Current Affair of November 2019

National

1. A "high-level committee" has been set up by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory board (PNGRB) to frame national policy on city gas distribution. The intention of the policy is to speed up development of infrastructure of piped natural gas.

2. A landmark container cargo consignment will sail on inland waterway from the Haldia Dock Complex, Kolkata to the Inland Waterways Authority of India terminal at Pandu in Guwahati. It is to begin on November 4, 2019. The main objective of the waterway is to improve connectivity to the North Eastern Region. The containers will carry edible oil, petrochemicals, beverages, etc.

3. A Three day India ASEAN InnoTech Summit is to being held in Davao, Philippines. The Summit is organized between 20 November, 2019 and 22 November, 2019. It focuses on innovative technologies, exhibitions, and back to back meetings to accelerate innovative development.

4. A two-day conference of governors is being held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. It was attended by President Ram Nath Kovind, PM Narendra Modi and other ministers. The conference is being held between 23 November, 2019 and 24 November, 2019.

5. According to National Council of Applied Economic Research, the Business Confidence of India dipped to lowest in six years. It fell by 15% between the period July and October 2019.

6. As part of Union Government's 'Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat' initiative, the state of Odisha is tagged with Maharashtra to organize different programmes to promote art, culture and tourism of their respective states.

7. As per the India Corruption Survey 2019, Rajasthan and Bihar fared the worst in country with 78% and 75% of respondents admitting to paying bribes, while Telangana topped the list in south India. The survey was carried out between October 2018 and November 2019 and was conducted by Local Circles, a social media firm and the Transparency International India. It had a total of 1.9 lakh responses from nearly 81,000 unique respondents in 248 districts across 20 Indian states.

8. Assam Olympic Association (AOA) has launched new programme- 'Grassroot Olympic – Mission Talent Hunt' to identify and groom sports talent in the state. Its launch was annouced by Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal during the executive committee meeting of AOA. Sarbananda Sonowal is President of AOA and minister of state (MoS) for health Pijush Hazarika is its vice-chairman.

9. Between November 7 and November 8, 2019, the Ministry of shipping is hosting the first ever BIMSTEC Ports' Conclave. The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multisectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation is an international organization that involves South East Asian and South Asian countries. India's growing interests in the region makes the conclave crucial and significant. Also, the conclave will be a path way for India's maritime security measures and its interests in the Indo-Pacific region

10. Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has set up an On-line Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (OCSAE) Prevention/Investigation Unit at New Delhi under its Special Crime Zone to tackle the menace of child porn on the internet. This step has been taken after Germany Police provided information about 7 Indian Nationals involved in International Child pornography.

11. Chhattisgarh government announced that the state is set to have Guru Ghasidas National Park in Kotiya district as its fourth 'tiger reserve'. This decision was taken in 11th meeting of Chhattisgarh State Wildlife Board chaired by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had approved to declare Guru Ghasidas National Park as a tiger reserve in 2014.

12. Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has launched the 'Nadu-Nedu' programme which seeks to transform government schools into vibrant and competitive institutions. The programme is set to turn a new leaf over education sector and will provide opportunities to weaker sections and underprivileged.

13. Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the 8th National Tribal Craft Mela at State Tribal Museum Complex in Bhubaneswar. The seven-day long event will be opened for public from 2.00 PM to 8.00 PM every day from 23 to 29 November.

14. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry has set up a Development Council for Bicycle. The council has been constituted for a period of two years. It will stimulate value chain and fuel accelerated demand growth of Make-in-India.

15. Dhruv Prajapati, a junior researcher pursuing a PhD in spider taxonomy with Gujarat Ecological Education & Research (GEER) Foundation, recently discovered two new species of spiders. He has named one of the species as Marengo sachintendulkar after Indian crickter Sachin Tendulkar and other as Indomarengo Chavarapatera which is inspired by Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara who was a campaigned towards creating awareness about education in Kerala.

16. Educationist, Philanthropist and Businesswoman Nita Ambani has been named the Honorary Trustee of New York City's The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the largest U.S. art museum. In the museum's 150-year of history, she is the first Indian Trustee. Her election took place at the meeting of the Museum's board and the announcement in this regard was made by Daniel Brodsky, the Chairman of Museum.

17. Ever year 10th of November is celebrated as World Science Day for Peace and Development. It was established by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 2001 with the objective of highlighting important role and importance of science in society and in our daily lives as well as the need to engage wider public in debates on emerging and important contemporary issues relevant to science.

18. Every year 12 November is celebrated as Public Service Broadcasting Day to commemorate the first and only last live visit of Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, to the studio of All India Radio, Delhi in 1947. He addressed the displaced people from AIR studio, who had temporarily settled at Kurukshetra in Haryana after partition.

19. Every year 14 November is observed as World Diabetes Day (WDD), a primary global awareness campaign focusing on diabetes. The need to create a day for the awareness of diabetes came in response to growing concerns about escalating health threats due to diabetes. As of now about 21,463 people have tested their risk of type 2 diabetes and despite such a high number of people suffering from it, there is little awareness about the condition and its effect on everyday life.

20. Every year 25 November is observed as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The official Theme for 2019 it is "Orage the World: Generation Equality Stands Against Rape".

21. Every year India celebrates 26 November as Constitution Day also known as Samvidhan Divas. The day is celebrated to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution of India on 26 November 1949 by Indian Constituent Assembly. However, the Indian Constitution came into force on 26 January 1950 marking the beginning of a new era in history of Indian Republic. The year 2019 marks the 70th Constitution Day.

22. Every year on November 11, India celebrates National Education Day on November 11 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abdul Azad, the first Education Minister of India. He was the man behind the establishments of the premier institutes of the country like IITs, IIScs, etc.

23. Following the implementation of a liberalised Medical Visa Policy, India has announced a set of new exemptions for foreigners seeking medical treatment in India. Under the new visa exemptions, foreigners seeking medical treatment in India will not have to get their primary visa converted in a medical visa.

24. Girish Chandra Murmu (59) took oath as the first Lieutenant Governor of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir on 31 October 2019. He was administered the Oath of Office and Secrecy by Justice Gita Mittal, Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court at function held at Raj Bhawan at the foothills of the Zaberwan range. He will preside over the last Governor of Jammu and Kashmir (position now abolished), Satya Pal Malik who now moves to Goa for the remainder of his tenure as the governor.

25. GoI has been reforming the oil and gas sector lately. Steps are being taken to free up pricing of oil and gas sector to scale up oil and gas production and to increase investment in the sector. To achieve this, GoI on November 11, 2019 removed price restriction on locally produced oil and natural gas.

26. Government of India has planned to link the capitals of North Eastern States with rail connectivity. This plan, however, does not include Sikkim. The capitals of Assam, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh are already connected through Broad Gauge rail network.

27. Government of India has set a target of providing broad band connectivity to two lakh Gram Panchayats by March 2020. So far (till 7th November, 2019) over 1,28,000 Gram Panchayats have already been connected. The project is being implemented under the BharatNet Project.

28. H R Khan, former deputy governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been appointed as first chairman of steering committee panel on Code for Responsible Lending (CRL) in Micro-Credit. Members of panel include: P Satish of Sa-Dhan, Sonia Krishnankutty of L&T Finance, Harsh Shrivastava of MFIN and Srinivas Bonam of IndusInd Bank among others.

29. In a bid towards upholding state's public health the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has installed first of its kind high-end Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) Machines in India for quick detection of diseases such as dengue, tuberculosis (TB) and swine flu.

30. In a bid towards upholding state's public health the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has installed first of its kind high-end Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) Machines in India for quick detection of diseases such as dengue, tuberculosis (TB) and swine flu.

31. In a paper published in the journal BioScience, 11,258 signatories (69 from India) declared Global Climate Emergency. They presented climate change trends and methods to mitigate the threat. The report was titled "World Scientists". It is based on the scientific analysis of more than 40 years of publicly available data. It illustrates several key climate change indicators since the scientists from 50 nations met at the First World Climate Conference in Geneva in 1979.

32. India is witnessing price hikes in retail onion up to Rs 100 per kg currently in November 2019. Government had introduced the TOP-Tomato Onion Potato Scheme in 2018-19 Budget to address this problem. However, the scheme has not taken off well.

33. India National Milk Day is observed every year on 26 November to commemorate the birthday of Dr. Verghese Kurien, the father of India's White Revolution. However, World milk day is observed every year across the world on 1 June by the United Nations.

34. India was ranked 59th among 63 countries in the 2019 IMD World Talent Ranking released by International Institute for Management Development. This year, India slipped by 6 places as compared to 53rd rank in 2018 edition of this global annual list. India's poor performance was on account of low quality of life and expenditure on education.

35. India's first-ever Arts Exposition for talents with intellectual challenges called 'eCAPA 2019 – Art from the Heart' was inaugurated in New Delhi. This exposition will continue till 14 November 2019 at STIR Gallery, Chattarpur Farms.

36. India's largest biotechnology conglomerate was held in New Delhi between 21 November, 2019 and 23 November, 2019. The event was organized by the Department of Bio Technology under Ministry of Science and Technology along with BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council) and CII.

37. India's private news channel NDTV has been awarded International Press Institute India award for excellence in journalism by the India chapter of the Vienna-based International Press Institute. NDTV was awarded for its 'expose of the conspiracy to scuttle' the Kathua rape and murder case probe.

38. Indian Army on November 23, 2019 commemorated the Poonch Link-up Day. The even was organized to pay tribute to the soldiers who sacrificed their lived defending Poonch during the conflict in 1948

39. Indian Oil Corporation on 17th November, 2019, launched special winter grade diesel that will remain unfrozen even at -33 degree Celsius. This will help to provide continuous and year-round access to the snow-covered regions.

40. Indian Railways has launched three applications to strengthen its Information Technology (IT)-enabled services which will help ensure proper monitoring of projects being undertaken by Railways. The applications has been launched for all-India roll out and seeks to ensure proper monitoring of projects and boost vision of Digital India.

