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INTERNATIONAL
First-ever India Russia Strategic Economic Dialogue
The first-ever India Russia Strategic Economic Dialogue was held at St. Petersburg in Russia. Indian side was led by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar and Russian delegation headed by Economic Development Minister Maxim Oreshkin.
India slips two places to 53rd Position on Global talent ranking
India has slipped two places to rank 53rd Position in Global Annual talent ranking released by renowned IMD Business School, Switzerland on 20 November 2018. Switzerland retained the top Position for the fifth consecutive year.Denmark attained 2nd rank,while Norway attained 3rd Rank.
Bainimarama sworn in for second term as Fiji PM
Incumbent Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama was sworn in for a second term after his ruling Fiji First party won this year’s general elections. Bainimarama was sworn in by President Jioji Konrote in the presence of representatives and high officials of the executive, legislative and judicial arms of the government.
India to top U.S. as 2nd-largest Carbon Spewer from power: IEA Report
The International Energy Agency in its latest report ‘World Energy Outlook’ stated that India will overtake the U.S. to become the world’s second-biggest emitter of carbon dioxide from the power sector before 2030.
China taps India as digital economy partner
China has involved India as a digital partner, as part of Beijing’s drive to cyber-connect with Eurasia, its new frontier for trade and investments. At a conference on defining common international standards for two-dimensional (2D) barcodes, Chinese officials announced that India is already on board in this global exercise.
India pipped US to become 2nd largest smartphone market
According to a report by research firm Canalys, India overtook US as the 2nd largest smartphone market after China. China saw a shipment of 100.6 million smartphones in the 3rd quarter followed by India which saw 40.4 million units during the same period. US was at 40 million units in the July-September 2018 period.
Palau becomes first country to ban sunscreen to save coral reefs
The Western Pacific nation of Palau has become the first country to ban many kinds of sunscreen, in a move to protect its coral reefs from chemicals that scientists say cause significant damage.
India ranked 65 in Global Passport Index, Singapore tops the chart
Among a total of 199 countries, Singapore has acquired the first position. The Global Passport Index ranked the Indian passport in the 65th position in it’s latest ranking. The ranking which is based on the passports’ visa-free score, improved nine-notches since 2017. The Passport Index is the world’s most popular online interactive tool, which collects, displays and ranks the passports of the world.
Sri Lanka to lift parliament suspension
Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena announced that he would lift the suspension of parliament in 10 days as international pressure mounted on him to open the legislature and resolve a leadership struggle. Sirisena had promised the parliamentary speaker that he would recall the assembly.
India & Japan signs a Loan Agreement worth Rs. 1817 crore
A Loan Agreement worth of Rs. 1817 crore approximately was signed between India and Japan for the construction of Turga Pumped Storage (I). The objective of the Project is to strengthen the capability to respond to fluctuation in supply and demand of power and to improve stability of the power supply.
World’s Largest Airport under one roof opened in Istanbul
The world’s largest airport terminal “under one roof” with a capacity to serve 90 million passengers has been officially opened in Istanbul, which marks the Republic Day of Turkey. Overall the first phase has cost 7.5 billion Euro. The airport has been envisioned to have a total capacity of up to 200 million passengers, once all four phases are completed in the next 10 years.
NATIONAL
Malaria cases declined by 24% in India: World malaria report by WHO
World malaria report by World Health Organisation (WHO) states that, India is the only country to have achieved a substantial decrease in malaria cases in 2017 out of the 11 highest burden countries throughout the world. As per the report, India accounted for 4 % of global malaria cases in 2017. It has made significant progress in reducing malaria since then.
India’s first specialized hospital for elephants opens in Mathura
India’s first specialized hospital for elephants was opened by Agra Divisional Commissioner Anil Kumar at Farah block’s Churmura village, Mathura. It is promoted by Wildlife SOS which had established first elephant conservation and care centre in 2010.
Winter session of Parliament to start from December
The Winter session of Lok Sabha will commence on 11th of next month. Lok Sabha Secretariat said in a statement said that the Session will conclude on 8th January next year. Earlier, Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh had recommended convening the Winter session of Parliament.
Home Ministry says over 18 lakh foreigners visited India this year on e visa
Home Ministry said that around 18 lakh foreigners visited India on electronic visas this year. The highest number of visitors (2,92,143) were from the U.K., followed by the U.S. (2,21,339), China (1,27,022), France (1,07,185) and Germany (89,863). Over 17 lakh foreigners visited India on e-visa in 2017. $137,527,270 [Rs. 993 crore approx] has been received as e-visa fees this year.
Bangalore ranked India’s most congested city, Pune Ranked 7th
According to a recent research by National bureau of economic research (NBER), analysis of the current status of mobility in urban India, using Google maps was conducted. It is the first large-scale analysis of traffic congestion in 154 Indian cities using Google maps. According to the findings, Bangalore tops the index for most congested city, and Mumbai ranked 2nd. The other top 5 cities in the list of congested cities are: Delhi (3rd) , Chennai (4th) and Kolkata (5th).
India’s unemployment rate jumps to 2-year high of 6.9%
Unemployment rate in the country rose to 6.9 percent in October – the highest in two years – according to a report by Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE). The estimated number of people employed during October 2018 was 397 million. This was 2.4 percent lower than the rate in October 2017.
India re-elected as member of ITU council till 2022
India elected as a member of the International Telecommunications Union-ITU Council for another four-year term from 2019 to 2022. The elections to the Council were held during the ongoing ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2018 at Dubai. India secured 165 votes and ranked third among the 13 countries elected to the council from the Asia-Australasia region, and eighth among the 48 countries elected to the council globally.
India ranked 12th in web-borne threats
India is ranked 12th worldwide when it comes to the dangers associated with surfing the web, according to a recent report by global cybersecurity company, Kaspersky Lab. In the third quarter (July- September), 32.8 percent of the users were attacked by web-borne threats in India.
Jharsuguda Airport renamed as ‘Veer Surendra Sai Airport, Jharsuguda’
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved renaming of Jharsuguda Airport, Odisha as ‘Veer Surendra Sai Airport, Jharsuguda’. Veer Surendra Sai is a well-known freedom fighter of Odisha.
India ranked 77th World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index
According to the World Bank, India ranked 77th in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index 2018. The index ranks 190 countries based across the life-cycle of a business, from starting a business to resolving insolvency.
All you need to know about Train 18- India’s 1st Engineless Train
India’s first engine-less train, “Train 18”, developed by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) and seen as a successor to the prestigious Shatabdi Express, was unveiled by Railway Board Chairman Ashwani Lohani. The Rs. 100-crore train is the first long-distance train, without a separate locomotive (engine).
STATES
Himachal Pradesh First State To Launch Single Emergency Number ‘112’
Himachal Pradesh became the first state to launch a pan-India single emergency number ‘112’ where all kinds of immediate help can be sought in urgent matters. Under this project, an Emergency Response Centre (ERC) has been established in Shimla along with 12 district command centres (DCCs), covering the entire state.
Tamil Nadu seeks Rs.14,910 crore aid from Centre
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami sought the aid of Rs.14,910 crore towards relief, permanent restoration and mitigation efforts in central districts of Tamil Nadu ravaged by Cyclone Gaja. The team led by Home ministry official Daniel E. Richard is to arrive in Chennai.
6th India Skills Report: Andhra topped in employability rate, talent quality
As per the 6th edition & 2019 version of India Skills Report, Andhra Pradesh topped the list of states with the highest employability followed by Rajasthan and Haryana. The report was launched in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
India First Justice City to set up in Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh is building a world-class and India’s first ‘Justice City’ within its new capital Amaravati with the vision to provide a state-of-the-art ecosystem built on the latest technology for supporting the judicial system in the state. The state provides the necessary infrastructure to provide speedy justice for litigants, easy and better access to justice for the masses and reduce pending cases.
Himachal Pradesh approves Sashakt Mahila Yojna
The Himachal Pradesh government in the cabinet meeting accorded its approval to implement Sashakt Mahila Yojna in the state with a vision to empower rural women by providing them an interface for organization and socio-economic development.
Punjab becomes 3rd state to ban hookah bars or lounges
Punjab becomes third state in the country after Maharashtra and Gujarat to ban hookah bars or lounges. The ban was announced through law after President Ram Nath Kovind gave assent to Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2018.
Andhra govt reveals Amaravati art-inspired state emblem
The Andhra Pradesh government has finalised its new emblem for official use, five years after the state’s bifurcation in 2014. The state emblem, inspired by the Amaravati School of Art, consists of ‘Dhamma Chakka’ – ‘the Wheel of Law’ embellished with a ring of Triratnas alternating with pinnate leaves and precious stones.
UP cabinet approves renaming of Faizabad as Ayodhya, Allahabad as Prayagraj
Uttar Pradesh Government has approved renaming of Faizabad and Allahabad divisions as Ayodhya and Prayagraj respectively. The decision was taken at meeting of state cabinet presided over by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in state capital Lucknow. Now, the proposal will now go to Central before the city is officially renamed.
