Daily Current affairs - November 30th, 2017 for all competitive exams
The first one rupee note was introduced on November 30, 1917, with the photo of King George V have been all but tumultuous for this creation.
- The first One Rupee note was launched on 30 /11 / 1917 with the text “I promise to pay” written on it.
- The One Rupee notes had the picture of King George V, the then British monarch, imprinted on it.
- The Reserve Bank website says its issuance was discontinued first in 1926 on cost-benefit considerations.
- It got reintroduced in 1940, only to be discontinued in 1994 again. The little note got back again in 2015.
Since 1917 to 2017, there have been 125 different One Rupee notes that have been issued for circulation with different serial numbers and signatures.
Since the past 100 years, the design of the One Rupee note has changed 28 times.
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India moves up one spot to 68 on Global Entrepreneurship Index
India has moved up one place to spot 68 on the Global Entrepreneurship Index of 2018, which is topped by the US.
- Last year India was at the 69th position.
- The list was prepared for 137 countries in the world. Each country is ranked according to its GEI score to indicate overall entrepreneurship attitude and potential.
The Global Entrepreneurship Index (GEI) is an economic activity index compiled by US-based The Global Entrepreneurship and Development Institute, which looks at how individual countries across the world allocate resources to promoting entrepreneurship
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India unlikely to cut malaria burden by half in 2020: WHO
India accounted for 6% of global malaria cases and 7% of deaths caused by it in 2016, according to a report released on Wednesday by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
- This is in the same ballpark as last year, though the WHO figures also suggest that India is unlikely to reduce its case burden beyond 40% by 2020.
- In contrast, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Kyrgyzstan achieved malaria-free status in 2015 and 2016 respectively.
- A key impediment to eliminating malaria is a weak surveillance system.
- India and Nigeria, two major contributors to the global burden of malaria, were able to detect only 8% and 16% of cases respectively via the system.
- The World Malaria Report 2017 draws on data from 91 countries and areas with ongoing malaria transmission.
New radio technology for Navy
The Defence Acquisition Council approved the procurement of more than 260 Software Defined Radios (SDR) for the Navy at a cost of more than Rs. 490 crore.
- This is the first indigenously designed and developed SDR to be procured by any of the three services. These will replace the existing systems on-board warships.
- The development of the SDRs was carried out by the Defence Electronics & Applications Laboratory of the DRDO. Bharat Electronics Limited will be the the production Agency.
- This technology will improve information sharing and situational awareness through secure voice communications and data transfer capabilities.
Software-defined radio (SDR) is a radio communication system where components that have been traditionally implemented in hardware (e.g. mixers, filters, amplifiers, modulators/demodulators, detectors, etc.) are instead implemented by means of software on a personal computer or embedded system.
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TRAI backs free data in a non-discriminatory way
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has stuck to its recommendation of allowing free data to consumers in a non-discriminatory manner by third-party aggregators while agreeing with the telecom department’s views that government money can be used for connectivity rather than supporting free data scheme to rural subscribers.
- The regulator noted that data had become affordable due to a tariff war in the telecom sector, and that “concern with regard to availability of affordable data services has been mitigated.”
- In December last year, Trai had recommended that a “reasonable” amount of free data access — say a 100 MB per month — be provided to rural subscribers and the scheme could be funded from the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF).
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is the regulator of the telecommunications sector in India.
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New engineering curriculum may include Constitution, culture
The All India Council for Technical Education has recommended incorporating social sciences and management in the engineering curriculum followed by over 3,000 institutions from the next academic session.
- Students will be required to study papers on the Constitution and the essence of Indian traditional knowledge among other topics.
- Further, theoretical classes will be reduced to 20 per week.
The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) is the statutory body and a national-level council for technical education, under Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development. Established in November 1945 first as an advisory body and later on in 1987 given statutory status by an Act of Parliament, AICTE is responsible for proper planning and coordinated development of the technical education and management education system in India.
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Shimla civic body passes resolution against NGT order
The Shimla Municipal Corporation on Wednesday passed a unanimous resolution against the National Green Tribunal order banning all construction activity in most areas of the historic town.
- It termed the order “anti-development” and a “clear encroachment on the constitutional and democratic powers of an elected body”.
- The 145-page verdict of the four-member NGT bench imposed a complete ban on construction in the core areas of the town, including its green belt, to prevent indiscriminate construction.
Delhi government asks NCERT to include the chapter on tobacco in school syllabus
Delhi’s State Tobacco Control Cell has urged the NCERT to incorporate a chapter on tobacco control in curriculums of the CBSE and other educational boards for classes 6 to 12.
- Additional director in the Health Department, Dr S K Arora said the WHO estimated that of the 1,000 teenagers who smoke currently, 500 would eventually die of tobacco-related diseases.
Bengaluru gets India’s first space technology gallery
The country’s first Space Technology Gallery, set up at Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum(VITM), in collaboration with Indian Space Research Organization (Isro).
