Daily Current affairs - November 6th 2017 for all competitive exams
The Goods and Services Tax Council may consider lowering tax rates on goods such as handmade furniture, plastic products and daily-use items like shampoo, and simplify return filing rules at its meeting this week.
- The Council, headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, will meet on November 10 to consider lowering the 28% rate on certain common-use items.
Centre plans to set up more commercial courts
The Union government has proposed to establish commercial courts in districts to further improve the ease of doing business parameters.
- Legal remedy to commercial disputes and enforcement of business contracts are parameters of the World Bank ranking.
- On January 1, 2016, the Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts Bill, 2015 received Presidential assent.
- It contemplates setting up commercial courts at the district level and commercial divisions and appellate divisions at the high court level. It seeks to completely transform the manner in which commercial cases are heard and tried in India.
Cauvery Tribunal Gets Six Months Extension
Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation has extended the term of Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal by six months upto May 02, 2018.
- Cauvery is an inter‐State basin having its origin in Karnataka and flowing through Tamil Nadu and Puduchery before outfalling in Bay of Bengal. The sharing of waters of the Cauvery has been the source of a serious conflict between the states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
- In this regard, Government of India in June 1990 constituted the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) to adjudicate the water dispute regarding inter‐state river Cauvery and the river valley thereof among the States of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry.
- Cauvery river originates in Talakaveri in Kodagu district of Karnataka. It flows 800 km in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and reaches the Bay of Bengal through Poompuhar in Tamil Nadu.
Postmen to collate data on homes still without electricity
The power ministry has engaged postmen for door-to-door survey to expedite the Saubhagya schemelaunched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for complete household electrification by December 2018.
- India Post through its network 1.73 lakh outlets has begun collecting data on un-electrified households spread over three states of Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Similar initiatives are being launched in Assam and Jharkhand.
- India Post is the only organisation, which has permanent link with each and every household in the country. It has arrangements in place for delivery of mails to each of about 5.94 lakh inhabited villages in the country from the nearest post offices.
- The Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana -Saubhagya- launched in September with over Rs 16,000 crore outlay for universal household electrification, will cover a total of 300 lakh households–250 lakh households in rural areas and 50 lakh in urban areas.
- As per scheme, the states will have to submit detailed project reports to the Centre. Projects would be sanctioned based on the detailed project reports to be submitted by the states.
Parliamentary panel studying Doklam issue
The Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs plans to submit a comprehensive report on China-India ties next year and is looking at the “extremely topical” Doklam issue.
- Chairman of Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs – Shashi tharoor
- This year panel submitted to Parliament a report on Indo-Pakistan relations, similarly for next summer panel wants to submit a report on Sino-Indian relations.
Aadhaar to track rail staff attendance
Cracking the whip on latecomers, the Railway Ministry has said it will install Aadhaar-based biometric attendance system across its zones and divisions by January 31 next year.
- The Railway Board issued a letter in this regard to all zones on November 3.
- The biometric attendance system would be first implemented in the offices of all divisions, zones, Metro Rail Kolkata, railways workshop, factories and production units by November 30.
A MoU of Rs 10, 000 Crore was signed between the Government of India (GoI) and Patanjali
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) of Rs 10, 000 Crore was signed between the Government of India (GoI) and Patanjali at the World Food India 2017.
- The MoU was signed by Managing Director of Patanjali, Acharya Balkrishna and Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the Union Cabinet Minister of Food Processing in the Government of India.
Supreme Court, High Court judges get DA hike
The dearness allowance (DA) of judges of the Supreme Court and the 24 High Courts has been increased even as proposals to give them a salary hike await approval from the Union Cabinet.
- In a letter to the Secretary General of the Supreme Court and the Registrars General of the High Courts last month, the Department of Justice in the Law Ministry said that the DA of the judges had been revised to 139% with effect from July 1 “at the same rates as are admissible to the members of the all-India service”.
Banaganapalle mangoes get GI tag
The famous Banaganapalle mangoes of Andhra Pradesh and Tulaipanji rice of West Bengal are among the seven commodities that have been granted Geographical Indication (GI) this year by the Indian patent office.
- Darjeeling tea, Tirupati laddu, Kangra paintings, Nagpur orange and Kashmir pashmina are among the registered GIs in India.
- A GI is primarily an agricultural, natural or a manufactured product (handicrafts and industrial goods) originating from a definite geographical territory.
- Typically, such a name conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness, which is essentially attributable to the place of its origin.
Annual ‘Balijatra’ festival begins in Odisha on the banks of river Mahanadi
The annual ‘Balijatra’ festival was inaugurated by Health and Law Minister Pratap Jena at Gadagadia ghat in Odisha on the banks of river Mahanadi.
- The week-long famous fair on an area of 30 acres on the river bank will continue till November 10.
- It got the nod from east zone bench of National Green Tribunal for the second time this year.
Kamal Haasan confirms entry into politics.
Actor Kamal Haasan said he would float a political party and the first step would be the launch of a mobile app on November 7.
- At a function to mark the 39th anniversary of his fan/welfare club, the superstar confirmed his entry into politics.
- Haasan said the party would be launched in a calm manner and mobile app was the first step in the direction.