Supreme Court gave nod for a separate High Court for Andhra Pradesh
The new court, which will be the 25th High Court in the country, will start functioning in Amravati. Presently, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have a common High Court situated at Hyderabad. The existing court will from next year be known as the Telangana High Court. The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, which resulted in the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, also has a provision for separate High Courts.
World Bank Inks $172 million Project Agreement with Andhra Pradesh
The Central and Andhra Pradesh governments and the World Bank have signed the loan agreement for a $172.20 million project to enhance agricultural productivity, profitability, and climate resilience of poor and marginalized farmers in Andhra Pradesh.
Nagaland records highest school dropouts in India
As per survey conducted by the World Bank, the student dropout rate in Nagaland’s upper primary (VI-VIII) and the secondary (IX-X) class stood at 17.7 per cent and 35.1 per cent respectively. The student dropout rate in Nagaland’s primary schools, in Grades I-V, stood at 19.4%, four times above the national average of 4.3%, making it the state with highest school dropout rate in the country.
Odisha government declared drought in 9 districts in the State
The Odisha government declared drought in 9 of the 30 districts in the State. The State has also authorised the Collectors of the districts to undertake relief measures in the affected areas.
CONFERENCES
Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu in India
Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu is on an official visit to India. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj held delegation-level talks with her Romanian counterpart in New Delhi. They discussed diversifying the historical relations and boosting cooperation in the fields of agriculture, ICT, health and pharma, education, tourism, and culture.
Ministerial meet of BASIC Countries held in India
The meeting of BASIC countries was organized by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in New Delhi and was addressed by Union Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan. The BASIC group consists of countries; Brazil, South Africa, India and China.
APEC Summit 2018 held in Papua New Guinea
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit was held in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinean capital. This is the first time Papua New Guinea (PNG), the poorest of the 21 countries in APEC, has hosted the summit.
2-Day Annual Meeting of WEF Global Future councils held in Dubai
The two-day annual meeting of World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Future Councils was held in Dubai, the UAE. Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum attended the opening session.
8th National Conference of Women in Police begins in Ranchi
The 8th National Conference of Women in Police (NCWP) will begin in Ranchi, Jharkhand. The two-day conference which is being organized by Bureau of Police Research & Development in collaboration with Jharkhand Police, is the only national level platform to address the issues of Women in uniform and create an enabling atmosphere for them to maximize and optimize their professional potential.
9th Annual Defence & Security Dialogue between India and China held in Beijing
The 9th Annual Defence and Security Dialogue between India and China held in Beijing. It held between the two defence delegations headed by defence secretary Sanjay Mitra and China’s deputy chief of Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission.
26th Conference of Central and State Statistical Organization (COCSSO)
Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation is organizing 26th Conference of Central and States Statistical Organizations at Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh. The theme of this year’s Conference is ‘Quality Assurance in Official Statistics’.
Third ‘Quadrilateral’ meeting to be held in Singapore
Officials from 4 countries (Quad) – Australia, India, Japan and the United States will hold the third “Quadrilateral” or Quad meeting in Singapore. The meeting will be held on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend this meeting, and is expected to focus on infrastructure projects, maritime security cooperation and discuss regional challenges including development.
33rd ASEAN summit begins in Singapore
The 33rd edition of the ASEAN Summit began in Singapore. Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong is the Chairman of the Summit, which will continue till 15th November along with other related summits like East Asia Summit (EAS), Regional Comprehensive Economic Summit, (RCEP) and ASEAN plus summits.
18th Indian Ocean Rim Association Council of ministers meeting held in Durban
The 18th Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Council of Ministers Meeting was held in Durban, South Africa. Gen.(Dr.) VK Singh (Retd.), Minister of State for External Affairs, attended the IORA Council of Ministers Meeting.
1st WHO Global Conference on Air Pollution & Health held in Geneva
The first Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health will be held at WHO Headquarters in Geneva. The conference responds to a World Health Assembly mandate to combat one of the world’s most significant causes of premature death, causing some 7 million deaths annually.
India Myanmar Military border Meet
The 13th Indo Myanmar regional border committee meet between India & Myanmar is being held at Mantripukhri Garrison, Imphal under the aegis of Spear Corps of Indian Army. The meeting concluded tomorrow once the minutes of the meeting between the 02 countries are signed by leaders of both the delegations.
First India-US Dialogue on Intellectual Property held in New Delhi
The first ever India-US Dialogue on Intellectual Property (IP) was launched in New Delhi to deepen bilateral strategic cooperation on IP policy. It was launched by US Chamber of Commerce’s Global Innovation Policy Center (GIPC) and Industry body Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) in partnership with US-India Business Council (USIBC).
AWARDS & HONOURS
Azim Premji conferred Highest French Civilian Honour
Indian business tycoon and philanthropist Azim Premji was bestowed with the highest French civilian distinction, Knight of the Legion of Honour in Bengaluru. He received the award for his outstanding contribution to developing the information technology industry in India, his economic outreach in France and his laudable contribution to the society as a philanthropist.
Tamil Nadu won cadaveric organ donation award for 4th time
Tamil Nadu bagged the Best State Award in cadaveric organ donation from the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO), Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The State has been awarded for the fourth consecutive year.
A.N. Patil to be conferred with Kuncha Kala Tapasvi award for his life time achievement
Senior artist Mr. A. N. Patil was announced to be the recipient of the Kuncha Kala Tapasvi Award, in the category of Lifetime Achievement, instituted by the Chitrakala Shilpi D.V. Halbhavi National Memorial Trust in Dharwad, Karnataka.
Bharat Electronics wins CII-Exim Bank Business Award
State-run Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) won the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)-Exim Bank Business Excellence Award and the jury’s commendation for being a role-model organisation. The award is the highest recognition in the CII-Exim Bank Award for Business Excellence, instituted by the CII and the Export-Import Bank of India to enhance the competitiveness of India Inc.
Vimal Chandra won the Young Scientist award
IIT Roorkee Professor Vimal Chandra Srivastava has won the ‘NASI-Scopus Young Scientist Award 2018’ in ‘Environmentally Sound Sustainable Development’ category.
He has been given the award for his work on Industrial Wastewater Treatment, Clean Liquid Fuels, and Multi-component Adsorption.
Filmmaker Nandita Das to receive FIAPF Award
Filmmaker Nandita Das will be honored with the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) Award at the 12th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) in Brisbane on the 29th of this month. She will be presented the award in recognition of her achievement in film in the Asia Pacific region.
India gets UN Environment award for combating transboundary environmental crime
United Nation Environment has awarded Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India with Asia Environment Enforcement Awards, 2018 for excellent work done by the Bureau in combating transboundary environmental crime. WCCB has been conferred this award in Innovation category.
MAHE wins International Green Apple Silver Award
Manipal Academy of Higher Education won silver in the International Green Apple Award for evironmental best practice 2018 at a ceremony held at the Houses of Parliament in London. The award was received by Derrick I. Joshua, Assistant Director, Environment Sustainability, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE).
Azim Premji conferred Forbes India Leadership awards 2018
Azim Premji, chairman of Wipro, has won Forbes India Leadership Awards 2018, Lifetime Achievement. Wipro is India’s fourth-biggest software services company by revenue and Ajim Premji is the second richest Indian. The Forbes India Leadership Awards, India’s most prestigious honour for the top executives, was held in Mumbai.
Amitabh Bachchan honoured with Sayaji Ratna Award
Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan was awarded the third Sayaji Ratna Award, established in the memory of erstwhile Baroda ruler Sayajirao Gaekwad III. The Baroda Management Association had, in 2013, instituted the award to mark the 150th birth anniversary of the ruler, known for undertaking major social reform measures during his rule in the early twentieth century.
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan presented lifetime achievement award in Delhi
One of India’s greatest Sarod Master Ustad Amjad Ali Khan was presented ‘Sumitra Charat Ram Award for Lifetime Achievement’ at Kamani Auditorium, New Delhi for his immense contribution to the enrichment and promotion of Indian Classical Music.
Dr. Saroj Suman Gulati conferred with Global Education Leaders award 2018
Dr. Saroj Suman Gulati, Director, Blue Bells Group of Schools has been conferred with the coveted Global Education Leaders Award 2018 by His Highness Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, member of the Cabinet and Minister of State for Tolerance, UAE.
Messi won La Liga Player of the year award for 6th time
Barcelona star Lionel Messi was named La Liga Player of the Year, adding one more title to his abundant collection of soccer’s great honours. Messi lifted the prestigious award at FIFA’s gala ceremony in Zurich, outdistancing the last two winners, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka.
Dr. Martha Farrell receives Lifetime Achievement award
Late Dr. Martha Farrell has been honoured with the “Lifetime Achievement Award” at the 6th Indian Social Work Congress in New Delhi. Dr. Farrell was recognized for her lifelong work towards gender equality, women’s empowerment and prevention of sexual harassment at workplace.
Dr Debabhuson Borah gets Munin Barkotoki Literary award
Munin Barkotoki Literary Award 2018 in Assam has been given to young writer-critic Dr Debabhuson Borah for his book on literary criticism titled ‘Nirbochon’. The Munin Barkotoki Memorial Trust announced the annual Award instituted to encourage young and promising writers in Assamese.
