Dear Readers, Daily Current Affairs News Updates about the National and International events were listed here. Read Current Affairs Today here and stay updated with current news. Candidates those who are preparing for IBPS/SBI/PO/Clerk exam and all other competitive exams can use this and try Current Affairs Quiz to test your knowledge level.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL
PM Modiin Bangkok Releases Coin Marking Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak
- Prime Minister NarendraModi released a commemorative coin marking the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev besides releasing a Thai translation of the Tamil classic ‘Tirukkural’ at the “Sawasdee PM Modi” community event in Bangkok.
- The Indian community in Thailand is about 2,50,000-member strong.
- ‘Tirukkural’ is written by poet Thiruvalluvar and has been translated into many languages. The Tamil community in Thailand got it translated into Thai language for the first time.
- The PM is on a three-day visit to Thailand to participate in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), East Asia, and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) summits.
| USEFUL INFO |
| Thailand Capital | Bangkok |
| Thailand Currency | Thai baht |
| Thailand Prime Minister | Prayut Chan-o-cha |
India’s Oct unemployment rate rises to 8.5%, highest in over 3 years: CMIE
- India’s unemployment rate in October rose to 8.5%, the highest since August 2016, and up from 7.2% in September, according to data released by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), reflecting the impact of a slowdown in the economy.
- India’s infrastructure output fell 5.2% in September from a year earlier, the worst performance in years, while the industrial output shrank at its fastest rate in more than six years in August.
New Indian map shows UTs of J&K, Ladakh
- The Survey of India has redrawn the map of India to depict the newly formed Union Territories (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and Ladakh. Areas such as Gilgit, GilgitWazarat, Chilhas and the Tribal Territory of 1947 that have been occupied by Pakistan are included in the Ladakh UT.
- Other areas in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) such as Mirpur and Muzaffarabad have been included in the J&K UT.
- The new UT of Ladakh consists of two districts of Kargil and Leh. The rest of the former State of Jammu and Kashmir is in the new UT of J&K.
- The names of the new districts are as follows – Kupwara, Bandipur, Ganderbal, Srinagar, Budgam, Pulwama, Shupian, Kulgam, Rajouri, Ramban, Doda, Kishtivar, Samba and Kargil.
Coal India to meet 1 billion tonne output aim by FY24
- Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi asked mining major Coal India Ltd to fast track its ambitious one billion tonne production target and look to achieve the goal by 2023-24.
- The Minister announced this target during his address at the 45thFoundation Day of CIL in Kolkata.
- The CIL is currentlygiven the target of producing 660 million tonnes of coal amounting to 82% of the country’s coal output.
- The CIL is also likely to offer around tenthousand new jobs to boost employment.Shri Joshi directed CIL to take necessary steps to achieve this goal in light of growing energy requirements of the nation and assured CIL of all possible help from the Ministry of Coal in this regard.
ShriSantoshGangwar Launches 3 Apps: Uan Registration, E-Inspection and DIGI Locker to Benefit EPF Subscribers And Stakeholders
- ShriSantosh Kumar Gangwar, Minister of State (I/C) for Labour and Employment launched 3 Apps:UANREGISTRATION, E-INSPECTION AND DIGI LOCKER, developed by Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) at its 67th Foundation Day.
- These Apps will immensely enhance the Ease of Doing Business and promote transparency in the working in the EPFO.
- Online Facility for UAN generation by worker: Now any workers can obtain Universal Account Number (UAN) directly on EPFO website which enrolls them for PF, Pension and Life Insurance benefits and a worker need not depend on his employer alone for UAN. This is in the direction of ease of living and ensuring universal social security.
- EPS Pensioner’s PPO in DigiLocker website/Application (APP)EPFO integrates with DigiLocker of NeGD to create depository of electronic PPOs which is accessible to individual pensioners. This is a move towards paperless system and ease of living for pensioners.
- e-Inspections: Digital interface of EPFO with employers: The E-Inspection Form would be available in user login of employers not filing ECR which enables employer to inform either closure of business or unpaid dues with proposal for payment.