41. International Union for Conservation of Nature organized the 7th Regional Conservation Forum in Islamabad, Pakistan. Secretary of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change represented India at the forum. More than 500 representatives from different countries, corporate sector and NGOs participated in the forum

42. Justice Dr Ravi Ranjan was sworn in as the 13th Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court. He was administered oath to office and secrecy under Article 219 of Constitution by Governor Draupadi Murmu at the Raj Bhavan in Jharkhand's capital Ranchi. The post of Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court was lying vacant since early May 2019 after the elevation of former Jharkhand HC Chief

43. Justice Muhammad Raffiq was sworn in as 8th Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court. His oath for office and secrecy was administered by Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy at the Raj Bhavan in Shillong. He has succeeded Justice Ajay Kumar Mittal who is presently the Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court.

44. Justice Sanjay Karol has been sworn in as the 43rd Chief Justice of Patna High Court. His oath for office and secrecy was administered by Bihar Governor Phagu Chauhan at the Raj Bhavan in Patna. He succeeded Justice Amreshwar Pratap Sahi, who has been transferred as Chief Justice of Madras High Court, Chennai.

45. Minister of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Steel Shri Dharmendra Pradhan will represent India at the ADIPEC-Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference between November 10-12, 2019.

46. Ministry of Finance and Corporate Affairs constituted the Company Law Committee in September 2019. The Committee submitted its report to the Finance Minister on November 18, 2019.

47. On 20 November, 2019, it was announced in Lok Sabha that the ambitious National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) project will begin by December 31. 2020.

48. On 4th November, 2019, the ICAR's Creams Laboratory bulletin stated that there has been reduction of 12% in incidents of Stubble Burning as compared to the same period in 2018.

49. On November 13, 2019, the Lancet journal published report on "Health and Climate Change, 2019." The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change is a comprehensive yearly analysis that tracks the progress across 41 indicators. The project is a collaboration of 120 experts from premier institutions all over the world including WHO and World Bank.

50. On November 13, 2019, the Supreme Court upheld the 2010 judgement of Delhi High Court that the RTI (Right To Information) act was applicable to the office of CJI (Chief Justice of India) as well.

51. On November 14, 2019, United Nations' new report on Pneumonia stated that India has the second largest deaths of children under the age of five due to Pneumonia in 2018. Globally more than 800,000 children died due to Pneumonia under the age of 5.

52. On November 16, 2019, two tea varieties of Darjeeling were registered under "Geographical Indication of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999". It includes Green Tea and White Tea of Darjeeling.

53. On November 18, 2019, India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a 91 million USD agreement to improve water security of Karnataka. The loan will help to modernize the Vijayanagara Channel irrigation systems and also to increase the efficiency of Krishna river basin.

54. On November 18, 2019, NITI Aayog released a report on "Health Systems for a New India: Building Blocks-Potential Pathways to reforms". The report provides a framework to build a rigid health system for India.

55. On November 2, 2019, the coal Ministry has announced that Coal India Limited (CIL) will produce 750 million tons of coal by the end of financial year 2020-21. It will further increase the coal production to 1 billion tons by 2023-24.

56. On November 20, 2019, the Ministry of road transport and highways released a report on "Road Accidents in India, 2018". According to the report, around 1,51,417 deaths occurred in India due to road accidents in 2018. It pointed out that road environment, human errors and vehicle conditions were the major reasons for road accidents.

57. On November 21, 2019, the Union Cabinet approved the introduction of Industrial Relations Code, 2019. This is the third code under labor reforms. Under the new code, forty-four laws are to be amalgamated into four codes. The four codes include wage rates, social security, industrial relations and industrial security and labor welfare.

58. On November 23, 2019, Mr Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as Chief Minister of Maharashtra. The governor has given him time till November 30, 2019 to prove his majority. This contradicts Supreme Court's orders that were passed in last two decades.

59. On November 3, 2019, the Union Minister of State (independent charge) for AYUSH inaugurated the National Research Institute of Unani Medicine for Skin Disorders. The institute was upgraded from Central Research Institute of Unani Medicine.

60. On November 5th, every year the World Tsunami Day is marked by the United Nations. UN designated the day in 2015. The day will promote Target (d) of the Sendai Seven Campaign that focuses in reducing disaster damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic services.

61. On the occasion of Children's Day on 14 November 2019, the Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR) launched a mobile app called 'Sishu Suraksha', an e-complaint box for child right violations. The ASCPCR decided to develop an e-complaint box, keeping in mind the mission of a Digital India.

62. Parliament has passed National Institute of Design (Amendment) Bill, 2019, with the Lok Sabha approving it on 26 November 2019. The bill was already passed by Rajya Sabha on 6 August 2019. The Bill will now be placed before President to seek his assent, before it becomes a law.

63. Parliament has passed the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill 2019 with the Rajya Sabha approving it by a voice vote on 26 November 2019. The bill was already passed by the 17th Lok Sabha on 5 August 2019. The bill now awaits Presidential assent, after which it will become a law.

64. Parliament passed Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill, 2019 after it was approved by Rajya Sabha. The Bill seeks to amend Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Act, 1951 to change provisions related to composition of Trustees of memorial and termination of trustee. It was earlier passed in Lok Sabha in August 2019.

65. Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry & Railways inaugurated the Global Exhibition on Services (GES) 2019 in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The year 2019 is the 5th edition of GES. The inaugural function was also attended by Chief Minister of Karnataka B. S. Yediyurappa.

66. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Integrated Check Post (ICP) of Kartarpur Corridor at Dera Baba Nanak, Gurdaspur in Punjab. Moeover, the first Jatha of Sikh pilgrims also entered Pakistan through Kartarpur Corridor. Earlier, PM Modi also flagged off the first batch of over 500 Indian pilgrims led by Akal Takhat Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib via corridor.

67. Radha Krishna Mathur (65) was formally sworn in as first ever Lieutenant Governor of newly carved Union Territory of Ladakh on 31 October 2019. He was nominated to be the first Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh by President of India on 25 October 2019. He was administered Oath of Office and Secrecy by Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court Gita Mittal.

68. Recently released United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Emissions Gap Report-2019 warns that the Earth's average temperature may rise by 3.2 degrees Celsius by 2021. Moreover, despite all scientific warnings and political commitments emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) couldn't decrease globally.

69. Renowned mathematician Vashishtha Narayan Singh, who came to be known as India's Einstein, passed away in Patna on 14 November. Born in Bihar, the 74 year old Vashishtha was suffering from a prolonged mental illness schizophrenia from the last 35 years. He earned worldwide recognition when he challenged Einstein's theory.

70. Researchers have found an aquatic environment on Earth with complete absence of any form of life. The findings revealed that any form of microbial life was absent in the hot, saline, hyperacid ponds of Dallol Geothermal Field in Ethiopia. The research was published in journal, 'Nature Ecology and Evolution'.

71. Supreme Court recently pronounced its judgement on disputed land in Ayodhya in the Ram Janma Boomi-Babri Masjid case. In 5-0 verdict of the 5-bench judgement, SC said that the land should be handed over to the Hindu trust to build a Hindu temple. It also ordered the GoI to allocate 5 acres of land to the Muslim community to build a Mosque SC's judgement was based on ASI's finding. The case was the longest in the history of Supreme Court after Keshvanand Bharti case.

72. The WHO (World Health Organization) and Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) organizes World COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) Day on the third Wednesday of November every year. It was first launched in 1997 by WHO, GOLD and other institutes in the US.

73. The 12th edition of Urban Mobility India Conference and Expo 2019 was held in Uttar Pradesh's capital city Lucknow from 15th to 17th November 2019. It was organised by Institute of Urban Transport (IUT), professional body under Union Ministry of Urban Development. The theme of this year's conference was "Accessible and liveable Cities".

74. The 1st International Conference on 'Landslides Risk Reduction and Resilience – 2019' was held in New Delhi. It was inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, G. Kishan Reddy.

75. The 2019 edition of 'Global Microscope: The enabling environment for Financial Inclusion' report was released by Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU). The report is a benchmarking index that assesses enabling environment for financial access as well as underscores the evolving landscape of financial inclusion in selected countries. The year 2019 was 12th edition of report.

76. The 2019 edition of Manipur Sangai Festival is being organised from 24-30 November in Imphal. Every year in November, Gateway of North-East region, Manipur celebrates the 'Sangai Festival', which was named after the State animal, Sangai, the brow-antlered deer found only in Manipur.

77. The 2019 Global Diplomacy Index was released by Sydney-based Lowy Institute. The index gives the latest statistics and marking about how the world's diplomatic networks are expanding and, in certain cases, shrinking. The index ranked 61 countries across the world.

78. The 47th All India Police Science Congress (AIPSC) was organised from 28-29 November 2019, at Police Headquarters in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The chief guest for event was former cop and current Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry Kiran Bedi.

79. The 4th edition of India International Cherry Blossom Festival, 2019 was celebrated in Shillong, Meghalaya from 13 to 16 November 2019. It was inaugurated by Meghalaya Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma. The festival is a great example of how natural resources and sustainable tourism can be utilised in an effective manner and create value of something which already exists.

80. The 5th India International Science Festival (IISF) is being held in Kolkata, West Bengal from 5-8 November 2019. The four-day festival was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi via video conference.

81. The 8th edition of 'International Tourism Mart' is being organized at Imphal, the capital city of Manipur from 23 to 25 November 2019. This annual event is organised in North Eastern region by Union Ministry of Tourism in association with North Eastern States.

82. The annual Aadi Mahotsav- National Tribal Festival is being held at INA Dilli Haat in New Delhi. The 15 days mega event which will be held from 16-30 November 2019 will celebrate and cherish the spirit of tribal culture, craft, cuisine and commerce. It will be inaugurated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

83. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) chaired by PM Narendra Modi has approved the appointment of Senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Aditya Mishra as the chairman of the Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI). He was appointed on the recommendations of a search-cum-selection panel.

