Daily updates 20 November 2019

National News

1. Amit Shah launches special winter-grade diesel for Ladakh

• Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the supply of special winter-grade diesel for high altitude Ladakh, which faces sub-zero temperatures during the winter months.
• Motorists in high-altitude areas like Ladakh, Kargil, Kaza and Keylong face the problem of freezing of diesel in their vehicles when winter temperatures drop to as low as minus 30-degree celsius.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS SO 2019:

• Lt. Governors & Administrators of Ladakh(UT): Radha Krishna Mathur.

2. Home Ministry launches campaign to End Violence Against Women

• The Home Ministry in collaboration with the UN Women flagged off an awareness campaign To End Violence Against Women from Sultanpur metro station in Delhi.
• The initiative is part of the #OrangeTheWorld global campaign.
• As part of the campaign, people would be made aware about India's single emergency helpline 112, an internationally recognised emergency number used in several countries. Under the campaign, people would be made aware of India’s single emergency Response Support System helpline 112, which is launched by the Ministry of Home Affairs earlier in 2019.
• The 112 helpline services, available in 27 States/UTs(Union Territories), can be reached through voice call, 112 India App, SMS (Short message service), email, respective state’s 112 websites, and the panic button on mobile phones.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS SO 2019:

• Formation of United Nations Women: 2 July 2010.
• Headquarters: New York City, United States.

3. Meghalaya-based insurgent group HNLC banned by government

• Meghalaya-based insurgent group, Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) has been banned by the central government for its increased activities of violence and other subversive acts.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said the HNLC along with all its factions, wings and frontal organisations has been openly declaring as its objective the secession of the state's areas, which are largely inhabited by Khasi and Jaintia tribals, from the Indian Union.
• The group continues to intimidate and bully civilians to extort funds, maintains links with other insurgent groups of the Northeast to carry out acts of extortion and intimidation, and maintains camps in Bangladesh to give sanctuary and training to its cadre.
• The central government is also of the opinion that HNLC's activities are detrimental to the sovereignty and integrity of India.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/SSC CGL:

• Minister of Home Affairs: Amit Shah.

State News

4. Assam Govt approves 1 Tola Gold to Brides free of cost under Arundhati scheme

• Assam Govt approves Arundhati scheme to provide 1 Tola Gold to Brides free of cost.
• In a cabinet meeting held in Guwahati. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal approved this scheme to give 1 tola Gold (11.66 grams ) to brides parents belonging to the economically weaker sections of the society.
• With the aim to reduce child marriage under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act that a girl in India cant get married before the age of 18, and a boy cant get married before 21 years of age, this scheme can be availed by formal registration of the marriage under the Special Marriage (Assam) Rules, 1954 at the time of marriage.
• This is only limited to the weaker section of the society whose annual income is below Rs 5 lakh irrespective of caste, creed, religion etc.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS SO 2019:

• Assam Governor: Jagdish Mukhi; Capital: Dispur.

5. DSEJ launches special enrollment drive under 'Aao School Chalein'

• In Jammu, the Directorate of School Education (DSEJ) has launched a special enrollment drive under the banner 'Aao School Chalein' for increasing the enrollment in government schools.
• As per the Directorate of School Education, the special enrollment drive would be conducted across all the villages and catchment areas of the government schools, under the supervision of chief education officers of all the districts of Jammu Division.
• Apart from increasing the enrollment in the Government schools, the prime focus of the drive is on the strengthening of pre-schooling of children in the age group of 3 to 5 years.

6. Uttarakhand CM launches virtual classes project

• Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat launched a project that will connect 500 secondary schools to virtual classrooms and schools in the state facing a shortage of teachers will benefit from the new technology.
• Virtual classes are attended through video conferences where students can meet the teacher on a real-time basis and ask questions.
• An estimated 1.90 lakh students of 500 government-run secondary schools in the state will benefit from the project.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/SSC CGL:

• Capital of Uttarakhand: Dehradun; Governor: Baby Rani Maurya.

Awards

7. Bajrang Punia, Mahant Gaurav Sharma honoured in Dubai

• Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia has been conferred the Indian Personality of the Year Award (Sports) at the Indo Arab Leaders Summit & Awards 2019 in Dubai.
• World powerlifting champion Mahant Gaurav Sharma was also honoured with Visionary Leaders of the Year (Sports) award.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS SO 2019:

• President of UAE: Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Capital: Abu Dhabi.
• Currency: United Arab Emirates dirham.

8. Delhi Metro wins 2 awards at Urban Mobility India Conference

• The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has been conferred with two awards for its commendable initiatives in promoting the metro as a green and sustainable mode of transport among the masses.
• DMRC was awarded for the 'Last Mile Connectivity' project in the category of best non-motorised transport and the 'Green Metro project - An Initiative for Sustainable and Viable Urban Transport' in the category of best green initiative in urban transport, at the 12th Urban Mobility India Conference and Expo 2019 held from November 15 to 17 in Lucknow.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS SO 2019:

• The Delhi metro’s first service began in December 2002 on Shahdara-Tis Hazari corridor of Red Line, Delhi. It currently spans over 350kilometers having over 250 metro stations.
• Founded: 3 May 1995; Headquarters: New Delhi.

