Current Affairs 21st November 2020| Current Affairs News

 CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS

World Philosophy Day

• World Philosophy Day is observed on the third Thursday of November every year to strengthen people’s commitment to philosophy by fostering philosophical analysis, research, and studies on major contemporary issues.
• The 2020 edition of World Philosophy Day, to be celebrated this year on November 19.
• In the year 2002, World Philosophy Day was first introduced by UNESCO (the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).

Women’s Entrepreneurship Day

• Women’s Entrepreneurship Day (WED) is a day on which the work of women entrepreneurs is observed and discussed, held on the November 19 of each year.
• This day is to celebrate, recognise and appreciate all women entrepreneurs around the world.

World Television Day

• The United Nations’ (UN) World Television Day is annually observed in many places around the world on November 21.
• The day recognizes that television plays a major role in presenting different issue that affect people.
• On December 17, 1996, UN General Assembly proclaimed November 21 as World Television Day to commemorate the date on which the first World Television Forum was held earlier that year.

World Fisheries Day

• World Fisheries Day is being celebrated. The day is observed every year on 21st of November to demonstrate solidarity with all fisher-folk communities, fish farmers and concerned stakeholders throughout the world.
• On 10th of September this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the “Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana” (PMMSY) at an estimated investment of 20 thousand 50 crore rupees for a period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25. The scheme aims to achieve fish production to 22 million metric tonnes by 2024-25 and also to create an additional employment opportunity to about 55 lakh people.

World Children’s Day 2020

• World Children’s Day is being celebrated, November 20. It was first celebrated in 1954 as Universal Children’s Day to promote international togetherness and awareness among children worldwide, and for improving children’s welfare.
• In 1959, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child on November 20. In 1989, the UN General assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child on this date.
• Since 1990, World Children’s Day marks the anniversary of the date when the UN General Assembly adopted a Declaration and Convention on children’s rights.

Africa Industrialization Day-20 November

• Within the framework of the Second Industrial Development Decade for Africa (1991-2000), the United Nations General Assembly, in 1989, proclaimed 20 November “Africa Industrialization Day” (A/RES/44/237). Since then, the United Nations System has held events on that day throughout the world to raise awareness about the importance of Africa’s industrialization and the challenges faced by the continent.
• Since 2018, the Africa Industrialization Day has been successfully commemorated with weeklong events. The Africa Union Commission will be hosting the 2020 Africa Industrialization Week celebrations (#AIW2020) on 16-20 November 2020, under the theme “Inclusive and sustainable industrialisation in the AfCFTA and COVID-19 era”.

World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2020

• World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) -18-24 November every year aims to increase awareness of global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and to encourage best practices among the general public, health workers and policy makers to avoid the further emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections. The theme for the human health sector for WAAW 2020 is “United to preserve antimicrobials“.
• Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites resist the effects of medications, making common infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death. Antimicrobials are agents that are critical tools for fighting diseases in humans, animals and plants and include antibiotic, antiviral, antifungal and antiprotozoal medicines.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL

Union IT and Communications Minister Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad releases “My Stamp on Chhath Puja”

• Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister of Communications, Electronics & Information Technology and Law and Justice released a “My Stamp on Chhath Puja”.
• My Stamp is an innovative concept initiated by Department of Posts. Any common person or corporate organisation can now book order and get a personalised photograph or an image of a Postage Stamp. My Stamp is one of the unique products being offered by India Post, which has gained its popularity in customised gifting category.
• My Stamp on Chhath Puja is available in all Philatelic bureaux and major post offices across the country.  A special cover on the theme ‘Chhath- A symbol of Simplicity and Cleanliness ‘was also released.
• Chhath Puja is the only festival in which we worship not only the rising sun but also the sunset i.e. Usha and Pratyusha. The worship of Surya and ChhathiMaiya is unique to the traditions and propagates values of simplicity, purity and discipline.

About Minister of Communications

• Union Minister of Communications, Electronics & Information Technology and Law and Justice: Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad
• Constituency: Bihar

PM Modi virtually inaugurates five state-of-the-art facilities to mark 8th convocation of PDPU at Gandhinagar

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has virtually inaugurated five state-of-the-art facilities to mark the eighth convocation of Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University – PDPU at Gandhinagar .
• These include 45 MW production of monocrystalline solar photo-voltaic panels set up by GEDA at the cost of Rs. 17 crore. Mr. Modi has also launched the PDPU – technology business incubator with the fund of Rs.22 crore.
• He has inaugurated the Sports complex set up by Sports of Authority of Gujarat at the cost of 15 crore. Prime Minister has also inaugurated the Indo-EU bilateral project under horizon 2020 “India-h2o” for industrial waste & desalination and PDPU’s Translational Research Centre.

Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurates Seismic Survey Campaign by Oil India Ltd

• Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the Seismic Survey Campaign by Oil India Limited. The survey under the Open Acreage Licensing Policy, OALP, will be undertaken in 5 blocks of 8 districts of Odisha in the Mahanadi basin and nearby areas.
• Declaring the campaign open through virtual mode, Union Minister Mr Pradhan stated that the commercial production of oil and gas from the Mahanadi basin will be a game changer in the socio-economic development of Odisha. He stated, this will also thrust Odisha and the eastern India on the path of progress and prosperity in sync with the vision of Purvodaya.

Health Minister chairs an event to mark National Newborn Week 2020

• Health Minister Harsh Vardhan chaired an event to mark the National Newborn Week 2020, being observed from 15th to 21st November to reinforce the importance of newborn health as a key priority area of the health sector and to reiterate the commitment at the highest level.
• This year, the theme of National Newborn Week is ‘Quality, Equity, Dignity for every newborn at every health facility and everywhere. Dr Vardhan stated that the vision of the government is that every child should survive, thrive, and reach their full potential. He added that the Government is committed to work towards the health and development of all newborns.

About Ministry of Science and Technology:

• Union minister of Science and Technology, Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Minister of Earth Sciences: Harsh Vardhan
• Constituency: Chandni Chowk

RailTel bags e-office phase 3 project from Indian Railways

• RailTel has bagged Indian Railway’s e-office phase 3 project from the Indian Railways. Under the project, RailTel will implement e-office for Zonal Railways (Phase 3) using cloud enabled e-office application developed by NICs (National Informatics Centre) on November 11, 2020 .
• As per the MoU executed, the NIC e-office platform project which is helping the Indian Railways digitize its manual records, is planned to be completed by Jan’2021 and cost approximately Rs 47.05 crores
• In the first two phases which were completed in March 2020 and May 2020, RailTel had implemented the NIC platform for 106 establishments of the Indian Railways.

About Indian Railways:

• Headquarters: New Delhi, India
• Piyush Goyal (Minister of Railways)
• Vinod Kumar Yadav (Chairman, Railway Board)

Centre launches Safai Mitra Suraksha Challenge in 243 cities

• Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri launched the Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge, aimed to ensure that no person needs to enter a sewer or septic tank, unless absolutely unavoidable in the interest of greater public hygiene. The initiative, that promotes mechanized cleaning, also aims to ensure that no life of any sewer or septic tank cleaner is ever lost again owing to the issue of ‘hazardous’
• The virtual event witnessed participation of representatives from 243 cities across the country, coming together to take a pledge to mechanize all sewer and septic tank cleaning operations by 30th April 2021. The initiative was launched on the occasion of World Toilet Day.
• The initiative is in line with PM Modi’s vision, who has always placed the safety and dignity of sanitation workers at the core of the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U), Puri stated.

 About MoHUA:

• Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs and Civil Aviation: Hardeep Singh Puri
• Constituency: Amritsar

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND FINANCE

LIC launches digital application tool for agents

• Life Insurance Corporation of India has launched a digital application for agents for onboarding to get a life insurance policy.
• The Digital Application is called “ANANDA”, which is an acronym for Atma Nirbhar Agents NewBusiness Digital Application. It’s called ‘ANANDA’, which is an acronym for Atma Nirbhar Agents NewBusiness Digital Application.
• The Digital application is a tool for the onboarding process to get the life insurance policy through a paperless module with the help of the agent or intermediary,” LIC stated, adding that it is built on paperless KYC process using Aadhaar-based e-authentication of the life proposed.

About LIC:

• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Chairperson: M R Kumar

Moody’s revises India’s 2020-21 GDP contraction to 10.6%

• Moody’s Investors Service has revised its GDP projection for India in 2020-21 to a 6% contraction compared to a 11.5% drop it had estimated. The rating agency has also marginally elevated its forecast for 2021-22 GDP growth from 10.6% to 10.8%.
• “Estimates from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy show that unemployment remains high, although both urban and rural unemployment rates have recovered from peaks in April and May during the nationwide lockdown”, it noted.
• Moody’s termed the Centre’s November 12 package of stimulus measures ‘credit positive’. It stated they present ‘a potential upside to our current growth forecasts.’
• “We currently expect India’s growth to reach 10.8% in the fiscal 2021 [ending March 2022], compared with our earlier forecast of 10.6%, and to settle around 6% in the medium term. We have revised our real, inflation-adjusted GDP forecast for fiscal 2020 to a 10.6% contraction, from a 11.5% drop previously,” it stated.