84. The Brown to Green Report is the most comprehensive review of climate actions of G20 nations. The report covers 80 indicators and is developed by experts from 14 research organizations.

85. The Cabinet of PM Narendra Modi approved disinvestment of BPCL along with Shipping Corporation of India (SCI), Container Corporation of India (CONCOR), Tehri Hydro Development Corporation India Limited (THDCIL) and North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO).

86. The Central Information Commission tabled its annual report for the year 2018-19 in Lok Sabha on 20th November, 2019. The same report was also tabled in Rajya Sabha on 21st November, 2019.

87. The Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM), operating under the Government of Kerala has launched the "Water 4 Change". Under the project, six prominent institutions from Netherlands will perform a long-term research and field level action on urban water management systems along with Indian scientists.

88. The Child Rights and You recently released a report "How Vulnerable are Children in India to crime?" The report was based on the analysis of National Crime Records Bureau for 2016-17. The report says that the states of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh topped the list of states for crimes against children. There were over 19,000 cases in both the states.

89. The city of Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh held the title for the world's most polluted city in the latest edition of Guinness World Records. The book, 'Guinness World Records 2020', lists thousands of new record titles and holders that will educate curious readers of all age groups. It is released annually by publisher Penguin Random House. This year, about 80 record breaking achievements by Indians that have made it to latest edition of book.

90. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI) has launched the country's first interactive online repository, called IndAIR or Indian Air quality Interactive Repository. The repository is one of few such facilities in the world and has the maximum number of studies-262 concerning Delhi-NCR.

91. The Eleventh edition of Bal Sangam festival is being organised by National School of Drama (NSD) in its premises in New Delhi. The four-day festival will be held from 9 to 12 November 2019.

92. The Etawah Lion Safari, formally known as Etawah Safari Park was thrown open for public in Uttar Pradesh on 24 November 2019 without the lion segment. It is a drive-through safari park located in Etawah, Uttar Pradesh and is one of the biggest safari parks in Asia with an area of 350 hectares (860 acres).

93. The first buyer seller meet on horticulture and agriculture produce for the state was held in Arunachal Pradesh. It was organized by APEDA-Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority, Ministry of Commerce and Industry

94. The first ever Sanskrit Bharati Vishwa Sammelan or Sanskrit World Conference was organised in New Delhi from 9 to 11 November 2019. In this first-of-its-kind global conference, thousands of delegates and Sanskrit lovers from across the world participated.

95. The food regulator, FSSAI-Food Safety and Standards Authority of India released draft regulations for school children. The draft was titled "food Safety and Standards (Safe Food and Healthy Diets for School Children) Regulations, 2019. The regulator has sought comments from stake holders within 30 days.

96. The four-day-long International Lavi fair is being organised in Rampur district of Shimla, Himanchal Pradesh from 11 to 14 November 2019. It was inaugurated by Himachal Pradesh Governor Bandaru Dattatreya. The governor also inaugurated 'Kinnauri market' and an exhibition organised by various government departments.

97. The Freedom of Net report 2019 titled "The Crisis of Social Media" was released by the The Freedom House, an international watchdog. The report recorded an overall decline in global internet freedom status between July 2018 and May 2019.

98. The Government of India has planned to merge the Union Territories Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. The bill regarding the merging of the territories is to be tabled in Lok Sabha on November 29, 2019.

99. The Haryana Government has created a new department called Department of Foreign Cooperation. The aim of the department is to focus on initiatives that are taken by the state that promotes welfare of non-Resident Indians, investment and youth employment.

100. The incumbent Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Jugnauth was sworn in for five-year term after elections in which his coalition consolidated its grip on parliament. His swearing-in took place at the residence of President Barlen Vyapoory.

101. The Indian Oil Corporation recently received environment clearance from Ministry of EFoCC (Environment, Forest and Climate Change), to set up a new 2G Ethanol plant at Panipat. Indian Oil will invest Rs 766 crore in setting up the plant.

102. The Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) on November 21, 2019, confirmed that a neuro muscular illness called Avian Botulism is the reason for mass mortality of migratory birds in Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan. The doctors say that the birds were suffering from Avian Botulism that was caused due to a toxin produced by bacterial strain.

103. The Jal Shakti Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat represented India at the WATEC Conference that was held in Israel. The Water Technology and Environment Control (WATEC) conference helps to get updates on technologies related to water and environmental management. Several countries participated in the conference showcasing their revolutionary technologies and solutions.

104. The Jammu and Kashmir Government will set up a 10-member committee that will declare Dal Lake, an Eco-sensitive Zone. The decision is being taken based on the study conducted by the DCI-Dredging Corporation of India.

105. The last surviving Sumatran Rhino in Malaysia, Iman, died in Borneo Rhino Sanctuary. The Rhino died of cancer. With this Sumatran rhino have become extinct in Malaysia. Iman was captured in 2014 from Danum Valley in Malaysia.

106. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has allocated separate HS code for signature fabric of India. HS stands for Harmonized System and was developed by the World Customs Organization (WCO). The code is used by customs officers to clear commodities entering or crossing international border.

107. The Ministry of Development of North East Region conducted a four day long North East festival in Varanasi. The festival is to be conducted between November 23, 2019 and November 26, 2019. It aims to fuse the cultures of Ganga and Brahmaputra.

108. The Ministry of Road and Transport Highways recently released Draft Guidelines for Vehicle Scrapping Facility. The guidelines include land requirements, scrapping procedures, criteria for scrapping of vehicles. It applies to all automobile collection centers, vehicle owners, required audits and finances.

109. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme implementation said that it is not releasing Consumer Expenditure Survey due to quality issues. The next Consumer Expenditure Survey is to be conducted in 2020-21 and 2021-22.

110. The Nasscom report on Indian Tech Start-Up Ecosystem said that India continues to the third largest start-up ecosystem after China and US. India has added more than 1300 tech start-ups in 2019 according to the report. Between January to September in 2019, there were 8900 to 9300 startups as compared to 7700-8200 a year ago.

111. The National Agro Chemical Congress was conducted for four days in New Delhi. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare hosted the event. It was the first of its kind. It is to be conducted once in three years.

112. The National Crime Records Bureau released the "Accidental and Suicidal Deaths in India report" on November 8, 2019. According to the report, the suicides in the cities were 10.6 in 2015 and it reduced to 10.3 in 2016. The data was released for 36 states and Union Territories and 53 metropolitan cities.

113. The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) organized the 'Ganga Utsav' in Major Dhyanchand stadium in New Delhi to mark the 11th anniversary of Ganga being declared as national river. It was organized in coordination with Union Jal Shakti Ministry.

114. The National Statistical Office conducted survey of Persons with disabilities in the country between the period July 2018 and December 2018.

115. The National Statistical Office on November 23, 2019 released its survey on Household Social Consumption related to health. The survey was conducted between July 2017 and June 2018. It was a part of the 75th round of National Sample Survey.

116. The National Steel Policy that was released on November 8, 2019 aims at developing globally competitive steel industry. It aims at creating 300 million tons of steel per annum by 2030. The policy was released by Ministry of Steel.

117. The NSO under Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation conducted survey on drinking water, hygiene, sanitation and housing condition between the period July 2018 and December 2018. According to the survey one fourth of the households had no access to toilets.

118. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development released its report in Economic Outlook for South East Asia. The report was presented at the ASEAN summit, 2019. This year the title of the report is "Reponding to Environmental Hazards in Cities".

119. The Paris based International Energy Agency recently released its report on World Energy Outlook. The Agency has projected that the installed solar power in the world will increase by 3,142 GW by 2040. According to the report, the currently the world uses 495 GW of installed solar power.

120. The Plenary meeting of Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) is to be hosted by India between November 18, 2019 and November 22, 2019. The event is hosted by Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The meeting is held annually to make sure that the trade of diamonds is conflict free.

121. The Reserve Bank of India on November 27, 2019 raised concerns over increasing bad loans from the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana. RBI believes that there is an urgent need to monitor the loans sanctioned under Mudra Yojana.

122. The Robotic Surgery Facility was opened in the Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi. It is one of the biggest tertiary care referral centre of India under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It caters to all poor patients of uro-oncological cancers like bladder cancer, kidney failure, kidney cancers from different parts of the country.

123. The second edition of South Asia Safety Summit was recently held in New Delhi. It was orgnaised by Union Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) and Facebook. It was organized to highlight issue of safety while individuals and communities are connected on the digital platform.

124. The Spanish capital city of Madrid will be hosting the world's annual climate conference, called COP-25 (Conference of the Parties) from 2 to 13 December 2019. This decision was taken following Chile's stepping down as host for the COP-25 event due to the ongoing street protests in South American country.

125. The state government Haryana has decided to bring more crops under its 'Bhavantar Bharpayee Yojna (BBY)' scheme. The decision was taken at a BBY's review meeting which was presided by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

126. The State Government of Himachal Pradesh is organizing Rising Himachal Global Investors' Meet 2019, a flagship business event, at Dharamshala on 7 -8 November 2019. The event will be attended by diplomats, leaders from senior policy makers, corporate sector development agencies and investors from across the globe. The event will also be attended by Union Commerce and Industry and Railway Minister, Piyush Goyal, who will highlight about government investment and policies for promoting investment in Himachal Pradesh and hill states of India.

127. The Supreme Court on November 9, 2019 pronounced its judgement on Ayodhya Ram Janma Bhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case. The security arrangements were tightened across the country before the pronouncement of the verdict. Section 144 was imposed in UP, Delhi and other states. Also schools and educational institutions were closed for the safety of the students.

128. The three-day NuGen Mobility Summit 2019 will be held in Manesar, Haryana from November 27 to 29, 2019. It will be organized by International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT), Manesar based on the theme "Smart & Green Mobility" to find alternative mobility solutions to problems like pollution emanating from vehicular emissions. It will be inaugurated by Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) Nitin Gadkari.

