Current Affairs 14th to 16th November 2020| Current Affairs News

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CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS

World Kindness Day

• World Kindness Day is an international observance on 13 November.
• It was introduced in 1998 by the World Kindness Movement.
• This day is dedicated to the act of kindness and doing good deeds as an individual or as an organization.
• Thetheme is Kindness: The World We Make – Inspire Kindness.

World Diabetes Day

• World Diabetes Day is every year on November 14, first created in 1991 by the International Diabetes Foundation and the World Health Organization.
• It is the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, who co-discovered insulin along with Charles Best in 1922.
• The theme for World Diabetes Day 2020 isThe Nurse and Diabetes.

National Children’s Day

• Children’s Day in India is celebrated on 14 November every year as a tribute to India’s First Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.
• The day aims at increasing the awareness of the rights, care and education of children.
• Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was born on 14th November 1889.
• Before 1964, Children’s Day in India was celebrated on 20 November (the date observed as Universal Children’s Day by the United Nations).
• The first Children’s Day in India was celebrated after independence in 1959.
• After the death of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964, the Children’s Day celebration date was changed from 20 November to 14 November, the birthday of Jawaharlal Nehru.

National Press Day

• The day, observed on 16th November every year, is symbolic of a free and responsible press. It was on this day the Press Council of India started functioning as a moral watchdog to ensure that the press maintain high standards and is not fettered by any influence or threats.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL

Atmanirbhar Bharat 3.0: Key Takeaways From Finance Minister’s Stimulus Package

• Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced new stimulus measures under Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan 3.0 to boost the Indian economy amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
• The total stimulus announced by the Government and Reserve Bank of India till date, to help the nation tide over the COVID-19 pandemic, works out to 29.87 lakh crore, which is 15% of national GDP. Out of this, stimulus worth 9% of GDP has been provided by the government.

12 Key announcements as part of Aatma Nirbhar Bharat 3.0

Atmanirbhar Bharta Rozgar Yojana:

• Ms Sitharaman announced the new Aatmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana which will incentivise the creation of new jobs. The new employees hired by the EPFO-registered organisations will receive benefits during COVID-19. If the EPFO registered establishments take in new employees or those who lost jobs earlier will get benefits from government.
• Beneficiaries under this new scheme will include: new employees joining employment in EPFO-registered establishments on monthly wages less than Rs 15,000, and EPF members drawing monthly wage of less than Rs 15,000 who exited employment during March-September, and employed on or after October 1.
• Central government to give subsidy on new employment
• Employee and employer contribution of 12% each to be borne by government, for next two years; aimed at easing financial burden on companies for creating jobs
• 95% of all (organised sector) establishments estimated to be covered under this scheme will have employees up to 1,000

Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme:

• The emergency credit line guarantee scheme (ECLGS) for MSMEs, businesses, MUDRA borrowers and individuals (loans for business purposes), has been extended till March 31, 2021.
• A credit guarantee support scheme for health care sector and 26 sectors stressed due to COVID-19 pandemic was also launched. The entities of the 26 stressed sectors are identified by Kamath Committee.

Production-Linked Incentive:

• The PLI scheme worth 1.46 lakh crore is being offered to 10 champion sectors which will help boost the efficiency and competitiveness of domestic manufacturing.
• A total amount of 1.5 lakh crore has been earmarked across sectors, for the next five years.

Pradhan Mantri Awaaz Yojana Urban:

• An additional outlay of 18,000 crore over budget estimate towards PM Awaaz Yojana Urban has been announced which will help ground 12 lakh houses and complete 18 lakh houses. This will create additional 78 lakh jobs and improve the production and sale of cement and steel.

Relaxation of Earnest Money Deposit (EMD):

• The performance security on government contracts in the construction/infrastructure sector will be reduced to 3 per cent from 5-10 per cent. EMD will not be required for bid tenders and will be replaced by Bid Security Declaration. The relaxations will be applicable till December 31, 2021.

Income Tax Relief for Developers and Home Buyers:

• The finance ministry announced tax relief for developers and home buyers for houses up to 2 crore. The differential between circle rate and agreement value in real estate income tax is being increased from 10 per cent to 20 per cent from November 12, 2020 till June 30, 2021, for primary sale of residential units up to Rs. 2 crore the income tax relief provides an incentive to the middle class to buy homes.

