National News

1. NITI Aayog Organizes South Asian Regional Conference on Urban Infrastructure 

i. NITI Aayog, the premier think tank of the Government of India, partnered with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to host a South Asian regional conference at Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra in New Delhi to discuss the key issues, perspectives and the way forward in the Urban Infrastructure.

ii. The two-day conference on “Urban Infrastructure: New Approaches to Public & Private Partnerships and Municipal Finance Innovations” was inaugurated by CEO, NITI Aayog, Amitabh Kant. 

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS PO Mains Exam 2018- 

·         NITI- National Institution for Transforming India.

·         NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman- Rajiv Kumar, CEO- Amitabh Kant.

·         The Asian Development Bank is a regional development Bank established in 1966.

·         Headquarters of ADB is in Manila, Philippines.

·         Takehiko Nakao is Present President of the Asian Development Bank.

2. NITI Aayog Constitutes Himalayan State Regional Council 

i. NITI Aayog has constituted the ‘Himalayan State Regional Council’ to ensure sustainable development of the Indian Himalayan region. 

ii. The Council has been constituted to review and implement identified action points based on the Reports of five Working Groups, which were established along thematic areas to prepare a roadmap for action.

iii. The Himalayan State Regional Council will be chaired by the Dr. VK Saraswat, Member, NITI Aayog.

3. Delhi Police Launches E-Learning Portal 'NIPUN' 

i. Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik launched the force's e-learning portal NIPUNand training division website. 

ii. Through the website, Delhi Police will be using advanced technology in imparting in-service training to its personnel. 

4. India International Cherry Blossom Festival Held in Meghalaya 

i. The third edition of the India International Cherry Blossom Festival 2018 was held in Shillong. It was inaugurated by the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma in the presence of Japanese Ambassador to India, Kenji Hiramatsu.

ii. The four-day long festival is being organized by the Forest and Environment Department, Govt of Meghalaya, Institute of Bio-resources and Sustainable Development in collaboration with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. 

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS PO Mains Exam 2018:

·         Tathagata Roy is the present Governor of Meghalaya.

International News

5. World Tolerance Summit Inaugurated in Dubai 

i. The two-day summit to mark the World Tolerance Day was inaugurated in Dubai, the UAE. Held for the first time in UAE, the theme of the Summit was ‘Prospering from Pluralism: Embracing Diversity through Innovation and Collaboration’. 

ii. The World Tolerance Summit brings together government leaders, key figures from the public and private sectors, peacekeeping ambassadors and change-makers from across the world to discuss the importance of tolerance, peace and equality, and celebrate diversity.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS PO Mains Exam 2018: 

·         16th November has been declared as the World’s Tolerance Day by the UNESCO.

6. India-Taiwan SME Development Forum Beings in Taipei 

i. The 5-Day long India- Taiwan SME Development Forum was held at Taipei, Taiwan. The Indian Delegation was led by Secretary MSME Dr. Arun Kumar Panda.

ii. Currently, there are over 63 million MSMEs across various industries that employ more than 111 million persons and produce more than 8,000 products, ranging from traditional to high-tech precision items. 

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS PO Mains Exam 2018:

·         Taiwan Capital: Taipei, Currency: New Taiwan dollar.

·         MSME is the second largest employment generating sector after agriculture.

Appointments

7. UNICEF Appoints Athlete Hima Das As India’s 1st Ever Youth Ambassador

i. The United Nations Children's Fund-India (UNICEF) has appointed Asian Games gold-medalist sprinter Hima Das as India’s first ever Youth Ambassador.

ii. Recently, Hima clinched a Gold medal in Women's 4x400 metre relay event at the 2018 Asian Games at Jakarta, Indonesian. She also won Silver in the Women's 400m Race event with a clock timing of 50.59 seconds.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS PO Mains Exam 2018:

·         UNICEF India works along with the Central Government to ensure that children born in India get the best start in life, thrive and develop to his or her full potential.

·         UNICEF headquarters in New York, the USA.