129. The Union Cabinet has approved establishment of National Institute for Sowa-Rigpa (NISR) in Leh, Union Territory of Ladakh. It will be an autonomous National Institute under Union Ministry of AYUSH. It is mandated to undertake interdisciplinary education and research programmes in Sowa-Rigpa system of traditional medicine in collaboration with premier national and international Institutes and facilitate integration of different systems of medicine.

130. The Union Cabinet on 20th November, 2019 approved the proposal for enactment of Recycling of Ships bill, 2019. It also nodded to the Hong Kong International Convention for safe and environment sound recycling of ships.

131. The Union goverment released the political maps of newly formed Union Territories (UTs) of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh as well as the map of India depicting these new UTs. This development comes as the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was reorganized as the new UT of Jammu and Kashmir and the new UT of Ladakh on 31 October 2019, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and supervision of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

132. The Union Government recently circulated the Draft Security Code that integrates existing labor laws and provides new initiatives to provide social security to workers of unorganized sector, insurance and helath benefits to gig workers. It includes drivers of private vehicle hiring services as well. The code also aims at corporatization of organizations like ESIC And EPFO.

133. The Uttar Pradesh Government has launched a three-day campaign against Filaria as GoI has set a target of eradicating Filaria completely by 2021. The campaign began on November 25, 2019 and is to run till December 10, 2019.

134. The Water Quality Report was released by the Union Minister of Consumer Affairs Shri Ram Vilas Paswan. The report is in line with the Jal Jeevan Mission that was launched to provide clean and safe drinking water to all by 2024.

135. The World Children's Day also known as Universal Children's Day is observed every year across the world on 20th November. The purpose of this day is to improve child welfare worldwide, promote and celebrate children's rights and promote togetherness and awareness amongst all children. This day is promoted and coordinated by United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) which works towards the improvement of children's welfare.

136. The World Congress on Rural and Agricultural Finance (WCRAF) began in New Delhi on November 12, 2019. It aims at bringing together stakeholders of rural and agricultural finance all over the world. The Congress is an opportunity to strengthen business relations and to promote products and services.

137. The World Health Organization on November 22, 2019 published its study about physical activity of adolescents aged between 11 and 17 years. The study was conducted across 146 countries with the help of data from 298 school-based surveys. The assessment included physical education, active play, recreation and sports, walking, planned exercises and cycling.

138. Thousands of migratory birds were found dead near Sambhar lake in Rajasthan. This is the second time such incident has occurred in a week. The birds belonged to 15 speicies. It included Pied Avocet, Northern Shoveller, Kentish Plover, Brahminy Duck and Tufted Duck. The samples have been sent to the National Institute of Higher Security Animal Diseases, Bhopal.

139. Tirunellai Narayana Iyer Seshan, the man behind several electoral reforms passed away due to a cardiac arrest. He was 87 years old and was not well for the past couple of years. He was the 10th Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). He served between 1990 and 1996

140. To mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) will be organizing a three-day 'Takhat Darshan Yatra' for Sikh youths from various countries as part of its birth anniversary celebrations.

141. TRACE International, the world's leading anti-bribery standard setting organization, has released the 2019 edition of Trace Bribery Risk Matrix (TRACE Matrix). TRACE Matrix is a global business bribery risk assessment tool that measures business bribery risk in 200 countries, territories, and autonomous and semi-autonomous regions.

142. Union Cabinet has approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between India and Myanmar on bilateral cooperation for Prevention of Trafficking in Persons; Rescue, Recovery, Repatriation and Re-integration of victims of Trafficking. The cabinet was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

143. Union Cabinet headed Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved Post Facto the Agreement signed by Prime Minister for establishment of Strategic Partnership Council between India and Saudi Arabia. The agreement was signed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on 29 October 2019 during former's two-day visit to the Gulf Kingdom.

144. Union Food Processing Industries Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' launched the three books on teachings of Guru Nanak Dev at Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Khalsa College in New Delhi. The books published in Punjabi were launched to commemorate 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.

145. Union Minister for Health Dr. Harsh Vardhan inaugurated '2019 World Conference on Access to Medical Products: Achieving the SDGs 2030' in New Delhi. It was jointly organized by Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) and World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI) and Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).

146. Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Prakash Javadekar approved the proposal of New Regional Centre of the GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development at Ladakh.

147. Union Ministry for Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) launched SAANS: 'Social Awareness and Action to Neutralise Pneumonia Successfully' campaign to reduce child mortality due to pneumonia. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan launched the campaign while inaugurating the 6th National Summit on Good, Replicable Practices and Innovations.

148. Union Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) organized a two-day International Conference on Yoga at Mysuru, Karnataka from 15-16 November 2019. During the Conference, the Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Yesso Naik announced that the International Yoga Day 2020 event will be held in Mysuru.

149. Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) and Union Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to organise 'National Organic Festival of Women Entrepreneurs'. The event will be planned and organized through National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM), Sonepat, Haryana. NIFTEM Vice Chancellor has agreed to organize festival annually. NIFTEM is an academic institution under the administrative control of Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries.

150. Union Ministry of Home Affairs in collaboration with UN Women launched an awareness campaign to end violence against women. As part of campaign a 'UNiTE to End Violence Against Women' Metro was flagged of at the Sultanpur Metro station in New Delhi. The flag-off took place as part of 16 Days of Activism 'Orange The World' global campaign, which is being observed ahead of 'International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women', marked annually on 25 November and will continue till International Day of Human Rights on December 10.

151. Union Ministry of Shipping (MoS) has approved long pending demand of Government of Manipur for development of Loktak Inland Waterways Project in the north eastern state. The request for development of this project was made by L Susindro Meitei, Chairman of Loktak Development Authority and MLA Khurai in Manipur.

152. Uttar Pradesh government has launched a dedicated web portal and a mobile application, named as 'e-Ganna', for sugarcane farmers of the state. It was launched by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at a function in Lucknow. Chief Minister also informed that during the last three years of his government, a record amount has been paid to farmers by sugar mills.

153. West Bengal celebrated the 'Rosogolla Dibas' or Rasgulla Day on 14 November 2019 to mark the granting of Geographical Indication (GI) tag of 'Banglar Rosogolla' or Bengal's Rasgulla to the state on this day two years ago (14 November 2017).

154. With the help pf 43 million USD from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), India has begun the project that will positively impact over 10 million people living on the coastline. The funds are to be obtained from the Green Climate Fund that was established under United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The objective of the fund is to assist developing countries.

155. World Heritage Week is celebrated by UNESCO between November 19, 2019 and November 25, 2019. The Objective of celebrating World Heritage Week is to increase awareness among people about safety and preservation of cultural heritages and monuments.

156. World Pneumonia Day is being marked every year since 2009. The day was hosted by the Global Coalition against Child Pneumonia for the first time in 2009. The coalition includes several organizations across the world like CARE, Save the Children, PATH, UNICEF, WHO, etc.

157. World Toilet Day is marked by the United Nations and its sister organizations every year on November 19 since 2013. In July 2013, the United Nations passed a resolution to mark the event by its member nations. The objective is to bring behavioural changes and implementation of policies that will end open defecation and increase access to sanitation among poor.

International

1. The UK India Business Council (UKIBC) announced the establishment of Aerospace and Defence Industry Group to boost bilateral cooperation in the areas. The initiative demonstrates close ties between Indian and United Kingdom's aerospace and defence industry as well as recognises that UK-India relationship is at a critical turning point.

2. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has launched the India chapter of its new initiative, Accelerator Lab in New Delhi. The objective behind launching lab is to address some of the most pressing issues facing India, including air pollution, through innovation. To achieve its objectives, the UNDP has also partnered with NITI Aayog 's Atal Innovation Mission (AIM).

3. Union Cabinet has given ex-post facto approval for Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) between Republic of India and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in field of combating illicit trafficking and smuggling of Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Chemical Precursors.

4. Union Cabinet has approved the signing of Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) and Protocol between Republic of India and Republic of Chile. This will help in elimination of double taxation as well as prevention of fiscal evasion and avoidance with respect to taxes on income.

5. The Chinese Government has issued warnings against import of cattle and related products from India. The warning comes after India submitted its notification about "lumpy skin disease" virus in cattle to the World Organization of Animal Health (OIE).

6. The All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Australia's Western Sydney University with aim to promote collaboration in research and developing guidelines for integrating Ayurveda principles with modern medicine. The MoU was agreed and exchanged on the occasion of event 'India Australia International Education and Research Workshop' at Ambedkar International Center in New Delhi.

7. The National Investigation Agency will host the first "Counter Terrorism Exercise" between November 21, 2019 and November 22, 2019. The CT-TTX, Counter Terrorism Table Top Exercise will exercise the Quad countries namely India, Japan, US and Australia.

8. Thailand hosted the 6th ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM)- Plus in its capital city Bangkok. ADMM-Plus is key ministerial-level platforms in regional security architecture for promoting strategic dialogue and practical cooperation between ASEAN and its 8 partner countries viz. India, China, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Russia and US.

9. Pakistan becomes the first country to introduce WHO approved typhoid vaccine. The Vaccine is to be used in southern Sindh province as more than 10,000 cases of Typhoid were documented since 2017.

10. India has now granted visa-on-arrival facility to the citizens of United Arab Emirates (UAE) with an aim to enhance people to people contacts and trade relations as well as strengthen strategic ties between the two countries. The move is a 'special gesture' for the UAE with whom India has a comprehensive strategic partnership.

11. On November 18, 2019, the "2019 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange" was released. According to the report, India remained the largest source of foreign students to the US for the 10th consecutive year. This year alone, India has sent around 202,000 students to the US. It is the second largest number of foreign students from a country to the US. The first largest source is China.

12. The 8th International Conference on Agricultural Statistics (ICAS-VIII) will be held in New Delhi from 18-21 November 2019. It is organised by Union Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoPSI), ISI-CAS, FAO, USDA, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Eurostat, AfDB (African Development Bank), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and various other organizations. India is hosting this important conference in the field of agriculture statistics for first time. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates will be Chief Guest of this conference.