Equity Investment in Debt Platform by NIIF:

• The government will make 6,000 crore equity investment in debt platform of National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), which will help NIIF raise Rs. 1.1 lakh crore by 2025 for financing infrastructure projects.

Support for Agriculture: Rs. 65,000 Crore for subsidized fertilizers

• As fertilizer consumption is going up significantly, increased supply of fertilizers will ensure that forthcoming crop seasons will not be affected for want of adequate fertilizers.

Boost for Rural Employment:

• Additional outlay of 10,000 Crore is being provided for PM Garib Kalyan Rozgar Yojana. Funds can be used for MGNREGA or for Gram Sadak Yojana, this will help accelerate rural economy .

Boost for Project Exports

• 3,000 Crore boost to be given for project exports through assistance given by India to developing countries under Indian Development and Economic Assistance Scheme (IDEAS Scheme). This will help EXIM Bank facilitate these Line of Credit development assistance activities and promote exports from India.

Capital and Industrial Stimulus

• 10,200 Crore additional budget stimulus will be provided for capital and industrial expenditure on defence equipment, industrial infrastructure and green energy.

R&D grant for COVID Vaccine

• 900 Crore is being provided to Department of Biotechnology for research activities related to COVID-19 vaccine development. This does not include cost of vaccine or logistics for vaccine distribution (whatever is required for that will be provided)

Sports Ministry announces incentive structure to fund 500 private academies

• Ministry of Youth Affairs And Sports Kiren Rijiju has introduced an incentivisation structure to extend monetary support to 500 private academies, through the Khelo India Scheme over the next four years starting FY 2020-21.
• In this model, private academies shall be graded into different categories based on quality achievement of players trained by the academy, level of coaches available at the academy, quality of the field of play and allied infrastructure, availability of sports science facilities, and staff.
• The 14 priority disciplines identified for excellence in the 2028 Olympics will be eligible for receiving support in the first phase.
• Under the scheme, SAI and NSFs will be working together. SAI will also hold discussions with NSFs and implement categorisation and gradation of the academies.
• There will be a special focus on developing sports science facilities at all the academies to improve the overall quality of training.

About MoYA&S

• Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and Minister of State in the Ministry of Minority Affairs of India: Kiren Rijiju
• Constituency: Arunachal West

PM Modi to unveil ‘Statue of Peace’ to mark 151st Birth Anniversary of Jainacharya Shree Vijay Vallabh Surishwer Ji Maharaj

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil ‘Statue of Peace’ to mark the 151st Birth Anniversary celebrations of Jainacharya Shree Vijay Vallabh Surishwer Ji Maharaj through video conferencing. The 151 inch tall statue has been made from Ashtadhatu- 8 metals, with Copper being the major constituent, and is being installed at Vijay Vallabh Sadhana Kendra, Jetpura, in Pali, Rajasthan.
• Shree Vijay Vallabh Surishwer Ji Maharaj who lived during 1870-1954, led an austere life as a Jain Saint working selflessly and dedicatedly to spread the message of Lord Mahavira. He also worked relentlessly for the welfare of masses, spread of education, eradication of social evils, wrote inspiring literature  and gave active support to the freedom movement and the cause of Swadeshi.
• With his inspiration, more than 50 educational institutions of eminence, including colleges, schools and study centres, are operational across several States. The Statue to be unveiled in his honour has been named as ‘Statue of Peace’.

About Rajasthan:

• Governor: Kalraj Mishra
• Capital: Jaipur
• Chief minister: Ashok Gehlot

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL

India provides 50 Metric Tons of food aid to people of Djibouti

• India has provided 50 Metric Tons of food aid to the people of Djibouti as part of its assistance to friendly countries to overcome natural calamities and the COVID-19 pandemic. Ambassador of India to Djibouti Ashok Kumar handed over gift of food items to the Secretary-General of the country’s Ministry of Social Affairs and Solidarity Mme Ifrah Ali Ahmed as part of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to Djibouti delivered by INS Airavat.
• In a statement, Ministry of External Affairs stated that the step was part of SAGAR II (Security and Growth for All in the Region) through which the Government of India is providing 270 Metric Tons of Humanitarian assistance to friendly countries in the region.