Appointments

9. Sudhir Mital elected president of Gymnastics Federation of India

• Former Competition Commission of India chairman Sudhir Mital and Shantikumar Singh were elected as president and general secretary respectively, of the Gymnastics Federation of India (GFI).
• Sudhir Mital is a retired IAS officer of Punjab cadre, was also a former president and worked as GFI chief from 2003 to 2007.
• He served as chairman of Competition Commission of India (CCI) in 2018 after joining the organization in 2014 as a member.
• Shantikumar was a former national level gymnast from Manipur, had served as GFI treasurer from 2011 to 2015 and then got elected as secretary in the 2015 elections.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/SSC CGL:

• Gymnastics Federation of India (GFI) Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• Founded: 1952.

Agreements

10. ICICI Lombard partners with Fino to offer sachet based insurance products

• ICICI Lombard has been partnering with Fino Payments Bank to offer non-life insurance solutions to its customers.
• As part of this association, ICICI Lombard has introduced several innovative insurance solutions that complement Fina's technology-enabled platforms and harness its customer reach.
• Some of these offerings include Hospicash that provide customers with the means to cover their loss of income, especially in the case of migrant workers, if they are hospitalized.
• ICICI Lombard and Fino also launched Dengue and Malaria policy which covers treatment to Dengue and Malarial diseases up to Rs. 10,000 at a premium as low as Rs. 49.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS SO 2019:

• Chairman of Fino Payment Bank: Mahendra Kumar Chouhan.
• MD & CEO of Fino Payment Bank: Rishi Gupta.

Defence

11. Lt Col Jyoti Sharma appointed as Army's first female JAG officer

• Lieutenant Colonel Jyoti Sharma has been appointed as Indian Army's first female Judge Advocate General officer to be deployed on a foreign mission.
• She will serve the government of the East African country of Seychelles as a legal expert & would give her opinion about defence and military act.

12. 1st Indo-Qatari joint Naval Exercise Za’ir-Al-Bahr begins in Doha, Qatar

• Navies of India and Qatar have started a 5-day bilateral maritime exercise "Za’ir-Al-Bahr" begins in Doha, Qatar.
• The inaugural edition of the bilateral maritime exercise would further strengthen the robust defence co-operation between the two countries, especially in the fight against terrorism, maritime piracy and security.
• Indian Navy Ship (INS) Trikand captained by Vishal Bishnoi, Patrol Aircraft P8-I is participating in the inaugural edition of the exercise.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS SO 2019:

• Navy, Day in India is celebrated on 4th December.
• Chief of the Naval Staff: Admiral Karambir Singh.

Economy

13. NCAER forecasts India's GDP growth at 4.9% for FY20

• The National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) has pegged India’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth for 2019-20 at 4.9% as against 6.8 % in 2018 (or FY-19).
• It lowers its outlook due to the slowdown in almost all sectors & it is primarily driven by a simultaneous deceleration of all the drivers of aggregate demand.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/SSC CGL:

• President of NCAER: Nandan M Nilekani.
• Headquarters of NCAER: New Delhi; Founded: 1956.

Ranks and Reports

14. India ranks 59th on IMD World Talent Ranking Report

• The International Institute of Management Development’s (IMD) World Talent Ranking (WTR) report for the year 2019 was released.
• In the released report, India was ranked at 59th position, a slip by 6 places on a global annual list of 63 countries. The list was topped by Switzerland.
• The top 10 countries that followed Switzerland were Denmark(2nd), Sweden(3rd), Austria(4th), Luxembourg (5th), Norway(6th), Iceland(7th), Finland (8th), Netherlands (9th) and Singapore(10th).

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/SSC CGL:

• President of IMD: Jean Francois Manzoni; Established: 1990.
• Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland.

Sports

15. Brazil beats Mexico to lift U-17 World Cup title

• The Brazilian football team defeated the football team of Mexico in the finals for 2-1, to win the 18th edition of the FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) under 17 World Cup trophy held in Brasilia, Brazil.
• The victory added to Brazil's successes in 1997, 1999 and 2003 as it moved within one of Nigeria's record of five championships.

Important Days

16. Africa Industrialization Day: 20 November

• Africa Industrialization Day is celebrated on November 20 each year.
• It is a time when governments and other organizations in many African countries examine ways to stimulate Africa's industrialization process.
• It is also an occasion to draw worldwide media attention to the problems and challenges of industrialization in Africa.
• 2019 Theme: "Positioning African Industry to Supply the AfCFTA Market" will raise awareness in the international community on the challenges and opportunities for Africa's industrialization within the framework of the newly created African Continental Free Trade Area.

Miscellaneous

17. UNICEF releases a booklet named 'From Uttapam to Sprouted Dal Parantha'

• UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) has released a 28-page booklet called “From uttapam to sprouted dal parantha”.
• It explains that nutritious food prepared at less than 20 rupees will help in dealing with problems like underweight, obesity and anaemia in children.
• The book is based on the findings of the overall National Nutrition Survey 2016-18, according to which 35 % of children under the age of five are stunted (low height for age), 17 % are wasted (low weight for height)and 33 % are underweight.