Current Affairs Daily Digest – November 21′, 2017

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  1. IIITM-K team bags NITI Aayog prize

A team of research students from Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management-Kerala (IIITM-K) have bagged the prestigious NITI Aayog prize in the inaugural edition of the Proffer Hackathon held at IIT, New Delhi.

The international block chain hackathon was jointly organised by NITI Aayog, the policy think tank ofthe Government of India, and Harvard-based block chain startup Proffer from November 10 to 13.

MEMBERS OF NITI AAYOG
Chairperson Prime Minister
Governing Council Chief Ministers of States and Lt. Governors of Union Territories
Vice Chairperson Rajiv Kumar
Full time Members Bibek Debroy, V. K. Saraswat, Ramesh Chand.
Chief Executive Officer Amitabh Kant
Director Dinesh Arora
  1. Aarora to chair panel of an insolvency professional agency

Lawyer Neeraj Aarora has been appointed as chairman of the grievance redressal committee of insolvency professional agency of cost accountants’ apex body ICAI, according to a release.

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code provides for constitution of grievance redressal committee.

  1. Professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim named as UNAIDS Special Ambassador

Acclaimed South African Indian-origin AIDS researcher professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim has been appointed as UNAIDS Special Ambassador for Adolescents and HIV.

Professor Abdool Karim is one of the world’s leading AIDS researchers and has made pioneering contributions to understanding the HIV epidemic among young people, especially among young women.

UNAIDS – United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS

Headquarters Geneva, Switzerland
Founder Peter Piot
CEO Michel Sidibé
  1. Justice Dalveer Bhandari re-elected to ICJ

Justice Dalveer Bhandari was re-elected as a judge at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), making him the third Indian to secure a prominent position in a United Nations (UN) body in recent months. Bhandari is the fourth Indian judge to be elected to the ICJ after B.N. Rau, Nagendra Singh and R.S. Pathak.

  • International law expert Neeru Chadha was elected to the UN body, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), in Hamburg in June.
  • And last month, Soumya Swaminathan, director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), was appointed deputy director general for programmes at the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva.

 

ICJ ─ International Court of Justice

Head Quarters The Hague, Netherlands
Head Hisashi Owada
  1. Karnataka Cabinet approves Electronics System Design, Manufacturing policy

The Karnataka cabinet has approved the Karnataka Electronics System Design and Manufacturing Policy 2017-22, aimed at encouraging the hardware sector.

India’s Electronic System Design and Manufacturing industry is forecasted to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 16-23 per cent to reach USD 171-228 billion by 2020.

Karnataka

Capital Bengaluru
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah
Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala
  • Karnataka has the highest number of tigers
  • Karnataka is the largest producer of coarse cereals, coffee, raw silk and tomatoes among the states in India.
  1. Maharashtra sets up Gender Budget cell for WCD

Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar has announced setting up of a Gender Budget Cell for better implementation of various schemes of the Women and Child Development (WCD) by other government departments.

The Budget Cell will be responsible for coordination between various departments for effective implementation of the schemes. Inter-departmental committees will be set up among the concerned departments.

Maharashtra

Capital Mumbai
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis
Governor Vidyasagar Rao
  1. FOGSI launches ‘Manyata’ movement for quality maternal care in India

The Federation of Obstetric and Gynecological Societies of India in partnership with MSD for Mothers, MacArthur Foundation and Jhpiego (an affiliate of Johns Hopkins University), launched ‘Manyata‘ – a nationwide movement urging the need for quality care for mothers during and immediately after childbirth when risks of life-threatening complications are the highest.

  1. Eco-friendly industrial hub to be built in Delhi by 2021

Delhi government is planning to build an eco-friendly industrial hub at Ranikhera by 2021. The construction on the project is expected to begin in three-four months, and once completed it is expected to give employment to over one lakh people.

The industrial hub will be constructed in 147 acres of land. The move is aimed at promoting ease of doing business and turn Delhi into a manufacturing hub.

  1. SBI to use blockchain technology for smart contracts, KYC

Indian multinational, public sector banking and financial services company, State Bank of India ( SBI) has announced plans to launch blockchain-enabled smart contracts and Know Your Customers (KYC) by next month, said Sudin Baraokar, head of innovation, SBI.

These applications are part of BankChain pilot projects, a community of 27 banks exploring and building blockchain solutions for banking needs.

BankChain is a community of 27 banks from India and the Middle East. ICICI Bank, Kotak Bank, DCB Bank and Axis Bank are also part of this Community.
  1. India-Russia Signed Pact for Visa Free Entry of Flight Crew

India and Russia have agreed to implement the general declaration for visa free entry of the crew of chartered and scheduled flights between the two countries. A pact on the issue was signed recently by officials of the two countries

The agreement will facilitate visa free entry, stay and exit of crew of aircraft of the designated airlines as well as other aircraft companies operating chartered and special flights in the respective territories on reciprocal basis.

  1. India, US host global entrepreneurship summit next week

India and US are co-hosting the global entrepreneurship summit next week in Hyderabad and the two countries can work more in sectors such as health.

The summit was held in Silicon Valley last year and it would be held in India this time.

US Consul General─ Craig Hall
  1. Ministry of Defence Scraps $500 million Israeli Missile Deal

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to indigenously develop and produce a Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM) for the Army, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has decided to cancel the $500 million deal for Spike ATGM with Israel.

In anticipation of this deal, Rafael had entered into a joint venture with Kalyani group for missile production in India. The missile sub-systems manufacturing facility, based near Hyderabad, was inaugurated in August.

  1. India-Myanmar joint Army exercise “IMBAX-2017” begins in Meghalaya

A group of 15 officers from the Myanmarese army has started a six-day bilateral military exercise with their counterparts from the Indian Army in Meghalaya in the first ever joint training of the troops from the two neighbouring countries.

The India-Myanmar Bilateral Military Exercise 2017 (IMBAX-2017) will take place at the recently created Joint Training Node of the Indian Army at Umroi, 30km away from Meghalaya’s capital Shillong.

Myanmar

Capital Naypyidaw
Currency Burmese kyat
President Htin Kyaw
  1. Second Indo-Bhutan Friendship Car Rally flagged off

Arunachal Pradesh Governor Brig (Retd) B D Mishra flagged off in itanagar, Arunachal Preadesh. The second IndoBhutan Friendship Car Rally 2017 which has 17 participants.

The rally has been organised by the International Friendship Car Rally Association of Dirang and sponsored by state tourism department along with Hyundai and Nissan companies.

Bhutan

Capital Thimphu
Currencies Indian rupee, Bhutanese ngultrum
Prime minister Tshering Tobgay
King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck
  1. November 21, 2017: World Fisheries Day

World Fisheries Day was established by the World Fisheries Forum (WWF) as an opportunity for reflection on our ever-increasing knowledge of the state of the oceans, fish stocks, fishers and coastal communities.

 Every November 21st, fisherfolk communities worldwide celebrate with rallies, workshops, public meetings, cultural programs, exhibitions, music shows and demonstrations to highlight the importance of maintaining the world’s fisheries.

  1. November 21, 2017: World Television Day

World Television Day is celebrated every year on 21st November. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed November 21 as World Television Day commemorating the date on which the first World Television Forum was held in 1996.

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