India accepted for Quadrilateral grouping
India has accepted an invitation to join the Japan-proposed, U.S.-endorsed plan for a “Quadrilateral” grouping including Australia.
- The quadrilateral arrangement, including US, Japan, Australia and India, aims to be a grouping of countries all looking to balance China, using an international rules-based order to counter China’s aggressive power play.
- The grouping also aims to provide alternative debt financing for countries in the Indo-Pacific.
Nepal opens the bridge built with India help near China border.
Nepal inaugurated a bridge built with India’s financial assistance of $430,626 on the Kaligandaki river near China border.
- The newly-constructed Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) bridge was inaugurated by Ambassador of India to Nepal Manjeev Singh Puri.
- The bridge at Jomsom area in Mustang district not only provides direct motorable connectivity to people of Mustang but also benefits thousands of tourists and pilgrim.
Global watchdog FATF puts Pakistan on notice
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global anti- money laundering watchdog has put Pakistan on notice for terror financing.
- FATF has sought from Pakistan, notwithstanding opposition from China, a compliance report by February 2018 on action taken against terror groups such as LeT and JuD.
- FATF has asked Pakistan to do more to freeze assets of terror outfits such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jamaat-ud-Dawa.
- The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 on the initiative of the G7.
Universe’s most ancient spiral galaxy spotted
Scientists have discovered the most ancient spiral galaxy recorded so far.
- The galaxy, known as A1689B11, was born 11 billion years ago and could provide insights into the early cosmos.
- It sits behind a massive cluster of galaxies that acts as a lens, which scientists used to produce magnified images.
India’s indigenous subsonic cruise missile, Nirbhay, ready for its fifth trial
India’s indigenous subsonic cruise missile, Nirbhay, which failed its last test in December 2016, is ready for its fifth trial.
- The DRDO chief said the glitches that led to failure in its fourth trial in December 2016 have been removed.
- The 750-1,000 km-long range missile’s first test on March 12, 2013, failed as it fell after 20 minutes of flight.
- The cruise missile is expected to supplement the Indo-Russian joint venture supersonic cruise missile BrahMos, which can carry warheads up to 290 km.
Indian Navy carrier may get US aircraft launching system.
Indian Navy carrier to be fitted with the electric propelled latest electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) and powered by integrated electric propulsion.
- This progress is happening ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting US President Donald Trump on November 13, the India and the US.
- The 11 member US team led by Rear Admiral Brian Antonio, met his Indian counterpart Vice Admiral D M Deshpande in Goa from October 29-31.
ICICI Bank announced the launch of India’s first voice-based international remittance service
ICICI Bank announced the launch of India’s first voice-based international remittance service to enable non-resident Indians (NRIs) to send money to any bank in India.
- With this new feature in the ICICI Bank’s Money2India app, an NRI customer can instantly initiate a remittance to his/her existing payees in India with just a simple voice command to Apple’s virtual voice assistant, Siri, on their iPhone/iPad.
ClearTax’s e-KYC to help MF investors
ClearTax, an e-filing and compliance platform, rolled out an e-KYC registration feature that allows users to invest in mutual funds without having to provide hard copies for any identification.
- With e-KYC, an investor has to enter PAN and Aadhaar details and generate an OTP on their Aadhaar-linked mobile number.
Kenya’s Kamworor wins New York Marathon men’s crown.
Kenya’s Geoffrey Kamworor won the New York City Marathon men’s title.
- Kamworor was in only his seventh marathon.
- He won second in 2015 to Kenyan Stanley Biwott after losing late in the race.
Flanagan wins New York Marathon women’s crown.
Shalane Flanagan became the first American woman in 40 years to win the New York City Marathon.
- At age 36, Flanagan became the first US woman to win on the streets of the Big Apple since Miki Gorman in 1977.
India beat China to win women’s Asia Cup hockey title.
India has defeated China 5-4 via shootout to win the women’s Asia Cup hockey title 2017. With this, India also qualified for World Cup 2018 as Continental champion.
- Savita Punia was adjudged Goalkeeper-of-the-Tournament while Monica won the Woman-of-the-Match award.
- Skipper Rani scored twice while Monica, Lilima Minz and Navjot Kaur scored a goal each in the shootout.
Aditi Ashok Wins the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open in Abu Dhabi
- Indian golfer Aditi Ashok made her return to the Ladies European Tour by clinching the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open in Abu Dhabi. It is Aditi’s third LET win in less than 12 months.
Shiv Kapur clinches Panasonic Open title
Shiv Kapur won his first Asian Tour title in India, bagging the Panasonic Open by three strokes.
- It is second Asian Tour title of the season for Shiv Kapur.
- Kapur had won the Yeangder Heritage in April and finished second at the Thailand Open this season.
- He had won his first Asian tour title in 2005 at the Volvo Masters of Asia.
Goerges beats Vandeweghe to lift WTA Elite Trophy.
German Julia Goerges tamed American CoCo Vandeweghe won the final of the WTA Elite Trophy to claim the biggest title of her career.
- The 29-year-old screamed in delight after completing a stellar year in which she won two titles and reached five finals.