- Now we can experience live satellite launches held at Sriharikota’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Bengaluru museum.
- A special section has been dedicated to APJ Abdul Kalam, who headed the Rohini satellite project at Isro.
- After setting up the first one in Bengaluru, the National Council of Science Museums is planning the next Space Technology Gallery in New Delhi.
Karnataka first state where women head police, bureaucracy
Karnataka has become the first state in the country where administration, both civil and police, is headed by women.
- IAS officer K Ratna Prabha is the chief secretary and IPS officer Neelamani N Raju is the director general and inspector general of police (DG&IGP).
Arunachal’s Siang river turns black
The waters of the Siang river, considered the lifeline of northern Arunachal Pradesh for centuries, has suddenly turned dark black triggering panic in the frontier state. The water from the river is no longer considered fit for consumption.
- China is being blamed for these changes. China has been planning to dig the world’s longest tunnel to change the course of Yarlung Tsangpo from Tibet towards Taklimakan desert in Xinjiang but has been denying the same at public platforms.
- Siang originates in China and then enters India through Arunachal Pradesh, it is then joined by two other rivers–Dibang and Lohit–as it enters Assam where it is called the Brahmaputra.
India donates 500 tonnes of rice to Lesotho
India has donated 500 metric tonnes of rice to the Kingdom of Lesotho, in Southern Africa, which is facing acute food shortage due to famine.
- Lesotho is an enclaved, landlocked country in southern Africa completely surrounded by South Africa.
- Resources are scarce – a consequence of the harsh environment of the highland plateau and limited agricultural space in the lowlands.
Singapore offers India logistical base
India and Singapore agreed on greater cooperation and activity in the Strait of Malacca and the Andaman Sea even as the two countries concluded a wide ranging naval agreement for maritime cooperation including logistical support.
- The two countries concluded a bilateral agreement for naval cooperation, which includes maritime security, joint exercises and temporary deployments from the naval facilities of each other and mutual logistical support.
- Early this year, the Indian Navy permanently deployed a frontline warship at the mouth of the strait to keep an eye on the increasing Chinese movements in the Indian Ocean as part of its mission-based deployment.
- The agreement would give the Navy the ability for extended deployments in the region.
- Singapore Defence Minister Dr. Ng Eng Hen
UK based Indian-origin businessmen committed to Clean Ganga mission
UK-based Indian-origin businessmen have committed to projects worth nearly Rs 500 crore associated with the Clean Ganga mission. Riverfront regeneration and development of ghats in the towns of Patna, Kanpur, Haridwar and Kolkata have been taken on by four leading industrialists from the UK.
- The businessmen will take on the projects as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) agenda and work with the Indian government on finalising the plans for each of the cities.
The Union government approved “Namami Gange” Program in May 2015. It integrates the efforts to clean and protect the Ganga River in a comprehensive manner.
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Russia to launch ‘independent internet’ for BRICS nations
Russia’s Security Council has reportedly asked the country’s government to develop an independent internet infrastructure for BRICS nations, which would continue to work in the event of global internet malfunctions.
- The initiative was discussed at the October meeting of the Security Council, which is Russia’s top consultative body on national security.
- President Vladimir Putin personally set a deadline of August 1, 2018 for the completion of the task
Sushma Swaraj arrives in Russia to attend Shanghai cooperation organization summit
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today arrived in the Russian city of Sochi to attend the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.
- The summit will be held on November 30 and December 1 and issues relating to the regional security scenario.
- In June, India and Pakistan had become full-fledged members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
- In the summit, India is likely to press for concerted regional and global efforts to contain terrorism.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a Eurasian political, economic, and security organisation, the creation of which was announced on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai, China by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Charter was signed in June 2002 and entered into force on 19 September 2003.
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North Korea launched Hwasong-15
North Korea has launched its most powerful weapon yet- Called the Hwasong-15, after nearly two months of relative quiet.
- It is the ‘greatest ICBM’ that could be armed with a ‘super-large heavy nuclear warhead’ capable of striking the ‘whole mainland’ of the United States of America.
- Pyongyang claimed the missile reached a height of 4,475 km (2,780 miles) and traveled 950 km (590 miles) before it accurately hitting a sea target.
Victoria becomes first Australian state to legalise euthanasia
An Australian state became the first in the country to legalise assisted dying, or euthanasia, with lawmakers voting to allow terminally ill patients the right to request a lethal drug to end their lives.
- The scheme will be accessible only to terminally ill patients over 18 living in Victoria for at least a year and with less than six months to live, down from an originally proposed 12 months.
- The legislation, which takes effect from June 2019, was passed in Victoria after 100 hours of often fiery debate
- Euthanasia is the practice of intentionally ending a life to relieve pain and suffering.
Jet Airways, Air France-KLM announce tie-up to boost traffic
India’s Jet Airways and Air France-KLM announced a partnership to route more traffic through Europe and on to North America.
