Daily Current affairs - November 15th 2017 for all competitive exams
Jharkhand will celebrate its 17th Statehood day on November 15.
- Jharkhand is a state in eastern India carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. The state shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Chhattisgarh to the west, Odisha to the south, and West Bengal to the east.
- Jharkhand accounts for 40% of the mineral resources of India,
- The city of Ranchi is its capital
Accessible India Campaign awards organized by Dept. of PwD
On the occasion of Children’s Day, the winners of ‘Drawing and Painting Competition on Accessible India Campaign’ were awarded at a felicitation event organised by Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) under M/o Social Justice and Empowerment.
- Accessible India Campaign is in line with the Article 9 of UNCRPD(UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) to which India is a signatory since 2007. The scheme also comes under Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995 provides for equal Opportunities and protection of rights and non-discrimination in Transport to Persons with Disabilities.
- Social Justice and Empowerment Minister: Thawar Chand Gehlot
Accessible India Campaign (AIC) is the nationwide flagship campaign of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
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National Power Portal (NPP) launched by government
National Power Portal (NPP)- a Centralized Platform for Collation and Dissemination of Indian Power Sector Information, has been launched by the government.
- The NPP Dashboard has been designed and developed to disseminate analyzed information about the sector through GIS enabled navigation and visualization chart windows on capacity, generation, transmission, distribution at national, state, DISCOM, town, feeder level and scheme based funding to states.
- The system also facilitates various types of statutory reports required to be published regularly.
- The Dashboard would also act as the single point interface for all Power Sector Apps launched previously by the Ministry, like TARANG, UJALA, VIDYUT PRAVAH, GARV, URJA, MERIT.
NPP is a centralised system for Indian Power Sector which facilitates online data capture/ input (daily, monthly, annually) from generation, transmission and distribution utilities in the country and disseminate Power Sector Information (operational, capacity, demand, supply, consumption etc.) through various analysed reports, graphs, statistics for generation, transmission and distribution at all India, region, state level for central, state and private sector.
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Indians add more years to their lives
A first-of-its kind report on the ‘India State-Level Disease Burden,’ released on Tuesday, has revealed severe inequalities in the disease burden in different States, suggesting the need for more specific health planning.
- For instance, life expectancy at birth improved significantly during 1990 to 2016 — from 59.7 years and 58.3 years for females and males respectively in 1990 to 70.3 years for females and 66.9 years for males in 2016.
- life expectancy for females in Uttar Pradesh was 66.8 years — below the national average and 12 years less than in Kerala, where it was 78.7 years. Again, men in Kerala enjoyed a life expectancy of 73.8 years, but the corresponding figure for men in Assam was 63.6 years.
The report was prepared under the Disease Burden Initiative, a joint project between the Indian Council of Medical Research, Public Health Foundation of India, and Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The report’s findings were and published in the journal Lancet.
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Rasogolla hits sweet spot, gets GI tag
The Geographical Indication (GI) Registry and Intellectual Property India has presented the Geographical Indication Tag status to Banglar Rasogolla of West Bengal and Mamallapuram stone sculptures of Tamil Nadu.
- The sculptures from Mamallapuram were known to be carved in stone with characteristics of intricate designing chiselled finely, keeping with the spirit of the surrounding Pallava art and architecture. The description includes cave architecture, rock architecture, structural temples, open sculptures, relief sculptures and painting/portrait sculptures.
- According to one of the documents submitted by West Bengal citing historical evidence, Rasogollas invented in the Nadia district of West Bengal are 60 years old (lower end time frame). Haradhan, a confectioner of village Phulia is named as the inventor. West Bengal has given half-a-dozen historical evidences to back its claim.
A GI is primarily an agricultural, natural or a manufactured product (handicrafts and industrial goods) originating from a definite geographical territory.
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UPSC sets 7-day time limit to report mistakes in exam papers
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has fixed a seven-day time frame for candidates to report mistakes or discrepancies in questions asked in the various examinations conducted by it.
- Thousands of students appear in various recruitment examinations conducted by the Commission. These include the civil services examination to select IAS and IPS officers among others.
- “For each examination, a time frame of 7 days (a week) i.e. from the next day of the examination date to 6 PM of the seventh day is fixed for the candidates to make representations to the Commission on the questions asked in the papers of that examination.
- UPSC Chairman - David R. Syiemlieh
Creamy layer case referred to Statute Bench
Reopening the debate on the application of “creamy layer” for reservations for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes in government jobs, the Supreme Court on Tuesday referred the question to a Constitution Bench.