·         Hima Das, nicknamed the 'Dhing Express', is an Indian sprint runner from the state of Assam.

Awards

8. Veteran Journalist N Ram Received Raja Ram Mohan Roy Award

i. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley inaugurated National Press Day (16 November) celebrations in New Delhi. The winners of National Awards for Excellence in Journalism were honored on the occasion. 

ii. Eminent journalist and Chairman of the Hindu Publishing Group, N Ram has been selected under prestigious award category of Raja Ram Mohan Roy award. 

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS PO Mains Exam 2018:

·         Press Council of India chairman: CK Prasad.

Important Days

9. International Day for Tolerance: 16 November 

International Day for Tolerance: 16 November 

i. Every year on 16 November, the international community celebrates the International Day for Tolerance with activities that target both educational institutions and the general public. 

ii. UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence: In 1995, to mark the United Nations Year for Tolerance and the 125th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi, UNESCO created a prize for the promotion of tolerance and non-violence. 

iii. The 2018 winners are social entrepreneur and filmmaker Manon Barbeau (Canada) and the Coexist Initiative, a non-profit organization working to end violence against women (Kenya).  

Sports News

10. Australia's John Hastings Retires From International Cricket

i. Former Australia all-rounder John Hastings has retired from all cricket, citing the risks posed by a bleeding lung condition. 

ii. Hastings played one Test, 29 ODIs and nine Twenty20 internationals for Australia before retiring from Tests and ODIs a year ago to become a T20 specialist.

National News

1. Agriculture Ministry Launches NCDC’s 'Yuva Sahakar Scheme' 

i. Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Radha Mohan Singh launched the ‘Yuva Sahakar-Cooperative Enterprise Support and Innovation Scheme’ of the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC). 

ii. The schemes aims for attracting youth to cooperative business ventures. The scheme will be linked to Rs 1000 crore ‘Cooperative Start-up and Innovation Fund (CSIF)’ created by the NCDC. The funding for the project will be up to 80% of the project cost for these special categories against 70% for others.

2. MoU signed on India-UK Cancer Research Initiative

i. An MoU for the partnership between Department of Biotechnology and Cancer Research UK (CRUK) for the India-UK Cancer Research Initiative has been signed in New Delhi.

ii. The India-UK Cancer Research Initiative is a collaborative 5-year bilateral research initiative that will focus on affordable approaches to cancer. Both countries will invest £5meach in this 5-year pilot and seek further investment from other potential funding partners.

3. HRD Ministry Launches LEAP and ARPIT Programmes For Higher Education faculty

i. Satya Pal Sngh, Minister of State for Human Resource Development, launched two new initiatives, namely, the Leadership for Academicians Programme (LEAP) and the Annual Refresher Programme In Teaching (ARPIT) for higher education faculty.

ii. LEAP is a three weeks flagship leadership development training programme for the second level academic functionaries in higher education institutions and ARPIT is a unique initiative of online professional development of 15 lakh higher education faculty.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS PO Mains Exam 2018:

·         Prakash Javadekar is the Minister of Human Resource Development.

4. Government To Issue Rs 75 Coin To Mark 75th Anniversary of Tricolour Hoisting 

 Rs 75 coin to commemorate the 75th anniversary of
 Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose hoisting the Tricolour 

i. The government will release a Rs 75 coin to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose hoisting the Tricolour for the first time at Port Blair. 

ii. On December 30, 1943, Bose raised the Indian National Army (INA) to fight against the British, had hoisted the Tricolour for the first time at Cellular Jail, Port Blair.

iii. Salient features of the coin:

1. Weight: 35 grams.

2. Composition: 50% silver, 40% copper, and 5% each of nickel and zinc.

3. Portrait of ‘Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’ saluting the flag on the background of Cellular Jail in Port Blair.