About Djibouti:

• Capital: Djibouti
• President: Ismail Omar Guelleh
• Currency: Djiboutian franc

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND FINANCE

RBI cancels Certificate of Authorisation of five PSOs

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cancelled the Certificate of Authorisation (CoA) of five Payment System Operators (PSOs), including Aircel Smart Money Ltd and Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System Ltd.
• The five PSOs, which also includes Pyro Networks Pvt Ltd, Card Pro Solutions Pvt Ltd, and InCashMe Mobile Wallet Services Pvt Ltd, were issued COA for issuance and operation of prepaid payment instruments.
• The central bank, in a statement, stated it cancelled the COA of Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System Ltd and Pyro Networks Pvt Ltd due to voluntary surrender.
• The COA of Card Pro Solutions Pvt Ltd and InCashMe Mobile Wallet Services Pvt Ltd have been cancelled due to non-compliance with regulatory requirements, it added.
• The RBI cancelled the COA of Aircel Smart Money due to non-renewal.

About RBI:

• Governor: Shaktikanta Das
• Deputy Governors: BP Kanungo, MK Jain, MD Patra and Rajeshwar Rao.
• Headquarters: Mumbai

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CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

Retail inflation jumps to 7.61% in October, highest in six years

• According to Consumer Price Index (CPI) data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation, inflation stood at 7.61% in October — the highest since May 2014.
• Retail inflation recorded at 7.27% in September. The Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI) jumped to 11.07% in October, up from 10.68% in September.
• The main factor leading to higher inflation was elevated food inflation. In October, inflation in meat and fish rose to 18.7% while vegetable prices increased to 22.51%.

Q2 GDP to shrink 8.6%; India to enter recession for 1st time: RBI official

• The GDP is likely to contract by 6 per cent for the July-September period, which means India will enter into a recession for the first time in history in the first half of this fiscal with two successive quarters of negative growth due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as per an RBI official.
• Researchers have used the ‘nowcasting‘ method to arrive at the estimates ahead of the official release of data and their views in an article in RBI’s monthly bulletin released do not constitute the central bank’s views.
• The pandemic-induced lockdowns had led to a steep contraction of 23.9 per cent in the GDP for the April-June quarter as compared to the same period a year ago.
• The RBI has estimated that the economy will contract by 9.5 per cent for the full fiscal year.
• “India has entered a technical recession in the first half of 2020-21 for the first time in its history with Q2 2020-21 likely to record the second successive quarter of GDP contraction,” as per the article titled ‘Economic Activity Index’, authored by Pankaj Kumar of the Monetary Policy Department.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATES

Mysuru Palace may soon have India’s first sandalwood museum

• The country’s very first, sandalwood museum is likely to come up later this month in Mysuru in Karnataka.
• Mysuru is already famous for its sandalwood soaps, sandalwood oil, incense sticks, etc.
• The museum has been conceptualised in a way that it will help in spreading awareness about the history and the cultivation of sandalwood products. Additionally, it will also give visitors the chance to witness the beauty and variety of the many pieces on display.
• The museum has been established by the Mysuru Forest Division, within its premises.

About Karnataka

• Capital: Bengaluru
• Governor: Vajubhai Vala
• Chief minister: B. S. Yediyurappa

Lonar Lake in Maharashtra’s Buldhana district chosen as ‘Ramsar site’

• The Lonar Lake in Maharashtra’s Buldhana district has been chosen as a wetland site of international importance under the Ramsar conservation treaty.
• Lonar Lake was formed by the impact of a meteorite on basalt bedrock several thousand years ago.
• Ramsar sites are wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention (held for the first time in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971), which aims to halt the worldwide loss of wetlands.
• In January, Maharashtra got its first Ramsar site at Nandur Madhmeshwar, in Nashik.
• The lake was first proposed as a Ramsar site in 2017 by the state forest department.