- A Bench of Justices Kurian Joseph and R. Banumathi said clarity is required on the “application of creamy layer in situations of completing claims within the same races, communities, groups or parts thereof of SC/ST communities notified by the President under Articles 341 and 342”.
Background: This question on the application of creamy layer principle in SC/ST quotas comes 11 years after a five-judge Constitution Bench in the M. Nagaraj judgment of 2006 had decided that creamy layer should be excluded from the reservations for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in government jobs. Legal experts note that the Mandal Commission and E.V. Chinnaiah cases had confined the creamy layer concept to the Other Backward Classes section.
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Bill banning superstitious practices tabled
The much-delayed and hotly debated Karnataka Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices and Black Magic Bill, 2017, popularly known as the ‘Anti-Superstition Bill’, was recently tabled in the Legislative Assembly. The Bill, if cleared by the State legislature, is expected to put an end to various inhuman practices.
- Performing any inhumane act, evil practices and black magic in search of treasure, bounty.
- Tantric acts including physical and sexual assault.
- Parading anyone naked.
Assaulting people under the garb of exorcism.
India’s first Tribal Entrepreneurship Summit held in Chhattisgarh
India’s first Tribal Entrepreneurship Summit has been organised today at Dantewada in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh.
- The event is being organized by NITI Aayog in partnership with Government of United States of America. The event is a part of 8th Global Entrepreneurship Summit being held in India.
- The summit will see the participation of tribal entrepreneurs from various sectors across the country and abroad.
- The summit has been addressed by eminent speakers from NITI Aayog, health and agri-pharma sectors.
- NITI Aayog – Amitabh Kant
President Ram Nath Kovind to Attend Inaugural programme Of Hornbill Festival
President Ram Nath Kovind will attend the inaugural programme of the International Hornbill Festival in Nagaland on December 1.
- Chief Minister of Nagaland TR Zeliang made the announcement about President Kovind’s presence at the programme.
- Mr Zeliang said Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will also attend the festival on December 2.
Hornbill festival is an annual event organised by the state government to showcase the rich traditional heritage and colourful culture of the Naga people.
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Naveen announces scholarships for students on Children’s Day
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik made a series of announcements on the occasion of Children’s Day to encourage parents, teachers and students to promote education in the State.
- Mr. Patnaik announced the launch of ‘Mo School’ (My School) campaign for former students. “This campaign will promote and facilitate voluntarism to give back to our alma maters”.
- He also announced cash reward of Rs. 5,000 under the ‘Odia Bhasha Brutti Puraskar’ scheme for 10 students in each block who fetched high marks in the Odia language paper.
- He also announced the ‘Mukhyamantri Medhabrutti’ cash reward scheme for students faring well in the Class X examinations in all blocks and urban areas. As many as 40,000 students in the State will get Rs. 5,000 each as prize money under the scheme.
Ganga Kumari creates history by becoming first transgender to be appointed in Rajasthan police
Ganga Kumari is now Rajasthan’s first, but India’s third, transgender person to join a state police force.
- Her appointment was stalled by the police department following her medical examination.
- Ganga’s appointment came after the two-year-long legal battle, which resulted in the Rajasthan High Court directing that she be inducted into the state police force.
- Earlier this year, 25-year-old K Prithika Yashini from Tamil Nadu made history by becoming the first transgender in the police force in India.
Saudi Arabia recognises yoga as sports activity
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Trade and Industry officially declared yoga as a sport.
Any Saudi citizen wanting to practice or teach yoga can avail a licence from the government.
- The campaign to recognise yoga as a sporting activity was led by Nouf Marwaai, who also became the first certified yoga instructor in the country.
Capital: Riyadh
Currency: Saudi riyal
King- Salman
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Japan to relax visa norms for Indians from January 1
Japan will simplify its visa rules from January 1, 2018, for Indians and issue multiple-entry-visa for short-term stay, a move which is expected to benefit tourists and business persons as well as repeat visitors.
- The relaxed visa regime will not only have simplification of visa application documents but also expansion of scope of eligible applicants.
- Under the simplification of visa application documents, the applicant’s employment certificate and explanation letter stating the reason will be exempted in cases of applying for multiple-entry-visa.