About Moody’s Investors Service:

• CEO: Raymond W. McDaniel Jr.
• Headquarters: New York, New York, United States

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

CCI approves Reliance- Future deal

• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves acquisition by Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (“RRVL”), Reliance Retail and Fashion Lifestyle Limited (“RRVL WOS”) of the retail and wholesale undertaking and the logistics and warehousing undertaking of the Future Group under Section 31(1) of the Competition Act, 2002.

The following Future Group entities will be reorganized by way of amalgamation with Future Enterprises Limited (FEL):

• Future Consumer Limited (FCL);
• Future Lifestyle Fashions Limited (FLFL);
• Future Retail Limited(FRL);
• Future Market Networks Limited (FMNL);
• Future Supply Chain Solutions Limited (FSCSL); and
• Futurebazaar India Limited (FIL) and its subsidiaries.
• [Hereinafter, collectively referred to as Transferor Companies]
• The Transferor Companies consists of several listed and unlisted companies, primarily engaged in retail, wholesale, logistics and warehousing businesses. These businesses operate on a pan-India basis, and include retail operations across segments such as food and grocery, apparel, footwear and accessories, other merchandise, etc.
• Post re-organisation of the Transferor Companies, RRVL and RRVL WOSwill acquire retail and wholesale undertaking; and the logistics and warehousing undertaking of FEL.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATES

Rajasthan govt to give Rs 6,000 to women becoming mothers for second time

• Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot stated Rs 6,000 will be given to women becoming mothers for the second time under a new government scheme.He stated the beneficiary women will get the amount directly in their bank accounts in five phases.
• The scheme will not only help fight malnutrition, but will also increase awareness among the people about the importance of a mother”s health and her nutrition level for proper development of children, he stated in a statement.
• Presently, the scheme has been started in four most backward TSP districts of the state i.e. Udaipur, Banswara, Dungarpur and Pratapgarh, based on the rankings of Mother & Child Nutrition indicators.
• There will be an annual expenditure of Rs 43 crore for the scheme, according to the statement.
• Woman and Child Development Minister Mamta Bhupesh stated the objective of the Indira Gandhi Matritva Poshan Yojana is to improve the nutrition level of pregnant women and children up to the age of three years

About Rajasthan:

• Governor: Kalraj Mishra
• Capital: Jaipur (Executive Branch)
• Chief minister: Ashok Gehlot

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU

Eight MoUs announced during ongoing Bengaluru Tech Summit 2020

• During the ongoing Bengaluru Tech Summit, eight MoUs were announced with Finland, UK, Sweden, USA and Netherlands. Karnataka and Finland have decided to come together to work in the areas of Artificial Intelligence for public service in Agriculture, transport, health, safety, governance and service delivery.
• Karnataka and Sweden have agreed to facilitate innovative applications across different sectors, including smart city, health, manufacturing, product testing and validation.
• Karnataka and USA have come together to incubate early stage start ups and generate employment in the Electronics System Design and Manufacturing sector. With the UK the state has come to an understanding for creating citizen centric Artificial Intelligence solutions in public service, education, water, energy and last mile delivery.
• Karnataka and Netherlands will forge their potentials to build best practices in cyber security and privacy domains. It will also work towards creating India’s first sector agnostic international market and assist at least 10 Karnataka start ups to enter the international market.
• The Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Dr. C N Ashwath Narayan has stated that the MoUs announced today will be a key to improve the ecosystem and explore possibilities to initiate innovation, science and research focused cooperation.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: ACQUISITIONS AND MERGERS

Bharti Airtel to acquire 5.2% stake in Avaada MHBuldhana for Rs.4.55 cr

• Bharti Airtel stated it will acquire 5.2 per cent stake in solar power company Avaada MHBuldhana for Rs.4.55 crore in an all-cash deal.
• Avaada MHBuldhana Private Limited is a newly-formed company and developing a captive generating solar power plant in Maharashtra which will become operational by March 2021. It is a subsidiary of Avaada Energy Private Limited (AEPL).
• AEPL has developed a portfolio of over 1 gigawatt solar and wind projects across the country and the first independent power producer to cross 1 GW installed capacity milestone in India, according to a regulatory filing by Bharti Airtel.
• “The company has entered into an agreement on November 19 for acquisition of equity shares in Avaada MHBuldhana Private Limited a special purpose vehicle formed for the purpose of owning and operating the captive power plant, in terms of the regulatory requirement for captive power consumption under electricity laws,” it added.
• The transaction is expected to close by March 31, 2021.

