BITA
(Banking Institute & TNPSC Academy)
CURRENT AFFAIRS
Defence News
1.
India Successfully test fires QRSAM system off Odisha Coast
·
India successfully test-fired the Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile (QRSAM)
system off the coast of Balasore in Odisha.
· The
system achieved a major milestone by a direct hit on to a Banshee Pilotless target aircraft at
medium range and medium altitude.
·
Indian
forces have carried out at least seven tests earlier of the missile system.
· The
QRSAM system has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in
association with Bharat
Electronics Limited and Bharat Dynamics Limited for the Indian
Army.
· The
system is capable of detecting and tracking targets on the move and engaging
target with short halts. The system is designed to give air defence coverage
against strike columns of the Indian Army.
Summits and Conferences
2.
RCEP: 15 Asia-Pacific countries form world’s largest trading bloc
· 15
Asia Pacific countries have signed the world’s biggest free trade deal, led by
China, on the sidelines of the 37th
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit.
· The
deal called as ‘Regional
Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)’, is the world’s largest
trading bloc, comprising of 10 Southeast Asian countries, as well as South Korea, China, Japan, Australia and New
Zealand.
· Members
of the RCEP accounts for nearly a third of the world’s population and
around 30% of global gross domestic product (GDP).
3.
Dr Harsh Vardhan attends 8th BRICS STI Ministerial Meet
· The 8th BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation
Ministerial Meeting was held through a virtual platform for Science
and Technology cooperation among the member countries, which are Brazil, Russia, India, China and South
Africa.
· The
meeting was held under the Chairmanship of the Russian Federation. (Russia is the Chair for 12th BRICS
Summit).
· The
Union Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Harsh Vardhan represented the Indian delegation at the
meeting.
·
The
meeting concluded with the adoption of BRICS STI Declaration 2020. During the
meeting, Dr Harsh Vardhan highlighted that “The COVID 19 pandemic has been a test, demonstrating that multilateral
cooperation is the key to overcoming such global challenges”.
·
He
reiterated that “India will actively contribute in the implementation of BRICS
STI Calendar of Activities 2020-21 and supports continuation scientific
activities under BRICS MOU on Science, Technology and Innovation”.
4.
S. Jaishankar Represents India at 15th East Asia Summit 2020
·
The
External Affairs Minister Dr S.
Jaishankar has represented India at the 15th East Asia Summit (EAS) on
behalf of PM Modi.
· The
Summit was chaired by the Prime Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc because Vietnam is ASEAN Chair in
2020 (ASEAN holds the central role and leadership in the forum).
·
All
the 18 EAS countries participated in the virtual Summit.
· Jaishankar
underlined the key role played by the East Asia Summit (EAS) as a leading
mechanism of the Indo-Pacific
region and reiterated India’s support to make it stronger and more
responsive.
· He
also re-affirmed the importance of EAS as the Leaders-led forum to exchange
views on strategic issues.
· On Covid-19, he briefed the EAS
leaders about India’s response to the pandemic and highlighted India’s efforts
to support the international community.
5.
India Extends USD 1 Million Aid For Covid-19 ASEAN Response Fund
·
India has extended financial contribution of USD 1 million to the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund.
·
This
was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 17th ASEAN-India Summit, which
was held virtually.
·
Leaders
from the 10 ASEAN countries welcomed the adoption of the new ASEAN-India Plan
of Action for 2021-2025, at the conclusion of the Summit.
·
PM
Modi, participated in the 17th ASEAN-India Summit at the invitation of the
Prime Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who is the current chair of ASEAN.
Awards News
6. Sadat Rahman wins International Children’s Peace
Prize 2020
· Sadat Rahman from Bangladesh has been awarded the prestigious International Children’s Peace Prize 2020.
· He
was awarded the prize for his involvement in setting up his social organization
and mobile app ‘Cyber Teens’ to
stop cyberbullying.
· The
award was presented to 17-year-old Sadat by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala
Yousafzai, during a ceremony in the Netherlands.
·
He
was selected out of 142 applicants from 42 countries.
· The
International Children’s Peace Prize is given annually since 2005 by the International
children’s rights organization KidsRights based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
· The
prestigious Prize is annually awarded to a child who has made a special effort
to promote children’s rights and better the situation of vulnerable children.
Sports News
7. Lewis Hamilton wins
F1 Turkish Grand Prix 2020
· Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-Great Britain) has won the Turkish
Grand Prix 2020 at Istanbul Park, Turkey.
