DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: NOVEMBER 15, 2018

Daily Current Affairs ( November 15, 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

PM Modi Attends 13th East Asia Summit in Singapore

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has attended the 13th East Asia Summit in Singapore during which the leaders of the grouping discussed global and regional issues, including maritime cooperation.

It was Prime Minister Modi’s 5th East Asia Summit. India has been participating in the East Asia Summit since its very inception in 2005.

The EAS was formed to further the objectives of regional peace, security and prosperity.

Agriculture Ministry Launches NCDC’s ‘Yuva Sahakar Scheme’

The National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) has come up with a youth-friendly scheme “Yuva Sahakar-Cooperative Enterprise Support and Innovation Scheme” for attracting them to cooperative business ventures.

The Central Government has been encouraging ‘Start-Ups’ for ease of doing business, non-conventional opportunities are emerging and are being encouraged. The newly launched scheme would encourage cooperatives to venture into new and innovative areas.

MoU signed on India-UK Cancer Research Initiative

India and United Kingdom has launched a British Pounds 10 million (current value of ₹ 93 crore) collaborative research programme that will address issues of affordability, prevention and care of cancer by bringing together Indian and UK experts across clinical research.

The five year initiative will be funded by India’s Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and UK’s Cancer Research UK (CRUK) programme. DBT and CRUK will invest equally at UK Pounds 5 million each.

DBT Secretary, Renu Swarup and CRUK Chair, Prof Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the partnership.

Indra 2018: India, Russia joint military exercise held in Jhansi, UP

India and Russia will hold joint military exercises in Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh from November 18. “Exercise Indra 2018” will begin at the Babina Field Firing Ranges.

The aim of the exercise is to practice joint planning and conduct enhance interoperability of the two Armies in peacekeeping and enforcement environment under UN aegis.

ISRO Launches GSAT-29 Communication Satellite From Andhra Pradesh

ISRO’s heavy-lift rocket GSLV-MkIII-D2 has successfully injected into orbit the country’s latest communication satellite GSAT-29.

It is intended to meet the communication needs of people in remote areas in the North East and Jammu and Kashmir.

UP cabinet approves renaming of Faizabad as Ayodhya, Allahabad as Prayagraj

The Uttar Pradesh government has approved renaming of Faizabad and Allahabad divisions as Ayodhya and Prayagraj respectively.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the state cabinet presided over by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Earlier, the government renamed the Mughalsarai Railway station, another historic spot, as Deen Dayal Upadhyaya junction.

Allahabad’s ancient name was ‘Prayag’, but was changed after 16th-century Mughal emperor Akbar built a fort near ‘Sangam’, the holy confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati.

INTERNATIONAL

UNSC lift sanctions against Eritrea after nine years

The UN Security Council 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 Eritrea supported al-Shabab militants in Somalia. Eritrea always denied the accusations. The resolution, drafted by the UK, was backed by the US and its allies.

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

APPOINTMENTS

Abhay Thakur appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Shri Abhay Thakur (IFS:1992), presently High Commissioner of India to Mauritius has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Nigeria

Capital: Abuja

Currency: Nigerian naira

Hima Das appointed as UNICEF India’s Youth Ambassador

Asian Games gold-medallist sprinter Hima Das has been appointed as the first ever youth ambassador of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) India.

Das, a native of Assam’s Nagaon district, had clinched a gold medal in Women’s 4 x 400 m Relay event at the 2018 Asian Games.

She had also won a silver medal in Women’s 400m Race event with a clock timing of 50.59 seconds.

UNICEF India works with central government to ensure that each child born in this country gets the best start in life, thrives and develops to his or her full potential.

Yes Bank Chairman Ashok Chawla Resigns

Ashok Chawla has resigned as the Non-Executive (Independent) Chairman of Yes Bank on November 14 with immediate effect, the bank said in a filing with the exchanges.

His exit could be the outcome of the likely conflict of interest over his multiple roles as the National Stock Exchange (NSE) Chairman as well as a board member of various other companies such as Yes Bank and Jet Airways.

Chawla has been serving as the Chairman of NSE, a quasi-regulator under the SEBI Act, since 2016. He was also the Chairman of Yes Bank, overseeing the leadership transition in the bank.

Apple appoints Nokia veteran Ashish Chowdhary as its India operation head

Apple has appointed Ashish Chowdhary, Chief Customer Operations Officer at Nokia Networks, as its India operation head. Chowdhary will join as Apple India head from January next year.

Chowdhary will continue to lead Customer Operations and remain a member of the Nokia Group Leadership Team until the end of 2018.

Apple India is currently under Michel Coulomb who took over from Sanjay Kaul in December last year.

RANKING

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

India will overtake the U.S. to become the world’s second-biggest emitter of carbon dioxide from the power sector before 2030 as the nation’s electricity demand skyrockets.

Carbon dioxide emissions from India’s power sector are expected to rise nearly 80 percent by 2040 as power use almost triples, driven in part by air conditioning.

India and Southeast Asia combined are the growth centers for coal-fired power, with demand more than doubling over the period to 2040.

SPORTS

Lionel Messi wins 6th La Liga Player of the Year award

Barcelona star Lionel Messi was named FIFA World Player of the Year.

Messi lifted the prestigious award at FIFA’s gala ceremony in Zurich, outdistancing the last two winners, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka.

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.

Pacer Munaf Patel announces retirement from all forms of competitive cricket

Former Indian pacer Munaf Patel announced his retirement from all forms of competitive cricket. Patel last played international match back in September 2011 against England in an ODI

The last competitive cricket Patel played was in 2017 when he was the part of the Gujarat Lions squad.

Hailing from Ikhar (a small village in Gujarat), Patel played 86 internationals from 2006 to 2011. He made his debut in the 2006 Mohali Test against England where he claimed match figures of 7 for 97.

Viswanathan Anand wins Chess India Blitz Tournament

Viswanathan Anand won the inaugural Chess India Blitz Tournament by beating overnight leader Hikaru Nakamura in the play-off in Kolkata.

Five-time world champion Anand was on a roll as he secured six wins and three draws in the nine rounds to draw level with Nakamura to force a play-off. Anand was placed fourth after the first leg.

Former England and Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole retires

Former England and Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole has announced his retirement from football, bringing the curtain down on a 20-year professional career.

Cole, made 716 appearances and scored 104 goals for seven clubs and completed his career with Tampa Bay Rowdies in the second-tier United Soccer League.

He was selected for the 2002, 2006 and 2010 World Cups, making his final England appearance at the latter tournament in South Africa.