13. The former wartime Defence Chief Gotabaya Rajpaksa of Sri Lanka has won the Presidential Election. He took 52.25% of vote against his rival Sajith Premadasa. Mr Rajapaksa won in Sinhalese majority areas and Mr Premadasa had scored in regions that were dominated by the Tamilians.

14. The European Investment Bank is to stop funding oil and coal projects at the end of 2021. Since 2013, the European Union through the bank has funded 13.4 billion Euros for fossil fuel projects. In 2018, it was around 2 billion Euros. The Union has been reducing its funding to fossil fuel projects and is stopping by 2021.

15. The World Trade Organization panel on November 15, 2019, rejected several claims of India against US on steel duties. India earlier complained to the organization that the United States is breaching international trade rules in 14 areas. Following which, WTO had faulted US decision over imposition of countervailing duties on steel products from India. However, US failed to stick to the norms demanding more access to Indian markets.

16. PM Modi attended the 11th BRICS summit and invited business leaders from BRICS nations to invest in India, especially in infrastructure development.

17. The 2nd Joint India-China Capacity Building Programme for Afghan Diplomats is being held at External Affairs Ministry's Foreign Service Institute (FSI) in New Delhi from 11-23 November as part of both countries efforts to work together for development of war-torn Afghanistan. India-China are also looking at other areas to cooperate in Afghanistan.

18. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's invitation to be Chief Guest at India's Republic Day celebrations in 26 January 2020.

19. The first edition of Dhaka Global Dialogue was held from 11-13 November 2019 in Bangladesh. The three day long programme was inaugurated by Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina.

20. The second edition of annual Paris Peace Forum is being held at la Grande Halle de la Villette in Paris, France from 11 to 13 November 2019. It included a two-day event of debate sessions aimed at finding global solutions for global issues. More than 30 heads of state and government attended the forum and India was represented by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.

21. The 9th BRICS Trade Ministers Meet was held in Brasilia, Brazil. It was attended by Union Minister Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, during which he deliberated on global economic climate with his counterparts from other member nations.

22. India attended the eighth session of the International Treaty of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) at Rome, Italy. Agriculture Minister Shri Narendra Tomar attended the session representing India.

23. India will be hosting the 19th Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in 2020. This was informed by SCO Secretary General Vladimir Norov. This will be for the first time that India will host the high level meeting of the China-led eight-member economic and security bloc.

24. The Indo-Pacific Initiative was proposed by PM Modi for a safe and secure maritime at the East Asia Summit. This indicates that India is ready to play a bigger role in the region where China has been pushing its military assertiveness.

25. Iran has discovered a new oilfield with 53 billion barrels of crude oil in Khuzestan province, home to Iran's Khuzestan's crucial oil industry. The announcement however did not reveal how much oil could be produced from the reservoir but the find could boost country's battered economy amid stringent US sanctions.

26. A case concerning a 41-yearold man from Madrid, Spain spreading dengue through sexual contact was confirmed by Spanish health authorities. This is the world first ever instance to be reported of the dengue virus spreading through sexual contact which until recently was thought to be transmitted only by mosquitoes.

27. PM Modi is to attend the 11th BRICS summit that is to be conducted in Brazil on November 13, 2019. He will be accompanied by a large business delegates during the visit. The theme of 2019 BRICS summit is Economic Growth for an Innovative Future.

28. The 19th Indian Ocean Rim Association COM (Council of Ministers) meeting was held in Abu Dhabi, UAE on November 7, 2019. Minsters from 22 countries attended the meeting.

29. The 'International Conference on Soil and Water Resources Management for Climate Smart Agriculture and Global Food and Livelihood Security' is being held at National Agricultural Science Centre (NASC) Complex in New Delhi. The five day-long conference will be held from 5-9 November 2019.

30. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will co-chair the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military-Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC) in Moscow, Russia. He is on a visit to Russian Federation from 5-7 November 2019.

31. An Indian parliamentary delegation led by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is taking part in the 6th Parliamentary Speakers' Summit of the G20 countries, being held in Tokyo, Japan from 3-5 November 2019. The summit is being attended by Presiding Officers of Parliaments of G20 countries.

32. The biennial Commonwealth Law Ministers' Conference is being held in Colombo, Sri Lanka from 4-7 November 2019. India will be represented at the conference by Union Minister for Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad.

33. PM Modi on the sidelines of 35th ASEAN summit and 14th East Asia Summit, met the President of Indonesia H.E. Joko Widodo and the Thailand PM Prayut Chan-o-Cha (Gen (retd)).

34. PM Modi attended the 16th India-ASEAN summit held at Bangkok. The current ASEAN summit is being held in Bangkok, Thailand and the next ASEAN summit is to be conducted in Vietnam in 2020.

35. The New Colombo Plan Mobility Program is a signature initiative of Government of Australia, which will provide Australian University students the opportunities to gain cross-cultural awareness and experiences that are vital to today's globally connected workforce.

36. The Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh addressed the Council of Heads of Government of SCO at Tashkent in Uzbekistan. He represented as a Special Envoy of PM Modi at the conference. During the meet, it was decided that the next meeting of Council of Heads of Government in 2020 is to be conducted in India

37. The 7th India-US Economic and Financial partnership meeting was held in New Delhi. It was Co-chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Seetharaman and US Secretary Steven T Minuchin. The leaders took efforts to improve mutual cooperation on wide range of multilateral subjects. It included combating financing of terrorism and anti-money laundering.

38. Around 17 agreements were signed between India and Germany in the fields of agriculture, ayurveda, yoga, maritime technology and others. German Chancellor Angela Merkel along with her team, signed the agreements with PM Modi and his cabinet. The German team led by the Chancellor is on a two-day visit to India.

39. Two new countries Eritrea and Saint Kitts and Nevis have signed the International Solar Alliance's (ISA) Framework Agreement at the second Assembly of ISA held in New Delhi. With this the total number of countries who have so far signed the ISA framework agreement have reached to 83.

40. On October 30, 2019, the Chile Government cancelled the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit and the COP25 conference due to the ongoing protests in the country. The country's president in a press meet said that the ongoing violent protests have plagued the country for weeks and it is currently not in a situation to hold international conferences.

41. PM Modi will embark a three-day visit to Thailand to participate in the ASEAN, East Asia and RCEP summits. In 2018, India had hosted the Indo-ASEAN summit commemorating its 25th anniversary, where all the 10 ASEAN leaders participated. Later the Delhi Declaration was adopted where the leaders agreed to further strengthen and deepen ASEAN-India strategic partnership.

42. Defence Minister Raj Nath Singh is to attend key meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) at Tashkent, Uzbekistan. He will also participate in bilateral engagements with the Uzbekistan Government.

43. The Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) 2019, an annual international book fair was inaugurated in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE). It was inaugurated by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the sovereign ruler of Emirate of Sharjah and the Federal Supreme Council Member. The debut edition of SIBF was launched in 1982.

Business, Economy & Banking

1. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has referred Dewan Housing Finance Corp. Ltd (DHFL) to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) for insolvency proceedings, making it the first financial services player to go NCLT for a possible debt resolution. DHFL has a debt of Rrs.83,873 crore. As per the statutory inspection of DHFL conducted by the National Housing Bank, the DHFL showed a serious deterioration in its finances. It had public deposits of Rs.6,188 crore as on 6 July 2019, down from Rs. 10,166.72 crore as on 31 March 2018.

2. Aditya Birla Finance Ltd (ABFL), the Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) arm of Aditya Birla Capital, has now become the first company to list its commercial papers (CPs) on stock exchanges. The move comes after stock exchanges- the BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange) and NSE (National Stock Exchange), came out with a framework for listing of commercial papers (CPs), in a bid to broaden investors' participation in such securities.

3. Government of India and Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed a $451 million loan for strengthening power connectivity between northern and southern parts of Chennai–Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor (CKIC) which is part of East Coast Economic Corridor (ECEC). ECEC is India's first coastal economic corridor.

4. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has accorded its approval for mandatory packaging of foodgrains and sugar in jute material for Jute Year 2019-20. The scope of mandatory packaging norms under Jute Packaging Material (JPM) Act, 1987 has been retained by Union Government as per 2018.

5. Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways and Shipping, Nitin Gadkari inaugurated NuGen Mobility Summit-2019 at International Center of Automotive Technology (ICAT) in Manesar, Haryana. This three-day conference will be held from 27 to 29 November 2019.

6. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved increasing authorized capital of Food Corporation of India (FCI) from existing Rs.3,500 crore to Rs.10,000 crore. CCEA was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

7. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved waiver of repayment of loan and interest thereon, of nearly worth Rs.4 crore outstanding against Sikkim Mining Corporation (SMC) including interest accrued on total amount from 1 April 2019, till this approval outstanding against SMC. CCEA is chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

8. The Indian Railway Institute of Financial Management (IRIFM) has been set up in Hyderabad, Telangana. This new entity is set up to impart professional training in management of railway finances. The project was conceived and constructed by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) at a cost of Rs 85 crore.

9. Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has inaugurated the Web Portal for Exchange of Information on Income Tax which will consolidate all relevant Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) related information at one place. This portal will help in convenient access by public, financial institutions as well as departmental officers at large.

10. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has enhanced scope of 'Special Non-resident Rupee' (SNRR) by allowing persons residing outside India to open such accounts for purposes such as- (a) external commercial borrowing (ECB), (b) trade credit and and (c) Trade (Export/ Import) Invoicing, in domestic currency. The step is taken to popularise cross-border transactions in Indian rupee (INR).

11. Union Government will launch India's first fixed income Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) comprising debt securities of large central public sector enterprises (PSUs) by mid-December 2019. It will comprise only AAA-rated papers of the PSU companies. It is expected to have a size of Rs 15,000 crore to Rs 20,000 crore. It is expected to improve liquidity in corporate bond market, smoothen borrowing plans of the participating state-owned companies and enhance investor base.