Amit Shah inaugurated SCO Joint Exercise on Earthquake Rescue in New Delhi
- Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate the Shanghai Cooperation Organization(SCO) Joint Exercise on Urban Earthquake Search and Rescue(SCOJtEx) in New Delhi
- The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is hosting the exercise with the aim to rehearse disaster response mechanisms and share knowledge, experience and technology
- There will be participants from all eight SCO member countries — China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan
CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU
GeM Signs MoUWith Indian Bank and Canara Bank For Payment Related Services
- Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has signed MoU with Indian Bank and Canara Bank.
- The MoU will facilitate a cashless, paperless and transparent payment system on the portal and would create an efficient procurement system for government entities.
- Through this partnership, both the banks will be able to offer an array of services including transfer of funds through GeM Pool Accounts (GPA), advising of Performance Bank Guarantees (e-PBG), Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) and Payment Gateway to the registered users on the portal.
- GeM is also working with Banks, TReDs and SIDBI to provide bill discounting and financing of working capital where the cost of capital is linked to the performance and rating of a seller on GeM.
- GeM is an initiative of the Government of India which offers a one stop platform for facilitating online procurement of common use goods and services required by various government departments, organisations and PSUs.
- GeM provides tools for direct purchase, bidding and reverse auction for ensuring transparent and efficient procurement. Online integration for payments and various banking services is one of the priorities for GeM. GeM has already signed MoU with 18 scheduled commercial public sector and private banks in this regard.
| USEFUL INFO |
| Indian Bank CEO | PadmajaChunduru |
| Indian Bank Headquarters | Chennai |
| Indian Bank Tagline | Your Tech-friendly bank |
| Canara Bank CEO | RA Sankara Narayanan |
| Canara Bank Headquarters | Bengaluru |
| Canara Bank Tagline | Together We Can |
Siemens signs MoUs with NTPC, TERI on decarbonisation, energy transition
- Siemens Limited has signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with NTPC Limited to identify, evaluate and set up reference use cases of hydrogen sector-coupling for various upstream and downstream applications.
- The collaboration is aimed at developing innovative technologies, solutions and techniques to reduce the dependence on Hydrocarbons in India.
- It has also inked a separate MoU with TERI for collaboration on technologies to support the energy transition in India including sector-coupling. Among the objectives of the MoU with TERI is realizing the research and technology development projects to enable energy transitions across the electricity, transport and industrial sectors.
| USEFUL INFO |
| National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) |
| Headquarters | New Delhi |
| Chairman & MD | Gurdeep Singh |
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND FINANCE
India’s economy to grow 6.6% in 2020-24: OECD
- India’s gross domestic product (GDP) could grow 6.6% in 2020-24, lower than its 2013-17 average of 7.4%, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
- It was revealed by OECD in its report titled Economic Outlook for Southeast Asia, China and India 2020.
- Overall Southeast Asia region is expected to record 5.7 per cent growth on average in 2020-24.
| USEFUL INFO |
| Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) |
| Secretary Generals | José ÁngelGurríaTreviño |
| Headquarters | Paris, France |
CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS
Rajinikanth to be honoured with special Icon of Golden Jubilee award at International Film Festival of India
- The 50th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will honour superstar Rajinikanth with a special Icon of Golden Jubilee award.
- It was announced by Information and Broadcasting Minister PrakashJavadekar.
- The festival will be held in Goa from November 20 to 28 with close to 250 films from various countries scheduled to be screened at the event.
- Javadekar also announced celebrated French actor Isabelle Huppert as the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award.
- Russia will be the partner country at the festival this year.
- Eight films featuring Amitabh Bachchan – this year’s recipient of the DadasahebPhalke Award – will also be showcased at the fest.
SudarsanPattnaik Selected For Italian Golden Sand Art Award
- Internationally acclaimed sand artist SudarsanPattnaik has been selected for the prestigious Italian Golden Sand Art Award 2019.
- He will be honoured during the International Scorrana Sand Nativity in Italy scheduled to be held from November 13 to 18.
- Pattnaik will also represent India in International scorrana sand Nativity. As many as eight sculptors will participate in this festival.
Writer Anand selected for EzhuthachanPuraskaram
- Noted writer Anand has been selected for the 27th EzhuthachanPuraskaram, the highest literary honour of the Kerala State government.