Swati Chaturvedi won press freedom award for courage in UK
An Indian freelance journalist, famous for her investigative reports, has bagged the 2018 London Press Freedom Award for Courage. Swati Chaturvedi, author of the book ‘I am a Troll: Inside the Secret World of the BJP’s Digital Army’, beat shortlisted journalists from Italy, Turkey, and Morocco for her work in exposing the ‘IT cell’ within the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for keeping an army of angry trolls.
Jawahar Lal Sarin conferred with France’s highest Civilian Honour
Jawahar Lal Sarin, president of the governing body of Alliance Francaise, was conferred with France’s highest civilian honor by French Ambassador to India Alexandre Ziegler at an event. France’s highest civilian honor ‘Knight of the Legion of Honour’ was bestowed on Sarin in recognition of his outstanding contribution to enhancing Indo-French cultural cooperation and promoting the French language, a French Embassy stated.
ATP World Tour awards announced
The 2018 ATP World Tour Awards were announced on 9 November 2018. Novak Djokovic won the ‘Comeback Player of the Year Award’. Djokovic’s coach Marian Vajda was also named ATP Coach of the Year. Rafael Nadal won the ‘Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award’ for his fair play, professionalism and integrity on and off the tennis court. Roger Federer won the Fans’ Favourite player Award.
Super 30 founder Anand Kumar honoured with education award global education award
Super 30 founder Anand Kumar honoured with education award global education award in Dubai. This was awarded by Malabar Gold & Diamonds’, flagship company of Malabar Group, a leading Indian business conglomerate. He was honored for his ‘pioneering’ contributions to the field of education.
Actor Jayant Sawarkar to get Maha Lifetime award for theatre
Marathi actor Jayant Sawarkar will be awarded the Maharashtra government’s Natvarya Prabhakar Panshikar Lifetime Achievement award in the field of theatre. Also, Tabla artist Vinayak Thorat will be awarded the Sangeet Acharya Annasaheb Kirloskar Lifetime Achievement. Both the awards consist of cash prizes of Rs 5 lakh, citation and memento each. Dates for the presentation of the awards have not yet been announced.
N Ram chosen for Raja Ram Mohan Roy award by PCI
Veteran journalist and Hindu publishing group chairman N Ram has been chosen for the prestigious Raja Ram Mohan Roy Award, presented by the Press Council of India, for his outstanding contribution towards journalism. The award will be presented on the occasion of the National Press Day.
Namrata Ahuja bags IPI-India award for excellence in journalism 2018
Namrata Ahuja is a senior special correspondent with The Week magazine. She has received this award for her exclusive story on Nagaland underground camps. The award consisted of a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh, a trophy, and a citation.
Actor Anupam Kher honoured with ‘Distinguished Fellow Award’ in Boston
Actor Anupam Kher honoured with ‘Distinguished Fellow Award’ in Boston. He was awarded at the 3rd India Global Summit held at MIT Sloan School of Management in Boston. The Summit discussed the growing importance of relationship between India, USA and China. Anupam Kher holds the record for winning the Filmfare Award for Best Comedian five times in total.
Malayalam writer Mukundan selected for Ezhuthachan award
Noted Malayalam novelist and short story writer M Mukundan has been selected for the Kerala government’s highest literary award ‘Ezhuthachan Puraskaram’ for this year. The 76-year old writer has been chosen for his overall contributions to the Malayalam literature.
Punjab Police bags CCTNS award Punjab
Punjab Police bags Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) good practice award for the development of Digital Criminal Intelligence Gazette and generation of State Crime Record Bureau (SCRB) reports.
Malala Yousafzai to receive Harvard award for activism
Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai is being honoured by Harvard University for her work promoting girls’ education. Harvard’s Kennedy School says she will be awarded the 2018 Gleitsman Award. The Gleitsman Award provides $125,000 for activism that has improved quality of life around the world.
Prof Ashis Mukherjee receives INSA teachers award-2018
Prof Ashis Mukherjee, a senior faculty member of the prestigious Tezpur University was awarded the prestigious Indian National Science Academy (INSA) Teachers Award (2018). Mr Mukherjee is Dean, Research and Development, and Head and Coordinator of DBT Nodal Cell for Medical Colleges and Biomedical Research Institutes of NE India. He won the prestigious award for his consistent and high level of teaching and inspiring and mentoring students to take up careers in Science and Technology.
SPORTS & GAMES
Varsha Varman wins gold medal in women’s trap in the National Shotgun
Varsha Varman, representing Madhya Pradesh, won the women’s trap gold at the ongoing 62nd national championship for shotgun events in New Delhi. Varsha, who narrowly missed qualifying for the Jakarta Asian Games final, shot 38 in the final to get the better of Junior World Cup finalist Soumya Gupta of Delhi, who ended with 37 hits for the silver medal.
BCCI announces two-year ban for age frauds
From the 2018-19 season, any cricketer who is found guilty of tampering his/her date of birth will be disqualified and barred from participating in any BCCI tournament for a period of 2 years i.e. 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons. Earlier, a cricketer faced a ban of one year.
Croatia wins the 2018 Davis Cup, beating France 3-1
Croatia defeated the defending champion France in the final of 2018 Davis Cup organized by BNP Paribas (Banque Nationale de Paris) for secure the title second time after 13 years. Marin Cilic of Croatia defeated France’s Lucas Pouille by 7-6, 6-3 and 6-3 in the final of Davis Cup and sealed the title for france.
Manu won double gold in shooting
Manu Bhaker of Haryana won a double gold in junior sport pistol while Ravi Kumar and Rahi Sarnobat were crowned national champions in the men and women’s events respectively in Thiruvananthapuram. The 16-year-old Bhaker claimed the individual gold in junior girl’s sport pistol with 24, a yellow metal in junior team and a silver in senior team.
Netherlands win FIH Women’s Hockey Champions Trophy
The Netherlands outclassed Australia 5-1 to win its seventh Women’s Hockey Champions Trophy at the Wujin Hockey Stadium in Changzhou China. The tournament featured only six teams, including world’s top four of the Netherlands, Britain, Australia, Argentina as well as Asian Games champion Japan and host China.
Women’s World Boxing C’ships: Sonia Chahal enters final
Sonia Chahal has entered the final of the 57 kg category at the Women’s World Boxing Championship, becoming the second Indian set to fight for the gold after MC Mary Kom won her semi-final. The 21-year-old Haryana native put up a commanding show and beat her North Korean opponent Jo Son Hwa 5-0.
Syed Modi International Championships: Sameer Verma Won Gold, Saina Silver
Sameer Verma has won the Syed Modi International Badminton Championships, men’s singles final against China’s Guangzu Lu, to retain the title. With this win, Verma sealed his spot in the BWF World Tour Finals. However, former champion Saina Nehwal lost to Han Yue of China in women’s singles summit clash &d won silver.
Mary Kom scripts history, becomes six-time boxing World Champion
Legendary boxer Mary Kom scripted history, becoming India’s only six-time world boxing champion after defeating Hanna Okhota of Ukraine. Mary has also registered her name in history books as she has now equalled male pugilist Felix Savon of Cuba, becoming an all-time best boxer with six gold and one silver medal in World Championships.
Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba announces retirement at 40
40 years old Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba announced his retirement after a career of 20 years. He began his career at French side Le Mans in 1998. Irovian Footballer, Didier Drogba had been playing for Phoenix Rising in United States. He had won four Premier League titles in his 20 years career.
Indian gymnasts win two bronze medals in Acrobatic Gymnastics World Cup
Indian gymnasts won two bronze medals in the men’s and women’s group events of the FIG Acrobatic World Cup in Baku. Prins Aris and Rejilesh Suribabu finished third after scoring 20.560 to bag the bronze medal at the National Gymnastics Arena.
Wasim Jaffer becomes 1st to touch 11,000-Run Milestone in Ranji Trophy
Veteran first-class cricketer Wasim Jaffer became the first Indian batsman to touch the 11,000-run figure in the Ranji Trophy. The Vidharbha batsman achieved the milestone during the third-round match against Baroda in Nagpur at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium, Nagpur, Maharashtra.
Bangladesh wins 59th Edition of Subroto Cup Football Tournament
Bangladesh Krida Shiksha Prothishtan (BKSP) won the 59th edition of the junior boys Subroto Cup International Football Tournament beating Amini School, Afghanistan by a solitary goal at the Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi. Habibur Rahman scored the all-important goal in the 11th minute.
Alexander Zverev is the ATP 2018 champion
Alexander Zverev beat world number one Novak Djokovic 6-4 6-3 to win the ATP Finals – the biggest title of the German’s fledgling career. Zverev is the first German to win the title since Boris Becker in Frankfurt in 1995 and the youngest since Djokovic won at the same age in Shanghai in 2008.
Golfer Shubhankar becomes first Indian to win European Tour Rookie of the Year award
Young golfer Shubhankar Sharma capped a dream season on the European Tour by becoming the first Indian to win the tours Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award. He achieved the feat soon after finishing tied 41st at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship event in Dubai.
Lakshya Sen bagged bronze BWF World junior badminton championship
India’s Lakshya Sen won a bronze medal in the BWF World junior badminton championship at Markham, Canada. He was defeated by Thailand’s Vitidsarn. Lakshya Sen, the 17-year-old from Almora.
