by celebrating 11 November as National Education Day.

Obituaries

13. Veteran Gujarati columnist Carlos Gonzalez Valles SJ passes away

·         Author & Gujarati columnist, Father Carlos Gonzalez Valles SJ passed away.

·         A Jesuit priest born in Spain, he was a Mathematics teacher. He wrote in Gujarati, English & Spanish.

·         He translated many mathematical concepts into Gujarati and coined terms. He is popularly known as Father Valles.

14. ‘Scooby-Doo’ Co-creator Ken Spears passes away

·         American television editor, writer and producer Ken Spears, who co-created the beloved animated series “Scooby-Doo” passed away.

·   He was also the co-founder of television animation production company, Ruby-Spears Productions, along with the late Joe Ruby.

·   Together, Spears and Ruby created Scooby-Doo, Dynomutt, Dog Wonder, and Jabberjaw, among other programs. Joe Ruby has recently passed away on August 26, 2020.

Miscellaneous

15. Nepal President releases Special Anthology on Mahatma Gandhi

·         Nepal President, Bidya Devi Bhandari has released a special pictorial anthology on Mahatma Gandhi to mark the 151st birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

·         This anthology is written in the Nepali language.

·         The book was launched at a special function held at in Kathmandu in the presence of Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Vinay Mohan Kwatra.

·         This anthology on Gandhi is titled as “Maile Bujheko Gandhi” or “the Gandhi as I understood”.

·         The book has been released to mark the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and the culmination of the 2 year-long celebrations of ‘150 years of Mahatma’.

·         This anthology has been published by the Indian Embassy together with the BP Koirala India-Nepal Foundation.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

·   Prime minister of Nepal: KP Sharma Oli; President: Bidhya Devi Bhandari.

·   Capital of Nepal: Kathmandu; Currency: Nepalese rupee.

 

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