Daily Current affairs - November 10th 2017 for all competitive exams
Celebrated every 10 November, World Science Day for Peace and Development highlights the significant role of science in society and the need to engage the wider public in debates on emerging scientific issues. It also underlines the importance and relevance of science in our daily lives.
- The Day offers the opportunity to mobilize all actors around the topic of science for peace and development – from government officials to the media to school pupils.
- 2017 Theme: Science for Global Understanding
- Global Understanding is key to peace and sustainable development in that it promotes the commitment of individuals and local communities in sharing knowledge for actions and behavioral change.
National Green Tribunal issuing directions to Delhi government
The National Green Tribunal has issued a slew of directions to deal with the situation in Delhi, including banning construction and industrial activities and entry of trucks, while lambasting the Delhi government and civic bodies over the worsening air quality in Delhi and neighbouring states.
- The NGT also directed the authorities and the civic bodies to sprinkle water where PM 10 is found to be in excess of 600 micrograms per cubic metre.
- The national capital is experiencing ‘severe’ air quality under a blanket of thick haze, as pollution levels have breached the permissible standards by multiple times. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has recorded ‘severe’ air quality, meaning that the intensity of pollution was extreme.
DBT helps states save Rs 1,557 crore till November 2017
A comprehensive review of the delivery of its 461 schemes by the Centre, including NREGS, PDS, pensions and LPG across states, showed that there has been a saving of Rs 1,557 crore due to implementation of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) schemes.
- The amount transferred through DBT transactions in 2017-18 registered till November was Rs 52,737.32 crore, reaching around 59.42 crore beneficiaries.
- The government’s DBT plan involves transferring the subsidy amount directly to the beneficiaries’ bank accounts. Here, the government does not have to fiddle around with differential pricing for the underprivileged. This method can effectively address the issue of leakages and go a long way in solving the mis-targeting problem.
- Launched in January 2013, DBT in 2015 was brought in to cover all central and state schemes and expanded in March 2016 to include “inkind” transfers to individual beneficiaries and a few Aadhaar-based services and smaller schemes to do with internships and training. DBT now covers major schemes that involve cash transfers such as Pahal, NREGS, pensions, scholarships, as well as in-kind transfers such as food grains and mid-day meals to children.
FEMA norms eased to spur investment from overseas
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has simplified the Foreign Exchange Management (Transfer or Issue of Security by a Person Resident outside India) Regulations, by putting all the 93 amendments under one notification, a move that will significantly make it easier for foreign investors to invest in the country.
- The new notification combines two regulations on foreign investments — one which is popularly called investment in an Indian company or a partnership, or in a limited liability partnership, or FEMA 20, and the other — FEMA 24, which is investment in a partnership firm.
- Another significant change is the introduction of a late submission fee that could allow an investor to regularise any contravention due to non-reporting, by paying the fee.
- The Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA) is an Act of the Parliament of India “to consolidate and amend the law relating to foreign exchange with the objective of facilitating external trade and payments and for promoting the orderly development and maintenance of foreign exchange market in India”.
Railways target completing Bullet Train project by August 2022.
Indian Railways aiming to complete the “Bullet Train” project ahead of the August 2022 deadline set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
- The foundation stone for the Rs 1.08 lakh crore 508-km Ahmedabad-Mumbai Bullet Train was laid by Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on September 14.
AAI Cargo to invest outside India
The AAI Cargo Logistics and Allied Services Company, a subsidiary of AAI, is open to investments outside India.
- The firm is working on investment possibilities in the country and abroad to provide cargo handling and allied services.
- The company plans to unveil international courier handling at Tiruchi and Thiruvananthapuram airports in the last quarter of this financial year.
Rajasthan HC restrains govt from implementing new OBC quota bill.
A division bench of Rajasthan high court restrained the state government from implementing the OBC Reservation Bill 2017.
- With this bill, there will be hikes in the quota given to the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) from 21% to 26%.
- The HC was of the view that the Rajasthan government must take permission from the Supreme Court before implementing the provisions of the new bill.
- The Backward Classes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions in the State and of Appointment and Posts in Services under the State) Bill, 2017, gave 5% reservation to the Gujjar, Banjara, Gadia-Lohar, Raika and Gadariya communities. With its passage, the reservation in Rajasthan stood at 54%, exceeding the 50% ceiling mandated by the Supreme Court.
Vizag to host first-ever agriculture hackathon
Several experts, 300 delegates, and 500 farmers from various parts will take part in the first-ever agriculture hackathon being organised here by the State government in association with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for three days from November 15.
- The hackathon, being attended by Microsoft Corporation co-founder Bill Gates, will be inaugurated by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu
India’s first remote air traffic control tower will be ready by December 2018.
India is likely to get its first remote air traffic control tower by December 2018 at Ahmedabad airport.
- Remote and Virtual Tower (RVT) is a new concept where air traffic service at an airport performs somewhere else, thereby, dispensing with the need for a tower on its premises.
- The RVT facility at Ahmedabad will be a pilot project.
Clean-up campaign for Goa beaches
Drishti Marine, the lifeguard agency manning Goa’s coastline, will embark on a unique public awareness campaign aimed at educating people on keeping beaches clean.
- #TeraMeraBeach is a 150-day campaign set to roll out mid-November with an innovative drumming activity led by musicians from Taal Inc.
- The drumming activity lead by musicians from Taal Inc. will be followed by each participant of #TeraMeraBeach adding one piece from the collected waste — plastic, metal or glass — to the art installation.