Asab won gold in the 62nd National Shotgun championship
Mohd. Asab and Ahvar Rizvi defeated Ankur Mittal, the reigning World champion, and won the double trap gold and silver in the 62nd National Shotgun championship held at Jaipur, Rajasthan. Asab shot 134 to beat Ahvar by one point.
Pankaj Advani won third IBSF billiards crown
India’s Pankaj Advani won his third straight IBSF billiards crown in the 150-up format. Advani overcame Nay Thway Oo of Myanmar in the final. This win also marks a hat-trick of wins for Advani in the shorter format. He had won in his hometown Bengaluru in 2016 before doing the same in Doha last year.
Australia’s John Hastings retires from International Cricket
Former Australia all-rounder John Hastings has retired from all cricket, citing the risks posed by a bleeding lung condition. Hastings played one Test, 29 ODIs and nine Twenty20 internationals for Australia before retiring from Tests and ODIs a year ago to become a T20 specialist.
Former England Midfielder Joe Cole announced retirement
Former England midfielder Joe Cole announced his retirement after making more than 700 appearances for seven clubs including West Ham and Chelsea. Cole was part of England’s so-called “Golden Generation”, playing alongside David Beckham, Wayne Rooney etc.
ICC Rankings: Virat Kohli, remain on top of ODI table
India captain Virat Kohli and premier fast bowler Jasprit Burah maintained their top positions respectively in the latest ICC ODI ranking. Kohli remained in pole position with 899 points while limited overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma remained second in the list.
Czech Republic beats defending champion U.S. & win Fed Cup 2018 (tennis)
Czech Republic won the 2018 Fed Cup Trophy for the 6th time in eight years, in Czech Republic. Czech Republic defeated defending champion United States 3-0 in the final and won the 2018 Fed Cup.
Harmanpreet Kaur becomes first Indian women to hit century in T20I cricket
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur became the first ever Indian woman to smash a hundred in T20I cricket, achieving the feat against New Zealand in the Women’s World T20 2018. The 29-year-old scored 103 runs off 51 balls, which included eight sixes and seven fours. Further, Harmanpreet is only the third cricketer to smash a century in Women’s World T20.
Bajrang Punia becomes number 1 wrestler in World in 65kg
Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia touched a new high in his career by achieving the number one rank in the world in the 65kg category. The 24-year-old Bajrang, who has won five medals, including CWG and Asian Games gold and a silver at the World Championship, was placed atop the ranking table with 96 points in the UWW list.
Angad Vir Singh Bajwa wins gold in Men’s Skeet at 8th Asian Shotgun Championship
Angad Vir Singh Bajwa won gold medal by setting world record score in men’s skeet final of the 8th Asian Shotgun Championship held in Kuwait. With this, he became first Indian skeet shooter to win continental or world level event.
‘The Fire Burns Blue: A History of Women’s Cricket in India’, co-authored by Karunya Keshav & Sidhanta Pathak
The Fire Burns Blue: A History of Women’s Cricket in India’, a book on history of women’s cricket in India will be launched on November 2018. The book is co-authored by sports journalists Karunya Keshav and Sidhanta Pathak. It is published by Westland Sport, a new imprint of Westland Publications.
Rohit Sharma sets record, becomes first cricketer in history to score 4 T20I hundreds
He achieved the milestone in 58 balls during the second T20I against the Windies at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee International Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. He now has 2,196 runs in the format. He also overtook Virat Kohli (2,102 runs) to become India’s leading run-getter in T20Is, and ended up second on the list of the highest run-getters in the world, just behind New Zealand’s Martin Guptill.
Subhankar Dey wins SaarLorLux open Badminton tournament
In Badminton, Subhankar Dey has won the SaarLorLux Open at Saarbrucken in Germany. In the summit clash, the unseeded Indian defeated fifth-placed Rajiv Ouseph of Britain, in straight games, in what was the first encounter between the two shuttlers.
Ambati Rayudu retires from first-class cricket
Ambati Rayudu has retired from the long-form of cricket, including the Ranji Trophy, to focus on limited-overs cricket. Ambati Rayudu is 33 years old. He will continue to play international and domestic matches of the shorter version. He played his first ODI (One Day International) match in 2013.
Simone Biles sets record by picking up 13th world championship gold medal
Simone Biles became the first ever gymnast to win 13 world championship gold medals, by winning her 13th gold medal at the world gymnastics championships in Doha, Qatar. Simone Biles has surpassed the previous all-time record of 12 world championship gold medals by Belarusian Vitaly Scherbo, made in 1996.
PV Sindhu extends support to Pro Volleyball League
Rio Olympics silver medalist and current world No 2 badminton player PV Sindhu will be the brand ambassador of the inaugural edition of Pro Volleyball League along with legendary American spiker David Lee. The inaugural season of the Pro Volleyball League will start in February 2019.
Subhankar Dey won SaarLorLux Open Badminton tournament in Germany
Subhankar Dey won SaarLorLux Open Badminton tournament in Germany . This triumph marks his first title of the year. He got off to a fine start in 2018 when he finished runner-up in the Kabal International tournament in the Czech Republic in March.
Mary Kom named brand ambassador of 2018 Women’s World Boxing Championships
Olympic bronze medalist and five-time World Champion, MC Mary Kom has been named as the brand ambassador of the 10th edition of the Women’s World Championship in New Delhi.
Rahul Dravid officially inducted into ICC Hall of Fame
Former India captain Rahul Dravid was formally inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. To mark the occasion, Dravid received his commemorative cap from fellow ICC Cricket Hall of Famer Sunil Gavaskar. Dravid was named in the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame along with Australia legend Ricky Ponting and England women’s stalwart Claire Taylor during the ICC Annual Conference in Dublin.
Azhar Ali announces retirement from ODIs
Senior Pakistan batsman Azhar Ali announced his retirement from limited overs cricket in order to concentrate on Test cricket. He is 33 years old. He has played 53 ODIs (One Day International). He played his last ODI against New Zealand in January 2018.
Pankaj Advani clinches Asian Snooker title
Ace cueist Pankaj Advani won the Asian Snooker Tour by defeating Ju Reti of China.
The 33-year-old registered a domination 6-1 victory over his Chinese opponent to finish on top. Pankaj had won his first international title in China way back in 2003.
Indian Golfer Khalin Joshi clinches panasonic open India title
He became the seventh Indian to win the Panasonic Open India title in the last eight editions of the tournament. He finished second best after finishing with a par on the 18th.
ECONOMY
India’s GDP growth in Q2 likely to slow to 7.5-7.6%: SBI
Ahead of the official release of the second-quarter GDP figures, State Bank of India (SBI) estimated the country’s economy to expand by 7.5-7.6 percent, slower than the prior quarter, mainly on account of a slowdown in rural demand. India’s largest lender also said in its Ecowrap report that the SBI Composite Leading Indicator (CLI), a basket of 21 leading indicators for the quarter in consideration, is showing a marginal declining trend.
India GDP to slow down marginally, but remain strong at 7.5% in 2019 & 2020: OECD
The Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) released its Economic Outlook 2018 report and said growth in India will hold up relatively well, and predicted GDP at market prices to decline marginally to 7.3% in 2019 and 7.4% in 2020 from 7.5% in 2018.
India economic growth to slow to 7.3% in 2019: Moodys
Indian economy will expand 7.4 percent in 2018, but the growth will slow down to 7.3 percent in the next fiscal. The economy grew 7.9 percent in the first half (January-June) of 2018, reflecting post demonetization base effect.
India pledged contribution of $13.36 mn for UN agencies, development activities
1st Secretary in India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, Mahesh Kumar, on behalf of India pledged contributions of USD 13.36 million for the various UN agencies and development activities. This pledge was taken during the 2018 United Nations Pledging Conference for Development Activities at the UN Headquarters in New York, USA.
India topped as Asia most investment savvy economy: Standard Chartered
According to a new Standard Chartered study-‘The Emerging Affluent Study 2018– Climbing the Prosperity Ladder’, India is Asia’s most investment savvy economy. The survey markets were: China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Singapore, South Korea, the UAE.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
ISRO to launch hi-tech imaging satellite with 30 foreign satellites
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on November 2018 will launch a hyperspectral imaging satellite (HySIS), an earth observation satellite along with 30 foreign commercial satellites from Sriharikota launch centre in Andhra Pradesh.
NASA InSight Lands on Mars 7 months after launch
NASA’s InSight spacecraft landed on Mars after nearly a 7 months, 458-million-kilometre journey, and a 6.5-minute parachuted descent through the Red Planet’s atmosphere. The 360-kg lander also shared its first photo from Mars, showing an area called Elysium Planitia, where it will dig five meters below the surface.
China builds an ‘artificial sun’ that reaches temperatures six times that of Sun
China has built an ‘artificial sun’ that reaches 100 million °C, 6 times the temperature of Sun’s core of 15 million °C. Scientists from China’s Institute of Plasma Physics announced that plasma in their Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) also called the ‘artificial sun’, reached 100 million °C, the temperature required to perform nuclear fusion on Earth.
