DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: NOVEMBER 17, 2018

Daily Current Affairs ( November 17, 2018) like many other sections is inevitable and this also helps to score in the Banking awareness , Static GK and Financial Awareness sections. Remember, Banking Awareness and Static Awareness Questions are asked from the General Awareness section. This will also help you to ride your preparations for the forthcoming exams.

NATIONAL

‘Gau Samridhi Plus Scheme’ : Commenced in kerala to dairy farmers

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched the ‘Gau Samridhi Plus Scheme’ to provide insurance coverage to dairy farmers in the state.The government subsidized scheme, as proposed, will give insurance coverage to dairy farmers at low premium rates.
In which Farmers belonging to the general category will be getting 50% subsidy on premiums while those belonging to Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Scheduled Caste (SC) category would get 70% subsidy on the premium.
Apart from the Gau Samridhi Plus Scheme, the Kerala government in collaboration with the Central government has decided to set a regional autism and research centre at the National Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (NIPMR) in Thrissur.

New biotechnology policy announced by Odisha : To promote innovation, entrepreneurship & investment

On the concluding day of five day long Make in Odisha Concalve, Odisha Science and Technology Minister Badrinarayan Patra announced the robust Biotechnology Policy 2018 to enable the state to become one of the top biotech innovation and investment destination in the country .
The policy was formulated with a motion to provide fiscal and non fiscal incentives, support for product development by biotech start ups and MSMEs, streamline rules, regulations and legislation to create an innovation friendly environment, create a vibrant bio-entrepreneurial culture in academia and research institutions.

Nongkrem dance festival celebrated amid fanfare in Shillong:

The ethnic annual festival of the Khasis, the Nongkrem Dance or Shad Nongkrem concluded at Smit, on the outskirts of Shillong in Meghalaya.The Nongkrem dance festival is celebrated during Autumn at Smit, the cultural centre of the Khasi Hills.
The two-day festival is celebrated every year at Smit, the capital of Hima Khyrim, about 20 km from Shillong.The unique dance is performed by the members of Hima Khyrim, a sub-tribe of the indigenous Khasi tribe.

Govt to release e-commerce policy to improve regulations:

The Union Minister for Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation Suresh Prabhu stated that government will release the e-commerce policy in the near future.
In order to keep a check on e-commerce companies, an inter-ministerial group has decided to broaden the definition of e-commerce to include any buying, selling, marketing, distribution and delivery of goods and services through electronic means and will come out with a single legislation for e-commerce.
He had also informed that the government is creating ‘sub-national’ Ease of Doing Business parameters which will be measured at the district level because that is where the local industries are flourishing.

INTERNATIONAL

The two day ninth Session of India-Kyrgyz IGC Held in New Delhi:

The two day ninth session of of the India-Kyrgyz Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technological Cooperation (IK-IGC) was held in New Delhi with signing of protocol.
The IK-IGC was co-chaired by The Union Minister for Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu, and Mr. Kosmosbek Cholponbaev, Minister of Health, Government of the Kyrgyz Republic.
India and Kyrgyzstan have identified potential sectors where both sides may engage in areas like healthcare and pharmaceutical, environmental and technical safety.

Union Minister Vijay Goal inaugrates 26^th Conference of Central and State Organizations:

Ministry of Statistics and Programme Vijay Goel inaugurated the 26^th Conference of Central and State Organizations (COCSSO) at Dharamshala,Himachal Pradesh.
The theme of the 26th Conference was “Quality Assurance in Official Statistics”.COCSSO is an annual conference which provides a platform for the Central and State statisticians to exchange views and discuss common issues relating to statistical activities.

Morocco Unveils Africa’s First Ever High Speed Train Line:

French President Emmanuel Macron and Morocco’s King Mohammed VI have inaugurated Morocco’s first high-speed rail line, the first ever such line in Africa.
Known as the LGV, it will connect the economic hubs of Tangier and Casablanca in 2 hours 10 minutes at a speed of up to 320 kph (199 mph) instead of almost 5 hours on a regular train.

Oxford Dictionaries has chosen “toxic” as its word of 2018:

The word that best captures the “ethos, mood, or preoccupations” of 2018 is “toxic,” according to Oxford Dictionaries, which is crowned the acetic adjective its word of the year.‘Gaslighting’ and ‘techlash’ are among runners-up.
The word ‘seems to reflect a growing sense of how extreme, and at times radioactive, we feel aspects of modern life have become’
“Toxic” was judged to “have lasting potential as a term of cultural significance.Traditionally, the word “toxic” has been used to describe harmful chemical substances.

Note: Previous words of the year include “youthquake” and “post-truth.”

BANKING & ECONOMY

ADB Provides $200 Million to Upgrade State Highways in Bihar, India:

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a loan of $200 million to rehabilitate and upgrade about 230 kilometers (km) of state highways in India’s Bihar state.
The signatories to the loan for the Tamil Nadu Urban Flagship Investment Program were Mr. Sameer Kumar Khare, Additional Secretary (Fund Bank and ADB), Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, who signed for the Government of India; and Mr. Kenichi Yokoyama, Country Director of ADB’s India Resident Mission, who signed for ADB.
And also signed a $169 million loan as the First Tranche of a $500 million multi-tranche financing to develop climate-resilient water supply, sewerage, and drainage infrastructure in at least 10 cities in the State of Tamil Nadu and a $105 million loan to continue financing the transmission system upgrades in Himachal Pradesh for increased supply of hydropower to the state and the national grid.

IndusInd Bank introduces India’s first interactive credit card:

IndusInd Bank has announced the launch of IndusInd Bank Nexxt Credit Card, which empowers customers with a choice of payment options such as EMI, Reward Points or Credit at the push of a button, on the card, at the point of sale (POS).
The bank claims it to be the nation’s first interactive credit card with buttons.This card is loaded with features that will elevate the shopping experience for customers through entertainment offers, concierge services, lounge access, fuel surcharge waiver, reward earnings and reward redemptions.

SPORTS

Athlete Hima Das named UNICEF India’s First Youth Ambassador:

The United Nations Children’s Fund-India (Unicef-India) has appointed Asian Games gold-medalist sprinter Hima Das as the country’s first ever youth ambassador.
Hailing from Nagaon district-assam ,Sprinter Hima Das Clinched a gold medal in women’s 4 X 400 metre relay event at the 2018 Asian Games.

OBITUARIES

Popular theatre personality and ad guru Alyque Padamsee passes away:

One of the most famous performers in the theatre industry, Alyque Padamsee just breathed his last. The Padma Shri recipient is best known for his role as Jinnah in Gandhi.
He had received the Padma Shri in 2000, Alyque was named as the Advertising Man of the Century by The Advertising Club in Mumbai.

Laungewala battle hero Brig Kuldip Singh Chandpuri passes away:

Brig Kuldip Singh Chandpuri, decorated with the Maha Vir Chakra for gallantry in the 1971 Indo-Pak war and a well-known city resident, passed away at a local hospital after battling cancer.
He was an Army Major during the 1971 India-Pakistan war, had held his post through the night in the famous battle of Longewala in Rajasthan with just 120 men against a full-fledged attack by advancing Pakistani Patton tanks.