12. The 5th edition of India-Europe 29 Business Forum was recently held at Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra in New Delhi from 20 to 21 November 2019. It was organized by industry body Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Union Ministry of External Affairs. It saw participation of some 400 delegates from 29 European countries. The focus sectors for this edition of forum were Smart Cities, IT & ITES, Renewable Energy, Pharma and Artificial Intelligence (AI). India-Europe 29 Business Forum is India's largest European Platform.

13. India hosted the World Customs Organization (WCO) Asia Pacific Regional Contact Points (RCP) that was held for 3 three days on Puducherry. The conference is being held for the fourth time in India. Previously it was held in Jaipur and Cochin.

14. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) and Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) to market, run and operate the Golden Chariot train. The MoU is an important step towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to promote tourism in India as well as his clarion call to countrymen to visit at least 15 tourism spots in India.

15. The earnings from internet ticketing services of IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation) increased by 80.8% between the period April, 2019 and September, 2019. The earnings in the four-month period is Rs 199.3 crores. It was Rs 199.3 crore before April, 2019. The revenue has almost doubled.

16. The GoI will merge 3 public Sector Insurance Companies as announced in budget 2019-20. The merger includes United India Insurance Limited, National Insurance Co Limited and Oriental Insurance Company Limited.

17. The World Bank has submitted a master plan to develop logistics infrastructure of Kolkata metropolitan area. The bank is to invest 300 million USD in the project. The Government entities participating in the deal includes CII and the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation.

18. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) which is headquartered at Beijing expects an investment of 100 million USD in India in a year. The foreign investment is to enter India through the bank in Wind and solar projects.

19. The Indian Railways and Alstom came together in the intention of transforming the freight transportation of India. In line with the collaboration, the MELPM-Madhepura Electric Locomotive Private Limited has been established. MELPM will now manufacture 800 electric locomotives for freight services with the foreign investment of 3.5 billion Euros.

20. As a first step towards internationalization, a global pilot demo of BHIM UPI QR-based payments began on 13 November 2019 with a live transaction at merchant terminal at the Singapore FinTech Festival 2019. The Indian contingent with participation of 43 companies and start-ups was one of the largest at Singapore FinTech Festival 2019 being held between 11 and 15 November.

21. According to the data released by the Central electricity Authority (CEA), the electricity demand of the country fell by 13% in October 2019 as compared to October 2018. This is the lowest in 12 years.

22. To block selling of counterfeit goods on its platform, e-commerce giant Amazon has introduced 'Project Zero' in India, in a bid to ensure that customers receive authentic goods when shopping on Amazon.

23. The 39th India International Trade Fair is to begin in New Delhi on November 14, 2019. Around 25,000 people are expected to visit the fair.

24. Gujarat government has given its approval to a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) terminal facility at Bhavnagar port. This would be the world's first CNG port terminal. The approval for this was given by Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board headed by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

25. On November 7, 2019, Government of India announced the establishment of Rs 25,000 crore fund for home buyers whose money is stuck in stalled projects. According to the Ministry of Finance, there are over 1600 such projects comprising of 4.58 lakh housing units across the country. The "Special Window" will prioritize debt financing in the Affordable and middle-income housing sector.

26. On November 4, 2019, India decided against joining Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade deal as India did not receive any credible assurance on market access and non-tariff barriers. This paved way for the other 15-members to go ahead and sign the deal keeping the door open for India to join at later date.

27. The State Government of Himachal Pradesh is organizing Rising Himachal Global Investors' Meet 2019, a flagship business event, at Dharamshala on 7 -8 November 2019. The event will be attended by diplomats, leaders from senior policy makers, corporate sector development agencies and investors from across the globe. The event will also be attended by Union Commerce and Industry and Railway Minister, Piyush Goyal, who will highlight about government investment and policies for promoting investment in Himachal Pradesh and hill states of India.

28. The Asian Development Bank will provide a $451 million (appx. Rs.3,200 crore) loan to strengthen power connectivity between southern and northern parts of Chennai-Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor (CKIC) in Tamil Nadu. As per ADB, the Manila-headquartered multilateral agency the total cost of the project is $653.5 million, of which the government will provide $202.5 million.

29. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will co-chair the fifth Biennial Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC) in New Delhi on 1 November 2019. The two leaders will also hold talks and discuss a host of bilateral issues including agriculture economic partnership, trade and investment.

30. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has formally launched its Global Alumni Endowment Fund with an initial commitment of Rs 250.crore from nearly 20 corporate leaders and alumni of institution. The Endowment Fund was launched by President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 31 October 2019.

Science & Technology

1. Union Government is planning to set up a new rocket launch pad near Kulasekarapattinam in Tamil Nadu. At present, the Indian Space Research organisation (ISRO) has two launch pads at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDCC) in Sriharikotta, Andhra Pradesh. The development comes on the backdrop of increasing launches from India, both for domestic as well as international customers.

2. Scientists at the Hyderabad based Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) have demonstrated the role of a protein Secretagogin (SCGN) in increasing insulin action in obesity-induced diabetes. Currently, the processes regulating insulin synthesis, secretion, signalling and maturation in diabetes were not completely understood by scientists. These findings were published in the latest issue of the journal iScience.

3. The researchers of University of Gothenburg in Sweden have developed a potential Diarrhea vaccine candidate, named as 'ETVAX'. This vaccine has been proved safe and effective in an early-stage clinical trial in Bangladesh. The findings were published in Science journal, The Lancet.

4. Software giant Microsoft has launched its "K-12 Education Transformation Framework" to facilitate comprehensive digital transformation of schools in India. So far, this framework model has been adopted by education leaders in more than 50 countries to help plan their learning strategies.

5. The Indian Space Research Organization will launch 13 commercial nano satellites of the United States along with the imaging and mapping satellite Cartostat-3. The launch is scheduled on November 25, 2019.

6. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Hayabusa 2 probe is heading back to earth from its mission of collecting samples from an asteroid called Ryugu, about 300 million kilometres from Earth. The unmanned probe 'Hayabusa 2', named after a falcon is scheduled to return to Earth by the end of 2020.

7. The US Space Agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has recently renamed farthest cosmic body, earlier known as 'Ultima Thule' to 'Arrokoth' or Sky. NASA has renamed the distant space rock after it was criticized over the old name's Nazi connections

8. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced their intention to send a second mission to soft-land on the Moon planned for November 2020 dubbed as Chandrayaan 3 mission. The Indian Space Agency's first and recent attempt went awry on 7 September 2019 and resulted in a partial failure of Chandrayaan 2 mission after communication was lost with mission's lander (Vikram) and rover (Pragyan) which crash-landed on Moon while attempting a soft-landing.

9. The IIT-G on November 13, 2019 has developed paper-based sensor to make assessment of freshness of milk by simple and instantaneous method. The method can be used to check the quality of milk at the point of milk collection ans also in home kitchens.

10. NASA's NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer) telescope detected a sudden spike of X Rays. The spike was caused by a massive thermo nuclear flash on the surface of a pulsar.

11. The United States space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) unveiled an early version of its first all-electric experimental aircraft, named as X-57 "Maxwell" at its aeronautics lab in the California desert, US.

12. The 10th Asian Conference of Emergency Medicine (ACEM) was inaugurated by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu in New Delhi. The conference will be held from 7-10 November 2019. This is the first time that the biennial conference is being held in India.

13. NASA's Voyager 2 has exited heliosphere and has entered interstellar space. It is now at 11 billion miles from the earth. Information from the spacecraft takes 16.5 hours to reach earth at the speed of light. (Light from the sun takes 8 minutes to reach earth)

14. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has launched country's first indigenously designed standing wheelchair named as 'Arise' in presence of Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Thawarchand Gehlot at the institute.

15. Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu unveiled the 'Red Atlas Action Plan Map' atlas and the 'Coastal Flood Warning System App (CFLOWS-Chennai)' for flood mitigation in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Both the atlas and the CFLOWS-Chennai are intended as decision support systems covering aspects, including preparedness and prevention. Such initiatives to effectively tackle urban flooding are likely to be replicated in other Indian cities including Mumbai, Maharashtra.

16. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi will set up a Space Technology Cell in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), the space agency of country at the IIT campus.

17. The Chandrayaan 2 detected Argon 40 in the lunar Exosphere. Argon 40 is one of the isotopes of Argon, a noble gas. The ISRO has given the detailed process by which Argon 40 reaches the Lunar exosphere

18. Researchers at International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT-H), Hyderabad, have created the first-ever Indian Brain Atlas referred to as IBA 100. The research has been published in a peer-reviewed journal – Neurology India.

Government Schemes

1. On the occasion of 70th Constitution Day also known as Samvidhan Divas observed on 26 November 2019, Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' launched the kartavya.ugc.ac.in portal for holding monthly essay competitions for students. The portal was launched as part of year long 'Nagrik Kartavya Paalan Abhiyan' being observed throughout the country.

2. The Inter-Ministerial Approval Committee chaired by Minister of Food Processing Shri Harsimrat Kaur has sanctioned Rs 271 crores for the CEFPPC scheme (Creation/Expansion of Food Processing and Preservation Capacities) scheme.

3. Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri launched the Credit Link Subsidy Scheme (CLSS) Awas Portal (CLAP). Along with portal, the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MHUA) also launched Global Housing Technology Challenge (GHTC)-India to accomplish 'Housing For All Mission'. MHUA also signed agreements with certain state governments for the construction of LightHouse projects under GHTC-India. GHTC-India seeks to get globally acclaimed, proven and alternate construction technologies for speedier as well as cost-effective construction of affordable housing.

4. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the Fit India School grading system in schools across the country. The grading will be in 3 categories. During the launch PM Modi also appealed all schools to enroll in Fit India raking system to make it a mass movement and spread awareness. He also urged students and teachers to participate in 'Fit India Week' to be organized by as many as 22,000 Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) schools across the country. The initiative taken by CBSE will include fitness programme and indigenous games from every state and will be held in first week of December.