ISRO successfully launch GSLV Mk III-D2 carrying GSAT-29 satellite
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched its latest communication satellite GSAT-29, which was put in Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit by India’s 5th generation heavy-lift rocket Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III D2 (GSLV-Mk III D2).
ISRO invites foreign experiments for 2023 Venus mission
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has issued an announcement of opportunity (AO) to international space scientists to propose their scientific payloads to be carried on its mission to Venus planned for 2023. This AO has a specific objective to identify important science experiments that are in line with the pre-selected proposals from India.
China launches new high-orbit satellite to boost its BeiDou global satellite navigation system
This is the first BeiDou-3 satellite in high orbit, nearly 36,000 km above the Earth. It will follow the Earth’s rotation, in a geostationary orbit, and will view the same point on Earth continuously. The satellite will serve countries in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
India successfully conducted night trial of Agni-I ballistic missile
India has successfully carried out night user trial of Agni-I short-range nuclear-capable ballistic missile. The test flight was conducted by Indian Army’s Strategic Forces Command off Abdul Kalam Island in Bay of Bengal, off the coast of the Indian state of Odisha.
NASA retires its Planet Hunter, the Kepler Space Telescope
The Kepler space telescope has run out of fuel and will be retired after a 9.5 year mission in which it detected thousands of planets beyond our solar system and boosted the search for worlds that might harbour alien life. The Kepler telescope discovered more than 2,600 of the roughly 3,800 exoplanets that have been documented in the past two decades.
Pakistan to send first manned space mission in 2022
Pakistan has decided to launch its first manned mission in 2022, the same year that India has planned to launch its own manned space mission. The decision was taken during Pakistan’s federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan. The cabinet approved the plan of sending an astronaut to space for the first time in 2022 with China’s help.
APPOINTMENTS
LG appoints Brian Kwon as Mobile Business President
LG Electronics has announced that it has appointed Brian Kwon as the new president. He is replacing Hwang Jeong-hwan after one year. Brian Kwon is head of LG’s home entertainment business, from December 1. It comes after LG’s mobile business posted a loss of $410 million this year, including a $130.5 million net loss in the last quarter.
Arvind Saxena appointed as UPSC Chairman
President Ram Nath Kovind has appointed Arvind Saxena as Chairman of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), which conducts examination to select bureaucrats, diplomats and police officers. He will have tenure till August 2020, when he attains the age of 65 years. Prior to this appointment, he was working as acting Chairman of UPSC since June 2018. He had joined UPSC as member in May 2015.
Nageshwara Rao Guntur appointed as Chairperson of AERB
Union Government has appointed renowned scientist Nageshwara Rao Guntur as Chairperson of Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB). His appointment as thhe AERB chairperson will be for three years. Guntur is the chairman, Project Design Safety Committee, Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) and former distinguished scientist Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL).
Sunil Arora appointed new Chief Election Commissioner
Sunil Arora will take charge new Chief Election Commissioner. He will replace outgoing Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) OP Rawat. A former bureaucrat, Arora was appointed as election commissioner. Arora, 62, had been the information and broadcasting secretary, and the secretary in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
Sachin is the brand ambassador of Apollo Tyres
Tyre maker, Apollo Tyres has appointed cricketer Sachin Tendulkar as its new brand ambassador. He will be the ambassador of Apollo Tyres for a period of five years. Apart from Apollo Tyres, he is also the brand Ambassador for BMW in India. Sachin Tendulkar was the former brand ambassador of MRF Tyres.
Firhad Hakim to be the new Mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation
West Bengal Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim is set to be the new Mayor of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. He was elected unanimously by the councillors of the Trinamool Congress. The councillors decided on his name in the presence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Mr.Hakim will be the first Muslim Mayor of KMC, founded in 1876, since Independence.
Uber Eats appointed Alia Bhatt as its first brand ambassador of India
Food delivery platform Uber Eats announced the appointment of actress Alia Bhatt as its brand ambassador. India will be the first country where the global company appointed an ambassador. In India, Ubereats was first launched in Mumbai in May 2017 and is currently present in 37 cities across the country.
SBM appointed Sidharth Rath as MD
State Bank of Mauritius (SBM) has appointed Sidharth Rath as its Managing Director (MD). He was Axis Bank as the Group Executive & Head of Corporate, Transaction Banking & International Banking. SBM has received the licence from Reserve Bank of India to operate as a scheduled commercial bank in India.
UNICEF appoints Nahid Afrin as ‘Youth Advocate’ for NE
Popular singer Nahid Afrin of Assam has been appointed as the first ‘Youth Advocate’ of the north eastern region by the UNICEF to fight for child rights. The UNICEF engages ‘Youth Advocates’ to harness their voice as agents of change in society. Nahid made her playback debut in the 2016 Bollywood film ‘Akira’ starring Sonakshi Sinha in the lead.
Millie Bobby Brown named Youngest-Ever UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
The United Nations children’s agency UNICEF appointed Millie Bobby Brown, the star of hit Netflix series ‘Stranger Things’, as its youngest ever goodwill ambassador on Tuesday and the 14-year-old had a message for world leaders: ‘Listen to us’.
Joyce Msuya appointed as acting Executive Director of UNEP
Tanzanian biologist Joyce Msuya has been appointed as acting Executive Director of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) after the resignation of Erik Solheim.
WhatsApp appoints Abhijit Bose as its India head
Instant messaging service WhatsApp announced the appointment of Abhijit Bose as its India head. Bose will join WhatsApp in early 2019. WhatsApp said Bose and his team will focus on helping businesses, both large and small, connect with their customers.
Interpol elected South Korean Kim Jong-yang as Next President
Interpol’s 94 member states elected South Korea’s Kim Jong-yang as Interpol’s next president in Dubai. The 57-year-old will serve until 2020 and succeeded Meng Hongwei. He is serving as Interpol’s acting president since Meng resigned and was a vice-president representing Asia.
Oracle Veteran Thomas Kurian to head Google Cloud
Oracle’s ex-product chief Thomas Kurian will head Google’s cloud division. He will replace Diane Greene. Kurian will join Google Cloud on November 26 and transition into the leadership role in early 2019. Greene, who will remain a director on the Alphabet board, had joined Google in December 2015 to run its cloud business.
ACC appointed Sumanta Chaudhuri as the new Coal Secretary and many others
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi named 1985-batch IAS from West Bengal cadre Sumanta Chaudhuri as the new Coal Secretary. He replaced Inder Jit Singh. Prior to this appointment, he was the Managing Director of Small Farmers Agri Business Consortium.
Jalaj Srivastava appointed as new IWAI Chairman
IWAI comes under the Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways headed by Nitin Gadkari. He served as Chairman of New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) & Principal Secretary of Department of VAT, Delhi Government. Srivastava is known for the launching of ‘Shakti Cab’ and ‘URJA’ project for women.
WCD Ministry nominates 3 new members of National Commission for Women
Ministry of Woman and Child Development (WCD) has nominated three members to National Commission for Women (NCW) in pursuance Section 3 of the NCW Act 1990. They are Chandramukhi Devi, Soso Shaiza & Kamlesh Gautam. All three are BJP members.
UIDAI CEO Ajay Bhushan Pandey appointed as new revenue secretary
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet appointed Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) CEO Ajay Bhushan Pandey as the new revenue secretary. He will succeed current Finance & Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia.
Sanjay Kumar Mishra appointed Director of Enforcement Directorate
Prime Minister Narendra Modi headed Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has appointed Senior IRS officer Sanjay Kumar Mishra as full-time Director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED). He will have tenure of two-years from the date of assumption of the charge of the post or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
British PM Theresa May appoints junior health minister Stephen Barclay as new Brexit Secretary
Stephen Barclay, Junior Health Minister who voted to leave European Union in the 2016 referendum has been appointed as the new Brexit Secretary by British Prime Minister Theresa May. Stephen Barclay replaced Dominic Raab who resigned over Theresa May’s draft plan for leaving EU.
Justice Mathur took oath as Allahabad HC Chief Justice
Justice Govind Mathur took oath Wednesday as the chief justice of the Allahabad High Court. The oath was administered by Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik in a simple ceremony in the court room of chief justice.
Infosys names Jayesh Sanghrajka as interim CFO
India’s second largest IT services firm Infosys named Jayesh Sanghrajka as its interim Chief Financial Officer (CFO). The current CFO, MD Ranganath, step down after an 18-year career with the company. Sanghrajka has spent 13 years in Infosys over two stints and is currently Executive Vice President and Deputy Chief Financial Officer
UNICEF appoints Indian athlete Hima Das as India’s first ever Youth Ambassador
The United Nations Children’s Fund-India (UNICEF) appointed Asian Games gold-medalist sprinter Hima Das as India’s first ever Youth Ambassador. UNICEF India works along with the Central Government to ensure that children born in India get the best start in life, thrive and develop to his or her full potential.
Apple appoints Nokia veteran Ashish Chowdhary as its India operation head
Apple appointed Ashish Chowdhary as its India operation head. Ashish Chowdhary is Chief Customer Operations Officer at Nokia Networks. He will leave Nokia Networks at the end of 2018. He will take charge as Apple’s India operation head in January 2019. He has 25 years of international experience in the enterprise and telecom sectors
Ministers Sadananda Gowda & Narendra Singh Tomar gets additional charge
After the demise of Union Minister Ananth Kumar, Union Minister DV Sadananda Gowda has got the additional charge of the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers and Narendra Singh Tomar was assigned the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.