About Maharashtra

• Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari
• Capital: Mumbai
• Chief minister: Uddhav Thackeray

Tribal Welfare Dept to be changed to Tribal Affairs Dept: Madhya Pradesh CM

• In Madhya Pradesh, the name of the Tribal Welfare Department will be changed to Tribal Affairs Department. This was announced by the Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan at a program organized on the birth anniversary of martyr Birsa Munda at the Madhya Pradesh Tribal Museum in the capital Bhopal.
• In the programme, Ranbankure, a short film based on self-esteem of tribal genitals and released a folder. Significantly, Birsamunda fought with the British for the protection of the rights of the tribes. The work area of Birsa Munda is now Chotanagpur plateau, Jharkhand and Madhya Bharat is now Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Birsa Munda’s birthday is celebrated every year on 15 November in Madhya Pradesh to commemorate his contribution in the freedom struggle.

Survey of vulture habitats starts in Madhya Pradesh

• Vultures have always been considered an important part of the Ecosystem. However, their number has decreased considerably in the last few years. At present, survey of vulture habitats has started in Madhya Pradesh for how many vultures are left and what measures should be taken for their protection.
• Survey of vulture habitats, considered an important part of Ecosystem, has started in Madhya Pradesh. According to Wildlife Headquarters, after this survey, the vultures will be counted in the state. For this work, Van Vihar National Park of Bhopal has been made the nodal agency.
• Van Vihar officials stated that the vultures are counted every four years. After the year 2018, now their count will start from the first week of February next year. After counting the vultures, a review will be made about their conservation and improvement in habitat.

About Madhya Pradesh:

• Capital: Bhopal
• Governor: Anandiben Patel(additional charge)
• Chief Minister: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

CURRENT AFFAIRS: ACQUISITIONS AND MERGERS

TCS acquires Pramerica Services unit from Prudential

• The IT major will acquire the staff and select assets of Pramerica Systems Ireland, Prudential Financial Inc. (PFI)’s subsidiary based in Letterkenny, Ireland.
• PFI is a financial wellness leader and premier active global investment manager with more than $1.5 trillion in assets under management as of 30 September 2020, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.
• TCS will establish new global delivery centre in Ireland to provide Prudential with a range of business and technology services. Over 1,500 staff of Pramerica Systems Ireland will transfer to TCS and further expand the latter’s global delivery capability. PFI will retain the Pramerica Ireland entity, which will continue to operate from Letterkenny and will focus on providing regional business services, reporting under its global asset manager, PGIM.

About TCS:

• CEO: Rajesh Gopinathan
• Headquarters: Mumbai

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU

Embassy Group inks pact for developing govt schools

• Embassy Group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Karnataka, Department of Education for the all-around improvement of Government Schools in Bangalore. The scope of the MoU is to provide educational resources, infrastructural support and holistic health programs for 20 Government Schools at a budget of Rs 15 crores.
• The MoU will be signed for a period of two years, starting from October 2020 to September 2022, renewing the previous MoU, which was signed on November 2018.
• Under the MoU, Embassy will implement educational programs including annual distribution of starter kits, Maths, Life Skills, Sports, E-classrooms, scholarships, educational tours, after-school academic support, an alumni program and Art & Crafts. The Group will also provide new school buildings, repairs & renovations and daily maintenance to these adopted Government Schools.

About Karnataka:

• Capital: Bengaluru
• Governor: Vajubhai Vala
• Chief minister: B. S. Yediyurappa

About Embassy Group:

• Founded: 1993
• Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS

Myanmar: Aung San Suu Kyi’s party wins majority in election

• Myanmar’s ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party Aung San Suu Kyi candidate has secured enough seats in parliament to form the next government.
• The 1991-Nobel Peace laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi, is the first and incumbent State Counsellor (a position equivalent to prime minister) of Myanmar, since the post was created on 6 April 2016.

About Myanmar

• Capital: Naypyitaw
• President: Win Myint
• Currency: Burmese kyat

Nitish Kumar to be sworn-in as Chief Minister of Bihar for 7th term

• Nitish Kumar will be sworn-in as Chief Minister of Bihar for the seventh term. He was unanimously elected leader of the NDA at a meeting of its newly elected MLAs in Patna.
• BJP legislature party leader Tarkishore Prasad and Deputy leader Renu Devi will be the new Deputy Chief Ministers.