About Bharti Airtel:

• CEO: Gopal Vittal
• Headquarters: New Delhi

IBM To Acquire Solution Provider TruQua In SAP Channel Play

• IBM stated it plans to acquire TruQua Enterprises, a solution provider focused on the SAP ecosystem.
• With the acquisition of Chicago-based TruQua, IBM is getting a leader in SAP-based transformations in the financial, planning and analysis business, stated Bill Piotrowski, an IBM senior partner and the line leader of the company’s Americas enterprise application service business.
• TruQua works with customers’ CFOs and controllers to help them implement and optimize financial-focused technology.
• While IBM is already one of SAP’s largest partners and recognized as a leader in the SAP business, it decided an acquisition of TruQua rather than a partnership was the best way to grow its SAP presence, Piotrowski stated.
• “The SAP technology space is continuously changing as clients shift workloads to the cloud,” he stated. “IBM builds those capabilities from within, but we also look elsewhere. This move is up-skilling and acquiring new capabilities to meet clients’ needs in their transformation journeys.”

About IBM:

• CEO: Arvind Krishna
• Headquarters: Armonk, New York, United States

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS

Oriental Insurance Chief SN Rajeswari appointed as a Member of IRDAI

• Oriental Insurance Company Limited’s (OICL) Chairperson & Managing Director SN Rajeswari has been appointed as Whole-Time Member (Distribution) of the insurance regulator Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI).
• She has been appointed to the post initially for a period of three years, with effect from the date of assumption of charge of the post, or till attaining the age of sixty-two years, or until further orders, whichever is the earliest.

About IRDAI

• Founded: 1999
• Headquarters: Hyderabad
• Chairperson: Subhash Chandra Khunti

Francisco Sagasti Sworn-In As Peru’s Interim President

• Peruvian politician Francisco Sagasti has been sworn-in as the country’s interim President.
• On November 9, the Congress of the Republic of Peru impeached the previous president Martin Vizcarra. This was followed by the resignation of the country’s government, led by interim President Manuel Merino, on November 15, after two people died and almost 100 were injured during the dispersal of protests against the government.
• The new leader named the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic as well as preparing and holding a presidential election on April 11 as the main tasks before the interim government.

About Peru

• Capital: Lima
• Currency: Sol

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONORS

Bhubaneswar Becomes First City in India to Get ISO Certification for Faecal Sludge and Septage Management

• Bhubaneswar has become the first city in the country to receive the ISO Certification for Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (FSSM).
• This has been informed by the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC).
• The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) which obtained the ISO 9001:2015 certificate for the services stated the Capital city was also the first civic body to implement FSSM regulations in the State
• The city also has a 75KLD  septage treatment plant which has maintained the consistency of more than 100 per cent utilisation for last one year.

About Odisha

• Capital: Bhubaneswar
• Governor: Ganeshi Lal
• Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik

Scottish writer Douglas Stuart wins Booker Prize for debut novel ‘Shuggie Bain’

• Scottish author Douglas Stuartwon the Booker Prize for fiction with his first novel Shuggie Bain, with judges saying his tale of love and alcoholism set in Glasgow in 1980s was destined to be a classic.
• Stuart won the prestigious 50,000 pound ($66,000) award for his first published novel, the product of a decade of work. He was the only U.K.-born author on a U.S.-dominated list of six finalists for the prize, which is open to English-language novels from around the world.
• The book, based on his own childhood, tells of a young boy growing up during tough years in Glasgow with a mother who is battling addiction. Stuart’s own mother died of alcoholism when he was 16.

Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ To Be Conferred With Vatayan Lifetime Achievement Award

• Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ will be conferred with the Vatayan Lifetime Achievement Award at a virtual ceremony on November 21, 2020. This award will be conferred to the Minister for writing, poetry and other literary works.
• Mr Pokhriyal has earlier received several awards in the field of literature and administration including Sahitya Bharati Award by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Sahitya Gaurav Samman by Former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Bharat Gaurav Samman, Good Governance Award by Dubai Government, outstanding Achievement Award by Global Organization of Person of Indian Origin by Mauritius, awarded in Ukraine in the area of environmental protection, among others. Mr Nishank is also honoured with “Himal Gaurav Samman” by Nepal.
• The German version ‘nureinWunsch” of Mr Pokhriyal’s story collection ‘Just a Desire’, is published in Afro Asian Institute, Hamburg. His ‘Sparsh Ganga’ initiative was included in Mauritius school curriculum.
• The Minister has penned more than 75 books on wide-ranging issues, which have also been translated into many national and foreign languages.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SUMMITS AND CONFERENCE