Olive ridley turtles:
Olive Ridley turtles have started arriving at Gahirmatha beach in Odisha’s Kendrapara district, known as world’s largest rookery of this endangered species.
- Also known as the Pacific ridley sea turtle, Olive turtles are a medium-sized species of sea turtle found in warm and tropical waters, primarily in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
- They are best known for their behavior of synchronized nesting in mass numbers.
- The olive ridley is classified as Vulnerable according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), and is listed in Appendix I of CITES.
Odd-even rule back in Delhi from November 13
The odd-even vehicle rationing scheme will be enforced in the capital for a five-day period, beginning Monday, as part of a graded response plan to tackle pollution in Delhi.
- The scheme, which will come into effect on November 13 and continue till November 17, both days included, will be in place from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Women drivers, two-wheelers and vehicles carrying children in school uniform, in addition to VVIPs, would be exempted from its provisions
- The policy mandates that private vehicles ply on the basis of the last number of their licence plates — odd numbered cars on odd dates and even-numbered ones on even dates — and has been enforced in Delhi twice earlier: from January 1 to 15 and April 15 to 30.
- Motorists will have to pay Rs. 2,000 if they violate provisions of the scheme, which will be enforced by teams of the Delhi police, the transport department and SDMs.
Blue Flag aerial training exercise:
Blue Flag is a bi-annual multilateral exercise which aims to strengthen military cooperation amongst participating nations.
- The exercise is designed to strengthen Israel’s military cooperation internationally.
- This is the first time India is participating in the drill, along with the US, France, Germany, Italy, Greece and Poland.
Qatar appoints women to Shura Council for the first time.
Qatar appointed women to one of its most important consultative bodies, the Shura Council, for the first time in the country’s history.
- The announcement comes as Qatar continues to deal with the impact of the worst and most bitter diplomatic crisis in the Gulf for years.
- The women appointed were named as Hessa al-Jaber, Aisha Yousef al-Mannai, Hind Abdul Rahman al-Muftah and Reem al-Mansoori.
- These four women will sit on the 45-strong council, which is responsible for discussing draft laws approved by the cabinet.
Boeing signs deal to sell 300 planes worth $37 billion to China
Boeing signed an agreement to sell 300 planes to China Aviation Supplies Holding Company worth $37 billion.
- State-run China Aviation Supplies, which leases planes to Chinese airlines, said the order was for 260 B-737s as well as 40 B777s and B787s.
- Boeing had 334 orders by unidentified customers as of Oct. 24, of which 290 were for its 737-narrowbody family.
RBI release new outsourcing norms for NBFCs
RBI has issued fresh directions on managing risks and code of conduct in outsourcing of financial services by NBFCs. These norms have to be complied with in the next two months.
- Non-banking financial companies cannot outsource core management functions like internal audit, strategic and compliance functions for know your customer (KYC) norms, sanction of loans and management of investment portfolio.
- Access to customer information by staff of the service provider shall be on ‘need to know’ basis i.e., limited to those areas where the information is required in order to perform the outsourced function.
- Non-bank financial companies (NBFCs) are financial institutions that provide banking services without meeting the legal definition of a bank, i.e. one that does not hold a banking license.
Penny Mordaunt replaces Priti
Penny Mordaunt, a former minister in the work and pensions department and an outspoken supporter of Brexit, has replaced Priti Patel as International Development Secretary, following the Indian-origin politician’s high-profile resignation late on Wednesday.
- Ms. Mordaunt, the MP for the port city of Portsmouth, was previously a Minister for the Work and Pensions Department.
Union minister KJ Alphons elected unopposed:
The Minister of State for Tourism KJ Alphons was elected unopposed to the RajyaSabha seat from Rajasthan. The seat has been vacant since former MP M Venkaiah Naidu was elected the Vice President.
- Alphons Kannanthanam, an IAS officer of the 1979 batch, was recently appointed the minister of state (independent charge) for tourism and minister of state for electronics and information technology.
Olympian Geeta no more
Geeta Biswas (nee Sareen), a former women’s hockey Olympian and international umpire, passed away.
- Geeta, who was employed with Air India, represented India at the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
Virender Sehwag included in NADA’s Anti-Doping Appeal Panel.
Legendary opener Virender Sehwag and former Delhi player Vinay Lamba have been made members of the Anti-Doping Appeal Panel (ADAP) of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).
- Sehwag and Lamba, who played 76 first-class matches for Delhi between 1967 and 1981, are in the six-member panel headed by retired judge R V Easwar.
SainaNehwal clinched the Women’s Title at the 82nd Senior National Championship:
Saina Nehwal, a former world number one, beat P V Sindhu, the Olympic and World Championship silver medalist, in a pulsating summit clash and was clinched the coveted Women’s title at the Senior National Championship held at Nagpur.
- Saina Nehwal, currently ranked World No 11 has won the Bronze Medal at the London Olympics, 2012 and received Padma Bhushan in 2016. She had won the Senior National Championship title 3 times.
- P.V.Sindhu currently ranked World No 2 has won the Silver Medal at the Rio De Janeiro Olympics, 2016 and received Padma Shri award in 2015.
Bangladesh cricket coach Hathurusingha resigns from his post.
The head coach of Bangladesh’s national cricket team Hathurusingha has resigned from his post.
- The reports say he is likely to take charge of the Sri Lankan team.
- Hathurusingha is currently under contract with the BCB until World Cup 2019.