- Minister for Culture A.K. Balan told that right from his novel Aalkoottam, Anand had been portraying the unique crises that the nation had witnessed with a rare finesse.
- The award carries a purse of Rs 5 lakh and a citation.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BOOKS AND AUTHORS
Madhuri Vijay’s debut novel ‘The Far Field’ wins 2019 JCB prize for Literature
- S. based-Indian author Madhuri Vijay’s debut novel, The Far Field bagged this year’s JCB prize for Literature, the most expensive Indian award for writing.
- Vijay’s debut novel that follows one young woman’s search for a lost figure from her childhood, a journey that carries her from southern India to Kashmir and to the brink of a devastating political reckoning, was chosen by a five-member jury chaired by Indian filmmaker and environmentalist PradipKrishen.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
IIT Delhi to set up space technology cell in collaboration with ISRO
- The Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi will set up a space technology cell in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organization.
- The cell will work for carrying out focused research projects in the space technology domain with specific deliverables.
- It is also proposed that IIT Delhi as an institute becomes academic partner of ISRO in research areas for example AI, nanotechnology, functional textiles, smart manufacturing or any area of joint interest,
- With the move, IIT Delhi will join the league of other premiere institutions like
- IISc Bangalore, IIT Bombay, IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Madras, IIT Guwahati and IIT Roorkee where the Space Technology Cells (STCs) have been set up to play a major role in taking up the space technology research and applications to the newer heights
| USEFUL INFO |
| Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) |
| ISRO Chairman | Kailasavadivoo Sivan |
| ISRO Headquarters | Bengaluru |
CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE
1st-ever India-Uzbekistan joint military exercise – Dustlik-2019 begins in Uzbekistan
- The first-ever India-Uzbekistan joint military exercise – Dustlik-2019 begins at Chirchiq Training Area near Tashkent
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Uzbekistan counterpart Major General BakhodirNizamovichKurbanov presided over the Curtain Raiser of the military drill.
- The exercise will enable sharing of best practices and experiences between the Armed Forces of the two countries and will lead to greater operational effectiveness.
- India and Uzbekistan have signed three Memoranda of Understanding in the fields of Military Medicine and Military Education.
| USEFUL INFO |
| Uzbekistan Capital | Tashkent |
| Uzbekistan Currency | Uzbekistani som |
| Uzbekistan President | ShavkatMirziyoyev |
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS
LakshyaSen wins SaarLorLux Open badminton tournament in Germany
- India’s LakshyaSen has won the SaarLorLux Open badminton tournament at Saarbrücken in Germany. He defeated SenWeng Hong Yang of China.
- World number 51 Lakshya took 59 minutes to overcome Weng in the summit clash.
- The 18-year-old from Uttarakhand had entered the final beating Kiran George in an all-Indian semifinal.
South Africa wins Rugby World Cup
- South Africa galloped by England to win the Rugby World Cup in Japan.
- The Springboks claimed the Cup for the first time since 2007. It was a rematch of the final game of 2007. Both teams scored only penalty kicks in the first half.
- In the second half, the Springboks’ MakazoleMapimpi and Cheslin Kolbe each pushed the ball across the line for the only two tries of the game.
- The Springboks became the second team after New Zealand to win three World Cup titles.
PoojaGehlot wins silver in UWW Under-23 World Championships
- PoojaGehlot (53kg) in wrestling claimed India’s second silver medal after going down to Japan’s HarunaOkuno in the finals of the UWW Under-23 World Championships in Budapest
- Pooja lost 0-2 to Okuno in the summit clash. She had entered the finals after beating Turkey’s ZeynepYetgil in the semifinals of the tournament.
- Ravinder (61kg), had won India’s first silver earlier this week
CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARY
Industrialist and son of Modinagar’s founder, K KModi passes away
- The scion of one of the oldest business families in the country – the Modi family – and the eldest son of late RaiBahadurGujarmalModi (founder of the city of Modinagar), Krishan Kumar Modi passed away.
- Modi led FICCI in 1997 and was also the president of Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry from 2002 to 2006.