PM Narendra Modi addresses the India-Luxembourg bilateral virtual summit via video conferencing

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a Bilateral Summit with E. Xavier Bettel, Prime Minister of Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in virtual format.
• The two Prime Ministers exchanged views on strengthening India-Luxembourg relationship in the post-COVID world, especially in the areas of financial technology, green financing, space applications, digital innovations and start-ups.
• They welcomed the conclusion of various agreements between the two countries, including those between their financial market regulators, stock exchanges and innovation agencies.
• The two Prime Ministers agreed to strengthen cooperation on realizing effective multilateralism and combating global challenges like the Covid-19 pandemic, terrorism and climate change.
• Prime Minister welcomed Luxembourg’s announcement to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA), and invited it to join the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).

About Luxembourg

• Capital: Luxembourg
• Currency: Euro

Nirmala Sitharaman attends G20 Finance Ministers’ virtual meeting

• Finance Nirmala Sitharaman virtually participated in the G20 Finance Ministers meeting in New Delhi. Finance Ministers of the G20 countries gathered to discuss their views on the global economic outlook and downside risks in wake of the COVID-19 crisis and how G20 could carry forward the collective global action initiated during the crisis.
• During the meeting, Mrs Sitharaman emphasized the need for further efforts by the G20 members to end the crisis and highlighted affordability and accessibility of vaccines for Covid-19 for all as a crucial step in this direction.
• Highlighting the Debt Service Suspension Initiative as an important outcome under the G20 Saudi Arabian Presidency, the Finance Minister emphasized on the need for collective and coordinated efforts by all G20 members to achieve this deliverable.

About G20 Countries:

• The G20 is an international forum for the governments and central bank governors from 19 countries and the European Union.
• Founded: 26 September 1999
• Leader: Salman of Saudi Arabia (2020)
• Chairman: King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (2020)

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE

Indian Navy receives ninth Boeing P-8I surveillance aircraft

• Indian Navy received the first of the four new P-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft.
• In a major boost to its anti-submarine warfare capabilities, the Navy received its ninth P-8I surveillance plane at the naval airbase in Goa.
• The aircraft is the first of four additional planes ordered by India after the initial order for eight such planes was completed.
• The Indian government had signed a 1 billion contract with the US in July 2016 to buy four P-8I aircraft.
• Boeing’s P-8I aircraft, which is considered one of the world’s most advanced surveillance and anti-submarine aircraft, is designed for long-range anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.
• The eight P-8I aircraft, which were inducted into the Indian Navy after the government signed a $2.1 billion deal inked in January 2009, are armed with Harpoon Block-II missiles and MK-54 lightweight torpedoes.
• The Indian Air Force (IAF) has deployed all its frontline fighter jets like Sukhoi 30 MKI, Jaguar and Mirage 2000 aircraft in the airbases in eastern Ladakh and nearby areas.

30th India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol Took Place Between Nov 18-20

• The 30th edition of India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol (Indo-Thai CORPAT) between the Indian Navy and the Royal Thai Navy took place from November 18-20.
• Indian Naval Ship (INS) Karmuk, an indigenously built Missile Corvette and His Majesty’s Thailand Ship (HTMS) Kraburi, a Chao Phraya Class Frigate along with Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft from both the navies are participating in the CORPAT.
• To reinforce maritime links, the navies of both nations have been carrying out CORPAT along their International Maritime Boundary Line twice a year since 2005, with the aim of keeping this vital part of the Indian Ocean safe and secure for commercial shipping and international trade.
• CORPAT builds up the understanding and interoperability between navies and facilitates the institution of measures to prevent and suppress Illegal Unreported Unregulated (IUU) fishing, drug trafficking, maritime terrorism, armed robbery and piracy.

About Thailand

• Capital: Bangkok
• Currency: Thai baht

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING

India Ranks 77 in Global Bribery Risk Matrix

• India is at 77th position with a score of 45 in a global list that measures business bribery risks of 2020.
• The list by TRACE, an anti-bribery standard setting organisation, measures business bribery risk in 194 countries, territories, and autonomous and semi-autonomous regions.
• According to this year’s data, North Korea, Turkmenistan, South Sudan, Venezuela and Eritrea present the highest commercial bribery risk, while Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden and New Zealand present the lowest.
• In 2019, India’s rank stood 78 position with a score of 48.
• The score is based on four factors: business interactions with government, anti-bribery deterrence and enforcement, government and civil service transparency, and capacity for civil society oversight, including the role of the media.