BIS names Siddharth Tiwari as Chief Representative for Asia
The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) announced a new addition to its team with Siddharth Tiwari joining as the Chief Representative for Asia and the Pacific. He succeeds Eli Remolona, who was the previous Chief Representative of the Asian Office who held this position from 2008 to 2018.
3 IRS officers- PK Dash, Akhilesh Ranjan & Neena Kumar inducted as members of CBDT
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, appointed 3 IRS officers as the members of CBDT. The members are P K Dash, Akhilesh Ranjan & Neena Kumar. They are the 1982-batch of the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officers.
Nepal nominated Nilambar Acharya as ambassador to India
The Nepal government nominated Nilambar Acharya, the former Law Minister and senior politician, as Ambassador to India. If elected, he will replace Deep Kumar Upadhyay who resigned October last year. Mr.Achayra a former envoy to Sri Lanka, currently coordinates the Nepal side of the Eminent Persons Group on Nepal-India relations.
Centre cleared appointments of Chief Justices of 4 High Courts
The Central government cleared the appointment of Chief Justices of 4 High Courts namely: Allahabad, Patna, Madhya Pradesh & Tripura. The most senior judge of the Rajasthan High Court, Justice Govind Mathur, was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court. The most senior judge of the Allahabad HC, Justice A P Sahi, was appointed the Chief Justice of Patna HC.
Ashok Kumar Gupta appointed as Chairperson of CCI
Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appointed former IAS officer Ashok Kumar Gupta as Chairperson of Competition Commission of India (CCI). He replaces acting chairperson Sudhir Mital. Gupta is former IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre.
3 new members appointed to CBDT
PK Dash, Akhilesh Ranjan and Neena Kumar have been appointed as new members in the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). All three officers are from the 1982-batch of the Indian Revenue Service (IRS). Sushil Chandra is the chairman of CBDT. The CBDT frames the policy for the I-T Department that is tasked to enforce direct tax laws in the country.
Pranoy Kumar Musahary sworn in as first Meghalaya Lokayukta chair
Justice Pranoy Kumar Musahary, who retired as a judge of the Gauhati High Court, was sworn in as the chairperson of Meghalaya’s first Lokayukta. Justice Musahary was administered the oath of office by state Governor Tathagata Roy at a ceremony held at the Raj Bhawan.
Lok Sabha Secy Gen Snehlata Shrivastava gets one-year extension
The tenure of Snehlata Shrivastava, the first woman Secretary General of the Lok Sabha, has been extended by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan for one year. Shrivastava, with 35 years of rich and varied administrative experience, has held several important positions in the Madhya Pradesh government as well as at the Centre.
Robyn Denholm replaces Elon Musk as Tesla’s Chairman with immediate effect
Elon Musk had agreed to step down as chairman of Electric carmaker Tesla as part of a settlement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Robyn Denholm will leave her Chief Financial Officer (CFO) post at Telstra and take over Musk’s position, which he’s been holding for 14 years. However, Musk will remain on the board as a director and Tesla CEO.
Citigroup appoints John Dugan as its new chairman
Citigroup has appointed John Dugan, a former comptroller of the currency, as its new chairman. John Dugan is 63 years old. He will succeed Michael O’Neill, who will retire at the end of 2018. John Dugan has been on Citi’s board for more than a year. He was comptroller of the currency from 2005 to 2010.
Gaddam Dharmendra appointed India’s Ambassador to Iran
Gaddam Dharmendra was appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Islamic Republic of Iran. Gaddam Dharmendra is an Indian Foreign Service Officer (IFS) of 1990 batch. At present, he is Additional Secretary at Headquarters of Ministry of External Affairs. He has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Gafur Rakhimov elected as President of AIBA
Gafur Rakhimov elected as President of AIBA. He won 86 of the 134 second-round votes collected by International Boxing Association (AIBA) officials in Moscow to beat his only opponent, former boxer Serik Konakbayev of Kazakhstan. About International Boxing Association (AIBA).
IESA announced appointment of Rajesh Ram Mishra as the New President
India Electronics & Semiconductor Association (IESA), announced appointment of Rajesh Ram Mishra as its new President. IESA is the trade body representing the Indian Electronic System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) industry.
Sanjay Kumar Verma appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Japan
Shri Sanjay Kumar Verma (IFS: 1988) was appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Japan. He is presently the Additional Secretary at Headquarter of Foreign Affairs Ministry.
Dinkar Asthana appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Lao People’s Democratic Republic
It is an Indian Foreign Service Officer (IFS) of the 1990 batch. Currently, he is Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs. He has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Lao People’s Democratic Republic.
Justice Ramesh Ranganathan appointed Chief Justice of Uttarakhand
Justice Ramesh Ranganathan was sworn in as the Chief Justice of Uttarakhand High Court. Previously, he served as the senior-most judge of the Hyderabad High Court. He replaces Justice KM Joseph who was promoted to the Supreme Court. Ramesh Ranganathan was administered the oath by Uttarakhand Governor Baby Rani Maurya in Raj Bhavan, Dehradun.
Vikas appointed as CEO of Swadhaar Finserve
Private sector lender RBL Bank appointed Vikas Muttoo as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of its subsidiary Swadhaar Finserve. Vikas Muttoo was the Chief Business Officer of Bharat Financial Inclusion Limited. The headquarters of Swadhaar Finserve is in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Justices Hemant Gupta, R Subhash Reddy, MR Shah & Ajay Rastogi sworn-in as Supreme Court Judges
Justices Hemant Gupta, R Subhash Reddy, M R Shah and Ajay Rastogi were sworn-in as the Judges of the Supreme Court. Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi administered oath of office to the four judges. President Ram Nath Kovind issued a notification appointing these four judges as the Supreme Court judges.
Atul Goel takes over as MD & CEO of UCO Bank
Atul Kumar Goel assumed charge as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (UCO) of UCO Bank. Prior to this assignment, he was executive director of Union Bank of India. Goel takes over from R K Takkar who completed his three-year tenure.
Mahendra Singh Foundation Inc appoints Aishwarya Sharma as their India brand ambassador
Maahendra Singh Foundation (MSF), a New York based organization, has appointed Aishwarya Sharma as its India brand ambassador for #takethepowerback project.
RBI clears re-appointment of Aditya Puri as HDFC Bank MD & CEO
HDFC Bank announced that, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved re-appointment of Aditya Puri as managing director and CEO of the bank for another 2 years.
S. S. Deswal appointed as DG, ITBP
The ACC has approved the appointment of Shri S. S. Deswal, IPS (HY: 84) as Director General, Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). He took charge from Shri R K Pachnanda, the outgoing DG of ITBP, who superannuated . An MHA order said that Shri Deswal will hold the additional charge of the post of DG, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) till further orders.
Vijay Kumar Bist sworn in as Sikkim High Court chief justice
Justice Vijai Kumar Bist was sworn in as the Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court. Sikkim Governor Ganga Prasad administered Justice Vijai Kumar Bist the oath of office at Ashirwad Hall, Raj Bhavan. Justice Vijai Kumar Bist replaces Justice Satish Kumar Agnihotri.
RESIGNS
WhatsApp Business Head Neeraj Arora resigns
WhatsApp’s Chief Business Officer Neeraj Arora has resigned from the post after 7-years in the company. His exit comes seven months after WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum left the company. Arora had been an integral part of WhatsApp since 2011 and played a vital role in the company’s acquisition by Facebook in 2014.
UN Environment Chief Erik Solheim resigns
The UN’s environment chief, Erik Solheim, has resigned following severe criticism of his global travels and internal rule-breaking which led some nations to withhold their funding. The former environment minister of Norway had been at the helm of the Nairobi-based UN Environment since June 2016. Solheim’s resignation comes ahead of crucial talks opening in Poland.
Yes Bank Director R. Chandrashekhar Resigns
R. Chandrashekhar, an independent director at Yes Bank, resigned from his position. R. Chandrashekhar is the third person to resign from Yes Bank, in the recent time. Yes Bank is in the process of finding a new CEO to replace the incumbent CEO, Rana Kapoor.
Yes Bank chairman Ashok Chawla resigns
Ashok Chawla, Yes Bank’s non-executive chairman, stepped down with immediate effect. He resigned for the bank to find a new contender to fill in the Chairman’s duty. Apart from Yes bank, Chawla is also the chairman of National Stock Exchange since 2016. He had also worked as chairman of fair trade regulator CCI or Competition Commission of India.
Vinod Dasari, CEO & MD of Ashok Leyland, steps down
Vinod Dasari announced his decision to resign from the company citing personal reasons. The company Board in its meeting accepted his resignation. The Board has meanwhile called upon Dheeraj Hinduja to step in as executive chairman (EC) with immediate effect.
Flipkart co-founder CEO Binny Bansal steps down
Flipkart co-founder Binny Bansal announced his resignation as the CEO of the group, effective immediately. The decision came to light after Flipkart and Walmart released a statement informing the same. The statement read, ‘Earlier today, Binny Bansal announced his resignation as CEO of Flipkart Group, effective immediately. Binny has been an important part of Flipkart since co-founding the company, but recent events risked becoming a distraction & Binny has made a decision to step down’.