About Bihar

• Governor: Phagu Chauhan
• Chief minister: Nitish Kumar
• Capital: Patna

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONORS

Bangladeshi teen Sadat Rahman wins award for anti-cyberbullying app

• A teenager in Bangladesh Sadat Rahman has won the International Children’s Peace Prize for his efforts to educate young people about
• Sadat Rahman, 17, was inspired to create a mobile app to help young people report online abuse after hearing about a 15-year-old girl who took her own life because of bullying.
• Cyber Teens, allows young people to report cyberbullying confidentially through a network of volunteers who then approach police or social workers, while also educating teenagers about online safety.
• The International Children’s Peace Prize is an annual award that recognises the work of young people who promote children’s rights. Previous winners include Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.

National award for TNAU Scientist

• Tamil Nadu Agricultural University’s Director of Research and NABARD Chair, K S Subramanian has bagged the Fertiliser Association of India Golden Jubilee Award. The award pertains to his outstanding contribution in the field of nano-fertilizers and its role in improved use efficiency while ensuring environmental safety.
• The award carries a cash prize of 1 lakh and a Gold medal. Subramanian is to receive the award next month.
• The research director, who incidentally is also the founder Head of the Department of Nano Science & Technology has worked on design and fabrication of nano-agri inputs, nano-preservation of fruits, nano-sensors besides biosafety of nano-products. He has helped ICAR develop a research framework for nanotechnology, obtained research grants of more than 25 crore through International and National funding agencies.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SUMMITS AND CONFERENCE

8th BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Ministerial meeting unanimously adopts BRICS STI Declaration 2020

• The 8th BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Ministerial meeting unanimously has adopted BRICS STI Declaration 2020. The meeting was held through a virtual platform.
• The Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russia organized the meeting, Russian Federation being the Chair for 12th BRICS Summit.
• Science and Technology cooperation among the member countries Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa was discussed in the meeting.
• During the meeting, Science and Technology Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan highlighted that the COVID 19 pandemic has been a test, demonstrating that multilateral cooperation is the key to overcoming such global challenges. He informed that India has initiated an integrated response to overcome this pandemic.
• From the development of indigenous vaccines, novel point-of-care diagnostics and therapeutic formulations based on traditional knowledge, Indian Research and Development are working relentlessly to develop effective interventions for combating the pandemic.
• India have recently launched a scheme ‘SERB–POWER’ (Promoting Opportunities For Women in Exploratory Research) to encourage and support emerging as well as eminent women researchers to undertake R&D activities in frontier areas of science and engineering.

About MoHFW

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

Jaishankar to represent India at East Asia Summit

• External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will represent India at the 15th East Asia Summit (EAS), which provides a platform for discussion on important strategic issues in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Last year, PM Narendra Modi had represented India at the EAS in Bangkok, Thailand.
• The virtual summit meeting will be chaired by the Prime Minister of Vietnam, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, and see participation from all the 18 EAS countries —10 ASEAN countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam), Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the United States.
• The leaders will also exchange views on issues of international and regional interest, including the pandemic and cooperation among EAS participating countries to achieve an expeditious and sustainable economic recovery.
• The East Asia Summit is a premier leaders-led forum for discussions on important strategic issues in the Indo-Pacific, and a leading confidence-building mechanism in the region.

About MoEA

• Minister of External Affairs: Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
• Constituency: Gujarat

2nd World Health Expo held in Wuhan, China

• The Second World Health Expo is held in Hubei’s capital city Wuhan from November 11 to 14. It features 12 different venues for audiences to experience the most frontier health technology, the latest in fitness sports and the most realistically restored anti-epidemic scenes.
• This year’s Expo will focus on displaying the most cutting-edge science and technology in the global health industry, and help Wuhan build “city of global health industry“.
• The exhibition area covers an area of 150,000 square meters, with 12 special venues set for anti-epidemic materials, medical equipment, and Chinese medicine, relating to the entire industry chain of health.
• During the Expo, more than a hundred high-end forums including a summit forum, academician forum and the roundtable dialogue on epidemic prevention and normalized control, and the Global University Leaders Forum, will be organized.