Delhi Airport achieves new height in Asia Pacific for Carbon Accreditation

• The Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport has become Asia Pacific’s first Level 4+ (Transition) accredited airport under ACI’s Airport Carbon Accreditation programme.
• The Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) is the global standard for carbon management in the airport industry. It aims to encourage and enable airports and its stakeholders to implement best practices in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) management to achieve emission reductions. The programme was launched in 2009.
• The Delhi airport achieved ‘Level 3+, Neutrality’ in 2016, as the first Carbon Neutral Airport in the Asia Pacific region.
• This year, ACI had revised the programme’s levels and added two new levels — Level 4 (Transformation) and Level 4+ (Transition).

IIT Delhi Tops Among Indian Institutes In Employability: Survey

• The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has been ranked as the best institute in India and 27th globally, in terms of employability of its students, in the Global Employability Ranking and Survey (GEURS) 2020 results.
• Globally, India has been ranked among the 15 best-performing countries in employability, improving from its 23rd rank in 2010.
• IIT Delhi climbed 27 ranks from 54 in 2019 to 27. Indian Institute of Science (IISc), however, has dropped to 71 from 43 in 2019. The other Indian institutes that made it to the list are IIT Bombay (128), Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad (184), IIT Kharagpur (195), and Amity University (236).
• GEURS 2020, released by the Times Higher Education and French HR Consultancy group ‘Emerging’, is based on 1,08 225 votes from 9,000 operational and international managers in 22 countries. They voted to rate the employability performance of 6,000 international institutions.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Longest migrating small bird Willow Warbler spotted in Kerala’s Punchakkari

• The bird was spotted by Nirmal George, NSS Programme officer of Sree Gokulam Medical College and Research Foundation, in the capital district.
• Willow warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus), one of longest migrating small bird which breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe and the Palearctic, sighted for the first time in the country at Punchakkari in the capital.
• Weighing around 10 g, the long wing feathers used to migrate long distances make it special. It is commonly seen in European and Palaearctic regions and they migrate to sub-Saharan Africa in early winter. Warblers are generally difficult to identify due to their small size and the change in plumage twice a year.