- Indian international air traffic is booming, but much of the growth is coming from three big Gulf carriers including Etihad, which owns 24 percent of Jet.
- The agreement also includes Delta Air Lines, with which Air France KLM has an existing partnership.
Facebook may soon ask you to upload your photo for security
Facebook is asking some users to upload a photo that clearly shows their face to prove that they are not bots, if the validity of an account is in question.
- Facebook told Wired.com that the photo test was intended to “help us catch suspicious activity”.
Coops can’t use ‘bank’ in names: RBI
The RBI has asked co-operative societies not use the word ‘bank’ in their names as it violates the Banking Regulation Act.
- In a statement, the Reserve Bank said that it has also “come to the notice” that some co-operative societies are accepting deposits from public which tantamount to conducting banking business in violation of the provisions of the Act. “It has come to the notice of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) that some co-operative Societies are using the word “bank” in their names.
- This is a violation of Section 7 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
Section 7: “No firm, individual or group of individuals shall, for the purpose of carrying on any business, use as part of its or his name any of the words “bank”, “banking” or “banking company”.
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Lupin Foundation partnership with State Bank of India to open 2 lakh bank accounts
Lupin Human Welfare and Research Foundation, part of pharma major Lupin, will facilitate opening over 2 lakh bank accounts through its financial inclusion programme in rural areas by 2020.
- As part of the initiative in partnership with State Bank of India, the company will provide banking solutions to the poor and farmers at its kiosk centres spread across Rajasthan.
- Since 2010, the foundation has opened 2.4 lakh SBI bank accounts by sending its banking correspondents to about 495 villages.
As per Ericsson report mobile data traffic in India to grow 11 times by 2023
The total mobile data traffic per month in India is set to grow 11 times, from 1.3 Exabyte to 14 Exabyte by 2023, according to Ericsson’s Mobility Report.
- The report estimates that the monthly data usage per smartphone (GB/month) in India will increase five times from 3.9 GB in 2017 to 18 GB by 2023.
- LTE will account for more than 60% of the total subscriptions in the country by 2023 compared to the 12% LTE subscriptions in 2017.
Since 2011, the Ericsson Mobility Report has been forecasting the future of our connected world. Based on past and current data, and validated with extensive network measurements, the report provides industry-leading projections as well as analyses of the latest market trends.
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First Sikh woman elected as mayor in the U.S
Preet Didbal has been elected as the mayor of Yuba City in California, becoming the first Sikh woman to hold the position in the United States.
- Didbal was appointed by the California city council and will be sworn in on December 5.
- Didbal was elected to Yuba City Council in 2014 and is currently vice mayor.
Raj Shah becomes first Indian-American to hold press gaggle aboard Air Force One
Raj Shah becomes the first Indian-American who holds a key position in the White House, gaggled with reporters on board presidential chopper Air Force One.
- Shah, Principal Deputy Press Secretary in White House, was born in 1984 to Indian parents of Gujarati origin.
- Shah joined the White House right from the day the Trump administration took charge.
Anna Hazare to launch Jan Lokpal stir from March 23 next year
Social activist Anna Hazare will launch an agitation over Jan Lokpal and farmers issues in New Delhi on March 23 next year.
- Hazare said that he chose March 23 to launch the agitation as it happens to be the Shaheed Diwas.
- Hazare said this will be a satyagraha for Jan Lokpal, farmers’ issues and poll reforms.
- Previously he went on a 12-day hunger strike in 2011 after which the then UPA government accepted the demand in principle.
Odisha CM unveils logo & mascot of Hockey World Cup 2018
Logo and mascot of Hockey World Cup 2018 have been unveiled at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
- Recently the state had successfully hosted the Asian Athletics Championships.
- As many as 16 countries, including hosts India, will participate in the 14th edition of the Hockey World Cup.
- The Chief Minister also launched the countdown timer for the international event scheduled to be held in Bhubaneswar late next year
Boxing Federation of India gets official recognition by IOA
The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) was recognised as a national body by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
- This comes after the IOA removed the terminated Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF) as its affiliate.
- The BFI assumed office last year after elections conducted in the presence of observers from the International Amateur Boxing Association and the Sports Ministry.
- The BFI, already recognised by the International Boxing Association (AIBA) and the Sports Ministry, finally got the IOA’s nod, which had IABF registered as the official body till now.
Mirabai Chanu 1st Indian in 22 yrs to win World Weightlifting Championship
India’s Mirabai Chanu has bagged the country’s maiden gold at the 2017 World Weightlifting Championships held in Anaheim, USA
- She is becoming only the second Indian to do so after Karnam Malleswari, who won gold in 1995.
- Twenty-three-year-old Chanu, who won a silver at 2014 Commonwealth Games, lifted 85 kg in Snatch and 109 kg in Clean and Jerk in Women’s 48-kg category.