Jeff Sessions resigns as United States Attorney General
United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions resigned from his position, at US President Donald Trump’s request. Matthew Whitaker has been appointed the acting Attorney General of United States.
Former Australia captain Mark Taylor resigns from Cricket Australia board
Former Australia captain Mark Taylor resigned from Cricket Australia’s (CA) board of directors. Mark Taylor is 54 years old. He was the CA board’s longest-serving director. He has resigned amid the release of findings of Longstaff review that was commissioned following the Cape Town ball-tampering scandal.
G.N.Bajpai stepped down from the board of IL & FS
G.N.Bajpai, the former chairman of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), has stepped down from the newly constituted board of Infrastructure Leasing & FinanciTal Services (IL&FS). He cited personal reasons.
Anupam Kher Resigns as FTII Chairman
Actor Anupam Kher resigned as the chairman of the Film and Television Institute of India citing commitments to an international TV show for which he has to be stationed in the U.S.A.
DEATHS
Singer Mohammed Aziz passes away
Singer Mohammed Aziz has passed away aged 64 following a cardiac arrest in Mumbai. He was returning from Kolkata when he collapsed at the airport. Aziz, who did playback singing in Hindi, Bengali and Odia films, was known for songs like ‘My Name is Lakhan’, ‘Mard Tangewala’ and ‘Main Teri Mohabbat Mein’.
Veteran & former Union minister C K Jaffer Sharief passed away
Challakere Kareem Jaffer Sharief was an Indian politician. He was one of the senior most Indian National Congress leaders. Sharief, who had turned 85 had been admitted to the hospital after suffering a major cardiac event at home and had to be revived from a cardiac arrest.
Ambareesh, the Beloved Rebel of Kannada Cinema and Politics, Passes Away at 66
Veteran Kannada actor and former minister Ambareesh passed away in a Bengaluru hospital where he was being treated for multiple ailments. He served as a union minister in the UPA government led by Manmohan Singh. He was also the Minister of State in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Former Indian Hockey Player Sandeep Michael passes away
Former Indian hockey player, Sandeep Michael, who captained the Indian junior team to a gold at the Asia Cup 2003, died at the age of 33 after battling an unspecified neurological problem.
Noted Indian Classical Musician Ustad Imrat Khan passes away
Classical music stalwart Ustad Imrat Khan, who dedicated his life to propagating the Sitar and the surbahar worldwide, has died in the US after a brief illness. He was 83. He belonged to the illustrious Etawa Gharana, or the Imdadkhani Gharana, named after his grandfather Ustad Imdad Khan. He had also performed at the Cannes Film Festival in 1970.
Congress MP from Kerala M.I.Shahnawaz passed away
Congress Working President in Kerala and Lok Sabha member from Wayanad, M.I. Shahnawaz passed away at a private hospital in Chennai. He was 67. Shahnawaz, a two time parliament member was ailing for sometime and was admitted at a hospital in the Tamil Nadu capital.
Oscar-Winning Screenwriter William Goldman passes away
The Oscar-winning screenwriter and best-selling author William Goldman, known for ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ and ‘All The President’s Men’, passes away. He was 87.
Asia’s 1st Woman neurosurgeon TS Kanaka passed away
Asia’s first woman neurosurgeon, T.S. Kanaka, passed away in Chennai after a brief illness. She was 86. She was known to have inspired many women to take to the field of neurosurgery in the country. She also served as an army medical officer for two years during the India-China war.
Brigadier Kuldip Singh Chandpuri passes away
Decorated war veteran Brigadier Kuldip Singh Chandpuri passed away in a private hospital in Mohali, Punjab. He was 78. Chandpuri, who was an Army Major during the 1971 India-Pakistan war, had held his post through the night in the famous battle of Longewala in Rajasthan with just 120 men against a full-fledged attack by advancing Pakistani Patton tanks.
Mardal maestro Banamali Maharana passes away
Eminent percussionist Banamali Maharana passed away at a private hospital. He was 77. Maharana earned accolades for playing ‘mardala’ in Odissi music and dance across the globe. He also founded the Mardala Academy in Bhubaneswar, which has been organising ‘Tala Vadya Utsav’.
Ad Man & Theatre Personality Alyque Padamsee passes away
Popular ad filmmaker & theatre personality Alyque Padamsee passed away in Mumbai. 90-year-old Padamsee was reportedly in bad health and had been ailing for quite some time. Padamsee played the role of Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Richard Attenborough’s Oscar winner Gandhi.
Veteran sports journalist Roshan Lal Sethi passes away
Sports journalist Roshan Lal Sethi died following a long term illness, at his residence in Delhi. He was 81 years old. In 1964, he started his career as a sports journalist with Motherland newspaper. Till 1975, he was associated with it as sports editor.
Former Supreme Court judge S N Phukan passed away
Former Supreme Court judge Judge Sailendu Nath Phukan passed away at 83. He was also Chief Justices of Himachal Pradesh & Odisha High Courts. Afterwards, he was promoted as a judge of the Supreme Court in January 1999 and he retired in 2002.
Bhajan singer Vinod Agarwal passes away
Bhajan singer Vinod Agarwal passed away. The singer died from multiple organ failure. He was 63. The singer was admitted to a private medical facility in Mathura after he complained of chest pain and was put on ventilator after his vital organs stopped working.
Rathinam, veteran freedom fighter & member of INA passed away
V. Rathinam, freedom fighter & member of Indian National Army (INA), passed away following a short term illness at Chathirakudi, Ramanathapuram, in Tamil Nadu. V. Rathinam was 99 years old. He hailed from S. Kodikulam in Paramakudi block, Ramanathapuram.
1971 war hero M.P. Awati passes away
Vice-Admiral M.P. Awati (retd.), who commanded a naval unit of the Eastern Fleet in the 1971 India-Pakistan war and whose actions led to the destruction of an enemy submarine, passed away at his hometown near Satara in Maharashtra.
African American playwright Ntozake Shange passes away
African American playwright Ntozake Shange, passed away, in the United States. Ntozake Shange was 70 years old. She had addressed sensitive issues related to racism. Her original name was Paulette Linda Williams.
VISITORS
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu embarks on 3-nation visit to Serbia, Malta, Romania
Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu left for Belgrade Friday afternoon for the first phase of his 7- day tour to three central European countries, Serbia, Malta and Romania.
VP Venkaiah Naidu reaches Malawi on final leg of his 3-nations Africa tour
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu arrived in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi. At the Kamuzu International Airport, he was received by Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Malawi, Dr. Emmanuel Fabiano, Minister of Education, Science and Technology of Malawi, V Bright Masaka and Minister in waiting, George Mkondiwa.
Prime Minister of Italy Mr. Giuseppe Conte’s 1-day visit to India
Prime Minister of Italy, Prof. Giuseppe Conte, has pay an official visit to India at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Prime Minister Conte will be accompanied by a delegation that will participate in the 24th edition of the DST-CII India-Italy Technology Summit 2018. During the visit PM Conte will hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
MISCELLANEOUS
Gauri Khan debuted on Fortune India’s Most Powerful Women list 2018
Shah Rukh Khan’s wife and Renowned interior designer and co-owner of Red Chillies Entertainment, Gauri Khan debuts on the list of ‘Fortune India’s 50 Most Powerful Women’ in business’ this year. Being the founder and chief executive office of Gauri Khan Designs, Gauri gained the 42nd spot.
Government to issue Rs 75 coin to Mark 75th anniversary of Tricolour Hoisting
The Ministry of Finance issued a notification regarding the release of the Rs 75 coin to commemorate 75th anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose hoisting the Tricolour for the first time at Port Blair in Andaman Nicober Islands.
Union Minister Ananth Kumar passes away
Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Ananth Kumar passed away at a private hospital in Bengaluru. He was 59. He is survived by his wife and 2 daughters. He was diagnosed of lung cancer just three months ago and had returned to Bengaluru recently after undergoing treatment in the United States and Britain.
Mountaineer Satyarup Siddhanta became first Indian to scale Mt Giluwe in Papua New Guinea
He summited an elevation of 4,367 metres which will be followed by Mt Wilhelm – the highest mountain of Papua New Guinea. Satya scaled 5 of the 7 volcanic summits. He aimed to complete his 6th Volcano in Mexico Mt Pico de Orizaba and then to Antarctica to climb Mt Sidley in December 2018.
Pather Panchali on BBCs list of 100 best foreign language films
Satyajit Ray’s epic masterpiece ‘Pather Panchali’ has been included by BBC’s 100 best foreign language films but it is the only film from India to feature in the list. Ray’s film, released in 1955, was placed at number 15 in the list, which has been topped by Akira Kurosawa’s ‘Seven Samurai’.