About China:

• Capital: Beijing
• President: Xi Jinping
• Currency: Renminbi

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE

Indian Navy’s fifth Scorpene-class submarine Vagir launched

• Indian Navy’s fifth Kalvari-class Diesel Electric attack submarine INS Vagir was launched at Mazgaon Dock in Mumbai.
• A modern and stealthy class of submarines having been built under Project 75 and whose design is based on the Scorpene class of the submarines.
• The other vessels in the class are INS Kalvari, INS Khanderi, INS Karanj, INS Vela and INS Vagsheer. Of these Kalvari and Khanderi have been commissioned in 2017 and 2019, Vela and Karanj and undergoing sea trials, Vagir has now been launched and Vagsheer is under construction.
• Like Kalvari – which means Tiger Shark, Vagir has been named after a Sand Fish, a predatory marine species. Khanderi has been named after an Island Fort built by Chhatrapati Shivaji, which played a key role in his Navy. Karanj has also been named after an Island located South of Mumbai.

About Indian Navy

• Founded: 26 January 1950
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS): Vice Admiral G. Ashok Kumar
• Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS): Admiral Karambir Singh

DRDO successfully test-fires Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile system

• India has successfully test-fired the Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile (QRSAM) system off the coast of Balasore in Odisha.
• The missile is propelled by a single-stage solid-propellant rocket motor and uses all indigenous subsystems.

• The QRSAM system has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in association with Bharat Electronics Limited and Bharat Dynamics Limited for the Indian Army

• All QRSAM weapon system elements like Battery Multifunction Radar, Battery Surveillance Radar, Battery Command Post Vehicle and Mobile Launcher were deployed in the flight test.
• The system is designed to give air defence coverage against strike columns of the Indian Army.
• In the last two months, India has test-fired a number of missiles including a new version of the surface-to-surface supersonic cruise missile BrahMos and an anti-radiation missile named Rudram-1.

About DRDO

• Founded: 1958
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Chairman: Dr G Satheesh Reddy

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS

Novak Djokovic equals Pete Sampras’s record of six year-end No.1 trophies

• Tennis star Novak Djokovic has equalled Pete Sampra’s record of winning six year-end number one trophies. The Serbian player achieved the feat as he was given the ATP Tour Number One trophy for finishing as the year-end number one. With this, Djokovic has become only the second player in tennis history to do it six times. Before this, Djokovic had finished as world number one in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2018.
• Among past players, only Pete Sampras has managed to finish six years on top of the rankings which he did between 1993 and 1998.

F1 Turkish Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton seals seventh world title

• Hamilton joins Michael Schumacher as a seven-time F1 world champion after amazing Istanbul victory from sixth on the grid; Hamilton now statistically the most successful driver of all time holding or sharing all of F1’s biggest records
• Lewis Hamilton clinched the 2020 F1 championship with a stupendous drive to victory in a wet and unpredictable Turkish GP to equal Michael Schumacher’s illustrious record of seven drivers’ world titles.
• In a race in which numerous drivers could have won in challenging wet conditions, Hamilton pulled off an unlikely but fitting triumph from sixth on the grid to seal his seventh title in the 94th win of an unprecedented career.
• Hamilton came home over half a minute clear of Sergio Perez for Racing Point. Hamilton’s old rival, four-time former champion Sebastian Vettel, finished third ahead of his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz of McLaren and, after a wild and impulsive afternoon, Max Verstappen in the leading Red Bull.
• Hamilton, who sealed his first title in 2008, was adding to his unprecedented roster of records — most wins with 94, most pole positions (97), most podium finishes (163) and most consecutive points finishes (47).

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARY

Prominent Kannada journalist Ravi Belagere passes away at 62

• Noted journalist and writer Ravi Belagere (62) passed away in Bengaluru, after a massive heart attack.
• Known for his writing style, Belagere was honoured with many awards, including the Karnataka Sahitya Academy award, Kannada Rajyotsava award, Karnataka Media Academy award and many more.
• Belagare penned a book on the real-life story of the gangsters, titled Bheema Theerada Hanthakaru, which was published in 2001, and turned into a bestseller.

Legendary actor Soumitra Chatterjee passes away at 85

• Legendary Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee passed away. He was 85.
• Soumitra Chatterjee is also the first Indian film personality conferred with the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France’s highest award for artists.
• In 2017, exactly thirty years after auteur Satyajit Ray was honoured with France’s highest civilian award, the coveted Legion of Honor, Chatterjee also received the prestigious award.