DAILY CA NOV 20TH

• International Men’s Day is observed every year on November 19. This year, the International Men’s Day theme is ‘Better health for men and boys’
• National Integration Day is celebrated on November 19 every year.The day marks the birth anniversary of the first woman Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi.
• World Children’s Day was first established in 1954 as Universal Children’s Day and is celebrated on 20 November each year. This year the theme is ”Investing in our future means investing in our children”.
• The U.K. will stop selling new diesel and petrol (gasoline) cars and vans from 2030 under plans announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
• Maharashtra government has decided to pay stipend to scheduled tribe (ST) candidates who are preparing for UPSC exams. Under this scheme, each candidate will be provided 12,000 per month. Additionally, Rs. 26,000 will also be provided to the candidate for purchasing books.
• The Karnataka cabinet gave in principle approval for the creation of Vijayanagara as the state’s 31st district, carving it out from the mine-rich
• The Punjab state cabinet cleared a new scheme, the Punjab Divyangjan Shaktikaran Yojna (PDSY), to be implemented in a phased manner with the first phase of the scheme aimed at strengthening the existing programmes to ensure their benefits reach people with disabilities.
• Reserve Bank of India imposed restrictions on withdrawals from Maharashtra-based Mantha Urban Cooperative Bank for six months.RBI has imposed monetary penalty of Rs 20 lakh on Bengaluru-based Shushruati Souharda Sahakara Bank Niyamita for deficiencies in regulatory compliance.It also imposed a penalty of Rs 1 lakh on The Deccan Urban Co-operative Bank, Vijayapura, Karnataka
• Veteran Journalist and News Agency ANI chairman Prem Prakash, his book “Reporting India”, shared that Nehru’s love for the then Defence Minister Krishna Menon cost India the 1962 Sino-India war.
• Larsen & Toubro (L&T), has delivered the first hardware, a booster segment, for Gaganyaan Launch Vehicle to ISRO
• London has topped a new list of best cities around the world by Vancouver-based Resonance Consultancy. India has only one representative on the list, with Delhi ranked 62.
• The state of Arunachal Pradesh recorded the best sex ratio in the country this year with the birth of 1,084 females per thousand males. Arunachal Pradesh was followed by Nagaland and Mizoram that recorded over 900 female births.
• IndusInd Bank subsidiary firm Bharat Financial Inclusion Ltd (BFIL) has signed a pact with Maharashtra government to enhance doorstep delivery of livestock care to farmers in the state. The joint initiative ”Maha Pashudhan Sanjeevani” —  to be implemented under the Mukhyamantri Pashu Swasthya Yojana — will also ensure all veterinary services available for farmers at just a phone call and the toll-free number 1962 will be operational from January 2021.
• Sudeep Tyagi, who played for the Indian national cricket team in four ODIs and a lone T20I as a fast bowler, announced his retirement from all forms of the game.
• Former Goa Governor and BJP leader Mridula Sinha passed away at AIIMS in Delhi.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bhutanese counterpart Lotay Tshering will virtually launch RuPay Card phase-2 in Bhutan.
• The Green Climate Fund has approved dollar 256 million for Bangladesh in grants and loans to meet its Green House Gas (GHG) emission reduction targets under the Paris agreement.
• India and Australia have signed the landmark Australia India Technology Framework Agreement on cyber and cyber-enabled technology.
• Yes Bank stated it has launched a co-branded prepaid card in partnership with Neokred Technologies to facilitate cashless payments
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a penalty of 10 lakh on Muthoot Finance Ltd, Ernakulam, and Rs.5 lakh on Manappuram Finance Ltd, Thrissur, for non-compliance with its directions.
• Receivables Exchange of India Ltd (RXIL) initiated a Trade Credit Insurance (TCI) backed transaction with Tata AIG as the insurer and ICICI Bank and Yes Bank as the financiers in a sandbox environment.
• Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company has launched ESG Opportunities Fund, which will focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors and the principles for responsible investing.
• The Government of India, Meghalaya government and the World Bank signed a 120 million dollar project to improve and modernise the transport sector of Meghalaya.
• North Police Station Kohima in Nagaland has been awarded an ISO certification. The Police station is located in the heart of Kohima Town which was the first established police station under Naga Hills district by the British Regime in the year 1933
• In Madhya Pradesh, a community-based nutrition management programme of very severely malnourished children is being conducted in all districts under the nurtured families – well nurtured Madhya Pradesh i.e. ‘Poshit Parivar-Suposhit Madhya Pradesh’ campaign.
• Tigress on the Trail”: In Madhya Pradesh, with the objective of promoting adventure and safe tourism for women, the first and unique adventurous motor cycle trip for women is starting in the state.
• A loan agreement for $500 million (approximately Rs.3,700 crore) was signed between the Centre and New Development Bank for funding the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS (regional rapid transit system) corridor.
• In Bihar, former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi sworn in as pro-tem speaker of the newly elected 17th Bihar Legislative Assembly.
• Jal Shakti Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Minister of State, Jal Shakti, Rattan Lal Kataria conferred the Swachhata Awards 2020 on the 20 best performing districts for contributing towards ODF Sustainability and ODF Plus goals on World Toilet Day
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh unveiled two books ‘The Republican Ethic Volume III’ and ‘Loktantra Ke Swar’ which are collection of selected speeches of President Ram Nath Kovind during the third year of his presidency.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be attending the 15th G-20 Leaders Summit at the invitation of the King of Saudi Arabia. The summit is being chaired by Saudi Arabia on November 21st and 22nd in a virtual format under the theme – Realising the Opportunities of the 21st Century for All.
• Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has addressed the 33rd Stop TB Partnership Board meet in New Delhi through Video Conference.
• The International Cricket Council has postponed the South African edition of the Women’s T20 World Cup by three months to February 2023 to avoid a cluster of big-ticket events in 2022.

