Daily Current affairs - November 4th and 5th, 2017 for all competitive exams
The World Tsunami Awareness Day was observed across the world on 5 November.
- The theme for 2017 WTAD is ‘Reduce the Number of Affected People’.
- The day is celebrated to spread awareness among people across the world in matters related to the dangers of tsunami. The first WTAD was observed across the world in 2016 with the theme ‘Effective Education and Evacuation Drills’.
Haj subsidy to be phased out next year
Haj subsidy borne by the government and extended to pilgrims travelling to Saudi Arabia could be phased out as early as 2018.
- The subsidy was to be phased out after a Supreme Court order recommended the same to the government in 2012, with 2022 as the outer limit.
- Government would like to spend the funds on educational programmes especially for girl children of the minority community.
Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana
The government has launched a Pan India scholarship program for school children called Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana to increase the reach of Philately.
- Under the scheme of SPARSH (Scholarship for Promotion of Aptitude & Research in Stamps as a Hobby), it is proposed to award annual scholarships to children of Standard VI to IX having good academic record and also pursuing Philately
- To avail this scholarship, a child must be a student of a recognized school within India and the concerned school should have a Philately Club and the candidate should be a member of the Club.
No I-T on sub-Rs. 2 lakh agri cash sale
The Income Tax Department clarified that a cultivator’s cash sales of agricultural produce of less than Rs. 2 lakh to a trader would be exempted from tax under the Income Tax Act.
- According to a circular from the Department, neither the cultivator nor the trader needs to pay tax on cash sales worth less than Rs. 2 lakh of agricultural produce, from the former to the latter.
- The circular added that they also did not need to provide their Permanent Account Number or the Form 60.
Coastal Berth Scheme
The Ministry of Shipping has extended the period of the Coastal Berth scheme of the flagship Sagarmala Programme for three years, upto 31st March, 2020 and expanded its scope to cover capital dredging at Major Ports and preparation of DPR for coastal berth project, in Oct 2017.
- The Coastal Berth Scheme aims to provide financial support to ports or state governments for creation of infrastructure for movement of cargo and passenger by sea or national waterways.
- The projects under the Scheme are distributed over eight states with the highest number of projects in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh & Goa.
- The admissible financial assistance from Central Government is 50% of the total cost of the project.
Rajdhani, Shatabdi passengers to get SMS if train late by over an hour
Passengers of Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains will now get SMS alerts if their scheduled trains get delayed by over an hour.
- The Railways made the much-needed facility operational on November 4, 2017.
Haryana government has signed initial pacts worth Rs. 2,069 crore at with 44 agro-based
The Haryana government has signed initial pacts worth Rs. 2,069 crore with 44 agro-based and food processing enterprises and establishments that will provide employment to 5,012 persons.
- The MoUs were signed in the presence of State Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar at the Haryana Session on the second day of the three-day World Food India organised in the national capital.
‘Article 35A is not part of the Constitution of India’
Jammu and Kashmir Advocate-General Jehangir Iqbal Ganai said Article 35A, which is being contested in the Supreme Court through a number of petitions, “is not part of the Indian Constitution”.
- There is an argument projected that the President has no powers to amend the Constitution.
- It’s a part of the Constitution only applicable to J&K. There is a difference. So there is no requirement of Parliament amending it.
- Article 35A is a provision incorporated in the Constitution giving the Jammu and Kashmir Legislature a carte blanche to decide who all are ‘permanent residents’ of the State and confer on them special rights and privileges in public sector jobs, acquisition of property in the State, scholarships and other public aid and welfare.
- The provision mandates that no act of the legislature coming under it can be challenged for violating the Constitution or any other law of the land.
Nobel Prize Series — India 2018 (Science Impacts Life)’ to be held February 2018 in Goa
The Goa government signed a trilateral MoU with the Department of Bio-Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India (GoI) and Nobel Media, Sweden to hold the ‘Nobel Prize Series — India 2018 (Science Impacts Life)’ to be held from February 1-28, 2018 in Goa along with a month-long exhibition brought from Nobel Museum, Sweden.