BOOKS IN NEWS
FM Arun Jaitley released the book ‘Making of New India’
The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, received the first copy of the book “Making of New India: Transformation under Modi Government”, from Shri Arun Jaitley, Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs. Shri Jaitley formally released it at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The Illustrated History of Indian Hockey: A Saga of Triumph, Pain and Dreams
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley released a curated coffee table book titled ‘The Illustrated History of Indian Hockey: A Saga of Triumph, Pain and Dreams’. It was released alongside International Hockey Federation (FIH) and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President Narinder Batra and Hockey India President Mohd. Mushtaq Ahmad.
Dr Jitendra Singh releases book Radio Kashmir in Times of Peace & War
Dr Jitendra Singh releases book Radio Kashmir in Times of Peace & War written by Dr Rajesh Bhat. The book published by Stellar Publishers. The book explains the role played by Radio Kashmir in serving the people of Kashmir and strengthening democratic institutions in Kashmir, since the inception of Radio Kashmir in 1947. Dr Rajesh Bhat serves in the Policy Division of Directorate General, All India Radio, New Delhi.
‘A Great Association-Glimpses into the Life of Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha’
‘A Great Association-Glimpses into the Life of Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha’, a book authored by Swami Nirviseshananda Tirtha, was released by Prasar Bharati’s CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati. The book has been written on the life of Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha, the renowned saint of Narayanashrama Tapovanam, Kerala.
Manisha Koirala unveils her book ‘Healed’
Actress Manisha Koirala unveiled her book ‘Healed’, her personal story of a battle against ovarian cancer. Penned by the ‘1942: A Love Story’ actress with Neelam Kumar, the book is subtitled How cancer gave me a new life. ‘Healed’ is the powerful, moving and deeply personal story of actor Manisha Koirala’s battle against ovarian cancer.
Mansi Gulati’s Book ‘Yoga And Mindfulness’ Launched
The book was launched by the Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu amidst the presence of Member of Parliament from the Rajya Sabha. Mansi Gulati addressed the audience and spoke about the benefits of yoga. She said her book ‘Yoga and Mindfulness’ revolves around the fact that yoga, is not mere asanas, but anything you do with mindfulness and dedication is yoga.
Ex-Minister Ramanath Rai releases book ‘Arivu’ on Mouth Cancer by Dr.Murali Mohan Chunthar
November 7 is observed as National Cancer Awareness Day in India each year.On same day Dr. Murali Mohan Chunthar has written a book named ‘Arivu’ in Mangaluru.This book explains about Mouth Cancer and prevention of the disease. He was a dental surgeon and also DK Home Guard Commandant.He is bringing awareness of mouth cancer and seriousness about eating tobacco,smoking etc by his book.
Finance Minister, RBI Governor and demonetization in fiction’ By Ravi Subramanian
Author Ravi Subramanian, whose stories are set against the backdrop of the financial services industry, writes among other things the relations between the RBI and the finance ministry in his new book. ‘Don’t Tell The Governor’ is a fictional story about the new governor of the country’s top bank and the challenges he faces.
‘Notes of a Dream: The Authorized Biography of A.R. Rahman’ by Krishna Trilok Launched
Oscar-winning musician A.R. Rahman, whose biography Notes of a Dream: The Authorized Biography of A.R. Rahman was launched in Mumbai says the book has been a journey for him and took him to those corners of his life which have remained candid for a long time. Written by author Krishna Trilok, the biography in association with Landmark and Penguin Random House was launched in Mumbai.
COMMITTEES
PM sets up National Implementation Committee to commemorate 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak
Union Government has decided to commemorate 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak at national as well as international level. Prime Minister Narendra Modi constituted National Implementation Committee (NIC) under Chairmanship of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to commemorate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak in the country and abroad.
DAYS & DATES
26 November: National Milk Day
National Milk Day is celebrated on November 26 to mark the birth anniversary of India’s most successful dairy entrepreneur Dr. Varghese Kurien, the founder of dairy firm Amul. He served Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) from 1973 to 2006. India is the largest milk producer in the world. The per capita milk available pan India is 355 grams per day.
20 November: Africa Industrialization Day
The purpose of Africa Industrialization Day (AID), marked each year on 20 November, is to raise global awareness of the challenges faced by the continent with regard to industrialization. The theme for AID 2018 is ‘Promoting Regional Value Chains in Africa’.
16 November: International Day for Tolerance
The International Day for Tolerance is an annual observance day declared by UNESCO in 1995 to generate public awareness of the dangers of intolerance. The year 1995 was chosen by the UNESCO to mark the year for tolerance as well as the 125th birthday anniversary of the Indian freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi in order to promote the tolerance and non violence.
14 November: World Diabetes Day
The World Diabetes Day is organized on 14 November throughout the world. The theme for World Diabetes Day 2018 and 2019 is ‘The Family and Diabetes’. The primary aim of the World Diabetes Day and World Diabetes Month 2018–19 campaign is to raise awareness of the impact that diabetes has on the family and to promote the role of the family in the management, care, prevention and education of the condition.
11 November: National Education Day
The day is observed on 11th November every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. He was a freedom fighter, scholar and the first Education Minister of independent India, who served from 15 August 1947 until 2 February 1958. In a tweet, President Ram Nath Kovind paid tributes to Maulana Azad.
07 November: National Cancer Awareness Day
National Cancer Awareness Day was observed on 7 November across the nation. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan had announced that 7 November will be observed as National Cancer Awareness Day every year. There were 2.9 million cases of cancer in the country with 1.1 million new cases being reported annually.
05 November: National Ayurveda Day
Ministry of AYUSH observes Ayurveda Day every year on Dhanawantari Jayanti (Dhanteras). This year Ayurveda Day is being observed on 5th November 2018. On this occasion, Ministry has organized a “National Seminar on Entrepreneurship and Business Development in Ayurveda” in association with NITI Aayog at Dr. Ambedkar International centre, Janapth, New Delhi, with the intention to encourage entrepreneurs and Ayurveda stakeholders towards businesses opportunities in the sector.
October 31: World Cities Day
October 31 is celebrated as World Cities Day. The general theme of World Cities Day is Better City, Better Life. It was designated by the United Nations General Assembly by its resolution 68/239.
BANKING AWARENESS
Mandatory Hedging cut to 70% from 100% for Foreign Loans: RBI
Central bank of India, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in consultation with the government of India, reduced the mandatory hedging provision to 70 per cent from 100 per cent. To the objective of ease the External Commercial Borrowing (ECB) norms.
India & ADB Sign 200 Million Loan to improve State Highways in Bihar
Union Government has signed $200 million loan agreement with Asian Development Bank (ADB) for Bihar State Highways III Project (BSHP-III). It will finance widening and upgrading of about 230 kms state highways in Bihar to all-weather standards with road safety features.
NBFC Mudra loans grew faster than banks in FY18: report by MUDRA
According to the 2017-18 annual report of Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY), NBFC sanctioned Mudra loans under PMMY, grew faster than banks in FY 2018. This is the first time that the bad loan data has been released by Micro Units Development & Refinance Agency (Mudra).
Ujjivan Small Finance Bank launches personal loan facility for salaried individuals
Ujjivan Small Finance Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ujjivan Financial Services Limited, launched personal loan facility for salaried professionals making it the first small finance bank in India to offer this.
India & World Bank Sign $310 million Loan Agreement for Jharkhand
The Government of India, the Government of Jharkhand and the World Bank signed in New Delhi a $310 million Loan Agreement for Jharkhand Power System Improvement Project to provide reliable, quality, and affordable 24×7 electricity to the citizens of Jharkhand. The Jharkhand Power System Improvement Project will help build new power transmission infrastructure, as well as put in place systems to improve the technical efficiency and commercial performance of the state power sector utilities.
Government of India & ADB signed $105 Million Loan to Support Hydropower Transmission in HP
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India signed a $105 million loan to continue financing the transmission system upgrades in Himachal Pradesh.
Government of India & ADB signed $300 Million Loan to support IIFCL in India
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India signed a $300 million Loan Agreement to support lending by India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (IIFCL) in New Delhi.
RBI cancels registration of 31 NBFCs
The RBI canceled the certificate of registrations of as many as 31 NBFCs for unspecified reasons. It also canceled the certificate of registrations of 17 NBFCs following a request by them for the same. The action comes amid difficulties faced by the NBFCs sector. A majority 27 of 31 companies which lost licenses are from Bengal.
Allahabad Bank to get 3,054 crore capital infusion from govt
Allahabad Bank had posted a loss of Rs. 1,944 crore in the June quarter compared to a profit of Rs. 28.8 crore a year ago. The bank received Rs. 1,790 crore as capital from the government in July this year. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had imposed additional restrictions on the bank under the Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework in May this year.
RBI slaps Rs 1 crore fine on Fino Payments bank
Mumbai-based newly-licenced bank Fino Payments Bank has been slapped a fine of Rs 1 crore by the central bank. Fino Payments Bank was asked to stop all account opening activities after the RBI found out that there were few accounts with the bank with deposits in excess of Rs 1 lakh, which goes against the licensing criteria of a payments bank.
SBI, Hitachi Payments form joint venture for digital payment platform
Country’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) and payments solution provider Hitachi Payment Services India has entered into an agreement to form a joint venture for establishing a card acceptance and digital payment platform. SBI will have a majority stake in the proposed joint venture. Hitachi Payment Services India is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi Group, Japan.