5. The Government of India is planning to launch a new scheme to test defense products manufactured by MSMEs. In order to achieve this, the Ministry of Defence has allocated Rs 400 crores.

6. During the current fiscal year so far, the Jammu and Kashmir has achieved the highest road length in country under Centre's rural roads' programme of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), a centrally-sponsored scheme under the Union Ministry of Rural Development. This significant accomplishment involves completion of around 11,400 kilometres of different road projects covering 1,838 habitations against the total sanctioned length of 19,700 kilometres against sanctioned 2,214 habitations.

7. India for Humanity-Jaipur Foot event was recently organised at United States Capitol building to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. It was jointly by Indian Embassy and Jaipur Foot USA.

8. Assam Government has announced to launch 'Arundhati Swarna Yojana' on 1 January 2020. Under this scheme, state government will give each beneficiary bride fixed amount to buy 10 grams (one tola) of gold during her marriage if the marriage is registered. The scheme will cost around Rs 800 crore annually on the state government exchequer.

9. Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the proposal for adoption of Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) programme. It will be adopted by Indian Patent Office (IPO) under Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trade Marks, India (CGPDTM), Union Ministry of Commerce and Industries with patent offices of various other interest countries or regions.

10. The Government of India will expand the 3S programme-Smart Safety Surveillance of WHO in the country. The expansion is being done to make sure the vaccines distributed under universal immunization programme are safe and also to optimize post-marketing surveillance of priority drugs.

11. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas notified a new National Policy on Biofuels in June 2018. On a written reply at the opening session of Lok Sabha on November 18, 2019, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas provided its implementation steps.

12. Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare signed memorandum of cooperation (MoC) with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) for technical support. Under this MoC, BMGF will provide technical, management and program design support to Union Health Ministry through its grantees as well as other partners. The special focus under MoC will be on innovation, best practices and enhancing performance management.

13. The Department of Higher Education operating under Ministry of Human Resource Development has developed actions on Fit India Programme. The operations have been sent to all the Higher Education Institutes.

14. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has inked declaration of intent with National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAD) of National Institutes of Health, USA and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). The declaration of intent between ICMR and NIAD was exchanged in the presence of US Ambassador Kenneth I Juster and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation co-chair Bill Gates.

15. Union Government has decided to set up FACT Check Module to identify incidences of fake news on social media and digital platforms and take corrective action. It will be set up under Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the government's public relations arm.

16. National Initiative for School Heads' and Teachers' Holistic Advancement (NISHTHA) was launched in Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is a pioneer scheme that was earlier launched across country by HRD Ministry on August 2019. This National Mission aims at improving learning outcomes at Elementary level through integrated Teacher Trainings.

17. Centre is holding a two-day regional conference on theme- 'Replication of Good Governance Practices in Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh' from 15-16 November 2019 in Jammu. It was inaugurated by Minister of State for Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region Dr. Jitendra Singh.

18. Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has launched the 'Nadu-Nedu' programme which seeks to transform government schools into vibrant and competitive institutions. The programme is set to turn a new leaf over education sector and will provide opportunities to weaker sections and underprivileged.

19. Uttar Pradesh government has launched a dedicated web portal and a mobile application, named as 'e-Ganna', for sugarcane farmers of the state. It was launched by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at a function in Lucknow. Chief Minister also informed that during the last three years of his government, a record amount has been paid to farmers by sugar mills.

20. On the occasion of Children's Day on 14 November 2019, the Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR) launched a mobile app called 'Sishu Suraksha', an e-complaint box for child right violations. The ASCPCR decided to develop an e-complaint box, keeping in mind the mission of a Digital India.

21. The state government Haryana has decided to bring more crops under its 'Bhavantar Bharpayee Yojna (BBY)' scheme. The decision was taken at a BBY's review meeting which was presided by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

22. The Union Minister of State for Human Resources Development Sanjay Dhotre launched the Shala Darpan Portal for Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS). It is an end to end e-Governance school automation and management system for NVS.

23. Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) announced and distributed Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) certificates to 500 candidates to boost their morale.

24. The Union Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has launched the Skills Build platform in collaboration with IBM, an American multinational IT (information technology) company.

25. Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman launched 'ATITHI' app, an IT initiative to facilitate electronic filing of customs baggage and currency declarations by arriving international passengers.

26. Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman launched a new IT initiatives called ICEDASH for improved monitoring and pace of Customs clearance of imported goods. ICEDASH would be key drivers for further improvement in Customs especially as it would reduce interface and increase transparency of Customs functioning.

27. Union Ministry of Women and Child Development will be setting up anti-human trafficking units in all districts of the country with the help of Nirbhaya Fund. The announcement in this regard was made by Minister of Women and Child Development Smriti Irani.

28. Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO), the retirement fund body has launched a facility for formal sector workers to themselves obtain the Universal Provident Fund Account Number on-line. Now the workers in formal sector can themselves generate Universal Account Number from the EPFO's portal directly. Till now the workers used to apply through their employers to get Universal Account Number.

Awards & Honours

1. Eminent Malayalam poet Akkitham has been chosen for 55th Jnanpith Award for the year 2019. The announcement in this regard was made by Jnanpith Selection Board chaired by novelist, scholar and Jnanpith laureate Pratibha Ray.

2. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chairman G Satheesh Reddy was awarded honorary fellowship by Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) of United Kingdom (UK) during the Medals and Awards presentation ceremony in London. He is the first Indian recipient of the prestigious award in more than 100 years.

3. The 13th Asia Pacific Screen Awards which are Asia Pacific's highest accolade in film were awarded in Brisbane, Australia. With films from nearly 70 countries and areas in region, APSA honours filmmaking that best reflects its cultural origins and diversity of Asia Pacific.

4. Renowned naturalist and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough will be conferred the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for the year 2019. He was selected for the 2019 prize by an international jury chaired by former President Pranab Mukherjee. He is being awarded the prize for a lifetime of doing more to reveal wonders of natural world to people than perhaps any other individual.

5. Sudarsan Pattnaik becomes the first Indian to win the Italian Golden Sand Art Award, 2019. He was felicitated at the International Scorrna Sand Nativity Fete in Italy.

6. India's Ravi Prakash has won the BRICS-Young Innovator Prize at 4th BRICS -Young Scientist Forum's Conclave held during 6-8 November2019 in Brazil. He won the first first prize carrying $25,000 for inventing an affordable indigenous milk chilling unit for smaller and marginal rural dairy farmers.

7. The Kung Fu Nuns of the Drukpa Order, some of the Himalayas' most prominent human rights advocates, received Asia Society's prestigious Game Changer Award in New York for their path-breaking work to empower women and dismantle gender stereotypes in Himalayas. They received the award for their heroic activism and being a true symbol of women empowerment.

8. Wildlife biologist K. Ullas Karanth was awarded the Wildlife Conservation Society's George Schaller Lifetime Award in Wildlife Conservation Science for his contribution to the field of conservation. He is the first recipient of WCS's award.

9. The winners of the Infosys Prize 2019 in six categories were announced by Infosys Science Foundation (ISF). The awardees were selected from 196 nominations by a panel of 6 jurors. The awards to winning professors will be conferred by Nobel laureate Amartya Sen on 7 January 2020.

10. RBS India, the innovation and operations hub of Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) announced the winners of RBS Earth Heroes Awards (REHA), who have played significant role in combating climate change. The year 2019 is the 9th edition of REHA and the theme for 2019 awards was- 'Climate Change'.

11. The Guinness World Record of most students assembling radio kits simultaneously was created on the third day of 5th India International Science Festival (IISF) 2019 being held in Kolkata. This is the 2nd Guinness World Record at IISF 2019 as earlier on first day of IISF more than 1,598 students had created a Guinness World Record for Largest astrophysics lesson and assembly of spectroscopes.

12. NASSCOM Foundation, the Indian IT industry body's social arm, and Bangalore based software firm Mphasis announced the winners of the 11th edition of NASSCOM Social Innovation Forum (NSIF) award. The NSIF is an ecosystem of over 2,200 social innovations, awarding over 90 social innovation projects, and has given more than Rs.1.5 crore in catalytic grants.

13. The Press Council of India (PCI) has awarded this year's Raja Ram Mohan Roy National Award for Excellence in Journalism to Rajasthan Patrika group chairman Gulab Kothari. The awards will be presented on the occasion of National Press Day on 16 November 2019.

14. The Guinness World Records for the largest astrophysics lesson (45 minutes) and assembly of spectroscopes was successfully achieved by Kolkata students at Science City, Kolkata. The record was attempted on the first day of 5th India International Science Festival (IISF) 2019 in which over 1,598 students participated. The session was dedicated to Meghnad Saha and Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman.

15. The 27-year-old, Madhuri Vijay has won the JCB Prize for Literature 2019 for her debut novel 'The Far Field'. She has been selected from a shortlist featuring novels from five accomplished writers. She is also a recipient of Henfield Prize and the Pushcart Prize.

16. This year's Mother Teresa Memorial Awards for Social Justice (MTMA) dedicated to the memory of the Saint of Kolkata, went to a number of people from India and abroad. The awards will be presented to the laureates on 3 November 2019 in Mumbai.

17. Teams of Delhi Police Special Cell and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) were awarded Union Home Minister's Special Operation Medal for 2019. A 25-member team of Odisha Police has also been awarded the medal, along with the others.

18. Centre government has instituted 'Sardar Patel National Unity Award', the highest civilian award in field of contribution to unity and integrity of India, in the name of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, most popularly known as Iron Man of India or the founding father of the Republic of India. It will be announced on occasion of National Unity Day on the Birth Anniversary of Sardar Patel on 31 October. The institution of award was notified by Union Ministry of Home Affairs on 20 September 2019.

Defence

1. Indian Navy test-fired the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, from the Navy's stealth destroyer INS Kochi. The supersonic missile successfully hit a decommissioned target ship in Arabian Sea. Moreover, the second ship of Project 15-A 'Kolkata-class' guided missile destroyer test-fired advanced missile during a naval drill in west coast.