UNESCO launches Strategic Framework for Education in Emergencies in the Arab Region
UNESCO has launched a Strategic Framework for Education in Emergencies in the Arab Region (2018-2021).
- The Strategic Framework for Education in Emergencies in the Arab Region (2018-2012) aims to respond to the Education crisis in the region through supporting Member States in meeting their educational needs, and helping them meet the commitments set out in SDG4 which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all by 2030.
- The Strategic Framework consists of four strategic goals anchored in the three pillars of education: Access, Quality and System Strengthening.
China unveiled Asia’s largest artificial island-building ship
China unveiled Asia’s largest artificial island-building ship. The 140-metre-long vessel, which has been dubbed as “magic island maker”, is capable of digging 6,000 cubic metres an hour, which is equivalent to three standard swimming pools.
- The vessel is expected to be delivered in June 2018 after being tested completely. The boat named Tian Kun Hao is equivalent of three standard swimming pools.
Trump in Japan as Asia trip begins
U.S. President Donald Trump headed to Japan on the first stop of his five-nation tour of Asia on November 4, looking to present a united front with the Japanese against North Korea as tensions run high over Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile tests.
- Mr. Trump, who is on a 12-day trip, is to speak to U.S. and Japanese forces at Yokota air base shortly after arriving in Japan on Sunday and looked to stress the importance of the alliance to regional security.
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri resigned from his post
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri resigned from his post.
- He was in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh when he announced the resignation.
- He has resigned as he feared for his life. His father, former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, was assassinated in 2005.
DRDO successfully tests guided bomb
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully tested an indigenously developed light weight glide bomb, Smart Anti Airfield Weapon (SAAW), which can target large enemy infrastructure, like airfields.
- The guided bomb released from an Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft and guided through precision navigation system, reached the targets at greater than 70 km range with high accuracies.
- The tests were conducted at Chandipur in Odisha.
Phone App for cancer study
A new smartphone App, SmartIHC-Analyser, developed by researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur can now help in faster and more accurate evaluation of cancer after treatment.
- The App analyses the expression of a protein marker (Ki-67) for determining an increase in cancer cells.
- The App, now available for Android phones, analyses microscopic images of stained cancer tissue and in less than a minute tells if there is progression or regression of cancer cells post treatment.
AU Small Finance Bank has received RBI approval to operate as Scheduled Commercial Bank
AU Small Finance Bank has received Reserved Bank of India (RBI) approval to operate as Scheduled Commercial Bank.
- This bank’s name has now been included in the Second Schedule of Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
- Now AU Small Finance Bank will be able to do borrowing and lending with RBI under Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF)and Marginal Standing Facility (MSF).
- It will also enable AU Small Finance Bank to issue Certificate of Deposits (CDs) on competitive interest rates in the market to get liquidity.
Hindi writer Krishna Sobti chosen for Jnanpith Award
Noted writer of Hindi literature Krishna Sobti will be conferred with the country’s highest literary honour, Jnanpith Award this year in 2017.
- Sobti will be awarded with a cash prize of Rs 11 lakh, a certificate and a memento as part of the 53rd Jnanpith Award ceremony.
- The Jnanpith Award is one of the prestigious literary honours in the country. The award was instituted in 1961.
Juster’s appointment confirmed
Kenneth Juster, a top economic expert on India, was unanimously confirmed by the Senate as the next U.S. Ambassador to New Delhi, filling a key position as the two countries push forward their strategic ties.
- Mr. Juster, 62, is an old India hand who played a key role in developing the landmark Indo-U.S. civil nuclear deal.
- He will replace Indian-American Richard Verma as the top American diplomat to India. The position has been lying vacant since January 20 after Mr. Verma resigned from the post after the swearing-in of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the U.S.
Mary Kom has been named as the ambassador of the upcoming AIBA Women’s Youth World Championships
Five-time world champion and Olympic bronze medalist MC Mary Kom has been named as the ambassador of the upcoming AIBA Women’s Youth World Championships.
- The event, which is being hosted in Guwahati, Assam is scheduled to be held from November 19 to 26.
- The 34-year-old is currently in Vietnam for the Asian Championships and has reached the semi-finals of the tournament.