Capital: Tokyo
Currency: Japanese yen
Prime minister: Shinzō Abe
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China has launched the world’s first all-electric ship
China has launched the world’s first all-electric ship, which can travel up to 80 km with 2000-tonnes cargo after a two-hour charge.
- The 70.5-metre-long ship, which weighs about 600 tonnes, was launched in Guangzhou in South Chinas Guangdong Province. The vessel, manufactured by the Guangzhou Shipyard International Company Ltd, is powered by a 26-tonne lithium battery.
- It can cruise at the top speed of 12.8 km per hour. As the ship do not use fossil fuels, it has zero emission, including carbon, sulphur and PM2.5 and it could be used as a passenger liner or a working ship.
Capital: Beijing
Currency: Renminbi
President: Xi Jinping
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Switzerland has highest wealth per adult at Rs.3.5 crore
Switzerland has topped the list of average wealth per adult with $537,600 (Rs.3.5 crore), according to the 2017 Credit Suisse Global Wealth Report.
- It is followed by Australia ($402,600) and the United States ($388,600) in the second and third place respectively.
- The global mean wealth per adult reached a new record high of $56,540.
- Credit Suisse’s latest annual Global Wealth Report says India is home to 245,000 dollar millionaires. The country has a share of 0.7% of the global top 1% by wealth, who collectively own half the world’s total wealth.
Capital: Singapore city
Currency: Singapore dollar
President: Halimah Yacob
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U.S. approves first pill with digital tracking device
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first drug in the United States with a digital ingestion tracking system, in an unprecedented move to ensure that patients with mental illness take the medicine prescribed for them.
- The drug Abilify MyCite, developed by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, was first approved by the FDA in 2002 to treat schizophrenia. The ingestible sensor, made by Proteus Digital health, was approved for marketing in 2012.
- The system works by sending a message from the pill’s sensor to a wearable patch, which then transmits the information to a mobile application so that patients can track the ingestion of the medication on their smartphone.
- About the size of a grain of salt, the sensor has no battery or antenna and is activated when it gets wet from stomach juices.
Switzerland Researchers engineer non-immune cells to kill cancer cells
Switzerland-based researchers have engineered non-immune cells transforming them into synthetic cells that mimic T-cells.
- Naturally occurring T-cells are cells’ immune systems which detect infections and kill them but are unable to kill cancer cells as they do not recognise them as foreign cells.
- The synthetic cells were however engineered with the additional function of killing cancer.
Capital: Bern
Currency: Swiss franc
President: Johann Schneider-Amman
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Singapore scientists fold a protein within a protein
Singapore-based researchers have invented a fundamentally new way of folding and protecting recombinant proteins.
- The team engineered a 12-nanometre diameter shell and wrapped it around a protein. Researchers claimed the technology could improve functional protein yields by 100-fold and protect proteins within engineered cavities that are less than 10,000 times the width of a human hair.
- The researchers developed this protein-within-a-protein technology with the help of Archeoglobus fulgidus, hardy bacteria that is naturally found in hydrothermal vents.
- These hyper-thermophilic bacteria have evolved unique solutions for protein folding and stabilisation due to the extreme environments in which they live.
Google Doodle celebrates the 151st birthday of India’s first female advocate Cornelia Sorabji
Google today celebrates the 151st birth anniversary of Cornelia Sorabji, a pioneer who helped open up the legal profession for women in India.
- She is the first-ever female graduate from Bombay University and went on to become the first woman to study law at the esteemed Oxford University.
- Her education at Oxford made her become the first Indian national to study at any British university.
Wholesale inflation accelerates to 3.59%
Inflation at the wholesale level accelerated to 3.59% in October, a six-month high, on the back of quickening food price inflation and firming oil prices, according to official data released by the Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday.
- The Wholesale Price Index had, in comparison, registered a growth of 2.6% in September.
- Within the Index, the primary articles segment saw inflation quickening to 3.33% in October from 0.15% in September.
- The food articles segment saw inflation at 4.3% in October, climbing from 2.04% in the previous month. The fuel segment saw a much slower contraction in prices in October, of 2.1%, compared with a contraction of 11.55% in September.
- Revision of base year of All-India Wholesale Price Index (WPI) from 2004-05 to 2011-12.
WPI will continue to constitute three Major Groups namely Primary Articles, Fuel & Power and Manufactured Products.
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Hunar Haat exhibition held in New Delhi
The fourth Hunar Haat exhibition was recently organised by Ministry of Minority Affairs under USTTAD (Upgrading the Skills & Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development) scheme.