Nobel laureate physicist Masatoshi Koshiba dies at 94

• Professor Masatoshi Koshiba, one of Japan’s most eminent scientists, died at the age of 94.
• Koshiba shared the 2002 Nobel Prize in Physics with Raymond Davis Jr, and Riccardo Giacconi “for pioneering contributions to astrophysics, in particular for the detection of cosmic neutrinos.”

DAILY CA NOV 13^TH

• World Pneumonia Day is observed on 12 November each year. The theme is “Every Breath Counts”
• The ministry of information and broadcasting has brought digital audio-video content, including films and web shows on OTT platforms, as well as news and current affairs online platforms under its ambit.
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi unveiled a statue of Swami Vivekananda in JNU Campus, New Delhi through video conferencing.
• The Prime Minister will dedicate two future-ready Ayurveda institutions to the nation at the5^th Ayurveda Day on 13^th November, 2020. These are the Institute of Teaching & Research in Ayurveda (ITRA), Jamnagar and the National Institute of Ayurveda (NIA), Jaipur.
• India Post Payments Bank, IPPB have successfully launched the initiative of doorstep service for submission of Digital Life Certificate through Postman.

• Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar has unveiled Project Air Care in Gurugram due to rising levels of air pollution.

• Odisha government introduced fish and fish-based products in Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP) on a pilot basis in order to reduce malnutrition among the vulnerable people in the hard to reach areas of the State.  The Department of Women and Child Development and Mission Shakti (WCD&MS) inked a pact with WorldFish for a five-year technical collaboration to pilot and scale it up as part of the SNP. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) is supporting the pilot project.
• Turkey’s interior ministry has banned smoking in public places across the country to curb the spread of COVID–19.

• SBM Bank India, which is the wholly–owned subsidiary of State Bank of Mauritius, is focussing on technology to reach out to customers and is set to launch a neo banking platform.

• HDFC Bank announced the launch of India’s first comprehensive banking and payment solution for merchants – SmartHub Merchant Solutions 3.0.
• Markets regulator Sebi has set up an expert group to review the framework of share-based employee benefit and issue of sweat equity.The seven-member expert group would be chaired by Sandip Bhagat Partner at S&R Associates
• Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development of Telangana Errabelli Dayakar Rao unveiled two mobile apps aimed at improving the functioning and supervision of Panchayat Raj department. Both the apps – Palle Pragathi Panchayat Secretary app and Palle Pragathi Inspection Officer app – were designed by the State Panchayat Raj department.

• Noted industrialist and chairman of diversified conglomerate Murugappa Group M M Murugappan has stepped down from two of the group entities’ to pursue philanthropy and other interests.

• “Boskiyana”, a new book in Hindi its publisher Radhakrishna Prakashan and edited by Yashwant Vyas.

• The merger of HDFC ERGO Health Insurance, which was earlier known as Apollo Munich Health Insurance, with HDFC ERGO General Insurance, has been completed with the approval from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI).

• Finance Ministry announced Abu Dhabi’s Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) – MIC Redwood 1 RSC Limited – has become the first foreign SWF that has been notified and granted 100% income-tax exemption for the long-term investments to be made in the specified priority sectors in India.
• Tata AIA Life Insurance (Tata AIA Life), one of India’s leading providers of Pure Protection Solutions, announced that it has partnered with PayBima, the digital arm of Mahindra Insurance Brokers Ltd., as a Broker to distribute its industry-leading life insurance solutions.
• Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu virtually presented the Second National Water Awards.
• Tamil Nadu which bagged the Best State Award.
• Maharashtra secured the second and Rajasthan got the third prize.

• Former captain Younis Khan will continue as the men’s batting coach of Pakistan until the ICC Twenty20 World Cup in 2022.

• World number one Chen Meng beat Chinese compatriot Sun Yingsha to win her maiden ITTF Women’s World Cup title in Weihai.