5. Odisha Signs MoU With AIFF

i. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the State government of Odisha signed the MoU at the Kalinga Stadium complex in the presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. 

ii. Odisha will host National team camps while also becoming the home of the I-League side Indian Arrows, according to the MoU.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS PO Mains Exam 2018:

·         Odisha Governor: Prof. Ganeshi Lal

6. Cyclone 'Gaja' Hits Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu

i. The cyclonic storm 'Gaja' over the Bay of Bengal lay at about 470 km southeast from Chennai and is set to make landfall between Cuddalore and Pamban bringing heavy rainfall to Tamil Nadu.
ii. It will also cover some parts of Puducherry. Earlier it has hit the South Coastal part of Andhra Pradesh. 

International News

7. UNSC Lifts Sanctions Against Eritrea After 9 Years

i. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has unanimously agreed to lift sanctions against Eritrea after nine years. An arms embargo, asset freeze, and travel ban were imposed in 2009 amid claims that Eritrea supported al-Shabab militants in Somalia.

ii. Eritrea agreed on a peace deal with Ethiopia following two decades of animosity, while the leader of Eritrea and the UN-backed government in Somalia recently signed a joint cooperation agreement.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS PO Mains Exam 2018:

·         Eritrea Capital: Asmara, Continent: Africa, Currency: Eritrean nakfa.

·         Eritrea gained its independence from Ethiopia in the early 1990s.

8. PM Modi Attends 13th East Asia Summit in Singapore 

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the 13th East Asia Summit in Singapore. The summit is a regional forum held annually by leaders of 18 countries in the East Asian, Southeast Asian and South Asian regions, including Russia and the United States.

ii. He presented awards to winners of first India-Singapore Hackathon. Mr. Modi attended the second Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Summit with 16 member states. 

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS PO Mains Exam 2018:

·         The first East Asia Summit was held in 2005.

Resignations

9. Yes Bank Chairman Ashok Chawla Resigns 

i. Ashok Chawla, chairman of Yes Bank Ltd, resigned with immediate effect from the lender’s board after being named in a corruption charge sheet by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

ii. Mr. Ashok Chawla is the present Chairman of the Board of Directors of NSE and Mr. Vikram Limaye is the Managing Director and CEO of NSE.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS PO Mains Exam 2018: 

·         Yes Bank Headquarters: Mumbai, CEO: Rana Kapoor.

Ranks And Reports

10. India To Top U.S. As 2nd-Largest Carbon Spewer From Power: IEA Report

i. The International Energy Agency in its latest report 'World Energy Outlook' stated thatIndia will overtake the U.S. to become the world’s second-biggest emitter of carbon dioxide from the power sector before 2030. 

ii. Carbon dioxide emissions from India’s power sector are expected to rise nearly 80% by 2040 as power use almost triples, driven in part by air conditioning. China will remain the biggest emitter. 

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS PO Mains Exam 2018: 

·         International Energy Agency was established in 1974.

·         It headquarters in Paris, France.

Awards

11. Messi Won La Liga Player Of The Year Award For 6th Time

i. Barcelona star Lionel Messi was named La Liga Player of the Year for 6th time, adding one more title to his abundant collection of soccer’s great honours. Messi lifted the prestigious award at FIFA’s gala ceremony in Zurich.

ii. The late England player and manager Bobby Robson received FIFA’s fair play award,while the presidential award for contributions to football and society went to Jordan’s Queen Rania.

Sports News

12. Women’s World Boxing Championships Begins in Delhi 

i. The Women’s World Boxing Championships begins in Delhi. This tenth edition of the tournament is set to be the biggest ever as more than 300 boxers from 72 countries are taking part.
ii. The championship is being hosted by India for the first time since 2006 when the country had topped the table with four gold, one silver and three bronze medals.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS PO Mains Exam 2018: 

·         In the last edition of World Boxing Championship, India won just a silver through Sonia Lather in the 57 kg category.

13. Former England Midfielder Joe Cole Announced Retirement

i. Former England and Chelsea Football midfielder Joe Cole has retired at the age of 37.
ii. He played at 2002, 2006 and 2010 World Cups, making his final England appearance at the latter tournament in South Africa. He scored 10 goals in 56 games for England between 2001 and 2010.