- The USTTAD scheme aims at preserving & promoting the rich heritage of the traditional arts & crafts of the Minority communities. This is one of the flagship programmes of the Ministry.
- Hunar Haats have become a successful mission to provide employment and income generation opportunities with platforms for marketing the products of master artisans, craftsmen and culinary experts belonging to the minority communities.
- It envisages at boosting the skill of craftsmen, weavers and artisans who are already engaged in the traditional ancestral work
South Asia Economic Summit begun at Kathmandu
10th South Asia Economic Summit (SAES) has begun at Kathmandu. More than 200 participants including ministers, members of parliaments, ambassadors, government officials, eminent experts and thinkers attending the summit.
- The theme of the summit is “Deepening Economic Integration for Inclusive and Sustainable Development in South Asia”.
SAES Started in 2008, South Asia Economic Summit is like Davos- World Economic Forum event in South Asia. It is a regional platform for discussing and analyzing economic and development issues and challenges faced by South Asian countries and advancing the cause of regional integration and cooperation.
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Asia Pacific Computer Emergency Response Team (APCERT) conference held in New Delhi
The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) under the aegis of Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology organizing the Asia Pacific Computer Emergency Response Team (APCERT) Conference from November 12-15, 2017 in New Delhi. This is the 15th Conference of APCERT and first ever conference in India and South Asia and will be attended by 21 economies.
- This conference would cover contemporary topics around strategies of CERTs, Technology and Instruments for building trust in digitally evolving economies and best practices for handling cyber security in mobile and social media.
APCERT (Asia Pacific Computer Emergency Response Team) is a coalition of CSIRTs (Computer Security Incident Response Teams), from 13 economies across the Asia Pacific region. APCERT organizes an annual meeting called APSIRC conference, and the first conference was held in March 2002, Tokyo, Japan.
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CERT-In (the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team) is a government-mandated information technology (IT) security organization. CERT-In was created by the Indian Department of Information Technology in 2004 and operates under the auspices of that department.
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Xiaomi and Samsung are top smartphone brands in India
- According to the International Data Corporation’s Xiaomi emerged as the fastest growing smartphone vendor in India in the September quarter.
- Xiaomi now controls 23.5% of the Indian smartphone market, which ties it with Samsung as the leading smartphone vendor in the country.
- Among other vendors, Lenovo made a comeback after two-quarters of decline making it the third largest smartphone vendor in India.
BSE appoints S Ravi as its new chairman
Eminent chartered accountant Sethurathnam Ravi takes the appointment as the chairman of the leading stock exchange BSE.
- Ravi, who was a public interest director at the BSE, replaces Dhirendra Swarup.
- Sethurathnam Ravi has experience of holding a number of positions on the board of banks, financial institutions and asset management companies in the financial sector.
Rashtriya Bal Kalyan Award presented to Super-30 founder
President Ram Nath Kovind awarded this year’s “Rashtriya Bal Kalyan Award” to Super 30 founder Anand Kumar for his contributions in the field of teaching and education.
- Kumar’s Super 30 coaching institute has been providing free education, accommodation and food to students coming from the underprivileged section of society to crack the prestigious IIT entrance examination.
- The award, launched by the Department of Women and Child Development, carries a citation and Rs. 1 lakh.
Indian women golfer Aditi Ashok becomes first Indian to qualify for LPGA Tour Championship
Indian golfer Aditi Ashok has qualified for the season-ending event of the LPGA Tour, CME Group Tour Championship, becoming the first Indian to qualify for the competition.
- The 19-year-old is one of the eight rookies to qualify for the season-ending event.
Aditi became the first female golfer to represent India at the Olympics, after participating in the Rio 2016 Games.
Veteran actress Shyama passed away
Veteran Bollywood actor Shyama passed away at the age of 82.
- The actress was known for her roles in movies like Aar Paar, Barsaat Ki Raat, Sawan Bhadi, Milan and Sharada.
- In a more than four-decades-long career, Shyama acted in about 175 movies.
- She won the Filmfare Award Best Supporting Actress award for her performance in Sharada.
Dravid joins the BFC brandwagon
Indian Super League club Bengaluru FC announced Rahul Dravid as the club’s ambassador for the upcoming season.
- This will be the franchise’s first season in the ISL after four seasons in the I-League.
The Indian Super League is a men's professional football league in India. For sponsorship reasons, the league is officially known as the Hero Indian Super League.
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