2. Indian Army has successfully test fired two Spike long- range Anti-Tank Missiles from an Infantry School at Mhow, Madhya Pradesh. Indian Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat and several commanders witnessed the firing of the newly acquired missiles which are expected to further boost Army's combat prowess.

3. A two-day seminar 'DEFCOM INDIA 2019' is being held at Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi from 26-27 November 2019. The theme for seminar is – 'Communications: A Decisive Catalyst for Jointness'. The seminar is devoted to the seminal theme of leveraging communications for achieving jointness between three services.

4. Indian Navy will be hosting military drill called 'Milan 2020' at Visakhapatnam in March 2020 which will witness the participation of several countries. MILAN stands for 'Multilateral Naval Exercise'. Apart from a large number of ships, senior dignitaries are also expected to take part in various functions and visit naval facilities during MILAN 2020.

5. The Centre has extended a ban on Assam-based Bodo insurgent group National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) citing that the terrorist outfit has continued to indulge its involvement in violent activities which includes killings, extortion and joining hands with anti-India forces. The NDFB was declared an outlawed outfit in 1990s, the ban has been extended every five years since then.

6. On November 24, the National Cadet Corps (NCC) celebrated the 71st raising day. The day was embarked all over the country.

7. The Indian Naval Forces and the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) was held on November 23, 2019. This is the firs time an explosive ordance disposal and mine counter measure was held by Indian and Japanese forces.

8. United States of America (USA) has approved Foreign Military Sale to India of 13 MK45 5 inch/62 caliber (MOD 4) Naval guns and related equipment for an estimated cost of $1.0210 billion. The principal contractor in this India-US defence deal will be BAE Systems Land and Armaments, Minneapolis, Minnesota with gun manufacturing in Louisville, Kentucky.

9. Lieutenant Shivangi become first woman pilot of Indian Navy will join Naval operations. She will join after naval operations on completion of operational training at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi, Kerala on December 2, 2019 two days ahead of Navy Day (observed on December 4).

10. The Defense Research and Defense Organization has allowed free access to its 450 patents. The organization intends to provide a boost to domestic industries, especially startups and the strategic sector that has a network of 50 national laboratories that are involved in research and development

11. President Ram Nath Kovind and Supreme Commander of Indian Armed Forces, awarded President's Colour to Indian Naval Academy (INA), Ezhimala at Kochi, Kerala. The President's Colour is the highest honour bestowed upon a military unit. It was awarded to INA in recognition of the yeoman service rendered by the institution in training and shaping Indian Naval officers over the last 50 years at three different locations – Goa, Kochi and Ezhimala. To commemorate this occasion, a special postal cover was also released by the President.

12. India successfully test-fired two rounds of its indigenously developed nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missile at night as part of a user trial by Indian Army. These test were conducted from a mobile launcher from Launch Complex-3 of Chandipur Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Balasore district of Odisha. These were second night trials of Prithvi-II missile.

13. The DRDO Chief, Mr G Sateesh Reddy recently announced that DRDO (Defence Research Development Organization) is to increase the range of ASTRA air-to-air missiles. India is one of the few countries to own a successful BMD-Ballistic Missile Defence programme.

14. The central government has banned 'Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council' (HNLC), a Meghalaya-based insurgent group, for its increased activities of violence and other insurgent acts. Centre also notified that HNLC's activities are detrimental to the sovereignty and integrity of India.

15. Pakistan conducted successful test launch of Shaheen-1 surface-to-surface ballistic missile. The test was conducted part of a training exercise aimed at testing the operational readiness of Army Strategic Forces Command for ensuring Pakistan's credible minimum deterrence. The test come days after India conducted the first night trial of Agni-II surface-to-surface medium range nuclear-capable missile having strike range of 2,000 km.

16. A three-day naval exercise, Zair-Al-Bahr (Roar of the Sea) is being conducted between November 17 and November 21, 2019 between the Indian and Qatar Naval Forces. The aim of the exercise is to enhance interoperability between the naval forces.

17. The Strike Corps (also known as Sudarshan Chakra Corps) of Indian Army is conducting the annually held exercise, dubbed Sindu Sudarshan-VII, in Barmer, Rajasthan. The annual exercise will test the operational readiness and maneuver warfare capability of Indian Army's 21 Corps, one of the service's three so-called Strike Corps. The Corps currently consists of 2 infantry divisions, 1 armored division, and 3 support brigades.

18. India on November 11, 2019, conducted its first night trial of AGNI II missile successfully. It is the first night trial being tested by the country. The nuclear capable missile was tested at the Abdul Kalam Island of Odisha Coast.

19. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Sisseri River Bridge at Lower Dibang Valley in East Siang District of Arunachal Pradesh. The bridge will play an important role in the overall development of the area and will immensely contributes to the socio-economic development of the region.

20. Ministry of Defence (MoD) is organizing the "Def Connect" event on November 11, 2019. The main objective of the event is to showcase the accomplishments of iDEX-Innovations for Defence Exellence.

21. The Indian Air Force (IAF) launched the multiplayer version of its interactive mobile game named 'Indian Air Force – A Cut Above'. The game lets users experience the thrill of flying a combat aircraft. The single-player version of the game was first launched by then Chief of Air Staff (COAS), B S Dhanoa, on 31 May 2019.

22. India and US are to jointly conduct Tiger TRIUMP, the first ever tri-services amphibious exercise. It is to be conducted in Visakhapatnam and Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh. It includes field training and events that simulate humanitarian assistance in disaster times. The event will also hold simulations in moving disaster relief forces from ship to shore.

23. The Navies of India and Indonesia are holding bilateral naval exercise called 'Samudra Shakti' in Bay of Bengal on 6-7 November 2019. This year is the second edition of India, Indonesia Bilateral Naval Exercise. The inaugural edition of exercise was held at the port of Surabaya, Indonesia in November 2018.

24. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) conducted the 'Regional Level Search and Rescue Workshop and Exercise 2019': ReSAREX- 19 off Goa coast. The two-day event was organised by Coast Guard District Headquarters-11 (Goa) to test efficiency and preparedness of ICG.

25. Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE) delivered Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) ICGS Annie Besant to Indian Coast Guard (ICGS) in Kolkata, West Bengal. This is second in the series of five such FPVs being built by GRSE for Indian Coast Guard and the 101st warship to be delivered by shipyard.

26. A Defense Research Development Organization (DRDO) Igniter Complex was inaugurated at High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), Pune. The main purpose of the laboratory is to design, process, evaluate ignition systems for any kind of DRDO projects.

27. The biggest US- Bangladesh Navy exercise dubbed as 'Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) – 2019' is being held in Chattogram (or Chittagong City) in Bangladesh. The CARAT is a yearly exercise conducted between the navies of Bangladesh and United States in the Bay of Bengal. The first edition of exercise was held in 2011.

28. India and Uzbekistan signed Memorandum of Understandings (MoU), for enhancing bilateral cooperation in fields of Military Medicine and Military Education between the Armed Forces of the two countries. The MoUs were signed during the three-day visit by Defence Minister of India Rajnath Singh to Tashkent (Uzbekistan capital) from 1-3 November 2019. This was the first visit by an Indian Defence Minister to Uzbekistan in nearly 15 years.

29. Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Joint Exercise on Urban Earthquake Search and Rescue- 'SCOJtEx-2019' in New Delhi. The four day exercise will be held from 4-7 November 2019. The joint exercise is being hosted by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

30. India will conduct its first ever military exercise with Uzbekistan in a 10-day session on counter terrorism tactics. The exercise will be held at Chirchiq Training Area, Uzbekistan between November 4 and November 13, 2019. The Defence Minister Shri Raj Nath Singh during his 3 day visit met the Indian contingent participating in the joint exercise.

Sports

1. Union Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MYAS) has constituted a 13-member expert committee to review the Draft National Code for Good Governance in Sports, 2017.

2. The state government of Madhya Pradesh has announced 5% reservation to national and international medallists sportspersons in state government jobs. The announcement in this regard was made by Madhya Pradesh Minister of Sports and Youth Welfare Jitu Patwari while inaugurating the Regional Olympic Games at Kampoo sports complex in Gwalior.

3. International Hockey Federation (FIH), the sport's governing body announced that Bhubaneswar will host India's home matches of 2020 Hockey Pro League. Odisha's Capital Bhubaneswar has become a hockey hub in India as it has been hosting a majority of tournaments. The city most recently hosted Olympic qualifiers.

4. Assam Olympic Association (AOA) has launched new programme- 'Grassroot Olympic – Mission Talent Hunt' to identify and groom sports talent in the state. Its launch was annouced by Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal during the executive committee meeting of AOA. Sarbananda Sonowal is President of AOA and minister of state (MoS) for health Pijush Hazarika is its vice-chairman.

5. Veteran Indian boxer L Sarita Devi was elected unopposed to International Boxing Association's (AIBA) first-ever Athletes Commission. She is among six boxers elected as members of the commission from 5 continents. She will be representing Asian bloc in this Commission. The election for members of this commission was conducted during AIBA men's and women's Boxing Championships 2019 held in Russia. Sarita Devi was sole candidate contesting for this position from Asian region.

6. Indian paddler Harmeet Desai won wins men's singles title at International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Challenge Indonesia Open 2019 Table Tennis tournament held at Batam, Indonesia. This was Harmeet's first title on foreign soil and overall second International title of the year, after he had won Commonwealth championship in July 2019 held in Cuttack, Odisha.

7. Sri Lanka has become first South Asian nation to criminalise several offences related to match-fixing. The move comes after Sri Lankan parliament passed of a bill related to it labelled as "Prevention of Offences Related to Sports". Sri Lanka's Sports Ministry worked closely with International Cricket Council's (ICC) Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) during the process of drafting bill.

8. Wrestler Pooja Gehlot (53kg) claimed the second silver medal for India after going down to Japan's Haruna Okuno in the finals of UWW Under-23 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

References:
gktoday.in

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