DAILY CA NOV 14^TH  , 15^th & 16^TH

• World Kindness Day is an international observance on 13 November. Thetheme is Kindness: The World We Make – Inspire Kindness.
• World Diabetes Day is every year on November 14, first created in 1991 by the International Diabetes Foundation and the World Health Organization.The theme for World Diabetes Day 2020 is The Nurse and Diabetes.
• Children’s Day in India is celebrated on 14 November every year as a tribute to India’s First Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.
• Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced new stimulus measures under Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan 3.0 to boost the Indian economy amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
• Ministry of Youth Affairs And Sports Kiren Rijiju has introduced an incentivisation structure to extend monetary support to 500 private academies, through the Khelo India Scheme over the next four years starting FY 2020-21.
• The country’s very first, sandalwood museum is likely to come up later this month in Mysuru in Karnataka.
• The Lonar Lake in Maharashtra’s Buldhana district has been chosen as a wetland site of international importance under the Ramsar conservation treaty. Maharashtra got its first Ramsar site at Nandur Madhmeshwar, in Nashik.
• According to Consumer Price Index (CPI) data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation, inflation stood at 7.61% in October — the highest since May 2014.
• Retail inflation recorded at 27% in September. The Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI) jumped to 11.07% in October, up from 10.68% in September.
• Myanmar’s ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party Aung San Suu Kyi candidate has secured enough seats in parliament to form the next government.
• A teenager in Bangladesh Sadat Rahman has won the International Children’s Peace Prize for his efforts to educate young people about
• The 8th BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Ministerial meeting unanimously has adopted BRICS STI Declaration 2020.
• External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will represent India at the 15th East Asia Summit (EAS), which provides a platform for discussion on important strategic issues in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Indian Navy’s fifth Kalvari-class Diesel Electric attack submarine INS Vagir was launched at Mazgaon Dock in Mumbai.
• India has successfully test-fired the Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile (QRSAM) system off the coast of Balasore in Odisha.
• Noted journalist and writer Ravi Belagere (62) passed away in Bengaluru, after a massive heart attack.
• Legendary Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee passed away. He was 85.
• The day, observed on 16th November every year, is symbolic of a free and responsible press. It was on this day the Press Council of India started functioning
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil ‘Statue of Peace’ to mark the 151st Birth Anniversary celebrations of Jainacharya Shree Vijay Vallabh Surishwer Ji Maharaj through video conferencing
• India has provided 50 Metric Tons of food aid to the people of Djibouti as part of its assistance to friendly countries to overcome natural calamities and the COVID-19 pandemic
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cancelled the Certificate of Authorisation (CoA) of five Payment System Operators (PSOs), including Aircel Smart Money Ltd and Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System Ltd.
• The GDP is likely to contract by 6 per cent for the July-September period, which means India will enter into a recession for the first time in history in the first half of this fiscal with two successive quarters of negative growth due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as per an RBI official.
• In Madhya Pradesh, the name of the Tribal Welfare Department will be changed to Tribal Affairs Department
• Survey of vulture habitats, considered an important part of Ecosystem, has started in Madhya Pradesh.
• The IT major TCS, will acquire the staff and select assets of Pramerica Systems Ireland, Prudential Financial Inc. (PFI)’s subsidiary based in Letterkenny, Ireland
• Embassy Group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Karnataka, Department of Education for the all-around improvement of Government Schools in Bangalore.
• Nitish Kumar will be sworn-in as Chief Minister of Bihar for the seventh term. BJP legislature party leader Tarkishore Prasad and Deputy leader Renu Devi will be the new Deputy Chief Ministers.
• Tamil Nadu Agricultural University’s Director of Research and NABARD Chair, K S Subramanian has bagged the Fertiliser Association of India Golden Jubilee Award.
• The Second World Health Expo is held in Hubei’s capital city Wuhan from November 11 to 14. It features 12 different venues for audiences to experience the most frontier health technology, the latest in fitness sports and the most realistically restored anti-epidemic scenes.
• Tennis star Novak Djokovic has equalled Pete Sampra’s record of winning six year-end number one trophies.
• Hamilton joins Michael Schumacher as a seven-time F1 world champion after amazing Istanbul victory from sixth on the grid
• Nobel laureate physicist Professor Masatoshi Koshiba, one of Japan’s most eminent scientists, died on November 12 at the age of 94.

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