 DAILY CA NOV 21ST

• World Philosophy Day is observed on the third Thursday of November every year to be celebrated this year on November 19.
• Women’s Entrepreneurship Day (WED) is a day on which the work of women entrepreneurs is observed and discussed, held on the November 19 of each year.
• The United Nations’ (UN) World Television Day is annually observed in many places around the world on November 21.
• Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister of Communications, Electronics & Information Technology and Law and Justice released a “My Stamp on Chhath Puja”.
• Oriental Insurance Company Limited’s (OICL) Chairperson & Managing Director SN Rajeswari has been appointed as Whole-Time Member (Distribution) of the insurance regulator Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI).
• Peruvian politician Francisco Sagasti has been sworn-in as the country’s interim President.
• Bhubaneswar has become the first city in the country to receive the ISO Certification for Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (FSSM).
• Scottish author Douglas Stuartwon the Booker Prize for fiction with his first novel Shuggie Bain, with judges saying his tale of love and alcoholism set in Glasgow in 1980s was destined to be a classic.
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves acquisition by Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (“RRVL”), Reliance Retail and Fashion Lifestyle Limited (“RRVL WOS”) of the retail and wholesale undertaking and the logistics and warehousing undertaking of the Future Group under Section 31(1) of the Competition Act, 2002.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a Bilateral Summit with E. Xavier Bettel, Prime Minister of Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in virtual format.
• Indian Navy received the first of the four new P-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft.
• The 30th edition of India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol (Indo-Thai CORPAT) between the Indian Navy and the Royal Thai Navy took place from November 18-20.
• India is at 77th position with a score of 45 in a global list that measures business bribery risks of 2020.
• The Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport has become Asia Pacific’s first Level 4+ (Transition) accredited airport under ACI’s Airport Carbon Accreditation programme.
• World Fisheries Day is being celebrated. The day is observed every year on 21st of November to demonstrate solidarity with all fisher-folk communities, fish farmers and concerned stakeholders throughout the world.
• World Children’s Day is being celebrated, November 20. It was first celebrated in 1954 as Universal Children’s Day to promote international togetherness and awareness among children worldwide, and for improving children’s welfare.
• Within the framework of the Second Industrial Development Decade for Africa (1991-2000), the United Nations General Assembly, in 1989, proclaimed 20 November “Africa Industrialization Day” (A/RES/44/237).
• World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) -18-24 November every year.The theme for the human health sector for WAAW 2020 is “United to preserve antimicrobials“.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has virtually inaugurated five state-of-the-art facilities to mark the eighth convocation of Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University – PDPU at Gandhinagar .
• Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the Seismic Survey Campaign by Oil India Limited. The survey under the Open Acreage Licensing Policy, OALP, will be undertaken in 5 blocks of 8 districts of Odisha in the Mahanadi basin and nearby areas.
• Health Minister Harsh Vardhan chaired an event to mark the National Newborn Week 2020, being observed from 15th to 21st November .This year, the theme of National Newborn Week is ‘Quality, Equity, Dignity for every newborn at every health facility and everywhere.
• RailTel has bagged Indian Railway’s e-office phase 3 project from the Indian Railways. Under the project, RailTel will implement e-office for Zonal Railways (Phase 3) using cloud enabled e-office application developed by NICs (National Informatics Centre) on November 11, 2020 .
• Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri launched the Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge, aimed to ensure that no person needs to enter a sewer or septic tank, unless absolutely unavoidable in the interest of greater public hygiene.
• Life Insurance Corporation of India has launched a digital application for agents for onboarding to get a life insurance policy.The Digital Application is called “ANANDA”, which is an acronym for Atma Nirbhar Agents NewBusiness Digital Application.
• Moody’s Investors Service has revised its GDP projection for India in 2020-21 to a 6% contraction compared to a 11.5% drop it had estimated. The rating agency has also marginally elevated its forecast for 2021-22 GDP growth from 10.6% to 10.8%.
• Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot stated Rs 6,000 will be given to women becoming mothers for the second time under a new government scheme.He stated the beneficiary women will get the amount directly in their bank accounts in five phases.
• During the ongoing Bengaluru Tech Summit, eight MoUs were announced with Finland, UK, Sweden, USA and Netherlands. Karnataka and Finland have decided to come together to work in the areas of Artificial Intelligence for public service in Agriculture, transport, health, safety, governance and service delivery.
• Bharti Airtel stated it will acquire 2 per cent stake in solar power company Avaada MHBuldhana for Rs.4.55 crore in an all-cash deal.
• IBM stated it plans to acquire TruQua Enterprises, a solution provider focused on the SAP ecosystem.
• Finance Nirmala Sitharaman virtually participated in the G20 Finance Ministers meeting in New Delhi. Finance Ministers of the G20 countries gathered to discuss their views on the global economic outlook and downside risks in wake of the COVID-19.
• Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ will be conferred with the Vatayan Lifetime Achievement Award at a virtual ceremony on November 21, 2020. This award will be conferred to the Minister for writing, poetry and other literary works.
• The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has been ranked as the best institute in India and 27th globally, in terms of employability of its students, in the Global Employability Ranking and Survey (GEURS) 2020 results.
• Willow warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus), one of longest migrating small bird which breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe and the Palearctic, sighted for the first time in the country at Punchakkari in the capital.