· Sergio Perez (Racing Point-BWT- Mexico) secured the second
position and Sebastian Vettel of
Ferrari finished third.
· This
was Hamilton 10th victory of the season and 94th F1 win of his career. With this win, he claimed the
seventh Formula One championships title of his career to equal the record
of Michael Schumacher.
Important Days
8. National Press Day: 16 November
·
National Press Day is observed on 16th November every year to celebrate free and responsible
press in India.
·
On
this day the Press Council of
India started functioning as a moral watchdog to ensure that the
press maintains high standards and is not constrained by any influence or
threats. It also commemorates the day when the Press Council of India started
functioning.
·
In 1956, the First Press Commission
was planned to form a Press Council to protect freedom of the press in India. On 4 July 1966, the Press
Council was established in India. It came into effect from 16 November 1966.
· Therefore,
16 November is celebrated as National Press Day every year. The Press Council
of India was formed in 1966 under
the Press Council Act of 1978.
· It
exercises authority even over the instruments of the state in its duty to
safeguard the independence of the press. It ensures that the Indian press is
not affected by any external matter.
9. International Day for Tolerance: 16 November
·
The
United Nations observes “International
Day for Tolerance” on 16th
November every year.
· The
United Nations is committed to strengthening tolerance by fostering mutual
understanding among cultures and peoples.
·
In 1994, UNESCO marked the 125th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth paving the
way for the proclamation of 16 November as the International Day for Tolerance
by the UN.
·
This
day pays tribute to the values of the Mahatma of peace, non-violence and
equality. The UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and
Non-Violence rewards significant activities in the scientific, artistic,
cultural or communication fields aimed at the promotion of a spirit of
tolerance and non-violence.
·
The
prize is awarded every two years on the International Day for Tolerance, 16
November.
Obituaries News
10. Veteran Bengali Actor Soumitra
Chatterjee passes
away
·
The
legendary Bengali actor and Dadasaheb Phalke award recipient Soumitra Chatterjee passed away.
·
He
became famously known after his collaborations with Oscar-winning film director Satyajit Ray, with whom he
worked in fourteen films.
·
He
had won a number of awards in home and abroad.
·
Soumitra
Chatterjee was awarded the Padma
Bhushan by the Government
of India in 2004, Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India’s highest award for
cinema, in 2012.
·
In
1999 Soumitra Chattopadhyay became
the first Indian film personality to be conferred with the Ordre des Arts et
des Lettres, France’s highest award for artists.
Miscellaneous News
11. Keetham lake in Uttar Pradesh added to Ramsar
sites
·
The Keetham lake, also known as Sur Sarovar, in Agra of Uttar Pradesh has been
added to the list of Ramsar sites. More than 106 species of migratory birds
rest in Sur Sarovar lake. The water of the lake is obtained from Agra Canal.
·
The
canal originates from Okhla barrage on River Yamuna in Delhi.
·
The
aim of the Ramsar list is to develop and maintain an international network of
wetlands which are important for the conservation of global biological
diversity and for sustaining human life through the maintenance of their
ecosystem components, processes and benefits.
12. World’s first Tram library for children launched
in West Bengal
· On
the occasion of Children’s Day, a first-of-its-kind in the world, library on the tram for children
was launched in Kolkata, West
Bengal. A tram is a rail vehicle that runs on tramway tracks along
public streets.
· The
tram would run on Shyambazar-Esplanade
and Esplanade-Gariahat routes, spanning across north and south
Kolkata, every day from morning to evening.
· It
has been jointly developed by the West
Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC) and Apeejay Anand Children’s Library and
will have around 1,000 books.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
·
Chief
Minister of West Bengal: Mamata Banerjee; Governor: Jagdeep Dhankhar.
13. Lonar Lake in Maharashtra chosen as ‘Ramsar site’
·
The Lonar Lake in Buldhana district of Maharashtra has been chosen as a
wetland site of international importance under the Ramsar conservation treaty.
·
Lonar
Lake was formed by the impact of a meteorite on basalt bedrock several thousand
years ago.
·
An
area of 365 hectares around
the lake, which itself is spread over 77.69 hectares, was declared a wildlife sanctuary in June 2000.
· A
Ramsar Site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance
under the Ramsar Convention.
·
The
name Ramsar comes from the Ramsar City of Iran, where this treaty was signed.
· The
Convention on Wetlands is also known as the Ramsar Convention. It is an
intergovernmental environmental treaty established in 1971 by UNESCO and came
into force in 1975.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
·
Chief
Minister of Maharashtra: Uddhav Thackeray; Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
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